Chapter Summaries

Xiao Hua agreed to treat Miss Hao’s crippled legs and prepared to examine her at Hao Manor. He found a way to heal her, but warned that she would have to endure severe pain and confront how her willfulness had hurt her father.

• Xiao Hua gave Steward Hao a pill to revive the Little Gold Temple monks and an antidote for the poisoned rabbit.
• Steward Hao had the embroidered tower prepared, and Xiao Hua examined Miss Hao’s shrunken legs while Huan'er assisted.
• Steward Hao explained that a carriage had shattered Miss Hao’s leg bones when she was young and that other healers had failed to help her.
• Xiao Hua said he could treat Miss Hao but required her to endure the pain and recognize her father’s suffering.
• Steward Hao offered to suffer in his daughter’s place, but Xiao Hua said his overindulgence had contributed to her willfulness.

Xiao Hua reset Miss Hao’s badly healed leg bones and explained how to care for them while counseling Steward Hao to show his daughter more trust and concern. After Steward Hao agreed to take refuge in the countryside, Xiao Hua prepared to leave with Xiao Jian for Little Gold Temple.

• Xiao Hua crushed Miss Hao’s misaligned leg bones, put her to sleep, treated both legs with pills, and instructed Steward Hao to keep her still for twenty-seven days before having a physician check her bones.
• Xiao Hua told Steward Hao that Miss Hao would need years of use and rehabilitation to regain the ability to walk freely.
• Xiao Hua rebuked Steward Hao for isolating his daughter, neglecting her emotional needs, and refusing to trust her warning about danger.
• Steward Hao agreed to move the family to the countryside and thanked Xiao Hua for his guidance.
• Xiao Hua announced that he and Xiao Jian would leave for Little Gold Temple, then allowed Xiao Jian to accept Steward Hao’s wine toast in his place.

After leaving Hao Manor, Xiao Hua returned to Jiangchao Temple and examined Xiao Yun, whose abnormal pulse and persistent body heat made him suspect she might be a demon. He set aside that question to investigate the rabbit’s claim around Changsheng Town, while the chapter ended with Zen Master Mingyue angrily confronting a sleepy monk at Little Gold Temple.

• Steward Hao gave Xiao Hua and Xiao Jian a tray of valuables, and Xiao Jian accepted it without his usual excitement over money.
• On the ride back, Xiao Jian asked why Xiao Hua kept concealing his cultivation, prompting Xiao Hua to reflect that hiding himself had become a habit.
• At Jiangchao Temple, Xiao Hua checked Xiao Yun’s pulse and body heat, then wondered whether she might be a demon like the rabbit.
• Xiao Hua abandoned his attempt to examine Xiao Yun with his Dharma Eye and searched Changsheng Town with Buddhist consciousness instead.
• At Little Gold Temple, Zen Master Mingyue stopped the monks’ chanting and angrily rebuked a monk who had continued striking the wooden fish.

Zen Master Mingyue waited anxiously for Xingchen to arrive at Little Gold Temple before its challenge against Jiangchao Temple and the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony. After hearing about Mingfa’s encounter with a powerful demon, Xingchen agreed to help Little Gold Temple, confident that Jiangchao Temple posed little threat.

• Zen Master Mingyue dismissed the exhausted monks but stayed with Mingjian to await Xingchen, worrying that Little Gold Temple could not face Jiangchao Temple’s rising influence alone.
• Xingchen and three other senior monks arrived, and Mingyue explained that Mingfa had gone to Steward Hao’s household to deal with a demon.
• Xingchen sensed that Mingfa had returned, and Mingfa soon arrived with injured disciples and damaged weapons after the group was overwhelmed by the demon’s aura.
• Mingyue knelt before Xingchen and asked him to save Little Gold Temple by helping with its challenge against Jiangchao Temple and the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony.
• Xingchen agreed to help and said one of his junior brothers could defeat Jiangchao Temple, while Mingyue advised against openly confronting Changsheng Academy.

Xingchen rebuked Zen Master Mingyue for prioritizing compassion over the Buddhist sect’s ambitions and explained that he had come to investigate reports of demons targeting Changsheng Town. He believed minor demons might be planning a blood sacrifice, while grumbling that the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony would force him to preside over an embarrassing arena.

• Xingchen examined Mingfa and concluded that the demon creature from the Hao family was only a rabbit spirit, while an unknown Daoist had likely helped Mingfa recover.
• Zen Master Mingyue described Jiangchao Temple’s recent developments, and Xingchen blamed them on Xiao Jian’s Daoist attendant and his medicines.
• Zen Master Mingyue said Little Gold Temple could spare Jiangchao Temple at the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony, but Xingchen scolded him and urged him to uphold the Buddhist sect’s ambitions against Daoism.
• Xingchen revealed that Yunlin Temple had received reports of demons targeting Changsheng Town and said his investigation suggested they might be planning a minor blood sacrifice.
• Xingchen dismissed Mingyue’s offer to let him preside over the ceremony, complaining that the makeshift arena would make him lose face.

Xingchen and the Little Gold Temple monks sensed a powerful Buddhist presence passing by and hoped its owner would help them face the demon threat. After Xingchen failed to find the Patriarch, the monks prepared for the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony, still unaware of Jiangchao Temple’s contest rules.

• Xingchen ordered three monks to reinforce Little Gold Temple’s wooden challenge platform with Buddhist light.
• A powerful Buddhist sense swept past the temple, and Xingchen and three other monks flew off to find its source.
• Zen Master Mingyue and the other monks prepared to welcome a Bright Terrace Patriarch, but Xingchen returned without finding him and guessed he had passed through Changsheng Town.
• Xingchen explained the nine Buddhist cultivation realms to Mingfa and told the monks to prepare for the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony.
• Xingchen scolded Zen Master Mingyue for not knowing the contest rules, and Mingyue blamed Jiangchao Temple’s busy new Daoist Master Xiao.

Zen Master Mingyue prepared Little Gold Temple for the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony as crowds gathered and Changsheng Academy’s disciples took charge of organizing them. He welcomed Jiangchao Temple’s Xiao Jian and Yuan Ya, who arrived in a lame donkey’s broken cart, while Xingchen’s aerial display amazed the spectators.

• Shopkeeper Feng and hundreds of townspeople arrived at Little Gold Temple to watch the ceremony.
• Changsheng Academy sent over a hundred disciples, who organized the crowd and drove away troublemakers.
• Zen Master Mingyue worried that Jiangchao Temple might not attend because he had failed to agree on a time with Xiao Jian.
• Xingchen and three disciples flew into the sky, astonishing the crowd.
• Xiao Jian and Yuan Ya arrived in a broken cart pulled by a lame donkey, and Zen Master Mingyue went down the mountain to welcome them.

Xiao Jian and Yuan Ya arrived at Little Gold Temple to challenge it at the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony, while Confucian and Buddhist leaders gathered and competed for the townsfolk’s favor. Zen Master Mingyue finally flew onto the arena as the ceremony prepared to begin.

• Yuan Ya stopped the donkey cart by kicking it over, and Xiao Jian declared that Jiangchao Temple would bring Little Gold Temple under its lineage after the arena matches.
• Zen Master Mingyue challenged Xiao Jian’s confidence, while Mingfa agreed to face him in the arena.
• Xingchen greeted Mo Jianli and praised Changsheng Academy for supporting Little Gold Temple, and they agreed to meet at future ceremonies.
• Zhu Junfeng landed on the arena and won cheers from the townsfolk by presenting Changsheng Academy as a defender of Changsheng Town.
• Zen Master Mingyue swallowed his anger at Zhu Junfeng’s show of popularity, then flew onto the arena as monks and worshippers chanted the Buddha’s name.

At the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony, Xingchen and Mo Jianli compared their clues about a monster threatening Changsheng Town and agreed to investigate the Liao River together. Xiao Hua’s memories of an arena platform awakened, and he realized that Lu Town might be his hometown on Cangxian Continent.

• Zen Master Mingyue welcomed Zhu Junfeng and Mister Tai'an, praised the friendship between Confucian cultivators and Buddhist sects, and promised future ceremonies would improve.
• Xingchen told Mo Jianli about the strange events at Steward Hao’s residence, and Mo Jianli recognized Xiao Hua as the person involved.
• Mo Jianli recounted the Sea God Lord incident at the Liao River, and he and Xingchen agreed to search the river for a possible aquatic monster after the ceremony.
• Xiao Jian stared at the arena platform and remembered his childhood, concluding that Lu Town might be in Cangxian Continent and recalling his second brother Zhang Xiaohu.
• Xiao Jian prepared to have Yuan Ya throw him onto the platform, but Zen Master Mingyue stopped them and pointed out the ladder.

Xiao Jian announced the rules for a three-sect contest at the Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony, where Jiangchao Temple and Little Gold Temple would stake their continued presence in Changsheng Town. After the contest arrangements were made, Xiao Hua asked Xiao Jian about Lu Town and the Misty Sect, but Xiao Jian knew neither.

• Zen Master Mingyue and Zhu Junfeng introduced the challenge between Jiangchao Temple and Little Gold Temple and announced that the losing branch must leave Changsheng Town.
• Xiao Jian proposed that each sect send ten participants and outlined an elimination contest, with the final order set as Buddhism, Daoism, then Confucian cultivation.
• Zhu Junfeng and Zen Master Mingyue agreed to the rules and went to prepare their rosters and the ceremony rites.
• Zen Master Mingyue refused to provide Jiangchao Temple with a tent, so Xiao Jian decided to rest in his rented donkey cart.
• Xiao Hua asked Xiao Jian about Lu Town and the Misty Sect, but Xiao Jian said he had never heard of either before asking what Xiao Hua thought of the figures who had flown overhead.

The Immortal-Buddha Grand Ceremony showcased Little Gold Temple’s Buddhist light and Changsheng Academy’s sword formations and Immortal Palace illusion, before Zen Master Mingyue announced the contest that would decide Little Gold Temple’s fate. Jiangchao Temple named its three fighters, and Zhu Junfeng was pressed to reveal Changsheng Academy’s lineup.

• Xingkong and Xingmin summoned a giant Buddha with Buddhist light, prompting the crowd to rush for the scattered blessing until Changsheng Academy students cut it apart with sword qi.
• Mo Jianli and Zhu Junfeng displayed a flying-sword formation and used a vermilion gourd to project an elaborate Immortal Palace illusion above the arena.
• The ceremony ended, and Zen Master Mingyue announced that the coming contest would determine whether Little Gold Temple could remain in Changsheng Town.
• Zen Master Mingyue named Little Gold Temple’s nine contestants, then Xiao Jian named Yuan Ya, Xiao Hua, and himself for Jiangchao Temple.
• Mo Jianli and Xingchen recognized Xiao Hua as likely Jiangchao Temple’s strongest fighter, while Zhu Junfeng reconsidered Changsheng Academy’s lineup after learning Xingchen would compete.

Xiao Hua’s disciple Yuan Ya dominated the contest, defeating seven opponents before Xiao Hua took his place. Xiao Hua’s arrival ended with the arena collapsing beneath the weight of his Pingtian Rod, leaving the match with Fan Xiang unresolved.

• Zhu Junfeng announced the contestants, and Yuan Ya entered the arena with a demonic staff to face Little Gold Temple’s Jianzheng.
• Yuan Ya knocked Jianzheng from the arena, then defeated several more opponents, including Zhang Chunyang and Mingfa, as Jiangchao Temple’s strength stunned the crowd.
• Zhu Junfeng proposed letting Yuan Ya rest, but Xiao Hua ordered Yuan Ya to concede and stepped forward to fight Fan Xiang himself.
• Xiao Hua walked onto the arena and told Fan Xiang he was no match for him, then summoned the Pingtian Rod.
• Xiao Hua stepped onto the arena, and its Buddhist formation flickered before the entire structure collapsed beneath him.

Xiao Hua crushed the Buddhist formation and challenged the cultivators on behalf of Jiangchao Temple, while concealing his Buddhist cultivation and presenting himself as an East Sea Daoist rogue cultivator. Changsheng Academy admitted defeat, but Xingchen insisted on fighting for Little Gold Temple and asked what would happen if his side won even half a move.

• Xiao Hua emerged from the ruined arena after destroying the Buddhist formation, then decided that fighting the juniors himself was beneath a grandmaster.
• Xiao Hua challenged Xingchen, Mo Jianli, and the three Buddhist monks, while keeping his Buddha Sarira hidden from them.
• Mo Jianli treated Xiao Hua as a senior and Chongyun Sect withdrew from the contest; Zhu Junfeng also admitted defeat on behalf of Changsheng Academy.
• Xiao Hua said he was an East Sea rogue cultivator who had once studied Confucian cultivation before obtaining a Daoist inheritance, and he pledged to represent Jiangchao Temple.
• Xingchen refused to withdraw because the contest would decide whether Little Gold Temple could remain in Changsheng Town, and Xiao Hua allowed him and the other monks to attack together.
• Xingchen asked whether Xiao Hua would make Jiangchao Temple leave Changsheng Town if the monks won even half a move.

Xiao Hua shattered Xingchen and the other monks’ Buddhist formation with one strike, but a sudden flood and rampage of aquatic creatures threatened Changsheng Town. The contest became a rescue wager, and Xiao Hua and the others rushed toward the Liao River as the crowd was directed to Little Gold Temple.

• Xingchen and three junior monks formed a Buddhist formation with the power of faith and trapped Xiao Hua inside it.
• Xiao Hua broke the formation with a single strike of the Pingtian Rod, leaving Xingchen ready to concede defeat.
• A tremendous roar alerted Xiao Hua to the Liao River flooding and aquatic creatures rampaging toward Changsheng Town.
• Xingchen proposed a wager to compare Daoist and Buddhist efforts to save people or end the disaster, and Xiao Hua agreed.
• Xingchen ordered Zen Master Mingyue to move the gathered villagers into Little Gold Temple, while Zhu Junfeng left students to help and hurried toward the river with the others.

Changsheng Town was struck by a devastating flood unleashed by the aquatic clan, and panic sent residents fleeing while Xiao Hua hurried toward the river. As a towering wall of water threatened to erase the town, Xingchen admitted that he and the others could not stop the aquatic clansmen.

• The people at Little Gold Temple panicked after learning of the danger, and most fled toward Changsheng Town while the remaining residents took refuge inside.
• Xiao Jian rushed into the Mahavira Hall after receiving Xiao Hua’s voice transmission, while Xiao Hua flew toward the Liao River despite his depleted magical power.
• The Liao River surged over its banks and flooded the area near Changsheng Town, killing villagers and triggering widespread panic.
• Xiao Hua saw a growing wall of water and black-scaled aquatic clansmen preparing to unleash it on the town.
• Xingchen and the others arrived at the river and recognized that the aquatic clan’s strength exceeded their own; Xingchen told Mo Jianli he had no way to stop them.

Mo Jianli and Xiao Hua confronted the aquatic tribe as its wall of water threatened Changsheng Town, and Mo Jianli tried to learn why they had flooded the town. Xiao Hua killed the black fish demon with lightning, but more than a hundred powerful aquatic tribesmen surfaced from the Liao River.

• Mo Jianli sent Zhu Junfeng to Changsheng Academy and tried to cross the water wall, but his attack tore a crack that briefly poured water into Changsheng Town.
• A three-zhang black fish demon emerged and attacked Mo Jianli, then struck Li Momo when he tried to communicate with it; Li Momo survived with help from Crimson Silk and Ji Dong.
• Xiao Hua summoned heavenly lightning that killed the black fish demon and injured other aquatic tribesmen, prompting Mo Jianli to warn that the town’s inhabitants were still in danger.
• Mo Jianli argued that they needed to learn the aquatic tribe’s purpose, while Xiao Hua insisted that force was necessary because they would not answer otherwise.
• Powerful spiritual senses swept across the Liao River, and more than a hundred enormous aquatic tribesmen surfaced.

Xiao Hua fought off the aquatic creatures attacking Changsheng Town while Mo Jianli tried to negotiate with them. The river’s forces gathered under a powerful dwarf commander, whose arrival left Mo Jianli, Li Momo, and the others terrified.

• Xiao Hua struck a giant aquatic creature with concentrated heavenly lightning, badly wounding it, while Mo Jianli pleaded for a chance to speak with the attackers.
• Mo Jianli explained that he wanted to save Changsheng Town’s people and led Li Momo and the others to a breach in the water wall to attempt negotiations.
• The Liao River suddenly calmed, and hundreds of armed aquatic creatures emerged from beneath the water.
• A giant sea beast rose from the river carrying a slender-armed commander, who appeared as a three-chi-tall humanlike dwarf riding an enormous seahorse.
• The dwarf’s icy Yuan sense swept over Mo Jianli and the others, leaving Li Momo too frightened to speak.

Xiao Hua confronted the aquatic beings who were preparing to flood Changsheng Town while searching for someone, but their dwarf leader proved stronger than him. As the flood surged toward town, Mo Jianli attacked the advancing troops with his book and was injured when they struck it down.

• The dwarf transformed a hundred-odd sea beasts into giants and ordered them to reinforce the water-wall restriction as the aquatic force prepared to attack Changsheng Town.
• Xiao Hua entered the restriction to confront the dwarf, who refused to answer questions unless Xiao Hua delivered his head.
• The dwarf defeated Xiao Hua in their opening clash, then kept him occupied while aquatic troops directed floodwaters toward Changsheng Town.
• Mo Jianli attacked the advancing shrimp soldiers and crab generals with inscriptions from his book, but columns of water struck it down and left him spitting blood.

Xiao Hua fought the Water Tribe dwarf while a flood threatened to drown Changsheng Town, then recognized that the Water Tribe’s missing Princess was Xiao Yun at Jiangchao Temple. He used the Pure Water Bottle to draw in the floodwater, but the dwarf raised the Liao River again.

• Xiao Hua repeatedly charged the dwarf, using their clashes to help refine the Earth Crystal Yao Ru within his body while trying to protect the townsfolk.
• Li Momo told Xiao Hua that the Water Tribe had come to find its Princess, and Xiao Hua realized the girl in the wooden barrel at Jiangchao Temple was Xiao Yun.
• Xiao Hua sent Li Momo to Jiangchao Temple, then vanished into the river and returned in a disguised form with the Pure Water Bottle.
• Xiao Hua used Buddhist seals to draw the floodwater into the Pure Water Bottle, while Xingchen and the others knelt and the townsfolk’s devotion strengthened his power.
• The dwarf put away his Fangtian Huaji, spread blue radiance across the river, and raised the Liao River another ten zhang.

Xiao Hua struggled to contain the Liao River’s flood while protecting Changsheng Town, and a sudden Buddhist manifestation nearly brought him to Bodhisattva fruition. After the dwarf withdrew with the princess, Xiao Hua departed, while Xingchen concealed his survival and declared that the Sea God Lord had saved the town.

• The dwarf sent a vast torrent against Xiao Hua’s Pure Water Vase, gravely injuring Xiao Hua as he tried to shield Changsheng Town.
• Xingchen and the townspeople chanted and offered their power of thought, causing Xiao Hua’s Buddha Sarira to shine and a Buddhist manifestation to begin.
• Xingchen recognized the manifestation as the approach of Bodhisattva fruition, but Mo Jianli arrived with the princess, whom the dwarf seized before withdrawing the flood.
• Xiao Hua continued collecting the river water as the aquatic creatures retreated, then flew away after invoking the Nine-Character Mantra.
• Xingchen told the townspeople that Martial Ancestor Cihang had saved Changsheng Town, then falsely claimed Xiao Hua had been lost in the river and organized a search for him.