Recaps

As the demons fled through an overwhelming swarm of ants, Xiao Hua broke free and pursued Old Demon Zhi Feng. Xiao Hua brought him down, but the ants devoured him after he glimpsed a secret of the Demon Race’s supreme sage.

• Ao Zhan led Ao Qing and Ao Shuai through the ants, while Zhu Mei and the Mulu King also fled ahead.
• Xiao Hua burst from the swarm in sword form, and the Mulu King veered away rather than risk crossing his path.
• Old Demon Zhi Feng prepared his venom and talisman-covered bone, but Xiao Hua distracted him with a soul attack and cut off his tail with the Soaring Flood Dragon Scissors.
• The ants overwhelmed Old Demon Zhi Feng, devouring his bone, talismans, body, and Qiankun Ring.
• As the ants ate him, Old Demon Zhi Feng saw what he believed was the Demon Race’s supreme sage’s inheritance before he died.

Xiao Hua struggled to survive the Flying Ants’ assault after seeing Old Demon Zhi Feng perish, while the Mulu King relied on his Yi Ze Realm token. Xiao Hua found a way to shield himself with divine sense and continued toward the sacrificial platform, prompting the Mulu King to reconsider his plans.

• Xiao Hua realized the ants were consuming his sword light rapidly and inferred that the Mulu King’s token was protecting him, but he concealed his own token.
• The ants’ assault induced a dangerous state of comfort that Xiao Hua recognized as poison, and he escaped a dense swarm with the Kunlun Mirror.
• Xiao Hua used his Nascent Soul hand and Lightning Evasion Technique to push through the ants, but the effort drained his magic power and the ants devoured his lightning.
• Xiao Hua learned to circulate his divine sense over his body like armor, which blocked the ants more efficiently than his other powers.
• The Mulu King observed Xiao Hua’s unexplained defense and changed the plan he had been forming.

Xiao Hua, Mulu King, and the injured demons reached the rising altar, where a Myriad Monsters Map formed around it. Mulu King proposed that the demons take positions around him so he could use his token to break the restriction, while Xiao Hua stayed back and watched warily.

• Mulu King accelerated through the ant swarm, but a surge of Primordial Chaos aura annihilated the ants and revealed the altar, which rose from the ground beneath falling talismans.
• Xiao Hua saw Ao Zhan, Ao Qing, Ao Shuai, and Zhu Mei badly wounded beneath the altar as starlight transformed its talismans into a Myriad Monsters Map.
• Ao Zhan stored the injured Ao Shuai in a scale, then privately asked Xiao Hua whether the altar held the Demon Race bloodline and whether Mulu King's token could break the formation.
• Mulu King claimed the group could break the restriction by attacking together and activating his token, without using blood essence.
• Mulu King assigned Ao Zhan, Ao Qing, and Zhu Mei positions around him, while Xiao Hua retreated and warned Ao Zhan to stay alert to the token.

Ao Qing was critically poisoned when two small dragons ambushed the group, while the Mulu King vanished into the altar. Xiao Hua saved Ao Qing with Qing Ming Dragon Saliva and proposed using his Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal to break the demon array, leaving the group ready to try to enter.

• The Mulu King used his antler token to summon a great deer, but Ao Zhan stopped him after questioning whether they were in the legendary Yi Ze Realm.
• Two small dragons attacked Ao Qing, and one exploded, badly injuring and poisoning him as the Mulu King disappeared.
• Ao Zhan said only Dragon God Grass could cure Ao Qing, but Xiao Hua gave him Qing Ming Dragon Saliva, which halted the poison long enough for Ao Zhan to place Ao Qing in his Dragon Pouch.
• Ao Zhan gave Xiao Hua a Dragon Pendant in gratitude and warned Zhu Mei not to harm him.
• Xiao Hua revealed his Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal and planned to use its Law-Engraved Chain Lock to try to break the demon array, and Zhu Mei agreed to cooperate.

Xiao Hua used the Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal against the Myriad Monsters Map, freeing Qiongqiong and allowing Ao Zhan and Zhu Mei to enter the altar before he followed. At the bone-white altar, he witnessed the Mulu King admit he had invited Zhu Mei for her strength and deny knowing who attacked the young prince of the dragon palace.

• Xiao Hua activated the Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal, triggering a clash between its law-binding chains and the Myriad Monsters Map.
• Qiongqiong emerged from the shattered crystal, and Xiao Hua used the Kunlun Mirror to take her and the crystal fragments away while Ao Zhan and Zhu Mei entered the vortex.
• Xiao Hua entered the Myriad Monsters Map with the token and retained visions of Primordial Chaos through the power of his bloodline.
• Xiao Hua arrived at the bone-white altar, where Zhu Mei and Ao Zhan confronted the Mulu King over his betrayal.
• The Mulu King said he had invited Zhu Mei because he needed her strength and claimed he did not know which dragon had attacked the young prince of the dragon palace.

Xiao Hua, Zhu Mei, and Ao Zhan watched the Mulu King attempt to fuse with ancient Deer Clan essence blood, but his impure bloodline caused the fusion to explode and kill him. Xiao Hua and the two demon generals agreed to keep their discoveries secret, while Ao Zhan and Zhu Mei turned their attention to the other bloodline totems on the altar.

• Xiao Hua reached the altar as the Mulu King accused him of bringing Zhu Mei and Ao Zhan into the Yi Ze Realm, and the Mulu King began fusing with ancient Deer Clan essence blood.
• Ao Zhan and Zhu Mei attacked the Mulu King, but white bones from the altar repelled their strikes; Xiao Hua glimpsed the laws of fire in Zhu Mei's attack and gained new insights.
• The Mulu King's transformation went awry because his impure bloodline could not withstand the ancient essence blood, and the blood blister exploded, killing him.
• Xiao Hua told Zhu Mei and Ao Zhan that his token had been used and asked them not to involve him in any search for the Yi Ze Realm; they agreed to keep their discoveries secret.
• Ao Zhan pointed out the altar's other dimmed totems, and he and Zhu Mei grew excited at the possibility that Great Sages had once possessed similar true bodies.

Zhu Mei and Ao Zhan fused with the Vermilion Bird and True Dragon bloodlines, each leaving Xiao Hua a remnant of True Blood. After collecting both, Xiao Hua used Ao Zhan’s secret technique to try to seize the Phoenix bloodline from the altar, where a skeleton appeared to resist him.

• Zhu Mei endured the Vermilion Bird bloodline’s trial and emerged reborn, leaving behind half a drop of True Blood for Xiao Hua to collect.
• Ao Zhan fused with the True Dragon bloodline and kept his promise by leaving Xiao Hua a remnant of bloodline.
• Xiao Hua thought of Fairy Hongxia and decided to use the opportunity to help her advance by taking the Phoenix bloodline.
• Xiao Hua studied Ao Zhan’s secret technique and used it with soul threads to reach for the Phoenix bloodline.
• A skeleton rose from the altar and struck at Xiao Hua’s soul threads with lightning, but the threads met the attack before the skeleton fell back toward the altar.

Xiao Hua harvested Primordial Chaos bloodlines from the altar and helped his companions find bloodlines suited to them. After finishing the harvest, he climbed to the summit to seek the Supreme Sacred Bloodline.

• Xiao Hua collected a strand of Phoenix bloodline, then released Little Silver and the Divine Strength Centipede to search for bloodlines suited to them.
• Little Lei awakened and flew into a totem’s blood-colored lightning to absorb its bloodline.
• Xiao Hua sensed a connection to the Nine-tailed Fox totem and resolved to collect its bloodline, then found bloodlines for his other creatures and helped them transform.
• Little Silver completed his transformation and returned to Xiao Hua, who collected him and the other creatures into his space.
• Xiao Hua harvested the altar’s remaining Primordial Chaos bloodlines, then climbed to the summit to seek his own opportunity.

Xiao Hua transformed into a Phoenix and reached the Supreme Sacred Bloodline at the altar, where an ancient voice invited him to shoulder a task. As countless demon inheritances overwhelmed him, he fled into his Space, where Jade Slip Xiao Hua began absorbing the Primordial Chaos Records while the Phoenix body fused with 132 million bloodlines inside the Heaven and Earth Bronze Furnace.

• Xiao Hua absorbed starlight and moonlight through 132 million vortices and transformed into a colossal Phoenix.
• Phoenix Xiao Hua flew to the altar and caused the crystalline Supreme Sacred Bloodline to melt into a droplet of blood.
• An ancient presence recognized the Heavenly Phoenix and invited him to undertake a task, then the droplet's powerful consciousnesses overwhelmed Xiao Hua.
• Xiao Hua escaped into the Space, where Jade Slip Xiao Hua began absorbing the Primordial Chaos Records carried by the demon inheritances.
• Inside the bronze furnace, 132 million inherited bloodlines joined with the 132 million tiny points in Phoenix Xiao Hua's body as he and the Yi Ze Realm repeatedly changed in scale.

Xiao Hua left the sacrificial platform with the Supreme Sacred Bloodline and was pulled into a strange void along with the dragon that attacked him. There, Dragon Vein Xiao Hua recognized a familiar presence and revealed that Canglangzi's cave residence rested atop a living dragon vein trapped by a giant cauldron.

• Xiao Hua collected the sacrificial bones and the Nine-tailed Fox totem after his body fused with the Supreme Sacred Bloodline.
• A huge dragon attacked Xiao Hua as the pillar of light carried him away, and its clash with the Kunlun Mirror pulled them both into the void.
• Xiao Hua used the turtle shell to reveal a Heavenly Book containing the cultivation method for Wood Qi Returning to Origin, while the Four-Colored Heavenly Heart drew him downward.
• Dragon Vein Xiao Hua and Confucian cultivator Xiao Hua sensed a familiar presence below, and Xiao Hua followed the sound of the dragon's roar.
• Xiao Hua found a vast dragon form with Canglangzi's cave residence on its back, its tail caught by a giant cauldron, and Dragon Vein Xiao Hua emerged and expanded beside it.

Xiao Hua learned that the object pinning down the dragon vein was the Jingzhou Ding, one of the Nine Dings, and bargained with Jiang Che for the method to collect it. After releasing Jiang Che and pulling the ding from the earth, Xiao Hua recognized it as one of the strange-shaped objects from Kong Hongwu’s Cosmic Bag.

• Xiao Hua questioned Xiaolong and learned the ding was the Jingzhou Ding, one of the Nine Dings of Cangxian Continent, which could be collected with the Heavenly Book’s Heavenly Heart and a secret method.
• Xiao Hua exposed Xiaolong as a dragon of the Dongtian River and learned that the water tribe had flooded Changsheng Town while searching for Dragon Lady Jiang Hong, whom they brought home.
• Xiao Hua asked about Jiang Hong for his disciple Liu Yi, then had Dragon Vein Xiao Hua devour most of the dragon vein to pressure Xiaolong into revealing the collection method.
• Xiaolong revealed his name was Jiang Che, gave Xiao Hua his Dragon Pendant, and explained how he had evaded Ao Zhan’s detection before leaving.
• Xiao Hua used the Four-Colored Heavenly Heart, nine flying swords, and Jiang Che’s secret method to pull the Jingzhou Ding from the earth, where it shrank to palm size.
• Xiao Hua recognized the Jingzhou Ding as one of the strange-shaped objects from Kong Hongwu’s Cosmic Bag.

Xiao Hua secured six of the Nine Provinces Ding, left Canglangzi’s cave dwelling intact, and brought Qiongqiong out of the Kunlun Mirror to question her about the Immortal Palace. The chapter ended with Qiongqiong warning that her return could lead to an investigation or soul search, while a powerful fox demon entered the Yi Ze Realm seeking an ancient bloodline.

• Xiao Hua identified the six objects as Nine Provinces Ding and hid them in his space, resolving not to reveal them.
• Dragon Vein Xiao Hua said he could sense the hidden cauldrons within a hundred li, though he could not see them.
• Xiao Hua chose not to damage Canglangzi’s cave dwelling and escaped the Yi Ze Realm through the underground passage.
• A great demon entered the Yi Ze Realm, seized a fox-shaped object, and vowed to obtain an ancient bloodline and become a Saint Emperor.
• Xiao Hua found the Yunshan Illusion Array still operating and released Qiongqiong from the Kunlun Mirror.
• Qiongqiong refused to disclose Immortal Palace secrets and warned Xiao Hua that officials might investigate her escape or subject her to a soul search.

Xiao Hua helped Qiongqiong face the Punishment Envoy, who took her and the Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal fragment back to the Immortal Palace for verification. Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen waited by the sinking Yunshan Illusion Array, where someone finally emerged after more than half a year.

• Qiongqiong told Xiao Hua that Fu Zhiwen could reunite with her if he reached Great Grandmaster in Confucian cultivation or fifth-grade Yuan force in Daoist cultivation, and Xiao Hua promised to teach him.
• Fu Zhiwen and Qiongqiong said their tearful farewells before Xiao Hua brought Qiongqiong away and revealed the Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal fragment.
• The Punishment Envoy appeared, bound Qiongqiong in a golden chain, and took her and the crystal fragment to the Punishment Hall of the Thunder Province Three Divisions.
• Xiao Hua reassured Fu Zhiwen that Qiongqiong had powerful backing, and Fu Zhiwen resolved to cultivate so he could bring her home.
• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen waited for more than half a year as the Yunshan Illusion Array sank into the earth, until a person rushed out from one of its entrances.

The cultivators emerged from the Yunshan Illusion Array with greatly improved cultivation, and Xiao Hua learned that Canglangzi had provided several groups with different genuine abodes. As the group prepared to part, Gongshu Yixin collapsed after flying away, forcing Gu Suqiudi and Zhai Xingzi to escort her home.

• Zhai Xingzi, Gu Suqiudi, Gongshu Yixin, Xunkong Shangren, Zhang Daoran, and the other survivors emerged from the Yunshan Illusion Array with their cultivation greatly advanced.
• Xiao Hua and Gu Suqiudi stopped a phantom figure who threatened to kill Xiao Hua in three years, and Fairy Xiangfeng explained that Dao Cheng had died in a secret passage.
• True Person Diquan, True Person Han, and their companions departed to cultivate, while Xiao Hua told Fairy Xiangfeng to leave after reflecting on the path of righteousness.
• Gongshu Yixin revealed that she and the others had entered Canglangzi's true abode, and Zhai Xingzi, Zhang Daoran, and Xunkong Shangren gave Xiao Hua their jade slips.
• Gongshu Yixin collapsed after flying away, so Gu Suqiudi and Zhai Xingzi prepared to escort her home.

Xiao Hua learned that Daoist cultivators who break through fifth-grade Yuan Force are detected by the Immortal Palace, then helped several cultivators conceal their realms and improve their cultivation. The chapter ended at Qionghua Palace, where a princess played the zither and warned her maid Yu Xiajing against speaking too freely.

• Zhai Xingzi told Xiao Hua, Xunkong Shangren, and Zhang Daoran that they had reached the Out of Body realm and had to suppress their cultivation to avoid detection by the Immortal Palace.
• Xiao Hua and the others discussed the threat posed by the Immortal Palace and doubted whether the Xiaoyao Immortal Realm truly existed.
• Xiao Hua gave Zhai Xingzi, Xunkong Shangren, and Zhang Daoran his Invisibility Technique, prompting them to remain and study it.
• Xiao Hua instructed Xue Ping and the other cultivators, gave them supplies and techniques, and invited them to cultivate nearby while they waited.
• At Qionghua Palace, the princess stopped playing the zither and warned Yu Xiajing not to repeat her praise.

Princess Qingqing questioned Gu Xianyun about his failed scheme to capture Nascent Soul cultivators at the Yaotai Gathering and heard suspicions that Xiao Hua or Ancestor Hongmeng had disrupted it. She dismissed Yu Xiajing’s speculation about Ancestor Hongmeng and ordered Dongfang Haohua summoned.

• Princess Qingqing told Yu Xiajing that Princess Xinxin had returned to Ziwei Palace before Qingqing could act against her, though the Heaven's Choice Gathering seemed to unsettle her.
• Yu Xiajing reported that Gu Xianyun was seeking an audience, and Princess Qingqing summoned him to explain his assignment.
• Gu Xianyun reported that the Star Lord Palace Hall Master, Kong Hongwu, had been killed, the formations broken, and the Demon Refining Pot returned to the Immortal Palace, leaving nearly a thousand Nascent Soul cultivators uncaptured.
• Gu Xianyun named Xiao Hua as suspicious, while Yu Xiajing proposed that Ancestor Hongmeng might have acted; Princess Qingqing rejected the theory.
• Princess Qingqing ordered Yu Xiajing to summon Dongfang Haohua.

Princess Qingqing planned to pursue Ancestor Hongmeng by targeting Xiao Hua and True Lord Qingxu, while tasking Gu Xianyun and Dongfang Haohua with gathering information and suppressing possible Daoist allies. The chapter ended as Qingqing began asking Dongfang Haohua about disorder in the Five Regions of the lower realm.

• Princess Qingqing told Gu Xianyun to pursue both the Pure Land and other options for a birthday gift, then assigned her a secret task concerning Xin Xin's strange treasure and rewarded her with a Brocade Box.
• Princess Qingqing received Dongfang Haohua and had Gu Xianyun recount the killing of the Yaotai Mountain Star Lord Palace master.
• Dongfang Haohua identified Xiao Hua as a suspect and advised capturing him and killing True Lord Qingxu to draw out Ancestor Hongmeng.
• Princess Qingqing asked Dongfang Haohua to use Tongming Hall's connections to locate Xiao Hua and True Lord Qingxu without directly deploying the Earth Gods.
• Princess Qingqing ordered Dongfang Haohua to report a pretext to Lingyun Hall and wipe out the nine Dao Nations established with National Teacher's tokens.
• Princess Qingqing began questioning Dongfang Haohua about reports of chaos in the Five Regions of the lower realm.

Princess Xinxin learned that Dongfang Haohua was searching for Xiao Hua and True Lord Qingxu, and she asked Sun Gang to obtain their images. Old Master Sun warned her that the search was part of a power struggle that could threaten her, but Princess Xinxin resisted discussing her injuries and ambitions.

• Sun Gang arrived at Ziwei Palace to report the affairs discussed at Tongming Hall, while Princess Xinxin and Old Master Sun listened.
• Sun Gang reported that Dongfang Haohua had asked Sun Bing to find the Daoist cultivators True Lord Qingxu and Xiao Hua.
• Princess Xinxin asked Sun Gang to retrieve images of the two cultivators and ordered him to keep the request secret.
• After Sun Gang left, Old Master Sun urged Princess Xinxin to pursue power and warned that her injuries had been deliberately inflicted.
• Old Master Sun said Dongfang Haohua was seeking credit by targeting Ancestor Hongmeng’s subordinate True Lord Qingxu, which could endanger Princess Xinxin.

Princess Xinxin and Mister Sun discussed the search for Ancestor Hongmeng, the political turmoil among Confucian schools, and possible cooperation with Daoist cultivators. Mister Lei then reported that Qiongqiong had returned to the Punishment Hall after her Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal broke, though she still needed the Empress's approval to return to Ziwei Palace.

• Princess Xinxin gave Mister Sun an image of Xiao Hua from the Pure Land and asked him to investigate the two Daoist sect Nascent Soul cultivators sought by Qionghua Palace.
• Mister Sun showed Princess Xinxin that newly established nations in Yongzhou and Yangzhou were controlled by the Agriculturalists and Yin-Yang School, revealing growing conflict among Confucian factions and the Four Great Families.
• Princess Xinxin ordered investigations into the five provinces, the Four Great Families, and the possibility of testing cooperation with Daoist cultivators.
• Mister Lei told Princess Xinxin that Qiongqiong had returned to the Punishment Hall after her Heavenly Punishment Prisoner Crystal shattered in Cangxian Continent.
• Mister Lei explained that Qiongqiong's sentence had not ended, but the Punishment Envoy would report the matter to the Empress, who could allow her to return to the palace.

Sun Yue reported Xiao Hua to the Lord of Yuqing Palace, who could only locate him near Jing Province and concluded that Xiao Hua might be important to Confucian cultivators. Meanwhile, Xiao Hua felt someone scrutinizing him outside the vanished Yunshan Illusion Array, but neither he nor Zhang Daoran found anyone.

• Sun Yue visited the Lord of Yuqing Palace and reported Xiao Hua's connection to Princess Xinxin and True Lord Qingxu.
• The Lord of Yuqing Palace examined Xiao Hua's background but found his karma concealed and could only tell that he was near Jing Province.
• The Lord of Yuqing Palace said Xiao Hua's concealment was not Ancestor Hongmeng's handiwork and that Xiao Hua might be important to Confucian cultivators.
• Sun Yue left Yuqing Palace, while Xiao Hua and Zhang Daoran discussed the Yunshan Illusion Array sinking underground.
• Xiao Hua felt someone spying on him, but he and Zhang Daoran found no one nearby.

Xiao Hua reunited with the other cultivators after their secluded cultivation, then surprised Gongshu Yixin when her lifespan-testing magic tool revealed that he was only about three or four hundred years old. He left with Fu Zhiwen while Gongshu Yixin remained stunned by his age and cultivation.

• Xiao Hua and Zhang Daoran congratulated Xunkong Shangren and Zhai Xingzi after they emerged from secluded cultivation and thanked Xiao Hua for his secret technique.
• Gu Suqiudi asked Zhai Xingzi to test Gongshu Yixin's newly refined magic tool, which measured the others' lifespans through colored light.
• Gongshu Yixin's tool failed to penetrate Xiao Hua's skin at first, then emitted a vast, indistinct radiance and revealed that he was only around three or four hundred years old.
• Gu Suqiudi explained that the magic tool tested lifespan, and Gongshu Yixin kept questioning Xiao Hua about his age.
• Xiao Hua called Fu Zhiwen and departed for Black Wind Ridge, leaving Gongshu Yixin staring after him in disbelief.

Xiao Hua returned toward Black Wind Ridge after sensing that a mysterious cultivator had noticed him, and learned that the King of Tongzhu Kingdom had brought the Five Dragon Imperial Seal’s troubles to the ridge. He rushed ahead to rescue Li Xiang, who was besieged by Confucian forces led by Jiang Changhong.

• Zhang Daoran and Xunkong Shangren departed after bidding farewell to Xiao Hua, while Xue Ping and the others accepted that their connection with him had ended.
• A furious old man blamed Kong Hongwu for failing to collect the Nine Provinces Ding and vowed to punish whoever had killed him and taken it.
• Xiao Hua and Fu Zhiwen traveled toward Black Wind Ridge, where Xiao Hua discovered that the King of Tongzhu Kingdom had made the Five Dragon Imperial Seal a source of danger.
• Xiao Hua sent Fu Zhiwen ahead at his own pace and used Lightning Evasion to race toward Black Wind Ridge, sensing that his technique was nearing a breakthrough.
• Xiao Hua found Black Wind Ridge surrounded by Confucian forces, with Li Xiang and the wounded Black Bear, Golden Eagle, and White Lion holding the defense against Jiang Changhong and Changfeng Pavilion.

Jiang Changhong and Xie Han both attacked Black Wind Ridge, but Li Xiang used the Duotian Star Array to repel them and retreat with the demons. The Confucian cultivators resumed their siege, unaware that thunder and an icy divine sense were approaching from afar.

• Xie Han launched Youlong Sect’s attack while Jiang Changhong sent Changfeng Pavilion’s disciples against the demons, prompting the other factions to join the battle.
• Li Xiang’s magical treasure failed to stop Xie Han’s Coiled Dragon Spear, so Li Xiang raised a flag and used the Duotian Star Array to divide the battlefield.
• The array flung Xie Han’s spear back, killing a Confucian cultivator and injuring Xie Han, Jiang Changhong, and thousands of attackers as Li Xiang withdrew with the demons.
• Jiang Changhong and Xie Han argued over the failed ambush, while Wang Pi and other Confucian cultivators discussed how to break the formation and searched for the Five Dragon Imperial Seal.
• The Confucian cultivators resumed attacking Black Wind Ridge, and thunder sounded as an icy divine sense swept in from the horizon.

Xiao Hua returned to Black Wind Ridge and crushed the Confucian forces attacking it, then reunited with his disciples and allies. Li Xiang hinted that a larger plan would become clear the next day.

• Xiao Hua killed Xie Han and hundreds of Youlong Sect disciples with a devastating Divine Thought Hammer strike.
• Xiao Hua seized Jiang Changhong and destroyed his secondary body, then used lightning and green threads to knock down thousands of fleeing Confucian cultivators.
• The Black Bear Spirit welcomed Xiao Hua, and Xiao Hua praised the defenders before ordering the demons to deal with the remaining invaders.
• Xiao Hua greeted Li Xiang, Liu Yi, and Wang Zhengfei, then learned from Li Xiang that Shui Mingzi, Ao Zhantian, Lan Dianzi, Xiong Yi, and other Creation Sect members had also arrived.
• Li Xiang told Xiao Hua to return to his cave residence and wait until the next day to learn what he had arranged; Xiong Yi confirmed he had helped plan it.

Xiao Hua returned to Black Wind Ridge, welcomed his disciples and allies, and heard rumors that Kong Hongwu had been executed. After discussing the allies’ request for freedom to leave, he asked Xiong Yi to explain the mountain’s situation and reunited with Fu Zhiwen, whom the Black Bear Spirit had mistaken for an enemy.

• Xiao Hua was welcomed at Black Wind Ridge and promised to protect the gathered cultivators from Confucian cultivators.
• Shui Mingzi and Ao Zhantian told Xiao Hua about rumors that Kong Hongwu had been executed and asked not to be confined at Black Wind Ridge.
• Xiong Yi explained that he had kept Shui Mingzi and Ao Zhantian from joining the fight outside the grand formation to conceal Black Wind Ridge’s strength.
• Xiao Hua sent for Fu Zhiwen after learning the Black Bear Spirit had mistaken him for an enemy and started fighting him.
• Fu Zhiwen greeted Xiao Hua, met Liu Yi and Wang Zhengfei, and gave the Black Bear Spirit a spirit pill as an apology.