Chapter Summaries

Fang Yue rejected Su Jin’s request to help her avenge her family against the Lin Family, despite her offer of the Flowing Cloud Swordplay. Later, the Man in Green invited Fang Yue to discuss plotting for the Great Dragon Pill and revealed that he intended to obtain Azure Heart Grass at an upcoming auction.

• Fang Yue grew closer to Su Jin while keeping his guard up, and she told him the Lin Family had destroyed her clan and that she wanted revenge.
• Su Jin offered Fang Yue the Flowing Cloud Swordplay in exchange for his help, but Fang Yue refused to commit and said he needed time to consider.
• Fang Yue noticed Su Jin approaching other prodigies and concluded that she and similar women were part of a test for King Wucheng’s recruitment.
• The Man in Green found Fang Yue in his courtyard and invited him to Tingfeng Tower to revisit their proposal to plot for the Great Dragon Pill.
• Fang Yue asked why the Man in Green had chosen him and requested more time to decide; the Man in Green agreed but warned that they had little time.
• The Man in Green told Fang Yue that he had come to Shanyang Prefecture to secure Azure Heart Grass at an upcoming grand auction.

Fang Yue helped the Man in Green steal the Azure Heart Grass, then evaded pursuit and hid in a ruined temple. There, a masked man confronted him over the grass, fought him, and blew a whistle whose consequences were not yet revealed.

• Fang Yue met the Man in Green and his black-clad companions, received an antidote, and agreed to help with their operation to take the Azure Heart Grass.
• Fang Yue guarded the rear of the auction mansion while the Man in Green and the others entered; they returned with the grass and told Fang Yue to meet them at the Mountain God Temple the next day.
• After the Man in Green fled with pursuers on his trail, Fang Yue was followed by two experts, whom he eventually shook off by using Prefecture City's alleys, rooftops, and waterways.
• Fang Yue went to a remote ruined temple to hide, but a masked black-clothed man found him and demanded the Azure Heart Grass.
• Fang Yue denied knowing about the grass and fought the masked man; when the man could not overcome his defenses, he blew a small whistle.

Fang Yue discovered that the Azure Heart Grass was bait in a Shadow Pavilion assassination plot and confronted the Green-robed Envoy and his lord. After refusing to join them and revealing he had only pretended to be poisoned, he fought back against both men.

• Fang Yue escaped Wu Xing's swarm of venomous Gu Worms and realized the black-clothed man knew his identity and wanted the Azure Heart Grass.
• Fang Yue found the box empty, followed the Man in Green using a vital energy mark, and overheard him report that the real Azure Heart Grass was in hand.
• The Man in Green gave Fang Yue the genuine Azure Heart Grass and revealed that he and the mysterious lord belonged to the Shadow Pavilion, which planned to use the herb as bait to assassinate a target.
• The Man in Green demanded that Fang Yue join the Shadow Pavilion or be killed, and Fang Yue refused.
• The Man in Green claimed to have poisoned Fang Yue and attacked with the mysterious lord, but Fang Yue revealed he had feigned weakness and was unaffected by the poison.
• Fang Yue launched a counterattack, exchanged powerful blows with the Man in Green, and evaded the mysterious lord's strike.

After escaping the Shadow Pavilion assassins, Fang Yue received help from Qingluo of the Imperial Observatory and entered King Wucheng’s contest under a concealed identity. The contest began, and Fang Yue stepped forward to challenge Nan Wuming when the Shadow Pavilion expert called for an opponent.

• The Man in Green and the mysterious master attacked Fang Yue from the darkness but fled when armored soldiers surrounded the courtyard.
• Fang Yue escaped the soldiers and reached an Imperial Observatory contact inn, where Qingluo warned him that his identity was exposed and King Wucheng was hunting him.
• Qingluo arranged a new identity and prepared Fang Yue to enter the contest for the Great Dragon Pill under an alias.
• Fang Yue arrived at the contest in a mask, won several bouts without revealing his full strength, and watched for a formidable opponent.
• Nan Wuming entered the arena and challenged the crowd, and Fang Yue accepted, stepping onto the arena in his masked identity.

Fang Yue uncovered Vice Observatory Supervisor Chen’s plot to steal the Great Dragon Pill and the fortune-bearing treasure, then used his informant’s token to enter the treasury and claim both. As he tried to leave, Lan Daohe, a guard serving King Wucheng, confronted him and attacked.

• Two conspirators planned to expose Fang Yue during the arena battle and seize the treasures amid the chaos.
• Armored soldiers interrupted the fight between the masked Fang Yue and Nan Wuming, accusing Fang Yue of being an Imperial Observatory spy and Nan Wuming of being a Shadow Society assassin; both fought back.
• Fang Yue confronted the Imperial Observatory woman in the secret chamber, and she revealed that Vice Observatory Supervisor Chen had sent her and her partner to steal the treasures and had allied with local forces.
• Fang Yue spared the woman in exchange for information, then hurried to the treasury while chaos erupted outside.
• Fang Yue used the woman’s jade pendant to open the treasury and took the Great Dragon Pill and the fortune-bearing treasure.
• Lan Daohe, a guard serving King Wucheng, surprised Fang Yue in the treasury and attacked him with a dagger.

Fang Yue escaped King Wucheng's Prince's Mansion with the destiny treasure, absorbed nearly all its power, and planted it in the Shadow Society's stronghold to shift the blame. As King Wucheng's forces and Shadow Pavilion searched Shanyang Prefecture City, Fang Yue stayed hidden and waited for the scheme to unfold.

• Fang Yue defeated Lan Daohe's defenses by striking his eyes, escaped the Prince's Mansion, and disguised himself in the city.
• The heir of King Wucheng ordered a citywide search, while Shadow Pavilion also dispatched assassins to find the thief and the destiny treasure.
• Fang Yue absorbed nearly all the treasure's destiny, increasing his aptitude and combat strength, then decided to frame the Shadow Society.
• Fang Yue secretly entered the Shadow Society's stronghold and hid the nearly depleted Jade Pendant among its treasures and documents.
• Fang Yue returned to a remote inn and lay low as the searches threw Shanyang Prefecture City into turmoil.

Fang Yue escaped Shanyang Prefecture and reached Changshan Prefecture, where he consumed the Great Dragon Pill and awakened the embryonic form of Dragon Form bone structure. King Wucheng's Manor and the Shadow Society both began investigating the events in Shanyang, while the heir sent Blood Dragon Platform experts after Fang Yue.

• King Wucheng's Manor's soldiers raided a Shadow Society stronghold while searching for the fortune-bearing treasure, and reinforcements helped them capture or kill the assassins.
• Fang Yue left Shanyang Prefecture after the battle, and the heir ordered Blood Dragon Platform experts to hunt those he blamed for the depleted treasure.
• The Shadow Society Chief learned that his Prefecture City branch had been destroyed and ordered an investigation into who had framed the society.
• Fang Yue traveled to Changshan Prefecture, settled in a remote town, and spent half a month preparing to consume the Great Dragon Pill.
• Fang Yue consumed the Great Dragon Pill, greatly increased his strength, and developed the embryonic form of Dragon Form bone structure.
• After learning Fang Yue had reached Changshan Prefecture, the heir ordered Blood Dragon Platform experts to find and capture him alive.

Fang Yue defeated the Shadow Pavilion's Shadow and the Blood Dragon Platform's Bloodless Dragon King when they joined forces to assassinate him in Changshan Prefecture. Their defeat spread his fame, and King Wucheng decided to try to recruit Fang Yue or eliminate him if he could not be won over.

• Fang Yue impressed Master Li with his fist technique and continued training despite expecting the Shadow Pavilion and Blood Dragon Platform to target him.
• Shadow and the Blood Dragon Platform's Bloodless Dragon King joined forces and planned an assassination, then attacked Fang Yue's courtyard three nights later.
• Fang Yue defeated the attackers, then overcame Shadow's clone technique and bested both Shadow and the Bloodless Dragon King.
• Fang Yue crippled Shadow and the Bloodless Dragon King, told Shadow to send his master after him, and left the courtyard.
• News of the defeat spread through the Great Wei Dynasty, raising Fang Yue's fame and drawing the attention of more forces.
• King Wucheng ordered a strategist to contact Fang Yue and attempt to recruit him, with instructions to eliminate him if he could not be won over.

After rejecting King Wucheng’s attempt to recruit him, Fang Yue was appointed Military Inspector of King Han’s Northern Expedition Army and traveled to the Divine Capital to obtain access to the Imperial Family Treasury. He learned three martial arts manuals and left for the northern battlefield, where King Han’s army was already advancing against the Barbarians.

• Fang Yue refused the envoy’s invitation to join King Wucheng and devoted himself to training as tensions grew across the Great Wei Dynasty.
• After the Barbarians captured two northern prefectures, King Han volunteered to lead the northern defense, while Chen Fang accepted command of the campaign against King Wucheng.
• Fang Yue learned that the Imperial Court had promoted him to Deputy Envoy of the Imperial Observatory and appointed him Military Inspector of King Han’s Northern Expedition Army.
• Fang Yue traveled to the Divine Capital and persuaded the Director to seek the Emperor’s approval for him to study martial arts in the Imperial Family Treasury.
• With the Emperor’s permission, Fang Yue copied the Nine-Yang Heavenly Astral Formula, Netherworld Ghost-Shadow Step, and Heaven-and-Earth One Sword, then began studying and cultivating them.
• Fang Yue left the Divine Capital for the Northern Expedition Army’s encampment and neared the battlefield after King Han had already departed with the main army.

Fang Yue survived a Barbarian ambush and found a letter claiming King Han had revealed his movements. While investigating in Stone City, he discovered that rumors implicating King Han had been deliberately planted to lure him into the Northern Garrison camp, and the scheme’s leader appeared to know he had overheard the plan.

• Fang Yue escaped an ambush, tracked the Barbarians to their hideout, defeated Batu and his warriors, and took a letter accusing King Han of leaking his itinerary.
• Fang Yue traveled to Stone City and secretly investigated King Han’s alleged ties to the Barbarians.
• Fang Yue overheard Northern Garrison soldiers discussing King Han’s supposed dealings with the Barbarians, then followed them to a secluded courtyard.
• Fang Yue overheard the soldiers report that they had delivered information to their target and learned that the plan was to capture him when he entered the Northern Garrison camp.
• Fang Yue left the courtyard, while the leader inside watched him go and asked whether this would make him believe the deception.

Fang Yue uncovered a plot to sow discord in the Northern Garrison and lay low while investigating its leaders. When Barbarians attacked Stone City and tried to seize its gate mechanism, he joined King Han in defending the city and became the target of Tuoba Feng’s army.

• Fang Yue recognized that the mysterious leader’s scheme was meant to mislead him and stayed hidden in Stone City while investigating the leader and watching the military camp.
• The mysterious leader ordered his men to seize the city gate, but King Han was waiting in the mechanism room and confronted the infiltrators.
• Fang Yue learned that more than a hundred thousand Barbarians were assembling, hurried to the wall, and killed the Barbarian experts he found there.
• King Han rallied the Northern Garrison against the Barbarian assault, while Fang Yue flew out to fight the advancing martial artists.
• Fang Yue killed and drove back Barbarian martial artists with his sword, prompting Tuoba Feng to order his army to kill Fang Yue at all costs.

Fang Yue defeated the Barbarian army’s strongest warriors, prompting Tuoba Feng to summon fighters from the Ancestral Temple while Great Wei prepared for another battle. After a victory banquet in Stone City, Fang Yue reunited with Zhu Linlang, and King Han left wondering about their relationship.

• Fang Yue slew more than a hundred Barbarian warriors on the city walls, then killed three golden-armored giants who attacked him below.
• Tuoba Feng ordered the Barbarian army to withdraw and later sent messengers to request more warriors from the Ancestral Temple.
• King Han ordered Stone City's defenses strengthened, and several days later held a victory banquet honoring Fang Yue and the soldiers.
• Zhu Linlang asked Fang Yue whether he remembered their shared past, and they held hands before King Han approached.
• King Han told Fang Yue not to forget the next day's battle deployment meeting, then left intending to learn more about Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang's relationship.

Fang Yue learned that the Barbarians’ Ancestral Power could turn warriors into uncontrollable Savage Warriors, while the Blood Dragon Platform and Shadow Society plotted to use King Han against him. King Han exposed their scheme to Fang Yue, who used the intelligence to surround their hideout as the Barbarian army attacked Stone City.

• Fang Yue reviewed his battle with the Barbarian warriors and suspected their extraordinary strength came from borrowed Ancestral Power.
• A ritual at the Jingyuan Divine Temple transformed several Barbarian warriors into Savage Warriors, and A'tu led them to join the army.
• The Blood Dragon Platform and Shadow Society plotted to manipulate King Han into killing Fang Yue.
• King Han recognized the scheme, sent the conspirators’ letter to Fang Yue, and showed him that he would not be deceived.
• Fang Yue surrounded the Blood Dragon Platform and Shadow Society members hiding in a Stone City courtyard, and they attacked in an attempt to escape.

Fang Yue uncovered valuable supplies in a courtyard, then learned Stone City faced a renewed Barbarian assault and was told to take Linlang to safety. After Blood Dragon Platform kidnapped Zhu Linlang and lured them into a collapsing mine, Fang Yue escaped the cave-in with her through an old tunnel and found an underground river that might lead them out.

• Fang Yue arrested the men guarding supplies for Blood Dragon Platform and the Shadow Society, then discovered precious medicines, manuals, gold, and silver hidden in a secret chamber.
• King Han summoned Fang Yue to Stone City's walls, where they saw a better-equipped Barbarian army attack with unusually powerful Savage Warriors.
• King Han urged Fang Yue to take Linlang to Yujing City, but Fang Yue found her residence empty and a ransom note ordering him to come alone to an abandoned mine.
• Fang Yue reached the mine, defeated the Blood Dragon Platform assassins, and freed Zhu Linlang, who warned him that they had walked into a trap.
• Explosives collapsed the mine, but Fang Yue led Zhu Linlang into a narrow abandoned tunnel and shielded her as they searched for an exit.
• Fang Yue followed the sound of flowing water to an opening above a roaring underground Dark River, believing it might lead them out.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang escaped the underground river after battling Demon Beasts and discovered a valley containing Precious Medicine and ancient ruins. Inside the ruins, they uncovered Barbarian history and found a hidden altar topped with a shining gem.

• Fang Yue killed a massive Demon Beast that attacked them in a cavern, then led Zhu Linlang into the underground river.
• Three Demon Beasts ambushed Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang underwater, but Fang Yue sped through the river with Zhu Linlang and escaped them.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang emerged into a deep valley, gathered Jade Fruit, and found a sealed entrance to ancient ruins.
• Fang Yue blasted through the stone seal, and he and Zhu Linlang explored carvings describing the Barbarians' history.
• Fang Yue found a hidden mechanism in a relief, revealing a chamber with an ancient altar and a dazzling gem.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang discovered a stone that might reveal how the Grassland Barbarians created Temple Warriors, then tried to escape the grasslands. After following a map Fang Yue found in a tribe, they were ambushed and learned the map had been planted as bait.

• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang examined the suspected Primordial God Stone and concluded it might hold the secret of creating Temple Warriors.
• Grassland Barbarian warriors approached, so Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang fled and began planning their return to the Great Wei Dynasty.
• Fang Yue infiltrated a tribe, memorized a conspicuous map, and took supplies without realizing the chief and his warriors had planted the map as a trap.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang followed the map's route for several days, believing it would lead them toward the Great Wei Dynasty.
• Grassland Barbarian warriors surrounded Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang, and their leader revealed that they had tracked the pair since they left Holy Valley.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang fought their way out of a Barbarian ambush, but after escaping the pursuit they discovered that a trained eagle had been tracking them. They decided to hide by day and travel by night as they sought a safe place to recover and return to Great Wei.

• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang battled the Grassland Barbarians until Fang Yue and Tuoba Jin's final attacks wounded both fighters and canceled each other out.
• Tuoba Jin acknowledged Fang Yue's skill and left, but the Barbarian general ordered his warriors to attack; Fang Yue held them off so Zhu Linlang could escape, then fled in the opposite direction.
• After three days, Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang reached a safer place, treated their wounds, and discussed how the Barbarians had tracked them.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang spotted an eagle overhead and realized it was likely trained to track them from the sky.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang decided to hide during the day and travel at night, then set out after darkness fell.

Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang evaded pursuit across the grasslands, and Fang Yue healed from his injuries after breaking through in his Body Refining Cultivation Methods. Near the guarded border to Great Wei, Zhu Linlang secretly acted against their plan, leaving Fang Yue facing an unexpected danger.

• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang bypassed a camp, hid before dawn, and Fang Yue began healing his injuries while Zhu Linlang kept watch.
• Fang Yue's Body Refining Cultivation Methods broke through, healing his injuries and strengthening him.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang stole a crossbow from a Grassland Tribe and used it to shoot down Swift Eagles, while the grassland cavalry sealed the five border passes and searched for them.
• After a month of flight, Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang reached the border and planned for him to draw the guards away while she crossed.
• As Fang Yue approached an isolated beacon tower, Zhu Linlang fired a flaming arrow into the sky instead of waiting in hiding.

Fang Yue defeated the black-robed pass guard and the Temple Warriors after Zhu Linlang was injured, then escaped with her into Great Wei Dynasty territory. They rested in a forest, while the Barbarian general sent a Swift Eagle after them and sought help from allies ahead.

• Zhu Linlang fired a flaming arrow to draw the border guards away, but Temple Warriors converged on her position.
• Fang Yue confronted the black-robed guard, shattered his vital-energy attack, and defeated him with Soldier God Art—Indestructible Vajra.
• Fang Yue fought through the Temple Warriors and defeated them before rescuing the injured Zhu Linlang.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang fled toward Great Wei Dynasty, while a Barbarian general ordered a pursuit and released a Swift Eagle to track them.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang rested in a forest inside Great Wei Dynasty, where Fang Yue reassured her that his injuries were minor.

After Fang Yue recovered enough to travel, he and Zhu Linlang met Yuchi Gong, who escorted them away from pursuers through Great Wei toward King Han’s army. In a gorge along their route, Fang Yue hinted that Yuchi Gong might be leading them into a trap, leaving their danger unresolved.

• Zhu Linlang gathered fruit and water while Fang Yue cultivated to recover from his wounds, then cared for him as he regained his strength.
• Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang reached a border city, where Yuchi Gong’s disguised soldiers searched for them while he secretly intended to kill Fang Yue.
• Yuchi Gong’s troops subdued several Barbarian men in the inn, then Yuchi Gong met Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang and urged them to flee because their location had been exposed.
• Yuchi Gong escorted Fang Yue and Zhu Linlang along a concealed route toward the Prefecture City of Gunzhou Prefecture, while scouts watched for Barbarian pursuers.
• After a month of travel, Fang Yue’s group entered a gorge, where Fang Yue remarked that the place seemed suited to Yuchi Gong’s burial.