Chapter Summaries

Pei Ye trained at the Sword Cultivation Academy, discovered his sword insight had sharpened after reaching Ninth Growth, and planned to study several new swords. Jiang Yiner brought him an invitation to Heavenly Mountain’s sword banquet, and she said she and her friends would attend.

• Pei Ye told Jiang Yiner that Ninth Growth had made him much stronger and clearer in his understanding of other swordsmen’s techniques.
• Pei Ye asked Qiu Jizi for his next studies, and Qiu Jizi assigned him Thunder Zither, which required him to learn the zither.
• Pei Ye practiced at the academy, mastered Winter Willow, and planned to study The Immortal in the Deep and Four Qi Jade Candle Sword.
• Jiang Yiner told Pei Ye about two sword duels she had watched, where Qun Fei lost and Shang Yunning won.
• Jiang Yiner gave Pei Ye an invitation to Heavenly Mountain’s sword banquet on the sixteenth day of the third month and said she and her friends would go.

Pei Ye restored the Zui Star Temple and joined the Fate Hounds’ midnight gathering, where he chose the form of a Shaoli bird. The other Immortal Hunters welcomed him, though he struggled to adjust to speaking and understanding bird language.

• Pei Ye visited the Western Court’s Zui Star Temple and used White Water to awaken it as the Zui Star Guardian · White Water Illusory Lord Divine Palace.
• Pei Ye explored the restored temple with Black Cat and discovered small vermilion fish in its thawed ponds.
• At midnight, Pei Ye followed a new path to the banquet terrace, where Lu Wu and the other Immortal Hunters gathered.
• Lu Wu told Pei Ye to choose a seat, and Pei Ye chose the place beside Dali, transforming into a Shaoli bird.
• Pei Ye practiced speaking as a bird, learned that Azure Birds had their own language, and received a welcome from Lu Wu, Jiao, Yingzhao, Shengyu, and Dali.

At the Queen Mother’s Feast, Pei Ye joined the Fate Hounds and discussed the risks of using his Star Authorities to reach True Heaven. The group agreed to help him prepare, then turned to the coming Qilin Blood Test in the Divine Capital.

• Lu Wu recited the Queen Mother’s Three Admonitions, and Pei Ye accepted the Fate Hounds’ rules as their new member.
• The feast’s offerings appeared, and Lu Wu raised concerns about Pei Ye lighting [Shi Shen] and confronting True Heaven.
• Jiao agreed to teach Pei Ye how to use his [Heart Slip] and help him construct a Mindscape Realm at the next banquet.
• Pei Ye agreed to prepare to recast his Spirit Body after the Feather-Scale Trial, while he and Lu Wu resolved to seek a safe path involving the Heart of the Western Court.
• Lu Wu announced that the Fate Hounds would discuss the Qilin Blood Test, and Jiao warned those in the Divine Capital to stay safe.

At the Queen Mother of the West’s banquet, Lu Wu and the others planned to secure the Qilin Blood Test and arrange Yong Ji’s death, with Pei Ye volunteering to carry it out. After the gathering, Pei Ye gave the members jade gifts, asked Shengyu for swordsmanship guidance, and learned that Shengyu would visit him in the Divine Capital.

• Dali reported that the Five Surnames, the military, and the Jianghu sects were unlikely to disrupt the Qilin Blood Test, though the Qilin’s choice remained unpredictable.
• Lu Wu revealed that Yongbei had headed south and proposed that the banquet members divide responsibility for Yong Ji’s death; Pei Ye volunteered and drank the portion assigned to him.
• Lu Wu told Pei Ye that a deep dream would show him what he needed to do, then explained that objects at the banquet could aid members in the Dream of the Queen Mother of the West.
• Pei Ye distributed carved jade figures as greeting gifts, and Lu Wu fixed them in place as ornaments after explaining they could not be carried out of the dream.
• Pei Ye asked Shengyu for face-to-face swordsmanship guidance, and Shengyu agreed to visit him at the Chang'an Sword Cultivation Academy.

After a dream from the Queen Mother of the West showed Pei Ye that he must defeat Yong Ji head-on, Pei Ye returned to his quiet routine at the Sword Academy and studied the Thunder Zither sword art. He planned to meet Li He at the Cultivation Literature Academy before attending the Heavenly Mountain Banquet, where Jiang Yiner offered to stay by his side.

• In the Immortal Realm, Dali told Pei Ye that the Flying Light Sword Master was willing to meet him at the Cultivation Literature Academy, then vanished before Pei Ye could ask about speaking through birdsong.
• A dream from the Queen Mother of the West showed Pei Ye facing an unharmed Yong Ji with a sword and spear; Pei Ye understood that he would have to defeat Yong Ji without Immortal Authority or surprise.
• Pei Ye woke beside Black Cat and resumed his routine, bringing the cat along as he washed and setting out for class with plans to catch it a fish.
• For three days, Pei Ye attended classes and practiced swordsmanship, then studied the Thunder Zither sword art and its musical approach to releasing powerful attacks.
• Pei Ye asked Jiang Yiner about learning the zither, and she suggested asking Changsun at the Heavenly Mountain Banquet while insisting she stay with him for protection.
• Pei Ye said he would first visit the Cultivation Literature Academy to meet Li He, then join the Sword Cultivation Academy delegation at the banquet.

Li Piaoqing discovered Cui Zhaoye’s Pei Ye Fan Club in Leyouyuan and joined its members as they discussed Pei Ye and drew invitations to the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet. Cui Zhaoye invited Li Piaoqing into the pavilion to see more of Pei Ye’s keepsakes.

• Li Piaoqing noticed the Pei Ye Fan Club banner and joined the girls gathered around its handmade keepsakes.
• The club members praised Pei Ye and warned Li Piaoqing about rumors surrounding his sword wager victory.
• Cui Zhaoye drew lots for twelve invitations to the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet, while Li Piaoqing watched the girls react to their results.
• Li Piaoqing shared news of Pei Ye’s exploits at Wild Goose Dock and his defeat of Xu Wensang, prompting the club members to celebrate.
• Li Piaoqing reflected on her happiness that Pei Ye was admired in the Divine Capital and her sadness at sharing him with so many fans.
• Cui Zhaoye approached Li Piaoqing and invited her into the pavilion to see more of Pei Ye’s keepsakes.

Cui Zhaoye welcomed Li Piaoqing into the Pei Ye Fellowship after discovering their shared admiration for Pei Ye, then learned Li was the Sect Master of Jadeite Mountain and secured invitations to Heavenly Mountain’s Sword Banquet. Meanwhile, Pei Ye set out to meet the Flying Light Sword Master, eager to learn about the Famous Sword [Flying Light].

• Cui Zhaoye introduced Li Piaoqing to her Pei Ye keepsakes and invited her to become a vice president of the Fellowship.
• Li Piaoqing wrote eleven invitations to the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet and sealed them as Jadeite Mountain Sect Leader Li Piaoqing.
• Cui Zhaoye and Changsun Jue recognized Li Piaoqing and admitted that Qu Xin had told them about her connection to Pei Ye.
• Pei Ye rose early, took his cat and sword, and went out to meet the Flying Light Sword Master.

Pei Ye visited Li He at the Cultivation Literature Academy, first seeking his guidance on poetry and then on swordsmanship. Li He taught him to sense Jade Tiger’s meridians and connect the sword to his true qi, leaving Pei Ye able to sustain that connection even after Li He lifted the blade away.

• Pei Ye brought Li He poetry collections and recited a poem he had prepared, hoping to win his favor and ask for instruction.
• Li He corrected Pei Ye’s understanding of a poem about a harp and offered advice on expressing personal perceptions through verse.
• Li He realized Pei Ye had dedicated an overly intimate poem to him, and Pei Ye moved on to request guidance on the Sword Dao.
• Pei Ye demonstrated Sword Washes Water, and Li He praised his control of true qi before teaching him to sense the meridians inside Jade Tiger.
• Li He guided Pei Ye’s true qi through the sword’s meridians until it completed a circuit, then lifted the sword away while the connection between them remained.

Pei Ye learned Li He's Sword Tassel art and saw the Famous Sword [Flying Light], whose power had extended Li He's life. After Li Tishui arrived looking for Pei Ye, he left Li He's courtyard with her and explained why he had visited Li He before attending the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet.

• Li He taught Pei Ye the Sword Tassel art, which let a sword float beside its master and draw quickly.
• Pei Ye examined [Flying Light] and learned from Li He that the sword could take lifespan and return it to its Sword Master, keeping Li He alive beyond his expected death at twenty-six.
• Li He explained that Famous Swords were bound to their Sword Masters' fates, and Pei Ye left after thanking him.
• Li Tishui arrived to find Pei Ye, and Pei Ye hurriedly departed Li He's courtyard with her.
• Li Tishui said Fate Hounds could discuss their identity within her protected space, and Pei Ye explained he had visited Li He before the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet.

Pei Ye went with Li Tishui to the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet after Xu Chuo asked him to learn more about Heavenly Mountain’s intentions toward the Heart of the Western Court. At the lodge entrance, Heavenly Mountain’s receptionist admitted them and asked to record Li Tishui’s name.

• Pei Ye told Li Tishui about Heavenly Mountain’s Sword Banquet, and she agreed to accompany him.
• Xu Chuo had Pei Ye change into swordsman’s robes and asked him to observe Heavenly Mountain, warning him not to grow too close to its people.
• Pei Ye and Li Tishui traveled to the Heavenly Mountain Guest Lodge, where she asked about Yue Muzhou, Wei Qingju, and Jiang Yiner.
• Li Tishui remarked that Heavenly Mountain’s growing influence might bring them into conflict, though Pei Ye said some of its members had treated him well.
• Pei Ye presented his invitation at the lodge entrance, and the receptionist let Li Tishui enter while asking to record her name.

Pei Ye attended the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet with Li Tishui, greeting old friends and surveying the gathering of sword sects. Shi Zanxue welcomed him and offered him a place among the central young swordsmen, while the Fellowship watched from a pavilion and tried to identify the women around him.

• Pei Ye and Li Tishui joined the Sword Cultivation Academy’s gathering, where Chu Shuiting and Ning Shuhong greeted them and Li Tishui watched the swordplay.
• Pei Ye spotted Kong Lanting, Guan Qianyan, and Zhang Jingbi among the Kongtong delegation, along with an unfamiliar leader, and exchanged greetings with them.
• Pei Ye noticed the Phantom Tower’s Black Fox Mask and Chen Quan among the central group, and studied an unfamiliar, motionless woman beside Chen Quan.
• Shi Zanxue brought Pei Ye a rare pot of wine, explained the Sword Banquet’s sparring order, and told him his invitation allowed him to take the field whenever he wished.
• Shi Zanxue flirted with Pei Ye before leaving, and Li Tishui remarked that they had their own beauty trap.
• Cui Zhaoye and the Fellowship watched Pei Ye from a pavilion, mistook his warm exchanges with Jiang Yiner for signs of romance, and wondered who the woman from Kongtong was.

Pei Ye watched the Sword Banquet with Li Tishui, studying the swordsmanship of the competing sects and learning how she would defeat their fighters. As the banquet continued, Shaolong swordsmen took the field and the six seated representatives of the Teal List’s top ten drew attention.

• Cui Zhaoye dismissed gossip about Pei Ye and urged the Fellowship to focus on his swordplay, while Qu Xin defended his freedom to drink and spend time with whomever he chose.
• Pei Ye and Li Tishui watched two swordsmen compete, and Pei Ye recognized how clearly he could understand their sword techniques.
• Pei Ye identified the Cloud Lang Mountain delegation, including Zhao Jiajia, Liang Yanni, Mei Jianxi, and Yu Qing, and learned that Wen Suoqu led them.
• As swordsmen competed, Li Tishui explained the most direct ways to defeat them, helping Pei Ye strengthen his understanding of swordsmanship.
• Xiang Zongyuan, Nan Guannu, and Su Xingke competed for the Shaolong Jade Sword Assembly, winning two matches and losing one; Su Xingke then asked Heavenly Mountain and North Sea representatives for guidance.
• Pei Ye explained that the six people seated in honor were the remaining members of the Teal List’s top ten, including Dragon Lord Dongting, [Mountain Hero] Lu Wei.

At Heavenly Mountain’s Sword Banquet, Pei Ye watched sword trials, studied the styles on display, and learned more about the leading talents from Cloud Lang Mountain and the Teal List. As the gathering grew livelier, Su Xingke asked Qun Fei and Chen Quan to appraise his Twin Intent Sword.

• Qun Fei and Chen Quan offered courteous guidance to Su Xingke and other swordsmen who asked for instruction.
• Pei Ye watched a sword trial and, with Li Tishui, judged the contestants’ skill and discussed how their techniques compared with his own.
• Pei Ye recognized the visitors from Cloud Lang Mountain and identified Zhao Jiajia, Liang Yanni, Mei Jianxi, and Yu Qing among them.
• Li Tishui gave Pei Ye direct advice on how to defeat the swordsmen taking the field, helping him sharpen his understanding of swordsmanship.
• Xiang Zongyuan, Nan Guannu, and Su Xingke represented the Shaolong Jade Sword Assembly, winning two of their three bouts.
• Su Xingke asked Qun Fei and Chen Quan for guidance on the Twin Intent Sword he had just used.

At the banquet, Zhang Chao defeated several opponents before Ning Shuhong asked Chen Quan for guidance on a sword-cultivation bottleneck. Lu Wei proposed using Wen Suo Qu’s [Mirror] to create a sword of “self” against “self,” and Li Tishui explained the idea to Pei Ye.

• Zhang Chao disarmed Ba En, then won against swordsmen from Dian Cang and the Golden Crow before Wen Li defeated him.
• Ning Shuhong defeated five opponents, then asked Chen Quan how to advance beyond the limits of his Fate-based swordsmanship.
• Chen Quan explained that Ning Shuhong was trapped by “the self cannot overcome the self” and demonstrated Youdu’s Spring Serpent strike, which Ning Shuhong could not withstand.
• Lu Wei advised Ning Shuhong to abandon Fate Sense in desperate situations and rely on his own judgment, then proposed a group discussion of how to break the self.
• Lu Wei asked Wen Suo Qu to use [Mirror] to create an opponent with the same intuition as a swordsman, and Li Tishui explained the proposal to Pei Ye.

At the Sword Banquet, Wen Suoqu used a Heart Sword to create a reflection that forced Ning Shuhong to confront his own swordsmanship, while Lu Wei and others failed to solve the resulting “Whole Self” sword problem. Cui Zhaoye discussed who might overcome it, and Shang Yunning stepped forward to try.

• Wen Suoqu drew his sword and formed a colorless double of Ning Shuhong over the pond with his Heart Sword.
• Ning Shuhong fought his double, was disarmed, and admitted he could not defeat it.
• Lu Wei battled his own reflection through many exchanges but withdrew without winning.
• Qun Fei, Qiu Si, and others declined to attempt the problem, while Zuo Sheng explained how it related to Ning Shuhong's Fate Sense bottleneck.
• Cui Zhaoye judged that Shang Yunning might have a chance, and Qun Fei invited him to test the sword problem.
• Shang Yunning rose and approached the pond as Lu Wei explained his failed attempts and Ning Shuhong thanked him.

After Shang Yunning also failed to defeat his reflection in the pool, He Yaoyao brought Pei Ye forward to address the sword problem. Pei Ye argued that the swordsmen had to break through their limits in the pool rather than search for a clever way around the challenge.

• Shang Yunning fought his reflection with Heavenly Mountain's sword and lost by one move.
• As the garden wondered whether anyone could solve the problem, Lu Wei asked He Yaoyao about Xudao Mountain's Sword of the One Hidden by Heaven.
• He Yaoyao admitted she was not skilled with the sword and invited Pei Ye to take her place.
• Pei Ye joined He Yaoyao at the pool and asked Lu Wei whether he could make a breakthrough while fighting his reflection.
• Pei Ye said the swordsmen had to surpass their complete selves to overcome the bottleneck, and Qun Fei remarked that the idea sounded far-fetched.

Pei Ye faced a gray shadow that matched his sword skills and sought to surpass his whole self without exploiting the powers the reflection lacked. As he calmly analyzed and predicted its techniques, he began to see its swordplay more clearly, while their contest continued.

• Pei Ye stepped onto the pond and summoned a blazing Sword Intent that formed a gray shadow of himself.
• The shadow attacked with lethal speed, and Pei Ye narrowly parried and escaped its sword domain.
• Pei Ye realized the shadow lacked his special powers but possessed his sword arts and understanding, so he chose not to use those advantages.
• Pei Ye decided to treat his entire sword self as an object of observation and surpass it through understanding rather than a shortcut.
• Pei Ye calmly evaded and analyzed the shadow's attacks, predicting its choices as frost spread across the Garden.
• The shadow had used five sword arts, and Pei Ye continued studying its technique.

Pei Ye defeated the gray silhouette in the pond by reshaping his understanding of the sword of Fate Sense, then explained to Ning Shuhong how Fate Sense could be carved and elevated rather than abandoned. The gathering resumed, and Pei Ye sat with He Yaoyao and the True Disciples.

• Pei Ye dismantled the gray silhouette’s sword arts, formed a new self, and shattered the Mirror realm with a sword of Fate Sense.
• Lu Wei praised Pei Ye, who explained that his final strike used a reshaped Fate Sense to defeat the old one.
• Pei Ye told Ning Shuhong that he could carve his Fate Sense beyond its instinctive focus on life and death, and Ning Shuhong thanked him for the guidance.
• Lu Wei toasted the gathering’s shared progress in sword theory, and the garden returned to its lively mood.
• He Yaoyao repeatedly caught Pei Ye’s sleeve as he tried to leave, so he agreed to sit at her table and joined the other True Disciples.

Pei Ye attended the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet, where he solved the pond’s sword challenge with his Heart Sword and astonished the gathered sects. Afterward, the sword contests resumed, while the Shaolong disciples discussed restoring him to the top of their Sword Manual.

• Pei Ye exchanged pleasantries with He Yaoyao and Qun Fei, while the Shaolong disciples discussed revising their Sword Manual to rank him first again.
• Kongtong and Little Cloud Mountain disciples recognized Pei Ye and recalled his earlier help and guidance.
• He Yaoyao took Pei Ye by the hand and introduced him as her friend, prompting the terrace to speculate about their closeness.
• Li Piaoqing defended Pei Ye and assured the gathered women that he could solve the sword challenge.
• Pei Ye walked onto the pond and shattered the Mirror’s final attack with his Heart Sword, leaving the spectators in awe.
• An extra table was set beside the pond, and the mixed-order sword contests resumed.

At the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet, Wen Suoqu declared that no one could engage with Kongtong, and Pei Ye spoke in the sect’s defense before accepting the ban on himself. Pei Ye then fought Zhang Jingbi, leaving the boy with a reminder of his father’s sacrifice.

• Jiang Yiner challenged Qun Fei to a sword bout and later sought guidance from Lu Wei and Shang Yunning.
• Wen Suoqu announced that no one could engage with Kongtong, leaving Zhang Jingbi stranded on the pool.
• Pei Ye defended Kongtong’s remaining disciples and acknowledged that the sect should bear responsibility for its past crimes.
• Wen Suoqu barred Pei Ye from coming within three hundred li of Cloud Lang Mountain and from studying Yunlang’s swords at the Dao Initiation Assembly.
• Pei Ye joined Zhang Jingbi on the pool and practiced swords with him, offering advice on his Phoenix Mountain Cry technique.
• Pei Ye told Zhang Jingbi that his father, Zhang Mei Qing, had once risked offending powerful figures to save Pei Ye and the Bright Sword Master.