Arc 17Homecoming and Kunling Infiltration

Mu Bai returned to the Haibei Tribe, helped Hai Zhan’s family face their losses, and strengthened his cultivation through the discoveries in the Heavenly Demon Palace. He then infiltrated the Kunling Sect seeking Xing Yun and ended the stretch at Orchid Fragrance Valley’s Supreme Ceremony, where Ya Ru chose him as her patron.

  • Mu Bai destroyed the Eastern Nether Great Tribe’s defenses, then Hai Zhan, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong joined him in seeking vengeance before Hai Zhan urged mercy for the survivors.
  • Hai Zhan and his nephews returned to their ruined home, mourned their lost family, and received the Ancestral Spirit’s guidance as Mu Bai vowed to protect those he loved.
  • Hai Qing and Hai Dong left to explore the world, while Mu Bai set out to find the Artifact Spirit Ancestor and rescue Xing Yun and Hu Meier from the Kunling Sect.
  • Mu Bai entered the Heavenly Demon Palace, gathered its demon cores, and helped the World Tree take root in his Inner World as he restarted his cultivation and refined his body.
  • The Artifact Spirit Ancestor agreed to help Mu Bai, who reunited with Mu Lan and promised to rescue Xing Yun before heading toward the Kunling Sect.
  • Mu Bai captured Xuan Jingnian, assumed his identity, and entered the Kunling Sect, where he reported the dangers at Zhu Bei Peak to Hundred Virtues.
  • Mu Bai was treated as the incoming master of Kun Third Peak and sent to represent it at Orchid Fragrance Valley’s Supreme Ceremony.
  • At the ceremony, Mu Bai gave Dao Sea azure pearls to Jing Chen and Ya Ru, tied Ya Ru’s red headband, and received it back when she chose him as her patron.
Chapters 401–425 Vol. 5 Read

Ch. 401The Call for Vengeance

Mu Bai waited above the Eastern Nether Great Tribe while Tao Hang, Wu Tai, Wu Ping, and Xing Yang blocked cultivators who wanted to stop him. When Hai Zhan, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong arrived and called for vengeance, Mu Bai shattered the tribe’s city-protecting formation, leaving its people and defenders kneeling and begging for mercy.

  • Du Yin called Mu Bai a demon and urged the gathered cultivators to kill him, prompting several to step forward.
  • Tao Hang, Wu Tai, Wu Ping, and Xing Yang stood against the crowd and defended Mu Bai’s right to avenge the Haibei Tribe.
  • Mu Bai waited silently above the Eastern Nether Great Tribe as its people faced the threat of death.
  • Two days later, Hai Zhan, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong arrived, embraced Mu Bai, and joined him in calling for vengeance.
  • At Hai Zhan’s cry, Mu Bai used Shatter Star to destroy the Eastern Nether Great Tribe’s formation and damage many buildings.
  • The tribe’s remaining people and cultivators threw down their weapons, knelt, and begged for mercy.

Ch. 402A Great Vengeance Fulfilled

Hai Zhan and his nephews avenged Haibei Tribe by defeating the Eastern Nether Great Tribe, but spared its surviving people after Hai Zhan stopped the younger men from continuing their slaughter. The four returned toward Haibei Tribe, their vengeance fulfilled and their homecoming finally within reach.

  • Tao Hang killed Du Yin and took his head back to Taoyuan Tribe to honor Tao Lan.
  • Hai Zhan hesitated before the Eastern Nether Great Tribe's kneeling survivors, while Hai Qing and Hai Dong struggled with their desire for revenge.
  • Hai Zhan killed Du Long, and Hai Qing and Hai Dong each struck down one person before Hai Zhan stopped them from killing more.
  • Hai Zhan urged the younger men and Mu Bai to spare the survivors and build Haibei Tribe's future without being ruled by hatred.
  • Wu Tai, Xing Yang, and the watching tribespeople praised Hai Zhan's decision and departed.
  • Hai Zhan, Mu Bai, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong flew home after nearly twenty years away.

Ch. 403Seeing Loved Ones in a Drunken Haze

Hai Zhan and his three nephews returned to the ruined Haibei Tribe and mourned their lost family and clansmen. At the graves, wine brought Hai Qing and Hai Dong into a drunken haze in which they saw their parents.

  • Hai Zhan and Mu Bai, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong knelt at the collapsed tribe gate and entered their ruined home together.
  • Hai Zhan and his nephews wept among the ruins, and Mu Bai vowed to become strong enough to protect his loved ones.
  • The four visited the overgrown burial mounds, where Hai Zhan imagined his old companions welcoming him home.
  • Hai Zhan poured Mountain, Sea, Wind, and Rain before the graves, then drank with his nephews.
  • Hai Qing and Hai Dong became drunk, saw their parents before them, and threw themselves into their arms, sobbing.

Ch. 404The Clansmen Reunited

Mu Bai, Hai Zhan, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong mourned their family at the grave before the Divine Crow manifested and awakened a powerful change in Hai Zhan. As they rebuilt the Haibei Tribe and prepared for what lay ahead, Hai Zhan urged his nephews to live with dignity and follow an upright path.

  • Mu Bai watched Hai Qing, Hai Dong, and Hai Zhan weep at the grave, grieving with them for their lost family.
  • At sunrise, the Divine Crow met the red sun, and Hai Zhan received the Ancestral Spirit's guidance as golden light transformed his Divine Palace.
  • Mu Bai and the others discovered that the Divine Crow statue in the ancestral house had cracked after the manifestation.
  • Mu Bai returned to his childhood hut, repaired it, and found comfort in the wooden puppet carved by the Clan Patriarch.
  • Hai Zhan urged Mu Bai, Hai Qing, and Hai Dong to remain upright, humble, and fearless as they rebuilt the tribe and planned their futures.

Ch. 405The right path leads far

Mu Bai prepared to rescue Xing Yun and Hu Meier from the Kunling Sect and set out to seek the Artifact Spirit Ancestor’s help. After parting from Hai Qing and Hai Dong, he disguised himself as Yu Fei and stopped in a city, where a serving boy filled him in on Eastern Ridge’s latest news.

  • Hai Qing and Hai Dong chose to leave the Tribe and venture into the wider world, while Hai Zhan stayed behind to guard their home.
  • Mu Bai gave Hai Qing and Hai Dong Supreme Venerable Pills, and the brothers tearfully bid farewell to Hai Zhan and departed with Mu Bai.
  • Mu Bai decided to find the Artifact Spirit Ancestor in the Shuhuan Mountain Range before attempting to rescue Xing Yun and Hu Meier from the Kunling Sect.
  • To avoid recognition after injuring Qian Hao, Mu Bai transformed into Yu Fei’s appearance and flew west, traveling cautiously for three days.
  • Mu Bai entered a city tavern and asked a serving boy for information; the boy described Eastern Ridge’s sects and recounted Zhou Detai’s death and Zhou Dekai’s rise to Sect Master.

Ch. 406Hurrying Back

After learning that the Kunling Sect had sent its Yuan Zun Grand Elder to hunt him, Mu Bai hurried back to protect his tribe and clan uncle. Meanwhile, Qi Zhenzi escaped two furious elders, who reflected on the World Tree’s faint return and the danger facing the Origin Realm.

  • Mu Bai heard an attendant recount his past battles and the slaughter he had carried out in the Eastern Nether Great Tribe, then learned the Kunling Sect had sent its Yuan Zun Grand Elder after him.
  • Worried his clan uncle would be endangered, Mu Bai left the city and headed back to the tribe.
  • Qi Zhenzi ordered his disciples away from a feast, then escaped the silver-haired old woman and gray-robed old man by teleporting away with their Azure Dragon Treasure Sword and Blood Phoenix.
  • The two elders discussed the World Tree’s returning aura and the need to reach Great Perfection, then vanished as the city revealed itself to have been a hill inhabited by small beasts.
  • Mu Bai returned toward the tribe with a newly formed Inner World linked to his soul through the Pear-Petal Soul Mark, despite knowing he could not withstand a Yuan Zun Realm cultivator.

Ch. 407Evil Demon Tunnel

Mu Bai returned to the Haibei Tribe, found Hai Zhan missing but the Kunling Sect’s attackers dead, then hurried west to retrieve the God-Devouring Insects from Zhu Bei Peak. He descended into the demonic tunnel and passed the Demon Thread Worms and newly powerful Demon Souls, continuing toward the insects.

  • Mu Bai searched the Haibei Tribe for Hai Zhan, found five dead Kunling Sect experts hanging at the gate, and failed to locate his clan uncle.
  • Mu Bai concluded Hai Zhan was likely safe and raced west to rescue Xing Yun and Hu Meier.
  • News spread that the Kunling Sect’s Grand Elder and four Elders had died at the former Haibei Tribe, and rumors transformed the site into a forbidden land.
  • Mu Bai diverted to Zhu Bei Peak to retrieve the God-Devouring Insects and entered its demonic tunnel, using his Gods and Devils Transformation to withstand the qi.
  • Mu Bai endured a swarm of Demon Thread Worms and passed powerful Demon Souls that fled from his pressure as he descended farther.

Ch. 408God-Devouring Demon Insect

Mu Bai pursued the evolved God-Devouring Insect into a rocky chamber, where it fought two Demon Souls beside a mysterious white palace. After the insect took Demon Cores from the Demonic Beasts, Mu Bai captured it and kept one core for his cultivation.

  • Mu Bai found the jade bottle empty and spotted the conscious God-Devouring Insect, which bit his palm and fled through the rock.
  • Mu Bai chased the insect using the Metal-Earth Escape Technique, but it outran him and led him to a chamber containing a glowing white palace and two powerful Demon Souls.
  • The God-Devouring Insect attacked one Demonic Beast, and the two Beasts fought each other viciously before stopping and prostrating themselves before the palace.
  • An insect-shaped creature emerged from each Demonic Beast carrying an ink-black core, and both Beasts collapsed.
  • Mu Bai seized one Demon Core from the God-Devouring Insect and captured it in a jade bottle.
  • Mu Bai gave the insect five supreme-grade Soul-Feeding Pills, which it quickly devoured.

Ch. 409Heavenly Demon Palace

Mu Bai failed to move or open the Heavenly Demon Palace, but it opened when the God-Devouring Insect approached and pulled him into its Inner World. Inside, he found the remains of the final battle between the Heavenly Demon Clan and the Immortal Realm and began looking for treasures among the dead.

  • The God-Devouring Insect devoured both Demonic Beast corpses while Mu Bai tried and failed to lift the palace or open its doors.
  • Mu Bai reflected on the Heavenly Demon Clan’s sacrifice in the Immortal-Origin War and approached the Heavenly Demon Palace with reverence.
  • When the God-Devouring Insect flew toward the palace, Mu Bai caught it, but the palace doors opened and the insect pulled him inside.
  • Mu Bai recognized the Heavenly Demon Palace as the site of the final battle, where Heavenly Son Demon had killed two Immortal Kings before dying.
  • Mu Bai surveyed the ruined halls, bones, and scattered Battle Weapons, then considered searching the remains for treasures.

Ch. 410Striking It Rich

Mu Bai searched the Heavenly Demon Palace, seized Heavenly Son Demon's demon core, and found numerous treasures and demon cores while restraining the God-Devouring Insect with a Green-Hair Wooden Brush. He could not control the palace, but he fed the insect a demon core and left it lying still as it began to digest.

  • Mu Bai found Heavenly Son Demon's shattered remains and two powerful immortals' corpses in the ruined palace.
  • Mu Bai snatched Heavenly Son Demon's demon core from the God-Devouring Insect, then skewered the insect on a Green-Hair Wooden Brush when it attacked him.
  • Mu Bai discovered a Golden Seal but failed to find a way to control the Heavenly Demon Palace.
  • Mu Bai collected several hundred demon cores from intact Heavenly Demon corpses, promising to avenge them when he reached the Upper Realm.
  • Mu Bai fed the restrained God-Devouring Insect a demon core, and it stopped struggling as a bulge moved to the middle of its body.

Ch. 411The birth of the Inner World

Mu Bai placed the sleeping God-Devouring Insect in storage and used the corpses in the Heavenly Demon Palace to nourish his Inner World. The World Tree seedling then transformed that realm, giving it stable heaven and earth, the first spark of life, and a nascent River of Time.

  • Mu Bai realized the God-Devouring Insect was alive but undergoing metamorphic evolution, so he stored it safely and waited for it to wake.
  • Mu Bai drew hundreds upon thousands of powerful corpses into his Inner World to fertilize its land.
  • The World Tree seedling awakened to the ancient aura in the Heavenly Demon Palace, left Mu Bai's Divine Sea, and entered his Inner World.
  • The World Tree seedling took root on the highest peak, stabilizing the realm and creating its first wisp of life's aura.
  • Mu Bai realized his Inner World had begun its Primordial Epoch and that he could wield the rudimentary Power of Time to replay a moment from his own experience.

Ch. 412Refining the Inner Core Again

Mu Bai used his control over time in the Heavenly Demon Palace to rebuild his cultivation, forming a new Five Elements Inner Core and correcting flaws in his body. With his core formed, he began preparing to refine his Demon Cores and discovered extraordinary fruits growing throughout the palace.

  • Mu Bai decided to restart his cultivation from Essence Refining into Qi so he could repair the shortcomings caused by his earlier, incomplete core transformation.
  • He arranged a Spirit Gathering Array and absorbed the abundant five elements essence, forming a rudimentary Inner Core in his Dantian in less than a month.
  • After nearly a year of cultivation, Mu Bai formed a new Five Elements Inner Core and moved its miniature into his Divine Palace beside his Mind-Spirit Miniature and Soul Miniature.
  • Mu Bai concluded that the new core would correct his body's flaws and chose to spend more time refining Demon Cores while the palace's time flow kept outside time moving slowly.
  • Mu Bai explored the palace's abundant plants and fruits, finding three unfamiliar kinds that appeared to be supreme treasures.

Ch. 413Body Refining with Demon Cores

Mu Bai discovered that the Heavenly Demon Palace’s fruits could strengthen his mind-spirit and soul, then began tempering his body with Demon Cores to forge Demon Armor. As he endured a vat of boiling azure liquid, blue streaks attacked and shattered the vat.

  • Mu Bai ate the golden fruit and found that it greatly strengthened his Mind-Spirit Miniature, though its effects would fade after three doses.
  • Mu Bai ate the black-and-white fruit to nourish his soul, stored the harvest, and gathered other plants from the Heavenly Demon Palace.
  • Mu Bai found that the fiery-red fruit was meant for Body Refining but was too painful to eat, so he planned to use it for external tempering.
  • Mu Bai boiled a Demon Core in a vat of water and submerged himself in the resulting azure liquid to temper his body.
  • Blue streaks shot toward Mu Bai and shattered the vat, and three more streaks arrived as he plunged underwater.

Ch. 414The Heavenly Son Demon's soul

Mu Bai encountered the spirit of the Heavenly Demon Hall, who recognized his Demon Armor and gave him Demon Cores to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Body. The spirit revealed the God-Devouring Insect’s connection to Great Sovereign Qingtian and sent Mu Bai back to Zhu Bei Peak, where he resolved to cultivate the Heavenly Son Nine-Demon Art.

  • Three blue lights pursued Mu Bai through the void and the Void Beast Realm, but stopped when he revealed his Demonic Qi Armor.
  • The Heavenly Demon Hall’s spirit questioned Mu Bai about the Origin Realm and learned that more than twenty thousand years had passed since the Immortal-Origin War.
  • The spirit identified Mu Bai’s Heavenly Son Nine-Demon Art as the Devil Race’s inheritance and gave him the hall’s Demon Cores, urging him to cultivate the Heavenly Demon Body.
  • The spirit said Mu Bai carried flesh from Qingtian Sovereign’s true body, then sent him to the foot of Zhu Bei Peak.
  • Mu Bai retrieved the God-Devouring Insect, placed it with Demon Cores in a Jade Box, and resolved to cultivate the Heavenly Son Nine-Demon Art.

Ch. 415An old acquaintance on the road

Mu Bai hurried toward the Shuhuan Mountain Range and encountered Xi Hong facing a group of bandits who had once been disciples of the Spirit Taming Sect. After sparing them and learning that Zhou Dekai had become sect master, Mu Bai continued toward the hidden Three-Legged Crow Cauldron.

  • Mu Bai flew west past Ximu City toward the Shuhuan Mountain Range, where the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron was hidden.
  • Xi Hong stayed behind to protect his tribesmen when Zuo Lin and Zhong Yue led more than a hundred bandits in an attack.
  • Xi Hong used a bronze mirror and a Jade Talisman to drive back the bandits and warned them of the Xishui Great Tribe and Mu Lan Pavilion.
  • Mu Bai arrived, stopped the bandits, and learned from Zuo Lin that they had fled the Spirit Taming Sect after their favored Sect Heir lost to Zhou Dekai.
  • Mu Bai told the former disciples to abandon banditry, and Xi Hong agreed to let them go before hurrying after his tribesmen.
  • Mu Bai vanished into the void and headed for the place where the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron was hidden.

Ch. 416The Ancestor's Flair

Mu Bai reunited with the Artifact Spirit Ancestor and returned to Mu Lan Pavilion as its forces prepared to rescue Xing Yun and the others. He reunited with Mu Lan, promised to bring Xing Yun back, and revealed that the Eastern Nether Great Tribe was already gone, though he still intended to pursue greater battles.

  • The Artifact Spirit Ancestor recognized Mu Bai, inspected his transformed body, and agreed to join him in rescuing a woman.
  • Mu Bai removed the Flag Formation and left the cave with the Artifact Spirit Ancestor, then headed to Mu Lan Pavilion.
  • Mu Lan prepared nearly two hundred thousand cultivators and Soul Boats to seek Xing Yun and the others from the Kunling Sect, hoping to trade the pavilion's wealth for their release.
  • Mu Bai sent a message to Mu Lan, who recognized his handwriting and went to meet him.
  • Mu Lan embraced Mu Bai in tears and asked him to rescue Xing Yun and then live peacefully; Mu Bai promised to rescue Xing Yun and said the Eastern Nether Great Tribe was already gone.

Ch. 417Kunling Disciples

Mu Bai learned that Ye Wan had left to avenge him and hurried toward the Kunling Sect, where he sought a way to enter despite its powerful leaders. Meanwhile, Xuan Jingnian returned to the sect’s territory after his master and senior brothers disappeared at Zhu Bei Peak, then went to Orchid Fragrance Valley to pursue Ya Ru.

  • Mu Lan told Mu Bai that Ye Wan had left Mu Lan Pavilion to avenge him, and Mu Bai set out to find her while asking Mu Lan to protect the pavilion’s people.
  • Mu Bai traveled south, learned that the Kunling Sect had gone quiet after its Grand Elder was killed, and discovered that its leaders included multiple Dao Ling Realm cultivators.
  • The Artifact Spirit Ancestor advised Mu Bai to disguise himself as a servant and infiltrate the Kunling Sect, so Mu Bai waited nearby for an opportunity.
  • Xuan Jingnian returned to the Kunling Sect’s territory after his master and senior brothers vanished while investigating the Demonic Qi at Zhu Bei Peak.
  • Xuan Jingnian went to Orchid Fragrance Valley seeking Ya Ru, and Yan Zi offered to serve him, but he restrained himself because he still wanted Ya Ru.

Ch. 418Turning Ruthless

Xuan Jingnian waited for Ya Ru at the River Valley waterfall, then accepted Yan Zi’s advances and violently attacked her when she confronted him. The Grand Elder Hui Yuan and Ya Ru arrived, and Xuan Jingnian tried to portray Yan Zi as the seducer while professing his love for Ya Ru.

  • Xuan Jingnian ordered Yan Zi to tell Ya Ru he was waiting for her at the River Valley waterfall, but Ya Ru never came.
  • Yan Zi told Xuan Jingnian that Ya Ru had recently broken through to Xiu Zun and was waiting for a superior sect envoy, then offered to serve him.
  • After Xuan Jingnian accepted Yan Zi’s advances, he cast her aside, and she attacked him in anger.
  • Xuan Jingnian beat Yan Zi, forced her beneath the water, and tore her clothes while overpowering her.
  • Hui Yuan and Ya Ru arrived after Hui Yuan laid down a Restriction, and Xuan Jingnian claimed Yan Zi had tried to seduce him while declaring his devotion to Ya Ru.

Ch. 419Humiliated time and again

After Ya Ru and Jing Chen humiliated Xuan Jingnian, he vowed to return as a Sect Envoy and disgrace them. Mu Bai captured Xuan Jingnian, took his appearance, and prepared to use his identity to enter Kunling Sect and save Xing Yun.

  • The Grand Elder of Orchid Fragrance Valley left the River Valley after placing Yan Zi in a Mustard Seed Bag, and Ya Ru rejected Xuan Jingnian's advances.
  • Xuan Jingnian planned to humiliate Ya Ru at her Venerable Ceremony, then encountered Jing Chen bathing and claimed he would attend her ceremony as well.
  • Jing Chen struck Xuan Jingnian and drove him from Orchid Fragrance Valley after he made lewd advances and threatened to humiliate her and Ya Ru.
  • Mu Bai ambushed Xuan Jingnian at the foot of Kunling Mountain, forced him to reveal his identity, and tied him up in a Mustard Seed Bag.
  • Mu Bai assumed Xuan Jingnian's appearance and adjusted his Soul Power to pose as an early-stage Xiu Zun Elite Disciple, then set out to save Xing Yun.

Ch. 420Infiltrating Dangerous Ground

Mu Bai infiltrated the Kunling Sect disguised as Xuan Jingnian and reported that Dao Zun Jingwen and three disciples had vanished inside the Demonic Qi tunnel beneath Zhu Bei Peak. Hundred Virtues verified his account with the Power of Time and accepted the danger as real, though he seemed displeased.

  • Mu Bai used Xuan Jingnian's identity jade token to enter the Kunling Sect and hurried past Wei Yingmei and her companions toward Kunling Peak.
  • Mu Bai struggled against the pressure on the stone steps until Bai Xing appeared and learned that Jingwen and the other disciples had disappeared at Zhu Bei Peak.
  • Bai Xing brought Mu Bai to Kunling Hall and alerted Hundred Virtues about Jingwen's disappearance.
  • Mu Bai told Hundred Virtues that he had waited thirteen days outside the tunnel and described the Demonic Qi, Thread-shaped Demon Insects, and Demon Soul Bodies inside.
  • Hundred Virtues used the Power of Time to examine Mu Bai's memories, confirmed the danger at Zhu Bei Peak, and appeared displeased.

Ch. 421An Awkward Scene

Mu Bai continued impersonating Xuan Jingnian while searching for Xing Yun and the others, but he and the Artifact Spirit Ancestor were nearly caught spying on three women at Peach Blossom Valley. He returned to Kun Third Peak to find the disciples welcoming him as their chief senior brother, though he did not know how Xuan Jingnian had gained the position.

  • Mu Bai left Hundred Virtues's hall and decided to remain at the Kunling Sect while seeking Xing Yun and the others.
  • The Artifact Spirit Ancestor secretly watched Wei Yingmei, Qiu Wen, and Lan Zixi at the Spirit Spring, and Mu Bai recorded what he saw.
  • Noise from outside startled the women, so Mu Bai fled Peach Blossom Valley before they could catch him.
  • Qiu Feng and the disciples of Kun Third Peak welcomed Mu Bai, praising his bearing and greeting him as their chief senior brother.
  • Mu Bai learned that the sect's peaks housed its powerful disciples and heard that Xuan Jingnian's disciples had feared for their future after their master and senior brothers died.

Ch. 422Chief Disciple

Mu Bai returned to Kun Third Peak and was urged to take over as its leader after its master and senior disciples died. Lan Zinuo arranged for him to attend an elders’ meeting, where he encountered the rival peak masters on the way up Kunling Peak’s thousand steps.

  • Qiu Feng told Mu Bai that disciples from the Sixth and Seventh Peaks had come to congratulate him on becoming Kun Third Peak’s next master.
  • Lan Zinuo comforted Mu Bai over the deaths and urged him to lead the peak’s one hundred thousand disciples, but he repeatedly refused.
  • A messenger summoned Kun Third Peak to the elders’ meeting, and Lan Zinuo gave him Supreme Venerable Pills to secure permission for Mu Bai to attend in the master’s place.
  • At the Heaven-Treading Steps, Wei Xianchun defended Mu Bai from the taunts of Kun Fourth Peak’s master and threatened to fight him.
  • The messenger tucked Mu Bai under his arm and carried him up the thousand steps after the assembly was summoned inside.

Ch. 423The Third Peak's Talent

Mu Bai attended the Kunling Sect assembly while disguised as Xuan Jingnian, enduring ridicule as he struggled to behave like a peak successor. After returning to Kun Third Peak and being comforted by Lan Zinuo, he was sent to represent the peak at Orchid Fragrance Valley’s Supreme Ceremony.

  • The Assembly Hall envoy carried Mu Bai up Kunling Peak, where he stumbled and drew laughter from the assembled leaders and elders.
  • Hundred Virtues and Bai Chuan addressed the assembly, and Hundred Virtues ordered the peaks and halls to monitor spreading demonic qi across the Eastern Ridge.
  • Mu Bai returned to Kun Third Peak, where Lan Zinuo comforted him and served him snow lotus and silver seed soup.
  • A steward delivered an invitation from Orchid Fragrance Valley for its Supreme Ceremony, and Lan Zinuo assigned Mu Bai to attend as Kun Third Peak’s representative.
  • Lan Zinuo arranged for several capable junior disciples to accompany Mu Bai and warned them not to disgrace the Third Peak before Kun Fourth Peak.

Ch. 424Making a Spectacle of Himself

Mu Bai led the Kun Third Peak delegation to Orchid Fragrance Valley, where he outshone Mo Youde by showering the valley’s disciples with rare Demonic Charm Rainbow Orchids. At the Supreme Ceremony, he pretended he could not hear the Valley Master’s welcome, and the Flower Boat rose above the waterfall so the ceremony could proceed in silence.

  • Mu Bai arrived at Orchid Fragrance Valley with the Kun Third Peak delegation and was surrounded by the valley’s female disciples.
  • Mo Youde arrived with the Kun Fourth Peak delegation and handed out Spirit Jade Peach Blossoms to the welcoming disciples.
  • Mu Bai summoned thousands of rare Demonic Charm Rainbow Orchids, winning the valley disciples’ attention and frustrating Mo Youde’s group.
  • The Valley Master and Grand Elder welcomed the envoys, but Mu Bai pretended he could not hear them over the waterfall.
  • The Valley Master presented Jing Chen and Ya Ru as the two disciples being appraised at the Supreme Ceremony.
  • The Flower Boat rose above the valley until the waterfall’s roar could no longer be heard.

Ch. 425Tying on the ceremonial headbands

Mu Bai and Mo Youde attended Jing Chen and Ya Ru’s Venerable Ceremony, where Mu Bai’s generous gifts contrasted with Mo Youde’s awkward offering. The headband ritual revealed that Orchid Fragrance Valley disciples used the ceremony to seek powerful patrons, leaving Ya Ru displeased by Mu Bai’s ignorance and Jing Chen unwillingly paired with Mo Youde.

  • Mo Youde urged Mu Bai to demonstrate his cultivation against Jing Chen and Ya Ru, but Mu Bai declined and gave each woman a Dao Sea azure pearl.
  • Mo Youde presented the women with glazed floral hair ornaments, then realized they were common in the region and felt embarrassed.
  • Orchid Fragrance Valley began the ceremony, offered sacrifices to their ancestors, and bestowed ceremonial robes on Jing Chen and Ya Ru.
  • Mu Bai tied Ya Ru’s red headband while Mo Youde tied Jing Chen’s, then kissed her brow.
  • The ceremony’s custom was explained: disciples used the headband ritual to seek powerful patrons, and Ya Ru returned her headband to Mu Bai.
Arc 17 of 26