Recaps

Huang Xiao visited the pavilion where You Lian'er, Xiao Yan, Zhao Xin'er, and Zhao Yunhui were getting along and teasing him. After they sent him away to discuss a saber technique, he headed to his cultivation chamber to examine the Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method.

• Huang Xiao found the four women together, and they settled Xiao Yan's place among them as an honored sister rather than a guest.
• Xiao Yan told Huang Xiao she had come to see him and You Lian'er, and Huang Xiao arranged for her accommodations.
• You Lian'er pushed Huang Xiao away from the pavilion, while Zhao Xin'er and Zhao Yunhui urged him to attend to sect affairs.
• Huang Xiao went to his cultivation chamber to read the four levels of the Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method given to him by Maidafa.
• After Huang Xiao left, You Lian'er asked Zhao Yunhui about the saber technique, and Zhao Yunhui began explaining its moves to her and Xiao Yan.

Huang Xiao studied the four levels of Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth and planned the sect’s response to a possible alliance operation in Dali. He left Ran Chou to guard the Heavenly Demon Sect while he went to Dali with the Water and Earth Banner Guards, and gave Ran Chou the cultivation method to study.

• Huang Xiao grasped some of the principles of Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth and thought Yunhui might benefit from reading it.
• Ran Chou told Huang Xiao that he had contacted the Medicine King Hall and sent the Fire and Earth Banner Guards to Dali in disguise.
• Huang Xiao decided to send only the Water and Earth Banner Guards to Dali and ordered Ran Chou and the Heavenly Demon Imperial Guards to remain at the sect in case Habibullah attacked.
• Huang Xiao said he would go to Dali with Old Sun and Duan Siping, trusting that Wu Longfeng would focus on the Seven-Spirit Disc and Seven Spirit Blades.
• Huang Xiao gave Ran Chou the four levels of Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth to study.

Ran Chou urged Huang Xiao to resolve his marriage arrangements, and Huang Xiao decided he should not leave any of the four women feeling neglected. When he went to visit You Lian'er, he learned that she was meeting with Xiao Yan and both princesses and had barred everyone, including him, from entering.

• Ran Chou told Huang Xiao that Maidafa had three days to provide the complete Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method, and Huang Xiao agreed to wait for an answer.
• Ran Chou reminded Huang Xiao that You Lian'er had served him for five years and that Xiao Yan was his acknowledged fiancée, so he should treat them fairly.
• Huang Xiao decided to arrange matters in order of age and set out to visit Xiao Yan, but realized he did not know where You Lian'er was staying.
• Huang Xiao went to You Lian'er's residence, where a maidservant told him You Lian'er had barred even him from entering while she met with Xiao Yan and both princesses.
• Huang Xiao accepted that You Lian'er was busy and left without learning how long the women would remain together.

Ran Chou sent three Heavenly Demon Imperial Guards to bring Maidafa to him, but Maidafa refused until he produced a written decree from You Lian'er. The guards stopped their attack on his envoys after reading it, leaving them to discover what You Lian'er had ordered.

• After Maidafa failed to answer within three days, Ran Chou ordered three Heavenly Demon Imperial Guards to bring him in alive.
• The guards arrived to find Maidafa and his two envoys waiting, and Maidafa refused to go with them.
• When Maidafa refused, two guards moved to kill his envoys, so Maidafa shouted that he had a written decree.
• Maidafa presented a golden-silk decree from You Lian'er, and the guards stopped their attack after reading it.

Maidafa avoided being taken away after You Lian'er intervened, while Ran Chou gave him a few more days to obtain the complete Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth. At You Lian'er's residence, Huang Xiao discovered that she, Xiao Yan, Zhao Yunhui, and Zhao Xin'er had joined forces and were testing their combined saber and sword art against him.

• The Wind and Thunder Envoys and the Heavenly Demon Imperial Guards accepted You Lian'er's handwritten order and left Maidafa's fate for Ran Chou to decide.
• Ran Chou learned that You Lian'er had intervened, paused the three-day deadline, and decided to wait a few more days for Maidafa to obtain the complete Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth.
• Huang Xiao went to You Lian'er's residence and found Xiao Yan, Zhao Yunhui, and Zhao Xin'er waiting with her in the back garden.
• The four women demonstrated their coordinated Yin-Yang Two Principles Saber and Sword Art and told Huang Xiao to instruct them.
• Huang Xiao sparred with the four women, struggled against their combined attacks even at eighty percent of his power, and called for them to stop.

Huang Xiao lost a sparring match against his four wives, then met with them to discuss the complete Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method Maidafa had given them. He discovered that the method’s seventh layer contained a fatal flaw, and the group concluded the flaw was likely part of the method itself rather than a deliberate alteration by Maidafa.

• Huang Xiao conceded defeat to You Lian'er, Zhao Xin'er, Zhao Yunhui, and Xiao Yan after they overwhelmed him with their saber-and-sword technique.
• Huang Xiao learned that Zhao Yunhui had refined the Yin-Yang Two Principles Saber-and-Sword Technique and that the women had obtained all the layers of the Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method from Maidafa.
• Huang Xiao agreed to allow Maidafa and his associates some freedom within the Heavenly Demon Sect, provided they did not break its rules.
• Huang Xiao noticed that practicing the method’s seventh layer as written could cause cultivation deviation and death, prompting You Lian'er to suspect Maidafa.
• Huang Xiao reasoned that Maidafa lacked the skill to conceal a deliberate alteration and concluded the flaw was likely in the cultivation method itself.

Huang Xiao and the four women discussed the incomplete seventh layer of the Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method, with Zhao Yunhui confident she could help perfect it. Later, Huang Xiao went to Xiao Yan while she was bathing, but his surprise entrance frightened her and left her sobbing as he apologized.

• Huang Xiao explained that the method's creator had never mastered its seventh layer, which might have been untested and unfinished.
• You Lian'er suggested Huang Xiao could complete the seventh layer, but Huang Xiao said Zhao Yunhui's formation skills made her more suited to the task.
• The women discussed the method's value and its connection to the Yin-Yang Two Principles saber-and-sword art, then Huang Xiao left them to practice on their own.
• That night, Xiao Yan wondered whether Huang Xiao would spend the night with her or one of the other women as he entered her courtyard carrying hot water.
• Xiao Yan mistook Huang Xiao for a maidservant and asked him to massage her back, then turned in alarm when she recognized his hands.
• Huang Xiao apologized for startling Xiao Yan and tried to comfort her as she cried and struck his chest.

Huang Xiao reconciled with Xiao Yan before turning to the Heavenly Demon Sect’s plans concerning Maidafa and a message from the Medicine King Hall. The chapter left Ran Chou with the complete Nine-Turn Heaven and Earth Heart Method, though Huang Xiao warned him that its Seventh Layer appeared incorrect.

• Huang Xiao apologized to Xiao Yan, promised to make up for not holding a grand wedding, and stayed with her for the night.
• The next morning, Huang Xiao told Ran Chou about Maidafa and gave him the heart method formulas for the final three layers.
• Huang Xiao and Ran Chou discussed the Medicine King Hall’s letter, which arranged a meeting in Dali City one month later, and decided not to inform Ling Tianya.
• Huang Xiao ordered Ran Chou to gather intelligence on Persia and spread word that Maidafa was at the Heavenly Demon Sect.
• Huang Xiao warned Ran Chou that the Seventh Layer’s formulas seemed wrong, and they agreed the problem probably had nothing to do with Maidafa.

Huang Xiao planned to visit Zhao Yunhui, but she urged him to go to You Lian'er instead so Lian'er would not feel neglected. He arrived at Lian'er's quarters, where she welcomed him after waiting five years, and stayed with her.

• Huang Xiao finished handling sect affairs and went to Zhao Yunhui's quarters that night.
• Zhao Yunhui told Huang Xiao to visit You Lian'er, explaining that she and Zhao Xin'er had agreed he should not leave Lian'er feeling wronged.
• You Lian'er prepared for bed, expecting Huang Xiao to visit Zhao Yunhui instead.
• Huang Xiao arrived at You Lian'er's quarters, surprising her and delighting the maidservants.
• Huang Xiao told You Lian'er that Zhao Yunhui had sent him, and Lian'er welcomed him and said she would not let him leave.

Huang Xiao left the Heavenly Demon Sect for Dali, where he planned to wrest the Imperial Court from Duan Siying despite the Taixuan Sect’s growing presence. A scout reported that a Taixuan Sect deputy sect master might be leading the response, leaving Huang Xiao uncertain about the strength he would face.

• Huang Xiao told Ran Chou to manage the sect and warned him to watch for the Black Fire Sect while he traveled to Dali.
• Huang Xiao said goodbye to You Lian'er and the other women, who urged him to be careful and promised to grow stronger before he returned.
• Huang Xiao arrived in Dali, where the Fire Banner Guard and Earth Banner Guard had already gone undercover for the operation.
• A Heavenly Demon Sect scout reported that more Taixuan Sect experts had arrived and that one of its four deputy sect masters might be in charge.

Huang Xiao learned that Dali had fallen into chaos under Emperor Duan Siying and reached Dali City while concealing his identity. At the city gates, he watched a powerful stranger stop a reckless carriage whose crash injured its fat marquis passenger.

• Huang Xiao questioned the tea stall proprietor, who explained that banditry, hunger, and danger had made travel and hiring people risky.
• Huang Xiao recalled how Duan Siying’s heavy taxes and disasters had driven Dali into ruin, and resolved that the emperor should not remain alive.
• Huang Xiao entered Dali City in disguise and planned to find an inn and make contact with Senior Sun and the others.
• A speeding carriage struck pedestrians near the city gates, and a man leapt from a wine shop to attack its driver and stop the horses.
• The carriage cabin broke loose and crashed, injuring the fat marquis inside, while the driver turned furiously toward the man who had stopped them.

Dugu killed the Southern Pacification Marquis after his men’s rescuers were intercepted, while Huang Xiao watched from the crowd. The coachman tried to flee but found his path blocked.

• The coachman threatened the young man and identified the Southern Pacification Marquis, while Huang Xiao learned from an old man that the Marquis was a powerful, notorious figure.
• The young man attacked the coachman, then drew a purple flexible sword and prepared to kill the Marquis.
• Five experts rushed to rescue the Marquis, but three people intercepted them, and one urged the young man to hurry.
• The young man, whom his companion called Brother Dugu, killed the Southern Pacification Marquis with a flurry of sword strikes.
• The coachman tried to escape, but someone blocked his path.

Huang Xiao reunited with Dugu Sheng, Hong Yi, Meng Jiu, and Li Wujing after they fled Dali City. The group reached Bear Cang Mountain to await Duan Siying’s expected showdown with the Five Divine Temple, and they prepared for the coming battle.

• Huang Xiao killed a coachman who attacked him, then recognized Dugu Sheng and the others as they fought off pursuers.
• Dugu Sheng, Hong Yi, Meng Jiu, Li Wujing, and Huang Xiao escaped Dali City and restored their appearances at the foot of a mountain.
• Li Wujing explained that he had come to help oppose the Taixuan Sect and avenge his master.
• Dugu Sheng and Hong Yi told Huang Xiao that the group intended to go to the Five Divine Temple on Bear Cang Mountain and was waiting for Duan Siying to make his move.
• Meng Jiu unpacked food and wine beneath a tree, and the group shared a meal while conserving their strength for the coming battle.

Huang Xiao and his companions watched Duan Siying’s party enter the mountain and discussed the Taixuan Sect’s deputy sect masters. They learned that the First Deputy Sect Master might rival Wu Longfeng, leaving Huang Xiao worried that their side could not defeat the Taixuan Sect head-on.

• Hong Yi led Huang Xiao and the others to wait near the mountain route for Duan Siying’s party.
• Huang Xiao’s group concealed themselves as Duan Siying, disguised as the elder Duan Si, and his powerful followers passed.
• Li Wujing confirmed Duan Si’s identity and explained that the Taixuan Sect’s four deputy sect masters were far stronger than its elders.
• Li Wujing said the First Deputy Sect Master had the highest seniority and was surpassed only by sect master Wu Longfeng.
• Huang Xiao worried that their side would be outmatched if they confronted the Taixuan Sect directly.

Duan Siying attacked the Five Divine Temple and demanded that Duan Sicong surrender the Five Elements Canon. Duan Sicong refused, and the confrontation erupted into battle.

• Huang Xiao, Hong Yi, Dugu Sheng, Meng Jiu, and another companion followed Duan Siying's group up the mountain to assess the Five Divine Temple's position.
• Duan Siying's men forced their way into the temple, and Duan Sicong protected the young monks they had struck aside.
• Duan Siying demanded the Five Elements Canon and threatened to kill the temple's monks, but Duan Sicong refused to hand it over.
• Duan Siying dismissed Duan Sicong's warnings and welcomed the news that his father, Duan Siping, was coming to Dali.
• Duan Siying ordered his followers to attack and fought Duan Sicong, knocking him back before demanding the Five Elements Canon again.

Duan Siying’s attack left Duan Sicong near defeat until Sicong used the Five-Elements Divine Finger to keep him at bay. Huang Xiao and his companions intervened just as Duan Siying was about to kill Sicong, and Huang Xiao confronted the Taixuan Sect elder.

• Huang Xiao and his four companions found the Five Divine Temple monks losing to Duan Siying and the Taixuan Sect experts, but stayed hidden to assess the danger.
• Duan Sicong used the Five-Elements Divine Finger to wound Duan Siying and drive him back, then kept him at a distance with blasts of finger force.
• Duan Siying revealed he had been holding back, pursued Duan Sicong into the square, and nearly killed him after Sicong’s strength faltered.
• Huang Xiao charged in and struck Duan Siying, forcing him to abandon his attack on Duan Sicong and retreat while spitting blood.
• Duan Siying recognized Huang Xiao, who declared that he was intervening because Duan Siying was an elder of the Taixuan Sect.

Huang Xiao confronted Duan Siying at Five Divine Temple and quickly gained the upper hand, while Hong Yi and Li Wujing helped Five Divine Temple’s side in the wider battle. Duan Siying escaped immediate defeat when Taixuan Sect experts took three monks hostage, forcing Huang Xiao to stop as the Taixuan Sect group retreated to his side.

• Huang Xiao revealed that he was the Heavenly Demon Sect Master and attacked Duan Siying after demanding his surrender.
• Huang Xiao sent Duan Siying flying, but Duan Siying used a method to deflect some of the force and remained standing.
• Hong Yi intercepted a Taixuan Sect elder who had charged at Li Wujing, allowing Li Wujing to fight another opponent.
• Taixuan Sect experts seized three monks and threatened to kill them, so Duan Sicong pleaded with Huang Xiao to stop his attack.
• Duan Siying taunted Huang Xiao, and the Taixuan Sect experts retreated to his side while still holding the monks hostage.

Huang Xiao and his companions left the Five Divine Temple after Duan Sicong let Duan Siying go to spare the monks, then waited in a nearby town for news of Senior Sun and his plans against the Taixuan Sect. After two days without word, a middle-aged man approached their table.

• Duan Sicong allowed Duan Siying to leave the mountain in exchange for the safety of the Five Divine Temple's monks, and the Taixuan Sect men released the three monks they had taken.
• Huang Xiao and his companions learned that Duan Siying had come for the Five Elements Canon, then left the temple after discussing why Huang Xiao had not killed him.
• Huang Xiao explained that killing Duan Siying would not resolve the Taixuan Sect's control of Dali, and said they needed to wait for news from Senior Sun and his disciples.
• The group traveled to a nearby town and waited at its best inn, hearing rumors that more Taixuan Sect experts had entered Dali City.
• After two days without news, Huang Xiao put down his cup as a middle-aged man approached their table, and the others followed his gaze.

Huang Xiao learned that Senior Sun and the others would reach Dali City the next day, while Wan Qingteng had also appeared there and might be accompanied by Mu Jingfei and Fang Chongyi. The group decided to travel to Dali the following day and discussed the uncertainty posed by the three experts.

• A Heavenly Demon Sect intelligence operative told Huang Xiao that Senior Sun and the others would arrive in Dali City the next day and that Wan Qingteng was already there.
• Huang Xiao shared the news with Hong Yi, Dugu Sheng, Meng Jiu, and Li Wujing after they returned to his room, and they agreed to leave for Dali the next day.
• Huang Xiao warned that Mu Jingfei and Fang Chongyi might have come with Wan Qingteng, increasing the danger around Senior Sun and the Medicine King Hall.
• Huang Xiao explained Fang Chongyi's identity, then said the Heavenly Demon Sect was stable enough that Fang Chongyi's status as the Fang Family ancestor would not threaten it.
• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng expressed confidence that their generation would eventually match or surpass the older experts, and Meng Jiu agreed.

Huang Xiao and his companions reached Dali City and found its gates sealed under martial law, so they waited for Old Sun and split up to check the other entrances. Huang Xiao went to the North Gate, where he noticed something approaching after settling in a tree.

• Li Wujing admitted that he had underestimated the young experts from other sects, and Meng Jiu and Hong Yi vowed to catch up with Huang Xiao.
• Huang Xiao and his four companions reached Dali City and found its gates shut and guarded.
• After guards shot commoners who approached the South Gate, Huang Xiao agreed to wait for Old Sun and have the group check the other gates.
• Meng Jiu and Li Wujing stayed at the South Gate while Huang Xiao, Hong Yi, and Dugu Sheng split up to search for Old Sun.
• Huang Xiao reached the North Gate, found no sign of Old Sun, and climbed a tree to wait.
• Huang Xiao heard something in the distance and stood to look toward it.

Huang Xiao confronted Gui Jiu near Dali City to settle their old grievances, and the two began a fierce battle. Their fight continued as Huang Xiao realized Gui Jiu’s Ghost Spirit Nine Transformations Art made him difficult to defeat.

• Huang Xiao recognized Gui Jiu and challenged him over their past conflicts, including Gui Jiu’s attacks at Shaolin and his support of Tuoba Xiongzhen.
• Gui Jiu met Huang Xiao’s sudden attack, and their palm clash sent dust and stones flying.
• People waiting outside the city gates noticed the fight and cautiously moved closer to watch.
• Huang Xiao recovered from the first clash faster than Gui Jiu and charged again, leading Gui Jiu to recognize that Huang Xiao was somewhat stronger.
• Gui Jiu used the Ghost Spirit Nine Transformations Art, and Huang Xiao attacked with the Heavenly Demon Subduing Tiger Fist.
• Huang Xiao forced Gui Jiu back, but retreated himself as he judged Gui Jiu difficult to defeat.

Huang Xiao fought Gui Jiu and planned to use the Northern Darkness Absorption Method to overcome his greater reserves of internal power. Mu Jingfei intervened, and the chapter ended with him warning Huang Xiao that fighting Gui Jiu in Dali would let other forces profit.

• Gui Jiu claimed Huang Xiao could not kill him, while Huang Xiao decided to use the Northern Darkness Absorption Method to drain his power by surprise.
• Huang Xiao attacked Gui Jiu again and declared that he would settle his score with Tuoba Xiongzhen himself.
• Mu Jingfei arrived with a burst of Sound Art that killed several weaker Jianghu onlookers and forced the fighters apart.
• Gui Jiu and Mu Jingfei traded hostile remarks over their loyalty and past interference.
• Mu Jingfei praised Huang Xiao's improved cultivation, then warned him that fighting Gui Jiu in Dali would let other fishermen reap the profit.

After Huang Xiao avoided a fight with Gui Jiu and Mu Jingfei, he headed back to the south gate, where Li Wujing and his companions were trapped by Taixuan Sect fighters. Li Wujing taunted Yin Hua about Xu Wuyu’s death, prompting Yin Hua to demand the killer’s identity.

• Huang Xiao declined to fight Gui Jiu to the death, and Gui Jiu and Mu Jingfei left.
• Huang Xiao considered Mu Jingfei’s position and headed for the south gate to regroup with his allies.
• At the south gate, Hong Yi, Dugu Sheng, Meng Jiu, and Li Wujing were cornered by Taixuan Sect fighters and volleys of arrows.
• Li Wujing urged his companions to escape, but Meng Jiu, Hong Yi, and Dugu Sheng refused to abandon him.
• Li Wujing taunted Yin Hua about his dead disciple Xu Wuyu, and Yin Hua demanded to know who had killed him.

Yin Hua threatened Li Wujing with his imprisoned master and ordered the Taixuan Sect experts to attack Hong Yi, Dugu Sheng, Meng Jiu, and Li Wujing. Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng faced the elders while hoping Huang Xiao would return, and the battle began with Hong Yi struggling against Yin Hua and Dugu Sheng surprising his opponents with his swordsmanship.

• Li Wujing taunted Yin Hua over Xu Wuyu’s death, and Yin Hua threatened to keep Li Wujing’s crippled master alive to torment him.
• Hong Yi treated Li Wujing’s injuries and challenged Yin Hua, while Dugu Sheng warned that defeating them would not be easy.
• Yin Hua ordered two elders to attack Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng and sent the other experts after the wounded Meng Jiu and Li Wujing.
• Yin Hua and his two junior brothers charged, and Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng advanced to meet them as the city’s arrows stopped.
• Hong Yi clashed with Yin Hua, whose Palm Force overwhelmed him and nearly struck his chest before Hong Yi evaded the attack.
• Dugu Sheng’s quick swordsmanship startled Yin Hua’s junior brothers, who recognized that it seemed unlike Dugu Manor’s style.

Dugu Sheng’s swordsmanship led Yin Hua and his junior brothers to believe Li Wujing had passed the Taixuan Sword to an outsider, and they intensified their attacks. Just as Yin Hua was about to kill the badly wounded Hong Yi, Huang Xiao arrived and rescued him.

• Yin Hua’s junior brothers recognized traces of the Taixuan Sword in Dugu Sheng’s swordsmanship and accused Li Wujing of teaching it to an outsider.
• Yin Hua ordered his men to kill Dugu Sheng, while Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng struggled to protect themselves and the others from the Taixuan Sect fighters.
• Yin Hua demanded that Li Wujing name Wuyu’s killer, but Li Wujing refused to betray Huang Xiao, and Hong Yi continued fighting.
• Yin Hua struck Hong Yi from behind, badly injured him, and pursued him through the air as Hong Yi lost the ability to defend himself.
• Huang Xiao appeared, moved Hong Yi out of Yin Hua’s path, and began treating his injuries, leaving Yin Hua shocked to see him.