Chapter Summaries

Xiao Hua forced Murong Congyun to reveal that the Chu Family’s search for God Demon Chess was a trap intended to kill Buddhist sect forces and help the Chu Family rise in rank. As the Chu Family activated the Vajra Subduing Demon Diagram Formation, Murong explained how the plan had gone awry, leaving Xiao Hua to recognize that the Buddhist sect had also been maneuvering.

• Chu Jianzheng summoned hundreds of Chu Family Buddhist disciples, who spread the Vajra Subduing Demon Diagram Formation over the Divine Demon Blood Swamp.
• Xiao Hua tried to leave the sword diagram, but its suction trapped him; he then used his power to crack it until Murong Congyun warned that tens of thousands of cultivators could die if he broke free.
• Xiao Hua stopped and demanded answers, and Murong Congyun admitted the Chu Family’s treasure search had become a trap against Buddhist forces ten years earlier.
• Murong Congyun explained that she had been brought as bait to make the operation seem credible and that the Chu Family expected to be promoted to a third-tier family after the battle.
• Murong Congyun said the plan was to lure Buddhist disciples into attacking Confucian cultivators while the Vajra Subduing Demon Diagram Formation was activated, but the timing changed after the Buddhist side exploited Chu Yang’s death.

Xiao Hua discovered that the Vajra Demon Array Diagram was actually a soul artifact, and the green seal characters it unleashed formed a transmission passage. He realized the Buddhist sect planned to send experts into the Divine Demon Blood Swamp, while Chu Jianzheng’s attack failed to stop him from seeing the danger.

• Xiao Hua explained how Chu Yang’s suicide had forced the Chu Family to act early, and Murong Congyun revealed that she had been used as bait.
• Murong Congyun admitted she would order Chu Jianzheng to destroy the sword diagram if she faced certain death, while Xiao Hua questioned what the Vajra Demon Array Diagram was meant to do.
• Xiao Hua spotted ghostly soul threads in the array diagram and warned that it was a soul artifact just as the Vajra figures burst into green seal characters.
• Chu Jianzheng attacked Xiao Hua with the sword diagram, but the strike failed to injure him; Xiao Hua then used Three Corpse Yin Thunder against the seal characters.
• The seal characters combined into a huge character that formed a vortex, and Xiao Hua recognized it as a transmission passage meant to bring Buddhist sect experts into the swamp.

A concealed teleportation passageway unleashed a Buddhist army onto the Chu family's Sword Diagram, turning the Confucian cultivators’ trap into a desperate battle. As monks overwhelmed the sword formation and Xiao Hua and Murong Congyun faced a powerful Buddhist Protector, Xiao Hua called on his flying sword to meet the monk’s karmic obstruction power.

• A fat monk and an aged monk emerged from the teleportation passageway and used a Zen staff, kasaya, and mountain artifact to shield it, but the Sword Diagram killed them.
• More than a thousand Buddhist Protectors poured through the passageway and counterattacked, causing Confucian cultivators to fall across the Sword Diagram.
• Xiao Hua urged the others to destroy the passageway, but Murong Congyun argued that doing so would ruin the families’ plan and that reinforcements would arrive.
• A tall, thin monk attacked Xiao Hua and Murong Congyun with Buddhist light from his alms bowl, and Murong Congyun used the Six Arts to hold it back.
• Xiao Hua struck the alms bowl with the As-You-Wish Staff, then the monk countered with karmic obstruction power, prompting Xiao Hua to summon his red-blue flying sword.

Xiao Hua resisted the old monk’s Buddhist techniques and transformed into a giant flying sword to block his Demon Subduing Pestle, but he fell into the blood swamp after the clash. Murong Junpeng arrived to save Murong Congyun, who then spotted a concealed streak of Buddhist light approaching.

• The old monk’s heavenly flower attack failed against Xiao Hua’s four-colored true qi, so he summoned his Demon Subduing Pestle and struck several sword lattices.
• Xiao Hua told Murong Congyun to withdraw her avatar, then transformed into a giant flying sword and blocked the Demon Subduing Pestle at the cost of severe injuries.
• The old monk swung the Demon Subduing Pestle at Murong Congyun again, but Murong Junpeng’s Righteous Qi Pillar knocked it away and drove the old monk back.
• Murong Junpeng filled in the broken sword lattice and assumed Xiao Hua had died in the blood swamp, while Murong Congyun mourned his sacrifice.
• Murong Congyun noticed a concealed streak of Buddhist light approaching along the sword marks and warned Murong Junpeng.

Xiao Hua fell into the Divine Demon Blood Swamp, where its strange fluctuations sealed his bloodline as his Primordial Spirits debated how to save him. The Chu family’s Eight Beauties Sculpture waited beneath the battlefield, planning to gather enough vital blood to open the restriction and release the God Demon Chess.

• Murong Junpeng fought off a Buddhist Protector while the Sword Diagram battle turned into a deadly clash between Buddhist Protectors and Confucian cultivators.
• An upper sixth-grade Yuan force monk knocked Xiao Hua into the blood swamp, where black flames and blood mist reacted with his body before icy fluctuations sealed his bloodline.
• Vital blood from fallen cultivators gathered at a hidden restriction, whose absorption of their souls made the blood waves grow more turbulent.
• Demon Spirit Xiao Hua asked the other Primordial Spirits for help, but Confucian cultivator Xiao Hua hesitated to aid him without the main body's consent.
• Soul Cultivator Xiao Hua detected people in the swamp, and the Eight Beauties Sculpture appeared as its members discussed waiting for more vital blood before opening the restriction.
• The Chu family family head worried that the Buddhist sect's unexpected arrival had disrupted their plan and left their disciples exposed while Murong Jiang and the others were delayed.

The Chu Family’s hidden wills emerged from the Eight Beauties Sculpture and turned the tide against the Buddhist disciples, but powerful Buddhist Heavenly Kings arrived to challenge them. As the two sides prepared for battle, Chu Yun faced Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King directly.

• Confucian cultivator Xiao Hua used his True Qi to restore his body, allowing Demon Spirit Xiao Hua to control the Demonic Qi and black flames within the blood swamp.
• Chu Yun and the seven Chu Family elders appeared atop the damaged sword diagram through the Eight Beauties Sculpture and slaughtered Buddhist Protectors.
• The Chu elders sensed eighth-rank Buddhist Protectors approaching and unleashed their full strength, but the Eight Beauties Sculpture fell as eight powerful Buddhist Heavenly Kings arrived.
• Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King revealed that he and the other Heavenly Kings had come on their own initiative to fight the Chu Family.
• Chu Yun and Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King exchanged threats, then launched into battle as Chu Yun transformed into a sword-like body and attacked.

Murong Junpeng and Murong Congyun faced death on the sword diagram as Buddhist Protectors slaughtered the trapped Confucian cultivators, but a host of Literary Sages arrived and destroyed the transmission passage. The Literary Sages joined the battle against the nine Heavenly Kings, while the Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King exploited Chu Yun’s moment of distraction.

• Murong Congyun urged Murong Junpeng to escape, but he explained that they could not leave the sword diagram while it remained active.
• A Heavenly King drove a Whirling Pot toward Murong Congyun, and a Literary Sage’s giant hand tried to move the transmission passage before its green script collapsed it and shattered the hand.
• Gongshu Yanyin, Duanmu Jishi, Huangfu Gongcheng, Changsun Ji, Yuwen Ming, Kong Cheng, Meng Meng, Mo Xie, Zou Zhen, Lü Chen, and other Literary Sages arrived and surrounded the battlefields.
• Gongshu Yanyin and other Literary Sages aided the Chu Family elders, while Kong Cheng and six others sent sword-wielding avatars against the Buddhist Protector Heavenly Kings.
• The Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King condemned the Confucian cultivators, and Chu Yun became unsettled before a blood-threaded Buddhist light appeared at his chest.

Chu Yun and Gongsu Yanyin helped the Literary Sages bring down the Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King, while Xiao Hua awakened beneath the restriction and realized the battle above was part of a vast trap. As essence blood from the fallen Heavenly King intensified the restriction, Xiao Hua continued cultivating amid the rising black qi.

• Chu Yun used a blood-forged sword and Gongsu Yanyin's formation talismans to pierce the Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King's heart, while the Literary Sages sealed the area around the Divine Demon Blood Swamp.
• The Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King invoked the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin Dharani and died, sending streams of faith power toward Changsheng Town as other Heavenly Kings turned against their opponents and Confucian disciples.
• Xiao Hua awakened atop the restriction, examined it with his Eye of Delusion Breaking, and suspected that the Chu clan was trying to break through to the God Demon Chess beneath it.
• The Subduing Flood Dragon Heavenly King's essence blood struck the restriction, making it bulge and greatly increasing the flow of demonic qi and black flames into Demon Spirit Xiao Hua.
• Xiao Hua inferred that the trap involved far more Literary Sages than expected and that the conflict could help ignite the Immortal-Buddha War, then resumed cultivating as the black qi thickened around him.

After the Literary Sages helped Chu Yun destroy the nine Buddhist Protector Heavenly Kings, the aristocratic families revealed they knew the Chu family's blood-sacrifice plan and negotiated rewards for their support. Chu Yun secured the Chu family's promotion to a third-rank family and a right of first selection beneath the Divine Demon Blood Swamp, while the families prepared to claim the God Demon Chessboard.

• Duanmu Jishi released the Whirling Pot, allowing it to escape toward Changsheng Town, and the Literary Sages and allied families finished off the trapped Buddhist disciples.
• Chu Yun thanked the Literary Sages, then learned they expected his Chu family to recognize the sacrifices their families had made, including Murong Congyun's role as bait.
• Murong Jun and the other Literary Sages revealed they knew the Chu family had used the battle as a blood sacrifice to break the Divine Demon Blood Swamp's restriction, and Chu Yun admitted his plan.
• Murong Jun promised the families would recommend the Chu family for promotion to third-rank status, and Chu Yun accepted their support.
• Chu Yun proposed that the twelve families divide the six Divine Generals and six Demon Generals, and Murong Jun agreed that the Chu family could choose one other item first.
• Chu Yun said his family had found two tokens needed to enter the God Demon Chessboard, but Murong Jun said the other families would find their own.

The Divine Demon Blood Swamp overwhelmed the Chu Family sword diagram, then transformed into the God Demon Chessboard as Xiao Hua was caught inside its deadly vortex. The Literary Saints watched the board form while Murong Jun, Duanmu Jishi, and Chu Yun’s triangular objects responded to its fluctuations.

• Chu Yun and Duanmu Jishi ordered the families’ disciples to retreat before the Chu Family sword diagram was withdrawn.
• The sword diagram collapsed, and the blood tides swept away the Chu Family disciples who had not escaped.
• The blood swamp erupted with black qi and flames, then formed a vast vortex of silver light and black qi.
• Xiao Hua was dragged into the vortex, where silver light destroyed his body and black qi restored it as he tempered his bones and fused his bloodline.
• The vortex formed the God Demon Chessboard, and Murong Jun, Duanmu Jishi, and Chu Yun examined their triangular objects as the pieces reacted to the board.

Chu Yun and the other Literary Saints opened the God Demon Chessboard and entered, while Xiao Hua endured its forces outside and followed them in through a different entrance. Inside, he found an immense blood-red realm of silver and black chess squares and more than a dozen enormous deity statues.

• Duanmu Jishi and Murong Jun exchanged triangular tokens, and Chu Yun explained that the opened restriction likely led beneath the God Demon Chessboard.
• Chu Yun used two triangular objects to open a silver-and-black doorway, entered it, and the other Literary Saints followed.
• Xiao Hua emerged from the edge of the chessboard after its silver light and black qi battered and strengthened his body.
• Xiao Hua decided to enter using the tokens he had obtained from Gunnian and Qin Jian, then opened a doorway at the board's edge.
• Xiao Hua entered the chessboard and saw a vast blood-red space patterned with silver and black squares and more than a dozen enormous deity statues.

Xiao Hua discovered that the Twelve Great Gods in the vast space were God Demon Puppets and tried to claim them, but Duanmu Jishi struck him before another Literary Saint began collecting a puppet. Duanmu Jishi and the other Literary Saints struggled to free the puppets, while Chu Yun used sword light against the silver glow above Jumang.

• Xiao Hua recognized the twelve statues as resembling the Twelve Great Gods and realized they were likely God Demon Puppets rather than genuine divine statues.
• Xiao Hua flew to the Zhulong puppet, tempered his bones with the surrounding fluctuations, and tried to collect the puppets with his divine sense.
• Duanmu Jishi's Clear Sight Light exposed Xiao Hua, and his Five-colored True Qi punch sent Xiao Hua hurtling toward a blood pillar.
• Duanmu Jishi formed a five-colored subsidiary body and tried to pull the Zhulong puppet from its blood pillar, but the fluctuations destroyed its hands.
• Duanmu Jishi saw other Literary Saints struggling near the puppets and wondered whether the silver light could help him.
• Chu Yun drove the silver glow over Jumang downward with Five-colored Sword Light, and sword filaments clashed with lightning from the puppet's blood-red lower half.

Duanmu Jishi abandoned the gravely wounded Xiao Hua to seize the Candle Dragon God Demon Puppet, and green-robed Xiao Hua used the Small Pouch to absorb blood mist inside the triangle. The twelve Literary Saints united their Natal True Qi to unleash the silver clouds’ power, destabilizing the space and preparing to collect the God Demon Puppets and escape.

• Duanmu Jishi drove the Candle Dragon God Demon Puppet’s blood-red color down to its base but could not expel it completely, while the other Literary Saints also struggled to make progress.
• Duanmu Jishi’s punch knocked Xiao Hua unconscious and sent him into the blood pillar, where spatial distortions and burning blood droplets battered his body.
• Green-robed Xiao Hua took control of Xiao Hua’s body and used the Small Pouch to absorb the descending blood mist and droplets of Xiao Hua’s essence blood.
• Murong Jun, Duanmu Jishi, and the other Literary Saints infused their Natal True Qi into the silver clouds, driving back the blood-red power and disrupting the space.
• Duanmu Jishi warned that the space was collapsing and urged the Literary Saints to collect the God Demon Puppets and escape.

Xiao Hua’s Small Pouch absorbed the blood crystals and silver clouds, exposing the Son of Heaven Sword beneath them. As the collapsing space forced the Literary Saints to flee, three immense hands fought over the sword, and the heart-shaped hand seized it and carried it into the heavens.

• Xiao Hua urged his Primordial Spirits to manage the Small Pouch’s suction while the chaotic space kept the Literary Saints from detecting him.
• Chu Yun and the other Literary Saints used secret techniques to collect the twelve God Demon Puppets as the silver clouds were torn away.
• The exposed Son of Heaven Sword blocked Chu Yun, and Duanmu Jishi mocked him for trying to claim a sword that required a benevolent heart to wield.
• The Literary Saints fled the collapsing space as a giant hand filled with Vast Righteous Qi and another green hand reached for the rising Son of Heaven Sword.
• A lightning pillar formed a heart-shaped hand that seized the sword’s hilt, cut apart the other two hands, and carried the Son of Heaven Sword into the heavens.
• The Literary Saints departed in shock, while Chu Yun looked down at the barren, rain-soaked remains of the Divine Demon Blood Swamp.

After the Divine Demon Blood Swamp vanished, Xiao Hua kept its mysterious blood bone hidden and chose to sow grain across the barren land before continuing to the Northern Sea. His efforts drew the attention of True Confucian Sun Ling, who gave him proof of candidacy for a True Confucian.

• Chu Yun left the Divine Demon Blood Swamp, while news of the battle spread across Cangxian Continent without revealing its true outcome or the Twelve Families’ gains.
• Xiao Hua kept the triangular blood bone beside the Great Evolution Exquisite Pagoda, deciding to wait before restoring the white skeleton.
• Realizing he had missed his appointment with Ao Zhantian, Xiao Hua released his companions and had them sow grain seeds throughout the newly formed ten-thousand-li territory.
• Xiao Hua offered more grain seeds to unseen Confucian seniors, and True Confucian Sun Ling accepted them and gave Xiao Hua proof of candidacy for a True Confucian.
• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen set out for the Northern Sea, and Fu Zhiwen remarked that the Confucian powers would not dare casually move against Xiao Hua.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen continued toward the North Sea, searching for the Lu Town Xiao Hua sought while discussing the vanished Divine Demon Blood Swamp and the stories of Shattered Heart Mountain. The search remained unfinished, and Xiao Hua’s guilt over Fairy Jing’s feelings resurfaced as Fu Zhiwen recounted a legendary romance.

• Xiao Hua told Fu Zhiwen that the God Demon Chess pieces beneath the Divine Demon Blood Swamp had been taken by Confucian cultivator families and that the swamp had disappeared.
• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen traveled by flying carriage as Xiao Hua reflected that the reclaimed land would draw settlers and eventually form the Xiao Kingdom.
• Xiao Hua rejected the twelfth Lu Town they examined, and Fu Zhiwen guided the Heavenly Horse toward the closest town along their route.
• Fu Zhiwen mentioned the saying about Forging Emotion Mountain and Shattered Heart Mountain, stirring Xiao Hua’s memories of Fairy Jing and his guilt over Xue Xue’s death.
• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua the legend of Cowherd and the Mysterious Maiden, who became Shattered Heart Mountain and Forgetfulness Water.
• Xiao Hua mocked the legend and guessed that the story of Forging Emotion Mountain would similarly criticize the Immortal Emperor.

Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed the tale of Forging Emotion Mountain and its supposed power to unite lovers, then considered taking Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan there. Fu Zhiwen also spoke earnestly about his love for Qiongqiong and raised his discomfort with the disciples’ seniority; the chapter left that concern unresolved.

• Fu Zhiwen told Xiao Hua the tale of a Daoist cultivator who rescued the Immortal Emperor’s tenth princess by splitting a mountain with the Forging Emotion Sword.
• Fu Zhiwen explained that Qiongqiong had told him where Forging Emotion Mountain was, and Xiao Hua realized he wanted to visit it with her.
• Xiao Hua suggested taking Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan to the mountain, but Fu Zhiwen doubted the fictional story would help them.
• Fu Zhiwen joked that Xiao Hua could drug You Zhongquan, and Xiao Hua teased him about having used secret medicines on Qiongqiong.
• Fu Zhiwen described how meeting Qiongqiong had changed his beliefs about love, then said he felt awkward about being senior to older or more accomplished disciples.

Xiao Hua brought his disciples to Forging Emotion Mountain, where its immense fissure revealed a Heaven and Earth Sword Intent that stirred his sword cultivation toward a breakthrough. He also learned that the Gunzhou Cauldron was nearby, then sent Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan to meditate on the mountain while he investigated its mysteries.

• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen discussed how to rank Xiao Hua’s disciples, and Xiao Hua decided that the disciple with the highest cultivation would become eldest senior brother once he achieved great accomplishment.
• Xiao Hua recognized the fissure in Forging Emotion Mountain as a peerless sword scar, and Confucian cultivator Xiao Hua said its Heaven and Earth Sword Intent could advance his sword cultivation.
• Dragon Vein Xiao Hua sensed that the Gunzhou Cauldron lay within a hundred li, but Xiao Hua chose to attend to other business first.
• Xiao Hua released Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan to show them the mountain’s sword scar, but neither they nor Fu Zhiwen could sense its sword momentum.
• Xiao Hua sent Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan to meditate on opposite sides of the fissure, while his Eye of Delusion Breaking revealed nothing unusual about the mountain.
• Chang Yuan and You Zhongquan formed sword seals, releasing a pale deer-shaped form and a more solid tiger-shaped form.

Xiao Hua witnessed the Three Lives Stone awaken You Zhongquan and Chang Yuan’s shared Sword Intent, bringing them together and helping him let go of his resentment toward Fairy Hongxia. After retrieving the Gunzhou Cauldron, he returned to Forging Emotion Mountain resolved to find the remaining Yuzhou Cauldron and restore the Nine Cauldrons.

• A song and visions emerged from Forging Emotion Mountain, transforming You Zhongquan and Chang Yuan’s Sword Intents into one Little Deer Sword Intent.
• Xiao Hua’s memories of Xue Xue, Fairy Hongxia, and others surfaced, and he let go of his resentment toward Fairy Hongxia.
• Xiao Hua recognized Forging Emotion Mountain as the Three Lives Stone and left Fu Zhiwen to guard You Zhongquan and Chang Yuan.
• Xiao Hua retrieved the Gunzhou Cauldron from underground and added it to the other seven cauldrons in his middle dantian.
• After observing the Netherworld qi leaking from the site, Xiao Hua returned to find You Zhongquan and Chang Yuan together, then resolved to seek the Yuzhou Cauldron.

Xiao Hua continued searching for Lu Town on his way toward the North Sea, then confronted eight Xuanhuang Order cultivators sent to kill him. Huang You revealed that Xiao Hua had risen from last place to first on the Huang Ranking.

• Xiao Hua took You Zhongquan and Chang Yuan into his space after advising them to cultivate their Sword Dao, then reassured Fu Zhiwen that the Heavenly Book would eventually help him advance.
• Xiao Hua searched several Lu Towns without success, while an Earth God watched him and reported his movements without being detected.
• As Xiao Hua neared the North Sea, he sent Fu Zhiwen away and prepared with green-robed Xiao Hua to face eight Xuanhuang Order cultivators.
• The eight cultivators surrounded Xiao Hua and introduced themselves, including Huang You, Huang Jiao, Huang Zhen, and Huang Gui.
• Xiao Hua asked about his ranking, and Huang You said he had risen from last place to first on the Huang Ranking.