Recaps

Nangong Ye and Xie Jinhuan investigated the disappearance of Poison Masters near Carefree Cave, suspecting ghost cultivators were behind it. Xie Jinhuan planned to pose as a Poison Master to lure out the kidnappers, while Bu Hanying was already their captive and tried to use his connection to Xie Jinhuan to secure his release.

• At the Directorate of Celestial Observation, Lu Wuzhen assigned Nangong Ye to send Zhang Guan to monitor Wei Wuyi’s gathering at Three Rivers Crossing.
• At home, Nangong Ye found the intimate clothing Xie Jinhuan had given him, tried on the stockings, and hurried to dress when Xie arrived.
• Xie Jinhuan told Nangong Ye that several Poison Masters had vanished near Carefree Cave, and Nangong Ye suspected ghost cultivators were capturing them for cultivation.
• Xie Jinhuan disguised himself as a timid Poison Master and planned to scout Carefree Cave that evening while Nangong Ye stayed nearby to help if needed.
• Captors held Bu Hanying beneath a building, and he claimed to be Xie Jinhuan’s informant in hopes they would release him.
• The young monk in yellow hesitated over Bu Hanying’s warning, but another captor ordered that he be kept alive and given water.

Nangong Ye watched Xie Jinhuan let two Nether God Sect men capture him, then followed them in hopes of finding their hideout. Meanwhile, He Man discussed the He Clan’s fall with Xue Laosan, and an underground chamber holding captured Poison Rats was shaken by a rumble as its guards vanished.

• Nangong Ye watched Xie Jinhuan disguise himself as a timid Poison Rat and draw the attention of two Nether God Sect men.
• The yellow-robed monk knocked Xie Jinhuan unconscious, discovered his pure yin-cold cultivation, and carried him away as a valuable vessel while his partner kept watch.
• Nangong Ye followed the men, pleased that their capture might lead him to the Nether God Sect’s hideout.
• At a Pine Crane Bay retreat, He Man mourned the He Clan’s destruction as Xue Laosan made him an Inner Sect Direct Disciple and questioned why he had asked for He Can’s return.
• In an underground chamber, He Can and Zhang Chu guarded the captured Poison Rats until a rumble sounded above and the two guards disappeared.

Xie Jinhuan was captured and taken to the Northwest Branch Altar, where he discovered He Man and the ghost cultivator Xue Laosan. After Nangong Ye defeated Xue Laosan, Xie Jinhuan pursued He Man into the woods and overwhelmed him in a martial arts fight, leaving He Man unable to get up.

• Xie Jinhuan was carried into the bandits' hideout, where He Man recognized him and revealed that the Blood Demon Pill was meant for someone else.
• He Man and Xue Laosan attacked Xie Jinhuan, but his armor and defensive stance let him survive their assault until Nangong Ye arrived and struck them with his sword.
• Nangong Ye fought Xue Laosan while Xie Jinhuan pursued He Man toward the riverbank, using Black Dragon Strikes the Pillar to close the distance.
• He Man countered Xie Jinhuan's charging attack and challenged him to fight as a martial artist, so Xie Jinhuan put down his weapons and fought barehanded.
• Xie Jinhuan defeated He Man with a series of close-range strikes, then hurled his mace at him and walked over after He Man could no longer rise.

Xie Jinhuan killed the wounded He Man just before a masked transcendent-grade fighter attacked, then took the blow while shielding Nangong Ye and fled with her. Unable to identify their pursuer and wary of returning to the capital, Xie Jinhuan changed course for Danyang so Nangong Ye could recover.

• Xie Jinhuan questioned the wounded He Man, who blamed Monk Wuxin, then killed him when a masked attacker charged toward Big Ice Lump.
• Xie Jinhuan shielded Nangong Ye from the transcendent-grade fighter’s punch, and the impact sent both of them hurtling through the woods.
• Xie Jinhuan used repeated Black Dragon Strikes the Pillar charges to escape with Nangong Ye, while the attacker collected He Man’s corpse and withdrew.
• Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye suspected the attacker belonged to the Buddhist Sect, but they could not determine his identity.
• Nangong Ye urged Xie Jinhuan to avoid the capital and head to Danyang, so he carried her toward the Huai River while she suppressed her Yang Poison.

During the transfer of imperial secrets to Zhao Jing Huan, Jing Wuniang reported that Xie Jinhuan had vanished after fighting Demon Bandits, prompting Monk Wuxin to investigate. Xie Jinhuan reached his Danyang house with the injured Nangong Ye, and Nangong Ye agreed to let him use his yin energy to suppress her yang poison rather than take the painful medicine.

• Lu Wuzhen guided Zhao Jing Huan into the Qianyuan Underground Palace, where Zhao Jing Huan read the golden book of imperial secrets while Monk Wuxin declined to inspect it.
• Jing Wuniang reported that Xie Jinhuan had killed He Man and the Demon Bandits at Pine Crane Bay, but had disappeared after an apparent ambush; Monk Wuxin left to investigate.
• Officials examined the dead at Pine Crane Bay and found the Poison Masters had escaped, while Fachen asked how Xie Jinhuan had uncovered the hidden bandits.
• Xie Jinhuan secretly brought the exhausted Nangong Ye to his Danyang house and prepared to use the Adding Oil to the Fire Pill to suppress her yang poison.
• Nangong Ye refused to let Xie Jinhuan take the pill and agreed to let him use her yin energy, insisting he preserve her chastity mark and promising not to leave without saying goodbye.
• Xie Jinhuan blindfolded Nangong Ye and kissed her, while Nangong Ye struggled to seal her divine sense and the bedroom curtains fell around them.

Linghu Qingmo learned that Purple Emblem Mountain might use a contest with Fanyun Temple to settle a dispute, with Xie Jinhuan potentially fighting as his prospective Dao Companion. Meanwhile, Xie Jinhuan treated Nangong Ye’s Yang Poison through the night until an unseen arrival disturbed them.

• Linghu Qingmo discussed Diamond Dew and Fanyun Temple’s planned Danyang branch with Zhang Guan, who suggested that Xie Jinhuan might challenge the temple’s senior disciple and earn a betrothal by winning.
• Linghu Qingmo left for the Capital City to discuss the proposal with Xie Jinhuan, but longing drew him toward their first meeting place in Clear Spring Lane.
• After Nangong Ye’s Yang Poison subsided, Xie Jinhuan questioned their relationship, and Nangong Ye insisted they were only friends despite their physical contact.
• Xie Jinhuan took Adding Oil to the Fire Pills and repeatedly transferred qi to treat Nangong Ye, reducing the poison to less than five percent over an hour.
• A nearly inaudible sound of air being cleaved came from the front courtyard, and Xie Jinhuan turned toward the window.

Linghu Qingmo returned to Danyang to seek Diamond Dew and found Xie Jinhuan wounded and hiding in Courtyard Six with Nangong Ye. After Nangong Ye escaped to the neighboring courtyard, Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo flirted, and Xie Jinhuan agreed to challenge Fanyun Temple for the Diamond Dew; Nangong Ye kept watch nearby as they grew closer.

• Linghu Qingmo entered Courtyard Six and found Xie Jinhuan injured, who claimed a Transcendent Grade master had ambushed him.
• Xie Jinhuan revealed Nangong Ye hiding in the wardrobe after she had helped him detoxify, and she escaped to the neighboring courtyard.
• Linghu Qingmo cared for Xie Jinhuan's wounds, and Xie Jinhuan promised to bring him along if he pursued immortality.
• Linghu Qingmo told Xie Jinhuan that challenging Fanyun Temple could win him Diamond Dew, and Xie Jinhuan decided to take on the temple soon.
• Linghu Qingmo agreed to stay the night with Xie Jinhuan, while Nangong Ye stood guard nearby and listened to their flirtation.

Lin Wanyi reunited with her master, Bu Yuehua, helped her undo the Seven-Star Nails, and learned that she planned to enter the Heroes' Gathering under an assumed name. Meanwhile, Xue Laosan returned to the Luojing headquarters, where the cult leaders planned to search the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum and capture yin-leaning cultivators.

• Lin Wanyi accidentally knocked Bu Yuehua unconscious with the Soft-Bone Powder trap, then revived her and learned that Bu Hanying had returned to Carefree Cave.
• Bu Yuehua traded a jiazi lotus for instructions, and Lin Wanyi told her the order for releasing the sealed acupoints.
• Bu Yuehua restored her cultivation and decided to compete for the tiger bone vine at Wei Wuyi's Heroes' Gathering under the name Hua Ruyue of Azure Nether Sword Manor.
• Bu Yuehua noticed signs that Lin Wanyi had been intimate with Xie Jinhuan, then left rather than risk sharing the bed with him.
• Xue Laosan returned to the Luojing headquarters and learned that the captives at Pine Crane Bay had escaped and Young Master He had died.
• The scholar-robed altar master ordered Xue Laosan to use the Star Chart to locate the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum and capture cultivators whose Five Elements leaned toward yin.

Nangong Ye tried to steady his Dao Heart after what happened with Xie Jinhuan, then met Bu Yuehua on Purple Emblem Mountain to negotiate over the Phoenix Feather Grass and the Vermilion Bird Mausoleum. Their meeting ended with a challenge to fight outside Southern Garrison Pass at the end of the month.

• Nangong Ye confronted Xie Jinhuan in the courtyard, told him not to dwell on the previous night, and left to visit Purple Emblem Mountain.
• Xie Jinhuan teased Ye Hongshang, who showed him a recording of the previous night and said she was keeping it as evidence.
• Nangong Ye visited Qixia True Person's old courtyard to reflect on her example before Bu Yuehua arrived and asked how he had undone the Immortal-Burning Gu.
• Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua revealed that they had each overcome the other's restraints, then discussed the Phoenix Feather Grass and the Vermilion Bird Mausoleum.
• Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua agreed to settle the Phoenix Feather Grass dispute in a fight outside Southern Garrison Pass at the end of the month.

Xie Jinhuan returned to Danyang, where the Pill King gifted him a powerful spear that he named Ming Dragon. Meanwhile, Nangong Ye arranged a meeting with Fanyun Temple and escorted Xie Jinhuan and Qingmo out of the city as they set off to help him confront the demoness and cure his poison.

• Xie Jinhuan visited the Pill King, who reassured him about the Imperial Court and presented him with a spear forged by Xu Hunli.
• Xie Jinhuan named the spear Ming Dragon after testing its dragon-like cry and learning it could harm yin spirits.
• Nangong Ye told Zhang Guan to invite Fanyun Temple to the Directorate of Celestial Observation, avoiding a direct challenge that might expose Xie Jinhuan to an ambush.
• Nangong Ye wondered how Bu Yuehua had undone the Seven-Star Nails, then returned to Danyang and spotted Xie Jinhuan with Qingmo.
• Nangong Ye played a leaf flute, and Xie Jinhuan rode out of the city with Qingmo while the black-clad heroine followed nearby.

Xie Jinhuan returned to Luojing, visited Lin Wanyi, and brought the Jiazi Lotus back to Nangong Ye while helping clear her Yang Poison. Nangong Ye resisted his advances but was coaxed into accepting his painting and spending the night with him; the next day, he set off to return the lotus to the Directorate of Celestial Observation.

• Xie Jinhuan returned to Luojing, left Momo at the Prince's Manor, and visited Lin Wanyi, where he playfully interrupted her cleaning and examined the Jiazi Lotus he had received from Manor Master Bu.
• Monk Fachen told a Fanyun Temple monk that the temple had less than a one-in-ten chance of defeating Xie Jinhuan, then lent him the Demon-Subduing Pestle for the arena match.
• Xie Jinhuan brought the Jiazi Lotus to Nangong Ye and used Adding Oil to the Fire Pills to help suppress her Yang Poison, but the Immortal-Burning Gu remained.
• Xie Jinhuan drew Nangong Ye a romantic portrait, then used her reluctance to tear it up to coax her into accepting his advances and spending the night with him.
• The next morning, Xie Jinhuan painted Nangong Ye another portrait and left, while Nangong Ye kept both paintings and flew to the Directorate of Celestial Observation to return the Jiazi Lotus.

Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo investigated a disappearance at the docks and suspected the Nether God Sect was abducting yin-aligned cultivators. At Luoxi Port, Bu Yuehua killed a ghost cultivist who had been targeting travelers, while Xie Jinhuan later prepared for the next day's arena fight.

• Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo learned that a yin-yang master's apprentice had disappeared and warned the authorities that the Nether God Sect might be abducting cultivators for sacrifices.
• Xue Laosan targeted a lone woman from the Gu Poison Sect at Luoxi Port and approached her while disguised among the Jianghu travelers.
• Bu Yuehua trapped Xue Laosan in an illusion, burned his Divine Soul with Moonfire, and destroyed the ghostly spirit that fled his body.
• Xie Jinhuan examined the dismembered remains and concluded that an unidentified expert had used illusion and ghost fire to defeat a ghost cultivator.
• Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi discussed Bu Yuehua's appearance at the port, then Lin Wanyi urged him to prepare for his arena fight the next day.

Xie Jinhuan fought Fanyun Temple’s Mingwu at the Directorate of Celestial Observation to settle the dispute over a temple in Danyang and seek a chance with Linghu Qingmo. He defeated Mingwu in three spear strikes despite the monk’s Vajra and armor, and the chapter ended with the spectators celebrating while the Pill King's Heir mourned his lost bet.

• Nangong Ye waited for Xie Jinhuan, then reluctantly let him kiss her for encouragement before his fight.
• Xie Jinhuan arrived at the Directorate of Celestial Observation and formally declared his interest in Linghu Qingmo as he took on Fanyun Temple’s challenge.
• Fanyun Temple sent Mingwu into the arena with the Vajra Demon-Subduing, and Lu Wuzhen offered Xie Jinhuan the Yin-Yang Ruler, which he refused.
• Xie Jinhuan used his spear to break through Mingwu’s defenses, sever his wrist, and force him to choose between the Vajra and his life.
• Mingwu conceded, and the Daoists celebrated Xie Jinhuan’s victory while the Pill King's Heir lamented losing his wager.

Crown Prince Zhao Jing Huan dreamed of his late father’s advice on governing and summoned several Confucian scholars to the capital. Meanwhile, Xie Jinhuan celebrated moving into his new residence with friends and family, while Nangong Ye watched his flirtations with Linghu Qingmo and Lin Wanyi from the shadows.

• Zhao Jing Huan dreamed that Emperor Qian urged him to seek counsel from Fan Li and Mu Yunling, then summoned Mu Yunling, Li Yanru, and Xu Tong to the capital.
• After the sect dispute, Zhang Guan collected thirty-six drops of Diamond Dew, and Xie Jinhuan hosted a housewarming celebration at his new residence.
• Xie Jinhuan found Linghu Qingmo showing Coal Ball around, kissed him, and persuaded him to lean against his shoulder.
• Nangong Ye arrived to see Xie Jinhuan and Linghu Qingmo together, then watched Lin Wanyi join them and Xie Jinhuan draw both into his arms.
• Xie Jinhuan played music and led his guests in a lively dance, while Nangong Ye watched from hiding and resolved not to indulge him again that night.

After the banquet, Xie Jinhuan welcomed Nangong Ye to his new residence, where she treated her poison with him in the pool. The next morning, he arranged to travel to Three Rivers Crossing for the Tiger Bone Vine, and Nangong Ye agreed to accompany him.

• After the guests left, Xie Jinhuan returned to his empty residence and found Nangong Ye waiting with a jade xiao as a housewarming gift.
• Xie Jinhuan took an Adding Oil to the Fire Pill and led Nangong Ye upstairs to treat her poison, but she rejected the suggestive bedroom and followed him to the pool.
• Nangong Ye blindfolded herself and entered the pool, where Xie Jinhuan, A Piao, and Ye Hongshang were also present.
• The next morning, Xie Jinhuan told Nangong Ye he planned to travel to Three Rivers Crossing to compete for the Tiger Bone Vine, and she agreed to go with him.
• Before Nangong Ye left to pack, Xie Jinhuan smacked her, prompting her to pin him down and beat him before departing.

Xie Jinhuan visited the Prince’s Manor and Lin Residence, where he watched Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo try on high heels he had arranged for them. He then taught Lin Wanyi to dance in hers, ending the chapter alone with her in the bedchamber.

• Xie Jinhuan heard guards call him “Darling Xie” and reflected on the Seven Martial Dao Heroes and their rivalry with Wei Wuyi.
• Commandery Princess Changning tried on high heels while Linghu Qingmo practiced walking in hers, and both stumbled into Xie Jinhuan’s arms.
• Xie Jinhuan brought Lin Zisu shoes for Doctor Lin and learned that the Mortal Shedding Pill would be ready that afternoon.
• Lin Zisu explained the ingredients needed for the Baleful-Breaking Pill, and Xie Jinhuan said he would prepare them once he obtained tiger bone vine.
• Xie Jinhuan took Lin Wanyi aside and taught her to dance in high heels before pressing her onto the bed.

Xie Jinhuan traveled by ferry toward Three Rivers Crossing, where the Jianghu gathering was drawing powerful fighters from across Great Qian. As the Nether God Sect plotted to use He Can in an attempt on the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum, Bu Yuehua discovered that the Black Yama Gang was also pursuing a major opportunity in the Southern Border.

• Xie Jinhuan flirted with Ye Hongshang aboard the ferry, but Nangong Ye walked in and found him pretending to practice Martial Dao moves; Xie Jinhuan then kissed Nangong Ye and went to sleep in seclusion.
• Nangong Ye guarded Xie Jinhuan and fed Coal Ball a Grain-Avoidance Pill, leaving the bird unable to enjoy eating.
• The Northwest Branch Altar Master of the Nether God Sect told He Can and Zhang Chu that He Can was needed as a vessel for the Corpse Ancestor, and that the sect planned to test the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum's defenses while Xie Jinhuan was away.
• Jianghu travelers gathered in Jiang'an County for the approaching Three Rivers Crossing event, which had overwhelmed the town's lodging and filled the surrounding riverbanks with boats and tents.
• Bu Yuehua recognized Liang Yue of the Black Yama Gang and overheard that the gang leader had found a promising place in Fire Phoenix Valley; she worried that they might interfere with her search for the Phoenix Mausoleum.

After finishing his cultivation, Xie Jinhuan explored the crowded Jiang'an County town and met Hua Ruyue, who revealed she was Bu Yuehua, Nangong Ye’s senior sister. He learned that Bu Yuehua and Nangong Ye were rivals for the Azure Nether Sword Manor’s leadership and left without telling Nangong Ye about their meeting.

• Xie Jinhuan woke after absorbing the Dragon and Tiger Vitality Pill and Mortal Shedding Pill, while Nangong Ye prepared to leave the ferry.
• Xie Jinhuan wandered through Jiang'an County town with Ye Hongshang and spotted a veiled woman whose concealed Qi and appearance caught their attention.
• Xie Jinhuan shared a table with the woman and deduced from her posture and weapon that she was not an ordinary swordswoman.
• The woman introduced herself as Hua Ruyue of Azure Nether Sword Manor, and Xie Jinhuan realized she was Bu Yuehua, Nangong Ye’s senior sister.
• Bu Yuehua told Xie Jinhuan that she and Nangong Ye were competing to become Manor Lord and asked him to keep her arrival secret.
• Xie Jinhuan agreed to pretend they had never met and left the inn.

Xie Jinhuan tried to shake Bu Yuehua, who was secretly following him to find Nangong Ye, but instead spotted wanted fugitive Gongsun Duan and arrested him. Bu Yuehua followed Xie Jinhuan to the county yamen, where he vanished from sight.

• Ye Hongshang told Xie Jinhuan that Bu Yuehua was following him, so he tried to lose her in the county town and among the tents.
• Bu Yuehua followed Xie Jinhuan because she wanted to locate Nangong Ye before Nangong Ye could expose her identity and disqualify her from the tournament.
• Xie Jinhuan recognized wanted fugitive Gongsun Duan at a grilled-fish stall and presented his Demon-Suppressing Order to Liu Wen.
• Xie Jinhuan struck Gongsun Duan with his mace, subdued him, and took him to the Jiang'an County Yamen for investigation.
• Bu Yuehua waited outside the yamen for Xie Jinhuan, but he did not reappear.

Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye secretly met aboard a ferry to purge his poison, while Ye Hongshang teased them and warned that Bu Yuehua was approaching. Nangong Ye confronted Bu Yuehua, struck a bargain to keep their identities secret during the Tiger Bone Vine contest, and returned upstairs furious.

• Nangong Ye studied reports about the Heroes' Gathering and the contenders for the Tiger Bone Vine before secretly leaving Purple Emblem Mountain's residence to find Xie Jinhuan.
• Xie Jinhuan returned to the ferry, teased Ye Hongshang, and began purging Nangong Ye's poison while asking about Azure Nether Sword Manor.
• Ye Hongshang sensed Bu Yuehua approaching, and Xie Jinhuan warned Nangong Ye that Hua Ruyue was outside.
• Nangong Ye confronted Bu Yuehua aboard the ferry, and they agreed not to expose each other's identities during the contest in exchange for twenty percent of Bu Yuehua's proceeds if she won.
• Bu Yuehua left after explaining that she had met Xie Jinhuan under the alias Hua Ruyue, and Nangong Ye returned upstairs in a murderous mood.

Nangong Ye confronted Xie Jinhuan about concealing his meeting with her senior sister, then continued treating her poison under his protection. Meanwhile, the Jiangzhou Gang discussed Gongsun Duan’s arrest, and He Can challenged the Demon Path’s plan to attack the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum.

• Nangong Ye learned Xie Jinhuan had met Senior Sister Hua and demanded to know why he had hidden it from her.
• Xie Jinhuan persuaded Nangong Ye to stay and treat her poison, while Coal Ball kept watch outside.
• Liang Yue told Xu Guanfu that the Black Yama Gang suspected the Phoenix Mausoleum had resurfaced and sought his help finding it.
• Liu Wen reported that Xie Jinhuan had crippled and arrested Gongsun Duan, prompting Xu Guanfu to warn Liang Yue not to antagonize him.
• Aboard a dark merchant ship, He Can questioned the Demon Path’s attempt to break open the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum and criticized its plan to use Monk Wuxin as a target.

At the Heroes' Gathering, Wei Wuyi appeared before tens of thousands of Jianghu guests and offered a Tiger Bone Vine to the contest champion. Xie Jinhuan volunteered to compete and defeated Bao Xiaolin in a saber match, leaving the other young talents to face his daunting reputation.

• Xie Jinhuan entered the Heroes' Gathering with Wei Lu while Nangong Ye followed in disguise, and the crowd gossiped about Xie Jinhuan's romantic reputation.
• Wei Wuyi revealed himself with a Dragon-Steed Realm aura, addressed the gathering, and offered a Tiger Bone Vine to the champion of the martial contest.
• After the assembled young talents hesitated, Xie Jinhuan volunteered and introduced himself to Wei Wuyi and the gathered Jianghu leaders.
• Bao Xiaolin entered to avenge his son Bao Fei, and Xie Jinhuan borrowed Wei Lu's saber to face him blade for blade.
• Xie Jinhuan endured Bao Xiaolin's Thunderclap Blade assault, counterattacked with overwhelming force, and stopped a powerful chop midair when Bao Xiaolin conceded.

At the Heroes' Gathering, Xie Jinhuan challenged the contestants to face a succession of opponents and drew Zhang Jian of Six Harmonies Hall into the field. Their first exchange ended in a tense standoff, with the fight still underway.

• Xie Jinhuan proposed changing the tournament to a series of consecutive bouts, and Wei Wuyi asked the gathered martial artists what they thought.
• Xie Jinhuan taunted the contestants when none answered, then started to leave the field.
• Zhang Jian stepped forward and offered to fight Xie Jinhuan while he was still uninjured.
• Xie Jinhuan and Zhang Jian exchanged spear attacks at close range, each narrowly countering the other's strikes.
• Xie Jinhuan and Zhang Jian resumed their standoff, and the battle continued.

Xie Jinhuan defeated Zhang Jian with a crushing spear combination, then beat Yang Zhen with a single sword exchange. He remained in the arena asking who else would challenge him, while the major-school disciples stayed silent.

• Xie Jinhuan overwhelmed Zhang Jian with a powerful spear strike and kept him pinned to the ground until Zhang Jiwu stopped the match and Zhang Jian conceded.
• Xie Jinhuan saluted Zhang Jian, then challenged the assembled heroes again while barely winded.
• Yang Zhen entered to test Xie Jinhuan, and Xie chose a sword to match his weapon, explaining that his own Dharma Sword was unsuitable for the contest.
• Xie Jinhuan read Yang Zhen's feint, blocked his sword, and cut his left forearm in a swift exchange, forcing Yang to withdraw.
• Xie Jinhuan asked the crowd who else would fight, but the major-school disciples remained silent.

At the Heroes' Gathering, Xie Jinhuan continued fighting despite exhaustion, defeated Liang Yue, and then faced Hua Ruyue in a match that ended with both of them holding back. The onlookers recognized their deliberately romantic swordplay, while Nangong Ye watched in fury.

• Xie Jinhuan defeated the Eight Trigrams Sect leader, a Heaven and Earth Saber wielder, and a soft-whip fighter, leaving himself badly exhausted.
• Bu Yuehua entered the arena to prevent Liang Yue from taking advantage of Xie Jinhuan, but Xie Jinhuan challenged Liang Yue first and exposed his identity as the Black Yama Gang's chief.
• Xie Jinhuan recalled Liang Yue's men stealing his silver and hunting him two years earlier, then defeated him with Heavenly Gang and warned him that he would settle the debt with the entire Black Yama Gang.
• Xie Jinhuan invited Hua Ruyue to fight after Liang Yue withdrew, and she accepted despite his injuries and depleted strength.
• Xie Jinhuan and Hua Ruyue exchanged carefully restrained sword moves, and the onlookers recognized their performance as the Lovers' Sword while Nangong Ye grew furious.