Chapter Summaries

Huo Lian argued with Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu about the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art and his own strength, then rejected their claim to the Three Ancient Evil Blades. The chapter ended with Huo Lian warning them that he would fight if they tried to take the blades by force.

• Fan Zhuolang explained that the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art was a half-finished method and warned Huo Lian against overconfidence in his own indestructibility.
• Huo Lian described surviving assaults from the first Hall Master and the successive former Hall Masters, convincing Zuo Qiu Shu to stop challenging his experience.
• Fan Zhuolang asked Huo Lian to return the Three Ancient Evil Blades in exchange for something valuable.
• Huo Lian rejected the Three Great Families' claim to the blades and said they would have to offer an equal exchange to obtain them.
• Zuo Qiu Shu pointed out that Huo Lian was alone, and Huo Lian warned that he would fight them if they threatened him.

Huo Lian negotiated with Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu for the Three Evil Blades, offering to join forces against the first incumbent. He also asked them to help find three Different Flames, and Fan Zhuolang revealed that Netherworld Flame was said to lie within the Heavenly Evil Sect’s Supreme Evil Pillar.

• Fan Zhuolang stopped Zuo Qiu Shu from provoking Huo Lian and offered to guide Huo Lian in mastering the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art in exchange for the Three Evil Blades.
• Huo Lian asked for secrets about the first incumbent and the Heavenly Evil Sect’s core cultivation manuals, and Fan Zhuolang agreed to share some knowledge and most of the manuals.
• Huo Lian admitted he feared the first incumbent and suggested that he and Fan Zhuolang join forces when the Old Demon emerged.
• Huo Lian asked Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu to help locate Zhurong's Fire, Void Flame, and Netherworld Flame.
• Fan Zhuolang said Netherworld Flame was rumored to lie within the Heavenly Evil Sect’s Supreme Evil Pillar, surprising Huo Lian.

Huo Lian bargained with Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu for information about the different flames needed to repair the Supreme Demon Saber, offering to return the Three Evil Blades once he obtained them. Zuo Qiu Shu revealed that the Seven Treasures carried traces of different flames, but the Netherworld Flame’s source, the Supreme Evil Crystal, had been destroyed, and several other treasures were difficult or impossible to obtain.

• Fan Zhuolang said an ancient text mentioned the Netherworld Flame in the Supreme Evil Crystal, which had been lost when the Evil Water Region was destroyed.
• Huo Lian agreed not to impose further conditions if Zuo Qiu Shu revealed what she knew, but said he would return the Three Evil Blades only after obtaining and checking the three flames.
• Huo Lian told Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu that he wanted the flames to repair the Supreme Demon Saber, though success was uncertain.
• Zuo Qiu Shu explained that the Seven Treasures had been forged with different flames and retained faint traces of their auras, but she did not know which flames were in the other treasures.
• Huo Lian realized that he might have to gather the Seven Treasures and noted that several were difficult to obtain or had been lost.
• Huo Lian asked about the Supreme Demon Pearl, and Zuo Qiu Shu said its unworthy descendants had lost it and its location was unknown.

Huo Lian considered seeking Different Flames from the other treasures, and Zuo Qiu Shu explained the Immortal Alchemist’s deductions about the flames associated with all Seven Treasures. The chapter left the identities of most of those flames uncertain, though their likely names had been proposed.

• Huo Lian said he would try to obtain Different Flames from Imperial Remnant Manor or the Three Immortal Mountains, while ruling out Demon Hall.
• Zuo Qiu Shu warned that the Supreme Ghost Stele’s flame would not be Zhurong’s Fire or the Void Flame because the flames matched their treasures’ characteristics.
• Zuo Qiu Shu said the Immortal Alchemist had deduced that the Supreme Evil Crystal’s flame contained “Netherworld,” the Supreme Imperial Cauldron’s contained “Zhurong,” and the Supreme Immortal Bell’s contained “Void.”
• Zuo Qiu Shu proposed that the Supreme Divine Tower’s flame contained “Vermilion Bird” and the Supreme Ghost Stele’s contained “Hell” or “Yellow Springs.”
• Zuo Qiu Shu said the Supreme Demon Pearl’s flame likely contained “Annihilation” and the Supreme Demon Wall’s contained “Godslaying,” while acknowledging that most names remained unconfirmed.

Huo Lian explained that he had learned about the Different Flames from the Craftsman God, Ou Jin, while Fan Zhuolang revealed that the Immortal Alchemist had grown cold later in life. Huo Lian then dismantled his formation so Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu could meet the younger members of their lineages inside.

• Fan Zhuolang said the Supreme Imperial Cauldron and Supreme Immortal Bell were the likeliest treasures connected to the other Different Flames, and Huo Lian agreed the Demon Hall was unlikely to help.
• Huo Lian told Zuo Qiu Shu and Fan Zhuolang that the Craftsman God, Ou Jin, had taught him the names of the Different Flames.
• Fan Zhuolang said the Immortal Alchemist's temperament had changed and described him as cold, while Zuo Qiu Shu fell silent about the details.
• Huo Lian refused to hand over the Three Evil Blades yet, promising to return them when they were needed to fight the First Generation.
• Huo Lian explained that Zuo Qiu Shu's attempt to break the formation had alerted him, then confirmed Wang Jiu and the others were inside.
• Huo Lian struck the formation and removed its anchoring objects, beginning to dismantle it so Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu could see their descendants.

Huo Lian opened a path through the formation, letting Fan Zhuolang, Zuo Qiu Shu, and Linghu Xiang enter the secluded cultivation grounds. Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu met the gathered cultivators and examined the surviving younger generations of the Three Great Families to assess their talent.

• Huo Lian made a passage through the formation and led Fan Zhuolang, Zuo Qiu Shu, and Linghu Xiang inside.
• Yan Youwang, Wei Yidao, Demon Phoenix, Wang Jiu, Zhu Yang, and Fan Tianhui hurried over to meet them.
• Fan Zhuolang called Demon Phoenix a little thing, and Zuo Qiu Shu restrained him until Wang Jiu pleaded for his release.
• Huo Lian identified Wang Jiu, Zhu Yang, and Fan Tianhui as the three younger cultivators Fan Zhuolang had come to see.
• Fan Zhuolang reflected on how few members of the Three Great Families remained and looked over the younger generation's talent.

Fan Zhuolang revealed himself as Wang Jiu, Zhu Yang, and Fan Tianhui’s ancestor from ten thousand years ago, and the three paid their respects. He decided they should remain with Huo Lian to cultivate with the Three Evil Blades while he taught them his methods, leaving Zuo Qiu Shu to tell Huo Lian about the past.

• Fan Zhuolang told Wang Jiu and the others that he was not a descendant of the Fan Family, and Zuo Qiu Shu identified him as their ancestor from ten thousand years ago.
• Huo Lian confirmed Fan Zhuolang’s identity, and Wang Jiu, Zhu Yang, and Fan Tianhui knelt to pay their respects.
• Fan Zhuolang praised the three juniors and thanked Huo Lian for guiding them, while Zuo Qiu Shu proposed taking them away.
• Fan Zhuolang decided the three should stay with Huo Lian so they could continue using the Three Evil Blades and receive guidance from both men.
• Fan Zhuolang took Wang Jiu and the others aside to teach them cultivation methods, while Zuo Qiu Shu stayed to tell Huo Lian about events from ten thousand years ago.
• Demon Phoenix tried to perch on Huo Lian’s shoulder, but Huo Lian ordered him to go cultivate.

Demon Phoenix and the others speculated that Zuo Qiu Shu might be the long-lost Ancestor of the Demon Spirit Sect before Demon Phoenix challenged Wei Yidao and was easily beaten. Huo Lian learned that the Immortal Alchemist had been deeply anxious about a secret of the Martial World and had disappeared, while Zuo Qiu Shu warned that the First Generation could kill Huo Lian if he chose.

• Demon Phoenix complained that Huo Lian had kept him from listening to his conversation with Zuo Qiu Shu, and Wei Yidao and Yan Youwang discussed her unknown identity.
• Yan Youwang recalled that the Demon Spirit Sect's Ancestor was recorded only by the surname Zuo Qiu, leading Demon Phoenix to wonder if she was Zuo Qiu Shu.
• Demon Phoenix challenged Wei Yidao to spar and was quickly thrashed.
• Huo Lian asked Zuo Qiu Shu about the Immortal Alchemist, and she explained that her big brother had mentioned discovering secrets of the Martial World before leaving and vanishing from her life.
• Zuo Qiu Shu warned Huo Lian that the First Generation could kill him if he truly wanted to.

Huo Lian learned from Fan Zhuolang that the First Generation was named Kui Yong and had become overwhelmingly powerful after mastering the Imperishability Chapter. He was left comparing Kui Yong’s strength with the eighty-onefold increase from his own fifth layer of Heavenly Demon Disintegration.

• Huo Lian questioned Zuo Qiu Shu about secrets from ten thousand years ago while waiting for Fan Zhuolang.
• Fan Zhuolang told Huo Lian that Kui Yong had been stronger than each of the three family leaders even before obtaining the Imperishability Chapter.
• Fan Zhuolang explained that the three leaders’ combined-attack method greatly increased their strength, but still could not defeat Kui Yong after he mastered the Imperishability Chapter.
• Fan Zhuolang estimated that the Imperishable Art increased Kui Yong’s strength by about a hundredfold on top of his already superior strength, and said Kui Yong had held back in their fight.
• Huo Lian fell silent as he compared Kui Yong’s power with the eighty-onefold increase from his fifth layer of Heavenly Demon Disintegration.

Huo Lian weighed how much power he would need to survive Kui Yong and challenged Fan Zhuolang to regain his will to resist. Fan Zhuolang said the three-person combined technique might be taught if he found three suitable people, leaving Huo Lian uncertain whether he would be included.

• Huo Lian concluded that mastering the seventh stage of Heavenly Demon Disintegration might be necessary to survive Kui Yong, though he doubted he could withstand its cost.
• Fan Zhuolang admitted that Kui Yong’s strength had frightened him and that he had little hope of revenge.
• Huo Lian urged Fan Zhuolang to keep resisting, arguing that Fan Zhuolang had limited time left while Huo Lian might be able to outlast Kui Yong.
• Fan Zhuolang said Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly’s support might be needed, while Zuo Qiu Shu doubted she would return to normal and explained why Kui Yong might no longer fear her.
• Huo Lian asked about the combined attack technique, and Fan Zhuolang said he might teach it if he found three suitable people.

Huo Lian rejected Fan Zhuolang’s Combined Strike Method because he trusted no one enough to use it, then explained how Kui Yong had prolonged his life by taking the essence blood of successive Demon Hall Masters. He revealed that an undetectable trap had been laid before they became Hall Master Candidates, but stopped short of explaining how he uncovered the conspiracy.

• Fan Zhuolang explained that using the Combined Strike Method consumed essence blood and shortened lifespan, and said he would seek Wu Xuancang and Xuanyuan Xing as partners instead.
• Huo Lian declined to join the method because he trusted only himself, and he and Fan Zhuolang discussed how Kui Yong might have survived.
• Huo Lian said Kui Yong had used the essence blood of successive Demon Hall Masters to prolong his life, while the Hall Masters recovered theirs in the Land of Slumber.
• Huo Lian explained that the trap had been laid before the Hall Masters became Candidates and said an accident had let him discover Kui Yong’s conspiracy.

Huo Lian explained how Kui Yong used the Demon Refining Formula to control generations of Demon Hall Masters and harvest their Essence Blood. Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu suspected the formula came from cultivation methods left by the Immortal Alchemist, but the source and full capabilities of the original method remained uncertain.

• Huo Lian revealed that the Demon Refining Formula let Kui Yong reverse the True Qi of its practitioners, crippling the Demon Hall Masters and leaving them vulnerable to the Tomb Clan.
• Huo Lian said he had weakened the formula's influence and escaped Kui Yong's control, while previous Hall Masters had been drained of Essence Blood during their slumbers.
• Huo Lian explained that the formula's Second Stage used the auras, Resentful Qi, and Killing Intent of slain experts to strengthen the cultivator's Essence Blood.
• Fan Zhuolang argued that Kui Yong had likely obtained the Demon Refining Formula from the Immortal Alchemist's teachings after Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu entered slumber.
• Zuo Qiu Shu suggested Kui Yong might have modified a broader cultivation method left by his Big Brother, prompting Fan Zhuolang to wonder what its original Second Stage could do.

Zuo Qiu Shu learned that Senior Xuan Tu had likely been captured by Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly during the attack on the Divine Beast Holy Land. She resolved to seek answers at Imperial Remnant Manor, but Fan Zhuolang warned that provoking Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly could endanger Xuan Tu.

• Fan Zhuolang, Zuo Qiu Shu, and Huo Lian considered whether Kui Yong had grown stronger over the past ten thousand years and agreed they had to rely on themselves.
• Huo Lian asked the Immortal Alchemist's name, and Zuo Qiu Shu told him it was Zuo Qiu Yi and explained that a divine beast senior had raised them.
• Huo Lian told Zuo Qiu Shu that Senior Xuan Tu had likely been among the divine beasts captured when Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly and Kui Yong attacked the Divine Beast Holy Land.
• Zuo Qiu Shu grieved for Senior Xuan Tu and blamed Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly for using him to hurt Zuo Qiu Yi.
• Fan Zhuolang suggested Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly might have kept Xuan Tu alive to prolong her revenge, and Zuo Qiu Shu decided to go to Imperial Remnant Manor to find out.
• Fan Zhuolang warned Zuo Qiu Shu that confronting Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly could put Xuan Tu in greater danger, making Zuo Qiu Shu hesitate.

Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu agreed to wait for a better chance to rescue Senior Xuan Tu from Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly, then planned to visit the Three Immortal Mountains. After teaching Huo Lian the secrets of the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art, Fan Zhuolang admitted he hoped Huo Lian could help avenge their fallen companions, and Zuo Qiu Shu asked why he had lied about the Combined Strike Method.

• Fan Zhuolang persuaded Zuo Qiu Shu not to confront Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly yet, and they agreed to wait until she needed allies before demanding Senior Xuan Tu's release.
• Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu decided to travel to the Three Immortal Mountains to meet Zhu Fanjiang and the others, while keeping their return secret from Xuanyuan Jade Butterfly.
• Fan Zhuolang told Huo Lian that Zhu Fanjiang and the others had left the Sword Pavilion with Jiang Liuli, who was carrying Huang Xiao's child.
• Fan Zhuolang explained the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art to Huo Lian, then left Mist Mountain with Zuo Qiu Shu.
• Fan Zhuolang admitted that he hoped Huo Lian would become strong enough to help avenge their companions against Kui Yong, and Zuo Qiu Shu asked why he had lied about the Combined Strike Method.

Huo Lian considered how to strengthen his divine sense and gathered his allies after Fan Zhuolang taught them cultivation methods. He told Yan Youwang that Feng He wanted him back in the Ghost Spirit Sect, then warned that the First Hall Master—not the new Hall Master—was the real danger behind the Demon Hall’s Thousand-Year Period.

• Fan Zhuolang told Zuo Qiu Shu that he had perfected the Combined Strike Method and discussed recruiting talented young experts, including the Transcendent Immortal Sword Lord.
• Huo Lian decided to use the Heavenly Evil Imperishable Art only to address his divine sense’s weaknesses and planned to examine Huang Xiao’s Supreme Ghost Stele.
• Huo Lian summoned Yan Youwang and the others, encouraged Wang Jiu, Wei Yidao, and the rest to train, and refused Demon Phoenix’s demand to see Huang Xiao.
• Huo Lian told Yan Youwang that Feng He had emerged and wanted to know whether he would return to the Ghost Spirit Sect, then explained that Fan Liya had been released from the Heavenly Demon Hall.
• Huo Lian warned Yan Youwang that the First Hall Master from ten thousand years ago was the true threat in the Demon Hall’s Thousand-Year Period and was about to emerge.

Huo Lian explained that the Demon Hall's First Hall Master was the true enemy and urged the experts to prepare for his return. Yan Youwang agreed to leave with Huo Lian, while Wei Yidao declared his loyalty to the Heavenly Demon Hall's lineage and Demon Phoenix chose to keep cultivating.

• Huo Lian told Yan Youwang that Feng He wanted him and Fan Liya to unite against the First Hall Master, and Yan Youwang agreed to return for the Ghost Spirit Sect.
• Huo Lian refused Demon Phoenix's request to leave, reminding him that he needed to grow stronger if he hoped to save his parents, and Demon Phoenix resolved to keep cultivating.
• Huo Lian told Wei Yidao that the First Hall Master treated the Demon Hall and its people as chess pieces, and Wei Yidao declared that the Wei Yidao of the Heavenly Demon Hall was already dead.
• Huo Lian took Yan Youwang out of the formation, and Demon Phoenix immediately challenged Wang Jiu to a fight while Zhu Yang and Fan Tianhui watched.

Huo Lian and Yan Youwang discussed the benefits Huang Xiao had gained in the Ghost Capital and the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivation methods Huo Lian had exchanged with Feng He. They headed to the Heavenly Demon Hall to visit Huang Xiao, while Huo Lian planned to seek the Demon Spirit Sect’s methods later and keep the Three Ancient Evil Blades as leverage.

• Yan Youwang thanked Huo Lian for his guidance, and Huo Lian said he had repaid Yan Youwang for benefits Huang Xiao had received.
• Huo Lian invited Yan Youwang to visit Huang Xiao and suggested that Huang Xiao could share Ghost Capital treasures with the Ghost Spirit Sect.
• Huo Lian explained that he had exchanged cultivation methods with Feng He and intended to use Ghost Spirit Sect methods to improve his Heavenly Demon Indestructible.
• Huo Lian decided to wait for another opportunity to obtain the Demon Spirit Sect’s cultivation methods from Zuo Qiu Shu, keeping the Three Ancient Evil Blades as leverage.
• Huo Lian and Yan Youwang set out for the Heavenly Demon Hall after Shi Hen had interrupted Huang Xiao’s seclusion.

Huang Xiao brought the Supreme Ghost Stele to Huo Lian, who borrowed it for a few days while staying at the Heavenly Demon Hall. Huang Xiao kept his formation research—and its hidden purpose of disguising his strength—a secret, and Huo Lian clarified that he had not borrowed the stele to cultivate Ghost Spirit Sect methods.

• Shi Hen fetched Huang Xiao and told him Huo Lian wanted to see him with the Supreme Ghost Stele.
• Shi Hen warned Huang Xiao not to waste time on formations, while Huang Xiao concealed his plan to use aura-sealing formations to mislead Pang Ji before the Demon Hall Master contest.
• Huang Xiao showed Huo Lian and Yan Youwang the Supreme Ghost Stele inside his wooden box, and Huo Lian acknowledged the formations after Shi Hen confirmed he had advised Huang Xiao.
• Huo Lian borrowed the Supreme Ghost Stele for a few days and asked Shi Hen to prepare a secret chamber at the Heavenly Demon Hall.
• When Huang Xiao and Shi Hen guessed Huo Lian wanted to study Ghost Spirit Sect cultivation methods, Huo Lian said that was not why he needed the stele.

Huo Lian explained that he needed the Supreme Ghost Stele to investigate its contained flame as part of his effort to reforge the Supreme Demon Saber. Huang Xiao weighed whether to reveal that he possessed the Supreme Evil Crystal and Supreme Demon Pearl, while Huo Lian confirmed that two ancient experts, Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu, had returned and surpassed Feng He in strength.

• Huo Lian told Yan Youwang that he wanted the Supreme Ghost Stele to examine its flame, which might help him reforge the Supreme Demon Saber.
• Huo Lian explained that three flames from supreme treasures were needed to reforge the saber, though the Supreme Ghost Stele's flame was probably not one of them.
• Huang Xiao worried Huo Lian might discover the Divine Sense auras inside the stele and decided to reveal his Supreme Evil Crystal if Huo Lian found those auras but still let him keep the stele.
• Huo Lian said Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu had taught him about the flames, and confirmed they were ancient figures who had recently reappeared.
• Huo Lian warned that Fan Zhuolang and Zuo Qiu Shu were stronger than Feng He, leaving Yan Youwang to reflect on his Ancestor's relative weakness.

Huang Xiao gave Yan Youwang pills and a cultivation method from Ghost Capital before Huo Lian summoned him to examine the Supreme Ghost Stele. Huo Lian condemned Feng He for failing to make proper use of the Ghost Daoist Canon and the stele, while Huang Xiao privately considered studying the canon he had received from Li Bai.

• Huo Lian explained that Huang Xiao had lured Ou Jin out of hiding by offering to reforge the Supreme Demon Saber, and Shi Hen praised Huang Xiao’s luck.
• At Huo Lian’s request, Huang Xiao gave Yan Youwang a cultivation method and a bottle of pills obtained in Ghost Capital.
• Yan Youwang thanked Huang Xiao and left for the Ghost Spirit Sect, while Huo Lian warned Huang Xiao against practicing most of its cultivation methods.
• Huo Lian took Huang Xiao to the secret chamber, where Huang Xiao presented him with the Supreme Ghost Stele.
• Huo Lian said Feng He had wasted the Ghost Daoist Canon and the Supreme Ghost Stele, and Huang Xiao privately thought about studying the canon he had received from Li Bai.