Chapter Summaries

Old Master Wuyang’s evaluation party toured the Vast Heaven Sect, praising its chaotic displays as examples of virtue and excellence, while Chu Xinghe and Yan Shoujing suffered the consequences of his flattering reports. The party then began evaluating Martial Emperor City and reached the Cloud Firmament Sect, where Old Master Wuyang’s assessments turned more critical.

• Yan Shoujing was left bewildered after Old Master Wuyang’s visit turned his attempted embarrassment into praise and made him appear committed to killing Wu Xingyun.
• Old Master Wuyang toured the Vast Heaven Sect’s palaces and outer sect, turning Elder He’s dance, Hill Forest Palace’s decorations, the Artifact Refining Palace’s food, and Chu Cheng’s complaints into glowing praise.
• The Vast Heaven Sect’s evaluation became public, earning Yan Shoujing the title Demonic Sect Bane and Chu Xinghe the acclaim “Chu’s Eye Reaches Heaven’s Limit.”
• The evaluation party visited Martial Emperor City, where Zheng Yu and the city’s other talents helped preserve its standing as the second-ranked power under heaven.
• At the Cloud Firmament Sect, Old Master Wuyang’s evaluation became more critical.

The Cloud Firmament Sect tried to imitate the Vast Heaven Sect’s simple welcome for Old Master Wuyang, expecting the same praise, but Wuyang condemned the ceremony as an insult. He recorded a harsh assessment of the sect, leaving Ling Su and Ji Moran baffled as the assessment team turned against them.

• Ling Su prepared rare stones and antiques for Old Master Wuyang, who refused them and advised him to learn from the Vast Heaven Sect and Martial Emperor City.
• The assessment team’s teleportation array mishap delayed its arrival, and Ling Su eventually brought the group to the Cloud Firmament Sect’s gate.
• Ling Su had the Cloud Firmament Sect copy the Vast Heaven Sect’s welcome, sending only chief disciple Ji Moran to greet Wuyang and the elders.
• Old Master Wuyang praised the Cloud Firmament Sect before condemning its lack of respect, and the other grand elders joined in criticizing it.
• Old Master Wuyang recorded an assessment declaring the Cloud Firmament Sect unworthy of its rank, leaving Ling Su and Ji Moran confused by the different judgment.

The selection committee visited the Cloud Firmament Sect, where Ling Su’s imitation of Chu Xinghe’s welcoming ceremony drew ridicule and Old Master Wuyang’s biased assessment painted the sect as weak. The chapter ended with several factions and the Jade Void Palace publicly challenging the supposedly gravely injured Xing Yushen.

• Ling Su welcomed the selection committee by copying Chu Xinghe’s ceremony, but the Grand Elder and other elders argued that only Chu Xinghe could carry it off.
• Ling Su led the committee into the Cloud Firmament Sect, and Old Master Wuyang ordered the selection to begin immediately.
• Ling Su said Xing Yushen was in seclusion attempting to reach the Martial God realm, while the elders speculated that Gu Mingchao had gravely injured him.
• Old Master Wuyang recorded that Xing Yushen was near death and accused Ling Su of bias when he tried to correct the account.
• The Star Moon Sect, Northern Nether City, and East Moon Pavilion announced challenges against Xing Yushen, and Wang Daoquan of the Jade Void Palace said he would challenge him afterward.

Old Master Wuyang’s assessment exposed the Cloud Firmament Sect’s declining strength, putting its rank, recruitment, businesses, and ties with the Ma Lineage under pressure. Xing Yushen defended the sect against three challengers while injured, but they immediately demanded a second round of fights.

• Old Master Wuyang judged the Cloud Firmament Sect’s disciples and resources inferior to those of leading rivals, and his findings became public after the committee left.
• Prospective disciples turned away from the Cloud Firmament Sect, while its stewards faced trouble over demonic beast spirit meat and the Ma Lineage’s requests for Ma Liang’s help were rejected.
• The Ma Lineage realized Ma Liang had severed ties with it and that it had forfeited a chance to ally itself with the Vast Heaven Sect and Chu Xinghe.
• The leaders of the Star Moon Sect, Northern Nether City, and East Moon Pavilion challenged Xing Yushen, who defeated all three despite worsening his injuries.
• The three leaders challenged Xing Yushen again after losing, refusing to accept their defeats.

The Jade Void Palace challenged the injured Cloud Firmament Sect, and Wang Daoquan won by forfeit as its resources and top-tier combat power surpassed the rival sect’s. After Old Master Wuyang assessed all ten sects, Northern Nether City rose to third place, while the Cloud Firmament Sect fell to tenth and the Star Moon Sect settled for fourth.

• After Xing Yushen lost three fights and was left badly injured, Wang Daoquan challenged the Cloud Firmament Sect and revealed that the Jade Void Palace’s resources now exceeded its rival’s.
• Xing Yushen refused to fight Wang Daoquan, and the other sects blocked Ling Su from challenging him because Ling Su was on the judging panel.
• Old Master Wuyang assessed the Jade Void Palace as superior to the Cloud Firmament Sect in top-tier combat power and resources, though the Cloud Firmament Sect had stronger disciple inheritance.
• The new rankings kept the Vast Heaven Sect first and Martial Emperor City second, while Northern Nether City overtook the Star Moon Sect to claim third place.
• Northern Nether City’s city lord pledged an alliance with the Vast Heaven Sect, and the Star Moon Sect closed Star Moon Tower and vowed to seek third place in the next assessment.
• The Cloud Firmament Sect fell to tenth place, and the Star Moon Sect finished fourth.

The sect rankings ended with the Vast Heaven Sect retaining first place and the Cloud Firmament Sect falling to tenth after Xing Yushen was injured. Chu Xinghe then visited the Dark Moon Palace and learned that Wan Lin’s secret art let her control a demonic beast.

• The Star Moon Sect kept fourth place, while the East Moon Pavilion, Listening Snow Pavilion, Kun Forest Sect, Heavenly Sword Alliance, and Jade Void Palace each rose one rank.
• The Cloud Firmament Sect fell from third to tenth, and news that Xing Yushen would need seven or eight years to recover encouraged other sects to pursue its place.
• The Vast Heaven Sect’s disciples treated keeping first place as routine, while Chu Xinghe focused on the Dark Moon Palace elective course consuming resources and advancing his cultivation.
• Chu Xinghe found a crowd gathered around Wan Lin, whose demonic beast obeyed her commands like a puppy.
• Chu Xinghe learned that Wan Lin had comprehended the Hill Forest Palace’s charm art, which made the demonic beast obedient, and he concluded her ability was an isolated case.

Wan Lin’s Charm Art proved able to control demon beasts, but only she could learn it, leaving Chu Xinghe’s resource-consuming elective course unchanged. Meanwhile, the Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng threatened the Heavenly Medicine Palace to seize Luo Ying’er, and Chen Xuewang urged Wu Qun to seek protection from Chu Xinghe.

• Wan Lin demonstrated that her Charm Art could control demon beasts, but she could not teach it to Douding’er or the Savage Wilderness Tribes.
• Chu Xinghe persuaded Wan Lin to focus on guiding the other disciples, then celebrated that the elective course would continue consuming resources.
• Ji Changfeng gravely injured Wu Qun after discovering Luo Ying’er’s Nine Nether Physique and demanded that the Heavenly Medicine Palace hand her over or face his poison challenge.
• Luo Ying’er offered to become Ji Changfeng’s poison-refining cauldron, but Wu Qun refused to surrender her.
• Chen Xuewang told Wu Qun that the Vast Heaven Sect and Chu Xinghe might be the only ones able to protect Luo Ying’er from Ji Changfeng.

Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng challenged the Heavenly Medicine Palace over Luo Ying'er, forcing Palace Master Wu Qun to seek help from the Vast Heaven Sect. The grand elder struggled to ask Chu Xinghe to face Ji Changfeng, while Xinghe eagerly welcomed the chance to lose and finally make a name for himself.

• Chen Xuewang suggested that Chu Xinghe might be able to defeat Ji Changfeng and protect Luo Ying'er, and Wu Qun took her to the Vast Heaven Sect for help.
• Shen Chun told Chu Xinghe that Wu Qun had arrived, and Xinghe learned that Ji Changfeng had challenged the Heavenly Medicine Palace to a contest over Luo Ying'er.
• The grand elder weighed the Vast Heaven Sect's debt to Ji Changfeng against the need to help Wu Qun, and considered asking Chu Xinghe to compete.
• Chu Xinghe privately celebrated the chance to face Ji Changfeng, confident he could lose and finally make a name for himself.

Chu Xinghe agreed to face Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng in order to protect Luo Ying'er, despite knowing his limited experience with the Medicine Saint Inheritance could lead to defeat. The Vast Heaven Sect announced the match, and the entire Blazing Sun Continent watched as the battle approached.

• Chu Xinghe told the grand elder and Wu Qun that he would accept the fight to keep Luo Ying'er from becoming Ji Changfeng's cultivation cauldron.
• Chu Xinghe said he would challenge Ji Changfeng again if he lost, and that protecting Luo Ying'er mattered more than his reputation.
• The grand elder arranged for Shen Chun to accommodate Wu Qun and Luo Ying'er in the Spirit Crane Palace.
• The Vast Heaven Sect announced that Chu Xinghe had accepted Ji Changfeng's challenge on behalf of the Heavenly Medicine Palace.
• News of the match stunned the Blazing Sun Continent, where many—including Zheng Yu—doubted Chu Xinghe could defeat the Poison Venerable so soon after receiving the inheritance.

Chu Xinghe welcomed Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng’s challenge, expecting to lose and hoping the Everlasting Spring Palace would stay out of the fight. He prepared the Vast Heaven Sect to receive Ji Changfeng and heard Wu Qun and Luo Ying’er thank him for protecting her.

• Ji Changfeng publicly vowed to defeat Chu Xinghe and offered to pass on his poison arts if anyone in the Vast Heaven Sect could beat him.
• Chu Xinghe asked Nangong Yan whether the Everlasting Spring Palace could defeat Ji Changfeng, and she warned that they could not.
• Chu Xinghe was pleased that the Everlasting Spring Palace would not intervene if he lost, leaving him free to fail against Ji Changfeng.
• Chu Xinghe told the junior brothers guarding the mountain gate to show Ji Changfeng respect and let him enter once they confirmed his identity.
• Wu Qun thanked Chu Xinghe for taking Ji Changfeng’s attention off Luo Ying’er, and Wu Qun covered Luo Ying’er’s mouth when she began offering herself as thanks.

Ji Changfeng arrived at the Vast Heaven Sect to challenge Chu Xinghe and earn the title of Poison Saint. He interrupted Jiuli and Ouyang Ling discussing a potent medicine, swallowed the packets to prove his skill, and realized they were talking about Body-Burning Powder.

• Chu Xinghe assured the Vast Heaven Sect that they would win, while privately expecting to lose to Ji Changfeng.
• Ji Changfeng entered the Vast Heaven Sect, hoping to defeat Chu Xinghe and claim the title of Poison Saint.
• Ji Changfeng heard Ouyang Ling complain that her medicine had not affected Chu Xinghe and boast that she could become a Poison Saint.
• Ji Changfeng entered Jiuli's residence, where Jiuli recognized him and Ouyang Ling challenged his standing as a poison master.
• Ji Changfeng swallowed the packets of medicine to demonstrate his ability to neutralize poison, then realized they contained Body-Burning Powder.

Ouyang Ling challenged Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng to a poison contest using Jiuli’s osmanthus cakes and knocked him unconscious before he could meet Chu Xinghe. Gu Mingchao and the Vast Heaven Sect’s senior figures found Ji Changfeng at Jiuli’s residence, while Chu Xinghe lamented that Ouyang Ling had defeated his would-be challenger before he could face him.

• Ji Changfeng dismissed Ouyang Ling’s claims and accepted her challenge to eat one of Jiuli’s osmanthus cakes.
• Ji Changfeng ate the cake and immediately fell unconscious, leaving Ouyang Ling to mock him as an unworthy Poison Venerable.
• Gu Mingchao gathered the Vast Heaven Sect’s senior figures to welcome Ji Changfeng, but they could not find him at the mountain gate or along the main paths.
• Elder He suggested Ji Changfeng might have gone to visit Jiuli, so Gu Mingchao led the group to her residence.
• The group found Ji Changfeng unconscious beside Jiuli while Ouyang Ling berated him for challenging Chu Xinghe.
• Chu Xinghe realized Ouyang Ling had defeated Ji Changfeng before he could meet him and regretted that she had used Jiuli’s pastries.

Poison Venerable Ji Changfeng was knocked unconscious twice after eating Jiuli’s osmanthus cakes, then admitted defeat before competing with Chu Xinghe. Chu Xinghe explained that the cakes were not poison and refused to let Ji Changfeng’s defeat stand, insisting that Ji Changfeng had to defeat him.

• Ouyang Ling’s osmanthus cake knocked Ji Changfeng unconscious soon after he entered the Vast Heaven Sect.
• Ji Changfeng ate another cake to prove himself, but it knocked him unconscious again while Ouyang Ling ate one unharmed.
• After waking, Ji Changfeng admitted defeat, and the Vast Heaven Sect’s gathered members celebrated.
• Chu Xinghe told Ji Changfeng that Jiuli’s pastries were not poison and were unrelated to Ouyang Ling’s poison arts.
• Chu Xinghe refused to let Ji Changfeng concede and insisted that he stay and defeat him.

Chu Xinghe tried to make Ji Changfeng fight him after revealing why Ji Changfeng had lost to Ouyang Ling, but Ji Changfeng admitted defeat wholeheartedly and brought out his deadly poison, Butterfly Loves Flower. An Lan swallowed it and remained unharmed, leaving Ji Changfeng bewildered by the Vast Heaven Sect and its guests.

• Chu Xinghe explained to Ji Changfeng that Sister-in-law Jiuli's snacks had caused his loss to Ouyang Ling, insisting the Vast Heaven Sect had to win fairly.
• Ji Changfeng admitted defeat wholeheartedly despite Chu Xinghe's efforts to reignite his fighting spirit.
• Chu Xinghe urged Ji Changfeng to demonstrate his poisoning skills, and Ji Changfeng introduced his supposedly lethal poison, Butterfly Loves Flower.
• An Lan snatched the poison from Ji Changfeng and swallowed it, then counted down ten breaths without suffering any effect.
• An Lan asked Ji Changfeng for a larger dose, while the Dark Moon Clan members also urged him to share more poison.
• Ji Changfeng stood dumbfounded and wondered what kind of place the Vast Heaven Sect was.

Ji Changfeng came to the Vast Heaven Sect to challenge Chu Xinghe, but the sect’s members and An Lan unintentionally humiliated him in contests involving poison. After they tried to comfort him, Ji Changfeng accepted defeat and promised to teach the Vast Heaven Sect his poison arts.

• Ji Changfeng recalled his rise as the Poison Venerable and arrived at the Vast Heaven Sect hoping to defeat Chu Xinghe and become the new Poison Saint.
• An Lan ate Ji Changfeng’s Butterfly Loves Flower without apparent harm, while the sect members crowded around asking to try the poison.
• Ji Changfeng stood stunned for a quarter of an hour, then burst into tears as Gu Mingchao and the others tried to comfort him.
• The sect members’ reassurances only made Ji Changfeng feel more humiliated, and Wu Qun and Little Squirrel watched in disbelief.
• Ji Changfeng accepted his defeat, renounced the title of Poison Venerable, and promised to teach the Vast Heaven Sect all his poison arts.
• The Great Elder and the Everlasting Spring Palace celebrated the prospect of learning Ji Changfeng’s techniques, while Chu Xinghe insisted he had done nothing.

After Ji Changfeng was defeated and his strongest poison failed to affect the Vast Heaven Sect members, he accepted a guest elder position and agreed to teach the sect his poison arts. He stayed because the sect offered rare research opportunities and resources, while the Vast Heaven Sect gained access to his knowledge.

• The grand elder persuaded Ji Changfeng to become the Vast Heaven Sect’s first guest elder after he refused a regular elder position.
• The grand elder arranged for disciples from every palace to learn poison arts, not only the Everlasting Spring Palace.
• The grand elder credited Chu Xinghe’s strategy, including having Ji Changfeng test Butterfly Loves Flower, with breaking Ji Changfeng’s resistance.
• Ji Changfeng realized that the Vast Heaven Sect could help him advance his poison research through Jiuli’s pastries, the Ouyang Lineage, and the Dark Moon Clan’s Undying Bodies.
• Ji Changfeng saw the chance to combine the Poison Saint’s inheritance with Chu Xinghe’s Medicine Saint inheritance, while the Vast Heaven Sect gained his teaching and resources.

After Ouyang Ling knocked out Ji Changfeng before he could meet Chu Xinghe, news of the Poison Venerable’s defeat astonished the martial world and the Cloud Firmament Sect. Ji Changfeng settled into the Dark Moon Palace, was overwhelmed by the Vast Heaven Sect’s abundant resources, and finally set out to approach Chu Xinghe.

• News spread that Ouyang Ling had defeated Ji Changfeng without Chu Xinghe ever meeting him, leaving Zheng Yu and the martial world stunned.
• The Cloud Firmament Sect prepared to attack Chu Xinghe’s reputation after his expected loss, then cursed Ji Changfeng when he lost; soon afterward, deadly poison contaminated the sect’s water sources and sickened elders and disciples.
• Ji Changfeng chose the Dark Moon Palace over a newly built Myriad Poisons Palace, where the Dark Moon Clan eagerly tested his poisons and urged him to make them more agonizing.
• Mu Bai brought Ji Changfeng over a thousand jin of Heavenly Cloud Pollen cultivated by Mu Xiaoqi, leaving Ji Changfeng amazed at the Vast Heaven Sect’s resources.
• Ji Changfeng decided he could not simply enjoy his new home and finally made his move on Chu Xinghe.

Ji Changfeng began teaching Chu Xinghe the Poison Saint Inheritance, believing Chu’s offer to share the Medicine Saint Inheritance proved he was worthy of discovering the Voodoo Art. While Chu endured lessons and the Dark Moon Palace consumed resources, Wan Lin sought the Great Sage’s help with Douding’er’s beast-taming studies and learned she might use charm talismans to control demon beasts.

• The grand elder forbade Ji Changfeng from teaching Ouyang Ling poison arts, then ordered Chu Xinghe to study under Ji Changfeng.
• Chu Xinghe failed to avoid his lessons by turning to the deputy sect master or Gu Mingchao, and the grand elder delivered him to the Dark Moon Palace.
• Chu offered Ji Changfeng the Medicine Saint Inheritance, and Ji decided to entrust him with the Poison Saint Inheritance so he could pursue the Voodoo Art.
• Ji Changfeng trained Chu intensively while the Dark Moon Palace’s disciples consumed resources, and the Great Sage praised Hu Wenhai’s talisman-making speed.
• Wan Lin asked the Great Sage how Douding’er could learn beast taming, and he suggested that Wan Lin try using charm talismans to control demon beasts.

Wan Lin learned that Charm Talismans could let people control demonic beasts, and she hoped to combine her Charm Art with Hu Wenhai’s talisman skills to help Senior Brother Xinghe. Her plan stalled when Hu Wenhai could not make the lost Mirror Image Talisman and the Great Sage refused to teach him the relevant art, so Wan Lin turned to Ma Liang for an explanation.

• The Great Sage told Wan Lin that Mirror Image Talismans could carry Charm Art and control demonic beasts without turning them into spirit beasts.
• Wan Lin concluded that Senior Brother Xinghe intended to use demonic beasts as expendable battle companions and hurried to tell Hu Wenhai about her idea.
• Hu Wenhai agreed the plan was feasible but said he could not make a Mirror Image Talisman because the technique had been lost.
• The Great Sage revealed that he knew the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art but could not make talismans, and refused to teach Hu Wenhai because Senior Brother Xinghe had forbidden it.
• Wan Lin sought out Ma Liang, who told her that she had fallen and warned that her focus on cultivation had left her unable to keep up with Senior Brother Xinghe’s thinking.

Ma Liang convinced Wan Lin to abandon her narrow focus on cultivation and help Chu Xinghe by learning the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art from the Great Sage, then teaching it to Hu Wenhai gradually. While Wan Lin diligently studied at the Dark Moon Palace, Chu Xinghe mistakenly believed she had stopped pursuing progress and was pleased by her apparent idleness.

• Ma Liang persuaded Wan Lin that assisting Chu Xinghe mattered more than cultivation and advised her to learn the Ancient Heaven-Reaching Talisman Art herself before teaching Hu Wenhai.
• Ma Liang explained that Chu Xinghe wanted Hu Wenhai to perfect his speed before learning the art so he could become a formidable talisman master.
• Wan Lin asked the Great Sage to teach her the art, then began studying it so she could teach Hu Wenhai gradually, starting with the Mirror Image Talisman.
• Chu Xinghe continued studying poison with Ji Changfeng and worried that Wan Lin might cultivate further after comprehending the Charm Art.
• Chu Xinghe noticed Wan Lin seemingly neglecting the Charm Art and her duties, and happily mistook her behavior for a decline in progress.