Chapter Summaries

Huo Lian led Fan Zhongkun, Wang Jiu, and Zhu Yang to the Evil Water Region, intending to deal with Huang Xiao’s affairs before breaking its formation. He demanded that Zhangsun Youyue and Jiang Liuli be killed, then confronted the Heavenly Evil Sect and revealed his identity to its leaders.

• Huo Lian said he would settle an issue involving Huang Xiao in the Evil Water Region before breaking its formation.
• Huo Lian ordered that Zhangsun Youyue and Jiang Liuli, who had survived there with Huang Xiao, must not still be alive when he broke the formation.
• Fan Zhongkun promised to kill the two women, while Wang Jiu warned that Huang Xiao might resent Huo Lian for it.
• Huo Lian and the others entered Yizhou and fought their way to the Evil Water Region, where Heavenly Evil Sect forces surrounded them.
• Sima Rusuo ordered the Heavenly Evil Sect disciples to withdraw, then approached Huo Lian with Jiang Wuwei, Kong Zhaoxing, and Chen Zaihui.
• Huo Lian denied having a connection to the Demon Hall, and Zhu Yang and Fan Zhongkun realized he was its former Hall Master.

Huo Lian threw Wang Jiu and two others into the Evil Water Region to test whether they could enter alive, then left to find Huang Xiao. Sima Rusuo and the others concluded the three were unlikely to return and ordered the region surrounded so no one could escape.

• Huo Lian dismissed Sima Rusuo’s suspicions and said he had no secret purpose at the Evil Water Region.
• Huo Lian swept Wang Jiu and two others into the Evil Water Region before Sima Rusuo and the others could stop him.
• Huo Lian said he had only wanted to test whether the three could enter alive and left when the Heavenly Evil Sect leaders did not dare to detain him.
• Sima Rusuo said the three would probably die even if they entered alive, since breaking through the Evil Water Region required all Three Evil Blades.
• Sima Rusuo ordered his men to surround the Evil Water Region and prevent anyone who emerged from escaping.

Sima Rusuo divided the Evil Water Region’s banks among the Heavenly Evil Sect’s Four Great Families while reserving the East Bank for the Sima Clan. Inside the region, Wang Jiu, Fan Zhongkun, and Zhu Yang met the three forebears of their families, who questioned Fan Zhongkun’s plan to kill Zhangsun Youyue and Jiang Liuli.

• Sima Rusuo assigned the North Bank to the Jiang Family and made Kong Zhaoxing and Chen Zaihui arrange the South and West Banks, while the Sima Clan kept the East Bank.
• Wang Jiu woke on a beach inside the Evil Water Region and checked that Fan Zhongkun and Zhu Yang were alive.
• Fan Zhongkun urged Wang Jiu and Zhu Yang to kill Zhangsun Youyue and Jiang Liuli on Huo Lian’s orders, but they worried about Huang Xiao’s reaction.
• The three forebears of the Zhu, Wang, and Fan families appeared, and Wang Jiu, Fan Zhongkun, and Zhu Yang knelt and identified themselves as their descendants.
• Old Man Wang demanded to know why Fan Zhongkun wanted the two women dead, and Fan Zhongkun struggled to explain.

Wang Jiu revealed that Huo Lian, the former Demon Hall Master, had ordered them to kill the two women, and the three elders debated whether to obey. They decided to keep the women hidden and use Jiang Liuli’s unborn child as leverage against Huang Xiao, leaving the women’s lives tied to the Three Great Families’ plans.

• Wang Jiu admitted that Huo Lian, the former Demon Hall Master, had ordered them to kill the two women.
• Old Man Zhu deduced that Huo Lian wanted the women dead to prevent the Three Great Families from using them against Huang Xiao.
• Old Man Wang argued that killing the women would avoid provoking Huo Lian, but Old Man Fan objected to following Huo Lian’s wishes.
• Old Man Fan proposed that they pretend the women were dead while secretly keeping them hidden.
• Zhu Yang agreed that the women could serve as leverage if Huang Xiao became Demon Hall Master, especially because Jiang Liuli was carrying his child.

Old Man Zhu and Old Man Wang arranged for Fan Zhongkun to attack Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue while revealing that Huo Lian wanted them dead, hoping to turn the women against him and influence Huang. In the village, pregnant Jiang Liuli drank most of Zhangsun Youyue’s fish soup before pretending to reject it, while Zhangsun Youyue continued caring for her.

• Old Man Zhu convinced Old Man Wang that the women could expose Huo Lian’s plot to Huang, despite Old Man Fan’s warning that the scheme could backfire.
• Old Man Zhu ordered Fan Zhongkun to attack the women with full force and disclose Huo Lian’s wish, promising to intervene before they were harmed.
• Fan Zhongkun accepted the assignment, and Wang Jiu and Zhu Yang agreed to keep the plan secret.
• Zhangsun Youyue brought pregnant Jiang Liuli fish soup and urged her to nourish herself for the child.
• Jiang Liuli drank more than half the soup, poured the rest onto the ground, and complained that Zhangsun Youyue’s cooking was disgusting.
• Zhangsun Youyue collected the bowl and left Jiang Liuli alone, continuing to care for her despite her insults.

Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue fought Fan Zhongkun after learning that a senior surnamed Huo from the Demon Hall had ordered their deaths. Their joint sword technique overwhelmed him, leaving him badly wounded as he struggled to survive.

• Jiang Liuli joined Zhangsun Youyue outside and handed her the Illusory Water Sword when Fan Zhongkun attacked.
• Fan Zhongkun revealed that he had entered the Evil Water Region because a senior surnamed Huo wanted the women dead.
• Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue combined their sword attacks and broke Fan Zhongkun's control over the surrounding heaven and earth momentum.
• Fan Zhongkun tried to flee, but the women blocked him and continued striking him with their alternating Sword Glints.
• Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue pierced Fan Zhongkun's left arm, leaving him bleeding and badly wounded.

Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue defeated Fan Zhongkun, but the Three Great Families’ elders intervened and revealed their descendants’ connection to the Evil Blades. Meanwhile, Huang Xiao broke through to the tenth stage and began preparing to refine his true qi.

• Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue overpowered Fan Zhongkun, and Jiang Liuli was about to kill him when a burst of finger force knocked her sword away.
• Old Man Wang, Old Man Zhu, Old Man Fan, Wang Jiu, and Zhu Yang arrived, and the elders stopped the women from killing Fan Zhongkun.
• Old Man Zhu explained that Fan Zhongkun, Wang Jiu, and Zhu Yang were descendants of the Three Great Families, and Old Man Fan said the Grand Formation required all three Evil Blades to break.
• Jiang Liuli and Zhangsun Youyue suspected the elders knew more than they admitted, but Zhangsun Youyue urged them to focus on improving their strength.
• Huang Xiao broke through to the tenth stage, advancing from the Void Martial Realm into the Martial Realm, and spent a day consolidating his strength.
• Huang Xiao decided to seek a way to refine his true qi using heart fire.

Huang Xiao refined his Heavenly Demon true qi with heart fire, then discovered that imperishable true qi was making his essence blood recover at an extraordinary rate. After fully recovering, he began drawing supreme demonic qi from the Replica Wall and using the Reverse Refining Method to refine it.

• Huang Xiao used heart fire to temper his Heavenly Demon true qi until the refinement reached its current limit, consuming much of his essence blood.
• Huang Xiao discovered that imperishable true qi was stimulating his heart and rapidly generating new essence blood, which he connected to the Longevity Chapter.
• After a day and a half, Huang Xiao's essence blood had completely recovered, and he began activating the supreme demonic qi within the Replica Wall.
• Huang Xiao drew supreme demonic qi into his meridians, moved his Heavenly Demon true qi into his dantian, and began using heart fire to reverse-refine a small portion of the demonic qi.

Huang Xiao refined Supreme Demonic Qi with his patriarch’s essence blood and discovered that his dantian could safely hold only three strands. After ten days in secluded cultivation, he returned to his residence and told Chao Lingyi that Zhou Daohang was a spy from the God-Burying Hall.

• Huang Xiao used his patriarch’s essence blood to ignite his heart fire and refined Supreme Demonic Qi into three strands he stored in his dantian.
• When Huang Xiao tried to store a fourth strand, the three strands in his dantian turned violent, so he dispersed the new strand and concluded that three was his limit.
• Huang Xiao continued cultivating with the Replica Wall for several days, while Chao Lingyi occasionally came to check on him without learning any news.
• After ten days, Huang Xiao left the secret chamber and returned to his residence with Chao Lingyi following him.
• Huang Xiao confirmed to Chao Lingyi that Zhou Daohang was a major spy from the God-Burying Hall, and she explained that she had guessed his identity from Huang Xiao’s treatment of him.

Huang Xiao confirmed to Chao Lingyi that he had reached the Martial Realm but told her to keep his breakthrough secret. After Wu Cang and Yin Huju arrived, they presented him with an imitation saber sent by the Hall Master.

• Huang Xiao told Chao Lingyi to hide his breakthrough and heard that Zhou Daohang was contacting elders while the Hall Master remained in seclusion.
• Huang Xiao asked Chao Lingyi to summon Wu Cang and Yin Huju and bring him a suitable imitation saber.
• Wu Cang and Yin Huju recognized that Huang Xiao had broken through, and he asked them not to spread the news.
• Chao Lingyi brought Huang Xiao a Martial Realm-grade imitation saber, and Wu Cang revealed that the Hall Master had ordered them to deliver him another imitation saber.

Huang Xiao tested the Imitation Saber given to him by the Hall Master and discovered it was a Dao Realm-level weapon, the highest level available in the Demon Hall besides the five spirit-awakened sabers. He could not yet unleash its full power, but he was satisfied with the gift and prepared to face the possibility that Pang Yi had a comparable saber.

• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao that the Hidden Demon Guard had secretly delivered the Imitation Saber from the Main Hall, and Huang Xiao drew it for everyone to inspect.
• Huang Xiao infused the saber with Heavenly Demon True Qi, which it devoured until a crimson, scorching aura emerged from the blade.
• Wu Cang identified the weapon as a Dao Realm-level Imitation Saber and explained that it was the highest level available in the Demon Hall apart from the five spirit-awakened sabers.
• Huang Xiao learned that the Ten Thousand Demons Hall had helped secure the rare saber and suspected the Hall Master's breakthrough to the Shattering-Void Realm had made it possible.
• Chao Lingyi asked whether the saber would let Huang Xiao overwhelm Pang Yi, and Huang Xiao replied that Pang Yi might have a comparable weapon too.

Huang Xiao trained with a heavy saber to strengthen his foundation, then attempted to comprehend the Seventh Form of the Heavenly Demon Demon Saber Techniques. His second attempt began to unleash powerful Saber Force, just as Wu Cang and Zhou Daohang approached the training ground.

• Wu Cang and Yin Huju left Huang Xiao alone with Chao Lingyi, while Huang Xiao thought about his Minghong Saber.
• Huang Xiao went to the training ground and repeatedly practiced the Sixth Form with a heavy saber, exhausting himself over three days.
• Huang Xiao used a Martial Realm Imitation Saber to attempt the Seventh Form, but his true qi failed to sustain the first attempt.
• Huang Xiao calmed himself and tried again, sending fierce Saber Force streaking across the training ground.
• Chao Lingyi guarded the training ground and spotted Wu Cang approaching with Zhou Daohang.

Huang Xiao concealed his Martial Realm cultivation from Zhou Daohang, then answered Wei Yidao’s summons with the Imitation Saber and Heavy Saber. Wei Yidao praised him and said he had come to fetch Huang Xiao in person, but did not yet reveal their destination.

• Zhou Daohang and Wu Cang waited while Huang Xiao practiced, then Zhou Daohang tried to assess Huang Xiao’s cultivation and believed he had not reached the Martial Realm.
• Wu Cang told Huang Xiao that Wei Yidao wanted to see him and reminded him to bring both the Imitation Saber and the Heavy Saber.
• Huang Xiao bathed, changed, and left for Wei Yidao’s residence without waiting for Zhou Daohang and Wu Cang.
• Wei Yidao saw the two sabers, praised Huang Xiao, and said he had come to fetch him in person.

Huang Xiao left the Heavenly Demon Hall in secret with Huo Lian to receive guidance, while Wei Yidao arranged to keep the Pang Family unaware of his departure. Huo Lian said Huang Xiao would soon return to the hall and left Huang Xiao’s message from Shi Hen unanswered.

• Huang Xiao packed the fragmentary map and remaining Spirit-Restoring Pills, then left five pills with Chao Lingyi before returning to Wei Yidao.
• Wei Yidao promised to conceal Huang Xiao’s departure by announcing that he was cultivating in seclusion, then led him out through a secret passage.
• Huo Lian met Huang Xiao and Wei Yidao, learned that Huang Xiao had reached the Martial Realm, and heard that Pang Yi had broken through shortly before him.
• Huo Lian said Huang Xiao would come with him for a while but would later return to the Heavenly Demon Hall and rely on himself.
• Huang Xiao relayed Shi Hen’s request to see Huo Lian, who acknowledged the message without giving an answer.
• Huo Lian stopped Huang Xiao from discussing another matter near the hall, and the two concealed their appearances and auras as they left.

Huo Lian recognized Huang Xiao’s map as pointing to Mist Mountain and linked it to Chao Hun’s supreme demonic qi, then destroyed the map and warned Huang Xiao to keep quiet. At the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency, an ancient old man appeared and immobilized Demon Phoenix, offering to take it away.

• Huo Lian examined Huang Xiao’s map and identified Mist Mountain as its destination, though he said he could not determine the exact location.
• Huo Lian told Huang Xiao the map was connected to the supreme demonic qi Chao Hun possessed, then burned it and warned Huang Xiao not to mention it.
• An escort at the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency insulted a black bird and was hurled into a wall by an unseen force.
• Demon Phoenix lamented being unable to use the Minghong Saber while Huo Lian was away and complained that it was trapped in the courtyard.
• An old man appeared behind Demon Phoenix, stopped it from flying away, and offered to take it with him.

A visitor from the Three Immortal Mountains tried to recruit Demon Phoenix, then met Huo Lian and revealed their shared history. Wu Xuancang, now the True Martial Temple Master, challenged whether Huo Lian still possessed his former strength.

• Wu Xuancang offered Demon Phoenix freedom and benefits if it came with him, but Demon Phoenix refused and told him Huo Lian had gone to the Evil Water Region with Wang Jiu and Fan Zhongkun.
• Wu Xuancang deduced that Huo Lian was seeking treasures left by the Three Great Families, and Huo Lian arrived with Huang Xiao as the conversation ended.
• Huo Lian recognized Wu Xuancang and recalled their battles in the Central Plains a thousand years earlier.
• Wu Xuancang said Huo Lian’s rise as Demon Hall Master had also brought about his decline, and questioned whether he could still stand unrivaled beneath heaven.
• Huo Lian inferred that Wu Xuancang had become the True Martial Temple Master, and Huang Xiao realized the connection to Li Bai.

Huang Xiao realized that Wu Xuancang knew about his four wives, and feared they had come to the Martial World and fallen into the temple master's hands. Demon Phoenix calmed him before his demonic aura could drive him into qi deviation, leaving Huang Xiao convinced that his wives were likely still safe.

• Huang Xiao recognized Wu Xuancang as the True Martial Temple master and reflected on his thousand-year rivalry with Huo Lian.
• Wu Xuancang offered Huo Lian another possible source of support, and Huo Lian left the courtyard to consider his proposal.
• Wu Xuancang told Huang Xiao that his four wives had fine aptitude, then vanished before Huang Xiao could question him.
• Huang Xiao panicked at the thought that Wu Xuancang had his wives, and Demon Phoenix slapped him to break his trance.
• Huang Xiao struck Demon Phoenix with unexpected force, but Demon Phoenix persuaded him that his wives were probably not in danger.
• Huang Xiao regained control of his aura and said that his four wives must have come to the Martial World too.

Huang Xiao worried about his missing wives before sparring with Demon Phoenix, while Huo Lian warned Wu Xuancang that the Demon Hall’s current rise could threaten the survival of the Three Immortal Mountains and the Jianghu’s major forces. Wu Xuancang left understanding that Huo Lian’s warning was speculation, but one he could not dismiss.

• Huang Xiao worried that Zhao Yunhui and the others might have been taken to the Three Immortal Mountains, and Demon Phoenix teased him before they compared their strength.
• Huang Xiao and Demon Phoenix left the city to fight, while Huo Lian and Wu Xuancang stopped beside a river.
• Wu Xuancang questioned Huo Lian about the Demon Hall’s secrets, and Huo Lian revealed that even a former Demon Hall Master had not known its deepest secrets.
• Huo Lian warned that the Demon Hall Master might not vanish after this thousand-year period and that resistance could be rooted out, including the younger generations hidden by rival forces.
• Wu Xuancang considered the threat to the Three Immortal Mountains and the Jianghu’s major forces, but Huo Lian insisted his speculation was more accurate than Wu Xuancang’s deductions.

Huo Lian revealed to Wu Xuancang that former Demon Hall Masters had survived in secret and that an unnamed hidden force helped the Demon Hall dominate during each Thousand-Year Period. He called that force the Tomb Clan, leaving Wu Xuancang to reckon with the true scale of the Demon Hall's strength.

• Wu Xuancang questioned Huo Lian about the Demon Hall's mysteriously appearing experts, and Huo Lian said the explanation involved core secrets.
• Huo Lian confirmed that some former Demon Hall Masters were still alive, shocking Wu Xuancang.
• Wu Xuancang explained that the Three Immortal Mountains also kept ancient experts in slumber and planned to awaken them during this unusual Thousand-Year Period.
• Wu Xuancang guessed that the Demon Hall's hidden experts came from the Pang Family, but Huo Lian dismissed that as a known and insignificant force.
• Huo Lian explained that an unknown force of powerful figures, alongside the surviving Hall Masters, drove the Demon Hall's strength and named the force the Tomb Clan.

Huo Lian explained the Tomb Clan’s role in guarding the slumbering Demon Hall Masters and discussed the mystery of one missing predecessor. He revealed that he sensed a deadly threat and suspected the absent Hall Master was the first one.

• Huo Lian told Wu Xuancang that the Tomb Clan secretly guarded the resting place of the Demon Hall Masters and had been bound to it for generations.
• Wu Xuancang noted that one former Hall Master had always been missing from the records of each Thousand-Year Period, and Huo Lian confirmed that he had encountered only seven predecessors.
• Huo Lian said neither he nor the Tomb Clan necessarily knew why one Hall Master failed to appear, and Wu Xuancang questioned why Huo Lian wanted to flee the Martial World.
• Huo Lian admitted that he sensed an enormous threat and feared he would die if he remained in the Martial World during the Thousand-Year Period.
• Huo Lian said he suspected the missing predecessor was the first Hall Master, leaving Wu Xuancang stunned.