Chapter Summaries

Bai Ze reached the final stage of the King-tier Title assessment, where Zhang Wenxuan revealed the Heaven-Piercing Tower’s connection to the Upper Realm and tested the candidates’ willpower. Bai Ze fell into a dreamscape centered on his life in Changqing County, uncertain whether his experiences or the Martial God System were real.

• Bai Ze arrived at the fifth stage and met Zhang Wenxuan, who said the final assessment would wait until the other candidates arrived.
• Zhang Wenxuan told Bai Ze that the Heaven-Piercing Tower selected disciples for the Heaven-Piercing Sect in the Upper Realm, and that a Saint-tier Title made someone a reserve disciple.
• Several days later, more than ten candidates who had passed the fourth stage assembled, and Zhang Wenxuan began the final assessment.
• Zhang Wenxuan unleashed spiritual pressure that sent the candidates into dreamscapes where they faced their deepest fears, with anyone who fell unconscious within half an hour facing elimination.
• Bai Ze awoke in his room in Changqing County and tried to summon the Martial God System, but it did not appear.

Bai Ze lived a long life pursuing martial arts despite his poor talent, rising to lead the Black Tiger Gang before dying old and alone. He then awakened from a decades-long dream with his memories restored and a newfound understanding of conviction.

• Black Panther ordered Bai Ze to poison the injured Gang Leader, but Bai Ze warned the Gang Leader instead and claimed the task had succeeded, earning the position of Deputy Hall Master.
• Bai Ze trained relentlessly, eventually using ruthless schemes to eliminate his rivals and become the new Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang.
• At thirty-two, Bai Ze reached the Blood Changing Realm and left the county town; years of fighting and cultivation brought him to the first level of the Inner Qi Realm at fifty-seven.
• At seventy-six, Bai Ze reflected on his lonely life and his unwavering devotion to martial arts as he grew weak in a mountain village.
• Bai Ze awakened from the decades-long dream with his memories restored and concluded that fearless conviction mattered more than talent or resources.

Bai Ze overcame the Heaven-Piercing Tower’s final trial by realizing that his faith in martial arts mattered more than any opportunity or the Martial God System. He earned the title White Sword King and left the tower, while Zhang Kuang blamed Bai Ze for his failure and vowed revenge.

• Bai Ze awakened first in the Heaven-Piercing Tower and told Zhang Wenxuan that losing an opportunity no longer mattered because his faith sustained his pursuit of martial arts.
• Zhang Kuang and the other martial artists awakened from their trials, and Zhang Wenxuan sent those who had failed outside the tower.
• Zhang Wenxuan awarded the seven remaining martial artists King-tier Titles and taught them the Condensing Intent Art.
• Bai Ze carved White Sword King into the tower wall, and the others chose their own titles.
• Zhang Wenxuan opened a spatial passage, and Bai Ze left the tower with the other martial artists.
• Outside the tower, Zhang Kuang blamed Bai Ze for becoming his inner demon and vowed to kill him.

After leaving the Heaven-Piercing Tower, Bai Ze broke through to the middle stage of the Void Comprehension Realm and confronted Zhang Kuang, who was waiting to kill him. Tang Sanjin joined Bai Ze in the fight, and the chapter ended as Bai Ze unleashed his strongest King Ming Body-Breaking Sword techniques.

• Bai Ze broke through while leaving the Heaven-Piercing Tower, and Tang Sanjin introduced himself as a Core Disciple of the Tang Sect and warned him that Zhang Kuang might be waiting outside.
• Bai Ze refused Tang Sanjin's offer of help, but Zhang Kuang roared at him as soon as they emerged, and Bai Ze led him away from the tower.
• Bai Ze stopped and faced Zhang Kuang, who blamed him for losing his King-tier Title and threatened to torture him.
• Bai Ze and Zhang Kuang began fighting, and Tang Sanjin arrived and joined Bai Ze with his Torrential Rain Sword.
• Bai Ze unleashed his King Ming Domain, sword intent, and the first three forms of the King Ming Body-Breaking Sword against Zhang Kuang.

Bai Ze and Tang Sanjin fought Zhang Kuang until Zhang Kuang used a jade stone to unleash an Entering Saint Realm strike. Bai Ze survived by being swept into a spatial crack and woke badly injured inside a carriage.

• Bai Ze and Tang Sanjin joined forces against Zhang Kuang, and Bai Ze wounded him with the King Ming Body-Breaking Sword.
• Zhang Kuang used a life-saving jade stone left by his ancestor to unleash an Entering Saint Realm Lightning Slash.
• Bai Ze and Tang Sanjin fled in different directions, and Zhang Kuang pursued Bai Ze as Bai Ze's sword attack failed to stop the Lightning Slash.
• The strike blasted the area apart, and Zhang Kuang believed Bai Ze had been killed.
• Bai Ze later woke inside a carriage, severely injured after surviving a spatial crack with the help of the Sword King Domain, the Hollow Stone, and other items.

After surviving his severe injuries, Bai Ze recovered aboard Tong Yao’s caravan on the Eastern Continent. When he learned the Tong Family was being ambushed on its way to retrieve Spirit Grass, he refused to leave them despite their warnings.

• A merchant caravan rescued Bai Ze after he crossed a spatial rift, and Tong Yao and Xiao Lu helped him recover.
• Bai Ze learned the caravan was returning to the Tong Family and that the Zhou Family was trying to stop them from bringing back Spirit Grass to heal their old master.
• The Tong caravan endured repeated ambushes from increasingly powerful attackers while Bai Ze focused on recovering.
• After more than a week, Bai Ze wore away the strange energy in his body and regained the ability to move.
• Tong Yao and Tong Jing urged Bai Ze to leave for his own safety, but he stayed because Tong Yao had saved his life.

Bai Ze traveled with Tong Yao and Xiao Lu toward Nanshan City while healing, as the Zhou Family sent Zhou Yi and Zhou Ming to ambush them and seize the Spirit Grass. As Tong Yao worried about the danger ahead, Bai Ze urged the group to face whatever came.

• Bai Ze, Tong Yao, and Xiao Lu rode toward Nanshan City with a guard team while Bai Ze healed his injuries using the King Ming Sword Heart Art.
• Tong Yao told Xiao Lu to focus on cultivating, while Xiao Lu joked that she had saved Bai Ze.
• The Zhou Family sent Third Elder Zhou Yi and Zhou Ming with more than a dozen martial artists to kill Tong Yao's group and prevent them from bringing back the Spirit Grass.
• Tong Yao grew uneasy as the group neared Nanshan City and warned Xiao Lu to tell Second Uncle to stay alert.
• Bai Ze opened his eyes and told Tong Yao that they could not retreat, so they should face the Zhou Family's attack when it came.

Bai Ze refused to leave the Tong Family despite his injuries, insisting that the Zhou Family’s attackers were no match for him. When Zhou Yi and Zhou Ming arrived to seize the Spirit Grass, Bai Ze stepped forward to protect the Tong Family, and Zhou Ming attacked him.

• Xiao Lu and Tong Yao urged Bai Ze to leave before the Zhou Family sent stronger fighters, but Bai Ze said his injuries would not stop him from dealing with them.
• A few days later, Bai Ze sensed the Zhou Family’s arrival, and Tong Jing recognized Zhou Yi among the newcomers.
• Zhou Yi demanded that Tong Jing hand over the Spirit Grass, while Tong Yao and Xiao Lu realized the Tong Family could not escape the Zhou Family’s forces.
• Bai Ze told Zhou Yi and his men to leave, shocking the Tong Family and provoking Zhou Yi.
• Zhou Ming volunteered to kill Bai Ze, then launched Wind Breaking Slash as Tong Jing prepared to block the attack.

Bai Ze killed the Zhou Family attackers with his sixth-level sword intent, saving Tong Yao, Tong Jing, and the Tong Family. After revealing that he was a Void Comprehension Realm martial artist from the Central Continent, he explained how he had arrived in the Eastern Continent.

• Bai Ze killed Zhou Ming with one strike, then used Bright Sword, Break the Vast Sky to slay the other Zhou Family attackers.
• Tong Jing thanked Bai Ze for saving the Tong Family, and Bai Ze said he had acted to repay Tong Yao for saving him.
• Tong Yao and Xiao Lu entered the carriage and thanked Bai Ze as he healed his injuries.
• Bai Ze told Tong Yao and Xiao Lu that he was a Void Comprehension Realm martial artist, beyond the Shattering Realm.
• Bai Ze revealed that he came from the Central Continent and had entered a spatial rift after suffering a great blow, which brought him to the Eastern Continent.

After returning to Nanshan City, Bai Ze stayed with the Tong Family to recover and helped Tong Yao and Xiao Lu improve their cultivation. The Zhou Family planned to attack the Tong Family in a month, while Tong Yao and Xiao Lu asked Bai Ze to take them to the Central Continent.

• Bai Ze told Tong Yao and Xiao Lu about the realms beyond the Void Comprehension Realm, making Tong Yao yearn to visit the Central Continent.
• Tong Yao and her companions returned to Nanshan City with the Spirit Grass, while Zhou Maoye learned that Zhou Yi and Zhou Ming had failed and were likely dead.
• Ancestor Zhou Lun ordered the Zhou Family to advance its plan and attack the Tong Family in one month, saying he would personally kill Ancestor Tong Cheng.
• The Tong Family welcomed Bai Ze, and he accepted Tong Cheng's visit before staying to recover and guide Tong Yao and Xiao Lu in cultivation.
• After half a month, Xiao Lu reached the Great Grandmaster Realm and Tong Yao reached its late stage; Tong Yao and Xiao Lu then asked Bai Ze to take them to the Central Continent.

Tong Yao and Xiao Lu considered following Bai Ze to the Central Continent, but he warned them that they were too weak and explained the requirements for joining the Sword Sect. As they trained for the chance to leave with him, Bai Ze recovered, advanced his cultivation and sword intent, and vowed to kill Zhang Kuang.

• Tong Yao asked Bai Ze about going to the Central Continent with Xiao Lu, and he warned them of its dangers and the Sword Sect’s Heavenly Human Realm requirement for Servant Disciples.
• Bai Ze offered to arrange identities for them in the Sword Sect if they decided to travel with him after he had stayed longer.
• Tong Yao and Xiao Lu trained harder, while Tong Haiping and the Tong Family supported them with resources.
• Bai Ze practiced the King Ming Body-Breaking Sword and advanced to the late Void Comprehension Realm and the seventh level of Great Accomplishment in sword intent.
• Bai Ze remembered Zhang Kuang and vowed to kill him when they met again.

Zhou Lun broke through to the mid-stage Shattering Realm and led the Zhou Family to attack the Tong Family. As Tong Cheng faced him, Bai Ze agreed to intervene and stood beside the Tong Family, leaving Zhou Lun’s offer rejected.

• Zhou Lun broke through to the mid-stage Shattering Realm and decided to eliminate the Tong Family to dominate the surrounding cities.
• A few days later, Zhou Lun and Zhou Maoye brought a large force to the Tong Family estate and demanded that Tong Cheng come out.
• Tong Cheng appeared and challenged Zhou Lun, while people across Nanshan City speculated over which family would win.
• Tong Yao asked Bai Ze to help the Tong Family, and Bai Ze agreed after sensing Zhou Lun’s newly advanced strength.
• Bai Ze appeared beside Tong Cheng and refused Zhou Lun’s offer of ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, angering the Zhou Family.

Bai Ze killed Zhou Lun and the Zhou Family’s leading experts, allowing the Tong Family to destroy their rivals and take control of Nanshan City. He then set out for the Central Continent with Tong Yao and Xiao Lu, paying the Dongxiao Chamber of Commerce to travel by ship to its Eastern Region.

• Bai Ze killed Zhou Lun and the others with a single sword strike, annihilating their souls.
• Tong Cheng led the Tong Family in wiping out the Zhou Family, while Nanshan City’s other families moved to curry favor with the Tong Family.
• Bai Ze learned that travelers could reach the Central Continent by teleportation array or by crossing the ocean, and chose the sea route with Tong Yao and Xiao Lu.
• Tong Yao recommended the Dongxiao Chamber of Commerce, and Bai Ze agreed to travel with them to the Central Continent.
• At Dongxiao Seaport, Bai Ze paid for three passage tokens on a ship bound for the Eastern Region, scheduled to depart in three days.

Bai Ze, Tong Yao, and Xiao Lu reached Dongxiao Port and boarded the vessel bound for the Central Continent. After finding their adjoining rooms, they encountered a drunken middle-aged man who nearly collided with them and offered Bai Ze a drink.

• Tang Sanjin visited the ravine, assumed Bai Ze had died, and left without seeking revenge on Zhang Kuang.
• Bai Ze, Tong Yao, and Xiao Lu arrived at Dongxiao Port and saw the heavily guarded Dongxiao Hao preparing to sail.
• Bai Ze's group presented their single-use boarding tokens and entered the vessel, where they found their assigned rooms next door to one another.
• A middle-aged man carrying a wine jug nearly bumped into the group and offered Bai Ze a drink, but Bai Ze refused and continued toward their rooms.

Bai Ze and his companions continued their voyage toward the Central Continent, using the journey to strengthen themselves. After consolidating his cultivation for a month, Bai Ze was visited by the mysterious Drunkard, who brought him Immortal Brew and began talking with him.

• The Drunkard recognized Bai Ze’s late Void Comprehension Realm cultivation and King Ming Sword Body after their first encounter, while Bai Ze wondered about the man’s hidden strength.
• Bai Ze urged Tong Yao to attempt a breakthrough to the Heavenly Human Realm and Xiao Lu to keep improving, then returned to his room to cultivate.
• After a month of cultivation, Bai Ze consolidated his realm and Sword Intent, and judged that he could now kill Zhang Kuang within a few strikes.
• The Drunkard found Bai Ze’s room and entered with Immortal Brew, while Bai Ze explained that the man’s apparent lack of cultivation had made him seem suspicious.
• Bai Ze refused to drink the wine because its fragrance threatened to intoxicate him, and the Drunkard asked whether he was afraid of being harmed.

Bai Ze learned that the mysterious drunkard had once belonged to the Sword Sect and received a jug of Immortal Brew from him. After refining one cup for over a week, Bai Ze gained a month’s worth of cultivation progress and planned to use the remaining brew to reach the peak of the Void Comprehension Realm before arriving in the Central Continent.

• The drunkard recognized Bai Ze as a Misty Peak disciple from the King Ming Sword Heart Art and hinted at his own past connection to the Sword Sect.
• Bai Ze told the drunkard that Hong Yan had become Misty Peak’s current peak master, and the drunkard reflected on how much the Sword Sect had changed.
• The drunkard vanished without Bai Ze noticing and left him the remaining Immortal Brew, warning him not to drink too much at once.
• Bai Ze drank one cup of Immortal Brew, became dizzy as his cultivation art circulated automatically, and cultivated while refining its energy.
• More than a week later, Bai Ze finished refining the cup and decided to space out the remaining doses so he could reach the peak of the Void Comprehension Realm before the Dongxiao Hao reached the Central Continent.

After the Dongxiao Hao stopped at the Thirty-Six Islands, Bai Ze gave Tong Yao Immortal Brew and went ashore to look for a stronger sword. He left a shop without buying its overpriced Azure Moon Sword and planned to seek a weapon at the upcoming auction.

• The Dongxiao Hao arrived at the Thirty-Six Islands and stopped for half a month of business.
• Bai Ze told Tong Yao about the local auction and gave her Immortal Brew to dilute and use for cultivation.
• Bai Ze disembarked alone to search for a Void Comprehension Realm longsword.
• A shopkeeper offered Bai Ze the Azure Moon Sword for 6,500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, but refused his offer of 5,000.
• Bai Ze left the shop and wandered the islands while waiting for the auction to begin.

Bai Ze attended the Thirty-Six Auction House and watched Song Nan auction off several treasures. When she presented the middle-grade Void Realm Dragon Stab Sword, Bai Ze decided to bid for it rather than wait until he returned to the Central Continent.

• Bai Ze entered a private room at the Thirty-Six Auction House and waited for the auction to begin.
• Song Nan opened the auction by offering three Evergreen Pills, which a Lineage patriarch bought for twenty-seven thousand five hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.
• Bai Ze stayed out of the bidding as Song Nan sold a series of other items, including cultivation materials and a technique.
• Song Nan presented the middle-grade Void Realm Dragon Stab Sword forged by Master Lu, and Bai Ze decided it was worth bidding on.

Bai Ze joined a fierce auction for the Dragon Stab Sword and won it with a bid of ninety-five thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Qian Tong stopped bidding, though he hinted he might have another way to obtain the sword.

• Song Nan opened bidding for the Dragon Stab Sword at five thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, and the price quickly climbed.
• Li Changde and Qian Tong competed against each other as the price rose to seventy-one thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
• Bai Ze entered the bidding at eighty-five thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones and raised his offer to ninety thousand.
• Bai Ze offered ninety-five thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones as his final bid, saying he would yield the sword if anyone paid more.
• Qian Tong declined to bid higher, and Bai Ze secured the Dragon Stab Sword.

Bai Ze bought the Dragon Stab Sword at the auction, then left to lure the martial artists who planned to rob him. He threw the sword to draw his pursuers into the open, and they began fighting over it.

• Bai Ze received the Dragon Stab Sword and admired its flood dragon blood and power.
• Bai Ze left the auction house while Qian Tong sent a middle-aged man to follow and kill him.
• Bai Ze noticed several pursuers and deliberately led them away, hoping to plunder their Spirit Stones.
• A martial artist blocked Bai Ze on the road and attacked, but Bai Ze evaded him.
• Bai Ze threw the Dragon Stab Sword onto the ground, prompting the hidden pursuers to rush for it and fight among themselves.