Chapter Summaries

Huang Xiao and his companions used the formation to keep the Jianghu experts at bay while they worked their way toward the hill. After Huang Xiao broke through the formation, they found an entrance and sensed that many keys might be inside the cultivation grounds.

• Huang Xiao's plan to enter the formation with Mu Fucheng and the others succeeded, leaving the Jianghu experts unable to attack them from outside.
• Wang Mengjiao called on the Jianghu experts to cooperate and break the formation, which they found had become easier to unravel.
• Huang Xiao controlled the formation to reunite with Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai, then warned them that the formation would eventually be broken and he had no escape plan.
• After half a day, Huang Xiao broke through the formation and led his companions toward the hill as the experts outside began entering it.
• Huang Xiao and his companions found an entrance at the hill's base, and Huang Xiao sensed that many keys were inside the cultivation grounds.

Huang Xiao and his companions entered a newly revealed underground chamber where rival groups fought over a sealed room. Inside, they discovered a stone platform holding a little over a hundred Silver Keys, but a formation repelled anyone who tried to take them.

• Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai followed the underground passage and heard fighting ahead.
• The four reached a vast chamber where around a hundred people fought, and Huang Xiao explained that a formation had concealed the place until recently.
• The combatants noticed Huang Xiao and his companions, then realized the formation outside had likely been broken and feared more people would arrive.
• A fighter rushed through the broken stone doorway toward the small chamber, prompting the others to surge after him.
• Huang Xiao and his companions saw Silver Keys on a stone platform, but the first man to reach for them was repelled by a formation.
• The other fighters concluded the formation was not immediately dangerous and repeatedly charged toward the keys.

Huang Xiao and the others fought the Jianghu people for the silver keys after the formation broke, while Huang Xiao secretly discovered a more valuable Bronze Key. A violent blast sent the keys out of the underground chamber and shattered the mound above, leaving the people outside staring at something revealed among the falling rocks.

• Huang Xiao noticed a rusty Bronze Key lodged in the broken stone door and realized it was more precious than the silver keys.
• The formation broke, sending nearly a hundred silver keys flying as Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, Liu Wangtai, and the Jianghu people scrambled to seize them.
• Huang Xiao moved toward the broken stone door while Liu Wangtai threatened those who fled with keys, but he stayed to fight for the remaining ones.
• The large stone chamber shook and exploded open, sending the keys toward the surface as the Jianghu people rushed after them.
• The mound above burst apart while people outside worked on the formation, and sharp-eyed Jianghu people called out at what they saw among the falling rocks.

After the mound exploded and the formation collapsed, Jianghu fighters fought over the silver keys and attacked those emerging from below. Huang Xiao and the other three revealed that only a little over a hundred keys had existed, and they had obtained eleven between them.

• The mound exploded, breaking the formation and sending silver keys into the air, where nearly ten thousand people fought over them.
• Huang Xiao and the others emerged from underground and fled as the crowd attacked and killed many people coming out after them.
• People rushing into the opening were met by corpses and then by Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai, who killed dozens with their counterattack.
• A survivor pointed out Huang Xiao's group as the people who had gained the most, drawing the crowd's attention to them.
• Wang Mengjiao demanded to know how many silver keys there were, and the survivor said there had been only a little over a hundred.
• Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai explained that the four had collected only eleven keys: three each for Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, and Ke Zhenyi, and two for Liu Wangtai.

Wang Mengjiao tried to force Huang Xiao and his companions to surrender some of their silver keys, but they refused and fought back. Huang Xiao led the others in a charge at Wang Mengjiao, while the surrounding crowd hesitated instead of joining the battle.

• Wang Mengjiao accused Huang Xiao and his companions of holding too many silver keys and demanded they hand over ten.
• Huang Xiao warned Wang Mengjiao to pursue the weaker key-holders, but Wang Mengjiao insisted on taking keys from the four.
• Liu Wangtai refused to surrender the keys, and Wang Mengjiao urged the crowd to attack them.
• Huang Xiao ordered his companions to fight and charged directly at Wang Mengjiao, with Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai following.
• Wang Mengjiao struck Huang Xiao with Sword Qi, but Huang Xiao split it with the Minghong Saber.
• Wang Mengjiao realized the crowd was holding back to let him and Huang Xiao’s group weaken each other.

Huang Xiao and his three companions faced Wang Mengjiao and a crowd of Jianghu fighters who sought their keys. Huang Xiao revealed strength on par with Wang Mengjiao and killed him with a single saber strike, leaving the surrounding fighters to confront him and his companions.

• Wang Mengjiao refused Huang Xiao's offer to join forces and continued attacking while urging the nearby fighters to join the fight.
• The Jianghu fighters surged toward Huang Xiao and his companions, who charged at Wang Mengjiao instead of letting the crowd distract them.
• When Wang Mengjiao tried to flee, Huang Xiao caught him and wounded his arm, revealing that he had been concealing middle-stage ancient realm strength.
• Wang Mengjiao warned Huang Xiao that the surrounding fighters would attack alongside him, but Huang Xiao charged at him again.
• Wang Mengjiao tried to dodge Huang Xiao's saber strike, but his body turned sluggish, and Huang Xiao split him in two.

Huang Xiao and his companions escaped the Silver Key fighters after he killed Wang Mengjiao, then hurried through the Central Desert. Their flight was interrupted by Bi Hu of the Broken Blade Sect, whose powerful siblings made him dangerous to confront.

• Huang Xiao killed Wang Mengjiao with a single saber strike, frightening the fighters enough for him, Mu Fucheng, Liu Wangtai, and Ke Zhenyi to break through the encirclement.
• After the four escaped, the loose alliance collapsed into infighting and attacks over the Silver Keys.
• Huang Xiao explained that his killing strike had been a secret trump card and denied that it had left him with serious aftereffects.
• The group continued toward the edge of the Central Desert, but Huang Xiao spotted someone approaching.
• Mu Fucheng recognized the newcomer as Bi Hu, a deputy sect master of the Broken Blade Sect, and Ke Zhenyi explained the strength and reputation of his Demon General siblings.

Bi Hu revealed that he was an ancient realm late-stage expert and demanded that Huang Xiao and his companions hand over their Silver Keys. Huang Xiao refused, leaving the group facing Bi Hu’s threat as Ke Zhenyi placed his hopes in him.

• Bi Hu admitted he was an ancient realm late-stage expert and said he knew little about the Golden Keys, though he believed the Silver Keys were more valuable.
• Bi Hu demanded ten Silver Keys, but Huang Xiao refused to accept his offer.
• Bi Hu declared that he wanted all the keys and threatened Ke Zhenyi, while warning Mu Fucheng and Liu Wangtai to leave them behind.
• Liu Wangtai urged Ke Zhenyi to escape, but Ke Zhenyi asked Huang Xiao whether he would give up and trusted that Huang Xiao might still have a way to fight Bi Hu.

Huang Xiao and his companions fought Bi Hu rather than surrender their keys, but Bi Hu’s superior strength quickly turned the battle against them. The chapter left Huang Xiao badly wounded, with Bi Hu threatening to cripple his left arm.

• Huang Xiao, Mu Fucheng, and Liu Wangtai chose to fight Bi Hu instead of handing over their keys.
• Huang Xiao and the others attacked together, but Bi Hu’s broken saber technique overwhelmed their combined forces.
• Huang Xiao clashed with Bi Hu and suffered a long wound across his chest, while Bi Hu sent Mu Fucheng and the other two flying.
• Bi Hu focused on Huang Xiao, believing he held the group’s keys, and repeatedly forced him to defend against his stronger attacks.
• Bi Hu struck Huang Xiao’s Minghong Saber down into his left shoulder and threatened to cripple his arm.

Huang Xiao struggled against Bi Hu, who overpowered him while demanding the Bronze Key. Huang Xiao’s Divine Sense attack disrupted Bi Hu’s fatal strike, but his counterattack only cut Bi Hu’s cheek, leaving them facing off with Bi Hu still alive.

• Bi Hu drove Huang Xiao back and wounded him while Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai tried and failed to help.
• Huang Xiao realized he could not hurt Bi Hu or obtain his blood, and remembered he could attack with Divine Sense.
• Bi Hu raised his full strength and unleashed a deadly slash as Huang Xiao charged straight toward him.
• Huang Xiao’s Divine Sense attack startled Bi Hu and destabilized his blade aura, allowing Huang Xiao to shatter the Saber Force.
• Huang Xiao slashed at Bi Hu’s head, but Bi Hu retreated; the blow only cut and disfigured Bi Hu’s cheek.

Huang Xiao used a hidden Divine Sense assault to sever Bi Hu’s arm and escape with Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai. After the group returned to Inkstone Mountain and divided their keys, Huo Lian and Lu Mu warned that Bi Hu’s revenge would bring serious trouble.

• Huang Xiao pretended his Divine Sense attack had failed, then struck Bi Hu with a stronger assault and severed his arm before Bi Hu fled.
• Huang Xiao led the badly injured Mu Fucheng, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai cautiously back to the Demon Domain over a month and a half.
• Mu Fucheng parted ways with the others, and the four divided their Golden and Silver Keys according to their agreement.
• Huang Xiao, Ke Zhenyi, and Liu Wangtai returned to Inkstone Mountain, where Lu Mu and Huo Lian realized Bi Hu would likely seek revenge.

Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect learned that Bi Hu was a formidable ancient realm late-stage expert with powerful connections, while their incomplete formations could not hold off the Broken Blade Sect indefinitely. The sect faced grave danger, and Huang Xiao had yet to reveal how he would respond.

• Lu Mu was shocked to learn Huang Xiao had defeated Bi Hu's ancient realm late-stage brother, and Huang Xiao explained that he had scared him away using special methods.
• Lu Mu said Bi Hu was still at the ancient realm late stage but much stronger than her brother, and warned that the Wild Ox Sect could not withstand her and the other two siblings.
• Lu Mu explained that the sect's unfinished formations lacked the materials and strength to endure a prolonged siege, while Huang Xiao reassured Jiang Deng that the shortages were not his fault.
• Ke Zhenyi suggested fleeing, but Huo Lian and Lu Mu warned that the Broken Blade Sect's influence and Bi Hu's ties to an elder of one of the Five Great Demon Sects made hiding difficult.
• Huang Xiao questioned how much power Bi Hu's connection carried, and Lu Mu said her former lover had likely become a Grand Elder, leaving the Wild Ox Sect in grave danger.

Huang Xiao and Ke Zhenyi discussed the threat from Bi Hu and the Broken Blade Sect, while Huo Lian weighed whether to abandon the Wild Ox Sect. Huang Xiao proposed offering a Bronze Key to the Demon God Sect in exchange for protection, but Huo Lian questioned whether its value would be enough.

• Ke Zhenyi refused to leave Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect behind, and the two agreed to face danger together.
• Huang Xiao warned Ke Zhenyi that the Broken Blade Sect might already be heading for their sect and privately considered trading a Bronze Key for the Demon God Sect’s protection.
• Huo Lian told Huang Xiao they could abandon the Wild Ox Sect and flee to another domain, but Huang Xiao argued they should preserve it if possible.
• Huang Xiao proposed giving the Demon God Sect a Bronze Key to secure protection from the Broken Blade Sect.
• Huang Xiao reasoned that Bronze Keys might be valuable enough to interest the Demon God Sect, while Huo Lian cautioned that the keys’ relative worth was still uncertain.
• Huang Xiao challenged Huo Lian to explain why late-stage Ancient Realm experts would ignore Golden Keys if they were more valuable than Bronze Keys.

Huang Xiao and Huo Lian decided how to explain the Bronze Key they planned to offer the Demon God Sect while trying to keep Huang Xiao’s other key secret. They found that the box that had held the Supreme Demon Pearl stopped the two keys from resonating.

• Huang Xiao showed Huo Lian a second Bronze Key and argued that the keys were rarer and more powerful than the Golden and Silver Keys.
• Huang Xiao explained that he had obtained the second key at the Longevity Daoist's cultivation site, but planned to claim the key for the Demon God Sect was the one taken from Zhuo Mengshen to avoid exposing his earlier possession of a Bronze Key.
• Huo Lian agreed that they should hurry before other sects and experts reached the Wild Ox Sect, and Huang Xiao prepared to leave for the Demon God Sect.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian tried an aura-isolating formation, but the keys still resonated when they were within one li of each other.
• Huo Lian brought out the box that had held the Supreme Demon Pearl, and Huang Xiao found that putting one Bronze Key inside stopped the resonance.

Huang Xiao planned to seek the Demon God Sect’s protection with a Bronze Key, but a powerful group blocked the Wild Ox Sect’s escape route. He and the others prepared to break through so he could reach the Demon God Sect.

• Huo Lian took Huang Xiao’s newly obtained Bronze Key and the other gold and silver keys, hiding the Bronze Key behind a formation.
• A large group blocked the way out from Wild Ox Peak, and Huo Lian, Ke Zhenyi, and the others gathered at the foot of the mountain.
• Huang Xiao told Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai he intended to seek the Demon God Sect’s protection, and they offered four Silver Keys to strengthen the appeal.
• Huang Xiao and the others saw hundreds of people outside the formation, including more than a dozen powerful experts and at least three ancient realm late stage experts.
• Liu Wangtai and the others offered to cover Huang Xiao as they prepared to attempt a breakout.

Huang Xiao and the Wild Ox Sect prepared to resist the forces surrounding them, but the arrival of Bi Hu and her brothers made escape seem impossible. The chapter ended with Huang Xiao relying on the sect’s formations as Bi Hu’s brother threatened to break through and take revenge.

• Huo Lian urged the group to strike first while Lu Mu tried to strengthen their defenses with formations.
• Bi Hu arrived with her brothers and an unknown late-stage Ancient Realm man, prompting Huo Lian to suspect he belonged to Bi Hu’s backers.
• Huang Xiao and the others realized they were trapped and decided to resist behind the Wild Ox Sect’s formations.
• Bi Hu’s one-armed brother demanded that Huang Xiao come out, and Lu Mu removed the screening formation to reveal the group.
• Bi Hu’s brother threatened to slaughter the sect and take revenge, while Huang Xiao warned that his arm would never be restored and challenged him to break the formations.

Huang Xiao and his companions relied on the Wild Ox Sect’s formations as Jianghu experts began breaking through them. Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen arrived, forcing the attackers to stop and raising questions about the Demon God Sect’s interest in the Silver Key.

• Bi Long told the Jianghu experts that the Broken Blade Sect would not object to them breaking through the formations, and Huang Xiao led his companions up the mountain.
• Huang Xiao warned that the lower formations would soon fail and told Lu Mu he might need to risk his life helping defend the sect; Lu Mu agreed, hoping to receive the promised Formation Manuals.
• Wang Renyu of the Demon God Sect arrived, and the experts attacking the formations stopped.
• Bi Hu and Sun Mo reacted cautiously to Wang Renyu’s arrival, while Zhuang Chen of the Golden Demon Sect appeared beside him.
• Sun Mo introduced himself to Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen, and Wang Renyu acknowledged his connection to Elder Liu Bu.

Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen confronted Sun Mo and the others at the Wild Ox Sect, revealing that they had come to investigate a possible treasure beyond the Silver Keys. As more powerful factions arrived, Huang Xiao realized they were likely searching for a Bronze Key, though even the elders were not certain one existed.

• Bi Hu greeted Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen, while Zhuang Chen warned Sun Mo that Liu Bu had sent him because he was not certain of the situation.
• Zhuang Chen said Huang Xiao and the others might have found a treasure in the Longevity Daoist's cultivation grounds, and Wang Renyu admitted they had come to investigate despite their uncertainty.
• Sun Mo backed down and asked only for a chance to obtain Silver Keys, while Wang Renyu and Zhuang Chen agreed to compete according to their own abilities.
• Ke Zhenyi and Liu Wangtai worried that they could not satisfy the elders, but Huang Xiao said they could only tell the truth and suspected the elders were seeking a Bronze Key.
• Zhuang Chen sensed another arrival, and Wang Renyu asked Elder Gao whether the Ox-Slaughtering Sect had come for the Wild Ox Sect or for something else.

Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin confronted Huang Xiao over a suspected Bronze Key, but Huang Xiao concealed what he had found and admitted the elders’ formations could not stop them. Sun Mo exposed Huang Xiao’s secret, while Bi Hu hoped Liu Bu would arrive in time.

• Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin agreed to press Huang Xiao and divide the suspected treasure among themselves.
• Huang Xiao avoided revealing the Bronze Key, saying his group had found Silver and Golden Keys instead.
• Wang Renyu demanded the treasure and threatened that the formations could not protect the Wild Ox Sect.
• Sun Mo accused Huang Xiao of obtaining the treasure and privately urged Bi Hu to curry favor with the three elders.
• Bi Hu recalled evidence that Huang Xiao possessed a Bronze Key and hoped Liu Bu would arrive before the elders seized it.

Sun Mo revealed that Huang Xiao possessed the Bronze Key, and Huang Xiao explained that he had taken it from Zhuo Mengshen. Wang Renyu, Gao Yin, and Zhuang Chen disputed who should claim it, until Senior Ren arrived and challenged them for trying to rob a junior.

• Sun Mo told Wang Renyu, Zhuang Chen, and Gao Yin that Huang Xiao had the Bronze Key and explained how Bi Hu’s brother had been injured.
• Huang Xiao admitted he had a Bronze Key but said he had obtained it by killing Zhuo Mengshen, not in the Central Desert.
• Huang Xiao showed the key, and Meng Hengjing and the others confirmed that its Divine Sense assault had affected them before.
• Wang Renyu demanded the key for the Demon God Sect, while Gao Yin and Zhuang Chen refused to yield.
• Senior Ren’s voice rang out, criticizing the three elders for trying to rob Huang Xiao.