Chapter Summaries

Chu Tianshu stabilized Hai Donglai’s injuries, and Hai Donglai revealed that a court traitor had helped weaken the Inner Guard in Nanzhao. Chu Tianshu began planning how to draw the conspirators into the open and kill them, leaving the group poised to act.

• Chu Tianshu used acupuncture and Hai Donglai’s Weapon Soul to suppress his inflammation, then warned him not to fight intensely for six months.
• Hai Donglai told Blind Cheng that the officers who stole his battalion’s military credit had been executed, but Blind Cheng declined Hai Donglai’s invitation to join the Inner Guard.
• Hai Donglai explained to Zheng Hui that Inner Guards in Nanzhao had been quietly transferred away, leading him to suspect a major traitor at court was working with someone in Nanzhao.
• Chu Tianshu proposed provoking the conspirators and creating a public situation that would force them to reveal themselves, while Hai Donglai recognized Chu Tianshu’s long-standing desire to kill them.
• Chu Tianshu said he had been steadily building momentum toward the right opportunity, and the wind began to carry the first sign of ringing Metal Qi.

Chu Tianshu used blood, fire, liquor, and medicinal sand to awaken the Sanqi Divine Sword’s Weapon Soul, which he named Inner Sage, Outer King. Afterward, he planned with Hai Donglai to imitate the signs of Hai Donglai’s attacks, then prepared to set out in red disguise.

• Chu Tianshu poured Jade Radiance Wine into his training tub, set the Sanqi Divine Sword in the sand, and fed his blood to the flames as he refined the blade.
• Hai Donglai recognized that Chu Tianshu was using yang Qi to awaken the sword’s yin Qi, a dangerous method he had only encountered in theory.
• The locust tree’s shadow fell across the tub as white vapor streamed into the sword, which burst from the sand and circled Chu Tianshu.
• Chu Tianshu discovered that his Weapon Soul let him see inside his body and strengthen it from within, and he named its power Inner Sage, Outer King.
• Hai Donglai explained that his Weapon Soul, Cauldron Boil, heated victims’ blood and reddened their corpses, and Chu Tianshu said he had an idea for copying the effect.
• Chu Tianshu put on a red robe and cloak, pulled up the hood as the sun sank, and said it was time to go.

Chu Tianshu stormed the Prince of Yi's residence, killed the Three Elders of Diancang, and defeated Duan Rusu. He left after declaring himself Hai Donglai and challenging Duan Zhong to a fight to the death at Emerald Rock on the fifteenth day of the third month.

• Duan Rusu sharpened his sword in the residence while the Three Elders of Diancang discussed how to guide him.
• Chu Tianshu smashed through the main gate and fought his way into the residence, prompting the elders to identify him as Hai Donglai.
• The Three Elders of Diancang attacked Chu Tianshu, but he broke their arms and killed them with rapid palm strikes.
• Duan Rusu thrust his sword through the pavilion roof at Chu Tianshu, who dodged the attack, snapped the blade, and collapsed the roof with Palm Thunder.
• Duan Rusu attacked with weaponized banana leaf fragments, but Chu Tianshu deflected them with his cloak and struck him until he was bloodied and badly injured.
• Chu Tianshu announced himself as Hai Donglai of Chang'an, challenged Duan Zhong to a fight to the death at Emerald Rock, and left as Duan Rusu collapsed.

Duan Zhong persuaded Yimouxun to consider renewing Nanzhao’s alliance with Tubo while remaining neutral toward the Great Tang. Hai Donglai then publicly challenged Duan Zhong to a duel, and Yimouxun decided to make the challenge official.

• Yimouxun asked Duan Zhong and Zheng Hui how Nanzhao should respond after Tang and Tubo envoys were killed within its borders.
• Zheng Hui proposed inviting a second Tang delegation, while Duan Zhong urged Yimouxun to renew the alliance with Tubo and avoid committing troops.
• Duan Zhong argued that Nanzhao could maintain ties with both powers, and Yimouxun began to favor his approach.
• Zheng Hui warned that Tubo wanted an active partner against the Great Tang and might not accept Nanzhao’s neutrality.
• Hai Donglai publicly challenged Duan Zhong to a fight to the death at Emerald Rock on the fifteenth day of the third month.
• Yimouxun announced that he would issue a public decree requiring Duan Zhong to prepare for the duel.

Chu Tianshu’s public challenge drew Hai Donglai and Zheng Hui’s allies together to plan for the duel with Duan Zhong, while Duan Zhong surveyed the damage at the Prince of Yi’s residence and prepared for the fight. The chapter ended with Duan Zhong revealing six unusual rings as he faced the coming challenge.

• Chu Tianshu returned to the courtyard after issuing the challenge, and Blind Cheng and Steward Zheng warned that Duan Zhong’s defeat could provoke Nanzhao’s forces.
• Hai Donglai offered to demonstrate techniques used by Duan Zhong’s disciples so Chu Tianshu could prepare for the duel.
• Lady Wenjing brought Chu Tianshu sesame flatbreads, which he praised and said he wanted to eat again after the fight.
• Duan Zhong inspected the Prince of Yi’s residence, mourned the dead, and blamed Duan Rusu’s death on his failure to retreat.
• Duan Zhong concluded that Hai Donglai’s challenge gave his allies time to respond and urged them to help him avenge his losses.
• Duan Zhong’s prayer beads first froze and then burst in flames, revealing six bright rings on his fingers.

Chu Tianshu tried to temper his bones with Mind Power but encountered the Mortal Body Obstacle, which filled his mind with disturbing images. With the help of Blind Cheng, Hai Donglai, and the guards’ cries of “kill,” he found the focus to continue training, expanding the power through his arm.

• Chu Tianshu used Mind Power from the Sanqi Divine Sword to temper his index-finger bone and suffered distracting, grotesque thoughts from the Mortal Body Obstacle.
• Chu Tianshu tried chanting the Nine-Syllable Mantra while training but found he could not coordinate the mantra, fist techniques, and Mind Power control.
• Chu Tianshu summoned thirty-six guards and asked them to chant “kill” while he resumed his one-finger training, but their combined killing intent was too weak.
• Hai Donglai shouted “kill” from the neighboring courtyard, startling the guards and stirring Chu Tianshu’s thoughts toward fighting him.
• Blind Cheng joined in, tapping his saber and chanting “kill” with a battlefield rhythm as Hai Donglai answered from next door.
• Chu Tianshu regained his concentration and circulated the transparent flame through his hand and arm, continuing to temper his bones.

Yuwen Chiming and Yuwen Qing arrived in Nanzhao and joined forces with Prince Yi and a mysterious ally against Hai Donglai. Their ally supplied a group of poison-refined Kunlun slaves, whose speed and resistance to weapons impressed the gathered conspirators, leaving Yuwen Chiming confident in their chances.

• As the Third Month Festival approached, crowds gathered near Emerald Rock Slope ahead of the duel between Hai Donglai and Prince Yi.
• Yuwen Chiming told Yuwen Qing that Tongxin's death had made them wary, and that they planned to counter Hai Donglai and the Inner Guard without revealing their weapons.
• Yuwen Chiming and Yuwen Qing met Duan Zhong at Prince Yi's residence, where Duan Zhong explained that an Inner Guard commander's trusted subordinate had brought a group of fighters.
• Duan Zhong shattered two sabers with a finger flick, but the Kunlun slaves resisted the flying steel and one displayed astonishing speed and strength.
• Yuwen Chiming recognized the Kunlun slaves as poison-refined humans and celebrated the alliance among himself, Duan Zhong, Prince Yi, and their deluded ally.

Guan Changling arranged a mourning hall for the murdered Tang envoys, but Hai Donglai and his allies recognized it as a trap meant to keep Hai from the duel with Duan Zhong. They decided to strike the conspirators at the Temple of National Protection that night, leaving the chapter with Chu Tianshu insisting they eat dinner first.

• Guan Changling asked Yimouxun to prepare the Tang envoys’ bodies for burial, and Yimouxun ordered a mourning hall established at the Temple of National Protection.
• The bodies were restored and dressed, and monks and Tang officials gathered to pay their respects at the mourning hall.
• Zheng Hui told Chu Tianshu and Hai Donglai that Guan Changling was likely the Inner Guard conspirator and that the mourning hall might be a trap.
• Chu Tianshu reasoned that Duan Zhong’s allies planned to ambush Hai Donglai and prevent him from attending the duel.
• Hai Donglai questioned whether the conspirators would remain beside the mourning hall if he stayed away, and Chu Tianshu proposed attacking them there that night.
• Blind Cheng and Zheng Hui agreed to join the attack, while Chu Tianshu told them to eat dinner first and have Zheng explain the temple’s layout.

Hai Donglai confronted Guan Changling in Maitreya Hall and learned that Guan planned to use Nanzhao to poison the Great Tang. As Hai Donglai and Duan Zhong prepared to fight, Chu Tianshu and Blind Cheng attacked the Kunlun slaves, but Yuwen Chiming entered the battle with a divine weapon and struck at Chu Tianshu.

• Hai Donglai met Guan Changling in Maitreya Hall, and Guan admitted that he had once served the Grand Princess of Gao and was plotting to destabilize the Great Tang through Nanzhao.
• Hai Donglai resisted Guan Changling's poison, while Duan Zhong dropped from the rafters and faced him across the hall.
• Chu Tianshu charged into the Kunlun slaves and threw them toward Blind Cheng, who killed them with his Wind-Listening Saber.
• Yuwen Qing fired pellets at Chu Tianshu, who used a paving slab as cover and blasted fragments outward with a palm strike, fatally wounding Yuwen Qing.
• Yuwen Chiming rushed to protect Yuwen Qing, then confronted Chu Tianshu with his golden divine weapon as Chu charged and punched toward him.

Chu Tianshu defeated Yuwen Chiming and seized the phoenix-winged gilt tang, while Hai Donglai and Zheng Hui escaped Duan Zhong’s assault with help from each other. Chu Tianshu intercepted Duan Zhong outside the Maitreya Hall and challenged him to fight.

• Yuwen Chiming attacked Chu Tianshu with the phoenix-winged gilt tang, whose Weapon Soul let it shift between great weight and lightness.
• Chu Tianshu evaded Yuwen Chiming’s thrust, seized the weapon, and cut Yuwen Chiming across the waist with it.
• Chu Tianshu threw the raging weapon into the Mahavira Hall, where it lodged in the golden Buddha statue.
• Duan Zhong discovered Hai Donglai was gravely wounded and chased him and Zheng Hui as they fled the Maitreya Hall.
• Hai Donglai struck Duan Zhong with his Boil Over Weapon Soul, allowing Zheng Hui to survive Duan Zhong’s attack.
• Chu Tianshu intercepted Duan Zhong outside the hall and declared that Duan Zhong’s opponent was him.

Chu Tianshu fought Duan Zhong, who used the Six Paths of Wisdom Roots to attack with suffocating air, shifting heat and cold, and a soul-shaking song. The chapter ended as Duan Zhong silently lunged at Chu Tianshu’s heart with a sword-like palm.

• Chu Tianshu recognized Duan Zhong as the man who had attacked the Righteous King's residence and let him make the first move.
• Duan Zhong attacked with Human Realm Like Charcoal and Hungry Ghost Chill, while Chu Tianshu met his rapid strikes with his arms.
• Chu Tianshu caught Duan Zhong’s sleeve with a Clinging Garment Throwing Method, but Duan Zhong burst it into iron-like fragments with Asura Wields Weapons.
• Chu Tianshu drew his sword and cut Duan Zhong’s middle finger, then retreated when the oxygen-draining Celestial Person Breath Cessation left him gasping.
• Duan Zhong used Hell Soul Hooking to shake the minds of Chu Tianshu and the others, then lunged at Chu Tianshu’s heart with a swift, sword-like palm.

Chu Tianshu defeated Duan Zhong in a fierce battle at the Temple of National Protection, then pursued him to Emerald Rock Slope and killed him before witnesses. The story left Yimouxun and the onlookers stunned by the power of the Tang People’s martial arts.

• Chu Tianshu and Duan Zhong fought with sword and spear until Chu Tianshu severed Duan Zhong’s arm and wounded him beneath the ribs.
• Chu Tianshu threw the Sanqi Divine Sword to Hai Donglai, who turned toward the Maitreya Hall as Guan Changling confronted him and Blind Cheng attacked Guan Changling with flaming liquor.
• Duan Zhong fled through the mountains toward the Green Jade River while Chu Tianshu, suffering from his chest wound, chased him with Arhat Stomp and Palm Thunder.
• Duan Zhong reached Emerald Rock Slope, where Yimouxun and other witnesses saw Chu Tianshu catch him, break his arm, and twist off his head.
• Chu Tianshu carried Duan Zhong’s head away, declaring that it would be placed before the Buddha and that the world should be told who won; Yimouxun sighed over the martial arts of the Tang People.

After defeating Duan Zhong and treating their wounds, Chu Tianshu and his companions left the temple before Yimouxun could question them. Hai Donglai invited Chu Tianshu to Chang'an and offered him all fourteen evil weapons in his collection.

• Chu Tianshu returned with Duan Zhong's severed head, and the group discussed how Hai Donglai, Blind Cheng, and Zheng Hui had fought Guan Changling.
• Chu Tianshu placed Duan Zhong's head on the offering table, treated his companions' wounds, and left Zheng Hui to deal with Yimouxun.
• Chu Tianshu, Hai Donglai, and Blind Cheng slipped away through the back of the temple, taking the phoenix-winged gilded tang with them.
• Hai Donglai told Chu Tianshu that he deserved the fame for the battle, but Chu Tianshu said he cared more about ridding the world of evil.
• Hai Donglai invited Chu Tianshu to Chang'an and offered him all fourteen evil weapons in his residence, and Chu Tianshu praised Hai Donglai for living well.

Chu Tianshu subdued the Weapon Soul in the gilded phoenix-winged tang, shared a farewell meal with the Wen family restaurant’s staff, and prepared to leave for Chang’an. Before he departed, his pinwheels brought a new green bud to Zheng Hui’s scholar tree.

• Chu Tianshu used his Mind Power to suppress the gilded phoenix-winged tang’s evil Qi and decided to have its tough material forged into a new saber.
• Chu Tianshu learned that Zheng Hui had distributed Duan Zhong’s rings as keepsakes and joined the others for lunch at the Zheng residence.
• Lady Wenjing announced plans to reopen the restaurant after the Righteous King’s defeat, and Chu Tianshu toasted everyone before saying he would leave soon.
• Dao Baishu told Auntie Mo that he believed Physician Chu was actually Hai Donglai.
• Hai Donglai gave Chu Tianshu a route map and credentials for Chang’an, and Chu Tianshu decided to depart the following day.
• Zheng Hui saw a new green bud on the scholar tree after Chu Tianshu’s pinwheels were placed on its branches.

Chu Tianshu reached Chang'an, delivered Hai Donglai’s letter to Yuwen Zhong, and learned of a claim that heaven and earth were returning to an ancient cycle in which Weapon Souls could manifest freely. He entered Hai Donglai’s weapon storehouse and found fourteen evil weapons.

• Chu Tianshu crossed a dangerous cliffside route and entered Chang'an, where he asked a night watchman for directions to Hai Donglai’s residence.
• At the Hai residence, Yuwen Zhong verified Hai Donglai’s letter and confirmed that Chu Tianshu could take all the evil weapons.
• Yuwen Zhong told Chu Tianshu that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had warned of signs that heaven and earth were completing a cycle, potentially bringing back an era when Weapon Souls manifested outwardly.
• Yuwen Zhong led Chu Tianshu to the talisman-protected storehouse, where he pushed open a door resisting him with entangled sinister Qi.
• Chu Tianshu counted fourteen weapons and judged several powerful, though none matched his phoenix-winged gilded tang.

After returning from the Great Tang world, Chu Tianshu found his hometown buried in unusually heavy snow and gained a deeper understanding of martial arts from a newly deduced fist manual. He reunited with Second Grandpa and learned that Teacher Qiao had opened his apertures and joined the official reserve of special talent.

• Chu Tianshu returned home after thirty-nine days and discovered that heavy snow had covered the countryside.
• Chu Tianshu deduced the Storming Shaolin Heart Fire Fist Manual and gained new insight into the principles of fist practice.
• Chu Tianshu strolled through the snow and found Second Grandpa ice-fishing beside the bridge.
• Second Grandpa welcomed Chu Tianshu and invited him to share the fish soup he had cooked.
• Teacher Qiao Xing revealed that he had opened his apertures nearly a month earlier and had been registered as an official reserve talent.
• Teacher Qiao explained that his new role came with a raise and an introductory Mind Power cultivation method, then Second Grandpa called them in to eat.

Chu Tianshu returned to Second Grandpa’s village as persistent snow raised fears of a southern cold disaster, while he kept training and checked in with friends. The chapter ended with worsening weather reports confirming the disaster had spread across the south.

• Second Grandpa and Teacher Qiao discussed the special talent reserve as Qiao Xing demonstrated his newly cultivated Mind Power to Chu Tianshu.
• Lin Baisui told Chu Tianshu that authorities expected a possible snow disaster and were preparing for special incidents amid the cold.
• Chu Tianshu bought meat, drinks, and baijiu, then learned Yin Fengxin could maintain Aperture Opening for fifty minutes and that Fang Jun had downplayed his progress to keep him humble.
• Chu Tianshu reflected on Duan Zhong’s fluid fighting style and practiced adapting his own fist technique to the environment.
• Chu Tianshu followed a routine of body tempering, fist practice, and Mind Power cultivation as snow continued falling and reports confirmed freezing rain and ice across the south.

Chu Tianshu practiced the Heart Fire Fist Classic and gained fine control over his nails and hair, then discovered that a white-browed cat could move and stand like a martial artist. The cat ended the chapter in a humanlike fist stance, leaving Chu Tianshu stunned by its transformation.

• Chu Tianshu practiced the Heart Fire Fist Classic in the snow and learned to control his nails and hair.
• Chu Tianshu considered how his changes might reveal control over the Qi and blood in his skull and brain.
• A frozen white-browed cat entered Chu Tianshu’s yard, and he brought it inside and fed it warm fish soup.
• The cat stretched after eating, and Chu Tianshu noticed it moving with a trace of Taiji Fist’s relaxed sinews and bones.
• Chu Tianshu released a hint of hostility, and the white-browed cat flipped into a humanlike stance with its forelegs raised.

Chu Tianshu caught a shapeshifting white-browed cat and subdued two men who came looking for it. He then reunited with Qi Lianyong, who recognized him as the boy from Old Doctor Chu's family and was surprised to see him well.

• Chu Tianshu saw the white-browed cat transform and perform human boxing, then caught it as it tried to flee and returned it to its ordinary shape.
• The cat indicated that it had stolen something and denied that the men pounding on Chu Tianshu's back door were its owners.
• Two men demanded the cat, but Chu Tianshu disabled the thin man with silver needles and knocked the burly man unconscious with a palm strike.
• Qi Lianyong and his companions arrived in pursuit of the thieves, and Chu Tianshu recognized Qi Lianyong as Master Qi.
• Qi Lianyong recognized Chu Tianshu as Xiaotian from Old Doctor Chu's family and asked whether he was well; Chu Tianshu said that he was.

Chu Tianshu reunited Bai Mei with Qi Lianyong and learned that the cat’s captors were transporting stolen goods for a cultivators’ ghost market. Qi Lianyong interrogated one of the thieves, uncovering a major smuggling operation and leaving the gang’s members to be brought to justice.

• Qi Lianyong and five companions arrived at Chu Tianshu’s home, where they identified the cat as Bai Mei, known at Golden Saber Martial Arts School as Teacher Xiaobai.
• Qi Lianyong explained that an Azure Smoke Insect had tracked Bai Mei by the incense scent he carried from the school’s principal.
• Bai Mei indicated that he had escaped from a truck carrying objects, and Qi Lianyong suspected the cargo was bound for a cultivators’ ghost market.
• Qi Lianyong used the Tendon-Separating and Bone-Dislocating Hand to force the burly thief to answer his questions.
• The thief revealed that his gang was transporting stolen tomb goods to the coast for smuggling and had tried to sell Bai Mei alive at a ghost market.
• Qi Lianyong recognized the disclosure as a major case and looked forward to arresting the gang and earning commendations and bonuses.