Chapter Summaries

Ning Yu Die transformed for battle and refused to surrender Luo Zheng to Void Spirit Sect, bringing the sects to the brink of war. Just as she and the Void Spirit Seven Sons prepared to clash, three distinctive fat men arrived at the Rising Dragon Platform.

• Ning Yu Die declared that she would protect Luo Zheng as a Cloud Palace disciple and summoned her ice armor and Mystic Ice Halberd.
• The Void Spirit Seven Sons formed a battle formation and threatened that Luo Zheng would not be allowed to leave.
• Ning Yu Die warned that an attack on Cloud Palace could leave Void Spirit Sect vulnerable to other sects, while Poison Blood Lady and Black Crow pledged their support to Void Spirit Sect.
• The Void Spirit Seven Sons dismissed Ning Yu Die's warning and prepared to fight, bringing Cloud Palace and Void Spirit Sect to the verge of sect war.
• Three fat men ran up to the Rising Dragon Platform, and the timid-looking one struggled to catch his breath and called for everyone to stop.

Luo Zheng faced pressure from the Void Spirit Sect and other factions to reveal how the Rising Dragon Platform could allow ascension, while Ning Yu Die tried to protect him. He claimed he had altered and restored the platform’s runes, and Shi Kefan confirmed Luo Zheng’s exceptional skill as a Runemaster.

• Shi Kefan intervened to stop the fighting and urged everyone to discuss the Rising Dragon Platform’s secrets.
• Poison Blood Lady and the leader of the Void Spirit Seven Sons argued that Luo Zheng had to reveal the platform’s secret, and Shi Kefan asked him to explain it.
• Ning Yu Die refused to let Luo Zheng speak, despite threats from Poison Blood Lady and Black Crow.
• Luo Zheng told the gathered sect leaders that he had changed the Sixth Layer’s runes and had just restored them, making the Rising Dragon Platform able to allow ascension again.
• Luo Zheng pointed to his rune expertise, and Shi Kefan remembered his Perfect Stroke and said only Feng Guanyu might match him in the Central Region.

Luo Zheng proved that the Rising Dragon Platform worked again, prompting Xuan An to ascend and the sect masters to consider its safety. He then revealed to Ning Yu Die that ascenders without True Dragon Blood would be imprisoned for a thousand years and gave her a drop of True Dragon Blood.

• Shi Kefan praised Luo Zheng's rune skill, but Luo Zheng redirected the Void Tribulation Realm experts to test the Rising Dragon Platform.
• Black Crow sent Xuan An up the platform, and Xuan An reached its top and ascended in a beam of white light.
• Black Crow displayed Xuan An's life jade token as the sect masters waited to learn whether he was safe.
• Luo Zheng left with Ning Yu Die and told her that he had repaired the platform to trap people who ascended without True Dragon Blood.
• Ning Yu Die took Luo Zheng to a secluded palace, where he gave her a drop of True Dragon Blood.

Ning Yu Die gave Luo Zheng a drop of True Dragon Blood and explained that the Rising Dragon Platform was part of the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament. When Luo Zheng confronted her about Cloud Hall handing his sister Luo Yan to Cui Xie, she apologized, but her master arrived and challenged Luo Zheng to blame Cui Xie instead.

• Ning Yu Die accepted the True Dragon Blood Luo Zheng offered and explained that the Martial Arts Tournament had been moved forward, with the Rising Dragon Platform added to the First Place reward.
• Luo Zheng asked who would compete and reacted with killing intent when Ning Yu Die named Cui Xie among the Independent Martial Artists.
• Ning Yu Die realized Luo Zheng resented her for Cloud Hall handing Luo Yan over to Cui Xie, and Luo Zheng accused her of protecting him but not his sister.
• Ning Yu Die apologized, and Luo Zheng softened, acknowledging that Cloud Hall had been unable to oppose Cui Xie.
• An old woman passed through Ning Yu Die's barrier, rebuked Luo Zheng for blaming Cloud Hall, and Ning Yu Die addressed her as Master.

Luo Zheng learned that Si Miaoling was Cui Xie's second Purple Extreme Yin Body candidate and resolved to kill her at the Martial Arts Tournament. After he revealed a profound mastery of the Space Law, Ning Yu Die's master allowed him to pursue the tournament, while recognizing Ning Yu Die's personal concern for him.

• The old woman reprimanded Luo Zheng and Ning Yu Die, then explained that Cui Xie needed Si Miaoling as the third candidate for his Heavenly Devil Joyous Union Grand Formation.
• Luo Zheng learned that Si Miaoling was at the Divine Pill Middle Stage and that the Martial Arts Tournament allowed deadly combat.
• Ning Yu Die warned Luo Zheng that the tournament was full of powerful sect geniuses and that Cloud Hall's five spots were already taken, but Luo Zheng insisted he would participate, obtain the Rising Dragon Platform, and kill Si Miaoling.
• When Ning Yu Die tried to stop Luo Zheng with an icy barrier, he passed through it using the Space Law, astonishing her and her master.
• The old woman permitted Luo Zheng to enter the tournament and teased Ning Yu Die about her concern for him, while judging that Luo Zheng had great potential but still faced a dangerous challenge.

Luo Zheng reached the Martial Arts Tournament registration site and learned that entrants had to pass an assessment using a Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone. Despite being only at the third stage of the Spirit Illumination Realm, he registered and faced the test as the crowd watched.

• Luo Zheng learned that martial artists without sect quotas had to pass the Outer Trial to enter the Inner Circle Competition.
• A martial artist failed to make the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone change color and left after losing his Top Grade True Essence Stone.
• Ao Xiang passed by making the stone turn red for three breaths with a casual palm strike, then received his Nameplate.
• Luo Zheng paid the registration fee, drawing attention from the crowd because of his low cultivation.
• The crowd gathered to see whether Luo Zheng could pass the test.

Luo Zheng activated pure Thunder Law power to strike the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone and passed the registration test after turning it red for the time it took an incense stick to burn. The mustached old man recognized that something extraordinary had happened, while the other martial artists suspected the stone was damaged.

• Luo Zheng examined the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone and wondered whether he could fuse its seven Laws of Origin, but Azure Dragon warned him that doing so was extraordinarily difficult.
• At the urging of the waiting martial artists, Luo Zheng raised his fist and chose to use the Thunder Law alone.
• Luo Zheng struck the stone with a seemingly weak bolt of lightning, and its surface changed from blue to red.
• The Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone remained red for more than ten breaths, astonishing the crowd and prompting them to blame a malfunction.
• After an incense stick's worth of time, the stone returned to blue, and the mustached old man confirmed that Luo Zheng had passed.

Luo Zheng passed the World Commerce Alliance’s registration test by making the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone change color for an incense stick, then entered the palace where the Outer Trial contestants had gathered. He faced the attention of powerful martial artists as he resolved to pass the trial so he could kill Si Miaoling.

• The mustached old man confirmed that Luo Zheng had passed, silenced the protesting martial artists, and recorded his name on a Nameplate.
• Luo Zheng left the registration site, where other martial artists rushed to pay for their own tests, but none of them passed.
• Luo Zheng arrived at the palace holding the Outer Trial and drew surprised looks from the assembled contestants, including Ao Xiang.
• Two middle-stage Divine Pill Realm martial artists noticed Luo Zheng and discussed his likely mastery of a Law of Power, but one warned the other not to stir up trouble.
• Luo Zheng remained composed among the stronger contestants and resolved to pass the Outer Trial so he could kill Si Miaoling.

Luo Zheng entered the World Commerce Alliance’s Outer Trial after defying a Divine Pill Realm Martial Artist who threatened him. Inside the enormous illusion array, he found himself on a grassland beside a tower bearing his name and topped by an archer.

• A White-Faced Martial Artist mocked Luo Zheng and demanded to know how he passed the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone test, but Luo Zheng insulted him and stood ready to fight.
• A World Commerce Alliance executive stopped the White-Faced Martial Artist from attacking by warning that any fight would revoke his Outer Trial qualification.
• A middle-aged Martial Artist announced that the Outer Trial would select three contestants for the Inner Circle Competition and explained the illusion-array assessment rules.
• Luo Zheng entered the illusion array and appeared in a grassy expanse beside a small tower labeled with his name, where an archer stood holding a longbow.

Luo Zheng guarded his tower against the first wave of Three-Eyed Spiders while other competitors demonstrated powerful area attacks. After Mo Lezhang recognized Luo Zheng as a Cloud Hall Runemaster with the Perfect Stroke, the elders debated how many waves he could survive.

• Luo Zheng fought the first wave of Three-Eyed Spiders, cutting them down alongside the tower archer before any reached his tower.
• Ao Xiang used Blade Storm to destroy the spiders around his tower, while the White-Faced Martial Artist crushed them with Limitless Ghost Hand.
• The middle-aged martial artist and the elders reviewed the competitors' performances on the Trust Jade and noted that no tower had been attacked during the first wave.
• Mo Lezhang recognized Luo Zheng on the Trust Jade as the Runemaster with the Perfect Stroke from Cloud Hall.
• Mo Lezhang predicted that Luo Zheng could last until around the tenth wave, while another elder doubted he would survive the sixth or seventh.

Luo Zheng’s registration results stunned the World Commerce Alliance elders, who learned he had kept the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone changing color for an incense stick’s burn. As the second wave began, Luo Zheng spent all one thousand points strengthening his little tower, leaving two archers on top.

• Old Xiao arrived and asked to see Luo Zheng’s illusory formation results, while Mo Lezhang and the middle-aged warrior wondered why he was interested.
• Old Xiao showed Mo Lezhang the registration records, revealing Luo Zheng had ranked first after keeping the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone changing color for an incense stick’s burn.
• Old Xiao argued Luo Zheng qualified for the Inner Circle Competition, but Mo Lezhang and the middle-aged warrior doubted he could pass the Outer Trial because his cultivation was too low.
• As the second wave approached, Luo Zheng spent all one thousand points to strengthen his little tower, which grew taller and gained a second archer.
• The bells rang out, signaling that the second wave of attacks was about to begin.

Luo Zheng defended his tower through the second wave and cleared the Black Tortoises of the third wave at astonishing speed, surprising the observers who had underestimated him. The chapter left Mo Lezhang and the others recognizing that Luo Zheng was far more than a Runemaster, as a human-shaped sword spirit stood beside him.

• Luo Zheng killed the Devil Race javelin throwers with Basic Swordplay, while the tower’s archers stopped two enemies he had missed from reaching it.
• Luo Zheng spent his points to strengthen the small tower, increasing its defenses and adding a third archer with more powerful arrows.
• As the third wave of Black Tortoises appeared, Mo Lezhang and the others focused on Ao Xiang, who was killing them rapidly.
• The observers discovered that Luo Zheng had already eliminated every Black Tortoise, finishing the wave twice as fast as Ao Xiang.
• Mo Lezhang saw the human-shaped sword spirit beside Luo Zheng and admitted that Luo Zheng could not be regarded merely as a Runemaster.

Luo Zheng used Demon Night to easily destroy the third wave of Black Tortoises, astonishing the observers with the clarity and power of his Sword Spirit. Old Xiao and Mo Lezhang discussed Luo Zheng’s unusual potential and the threat posed by Cui Xie, while considering whether the World Commerce Alliance should win Luo Zheng over.

• Luo Zheng ordered Demon Night to cut down the third wave of Black Tortoises with Blood Demon Great Emperor's giant sword.
• The middle-aged Martial Artist showed Old Xiao and Mo Lezhang his own Sword Spirit and explained how extraordinarily detailed and advanced Demon Night was.
• Old Xiao compared Luo Zheng’s potential to Cui Xie’s meteoric rise, while noting that matching Cui Xie remained unlikely.
• Old Xiao and Mo Lezhang discussed Cui Xie’s growing influence and rumors that he planned to unify the Central Region.
• Mo Lezhang observed that Luo Zheng was a Cloud Hall disciple rather than a World Commerce Alliance member, but agreed he was worth winning over.

During the fourth wave of the Outer Trial, Luo Zheng and Demon Night swiftly killed the Corpse Crows attacking his territory. Luo Zheng then flew to a struggling warrior’s territory to seize more points, leaving the elders debating whether his tactic exploited a flaw or broke the rules.

• The fourth wave began as swarms of poisonous Corpse Crows descended on the warriors’ small towers.
• Luo Zheng and Demon Night slaughtered the Corpse Crows around his tower, quickly earning points while remaining immune to their poison.
• After clearing his own attackers, Luo Zheng spotted a nearby warrior struggling and flew over to kill that warrior’s Corpse Crows for extra points.
• Mo Lezhang, Old Xiao, and the middle-aged warrior watched Luo Zheng’s move; Old Xiao argued that no rule forbade it, while the middle-aged warrior called it cheating.
• The nearby warrior ordered Luo Zheng to leave and attacked him with a great saber, but Luo Zheng kept killing the Corpse Crows.

Luo Zheng exploited the illusion array by entering neighboring territories to kill their demonic beasts and steal points, using the gains to rapidly upgrade his Small Tower. As the fifth wave began, he left Demon Night to fight the Black Tortoise Stone Men and flew toward the White-Faced Martial Artist’s territory, where an old enemy was struggling against the beasts.

• Luo Zheng killed most of a neighboring martial artist’s Corpse Crows, evaded the man’s attacks by passing through Corpse Poison, and gained enough points to advance his Small Tower for the fourth time.
• The fifth wave began, and Luo Zheng sent Demon Night to fight the Black Tortoise Stone Men while he flew off to plunder another territory.
• Mo Lezhang and Old Xiao watched Luo Zheng’s strategy, while the middle-aged martial artist warned that his stolen points might let his Small Tower reach Level Eleven or Twelve.
• Luo Zheng arrived at the White-Faced Martial Artist’s territory, where the man was struggling to destroy Black Tortoise Stone Men that resisted his soul attacks.
• The White-Faced Martial Artist recognized Luo Zheng and watched in confusion as he began killing the Stone Men in the territory.

Luo Zheng attacked Zhao Heiyan’s Black Tortoise Stone Men, depriving him of points needed to upgrade his tower and provoking him to unleash the Great Hatred Demon Attack. Zhao Heiyan’s Heavenly Spirit Ghost Claw entered Luo Zheng’s sea of consciousness, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Luo Zheng shattered three Black Tortoise Stone Men with his Collapsing Sword, taking points Zhao Heiyan needed for his next tower upgrade.
• Zhao Heiyan threatened to kill Luo Zheng and revealed that he had inherited the Great Hatred Demon Attack.
• Mo Lezhang and the others recognized Zhao Heiyan’s evil art, while Mo Lezhang pointed out that Luo Zheng’s runemaster training had strengthened his soul.
• Zhao Heiyan manifested a black ghostly hand and sent his Heavenly Spirit Ghost Claw into Luo Zheng’s sea of consciousness to attack his soul.

Luo Zheng endured Zhao Heiyan’s Heavenly Spirit Ghost Claw without injury, then plundered his points while Demon Night cleared stone men in Luo Zheng’s territory. He advanced his small tower twice in a row, leaving it stronger than the other martial artists’ towers as the fifth wave eliminated many more participants.

• Zhao Heiyan’s Heavenly Spirit Ghost Claw struck Luo Zheng, but Luo Zheng severed it with his powerful soul and left Zhao Heiyan screaming in pain.
• Luo Zheng and Demon Night killed Black Tortoise Stone Men in separate territories, making Luo Zheng’s points rise twice as fast as those of other martial artists.
• Luo Zheng cleared Zhao Heiyan’s territory and warned him that he would return after the next round began.
• Demon Night briefly smiled at Luo Zheng as he walked away, then returned to her usual expression when he turned around.
• Luo Zheng spent thirty-three thousand points to advance his small tower twice, raising it one level above the others and strengthening its six archers.
• The fifth wave of the demonic beast assault eliminated forty martial artists, more than the previous wave.

Luo Zheng used his level-six tower to dominate the sixth wave while raiding Zhao Heiyan’s territory, prompting Sang Yang to prepare to remove him from the illusion array. Ning Yu Die arrived and, after learning why Sang Yang objected, was quietly delighted by Luo Zheng’s ingenuity.

• Luo Zheng left his tower to attack Zhao Heiyan’s territory as his level-six tower’s archers slaughtered the Purple Jade Centipedes approaching his own territory.
• Sang Yang argued that Luo Zheng’s upgraded tower and raids disrupted the trial’s balance, then decided to kick him out of the illusion array.
• Ning Yu Die arrived as Sang Yang was preparing to remove Luo Zheng and asked why he wanted to expel him.
• Sang Yang showed Ning Yu Die how Luo Zheng guarded his territory with his sword spirit while raiding others for points using a tower stronger than the other participants’ towers.
• Ning Yu Die recognized that Luo Zheng’s strategy made the trial much easier for him and felt pleased, though she remained torn about whether he should advance to the dangerous Inner Circle Competition.

Ning Yu Die rejected Sang Yang’s attempt to disqualify Luo Zheng, arguing that the rules had never forbidden his tactics, and Sang Yang eventually agreed to clarify the rules for the next trial. Luo Zheng’s tower climbed to Level Twelve before the final wave, which brought three enormous Sea Turtle Giants charging toward him.

• Sang Yang asked Ning Yu Die to revoke Luo Zheng’s qualification, but she blamed the imbalance on his failure to forbid Luo Zheng’s tactics in the rules.
• Old Xiao calmed the dispute, and Sang Yang agreed to make the rules clear before the next Outer Trial.
• Zhao Heiyan realized that Luo Zheng’s rapid progress left him with little chance of advancing or reaching his own goals.
• Luo Zheng cleared the beasts in his territory, plundered points from other martial artists, and raised his tower to Level Twelve before the final wave.
• Three twenty-zhang Sea Turtle Giants appeared and charged toward Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng used his Level Twelve Small Tower to easily defeat the tenth wave, while only twenty-two martial artists survived. When the second-stage melee began, the other contestants targeted Luo Zheng over his unusually powerful tower, but his archers instantly destroyed the first attackers.

• Luo Zheng's twelve archers killed all three Sea Turtle Giants in three volleys, leaving him and Demon Night idle as the other martial artists struggled through the final wave.
• The tenth wave ended with twenty-two survivors, and Sang Yang opened the second-stage assessment.
• The survivors appeared atop separate Small Towers in the void and noticed that Luo Zheng's tower was far larger than their Level Ten towers.
• Ao Xiang and other martial artists suspected the World Commerce Alliance had favored Luo Zheng, and some resolved to seize his Small Tower.
• After Sang Yang began the melee, three or four martial artists charged Luo Zheng, but his archers destroyed them and their Small Towers with one volley.