Recaps

Dugu Yin recounted how his father’s death and the court’s neglect shaped his life, leading him from a lonely shopkeeper to a Sword Sect successor under Elder Wei. After Mirage tested him with a question about what he would do to protect Dugu Zhang, Dugu Yin woke from a three-day dream and set out for the Eastern Sea, leaving the question unanswered.

• Dugu Xing’s death and Lady Xie’s later death left Dugu Yin and Dugu Zhang to survive alone, and Dugu Zhang joined the Hidden Dragon Secret Bureau while Dugu Yin traveled to Xiangyang to run a shop.
• Dugu Yin met Elder Wei, gave him Dugu Xin’s Many-Sided Seal, and learned part of the Sword Sect’s legacy before Elder Wei died and instructed him to seek the sect in Ningyue.
• Dugu Yin killed the wounded Eastern Sea fugitive and Earth Character Thirty-Seven, then hid in Sword Enlightenment Valley for another hundred years.
• Mirage asked Dugu Yin what he would do if an overwhelmingly powerful enemy planned to kill Dugu Zhang, and promised him an opportunity despite refusing to admit him to the Sword Sect.
• After dreaming for three days, Dugu Yin awoke unable to recall the dream and chose to travel to the Eastern Sea rather than seek the Sword Sect in Ningyue.

Song Yan reflected on his Nascent Soul breakthrough, Xianxian’s transformation into a three-legged crow, and his plans to leave the Sea Kingdom with Lingsi. At Ye City, Li Yi learned that rebels and the Demon Ruins were converging on Master Xu’s sword-forging site and vowed to keep the weapon from falling into the wrong hands.

• Song Yan set aside Dugu Yin’s Life-Bound Flying Sword, Black Prajna, and reviewed how he had formed his Nascent Soul in Yang Valley with the help of Great Sun Bodhi Fruit.
• Song Yan recalled that Sword Spirit Xianxian had gained its own Primordial Spirit and transformed into a three-legged crow after absorbing a Nirvana Phoenix Feather and the Kunwu Remnant Flame.
• Song Yan decided to wait for Lingsi before leaving the Sea Kingdom and considered cultivating a second Pupil Technique despite the risk of losing his sight.
• At the Immortal Dao Alliance’s encampment near Ye Abyss, Li Yi learned from Guo Huai that An Lushan’s forces and the Demon Ruins were moving toward Ye City as Master Xu neared completion of a sword that might become a rare Spirit Treasure.
• Guo Huai reported that the Mohist School, Jun Mountain, and the Taiyi Sect were sending aid, including three Jun Mountain Nascent Soul cultivators and Ju Luyi; Li Yi vowed that the sword would not fall into anyone else’s hands.

Song Yan reunited with Yue Ting and the Luchuan Association, and they prepared to travel from the Eastern Sea to the Chu Kingdom by way of Teleportation Formations. In Ye City, Xiao Ju arrived to join Ruan Zhi and await Master Xu’s final sword-forging, which would begin when thunder resounded through the nine heavens.

• Ling Jia sent Lingsi off with Song Yan, giving her a Jade Slip and asking her to visit the elders of Between Mountains and Seas on the Sea Kingdom’s behalf.
• Song Yan and his companions traveled across Fanghu and the Star Dark Sea, retrieved belongings from Chivalrous Heroes Island, and passed the closed Worry-Relief Pavilion before reaching Floating Jade Island.
• Song Yan met Yue Ting and the Luchuan Association aboard the Great Mirage Tower, and Yue Ting agreed to join the Sword Sect with his companions.
• Song Yan explained that Dugu Yin’s records contained routes through Teleportation Formations that would speed their journey to the Chu Kingdom, and the group prepared to depart.
• Xiao Ju arrived at the Immortal Dao Alliance’s base in Ye City and went to meet Ruan Zhi, who told her Master Xu was waiting on Pan Mountain for the celestial sign to begin the final forging.
• Ruan Zhi said Master Xu would start forging the sword when thunder resounded through the nine heavens, while he waited on Pan Mountain’s summit.

Song Yan learned that the struggle over the Divine Weapon in Ye City had become a crucial test of morale amid An Lushan’s rebellion, and he decided to join the gathering. As Song Yan traveled toward Ye City, An Lushan welcomed Pang Ming, an envoy from the Yellow Springs Way, and declared that his son A Nizong would claim the sword.

• In the Nuo Realm, Wang Ke explained that An Lushan’s rebels and the Demon Ruins were advancing, making the Ye City conflict strategically important to the Immortal Dao Alliance.
• Song Yan appeared in the Nuo Realm after decades away, learned about Ye City, and said he would attend; Tang Hulu, Su Xueming, Boqi, Cuoduan, and others also committed to going.
• Song Yan told Yue Ting he had to leave the Sword Sect, while Yue Ting chose to remain in the Chu Kingdom with the Luchuan Association and help maintain the sect.
• Song Yan took Xiao He, Idle-Fishing, and Lingsi through the Teleportation Formation toward Fanyang, noticing that it had recently been used.
• At An Lushan’s camp, Ashina Zuwu introduced Pang Ming, an envoy from the Yellow Springs Way, and An Lushan promised him the Divine Weapon if A Nizong seized it.
• An Lushan boasted that his son would claim the sword, declaring that his own name meant an ancient god of war among the Northern Frontier Turks.

A Nizong brought rebel forces to Ye City to seize a Divine Weapon and abduct the swordsmith Xu Dongsheng, while the Immortal Dao Alliance and Great Tang prepared to oppose him. Li Xuan arrived with Gao Xianzhi to lead the Tang side, and the rivals agreed to wait for the Divine Weapon to emerge as the chapter ended with several days of calm weather expected before any thunder and lightning.

• A Nizong and his strategist Mister Tusu sailed toward Pan Mountain, and A Nizong declared that he would take the Divine Weapon and force Xu Dongsheng to forge weapons for the rebel army.
• The Immortal Dao Alliance learned that A Nizong had arrived with four Martial Immortals, and Chu Rang led the alliance's cultivators to confront them alongside Heaven's Deputy Office soldiers.
• A Nizong defended An Lushan's rebellion, while Chu Rang and Liu Tianfang accused the rebels of treason and collusion with the Demon Ruins.
• Li Xuan arrived at Pan Mountain, and Gao Xianzhi blocked A Nizong's Spirit Transformation attack before Cui Ruyou appeared to face him.
• A Nizong withdrew and proposed waiting for the Divine Weapon to emerge, while Li Xuan entered the garrison and explained that he had come to prevent the weapon from reaching the rebels or Devil Cultivators.
• Li Xuan said the Imperial Astronomical Bureau predicted several days without wind or rain, meaning they would have to wait for real lightning and thunder.

Xu Dongsheng forged a mid-grade Spirit Treasure on Pan Mountain, triggering a battle among the four powers as they fought to claim it. He tried to temper the sword further, but Ye Abyss's Earth Fire proved insufficient, and the sword's presence began to fade just as a crow called out nearby.

• Zhao Xieyang, Shi Yunhao, and Ku Qian discussed the forces gathering to seize Xu Dongsheng's sword and the uncertainty surrounding Song Yan.
• Xu Dongsheng summoned lightning and Earth Fire to forge the sword for seven days, while cultivators from the four powers watched.
• After the sword emerged as a mid-grade Spirit Treasure, A Nizong tried to take it, but Li Xuan blocked him and they began fighting as the four factions joined battle.
• Zhao Xieyang and Shi Yunhao arrived with Demon Ruins cultivators, intensifying the struggle, while Chu Rang fought Mister Tusu and other cultivators clashed below the summit.
• Xu Dongsheng attempted to raise the sword's grade using Earth Fire, but the fire could not sustain the tempering and the sword's presence began to weaken.
• As Xu Dongsheng despaired over the failing forge, he heard a crow cawing despite the battle raging around Pan Mountain.