Chapter Summaries

Lianshan Xin used Emperor Yongchang’s lessons in insincere rule to win Feng Muchi’s trust while preparing to meet the Heir Apparent of Prince of Donghai. As they approached the estate, Liu Chen watched from hiding and wondered whether he could poison the Heir Apparent.

• Lianshan Xin rejected Feng Muchi’s warnings and insisted that the Heir Apparent of Prince of Donghai was an impostor.
• Lianshan Xin recalled Emperor Yongchang teaching him how rulers gained loyalty by first mistreating people and then appearing to make things right.
• Lianshan Xin let the Heir Apparent off temporarily, praised Feng Muchi’s loyalty, and reassured him that he trusted him.
• Feng Muchi warned Lianshan Xin that the Heir Apparent’s black-clad confidant had peak domain realm cultivation and strength worthy of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking.
• Lianshan Xin learned from Tian Ji that Liu Chen was nearby and went with Feng Muchi to meet the Heir Apparent.
• Liu Chen watched from beneath the city gate and wondered whether the Imperial Family’s supposed immunity to poison would protect the Heir Apparent.

Liu Chen joined Lianshan Xin in the Eastern Capital, where they investigated the Prince of Donghai's Estate. After Lianshan Xin reached the estate, he accused the Heir Apparent of being an impostor and claimed he could prove it.

• Liu Chen explained to Fang Cunxin why he intended to act boldly as a member of the Nine Heavens, then left to approach Xia Xunxiu, who was secretly Lianshan Xin.
• Liu Chen joined Lianshan Xin's party in disguise, offered him a Five Immortals Pill, and agreed to help with all his Eastern Capital missions.
• Lianshan Xin had Maitreya check the pill, confirmed it was safe, and took it before meeting the Heir Apparent of Prince of Donghai.
• The Heir Apparent brought Lianshan Xin to the Prince of Donghai's Estate, where Liu Chen noticed its yellow glazed roof tiles and suspected the local Nine Heavens branch was compromised.
• At Silver Luan Hall, Lianshan Xin called on the Prince of Donghai to beware of his son, accused the Heir Apparent of being an impostor, and claimed he had evidence.

Lianshan Xin challenged the Heir Apparent of Prince of Donghai to a poison test to expose him as an impostor. The heir apparent died after drinking poison, while Lianshan Xin survived, leaving his claim vindicated before the Prince of Donghai.

• The Heir Apparent of Prince of Donghai insisted his bloodline had been verified and proposed a poison test, claiming the Imperial Family Bloodline resisted all poisons.
• Lianshan Xin agreed to a wager in which both men would drink poison, and the heir apparent swallowed a bottle without apparent effect.
• Liu Chen recognized the Man in Black as the former Cult Master of the Five Immortals Cult and warned Lianshan Xin that the man might have developed new poisons.
• Lianshan Xin drank Old Fei’s poison and remained unharmed, then revealed that Old Fei’s identity was known to the Prince of Donghai.
• Old Fei looked at the heir apparent and saw that he had bled from all seven orifices and died, while Lianshan Xin stood unharmed.

Lianshan Xin exposed and killed the impostor posing as the Prince of Donghai's heir apparent, then earned the prince's trust and was appointed to serve as liaison in a secret undertaking. After explaining his poison technique to Liu Chen, he discovered that the Heir Apparent's Wife was an agent of His Majesty and demanded the emperor's letter.

• Lianshan Xin used a disguised corpse and the claim of imperial immunity to convince the Prince of Donghai that the heir apparent had been an impostor, while Old Fei vouched for Lianshan Xin's imperial blood.
• A veiled woman identified traces of Myriad Forms True Qi and blamed Thousand Faces and the Demon Cult; the prince later chose Lianshan Xin as the new liaison for his secret plan.
• Lianshan Xin returned to Xia Xunxiu's room, where he explained to Liu Chen that power, longevity, money, and incense could be poisons with no cure.
• Lianshan Xin revealed that he had combined Incense Poison with Maitreya's Divine Feet Ability to destroy the impostor from within and kill him immediately.
• The Heir Apparent's Wife arrived, revealed herself as one of His Majesty's agents, and asked Lianshan Xin for the emperor's letter.

Lianshan Xin allied with the Heir Apparent's wife to investigate the Prince of Donghai's rebellion and his ties to the Dragon Clan and Xie Family. At dinner, the Prince of Donghai revealed that Xia Xunxiu's betrothed from the Shen Family was pregnant, leaving Lianshan Xin startled by a secret the Nine Heavens did not know.

• The Heir Apparent's wife told Lianshan Xin that Xia Xunxiu was not her child and that she loved Emperor Yongchang, then agreed to work with Lianshan Xin against the Prince of Donghai.
• The Heir Apparent's wife warned that the Prince of Donghai planned to rebel, had dealings with the Dragon Clan and Xie Family elders, and urged Lianshan Xin to investigate his associates and protect the late heir apparent's position.
• Feng Muchi told Tian Ji about the estate's tangled relationships and revealed that Xia Xunxiu had a marriage agreement with a Shen Family woman who would soon arrive in the Eastern Capital.
• Qi Shiyun volunteered to investigate the Shen Family woman, while Zhuo Biyu arranged to contact the Left Envoy's people; Liu Chen learned that the Holy Cult and Shen Family ran many of the realm's brothels and decided to explore them.
• The Heir Apparent's wife publicly asserted her claim to the late heir apparent's estate, and Lianshan Xin went to dine with the Prince of Donghai.
• The Prince of Donghai told Lianshan Xin that the Shen Family woman was pregnant after dreaming of the Great Sun entering the womb, and Lianshan Xin realized the Nine Heavens had not known about it.

Lianshan Xin learned that the Prince of Donghai and the Ten Great Clans were allied through the Society of Light, which sought to restore the Retired Emperor and reshape Great Yu’s rule. He agreed to organize the Society’s upcoming gathering, while Emperor Yongchang visited the Empress Dowager and claimed Thousand Faces had crippled him.

• The Prince of Donghai urged Lianshan Xin to marry the pregnant Shen Family woman to gain ties to her family and the child’s powerful father.
• Lianshan Xin learned that the Prince of Donghai had been working against an impostor and agreed to represent the estate in dealings with other powers.
• Jiang Qiongyu revealed that the Ten Great Clans and the Imperial Family had formed the Society of Light to restore the Retired Emperor, and she invited Lianshan Xin into their plans.
• The Prince of Donghai assigned Lianshan Xin to organize the Society of Light’s annual gathering, scheduled to use the Demon Cult’s Ullambana Festival as cover.
• The Prince of Donghai warned Lianshan Xin that the Ten Great Clans sought control over the Xia Family and advised him to cooperate with them rather than risk opposing them.
• Emperor Yongchang visited the Empress Dowager, said Thousand Faces had crippled his body, and prompted her to vow to kill Thousand Faces.

Emperor Yongchang discussed the Shen Family, the Retired Emperor, and political threats with the Empress Dowager, while the Heavenly Queen negotiated with Jiang Buping for Incense Poison in exchange for keeping imperial troops out of Jiangzhou. In the Eastern Capital, Lianshan Xin went to meet Shen Siwei, whose pregnancy and deliberate provocation were part of the Ten Great Clans’ test of him.

• The Empress Dowager warned Emperor Yongchang that the Shen Family might have found a Hidden Immortal Clan as a backer and urged him to deal with the Retired Emperor.
• The Heavenly Queen met Jiang Buping, asked for Incense Poison, and agreed to persuade Emperor Yongchang not to send troops into Jiangzhou for six months while Jiang Buping established the New Unjust Way.
• Jiang Buping gave the Heavenly Queen a bottle of Incense Poison and warned her that his junior brother could likely refine it too.
• The Prince of Donghai told Lianshan Xin that Shen Siwei was carrying a dragon’s child and urged him to endure her provocations to build ties with the Dragon Clan.
• Shen Siwei told Jiang Qiongyu that the Ten Great Clans wanted obedient members of the Xia Family and intended to test Xia Xunxiu by humiliating him.
• Lianshan Xin arrived outside the Eastern Capital with Qi Shiyun to welcome Shen Siwei as dark clouds gathered overhead.

Lianshan Xin used his arranged marriage to Shen Siwei to infiltrate the Shen Family and set events in motion against the Society of Light. After he killed Shen Siwei, Qi Shiyun fought Shen Shurong, while Lianshan Xin realized how dragon blood could strengthen the Dragon Subjugation path.

• Lianshan Xin learned from Qi Shiyun that Shen Siwei intended to humiliate Xia Xunxiu and planned to kill him if he refused to comply.
• Lianshan Xin agreed to Shen Siwei’s political marriage terms while arranging to bring gifts to the Shen residence, and he planned for Qi Shiyun to impersonate her after her death.
• Lianshan Xin discovered that Liu Chen had gone to the Karmic Romance Pavilion, then recruited him to accompany the planned attack on Shen Siwei.
• At the Shen residence, Shen Siwei challenged Lianshan Xin to strike her, and he killed her with his third slash.
• Lianshan Xin splashed dragon blood on Shen Shurong, and Qi Shiyun fought her while gaining insight into the Dragon Subduers Immortal Art.

Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun killed Shen Shurong by exploiting dragon blood, then disguised Qi Shiyun as Shen Siwei to control the Shen Family. They decided to exploit dragon and imperial bloodlines for cultivation and ended the chapter preparing to cultivate together, while Maitreya was trapped in the Black Box.

• Lianshan Xin splashed dragon blood on Shen Shurong, giving Qi Shiyun a special advantage, but Qi Shiyun began to falter as Shen Shurong adapted to her attacks.
• Liu Chen poisoned and ambushed Shen Shurong, allowing Qi Shiyun to stab her and finally kill her; Qi Shiyun claimed the victory while Lianshan Xin transformed her into Shen Siwei to fool the Shen Family.
• Liu Chen and Fang Cunxin left the Shen residence, and Liu Chen decided not to report Qi Shiyun's unusual strength to the Heavenly Queen because he suspected it involved Xie Tianxia's Chosen of Heaven Lineage.
• Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun resolved to use dragons and Xia Clan bloodlines as cultivation materials and planned an “All-Dragon Feast” for Society of Light scions.
• Qi Shiyun sensed she was close to a breakthrough, and she and Lianshan Xin began cultivating together while Maitreya was shut inside the Black Box.

Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun advanced by consuming Baby Cabbages, then realized that Thousand Faces had gained a surge of Dragon-Slaying Astral Energy after killing Xia Xunchuan. The chapter ended with Thousand Faces discovering the rewards of the Dragon Subjugation Lineage and becoming eager to kill again.

• Lianshan Xin used the Myriad Forms True Scripture to take on Lin Ruoshui's appearance and persuaded Qi Shiyun to make three Baby Cabbages; both advanced to the middle stage of their realms.
• Qi Shiyun warned Lianshan Xin to conceal his Myriad Forms True Scripture, while he explained why Liu Chen would not expose him to the Heavenly Queen and His Majesty.
• Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun traced his sudden cultivation surge to Thousand Faces, who had killed Xia Xunchuan at the Prince of Jiujiang's Residence.
• Thousand Faces met Lan Xin, learned Xia Xunchuan had sought to hire him to kill Xia Xunyang, and concealed his plan to leave the Demon Cult.
• Thousand Faces confronted Xia Xunchuan, killed him after Xia Xunchuan suspected his identity, and gained Dragon-Slaying Astral Energy.
• Thousand Faces realized Xia Xunchuan's death had benefited his cultivation through the Dragon Subjugation Lineage, and he began to hunger for more killing.

Thousand Faces killed Xia Xunchuan and decided to protect Xia Xunyang, while Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun plotted to keep a dragon and infiltrate the Society of Light. After they killed Jiang Qiongyu and used Lianshan Xin’s transformation art to replace her, Lianshan Xin announced that the One Heart Society had absorbed the Society of Light.

• Thousand Faces told Xia Xunyang that Xia Xunchuan had tried to hire him to assassinate Xia Xunyang, and Xia Xunyang accepted his mother’s explanation and embraced him.
• Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun realized Thousand Faces had killed a direct descendant of Emperor Yongchang and discussed seeking a dragon from the emperor and keeping Shen Siwei’s dragon husband alive.
• Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun welcomed Jiang Qiongyu, gave her poisoned dragon blood, then stabbed her when the poison failed and discovered she was a Dragon Seed.
• Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun exhausted themselves killing Jiang Qiongyu, and Lianshan Xin asked Tian Ji to collect her blood.
• Lianshan Xin transformed Zhuo Biyu into Jiang Qiongyu and declared that the One Heart Society had absorbed the Society of Light.

Lianshan Xin and his companions reported the Society of Light to Emperor Yongchang, who rewarded Lianshan Xin and considered entrusting him with greater responsibilities. At the Prince of Donghai’s Estate, Xie Ciyuan revealed that the Right Chancellor wanted the Prince to kill the He Clan’s descendants and the Imperial Commissioner investigating their past.

• Lianshan Xin confirmed his breakthrough to the Mid-Stage Astral Transformation Realm, and Qi Shiyun warned him and Tian Ji to be careful while infiltrating the Society of Light.
• Zhuo Biyu urged the group to keep members of the Society of Light alive so they could learn its plans, and the group agreed to report its secrets to Emperor Yongchang.
• Emperor Yongchang and the Heavenly Queen investigated the Society of Light’s implications, praised Lianshan Xin’s loyalty, and decided to reward him with a young dragon and send it to Kuang Mountain.
• The Prince of Donghai introduced Lianshan Xin, disguised as Xia Xunxiu, to Xie Ciyuan and explained that he intended for Xia Xunxiu to manage the estate’s affairs and Society of Light dealings.
• Xie Ciyuan told the Prince of Donghai that the Right Chancellor believed the emperor’s agents were investigating the He Clan’s past and asked him to kill the He Clan’s descendants and the Imperial Commissioner if necessary.

Lianshan Xin lured Xie Ciyuan to the Shen Residence, where Qi Shiyun weakened him and Lianshan Xin defeated him in battle. After Lianshan Xin killed Xie Ciyuan, a real Qilin appeared to accuse him of killing its Karmic Tribulation Reincarnation, and its roar resounded across Great Yu.

• Lianshan Xin learned that Xie Ciyuan and the Prince of Donghai had destroyed the He Clan and agreed to help locate its descendants and the missing imperial envoy.
• Lianshan Xin invited Xie Ciyuan to an All-Dragon Feast, and Qi Shiyun captured him in her Martial Dao Domain and battered him down to the late Astral Transformation Realm.
• Lianshan Xin fought Xie Ciyuan with Dragon-Slaying True Intent and dragon blood on his saber, breaking through Xie Ciyuan's Qilin Astral Energy.
• Xie Ciyuan offered to surrender and tried to bargain with secrets about the He Clan, but Lianshan Xin rejected his offer and cut off his head.
• A Qilin appeared to Lianshan Xin and accused him of killing its Karmic Tribulation Reincarnation, then roared across all Nineteen Provinces of Great Yu.

Lianshan Xin and his companions discovered that Xie Ciyuan had been the qilin’s tribulation-facing reincarnation and speculated that the qilin had Dragon Clan blood. They planned to exploit the delay before news reached the Eastern Capital, while the Right Chancellor learned of Xie Ciyuan’s death and resolved to avenge him by targeting a Crown Prince.

• Lianshan Xin projected an image of the qilin, and Maitreya confirmed it had Dragon Clan blood; Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun concluded that his Dragon-Slaying True Intent had helped him defeat Xie Ciyuan.
• Qi Shiyun revealed that Xie Ciyuan had fought Lianshan Xin at the late stage of the Astral Transformation Realm, and the group decided to report the qilin and Xie Guanhai’s plans to Emperor Yongchang.
• Lianshan Xin’s companions realized the Xie Family and the Right Chancellor might not yet know Xie Ciyuan was dead, so they resumed their plan to send Tian Ji to the Prince of Donghai disguised as Xie Ciyuan and request Imperial Family blood.
• The Right Chancellor’s wife discovered him crying, and he explained that he had learned Xie Ciyuan was dead and accepted that Ciyuan had truly been his son.
• The Right Chancellor guessed that Emperor Yongchang had caused Xie Ciyuan’s death and resolved to avenge him by killing a Crown Prince; meanwhile, the Crown Prince asked his consort whether he could win the Right Chancellor’s support.

The Crown Prince accepted the Right Chancellor’s invitation but chose to seek a meeting with Xie Tianxia instead, relying on Lianshan Xin’s letter to arrange it. Meanwhile, Lianshan Xin’s mother revealed that the He Clan had guarded a blood-drinking demonic blade, and Lianshan Xin decided it was destined for him.

• The Crown Prince showed his consort Lianshan Xin’s letters and concluded that the Right Chancellor’s invitation might be a ploy to pressure Emperor Yongchang.
• The Crown Prince decided to visit Nine Heavens Headquarters and meet Xie Tianxia, whose meeting Lianshan Xin had requested in a letter.
• Lianshan Xin and his companions discovered ten supreme-grade spirit stones among Xie Ciyuan’s belongings and found that Society of Light tokens bore marks indicating different ranks.
• Lianshan Xin learned that his mother, He Miaojun, had regained memories of the He Clan’s destruction and identified its inherited weapon as the blood-drinking Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade.
• He Miaojun explained that the demonic blade stored the blood of its victims and could unleash devastating blood-red blade energy, and Lianshan Xin declared that the blade was bound to him by fate.

Lianshan Xin learned more about the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade and asked He Miaojun to become his disciple in the Dragon Subduers Immortal Art. As he maneuvered through Eastern Capital politics and recruited allies to find the blade, Lin Ruoshui arrived on a separate mission and began to suspect Lianshan Xin was connected to her Sect Master.

• He Miaojun told Lianshan Xin that the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade might still be in the Eastern Capital and warned him of its corrupting dangers, while he asked her to learn the Dragon Subduers Immortal Art as his disciple.
• At a meeting in the Prince of Donghai's Estate, Tian Ji impersonated Xie Ciyuan and obtained three drops of the Prince's blood for the Right Chancellor's supposed research.
• The Right Chancellor learned that the Crown Prince had refused his Flower-Viewing Banquet invitation and met Xie Tianxia, who warned the Crown Prince to stay away from the Retired Emperor.
• Lianshan Xin told Qi Shiyun and Zhuo Biyu about the Society of Light gathering and the demon blade, then asked them to help investigate its location and summon Shui Shui.
• Lin Ruoshui arrived in the Eastern Capital to investigate the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade and wondered whether Lianshan Xin was connected to her Sect Master.

Lin Ruoshui met Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun in the Eastern Capital, where they discussed the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade and its possible connection to Lianshan Xin’s family. Meanwhile, He Miaojun mastered the Red Lotus Dust-Breaking Blade to help impersonate Yama, while Lianshan Jingcheng revealed he had finished refining pills for His Majesty.

• Lin Ruoshui agreed to meet Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun at a charitable restaurant in the northern Eastern Capital, and Qi Shiyun arrived in disguise.
• Lin Ruoshui told Lianshan Xin that an elder had asked her to find the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade, which had vanished when the He Clan was exterminated.
• Lianshan Xin and Lin Ruoshui considered whether his mother’s He surname connected him to the He Clan and the missing blade, while Lin Ruoshui agreed he could guard it for her.
• Lianshan Jingcheng discovered that He Miaojun had reached grandmaster level with the Red Lotus Dust-Breaking Blade, which Lianshan Xin had taught her for their plan to impersonate Yama.
• Lianshan Jingcheng revealed that he had successfully refined pills to patch His Majesty up.

Lianshan Jingcheng revealed that his pills could keep Emperor Yongchang dependent on his treatment, while Lianshan Xin and Qi Shiyun pursued clues about the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade. He Miaoyin arrived in the Eastern Capital after Emperor Yongchang recruited her to stop the Retired Emperor and the Xie Family’s ancestor from obtaining the blade.

• Lianshan Jingcheng explained that his pills lasted only a month and admitted he planned to keep Emperor Yongchang under his care to protect his family.
• Lianshan Xin, Lin Ruoshui, and Qi Shiyun discussed their search for the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade, and Lin Ruoshui asked them to donate money to the Eastern Capital’s Children’s Charity Bureau.
• The Prince of Donghai showed Lianshan Xin a list of wedding guests who were secretly attending a Society of Light gathering and said the Retired Emperor’s envoy had not contacted him yet.
• He Miaoyin traveled toward the Eastern Capital with Xiao He and recalled that Emperor Yongchang had offered to help her avenge the He Clan’s extermination.
• Emperor Yongchang asked He Miaoyin to find the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade and prevent the Retired Emperor and the Xie Family’s ancestor from obtaining it, promising her a capable assistant.

He Miaoyin plotted revenge against the Prince of Donghai and the Xie Family while secretly serving Emperor Yongchang, and recruited He Canghai to help destabilize their enemies. Lianshan Xin met her in the Eastern Capital, but their reunion ended with He Miaoyin realizing a Great Grandmaster had just left her inn.

• Emperor Yongchang asked He Miaoyin to stay close to the Crown Prince as an undercover informant, and she agreed while keeping her true identity secret.
• He Canghai met He Miaoyin and pledged to avenge the He Clan; she ordered him to seek a Demon Cult Elder position and spread a rumor that the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade was in the Prince of Donghai's Estate.
• He Miaoyin learned that the Xie, Shen, and Jiang families and many Jianghu experts had gathered in the Eastern Capital, while Lianshan Xin received word that Emperor Yongchang had sent her a helper.
• He Canghai's rumor drew experts to the Prince of Donghai's Estate, and He Miaoyin turned away from visiting the He Clan ruins until her enemies were dead.
• Lianshan Xin met He Miaoyin using their passwords and learned that she planned to perform at Xia Xunxiu and Shen Siwei's wedding to draw attention while others acted in secret.
• After Lianshan Xin mentioned that a Great Grandmaster had been at her side, He Miaoyin realized the man who had just left her inn was one.

Lianshan Xin discovered that He Canghai had deceived He Miaoyin and helped her plan around the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade rumor. After returning to the Prince of Donghai’s Estate, he found the Prince secretly working with He Canghai and suspected the chaos there concealed a larger scheme.

• Lianshan Xin revealed his identity to He Miaoyin, who realized He Canghai had betrayed the He Clan and had kept her under surveillance while seeking the Blood-Severing Dust-Cleansing Blade.
• He Miaoyin revealed she had sent He Canghai to spread a rumor that the blade was in the Prince of Donghai’s Estate, and Lianshan Xin told her he was impersonating Xia Xunxiu and planned to use He Canghai in the same scheme.
• Lianshan Xin briefed Qi Shiyun, Zhuo Biyu, and Tian Ji, who discussed He Canghai’s connections and agreed to investigate him across the estate and the Demon Cult.
• Lianshan Xin returned to the estate as intruders drawn by the rumor were captured, and he offered to investigate the people spreading it while the Prince of Donghai ordered him to seek protection from Feng Muchi.
• After Lianshan Xin left, the Prince of Donghai revealed that He Canghai was secretly involved in his plans and promised to show him the estate’s true reserves; Lianshan Xin then asked Feng Muchi where Old Fei was.