Recaps

Lin Yu explained why he had grown wary of the little black-and-gold monkey: he suspected the Water Droplet Man's intelligent consciousness had replaced the monkey's after the Phoenix True Fire incident. The others realized the monkey might now be a vessel for the dangerous consciousness, but the chapter ended without confirming what they would do next.

• Feng Changge, He Buxian, and the Fallen Black Phoenix noticed Lin Yu avoiding the recovered little black-and-gold monkey and decided to ask him why.
• He Buxian questioned Lin Yu about his changed attitude, and Lin Yu pointed out that the Water Droplet Man's consciousness had not resisted being removed from the Heaven-Mending Fragment.
• Lin Yu explained that the Water Droplet Man's consciousness may have vanished into the furnace when the little monkey jumped into the Origin Fire.
• The Fallen Black Phoenix proposed that the Water Droplet Man's consciousness had replaced the monkey's, and He Buxian and Feng Changge realized the danger.
• Lin Yu concluded that the monkey had been refined in the Water Droplet Man's place and that the consciousness now living in it was likely the Water Droplet Man's.

Lin Yu explained that Feng Changge’s Origin Fire had only injured the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness, leaving it dormant inside the little monkey. He reassured the group that the consciousness had little power without the Heaven-Mending Fragment, but He Buxian questioned how the two incompatible consciousnesses could have merged, and the Fallen Black Phoenix waited for Lin Yu to answer.

• Feng Changge wondered why the little monkey still acted like a monkey, and Lin Yu explained that the Origin Fire had injured the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness and left it dormant.
• Feng Changge lamented that his Origin Fire was exhausted, while Lin Yu comforted him and explained that the Water Droplet Man’s power depended on the Heaven-Mending Fragment now held by Lin Yu.
• The Fallen Black Phoenix wondered why the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness could replace the monkey’s, given that the two consciousnesses were fundamentally different.
• He Buxian asked how the monkey’s inborn consciousness and the Water Droplet Man’s externally acquired consciousness could have fused, and the Fallen Black Phoenix looked to Lin Yu for an answer.

Lin Yu explained that the black-and-gold monkey’s consciousness had been erased and replaced by the Water Droplet Man after the monkey sensed the Heaven-Mending Fragment’s energy. He decided to postpone fusing the three fragments to prevent the Water Droplet Man from returning to one, while He Buxian grew suspicious of the Fallen Black Phoenix’s interest in the fragment.

• Lin Yu explained that centuries of exposure to the Heaven-Mending Fragment had altered the monkey and made it sense energy like the Water Droplet Man’s.
• Lin Yu said the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness had erased the monkey’s and taken over its body when the monkey approached the fragment.
• He Buxian and Feng Changge realized the monkey had been possessed, and Lin Yu regretted bringing it out of the underground world.
• Lin Yu decided not to fuse the three Heaven-Mending Fragments yet in case the Water Droplet Man returned to one of them.
• The Fallen Black Phoenix remarked on the fragment’s power, and He Buxian accused him of wanting to attach his own consciousness to it.

He Buxian learned that the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness inside the little monkey had to be eliminated, but the group lacked the Origin Fire needed to do it. Lin Yu and the others were left searching for a way forward while they also needed to gather and fuse all nine Heaven-Mending Fragments.

• The Fallen Black Phoenix clarified that he had warned He Buxian about others coveting the Heaven-Mending Fragment, not because he wanted to merge his consciousness with it.
• Lin Yu vouched for the Fallen Black Phoenix, and the group returned their attention to the Heaven-Mending Fragment and the need to find all nine scattered pieces.
• He Buxian realized the Water Droplet Man’s injured consciousness could be destroyed, but Feng Changge had already used his Origin Fire and could not safely use it again so soon.
• He Buxian reflected on how his search for the strange stone had drawn him into one complication after another.
• Lin Yu recognized that Feng Changge’s Origin Fire was no longer a viable solution, leaving him and the others caught in a dilemma.

Lin Yu learned that Feng Nianzhi was the only known source of sufficiently pure Origin Fire besides Feng Changge, and decided to check how much her seal and power had recovered. He planned to restrain the black-and-gold monkey and investigate the Water Droplet Man’s fragments, leaving the group’s hopes dependent on Feng Nianzhi’s condition.

• Lin Yu asked the Fallen Black Phoenix whether anyone else in the Archaic Phoenix Clan had sufficiently pure Origin Fire, and the Fallen Black Phoenix said there was no one besides Feng Nianzhi.
• He Buxian remembered that Feng Nianzhi had been staying at Daoist Shouyang’s residence, while Lin Yu realized they had not checked on her seal or recovery.
• Lin Yu planned to restrain the black-and-gold monkey the next day in case the injured Water Droplet Man regained strength and switched hosts.
• Lin Yu connected the desert’s dark-green bugs and parasitic beasts to one Heaven-Mending Fragment, while another fragment absorbed energy from the surrounding area.
• Lin Yu decided to visit Feng Nianzhi and hoped she had recovered enough Origin Fire to burn the Water Droplet Man’s intelligent consciousness.
• Lin Yu sent He Buxian, the Fallen Black Phoenix, and Feng Changge back first.

Lin Yu reinforced the fusion of two Heaven-Mending Fragments and remained wary of the Water Droplet Man, whose consciousness inhabited the black-and-gold monkey. Feng Changge came to apologize for the monkey’s fate, and Lin Yu reassured him that the situation had been beyond anyone’s control.

• Lin Yu used his Origin Technique to bind the two Heaven-Mending Fragments more tightly, though he knew all nine fragments would be needed for a complete fusion.
• Lin Yu reflected that the Water Droplet Man might try to return to the fragments and resolved not to let down his guard around the black-and-gold monkey.
• Feng Changge visited Lin Yu and confessed that he had sensed the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness transferring during the sacrifice but had not stopped the refining.
• Feng Changge blamed himself for the little monkey’s lost consciousness, and Lin Yu told him that stopping the ritual might not have saved the monkey and that no one could have changed what happened.

Lin Yu reassured Feng Changge about the little monkey and encouraged him to trust that Daoist Shouyang could restore Feng Nianzhi’s Origin Fire. The next morning, Lin Yu and his companions set out to visit Daoist Shouyang, still needing Feng Nianzhi’s power to destroy the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness.

• Lin Yu comforted Feng Changge over the little monkey and said Feng Nianzhi might have recovered somewhat.
• Lin Yu told Feng Changge to rest and said they would visit Daoist Shouyang the next day.
• The next morning, Lin Yu set out with He Buxian, the Fallen Black Phoenix, and Feng Changge, bringing the little monkey with them.
• Feng Changge worried that destroying the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness might also destroy the little monkey’s body or leave it an empty shell.
• The Fallen Black Phoenix heard Feng Changge’s concern and, unexpectedly, did not criticize him.

Feng Changge mourned the little monkey whose sentient consciousness he had burned away while trying to refine the Water Droplet Man's, and He Buxian insisted that stopping the Water Droplet Man mattered more. Their argument escalated as Feng Changge accused He Buxian of blaming him for what had happened.

• Lin Yu reflected on the little monkey's fate and tried to comfort Feng Changge.
• He Buxian told Feng Changge to stop dwelling on the monkey and focus on completely refining the Water Droplet Man's sentient consciousness.
• Feng Changge insisted he was only grieving and worried that they were sending the little monkey to its death.
• He Buxian argued that the monkey would have died anyway and that mercy could endanger the entire Dao Awakening Era.
• Feng Changge accused He Buxian of pinning the failed attempt on him and defended the choices he had made while channeling the Origin Fire.

Lin Yu and the others discussed the little monkey’s sacrifice and remained determined to destroy the Water Droplet Man’s conscious mind. When they reached Daoist Shouyang’s residence, they found Feng Nianzhi restored to a powerful, grown form.

• Feng Changge revealed that he had refined half of the Water Droplet Man’s conscious mind, leaving the other half in the little monkey and weakening its prospects of recovery.
• He Buxian challenged Feng Changge over his guilt, and Lin Yu intervened, telling them to stop arguing and reminding them that the little monkey’s sacrifice might earn him merit.
• He Buxian reflected on his concern for the Dao Awakening Era and the legacy its preserved cultivation methods had given later generations.
• Lin Yu worried that Feng Nianzhi might not have recovered her Origin Fire, which would force the group to reconsider how to eliminate the Water Droplet Man’s conscious mind.
• Lin Yu and the others reached Daoist Shouyang’s residence and found Feng Nianzhi’s true body transformed: she had grown to Feng Changge’s height and carried the imposing presence of the Lord of the Phoenixes.

Feng Nianzhi returned to her original form after breaking the seal and confirmed that her power and Origin Fire had recovered, crediting Lin Yu for helping her. Feng Changge celebrated her recovery, then remembered that it meant the little monkey’s body would soon be destroyed.

• Feng Changge saw Feng Nianzhi in her original form and realized she had recovered from the seal that had kept her looking like a child.
• Feng Nianzhi thanked Lin Yu for discovering the connection between her seal and the Heaven-Mending Fragment, while Lin Yu modestly declined to call himself her benefactor.
• Feng Nianzhi noticed the fallen black phoenix beside Lin Yu but did not question him about it.
• Feng Nianzhi confirmed to Feng Changge that her Origin Fire had returned to normal.
• Feng Changge realized that Feng Nianzhi’s restored Origin Fire meant the little monkey’s physical body would soon be destroyed, and he felt compassion for it.

Lin Yu and the others asked Feng Nianzhi to use her recovered Origin Fire to erase the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness from the little black-and-gold monkey. She learned how Feng Changge’s earlier attempt had transferred the consciousness into the monkey, then agreed to consider another attempt.

• He Buxian told Feng Nianzhi that they wanted to borrow her Origin Fire to remove the consciousness from the Heaven-Mending Fragment.
• He Buxian explained that the little black-and-gold monkey had absorbed the fragment’s power and jumped into Feng Changge’s furnace during the earlier ritual.
• Feng Nianzhi realized that the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness had transferred into the monkey and that Feng Changge might have refined away the monkey’s own consciousness.
• Feng Nianzhi reassured Feng Changge that the failed attempt was difficult to prevent and told him not to blame himself.
• He Buxian said Feng Changge had come to protect Feng Nianzhi on the Black-Robed High Priest’s orders and that her Origin Fire was their only known way to erase the Water Droplet Man’s consciousness.

Feng Nianzhi prepared to use the Archaic Phoenix Clan’s sacrificial ritual and Origin Fire to refine the Water Droplet Man’s remaining intelligent consciousness. As the ritual began, He Buxian recognized the power and significance of the clan’s traditions.

• Feng Nianzhi agreed to refine the Water Droplet Man’s remaining consciousness and warned that it must not escape again.
• Lin Yu assured Feng Nianzhi that he had secured all three Heaven-Mending Fragments, while He Buxian said there was no little monkey to disrupt the process.
• Feng Nianzhi prepared an elaborate Archaic Phoenix Clan ritual with a bronze censer and four totem-marked tripods.
• Lin Yu used the Hongmeng System to confirm that Feng Nianzhi’s blood could strengthen the purification and help keep the Water Droplet Man from fleeing.
• He Buxian watched Feng Nianzhi’s ritual and realized that the clan’s sacrificial art held a power he had not understood before.

Lin Yu forced the black-and-gold little monkey into Feng Nianzhi's Origin Fire to destroy the Water Droplet Man's remaining intelligent consciousness. After Feng Nianzhi annihilated it, Feng Changge found comfort in Lin Yu's promise that he had saved the monkey's reincarnated soul, then praised Feng Nianzhi and argued with He Buxian.

• The Water Droplet Man's intelligent consciousness awakened inside the little monkey and attacked Lin Yu, who easily subdued it.
• Lin Yu forced the struggling monkey into Feng Nianzhi's Origin Fire, where it screamed and vanished within three breaths.
• Lin Yu told the remorseful Feng Changge that he had found and helped the little monkey's reincarnated soul using the Hongmeng System.
• Feng Nianzhi burned the Water Droplet Man's consciousness to annihilation and carefully kept the furnace aflame to prevent its return.
• Feng Changge praised Feng Nianzhi to He Buxian, who snapped back that Feng Changge had not inherited much of his clan's power.

Feng Nianzhi completely eradicated the Water Droplet Man’s remaining intelligent consciousness and agreed to return to the Phoenix Ancestral Sea to lead the Archaic Phoenix Clan. Lin Yu left so she could rest, while Feng Changge mistook her wistful sigh for worry about the Fallen Black Phoenix.

• He Buxian and Feng Changge argued over the Archaic Phoenix Clan’s future, while Lin Yu sensed that his involvement with the clan might not be over.
• Feng Nianzhi quickly used her Origin Fire to eradicate the Water Droplet Man’s remaining intelligent consciousness without showing signs of exhaustion.
• Feng Changge urged Feng Nianzhi to return to the Phoenix Ancestral Sea, and she agreed to lead the Archaic Phoenix Clan in reclaiming its rights and status.
• Lin Yu advised Feng Nianzhi to rest and left with He Buxian and the Fallen Black Phoenix.
• After Lin Yu left, Feng Nianzhi sighed while gazing after him, but Feng Changge mistook her expression as concern about the Fallen Black Phoenix and told her they could deal with him later.

Feng Nianzhi seemed to be recovering, but the next morning Feng Changge found her unconscious and rushed to Lin Yu for help. Lin Yu hurried with Feng Changge to Feng Nianzhi’s residence to learn what had happened.

• Feng Changge reassured Feng Nianzhi that the fallen Black Phoenix could be dealt with later and urged her to rest and recover.
• Feng Changge believed the little monkey’s reincarnation would go smoothly and thought things were returning to normal.
• The next morning, Feng Changge found Feng Nianzhi pale and unconscious, and the phoenix guards panicked.
• Feng Changge rushed to Lin Yu’s residence to ask for help, interrupting He Buxian’s practice.
• Lin Yu questioned Feng Changge, then hurried with him toward Feng Nianzhi’s residence and asked him to explain what he knew along the way.

Lin Yu learned that Feng Nianzhi had been attacked during the night and rushed to examine her after Feng Changge begged him for help. Feng Nianzhi was badly injured but not in mortal danger, while Feng Changge blamed himself for failing to protect her.

• Feng Changge told Lin Yu that he had found Feng Nianzhi unconscious that morning and that the guards had heard nothing during the night.
• Feng Changge said the Black-Robed High Priest was on his way to visit Feng Nianzhi, and Lin Yu expected him to hurry once he learned of the attack.
• Lin Yu used the Hongmeng System to deduce that someone with powerful Origin Techniques had attacked Feng Nianzhi around midnight.
• Lin Yu and Feng Changge reached Feng Nianzhi's residence, where the panicked guards asked Lin Yu to help her.
• Lin Yu ordered the guards to carry Feng Nianzhi into her cave residence and said she was badly injured but not in danger of dying.
• Feng Changge blamed himself for failing to protect Feng Nianzhi and for letting down the High Priest and the Archaic Phoenix Clan.

After Feng Nianzhi was seriously injured in a secret attack, Feng Changge blamed himself while Lin Yu tried to keep him focused on saving her. He Buxian stopped the Archaic Phoenix Clan from accusing the Fallen Black Phoenix and warned that the attacker might still be at large.

• Feng Changge panicked and blamed himself for failing to protect Feng Nianzhi, while Lin Yu urged him to focus on saving her.
• He Buxian scolded Feng Changge for losing his composure and reminded him that the Archaic Phoenix Clan needed him to stay calm.
• The Archaic Phoenix Clan suspected the Fallen Black Phoenix had attacked Feng Nianzhi, but He Buxian defended him and said he had been with him all night.
• Lin Yu warned the Archaic Phoenix Clan not to lower its guard, since mysteries remained in the Youming Immortal Realm and its carelessness had led to Feng Nianzhi's injury.

Lin Yu explained that Feng Nianzhi was likely attacked after using her unstable Origin Fire to purify the Water Droplet Man’s sentient consciousness, leaving her vulnerable. He revealed that an enemy had planted a seal in her with a Heaven-Mending Fragment and had likely waited for an opportunity to strike, while the attacker’s identity remained unknown.

• Lin Yu promised the Archaic Phoenix Clan he would investigate Feng Nianzhi’s attack and said she had probably been weakened after using her Origin Fire.
• Lin Yu revealed that someone had planted a seal in Feng Nianzhi using the power of a Heaven-Mending Fragment, and Daoist Shouyang had been helping dissolve it.
• Lin Yu explained that Feng Nianzhi had risked purifying the Water Droplet Man’s sentient consciousness for the Archaic Phoenix Clan and every living creature in the fantasy world.
• Feng Changge blamed himself for failing to help Feng Nianzhi, but Lin Yu told him the attacker had likely been waiting for her to become vulnerable.
• Lin Yu concluded that the enemy had probably struck last night after Feng Nianzhi expended her spiritual power, though the attacker was still unidentified.

Lin Yu tried to keep Feng Nianzhi’s injury from reaching the Black-Robed High Priest, warning that the news could destabilize the Archaic Phoenix Clan. After the phoenix guards argued that the High Priest needed to know, Lin Yu acknowledged their point but urged them to investigate first and limit the fallout.

• Lin Yu stopped someone from reporting Feng Nianzhi’s injury to the Black-Robed High Priest and explained that Feng Nianzhi’s wound could be treated.
• Lin Yu warned the Archaic Phoenix Clan members that the High Priest might react rashly and put the clan’s survival at risk.
• The phoenix guards insisted that they had been ordered to report everything to the High Priest and wanted his help finding Feng Nianzhi’s enemy.
• Lin Yu said the High Priest did not know who had placed the seal on Feng Nianzhi and was already burdened by the clan’s affairs.
• Lin Yu promised to take responsibility if anything happened to Feng Nianzhi and urged the others to investigate quietly before informing the High Priest.

Lin Yu explained why the Archaic Phoenix Clan needed to keep Feng Nianzhi’s injury secret and revealed that her damaged condensed origin prevented her from healing. He told the guards that external treatment could save her and began describing a rare herb that might help.

• Lin Yu persuaded the Archaic Phoenix guards that publicizing Feng Nianzhi’s injury could expose the weakened clan to attack.
• Feng Changge asked Lin Yu how badly Feng Nianzhi was hurt and how they could help her wake up.
• Lin Yu warned that Feng Nianzhi had only recently recovered and was not yet strong enough to lead the clan to greatness.
• Lin Yu explained that an Origin Technique had damaged Feng Nianzhi’s condensed origin, leaving her unable to heal herself, and said external treatment was needed.
• Lin Yu recalled a rare herb on the Twelve True Palaces’ Black Demon Mountain that bloomed once every thousand years and took another thousand years to bear fruit.

Lin Yu explained that a rare herb from the Twelve True Palaces could repair Feng Nianzhi’s condensed origin and planned to seek it himself. Feng Changge insisted on accompanying him to make amends, and Lin Yu finally agreed despite worrying that the dangerous journey could be made harder by Feng Changge.

• Lin Yu told Feng Changge that the herb from Black Demon Mountain could help save Feng Nianzhi and said he would seek its fruit at the Twelve True Palaces.
• Lin Yu decided to go himself, since sending Archaic Phoenix Clan guards into the dangerous territory could expose them to hostile forces.
• Feng Changge asked to accompany Lin Yu, saying he was responsible for what had happened to Feng Nianzhi and needed to make amends.
• The phoenix guards urged Lin Yu to take Feng Changge, arguing that the Archaic Phoenix Clan’s ties to the Twelve True Palaces might prove useful.
• Lin Yu relented and allowed Feng Changge to come, warning him not to do anything unnecessary.

Lin Yu brought Feng Changge to the Twelve True Palaces to seek the immortal herb needed to awaken Feng Nianzhi. As they approached the dangerous region, Lin Yu warned Feng Changge to obey him while he noticed that new rulers had taken control amid fierce local conflicts.

• Lin Yu agreed to take Feng Changge along after making him promise to stay quiet, follow instructions, and avoid reckless behavior.
• Lin Yu left He Buxian and the fallen black phoenix at Daoist Shouyang's residence to help protect the unconscious Feng Nianzhi.
• Lin Yu and Feng Changge traveled to the Twelve True Palaces, where Lin Yu saw that new powers had replaced the former rulers and conflict was killing members of the younger generation.
• Near the Twelve True Palaces, Lin Yu again warned Feng Changge not to act on impulse, and Feng Changge promised to obey for Feng Nianzhi's sake.

Lin Yu tried to ease Feng Changge’s guilt over Feng Nianzhi’s attack, but Feng Changge remained determined to take responsibility. They learned that the Twelve True Palaces were divided among eight rival lineages, including four great lineages tied to the four divine beasts.

• Feng Changge promised Lin Yu he would cooperate to obtain the herbs needed to save Feng Nianzhi.
• Lin Yu reminded Feng Changge that other phoenix guards had also been responsible for protecting Feng Nianzhi, but Feng Changge continued to blame himself.
• Feng Changge resolved to confess his actions to the Black-Robed High Priest after they retrieved the herbs.
• Lin Yu and Feng Changge learned that a battle had reshaped the Twelve True Palaces and replaced several leaders.
• Lin Yu and Feng Changge discovered that four divine-beast bloodlines and the Li, Zhou, Ouyang, and Shangguan Lineages opposed one another, with the four great lineages locked in ongoing conflict.

Lin Yu and Feng Changge searched the Twelve True Palaces for the herb needed to save Feng Nianzhi while avoiding conflict with the four great families. Lin Yu planned to search the neutral and remote wilderness areas, and Feng Changge resolved not to create more enemies for the Archaic Phoenix Clan.

• Feng Changge worried that the herb might not fruit in time, but Lin Yu said his deduction suggested they would find it within a few days.
• Feng Changge noticed they were being followed, and Lin Yu revealed that the four great families were secretly watching them.
• Lin Yu explained that the families had divided most of the Twelve True Palaces but left neutral borderlands and remote wilderness areas unclaimed.
• Lin Yu advised searching those unclaimed areas to avoid a fight that could waste time and entangle the Archaic Phoenix Clan.
• Feng Changge decided to avoid unnecessary conflict because the Archaic Phoenix Clan could not afford to make more enemies while Feng Nianzhi was gravely injured.

Lin Yu explained his plan to search the ungoverned lands of the Twelve True Palaces for the hundred-year-old herb while giving the Four Great Lineage time to notice them. Feng Changge worried that the lineages might demand his phoenix essence blood, but Lin Yu focused on searching first, hoping to find the herb without involving them.

• Feng Changge asked Lin Yu what they would do if they could not find the herb in the ungoverned territories.
• Lin Yu said they would search the remaining lands for several days and give the Four Great Lineage time to observe them.
• Lin Yu explained that the lineages might welcome outside forces if they could use them against a rival lineage.
• Feng Changge worried that the lineages might try to trade the herb for his phoenix essence blood because he belonged to the Archaic Phoenix Clan.
• Lin Yu dismissed Feng Changge's fears for the moment and urged him to focus on finding the herb, which might have been overlooked in the ungoverned lands.