Chapter Summaries

Lin Qingyang and Qi Mo went to a hot spring bathhouse, where Lin Qingyang tried to discuss the strange events on Liuxian Island and teased Qi Mo about his dream. Qi Mo became overwhelmed by the dream and fled the bathhouse, leaving Lin Qingyang puzzled.

• Lin Qingyang brought Qi Mo to a private hot spring pool and urged him to undress and join him.
• Lin Qingyang found that the Windflower Sword did not respond to his Spiritual Power and wondered whether Lin Yao had been injured.
• Lin Qingyang speculated that Starshift Palace was hiding the reason someone had trapped everyone in a painting, but Qi Mo barely listened.
• Lin Qingyang teased Qi Mo about his dream and asked whether the girl in it had been pretty; Qi Mo said she had.
• As Lin Qingyang asked Qi Mo to scrub his back, Qi Mo recalled the dream, released Demonic Qi, and hurried out of the bathhouse.

Qi Mo chased a mysterious man in black into the women's baths and was mistaken for a peeping tom. After Lin Qingyang dragged him back and accused him of misbehavior, Qi Mo insisted he had not been looking at the women and blurted out that he did not like women.

• Qi Mo cooled himself in a well after a disturbing dream, then spotted a familiar trace of blood and pursued a man in black.
• The man in black vanished after entering the women's baths, leaving Qi Mo to be blamed by the female disciples and onlookers.
• Lin Qingyang arrived and later dragged Qi Mo back to their room while Qi Mo protested that he had not barged in on purpose.
• Red-Haired Fox and Mo Yan eavesdropped as Lin Qingyang scolded Qi Mo for peeping at the female disciples.
• Qi Mo said he had chased the man in black into the baths, but Lin Qingyang did not believe him and kicked him.
• Qi Mo angrily declared that he did not like women.

Lin Qingyang punished Qi Mo for claiming he did not like women and attacking him, then apologized to the Myriad Spirits Sect’s female disciples. As he investigated the strange dream that followed the Butterfly Demon’s explosion, Jin Buhuan revealed that the demon’s dreams could foretell the future.

• Qi Mo told Lin Qingyang that he did not like women, then grabbed Lin Qingyang’s wrist and unleashed demonic qi when Lin Qingyang tried to strike him.
• Lin Qingyang overpowered Qi Mo, beat him with a scroll, and ordered him to remain kneeling; after Lin Qingyang left, Qi Mo tore the scroll apart.
• Lin Qingyang and Jin Buhuan visited the Myriad Spirits Sect’s female disciples, offered them high-grade pills as an apology, and asked whether they had seen a suspicious man in black, but they had not.
• Lin Qingyang told Jin Buhuan that the Windflower Sword had fallen dormant after the Butterfly Demon’s inner core exploded and he experienced a vivid dream.
• Jin Buhuan identified the blue Butterfly Demon as a prophetic dream butterfly and told Lin Qingyang that its dreams could foretell the future.

Lin Qingyang discussed his troubling dream with Jin Buhuan, then tried to make peace with Qi Mo before attending Starshift Palace’s divination ritual. The ritual produced a terrifying omen when the heated tortoise shell shattered, leaving Wen Xing unconscious.

• Jin Buhuan explained that the Demon Beasts in the Cloudsea Heavenly Diagram might not truly predict the future, then charged Lin Qingyang eight hundred Spirit Stones for pills.
• Lin Qingyang returned to find Qi Mo still kneeling, and the two ate together as Lin Qingyang began to suspect Qi Mo had told the truth about the person at the hot springs.
• Qi Mo joined Lin Qingyang in bed, and Lin Qingyang spent a restless night haunted by images of demons, Crows, and bloody scenes.
• At the official competition’s opening ritual, Wen Xing heated a tortoise shell to divine good or ill fortune as dark clouds and strong winds gathered.
• The shell developed a central crack, then shattered violently, knocking Wen Xing onto the platform; he coughed up blood and fainted.

After Wen Xing’s alarming divination, Tianheng urged the sects to continue the competition, and Feng Shu faced Lu Ming in the first match. Though Lu Ming broke Feng Shu’s sword and nearly struck him down, Feng Shu defeated him with a sudden gust of wind, leaving Lu Ming accusing him of cheating.

• Tianheng sent Miao Xing and several disciples to take Wen Xing away, then told the gathered sects not to let the divination trouble them.
• The official competition began, and Feng Shu drew Lu Ming, the well-equipped son of Divine Sword Mountain’s Lu Zhan.
• Lu Ming’s flaming sword chipped and broke Feng Shu’s weapon, but Feng Shu continued fighting rather than concede.
• Feng Shu evaded Lu Ming with Heavenly Wind Shadowless, then struck him after Lu Ming lost patience.
• When Lu Ming threatened Feng Shu with a final attack, a fierce wind turned the flames aside, allowing Feng Shu to knock Lu Ming off the platform and win.
• Lu Ming returned to the platform and accused Feng Shu of cheating.

After Feng Shu defeated Lu Ming, Lin Qingyang investigated Li Yan’s sudden collapse and learned that Li Yan was a puppet created by Li Tian. Li Tian revealed that the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array had also stopped working, suggesting that someone was trapping everyone on Liuxian Island before a major incident at the Immortal Alliance Ceremony.

• Feng Shu defeated Lu Ming, who accused the Nine Skies Sect of cheating before Jian Hong ordered him to stop.
• Lin Qingyang learned that Li Yan had fainted after leaving the Cloudsea Heavenly Diagram and suspected the incident was connected to the mysterious injured person.
• Lin Qingyang entered Li Yan’s guarded room while Qi Mo distracted the guards and found Li Yan pale and without a pulse.
• Li Tian revealed that Li Yan was a spirit-wood puppet he had made and said Li Yan had become dormant after leaving the Cloudsea Heavenly Diagram.
• Li Tian told Lin Qingyang that the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array had stopped working, and Li Yan warned that someone was trapping them on Liuxian Island before something major happened.

Lin Qingyang reported the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array’s failure, but before the sect leaders could decide how to respond, Wen Xing was petrified and crumbled into ash. Tianheng chose to continue the Immortal Alliance Ceremony despite the danger, while the culprit remained unknown.

• Lin Qingyang told Miao Xing that the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array had failed, and Miao Xing ordered disciples to notify Tianheng and the sect leaders.
• Wen Xing rushed into the Reception Hall with a cracked Tortoise Shell, cried that everything was false, and began turning to stone.
• Miao Xing touched Wen Xing’s stone body, causing it to shatter into ash despite Lin Qingyang’s warning.
• Lin Qingyang urged the sect leaders to suspend the competition and evacuate the disciples, but Jian Hong blamed Qi Mo and Lin Qingyang defended him.
• Tianheng ruled out Qi Mo as a suspect and said the Immortal Alliance Ceremony would continue while the sects searched for the demon.

Lin Qingyang worried over the unresponsive Windflower Sword while Qi Mo pressed him to define their relationship, and Mo Yan found Hong Ling hunting in the woods. Later, Mo Yan’s thoughts of Hong Ling disrupted his cultivation and caused his spiritual power to become unstable.

• Qi Mo brought Lin Qingyang fish soup, and Lin Qingyang admitted that the Windflower Sword was like his little sister; Qi Mo asked whether he mattered more to Lin Qingyang than she did.
• Mo Yan came to ask whether Lin Qingyang had seen Hong Ling, and Qi Mo said he had headed toward the woods; Lin Qingyang evaded Qi Mo’s question by calling himself Qi Mo’s father.
• Mo Yan found Hong Ling trying to catch a pheasant, then struck it with lightning and let Hong Ling take it back to eat.
• Hong Ling kissed Mo Yan’s cheek in gratitude, leaving Mo Yan momentarily stunned.
• While cultivating that night, Mo Yan pictured Hong Ling seducing him in his Sea of Consciousness, and his spiritual power surged out of control; he found Hong Ling asleep as a fox against his leg and watched him with a grave expression.

Lin Qingyang investigated Wen Xing’s room after his death and learned from Tianheng about turtle demons who had once preyed on children. Tianheng claimed they had all been killed five hundred years ago, but Lin Qingyang remained uneasy about the connection to Wen Xing’s final words.

• Qi Mo helped Lin Qingyang dress, and Lin Qingyang told him to stay behind to avoid gossip and trouble from Jian Hong.
• Lin Qingyang watched the matches, then left to inspect Wen Xing’s room while Yun Zhan secretly followed him from the crowd.
• Lin Qingyang found broken Tortoise Shell pieces and overheard Miao Xing fear that the killers had returned for revenge, mentioning something from five hundred years ago.
• Tianheng confronted Miao Xing about what happened five hundred years ago, then ordered him to arrange Wen Xing’s memorial rites.
• Tianheng told Lin Qingyang that his master had once slain turtle demons who posed as immortals and sacrificed children, but insisted they had been wiped out; Lin Qingyang still suspected a connection to Wen Xing’s death.

Lin Qingyang refused Yun Zhan’s challenge and left with Qi Mo, who objected to Yun Zhan’s attention. Back at their lodgings, Lin Qingyang connected the strange events surrounding Wen Xing and rushed out after a sudden realization.

• Lin Qingyang crossed the Square and watched Miao Xing and the Starshift Palace disciples perform a funeral rite for Wen Xing, noticing the trembling old man among the kneeling crowd.
• Yun Zhan thanked Lin Qingyang for his help with the Star Radiance Stone, then presented him with a letter of challenge and asked for a match.
• Lin Qingyang agreed to fight immediately but declared Yun Zhan the winner instead, then refused to duel and tried to leave.
• Qi Mo arrived, guided Lin Qingyang away, and later complained that Lin Qingyang had promised not to associate with Yun Zhan.
• At their lodgings, Lin Qingyang reviewed the strange events, recognized a connection, and rushed out.

Lin Qingyang realized that Liuxian Island was an illusion realm and concluded that Wen Xing had been killed for discovering the truth. Jin Buhuan revealed himself as the illusion realm’s creator and captured Lin Qingyang, leaving him unable to use his Spiritual Power.

• Lin Qingyang recognized that the worshippers before the Divine Statue were unreal, then explained to Jin Buhuan that Liuxian Island was an illusion realm.
• Lin Qingyang reasoned that Wen Xing had discovered the illusion through identical divination results and had been killed to silence him.
• Lin Qingyang warned that the illusion realm was weakening everyone’s Spiritual Power and asked Jin Buhuan how they could escape.
• Jin Buhuan revealed that he was behind the illusion realm, and the worshippers vanished from the square.
• Jin Buhuan restrained Lin Qingyang, blocked his Spiritual Power, and swept his fan across Lin Qingyang’s face, plunging everything into darkness.

Jin Buhuan revealed himself as a demon and restrained Lin Qingyang before attacking Qi Mo, who had returned with food. He drained some of Qi Mo’s Demonic Power to maintain the Illusion Realm, then knocked Lin Qingyang unconscious, leaving his plans unknown.

• Jin Buhuan told Lin Qingyang he knew too much, and Lin Qingyang realized Jin Buhuan was a demon.
• Jin Buhuan silenced Lin Qingyang and confronted Qi Mo when he returned to the room.
• Jin Buhuan used Lin Qingyang as a shield, trapped Qi Mo in a Demon-Capturing Net, and stabbed him.
• Jin Buhuan absorbed some of Qi Mo’s Demonic Power, explaining that he needed it to maintain the Illusion Realm.
• Jin Buhuan assured Lin Qingyang that Qi Mo would survive, then tapped Lin Qingyang’s forehead and rendered him unconscious.

Wang Wu defeated Yun Zhan after the swordsman suddenly lost the ability to use spiritual power, then struck down Jian Hong and revealed that others had lost their power as well. As the gathered cultivators confronted him, Wang Wu offered to explain who he was.

• Lin Qingyang woke at the tournament grounds, realized he still could not use spiritual power, and kept quiet after Jin Buhuan warned him not to speak.
• Wang Wu blocked Yun Zhan's sword qi and defeated him with a golden ball of light after Yun Zhan lost access to his spiritual power.
• Jian Hong accused Wang Wu of using a trick and attacked him, but Wang Wu struck him down with another golden ball.
• Jian Hong discovered he could no longer use spiritual power, and the gathered cultivators grew wary of Wang Wu.
• Tianheng demanded to know who Wang Wu was, and Wang Wu called himself an independent cultivator before offering to explain.

Wang Wu revealed how he had used the Heavenly Tortoise Shell to fabricate Lord Diviner’s ascension and accused Tianheng of being the original Wang Wu. The illusion left Tianheng’s disguise shattered, exposing his aged, monstrous face.

• Wang Wu recounted how he founded a sect of orphans, was driven from place to place, and plotted to turn villagers against the turtle demons.
• Wang Wu admitted poisoning the villagers’ wells and using their deaths to persuade the major sects to slaughter the turtle demons, from whom he obtained the Heavenly Tortoise Shell.
• Wang Wu explained that he used the shell to create illusions, fake an ascension, and gain worship as Lord Diviner.
• Wang Wu declared that Tianheng was the real Lord Diviner, Wang Wu, who had changed his appearance and taken over Starshift Palace.
• Wang Wu sent golden light at Tianheng, cracking his face and revealing his aged, monstrous appearance.

Jin Buhuan revealed his demonic form and attacked the gathered sects while confronting Tianheng over the stolen Heavenly Tortoise Shell. After Tianheng died and the illusion realm began to collapse, Lin Qingyang lost consciousness.

• Tianheng accused Wang Wu of creating an illusion realm, and Wang Wu shattered to reveal Jin Buhuan in his demonic form.
• Miao Xing, Tianheng, and Jian Hong urged the crowd and Divine Sword Sect disciples to attack Jin Buhuan, but Jin Buhuan drove them back and summoned a storm of burning meteorites.
• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan protected the Nine Skies Sect disciples as the fireballs destroyed the grounds and toppled Lord Diviner's statue.
• Jin Buhuan turned Miao Xing to stone, then confronted Tianheng and stripped away the Heavenly Tortoise Shell fused to his body, killing him.
• The Heavenly Tortoise Shell vanished, Jin Buhuan's golden staff dissolved, and cracks spread across the sky before it collapsed and everything went black for Lin Qingyang.

After the illusion realm ended, Lin Qingyang found Qi Mo and Lin Yao safe and defended Jin Buhuan when Jian Hong ordered him seized. As the Nine Skies Sect and Divine Sword Mountain prepared to fight, Yun Zhan stepped forward to confront Lin Qingyang.

• Lin Qingyang woke in the square, checked Qi Mo and Lin Yao, and watched disciples emerge from the Cloudsea Heavenly Diagram.
• Jin Buhuan appeared beside the remains of Tianheng and Miao Xing, and Jian Hong ordered the Divine Sword Mountain disciples to seize him.
• Lin Qingyang declared Jin Buhuan a matter for the Nine Skies Sect and accused Divine Sword Mountain of involvement in his clan's slaughter.
• Jian Hong attacked Jin Buhuan, but Lin Qingyang deflected the sword and held the Windflower Sword to Jian Hong's throat.
• The Divine Sword Mountain and Nine Skies Sect disciples drew their weapons, and Yun Zhan stepped forward to face Lin Qingyang.

Lin Qingyang defeated Yun Zhan in a duel while Lu Ming wounded Qi Mo during the fight. Lin Qingyang then joined Mo Yan and Jin Buhuan, but Jian Hong challenged the Nine Skies Sect’s decision to shelter Jin Buhuan.

• Lin Qingyang fought Yun Zhan while Mo Yan tried to lead Jin Buhuan away, but Tie Xing and the Divine Sword Mountain disciples blocked them.
• Lu Ming attacked Lin Qingyang from behind, and Qi Mo intercepted the strike but was wounded before Li Tian knocked Lu Ming away.
• Lin Qingyang defeated Yun Zhan with a move he had created himself, and Yun Zhan dropped the Lingyun Sword.
• Lin Qingyang brought the injured Qi Mo to Mo Yan and Jin Buhuan, and the Divine Sword Mountain disciples let them pass.
• Jian Hong confronted Lin Qingyang and argued that sheltering Jin Buhuan would set the Nine Skies Sect against the Immortal Alliance.

Lin Qingyang defended Jin Buhuan from the sects, but Jin Buhuan triggered a tsunami and revealed that he was dying as he turned to stone. He sent Lin Qingyang, Qi Mo, and Mo Yan to safety, while the tsunami swallowed Liuxian Island.

• Lin Qingyang declared that he alone would protect Jin Buhuan and separated himself from the Nine Skies Sect.
• Jin Buhuan killed Tie Xing, then revealed that he had changed the celestial signs and caused a tsunami to strike Liuxian Island.
• As the island shook and flooded, Jin Buhuan turned to stone and confessed that he was five hundred and twelve years old and had sought revenge for his clan.
• Lin Qingyang tried to use the Heaven-Stealing Talisman to save Jin Buhuan, but Jin Buhuan enclosed him, Qi Mo, and Mo Yan in golden light and died as a stone statue.
• The golden light carried them to the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array, and Qi Mo teleported them away just before the tsunami destroyed the array and submerged Liuxian Island.

After returning to the Nine Skies Sect, Lin Qingyang learned that Jin Buhuan had died and worried that the Heavenly Dao was forcing the world back toward the novel’s tragic ending. As Qi Mo recovered from his injuries, Lin Qingyang stayed beside him and wondered whether he would become the Demon King Cang Mo.

• Lin Qingyang returned to the Nine Skies Sect with the others, confirmed that Xue Lanyuan was safe, and learned that Jin Buhuan had died.
• Qi Mo collapsed from his shoulder wound, and Lin Qingyang brought him to the Clear Wind Pavilion to recover.
• Lin Yao explained that the Heavenly Dao was pushing the world toward its predetermined story, while Lin Qingyang questioned whether it could be changed.
• Lin Qingyang bathed, then found that Qi Mo had woken; Qi Mo asked him to stay, and Lin Qingyang agreed to sleep beside him.
• As Qi Mo pressed close in bed, Lin Qingyang wondered whether he would die as in the story and become the Demon King Cang Mo.

At Jin Buhuan’s funeral, Lin Qingyang discovered that the late elder had made him and A-Qi the subjects of a bestselling explicit romance and angrily tried to attack the gravestone. Meanwhile, Qi Mo cooked for someone in the Clear Wind Pavilion as Feng Yi and Feng Shu speculated about his relationship with their master.

• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan discussed the Golden Spirit Court’s arrangements and the missing Spirit Birds while mourning Jin Buhuan.
• Xue Lanyuan burned Jin Buhuan’s unfinished books, and Lin Qingyang learned that he had written an explicit story about Master Lin and a Wolf Demon resembling Lin Qingyang and A-Qi.
• Xue Lanyuan revealed the story was a popular bestseller across the cultivation world, prompting Lin Qingyang to curse Jin Buhuan and struggle against Mo Yan and the disciples restraining him.
• Qi Mo cooked a meal in the Clear Wind Pavilion kitchen while Feng Yi and Feng Shu speculated that he was staying in their master’s room because of a relationship with him.
• Qi Mo carried the food away, and Feng Yi went into the kitchen to inspect the remaining food despite Feng Shu’s displeasure.