Recaps

Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou left the Yedie River Holy Land and traveled toward the Nine-Foot Daoist Temple, hoping Wu Chao could use the Star-Fixing Technique to track Zou Bugui. As they prepared to cross into the Great Han Dynasty, Zhang Xuezhou continued cultivating the Technique Within the Clouds and concealed his demon-person features.

• Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou received permission to descend the mountain and traveled by carriage toward the Nine-Foot Daoist Temple.
• Wu Chao explained that the Star-Fixing Technique could use a place connected to Zou Bugui to determine where and when he might appear.
• Wu Chao cultivated during the journey while Zhang Xuezhou practiced spreading and folding his feathered wings with the Technique Within the Clouds.
• Zhang Xuezhou used silver liquid, red powder, jade, and black liquid during his cultivation, which helped conceal his identity as a demon person.
• Several days later, Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou joined a Western Regions merchant caravan and changed clothes before approaching the Great Han Dynasty's border checkpoint.

Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou led a merchant caravan to Yanmen Pass, where Han soldiers inspected the travelers. A soldier recognized Zhang Xuezhou’s cultivation and urged him to join the Great Han Dynasty’s military, leaving Zhang Xuezhou under scrutiny at the border.

• Wu Chao pointed out Yanmen Pass and explained that Cheng Bushi’s army made the Western Border a secure trade route.
• Soldiers stopped the caravan at the pass and ordered everyone out for inspection.
• Wu Chao and Zhang Xuezhou posed as a foreign merchant and his translator while the soldiers checked them.
• A soldier searched Zhang Xuezhou, noticed his strength and cultivation, and called for his men.
• The soldier reassured Zhang Xuezhou that he meant no harm and urged him to leave the caravan and serve the Great Han Dynasty.

At Yanmen Pass, Zhang Xuezhou concealed his ties to the Northern Kuru Continent’s holy lands by claiming that the Nine-Chi Daoist Priest had taught him a Realm Entry method. A young general recognized the name as Zou Bugui, whose reputation had spread across the Great Han Dynasty because of an execution order from the Xieluosi River Holy Land.

• Soldiers questioned Zhang Xuezhou about his identity, cultivation, and master as they registered him at Yanmen Pass.
• Zhang Xuezhou avoided revealing his connection to the holy lands and named the Nine-Chi Daoist Priest as his teacher instead.
• Yi Sheng urged Zhang Xuezhou to join the Western Border Legion, promising opportunities for advancement, but Zhang Xuezhou remained unwilling to enlist.
• A young general inspected Zhang Xuezhou’s Law Power and asked whether the Nine-Chi Daoist Priest was his master.
• The general connected the title to Zou Bugui and revealed that Zou Bugui’s name was widely known because the Xieluosi River Holy Land had issued an execution order against him.

After Zou Bugui appeared on the Xieluosi River Holy Land’s execution order, the Han court sought to use Zhang Xuezhou to trace him. The general took Zhang into custody for the journey to Chang'an City, leaving Zhang time to settle matters with Wu Chao.

• The execution order made Jin Chang and Zou Bugui famous, while many people falsely claimed to be Yin-Yang School disciples.
• A general told Zhang Xuezhou that Yin-Yang School disciples had appeared across the Han Dynasty and asked about his connection to Zou Bugui.
• The general explained that the court wanted to find Zou Bugui and sensed Yin-Yang School Law Power in Zhang Xuezhou.
• Zhang Xuezhou worried that leaving the caravan would break his contract, so the general let him return and promised to fetch him in a quarter of an hour.
• Zhang Xuezhou planned to speak with Wu Chao before being escorted to Chang'an City, hoping to prevent Wu Chao from turning against him.

Zhang Xuezhou and Wu Chao entered Han Dynasty territory while remaining bound together by the Snake Head Incantation and Hongku’s threat. Wu Chao planned to use the journey to find Zou Bugui and prepare for a future confrontation with Hongku, while the caravan headed toward Hibiscus City.

• Zhang Xuezhou reassured Wu Chao that the Snake Head Incantation and Hongku’s ability to track him made cooperation their only path to survival.
• Wu Chao took three hairs from Zhang Xuezhou to maintain a means of controlling him, while Zhang Xuezhou left the carriage uneasy about having his life in Wu Chao’s hands.
• Wu Chao reflected that the Snake Head Incantation was difficult to use beyond five hundred meters and hoped he could repair his relationship with Zhang Xuezhou before Hongku died.
• Wu Chao sent a newly assigned Xiong State-speaking foot soldier to ride in a rear carriage and resolved to spend the next three years preparing to kill Hongku.
• Wu Chao directed the caravan toward Hibiscus City, using the region’s hauntings and Rong Tianding’s immortal paintings as reasons for the trip.

Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Qian struggled to travel quickly toward Chang'an because Zhang Xuezhou fell asleep at night, and they stopped to camp and eat. As they resumed their journey, Zhang Qian asked Zhang Xuezhou to describe Xiong State.

• Zhang Qian complained that Zhang Xuezhou's nighttime sleep and poor riding prevented them from keeping their promised pace to Chang'an.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that he had learned the Realm Entry method to protect himself from snakes and insects, and Zhang Qian reflected on the Han Dynasty's efforts to recruit talent.
• Zhang Qian told Zhang Xuezhou about Emperor Jing and the Han Dynasty's talent recommendations while they shared roasted roe deer.
• Zhang Qian introduced himself by name and courtesy name, and Zhang Xuezhou borrowed Zhang Manqian as his own courtesy name rather than reveal Zhang Erbao.
• After Zhang Xuezhou failed to persuade Zhang Qian to stop calling him Manqian, Zhang Qian asked him to describe Xiong State.

Zhang Xuezhou improvised stories about Xiong State to satisfy Zhang Qian’s curiosity during their journey, and Zhang Qian became convinced by his descriptions of its wealth and holy lands. After six days on the road, they finally arrived at Chang'an, where Zhang Qian worried about the delays and whether Zhang Xuezhou was genuine.

• Zhang Qian questioned Zhang Xuezhou about Xiong State, and Zhang Xuezhou admitted he knew little about its people and customs.
• Zhang Xuezhou embellished what he knew, describing Xiong State’s resources, wealthy city of Walasi, and powerful holy lands.
• Zhang Qian lamented Xiong State’s strength and discussed the Han Dynasty’s difficulties defending its borders.
• Zhang Qian and Zhang Xuezhou reached Chang'an on the sixth day, and Zhang Qian worried that the delay might cost him credit or expose Zhang Xuezhou as a fraud.

Zhang Qian and Zhang Xuezhou arrived in Chang'an City, where the governor's office ignored Zhang Qian's request for an audience. After six days of waiting and mounting expenses, Zhang Qian decided to seek help from the crown prince instead.

• Zhang Xuezhou marveled at Chang'an City's size and prosperity as Zhang Qian brought him through the city gates.
• Zhang Qian learned that the governor's office had not arranged to receive them, so he submitted a calling card and waited for a response.
• While waiting, Zhang Xuezhou reflected on how his cultivation opportunities had put him ahead of many others and felt better about remaining with Wu Chao.
• After six days without an audience and with his money running low, Zhang Qian asked Zhang Xuezhou to confirm that he had learned a cultivation technique from Zou Bugui.
• Zhang Qian decided to bypass the governor's office and seek help from the crown prince.

Zhang Qian and Zhang Xuezhou waited for hours outside the imperial palace until Zhang Qian finally caught the Crown Prince’s attention and presented Zhang Xuezhou as a student of Zou Bugui. The Crown Prince decided to have Grand Commandant Zhou cast a technique to search for Zou Bugui.

• Zhang Qian and Zhang Xuezhou waited outside the imperial city for the Crown Prince, enduring hunger and the threat of sleeping on the streets.
• Zhang Qian called out when the Crown Prince’s carriage emerged, and he and Zhang Xuezhou saluted the prince.
• Zhang Qian told the Crown Prince that Zhang Xuezhou was a student of Zou Bugui and might serve as a medium to locate him.
• The Crown Prince questioned Zhang Xuezhou’s connection to Zou Bugui and then ordered Grand Commandant Zhou to cast the technique again.

Zhang Qian brought Zhang Xuezhou to Grand Commandant Zhou’s residence so Zhou could use a technique to locate Zou Bugui. Zhou doubted Zhang Xuezhou was truly Zou Bugui’s student and tried to dismiss the visitors, but the crown prince urged him to investigate because of the crisis on the front lines.

• Zhang Xuezhou objected to being used as a medium, while Zhang Qian assured him the technique would not cost him his life and explained his own motives.
• The crown prince’s carriage arrived at Grand Commandant Zhou’s residence, where Zhou welcomed him and heard why they had come.
• Grand Commandant Zhou questioned Zhang Xuezhou about his connection to Zou Bugui and judged that his cultivation did not mark him as a disciple of a renowned school.
• Grand Commandant Zhou tried to send the crown prince away, but the crown prince urged him to continue investigating, citing the soldiers fighting Xiong State and Emperor Jing’s need to understand the matter.

The crown prince insisted that Grand Commandant Zhou use his Slender Willow Technique to examine Zhang Xuezhou, despite Zhou's reluctance and Zhang Xuezhou being asleep. Zhang Qian realized he might be punished alongside Zhang Xuezhou if the examination exposed a lie, and entered the residence bracing for the worst.

• Grand Commandant Zhou resisted the crown prince's request for another examination, but eventually agreed to perform his Slender Willow Technique.
• Zhang Qian explained that Zhang Xuezhou fell asleep at a fixed time and had once fallen from a horse while asleep.
• The crown prince said he would send both Zhang Xuezhou and the person who recommended him to prison if Zhang Xuezhou was not a Yin-Yang School disciple.
• Zhang Qian understood that he could face punishment alongside Zhang Xuezhou and grew fearful of losing his legs or his tongue.
• Wei Qing helped Zhang Qian carry the sleeping Zhang Xuezhou into Grand Commandant Zhou's residence.

Grand Commandant Zhou used Zhang Xuezhou as a link to track the Yin-Yang School, but his spell uncovered a fiery scene and a hostile shadow that resisted his power. Zhou’s willow branch crumbled, and he collapsed as the attempt ended.

• Grand Commandant Zhou prepared to cast a tracking spell through Zhang Xuezhou, while Zhang Qian warned the unconscious youth that he would lose his tongue if he had deceived Ziwen.
• Zhou used water, a willow branch, and his Primordial Spirit to create a water curtain showing a youth and young woman in a strange house.
• The crown prince recognized that the figures were not Zou Bugui and thought the investigation had failed again.
• Zhou sensed interference, shouted that he would break through it, and forced the water curtain to reveal crimson flames and a dark, roaring shadow.
• Zhou summoned a bamboo scroll and a treasured sword to attack the shadow, but the willow branch disintegrated and Zhou fell backward, trembling.

Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Qian were jailed after Grand Commandant Zhou was injured during a spell duel with Zou Bugui, but Chancellor Liu confirmed they had committed no crime. They were still held pending the search for Zou Bugui, and Zhang Xuezhou’s depleted Law Power left the court unsure who could cast the tracking spell.

• Zhang Qian feared that he and Zhang Xuezhou would be punished unless they found Zou Bugui, while Zhang Xuezhou recovered from the Law Power and Demon Power drained from him as a spellcasting medium.
• Jailers summoned Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Qian to meet Chancellor Liu, and Zhang Xuezhou held off using his Invisibility Talisman.
• Chancellor Liu explained that neither man had committed a crime because there had been no deception in Zhang Qian’s recommendation or Zhang Xuezhou’s role as the spell’s medium.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked whether they could leave, but Chancellor Liu said they would remain under verification until the search for Zou Bugui ended.
• Chancellor Liu dismissed Zhang Xuezhou’s depleted Law Power as minor, but admitted he did not know who could safely cast the search spell after Grand Commandant Zhou’s injury.

Emperor Jing sought a way to investigate Xiong State’s attack on Han and approved summoning Dong Zhongshu for his extraordinary Technique Methods. After court, he warned the crown prince that the dynasty lacked capable ministers and urged him to build a loyal inner circle, leaving the crown prince unsure whom he could trust.

• Emperor Jing’s officials fell silent over the investigation after Grand Commandant Zhou failed to make progress, and the crown prince proposed asking Dong Zhongshu to help.
• Wei Wan and Tian Fen praised Dong Zhongshu’s Technique Methods, and Emperor Jing ordered Chancellor Liu She to summon him.
• After dismissing court, Emperor Jing told the crown prince that the ministers left at court were mostly mediocre and admitted his own failures had cost him capable allies.
• Emperor Jing urged the crown prince to seize power, build a capable inner circle, and surround and suppress his enemies when strong enough.
• Emperor Jing gave the crown prince the secret vault key and permission to study and reward people, demanding that anyone rewarded be absolutely loyal.

Zhang Xuezhou watched Zhang Qian practice Subduing Tiger Fist and reflected on his uncertain plans and doubts about which world was real. The crown prince and Chancellor Liu arrived with Dong Zhongshu and Sima Xiangru to begin a new attempt to deal with the Yin-Yang School’s Daoist arts.

• Zhang Qian demonstrated Subduing Tiger Fist, and Zhang Xuezhou learned that military techniques were forbidden to teach outsiders.
• Zhang Qian suggested Zhang Xuezhou seek Daoist Priest Zhou, while Zhang Xuezhou thought about Wu Chao’s plan and his fear of dying in either world.
• The crown prince, Chancellor Liu, Wei Qing, Dong Zhongshu, and Sima Xiangru arrived at the residence.
• Dong Zhongshu and Sima Xiangru prepared to work together, with Sima Xiangru agreeing to play High Mountains and Flowing Water to help Dong Zhongshu concentrate.
• The crown prince and Chancellor Liu warned Dong Zhongshu about the Yin-Yang School’s Daoist arts, and Dong Zhongshu turned toward the medium for the technique.

Zhang Xuezhou resisted being used as a medium for a spell to find Zou Bugui after learning it could destroy his cultivation. The crown prince offered him a rare spiritual jade to protect and restore him, but the search still depended on Zhang Xuezhou’s cooperation.

• Dong Zhongshu warned Zhang Xuezhou that casting the Technique could drain his Law Power and damage or destroy his cultivation.
• Zhang Xuezhou refused to cooperate, threatened to kill himself, and charged at a wooden pillar before Zhang Qian and Wei Qing restrained him.
• Dong Zhongshu and Sima Xiangru expressed reluctance to cast the Technique, while the crown prince recognized that Zhang Xuezhou had been misled about the spell’s risks.
• The crown prince promised Zhang Xuezhou medicine, but Zhang Xuezhou accused him of leaving him to recover on medicinal porridge; the crown prince then learned that officials had withheld the medicinal pills he had ordered.
• The crown prince sent Wei Qing away with instructions and gave Zhang Xuezhou a precious sentient jade, which he said could replenish his strength, aid his cultivation, and protect him from calamity.
• Chancellor Liu objected to giving the jade to a servant, but the crown prince insisted that finding Zou Bugui was worth the price.

Dong Zhongshu used a searching Technique to locate Zou Bugui, while Zhang Xuezhou relied on the crown prince’s Spirit-Communicating Jade to protect him during the casting. The Technique revealed that Zou Bugui was in Lingnan, 2,600 li south of Chang’an, and that he was badly weakened.

• Zhang Xuezhou initially refused to cooperate with Dong Zhongshu, but the crown prince presented the Spirit-Communicating Jade and persuaded him to proceed.
• Dong Zhongshu offered Zhang Xuezhou the Vast Righteous Qi Art and discipleship in exchange for the jade, but Zhang Xuezhou declined.
• Dong Zhongshu warned Zhang Xuezhou that possessing the crown prince’s treasured jade could bring danger, then began casting the searching Technique with Sima Xiangru assisting.
• The Spirit-Communicating Jade replenished Zhang Xuezhou’s strength as Dong Zhongshu drew out his Law Power and called for Zou Bugui to reveal himself.
• Dong Zhongshu’s Technique showed Zou Bugui curled up and in pain in Lingnan, 2,600 li south of Chang’an.

The crown prince traveled from Chang'an to Lingnan, determined to test himself and become a ruler unlike Emperor Jing. As Emperor Jing watched him leave, he entrusted state affairs to his identical imperial brother and disappeared from Weiyang Palace.

• The crown prince departed Chang'an for Lingnan, and Wei Qing warned him about the danger of traveling there in person.
• The crown prince urged Wei Qing to grow stronger and listened as Wei Qing recommended Zhang Qian as a promising talent to cultivate.
• The crown prince reflected on tempering himself without relying on the Spirit-Communicating Jade and vowed not to follow Emperor Jing's path.
• Emperor Jing watched the crown prince leave and said he was glad his son was not spineless.
• Emperor Jing asked his identical imperial brother to manage state affairs, then vanished from Weiyang Palace.

Dong Zhongshu and Sima Xiangru traveled through Lingnan with Wei Qing and Zhang Qian, reflecting on their limited prospects for advancement and the resources they hoped to gain by serving the crown prince. After reaching a mountain, Dong Zhongshu prepared to use his Technique on the sleeping Zhang Xuezhou to locate Zou Bugui.

• Lingnan barbarians ambushed the carriage, but Dong Zhongshu deflected an arrow and the palace guards defeated the attackers.
• Sima Xiangru lamented that his cultivation made him vulnerable in a fight, while Dong Zhongshu joked about their middling standing among cultivators.
• Dong Zhongshu considered how a lack of resources had stalled his cultivation and resolved to rely on an honorable path rather than seize Zhang Xuezhou's wealth.
• The party reached a mountain, where Wei Qing asked Dong Zhongshu to use his Technique again to find Zou Bugui after nightfall.
• Zhang Qian warned that Zhang Xuezhou had a bodily problem, but Dong Zhongshu and Sima Xiangru said the sleeping man could safely cooperate with the Technique.
• Zhang Qian laid Zhang Xuezhou on the ground, and Dong Zhongshu formed a spell seal as white cloth wrapped around them both.

Dong Zhongshu used a spell to investigate Zou Bugui, but found a strange room filled with unfamiliar objects and writing. When a black stone appeared and an unseen voice called him a peeping tom, Dong Zhongshu realized he was in grave danger.

• Lu Neng led the palace guards and the crown prince to the site where Dong Zhongshu had indicated Zou Bugui was located.
• Dong Zhongshu cast his spell, but the white screen showed a boy and girl eating instead of Zou Bugui.
• Dong Zhongshu recognized that probing further could bring him the same devastating backlash Grand Commandant Zhou had suffered, but continued rather than risk failing the crown prince.
• With Sima Xiangru's zither helping him enter the Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven state, Dong Zhongshu resumed his investigation and revealed a strange room filled with unfamiliar objects and writing.
• Dong Zhongshu sensed that the place he was viewing lay beyond countless rivers and mountains, then saw a black round stone as an angry voice called him a peeping tom.

Dong Zhongshu survived a ghostly attack during his attempt to track Zou Bugui, but the Spirit-Communicating Jade protecting him cracked. He concluded that Zou Bugui was guarded by a powerful deceased figure and planned to try again after recovering, while the crown prince continued to seek answers about the border conflict.

• Sima Xiangru changed his music, helping Dong Zhongshu escape the ghostly attack and regain control of his body.
• Dong Zhongshu found that the Spirit-Communicating Jade had cracked while shielding him, and he admitted his failed attempt to the crown prince.
• Dong Zhongshu reported sensing a powerful dead person who likely protected Zou Bugui, and said he would investigate again after composing himself.
• The crown prince set aside his curiosity about the strange paper and objects, focusing instead on uncovering the cause of the war and securing the border.
• Dong Zhongshu waited until daybreak to consider another attempt, tested the cracked jade with a silver needle, then inserted the needle into Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Manqian told Zhang Xuezhou she had quickly begun learning the Crane Form Fist, and her demonstration convinced him to start studying it himself. He paid her for the technique and agreed to leave the cultivation methods she had been reluctant to learn to her own choice.

• Zhang Xuezhou remained unsettled by a lingering auditory hallucination and wondered why the Demon Power in his sea of consciousness was warning him.
• Zhang Manqian told Zhang Xuezhou she had gotten started with the Crane Form Fist far sooner than expected.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Zhang Manqian to demonstrate the technique, and she performed the Crane Soars into the Sky move.
• Impressed by Zhang Manqian's display and hoping to improve his own abilities, Zhang Xuezhou asked to use the storage medium for the Crane Form Fist.
• Zhang Xuezhou transferred Zhang Manqian twenty-five thousand yuan and said she should learn the cultivation methods only if she wanted to; Zhang Manqian agreed to study them.

Zhang Xuezhou practiced the Crane Form Fist and worried about his safety and the Spirit-Communicating Jade in the other world. He woke to learn that Dong Zhongshu had used the jade to force his cultivation into the Blood Penetration Realm, leaving the precious jade spent.

• Zhang Xuezhou practiced five hundred Crane Form Fist movements while Zhang Manqian encouraged him.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Zhang Manqian about medicine for combat training, then considered seeking advice from Ren Yisheng and weighed his cultivation needs.
• Zhang Xuezhou worried that the crown prince's party might take back the Spirit-Communicating Jade or abandon him before he could return to the Sacred Mountain.
• Zhang Xuezhou crossed out several escape plans, prepared himself, and went to sleep so he could wake in the other world.
• Dong Zhongshu congratulated Zhang Xuezhou on reaching the Blood Penetration Realm and admitted he had used up the Spirit-Communicating Jade to force the breakthrough.
• Sima Xiangru clarified that Zhang Xuezhou's cultivation had advanced, but the precious jade was gone.

Zhang Xuezhou advanced to the Blood Penetration Realm after Dong Zhongshu used the Spirit-Communicating Jade, then agreed to help him cast another spell to locate Zou Bugui. The spell revealed Zou Bugui beside Jin Chang.

• Dong Zhongshu's spell shattered the Spirit-Communicating Jade and fused Zhang Xuezhou's Law Power with his blood, advancing him to the Blood Penetration Realm.
• Zhang Xuezhou questioned Dong Zhongshu about his new cultivation and accepted beef from Sima Xiangru while the crown prince watched from his carriage.
• Zhang Xuezhou agreed to let Dong Zhongshu cast another spell, provided he withdrew if he sensed danger, and took Dong Zhongshu's palm-leaf fan.
• Dong Zhongshu used Zhang Xuezhou's Law Power to search for Zou Bugui while Sima Xiangru played music.
• Zhang Xuezhou recognized Zou Bugui in the spell's vision and saw Jin Chang standing beside him.

The crown prince’s group watched Jin Chang pressure Zou Bugui for the Yin-Yang School’s Nine Heavens inheritance and debated how to capture him. Wei Qing realized another group might also be closing in on Zou Bugui, while Zhang Xuezhou resolved to become strong enough to avoid being betrayed and helpless.

• Dong Zhongshu used a spell to show Jin Chang demanding Zou Bugui hand over the Nine Heavens inheritance, and Zou Bugui refused.
• Jin Chang repeatedly slapped Zou Bugui, increasing the force each time until Zou Bugui began to bleed.
• Zhang Xuezhou watched the beating, worried that Wu Chao might one day treat him as Jin Chang treated Zou Bugui, and recognized Dong Zhongshu’s Law Treasure fan as a useful defense.
• The crown prince said Jin Chang would not yield unless they could overwhelm him with force, and considered using persuasion to make him submit.
• Wei Qing noticed that Jin Chang’s warning about other pursuers might refer to a separate group searching for Zou Bugui.