Chapter Summaries

Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe presented the Profound Sword True Essence Art to Xu Shangran, who claimed it for the Sword Academy and worked to improve it. On the eve of the Inner Sect Grand Competition, Xu Shangran called them over to show them what he had created.

• Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe sparred, and Xu Shangran noticed their Sword Qi was unusually powerful.
• Su Bai gave Xu Shangran a Jade Slip containing the Profound Sword True Essence Art, and Xu Shangran praised its potential to strengthen Sword Cultivators and make Sword Qi easier to condense.
• Su Bai explained the art's connection to Su Duanqiu and the Immortal Palace, and Xu Shangran promised to protect them and declare the sword art an original creation of the Sword Academy.
• Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe resumed training, with Su Bai attacking using Dual-Control Magic Swords while Zhao Shanhe struggled to keep up.
• On the eve of the Inner Sect Grand Competition, Xu Shangran emerged from his Cultivation Room and summoned Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe to see what he had made.

Su Bai studied Xu Shangran’s Great Luo Sword Net and joined the Jade Mist Sect’s Inner Sect Grand Competition, where he selected his first opponent. The competition began with Zhao Shanhe and Su Bai entering separate Battle Arenas, and Su Bai’s opponent recognized him as a Sword Cultivator.

• Xu Shangran gave Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe Jade Slips containing the Great Luo Sword Net, and they spent the night cultivating the sword art.
• The Jade Mist Sect’s Inner Sect Grand Competition began under the supervision of Hall Master Fu Yunshen, with disciples using a ten-battle points system.
• Zhao Shanhe advised Su Bai to challenge disciples without Court affiliations and warned him against choosing another Court’s Chief.
• Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe flew toward the unaffiliated disciples and selected opponents for their first battles.
• Zhao Shanhe was matched against a Qi Refining Layer Seven female cultivator, while Su Bai entered a Battle Arena with a shifty-eyed cultivator who asked if he was a Sword Cultivator.

Su Bai quickly won ten consecutive matches in the Inner Sect Grand Competition and advanced with Zhao Shanhe among only thirty-five disciples. As the second round began, a female cultivator challenged a Water Court disciple.

• Su Bai defeated his first opponent with an ordinary blast of Sword Qi, then used the Azure Dragon Sword and compressed Sword Qi to swiftly eliminate successive challengers.
• Su Bai earned ten straight wins, and his identity as the Sword Academy Chief Disciple spread among the Inner Disciples.
• Zhao Shanhe joined Su Bai after also winning ten matches, saying he had narrowly beaten a Lightning Court disciple.
• Thirty-five disciples, including Su Bai, Zhao Shanhe, and Zhao Hanshuang, advanced as the first round ended.
• The organizers announced that the second round would eliminate twenty-five disciples within an hour, leaving ten finalists, and a female cultivator opened by challenging a Water Court disciple.

Dongfang Luoyu defeated a Water Court disciple, and the Inner Sect Grand Competition narrowed its field to ten before the final top-three contest was announced. Su Bai was randomly assigned third place and expected to face the most challenges.

• Dongfang Luoyu defeated the Water Court disciple by countering his mist and spells with a powerful fire technique.
• The strongest disciples from the various courts eliminated the remaining competitors, while Zhao Shanhe won his match and Su Bai stayed in the top ten without fighting.
• Li Zhao announced that the top ten would compete for the final three places, with first place earning True Disciple status and second and third receiving Foundation Establishment Pills.
• The rules assigned three disciples to occupy the top spots while the other seven challenged them, with challenges among the top three allowed afterward.
• Zhao Hanshuang was assigned first place, Yang Guang second, and Su Bai third; Su Bai suspected his position would attract the most challenges.

Su Bai faced Zhang Feifei in the first challenge of the top-three contest and chose to conserve his Spiritual Power rather than force his way through Zhang’s stacked defenses. He waited for Zhang’s protective talismans to expire, leaving their duel unresolved.

• Fu Yunshen revealed that he had designated Su Bai for third place and offered to waive half the Sword Academy’s venue fees if Su Bai won first place.
• Zhang Feifei challenged Su Bai, hoping to take his third-place position.
• Zhang Feifei stacked ten Gold Attribute Defense Talismans and attacked Su Bai with Fire Attribute Talismans.
• Su Bai evaded or detonated Zhang’s fire butterflies with dual-controlled swords, then tested Zhang’s defenses with Sword Qi.
• After confirming that ordinary Sword Qi could not break the barrier, Su Bai sat cross-legged on the Azure Dragon Sword and waited for the talismans to wear off.

Su Bai stalled Zhang Feifei until his defensive talismans wore off, then defeated him with Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven and secured his place in the Inner Sect Grand Competition. Afterward, Fu Yunshen reviewed the Profound Sword True Essence Art and ordered Su Bai to join the sect's planned counterattack against the Immortal Palace.

• Su Bai used the Azure Dragon Sword to evade Zhang Feifei and exhaust the duration of his Gold Attribute Defense Talismans.
• Su Bai attacked once Zhang Feifei's defenses faded and defeated him with Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven, sending him out of the arena.
• The Inner Disciples praised or criticized Su Bai's tactics, and many became interested in joining the Sword Academy after seeing his Divine Ability.
• Xu Shangran presented Fu Yunshen with the Profound Sword True Essence Art, and Fu Yunshen said it could help the Sword Academy grow into a major Inner Sect court.
• Fu Yunshen told Xu Shangran that Su Bai should join the Jade Mist Sect's planned counterattack against the Immortal Palace after the Grand Competition.

After Su Bai eliminated Zhang Feifei, Qin Lin challenged Yang Guang and revealed a powerful combination of spirit plants and spells. Yang Guang was defeated without getting close to Qin Lin, leaving Qin Lin’s strength on display to the remaining disciples.

• Su Bai eliminated Zhang Feifei, leaving nine disciples in the inner field, and the remaining contestants reconsidered challenging him.
• Qin Lin challenged Yang Guang, the Lightning Court’s second seat, instead of allowing Steward Li Zhao to choose an opponent.
• Yang Guang used Advanced Lightning Escape Technique and Palm Thunder Prison, but Qin Lin’s rapidly growing bronze vines trapped him.
• Qin Lin sent milky-white dandelions toward Yang Guang and accelerated them with a hand seal after Yang Guang broke free of the vines.
• Thirty-six White Flame Fluff blooms exploded as Yang Guang charged forward, and the resulting blaze defeated him before he could reach Qin Lin.

After Qin Lin eliminated Yang Guang, Su Bai faced Xiao Yifei of the Wind Court in a challenge for third place. Su Bai unveiled the Great Luo Sword Net Divine Ability and defeated Xiao Yifei, successfully defending his position.

• Qin Lin was teleported out of the Battle Arena after defeating Yang Guang, leaving five challengers in the inner arena.
• Li Qingmu explained that Qin Lin had developed his own Spirit Plant Seed Battle Method, while Lu Xuanting lamented the Lightning Court's elimination.
• Li Zhao used a pointer to select Xiao Yifei, who challenged Su Bai for third place.
• Su Bai and Xiao Yifei exchanged attacks as Xiao Yifei used Step of the Void and Thousand Cicada Slash to evade and counter Su Bai's sword qi.
• Su Bai unleashed the Great Luo Sword Net Divine Ability, enveloped Xiao Yifei, and defeated him, defending third place.

Su Bai watched as Zhao Shanhe challenged Zhao Hanshuang to test the Ice Court chief’s strength for him. Zhao Shanhe unleashed his Sword Vein Power but could not break Zhao Hanshuang’s snow puppet defense, and the arena teleported him out just before he was frozen solid.

• Dongfang Luoyu forfeited, leaving Zhao Shanhe, Yu Jiangying, and Xu Qing in the inner arena with Su Bai.
• Zhao Shanhe told Su Bai he would probe Zhao Hanshuang, then challenged him in the Battle Arena.
• Zhao Hanshuang summoned an Ice Snow Jade Puppet that blocked Zhao Shanhe’s sword Qi and froze his Magic Sword in midair.
• Zhao Hanshuang spread ice across the arena, letting the snow puppet race after Zhao Shanhe and trap him with its chilling power.
• Zhao Shanhe unleashed his Spiritual Power and Sword Vein Power in a fierce sword Qi assault, but the snow puppet survived.
• Zhao Hanshuang’s chill pursued the exhausted Zhao Shanhe until the arena’s Teleportation Array activated and sent him out.

Su Bai challenged Zhao Hanshuang for the Inner Sect Grand Competition’s chief position and fought to counter her Ice Attribute spells. After blocking Zhao Hanshuang’s Ice Blast with Great Luo Sword Net, Su Bai launched a powerful attack on her Ice Snow Jade Puppet.

• Yu Jiangying and Xu Qing conceded, leaving Su Bai, Zhao Hanshuang, and Qin Lin as the final three; Qin Lin accepted second place and left the arena.
• Su Bai challenged Zhao Hanshuang for the chief position, and the two were teleported into the Battle Arena for their final showdown.
• Zhao Shanhe and Qin Lin each bet Contribution Points on Su Bai to win, prompting bookmaker Mazi to lower Su Bai’s odds.
• Zhao Hanshuang spread Ice Blanket across the arena and pursued Su Bai with her Ice Snow Jade Puppet while casting Ice Blast.
• Su Bai formed Great Luo Sword Net around himself and blocked Zhao Hanshuang’s Ice Blast before attacking her puppet with Dragon’s Roar Sword Heaven.

Su Bai defeated Zhao Hanshuang in the Inner Sect Grand Competition by turning his Sword Vein eruption into the Great Luo Sword Net, claiming the Chief position. Exhausted afterward, he was summoned to the Inner Sect Grand Hall, while sect leaders discussed the Sword Academy’s future.

• Zhao Hanshuang used Chain Frost Armor to block Su Bai’s Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven, but Su Bai closed in and shattered the Ice Snow Jade Puppet with a Sword Vein eruption.
• Zhao Hanshuang survived the attack by using the Ice Cocoon Technique, and Su Bai gathered the scattered sword lights into the Great Luo Sword Net as the cocoon melted.
• The Great Luo Sword Net overwhelmed Zhao Hanshuang and teleported him out of the arena, making Su Bai the Inner Sect Grand Competition’s Chief.
• Su Bai received a telepathic summons to the Inner Sect Grand Hall before midnight, while Zhao Hanshuang left the Underground Training Ground in a daze.
• Fu Yunshen told Xu Shangran that the Sword Academy’s future depended on him and ordered the Inner Sect Stewards to suppress the disciples’ gambling matches.
• Zhao Shanhe carried the exhausted Su Bai back toward the Sword Academy.

After recovering from the Inner Sect Grand Competition, Su Bai saw the Sword Academy begin to flourish and learned that the sect planned to send its True Disciples on a counterattack against the Immortal Palace. At the Inner Sect Grand Hall, Fu Yunshen made Su Bai a True Inheritance Disciple and gave him a Foundation Establishment Pill and other benefits.

• Su Bai emerged from meditation to find Zhao Shanhe guiding new disciples who had joined the Sword Academy after watching him compete.
• Xu Shangran told Su Bai that the sect was planning a counterattack against the Immortal Palace and invited him to take part in a training opportunity, which Su Bai accepted.
• Fu Yunshen recorded Su Bai's Life Qi so the sect could investigate if he died outside and avenge him if someone had harmed him.
• Fu Yunshen replaced Su Bai's Inner Sect Jade Token with a True Inheritance Disciple Token that held a defensive shield, and credited it with three thousand Contribution Points.
• Fu Yunshen gave Su Bai a Foundation Establishment Pill and explained the yearly Contribution Points and other benefits for True Inheritance Disciples.

Su Bai learned about Foundation Establishment and agreed to join the Jade Mist Sect’s planned trip involving the Immortal Palace. After cultivating for over half a month, he returned to the Sword Academy to teach its new disciples about sword cultivation.

• Fu Yunshen explained the risks and success rates of Foundation Establishment, advised Su Bai to protect his foundation if an attempt seemed likely to fail, and told him the sect had prepared countermeasures for the Immortal Palace trip.
• Su Bai agreed to join the trip, returned to his upgraded cave abode, and resolved to seek a single-attribute Spirit Root when the Immortal Arts refreshed next year.
• Su Bai cultivated in seclusion for more than half a month, while his reputation as a Sword Cultivator prodigy drew the Sword Academy’s membership above a hundred disciples.
• Su Bai visited the Sword Academy training ground, where he reunited with Wang Jue, who had left the Water Court to study swordsmanship.
• Su Bai lectured the disciples on the Immortal Sword Condensing True Art and condensing sword Qi, demonstrated the techniques, and promised to teach at the training ground monthly.

Su Bai continued teaching at the Sword Academy before joining Jade Mist Sect’s secret expedition against the Immortal Palace. The sect launched its counterattack at a besieged small sect, where Ye Taiyi pursued the Immortal Palace’s Sword of the Immortal Palace into the clouds for a Golden Core duel.

• Su Bai gave Wang Jue extra sword training and helped Zhao Shanhe with Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven.
• A month later, Su Bai lectured at the Sword Academy as its enrollment stabilized and some disciples left.
• Su Bai received the sect’s message about the Immortal Palace operation and joined Ye Taiyi, Bing Li, and other True Inheritance Disciples at the mountain rendezvous.
• Ye Taiyi brought the group to a small sect under attack by the Immortal Palace, and Law Enforcement Court Elders deployed a restrictive Magic Array around the mountain.
• Ye Taiyi pursued the Purple Robe Sword of the Immortal Palace into the clouds, leaving Su Bai to watch their Golden Core Magic Duel begin.

Su Bai joined the Jade Mist Sect’s assault on the Golden Light Sect, killed a disguised Immortal Palace Cultivator, and recovered hidden plunder from a deep pool. After the Immortal Palace forces were defeated, Bing Li asked him to fight Junior Brother Zhao again, and Su Bai asked what he would gain.

• Su Bai entered the Golden Light Sect’s Spirit Herb Garden and recognized a disguised Immortal Palace Cultivator who had pretended to ask for help.
• Su Bai survived the Cultivator’s wind-attributed Divine Ability with his Ice Snow Jade Puppet, then killed him with the Azure Dragon Sword and took his Storage Bag.
• Su Bai received Jiang Han’s message about hidden plunder and retrieved four Storage Bags from a deep pool behind the mountain.
• Bing Li told Su Bai that the Immortal Palace members had been defeated, Sword One had been executed, and Su Duanqiu had not joined the operation.
• Bing Li asked Su Bai to fight Junior Brother Zhao again, and Su Bai asked what he would get out of it.

Su Bai refused Bing Li’s invitation to dual cultivate, then joined her in finishing off an Immortal Palace cultivator before the Jade Mist Sect ended its operation at the Golden Light Sect. The sect returned home, where Ye Taiyi reported to Zhang Jingyun, while Su Bai examined the Storage Bags he had acquired.

• Su Bai refused Bing Li’s proposal to dual cultivate and kept her favor for future use.
• Su Bai and Bing Li killed an Immortal Palace cultivator who arrived at the deep pool, then answered Ye Taiyi’s message to gather at the Golden Light Sect entrance.
• Ye Taiyi’s group confirmed that two True Inheritance Disciples were injured and accepted the surviving Golden Light Sect members’ request to become a subordinate sect.
• Ye Taiyi returned to Jade Mist Peak and told Zhang Jingyun that the Sword of the Immortal Palace was powerful but would need years to recover from their battle.
• Su Bai returned to Qingyun Cliff and took out the Storage Bags he had gained during the journey.

Su Bai opened the Storage Bags taken from the Immortal Palace Cultivators, divided the plunder with Jiang Han, and returned to the sect to cultivate and prepare for Foundation Establishment. After agreeing to preside over a Sword Academy competition, he awaited the refresh of Immortal Talent Reflection so he could replicate a Spirit Root.

• Su Bai found that the four Storage Bags hidden by the Immortal Palace Cultivators contained Golden Light Sect resources worth over five thousand Spirit Stones, and he planned to exchange the goods for Contribution Points and Foundation Establishment Pills.
• Su Bai met Jiang Han at Peach Blossom Spring Inn, handed over the Storage Bags for sale, and accepted Twelve Hundred Spirit Stones and a dozen Myriad Crane artifacts.
• Jiang Han told Su Bai that the Immortal Palace had suspended its plundering missions for several years and asked about acquiring Foundation Establishment Pills, but Su Bai avoided committing to help.
• Su Bai returned to Qingyun Cliff Cave Abode, continued cultivating, and prepared to use his upcoming Immortal Talent Reflection refresh to replicate a Spirit Root.
• Xu Shangran asked Su Bai to preside over a small Sword Academy competition, and Su Bai agreed.

Su Bai oversaw the Sword Academy’s first Small Competition, where Hong Yi won first place after revealing his Sword Vein Power. Days later, Su Bai copied Elder Wan Haoran’s Lightning Attribute Spirit Root, replacing his Dual Attribute Spirit Root, and considered whether prolonged exposure to lightning spiritual energy might develop his lightning Spell Talent.

• Su Bai announced the Sword Academy Small Competition rules, and he and Zhao Shanhe judged the matches.
• Eleven Disciples condensed sword qi, and Hong Yi defeated Wang Jue with his Sword Vein Power to claim first place.
• Xu Shangran named Hong Yi, Wang Jue, and Jin Yangsheng Sword Academy elites for personal instruction.
• After his replication count refreshed, Su Bai visited Wan Haoran and used a discussion about merging lightning arts with sword Dao to touch him.
• Su Bai successfully copied Wan Haoran’s Lightning Attribute Spirit Root and discarded his Dual Attribute Spirit Root.

Su Bai copied a Single Spirit Root and prepared to leave Jade Mist Sect to pursue Foundation Establishment. He exchanged his Contribution Points for a Foundation Establishment Pill and Golden Marrow Pills, then asked for a suitable True Inheritance mission.

• Su Bai accepted Wan Haoran’s Thousand Lightning Lure spell but decided it would take too long to cultivate without Lightning Attribute Spell Talent.
• Su Bai went to the Inner Sect Grand Hall and exchanged Spirit Stones for Contribution Points.
• Su Bai exchanged ten thousand Contribution Points for a Foundation Establishment Pill, giving him two pills in total.
• Su Bai spent his remaining Contribution Points on 113 bottles of Golden Marrow Pills.
• Su Bai asked the Steward Elder for a True Inheritance mission suited to secluded cultivation and Foundation Establishment preparation.

Su Bai accepted a three-year mission to fish for the memories of deceased cultivators in the Lake of Rebirth Secret Realm, where he could also cultivate in seclusion. After reaching the secret realm, he surveyed its desolate lake and prepared to find a secluded place to begin.

• The Steward Elder gave Su Bai a mission to fish for Memory Fragments in the Lake of Rebirth and provided special fishing gear and a Secret Realm Jade Talisman.
• Su Bai accepted the mission, arranged affairs at the Sword Academy with the Academy Master and Zhao Shanhe, and left the sect.
• Five days later, Su Bai found the secret realm entrance beneath a Sea Island in the Eastern Sea of the Wu Kingdom and passed through its Magma Layer.
• Su Bai used the Jade Talisman to enter the Lake of Rebirth Secret Realm and saw its chaotic lake and ash-gray shores.
• Su Bai found no other fishers and rose into the air to look for a secluded place to fish and cultivate.