Recaps

Zhou Wuji received the title Master Hongde and a silver belt from the Heavenly Master's Manor, then celebrated with Xie Lingyun, whose cultivation advanced after Zhou Wuji gave him jade liquid. Before leaving, Zhou Wuji gave jade liquid to Li Ruyi, who broke through to the Seventh Rank.

• Zhishan proclaimed the Heavenly Master's decree, and Zhou Wuji received the title Master Hongde, which was inscribed on his Heavenly Pivot Token.
• Zhou Wuji examined the Fifth Rank silver belt awarded with the title and found it practical and well suited to his robe.
• Xie Lingyun celebrated Zhou Wuji's new title at Myriad Joy Tower, where Yang Tie Ying became drunk after hearing the singing girls.
• Zhou Wuji gave Xie Lingyun jade liquid, and Xie Lingyun woke with his marrow replacement complete and a quicker path toward the Third Rank.
• Xie Lingyun gave Zhou Wuji two fine horses, including Wind Chaser, while Yang Tie Ying stayed behind to learn how to care for them.
• Zhou Wuji gave Li Ruyi jade liquid, and she immediately broke through to the Seventh Rank.

Zhou Wuji returned to Cloud Dragon Lower Court and Siming County, rewarding old friends with Jade Liquid and preparing to leave for the upper court. Before departing, he secretly entered the underground river beneath Hidden Dragon Temple to investigate the Qi eye, whose connection to him might involve the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.

• Zhou Wuji left Cloud Marsh Lower Court with Yang Tie Ying and, during their journey, gave him Jade Liquid that helped him reach the seventh rank in both paths.
• At Cloud Dragon Lower Court, Zhou Wuji thanked Abbot Zhihe for transferring Daoist Yiping back to Flying Profound Hall, then gave Yiping a spiritual treasure that restored his vitality.
• Zhou Wuji visited Siming County, where Yang Tie Ying reunited with Yang Shuling and demonstrated that he had mastered transforming force.
• At Hidden Dragon Temple, Zhou Wuji gave Wuzheng Jade Liquid, bringing his True Qi close to opening the Heavenly Gate aperture.
• After asking Wuzheng to leave him alone in the secret chamber, Zhou Wuji changed into black clothes and examined the Qi eye with the Big Dipper Star Eye.
• Zhou Wuji blessed himself with a Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Incantation and plunged into the underground river leading to the Qi eye.

Zhou Wuji discovered True Lord Mingjing’s final account of Fu Tianji and the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, then concealed the message and resumed cultivating his relationships. On the journey to Jingyang, he gave Wuleng a spiritual substance that left her absorbed in its effects while he stood by.

• Zhou Wuji found True Lord Mingjing’s long inscription and learned that Fu Tianji had been killed in the underground secret realm, while Mingjing died from his wounds after leaving the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment for a Northern Pole Sect cultivator.
• Zhou Wuji memorized Mingjing’s message, scraped the writing from the cavern wall, and erased traces of his passage through the underground river.
• Zhou Wuji visited Siming County’s local leaders, then returned to the Cloud Dragon Lower Court and gave Jin Ying a gift.
• Zhou Wuji, Wuleng, and Yang Tie Ying set out for Jingyang on the fifteenth day of the third month.
• Zhou Wuji gave Wuleng jade liquid and urged her to consume it while he stood guard; she swallowed it and became absorbed in the Spiritual Qi spreading through her body.

Zhou Wuji arrived at Jingyang Upper Court with Wuleng and Yang Tie Ying, where Zhiyuan warned him about the influential Lu Household and asked him to repay a debt. Zhou Wuji instead offered Zhiyuan Jade Liquid said to extend life by fifty years, and Zhiyuan agreed to buy it for one hundred thousand taels of silver.

• Wuleng led Zhou Wuji and Yang Tie Ying through Upright Yang Peak, where Zhou Wuji worshipped at the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall before visiting Flying Profound Hall.
• Wuleng left to cultivate in seclusion, and Zhou Wuji met Zhiyuan, who offered him wine and promised to help him settle into the Upper Court.
• Zhiyuan told Zhou Wuji that the Lu Household funded the Upper Court and warned him not to offend Lu Wuyuan or his father, Lu Zhijing.
• Zhiyuan asked Zhou Wuji to repay the ten thousand taels he owed, but Zhou Wuji offered him Jade Liquid that he claimed could extend life by fifty years.
• Zhiyuan tried to bargain over the Jade Liquid, then accepted Zhou Wuji's price of one hundred thousand taels.

Zhou Wuji settled into the Upper Court, where Zhiyuan introduced him to its power struggles and arranged his registration and studies. After Zhihua scheduled his transmission ceremony for the day after tomorrow, Zhou Wuji worried that he would need to convincingly display another Northern Emperor’s blessing before the many expected spectators.

• Zhiyuan swallowed Zhou Wuji’s Jade Liquid and, after more than ten hours, regained vigorous Qi and Blood; he agreed to repay Zhou Wuji’s ninety thousand taels over time by letting him stay at Flying Profound Hall.
• Zhiyuan warned Zhou Wuji about the Lu and Zhou Households, Yining’s authority, and the Upper Court’s politics, then arranged his Sixth Rank transmission and Secret Methods studies for a fee.
• Zhiyuan took Zhou Wuji and Yang Tie Ying to Heavenly Pivot Hall, where Zhou Wuji paid his respects to Zhijing and transferred his Daoist registration to the Upper Court.
• Zhiyuan directed Zhou Wuji to ask Zhihua to conduct his transmission ceremony, but Zhou Wuji declined because he did not want to join the Yuheng Lineage.
• Zhihua scheduled Zhou Wuji’s transmission and register conferral for the day after tomorrow and warned him that many people would attend to see whether he received the Northern Emperor’s blessing again.
• Zhou Wuji realized he had not prepared a convincing display of the blessing and worried about how to distinguish himself before the Upper Court.

Zhou Wuji met Abbot Zhiyun and prepared for his upper-court initiation and register conferral, while worrying about whether he could receive the Northern Emperor’s blessing again. He investigated the prayer power and formations around North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall, hoping to turn them into a miracle, and left seeing the hall and several powerful presences through the Big Dipper Star Eye.

• Zhiyuan brought Zhou Wuji to meet Abbot Zhiyun, who praised his promise and approved Zhiyuan conducting his initiation and register conferral.
• Zhiyuan gave Zhou Wuji the Great Precepts of the Three Altars, and Zhou Wuji memorized the precepts for the ceremony.
• Zhou Wuji worried that failing to receive the Northern Emperor’s blessing would invite suspicion and limit his rise in the upper court.
• Zhou Wuji considered using the Northern Emperor’s Book of Heavenly Punishment or his remaining Origin Mystic Essence to manifest a miracle, but found neither an easy solution.
• Zhou Wuji realized the Big Dipper Star Eye came from the Northern Emperor’s Book of Heavenly Punishment and considered channeling the prayer power gathered at North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall.
• Zhou Wuji used the Big Dipper Star Eye to see the hall’s statue, formations, gathered source power, and several exceptionally powerful lights of life.

Zhijing and Lu Wuyuan doubted that Zhou Wuji had truly received the Northern Emperor’s blessing, while Yining went to inspect his register-bestowal ceremony. The ritual ended with Tianquan Star sending vast star power into the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall, stunning the assembled cultivators.

• Zhijing warned Lu Wuyuan that the Heavenly Master's Manor might be backing Zhou Wuji and sent him to observe the ceremony.
• Yining asked Wuleng to accompany her to the ceremony, and Wuleng warned Zhou Wuji that everyone would be watching.
• Zhou Wuji prepared for the ritual, then arrived at the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall with Zhiyuan, Yang Tie Ying, and the others.
• Zhiyuan led Zhou Wuji through the initiation and register-bestowal ritual, and Zhou Wuji absorbed the North Pole Tianpeng Demon-Subduing Law Register.
• As the ceremony concluded, Tianquan Star poured dense star power onto Zhou Wuji and the North Pole Heavenly Emperor statue, leaving Lu Wuyuan and the other observers stunned.

Zhou Wuji resonated with Tianquan Star and the Big Dipper Star Domain, using the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment to withstand the believers' wishes and advance his Xiaoxiang Swordsmanship into sainthood. After the stellar phenomenon ended, he received congratulations and showed Zhiyuan how greatly his Law Techniques had improved.

• Zhijing and Zhiyun witnessed vast stellar power spread from the North Pole Heavenly Emperor Hall and wondered whether Zhou Wuji had received the Northern Emperor's blessing.
• Zhou Wuji used the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment to shield his mind from the believers' wishes and transform them into temporary spiritual light of wisdom.
• Zhou Wuji invested the spiritual light in his Xiaoxiang Swordsmanship, which broke through perfection, entered sainthood, and formed a sword spirit.
• After Tianquan Star's power faded, Zhou Wuji greeted the assembled cultivators, while Zhiyuan praised the ceremony and Zhou Wuji promised to conduct Yang Tie Ying's transmission and register conferral later.
• Back at Flying Profound Hall, Zhou Wuji demonstrated his mastery of the Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Incantation and Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder, astonishing Zhiyuan.

After the Northern Emperor blessed Zhou Wuji, Zhiyuan helped him secure a hundred days of secluded cultivation in Heavenly Authority Hall, where he entered the monastery’s secret realm to study advanced methods. As Zhou Wuji began his retreat, he surveyed the techniques available and found his supply of origin profound spirits too small for all the methods he wanted to cultivate.

• Zhiyuan explained the Daoist classifications of cultivation methods and urged Zhou Wuji to focus on several foundational Secret Methods in Heavenly Authority Hall.
• Zhou Wuji discovered that his perfected Xiaoxiang Swordsmanship had entered the realm of Entering Sainthood and formed a Sword Spirit, strengthening his bond with the White Rainbow Sword and the Heavenly Puppet’s threads.
• Abbot Zhiyun granted Zhou Wuji a hundred days in Heavenly Authority Hall, ten Fourth-Revolution Purple Qi Pills, and urged him to aim for the top at next year’s Jingyang Dharma Assembly.
• Zhiyuan advised Zhou Wuji to prepare Grain Avoidance Pills and supplies for his retreat, and Zhou Wuji sent Yang Tie Ying to buy them.
• Zhiyuan escorted Zhou Wuji to Heavenly Authority Hall, where Zhou Wuji entered its secret realm and settled into a mountain cabin.
• Zhou Wuji began studying advanced Secret Methods and Law Techniques, including the Northern Dipper Tianshu Great Scripture and Seven Stars Demon-Sealing Seal, but found he had only three suitable origin profound spirits left.

Zhou Wuji cultivated in the Heavenly Authority Hall secret realm, gained insights into his methods, and naturally condensed a heart aperture to advance to Fifth Rank. After a hundred days, he returned to Flying Profound Hall, where Zhiyuan prepared to present his achievement to the abbot.

• Zhou Wuji explored the secret realm, studied old cultivation inscriptions, and carved his own poem into a cave wall, gaining an insight into following the Great Dao’s laws.
• Zhou Wuji used Purple Qi Pills to raise his True Qi to nine thousand, then resonated with the Big Dipper Star Domain and naturally condensed a stable heart aperture, advancing to Fifth Rank.
• Zhou Wuji strengthened his techniques, raised the Seven Stars Demon-Sealing Seal to proficiency, and converted five Yin Spirits into the Five Spirit Pouch.
• After one hundred days, Zhou Wuji left Heavenly Authority Hall and returned the secret manuals to the middle-aged Daoist.
• At Flying Profound Hall, Zhou Wuji told Zhiyuan that he had advanced to Fifth Rank, and Zhiyuan eagerly offered to take him to see the abbot.

Zhou Wuji volunteered to join the Demon-Expelling Hall, and Zhiyun assigned him to serve as a deacon despite Zhihua’s concerns about the danger and lost cultivation time. After Zhihua and Zhiyun discovered the profound inscription Zhou had left in the secret cave, they wondered what it meant, and Zhihua went to ask him.

• Zhou Wuji told Zhiyun he had reached the fifth rank and volunteered to join the Demon-Expelling Hall.
• Zhiyun praised Zhou Wuji’s promise and appointed him a deacon under Hall Master Zhiying, while advising him to stay safe.
• Zhihua urged Zhiyun to protect Zhou Wuji’s prospects, but Zhiyun insisted that hardship would temper him.
• A middle-aged Daoist reported that Zhou Wuji had carved a poem into the secret cave’s stone wall.
• Zhiyun and Zhihua examined Zhou Wuji’s inscription and were struck by the line, “The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.”
• Zhihua decided to ask Zhou Wuji what his words meant.

Zhiyuan warned Zhou Wuji about the dangers of serving in the Demon-Expelling Hall, while True Person Zhihua gave him a powerful Divine Thunder Bracelet and taught him the Tianquan Sword. The chapter ended with Zhou Wuji standing dazed after receiving the sword technique.

• Zhiyuan cautioned Zhou Wuji that the Demon-Expelling Hall faced growing dangers from demons, fiends, and Devil Cultivators, and advised him to stay cautious.
• True Person Zhihua gave Zhou Wuji the Divine Thunder Bracelet, a third-rank Law Artifact that could unleash Yin Thunder and Yang Thunder.
• True Person Zhihua asked Zhou Wuji to explain his writing about the Dao, and Zhou Wuji offered an interpretation before agreeing not to discuss it with others.
• True Person Zhihua transmitted the Tianquan Sword's Sword Intent into Zhou Wuji's sea of consciousness, then left him dazed in the courtyard.

Zhou Wuji joined Demon-Expelling Hall’s Ding Group with his disciple Yang Tie Ying after learning the Tianquan Sword and testing his Divine Thunder Bracelet. The chapter ended with Yang Tie Ying overwhelming Wufeng in a spar, leaving Ding Group impressed by Zhou Wuji and his disciple.

• Zhou Wuji learned that the Tianquan Sword enabled a brief, high-speed Sword Evasion and raised his mastery by converting fate profiles into origin profound spirit.
• Zhou Wuji tested the Divine Thunder Bracelet in a practice chamber, discovering that its Yangming Divine Thunder could blast apart stone statues.
• Yang Tie Ying persuaded Zhou Wuji to take him to Demon-Expelling Hall, where Zhiying appointed Zhou Wuji a steward in Yigeng’s Ding Group.
• Yigeng explained Ding Group’s duties and benefits, and Zhou Wuji met its members at a meal.
• Wufeng challenged Zhou Wuji to a spar, but Yang Tie Ying fought in his place after Zhou Wuji cast a protective spell on him.
• Yang Tie Ying’s rapid sword strikes kept Wufeng on the defensive for more than thirty exchanges, and the onlookers came away impressed by both disciple and master.

Zhou Wuji traveled to Jade River County with Yang Tie Ying and Shang Ming to investigate a ghost killing villagers, then discovered two men in the forest plotting to collect souls for Blood Soul Pills. He incapacitated one man and confronted the other, who was paralyzed by his Seven Star attack.

• Wufeng persuaded Yigeng to assign Zhou Wuji work as usual, and Zhou settled into the Demon-Expelling Hall with Yang Tie Ying.
• Zhou Wuji learned the Water Mirror Technique, raised it to major accomplishment, and recorded himself practicing swordsmanship on a jade plaque.
• Yigeng sent Zhou Wuji to Jade River County to investigate a ghost, and Shang Ming accompanied him with Yang Tie Ying.
• Zhou Wuji arrived at Jade Star Temple, met its abbot Wuyun, and rode with him to Lin Household Gully, where he sensed strong Yin Qi but could not find the ghost.
• Two men in the forest discussed gathering villagers' souls to make Blood Soul Pills, and Zhou Wuji surprised them; he knocked one unconscious and immobilized the other with seven points of starlight.

Zhou Wuji uncovered that the Blood Blade Gang’s killings were part of a Yin Yang Dao plot to provoke conflict and gather souls, with barbarians in Yue Ridge also connected to the sect. After freeing the victims’ souls and sending Hou San to Golden Sands Fort, Zhou Wuji left him under control, where Hou San suddenly attacked Libationer Cui Mingcheng.

• Zhou Wuji questioned Wang Laoliu and learned that Hou San had been killing villagers to make Blood Soul Pills for the Blood Blade Gang’s wounded second leader.
• Using the Heavenly Puppet Technique on Hou San, Zhou Wuji discovered that Hou San served the Yin Yang Dao, collected souls for Cui Mingcheng, and knew the sect had ties to barbarians in Yue Ridge.
• Zhou Wuji recorded their confessions, handed Wang Laoliu to Wuyun, and kept Hou San under his control.
• Zhou Wuji made Hou San summon the hidden souls, destroyed them with the Golden Light Great Incantation, and sent Hou San to find Cui Mingcheng without remembering what had happened.
• At Golden Sands Fort, Hou San arrived before Cui Mingcheng and suddenly drew his saber and attacked him.

Zhou Wuji used Hou San as a Heavenly Puppet to ambush and kill Cui Mingcheng, then entered Golden Sands Fort and attacked the gathered Devil Cultivators and barbarians. He killed the barbarian leader Iron Claw and Fang Zhenjiang, while the remaining enemies were left facing him.

• Zhou Wuji controlled Hou San with the Heavenly Puppet Silk and used Yin Thunder to kill Cui Mingcheng before Hou San collapsed from exhaustion.
• Zhou Wuji spent the fate weight he gained on the Tianquan Sword and advanced it to greater mastery.
• Zhou Wuji entered Golden Sands Fort and found Devil Cultivators and barbarians gathered around Cui Mingcheng's body and the unconscious Hou San.
• Iron Claw warned the group of an enemy, and Zhou Wuji's azure lightning killed two barbarians and several Devil Cultivators while injuring others.
• Iron Claw charged Zhou Wuji, who cut him in two with a sword strike.
• Fang Zhenjiang fled, but Zhou Wuji struck him with azure lightning and blasted him to pieces.

Zhou Wuji killed the Yin Yang Dao cultivator Cui Mingcheng and three barbarian experts at Golden Sands Fort, then returned to Jade Star Temple after testing his newly mastered Sword Evasion. He warned Wuyun about the barbarians and ordered him to hand two captives over to the Ironclad Guard, despite the political complications surrounding the Blood Blade Gang and Great River Gang.

• Zhou Wuji searched Golden Sands Fort, found Cui Mingcheng's Mystic Yin Mirror and a tortured young woman's corpse, and destroyed the bodies to conceal the battle.
• Zhou Wuji carried the unconscious Hou San away, tested Sword Evasion on the journey, and reached Lin Household Gully in about a hundred breaths.
• Zhou Wuji confirmed the Yin Spirits and Yin Qi had vanished from Lin Household Gully, then woke Hou San and erased his memories of the night.
• Zhou Wuji told Wuyun, Yang Tie Ying, and Shang Ming that Yin Yang Dao cultivators and barbarians had been at Golden Sands Fort, and warned that barbarians might threaten Jade River and Jingyang.
• Wuyun explained that the Ironclad Guard and Jade River's powerful families supported the Blood Blade Gang to oppose the Great River Gang, but Zhou Wuji insisted the captives be handed over and said he would destroy the gangs if they caused trouble.

Zhou Wuji learned about the rival gangs’ powerful backers, then sold the Blood Blade Gang’s witnesses to Zhang Cheng for ten thousand taels and gave the money to Wuyun to aid victims’ families and repair Jade Star Temple. Suspecting the murders at Lin Household Gully were meant to conceal a larger barbarian plan near Golden Sands Fort, he prepared to investigate Yue Ridge and improved the Tianxuan Sword to perfection.

• Wuyun explained the Great River Gang’s ties to the Zhang Household and the Blood Blade Gang’s ties to the Han Household, warning Zhou Wuji that their feud involved powerful factions.
• Zhou Wuji visited Great River Gang branch leader Zhang Cheng at night and offered him Hou San and Wang Laoliu as witnesses against the Blood Blade Gang.
• After Hou San described the gang’s collusion with Devil Cultivators and barbarians, Zhang Cheng paid Zhou Wuji ten thousand taels for the witnesses.
• Zhou Wuji gave the money to Wuyun to support the families of the Lin Household Gully victims and repair Jade Star Temple, while avoiding direct involvement in the gangs’ feud.
• Zhou Wuji suspected Cui Mingcheng had targeted Lin Household Gully to keep people away from Golden Sands Fort, and decided to investigate the edge of Yue Ridge.
• Zhou Wuji invested two five-tael fates in the Tianxuan Sword and brought it to perfection.

Zhou Wuji perfected the Tianquan Sword, strengthened his Divine Sense, and prepared to infiltrate Yue Ridge after surveying the area around Golden Sands Fort. He spotted a party of barbarians and human cultivators approaching, while their leader Tie Jia sensed danger ahead.

• Zhou Wuji perfected the Tianquan Sword, raising his Divine Sense by eighty points and improving his perception, control, and reaction speed.
• Zhou Wuji reorganized his sword styles, then sent Yang Tie Ying and Shang Ming away with Wind Chaser before heading to Golden Sands Fort alone.
• Zhou Wuji spent several days surveying Yue Ridge from Golden Sands Fort with the Big Dipper Star Eye and mapping the surrounding terrain.
• Zhou Wuji spotted a party emerging from Yue Ridge and recognized that most were barbarians, with two likely human cultivators.
• Cui Yuanfeng told Tie Jia that Golden Sands Fort lay ahead and that his brother and the others were there, but Tie Jia sensed danger and warned his companions to be careful.

Tie Jiao led the barbarians into the abandoned Golden Sands Fort, then withdrew to the woods after finding signs of a fierce battle. Zhou Wuji stalked the group and lured Tie Jiao into a trap, wounding him with fine threads before attacking with Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder.

• Tie Jiao and Cui Yuanfeng entered Golden Sands Fort, found it deserted and damaged, and learned that a battle had occurred there a day or two earlier.
• Cui Yuanfeng urged a retreat, so Tie Jiao led the barbarians several dozen li away and made camp in the woods.
• Zhou Wuji concealed himself nearby and killed one sentry while knocking another unconscious, but Tie Jiao failed to detect him.
• Tie Jiao pursued Zhou Wuji through the woods after silver needles revealed his position, and the other barbarians lost track of them.
• Zhou Wuji led Tie Jiao into a pine forest, where fine threads cut into Tie Jiao before Zhou Wuji struck him with Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder.

Zhou Wuji fought Tie Jiao, a Fourth Rank barbarian martial artist, using thunder techniques and a trap with Heavenly Puppet Silk to overcome his superior strength. After killing Tie Jiao, Zhou Wuji healed his injuries with Origin Mystic Essence and left the fight with a new fate weight.

• Zhou Wuji repeatedly struck Tie Jiao with Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder, forcing him out of the pine woods and wearing down his vitality.
• Tie Jiao summoned a Fire Tiger Totem and unleashed a roar that shattered Zhou Wuji’s protection and left him badly injured.
• Tie Jiao charged and trapped Zhou Wuji’s White Rainbow Sword in his chest, but Zhou Wuji used Heavenly Puppet Silk to sever Tie Jiao’s arm.
• Zhou Wuji struck Tie Jiao with Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Yangming Divine Thunder, killing him, while Tie Jiao’s final kick injured Zhou Wuji.
• Zhou Wuji checked his new fate weight, healed himself with Origin Mystic Essence, retrieved his sword, and burned Tie Jiao’s corpse with Tianji Profound Yang Sword Qi.

Zhou Wuji wiped out the barbarian camp, killing its two fifth-rank leaders and capturing Cui Yuanfeng, the Devil Cultivator who had colluded with the barbarians. He erased the traces of the battle and left with Cui Yuanfeng in the Five Spirit Pouch.

• Zhou Wuji retrieved the dark iron staff and resolved to eliminate the remaining barbarians and capture Cui Yuanfeng for information about Yue Ridge.
• Cui Yuanfeng watched the barbarians argue over whether to search for Tie Jiao or defend their camp, while he feared the mysterious fighter would come after them.
• Zhou Wuji attacked the camp with Thunder Methods, killing many barbarians, then killed the two fifth-rank leaders with the Water Moon Sword.
• Zhou Wuji recited a poem to the terrified Cui Yuanfeng, sealed him with the Seven Stars Demon-Sealing Seal, and controlled him with the Heavenly Puppet Technique.
• Zhou Wuji dissolved the corpses, collected the barbarians' supplies and weapons, put Cui Yuanfeng into the Five Spirit Pouch, and left.

Zhou Wuji captured Cui Yuanfeng, a Yin Yang Dao Devil Cultivator, and learned that the Yue Ridge barbarians might soon invade the surrounding regions. He brought the warning and his prisoner to True Person Zhihua, who prepared to report the threat to the abbot and advised Zhou Wuji to use his contribution to seek access to the Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven.

• Cui Yuanfeng woke in Zhou Wuji’s custody and described the Yue Ridge barbarians, including their numbers, tribes, shamans, and plans to migrate outward.
• Zhou Wuji returned to Jade Star Temple, learned the Blood Blade Gang had collapsed, and reminded Wuyun to document the aftermath at Lin Household Gully.
• Zhou Wuji returned to Jingyang Upper Court, reported the Lin Household Gully matter to Yigeng, and filed an official record.
• Zhou Wuji told True Person Zhihua about the barbarians and presented Cui Yuanfeng, whose answers convinced her the threat was serious.
• True Person Zhihua sealed Cui Yuanfeng and said she would take Zhou Wuji to the abbot, then advised him to reach fifth-rank perfection and seek cultivation in the Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven.

Zhou Wuji learned about Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven and sought Zhiyuan’s advice after reporting the barbarians’ movements to the monastery. Zhiyuan warned that Zhou Wuji had angered influential figures by bringing the matter to True Person Zhihua, leaving Zhou Wuji worried that Lu Zhijing could block his access to the Heavenly Pivot Lineage’s secret methods.

• True Person Zhihua explained that Heavenly Pillar Treasure Light Grotto-Heaven offered powerful cultivation benefits but was reserved for cultivators who had earned a major merit, and that its radiance could expose inner demons.
• At Upright Heart Hall, True Person Zhihua reported the barbarians’ unusual activity, and Abbot Zhiyun ordered her to investigate Yue Ridge and report any findings to the Heavenly Master's Manor.
• Zhou Wuji visited Zhiyuan and told him about the grotto-heaven and the barbarians’ movements, seeking his assessment of the monastery’s political ties.
• Zhiyuan warned that Zhou Wuji had bypassed Hall Master Zhiying and Lu Zhijing by taking the matter to True Person Zhihua, and said Lu Zhijing might retaliate by barring Zhou Wuji from learning the Heavenly Pivot Lineage’s secret methods.
• Zhou Wuji returned to his room troubled by the threat to his Dao Path and considered how to respond without appearing disloyal to the sect.

Zhou Wuji strengthened his cultivation and body by spending fate weights on the Northern Dipper Tianshu Great Scripture and Army-Breaking Sword, while deciding he needed to rely on his own abilities. After several days without news from True Person Zhihua, he accepted Yigeng’s request to investigate a powerful evil entity at White Sand Bay.

• Zhou Wuji perfected the Northern Dipper Tianshu Great Scripture, formed the Yuheng Star Lord’s divine image in his heart aperture, and increased the power of his Thunder Method.
• Zhou Wuji perfected the Army-Breaking Sword, remolded his body, opened his lung aperture, and gained strength that rivaled a formidable fifth-rank barbarian.
• Zhou Wuji considered spending a fate weight of six taels and five mace on the Heavenly Puppet Technique but decided to wait.
• Yigeng asked Zhou Wuji to investigate an evil entity that had killed several people at White Sand Bay, and warned him to avoid clashes with members of the Lesser Yin Daoist Academy.