Xie Lian returns to the Heavenly Capital and tells Junwu the truth about the banquet massacre. The events have made Xie Lian trust Hua Cheng even more, but Junwu feels even more suspicious of him. Xie Lian leaves heaven and heads to the ruins of Xian Le. As he goes to see his parents' coffin, someone is waiting for him...

Xie Lian gets angry with Hua Cheng for revealing the truth about the Golden Feast Massacre to Lang Qianqiu. But Hua Cheng tells him plainly that Xie Lian did nothing wrong. When he realizes that Hua Cheng trusts him absolutely, and is the one person to see through to the truth of the matter, he says aloud that he wonders if they've met somewhere before...

An Le, a descendant of the imperial house of the fallen kingdom of Xian Le, was left in charge of preparations for the Golden Feast by the ruler of Yong An. While on the surface, An Le was a good friend to the Yong An Imperial Family, there was a darkness in his heart that Qi Rong took advantage of. When Fangxin (Xie Lian) arrives late to the banquet, he encounters something shocking, and is forced to make a choice...

Xie Lian is summoned by Jun Wu to the Heavenly Realm where he's informed that a Heavenly Official needs to be rescued, so he goes to the Ghost Realm, the territory of the dead.

A woman in black suddenly appears and pushes all of Millstone’s soldiers into the Sinners’ Pit. Xie Lian and Millstone fall into the pit, sending Millstone into a fit of rage. Xie Lian realizes that Millstone’s Half-Moon Daoist enemy is the woman who just pushed the soldiers into the pit. Xie Lian still feels suspicious of the general’s story when the woman in black jumps down herself.

Xie Lian and the men from the caravan search for the antidote. They hear a scream from the brush nearby and find a half-buried human face that summons the Half-Moon soldiers and General Millstone. They capture Xie Lian and his men and take them to the Sinners’ Pit. The General asks Xie Lian to choose two people to throw down. Xie Lian distracts him by speaking Half-Moon, while preparing to jump.

Xie Lian saves his group, and they enter a cave where the trade caravan had taken refuge. After the caravan recounts their story, San Lang spots carvings on the stone Xie Lian is sitting on. They tell the story of a general who rescued both his people and his enemies until he died on the battlefield. A poisonous scorpion-tailed snake bites Xie Lian, and his band must leave to find the antidote.

Xie Lian finds the story of Half-Moon Pass strange and asks the heavenly officials about what transpired there. It becomes clear that a senior heavenly official is behind the disappearances, and no one dares look into it. Xie Lian decides to go investigate, and San Lang joins him. They pursue two Daoists before getting caught in a sandstorm.

Xie Lian asks the young man about Hua Cheng, and he is suspiciously forthcoming. Despite his apprehensions, Xie Lian’s kindness prevails, and he takes San Lang to the Chestnut Temple. San Lang’s sincerity and talent raise more questions, especially when it is revealed he knew what Xie Lian looked like when he was crown prince. Later, a bewitched survivor arrives at the temple after an attack.

Xie Lian continues to search for the bandaged boy to no avail. He returns to heaven and finds out the mysterious young man in red is Hua Cheng, who defeated 33 heavenly officials, and whose name is accompanied by fear in that realm. Xie Lian decides to descend to the mortal realm and busies himself collecting junk in town. There, he meets another young man in red and decides to test him.

Xie Lian discovers Xuan Ji is the Ghost Groom just as she appears and goes on a killing spree. Xie Lian overpowers her before learning the truth: When General Pei was in the earthly realm, he courted Xuan Ji, an enemy general. When their relationship fell apart, Xuan Ji broke her own legs in her grief and despised the many smiling brides on their way to Mt. Yujun.

After Xie Lian’s mysterious guide disappears, he realizes he is near a Ming Guang Temple, where General Pei is worshiped by mortals. Xie Lian enters the temple to see 17 corpses. Stunned, he sees a bandaged boy fleeing the scene. In his pursuit, Xie Lian runs into Xiao Pengtou and his bandits. Fu Yao returns to the heavenly realm for reinforcements as the ghost brides attack.

After the events in Half-Moon Pass, Xie Lian, San Lang, and Half-Moon return to Chestnut Temple. Xie Lian and San Lang talk about the old days, and Xie Lian reveals that he knows San Lang is actually Hua Cheng. Half-Moon reminds Xie Lian of something he said 200 years ago that touched her deeply. When Xie Lian wakes, San Lang is no longer there.

As the snakes rain down, Xie Lian realizes there’s a sixth person in the pit. He remembers a young heavenly official, Pei Xiu, orchestrated a massacre before ascending. Both Millstone and Half-Moon recognize Zhao as Pei Xiu. Afterwards, Xie Lian returns to the cave with the antidote for the merchant who had been bitten. Xie Lian says his goodbyes, and Nan Feng and Fu Yao return to heaven.

Xie Lian realizes the woman in black is the Imperial Preceptor that Millstone talked about, named Half-Moon. Xie Lian recognizes Half-Moon as the girl he saved when he was a general. Half-Moon tells her side of the story, and snakes begin to rain down on them, engulfing the bottom of the pit in chaos.

The kingdom of Xian Le was ruled by the Crown Prince Xie Lian, who cared for his people. He was commended by ascending to heaven. After being banished twice for interfering with mortals, he ascends a third time, accidentally tearing down two heavenly officials’ palaces. In their debt and at his wits’ end, Xie Lian is tasked with solving a case filled with monsters, mystery, and missing brides.

Upon reaching Ragako, Conny hatches a plan to trick Falco into being eaten by his mother. Elsewhere, hero of the Eldian Empire, Jean, is to execute Yelena and Onyankopon for their crimes against humanity.

The rumbling is set in motion once all hardening is undone, but this also sets Annie free. As the Jaegerists take control of the island, Conny races towards Ragako to feed Falco to his Titan mother.

With no walls left on the island and Shiganshina full of Titans, the Scouts must battle their former comrades. In the midst of it all, Gabi is determined to find and rescue Falco at whatever cost.

For 2,000 years, the Founder Ymir has been waiting--a slave to those with royal blood. However, Eren's yearning for freedom gives her a choice that could shake things up.