Chapter Summaries

Grand Secretary Wang learned that the emperor had been involved in the Prince of Huai City Massacre Case, while Xu Qi'an recovered from his severe wounds at the Star Observation Tower. At court, Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao argued that Wei Yuan’s attack on Jingshan City had recklessly cost Great Feng its army, and Emperor Yuanjing postponed judgment while secretly smiling.

• The Overseer confirmed to Grand Secretary Wang that the emperor had been involved in the Prince of Huai City Massacre Case and said the realm also belonged to its common people.
• At the Star Observation Tower, Li Miaozhen drove away Song Qing’s disciples as they joked about using Xu Qi'an’s body for experiments.
• Emperor Yuanjing privately praised Qin Yuandao and hinted he would become a Grand Secretary, then encouraged Yuan Xiong to criticize Wei Yuan’s campaign.
• At court, Zhang Xingying proposed honoring Wei Yuan, but Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao accused him of sacrificing Great Feng’s soldiers for glory.
• Grand Secretary Wang defended Wei Yuan by saying he had sent Xu Qi'an to prepare for the Shaman God Cult’s retaliation, while officials and nobles continued arguing over the campaign.
• Emperor Yuanjing ended the debate until the next day, then smiled as he left the throne hall.

Emperor Yuanjing used a staged appeal accusing Wei Yuan and the Nightwatchers of corruption to launch an investigation under Yuan Xiong, further undermining Wei Yuan’s reputation. Yuan Xiong then headed to the Zhu residence, intending to enlist help from someone familiar with the Nightwatchers.

• Emperor Yuanjing let court factions clash over how to characterize the battle and watched officials choose sides, while Grand Secretary Wang defended Wei Yuan’s reputation.
• Yuan Xiong recruited Lu Zhennan’s first wife to appeal at the Meridian Gate with fabricated accusations against Wei Yuan in exchange for her son’s return and gold.
• Emperor Yuanjing ordered the Censorate to investigate after Lady Li beat the grievance drum, and Yuan Xiong questioned her, prompting her to repeat the accusations.
• At a court assembly, Emperor Yuanjing rejected calls for a joint trial and placed the Nightwatchers’ investigation in Yuan Xiong’s hands.
• Grand Secretary Wang warned the minister of war that officials were falling silent, while Yuan Xiong went to the Zhu residence seeking help with the Nightwatchers.

After Xu Qi'an lay unconscious from the battle at Jingshan City, Yuan Xiong took control of the Nightwatchers' Office and began purging Wei Yuan's supporters while the court and public turned against Wei Yuan. Xu Qi'an awakened at the Directorate of Astronomy, learned of the slander against Wei Yuan, and began preparing to act, leaving a letter for the Martial Arts Alliance's ancestor.

• Yuan Xiong enlisted Zhu Yang's help to take over the Nightwatchers' Office, and Zhu Yang killed Silver Gong Zhang Dongliang after he defied them.
• Yuan Xiong's purge seized several Silver Gongs, while Zhu Chengzhu forced Song Tingfeng to crawl between his legs and threatened Zhu Guangxiao.
• Yuan Xiong impeached Wei Yuan, Emperor Yuanjing denounced him, and Wang Zhenwen resigned his office in protest.
• Huaiqing and Lin'an visited the unconscious Xu Qi'an at the Star Observation Tower, where he finally woke and learned that Wei Yuan's name was being disgraced.
• Xu Qi'an asked Li Miaozhen to deliver his sealed letter directly to the Martial Arts Alliance's ancestor, then prepared to see the Superintendent.

Xu Qi'an uncovered Zhende’s plan to weaken Great Feng and become an immortal ruler under the Shaman God Cult, with Zhao Shou helping him connect the conspiracy to Salun Agu. He realized why the Supervisor could not kill Zhende without destroying Great Feng’s Fate and came to Cloud Deer Academy to claim what Wei Yuan had left him.

• The Supervisor explained that Heaven and Earth One-Saber Slash came from a First Rank martial warrior who died trying to cut through the cage of heaven and earth, then gave Xu Qi'an a pill to heal his injuries.
• Xu Qi'an met Zhao Shou at Cloud Deer Academy and discussed Zhende, Wei Yuan’s campaign, and the danger of the Shaman God escaping its seal.
• Zhao Shou explained that Zhende and the Shaman God Cult had cooperated to kill Wei Yuan and weaken Great Feng’s Fate, while the Shaman God Cult’s attacks on Yuyang Pass served the same purpose.
• Zhao Shou suggested Zhende planned to imitate Salun Agu by turning Great Feng into a subordinate nation of the Shaman God Cult and ruling it as an immortal emperor.
• Xu Qi'an concluded that the Supervisor could not kill Zhende without causing Great Feng’s Fate to perish as well, and said Qian Zhong had already shown him that only Fate could defeat Fate.
• Xu Qi'an told Zhao Shou he had come to take Wei Yuan’s bequest, and Zhao Shou placed a brocade box on the stone table.

Xu Qi'an used Wei Yuan's Blood Pill to advance to the Third Rank, then arranged for his family to leave the capital. After revealing the late emperor's plan to the Heaven and Earth Society, he called on its members to help him kill the emperor.

• Xu Qi'an swallowed Wei Yuan's Blood Pill and used his prior experience absorbing essence blood to survive its destructive power and reach the Third Rank.
• Xu Qi'an gave his family deeds to a residence in Jianzhou and told them to leave the next morning, while he stayed behind.
• Xu Qi'an told the Earth Book group that the late emperor planned to make Great Feng a vassal state of the Shaman God Cult and that he intended to kill the emperor.
• Chu Yuanzhen, Huaiqing, Li Miaozhen, Hengyuan, Lina, and the others agreed to help Xu Qi'an; Xu Qi'an began explaining his plan.

After advancing to Third Rank, Xu Qi'an prepared to kill the emperor and sought allies for the next day’s confrontation. He secured Luo Yuheng’s help and went with Lin'an to meet Wang Zhenwen, where he greeted Wang Simu as his little sister-in-law.

• Xu Qi'an revealed to the Heaven and Earth Society that he had reached Third Rank, then returned to the capital and told the Supervisor about his advancement.
• Xu Qi'an brought Lin'an to Numinous Treasure Temple, told Luo Yuheng about Zhende and his plan to commit regicide, and persuaded her to act with him the next day.
• Xu Qi'an left Luo Yuheng’s meditation chamber and went with Lin'an to the Wang residence to see Wang Zhenwen.
• Wang Simu met Lin'an in the reception hall, and Xu Qi'an greeted her as his little sister-in-law.

Xu Qi'an sought Wang Zhenwen’s help as the Grand Secretary prepared to resign, while Wang mourned his inability to stop Emperor Yuanjing from ruining Great Feng. Yuanjing attempted to draw the Dragon Vein Spirit from the dragon vein, and Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao faced further harassment at the constabulary before an unseen person challenged Zhu Chengzhu.

• Xu Qi'an visited Wang Zhenwen and learned that the Grand Secretary planned to request retirement, though he concealed his reasons and agreed to hear Xu Qi'an’s request for help.
• Wang Zhenwen burned his old writings, lamented his powerlessness over Wei Yuan’s death and the soldiers’ compensation, and denounced loyalty to the emperor.
• Emperor Yuanjing used a Shaman God Cult treasure and a blood array to draw on the unstable dragon vein, planning to extract its spirit after worsening the capital’s fear and resentment.
• Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao returned to the constabulary, where Zhu Chengzhu ordered them to stand watch again and mocked Song Tingfeng for his submissiveness.
• An unidentified person at the constabulary entrance sarcastically praised Zhu Chengzhu’s display of authority.

Xu Qi'an returned to the Nightwatchers’ constabulary, killed Zhu Yang and Yuan Xiong, and shared a final drink and song for Wei Yuan before marching into the palace. The chapter ended with Xu Qi'an hurling his saber at Emperor Yuanjing and being recognized as having rebelled.

• Xu Qi'an reunited with Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, then killed Zhu Yang with a single slap and let Gold Gong Zhao leave unharmed.
• Song Tingfeng humiliated Zhu Chengzhu, and Zhu Guangxiao killed him with his saber.
• Xu Qi'an seized Yuan Xiong on the Righteous Qi Tower and threw him to his death, then drank wine and sang for Wei Yuan in the tea room.
• At court, Emperor Yuanjing considered Qin Yuandao’s proposal to condemn Wei Yuan and seek peace with the Shaman God Cult.
• Xu Qi'an fought his way into the imperial palace, entered the Golden Throne Hall, and hurled his saber at Emperor Yuanjing while denouncing him as a dog emperor.

Xu Qi'an denounced Emperor Yuanjing for Wei Yuan’s death, stormed the palace, and killed Yuanjing after revealing the former emperor’s identity. As Zhende prepared to extract Great Feng’s Dragon Vein and surrender it to the Shaman God Cult, Salun Agu confronted the Superintendent at the Star Observation Tower.

• Xu Qi'an carried Yuan Xiong’s severed head from the Nightwatchers’ office toward the imperial city as Nightwatchers and commoners followed him.
• Xu Qi'an accused the emperor of betraying Wei Yuan and the army, broke through the imperial city’s defenses, and confronted Yuanjing in the Golden Throne Hall.
• Xu Qi'an identified Yuanjing as the former emperor Zhende, then pursued him to Southern Park and, with Shenshu’s power, killed Yuanjing’s body.
• Zhende revealed his plan to extract Great Feng’s Dragon Vein and give it to the Shaman God Cult, while Huaiqing sealed the capital and redirected the imperial troops.
• Luo Yuheng left the Numinous Treasure Temple, and Salun Agu appeared at the Star Observation Tower to occupy the Superintendent in a game of Go.

The Superintendent and Salun Agu fought a supernatural chess game while Xu Qi'an confronted Emperor Zhende and Luo Yuheng battled Daoist Priest Heilian. The Heaven and Earth Society wounded the revived Prince Who Guards the North enough to delay him, and the chapter ended with the Superintendent betting on how quickly Xu Qi'an would kill Zhende.

• The Superintendent and Salun Agu placed pieces named after Wei Yuan and the Confucian Sage, causing disasters across Great Feng and Kang Kingdom as they argued over their past and Great Feng's rule.
• Xu Qi'an tried to provoke Emperor Zhende, then realized Zhende was waiting for the Prince Who Guards the North to join him.
• Luo Yuheng fought Daoist Priest Heilian with the Human Sect's ancestral iron sword, pierced his heart, and prepared to pursue him as his power waned.
• The Prince Who Guards the North returned from the imperial mausoleum, and Hengyuan, Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, and Lina attacked him to delay and weaken him.
• Chu Yuanzhen drew his long-sheathed sword and struck the Prince Who Guards the North through the heart, lowering him from peak Third Rank before the group fled.
• The Superintendent wagered with Salun Agu on how long Xu Qi'an would take to kill Emperor Zhende.

Xu Qi'an fought Emperor Zhende, who had merged with the Prince Who Guards the North, while the imperial court and capital reacted to the emperor’s identity and Xu Qi'an’s accusations. Zhende summoned ten thousand swords over the capital, and onlookers recognized the Prince of Huai and demanded answers from Xu Qi'an.

• The Overseer and Salun Agu wagered the Heavenly Secrets Disc and the shepherd’s whip on whether Xu Qi'an would die that day.
• The Prince of Huai left the wounded Chu Yuanzhen and his companions and joined Emperor Zhende, who challenged Xu Qi'an in the ruined Southern Park.
• At the palace, Qin Yuandao urged the nobles to open the gates and rescue Emperor Yuanjing, but Grand Secretary Wang persuaded the crown prince to keep the gates shut.
• The crown prince stopped Qin Yuandao and upheld the order that no one leave the palace, while capital residents debated Xu Qi'an’s accusations against the emperor.
• Zhende struck Xu Qi'an with the Prince Who Guards the North’s Fist Intent and drove him back to the capital, where Xu Qi'an resisted his attacks with the Seated Meditation Art.
• Zhende summoned ten thousand swords into a colossal blade above the city, and onlookers recognized the Prince of Huai before asking Xu Qi'an whether his accusations were true.

Xu Qi'an fought Emperor Zhende in the capital, using the Confucian Sage's Carving Knife and the Nation-Guarding Sword to overcome the emperor's power and destroy his original body. After the Spirit Dragon and Nation-Guarding Sword chose Xu Qi'an, he used the Dragon Fang to destroy the Dragon Vein Spirit and erased Zhende's Yang Spirit, leaving the emperor dead.

• Emperor Zhende threatened the capital's people with a charged sword strike, and Xu Qi'an blocked it with the Confucian Sage's Carving Knife, destroying Zhende's original body and wounding his Yang Spirit.
• Zhende summoned the Dragon Vein Spirit and the Shaman God's power, while Xu Qi'an revealed his knowledge of the Heart Sword and provoked the emperor with claims about Luo Yuheng and the princess consort.
• The Nation-Guarding Sword chose Xu Qi'an, and the Spirit Dragon transformed and carried him into battle against Zhende.
• Xu Qi'an wounded Zhende with the Carving Knife, then used the Nation-Guarding Sword to sever his limbs and behead him.
• Zhende's Yang Spirit took shelter inside the Dragon Vein Spirit, but the Dragon Fang pierced and destroyed it, allowing Xu Qi'an to erase Zhende's Yang Spirit completely.

After Xu Qi'an killed Zhende, the capital’s factions reacted to the emperor’s death while the Superintendent explained how he had prepared Xu Qi'an to strike. As Xu Qi'an returned to the city, a white-robed arcanist ambushed him with golden nails that suppressed his powers.

• Xu Qi'an mourned Wei Yuan, while the crown prince, Huaiqing, Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and others reacted to Zhende’s death.
• The former members of the Wei Faction bowed toward Wei Yuan’s resting place and Xu Qi'an, while Huaiqing considered the need to stabilize the country and install a new sovereign.
• Luo Yuheng drove Heilian back and anticipated that Xu Qi'an’s advancement could help her endure her Karmic Fire tribulation.
• The Superintendent told Salun Agu that he had arranged for Xu Qi'an to kill Zhende, and Salun Agu revealed that Xu Qi'an’s divination showed tremendous calamity.
• Second Uncle Xu suffered a sudden headache, then abandoned his family and galloped away from the household’s planned move to Jianzhou.
• A white-robed arcanist ambushed Xu Qi'an in the sky, drove golden nails into him, and suppressed his Vajra Divine Art and presence.

The First Chief Astrologer sealed Xu Qi'an with Demon-Sealing Nails and began extracting the fate hidden inside him, while Dean Zhao Shou fought to stop him. As Xu Qi'an tried to delay the ritual, he uncovered the Astrologer's role in the Yunzhou conspiracy and pressed him for the truth about the Superintendent's betrayal.

• The First Chief Astrologer ambushed Xu Qi'an with Demon-Sealing Nails, silenced Shenshu, and sealed the Nation-Guarding Sword, the Confucian Sage's Carving Knife, and the Peace Saber.
• The First Chief Astrologer teleported Xu Qi'an away, but Dean Zhao Shou intervened, separated them, and trapped the area in a Confucian prison.
• The First Chief Astrologer returned through an Eight Trigrams formation and battled Zhao Shou with formations and magical artifacts while driving more nails into Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Qi'an questioned the First Chief Astrologer and learned that he had hidden Xu Qi'an's fate, orchestrated the Tax Silver Case, and used the Yunzhou investigation to eliminate the Shaman God Cult's influence.
• Xu Qi'an deduced that Yang Chuannan served the First Chief Astrologer and learned that the Astrologer had delayed reclaiming the fate until Wei Yuan died, the dragon vein dispersed, and Xu Qi'an killed Zhende.
• After driving seven nails into Xu Qi'an, the First Chief Astrologer hinted that the truth about the Warlock System's first and second ranks explained the Superintendent's betrayal, and Xu Qi'an asked to hear it.

The white-robed warlock explained that the Superintendent became a first-rank Heavenly Mandate by supporting Emperor Wuzong, while the First Chief Astrologer sought to regain his rank by restoring the former imperial branch. After sealing Shenshu, he veiled Xu Qi'an from the world and took him away, causing people who knew Xu Qi'an to forget him while still feeling that something was missing.

• The white-robed warlock revealed that second-rank Qi Refining Practitioners refined a nation's Fate and that first-rank Heavenly Mandates could know the future but could only act indirectly.
• The white-robed warlock explained that supporting Emperor Wuzong's founding of a dynasty had advanced the Superintendent to first rank, while the First Chief Astrologer had fallen to second rank and aimed to restore the former imperial branch.
• The white-robed warlock sealed Shenshu inside Xu Qi'an, took back his Moon Shadow Sword, and used it to break Zhao Shou's Confucian restriction.
• The white-robed warlock veiled Xu Qi'an's heavenly secrets, severed his bond with the Earth Book Fragment, and teleported away with him.
• Xu Pingzhi, Chu Yuanzhen, Hengyuan, Li Miaozhen, and Lina forgot their connections to Xu Qi'an, while Lin'an, Huaiqing, Mu Nanzhi, and Luo Yuheng felt grief or sensed that something important was missing.

Xu Qi'an faced the First Chief Astrologer’s attempt to extract Great Feng’s Fate, but his unknown second portion of Fate prevented it. He realized the white-robed arcanist was his father, while Zhao Shou and Xu Pingzhi began recovering memories connected to the effort to save him.

• The First Chief Astrologer brought Xu Qi'an to a hidden formation containing the corpse of the Heaven Gu Elder and explained that they had once stolen Great Feng’s Fate together.
• The First Chief Astrologer admitted he needed to extract Xu Qi'an’s Fate immediately and explained that the Heaven Gu Elder’s method had concealed it from the Superintendent.
• Zhao Shou found Xu Pingzhi on the road and showed him notes that prompted Xu Pingzhi to remember someone in distress; Zhao Shou then told him to seek the Martial Arts Alliance’s ancestor at Mount Quanrong.
• The Martial Arts Alliance’s ancestor found a letter and instructions telling him to wait for Zhao Shou and help save someone.
• The First Chief Astrologer activated the formation, but Xu Qi'an’s Fate fell back into his body because it had merged with another portion that the arcanist had not refined.
• Xu Qi'an confronted the white-robed arcanist, asking whether he should call him the Superintendent’s eldest disciple, Lord Xu, or Father.

Xu Qi'an confronted the white-robed arcanist and deduced that he was Xu Pingfeng, his father, while explaining how he uncovered the arcanist’s schemes and the limits of the Tianji Concealment Technique. Xu Pingfeng revealed that Xu Qi'an had been an accidental child raised by Erlang because he was an ideal vessel for fate, carrying both Xu Pingfeng’s blood and the Great Feng imperial family’s blood.

• Xu Qi'an explained that the Tianji Concealment Technique had limits based on influence and karmic ties, and that high-ranked people with deep ties could temporarily remember him.
• Xu Qi'an traced the clues linking the hidden court diarist, the Xu Faction, and the Xu Household’s Star of Literature to Xu Pingfeng, then identified him as his father through the false story about Second Uncle’s rescuer.
• Xu Pingfeng confirmed he had used Ji Qian, Dragon Fang, and Zhende’s schemes to advance his plan to put a collateral imperial branch on the throne.
• Xu Pingfeng described how his attempt to gain power through the court failed because rival factions, Yuanjing, and the Human Sect’s previous Daoist leader opposed him, while his teacher refused to intervene.
• Xu Pingfeng explained that Xu Qi'an had remained with Erlang by accident and revealed that Xu Qi'an was an ideal vessel for fate because he carried both Xu Pingfeng’s blood and the imperial family’s blood.

Xu Qi'an learned that Xu Pingfeng had arranged for him to be born as a vessel for the stolen Fate, then watched as Xu Pingfeng began extracting it. Zhao Shou and Xu Pingzhi tried to intervene, but Xu Pingfeng completed the refining before Xu Qi'an revealed he had another plan and called for a mysterious woman.

• Xu Pingfeng told Xu Qi'an that his mother had secretly given birth to him in the capital to protect him from being used as a vessel for Fate.
• Xu Pingfeng confirmed that Ji Qian was Xu Qi'an's cousin, while Xu Pingzhi and Zhao Shou arrived at the hidden formation site.
• Xu Pingzhi furiously attacked the Qi barrier, then begged Xu Pingfeng to spare the nephew he had raised as Xu Qi'an suffered through the extraction.
• Zhao Shou used the Confucian crown and carving knife to break through the formations, but the Heaven Gu Elder's corpse used Unknowability to hide Xu Qi'an and Xu Pingfeng temporarily.
• Xu Pingfeng finished refining the Fate, but Xu Qi'an revealed he had not relied solely on Zhao Shou or the Martial Arts Alliance's ancestor and called out to the Superintendent's mysterious woman.
• Illusory furry fox tails spread behind Xu Qi'an as he shouted, "You damned woman, what are you waiting for!"

Xu Qi'an’s allies fought the white-robed arcanist over his Fate, until a Buddhist Bodhisattva intervened and the Superintendent arrived. Xu Qi'an used the Curse Killing Technique to grievously wound his father, who escaped.

• The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox appeared, reclaimed Xu Qi'an’s Fate, and joined Dean Zhao Shou and the Martial Arts Alliance’s patriarch in attacking the white-robed arcanist.
• Zhao Shou weakened the arcanist’s formations, while the patriarch wounded him with Saber Intent; the arcanist concealed himself and revealed that he was Xu Qi'an’s father.
• The Colorless Dharma Idol Bodhisattva arrived and tried to take Shenshu while having Xu Qi'an remade into a Buddhist disciple.
• The Superintendent appeared with the Heavenly Secrets Disc, broke the Bodhisattva’s domain, and restored Xu Qi'an’s freedom of movement.
• Xu Qi'an stabbed himself with the Curse Killing Technique, causing the white-robed arcanist to spit blood and suffer severe wounds before he fled.

Xu Qi'an survived the battle with Zhende but remained gravely wounded, while the crown prince and Grand Secretary Wang planned how to secure the succession. At the Star Observation Tower, the Superintendent treated Xu Qi'an and prepared to tell him two important things.

• The demon princess told Xu Qi'an that Fuxiang had returned to the Demon Race, then revealed that Fuxiang's body had been a corpse that was now deteriorating.
• Zhao Shou stopped Xu Qi'an's bleeding, and Xu Pingzhi carried him back toward the capital while the Superintendent continued fighting Bodhisattva Liuli.
• Grand Secretary Wang advised the crown prince to steady the people, military, and court, and the crown prince approved a plan to punish Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao while sparing their clans under an amnesty.
• Xu Pingzhi returned to Cloud Deer Academy, where Auntie realized she had forgotten parts of the Xu family's past and Xu Lingyue asked after her eldest brother.
• Xu Qi'an's companions learned that Xu Pingfeng had used him as a vessel and planned to take his Fate; Lina then suffered pain from the Seven Absolutes Gu.
• The Superintendent told Xu Qi'an that Liuli had escaped after being wounded, explained why he had not intervened against Xu Pingfeng, and said he had two important things to tell him.