Chapter Summaries

After surviving the Heavenly Tribulation, Lin Xuan discovered that his Main Nascent Soul had advanced to late-stage Spirit Division, though he could not explain how. He returned with the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long toward the Cloud Hidden Sect, whose standing in the Nailong Realm had risen to twelfth.

• The Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long realized Lin Xuan had reached late-stage Spirit Division, while Lin Xuan kept the secret of Dual Infant One Core to himself.
• Lin Xuan used the Internal Vision Technique and confirmed that his Main Nascent Soul had advanced, leaving him and his companions baffled by the sudden breakthrough.
• Lin Xuan assured the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long that he was unharmed, and agreed to return to the Cloud Hidden Sect after the Heavenly Tribulation destroyed his cultivation cave.
• The three flew toward the Cloud Hidden Sect and discussed its rise to twelfth among the major sects and clans of the Nailong Realm.

Lin Xuan learned that Cloud Hidden Sect had risen from around rank 298 to twelfth among the Nailong Realm’s sects and clans since he joined. He asked about the realm’s top powers, learning that Sword Lake Palace ranked first and the True Extremity Sect fifth, then asked which sects ranked second through fourth.

• The Youth surnamed Long and the Silver-Eyed Maiden explained that Wanxiao Immortal Palace had overseen the realm’s sect rankings every five hundred years.
• The Youth surnamed Long said Cloud Hidden Sect had previously ranked somewhere above two hundred, while privately recalling that it had been 298 before Lin Xuan’s achievements propelled it to twelfth.
• Lin Xuan asked about the True Extremity Sect, and the Youth surnamed Long said it ranked fifth.
• The Youth surnamed Long named Sword Lake Palace as the top-ranked sect, and Lin Xuan asked which powers held ranks second through fourth.

Lin Xuan discussed the ranking of the Nailong Realm’s strongest sects and clans with the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long, learning why the Yun Family ranked eleventh and Cloud Hidden Sect ranked twelfth. He then asked why no top-ten power was connected to Nailong True Person, prompting his companions to speak of the revered cultivator’s legendary status.

• Lin Xuan learned that Black Phoenix Valley, Wanxiao Immortal Palace, and Ten Thousand Demon Valley ranked among the realm’s strongest powers.
• The youth surnamed Long explained that the sects ranked sixth through tenth all had Tribulation Transcendence seniors protecting them.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden told Lin Xuan that the Yun Family of Fengyuan Prefecture ranked eleventh because it had many high-level cultivators and specialized in poison and gu.
• Lin Xuan’s companions credited his fame and strength with helping Cloud Hidden Sect rise to twelfth place, while Lin Xuan attributed his success partly to luck.
• Lin Xuan asked why no top-ten sect or clan was connected to Nailong True Person, and his companions described his unmatched reputation and legendary power.

Lin Xuan learned that Nailong True Person had risen to the pinnacle of the Three Realms as a Rogue Cultivator, prompting him to reconsider his own abilities and resolve to remain humble. The chapter ended with the Silver-Eyed Maiden acknowledging that, despite her yearning, she had no hope of reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.

• The youth surnamed Long and the Silver-Eyed Maiden told Lin Xuan that Nailong True Person had never joined a sect and was famous enough to elevate any sect he joined among the ten great sects.
• Lin Xuan reflected on how difficult Rogue Cultivator life was and realized that Nailong True Person's accomplishments surpassed his own.
• Lin Xuan considered that even experts like Nailong True Person and Hundred Flowers Fairy might have surpassed their peers, and resolved not to become arrogant.
• The youth surnamed Long and the Silver-Eyed Maiden praised Lin Xuan's talent and suggested he might one day reach the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden revealed through her expression that she yearned for the Tribulation Transcendence Stage but believed she had no hope of advancing to it.

Lin Xuan returned to the Cloud Hidden Sect after advancing in realm, and the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long explained the careful reasons for keeping the sect’s headquarters in place. His return drew nearly the entire sect out to welcome him, leaving him startled but pleased by their support.

• The Silver-Eyed Maiden concealed her regret about her cultivation, while Lin Xuan suspected he might be able to help her later.
• The Youth surnamed Long explained that the Silver-Eyed Maiden had kept the Cloud Hidden Sect’s headquarters in its ancestral mountains to avoid provoking stronger rivals while the sect’s foundation remained shallow.
• A patrol of Cloud Hidden Sect disciples recognized Lin Xuan, reported his return, and prompted the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long to arrange a welcome.
• News spread through the sect, and two or three hundred thousand cultivators gathered to see Lin Xuan return.
• The assembled disciples bowed and congratulated Lin Xuan on advancing in realm, wishing him unmatched strength under heaven.

Lin Xuan returned to the Cloud Hidden Sect and displayed his advanced Nine Heavens God Luo Image, inspiring the disciples before flying back to the sect headquarters. There, he discovered the sect’s many Spirit Eye Trees and learned that the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long had come to see him about an important matter.

• Lin Xuan rose before the Cloud Hidden Sect disciples and revealed his Nine Heavens God Luo Image, prompting waves of cheers.
• Lin Xuan left the gathered disciples and flew back to the Cloud Hidden Sect main headquarters.
• Lin Xuan saw that the headquarters had expanded and identified more than five hundred Spirit Eye Trees enhancing its spiritual energy.
• Lin Xuan used his Jade Talisman to enter the headquarters and waited in the grand hall for the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long.
• The Youth surnamed Long told Lin Xuan that he and the Silver-Eyed Maiden had come to find him about an important matter.

Lin Xuan learned that Cloud Hidden Sect and Tianjue Sect had gathered most of the treasures needed to complete his Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword, and found that his own collection covered the rest. He gave his senior brother and senior sister an ancient Jade Slip in thanks, and Silver-Eyed Maiden was astonished by what she read inside.

• Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long told Lin Xuan that Tianjue Sect and Cloud Hidden Sect had searched for several thousand years and collected about eighty percent of the materials he needed.
• Lin Xuan checked the Jade Slip’s inventory and realized the remaining materials were all in his Instantaneous Bag, meaning he could now refine the complete Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword.
• Lin Xuan accepted the collected materials and inventory, then offered his senior brother and senior sister an ancient Jade Slip as a gift of thanks.
• Silver-Eyed Maiden read the Jade Slip and became increasingly shocked and delighted, leaving the Youth surnamed Long curious about its contents.

Lin Xuan gave the Silver-Eyed Maiden a Jade Slip containing a cultivation art for the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Stage, and she spent three days reading it. She thanked him with a ceremonial kneel, while the Youth surnamed Long remained in suspense about what the Jade Slip contained.

• The Silver-Eyed Maiden studied the Jade Slip as Lin Xuan ate, drank, and played chess with the impatient Youth surnamed Long.
• After three days, the Silver-Eyed Maiden finished reading and knelt to thank Lin Xuan for the precious cultivation art.
• Lin Xuan hurried to help the Silver-Eyed Maiden up, while the Youth surnamed Long demanded to know what the Jade Slip contained.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden explained that the Jade Slip held a cultivation art for the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Stage, which had given her a new path toward breaking through her bottleneck.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden said she had only skimmed the art and was filled with admiration for its ancient creator.

The Silver-Eyed Maiden learned that the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Stage offered her a chance to gain strength and lifespan despite permanently blocking further cultivation. She gratefully accepted the alternate path, while the Youth surnamed Long also thanked Lin Xuan.

• The Silver-Eyed Maiden reflected on her stalled cultivation and her lack of hope of reaching the true Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
• She recognized the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Stage manual Lin Xuan offered as a chance to change her fate.
• Lin Xuan warned her that cultivating the art would permanently block further advancement, including reaching true Tribulation Transcendence.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden said she would gladly accept the alternate path and would not blame Lin Xuan for its limits.
• The Youth surnamed Long bowed to Lin Xuan and expressed his gratitude and admiration.

Lin Xuan gave the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long a cultivation art that could let them pursue the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Stage, and agreed it could be preserved as a Cloud Hidden Sect treasure for worthy disciples. The three then discussed how to handle the weakened Tianjue Sect, which had failed to fulfill its agreement with Lin Xuan.

• The youth surnamed Long felt grateful and excited after learning the cultivation art offered a path beyond the bottleneck he had feared he could never overcome.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long asked whether Lin Xuan planned to cultivate the art, and he said he intended to pursue the true Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
• Lin Xuan told them not to share the art with outsiders, then agreed it could be passed to loyal, trustworthy Cloud Hidden Sect disciples who reached the late Spirit Division stage.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden and the youth surnamed Long bowed to Lin Xuan and thanked him for allowing the art to become a sect treasure.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden asked Lin Xuan how to deal with Tianjue Sect, whose disciples had spent more than two thousand years searching for treasures but had failed to complete their agreement.
• Lin Xuan recalled that Tianjue Sect had weakened while its disciples searched for treasures, whereas Cloud Hidden Sect had risen to rank twelfth in the Nailong Realm.

Lin Xuan decided to destroy Old Monster Tianjue and his trusted disciples while sparing and recruiting the rest of the Tianjue Sect. After exchanging cultivation insights with the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long, he prepared to leave, but learned that his cultivation cave was still being cleared after the Heavenly Tribulation.

• Lin Xuan rejected wiping out the entire Tianjue Sect and said its innocent cultivators should be spared.
• Lin Xuan ordered Old Monster Tianjue and his trusted disciples eliminated, with the remaining Tianjue Sect cultivators to be recruited as a subordinate force.
• The Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long agreed to carry out Lin Xuan's plan and admired his decisiveness.
• Lin Xuan exchanged cultivation insights with the Silver-Eyed Maiden and the Youth surnamed Long for several hours.
• Lin Xuan rose to leave, but the Silver-Eyed Maiden told him that the Heavenly Tribulation had ruined Hundred Flower Valley and his cultivation cave was not ready.

Lin Xuan settled into a temporary cultivation cave at the Cloud Hidden Sect and spent two or three months resting while having disciples investigate the mysterious timing of his Heavenly Tribulation. As his leisure ended, he played chess with Lin Yujiao when a dazzling Startling Rainbow flew toward them.

• The Youth surnamed Long and the Silver-Eyed Maiden escorted Lin Xuan to his reserved cultivation cave, where he dismissed the servants and maids.
• Lin Xuan chose to rest instead of cultivating while asking sect disciples to search ancient records for an explanation of his unexpected Heavenly Tribulation.
• During his break, Lin Xuan toured the mountains, advised some disciples, and recalled his three disciples Ling'er, Yan'er, and Ye Ru in another lesser realm.
• After two or three months, Lin Yujiao visited Lin Xuan for guidance on her cultivation, and he shared insights that helped her prepare for the Spirit Division bottleneck.
• Lin Xuan and Lin Yujiao played chess and drank wine until a dazzling Startling Rainbow flew toward them.

Gongsun Yu'er escorted Lin Xuan to inspect the rebuilt Hundred Flower Valley, his original cultivation cave. Lin Xuan approved of the restored valley and its new cave, leaving Gongsun Yu'er relieved that she had fulfilled the important assignment.

• Gongsun Yu'er arrived and told Lin Xuan that the Supreme Elder had assigned her to oversee repairs to his cultivation cave.
• Lin Xuan left Lin Yujiao and traveled with Gongsun Yu'er to Hundred Flower Valley.
• Gongsun Yu'er showed Lin Xuan the rebuilt valley, with its mountains, lakes, bamboo groves, waterfall, and streams.
• Lin Xuan praised the restored landscape, and Gongsun Yu'er felt relieved that her work satisfied him.
• Gongsun Yu'er led Lin Xuan into his carefully prepared cultivation cave.

Lin Xuan rewarded the disciples who renovated his cultivation cave, then secured the valley before studying how to fuse the remaining attributes of his Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword. He resolved to begin refining the complete treasure, whose potential might rival Xiantian Spirit Treasures.

• Lin Xuan praised the disciples for their work and gave Gongsun Yu'er a Storage Bag of valuable treasures to distribute among them.
• The disciples thanked Lin Xuan and departed, leaving him alone in the mountain valley.
• Lin Xuan set up powerful formations throughout the valley to protect himself from disturbances.
• Lin Xuan returned to his cultivation cave and studied the Ink Moon Heaven Witch Art for instructions on refining the Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword.
• Lin Xuan reflected on finally gathering the materials for the complete sword and anticipated that fusing all nine attributes could make it rival Xiantian Spirit Treasures.

Lin Xuan studied the history and potential of the Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword before spending years in seclusion to fuse its nine attributes. He emerged riding a silver Phoenix formed by the completed sword and discovered that the fusion had produced the True Spirit Transformation Sword Art, whose mysteries began to explain his use of the Ink Jade True Spirit Art.

• Lin Xuan learned that the Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword could evolve toward an Immortal Mansion Treasure and that his rare materials gave it advantages over the Heavenly Witch Goddess's sword.
• Lin Xuan prepared to fuse the swords, bringing out nearly a thousand kinds of rare materials gathered by the Cloud Hidden Sect, the Tianjue Sect, and himself.
• After a long seclusion, Lin Xuan's cultivation cave collapsed as a dazzling silver Phoenix burst into the sky.
• Lin Xuan rode the Phoenix across vast distances at astonishing speed, while other cultivators could barely see it pass.
• Lin Xuan revealed that the nine-attribute fusion had produced the True Spirit Transformation Sword Art, and he began to understand the purpose of the Ink Jade True Spirit Art.

Lin Xuan comprehended the True Spirit Transformation Sword Art and learned to turn his Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword into a Heavenly Phoenix, though he could not yet fuse with other True Bloods. On his way back to his cultivation cave, he found two cultivators fighting and recognized the woman as a disciple of his sect.

• Lin Xuan discovered that refining True Spirit Blood and cultivating the Ink Jade True Spirit Art laid the foundation for the True Spirit Transformation Sword Art.
• Lin Xuan learned that the art could assimilate True Spirit Blood into the Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword, allowing it to manifest True Spirits, but its cultivation was exceptionally difficult.
• Lin Xuan fused with one kind of True Blood and gained the ability to transform his sword into a Heavenly Phoenix, though his Spirit Division Stage cultivation limited its power.
• After three days away, Lin Xuan headed back to his cultivation cave and sensed a fierce battle more than a thousand li ahead.
• Lin Xuan flew to the battle and saw a Spirit Division-level man fighting a woman he recognized as a disciple of his own sect.

Lin Xuan arrived just as Gongsun Yu'er was being threatened by a rogue cultivator, and revealed himself after the man boasted that he could defeat him. The man unleashed a swarm of poisonous demon centipedes at Lin Xuan.

• Lin Xuan recognized that Gongsun Yu'er was in danger and decided to intervene.
• The middle-aged cultivator dismissed Gongsun Yu'er's warning that she belonged to Cloud Hidden Sect and threatened Lin Xuan.
• Lin Xuan appeared on a gigantic Phoenix and challenged the man to make good on his threats.
• The middle-aged man insisted he was not afraid of Lin Xuan and released a vast swarm of black-red demon centipedes toward him.

Lin Xuan defeated and killed the man surnamed Yun after the latter attacked him with an insect cloud, then rescued Gongsun Yu'er and returned with her to the Cloud Hidden Sect headquarters. Gongsun Yu'er said she had been looking for him about an important matter, which they would discuss after they returned.

• The man surnamed Yun split his insect cloud into several streams and attacked Lin Xuan, but Lin Xuan's Phoenix burned the insects away with divine fire.
• The man surnamed Yun begged for his life, but Lin Xuan struck with the Nine Palaces Instantaneous Sword and killed him, taking his Storage Bag.
• Gongsun Yu'er thanked Lin Xuan for saving her and said she had been planning to find him, though Lin Xuan postponed their conversation until they returned.
• Lin Xuan took Gongsun Yu'er aboard the Phoenix and flew toward the Cloud Hidden Mountain Range, then put the sword away near the sect to avoid attention.
• Lin Xuan and Gongsun Yu'er switched to ordinary escape lights and soon returned to the main headquarters.

Lin Xuan returned to the sect headquarters, arranged for his destroyed cultivation cave in Hundred Flower Valley to be repaired, and met with Gongsun Yu'er. She brought him clues about why Heavenly Tribulation had descended on him unexpectedly, linking his experience to Nailong True Person.

• Lin Xuan visited the youth surnamed Long, explained that his cultivation cave had been destroyed, and got him to order its repair.
• Lin Xuan went to his cultivation cave at the headquarters with Gongsun Yu'er and asked why she had wanted to see him.
• Gongsun Yu'er reminded Lin Xuan of the mission he had issued over a hundred years earlier to investigate his unexpected Heavenly Tribulation.
• Gongsun Yu'er said she had found an ancient record describing how Heavenly Tribulation had also descended on Nailong True Person before he accomplished the Great Dao.

Lin Xuan learned that Nailong True Person had also faced inexplicable Heavenly Tribulations and decided to seek answers from him. After examining Gongsun Yu'er, Lin Xuan discovered she possessed a hidden Wood Spirit Body and asked whether she would take him as her master.

• Gongsun Yu'er showed Lin Xuan ancient records describing Nailong True Person's inexplicable Heavenly Tribulations.
• Lin Xuan read the records and considered visiting Nailong True Person to ask about their shared experience.
• Lin Xuan praised Gongsun Yu'er for pursuing his task for a hundred years and promised her a suitable reward.
• Lin Xuan examined Gongsun Yu'er's aptitude and discovered she possessed a Wood Spirit Body.
• Lin Xuan explained the Wood Spirit Body to Gongsun Yu'er and asked her to take him as her master.