Chapter Summaries

Cui Hao gave Zheng Zhaoling intelligence about the Evil Spirit Cult’s plan to slaughter a nation in Northern Jambudvipa and proposed that they act without waiting for instructions. Zheng Zhaoling agreed to join him in handling the matter themselves.

• Cui Hao brought Zheng Zhaoling a Jade Token containing the Evil Spirit Cult’s detailed plans to attack the Incense-and-Fire Divine Path and refine a nation’s blood qi.
• Zheng Zhaoling questioned whether Cui Hao’s master expected them to work with Cloud Dream Pavilion to eradicate the cult, while Cui Hao guessed he had been sent to cause trouble for its plans.
• Cui Hao explained that he believed the intelligence was a test of his ability to make decisions independently.
• Cui Hao urged Zheng Zhaoling to rely on their own abilities, and she agreed to act with him.

An old man at the Zijun God’s Shrine secretly gave a destitute girl talisman water, hoping to win her future loyalty. She brought it to her gravely ill younger sister, but a richly dressed young man warned them that drinking it would kill her.

• At the Shrine in Guyeting, the old man distributed talisman water to worshippers seeking cures and blessings.
• The old man gave two mouthfuls of talisman water to a poor girl who had brought no incense, then decided she might prove useful to the Shrine.
• The girl hurried home to Leaking Water Alley and urged her sick younger sister to drink the water.
• A richly dressed young man appeared at their doorway and warned that the water was not for saving lives and would kill anyone who drank it.

Cui Hao revealed that the Shrine’s talisman water harmed its users and offered the older sister a pill to save her younger sister. After the sisters survived, Cui Hao warned them to avoid the Shrine and urged them to live well.

• Cui Hao told the older sister that the talisman water burned away the drinker’s blood qi and would endanger her gravely ill younger sister.
• Cui Hao gave the older sister a pill and said it could save her sister’s life.
• The older sister drank the talisman water herself, then gave the pill to her younger sister, whose breathing steadied and eyes grew focused.
• The older sister knelt to accept punishment, but Cui Hao told the sisters to live well, do what good they could manage, and never visit the Shrine again.
• Cui Hao dispelled the medicinal potency in the older sister and vanished, leaving her to murmur his name: Cui Puyu.

Cui Hao proposed sabotaging the Evil Spirit Cult’s shrine by turning its believers against it and recruiting local incense gods with the cult’s own Spirit Stones. At Zhao Great Yuanwai’s home, the wealthy patron of the Zijun God Temple became terrified of its divine water and refused to drink it.

• Zheng Zhaoling and Cui Hao watched the Evil Spirit Cult’s shrine and discussed how the cult had bribed nearby incense gods and gained believers.
• Cui Hao explained that he had saved a believer, then warned that the temple keeper might suspect they were watching the shrine.
• Cui Hao proposed spreading frightening rumors and otherwise causing trouble among the shrine’s believers while recruiting poor local gods with the Evil Spirit Cult’s Spirit Stones.
• Zheng Great Yuanwai’s support had helped fund and promote the Zijun God Temple after its divine water cured his impotence.
• Zhao Great Yuanwai returned home terrified and begged his wife to take away the Zijun divine water, refusing to drink it again.

After Squire Zhao revealed that the Zijun God used the talisman water to control worshippers and had shown him a horrific vision, people stopped visiting the Shrine and offering incense. The temple keeper discovered the decline in Wish Power and left to investigate, warning Zijun not to interfere.

• Squire Zhao told his wife that the Zijun God had summoned him through the talisman water and shown him a vision of eating a person's heart and a baby's head.
• Squire Zhao said an expert had saved him by using the blessings of his remaining years, and warned that he must avoid the Zijun God and make up for past sins with good deeds.
• Squire Li, Wang of the county office, Shopkeeper Qian, Blacksmith Tong, and other worshippers stopped offering incense or visiting the Shrine.
• After about half a month, the temple keeper saw that visitors had dwindled and that less than half a vat of talisman water had been used.
• The temple keeper summoned Zijun, who complained about the dwindling Wish Power, and the temple keeper said he would investigate whoever was causing trouble.
• The temple keeper warned Zijun to stay inside and not interfere while he was away, and Zijun agreed but told him not to blame him if he botched things.

Xie Lingyu and Ru Nan visited the Black Tortoise Kingdom and met with Zhao Xuan and Li Junzi. Li Junzi accepted Xie Lingyu’s medicine and spoke with her about Chu Xingchen and Lin Luoyu, leaving Ru Nan impressed by Chu Xingchen’s judgment of people.

• Ru Nan reassured Zhao Xuan that the Great Thunderclap Temple would not retaliate over the kingdom’s past policies and would handle anyone who used its name to cause trouble.
• Li Junzi entered the council hall and greeted Zhao Xuan and Xie Lingyu, who gave her pills to replenish her blood qi.
• Ru Nan praised Li Junzi’s bearing, and she calmly discussed the need to turn the world upside down with him.
• Li Junzi asked Xie Lingyu about Chu Xingchen and Lin Luoyu, and Xie Lingyu said they were both well.
• Ru Nan watched the two women talk and thought Chu Xingchen had an exceptional eye for people.

At Firmament Rhyme Hall’s Temporary Hub, Chu Xingchen and Chen Baiqing discussed Cui Hao’s efforts to turn the Evil Spirit Cult against the Incense Gods. Chen Baiqing agreed to help Cui Hao if Chu Xingchen asked, as Chu Xingchen prepared to visit Cloud Dream Pavilion.

• Ye Antao enjoyed her idle assignment at the hub, where Chen Baiqing treated her kindly and Yunxiao occasionally urged her to learn from Chen Baiqing.
• Bai Xuanling praised Cui Hao’s scheme, which had made the Evil Spirit Cult believe the Incense Gods had taken their money and betrayed them.
• Chu Xingchen boasted that Chen Baiqing had inherited his abilities, while Chen Baiqing praised her master and said she had much more to learn.
• Chen Baiqing judged that Cui Hao could handle the situation but warned that his tendency to soften could lead him into unnecessary risks.
• Chu Xingchen asked Chen Baiqing to help Cui Hao if needed, and she agreed; Chu Xingchen’s next stop was Cloud Dream Pavilion.

Cui Hao welcomed Cloud Dream Pavilion’s reinforcements and decided to use the Evil Spirit Cult’s attack on the incense gods to weaken them before intervening. He prepared to take responsibility for the dirty work, but Zheng Zhaoling insisted on sharing the risk and the credit.

• Cui Hao and Zheng Zhaoling received Cloud Dream Pavilion cultivators who had arrived to help deal with the Evil Spirit Cult.
• Zheng Zhaoling told Cui Hao that the Evil Spirit Cult was heading to Northern Jambudvipa to kill incense gods and impersonate them.
• Cui Hao decided not to stop the Evil Spirit Cult from attacking the incense gods, intending to avenge them afterward and take responsibility for the consequences.
• Cui Hao explained that he was willing to do the dirty work to protect Third Senior Sister and their sect.
• Zheng Zhaoling refused to let Cui Hao take all the blame and limelight, declaring that she would stand with him.

Zhao Xuan and Evil Spirit prepared the Evil Spirit Cult’s attack on the Incense Gods, relying on the Heavenly Demons to distract the Eighteen Immortal Sects. Evil Spirit began the operation by killing the Great Bear Demon King at his cave abode.

• Zhao Xuan and Evil Spirit discussed the Incense Gods’ repeated provocations and prepared to strike their shrine in Northern Jambudvipa.
• Zhao Xuan sent Xu Si a message with a costly Jade Token, but received no reply.
• Evil Spirit told Zhao Xuan that the Heavenly Demons would stir up trouble to distract the Eighteen Immortal Sects, then asked him to watch for enemies.
• Evil Spirit entered Xiong Hou’s cave abode and blasted a hole through the Great Bear Demon King’s chest, silencing the gathered Incense Gods.

The Mountain-Covering Great King gathered Northern Jambudvipa’s incense gods after the Evil Spirit Cult slaughtered at least eight of them. As fears spread that humans might be behind the attacks, he resolved to confront the enemies rather than submit.

• The Evil Spirit Cult secretly attacked incense gods in their mountain cave abodes, using superior cultivation and numbers to overwhelm them.
• Cui Hao leaked information to the incense gods so the Evil Spirit Cult could not win too easily and drive them to surrender.
• At the Mountain-Covering Great King’s gathering, the incense gods learned that at least eight shrine-holders had been killed and their attackers were likely at spirit transformation realm or above.
• A fox incense god warned that humans might be orchestrating the attacks to purge inhuman beings, leaving the incense gods to submit or flee into the wilderness.
• The Mountain-Covering Great King rejected surrender and declared that the incense gods needed to stand up for themselves, then rose to confront their enemies.

Chu Xingchen and Bai Xuanling brought Cloud Dream Pavilion’s leaders and elders to Northern Jambudvipa to support Cui Hao against the Evil Spirit Cult. After confronting the sect leader over the pavilion’s slow response, Chu Xingchen secured their cooperation, and the group prepared to handle the threat.

• Chu Xingchen and Bai Xuanling shared noodles with Cloud Dream Pavilion’s sect leader, grand elders, and other senior cultivators.
• Chu Xingchen thanked the pavilion for its support but criticized its slow procedures, explaining that he had come to help his disciple Cui Hao confront the Evil Spirit Cult.
• The Cloud Dream Pavilion’s sect leader explained that Zheng Zhaoling and a Tribulation Transcendence grand elder had already accompanied Cui Hao, exceeding the pavilion’s usual support.
• Chu Xingchen urged the sect leader to cooperate against the Evil Spirit Cult and its ties to the Heavenly Demons, and the sect leader agreed to do their utmost.
• Bai Xuanling set aside the earlier dispute, praised Cui Hao’s cleverness, and said the group might only be taking a stroll because he could handle the mission himself.

Cui Hao’s warning and support helped the Incense Gods resist the Evil Spirit Cult’s invasion, turning the conflict in Northern Jambudvipa into a bloody stalemate. As Zheng Zhaoling questioned the human cost of his actions, she handed Cui Hao a Jade Token that seemed to remind her of something.

• Cui Hao secured weapons, healing Pills, and Spirit Stones from Cloud Dream Marsh for the Incense Gods, while keeping the full strength of the Evil Spirit Cult’s invasion from the Mountain-Covering Great King.
• The Mountain-Covering Great King rallied the Incense Gods, destroyed Evil Spirit Cult Shrines, and led counterattacks as both sides suffered heavy losses across the Cangxi Kingdom.
• Cui Hao’s slogan, “Let the demons of Beimang perish, but never our homeland,” inspired more Incense Gods to join the fight, while the Evil Spirit Cult began installing its own Incense Gods in captured territory.
• Zheng Zhaoling asked whether the carnage met Cui Hao’s expectations, and he said the Evil Spirit Cult seemed hesitant and that he could accept some psychological pressure because neither side was good.
• Cui Hao said he would rather have a cup of Third Senior Sister’s tea, and Zheng Zhaoling searched among the Jade Tokens and handed him one.

Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu witnessed a battle between the Incense Gods and the Evil Spirit Cult near Northern Yellow Mountain, where the Incense Gods were suffering heavy losses. Chen Baiqing chose not to intervene until she could learn what Cui Hao intended, and she realized he had adopted a harsher approach than Lin Luoyu expected.

• The Incense Gods attacked the Evil Spirit Cult at Northern Yellow Mountain, but the prepared cultists countered them and gained the upper hand.
• Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu watched the battle through the Azure Sky Treasure Ring, and Chen Baiqing concluded that the Evil Spirit Cult had infiltrated the Incense Gods.
• Lin Luoyu asked whether they should help the Incense Gods, but Chen Baiqing said they should wait because Cui Hao had not intervened.
• As Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu continued toward Cloud Dream Marsh, Lin Luoyu questioned whether the plan suited Cui Hao, and Chen Baiqing explained that Zheng Zhaoling would not have proposed it.
• Chen Baiqing understood that Cui Hao was showing he could use methods others might not understand, and she felt her years of guiding him had not been wasted.

Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu visited Cui Hao in Cloud Dream Marsh, where Chen Baiqing reassured Zheng Zhaoling that Master trusted her and invited her into their private discussion. Chen Baiqing offered to help Cui Hao review his work, and the chapter ended with him joking that he was already very moved by her visit.

• Cui Hao welcomed Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu and introduced them to Zheng Zhaoling and Cloud Marsh.
• Chen Baiqing exchanged pleasantries with Zheng Zhaoling and Cloud Marsh, then ended the gathering so she could speak privately with Cui Hao.
• Chen Baiqing invited Zheng Zhaoling to stay and used the Azure Sky Treasure Ring to block sound and Divine Sense probes.
• Chen Baiqing told Zheng Zhaoling that Master trusted her and said she could hear their confidential discussion.
• Chen Baiqing praised Cui Hao's work in Northern Jambudvipa and offered to help him check for anything he had overlooked.
• Cui Hao joked that Chen Baiqing had come because she was moved, and she teased him about the times he had begged her for help.

Chen Baiqing visited Cloud Dream Marsh but stayed out of Zheng Zhaoling’s preparations for the fight against the Evil Spirit Cult, spending her time reading and feeding fish. When Zheng Zhaoling asked for her assessment, Chen Baiqing explained that she had come to support Cui Hao and provide Zheng a safety net, and said she now trusted Zheng to handle the matter.

• Chen Baiqing brewed tea for Zheng Zhaoling, then left to explore while Cui Hao explained that she tailored her approach to people through shared interests.
• Over the next five days, Zheng Zhaoling managed jade messages and coordinated support for the incense god while Chen Baiqing and Lin Luoyu mostly stayed apart from the work.
• Zheng Zhaoling approached Chen Baiqing at the fishpond, accepted candied fruit, and remarked on the close bonds among her sectmates.
• Zheng Zhaoling asked whether Chen Baiqing thought their preparations had gone wrong, and Chen Baiqing said she judged people by their deeds and had initially trusted Zheng because Cui Hao did.
• Chen Baiqing revealed she had come to back Cui Hao and provide Zheng with protection from possible repercussions, then said she now believed Zheng could handle the matter well.

Chu Xingchen met Zhao Xuan to discuss the Evil Spirit Cult’s undertaking and asked whether the commotion on the Western Ox-He Continent could distract the immortal sects. After revealing his Cloud Dream Pavilion elder token and agreeing to withstand pressure from the sect, Chu Xingchen suspected the Heavenly Demons’ movements were a smokescreen and left the remaining plans to Cui Hao.

• Chu Xingchen and Bai Xuanling met Zhao Xuan at an Incense God Shrine to discuss the Evil Spirit Cult’s nearly completed undertaking.
• Bai Xuanling warned Zhao Xuan that Cloud Dream Pavilion and the Profound Clarity Heavenly Sect were investigating, while Zhao Xuan insisted the plan should proceed.
• Chu Xingchen asked whether the disturbance on the Western Ox-He Continent could grow enough to draw the Eighteen Immortal Sects’ attention away.
• Zhao Xuan asked Chu Xingchen to hold back the Incense Gods, and Chu Xingchen revealed his Cloud Dream Pavilion elder token, promising to handle pressure from the pavilion.
• Chu Xingchen realized Zhao Xuan’s quick reassurance suggested the Western Ox-He disturbance was already at its limit and might be a smokescreen for the Heavenly Demons’ real objective.
• With Chen Baiqing having reached Cloud Dream Marsh and met Cui Hao, Chu Xingchen decided to leave and entrust the remaining work to Cui Hao.

Yuankong completed the Inverted Hanging Temple’s trial and learned how many times Qian Qing had climbed it for him. Realizing he had been wrong to decide what was best for her, he set off for the Heavenly Derivation Sect to apologize.

• Yuankong questioned the young śrāmaṇera about the Inverted Hanging Temple’s trial and learned it was meant to teach people to let go of what they could not obtain.
• The young śrāmaṇera told Yuankong that Qian Qing had climbed the trial for over two years, reached the summit seven times, and failed at least twenty-three times.
• Yuankong explained that he had kept away from Qian Qing because he thought immortals and mortals should lead separate lives, then admitted she should make her own choices.
• The young śrāmaṇera told Yuankong that Qian Qing’s persistence showed she would forgive him, and Yuankong flew toward the Heavenly Derivation Sect to apologize.
• The abbot told the young śrāmaṇera that Yuankong was an innate Buddhist child and encouraged him to study hard.

Qian Qing and Sandong enjoyed the snow at A Loving Family Peak before Yuankong returned after a long absence. Qian Qing greeted him with a full-strength punch that sent him sprawling into the snow.

• Sandong and Qian Qing talked about the snowfall and planned to build snowmen together.
• Sandong invited Qian Qing and Qinghe to share a meal, offering to pay with its spirit stones.
• Qian Qing went to put away her broom and spotted Yuankong climbing toward A Loving Family Peak.
• Yuankong greeted Qian Qing with a smile, and she immediately punched him into the snow.

Yuankong reunited with Qian Qing on A Loving Family Peak, where their reunion turned into teasing and scolding before they went to eat with Sandong and Qinghe. At the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, Yuankong joined Qinghe in eating meat and claimed the Venerable Buddha bore his precepts for him.

• Qian Qing confronted Yuankong about leaving an almost unreadable farewell note, then struck him when he tried to play it off.
• Yuankong explained that work for the Great Thunderclap Temple and events on the Western Ox-He Continent had delayed his return.
• Qian Qing asked Sandong to call Qinghe, who arrived in Flood Dragon form and agreed to take everyone to the Hundred Flavors Pavilion.
• Qinghe recognized Yuankong, but refused to let him ride on her back because she hated monks.
• At the pavilion, Yuankong ate meat alongside Qinghe and declared that the Venerable Buddha bore the precepts for him.

Boluo explained how the Heavenly Demons would rebuild their strength and use public opinion to undermine Chu Xingchen. He left Zhong Su and Meiyu with a plan to turn mortals against Chu Xingchen, saying the moment to stake everything would come soon.

• Boluo said the new Baibo had reached Tribulation Transcendence Realm, while the Heavenly Demons had failed to recover all of Linglong's Heavenly Gift.
• Boluo argued that the Evil Spirit Cult in Northern Jambudvipa would be discarded after the Incense Gods were weakened, and that he had supported evil cultivators to signal the Heavenly Demons' stance.
• Meiyu questioned whether evil cultivators would trust a new organization, and Zhong Su agreed with her doubts.
• Boluo said the Heavenly Demons would not recruit evil cultivators but would spread Chu Xingchen's title and reputation as an enemy to encourage mortals to turn against him.
• Boluo said that stripping Chu Xingchen of his reputation and influence would create the Heavenly Demons' final opportunity, which he believed would come soon.