Chapter Summaries

Han Yu’s efforts to destabilize the Hundred Flowers Kingdom plunged it into famine and rebellion, but Emperor Li Shi countered by purging officials and securing help from an immortal cultivator and the Flowing Cloud Kingdom. As the rebellions began to falter, Han Yu prepared for the commandery princess’s arrival and planned to present her as the bringer of peace.

• Han Yu ordered grain supplies cut off and unrest unleashed in several cities, sparking famine and rebellions across the Hundred Flowers Kingdom.
• Li Shi rejected a plan to let refugees raid merchants and instead confiscated ministers’ and Aristocratic Clans’ wealth to buy grain for relief.
• Han Yu anticipated further resistance from officials, and major Aristocratic Clans in Jasmine City later raised an army of fifty thousand refugees and rebelled.
• After Lü Liang rebelled with a hundred thousand troops, Li Shi asked Jiang Chuan to kill him and revealed his plan to seek military aid through a marriage alliance with the Flowing Cloud Kingdom.
• Jiang Chuan killed Lü Liang and several rebel generals, causing their army to collapse and giving the kingdom’s forces room to regroup.
• Han Yu told Feng Wuhen to prepare for the commandery princess’s arrival, spread the story that she had brought peace, summon a thousand deathsworn, and ready grain bought in the Flowing Cloud Kingdom.

Su Du and Han Yu seized the Hundred Flowers Kingdom, killed Emperor Li Shi and the officials who opposed them, and established the Phoenix Kingdom. Years later, the kingdom prospered under Su Du’s rule, though its rise had followed wars she had secretly engineered.

• Han Yu watched Su Du’s carriage enter the palace as the people hailed Su Du as the Phoenix Divine Maiden.
• A disguised palace maid shot Emperor Li Shi with a crossbow, and Su Du’s forces overwhelmed his guards and took control of the palace.
• Su Du renamed the realm the Phoenix Kingdom and, with Han Yu, killed officials who protested her claim to the throne.
• The Phoenix Kingdom ended unrest, introduced new laws, suppressed rebellious aristocratic clans, and grew wealthy and powerful over the following years.
• The people praised Su Du for improving their lives, unaware that she had orchestrated the wars that caused millions of deaths and injuries.

Shen Ge left the sect and returned to his former cultivation retreat, where he reunited with Little White and left behind books of knowledge. He then took Little White with him to travel the world, disguising the wolf as a dog.

• Shen Ge said goodbye to Su Sui and Mu Wan before leaving the sect, while Su Liuyue watched him depart and Ziyang wished him well.
• Shen Ge returned to his old mountain retreat and reunited with Little White, who had grown into a first-tier Demon Beast.
• Shen Ge spent three days compiling books of scientific knowledge and sealing them in the retreat as a legacy for future visitors.
• Shen Ge considered the risks of the Life and Death Instruction and remained unwilling to cultivate its dangerous latter half.
• Shen Ge decided to take Little White with him to protect the wolf from cultivators, then disguised him as a dog before they left.

Shen Ge returned to the village where he had first met Han Yu, only to learn that her family had moved away and receive a letter she had left for him. In it, Han Yu described her rise in business and her attempt to seize the Hundred Flowers Kingdom, leaving Shen Ge to wonder whether he would need to mourn her with a cup of warm wine.

• Shen Ge visited Han Yu's old home and learned from the villagers that her family had moved away.
• Li Shan recognized Shen Ge as the man who had treated Han Lin and gave him Han Yu's sealed letter.
• Shen Ge thanked Li Shan by giving him a bottle of pills that strengthened the body.
• Shen Ge read Han Yu's letter, which described her growth into a powerful businesswoman and her plans to seize the Hundred Flowers Kingdom.
• Han Yu asked Shen Ge to visit if her plan succeeded or offer Xiao Yu warm wine if it failed, and Shen Ge called the two women mad.

Shen Ge visited Han Yu in Phoenix City after her schemes had established the Phoenix Kingdom. He urged her to govern for the people, and Han Yu promised to remember his advice.

• Shen Ge crossed into the Phoenix Kingdom with Little White and observed that its people seemed content under the new regime.
• Shen Ge reached the Han Residence in Phoenix City, where Little White frightened the guards and Shen Ge compelled them to announce his visit.
• Han Yu heard that an old acquaintance had arrived and hurried to receive Shen Ge.
• Han Yu greeted Shen Ge warmly, thanked him for helping change her fate, and asked whether he had visited Peach Garden Village.
• Han Yu worried that millions had died because of her, and Shen Ge advised her to treat the people well so the dynasty could endure.

Han Yu invited Shen Ge to attend the Phoenix Kingdom’s ceremony to offer sacrifices to Heaven, then confided in Su Du about her feelings for him and her fear that she was unworthy as a mortal. Su Du urged Han Yu to confess before Shen Ge left and hinted that their preparations to gain longevity were nearly complete.

• Han Yu invited Shen Ge to the kingdom’s upcoming ceremony, and he agreed to attend.
• Han Yu ate with Shen Ge, then arranged for him to stay in a grand hall while she went to the imperial palace.
• Han Yu visited Su Du in her bedchamber and told her that Shen Ge had returned.
• Han Yu admitted she loved Shen Ge but lacked the courage to approach him because she was a mortal who had grown old.
• Su Du advised Han Yu to confess her feelings and said their preparations to gain longevity were nearly complete.

Su Du founded the Phoenix Divine Dynasty through the Fortune Dynasty Method, and the kingdom’s fortune granted her and her subjects cultivation power. Han Yu gained strength and regained her black hair, then looked toward Shen Ge with renewed confidence and possessiveness.

• Han Yu led Shen Ge to a platform to watch as Su Du began the Heaven-Worship Ceremony.
• Su Du declared the founding of the Phoenix Divine Dynasty, and a Fire Phoenix emerged from her imperial seal to shatter the lightning tribulation.
• Ziyang received his master's order to let the dynasty develop and protect it if necessary, while Zi Nü recognized the event as a possible Luck Dynasty.
• The Fire Phoenix repelled the remaining lightning bolts before returning to the imperial seal, and Su Du reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
• Han Yu gained the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, while the officials gained Qi Refining strength; Han Yu noticed her white hair had disappeared and looked at Shen Ge with a possessive smile.

Shen Ge rejected Han Yu’s feelings and learned how the Fortune Dynasty Method could empower cultivators. He agreed to protect the newly established Phoenix Kingdom without accepting an official position because his injuries made the nation’s fortune dangerous to him.

• Su Du teased Shen Ge about Han Yu’s affection, and he warned her not to meddle in their relationship.
• Shen Ge told Su Du that he did not have romantic feelings for Han Yu, and Han Yu overheard him and left in despair.
• Su Du offered Shen Ge the vacant positions of state preceptor and protector of the nation, then showed him papers explaining the Luck Dynasty’s benefits.
• Shen Ge learned that the Fortune Dynasty Method could accelerate cultivation but decided its power might worsen his injuries.
• Shen Ge agreed to protect the Phoenix Kingdom for Han Yu’s sake but declined an official position.

Shen Ge confronted Rogue Cultivators who came to investigate the land, forcing one to protect the country and killing two others after they attacked the imperial palace. He cornered the surviving woman after she tried to flee.

• Song Junjie threatened Shen Ge from above the palace, then sensed the danger and knelt to beg for mercy.
• Shen Ge offered Song Junjie the choice of guarding the country or dying, and Song Junjie agreed to protect it.
• Two men and a woman arrived, set a building on fire, and demanded that the emperor kneel.
• Su Du extinguished the fire while Shen Ge killed one attacker with the Flowing Gold Sword and pursued the fleeing pair.
• Shen Ge killed the fleeing man and kicked the woman into the white-jade paving, leaving her in a crater.

Shen Ge dealt with the intruders who had come to seize treasures in Su Du’s territory, while Su Du burned one of them and arranged for Song Junjie to guard the palace for five years. Shen Ge gave Su Du and Han Yu three Storage Bags containing spells, and the palace servants began cleaning up the scene.

• The injured woman begged Shen Ge for mercy and tried to seduce him, but he kept approaching with his Flowing Gold Sword ready.
• The woman and Song Junjie pretended to be helpless, but Su Du struck the woman with Phoenix True Fire and burned her to ashes.
• Shen Ge gave three Storage Bags to Su Du and Han Yu, while Song Junjie quietly watched them and realized they were cultivators too.
• Su Du told Song Junjie to guard the palace for five years in exchange for his freedom afterward, and he accepted.
• Su Du ordered servants to remove and burn the two corpses, while Shen Ge recognized that she had lured the intruders in to obtain their Cultivation Methods.

Han Yu asked Shen Ge about establishing a cultivation academy, but the arrival of Spirit Moon Sect disciples brought the discussion to the Phoenix Hall. The sect offered protection to the Phoenix Kingdom, and Han Yu requested cultivation books and Spirit Root testing items as the story left the two sides preparing to cooperate.

• Han Yu told Shen Ge that she and her elder sister wanted to establish an academy and asked whether he could test Spirit Roots.
• Su Du summoned Shen Ge to the Phoenix Hall, where he found Su Sui, Mu Wan, and Wang Yan meeting with Su Du.
• Su Sui greeted Shen Ge as her master, while Mu Wan privately asked about his condition and questioned his relationships with Han Yu and Su Du.
• Su Du introduced the Spirit Moon Sect disciples to Han Yu, who welcomed their protection but warned them not to interfere with Phoenix Kingdom's imperial authority.
• Su Sui and Wang Yan assured Han Yu that the sect would not govern the kingdom, and Han Yu requested basic cultivation books and items for testing Spirit Roots.

Su Du secured offers of support for the Phoenix Dynasty from the Spirit Moon Sect and the Purple Qi Sect, while Shen Ge and Wang Yan suspected the Purple Qi Sect protector Zhou Shun was actually Huang Tao. After Zhou Shun left, Wang Yan told Shen Ge to alert Senior Sister Liuyue as she followed him.

• Su Du accepted Wang Yan's promise of supplies and court officials from the Spirit Moon Sect.
• Zhou Shun arrived on behalf of the Purple Qi Sect and offered cultivation resources and future assistance to the Phoenix Dynasty.
• Shen Ge felt Zhou Shun was familiar, while Zhou Shun secretly recognized him as the Shen Ge he had once tried to kill.
• Wang Yan suspected Zhou Shun was Huang Tao, Shen Ge's enemy, but held back from acting without evidence.
• After the meeting, Zhou Shun left, and Wang Yan told Shen Ge to contact Senior Sister Liuyue while she followed him.
• Shen Ge erupted with Sha Qi when Wang Yan identified Zhou Shun as a likely Huang Tao.

Wang Yan confronted Huang Tao and fought him as he tried to escape, but he sent a swarm of Netherworld Bees toward a mortal town to delay her. Shen Ge and the others intervened to stop the swarm, allowing Wang Yan to resume her pursuit of Huang Tao.

• Huang Tao realized Wang Yan was following him and secretly asked the Purple Qi Sect for reinforcements without identifying her sect.
• Wang Yan blocked Huang Tao and insisted he stay to talk, but he refused and attacked her with a flying sword and a flaming palm.
• Wang Yan countered with her Lifebound Law Treasure, and Huang Tao released a vast swarm of Netherworld Bees before fleeing.
• Huang Tao sent the bees toward a mortal town, forcing Wang Yan to hesitate between pursuing him and protecting the people.
• Shen Ge and the others attacked the swarm, and Wang Yan used an escape technique to chase Huang Tao again.

Huang Tao escaped Wang Yan by attacking a mortal town, forcing her to protect its people while he fled. Shen Ge and his companions regrouped, and Wang Yan planned to seek Liuyue’s help in tracking Huang Tao as Shen Ge headed for the Phoenix Kingdom with Mu Wan and Su Sui.

• Huang Tao hurled fireballs and spells at a town, making Wang Yan break off her pursuit to intercept the attacks while he escaped.
• Wang Yan apologized to Shen Ge for failing to catch Huang Tao and said she would use his blood, magic power, and the Ghost-Faced Wasp queen to track him with Liuyue’s help.
• Shen Ge vowed to kill Huang Tao, while Mu Wan and Su Sui comforted him after his revenge attempt failed.
• Mu Wan chose to accompany Shen Ge to the Phoenix Kingdom, and Su Sui teased him about taking an interest in two women there.
• Shen Ge and Mu Wan flew off on their swords, and Su Sui followed after Shen Ge called to her.

The Blood Devil, Bai Mei, and the Withered Bone Old Devil planned a joint attack on the righteous sects and the Phoenix Kingdom, hoping to destroy the new imperial dynasty and obtain the Fortune Dynasty Method. Meanwhile, Su Liuyue and Wang Yan failed to capture Huang Tao, and Shen Ge burned the arm they recovered before worrying that Su Liuyue might pursue him alone.

• The Blood Devil, Bai Mei, and the Withered Bone Old Devil agreed to attack the righteous sects in a month and arranged for their factions to stage distractions against the Phoenix Kingdom.
• Su Liuyue and Wang Yan battled Huang Tao near a small city, but he escaped after losing an arm.
• Wang Yan used spirit rain to extinguish fires and heal the injured people in the city, then took Huang Tao's arm to Shen Ge.
• Huang Tao hid beneath a broken bowl, vowed revenge on Shen Ge and Su Liuyue, and began expelling Su Liuyue's Law Power from his wounds.
• Shen Ge burned Huang Tao's severed arm and sent Su Liuyue a message after learning she had not returned with Wang Yan.

Huang Tao recovered from his injuries and decided to return to the Phoenix Kingdom to seek a chance to kill Shen Ge. Meanwhile, Su Liuyue confronted Zi Qi of the Blood Devil Grotto, and their battle escalated as Zi Qi revealed she wielded a Divine Ability passed down by Li Yu.

• Huang Tao resolved to sneak back to the Phoenix Kingdom and look for an opportunity to kill Shen Ge.
• Su Liuyue met Zi Qi and four Blood Devil Grotto disciples on a remote mountain and killed the four disciples with a single Sword Qi strike.
• Su Liuyue and Zi Qi traded attacks with their Law Treasures and Law Techniques, including the Netherworld Blood Claw and Giant Spirit Divine General.
• Zi Qi summoned a Blood Prison Dragon to help resist Su Liuyue’s divine general, and Su Liuyue questioned whether Zi Qi was Li Yu’s daughter.

Su Liuyue wounded Zi Qi and drove her into retreat, while White Bone Mountain’s second team attacked Phoenix City and Shen Ge fought the assailants outside the imperial palace. The battle remained underway as Shen Ge launched a close-range attack against the man protected by black claws.

• Su Liuyue cut through Zi Qi’s blood dragon and armor, then struck again when Zi Qi tried to flee.
• Zi Qi burned her Essence Blood to escape and vowed to return after reaching the Late Golden Core Stage.
• Five White Bone Mountain Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators entered Phoenix City and killed the people on a busy street with black Qi.
• Five Rogue Cultivators confronted the attackers, but one was killed before a man in white robes stopped the black chains.
• Shen Ge battled three White Bone Mountain fighters outside the imperial palace while Su Du and Han Yu watched from the gates.
• Shen Ge summoned Sword Qi Long River, then appeared behind the black claws and thrust his sword at their wielder, who countered with spikes.

Shen Ge fought off White Bone Mountain’s ghosts and rotting corpses, forcing the three attackers to summon a ghost king from their secret realm. As Shen Ge faced the Early Golden Core Stage creature with the city’s residents at risk, a one-armed observer challenged him not to flee.

• Shen Ge’s Golden Light Incantation burned away the ghosts and protected him from the rotting corpses as he cut down hundreds of them.
• The three White Bone Mountain attackers sacrificed their heart blood to open the ghost gate and summon a ghost king.
• The ghost king emerged with strength comparable to the Golden Core Stage and struck at Shen Ge, even seeing through his movements.
• Shen Ge realized he could escape but feared the ghost king would kill everyone in the city if he did.
• A one-armed figure watched from the clouds and told Shen Ge the ghost king had only barely reached the Early Golden Core Stage, then invoked the city’s lives to urge him not to run.

Shen Ge killed the three White Bone Mountain disciples, then faced Huang Tao and the Ghost King in a desperate battle. After Huang Tao mortally wounded him, Shen Ge used a concealed formation to cripple Huang Tao and shatter his Golden Core.

• Shen Ge weakened the red-robed female ghost, then killed the three White Bone Mountain disciples with Burst Talismans and his sword.
• Song Junjie killed the wounded White Bone Mountain disciple he had fought, while Huang Tao attacked Shen Ge from the sky.
• Huang Tao and the Ghost King trapped Shen Ge, so Shen Ge activated the Life-Burning Secret Method and charged at Huang Tao.
• Su Du bestowed the title of Heaven-Pacifying King on Shen Ge, granting him the nation's fortune as Huang Tao continued attacking him with sword lights and Fire Crows.
• Huang Tao stabbed and burned Shen Ge, but Shen Ge used an Essence Blood formation to immobilize him and destroy his left foot, abdomen, and Golden Core.

Shen Ge and Huang Tao fell helplessly toward the Ghost King as Han Yu and Su Du rushed to save them. Su Du sacrificed herself to protect Han Yu, who rescued Shen Ge and fled toward the imperial palace, but the Ghost King caught up with them at the kingdom's fortune barrier.

• Shen Ge warned Han Yu not to approach as she flew toward him, while Su Du chased after her to protect her.
• Han Yu tried to use her body to shield Shen Ge, but Su Du pushed her down and used the illusory jade imperial seal to block the Sword Qi.
• The remaining sword light cleaved Su Du in two, and Han Yu cried out as her sister died protecting her.
• The Ghost King swallowed Huang Tao and then ate Su Du's body while Han Yu carried Shen Ge away.
• The Ghost King caught up with Han Yu and Shen Ge outside the kingdom's fortune barrier and opened its mouth to swallow them.