Recaps

The Dugu sisters told Bai Qingqian about the Wind-Chasing Pirates’ capture of their ship and cargo, and Hou Niao appeared as the Shanmen Quanzhen senior who would help them. He led them toward the pirates, leaving the sisters to realize he had reached the Natural Realm while they worried he might be outmatched.

• The Dugu sisters explained their predicament to Bai Qingqian, who said she would ask her husband to help recover their ship and cargo.
• While the sisters waited, Dugu Lan speculated that Bai Qingqian’s husband might not appear, and Hou Niao answered from outside.
• Hou Niao revealed himself as the sisters’ old acquaintance from thirty years earlier and told them to follow him to reclaim the ship and cargo.
• Hou Niao flew toward the sea with the sisters, and Xiao Qiang pointed out that he had reached the Natural Realm.
• Dugu Lan recognized the pirates’ many Natural Realm cultivators and questioned whether Hou Niao could fight them alone.

Hou Niao led Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang toward the Wind-Chasing Pirates while the cousins speculated about his plans and discussed Bai Qingqian. As the three traveled, pirates began pursuing them, and the chapter left the cousins facing an expanding threat with no clear escape route.

• Hou Niao guided Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang across the sea without explaining how he planned to recover their ship and cargo.
• On the third day, five cultivators pursued the group, and Hou Niao suggested waiting until they reached a large island before fighting.
• Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang recognized the pursuers’ mixed techniques as signs that they were likely pirates.
• The group continued flying past a nearby island, while Dugu Lan worried that its stationed cultivators might not help them.
• Three more cultivators joined the pursuit, bringing the number of apparent pirates to eight and forcing the cousins to focus on escaping.

Hou Niao led Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang toward the Wind-Chasing Pirates with nearly a hundred cultivators gathered behind them. As the procession halted before another powerful force, a banner revealed that Hou Niao had become the chief of the Canghai Pirates.

• Dugu Lan asked Hou Niao what to do about three more cultivators following them, and he joked that they should let everyone choose their own road.
• Over several days, cultivators joined the procession in groups until nearly a hundred people followed Hou Niao toward the Wind-Chasing Pirates' territory.
• Xiao Qiang spotted dozens of sword-riding cultivators from Shanmen Quanzhen among the followers, including Zhang Yifan from Jade Capital.
• Hou Niao raised his fist to slow the procession in unison as powerful cultivators approached from ahead.
• A cultivator unfurled a huge blue banner marked with white spray, and Xiao Qiang recognized it as the emblem of the Canghai Pirates.

The Canghai Pirates and the Wind-Chasing Pirates approached each other to settle which group would dominate the Lizhi Sea, with the Prince of Martial Accomplishment's cargo serving as the pretext. As both sides assessed the forces gathered for the confrontation, the Wind-Chasing leaders weighed the risks of an all-out battle.

• Hou Niao recognized that the confrontation would determine the pirates' rank, territory, and control of valuable waters along their shared boundary.
• The Wind-Chasing Pirates gathered their elite forces, nearly matching the Canghai Pirates in numbers, while Bao Wen questioned how quickly the Canghai Pirates had grown.
• Gao Tianqi and Shi Guangzu suspected that the Tiger Tooth Pirates had used the Anhe crisis to withdraw while preserving their core forces.
• Guo Yanping warned that a costly battle could benefit a third party, and the other Wind-Chasing leaders recognized the danger of an uncontrolled melee.

The Daoist Sect leaders planned to challenge Hou Du to a winner-holds-the-field duel, hoping to exhaust him and break apart the Canghai Pirates. As the two sides faced off, Hou Niao held his people back and prepared to answer Bao Wen, reassuring the Dugu sisters that the confrontation was not their fault.

• Bao Wen proposed exploiting the Canghai Pirates’ lack of a second-in-command by challenging Hou Du to a winner-holds-the-field contest.
• Gao Tianqi and the others agreed that successive opponents could wear Hou Du down and leave him vulnerable to a killing blow.
• The two pirate bands took positions two thousand zhang apart, and Bao Wen stepped forward to call for Chief Hou.
• Hou Niao ordered his people not to attack without his command, while Blood Sea Butcher and Zhang Bigmouth warned him about the dangers of the opposing strategy.
• Hou Niao reassured the Dugu sisters that the confrontation would have happened regardless and said he would do his best.

Hou Niao negotiated with Bao Wen to settle the conflict over Tiger Tooth's territory through a twelve-fighter arena contest instead of a melee. After both sides swore public oaths to honor the result, Hou Niao claimed the vanguard position for himself.

• Hou Niao weighed the risks of a melee, suspecting that the Canghai Pirates' ranks included unknown newcomers who could undermine them.
• Bao Wen and Hou Niao bargained over the contest format and settled on an arena battle with twelve fighters from each side, fought in succession.
• Hou Niao and Bao Wen swore public oaths that the losing side would withdraw from Tiger Tooth's territory and yield first in future encounters.
• Blood Sea Butcher and Zhang Bigmouth began preparing lists of potential fighters while the Canghai Pirates argued over who should take part.
• Hou Niao declared that he would fight first and told the others to prepare for victory.

Hou Niao stepped forward as the Canghai Pirates’ first fighter, hoping to test himself against the Wind-Chasing Pirates’ cultivators and build a reputation for his force. He defeated Yu Kuohai by repeatedly cutting through the bull shark manifestation’s defenses and then striking through its eye.

• Hou Niao chose to fight first so the Canghai Pirates could establish their strength through victory and so he could measure himself against powerful cultivators.
• The Wind-Chasing Pirates sent Yu Kuohai against Hou Niao, planning their strategy around the pirate chief.
• Yu Kuohai transformed into a bull shark and charged Hou Niao, whose Flying Sword carved a long wound into its thick, regenerative fat layer.
• Yu Kuohai attacked with a soundless wave and a sweeping tail strike, while Hou Niao evaded him and cut the same wound deeper.
• Hou Niao appeared beneath the bull shark and pierced its eye with his Flying Sword, causing Yu Kuohai’s manifestation to collapse.

Hou Niao defeated Yu Kuohai after resisting the Sea Demon’s manifestations and countering its illusory sound and electrical attacks. The Wind-Chasing Pirates recognized his strength and sent Qian Changqing to wear down his law power rather than risk an immediate victory.

• Hou Niao probed Yu Kuohai’s Bull Shark manifestation before Yu Kuohai transformed into a Great King Conch and revealed that he was a Sea Demon.
• Yu Kuohai used the conch’s illusory sound to draw Hou Niao back, then attacked as a lightning-wreathed Moray Eel.
• Hou Niao resisted the eel’s restraint and cut its body into pieces with a burst of sword light, then pursued and destroyed Yu Kuohai’s demon core.
• Gao Tianqi, Guo Yanzhi, and Shi Guangzu assessed the fight, while Bao Wen urged the Wind-Chasing Pirates to continue their plan to exhaust Hou Niao.
• Bao Wen sent Qian Changqing to drain at least thirty percent of Hou Niao’s law power and told him to withdraw if the fight became too dangerous.

Hou Niao fought Qian Changqing, the second challenger from the Wind-Chasing Pirates Group, while trying to conserve his strength for the remaining opponents. As Qian Changqing’s defensive formation and steady spellcasting prolonged the duel, Zhang Bigmouth rallied the Canghai Pirates to urge Hou Niao to finish the fight.

• Hou Niao reflected on improving his flying sword stance and decided to use it more often to strengthen it and conceal his other techniques.
• Qian Changqing challenged Hou Niao and used the Clear Wind Formation to bolster his defense and spells.
• Hou Niao tested Qian Changqing with varied flying sword attacks while Qian Changqing answered with a steady stream of five-element spells.
• Hou Niao appeared more likely to win the duel, but the fight threatened to drain his strength before the ten challengers still waiting.
• Dugu Lan criticized the Daoist Sect for prolonging the fight, while Zhang Bigmouth unfurled a mocking Pennant and led the Canghai Pirates in cheering Hou Niao on.

Hou Niao defeated Qian Changqing, whose earth defenses and formation could not stop the Sword Cultivator’s strengthening attacks and swift movement. Qian Changqing withdrew and left, while the Wind-Chasing Pirates planned to wear down Hou Niao’s Law Power through successive bouts.

• Hou Niao broke through Qian Changqing’s earth defenses and attacked him at close range, moving freely through the earth formation.
• Qian Changqing used a Substitute Talisman to retreat, conceded defeat, and warned the Wind-Chasing Pirates about Hou Niao’s accumulating sword power and command of the five elements.
• Qian Changqing told Bao Wen that he had learned from the fight and left, while Bao Wen claimed he had depleted some of Hou Niao’s cultivation.
• The Daoists calculated that repeated bouts could reduce Hou Niao’s Law Power before a final attack.
• Gao Tianqi told his junior brother to fight defensively and grind down the bandit chief’s Law Power.

Hou Niao continued fighting the Wind-Chasing Pirates, defeating seven opponents while using the battles to refine his flying-sword technique. Bao Wen entered the duel with three summoned bird aspects, forcing Hou Niao to face the pirates’ first all-out attack.

• Xiao Qiang worried that the Wind-Chasing Pirates planned to wear Hou Niao down, while Zhang Bigmouth said Hou Niao had refused their advice to let someone else take over.
• Hou Niao reflected on his deep law-power reserves and his decision to hone his flying-sword technique without using his Body Sword Technique or thunder abilities.
• Bao Wen stepped forward as the eighth opponent, realizing that Hou Niao had not weakened as much as expected and that he would have to fight with everything he had.
• Bao Wen summoned his Mourning Dove, Walking Bunting, and Beheaded Oriole aspects from his Purple Mansion and sent them swooping at Hou Niao.

Hou Niao studied Bao Wen’s Aspect Birds while evading their attacks, and Bao Wen switched to stronger birds when his first formation failed to gain the advantage. The battle remained unresolved as Bao Wen prepared to change tactics again.

• Hou Niao learned that Aspect Birds could be reborn as long as their Aspect Positions remained intact, and he tested the Mourning Dove, Walking Bunting, and Beheaded Oriole in combat.
• Bao Wen used the Beheaded Oriole to disrupt Hou Niao’s connection to Law Power while the other two birds attacked in coordination.
• Hou Niao evaded the three birds and targeted the Beheaded Oriole, while Bao Wen stayed at a distance and watched for an opening.
• Bao Wen dismissed the first three birds and summoned the stronger Iron Cormorant and Tiger Grebe.
• Hou Niao continued to evade the two stronger birds, and Bao Wen decided to change tactics again.

Bao Wen risked using his unstable Little Rooster to trap Hou Niao, but Hou Niao’s flying sword disrupted the bird and spread the damage through Bao Wen’s other aspect birds. Bao Wen’s fighting will collapsed, and Hou Niao let him yield, leaving only Little Rooster lost.

• Bao Wen overcame his hesitation and released the unstable Little Rooster, intending to use its cry to daze Hou Niao and draw him into Yinyi’s shadow aspect space.
• Hou Niao recognized Little Rooster’s unstable aspect structure and pressed his flying sword against it, using a power he had developed on Blue Island to disrupt it.
• When Little Rooster’s cry failed, Bao Wen abandoned his plan and released Mourning Dove, Walking Bunting, and Beheaded Oriole to attack Hou Niao.
• Bao Wen discovered that the damage to Little Rooster had disabled all seven of his aspect birds, leaving him unable to continue fighting effectively.
• Hou Niao withdrew his flying sword and bowed, thanking Bao Wen for yielding; Bao Wen realized his life and the other birds were safe, though Little Rooster was lost.

After Bao Wen’s defeat, Guo Yanzhi persuaded the Wind-Chasing Pirates to abandon their plan to exhaust Hou Niao and accept fair fights, hoping to preserve their dignity. Hou Niao then defeated Shi Guangzu and Gao Tianqi in direct contests, leaving the two pirate groups’ relationship less hostile as the battles continued.

• Bao Wen returned to the Wind-Chasing Pirates, and Guo Yanzhi and Shi Guangzu reassured him that retreating had protected the group from a fight to the death.
• Guo Yanzhi warned that Hou Niao’s combat skill and apparent reserves made their plan to wear down his law power unreliable, and proposed giving him time to recover and fighting fairly.
• Gao Tianqi agreed with the group’s decision, while Zhang Bigmouth told Dugu Lan that the Wind-Chasing Pirates had lost their nerve and would seek ways to save face.
• Hou Niao fought Shi Guangzu in a direct clash of lightning and sword, endured the Thunder Smite Technique, and defeated him.
• Hou Niao fought Gao Tianqi without holding back or revealing his trump cards, and won after their longest battle yet.

Hou Niao fought Guo Yanzhi, whose Cloud Sea Competing in Frosty Heavens scenery restricted Hou Niao’s sword and spells. Hou Niao uncovered the Spirit Pearl’s location but stopped short of destroying it, and Guo Yanzhi conceded, leaving the Wind-Chasing Pirates defeated.

• Guo Yanzhi summoned his Cloud Sea Competing in Frosty Heavens scenery and used its Spirit Pearl to impede Hou Niao’s Divine Sense and flying sword.
• Guo Yanzhi pressed Hou Niao with an unpredictable barrage of spells, Talismans, forbidden arts, and Law Artifacts, forcing him to struggle within the clouds.
• Hou Niao became a Sword Spirit and detected golden light marking Guo Yanzhi’s hidden Life Pearl.
• Hou Niao’s flying sword approached the Life Pearl, but he reappeared and tasted a mouthful of cloud instead of striking it.
• Guo Yanzhi withdrew the scenery, admitted defeat, and declared that the Wind-Chasing Pirates would retreat three marches before the Canghai Pirates.

Hou Niao and Guo Yanzhi settled their contest and helped resolve the pirate bands’ disputes, while the Dugu Sisters recovered their cargo and sailed toward Mirage Tower. As the sisters considered what to report to the prince’s household, Xiao Qiang resolved that she wanted to escape its stifling life, even if her path diverged from Dugu Lan’s.

• Hou Niao and Guo Yanzhi kept each other’s combat secrets and agreed to maintain their respective silence.
• Guo Yanzhi passed along Junior Brother Tan’s message, and the pirate leaders settled their disputes as the Canghai and Wind-Chasing Pirates joined forces against a third party.
• The Dugu Sisters recovered their cargo and boarded a ship bound for Mirage Tower, but they felt weighed down by what had happened.
• Xiao Qiang and Dugu Lan discussed whether to tell the prince’s household about Hou Niao, then decided to downplay him and emphasize the Quanzhen forces in Mirage Tower City.
• Dugu Lan urged Xiao Qiang to let go of the past, while Xiao Qiang privately resolved that she wanted to escape the Prince of Martial Accomplishment’s Household.

Hou Niao prepared for his eventual departure from the Li Sea, setting Fang Yazi up to take on more responsibility and deciding that Bai Qingqian would remain behind. As Qingqian noted that he might contend for a True Disciple position, the chapter explained the rare opportunity and fierce competition surrounding those disciples.

• Hou Niao told Fang Yazi that his own posting in the Li Sea was nearing its end and warned him that the coming conflicts would be more brutal.
• Hou Niao secured Fang Yazi a position with the Minister of Justice Prefecture and urged him to learn the Body Sword Technique and cultivate connections.
• Hou Niao asked Bai Qingqian whether she would leave with him, and she chose to stay in Mirage Tower City as a home he could return to.
• Fang Yazi assured Hou Niao that Bai Qingqian was safe and that their influence extended beyond the sea.
• Bai Qingqian pointed out that Hou Niao might soon contend for a True Disciple position, and the chapter explained how those positions offered a rare chance to seek a way beyond the Heaven and Earth Shackles.

Hou Niao considered the risks of competing for True Disciple status while his name spread through the coastal realms, then returned to the Jade Capital after receiving an urgent order from the Minister of Justice Prefecture. Judge Cheng credited him with major merit for his work in the Lizhi Sea and explained that the prefecture needed him for another urgent matter.

• Bai Qingqian warned Hou Niao that pursuing True Disciple status could expose him to dangerous sect rivalries, while Fang Yazi urged him to claim the position by force.
• Hou Niao told Bai Qingqian and Fang Yazi that he had his own plan for obtaining True Disciple status and ordered them not to cause trouble.
• The Dugu Sisters visited Gushe Cottage several times, but Bai Qingqian told them Hou Du was away, and they left without seeing him.
• Hou Niao received an order from the Jade Capital to return to the Minister of Justice Prefecture, cleaned his garden, and set off without notifying anyone.
• Judge Cheng awarded Hou Niao major merit for his actions in the Lizhi Sea and explained that the prefecture had recalled him to handle an urgent matter.

Hou Niao accepted a dangerous mission in Qi State to kill You Chao'en, a captured Quanzhen agent who had defected to the Qi Sect. He received a Jade Slip containing intelligence and was ordered to depart immediately, while the fate of the sect’s southeastern spy network remained uncertain.

• Judge Cheng explained that the Qi Sect had exposed Benefactor Xu, captured You Chao'en, and turned him against the Quanzhen Sect.
• Judge Cheng assigned Hou Niao to kill You Chao'en and offered him a Special Merit, warning that the Qi Sect was prepared for an attempt.
• Hou Niao questioned how he would obtain reliable local intelligence and what would happen if he failed.
• Judge Cheng said a highly classified agent inside the Qi Sect would provide intelligence and explained that You Chao'en could expose the sect’s southeastern spy network.
• Hou Niao accepted the assignment, and Judge Cheng gave him a Jade Slip to study before he left at once.

Hou Niao accepted a dangerous mission to eliminate the defected You Chao'en in the Qi Kingdom, despite doubting the intelligence and lacking permission to contact local agents. After disguising himself as a Daoist, he reached Jianyou and began to suspect the mission might be a trap.

• Hou Niao learned that an undercover agent inside the Qi Sect had reported You Chao'en's defection, but Judge Cheng refused to let him contact other agents and ordered him to signal the network after the mission.
• Hou Niao left immediately, worrying that the intelligence was unreliable and that the Six-Eared Hall might have set a trap.
• Hou Niao planned to conceal his identity as a Sword Cultivator by posing as either an Anhe Daoist or a Chu Sect practitioner.
• Hou Niao traveled southeast through the prosperous region and landed outside Jianyou, avoiding the Qi Sect's controlled skies.
• Hou Niao entered Jianyou in disguise and questioned why the urgent mission had been delayed, suspecting that You Chao'en's reported injury concealed a trap.

While waiting for his covert contact in Jianye, Hou Niao sought help from the Commerce Guild to rescue Benefactor Xu and silence You Chao'en. The Guild’s representative warned him that rescuing Benefactor Xu from the Dao Prison was impossible and asked whether the request was a trap.

• Hou Niao explored Jianye and waited for the next scheduled meeting, but grew uneasy about relying on others.
• After three days, Hou Niao visited the Langui Shop and used a coded exchange to request underground services.
• A Daoist met Hou Niao in the shop’s back room and asked what he wanted.
• Hou Niao requested that the Guild rescue Benefactor Xu from the Dao Prison and kill You Chao'en.
• The Daoist refused to attempt the rescue, suggested arranging an exchange, and warned that the killing might be a trap.

Hou Niao hired an underground force in Jianye for intelligence and introductions to two fighters, hoping to muddle a suspected trap surrounding his assassination mission. After learning that Benefactor Xu had reportedly died during his arrest, he met the fighters and warned them that their target belonged to the Qi Sect and the mission might be a trap.

• Hou Niao paid the Daoist at the Langui Shop for intelligence support and introductions to two death-sworn fighters.
• Hou Niao left the shop cautiously, deciding to use the underground force to complicate the mission rather than act alone.
• On the fourth day, Hou Niao paid for a report claiming Benefactor Xu had died fighting during his arrest, suggesting the Six-Eared Hall had used him as bait.
• On the fifth day, Hou Niao met the Natural Realm cultivator Lu and an older Perceiving the Divine Realm fighter in a secluded courtyard.
• Hou Niao warned the two fighters that their target was from the Qi Sect's Six-Eared Hall, the information might be wrong, and they might have to rely only on one another.

Hou Niao arranged help from Jianye’s underground forces and traced his secret contact to the Six-Eared Hall. At the Celestial Master Temple, he learned that You Chao'en would soon travel to Zhaohua Heavenly Pool, giving him an opportunity to ambush him.

• Hou Niao paid Mountain Daoist and another cultivator a thousand high-grade spirit stones to secure their help.
• Hou Niao investigated the Celestial Master Temple and learned that Zhang Tianshi had founded the Six-Eared Hall.
• Hou Niao waited at the temple for the first day of the ten-day period and exchanged divine thoughts with the undercover pawn.
• The pawn told Hou Niao that You Chao'en would go to Zhaohua Heavenly Pool in three days for marrow cleansing.
• The pawn urged Hou Niao to scout the route and ambush You Chao'en, who would travel in a soft sedan chair law artifact.

Hou Niao chose to ambush You Chao'en’s escort as they took off from the Six-Eared Hall, then briefed Daoist Lu and Mountain Daoist on their roles. With the assassination plan set, the three waited for the coming confrontation.

• Hou Niao received word from an undercover agent in the Six-Eared Hall that You Chao'en would soon be escorted to the Zhaohua Heavenly Pool.
• Hou Niao studied the route between the Six-Eared Hall and the Zhaohua Heavenly Pool and chose to attack as the escort took off from the Six-Eared Hall.
• Daoist Lu told Hou Niao that a Qi Sect True Disciple was protecting You Chao'en and leading the operation.
• Hou Niao assigned Daoist Lu and Mountain Daoist to draw the escort’s attention while he delivered the final blow, telling them they could surrender afterward.
• Hou Niao selected tall buildings northwest of the Six-Eared Hall as the ambush site and warned that a failed first strike could prompt the Qi Sect to escalate.
• The three agreed to stay together, and Hou Niao waited for the next day’s confrontation.

Hou Niao watched the Qi Sect escort carrying You Chao'en, still unsure whether the intelligence was part of a trap, and joined Mountain Daoist and Daoist Lu in their ambush. His sword pierced the sedan’s defenses, but a seated Daoist inside deflected it, leaving Hou Niao’s mission failed and his survival uncertain.

• Hou Niao reconsidered the conflicting intelligence about Benefactor Xu and suspected that someone was staging events for him.
• At the appointed time, You Chao'en’s sedan and its guards left the Six-Eared Hall along the route the undercover pawn had predicted.
• Mountain Daoist attacked with his stone mountain, and Daoist Lu followed with a blaze of fire around the sedan.
• The leading Daoist swept away the mountain and flames with Universe in the Sleeve as Hou Niao’s flying sword broke through the sedan’s thirteen layers of protection.
• A seated Daoist inside flicked Hou Niao’s nearly spent sword away, and Hou Niao realized his mission had failed and he needed to escape alive.