Chapter Summaries

The Radiant Sun Sect Master investigated a disturbance near the Xuanyuan Sword and refused to call the Ancestor out of seclusion. Senior Xuanyuan revealed himself, and after the Sect Master attacked, Senior Xuanyuan sent him flying with a single palm strike.

• The Radiant Sun Sect Master arrived at the Xuanyuan Sword’s guarded location and ordered the search for the intruder to continue.
• The Radiant Sun Sect Master declined to disturb the Ancestor and decided to guard the area himself.
• Dugu Sheng sensed the increased activity outside and feared the guards might find a way to approach him.
• Senior Xuanyuan appeared and explained that he had caused a disturbance to draw the Radiant Sun Sect’s experts away from their search for the Xuanyuan Sword.
• Senior Xuanyuan ignored the Sect Master’s demand for his name, and the Sect Master attacked him.
• Senior Xuanyuan struck the Radiant Sun Sect Master with a single palm, sending him flying and stunning the gathered disciples.

Senior Xuanyuan fought Xu Zhiru while concealing his identity and pretending to rely on a saber, but his injuries made the battle increasingly difficult. Xu Zhiru gained the upper hand, then sensed a threat from behind as Senior Xuanyuan struck him and caught a streak of light.

• Senior Xuanyuan revealed that he had only knocked out the Radiant Sun Sect's sect master, then evaded a surprise attack from Xu Zhiru, the sect's ancestor.
• Xu Zhiru challenged Senior Xuanyuan over the Xuanyuan Sword and tried to identify him by his aura and fighting style, but Senior Xuanyuan kept his identity concealed.
• Senior Xuanyuan took a disciple's saber and used it to block Xu Zhiru's sword attacks, while Xu Zhiru pressed him to reveal his true abilities.
• Xu Zhiru broke Senior Xuanyuan's saber and drove him back; Senior Xuanyuan considered ending the fight because his injuries made a prolonged battle dangerous.
• Xu Zhiru ordered the disciples to scatter and charged his unarmed opponent, but he sensed danger behind him; Senior Xuanyuan struck his chest and caught a streak of light as Xu Zhiru dodged the attack from behind.

Senior Xuanyuan reclaimed the Xuanyuan Sword and forced Xu Zhiru to abandon the pursuit, then reunited with Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng. As they traveled toward the Holy City of the Slaughter Domain, Huang Xiao asked Senior Xuanyuan whether he knew of another realm besides the Martial World.

• Senior Xuanyuan took up the Xuanyuan Sword and drove Xu Zhiru into retreat, then vanished with the sword and the other youth.
• Xu Zhiru told the Radiant Sun Sect to invite the Four Sect Masters' Ancestors to a discussion instead of pursuing Senior Xuanyuan.
• Huang Xiao and Huo Lian left their inn and reunited with Senior Xuanyuan, who had Dugu Sheng with him.
• The four departed for the Holy City of the Slaughter Domain, and Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng explained their origins to Senior Xuanyuan.
• Senior Xuanyuan recalled that Demon God had entrusted treasures to Kui Yong, and praised the three for defeating him.
• Huang Xiao asked Senior Xuanyuan whether he knew of another realm besides the Martial World.

Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng learned that Senior Xuanyuan had sealed the passage between the Martial World and their Central Plains homeland. Senior Xuanyuan offered a possible way to awaken the Minghong Saber’s dormant soul and said Dugu Sheng might earn the Xuanyuan Sword through his swordsmanship; Huang Xiao then asked whether the Creation Sect’s legacy remained.

• Senior Xuanyuan confirmed he had discovered the other realm, left cultivation manuals there, and sealed its formation during the war.
• Huang Xiao revealed that he, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng came from the Central Plains and showed Senior Xuanyuan the Minghong Saber.
• Senior Xuanyuan said the Minghong Saber’s soul was nearly dormant but might awaken through resonance with the Xuanyuan Sword.
• Senior Xuanyuan said Dugu Sheng could receive the Xuanyuan Sword if he earned his approval, and promised to guide him in swordsmanship.
• Huang Xiao asked whether the Creation Sect still had a legacy.

Huang Xiao told Senior Xuanyuan that his son, Xuan Yuanxiang, was still alive and revealed where he and the other survivors were hiding. Senior Xuanyuan welcomed the news but worried that confronting those responsible for the Creation Sect’s destruction would be difficult, even after he recovered.

• Senior Xuanyuan said he had no reliable news about the Creation Sect’s survivors and planned to settle scores once his injuries healed.
• Huang Xiao told Senior Xuanyuan that Xuan Yuanxiang was alive, and Senior Xuanyuan reacted with astonishment and relief.
• Huang Xiao explained that Xuan Yuanxiang and the others were hidden by a formation established with help from Longevity Daoist.
• Senior Xuanyuan said the descendants of several Righteous Path elders had attacked the Creation Sect and suspected some elders had allowed it to happen.
• Senior Xuanyuan revealed that he had fought Xu Zhiru at the Radiant Sun Sect but could not yet kill him.
• Senior Xuanyuan warned that the attackers could unite with forces from other domains, including the Demon God, if he sought revenge.

Huang Xiao told Senior Xuanyuan that he had cultivated the complete Longevity Chapter and offered to teach it to him, but Senior Xuanyuan refused and planned to recover at Senior Xuan Yuanxiang’s location after obtaining a Longevity Pill. The group prepared to travel there, while Senior Xuanyuan remained unable to use Huang Xiao’s cultivation to treat his injuries.

• Huo Lian warned Senior Xuanyuan that his identity might have been exposed and urged him to deal ruthlessly with those who betrayed him, but Senior Xuanyuan refused to let the Righteous Path fall into chaos.
• Senior Xuanyuan decided to hide at Senior Xuan Yuanxiang’s location and said the group would leave after he received a Longevity Pill from the Slaughter Evil Lord.
• Huang Xiao revealed that he had cultivated the complete Longevity Chapter and could ignite Heart Fire, surprising Senior Xuanyuan and Huo Lian.
• Senior Xuanyuan explained that Huang Xiao’s Longevity True Qi was not yet strong enough to help his injuries and refused Huang Xiao’s offer to teach him the Longevity Chapter.

Huang Xiao explained the Slaughter Evil Lord’s connection to the Martial World, and Senior Xuanyuan warned that the Lord’s Ruthlessness Dao had been cut off and could lead to Qi Deviation. Back in the Holy City, they discussed the Jade Pendant investigation, where powerful factions continued searching for secrets in an ordinary object and were unlikely to admit they had been fooled.

• Huang Xiao told Senior Xuanyuan that the Slaughter Evil Lord came from the Martial World and had left him the Longevity Chapter.
• Senior Xuanyuan said the Slaughter Evil Lord’s Ruthlessness Dao had been cut off and warned that he might suffer Qi Deviation.
• Huang Xiao noticed Senior Xuanyuan treated the group more kindly after their conversation.
• Huang Xiao and his companions returned to the Holy City with only a few days remaining before their agreed meeting with the Slaughter Evil Lord.
• Senior Immortal Alchemist invited the major powers to study the Jade Pendant, claiming it might reveal secrets of the Spirit Lands.
• Huo Lian and Senior Xuanyuan said the factions would likely keep searching and refuse to admit the Jade Pendant was ordinary to protect their reputations.

Huang Xiao and his companions learned that Senior Xuanyuan and Senior Immortal Alchemist had formed an alliance, while rumors about the Creation Sect's sect master and the stolen Xuanyuan Sword spread across the Jianghu. The group then sailed toward Xuan Yuanxiang and his family, whom Senior Xuanyuan had long believed dead.

• Senior Xuanyuan explained that he hoped to ally with Senior Immortal Alchemist, and Huang Xiao and Huo Lian agreed the partnership could benefit both sides.
• Senior Xuanyuan met with Senior Immortal Alchemist, and they reached an agreement; Senior Immortal Alchemist gave him three bottles of Longevity Pills.
• Rumors spread that the Creation Sect's sect master had returned, robbed people during their Spirit Land journey, and stolen the Xuanyuan Sword from the Radiant Sun Sect.
• The other four great sects objected to the Radiant Sun Sect's failure to protect the Xuanyuan Sword, while many in the Jianghu suspected the sect had hidden it itself.
• Huang Xiao's party set off by sea toward the hiding place of Xuan Yuanxiang and the others, and Huang Xiao wondered if the journey would be easier this time.

Huang Xiao and his companions sailed from West Mountain Town to the hidden waters where Xuan Yuanxiang and his descendants were concealed. Senior Xuanyuan examined their intricate formation and found it strangely extravagant to use such a grand formation merely as a refuge.

• Huang Xiao recalled the group's first arrival in the Immortal Spirit Domain as they reached West Mountain Town and set out to sea with Huo Lian, Senior Xuanyuan, and Dugu Sheng.
• Huo Lian used the formations he had left as markers to guide their ship, though failed formations and detours delayed them.
• After more than two months at sea, the group reached the waters where Xuan Yuanxiang's hidden refuge lay, and Senior Xuanyuan sensed its concealed formation.
• Senior Xuanyuan studied the formation from the sea while Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng waited aboard the ship.
• Senior Xuanyuan returned and remarked that using such a grand formation merely as a refuge seemed extravagant.

Senior Xuanyuan decided to study the formation from outside while Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng entered it to reach the island where the Creation Sect Descendants lived. They asked to see Xuan Yuanxiang and sent word that they had important news for him.

• Huo Lian warned Senior Xuanyuan that the formation might let him enter but prevent him from leaving, so he agreed to stay outside and study it.
• Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng entered the formation through a whirlpool and saw the island ahead.
• Several people from the island recognized Huang Xiao and Huo Lian, and one agreed to notify Xuan Yuanxiang, who was in seclusion.
• Huang Xiao asked them to tell Xuan Yuanxiang that they had tremendously good news meant for him alone.

Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and Dugu Sheng told Xuan Yuanxiang that his father was alive outside the formation and explained why he could not enter. After Xuan Yuanxiang shared what he had learned about the formation, Huang Xiao learned that his father's name was Xuan Yuanjun.

• Huang Xiao and his companions arrived on the island and learned that Xuanyuan Xin had not returned.
• Xuan Yuanxiang summoned the three visitors and asked what news they had brought.
• Huang Xiao told Xuan Yuanxiang that his father was alive outside the formation, and Huo Lian explained that his injuries made entering dangerous.
• Huo Lian recounted his meeting with Senior Xuanyuan, and Xuan Yuanxiang accepted that his father was still alive.
• Xuan Yuanxiang agreed to share his formation insights with the visitors before they left to help unravel the formation.
• Xuan Yuanxiang told Huang Xiao that his father's name was Xuan Yuanjun.

Huang Xiao relayed Xuan Yuanxiang’s formation insights to Xuan Yuanjun, who found the grand formation far more difficult to break than expected and suspected it served another purpose. After several days of study, Xuan Yuanjun connected its hidden intricacies to the Spirit Lands and the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation.

• Huang Xiao brought Xuan Yuanxiang’s limited insights out of the formation, and Xuan Yuanjun said they would help him study it.
• Xuan Yuanjun suspected the formation was not merely protecting Xuan Yuanxiang and the others, though he warned Huang Xiao that dangers remained unclear.
• After three days of studying the formation, Xuan Yuanjun admitted Longevity Daoist’s formation skills far surpassed his own and that breaking it could take an indefinite amount of time.
• Xuan Yuanjun said he had uncovered hidden intricacies and asked Huang Xiao about the Spirit Lands’ distribution.
• Huang Xiao realized Xuan Yuanjun was referring to the Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation and noted that the Demon God Sect had learned its Sixth Layer Level formation method from the Spirit Lands.

Huang Xiao and Xuan Yuanjun suspected that the formation they studied was part of a vast Grand Formation spanning the Immortal Spirit Domain and the Desolate Domain, possibly created by the Longevity Daoist. The group planned to investigate the Desolate Domain after Huang Xiao shared Xuan Yuanjun’s formation insights, while Xuan Yuanxiang continued to trust the Longevity Daoist.

• Xuan Yuanjun explained that the formation might connect with formations in the Desolate Domain and the Spirit Lands, forming a Grand Formation across both domains.
• Huang Xiao and Xuan Yuanjun agreed to investigate the Desolate Domain after Huang Xiao passed on Xuan Yuanjun’s insights into formations.
• Huang Xiao returned to the formation and told Xuan Yuanxiang and the others that it might be linked to many other Grand Formations.
• Xuan Yuanxiang revealed that the Creation Sect had a Bronze Key and had given Xiaoxin an Imitation Key to help her find a Spirit Land.
• Xuan Yuanxiang said similar formations might have been concealed or built after the sect went into hiding, and insisted he trusted the Longevity Daoist’s intentions.

Huo Lian stayed behind to study the formation while Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng returned to the Desolate Domain with Xuan Yuanjun to search for other grand formations. They learned that the Free and Easy Sect near Dawnbreak City might be where their wives were, and set out to investigate.

• Huo Lian chose to remain at the formation and study it, while Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng left with Xuan Yuanjun.
• Xuan Yuanjun proposed recruiting local Jianghu forces to search for mysterious places that might conceal grand formations, while acting gradually to avoid alerting informants.
• Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng planned to find their wives and learn what they knew about the Desolate Domain.
• Huang Xiao and his companions bought information about the Jianghu and discovered that the Free and Easy Sect had formed near Dawnbreak City.
• Dugu Sheng said he believed their wives were at the Free and Easy Sect and explained why.

Huang Xiao, Dugu Sheng, and Xuan Yuanjun infiltrated the Free and Easy Sect and used a Soul Search on Deng Wenmu to learn where Zhao Yunhui and the others were staying. They reunited with Zhangsun Youyue, Yan Xi, and Zhao Yunya on a concealed island, where they learned that Zhao Yunhui and their master were away investigating secrets of the Desolate Domain.

• Huang Xiao, Dugu Sheng, and Xuan Yuanjun went to the Free and Easy Sect and confronted its leader, Deng Wenmu.
• Deng Wenmu denied that anyone was behind the sect, so Huang Xiao performed a Soul Search and learned where Zhao Yunhui and the others were staying.
• The three reached a concealed island east of Dawnbreak Harbor by passing through Zhao Yunhui's formations.
• Zhangsun Youyue, Yan Xi, and Zhao Yunya welcomed them, and Yan Xi embraced Dugu Sheng while Zhao Yunya noticed Hong Yi was absent.
• Zhangsun Youyue explained that Zhao Yunhui and their master were away searching for clues about secrets of the Desolate Domain.

Huang Xiao and his companions investigated a rocky island whose formation killed men, and Xuan Yuanjun safely led them into its stone house. There they discovered it belonged to his mysterious old acquaintance Ji, and an engraved map gave Xuan Yuanjun an urgent reason to visit the Creation Sect.

• You Lian'er and Xiao Yan warned Huang Xiao and the others that men who stepped onto the island would die, but Xuan Yuanjun went ahead to investigate.
• Xuan Yuanjun redirected the island formation's deadly attack, then allowed Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng to join him on the island.
• Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng sensed the island's abundant spiritual energy, and Xuan Yuanjun led them into the stone house after unraveling its formation.
• Huang Xiao recognized the plaque reading “Ji Residence,” and Xuan Yuanjun explained that the house belonged to a mysterious woman surnamed Ji whom he had barely known.
• Huang Xiao found a map engraved on the floor, and Xuan Yuanjun said it made a planned visit to the Creation Sect imperative.

Xuan Yuanjun and Huang Xiao learned that Zhao Yunhui had found all nine spirit-land locations in the Desolate Domain, including the Creation Sect’s former mountain gate. They left to investigate the formations while Xuan Yuanjun promised to improve the women’s cultivation formation before departing.

• Xiao Yan told Huang Xiao and Dugu Sheng that Zhao Yunhui had confirmed all nine locations, though she could not yet unravel the formations or approach the central site.
• Xuan Yuanjun concluded that the locations were spirit lands and realized the Creation Sect’s former mountain gate had become a crucial forbidden site without his knowledge.
• Xuan Yuanjun set off with Huang Xiao to investigate, while Xiao Yan and the other women chose to stay and cultivate; they shared their hopes that Hong Yi and the missing seniors were safe.
• Xuan Yuanjun identified the residence’s Spirit-Gathering Divine Formation as fifth layer level and offered to adjust it to match the Immortal Spirit Domain’s effects.
• Dugu Sheng decided to accompany Huang Xiao and Xuan Yuanjun, and Xiao Yan reassured Yan Xi that they would return.

Huang Xiao, Dugu Sheng, and Xuan Yuanjun searched the Desolate Mountain Range and found Zhao Yunhui and Pei Lingsha by the lake, where Zhao Yunhui had spent years studying the formations. After hearing what she had learned about the nine wondrous places, Xuan Yuanjun asked why she had not gone deeper.

• Huang Xiao led Xuan Yuanjun and Dugu Sheng toward the Central Region of the Desolate Mountain Range to find Zhao Yunhui and Pei Lingsha.
• After searching for days, Xuan Yuanjun recognized Zhao Yunhui’s methods in the formations and followed her trail deep into the region.
• The group found Zhao Yunhui and Pei Lingsha by the lake, and the women greeted Huang Xiao, Dugu Sheng, and Xuan Yuanjun with relief.
• Zhao Yunhui described her research into the nine wondrous places and said she had focused nearly all her efforts on the lake’s formations.
• Xuan Yuanjun asked Zhao Yunhui why she had stayed there instead of venturing deeper.

Zhao Yunhui told Xuan Yuanjun how her formations had revealed the Creation Sect’s Mountain Gate on Lake Heart Island, and the group went there to investigate. Xuan Yuanjun and Zhao Yunhui discovered that the Longevity Daoist and the master of the Ji Residence had laid incompatible formations, suggesting they were opponents, and he let the group approach under his protection.

• Xuan Yuanjun recognized Zhao Yunhui’s formation talent and asked what she had found on Lake Heart Island.
• Zhao Yunhui and Pei Lingsha explained that triggering formations had revealed the Creation Sect’s Mountain Gate and unleashed violent spiritual energy, which had prevented them from landing.
• Xuan Yuanjun led the group across the lake to the island, while Pei Lingsha asked Huang Xiao for news of Li Bai and received none.
• Xuan Yuanjun and Zhao Yunhui sensed formations laid by both the Longevity Daoist and the master of the Ji Residence.
• Xuan Yuanjun said the two sets of formations were incompatible, and Huang Xiao concluded the two seniors had not been on the same side.
• Xuan Yuanjun invited the group onto the island and promised to shield Zhao Yunhui and Pei Lingsha from its violent spiritual energy.

Huang Xiao and the others explored the Creation Sect with Xuan Yuanjun, who investigated a damaged grand formation with an unexpected killing intent. At the sect’s main hall, Zhao Yunhui sensed something familiar despite no one detecting a hidden formation.

• Huang Xiao and the others reached the island’s center and found the Creation Sect preserved by a damaged formation laid by the Longevity Daoist.
• Zhao Yunhui and Xuan Yuanjun noticed that the formation carried a killing intent that seemed inconsistent with the Longevity Daoist’s aims.
• Xuan Yuanjun led the group through the sect’s formations toward the main hall, which he initially believed was the formation’s core.
• Xuan Yuanjun discovered that the main hall was not the core and prepared to search nearby side halls.
• Zhao Yunhui paused at the hall’s exit and told Xuan Yuanjun she sensed something familiar inside, though neither he nor Huang Xiao detected a concealed formation.