Chapter Summaries

Huang Xiao, Wu Cang, and Elder Liu learned that the God-Burying Hall had intercepted materials meant for the Heavenly Demon Hall and went to the Main Hall to address the theft. They also discussed the Hall Master's order to destroy the Mixed Demon Sect, but arrived to find Elder Yao had left for the Main Hall.

• Elder Liu told Huang Xiao and Wu Cang that the God-Burying Hall had taken the tempering materials from Demon Refining Valley a day before the Heavenly Demon Hall's party arrived.
• Huang Xiao realized the materials had been stored by Lord Shi, who had perfected the Heavenly Demon Soul-Destroying Sound using the Hall Master's Sound Art.
• Wu Cang revealed the Hall Master's order to destroy the Mixed Demon Sect as a warning to Chao Hun, and Elder Liu asked to join the mission.
• The three went to the Main Hall, where Liang Chenghao and the elder who had failed to retrieve the materials were waiting.
• A disciple reported that Elder Yao had left for the Main Hall, prompting Liang Chenghao to question why he had departed.

Liang Chenghao, Wu Cang, and the others discussed how the God-Burying Hall had taken materials belonging to the Heavenly Demon Hall, including rare wood that could help forge the Supreme Demon Saber. They realized the God-Burying Hall might block any attempt to inform the Hall Master, and Wu Cang agreed to try contacting the Hidden Demon Guard despite its rules.

• Liang Chenghao introduced Wu Cang to Zhang Deng, who recounted how the God-Burying Hall had taken the collected materials.
• Liang Chenghao blamed Zhang Deng for failing to resist, but Wu Cang told him the outcome would likely have been the same for anyone.
• Wu Cang explained that the God-Burying Hall might genuinely need the materials, especially ten-thousand-year soul-seizing parasol wood as a fire-starting object for forging the Supreme Demon Saber.
• Liang Chenghao and Huang Xiao worried that the God-Burying Hall would intercept a letter or messenger sent to the Hall Master.
• Wu Cang said the Hidden Demon Guard could not normally intervene in the Three Great Halls' affairs, but he would try to pass along a message.

Wu Cang tried to enlist the Hidden Demon Guard’s help and prepared to send messages to the Main Hall while taking charge of destroying the Mixed Demon Sect. Huang Xiao investigated Yao Renwu’s orders, then learned Yao Renwu may be seeking a transfer to the Main Hall through his connection to an elder surnamed Pang.

• Wu Cang told Liang Chenghao that the Hall Master had tasked him with wiping out the Mixed Demon Sect, and Liang Chenghao offered Liu Jiong’s help.
• Huang Xiao asked Chao Lingyi to investigate Yao Renwu’s instructions, especially any orders concerning Yin Huju and Yue Cheng at the Forced Labor Camp.
• Wu Cang informed Huang Xiao that the Hidden Demon Guard had refused to help, leaving them to rely on letters and people sent to the Main Hall.
• Huang Xiao spent three days in secluded cultivation, reviewing his insights and working toward the Tenth Stage of the Heavenly Demon Skill.
• Chao Lingyi reported that Yao Renwu had not specifically ordered harm to the two elders and might be seeking a transfer to the Main Hall through an elder surnamed Pang.

Huang Xiao learned that Yao Renwu was seeking support from the Pang Family to join the Outer Hall Elders' Council, then met Wu Cang, who told him that the secrets of the Evil Water Region had been made public. The chapter ended with Wu Cang asking Huang Xiao for more details about the Three Great Families' descendants and treasures.

• Chao Lingyi told Huang Xiao that Yao Renwu had been courting a man surnamed Pang, and Huang Xiao reasoned that Yao Renwu was seeking help to become an Outer Hall Elder.
• Huang Xiao reassured Chao Lingyi that Yao Renwu could not threaten him even if he joined the council, then asked whether Wu Cang or the others had sent word.
• A disciple reported that Wu Cang was waiting urgently, and Huang Xiao hurried to meet him while Chao Lingyi warned the disciple not to disturb Huang Xiao's cultivation again.
• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao that the Evil Water Region's secrets had been announced throughout the Jianghu, including the need for all three Ancient Evil Blades and the presence of the Three Great Families' descendants, manuals, and treasures.
• Huang Xiao confirmed that the announcement revealed nearly all the secrets, and Wu Cang asked how powerful the descendants were and how many manuals and treasures remained.

Wu Cang told Huang Xiao that Lord Shi had summoned him to the Demon Hall's Main Hall, clearing the way for him to leave despite the God-Burying Hall's interference. Before departing, Huang Xiao also told Chao Lingyi that the Hall Master had ordered the Mixed Demon Sect eliminated.

• Huang Xiao and Wu Cang discussed the Three Great Families' hidden treasures, the Ancient Evil Blades, and the God-Burying Hall's interference with contacting the Hall Master.
• Wu Cang revealed that Lord Shi had personally summoned Huang Xiao, and Huang Xiao eagerly agreed to go to the Main Hall.
• Chao Lingyi worried that Huang Xiao was disobeying orders by leaving, but Wu Cang assured her that Hidden Demon Guard experts would protect him.
• Wu Cang said he would escort Huang Xiao to the Main Hall before dealing with the Mixed Demon Sect, and Huang Xiao confirmed that the Hall Master had ordered its elimination.
• Chao Lingyi was moved to tears when she learned the Mixed Demon Sect would be eliminated.

Huang Xiao arranged for Chao Lingyi to join the expedition against the Mixed Demon Sect after learning of her hatred for it, then prepared to travel to the Youzhou Main Hall at Wu Cang’s urging. Five days after leaving the Heavenly Demon Hall, the group came within a few dozen li of the Main Hall.

• Chao Lingyi asked Huang Xiao to take her along so she could witness the Mixed Demon Sect’s destruction, and he promised to have Elder Liu Jiong bring her with the forces setting out against it.
• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao that Lord Shi had summoned Hu Chu, the flute maker, and Huang Xiao hoped the summons would give him a chance to ask about recovering materials intercepted by the God-Burying Hall.
• Huang Xiao and Wu Cang agreed to delay their departure for two days while the Hidden Demon Guard assessed the situation and arranged for his safety.
• Huang Xiao asked Elder Liu Jiong to take Chao Lingyi and the Heavenly Demon Hall’s forces to the Mixed Demon Sect after he returned from the Main Hall.
• Wu Cang and Huang Xiao reached a point a few dozen li from the Youzhou Main Hall on the fifth day of their journey.

Huang Xiao and Wu Cang’s party was stopped in Youzhou by the God-Burying Hall, which claimed it had sealed the area while hunting a traitor. Huang Xiao recognized the blockade as an attempt to keep them from reaching the Main Hall, and Fan Rong treated their silence as consent to wait.

• Huang Xiao questioned why their journey through Youzhou had been so smooth without encountering the God-Burying Hall.
• Lu Yi’s party appeared and blocked the road, telling Huang Xiao’s group they could not proceed to the Main Hall.
• Lu Yi claimed the God-Burying Hall had sealed the area to hunt a traitor and ordered Huang Xiao’s party to wait or turn back.
• Wu Cang confronted Lu Yi, and Fan Rong recognized him as a former member of the Hidden Demon Guard.
• Fan Rong offered to detain the party at a resting place or pass along their business, while his people began to surround them.
• Huang Xiao and Wu Cang remained calm, and Fan Rong took their silence as agreement to wait.

Wu Cang fought Fan Rong after the God-Burying Hall elder tried to block the Heavenly Demon Hall’s passage. Wu Cang quickly injured Fan Rong and continued attacking despite Fan Rong’s warning, leaving him convinced Wu Cang intended to kill him.

• Fan Rong ordered the God-Burying Hall disciples to stop the Heavenly Demon Hall group and prepare to escort them away.
• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao to wait and challenged Fan Rong to teach him a lesson.
• Wu Cang and Fan Rong exchanged blows in midair, and Wu Cang sent Fan Rong crashing to the ground, coughing blood.
• Fan Rong challenged Wu Cang again, but Wu Cang struck at him and shattered his defense, injuring the meridians in both his hands.
• Fan Rong shouted for Wu Cang to stop, but Wu Cang continued charging at him, and Fan Rong realized he meant to kill him.

Wu Cang defeated Fan Rong even after Fan Rong used a forbidden art, then stopped short of killing him and called the fight a sparring match. Fan Rong survived but was left severely weakened, while Wu Cang returned to Huang Xiao and the others.

• Fan Rong attacked Wu Cang with the Imitation Saber, but Wu Cang pierced his wrist and disarmed him.
• Fan Rong threw three Void Martial Realm disciples at Wu Cang, who killed them with one palm strike.
• Fan Rong used a forbidden art and charged, but Wu Cang blocked his attacks without using one himself.
• Wu Cang kicked Fan Rong into the ground and drew the Imitation Saber to his neck as Lu Yi and the others begged him to stop.
• Wu Cang spared Fan Rong, tossed the saber aside, and declared that he had won their sparring match.
• Fan Rong cursed Wu Cang as the forbidden art's aftereffects left him severely weakened.

Huang Xiao and Wu Cang faced down God-Burying Hall elders He Muyi and Pan Che after Fan Rong was crippled. A Hidden Demon Guard delivered Lord Shi’s order summoning Huang Xiao, leaving the God-Burying Hall elders stunned.

• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao he could have killed Fan Rong, but Huang Xiao said crippling him was enough, and the God-Burying Hall group withdrew with Fan Rong.
• Huang Xiao and Wu Cang encountered He Muyi and Pan Che, who demanded that Wu Cang be detained for crippling Fan Rong.
• Huang Xiao invoked Lord Shi’s orders, but He Muyi and Pan Che demanded proof and refused to believe him when he said the message was verbal.
• Wu Cang summoned a masked Hidden Demon Guard, who announced that Lord Shi had ordered Huang Xiao to be summoned.

Wu Cang and Huang Xiao left with Heavenly Demon Hall after warning Pan Che and He Muyi that the stolen instrument-making materials might have belonged to Lord Shi. At the Main Hall, Chu Fanyin agreed to help Huang Xiao contact Hall Master Wei Yidao while they waited for Lord Shi’s summons.

• Wu Cang and Huang Xiao taunted Pan Che and He Muyi about the stolen materials and led Heavenly Demon Hall away after the Hidden Demon Guard’s order allowed them to leave.
• He Muyi smashed a tree in anger, while Pan Che told him to stop their subordinates from using more materials and advised reporting the matter to the Hall Master.
• Pan Che and He Muyi feared that Lord Shi’s ownership of the materials would bring serious consequences and leave them responsible for the theft.
• Huang Xiao and Wu Cang reached the Main Hall, where they had to wait for permission before moving or meeting anyone.
• Chu Fanyin came out of the Main Hall, learned that Lord Shi had summoned Huang Xiao, and agreed to find Hall Master Wei Yidao for him.

Huang Xiao and Wu Cang encountered Yao Renwu outside the Main Hall and learned he had come with Venerable Elder Xie, while Huang Xiao refused to turn their internal dispute into a public quarrel. Wei Yidao and Chu Fanyin then arrived, and Huang Xiao began explaining why he had come to see the hall master.

• Yao Renwu emerged from the Main Hall with Venerable Elder Xie, and Huang Xiao and Wu Cang called out to him.
• Yao Renwu introduced Wu Cang to Venerable Elder Xie, then refused Huang Xiao's request for help finding the hall master and left with Xie Ji.
• Wu Cang explained that Yao Renwu might be using Xie Ji to seek a connection with the Pang Family, while Huang Xiao said they should keep their hall's disputes private.
• Wei Yidao and Chu Fanyin came out, and Huang Xiao explained that Lord Shi had ordered their visit and Hidden Demon Guard experts had escorted them.
• Chu Fanyin took his leave, and Huang Xiao told Wei Yidao that they had come about two matters.

Huang Xiao told Wei Yidao that Yin Huju and Yue Cheng had been sent to the Forced Labor Camp and that God-Burying Hall had stolen rare materials needed to craft two legendary instruments. Wei Yidao moved to seek Lord Shi’s intervention before the materials could be destroyed, but stopped when he recognized the guard who had been sent to announce them.

• Wei Yidao learned that Yao Renwu had sent Yin Huju and Yue Cheng to the Forced Labor Camp without telling him the full truth, and promised to order their release.
• Huang Xiao told Wei Yidao that Yao Renwu had gone to visit an elder surnamed Pang, reinforcing Wei Yidao’s suspicion that Yao had ties to the Pang Family.
• Huang Xiao explained that God-Burying Hall had stolen the specially tempered materials for the Heavenly Demon Soul-Destroying Flute and Heavenly Demon Soul-Severing Zither, and Wei Yidao feared Pang Ruyuan might destroy them.
• Wei Yidao decided to take Huang Xiao, Hu Chu, and Liu Mu directly to see Lord Shi, while Wu Cang and the others waited behind.
• Huang Xiao spotted the guard who had gone to announce their audience, and Wei Yidao called to the two men ahead to come over.

Wei Yidao punished two guards for delaying the report of his arrival and vowed to kill those responsible for slighting the Heavenly Demon Hall. He then brought Huang Xiao and his companions to seek an audience with Lord Shi, and the group reached the rear hall.

• Wei Yidao learned that the two men had not reported his arrival and ordered guards to take them away and report his demand to Ma Jing.
• Wei Yidao vowed to punish those involved, including people from the God-Burying Hall, and continued deeper into the Main Hall with Huang Xiao, Liu Mu, and Hu Chu.
• An entering Dao realm expert stopped Wei Yidao at a guarded entrance, then returned to say that Lord Shi would receive him.
• A man serving Lord Shi escorted Wei Yidao and the others through a courtyard and into the rear hall.

Wei Yidao told Shi Hen that the God-Burying Hall had taken the materials Shi Hen stored in Demon Refining Valley, prompting Shi Hen to send Zhu Xing E to demand their return. Shi Hen then questioned Huang Xiao about rumors that he had fought a Martial Realm expert evenly.

• Wei Yidao brought Huang Xiao and two others before Shi Hen, who asked why Wei Yidao had come.
• Wei Yidao explained that the God-Burying Hall had seized Shi Hen’s refining materials before Huang Xiao could retrieve them.
• Shi Hen agreed to confront the God-Burying Hall and ordered Zhu Xing E to demand that Pang Ruyuan return every material intact.
• Shi Hen told Zhu Xing E to take Huang Xiao along, then asked whether Huang Xiao had truly fought Zheng Gu, a Martial Realm expert, on equal footing.

Shi Hen sent Huang Xiao to the God-Burying Hall to demonstrate his strength and win support for the Heavenly Demon Hall’s bid for the Hall Master’s Seat. Huang Xiao left with Zhu Xing E to retrieve the materials, knowing his performance could determine whether influential elders backed him.

• Huang Xiao explained that his Forbidden Art had let him overpower Zheng Gu temporarily, and Wei Yidao learned it had caused no aftereffects.
• Shi Hen ordered Huang Xiao to visit the God-Burying Hall with Xing E and show his strength, arguing that the news would soon spread regardless.
• Shi Hen explained that Huang Xiao needed to impress neutral elders and win their support against Pang Yi in the contest for Hall Master.
• Huang Xiao promised to do his best, and Shi Hen warned that failure to establish his authority could cost him the Hall Master's Seat.
• Huang Xiao asked Zhu Xing E whether the God-Burying Hall would return the materials, and Zhu Xing E hurried him toward the hall to retrieve them.

Zhu Xing E and Huang Xiao forced their way into the God-Burying Hall to meet Pang Ruyuan, while Pang Ruyuan punished his elders for failing to stop Huang Xiao’s group. Pang ordered Fan Rong to be taken to the foundry as a blood sacrifice, and Zhu Xing E’s party reached the hall where Pang was waiting.

• Zhu Xing E showed the God-Burying Hall guard his Hidden Demon Guard Token and insisted on entering with Huang Xiao to see Pang Ruyuan.
• Zhu Xing E and Huang Xiao pushed past the God-Burying Hall’s elders, who let them proceed after learning he came from Shi Hen’s residence.
• Pan Che and He Muyi reported what had happened to Pang Ruyuan, who condemned their failures and ordered Fan Rong taken under guard to the foundry.
• Pang Ruyuan decided Fan Rong would be used as a blood sacrifice to forge an Imitation Saber, then berated Pan Che and He Muyi for failing to use or destroy the materials.
• Zhu Xing E and Huang Xiao arrived at the main hall, where Pang Ruyuan was meeting with Pan Che and He Muyi.

Pang Ruyuan ordered the tempering materials destroyed to hide evidence, but Zhu Xing E arrived with Huang Xiao on Shi Hen’s authority and forced the God-Burying Hall to retrieve them for inspection. As they headed to the Forge Yard, they encountered Fan Rong being taken away to face his fate.

• Pang Ruyuan ordered Pan Che and He Muyi to destroy the tempering materials before Shi Hen could claim them.
• Zhu Xing E arrived with Huang Xiao and announced that Shi Hen wanted the materials for another Heavenly Demon Soul-Destroying Flute.
• Pang Ruyuan ordered Pan Che and He Muyi to retrieve the materials, while Zhu Xing E insisted on supervising and checking whether any were missing.
• Zhu Xing E, Huang Xiao, Pan Che, and He Muyi set off for the Forge Yard, where they saw Fan Rong being escorted away by two Martial Realm experts.
• Pan Che told Fan Rong to go in peace and promised to look after his family and disciples, while He Muyi insisted they had pleaded for him.

After the God-Burying Hall abandoned Fan Rong, he attacked Huang Xiao, blaming him for his downfall. Huang Xiao killed Fan Rong in a direct fight, leaving the elders alarmed by his strength and determined to report it to the Hall Master.

• Fan Rong learned that the Hall Master had abandoned him, then charged at Huang Xiao in desperation.
• Zhu Xing E stopped the others from intervening and told them to let Huang Xiao face Fan Rong himself.
• Huang Xiao used the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Great Art and struck Fan Rong back, astonishing Pan Che, He Muyi, and the other elders.
• Huang Xiao overwhelmed Fan Rong and killed him with a strike to his Baihui Point.
• Pan Che and the two Martial Realm Elders recognized Huang Xiao as a genuine threat to Pang Yi and prepared to report his strength to the Hall Master.

Huang Xiao and Zhu Xing E went to the God-Burying Hall’s Forge Yard to inspect the materials needed to craft the Heavenly Demon Soul-Severing Zither. They discovered that ninety percent of the ten-thousand-year soul-seizing parasol wood had been consumed, leaving Huang Xiao uncertain whether the remaining materials would be enough.

• Zhu Xing E said he would report that Fan Rong had attacked Huang Xiao first, putting the God-Burying Hall in an unfavorable position.
• Pan Che and He Muyi led Zhu Xing E and Huang Xiao to the Forge Yard, where guards and formations protected the materials.
• He Muyi admitted that some materials had been consumed, and Pan Che explained that the ten-thousand-year soul-seizing parasol wood had been used to intensify the Forge Yard’s flames.
• Huang Xiao inspected the remaining parasol wood, and Zhu Xing E said it might be enough for at most two Heavenly Demon Soul-Severing Zithers, depending on the craftsman’s skill.
• Pan Che revealed that ninety percent of the parasol wood had been consumed, and Zhu Xing E told Huang Xiao to inspect the materials in the other chests.