Chapter Summaries

Xu Kun faced outrage over destroying Thunderclap Marsh and refused to reveal the secret reasons behind it, instead challenging his critics to confront him. The controversy peaked when Sky Eye gave him three months to restore a secret realm of equal value or lose his Human Race status.

• Xu Kun told his companions that Thor had gone dormant inside his Iron Gauntlets, then teased Hao Jian about secretly clearing an SS-tier secret realm with an unknown partner.
• Zhan Rourou warned Xu Kun that people, especially in the Aegean Rim Warzone, demanded an explanation and compensation for Thunderclap Marsh’s destruction.
• Yang Yao cautioned everyone to keep Xu Kun’s discoveries and plans secret, warning that leaks could expose him to the Titan Race.
• Xu Kun rejected Yang Yao’s offer to have Sky Eye intervene and asked Sikong Ting’s family to declare that Xu Kun alone was responsible and would restore a secret realm of equal value.
• The Sikong Family released Xu Kun’s defiant statement, provoking a storm of condemnation online as Xu Kun waited for his opponents to react.
• Sky Eye posted that Xu Kun would lose his Human Race status unless he restored a secret realm of equal value within three months.

Xu Kun’s Thunderclap Marsh incident prompted Sky Eye and Zeus to publicly agree on a two-month deadline for compensation, while human security forces cracked down on forum troublemakers. After reviewing his rewards and planning his next steps, Xu Kun tried to wake Shen-bao but fled after pulling away her garment, leaving her awake and amused.

• Sky Eye and Zeus agreed that Kun had two months to compensate Thunderclap Marsh or surrender Blazing God's Tomb and Guanjiang Ghost Manor to Olympus City.
• Human security forces arrested forum users posting malicious comments and rumors.
• Yang Yao planned to identify foreign race Secret Realms to raid, Sikong Ting prepared to return to his family, and Xu Kun told them to regroup in half an hour for the Eternal Divine Tree Secret Realm dungeon.
• Xu Kun reviewed his Thunderclap Marsh rewards, including Polarity Beads and the SSS-rank Devil Fruit: Dao Lightning, and decided to visit Brother Qian.
• Xu Kun tried to wake Shen-bao by using Star-Picking Lock to remove her garment, then fled when he felt his nose itch; Shen-bao opened her eyes and smiled.

Xu Kun sought Skill Slot Advancement Scrolls and learned that Divine Craftsman Ou Yezi might have them at Sword Pool Holy Land. After arriving to request an audience, Xu Kun was challenged to undergo the holy land’s test before he could enter.

• Xu Kun asked Qian Manlou for more Skill Slot Advancement Scrolls, and Qian Manlou said their stock was gone but directed him to Divine Craftsman Ou Yezi.
• Qian Manlou told Xu Kun that Ou Yezi was visiting the Gan Jiang Moye couple at Sword Pool Holy Land and gave him a forging blueprint as an apprenticeship gift, but Xu Kun declined it.
• Xu Kun passed the site where his former home was being rebuilt and flew to Sword Pool Holy Land on the Wind Fire Wheels.
• Xu Kun requested an audience with Ou Yezi, but a young disciple refused to admit him and ordered the swordsmen to drive him away.
• Xu Kun insisted on entering, and the young disciple offered him Sword Pool Holy Land’s test; Xu Kun accepted.

Xu Kun entered Sword Pool Holy Land and faced a forging assessment set by Ou Yezi to test his talent. He forged refined iron with 100% purity, earning Ou Yezi’s rare praise and leaving Lei Huan stunned.

• Lei Huan led Xu Kun to the assessment site after explaining the Holy Land’s entry restrictions and mountain gate test.
• Lei Huan returned to Gan Jiang and Ou Yezi, who watched Xu Kun through the furnace flames as he began the assessment.
• A mirror assigned Xu Kun the task of forging refined iron with more than 90% purity, despite his being only Level 1, Tier 10.
• Xu Kun used the techniques Wang Mengmeng had taught him to forge and quench the pig iron, producing refined iron that Ou Yezi praised.
• The mirror judged Xu Kun’s refined iron to be 100% pure, passing the assessment and leaving Lei Huan astonished.

Xu Kun passed the first Sword Pool Holy Land assessment and faced a second test that required repairing damaged equipment. He identified and chose a hidden D-grade dagger, then began reforging it with astonishing skill, leaving Brother Hao stunned as the repair continued.

• Xu Kun passed the first test by producing 100% pure refined iron, and the path ahead opened.
• Xu Kun met Brother Hao, who explained that the second test required choosing and repairing one damaged piece of equipment.
• Xu Kun recognized the D-grade dagger among the E-grade equipment and chose it despite Brother Hao's warning.
• Xu Kun began repairing the dagger by heating it with the repair metals and hammering them together in an unconventional sequence.
• Xu Kun rapidly reforged the dagger's body from scratch, and Brother Hao realized the work demanded skill beyond that of a novice.

Xu Kun repaired a damaged dagger so skillfully that its quality rose from D-grade inferior to D-grade excellent, astonishing the craftsmen who watched. Ou Yezi canceled the remaining trials and ordered Chi to compete with Xu Kun for the chance to inherit his legacy.

• Xu Kun forged the damaged dagger, and Brother Hao identified the restored weapon as D-grade excellent.
• Lei Huan and Gan Jiang were stunned by Xu Kun’s repair, while Ou Yezi recognized that his Forging Art exceeded expectations.
• Ou Yezi canceled the remaining trials and declared that Chi must defeat Xu Kun in Forging Art to become his final disciple and inherit his legacy.
• Gan Jiang sent Lei Huan to bring Chi, while Lei Huan asked to watch Chi’s contest with Xu Kun.
• Left alone by the furnace, Ou Yezi reflected that true Forging Art was about forging people as well as artifacts.

Xu Kun passed the second trial at Sword Pool Holy Land by repairing and evolving a dagger, then met Chi, the son of Gan Jiang and Moye, who challenged him to a forging contest. Xu Kun revealed that he was an eighteen-year-old C-grade blacksmith, and Chi summoned his inferior SS-tier Profound Yellow Flame as the contest began.

• Brother Hao told Xu Kun he had passed the second trial, and the shack, stall, and forging table disappeared.
• Xu Kun realized the earlier obstacles had tested his temperament and forging skill, and he continued toward the mountain gate.
• Chi introduced himself as Gan Jiang and Moye's son and said Xu Kun was not qualified to become his grandfather's final disciple.
• Chi led Xu Kun to his personal forge and challenged him to prove his worth by defeating him in Forging Art.
• Xu Kun and Chi exchanged their ages and ranks; Chi was stunned to learn Xu Kun was eighteen and a C-grade blacksmith.
• Chi summoned his inferior SS-tier Profound Yellow Flame as onlookers gathered around the forge.

Xu Kun challenged Chi to a forging contest at Sword Pool Holy Land, where Chi tried to show off his family-gifted tools and flames. The two selected blueprint copies to forge, and Gan Jiang recognized the design Xu Kun chose, but the chapter ended before either began forging.

• Chi explained the tools forgers needed and boasted about his SS-tier Profound Yellow Flame and S-tier Crimson Courage hammer, both gifts from his family.
• Xu Kun revealed his SS-tier peak-grade Samadhi True Fire, outshining Chi's flame and drawing startled reactions from the onlookers.
• Chi proposed a contest to forge equipment from new blueprint copies, and Xu Kun accepted despite Chi's higher B-tier Forging Art.
• Gan Jiang predicted that Chi would choose a B-tier weapon blueprint, and Chi selected a greatsword blueprint as expected.
• Xu Kun chose a blueprint of his own, and Gan Jiang's eyes lit up when he saw its design.

Xu Kun challenged Chi in a forging contest, attempting a B-tier Azure Spring Sword with a C-tier Forging Art while Chi forged a broadsword. Xu Kun’s furnace began to crack after he increased its heat, and he warned everyone to retreat as it neared an explosion.

• Ou Yezi rejected Gan Jiang’s request to take Xu Kun as a disciple but questioned why Gan Jiang assumed Xu Kun would fail.
• Xu Kun chose the difficult Azure Spring Sword blueprint, while Chi prepared to forge a B-tier broadsword.
• Xu Kun forged several metals with high precision as Chi used simultaneous multi-metal forging before working on his broadsword’s main metal block.
• Xu Kun increased the Samadhi True Fire’s output to melt the remaining high-melting-point metals, causing cracks to spread across his furnace.
• Xu Kun warned everyone to retreat, but Ou Yezi stopped Gan Jiang from intervening and told him to watch Xu Kun.

Xu Kun used the Six Ding Divine Fire to contain the Samadhi True Fire after his A-rank forging furnace exploded, then raced Chi to forge a weapon. As both worked on the final shaping, Xu Kun’s crude hammering failed to fuse the Azure Spring Sword’s metals, and he broke his Forging Hammers instead.

• Xu Kun controlled the runaway Samadhi True Fire with the Six Ding Divine Fire, and the Forging Masters realized he wielded a flame capable of overpowering an SS-tier peak flame.
• Xu Kun used the Six Ding Divine Fire as a furnace and forged all sixty-three metals for the Azure Spring Sword while Chi purified the heavy metal for his broadsword.
• Xu Kun and Chi began shaping their weapons, but Chi displayed refined inherited techniques while Xu Kun relied on brute force and drew ridicule from the watching Forging Masters.
• Xu Kun could not make several metals in the Azure Spring Sword blank fuse together, so he struck it with all his strength and snapped his B-rank Forging Hammer.
• Xu Kun broke his remaining Forging Hammers without damaging the sword blank, and Chi burst out laughing.

Xu Kun revealed Starfall Nine Heavens and used it with Six Ding Divine Fire to forge the Azure Spring Sword, while Chi entered a frenzied state and completed a perfect-quality B-grade Cold Moon Blade. Chi acknowledged that Xu Kun could still win if he finished a perfect-grade sword, leaving the contest unresolved.

• Chi mocked Xu Kun’s broken hammer, but Xu Kun declined an offered hammer and revealed Starfall Nine Heavens from his ear.
• Starfall Nine Heavens stirred the spirits of the surrounding Forging Hammers, and Ou Yezi recognized it as the divine natal hammer of the God of Starforging.
• Chi fell into a frenzied forging state, prompting Ou Yezi to warn Gan Jiang about his son’s obsession.
• Xu Kun heated the nearly cooled Azure Spring Sword blank with Six Ding Divine Fire and hammered its mismatched metals together with Starfall Nine Heavens.
• Chi completed a perfect-quality B-grade Cold Moon Blade, but he insisted the contest was not decided because Xu Kun’s Azure Spring Sword might surpass it.

After confronting his pride and accepting Xu Kun’s superiority, Chi let go of his hostility and hoped Xu Kun would surpass him fairly. Xu Kun completed the Azure Spring Sword, and the forgers discovered it was an A-tier sword that had transcended its intended tier.

• Chi reflected on his pride, recognized Xu Kun’s talent and breadth of mind, and decided he wanted to be defeated fairly.
• Xu Kun finished forging the Azure Spring Sword, whose azure light produced a brief phenomenon of illusory lotuses.
• Chi showed Xu Kun his perfect-grade Cold Moon Blade, and Xu Kun praised its quality before asking Chi to inspect the Azure Spring Sword.
• Chi tested the Azure Spring Sword, became stunned by what he discovered, and reluctantly let the other forgers examine it.
• The Sword Pool Holy Land forgers confirmed that Xu Kun had forged an A-tier Azure Spring Sword beyond its intended tier, then bowed deeply to him.

Xu Kun learned that the Sword Pool Holy Land used the Azure Spring Sword as an apprenticeship test for aspiring swordsmiths. His inferior-quality sword had surpassed the highest possible score, and Cai Lun revealed that Gan Jiang’s prediction about his own limits had come true.

• Cai Lun explained that Sword Pool Holy Land disciples had to forge the Azure Spring Sword to advance their Forging Art and prove their fit for the school’s sword-forging tradition.
• Lei Huan apologized to Xu Kun for stopping him earlier, and Xu Kun accepted the apology.
• Cai Lun described how the Azure Spring Sword served as an apprenticeship examination, with its quality determining how many techniques Gan Jiang would teach.
• Cai Lun told Xu Kun that his inferior-quality Azure Spring Sword had exceeded a perfect score and surpassed the record set by the Eldest Senior Brother.
• Cai Lun recalled that Gan Jiang had predicted he would struggle to reach divine craftsmanship, and Xu Kun realized the prediction had come true after Cai Lun’s failed attempt to forge a divine artifact.
• Chi admitted that he had forged only a fine-quality Azure Spring Sword.

Xu Kun learned that Tao Hongjing, the modest third disciple of Ou Yezi, was also the Pill Sect’s chief eldest disciple under Shennong and an exceptionally talented alchemist. As Sword Pool Holy Land’s disciples tried to restore their pride after Chi’s defeat, Chi urged them to stop showing off Tao Hongjing in front of Xu Kun.

• Cai Lun and Tao Hongjing explained that Chi had neglected his sword-forging talent and let arrogance distract him, and Chi sincerely admitted his mistakes.
• Tao Hongjing introduced himself to Xu Kun, and Cai Lun revealed that his sword-forging talent nearly let him make a perfect-quality Azure Spring Sword at B-grade.
• Cai Lun revealed Tao Hongjing was also the Pill Sect’s chief eldest disciple under Shennong, while the others praised his ability to guarantee a fifty percent success rate making SS-tier divine pills with S-grade Alchemy Art.
• Hao explained that Tao Hongjing had earned his supreme-grade flame through repeated brushes with death, while Xu Kun recognized the disciples were using Tao’s reputation to restore the Holy Land’s pride.
• Chi quietly reminded his senior brothers that they were all family and did not need to show off Tao Hongjing in front of Xu Kun.

Xu Kun was accepted by Ou Yezi as his closed-door disciple after Chi revealed that Ou Yezi had arranged the trials to choose between them. Ou Yezi announced the succession publicly, leaving Xu Kun bewildered as the Sword Pool Holy Land’s disciples bowed to him as their Junior Granduncle.

• Chi explained that Ou Yezi had made the trials a contest between Xu Kun and him, and promised to concede if Xu Kun forged an A-grade Azure Spring Sword.
• Chi bowed to Xu Kun as his Junior Granduncle, and Madam Xu and the other disciples recognized Xu Kun’s status.
• Ou Yezi arrived with Gan Jiang and accepted Xu Kun as his disciple after Xu Kun offered him Shuxiu.
• Ou Yezi brought everyone to the mountain gate and publicly declared Xu Kun his closed-door disciple before humanity’s forging path.
• Prominent figures arrived to congratulate Ou Yezi, and afterward Cai Lun, Tao Hongjing, Brother Hao, Lei Huan, and the others bowed to Xu Kun.

After Xu Kun’s apprenticeship ceremony, he received many valuable gifts and shared SSS-tier Polarity Beads with Madam Xu and Gan Jiang. Ou Yezi then revealed a glowing invitation that triggered Thor’s reaction and froze everyone in the room.

• Xu Kun toured Sword Pool Holy Land and counted the spirit stones, rare materials, forging blueprints, and divine artifacts he had received from the ceremony’s guests.
• Madam Xu gave Xu Kun a low-tier divine artifact on behalf of the martial nephews, and Xu Kun returned the gift with an SS-tier Polarity Bead.
• Gan Jiang tried to take Madam Xu’s bead, but Gan Jiang’s wife intervened and Madam Xu reclaimed it.
• Xu Kun gave Gan Jiang an SSS-tier Polarity Bead, and Ou Yezi said that he already had enough beads for the upcoming forging event.
• Ou Yezi showed Xu Kun a glowing invitation, causing his Járngreipr gauntlets to activate and freeze the room; Thor emerged and recognized the invitation’s aura.

Thor recognized the auras of his former goat companions on an invitation signed by Ornn and explained the difference between imitation Innate Forging and Acquired Forging. Xu Kun suspected the Titan Race still could not use Mjolnir, but Thor’s explanation weakened that theory, leaving Xu Kun staring at the invitation and sensing something was still wrong.

• Thor sensed the auras of Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr on Ou Yezi’s invitation from the God of Smelting, Ornn, and suspected their souls had been enslaved.
• Thor explained that artifacts could be forged through imitation Innate methods using artifact spirits or through the Dark Elf Race’s Acquired method, which perfected an artifact’s materials and craftsmanship.
• Thor speculated that the Titan Race might have forged his two companions’ souls into artifact spirits to let them wield Mjolnir, which could make reclaiming it impossible.
• Xu Kun argued that the Titan Race’s search for Starfall Nine Heavens suggested they could not use Mjolnir, but Thor said they might seek the hammer to learn about the God of Starforging regardless.
• Xu Kun’s theory was undermined, and he noticed that the invitation and its glowing signature still seemed suspicious.

Xu Kun learned that Thor’s former companions might have become the Titan Race’s God of Smelting, then heard why Ou Yezi had devoted his life to restoring human forging. Ou Yezi recounted his past at the Myriad Races Forging Assembly and revealed that his greatest work, Zhanlu, had become a flawed SSS-Grade Supreme Artifact.

• Xu Kun suspected that Thor’s two companions were the God of Smelting, and Thor struggled to accept the possibility that they had betrayed him.
• Ou Yezi explained that the Myriad Races Forging Assembly would take place in one month at the Luhsiang Volcanic Workshop, and that he could enter its final Battle of the Hundred Gods directly as a previous top-ten forger.
• Gan Jiang described the dominance of Ornn and Du Hualin, while Ou Yezi explained that he had placed third at the previous assembly.
• Ou Yezi recalled how his teacher had been humiliated at an assembly and died after failing the preliminaries, leaving Ou Yezi to revive human forging.
• Ou Yezi recounted forging famous swords with Gan Jiang and how Gan Jiang and Moye became the Eleventh God-Smith after forging two swords of devoted love.
• Ou Yezi revealed that his Zhanlu, forged at the previous assembly, was not an SS-tier high-grade artifact but a flawed SSS-Grade Supreme Artifact.

Ou Yezi invited Xu Kun to accompany him to the Myriad Races Forging Assembly, despite the danger posed by the Titan Race’s bounty. Xu Kun accepted after learning Uncle Yang had arranged for his safety, and the others discovered his Forging Art had reached B-rank.

• Gan Jiang explained that Zhanlu was an incomplete Supreme Divine Artifact and that Ou Yezi risked his remaining lifespan by delaying his breakthrough to pursue his forging ambition.
• Ou Yezi chose Xu Kun as his assistant for the upcoming Myriad Races Forging Assembly, saying Gan Jiang’s path had grown too narrow and his senior brothers were already divine smiths.
• Xu Kun hesitated because the Titan Race had placed a bounty on him, but Ou Yezi assured him that a trusted person had suggested bringing him and that his circumstances were accounted for.
• Xu Kun realized Uncle Yang had arranged the invitation and agreed to attend the assembly.
• Xu Kun revealed that his Forging Art had advanced to B-rank, astonishing Gan Jiang, Moye, and Chi.
• Ou Yezi said Xu Kun’s rank was modest beside the other assistants, but his two innate advantages made his help necessary.

Xu Kun agreed to learn forging from Ou Yezi step by step while still attending Imperial Capital Academy, where an unnamed famous teacher awaited him. Ou Yezi arranged for Xu Kun and Chi to become sworn brothers, hoping Xu Kun would guide and protect his grandson as both forged their futures.

• Ou Yezi warned Xu Kun not to chase forging ranks and required him to build his skills from the basics, even if that meant not forging equipment for a long time.
• Xu Kun mentioned that he would leave for Imperial Capital Academy in ten days, and Ou Yezi insisted that he attend because a famous teacher was waiting for him there.
• Ou Yezi told Chi to stay at Sword Pool Holy Land for the next ten days and learn from his father, while promising to reunite with Xu Kun in the Imperial Capital.
• Ou Yezi explained that he wanted Xu Kun to guide Chi and asked the two to become sworn brothers.
• Xu Kun and Chi swore to share fortune and hardship, bowed to Ou Yezi, and called each other Brother Kun and Brother Chi.