Chapter Summaries

Xuanyuan Song activated the Selection Inscription Stele and the genuine Tortoise Shell Inscriptions, causing characters from the Longevity Jade Slips to appear and dance in the air as the Longevity Pill Manual began to take shape. While everyone watched the display, Huang Xiao sensed the strange aura resonating with his Heart Fire and discovered that the nine false Tortoise Shell Inscriptions were changing invisibly.

• Xuanyuan Song used the Selection Inscription Stele to identify the nine genuine Tortoise Shell Inscriptions and align them with the Longevity Jade Slips.
• Xuanyuan Song activated the inscriptions and jade slips, releasing written characters that appeared in midair and began dancing wildly.
• Fan Liya questioned Xuanyuan Song, and Baili Zhen rebuked him before Fan Liya chose not to respond.
• Huang Xiao and the others felt a strange aura as the three artifacts resonated, and Huang Xiao sensed a connection to his Heart Fire and Longevity Chapter.
• Huang Xiao detected invisible changes in the nine false Tortoise Shell Inscriptions, while Xuanyuan Song briefly glanced at him before returning his attention to the characters.

The complete text of the Longevity Pill Manual appeared above the Selection Inscription Stele, and everyone memorized its pill-refining methods while searching for clues to the Longevity Pill and Longevity Chapter. The text and inscriptions vanished without revealing more, and the visitors planned to study the manual at Imperial Remnant Manor for five days as they continued probing Xuanyuan Song about the stele.

• The characters overhead settled into the complete text of the Longevity Pill Manual, and everyone present quickly memorized it.
• Huang Xiao recognized that the manual described pill refining and the demanding requirements for making the Longevity Pill, but it gave no clear whereabouts for the pill or the Longevity Chapter.
• Xuanyuan Song argued that the manual should contain clues to at least one of the two, while Leng Guhan and the others questioned whether both might be absent.
• The text faded, the inscriptions returned to normal, and the visitors reclaimed their Longevity Jade Slips and Tortoise Shell Inscriptions.
• Leng Guhan and the others decided to remain at Imperial Remnant Manor for five days to study the manual, then questioned Xuanyuan Song about his plan to burn the Selection Inscription Stele.

Xuanyuan Song agreed to burn the Selection Inscription Stele and the fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions immediately, while Huang Xiao noticed something unusual about the inscriptions. Outside the gathering, Huang Xiao told Liu Tengfan about the change, though Liu Tengfan said he had detected nothing.

• Xuanyuan Song agreed to prepare an ancestral offering within two hours after Leng Guhan and the others rejected his plan to wait five days.
• Huang Xiao watched the Selection Inscription Stele and the nine fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions while trying to decide whether to tell Liu Tengfan about their earlier change.
• Liu Tengfan left with Huang Xiao and set up a Soundproof Formation outside the gathering.
• Liu Tengfan sensed something unusual in Huang Xiao's aura and asked what he wanted to say.
• Huang Xiao told Liu Tengfan that the nine fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions had changed, but Liu Tengfan said he and the others had detected nothing.

Huang Xiao warned Liu Tengfan that the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions had changed, and Liu Tengfan learned through Xuanyuan Song that Imperial Remnant Manor intended to extract a core cultivation method from them. Xuanyuan Song promised to burn the inscriptions afterward and agreed to let Liu Tengfan and Huang Xiao see the Xuanyuan Sword.

• Huang Xiao told Liu Tengfan the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions had undergone a suspicious change, but Liu Tengfan said he could not reclaim them from Xuanyuan Song without breaking his public promise.
• Liu Tengfan questioned Xuanyuan Song through voice transmission, and Xuanyuan Song admitted the inscriptions contained a core Imperial Remnant Manor cultivation method.
• Xuanyuan Song said he would extract the method within two hours, then burn the inscriptions as substitutes for the genuine ones in an offering to his Ancestors.
• Liu Tengfan asked to see the Xuanyuan Sword as compensation, and Xuanyuan Song agreed to let him go with Huang Xiao.
• Leng Guhan watched Liu Tengfan and Xuanyuan Song, so they stopped their private exchange.

Xuanyuan Song led the visitors to Imperial Remnant Manor’s ancestral burial ground and held a ceremony honoring its Founding Manor Lord, Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly. He then burned the Selection Inscription Stele and nine fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions to prove they held no hidden secrets, though Leng Guhan noticed the fakes stayed intact in the flames.

• Leng Guhan resolved to watch Xuanyuan Song and warn the others not to trade him their Longevity Jade Slips.
• Xuanyuan Song led the group to the ancestral tombs, where everyone paid respects at Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly’s grave.
• Xuanyuan Song offered the Selection Inscription Stele and nine fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions for burning in the Different Flames.
• The Selection Inscription Stele began to melt, but the fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions remained unchanged.
• Leng Guhan pointed out the difference, and Xuanyuan Song explained that the fakes used the same material as the real inscriptions.

As the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions burned, they released a powerful aura of vitality that Huang Xiao connected to the Longevity Chapter. Xuanyuan Song kept the others from interfering, and the chapter ended when the inscriptions burst apart and someone cried, “Longevity Pill!”

• The Selection Inscription Stele burned away without revealing anything unusual, while the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions continued to burn.
• A growing aura of vitality emerged, making the experts feel stronger and leading Huang Xiao to suspect it was connected to the Longevity Chapter.
• Liu Tengfan tried to seize the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions, but Xuanyuan Song stopped him and an invisible formation repelled the others’ attacks.
• Xuanyuan Song said the inscriptions belonged to Imperial Remnant Manor and assured the experts that they were in no danger.
• All nine False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions burst apart, releasing the aura, and an unseen voice exclaimed, “Longevity Pill!”

A masked intruder entered the formation to seize the Longevity Pill’s aura, but the Sword Master intervened. The intruder accused the Sword Master of being an old witch and escaped the formation after making him falter.

• A masked man evaded Xuanyuan Song and entered the formation protecting the flames.
• The intruder unleashed supreme demonic qi and tried to intercept the Longevity Pill’s aura as it withdrew into the formation.
• Leng Guhan demanded that Xuanyuan Song remove the formation, but Xuanyuan Song said he could not undo his ancestor’s work and called for the Sword Master.
• The Sword Master arrived and charged into the formation to stop the masked man.
• The masked man accused the Sword Master of meddling as an old witch, then escaped the formation when the Sword Master faltered.

A masked intruder escaped after the Longevity Pill’s aura vanished, leaving the gathered experts uncertain about his identity and the pill’s whereabouts. The Sword Master revealed that Imperial Remnant Manor had deliberately sought the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions, but did not explain what had happened to the pill.

• The masked man’s escape caused the formation and the Longevity Pill’s aura to disappear, and his powerful Divine Sense slowed the experts as they tried to stop him.
• Leng Guhan wounded the fleeing man with the Zhanlu Sword, but the Sword Master called off the pursuit and assessed the intruder’s unusual strength.
• Liu Tengfan and the others argued over whether the masked man was tied to the Demon Hall or Imperial Remnant Manor, while the Sword Master said his identity remained uncertain.
• The experts demanded an explanation for the Longevity Pill’s disappearance, and the Sword Master admitted Imperial Remnant Manor had sought the False Tortoise Shell Inscriptions from the start.

The Sword Master explained that the Imperial Remnant Manor had known the fake Tortoise Shell Inscriptions held a secret, but denied obtaining a Longevity Pill when its mysterious aura vanished. After Baili Zhen connected a masked man's cry about an “old hag” to the Manor's ancestor, Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly, the others wondered whether she was still alive.

• The Sword Master said the Manor's ancestor had instructed its descendants to use the Longevity Jade Slip and other inscriptions to uncover a secret, though they had not known it involved a Longevity Pill.
• Wan Liukong and the others accused the Sword Master of concealing the Longevity Pill, but he insisted the Manor had obtained no pill and that the vanished aura might have been only an aura.
• Baili Zhen asked who the masked man had meant by the “old hag,” prompting Leng Guhan and the other major powers to suspect Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly, the Manor's female ancestor.
• Leng Guhan mocked Tan Ming for not knowing the ancestor's identity, and Xuanyuan Song rebuked him for trying to sow discord.
• Leng Guhan wondered whether Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly was still alive, and Huang Xiao privately considered that possibility.

The Sword Master agreed to let the gathered factions study the Longevity Pill Manual for ten days, while denying that he knew whether the strange aura belonged to the Longevity Pill. After he and Xuanyuan Song left, the aura reappeared and rushed into Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly’s mausoleum.

• Baili Zhen and Leng Guhan demanded answers about the Longevity Pill, and the Sword Master said the manual might reveal its whereabouts.
• Leng Guhan set a ten-day deadline for Imperial Remnant Manor to find clues or hand over the Longevity Pill, and the Sword Master accepted.
• Xuanyuan Song asked whether the Sword Master possessed the Longevity Pill, but the Sword Master said he could not identify the aura and wondered whether Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly was alive.
• The Sword Master told Xuanyuan Song to investigate the masked man, whose identity and ability to bypass the formations puzzled him.
• After the Sword Master and Xuanyuan Song departed, the vanished aura emerged from the gravestone and rushed into the mausoleum.

Pang Ruyuan deciphered a clue to another Longevity Pill hidden deep in Mist Mountain but found no trace of the Longevity Chapter. After he escaped Huo Lian, Huo Lian realized Pang Ruyuan might be connected to the old enemy who had once made him suffer and headed for Imperial Remnant Manor.

• Pang Ruyuan deciphered the Longevity Pill Manual’s text and concluded it pointed to a Longevity Pill in Mist Mountain, though his current body could not safely reach it.
• Pang Ruyuan lamented that he had found no clue to the Longevity Chapter, which he considered more important than the pill.
• Huo Lian confronted Pang Ruyuan, said he did not intend to kill him, and warned that someone was coming to seek revenge.
• Pang Ruyuan suspected Wei Yidao was alive and fled before Huo Lian could discover his true nature.
• Huo Lian returned to find Pang Ruyuan gone and realized the unusual aura he sensed might belong to the old bastard who had once defeated him.
• Huo Lian decided to seek the Longevity Pill Manual at Imperial Remnant Manor instead of pursuing Pang Ruyuan.

Pang Ruyuan realized Huang Xiao had no trace of the Demon Refining Formula and suspected Huo Lian of trying to free the next Hall Master from his control. At Imperial Remnant Manor, Huo Lian barged in demanding the Longevity Pill Manual, while Baili Zhen called out that he had been looking for him.

• Pang Ruyuan recalled Huo Lian’s strength and divine sense, then vowed to kill him and keep the next Hall Master under his control through the Demon Refining Formula.
• Huang Xiao returned to their quarters with Liu Tengfan, who lamented losing the False Tortoise Shell Inscription and feared the Pang Family would blame him.
• Huang Xiao asked whether Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly might still be alive, and Liu Tengfan said the Demon Hall’s Thousand-Year Period would proceed regardless.
• An alarm sounded, and Liu Tengfan took Huang Xiao outside to see that Huo Lian had forced his way through Imperial Remnant Manor’s formations.
• Huo Lian greeted Xuanyuan Xing and demanded the text of the Longevity Pill Manual, then told Baili Zhen he had no time for him but would claim half of any Longevity Pill.

Huo Lian learned that the Imperial Remnant Manor may have obtained a Longevity Pill and heard about a masked intruder he believed was connected to the Demon Hall's First Hall Master. He then suggested Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly might still be alive and revealed that the First Hall Master could be alive too, leaving the gathered factions stunned.

• Huo Lian demanded the Longevity Pill Manual, and Liu Tengfan revealed that the Imperial Remnant Manor might have obtained a Longevity Pill.
• Leng Guhan recounted the masked man's appearance and actions, and Huo Lian concluded that the man was likely Pang Ruyuan being used by the Demon Hall's First Hall Master.
• Huo Lian suggested that the aura from the False Tortoise Shell Inscription was connected to Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly and that she might reveal herself during the Thousand-Year Period.
• Xuanyuan Xing denied knowing about his ancestor's possible survival, while Huo Lian explained how the transformed inscription might help her emerge.
• Huo Lian said the Demon Hall's First Hall Master could also still be alive, shocking the people present.

Huo Lian joined the search for clues to the Longevity Pill and learned that his removal of Dragon Fang had helped cause Hong Yi’s disappearance. After memorizing the Longevity Pill Manual, he concluded that refining the pill was almost impossible.

• Huo Lian demanded that Xuanyuan Xing explain the Imperial Remnant Manor’s monopoly on Longevity Pills if the manual held no clues.
• Baili Zhen accused Huo Lian of causing the Dragon Burial Ground upheaval that made Hong Yi disappear, and Huo Lian admitted the events were connected.
• Huo Lian speculated that Hong Yi might have been transported to the Divine Beast Holy Land or the Soaring Immortal Land.
• Xuanyuan Xing recited the Longevity Pill Manual, and Huang Xiao confirmed its text was accurate.
• Huo Lian memorized the manual and said refining the Longevity Pill was almost impossible.

Huo Lian revealed that the rare Soaring Immortal Fruit needed for Longevity Pills was last found in the Divine Beast Holy Land, inside a sealed Soaring Immortal Land. He admitted he hoped the other factions might uncover clues to breaking its seal, as the First Hall Master's emergence had disrupted his plans.

• Leng Guhan asked whether the ingredients for Longevity Pills could be gathered, and Xuanyuan Xing explained that Soaring Immortal Fruit had not been obtained since the Immortal Alchemist found it ten thousand years ago.
• Huo Lian said the fruit had been found in the Divine Beast Holy Land, and Xuanyuan Xing explained that Huo Lian could enter the land but could not break the separate seal protecting the Soaring Immortal Land.
• Leng Guhan realized Huo Lian had sent Zhu Fancheng to help break that seal, while Huo Lian cautioned that nobody knew whether any Soaring Immortal Fruit remained inside.
• The gathered factions grew dispirited over the apparent impossibility of making Longevity Pills, and Jiang Pandong lamented that their efforts to obtain the Longevity Jade Slip and Longevity Pill Manual might come to nothing.
• Leng Guhan questioned why Huo Lian had revealed the secret, and Huo Lian said he wanted the factions to search their ancient records for clues to breaking the seal before the First Hall Master could reach the Soaring Immortal Land.

Huo Lian learned that Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly’s records said the Soaring Immortal Land’s seal could not be forcibly broken and might disperse on its own. Xuanyuan Xing agreed to reveal the route to the Divine Beast Holy Land in ten days, while Huang Xiao gained a chance to experience the Xuanyuan Sword.

• Xuanyuan Xing told Huo Lian that Imperial Remnant Manor’s records said only someone stronger than the Immortal Alchemist and more skilled in formations could break the seal, which might instead disperse on its own.
• Du Fuzhou, Jiang Pandong, Leng Guhan, and Fan Liya asked where the Divine Beast Holy Land was, and Xuanyuan Xing promised to reveal the route in ten days.
• Huo Lian joined Xuanyuan Xing and the others in studying the text of the Longevity Pill Manual.
• Xuanyuan Xing offered Huang Xiao a chance to experience the Xuanyuan Sword, and Liu Tengfan traded away his own opportunity so Huang Xiao could stay for five days.

Huang Xiao entered Imperial Remnant Manor’s valley to behold the Xuanyuan Sword and approach it through the sword formation. Its overwhelming pressure weakened him, and Xuanyuan Song concluded that Huang Xiao had not resonated with the sword.

• Xuanyuan Song escorted Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng to the valley where the Xuanyuan Sword was kept.
• Huang Xiao saw the vast sword formation and the chained divine beasts whose essence blood was being used to restore the sword.
• Xuanyuan Song told Huang Xiao to approach the formation’s center and sense the Xuanyuan Sword, while Dugu Sheng led him onward.
• Huang Xiao struggled against the growing sword pressure and told Dugu Sheng that it was becoming hard to bear.
• Xuanyuan Song observed that Huang Xiao had not resonated with the Xuanyuan Sword and was relieved.

Huang Xiao adapted to the Xuanyuan Sword’s pressure to refine his True Qi while Dugu Sheng continued trying to resonate with the sword. Once they were sure they could speak safely, they exchanged news about their companions and wondered whether Baili Zhen’s disciple Hong Yi was their missing Brother Hong.

• Huang Xiao reached his limit more than a li from the Xuanyuan Sword and sat down, while Dugu Sheng continued toward it and Xuanyuan Song warned Huang Xiao that he had five days.
• Huang Xiao used the sword’s pressure to condense his True Qi and cautiously advanced five zhang over half a day, keeping his Heart Fire secret in case Imperial Remnant Manor’s experts were watching.
• Dugu Sheng secretly told Huang Xiao that no one else was nearby, and the two exchanged greetings while concealing their conversation from anyone who might be watching.
• Dugu Sheng told Huang Xiao that Senior Li Bai had revealed their whereabouts and that Brother Hong was still missing.
• Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng wondered whether Baili Zhen’s disciple Hong Yi was their Brother Hong, but agreed they lacked enough information to know.

Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng discussed Huang Xiao’s chances of becoming Demon Hall Master and the danger of the Demon Hall’s thousand-year period. Huang Xiao revealed that former Hall Masters may still be alive under special restrictions and that Huo Lian, the previous Hall Master, was the First Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

• Dugu Sheng worried that Huang Xiao might become Hall Master and unleash a massacre, while Huang Xiao said he had reached the enlightenment realm but remained unable to control his circumstances.
• Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng discussed how the Xuanyuan Sword had rapidly increased Dugu Sheng’s strength and how Dugu Sheng might one day have to fight Huang Xiao.
• Dugu Sheng urged Huang Xiao to remain true to himself even if he reached the pinnacle of the demonic path, and Huang Xiao explained that even a Demon Hall Master could be constrained by forces beyond his control.
• Huang Xiao revealed that most past Demon Hall Masters were probably still alive through special means, and that the current thousand-year period might differ from earlier ones.
• Huang Xiao identified Huo Lian as the Patriarch and First Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, surprising Dugu Sheng.

Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng discussed their need for strength to escape being controlled by powerful factions, then Huang Xiao faced the Xuanyuan Sword’s Sword Soul attacking his Divine Sense. He used the Upper Clarity Scripture to recover and began studying the Sword Soul’s aura with his heart fire.

• Huang Xiao told Dugu Sheng that he wanted the Demon Hall Master’s strength so he could protect those he loved and control his own fate.
• Dugu Sheng warned that the Thousand-Year Period could endanger Huang Xiao and urged him to attune himself to the Xuanyuan Sword within the five days remaining.
• The Xuanyuan Sword’s Sword Soul attacked Huang Xiao’s Divine Sense, apparently reacting to the Minghong Saber's aura he carried.
• Huang Xiao used the Upper Clarity Scripture to repair his damaged Divine Sense, which grew stronger after the external assault.
• Huang Xiao failed to imitate the Sword Soul’s aura with the Ten Thousand Demons Skill, then used his heart fire to burn and study that aura.