Chapter Summaries

Lin Qingyang realized Xue Lanyuan had become the Otherworldly Demon in Tianshui City, then Bi Yue attacked him and destroyed the Windflower Sword. He briefly woke in a hospital corridor and saw Lin Yao beside his unconscious body, but returned to the Abandoned City still wounded and corrupted by demonic qi.

• Lin Qingyang recognized Tianshui City and realized events had returned to the original novel’s plot, while Xue Lanyuan walked away.
• Bi Yue appeared and used red vines to pin Lin Qingyang down and drive demonic qi into his spiritual root.
• Lin Yao tried to save Lin Qingyang with the Windflower Sword, but the sword snapped and Lin Yao disappeared.
• Lin Qingyang awoke in a hospital corridor, saw his unconscious body in intensive care, and heard Lin Yao tell him to come back.
• Lin Qingyang returned to the Abandoned City, where he grabbed the broken Windflower Sword despite his bleeding wound and damaged spiritual root.

Mo Yan found Lin Qingyang gravely wounded and carrying his own extracted Spiritual Root, then rushed him away for treatment. In Ten Thousand Demons Forest, A Chou’s group found the Red-Haired Fox, while a silver-haired man awoke amid a storm of demonic qi and disappeared.

• Mo Yan, Feng Shu, and Lei Cheng arrived at the Abandoned City and found Lin Qingyang collapsing with a deep abdominal wound and his Spiritual Root in hand.
• Mo Yan recognized that Lin Qingyang was being kept alive by a Heaven-Stealing Talisman and hurried him into the carriage for treatment.
• Nao Nao rescued an unconscious Red-Haired Fox from a river and brought him to A Chou, who recognized him as a former traitor.
• A Chou’s group noticed a vast storm of demonic qi gathering over Ten Thousand Demons Forest.
• A silver-haired man awoke in the storm, discarded his Demon-Locking Ring, and vanished into the mist.

Five years after Cang Mo rebuilt Demon Emperor City, Mo Yan traveled to the Hidden Market and Fusheng Pavilion. He found the rabbit-headed man on the pavilion’s top floor and warned him that something had happened to the Immortal Alliance.

• Mo Yan crossed into the Hidden Market, a neutral trading hub between the Human Clan and the Demon Clan.
• Mo Yan presented his black jade token at Fusheng Pavilion and endured an elaborate welcome before revealing himself to Zhu Ji.
• Mo Yan rode the Suspension Lift to the pavilion’s top floor, where he found a rabbit-headed man relaxing in a private courtyard.
• Mo Yan told the rabbit-headed man that something had happened to the Immortal Alliance.

Tu San, formerly Lin Qingyang, explained to Mo Yan how the Hidden Market and the Myriad Spirits Sect had helped keep the Human Clan divided while allowing trade with the Demon Clan to reduce the pressure for war. He revealed that he wanted to prevent another conflict between the clans, then turned to the suspicious massacre at the Red Refining Sect.

• Mo Yan confronted Lin Qingyang about the Red Refining Sect massacre and the Immortal Alliance’s growing calls for war against the Demon Clan.
• Mo Yan accused Lin Qingyang of using his influence over the Myriad Spirits Sect to restrain Jian Hong’s faction while supplying Demon Emperor City through the Hidden Market.
• Lin Qingyang said he supported neither side and explained that trade could ease the Demon Clan’s resource shortage and reduce both clans’ desire for war.
• Mo Yan warned Lin Qingyang that Cang Mo might not appreciate his efforts and questioned whether he could keep both clans from fighting.
• Lin Qingyang ended their discussion by saying that something suspicious had happened at the Red Refining Sect.

Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan investigated the destruction of the Red Refining Sect after finding no sign that Demon Emperor City had prepared for war. They reached the sect’s bloodstained entrance, where the cause of the massacre remained unknown.

• Lin Qingyang showed Mo Yan Demon Emperor City’s supply records and argued that its rulers had not ordered the Red Refining Sect’s destruction.
• Lin Qingyang left Fusheng Pavilion with Mo Yan despite Ku Rong’s protests and used a hidden teleportation array to travel to Iron Village.
• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan learned that nearby villagers had heard nothing during the massacre, even though Demonic Qi remained at the Red Refining Sect.
• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan followed the hot mountain path to the Red Refining Sect and found its open entrance filled with the smell of blood and Demonic Qi.

Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan investigated the massacre at the Red Refining Sect and found evidence that its leader, Tie Zhenshan, had been killed by someone capable of cutting through his Black Iron arm. Lu Qing blamed Cang Mo, but Lin Qingyang—disguised as the Half-Demon Tusi Rui—publicly declared that Cang Mo was not the killer.

• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan entered the Red Refining Sect and met their disciples Lei Cheng and Feng Shu while the Immortal Sects gathered and reconstructed the victims’ remains.
• Lin Qingyang and Feng Shu vomited after seeing the mangled body identified by Mo Yan as Sect Leader Tie Zhenshan.
• Lin Qingyang noticed that Tie Zhenshan’s Black Iron arm had been severed cleanly in one blow, suggesting an exceptionally powerful weapon and killer.
• Lu Qing arrived with Lu Ming, Elder Chen, and Tie Zhenshan’s son Tie Feng, then blamed Cang Mo and vowed that the Immortal Alliance would retaliate against Demon Emperor City.
• Mo Yan cautioned that the killer had not been identified, and Lin Qingyang declared that Cang Mo was not responsible.

Lin Qingyang challenged Divine Sword Mountain’s claim that the Demon Clan had slaughtered the Red Refining Sect, pointing out that every weapon was missing and that the evidence did not prove demons were responsible. At the Ten Thousand Weapons Workshop, the search uncovered more dead disciples, a shattered artifact-refining chamber, and a Quenching Sword Pool filled with demonic qi before someone reported movement nearby.

• Lin Qingyang argued that the missing weapons and the Demon Clan’s lack of need for scrap made the massacre suspicious, while Lu Ming insisted that demonic qi implicated demons.
• Feng Shu and Lu Ming exchanged insults, and Lu Ming attacked him before Lei Cheng deflected the blast; Lu Qing and Mo Yan stopped both sides from fighting.
• A Divine Sword Mountain disciple reported trouble at the Forge Workshop, where the group found dead swordsmiths and two slain Divine Sword Mountain disciples whose swords were missing.
• Mo Yan urged the groups to gather their disciples, while Lu Qing ordered the others to search the Ten Thousand Weapons Workshop.
• Lin Qingyang and Mo Yan investigated Sect Leader Tie’s destroyed Artifact Refining Chamber, where they found a cleaved Sword-Casting Platform and a dried Quenching Sword Pool giving off demonic qi.
• Tie Feng stared at the damaged Sword-Casting Platform as a disciple shouted that something was moving nearby.

Mo Yan and Lin Qingyang tried to stop Divine Sword Mountain from killing the fire salamander slaves, but Lu Qing pushed for a massacre to provoke war with the Demon Clan. As Tie Feng’s talisman unleashed a wave of lava, a powerful demon appeared and halted it, leaving everyone under his crushing demonic pressure.

• Lin Qingyang identified the fire salamanders as demon slaves, and Mo Yan stopped Tie Feng from attacking them.
• Tie Feng and Lu Ming accused the slaves of helping kill cultivators, while Lin Qingyang argued that the evidence did not support killing them.
• Lu Qing ordered Divine Sword Mountain’s disciples to slaughter the slaves, and Mo Yan and Lin Qingyang opposed him as both sides prepared to fight.
• Tie Feng secretly activated a talisman that sent a massive wave of lava toward the gathered groups and the fire salamanders.
• A powerful figure stopped the lava and released overwhelming demonic qi, then appeared above the workshop with a black saber and amber wolf eyes.

Cang Mo arrived at the Ten Thousand Weapons Workshop with a group of demons and overwhelmed the human defenders. Lin Qingyang tried to stop the confrontation, but Cang Mo failed to recognize him in disguise and ordered him thrown into the magma.

• Cang Mo and his demon cultivators surrounded the humans, freed the fire salamanders, and turned the tables at the workshop.
• Cang Mo shattered Lu Qing's sword and injured Lu Ming's sword hand when they attacked him.
• Cang Mo ordered Tie Feng thrown into the magma, but Mo Yan intervened and drove back the tiger demon before Cang Mo knocked Mo Yan away.
• Lin Qingyang shouted for everyone to stop, and the eagle demon seized him and tossed him before Cang Mo.
• Lin Qingyang introduced himself as Tusi Rui, a half-demon, and Cang Mo sniffed him but did not recognize him.
• Cang Mo ordered Lin Qingyang thrown into the magma.

Lin Qingyang revealed that a Demon Sword forged by Tie Zhenshan had destroyed the Red Refining Sect, and Tie Feng confessed that his father had been trying to restore the Nine Heavens Divine Sword. Cang Mo agreed to use Black Blade Howling Moon as bait to draw out the sword, but threatened to sacrifice Lin Qingyang if the plan failed.

• Lin Qingyang stopped Cang Mo from killing him by claiming he knew who had committed the Red Refining Sect murders.
• Lin Qingyang argued that Tie Zhenshan had forged a Demon Sword that turned on him and devoured the sect’s weapons, and accused Tie Feng of trying to silence witnesses.
• Tie Feng broke down and confessed that Tie Zhenshan had been refining fragments of the Nine Heavens Sword until he created a monster.
• Lin Qingyang urged Cang Mo to keep Tie Feng alive and catch the Demon Sword, then proposed using Cang Mo’s blade as bait.
• Cang Mo planted Black Blade Howling Moon in the Sword-Casting Platform and warned Lin Qingyang he would sacrifice him if the Demon Sword did not emerge.

The demonic sword emerged from the magma and attacked Howling Moon, but Cang Mo destroyed it in battle. Lin Qingyang helped the human disciples escape the Ten Thousand Weapons Workshop, while Cang Mo ordered the broken Nine Heavens Sword taken back.

• The demonic sword rose from the magma, drew weapons toward itself, and swallowed some of them while trying to attack Howling Moon.
• Cang Mo pulled Lin Qingyang away from the magma and then stood against the demonic sword with Howling Moon.
• Cang Mo struck the demonic sword, shattering its blade and exhausting its power.
• Lin Qingyang led the human disciples toward the exit, then used foul-smelling smoke bombs to stop the demons from pursuing them.
• Cang Mo stayed behind as the humans escaped and ordered the eagle demon to take the broken Nine Heavens Sword back.

Lin Qingyang escaped the Scarlet Refining Sect with the others and learned that Tie Zhenshan had obtained a fragment of the Nine Heavens Sword in the Hidden Market. After returning to Fusheng Pavilion, he asked Zhu Ji to search its records and privately reflected on Cang Mo.

• Lin Qingyang, Mo Yan, and their companions escaped by teleportation, while Lu Qing led the injured Lu Ming and Divine Sword Mountain disciples away.
• Elder Chen praised Lin Qingyang and offered him a hall master position at Tianxuan Pavilion, but Lin Qingyang declined and Mo Yan urged the group to report to the Immortal Alliance.
• Lin Qingyang asked Tie Feng about the sword fragment, and Tie Feng recalled that Tie Zhenshan had said he got it in the Hidden Market.
• Lin Qingyang parted from the others, changed teleportation arrays to avoid being tracked, and returned to Fusheng Pavilion.
• Zhu Ji searched the records for Tie Zhenshan's visit to the Hidden Market, while Kurong checked Lin Qingyang for injuries and Lin Qingyang went to bathe.
• Lin Qingyang noticed the marks Cang Mo had left on his wrist and thought that the wolf cub had grown up.

Lin Qingyang and Zhu Ji investigated Drunken Life Hall and learned that Tie Zhenshan had met privately with Wine Rat. When they returned to Fusheng Pavilion, they found it occupied by armed demons and the white-haired man greeting Lin Qingyang with a chilling smile.

• Lin Qingyang and Zhu Ji visited Drunken Life Hall to ask about Tie Zhenshan, but learned Wine Rat was away delivering wine to Demon Emperor City.
• A half-demon employee recalled that Wine Rat had privately received Tie Zhenshan in the back room, though Tie Zhenshan left without buying wine.
• Lin Qingyang and Zhu Ji argued on their way back to Fusheng Pavilion, where Zhu Ji accused him of having a hidden connection to the demon king.
• They found a lavish carriage and a crowd outside Fusheng Pavilion, then entered to see Zhu Ji held at swordpoint and Ku Rong bound and gagged.
• A white-haired man in black robes fixed his amber wolf eyes on Lin Qingyang and said, “We meet again!”

Lin Qingyang tried to appease Cang Mo after their earlier confrontation, but learned that poisoned wine from the Hidden Market had sickened Demon Emperor City's clan chiefs. Cang Mo accepted Lin Qingyang's pills and then insisted he go to Demon Emperor City himself to answer for Wine Rat's disappearance.

• Lin Qingyang apologized to Cang Mo and offered supreme-grade Origin-Stabilizing Pills to make amends for injuring his guards.
• Cang Mo accepted the pills, released Zhu Ji, and agreed that the Red Refining Sect matter was settled.
• Lin Qingyang asked Cang Mo to free the people from Fusheng Pavilion, but Cang Mo revealed that wine delivered by the Hidden Market had poisoned ten of Demon Emperor City's twelve clan chiefs.
• Lin Qingyang connected the wine to Wine Rat, who had also sold the Nine Heavens Sword fragment to Tie Zhenshan, and learned Wine Rat had fled.
• Cang Mo told Lin Qingyang to go to Demon Emperor City himself because Wine Rat had disappeared there.

Cang Mo forced Lin Qingyang to accompany him to Demon Emperor City to investigate the poisoned clan leaders. In the carriage, Cang Mo recognized Lin Qingyang despite his disguise and confronted him by name.

• Cang Mo accused Lin Qingyang and the Hidden Market of concealing ties to the human plot and the poisoning in Demon Emperor City.
• Lin Qingyang agreed to go with Cang Mo, told Zhu Ji to watch the business and keep Mo Yan uninformed, then left in Cang Mo’s carriage.
• During the journey, Lin Qingyang asked about the poisoned clan leaders, and Cang Mo said they were alive but avoided explaining the poison.
• Cang Mo served Lin Qingyang his favorite tea and revealed that he recognized him, angrily calling him Lin Qingyang.

Cang Mo confronted Lin Qingyang in the flying carriage, forcing him to reveal his true appearance and face their unresolved past. After biting Lin Qingyang and warning that he would not let him off, Cang Mo left the carriage and sat on its roof while the demon guards wondered what had happened inside.

• Cang Mo stopped Lin Qingyang from jumping out of the flying carriage and destroyed the Wind-Controlling Talisman he had hidden.
• Cang Mo demanded to know how Lin Qingyang had disguised himself, and Lin Qingyang removed the Mirage Pearl, revealing his familiar face.
• Lin Qingyang admitted he had known Cang Mo would survive the Ten Thousand Demons Forest, but Cang Mo challenged him over staying away for five years.
• Cang Mo pinned Lin Qingyang down and asked whether he had ever returned to look for him; Lin Qingyang turned away without answering.
• Cang Mo bit Lin Qingyang's neck, then warned him not to expect forgiveness and left the carriage.
• Cang Mo sat on the carriage roof as the demon guards speculated about what had happened inside.

Lin Qingyang woke in the Demon King Palace after dreaming that Cang Mo planned to rape and kill him, then tried to compensate Cang Mo for his past betrayal with the wealth in his private treasury. Cang Mo rejected the offer in anger and left Lin Qingyang trapped behind a barrier in Azure Wind Hall.

• Lin Qingyang woke from a nightmare in a lavish bedroom in Demon Emperor City and discovered his neck wound had been treated.
• He explored Azure Wind Hall and tried to leave, but Cang Mo warned him that guards surrounded the palace.
• Cang Mo brought Lin Qingyang food and asked whether his spiritual power had been destroyed by his injuries; Lin Qingyang confirmed it.
• Lin Qingyang acknowledged that he had wronged Cang Mo and offered him the key to his private treasury as compensation.
• Cang Mo angrily smashed his teacup and stormed out, while a barrier bounced Lin Qingyang back when he tried to follow.

Lin Qingyang was taken to the dungeon, where Cang Mo left him surrounded by wolves, making him believe Cang Mo wanted him dead. After the wolves recoiled from Lin Qingyang, he slapped Cang Mo and tried to leave, but Cang Mo carried him out when his ankle hurt.

• Yin Yu escorted Lin Qingyang from Azure Wind Hall to the Demon Emperor City's dungeon after Cang Mo summoned him.
• When demon soldiers tried to seize him, Lin Qingyang used a smoke bomb to escape, then fell into a pit surrounded by enormous gray wolves.
• Lin Qingyang saw Cang Mo watching from above and, when Cang Mo did not save him, believed he meant to kill him.
• The wolves suddenly retreated from Lin Qingyang, and Cang Mo leaped into the pit as Yin Yu apologized for letting Lin Qingyang escape.
• Lin Qingyang slapped Cang Mo and tried to leave, but Cang Mo caught him and carried him up the slope after his ankle hurt.

Lin Qingyang helped Cang Mo identify where Wine Rat was hiding, and Cang Mo agreed to Lin Qingyang’s proposal for a share of the Hidden Market’s future profits. Cang Mo promised to send Lin Qingyang back after they resolved Wine Rat’s case.

• Cang Mo brought Lin Qingyang to an interrogation room, treated his sprained foot, and explained that he had not meant to frighten or hurt him.
• Yin Yu brought in several bull-headed half-demons who had helped Wine Rat flee, and Lin Qingyang reasoned that they had been used as a distraction.
• Lin Qingyang identified Baoyue Pavilion as Wine Rat’s likely hiding place because it secretly sheltered half-demons and helped them return to the Hidden Market.
• Cang Mo questioned Lin Qingyang about whether he had been frightened and agreed to take thirty percent of the Hidden Market’s future profits.
• Cang Mo told Lin Qingyang he would send him back once Wine Rat’s case was cleared up, leaving Lin Qingyang relieved but uneasy.

Lin Qingyang and Cang Mo searched for Wine Rat at Baoyue Pavilion, where they discovered he had hidden beneath the chamber floor. After capturing him, they questioned his identity, but Wine Rat mistook Lin Qingyang for a spider demon’s kept lover.

• Cang Mo and Lin Qingyang arrived at Baoyue Pavilion, and Lin Qingyang used his Fusheng Pavilion jade token to make the shopkeeper reveal Wine Rat’s location.
• The shopkeeper led them to a hidden chamber, but Wine Rat appeared to have vanished, so Lin Qingyang and Cang Mo pretended to leave.
• Wine Rat emerged from a concealed hole beneath the bed and tried to escape when Lin Qingyang revealed himself with Cang Mo.
• Lin Qingyang showed Wine Rat the Golden Jade Token and took the spirit stone notes from his bundle.
• Wine Rat called Lin Qingyang a spider demon’s kept lover, and Cang Mo struck him into the wall again before Lin Qingyang told him not to knock Wine Rat unconscious.