Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai won first place in the Sky Sword City Dao-discussion Martial Competition with twenty-one-foot sword radiance and secured entry into the Sword God Family. After returning to Mengu City, he rejected Mo Chang’s offer to serve the Zhennan Royal Estate, saying he wanted only to join the Sword God Family.

• Lin Bai’s sword radiance reached twenty-one feet, surpassing Sang Feng, Yu Jie, and Lin Chen and settling the first-place contest.
• Dugu Fei announced Lin Bai as the winner and said the elders would consider other warriors for entry into the Sword God Family.
• News of Lin Bai’s victory spread through Mengu City, where he returned to Eastern Arrival Inn with Lin Ye.
• Mo Chang visited Lin Bai with gifts, including meat for Lin Ye, and congratulated him on winning first place.
• Mo Chang asked Lin Bai to serve the Zhennan Royal Estate, but Lin Bai refused and said he had no interest in Northern Continent power struggles.

Lin Bai left Mengu City with the Sword God Family's chosen martial artists and discovered that the Summit of the Azure Sky lay beneath Mirror Lake. He passed through the lake and arrived at the Sword God Family's hidden mountain gate.

• Mo Chang left the Eastern Arrival Inn, and Lin Bai decided to focus on obtaining the Water Mirror Sword and returning to the Eastern Continent.
• An envoy summoned Lin Bai to South City Square, where Dugu Fei and the chosen martial artists prepared to depart aboard the Soaring Spirit Sword.
• Lin Bai traveled with Lin Ye, Sang Feng, Yu Jue, Lin Chen, and Gu Yang as the Soaring Spirit Sword carried them across the Northern Continent.
• The group reached Mirror Lake, and Lin Bai deduced that the Summit of the Azure Sky lay beneath its reflective surface.
• Dugu Fei led Lin Bai and the others through the lake, and they emerged at the Sword God Family's mountain gate.

Lin Bai and his companions entered the Sword God Family and learned about its Dugu and Ye lineages before settling in the Flying Dragon Forest. There, a White-Robed Woman attacked Lin Bai, then learned the group had newly joined through the martial competition.

• Dugu Fei explained that the Sword God Family originated from the Dugu Clan and Ye Clan, and that outsiders could enter through fame or martial competition.
• Dugu Fei took Lin Bai and the others to the Flying Dragon Forest, their temporary residence, and promised to return in three days.
• Lin Bai and his companions walked through the forest and encountered a White-Robed Woman practicing swordsmanship.
• The White-Robed Woman attacked Lin Bai for watching her practice, but Lin Ye struck her sword radiance and sent her flying back.
• After Lin Chen explained they had joined the Sword God Family through the martial competition in Sky Sword City, the White-Robed Woman looked at them with contempt.

Lin Bai and his companions arrived at Flying Dragon Forest, where Gu Yuzhu, a prodigy with a Near God-Rank Martial Soul, scorned the tournament entrants and directed them toward the forest’s northern residences. Lin Bai settled beside a stream with Lin Ye, but late that night he caught the scent of blood coming from the forest.

• Yu Jue and Lin Chen recognized the white-robed woman as Gu Yuzhu, whose Near God-Rank Martial Soul had drawn the Sword God Family’s attention.
• Gu Yuzhu mocked Lin Bai and the others for entering through the Sky Sword City tournament, then told them they could stay in the residences on the northern side of Flying Dragon Forest.
• Lin Bai chose a wooden house beside a stream, and Lin Chen, Gu Yang, Yu Jue, and Sang Feng left to find residences of their own.
• Lin Bai settled into the house with Lin Ye and roasted fish for him beside the stream.
• Late at night, Lin Bai smelled blood and turned toward the dark depths of Flying Dragon Forest.

Lin Bai discovered the wounded Lin Chen had been pursued to his wooden house by Meng Rui, a self-proclaimed prodigy who wanted to cripple warriors recruited through Sky Sword City. Lin Bai easily shattered Meng Rui’s sword and sent him flying, mocking his arrogance as the confrontation ended.

• Lin Bai and Lin Ye sensed blood in the forest, and Lin Chen crashed onto the roof of Lin Bai’s wooden house, gravely wounded.
• Lin Chen identified Gu Yuzhu, Huo Cheng, and Jiang Zhen before Meng Rui emerged from the forest and revealed he had pursued him.
• Meng Rui declared that invited prodigies planned to cripple the warriors recruited through Sky Sword City and moved to attack Lin Bai.
• Lin Bai caught Meng Rui’s sword between two fingers and used Cease War to shatter it, sending the fragments into Meng Rui and hurling him away.
• Lin Bai mocked Meng Rui, saying he looked more like a worm than the divine prodigy he claimed to be.

Lin Bai crippled Meng Rui and rushed through Flying Dragon Forest to find the companions attacked by the invited prodigies. He found Yu Jue alive but badly wounded, then discovered Gu Yang had been crippled.

• Lin Bai defeated Meng Rui, shattered his dantian and Martial Soul, and left him crippled.
• Lin Chen told Lin Bai that Yu Jue, Sang Feng, and Gu Yang had also been targeted, so Lin Bai set out with Lin Ye to find them.
• At Yu Jue's residence, Lin Bai found Yu Jue badly wounded but alive; Yu Jue said Huo Cheng had attacked him and that he escaped using the Earth Escape Technique.
• Lin Bai and his companions hurried to Gu Yang's residence and found him on the brink of death.
• Lin Bai examined Gu Yang and confirmed that his dantian and divine elixir were destroyed and his Martial Soul annihilated.

Lin Bai found Sang Feng dead after Gu Yang revealed that an unknown man had crippled him, and the group resolved to demand justice from the Sword God Family. Meanwhile, Dugu Fei revealed Lin Bai’s identity to the Dugu Clan’s Sword Reverent, who ordered the clan to recruit him before the Ye Clan learned who he was.

• Gu Yang told Lin Bai and the others that a man named Jiang Zhen had destroyed his dantian, divine pill, and martial soul, and warned them that more attackers were coming.
• Lin Bai led the group to Sang Feng’s residence, where they found Sang Feng dead from a cut across his throat after his cultivation had been destroyed.
• Yu Jue explained that Sang Feng had likely taken his own life, and Lin Bai and Lin Chen vowed to seek justice from the Sword God Family.
• Dugu Fei told the Dugu Clan’s Sword Reverent that Lin Bai was the Eastern Continent Saint Son and that the Ye Clan did not know his identity.
• The Sword Reverent praised Dugu Fei and ordered the Dugu Clan to find a way to recruit Lin Bai for the coming Sword God Road.

Dugu Fei arrived at Sang Feng’s residence and learned that the other prodigies in Flying Dragon Forest had attacked Lin Bai’s group, leaving Sang Feng dead and Gu Yang crippled. He brought Lin Bai and the others to Flying Dragon Great Hall to investigate, where Ye Liang denied that anything had happened.

• Dugu Fei arrived after three days and asked how Sang Feng had died.
• Lin Chen told Dugu Fei that eighteen prodigies, led by Jiang Zhen, Gu Yuzhu, and Huo Cheng, had attacked them, while Lin Bai admitted crippling Meng Rui.
• Dugu Fei promised to investigate and took Lin Bai, Lin Chen, Yu Jue, and the bodies of Sang Feng and Gu Yang to Flying Dragon Great Hall.
• Ye Liang denied knowing about any attacks and insisted that the other prodigies had done nothing wrong.
• Dugu Fei frowned and turned toward Lin Bai and Lin Chen after Ye Liang denied their account.

Lin Bai and his companions accused the eighteen prodigies of attacking and crippling them, but guardian Ye Liang and the prodigies denied the charges. After Meng Rui accused Lin Bai of crippling him, Ye Liang moved to punish Lin Bai and expel him from the Sword God Family.

• Ye Liang denied that the prodigies had attacked anyone, while Lin Chen insisted he had witnessed the assault and Dugu Fei agreed to summon the eighteen for a confrontation.
• Ye Liang brought the eighteen prodigies to Dugu Fei's hall, where Lin Chen identified Jiang Zhen and others as his attackers.
• Jiang Zhen, Huo Cheng, and Gu Yuzhu denied the accusations, provoking Lin Chen, Yu Jue, and Gu Yang with mocking replies.
• Meng Rui accused Lin Bai of crippling his dantian and cultivation, prompting Ye Liang to unleash his Apex Realm power and threaten to cripple Lin Bai and expel him.

Lin Bai faced Ye Liang and Meng Rui's accusations before Dugu Fei, who temporarily ended the dispute for lack of evidence and promised to investigate further. Lin Bai and the others were left in the hall while their accusers departed.

• Ye Liang threatened to cripple Lin Bai, but Lin Bai insulted and challenged him until Dugu Fei ordered them to stop.
• Meng Rui appealed to Dugu Fei for justice, and Lin Bai admitted crippling him as Ye Liang and the invited prodigies demanded punishment.
• Lin Bai urged Dugu Fei to summon a Sword Reverent, while Dugu Fei refused and demanded evidence from Meng Rui.
• Meng Rui admitted he had no evidence, so Dugu Fei dismissed the accusations for now and sent Huo Cheng, Ye Liang, and the others away.
• Dugu Fei told Lin Chen and Yu Jue he could not yet prove the invited prodigies had attacked them, then promised Lin Bai he would continue investigating.

After Huo Cheng and the other prodigies humiliated Gu Yang, Gu Yang killed himself and asked Lin Bai to avenge him and Sang Feng. Lin Bai brought both corpses to his wooden house and waited until midnight for the Sword God Family’s explanation, warning that he would take matters into his own hands if it failed to come.

• Jiang Zhen and the others blocked Lin Bai’s group and mocked them, while Huo Cheng kicked the crippled Gu Yang and severely injured him.
• Gu Yang asked Lin Bai to avenge him and Sang Feng, then struck himself dead before Lin Bai and the others.
• Dugu Fei arrived and urged Lin Bai not to act rashly; Lin Bai gave the Sword God Family until midnight to provide an explanation.
• Lin Bai carried Gu Yang’s corpse away as Lin Chen took Sang Feng’s, and Yu Jue followed after warning the prodigies about a man willing to give his life for a woman.
• At his wooden house, Lin Bai told Lin Chen and Yu Jue to wait with him until midnight, saying he would draw his sword if the Sword God Family failed to act.

At midnight, Lin Bai left the wooden house and began killing the martial artists who had humiliated and harmed his companions. After killing Jiang Zhen, he headed for the final two targets, Huo Cheng and Gu Yuzhu.

• Lin Bai told Lin Chen, Lin Ye, and Yu Jue to stay behind, then went out alone to kill.
• Lin Bai entered a courtyard and killed four martial artists who had mocked Gu Yang and Lin Chen.
• Lin Bai killed a swordsman in green and continued through the courtyards, killing the martial artists who begged for their lives.
• Lin Bai entered Jiang Zhen's room and killed him with a single sword strike.
• Lin Bai set out to kill the remaining two targets, Huo Cheng and Gu Yuzhu.

Lin Bai killed Huo Cheng and Gu Yuzhu in Flying Dragon Forest to avenge Sang Feng and Gu Yang, then returned to his hut. By dawn, news of the deaths of all eighteen invited genius swordsmen had shaken the Sword God Family.

• Lin Bai confronted Huo Cheng and Gu Yuzhu in Flying Dragon Forest after overhearing them, and killed Huo Cheng with one sword.
• Lin Bai killed Gu Yuzhu after she threatened him with Ye Nuo's name.
• Lin Bai returned to his hut and told Lin Chen and Yu Jue to bury Sang Feng and Gu Yang and not ask about what had happened.
• Lin Bai sat drinking by the hut after the others left to heal their injuries.
• By dawn, news spread that all eighteen invited genius swordsmen had been killed in Flying Dragon Forest, alarming the Sword God Family's high-ranking figures.

Ye Liang discovered that Jiang Zhen, Huo Cheng, Gu Yuzhu, and all the other prodigies in Flying Dragon Forest had been killed. Back at the Ye Clan, Ye Nuo learned of the massacre and ordered Ye Liang brought to him.

• Ye Liang found Jiang Zhen dead in his residence and discovered Huo Cheng and Gu Yuzhu's corpses near Firefly Cave.
• Ye Liang searched the other prodigies' residences, found them all dead, and rushed to the Ye Clan.
• Ye Nuo defeated Duan Hao in the Martial Arts Arena and rebuked him for his earlier defeat by Lin Bai.
• Ye Nuo told Duan Hao that Gu Yuzhu, Huo Cheng, and Jiang Zhen were promising talents who might replace him as a Sword Son.
• A servant told Ye Nuo that all eighteen prodigies in Flying Dragon Forest had been killed, and Ye Nuo ordered him to bring Ye Liang over.

After Lin Bai killed eighteen prodigies in Flying Dragon Forest, the Ye Clan blamed Dugu Yitian and confronted the Dugu Clan. Dugu Fei confronted Lin Bai about the killings, and Lin Bai learned the clans had not actually fought.

• Ye Nuo examined the eighteen bodies, concluded that a powerful sword cultivator had killed them, and accused Dugu Yitian.
• The Ye Clan brought the corpses to the Dugu Clan and confronted them, but the clans reached no result and the Ye Clan left in anger.
• Yu Jue and Lin Chen discussed the confrontation as they went to Lin Bai's hut.
• Dugu Fei confronted Lin Bai, who admitted killing the prodigies after the Sword God Family failed to explain itself by midnight.
• Lin Bai asked whether the Ye and Dugu clans had fought, and Dugu Fei said they had not.

Lin Bai revealed that he was the Eastern Continent Academy’s Holy Son and used that status to request an audience with the Sword Venerable. The Sword Venerable agreed to meet him at the Dugu Sword Mound the next day, while the Ye Clan continued to suspect Dugu Yitian of killing the eighteen prodigies.

• Lin Bai told Dugu Fei that he had killed the eighteen prodigies to avenge Gu Yang, and Dugu Fei explained that the Ye Clan blamed Dugu Yitian because the sword marks resembled his One Sword Art.
• Lin Bai revealed his Holy Son Identity Token to Dugu Fei, Lin Chen, and Yu Jue, then gave Dugu Fei a formal invitation for the Sword Venerable.
• Dugu Fei reported to the Sword Venerable that Lin Bai had admitted killing the eighteen prodigies and that the Ye Clan suspected Dugu Yitian.
• The Sword Venerable accepted Lin Bai’s invitation and ordered Dugu Fei to bring him to the Dugu Sword Mound the next day.

Lin Bai met Sword Reverent Dugu in the Dugu Sword Mound, where he learned about Dugu Qing and other powerhouses who had suppressed the Five Continents. Sword Reverent Dugu then revealed that the Central Sacred Nation’s current Great Emperor was one such powerhouse, whose survival secured the nation’s dominance.

• Lin Chen tried to recruit Lin Bai to support his father’s uprising, but Lin Bai refused to aid any faction, while Yu Jue questioned him about women in Eastern Continent.
• Dugu Fei led Lin Bai to the Dugu Sword Mound and told him to enter alone to meet Sword Reverent Dugu.
• Lin Bai explored the murals in the mound and entered a chamber containing a statue of Dugu Qing, whose sword intent nearly overwhelmed him.
• Sword Reverent Dugu appeared and explained that Dugu Qing had once dominated the Barren Ancient Continent as a powerhouse who suppressed the Five Continents.
• Sword Reverent Dugu described such figures across the continents and revealed that the Central Sacred Nation’s current Great Emperor was one of them.

Lin Bai asked Sword Reverent Dugu about the mysterious powerhouse who had suppressed the Five Continents, but Dugu avoided discussing events from more than twenty years ago. Lin Bai asked to borrow the Water Mirror Sword to separate his friend's fused divine souls, and Dugu agreed to lend it if Lin Bai retrieved something from the Sword God Road.

• Sword Reverent Dugu said he had felt an overwhelming, divine-like power when he met the Great Emperor of the Central Sacred Nation more than twenty years ago, but evaded Lin Bai's questions about that time.
• Lin Bai visited the Sword God Family and asked Sword Reverent Dugu to lend him the Water Mirror Sword to help his friend, whose body and divine soul had been taken over and fused with another.
• Sword Reverent Dugu explained that the Water Mirror Sword could damage divine souls and might separate two fused souls, but said it was a shared treasure of the Dugu and Ye lineages.
• Sword Reverent Dugu offered to lend Lin Bai the Water Mirror Sword if Lin Bai entered the Sword God Road and retrieved something for him.

Sword Reverent Dugu asked Lin Bai to explore the Sword God Road and retrieve any fortune he could take for the Dugu Clan. Lin Bai agreed to enter when the road opened in one month, while Sword Reverent Dugu warned him that the Ye Clan might target him for killing its favored martial artists.

• Sword Reverent Dugu explained that the Sword God Road had 999 steps, opened once every ten years, and was believed to grant its summit climbers the power to become Sword Gods.
• Sword Reverent Dugu asked Lin Bai to reach the road’s end, report what he found, and bring back any fortune that could be taken; Lin Bai agreed.
• Sword Reverent Dugu said the road would open in one month and offered Lin Bai access to the Sword God Family’s cultivation arts and martial skills while he waited.
• Sword Reverent Dugu warned Lin Bai that the Ye Clan might come after him for killing Huo Cheng, Jiang Zhen, and Gu Yuzhu, whom it had planned to send to the road.
• Lin Bai left Dugu Sword Mound and asked Dugu Fei to notify him when the Sword God Road opened; Dugu Fei agreed.

Dugu Fei showed Lin Bai and his companions around the Sword God Family and explained the Sword God's Eighty-One Caves, where the family’s supreme arts and the Six Sword Gods’ inheritances could be studied. Lin Bai learned that anyone could try to comprehend them, but success depended on comprehension and fate.

• Lin Bai asked Dugu Fei about browsing the Sword God Family’s cultivation manuals, and Dugu Fei agreed to take him to the Scripture Repository the next day.
• Lin Bai wondered what opportunities Sword God Road held and reflected on the Sword Gods who had reached its summit.
• Dugu Fei led Lin Bai, Lin Chen, Yu Jue, and Lin Ye through the family’s territory and explained that Sword God Road would open in a month.
• Dugu Fei introduced the Sword God's Eighty-One Caves and described the supreme arts and Six Divine Caves containing the Sword Gods’ sword-art inheritances.
• Dugu Fei explained that the arts had to be comprehended individually and that success depended on talent, comprehension, and fate.