Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xuezhou and Seven Spiders negotiated over her spider swarm and the planned attack on Hu Yu, clashing briefly when she tested his strength. Seven Spiders agreed to withdraw the swarm from the Aomeijia Alliance, but Zhang Xuezhou would only fully oppose Hu Yu once she did, leaving their alliance uncertain.

• Zhang Xuezhou refused Seven Spiders' proposal to turn Mengtesi Badun and other captives into Half-Dead.
• Seven Spiders touched Zhang Xuezhou, and their palms clashed; her needles pierced his hand, but his Law Power and Supreme Purity True Technique healed it.
• Zhang Xuezhou warned Seven Spiders that he could join Hu Yu instead, prompting her to acknowledge that he could upset the balance.
• Seven Spiders agreed it would be better to order the spider swarm out of Zhang Xuezhou's territory, and he promised to go all out against Hu Yu only after she withdrew it.
• Seven Spiders considered the alliance difficult but remained determined to kill Hu Yu immediately.

Zhang Xuezhou negotiated a temporary alliance with Seven Spiders, who wanted his help against Hu Yu. She offered him a bottle of sacred spring, but he concealed his interest in its unusual container, and Seven Spiders began considering what else she could offer.

• Mengtesi Badun watched Zhang Xuezhou confront Seven Spiders and feared the danger she posed to him.
• Zhang Xuezhou rejected Seven Spiders' threats and claimed he could bring more troops, explosives, and rockets.
• Seven Spiders accepted that she needed a temporary ally and asked Zhang Xuezhou to attack Hu Yu's territory in exchange for a reward.
• Seven Spiders offered Zhang Xuezhou sacred spring that could heal injuries, but he pretended it was unimportant.
• Zhang Xuezhou called in Zhang Hao and Zhang Huang to reinforce his claim that he could replace his subordinates, and Seven Spiders began considering another offer.

Seven Spiders offered Zhang Xuezhou holy water and Supremely Poisonous Mystic Yin Heavy Water in exchange for help against Hu Yu, but he accepted both only as temporary collateral. He set out immediately with Seven Spiders for Hu Yu’s lair, leaving Zhang Hao and the others behind.

• Seven Spiders demonstrated how Mystic Yin Heavy Water dissolved a Ferocious Beast spider and explained that pure Principle power could resist it, while half-step Principle power only slowed its effects.
• Zhang Xuezhou said he had no use for either treasure, then agreed to hold both bottles until Seven Spiders could exchange them for something useful to him.
• Zhang Xuezhou promised to help defeat Hu Yu and keep him from using Quelling Chief, then left the tent with his poison tree staff.
• Seven Spiders warned that she could match Zhang Xuezhou’s speed, summoned six Ferocious Beast spiders, and rode after him toward Hu Yu’s lair.
• After Zhang Xuezhou and Seven Spiders disappeared into the distance, Zhang Hao dismissed Mengtesi Badun’s doubts and reflected on the advantages of the Three Realms’ cultivation methods.

Zhang Xuezhou and Seven Spiders reached the ruins of Qinmeng's capital to search for Hu Yu's lair, but Seven Spiders' directions proved inaccurate. They began tracking signs of life through the city as Zhang Xuezhou also searched for a possible laboratory.

• Zhang Xuezhou refused Seven Spiders' request to wait for Hu Yu because he needed to return home and persuade an old man to keep living.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Seven Spiders arrived near Qinmeng's capital and saw that the city lay in ruins.
• Seven Spiders mistakenly led Zhang Xuezhou to a sleeping Ferocious Beast, then killed it and fed it to her spiders.
• Seven Spiders said Hu Yu used the area as a training ground and proposed finding his lair by killing nearby wild beasts and following traces of life.
• Zhang Xuezhou searched the capital from the air while wondering whether Badun had built an underground laboratory there.

Zhang Xuezhou followed Mengtesi Badun’s markings through Qinmeng’s underground passages and discovered a hidden entrance to Hu Yu’s lair. He sent his Yang Corporeal Soul inside and found a Tiger Soul Hall where tiger-headed spirits chanted, then blended into their ranks as a fierce tiger approached.

• Zhang Xuezhou followed Mengtesi Badun’s directions through the underground passages, expecting to find a safe shelter.
• Zhang Xuezhou discovered the route ended at a blocked entrance and heard a tiger roaring beyond it.
• Zhang Xuezhou used his Yang Corporeal Soul to slip through a gap in the bluestones and enter the hidden chamber.
• Zhang Xuezhou saw giant oil lamps and tiger-headed, human-bodied spirits kneeling and chanting around a structure resembling a triumphal arch.
• A mental voice ordered Zhang Xuezhou to join the ranks, and the spirits echoed the command.
• Zhang Xuezhou drifted among the chanters as a fierce tiger roared nearby and drew closer.

Zhang Xuezhou infiltrated the Tiger Soul Hall’s chanting area and discovered that the tiger-headed beings were Chang Ghosts being tested and destroyed by the hall. After one Chang Ghost broke through and escaped the hall, it wrote familiar characters on the ground, leaving Zhang Xuezhou shocked.

• Zhang Xuezhou hid among the chanting beings and recognized the tiger-headed humanoids as a kind of Chang Ghost.
• He pushed a Chang Ghost into the Tiger Soul Hall repeatedly until its attempts ran out and it burned away, crying “Taigunong.”
• Other Chang Ghosts followed and perished in the same way, while one remaining Chang Ghost resisted Zhang Xuezhou and continued chanting.
• Zhang Xuezhou shoved the remaining Chang Ghost through its cultivation test, and it transformed fully into a tiger and passed through the hall.
• The transformed Chang Ghost roared and wrote characters on the ground, making Zhang Xuezhou recognize something familiar and draw a sharp breath.

Zhang Xuezhou found the Tiger Soul Hall’s nest and learned that Changkong Luo was trapped in the form of a tiger Chang Ghost. Seven Spiders arrived at the nest’s entrance, furious that Hu Yu and Hu Hao were absent, and unleashed a destructive scream into the underground passage.

• Zhang Xuezhou told Changkong Luo that he could not reverse his transformation and advised him to hide from Seven Spiders, pointing him toward a sewage pipe.
• Changkong Luo drew Zhang Xuezhou a map of the tiger nest, and Zhang Xuezhou returned to his body and flew toward the western part of Qinmeng’s capital.
• Zhang Xuezhou located the barbican entrance to Hu Yu’s tiger nest and called for Seven Spiders to join him.
• A white deer Ferocious Beast attacked Zhang Xuezhou with a wind blade, but he turned it back and knocked the deer from a tree.
• Seven Spiders arrived and learned that Hu Yu and Hu Hao were gone, then entered the barbican and screamed into the underground passage.

Zhang Xuezhou accompanied Seven Spiders as she used Mystic Yin Heavy Water and her swarms to massacre the Tiger Thralls guarding the underground Tiger Soul Hall. Seven Spiders went to kill the remaining three thousand creatures while Zhang Xuezhou waited near the hall and wondered whether its ancient presence was another Descent Body.

• Zhang Xuezhou learned that Mystic Yin Heavy Water could destroy the Tiger Warriors and watched Seven Spiders dissolve the tortoise corpse blocking their way.
• Seven Spiders used Mystic Yin Heavy Water to kill the Tiger Thralls throughout the underground palace, while Zhang Xuezhou examined the harmless residue left behind.
• Zhang Xuezhou hurried toward the Tiger Soul Hall after hearing the fighting fade and found piles of green ash and discarded hollow rods.
• Seven Spiders told Zhang Xuezhou to wait while she killed the remaining creatures in the Tiger Soul Hall, and he sealed a hole where Changkong Luo was hiding.
• Zhang Xuezhou waited near the Tiger Soul Hall and suspected that the voice inside belonged to another Descent Body.

Zhang Xuezhou and Seven Spiders attacked the Tiger Soul Hall, drawing out a powerful Bifeng and a giant tiger paw. Seven Spiders pinned the paw with Thorn, but as the hall began pulling it back, she struggled to find a way to stop it.

• Seven Spiders slaughtered the Tiger Thralls with Mystic Yin Heavy Water and counted 2,838 bodies, then joined Zhang Xuezhou in trying to destroy the Tiger Soul Hall.
• Seven Spiders struck the hall with Thorn, provoking its occupant to unleash Bifeng and reach out with a giant tiger paw.
• Seven Spiders pierced the tiger paw with Thorn, while the Bifeng shredded the Ferocious Beast spider and Zhang Xuezhou's blows failed to hurt the paw.
• Zhang Xuezhou urged Seven Spiders to use Mystic Yin Heavy Water, but she could not control it in the fierce wind as the paw began pulling back.
• Seven Spiders searched for a stopgap measure while the tiger paw continued trying to escape Thorn.

Seven Spiders gave Zhang Xuezhou guest access to Thorn and sent him to pin the divine artifact into the tiger's paw, while Bifeng drove her away. As the Tiger Soul Hall's cultivators attacked with the Four Saints Formation, Zhang refined Thorn with Law Power and drove it deeper, prompting them to strike at him with a Five-Colored Divine Stone.

• Seven Spiders transferred guest access to Thorn to Zhang Xuezhou and told him to hold it against the tiger's paw as Bifeng pushed her away.
• Zhang Xuezhou pinned Thorn into the paw, resisted the Bifeng, and wondered who controlled the Tiger Soul Hall.
• Hu Meng, Hu Yue, and Hu Teng prepared the Four Saints Formation, attacking Zhang with thunder, lightning, fire, and freezing rain.
• Zhang used Law Power to refine Thorn, making it expand into spikes that pierced the paw and caused the Tiger Soul Hall's owner to wail.
• The cultivators recognized Thorn as Black Mountain Poison Widow's stabbing spike and launched a Five-Colored Divine Stone at Zhang's head.

Zhang Xuezhou escaped the collapsing Tiger Soul Hall with the Five-Colored Divine Stone and the Wind and Thunder Saber, but the saber’s strike triggered a vast earthquake in Qinmeng’s capital. As he fled, Seven Spiders also ran from a cloud of vaporized Mystic Yin Heavy Water.

• Zhang Xuezhou caught the Five-Colored Divine Stone and put it in his pocket as cultivators shouted that the Poison Widow had seized it.
• The Eight-Nine Mystical Art deflected a saber strike from Zhang Xuezhou, and the Wind and Thunder Saber fell from the collapsing Tiger Soul Hall into his hand.
• Zhang Xuezhou called for Changkong Luo to flee, but lost sight of him as the hall collapsed.
• Zhang Xuezhou retreated through the sewage passage while an earthquake spread through the underground tunnels and Qinmeng’s capital.
• Zhang Xuezhou emerged to see purple smoke rising as nearby high-rises collapsed, then heard Seven Spiders warn that the smoke was deadly poison.
• Seven Spiders fled on her Ferocious Beast spider after realizing her Mystic Yin Heavy Water had vaporized into the purple smoke.

Zhang Xuezhou fled the ruined Qinmeng capital after spotting a vast eruption of Mystic Yin Heavy Water and sensing an unknown presence nearby. As he restored his Law Power in flight, he received mysterious spiritual messages about someone ascending to a divine throne.

• Seven Spiders fled the poisonous vapor, and Zhang Xuezhou directed her away from the wind before rising to inspect the eruption.
• Zhang Xuezhou spotted a fountain in the Tiger Nest area and sensed that someone might be manipulating the phenomenon, so he flew away with the Wind and Thunder Saber and five-colored Divine Stone.
• Zhang Xuezhou reconsidered his plan to destroy the Spider God Cave and decided to leave Qinmeng while its rival Fire Meteor factions dealt with one another.
• An explosion rocked the Qinmeng capital, but Zhang Xuezhou continued flying and used the Vast Righteous Qi Chapter to recover his Law Power.
• Zhang Xuezhou received spiritual messages about a new world's guiding coordinate and someone raising a divine throne, then sensed a Taotie-like presence surveying the world.

Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Spider God Cave and ordered the group to retreat west before he fell into a deep sleep. As they set off, Void Furnace begged for help, and Mengtesi Badun reluctantly joined them while brooding over Zhang Xuezhou’s apparent luck.

• Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Spider God Cave and learned Ren Anran’s group had planted explosives that could trigger a mountain collapse, but he told them to hold off.
• The group found Void Furnace in a weakened spider body; he explained that Black Mountain Poison Widow’s creatures had eaten his original body and asked for a child’s body to inhabit.
• Zhang Xuezhou dismissed Void Furnace’s pleas and ordered everyone to head west across the strait toward the northern Aomeijia Alliance, then seek transport out of the Northern Lands.
• Ren Anran warned that Zhang Xuezhou would soon fall asleep, while Zhou Xin told Mengtesi Badun not to get caught up in Qinmeng’s turmoil and said he would leave with the group.
• Mengtesi Badun joined Zhou Xin’s tricycle and lamented Zhang Xuezhou’s good fortune, while Zhou Xin reflected that apparent ease often concealed years of hardship.

Zhang Xuezhou left the retreating group to fly back toward the Scarlet Alliance State, but reciting the Vast Righteous Qi Chapter exposed him to a mysterious presence that tried to locate him. Near the Aomeijia Alliance, Hu Yu caught up and recognized him as the former cripple from the vehicle.

• Zhang Xuezhou discovered that he could not cross over until he reached Sinkhole No. 2, so Ren Anran agreed to lead the group while he returned alone.
• Zhang Xuezhou flew toward the Aomeijia Alliance and recited the Vast Righteous Qi Chapter to replenish his Law Power.
• A mysterious presence responded to Zhang Xuezhou through the chapter and tried to trace him, so he cut off the connection.
• Zhang Xuezhou crossed the strait and continued toward a major city in the Aomeijia Alliance.
• Hu Yu caught up with Zhang Xuezhou, recognized him from the vehicle, and wondered how the former cripple had become so powerful.

Zhang Xuezhou exploited Hu Yu’s mistaken belief that he was a Tiger Saint ancestor to push him toward fighting Seven Spiders, but Hu Yu asked for help after admitting he lacked the Quelling Chief. As Zhang Xuezhou continued toward Xinbate City, Hu Yu offered him a pair of Red Gold Cloud Wings.

• Zhang Xuezhou spoke to Hu Yu in the Aomeijia Alliance Language and pretended to speak with the authority of Hu Kui and the clan leader.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Hu Yu that Seven Spiders had damaged the Tiger Soul Hall with Mystic Yin Heavy Water and urged him to fight her.
• Hu Yu vowed to fight Seven Spiders, then asked Zhang Xuezhou to wield the Wind and Thunder Saber and help him.
• Zhang Xuezhou refused, citing his important task, and Hu Yu followed him while asking about the task and offering his aid.
• At Xinbate City, Hu Yu stopped Zhang Xuezhou from landing and gave him a pair of Red Gold Cloud Wings.

Zhang Xuezhou tried to activate Hu Yu’s Cloud Wings Law Treasure and discovered that his Technique Within the Clouds could refine it. The wings began forming on his arms, leaving him to explore an unexpected use for his cultivation technique.

• Hu Yu explained that the Cloud Wings required a suitable bloodline and blood marks to grow in the right places, then tried to fit them onto Zhang Xuezhou.
• Zhang Xuezhou smeared drops of his blood onto the Cloud Wings and sensed that he could control them.
• Zhang Xuezhou exerted force, breaking the supports into ash and releasing two balls of light, but the wings initially failed to form.
• Hu Yu suspected the Cloud Wings were damaged or incompatible with Zhang Xuezhou’s bloodline.
• Zhang Xuezhou activated the Technique Within the Clouds, and golden light wings began forming as the Cloud Wings were refined by Sequence power.

Zhang Xuezhou discovered that the Technique Within the Clouds let him quickly refine Hu Yu’s Red Gold Cloud Wings, granting him flight comparable to his other body. After Zhang Xuezhou departed to complete his urgent task, Hu Yu waited for the supposed help of the Tiger Saint Lineage while worrying about his enemies in Qinmeng.

• Zhang Xuezhou used the Technique Within the Clouds to refine the Red Gold Cloud Wings, whose power surpassed Hu Yu’s bloodline wings.
• Zhang Xuezhou tested his speed in flight, and Hu Yu struggled to keep up with him.
• Zhang Xuezhou praised Hu Yu’s gift, declined to clarify whether he was the patriarch’s final disciple, and promised to recommend Hu Yu to the patriarch after finishing his task.
• Zhang Xuezhou flew away before Hu Yu could learn his name, leaving Hu Yu to regret that he had asked no questions.
• Hu Yu worried about Niya, Xixumi, Seven Spiders, and other opponents, and hoped the Wind and Thunder Saber would let Zhang Xuezhou defeat them.

Zhang Xuezhou used the Cloud Wings to make a long flight to the Scarlet Alliance State and considered how to extend his time between crossings. After returning to the other world, he found Dong Zhongshu waiting at Zheng Wukong’s residence, intrigued by Zhang Xuezhou’s Spirit Wood Staff.

• Zhang Xuezhou flew nearly fifty thousand li to the Scarlet Alliance State with the Cloud Wings, alternating between Gene Sequence power and Law Power to sustain his flight.
• Zhang Xuezhou reached North Rehe and entered the passage between worlds to study the giant tree’s growth rings and how they controlled crossing intervals.
• Zhang Xuezhou worried that the half-month cycle limited his time for distant journeys and high-level confrontations, and considered improving his mental strength or adjusting the cycle.
• After crossing back, Zhang Xuezhou heard Dong Zhongshu discussing lost High Antiquity books and asking whether Dongfang Shuo had awakened.
• Zhang Xuezhou discovered that Dong Zhongshu had tied the Spirit Wood Staff to a pillar with Three-Zhang Azure, and Dong Zhongshu admitted his envy of the rare treasure.

Zhang Xuezhou discussed Fortune Techniques and the New Emperor’s growing power with Dong Zhongshu, then suggested using government schools and the Confucian School to train talent for the court. Dong Zhongshu explained his Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven Technique, leaving Zhang Xuezhou to consider how the New Emperor’s influence could amplify it.

• Dong Zhongshu told Zhang Xuezhou how the King of Jiangdu’s death had ended his Fortune Technique’s support, but the New Emperor and Zhang Xuezhou had helped him reach the True Self Realm.
• Dong Zhongshu said Gongsun Hong had become Left Internal Historian, and Zhang Xuezhou praised the appointment and its authority over the sixteen counties around Chang'an City.
• Dong Zhongshu said the Confucian School could not enter the court without the New Emperor’s support and without scholars binding their interests to the government.
• Zhang Xuezhou cited Governor Wen Weng and Shu Commandery’s government schools as examples of how the Confucian School could help train successors for the court.
• Dong Zhongshu explained his Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven Technique, and Zhang Xuezhou understood it as drawing on the New Emperor’s influence and the Karmic Fortune of his followers.

Zhang Xuezhou learned Dong Zhongshu’s revised Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven Technique and headed home while considering his next steps. There, he encountered the disgraced Li Guang, then saw the New Emperor arrive at his residence.

• Dong Zhongshu explained how Zhang Xuezhou could borrow the New Emperor’s Unity of Celestial Person and Heaven state, and Zhang planned to test the method.
• Zhang Xuezhou left Old Tree Alley and encountered Li Guang, who had been stripped of his post and reduced to wearing coarse hemp.
• Li Guang told Zhang Xuezhou he wanted to return to battle and avenge his fallen comrades, but Zhang refused to help him and urged him to recover.
• After Zhang entered his residence, Li Cai questioned Li Guang about Zhang’s influence and why he had not sought a higher office.
• Li Guang watched the New Emperor arrive at Zhang Xuezhou’s residence soon after Zhang had returned home.