Chapter Summaries

Pei Ye investigated Zhang Mei Qing’s death by examining his sword and belongings, uncovering his close bond with Ji Feng and the grief that followed Ji Feng’s suicide. The letters suggested Ji Feng may not have died when the official account claimed, leaving Pei Ye to question what happened to him and Zhang Mei Qing.

• Pei Ye noticed Zhang Jingbi’s sword showed signs of long use by two swordsmen, and Xu Shang agreed to let him investigate her husband’s past.
• Xu Shang showed Pei Ye Zhang Mei Qing’s study and recalled his grief after his student Ji Feng killed himself following humiliation at the Iron Pine Sword Gathering.
• Xu Shang recounted how Zhang Mei Qing left without explanation and vanished, with his Peak Master Seal becoming ownerless days later.
• Pei Ye read Zhang Mei Qing’s notes and letters to Ji Feng, which showed their deep trust and ongoing correspondence.
• Pei Ye found Ji Feng’s final note arranging a visit on the night before Zhang Mei Qing departed, and questioned whether Ji Feng had truly died as reported.

Pei Ye uncovered evidence that Ji Feng was murdered by infiltrators who used heart amber, then read Zhang Mei Qing’s old investigation into the killer. The chapter ended with Zhang’s notes admitting that the culprits had erased the traces before he could identify them.

• Pei Ye found Ji Feng’s closed case file and the note showing that Ji Feng had asked Zhang Mei Qing to meet him on the night he died.
• Pei Ye concluded that Ji Feng had been forcibly killed and that Zhang Mei Qing had recognized something abnormal about his eyes from his earlier time at the Sword Cultivation Academy.
• Pei Ye and Xu Shang sorted Zhang Mei Qing’s notebooks and found his deductions that heart amber required vulnerability or deception, two attackers were involved, and spies had infiltrated Kongtong.
• Xu Shang recalled that Zhang Mei Qing had spent the day after Ji Feng’s death on Immortal Bridge Peak investigating the scene.
• Pei Ye read Zhang Mei Qing’s list of potential visitors and his conclusion that the killer’s traces had been erased before he could identify them.

Pei Ye and the woman discovered Zhang Mei Qing’s hidden Sound-Recording Paper, which captured a secret visit to the Law Enforcement Hall and a discussion of the Soul-Seizing Bead. The recording ended as the speakers argued over using it to transfer sword techniques to someone who could not leave their refuge.

• Pei Ye read Zhang Mei Qing’s notes about Heart Amber trapping fragments of a person’s mind and the unexplained sword left with Xiaofeng’s body.
• The woman recognized Zhang Mei Qing’s phrase as a marker for a separate sheet of notes and found his Sound-Recording Paper record.
• The recording revealed that a silent visitor entered the Law Enforcement Hall storeroom, drew the sword briefly, and carried it away.
• The visitor brought the sword to a hidden room, where he discussed the Bead with another man and explained its stages of reflection and retention.
• The men said the Bead could directly transfer a sword technique to someone unable to leave, then questioned whether the quota of “bones” had been filled.

Pei Ye examined a record of the Joy-in-Death Tower using a Soul-Seizing Pearl to teach sword arts, then entered the pearl and relived a dead White Bamboo disciple’s swordsmanship under Qu Zhu’s shadow. He learned how the pearl reenacted recorded sword arts but was forced out by mental pain, leaving Xu Shang to help him recover.

• Pei Ye read an account describing how a sword art was imprinted onto someone, creating another “Flow,” and suspected the sword-wielder might not have been human.
• Pei Ye entered the Soul-Seizing Pearl and found himself in a dark realm facing a shadowy swordsman and an iron wall.
• Pei Ye realized the pearl reenacted swordsmanship rather than seizing memories, and recognized the shadow as Qu Zhu at forty-three.
• Pei Ye experienced a dead White Bamboo disciple’s Bamboo-Cutting Sword and endured a second sword art until mental agony drove him from the pearl.
• Xu Shang sent True Qi into Pei Ye as he collapsed and helped him recover from the strain.

Pei Ye and Xu Shang deciphered the missing investigator’s notes, learning that a conspiracy used Heart Amber and stolen sword arts to create a True Body. They realized Yan Caiyue might be the next target and examined the sword Zhang Jingbi had used to wound him for clues about the final “bone.”

• Pei Ye concluded that the Soul-Seizing Pearl could speed up learning swordsmanship but could not imprint a sword art directly into someone’s mind.
• Pei Ye read the investigator’s deductions that a Kongtong insider had helped an outside enemy steal sword arts and that the conspirators sought to create a True Body.
• The investigator’s final notes revealed that he had investigated Heart Amber, suspected a sophisticated artifact technique controlled a sword, and chose to warn the threatened True Disciple rather than use him as bait.
• Pei Ye told Xu Shang that the conspirators were seeking the final “bone,” and Xu Shang recognized that Yan Caiyue resembled their earlier victim, Ji Feng.
• Pei Ye asked whether Kongtong swords could identify their owners, and Xu Shang opened the hilt of Zhang Jingbi’s sword to inspect it.

Pei Ye uncovered a link between Zhang Jingbi’s death and the old case of Ji Feng, while Gan Zifeng set a trap for the suspected killer at Immortal Bridge Peak. The Law Enforcement Hall identified a visitor who had not yet left, as Yan Caiyue’s friends learned that his Meridian Tree could not recover.

• Pei Ye showed Xu Shang the sword Zhang Jingbi had chosen and said he would report the suspected murder to the Law Enforcement Hall.
• Gan Zifeng told Zhao Cheng that he believed a Kongtong disciple was involved in the killings and planned to compare visitors to Immortal Bridge Peak with the list from Ji Feng’s case.
• Gan Zifeng and Zhao Cheng compared the seven-year-old visitor list with the current one and found a matching name belonging to someone still on the peak.
• Kong Yinshan, Shi Yinglin, and another disciple left Yan Caiyue’s courtyard after visiting him, and Shi Yinglin revealed that the Medical Hall had determined Yan Caiyue’s Meridian Tree could not recover.
• Kong Yinshan and the other girl learned that Yan Caiyue secretly wrote storybooks after Shi Yinglin mentioned his hidden interest.

After Yan Caiyue was murdered despite the Law Enforcement Hall’s precautions, Gan Zifeng ordered a wider search for the disguised spy. Meanwhile, Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting sneaked toward the Law Hall Rear Cliff to visit Jingbi, but became lost in its fog and continued descending toward the bottom.

• Shi Yinglin was detained after Zhao Cheng explained that the Law Enforcement Hall suspected someone wanted to harm Yan Caiyue.
• Yan Caiyue’s body fell from Cloud Terrace Cliff, and Gan Zifeng’s search party found him dead despite the peak being sealed.
• Gan Zifeng ordered the Law Enforcement Hall to search its own personnel and the area around the cliff for a spy using Disguise.
• Guan Qianyan persuaded Kong Lanting to sneak into the Law Hall Rear Cliff to keep Jingbi company.
• Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting lost their way in the dense fog, then continued descending after she revealed she had her father’s Gold Seal.

Kong Lanting and Guan Qianyan encountered a swarm of swords in the fog while searching for Senior Brother Jingbi, but the swords unexpectedly withdrew toward Jia Nine Peak. Meanwhile, Gan Zifeng reconsidered the investigation into the boy's murder and began sketching Yan Caiyue's eyes as memories of an old case resurfaced.

• Kong Lanting and Guan Qianyan crossed the freezing stream and found Jia Nine Peak, where an unseen presence touched Kong Lanting and stole his sword.
• A waterlogged Kongtong longsword attacked Guan Qianyan, but Kong Lanting knocked it away with his scabbard; more swords gathered around them.
• The sword swarm nearly killed Guan Qianyan, then halted and withdrew toward the summit, leaving the pair alive.
• Zhao Cheng told Gan Zifeng that the search had found no way for the killer to enter the cordon or observe from the suspected locations.
• Gan Zifeng recalled Wu Hejian's advice about being led into a case's false logic, then knelt and sketched Yan Caiyue's lifeless eyes.

Gan Zifeng reopened the investigation into Yan Caiyue’s death and realized the evidence might connect the old case of Ji Feng’s death to Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong. Meanwhile, Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting reached Jiajiu Pillar and ventured toward the prison where Jingbi was held.

• Gan Zifeng concluded Yan Caiyue had likely jumped from the cliff after learning his Meridian Tree was ruined, rather than having his soul seized by a killer.
• Zhao Cheng found Xi Tianji’s name in the visitors’ register, and Gan Zifeng ordered the investigation to examine who could have told Yan Caiyue the news.
• Gan Zifeng learned that Origin Martial Peak had been assigned patrol duty when Ji Feng fell, and that Jiang Yitong had likely represented the peak.
• Gan Zifeng learned Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong were guarding the rear cliff, while Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting reached Jiajiu Pillar.
• Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting entered the deserted caves and headed for the stone prison where Jingbi was held, then both suddenly stopped.

Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting discovered that the prison guards had been attacked and followed the blood trail to find Zhang Jingbi being tortured as part of a soul-stealing ritual. They learned that Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong were behind the plot, and the chapter ended with Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting helplessly watching Xi Tianji approach Zhang Jingbi.

• Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting found the duty room abandoned, its magical alarm artifact activated, and signs of a violent struggle.
• They followed the tunnel and encountered Xi Tianji, who initially told them to leave but changed course after Kong Lanting mentioned a living sword in the valley.
• At the cave mouth, they found Mo Chang dead, Zhang Jingbi nailed to the wall, and Jiang Yitong preparing an Engraved Formation with Painting Liquid.
• Jiang Yitong struck Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting down, while Xi Tianji asked what to do with them and then helped prepare the ritual.
• Guan Qianyan recognized the scene as the Soul-Seizing Sword-Stealing scheme and realized she could not stop Xi Tianji from extracting Zhang Jingbi's soul.

Pei Ye uncovered Xi Tianji’s role in Joy-in-Death Tower’s plot to copy Phoenix Mountain Cry and kill Zhang Jingbi, then fought him on the cliff terrace. Pei Ye defeated Xi Tianji and shattered his Meridian Tree, while Jiang Yitong lay dying and the other witnesses remained on the terrace.

• Pei Ye pieced together how the Living Sword recorded Zhang Jingbi’s swordsmanship and how the Blood Beneath the Pines case concealed Ji Feng’s seized soul.
• Pei Ye reached the cliff terrace after fighting through Joy-in-Death Tower’s Kongtong operatives, where he found Xi Tianji, Guan Qianyan, a boy, and the wounded Jiang Yitong.
• Pei Ye accused Xi Tianji of murdering disciples and targeting Zhang Jingbi, while Xi Tianji claimed he had never let Kongtong down.
• Jiang Yitong used his remaining strength to restrain Glaze as Xi Tianji launched a surprise attack, but Pei Ye evaded him with Drifting Returning Wind and wounded him.
• Pei Ye overpowered Xi Tianji in their sword fight, recognized the sword he had given Zhang Jingbi, and pierced Xi Tianji’s dantian, shattering his Meridian Tree.

Pei Ye defeated Xi Tianji, then discovered a formation that summoned a Sword Flood Dragon made from 189 swords. When it attacked, Glaze charged into the creature and began disrupting its blades.

• Pei Ye freed Zhang Jingbi, Kong Lanting, and Guan Qianyan from their restraints and helped restore their True Qi.
• Pei Ye took the Soul-Seizing Pearl from Xi Tianji, refused to spare him, and let Zhang Jingbi take the sword he had used.
• Guan Qianyan and Kong Lanting recognized the cliff formation as a modified Kongtong sword-summoning art, and Pei Ye completed its central pattern with Netherfire.
• The formation summoned a Sword Flood Dragon from the mist, and Pei Ye recognized it as a creation derived from the Star Worms.
• The Sword Flood Dragon lunged at Pei Ye, but Glaze charged through its body and sent its swords tumbling into disarray.

Pei Ye discovered that the Sword Flood Dragon’s swords bore Array Patterns related to the Star Worm, then learned that two generations of Origin Martial Peak disciples had colluded with the Joy-in-Death Tower under Xiao Tingshu’s control. Meanwhile, Xiao Tingshu led Ming Qitian into Sword-Belly Mountain, where she experienced the swords of Kongtong’s Seventeen Peaks resonating together.

• Glaze disarmed the Sword Flood Dragon, which escaped into the cliff before Pei Ye could seize a sword; Pei Ye examined a blade and recorded an unfamiliar Array Pattern.
• Pei Ye asked whether Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong were True Disciples of Origin Martial Peak, and Zhang Jingbi explained that both had been Xiao Tingshu’s disciples.
• Pei Ye concluded that Xiao Tingshu was implicated in the Joy-in-Death Tower’s schemes and urged the Law Enforcement Hall to warn the Lotus Heart Pavilion, but Guan Qianyan revealed Xiao Tingshu effectively controlled Kongtong.
• Xiao Tingshu brought Ming Qitian and the Lotus Heart Pavilion members into Sword-Belly Mountain and explained the [Sword-Summoning Chapter].
• Ming Qitian performed the Three-Tower Sword on the stone platform, linking with Kongtong swords whose varied sword arts resonated through her at once.

Pei Ye confronted Kongtong’s leaders after killing Xi Tianji and Jiang Yitong, demanding an investigation into the Joy-in-Death Tower and Xiao Tingshu. Wu Dong arrived as Crane Inspector and took Xiao into custody, while Pei Ye later spoke with Ming Qitian about Sword-Belly Mountain and admitted he should not have accepted Piao Qing’s feelings.

• Xiao Tingshu confronted Pei Ye over the deaths of two Kongtong disciples, while Guan Qianyan, Kong Lanting, and Zhang Jingbi confirmed that the men had tried to kill Zhang Jingbi and that Pei Ye had saved them.
• Pei Ye demanded that the Lotus Heart Pavilion investigate the Demon Sword and arrest Xiao Tingshu, arguing that the conspiracies were connected to deaths beyond Kongtong.
• Wu Dong arrived as Crane Inspector, and Gan Zifeng reported that the surveillance of the Law Enforcement Hall originated from Origin Martial Peak.
• Xiao Tingshu surrendered and was taken into custody as Wu Dong announced that the investigation would target the Lotus Heart Pavilion.
• Ming Qitian described Sword-Belly Mountain’s sword formation to Pei Ye, and they considered how the Joy-in-Death Tower might be connected to it.
• Pei Ye told Ming Qitian that he should not have accepted Piao Qing’s feelings.

Pei Ye confided his regrets to Ming Qitian, who urged him to stop overtaxing his Mindscape and trust her. After Wu Dong reported progress in the investigation at Kongtong, he and Pei Ye identified a mysterious sword formation as [Silk-Tether] and decided to pursue the remaining clues to Joy-in-Death Tower.

• Pei Ye told Ming Qitian that he felt weak and regretted failing to protect those around him, and she reassured him that he had always acted according to his nature.
• Pei Ye asked Ming Qitian about the Immortal Lord's Edict Diagram invading his Mindscape, and she explained why her [Bright Mirror, Ice Reflection] could not reach it and warned him to stop overtaxing himself.
• Wu Dong reported that Xiao Tingshu had been taken into custody and that Kongtong's four leaders had agreed to investigate Joy-in-Death Tower.
• Pei Ye showed Wu Dong an unfamiliar formation copied from the sword wyrm, and Wu Dong recognized it as [Silk-Tether].
• Wu Dong and Pei Ye concluded that Joy-in-Death Tower's plan involving [Sword-Belly Mountain] remained active, so Pei Ye agreed to keep investigating Zhang Mei Qing's death while Wu Dong pursued the matter at Kongtong.

Wu Dong’s investigation turned toward Sword-Belly Mountain as Shi Shaosheng revealed how Bai Tianqu’s attempt to unite Kongtong’s sword arts led to his decade-long seclusion. After the others set out to visit Bai Tianqu, Pei Ye reconsidered the Sword Flood Dragon and realized the sword current he had seen differed from the one Zhang Mei Qing had encountered.

• Wu Dong asked the Bright Sword Master to lend her sword in case the investigation faced danger, but Pei Ye objected to involving her; Wu Dong told him their alliance had nothing to do with Pei Ye’s personal connection to her.
• Shi Shaosheng explained that Kongtong had spent generations trying to unite its peaks’ sword arts, and that Bai Tianqu had pursued this through the [Sword-Summoning Chapter] and later [Sword-Belly Mountain].
• Shi Shaosheng recounted that Bai Tianqu handed sect leadership to Xiao Tingshu, carried a coffin into Sword-Belly Mountain, and entered life-or-death seclusion ten years earlier.
• Wu Dong decided to visit Bai Tianqu immediately to learn what Xiao Tingshu had done, and Shi Shaosheng agreed that Kongtong should search for the source of the treachery from the beginning.
• After the group left, Pei Ye recalled Zhang Mei Qing’s recognition of [Silk-Tether] and realized that the sword current he had witnessed differed from the one Zhang Mei Qing had seen years before.

Pei Ye learned from Sui Zaihua that the sword used in the attacks was a Magical Artifact containing hidden [Silk-Tether] patterns, then searched the Scripture Repository for Zhang Mei Qing’s records. Meanwhile, Wu Dong’s group returned to Sword-Belly Mountain and Shi Shaosheng struck the sealed wall concealing the sect master’s seclusion.

• Sui Zaihua examined Pei Ye’s sword and identified it as a Magical Artifact with hidden [Silk-Tether] patterns that could relay sword techniques to a principal entity.
• Pei Ye copied the [Silk-Tether] patterns onto another sword and learned that Zhang Mei Qing’s records might be hidden in the Scripture Repository.
• Pei Ye borrowed Xu Shang’s Azure Bird and searched the Scripture Repository, but the bird detected no message.
• Wu Dong led the group back to Sword-Belly Mountain, where Shi Shaosheng explained that the sect master had sealed himself behind the stone wall ten years earlier.
• Shi Shaosheng thrust his sword into the wall, and it rang with a metallic clang.

Wu Dong questioned Xiao Tingshu about why he had sabotaged the formation, while Xiao Tingshu’s actions and Kongtong’s hidden history pointed to another person behind the betrayal. Trapped inside Sword-Belly Mountain by the Mountain’s Jiazi seal, the group began searching for a way forward as Ming Qitian asked whether any swords remained unsheathed.

• Xiao Tingshu broke free of his restraint and attacked Xie Guangying, but Ming Qitian deflected his sword before it could kill him.
• The formation collapsed, and Xiao Tingshu tried to destroy his Meridian Tree; the others stopped him, though he was left gravely wounded.
• Mountain’s Jiazi activated and sealed Sword-Belly Mountain, cutting off everyone inside from the outside world.
• Wu Dong questioned Xiao Tingshu about his past and suggested that he had not deceived Xi Tianji about betraying Kongtong.
• Shi Shaosheng realized there was another person in Kongtong who might be involved, and Ming Qitian asked whether any unsheathed swords were available.

Pei Ye followed a coded deposit slip to the hidden Sword-Hiding Pavilion and discovered that Zhang Mei Qing had entrusted his case files to Great Sima Mountain before his death. Great Sima Mountain appeared behind Pei Ye with a sword, leaving them facing off in the abandoned chamber.

• Wu Dong accepted [Jade Tiger] from Ming Qitian and escaped Sword-Belly Mountain through a crack in the formation.
• Pei Ye received the Crane Inspector's delayed letter, and the azure-bird pendant began singing when he examined an old deposit slip.
• Pei Ye decoded the slip, found a concealed attic chamber in the Scripture Repository, and recognized it as the Sword-Hiding Pavilion.
• Pei Ye found fresh writing materials and signs of use near the wall marked “hanging tassels,” realizing Zhang Mei Qing had entrusted his case files to Great Sima Mountain.
• Great Sima Mountain entered the pavilion with an unsheathed sword and told Pei Ye they had plenty of time.

Pei Ye fought the gray-haired old man in the Sword-Hiding Pavilion, where a formation suppressed Profound Qi and forced them to rely on swordsmanship. With Ming Qitian guiding Glaze, Pei Ye gained the advantage, but the old man darkened the pavilion and copied Heavenly Mountain’s Eight Steeds Sword before Black Chi helped break the formation; the old man vanished, and Pei Ye demanded that they pursue him.

• The old man used the Sword-Hiding Formation to suppress Profound Qi, then overwhelmed Pei Ye with superior swordsmanship.
• Pei Ye released his stored Snow-Collapsing momentum, but Glaze flew into his hand and connected him to Ming Qitian, who began guiding his swordplay.
• The old man activated Three Lights Enter the Cage, plunging the pavilion into darkness and separating Ming Qitian from Pei Ye’s perception.
• Pei Ye endured the old man’s attacks until he recognized Heavenly Mountain’s Chasing the Sun, Surpassing the Shadow and, with Ming Qitian’s guidance, wounded him.
• Black Chi exposed the formation’s pivot, and Pei Ye shattered it, restoring Profound Qi as the old man disappeared amid the destruction.
• Pei Ye urged the others to pursue the old man.