Chapter Summaries

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.