Chapter Summaries

Xu Dong announced that the Tiger Immortal Sect would take twenty Linxian Tournament contenders to the Outer Realm and arrange Immortal Registers for them. Qian Wandai revealed that his family had secured him a place, then bid Xiao Chen farewell as he prepared to leave.

• Xu Dong appeared at the Linxian Tournament and announced that the Tiger Immortal Sect was expanding its recruitment from the secular world.
• Qian Wandai told Xiao Chen that the Tiger Immortal Sect was a beast-taming sect that had once been renamed after an extraordinary tiger became immortal.
• Xu Dong declared that twenty people would enter the Outer Realm with him and receive Immortal Registers, exciting the contenders.
• Qian Wandai told Xiao Chen that his father had arranged for him to enter the Outer Realm by using connections and benefits.
• Qian Wandai bid Xiao Chen farewell and promised to look after his descendants if he achieved immortality, telling them to call his true name if they needed help.

Xiao Chen watched the Outer Realm assessment, where Xu Dong tested candidates with a treasure mirror that only lit for the strongest. The twenty places were filled before Xiao Chen and several other untested youths could take their turns, and Xu Dong ended the tournament.

• Xu Dong explained that candidates had to strike his White Mirror and make it glow to qualify.
• Liu Ye's powerful punch produced only a faint trace of light, but Xu Dong declared him passed; Zhang Chong failed despite using all his strength.
• After testing more than nine hundred youths, only thirteen ignited the mirror, while most were eliminated.
• Xu Dong let Qian Wandai skip the test and join the selected candidates, drawing scorn from those who had qualified by ability.
• Xu Dong announced the tournament's end with Xiao Chen and several other youths still untested, and someone called out, "Wait."

Xiao Chen demanded the chance to test at the Linxian Tournament, despite Xu Dong and the crowd dismissing him as too weak. His unarmed punch made the White Mirror blaze like a silver moon, leaving everyone stunned as someone accused the mirror of being fake.

• Xiao Chen invoked the tournament rules and insisted that Xu Dong let him test, revealing that he was a sword cultivator.
• Xu Dong reluctantly gave Xiao Chen a chance, but ordered him to use only his fists.
• Xiao Chen punched the White Mirror with his blood and vitality, blasting nearby Heavenly Prodigies back and making the mirror shine brilliantly.
• Qian Wandai and the crowd reacted in shock, while the man who had promised to kowtow faced pressure to keep his word.
• Xu Dong wondered about Xiao Chen's talent as someone in the crowd declared that the White Mirror had to be fake.

After Xiao Chen stunned the crowd with his punch, Xu Dong privately tested whether he had hidden strength, but Xiao Chen concealed his condition and was not recognized as a Tiger Seedling. Xu Dong led the selected youths out of Linxian City to begin their ascent toward the Outer Realm, leaving them at the foot of Mount Tongxian.

• Zi Zhan claimed the White Mirror had malfunctioned, and most of the crowd doubted Xiao Chen's strength.
• Xu Dong examined Xiao Chen and asked whether he had held back, but Xiao Chen insisted he had exhausted himself and made himself look weak.
• Xu Dong dismissed Xiao Chen as a Tiger Seedling candidate and led the selected youths away, while Zi Zhan fell silent under Xu Dong's cold gaze.
• Xiao Chen and the other chosen youths followed Xu Dong along the Goldlight-stone Ascension Road toward Linxian City's eastern gate.
• Xu Dong pointed out Mount Tongxian and told the youths that climbing it would take them to the Outer Realm.

Xiao Chen and the other youths entered the Tiger Immortal Sect’s Outer Realm, where the guards called them Gray Apprentices and left them questioning their status. As Qian Wandai remembered the sect’s history of sacrificing a city of nearly a million people, he realized what Gray Apprentices meant, but the chapter ended before he explained.

• Xu Dong led Xiao Chen and the other youths up Mount Tongxian to the Sever Mortal Bridge, guarded by Golden Armor guards and enormous demon lions.
• The guards let the group pass and dismissed the youths as Gray Apprentices, unsettling them and prompting questions about their place in the sect.
• Xu Dong refused to explain Gray Apprentices and grew cold and distant, while Xiao Chen sensed that something was wrong.
• Qian Wandai told Xiao Chen that twenty years earlier the Tiger Immortal Sect had sacrificed a city of nearly a million people to strengthen a spirit beast’s ferocious soul.
• Qian Wandai suddenly remembered what Gray Apprentices were and cried out, but did not reveal the answer before the chapter ended.

Xiao Chen and Qian Wandai realized the Tiger Immortal Sect had recruited them as Gray Apprentices to scout a perilous land, but Xu Dong forced the youths into the Outer Realm. At the Tiger Immortal Sect’s gate, Liu Hua attacked Xiao Chen with a finger, blasting him into a crater and leaving the others unsure whether he had survived.

• Qian Wandai told Xiao Chen that the Tiger Immortal Sect intended to use them as Gray Apprentices, and the pair suspected the sect had found a peerless treasure.
• Xu Dong suppressed a youth who tried to flee and threatened the recruits into crossing the Ascension Bridge with him.
• Xiao Chen and the others entered the Outer Realm, marveled at its dense spiritual energy and strange beasts, and followed Xu Dong to the Tiger Immortal Sect.
• Liu Hua inspected the recruits and reacted with displeasure at Xiao Chen and Qian Wandai’s low cultivation levels.
• After Xu Dong praised Xiao Chen’s strength, Liu Hua tested him with a ruthless finger strike that sent him flying into a crater.

Xiao Chen hid his strength after Liu Hua struck him, then survived the attack and entered Tiger Immortal Sect with the other newcomers. The group was assigned to dilapidated quarters, while Xu Dong reported to Ninth Elder, who questioned the quality of the recruits.

• Liu Hua struck Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen pretended to be dead to conceal his strength.
• Xu Dong ordered Qian Wandai to dispose of Xiao Chen's body, but Xiao Chen climbed out of the crater alive.
• Xiao Chen and Qian Wandai returned to the others, and Xu Dong led the newcomers to their run-down courtyards beside the beast sheds.
• Xu Dong went to see Ninth Elder, who asked whether Liu Hua had said that two recruits were inferior and one could not withstand a single finger.

Xu Dong reported Xiao Chen’s extraordinary Heaven Glimpse Mirror result to Liu Xinghai, who weighed cultivating him against sending him into a deadly dangerous land in search of a treasure connected to an immortal. Xu Dong then went to the apprentices’ courtyard and gathered the Mortal World talents to explain what Gray Apprentices were.

• Xu Dong recounted Xiao Chen’s strength to Liu Xinghai, who used an eye technique to confirm that Xiao Chen had made the Heaven Glimpse Mirror blaze like fire.
• Liu Xinghai praised Xiao Chen’s talent and temperament but hesitated to spare him from scouting the dangerous land, where Gray Apprentices would seek a treasure connected to an immortal.
• After Xu Dong left, Liu Hua told Liu Xinghai something that changed his expression, and Liu Xinghai sent him to cultivate.
• Xu Dong debated how to treat Xiao Chen, then went to the courtyard and gathered the Mortal World talents to explain what Gray Apprentices were.

Xu Dong told the Gray Apprentices that the Tiger Immortal Sect’s expedition sought a treasure connected to an immortal, while Xiao Chen and Qian Wandai knew the role was nearly certain death. Xu Dong privately revealed that Ninth Elder might grant Xiao Chen an Azure Cloud Path, then asked whether he still wanted to enter the treasure land.

• Xu Dong described the promised rewards and scouting duties for Gray Apprentices, while Xiao Chen and Qian Wandai recognized the expedition’s deadly reality.
• Xu Dong revealed that the treasure land was connected to an immortal, exciting Xiao Chen and the other recruits.
• Xu Dong privately told Xiao Chen that Ninth Elder likely intended to grant him an Azure Cloud Path, and Zi Zhan overheard part of their conversation.
• Xu Dong praised Xiao Chen’s concealed talent and reminded him that he had shattered the Heaven Glimpse Mirror.
• Xiao Chen asked whether Ninth Elder still planned to send him into the treasure land, and Xu Dong asked whether he wanted to go.

Xiao Chen accepted spirit stones, pills, and a loan from Xu Dong, then endured three days in the Tiger Immortal Sect’s cramped lodging while other youths suffered from the nearby pig demons’ snores. He learned he had been added to the group exploring the dangerous Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land, leaving Xu Dong puzzled and the other youths alarmed.

• Xu Dong told Xiao Chen he had been removed from the Gray Apprentice list, then gave him spirit stones and Return Spring Pills; Xiao Chen also borrowed a thousand taels of silver from him.
• Xiao Chen and the other youths settled into dilapidated courtyards near the animal pens, where the pig demons’ snores kept several of them awake.
• A Young Grandmaster tried to take Xiao Chen’s room but emerged terrified, and a Half-Step Grandmaster who challenged Qian Wandai was also driven off by Xiao Chen.
• Tiger Immortal Sect representatives announced that the youths would explore a treasure ground in two days and included Xiao Chen on the list.
• Xu Dong tried to get Xiao Chen to return his gifts and loan, while the youths learned the destination was the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land and questioned whether it was truly a treasure ground.

Xiao Chen learned that the Tiger Immortal Sect had assigned him and the other secular prodigies to scout the dangerous Fallen Immortal Forbidden Zone, where the Indestructible Diamond Sutra was said to be hidden. Liu Hua revealed that he had deliberately ruined Xiao Chen’s chance at the Azure Cloud Path, leaving Xiao Chen to hear the reason behind his decision.

• Xiao Chen read that the Mount-Shaking Immortal’s Indestructible Diamond Sutra was hidden in the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Zone, and that the Tiger Immortal Sect had found traces of its upper volume.
• Xu Dong left the dossier behind and departed, convinced that Xiao Chen and the other Gray Apprentices would die on the expedition.
• Qian Wandai warned Xiao Chen that Gray Apprentices were being sent as cannon fodder, and the other youths panicked when they learned the truth.
• A youth in yellow tried to flee the courtyard but was blasted back by a barrier, and Liu Hua entered and declared that the Mortal World youths could not escape.
• Liu Hua told Xiao Chen that he had persuaded his grandfather to deny Xiao Chen the Azure Cloud Path, then asked whether Xiao Chen wanted to know what he had said.

Liu Hua delivered the Demon Subduing Scripture and threatened Xiao Chen, while Qiongqi reassured Xiao Chen that his Martial God Physique could resist most curses. Xiao Chen quickly understood the scripture and manifested a protective Daoist talisman, shocking the other youths.

• Liu Hua told Xiao Chen that he had once intended to kill him, then left the Demon Subduing Scripture for the Gray Apprentices to master within two days.
• The Gray Apprentices complained that the scripture was too difficult and that the Tiger Immortal Sect was sending them to scout the dangerous Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land.
• Qiongqi told Xiao Chen that his Martial God Physique could resist most baleful curses, easing Xiao Chen's worries about entering the forbidden land.
• Xiao Chen read the scripture once, memorized it, and explained to Lu Heng that yang energy suppressed the Yin Spirit.
• Xiao Chen manifested a Daoist talisman between his brows, astonishing Zi Zhan and the other youths.

Xiao Chen and the other Gray Apprentices were taken by Liu Hua’s faction to serve as cannon fodder in the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land. After traveling for a day and night, they arrived at its eerie entrance, where enormous blackened skeletons lay scattered across the wasteland.

• Qian Wandai suspected that Lu Heng had almost called Xiao Chen by his true name, but Lu Heng angrily dismissed him and hurried away.
• Two days later, Liu Hua inspected the Gray Apprentices’ progress in the Demon Subduing Scripture and scolded them for cultivating only a faint Dao glow.
• Liu Hua’s group took Xiao Chen and the others to a mountain cliff, where they boarded a blood-red bird and set off for the forbidden land.
• The travelers endured a dangerous journey, including an attack by a gigantic blood-red butterfly, before reaching a dark ancient forest after a day and night of flight.
• Xiao Chen and the others landed in a barren wasteland at the forbidden land’s entrance, where Qian Wandai trembled at the sight of immense blackened skeletons.

Liu Hua led the Gray Apprentices into the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land to search for an immortal's legacy, despite its deadly aura and hidden dangers. Xiao Chen remained largely unaffected by the black mist, but the group’s scout was seized by a black hand as they explored the eastern forest.

• Liu Hua and the Gray Apprentices entered the forbidden land through a gate of light, while the ferocious beasts stayed outside.
• The group found a gray, lifeless forest, and the dense deathly aura began draining the weaker apprentices’ vitality.
• Xiao Chen resisted the deathly aura with his blood and qi, then concealed his strength by producing only an inch of golden Dao light.
• A Tiger Immortal Sect expert split the Gray Apprentices into five groups, and a black-armored man led Xiao Chen, Qian Wandai, and two others toward the eastern area.
• The black-armored man sent a Gray Apprentice ahead to scout, and a black hand erupted from a rune in the ground and dragged the scout’s right foot beneath the earth.
• The black-armored man scolded the trapped scout and ordered him to circulate the Demon Subduing Scripture instead of trying to rescue him.

Xiao Chen rescued the Gray Apprentice from an eerie hand beneath the earth, then destroyed a gigantic black palm with one punch. The group saw his strength firsthand as they continued facing the dangers of the ancient forest.

• A dark hand dragged the Gray Apprentice underground while the middle-aged man in black armor refused to save him.
• Xiao Chen shattered the dark mist and pulled the Gray Apprentice free, revealing five inches of Dao light and astonishing the group.
• A much larger black hand rose from underground and plunged toward Xiao Chen and the Gray Apprentice.
• Xiao Chen shoved the terrified Gray Apprentice clear, then punched through the giant palm and caused it to dissolve.
• Qian Wandai and the other Gray Apprentices marveled at Xiao Chen's strength, while the middle-aged man in black armor dismissed his feat.

Xiao Chen destroyed an uncanny black hand, but the Gray Apprentice it had touched still died when a dark seed inside him ignited. Xiao Chen found a Fallen Immortal Stone, which the black-armored middle-aged man seized; after learning its power could remake the body with immortal energy, Xiao Chen kept his anger in check and planned to learn more before dealing with the man.

• Xiao Chen scattered the enormous black hand with the Demon Subduing Scripture and returned to the group.
• The rescued Gray Apprentice turned black and vanished when a dark seed inside him activated, and Xiao Chen realized the uncanny creature had planted it during their brief contact.
• Xiao Chen found a black crystal, but the black-armored middle-aged man clawed his palm and took it, claiming all treasures belonged to the Tiger Immortal Sect.
• The black-armored middle-aged man identified the crystal as a Fallen Immortal Stone formed from cursed immortal blood and explained that it could imbue and remake a person's body.
• Xiao Chen concealed his anger and decided to let the Hei Family man keep the stone until he learned what he needed to know.

Xiao Chen refused the black-armored middle-aged man's order to scout ahead and demanded the Fallen Immortal Stone, challenging the Tiger Immortal Sect master to a fight. The man summoned a powerful dharma body of his Netherworld Two-Headed Leopard, and Xiao Chen leaped into the sky to confront it.

• The black-armored middle-aged man ordered Xiao Chen to scout ahead, but Xiao Chen demanded that he hand over the Fallen Immortal Stone.
• Xiao Chen accused the man of relying on his bonded demonic beast and advanced despite Qian Wandai's warning.
• The black-armored middle-aged man summoned a dharma body of his Netherworld Two-Headed Leopard and boasted that it held ninety percent of the beast's combat strength.
• Xiao Chen dismissed the man's claims about the gulf between immortals and mortals, then leaped toward the mountain-sized leopard.

Xiao Chen defeated the Netherworld Two-Headed Leopard’s dharma body and beat Yu Huaxian, then demanded answers about the Fallen Immortal Stone and the Indestructible Diamond Sutra.

• Xiao Chen met the Netherworld Two-Headed Leopard in the sky and initially fought it to a draw.
• Xiao Chen blasted apart both of the beast’s heads, destroying its dharma body as its demonic blood rained down.
• Yu Huaxian attacked Xiao Chen after he landed, but Xiao Chen beat him until he was bruised and coughing blood.
• Xiao Chen demanded that Yu Huaxian explain how to use the Fallen Immortal Stone and where the Indestructible Diamond Sutra was hidden.

Xiao Chen forced Yu Huaxian to reveal the Dust Cleansing Sutra and a clue to the Indestructible Diamond Sutra, then killed a fellow mortal who demanded his protection and treasure. He headed east into the depths of the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land, where an unknown voice noticed his General Realm cultivation.

• Yu Huaxian taught Xiao Chen, Qian Wandai, and Gray Apprentice the Dust Cleansing Sutra and revealed that a cave in the forbidden land's eastern region might hold a clue to the Indestructible Diamond Sutra.
• Xiao Chen made Yu Huaxian sever his left arm and leave, then told Qian Wandai to hide near the entrance until the Tiger Immortal Sect's people departed.
• Gray Apprentice demanded that Xiao Chen protect him and share treasures; Xiao Chen struck him down and killed him with a sword strike when he threatened him.
• Xiao Chen traveled east through the forbidden land, fighting calamity beasts and plants while using the Demon Subduing Scripture to repel the sinister energy.
• After reaching the eastern region, Xiao Chen heard a woman’s voice remark on his General Realm cultivation.

Xiao Chen met Ye Jin, a powerful young woman from Youfan City, who explained the Outer Realm and offered to protect him from the dangers of the Fallen Immortal Forbidden Land. When Xiao Chen refused her help and tried to leave, Ye Jin trapped him in a barrier, and he struggled before giving up.

• Ye Jin mistook Xiao Chen for a Gray Apprentice exploited by the Tiger Immortal Sect and told him about Youfan City, her family, and the sect's broken promise not to use Gray Apprentices.
• Ye Jin explained that she and her fellow Ye Family members had entered the forbidden land to seek the Indestructible Diamond Sutra, but deadly formations had killed or injured most of them.
• Ye Jin offered to keep Xiao Chen safe and bring him to her family, but Xiao Chen declined and said the forbidden land seemed safe to him.
• When Xiao Chen tried to leave, Ye Jin trapped him with a barrier, and he tried to break free before stopping because she meant well.
• Ye Jin recognized Xiao Chen as a sword cultivator, and he asked her to release him.