Chapter Summaries

Daoist Sect cultivators tested the Tianyi Green Light Sword Array with a series of attacks, but the formation endured and revealed its three-sword structure. Chong Taixu then told the sword cultivators that Xuntian City’s defense was nearing its end and that they needed to provoke the Daoist Sect before launching their decisive strike.

• True Person Liukong led several Nascent Soul cultivators in testing the sword formation with five hurricanes and a giant club, but their weakening attacks failed to break it.
• A strange radiance from the north destroyed the giant club and spread flames across the Green Light Sword Array, rapidly wearing down its layers.
• Three giant green swords rose from Xuntian City and extinguished the flames with a rain of flying swords, revealing the formation’s structure to Xunyunzi.
• Xunyunzi concluded that the Daoist Sect’s method had been overwhelmed by the formation and left with the other observers.
• Chong Taixu told Cheng Minghua, Qi Liandie, and Ruotian that the formation was nearing its limits and that the sword cultivators needed to provoke the Daoist Sect into a decisive fight.
• Chong Taixu explained that he had avoided killing the Daoist Sect’s leaders so the sword cultivators could strike when their enemies were stretched thin and destroy their confidence.

Chong Taixu and Qi Liandie waited for a decisive moment to strike against the Dao Sect and worried about the missing swordsmen sent after Nameless. Xiao Hua returned to Qiong Lei Peak, where Thunder Control Sect patrol disciples recognized him and sent word to welcome him back.

• Chong Taixu said the Sword Domain needed to wait for a decisive moment before using the Green Light Swords to force the Dao Sect to surrender.
• Cheng Minghua asked about the three swordsmen sent after Nameless, and Chong Taixu and Qi Liandie tried to reassure him despite their unease.
• Xiao Hua flew toward Qiong Lei Peak and reflected on the home and cultivators he had fought to protect.
• Xiao Hua encountered a Thunder Control Sect patrol led by Gen Mo, and the disciples recognized him as he returned from the war.
• Gen Mo sent a thunder-sound talisman to Shao Lei Hall so the master of Gen Lei Palace could welcome Xiao Hua on the sect’s behalf.

Xiao Hua spoke with Thunder Control Sect disciples who welcomed him back, learning about the sect’s losses and the fallen buried at Valley of Heroic Souls. The disciples pressed him about Wuming and the Terrifying Phoenix, while Xiao Hua remained evasive and learned the sect had only just heard that Xuntian City had fallen.

• Xiao Hua greeted the Qi Cultivation disciples warmly and invited them to visit Myriad Thunder Valley for guidance.
• The disciples described the returning Thunder Control Sect forces’ honors and rewards, and Xiao Hua asked where their fallen comrades had been buried.
• Xiao Hua heard that fewer than three in ten of the fallen disciples’ remains had been recovered and explained why battlefields often left bodies behind.
• A disciple asked whether Xiao Hua knew Wuming’s identity, and Xiao Hua said it mattered more that Wuming was among them than that they knew who he was.
• The disciples suspected Xiao Hua was the Terrifying Phoenix, but he denied having a Phoenix Dharma Body and asked to return to Myriad Thunder Valley.
• Gen Mo told Xiao Hua that the sect had only just learned of Xuntian City’s fall, leaving Xiao Hua to wonder whether the sect was concealing that its disciples had been captured.

Xiao Hua returned to the Thunder Control Sect and was welcomed by Gen Qing and Qian Zhongliang, who praised his achievements in the Dao Sword Great Battle. They brought him toward the Jade Slip Hall to meet the Palace Lord, while Xiao Hua chose not to ask Gen Qing about Sun Qian.

• Gen Qing and Qian Zhongliang arrived and greeted Xiao Hua after he returned to the Thunder Control Sect.
• Qian Zhongliang praised Xiao Hua's battle contributions and explained that the surviving members of the Thunder Control Sect First Squad had credited him and Cui Hongshen with saving them.
• Gen Qing explained that Genyunzi was away and that Qian Zhongliang had already sent word to him, then asked Xiao Hua to go to the Jade Slip Hall.
• Xiao Hua agreed to follow the two elders, though he said he would have preferred to return directly to Myriad Thunder Valley.
• As they flew toward the Jade Slip Hall, Xiao Hua thanked Gen Qing for the jade slip that had helped him, and Gen Qing told him to keep studying it.

Xiao Hua discussed his master’s prolonged seclusion and admitted to Gen Qing that he had once been Terrifying Phoenix, though his Phoenix Dharma Body had been destroyed. As they headed to the Great Thunder Hall for a reward, Qian Zhongliang revealed news that shocked Gen Qing.

• Xiao Hua learned that Martial Uncle Nameless had not emerged from seclusion, and Qian Zhongliang reassured him that Myriad Thunder Valley’s lightning might make the eventual breakthrough especially powerful.
• Gen Qing privately asked Xiao Hua whether he was Terrifying Phoenix, and Xiao Hua admitted it while explaining that his Phoenix Dharma Body had been destroyed during the war.
• Qian Zhongliang received a summons from Genshengzi directing them to the Great Thunder Hall, where Fairy Xuanhua planned to reward Xiao Hua.
• As they flew toward Thunder Immortal Peak, Gen Qing and Qian Zhongliang discussed the Thunder Control Sect’s newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators and the absent Nameless.
• Qian Zhongliang quietly told Gen Qing something about the Nascent Soul ceremonies, and Gen Qing reacted with disbelief.

Xiao Hua returned to the Thunder Control Sect and received a lavish welcome before being summoned to the Great Thunder Hall. Fairy Xuanhua praised his battle merit and began to address the sect’s future, while Xiao Hua still had not found a chance to report Gan Qinghuo’s matter.

• Gen Qing questioned Qian Zhongliang about why Fairy Xuanhua had not announced a major matter, and Qian Zhongliang said the Great Thunder Hall had made that decision.
• The Thunder Control Sect staged a threefold thunder salute for Xiao Hua, and disciples from the Eight Great Thunder Palaces thanked him for his service in the Dao Sword Great Battle.
• True Person Leixiao and Genyunzi praised Xiao Hua, who said the sect’s interests should come before personal interests and confirmed that his training group had returned safely.
• Genyunzi directed Xiao Hua, Qian Zhongliang, and Gen Qing to enter the Great Thunder Hall because Fairy Xuanhua wanted to speak with Xiao Hua.
• Fairy Xuanhua praised Xiao Hua’s battle contributions and said she believed the younger generation would lead the Thunder Control Sect to flourish.

Fairy Xuanhua called Xiao Hua to verify that he had sent the warning about the sword cultivators targeting Xuntian City, then revealed that the Thunder Control Sect's leaders planned to blame him for the sect's captured disciples. True Person Leixiao protested, but the chapter ended with Xiao Hua still facing the hall's collective judgment.

• Fairy Xuanhua verified that Xiao Hua had sent the communication talisman warning that Xuntian City was the sword cultivators' target, and Xiao Hua confirmed it while refusing to claim merit.
• Fairy Xuanhua explained that the Thunder Control Sect's losses in Xuntian City threatened its standing and share of interests in Xi Kingdom, so the sect needed someone to hold responsible.
• Fairy Xuanhua said True Person Kuangtian would bear thirty percent of the blame and that the communication talisman, and therefore Xiao Hua, would bear the remaining seventy percent.
• True Person Leixiao argued that Xiao Hua, True Person Kuangtian, and True Person Miyou were not at fault, but Fairy Xuanhua defended the leaders' collective decision to make Xiao Hua endure a setback.
• True Person Leixiao rose in anger but stayed seated because Xiao Hua would otherwise be left alone before the Great Thunder Hall's leaders, while Genyunzi urged him to calm down.

Xiao Hua challenged the Thunder Control Sect’s decision to punish him for the disciples captured at Xuntian City, then accepted the ruling and left. Before departing, he revealed that he had found Gan Qinghuo, whose return stunned the hall masters and shifted attention from Xiao Hua’s punishment.

• Genyunzi argued that Xiao Hua’s punishment was nominal and that his previous rewards would remain untouched, while True Person Leixiao asked Xiao Hua for his view.
• Xiao Hua protested that his message had been meritorious and that blaming him for the captured disciples was unjust, but Fairy Xuanhua insisted he must bear responsibility for the greater good.
• Xiao Hua told True Person Leixiao that he regretted sending the message and said he would not do so again if he knew the consequences.
• Xiao Hua accepted the decision and prepared to leave, then took Gan Qinghuo from his spirit storage pouch and placed him before the hall masters.
• Fairy Xuanhua, Fairy Yaofeng, Leiting Zi, and Duijie recognized Gan Qinghuo and reacted with shock, while Xiao Hua left without looking back.

After leaving the Great Thunder Hall, Xiao Hua reflected on the attempt to blame him for Xuntian City's fall and realized that Fairy Xuanhua's proposal had likely been encouraged by other hall masters. He reunited with Cui Hongshen, Xiang Zhili, and the young Wu Qing, then learned how much Myriad Thunder Valley had grown in his absence.

• Xiao Hua left the Great Thunder Hall after his merit in returning Gan Qinghuo and the Lightning Devouring Bead was raised against Fairy Xuanhua's blame.
• Xiao Hua suspected that several hall masters had prompted Fairy Xuanhua to make the proposal and wondered why the Zhen Thunder Palace hall masters had remained silent.
• Xiang Zhili called out to Xiao Hua and arrived with Cui Hongshen, Wu Qing, and other cultivators from Zhen Thunder Palace.
• Xiao Hua recognized Wu Qing as Wu Nai and Yan Qinglian's child and was astonished by the boy's cultivation and composure.
• Cui Hongshen greeted Xiao Hua with deep respect and credited his achievements with Myriad Thunder Valley's prosperity.
• Xiao Hua teased Xiang Zhili about his slow cultivation, and Xiang Zhili defended his solid foundation and Xiao Hua's past setbacks.

Xiao Hua returned to Myriad Thunder Valley, where Zhen Thunder Palace disciples and Zhuo’s companions welcomed him after his fame spread from the Dao Sword Great Battle. He reunited with Zhuo, Xiangyang, Yan Qinglian, and Dui Qimeng, and met the shy Cui Yingying, while Wu Nai remained in seclusion.

• Cui Hongshen introduced Xiao Hua to a dozen Zhen Thunder Palace disciples, then invited them to a banquet in Myriad Thunder Valley.
• Xiao Hua flew with the group toward the valley, reflecting that their admiration might change after Great Thunder Hall issued its order of accountability.
• Zhuo personally welcomed Xiao Hua, praised his achievements, and told him Wu Nai had not emerged from seclusion.
• Xiao Hua greeted Xiangyang and Yan Qinglian, and hinted that Yan Qinglian would understand the delay in his dual cultivation ceremony tomorrow.
• Dui Qimeng introduced her shy daughter Cui Yingying to Xiao Hua as the Second Martial Uncle who had helped save her parents.

Xiao Hua reunited with his family and met the many disciples now living in Myriad Thunder Valley. Cui Yingying remained shy and fearful around him, while the group prepared to welcome visiting Thunder Palace disciples.

• Dui Qimeng urged Cui Yingying to greet Xiao Hua, but the frightened girl clung to her mother and cried.
• Dui Qimeng left to join Cui Hongshen and their guests, and Yan Qinglian took Cui Yingying after Xiao Hua tried to support her.
• Xiang Zhili explained that he and Wu Qing had returned with eager Gen Lei Palace disciples, and Xiangyang introduced Xiao Hua to his and Yan Qinglian's eight disciples.
• Xiangyang and Yan Qinglian's other eight disciples, followed by Cui Hongshen and Dui Qimeng's disciples, paid their respects to Xiao Hua.
• Xiangyang explained that Thunder Control Sect had expanded its recruitment after the Dao Sword Great Battle and that Myriad Thunder Valley had opened an outer valley to house disciples and receive guests.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Hua returns to Myriad Thunder Valley and reunites with his family and disciples.
• Zhuo ** reveals that Wu Nai is in seclusion and hasn't emerged yet.
• The Great Thunder Hall sends an order announcing the fall of Xuntian City and the capture of tens of thousands of Thunder Control Sect disciples, blaming Xiao Hua for the incident.
• Xiao Hua is ordered to be punished, but the specifics will be decided after Ganlei Zi emerges from seclusion.

Character Developments

• Xiao Hua is hailed as a hero upon his return but soon faces severe consequences due to the Great Thunder Hall's order.
• Zhuo ** shows concern for Wu Nai and supports Xiao Hua.
• Xiang Zhili remains mischievous and eager to learn about Xiao Hua's battles.
• Cui Yingying is depicted as shy and reserved.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of Xiao Hua's actions in the Dao Sword Great Battle catch up with him.
• The tension between Xiao Hua's heroic deeds and the severe punishment he faces highlights the complexities of war and its impact on individuals.
• The theme of family and unity is reinforced as Xiao Hua reunites with his loved ones.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Hua interacts with his family, including Zhuo **, Xiangyang, Xiang Zhili, and Cui Yingying, showcasing his affection and concern for them.
• Zhuo ** and Yan Qinglian discuss Xue Xue's rapid cultivation progress and her possible feelings for Xiao Hua.
• Xiao Hua shares a moment of understanding with Xiang Zhili about the importance of keeping some secrets.

After Great Thunder Hall issued a decree blaming Xiao Hua for the Thunder Control Sect’s losses, he reassured his worried companions that he would avoid punishment and began recounting the battle. At Thousand Thunder Mountain, Zhen Yue learned of the decree and doubted that Xiao Hua would actually be punished once the Sect Master emerged from seclusion.

• Cui Hongshen and Dui Qimeng arrived with other disciples, and Xiao Hua told them their former companions had all left.
• Xiao Hua reassured the disciples that his merits would prevent serious punishment, then invited them into the cave residence to hear his account of the Dao Sword Great Battle.
• Zhen Yue left Thousand Thunder Mountain and arrived at the peak where Wang Yunxiao and Zhen Yuqian told him Great Thunder Hall had issued a decree against Xiao Hua.
• Zhen Yue read the decree and criticized Myriad Thunder Valley, while Wang Yunxiao argued that Xiao Hua might offset his faults with merit.
• Zhen Yue agreed that the Sect Master would not truly punish Xiao Hua because of his great contributions to the Thunder Control Sect.

Zhen Yue met with Zhen Xiaoyang, the Vice Hall Master of the Hundred Refinements Hall, and learned why Xiao Hua would escape severe punishment for his alleged offense. They discussed the return of Gan Qinghuo and the doubts surrounding the Lightning Devouring Bead, leaving Zhen Xiaoyang concerned that the Sect Master might question its origin.

• Zhen Yue received a thunder-sound talisman and left his disciples; Zhen Yuqian returned to cultivate while Wang Yunxiao later went to Zhen Thunder Palace.
• Zhen Yue visited Zhen Xiaoyang, who said he was staying away from the gathering because Hall Master Heyu would use it to appear righteous and consolidate support.
• Zhen Xiaoyang revealed that Xiao Hua had brought Gan Qinghuo back from Luyang, a major merit that would prevent the Sect Master from punishing Xiao Hua severely.
• Zhen Xiaoyang warned Zhen Yue that the Sect Master might doubt the Lightning Devouring Bead’s origin and consider using it to replace the Min Lei Bead.
• Zhen Yue explained that he had secretly told Zhen Xie about the Lightning Devouring Bead decades earlier, but Zhen Xie and Kan Mingwei had vanished while pursuing Buddhist-related matters.

Zhen Xiaoyang and Zhen Yue discussed how the Lightning Devouring Bead had been used to protect Qiong Lei Peak’s formation and worried that the secret might be exposed. Meanwhile, Xiao Hua stopped recounting his past when Xun Shu arrived with news, leaving their reunion poised to continue.

• Zhen Xiaoyang explained that an unknown third party might have taken Zhen Xie and Kan Mingwei’s storage bags and corpses, but Zhen Yue doubted the trail could lead back to them.
• Zhen Xiaoyang told Zhen Yue that the Alliance Master had secretly supplied the Lightning Devouring Bead so the Sect Master could replace the Min Lei Bead and force a hidden Buddhist artifact to reveal itself.
• Zhen Yue realized the Lightning Devouring Bead might have helped save Qiong Lei Peak’s lightning formation, and Zhen Xiaoyang urged him to check for loopholes in their secret.
• Xiao Hua received a communication talisman while telling Xiang Zhili about rescuing Xiao Mao, then ended the story and promised to hear Xiang Zhili’s own experiences later.
• Xiao Hua went outside to meet Xun Shu, who said she had come early because she had received important news.

Xiao Hua reunited with Xun Shu and his fellow disciples after returning to Thunder Control Sect, but learned that bereaved Qi Refining disciples blamed him for the losses at Xuntian City and demanded that he die and leave Qiong Lei Peak. The cave fell into silence as the group considered the danger of confronting them, and Dui Ling arrived with an urgent message.

• Xiao Hua reunited with Xun Shu, who told him that Xue Xue had been repeatedly entering seclusion and had reached late Foundation Establishment.
• Zhen Minghui, Su Qing, Zhen Huo, Qiu Xu, and Bai Su Gu arrived to welcome Xiao Hua, and they gathered with Cui Hongshen and the others in the cave residence.
• Zhen Minghui told Xiao Hua that bereaved disciples at Zhen Thunder Palace blamed him for the deaths at Xuntian City and demanded that he commit suicide and leave Qiong Lei Peak.
• Xun Shu and the others warned Xiao Hua that he could not retaliate against the low-level disciples without risking trouble for himself and Myriad Thunder Valley.
• Dui Ling called for Xiao Hua from outside, and Dui Qimeng explained that she had yet to establish her foundation after returning from Xuntian City.

Dui Ling warned Xiao Hua that disciples from Dui Lei Palace were coming to Myriad Thunder Valley to demand an explanation, but Xiao Hua refused to avoid them. Xue Xue emerged from seclusion and asked to borrow Xiao Hua, explaining that she had sensed danger in Misty Mountain and wanted him to accompany her there.

• Dui Ling braved the Soundless Thunder to warn Xiao Hua that Dui Lei Palace disciples were coming, and Dui Qimeng treated her injuries.
• Xiao Hua said he would face the visiting disciples rather than hide, despite the concern of Zhuo, Dui Qimeng, and Cui Hongshen.
• Xue Xue arrived after leaving seclusion as a late Foundation Establishment cultivator and reunited with Xiao Hua.
• Xue Xue asked Zhuo to let her take Xiao Hua away for a few days, and Zhuo agreed.
• Xue Xue explained that she had sensed danger in Misty Mountain and wanted Xiao Hua to accompany her to protect her uncle and younger brother.

Xue Xue arrived at Myriad Thunder Valley and agreed to accompany Xiao Hua away, easing tensions over the angry Qi Refining disciples. The chapter ended as more than a thousand disciples gathered outside the valley, while Xiao Hua dismissed their protest and prepared to face the situation.

• Xue Xue agreed to travel with Xiao Hua, and Xun Shu left to ask her master for leave on her behalf.
• Xiangyang explained the dispute with the Qi Refining disciples, and Xue Xue urged Xiao Hua not to stoop to their level.
• Xiao Hua sent Xiang Zhili and the others to check the outer valley, then told them to secure the cave residences’ belongings.
• Xue Xue predicted that Wu Nai would form his Golden Core and emerge from seclusion that year, surprising Xiao Hua and reassuring Zhuo.
• Zhang Juan and Fan Yuming reported that over a thousand Qi Refining disciples had gathered outside Myriad Thunder Valley, and Xiao Hua condemned them for confronting the elders.

Xiao Hua faced growing anger from Thunder Control Sect disciples who blamed him for the losses in Xuntian City, while Myriad Thunder Valley prepared for the gathering crowd. The disciples charged toward the valley’s cave residence, but Xiao Hua arrived and subdued the attackers with his spiritual pressure and lightning.

• Dui Ling explained that Xiao Hua’s reputation among Thunder Control Sect disciples had grown through exaggerated stories, making the punishment order especially upsetting to his admirers.
• Disciples from across the Thunder Palaces gathered outside Myriad Thunder Valley, where Xiang Zhili confronted the increasingly hostile crowd.
• Cui Hongshen returned after obtaining leave for Xiao Hua, and the crowd wrongly concluded that Xiao Hua had fled, then surged toward Myriad Thunder Valley’s cave residence.
• Xiang Zhili moved to defend the cave residence as disciples threatened to attack him and called for the others to be beaten.
• Xiao Hua arrived with Xue Xue, summoned dark storm clouds and lightning, and used his spiritual pressure to knock down the attackers and several vocal disciples.

Xiao Hua drove thousands of Thunder Control Sect disciples away from Myriad Thunder Valley with his pressure and Lightning Drawing Technique, then left with Xue Xue. He expected the incident to discourage further challenges, but postponed proposing marriage to Xue Xue until the trouble passed.

• Xiao Hua restrained the Qi Refinement disciples who had gathered at Myriad Thunder Valley, blasted a boulder with lightning, and challenged their elders to face him at Thunder Competition Ground.
• Xiao Hua drove off the divine senses of hidden cultivators and flew to Qiong Lei Peak with Xue Xue, while the frightened disciples gradually dispersed.
• Xiang Zhili and Wu Qing discussed Xiao Hua’s Lightning Drawing Technique, and Xiang Zhili wondered whether anyone would dare provoke Myriad Thunder Valley again.
• Zhuo worried that Xiao Hua’s actions might cause more trouble and hoped Wu Nai would emerge from seclusion to take charge of Myriad Thunder Valley.
• Xiao Hua told Xue Xue that he would wait until the situation settled before going to Xun Lei Palace to propose marriage.