Chapter Summaries

Kang Dabao was forced to kill an old acquaintance while searching for enemies after Sima Fei’s victory, then watched the prefectural court destroy the Five Aspects Sect. He gathered the few survivors from his contingent and was left to reckon with their devastating losses.

• Kang Dabao killed a refined cultivator he had known as a traveling merchant, despite remembering the man and his wife’s kindness, while the centurion surnamed Xu watched him resentfully.
• Sima Fei and Acting Sima Gun broke the Five Aspects Sect’s formation, and the prefectural court’s forces overwhelmed the sect’s remaining defenders and seized its headquarters.
• Acting Sima Gun withdrew the county cultivators and led the Earl of Nan'an’s elite force to plunder the Five Aspects Sect.
• Kang Dabao spent most of the day gathering his team and found that only twelve or thirteen of the fifty people he had brought from Pingrong County remained alive.
• Kang Dabao took stock of the other contingents’ casualties and injuries, and felt fortunate that he had brought no Chongming Sect disciples.

Kang Dabao received treatment for his damaged meridians and recovered enough to host Kuai Wu, who asked him to approve a marriage between Pei Yi and Kuai Wu’s younger sister. Kang Dabao left the proposal undecided and resolved that he should seek a pretty wife for himself.

• A provincial court medical officer treated Kang Dabao’s injuries and left him one Mind-Clearing Meridian-Nourishing Pill, which Kang Dabao refined to soothe his meridians.
• Kuai Wu visited Kang Dabao after being punished for losing his formation, having his gains confiscated, and his head shaved; he also explained that his uncle had died and his household was struggling.
• Kuai Wu asked Kang Dabao to approve a marriage between Pei Yi and Kuai Wu’s younger sister, saying Pei Yi had no objection but wanted Kang Dabao’s view.
• Kang Dabao considered the match inferior to other prospects for Pei Yi, including Lu Yunniang, but told Kuai Wu he would discuss it with Pei Yi after they returned.
• After Kuai Wu left, Kang Dabao decided he should marry and thought that he wanted a pretty woman.

Sect Leader Kang was forced by Sima Fei to accept a marriage to a daughter of the Fei Household, making him a target of envy and resentment despite his rewards for military service. Sima Fei then faced resistance from his clan nephew over the match and ordered the Qiu River branch to leave Cloud Horn Prefecture.

• Sect Leader Kang decided he wanted to marry the He family's youngest daughter, but Sima Fei summoned him and ordered him to choose a bride from a register of noble families.
• Sima Fei rejected Kang Dabao's objections and declared that he would marry a Fei daughter the following month.
• Sima Fei announced the engagement at a victory feast, where Acting Sima Gun publicly praised Kang Dabao and the Hundred Commander surnamed Xu withdrew.
• Kang Dabao received generous rewards for Pingrong County's performance but spent the night fearing that resentful comrades or Two Instruments Sect assassins would kill him.
• Sima Fei explained to his clan nephew that the marriage served the Immortal Dynasty's interests, then ordered the Qiu River branch to leave after the nephew refused the match.

After the Five Aspects Sect fell, Kang Dabao received orders to destroy Three Flowers Manor, a powerful vassal, despite having only eighteen wounded cultivators left. He dismissed the depleted Jin and Tanggu contingents with payments, then left his remaining troops behind and went alone to the Hong County encampment.

• Sima Fei departed for Xuanwei City to report to the Earl of Nan'an, and Acting Sima Gun assigned the remaining forces to punish the Five Aspects Sect's vassals and allies.
• Acting Sima Gun gave Kang Dabao the order to wipe out Three Flowers Manor in Guo County, whose lord, Geng Xi, was a late-stage cultivator and father-in-law to three Five Aspects Sect elders.
• Kang Dabao counted only eighteen surviving cultivators in his contingent, nearly all wounded, and doubted they could capture the defended manor by force.
• Kang Dabao paid the armless Jin County commandant two hundred Spirit Stones to send him home, then paid the Tanggu cultivators to leave and gave Kuai Wu an additional forty Spirit Stones.
• Kang Dabao left the hopeful Pingrong militiamen and bandit cultivators behind and went alone to the Hong County encampment.

Kang Dabao returned from the destruction of Three Flowers Manor, settled matters with the surviving fighters, and headed back to the Chongming Sect. As he neared its archway, a hidden attacker struck, and the Primordial Gourd began to glow.

• The Hong County militia destroyed Three Flowers Manor, and Kang Dabao collected a thousand Spirit Stones from Magistrate Mo for sharing the credit.
• Kang Dabao offered the Feng brothers and Shao Wei clerk positions or Spirit Stones, warned them not to target Chongming disciples, and gave his remaining followers compensation.
• Kang Dabao returned to Pingrong County, found Luo Heng grieving in the rear offices, and handed county affairs over to Tie Xishan.
• Kang Dabao took his old donkey back toward the Chongming Sect after leaving the spirit boat in his Storage Bag.
• A deadly presence filled the area near the sect, and Kang Dabao sensed an apparent Two Instruments Sect assassin as the Primordial Gourd began to release green smoke.

Li Yun ordered Yue Lan to arrange a single saber strike against the Fei Household’s chosen son-in-law, while a middle-aged Daoist investigated the Yue Household’s plans. The Daoist later stopped a young cultivator from attacking Kang Dabao and hoped Kang would finally speak with him.

• Li Yun told Yue Lan to have his younger male cousin test the Fei Household’s son-in-law with one slash and to spread the news if the attack succeeded.
• The middle-aged Daoist visited Ye Zhengwen, received a Jade Slip about the Han City Yue Household, and warned that the household’s attempt to hedge its bets might end badly.
• The Daoist watched a young Foundation Establishment cultivator defeat and kill eight Qi Refinement cultivators, then wait near the Chongming Sect’s gateway.
• When the young cultivator ambushed Kang Dabao, the Daoist blocked his saber with Sword Qi, allowing Kang Dabao to flee on his donkey.
• The young cultivator withdrew after the Daoist said he was helping the young man’s household, and the Daoist confirmed Kang Dabao was safe.

Kang Dabao returned to Chongming Sect after surviving the battle against the Five Aspects Sect and prepared to accept the marriage arranged with the Fei Household. Unable to find an elder of sufficient standing to propose on his behalf, he decided to visit Martial Uncle Black Shoes.

• Li Yun dismissed Yue Lan after the failed attempt against the little sect master and ordered him to focus on Cold Crow Mountain.
• Jiang Qing and Pei Yi found Kang Dabao and brought him back to Chongming Sect, where he concealed the assassination attempt and said he had searched Cold Crow Mountain for Moon Fern.
• Kang Dabao recounted the battle against the Five Aspects Sect, and his disciples teased him about his promotion and impending marriage to the Fei Household’s clan daughter.
• Yuan Jin arranged for Zhou Xinran to find a pair of first-tier wild geese for the betrothal gifts.
• Kang Dabao and his junior brothers could not find a suitable elder to make the proposal, so Kang Dabao decided to visit Martial Uncle Black Shoes.

Kang Dabao visited Daoist Black Shoes to thank him for saving his life and seek help with a problem involving the Fei Household. Daoist Black Shoes reassured him, taught him for three days, and sent him home with rare pills, easing some of Kang Dabao’s resentment over his master’s death.

• Kang Dabao recalled the close but mysterious bond between his late master and Daoist Black Shoes, and wondered why they had once become enemies.
• Kang Dabao visited Daoist Black Shoes, who was practicing swordsmanship and welcomed him warmly.
• Kang Dabao thanked Daoist Black Shoes for saving him and explained the recent trouble that had brought him to seek help.
• Daoist Black Shoes reassured Kang Dabao that the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court would remain stable and the Kuang Household would retain power for the next sixty-year cycle.
• Daoist Black Shoes instructed Kang Dabao for three days, gave him more than ten bottles of pills, and sent him back with his cultivation prospects improved.

Kang Dabao prepared for his wedding to a Fei Household clan daughter, while the Fei Household took control of the ceremony and Daoist Black Shoes supplied an extravagant set of betrothal gifts. The wedding procession arrived without the bride, leaving Kang Dabao startled as the guests erupted.

• Daoist Black Shoes told the Chongming Sect that the Fei Household had set Kang Dabao's wedding date and described the chosen bride as not bad-looking.
• Kang Dabao struggled to match the Fei Household's dowry, but Daoist Black Shoes provided a long list of precious betrothal gifts on behalf of Brother He.
• The Fei Household replaced the Chongming Sect's wedding decorations and furnishings with arrangements of its own, while guests from powerful factions gathered for the wedding.
• Kang Dabao went to receive the bride, swallowed a Joyful Countenance Pill, and boarded the black falcon carrying the red brocade canopy.
• Kang Dabao lifted the canopy curtain and found only the bride's ceremonial clothing inside, while the sparrow's congratulations continued and the guests erupted.

At Kang Dabao’s wedding, the bride was missing, leaving the Fei Household and Chongming Sect in turmoil as Sima Fei clashed with Daoist Black Shoes. Earl Kuang Liuting urged Kang Dabao to receive the bride, and Kang found a woman waiting beneath the canopy, though her identity remained unclear.

• Sima Fei found the bridal canopy empty, and the Fei Household’s guests mocked the failed wedding while Chongming Sect disciples grew distressed.
• Sima Fei killed the maids who had been watching the canopy, and Daoist Black Shoes confronted him over the missing bride.
• Daoist Black Shoes blocked Sima Fei’s attack, revealing formidable Foundation Establishment abilities, and the two prepared to fight.
• Earl Kuang Liuting arrived, gave Kang Dabao a jade gift, and ordered him to go receive the bride.
• Kang Dabao returned to the canopy and found a graceful woman in wedding robes seated inside; when he reached for her, she flinched away.

Kuang Liuting came to the Fei Household and took Fei Shuhe away, condemning the family for hiding Fei Nanying. After he left, the Fei elders argued over the loss, and Fifth Master attacked the injured Nanny Sun.

• The maids returned to Qinghan Courtyard and found Kuang Liuting waiting with Nanny Sun beside him.
• Kuang Liuting revealed that the Fei Household had deceived Fei Nanying, struck Nanny Sun aside, and rejected Lady Fei Song’s pleas to stop him.
• Kuang Liuting carried Fei Shuhe away, warning Lady Fei Song that the Fei Household had failed in its duty.
• The Fei elders complained about losing Fei Shuhe, but none dared pursue Kuang Liuting when Lady Fei Song demanded they bring him back.
• Fifth Master blamed Nanny Sun and stomped on her chest as she lay injured.

After Kang Dabao’s wedding to Fei Shuhe, the pair agreed to live separately while the Chongming Sect arranged a nearby courtyard for her household. With Fei Shuhe’s courtyard moved onto a neighboring peak, Kang Dabao was left relieved and free to resume cultivating.

• Kuang Liuting oversaw Kang Dabao and Fei Shuhe’s wedding, then left after warning Fei Nanying with a meaningful glance.
• Fei Nanying accepted the marriage and ordered Shuhe’s courtyard moved, while the wedding guests began treating Kang Dabao as a valuable ally of the prefectural court.
• Jiang Qing carried the drunken Kang Dabao to the bridal courtyard and guarded outside; Fei Shuhe spent the night in another room.
• The next morning, Fei Shuhe used a silver-bell Law Artifact to break Kang Dabao’s growing desire, then asked to live separately in her own courtyard.
• About a dozen days later, a Foundation Establishment geomancer moved Fei Shuhe’s courtyard to a nearby peak, and Kang Dabao returned to his quiet courtyard to cultivate.

Kang Dabao met Lord Yin Shan, who praised Daoist Black Shoes for reaching Foundation Establishment and gave Kang Dabao a Yi Wood Green Willow Heart as a wedding gift from Qin Sufu. Lord Yin Shan asked Kang Dabao to watch over the Qin Household and help fulfill Sect Leader He’s wish to restore his family’s former glory.

• Daoist Black Shoes told Kang Dabao that Lord Shan wanted to see him and led him to a secluded cliff.
• Lord Yin Shan praised Daoist Black Shoes for reaching Foundation Establishment and urged him to guide younger cultivators.
• Lord Yin Shan gave Kang Dabao a Yi Wood Green Willow Heart from Qin Sufu as a wedding gift.
• Lord Yin Shan told Kang Dabao that Qin Sufu had joined the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court and asked him to watch over the Qin Household.
• Lord Yin Shan urged Kang Dabao to help restore Sect Leader He’s family’s former glory, then departed.

On the journey back to the Chongming Sect, Daoist Black Shoes helped Kang Dabao confront his regret over Qin Sufu’s success and his own deal with Kuang Liuting. He left Kang Dabao at a cliff with advice to keep pursuing the Dao boldly and not begrudge others their fortunes.

• Kang Dabao told Daoist Black Shoes about his experience at the Fish Mountain Treasure Fair and worried that Qin Sufu had gained more from serving the Earl of Nan'an.
• Daoist Black Shoes explained that Qin Sufu had avoided Tie Liuyun’s failing influence and joined Kuang Liuting at the right moment, while Kang Dabao had also effectively joined the Prefecture Court.
• Daoist Black Shoes recalled how Kang Dabao’s master had abandoned a lecture to rescue flood victims, where Lord Shan later found the orphaned Qin Sufu and recognized his exceptional aptitude.
• Daoist Black Shoes contrasted the master’s sincere efforts with a Golden Core superior’s self-interested rescue, which nevertheless saved many people, and urged Kang Dabao not to measure everything too carefully.
• Daoist Black Shoes told Kang Dabao to contend, endure hardship, and keep his Dao-seeking heart, then returned to the Chongming Sect while Kang Dabao stayed behind in thought.

On Kang Dabao’s birthday, the Chongming Sect celebrated its progress during Daoist Black Shoes’ stay and the reforms Kang Dabao had made while cultivating. After the festivities, the sect began preparing for its annual Immortal Ascension Assembly.

• Kang Dabao saw off a Hemu Dao disciple who had come to ask Daoist Black Shoes to return, and accepted the disciple’s birthday gift while promising to pass on the message.
• Fei Shuhe sent Kang Dabao a box of Spirit Cuisine pastries through Ping'er, while the sect gathered for a birthday celebration attended by Zhou Xinran and the Ye Household’s three young cultivators.
• Jiang Qing, Pei Yi, and Yuan Jin advanced in cultivation or craft under Daoist Black Shoes’ guidance, while the Chongming Sect’s businesses and commissioned pill refinement grew.
• Yuan Jin reforged Kang Dabao’s Garrison Earth Azure Origin Shield with better materials, and Zhou Yixiu and Kang Rongquan opened two more mu of spirit fields.
• Kang Dabao’s junior brothers restored the Merit Point system, separated the sect’s funds from his personal storage, and established Merit Points as an alternative to Spirit Stones for stipends.
• After Kang Dabao’s birthday feast, the Chongming Sect began intensive preparations for the annual Immortal Ascension Assembly.

At the Immortal Ascension Gathering, Yuan Changsheng was found to have Five Spirit Roots, while Song Hui and Dong Liu'er had Four Spirit Roots. Kang Dabao arranged for Changsheng to become Pei Yi’s disciple and reflected on the sect’s future and the disappearance of Second Sister Song.

• Han Yundao tested Yuan Changsheng and found that he had Five Spirit Roots, worrying Yuan Jin and the Chongming disciples.
• The gathering tested more than two thousand children, finding Song Hui and Dong Liu'er with Four Spirit Roots as well.
• Kang Dabao comforted Yuan Jin and later Jiang Qing, then suggested that Yuan Changsheng become Pei Yi’s disciple so he could learn alchemy.
• Jiang Qing told Kang Dabao that Song Hui came from the Minor Song Clan of Pinghe Fort and wondered what had happened to the missing Second Sister Song.

Jin Shilun returned to Chongming City to visit his father and newborn half-brother, but he felt the growing distance between his mortal family and himself. He left the next day for Chongming Market, where an anxious middle-aged cultivator hurried over to him.

• Yuan Changsheng entered Pei Yi's tutelage, while Dong Liu'er and Song Hui became Zhou Yixiu's disciples.
• Jin Shilun borrowed a Desolate Ox from Duan Anle and traveled to Chongming City to visit Jin Huohua and his family.
• Jin Shilun warned Jin Huohua about a dangerous Evil Cultivator and advised him to stay alert and maintain ties with families whose children had immortal potential.
• Jin Shilun and Jin Huohua struggled to speak as the gulf between them widened, and Jin Huohua found the crab-stuffed oranges he sent untouched after Jin Shilun departed.
• Jin Shilun went to Chongming Market to seek spirit materials and gifts for his new junior siblings, where an anxious middle-aged cultivator approached him.

Jin Shilun learned that the sect master favored a marriage between Pei and a woman from the He Household, then a group of outsiders unleashed a beast horde against Chongming Market. Zhou Xinran used the market’s array to repel the first wave, but the cultivators remained trapped as she wondered whether the elders could help.

• Kuai Wu asked Jin Shilun to support his sister’s marriage to Pei, but Jin Shilun left without making any promises.
• Zhou Xinran told Jin Shilun that the sect master favored arranging Pei’s marriage with someone from the He Household rather than Lu Yunniang.
• A bloodstained group of cultivators released nine hundred First-Tier Demon Beasts and ordered them to kill everyone at Chongming Market.
• The beast horde battered the market’s array barrier, and Zhou Xinran used its stored spirit lightning to kill and injure many Red-Maned Mountain Boars.
• Zhou Xinran struggled with pain from overusing her spiritual power and wondered whether the elders could arrive to help.

Ye Zhengwen and Jin Shilun rallied Chongming Market’s merchants and Rogue Cultivators to defend the formation against a beast horde. A colorless fragrance drove the beasts into a frenzy, the formation began to fail, and Kuai Wu’s fall left the defenders facing an imminent breach.

• Ye Zhengwen tried to force the merchants into their formation positions as panic spread through Chongming Market.
• Jin Shilun declared Ye Zhengwen the market’s acting authority and invoked Kang Dabao’s powerful allies, persuading merchants and Rogue Cultivators to cooperate.
• Zhou Xinran gave Ye Zhengwen the main formation flag, while Jin Shilun arranged for Rogue Cultivators to receive Law Artifacts and spiritual pills.
• The Demon Beasts attacked the formation with physical strikes and Law Techniques, gradually weakening its barrier despite the defenders’ counterattacks.
• Ye Zhengwen warned Jin Shilun that someone had deliberately driven the beast horde down Cold Crow Mountain, then a colorless fragrance sent the beasts into a frenzy.
• Kuai Wu was knocked from his position, causing a formation flag to explode and the barrier to dim as the horde surged closer.

Ye Zhengwen and the other cultivators fled as a second, larger wave of Demon Beasts broke through Chongming Market’s formation, leaving the market in ruins and killing many defenders, including Kuai Wu. Tie Liuyun’s Xiezhi Iron Guard then arrived, broke the beasts’ frenzy, and drove them off; Tie Liuyun ordered Ye Zhengwen to keep guarding the market and told him that Kang Dabao must wait at the sect.

• Ye Zhengwen took Kuai Wu’s place in the formation and reassured the defenders that Daoist Black Shoes would arrive, though he did not know if that was true.
• A much larger herd of Demon Beasts crashed into the formation, breaking its flags and killing cultivators as Ye Zhengwen, Lu Yunniang, and the Xue Household cultivators fled.
• Kuai Wu told the manager surnamed Dai to leave him behind, but Dai abandoned him before a Red-Maned Mountain Boar trampled him to death.
• Ye Zhengwen searched the ruined market for Jin Shilun and Zhou Xinran while fighting off Demon Birds and other beasts.
• Tie Liuyun and his Xiezhi Iron Guard charged into the herd, their Xiezhi manifestation dispelling the beasts’ frenzy and forcing them to flee.
• Tie Liuyun asked for Kang Dabao, then told Ye Zhengwen to guard Chongming Market and have Kang wait at the sect.