Chapter Summaries

Lin Fei discussed Hong Xiaowei with Ji Yaoguang, played Go with Qiushui, and revealed that he had given Ji Kang the score for “Guangling San.” After offering to write it for Qiushui to take to the Sound Sect’s recruitment, Lin Fei received an invitation from Yin Shuangtong to attend the event.

• Lin Fei told Ji Yaoguang he believed Hong Xiaowei was a hypocrite but said the man’s fate mattered little to him.
• Qiushui played Go against Lin Fei with five stones’ advantage and still lost; Lin Fei said Wang Xu had matched his skill.
• Qiushui told Lin Fei that Ji Xue would recruit disciples at the Western Shu Music School and might possess the complete score for “Guangling San.”
• Lin Fei said Ji Kang had received “Guangling San” from him and offered to write out the score for Qiushui to give Ji Xue and Yin Shuangtong.
• Yin Shuangtong called Lin Fei, reported that she had reached the Grandmaster Realm, and invited him to the Sound Sect event at the Western Shu Music School.

Lin Fei and his companions visited Western Shu University of Music, where Sound Sect disciple Cai Siya performed what she claimed was the complete Guangling San. The performance impressed the crowd until Lin Fei calmly declared that it was not Guangling San and was riddled with flaws.

• Lin Fei agreed to visit the Sound Sect and teach Yin Shuangtong's descendants the Jade Zither Heavenly Sound Art, while Ji Yaoguang decided to come along.
• Lin Fei and his companions arrived at Western Shu University of Music, where crowds had gathered to see Zither Sage Ji Xue and learn about the Sound Sect.
• Cai Siya refused to perform Guangling San for the students until their taunts challenged her.
• Cai Siya played a stirring, more complete version of the piece, earning applause from the audience and a music teacher.
• Lin Fei said Cai Siya's performance was not Guangling San and was riddled with flaws.

Lin Fei challenged the authenticity of Cai Siya’s version of Guangling San and had Qiushui perform the complete piece, astonishing the audience. Ji Xue arrived and invited Qiushui to join the Sound Sect while suggesting Lin Fei was inferior at the art of the qin.

• Lin Fei said Cai Siya’s version of Guangling San was an inaccurate reconstruction, likely fabricated by Ji Xue, and claimed he knew the real piece.
• Cai Siya challenged Lin Fei to prove his claim, and Lin Fei asked Qiushui to play instead.
• Qiushui performed a version that conveyed the piece’s grief, hatred, and defiance, snapping a string on the final note.
• Cai Siya blurted out that Qiushui had played the real Guangling San, then Qiushui credited Lin Fei as her master.
• Ji Xue arrived, praised Qiushui’s performance, and invited her to join the Sound Sect while saying Lin Fei was less accomplished in the art of the qin.

Lin Fei refused Ji Xue’s offer to teach Qiushui, arguing that Ji Xue did not understand Great Dao Zither Resonance. After Ji Xue challenged him to name a living zither master superior to her, Lin Fei offered to teach her a lesson, and she accepted.

• Qiushui politely declined Ji Xue’s offer to take her as a disciple, saying someone was already teaching her the zither.
• Ji Xue questioned Lin Fei’s ability to guide Qiushui, and Lin Fei insisted that studying under Ji Xue would ruin her because Ji Xue did not understand Great Dao Zither Resonance.
• Ji Xue challenged Lin Fei to name someone alive with greater zither skills than hers, and Lin Fei offered to demonstrate his own mastery.
• Students recognized Lin Fei as Chess Sage Lin and recalled his achievements in Go and calligraphy.
• Ji Xue accepted Lin Fei’s challenge, while Yin Shuangtong advised him to let the matter go.

Lin Fei accepted Ji Xue’s challenge to a public zither contest and wagered the Jade Zither Heavenly Sound Art against her Moonlit Night Howling Wind Zither. After Ji Xue confirmed the art was genuine, she and Lin Fei headed to the teaching building plaza by Lotus Lake, drawing a crowd eager to watch.

• Ji Xue challenged Lin Fei to exchange zither pointers before the students, and Lin Fei agreed while declaring she would lose.
• Cai Siya questioned the fairness of the contest, so Ji Xue proposed wagering her Moonlit Night Howling Wind Zither if she lost.
• Lin Fei offered the Jade Zither Heavenly Sound Art as his stake, prompting the Sound Sect to accuse him of lying.
• Lin Fei sent Ji Xue the art’s table of contents, and she confirmed it was genuine.
• Lin Fei left to hold the contest, and Ji Xue ordered the Sound Sect to follow as students gathered to watch.

At Western Shu University of Music, Ji Xue performed her own guqin piece to an impressed crowd, but Lin Fei dismissed it and criticized her artistic shortcomings. Ji Xue challenged him to perform, and Lin Fei chose to borrow a cheap guqin so she could not accuse him of bullying her.

• Ji Xue performed Pine Waves on a Moonlit Night on her Moonlit Night Howling Wind Zither, captivating the crowd and earning thunderous applause.
• Ji Xue asked Lin Fei what he thought of her composition, and he called it barely passable.
• Lin Fei claimed Ji Xue's playing lacked loftiness, purity, seclusion, singularity, serenity, grandeur, and gravity, despite the quality of her instrument.
• Yin Shuangtong recognized that Lin Fei's criticisms concerned Ji Xue's character and artistic sensibility, while other spectators angrily demanded that he perform himself.
• Ji Xue offered Lin Fei her guqin, but he asked a female student to lend him her cheap secondhand instrument so Ji Xue could not say he bullied her.

Lin Fei played a battered guqin and displayed the legendary Heavenly Sound Divine Realm, stunning the crowd and defeating Ji Xue. Ji Xue admitted defeat and declared Lin Fei the one truly worthy of being called Zither Sage.

• Ji Xue mocked Lin Fei's secondhand guqin and offered him a chance to change instruments, but Lin Fei refused.
• Lin Fei tuned the guqin and played, making the crowd see mountains, moonlight, and flowing water as lotuses bloomed, birds gathered, and koi leaped from the lake.
• Ji Xue and the others were left entranced by Lin Fei's performance, while a Sound Sect disciple knelt before him.
• Lin Fei returned the borrowed guqin and asked Ji Xue for her judgment.
• Ji Xue admitted that she had lost and called Lin Fei the one truly worthy of the title Zither Sage.

The crowd learned that Lin Fei was also the Chess Sage and Calligraphy Sage, while Ji Xue surrendered the Moonlit Night Howling Wind Zither after conceding defeat. Lin Fei returned the Yin family's Jade Zither Heavenly Sound Art to Yin Shuangtong, and Ji Xue left suspecting he was connected to the Heavenly Demon Divine Palace.

• Several onlookers revealed that Lin Fei had defeated AlphaGo and earned the titles of Chess Sage and Calligraphy Sage, astonishing the crowd and the Sound Sect.
• Ji Xue conceded defeat and offered Lin Fei the Moonlit Night Howling Wind Zither, which he gave to Qiushui.
• Lin Fei passed the Jade Zither Heavenly Sound Art to Yin Shuangtong, explaining that he was returning her ancestor's art to the Yin family.
• Yin Shuangtong thanked Lin Fei, while Sound Sect members watched enviously and asked how he had obtained the art.
• Ji Xue recalled a secret record about Yin Wusheng's disappearance and suspected Lin Fei was descended from or associated with Lin Yuan and the Heavenly Demon Divine Palace.
• Ji Xue resolved to report her suspicion to the sect master and warn Yin Shuangtong that the art might contain a trap.

Lin Fei returned the score of Guangling San to Ji Xue, then left the school as teachers and students begged him to take them as disciples. News from Yanjing placed him ninth on the Huaxia Heaven Ranking, and Lin Fei regarded the rank as an insult.

• Lin Fei warned Ji Xue not to bring shame upon her ancestors and imparted the score of Guangling San to her.
• Lin Fei refused to take disciples, told those who wanted to learn the guqin to go to their Sound Sect, and left with Yaoguang.
• News spread that Lin Fei had defeated Ji Xue, and his name appeared at ninth on the Huaxia Heaven Ranking, above Chen Longxiang.
• Hong Xiaowei read Lin Fei's sparse Heaven Ranking entry and suspected that Yanjing could not fathom his methods.
• The ancient martial world of Western Shu celebrated Lin Fei as its first Heaven Ranking expert, while Lin Fei told Ji Yaoguang that his ninth-place ranking was rather interesting.

Wu Song returned to Jiangnan Province to avenge his brother Wu Tao and learned that Lin Fei ranked ninth on the Heaven Ranking. He planned to use the Chen Family to lure Chen Longxiang into a trap, then attacked the Chen Family compound, where Chen Xiangyu saw him standing in the storm.

• Wu Song rushed to the Wu Family villa, mourned Wu Tao, and swore to make Lin Fei pay for killing his brother.
• Wu Yun and Wu Qing warned Wu Song that Lin Fei was powerful, possessed a bronze oil lamp, and was allied with the Dragon King.
• Wu Song announced that he would defeat Chen Longxiang first and revealed his plan to take the Chen Family hostage to lure him to the Saber Sect.
• Wu Song sent Wu Yun and Wu Qing to the Saber Sect, then rode a fierce wind toward the Chen Family compound, causing destruction along the way.
• Wu Song's gale shattered the Chen Family compound, and Chen Xiangyu saw him standing in the night sky amid a tornado.

Wu Song abducted Chen Zhengrong, Chen Xiangyu, and another Chen family member, but Lin Fei’s Barrier Talismans kept them from being harmed. After Wu Song threatened Chen Longxiang into coming alone, Chen Longxiang vowed to kill him.

• Wu Song attacked the Chen Family, revealed his plan to kill the Dragon King and Lin Fei, and tried to seize Chen Xiangyu.
• Lin Fei’s Barrier Talismans repelled Wu Song’s attack, injuring his arm, so he carried the three Chen family members away and trapped them beneath a boulder.
• Wu Yun and Wu Qing arrived at the Saber Sect, where Wu Song told them to keep the abduction secret while he healed.
• Chen Longxiang found a blood-marked leaf showing that Lin Xinyu had used the Shadow Sect’s Shift Form and Swap Shadow Technique, then received Wu Song’s call demanding he come alone.
• Wu Song threatened to abandon the Chen family members somewhere they would die, and Chen Longxiang answered that he would send Wu Song to his death.

Chen Longxiang entered the Saber Sect alone and fought its thousand disciples after Wu Song activated the Dragon Imprisoning Formation, which suppressed everyone to grandmaster-level strength. Though the disciples briefly piled on and pinned him down, he roared “Dragon!” and threw them into the air.

• Chen Longxiang flew to the Saber Sect, where Wu Song and a thousand armed disciples awaited him.
• Wu Song activated the Dragon Imprisoning Formation, and Chen Longxiang explained that its suppression affected allies and enemies alike.
• Chen Longxiang charged the disciples with his Black Gold Coiled Dragon Spear, killing and scattering them as he pushed through their ranks.
• The disciples overwhelmed Chen Longxiang with their numbers and pinned him beneath a pile of bodies.
• Chen Longxiang roared “Dragon!” and hurled the disciples pinning him into the air, horrifying Wu Qing.

Chen Longxiang fought the Saber Sect under the Dragon Imprisoning Formation, killing Grandmaster opponents despite suffering severe wounds. As Wu Song’s archery formation unleashed a storm of sabers at him, Chen Longxiang’s senses sharpened and the chapter left him facing the incoming attack.

• Wu Song ordered the Body Refinement Realm disciples to retreat and the Grandmasters to surround Chen Longxiang.
• Chen Longxiang charged through the encirclement and killed a Grandmaster with one spear thrust, then used the opening to evade attacks while suffering deep wounds.
• Wu Song ordered his disciples to regroup and encircle Chen Longxiang, who recognized their disciplined formation as the result of long-term training.
• Wu Song declared his intention to slay Chen Longxiang and ordered the Saber Sect disciples into an archery formation.
• Wu Song launched the Azure Wolf Shatters the Moon saber attack, and Chen Longxiang’s heightened reactions made the incoming blades seem to slow.

Chen Longxiang unleashed the Wild Dance of a Thousand Dragons Break and fought through the Saber Sect’s formation despite his mortal wounds, showing signs of his dragon soul awakening. Wu Song disabled the Dragon Imprisoning Formation and struck Chen Longxiang down, leaving him gravely weakened before the Sect Master.

• Chen Longxiang endured the Saber Sect’s second volley, then burned his blood and qi to unleash the Wild Dance of a Thousand Dragons Break, killing many disciples and badly wounding himself.
• Chen Longxiang charged into the formation and continued killing Saber Sect members as his dragon soul showed signs of awakening, frightening Wu Yun and Wu Qing.
• Wu Song ordered the Saber Sect members to retreat and prepared to face Chen Longxiang himself.
• Chen Longxiang hurled the Black Gold Coiled Dragon Spear at Wu Song, knocking the famed saber Wind Severing from his hand.
• Wu Song deactivated the Dragon Imprisoning Formation, then struck Chen Longxiang with an invisible force that sent him flying backward.

Wu Song nearly killed Chen Longxiang after discovering his Heavenly Dragon Bloodline, but Chen Longxiang awakened a trace of dragon soul power and resisted. Lin Fei arrived at the Saber Sect in time to save him, revealing that the Golden Scale Dragon Abyss Art carried an imprint that alerted him when a practitioner's soul was about to dissipate.

• Wu Song restrained Chen Longxiang and tried to force him to kneel, intending to kill him and refine him into medicine.
• A faint dragon soul appeared around Chen Longxiang and blocked Wu Song's saber, though the power quickly vanished.
• Wu Song attacked again, but Chen Longxiang blocked the blow with the Black Gold Coiled Dragon Spear despite being near death.
• Lin Fei sensed Chen Longxiang's danger at Flying Cloud Mountain Villa and vanished, startling Ji Yaoguang and the other women.
• Lin Fei appeared atop Frenzied Saber Hall, healed Chen Longxiang with emerald light, and praised his awakening of dragon soul power.
• Lin Fei told Chen Longxiang that the Golden Scale Dragon Abyss Art contained his imprint, which activated when a practitioner's soul was about to dissipate.

Lin Fei entered the Saber Sect and proved that its Dragon Imprisoning Formation could not restrain his cultivation. As the sect panicked and its supreme elders begged for mercy, Lin Fei crushed the formation’s jade pendant and prepared to deal with Wu Song.

• Wu Song activated the Dragon Imprisoning Formation against Lin Fei, but Lin Fei remained unaffected and called the formation a petty trick.
• Lin Fei used his power to pull the dragon-shaped jade pendant from Wu Song’s hand, revealing that he had retained his Great Grandmaster Realm cultivation.
• The Saber Sect’s disciples and elders panicked when they realized their own cultivation was restricted while Lin Fei remained powerful.
• The two supreme elders knelt and blamed Wu Song, while Wu Yun and Wu Qing watched in shock.
• Lin Fei offered Wu Song a chance and crushed the dragon-shaped jade pendant into powder.

Lin Fei let Wu Song attack freely after destroying the Dragon Imprisoning Formation, but he remained unmoved and turned Wu Song’s wind power against him. Wu Song then unleashed Ghost and God Absolute Kill, leaving most of the Saber Sect in a terrifying illusion as his saber cracked against Lin Fei.

• Lin Fei destroyed the dragon-shaped jade pendant, restoring Wu Song’s cultivation, then offered to stand still while Wu Song attacked.
• Wu Song struck Lin Fei with a flaming saber technique, but Lin Fei reversed Wu Song’s wind power and sent him flying.
• Wu Song challenged Lin Fei to remain still against another attack, and Lin Fei agreed despite the Saber Sect’s mockery.
• Wu Song used Ghost and God Absolute Kill, trapping the Saber Sect disciples in frightening illusions while Chen Longxiang and Lin Fei remained unaffected.
• Wu Song’s saber struck an invisible barrier around Lin Fei, and Wind Severing began to crack.

Lin Fei effortlessly endured Wu Song’s strongest saber strike, crippled him, and froze the fleeing Saber Sect disciples. As Wu Song begged Saber Emperor Yang Zhenbei to manifest, a beam of light erupted from the patriarch’s spirit tablet and a furious voice rang out.

• Wu Song damaged the Wind Severing Saber against Lin Fei’s invisible barrier, then unleashed Wind-Cleaving Wave-Slashing, but the saber qi burst harmlessly against Lin Fei.
• Wu Song tried to seize the Chen Family members as hostages, but Lin Fei kicked him through the main hall, shattered his Protective Gang Qi, and crippled his cultivation.
• The Saber Sect disciples fled, and Lin Fei froze them in place with a pointed finger.
• Wu Song discovered the Saber Emperor Yang Zhenbei spirit tablet, knelt, and begged his patriarch to protect the Saber Sect’s legacy.
• A beam of light erupted from the collapsing main hall, and an enraged voice declared that Lin Fei would die for threatening the Saber Sect.

The Saber Emperor’s avatar manifested to protect the Saber Sect, but Lin Fei remained unafraid and freed the immobilized sect members. The two supreme elders switched their allegiance to the founding patriarch and defended their earlier surrender with a story about feigning compliance.

• The Saber Sect members celebrated the Saber Emperor’s manifestation, while Wu Song taunted Lin Fei and expected him to panic.
• The Saber Emperor’s avatar studied Lin Fei, sensed he looked familiar, and hesitated instead of attacking.
• Wu Song identified Lin Fei and Chen Longxiang as the attackers and begged the founding patriarch to destroy them.
• Lin Fei released everyone immobilized across the Saber Sect, and its members mocked him, confident the Saber Emperor would protect them.
• The two supreme elders knelt before the Saber Emperor and denounced Lin Fei, prompting Wu Song and the sect members to curse their shamelessness.
• The supreme elders claimed they had only pretended to submit to Lin Fei so they could endure humiliation and avenge the Saber Sect later.

Lin Fei awakened the Saber Emperor’s memories, revealing that Yang Zhenbei recognized him as the Celestial Venerable of Ten Thousand Sages and knelt to apologize. The Saber Sect’s disciples were left terrified, while Wu Song and Wu Qing collapsed from shock.

• Wu Song and the Saber Sect disciples demanded that Lin Fei and Chen Longxiang kneel before the Saber Emperor.
• Lin Fei said that Yang Zhenbei had always knelt to pay his respects to him, then sent spiritual light into the Saber Emperor avatar to awaken his memories.
• The Saber Emperor ordered his descendants to kneel before Lin Fei and apologize, then shrank his avatar and knelt before him.
• Yang Zhenbei apologized to Lin Fei for his disciples’ conduct, and Wu Song spat blood and fell to the ground.
• Wu Qing and Wu Yun fainted from fright as the Saber Sect struggled to accept what had happened.