Chapter Summaries

Lin Lang defeated Dali's Crown Prince Duan Yu in the Golden Throne Hall, ending Dali's attempt to secure a marriage alliance with Great Ming. Afterward, Lin Lang considered how to obtain the Six Meridians Divine Sword, while Yunluo sought to learn his palm technique and the Emperor of Great Ming worried about Lin Lang's growing power.

• Ba Tianshi proposed that Duan Yu marry a Great Ming princess, but the Emperor of Great Ming refused and offered gifts instead.
• Duan Yu challenged Great Ming's martial experts, and Lin Lang blocked his Yiyang Finger and Six Meridians Divine Sword with his protective astral energy.
• Duan Yu attacked with the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, but Lin Lang struck him down with the Heavenly Mountain Six Yang Palm, and Dali's envoys abandoned the marriage proposal and departed.
• Lin Lang decided to teach Wang Yuyan the Yiyang Finger as a pretext to seek the Six Meridians Divine Sword, then told Yunluo he would not teach her his supreme arts yet.
• The Emperor of Great Ming asked his court officials to assess Lin Lang and ordered Zhang Banban to study the Imperial Armory's martial arts and medicines so he could surpass Lin Lang.

Liu Xi and Wan Yulou secretly agreed to arrange Lin Lang’s assassination, while Duan Yu planned to strengthen Dali through alliances and cultivation. After the Emperor rewarded Lin Lang with an honorary rank, Lin Lang went to train Yunluo, who tried to drug him and stage a false night together so he would teach her powerful martial arts.

• Liu Xi persuaded Wan Yulou to cooperate in killing Lin Lang with poison, gunpowder, and the Green Robe Tower, while preparing evidence to blame him afterward.
• Duan Yu told Ba Tianshi that Lin Lang had been the strongest person in the imperial audience hall, then agreed to seek an alliance with Great Liao through Xiao Feng.
• Duan Yu ordered Ba Tianshi to speed up the journey so he could return to Tianlong Temple and cultivate his Yiyang Finger and Six Meridians Divine Sword.
• The Emperor granted Lin Lang a python robe, a jade belt, and the honorary post of General Who Guards the Nation, but Lin Lang felt the reward was inadequate.
• Lin Lang visited Jingyang Palace and trained Yunluo in palm techniques, repeatedly exposing openings in her defense.
• Yunluo gave Lin Lang drugged tea and tried to make him sleep in her bedchamber so she could pretend they had been together and pressure him to teach her martial arts, but Lin Lang revealed the tea had not affected him.

Lin Lang concealed his intimacy with Yunluo by claiming he had only taught her martial arts, while refusing the Emperor of Great Ming’s demand that he marry her. The emperor let Lin Lang leave but planned to test his loyalty by sending him against the Sun Moon Demon Cult.

• Lin Lang blamed Yunluo for giving him the wrong medicine, then pressured her to keep calling him Master and conceal their relationship.
• The Emperor of Great Ming went to Jingyang Palace, mistook Lin Lang and Yunluo’s situation for a scandal, and ordered them to marry.
• Lin Lang denied wrongdoing, refused the marriage decree, and threatened to resign; he defeated Zhang Banban’s test strike before leaving.
• Yunluo hid her clothes and bedsheet, then planned to sneak out to meet Lin Lang and continue learning martial arts.
• Zhang Banban told the emperor that Lin Lang’s strength seemed intact, and the emperor decided to pursue a confrontation with the Sun Moon Demon Cult.

Wan Yulou and Liu Xi plotted to kill Lin Lang through Green Robe Tower, while Lu Xiaofeng agreed to help the Great Golden Roc King recover his kingdom’s stolen wealth. After learning Lu Xiaofeng was heading for the Glittering Jewel Pavilion with Ximen Chuixue, Lin Lang prepared the Jinyiwei to seize its branches and confront its headquarters.

• Wan Yulou agreed to help Liu Xi hire assassins to kill Lin Lang, then plotted to eliminate Xiao Mozi and the deputy superintendent of the Firearms Bureau as well.
• Lu Xiaofeng agreed to help the Great Golden Roc King recover the treasure stolen by Yan Tieshan, Dugu Yihe, and Huo Xiu, and learned Hua Manlou had joined him willingly.
• Shangguan Haitang told Lin Lang that Green Robe Tower had opened an enormous bounty on his life and that Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, and Ximen Chuixue were heading toward Yan Tieshan’s family.
• Lin Lang ordered Wang Wu, Jia Liu, Liu Zhengfeng, and Ba Ying to prepare to take control of the Glittering Jewel Pavilion’s branches, while he planned to lead the operation against its headquarters.

Zhu Ting sought Lin Lang’s help after fleeing from the Green Robe Tower, whose Chief Leader wanted him dead, and Lin Lang vowed to protect him. Yu'er arrived amid an assassination wave and began preparing to take over the organization, while Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou confronted Yan Tieshan at the Yan estate, where Princess Danfeng killed him and Huo Tianqing challenged Lu Xiaofeng.

• Zhu Ting told Lin Lang that he had escaped after building a trap-filled chamber for the Green Robe Tower Chief Leader and asked Lin Lang to protect his wife if he died.
• Lin Lang promised Zhu Ting that the Chief Leader would not kill him and said they would put someone else in the Chief Leader’s place.
• Yu'er reached Lin Lang’s home and found him alive after he had killed or captured assassins sent to test his defenses; he told her to stay in Capital City and prepare to take over Green Robe Tower.
• Lin Lang used his overwhelming aura to pressure Yu'er into improving her Martial Dao True Intent, then told her to consolidate her progress while he was away.
• Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou questioned Yan Tieshan about Yan Liben, prompting Yan Tieshan to flee until Ximen Chuixue blocked his path and killed the attackers sent against him.
• Princess Danfeng emerged from the lake and killed Yan Tieshan, Ximen Chuixue warned her against using a sword, and Huo Tianqing challenged Lu Xiaofeng to meet him at Pure Wind Temple at sunrise.

Lin Lang captured Huo Tianqing and uncovered suspicions about his role in Yan Tieshan’s death, then met Ximen Chuixue and discussed their different approaches to martial arts. Their gathering was interrupted by Dugu Yihe, who accused them of killing his disciple and Yan Tieshan and attacked them.

• Huo Tianqing challenged Lin Lang, but Lin Lang defeated him, seized him, and sealed his acupoints.
• Lin Lang revealed that Huo Tianqing was the leader of the Heavenly Poultry Sect and questioned whether someone had secretly sent him to Yan Tieshan.
• Lu Xiaofeng noticed that Princess Danfeng had disappeared, while Lin Lang suggested that the person behind the deaths would soon reveal himself.
• Ximen Chuixue arrived, criticized Lin Lang for mixing martial arts instead of focusing on the sword, and refused to cross swords for sport.
• Dugu Yihe entered with four women, confirmed that Yan Tieshan was dead, and unleashed sword qi after declaring that everyone present deserved to die.

Lin Lang defeated Dugu Yihe, took the Heavenly Sword, and exposed Huo Tianqing’s role in manipulating the conflict. After Dugu Yihe killed himself and hidden weapons struck the Emei women, Lin Lang headed to the rear mountain to arrest the suspected Chief Leader of the Green Robe Tower.

• Lin Lang borrowed Ma Xiuzhen’s sword and fought Dugu Yihe, then continued the battle with martial arts after the Heavenly Sword broke his blade.
• Lin Lang used a pulling force to disarm Dugu Yihe, took the Heavenly Sword, and shattered Dugu Yihe’s shoulder; Dugu Yihe then killed himself.
• Sun Xiuqing attacked Ximen Chuixue, but hidden weapons struck her, and Hua Manlou and Lin Lang deflected attacks aimed at Shi Xiuxue and Huo Tianqing.
• Lin Lang subdued Huo Tianqing and accused him of using Ye Xiuzhu to lure Dugu Yihe into a trap; Ye Xiuzhu died protecting Huo Tianqing.
• Lin Lang suggested the First Green Robe Tower stood on the mountain behind the Glittering Jewel Pavilion and went to arrest its Chief Leader, leaving Hua Manlou to watch Huo Tianqing.

Lu Xiaofeng and Lin Lang uncovered Huo Xiu’s role as the Green Robe Tower’s leader and the truth behind the Golden Roc Dynasty affair, then fought him in his hidden chamber. Lin Lang defeated Huo Xiu, who realized Lin Lang had reached the Heaven-Man Realm, as a stone door opened and someone entered.

• Lu Xiaofeng and Lin Lang followed the clues through the Small Tower and discovered weapons, treasure, and four impostors claiming to be the Great Golden Roc King.
• Lin Lang and Lu Xiaofeng met Huo Xiu, who admitted he was the Green Robe Tower’s leader and revealed that Lin Lang’s head was worth four million taels.
• Lin Lang accused Huo Xiu of manipulating the Golden Roc affair and exposed Shangguan Feiyan’s connection to him.
• Huo Xiu trapped himself in a Darksteel cage, but Lin Lang revealed that Zhu Ting had sabotaged its escape mechanism and attacked him with Flying Needles.
• Lin Lang broke through the cage and overwhelmed Huo Xiu with sword, palm, fist, and finger techniques.
• Huo Xiu reversed his meridians for a final strike, but Lin Lang countered him with Heaven-Man Realm power; as Huo Xiu collapsed, a stone door opened and a familiar figure appeared.

Lin Lang took control of the Green Robe Tower and Glittering Jewel Pavilion, forced the Heavenly Poultry Sect to surrender its legacy and leave Great Ming, and arranged a partnership with the Hua Family. After helping Ximen Chuixue save Sun Xiuqing from poison, Lin Lang urged her to consider Ximen Chuixue’s feelings, leaving the two to confront their complicated past.

• Lin Lang revealed that he intended to regulate the Green Robe Tower, while Lu Xiaofeng and Zhu Ting left the secret chamber with him.
• At the Glittering Jewel Pavilion, Lin Lang killed a Heavenly Poultry Sect expert and demanded that the sect leave Great Ming and surrender its property and martial legacy.
• Lin Lang agreed to split the Glittering Jewel Pavilion’s future profits with Hua Manlou’s family, while Huo Tianqing recorded the Heavenly Poultry Sect’s martial arts.
• Ximen Chuixue returned with the poisoned Sun Xiuqing, and Lin Lang guided him in using his true qi to purge the poison.
• Lin Lang urged Sun Xiuqing to consider Ximen Chuixue’s care for her, and she told Ximen Chuixue she knew he had not been to blame for her senior brother’s death; he replied that he had killed him.

Lin Lang advised Ximen Chuixue to embrace affection, helping him break through to the Heaven-Man Realm before they tested their swordsmanship in a spar. Ximen Chuixue left with Sun Xiuqing, while Lin Lang went into seclusion to study what he had learned.

• Lin Lang urged Ximen Chuixue to turn his Sword of Emotionlessness into a Sword of Affection, and Ximen Chuixue fused his qi and spirit to enter the Heaven-Man Realm.
• Lin Lang and Ximen Chuixue sparred with branches, and Ximen Chuixue broke Lin Lang's sword aura while revealing the gap in their swordsmanship.
• Ximen Chuixue invited Sun Xiuqing to return with him to Ten-Thousand Plum Manor, and she agreed.
• Lu Xiaofeng fled when Ma Xiuzhen pursued him, while Hua Manlou left to tell his family about taking over the Glittering Jewel Pavilion.
• Lin Lang entered seclusion and analyzed Ximen Chuixue's techniques, resolving to improve his speed and swordsmanship.

After improving his martial arts and arranging the Glittering Jewel Pavilion’s handover to the Hua Family, Lin Lang took Yu'er to the First Green Robe Tower and installed her as its new leader. As Lin Lang returned to the Capital City, Yu'er began gathering intelligence on the Supreme Alliance to prepare for revenge.

• Lin Lang perfected several martial arts and discussed the Glittering Jewel Pavilion’s security and records with Zhu Ting and Huo Tianqing, who took his own life.
• Lin Lang gave the Glittering Jewel Pavilion’s official seal and records to Old Sun so the Hua Family could take over.
• Yu'er tried to assassinate Lin Lang, but he caught her and brought her to the First Green Robe Tower, where he appointed her its leader.
• Lin Lang told Yu'er he had killed the previous Chief Leader, gave her authority over the Green Robe Tower, and left for the Capital City with chests of jewels.
• Yu'er found intelligence on the Supreme Alliance and resolved to use the Green Robe Tower to gather information and avenge her parents.

Lin Lang returned to the capital, learned that Wan Yulou and Liu Xi were conspiring against him, and followed Xiao Mozi to a gunpowder trap. After the explosion, Lin Lang emerged from the flames unharmed and confronted Wan Yulou.

• Lin Lang returned to the Jinyiwei office, ordered the distribution of jewels from the Glittering Jewel Pavilion, and told Jia Liu to watch the depots' movements.
• The Five Poisons Child reported that Green Robe Tower assassins had withdrawn, and Lin Lang settled into his home before Xiao Mozi arrived to offer information about Wan Yulou's treasure.
• Lin Lang distrusted Xiao Mozi's offer but followed him to a residence, where Xiao Mozi killed its occupants and led him to a large iron door.
• Lin Lang seized Xiao Mozi and sealed his acupoints, while Wan Yulou waited nearby and ordered his men to ignite the gunpowder in the warehouse.
• Wan Yulou's men set off the gunpowder, but Lin Lang walked out of the flames and asked Wan Yulou whether he had been setting off giant firecrackers.

Lin Lang survived the gunpowder explosion and used a staged defeat to lure Liu Xi into killing Wan Yulou, then drained Liu Xi’s true qi and arranged for the two Depot Directors to appear to have killed each other. When officials arrived, the Eastern Depot and Western Depot blamed each other for the explosion while Lin Lang remained missing.

• Lin Lang emerged from the powder magazine explosion in tattered clothes, killed Wan Yulou’s four Depot Chiefs, and pretended to be too injured to fight.
• Liu Xi arrived, revealed that Xiao Mozi had been his man, and killed Wan Yulou by absorbing his remaining true qi.
• Liu Xi recognized Lin Lang as the Sun Moon Demon Cult’s Right Envoy and tried to control him with the Essence-Absorbing Great Skill.
• Lin Lang revealed that he had faked his injuries, drained Liu Xi’s true qi, killed him, and staged the scene to make the Directors appear to have died together.
• Wei Ziyun, Wang Wu, Jia Liu, and representatives of both Depots found the bodies, while the two Chief Heads accused each other of causing the explosion.

After Wan Yulou and Liu Xi died in a gunpowder-storehouse explosion, the Emperor of Great Ming restored the Jinyiwei’s authority to investigate officials and tasked Lin Lang with the work. Lin Lang left the Jinyiwei to ease its Jianghu duties and recruit former Dragon Guard Manor agents and Depot personnel, while assigning Wang Wu and Jia Liu to expand its network.

• Wei Ziyun reported that the Firearms Bureau’s deputy superintendent, Wan Yulou, and Liu Xi had died in the explosion, and Zhang Banban suspected the two directors had plotted against Lin Lang.
• The Emperor of Great Ming asked Lin Lang to restore the Jinyiwei’s authority over officials, and Lin Lang accepted after the emperor promised the authority would remain with the Jinyiwei.
• Lin Lang turned down the emperor’s suggestion that he start a family and discussed whether the emperor could learn martial arts before leaving the Imperial Study.
• Lin Lang ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate officials nationwide, dismissed a deputy commander who objected, and told the others to reduce their focus on Jianghu affairs.
• Lin Lang gave Wang Wu a roster of former Dragon Guard Manor agents to recruit and tasked Jia Liu with planting agents in officials’ households and winning over former Eastern and Western Depot personnel.

Lin Lang considered how to fund the Jinyiwei and helped Wanwan reason out that Duke Yang's Treasure Vault was likely hidden beneath Chang'an City near a temple. After Wanwan left with her Heavenly Demon Sash and new manuals, the story shifted to Jiang Yuyan plotting to secure the throne for herself and her adopted son.

• Lin Lang told Jia Liu to expand the Jinyiwei's work gradually and considered taking a portion of corrupt officials' confiscated wealth to fund the organization.
• Wanwan visited Lin Lang and told him that the Yin Kui Sect believed the Sacred Sarira might be inside Duke Yang's Treasure Vault.
• Lin Lang reasoned that the vault was likely in Chang'an City and that its entrances might be hidden near temple wells and incense-burning structures, giving Wanwan clues to investigate.
• Wanwan collected her Heavenly Demon Sash, studied Lin Lang's martial arts manuals overnight, and left at dawn.
• Jiang Yuyan waited for the Emperor of Great Ming and planned to fake a pregnancy, bring a baby boy into the palace, and make him Crown Prince while seeking martial arts in the Imperial Armory.

The Emperor of Great Ming relied on Lin Lang as Zhang Banban admitted he could not confidently kill him, while Zhao Min recruited Tang Wenliang and planned to use Jianghu forces against Lin Lang. At Northern Shaolin, Yuan Zhen proposed a trap for the Sun Moon Demon Cult, secretly fulfilling a task from the Commandery Princess.

• The Emperor of Great Ming ordered Zhang Banban to close the investigation into Wan Yulou and Liu Xi and asked whether he could kill Lin Lang, but Zhang Banban said he could only hope to trap him with help.
• Zhao Min tasked Tang Wenliang with recruiting the surviving villains from the Valley of Villains for Mongol Yuan and promised to make him leader of the Kongtong Sect.
• The Bitter-Headed Monk warned Zhao Min that he and Lu Zhangke could not defeat Lin Lang, so Zhao Min decided to enlist other Jianghu forces against him.
• Abbot Fang Zheng worried about the growing strength of the Sun Moon Demon Cult as Yuan Zhen proposed luring its experts to Mount Song and destroying them with help from other sects.
• Yuan Zhen left Northern Shaolin pleased after Fang Zheng agreed to consider his plan, having completed the task Zhao Min had given him.

Lin Lang learned that Northern Shaolin was hosting a major martial gathering and suspected it was a move against the Sun Moon Holy Cult. He ordered a lightning raid on Mount Song as other sects debated whether to attend, while Ximen Chuixue chose to keep training instead.

• Lin Lang ordered Jia Liu to investigate a Ministry of Works official after receiving his gift, using a reported accusation to justify the inquiry.
• Shangguan Haitang told Lin Lang that Northern Shaolin had invited numerous major sects to a martial gathering, and Lin Lang decided to strike before they assembled.
• Lin Lang sent the Five Poisons Child to notify Blackwood Cliff and summoned leaders and nearby Branch Altars to mobilize against Northern Shaolin.
• Fang Zheng admitted to Northern Shaolin's senior monks that he had not sent most of the invitations, but they hoped the gathering would restore the monastery's standing.
• Yu Lianzhou received Zhang Sanfeng's permission to attend the gathering with Yin Liting, while Ximen Chuixue declined his invitation and continued practicing his sword.

At Northern Shaolin’s martial exchange on Mount Song, Fang Zheng agreed to discuss an attack on the Sun Moon Holy Cult after the crowd called for Blackwood Cliff to be razed. Lin Lang arrived alone and challenged them, but the confrontation escalated when the Yin brothers appeared and Qiu Chuji was badly defeated.

• Yu Lianzhou, Zhenshanzi, Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and other sect leaders arrived at Northern Shaolin’s gathering on Mount Song.
• Fang Zheng said the gathering was for exchanging martial knowledge, but Qiu Chuji and the crowd called for the Sun Moon Demon Cult to be destroyed and Blackwood Cliff razed.
• Fang Zheng agreed to discuss attacking the Sun Moon Demon Cult after two days of exchanges and vowed Northern Shaolin would lead from the front.
• Lin Lang appeared on the Mahavira Hall roof, rebuked Fang Zheng for plotting against the Sun Moon Holy Cult, and challenged the gathered martial artists.
• Yin Ku and Yin Yeku arrived to support Lin Lang, and Yin Ku attacked Qiu Chuji after Qiu condemned the brothers for serving the cult.
• Lin Lang defeated Qiu Chuji, who called on the other sects to attack; as the crowd hesitated, Fang Zheng urged everyone to attack together.

Lin Lang overwhelmed the martial artists assembled at Northern Shaolin, revealing that he had reached the Heaven-Man Realm. As the Southern Beggars' Gang, Quanzhen Sect, and Wudang Sect withdrew, Northern Shaolin's hidden monks emerged to confront him with their Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation.

• Lin Lang seized Fang Zheng and absorbed his true qi, then sent a single palm strike blasting away the warriors who rushed to attack him.
• Huang Rong led the Southern Beggars' Gang away, while Guo Jing restrained Qiu Chuji and fled with the Quanzhen Sect; Yu Lianzhou also withdrew with Wudang.
• Master Dabei and the Shaolin monks attacked Lin Lang, but he soon defeated them and revealed his overwhelming Heaven-Man Realm strength.
• Yin Ku and Yin Yeku were injured amid their fight, and Lin Lang drove their attackers back to protect them.
• Fang Zheng summoned three hidden monks, Du'e, Dujie, and Dunan, who surrounded Lin Lang and prepared to use their Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation.

Lin Lang fought the Three Du in Northern Shaolin’s Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation while Yin Ku, Yin Yeku, and Five Poisons Child struggled to survive the surrounding monks. Armed with the Heavenly Sword, Lin Lang exposed the formation’s weakness and severed Dujie’s arm, breaking the formation as reinforcements approached Mount Song.

• The Three Du trapped Lin Lang in the Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation, while Master Dabei and other monks cornered Yin Ku and Yin Yeku.
• Yin Yeku charged Master Dabei to cover Yin Ku’s escape, but Five Poisons Child intervened with his poison formation and deterred the other sects from attacking.
• Lin Lang activated his indestructible vajra body and endured the Three Du’s attacks until he drew the Heavenly Sword and severed Dunan’s black cord.
• Guo Jing sensed Lin Lang’s powerful sword intent and hurried to leave Mount Song with Huang Rong as Sun Moon Holy Cult reinforcements headed toward the mountain.
• Lin Lang identified the formation’s weakness, feinted toward Dunan, then struck Dujie and severed both his black cord and arm, breaking the Vajra Demon-Subduing Formation.