Recaps

Ye Xingge traveled with An Yurou and Shen Yueyao while Xiyue discovered a dragon-shaped mark that convinced An Yurou he was Western Shu’s crown prince. Meanwhile, Ye Gucheng noticed two suspicious martial artists before Magistrate Shen Songnian and Constable Wang Shouyin arrived at the Wujian Inn.

• An Yurou and Shen Yueyao rode with Ye Xingge, and Xiyue massaged him while looking for his identifying mark.
• Shen Yueyao asked Ye Xingge about her father, and he spun a story about meeting Magistrate Shen during a famine.
• Xiyue uncovered part of Ye Xingge’s dragon-shaped mark, leading An Yurou to suspect he was the Dragon Flower Cult’s holy son and Western Shu’s future heir.
• Ye Yuanshan and Liu Ping'er worried that Ye Xingge’s relentless crime-fighting was hurting the Wujian Inn’s business.
• Ye Gucheng spotted two veiled female martial artists, one accompanied by an eagle he suspected was an Azure Luan.
• Magistrate Shen Songnian and Wang Shouyin visited the Wujian Inn, where Ye Gucheng greeted them.

Ye Xingge learned that he would fight in a martial arts match for the emperor’s birthday, where the court intended to judge his ability, and prepared for the bout. The chapter ended with him studying in his room and contacting Luo Xuanqing before using the Yellow Strip to summon Yu'er.

• Wu Yi told Ye Xingge that he would fight an unnamed opponent in a fists-and-feet-only match at the emperor’s birthday celebration, and urged him to give everything he had.
• Ye Xingge agreed to do his best and played a close chess game against Wu Yi before leaving the Heaven-Observing Pavilion.
• Ye Xingge took a foundation-enhancing pill and began studying the Twelve Stances Art and other martial manuals to prepare for the match.
• Ye Xingge sent Luo Xuanqing a teasing message through the United Hearts Plaque, and she replied from the Myriad Phenomena Tower.
• Ye Xingge put down the plaque, took out the Yellow Strip, and tried to summon Yu'er by thinking of the Great Longevity Peach.

Hongyu dined with the Cloud and Rain Tower master while Ye Xingge struggled to master the Twelve Stances Art, and Luo Xuanqing dreamed of the Nine Qi circling overhead. The next morning Ye Xingge visited the Wujian Inn, where he reunited with Wang Shouyin and heard that a mysterious woman with an eagle had stayed there.

• Hongyu listened as the Cloud and Rain Tower master warned her not to indulge Ye Xingge, then ignored his call to return and practice with him.
• Luo Xuanqing dreamed of nine colored Qi coiling across the sky as Ye Xingge practiced the Twelve Stances Art through the night.
• Ye Xingge told Luo Xuanqing he had stayed up practicing, and she advised him to rest before the challenge matches at the Emperor of Yan's birthday celebrations.
• Ye Xingge reached the Wujian Inn, gave Ye Gucheng the Twelve Stances Art manual, and learned Magistrate Shen had gone out to visit an old friend.
• Wang Shouyin told Ye Xingge that a veiled woman with an eagle had stayed at the inn, but Ye Xingge learned she had already gone out.

Ye Gucheng and Ye Yuanshan studied a borrowed cultivation manual while Shen Songnian revisited his memories of Ye Xingge and nearly proposed him as a husband for An Yurou. The next day, Ye Xingge traveled to the imperial palace for the birthday banquet and arena competition, suspecting the attackers might strike again.

• Ye Gucheng and Ye Yuanshan concluded that the borrowed manual was an outer-door art and discussed how Ye Gucheng could practice it without exposing his true cultivation.
• Shen Songnian recalled how Ye Xingge had helped his family and the Qingxi yamen, then brought Ye Xingge's childhood wooden sword to Shen Yueyao.
• Shen Songnian suggested Ye Xingge might make a suitable husband for An Yurou, prompting Shen Yueyao to object that An Yurou should choose for herself.
• Ye Xingge rode toward the palace with Chen Xiaobao and reviewed intelligence reports that had failed to locate Fan Zhe and the others.
• Ye Xingge suspected an attack might occur at the birthday banquet and learned that Chen Xiaobao belonged to the Wuxi Chen Clan's main line.

Ye Xingge attended the Emperor of Yan’s birthday banquet, where officials and nobles prepared to watch him defend an arena against young martial artists. After the festivities, he entered the plaza and waited for his first opponent as spectators watched from inside and outside the imperial city.

• Ye Xingge arrived at the imperial city with Chen Xiaobao while Zhang Zhiqing and Old Master Yan discussed the dangers of the arranged fights and the political tensions surrounding the Cao Clan and Eight Pillars Hall.
• Xiao Bieli arrived at the banquet, and Zhang Zhiqing explained that Yuchi Jingnan had damaged his foundation years earlier.
• Ye Xingge sat among the guests, tried to contact Great Beauty Luo and Baby Bunny with the United Hearts Plaque, and heard from Great Yu'er that the assassin remained missing.
• As the performances ended, Eunuch Fan announced that Ye Xingge could be the first to defend the arena, where three victories would earn a reward.
• Ye Xingge bowed before Emperor Xiao Cang, entered the white stone plaza, spotted his family and friends watching from the Myriad Images Tower, and waited for a talented young man to challenge him.

Ye Xingge fought Dugu Xuan in a court-arranged martial arts trial and killed him with a single strike, shocking the Emperor of Yan and the assembled guests. As physicians rushed to save Dugu Xuan, Ye Xingge feared the Eldest Princess would have him executed, while the court prepared for his next match.

• Dugu Xuan stepped forward to challenge Ye Xingge, and Eunuch Fan explained that Duke Zhang had sealed Dugu Xuan's meridians to equalize their strength.
• Ye Xingge and Dugu Xuan displayed the Great Nine Yang technique before charging at each other in the square.
• Ye Xingge changed his attack mid-strike, slipped past Dugu Xuan's guard, and struck his heart with supreme yang Qi.
• Dugu Xuan was sent flying and collapsed with a fatal chest wound, leaving the crowd and Emperor of Yan stunned.
• Ye Xingge pleaded with Sun Wang and the imperial physicians to save Dugu Xuan, while Cao Xiong called for help and Zhang Zhiqing insisted the next match would be harder.

Ye Xingge defeated Cao Ba in a palace-square bout, first breaking through his defense and then countering his secret techniques with precise timing. Cao Xiong recognized Ye Xingge’s extraordinary combat insight and wondered whether the young fighter had been possessed by an old devil.

• The Emperor of Yan sent Cao Ba to test Ye Xingge after Dugu Xuan was carried away unconscious.
• Ye Xingge struck Cao Ba with a flying knee and elbow, then hit him with a palm strike that Cao Ba endured using Earthbound Heavenly Communion.
• Cao Ba attacked with Immortal's Knock, but Ye Xingge evaded it and struck Cao Ba's Jingmen acupoint with an inch-force elbow, making him fall.
• Cao Xiong and the other experts realized Ye Xingge had reached the realm of Penetrating the Subtle in practical combat.
• Cao Xiong reflected on Ye Xingge's implausibly advanced skills and wondered whether Ruan Jinyu had been right about an old devil seizing his body.

Ye Xingge defeated Cao Ba and then faced Cui Zitang in the final match, while asking to spar with the strongest fighters present. Their opening exchange left the observers expecting Ye Xingge to be struck down, but Cao Xiong was stunned by what happened next.

• Ye Xingge defeated Cao Ba twice, and Cao Ba conceded after being sent flying by his kick.
• Cui Zitang of the Linchuan Cui Clan was introduced as Ye Xingge’s final opponent and a powerful contender for the Heaven-Observing Decree.
• Ye Xingge asked to spar with Mei Wuchang instead, but the elders refused and Cao Xiong urged him to fight Cui Zitang.
• Cui Zitang used the Righteous Qi Art and met Ye Xingge’s shifting attacks with a half-step snapping palm aimed at his ribs.
• The experts expected Cui Zitang’s palm to defeat Ye Xingge, but Cao Xiong reacted in disbelief at the last moment.

Ye Xingge defeated Cui Zitang with a daring counterattack and showed how easily he could adapt martial techniques, prompting the Emperor of Yan to end the matches and reward him. As Chen Xiaobao prepared to arrange a banquet for Ye, he spotted a suspicious eunuch heading toward the Diligent Governance Tower and went to investigate.

• Ye Xingge struck Cui Zitang's heart gate with Immortal's Knock, then explained how he had adapted Great Nine Yang and changed one move three times.
• Cui Zitang realized Ye Xingge had used their fight to test a move, while Sun Wang carried him away for treatment.
• Zhang Zhiqing claimed he had taught Ye Xingge the techniques beforehand, and the Emperor of Yan stopped the matches and awarded Ye one hundred pieces of imperial-grade material and a qilin robe.
• A messenger told Chen Xiaobao that Vice Minister Chen wanted him to befriend Ye Xingge, and Chen began imagining an extravagant banquet.
• Chen Xiaobao noticed a suspicious eunuch heading toward the Diligent Governance Tower and followed him toward a side room.

Ye Xingge followed a wine-stain arrow to Chen Xiaobao and intervened when an assassin attacked him in a corridor. The assassin killed himself before questioning, and the officials recognized the twin daggers as weapons tied to the River-Spanning Pavilion, leaving Cao Xiong to answer for the breach.

• After returning from his arena match, Ye Xingge noticed a wet wine stain shaped like an arrow on his table and realized a Mountains and Rivers Association agent was warning him.
• Ye Xingge saw Chen Xiaobao heading toward a room in the west corridor and hurried after him.
• An assassin hidden beside the doorway attacked Chen Xiaobao, but Ye Xingge grabbed the assassin’s wrist and shielded him.
• Ye Xingge fought the eunuch-robed assassin, identified his sword technique as Pure Yang Nine Palaces Sword, and pinned him down after disarming him.
• Mei Wuchang, Ruan Jinyu, Gongsun Yanwu, and imperial guards arrived as the assassin died by poison; Cao Xiong admitted he had been negligent.
• The Emperor of Yan and senior officials inspected the two daggers, and Ye Xingge recognized them as Green Water Beetle Twin Stingers associated with the River-Spanning Pavilion.

After an assassin carrying Cao family weapons attacked Emperor of Yan, Ye Xingge and Chen Xiaobao received titles for protecting the throne while suspicion fell on Cao Xiong’s household. Meanwhile, Cloud and Rain Tower discovered a dangerous underground palace beneath Xiao Bieli’s residence, then possessed Hongyu to secretly treat Ye Xingge.

• Cao Xiong and Imperial Uncle Cao were questioned after an assassin with Twin Flowers on One Stalk daggers and a snake tattoo was identified as the swordsman from Jing River Hot Springs.
• Murong Xie found a palace access token and a map of the emperor’s route on the assassin, who had swallowed poison.
• Emperor of Yan rewarded Ye Xingge and Chen Xiaobao with viscount ranks, residences, and imperial fabric for protecting the throne.
• Cloud and Rain Tower investigated the underground palace beneath Xiao Bieli’s residence, was struck by yin baleful force, and returned to Wujian Inn to recover.
• Hongyu exchanged garments with Cloud and Rain Tower so he could use the Hundred-Blaze Garment, and he possessed her to begin inserting needles into Ye Xingge.

After receiving a gift from Chen Xiaobao, Ye Xingge followed the Ceremonial Phoenix Bureau’s armed riders to Wujian Inn, where he discovered a powerful woman meditating in a chilled room. He recognized her as one of two First Rank women, but the chapter ended before he determined which one she was.

• Chen Xiaobao offered Ye Xingge sword-nurturing materials as thanks for saving his life and asked him to support his bid to become Inspection Bureau grand commander.
• Ye Xingge spotted the Ceremonial Phoenix Bureau riding toward the outer city and left Chen Xiaobao’s carriage to follow them.
• Ye Xingge contacted Great Beauty Luo and Yu'er, but neither could explain the Bureau’s business, so he continued following the riders.
• The riders searched the outer city near Wujian Inn, prompting Ye Xingge to return to the inn and check for trouble.
• Ye Xingge found Fat Snow guarding a freezing room and saw a white-robed woman meditating inside.
• Ye Xingge recognized the woman’s Mountains and Rivers Pouch and concluded she was either Perfected Jiuhua, Liu Yi, or Cloud and Rain Tower.