Chapter Summaries

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.

Xu Tong and the others broke into the sealed chamber beneath the Confucius Temple, expecting to find the Corpse Ancestor, but instead disturbed a powerful cultivator. The figure emerged from the underground dust and was identified as Lü Yan, leaving the intruders stunned and demanding to know why he was there.

• He Tianqi, Xu Tong, Wei Jili, Huangfu Qi, and Zhao De reached the Confucius Temple to search for the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum after learning of a secret beneath it.
• Wei Jili and Xu Tong moved the statue of the Most Sagely Former Master, revealing a sealed Bronze Gate, and Xu Tong shattered it with his sword.
• Zhao De mocked the others for finding no Corpse Ancestor, but footsteps sounded from underground and terrified the group into thinking Ye Sheng had returned.
• An old man emerged from the dust and challenged the intruders for disturbing his secluded cultivation.
• Xu Tong recognized the old man as Lü Yan and demanded to know why he was beneath the Confucius Temple.

Lü Yan guarded the Confucius Temple and trapped Xu Tong, He Tianqi, and their companions inside his Eight-Gate Burning Array. Just as the fight escalated, a white-robed figure arrived with the Zhenglun Sword and pinned the ghost cultivator to the temple roof.

• Lü Yan explained that Qixia Old Devil had assigned him to guard the Confucius Temple and stop anyone trying to reach the Corpse Ancestor Mausoleum.
• Xu Tong and the others realized Lü Yan had been lying in wait for them, while Lü Yan resolved to capture them and earn merit.
• Lü Yan raised eight towering walls of fire around the temple, trapping the group; Huangfu Qi crashed through the flames and was badly burned, while Zhao De was driven back.
• Xu Tong and Wei Jili attacked Lü Yan, but he used fire techniques to repel them and sent a blazing signal into the sky.
• A figure rushed in from the Capital City, and the Zhenglun Sword pierced the ghost cultivator and pinned him to the temple roof.
• A white-robed figure landed on the Confucius Temple and directed a terrifying pressure at the five people inside the burning array.

Xie Jinhuan and Lü Yan defeated the Demon Path attackers at the Confucius Temple, while Xu Tong’s ghostly soul was destroyed and He Tianqi was captured. After learning that Lu Wuzhen had gone missing near Dai Prefecture while pursuing Wei Wuyi, Xie Jinhuan set out to investigate.

• Xie Jinhuan fought Xu Tong, Wei Jili, and He Tianqi at the Confucius Temple, mortally wounding Xu Tong and Wei Jili and pinning He Tianqi with the Zhenglun Sword.
• Xu Tong’s soul fled in a bird, and Lü Yan pursued and burned it to ash near the Huai River.
• Xie Jinhuan recaptured He Tianqi, while Lü Yan blocked him from entering the Confucius Temple and kept its secrets from him.
• Mu Yunling and Nangong Ye reported that Lu Wuzhen had pursued Wei Wuyi toward Dai Prefecture, but they had lost track of them.
• Xie Jinhuan left the Academy to search for Lu Wuzhen and assess the situation.

Wei Wuyi faced Lu Wuzhen at Snow Eagle Ridge after revealing that he had lured him away from the Capital City, and the two began a battle that turned the mountains into a field of heavenly punishment. Monk Wuxin watched from afar and concluded that Lu Wuzhen was drawing out the hidden Demon Path forces, though no one had yet appeared.

• Lu Wuzhen confronted Wei Wuyi at the northern border and explained why he had to stop him from escaping with King Xiang's Order.
• Lu Wuzhen revealed three of the Five Directions' Divine Gifts and challenged Wei Wuyi, while Wei Wuyi transformed into his enormous half-demon body.
• Wei Wuyi and Lu Wuzhen clashed at Snow Eagle Ridge, and Lu Wuzhen used the Yin-Yang Ruler, Blazing True Fire, Extreme Yang Divine Thunder, and earthen walls to trap the battlefield.
• Monk Wuxin and Mingxin watched from a distant peak as Monk Wuxin recounted how he had traced the conspiracy against Duan Yuechou's granddaughter to Wei Wuyi and returned to investigate.
• Monk Wuxin reasoned that Lu Wuzhen was feigning weakness to draw out the Demon Path mastermind, but no hidden forces had yet appeared.

Xie Jinhuan reached the mountain battlefield and found Lu Wuzhen locked in a desperate fight with Wei Wuyi. Just as Wei Wuyi prepared to finish Lu Wuzhen, a figure resembling Ye Sheng appeared on a distant ridge, and everyone mistook the display for the legendary swordsman’s intervention.

• Xie Jinhuan approached the battlefield cautiously and spotted Coal Ball, then saw the immense destruction left by Lu Wuzhen and Wei Wuyi’s fight.
• Wei Wuyi taunted Lu Wuzhen and prepared to kill him, while Lu Wuzhen considered escaping as his strength waned.
• A figure appeared on a snowy ridge with words carved into the slope, and Lu Wuzhen, Wei Wuyi, and the hidden Monk Wuxin believed Ye Sheng had arrived.
• Wei Wuyi dropped his sabers and interpreted the message as a plea to abandon his obsession and return to the Righteous Path.
• Lu Wuzhen realized the display might have been unnecessary because he had been trying to lure Wei Wuyi into a trap, while Monk Wuxin questioned whether Wei Wuyi could be trusted even if he turned back.

Xie Jinhuan disguised himself as Ye Sheng to stop Wei Wuyi, but his ruse failed and a hidden Unorthodox Dao ambush erupted. As Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin confronted a Sixth Realm attacker, Xie Jinhuan defeated Yang Qing and began interrogating him.

• Wei Wuyi charged Ye Sheng with his strongest saber strike, but Xie Jinhuan, disguised as Ye Sheng, fled instead.
• Wei Wuyi realized Xie Jinhuan had tricked him and chased him, while an Unorthodox Dao flying sword attacked Xie Jinhuan.
• Monk Wuxin blocked the flying sword with a golden manifestation, and Lu Wuzhen restrained Wei Wuyi before rushing to confront the attacker.
• Two hidden fighters fled when Xie Jinhuan called them out, and he pursued the bamboo-hatted saber wielder.
• Xie Jinhuan struck down the saber wielder and identified him as Yang Qing, who claimed Wei Wuyi had forced him into the ambush.
• Xie Jinhuan rejected Yang Qing's excuses and began draining his blood qi while demanding information.

Wei Wuyi struggled to escape Lu Wuzhen’s Yin-Yang Ruler and found Xie Jinhuan undergoing a terrifying transformation into a dragon-like creature. As thunderclouds gathered over the mountains, Qixia True Person arrived and told Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin to leave the creature to him.

• Wei Wuyi realized that Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin had hidden power beyond his own and pushed toward the edge of Lu Wuzhen’s domain, determined to kill Xie Jinhuan.
• Wei Wuyi found Yang Qing dead and Xie Jinhuan standing nearby, then saw Xie begin transforming as his bloodline awakened and heavenly thunder gathered.
• A dragon’s roar shook the mountains, dispersing the distant thunderclouds and Buddhist light as Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin discussed Daoist Kongkong’s attack and disappearance.
• Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin returned to the Yin-Yang Ruler and saw an enormous creature moving beneath storm clouds, while Wei Wuyi urged them to destroy it.
• Qixia True Person arrived beneath the Red Umbrella, suppressed the storm’s power, and sent Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin away to face the creature alone.

Xie Jinhuan relived fragments of his forgotten days with Ghost Wife in the South Sea before waking after Qixia True Person suppressed his demonic cultivation frenzy. He remembered the dream and began asking Qixia about it, but she put him back to sleep before he could learn more.

• Xie Jinhuan floated through a memory of himself and Coal Ball returning from a raid and asking Ghost Wife for a weapon or cultivation technique.
• Ghost Wife invited Xie Jinhuan to the temple, where he and Coal Ball entertained her with poetry and tricks as their days together passed.
• Xie Jinhuan investigated the chains he heard at sunrise and sunset and found a huge black stele linked to five chains in the abyss.
• The dream broke apart as the White-Haired Immortal called Xie Jinhuan back to consciousness in a mountain hollow.
• Qixia True Person told Xie Jinhuan she had stopped his demonic technique from driving him mad, and he said he remembered her as his eldest senior sister in the South Sea.
• Qixia pressed a finger to Xie Jinhuan's brow and put him back to sleep before he could ask more.

Qixia True Person tried to seal Xie Jinhuan’s memories again but succumbed to her Demonic Nature, while in Luojing the Imperial Physicians argued over how to treat the emperor’s Body-Devouring Gu. Bu Yuehua sensed a dragon’s roar and Ye Hongshang noticed something amiss with Xie Jinhuan, leaving the reason for their reactions unclear.

• Qixia True Person reflected on her past, her teacher’s wishes, and Xie Jinhuan’s sealed memories as she crouched beside his unconscious body.
• Qixia True Person tried to cast the Soul-Locking Curse on Xie Jinhuan but stopped when her power stirred her Demonic Nature; she then wrote in the Diary and collapsed.
• In Luojing, Imperial Physicians and others debated using Immortal-Burning Gu and a Death-Seeking Pill to treat the emperor’s Body-Devouring Gu while they waited for Lu Wuzhen.
• Bu Yuehua heard a soul-shaking dragon roar that no one else seemed to notice and went to the window to look north.
• Ye Hongshang sensed something amiss with Xie Jinhuan, teased Lin Wanyi about keeping him close, and gave her pills she claimed would preserve her beauty.
• Bu Yuehua’s eyes briefly grew disoriented as she looked around, apparently unaware of the change.

Xie Jinhuan woke in a mountain hollow beside Jiang Xian, who had mysteriously been transported from the Northern Border Grasslands and ordered by her diary to take him to the capital. Nangong Ye arrived with Coal Ball and carried them toward Luojing as Xie Jinhuan discussed the attack and the suspects behind it.

• Xie Jinhuan woke beside Jiang Xian and was beaten after she caught him groping her while he tried to identify her.
• Jiang Xian discovered an instruction in her Xian'er Diary ordering her to take Xie Jinhuan to the capital, though she did not know how she had reached Great Qian.
• Jiang Xian helped the exhausted Xie Jinhuan leave the hollow, where they encountered Nangong Ye, who had come searching after Coal Ball fetched her.
• Nangong Ye supported Xie Jinhuan as he speculated that Daoist Kongkong and Wei Wuyi had attacked him and discussed possible involvement by Ancestor Sikong.
• Nangong Ye carried Xie Jinhuan and Jiang Xian toward Luojing, while Xie Jinhuan fell asleep and Coal Ball perched on his shoulder.

Nangong Ye brought the unconscious Xie Jinhuan back to the Danyang Marquis Household, where Jiang Xian tried to sleep beside him without triggering his unconscious habit of embracing anyone in bed. Meanwhile, leaders in Linde Hall discussed the Martial Dao’s leadership and Xie Jinhuan’s prospects, leaving Nangong Ye relieved that Lu Wuzhen’s remark about a sect leader’s flaws was only an example.

• Nangong Ye carried Xie Jinhuan to the Danyang Marquis Household and left Jiang Xian to rest while she went to check on the emperor.
• Jiang Xian lay on the edge of Xie Jinhuan’s bed, dodged his outstretched arm, fell to the floor, and eventually fell asleep without waking him again.
• Zhao Ling and Zhao De joined the leaders in Linde Hall as they discussed restoring order to the Martial Dao and whether Xie Jinhuan could become its sect master.
• Lu Wuzhen said Xie Jinhuan lacked the strength and a sect of his own to take the role, then explained that a sect master needed people under him to correct a leader’s misconduct.
• Nangong Ye arrived at Linde Hall and learned that Lu Wuzhen’s example about a sect leader with flaws in her personal virtue had not been aimed at her.

After recovering from his injuries, Xie Jinhuan learned that Bu Qingya’s soul and body had been altered and heard updates about the other victims. The chapter ended with him giving in to his desires and pulling Lin Wanyi and Bu Yuehua into an intimate encounter in the bath.

• Xie Jinhuan woke in his room, found Jiang Xian asleep beside him, and wrote down what he remembered about his lost time with A Piao.
• Xie Jinhuan heard Bu Yuehua and Lin Wanyi talking in the bathroom and was struck by Bu Yuehua’s water droplet when he tried to peek inside.
• Bu Yuehua and Lin Wanyi recognized Xie Jinhuan, helped him into the bath, and explained that Bu Qingya’s soul was incomplete and his body had been tampered with.
• A Piao described Bu Qingya’s altered eyes and body, while Bu Yuehua updated Xie Jinhuan on the conditions of the Emperor, Mister Fan, and Eunuch Cao.
• Xie Jinhuan suddenly regained his strength and kissed Lin Wanyi and Bu Yuehua, drawing both women into the bathwater with him.

After the Emperor and Empress recovered, Lu Wuzhen explained that cultivators should balance personal feelings with responsibility, prompting Nangong Ye to flee before his own secrets were exposed. At Xie Jinhuan’s residence, Nangong Ye stumbled upon an intimate scene and was caught eavesdropping by his newly awakened master, Qixia True Person.

• Zhao Ling and Zhao De confirmed that the Emperor was unharmed, while the Empress had returned to her chambers to rest.
• Lu Wuzhen discussed how Xie Jinhuan’s strong personal attachments could complicate his future responsibilities and urged Nangong Ye to guide him.
• Nangong Ye left the Imperial City and returned to Xie Jinhuan’s residence, where he heard Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi in the bath with Bu Yuehua.
• Nangong Ye peeked into the bathroom and found himself unable to leave as sensations from Bu Yuehua’s Demon-Subduing connection affected him.
• Qixia True Person startled Nangong Ye from behind and demanded to know why he was standing outside the bathroom.

Xie Jinhuan’s wives and Nangong Ye were caught up in an awkward aftermath after Qixia True Person interrupted them, then Qixia secretly sealed away his memories again. Once she left, Xie Jinhuan learned Lü Yan had returned to Northern Zhou and persuaded Nangong Ye to stay with him, where she demanded that he treat Bu Yuehua the same way.

• Qixia True Person arrived while Xie Jinhuan was bathing with Bu Yuehua and Lin Wanyi, and she dismissed Nangong Ye after giving her advice about Xie Jinhuan’s killing intent.
• Qixia True Person secretly placed the Soul-Locking Curse on Xie Jinhuan, causing him to forget the encounter while the women watched her leave.
• Xie Jinhuan collapsed from exhaustion, and Bu Yuehua and Lin Wanyi left Nangong Ye to look after him.
• Xie Jinhuan asked where Lü Yan had gone, and Nangong Ye told him Lü Yan had returned to Northern Zhou and that His Majesty had awakened.
• Nangong Ye agreed to cuddle with Xie Jinhuan only after demanding that he treat Bu Yuehua the same way and make Bu Yuehua seem to be the first to endure it.

After Bu Yuehua and Lin Wanyi joined Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye in an intimate encounter, the household gathered the next morning. Nangong Ye asked Bu Yuehua how to undo the Thousand Threads Soul-Tethering Curse, and Bu Yuehua took her to meet her father, who might know a remedy.

• Bu Yuehua pulled Lin Wanyi into Nangong Ye and Xie Jinhuan’s bedroom, where the women joined Xie Jinhuan in an intimate encounter.
• The next morning, Lin Wanyi left to return home while Xie Jinhuan went to visit the ailing Emperor at the palace.
• Xie Jinhuan kissed Bu Yuehua and Nangong Ye before escaping with Coal Ball and Lin Wanyi as Nangong Ye reached for her sword.
• Nangong Ye asked Bu Yuehua how to undo the Thousand Threads Soul-Tethering Curse and offered to help her establish a Witch Cult branch altar within the passes.
• Bu Yuehua said her father might know how to undo the curse, then led Nangong Ye to a Guest Courtyard in the Eastern Residence.