Chapter Summaries

At the Autumn Appreciation Gathering, Hou Niao sat with Zhao Xintong and her friends while visiting cultivators demonstrated techniques and exchanged sayings about cultivation. Yu Wuxia, Yu Buzhuo’s father, chose someone at their table to join him in a round, leaving everyone wondering who the young Daoist was.

• The Autumn Appreciation Banquet began at Red Leaf Daoist Academy, and Hou Niao, Zhao Xintong, Han Mi, and Shang Keqing sat near the center.
• Taihao Upper Cultivators demonstrated their techniques and teachings to the gathered disciples, while Hou Niao watched Zhao Xintong’s reactions.
• The gathering moved to allegories and prophetic sayings, with cultivators drawing lessons from a magically displayed scene of a snake fighting a rat.
• Han Mi recognized Yu Wuxia and asked Zhao Xintong whether he was Yu Buzhuo’s father, but Zhao Xintong said his identity had nothing to do with her.
• Yu Wuxia displayed an old man hauling a cart over a bridge and invited a fellow Daoist to exchange sayings with him, prompting the crowd to look toward Hou Niao’s table.

At the Autumn Appreciation Gathering, Yu Wuxia and Hou Niao traded interpretations of scenes that hinted at Zhao Xintong’s past and the students’ hardships, while the academy head defused a brewing dispute with a fee reduction. Hou Niao learned more about the Yu Household and heard his companions’ suspicions about Yu Buzhuo, leaving him concerned that the matter was more complicated than he expected.

• Yu Wuxia presented a scene of an old man carrying bottles over a bridge, and Hou Niao responded with a lesson about accepting loss and moving on.
• Yu Wuxia showed a poor Red Leaf student irrigating a spirit field at night and urged patience through hardship; Hou Niao countered that others profited from people’s sacrifices.
• The head of the Red Leaf Daoist Academy announced a ten-percent fee reduction for students working to fund their studies, and the students cheered.
• Hou Niao asked Han Mi about the Yu Household and learned that it was a powerful cultivation lineage closely connected to the Taihao Sect.
• Han Mi praised Yu Buzhuo’s devotion, while Shang Keqing said she distrusted him and felt he was hiding his true nature.

After Hou Niao urged Zhao Xintong to face her lingering grievances, she joined a demon-slaying expedition and was abducted by a demon bird. At Jade Wall Manor, Yu Buzhuo revealed that his affection for her had concealed a lineage motive and led her to an elder.

• Hou Niao advised Zhao Xintong to confront her past and her current troubles, then left her courtyard.
• Zhao Xintong joined Han Mi and Shang Keqing on a demon-slaying expedition to Jijia Mountain as she neared the deadline for reaching the upper realm.
• While Han Mi searched a cave, a demon beast abducted Zhao Xintong, and Han Mi called for help after finding her missing.
• A day later, the demon bird brought Zhao Xintong to Jade Wall Manor, where Yu Buzhuo said an elder wanted to see her.
• Yu Buzhuo admitted that his attentive affection had concealed a lineage interest and said his wish to become her dao companion had delayed bringing her to the manor.

Zhao Xintong learned why the Yu Clan had abducted her: they planned to use her Azure Nether Body to give their Golden Core ancestor a new body through a child. She rejected their attempt to dress the scheme up as an opportunity, leaving her trapped underground with the clan’s plans exposed.

• Yu Wuwei told Zhao Xintong that marrying Yu Buzhuo could make her the future mistress of the Yu Clan and asked her to hear the full story.
• Yu Wuwei led Zhao Xintong and Yu Buzhuo down a well to an underground Cold-Soul Ice Pool, where their ancestor Yu Shangque lay submerged.
• Yu Wuwei explained that Yu Shangque had been tormented by heavenly lightning since suffering punishment on the path of prophecy, and that he needed a Nether-Passing Dao Body to escape it.
• Yu Wuwei revealed the plan for Yu Shangque to merge bodies with Yu Buzhuo, who would then become Zhao Xintong’s dao companion and father a child with her Azure Nether Body.
• Zhao Xintong called Yu Buzhuo shameless, while he accepted the scheme because he hoped that fathering an Infant Transformation cultivator would secure his future.

Yu Wuwei and Yu Buzhuo prepared to force Zhao Xintong into their scheme, but a sudden attack killed Yu Wuwei and gave Zhao Xintong a chance to strike back. The chapter ended with her stabbing Yu Buzhuo with her hairpin.

• Yu Wuwei ordered Yu Buzhuo to wake the Yu Household ancestor and begin the plan to use Zhao Xintong to nurture a fetus.
• Yu Buzhuo questioned Zhao Xintong's calmness and apologized before preparing to contact the ancestor.
• Yu Wuxia's body fell into the chamber as a Shanmen Sword Cultivator attacked Yu Wuwei.
• The flying sword overcame Yu Wuwei's defenses and killed him.
• Yu Buzhuo caught Yu Wuxia's corpse, and Zhao Xintong stabbed him in the back of the head with her gold hairpin.

Hou Niao faced Yu Shangque in the Ice Pool, where the patriarch’s barrier restricted his movement and carried the heavenly lightning that had tormented him for decades. Rather than risk a desperate attack, Hou Niao used the danger to study the foundations of lightning power while Yu Shangque waited for the barrier to defeat him.

• Hou Niao found that Yu Shangque’s power had forced him out of sword spirit form and prevented him from flying, while Zhao Xintong was also immobilized.
• Yu Shangque revealed that he intended to take Zhao Xintong’s Dao physique and admitted that he would strip it from her if he could not borrow her body.
• Hou Niao told Zhao Xintong to climb out once Yu Shangque was occupied, then prepared to fight within the patriarch’s reach.
• Yu Shangque trapped Hou Niao in a barrier that secretly transmitted heavenly lightning, and Hou Niao chose to resist it instead of using the Forward Character Formula to force a brief transformation.
• Hou Niao recognized that understanding Heavenly Dao lightning was essential to giving his own lightning power real might, while Yu Shangque waited for the lightning to wear him down.

Hou Niao resisted Yu Shangque’s Heavenly Dao lightning until Yu Shangque attacked him with Prophecy, draining his life. Zhao Xintong chose to stay and use her Azure Nether Body to take on the Prophecy while Hou Niao continued fighting the lightning.

• Hou Niao endured Yu Shangque’s lightning barrier and gradually learned from the Heavenly Dao lightning.
• Yu Shangque switched to his Prophecy Technique, which began draining Hou Niao’s life.
• Hou Niao warned Zhao Xintong to leave or risk dying with him, but she refused.
• Zhao Xintong jumped onto Hou Niao’s back and asked him to entrust the Prophecy Technique to her.
• Hou Niao opened his body and mind to Zhao Xintong, who used her Azure Nether Body to bear Yu Shangque’s killing Prophecy.

Zhao Xintong turned Yu Shangque’s prophecy against him, allowing Hou Niao to kill the weakened Golden Core cultivator and escape Jade Wall Manor with her. Back in Red Leaf City, she recovered her joy and advanced to become a true cultivator ten days later.

• Zhao Xintong used her Azure Nether Body to challenge Yu Shangque’s prophecy, and the Heavenly Dao sealed his abilities.
• Hou Niao killed Yu Shangque with his flying sword while the cultivator was powerless.
• Hou Niao carried Zhao Xintong out of Jade Wall Manor and killed the Yu Household cultivators who came to investigate.
• Several days later, Hou Niao and Zhao Xintong returned to Red Leaf City, where she joyfully ate snacks and insisted on advancing in the courtyard.
• Ten days later, an unusual manifestation appeared above the courtyard as Zhao Xintong attained the Dao.

After completing his independent cultivation, Hou Niao returned to the Jade Capital and received orders to resume work in the Lizhi Sea. He headed there with the prefecture’s tacit approval to pursue the Canghai Pirates’ conflict with the Wu Sect, as rival forces gathered around a rare school of Grass-Headed Goldfish.

• Hou Niao accepted that Zhao Xintong would remain in Wei Kingdom Taihao to study divination and prepared to leave for the Jade Capital.
• Judge Cheng Wanli assigned Hou Niao to return to the Lizhi Sea, supervise Shanmen disciples, monitor the Wu Sect, and report to the Minister of Justice Prefecture.
• Hou Niao understood that his assignment gave him room to carry out Shanmen Quanzhen’s response to the Wu Sect through the Canghai Pirates.
• A school of rare Grass-Headed Goldfish drew cultivators to Wave-Clashing Islet, where the Canghai Pirates, the Tiger Fang Pirate Group, and other forces sought to profit from the passing fish.

Yan Baiyi, Yan Ziyi, Yin Qingsi, and Yin Zhilong watched rival pirate groups contest the Caotou Liu Shoal near Wave-Clashing Islet. When the Tiger Fang Pirate Group arrived, Yin Qingsi agreed that the four should withdraw and watch from a safe distance.

• The chapter explained that the Canghai Pirates were backed by Shanmen Sword Cultivators, while the Tiger Fang Pirate Group represented the Wu Sect’s influence on the Lizhi Sea.
• Yan Baiyi and Yan Ziyi of the Great Banner Sect met Yin Qingsi and Yin Zhilong of Mohe Mountain, and the four watched Rogue Cultivators gather around the Caotou Liu Shoal.
• Yan Ziyi and Yin Zhilong urged the group to descend and harvest the fish, but Yan Baiyi reminded them they were guests and should not underestimate the Brocade Continent’s cultivators.
• A Rogue Cultivator announced that the Tiger Fang Pirate Group had arrived, prompting the onlookers to scatter from the shoal.
• Yan Baiyi asked whether the group should withdraw, and Yin Qingsi agreed that challenging the arriving force would be foolish.

Yan Ziyi and her companions learned that the approaching Tiger Tooth and Canghai Pirates were fighting over the Grasshead Goldflow fish amid deeper sect rivalries. As another group rushed toward Wave-Clashing Islet, Yan Baiyi warned the younger cultivators not to trust appearances or judge without knowing the full story.

• Yan Ziyi asked a local rogue cultivator about the approaching battle, and he explained the pirates’ rivalries, suspected sect backing, and the rules governing the clash.
• The rogue cultivator said the Canghai Pirates were rumored to have raided Mirage Tower City, while the Tiger Tooth Pirates had the support of those who wanted pirate traditions upheld.
• Yan Ziyi condemned the Canghai Pirates, and Yin Zhilong agreed that cultivators should follow rules.
• Yan Baiyi cautioned Yan Ziyi and Yin Zhilong to investigate before drawing conclusions, noting that appearances often concealed the truth.
• A new group of cultivators appeared in the sky and rushed toward the islet with far greater speed than the Tiger Tooth Pirates.

The Tiger Fang Pirates and the Canghai Pirates clashed in a brutal battle above a school of Grass-Headed Goldfish. As the Canghai Pirates inflicted unexpectedly heavy losses, Yin Qingsi spotted a swordsman fighting in the center whose style resembled the Shi Clan lineage of the Northern Grasslands.

• The two pirate groups met in battle, with sixty-three Tiger Tooth Pirates facing thirty-nine Canghai Pirates.
• Yin Qingsi assessed the fighters’ realms and predicted that the outnumbered Canghai Pirates would struggle.
• The cultivators scattered into individual fights, and the northern visitors watched the savage melee claim lives.
• Yan Baiyi noticed that eight of the eleven fallen fighters were Tiger Tooth Pirates, while only three Canghai Pirates had died.
• Yin Qingsi saw a Canghai Pirate killing opponents in the battlefield’s center and recognized a resemblance to Shi Clan swordsmanship.
• Yin Qingsi decided to examine the swordsman more closely as Yan Baiyi considered what a Shi Clan fighter’s presence might mean.

The Canghai Pirates defeated the Tiger Fang Pirate Group, with Hou Niao’s unusual swordsmanship proving decisive. The victors claimed the school of Grass-Headed Goldfish, while the spectators left or submitted, and Hou Niao declined to teach others the Body Sword Technique.

• Yin Qingsi, Yan Baiyi, Yan Ziyi, and Yin Zhilong watched a mysterious swordsman fight, and the older pair recognized his shifting sword forms but could not identify his technique.
• The Tiger Fang Pirate Group’s leader ordered a withdrawal after heavy losses, and the Canghai Pirates chose not to pursue.
• The defeated Daoist Sect cultivators left, while cultivators from other groups submitted to the Canghai Pirates to claim a share of the Grass-Headed Goldfish.
• Duanmu Chai asked Hou Niao whether he had used the Body Sword Technique, and Hou Niao explained that he had found it in the Underground Repository of the Hidden Sword Tower.
• Li E praised the technique and considered returning to the Jade Capital to study it, while Hou Niao withheld his deeper insights because he had only begun mastering it.

After the Canghai Pirates defeated the Tiger Tooth Pirates and profited from the Grass-Headed Goldfish hunt, Hou Niao began taking charge of shaping the group. As he and Fang Yazi flew to find a base, they stopped to confront someone who had been following them.

• Hou Niao's fighting in the battle against the Tiger Tooth Pirates secured his standing among the Canghai Pirates, who collected their share of the Grass-Headed Goldfish harvest.
• After the fish migrated away, Duanmu Chai asked Hou Niao to learn the pirates' organization and prepare to lead them, since Duanmu Chai expected to leave the Lizhi Sea.
• Hou Niao asked Fang Yazi to stay and help him, then offered to teach him an unfinished set of sword techniques, which Fang Yazi accepted.
• Hou Niao and Fang Yazi flew northwest to find a quiet island base and discuss evaluating the pirates' members.
• The pair halted in midair, and Hou Niao asked the person who had followed them what they wanted.

Hou Niao met Yan Baiyi, Yan Ziyi, Yin Qingsi, and Yin Zhilong, clarified that his Body Swordsmanship came from Shanmen Quanzhen rather than the Shi Clan Golden Bloodline, and hinted he might travel north. Afterward, Yan Baiyi and Yin Qingsi discussed the approaching turmoil and the value of building ties with Hou Niao, whom Yan Baiyi admitted could be a dangerous opponent.

• Yan Baiyi introduced the four northern travelers and asked Hou Niao whether his Body Swordsmanship was connected to the Shi Clan Golden Bloodline.
• Hou Niao said his Body Swordsmanship belonged to Shanmen Quanzhen and expressed interest in traveling north, while Yan Baiyi offered to help him there.
• After the travelers departed, Yin Qingsi explained that Hou Niao had disavowed ties to the Shi Clan and was seeking friendship with their sects.
• Yan Baiyi and Yin Qingsi discussed the political importance of befriending Hou Niao, whom they expected to become influential in Shanmen Quanzhen.
• Yan Baiyi rebuked Yan Ziyi and said his chances against Hou Niao would be no better than even, especially because of Hou Niao’s Body Sword form.

Hou Niao and Fang Yazi spent years cultivating on a deserted island while Hou Niao consolidated his position among the Canghai Pirates. After sensing an opportunity to advance beyond the sea, Hou Niao left alone, believing his path toward core formation lay in the Law embodied by thunder.

• Hou Niao and Fang Yazi cultivated separately on the deserted island, practiced swordsmanship together, and dealt with disputes involving the Canghai Pirates.
• After veteran sword cultivators returned to the Jade Capital, the pirates’ tributes went to Hou Niao, whose power and territory continued to grow.
• Ten years later, Hou Niao told Fang Yazi that he had sensed an opportunity to advance somewhere beyond the sea, and Fang Yazi offered to accompany him.
• Hou Niao asked Fang Yazi to keep the Canghai Pirates restrained while he departed alone, hoping they would meet again after advancing.
• After searching the sea, Hou Niao confirmed his intuition and concluded that his cultivation path toward core formation lay in Law and thunder.

Hou Niao searched for the catalyst to awaken his sea of consciousness and realized that thunder was the key. When the Thunder Triangle’s storm season began to fade before he could break through, he pursued the departing thunder farther into the ocean.

• Hou Niao returned to the Thunder Triangle, where he had spent years cultivating and studying lightning.
• He concluded that thunder’s laws and the Heavenly Dao information within it could serve as the catalyst for opening his sea of consciousness.
• Hou Niao patiently endured the storm season, but the barrier around his sea of consciousness remained unbroken.
• As the lightning moved away from the Thunder Triangle, Hou Niao sensed its direction and chose to follow it into the ocean.

Hou Niao followed the shifting thunder’s momentum across the Blue Sea, enduring repeated battles with a Red Falcon Dan Bird that treated him as prey but also kept other creatures away. After the thunder changed course near an island, two Daoists debated whether to follow the Heavenly Dao’s changes or wait passively for events to unfold.

• Hou Niao pursued the thunder’s momentum deeper into the Blue Sea, where Golden Core creatures and cultivators threatened his journey.
• Hou Niao fought the Red Falcon Dan Bird repeatedly, and the wounded bird withdrew into the clouds while continuing to guard its claimed territory.
• The thunder’s momentum turned toward a course parallel to the coastline, and Hou Niao and the falcon followed it.
• The Red Falcon Dan Bird’s cries disrupted two Daoists playing Go on an island, prompting the thin Daoist to silence it with azure light.
• The thin Daoist conceded the Go match, then argued that even minor cultivators followed the thunder’s changes, while the fat Daoist urged restraint and trust in the Heavenly Dao.

Hou Niao followed a shifting trail of thunder across the Lizhi Sea with a recovering Thunder Falcon, hoping to understand the thunder and break through the barrier in his sea of consciousness. As the magnetic force near Blue Island weakened his Law Power and threatened to strand him, the Thunder Falcon hoisted him back into the sky.

• Hou Niao caught the mortally wounded Thunder Falcon after an azure light struck it and carried it away from the island.
• Hou Niao kept the Thunder Falcon alive as it recovered over several months, and they eventually flew together without fighting.
• Hou Niao continued pursuing the thunder trail, worrying about the distance from shore, dangerous sea monsters, and the trail's changing course.
• As Hou Niao approached Blue Island, Shangyuan Festival Magnetic Mountain weakened his Law Power until he could barely stay above the sea.
• The Thunder Falcon grabbed Hou Niao by the collar and lifted him back into the sky to keep pursuing the thunderclouds.

Hou Niao returned to Blue Island during the yearly gathering of beasts and studied the thunder momentum converging on the two Magnetic Saint Mountains. He decided the Thunder Falcon was hindering his insight and told it to put him down, leaving him falling from the sky.

• Hou Niao observed creatures gathering around Blue Island as its thunder momentum circled toward the two Magnetic Saint Mountains.
• Hou Niao noticed another cultivator riding a Qing Bird, but both men kept their distance and pretended not to see each other.
• Hou Niao watched the priestesses perform rites between the saint mountains as storms and thunder raged across the island.
• Hou Niao realized the thunder momentum was gathering back into the mountains and shouted for the Thunder Falcon to put him down.
• The Thunder Falcon released Hou Niao from several hundred zhang above the ground, and Hou Niao cursed it as he tried to slow his fall.