Recaps

Xu Qi'an forced Emperor Yongxing to abdicate, arguing that his rule threatened Great Feng, and the Nation-Guarding Sword chose Xu Qi'an. Huaiqing gathered the imperial princes to settle the succession and announced that she intended to take the throne herself.

• Xu Qi'an threatened Emperor Yongxing and rebuked the imperial family and officials for supporting peace with Yunzhou, while soldiers pledged to follow him into battle.
• The Nation-Guarding Sword flew to Xu Qi'an, silencing the court, and he left with Huaiqing after taking Emperor Yongxing from the throne hall.
• The Yunzhou delegation realized it was trapped in the palace, and Ji Yuan feared Xu Qi'an would show them no mercy.
• In the imperial study, Xu Qi'an explained why he was forcing Yongxing to abdicate and left Huaiqing to handle the succession.
• Huaiqing summoned Prince Li and the imperial princes, rejected Prince Yan as a candidate, and declared that she intended to claim the throne.

Huaiqing secured the imperial clan’s submission and the court’s support for her bid to become emperor, while Xu Qi'an helped consolidate control of the capital. After learning that Ji Yuan had been secretly contacting Noble Consort Chen, Xu Qi'an rode to the palace to question her about the Consort Fu Case.

• Huaiqing announced her intention to become emperor and convinced the imperial clan to submit by citing Xu Qi'an’s support, her military backing, and her agreement with Cloud Deer Academy.
• Huaiqing entered the throne hall and received the officials’ approval to take the throne, while Xu Qi'an reflected on his rise and discussed securing public support with her.
• Xu Qi'an visited the Yunzhou delegation in the dungeon, humiliated Ji Yuan, and ordered the prisoners transferred beneath the Star Observation Tower.
• Azhu asked Xu Qi'an to release her, and he decided to find her a position because he needed people.
• Xu Yuanshuang told Xu Qi'an that Ji Yuan had secretly contacted Noble Consort Chen, prompting Xu Qi'an to plan a public parade of the Yunzhou delegation and ride to the palace to question Noble Consort Chen.

Xu Qi'an confronted Dowager Consort Chen in Splendid Scenery Palace and exposed her ties to Xu Pingfeng, while Lin'an struggled with his decision to force Yongxing to abdicate. After Huaiqing threatened Dowager Consort Chen, Xu Qi'an returned to comfort Lin'an and carried her away.

• Xu Qi'an visited Dowager Consort Chen and Lin'an, where they begged him to spare Yongxing and let him leave the capital.
• Xu Qi'an accused Dowager Consort Chen of plotting with Xu Pingfeng and explained how the Consort Fu Case had served the Yunzhou rebels.
• Under the Heart Gu's influence, Dowager Consort Chen revealed that Xu Pingfeng had once been her lover and that she had kept contact with him through an agent in Splendid Scenery Palace.
• Xu Qi'an took Lin'an away and told her that Great Feng's survival was tied to his own, but Lin'an remained distant and collapsed in tears after he left.
• An eunuch delivered white silk and poisoned wine to Dowager Consort Chen on Huaiqing's orders, warning that she could choose one if she caused trouble.
• Xu Qi'an returned to Lin'an, carried her in his arms, and told her that her hatred would not make him leave her.

After Huaiqing secured the court’s support to become empress, she sought an auspicious omen to win over the people, while Xu Qi'an discovered Mu Nanzhi’s awakening power causing flowers and grass to grow throughout his room. The chapter ended with Xu Qi'an telling Huaiqing he had an idea for a historic, heaven-sent omen.

• Zhong Li’s ill fortune caused Nightwatchers and prisoners to stumble as they confined Emperor Yongxing and the princes in the Directorate of Astronomy.
• Mu Nanzhi returned to the Pagoda Treasure Tower, where the tower spirit helped regulate the abundant Qi in her body and noted that the Undying Tree’s spiritual essence was awakening.
• Wang Zhenwen learned that Huaiqing would become empress and warned Qian Qingshu and the other officials that she would struggle to secure the throne.
• Xu Qi'an returned to his room, found Mu Nanzhi asleep, and learned from the tower spirit that she had gained abundant Qi and a miraculous awakening power.
• Huaiqing told Xu Qi'an that she needed an auspicious omen for her enthronement, but their initial suggestions failed to satisfy her.
• Flowers and grass suddenly grew throughout Xu Qi'an’s room around Mu Nanzhi, and he messaged Huaiqing that he had an idea for a historic omen.

Ji Yuan and the Yunzhou officials were paraded through the capital as Xu Qi'an announced Huaiqing's support for the throne, while the court prepared for her enthronement. The chapter ended on enthronement day, with Huaiqing's accession poised to test public opinion and the Xu family reacting to the upheaval.

• Nightwatchers dragged Ji Yuan and the Yunzhou officials from the dungeon and paraded them through the streets, where the crowd pelted and cursed them.
• A public notice announced that the emperor would abdicate in favor of Huaiqing, with Xu Qi'an assisting her, provoking mixed reactions among the capital's people.
• Huaiqing's ministers reported that enthronement preparations were complete and discussed how Xu Qi'an's reputation could help win public support.
• On the day of Huaiqing's enthronement, students, townsfolk, and nobles held differing views about a woman becoming emperor.
• At the Xu Residence, Auntie worried about the public reaction and her absent family, while Xu Lingyue defended her eldest brother's plans.

Xu Qi'an reunited with his family, prepared to confront Xu Pingfeng, and witnessed Huaiqing’s enthronement and Mu Nanzhi’s citywide blossoming miracle. The chapter ended with Xu Qi'an realizing the Fate-Disordering Hammer’s true purpose.

• Xu Qi'an returned home, reassured Xu Pingzhi and Xu Lingyue, and said he would go to Qingzhou to face Xu Pingfeng in a fight to the death.
• Xu Qi'an told his family that Xu Yuanshuang and Xu Yuanhuai were confined at the Directorate of Astronomy, while Auntie rejected the idea of welcoming them into the Xu household.
• Huaiqing ascended the throne as emperor and established the Huaiqing era after officials proclaimed her accession edict.
• Mu Nanzhi made flowers bloom throughout the capital, exhausted herself, and later discovered that Xu Qi'an had taken advantage of their recovery ritual to dual cultivate with her.
• Zhao Shou left Cloud Deer Academy in his Confucian regalia and bamboo book case, reciting as he headed toward the capital.
• Xu Qi'an reasoned that the Fate-Disordering Hammer could address Great Feng’s lack of Transcendent fighting strength and realized its true purpose.

Zhong Li used the Fate-Disordering Hammer to open Xu Qi'an's apertures, allowing him to command the Power of All Living Beings. As Ji Xuan learned that Ji Yuan had gone missing, Xu Qi'an announced plans to travel to Qingzhou and challenge Xu Pingfeng, while his messages with Huaiqing puzzled the Heaven and Earth Society.

• Xu Qi'an realized the Fate-Disordering Hammer could let him control the Power of All Living Beings, and Zhong Li repeatedly struck him to open his apertures.
• After experiencing many different lives and fates, Xu Qi'an awakened the Power of All Living Beings on the Star Observation Tower, and the capital's arcanists prostrated themselves before him.
• Ge Wenxuan told Ji Xuan he could not contact Ji Yuan, and Ji Xuan suspected Xu Qi'an was involved and reported the matter to the great general.
• Xu Qi'an told the Earth Book group he planned to investigate the Yunzhou rebels and challenge Xu Pingfeng in Qingzhou.
• Huaiqing invited Xu Qi'an to the palace to receive a surprise, leaving the other Heaven and Earth Society members confused by their exchange.

After Huaiqing announced her accession to the throne, Xu Qi'an and the Heaven and Earth Society planned to use his challenge in Qingzhou to draw Yunzhou's forces away while attacking the Earth Sect's headquarters and killing Heilian. Xu Qi'an revealed to himself that Asuro would be the operation's hidden main force, while Daoist Jinlian learned that the Earth Sect's headquarters was already empty.

• Huaiqing told the Heaven and Earth Society that she had become emperor, and she and Xu Qi'an explained how they had stabilized the capital.
• Daoist Jinlian explained that Huaiqing's unusual purple-gold fortune had led him to give her an Earth Book Fragment, then Li Lingsu proposed attacking the Earth Sect's headquarters to draw Heilian away.
• The Heaven and Earth Society approved a plan to attack Heilian while Xu Qi'an delivered his challenge, with Daoist Jinlian coordinating the operation.
• Xu Qi'an revealed that Asuro would be the operation's hidden main force because Luo Yuheng could not safely fight at full strength before her tribulation.
• Qiu Chanyi told Daoist Jinlian that the Earth Sect's headquarters was empty and its wicked Daoists had moved without leaving a known destination.

Daoist Jinlian learned that the Earth Sect's wicked Daoists had abandoned their headquarters, while Li Lingsu recruited Yang Qianhuan to help fight a Transcendent enemy and told him that Huaiqing had become emperor through Xu Qi'an. The Heaven and Earth Society planned to locate the wicked Daoists and draw Yunzhou's forces into battle, as Qi Guangbo announced that the peace talks had failed and Qingzhou would prepare to attack Yongzhou.

• Qiu Chanyi told Daoist Jinlian that the Earth Sect's wicked Daoists had not come down from their mountain for nearly a month, and Daoist Jinlian realized they had changed their behavior after the Superintendent was sealed.
• Daoist Bailian learned that Qiu Chanyi had reached the Yin Spirit Realm and explained that Daoist Jinlian had developed a habit of possessing orange cats.
• Li Lingsu asked Yang Qianhuan to help with formations during a coming hunt for one of the Transcendents who had attacked the Superintendent, then told him that Xu Qi'an had put Huaiqing on the throne.
• Daoist Jinlian reported that the Earth Sect's headquarters was deserted; Xu Qi'an concluded that the wicked Daoists were likely in Qingzhou, and Huaiqing said Duke Wei's covert agents could help locate them.
• Chu Yuanzhen proposed provoking Yunzhou's army into attacking Yongzhou, while Huaiqing's plan called for Xu Qi'an to occupy Yunzhou's Transcendent experts.
• Qi Guangbo told Qingzhou's officers that the peace negotiations had failed and ordered preparations to attack Yongzhou; Ge Wenxuan reported that Ji Yuan was missing.

The Yunzhou leaders rejected peace and prepared to pressure Yongzhou, while Xu Qi'an arranged for the Heaven and Earth Society to meet near the city. The chapter left Xu Qi'an facing Mu Nanzhi's jealousy after she learned he had sent Luo Yuheng a letter asking for dual cultivation.

• Qi Guangbo told the Yunzhou generals that Huaiqing had taken the throne, then ordered them to march on Yongzhou in three days and demand Ji Yuan's release.
• Xu Pingfeng approved the plan and discussed the failed negotiations and the coming campaign with Bodhisattva Jialuoshu.
• Xu Qi'an gave Sun Xuanji a brocade pouch, then went to Numinous Treasure Temple but withdrew after overhearing Mu Nanzhi tease Luo Yuheng.
• Luo Yuheng received Xu Qi'an's letter asking for dual cultivation, while Mu Nanzhi reacted with jealousy.
• Xu Qi'an learned from the Earth Book Fragment that Earth Sect demonic Daoists controlled Qingzhou's Provincial Surveillance Commission and arranged a Heaven and Earth Society meeting near Yongzhou.
• Mu Nanzhi confronted Xu Qi'an at night, asking why he was not dual cultivating with Luo Yuheng.

The Heaven and Earth Society members gathered near Yongzhou to prepare for a battle against Heilian, and Number Eight arrived as an Asura monk. Asuro explained that he did not consider himself a Buddhist disciple, easing the group’s doubts about his allegiance.

• Chu Yuanzhen and Hengyuan met at the tomb robber’s tunnel and discussed Chu Yuanzhen’s unusual cultivation path and the origins of the major cultivation systems.
• Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu, and Yang Qianhuan joined the gathering, and the members waited around a campfire for Daoist Jinlian and the others.
• Daoist Jinlian arrived and revealed that Xu Qi'an had been hiding in Li Miaozhen’s shadow.
• Number Eight emerged from the forest as a towering monk in a kasaya, and Li Lingsu recognized him as an Asura.
• Asuro said he did not consider himself a disciple of the Buddhist Order, then introduced himself by name to the Heaven and Earth Society.

Asuro revealed himself as a powerful Buddhist Second Rank and became the main force in the Heaven and Earth Society’s plan to kill Heilian, while Xu Qi'an promised to hold off Xu Pingfeng and Bodhisattva Jialuoshu. In Xunzhou, Yang Gong prepared to defend the city as the Yunzhou army arrived in overwhelming force, led by Ji Xuan.

• Asuro revealed his golden body and identified himself, leaving Li Lingsu, Li Miaozhen, and Chu Yuanzhen mortified after their earlier mockery.
• Daoist Jinlian reviewed the plan to kill Heilian in Qingzhou, and Xu Qi'an said he could hold off Xu Pingfeng and Bodhisattva Jialuoshu while the others finished the fight within a quarter of an hour.
• Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and Li Lingsu realized Xu Qi'an and Daoist Jinlian had concealed Asuro's identity and silently vowed to get back at them.
• Yang Gong arranged Xunzhou's defenses after learning the Yunzhou rebels were advancing, while Xu Xinnian, Miao Youfang, and Mosang joined the defenders on the walls.
• The Yunzhou army's main force of at least fifty thousand troops halted beyond cannon range, and Miao Youfang recognized the approaching rider as Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan threatened Xunzhou and demanded Xu Xinnian, but Xu Qi'an arrived and rallied the defenders. Sun Xuanji summoned Great Feng’s leading Transcendents and nearly thirty Fourth Rank experts, setting the forces against Xu Pingfeng, Jialuoshu, and the Yunzhou rebels.

• Ji Xuan struck Xunzhou’s walls and demanded that Yang Gong hand over Xu Xinnian, threatening to raze the city.
• Xu Qi'an’s cloud-formed face appeared over Xunzhou, restoring the defenders’ morale as they shouted their support for him.
• Xu Qi'an landed before Ji Xuan, while Xu Pingfeng and Bodhisattva Jialuoshu manifested with their Dharma Idols.
• Sun Xuanji summoned Kou Yangzhou, Luo Yuheng, Zhao Shou, and nearly thirty Fourth Rank experts to join Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Qi'an ordered the assembled forces to annihilate the rebels in the Empress’s name.

Xu Qi'an rallied Great Feng’s defenders and led its Transcendent experts into battle against Bodhisattva Jialuoshu, preparing a combined attack with the Nation-Guarding Sword. The chapter ended with his world-shaking strike about to land, while Qingzhou’s prisoners suffered torture and abuse under the Yunzhou occupiers.

• Xu Qi'an arrived at Yongzhou with Transcendent and Fourth Rank experts, restoring the defenders’ morale as Yang Gong led them in a cry of defiance.
• Ji Xuan called on Bodhisattva Jialuoshu to test Great Feng’s strength, and Sun Xuanji’s formations failed to slow the Bodhisattva.
• Xu Qi'an asked Kou Yangzhou and Luo Yuheng to help break Jialuoshu’s defenses, and they unleashed a torrent of sabers and Luo Yuheng’s Heart Sword.
• Xu Qi'an summoned the Nation-Guarding Sword, combined Shenshu’s power with the Power of All Living Beings, and gathered strength for Jade Shatters.
• Xu Pingfeng tried to deploy a formation as Jialuoshu charged, but Zhao Shou forbade formations and empowered Xu Qi'an’s sword strike with Words Become Law.
• In occupied Qingzhou, the Yunzhou forces subjected prisoners to brutal torture while depraved Earth Sect Daoists abused women in the cells.

Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu, Hengyuan, and Jinlian struck at the Earth Sect while Xu Qi'an and his allies fought Bodhisattva Jialuoshu outside Xunzhou. Xu Qi'an shattered Jialuoshu's Vajra Dharma Idol, and Xu Pingfeng attempted to teleport the depleted Transcendents away as the chapter ended.

• Daoist Chilian ordered his disciples to imprison families and exploit their women, but Li Miaozhen, Li Lingsu, and Hengyuan ambushed him and killed him with a Heart Sword.
• Li Miaozhen told Hengyuan to kill every Earth Sect fiendish Daoist in the dungeon, while Daoist Jinlian confronted Heilian at the Provincial Surveillance Commission and Asuro revealed himself as an Arhat.
• Kou Yangzhou broke through Bodhisattva Jialuoshu's spatial barrier, and Luo Yuheng's Heart Sword briefly dazed Jialuoshu.
• Xu Qi'an used the Nation-Guarding Sword to strike Jialuoshu's Vajra Dharma Idol, shattering it and lifting the defenders' morale while Ji Xuan despaired at the gap between them.
• Xu Pingfeng activated a formation and sent its bronze disc dozens of li away, but Xu Qi'an mocked his attempt to teleport the Transcendents.

Xu Qi'an and the Transcendents fought Xu Pingfeng and Jialuoshu above Xunzhou while Asuro and Jinlian launched their plan to kill Heilian in Qingzhou. After Jinlian purified the defeated Earth Sect Daoists, he agreed to explain the Earth Book’s secret later and head to Xunzhou to help Xu Qi'an.

• Xu Qi'an pursued Xu Pingfeng for the bronze disc, but Jialuoshu stopped his Intent strike while Zhao Shou forbade Xu Pingfeng from teleporting away.
• Xu Qi'an assigned Kou Yangzhou to fight Ji Xuan, Luo Yuheng and Sun Xuanji to contain Xu Pingfeng, and himself and Zhao Shou to hold off Jialuoshu.
• Asuro attacked Heilian at the Provincial Surveillance Commission, while Jinlian used the Earth Book Fragments to break the formation protecting Heilian.
• Asuro and the real Jinlian exposed their decoy and defeated Heilian after he tried to devour the fake Jinlian, then Jinlian purified the fleeing Earth Sect Daoists.
• Asuro asked what Heilian had meant about the Earth Book; Jinlian promised to explain to the Heaven and Earth Society before they left for Xunzhou.

Xu Qi'an and Great Feng's Transcendents battled Xu Pingfeng and Jialuoshu at Xunzhou, while Asuro arrived after Heilian's defeat and joined their fight. The Yunzhou army retreated from Xunzhou, giving Great Feng its first major victory since Qingzhou fell and strengthening Huaiqing's position.

• Xu Qi'an and his allies targeted Ji Xuan, but Jialuoshu and Xu Pingfeng stopped their attack and nearly killed Kou Yangzhou before Zhao Shou and Xu Qi'an intervened.
• Ji Xuan warned that Jialuoshu's Vajra Divine Art would soon recover, while Daoist Jinlian stayed behind to refine Heilian and Asuro departed for Xunzhou.
• Asuro arrived at Xunzhou, shattered Ji Xuan's weapon and wounded him, then joined Xu Qi'an and Kou Yangzhou in confronting Jialuoshu.
• Asuro declared his betrayal of the Buddhist Order and vowed to settle the deaths of his people and father with it.
• The Yunzhou army retreated from Xunzhou, and Xu Erlang and the defenders celebrated their victory as news that could bolster Huaiqing's accession.

Xu Qi'an and his allies defeated Xu Pingfeng's group in a brutal battle, though the enemies escaped and Luo Yuheng's impending tribulation remained a threat. As the victors regrouped and planned their next moves, Xu Pingfeng resolved to discover Xu Qi'an's Dao, and a banquet in Xunzhou ended with Miao Youfang interrupting Li Lingsu before he could provoke Protector Yuan.

• Xu Qi'an, Asuro, and Kou Yangzhou repeatedly wounded Jialuoshu, while Zhao Shou stopped Xu Pingfeng's formation and Ji Xuan attacked Sun Xuanji.
• Sun Xuanji bound Ji Xuan with Netherworld Silkworm Silk, and Luo Yuheng struck him with her flying sword, but Xu Pingfeng seized the sword before Zhao Shou forced him to release it.
• Jialuoshu withdrew with Xu Pingfeng and Ji Xuan; Xu Qi'an's allies treated their wounds and discussed Luo Yuheng's coming tribulation and plans to use teleportation formations.
• Xu Pingfeng learned that Heilian and the Earth Sect's wicked Daoists had died, then resolved to uncover the power Xu Qi'an had gained through Dao Integration.
• Xunzhou soldiers celebrated their victory, while Yang Gong hosted a banquet where Miao Youfang interrupted Li Lingsu as he approached Protector Yuan.

At a banquet in Xunzhou, Protector Yuan exposed the private thoughts of Li Lingsu, Xiao Yuenu, and Li Miaozhen, prompting the Heaven and Earth Society members to plan to use his ability for revenge. Meanwhile, the Yunzhou generals reckoned with their losses and Ji Xuan learned that Xu Qi'an had killed his younger brother Ji Yuan, as an intruder slipped into Luo Yuheng’s room.

• Miao Youfang baited Li Lingsu into testing Protector Yuan, who revealed Li Lingsu’s secret affair with a Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion woman and humiliated them both.
• Protector Yuan exposed Xiao Yuenu’s feelings for Silver Gong Xu and Li Miaozhen’s feelings for Xu Ningyan, embarrassing both women and ending the banquet early.
• Li Lingsu, Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and Miao Youfang decided to seek Sun Xuanji’s help in using Protector Yuan to embarrass Daoist Jinlian and Asuro.
• Qi Guangbo told the Yunzhou generals that their army had suffered heavy casualties, Heilian had been killed by Asuro, and Xu Qi'an had orchestrated the trap that led to their defeat.
• Ji Xuan opened a box containing Ji Yuan’s severed head and roared Xu Qi'an’s name in grief and rage.
• A furtive figure entered the residence where Luo Yuheng was cultivating, and she ordered the intruder to speak from outside and leave.

Xu Qi'an persuaded Luo Yuheng to dual cultivate before her karmic fire returned, while Huaiqing used news of his victory at Xunzhou to secure support for plans to reclaim farmland and expand trade. The chapter ended with Daoist Jinlian announcing that he had refined Heilian's Primordial Spirit and was ready to reveal secrets about the Earth Book Fragments.

• Xu Qi'an visited Luo Yuheng and argued that they could dual cultivate before her karmic fire backlashed; after resisting him, she agreed to do so once.
• At court, Huaiqing proposed opening border markets to increase trade and ordered the court to investigate land sales and have buyers resell fields to the government.
• Huaiqing announced that Xu Qi'an had won a great victory at Xunzhou, slain the Earth Sect's Daoist leader, and defeated Yunzhou's Transcendent experts, silencing opposition to her plans.
• The news of Xu Qi'an's victory spread through the capital, boosting public confidence in Huaiqing's reign.
• In Xunzhou, Daoist Jinlian sent a message saying he had preliminarily refined Heilian's Primordial Spirit and could reveal secrets about the Earth Book Fragments.

Daoist Jinlian revealed that the Earth Book had been forged from Divine Seals and the Dao Venerable’s Primordial Spirit, leading Xu Qi'an to connect its history to the Gatekeeper and the Warlock System. The Heaven and Earth Society discussed the looming threat of the White Emperor, while events at Xunzhou and the capital continued toward Xu Qi'an and Lin'an’s wedding.

• Daoist Jinlian explained that the Dao Venerable had destroyed the Incense-Fire Divine Dao and used its Divine Seals to create the Earth Book, whose spirit was the Dao Venerable’s Primordial Spirit.
• Xu Qi'an linked the Earth Book’s origins to the Gatekeeper, the Warlock System, and the First Chief Astrologer’s rise, then suggested that the Buddha and Shaman God used Incense-Fire methods to condense Fate and extend their lives.
• Huaiqing asked the Heaven and Earth Society for plans against the White Emperor, but the members had no countermeasure and agreed to keep discussing the crisis.
• Auntie prepared to visit the palace with Wang Simu to discuss Xu Qi'an and Lin'an’s wedding, while Xu Lingyue refused to accompany them.
• At Xunzhou, Xu Qi'an arranged teleportation formations with Sun Xuanji and Protector Yuan, but Protector Yuan repeated Xu Qi'an’s private thoughts about Luo Yuheng, prompting her to chase Xu Qi'an into the sky with her sword.

Wang Simu and Auntie visited the empress dowager to discuss Xu Qi'an and Lin'an’s marriage, while Huaiqing pieced together clues about the Dao Venerable and ordered wedding preparations. In Xunzhou, Xu Qi'an arrived at a military meeting with a divine sword stuck in his head as punishment from the state preceptor, then used the same condition to threaten Protector Yuan.

• Auntie and Wang Simu met the empress dowager, and Wang Simu assured her that Xu Qi'an loved Lin'an and would not let her down.
• Huaiqing linked the Dao Venerable, the incense-fire divine Dao, the warlocks, and the Gatekeeper, then ordered Xu Qi'an’s companion sent to the Xu Residence and announced that Xu Qi'an and Lin'an would marry in one month.
• Protector Yuan arrived at the Xunzhou conference hall in shackles and a cangue, explaining that Xu Qi'an had punished him for speaking carelessly.
• Xu Qi'an entered with a divine sword embedded in his head and said the state preceptor would forgive him only when the sword did.
• Xu Qi'an told Protector Yuan that he would forgive him only after the state preceptor forgave him, leaving Protector Yuan alarmed before Xu Xinnian began the meeting.

Xu Qi'an and Great Feng’s leaders planned for the coming Yunzhou offensive as Huaiqing’s policies offered a way to ease the shortage of money and provisions. After discussing how to reach First Rank, Xu Qi'an asked Master Shenshu how a martial warrior could advance to it.

• At the Yongzhou council, Yang Gong described the shortages of money and provisions, and the officials discussed recruiting refugees and setting defenses against Yunzhou.
• Xu Qi'an told the officials that Huaiqing would open border markets and reclaim land to fund the court and settle refugees.
• Ge Wenxuan and the Yunzhou commanders assessed Huaiqing’s policies, while Qi Guangbo ordered preparations to attack Yongzhou and then march on Yuzhou within half a month.
• Huaiqing told Xu Qi'an to help Luo Yuheng through her tribulation and find a way to advance to First Rank, while explaining why she would not abandon the capital.
• Xu Qi'an considered the mystery of First Rank martial warriors, unsealed Master Shenshu’s right arm, and asked how a martial warrior advanced to First Rank.

Xu Qi'an traveled to the Southern Frontier to return Shenshu’s right arm and learn how to advance to the First Rank, while Mu Nanzhi moved into the Xu Residence and impressed Auntie. Shenshu’s body parts fought before reconciling, and Shenshu began answering Xu Qi'an’s question by asking what made him different from other martial warriors.

• Xu Qi'an decided to seek guidance from the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox and Shenshu after Shenshu’s right arm could not explain how to reach the First Rank.
• Luo Yuheng learned Xu Qi'an would marry Princess Lin'an in a month and sent a disciple to tell Mu Nanzhi.
• Mu Nanzhi moved into the Xu Residence, argued with Auntie about a nine-star orchid, and made it bloom in exchange for being called elder sister.
• Xu Qi'an arrived at Southern Dharma Temple with Sun Xuanji and Protector Yuan, where the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox revealed that her own path to the First Rank depended on awakening her divine essence.
• Shenshu’s right arm emerged from Xu Qi'an, but his other body parts rejected it and fought until they reconciled.
• Xu Qi'an asked Shenshu how to advance to the First Rank, and Shenshu asked what distinguished him from other martial warriors.

Xu Qi'an learned from Shenshu that First Rank martial warriors fused essence, Qi, and spirit and might be part of a Martial God, while Shenshu warned him to keep the Dragon Qi. Elsewhere, the White Emperor planned to seize the Superintendent’s power, and Xu Qi'an prepared to travel to the capital for Luo Yuheng’s coming tribulation.

• Shenshu explained that First Rank martial warriors fused essence, Qi, and spirit, and that the rank might be a transition toward becoming a Martial God.
• Shenshu’s right arm urged Xu Qi'an to keep the Dragon Qi and questioned why the Superintendent had sent him across the martial world.
• The White Emperor revealed that he had lost half his spiritual essence and intended to refine the Superintendent before attacking the Central Plains.
• Salun Agu told the Shaman God's statue that his divination foretold great fortune in the spring sacrifice.
• After five days of dual cultivation with Yeji, Xu Qi'an told her he was going to the capital because Luo Yuheng would undergo her tribulation in three days.