Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai and the Spirit Sword Sect disciples faced taunts and threats from rival sects on their way to the Heaven Worship Ceremony, where Lin Bai encountered familiar enemies and watched Emperor Bai Huatian arrive. The ceremony began as the gathered martial artists bowed to the emperor.

• Azure Cloud Terrace Palace and Blazing Fire Palace disciples mocked the Spirit Sword Sect and revealed a bounty for killing its disciples, but Lin Bai claimed he had defeated Lin Zier and silenced them.
• Murong Qi warned Lin Bai about the Royal Hunting Garden, while Luo Qixing introduced himself as Luo Qianqiu’s brother and vowed to torture Lin Bai.
• The four sects arrived at the Altar of Heaven, where Lin Bai spotted a masked man he recognized and Qi Rui insulted him for having a Yellow Rank One martial soul.
• An elderly eunuch announced the start of the Heaven Worship Ceremony, and Emperor Bai Huatian entered as the assembled martial artists bowed.

During the Divine Martial Nation's Year-End Ceremony, Bai Huatian completed the Heaven Worship rites before the princes and princesses chose assistants to compete for spirit pearls. Bai Zhiyuan surprised the crowd by asking Lin Bai to assist her and proposing they split whatever spirit pearls they obtained.

• Bai Huatian led the Heaven Worship Ceremony and prayed for the Divine Martial Nation and his imperial family to turn calamity into good fortune.
• After the rites, Bai Huatian announced that the princes and princesses would choose assistants before the Mountain River Cauldron released spirit pearls.
• The princes and princesses selected powerful martial artists, including Yi Han, Li Qianfan, and Li Luobei.
• With most candidates already chosen, Bai Zhiyuan headed toward the Spirit Sword Sect while onlookers expected her to select Lu Yuan.
• Bai Zhiyuan approached Lin Bai and asked him to be her assistant, offering to split the spirit pearls they obtained.

At the Heaven Worship Ceremony, Bai Xiaoxiao chose Lin Bai as her assistant despite the Little Prince Qi Rui's offer, while Bai Zhiyuan agreed to take Lu Yuan instead. When Qi Rui insulted Lin Bai's martial soul, Lin Bai responded with icy killing intent and vowed that Qi Rui would die.

• Bai Zhiyuan reminded Lin Bai that he had promised to visit her, while Bai Xiaoxiao watched them with a trace of gloom.
• Bai Xiaoxiao rejected Qi Rui, saying she had already made an agreement with someone, then called on Lin Bai to assist her at the Heaven Worship Ceremony.
• Lin Bai agreed to help Bai Xiaoxiao and comforted Bai Zhiyuan, who had wanted to choose him first.
• Bai Zhiyuan accepted Lu Yuan as her assistant and encouraged Bai Xiaoxiao and Lin Bai to seize many spirit pearls.
• Qi Rui called Lin Bai trash because of his Yellow Rank One martial soul, and Lin Bai fixed him with a killing gaze and said, "You will die!"

Bai Xiaoxiao firmly chose Lin Bai despite the crowd mocking his Yellow Rank One Soul, provoking Qi Rui and King Qi. As the spirit pearl contest approached, she explained that the Mountain River Cauldron would suppress everyone’s cultivation, leaving Lin Bai confident in his abilities.

• Qi Rui revealed that Lin Bai had a Yellow Rank One Soul, and the gathered martial artists mocked him.
• Lin Bai nearly succumbed to murderous rage, but Bai Xiaoxiao held his hand and calmed him.
• Bai Xiaoxiao reaffirmed that she had chosen Lin Bai, and Qi Rui collapsed after she rejected him.
• King Qi confronted Bai Xiaoxiao, while Bai Huatian welcomed her choice and ordered the ceremony to begin.
• Bai Xiaoxiao explained the Mountain River Cauldron’s power and the spirit pearls’ value to Lin Bai.
• Lin Bai learned that the contest would suppress everyone to the first stage of the Earth Martial Realm and felt confident in his strength.

The Mountain River Cauldron suppressed everyone’s cultivation and erupted twice, releasing spirit beads that the princes, princesses, and their assistants fought to seize. Lin Bai stayed still through both eruptions, leaving Bai Xiaoxiao empty-handed in the second and the final eruption still to come.

• Bai Huatian activated the Mountain River Cauldron, reducing everyone in the square to the first level of the Earth Martial Realm.
• The cauldron released one spirit bead, and Bai Xiaoxiao knocked aside the others to claim it while Lin Bai watched.
• Bai Xiaoxiao and Lin Bai agreed to split their spirit beads evenly, while the other princes mocked Lin Bai for not fighting.
• The cauldron released twelve spirit beads, and Yi Han and Wan Xia restrained Bai Xiaoxiao while the princes and princesses seized them.
• Bai Xiaoxiao failed to obtain a bead in the second eruption, while Lin Bai remained calm and waited for the final eruption.

Lin Bai finally joined the Heaven Worship Ceremony battle, overpowering the Second Prince and Yi Han to seize the Second Prince’s spirit pearls. He then challenged the remaining princes, princesses, and assistants to hand over every spirit pearl.

• The Mountain River Cauldron erupted for the final time, releasing nine spirit pearls as the princes and assistants fought to claim them.
• Lin Bai vanished from his position, caught the Second Prince, and slammed him into a deep pit.
• Lin Bai broke the Second Prince’s arm and took all six of his spirit pearls before kicking him away.
• Yi Han attacked Lin Bai, but Lin Bai shrugged off his punch and struck Yi Han down with a single blow.
• Bai Xiaoxiao welcomed Lin Bai’s intervention, and Lin Bai demanded that the other princes, princesses, and assistants surrender all their spirit pearls.

Lin Bai overwhelmed the princes, princesses, and their assistants at the Heavenly Altar, taking their spirit pearls without killing anyone. He gave the pearls to Bai Xiaoxiao, who proposed splitting them among herself, Lin Bai, Bai Zhiyuan, and Lu Yuan.

• Lin Bai challenged the gathered contestants to hand over their spirit pearls, drawing cheers from the watching martial artists.
• Lin Bai swiftly defeated the Third and Fourth Princes and took their spirit pearls, then drove Wan Xia and Yi Han away from the fight.
• Lin Bai frightened the Fifth Princess into surrendering her pearl, kicked the Sixth Prince aside, and collected the remaining princes’ and princesses’ pearls.
• Lin Bai reassured Bai Zhiyuan that he would not take her pearls, then handed his gathered pearls to Bai Xiaoxiao.
• Bai Xiaoxiao counted the twenty pearls and proposed dividing them equally among herself, Lin Bai, Bai Zhiyuan, and Lu Yuan.

After the Heaven Worship Ceremony, Lin Bai and the other young martial artists set out for the Royal Hunting Garden in the Qi Tian Mountains, where they would hunt demonic beasts for points. Lin Bai left with Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao despite threats from multiple enemies, while Bai Xiaoxiao and Chen Gong worried over his safety.

• Lin Bai, Bai Xiaoxiao, Lu Yuan, and Bai Zhiyuan split twenty spirit pearls evenly, and Lin Bai hoped to use his share to break through to the Heaven Martial Realm.
• Bai Huatian explained the Royal Hunting Garden’s rules, point values, deadline, and the state banquet sparring, then allowed eligible martial artists to head for the Qi Tian Mountains.
• Bai Xiaoxiao warned Lin Bai that Azure Cloud Terrace Palace and Blazing Fire Palace had killed Spirit Sword Sect participants in past hunts and cautioned him to guard his spirit pearls.
• Qi Rui, Yi Han, Wan Xia, Xu Jiangsheng, and Luo Qixing threatened or stalked Lin Bai as they prepared to enter the Qi Tian Mountains.
• Chen Gong warned Lin Bai, Lu Yuan, and Zhang Lingdao to watch for both demonic beasts and other martial artists, then sent them off with his hopes that they would return alive.
• Lin Bai, Lu Yuan, and Zhang Lingdao received maps of the Qi Tian Mountains from guards outside the Temple of Heaven and set out for the hunt.

Lin Bai, Lu Yuan, and Zhang Lingdao entered the Qi Tian Mountains for the Royal Hunting Garden, where Azure Cloud Terrace Palace and Blazing Fire Palace surrounded them. Lu Yuan opened a path for their escape, but Yi Han pursued them.

• Lu Yuan warned Lin Bai and Zhang Lingdao to watch for Azure Cloud Terrace Palace and Blazing Fire Palace and to leave Spirit Sword Sect marks if they became separated.
• More than two hundred Azure Cloud Terrace Palace martial artists and over fifty Blazing Fire Palace martial artists surrounded the three Spirit Sword Sect disciples near the mountains’ outskirts.
• Lin Bai and Lu Yuan debated who should stay behind while Zhang Lingdao asked what they should do.
• Lin Bai struck Yi Han with Azure Song Sword, forcing the third-level Heaven Martial Realm expert back three steps.
• Yi Han recognized Azure Song Sword and guessed Lin Bai also had Startling Dream Sword and ten Spirit Pearls, drawing the crowd’s attention to his treasures.
• Lu Yuan grabbed Zhang Lingdao and cut through the encircling ranks, creating an escape route as Yi Han gave chase.

Lin Bai, Lu Yuan, and Zhang Lingdao fled as Yi Han and a large force from Azure Cloud Terrace Palace and Blazing Fire Palace pursued them through the Qi Tian Mountains. After Yi Han injured Lin Bai, Lin Bai resolved to find a place to refine a spirit pearl and break through to the Heaven Martial Realm.

• Lu Yuan held off Wan Xia so Lin Bai and Zhang Lingdao could escape, and Lin Bai urged them to avoid fighting the stronger pursuers.
• Lin Bai and Zhang Lingdao split up to divide the enemy forces, with Yi Han pursuing Lin Bai and the Blazing Fire Palace martial artists chasing Zhang Lingdao.
• Yi Han chased Lin Bai for three hours toward the depths of the Qi Tian Mountains while other martial artists watched the pursuit.
• Yi Han struck Lin Bai with Azure Wave Palm, blasting him through the trees and leaving him badly injured.
• Lin Bai decided he needed to refine a spirit pearl and advance to the first level of the Heaven Martial Realm, believing his Devouring Sword Soul could speed up the process.

Lin Bai escaped Azure Cloud Terrace Palace’s assault through a maze of underground passages and refined spirit pearls to reach the first level of the Heaven Martial Realm. He found the Qi Family Army stationed at a cave entrance and wondered why Qi King Manor’s soldiers were there.

• Yi Han and hundreds of Azure Cloud Terrace Palace martial artists cornered Lin Bai and wounded him with their combined attacks.
• The collapsing ground dropped Lin Bai into a dark passageway, where he escaped through the maze while Yi Han pursued him.
• Lin Bai lost Yi Han in the tunnels, then stopped to refine five spirit pearls with his Devouring Sword Soul.
• After an hour, Lin Bai broke through to the first level of the Heaven Martial Realm and resumed searching the passageways.
• Lin Bai followed a glimmer of light to a cave entrance and spotted the Qi Family Army standing in formation.

Lin Bai discovered that the Qi King Manor had imprisoned the descendants of the Divine Martial Nation’s kings and marquises to force their families to submit. After Qi Rui left to hunt Lin Bai, Lin Bai decided to help the imperial family and the Grand Princess.

• Lin Bai overheard Qi Rui and Qi Fang discuss capturing the descendants of the kings and marquises during the Year-End Ceremony.
• Qi Rui revealed that the hostages would pressure the remaining Army Marquises to surrender, giving the Qi King Manor control of the nation’s military.
• Qi Fang swore loyalty to Qi Rui, who promised to reward him with a high military rank if the Qi King Manor seized the throne.
• Qi Rui ordered Qi Fang to keep the prisoners safe and left to find Lin Bai.
• Lin Bai realized the Qi King Manor’s plan and decided to help the Grand Princess.

Lin Bai discovered that Qi Fang was guarding hundreds of captured descendants of the Divine Martial Nation’s Army Marquises with more than a thousand elite soldiers. Unable to storm the dungeon alone, Lin Bai went searching for Yi Han and the Azure Cloud Terrace Palace martial artists, while the guards realized an intruder had killed Zhang Yun.

• Qi Fang taunted the imprisoned descendants of the Army Marquises, including Chu Jiangliu, and left them in their cages under heavy guard.
• Lin Bai lured Zhang Yun into the darkness, killed him while using Soul Search, and learned that over a thousand elite Qi Family Army soldiers guarded the dungeon.
• Lin Bai judged that he could not break through the guards alone and decided to use Yi Han and the Azure Cloud Terrace Palace martial artists to create a distraction.
• The centurion discovered Zhang Yun’s corpse and hurried into the dungeon to warn Qi Fang.
• Lin Bai searched the passages and heard Yi Han cursing nearby.

Lin Bai lured Yi Han and the Azure Cloud Terrace Palace martial artists into a dungeon, where Captain Qi Fang and the Qi Family Army surrounded them. Yi Han realized the Qi King Manor intended to kill them all, and the chapter ended with the soldiers poised to attack.

• Yi Han chased Lin Bai through the passageways after spotting him, but Lin Bai led the group toward a brightly lit dungeon.
• Yi Han entered the dungeon and found royal and noble heirs imprisoned there, including several people he knew.
• Soldiers of the Qi Family Army appeared along the walls with bows and crossbows trained on Yi Han and his companions.
• Captain Qi Fang revealed that he had lured them into a trap and ordered the soldiers to fire.
• Yi Han tried to appeal to his friendship with the Little Prince and then threatened retaliation from Azure Cloud Terrace Palace, but Qi Fang declared that none of them would leave alive.

Lin Bai arrived at the dungeon as the Azure Cloud Terrace Palace warriors fought Qi Fang and the Qi Family Army, then claimed he had come on Bai Xiaoxiao’s orders to rescue the imprisoned Young Lords and Princesses. He left them grateful to the Grand Princess while privately intending to win her favor and strengthen her political position.

• Qi Fang ordered the soldiers to fire on the Azure Cloud Terrace Palace warriors, killing more than a dozen before Yi Han fought him and the battle spread through the dungeon.
• Lin Bai quietly climbed onto the iron cages and assured Chu Jiangliu and the other captives that they were safe and that the Grand Princess had sent him to help.
• Lin Bai said Bai Xiaoxiao had asked him to watch the Qi King Manor and rescue any Young Lords or Princesses who fell into danger.
• The captives wept with gratitude and pledged their support to Bai Xiaoxiao and the imperial family.
• Lin Bai privately acknowledged that Bai Xiaoxiao had not sent him and that he was using the rescue to earn her gratitude and undermine the Qi King Manor.

Lin Bai learned that Spirit Sealing Powder had sealed the prisoners’ cultivation and went to find Qi Fang for the antidote. As Qi Fang’s soldiers charged him, Lin Bai finally drew his sword and unleashed the Heaven-Shocking Storm.

• Chu Jiangliu told Lin Bai that Qi Fang had drugged the prisoners with Spirit Sealing Powder, and Lin Bai decided to find the antidote on Qi Fang.
• The imprisoned Young Lords and Princesses thanked Lin Bai and promised support from their royal manors.
• Qi Fang defeated and wounded Yi Han after soldiers overwhelmed him, and Yi Han accused Lin Bai of luring Azure Cloud Terrace Palace’s disciples into danger.
• Qi Fang recognized Lin Bai and ordered his soldiers to kill him for the military merit and the Little Prince’s favor.
• Lin Bai warned the soldiers to retreat, but they kept charging, so he unleashed the Surging Wind Swordplay’s Heaven-Shocking Storm.

Lin Bai fought the Qi Family Army, cutting down its soldiers and defeating Qi Fang’s attacks. He broke the army’s Fierce Tiger Sky-Rending Formation and slew more than a hundred cultivators with one sword, leaving Chu Jiangliu and the others stunned.

• Lin Bai used Heaven-Shocking Storm and Wind Lightning Divine Wings to slaughter soldiers charging him, while Chu Jiangliu and the captive Young Lords urged him on.
• Qi Fang attacked Lin Bai with Heavenly Fiend Blade, but Lin Bai countered with Mountains and Rivers Eternal Silence and wounded him through his breastplate.
• Qi Fang ordered a hundred soldiers to form the Fierce Tiger Sky-Rending Formation, which charged at Lin Bai as Chu Jiangliu warned him not to meet it head-on.
• Lin Bai used the Martial Soul Secret Method—Break the Ban to shatter the fierce tiger formation with a single sword strike.
• Lin Bai unleashed Divine Ability—Gentle Sword and beheaded more than a hundred cultivators, astonishing Chu Jiangliu, Qi Fang, and the captive Young Lords.

Lin Bai killed Captain Qi Fang and used Soul Search to find the antidote to Spirit Sealing Powder, then helped the poisoned Young Lords and Princesses escape the dungeon. The survivors thanked Lin Bai and recognized that their shared ordeal had brought their manors closer together.

• Lin Bai defeated Captain Qi Fang, searched his memories for the antidote, and killed him after discovering his abuse of young girls.
• Yi Han escaped during the confusion, while Lin Bai found the antidote in Captain Qi Fang’s Storage Bag.
• Lin Bai distributed the antidote, restoring the Young Lords and Princesses’ cultivation, and Chu Jiangliu led them against the Qi Family Army.
• After an hour of fighting, the Young Lords and Princesses defeated the dungeon guards and escaped through the passageway.
• Chu Jiangliu and representatives of other manors thanked Lin Bai and offered him their support.

Lin Bai left the rescued Young Lords and Princesses to hunt demonic beasts and went searching for Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao. At a cave, Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao were ambushed by Luo Qixing, who defeated them while they were injured.

• Lin Bai departed after reminding the Young Lords and Princesses that little time remained in the Royal Hunting Garden, then chose to search for Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao.
• Lu Yuan followed a marker to a cave and found Zhang Lingdao recovering from injuries; Zhang Lingdao said he had separated from Lin Bai while escaping their pursuers.
• Luo Qixing tracked the marker to the cave, discovered Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao hiding, and attacked them.
• Luo Qixing said he had intended to kill Lin Bai and attacked Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao with Rakshasa Palm.
• Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao fought back with their swords, but Luo Qixing overwhelmed them and left both gravely wounded.

Xu Jiangsheng, alive but hidden behind a golden mask, intervened when Luo Qixing tortured Lu Yuan and Zhang Lingdao. He confronted Luo Qixing over a failed assassination from three years earlier and attacked him, recognizing the assassin’s Serpent’s Embrace technique as their fight began.

• Luo Qixing cut off Lu Yuan’s right arm and prepared to torture him further while Zhang Lingdao watched in horror.
• An unseen strike hit Luo Qixing and sent him flying, and Xu Jiangsheng emerged from the forest wearing a golden mask.
• Xu Jiangsheng recalled that Luo Qixing had tried to assassinate his father three years earlier and that Xu Jiangsheng’s sudden power of flame had stopped him.
• Xu Jiangsheng raised a fiery palm against Luo Qixing, who countered with Asura Palm and his dagger.
• Xu Jiangsheng recognized Luo Qixing’s dagger technique as the Edgeless Sect’s Serpent’s Embrace.