Sun Moon Holy Cult who was ousted from power by his deputy, Dongfang Bubai. Ren Woxing breaks out of captivity by knocking out Linghu Chong and using him as a decoy. While trapped inside the dungeon, Linghu Chong discovers carvings of Ren Woxing's infamous Cosmic Absorbing Power and learns the skill by chance. Ren Woxing returns to save Linghu Chong later and tries to persuade him to join the Sun Moon Holy Cult by offering him Ren Yingying's hand in marriage. Linghu Chong declines to join, but still helps Ren Woxing defeat Dongfang Bubai and regain control of the cult. Linghu Chong becomes the new head of the (North) Mount Heng School, whose members are all nuns, after he unsuccessfully tries to save its leaders from a masked assassin. He attends a special assembly of the Five Mountains Sword Schools Alliance called for by Zuo Lengchan, who attempts to coerce the other four schools into merging into the Mount Song School under his leadership. However, he is defeated and blinded by Yue Buqun, who uses the Bixie Swordplay against him. Yue Buqun becomes the new leader of the alliance. After leaving the assembly, Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying see Lin Pingzhi brutally slaying members of the Qingcheng School to avenge his family, and overhear a conversation between him and his wife, Yue Lingshan. Lin Pingzhi reveals that both he and Yue Buqun have mastered the Bixie Swordplay, which is considered "unorthodox" because they need to castrate themselves to fulfill the prerequisite for learning it. Linghu Chong also learns that Yue Buqun, his respectable former master, is actually a villainous hypocrite who planned an elaborate scheme against Lin Pingzhi to seize the swordplay manual in the hope of dominating the jianghu. Lin Pingzhi then stabs Yue Lingshan to prove his loyalty to Zuo Lengchan, who is plotting revenge against Yue Buqun. Before Yue Lingshan dies, she makes Linghu Chong promise to spare Lin Pingzhi's life as she still loves him. Linghu Chong reluctantly agrees after considering his past romantic feelings for Yue Lingshan. Yue Buqun schemes to kill Lin Pingzhi, who knows his secret, and seeks to silence him. Linghu Chong, despite his reluctance to be enemies with his former master, ultimately chooses to stop Yue Buqun and protect the innocent from his evil machinations. The finale climaxes with the members of the Five Mountains Sword Schools Alliance being trapped in