Recaps

You Dongtian talked Wu Yuting out of most of her anger by apologizing and blaming much of the trouble on Nan Zhengqian. Wu Yuting then invited him to a family feast and tasked him with finding rare ingredients, leaving him dreading the cost and difficulty.

• You Dongtian apologized to Wu Yuting, portraying Nan Zhengqian as chiefly responsible while claiming some blame for himself.
• Wu Yuting forgave You Dongtian, and he promised to visit with gifts from the Dao Alliance Continent.
• Wu Yuting invited You Dongtian to a family feast and said she had saved him a place.
• You Dongtian agreed to gather Water-Fire Bamboo shoots, Space Lotus, Ice Soul Lotus Root, Fire Sea Abalone, and Hurricane Crab.
• Wu Yuting said Nan Zhengqian would also have to prepare a comparable set of ingredients, then urged You Dongtian to attend for her chive pancakes.

You Dongtian and Zuo Changlu dealt with the fallout from Zuo Xiaoduo’s situation, while Zuo Xiaoduo stayed hidden and worried that the Centipede King and Snake King would ruin the Snake King’s skin. The chapter left their battle raging as Zuo Xiaoduo fretted over the value of his hoped-for material.

• You Dongtian realized the rare treasures he had promised to trade for a chive pancake would be nearly impossible to obtain and despaired over the task.
• Wu Yuting confronted Zuo Changlu for hiding their son’s affairs, seized his ear, and demanded a divorce while he endured her anger for hours.
• Zuo Changlu hoped Zuo Xiaoduo would call home soon so he could let Wu Yuting speak with him and end their conflict.
• Zuo Xiaoduo remained hidden, unaware of his parents’ troubles, and decided not to call home yet.
• Zuo Xiaoduo watched the Centipede King and Snake King battle fiercely and worried that the Snake King’s damaged skin would spoil his plans to make an outer robe.

As Minister Nan launched the Hidden Dragon Ascension Plan in response to the plot against Zuo Xiaoduo, Zuo secretly dug toward the Dragon Soul Ginseng while the Snake King and Centipede King fought above. Zuo’s protectors sensed signs of human interference in the battlefield’s void, and reinforcements from You Dongtian arrived to investigate.

• Minister Nan began the Hidden Dragon Ascension Plan, mobilizing forces across the Star Soul Continent to expose and punish those behind the attacks on Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Minister Nan took command of the forces in Upper Capital City while Marshal Dongfang watched the effects of the upheaval on the Fortune Qi balance between the Star Soul Continent and the Witch Alliance Continent.
• Zuo Xiaoduo avoided the kings’ mental-power barriers and dug deep underground, then burned a tunnel toward the Dragon Soul Ginseng with Little Dragon guiding him.
• The Snake King and Centipede King continued fighting while keeping part of their mental power focused on the Dragon Soul Ginseng.
• Zuo Xiaoduo’s three hidden protectors sensed human interference in the void around the battle, and two reinforcements sent by You Dongtian arrived to help investigate.
• After sensing the disturbance, the two newcomers questioned whether the others were certain of what they had detected.

A masked powerhouse attacked the Snake King and Centipede King, exposing a hidden spatial barrier that suggested a ruins space lay nearby. Zuo Xiaoduo found the beasts’ mental restrictions gone, but their battered bodies crashed down near him.

• Several observers suspected that a strange site holding three Demon Kings and matching treasures might contain a ruins space, and one went to investigate discreetly.
• The Snake King and Centipede King considered ending their fight over the three plants, but a masked figure suddenly appeared and punched the Centipede King.
• The masked figure struck the fleeing Snake King into the Centipede King, and both beasts bounced off a hidden spatial barrier.
• The masked figure concealed the spatial disturbance with afterimages while savagely beating both Demon Kings and driving them into the ground.
• Zuo Xiaoduo sensed the beasts’ mental restrictions disappear and hurried toward the cliff, but the Centipede King crashed down nearby, followed by the Snake King, whose impact split the Centipede King in two.

Zuo Xiaoduo found the Snake King and Centipede King mortally wounded, finished smashing their heads, and stored their bodies in the Annihilation Sky Pagoda. He then dug up the Centipede King's guarded medicinal herbs and sneaked out of the valley while an unseen protector watched.

• Zuo Xiaoduo discovered that the Snake King and Centipede King were twitching and badly injured, then confirmed they were helpless by stabbing the Snake King.
• Zuo Xiaoduo drained the Snake King's blood essence with the Dragon Blood Flying Knife and smashed the heads of both Demon Kings with the Nine-Nine Kitty Hammers.
• Zuo Xiaoduo checked that the Demon Kings were dead and stored both bodies in the Annihilation Sky Pagoda.
• Zuo Xiaoduo broke through the mountain wall and dug out more than a hundred cubic meters of material containing the herbs guarded by the Centipede King.
• Zuo Xiaoduo disguised himself and slipped out of Centipede Valley as an unseen protector watched and marveled at his methods.

You Dongtian tried to end the bounty operation on Zuo Xiaoduo before news of possible spatial ruins spread, but the Dao Alliance and Witch Alliance learned about the discovery and demanded a joint exploration. Flood Great Shaman threatened war when You Dongtian mentioned consulting the Imperial Seat, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Zuo Xiaoduo hid in a hollow tree and admitted that Uncle Nan had protected him while he gathered valuable spoils from the dead Demon Kings.
• Heaven and Earth reported possible spatial ruins to the Right Route Heavenly King, who ordered the affair settled quickly so he could impose military control.
• You Dongtian spoke with a Dao Alliance representative, who demanded a share in exploring the ruins and revealed the Alliance knew of the spatial fluctuations.
• You Dongtian inferred that the Witch Alliance also had infiltrators in the Star Radiance Mountain Range.
• Flood Great Shaman demanded that the Three Continents jointly explore the ruins and threatened war when You Dongtian said he would consult the Imperial Seat.

You Dongtian tried to negotiate with Flood Great Shaman, but Flood erupted at the mention of Zuo Changlu and revealed that Zuo and You Dongtian’s father had once asked the Ten Great Shamans to spare You. Flood then began recounting Zuo’s betrayal involving Liehuo’s wife, leaving You Dongtian eager to hear the hidden story.

• You Dongtian tried to prevent a fight over Fortune Qi by appealing to Flood Great Shaman’s old friendship with his father and Zuo Changlu.
• Flood Great Shaman threatened to go to war if You Dongtian mentioned Zuo Changlu again, and You suspected Zuo had wronged Flood too.
• Flood told You that his father and Zuo had asked the Ten Great Shamans not to interfere with You’s growth, and explained that Dan Kong had once spared him.
• Great Witch Dan Kong protested as Flood reminded You that he now beat Dan Kong in their fights.
• You acknowledged the favor, while Flood accused Zuo of betraying them and winning Liehuo’s wife away.

You Dongtian and Flood Great Shaman agreed that the newly discovered ruins had to be explored jointly by the Three Continents, though a month was not enough time to prepare. The chapter ended with Flood Great Shaman calling for a group to coordinate fair, transparent plans and warning everyone not to act alone.

• Flood Great Shaman teased the other Great Shamans about their pasts while You Dongtian realized he was being used as a prop.
• You Dongtian passed along Zuo Changlu's regards, prompting strange noises from the other end of the phone.
• Flood Great Shaman proposed opening the ruins in a month with all three parties present, and You Dongtian objected that preparations would take longer.
• You Dongtian explained that the Three Continents had to explore ancient ruins together to share dangers, costs, and gains.
• Flood Great Shaman ordered a Tianxin Group to coordinate fair and transparent plans and warned everyone against acting independently.

Flood Great Shaman demanded fair, joint exploration of the Witch Alliance ruins and warned You Dongtian not to repeat the Zuo Imperial Seat’s past schemes. You Dongtian agreed to the terms while privately planning to search the excavated mud before dividing it.

• Flood Great Shaman said they should not invite anyone who could only talk, and the group avoided inviting the man whose Mortal World Incarnation made him dangerous to harm.
• Flood Great Shaman insisted that all three sides jointly explore each of the Witch Alliance Continent’s three ruins and share everything found there equally.
• You Dongtian denied that the Dao Alliance planned any tricks, but Flood Great Shaman accused the Zuo Imperial Seat of stripping thirty meters of soil from earlier ruins and using the spirit mud to grow Spirit Medicine.
• You Dongtian privately recalled that the mud had also yielded valuable items, including his Youlong Sword, and planned to inspect the mud before sharing it.
• Flood Great Shaman declared that the Dao Alliance Continent would receive a smaller share, and You Dongtian agreed to rely on him to settle the arrangement.

You Dongtian tricked Flood Great Shaman into agreeing to provide rare Witch Alliance specialties, but Flood Great Shaman hung up and refused to follow through. You Dongtian then alerted allies and began assembling a team to investigate newly discovered ruins in the Star Radiance Mountain Range.

• You Dongtian asked Flood Great Shaman for rare specialties, including water-fire bamboo shoots, Space Lotuses, Ice Soul Lotus Root, Fire Sea Abalones, and Hurricane Crab.
• Flood Great Shaman realized the request was unreasonable and pretended the call had disconnected before crushing his phone.
• You Dongtian called back, found Flood Great Shaman unavailable, and cursed him before smashing his own phone.
• Flood Great Shaman cursed You Dongtian and ordered the Great Shamans to make preparations.
• You Dongtian informed his father and contacted Nan Zhengqian, Dongfang, Ximen, Beigong, Old Ling, and the Lu Family to gather help for the ruins in the Star Radiance Mountain Range.

You Dongtian summoned help for the ruins and complained about being left to handle everything alone. Meanwhile, Zuo Xiaoduo completed his third True Essence compression inside the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and, after checking his supplies, prepared to eat.

• You Dongtian called over a hundred people, summoned Tie Jiang, and pressured someone to come to the ruins with his wife to protect Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Sun, Moon, Star, and two others planned to drive Zuo Xiaoduo out of the Star Radiance Mountain Range, but found that he had disappeared again.
• Zuo Xiaoduo used the Dragon Blood Flying Knife to absorb energy from the Snake King and Centipede King corpses and completed his third True Essence compression after eight hours.
• Zuo Xiaoduo inspected the Winged Sword Tigers, Spirit Medicines, and other contents of the Annihilation Sky Pagoda.
• Zuo Xiaoduo noticed his hunger and took out the Spirit Cat Sword beside the roasting centipede leg.

Zuo Xiaoduo processed a Centipede King’s severed leg for barbecue and discovered a valuable Centipede Bead. Little Dragon explained that the best beads were in the creature’s head and body, leaving Zuo Xiaoduo eager to harvest the Demon Kings’ treasures as he began cooking.

• Zuo Xiaoduo carved the Centipede King’s leg into meat and bone marrow, soaking them in Spirit Water after Little Dragon confirmed they were safe.
• Zuo Xiaoduo found a luminous Centipede Bead in the leg’s joint and asked Little Dragon what it was.
• Little Dragon explained that the bead could counter many poisons, while beads in the Centipede King’s head and body were far more powerful.
• Zuo Xiaoduo realized the Snake King and Centipede King corpses held a fortune in beads and imagined becoming the world’s richest man.
• Zuo Xiaoduo prepared charcoal, seasoned the centipede meat, and began barbecuing it.

Zuo Xiaoduo feasted on centipede meat and wine while planning to share the food and collect IOUs. When he practiced his hammer technique afterward, the meal’s spiritual energy flooded his body and threatened to make him explode.

• Zuo Xiaoduo gave Little Dragon a drop of Fortune Points and ate roast centipede meat with Hundred-Year Plum Blossom Drunk.
• Zuo Xiaoduo decided to save some meat for Nian Nian Cat, his family, and his teachers, while making others write IOUs.
• Zuo Xiaoduo finished more than a hundred jin of meat and discovered that his stomach had swollen.
• Zuo Xiaoduo practiced his hammer technique, triggering a surge of spiritual energy that rapidly filled his dantian.
• Zuo Xiaoduo sat down and activated the Ice Heart Formula and Flame Sun True Scripture to control the dangerous energy.

Zuo Xiaoduo struggled to contain the overwhelming Spiritual Qi released by eating king-class Demon Beast meat, repeatedly compressing it inside his Dantian. After reaching eight suppressions, he realized his Dantian was filling again and the ninth compression was approaching.

• Zuo Xiaoduo blamed Little Dragon for not warning him about eating too much centipede meat, but Little Dragon remained lost in bliss.
• Zuo Xiaoduo frantically hammered down the surging energy in his Dantian to prevent an uncontrolled breakthrough.
• Zuo Xiaoduo completed five more compression cycles, bringing his total to eight suppressions.
• Zuo Xiaoduo collapsed inside the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and decided to limit himself to five jin of meat next time.
• Zuo Xiaoduo found his Dantian nearly full again and expected to begin the ninth suppression within two hours.

Zuo Xiaoduo completed another intense round of cultivation and emerged from hiding after more than ten hours. Sun, Moon, Star, Heaven, and Earth had spent the time searching for him while You Dongtian anxiously fielded the Heavenly King's repeated calls.

• Zuo Xiaoduo exhausted himself swinging his sledgehammers dozens of times and marveled at how much his strength had improved.
• Zuo Xiaoduo rested before planning to complete his ninth round of energy compression and finish the mission outside.
• Sun, Moon, Star, Heaven, and Earth failed to find Zuo Xiaoduo, prompting the Heavenly King to call repeatedly for updates.
• You Dongtian worried that Zuo Xiaoduo had vanished again and vowed not to use him as bait in the future.
• Zuo Xiaoduo emerged from the mountain woods, and after learning he had been found, You Dongtian angrily told the searchers not to report such news again.

Zuo Xiaoduo emerged from hiding and Moon captured him, confirming his disappearances were under his control. Moon tried to persuade him to leave hiding so their group could expose the clans targeting Hidden Dragon High Martial, but Zuo Xiaoduo remained wary of being used as bait.

• The Right Heavenly King angrily blamed the others for repeatedly losing track of Zuo Xiaoduo, though none of them had reported his disappearance.
• Moon seized Zuo Xiaoduo by the scalp as he emerged and demanded to know how he had vanished.
• Zuo Xiaoduo implied that disappearing was his own secret method, reassuring Moon that he had not been taken by an enemy.
• Moon ordered Zuo Xiaoduo to come out, but Zuo Xiaoduo protested that it was dangerous and questioned whether the protectors could keep him safe.
• Moon explained that Zuo Xiaoduo's hiding was preventing the targeted clans from acting and that their enemies, including Witch Alliance members, needed to be exposed together.

Yue pressured Zuo Xiaoduo to take part in the dangerous scheme, and Zuo Xiaoduo agreed only after realizing he had no way to refuse. When five hostile cultivators found him in No Man’s Land, a hidden ally captured them, leaving Zuo Xiaoduo puzzled about why they had not pursued him.

• Yue explained the scheme and promised Zuo Xiaoduo rewards, but Zuo Xiaoduo rejected the proposed Three Supreme Honor Medals.
• Zuo Xiaoduo declared that he would go out bravely, then immediately hid when he spotted figures ahead.
• Little Dragon detected one God-Imperial and four Cloud Transformation cultivators, and Zuo Xiaoduo slipped away from them.
• The five cultivators spotted Zuo Xiaoduo’s bald head and charged after him, attacking with hidden weapons.
• A clear wind swept in and knocked down all five cultivators, who were dragged into the Shadow Barrier for questioning.
• Zuo Xiaoduo fled more than twenty li and wondered why the five had not chased him.

Zuo Xiaoduo continued acting as bait in the Star Radiance Mountain Range, killing some Bounty Hunters himself while Sun, Moon, and Star dealt with others. Meanwhile, members of Fenghai’s Wu Lineage and Gao Lineage gathered in confusion, unable to understand their Lineages’ intentions.

• Zuo Xiaoduo discovered that the five Bounty Hunters had not pursued him, then learned from Moon that they had already been dealt with.
• Zuo Xiaoduo encountered two more groups of Bounty Hunters and killed them with Spirit Cat Sword, collecting six more Space Rings and bringing his total to four hundred and thirty-nine.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and his protectors encountered seven waves of attackers along their route, with Zuo Xiaoduo handling three waves and Sun, Moon, and Star dealing with the rest.
• Sun, Moon, and Star worried that Zuo Xiaoduo’s stealth technique could make him disappear from their Divine Sense and expose him to danger.
• Members of Fenghai’s Wu Lineage and Gao Lineage held a secret discussion, still unable to determine their Lineages’ true intentions.

The Gao and Wu lineages were divided over whether to kill Zuo Xiaoduo, as their members weighed revenge and the chance to restore ties with the Upper Capital against the threat of retaliation. The Wu Lineage’s debate remained bitter and unresolved, with Wu the Third insisting the lineage’s survival mattered more than avenging Wu Yuntian.

• The Gao and Wu lineages split into opposing factions over whether to intercept and kill Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Gao Qiao'er, Wu Qing, Wu Yi, and other younger members returned home and declared that they opposed killing Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Supporters of the plan argued that the Upper Capital's Wu Lineage had ordered the Fenghai branch to kill Zuo Xiaoduo in exchange for a chance to return to the lineage register.
• Opponents warned that Hidden Dragon High Martial and Minister Nan could retaliate, while the Upper Capital might disown the Fenghai branch.
• Wu the Third argued that the lineage should not risk its survival to avenge the already-dead Wu Yuntian, provoking an angry rebuke.

The Wu Lineage debated whether to avenge Wu Yuntian by killing Zuo Xiaoduo, weighing family cohesion against the risk of exposing the entire lineage. Its younger generation opposed the plan, and Wu Yunhai warned that the Star Radiance Mountain Range trap had drawn the Empire’s attention.

• The Wu patriarch explained that the Upper Capital lineage wanted the Wu branch to act against Zuo Xiaoduo while avoiding evidence, but warned that exposure could destroy the Wu Lineage.
• The Wu elders considered whether refusing to avenge Wu Yuntian would weaken the lineage’s cohesion, as his father sat silently in grief.
• Wu Tai, Wu Qing, Wu Yi, and the other younger members said they opposed killing Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Wu Yunhai told his uncle that the younger generation had befriended Zuo Xiaoduo sincerely and found it difficult to accept the lineage’s plan to kill him.
• Wu Yunhai argued that the plan was inadvisable because the Star Radiance Mountain Range trap had attracted more than ten thousand bounty hunters and was drawing the Empire’s attention.

Wu Yunhai argued that the Wu Lineage should avoid committing to the hunt for Zuo Xiaoduo and wait for events to unfold. At the Gao Lineage, Gao Qiao'er opposed the bounty and urged the elders to protect their future by befriending Zuo Xiaoduo, whose influence could anchor a powerful network.

• Wu Yunhai said the Wu Lineage had almost no chance of killing Zuo Xiaoduo while the entire Underground World hunted him, and the elders agreed to hold their positions without deciding what to do if they captured him.
• Gao Qiao'er opposed killing Zuo Xiaoduo or joining the bounty, noting that the Gao Lineage had previously approached him to make friends.
• Gao Qiao'er praised Zuo Xiaoduo's personality, talent, and perseverance, and warned that attacking him could bring ruin because of the powerful figures and institutions supporting him.
• Gao Qiao'er argued that Zuo Xiaoduo could unite students from two Hidden Dragon High Martial intakes and build a far-reaching circle of influence across the Jianghu, business, politics, and the frontiers.
• The Gao Lineage elders listened and nodded as Gao Qiao'er warned that their lineage might miss the chance to join Zuo Xiaoduo's growing network.

Gao Qiao’er argued that the Gao Lineage should rescue Zuo Xiaoduo rather than take advantage of the bounty to kill him, because earning his trust could secure their younger generation a place in his inner circle. Her proposal left the Lineage’s elders and senior figures deep in thought.

• Gao Qiao’er explained that Class One kept outsiders from approaching Zuo Xiaoduo because they already treated him as their core and feared sharing his influence and future gains.
• Gao Qiao’er warned that attacking Zuo Xiaoduo would destroy the Gao Lineage’s chance to enter his circle, even if he survived and returned.
• Gao Qiao’er urged the Gao Lineage to rescue Zuo Xiaoduo and have some of their people die for him, turning their past feud into a favor he would remember.
• Gao Qiao’er argued that the ancestral residence should be left aside and might pay a heavy price, while the Gao Lineage’s succession remained uncertain.
• The Gao Lineage’s elders and senior figures were moved by Gao Qiao’er’s argument and fell into deep thought.

The Gao Lineage weighed Gao Qiao'er’s assessment of Zuo Xiaoduo and decided that his future importance outweighed their desire for revenge. The chapter ended with Gao Yu and Gao Panyun privately grieving Gao Yan'er and Gao Ping'er while acknowledging how their upbringing had left them unprepared for danger.

• Gao Lineage disciples agreed that Gao Qiao'er had not exaggerated Zuo Xiaoduo’s ability and significance.
• Gao Panyun warned that supporting Zuo Xiaoduo could mean a bloody path for those who followed him, and Gao Qiao'er said they were willing to take that risk.
• Gao Yu accepted Gao Qiao'er’s reasoning despite his grief over his daughters’ deaths.
• Gao Panyun ordered the dispatched men to protect Zuo Xiaoduo at any cost, and the lineage members agreed to remember Gao Yu’s sacrifice.
• Gao Panyun and Gao Yu spoke privately about their grief and reflected on how Gao Yan'er and Gao Ping'er had been spoiled and sheltered.

Gao Panyun convinced Gao Yu that the Gao Lineage had to stand with Zuo Xiaoduo, and named Gao Qiao'er as his preferred successor. At the Star Radiance Mountain Range, Gao and Wu Lineage members received secret calls, leaving their leaders with different expressions.

• Gao Panyun told Gao Yu that the Gao Lineage had committed itself to Zuo Xiaoduo and that Gao Yu could not become the next lineage head.
• Gao Yu agreed to relinquish his position once the situation stabilized, and Gao Panyun said he favored Gao Qiao'er as the next head.
• Gao Panyun warned Gao Yu that the Gao Lineage must not scheme to place Gao Qiao'er in Zuo Xiaoduo's bed, lest it provoke powerful enemies.
• Gao Panyun went with Gao Yu to help explain their decision to Gao Yu's wife, while Gao Yu's resentment toward his father faded.
• Gao and Wu Lineage members at the Star Radiance Mountain Range received calls, and their leaders spoke privately before asking each other what their lineages had arranged.

Zuo Xiaoduo traveled through the ambush zone under the protection of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, and Star, who captured attackers and searched for the Witch Alliance member behind the trap. When four powerful assassins attacked him, Moon intervened and recognized them as the ones who had ambushed Vice Principal Liu.

• The Gao Lineage man left with his people after hinting that his lineage had made a clear decision, while the Wu Lineage man remained uncertain about his own orders.
• Zuo Xiaoduo moved cautiously through the area as Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, and Star captured attackers and questioned them about their origins.
• Heaven reported that they had caught an assassin from the Upper Capital Wei Family, and Moon told the others to keep prioritizing the Witch Alliance member who had set the trap.
• Four attackers ambushed Zuo Xiaoduo near an ironwood forest, and residual force from their attack sent him tumbling backward.
• Moon fought the four attackers alone and recognized them as the group that had ambushed Vice Principal Liu.