Chapter Summaries

Chu Yuanzhen revealed the Founding Sword and overwhelmed White Yun Divine Nun, exposing his plan to use the Blood Essence Pill and slaughter the provincial martial artists. As White Yun Divine Nun died, she sent the pill into Fang Xuan’s Dantian Sea, leaving him bleeding and covered in red veins.

• White Yun Divine Nun broke Chu Yuanzhen’s Guan Dao and taunted him, but he summoned the Founding Sword and slashed open her Eternal Night.
• Xiang Jie told Fang Xuan that the Founding Sword was a third-rank Spirit Item, carried intelligence, and could only be wielded by someone recognized by the Li imperial clan.
• Chu Yuanzhen used the Founding Sword to badly wound White Yun Divine Nun and slaughter martial artists from Yi Province, revealing his plan to use the million lives of Lei Province as stepping stones.
• White Yun Divine Nun, mortally wounded, poured her remaining power into the Blood Essence Pill and cast a strange seal on it before dissipating.
• The Blood Essence Pill flew into Fang Xuan’s Dantian Sea, and blood-red veins spread across his skin as blood poured from his seven orifices.

Xiang Jie fought Chu Yuanzhen over the Blood Essence Pill while Pei Qian suppressed its power inside Fang Xuan. After Xiang Jie transformed and wounded Chu Yuanzhen, Chu Yuanzhen began demonizing and draining the Lei Guards’ vitality, leaving Xiang Jie to face him as Pei Qian escaped with a mysterious jade.

• Chu Yuanzhen attacked Fang Xuan for the Blood Essence Pill, and Xiang Jie intervened, battling him with his Silver Spear against the Founding Sword.
• Pei Qian used the God Binding Xuanhuang Array to suppress the Blood Essence Pill’s energy inside Fang Xuan while the fight devastated Lei Province City.
• Xiang Jie crushed a Dao Pattern and activated Mystic Sky Transformation, healing his wounds and gaining dragon scales, horns, and claws.
• Xiang Jie overwhelmed Chu Yuanzhen, but Chu Yuanzhen refused to accept defeat and began demonizing, draining the blood and vitality of the surviving Lei Guards.
• Xiang Jie gave Pei Qian a round jade for Fang Xuan, ordered him to leave, and charged at Chu Yuanzhen, asking for two taels of Yingchun Brew at his grave each Qingming if he died.

Fang Xuan arrived in Lei Province City, saved the wounded Xiang Jie, and took up the Founding Sword to face the demonized Chu Yuanzhen. Their battle erupted into a devastating clash that split the city, but Chu Yuanzhen’s black mist re-formed around him.

• Chu Yuanzhen’s demonic power overwhelmed Xiang Jie, pierced his dragon scales, and began corroding his Acupoints.
• Fang Xuan caught Xiang Jie, gave him a medicinal pill, and summoned the Founding Sword from the black mist.
• Fang Xuan revealed his dragon-scaled form and condemned Chu Yuanzhen for slaughtering a million people in Lei Province.
• Fang Xuan and Chu Yuanzhen exchanged devastating attacks, with Fang Xuan severing half of Chu Yuanzhen’s body and splitting Lei Province City in two.
• Chu Yuanzhen’s black mist gathered around him again as the battle continued.

Fang Xuan fought the demonized Chu Yuanzhen in Lei Province City, escalating to the Third Transformation of the Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation after Chu Yuanzhen broke through to the higher realm. Fang Xuan killed Chu Yuanzhen, then collapsed as familiar voices called to him.

• Fang Xuan activated the Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation and fought Chu Yuanzhen, wounding him and destroying the black monster he summoned.
• Chu Yuanzhen filled Lei Province City with black mist, overwhelmed Fang Xuan, and shattered the Founding Sword after breaking through to the higher realm.
• Pei Qian prepared to release his seal to help Fang Xuan, but Xiang Jie noticed Fang Xuan's flames changing as his aura surged.
• Fang Xuan entered the Third Transformation, battered Chu Yuanzhen, and rallied the surviving people of Lei Province City against him.
• Fang Xuan killed Chu Yuanzhen by crushing the last of his black mist, then collapsed as familiar voices called his name.

After killing Chu Yuanzhen, Fang Xuan recovered from his injuries and reviewed the upheaval in Lei Province. He learned that the Blood Essence Pill sealed inside him remained a danger, while Xiang Jie had returned to the Martial Temple to break through to a higher realm.

• News of Chu Yuanzhen’s death spread across the Nine Provinces and drew attention to the Martial Temple and Fang Xuan.
• Fang Xuan woke after seven days of sleep, found his body strengthened, and considered Chu Yuanzhen’s plan and the forces involved in Lei Province.
• Pei Qian brought Fang Xuan clean clothes, and Sun Temple Keeper told him Xiang Jie had returned to the Martial Temple to enter seclusion and was expected to become a Third-Rank Plum Blossom Envoy.
• Sun Temple Keeper scolded Fang Xuan for using the third transformation of the Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation before opening five Acupoints.
• Fang Xuan asked about the Blood Essence Pill in his Dantian Sea, and Sun Temple Keeper explained that its demonic nature had been sealed but remained a potential danger.

Fang Xuan and Pei Qian returned to Shang Jing amid a new conscription drive, while Sea Province’s leaders debated whether to send the Dragon Whale Army into Yan Province or Lei Province. Sun Temple Keeper warned a mysterious man in Yue Province that Chu Yuanzhen’s breakthrough had released an evil aura, suggesting something had gone wrong with the Nine Wells.

• Fang Xuan and Pei Qian entered Shang Jing after guards recognized Fang Xuan’s Martial Temple token, then saw that the city was conscripting soldiers.
• Fang Li learned that Fang Xuan had slain Chu Yuanzhen and heard Sikong Jihuai and Ning Guanhai urge the Dragon Whale Army to consider an expedition.
• Fang Li ordered the generals summoned to the Imperial Study to discuss whether Sea Province should march into Yan Province.
• Sun Temple Keeper visited a reclusive man in Yue Province and told him Chu Yuanzhen had broken through to the Upper Realm before Fang Xuan killed him.
• Sun Temple Keeper said Chu Yuanzhen had carried an evil aura and warned that something might have gone wrong with the Nine Wells.

After learning that an evil demon may have escaped from a well in the Northernmost Land, a Wall Guardian went to investigate. In the Martial Temple, Fang Xuan learned that Cloud Palace’s Yearwood might remove the Killing Intent threatening to turn him into a demon, while the temple keepers warned that a new calamity could be approaching.

• A Wall Guardian took Sun Temple Keeper’s report of an evil demon seriously and set out to inspect the well in the Northernmost Land.
• Sun Temple Keeper asked how to dispel the Killing Intent in the Blood Essence Pill, and the departing Wall Guardian answered, “Cloud Palace, Yearwood.”
• Linyang Princess and Li Chengqian visited Fang Xuan, who said his travels had shown him little but the suffering of ordinary people.
• Zhao Temple Keeper and Zhou Temple Keeper examined Fang Xuan, urged him to cultivate in the Martial Temple, and explained that Cloud Palace’s Yearwood could disperse the Blood Essence Pill’s Killing Intent.
• Zhao Temple Keeper told Linyang Princess and Li Chengqian to take Fang Xuan to Cloud Palace after he recovered, while he and Zhou Temple Keeper worried that the Nine Wells signaled an approaching calamity.
• Li Chengqian told Linyang Princess that he would not make her bear the imperial family’s heavy responsibility alone.

Fang Xuan halted his cultivation when the Blood Essence Pill’s killing intent began to overwhelm him, then went to the Scripture Pavilion to research Cloud Palace and Sui Wood. Pei Qian revealed that Cloud Palace had revived a section of dead Sui Wood, while Fang Xuan found an ancient account of the Nine Provinces.

• Fang Xuan cultivated the Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation until the Blood Essence Pill’s killing intent forced him to stop, and the technique’s progress reached 300/1000.
• Fang Xuan visited the Scripture Pavilion to find information about Cloud Palace and Sui Wood, and the old man directed him to a loft of secret accounts.
• Fang Xuan encountered Pei Qian, who explained that Old Sun had sent him to search for a way to resolve the Blood Essence Pill problem.
• Pei Qian recalled that Sui Wood could cleanse filth and said Cloud Palace had revived and transplanted a section of dead wood.
• Fang Xuan read the Lost Records of the Nine Provinces, which described Hao Yang’s destruction and the dragon wells built to suppress demons and evil.

Fang Xuan and Pei Qian traveled to Cloud Island with Li Chengqian and Linyang Princess, reaching Cloud City on their way to Cloud Palace. While exploring the city at night, Fang Xuan witnessed Cloud Palace disciples hunting a black shadow and a Blood Martial Saint striking it down.

• Fang Xuan agreed to let Li Chengqian and Linyang Princess accompany him and Pei Qian to Cloud Palace.
• After half a month of travel, the group arrived in Cloud City, where Li Chengqian explained the city’s history and its Cloud Pattern Crystal trade.
• Linyang Princess took Pei Qian to the market while Fang Xuan explored Cloud City alone.
• Cloud Palace disciples stopped Fang Xuan, inspected his token, and warned him against walking alone at night.
• Fang Xuan used his Crimson King Eyes to see Cloud Palace disciples chasing a black shadow through an alley.
• A white-robed Blood Martial Saint pierced the black shadow with a flying sword, and Fang Xuan returned to the inn.

Fang Xuan and his companions went to Cloud Palace to borrow agewood, but learned that a thief had stolen some and the Palace Master was away. They were allowed to stay under the care of Grand Elder Qian Yue, leaving their request unresolved.

• Li Chengqian explained that Cloud City was usually safe and offered to present Fang Xuan as a member of the Great Yang Imperial Family when they sought Cloud Palace's agewood.
• Fang Xuan, Li Chengqian, the Linyang Princess, and Pei Qian traveled to Cloud Palace and crossed its Blinding Array.
• A guard told Li Chengqian that a thief had stolen half a section of agewood, the Palace Master was furious, and Cloud Palace's protective formation had been activated.
• Pei Qian gave Fang Xuan an array imprint and proposed taking the agewood by force if they could not borrow it.
• The guards let the group stay until the Palace Master returned and brought them to Grand Elder Qian Yue, who recognized the Linyang Princess and welcomed them.
• Qian Yue saw that Fang Xuan was a Fifth Heavenly Gate martial artist, served him Cloud Tea grown with agewood, and told the guests to ask the disciples if they needed anything.

Fang Xuan sought yearswood at Cloud Palace to suppress the danger in his cultivation, while Pei Qian eagerly investigated the palace. After an encounter at the waterfall, the Cloud Palace Master summoned the group and challenged Li Chengqian's request to borrow the yearswood.

• Fang Xuan watched Cloud Palace with his Crimson King Eyes as Pei Qian secretly gave him a map and planned to investigate the Medicine Garden for yearswood.
• After three days at Cloud Palace, Fang Xuan visited the Back Mountain waterfall, where Cai Nanhua attacked him and a white-robed elder intervened.
• The elder walked Fang Xuan back to the courtyard, learned he sought yearswood to refine the Killing Intent in his body, and suggested he try beneath the waterfall.
• Fang Xuan continued visiting the waterfall without taking the elder's advice until Li Chengqian announced that the Palace Master had summoned their group.
• The Cloud Palace Master questioned Li Chengqian's request to borrow yearswood on behalf of the Li imperial clan, pointing out that the petitioner was a Martial Temple Disciple.

Fang Xuan refused the Cloud Palace Master's offer to join Cloud Palace in exchange for the Sui Wood and left with Pei Qian, who helped him prepare a concealing array. The chapter revealed that Cloud Palace's feud with the Martial Temple began over a demonized Dao Child, while Qian Yue was being consumed by the Sui Wood and had only about twenty years left.

• The Cloud Palace Master offered Fang Xuan the Sui Wood if he left the Martial Temple and joined Cloud Palace, but Fang Xuan refused to betray the Martial Temple and walked out with Pei Qian.
• Li Chengqian asked the Cloud Palace Master to reconsider, but the Master allowed him to stay only a few more days; Li Chengqian then told the Linyang Princess that they would seek an exchange through their father.
• Li Chengqian explained that a century earlier the Martial Temple had killed Cloud Palace's demonized Dao Child during the Demon Subjugation War, sparking the feud.
• At Cloud Palace's Mountain Gate, Fang Xuan asked Pei Qian for a portable aura-concealing array, and Pei Qian produced a simplified Sky Covering Sun Obscuring Array that lasted two hours.
• Qian Yue revealed that the Sui Wood was devouring him and that he had at most twenty years left, while Cloud Palace had failed to cultivate a replacement sapling.
• Qian Yue suggested lending Fang Xuan the half-section of Sui Wood to ease tensions, but the Cloud Palace Master rejected reconciliation with the Martial Temple.

Fang Xuan and Pei Qian searched the Cloud Palace’s Medicine Garden for the Sui Wood, then learned it was beneath the Azure Pool. Fang Xuan dived into the pool and discovered a hidden palace, the Azure Water Palace.

• Fang Xuan and Pei Qian infiltrated the Medicine Garden but found no Sui Wood among its rare Immortal Herbs.
• An old man entered the garden’s hidden room and revealed that the Sui Wood sapling had withered and that he planned to search beneath the Azure Pool for new growth.
• Fang Xuan returned Pei Qian to the courtyard and decided to investigate the pool alone.
• Fang Xuan descended eight thousand zhang into the Azure Pool and reached its bottom.
• Fang Xuan found a palace beneath the pool bearing the name Azure Water Palace.

Fang Xuan found the Sui Wood beneath Cloud Palace and learned it had been corrupted by the hatred of the souls used to nourish it. When the tree spirit urged him to destroy the formation suppressing it, Fang Xuan saw through the deception and attacked the tree, revealing the traitor Han Quan.

• Fang Xuan entered a cavern where a giant tree held anguished human faces and spoke to him, identifying itself as the Sui Wood he sought.
• The tree spirit claimed that killing it would free the Sui Wood, and instructed Fang Xuan to destroy a formation suppressing its heart.
• The Cloud Palace Master and Qian Yue arrived, and the Cloud Palace Master offered to let Fang Xuan leave if he kept the cavern's secret.
• Fang Xuan realized the tree spirit was deceiving him and refused to destroy the formation, but insisted that he needed the Sui Wood.
• Fang Xuan attacked the giant tree with Ink Abyss, exposing the old man Han Quan, whom the Cloud Palace Master identified as Cloud Palace's traitor.

Fang Xuan attacked Han Quan in the Stone Cave and discovered that his divine fire could counter the Age Wood power grafted into Han Quan's body. As Han Quan bound him and seized Ink Abyss, Fang Xuan invoked the second transformation of his Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation.

• Fang Xuan struck Han Quan, revealing his vine-covered body and his grafted Age Wood power.
• Fang Xuan used his golden fist marks and Samadhi True Fire to wound Han Quan, while Qian Yue recognized the strength behind Fang Xuan's record of killing Chu Yuanzhen.
• Yun Jingxuan fought the ancient Age Wood and activated the Stone Cave's formation to suppress it as tree creatures attacked Fang Xuan.
• Han Quan bound Fang Xuan with vines, seized Ink Abyss, and threatened Yun Jingxuan and Qian Yue.
• Fang Xuan's scarlet bloodlight and black mist ignited as he called out the second transformation of his Divine Fire Profound Heaven Transformation.

Fang Xuan broke free from the treefolk and unleashed a powerful sword attack against Han Quan, who countered with a deadly vine technique. As Yun Jingxuan activated the formation to sever Sui Wood’s connection to Han Quan, Han Quan attempted to fuse with it.

• A cyan light erupted from Pei Qian’s forehead and pierced the clouds, knocking him unconscious as Cloud Palace’s formations activated.
• The vine sphere in the Azure Pool Stone Cave exploded, freeing Fang Xuan and revealing his overwhelming Killing Intent.
• Fang Xuan wielded Ink Abyss and struck Han Quan with eighteen streaks of Sword Qi, burning his vines with pale green flames.
• Han Quan unleashed Senluo Vientiane · Tree Burial, sending black-lit vines against Fang Xuan and Yun Jingxuan.
• Qian Yue attacked Han Quan while Yun Jingxuan activated the formation that bound and began withering Sui Wood.
• Han Quan shouted for the fusion to begin as the formation took hold of Sui Wood.

Han Quan fused with the Years Wood and overwhelmed Fang Xuan, Yun Jingxuan, and Qian Yue inside the Stone Cave. Yun Jingxuan killed Han Quan and severed the Years Wood, saving the Cloud Palace from its corruption but causing Qian Yue to die.

• Han Quan absorbed the giant tree and transformed into a demonic being whose darkness and vines devoured Inner Force throughout the Stone Cave.
• Han Quan’s vines wounded Fang Xuan and drained his vitality, while Yun Jingxuan defended himself and Qian Yue as the three fell into a disadvantageous position.
• Fang Xuan used his transformations and Martial Dao Divine Powers to hold Han Quan off while Yun Jingxuan prepared his sword technique.
• Yun Jingxuan used One Sword, Open Heaven to cut Han Quan in half, and the nine-colored Years Wood escaped from his body.
• Qian Yue urged Yun Jingxuan to destroy the Years Wood despite knowing the act would kill him, and Yun Jingxuan split the branch in two.
• The vines fell away from Qian Yue, but he rapidly withered into a corpse as Yun Jingxuan wept beside him.

Fang Xuan recovered in Cloud Palace after the battle with Han Quan, while Yun Jingxuan revealed the secret of the Sui Wood and offered him a way to cleanse his Baleful Intent. Fang Xuan refused to abandon the Martial Temple, but Yun Jingxuan still gave him the last Sui Wood, leaving him to undergo its cleansing as Yun Jingxuan questioned the Martial God's wager on him.

• Yun Jingxuan brought Fang Xuan and Qian Yue's corpse back to Cloud Palace, placed Qian Yue's memorial tablet, and mourned his Senior Brother.
• Fang Xuan woke in Cloud Palace and learned from Yun Jingxuan that Qian Yue had died in his place while they tried to control the Sui Wood's accumulating Baleful Intent.
• Yun Jingxuan explained that Han Quan had been bewitched by the Sui Wood and warned Fang Xuan that the Baleful Intent in his body could soon kill him or drive him into demonization.
• Yun Jingxuan offered to cleanse Fang Xuan's Baleful Intent with the last Sui Wood if he joined Cloud Palace, but Fang Xuan refused to leave the Martial Temple.
• Yun Jingxuan gave Fang Xuan the Sui Wood, and Fang Xuan swallowed it so its essence could cleanse the Baleful Intent in his body.
• Yun Jingxuan guarded Fang Xuan with a restriction and wondered whether he could bear Great Yang's scattered dragon fortune, as the Martial God had wagered.

Fang Xuan cleansed the Killing Intent from his body with the Sui Wood, while Pei Qian threatened Cloud Palace as he searched for him. Fang Xuan emerged and calmed Pei Qian, and Yun Jingxuan ordered them to leave.

• Fang Xuan used the Sui Wood to cleanse the Killing Intent from his Dantian Sea and meridians, gaining pure vitality as the wood's power merged with his Dantian Sea.
• Pei Qian awoke after his formation collapsed, then stormed Cloud Palace's great hall and demanded that the elders hand over Senior Dragon.
• Yun Jingxuan told Fang Xuan to leave before Pei Qian tore down half of Cloud Palace.
• Fang Xuan appeared before Pei Qian, confirmed that the Killing Intent had dissipated, and stopped his formation patterns.
• Pei Qian apologized to the Round-Faced Elder, and Yun Jingxuan ordered him to leave; Pei Qian then dragged Fang Xuan out of Cloud Palace.

Fang Xuan left the Cloud Palace with Pei Qian and Li Chengqian after purifying the Killing Intent in his Blood Essence Pill, then returned to Shang Jing and the Martial Temple. There, Sun Temple Keeper reported a threat to the Nine Wells, while the Goddess of War warned that Shang Jing faced a major gamble and summoned the Martial Temple’s disciples back.

• Fang Xuan, Pei Qian, and Li Chengqian left the Cloud Palace, and Fang Xuan said the purified Blood Essence Pill had brought him close to reaching a higher realm.
• Sun Temple Keeper told the other temple keepers that the Nine Wells were safe but fighters from God Demon Valley had targeted the Northernmost Land well and injured its Wall Guardian.
• The Goddess of War ordered the temple keepers to watch the Nine Provinces, said the Martial Temple would not intervene in its wars, and made dispersing the Dragon Fortune the priority.
• The Goddess of War told Sun Temple Keeper that Fang Xuan was returning to Shang Jing and that disciples from every region should be summoned back.
• Fang Xuan returned to the lively Martial Temple, where he learned Xiang Jie had advanced to Third Rank Plum Envoy, and Xiang Jie took him to meet Sun Temple Keeper.