Recaps

Huang Xiao told Senior Ji how the Longevity Chapter and heart fire had strengthened his Hell Origin Flame, and Senior Ji warned that it was fortunate he lacked the complete Imperishability Chapter. After hearing about the Jianghu and its key rumors, Senior Ji revealed there was no Iron Key and tossed Huang Xiao his cold, transparent key, leaving Huang Xiao wondering whether it was a gift.

• Huang Xiao explained that heart fire had strengthened his Hell Origin Flame and helped him free Senior Ji from the ice.
• Senior Ji said Huang Xiao was fortunate not to have obtained the complete Longevity Indestructible Skill, particularly the missing Imperishability Chapter.
• Huang Xiao told Senior Ji that the Creation Sect had fallen and described the rumors about the Gold and Silver Key, the eight bronze keys, and a unique Iron Key.
• Senior Ji said no Iron Key existed, and Huang Xiao admitted he had doubted the Jianghu rumor.
• Senior Ji tossed Huang Xiao his colorless, transparent key after sealing away its chill, and Huang Xiao wondered why he had handed it over.

Senior Ji gave Huang Xiao the Cold Jade Key, the unique key connected to a dangerous secret, and taught him how to control its chill and use it to strengthen himself. Huang Xiao quickly mastered the sealing formation, impressing Senior Ji, who asked which Demon Domain school or sect he belonged to.

• Senior Ji revealed that the Cold Jade Key was the one-of-a-kind key others had mistaken for an Iron Key and gave it to Huang Xiao to repay his debt.
• Senior Ji explained that the key was tied to a great secret and could gather spiritual energy while its cold energy tempered Huang Xiao’s True Qi.
• Senior Ji taught Huang Xiao a sealing formation and showed him how to release concentrated chill through a small opening.
• Huang Xiao memorized and successfully set up the formation after seeing it explained and demonstrated once.
• Senior Ji praised Huang Xiao’s talent for formation arts and asked what school or sect he belonged to.

Huang Xiao told Senior Ji how he had killed Kui Yong and become the Wild Ox Sect’s master before deciding to return. At Wild Ox Peak, the sect’s leaders faced a dwindling formation and a hostile crowd, hoping Huang Xiao and Huo Lian would come back in time.

• Huang Xiao explained to Senior Ji that he had killed Kui Yong and pretended to be his successor, and Senior Ji promised to keep the truth secret.
• Senior Ji departed, and Huang Xiao decided it was time to head back.
• At Wild Ox Peak, Lu Mu warned the gathered sect leaders that the protective formation would last no more than three years.
• Gao Tianhe and the others discussed the Jianghu forces gathered outside, who had grown bold after Huang Xiao and Huo Lian disappeared.
• The sect leaders resolved to prepare for the worst, though they still hoped the two sect masters would return.

With the Wild Ox Sect’s defenses wearing down and its core formation inaccessible, Lu Mu proposed that Mu Fucheng and the others help reinforce the defenses. Liu Wangtai instead urged them to take over the sect, then revealed his Ancient Realm Peak strength and was accused of robbing the sect’s treasure vault.

• Lu Mu said the sect’s formation materials were nearly exhausted and admitted he could not unravel the core formation Huang Xiao and Huo Lian had created.
• Lu Mu proposed that Mu Fucheng, Liu Wangtai, and Ke Zhenyi help reinforce the formation, estimating they could hold out for three more years.
• Liu Wangtai rejected continued resistance and proposed taking over the Wild Ox Sect, negotiating with the attackers, and keeping the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.
• Mu Fucheng and Ke Zhenyi questioned Liu Wangtai’s confidence, and he revealed an aura at the Ancient Realm Peak.
• Gao Tianhe accused Liu Wangtai of being the person who had robbed the Wild Ox Sect’s treasure vault.

Liu Wangtai tried to recruit Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng to seize the Wild Ox Sect, revealing that he had secretly learned to use many of its formations. Mu Fucheng and Ke Zhenyi refused to take the sect for themselves, leaving Liu Wangtai facing their opposition.

• Liu Wangtai claimed the Wild Ox Sect’s treasures had made him an Ancient Realm Peak expert and argued that he could use the mountain’s defenses to bargain with the forces outside.
• Liu Wangtai revealed that he had tricked Lu Mu into explaining the mountain’s formations, and Lu Mu threatened to disrupt them before Chen Ruyu stopped him from confronting Liu Wangtai.
• Liu Wangtai offered Mu Fucheng help with revenge, but Mu Fucheng said he would do his part for the Wild Ox Sect without risking his life.
• Ke Zhenyi praised Mu Fucheng’s reliability, then refused Liu Wangtai’s plan because Huang Xiao had helped him and he would not seize the Wild Ox Sect.
• Ke Zhenyi told Liu Wangtai that he would have to get past him if he intended to take the sect.

Liu Wangtai tried to recruit Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng to seize control of the Wild Ox Sect, but they refused, so he turned to force. As Jiang Deng and Fu Min joined him, Liu Wangtai revealed that he had poisoned Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng with Soft-Bone Powder, leaving them unable to move.

• Liu Wangtai argued that the Wild Ox Sect would fall without Huang Xiao and urged Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng to join him, but both refused.
• Liu Wangtai said he had prepared for their resistance, and Mu Fucheng warned the others to watch for accomplices.
• Jiang Deng and Fu Min chose to serve Liu Wangtai, who sent them to gather the Wild Ox Sect's disciples.
• Ke Zhenyi mocked Liu Wangtai for attracting only two followers, and Liu Wangtai said they were about to die.
• Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng weakened as Liu Wangtai revealed that he had secretly dosed them with Soft-Bone Powder several days earlier.

After being sealed in ice for over a hundred years, Huang Xiao returned to the Wild Ox Sect and learned that Liu Wangtai was trying to seize it while Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng were poisoned. Huang Xiao sent the loyal disciples to join him at the main Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation as Liu Wangtai prepared to finish off the defenders.

• Liu Wangtai declared that Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng had squandered their chance, then ordered Fu Min and Jiang Deng to leave.
• Huang Xiao learned that the Wild Ox Sect was surrounded and that the Patriarch's fate was unknown, then hurried back to the sect.
• A disciple told Huang Xiao that Liu Wangtai had poisoned Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng, while Fu Min and Jiang Deng recruited followers to his side.
• Huang Xiao ordered the loyal disciples to gather at the main Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and went to confront Liu Wangtai.
• Liu Wangtai prepared to end the fight as Mu Fucheng lamented his impending death.

Huang Xiao returned to the Wild Ox Sect just as Liu Wangtai was about to kill the wounded defenders and swiftly killed him. With Liu Wangtai dead, the sect’s immediate crisis ended.

• Ke Zhenyi regretted trusting Liu Wangtai after Liu poisoned and gravely wounded him and Mu Fucheng.
• Gao Tianhe stood in Liu Wangtai’s way while Lu Mu and Meng Hengjing considered escaping with the injured, but they could not flee.
• Huang Xiao suddenly appeared, stopped Liu Wangtai’s attack, and relieved Gao Tianhe, Ke Zhenyi, Mu Fucheng, and the others.
• Liu Wangtai admitted he intended to seize the Wild Ox Sect and claimed Huang Xiao should leave before the people outside killed him.
• Huang Xiao drew the Minghong Saber and killed Liu Wangtai with a single strike.

Huang Xiao returned to the Wild Ox Sect and killed Liu Wangtai, Jiang Deng, Fu Min, and their followers, astonishing the surviving disciples with his strength. As the elders urged him to seek help from the Wood Demon Sect, Huang Xiao instead considered taking on the attackers, though Ke Zhenyi warned that more than ten ancient realm peak experts awaited outside.

• Huang Xiao killed Liu Wangtai in a single strike, then cut down Jiang Deng, Fu Min, and the others.
• Gao Tianhe led the surviving disciples back to their posts as Huang Xiao’s return lifted their morale.
• Huang Xiao told Ke Zhenyi and the others that their Soft-Bone Powder should wear off by the next day and their injuries would heal soon.
• Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng urged Huang Xiao to contact the Wood Demon Sect in person, while Lu Mu said the formations could hold for years.
• Huang Xiao said he might confront the attackers because their strongest fighters were at the ancient realm peak.
• Ke Zhenyi warned Huang Xiao that there were more than ten ancient realm peak experts outside and questioned whether he could face them.

Huang Xiao rejected Ke Zhenyi’s advice to seek help from the Wood Demon Sect and decided to face the encircling experts himself. When he emerged from Wild Ox Peak, most outsiders called him an impostor, but Bi Hu went to investigate, seeing an opportunity whether he was real or not.

• Ke Zhenyi warned Huang Xiao about Bi Hu and urged him to ask Senior Ren for help, but Huang Xiao chose to test his strength against the experts outside.
• Mu Fucheng supported Huang Xiao’s decision, and Huang Xiao set out three days later after his companions recovered from their injuries.
• Huang Xiao questioned Gao Tianhe and the others about the Patriarch but learned little, leaving him determined to resolve the siege and visit the Wood Demon Sect.
• The people outside Wild Ox Peak mistook Huang Xiao for a disguised impostor and dismissed the idea that the Wood Demon Sect would intervene.
• Bi Long reported to Bi Hu that Huang Xiao’s appearance and aura seemed genuine, and Bi Hu decided to go see him, hoping to seize the initiative and claim his treasures.

Huang Xiao faced a growing gathering of Ancient Realm peak experts outside the Wild Ox Sect, including Fang Zha and Bi Hu, who debated whether he was genuine. Bi Hu recognized the Minghong Saber as proof, and she questioned why Huang Xiao had come alone to confront them.

• Fang Zha arrived and said he would wait for other experts to confirm whether Huang Xiao was real.
• Two Demon General companions joined Fang Zha, and Huang Xiao advised the three to stop seeking shortcuts and cultivate in seclusion.
• Bi Hu supported Huang Xiao's advice, while more experts arrived, bringing the gathering to thirteen.
• Bi Hu said she sought treasures rather than a breakthrough, then examined Huang Xiao and recognized his Minghong Saber as genuine.
• Bi Hu joked that she would take the saber and cut it short, provoking Huang Xiao's killing intent.
• Bi Hu asked why Huang Xiao had faced them alone instead of notifying the Wood Demon Sect.

Huang Xiao fought off an ever-growing group of ancient realm peak experts as the others tried to overwhelm him, while Bi Hu held back. By the end, twelve opponents had joined the battle and the sides remained evenly matched.

• Fang Zha and the others agreed to kill Huang Xiao quickly before the Wood Demon Sect learned he was alive, and Bi Hu agreed to their plan.
• Huang Xiao charged Fang Zha and drove him back, prompting other ancient realm peak experts to join the fight one after another.
• Huang Xiao held his ground against eight opponents, then nine, as Ke Zhenyi, Mu Fucheng, and the others worried about his chances.
• The battle grew to twelve ancient realm experts against Huang Xiao, while Bi Hu still did not act and Lu Mu said he could not help with a formation.
• The onlookers saw that even twelve attackers had only managed to keep Huang Xiao at a standstill and wondered how much strength he had concealed.

Huang Xiao revealed that he had been using Fang Zha and the other Ancient Realm Peak experts as practice targets, then began killing them once Bi Hu joined the fight. After Fang Zha and the others were wiped out, Bi Hu faced Huang Xiao with renewed caution and interest in testing her saber against his.

• Bi Hu confronted Huang Xiao, who admitted he had spared Fang Zha and the others so he could practice on them.
• Bi Hu joined the fight, and Fang Zha and the other eleven experts charged Huang Xiao together.
• Huang Xiao killed five of the attackers with a fierce saber strike, while Fang Zha barely escaped the first exchange.
• Huang Xiao turned on the six men behind him and killed nearly all of them in a single move; Fang Zha fled but collapsed after a delayed Saber Qi wound split his body.
• Bi Hu stopped her charge and recognized the danger of Huang Xiao's saber technique, while welcoming the chance to test herself against him.

Huang Xiao fought Bi Hu after killing twelve Ancient Realm Peak experts, and he overwhelmed her even after she used a Forbidden Art. As he moved to finish her, an unknown figure intervened with Sword Qi.

• Ke Zhenyi dismissed Mu Fucheng’s concerns and praised Huang Xiao’s strength as the Wild Ox Sect disciples celebrated their Sect Master’s return.
• Huang Xiao and Bi Hu exchanged saber strikes, and Bi Hu recognized that his strength exceeded her expectations.
• Huang Xiao used the Twelfth Stage of Heavenly Demon Disintegration and overpowered Bi Hu despite her raising her internal power with a Forbidden Art.
• Huang Xiao drove Bi Hu backward and prepared to kill her, while Bi Long and his brother rushed to her aid.
• An unknown figure charged between Huang Xiao and Bi Hu and sent Sword Qi toward Huang Xiao.

Huang Xiao challenged Liu Bu, an elder of the Earth Demon Sect, after Liu Bu intervened when Huang Xiao defeated Bi Hu. Liu Bu agreed to fight him, intending to use the encounter to secretly cripple Huang Xiao, while Huang Xiao saw it as a chance to test his strength.

• Liu Bu appeared and stopped Huang Xiao from pursuing Bi Hu, and Bi Long and Bi Hu carried their unconscious sister away.
• Huang Xiao identified the newcomer as Liu Bu and taunted him about whether he dared to kill him.
• Liu Bu threatened Huang Xiao and resolved to teach him a lesson, while the watching martial artists worried that Huang Xiao was provoking an opponent far stronger than himself.
• Huang Xiao challenged Liu Bu, and Liu Bu put away his sword and agreed to fight while secretly planning to destroy Huang Xiao's martial arts foundation.
• Huang Xiao charged at Liu Bu, confident that he could withstand the elder's tricks and eager to test his strength.

Huang Xiao fought Liu Bu, first holding his own with the Minghong Saber and then forcing the elder back after reaching his thirteenth stage. Liu Bu unleashed his peak Barbarian Desolate Realm strength and sent Huang Xiao flying, but Huang Xiao recovered in midair and escaped into Wild Ox Peak’s formation.

• Liu Bu pressed Huang Xiao with palm strikes, while Huang Xiao’s blade aura carved through the ground and killed over a hundred Jianghu spectators.
• Bi Hu regained consciousness and watched the duel, hoping Liu Bu would punish Huang Xiao without killing him.
• Liu Bu drew his sword and attacked with concentrated sword qi, but Huang Xiao blocked his strike head-on.
• Huang Xiao reached the thirteenth stage and forced Liu Bu backward, astonishing the spectators.
• Liu Bu revealed the aura of a peak Barbarian Desolate Realm expert and struck Huang Xiao, who was sent flying before entering Wild Ox Peak’s formation.

Huang Xiao retreated into the Wild Ox Sect’s formation after being injured, while Liu Bu chose not to break it and instead told Bi Hu about a rare chance to compete for entry into the Spirit Land. The chapter ended with Liu Bu explaining that candidates must be under five hundred years old and possess Barbarian Desolate Realm strength.

• Huang Xiao entered the formation injured, and Lu Mu admitted he did not know how long it could withstand Liu Bu.
• Liu Bu declined to break the Wild Ox Sect’s formation and told Bi Hu he had an important matter to discuss.
• Liu Bu revealed that the number of Spirit Land places had increased and the required strength had been lowered, giving Bi Hu a chance if she quickly reached the Barbarian Desolate Realm.
• Liu Bu warned Bi Hu not to provoke Huang Xiao, who already possessed mid-stage Barbarian Desolate Realm strength and might be further strengthened by the Wood Demon Sect.
• Liu Bu explained that candidates needed Barbarian Desolate Realm strength and had to be under five hundred years old.

Huang Xiao drove away the Jianghu forces surrounding Wild Ox Peak after revealing his strength in a fight with Liu Bu, though he concealed how powerful he could become by fully unleashing his techniques. Three days later, Ren Dongju summoned him to the Wood Demon Sect, and Huang Xiao set out after giving the Wild Ox Sect leaders instructions.

• Liu Bu warned Bi Hu that she needed to reach the middle stage of the Barbarian Desolate Realm to secure a place, then left with Bi Hu and their companions.
• After Liu Bu departed, the surrounding Jianghu forces began to disperse, and Ke Zhenyi praised Huang Xiao for raising the Wild Ox Sect's standing.
• Huang Xiao told Ke Zhenyi that he had used Liu Bu to test his strength and had feigned injury to conceal his full abilities from powerful factions.
• Huang Xiao stayed at the Wild Ox Sect while Lu Mu began repairing the damaged formations on Wild Ox Peak.
• Three days later, a Wood Demon Sect disciple delivered Ren Dongju's message summoning Huang Xiao, and Huang Xiao departed after instructing Ke Zhenyi, Mu Fucheng, Gao Tianhe, Lu Mu, and the others.

Huang Xiao visited the Wood Demon Sect and learned about the Patriarch’s rise and disappearance. After Ren Dongju tested his strength, he told Huang Xiao that Huo Lian was most likely still alive, though he could not be certain.

• Huang Xiao distributed the Wood Demon Sect’s remaining benefits among the surviving Wild Ox Sect disciples, with Ke Zhenyi and Mu Fucheng receiving the largest shares.
• Huang Xiao learned from a Wood Demon Sect disciple that the Patriarch had gained the sect’s respect before disappearing while tempering himself.
• Huang Xiao met Ren Dongju in a pavilion and broke through his mist technique by unleashing Heavenly Demon Disintegration, Thirteenth Stage.
• Huang Xiao told Ren Dongju that he had held back against Liu Bu and had fled after realizing Liu Bu’s true strength.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao that Huo Lian was most likely still alive, easing much of Huang Xiao’s worry.

Huang Xiao explained to Ren Dongju why he had concealed the fake key and described the Extreme Cold Mountains where he had been frozen for over a hundred years. Ren Dongju accepted his account and said the place’s harsh conditions had made it useful mainly to Huang Xiao; he suggested upgrading the sect’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation with the Silver Key instead of returning there.

• Huang Xiao admitted that he had lied about obtaining a genuine Iron Key, and Ren Dongju said he understood why Huang Xiao had kept the key’s secrets to himself.
• Huang Xiao claimed that an expelled Zhu Family member had identified the unusual Bronze Key as the key to their Sacred Land, but the Zhu Family had driven him away instead of rewarding him.
• Huang Xiao told Ren Dongju that he had gone to the Extreme Cold Mountains after losing hope of consulting the Zhu Family about the Saber Soul Revival Method.
• Huang Xiao said he had been frozen for over a hundred years in a place with dense Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, where his strength increased.
• Ren Dongju explained that such places appeared and eventually dissipated in the Extreme Cold Mountains, and that their harsh conditions made them unsuitable for most disciples.
• Ren Dongju suggested that Huang Xiao could surpass the place’s energy-gathering effect by upgrading the sect’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation with the Silver Key.

Huang Xiao learned that his rapid cultivation made him eligible to compete for a place in one of the Eight Great Spirit Lands on behalf of the Wood Demon Sect. Ren Dongju explained how the Spirit Lands were opened and why the great powers had to share some of their entry places, including with the Slaughter Domain.

• Huang Xiao agreed that he no longer needed the cultivation benefits of the Extreme Cold Mountains, and Ren Dongju said his strength had outgrown the place.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao that the Wood Demon Sect needed candidates under five hundred who had reached the Barbarian Desolate Realm, and Huang Xiao agreed to compete for a place.
• Ren Dongju explained that the Eight Great Formations were located in the Eight Great Spirit Lands and that the Bronze Keys allowed their holders to open them.
• Ren Dongju said the powers with keys received more entry places but had to share some with powers from other domains.
• Ren Dongju explained that the Slaughter Domain’s arrival had forced the Demon Domain to give it a larger share of places, though the Demon God Sect gave up only a token amount.

Huang Xiao learned how places in the Spirit Lands were distributed and why the Wood Demon Sect’s Bronze Key mattered. Ren Dongju then told him to compete for a place in one of the two Spirit Lands without keys, hoping he would find Spirit Land Cold Jade for the senior experts.

• Huang Xiao asked Ren Dongju about the number of places in each Spirit Land and how they were allocated, and Ren Dongju explained the usual shares and this cycle’s increased capacity.
• Ren Dongju explained that the Wood Demon Sect would have to allocate most of its places, but could still keep around twenty or thirty percent because it held a Bronze Key.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao that younger cultivators would compete for places in the two Spirit Lands without keys, while the older generation entered the six opened by the keys.
• Ren Dongju revealed that he wanted Huang Xiao to find Spirit Land Cold Jade, which could improve cultivation and help keep divine sense clear.
• Huang Xiao learned that Spirit Land Cold Jade was especially valuable to senior experts because it could reduce the risk of qi deviation.

Huang Xiao learned that Ren Dongju wanted him to obtain Spirit Land Cold Jade and gave him pills to strengthen himself for the Spirit Lands. Huang Xiao kept the most dangerous pills as a trump card, then questioned why no one else could refine the Vitality Pill.

• Huang Xiao wondered whether his Upper Clarity Scripture and a key from Senior Ji were connected to Spirit Land Cold Jade.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao that he needed to obtain Spirit Land Cold Jade and warned that his current strength might not be enough to face peak Barbarian Desolate Realm experts.
• Ren Dongju gave Huang Xiao three Violent Origin Pills and one Vitality Pill, explaining that the pills could boost his strength but risked severe damage to his vitality.
• Huang Xiao asked about taking three Violent Origin Pills, and Ren Dongju warned that the combination could bring him close to the early Primordial Desolate Realm but might harm his future advancement.
• Huang Xiao said he would keep the pills as a trump card and asked why the Wood Demon Sect could not refine Vitality Pills.
• Ren Dongju said the Longevity Daoist had made the remaining Vitality Pills, and Huang Xiao questioned why others could not refine a pill that could not fully counter the Violent Origin Pills' aftereffects.

Ren Dongju explained the Vitality Pill’s value and told Huang Xiao that Huo Lian was alive but not entirely free, though the cause remained unknown. He then described how candidates were chosen for the Spirit Land and urged Huang Xiao to train at the Wood Demon Sect for six months.

• Ren Dongju explained that the Vitality Pill could restore Huang Xiao to his peak and was rarer than the Violent Origin Pills.
• Ren Dongju said Huo Lian had disappeared more than fifty years ago but was likely alive and able to travel, though something kept him from acting freely or returning.
• Ren Dongju warned Huang Xiao not to mistake Huo Lian’s uncertain circumstances for an opportunity, and Huang Xiao acknowledged his mistake.
• Ren Dongju speculated that Huo Lian’s situation might be connected to Huang Xiao and Huo Lian being Senior Kui Yong’s successors.
• Ren Dongju explained that the Demon God Sect selected most Spirit Land candidates in advance and believed Huang Xiao’s strength would earn him a place without a match.
• Ren Dongju told Huang Xiao to return to the Wild Ox Sect to make arrangements and then spend six months training at the Wood Demon Sect.

Huang Xiao prepared for the upcoming Spirit Land trip, keeping the Supreme Demon Pearl and Cold Jade Key while leaving the Bronze Key behind. At the Wood Demon Sect, Ren Dongju gave him a place to cultivate and explained the difficult requirements for building a fifth-layer Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.

• Huang Xiao returned to the Wild Ox Sect, took the Supreme Demon Pearl and Cold Jade Key, and left the Bronze Key and map behind to avoid exposing his possessions.
• Huang Xiao considered how the Essence Burst Pill and Vitality Pill could aid him during the Spirit Land trip and hoped to obtain the Essence Burst Pill’s refining formula later.
• Huang Xiao informed Gao Tianhe and the others of his arrangements without revealing the Spirit Land, and they worried he might disappear as the Patriarch had.
• Ren Dongju brought Huang Xiao to a fifth-layer Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation at the Wood Demon Sect and arranged six months of cultivation, personal guidance, and supporting treasures.
• Ren Dongju explained that building a fifth-layer Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation required a qualified formation master, rare materials, and five suitable sites; Huang Xiao asked whether a sect could relocate its headquarters.