Chapter Summaries

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian decided to keep formation master Lu Mu alive because they needed his help moving the Wild Ox Sect to Inkstone Mountain and building its protective formation. Huang Xiao took a drop of Lu Mu’s essence blood as a means of control, but could not activate the Supreme Ghost Stele’s power until he returned to it.

• Huang Xiao learned that the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation had five levels, while Lu Mu explained that his manual lacked the first three.
• Huo Lian and Huang Xiao told Lu Mu they wanted his formation expertise for the Wild Ox Sect’s move to Inkstone Mountain.
• Huang Xiao demanded a drop of Lu Mu’s essence blood to control him, and Lu Mu agreed rather than risk being killed.
• Huang Xiao stored Lu Mu’s essence blood, intending to use the Supreme Ghost Stele to control his life and death after returning to it.
• Lu Mu doubted that one drop of essence blood could control him and planned to wait a few days for a chance to escape.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian left the Heart-Devouring Sect with Qi Heng’s head, knowing the sect would soon fall and its wealth would disappoint the Jianghu people. Near the Wild Ox Sect, they faced a crowd of would-be challengers and decided Lu Mu’s reputation as a formation master could help them.

• Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Lu Mu left the Heart-Devouring Sect, while Huang Xiao noted that the Jianghu people breaking through its formations would soon learn Qi Heng was dead.
• Lu Mu complained that the effort had yielded little, and Huang Xiao and Huo Lian discussed the Heart-Devouring Sect’s remaining wealth and the formation materials they had hidden.
• Lu Mu asked who his captors were, and Huang Xiao introduced himself as the Wild Ox Sect’s Sect Master while Huo Lian identified himself as its Deputy Sect Master.
• Near the Wild Ox Sect, Lu Mu pointed out that the gathered Jianghu people might target Huang Xiao and Huo Lian after Qi Heng’s death, and Huang Xiao recognized the danger.
• Huo Lian proposed borrowing Lu Mu’s name rather than asking him to fight, and Huang Xiao agreed that the formation master’s reputation could help them.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian brought Lu Mu to the Wild Ox Sect, where his reputation discouraged the Jianghu forces surrounding the sect. After securing Lu Mu’s help and placing him under the Supreme Ghost Stele’s control, they studied the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and suspected its manual had more than five layers.

• Lu Mu protested that Huang Xiao and Huo Lian were exploiting his reputation, but they insisted he would help reinforce the Wild Ox Sect’s formations.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian fought their way through the Jianghu forces outside the sect, and the sight of Lu Mu with them made many attackers fear they could not break in.
• Huang Xiao welcomed Lu Mu into the Wild Ox Sect, and Jiang Deng escorted him to his prepared guest room while the disciples took comfort in his arrival.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian compared the first three layers of the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation with the two layers they had obtained from Lu Mu and confirmed that the manuals belonged together.
• Huang Xiao used Lu Mu’s essence blood to place a strand of divine sense in the Supreme Ghost Stele, while he and Huo Lian suspected the formation manual might contain a sixth layer or more.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian questioned Lu Mu about the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation after Huang Xiao demonstrated his control over Lu Mu and promised to release him in ten years. Lu Mu agreed to cooperate and explained that he had never actually learned to set up a second-tier formation.

• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian discussed the unnamed senior who had left behind the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation manual and planned to ask Lu Mu about formation tiers.
• Lu Mu arrived at the Main Hall and offered to set up a formation, but Huang Xiao made his divine sense feel as though it might collapse, proving that he controlled Lu Mu’s life and death.
• Huang Xiao promised to release Lu Mu after ten years if he cooperated, and Lu Mu accepted because he saw no other choice.
• Huang Xiao asked about the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, and Lu Mu admitted that he could not set up its second tier because he had been deceived about the contents of Qi Heng’s manual.
• Lu Mu said the manual contained the fourth and fifth layers, and Huang Xiao wondered whether Hu Pursuing Wind and the others had deceived him.

Lu Mu explained the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation’s layers and revealed his theory that the first four layers progressively reinforced one formation. Huang Xiao and Huo Lian realized Lu Mu had likely received the first-layer method from Hu Pursuing Wind’s group, while Lu Mu privately planned to obtain their remaining layers.

• Lu Mu said he possessed only the first layer of the five-layer Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation manual and described how its layers corresponded to Demon General strength.
• Huang Xiao suspected Lu Mu had set up Hu Pursuing Wind and the others’ flawed formation in exchange for the first-layer method, while they had kept the second and third layers secret.
• Lu Mu said he did not know where the other layers were, but privately planned to obtain Hu Pursuing Wind and the others’ manual and collect all five layers.
• Lu Mu told Huang Xiao and Huo Lian that different methods for the first four layers could probably substitute for one another because each layer built upon and strengthened the same formation.

Lu Mu discussed the requirements for the Fifth Layer Level Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and began reinforcing the Wild Ox Sect’s defenses. Huang Xiao and Huo Lian decided to postpone claiming the Demon General title and eventually move the sect to Inkstone Mountain, then went to confront the Jianghu intruders trapped in the formation.

• Lu Mu explained that the Fifth Layer Level required four auxiliary formations, and Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Lu Mu discussed the difficulty and potential rewards of setting it up.
• Lu Mu began improving and adding to the Wild Ox Sect’s formations under Huang Xiao’s control of the Supreme Ghost Stele.
• Huo Lian warned that obtaining the Demon General title would attract more Primordial Ancient Realm Peak Stage experts, so Huang Xiao agreed to keep Qi Heng’s head and wait until they were stronger.
• Huo Lian proposed moving the Wild Ox Sect to Inkstone Mountain, where its inkstone crystals could strengthen grand formations, and Huang Xiao agreed they should wait for a safer opportunity.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian went to the sect’s outskirts, where Jiang Deng assured them that the trapped Jianghu intruders posed no threat.

The Wild Ox Sect prepared for a possible full-scale attack while its besiegers tested the sect’s formations. Meng Hengjing and two fellow experts discussed the rewards they hoped to seize, and watched as the Jianghu folk began another assault.

• Huang Xiao told Jiang Deng to prepare the Wild Ox Sect’s disciples for an invasion, despite Jiang Deng’s belief that the besiegers would keep probing for several more days.
• Meng Hengjing and two elderly experts watched the formations and agreed that breaking them would be difficult and costly.
• Meng Hengjing’s companions discussed their failed bids for Demon General positions and Qi Heng’s mysterious death.
• The three experts set their sights on Kui Yong’s cultivation method and other valuables from the Wild Ox Sect, though the old woman concealed her own intentions.
• Meng Hengjing noticed the Jianghu folk preparing to attack, and the three watched them charge into battle.

The Wild Ox Sect fought back against the Jianghu experts, using Lu Mu’s formation to divide their opponents. Huang Xiao isolated Meng Hengjing and his companions, then revealed unexpected strength and drew the Minghong Saber to face the old man.

• Jiang Deng led his disciples into the formation as Huang Xiao and Huo Lian prepared to fight the invading experts.
• Lu Mu altered the formation to block sound and sight, and Meng Hengjing, an old man, and an old woman charged inside with three other primordial ancient realm peak stage experts.
• Huang Xiao killed the late-stage expert he had chosen, then used a formation within the formation to separate Meng Hengjing and his companions.
• The old woman lost sight of the old man, while Huang Xiao confronted the old man and forced him back with a palm strike.
• The old man realized Huang Xiao had concealed his strength and asked why Ke Zhenyi had become Reserve Demon General; Huang Xiao drew the Minghong Saber and offered him a chance to live.

Huang Xiao wounded a primordial ancient realm peak stage expert inside the formation, extracted a drop of his essence blood, and used it to threaten the old man into submission. He then appeared before the old woman, while Meng Hengjing remained trapped and unable to contact his companions.

• Huang Xiao attacked the old man and used the formation’s effect on his senses to slash his back.
• Huang Xiao struck the old man’s wound, extracted a drop of essence blood, and sent it into the Supreme Ghost Stele.
• Huang Xiao warned the old man that his divine sense and life were under Huang Xiao’s control, stopping him from attacking again.
• Huang Xiao left the old man and confronted the old woman as she tried unsuccessfully to break the formation.
• Meng Hengjing failed to contact the other two experts and could not break through the formation.

Huang Xiao faced the Blood Saber Meng Hengjing after secretly subduing two of his companions, and the two fought at Primordial Ancient Realm peak-stage strength. Lu Mu hid their battle with a formation, leaving Huang Xiao to unleash more of his power against Meng Hengjing.

• Huang Xiao revealed that he had already subdued the old man and old woman, and Meng Hengjing attacked him to seize Kui Yong's cultivation methods.
• Huang Xiao activated the tenth stage of Heavenly Demon Disintegration and clashed with Meng Hengjing, who recognized his peak-stage strength and pressed the attack.
• Huang Xiao raised his power to the eleventh layer, exciting Meng Hengjing and strengthening his resolve to obtain Kui Yong's cultivation methods.
• Huo Lian called on Lu Mu to contain the commotion, and Lu Mu activated a screening formation that hid Huang Xiao and Meng Hengjing from the onlookers.
• Meng Hengjing dismissed the formation as harmless, while Huang Xiao welcomed the chance to fight him without exposing the battle to others.

Huang Xiao and Meng Hengjing fought fiercely until Huang Xiao used the Bronze Key to overwhelm Meng Hengjing with pain and immobilize him. Huang Xiao began extracting Meng Hengjing's essence blood.

• Huang Xiao and Meng Hengjing's battle sent stray saber force flying through the formation, killing nearby fighters from both sides.
• Huang Xiao and Meng Hengjing exchanged serious but nonfatal wounds before drawing apart.
• Meng Hengjing attacked again, and Huang Xiao secretly activated the Bronze Key using Meng Hengjing's blood.
• Meng Hengjing lost control of his body amid agony, and Huang Xiao knocked the Blood Saber from his hand.
• Huang Xiao struck Meng Hengjing's major acupoints and began extracting essence blood from his left arm.

Huang Xiao gained control of Meng Hengjing and persuaded him to serve the Wild Ox Sect for ten years. He joined Meng Hengjing and the others to confront Chen Ruyu, Zhou Mo, and Zhang Qiande, ordering them to spare the three's lives.

• Huang Xiao used Meng Hengjing's Essence Blood to control his life and death, then released his sealed Acupoints and stopped his attack by threatening his Divine Sense.
• Meng Hengjing agreed to serve the Wild Ox Sect for ten years after Huang Xiao offered to spare his life.
• Huang Xiao revealed the old man and old woman, and Meng Hengjing proposed that their group join Huo Lian to fight the remaining three experts.
• Meng Hengjing confronted Chen Ruyu, Zhou Mo, and Zhang Qiande and demanded that they surrender without a fight.
• Chen Ruyu dismissed the old man and old woman as unworthy of speaking to her.

Huang Xiao subdued Meng Hengjing, Chen Ruyu, and their companions, then forced them to join the Wild Ox Sect for ten years while setting a hundred-year term for the old woman and old man. After the old pair died from a collapse of their divine sense, the screening formation came down, and the newly allied fighters charged the surrounding Jianghu people.

• Lu Mu screened off Huang Xiao and the others at Huang Xiao's request, concealing Huang Xiao's true strength from the watching Jianghu people.
• Huang Xiao subdued Chen Ruyu and his two companions and demanded that they serve the Wild Ox Sect for ten years.
• Huang Xiao set a hundred-year term for the old woman and the old man, who protested when they learned Meng Hengjing had received only ten years.
• The old woman and the old man collapsed and died after disrespecting Huo Lian, and Huang Xiao warned the others against insulting the deputy sect master.
• Lu Mu withdrew the screening formation, and Meng Hengjing, Chen Ruyu, and the others charged the surrounding Jianghu people, who called for retreat or a fight.

After the Wild Ox Sect defeated the Jianghu fighters, Huang Xiao discussed strengthening the sect and revealed plans to relocate it to a better place. Meng Hengjing and his three companions joined the sect as ten-year retainers, with the possibility of becoming Grand Elders if they later chose to stay.

• With Meng Hengjing, Chen Ruyu, and the others fighting alongside the Wild Ox Sect, most of the besieging Jianghu fighters were killed and the rest fled.
• Huang Xiao introduced Lu Mu to Jiang Deng and the others, and Meng Hengjing and his companions recognized the advantages of joining the sect.
• Lu Mu offered to rebuild the Wild Ox Sect's formations, but Huang Xiao declined because he planned to move the sect elsewhere and asked Lu Mu only to reinforce the existing defenses.
• Huang Xiao told Meng Hengjing and his three companions to help if Jiang Deng and the others could not handle future challengers.
• Huo Lian said the four would serve as retainers for ten years and could become Grand Elders if they chose to truly join the Wild Ox Sect.

Huo Lian and Huang Xiao traveled to Inkstone Mountain to inspect the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and keep the hidden Formation Manuals secret. They began planning to build the Wild Ox Sect with the Fifth Layer of the formation in mind.

• Huo Lian reassured Huang Xiao that they would soon grow strong enough to control Meng Hengjing and the others.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian left the Wild Ox Sect and returned to Inkstone Mountain, where they confirmed no one had entered the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation's area.
• Huo Lian and Huang Xiao reasoned that Lu Mu might suspect the valley held the Formation Manuals, so they agreed to hide their discovery of the secret chamber.
• Huang Xiao suggested planning the Wild Ox Sect's new home around the main and four auxiliary formations needed for the Fifth Layer of the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.
• Huo Lian agreed the plan might be feasible and noted that the mountain range could contain four suitable sites for the auxiliary formations.

Huo Lian and Huang Xiao searched the Moshang Mountain Range for sites to build the Wild Ox Sect’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, then returned to find Lu Mu had strengthened the sect’s defenses. Huang Xiao ordered the sect to prepare for relocation and promised that its new home would have a powerful Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.

• Huo Lian and Huang Xiao agreed to search for a central formation site on Moshang Main Peak, but found no particularly pure inkstone there.
• After surveying the area around the valley for half a month, Huo Lian and Huang Xiao found one inconspicuous peak with inkstone suitable for an auxiliary formation and kept it as an alternative.
• Huo Lian and Huang Xiao returned to the Wild Ox Sect and found that Lu Mu had greatly reinforced its formations.
• Huang Xiao told Jiang Deng to have the disciples pack the sect’s assets because he planned to relocate the Wild Ox Sect.
• Meng Hengjing asked whether the relocated sect would have a Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, and Huang Xiao promised a second-tier and third-layer formation.

Huang Xiao confirmed that Wild Ox Sect members would have a chance to use the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, then announced that the sect’s new home would be Inkstone Mountain. Lu Mu explained why other sects avoided the mountain and hinted that it had further drawbacks, leaving the group waiting for his explanation.

• Huang Xiao told Meng Hengjing and the others that they would have an opportunity to use the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, though he and Huo Lian would have priority.
• Lu Mu asked where the new Wild Ox Sect would be established, and Huang Xiao named Inkstone Mountain.
• Meng Hengjing and Lu Mu explained that Inkstone Mountain’s abundant inkstone was mostly impure and had discouraged sects from settling there.
• Lu Mu clarified that scattered high-purity veins and widespread low-quality inkstone could weaken or interfere with protective formations.
• Huang Xiao asked whether any part of the vast mountain was suitable, and Lu Mu said there might be before mentioning additional unfavorable factors.

Huang Xiao chose a site in Inkstone Mountain for the Wild Ox Sect and instructed Lu Mu to find four auxiliary locations for a Fifth Layer Level Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation. Lu Mu recognized that Huang Xiao’s chosen site was where he had helped Hu Pursuing Wind and Yao Fengrong establish their formation, and wondered whether they could still be found there.

• Lu Mu warned Huang Xiao that Inkstone Mountain’s Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth could become extremely scarce in some locations, but Huang Xiao said he had found a suitable site with a vast mineral vein.
• Huang Xiao told Lu Mu to survey Inkstone Mountain and plan the Wild Ox Sect’s formation around the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation’s Fifth Layer Level.
• Lu Mu agreed to search for four auxiliary formation sites, and Huang Xiao gave him a map marking two locations they had already found.
• Lu Mu recognized Huang Xiao’s chosen sect site as the place where he had helped Hu Pursuing Wind and Yao Fengrong set up their Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.

Lu Mu planned to wait until he left the Wild Ox Sect before pursuing Hu Pursuing Wind and Yao Fengrong for the remaining Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation methods, while the Demon Domain’s Jianghu descended into chaos as Demon Generals were killed. Huang Xiao and Huo Lian repaired the formation at Inkstone Mountain, then began cultivating inside it as Lu Mu searched for auxiliary formation sites.

• Lu Mu decided to keep the valley and its inkstone crystal secret, and resolved to wait until he regained his freedom before seeking Hu Pursuing Wind and Yao Fengrong for their formation methods.
• Qi Heng’s death encouraged challengers to attack weaker Demon Generals, and the killings spread as fighters and opportunists fought over the fallen generals’ heads.
• The Wild Ox Sect grew more confident after Meng Hengjing and three other Primordial Ancient Realm Peak Stage experts joined it, and Jiang Deng and the others came to realize Huang Xiao was stronger than they had assumed.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian left the Wild Ox Sect with Lu Mu and went to Inkstone Mountain, where Huang Xiao discovered the flawed Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation chamber.
• Lu Mu repaired the formation using materials they gathered at auction and through other channels, while Huang Xiao and Huo Lian began cultivating inside it and Lu Mu searched for auxiliary formation sites.

After a year of seclusion, Huang Xiao and Huo Lian emerged with major breakthroughs and prepared to claim Demon General status. Lu Mu reported that the candidate site Huang Xiao had selected contained an ore vein but had unstable spiritual energy, leaving its suitability for an auxiliary formation uncertain.

• During a year of cultivation in the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation, Huang Xiao reached the peak of the Upper Ancient Realm, while Huo Lian also made rapid progress.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian discussed their strength and planned to visit the Demon God Sect to hand over Qi Heng's Head and assess themselves against stronger experts.
• Three days after announcing their exit from seclusion, Huang Xiao and Huo Lian emerged, and Lu Mu congratulated them on their breakthroughs.
• Huang Xiao asked Lu Mu about the six candidate sites, and Lu Mu explained that one site had an ore vein but fluctuating spiritual energy that might make it unsuitable for an auxiliary formation.