Chapter Summaries

At Murong Jue’s Genius Gathering, Ye Yuntian refused to spare Jiang Chen and ordered Tong Jian to attack him. Murong Jue held back under Ye Yuntian’s threat as Tong Jian stepped forward to fight.

• Murong Jue warned Ye Yuntian not to kill anyone at the gathering, but Ye Yuntian used his aura to pressure him and refused to back down.
• Jiang Chen declared that he had come to the royal capital for revenge against Ye Yuntian and Liu Yun.
• Ye Yuntian ordered Liu Yun to kill Jiang Chen, but she hesitated, so he accused her of still having feelings for Jiang Chen.
• Ye Yuntian sent Tong Jian, a Martial King Realm, Tenth Level Chaohai Sect genius, to attack Jiang Chen.
• Ye Yuntian threatened Murong Jue against interfering, and Murong Jue reluctantly held back while Tong Jian prepared to fight.

Ye Yuntian and the Hong Family both sought to confront Jiang Chen, but Murong Jue directed them to settle their grudges in the arena. Jiang Chen accepted the challenge and planned to defeat the Hong Family while saving Ye Yuntian for the Great Zhou Martial Competition.

• Ye Yuntian ordered Tong Jian to attack Jiang Chen after Murong Jue stopped objecting.
• Hong Yunqing arrived with Hong Wen and a Hong Family guard, and Hong Wen identified Jiang Chen as their target.
• Hong Yunqing asked Murong Jue for permission to confront Jiang Chen, and Murong Jue directed them to the nearby arena.
• Ye Yuntian mocked Jiang Chen and his guard Guan Ze, then left Jiang Chen to the Hong Family.
• Jiang Chen agreed to fight Hong Yunqing and his side in the arena, while resolving to kill Ye Yuntian at the Great Zhou Martial Competition.

Jiang Chen entered the arena to settle the Hong Family’s grudge and agreed to fight one-on-one, beginning with Hong Wen. As the two faced off, Liu Yun watched and regretted abandoning Jiang Chen and the Jiang Family.

• Jiang Chen asked whether the Hong Family wanted a group fight or one-on-one battles, and Hong Yunqing chose one-on-one.
• He Yushi and Zhao Ruxue learned that Jiang Chen was entering a life-and-death arena battle; He Yushi remained confident he would be safe.
• Jiang Chen entered the arena and agreed to fight until one side died, prompting Hong Yunqing to send Hong Wen against him.
• Hong Wen leaped into the arena, confident that he could defeat Jiang Chen, whom he believed was only a Martial King Realm, Eighth Level cultivator.
• Liu Yun watched Jiang Chen face Hong Wen and reflected on her regret over leaving him, while recalling that Ye Yuntian treated her as a tool and had threatened to kill Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen killed Hong Wen with a single strike, stunning the spectators and drawing He Yushi and Zhao Ruxue’s attention. Hong Yunqing then sent the Hong Family’s Enshrined Elder, Zhao Zhong, a Martial Emperor Realm Fourth Level expert, to face Jiang Chen.

• Hong Wen attacked Jiang Chen with Heavenly Extreme Azure Flame Hand, but Jiang Chen pierced through the attack and killed him with one beam of light.
• Zhao Ruxue, An Qingyue, and the other spectators were shocked by Jiang Chen’s strength, while He Yushi said the Hong Family’s fighters were no match for him.
• He Yushi recalled meeting Jiang Chen during a sect mission, and the women teased her about having feelings for him.
• Hong Yunqing rushed to Hong Wen, then restrained himself from attacking Jiang Chen because the Hong Family had set the one-on-one rules.
• Hong Yunqing named Zhao Zhong, the Hong Family’s Enshrined Elder and a Martial Emperor Realm Fourth Level expert, as the next opponent, and Zhao Zhong leaped onto the arena.

Jiang Chen’s guard Guan Ze used one of Jiang Chen’s Seventh-grade Spirit Talismans to kill Zhao Zhong in a single strike, leaving the Hong Family reeling after Hong Wen’s earlier death. Jiang Chen defended the tactic as permitted in a life-and-death battle and challenged Hong Yunqing’s complaints about fairness.

• Jiang Chen sent Guan Ze to fight Zhao Zhong and reminded him that any means were allowed in the life-and-death battle.
• Zhao Zhong attacked Guan Ze with Boundless Profound Nether Strike, but Guan Ze unleashed a Seventh-grade Spirit Talisman supplied by Jiang Chen.
• The talisman’s attack shattered Zhao Zhong’s martial skill, blasted him off the arena, and killed him against a tree.
• Hong Yunqing and Mo Yunqing protested Guan Ze’s use of a Spirit Talisman, while Ye Yuntian and Tong Jian recognized Jiang Chen’s side as dangerous.
• Liu Yun felt relieved that Jiang Chen was safe and wondered if she regretted ending their relationship.
• Jiang Chen retorted that the Hong Family had also sent opponents with higher cultivation and said they had no grounds to complain after losing.

After the Hong Family’s fighters were killed, Jiang Chen challenged them, but no one dared face him, so Ye Yuntian agreed to step in. Their confrontation was interrupted by the arrival of Mo Qingyan, the Mission Hall’s Grand Hall Master, who came to scout promising geniuses and build her own circle of trusted subordinates.

• Jiang Chen stepped onto the arena and taunted the Hong Family after its members refused to challenge him.
• Hong Yunqing asked Ye Yuntian to handle Jiang Chen, and Ye Yuntian agreed while privately weighing the risks of fighting him.
• A herald announced that Fairy Mo, the Mission Hall’s Grand Hall Master, had arrived, shifting attention away from Jiang Chen and Ye Yuntian.
• Mo Qingyan entered the gathering, where Murong Jue welcomed her and she began assessing the assembled geniuses for potential recruitment.

Mo Qingyan arrived at Murong Jue’s gathering and revealed that she and Jiang Chen were good friends, stunning the assembled geniuses. She stopped Ye Yuntian from fighting Jiang Chen for the day, while Jiang Chen reserved the right to settle their dispute later.

• Mo Qingyan entered Murong Jue’s courtyard and asked whether Jiang Chen was there.
• Mo Qingyan greeted Jiang Chen first and told the crowd that they were good friends.
• Murong Jue and the other geniuses reacted with surprise at Jiang Chen’s connection to Mo Qingyan.
• Mo Qingyan questioned Ye Yuntian about his planned fight with Jiang Chen, and Ye Yuntian backed down.
• Jiang Chen agreed to end the dispute for the day but told Mo Qingyan not to interfere in any future confrontation with Ye Yuntian.

Mo Qingyan halted the fighting at Murong Jue's gathering and privately warned Jiang Chen about Ye Yuntian's ties to the powerful Great Yan Sect. Jiang Chen remained determined to settle things with Ye Yuntian, while Mo Qingyan turned her attention to scouting the gathering's other geniuses.

• Mo Qingyan called for an end to the fighting, and Murong Jue declared that combat was forbidden at the gathering.
• Hong Yunqing led the Hong Family disciples away with Hong Wen and Zhao Zhong's corpses after their attempt to target Jiang Chen ended in humiliation.
• Zhao Ruxue asked He Yushi about Jiang Chen, but He Yushi kept his identity as the Mercenary Demonic Dragon secret.
• Mo Qingyan told Jiang Chen that Ye Yuntian was connected to the Great Yan Sect and warned that killing him could bring the wrath of a force guarded by a Martial Sovereign Realm expert.
• Jiang Chen thanked Mo Qingyan for the information but insisted that he would not forgive Ye Yuntian or let her interfere in their future conflict.
• After Jiang Chen left to speak with He Yushi, Mo Qingyan toasted other heaven's chosen figures and noted promising geniuses for the Mission Hall to recruit.

At a gathering, Jiang Chen explained his ties to Mo Qingyan and impressed the women with his self-taught cultivation. Liu Yun watched him from Ye Yuntian’s table, regretted leaving him, and was reminded that Ye Yuntian saw her only as a tool for his breakthrough.

• Jiang Chen told He Yushi and the other women that he had met Mo Qingyan through the Mission Hall and had cultivated without a master.
• Zhao Ruxue marveled at Jiang Chen’s talent, while Murong Jue arranged for Cloud Pill Fairy to perform.
• Liu Yun watched Jiang Chen socialize and regretted leaving him and crippling his dantian three years earlier.
• Ye Yuntian accused Liu Yun of thinking about Jiang Chen and reminded her that she was meant to help him reach the Martial Venerable Realm.
• Liu Yun silently endured Ye Yuntian’s insults, furious but unable to resist him.

At the Genius Gathering, Ye Yuntian threatened Liu Yun and ordered her to persuade Jiang Chen to leave the capital, while avoiding a direct clash with him. Jiang Chen discussed spirit medicines before the gathering ended, and he left little room for Cloud Pill Fairy to draw closer to him.

• Ye Yuntian warned Liu Yun that Jiang Chen must stop opposing him and threatened her if she disobeyed or betrayed him.
• Liu Yun agreed to speak with Jiang Chen and persuade him to leave the capital.
• Jiang Chen explained the properties and habitats of unusual spirit medicines to the gathered geniuses.
• Ye Yuntian departed with the Chaohai Sect members, still resentful over Jiang Chen and Mo Qingyan.
• Mo Qingyan asked whether Jiang Chen had made friends, and Jiang Chen said he planned to take part in the Genius Trial and leave the Great Zhou Dynasty.
• Cloud Pill Fairy complained that Jiang Chen had not spoken or shared a drink with her, but Jiang Chen reminded her they had met only twice and kept his distance.

Jiang Chen rejected Cloud Pill Fairy’s attempt to befriend him, then declined Murong Jue’s apology gift and left the gathering. On the ride back to his lodgings, Liu Yun stopped the carriage and said she needed to speak with him.

• Jiang Chen bluntly refused Cloud Pill Fairy, who left angrily after explaining that she sold her art but not her body.
• Jiang Chen told Mo Qingyan he distrusted Cloud Pill Fairy, and the women laughed and blushed when he complimented them.
• Murong Jue apologized for how he had handled Jiang Chen’s clash with Ye Yuntian and offered him a gift, but Jiang Chen refused it.
• Murong Jue told his guard that Jiang Chen seemed powerful and well-backed, and that they should avoid offending him.
• After the carriage dropped He Yushi at the He Family Mansion, Liu Yun blocked the road and called to Jiang Chen, who said they had nothing to discuss.

Jiang Chen rejected Liu Yun’s plea for reconciliation and declared that he would confront Ye Yuntian at the Great Zhou Martial Competition. After reporting Jiang Chen’s challenge, Liu Yun planned to seek a powerful sect’s protection so she could escape Ye Yuntian’s control.

• Liu Yun begged Jiang Chen to talk, but he refused to trust her and ordered the coachman to leave.
• Liu Yun warned Jiang Chen that Ye Yuntian was powerful and urged him to leave the capital, but Jiang Chen vowed to settle their dispute at the Great Zhou Martial Competition.
• Jiang Chen and Guan Ze returned safely to their lodgings, and Jiang Chen waited for the competition’s final round, which was ten days away.
• Ye Yuntian dismissed Jiang Chen as no match for him and vowed to kill him at the competition, then ordered Liu Yun not to meet him again without permission.
• Liu Yun returned to her residence and cultivated, hoping to join the Genius Trial and gain a powerful sect’s protection from Ye Yuntian.

The Hong Clan Leader ordered Hong Yunqing and the elders not to provoke Jiang Chen while the family investigated his background and waited for a chance to retaliate. Jiang Chen then went to the Alchemist Guild with Guan Ze to certify his alchemist rank.

• The Hong Clan Leader warned Hong Yunqing that Jiang Chen’s strength and powerful guard suggested he might have a formidable background, and forbade him from seeking revenge without orders.
• The Hong Clan Leader criticized Hong Yunqing for acting impulsively and explained that the family would investigate Jiang Chen before deciding whether to retaliate or let the matter go.
• Hong Yunqing admitted his mistake and agreed to focus on the Great Zhou Martial Competition and the Genius Trial.
• After staying at their residence for two days, Jiang Chen took Guan Ze to the Alchemist Guild to obtain an alchemist title.
• Guan Ze asked who had taught Jiang Chen alchemy, and Jiang Chen said his master had passed away.

The Luoji Merchant Guild suffered a series of attacks that Luo Fu believed were revenge by the mastermind behind the bandits. With the Luo family desperate and isolated, Luo Yuelan went to ask Jiang Chen for help, only to learn he had left with his guards.

• Luo Fu told the Luo family that caravans had been attacked and shops vandalized, causing heavy losses and forcing the guild to close.
• Luo Yuelan suggested the attacks were revenge for Jiang Chen killing the bandits, and Luo Fu agreed that the bandits’ powerful backer was likely responsible.
• Luo Fu warned that the family might be safer in the royal capital than outside it, but Luo Yuelan urged him to seek Jiang Chen’s help.
• Luo Fu sent Luo Yuelan and three elders to Jiang Chen’s residence to ask for assistance.
• Steward Liu told Luo Yuelan that Jiang Chen was away with his guards, leaving her unsure where or when she could find him.

Jiang Chen earned the Sixth-tier Alchemist title after astonishing the Alchemist Guild with his skill, while Luo Yuelan waited at his residence to speak with him. On his way home, Jiang Chen noticed an empty street and suspected his enemies had set an ambush.

• Luo Yuelan paid Steward Liu a top-grade spirit stone so she and her people could wait for Jiang Chen at his residence.
• Luo Fu learned Jiang Chen was away and waited after hearing that nothing had happened to him.
• Jiang Chen passed every Alchemist Guild assessment with full marks, refined high-grade seventh-tier healing pills, and received the Sixth-tier Alchemist title.
• Jiang Chen asked the Guild Master and the other alchemists to keep his identity as a seventh-order alchemist secret.
• Jiang Chen and Guan Ze found their usual route home deserted, and Jiang Chen suspected Ye Yuntian, the Hong Family, Ziyan Mansion, Senluo Sect, or Dark Nether had arranged an ambush.

Jiang Chen and Guan Ze were surrounded by more than a hundred enemies from Ziyan Mansion, Senluo Sect, and a third faction led by Night Bird. Night Bird revealed the group’s connection to the bandits Jiang Chen had killed, and Jiang Chen vowed to destroy all three forces as the attackers prepared to strike.

• Dark Nether’s surviving Martial Emperor Realm experts watched Jiang Chen from a distance while waiting for their Martial Venerable Realm experts to arrive.
• Jiang Chen and Guan Ze sensed the ambush, and Jiang Chen warned Guan Ze not to hold back against their enemies.
• More than a hundred cultivators surrounded Jiang Chen and Guan Ze, including Shui Yuanshuang and Xuanyang of Ziyan Mansion and Senluo Sect.
• Shui Yuanshuang and Xuanyang admitted they had joined forces with a brown-clad group to take revenge on Jiang Chen.
• Night Bird identified himself as the leader of the brown-clad group and revealed the Sixth Prince had assigned him to kill Jiang Chen over the bandits Jiang Chen had slain.
• Jiang Chen threatened to destroy the three forces, and Shui Yuanshuang ordered the attackers to kill him and Guan Ze.

Jiang Chen revealed his true Martial Emperor Realm cultivation and overwhelmed the forces sent by Senluo Sect and Ziyan Mansion. After defeating their experts and killing their Martial King Realm subordinates, he declared that both sects would be erased from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

• Jiang Chen revealed that he was a Ninth Level Martial Emperor and told Guan Ze to protect himself while fighting the Martial King Realm enemies.
• Jiang Chen used Overlord Fist to shatter the attacks of more than a dozen Martial Emperor Realm experts and badly injure them.
• Guan Ze fought the Martial King Realm enemies while Jiang Chen killed them with a sweeping attack.
• Xuanyang and Shui Yuanshuang invoked Senluo Sect and Ziyan Mansion in hopes of making Jiang Chen spare them.
• Jiang Chen rejected their threats and vowed to erase Senluo Sect and Ziyan Mansion from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Jiang Chen killed the attackers sent by Sixth Prince Murong Su, spared their leader to deliver a threat, and resolved to destroy Ziyan Mansion and Senluo Sect before killing the prince. He returned home with Guan Ze, where Steward Liu was waiting at the gate.

• Jiang Chen crushed the experts from Ziyan Mansion and Senluo Sect, then cut down Night Bird’s fleeing companions and captured Night Bird.
• Jiang Chen confirmed that Sixth Prince Murong Su was behind the attack and ordered Night Bird to warn him that Jiang Chen would kill him before the Great Zhou Martial Competition’s final round.
• Jiang Chen kicked Night Bird away, absorbed the enemies’ blood-qi power, and collected their storage bags while leaving their corpses as a warning.
• Jiang Chen told Guan Ze they would destroy Ziyan Mansion and Senluo Sect and then deal with the Sixth Prince, and the two hurried home.
• Steward Liu waited at Jiang Chen’s gate after accepting a supreme-grade spirit stone from Luo Yuelan.

Luo Yuelan begged Jiang Chen to save the Luo family from Sixth Prince Murong Su, and Jiang Chen agreed to go with her and help fight back. Meanwhile, Night Bird reported the failed ambush to Murong Su, who refused to believe Jiang Chen could be as powerful as Night Bird claimed.

• Steward Liu told Jiang Chen that Luo Yuelan had waited all day to see him, and Jiang Chen went to meet her.
• Luo Yuelan knelt and pleaded for Jiang Chen to save the Luo family, then told him about the trouble they had faced.
• Jiang Chen promised to help the Luo family, revealed that Murong Su's men had ambushed him too, and set off with Luo Yuelan for her family home.
• Night Bird reported that Jiang Chen had defeated the ambush and was likely at Martial Emperor Realm, Eighth or Ninth Level.
• Murong Su raged over the deaths of his experts and accused Night Bird of making excuses for failing to kill Jiang Chen.

Murong Su dismissed Jiang Chen’s threat and ordered Night Bird to destroy the Luo family before targeting Jiang Chen. At the Luo residence, Jiang Chen promised to protect the family and planned to lure Murong Su’s experts outside the royal capital so he could kill them.

• Night Bird told Murong Su that Jiang Chen had identified him as the bandits’ mastermind and threatened to kill him before the Great Zhou Martial Competition began.
• Murong Su ordered Night Bird to target the Luo family and promised to send reinforcements if Night Bird handled the matter well.
• Jiang Chen arrived at the Luo residence with Luo Yuelan and assured Luo Fu and the other family members that he would protect them.
• Jiang Chen told the Luo family to reopen a shop the next day, then pretend to flee the royal capital with him.
• Jiang Chen explained that he planned to provoke Murong Su’s people and draw them into the wilderness, where he could kill them without attracting attention.