Chapter Summaries

Bai Yan learned that reaching the Free Star Sea required prodigies to purify Primordial True Stones and wait for the Venerables to select them. When the Venerables arrived again, Zou Jiao gave her a purified stone so she could still try to be chosen.

• Bai Yan asked how many Primordial True Stones prodigies had to purify, and learned that collecting a million points was only the threshold for selection.
• A foreign-race prodigy warned Bai Yan not to carry multiple contaminated stones or store them with purified ones, then taught her how to use the starstone magma to cleanse them.
• Bai Yan learned that the Sin Clan's trial involved purifying stones from the Free Star Sea and that Venerables had previously taken several dozen prodigies.
• Bai Yan spotted lights in the fog as the Venerables returned, but she had not yet purified a single stone and could not take anyone else's under the rules.
• Zou Jiao introduced himself and gave Bai Yan one of his purified Primordial True Stones so she could join the selection.

Bai Yan and Zou Jiao watched Exalted Venerables inspect the Primordial True Stones gathered at the Stone-Washing Ship, but none satisfied the buyers. The guardian official moved the gathering on to horn wrestling, leaving Bai Yan wondering what the contest was.

• Bai Yan introduced herself to Zou Jiao, who recognized her as a mutant White Pupil and led her toward the light.
• Four Exalted Venerables descended with the guardian official, who explained that they had come to purchase Primordial True Stones.
• The guardian official had the prodigies display their stones, but the Exalted Venerables rejected the offerings as poor in quantity and quality.
• Zou Jiao displayed his stones, but they failed to impress; he then claimed he had given Bai Yan one stone.
• The guardian official declared that they would move on to horn wrestling, and Bai Yan asked Zou Jiao what it was.

Bai Yan and Zou Jiao learned that the stone-washing ship’s gladiatorial combat forced prodigies to kill one another for Yuan True Stones, and the first rounds left the survivors facing more danger. After the High Venerables departed with their stones and chosen prodigies, Zou Jiao feared he would be targeted next, while three prodigies turned their greedy attention toward him and Bai Yan.

• Zou Jiao explained to Bai Yan that the prodigies had to kill one another to collect enough Yuan True Stones, and that repeated visits from High Venerables could prolong the slaughter.
• The top three prodigies chose weaker opponents and killed them, but still lacked enough Yuan True Stones to meet the minimum requirement.
• In the next rounds, the chosen opponents killed the first victors and eventually gathered enough stones to leave.
• The Guardian sent the three High Venerables away with their selected stones and prodigies.
• Zou Jiao warned Bai Yan that his large quantity of Yuan True Stones would make him a likely challenger next time, and three prodigies stared greedily at them.

Zou Jiao surrendered his Yuanzhen Stones to three alien prodigies who threatened him and Bai Yan, while more High Venerables arrived at the Stone-Washing Ship. Determined to save Bai Yan, Zi Ye planned to go up that night and seek help from the factions, despite his companions’ warnings.

• Three alien prodigies pressured Zou Jiao into handing over all his Yuanzhen Stones, using the threat of choosing Bai Yan as their opponent.
• Another High Venerable arrived, and Bai Yan cut off the Shared Vision connection as Zi Ye realized he had little time to save her.
• Zi Ye resolved to go up that night, even though he doubted he could overcome the High Venerables and Guardian Official.
• The faction leaders asked Zi Ye about Bai Yan, and Lei Ying and Zi Guang warned him that she was likely doomed and urged him not to go.
• Zi Xiao asked whether Zi Ye was determined to go, and Zi Ye said he would gather Star Stones, meet the faction overlords, and ask them to join forces.

Zi Ye decided to challenge the Supremes aboard the Stone-Washing Ship and gathered prodigies willing to fight alongside him. He arrived at the meeting point near the Sky Platform, where the envoy’s greeting suggested the Purple-Eyed Clan had been underestimated.

• Zi Ye argued that the prodigies should fight to control their own fate rather than trust the Free Star Sea Supremes, and Zi Xiao, Lei Ying, Lei Wen, and Qing Su agreed to join him.
• Zi Guang accepted Zi Ye’s trust and prepared to lead the Purple-Eyed Clan if Zi Ye’s group failed, while Qing Ci stayed behind to serve the Azure-Eyed Clan.
• Leaders from affiliated clans volunteered fighters, and Zi Ye chose the combatants who would accompany the group toward the Stone-Washing Ship.
• Zi Ye traveled to the meeting point near the Sky Platform and arrived around noon, where several foreign groups and four distinctive visitors were waiting.
• The envoy approached Zi Ye and remarked that he had expected him to arrive last because the Purple-Eyed Clan lived in a remote region.

Zi Ye demanded that the assembled overlords help him seize the Washstone Ship, then killed an overlord of the Empty Emperor Clan to establish his authority. After the clan chose a new representative, Han Shen of the Foreign Flame Clan and a woman of the Time God Clan approached him.

• Zi Ye announced that he had no interest in dividing territory or ruling the prodigies and asked who would join him in seizing the Washstone Ship.
• An Illusory Space Clan overlord mocked Zi Ye and attacked him, so Zi Ye killed him with a powerful elemental explosion.
• The Empty Emperor Clan members charged at Zi Ye to avenge their emperor, but he threatened to kill them unless they chose a new overlord.
• The Empty Emperor Clan selected a new representative, and the other overlords began treating Zi Ye with respect.
• Han Shen of the Foreign Flame Clan and a white-haired woman of the Time God Clan introduced themselves to Zi Ye, who asked the woman how to address her.

Zi Ye met Yu Yi of the Time God Clan and learned about her clan’s ability to draw on time, then waited at an abandoned mining site for Tai Sheng of the Tai Pan God Clan. As night approached, Quan Jie revealed that Tai Sheng had already told the gathered races the truth and would not let Zi Ye interfere with his plans, prompting Zi Ye to decide he could no longer wait.

• Yu Yi confronted Zi Ye after he failed to recognize her, and Shi Chen explained that the Time God Clan could rapidly draw on their stored knowledge by manipulating time within their bodies.
• Quan Jie introduced himself as a leader of the Quan Yong Clan and said his clan served the powerful Tai Pan God Clan, whose leader, Tai Sheng, was expected to arrive shortly.
• Two more regional hegemons arrived, and Zi Ye met the foreign races gathered aboard the stone-washing ship while waiting for Tai Sheng.
• As night approached, Zi Ye threatened to act if Tai Sheng did not come, and Quan Jie warned that Tai Sheng had disclosed the truth to the other races and would not allow Zi Ye to disrupt his plans.
• Zi Ye realized Quan Jie had been hiding what he knew and decided not to wait for Tai Sheng before dealing with the matter.

Zi Ye showed the leaders a vivid replay of the stone-washing ship’s platforms and urged them to join him in confronting the Upper Venerable and Guardian Officers. The leaders hesitated, and the Authority Ring announced that Tai Sheng had arrived.

• Zi Ye rose into the air and asked the leaders whether they knew what was happening on the stone-washing ship.
• Zi Ye used the ancient Pupil Clan secret art, Same Eyes, to recreate Bai Yan’s view of the platforms and the prodigies there.
• The leaders recognized former leaders and elite prodigies in Zi Ye’s scenes and believed his account was genuine.
• Zi Ye invited the leaders to rescue the surviving prodigies, confront the Upper Venerable and Guardian Officers, and seize control of the stone-washing ship.
• The leaders doubted they could survive the plan, and the Authority Ring announced that Tai Sheng had arrived.

Zi Ye confronted Tai Sheng over Kong Xing’s death, then urged the gathered leaders to seize the Washstone Ship and fight for a future beyond the Sin Clan’s oppression. Yu Yi and several other overlords agreed to join him, while Tai Sheng and his followers had yet to decide.

• Tai Sheng and seven allied leaders arrived, and the Authority Ring told him that Zi Ye had killed Kong Xing.
• Tai Sheng challenged Zi Ye, but Zi Ye rebuked him and demanded that the Authority Ring explain what had happened.
• Zi Ye urged the leaders to seize the Washstone Ship and establish their own lineage in the Free Star Sea instead of serving the Sin Clan.
• Yu Yi agreed to gamble her life with Zi Ye, and the Inferno Race overlord and Shi Yang also pledged to join him.
• Zi Ye called on the remaining overlords to follow, and Tai Sheng’s followers began to lose their doubts.

Zi Ye persuaded the chiefs and clan leaders to join his expedition by promising rewards and demonstrating that he could open new elemental spirit apertures. He then confronted Tai Sheng, forcing him to choose between cooperating and being killed.

• Zi Ye promised the gathered leaders merit, benefits for their descendants, and new elemental spirit apertures if the expedition succeeded.
• Zi Ye identified Yu Yi’s powerful Eternal element and offered to awaken her Corrosion element.
• Zi Ye opened a Corrosion spirit aperture for Yu Yi, convincing more chiefs and leaders to join him.
• Zi Ye opened spirit apertures for other elites and approached Tai Sheng’s group to secure their cooperation.
• Zi Ye threatened to kill Tai Sheng and his vassal clans if they refused to work with him, and the chiefs and overlords he had won over sided with Zi Ye.

Leader Zi Ye challenged Tai Sheng to a duel, wagering that the loser would become the winner’s vassal, while Tai Sheng also promised to dissolve all vassal pacts. During the fight, Zi Ye dodged Tai Sheng’s light blades and touched his shoulder, but Tai Sheng denied defeat and hinted at abilities beyond his three mutated elements.

• Leader Zi Ye challenged Tai Sheng to a duel and wagered that the loser would become the winner’s vassal.
• Tai Sheng agreed to dissolve all vassal pacts regardless of the duel’s outcome, and the gathered leaders and vassals moved away to watch.
• Tai Sheng attacked with powerful light blades, while Zi Ye identified his mutated light and metal elements and teleported around the strikes.
• Zi Ye touched Tai Sheng’s shoulder and declared him defeated, but Tai Sheng insisted Zi Ye had only touched his clothes.
• Tai Sheng revealed that he possessed more than three mutated elements and angrily asked whether Zi Ye thought his tribe had made the marks on the ground.

Zi Ye overwhelmed Tai Sheng’s Myriad Races Tai Suppression with his control of all twenty-four elements and demanded that the Tai Pan God Clan become his vassal race or die. Tai Sheng remained trapped as his followers and allies urged him to accept.

• Tai Sheng unleashed his four mutated elements and attacked Zi Ye with waves of golden blades.
• Zi Ye used his twenty-four elements to form multicolored spheres that devoured Tai Sheng’s blades and pushed back his attack.
• The watching leaders realized Zi Ye possessed all-element spirit apertures and discussed how rare and difficult that constitution was to cultivate.
• Zi Ye destroyed Tai Sheng’s elemental power and offered him a choice between becoming a vassal race and dying.
• Ring of Authority and other leaders urged Tai Sheng to accept, while some argued that the myriad races should die rather than submit.

Zi Ye defeated Tai Sheng, won over his Household leaders, and prepared the prodigies for the battle ahead as their cage rose. Yu Yi then spoke with Zi Ye about his use of the chains’ power, leaving their conversation ongoing.

• Zi Ye withdrew his elemental particles and taunted Tai Sheng, then struck him down when he tried to attack.
• Quan Jie helped Tai Sheng, but the other Household leaders joined Zi Ye after he invited them to follow him.
• Zi Ye opened spirit acupoints for the prodigies who planned to ascend and led some chiefs back to the rising cage.
• The chiefs prepared for battle by taking pills, drawing power from the chains, and tempering their bodies.
• Yu Yi asked whether Zi Ye was afraid, and Zi Ye praised her figure before asking if she had noticed him drawing power from the chains.

The narrator discussed the Myriad Races’ origins and his adapted inheritance with Yu Yi as they crossed the mist barrier. They entered a blazing magma layer, where the heat burned away his clothes and began melting the chains.

• Yu Yi questioned the narrator about the space-time art he had used, and he explained that he had borrowed from and evolved the Time God Clan’s inheritance.
• The narrator told Yu Yi that the Myriad Races came from an outside star sea and would never be accepted by the Free Star Sea’s inhabitants.
• Yu Yi admitted she believed the narrator despite finding no ancient records to support his account, and they exchanged teasing remarks about their ages and affection.
• The narrator and Yu Yi passed through the mist barrier and entered a magma layer that resembled flames.
• The starstone magma burned away the narrator’s clothes and began melting the chains.

After emerging from the starstone magma, Zi Ye gathered the surviving prodigies and organized a search for survivors before the decisive battle. He formed closer ties with Tai Sheng’s group and sent his dependents to look for Bai Yan, while Wa Ruo warned him that several women were watching him.

• Zi Ye reunited with Yu Yi and the other prodigies after they emerged from the magma, and they found that their stone-washing ships had disappeared.
• Quan Jie asked to join Zi Ye’s group, and Zi Ye welcomed the Tai Pan clan elites, treated Tai Sheng, and opened his spirit aperture.
• Zi Ye ordered the prodigies to split up and search for survivors, then gather if light appeared in the sky.
• Zi Ye introduced Yu Yi to Lei Ying and Zi Xiao as the leaders dispersed, while Wa Ruo watched the women suspiciously.
• Zi Ye told his dependents to search for Bai Yan, and Wa Ruo sped away on the platform as Zi Ye asked Qing Su how her preparations were going.

Zi Ye spoke with Qing Su about her feelings for Qing Ci and the coming battle against the Exalted Ones, but their conversation was interrupted by the Guardian Official’s arrival. As the group gathered on floating platforms above the starstone lava, Bai Yan reunited with Zi Ye.

• Zi Ye praised Qing Su’s progress and asked whether she had feelings for Qing Ci, and Qing Su said she did not love him romantically.
• Qing Su grabbed Zi Ye’s hand and began to speak about fighting the Exalted Ones, but a widening slit in the sky interrupted them.
• Zi Ye led the group toward the place where the Guardian Official’s platform would descend, while their platforms floated above the starstone lava and their points continued to drain.
• Bai Yan flew through the crowd and embraced Zi Ye after they had been apart for a day and a night.

Bai Yan reunited with the narrator as their group prepared to seize the Cleansing Stone Ship, but they found six High Venerables alongside the Guardian Officer. As the High Venerables threatened the Sin Clan members over their lack of Origin True Stones, the narrator offered them a plan to meet the minimum guarantee.

• The narrator reunited with Bai Yan and gathered her remaining companions into the larger group of prodigies.
• The group approached the platform and discovered six High Venerables waiting with the Guardian Officer.
• The Guardian Officer asked everyone to present their Origin True Stones, but only Bai Yan and several prodigies produced a little more than a dozen.
• The High Venerables grew furious over the shortfall, and one shoved the Guardian Officer to the ground before the Guardian proposed waiting for the Sin Clan members to cleanse more goods.
• The High Venerables debated whether to kill members of the Sin Clan, while the narrator decided to avoid forcing a fight and offered them a plan to earn enough Origin True Stones.

The narrator confronted the Guardian Officer and persuaded the Exalted Ones to consider a deal that would let him leave the Stone-Washing Ship as their hostage while the Sin Clan washed Primordial True Stones. The Guardian Officer reluctantly agreed to cooperate in exchange for ten percent, while Exalted One Yu altered the plan to spread the collection of goods across seven days.

• The Guardian Officer attacked the narrator, but Exalted One Yu intervened and stopped the fight before Exalted One Wen could strike the Guardian Officer.
• Exalted One Qu and another Exalted One suspected that the Sin Clan had gathered to attack the Guardian Officer and escape the Stone-Washing Ship.
• The narrator abandoned the idea of a forceful attack and proposed leaving as a hostage while one person supervised the Sin Clan as they washed Primordial True Stones.
• Exalted One Yu proposed that the Exalted Ones collect the best stones over seven days, and the narrator accepted the revised deal.
• Exalted One Yu offered the Guardian Officer ten percent of the total, and the Guardian Officer reluctantly agreed to grant them the requested convenience.

Jiangyuan disguises himself as Faith Supremacy and leaves the Stone-Washing Ship with the Supremacies, learning how the trade association manages its ships and how a Jiangyuan Pill protects Sin Clan members from Primordial Force. He reaches the resting area and wonders whether he can alter his spiritual-power state and bring more Sin Clan members into the Free Star Sea.

• Jiangyuan poses as Faith Supremacy and asks Jade Supremacy to treat the Sin Clan members leniently.
• Jade Supremacy gives Jiangyuan a Jiangyuan Pill, explaining that it absorbs Primordial Force but must be replaced when its power weakens.
• The platform rises and seals Stone-Washing Ship 493 beneath it, while the Supremacies pretend to complain about their losses.
• The Guardian Official offers the group a place to rest and other Stone-Washing Ships to choose from, and the Supremacies follow him.
• Jiangyuan hears other visitors discuss the ship, estimates that the trade association operates hundreds of Stone-Washing Ships, and considers the limits of bringing Sin Clan members into the Free Star Sea.

After the other Supreme Venerables left him with Jade Supreme Venerable, the narrator stayed at the resting grounds and refined the Crimson Origin Pill into a pillheart that could convert primordial force into spirit essence. He realized he still needed outside resources to become a primordial-force cultivator, and Jade Supreme Venerable appeared after noticing his hidden abilities.

• Several Supreme Venerables left Jade Supreme Venerable to take responsibility for the narrator, and Jade Supreme Venerable led him into the resting grounds.
• Jade Supreme Venerable told the narrator to stay overnight and meet him at Stone-Washing Ship No. 493 the next morning to complete a task.
• The narrator used his knowledge of the Time God Clan's techniques to refine the Crimson Origin Pill into a pillheart that converted primordial force into spirit essence.
• The narrator realized that surviving in the Free Star Sea did not let him cultivate freely, since he still needed to become a primordial-force cultivator and would likely require external resources.
• Jade Supreme Venerable approached and remarked that the narrator was hiding many secrets.