Chapter Summaries

Li Chengqian’s coronation was interrupted when Shu Wu revealed that Emperor Qing had left a final edict in Fan Xian’s custody. The succession was put on hold while officials sought to determine whether Fan Xian was alive, though Zhou Cheng suspected the sealed document was blank.

• Li Chengqian began his coronation ceremony as ministers accepted his succession, while Zhou Cheng remained still.
• Shu Wu stopped Li Chengqian from taking the throne and announced that Emperor Qing had left a final edict.
• Shu Wu said Fan Xian held the edict, and the Eldest Prince and Grand Academician Hu confirmed Emperor Qing had entrusted Fan Xian with a sealed letter.
• An official urged the court to find Fan Xian and verify the edict before proceeding with the succession.
• Li Chengqian realized Emperor Qing had prepared for this possibility, while Zhou Cheng saw the delay as a chance for Emperor Qing to return; the letter itself was blank.

The Crown Prince rejected Emperor Qing’s supposed final edict and ordered Shu Wu and Hu Xian imprisoned, then faced growing resistance from the court. Zhou Cheng’s presence emboldened more than a hundred officials to demand that the Crown Prince reconsider, leaving him shaken and unable to decide whether to proceed with his accession.

• The Crown Prince questioned why Emperor Qing had entrusted his final edict to Fan Xian and accused Shu Wu and Hu Xian of making baseless claims.
• The Crown Prince ordered Shu Wu and Hu Xian imprisoned, while armed guards took positions outside the hall.
• As Zhou Cheng stood alone, more than a hundred civil officials rose and urged the Crown Prince to reconsider.
• The Empress Dowager grew dizzy as the court’s opposition swelled, and the Crown Prince feared the consequences of killing the officials or backing down.
• Zhou Cheng again asked whether the Crown Prince would take the throne, and the Crown Prince trembled as he glared at him.

Zhou Cheng halted the Crown Prince’s coronation, then openly declared rebellion and took control of the Imperial Guards. He claimed the dragon throne while officials split over whether to submit, leaving his accession contested.

• Zhou Cheng challenged the Crown Prince’s decision to postpone the coronation, and the Crown Prince called for the ceremony to continue only after Fan Xian returned to investigate the disputed edict.
• Zhou Cheng condemned the Crown Prince’s hesitation, announced that he would take the throne himself, and began climbing the Palace Steps.
• The Crown Prince ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest Zhou Cheng, but they remained still and then knelt to proclaim him emperor.
• Zhou Cheng sat on the dragon throne and warned the Empress Dowager not to threaten him through his mother.
• Zhou Cheng demanded that the officials kneel before him, while several officials declared they would rather die than submit.

Zhou Cheng forced the court to accept his enthronement, while the Empress Dowager abandoned the Crown Prince and the officials began to kneel. Just as Eunuch Hou neared the end of the proclamation, Li Yunrui and Qin Heng arrived with Tiger Guards, and Qin Heng openly rejected Zhou Cheng’s claim to the throne.

• Zhou Cheng threatened the officials with responsibility for disorder and infamy if they resisted his accession, and the Empress Dowager gave up opposing him.
• Eunuch Hou reread the edict naming Prince Cheng as successor, but the Crown Prince tried to seize it before the Empress Dowager ordered him to accept defeat.
• The Crown Prince was dragged from the dais as officials, including the Eldest Prince, knelt while Eunuch Hou continued the proclamation.
• Li Yunrui arrived at Taiji Hall with Qin Heng and Fan Jian’s Tiger Guards, interrupting the final line of the edict.
• Qin Heng denounced Zhou Cheng’s seizure of the throne and declared that the Qin Family would support the Crown Prince, rekindling the Crown Prince’s hope.

Qin Heng seized Li Yunrui and used the Tiger Guards to support the Crown Prince, while Qin Ye prepared to bring his army into the Capital. The Empress Dowager discovered that Li Yunrui was carrying Zhou Cheng’s child, and Zhou Cheng and his allies faced an imminent military assault.

• Qin Heng led the Tiger Guards in a surprise attack on Guangxin Palace and captured Li Yunrui after suppressing the inner-palace mutiny.
• Li Yunrui warned Zhou Cheng that Qin Heng had taken her Token and could use it to open the Capital’s gates for Qin Ye’s troops.
• The Empress Dowager hesitated over whether to support the Crown Prince or Zhou Cheng, while Zhou Cheng checked that Li Yunrui and Consort Li were safe.
• The Empress Dowager questioned Li Yunrui about her pregnancy, learned the child was Zhou Cheng’s, and slapped her in front of the court.
• Li Yunrui warned Zhou Cheng that Qin Ye’s army was about to enter the palace, and Zhou Cheng admitted his own men had likely all arrived.

Qin Ye led his garrison troops against the palace, intending to make the Crown Prince his puppet and establish the Qin family's rule. As the Imperial Guards fell back and the Tiger Guards moved to seize Zhou Cheng, he faced Qin Heng's threat with a sudden, icy rebuke.

• Qin Ye donned his Black Armor and led his soldiers toward the palace, planning to seize power under the pretext of supporting the Crown Prince.
• The garrison troops overwhelmed the Imperial Guards and forced their way through the palace gates as the Empress Dowager recognized Qin Ye's ambition.
• Li Yunrui urged Zhou Cheng to flee and signaled that he should take the Empress Dowager hostage to escape.
• Qin Heng threatened Zhou Cheng by invoking the safety of his mother and household, then ordered the Tiger Guards to seize him.
• Zhou Cheng asked Qin Heng whether he was threatening him, and the Tiger Guards began advancing up the Palace Steps.

Zhou Cheng revealed himself as a Grandmaster while confronting Qin Heng and the assembled court. He killed Qin Heng with overwhelming martial pressure, leaving the princes and officials terrified of his power.

• Zhou Cheng's presence froze the Tiger Guards and forced the Crown Prince, princes, and officials to kneel in fear.
• Qin Heng recognized Zhou Cheng as a Grandmaster, shocking Li Yunrui and the Empress Dowager.
• Zhou Cheng declared that he had become a Grandmaster at sixteen and sentenced Qin Heng to death for treason.
• Zhou Cheng's attack killed Qin Heng before anyone in the hall could react.
• The Crown Prince realized how easily Zhou Cheng could have killed him and abandoned his grudge over their past encounters.

Zhou Cheng halted the battle outside Taiji Hall and confronted Qin Ye, revealing that he had killed Qin Heng and demonstrating power beyond a Grandmaster. After Qin Ye ordered repeated volleys of arrows, Zhou Cheng made them vanish and sent them flying back at the garrison.

• Zhou Cheng ordered the fighting to stop, left Taiji Hall, and faced Qin Ye and his assembled garrison.
• Qin Ye demanded the Crown Prince and Qin Heng, and Zhou Cheng revealed that Qin Heng was dead and that he had killed him.
• Zhou Cheng advanced as the Imperial Guards withdrew, and Qin Ye sensed that Zhou Cheng possessed power beyond the Ninth Rank.
• Grief-stricken and furious, Qin Ye ordered his archers to fire three volleys at Zhou Cheng and the Imperial Guards.
• Zhou Cheng made the arrows disappear before they reached him, then sent them back into the garrison, where soldiers screamed.

Zhou Cheng overwhelmed the Imperial City’s forces with Grandmaster power, forcing them to kneel and killing Qin Ye before clearing the storm clouds above the Capital. At Chen Garden, Chen Pingping reflected on the heavy snow and recalled the last time he had seen such a snowfall, twenty years earlier.

• Zhou Cheng summoned a towering figure of light that made soldiers and civilians across the Capital kneel.
• Qin Ye rejected the spectacle as an illusion and ordered the Death Warriors to attack Zhou Cheng.
• Zhou Cheng pointed at Qin Ye, crushing him with Heaven and Earth Vital Energy.
• Zhou Cheng struggled to control the gathered vital energy and cleared the clouds, revealing the noon sun above the Capital.
• At Chen Garden, Chen Pingping opened his window during the snowfall and asked Shadow whether he had seen snow like it in Dongyi City.

Chen Pingping watched a miraculous golden light spread over the Capital and learned that Prince Cheng had become a Grandmaster. He arrived at Taiji Hall after Zhou Cheng was enthroned, with the new emperor’s accession rites still underway.

• Chen Pingping told Shadow that he doubted anyone could securely take the throne unless Emperor Qing was truly dead.
• Shadow sensed Heaven and Earth Vital Energy rushing toward the Capital, and a golden pillar of light cleared the snowfall and enveloped the city.
• An Overwatch Council messenger reported that Prince Cheng was a Grandmaster, shocking Chen Pingping and Shadow.
• Eunuch Hou read Zhou Cheng’s accession edict for the third time, and the officials knelt as Zhou Cheng took the Dragon Throne.
• Zhou Cheng received the officials’ congratulations, and Chen Pingping waited outside Taiji Hall in his wheelchair.

Zhou Cheng told Chen Pingping that Emperor Qing had survived the battle at Great Eastern Mountain and ordered him to suppress all news while Zhou Cheng went to confront his father. Chen Pingping blocked reports from the mountain, and the chapter ended with Emperor Qing’s account of how he defeated the other Grandmasters there as he traveled back toward the Capital.

• Zhou Cheng told Chen Pingping that Emperor Qing was alive and revealed that he was a Grandmaster who had orchestrated Ye Qingmei’s death.
• Chen Pingping agreed to serve Zhou Cheng and suppress news from Great Eastern Mountain in exchange for answers about Ye Qingmei.
• Zhou Cheng stripped Li Chengqian of his Crown Prince title and ordered targeted executions of Qin Family members and officials over three days.
• Zhou Cheng announced a ceremony at the Divine Temple, entrusted government affairs to Li Yunrui, and left the Imperial Palace alone to meet Emperor Qing.
• Chen Pingping confirmed that Emperor Qing was alive and gave Zhou Cheng a map of his party’s route back to the Capital.
• Emperor Qing recalled how he used Hong Sixiang and Ye Liuyun to defeat Ku He and Si Gujian at Great Eastern Mountain, leaving Ye Liuyun gravely injured.

After recovering in Luo Prefecture, Emperor Qing learned that Li Chengcheng had seized the Capital and was rumored to be a Grandmaster, so he hurried north to reclaim control. Near Cang Prefecture, he abruptly ordered his procession to stop, sensing something ahead that Fan Xian could not see.

• Emperor Qing sealed Luo Prefecture, recovered from the battle on Great Eastern Mountain, and dismissed Ye Liuyun’s warning that he should return to the Capital.
• Reports confirmed that Li Chengcheng had become a Grandmaster, deposed the Heir Apparent, and taken the Dragon Throne, prompting Emperor Qing to leave Luo Prefecture with his army.
• As Emperor Qing traveled north, he doubted reports describing Zhou Cheng’s supernatural feats but grew increasingly uneasy about the situation in the Capital.
• Five days after leaving Luo Prefecture, Emperor Qing approached Cang Prefecture and ordered the procession to halt when he sensed something ahead.
• Fan Xian dismounted and asked Emperor Qing what was wrong, but he could see nothing on the empty road.

Zhou Cheng intercepted Emperor Qing’s procession outside Cang Prefecture and used a vast water spell to scatter the Imperial Guards. He revealed himself as Emperor Qing’s son, Prince Cheng, leaving Fan Xian stunned by his identity.

• Fan Xian saw a masked figure blocking the road and recognized him as Great Sage.
• Zhou Cheng unleashed a curtain of suspended water that blasted aside the Imperial Guards and cleared the road.
• Emperor Qing dismissed Zhou Cheng’s display as overseas trickery while Zhou Cheng walked toward the imperial carriage.
• Ye Zhong and Ye Liuyun moved to protect Emperor Qing as Zhou Cheng stopped before the carriage.
• Emperor Qing called the masked attacker an unfilial son and demanded he show his face.
• Zhou Cheng addressed Emperor Qing as his father, and Fan Xian recognized his natural voice as Prince Cheng’s.

Fan Xian and the Ye family learned that Prince Cheng was the masked Great Sage and had become a Grandmaster. Zhou Cheng told Emperor Qing that he had taken the throne and intended to remove him from the Capital, but Emperor Qing attacked, beginning a devastating clash.

• Fan Xian realized Prince Cheng was Zhou Cheng, while Ye Zhong recognized his prospective son-in-law and Ye Liuyun sensed that Zhou Cheng was a Grandmaster.
• Zhou Cheng told Emperor Qing that he had already ascended the throne and planned to send him away from the Capital.
• Emperor Qing accused Zhou Cheng of treason, and Zhou Cheng said Emperor Qing had repeatedly wanted to kill him.
• Emperor Qing seized control of the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy and struck at Zhou Cheng with a palm.
• Ye Liuyun pulled Fan Xian away and Ye Zhong retreated as Zhou Cheng met Emperor Qing's attack with his own palm.
• The two Grandmasters' clash blasted the ground apart, sending Ye Liuyun and Fan Xian flying and leaving Ye Zhong injured.

Zhou Cheng and Emperor Qing fought a devastating battle on the Official Road, while Zhou Cheng revealed that he knew the Emperor’s secrets and had anticipated his schemes. The chapter ended with Emperor Qing embracing a desperate resolve and taking Zhou Cheng’s full-force punch to the chest.

• Zhou Cheng and Emperor Qing traded more than a hundred blows, with Emperor Qing holding the advantage but Zhou Cheng’s fused true qi and rapid recovery keeping him in the fight.
• Emperor Qing realized Zhou Cheng’s One Heaven true qi linked him to Ku He, and Zhou Cheng admitted he had helped arrange the Crown Prince’s framing as part of a plan to remove Grandmasters.
• Zhou Cheng told Emperor Qing that he knew the Emperor had always favored the Crown Prince and had secretly been developing armor to protect himself from Ye Qingmei’s weapon.
• Emperor Qing rejected Zhou Cheng’s claim that the future was ordained, erupted with killing intent, and charged at him without evading.
• Zhou Cheng struck Emperor Qing in the chest, tearing his dragon robe and visibly caving in part of his breastbone.

Zhou Cheng survived Emperor Qing's attempt to flood his meridians with True Qi by using the system to absorb and identify it, then struck Emperor Qing down. Emperor Qing refused to concede and, seeing Zhou Cheng unharmed, continued to challenge him as their confrontation remained unresolved.

• Emperor Qing poured his remaining True Qi into Zhou Cheng's Shanzhong acupoint, expecting the foreign energy to cripple him.
• Zhou Cheng used the system and his own techniques to neutralize the True Qi, then struck Emperor Qing in the chest and sent him crashing into a tree.
• Zhou Cheng left Emperor Qing alive, but the system did not announce that the task was complete because Emperor Qing still refused to accept defeat.
• Emperor Qing rose, insisted he was the true Son of Heaven, and secretly tried to recover his strength while probing Zhou Cheng for signs of injury.
• Zhou Cheng unleashed his Grandmaster Domain, proving he was unharmed, but Emperor Qing dismissed his restraint and continued claiming supremacy.

Zhou Cheng used a Barrett round to terrify Emperor Qing and force him to concede defeat, completing his mission to seize Southern Qing’s throne. Emperor Qing’s apparent collapse left his true feelings uncertain, while the system recognized Zhou Cheng as the winner.

• Emperor Qing recovered from his injuries and tried to summon Fan Xian and rely on Wu Zhu to defeat Zhou Cheng.
• Zhou Cheng revealed that Emperor Qing had plotted Ye Qingmei’s death and warned that Wu Zhu would not save him.
• Emperor Qing denied involvement in Ye Qingmei’s death and turned to call for Fan Xian’s protection.
• A Barrett armor-piercing round shattered Emperor Qing’s crown and grazed his scalp, showing him that Zhou Cheng could kill him instantly.
• Emperor Qing admitted defeat, and the system announced that Zhou Cheng had completed his mission to seize Southern Qing’s throne.

Zhou Cheng defeated Emperor Qing, secretly confined him, and returned to the Capital to formally take the throne. After settling his court and inner palace, he welcomed Li Yunrui’s daughter, Li Zhaoxian, and gave Li Yunrui a role in handling state affairs.

• Zhou Cheng refused to leave the world, then used One Heaven True Qi to suppress Emperor Qing’s strength and took him away while Fan Xian and the others continued toward the Capital.
• Fan Xian received reports of Emperor Qing’s supposed death, the Ye Family’s rebellion, and Zhou Cheng’s victory in the Capital, then followed Zhou Cheng’s decree to escort Emperor Qing’s supposed remains home.
• Zhou Cheng secretly housed Emperor Qing at the Peaceful Villa, where Chen Pingping chose to let him suffer rather than kill him.
• Zhou Cheng performed the accession rites and told Fan Xian that Emperor Qing was alive in secret and could be visited with permission.
• Zhou Cheng named Sang Wen, Si Lili, Ye Linger, Zhan Yuanyuan, and Shen Wan'er noble consorts without appointing an empress.
• Li Yunrui gave birth to a daughter, whom Zhou Cheng named Li Zhaoxian, and he let Li Yunrui enter the Imperial Study to help handle state affairs.

Zhou Cheng expanded his power and personal life after becoming emperor, while Fan Ruoruo chose to become his Noble Consort. Si Gujian died after arranging Dongyi City's future, and Yun Zhilan took charge as the city submitted to Qing.

• Zhou Cheng reformed Qing's court into a parliamentary cabinet, then secretly visited Northern Qi, where he met his son, Zhan Doudou, and Haitang Duoduo.
• Haitang Duoduo used one of Ku He's two favors to kick Zhou Cheng, and Zhou Cheng brought Fan Ruoruo back to the Capital.
• Fan Ruoruo asked to marry Zhou Cheng and became his Noble Consort despite Fan Xian warning her about the emperor's complicated relationships.
• Si Gujian rejected a secret alliance with Northern Qi and entrusted Dongyi City to Yun Zhilan before Shadow visited him and struck through his fingertip.
• Si Gujian died three days after Shadow's visit, and Yun Zhilan took charge of Dongyi City as Fan Xian returned from a diplomatic mission with news of its submission.

After years of reforms and preparation, Zhou Cheng faced Emperor Qing’s ambush, which was aided by two Divine Temple Messengers. He captured the Messengers, revealed how far his power had advanced, and moved to subdue Emperor Qing.

• Yun Zhilan accepted Dongyi City’s submission to Zhou Cheng, and Fan Xian returned with Si Gujian’s technique.
• Zhan Doudou used the Sword Hut’s ninth-rank swordsmen to overcome resistance and establish a parliamentary cabinet system in Northern Qi, while troops withdrew from the Qing-Qi border.
• Zhou Cheng’s thirteenth child was born, and two years later notifications from Master Sanshi and Emperor Qing alerted him that the Divine Temple was making contact.
• Emperor Qing ambushed Zhou Cheng at the Peaceful Villa with the help of two Divine Temple Messengers, but Zhou Cheng stored the Messengers in his System Space and survived the attack.
• Zhou Cheng explained that he had cultivated Kingly True Qi beyond his former limits and pressed a powerful strike toward Emperor Qing.