Chapter Summaries

Xu Kun overcame Gongsun Jing’s speed and evasion skills by using Wind Still to nullify his decisive wind attack and seal his Wind Attribute. Xu Kun defeated Gongsun Jing, winning the fourth Dragon-Tiger Rankings Challenge match for the Wind Academy.

• Gongsun Jing used Wings of Wind and Fleeting Swan to overwhelm Xu Kun, but Xu Kun’s Arcane Shift and attacks eventually wounded him with a twelve-swords-per-second barrage.
• Gongsun Jing activated Dustless Phantom Body and evaded most of Xu Kun’s attacks until Xu Kun’s Day Concealment expired.
• Gongsun Jing trapped Xu Kun in a tornado with Hurricane Howl and launched Raging Wind Severing Breath Slash.
• Xu Kun raised his bracer and used Wind Still to erase the slash, interrupt Dustless Phantom Body, and seal Gongsun Jing’s Wind Attribute.
• Xu Kun bound Gongsun Jing with the Dragon Binding Cord and struck him down, earning the Wind Academy the match victory.

After Xu Kun defeated Gongsun Jing, Li Taibai explained how Xu Kun had carefully baited his opponent into using his ultimate move and exploited its recovery lag. Gongsun Bogui accepted the loss and agreed to invite Xu Kun to join the White Horse Volunteers' campaign against the Wuhuan, leaving the decision to Xu Kun.

• Li Taibai told the Dragon-Tiger Rankings prodigies that Xu Kun had concealed his counter until Gongsun Jing committed to his ultimate move, then used its recovery lag to defeat him.
• Gongsun Bogui acknowledged Xu Kun as a battle-born genius and said Gongsun Jing had not lost unfairly.
• Kong Shizhan proposed that outstanding freshmen join the White Horse Volunteers in the coming campaign against the Wuhuan and showed Gongsun Bogui dossiers detailing Xu Kun's battlefield achievements.
• Gongsun Bogui agreed to keep the White Horse Volunteers open to Xu Kun but insisted that joining would be Xu Kun's choice.
• Gongsun Bogui teased Kong Shizhan about the Kong Family ancestor criticizing him, and contrasted Gongsun Jing's close loss with the Kong Family member's humiliating defeat.

After Gongsun Jing lost, Baili Ci challenged Xu Kun, whose assessment revealed the archer's powerful Elemental Roulette talent and guaranteed-hit ability. Baili Ci opened the fight with chained lightning attacks, then froze Xu Kun in place with ice arrows as he prepared an Ice Sealing Arrow.

• Gongsun Bogui healed Gongsun Jing and reassured him that losing to Xu Kun was no disgrace.
• Baili Ci descended to challenge Xu Kun, while Zhai Xingzi said he wanted to fight Xu Kun afterward.
• Xu Kun assessed Baili Ci's Elemental Roulette talent, three S-tier Attribute Seeds, and arrow attacks that could not miss.
• Baili Ci began the match with lightning arrows, setting off a field of explosions that Xu Kun crossed despite its control effects.
• Baili Ci switched to ice arrows, froze much of Xu Kun's body, and fired an Ice Sealing Arrow as the surrounding air began to freeze.

Baili Ci used the Noon Quiver and a succession of elemental arrows to keep Xu Kun on the defensive, while observers noted that Baili Ci’s stamina and arrows could run out. After Xu Kun’s clones were destroyed and his wounds healed, Baili Ci launched a powerful fire attack, and Xu Kun remained ready to fight.

• Baili Ci froze Xu Kun, then struck him with three Gold Attribute arrows that wounded him and reduced his healing.
• Xu Kun healed with a pill and used Arcane Shift, but Baili Ci predicted his landing point and canceled his attack with a Golden Light Arrow.
• Xu Kun created four bodies, but Baili Ci used wind arrows to restrain them, identify the real Xu Kun, and destroy the three clones.
• Bao Xu explained that Baili Ci’s arrows consumed stamina and that Xu Kun’s wounds had nearly healed, while Xiang Longtu pointed out that Baili Ci had stamina pills.
• Baili Ci replenished his stamina, switched to Fire Attribute archery, and fired an Exploding Flame Arrow at Xu Kun after Xu Kun mocked his boast.

Xu Kun toyed with Baili Ci by pretending to suffer inside his sea of fire, then emerged unharmed after Baili Ci exhausted his stamina pills. Enraged at being deceived, Baili Ci entered a berserk state and unleashed a powerful arrow assault, leaving Xu Kun facing his next attack.

• Xu Kun used his talismans and Judge's Soul-Reaping Brush to counter Baili Ci's fire arrows, but Baili Ci transformed an Immolation Arrow into a spreading sea of fire.
• Xu Kun endured the flames with Rock Solid and the Kongtong Seal while pretending to cry out in pain, and Baili Ci kept firing arrows to feed the blaze.
• After exhausting his stamina pills, Baili Ci realized Xu Kun had fooled him, and Xu Kun calmly walked out of the fire carrying Chengying.
• Humiliated, Baili Ci activated Wrath of the Arrow God and attacked Xu Kun with Blazing Sun Arrow and Barrage of Arrows.
• Xu Kun withstood the barrage with Blade Storm, but Baili Ci immediately prepared a Scorching Sun: Punishment Lightning Arrow.

Xu Kun defeated Baili Ci by evading his strongest arrow and outlasting his stamina, then accepted Baili Ci’s gracious admission of defeat. Xu Kun chose to continue challenging, and Zhang Guanqi began descending the Dragon-Tiger Rankings steps to face him.

• Xu Kun used Wind Sweeps Away to enter Wind Spirit State for an instant, causing Baili Ci’s ultimate arrow to miss.
• Xu Kun avoided or countered Baili Ci’s barrage until Wrath of the Arrow God ended and Baili Ci ran out of stamina and arrows.
• Xu Kun kicked Baili Ci down, then acknowledged his skill and put away his sword instead of striking him further.
• Baili Ci accepted defeat, praised Xu Kun, and the judges declared Xu Kun the winner of the fifth challenge match.
• Xu Kun chose to continue challenging, and Zhang Guanqi descended into Hundred Battles Mountain as Xu Kun read the information Yang Yao had gathered about him.

Xu Kun challenged Zhang Guanqi, but Thor’s overwhelming soul presence made Zhang Guanqi concede before Xu Kun could fight. Thor revealed the cause of Zhang Guanqi’s disability and offered to help him recover if he defeated Xu Kun in a game, leaving Xu Kun to face a chess match he did not know how to play.

• Xu Kun challenged Zhang Guanqi in the sixth Dragon-Tiger Rankings match, and Zhang Guanqi contacted him through soul transmission.
• Thor revealed his soul to Zhang Guanqi, who bowed and tried to concede the match, but Xu Kun insisted on competing.
• Thor explained that the Chess Saint Huang Qiu’s remnant soul had entered Zhang Guanqi’s Life Palace and caused his congenital disability, which might disappear once Zhang Guanqi gained control of his soul.
• Thor offered to help Zhang Guanqi recover his body if Zhang Guanqi used every ability to defeat Xu Kun, and Zhang Guanqi accepted.
• Zhang Guanqi challenged Xu Kun to play Go or Chinese chess, but Xu Kun suggested Ludo instead.

Xu Kun entered Zhang Guanqi’s Chinese chess formation and found himself trapped in the deadly Seven Stars Convergence endgame. Unable to solve it, he used Netherworld Sacrifice to seek a chess expert among the ghosts, and a mysterious voice offered to help.

• Xu Kun chose Chinese chess, and Zhang Guanqi transformed Hundred Battles Mountain into a chessboard formation with Xu Kun as the red Marshal and Zhang Guanqi as the black General.
• Xu Kun surveyed the pieces and realized enemy soldiers had surrounded his unguarded Marshal while every move he considered led to another trap.
• Thor mocked Xu Kun as he struggled, and Xu Kun vowed not to leave until he solved the puzzle.
• Xu Kun used Netherworld Sacrifice to visit the Platform of Nostalgia and asked the ghosts to find someone skilled at Chinese chess.
• The ghosts failed to produce a credible chess player, but a cool, lazy voice asked Xu Kun what the puzzle was and offered to come along.

Xu Kun recruited Li Yian, a powerful ghost known as the Gambling Saint, to help him escape the chessboard formation. After joining Xu Kun in his Sea of Consciousness, Li Yian took control and began testing the endgame against Zhang Guanqi.

• Li Yian intimidated the ghosts around her, agreed to help Xu Kun with the chess game, and asked him to find her Li Family relatives and take her shopping in exchange.
• Li Yian learned that Li Dongbi and Li Taibai were Xu Kun’s opponents in the Academy Tournament and decided to go with him to see her grandnephews.
• Xu Kun returned to his body in the chessboard formation, and Li Yian joined him in his Sea of Consciousness before taking control of his body.
• Li Yian recognized the formation’s Seven Stars Convergence endgame and moved the heavy cannon from position two-eight to four-eight, checking Zhang Guanqi’s general platform.
• Zhang Guanqi countered by moving Pawn Five Across Six and capturing the heavy cannon, but Li Yian immediately played Soldier Four Forward One.

Xu Kun and Qing-jie played Zhang Guanqi to a draw in the Seven Stars Gathering Endgame, but the chess formation turned against Xu Kun after Zhang escaped. Zhang admitted he had been ordered by Thor to defeat Xu Kun, and the black pieces pursued him.

• Qing-jie directed Xu Kun’s pieces through a fierce exchange with Zhang Guanqi, leaving both sides with a marshal or general, a chariot, and a soldier or pawn.
• Qing-jie and Zhang Guanqi maneuvered their remaining pieces until the Great Dao Sound declared a draw because Red held the center and Black’s pawn was too low.
• The chessboard collapsed beneath Xu Kun, and his remaining red pieces shattered as black pieces appeared across the board.
• Zhang Guanqi escaped the chess formation while a towering general led the black pieces in pursuit of Xu Kun.
• Zhang Guanqi told Xu Kun that he had been ordered to defeat him, and Xu Kun blamed Thor.

Xu Kun fought his way across Zhang Guanqi’s S-rank chess formation, destroying its armies and reaching the commander at its center. When he killed the commander’s two guards, the commander revived the defeated pieces and sealed off Xu Kun’s escape, trapping him amid a renewed assault.

• Xu Kun destroyed the formation’s cannons, chariots, and warhorses, then flew over the expanding chasm and smashed through a mountain barrier with Starfall Nine Heavens.
• Xu Kun crossed into the opposing half of the board and slaughtered five black-armored armies while dodging cannon fire and destroying one cannon with a Life-Chasing shot.
• Xu Kun killed both giant elephants and disabled the last heavy cannon, leaving only the commander and his two guards.
• Xu Kun entered the Nine Palace Grid, blocked one guard’s spear and killed him, then split the other guard and his spear in two.
• The commander raised his sword and revived the defeated chess pieces, while barriers formed behind Xu Kun and cut off his retreat.

Xu Kun fought Zhang Guanqi’s endlessly regenerating chess formation while Lord Dong and the Li Family’s Li Kui and Li Guang discussed the match and Xu Kun’s prospects. Thor revealed that Zhang Guanqi’s disability might be cured by adding another soul to create a three-way struggle for supremacy, and Xu Kun prepared to test the idea within the formation.

• Lord Dong explained that Xu Kun had drawn with Zhang Guanqi by borrowing someone else’s strength, while Li Kui questioned whether that violated the rules.
• Li Guang joined Lord Dong and Li Kui to watch the match, and the brothers debated whether Xu Kun could defeat Zhang Guanqi and reach the top three of the Dragon-Tiger Rankings.
• Lord Dong argued that Xu Kun was concealing his strength and could likely break Zhang Guanqi’s formation, though he did not understand why Xu Kun had not done so.
• Xu Kun decided to stop fighting the regenerating chess pieces, but Thor urged him to use the formation to test a cure for Zhang Guanqi’s disability.
• Thor explained that Zhang Guanqi’s own soul was saturated and the remnant soul in his Sea of Consciousness could not simply be destroyed, then proposed giving him a third soul to create a three-way struggle for supremacy.

Xu Kun and Thor used essence spirits and the chess formation to create a third soul in Zhang Guanqi’s Sea of Consciousness, hoping it would help him resist the fragment threatening his soul. After Xu Kun destroyed the commander and escaped the collapsing formation, Zhang Guanqi remained at a critical point in the process.

• Thor explained that Xu Kun could feed essence spirits into chess pieces, then have Xu Kun kill them so the spirits would return to Zhang Guanqi and form a new soul; Xu Kun agreed despite the risks.
• Thor infused the chess pieces with essence spirits, causing them to break free of their rules and attack Xu Kun while Zhang Guanqi and the elders watched.
• The essence spirits flowed into Zhang Guanqi, who weakened as his power became linked to the formation; Lord Dong repeatedly stopped Li Kui from interfering.
• Thor told Xu Kun to kill the commander, and the commander’s essence spirit flew into Zhang Guanqi as the formation began to collapse.
• Xu Kun broke through the formation with his Illusion-Shattering Divine Eyes and escaped just before it exploded, while an unseen dragon head absorbed the blast’s residual force.

Zhang Guanqi survived the chess formation’s explosion and regained his sight, hearing, and speech, then conceded his match to Xu Kun out of gratitude. Xu Kun refused Zhang Guanqi’s formation but accepted his healing pills and chose to keep fighting, moving on to challenge Chu Weiwei.

• After Zhang Guanqi’s protective jade shattered, the Academy Lords waited as his aura weakened and Xu Kun lay motionless at the edge of Hundred Battles Mountain.
• Zhang Guanqi recovered, discovered his senses and speech had returned, and ran to treat Xu Kun’s injuries.
• Xu Kun woke and asked whether Zhang Guanqi’s illness was cured; Zhang Guanqi knelt to thank him and conceded the match.
• Xu Shao announced Xu Kun as the winner, and Xu Kun refused Zhang Guanqi’s formation but accepted the healing pills he offered.
• Zhang Guanqi returned to his teacher, Li Kui, while Xu Kun announced he would continue fighting and advanced to challenge Chu Weiwei.

Xu Kun discovered that Chu Weiwei was a mysterious runaway princess with angel and Western Liang Daughter Kingdom bloodlines, then watched her begin their battle by covering Hundred Battles Mountain in a curtain of light. She apologized and said she did not want to lose, leaving the outcome unknown.

• Li Yian took control of Xu Kun's body, pinched Li Dongbi's cheek, and joked that he had been ruined before resting in Xu Kun's Sea of Consciousness.
• Xu Kun asked Chu Weiwei to enlighten him, but she stayed seated until Dong Zaitian told him to go first.
• Xu Kun learned that Chu Weiwei had Six-Winged Dominions and Xiliang Jue Mu bloodlines, making her the runaway princess of the Western Liang Daughter Kingdom.
• Xu Kun read Yang Yao's warning that Chu Weiwei's abilities were mysterious and difficult to counter, and that factors outside the arena might decide their fight.
• Chu Weiwei entered Hundred Battles Mountain, cast Radiance: Sky Veil to cover the arena in light, and said she did not want to lose.

Xu Kun learned why Chu Weiwei hid her Angel and Jue Mu bloodlines and persuaded her to reveal her past. Her story exposed the Angel Race’s exploitation of the Western Liang Daughter Kingdom, though Chu Weiwei had not yet explained what happened to someone with both bloodlines.

• Xu Kun stopped Chu Weiwei from fighting and questioned her about hiding her identity, prompting her to admit that she feared being discovered and did not want to leave the human race.
• When Xu Kun mentioned Yan, Chu Weiwei panicked and agreed to tell him her background after he threatened to reveal her existence.
• Chu Weiwei described how the Angel Race held the Western Liang Daughter Kingdom captive and forced its women to serve the angels and bear children.
• Xu Kun learned that the Angel Race kept only daughters born to the kingdom’s women, raising Angel-blooded girls within the race and leaving Jue Mu-blooded girls in the Daughter Kingdom.
• Xu Kun asked what happened to someone with both Angel and Jue Mu bloodlines, and Chu Weiwei began to answer.

Chu Weiwei told Xu Kun how the Angel Race abused her and her family, and how she escaped the fate of Divine Baptism. She revealed that Lord Tianyan had promised someone would save her and her sister, and wondered whether Xu Kun was that person.

• Chu Weiwei explained that the Angel Race forced her mother, the former king of the Daughter Kingdom, to bear angel children, and that her twin sister remained in the kingdom while she was taken to Heaven.
• Chu Weiwei said the Angel Race tortured and discarded her after she awakened only the Jue Mu Bloodline, but she later discovered she also possessed the Six-Winged Archangel Bloodline.
• Chu Weiwei recounted killing and consuming the exiled angels in prison before persuading the Angel Race to send her back to the Daughter Kingdom.
• Chu Weiwei said her sister pretended to condemn and execute her, then secretly sent her away with Grandma to protect her from the Angel Race's Divine Baptism.
• Chu Weiwei explained that Lord Tianyan rescued her and told her to wait for a destined person who would save her and her sister.
• Chu Weiwei asked Xu Kun whether he was the person Lord Tianyan had foretold.

Xu Kun confronted Chu Weiwei over her fear of fighting for her people, then brutally pushed her into battle. After her memories of Angel Race cruelty triggered her Forbidden Skill, the fight ended with Xu Kun victorious and Chu Weiwei smiling amid the shattered throne.

• Xu Kun refused to promise Chu Weiwei help and accused her of relying on an imaginary savior instead of facing her enemies herself.
• Xu Kun challenged Chu Weiwei and overwhelmed her, using her poor combat experience and shaken resolve to tear off her wings and beat her down.
• As Xu Kun taunted and tormented her, Chu Weiwei relived the Angel Race's abuse and heard their threats against her mother, sister, and people.
• Chu Weiwei screamed that she wanted them dead and unleashed Forbidden Skill: Heavenly Kingdom's Lament, breaking through the light screen.
• Xu Kun stood over Chu Weiwei, dragged her from the dirt, and hurled her into her throne, which shattered; Dong Zaitian froze when he saw her smiling.

Xu Kun defeated Chu Weiwei and faced a furious crowd after refusing to apologize for his harsh treatment of her. Dong Zaitian stepped forward to defend her, and Xu Kun agreed to fight him next, leaving their battle about to begin.

• Lord Dong ruled that Xu Kun had won his match against Chu Weiwei, while the crowd condemned him for humiliating her.
• Xu Kun challenged his critics and said that harshness would be necessary on a battlefield against foreign races.
• Dong Zaitian came forward to defend Chu Weiwei and admitted that he loved her.
• Xu Kun warned Dong Zaitian that his family status could not protect Chu Weiwei and that his public intervention could cause trouble.
• Xu Shao helped preserve Dong Zaitian's dignity by framing the confrontation as a formal match, and Xu Kun accepted the challenge.
• Xu Kun and Dong Zaitian prepared to fight, with Dong Zaitian calling out Little Bi.

Xu Kun fought Dong Zaitian inside the Dragon Binding Platform, where Dong flooded the arena and sent his Water-Avoiding Golden-Eyed Beast after him. As Xu Kun revealed overwhelming Mirage Dragon bloodline power, Dong fused with his beast and charged, but Xu Kun transformed into a Tyrannical Path reverse-scaled dragon and unleashed Mirage Dragon's Breath.

• Dong Zaitian sealed Xu Kun and himself inside the Dragon Binding Platform, then flooded the arena to strengthen his Water-Avoiding Golden-Eyed Beast.
• The beast attacked Xu Kun underwater with Water Dragon Bullet and Water Dragon's Breath, but Xu Kun escaped into the air with wings.
• Xu Kun bound the Water-Avoiding Golden-Eyed Beast with the Dragon Binding Cord and wounded it with Mirage Dragon's Breath, terrifying it with his superior bloodline.
• Dong Zaitian refused to surrender and fused with the beast, transforming into a half-dragon and charging at Xu Kun.
• Xu Kun transformed into a Tyrannical Path reverse-scaled dragon, causing Dong Zaitian's fused beast to resist him as Xu Kun prepared Mirage Dragon's Breath.