Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xiaobai secured permission to visit the Hidden Edge Sect’s Collection Pavilion and Blade-Viewing Wall as compensation for giving away the items he found in the Mysterious Dragon Gate. At the Blade-Viewing Wall, he saw a rusted saber and wondered whether it was the World's Number One Blade.

• Jiang Xiaobai examined the Green History Seal and believed his literary talent would help him keep it.
• Jiang Xiaobai praised Tang Ningshuang's skill with the Nation-Guarding Sword, while Xiao Yunshu urged her to accept it.
• Feng Jitong told Chu Qingci that Jiang Xiaobai wanted compensation, and Chu Qingci approved a visit to the Collection Pavilion and the Blade-Viewing Wall.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked to try pulling out the World's Number One Blade, and Chu Qingci agreed.
• Feng Jitong and Cheng Yanqiu led Jiang Xiaobai and the others to the Blade-Viewing Wall, where Jiang Xiaobai spotted a rusted saber and asked if it was the World's Number One Blade.

Jiang Xiaobai learned the history and hidden value of the rust-covered World's Number One Blade, then failed to pull it from its stone platform with his four layers of Hidden Edge Force. He proposed using firewood and cold water to loosen it and left the preparations to the Hidden Edge Sect before going elsewhere.

• Feng Jitong explained that Ji Wufeng, the White-Haired Saber Master, earned the title of World's Number One Blade and founded the Saber-Seeking Sect.
• Feng Jitong revealed that the saber could store sharpness, had been left at the Hidden Edge Sect, and served as a key to Ji Wufeng's legacy.
• Jiang Xiaobai activated his four layers of Hidden Edge Force and tried to pull out the saber, but it did not move.
• Feng Jitong told Jiang Xiaobai that he needed at least the ninth layer of Hidden Edge Force to pull out the saber by force.
• Jiang Xiaobai inspected the saber's base and asked Feng Jitong to prepare dry firewood and buckets of cold water for another attempt.
• Feng Jitong agreed and sent Cheng Yanqiu to gather the supplies.

Jiang Xiaobai left the Blade-Viewing Wall after finding he could not comprehend it, while Chen Jian stayed behind to study its marks. At the Archive Pavilion, Jiang Xiaobai mistook an old sweeper for a hidden master and asked him to take him as a disciple.

• Feng Jitong took Jiang Xiaobai to the Blade-Viewing Wall, where Jiang Xiaobai failed to understand the marks left by past masters.
• Chen Jian demonstrated his martial arts comprehension by practicing movements before the wall, so Jiang Xiaobai left him there and headed for the Archive Pavilion.
• Jiang Xiaobai saw Hidden Edge Sect disciples preparing the World's Number One Blade and learned Feng Jitong might show him a secret site containing hidden manuals if he pulled the blade out.
• Feng Jitong led Jiang Xiaobai and Xiao Yunshu to the Archive Pavilion, where an old man was sweeping outside.
• Jiang Xiaobai decided the sweeper must be a hidden master and asked him to accept him as a disciple.

Jiang Xiaobai became Elder Fei’s disciple and chose an old martial arts manual from the Hidden Edge Sect’s Collection Pavilion. He left with Feng Jitong, confident that the manual would help him draw the saber without relying on ninefold hidden edge.

• Jiang Xiaobai insisted on becoming the old sweeper’s disciple, and Feng Jitong persuaded the man, Elder Fei, to accept him.
• Elder Fei agreed to teach Jiang Xiaobai his sweeping skills, and Jiang Xiaobai thanked him before entering the Collection Pavilion with Feng Jitong, Tang Ningshuang, and Xiao Yunshu.
• Feng Jitong explained that Jiang Xiaobai could take only one manual for a month and could not share it with anyone.
• Elder Fei accidentally swept an old book off a shelf, and Jiang Xiaobai chose it, saying he was leaving the choice to fate.
• Jiang Xiaobai left the pavilion with Feng Jitong and declared that he would draw the saber without relying on ninefold hidden edge.

Chu Qingci learned that the old sweeper had taken Jiang Xiaobai as his disciple, while Jiang Xiaobai chose a powerful manual and prepared to draw the World’s Number One Blade. As the fire died down, Xiao Yunshu wagered that if she lost, she would serve Jiang Xiaobai for life.

• The old sweeper told Chu Qingci that he had taken Jiang Xiaobai as his disciple, and teased her about caring for him.
• Xiao Yunshu read Jiang Xiaobai’s Diamond Turtle Technique and recognized that it contained formidable offensive and defensive martial arts.
• Jiang Xiaobai and the others returned to the World’s Number One Blade after the fire had been lit and waited for the flames to dwindle.
• Jiang Xiaobai challenged Tang Ningshuang and Feng Jitong to wager on whether he could draw the blade, but both refused.
• Xiao Yunshu wagered that Jiang Xiaobai would have to do one thing for her if she won, while she would serve him for the rest of her life if she lost.

Jiang Xiaobai used fire and cold water to loosen the blade embedded in the Hidden Edge Sect’s Blade Platform, then pulled it free and discovered its name was Fenghearing. Having won his wager with Feng Jitong, he set off with the elder to visit the Unopened Land, while the blade’s removal drew Chu Qingci’s attention.

• Jiang Xiaobai heated the blade and platform, then had the Hidden Edge Sect disciples douse them with cold water before pulling the blade free.
• Jiang Xiaobai revealed the rust-covered saber, leaving Feng Jitong, Cheng Yanqiu, Xiao Yunshu, and Tang Ningshuang astonished.
• Jiang Xiaobai infused the saber with hidden edge force, revealed its patterns and name, Fenghearing, and shattered a boulder with one swing.
• Feng Jitong confirmed that possessing the blade made Jiang Xiaobai master of the Saber-Seeking Sect and agreed to honor their wager by taking him to the Unopened Land.
• Jiang Xiaobai gave Fenghearing to Tang Ningshuang to carry and followed Feng Jitong down the mountain, while Chu Qingci arrived at the empty Blade Platform and went after them.

Jiang Xiaobai discovered that the first Sect Master’s manual was hidden beneath a dead tree in the bamboo grove. After bargaining with Feng Jitong for rewards, he opened the box in front of everyone, and they froze at what they saw.

• Feng Jitong led Jiang Xiaobai and the others to the Unopened Land’s wooden house and said they had searched it repeatedly without finding the first Sect Master’s manual.
• Jiang Xiaobai spotted a Yin-Yang pattern in the bamboo grove from above and identified a dead tree at the pattern’s other fish eye.
• Xiao Yunshu uprooted the dead tree, and Jiang Xiaobai dug beneath its roots with the Listening Edge Blade until he uncovered a wooden box.
• Jiang Xiaobai demanded that two friends be allowed to choose manuals in the Collection Pavilion and that he receive another level of the Hidden Edge Force in exchange for opening the box.
• Feng Jitong agreed to Jiang Xiaobai’s demands, and Jiang Xiaobai opened the box as everyone watched; its contents left them frozen.

Jiang Xiaobai found an embroidery manual where he expected a peerless secret technique and tried to uncover its hidden meaning. After stitching its patterns onto cloth, he noticed they formed a human figure, leaving him wondering whether they revealed a method for circulating energy.

• Jiang Xiaobai and Feng Jitong found embroidery needles and a genuine embroidery manual in the Hidden Edge Sect's hidden wooden box, but Jiang Xiaobai suspected its contents concealed a secret.
• Jiang Xiaobai checked on Chen Jian at the Blade-Viewing Wall, then returned to Clearheart Courtyard and searched the manual for hidden teachings.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Xiao Yunshu for thread and cloth and began practicing the stitches, pricking his fingers until Xiao Yunshu bandaged his hand.
• Jiang Xiaobai embroidered the manual's patterns onto cloth and realized that, viewed together, they formed a human figure with threads tracing its limbs.
• Jiang Xiaobai held the cloth up to the candlelight and wondered whether the figure's stitched lines showed a way to circulate energy.

Jiang Xiaobai practiced the first stitch of the Hundred-Pattern Embroidery Manual, opened a blocked meridian, and discovered he could produce a needle-thin force that seemed powerless. After Xiao Yunshu and Chu Qingci recognized the technique’s potential, Chu Qingci suggested it could be used with the Meridian-Sealing Method and told Jiang Xiaobai to hit Xiao Yunshu.

• Jiang Xiaobai endured severe pain to circulate his yin-yang internal energy along the first stitch and opened a previously blocked meridian.
• Jiang Xiaobai tested the needle-thin force against a wall, but it left no visible mark.
• Chu Qingci visited to see the ancestor’s inheritance, and Xiao Yunshu arrived, prompting the two women to trade barbs.
• Xiao Yunshu realized Jiang Xiaobai’s finger technique condensed internal energy with unusual precision and identified the cloth as a martial arts manual.
• Chu Qingci explained that Jiang Xiaobai’s yin-yang power had let him survive the dangerous circulation route and said the needle force could strike acupoints from a distance with the Meridian-Sealing Method.
• Chu Qingci pointed to Xiao Yunshu and told Jiang Xiaobai to hit her.

Jiang Xiaobai discovered that the Hundred-Meridian Needle Sealing complemented the Hundred-Pattern Embroidery Manual and studied it through the night. The next morning, he used its needle force to seal Feng Jitong’s meridians, leaving the elder shocked when he tried to break free.

• Chu Qingci gave Jiang Xiaobai an ancestral acupoint-sealing book and suggested that it might work with his needle force.
• Chu Qingci teased Xiao Yunshu with the title of a song about her jealousy, and she stormed out after denying it.
• Jiang Xiaobai found that the book’s meridian techniques matched the stitches in the Hundred-Pattern Embroidery Manual and studied until morning.
• Xiao Yunshu urged Jiang Xiaobai to test his new method on Feng Jitong and the other elders when they came to teach him hidden edge force.
• Jiang Xiaobai struck Feng Jitong with needle force, stopping the flow through his meridians, and Feng Jitong’s attempt to break the seal left him stunned.

Jiang Xiaobai’s unusual acupoint-sealing technique left Feng Jitong and Nie Tianwen helpless and embarrassed before he released them. The elders then took Jiang Xiaobai inside to pass on their power, while Xiao Yunshu reflected on how his gains and cannon could affect the Martial World and her imperial brother.

• Nie Tianwen challenged Jiang Xiaobai to seal his acupoints, but he and Feng Jitong both failed to break free and accidentally made a humiliating spectacle of themselves.
• Jiang Xiaobai released Feng Jitong and Nie Tianwen, who learned that he had derived the technique from the book Needlework.
• Feng Jitong praised Jiang Xiaobai’s skill and, together with Nie Tianwen and Elder Wang, went inside to pass on their power to him.
• Xiao Yunshu considered Jiang Xiaobai’s gains at the Hidden Edge Sect and anticipated that news of his cannon would reach her imperial brother.

Jiang Xiaobai reached the fifth layer of Hidden Edge Force and visited the Withered Bone Elder to say goodbye, leaving him a chess manual. The elder warned that Jiang Xiaobai could not inherit the Saber-Seeking Sect through the World's Number One Blade as things stood.

• Feng Jitong confirmed Jiang Xiaobai had reached the fifth layer of Hidden Edge Force after deciphering his embroidery.
• Jiang Xiaobai sent Tang Ningshuang with Feng Jitong and the others to the Collection Pavilion, then set out to visit the Withered Bone Elder with Xiao Yunshu.
• Jiang Xiaobai played Chinese Chess with the Withered Bone Elder while Xiao Yunshu watched and learned the game.
• Xiao Yunshu took over the board, quickly improved, and defeated the Withered Bone Elder in several games.
• Jiang Xiaobai gave the Withered Bone Elder a manual of chess endgames and said he was leaving, and the elder accepted his farewell.
• The Withered Bone Elder warned Jiang Xiaobai that the World's Number One Blade would not be enough for him to inherit the Saber-Seeking Sect.

Jiang Xiaobai learned that the Saber-Seeking Sect might have merged with the Sword-Wielding Court and received a token from the Withered Bone Elder for help from the Withered Glory Escort Agency. Xiao Yunshu explained the Elder’s history with her late Master before she chased Jiang Xiaobai after he teased her.

• The Withered Bone Elder warned Jiang Xiaobai that the Saber-Seeking Sect might have merged with the Sword-Wielding Court, then gave him a token that would secure help from his estates in Su City and Jiang City.
• Xiao Yunshu told Jiang Xiaobai that the Withered Bone Elder, whose real name was Ning Kurong, had saved her Master and was owed a promise to receive Hidden Edge Force from her.
• Xiao Yunshu explained that her Master died before fulfilling the promise and that the Withered Bone Elder had refused to accept the force from anyone else, choosing instead to remain at the Hidden Edge Sect.
• Jiang Xiaobai decided not to visit Elder Fei in the Collection Pavilion, believing the reclusive expert wanted to be left alone.
• Jiang Xiaobai teased Xiao Yunshu by rubbing her head and calling her young, then fled with the Nine Wind-Steps as she chased him.

Jiang Xiaobai prepared to leave the Dragon-Tiger Sect for the capital with Xiao Yunshu, Chen Jian, Tang Ningshuang, and his soldiers. Chu Qingci joined the journey at the last moment, interrupting Xiao Yunshu’s massage and prompting her to confront Jiang Xiaobai.

• Jiang Xiaobai studied the Diamond Turtle Technique while Chen Jian and Tang Ningshuang thanked him for helping them choose martial arts manuals.
• Jiang Xiaobai gathered his companions and went to bid farewell to Chu Qingci, but she did not answer her door.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Zhang Xinnian to prepare the soldiers, then said goodbye to Chen Songhan and Lu Yuanshan.
• Jiang Xiaobai and his group departed for the capital, and he read the Diamond Turtle Technique during the journey.
• Chu Qingci boarded the carriage and announced that she was going to the capital too, while Xiao Yunshu accused her of interrupting her time with Jiang Xiaobai.

Jiang Xiaobai endured Chu Qingci and Xiao Yunshu’s sharp bickering as his convoy reached Capital City late at night. The gate guards learned of his many titles and growing power in the Martial World as he entered the city.

• Chu Qingci and Xiao Yunshu traded insults in the carriage while Jiang Xiaobai tried and failed to escape their quarrel.
• Jiang Xiaobai’s convoy reached Capital City, where Zhang Xinnian announced Jiang Xiaobai’s titles to the gate officer.
• The gate officer opened the gates after his commander ordered him to let the convoy pass.
• The commander warned the gate officer not to call Jiang Xiaobai a wastrel and described his influence over the Martial World and the Duke of the State’s Estate’s powerful weapons.
• The commander drank wine he said Jiang Xiaobai had brewed and praised how quickly it went to his head.

Jiang Xiaobai returned to the Duke of the State's Estate and told his parents about his gains at the Hidden Edge Sect, though they doubted his claims. He challenged Jiang Jingcheng to a duel, and the two faced off in the courtyard.

• Jiang Xiaobai arrived home with Xiao Yunshu and the others, and Shen Yun embraced him while Jiang Jingcheng welcomed the group.
• Jiang Jingcheng praised Jiang Xiaobai for his actions at the Hidden Edge Sect, and Jiang Xiaobai stopped himself from mentioning that he had seen his Second Brother after Xiao Yunshu pinched him.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed he had reached the sixth-rank peak, gained fifth-layer Hidden Edge Force, drawn the World’s Number One Blade, and learned the Overlord Art, but Jiang Jingcheng and Shen Yun doubted him.
• Jiang Xiaobai took the World’s Number One Blade and challenged Jiang Jingcheng to a fight, saying he was sure to win.
• Jiang Jingcheng accepted the challenge, took a saber, and faced Jiang Xiaobai in the courtyard with one hand behind his back.

Jiang Xiaobai sparred with Jiang Jingcheng and used a new needle-force technique to immobilize him, winning the match. After they returned to the Main Hall, Jiang Jingcheng told him that the Emperor had summoned him to court.

• Jiang Xiaobai used Nine Wind-Steps and hidden force to challenge Jiang Jingcheng, who drove him back with his seventh-grade power.
• Jiang Xiaobai dodged Jiang Jingcheng's blade attacks while secretly planting needle force in his body.
• Jiang Xiaobai activated the needle force, immobilized Jiang Jingcheng, and took his great blade, ending the spar with a victory.
• Jiang Xiaobai explained that he had experimented with using internal energy to activate needle force across a wider area.
• Jiang Jingcheng told Jiang Xiaobai that the Emperor had sent word for him to attend court after returning.

Jiang Xiaobai decided to attend court despite expecting Xiao Jinxuan to question him about the cannon and the Mysterious Dragon Gate. After a tense night sharing his room with Chu Qingci and Xiao Yunshu, he set off for court with Jiang Jingcheng.

• Jiang Xiaobai rejected Jiang Jingcheng's suggestion to avoid court and agreed to face Xiao Jinxuan's questions.
• Xiao Yunshu teased Chu Qingci about the lack of beds, but Chu Qingci entered Jiang Xiaobai's room instead of returning to Lake Pavilion.
• Xiao Yunshu joined Chu Qingci and Jiang Xiaobai in the inner room, and the two women bickered over who would stay with him.
• Chu Qingci left early the next morning, and Xiao Yunshu helped Jiang Xiaobai get ready for court.
• Jiang Xiaobai met Jiang Jingcheng at the residence entrance and boarded the carriage to go to court.

Jiang Xiaobai returned to the capital with Jiang Jingcheng and learned that Xiao Jinxuan had summoned all seven princes back a month before the Empress’s birthday, raising suspicions. At the Imperial Court, Chen Zhanqiu demanded his son’s return, Jiang Jingcheng drove him off, and Li Bingzhang invited Jiang Xiaobai to visit Zhiwei after Morning Court.

• Jiang Jingcheng told Jiang Xiaobai that Xiao Jinxuan had called all seven princes back to the capital well ahead of the Empress’s birthday, and Jiang Xiaobai agreed they should remain wary.
• Jiang Jingcheng said the Two-Nation Envoy Delegation had returned to the Court of Diplomatic Relations and had made no moves.
• Jiang Xiaobai, Jiang Jingcheng, and Tang Ningshuang arrived at the Imperial Court, where Jiang Jingcheng remarked that Xiao Yunshu looked like the Elder Princess from behind, making Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang react awkwardly.
• Chen Zhanqiu confronted Jiang Xiaobai and demanded that Chen Jian be sent home, but Jiang Jingcheng intimidated him into retreating after Chen Zhanqiu threatened to impeach him.
• Tang Kui greeted Tang Ningshuang and checked that she was well, then Li Bingzhang welcomed Jiang Xiaobai back and invited him to visit Zhiwei after Morning Court.

At court, Xiao Jinxuan questioned Jiang Xiaobai about the cannons brought to Dragon-Tiger Mountain, while Jiang Xiaobai deflected suspicion and offered to demonstrate their power. The emperor declined the offer, leaving Jiang Xiaobai with the cannons and his challenge unanswered.

• Jiang Xiaobai told Li Bingzhang that he planned to visit Li Zhiwei after court.
• Xiao Jinxuan questioned Jiang Xiaobai about his trip to Dragon-Tiger Mountain and the cannons his men had brought there.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed he had taken the cannons along to shoot birds and chickens, then offered to have soldiers fire them at court.
• Meng Xiutang and Chen Zhanqiu accused Jiang Xiaobai of threatening the emperor, while Jiang Jingcheng defended his son and his family's loyalty.
• Jiang Xiaobai offered to send Xiao Jinxuan a cannon to play with, but the emperor declined and Jiang Xiaobai said he would keep the cannons for himself.