Festival of Lights · Diwali
Zhang Xuezhou confronted Ren Yisheng’s supposed twilight years and helped Zhang Manqian survive a traumatic experiment at Professor Luo Hui’s laboratory. As the Sequencer Grand Gathering approached, Zhang Xuezhou investigated the laboratory’s mysterious specimen while Luo Tianming pressed Luo Zhong for the secret of immortality.
Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu survived a tiger demon and a river ambush, but the Beast Taming Sect battle left the group dead and injured. After Zhang Xuezhou helped Zhang Cigong secure a new identity, he returned to the modern world and began expanding the North Rehe Research Center’s work.
Zhang Xuezhou and his companions sought cultivation techniques at the Literary Excellence Pavilion, where the elusive Huang-Lao teachings and a series of sword challenges drew them into the King of Huainan’s affairs. Lei Bei killed Qinglingzi and gained access to the grade-A room, while Jin Chang and Dong Zhongshu turned to Zhang Xuezhou’s memory to help them obtain its secret texts.
Zhang Xuezhou traded the Horizontal Sword Technique for access to the King of Huainan’s A-Rank Chamber, where he studied rare manuals and shared the Tomb Scripture with his companions. Back in the modern world, his team turned a politically charged livestream into a screen audition, won the Sequencer Grand Gathering, and left Zuo Teng’s side with a chance at peace but no friendship.
After Ren Yisheng's body died, Zhang Xuezhou discovered his soul had entered a jade pendant and sought a way to bring it back. In the other world, Zhang learned the Return to the Aperture Technique, drew the attention of Ning Cheng, and left Fuping County as mounted forces approached.
Zhang Xuezhou fled to Suiyang City and became trapped in the King of Liang’s tomb, where he survived the formation and escaped with Ning Cheng’s help. He reunited with his imprisoned companions, arranged to guide Li Jiao’s army, and returned to the real world to record techniques and examine his Kunpeng Combat Technique reward.
Zhang Xuezhou secured weapons, blood preparations, and research materials while seeking ways to advance his family and help Ren Yisheng. After returning to the Northern Border, he traded his knowledge of the mountain routes for Li Guang’s help, escaped their journey, and fell under suspicion among demon birds.
Zhang Xuezhou reached the Sacred Land, helped Zou Bugui treat the wounded Tiger Strength Demon King, and broke through to the Consciousness Creation Realm. The Exalted One enlisted Zhang and the other masters to alter the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains formation, leaving Zhang flying toward its central acupoint to measure it.
After the formation’s Spiritual Qi tide left Zhang Xuezhou unable to cultivate normally, he recovered and fled the Sacred Land before his deception was exposed. Back in the real world, visitors and a violent misunderstanding disrupted his writing, but the ensuing chaos brought a powerful cast together for Wen Yishan’s film and led Changkong Luo and Luo Tianming to pursue Mental Strengthening.
Zhang Xuezhou helped Ren Yisheng pursue the Yang Corporeal Soul Transformation Technique, then impersonated Hongku to lecture the Sacred Land’s venerables and flee its dangers. After helping Hongku expose a plot against them, Zhang Xuezhou reached Yanmen Pass, reunited with Zhang Qian, and learned about the Full Moon Scimitar manual.
Zhang Xuezhou traveled to Chang'an, exchanged the Full Moon Scimitar Secret Manual for a Vajra Talisman, and reunited with Dong Zhongshu before testing a connection between Ren Anran and an ancient emperor. He then accompanied Ren Anran and Tuer Kalanduo to the Thousand Islands Alliance, where Ren Anran was drawn into the Tuer Clan’s succession rites and Zhang Xuezhou saved Kalanduo from a curse.
Zhang Xuezhou and Ren Anran defeated the Tuer God, then helped Ren Yisheng take his place and demonstrate healing techniques to the Tuer Clan. In Chang’an, Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding struggled to support themselves, became entangled with an injured woman and a corpse-qi crisis, and the court’s attempt to locate Shi Wudao failed.
The new emperor destroyed Shi Wudao and took steps to reshape the court, while Zhang Xuezhou helped Rong Tianding recover and sought ways to manage his bad luck. After returning to the modern world and studying Ren Anran’s Mental Strengthening method, Zhang joined an expedition that uncovered a dangerous giant centipede in a cave.
Zhang Xuezhou discovered Spirit Jade and tested its power before returning to Chang’an, where he helped Dong Zhongshu confront his defeat and pursue a new path through secret techniques. Dong Zhongshu left with a possible solution to his own condition, while Zhang Xuezhou began building ties with Xu Yuan and considered the strange balance of fortune in his life.
Zhang Xuezhou treated wounded nobles in Chang'an, learned that Rong Tianding's Ancestral Dragon blood made him a target, and returned to Western Capital City to advance his research. The stretch left Zhang Xuezhou undergoing a dangerous surge of Law Power after consuming a large dose of experimental Spirit-Forging Pill liquid.
Zhang Xuezhou used his new cultivation and medical skills to help Wang Haoran, then accompanied Rong Tianding to the Supreme One Palace, where a failed experiment led to a dangerous divination. The divination trapped Zhang in the river of time, and a voice of benevolence finally interrupted an attempt to kill him.
After recovering from his spiritual injury, Zhang Xuezhou returned to the lower realm and learned the Cloud Soaring Technique while traveling with Li Shaojun and Rong Tianding. They reached the Beast Taming Sect as Su Fei’s group attacked its ancestral hall, and Jin Chang helped them search for Zhang Cigong and the secret vault.
Zhang Xuezhou and his companions escaped the Beast Taming Sect’s underground vault with its inheritance and presented the canon to the King of Huainan. After the canon was accepted and Zhang gained access to Room A, he found that the Fortune Technique was difficult to practice under the Great Han Dynasty’s divided rule.
Jin Chang cultivated the Tomb Scripture under the King of Huainan’s watch while Zhang Xuezhou turned beast taming into a profitable business. Zhang Xuezhou then backed a communications satellite project that drew Western Capital City’s younger generations into an investment alliance.
Zhang Xuezhou pursued a Chang'an post, built a grain business, and made a pact with Huang while preparing for a journey to Qinmeng. The arc left his allies planning the expedition and Changkong Yinglian trying to reshape a drama to influence political struggles.