Recaps

Huang Xiao and his three companions faced Wang Mengjiao and a crowd of Jianghu fighters who sought their keys. Huang Xiao revealed strength on par with Wang Mengjiao and killed him with a single saber strike, leaving the surrounding fighters to confront him and his companions.

• Wang Mengjiao refused Huang Xiao's offer to join forces and continued attacking while urging the nearby fighters to join the fight.
• The Jianghu fighters surged toward Huang Xiao and his companions, who charged at Wang Mengjiao instead of letting the crowd distract them.
• When Wang Mengjiao tried to flee, Huang Xiao caught him and wounded his arm, revealing that he had been concealing middle-stage ancient realm strength.
• Wang Mengjiao warned Huang Xiao that the surrounding fighters would attack alongside him, but Huang Xiao charged at him again.
• Wang Mengjiao tried to dodge Huang Xiao's saber strike, but his body turned sluggish, and Huang Xiao split him in two.

Huang Xiao and his companions escaped the Silver Key fighters after he killed Wang Mengjiao, then hurried through the Central Desert. Their flight was interrupted by Bi Hu of the Broken Blade Sect, whose powerful siblings made him dangerous to confront.

• Huang Xiao killed Wang Mengjiao with a single saber strike, frightening the fighters enough for him, Mu Fucheng, Liu Wangtai, and Ke Zhenyi to break through the encirclement.
• After the four escaped, the loose alliance collapsed into infighting and attacks over the Silver Keys.
• Huang Xiao explained that his killing strike had been a secret trump card and denied that it had left him with serious aftereffects.
• The group continued toward the edge of the Central Desert, but Huang Xiao spotted someone approaching.
• Mu Fucheng recognized the newcomer as Bi Hu, a deputy sect master of the Broken Blade Sect, and Ke Zhenyi explained the strength and reputation of his Demon General siblings.

Bi Hu revealed that he was an ancient realm late-stage expert and demanded that Huang Xiao and his companions hand over their Silver Keys. Huang Xiao refused, leaving the group facing Bi Hu’s threat as Ke Zhenyi placed his hopes in him.

• Bi Hu admitted he was an ancient realm late-stage expert and said he knew little about the Golden Keys, though he believed the Silver Keys were more valuable.
• Bi Hu demanded ten Silver Keys, but Huang Xiao refused to accept his offer.
• Bi Hu declared that he wanted all the keys and threatened Ke Zhenyi, while warning Mu Fucheng and Liu Wangtai to leave them behind.
• Liu Wangtai urged Ke Zhenyi to escape, but Ke Zhenyi asked Huang Xiao whether he would give up and trusted that Huang Xiao might still have a way to fight Bi Hu.

Huang Xiao and his companions fought Bi Hu rather than surrender their keys, but Bi Hu’s superior strength quickly turned the battle against them. The chapter left Huang Xiao badly wounded, with Bi Hu threatening to cripple his left arm.

• Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, and Liu Wangtai chose to fight Bi Hu instead of handing over their keys.
• Huang Xiao and the others attacked together, but Bi Hu’s broken saber technique overwhelmed their combined forces.
• Huang Xiao clashed with Bi Hu and suffered a long wound across his chest, while Bi Hu sent Mu Fucheng and the other two flying.
• Bi Hu focused on Huang Xiao, believing he held the group’s keys, and repeatedly forced him to defend against his stronger attacks.
• Bi Hu struck Huang Xiao’s Minghong Saber down into his left shoulder and threatened to cripple his arm.

Huang Xiao struggled against Bi Hu, who overpowered him while demanding the Bronze Key. Huang Xiao’s Divine Sense attack disrupted Bi Hu’s fatal strike, but his counterattack only cut Bi Hu’s cheek, leaving them facing off with Bi Hu still alive.

• Bi Hu drove Huang Xiao back and wounded him while Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai tried and failed to help.
• Huang Xiao realized he could not hurt Bi Hu or obtain his blood, and remembered he could attack with Divine Sense.
• Bi Hu raised his full strength and unleashed a deadly slash as Huang Xiao charged straight toward him.
• Huang Xiao’s Divine Sense attack startled Bi Hu and destabilized his blade aura, allowing Huang Xiao to shatter the Saber Force.
• Huang Xiao slashed at Bi Hu’s head, but Bi Hu retreated; the blow only cut and disfigured Bi Hu’s cheek.

Huang Xiao used a hidden Divine Sense assault to sever Bi Hu’s arm and escape with Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai. After the group returned to Inkstone Mountain and divided their keys, Huo Lian and Lu Mu warned that Bi Hu’s revenge would bring serious trouble.

• Huang Xiao pretended his Divine Sense attack had failed, then struck Bi Hu with a stronger assault and severed his arm before Bi Hu fled.
• Huang Xiao led the badly injured Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai cautiously back to the Demon Domain over a month and a half.
• Mu Fucheng parted ways with the others, and the four divided their Golden and Silver Keys according to their agreement.
• Huang Xiao, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai returned to Inkstone Mountain, where Lu Mu and Huo Lian realized Bi Hu would likely seek revenge.

Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect learned that Bi Hu was a formidable ancient realm late-stage expert with powerful connections, while their incomplete formations could not hold off the Broken Blade Sect indefinitely. The sect faced grave danger, and Huang Xiao had yet to reveal how he would respond.

• Lu Mu was shocked to learn Huang Xiao had defeated Bi Hu's ancient realm late-stage brother, and Huang Xiao explained that he had scared him away using special methods.
• Lu Mu said Bi Hu was still at the ancient realm late stage but much stronger than her brother, and warned that the Wild Ox Sect could not withstand her and the other two siblings.
• Lu Mu explained that the sect's unfinished formations lacked the materials and strength to endure a prolonged siege, while Huang Xiao reassured Jiang Deng that the shortages were not his fault.
• Ke Zhenyi suggested fleeing, but Huo Lian and Lu Mu warned that the Broken Blade Sect's influence and Bi Hu's ties to an elder of one of the Five Great Demon Sects made hiding difficult.
• Huang Xiao questioned how much power Bi Hu's connection carried, and Lu Mu said her former lover had likely become a Grand Elder, leaving the Wild Ox Sect in grave danger.

Huang Xiao and Ke Zhenyi discussed the threat from Bi Hu and the Broken Blade Sect, while Huo Lian weighed whether to abandon the Wild Ox Sect. Huang Xiao proposed offering a Bronze Key to the Demon God Sect in exchange for protection, but Huo Lian questioned whether its value would be enough.

• Ke Zhenyi refused to leave Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect behind, and the two agreed to face danger together.
• Huang Xiao warned Ke Zhenyi that the Broken Blade Sect might already be heading for their sect and privately considered trading a Bronze Key for the Demon God Sect’s protection.
• Huo Lian told Huang Xiao they could abandon the Wild Ox Sect and flee to another domain, but Huang Xiao argued they should preserve it if possible.
• Huang Xiao proposed giving the Demon God Sect a Bronze Key to secure protection from the Broken Blade Sect.
• Huang Xiao reasoned that Bronze Keys might be valuable enough to interest the Demon God Sect, while Huo Lian cautioned that the keys’ relative worth was still uncertain.
• Huang Xiao challenged Huo Lian to explain why late-stage Ancient Realm experts would ignore Golden Keys if they were more valuable than Bronze Keys.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian decided how to explain the Bronze Key they planned to offer the Demon God Sect while trying to keep Huang Xiao’s other key secret. They found that the box that had held the Supreme Demon Pearl stopped the two keys from resonating.

• Huang Xiao showed Huo Lian a second Bronze Key and argued that the keys were rarer and more powerful than the Golden and Silver Keys.
• Huang Xiao explained that he had obtained the second key at the Longevity Daoist's cultivation site, but planned to claim the key for the Demon God Sect was the one taken from Zhuo Mengshen to avoid exposing his earlier possession of a Bronze Key.
• Huo Lian agreed that they should hurry before other sects and experts reached the Wild Ox Sect, and Huang Xiao prepared to leave for the Demon God Sect.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian tried an aura-isolating formation, but the keys still resonated when they were within one li of each other.
• Huo Lian brought out the box that had held the Supreme Demon Pearl, and Huang Xiao found that putting one Bronze Key inside stopped the resonance.

Huang Xiao planned to seek the Demon God Sect’s protection with a Bronze Key, but a powerful group blocked the Wild Ox Sect’s escape route. He and the others prepared to break through so he could reach the Demon God Sect.

• Huo Lian took Huang Xiao’s newly obtained Bronze Key and the other gold and silver keys, hiding the Bronze Key behind a formation.
• A large group blocked the way out from Wild Ox Peak, and Huo Lian, Ke Zhenyi, and the others gathered at the foot of the mountain.
• Huang Xiao told Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai he intended to seek the Demon God Sect’s protection, and they offered four Silver Keys to strengthen the appeal.
• Huang Xiao and the others saw hundreds of people outside the formation, including more than a dozen powerful experts and at least three ancient realm late stage experts.
• Liu Wangtai and the others offered to cover Huang Xiao as they prepared to attempt a breakout.

Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect prepared to resist the forces surrounding them, but the arrival of Bi Hu and her brothers made escape seem impossible. The chapter ended with Huang Xiao relying on the sect’s formations as Bi Hu’s brother threatened to break through and take revenge.

• Huo Lian urged the group to strike first while Lu Mu tried to strengthen their defenses with formations.
• Bi Hu arrived with her brothers and an unknown late-stage Ancient Realm man, prompting Huo Lian to suspect he belonged to Bi Hu’s backers.
• Huang Xiao and the others realized they were trapped and decided to resist behind the Wild Ox Sect’s formations.
• Bi Hu’s one-armed brother demanded that Huang Xiao come out, and Lu Mu removed the screening formation to reveal the group.
• Bi Hu’s brother threatened to slaughter the sect and take revenge, while Huang Xiao warned that his arm would never be restored and challenged him to break the formations.

Huang Xiao and his companions relied on the Wild Ox Sect’s formations as Jianghu experts began breaking through them. Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen arrived, forcing the attackers to stop and raising questions about the Demon God Sect’s interest in the Silver Key.

• Bi Long told the Jianghu experts that the Broken Blade Sect would not object to them breaking through the formations, and Huang Xiao led his companions up the mountain.
• Huang Xiao warned that the lower formations would soon fail and told Lu Mu he might need to risk his life helping defend the sect; Lu Mu agreed, hoping to receive the promised Formation Manuals.
• Wang Renyu of the Demon God Sect arrived, and the experts attacking the formations stopped.
• Bi Hu and Sun Mo reacted cautiously to Wang Renyu’s arrival, while Zhuang Chen of the Golden Demon Sect appeared beside him.
• Sun Mo introduced himself to Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen, and Wang Renyu acknowledged his connection to Elder Liu Bu.

Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen confronted Sun Mo and the others at the Wild Ox Sect, revealing that they had come to investigate a possible treasure beyond the Silver Keys. As more powerful factions arrived, Huang Xiao realized they were likely searching for a Bronze Key, though even the elders were not certain one existed.

• Bi Hu greeted Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen, while Zhuang Chen warned Sun Mo that Liu Bu had sent him because he was not certain of the situation.
• Zhuang Chen said Huang Xiao and the others might have found a treasure in the Longevity Daoist's cultivation grounds, and Wang Renyu admitted they had come to investigate despite their uncertainty.
• Sun Mo backed down and asked only for a chance to obtain Silver Keys, while Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen agreed to compete according to their own abilities.
• Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai worried that they could not satisfy the elders, but Huang Xiao said they could only tell the truth and suspected the elders were seeking a Bronze Key.
• Zhuang Chen sensed another arrival, and Wang Renyu asked Elder Gao whether the Ox-Slaughtering Sect had come for the Wild Ox Sect or for something else.

Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin confronted Huang Xiao over a suspected Bronze Key, but Huang Xiao concealed what he had found and admitted the elders’ formations could not stop them. Sun Mo exposed Huang Xiao’s secret, while Bi Hu hoped Liu Bu would arrive in time.

• Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin agreed to press Huang Xiao and divide the suspected treasure among themselves.
• Huang Xiao avoided revealing the Bronze Key, saying his group had found Silver and Golden Keys instead.
• Wang Renyu demanded the treasure and threatened that the formations could not protect the Wild Ox Sect.
• Sun Mo accused Huang Xiao of obtaining the treasure and privately urged Bi Hu to curry favor with the three elders.
• Bi Hu recalled evidence that Huang Xiao possessed a Bronze Key and hoped Liu Bu would arrive before the elders seized it.

Sun Mo revealed that Huang Xiao possessed the Bronze Key, and Huang Xiao explained that he had taken it from Zhuo Mengshen. Wang Renyu, Gao Yin, and Zhuang Chen disputed who should claim it, until Senior Ren arrived and challenged them for trying to rob a junior.

• Sun Mo told Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin that Huang Xiao had the Bronze Key and explained how Bi Hu’s brother had been injured.
• Huang Xiao admitted he had a Bronze Key but said he had obtained it by killing Zhuo Mengshen, not in the Central Desert.
• Huang Xiao showed the key, and Meng Hengjing and the others confirmed that its Divine Sense assault had affected them before.
• Wang Renyu demanded the key for the Demon God Sect, while Gao Yin and Zhuang Chen refused to yield.
• Senior Ren’s voice rang out, criticizing the three elders for trying to rob Huang Xiao.

Ren Dongju arrived to protect the Wild Ox Sect, and Huang Xiao offered him the Bronze Key to escape the danger of possessing it. Ren Dongju refused to take it by force and explained that he had come to ask about the Longevity Daoist’s cultivation site, leaving Huang Xiao’s offer unresolved.

• Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin bowed to Ren Dongju, who said he had come because Senior Kui Yong had been close to the Wood Demon Sect.
• Wang Renyu and the others prepared to leave, and the Jianghu onlookers stopped pursuing Huang Xiao and his companions.
• Huang Xiao asked the departing seniors to bear witness as he offered the Bronze Key to the Wood Demon Sect.
• Ren Dongju refused to seize the key, explaining that he had come to protect Huang Xiao and ask about the Longevity Daoist’s cultivation site.
• Ren Dongju acknowledged that possessing a Bronze Key put Huang Xiao’s life in danger, and Huang Xiao said he lacked the strength to keep it.

Huang Xiao gave the Bronze Key to Ren Dongju and the Wood Demon Sect in exchange for protection and treasures. Ren Dongju revealed that eight keys were left by Senior Longevity Daoist and corresponded to eight great formations, whose secret remained unknown until they were opened.

• Huang Xiao offered the Bronze Key to Ren Dongju, and Ren promised an exchange of rare treasures and protection from anyone who tried to take it.
• Ren Dongju took the key and revealed that eight Bronze Keys existed, with five already owned and two still missing.
• Ren Dongju accompanied Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect to Wild Ox Peak, while Bi Hu and his siblings agreed to put revenge aside and focus on growing stronger.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao and the others that Senior Longevity Daoist had left the eight Bronze Keys, which corresponded to eight great formations, and that their secret would be revealed only after the formations were opened.

Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao where several Bronze Keys had been and revealed that one missing key had once belonged to the Creation Sect. After Huang Xiao described the Central Desert cultivation site, Ren Dongju said at least a hundred of Longevity Daoist’s sites had already been found, but all had disappointed the seniors.

• Ren Dongju explained that the Demon, Blood, Alliance, Ghost, and Evil Domains each held a Bronze Key, while two keys remained unaccounted for.
• Ren Dongju said one missing key had vanished when the Creation Sect declined, and Huang Xiao suspected Xuan Yuanxiang’s surviving force had it.
• Huang Xiao asked whether all eight keys were needed to unlock the secret, and Ren Dongju said he remained interested in finding the others.
• Huang Xiao described the Central Desert underground cultivation site to Ren Dongju while withholding the Bronze Key on its stone gate.
• Ren Dongju said he would visit the Central Desert, then revealed that at least a hundred of Longevity Daoist’s cultivation sites had been discovered before, with no rewards found.

Ren Dongju explained that Golden and Silver Keys could strengthen Spirit-Gathering Divine Formations, while the eight Bronze Keys were meant to open eight great formations. Huang Xiao and the others learned that their Silver Keys could attract powerful enemies, but Ren Dongju’s arrival had disrupted those enemies’ plans.

• Huang Xiao asked why the powerful seniors had ignored Senior Longevity Daoist’s cultivation site, and Ren Dongju said repeated fruitless searches for Bronze Key clues had worn them out.
• Ren Dongju explained that Golden and Silver Keys strengthened Spirit-Gathering Divine Formations, with Golden Keys raising formations up to the third tier and Silver Keys raising them as high as the fourth.
• Lu Mu excitedly commented on the keys’ value as a formation master, then apologized for speaking out of turn; Ren Dongju reassured him and praised his formation skills.
• Ren Dongju explained that the keys could not raise a formation to the fifth level, and Huang Xiao realized why Bi Hu and others coveted the Silver Keys.
• Huang Xiao asked whether Bronze Keys could raise a formation to the fifth level, and Ren Dongju said their true purpose was to open the eight great formations.

Ren Dongju explained how the Silver Key could strengthen the Wild Ox Sect’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and offered Huang Xiao support. Huang Xiao asked him to collect extraordinary different flames to awaken his damaged saber’s Saber Soul, and Ren Dongju agreed to help.

• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao that Lu Mu could use the Silver Key to raise the Wild Ox Sect’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation to the Third Layer Tier.
• Huang Xiao said the sect would soon set up a formation with Lu Mu’s help, and Ren Dongju offered to provide other assistance.
• Huang Xiao asked Ren Dongju to collect extraordinary different flames, including the God-Slaying Flame, and Ren Dongju said he would do his best.
• Ren Dongju offered to find Huang Xiao a Divine Weapon or have one forged, but Huang Xiao explained that he wanted to use different flames to awaken his saber’s dormant Saber Soul.
• Ren Dongju agreed to seek help from people in the Wood Demon Sect and to look for different flames for Huang Xiao.

Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao about the unique Iron Key, whose existence was confirmed but whose location and purpose remained uncertain, then left to return to the Wood Demon Sect. After the crisis ended, Huang Xiao returned four Silver Keys to Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai, but they urged him to keep them in return for resolving the danger.

• Ren Dongju said he would choose suitable rewards for Huang Xiao and the others in exchange for the Bronze Key.
• Ren Dongju revealed that Senior Longevity Daoist had mentioned a unique Iron Key, though its material and purpose were uncertain and no one knew where it was.
• Ren Dongju advised the group to watch for genuine keys, then left for the Wood Demon Sect.
• Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai expressed relief that the crisis had passed.
• Huang Xiao returned the four Silver Keys to Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai, but Ke Zhenyi asked him to keep them as repayment for resolving the crisis.

Huang Xiao accepted Silver Keys from Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai after surrendering his Bronze Key to protect the Wild Ox Sect. He revealed that the materials for a second tier Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation were already secured, and Liu Wangtai and Ke Zhenyi sought access to the formation.

• Liu Wangtai offered Huang Xiao his Silver Keys to make up for the lost Bronze Key, and Huang Xiao accepted them.
• Liu Wangtai explained that the keys were of limited use to him without a Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, while Ke Zhenyi considered what his Heavenly Art Sect could afford to build.
• Lu Mu confirmed that the Wild Ox Sect planned to construct a second tier Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, and Huang Xiao said its materials were ready.
• Huang Xiao revealed that he had recovered the materials Qi Heng had gathered for a second tier formation and brought them back to the Wild Ox Sect.
• Liu Wangtai offered his remaining gold and silver keys in exchange for occasional use of the formation, and Huang Xiao agreed to let him use it without asking for the keys.

Ke Zhenyi offered most of his Golden Keys to Huang Xiao in exchange for access to the Wild Ox Sect's Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation. Lu Mu explained the limits of upgrading the formation and began preparations, determined to earn access to Huang Xiao's higher-level formation manuals.

• Ke Zhenyi offered Huang Xiao all but one of his Golden Keys and requested shared use of the Wild Ox Sect's formation because the Heavenly Art Sect could not afford its own second tier formation.
• Lu Mu agreed to help Ke Zhenyi improve a first layer level formation, and Huang Xiao accepted Ke Zhenyi's keys.
• Huang Xiao recognized that Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai had offered their keys partly to strengthen their ties with him after his connection with Ren Dongju became apparent.
• Lu Mu explained that even nine Silver Keys could not raise a second tier formation beyond the third layer tier, and Ke Zhenyi declined to sell the surplus keys.
• Huang Xiao entrusted the formation to Lu Mu and prioritized stability over speed.
• Lu Mu left to prepare, confident he would receive the remaining second tier instructions and resolved to prove his worth to obtain higher-level manuals.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian discussed the secret behind the keys and the value of holding their Bronze Key. Over the next six months, the Wild Ox Sect grew stronger with Lu Mu’s improved Spirit-Gathering Divine Formations, while conflicts over keys raged across the domains.

• Huo Lian and Huang Xiao speculated about the unique key’s material and agreed that their Bronze Key was valuable even if they could not pursue the secret key.
• Lu Mu completed improved second-tier and third-tier Spirit-Gathering Divine Formations, which Huang Xiao made available to sect members and trusted allies for cultivation and breakthroughs.
• Huang Xiao allowed Meng Hengjing and the others to use the formations, and they became more willing to accept their position under his control.
• Huang Xiao arranged for senior members of the Heavenly Art Sect to use the third-tier formation in exchange for weapons at favorable prices.
• Huang Xiao’s cultivation advanced enough for him to barely use the twelfth stage of Heavenly Demon Disintegration, bringing his strength close to newly advanced Ancient Realm late-stage experts.
• The Wild Ox Sect remained peaceful while the domains fought over Golden and Silver Keys, and Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai recognized that Huang Xiao had spared them a desperate flight from pursuit.

Rumors of the Iron Key spread across the Jianghu, prompting Huang Xiao and the others to decide not to join the hunt. Then the injured Mu Fucheng arrived seeking refuge, and the wooden box he entrusted to Huang Xiao contained an Iron Key.

• Huang Xiao, Liu Wangtai, Ke Zhenyi, and Huo Lian discussed the sudden Iron Key rumors and agreed not to risk leaving Inkstone Mountain to search for keys.
• Huang Xiao explained that the Guangjin Consignment House was selling hundreds of dubious Iron Keys daily, while bloody battles broke out across the Jianghu over the rumors.
• Gao Tianhe reported that Mu Fucheng had arrived alone at the mountain's foot with serious injuries, and Huang Xiao ordered him brought up.
• Mu Fucheng handed Huang Xiao a small wooden box before collapsing, and Huang Xiao sent him to rest after confirming his injuries were not fatal.
• Huang Xiao opened the box in front of the others, revealing an Iron Key.