The ungrateful sect leader Lu Cangyuan instigates Ye Ling'er, a disciple still in her trial period, to find a way to seize the ancient divine beast Qilin belonging to Jiang Lanyue, the sect's Grand Elder. Jiang Lanyue then begins settling old scores, reclaiming the Qilin and taking back Zhenyue Peak, the sect's headquarters built on her private property. In the end, Lu Cangyuan pays a terrible price: his cultivation is completely destroyed and his immortal root is ripped out, while Ye Ling'er is sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor. Jiang Lanyue goes on to establish the Mingxin Sect.