Chapter Summaries

Pei Ye watched Qiongqi kill Jing Ziwang, then found himself carried by the beast into a remote mountain valley. Two strangers in purple robes appeared after Qiongqi dropped him there, remarking that more were awakening.

• Jing Ziwang used Red Silk and a transformed arm to attack Qiongqi, while Pei Ye infused the arm with his dark blue liquid.
• Qiongqi revealed that he could use Quail Head, escaped Jing Ziwang's strike, and killed him.
• Pei Ye attacked Qiongqi, but the beast spared him, swallowed Jing Ziwang's body, and flew off with Pei Ye in its tail.
• Pei Ye wondered whether Qiongqi was taking him to Black Chi, but Black Chi told him to stay calm and see where they were going.
• Qiongqi dropped Pei Ye in a secluded mountain valley and departed as two unfamiliar figures in purple robes appeared and said that more were awakening.

Pei Ye was brought to a cavern where captives fought deadly matches to determine which Dragon Tongue would be chosen. Zhang Siche explained the contest and lent Pei Ye energy, then asked him to tell a story.

• Two purple-robed men took Pei Ye to a cavern filled with bloodied captives and locked him inside with a tag marked 24.
• Pei Ye realized the captives were hostile only toward newcomers and suspected they were hosts for Dragon Tongues competing to be chosen.
• A guard announced that [17] had won two arena fights and called [19] and [20] for the next match; a girl threatened the bloodied man beside Pei Ye, who told her she would have to kill her father first.
• The man introduced himself as Zhang Siche and told Pei Ye that the cavern was a dogfighting pit where Dragon Tongues fought through their hosts, who had lost their true qi.
• Zhang Siche lent Pei Ye energy, explaining that he had reached rank three by winning two matches, then asked Pei Ye to tell him a story.

Pei Ye heard Zhang Siche recount Xi Wu Chou’s first meeting with a scholar, then entered the arena to fight a Wilderness People candidate. Their light cocoons drove them toward each other, and Pei Ye began a brutal close-quarters battle, ending with a feint that launched him toward his opponent’s temple.

• Zhang Siche told Pei Ye about Xi Wu Chou meeting a scholar at a rain shelter and befriending him over wine and conversation.
• Pei Ye left the stone cellar and saw the Torchworld Cult’s valley base in ruins, along with a corpse wearing the purple robe of the Nether Venerable.
• Pei Ye followed a Wilderness People candidate into the arena, where their light cocoons sensed each other and filled them with the urge to devour their opponent.
• Pei Ye and the Wilderness People candidate traded powerful punches, each injuring the other.
• Pei Ye feinted toward his opponent’s heart, vaulted off his arm, and aimed a kick at his temple.

Pei Ye killed a Wilderness man and learned that the light cocoon inside him fed on its prey while growing stronger, leaving him worried about what would happen when it matured. Zhang Siche told him to prepare for Zhu Gaoyang’s possible return, while the scholar’s attempt to rescue Wanxiu ended in her death and Xi Wuchou set out to kill Commandant Gao.

• Pei Ye used Quail Head and a series of precise attacks to kill the Wilderness man, after which the light cocoon’s tentacles consumed the man’s body and reclaimed the cocoon’s power.
• Pei Ye realized the cocoon was not under his control and had grown stronger by digesting its prey, then returned the borrowed reserves to Zhang Siche, who warned that Zhu Gaoyang might return and create a chance to escape.
• The scholar learned that Commandant Gao’s men had abducted Wanxiu, gathered valuables, and begged Gao to release her.
• The scholar offered Gao a luminous pearl, but Gao returned Wanxiu’s corpse and claimed she had bitten him.
• Xi Wuchou killed four soldiers who had abducted Wanxiu and broken the scholar’s limbs, then said he would pursue Gao Muzhen in Yin City.
• Xi Wuchou revealed that Gao Muzhen was the illegitimate son of Prince Gao Zhigong, who planned to make him his heir.

Pei Ye won his second arena fight and continued investigating the Torchworld Cult’s cocoon and seed, while Black Chi revealed his remembered mission to kill the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord. The chapter left Pei Ye wondering when Zhu Gaoyang would arrive and how he might stop the cult’s plan.

• Zhang Siche recounted how Xi Wu Chou confronted Gao Muzhen at the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence, but Pei Ye’s turn interrupted the story before Xi could strike.
• Pei Ye spoke with Black Chi about Zhu Gaoyang, and Black Chi said he remembered another name and a mission to kill the Supreme One True Dragon Immortal Lord.
• Pei Ye defeated his long-limbed opponent by using Quail Head to read and break down his movements, advancing to the third stage.
• Pei Ye considered whether Qiongqi’s strength came from the seed and connected the Torchworld Cult’s plan to the Dantian Seed Immortal Method.
• Pei Ye studied Zhu Gaoyang’s destructive traces and reasoned that Zhu could disrupt the cult by killing Qiongqi or destroying the cocoon of light.

Pei Ye learned that Zhu Gaoyang had promised to return and had left Zhang Siche a magical artifact to protect them, while the final duels drew near. In Yin City, Xi Wuchou pursued justice against Gao Muzhen despite the Prince of Zhenbei’s resistance, then Pei Ye learned that Qiongqi was heading toward him.

• Zhang Siche told Pei Ye that Zhu Gaoyang had promised to rescue him and left him a magical artifact that could protect them briefly.
• Li Zhang persuaded Xi Wuchou not to kill Gao Muzhen at the prince’s residence, but negotiations with the old madam and the Prince of Zhenbei failed to resolve the matter.
• Xi Wuchou took Gao Muzhen away and gave Li Zhang two days to settle the matter, while Li Zhang worried about the prince’s reaction.
• The Prince of Zhenbei allowed Gao Muzhen to be dealt with after finding another illegitimate son, and Xi Wuchou went to fetch a witness for the execution.
• With the final duel approaching, Pei Ye asked Black Chi what was happening, and Black Chi said Qiongqi was heading his way.

Pei Ye defeated an old man in the Flame Arena, took his hidden weapon, and accepted Zhang Siche’s artifact to help him escape the Torchworld Cult’s ritual. Zhang Siche then recounted Xi Wuchou’s revenge and the scholar’s disappearance, leaving Xi Wuchou investigating a possible link to the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence.

• Pei Ye defeated the old man, who tried to kill him with a concealed iron shard, and kept the weapon after Black Chi saved him with Quail Head.
• Qiongqi returned, and Zhang Siche gave Pei Ye an iron talisman that could protect him while he escaped during Zhu Gaoyang’s attack.
• Xi Wuchou helped bring about Gao Muzhen’s execution, and the scholar gave Xi Wuchou the pearl before they parted.
• Xi Wuchou withdrew to the mountains, found a state of acting freely, and later went to visit the scholar in Kuiju Town.
• The scholar’s father-in-law told Xi Wuchou that the scholar had been abducted, and Xi Wuchou’s inquiries pointed toward the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence.

Xi Wuchou learned that Gao Muzhen had escaped execution and likely taken the scholar, then attacked the Prince of Zhenbei Residence. At the Torchworld Cult’s ritual, Pei Ye defeated his opponent and Zhang Siche appeared to die in their final fight, leaving Pei Ye to be escorted toward Qiongqi as he waited for Zhu Gaoyang.

• Xi Wuchou forced Li Zhang to confess that Gao Muzhen had been secretly switched with another man before his execution and had taken the scholar.
• Xi Wuchou stormed the Prince of Zhenbei Residence, cutting down anyone who tried to stop him.
• Pei Ye killed the burly man with a hidden iron shard and advanced to the final against Zhang Siche.
• Pei Ye struck Zhang Siche in the chest, and his abdominal tentacles extracted Zhang Siche’s Cocoon of Light while Zhang appeared lifeless.
• The Torchworld Cult escorted Pei Ye toward Qiongqi, and Pei Ye searched the horizon for Zhu Gaoyang.

Pei Ye accidentally received Qiongqi’s seed along with the Cocoon of Light and was teleported away with the wounded Zhu Gaoyang. After Zhu Gaoyang explained that the seed was incubating inside Pei Ye, they prepared to continue toward the Immortal Platform.

• Pei Ye realized Zhu Gaoyang had disguised himself as Zhang Siche and was using him to distract the Torchworld Cult’s men.
• Zhu Gaoyang tried to seize Qiongqi, but Qiongqi shot the seed into Pei Ye’s abdomen, where the Cocoon of Light began incubating it.
• Zhu Gaoyang took Pei Ye away while the two purple-robed men wounded him, and they crashed down a mountainside after teleporting.
• Pei Ye rescued the injured Zhu Gaoyang and discovered that he could produce a dark-blue flame.
• Zhu Gaoyang told Pei Ye that the seed was incubating and said they would proceed as planned toward the Immortal Platform.

Pei Ye carried the injured Zhu Gaoyang west while they discussed the seed inside Pei Ye, the paired Immortal Hunter and Demon Calamity, and the possibility of seeking aid. The seed began interfering with Pei Ye’s movements, and the chapter ended with Zhu Gaoyang reacting in shock when Pei Ye revealed that Ming Qitian had asked him about the Dantian Seed Immortal Method.

• Pei Ye carried Zhu Gaoyang toward Fenghuai County as they hoped reinforcements from the Divine Capital would arrive within two or three days.
• Zhu Gaoyang explained that Immortal Hunters and Demon Calamities always appeared as opposing pairs, and that Qiongqi’s unusual seed might be central to the Torchworld Cult’s scheme.
• Zhu Gaoyang asked Pei Ye to let him contract with the pursuing Immortal Hunter in exchange for a recommendation to the Dragon Lord Dongting Sword Lineage, but the Immortal Hunter refused because Zhu Gaoyang’s hair was too long.
• As the seed grew closer to hatching, it involuntarily tugged Pei Ye’s leg and caused them to fall from a cliff, prompting Zhu Gaoyang to warn that he might have to kill Pei Ye if necessary.
• Pei Ye asked about the Dantian Seed Immortal Method, and Zhu Gaoyang identified it as the legendary scripture Endowed Fortune, then demanded to know how Pei Ye had heard of it.
• Pei Ye said that Ming Qitian had asked him about the martial art in Fenghuai, and Zhu Gaoyang reacted with stunned surprise.

Pei Ye and Zhu Gaoyang sent Ming Qitian a message asking her to rescue them, then tried to evade their pursuers by washing away their scents and changing clothes. When two Purple-Robed Men caught up and attacked, Pei Ye and Zhu Gaoyang struck back, and Pei Ye drew a sword from his abdomen.

• Zhu Gaoyang activated Ming Qitian’s Sword Talisman, and Pei Ye recorded a plea for help before it flew away.
• Pei Ye learned that Ming Qitian was twenty-one and third on the Crane List, while Zhu Gaoyang explained his Dragon-Seeking Classic could help them avoid pursuit.
• Pei Ye and Zhu Gaoyang washed in a stream, changed clothes, and continued fleeing as Pei Ye’s seed absorbed profound qi.
• Two Purple-Robed Men caught them and blasted Zhu Gaoyang to the ground with Bing Fire.
• Pei Ye attacked one Purple-Robed Man, but the man caught his fist and locked his meridians and joints with profound qi.
• Zhu Gaoyang attacked with Sword Qi as the Purple-Robed Men prepared another Bing Fire strike, and Pei Ye drew a gleaming sword from his abdomen.

Pei Ye and the dying Zhu Gaoyang escaped the Purple-Robed Men, and Zhu Gaoyang told Pei Ye how Xi Wuchou’s story ended in capture and torture. As Torchworld Cult pursuers closed in, Pei Ye used Zhu Gaoyang’s sword to kill a black-robed attacker, but more enemies were likely nearby.

• Zhu Gaoyang wounded the Purple-Robed Men and used Luminous Spirit Illuminates the World, Unbound by Dust to escape with Pei Ye, but his injuries left him near death.
• Pei Ye bandaged Zhu Gaoyang, carried him west, and gave him dragon blood while Zhu Gaoyang warned him not to let Black Chi bring disaster on others.
• Zhu Gaoyang recounted how Xi Wuchou killed Gao Muzhen before the Prince of Zhenbei, who captured and tortured him.
• Pei Ye received Ming Qitian’s message that she would arrive before sunrise, though they doubted they could hold out until then.
• As Pei Ye and Zhu Gaoyang continued onward, Pei Ye asked Black Chi how far away he was and learned he would arrive within half an hour.
• A black-robed attacker ambushed Pei Ye, who drew Zhu Gaoyang’s sword and killed him with Clouded Sky Obscures Eyes, Lost Feathers; Zhu Gaoyang warned that more pursuers were likely close behind.

Pei Ye fought off the Torchworld Cult pursuers as the Cocoon of Light in his abdomen hatched into a growing meridian tree and awakened his freezing ability. He and Zhu Gaoyang escaped the battle, but the seed continued to grow and absorb mystic qi.

• Pei Ye ambushed the second wave of black-robed men, killing one with his sword as the tentacles in his abdomen devoured the corpse and stirred the Cocoon of Light.
• The pursuers surrounded Pei Ye and tried to hold him until the Purple-Robed Man arrived, forcing him into a brutal fight in which he killed several men and lost the use of his left arm.
• Pei Ye used [Snowy Night, Fallen Life, Soul-Shattering Terror] to overcome the calmest pursuer, then froze and shattered another attacker who stabbed him from behind.
• The Cocoon of Light shrank into a seed with two branches, marking the meridian tree's first growth and accelerating its absorption of mystic qi.
• Pei Ye returned to Zhu Gaoyang, revealed his original appearance, and confirmed that he could now use his freezing ability.
• Zhu Gaoyang admitted he had considered killing Pei Ye but decided the seed could simply transfer hosts, while Pei Ye suggested Zhu might not be able to kill him anyway.

Pei Ye fled through the forest after Zhu Gaoyang sacrificed himself to delay the Purple-Robed Men, but Torchworld Cult members surrounded him. A massive dragon-like creature rescued him with Chi Flame and carried him above the clouds.

• Zhu Gaoyang asked Pei Ye to infect him with dragon saliva so he could fight the Purple-Robed Men, and Pei Ye reluctantly agreed.
• Zhu Gaoyang gave Pei Ye his jade pendant and scabbard, then transformed and went to intercept the pursuers while Pei Ye ran west.
• Pei Ye escaped for a time, killing two black-robed men, but more than ten Torchworld Cult members surrounded him as his wounds worsened.
• Blue flame blossoms appeared among the trees, then erupted into fire and engulfed the cultists.
• A huge dragon-like creature swept Pei Ye into the air and showed him how to use Chi Flame.

Pei Ye rescued Xing Zhi and Shang Lang while fleeing with Black Chi, then told them Zhu Gaoyang had died holding off their pursuers. He urged them to take Zhu Gaoyang’s jade pendant and escape as he faced questions about the dangerous Dantian Seed.

• Pei Ye rode Black Chi toward Fenghuai and worried that the rapidly growing two-birth shoot inside him could become uncontrollable.
• Xing Zhi and Shang Lang’s exhausted squad fought Torchworld Cult followers while searching the mountains for Zhu Gaoyang.
• A black-robed attacker nearly killed Xing Zhi, but Pei Ye arrived from the sky and defeated the attackers with frost, fire, and his sword.
• Xing Zhi asked where Zhu Gaoyang was, and Pei Ye told her that he had died holding off their pursuers.
• Pei Ye gave Shang Lang Zhu Gaoyang’s jade pendant and told the group to flee because someone was pursuing him.
• Xing Zhi asked whether the terrifying Dantian Seed was now inside Pei Ye.

Pei Ye learned that the sprout in his dantian might possess a consciousness of its own just as Qiongqi and two purple-robed fighters ambushed Black Chi. Black Chi battled back and tried to escape with Pei Ye, but Pei Ye’s sudden attack left it paralyzed as the swordsman struck again.

• Xing Zhi explained that “Endowed Fortune” was an art for growing a dantian seed, not controlling one, and recoiled when she sensed the sprout might be alive.
• Qiongqi and two purple-robed figures attacked Black Chi, grievously wounding it while Pei Ye was thrown back by their assault.
• Black Chi turned the purple-robed man’s Bing Fire against him, then fought Qiongqi and the two attackers while Pei Ye questioned how they had arranged the ambush.
• A purple-robed swordsman targeted Pei Ye, and Black Chi abandoned Qiongqi to charge toward him despite another blade wound.
• Black Chi tried to carry Pei Ye away, but Pei Ye’s crimson-gold gaze caused its body to seize up, leaving the swordsman able to slice it open again.

Pei Ye discovered that a vast consciousness had taken control of his body, while Black Chi sacrificed itself to oppose the being. The consciousness consumed Black Chi and a Purple-Robed Man, rapidly growing in power, until a white streak descended toward them.

• Pei Ye realized a consciousness overshadowed his mind and had been influencing his actions since Little Sprout emerged from its seed.
• Black Chi sheltered Pei Ye in a cabin within his mind and explained that the being sought to consume it and grow stronger.
• Black Chi faded away after telling Pei Ye to stay alive and escape if he could.
• The being absorbed Black Chi's corpse, advanced the Meridian Tree to its eighth growth, and then consumed a Purple-Robed Man to reach its ninth growth.
• The being's deep-blue influence spread through the forest, dissolving living things as its power continued to rise.
• A white streak plunged from the night sky toward the being.

Ming Qitian fought the Immortal Lord, who had taken control of Pei Ye, and her sword strokes began clearing the shadow from his Mindscape Realm. As the Immortal Lord relocated into Qiongqi to attack her from behind, Ming Qitian stabbed Pei Ye’s abdomen again, leaving Pei Ye bewildered as Qiongqi raised its claw.

• Ming Qitian pierced Pei Ye with her sword, cutting through the shadow that covered his Mindscape Realm.
• The Immortal Lord used Pei Ye’s body to counterattack, but Ming Qitian entered his Mindscape Realm and continued fighting the shadow with her sword.
• Ming Qitian and the Immortal Lord battled in the forest as she repeatedly stabbed Pei Ye’s abdomen and erased more shadow from his mind.
• The Immortal Lord ordered Qiongqi to devour the Purple-Robed Man, then transferred his will and stolen power into Qiongqi.
• Pei Ye realized the Immortal Lord was attacking Ming Qitian from behind, but she stabbed Pei Ye again as Qiongqi raised its claw at her.

Ming Qitian rescued Pei Ye from Qiongqi and brought him back to Fenghuai, where he reunited with Chang Zhiyuan and Little Chi. Little Chi had transferred their soul into a black cat and promptly grew fond of Ming Qitian.

• Ming Qitian carried Pei Ye away from the battlefield, explaining that she had come because he asked her to save him.
• Qiongqi pursued the wounded Ming Qitian, but Xing Zhi used Zhu Gaoyang's Teleportation Talisman to take all three to a mountain near Fenghuai.
• Pei Ye, Ming Qitian, and Xing Zhi entered Fenghuai before dawn and found Chang Zhiyuan waiting at the County Office.
• Chang Zhiyuan told Pei Ye that Brother Yue and the cat were staying in the rear courtyard, where Pei Ye happily found Little Chi in a black cat's body.
• Little Chi said they were exhausted, then approached Ming Qitian, purred when she scratched their chin, and settled on her lap.

Pei Ye and Xing Zhi recovered with Chang Zhiyuan and Shang Lang after escaping Qiongqi, while Qiongqi’s remains spread through the forest and began transforming its creatures. Elsewhere, the possessed Zhu Gaoyang wandered toward a village courtyard, killed its inhabitants, and was confronted by someone who called his name.

• Pei Ye told Chang Zhiyuan about his journey through the Firewood-Cang Mountains, and Xing Zhi and the Bright Sword Master treated their injuries.
• Qiongqi did not pursue them, and Shang Lang returned with his group, reporting that he had seen a rabbit turn into blue water.
• Qiongqi’s body disintegrated into blue particles that scattered across the forest, infecting creatures including ants and a rabbit.
• Zhu Gaoyang struggled against the Divine Master’s control as Quail Head invaded his Mindscape Realm and drove him toward a destination.
• Zhu Gaoyang entered a secluded courtyard and killed the man and two figures who rushed out to confront him.
• A voice called to Zhu Gaoyang and told him to look at what he had done.