Recaps

Chu Xingchen recovered through cultivation feedback from his disciples while Bai Xuanling explained that her ascension had stalled because Heaven’s Way remained incomplete and the Great Calamity was unresolved. He stayed out of public view to recuperate as Bai Xuanling took charge of the remaining pressures, while the sects waited and watched.

• Chu Xingchen told Bai Xuanling his recovery was progressing well, thanks to feedback from Li Yingling, Li Xingtian, and Yun Li.
• Chu Xingchen inspected Bai Xuanling and found her cultivation was at the Pseudo True Immortal Realm; she said she had ascended but could go no further until the Great Calamity was settled.
• Chu Xingchen and Bai Xuanling toasted their reunion, and Bai Xuanling promised to handle outside matters while he rested.
• The Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect stayed quiet, Xu Jin tied up loose ends, and Yuyang Daozi returned to the Great Dao Sect to pursue a breakthrough.
• Chen Baiqing gave Qinghe a bowl of soup, and Chen Baiqing and Bai Xuanling exchanged smiles.

Chu Xingchen reviewed the slow progress on investigating the Buddhist Sect and hunting Heavenly Demons, then talked with Cui Hao about a junior disciple and gave him spirit stones. They set off to meet the new outer sect disciple.

• Chu Xingchen recovered from his injuries and noted that the Buddhist Sect’s internal investigation and the immortal sects’ Heavenly Demon hunts were moving slowly.
• Cui Hao told Chu Xingchen that Winter Melon had accused him of deeds he had never done, and Chu Xingchen discouraged him from suspecting his master.
• Chu Xingchen told Cui Hao that Outer Sect Elder Zhang Miaoyu had taken in a new disciple, and Cui Hao realized the newcomer was a junior sister.
• Cui Hao asked for spirit stones to give the new disciple a meeting gift, explaining that his eldest senior sister had told him to ask Second Senior Brother, who had no money.
• Chu Xingchen gave Cui Hao spirit stones and said he would speak with the eldest senior sister about his allowance.
• Chu Xingchen and Cui Hao set off to meet the new outer sect disciple.

Zhang Miaoyu taught Zhou Ping and Ye Wanzhou a lesson on patience and staying true to their principles, then Chu Xingchen and Cui Hao visited the Outer Sect. Cui Hao eased Ye Wanzhou’s nerves with a rambling fishing story until Chen Baiqing arrived and silenced him.

• Zhang Miaoyu gave Zhou Ping and Ye Wanzhou a morning lesson about patience and remaining true to their original hearts.
• Chu Xingchen welcomed Ye Wanzhou, praised her aptitude, and gave her protective Spirit Treasures, while Cui Hao urged her to protect those she cared about.
• Cui Hao entertained Ye Wanzhou with elaborate stories about catching and selling fish, and her nervousness faded as they chatted.
• Chen Baiqing entered, and Cui Hao abruptly stopped talking before she told him to continue because she had not come for him.

Chen Baiqing told Chu Xingchen she planned to travel to the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect to temper her cultivation and strengthen ties, while privately concealing additional reasons for bringing Second Senior Brother. Chu Xingchen refused to let Second Senior Brother accompany her, instead assigning Cui Hao to go with her and lending him Myriad Forms.

• Chen Baiqing announced that she had consolidated her Nascent Soul Realm cultivation and planned to gain experience at the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect.
• Chen Baiqing explained that her trip would show Chu Xingchen's goodwill toward the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect and dispel rumors, while keeping her deeper motives to herself.
• Chen Baiqing said Second Senior Brother would accompany her, but Chu Xingchen recognized that she was withholding something and reassured her that keeping secrets meant she had grown up.
• Chu Xingchen refused to let Second Senior Brother go and insisted that Chen Baiqing take Cui Hao instead, despite Cui Hao's protests.
• Chu Xingchen gave Cui Hao Myriad Forms as a temporary substitute for the Spirit Treasure he owed him and urged him to impress Chen Baiqing.

Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao traveled from the Heavenly Derivation Sect to the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect, where Cui Hao’s obsequious treatment of Myriad Forms made the welcoming elder mistake the sword for a hidden senior. Cui Hao was left searching for an explanation that would keep Chen Baiqing from beating him.

• Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao left the Heavenly Derivation Sect without saying goodbye to their master, and Cui Hao carried Myriad Forms as a longsword.
• Cui Hao recalled how Myriad Forms had transformed into ordinary weapons for him but refused his request for flashy Fist Gauntlets with long daggers.
• During the teleportation, Cui Hao fussed over Myriad Forms while Chen Baiqing watched in disbelief.
• After they arrived at the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect, an elder welcomed Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao.
• The elder mistook Cui Hao’s references to Senior Myriad Forms as proof that a powerful presence accompanied them and asked Myriad Forms to reveal himself.
• Chen Baiqing glared at Cui Hao, who struggled to think of what to say to avoid a beating.

Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao visited the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect, where they met its leader and learned they would join its trials as a squad. Chen Baiqing was appointed captain of the Longyang squad, and the two were left to build trust with their future teammates.

• Chen Baiqing interrupted Cui Hao’s attempt to claim there was a Senior Myriad Forms, and both apologized to the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect elder.
• The elder escorted Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao to the Main Hall, where they faced Li Moze, Xu Jin, and many powerful cultivators.
• Chen Baiqing shielded Cui Hao from the hall’s oppressive aura before they took the seats Li Moze offered them.
• Li Moze introduced the gathered seniors, warned the pair to be careful during the trials, and gave them disciple robes and tokens.
• Li Moze appointed Chen Baiqing captain of the Longyang squad and told her to help its members become familiar with one another.

Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao arrived at the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect, where Xu Jin explained the sect’s training approach and guided them to their team’s quarters. Chen Baiqing met her teammates and introduced herself, while Cui Hao left them guessing about his abilities.

• Cui Hao admired the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect token, and Xu Jin explained that it offered a discount at major shops and was worth keeping.
• Xu Jin told Chen Baiqing that the sect’s training began with basic assignments so recruits could experience danger and prove themselves, and he gave her a Message Token in case she needed help.
• Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao reached their team’s courtyard, where Xu Jin left them to make their first impression on the other members.
• Chen Baiqing entered and introduced herself as a Nascent Soul Late Stage spell cultivator who specialized in illusion techniques.
• Cui Hao introduced himself as a Middle Golden Core cultivator who was not particularly good at combat, then declared that he was a genius.

Cui Hao joined Chen Baiqing’s team for a sect training expedition, but the other disciples doubted his Golden Core cultivation and usefulness. He proposed a drinking game to help them get acquainted, then switched to dice that blocked spiritual senses, preparing to show them what he meant by genius.

• Li Zhuhua questioned Cui Hao’s qualifications, and Chen Baiqing called him dead weight while telling the others not to rely on him.
• Chen Baiqing left Cui Hao to handle the team, and Cui Hao proposed a game of Truth or Dare using spirit wine.
• Lu Lingyi repeatedly won at finger-guessing and questioned Cui Hao about his relationship with Chen Baiqing, his place on the team, and his master’s purpose in sending him.
• Cui Hao challenged the fairness of finger-guessing and brought out dice and cups made from stillness spirit stone.
• Lu Lingyi and the others accepted the dice game, while Cui Hao smiled, believing the setup would let him demonstrate his genius.

Chen Baiqing watched Cui Hao build rapport with their fellow disciples during a night of drinking, then explained that the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect had chosen reliable teammates and that Cui Hao’s connection to his master already gave him advantages. Cui Hao was left realizing that his Third Senior Sister had grown up and that he still lacked experience.

• Chen Baiqing listened as Cui Hao and the others drank and talked, while he encouraged Lu Lingyi to try to meet Xu Jin rather than live with regret.
• At midnight, Chen Baiqing found the group asleep or drunk in the courtyard and let Lu Lingyi, Lin Chuan, and Li Huazhu retire until the next day.
• After the others left, Cui Hao admitted to Chen Baiqing that he had learned about their temperaments, but she said their carefully chosen teammates were unlikely to disobey her orders.
• Chen Baiqing told Cui Hao that his master’s standing already gave him advantages and that others stood to benefit from connecting with him.
• Cui Hao watched Chen Baiqing leave and realized his Third Senior Sister had grown up.

Chen Baiqing led Lu Lingyi, Cui Hao, Lin Chuan, and Li Huazhu on a training mission to eradicate an evil cult in Cloud Dream Marsh, where intelligence warned that Spirit Transformation cultivators might be involved. The group reached the marsh, and Chen Baiqing sensed tremendous demon qi ahead.

• Chen Baiqing teased Cui Hao with a book before clarifying that she was reading an obscure exposition on the Way of Heaven, not his flattering essay.
• Chen Baiqing asked Lu Lingyi, Lin Chuan, and Li Huazhu to follow her instructions during the mission, and they agreed.
• Chen Baiqing gave Lu Lingyi the mission details, which identified an evil cult tied to Heavenly Demons and warned that Spirit Transformation cultivators might be present.
• The group traveled in disguise to Cloud Dream Marsh in the Northern Reed Continent, territory nominally under the Cloud Dream Pavilion.
• Cui Hao pointed out that they were nearing Cloud Dream Marsh, and Chen Baiqing sensed powerful demon qi within its clouds.

Chen Baiqing and her companions waited outside Cloud Dream Marsh while she explained the region’s customs and Cloud Dream Pavilion’s control over it. She arranged for the group to enter cautiously, then sent them toward a nearby settlement to gather information.

• Chen Baiqing considered why she had not sensed demon qi and concluded that Cloud Dream Marsh’s isolation and Cloud Dream Pavilion’s influence made the mission dangerous.
• Chen Baiqing told Cui Hao to care for the spirit horse and ordered the group to conceal their spiritual power when entering the marsh.
• Lu Lingyi reported a settlement thirty li west and offered to contact Wang Chuan and Li Huazhu so they could regroup there.
• Chen Baiqing used her spiritual power to send the spirit horse east after Cui Hao asked how to keep it from wandering.
• Chen Baiqing gave Cui Hao two books on basic cultivation knowledge and warned that she would test him on their contents later.
• Chen Baiqing led Cui Hao toward the western settlement, and Cui Hao assured her he understood why she was pushing him to study.

Chen Baiqing and her companions discussed how Cloud Dream Marsh’s demons used the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path to exploit villagers and shelter evil cultivators, then decided to capture a local demon for intelligence. Their plan began sooner than expected when the temple’s tiger demon arrived.

• Lu Lingyi reported that she had set up a low-grade formation to keep mortals away from the Mountain God Temple.
• Li Zhuhua explained that Cloud Dream Marsh’s demon statues represented demons who demanded incense and sacrifices in exchange for supposed protection.
• Chen Baiqing reasoned that evil cultivators likely traded resources and flesh and blood for the demons’ protection, and proposed supporting a local demon to gather information.
• Chen Baiqing’s group decided they needed to capture a local demon familiar with the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path and its customs.
• A vicious upright-walking tiger demon entered the temple and demanded to know why the five intruders were there so late.

Cui Hao defeated a Tiger Demon who had tried to eat the children and forced him to answer questions about Cloud Dream Marsh. Lu Lingyi took the demon away for interrogation while Chen Baiqing destroyed his Divine Statue, and the group prepared to learn more once they entered the marsh.

• The Tiger Demon pressured the five apparent children and reached for Cui Hao, intending to eat them.
• Cui Hao shattered the Tiger Demon's arm, beat him badly, and made him admit he was full.
• Cui Hao threatened the demon and questioned him about Cloud Dream Marsh, learning that he knew only rumors.
• Lu Lingyi took the Tiger Demon outside to interrogate him, while Chen Baiqing destroyed his Divine Statue.
• Chen Baiqing said the group would learn more inside Cloud Dream Marsh, and Cui Hao nodded.

Chen Baiqing and her group entered Cloud Dream Marsh with the Tiger Demon, Shan Meng, as their guide, intending to inspect the villages and learn more about the demon territory. When a Weasel Demon recognized Shan Meng, Cui Hao pretended they served the local king and warned the Weasel Demon against overstepping.

• Lu Lingyi reported that Shan Meng knew little about the greater demons in Cloud Dream Marsh, where Changshan True Lord reportedly ruled the most villages and neared the Body Integration Realm.
• Chen Baiqing decided to take Shan Meng into Cloud Dream Marsh, asked Cui Hao to handle encounters with others, and set out with the group.
• The group entered Cloud Dream Marsh, and Shan Meng led them toward the villages while explaining that his cave abode lay along their route.
• A Weasel Demon came out from Shan Meng's cave abode and called him a stupid cat, prompting Chen Baiqing to stop Shan Meng.
• Cui Hao told the Weasel Demon that Shan Meng had tried to build a temple in their king's territory and warned him to tell the others not to covet what was not theirs.

Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao visited Flower Marsh Village to investigate Cloud Dream Marsh’s gods and their followers. Chen Baiqing gave an old woman a counterfeit divine crystal to deliver to the Marsh God and proposed a partnership, then vanished with Cui Hao.

• Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao reached Flower Marsh Village while their companions investigated demons elsewhere.
• The old woman explained that people born in Cloud Dream Marsh could not remain outside it, and said outsiders and marsh-born people could be distinguished by their smell.
• The old woman guessed that Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao were cultivators, and Chen Baiqing warned her that knowing too much could be dangerous.
• Chen Baiqing gave the old woman a counterfeit crystal and asked her to tell the Marsh God to stay in its temple if it wanted to discuss a partnership.
• Chen Baiqing and Cui Hao disappeared, and the old woman examined the crystal before putting it away.

Chu Xingchen persuaded Yuyang Daozi and Xu Jin to steal Sect Leader Lü’s Spring Warmth, assigning Xu Jin to retrieve it while he and Yuyang supported him. When the Sect-Protecting Bell rang, Xu Jin discovered both of his supposed brothers had abandoned him.

• Chu Xingchen apologized to Yuyang Daozi for the trouble he had caused on the Western Ox-He Continent, and Xu Jin asked about his injuries.
• Chu Xingchen proposed stealing Sect Leader Lü’s Spring Warmth, and Yuyang Daozi and Xu Jin agreed to join him.
• Chu Xingchen assigned himself to draw people away, Yuyang Daozi to prepare an escape route, and Xu Jin to retrieve the Spring Warmth.
• A formation triggered the Sect-Protecting Bell, and Xu Jin struggled free of its restraints.
• Xu Jin found that Chu Xingchen and Yuyang Daozi had both vanished, leaving him to face the alarm alone.

In Cloud Dream Marsh, Cui Hao persuaded Chen Baiqing to let him investigate the Wild Boar Demon alone while she continued her own plans. Chen Baiqing gave him a protective Dharma Treasure and warned him to stay safe, leaving his capabilities and the outcome of his mission to be seen.

• Chen Baiqing compiled a detailed relationship chart of Cloud Dream Marsh’s demons, including the Golden Core Wild Boar Demon of Flower Marsh Village.
• Cui Hao asked Chen Baiqing to let him handle the Wild Boar Demon while she looked for another target, but she initially refused because she prioritized bringing him home safely.
• Cui Hao invoked Master’s confidence in him, and Chen Baiqing gave him a protective Dharma Treasure and allowed him to go, warning him to stay safe.
• Lu Lingyi questioned whether Cui Hao could handle the task, and Chen Baiqing said his move, Senior's Great Technique, might make him stronger than Lu Lingyi.
• Chen Baiqing set out with Lu Lingyi to take action and said they should wait and see whether Cui Hao finished the job first.

Cui Hao entered Flower Marsh Village and persuaded the Wild Boar Demon to expand his influence by winning over the people rather than fighting for territory. He revealed Myriad Forms’ overwhelming divine aura, leaving the demon prostrate and showing that Cloud Dream Pavilion could no longer ignore what was happening.

• Cui Hao entered the village shrine and met the Wild Boar Demon, who had been waiting with the crystal Chen Baiqing gave him.
• The Wild Boar Demon recognized the crystal’s divine aura and asked Cui Hao for instructions, hoping to pursue the Great Dao it promised.
• Cui Hao told the Wild Boar Demon to expand his influence by winning the people’s hearts, since Cloud Dream Pavilion would intervene if human affairs erupted into a major incident.
• Cui Hao explained that Cloud Dream Pavilion had ignored the marsh because the Wild Boar Demon’s actions were beneath its notice.
• Cui Hao drew Myriad Forms, and its divine aura overwhelmed the Wild Boar Demon, forcing him to prostrate himself.

Cui Hao forced the Wild Boar Demon to govern Flower Marsh Village benevolently and asked him to watch for Evil Cultivators in Cloud Dream Marsh. Knowing stronger Demon Cultivators could undo his efforts, Cui Hao sent his master an urgent request to pressure Cloud Dream Pavilion and restrain the great demons.

• Cui Hao ordered the Wild Boar Demon to end compulsory worship and village restrictions, and drafted demanding guidelines for serving the people.
• The Wild Boar Demon agreed to follow Cui Hao’s provisions after Cui Hao promised to handle any great demons who caused trouble.
• Cui Hao told the Wild Boar Demon that Evil Cultivators had entered Cloud Dream Marsh and asked him to watch for information about them.
• The Wild Boar Demon accepted the request, and the old woman said he no longer had grounds to refuse.
• Cui Hao sent his master an Urgent Message Jade Token asking for aid in pressuring Cloud Dream Pavilion to stop the great demons from striking without restraint.

Xu Jin, Chu Xingchen, and Yuyang Daozi covered for one another after their wine-related incident, and Lü Xuan let them go with a promise of Spring Warmth. Back at the courtyard, Xie Lingyu delivered an urgent message from Cui Hao in Northern Jambudvipa, and Chu Xingchen and the others turned serious.

• Lü Xuan questioned Xu Jin about the incident, while Chu Xingchen and Yuyang Daozi first distanced themselves from it and then claimed responsibility as his brothers.
• Xu Jin accepted the blame, and Lü Xuan told Yan Yun to send Spring Warmth before dismissing the three.
• On the way back to Loving Family Peak, Xu Jin scolded Chu Xingchen and Yuyang Daozi, who defended their behavior as a sign of brotherhood and promised to drink with him.
• Xie Lingyu gave Chu Xingchen an Urgent Message Jade Token from Cui Hao in Northern Jambudvipa, and the three men grew serious.

Chu Xingchen, Xu Jin, and Yuyang Daozi planned to pressure the Cloud Dream Pavilion by inviting its core disciple, Zheng Zhaoling, to a meeting of prodigies. Zheng Zhaoling accepted the invitation and arrived at the Heavenly Derivation Sect, where the name above Loving Family Peak caught her off guard.

• Chu Xingchen read Cui Hao’s request and agreed to help address the problem involving the Cloud Dream Pavilion.
• Chu Xingchen proposed inviting Zheng Zhaoling to a meeting of prodigies, and Xu Jin volunteered to deliver the invitation before Chu Xingchen sent it through a Jade Spirit.
• Three days later, Zheng Zhaoling arrived at the Heavenly Derivation Sect with two Cloud Dream Pavilion cultivators and chose to enter the meeting alone.
• A Heavenly Derivation Sect disciple guided Zheng Zhaoling to Loving Family Peak, where she stared in surprise at the plaque reading “A Loving Family.”

Chu Xingchen told Zheng Zhaoling that the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect and the Heavenly Derivation Sect planned to establish a presence in Cloud Dream Marsh, whether the Cloud Dream Pavilion agreed or not. Zheng Zhaoling initially denounced the move as banditry, but sat back down when Chu Xingchen offered to explain their reasons.

• Zheng Zhaoling studied the plaque at Chu Xingchen's residence and considered whether his invitation signaled an alliance with the Cloud Dream Pavilion.
• Chu Xingchen welcomed Zheng Zhaoling and explained that the plaque expressed his vision of the sects standing together against powerful enemies.
• Chu Xingchen introduced Zheng Zhaoling to Xu Jin and Yuyang Daozi, and they sat together for tea in a small courtyard.
• Chu Xingchen informed Zheng Zhaoling that the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect and the Heavenly Derivation Sect would establish a presence in Cloud Dream Marsh, with Bai Xuanling leading the team and Xu Jin and Chu Xingchen joining.
• Zheng Zhaoling accused Chu Xingchen of humiliating the Cloud Dream Pavilion and prepared to leave, but stopped when he asked whether she wanted to hear their justification.
• Zheng Zhaoling returned to her seat, while Xu Jin reflected that Chu Xingchen seemed even less like a good man now that he knew Chu Xingchen had no intention of actually going to Cloud Dream Marsh.

Chu Xingchen challenged Zheng Zhaoling over the demons and mortal suffering in Cloud Dream Marsh, then asked her to investigate its conditions for three months. Zheng Zhaoling agreed to go, and Chu Xingchen told Xu Jin he would have to apologize too if they were wrong.

• Chu Xingchen questioned Zheng Zhaoling about demons running rampant in Cloud Dream Marsh, and she explained Cloud Dream Pavilion's old agreement with the great demons and its jurisdiction over the region.
• Zheng Zhaoling defended the protection Cloud Dream Marsh's demons gave its people and described the hunger and hardship she had experienced as a child.
• Chu Xingchen apologized for his earlier remarks, then said the situation he had heard about seemed worse than Zheng Zhaoling had described and might involve a misunderstanding.
• Chu Xingchen asked Zheng Zhaoling to investigate Cloud Dream Marsh in person for three months and promised that he and his companions would apologize if he was mistaken.
• Zheng Zhaoling agreed to go, and Xu Jin asked whether he would have to apologize too; Chu Xingchen said he would.

Zhu Tu feared the Cloud Dream Marsh demons would punish him for Cui Hao’s reforms, but the Cloud Marsh God issued a decree protecting humans from territorial demons. After hearing that Zheng Zhaoling of Cloud Dream Pavilion had arrived on an inspection, Zhu Tu became convinced Cui Hao’s influence was far greater than he had realized.

• The Wild Boar Demon, Zhu Tu, urged Cui Hao to let him abandon the reforms before powerful demons carried out their ultimatum.
• Cui Hao told Zhu Tu to keep his word and wait two days, insisting that his connections would resolve the danger.
• A messenger arrived with the Cloud Marsh God’s decree forbidding territorial demons from harming, insulting, or restricting humans.
• Zhu Tu bribed the messenger, who said Zheng Zhaoling, a Current Core Disciple of Cloud Dream Pavilion, had arrived to inspect the marsh.
• Zhu Tu returned to Cui Hao and concluded that a powerful force had covered Cloud Dream Marsh in darkness.

Cui Hao used his backing to push Zhu Tu to develop Flower Marsh Village, while Chen Baiqing ordered her group to investigate Zheng Zhaoling and sow discord among demons linked to evil cultivators. Zheng Zhaoling attended a three-day banquet in Cloud Dream Marsh as she began her open inspection, suspecting the hosts were hiding something.

• Cui Hao told Zhu Tu to increase publicity, provide subsidies, clear farmland, build roads, and follow a development plan and new regulations.
• Chen Baiqing learned Zheng Zhaoling had arrived to inspect Cloud Dream Marsh and ordered Wang Chuan to investigate her purpose and movements.
• Chen Baiqing told Li Zhuhua to let her junior brother act freely and ordered her to use the eagle demon to stir up trouble among demons who traded with evil cultivators.
• Zheng Zhaoling attended the Cloud Marsh God's banquet for three days and suspected the daily festivities were meant to conceal information from her.
• Zheng Zhaoling looked at the banquet's food and recalled Chu Xingchen's warning that hunger and cold must not be forgotten.