Recaps

Xie Jinhuan faced Shen Jinyu beneath Snow Cliff and used lightning and a chain of close-range attacks to overcome the assassin’s ambush. He drained Shen Jinyu’s blood energy to kill him, then turned his attention outside the mountain.

• Shen Jinyu concealed himself in snow and fog while Xie Jinhuan pretended not to know his position.
• Xie Jinhuan baited Shen Jinyu into attacking from behind, then struck him with a lightning pillar that briefly paralyzed him.
• Xie Jinhuan smashed Shen Jinyu into Snow Cliff with the Heavenly Gang Mace and followed with a sword thrust through his chest.
• Shen Jinyu tried to counterattack, but Xie Jinhuan caught his cracked sword and drained his blood energy until he died.
• Xie Jinhuan suppressed his bloodthirsty fervor and looked outside the mountain.

Xie Jinhuan defeated Shen Jinyu, then recognized the fleeing Wei Jili as a possible link between the Nether God Sect and Snow Eagle Ridge. He let Wei Jili escape to avoid alerting the Wei Household, returned to the others, and charged at Monk Xuyin after hearing that his wife was under attack.

• Nangong Ye, Monk Xuyin, Wei Jili, and Bu Yuehua stopped fighting when Xie Jinhuan and Shen Jinyu's battle shattered a snowy cliff, and Wei Jili and Monk Xuyin fled in opposite directions.
• Xie Jinhuan emerged unharmed from the rubble after defeating Shen Jinyu, chased Wei Jili, and learned from Ghost Wife that the disguised martial artist was Wei Jili.
• Xie Jinhuan suspected Wei Jili's ties to the Nether God Sect implicated Snow Eagle Ridge and possibly Wei Wuyi, so he pretended to tire and let Wei Jili escape without realizing his identity was known.
• Nangong Ye, Bu Yuehua, Linghu Qingmo, and Zhao Ling attacked Monk Xuyin's golden bell while Nangong Ye kept him trapped inside.
• Xie Jinhuan returned and roared that Monk Xuyin dared bully his wife, while Bu Yuehua realized he meant the women fighting at the glacier.

Xie Jinhuan and his allies defeated Monk Xuyin, but Xie Jinhuan nearly succumbed to demonic frenzy before Ringing-Gold Sand calmed him. When Nangong Ye checked on him, he kissed her instead, leaving the group in sudden silence.

• Xie Jinhuan joined Bu Yuehua and Nangong Ye in breaking Monk Xuyin’s Golden Bell Phantom, and Nangong Ye attacked him with the Zhenglun Sword.
• Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye overwhelmed Monk Xuyin, whose golden body shattered under their combined assault.
• Xie Jinhuan seized Monk Xuyin and drained his blood qi, while Nangong Ye warned him that he was nearing demonic madness.
• Nangong Ye used Ringing-Gold Sand to suppress Xie Jinhuan’s baleful qi, but Monk Xuyin had already become a withered corpse.
• Nangong Ye checked Xie Jinhuan’s pulse, and he scooped her up and kissed her.

Xie Jinhuan’s demonic possession made him lose control and kiss Nangong Ye before Bu Yuehua subdued him and took him away. As she tried to help him in the mountains, he again acted on his overpowering impulses, while Ye Hongshang watched and Bu Yuehua unexpectedly slipped into a detached, meditative state.

• Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling watched as Xie Jinhuan suddenly seized Nangong Ye and kissed her, and Bu Yuehua stopped him with silver needles.
• Bu Yuehua carried Xie Jinhuan away to suppress his demonic nature, while Nangong Ye left with Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling after they comforted her.
• Xie Jinhuan remained restless in the mountains and pulled Bu Yuehua into a snow hollow as she tried to calm him down.
• Ye Hongshang appeared and watched as Bu Yuehua’s awareness faded into a strangely calm, meditative state.

Nangong Ye struggled with the effects of the Thousand Threads Soul-Tethering Curse while Xie Jinhuan’s actions drew him into an embarrassing encounter with Bu Yuehua. Meanwhile, Wei Jili and He Tianqi escaped Snow Mountain and feared that Xie Jinhuan’s blood sacrifices had made him powerful enough to threaten Wei Jili’s father.

• Nangong Ye felt the Thousand Threads Soul-Tethering Curse affecting him in the cave and left to check on Bu Yuehua, telling Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling to stay behind.
• Nangong Ye found Xie Jinhuan and Bu Yuehua together beneath the snow, and Xie Jinhuan pulled him into the encounter.
• Wei Jili fled Snow Mountain and met He Tianqi, who had escaped without looking back; they concluded their identities might remain concealed and decided to warn Luojing.
• Wei Jili and He Tianqi discussed how Xie Jinhuan had survived their ambush and gained power through blood sacrifices, estimating that he could reach the Middle Fourth Realm.
• Wei Jili worried that Xie Jinhuan could become strong enough to threaten his father, and the two hurried away before Xie Jinhuan could catch them.

After recovering from their ordeal, Xie Jinhuan discovered evidence that Wei Wuyi might have turned against the Righteous Path and decided to return to Luojing to investigate. He set out with Zhao Ling and Linghu Qingmo while Nangong Ye went to find medicine, but her tense reaction to his parting touch left their companions puzzled.

• Xie Jinhuan recovered in the snow den while Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua bickered and briefly fought.
• Xie Jinhuan realized Wei Wuyi's son might be involved in trouble at Snow Eagle Ridge and said he needed to return to Luojing to investigate.
• Nangong Ye advised Xie Jinhuan to seek help from Zhang and said she would deliver the ringing-gold sand to Yanjing before rejoining him.
• Xie Jinhuan returned to the cavern and told Linghu Qingmo and Zhao Ling to pack for the journey to Luojing.
• Nangong Ye said she would go to the Northern Region to obtain pills for Xie Jinhuan and told Linghu Qingmo to stay with him.
• As Xie Jinhuan discreetly touched Nangong Ye's shoulder while leaving, she reflexively shocked him, then claimed she was checking whether his demonic nature was suppressed.

Xie Jinhuan returned to Danyang with Zhao Ling and Linghu Qingmo and planned to investigate the Nether God Sect's remaining forces without alerting possible infiltrators. In Yanjing, Bu Yuehua revealed Lin Wanyi's hidden status as Missing Moon Manor's Holy Maiden, surprising Lin Zisu and Nangong Ye before they prepared to leave for Danyang.

• Xie Jinhuan brought Zhao Ling and Linghu Qingmo back to Danyang and said they would seek Martial Uncle Zhang Guan's help while keeping the Nether God Sect investigation quiet.
• Zhao Ling asked whether they could rely on the Pill King's Residence and the Academy, but Xie Jinhuan decided to wait until they knew more and ideally until Nangong Ye and the others arrived.
• Lin Wanyi and Lin Zisu discussed a pill meant to make a woman lose confidence, but their conversation was interrupted by Bu Yuehua and Nangong Ye arriving.
• Bu Yuehua told Lin Zisu that Lin Wanyi was a disciple of Missing Moon Manor and its Holy Maiden and successor, leaving Lin Zisu and Nangong Ye astonished.
• Nangong Ye asked Lin Zisu to refine pills, while Lin Wanyi prepared welcome tea and the group got ready to discuss matters.

Lin Zisu eagerly joined Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua’s return journey after agreeing to refine Xie Jinhuan’s pill on the road. At Purple Emblem Mountain, Xie Jinhuan developed a theory that Wei Wuyi had helped shape Wei Yin into a half-demon weapon and ordered Zhang Guan to investigate the capital’s powerful cultivators before deciding their next move.

• Lin Zisu agreed to make the pill while traveling, and Nangong Ye prepared to leave with her and Bu Yuehua.
• Zhang Guan and Xie Jinhuan reviewed records about Wei Wuyi, Snow Eagle Ridge, and the Jian'an Incident.
• Xie Jinhuan suspected that the Nether God Sect had given Wei Wuyi a modified half-demon infant, Wei Yin, to train as a weapon.
• Xie Jinhuan asked Zhang Guan to quietly investigate powerful cultivators and the movements of the Emperor and Crown Prince.
• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo decided to wait for Zhang Guan's information before going to Danyang, then left the courtyard together.

Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo investigated the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum, where they found signs that Lü Yan had been held there and later disappeared. Meanwhile, the court reacted to the reported assassination attempt, and Wei Wuyi reflected on the prejudice and compromises that had shaped his life before leaving Qingmiao Alley.

• Xie Jinhuan used the Yellow Qilin Seal to open the mausoleum and found an empty sack, campfire remains, and a threat scratched into the Demon-Suppressing Coffin lid.
• Xie Jinhuan concluded that Lü Yan had been imprisoned there but remained uncertain whether the White-Haired Immortal had killed or released him.
• Xie Jinhuan spread word that Monk Xuyin and Shen Jinyu had tried to assassinate him, and the report reached Zhao Xiao in Luojing.
• Zhao Xiao struck Zhao De with his belt over his response to the assassination attempt, then ordered officials and sect leaders to wait at Linde Hall.
• Wei Wuyi recalled his childhood, his exclusion from the Righteous Path, and why he had compromised with Sikong Tianyuan.
• Wei Wuyi finished his wine, left silver on the table, and walked out of the tavern after one last look at Qingmiao Alley.

Xie Jinhuan played a mystery-box drinking game with Zhao Ling, Linghu Qingmo, and Ye Hongshang, but the boxes and pointed questions left him embarrassed. Elsewhere, Jiang Hehai investigated the Immortal Transformation Sect and witnessed a mysterious sedan chair carried by two Transcendent Grade women, leaving him wary of the powerful figure inside.

• Zhao Ling proposed a mystery-box game in which Xie Jinhuan had to use each item or answer a question honestly, while Ye Hongshang added a wager.
• Linghu Qingmo picked a box containing a bell artifact, and Xie Jinhuan declined to use it, prompting Zhao Ling to question him about holding Senior Nangong and touching her while drunk.
• Linghu Qingmo tested a little artifact whip on Xie Jinhuan, and he discovered that it produced an intense sensation before she used it on him in turn.
• Xie Jinhuan found black stockings in another box and chose to answer Zhao Ling's question, indirectly admitting that he had touched the place Wang He had asked about at Peony Pond.
• Zhao Ling poured wine into Xie Jinhuan's mouth, and Linghu Qingmo flicked Zhao Ling with the whip as the friends began a night of revelry.
• Jiang Hehai investigated reports of possible Immortal Transformation Sect connections, then spotted a sedan chair carried through the clouds by two Transcendent Grade women and bowed to its mysterious occupant from afar.

After a drunken night, Xie Jinhuan took Linghu Qingmo back to his room, where their teasing turned into kisses and more intimate play. The next morning, Zhao Ling found Qingmo bathing alone and denied that anything improper had happened.

• Coal Ball woke Xie Jinhuan, who covered the sleeping Zhao Ling, fed the pet, and carried Linghu Qingmo back to his room.
• Xie Jinhuan undressed Linghu Qingmo and climbed into bed with him; Qingmo protested when Xie Jinhuan began touching him.
• Linghu Qingmo agreed to massage Xie Jinhuan, and Xie Jinhuan secretly put a piece of jewelry on him, prompting Qingmo to pretend to be angry.
• Linghu Qingmo declared Xie Jinhuan out of chances, then admitted he was no longer angry and kissed him; Xie Jinhuan returned several kisses.
• The next morning, Zhao Ling woke in the Commandery Princess's Manor and found Linghu Qingmo bathing alone.
• Zhao Ling questioned Linghu Qingmo about the previous night, but he denied doing anything improper and insisted he was merely hungover.

Zhao Ling confronted Xie Jinhuan about his drunken confession, then agreed to return to the Capital City with him before investigating the Nether God Sect. In Phoenix Harbor, Sikong Tianyuan revealed a blindfolded, lifeless figure meant to draw Xie Jinhuan away while the Gu Poison Sect watched events unfold.

• Zhao Ling confronted Xie Jinhuan, who admitted his conduct and promised to take responsibility, and she ordered him to root out the remaining Nether God Sect members.
• Zhao Ling and Xie Jinhuan reviewed intelligence about Luojing, including Monk Wuxin's journey to the Northwest and the Blood Rain Tower's new leader, Wei Kun.
• Xie Jinhuan decided they would return to the Capital City to meet the emperor and Empress before investigating the Nether God Sect.
• Chen Yishan met Sikong Tianyuan in Phoenix Harbor and warned that Xie Jinhuan could expose their people in Luojing.
• Sikong Tianyuan brought out a blindfolded figure and said it would draw Xie Jinhuan away while the Demon Path handled the rest.

Xie Jinhuan and Commandery Princess Changning returned to the capital and were welcomed by Zhao De and Xu Tong before heading to the palace to see the emperor. Xu Tong failed to join them and planned to privately sound out the emperor later.

• Xie Jinhuan escorted Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo through Heavenly Street, where crowds gathered to admire his Transcendent Grade reputation.
• At the Eldest Princess's Residence, Zhao De greeted Xie Jinhuan with teasing remarks while Xu Tong and several young nobles welcomed the returning party.
• Xie Jinhuan suspected Fan Li's replacement as Zhao De's teacher reflected a struggle between Confucian factions, with Xu Tong's faction gaining influence under the new emperor.
• Zhao De invited Xie Jinhuan to a banquet, but Zhao Ling stopped him from avoiding the palace audience and ordered him back to the Eastern Palace to study.
• Zhao Ling and Xie Jinhuan departed for the Imperial City, while Xu Tong told Huangfu Qi he would seek a private opportunity to question the emperor.

Xie Jinhuan warned Zhao Xiao that Nether God Sect remnants might have infiltrated the Capital City and examined the emperor, empress, and Pill King for signs of tampering. He arranged protections for Zhao Xiao and sent Lu Wuzhen to guard the palace while he continued investigating suspected agents.

• Xie Jinhuan told Zhao Xiao and Empress Xu that Nether God Sect remnants remained in the Capital City and might have targeted the imperial family.
• Xie Jinhuan examined Empress Xu and Zhao Xiao, found no signs of recent tampering, and learned Zhao Xiao had suffered a Divine Soul injury during the Jian'an Rebellion.
• Zhao Ling suggested Zhao De might be the target, and Zhao Xiao proposed removing him as Crown Prince, prompting Empress Xu to object before they had investigated.
• Xie Jinhuan placed a Divine Soul Mark on Zhao Xiao and urged him and Empress Xu to keep their discussion secret and beware of those close to them.
• Xie Jinhuan told Lu Wuzhen that Qixia True Person had warned of powerful Nether God Sect remnants and asked him to protect Zhao Xiao and Empress Xu.
• Lu Wuzhen hurried to the Imperial City to guard the emperor, while Xie Jinhuan set off to investigate Wei Yin's background.

Xie Jinhuan traveled to Huzhou under the pretext of investigating Blood Rain Tower so he could secretly test Wei Yin and determine whether he was a half-demon. As Blood Rain Tower’s hall masters argued over their survival, they learned that a mysterious member had confronted Wei Yin and hurried to see what would happen.

• Xie Jinhuan announced his trip to Huzhou to investigate Blood Rain Tower, then waited at Consort Xiang Lake for a chance to confront Wei Yin alone.
• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo played cards while Coal Ball searched for Wei Yin, and Xie Jinhuan later followed the bird’s signal toward the city.
• Blood Rain Tower’s hall masters gathered to debate whether to disband or seek a settlement, while Fan Hainie explained that rumors about a successor named Wei Kun were unfounded.
• A lookout reported that Wei Yin had arrived and that a Blood Rain Tower member had boldly stopped him, prompting the hall masters to arm themselves and go watch.

Wei Yin tried to recruit the Blood Rain Tower for Snow Eagle Ridge, while Xie Jinhuan confronted him in disguise. The Blood Rain Tower’s leaders rejected both men’s plans and began considering capturing Wei Yin to pledge allegiance to Xie Jinhuan.

• Wei Yin rode alone through Huzhou to meet the Blood Rain Tower’s remnants and recruit them for Snow Eagle Ridge.
• Xie Jinhuan, disguised as Wei Kun, confronted Wei Yin and learned that he had come to offer the Blood Rain Tower secret protection in exchange for obedience.
• Xie Jinhuan rejected Wei Yin’s offer on the Blood Rain Tower’s behalf, but the sect’s leaders rushed in and said they were willing to negotiate.
• Fan Hainie and the other leaders argued that joining Snow Eagle Ridge was their best chance to survive Xie Jinhuan’s threat.
• Xie Jinhuan suggested capturing Wei Yin as a pledge of allegiance to him, and the Blood Rain Tower’s leaders began eyeing Wei Yin with hostility.

Xie Jinhuan disguised himself as a Blood Rain Tower assassin and drove Wei Yin into revealing his half-demon transformation, then staged a retreat when Momo signaled the Imperial Court’s arrival. The chapter ended with Xie Jinhuan appearing in white above the river, leaving the Blood Rain Tower members to realize that their new tower master had been left behind.

• The Blood Rain Tower hall masters turned against Wei Yin, and Xie Jinhuan wounded him with three throwing knives before provoking him into a fight.
• Xie Jinhuan pressured Wei Yin until his half-demon body briefly transformed, revealing a connection between Wei Wuyi and the Nether God Sect.
• Wei Yin tried to flee, but Xie Jinhuan revealed his transcendent strength, incapacitated him, and struck his qi sea.
• Momo fired an Imperial Court signal, prompting Xie Jinhuan and the Blood Rain Tower members to retreat without taking Wei Yin.
• Xie Jinhuan appeared in white above the river and declared that the Imperial Court would not tolerate attacks on its officials, while Fan Hainie realized the new tower master had been left behind.

Xie Jinhuan exposed Wei Yin’s half-demon nature and questioned his loyalty to Wei Wuyi, then persuaded him to reveal what he knew about their plans. After knocking Wei Yin unconscious, Xie Jinhuan planned to disguise his capture as a rescue and rush back to warn Sect Master Lu before Wei Wuyi’s allies could react.

• Xie Jinhuan revealed that he had been fighting Wei Yin and challenged Wei Yin’s claim that Wei Wuyi had been unjustly suppressed by the Righteous Path.
• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo persuaded Wei Yin to cooperate, and Wei Yin explained that his unusual physique had been monitored since childhood and that Wei Wuyi planned to seize control of the court and realm with powerful allies.
• Wei Yin disclosed that a former retainer of the Pill King’s Residence aided Wei Wuyi and that Wei Wuyi had tried to awaken Crown Prince Zhao De’s Shen Monkey bloodline gift using Wei Yin’s blood.
• Xie Jinhuan knocked Wei Yin unconscious and decided to claim that Blood Rain Tower had held him captive, then send him toward the capital under Scarlet Qilin Guard escort.
• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo prepared to return at once and warn Sect Master Lu before Wei Wuyi’s faction could become alert.

After defeating Shen Jinyu and securing the Blood Rain Tower, Xie Jinhuan hurried toward the capital with Momo and Wei Yin. Near Huzhou, two foreign Cultivators attacked, forcing Xie Jinhuan to defend a town from a Poison Master while Linghu Qingmo sent word to the Yellow Qilin Seal.

• Fan Hainie told Xie Jinhuan that Shen Jinyu had fled after their clash and pledged the Blood Rain Tower’s obedience, while Xie Jinhuan warned that its members would still face punishment.
• Xie Jinhuan arranged for Wei Yin to be returned to the capital, instructed the Blood Rain Tower members to report what had happened, and set off with Momo.
• Coal Ball spotted two strange figures approaching from the south, and Linghu Qingmo identified them as foreign Cultivators and recorded what he had witnessed.
• A white-haired, armored attacker charged Xie Jinhuan as a Poison Master unleashed a vast poisonous mist over a town near Huzhou.
• Xie Jinhuan knocked the clawed attacker back with Heavenly Gang and used wind magic to divert the poisonous mist away from the town.
• Linghu Qingmo urged Xie Jinhuan to send a report to the Yellow Qilin Seal, while Xie Jinhuan plunged toward the ground to confront the threat.

Xie Jinhuan fought Bu Qingya and a white-haired Nether God Sect member in Huzhou, then fled toward Ningzhou while waiting for reinforcements. In Luojing, Nangong Ye detected a powerful battle in Huzhou and hurried south with Bu Yuehua.

• Xie Jinhuan recognized the attacker’s Soul-Seizing Lock and was caught briefly in Bu Qingya’s Heart Moon Fox Pupil illusion.
• Xie Jinhuan fought off the white-haired pursuer and the chain, but Moonfire and poison injured his soul and began draining his blood essence.
• Xie Jinhuan picked up Linghu Qingmo and fled toward Ningzhou, while the white-haired pursuer threatened nearby towns to force him to turn back.
• In Luojing, Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua waited at the Directorate of Celestial Observation for Xie Jinhuan to return.
• Nangong Ye detected signs of cultivators fighting in Huzhou, ordered the disturbance reported, and rushed south with Bu Yuehua.

Xie Jinhuan and his allies fought the White-Haired Man and the Poison Master, who used Bu Qingya as both a weapon and a hostage. After the battle turned against them, the White-Haired Man stopped the fighting and said he had come to discuss something with Xie Jinhuan.

• Monk Jinghai answered Xie Jinhuan’s call for reinforcements but was overwhelmed by the Poison Master’s beguiling art until Nangong Ye arrived with the Seven Dharma Swords.
• Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua helped Xie Jinhuan corner the White-Haired Man, while Bu Yuehua’s ancestor possessed her and disrupted the power of heaven and earth, forcing the enemies out of the mist and flames.
• Xie Jinhuan struck the White-Haired Man with his flying wheel, while Bu Qingya fought with poisoned vines and the Soul-Seizing Lock.
• A Piao, acting through Bu Yuehua, grabbed the Soul-Seizing Lock and held it fast, allowing Xie Jinhuan to charge the White-Haired Man.
• The White-Haired Man threatened to kill Bu Qingya through their bound souls, then offered to discuss his purpose with Xie Jinhuan.

Bai Xu explained the Nether God Sect’s origins and the Corpse Ancestor’s plan to remake heaven and earth, arguing that cultivators joined because they had no hope under the existing order. When Bu Qingya broke free of her restraint, Xie Jinhuan struck Bai Xu and seized him.

• Bai Xu introduced himself as a guardian of the Nether God Sect and stalled Xie Jinhuan with an account of its history.
• Bai Xu said the Corpse Ancestor had sought the Human Emperor’s Cauldron and planned to remake heaven and earth to end the cultivation world’s scarcity.
• Bai Xu explained that the Nether God Sect recruited cultivators by offering them a chance to escape the limits of the existing order.
• Xie Jinhuan challenged Bai Xu’s justification and defended his intervention against the He Clan’s crimes.
• Bu Qingya moved as her restraint broke, and Xie Jinhuan pierced Bai Xu with the Zhenglun Sword and pinned him by the throat.

Xie Jinhuan used the Essence-Seizing Demonic Art to extract Bai Xu’s soul and help sustain Bu Qingya, but the art sent him into a state of uncontrolled desire before a pill brought him partly back to his senses. In Capital City, Wei Wuyi seized King Xiang’s Order and fled after cutting into the Eight Directions Illumination Tower, prompting Lu Wuzhen to pursue him.

• Xie Jinhuan drained Bai Xu and Ye Hongshang used the Soul-Seizing Lock to extract Bai Xu’s soul and bind it to Bu Qingya, keeping him alive.
• Xie Jinhuan’s demonic art drove him to kiss and grope Nangong Ye and Linghu Qingmo until they managed to give him an A Little Decency Pill.
• Xie Jinhuan realized Bai Xu had been waiting to break the restraining spell, while Ye Hongshang sensed that something had happened in Capital City.
• Lu Wuzhen delivered Xie Jinhuan’s findings about Wei Wuyi to Zhao Xiao and warned that a high-ranking insider threatened the emperor’s safety.
• Wei Wuyi cut a corner from the Eight Directions Illumination Tower with King Xiang’s Order and fled the city, so Lu Wuzhen gave Zhao Xiao’s guards orders and pursued him.

Xu Tong revealed himself as a traitor and attacked Zhao Xiao’s party inside Black Tortoise Hall, demanding information about the Late Emperor and the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum. Zhao Xiao refused to yield, while Zhao De’s unexpected humor helped defuse the tense confrontation.

• Zhao Xiao brought Zhao De and his retainers into Black Tortoise Hall, where he whipped the crown prince for his foolish remarks.
• Cao Fo'er noticed danger as Xu Tong attacked him with a Golden Awl and immobilized him, then seized Fan Li and held Zhao De at swordpoint.
• Xu Tong admitted that he had plotted with the Demon Path and explained that Xie Jinhuan’s discoveries had forced him to act.
• Xu Tong demanded that Zhao Xiao reveal what he knew about the Late Emperor’s private summons, but Zhao Xiao said the Late Emperor had warned him that the founding sages had made them bait for their enemies.
• Zhao De joked that Xu Tong should question him instead, and Zhao Xiao and Fan Li found his remark unexpectedly amusing.

Xu Tong deduced that the emperor or Fan Li knew the location of the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum and attacked them in Black Tortoise Hall, while Zhao De unexpectedly struck him first. Xie Jinhuan returned to the Capital City, found the emperor poisoned and Fan Li incapacitated, and hurried to investigate the Academy after Fan Li whispered its name.

• Xu Tong narrowed the people who might know the secrets of the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum and Qilin Cave, then threatened Zhao Xiao and Fan Li.
• Zhao De smashed a jade chess table into Xu Tong, but Xu Tong seized him and then used a ghost cultivation method on Fan Li.
• Xie Jinhuan raced back to the Capital City after the Divine Soul Mark warned him that the emperor was in danger.
• Zhao Ling told Xie Jinhuan that Wei Wuyi had damaged the Eight Directions Illumination Tower and stolen King Xiang's Order and the Imperial Succession Secret Canon.
• Xie Jinhuan broke into Black Tortoise Hall and found Zhao Xiao poisoned, Cao Fo'er immobilized, and Fan Li seemingly broken by an illusion.
• Fan Li regained a moment of awareness and whispered “Academy,” so Xie Jinhuan left to investigate while Zhao Ling summoned Imperial Physicians.