Chapter Summaries

Ning Tianchen’s group entered an underground gambling house to gather information about No Return Deep Cave, and Ning Tianchen used a staged gambling streak to win Chen Hai’s confidence. Chen Hai began recounting the cave’s legends, leaving Ning Tianchen eager to hear the more frightening version.

• Ning Tianchen’s group overheard soldiers discussing gambling houses and followed them to an underground casino, while Ning Rongrong and Yu Die left the city.
• Ning Tianchen spotted a dealer manipulating the dice, then won repeatedly by betting only when he could predict the outcome.
• After Ning Tianchen gave away his winnings and left, Chen Hai chased him, hoping to learn his method for winning every bet.
• Ning Tianchen asked Chen Hai about No Return Deep Cave, and Chen Hai described a legend that it had formed as a bottomless abyss in a meteor crater.
• Chen Hai said the cave had another, more terrifying legend and asked Ning Tianchen to honor his promise to reveal the gambling method.

Ning Tianchen learned legends about the No Return Deep Cave and warned Xue Qinghe against revealing his identity or entangling himself with Spirit Hall as the palace coup approached. Tang San entered the imperial palace with Tang Xiao to treat Xue Ye, but was led to Prince Xue Xing, his enemy, instead.

• Chen Hai told Ning Tianchen that a golden-clad deity had saved Hongyang City from a plague and warned its people away from the No Return Deep Cave, where an Evil God had harvested souls.
• Ning Tianchen told Chen Hai how to spot a cheating dealer, then left to rejoin Ning Rongrong and the others and shared what he had learned about the cave and its suspected evil soul masters.
• Tang San prepared to treat Xue Ye, and Tang Xiao agreed to accompany him into the palace for protection.
• Xue Qinghe received Ning Tianchen's warning not to reveal his identity or become entangled with Spirit Hall, burned the letter, and refused Azure Luan Douluo's offer of protection.
• Tang San and the disguised Tang Xiao entered the palace with Xue Qinghe's token, then followed a palace maid who led them to a neglected courtyard.
• Prince Xue Xing opened the courtyard gate, and Tang San recognized the man who had humiliated Shrek Academy and killed Qin Ming.

Tang San and Tang Xiao entered the Imperial Bedroom to treat Xue Ye, but a booby-trapped Godly Zhuge Crossbow fired when Tang San touched it, making him appear to have assassinated the emperor. Tang Xiao fought Dugu Bo to help them escape, and their identities as Clear Sky Sect members were exposed.

• Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng asked Tang San and Tang Xiao to carry a message to Earl Sotorolo, but Tang San refused and left for the Imperial Bedroom.
• Dugu Bo declared that Xue Ye was beyond saving, while Xue Qinghe waited for Tang San to arrive.
• Tang San examined Xue Ye and triggered a hidden mechanism on a Godly Zhuge Crossbow, which shot Xue Ye and lodged arrows in the wall.
• Xue Qinghe ordered the guards to seize Tang San, and Tang Xiao knocked them aside before trying to escape with him.
• Dugu Bo blocked their exit with his Blue Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Spirit, and Tang Xiao revealed his Clear Sky Hammer.
• A royal family elder recognized the Clear Sky Hammer and accused Tang Xiao and Tang San of being remnants of the Clear Sky Sect.

After Tang San was framed for Xue Ye’s assassination, he and Tang Xiao fled the palace but chose to return for the Strength Clan rather than leave the Heaven Dou Empire. Xue Qinghe consolidated power by blaming Prince Xue Xing and issued a realm-wide Wanted Order for Tang Yin and the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect.

• Tang Xiao collapsed the Imperial Bedroom to cover his escape with Tang San, while Dugu Bo protected the imperial family and Xue Qinghe thanked him.
• Tang San refused Tang Xiao’s plan to flee the empire, arguing they had to rescue the Strength Clan and preserve their future allies.
• Tang San and Tang Xiao met Yu Xiaogang and the others, who suspected Xue Qinghe had framed Tang San with a Godly Zhuge Crossbow; Tang San dismantled it but found no signs of tampering.
• Titan agreed to evacuate the Strength Clan to Sunset Forest, and Tai Long confirmed none of his Hidden Weapons were missing.
• Xue Qinghe’s officials linked Tang Yin to Earl Sotorolo and Prince Xue Xing, after which Xue Qinghe ordered Prince Xue Xing and his imperial younger brother arrested and executed.
• The Heaven Dou Empire issued a realm-wide Wanted Order for Tang Yin and the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect.

After the Clear Sky Sect was blamed for an attempt on Xue Ye, Titan led the Strength Clan away from Heaven Dou City with Tang San’s group, while the Heaven Sword Sect’s leaders tried to recruit them. Titan refused and continued toward the Star Luo Empire, leaving Tang San concerned about the new sect and his plans for revenge.

• Niu Gao, Yang Wudi, and Bai He discussed the Clear Sky Sect’s wanted status, and Dugu Bo told them Titan’s Strength Clan was leaving Heaven Dou City.
• Titan promised to pay for the Strength Clan’s journey, and Yu Xiaogang planned a route through the Soul Beast Forest while Titan told Tang San about Lou Gao and the Blacksmith Association.
• Tang San’s group split the Strength Clan into small teams and set out toward the Star Luo Empire, with Titan, Tai Nuo, and Tai Long remaining beside Tang San.
• Yang Wudi, Bai He, and Niu Gao intercepted the group and urged Titan to bring the Strength Clan into the Heaven Sword Sect instead of following Tang San.
• Titan rejected their offer, and Yang Wudi, Bai He, and Niu Gao departed after declaring that their paths no longer aligned.
• Titan told Tang San’s group about the Heaven Sword Sect, and Tang San worried that the unknown sect could complicate his future revenge against Spirit Hall.

Ning Tianchen and his companions prepared to force their way past the Evil Spirit Masters guarding the No Return Deep Cave, hoping to learn when it opened and what dangers lay inside. Their ambush killed several enemies, but a captain’s self-immolation alerted the main camp, and Carlos came to confront them.

• Ning Tianchen explained that the group would have to fight the Evil Spirit Masters to enter the No Return Deep Cave, and the others agreed to leave survivors for questioning.
• Ning Tianchen used a newly crafted gun to kill Liu Qiang and Yang Ming, then sent the group into the forest to ambush the approaching reinforcements.
• Feng Xiaotian, Yu Die, and the others attacked an Evil Spirit Master squad and killed its members, while the captain ignited his life force to signal the main camp.
• Carlos sensed the burst of evil energy, learned that intruders were near the cave, and rushed toward the battlefield.
• Yu Die warned that enemies were surrounding them and called for the group to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill while the others bought time.

Ning Tianchen battled Carlos as Carlos revealed his ties to the Evil God and tried to prepare a vessel for the god’s return. After Ning Tianchen killed Yang Zongyi and Carlos began transforming, Ning Rongrong identified the possessing entity as the God of Death, whose strength was equivalent to a Limit Douluo.

• Carlos tried to devour Ning Rongrong, but Ning Tianchen intercepted him and learned that the Pope of Spirit Hall was one of the evil spirit masters’ kind.
• Ning Tianchen fought Carlos with Ning Rongrong’s boosts, while Feng Xiaotian and the others were surrounded by evil spirit masters and struggled against two Soul Saints.
• Yang Zongyi attacked Ning Rongrong with a mental skill, but Ning Tianchen destroyed the attack and killed him with a feather blade.
• Carlos used a corpse-filled array and the Evil God’s blessing to begin transforming himself into a vessel, and Ning Rongrong warned that the Evil God wanted Ning Tianchen’s body.
• Ning Tianchen drew the Asura Demon Sword as Carlos transformed into a snake-headed monster and introduced himself as the God of Death; Ning Rongrong said he had no divine power but possessed the strength of a Limit Douluo.

Ning Tianchen used the Asura Demon Sword to defeat the God of Death and helped his companions wipe out the Evil Spirit Masters. The group found a concealed metal entrance to the No Return Deep Cave and stepped inside to investigate.

• Ning Tianchen challenged the Asura God’s unfair trial, and the Asura God explained that the God of Death was a weakened incarnation and empowered the Asura Demon Sword with divine power.
• Ning Tianchen’s Asura Demon Sword and enhanced Divine Slaughter's Domain overwhelmed the God of Death, and his Asura Exorcises Evils skill destroyed him.
• Ning Rongrong and the others celebrated Ning Tianchen’s victory, then joined him in defeating the remaining Evil Spirit Masters.
• Ning Tianchen deduced that the Evil Spirit Masters had guarded the No Return Deep Cave to recruit more followers, and the group continued into the secret realm.
• Ning Tianchen discovered a metal structure concealed beneath the cliff rock and activated its hidden door with Soul Power.
• Feng Xiaotian heard wind inside the newly opened passage and entered first, while Ning Tianchen told the others to follow and investigate.

Ning Tianchen’s group discovered that the palace ruin had been built over a much older ruin, and Ning Rongrong opened a sealed chamber that seemed connected to the God of Light. Inside, they found a glowing divine sword and murals resembling those in the Core Area of the Northernmost Land, leaving them with new clues about the riddle.

• Ning Tianchen’s group explored the palace staircase, found a chamber where ancient spirit bones had decayed into useless powder, and opened a hatch to the surface.
• Ning Tianchen realized the palace and the vertical shaft belonged to two ruins built thousands of years apart, while Feng Xiaotian’s group reported finding two chambers below.
• Ning Rongrong touched the sealed lower chamber’s door, and a golden energy from her forehead opened it.
• Ning Tianchen stopped Chen Huayu from approaching the glowing longsword on the altar, which Ning Rongrong sensed was meant for her.
• Feng Xiaotian found murals around the chamber, and Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong recognized a style like the murals in the Core Area of the Northernmost Land.

Ning Tianchen and his companions deciphered the murals, learned that Hurricane Canyon might hold the Wind God’s inheritance, and completed the second Asura trial. Meanwhile, Tang San’s group fled into the Star Dou Great Forest after killing suspected Spirit Hall informants and abandoning nearly a hundred Strength Clan disciples.

• Ning Tianchen examined the murals and concluded that the God of Light had shattered the God of Death’s Evil Demon Scythe before sealing him beneath the No Return Deep Cave.
• Yu Die and Feng Xiaotian recognized Hurricane Canyon in the final mural, and Ning Tianchen proposed that the Wind God’s inheritance lay in its depths.
• Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong completed the second Asura trial, received increased spirit ring ages and Asura Affinity, and Ning Tianchen told his companions about their divine trials.
• Tang San’s group reached Spirit Beast Town, where Titan learned that Spirit Hall had killed most of five Strength Clan squads and that nearly a hundred disciples were still missing.
• Tang San recognized the wounded disciples as Spirit Hall plants and killed them with Godly Zhuge Crossbows, then ordered the group to abandon those still on the road and flee.
• Tang Xiao killed Spirit Masters who tried to block them, and Tang San’s group entered the Star Dou Great Forest as Spirit Hall searched Spirit Beast Town for them.

Tang San kept Tang Hao hidden while leading the Clear Sky Sect survivors through the Star Dou Great Forest, and Qian Renxue struggled to stabilize Heaven Dou as border tensions grew. Ning Tianchen’s group crossed into the Star Luo Empire by posing as merchants, leaving the wider conflict unresolved.

• Tang San and Yu Xiaogang found that the refugees had only three days of food, so Tang San and Titan agreed to make do with raw meat and wild plants until they reached a city.
• Tang San refused Tang Xiao’s suggestion that Tang Hao leave seclusion, fearing that news of Tang Hao’s weakened strength would endanger the group, while Tang Xiao asked him to pass along news of the Clear Sky Sect’s destruction and his agreement on an unnamed matter.
• Qian Renxue ascended the Heaven Dou throne but faced defiant kingdoms, rising border tensions, and pressure from the Grand Elder to return to the Worship Hall; she also delayed the selection of consorts to protect her identity.
• Ning Tianchen’s group faced strict questioning at the Star Luo border, but Zhu Zhuqing claimed they were merchants from Star Luo City, and the guards allowed them to pass.
• After entering the Star Luo Empire, Ning Tianchen and Zhu Zhuqing discussed the likelihood of a short war over border cities and worried that Spirit Hall might intervene.

Ning Fengzhi weighed the consequences of the Feng Shui Huo Three Families joining the Heaven Sword Sect and agreed to their proposal, while he also invited the Snow Mountain Sect to compete in the Seven Great Sects Re-election Tournament. Ning Tianchen's group arrived in Gengxin City, where they paused to enjoy the city's performances before continuing their mission.

• Feng Changlin offered Element City to the Heaven Sword Sect and promised the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect the three families' academies and their resources, and Ning Fengzhi agreed to the merger.
• Ning Fengzhi invited Tian Ruyang to have the Snow Mountain Sect compete alongside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the upcoming re-election tournament, and Tian Ruyang accepted after hearing his assurances.
• Ning Tianchen's group entered Gengxin City without paying an entry fee, and Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Tianchen, and Ning Rongrong explained the differences between the empires' travel policies.
• Ning Rongrong rewarded street performers with Gold Soul Coins, and Yu Die, Cai Die, Chen Huayu, Oscar, and Feng Xiaotian left the carriage to explore while Ning Tianchen decided to relax too.

Ning Tianchen and his companions visited the Blacksmith Association to seek a meeting with Divine Craftsman Lou Gao while looking for rare metals. They discovered a Spirit Condensing Crystal capable of storing soul power, and Master Siyu agreed to take them to Lou Gao in exchange for the crystal.

• Ning Tianchen and his companions arrived at the Blacksmith Association and learned from Xiao Fuzi about its floors and its tense conflict with Spirit Hall bishop Miles.
• Ning Tianchen bought rare metals on the second floor and took a valuable piece of Silver Mother of Deep Sea Sunken Silver from a stall without the owner recognizing it.
• Ning Rongrong and the others found a crystal that Feng Xiaotian identified as able to store soul power, and Siyu named it Spirit Condensing Crystal.
• Ning Tianchen refused Siyu's offer to buy the crystal but agreed to present it to Lou Gao if Siyu took the group to meet the Divine Craftsman.
• Siyu pointed out that Chen Huayu had bought Fart Essence thinking it was Sub-Iron Essence, and Ning Tianchen offered to reimburse only ten Gold Soul Coins.

Ning Tianchen used the contrast between Tang San’s Hidden Weapons and his firearms to win Siyu’s interest in cooperating with him and the Blacksmith Association. After a large-caliber firearm blasted through Siyu’s forging-room wall, Siyu realized the demonstration had caused serious damage.

• Ning Tianchen showed Siyu blueprints for Hidden Weapons and firearms, and Siyu invited the group into his forging room to study them.
• Siyu forged a Silent Hidden Sleeve Arrow, but its short range, limited power, and high battlefield costs convinced him it was unsuitable for large-scale warfare.
• Ning Tianchen demonstrated a rifle that fired cheaply and left deep craters in a refined-iron plate, persuading Siyu of firearms’ battlefield value and ease of repair.
• Ning Tianchen offered to cooperate with the Blacksmith Association and showed Siyu a more powerful large-caliber firearm with greater manufacturing costs.
• Ning Tianchen fired the large-caliber firearm, which punched through the forging-room wall, prompting Siyu to cry out that it was over.

Ning Tianchen brought firearms to the Blacksmith Association, using their power to gain an audience with Lou Gao before revealing a Soul Tool blueprint and proposing cooperation. Lou Gao hesitated over the terms, while Titan’s wanted status and the threat to the association’s reputation pushed its members toward a decision.

• Siyu explained the firearm test to the blacksmiths, and Si Long led Ning Tianchen and his companions to meet Lou Gao.
• Ning Tianchen showed Lou Gao the firearms and warned that their simple construction made them easy to reproduce and dangerous to spread.
• Ning Tianchen presented a Soul Tool blueprint and Spirit Condensing Crystal, offering more than fifty additional blueprints if the Blacksmith Association joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Sword Sect.
• Lou Gao objected to Ning Tianchen’s proposal, while Ning Rongrong vouched for the blueprints and Ning Tianchen revealed that Titan was wanted for the assassination attempt on Xue Ye.
• Siyu and Si Long considered leaving the association if Titan’s case implicated it, as Feng Xiaotian, Oscar, and Yu Die urged Lou Gao to choose the association’s future carefully.

Ning Tianchen helped Lou Gao win over most of the Blacksmith Association and drove Miles from the association after exposing the difference in their strength. The blacksmiths prepared to relocate to Heaven Dou City, while Ning Tianchen and his companions secretly confronted Miles and his spies that night.

• Lou Gao gathered the blacksmiths to vote on joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Heaven Sword Sect, while Miles brought Spirit Hall guards to disrupt the meeting.
• Miles insulted Si Long and knocked Si Yu down, then attacked Ning Tianchen when he intervened.
• Ning Tianchen restrained Miles with his domain and forced Spirit Hall’s people out, but spared Miles to avoid endangering the Blacksmith Association.
• Nearly eighty percent of the blacksmiths chose to join the two sects, and Ning Tianchen arranged support for those relocating to Heaven Dou City and those who stayed behind.
• Miles summoned spies from the Blacksmith Association and began writing a letter to summon stronger Spirit Hall experts, but Ning Tianchen and his companions entered his office and restrained them.

Spirit Hall’s branch in Gengxin City was destroyed, and Bibi Dong blamed Tang Hao while Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong traveled back to Heaven Dou Empire. Meanwhile, Tang San’s group struggled with losses and dissent before regaining its resolve, and Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong reached Yelin City during its lantern festival.

• Gengxin City residents celebrated Spirit Hall’s destruction, and investigators reported the massacre to Bibi Dong, who concluded that Tang Hao was responsible.
• Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong left Gengxin City after discussing the Feng Shui Huo Three Families’ future and planned a covert route across the border.
• Tang San’s group reached Flowing Water City after losing twenty Strength Clan disciples in the Star Dou Great Forest, and Titan warned that the survivors were considering leaving.
• Yu Xiaogang provided funds to feed the Strength Clan, while Tang Xiao and Yu Xiaogang encouraged Tang San to learn leadership; Tang San ordered Tang Xiao to kill anyone who deserted.
• Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong crossed into Heaven Dou Empire and reached Yelin City, where they learned Spirit Hall had ensured the lantern festival could proceed by deterring a Star Luo Empire attack.

Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong attended Yelin City’s lantern festival after learning Spirit Hall had gathered forces there, and discovered Bibi Dong was the important guest. Later, Hu Liena invited Ning Tianchen to join Spirit Hall’s plan to unify the continent and warned him about Tang San, but he rejected her offer.

• Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong worried that Spirit Hall’s forces in Yelin City might target them, but a cardinal explained that an important figure was coming to the lantern festival and assured them they were safe.
• Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong enjoyed the lantern festival and set paper boats bearing their wishes adrift before Spirit Hall’s entourage cleared the bridge for Bibi Dong.
• Ning Tianchen recognized Bibi Dong at the bridge, while Ning Rongrong spotted Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo and Spirit Hall’s Golden Generation nearby.
• Hu Liena visited Ning Tianchen late that night, told him Tang San had entered Slaughter City under the name Tang Yin, and invited him to help Spirit Hall unify the continent.
• Ning Tianchen rejected Hu Liena’s invitation, and she warned him that Tang San had gained a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ring and spirit bone through the rabbit’s sacrifice.

Tang San and his companions reached Annan City to establish Tang Sect, but they struggled to find a viable market for hidden weapons and learned Spirit Hall had blamed Tang Hao for destroying its Gengxin City branch. When local thugs blocked their access to Moonlight Pavilion’s warehouse, Tang San went with Titan to appeal to the governor, only to be dismissed by the guards.

• Tang San and his companions discussed Tang Sect’s finances, and Titan proposed making weaker versions of hidden weapons while Yu Xiaogang warned against costly expansion.
• Yu Tianxin, Yu Tianheng, and Tai Long brought news that Spirit Hall had accused Tang Hao of destroying its Gengxin City branch and threatened Lou Gao, prompting Tang San to insist his father could not have done it.
• Titan revealed that Tang Hao was a Divine Craftsman and a vice guild master of the Blacksmith Association, but Tang San rejected the possibility that his father had acted against it.
• Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua reported that local thugs had occupied Moonlight Pavilion’s warehouse and that Annan’s governor was behind them, so Tang San decided to meet the governor with Titan.
• Tang San and Titan reached the Governor’s Mansion, but the guards dismissed Tang San’s request to see the governor.

Tang San’s attempt to sell Hidden Weapons to governor Waltz failed, so Tang Xiao helped him use Dai Mubai’s claim to the throne to win Waltz’s support. The chapter ended with Waltz pledging loyalty to Dai Mubai and learning that the Tang Sect would establish itself in Annan City.

• Tang San demonstrated his Hidden Weapons to Waltz, but Waltz rejected the proposed purchase and offered Tang San and Titan positions serving under him instead.
• Tang San, Tang Xiao, Yu Xiaogang, and Tang Yuehua discussed how to secure Waltz’s support, and Tang San agreed to prepare medicine to restore Dai Mubai’s masculinity temporarily.
• Dai Mubai eagerly agreed to meet Waltz and pursue the throne, while Tang San urged him to stay calm and change his clothes.
• Tang Xiao brought Waltz to a teahouse, where Tang San introduced Dai Mubai as the Third Prince.
• Waltz recalled how demolishing Dai Weisi’s building had jeopardized his career, then pledged loyalty to Dai Mubai in hopes of gaining his favor.
• Tang San identified himself as the Tang Sect’s Sect Master and explained that the sect planned to establish itself in Annan City; Waltz agreed to help.