Chapter Summaries

Jing Jiu returned to Green Mountain and was welcomed by the disciples, but he immediately flew to Divine End Peak after sensing Zhao Layue’s breakthrough. The chapter ended with Zhao Layue reuniting with him and settling beside him while he combed her hair.

• Immortal Master Lü let his Sword-Washing Disciples leave class to watch Jing Jiu’s returning Sword Boat, and he and Lin Wuzhi recalled Jing Jiu’s past.
• Lin Wuzhi, Yao Songshan, Lei Yijing, and the other disciples welcomed Jing Jiu at Sword-Washing Creek.
• Jing Jiu sensed a breakthrough on a distant peak, and the Unthought Sword flew to Zhao Layue on Divine End Peak.
• Zhao Layue emerged from her cave abode after reaching the Wandering the Wilds Realm, caught the Unthought Sword, and confirmed Jing Jiu’s identity by asking about Zuo Yi.
• Zhao Layue returned from bathing, sat beside Jing Jiu, and let him comb her hair.

Jing Jiu reunited with Zhao Layue and Gu Qing, told them about his ordeal in the Snowfield, and showed them a mutated Snow Armored Beetle. The group named it Cold Cicada, Yuan Qu received a new name, and Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue discussed why he had stayed in the Snowfield and what their relationship meant to his pursuit of the Great Dao.

• Jing Jiu asked Gu Qing to recount what had happened in the Snowfield, including Luo Huainan's betrayal and Fang Jingtian's questions.
• Jing Jiu showed Zhao Layue, Gu Qing, and the youth surnamed Yuan a mutated Snow Armored Beetle, which Zhao Layue named Cold Cicada.
• Zhao Layue bestowed the name Yuan Qu on the youth surnamed Yuan, and Jing Jiu explained that the beetle needed a cool nest and ice marrow to survive.
• Jing Jiu told Zhao Layue that he had stayed because the Snow Nation Queen watched him closely and because Bai Zao had tried to save him.
• Jing Jiu explained that he had gone with Bai Zao to save Luo Huainan because he wanted to respond to her effort and leave nothing lacking.
• Zhao Layue asked whether their bond would change Jing Jiu's thinking, and he said it would not; he also said he had not found the person he sought but thought he had fooled him.

Jing Jiu explained how the escaped traitor had used thunder soulwood and Master Meng’s sword to fake his death, then brought Zhao Layue to Jade Lake Peak to show her what she had wanted to investigate and meet someone. They reached Jade Lake, where a palace stood on a distant island.

• Jing Jiu told Zhao Layue that Fang Jingtian had targeted him because he knew Jing Jiu was investigating, and said he planned to take her to Jade Lake Peak.
• Jing Jiu explained that the imprisoned man had transferred his divine soul into a Nether Department disciple using thunder soulwood, then faked his death with Master Meng’s sword.
• Jing Jiu told Zhao Layue that Lei Poyun had likely been released by an accomplice, and said the second length of thunder soulwood had served its own purpose.
• Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue went to Jade Lake Peak, where two disciples recognized them and Jing Jiu asked to walk without notifying the elders.
• Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue reached Jade Lake and saw a palace on a distant island.

Jing Jiu brought Zhao Layue through Jade Lake Peak’s Forbidden Array to meet Green Mountain’s Guardian, White Ghost, and persuaded it to stay at Divine End Peak for several years. White Ghost accepted the move after Zhao Layue held it, and Jing Jiu promised that half the Precious Tree Residence would be returned to Jade Lake Peak.

• Jade Lake Peak’s elders complained about Zhao Layue and Jing Jiu visiting without notice, while Cheng Youtian told them to endure their losses and avoid provoking the Sect Master True Person.
• Jing Jiu gave Zhao Layue a Green Bamboo Tablet marked with a golden pheasant, opening a passage through Jade Lake Peak’s Forbidden Array.
• Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue crossed the lake and approached the palace, where Jing Jiu introduced the white cat Liu A'da as Green Mountain’s Guardian White Ghost.
• Jing Jiu asked White Ghost to look after Zhao Layue and offered to host it at Divine End Peak for three to five years in exchange for returning half the Precious Tree Residence to Jade Lake Peak.
• Jing Jiu lifted White Ghost into Zhao Layue’s arms, where it grew comfortable and began kneading with its forepaws.

Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue took White Ghost and five pieces of Thunder Soulwood from Jade Lake Peak back to their cave abode. There, Gu Qing and Yuan Qu learned the white cat was Green Mountain’s Lord Guardian and heard that the other Guardians were a chicken and an old turtle.

• Jing Jiu collected five pieces of Thunder Soulwood while Zhao Layue nervously held and petted White Ghost.
• Cheng Youtian learned that Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue had left Jade Lake Peak but could not discover what they had done.
• Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue returned to the summit with White Ghost, and Jing Jiu told Gu Qing and Yuan Qu to keep the cat’s identity secret.
• Gu Qing and Yuan Qu found White Ghost asleep on the couch with Cold Cicada trembling on his head.
• Jing Jiu told Gu Qing and Yuan Qu to call White Ghost Liu A'da and explained that Yin Phoenix was a chicken and Origin Turtle was an old turtle.

Jing Jiu explained that Green Mountain’s four legendary guardians were, in reality, a turtle, a cat, a chicken, and a black dog called Corpse Dog. The enormous dog patrolled the Sword Prison, collected a dead disciple from Hidden Peak, placed him among the stone statues, and returned to sit beneath a shaft of light.

• Yuan Qu told Gu Qing that Green Mountain’s guardians included a cat, a chicken, an old turtle, and Lord Night Howl, who was a dog.
• Jing Jiu warned them not to call the dog Corpse Dog in front of Big One, then rested beside Zhao Layue.
• Corpse Dog entered the Sword Prison, where the prisoners fell silent and their foul auras disappeared.
• Corpse Dog went to a Hidden Peak cave and took the corpse of an ancient Jade Lake Peak disciple.
• Corpse Dog placed the corpse in a cave among many stone statues, then returned to the Sword Prison and sat beneath a shaft of light.

Jing Jiu and the others cultivated through the seasons on Divine End Peak while Yuan Qu advanced into the Wuzhang Realm. As winter arrived, Zhao Layue received word that the Western Sea Sword Sect was visiting and that Tonglu wanted to challenge Jing Jiu.

• Jing Jiu’s meditation drew unusually abundant spiritual energy, and White Ghost began resting on his head to cultivate.
• Jing Jiu recalled his past with Senior Brother and Corpse Dog while White Ghost guarded the thunder soulwood through a storm on Jade Lake Peak.
• Yuan Qu broke through into the Wuzhang Realm and flew with Gu Qing to wash their swords in the thunderstorm.
• After more than a year passed, Gu Qing and Yuan Qu prepared tea from the first winter snow and discussed the Green Mountain Guardians’ names.
• Zhao Layue received a Sword Letter announcing the Western Sea Sword Sect’s visit and Tonglu’s challenge to Jing Jiu.

Tonglu’s challenge to Jing Jiu was refused, and the Four Seas Banquet began while Tonglu’s reputation grew from the story. A mysterious letter drew Tonglu to a meeting among the reefs, where a former Green Mountain disciple confronted him about avenging Luo Huainan.

• Tonglu challenged Jing Jiu at Green Mountain, but Yao Songshan and the other disciples dismissed his expectations that Jing Jiu would accept.
• The Four Seas Banquet officially began in Haizhou City, and Tonglu went to the Cloud Terrace to represent the Western Sea Sword Sect.
• Tonglu received a letter signed with a red sword that named a time and place for a challenge.
• More than ten days later, Tonglu met a masked man among the reefs outside Haizhou City and questioned him about impersonating a Green Mountain disciple.
• The man revealed his face and told Tonglu that he should have come directly to him instead of challenging Jing Jiu over Luo Huainan.

Liu S sui fought Tonglu among the reefs, wounded him, and escaped the Western Sea Sword Sect’s search. He returned to the Never-Old Forest hidden within Cloud Terrace, where the Western Prince found him studying files.

• Tonglu and Liu S sui concealed themselves among the reefs and exchanged deadly sword strikes.
• Liu S sui wounded Tonglu with a hidden sword and a Demon Fire attack, then fled when Western Sea Sword Sect forces arrived.
• Tonglu identified Liu S sui and vowed he would not escape, but the sect’s search around Haizhou City found no trace of him.
• Liu S sui appeared in a quiet room deep within Cloud Terrace, where he studied files in the hidden Never-Old Forest.
• The Western Prince arrived and told the injured Liu S sui to rest instead of sorting through the files.

Liu S sui reflected on the Western Prince’s scheme that had made him a Never-Old Forest assassin, then prepared an assassination plan against Su Ziye while privately questioning the Prince’s connections and motives. The chapter ended with Little Lotus of Ying City appearing before the Western Prince.

• The Western Prince questioned Liu S sui about fighting Tonglu, and Liu S sui said he had defended Jing Jiu’s reputation.
• The Western Prince explained how he had lured Liu S sui into the Never-Old Forest and trained him, then assigned him to plan Su Ziye’s assassination.
• Liu S sui studied the Never-Old Forest’s Jade Book and selected members for the assassination, including names hidden within major sects and the Imperial Court.
• While writing the plan, Liu S sui wondered whether only the Western Prince’s faction controlled the Western Sea Sword Sect and questioned the Prince’s origins and relationship with the Western Sea Sword God.
• The Western Prince sat concealed in a great hall as Little Lotus of Ying City entered and knelt before him.

Little Lotus of Ying City reported to the Western Prince that she had found no trace of the First Child Sword while following Liu S sui, though her unexpected fear of him unsettled her. On Divine End Peak, Jing Jiu taught his disciples about the Heaven-Bearing Sword Art and higher realms, and De Se Se arrived with a question for Zhao Layue.

• The Western Prince told Little Lotus of Ying City to win Liu S sui’s genuine affection and become a bond that tied him to her, while warning her not to try to seduce him.
• Little Lotus of Ying City recalled meeting Liu S sui at the Four Seas Banquet and wondered why he had a jasmine flower on his collar.
• Jing Jiu explained that Gu Qing could treat the Heaven-Bearing Sword Art as a formation and adjust his Sword Essence accordingly, then named Concealing Heaven and Earth as the realm above Heaven-Connecting.
• Jing Jiu’s disciples discussed the meaning of One Sword for All Things, while the white cat silently recalled the unnamed realm of All Things as One.
• After another Sword Inheritance Assembly, De Se Se visited Divine End Peak, and Zhao Layue asked about her Old Madam’s health.
• De Se Se said the Old Madam was well, then asked Zhao Layue if she knew about that matter.

Zhao Layue and the others learned that Su Ziye had been ambushed and was missing, while He Zhan secretly carried the poisoned Su Ziye through the Southwestern Continent. Su Ziye recalled how a false lead had lured him into the Never-Old Forest’s trap and feared for his father and the Profound Yin Sect.

• De Se Se told Zhao Layue, Gu Qing, and Yuan Qu that Su Ziye had been attacked in Yizhou by an assassin disguised as a brothel patron, and that his body had not been found.
• He Zhan stopped in a dense forest with the poisoned Su Ziye, who removed his face covering and asked for wine.
• He Zhan warned Su Ziye that the Precious Thoroughfare Zen Monastery was nearby, but Su Ziye refused to seek help there because he was the Profound Yin Sect’s young master.
• Su Ziye explained that the Never-Old Forest’s assassins had poisoned him with corpse locust and another toxin, which was nearing his demonic embryo.
• Su Ziye remembered leaving Cold Mountain alone to investigate a young man who had used an ancient Profound Yin Sect cultivation method, then realizing the lead had been planted to lure him into the ambush.
• Su Ziye feared that the young man had returned to Cold Mountain and that his father might be suffering, and he hoped his father was still alive.

He Zhan introduced Tong Yan to the dying Su Ziye, who revealed the truth of his birth and hoped to visit Green Mountain if he survived. Elsewhere, Yin San explained his actions to the Profound Yin Ancestor, while Jing Jiu spoke with Zhao Layue about the futility of worldly repetition; on Twofold Forgetting Peak, You Siluo asked what had happened with Liu Sui.

• He Zhan brought Tong Yan out of hiding to meet Su Ziye, who explained that he was born from a Demonic Embryo and that corpse locusts had changed his color.
• Tong Yan agreed that Su Ziye could come to the Precious Thoroughfare Zen Monastery and pay for meals by doing odd jobs, and Su Ziye said he wanted to visit Green Mountain if he survived.
• The Profound Yin Ancestor confronted Yin San over the Never-Old Forest's assassination of his grand-disciple, and Yin San said he was helping children who wanted to destroy the forest.
• Jing Jiu told Zhao Layue that he was suited to being an assassin but would not take on Liu Sui's role, because worldly affairs were meaningless repetition.
• You Siluo asked his fellow disciples on Twofold Forgetting Peak what had happened with Liu Sui, and Guo Nanshan offered to explain.

Guo Nanshan and You Siluo discussed how Liu S sui had been sent undercover into the Never-Old Forest to identify its members, but could not understand why he had truly joined them. Alone by the sea, Liu S sui chose to keep gathering information and wondered who had been watching him.

• Guo Nanshan explained that the Never-Old Forest threatened the human race and that the cultivation world needed an insider to expose its hidden members.
• Jian Ruyun recounted how the group arranged for Liu S sui to swallow a Ghost-Eyed Ling demon core so the Never-Old Forest would recruit him.
• Guo Nanshan said Liu S sui had joined the Never-Old Forest for real and committed a terrible atrocity, and vowed to kill him himself.
• Liu S sui recalled accepting the undercover mission, enduring rejection and punishment, and feeling grateful that Jing Jiu had defended him.
• Liu S sui decided to remain undercover longer to investigate the Never-Old Forest’s ties to the Netherworld, the Western Sea Sword God, and the Western Prince.
• Liu S sui sensed that someone had been observing him and wondered who it was.

Liu S sui uncovered signs that the Never-Old Forest planned to target Chaoge City's Demon-Suppressing Prison and decided the danger justified ending his undercover wait. He secretly returned to Cloud Terrace after a farewell meal with Little Lotus, while a mysterious pearl sent from Chaonan City reached Twofold Forgetting Peak.

• Liu S sui analyzed transfer orders and other files, concluding that the Never-Old Forest was preparing an operation against the Demon-Suppressing Prison in Chaoge City.
• Liu S sui decided the threat could not be ignored, memorized the final name in the jade books, and left Cloud Terrace without taking anything.
• Liu S sui ate with Little Lotus in Haizhou City, then secretly returned to Cloud Terrace instead of leaving.
• The Old Master of the Gu Household found an Origin Qi Pearl hidden inside a fish and ordered it sealed and sent into the mountains.
• Three days later, Gu Han recognized the monogram on a box delivered to Twofold Forgetting Peak, and Guo Nanshan was astonished when Gu Han said it contained the pearl.

Gu Han and Guo Nanshan used a hidden pearl to view images of Liu S sui’s past and evidence of his infiltration of the Never-Old Forest. The sect leaders debated whether the evidence was genuine or a trap, and Guo Nanshan left for Heavenly Light Peak to prepare while keeping the others silent.

• Gu Han broke open an Origin Qi Pearl and revealed the smaller bright pearl hidden inside it.
• Guo Nanshan activated the pearl, which projected images from Liu S sui’s life, including the Green Mountain Sword Trial, the Sea God Temple, and records at Cloud Terrace.
• Jian Ruyun warned that Liu S sui might have falsified the names in the Jade Books to provoke turmoil among the orthodox sects.
• Gu Han said he trusted Liu S sui, while Jian Ruyun argued that Liu S sui might have killed Luo Huainan to earn the Never-Old Forest’s trust.
• Guo Nanshan ordered everyone to remain in the cave abode and left for Heavenly Light Peak to prepare for action.
• Ma Hua said he believed Liu S sui had carried out the mission and reflected on the cost of earning the Never-Old Forest’s trust.

Jing Jiu sent the Unthought Sword on a Sword Journey across the sea and through the Thunder Domain, while Zhao Layue, Gu Qing, and Yuan Qu realized he could not be disturbed. The sword reached a distant continent at dawn, where a mountain range resembled a sleeping giant.

• The Sect Master asked Jing Jiu for help and reminded him that someone on the other side was his friend.
• Jing Jiu asked that a child connected to him be kept alive, then began cultivating at the summit of Divine End Peak.
• Jing Jiu used his Sword Sense to send the Unthought Sword away, and Zhao Layue, Gu Qing, and Yuan Qu recognized the act as Sword Journey.
• The Unthought Sword crossed the Gang Wind and Void Realm, entering the Thunder Domain to replenish its spiritual qi with lightning.
• The Unthought Sword passed Penglai Island and the Great Whirlpool before slowing near a distant continent at dawn.

The Unthought Sword visited a distant continent and reunited with a giant who had once been its friend. After the sword returned to the Chaotian Continent, the giant crossed the sea to Mist Island and began guarding it with a Ten-Thousand-Year Ancient Tree.

• The Unthought Sword flew to a distant forest, where sprites watched it and summoned the giant from the mountain range.
• The giant recognized the Unthought Sword, learned why it had returned, and watched it fly back toward the Chaotian Continent.
• The giant walked through the sea toward the Luoshen Trench, avoiding the Void Realm and Thunder Domain as he traveled.
• The giant reached Mist Island, retrieved a Ten-Thousand-Year Ancient Tree from the Great Whirlpool, and sat down to guard the islands.

A giant’s distant shout disrupted a divine ship’s voyage, while Kunlun Sect Master He Wei investigated turmoil at the Profound Yin Sect. He revealed that he had discovered Song Qianji was a spy and attacked him.

• A giant’s shout stirred up a gale and thunder over the sea, prompting a shipowner to order the ships to return until the Sea God gave permission to sail again.
• He Wei learned that internal strife had broken out at the Profound Yin Sect, possibly after Su Ziye’s assassination, and decided to investigate.
• He Wei and Song Qianji reached a distant vantage point overlooking the Profound Yin Sect’s headquarters, where they sensed the Ten Thousand Banners Grand Formation.
• He Wei told Song Qianji that the Never-Old Forest had planted only two spies in Kunlun, naming Song Qianji and Liu Xiang, then ran him through with a Glazed Sword.

He Wei killed Song Qianji, then joined White True Person above Cold Mountain as the Profound Yin Sect prepared for their arrival. Elsewhere, the Water-Moon Convent and Fruitful Accomplishment Temple sealed the Heavenly Access Well with glowing scriptures, driving back the Nether Department’s wandering souls.

• Song Qianji fled after He Wei destroyed his Dao Tree and Sword Pellet, but he died soon afterward, and He Wei burned his corpse.
• He Wei greeted White True Person above Cold Mountain and waited while the Profound Yin Sect remained behind its mountain-gate formation.
• Su Qige and Gao Ya discussed the danger facing the Profound Yin Sect, while Wang Xiaoming wondered whether both men should be killed.
• The fiendish cultivators of Cold Mountain sensed He Wei and White True Person and hurried to reinforce their defenses or flee underground.
• The Water-Moon Convent’s supreme elder and the Fruitful Accomplishment Temple’s Abbot and Master Du Hai arrived at the Heavenly Access Well.
• The monks sent glowing scriptures into the pit, killing wandering souls and suppressing the dark aura.