Recaps

At the Li Clan, Li Yan and Li Shuang heard Jingyi’s message revealing the great lengths she had gone to protect Lu Ming from the Great Golden Crow Hall. The story left Li Yan hoping the Golden Crow Grandmaster would not attack Thunderfire Hall, while Jingyi prepared to keep her distance for a year.

• Li Yan and Li Shuang discussed whether the Great Golden Crow Hall’s Divine Ability Grandmaster might attack Thunderfire Hall, and Li Shuang warned that the Li Clan could not keep intervening.
• Li Yan played Jingyi’s message, in which Jingyi declared her love for Lu Ming and asked her mother to use the Jing Spirit Mirror to block one Grandmaster’s attack.
• Jingyi revealed that she had also persuaded a Feng Clan Divine Ability Grandmaster to protect Lu Ming once in a crisis, and warned that she would make the Great Golden Crow Hall pay if Lu Ming died.
• Jingyi said she would be unable to send messages for a year and hinted that she would confront Zhou Fuling over her attack on Lu Ming.
• Li Yan ordered Li Shuang to keep Jingyi’s message secret and looked toward Thunderfire Hall, worried that an attack could have serious consequences.

Lu Ming reunited with Zhou Fuling and learned that Her Highness had arrived at Qingyuan Market to choose candidates for the four banners. He met the other cultivators and faced Zhu Chi’s claim to the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner position, just as Her Highness called for him from the pavilion.

• A market guard stopped Lu Ming at the administration office entrance and went to fetch Zhou Fuling, who teased him before leading him inside.
• Zhou Fuling told Lu Ming that Her Highness had arrived and advised him to be practical and to finish any food he was served.
• Lu Ming joined Zhou Fuling at the pavilion, where Zhou Xuan, Cheng Shan, Ye Yuan, Ye Ling, and several unfamiliar powerful figures had gathered.
• Han Yanzhi questioned Lu Ming’s ability and argued that Zhu Chi had already mastered the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner, while Zhou Fuling defended Lu Ming and Ye Yuan.
• Qin Xiao introduced himself, Han Yanzhi, and Zhu Chi, and Lu Ming realized that Zhu Chi was his main rival for the banner position.
• Zhu Chi declared that the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner position belonged to him, but Her Highness calmly asked whether Lu Ming had arrived.

Lu Ming met Her Highness again and learned that the powerful Daoist nun beside her was Zhou Fuling’s aunt, a Divine Ability Grandmaster. He then joined Ye Yuan and Zhu Chi to compete for the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner position, with the contest beginning as Zhu Chi displayed his banner.

• Her Highness recognized Lu Ming as the young man who had used Zhou Xuan’s name when they met on the road to Qingyuan Market, and Lu Ming apologized for deceiving her.
• Zhou Fuling defended Lu Ming from her aunt’s threat, explaining his rapid progress and citing their grandfather’s teachings about helping talented youths.
• Her Highness forgave Lu Ming and announced that the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner position was the only one left to decide.
• Lu Ming, Ye Yuan, and Zhu Chi stepped forward to compete, and Her Highness required each of them to form a banner at the Major Accomplishment Realm.
• Zhu Chi formed a golden banner whose flame patterns showed faint signs of approaching Perfection, worrying Zhou Fuling about Lu Ming’s chances.

Lu Ming competed for the banner position by lighting Her Highness’s bronze lamp with the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner, hoping to earn her protection for Thunderfire Hall. After Zhu Chi and Ye Yuan displayed their flames, Lu Ming revealed that his banner had reached the Perfection Realm and produced a blazing light that stunned everyone.

• Her Highness asked Zhu Chi and the other candidates to light a bronze lamp with their golden flames, and Zhu Chi’s flame shone brighter than Ye Yuan’s.
• Lu Ming asked Her Highness for a favor if he won the banner position, explaining that he wanted to borrow her power to protect Thunderfire Hall.
• Zhu Chi mocked Lu Ming for challenging him, but Her Highness invited Lu Ming to demonstrate his ability.
• Lu Ming used the Fire Lotus Mark to raise his Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner to the Perfection Realm, shocking the onlookers.
• Lu Ming poured his golden flames into the bronze lamp, producing a brilliant fire as bright as a blazing sun.

Lu Ming secured the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner position by proving he had cultivated it to the Perfection Realm, earning Her Highness’s approval and a Qi Ascension Pill. He asked her to protect Thunderfire Hall from the Great Golden Crow Hall and declared that he would settle the grievance himself after three years.

• Lu Ming demonstrated that his Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner had reached the Perfection Realm, surprising Her Highness, Zhou Xuan, and the others.
• Her Highness chose Lu Ming for the banner position and gave Zhu Chi and Ye Yuan reserve roles; after Zhu Chi and Han Yanzhi questioned Lu Ming’s strength, she gave him a Qi Ascension Pill.
• Lu Ming asked Her Highness to protect his family and Thunderfire Hall from the Great Golden Crow Hall’s Divine Ability Grandmaster, and Zhou Fuling explained the dispute.
• Aunt Shu weighed the danger of opposing the Great Golden Crow Hall against the value of Lu Ming’s perfected banner and questioned how long he needed to grow stronger.
• Lu Ming asked Her Highness to protect Thunderfire Hall for three years and promised to settle the grievance himself afterward.

Lu Ming secured three years of protection from Her Highness in red by pledging to become a Divine Ability Grandmaster, while Zhou Fuling supported him. Before the group set out for the Sacred Ruins during the coming Black Rain Season, Her Highness distributed spirit-banner activation methods and called Zhou Fuling to stay behind.

• Lu Ming pledged to become a Divine Ability Grandmaster within three years, and Zhou Fuling told him she believed in him.
• Zhou Fuling argued that protecting Lu Ming would be worthwhile, and Her Highness agreed to negotiate with Great Golden Crow Hall on his behalf for up to three years.
• Her Highness announced that the group would enter the Sacred Ruins when the Black Rain Season began in about a month.
• Her Highness gave the group Divine Ability Jade containing methods to activate their spirit banners, and Lu Ming received the method for the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner.
• Her Highness stopped Zhou Fuling from leaving with Lu Ming, and Zhou Fuling stayed behind to speak with her.

Her Highness Yin Xi warned Zhou Fuling not to become too attached to Lu Ming, given their different status and the danger it could bring. Zhou Fuling asked Yin Xi to help Lu Ming reach Jianmu Mountain, and Yin Xi said they could reconsider if he became a Divine Ability Master.

• Yin Xi teased Zhou Fuling about her relationship with Lu Ming, and Zhou Fuling insisted she only admired his talent and character.
• Yin Xi warned Zhou Fuling that she would have to return to the Great Shang Imperial Domain while Lu Ming remained behind, and that their relationship could put them both in trouble.
• Zhou Fuling praised Lu Ming's alchemy talent and asked Yin Xi to secure him a qualification for Jianmu Mountain so he might become a Great Luo Domain Scion.
• Yin Xi explained that entry to Jianmu Mountain required Lu Ming to become a Divine Ability Master and said they could discuss it again after he reached that stage.
• Zhou Fuling playfully teased Yin Xi, who pinned her against the stone table and smacked her twice.

After securing the imperial princess’s protection for Thunderfire Hall, Lu Ming cultivated the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner and discovered its firelight could both attack and strengthen him. He realized he needed the other banners’ activation methods and more Primordial Qi before he could use the Four Aspects Divine Banner Great Spirit Restriction, and planned to seek Senior Sister’s help.

• Lu Ming told his family and Zhong Taiyue that an imperial princess had promised protection, while warning that this could draw Great Golden Crow Hall’s attention once she left.
• Lu Ming spent several days learning to activate the Sun-Shining Golden Flame Banner and summoned eighteen streaks of Sun-Shining Mystic Fire Light.
• Lu Ming melted a boulder with the firelight, then used it to temper his body and healed the resulting burns with Flame of Life.
• Lu Ming produced the Nether Moon Spirit Spring Banner, Ten Thousand Thunder Banner, and Azure Firmament Wind-Controlling Banner, but could not activate the Four Aspects Divine Banner Great Spirit Restriction without the other methods and more Primordial Qi.
• Lu Ming decided to increase his Divine Ability Dharma Marks before the Black Rain Season and concluded he would need Senior Sister’s help to obtain the missing activation methods.

Lu Jin and Thunderfire Hall faced the arrival of Great Golden Crow Hall, whose members came seeking revenge for Lin Changkong’s death. After Lu Jinglei was gravely injured, Wu Sun declared that Thunderfire Hall would be destroyed and the Lu Clan wiped out.

• Four strangers arrived at Thunderfire Hall, and the burly man attacked Lu Jinglei with a Golden Crow palm strike after asking whether he had killed Lin Changkong.
• Lu Jinglei crashed into Thunderfire Hall gravely wounded, and Lu Ming used the Flame of Life to stabilize him.
• Wu Sun and his companions entered the training ground, where Lu Jin recognized Wu Sun’s Golden Crow Mystic Light as a sign of Great Golden Crow Hall.
• Wu Sun said Zhang Yue had directed them to Thunderfire Hall to investigate Lin Changkong’s death, then confirmed he had come for revenge.
• Wu Sun declared that Thunderfire Hall would be broken and the Lu Clan wiped out.

The Great Golden Crow Hall’s Divine Ability Grandmaster attacked the Thunderfire Hall over Lin Changkong’s death, overwhelming Zhong Taiyue’s defense. As the golden strike descended, a mysterious woman challenged the Grandmaster’s claim to do as they pleased.

• Zhong Taiyue declared that he would protect his grandson Lu Ming and the Thunderfire Hall, then summoned a golden bell to confront Wu Sun.
• A Divine Ability Grandmaster spread a Dharma Net over Qingyuan Market, suppressing everyone’s control of Primordial Qi; Lu Ming’s Fire Lotus Mark freed him from its restraint.
• The Grandmaster formed a face in the sky and demanded to know whether the Thunderfire Hall had killed Lin Changkong.
• The Grandmaster sent a golden strike toward the Thunderfire Hall, and Zhong Taiyue’s blood-enhanced golden bell shattered after resisting it for only a few breaths.
• Li Yan prepared to activate her glazed mirror, but an unknown woman’s voice challenged the Divine Ability Grandmaster’s overbearing actions.

Her Highness and Zhou Shu stopped Jiang Suan from destroying the Thunderfire Hall and demanded that the Great Golden Crow Hall spare the Lu Clan. Jiang Suan resisted until Her Highness threatened to have the Hall’s three Divine Ability Grandmasters conscripted for the coming Grandmaster War.

• A second Divine Ability Grandmaster appeared and caught Jiang Suan’s attack on the Thunderfire Hall, setting off a clash of divine ability laws over Qingyuan Market.
• The newcomer identified herself as Zhou Shu of the Zhou Lineage, and Jiang Suan introduced himself as a Grandmaster of the Great Golden Crow Hall.
• Jiang Suan said he would kill the Lu Clan to settle his Hall’s karmic debt, but Zhou Shu refused to let him touch them.
• Her Highness Yin Xi emerged with Zhou Fuling and said she had promised to protect the Thunderfire Hall in exchange for its help.
• Jiang Suan refused to abandon the Great Golden Crow Hall’s principle of settling all karma, even when Yin Xi and Zhou Shu pressed him.
• Yin Xi threatened to place the Great Golden Crow Hall’s three Grandmasters on the Imperial Domain’s conscription list for the approaching Grandmaster War, frightening Jiang Suan.