Chapter Summaries

Chen Qing defeated Meng Xingdu and Fu Ting in the fight over spirit liquid, then refined his gains and advanced close to eightfold tempering. As the Taiyi Spirit Ruins began to close, Luo Ping called everyone to gather at the exit.

• Chen Qing used the True Martial Demon Purging Spear Array to overwhelm Meng Xingdu and Fu Ting, severely injuring Meng Xingdu and leaving Fu Ting unable to fight.
• Chen Qing absorbed more than ten drops of pale-gold spirit liquid while the other cultivators refined their shares and Jiang Tuo began absorbing his own.
• Jiang Tuo ordered disciples to treat Meng Xingdu and Fu Ting and remained focused on the Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid.
• Chen Qing completed his refinement and brought his Great Void True Scripture close to the next breakthrough, keeping his five drops of Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid stored away.
• The Taiyi Spirit Ruins began to lose its energy, and Luo Ping announced that the exit would soon open and urged everyone to gather.

After the Spirit Ruins closed, Chen Qing concealed his greatest gains while Tianbao Supreme Sect prepared to leave Taiyi Supreme Sect. In Black Wind Gorge, Li Qingyu ordered Golden Court forces to intercept Tianbao’s returning party and capture its key figures alive, though an old unease stirred within him.

• Jia Haiyue, Nan Zhuoran, Chen Qing, Luo Ping, and the other entrants emerged from the Spirit Ruins as its gate closed, and Taiyi Supreme Sect carried out the badly wounded Meng Xingdu and Fu Ting.
• Nan Zhuoran reported obtaining one drop of Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid after fighting Jiang Tuo and Wang Jing, while Chen Qing concealed his five drops and described his gains as several dozen drops of ordinary spirit liquid.
• Luo Zhixian told Chen Qing, Nan Zhuoran, and Luo Ping to rest before Tianbao Supreme Sect departed in five days, and Chen Qing reached the peak of the Seventh Refinement while assessing his Spirit Ruins gains.
• At Black Wind Gorge, Di Cang told Chi Lie and Wu Xuan that Great Snow Mountain had ordered them to intercept Tianbao Supreme Sect’s returning party and capture its key figures alive.
• Li Qingyu said he and Di Cang would handle Luo Zhixian while Chi Lie and Wu Xuan targeted Li Yujun and the others, then felt an inexplicable palpitation as he waited for the operation to begin.

After the Six Sects Grand Market, Chen Qing prepared to leave Taiyi Mountain with Luo Zhixian, who planned to visit the Lingxiao Supreme Sect. A secret warning and Taiyi Supreme Sect intelligence revealed that Li Qingyu and Golden Court forces might be moving against the Tianbao Supreme Sect, while Taiyi Sect Leader Jiang Ci ordered his Hidden Guard to follow the party without intervening.

• Chen Qing studied the Taiyi Pure Yang True Scripture and the Five Mountains World Suppressing Seal, then welcomed Mei Yingxue and Zhou Xiang, who invited him to visit the Lingxiao Supreme Sect before departing.
• Chen Qing sensed Lin Haiqing visiting Nan Zhuoran late at night, and the next morning Luo Zhixian received a secret message from a Shadowless Sparrow that visibly unsettled him.
• Luo Zhixian told Chen Qing to prepare to leave for the Lingxiao Supreme Sect, and Chen Qing returned the Tai Chu Po Xu Spear and Star River Falling World Spear to Feng Shuofang.
• Feng Shuofang warned Luo Zhixian that the Northern Border faced danger from the ambitious Golden Court Eight Tribes, and Luo Zhixian said he would leave the decision to the Tianbao Supreme Sect Leader.
• Jiang Ci told Feng Shuofang that Black Python Tribe and Blood Leopard Tribe elites were moving unusually and that Li Qingyu might have come south from Green Pine Snow Mountain.
• Jiang Ci ordered a Hidden Guard team to follow Luo Zhixian's party secretly and observe without intervening.

Duanmu Hua decided to leave seclusion to aid Luo Zhixian and confront the threats posed by the Ghost Witch Sect and Great Snow Mountain. As Luo Zhixian’s group reached Red Sand Town, a Grandmaster ambushed them and destroyed the inn’s roof, leaving the attacker approaching through the sand.

• Duanmu Hua told Wang Xuangang and Xie Yunliu he would descend from the mountain to repay Luo Zhixian’s favor and face the Ghost Witch Sect’s leader.
• Luo Zhixian warned Li Yujun that Great Snow Mountain might strike and directed her group to return by way of Imperial Capital Jade Capital City while he and Chen Qing continued toward the Lingxiao Supreme Sect.
• Luo Zhixian’s group reached Red Sand Town, where Chen Qing considered traveling to the Buddhist Pure Land to seek the final four levels of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body.
• At the Sand Sea Inn, Zhang Baicheng reported that two groups of bandits were confronting each other at the town entrance.
• A Grandmaster unleashed a killing-intent attack on the inn, and Li Yujun protected the group with a barrier as the roof exploded.
• Li Yujun ordered the attacker to get out, and a figure approached through the windblown sand.

Chen Qing and the others faced Chi Lie and Di Cang before Li Qingyu arrived to confront his former junior brother Luo Zhixian over the Tianbao Tower. Luo Zhixian and Li Qingyu unleashed their rival domains, and an unseen voice challenged Di Cang as he prepared to intervene.

• Chi Lie arrived at Red Sand Town to avenge Di Chang and confronted Li Yujun, while Di Cang attacked Luo Zhixian with a tornado and the Canglang Seal.
• Luo Zhixian stopped Di Cang's attack with his Spear Intent and revealed that he had once spared Di Cang at Wolf Valley.
• Li Qingyu emerged from the sand, was recognized by Chen Qing and Li Yujun, and exchanged words with Luo Zhixian about their past and Shao Feng.
• Luo Zhixian summoned the Meteorite Spear and spread his Spear Domain as Li Qingyu answered with his Sword Domain, throwing the desert into turmoil.
• Di Cang urged Chi Lie to help break Luo Zhixian's Spear Domain, but an unseen speaker told Di Cang that he was their opponent.

Duanmu Hua and Xiao Jiuli arrived to counter the Northern Border forces and prevent interference in Luo Zhixian’s planned confrontation with Li Qingyu. With their allies held at bay, Luo Zhixian and Li Qingyu prepared to settle their two-hundred-year blood feud in a fight to the death.

• Duanmu Hua appeared and struck Di Cang with Purple Qi Soaring Heavens, forcing him into a crater and keeping Chi Lie from intervening.
• Luo Zhixian revealed that he had arranged for Duanmu Hua to join the battle, while Li Qingyu recognized that he had been lured into a trap.
• The Nine Nether Ghost Lord emerged from a Ghost Domain and attacked Luo Zhixian, but Xiao Jiuli cut through the ghost claw and arrived to prevent outsiders from interfering.
• Xiao Jiuli held the Nine Nether Ghost Lord at bay as Duanmu Hua faced Di Cang, leaving Luo Zhixian and Li Qingyu to confront each other alone.
• Luo Zhixian raised his spear and declared that he would show Li Qingyu no mercy, and Li Qingyu raised his sword to accept the duel.

Li Qingyu and Luo Zhixian fought an escalating battle of sword and spear arts in Red Sand Town, while observers learned that Great Snow Mountain envoy Xue Li was heading there. Feng Shuofang took up his spear and set out to meet Xue Li, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• Li Qingyu’s True Martial sword strikes and Luo Zhixian’s lightning spear techniques collided, devastating Red Sand Town as Li Yujun shielded Chen Qing and the other Tianbao Supreme Sect disciples.
• Li Qingyu formed the True Martial Demon Purging Sword Array and unleashed a storm of attacks, but Luo Zhixian countered with the Twenty-Eight Mansions Thunder Edict and gathered its power into One Spear Breaks the Law.
• A sword light burst from the dispersing thunder pool and split the clouds above Red Sand Town, leaving the duel’s final result unclear.
• Lu Yunsong told Feng Shuofang that Xue Li, a Great Snow Mountain envoy, was heading to Red Sand Town, where his arrival could change the battle and its political consequences.
• Feng Shuofang summoned Shadow Severer and announced that he would go meet Xue Li.

Mei Yingxue reported that Chen Qing had persuaded Luo Zhixian to visit Lingxiao Supreme Sect after the Six Sects Grand Market, lifting Shen Qinghong’s spirits. At Red Sand Town, Luo Zhixian and Li Qingyu resumed their duel as the surrounding Grandmasters clashed, and a powerful woman from the north arrived above the battlefield.

• Mei Yingxue told Shen Qinghong that Chen Qing had agreed to bring Luo Zhixian to Lingxiao Supreme Sect after the Six Sects Grand Market.
• Shen Qinghong reflected on her past with Luo Zhixian and privately concluded that he had agreed because he wanted to see her.
• Luo Zhixian melted Li Qingyu’s Frost Cold Sword Intent from his chest wound, and the two began another fierce exchange of sword and spear techniques.
• Li Yujun ordered Nan Zhuoran, Chen Qing, Luo Ping, and the other Tianbao Supreme Sect disciples to leave, but Chi Lie attacked them and Li Yujun blocked him.
• Duanmu Hua stopped Di Cang from joining the attack and declared that Lingxiao Supreme Sect did not fear the Eight Tribes or Great Snow Mountain.
• A woman in white arrived from the north on blooming ice lotuses, drawing the attention of everyone at Red Sand Town.

Envoy Xue Li, Xiao Jiuli, and Feng Shuofang joined the standoff in Red Sand Town as Luo Zhixian and Li Qingyu’s duel reached its climax. Luo Zhixian revealed the fourth level of the Spear Domain and shattered Li Qingyu’s Golden Core, but Duanmu Hua sensed a sinister aura awakening within the fallen Li Qingyu.

• Xue Li attacked Xiao Jiuli with a freezing True Origin tide, but he split it apart with a casual sword-hand stroke.
• Di Cang and Chi Lie prepared to attack the Tianbao Supreme Sect, but Feng Shuofang arrived and planted the Shadow-Severing Spear before them.
• The Nine Nether Ghost Lord considered fleeing, but Xiao Jiuli noticed and warned him to stay.
• Luo Zhixian unleashed the fourth level of the Spear Domain and pierced Li Qingyu’s abdomen, shattering his martial Golden Core.
• Duanmu Hua sensed a cold, sinister aura awakening within Li Qingyu after his defeat.

Li Qingyu revealed his Night Clan Killing Intent and fought Luo Zhixian in a clash that left both grievously wounded. He appeared to self-destruct and target Chen Qing and Nan Zhuoran, but the blast was a decoy that concealed his escape north, prompting Xue Li, Di Cang, Chi Lie, and Xiao Jiuli to pursue him.

• Li Qingyu unleashed his Killing Intent, transformed his Golden Core, and attacked Luo Zhixian with a baleful sword while the other Grandmasters resumed fighting.
• Luo Zhixian countered Li Qingyu’s attack with his full Spear Domain, and both men were hurled away with severe injuries.
• Li Qingyu ignited his damaged Golden Core and sent a destructive torrent toward Chen Qing and Nan Zhuoran, forcing the fighters to retreat or defend themselves.
• Luo Zhixian used his remaining strength to carry Chen Qing away, while Li Yujun and the other Tianbao Supreme Sect disciples fled the blast.
• The apparent self-destruction proved to be a decoy, and Li Qingyu escaped north in a bloody streak.
• Xue Li, Di Cang, Chi Lie, and Xiao Jiuli recognized Li Qingyu’s escape and pursued him north.

After escaping the battle, Luo Zhixian succumbed to his injuries and left Chen Qing with warnings, allies, and his martial legacy. Chen Qing was left holding his master's hand as the old man died in the desert.

• Luo Zhixian's strength failed, and he and Chen Qing fell into the sand.
• Chen Qing gave Luo Zhixian a Cangyuan Spirit Nurturing Pill, which briefly stabilized his condition.
• Luo Zhixian explained that he had planned to kill Li Qingyu and pave the way for Chen Qing, then warned that Li might survive and that the Tianbao Tower's secrets remained at risk.
• Luo Zhixian told Chen Qing whom to trust, including Shen Qinghong and Hua Yunfeng, and cautioned him not to sacrifice himself for causes that could not be saved.
• Luo Zhixian entrusted Chen Qing with his cultivation notes, secret technique, and Meteorite Spear before dying in Chen Qing's arms.

Tianbao Supreme Sect learned that Luo Zhixian had died after being corrupted by the baleful qi, and his death sent the sect into mourning. As Hua Yunfeng erupted from seclusion in grief, Li Yujun and the others recovered Luo Zhixian’s remains and carried them back toward the sect with Chen Qing at his side.

• Li Yi discovered that Luo Zhixian’s Life Tablet had cracked, and Jiang Lishan hurried to confirm the report as news spread through the sect.
• The Main Peak rang its seven bells to announce a Grandmaster’s death, and Qiku told Hua Yunfeng that Luo Zhixian had departed.
• Hua Yunfeng unleashed a vast Sword Qi from Prison Peak, prompting the sect’s Grandmasters and Xu Min to recognize that he might leave seclusion.
• Li Yujun found Chen Qing carrying Luo Zhixian’s lifeless body across the Gobi, and she ordered Nan Zhuoran to report the death to the Sect Leader.
• Li Yujun and the others secured Luo Zhixian’s remains on a Golden Feather Eagle, and Chen Qing accompanied his master’s body back toward the sect.

After Luo Zhixian’s body returned to Tianbao Supreme Sect, Chen Qing received his master’s spear, teachings, and hidden intelligence network, and vowed to continue his unfinished vengeance. Hua Yunfeng then explained that Li Qingyu’s corrupted power came from the Night Clan and warned that their possible alliance with Great Snow Mountain and the Golden Court could threaten the Northern Foothills.

• Chen Qing brought Luo Zhixian’s body back to Tianbao Supreme Sect, where Jiang Lishan honored Luo and ordered the sect to prepare a memorial seven days later.
• Chen Qing returned to Wanfa Peak, where Ping Bo explained Meteorite’s origins, gave him Luo Zhixian’s cultivation and Spear Dao writings, and revealed that Wu Xuan was a hidden contact within the Golden Court Eight Tribes.
• Chen Qing vowed to strengthen himself and avenge Luo Zhixian before reflecting on his master’s death at Cloud-Sea Cliff.
• Hua Yunfeng asked Chen Qing to recount the battle in Red Sand Town, then explained that Li Qingyu’s Half-Malevolent Body likely came from Night Clan inheritance linked to Great Snow Mountain.
• Hua Yunfeng warned that the Night Clan might threaten the Northern Foothills, recalling that five hundred years earlier a force of about a hundred Night Clansmen had caused catastrophic losses before three powers drove them back.

Hua Yunfeng told Chen Qing that Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures carried inheritances pointing beyond the True Core Realm to the Nascent Soul Realm, and vowed to deal with Li Qingyu himself. Chen Qing absorbed a drop of Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid, broke through to the eighth layer of the Great Void True Scripture, and sensed a faint resonance from his Meteorite Spear.

• Hua Yunfeng explained the Night Clan’s danger, said Li Qingyu’s fate remained unknown, and revealed that Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures held inheritances for reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Hua Yunfeng said Li Qingyu wanted the Tianbao Tower’s inheritance and power, then took responsibility for dealing with him and left Chen Qing to cultivate.
• Chen Qing studied Luo Zhixian’s Twenty-Eight Mansions Thunder Edict and began cultivating it with the Great Void True Scripture as his foundation.
• Chen Qing used one drop of Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid to break through to the eighth layer of the Great Void True Scripture and further temper his body.
• The Meteorite Spear briefly trembled and released silver starlight, but Chen Qing sensed no lasting disturbance and continued stabilizing his cultivation.

Tang Taixuan reported Li Qingyu’s connection to the Night Clan and Great Snow Mountain to Emperor Yan, who ordered further investigations and sent him to Tianbao Supreme Sect to contact a hidden figure. Meanwhile, Qi Xunnan agreed to support a plot surrounding Cloudwater Supreme Sect’s succession, while preparing for the Night Clan threat and assessing Qi Yu’s progress.

• Tang Taixuan told Emperor Yan about Luo Zhixian’s death, Li Qingyu’s Half-Malevolent Body, and the suspected intervention of Great Snow Mountain’s Holy Master.
• Emperor Yan ordered Tang Taixuan to investigate the Northern Border, continue searching for Li Qingyu, and visit Tianbao Supreme Sect to deliver a message to a certain person.
• A white-robed man urged Qi Xunnan to support a plan to influence Cloudwater Supreme Sect’s succession after Xue Suhe’s impending death, and Qi Xunnan agreed to act after Luo Zhixian’s memorial service.
• Qi Xunnan and Sikong Hui suspected Xie Mingyan or Jiang Shagui was behind the white-robed man, while Qi Xunnan warned that the meeting could be a trap.
• Qi Xunnan dismissed Sikong Hui’s fears about a Night Clan invasion and asked about Qi Yu, learning that she had advanced her cultivation in seclusion since returning from Blackwater Abyss Prison.

After refining Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid and breaking through to the eighth layer of the Great Void True Scripture, Chen Qing prepared and attended Luo Zhixian’s memorial service on Guiyun Peak. The service drew powerful mourners from across the martial world, and the chapter ended with Chen Qing seeking Ling Han to learn whether Li Qingyu had survived Xiao Jiuli’s pursuit.

• Chen Qing finished refining the Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid, strengthened his cultivation, and reached the eighth layer of the Great Void True Scripture.
• Chen Qing and Ping Bo prepared Luo Zhixian’s mourning hall at the Heroic Soul Mausoleum on Guiyun Peak, where Chen Qing placed the Meteorite Spear beside the coffin.
• Chen Qing welcomed mourners at Luo Zhixian’s memorial service as Jiang Lishan led the rites and visitors including Jiang Shagui, Sikong Lieyang, Ling Han, Su Cheng, Feng Shuofang, Shi Xiangyang, and Tang Taixuan paid their respects.
• Feng Shuofang bowed solemnly to Luo Zhixian and challenged Chen Qing to prove he could bear his master’s name.
• Shen Qinghong arrived at dusk, wept before Luo Zhixian’s memorial tablet, and asked to speak with him alone.
• Chen Qing left Guiyun Peak for Welcome Guest Peak to ask Ling Han how Xiao Jiuli’s pursuit of Li Qingyu had ended.

Chen Qing learned that a powerful unknown force had rescued the wounded Li Qingyu, while Nan Zhuoran’s growing strength sharpened the rivalry between them. Meanwhile, sect leaders and imperial representatives weighed the threat of the Night Clan, and Jiang Lishan ordered a secret investigation into whether Luo Zhixian’s death was connected to Tianbao Tower.

• Ling Han and Su Cheng told Chen Qing and Nan Zhuoran that a white projection of will had intercepted Xiao Jiuli, rescued Li Qingyu, and fled north, possibly acting for Great Snow Mountain or the Night Clan.
• Su Cheng asked about Nan Zhuoran’s progress toward the Eleventh Refinement, and Nan Zhuoran offered Chen Qing help with cultivation before leaving to enter seclusion.
• Ling Han told Su Cheng that Nan Zhuoran and Chen Qing would eventually contend for supremacy among Tianbao Supreme Sect’s True Disciples.
• Chen Qing returned to True Martial Peak, welcomed the news that Li Qingyu was alive, and vowed to avenge his master himself.
• Jiang Lishan, sect elders, and Tang Taixuan discussed the Night Clan’s possible alliance with Great Snow Mountain, divisions among the Golden Court tribes, and plans to investigate and prepare for a wider conflict.
• Jiang Lishan suspected Li Qingyu had attacked Luo Zhixian over a secret involving Tianbao Tower and ordered Luo Ping to investigate Luo Zhixian’s contacts with the tower without alerting Hua Yunfeng.

After Luo Zhixian’s funeral, Chen Qing received advice from Hua Yunfeng about securing Wanfa Peak and completing his cultivation, then learned that Jiang Shagui had been ambushed by Yan Jin, Qi Xunnan, and a third attacker. As tensions spread across the northeast, Chen Qing continued cultivating until he was summoned to an emergency sect meeting.

• Shen Qinghong gave Chen Qing her jade token before leaving Luo Zhixian’s funeral, and Hua Yunfeng warned him to obtain the remaining Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body techniques before seeking Flood Dragon Essence Blood.
• Hua Yunfeng urged Chen Qing to claim the vacant Master of Wanfa Peak position and promised to help him contend with Nan Zhuoran, Luo Ping, and Ji Yunliang.
• After Luo Zhixian was buried, Chen Qing received an unsigned condolence letter with a distinctive fragrance, then refined Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid to advance his cultivation.
• Qu He told Chen Qing that Jiang Shagui had been ambushed by Yan Jin, Qi Xunnan, and an unidentified third attacker, prompting the Cloudwater Supreme Sect to prepare a response.
• Chen Qing continued cultivating amid growing unrest, then received notice that an emergency sect meeting would be held at Tianquan Pavilion the following evening.

Tianbao Supreme Sect’s leaders met to respond to threats from the Night Clan and the Demonic Sect, then began choosing an acting Master of Wanfa Peak. Nan Zhuoran gained broad support, but Pei Tingchun and Han Guxi backed Chen Qing, leaving the decision contested.

• Jiang Lishan convened Tianshu Pavilion and briefed the sect on the Night Clan threat and the difficulty of securing allies in the Buddhist Kingdom and Western Regions.
• Jiang Lishan ordered Han Guxi to seek Que Sect’s support and tasked Su Muyun and Luo Ping with finding and eliminating Demonic Sect strongholds in the Three Paths Land.
• Jiang Lishan assigned Hua Yunfeng to investigate Li Qingyu and Great Snow Mountain, avenge Luo Zhixian, and monitor the Northern Border.
• Jiang Lishan announced that a Diheng Seat member would temporarily lead Wanfa Peak, and Xing Han and other elders supported Nan Zhuoran.
• Pei Tingchun and Han Guxi argued that Chen Qing was qualified, while Li Yujun challenged their position and defended Nan Zhuoran.

Hua Yunfeng rejected a vote for the Master of Wanfa Peak and set a strength-based contest between Chen Qing and Nan Zhuoran for six months later. Chen Qing cultivated intensely, reached the Ninth Layer of the Great Void True Scripture and the Nine Refinements, then set out for Blackwater Abyss Prison to visit Qiku before traveling to the Pure Land for the Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body’s missing cultivation method.

• Hua Yunfeng rejected Jiang Lishan’s proposed vote, and Nan Zhuoran and Chen Qing agreed to fight for the Master of Wanfa Peak position six months later.
• Li Yujun gave Nan Zhuoran a Hundred-Year Ripplewater Fish King Inner Core and urged him to win the coming contest.
• Chen Qing refined Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid and trained for more than a month, breaking through the Great Void True Scripture’s Ninth Layer and completing the Nine Refinements.
• Chen Qing discovered that his Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body had reached its seventh-layer limit without the subsequent cultivation method, so he resolved to seek guidance from Qiku before going to the Pure Land.
• Chen Qing left True Martial Peak and arrived at Blackwater Abyss Prison on Prison Peak.