Recaps

Xie Jinhuan confronted Zhou He and two Scarlet Qilin Guards over their attempt to frame and silence him, revealing that he had uncovered a Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum on Purple Emblem Mountain. After Zhou He explained the old case involving Xie Jinhuan’s father, Xie killed the three guards and left the tavern undetected.

• Zhou He and two Scarlet Qilin Guards discussed their suspicions about Xie Jinhuan and considered reporting or killing him.
• Xie Jinhuan entered the tavern, dismissed the waiter, and told Zhou He that he had released a powerful demon from a Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum on Purple Emblem Mountain.
• Xie Jinhuan demanded to know why the Scarlet Qilin Guard held a grudge against him, and Zhou He described the Imperial Palace haunting case that led to Xie Wen’s demotion and exile.
• Zhou He said Xie Jinhuan could ask Thousand-Household Commander Duan about the demon that attacked him and his father on their way to Lingnan.
• When a warning signal announced approaching soldiers, Xie Jinhuan killed the two guards with spinning teacups and fatally wounded Zhou He in a sword fight.
• Xie Jinhuan left silver for the tavern and escaped, while Zhou He lay dying as passersby praised Xie Jinhuan.

Xie Jinhuan returned from killing Zhou He and his two attendants, only to find that Ye Hongshang had impersonated him to entertain Commandery Princess Changning. He kept the deception going with music and dancing until Yang Dabiao announced the murders, and Changning let him leave without realizing he had been responsible.

• Xie Jinhuan slipped back into the residence after killing three people, while Ye Hongshang finished stalling Commandery Princess Changning with an illusion of him.
• Ye Hongshang coached Xie Jinhuan to act shamelessly, and he entertained Changning by playing the pipa and teaching her to dance.
• Ye Hongshang joined Xie Jinhuan and Changning in dancing until Yang Dabiao arrived with news that Zhou He and two attendants had been murdered.
• Yang Dabiao asked Xie Jinhuan to inspect the crime scene, but Changning sent him to ask Lord Tie instead.
• Changning dismissed Xie Jinhuan and later wondered whether he had been the one to make the wine feel so strong.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xie Jinhuan avoided the Yamen’s investigation into the Scarlet Qilin Guards’ deaths while speaking with Linghu Qingmo and Lin Wanyi. After Zisu’s Ever-Smiling Powder caught Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi in its effects, he set out for the evening banquet at Peony Pond.

• Xie Jinhuan reasoned that Han Jingchuan would eventually need to be killed, but focused first on escaping Danyang City as the Yamen investigated the three dead Scarlet Qilin Guards.
• Linghu Qingmo told Xie Jinhuan he was investigating the deaths and advised him to rest before accompanying Commandery Princess Changning to the banquet.
• Xie Jinhuan explained that he had secured Commandery Princess Changning’s agreement to lend Lin Wanyi the Martial Dao Divine Canon, easing her anger over his earlier teasing.
• Zisu secretly exposed Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi to Ever-Smiling Powder, and Lin Wanyi gave Xie Jinhuan an antidote.
• Xie Jinhuan invited Lin Wanyi and Zisu to the Peony Pond banquet, and Lin Wanyi warned him to take a mind-clearing pill if anything seemed wrong.

Xie Jinhuan joined Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo for Danyang City's Mid-Autumn festival while Lin Wanyi and Lin Zisu explored Peony Pond. On a nearby gambling ship, Taishu Dan and He Can realized Xie Jinhuan might be at the festival and discussed the danger of their Blood Demon Pill scheme being discovered.

• Xie Jinhuan met Liu Qingzhi and Steward Hou, then traveled with Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo, admiring Linghu Qingmo's dressed-up appearance.
• Lin Wanyi and Lin Zisu arrived at Peony Pond and learned from Jia Zheng that a huge treasure ship on the river was a gambling ship.
• He Can told Taishu Dan that he suspected Xie Jinhuan was at Peony Pond after spotting Lin Wanyi among the crowds.
• Taishu Dan reasoned that Lin Wanyi might be connected to Missing Moon Manor and knew about the Mad Corpse Flower and the Corpse-Hiding Cave.
• Taishu Dan said their Blood Demon Pill plan would proceed that night and hinted that Xie Jinhuan's father's death involved a Demon Path faction.

Xie Jinhuan joined Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo at a drinking party, where Wang He outclassed them at dice. He proposed a guessing game to turn the contest around, but Wang He raised the difficulty after he guessed her first prompt instantly.

• Commandery Princess Changning challenged Wang He to a dice contest, and Xie Jinhuan secretly tried to help her read the rolls.
• Wang He revealed her mastery of dice and beat Commandery Princess Changning, while Xie Jinhuan drank the five cups for her.
• Xie Jinhuan proposed a team guessing game, and Commandery Princess Changning blindfolded him for the first round.
• Commandery Princess Changning hinted at Wang He's prompt, and Xie Jinhuan immediately guessed “Bellyband.”
• Wang He drank for losing, then restricted the hints to one person at a time and prepared a more difficult prompt for Linghu Qingmo.

Xie Jinhuan impressed Commandery Princess Changning and her guests with his knowledge during a guessing game, then investigated a suspicious treasure ship after Ghost Wife sensed unusual qi aboard. Meanwhile, the Dan King Pavilion detected immense Blood Baleful Qi downstream on the Huai River, prompting the Pill King to send powerful allies to hunt the threat.

• Xie Jinhuan answered Wang He's difficult questions with impressive knowledge and cleverly explained his guess of the white tiger, though Commandery Princess Changning pinched him for its suggestive meaning.
• Ghost Wife warned Xie Jinhuan that the departing treasure ship had unusual qi gathering in its tower, and he left the pleasure boat to investigate.
• The Pill King learned that Ling'er had spent two hours alone drinking with Xie Jinhuan and worried about their relationship.
• A Daoist reported that Blood Baleful Qi had appeared downstream on the Huai River at a scale matching the disturbance at Purple Emblem Mountain.
• The Pill King ordered the Prince's Manor's guest retainers and masters from Purple Emblem Mountain and Danyang Academy to go downstream and subdue the demon.

Xie Jinhuan discovered that Demon Bandits aboard a gambling boat were using a lavish show and Mad Corpse Flower to drive their victims into a frenzy and harvest them for a Blood Demon Pill. After Taishu Dan and He Can arrived, Xie Jinhuan hid among the crowd and waited for Ye Hongshang to help him create a chance to escape.

• Xie Jinhuan and Ye Hongshang identified the gambling boat's revelers as intended sacrifices for a Blood Demon Pill.
• Xie Jinhuan considered that exposing the Demon Bandits might shift blame for the demonic aura at Purple Emblem Mountain onto them.
• The Ghost Wife warned Xie Jinhuan of an approaching attack, and he dodged a soul-shaking whistle by diving into the crowd.
• Taishu Dan and He Can searched the hall for Xie Jinhuan, while Taishu Dan ordered the plan to continue and kept watch.
• Ye Hongshang explained that Taishu Dan was a mid-third-grade cultivator and proposed creating chaos so Xie Jinhuan could fight his way out.
• Xie Jinhuan concealed himself among the revelers and waited for an opening.

Xie Jinhuan disrupted Taishu Dan and the Nether God Sect’s mind-bewitching attack aboard their treasure ship, then fought his way through the guards. He escaped across the river after confronting Du Qingyi and He Can, while the cultists prepared to restore their scheme and seek reinforcements.

• Xie Jinhuan used Lin Wanyi’s pill to resist the Mad Corpse Flower’s influence as Taishu Dan’s illusions drove the gamblers into a frenzy.
• Xie Jinhuan shattered the illusion with a Heavenly Gang Mace strike, but Taishu Dan rang a Bronze Bell and sent Puppets to stop him.
• Xie Jinhuan fought through the outlaws and used the Zhenglun Sword to disperse He Can’s ghostly attack before confronting Du Qingyi on the deck.
• Xie Jinhuan asked whether the Nether God Sect had caused the Demon-related disturbance that his father encountered three years earlier, and Du Qingyi and He Can challenged him.
• Xie Jinhuan evaded Taishu Dan’s black mist dragon and escaped across the river toward Peony Pond as Du Qingyi covered the ship with red poisonous mist.

Lin Wanyi sensed a Blood Demon Pill being refined upstream, and Xie Jinhuan raced to stop the Demon Bandits alone while she sought reinforcements. The Dan King Pavilion discovered its detection formation had been sabotaged and sent help, but Xie Jinhuan was still holding out when the chapter ended.

• Lin Wanyi detected unusual Blood Baleful Qi near River Bend and found Xie Jinhuan rushing back toward Peony Pond after discovering Demon Bandits were refining a Blood Demon Pill on a boat.
• Lin Wanyi warned that hundreds of people were in danger and that the city might not have noticed; Xie Jinhuan decided to take a Dao Progress Surge Pill and charge in alone to buy time.
• Xie Jinhuan kissed Lin Wanyi, told her to get help, and sped toward the Demon Bandits while she hurried to Peony Pond.
• Lin Wanyi warned the Commandery Princess and the others; Linghu Qingmo and the Commandery Princess set out to gather help after hearing Xie Jinhuan was fighting alone.
• At the Dan King Pavilion, Zhu Wenyuan and the Pill King discovered the Eight Directions Illumination Formation had failed and realized the Demon Bandits had lured the experts away.
• The Pill King ordered reinforcements upstream after hearing that Xie Jinhuan was struggling to hold out at Huai River Bay.

Xie Jinhuan took a pill that greatly increased his power but clouded his mind, then charged the Tower Ship and cut down Du Qingyi and wounded He Can. After interrupting Taishu Dan’s ritual, he faced the old man as Taishu Dan began absorbing the blood sacrifice.

• Xie Jinhuan swallowed the pill and gained immense strength as unfamiliar memories and bloodlust overwhelmed him.
• Xie Jinhuan split the bloody mist and stormed the Tower Ship, where he fought Du Qingyi and He Can.
• Xie Jinhuan resisted Du Qingyi’s poisonous mist with protective Gang Qi and killed him with a sword strike.
• Xie Jinhuan struck He Can and blasted through the superstructure’s roof, disrupting Taishu Dan’s ritual.
• Taishu Dan began absorbing the blood energy of the sacrifice, while Ye Hongshang warned Xie Jinhuan to finish the fight quickly.

Xie Jinhuan fought Taishu Dan aboard the Boat Tower, breaking the Soul-Seizing Curse and driving the Demon Path chief back with a powerful spear technique. Taishu Dan revealed his monstrous physique and blood-fueled regeneration, while Commandery Princess Changning and the others approached the fight, hoping the Demon Bandit could keep Xie Jinhuan occupied until help arrived.

• Xie Jinhuan resisted Taishu Dan's Soul-Seizing Curse by sealing his Spirit Court, then swept away the five puppets with his Seven-Foot Leopard-Tail Spear.
• Xie Jinhuan gathered Taishu Dan's poisonous mist into a spear attack and charged, but Taishu Dan transformed and smashed the spear shaft before headbutting Xie Jinhuan across the Boat Tower.
• Taishu Dan absorbed blood energy from the hall and Du Qingyi's corpse, healing his bruise and replenishing his strength.
• Linghu Qingmo, Commandery Princess Changning, Lin Wanyi, Liu Qingzhi, and the others saw the fight and worried that Taishu Dan's sacrifices would let him outlast Xie Jinhuan.
• Commandery Princess Changning led the group into the river to reach the Boat Tower and prepare to delay Xie Jinhuan if Taishu Dan fell.

Xie Jinhuan fought Taishu Dan aboard the ship tower, breaking through the Gu Poison Sect fighter’s attacks and killing him. The ship tower was left covered in corpses as Xie Jinhuan stood drenched in blood, struggling with the blood energy surging through him.

• Xie Jinhuan used Taishu Dan’s force against him and split his vine staff with a sword strike.
• Taishu Dan summoned the ship’s blood-crazed passengers and unleashed Hundred Ghosts Spread the Plague, trapping Xie Jinhuan beneath a mound of bodies.
• Xie Jinhuan burst through the deck and attacked Taishu Dan, but the two crashed onto the deck and lost their weapons.
• Xie Jinhuan kicked Taishu Dan in the crotch, struck his chest with an elbow, and then recovered the Zhenglun Sword.
• Xie Jinhuan ran Taishu Dan through, shattered his skull, and finished him with a crushing punch.
• Xie Jinhuan surveyed the silent, corpse-filled hall as the blood energy left him muddled and asked, “That’s it?”

Xie Jinhuan killed the Demon Bandits aboard the Tower Ship after taking a Dao Progress Surge Pill, then ran amok until Li Jing knocked him unconscious. As the survivors were rescued, the Pill King learned of Xie Jinhuan’s supposed heroic sacrifice and ordered his injuries treated and a reward prepared.

• Xie Jinhuan emerged from the Tower Ship and chased Commandery Princess Changning, but Ghost Wife distracted him and trapped him running in circles across the river.
• Li Jing arrived, confronted Xie Jinhuan after he mistook him for someone who had stolen his books, and struck him unconscious before he could attack.
• At the Dan King Pavilion, Xu Hunli explained how the Eight Directions Illumination Formation had been sabotaged and proposed adding protective spells, negotiating a fee with Zhu Wenyuan and the Pill King.
• Tie Fengzhang reported that Xie Jinhuan had killed all the Demon Bandits and that more than half of the ship’s five hundred civilians were still alive.
• The Pill King ordered the finest doctors and pills for Xie Jinhuan and approved a custom Ice-Scale Armor reward, while Zhu Wenyuan hurried Xu Hunli back to the Academy to repair the formation.

After Xie Jinhuan returned from fighting the Demon Bandits, Lin Zisu treated his severe wounds and warned that the Dao Progress Surge Pill was driving him into a dangerous frenzy. Lin Wanyi soothed him until he calmed down, and the boat reached Danyang City with him still unconscious.

• Lin Zisu operated on Xie Jinhuan while Lin Wanyi helped treat his wounds, and Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo waited outside.
• Lin Zisu told Lin Wanyi that the Dao Progress Surge Pill was stirring Xie Jinhuan’s lust and murderous impulses, and urged her to soothe him.
• Lin Wanyi held Xie Jinhuan’s hand against her cheek, and his agitation eased as he briefly opened his eyes and recognized her.
• As Xie Jinhuan’s instincts drove his hand lower, Lin Wanyi reluctantly let him touch her through her clothes, and he stopped trying to break free.
• Xie Jinhuan’s hand stimulated Lin Wanyi’s Lotus Flower Dharma Artifact, and he settled down while the boat returned to Danyang City.

Xie Jinhuan woke bound in the Alchemy Medicine Institute after taking a Dao Progress Surge Pill, while Linghu Qingmo refused to release him despite his insistence that he was lucid. When Xie Jinhuan tried to get back to Purple Emblem Mountain to destroy evidence before the yamens found it, his attempt to distract Linghu Qingmo with a kiss failed, and footsteps approached the sickroom.

• Xie Jinhuan woke tied to his bed and learned that Linghu Qingmo had watched over him through the night.
• Linghu Qingmo explained that the Prince's Manor had identified Taishu Dan as the mastermind and was searching Purple Emblem Mountain for the Nether God Sect's traces.
• Xie Jinhuan realized the search could expose the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum and rushed to persuade Linghu Qingmo to let him leave and erase the evidence.
• Linghu Qingmo refused to untie Xie Jinhuan, even when he claimed he needed to relieve himself, and brought out a chamber pot instead.
• Xie Jinhuan kissed Linghu Qingmo's cheek to break his resolve, but Linghu Qingmo kept him tied up and insisted the drug still made him unsafe.
• As Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo remained at odds, someone outside heard them and hurried toward the sickroom.

Xie Jinhuan used Lin Wanyi’s sudden illness to escape his restraints, then prepared to investigate the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum at Purple Emblem Mountain. He left Lin Wanyi unconscious and slipped out of Danyang Academy with Coal Ball and his weapons.

• After the others entered and left the room, Xie Jinhuan pressured Lin Wanyi to stay by hinting that he might reveal their private affairs, then told her he would take responsibility for what happened.
• Lin Wanyi refused to untie Xie Jinhuan, insisting that he was still affected by the drug, but she suddenly became dizzy and weak.
• Worried that her Witch Cult background would be exposed if she fainted at Danyang Academy, Lin Wanyi freed Xie Jinhuan so he could treat her, then passed out in his arms.
• Xie Jinhuan called Ye Hongshang, who took over Lin Wanyi’s body, and refused to dig her out of the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum until he learned more about her origins.
• Xie Jinhuan left a righteous-sounding note, gathered Coal Ball and his weapons, covered Lin Wanyi with a quilt, and slipped out through the window toward Purple Emblem Mountain.

After recovering from the attack, Xie Jinhuan left without warning to investigate the demonic aura on Purple Emblem Mountain, leaving the Pill King and others astonished by his poem and devotion. Deep in the mountain, he struggled through the forest with Ye Hongshang and his horse until something ahead made them stop.

• The Pill King and his companions visited Xie Jinhuan’s recovery room and found Lin Wanyi alone after Xie had disappeared.
• Commandery Princess Changning found Xie Jinhuan’s poem saying he had gone to help search Purple Emblem Mountain, and the Pill King and others praised his courage and talent.
• The Pill King asked Commandery Princess Changning what she thought of Xie Jinhuan and privately resolved to make him his son-in-law.
• At night, Xie Jinhuan trudged through Purple Emblem Mountain with Ye Hongshang, Coal Ball, and a reluctant horse as they searched for the source of the demonic aura.
• Xie Jinhuan sensed something ahead, and the horse began backing away in fear.

Xie Jinhuan learned that Ye Hongshang would break free of the damaged Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum in about twenty-two days unless he found a way to seal it. He set out to obtain the pills and ingredients he needed, while still uncertain whether his Ghost Wife was a danger to Great Qian.

• Xie Jinhuan rode Ye Hongshang's possessed Boar King through the mountains, then returned with her to their abandoned campsite.
• Ye Hongshang explained that her body was recovering by draining spiritual energy and that she could escape once she regained enough strength.
• Xie Jinhuan learned he had twenty-two days and eight hours before Ye Hongshang could overturn the mausoleum, and she outlined a risky pill regimen that might help him seal it.
• Xie Jinhuan agreed to pursue the pills while investigating Ye Hongshang's background, then buried the campsite's belongings and grave robber's remains to hide the mausoleum.
• Xie Jinhuan rode the Boar King out of the mountains with Ye Hongshang and Coal Ball, determined to find the Jiazi Lotus Root and prepare for the deadline.

Xie Jinhuan sought a way to obtain Jiazi Lotus and fund a Dragon and Tiger Vitality Pill while Lin Wanyi and Linghu Qingmo worried over his injuries and his habit of rushing into danger. When Yang Dabiao prepared to travel to the Capital City to investigate a related case, Xie Jinhuan decided to ask to go with him, leaving his journey dependent on the Prince's permission.

• Xie Jinhuan returned to the clinic, where Lin Wanyi scolded him for leaving without waking her and urged him to visit the Pill King to seek the Martial Dao Divine Canon.
• Xie Jinhuan asked about refining a Dragon and Tiger Vitality Pill, and Lin Wanyi explained that its ingredients would cost at least thirty thousand taels and that Jiazi Lotus was exceptionally difficult to obtain.
• Lin Wanyi offered to have Missing Moon Manor search the Southern Border for the pill's other ingredients and bring them across the border to reduce costs.
• Xie Jinhuan returned to his courtyard, where Linghu Qingmo and Yang Dabiao were preparing to depart for the Capital City to investigate whether three skeletons were connected to the Dried Corpse Case.
• Xie Jinhuan volunteered to accompany Yang Dabiao, but Linghu Qingmo objected because he was injured and told him to consult the Pill King and the Prince before leaving.

Xie Jinhuan met with the Pill King and Commandery Princess Changning at the Prince's Manor, where he received a new appointment and valuable gifts while discussing the Nether God Sect and martial cultivation. He planned to leave for Capital City ahead of Changning to investigate a case before joining her there.

• Steward Hou led Xie Jinhuan to the Dan King Pavilion, where the Pill King urged him to recuperate and explained that a high-ranking figure in Capital City might be connected to the Nether God Sect.
• The Pill King appointed Xie Jinhuan as Commandery Princess Changning's halberd bearer and asked him to help uncover the sect's hidden agent in Capital City.
• At Wenshu Pavilion, Changning presented Xie Jinhuan with Ice-Scale Armor and offered him access to the Martial Dao Divine Canon, though he lacked the cultivation to read or practice it.
• Changning explained the ancient martial cultivation realms and the Dragon-Steed Response Art, and Xie Jinhuan realized he would need to reach First Grade before he could learn the canon or teach it to Lin Wanyi.
• Xie Jinhuan declined to wait for Changning's departure and said he would go to Capital City first to investigate the case, then accompany her when she arrived.

Xie Jinhuan secured a post protecting the Commandery Princess, then promised Lin Wanyi he would teach her the Martial Dao Divine Canon’s first level through Dream Transmission of the Dao. He arrived in Capital City with Yang Dabiao’s group and was sent to investigate the mysterious dried-corpse murders.

• Xie Jinhuan told Lin Wanyi that the Martial Dao Divine Canon contained only its first level and could not be learned by anyone below first grade.
• Ye Hongshang proposed teaching Lin Wanyi the art through dreams, and Xie Jinhuan arranged to visit her at the Lin Residence the following night.
• Lin Wanyi threatened to withhold medicinal ingredients and Zisu’s pills until Xie Jinhuan taught her, prompting him to combine the lessons with his trip to Capital City.
• Xie Jinhuan, Momo, Yang Dabiao, Linghu Qingmo, and their companions rode into Capital City and chose to report to the County Yamen first.
• County Magistrate Wu Yuanhua described the unsolved dried-corpse murders, and ordered Xie Jinhuan to go directly to the morgue to examine the case with Jingguan and Lu Qian.

Xie Jinhuan returned to Wanan County and joined the investigation into a series of dried corpses, while Ye Hongshang revealed that two killers were involved. After visiting his abandoned childhood home, he left with his companions, still uncertain whether his father was alive.

• Xie Jinhuan reunited with Fei Ji at the Wanan County Yamen, where Fei Ji explained that dried corpses had appeared in Wanan and Changle counties since the first month of the year.
• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo examined the seventeen corpses, and Ye Hongshang secretly told Xie Jinhuan that the case involved two killers.
• Wu Yuanhua introduced Master Jingkong and Lu Qian of the Scarlet Qilin Guard, and Xie Jinhuan said he needed time to investigate the case.
• Xie Jinhuan left the yamen with his companions and returned to his family's overgrown residence in Cloud-Bearing Lane.
• Xie Jinhuan remembered his missing father and invited Linghu Qingmo to stay in the west wing while they restored the house.
• Xie Jinhuan left the residence with Coal Ball, which mourned the loss of its Rosewood Birdcage.

Xie Jinhuan visited the Pill King's Residence with Linghu Qingmo and met the heir, Zhao De, who tried to disguise his antics as a strategy for hiding his abilities. Zhao De invited Xie Jinhuan to a composure contest at the Golden Tower, and Xie Jinhuan agreed to inspect it before deciding whether to enter.

• Linghu Qingmo brought Xie Jinhuan to the Pill King's Residence, where they found Zhao De blindfolded and surrounded by maids during a game of blindman's buff.
• When Linghu Qingmo interrupted, Zhao De pretended he had been practicing locating things by sound and claimed he was hiding his shortcomings to avoid threatening his father’s position.
• Zhao De offered to take Xie Jinhuan to the Purple Gold Pavilion, but Xie Jinhuan declined, and Linghu Qingmo reminded Zhao De that Xie was injured and needed rest.
• Zhao De proposed betting on Zhang Huaiyu and Wei Lu’s composure contest at the Golden Tower, explaining that it had begun after Wei Lu accused Zhang of hypocrisy.
• Zhao De invited Xie Jinhuan to enter the contest for its prize money, and Xie Jinhuan said he would observe it before deciding.

Xie Jinhuan used Ye Hongshang’s microscopic inspection of the seventeen victims to distinguish two murderers and identified a likely lead for tracking the rogue cultivator. He planned to question black-market blood essence suppliers, then flirted with Ye Hongshang as he prepared to test his injuries.

• While healing in his room, Xie Jinhuan asked Ye Hongshang to examine the traces left on the seventeen corpses.
• Ye Hongshang found that the first thirteen victims were killed by a rogue Demon Path cultivator, while the last four were killed by a Nether God Sect expert imitating his technique.
• Ye Hongshang explained that the rogue cultivator relied on beast-derived blood essence and had rough qi channels, suggesting he had weak foundations and no sect backing.
• Xie Jinhuan reasoned that the rogue cultivator likely bought blood essence from the black market and decided to question its suppliers.
• Xie Jinhuan asked Ye Hongshang about spending primal yang, then challenged her to test his weak spot and see whether he could enter the arena the next day.

Xie Jinhuan tested his self-control against Ye Hongshang and failed, while Han Jingchuan sought Li Gongpu’s help to eliminate him. In the palace, Emperor Qian worried about his health, the threats facing Great Qian, and whether Jing Huan could rule successfully.

• Xie Jinhuan tried to resist Ye Hongshang’s advances but failed and admitted he needed time to recover.
• Han Jingchuan told Li Gongpu that Xie Jinhuan might seek revenge for Xie Wen and asked how to deal with him.
• Li Gongpu advised Han Jingchuan to lure Xie Jinhuan into a situation where he could kill him in apparent self-defense.
• Empress He comforted Emperor Qian as he reviewed the Pill King’s account of the Huai River Bay massacre and worried about Great Qian’s enemies.
• Emperor Qian coughed, took a pill from Empress He, and said he might not survive the winter or see Jing Huan become a capable ruler.