Recaps

Zuo Xiaoduo cultivated while the two Winged Sword Tigers continued transforming, then found Hidden Dragon High Martial in the midst of a schoolwide cleanup for an imminent inspection. He tried to evade the work but Wen Xingtian caught him, while Ye Changqing and the other leaders wondered why the higher-ups had chosen their school.

• Zuo Xiaoduo judged that the Winged Sword Tigers would wake in three to five days and cultivated up to the Dan Origin Realm High Tier.
• Zuo Xiaoduo learned that Fang Yinuo had used Demon King meat to break through to the God-Imperial Realm.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong arrived at Hidden Dragon High Martial and found students and teachers cleaning for an inspection by an unknown big shot.
• Zuo Xiaoduo mocked the students as he tried to leave, but Wen Xingtian knocked him back and carried him off to do his share of the work.
• Ye Changqing discussed the inspection with Xiang Kuangren, Vice Principal Cheng, Vice Principal Liu, and others, questioning the higher-ups’ reason for choosing the school.

Ye Changqing prepared Hidden Dragon High Martial School for an inspection by powerful officials and arranged for Zuo Xiaoduo to spar with visiting youths. Meanwhile, the officials gathered near the Star Radiance Mountain Range, where Minister Nan, You Dongtian, and others concealed their real purpose and planned to keep a low profile.

• Ye Changqing discussed the inspection and chose Zuo Xiaoduo as a likely sparring match for the visiting younger generation.
• A group of officials headed toward the Star Radiance Mountain Range to check for ruins and confirm whether the Lu Family's people were in position.
• Minister Ding said that eleven of the twelve great shamans from the Witch Alliance were coming, and Minister Nan announced that he and Wu Tiejiang would not visit Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• You Dongtian and the Left Route Heavenly King supported keeping their identities hidden, while Minister Nan warned them not to reveal their secret plans.
• The group agreed to let Minister Ding lead and to keep a low profile, leaving him and the other marshals confused about what was happening.

Eight great shamans and a Dao Alliance party entered Star Soul Territory as Zuo Changlu and Wu Yuting traveled toward Fenghai for the parent-teacher meeting. Meanwhile, Zuo Xiaoduo complained to Ye Changqing that Wen Xingtian had been hitting him, leaving the principal and vice principals speechless.

• Eight great shamans passed Sun Moon Pass openly, while three more followed behind with their troops.
• Great Shaman Bingming teased Great Shaman Liehuo about losing his wife in a bet, then fell from the clouds after provoking Flood Great Shaman about his son.
• The Dao Alliance party entered Star Soul Territory and headed toward the Star Radiance Mountain Range.
• Zuo Changlu and Wu Yuting traveled toward Fenghai, with Wu Yuting eager to see their son before the parent-teacher meeting.
• Wen Xingtian carried Zuo Xiaoduo into Ye Changqing's office, where Zuo Xiaoduo complained that Wen had been hitting him.

Ye Changqing told Zuo Xiaoduo to represent Hidden Dragon High Martial in the upcoming inspection matches and win, while Wen Xingtian trained him and his classmates. Wen Xingtian concluded that the class was strong enough to handle the visiting students, with Li Chenglong expected to sweep aside the opposition.

• Zuo Xiaoduo joked that Ye Changqing should give Wen Xingtian a raise instead of punishing him, and the teachers laughed.
• Ye Changqing ordered Zuo Xiaoduo to compete in the inspection matches and win, and Zuo Xiaoduo promised he could defeat Dan Origin Realm opponents.
• When Ye Changqing asked about Infant Transformation opponents, Zuo Xiaoduo admitted he could not guarantee victory and resolved to stay cautious.
• Wen Xingtian put Zuo Xiaoduo, Li Chenglong, Xiang Chong, Xiang Bing, Meng Changjun, and the other students through a day of grueling training.
• Wen Xingtian concluded that Li Chenglong and the rest of the class could defeat students from other schools and hidden sects ahead of the inspection by Minister Wen and three marshals.

Gao Qiao'er warned Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong that the unprecedented inspection of Hidden Dragon High Martial might involve a contest with Witch Alliance fighters. She expected Zuo Xiaoduo to take part, giving him a chance to enter the attention of the continent's leaders.

• Wen Xingtian prepared Hidden Dragon High Martial for an inspection attended by the three army marshals and Minister Ding of Martial Education.
• Gao Qiao'er visited Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong and asked Li Chenglong to analyze the unusual inspection.
• Li Chenglong and Gao Qiao'er concluded that an agreement between the Star Soul Continent and the Witch Alliance might explain why all three marshals could leave the frontiers.
• Gao Qiao'er suggested that the inspection could include a contest against fighters from another race, with the continent's honor at stake.
• Gao Qiao'er told Zuo Xiaoduo to prepare for a brutal but glorious battle, then explained to Gao Chengxiang that his performance could bring him to the leaders' attention and benefit the Gao Lineage.

Gao Qiao'er prepared the Gao Lineage for the coming gathering and warned Gao Chengxiang that she would discipline clansmen who still acted arrogantly. Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong agreed they had to win the battle without attracting too much dangerous attention, then debated how strong they should become before stepping into the limelight.

• Gao Qiao'er told Gao Chengxiang that the Gao Lineage's weaker students should accept their limitations, and she threatened to punish Gao Junlong for his defiance.
• Zuo Xiaoduo explained to Li Chenglong that Gao Qiao'er had warned them the upcoming battle could draw the attention of higher-ups.
• Li Chenglong advised Zuo Xiaoduo that they must win but avoid a decisive victory that would bring excessive scrutiny and danger.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong agreed to advance cautiously and discussed whether the Feitian Realm or Guixuan would be a safe cultivation level for making their names known.

Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong decided to cultivate a refined, scholarly image to avoid being chosen for dangerous work. The next morning, Minister Ding and three army marshals arrived at Hidden Dragon High Martial with several unfamiliar groups, leaving Ye Changqing and the other school officials puzzled.

• Zuo Xiaoduo urged Li Chenglong to grow his hair and present a refined image the next day.
• Ye Changqing and the school officials prepared for the inspection as Hidden Dragon High Martial played "Blood Fell from the Sky" across campus.
• Minister Ding, the three army marshals, and several groups of unfamiliar young people descended onto the campus.
• Everyone listened in silence as Gu Luoyan's song recalled the soldiers who had died on the battlefield.
• Ye Changqing greeted Minister Ding and the marshals, and Marshal Dongfang praised the school's work.

Ye Changqing welcomed Minister Ding, the three marshals, and their large entourage at Hidden Dragon High Martial before moving them to the Main Conference Room. Meanwhile, Flood Great Shaman met Nan Zhengqian in the Star Radiance Mountain Range and learned that Dan Kong, Liehuo, and Bingming had gone into the city.

• Ye Changqing ushered Minister Ding and the marshals into the reception room, where their oversized entourage left the school staff scrambling for space.
• Minister Ding suggested finding a larger room, and Ye Changqing led everyone to the Main Conference Room while Vice Principal Liu went to arrange tea.
• Nan Zhengqian praised Flood Great Shaman's imposing cultivation and said he would face him without wavering if they met on the battlefield.
• The Star-Seizing Emperor told Flood Great Shaman that a banquet was ready, and Flood accepted his offer of a drink.
• Flood Great Shaman asked where Dan Kong, Liehuo, and Bingming had gone, then grew angry when Wind Emperor said they had gone into the city.

Flood Great Shaman failed to reach the Great Shamans who had gone exploring and nearly fought with Star-Seizing Emperor before agreeing to drink. The chapter revealed how a handful of people learned about his Mortal World Incarnation and how he had taken a godson, leaving Flood Great Shaman determined to punish the Great Shamans when they returned.

• Flood Great Shaman ordered Great Shaman Wind Emperor to call the missing Great Shamans, but Wind Emperor found that all their phones were switched off.
• Star-Seizing Emperor urged Flood Great Shaman to let the others enjoy their visit and have a drink, but Flood Great Shaman grew furious and challenged him to fight.
• Flood Great Shaman backed down and agreed to drink with Star-Seizing Emperor, while deciding to use the Thousand Soul Nightmare Hammer on Liehuo and the others when they returned.
• The chapter explained that only a few people on the Star Soul Continent knew Zuo Changlu had fathered a son during his Mortal World Incarnation, and they kept the matter secret.
• Flood Great Shaman learned about his godson by activating a soul projection after returning, but Great Shaman Liehuo, Great Shaman Bingming, and Great Witch Dan Kong watched it with him and discovered the truth.

The Great Shamans learned how Zuo Xiaonian, Zuo Xiaoduo, and Flood Great Shaman’s linked fortunes sustained one another in a cycle none of them could safely break. At Hidden Dragon High Martial, Ye Changqing finished his report while the young people beside the officials behaved disrespectfully.

• Flood Great Shaman’s soul projection revealed his past blunder to Liehuo, Dan Kong, Bingming, and the other Great Shamans.
• The Great Shamans kept the secret from others but privately discussed it among themselves.
• The chapter explained that Zuo Xiaonian drained Flood Great Shaman’s Fortune Qi, while Zuo Xiaoduo benefited and fed good fortune back to Flood, binding all three in a self-reinforcing cycle.
• Zuo Changlu had arranged for Zuo Xiaoduo to acknowledge Flood Great Shaman as his godfather without realizing the full effect of their linked fortunes.
• Ye Changqing completed his half-hour report at Hidden Dragon High Martial as the young people beside the higher-ups yawned, slouched, and joked.

During a formal meeting at Hidden Dragon High Martial, a group of young visitors mocked the school's report and traded insults until Xiang Kuangren angrily rebuked them for their disrespect. The red-haired young man apologized to Xiang, leaving the room quiet.

• Minister Ding delivered concluding remarks after Ye Changqing's report on Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• The red-haired young man and several others mocked the report and joked about being single or having wives.
• Minister Ding ordered the young visitors to stop, but they continued joking until Xiang Kuangren slammed the table and confronted them.
• Xiang Kuangren scolded the visitors for disrespecting their hosts, including the young man in white and his female companion.
• The red-haired young man admitted they had acted improperly and apologized to Vice Principal Xiang.

Xiang Kuangren reprimanded the visiting red-haired young man for his manners, embarrassing him and making the gathered officials and students struggle to hold back their laughter. After Minister Ding and Marshal Dongfang shifted everyone toward a sparring exchange, Redhead escaped while Xiang Kuangren continued trying to advise him.

• Xiang Kuangren scolded Redhead for slouching and behaving disrespectfully, and Redhead straightened up and apologized.
• Xiang Kuangren called Redhead a good boy and warned him about youthful arrogance, while the people around them suppressed their laughter.
• Minister Ding ended the reprimand, and Marshal Dongfang proposed beginning the sparring exchange.
• Xiang Kuangren stopped Redhead as he tried to leave, then urged him to address him as sir and asked his surname.
• Redhead said his surname was Lie, and Xiang Kuangren speculated that he descended from the Flame Emperor before sympathizing with his supposedly lonely lineage.
• Minister Ding told Xiang Kuangren there was nothing more to discuss, and Redhead disappeared before Xiang Kuangren could continue advising him.

Hidden Dragon High Martial gathered for an inspection and martial competition attended by three marshals, whose solemn expressions troubled Li Chenglong and Gao Qiao'er. The chapter left them wondering why the marshals seemed burdened and unworthy of the students’ admiration.

• Xiang Kuangren gave up lecturing the red-haired student after seeing him with a female companion.
• Ye Changqing assembled the school's students and teachers around the arena for the leaders’ inspection and martial competition.
• The students enthusiastically welcomed Marshal Dongfang, Ximen Marshal, and Marshal Beigong Hao, though the marshals appeared weighed down by worries.
• Gao Qiao'er joined Li Chenglong and Zuo Xiaoduo, while Xiang Bing grew annoyed at Xiang Chong's obliviousness.
• Gao Qiao'er said the marshals seemed pessimistic about the competition, and Li Chenglong sensed they also felt helpless and unworthy of the students' cheers.

At Hidden Dragon High Martial, Minister Ding introduced three groups of visiting disciples from secluded sects and provoked the students into accepting a contest. Zuo Xiaoduo and Li Chenglong sensed a hidden plot, while Gao Qiao'er concluded that Zuo Xiaoduo was skilled in Qi Reading.

• Gao Qiao'er realized Zuo Xiaoduo's remarks about the Marshals' Fortune Qi revealed his proficiency in Qi Reading.
• Minister Ding told the students that powerful secluded sects had brought elite disciples to spar with them and warned that losing would disgrace Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• Zuo Xiaoduo shouted a disguised suggestion to settle matters with a drinking contest, making the guests laugh before he noticed they were watching him.
• The students roared that they would defeat the visitors after Minister Ding challenged them to make the visitors suffer disgrace.
• Minister Ding introduced the visitors as Team One, Team Two, and Team Five, and Gao Qiao'er told Li Chenglong their suspicions were likely correct.

Gao Qiao'er guessed that the three teams represented the Dao Alliance, Star Soul Continent, and Witch Tribe, but nobody knew why the sudden contest had been arranged. As students and officials waited without instructions, Ye Changqing and Minister Ding remained just as bewildered as everyone else.

• Gao Qiao'er reasoned that Team One likely consisted of Dao Alliance geniuses, Team Two of Star Soul Continent disciples, and Team Five of Witch Tribe fighters who might clash violently with them.
• Gao Qiao'er said the event seemed sudden and its deeper purpose was unknown, while Zuo Xiaoduo used his Qi-Viewing Technique to inspect the people on the platform.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and the students waited as the visiting teams lounged or sat formally, with no contest rules or announcement forthcoming.
• Ye Changqing received questions from teachers but could not explain the awkward silence, and his attempts to contact Minister Ding went unanswered.
• Minister Ding remained bewildered, having been brought to Hidden Dragon High Martial despite arriving at Star Radiance Mountain Range on serious business rather than to conduct an inspection.

The Central Plains King Jun Taifeng arrived at Fenghai and respectfully greeted the three Marshals, while Minister Ding announced an unpredictable martial contest called the World Martial Arts Gathering. The first draw paired two high Infant Transformation stage fighters, leaving the contest poised to begin.

• Minister Ding remained silent until the Central Plains King arrived, revealing that the gathered officials had been waiting for him.
• Jun Taifeng greeted Marshal Dongfang, Ximen Marshal, Beigong Marshal, Minister Ding, and the others, then took a seat as a witness.
• Minister Ding announced that the World Martial Arts Gathering would begin with a drawing of lots and continue until everyone had had their fill.
• Vice Principal Liu and the Team Two Captain drew Long Feixiang and Tie Xiaoniu as the first opponents.
• Minister Ding read that Long Feixiang and Tie Xiaoniu were both at the high Infant Transformation stage and was surprised by the evenly matched draw.

Long Feixiang and Tie Xiaoniu were selected for the first match, but Minister Ding announced rules that made the contest a fight to the death. Ye Changqing objected and was told the contest was now a matter of military affairs, while the Central Plains King silently reacted to the match.

• Long Feixiang and Tie Xiaoniu stepped onto the platform as the first pair of contestants.
• Minister Ding read rules declaring that contestants bore responsibility for injury or death, and that anyone who conceded without fighting would be expelled from High Martial and the military and political departments for life.
• Ye Changqing challenged the deadly rules, but Minister Ding said the contest concerned the coming war and no longer involved Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• Marshal Dongfang told Ye Changqing to remain a spectator, and Ye Changqing reluctantly agreed.
• Gao Qiao'er and Li Chenglong predicted that multiple people would die, while Xiang Bing's fighting spirit surged.

Zuo Xiaoduo watched the deadly confrontation and warned Li Chenglong to restrain Xiang Chong and Xiang Bing. Tie Xiaoniu killed Long Feixiang with a single saber slash, leaving the Central Plains King shaken as Ximen Marshal told him to keep watching.

• Zuo Xiaoduo used his Physiognomy on Long Feixiang and Tie Xiaoniu, then ordered Li Chenglong to stop Xiang Chong and Xiang Bing from acting rashly.
• Long Feixiang opened the first match with his Nine Heavens Thunder Sword, aiming a lightning-fast strike at Tie Xiaoniu's throat.
• Tie Xiaoniu dodged Long Feixiang's sword by a hair and cut off his head with one plain saber slash.
• Long Feixiang's headless body charged off the platform before collapsing, while his head fell back onto the platform.
• The Central Plains King stood up in shock, and Ximen Marshal told him to sit down and watch because there was still plenty of time.

Tie Xiaoniu killed Hidden Dragon High Martial’s student with a single stroke, winning the first bout and shocking the school. Minister Ding then used the loss to warn the students that their lack of battle experience would get them killed on the battlefield.

• Tie Xiaoniu beheaded his opponent in one stroke, then calmly thanked him for the match.
• Minister Ding declared Tie Xiaoniu the winner of the first bout.
• Ye Changqing stopped Hidden Dragon High Martial’s students from rushing the platform, while Ximen Marshal urged them to remain calm.
• Minister Ding rebuked the students, calling them weak and warning that inexperienced fighters would die on the battlefield and give merit to the enemy.

Minister Ding warned the students that the battlefield was brutal and ordered the second match to begin, using the contest to confront their romanticized ideas of war. Hidden Dragon High Martial’s Chen Tang was matched against Team Two’s Wang Xiaoma, and the Central Plains King reacted with alarm when he heard Chen Tang’s name.

• Minister Ding condemned the students’ naive ideas about battlefield glory and warned that many would die without even leaving bodies behind.
• Minister Ding announced the second match and said the students would learn what fighting to the death meant.
• Gao Qiao’er and Li Chenglong realized their guess about where the bloodshed would come from had been wrong, while Xiang Bing fumed as she watched them exchange looks.
• Vice Principal Liu announced that Chen Tang of Hidden Dragon High Martial, ranked second, would face Team Two’s nineteenth-ranked Wang Xiaoma; both were at the High Infant Transformation stage.
• The Central Plains King stiffened and showed anger and alarm when he heard Chen Tang’s name.

Chen Tang was killed by Wang Xiaoma in the second bout, and the Central Plains King struggled to face the sight of blood. Ximen Marshal recounted why the King’s father chose the battlefield over the dangers of court politics, leaving the King to consider his father’s legacy.

• Chen Tang rejected the thought of surrendering and faced Wang Xiaoma on the arena platform.
• Wang Xiaoma defeated Chen Tang in two saber strikes, killing him and giving Team Two another victory over Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• The Central Plains King tried to leave, but Ximen Marshal, Marshal Dongfang, and Marshal Beigong Hao insisted that he remain and learn to endure the sight of blood.
• The Central Plains King regained his composure and asked Ximen Marshal what his father had said before his final battle.
• Ximen Marshal explained that the King’s father went to war to avoid being drawn into a succession struggle and to preserve a path to survival for his descendants.

Ximen Marshal confronted the Central Plains King and ordered him to remain seated while the matches continued. When Xiao Junyi was called to fight Lan Xiaotu, she hesitated before entering the arena and shocked the venue by calling out to her godfather.

• Ximen Marshal told the Central Plains King that he was watching him and ordered him not to move.
• Vice Principal Liu announced that Xiao Junyi would fight Team Two's Lan Xiaotu, whose cultivation matched hers.
• Xiao Junyi walked toward the arena while the students worried over the famed beauty being called into a duel to the death.
• Xiao Junyi hesitated at the arena's edge as Ximen Marshal ordered her to enter and fight.
• Xiao Junyi cried that she did not want to die and called out to her godfather, silencing the venue.

Xiao Junyi revealed that the Central Plains King was her godfather and entered the arena despite his urging her to concede. Lan Xiaotu killed her with one sword stroke, leaving the Central Plains King stunned and Xiao Junyi’s grieving admirers demanding revenge.

• The Central Plains King declared that he was only a spectator and that Xiao Junyi was no longer his goddaughter at Hidden Dragon High Martial.
• The Central Plains King asked Ximen Marshal to spare Xiao Junyi because the Crown Prince was considering her as a consort, but Ximen Marshal refused.
• The Central Plains King told Xiao Junyi she could concede, but an unseen force sent her into the arena, where she drew her sword to face Lan Xiaotu.
• Lan Xiaotu beheaded Xiao Junyi with a single strike, shocking the Central Plains King and the students watching.
• A group of male students who had loved Xiao Junyi drew their swords and called for Lan Xiaotu’s life, while Lan Xiaotu stood ready to fight them.

After Lan Xiaotu killed Xiao Junyi, Li Chenglong explained that the Central Plains King’s plan to secure Xiao Junyi as Crown Prince Consort had been thwarted, while Zuo Xiaoduo sensed how the gathered leaders’ Fortune Qi had crushed her promising destiny. The chapter ended with Lan Xiaotu ignoring the students’ threats and Zuo Xiaoduo judging that those who persisted in seeking revenge had doomed their own futures.

• Ye Changqing stopped the students from rushing forward after Xiao Junyi’s death, while the teams watched in silence.
• Li Chenglong deduced that the Central Plains King had planned to make Xiao Junyi Crown Prince Consort and that the three Marshals had come to restrain him.
• Zuo Xiaoduo recalled seeing a half-formed crown above Xiao Junyi and realized that the great figures’ Fortune Qi had scattered her fate.
• Several young men wept and shouted threats of revenge at Lan Xiaotu, but she walked away without acknowledging them.
• Zuo Xiaoduo concluded that those who kept pursuing revenge after being warned had chosen a dead end.

Ye Changqing pleaded with Marshal Dongfang to spare the students implicated in the Central Plains King's scheme, and learned that His Majesty had personally requested the purge. The ten students killed included nine of the Central Plains King’s illegitimate sons, destroying a carefully built plan to expand his influence through Hidden Dragon High Martial and Xiao Junyi.

• Ye Changqing asked Marshal Dongfang to give the students another chance, while Dongfang warned that their futures could threaten the realm if they became the Central Plains King's allies.
• Marshal Dongfang told Ye Changqing that His Majesty had personally requested the operation.
• Minister Ding called seven more names, bringing the total to ten Hidden Dragon geniuses killed in successive battles.
• The Central Plains King realized that nine of the dead students were his illegitimate sons.
• The Central Plains King's plan to build a network of powerful lineages through his sons and Xiao Junyi was shattered.