Chapter Summaries

Liu Wuxie reached the Xu Household’s purple gold mine and warned Xu Yishan that the Tian and Wan Households planned to seize it, but Xu Yishan dismissed his warning. While Liu Wuxie devised a defensive formation, Langya’s mercenaries and elders from both rival households gathered outside the camp to plan their attack.

• Liu Wuxie hurried to the mine and entered the camp after the guards recognized him, despite their mockery.
• Liu Wuxie warned Deacon Hu and Xu Yishan that the Tian Household and Wan Household had dispatched teams to seize the mine, but Xu Yishan refused to believe him.
• Liu Wuxie surveyed the camp and designed the Surging Waves Earth Essence Formation, though he lacked the time and materials to build it immediately.
• Guards mocked Liu Wuxie as they patrolled, while he remained in his room.
• More than a hundred attackers, including Langya and peak Xiantian elders Tian Qihong and a Wan Household elder, assembled outside the camp to discuss how to enter.

The Tian and Wan households and the Langya Hired Mercenary Corps launched a night attack on the Xu Household's mining camp, trapping Xu Yishan and his guards. As Langya ordered his men to kill everyone, Liu Wuxie stepped forward to confront the attackers.

• Langya agreed to attack the camp after the Tian and Wan households assured him Xu Yilin was away.
• Xu Yishan dismissed Liu Wuxie's warning of an ambush, though Deacon Hu urged him to take precautions.
• The attackers stormed the camp, wounded the guards, and trapped them in the central clearing.
• Tian Qihong revealed that the Tian and Wan households had also sent forces against the Xu Household's businesses, and Xu Yishan ordered his men to defend the mine.
• Langya ordered his men to leave no one alive, but Liu Wuxie emerged from the darkness and challenged them.

Liu Wuxie killed a Langya mercenary with one slash and demanded that Langya’s men leave an arm behind, forcing a confrontation despite the Xu Household’s objections. He fought Langya at the mining camp and, while avoiding every strike, began gathering momentum with his saber.

• Liu Wuxie killed a Langya mercenary who attacked him, stunning the gathered Xu, Tian, and Wan Household members.
• Liu Wuxie demanded that Langya and the other outsiders sever an arm each and leave; Langya offered to withdraw, but Liu Wuxie refused.
• Langya challenged Liu Wuxie, and Liu Wuxie said he would spare Langya if he could not kill him within three moves.
• Liu Wuxie ordered Deacon Hu to seal the camp exit, then entered the clearing to face Langya despite Xu Yishan’s attempt to stop him.
• Liu Wuxie and Langya clashed with saber and mace, but Liu Wuxie calmly avoided Langya’s attacks while building momentum for a strike.

Liu Wuxie killed Langya with three saber strikes, then turned on the Tian and Wan households’ forces and helped the Xu Household seize control of the battle. As the enemy troops tried to flee, Deacon Hu and Xu Yishan joined the slaughter.

• Liu Wuxie trapped Langya with his first saber strike, then matched him in a clash that alarmed Tian Qihong and Wan Yiyun.
• Langya underwent wolf transformation, but Liu Wuxie used his second strike to cripple Langya’s arm and disarm him.
• Liu Wuxie killed Langya with his third saber strike, terrifying the Tian and Wan households’ fighters.
• Liu Wuxie charged into the enemy ranks and killed more than a dozen disciples as the Langya Hired Mercenary Corps remained stunned.
• Wan Yiyun tried to flee, but Deacon Hu’s guards fired arrows at the retreating fighters while Xu Yishan charged into the crowd.

After Liu Wuxie slaughtered the attackers at the Xu Household mine, he arranged for materials and built a powerful formation to protect the camp. With the formation complete, he made Steward Lan his disciple and entrusted him with formation knowledge under a soul contract.

• Liu Wuxie killed the remaining Langya mercenaries, and Xu Yishan apologized for doubting him and took charge of the aftermath.
• Liu Wuxie gave Xu Yishan a list of formation materials and learned that the Tian and Wan Households had attacked the Xu Household weapons workshop, while rumors spread about the missing Stone-Breaking Army.
• Steward Lan delivered three carts of materials, and Liu Wuxie directed him and fifty guards to excavate fifteen formation nodes around the mine.
• Liu Wuxie crafted fifteen formation flags and activated the Surging Waves Earth Essence Formation, concealing the camp and creating lethal defenses around its nodes.
• Steward Lan asked to learn formations, and Liu Wuxie gave him formation knowledge and a soul contract through his Essence Blood.

After returning from the mines and supplying the Pill Treasure Pavilion with Heavenly Spirit Pills, Liu Wuxie met its Pavilion Master, Bi Gongyu, and overcame his attempt to intimidate him. Bi Gongyu revealed that the pavilion’s Canglan City branch was close to being shut down, while the investigation into the missing Stone-Breaking Army was due to begin the next day.

• Liu Wuxie hunted Demon Beasts in the mountains before rejoining Lan Yu’s convoy and returning to Canglan City.
• Xu Yilin told Liu Wuxie that the investigation team had arrived and would investigate the four great lineages the next day.
• Liu Wuxie refined more than two hundred Heavenly Spirit Pills and brought them to the Pill Treasure Pavilion, promising to supply about a hundred each day.
• Bi Gongyu tried to overpower Liu Wuxie with his presence, but Liu Wuxie’s Ghost Pupil Technique made the Pavilion Master fear for his life.
• Bi Gongyu treated Liu Wuxie warmly and later told Lei Tao and Master Huo that he had sensed death when he met Liu Wuxie’s gaze.
• Bi Gongyu explained that the Canglan City branch ranked second from last and faced closure, while Master Huo urged him to secure the Heavenly Spirit Pills as an opportunity.

The imperial investigation team questioned Canglan City’s four great lineages about the missing Stone-Breaking Army, while the Song Household secretly passed its investigation details to the Xu Household. At the Xu Household, Xue Chunyu singled out Liu Wuxie’s recent trip to the Sunset Mountain Range and demanded that he answer questions, leaving Xu Yilin to realize they wanted a scapegoat.

• Liu Wuxie cultivated at the Xu Household as the investigation team began questioning the Song Household, then the Wan Household and Tian Household.
• Song Tianhao ordered the Song Household to secretly deliver its investigation details to the Xu Household, and Xu Yilin burned the report after reading it.
• The investigation team questioned the Xu Household about who had entered the Sunset Mountain Range, and Steward Lan provided a detailed list of its caravans.
• Xue Chunyu challenged the list because Liu Wuxie had entered the range eight days earlier, and accused the Xu Household of concealing him.
• Xue Chunyu demanded that Liu Wuxie appear and account for his actions, while Xu Yilin realized the team needed someone to blame for the Stone-Breaking Army’s disappearance.

Xue Chunyu used the investigation into the Stone-Breaking Army to accuse Liu Wuxie and the Xu Household, but Liu Wuxie challenged the delegation and refused to be intimidated. Meanwhile, Qi Enshi received a dossier about his crimes from twenty-five years earlier and rushed to the Xu Household as investigators uncovered signs of a battle at Phoenix Roosting Gorge.

• Xu Yilin summoned Liu Wuxie to face the investigation delegation, and Xue Chunyu pressed him about his whereabouts when the Stone-Breaking Army disappeared.
• Liu Wuxie challenged Xue Chunyu’s accusation by questioning the Xue Household’s influence in the court, creating a stalemate in the main hall.
• Qi Enshi opened a letter and dossier documenting his past crimes, suspected Zhou Hu and the Xu Household had sent them, and ordered his carriage to the Xu Household.
• Bai Qiu questioned Xu Yilin about the vanished bandits, and two soldiers reported signs of a major battle at Phoenix Roosting Gorge.
• Xue Chunyu used the new evidence to accuse the Xu Household of concealing the truth, while Liu Wuxie remained calm and wore a mocking smile.

The investigation team nearly blamed the Xu Household for the Stone-Breaking Army’s disappearance, but Bi Gongyu and Qi Enshi intervened and cleared the family of suspicion. After the others left, Qi Enshi confronted Liu Wuxie about the missing men and Zhou Hu, and Liu Wuxie refused to answer.

• Xue Chunyu urged Elder Kong to arrest the Xu Household, while Chen Lu and Bai Qiu supported taking the convoy guards to the capital for questioning.
• Bi Gongyu arrived and presented evidence that Liu Wuxie had been gathering ingredients for a new pill, defending him from suspicion.
• Qi Enshi declared that the Xu Household had suffered no recent bandit attacks and accused the Langya Mercenary Corps of being linked to the Stone-Breaking Army’s disappearance.
• Elder Kong apologized to Xu Yilin and left, ending the investigation against the Xu Household; Xue Chunyu departed with a hostile look toward Liu Wuxie.
• After Bi Gongyu left, Qi Enshi confronted Liu Wuxie about the delivered items and asked where Zhou Hu was, but Liu Wuxie refused to tell him.

After clearing the Xu Household of suspicion, Liu Wuxie repaid the Song Household by repairing its formation hub and discovered that his soul sea had turned golden. He resolved to seek the Imperial Academy’s resources and protection, but the chapter ended when an oil mill belonging to the Xu Household caught fire.

• Qi Enshi left the Xu Household after Liu Wuxie warned him about the dead, and the investigation team concluded that Langya had killed the Stone-Breaking Army.
• Liu Wuxie told Xu Yilin that the Xu Household would soon grow stronger, then agreed to repair the Song Household’s formation hub for Song Tianhao.
• Song Tianhao advised Liu Wuxie to join the Imperial Academy for protection, and Liu Wuxie completed the repairs by sunset.
• After returning home, Liu Wuxie discovered his Ghost Pupil Technique had advanced and his soul sea had become golden, greatly increasing his soul power.
• Liu Wuxie decided to enter the Imperial Academy for resources and as a backer for the Xu Household.
• When an oil mill caught fire, Liu Wuxie rushed to the scene.