Recaps

Lin Bai prepared for the Giant God’s Will ahead of the Divine Relic Ridge examination and reunited with Ji Xiang, while powerful newcomers gathered in Sky Walled City. The chapter ended with Long Qingfeng and Qin Beiao, leading figures from south of the Ridge, meeting at a restaurant.

• Lin Bai refused Fang Ji’s challenge because he was preparing for the Giant God’s Will, though he said he would defeat Fang Ji if Fang Ji interfered during the trials.
• Lin Bai told Bai Xiaoxiao that his defenses gave him an eighty percent chance of withstanding the Giant God’s Will in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range.
• Ji Xiang arrived at the Lin Estate, apologized for attacking Lin Bai beneath the cliff, and revealed that he planned to go to Divine Relic Ridge.
• A gray-robed swordsman defeated an opponent outside a restaurant, while Qin Beiao watched from the second floor.
• Long Qingfeng met Qin Beiao and said he had come to Divine Relic Ridge to challenge the younger generation’s geniuses.

Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng vowed that South Ridge’s geniuses would not lose to martial artists on Divine Relic Ridge, while Liu Jingfeng rescued his tortured younger brother and learned that Lin Bai had killed his sons. Liu Jingfeng swore to take revenge on Lin Bai, though Liu Jingxing could no longer appear openly on Divine Relic Ridge.

• Qin Beiao boasted to Long Qingfeng that he could defeat Fang Ji and Lin Bai, and vowed to win the Three Trials and Five Tribulations for the Holy Seal Sect.
• Long Qingfeng agreed that neither of them could afford to lose to East Ridge’s geniuses without disgracing South Ridge.
• Zuo Kai urged Liu Jingfeng to retrieve Liu Jingxing, and Liu Jingfeng secured his release from the Hall of Law Enforcement with help from a Gray-Robed Old Man.
• Liu Jingfeng learned that Lin Bai had killed his sons, Liu Ben and Liu Hai, while they were traveling to Divine Relic Ridge.
• Liu Jingfeng vowed to exterminate Lin Bai and told Liu Jingxing he would handle the revenge because Liu Jingxing could no longer appear openly on Divine Relic Ridge.

After five days of sword practice with Ji Xiang, Lin Bai went to the Ascension Tower with Ji Xiang and Bai Xiaoxiao for Divine Relic Ridge’s assessment. Fang Ji arrived and ignored He Qian to approach Lin Bai, leaving the crowd startled.

• Ji Xiang praised Lin Bai’s improving dual-sword technique but noted that he needed a second sword suited to him, while Ji Xiang abandoned his own attempt to copy the style.
• Bai Xiaoxiao urged Lin Bai and Ji Xiang to rest before the Divine Relic Ridge assessment, and Lin Bai left the Lin Estate with them, vowing to face the Giant God Race.
• Qi Yao welcomed Lin Bai at the Ascension Tower and warned him that He Qian might try to hinder him during the assessment.
• He Qian glared at Lin Bai and privately vowed to deal with him and Fang Ji.
• Fang Ji strode toward He Qian, dismissed his challenge, and knocked him aside with one palm strike.
• The crowd realized Fang Ji had come for Lin Bai, who emerged in front of him.

Fang Ji pressured Lin Bai to accept a duel, but Lin Bai refused because he was preoccupied with the coming encounter with the Giant God Race. The elders of the Nine Great Academies arrived at Ascension Tower and announced the assessment rules, leaving Lin Bai poised for the trials ahead.

• Fang Ji challenged Lin Bai, who refused to fight him until after joining Divine Relic Ridge.
• Fang Ji insulted Lin Bai and dismissed Bai Xiaoxiao's offer to fight in his place, then vowed to force Lin Bai to draw his sword someday.
• Bai Xiaoxiao took Lin Bai's hand and promised to stay by his side, realizing how deeply he feared the coming confrontation with the Giant God Race.
• Nine high-ranking elders from Divine Relic Ridge's academies arrived at Ascension Tower, including Pei Ji of the Sword Dao Institute.
• Liu Jingfeng explained the assessment's Eight Trials, including the Five Tribulations and Three Trials, and warned that Divine Relic Ridge would not accept martial souls below the Profound Grade.

Liu Jingfeng announced the examination rules, then told Lin Bai he did not need to take the examination because none of the academies would accept him. Lin Bai recognized that Liu Jingfeng wanted to keep him outside Divine Relic Ridge so he could be killed without facing the Nine Academies’ Hall of Law Enforcement, but insisted on taking the examination as the candidates prepared to proceed.

• Liu Jingfeng explained that candidates had to pass the Martial Soul test and fight in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range for Pass Tokens, which would determine their rankings and chances of joining an academy.
• Liu Jingfeng asked which candidate was Lin Bai, and Lin Bai identified himself as the gathered martial artists looked on.
• Liu Jingfeng told Lin Bai he did not need to take the examination because none of the academies would dare accept him.
• Bai Xiaoxiao surmised that Liu Jingfeng had persuaded the other academy elders to reject Lin Bai, while He Qian grew enraged and blamed Lin Bai for taking the status and future he believed should have been his.
• Lin Bai accused Liu Jingfeng of wanting to prevent him from joining Divine Relic Ridge so Liu Jingfeng could kill him without attracting the Hall of Law Enforcement, then declared that he would take the examination anyway.
• Liu Jingfeng allowed Lin Bai to proceed and directed the candidates to the third floor of the Ascension Tower.

Lin Bai entered the Ascension Tower’s first trial, where heavenly lightning relentlessly pursued him as he searched for the light gate. Outside, Qin Beiao became the first martial artist shown on the projection tablets after destroying the lightning with one palm, and the Fist Dao Academy claimed him.

• Lin Bai, Bai Xiaoxiao, and Qi Yao entered the Ascension Tower in the first batch, while Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng also went inside.
• Liu Jingfeng began the illusion for the first hundred thousand martial artists, and Lin Bai and Bai Xiaoxiao were separated into the trial.
• Lin Bai found himself beneath thunderclouds in the first-layer illusion and fled as divine lightning shattered the mountain where he had stood.
• Lin Bai recalled that he needed to find a light gate to pass and raced away as the lightning pursued him.
• Qin Beiao appeared on the first projection tablet after shattering the lightning with a single palm and entering the second-trial illusion.
• Liu Jingfeng declared that the Fist Dao Academy would take Qin Beiao, while the other elders acknowledged his exceptional fist techniques.

Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng cleared the Heavenly Thunder Illusion first, while several familiar and unknown geniuses followed them onto the projection wall. Lin Bai struggled to find the light gate until he realized it was hidden in the thunderclouds above him.

• Qin Beiao smashed through the first illusion's light gate in three breaths, and Liu Jingfeng claimed he must be a disciple of the Fist Dao Academy.
• Long Qingfeng entered the second illusion with a single sword strike, prompting Pei Ji and elders from other academies to compete for him.
• Fang Ji, He Qian, Yao Feng, Bai Xiaoxiao, Qi Yao, and Hua Yuxian appeared on the remaining stone steles, leaving the ninth stele empty.
• The crowd questioned why Lin Bai, first on the Potential Ranking, had not appeared on any stele.
• Lin Bai fought off a web of thunder and realized the light gate was hidden within the thunderclouds above him.

Lin Bai uncovered the first trial’s hidden exit and entered the second trial, while the rankings and his late arrival stirred rivalry among the other martial artists. He began searching for the second trial’s exit by attacking the magma-covered ground.

• Qin Beiao, Long Qingfeng, Fang Ji, He Qian, and Qi Yao saw their positions on the first trial’s clearance rankings and entered the second trial.
• Bai Xiaoxiao worried when Lin Bai failed to appear on the rankings, while He Qian vowed to surpass him.
• Lin Bai destroyed the thunderclouds with a sword strike, revealing the light gate hidden in the lightning mist, and saw that he ranked ninth.
• Lin Bai appeared on the ninth projection stone wall, drawing reactions from Liu Jingfeng and Pei Ji, before entering the second trial.
• Lin Bai guessed the second trial’s gate lay beneath the magma and cleaved the ground with the Azure Song Sword.

Lin Bai fought a regenerating Flame Giant in the second-stage illusion and stole the pass token from its heart to enter the third stage. There, two armed clay statues awakened and attacked him, and he realized he had to defeat them to make the next light gate appear.

• Lin Bai entered the second-stage illusion, found a light gate beneath the lava, and was confronted by a Flame Giant guarding it.
• Lin Bai discovered that the Flame Giant could regenerate after he severed its limbs, then blasted a hole through its chest and knocked out the flaming pass token.
• Lin Bai snatched the token and entered the third stage before the Flame Giant could stop him.
• Lin Bai arrived in a Martial Arts Arena, where two clay statues armed with a golden saber and a silver sword awakened and charged at him.
• Lin Bai's Sword Qi failed to harm the statues, and he dodged a devastating saber strike before concluding he had to defeat them to reveal the light gate.

Lin Bai discovered that the third trial’s clay puppets copied his martial techniques, then used the flaws in his low-level Blood Weeping Swordplay to defeat them. He passed the trial and entered the fourth-trial illusion ahead of the other competitors.

• Lin Bai attacked the clay puppets with powerful divine abilities, but they perfectly copied his moves and forced him back.
• Outside Ascension Tower, Liu Jingfeng and Pei Ji explained that the trial tested whether martial artists could find flaws in their own techniques, while Qin Beiao, Long Qingfeng, and the other competitors remained stuck.
• Lin Bai chose the low-level Blood Weeping Swordplay, identified its weaknesses, and struck down both clay puppets.
• Lin Bai took the third trial’s Pass Token, entered the fourth-trial illusion, and appeared on the first projection stele as spectators exclaimed that he had passed.

Lin Bai entered the fourth trial, which forced him to confront his fears and inner demons. The trial took the form of Lin Zier, who taunted him about his low-ranked martial soul and the people he had lost, while the Demon Flower in his eye began to bloom.

• Lin Bai passed the third trial in a dozen breaths, impressing the watching martial artists with his grasp of his swordsmanship.
• Pei Ji recognized Lin Bai's exceptional Sword Dao talent but suppressed his desire to recruit him because Liu Jingfeng had threatened anyone who accepted Lin Bai.
• Lin Bai entered the dark fourth trial and found himself unable to move or summon his flying sword as a figure approached.
• Lin Zier appeared before Lin Bai and mocked his Yellow Rank One martial soul, his absent parents, and his abandoned fate.
• Lin Zier taunted Lin Bai about his estranged and endangered friends, while seven inches of green sprouts and a nearly blooming flower emerged from the Demon Seed in his right eye.

As Lin Bai fought Lin Zier in the third trial, he held fast to his faith in his friends, and his distress reached them across the realms. Bai Xiaoxiao, Ji Xiang, Ye Suxin, and Tie Haitang each sensed his call and resolved to reach him, while another man continued training inside the God of War stele.

• Lin Bai rejected Lin Zier’s claim that his friends and family had abandoned him, insisting they would come when he needed them.
• Bai Xiaoxiao sensed Lin Bai’s call after defeating her puppets and vowed to stay by his side and avenge him if necessary.
• Ji Xiang destroyed the clay statues, entered the fourth trial, and promised to find Lin Bai after facing the Demon Monk from the temple.
• Ye Suxin sensed Lin Bai calling her and left for Ascension Tower, while Ling Wu watched in surprise.
• Tie Haitang sensed Lin Bai’s distress, abandoned her hunt for the Five Venoms Sect’s main altar, and headed for Spirit Sword Sect.
• Inside the God of War stele, a simple-looking man begged to stop training as a powerful battle soul charged at him.

Zhao Tiedan sensed that Lin Bai needed him and demanded to leave his training, while the War God Elder investigated Lin Bai’s plight. Lin Bai defeated his fear of Lin Zier and overcame his inner demon, leaving Lin Zier to vanish.

• Zhao Tiedan smashed the battle spirit and insisted that the War God Elder let him go help Lin Bai.
• The War God Elder used his soul power to investigate what had happened to Lin Bai.
• Li Shanqing heard Lin Bai’s cry and set out with Ling Tianzi for Divine Relic Ridge, despite being warned not to interfere with Lin Bai’s destined enemy.
• Lin Bai condemned Lin Zier for abandoning affection and friendship, declaring that his sword dao was to protect those he cared about.
• Lin Bai asked Lin Zier what the scenery in hell had been like, defeated his inner demon, and watched her vanish in terror.

Lin Bai overcame his fear of Lin Zier, passed the fourth trial, and entered the fifth trial in the lead. There, he encountered the dead enemies he had killed, who had returned as evil ghosts.

• Lin Bai told Lin Zier she could not remain in the world of the living, defeating his inner demon and freeing himself from the fourth trial.
• Lin Bai took the token left behind by Lin Zier, entered the gate of light, and declared that he would face the Giant God Race without fear.
• Lin Bai advanced to the fifth trial, taking first place as the rankings showed Bai Xiaoxiao and Ji Xiang in the fourth trial and the other leading martial artists still in the third.
• Pei Ji recognized Lin Bai as a rare sword-cultivation talent, while Liu Jingfeng warned that Lin Bai was destined to die and discouraged Pei Ji from recruiting him.
• Lin Bai entered the fifth trial's swamp and saw Qin Xiang emerge from the mud, followed by Xiang Tianyi, Qi Xuan, Murong Yesheng, Yi Han, Zhao Rong, and Luo Qianqiu.

Lin Bai faced phantoms of the people he had killed in the Ascension Tower’s fifth trial and passed after declaring his conscience clear. As he approached the exit, the only remaining soul greeted him, while observers outside marveled at how quickly he had cleared the trial.

• Lin Bai confronted the phantoms of his past enemies, who accused him of killing them and demanded revenge.
• Lin Bai defended his past actions, insisting that each person had brought their death upon themselves, and challenged the phantoms to attack together.
• The phantoms vanished, and Lin Bai collected the token before heading toward the light gate.
• A smiling departed soul remained behind and greeted Lin Bai, leaving him shocked and tense.
• Outside the Ascension Tower, Pei Ji and the watching martial artists were astonished that Lin Bai passed the fifth trial in ten breaths.

Lin Bai passed the fifth trial after speaking with Qi Shaolong’s soul, then entered the sixth and final trial, which tested courage. As the trial showed him a colossal demon-like giant, the figure declared that Lin Bai’s Devouring Sword Soul defied heaven and had to be destroyed.

• Pei Ji and Liu Jingfeng concluded that Lin Bai was a notorious ruthless man and said he could not be allowed to enter Divine Relic Ridge.
• Lin Bai reunited with Qi Shaolong’s soul, asked whether he regretted his betrayal, and promised to look after Zhao Tiedan.
• Qi Shaolong vanished after asking Lin Bai to meet him again in another life as a friend and sparring partner.
• Lin Bai passed through the light gate into the sixth trial, while the stone stele showed that he had advanced far beyond the other contestants.
• Ye Suxin and Ling Wu saw Lin Bai’s progress and marveled that he had surpassed Lin Duo’s record.
• Lin Bai entered the courage trial and faced a giant who claimed the Mandate of Heaven and vowed to destroy his Devouring Sword Soul.

Lin Bai faced the Giant God Race in the sixth trial and overcame the illusion by drawing his sword against a seemingly overwhelming foe. The trial ended with Lin Bai still determined to defeat the Giant God Race when they met again.

• Qin Beiao, Long Qingfeng, Fang Ji, and He Qian saw Lin Bai leading the rankings and rushed into the fourth trial, while Yao Feng, Hua Yuxian, and the others pressed on.
• Lin Bai faced the Giant God Race in the sixth trial and recognized that he no longer feared it as he once had.
• Lin Bai summoned the Azure Song Sword and charged at the Giant God Race’s descending fist with his strongest sword strike.
• The illusion shattered when Lin Bai’s sword collided with the Giant God Race’s fist, clearing the courage-based sixth trial.
• Lin Bai emerged on the ninth floor of Ascension Tower and vowed to cut down the Giant God Race when they met again.

Lin Bai cleared the Ascension Tower trials and reunited with Ji Xiang and Bai Xiaoxiao, learning that they had faced their own heart demons. As they prepared for the seventh trial, which tested martial souls, Lin Bai remained hopeful despite his Yellow Rank One martial soul.

• Lin Bai cleared the sixth illusionary realm, and Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng were stunned to see that he had cleared the Ascension Tower before them.
• Ye Banqiu and Zhao Lingshen mocked Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng but noted that the final trial could still change the rankings.
• Lin Bai took the token that opened the tower's exit and reunited with Ji Xiang, who said he had overcome his heart demon, the Demon Monk.
• Bai Xiaoxiao revealed that Wu Song had been her heart demon, and Lin Bai promised to kill him as she declared she no longer feared him.
• Lin Bai and Bai Xiaoxiao prepared to leave for the seventh trial, which tested martial souls, and Lin Bai said he still had a chance despite his Yellow Rank One martial soul.

Lin Bai took the Martial Soul assessment after placing first in Ascension Tower, and the test revealed that he had a Yellow Rank One Martial Soul. The crowd mocked him, while Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng struggled to accept that he had defeated them despite their Heaven Rank Martial Souls.

• Lin Bai, Bai Xiaoxiao, and Ji Xiang emerged from Ascension Tower in the top three, followed by the other contestants who completed the top ten.
• Liu Jingfeng began the Martial Soul assessment with Lin Bai, the first to emerge, and explained that Divine Relic Ridge rejected Martial Souls below the Profound Grade.
• Lin Bai touched the testing stele, which displayed his Martial Soul as Yellow Rank One.
• The surrounding martial artists mocked Lin Bai and dismissed his achievements, while Lin Bai remained calm.
• Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng grew furious and humiliated that Lin Bai had beaten them despite their Heaven Rank One Martial Souls.

After his Martial Soul was revealed as Yellow Rank One, Lin Bai faced ridicule and threats from Liu Jingfeng and the gathered martial artists. Pei Ji confirmed that Lin Bai could still enter Divine Relic Ridge by earning one thousand Pass Tokens in the eighth trial’s combat stage, and Lin Bai accepted the challenge.

• The testing stele revealed Lin Bai’s Yellow Rank One Martial Soul, prompting Liu Jingfeng and the martial artists to mock and insult him.
• Ye Suxin and Ji Xiang questioned the result, but Bai Xiaoxiao confirmed that the testing stele had made no mistake.
• Lin Bai reminded Liu Jingfeng that Yellow Grade Martial Soul holders could qualify through a special trial, and Pei Ji explained that they needed one thousand Pass Tokens in the eighth trial’s combat stage.
• Liu Jingfeng claimed Lin Bai would have to defeat at least one hundred and fifty martial artists and said no one had ever passed the special trial.
• Lin Bai declared that defeating one hundred and fifty fighters would be easy, and Liu Jingfeng granted him a chance to compete in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range.

After Lin Bai placed first in the martial soul examination despite having a Yellow Rank One martial soul, several rivals threatened to kill or challenge him in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range. Lin Bai dismissed them as clowns and focused on preparing to face the Giant God Race.

• Bai Xiaoxiao, Ji Xiang, Qin Beiao, and Long Qingfeng revealed high-grade martial souls, while Lin Bai ranked first with a Yellow Rank One martial soul.
• Bai Xiaoxiao comforted Lin Bai as he endured the crowd's jeers, and Ji Xiang reassured him that his low-grade martial soul was a trial from the heavens.
• Qin Beiao and Long Qingfeng declared that they would kill Lin Bai, Bai Xiaoxiao, and Ji Xiang in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range.
• Lin Bai told Bai Xiaoxiao and Ji Xiang to be careful, and said he was ready to face the Giant God Race.
• Fang Ji and He Qian also threatened Lin Bai, who dismissed his rivals as clowns and warned them not to disturb him.

After only thirty thousand of the five hundred thousand candidates passed Ascension Tower’s first six rounds, Lin Bai and the others prepared to enter the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range for the final combat examination. The chapter ended as the Heaven Defense Divine Formation opened, with candidates about to enter and compete for valuable points.

• Lin Bai and Bai Xiaoxiao discussed how the examination’s later rounds tested candidates’ mental strength, and only thirty thousand of five hundred thousand candidates passed.
• Liu Jingfeng announced that candidates would spend one day in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range, earning points from Pass Tokens and three Human Core Realm demonic beasts.
• Ji Xiang explained how valuable points were on Divine Relic Ridge, while Liu Jingfeng warned that killing was unrestricted and allowed candidates to withdraw.
• Lin Bai headed toward the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range with growing battle intent and killing intent, declaring that he was coming for the Giant God Race.
• An old woman from the Formation Dao Academy used nine formation flags to open the Heaven Defense Divine Formation, and Liu Jingfeng instructed the candidates to enter before sunset.

Lin Bai entered the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range for the final trial, knowing he would face the Giant God Race, while his allies watched from afar. On Star Observation Peak, Ye Suxin reunited with Hong Su and encountered Jian Ruohan and Wen Yue as the trial began.

• Lin Bai warned Ji Xiang and Bai Xiaoxiao that the teleportation gate might separate them, then promised Bai Xiaoxiao he would survive.
• Wu Song tried to persuade Bai Xiaoxiao to leave with him, but she rejected him, and Lin Bai vowed to carve the insult he used against her into his face.
• Ji Xiang and Bai Xiaoxiao entered the light gate, followed by Lin Bai, who steeled himself to face the Giant God Race.
• Li Shanqing worried about Lin Bai as Ling Tianzi explained that Lin Bai had a strong chance of withstanding the Giant God's Will and might escape the Barren Ancient Continent within ten years.
• Ye Suxin and Ling Wu went to Star Observation Peak, where Ye Suxin met Hong Su and they saw Jian Ruohan and the peak master Wen Yue.
• The view from Star Observation Peak recalled the mountain where the Demon Monk had shown Lin Bai an illusion of himself near death in the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range.

Lin Bai entered the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range and encountered an Amethyst Demon Tiger worth ten Pass Tokens. After the tiger tried to flee toward three martial artists, Lin Bai forced it to fight and wounded it, but it unleashed a devastating claw at him.

• Lin Bai searched the Spirit Mortal Mountain Range for a secluded place to face the Giant God's Will.
• Lin Bai found three fleeing martial artists pursued by an Amethyst Demon Tiger and stepped in to fight the beast for its ten Pass Tokens.
• The Amethyst Demon Tiger dodged Lin Bai's sword ray and spoke, but Lin Bai refused to let it escape and attacked.
• Lin Bai struck the Amethyst Demon Tiger with four streams of Sword Qi, leaving four deep wounds.
• The enraged Amethyst Demon Tiger gathered its full strength and brought a powerful claw down toward Lin Bai.

Lin Bai killed the Human Core Realm Purple Crystal Demon Tiger by coordinating his flying sword and movement technique, then the three martial artists he had rescued ambushed him. As the men mocked him and expected an easy victory, Lin Bai unleashed a powerful force despite his wounds.

• Lin Bai used lightning to break the Purple Crystal Demon Tiger’s defenses, then caught it off guard and beheaded it with his sword.
• Lin Bai collected the Purple Crystal Demon Tiger’s remains and secured ten points.
• The three martial artists Lin Bai had rescued ambushed him, and one struck him hard enough to send him crashing through several trees.
• The three men revealed they had targeted Lin Bai because he was a Yellow Rank One talent and mocked him for being wounded.
• Lin Bai’s power surged as the three attackers realized he was far stronger than they had expected.