Recaps

Pei Ye discovered that the earth aconites were one vast underground life and learned the first part of The Immortal in the Deep. As Ming Qitian helped him examine his feelings, he recognized that his drive to avenge Yue came from grief and love, and wondered what purpose he had without that revenge.

• Pei Ye traced the earth aconites’ filaments through the mountain and realized they were a single immortal life beneath the earth.
• Pei Ye understood the sword art’s meaning and learned “Hidden Life,” the first part of The Immortal in the Deep.
• Ming Qitian proposed that they try to draw out Pei Ye’s second sword state by changing his heart and asked for his help with the Gushe Heart Sutra.
• Pei Ye told Ming Qitian that seeing Yong Ji and Yongbei stirred his anger, and she questioned whether his feelings toward them were truly hatred.
• Ming Qitian explained that Pei Ye’s urge to avenge Yue came from grief and love; Pei Ye agreed and asked what remained for him if revenge was not his purpose.

Pei Ye entered Ming Yun’s mindscape to help her bring the Gushe Heavenly Heart under control as she prepared to ascend from [Ice and Snow] to [Nothingness]. The final clash began with Pei Ye facing Gushe and agreeing to take her first sword strike, though he had not yet found the new state of mind he needed.

• Ming Qitian told Pei Ye that resolve could endure emotional turmoil and reminded him that he had already proved his steadfastness before.
• At Ming Qitian’s request, Pei Ye used Glaze to enter Ming Yun’s mindscape, where Ming Yun said she was ready to ascend to [Nothingness].
• Ming Yun explained that she and the Gushe Heavenly Heart had to settle which would dominate, and that the heavenly heart could soon pull Glaze free.
• Ming Yun asked Pei Ye to defeat the Gushe Heavenly Heart again, warning him that she now wielded Heart-Slaying Glaze and had already seen his Heart Sword move.
• Pei Ye agreed to take Gushe’s first strike so Ming Yun could observe her technique, and Gushe enveloped the sword platform in a clear, translucent world.

Pei Ye endured Gushe Heavenly Heart’s sword and found a conviction strong enough to withstand its judgment, then discussed his future with Ming Qitian, who invited him to be with her after he defeated the Immortal Lord. Ming Qitian said she had defeated Gushe and brought Pei Ye back into her mindscape, where he found her speaking with Gushe Heavenly Heart.

• Gushe Heavenly Heart struck Pei Ye with Heart Sword, exposing the shadows and painful emotions in his heart.
• Pei Ye held onto his resolve to slay the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord and cut short the force of Gushe’s sword.
• Pei Ye awoke beside Ming Qitian and explained that his conviction could form a Sword State; Ming Qitian described her idea of protecting the heart as “Quiet Guard.”
• Ming Qitian asked Pei Ye to imagine a life together after his revenge was complete, and he admitted he already had Xi Zhou.
• Ming Qitian told Pei Ye she had defeated Gushe and invited him into [Nothingness], where he found Gushe standing quietly as Ming Yun held both swords.

Ming Yun chose to make Pei Ye’s aspiration of killing the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord her own, allowing her to unite with Gushe and enter [Nothingness]. She explained the realm to Pei Ye, who wondered why her journey through the mortal world had involved so little hardship.

• Ming Yun told Pei Ye she would give Gushe a place in her heart by adopting an aspiration, and asked him to lend her his goal of killing the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord.
• Pei Ye warned Ming Yun that the Immortal Lord was dangerous, but she treated the goal as a promise and joined their aspirations by touching her forehead to his.
• Ming Yun urged Pei Ye to taunt Gushe after defeating her, and he awkwardly told her that her [Reflecting Me] sword strike needed more practice.
• Ming Yun and Gushe merged, leaving Ming Qitian alone on the sword platform as she entered [Nothingness].
• Ming Qitian explained that reaching [Nothingness] required experiencing the mortal world while remaining unmoved, and Pei Ye asked whether she had truly undergone much tempering.

Li Xizhou was proclaimed Great Tang’s Crown Prince after the Qilin chose her, and Li Yao presented her to the people as his heir. Pei Ye left the ceremony to spend time with Li Wuyan, then reunited with Li Xizhou at Taiye Pool.

• Pei Ye watched Li Yao and Li Xizhou emerge from Purple Chen Hall before leaving with Li Wuyan.
• Li Yao named his eldest daughter Xizhou Crown Prince before the gathered officials and people at Vermilion Bird Gate.
• Pei Ye met Li Wuyan outside Daming Palace, and she told him their father had instructed the siblings to support Li Xizhou.
• Pei Ye took Li Wuyan fishing at Taiye Pool while Li Xizhou attended the investiture ceremonies.
• Li Xizhou found Pei Ye and Li Wuyan at the pool, and Pei Ye embraced her.

Li Xizhou invited the Divine Capital’s Jianghu to a Phantom Tower Banquet, requiring attendees to catch and release a scaled creature as their token. As the city’s martial artists struggled to fish, Shi Zanxue and Ji Jiuying discussed Pei Ye’s ties to the Eastern Palace and the upcoming banquet.

• Pei Ye and Li Xizhou left the palace together, and he reassured Li Wuyan that he would visit again.
• Li Xizhou showed Pei Ye half of the Imperial Seal and admitted she felt the weight of becoming Crown Prince; they postponed the Phantom Tower Banquet by a day.
• Li Xizhou sent invitations to the Divine Capital’s registered Jianghu, asking each guest to bring a scale from a fish caught and released in the city.
• On the second day of the fourth month, martial artists across the Divine Capital crowded its waters to fish for banquet entry tokens.
• Zheng Shufeng and Green Wax caught fish while Martial Uncle Xu failed, and they discussed Pei Ye’s place on the guest list.
• Shi Zanxue and Ji Jiuying fished unsuccessfully at Green Splendor Terrace, where Shi Zanxue connected the rule to Pei Ye and his relationship with the Eastern Palace.

The Divine Capital’s fishing contest led into the new Crown Prince’s Sword Banquet at the Phantom Tower, where guests returned their scales to the fish and marveled at the hidden tower. Pei Ye brought Ming Qitian to the banquet, where sects from across the realm gathered to meet the Crown Prince.

• Ji Jiuying, Shi Zanxue, Li Piaoqing, Qu Xin, He Yaoyao, and other guests fished for scales along West Pool, while the Sword Cultivation Academy’s Sword Talents easily caught fish in their own pond.
• At dawn, guests arrived at Xunfang Garden and returned their scales to the fish in Long Creek before entering the Phantom Tower.
• Chu Shuiting and the other guests were astonished by the tower’s magnificent interior, where the Cui Clan’s pearl welcomed them with wine.
• Pei Ye collected Ming Qitian by carriage and asked whether she would demonstrate her swordsmanship or discuss the sword at the banquet; she agreed and advised him to study any matches carefully.
• Pei Ye led Ming Qitian into the Vermilion Tower, where nearly a hundred guests from powerful sects gathered and awaited the Crown Prince.

At the Phantom Tower Banquet, Ming Qitian presented Pei Ye’s sword treatise on fate-sense reform, while Li Xizhou hosted the gathering. The chapter ended by revealing that Pei Ye had written the essay after Ming Qitian assigned it to him during their practice.

• Ming Qitian arrived at the banquet with Pei Ye, drawing the gathered swordsmen’s attention as they sat apart from Yunlang’s delegation.
• Pei Ye found Li Xizhou preparing for the banquet and helped her finish her makeup while they discussed the evening’s program.
• Li Xizhou took the host’s seat and invited Ming Qitian to open the proceedings with a discourse on the sword.
• Ming Qitian presented Pei Ye’s treatise, “Four Matters of Fate Sense Reform,” and explained that it grew from their discussions.
• After Ming Qitian’s half-hour discourse, the chapter revealed that Pei Ye had written the treatise over seven days at her request.

At the Phantom Tower banquet, Ming Qitian discussed swordsmanship and defeated Zhu Gaoyang’s challenge before the new Crane and Teal Registers were revealed. Pei Ye appeared seventh on the Teal List, and Cui Zhaoye proposed a Feather-Scale Trial so the gathered heroes could challenge the leading swordsmen.

• Ming Qitian finished her sword discussion, then defeated Zhu Gaoyang’s River Earl technique in three breaths and demonstrated the sword art with him.
• Pei Ye agreed to invite Ming Qitian to speak with Li Xizhou after the banquet.
• Cui Zhaoye brought the April Crane and Teal Registers, which placed Pei Ye seventh on the Teal List and Gao Ge twenty-second.
• Cui Zhaoye proposed a Feather-Scale Trial in which ten selected heroes would challenge the top twenty.

At the Phantom Tower Banquet, Shao Xiuyuan defeated Lu Zhiju and stood out among the challengers before Crown Prince Li Xizhou chose Pei Ye to face the top-ranked heroes. Pei Ye entered the arena and Shao Xiuyuan became his first opponent.

• Lu Zhiju challenged Shao Xiuyuan, who won with the Little Clear Lake technique Half Moon over the Calm Lake.
• The arena filled with challengers, and Shao Xiuyuan defeated several opponents while Gao Ge defeated each of his in three moves or fewer.
• Shao Xiuyuan offered to fight anyone Li Xizhou chose, and the other contenders agreed to face her selections.
• Li Xizhou named Pei Ye as the opponent she wanted the heroes to fight.
• Pei Ye carried the Jade Tiger onto the platform, introduced himself, and invited Shao Xiuyuan to fight first.
• Shao Xiuyuan drew his sword and saluted Pei Ye as they faced each other on the platform.

Pei Ye faced the Sword Banquet’s leading young swordsmen and defeated them with seemingly effortless swordwork, revealing his mastery as he advanced through the challengers. After overcoming Gao Ge’s tethering sword art with a thrown-sword counter, Pei Ye remained on the platform as the gathered spectators struggled to understand his skill.

• Shao Xiuyuan unleashed his ancestral sword art, but Pei Ye’s Soil-Breaking disrupted Spring-Water Tassel and pressed Shao’s sword to the ground.
• Pei Ye defeated Shi Zhenxuan, Ding Dao, Bian Shang, and the other challengers with brief exchanges, often relying only on Soil-Breaking.
• Gao Ge challenged Pei Ye and used Beautiful Sacrifice to tether their qi and keep them from disengaging.
• Gao Ge followed with Consort Fire, but Pei Ye released his sword and sent it past Gao’s neck before returning it to its sheath.
• Gao Ge conceded the bout, while spectators watched Pei Ye and wondered about the swordsmanship they had witnessed.

At the Phantom Tower Banquet, Pei Ye challenged the Teal Heroes one after another, defeating several distinguished swordsmen and drawing the Eastern Palace’s attention. He defeated Qun Fei as well, and she conceded while proposing another match at the Feather-Scale Trial.

• Pei Ye challenged Ji Jiuying, adapted to her Queen Mother of the West Sword, and disarmed her after meeting her strength head-on.
• Pei Ye defeated Tang Fubing, Zhao Jiajia, and Liang Yanni, then overcame Shang Yunning after a long exchange of swordplay.
• Pei Ye defeated Chen Quan with the Nether Immortal sword and beat Mei Jianxi after a difficult contest of sword moves and intent.
• Pei Ye fought Qun Fei through an animated exchange, then used Soul-Shock to unsettle her and stop his sword at her throat.
• Qun Fei conceded to Pei Ye and invited him to fight her again at the Feather-Scale Trial.

Pei Ye completed twenty-one sword bouts at the Phantom Tower Banquet, winning nineteen, drawing once, and losing only to Lu Wei. Afterward, Crown Prince Li Xizhou addressed the Jianghu heroes, rejecting private retainers in favor of service through Great Tang’s official institutions, then privately discussed recruiting talent and rewards with Pei Ye.

• Pei Ye fought He Yaoyao for four hundred exchanges and called their bout a draw after she withstood his Snow Sword moves.
• Pei Ye lost by one move to Lu Wei in the banquet’s most spectacular sword duel, finishing with nineteen wins, one draw, and one loss.
• Li Xizhou toasted the gathered heroes and said the Eastern Palace would not recruit private retainers, urging those who wished to serve to enter Great Tang’s official offices.
• Li Xizhou announced rewards for the ten distinguished champions and invited them to choose gifts prepared by Penglai.
• Pei Ye asked Li Xizhou for a competition reward, and she agreed to have Zhaohua approach Gao Ge about a vacant Eastern Palace post.

At the Phantom Tower banquet, Li Xizhou hosted Ming Qitian, Li Piaoqing, Qu Xin, Cui Zhaoye, and Pei Ye after his sword victory, while the women’s competing offers to take him away unsettled him. The others left with Pei Ye, and Cui Zhaoye explained that she had been trying to protect him from Li Xizhou’s supposed designs.

• Li Xizhou welcomed Ming Qitian and the others, then invited them to stay for tea despite Pei Ye’s protests.
• Ming Qitian praised Pei Ye’s swordsmanship and discussed how his anger had strengthened his performance.
• Cui Zhaoye declared that Pei Ye should study under Ming Qitian, then jokingly offered to take him to the Cui Clan as the others named places they might take him.
• Li Xizhou toasted Pei Ye’s victory and asked Ming Qitian to speak with her privately behind the tower.
• Li Xizhou asked Pei Ye to stay for drinks after the banquet, and he agreed before leaving with the others and the black cat.
• Cui Zhaoye told Pei Ye she had pressured Li Xizhou to rescue him from his cage because she believed Li Xizhou had improper designs on him.

Li Xizhou spoke privately with Ming Qitian about Pei Ye, their ambitions, and Li Xizhou’s fears about how much she depended on him. Their conversation ended with Li Xizhou admitting she liked Ming Qitian, who warned that growing close could lead them to become enemies.

• Cui Zhaoye complained that the others had not supported her defense of Pei Ye, but Pei Ye told her to stop interfering.
• Li Xizhou and Ming Qitian climbed to the top of the Vermilion Tower and discussed their ambitions and Pei Ye’s desire to kill the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord.
• Ming Qitian explained that she and Pei Ye planned to live together fishing and practicing the sword after killing the Immortal Lord.
• Ming Qitian described Li Xizhou’s loneliness, fear, and attachment to Pei Ye, and Li Xizhou asked her not to tell anyone what she had said.
• Li Xizhou admitted she was afraid of losing Pei Ye, and Ming Qitian told her that her unyielding will mattered more than her attachment to him.
• Li Xizhou rested her head on Ming Qitian’s shoulder and said she liked her; Ming Qitian replied that becoming close could eventually make them turn against each other.

Pei Ye left the Sword Banquet with Li Xizhou and accompanied her back to the Cultivation Literature Academy, where she asked him to help her change clothes. The chapter ended with Pei Ye fastening her robe while Li Xizhou teased him about dressing her every day.

• Ming Qitian told Li Xizhou she did not know why she treated Pei Ye differently, only that she was willing to talk to him.
• Pei Ye mingled with guests at the banquet, spoke with old and new acquaintances, and arranged to face He Yaoyao again at the Feather-Scale Trial.
• After the guests departed, Ming Qitian told Pei Ye she had recorded his twenty-one sword matches and would review them with him later.
• Li Xizhou took Pei Ye back to the Cultivation Literature Academy for a drink and led him to her private chambers.
• Li Xizhou washed off her makeup and asked Pei Ye to help her change; he dressed her in a red spring robe.

Li Xizhou reassured Pei Ye that romance would not change the trust between them, then invited him to try kissing her again. After they shared an intimate kiss and talked over wine, Pei Ye wondered whether the men at the Sword Banquet had been acting deliberately.

• Li Xizhou told Pei Ye that romance was only a game to her and that their bond did not depend on it.
• Li Xizhou asked Pei Ye whether he still liked Li Piaoqing and whom he would choose if forced; Pei Ye said he would choose her.
• Li Xizhou asked Pei Ye to try kissing her, and Pei Ye kissed her while she leaned against the railing.
• Li Xizhou teased Pei Ye about letting her feel his stomach, then poured more wine as they sat together.
• Pei Ye asked Li Xizhou about his new nickname, “Chi Sword Boy,” and wondered whether the men at the Sword Banquet had acted on purpose.

Li Xizhou and Pei Ye talked about love and commitment before choosing to spend the night together. At dawn, they woke in the Little Blue Tower, and Li Xizhou hinted at showing Pei Ye a booklet of detailed drawings.

• Li Xizhou and Pei Ye drank and played pitch-pot, then discussed whether Pei Ye would still love her if she were ugly and how seriously he took his romantic feelings.
• Pei Ye explained that he loved Li Xizhou, had chosen her over Piao Qing, and considered his romantic feelings a responsibility separate from their trust in each other.
• Li Xizhou invited Pei Ye to share real sweetness, and he agreed to spend the night with her.
• Pei Ye and Li Xizhou woke at dawn, teased each other about the night, and rang for water, which Penglai brought.
• Li Xizhou suggested calling Li Xianfang for a booklet with detailed drawings, and Pei Ye asked what the drawings showed.

Pei Ye and Li Xizhou spent an intimate day together before falling asleep at peace. The next morning, Pei Ye joined Jiang Yiner and his friends at the Feather-Scale Trial, where he learned that he had a match scheduled before hers.

• Pei Ye and Li Xizhou asked Li Xianfang to bring an illustrated booklet, then spent hours looking through it before setting it aside and falling asleep together.
• Pei Ye arrived late at the Vermilion Bird Gate on the first day of the Feather-Scale Trial and found Jiang Yiner, Zuo Qiu Longhua, Yang Zhenbing, and Yan Feiqing at the Sword Cultivation Academy seats.
• Pei Ye gave Jiang Yiner pastries, and she told him about the trial's opening speeches and her upcoming matches.
• Pei Ye reflected on the power of the Jianghu's great sects and felt that his security depended on Li Jian.
• Jiang Yiner explained how the Scale Trial matches were arranged, then told Pei Ye that his match was scheduled earlier than hers.

Pei Ye learned how the Feather-Scale Trial’s rankings and arena matches worked, then watched Zhu Gaoyang face Guan Yi in the opening match. Though Zhu Gaoyang appeared overwhelmed by her sword and his lingering injuries, he began guiding the fight through his understanding of sword rhythm.

• Jiang Yiner explained how the Immortal Platform reassigned rankings through the Feather and Scale Trials, and Pei Ye insisted that Yang Zhenbing and Yan Feiqing fight alongside him.
• The opening match was announced between Zhu Gaoyang and Guan Yi after the three participants ranked below him failed to attend.
• Guan Yi attacked with powerful, direct sword strikes, and Zhu Gaoyang struggled to defend while his Spirit Profound and strength seemed diminished.
• Pei Ye noticed a rhythm in Zhu Gaoyang’s sword exchanges and realized that Zhu Gaoyang was subtly leading Guan Yi into the attacks he had prepared.

Pei Ye watched the Feather-Scale Trial and discussed the competition with Yang Zhenbing and Yan Feiqing before arriving at his first match against Zhao Jianfei. Zhao Jianfei’s master asked Pei Ye to show mercy, leaving the match about to begin.

• Zhu Gaoyang defeated Guan Yi on the Winter Sword Platform by using his sword skill to take her weapon.
• Pei Ye learned that Yang Zhenbing aimed for the top ten and that Yan Feiqing had reached the fourth stage of the Sword Ladder.
• Pei Ye told Yang Zhenbing and Yan Feiqing that he was more interested in the upcoming Martial Examination than winning the Feather-Scale Trial.
• Pei Ye arrived at East District Arena B and introduced himself to Zhao Jianfei, his first opponent.
• Zhao Zhixiong, Zhao Jianfei’s master, asked Pei Ye not to injure his disciple.

Pei Ye defeated Zhao Jianfei in one move, then won his other preliminary matches as the Feather-Scale Trial’s first day concluded. At the main Crane List matches the next morning, Pei Ye studied the pairings and asked Shi Zanxue whether Wang Jiuqiao had been like Zhao Lingjun in his prime.

• Pei Ye registered for the Feather-Scale Trial and met Zhao Jianfei and his master, Zhao Zhixiong, before their match.
• Pei Ye defeated Zhao Jianfei with a single sword exchange, then won his other matches that afternoon alongside Yang Zhenbing and Yan Feiqing.
• Pei Ye watched Zhu Gaoyang narrowly win his second Feather Trial match, then returned to the Sword Cultivation Academy and helped Jiang Yiner study.
• Pei Ye arrived at the Winter Sword Platform the next morning and found Shi Zanxue seated beside Zuo Qiu Longhua.
• Jiang Yiner gave Pei Ye the Crane List pairings, and Shi Zanxue explained Wang Jiuqiao’s reputation and past victories.
• Pei Ye asked Shi Zanxue whether Zhao Lingjun had been as formidable as Wang Jiuqiao.

Pei Ye learned more about Zhao Lingjun and met Changsun Che as he watched the general lose to Wang Jiuqiao without Wang moving from his place. After the bout, Changsun Che met Pei Ye and learned that he was competing in the Feather-Scale Trial as a seventh-ranked Teal List contestant.

• Shi Zanxue told Pei Ye that Zhao Lingjun had left Zhengyi after losing hope of becoming immortal and turning to the Joy-in-Death Tower.
• Jiang Yiner said her master, Dao Chief Ying, was on her way and planned to test her studies when she arrived.
• Wang Jiuqiao and Changsun Che began the first bout, and Changsun Che announced he would use one saber strike and one arrow.
• Changsun Che's saber strike split Wang Jiuqiao's twig, while his arrow passed through Wang as if he were an illusion; Changsun Che conceded the match.
• Changsun Che greeted Pei Ye and asked whether he was competing in the Feather-Scale Trial, then learned Pei Ye ranked seventh on the Teal List.

Pei Ye watched Li Shenyi defeat He Miao through the strange power of the Great Body Formless Dharma, then saw Ming Qitian beat Nie Shangheng. After finishing his own bouts, Pei Ye left the arena and joined Ming Qitian as the day’s trials ended.

• Shi Zanxue explained Li Shenyi’s swordsmanship, his place on the Crane List, and the power of the Great Body Formless Dharma to Pei Ye.
• Li Shenyi and He Miao fought a spectacular sword match, and Li Shenyi revealed his formless body before the bout ended.
• Ming Qitian defeated Nie Shangheng with calm, straightforward swordsmanship.
• Pei Ye watched He Hongzhu fight Zhao Wue, then completed his own bouts in the Scale Trial arenas.
• Pei Ye said farewell to his friends from the Sword Cultivation Academy and joined Ming Qitian outside the arena as evening fell.

Pei Ye learned that Ming Qitian would face He Hongzhu, Li Shenyi, and Wang Jiuqiao in the Feather Trial, while he reunited with Zhang Junxue, who asked him to watch her final Scale Trial match. As Ming Qitian prepared for her bouts, Pei Ye considered He Hongzhu’s past defeat and asked whether Ming Qitian could withstand her powerful blade technique.

• Pei Ye saw Ming Qitian’s match schedule and learned she would fight He Hongzhu, Li Shenyi, and Wang Jiuqiao the next day.
• Pei Ye and Ming Qitian met He Hongzhu, who told Ming Qitian to use her full strength in their match; Pei Ye then reunited with Zhang Junxue, who invited him to watch her final Scale Trial match.
• Pei Ye and Ming Qitian ate supper and walked beside West Pool, where Pei Ye bought a clapping servant bearing Zhu Gaoyang’s name.
• Ming Qitian said she needed to think about the Feather Trial and offered to help Pei Ye analyze his opponents after her matches were settled.
• Pei Ye recalled Shi Zanxue’s account of He Hongzhu’s rise, her earlier defeat by Ming Qitian, and her fragile cultivation after that setback.
• Pei Ye asked Ming Qitian whether she could block the slash He Hongzhu had used against Zhao Wue, and Ming Qitian said she believed she could.