Chapter Summaries

After Yang Jingxue and Ximen Rongcheng finished discussing cooperation and resources with Chen Zixiu, Chen Xiaojun revealed four Sword God Pearls and explained their higher Dao Sword qualities and recent enhancement. Bo Xian'er sensed a familiar Emperor’s Aura from the Xuanyuan Pearl, which resonated with her Emperor Intent Realm.

• Yang Jingxue agreed to discuss Wei Ning’s breakthrough and the hidden matter with him, while she and Ximen Rongcheng sought cooperation and resources from the Chen Clan.
• After Yang Jingxue and Ximen Rongcheng left, Chen Xiaojun asked the gathered seniors for help and summoned four Sword God Pearls.
• Chen Xiaojun identified the orange Tai'a as the Majesty Dao Sword and explained that its power stirred an inspiring emotion in everyone.
• Chen Xiaojun identified the scarlet Chixiao, black Zhan Lu, and golden Xuanyuan as the Emperor, Benevolence, and Saint Dao Swords, and said all four had been enhanced by His Dao Rhyme.
• Bo Xian'er sensed that the Xuanyuan Pearl’s aura was the Emperor’s Aura and that it resonated with her Emperor Intent Realm.

Chen Xiaojun understood how the Xuan Yuan Sword, Zhan Lu, and the other swords represented a system of monarchical power. The Tai'a Pearl then revealed space runes that could form barriers or break them, and Chen Xiaojun waited to see how its innate skill would develop.

• Chen Xiaojun realized the Xuan Yuan Sword’s Emperor’s Aura also embodied benevolence, and connected Zhan Lu’s legend to the Benevolence Dao and monarchical power.
• Chen Zixiu examined the Tai'a Pearl and identified its carved runes as related to Space Power.
• Chen Xiaojun infused Soul Power into the Tai'a Pearl, causing a semicircular Rune Array to form and fill the hall with spatial energy.
• Chen Xiaojun touched a rune and felt space forming and shattering before the array erupted, vanished, and left a solemn aura behind.
• Chen Zixiu concluded the runes could create barriers or, combined with a divine sword’s sharpness, break them, potentially countering domains, seals, and formations.
• Chen Xiaojun said the elders should observe whether the divine sword’s innate skill ultimately formed as a forward or reverse technique.

Chen Xiaojun asked his family to help him find an eighty-thousand-year soul beast for his Tai'a Sword, arguing he could endure the risk. The family considered where to search and identified the Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger as a near-perfect match, though finding one of that age could be exceptionally difficult.

• Chen Xiaojun explained that his Tai'a Sword had six attributes and said he wanted an eighty-thousand-year soul beast for his next soul ring.
• Chen Xiaojun justified his plan by describing his previous soul-ring absorptions and the power needed to awaken the Tai'a Sword; Chen Cong and the others accepted his determination while warning him to be cautious.
• Chen Xiaojun chose a White Tiger, and Chen Menglin and Chen Qiujun discussed possible hunting grounds in the Xie Luo Mountain Range and Star Luo Empire.
• Chen Cong proposed the Saint Light White Tiger and the Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger as candidates, guessing that Chen Xiaojun already favored the latter.
• Chen Xiaojun confirmed his interest in the Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger and considered how rare an eighty-thousand-year specimen would be and how powerful it might prove.

Chen Xiaojun declared that he would pursue the Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger for his next soul ring, then explained why he had chosen the Violetgold Emperor Python for the Chi Xiao Sword. He believed the python might descend from the divine beast Teng She, though its possible water attribute remained uncertain.

• Chen Xiaojun insisted that he would hunt a Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger for his next soul ring and said his Sword God Pearl would help him withstand its Soul Impact.
• Chen Zixiu and Chen Cong agreed to focus on finding the Taiyuan Tiangang Tiger and asked Chen Xiaojun to explain his plans for the remaining swords.
• Chen Xiaojun named the Violetgold Emperor Python as his preferred soul beast for the Chi Xiao Sword, and Chen Cong described its strength and traits.
• Chen Xiaojun explained that the Chi Xiao Sword had thunder, fire, devouring, spirit, earth, and water attributes, which pointed him toward a descendant of Teng She.
• Chen Xiaojun revealed that he had searched ancient records and concluded that the Violetgold Emperor Python most closely resembled Teng She's descendants, though he was unsure whether it had the water attribute.

Chen Zixiu explained that the two-headed Serpent Emperor might have mutated from a Violetgold Emperor Python, and Chen Xiaojun suspected its white head was connected to Bai Xi and ancient legends. Chen Xiaojun then revealed that he wanted a phoenix for his eighth soul ring and a true dragon for his ninth, leaving his family astonished by his ambition.

• Chen Zixiu identified the Serpent Emperor as a powerful, winged, two-headed beast emperor with at least 150,000 years of cultivation.
• Chen Cong and Chen Zixiu speculated that the Serpent Emperor's second head had appeared through mutation as it grew stronger.
• After hearing that one head was pure white, Chen Xiaojun privately connected the Serpent Emperor to Bai Xi and the legend of the Chi Xiao Sword slaying a white serpent.
• Chen Xiaojun told his family that his next soul-ring targets were a phoenix and a true dragon.
• Chen Xiaojun declared that he would seek the fiercest soul beasts, startling his family with his resolve.

Chen Xiaojun discussed seeking a Five Virtues Phoenix or Holy Dragon soul beast, and Chen Cong explained the history and influence of the Divine Bird Sect and the Dragon Clan. The chapter ended with Chen Cong describing how dragon-type martial souls spread and mutated among several families after an ancient war.

• Chen Xiaojun told Chen Cong and the elders that he was searching for the best soul-beast choice and described the Five Virtues Phoenix.
• Chen Cong said he would search for the Five Virtues Phoenix and consult Ma Zhibin and other Divine Bird Sect descendants.
• Chen Cong explained how the Heavenly Beast Sect split into the Nine Heavens Hundred Feather Palace, Mystic Yellow Myriad Image Sect, and Vast Sea Scale Control Hall.
• Chen Cong described how the Divine Bird Sect influenced the Northern Continent’s royal families and later became the looser Flyer's Alliance.
• Chen Cong said the ancient war devastated the Dragon Clan and Ma Family, but dragon-type martial souls later spread widely and mutated more often in the Yu Family and Dragon Family.

Chen Xiaojun learned that his family’s vestment and attached soul bones could evolve by devouring soul bones, prompting his relatives to discuss gathering powerful bones for him and Chen Xiao Yi. He also learned that his granduncle Chen Jin carried a hundred-thousand-year Mirage Dragon Torso Bone while undercover in the Crimson Church, though the clan kept his identity and details secret.

• Chen Cong explained that the Saskor and Changning Grand Duchies came from branches of the Vast Sea Scale Control Hall, while Chen Zixiu steered the conversation back to Chen Xiaojun’s plans for future soul rings.
• Chen Menglin asked whether Chen Xiaojun’s desire for high-aged soul rings related to his vestment, and Chen Xiaojun explained that the vestment and its soul bones could evolve by devouring soul bones of the same body part.
• Chen Qiujun urged the family to act, and Chen Zixiu proposed pushing the soul bones of Chen Xiaojun and Chen Xiao Yi toward a hundred thousand years, but Chen Xiaojun said his remaining rings might provide beast-emperor-level bones.
• Chen Zixiu revealed that the family’s hundred-thousand-year soul bones had been preserved and that another belonged to Chen Jin, the son of Chen Ziang, who had gone undercover in the Crimson Church with a Mirage Dragon Torso Bone.
• Chen Zixiu explained that Chen Jin had taken the bone’s transformation skill to infiltrate the Crimson Church for revenge, but he withheld further details because they were clan secrets.
• Chen Menglin reported that the Crimson Main Altar had ordered an assessment of its regional legion branches and used Chen Xiaojun and the others’ trip into the mountains as an opportunity to launch a long-planned operation.

The Chen Clan discussed the Crimson Church Grand Elder’s seclusion and the possibility that the Level 98 powerhouse could break through to Level 99. Chen Zixiu insisted that the clan would prepare for the worst and eventually settle its old grievance with him.

• Chen Zixiu asked for further reports, and Chen Menglin explained that the Crimson Church’s regional legions operated with little information sharing.
• Chen Menglin reported that the Crimson Church Grand Elder had gone into seclusion, prompting Chen Zixiu to identify him as the Second Elder who had led the old ambush against the Chen Clan.
• Chen Zixiu explained the Grand Elder’s history and warned that he might be approaching Level 99, while Chen Cong and Chen Xun questioned whether such a breakthrough was likely.
• Chen Menglin urged the Chen Clan to assume the worst and prepare for the Crimson Church’s increased strength.
• Chen Zixiu declared that the Chen Clan would not be intimidated and had spent years building strength to kill the Grand Elder themselves.

Chen Cong explained how Plant Soul Beasts evolve through cycles of withering and flourishing, and Chen Xiaojun considered what Vine Soul Beasts would suit Xiao Yi. Chen Zixiu revealed that the Xie Luo Mountain Range was home to a rumored Space-type Nine Heavens Void Vine, leaving Chen Xiaojun asking about other Vine Ancestors.

• Chen Xiaojun asked Chen Cong about emperor-class Vine Soul Beasts, and Chen Cong explained the status and evolution of Plant Soul Beast ancestors.
• Chen Xiaojun connected the explanation to the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone and Tang San's mother's surviving seed.
• Chen Xiaojun said Xiao Yi might need powerful Vine Soul Beasts for her future Soul Rings, and he was determined to kill one despite the difficulty.
• Chen Zixiu revealed that the Five Mountains County core region held a rumored Vine Ancestor called the Nine Heavens Void Vine.
• Chen Xiaojun asked whether the Nine Heavens Void Vine was Space-type and whether other Vine Ancestors were known.

Chen Xiaojun learned that taking the Five-Colored Deer’s soul ring had disrupted Sunset Forest’s soul-beast fortune and revealed a possible Vine Ancestor in its core. He explained his plan to create a Four Symbols Sword Formation, and Chen Cong proposed researching the family’s other sword-formation approaches.

• Chen Qiujun told Chen Xiaojun that a Vine Ancestor might live in Sunset Forest and that it had ordered soul beasts to search for the Five-Colored Deer whose soul ring Chen Xiaojun had taken.
• Chen Cong asked whether Chen Xiaojun had chosen dragon, phoenix, serpent, and tiger soul rings to link with his Sword God Pearls, and Chen Xiaojun explained his theory that the latter four divine swords formed a system.
• Chen Xun asked whether Chen Xiaojun intended to combine his Spirit Abyss Black Tortoise and Violetgold Emperor Python into a Black Tortoise, and Chen Xiaojun confirmed it.
• Chen Xiaojun described his hope of forming a Four Symbols Sword Formation with Xiao Yi, and Chen Cong and Chen Xun encouraged him to pursue the idea.
• Chen Cong proposed researching the family’s other sword-formation approaches, including the Three Powers, Five Elements, and Nine Palaces.

Chen Xiaojun and the elders discussed researching sword formations and tracing the origins of the Seven Stars techniques. He received several manuals and was pressed to explain why he was asking about the clan’s techniques.

• Chen Xiaojun proposed using Nine Yin Nine Yang and the Sun and Moon Breathing Technique as the basis for a new sword formation, and Chen Cong agreed to develop it through successive versions.
• Chen Xiaojun learned that Xiao Yi already knew sword techniques, and Chen Cong explained that her finger skills would help her turn them into sword moves.
• Chen Xiaojun asked about links between the Seven Stars techniques and the elders’ signature moves, and Chen Cong explained how several techniques came from their elders and ancestors.
• Chen Menglin gave Chen Xiaojun the Seven Stars Moon Sever manual and told him to practice it alongside the Nine Extremes Heaven Sword and Heaven Sword Slaying Moon.
• Chen Qiujun, Chen Xun, and Chen Cong each gave Chen Xiaojun a move manual, and Chen Cong questioned whether he was gathering intelligence to deal with Sword Rain Academy.

Chen Xiaojun and Chen Cong discussed why the Xue Family used the title Swan rather than Honghu, tracing the dispute to the Qian Family and the fortune tied to Honghu. They suspected the Angel God sought Honghu’s God King-level fortune, leaving the Chen Clan wary of being caught in the conflict.

• Chen Cong explained that family titles were tied to fortune and that the Xue Family’s Swan title reflected the limits and risks of claiming a greater name.
• Chen Cong said the Qian Family and Xue Family had competed over Honghu, with the Qian Family retaining Angel and the Xue Family using Swan.
• Chen Xiaojun connected Honghu to the Five Phoenixes and the legendary Phoenix God, suggesting its fortune could approach God King level.
• Chen Cong noted that the Xue Clan’s Five Phoenixes Swan Martial Soul carried faint bloodlines of the other phoenixes, potentially strengthening Honghu’s fortune.
• Chen Xiaojun and Chen Cong concluded that the Qian Family might seek greater power in the God Realm and agreed the Chen Clan should stay cautious while watching for opportunities.

Chen Cong revealed that Chen Yu had a daughter and granddaughter, prompting Chen Zixiu to erupt in anger over his son’s hidden family. Chen Xiaojun explained his plan to contact the family and bring them into the Chen Clan’s care, and the discussion turned to a gathering that night.

• Chen Cong explained how the Mu and Xu clans had ties to Spirit Hall after political conflicts pushed members of their families there.
• Chen Cong and Chen Xun discussed whether Ma Wencai should receive the Dragon Phoenix Grass and Spirit Light Grass, while Chen Xiaojun deferred the decision until after the Provincial Preliminary Competition.
• Chen Cong revealed that Chen Yu had a daughter with Xue Chuxin and that she now had a granddaughter with the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul.
• Chen Zixiu shattered his teacup in fury and called his son a rebellious son, while Chen Xiaojun described Ji Tiantian’s family and their possible move to Chang'an Academy.
• Chen Cong proposed that Chen Xiaojun contact the family first, and Chen Zixiu demanded that Xiaojun explain his plan, including attending a gathering that night with Sixth Uncle.

Winding Stream Party and the Cultural Brilliance Pavilion competed in a nine-round contest, with the score reaching 3:1 in Winding Stream Party’s favor after its dancer won the fourth round. Chen Hua watched with Ji Xiang and predicted the final outcome might depend on the song round.

• The Cultural Brilliance Pavilion won the prose round, while Winding Stream Party won the tea-art round, tying the contest at one victory apiece.
• A young girl on Winding Stream Party’s team won the calculation round, putting the local side ahead.
• Chen Hua joined Ji Xiang in a VIP room, where they discussed the contest and Chen Hua said he was betting on the Cultural Brilliance Pavilion because he was Chen Wenhua.
• Winding Stream Party won the dance round, bringing the score to 3:1.

The Winding Stream Party and Cultural Brilliance Pavilion traded victories in the fifth through eighth rounds, bringing the score to a tie before the final singing round also ended evenly. Chen Xiaojun and the others watched the performances from a private box as the contest concluded without a winner.

• Tan Hongyun won the guqin round for Winding Stream Party, bringing the score to 4:1 and match point.
• A Cultural Brilliance Pavilion calligrapher and painter won the next two rounds, narrowing the score to 4:3.
• Cultural Brilliance Pavilion's chess player defeated his opponent and tied the contest at 4:4.
• Chen Xiaojun and the other children discussed the performances while Chen Xiaojun recalled Tan Hongyun's connection to Chen Yanwu and the Ji Clan.
• The blue-robed man and white-robed woman delivered contrasting singing performances, and the judges declared the final round a tie.

Xue Chuanning, the grandson of Prince Xue Jiqing, publicly asked Chen Xiaojun to sing, and influential guests joined in to press the request. Chen Xiaojun still had not answered when the chapter ended, while Hu Qianning told Hu LengHui she wanted to get closer to him.

• After the singing match ended in a tie, Xue Chuanning called for Chen Xiaojun and asked him to perform a song.
• Chen Hua spoke for Chen Xiaojun and learned that Xue Chuanning was Prince Xue Jiqing’s grandson.
• Bei Ming Xinghai, Liu Zi, and Hu Qianning urged Chen Xiaojun to sing, prompting the gathered guests to join their appeal.
• Hu LengHui warned Hu Qianning not to get carried away by her interest in Chen Xiaojun, but Hu Qianning insisted she trusted her own judgment.
• Chen Xiaojun sipped his tea without answering Xue Chuanning’s request.

After a tied competition, Xue Chuanning asked Chen Xiaojun to sing for the gathering, revealing that he was Prince Xue Jiqing’s grandson. As nobles and influential figures joined the request, Hu Qianning saw the invitation as a chance to grow closer to Chen Xiaojun, while Hu LengHui warned her to stay cautious around the Chen Clan.

• After the competition ended in a tie, the Blue-Robed Singer called for Chen Xiaojun and asked him to sing a song for the audience.
• The singer explained that he had competed against Chen Yanwu and admired her performance of Chen Xiaojun’s song, “Pointing at the Moon with Left Hand.”
• Chen Hua asked the singer his name and relationship to Prince Xue Jiqing, and Xue Chuanning revealed that the prince was his grandfather.
• Bei Ming Xinghai, Liu Zi, and Hu Qianning encouraged Chen Xiaojun to sing, prompting many others to join their requests.
• Hu LengHui questioned Hu Qianning’s motives, and Hu Qianning said she wanted to get to know Chen Xiaojun better; Hu LengHui warned her to keep a clear head around the Chen Clan.

Chen Xiaojun accepted Xue Chuanning’s invitation by having Zhu Wuneng perform his new love song, “You,” at the Winding Stream Party. After the performance moved the audience, Chen Xiaojun claimed the song was about Xiao Yi, leaving her touched and the others stunned.

• Hu Qianning reassured Hu LengHui that she would consult her if anything came up, while Chen Xiaojun weighed whether to accept Xue Chuanning’s repeated invitation.
• Chen Xiaojun agreed to contribute a song and sent Zhu Wuneng to perform it, giving him the score for the accompaniment Master.
• Zhu Wuneng sang “You,” and his powerful, tender performance astonished the audience, Xue Chuanning, and Hu Qianning.
• Gao Cuilan watched Zhu Wuneng’s performance with warmth, while Du Gu Fu asked whether the song had been written for Xiao Yi.
• Chen Xiaojun said the song was about Xiao Yi and delivered a dramatic confession that moved her, then secretly signaled Du Gu Fu to learn from his act.

Xue Chuanning challenged Chen Xiaojun to compose a poem using a powerful faction’s poetic title, but Hu Qianning stepped forward to recite a poem about Green Hill Forest instead. The chapter ended with her poem conjuring a Spirit Fox illusion and flowers beneath her feet.

• The extra-round prompt required a poem incorporating the poetic title of a top-tier power, leaving both sides’ scholars unwilling to write.
• Xue Chuanning praised Chen Xiaojun and challenged him to compose another poem.
• Chen Xiaojun and Chen Hua recognized Xue Chuanning’s apparent modesty as a calculated act.
• Hu Qianning offered to begin while Chen Xiaojun considered his response.
• Hu Qianning recited a poem about Green Hill Forest, then used Soul Power to conjure a Spirit Fox illusion and blooming Qingqiu Fox Tail Flowers.

Chen Xiaojun watched Hu Qianning and Liu Xinxin recite poems before answering with a verse of his own, leaving Xue Chuanning shaken by a sudden, hazy vision. The chapter ended with Chen Xiaojun looking down at him with a cold, mocking expression.

• Chen Hua teased Chen Xiaojun about Hu Qianning and Xue Chuanning being among his admirers, while Xiao Yi said she would suppress any rivals.
• Xue Chuanning praised Hu Qianning of Green Hill Forest and raised his cup to her.
• Liu Xinxin recited a poem invoking Avici Hall’s Poetic Title, but the audience offered only perfunctory praise.
• The gathered guests turned their attention to Chen Xiaojun, who recited, “When golden wind and jade dew meet, It surpasses countless joys in the mortal world,” and continued with a verse about two hearts bound for long.
• Xue Chuanning remembered Unbenevolent Tower, experienced a sudden vision of a hazy figure, and looked up to see Chen Xiaojun’s cold, mocking smile.