Chapter Summaries

Li Chenjiang, Chongxu, and Jia Daoyi used a brief opening to escape Blackstone County's fall with seven treasure ships. At Heavenly Abyss Pass, Xiao Canglan received their report and blamed Qing Chen for failing to hold the city.

• Li Chenjiang and the defenders launched a desperate counterattack that slowed the Southern Yue army while he, Chongxu, and Jia Daoyi fought Wuhun True Lord and Cave Lord Firepit.
• Li Chenjiang revealed Qin Jundi's Fist Dao Imprint, frightening the Southern Yue cultivators long enough for the three cultivators and seven treasure ships to break through the blockade.
• The Southern Yue army captured Blackstone County's city after the escaping ships vanished toward Yuxi Prefecture.
• At Heavenly Abyss Pass, Xiao Canglan received the military report describing the city's fall and the defenders' retreat.
• Xiao Canglan condemned Qing Chen for not holding the city himself and announced that he would demote him three ranks.

At the command tent, Xiao Canglan weighed calls to punish Qing Chen for the fall of Blackstone County City and instead gave him a light reprimand with three urgent tasks. Meanwhile, a large coalition army advanced through Miaochong Prefecture, aiming to exploit Qing Chen’s predicament and seize spoils.

• Qing Zhaoye and other officers condemned Qing Chen for losing Blackstone County City, while Wei Ting and Tie Shou defended his record and the sacrifices of his troops.
• Xiao Canglan reprimanded Qing Chen, docked one year of his Immortal Stipend, and ordered him to protect the Imperial Envoy, retake Blackstone City within ten days, and investigate the traitors.
• Xiao Canglan promoted Hua Tieshou for his rear-guard service and warned that Qing Chen would face harsher punishment if he failed any task.
• An allied army of more than fifty thousand cultivators advanced across Miaochong Prefecture, intending to profit from Qing Chen’s troubles and strike while he was occupied.

Qing Chen intercepted the allied army advancing on Blackstone County’s seat and invoked wartime authority to draft its cultivators. The opposing leaders were caught off guard as he ordered them to follow him and suppress the rebellion.

• Qing Tingxue led Nangong Wang, Qian Baoshan, Qing Guhong, and more than fifty thousand allied troops toward Blackstone County’s seat to seize it from Qing Chen’s forces.
• Nangong Wang and Qian Baoshan prepared to activate their hidden measures inside and outside the city, while Qing Tingxue sensed an ominous presence ahead.
• Qing Chen arrived before the allied army with six war treasure ships and thirty thousand elite soldiers of the Qiong Expedition Army.
• Nangong Wang, Qian Baoshan, and Qing Guhong were stunned to see Qing Chen, while Qing Tingxue realized their intelligence about his supposed predicament was wrong.
• Qing Chen displayed his three official command tokens and ordered every cultivator under the allied leaders listed in the Immortal Register to follow him to Blackstone County’s seat and quell the rebellion.

Qing Chen used his official authority to accuse Qing Tingxue, Nangong Wang Jin, Qian Baoshan, and their allied forces of unlawful mobilization and suspected treason, then ordered them to join his campaign against Blackstone County Seat. The allied ranks began to waver under his threats and promises, while Qing Tingxue remained defiant as Qing Chen called them prancing clowns.

• Qing Chen ordered Qing Tingxue to lead her forces as the vanguard against Blackstone City, but she challenged his authority to command them.
• Qing Chen cited the Imperial Court’s laws and his own offices to accuse Qing Tingxue, Nangong Wang Jin, and Qian Baoshan of assembling troops without authorization.
• Qing Chen ordered Lin Changsheng and Xin Bairen to record the leaders as suspected traitors and threatened execution, confiscation, and clan extermination if they disobeyed.
• The Allied Army’s unity faltered as cultivators weighed Qing Chen’s threats against his promises of rewards and official posts for military merit.
• Qing Tingxue secretly tried to rally the wavering forces, and Qing Chen rebuked them as prancing clowns.

Qing Chen killed Qing Guhong and Fu She with his blood-path rules, then used five White Bone Demon Mara Banners to suppress Qing Tingxue. He confronted her over obstructing his execution and seized the moment her resistance faltered, appearing inches away.

• Qing Chen formed a massive blood hand and attacked Qing Guhong and Fu She.
• Qing Tingxue unleashed an ice dragon to protect Qing Guhong, but Qing Chen's five demon banners destroyed the attack and trapped her.
• Qing Chen's blood hand crushed Qing Guhong's and Fu She's defenses, killed them, and devoured their qi and blood.
• Qing Chen accused Qing Tingxue of obstructing military discipline and possibly colluding with the two rebels.
• Qing Tingxue's resistance weakened under the banners' pressure, and Qing Chen appeared directly in front of her.

Qing Chen slapped Qing Tingxue into submission and ordered her to march, while Qing Jie’s bandits launched a surprise attack on White River County. The county defenders held their formation against the first assault, but the bandits continued attacking despite heavy losses.

• Qing Chen struck Qing Tingxue, warned her to know her place, and ordered her to muster troops and march.
• Zhao Hu and Li Rui dismissed the danger to White River County and decided not to send a distress signal when the Eighteen Caves bandits appeared.
• Qing Jie led his bandits in an assault on White River County and urged them to kill the defenders and plunder the city.
• The county soldiers reinforced their protective formation and repelled the bandits’ opening attacks, while ballistae inflicted heavy casualties.
• A bandit leader warned Qing Jie that the assault was failing, but Qing Jie threatened retreaters and ordered the attack to continue.

Qing Jie feigned a disorganized attack on Baihe County City, luring Zhao Hu and Li Rui into leading the county soldiers out through the gates. Lie Feng, Bu Jingyun, and their hidden body-cultivator force then struck from inside the city, leaving the defenders caught in a trap as the assault began.

• Qing Jie kept his attacks weak while his bandits appeared to suffer heavy losses, convincing Zhao Hu and Li Rui that they were an easy target.
• Zhao Hu led fifteen hundred county soldiers out of Baihe County City to attack the retreating bandits, and the two forces clashed.
• Lie Feng, Bu Jingyun, three Vajra realm battle generals, and one hundred Boulder realm body cultivators revealed themselves after several market wards exploded inside the city.
• Zhao Hu and Li Rui realized the defenders had been trapped, while Lie Feng charged the gate officers and killed a pseudo-core banner officer with one punch.
• Bu Jingyun rushed toward the city’s formation core as Li Rui turned to intercept him with the Thunderclap Sword Art, and Bu Jingyun activated the Immovable Wisdom King Body.

Bu Jingyun and Qing Jie’s forces overwhelmed the defenders of Blackstone County, while Qing Chen forced the allied army to mobilize at full speed. The allied cultivators obeyed after Lin Changsheng executed more than a hundred who resisted, and the fleet prepared to march on Blackstone County.

• Bu Jingyun defeated Li Rui and killed the formation masters, causing the city’s protective shield to crack.
• Qing Jie revealed his strength and slaughtered county soldiers as Lie Feng’s body cultivators broke through the defenders.
• Qing Chen ordered the allied army to stow its spirit artifact-grade flying boats and reach a point outside Blackstone County within three hours.
• Lin Changsheng used the Black Yin Thousand-Soul Banner to kill more than a hundred cultivators who resisted or delayed the orders.
• Qing Tingxue withdrew aboard a Qing Household treasure ship, while Nangong Wang and Qian Baoshan ordered their forces to board without protest.

Qing Chen sent the allied force toward Blackstone County’s city while planning to use an imperial investigation to purge his enemies, but an urgent report revealed that Li Wenbi and the Eastern Prince’s heir had engaged Wuhun True Lord’s army at Fallen Soul Slope. Fearing for the heir and his own Qiongzhou plans, Qing Chen burned essence blood and raced ahead to the battle.

• Qing Chen ordered the allied treasure ships to advance toward Blackstone County’s city, with the army supervisors following behind.
• Qing Chen considered how imperial envoy Li Wenbi’s investigation could expose the powers obstructing his control of Qiongzhou.
• Jueqing and Han Shi urgently reported that Li Wenbi, Ji Jin, and their companions had begun fighting Wuhun True Lord’s vanguard at Fallen Soul Slope.
• Qing Chen erupted in anger over Li Wenbi’s decision to involve the Eastern Prince’s heir and feared the consequences if Ji Jin were harmed.
• Qing Chen donned his Black Demon Blood Armor, ignited thirty drops of essence blood, and sped toward the battle while ordering Lin Changsheng and Xin Bairen to keep the army moving.

Li Wenbi and Ji Jin were trapped at Fallen Soul Slope by Wuhun True Lord’s forces, while the Cave Lord of Firepit targeted the heir apparent with a devastating attack. Li Wenbi fought to hold off the attackers as Ji Jin faced the incoming flaming palm.

• Ji Jin and Eunuch Ding struggled to withstand the soul miasma, and Eunuch Ding urged them to retreat.
• Li Wenbi refused to abandon the people of Great Jin and used his Azure Radiance Sword to purge thousands of souls.
• Wuhun True Lord revealed that the other members of their party had been killed and said capturing Ji Jin was worth more than taking three county seats.
• Li Wenbi told Ji Jin that officials from Lingnan Circuit might be tracking them and promised to protect him until reinforcements arrived.
• The Cave Lord of Firepit launched his Fire Baleful Heaven-Burning Palm at Ji Jin while Wuhun True Lord’s demon pinned down Li Wenbi’s sword.

Ji Jin and Li Wenbi faced defeat as Wu Hun and the Cave Lord of Firepit attacked with power drawn from Southern Yue’s fortune. Explosions in Blackstone County weakened that power, allowing Li Wenbi to counterattack, but Wu Hun ordered Firepit to keep pressing Ji Jin while troops repaired the destroyed nodes.

• The Cave Lord of Firepit intensified his assault on Ji Jin’s protective pendant, while Ji Jin debated using his last-resort talismans.
• Explosions in Blackstone County destroyed fortune nodes, weakening Wu Hun and Firepit as Jueqing and Han Shi’s Demon Lotus Sect forces fled the city.
• Li Wenbi seized the opening and used his Azure Radiance Sword to cut down Wu Hun’s Three-Headed Demon Soul and clear away soul miasma.
• With Firepit’s attacks weakened, Ji Jin withdrew from the brink of using his crystal talisman and urged Li Wenbi to hold on for reinforcements.
• Firepit wanted to pursue the node destroyers, but Wu Hun ordered him to keep attacking Ji Jin and sent troops to hunt the fleeing enemies and restore the nodes.

News of Qing Chen’s military crisis reached the Imperial Capital, where the Luan-yang Princess urged Tie Qingyao to end their engagement. Tie Qingyao refused and declared that she would stand by Qing Chen through fortune or hardship.

• Secret reports spread news that Blackstone City and Baihe County City had fallen and that Imperial Envoy Li Wenbi’s party was missing.
• The Luan-yang Princess arrived at the Iron Estate and hurried to see Tie Qingyao.
• The Luan-yang Princess told Tie Qingyao that Qing Chen faced blame at court and urged her to break off their engagement.
• Tie Qingyao defended the marriage agreement and vowed to stay with Qing Chen unless he betrayed Great Jin or harmed the Iron Household.

Tie Qingyao reassured the Luan-yang Princess that Qing Chen could handle the rumors and urged her not to become a pawn in the Imperial House’s intrigues. At Fallen Soul Slope, Wuhun True Lord forced captives and cultivators to repair Blackstone County’s formation with their lives, regained the military formation’s power, and ordered it activated.

• Tie Qingyao told the Luan-yang Princess that Qing Chen’s enemies were spreading distorted rumors and that his strength and planning made his position unlikely to be hopeless.
• Tie Qingyao explained that she had investigated Qing Chen’s ruthless methods and told Luan-yang not to persuade her or let others use her as a pawn.
• Qing Chen remained unafraid of the political upheaval, believing the Iron Household could absorb its consequences and that the turmoil might aid his purge.
• The Cave Lord of Firepit sent personal guards and five Golden Core cultivators after the fleeing Demon Lotus Sect members.
• At Blackstone County, Southern Yue forces drove surviving formation masters and prisoners to repair the formation, killing and replacing those who collapsed.
• Wuhun True Lord regained the military formation’s fortune power and ordered his forces to activate it.

Qing Chen arrived at Fallen Soul Slope as Wuhun True Lord’s forces overwhelmed the defenders and killed the Cave Lord of Firepit with a single strike. The battlefield fell silent, with the fight against Southern Yue still unresolved.

• Wuhun True Lord ordered more than forty thousand Southern Yue cultivators to burn their essence blood and strengthen the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
• The Cave Lord of Firepit battered Ji Jin’s protective barrier while Li Wenbi struggled to hold back the soul miasma, and Eunuch Ding was struck down.
• Qing Chen roared a threat at Wu Hun and charged into the battlefield, targeting the Cave Lord of Firepit instead of Ji Jin.
• Qing Chen merged with the Third Demonic Aspect and entered the yang spirit state, empowering his blood path rules.
• Qing Chen pierced the Cave Lord of Firepit’s defenses with his Pojun Battle Halberd and annihilated his dharma nascent soul, killing him instantly.

Qing Chen arrived at Blackstone County and instantly killed the Cave Lord of Firepit, then confronted Wuhun True Lord while the battered Li Wenbi urged him to flee with Ji Jin. After Qing Chen revealed that he had driven Yinshi Marquis away, Wuhun launched a full-force attack, and Qing Chen gathered his power to counter it.

• Qing Chen killed the Cave Lord of Firepit with one strike and collected his remains.
• Qing Chen threatened Wuhun True Lord and refused Li Wenbi’s plea to take Ji Jin and escape.
• Li Wenbi told Qing Chen that he had evidence of Southern Yue infiltration and unlawful activities, which he had entrusted to Ji Jin.
• Qing Chen announced that he had beaten Yinshi Marquis nearly to death and forced him to retreat to Southern Yue.
• Wuhun unleashed Wan Hun Devour Heaven, and Qing Chen activated his techniques and focused his strength into the Pojun Battle Halberd to meet the attack.

Qing Chen broke through to the second level of the Minor Five Elements One-Origin Evasion Art and fought Wu Hun to a standstill despite Wu Hun’s army-backed power. Ji Jin and Li Wenbi watched in awe, and Ji Jin decided Qing Chen would make a worthy brother-in-law.

• Qing Chen perfected the first level of the Minor Five Elements One-Origin Evasion Art and broke through to its second level, greatly increasing his speed.
• Qing Chen used his halberd and the Nine-Petal Demon Lotus to cut through the soul tide while resisting its soul baleful energy.
• Qing Chen clashed with Wu Hun’s Soul Dragon and countered its Soul-Burning Dragon Flame with Pojun · Yang Spirit.
• Qing Chen and Wu Hun fought across the battlefield, with Qing Chen’s movement and attacks keeping him from being overwhelmed.
• Ji Jin watched Qing Chen’s battle and thought he would be a worthy brother-in-law to Sister Qingyao.
• Li Wenbi marveled at Qing Chen’s strength and hoped he would remain loyal to Great Jin.

Ding Buxing watched Qing Chen fight Wu Hun and realized Qing Chen’s strength far exceeded his expectations, resolving to seek an alliance with him. When Wu Hun could not gain the upper hand, he ordered five thousand troops to sack Blackstone County Seat, and Li Wenbi rose to stop them.

• Ding Buxing recalled his long history of envy and failure to catch up with Qing Chen, then decided to make peace with him and bring him under the Eighth Prince’s command.
• Qing Chen continued to hold off Wu Hun, though he concealed his full strength and used the battle to refine his understanding of rules.
• After nearly two hours of combat, Wu Hun ordered five thousand Soul-Devouring Department cultivators to loot and burn Blackstone County Seat within an hour.
• Li Wenbi, furious at Wu Hun’s order, rose with the Azure Radiance Sword and prepared to fight the troops himself, even at the cost of his Dao foundation.

As Li Wenbi and the exhausted defenders faced Wu Hun’s advancing forces, the Qiong Expedition Army arrived with an overwhelming allied force. Wu Hun realized Qing Chen had used himself as bait to arrange an encirclement and tried to escape by unleashing treasured talismans and a soul-sacrifice technique.

• Li Wenbi struggled to summon his sword after his wounds worsened, while Qing Chen watched the Southern Yue troops prepare to attack.
• War horns announced the arrival of Lin Changsheng, Xin Bairen, and an eighty-thousand-strong allied army led by banners of the Qiong Expedition, Cangming, and Qing.
• The reinforcements lifted the defenders’ spirits, but Wu Hun recognized the army’s Nascent Soul auras and realized Qing Chen had lured him into an encirclement.
• Wu Hun accused Nangong Wang and Qian Baoshan of deceiving him and decided to flee rather than protect his troops.
• Wu Hun detonated five fourth-tier talismans to hinder Qing Chen, then sacrificed his heart’s essence blood to the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and invoked Soul Dragon Devours Heaven.

Qing Chen crippled Wu Hun’s blood dragon, let him escape as bait, and ordered the allied army to annihilate the Southern Yue forces at Fallen Soul Slope. The slaughter continued at White Stone County City, where Qing Jie’s men purged the ruined city house by house.

• Qing Chen pierced the blood dragon’s vulnerable core and slammed it into the ground, but Wu Hun detonated it and damaged the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
• Wu Hun used the Nether Soul Void-Traversing Escape Technique to flee toward Southern Yue, while Qing Chen revealed that he had deliberately let him escape as bait.
• After the military formation collapsed, Lin Changsheng, Xin Bairen, Qian Baoshan, Nangong Wang, and the allied army attacked and slaughtered the Southern Yue remnants at Fallen Soul Slope.
• Xin Bairen kept thirty thousand elite Miao-Conquest Army troops in reserve to pursue fugitives and gather corpses, following Qing Chen’s orders to maximize deaths on both sides.
• White Stone County City lay in ruins after hours of purging, as bandits under Qing Jie searched houses for signs of spirit veins.

Qing Jie’s bandits and the tower’s body cultivators razed White Stone City, slaughtering its defenders and looting the city before fleeing into Yuxi Prefecture. After stopping in a secluded valley, the bandits celebrated their plunder, unaware that unseen observers were watching them.

• Qing Jie’s forces overwhelmed White Stone City, killing its officials and cultivators while the bandits stripped the city of valuables and gathered the dead.
• Qing Jie stood beside a mound of thousands of severed heads as his men praised the raid and anticipated rewards from Southern Yue.
• Lie Feng delivered Qing Jie more than a hundred storage rings containing bodies and designated resources, and Qing Jie ordered the bandits to withdraw.
• Qing Jie led the fleet out of the Southeastern Circuit and into Yuxi Prefecture, where the warships descended into a secluded mountain valley.
• Several minor bandit chiefs celebrated their loot and boasted about their future, unaware that unseen gazes were fixed on them.