Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai deterred the Flying Sword Devil Sect elder by invoking his master Ling Tianzi, but the elder suggested that Ling Tianzi might have secretly left him the sect’s complete Sword Control Art. After the elder departed, Lin Bai realized the secret could put him in danger if the sect discovered it.

• Lin Bai explained that he had revealed Ling Tianzi’s identity to discourage the Flying Sword Devil Sect from targeting him.
• The purple-robed elder questioned whether Lin Bai’s Sword Control Art was complete and pressed him to recall anything Ling Tianzi had left behind.
• The elder claimed Ling Tianzi might have hidden his Dao Tradition in a seemingly insignificant gift or message, then invited Lin Bai to visit the Flying Sword Devil Sect.
• Lin Bai suspected that he had remembered something but kept his reaction concealed, fearing the sect would try to seize a complete Dao Tradition.
• After the elder left, Qiao Mo and Qin Yao emerged, and Lin Bai estimated that the elder’s fifth-revolution sword heart might let him contend with a Primal Chaos Dao Fruit martial artist.
• Lin Bai left without paying for the tea, so Qiao Mo used an immortal jade to cover the bill.

Lin Bai told Grand Ancestor Pan Qing that the Flying Sword Devil Sect had targeted him over his Sword Control Art and that he had suppressed Luo Yu. Pan Qing agreed that the matter could be handled by the younger generation unless the sect's elders intervened, then recalled witnessing a Flying Sword Devil Sect disciple's fearsome methods at the previous Chu Emperor's Birthday Celebration.

• Lin Bai told Pan Qing and the Tianshui Sect elders that he had suppressed Luo Yu and that the Flying Sword Devil Sect suspected his Sword Control Art had been stolen from them.
• Lin Bai said his master had taught him the Sword Control Art but refused to reveal his master's name.
• Pan Qing said the Flying Sword Devil Sect's elders should not target a junior and asked whether Lin Bai could face its Holy Son, Luo Qiu; Lin Bai expressed confidence.
• Pan Qing described the Flying Sword Devil Sect's legendary flying swords and recalled seeing one of its outstanding disciples at the Chu Emperor's Birthday Celebration ten thousand years earlier.

Ancestor Pan Qing recounted seeing a Flying Sword Devil Sect cultivator command tens of thousands of swords, leaving Lin Bai wondering how such a feat was possible. Back in his courtyard, Lin Bai suspected Ling Tianzi had hidden a Dao Tradition inside the Dragon Eye Flying Sword.

• Ancestor Pan Qing told Lin Bai and the Tianshui Sect disciples that he had witnessed a Flying Sword Devil Sect cultivator destroy a Primordial Wilds Breed with tens of thousands of flying swords in the Hunting Realm.
• Lin Bai realized that Grand Luo Dao Fruit Realm martial artists from the Heaven and Earth Gate could enter the Hunting Realm and considered the danger they posed to him.
• Lin Bai struggled to understand how anyone could control so many flying swords without destroying their divine soul.
• Ancestor Pan Qing sent everyone to rest and left the Flying Sword Devil Sect matter in Lin Bai's hands.
• Lin Bai recalled the purple-robed old man's suggestion that Ling Tianzi might have left him a Dao Tradition, then examined the Dragon Eye Flying Sword and wondered if it concealed one.

Lin Bai discovered that Ling Tianzi had hidden an intact Sword Formation Tower and his cultivation insights inside the Dragon Eye Flying Sword. After studying its first four floors, Lin Bai reached the fifth floor and found the Reverse Five Elements Sword Formation.

• Lin Bai examined the Dragon Eye Flying Sword but found no inheritance until he focused on the carved words "Dragon Eye" and was transported into the Sword Formation Tower.
• Lin Bai studied Ling Tianzi's insights on the first floor and mastered the Primal Chaos Unification Sword Formation.
• Lin Bai comprehended the Taiji Two Forms, Heaven and Earth Three Kill, and Heaven's Will Four Symbols Sword Formations on the next three floors, greatly strengthening his flying sword arts.
• Lin Bai successfully climbed to the previously inaccessible fifth floor after realizing Ling Tianzi's hidden design had appeared following his breakthrough to the Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm.
• Lin Bai read the fifth floor's cultivation method and discovered the Reverse Five Elements Sword Formation.

Lin Bai studied the Reverse Five Elements Sword Formation and realized his existing flying swords would need to be reforged with the Essences of the Five Elements. After the Sword Formation Tower expelled him for failing to qualify for its sixth level, he planned his next steps in the imperial capital and wondered whether Leng Xingguang would soon arrive.

• Lin Bai determined that he needed five flying swords containing the Essences of the Five Elements and considered asking Old Man Wuchuan to reforge his existing swords without damaging their original properties.
• Lin Bai tried to ascend to the Sword Formation Tower's sixth level, but the tower expelled him, leading him to conclude that he might need Great Luo Dao Fruit Realm cultivation to enter.
• Lin Bai thanked Ling Tianzi for leaving behind the Reverse Five Elements Sword Formation method and cultivation insights, then decided to seek the required essences from the sect's treasury.
• Lin Bai noted that he needed to earn money, ask Old Man Wuchuan about reforging his swords, and await the Southern Border Insect Valley delegation before acting against Xia Jingzhi.
• Lin Bai wondered whether Leng Xingguang had arrived in the imperial capital as their five-year deadline to meet approached.

Lin Bai learned that the Tianshui Sect disciples were heading to the Divine Armory Pavilion to compete, and he agreed to go with Qiao Mo, Qin Yao, and Ye Guyu. Before leaving, he asked Ancestor Pan Qing about obtaining the Essence of the Five Elements and was warned to avoid provoking the Flying Sword Devil Sect; the group reached the Divine Armory Pavilion around noon.

• Lin Bai found Bai Yifei, Zhou Xinjin, Li Juenian, Yi Zien, and other Tianshui Sect disciples leaving to watch and enter martial competitions at the Divine Armory Pavilion.
• Qiao Mo explained that martial artists had been gathering at the pavilion to compete, and Qin Yao said Bai Yifei and Zhou Xinjin hoped to avenge their earlier loss.
• Lin Bai agreed to visit the pavilion with Qiao Mo, Qin Yao, and Ye Guyu after telling them he needed to speak with Ancestor Pan Qing.
• Lin Bai asked Pan Qing to check whether the Tianshui Sect had any Essence of the Five Elements for refining flying swords, and Pan Qing said he would consult the Sect Master.
• Pan Qing advised Lin Bai not to cause trouble with the Flying Sword Devil Sect again, and Lin Bai agreed before privately wondering whether Luo Yu had escaped.
• Lin Bai and the three women walked through the imperial capital and reached the busy street outside the Divine Armory Pavilion around noon.

Lin Bai visited Divine Armory Pavilion’s martial arts arena with Qiao Mo, Qin Yao, and Ye Guyu after noticing he had been removed from the Chu State Dao God Rankings for breaking through to the Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm. Qin Yao arranged a private room in the arena’s middle section so they could watch the fights.

• Lin Bai saw that Yi Zhang, Yi Song’s younger brother and a Celestial Immortal Sect disciple, had taken the top spot on the Chu State Dao God Rankings.
• Qin Yao explained that many former top-ranked martial artists had advanced to the Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm, leaving openings for lower-ranked fighters.
• Qin Yao led Lin Bai, Qiao Mo, and Ye Guyu to Divine Armory Pavilion’s massive martial arts arena.
• Qin Yao told an attendant to prepare a private room in the middle section and order refreshments.
• Qin Yao explained that the middle floors offered the best balance of viewing distance and safety, though they cost more.

Lin Bai and Qin Yao’s group watched the arena at the Divine Armory Pavilion and discussed the Demon Realm’s four regions. Qin Yao revealed that a Northern Region army had approached the Eastern Region’s border, prompting the Seven Nights Divine Sect to send experts to the frontier.

• Qin Yao rented a private room for Lin Bai and the others, and they watched fierce sparring matches from its balcony.
• Qin Yao and Qiao Mo explained that Bai Yifei and the others had joined the South Mountain Clan, a powerful Northern Region clan.
• Qin Yao, Qiao Mo, and Ye Guyu described the harsh conditions and deadly calamities of the Northern Region to Lin Bai.
• Qin Yao said that a Northern Region allied army had gathered near the Eastern Region’s border and that the Seven Nights Divine Sect had begun sending experts to the frontier.

Qin Yao and Qiao Mo explained that Northern Region forces were gathering near the Chu Empire’s frontier as tensions mounted across the Demon Realm. They warned Lin Bai that if the Chu Emperor’s succession ceremony failed and the empire fell into chaos, neighboring powers could invade and divide its territory.

• Qin Yao showed Lin Bai and the others a map of the Demon Realm, pointing out Night Watch Pass and Horizon Pass on the frontier between the Northern and Eastern Regions.
• Qin Yao and Qiao Mo explained that scarce resources in the Northern Region drove its martial artists toward the Eastern Region, while fortified passes and large armies made a full invasion different from a few powerful fighters crossing the border.
• Qin Yao predicted that Northern Region martial artists might return in force, depending on whether the Chu Emperor’s succession ceremony succeeded and the new emperor stabilized the court and Prince Liang.
• Qiao Mo revealed that the Qi Tian Sect and Ten Thousand Saints Mountain had also approached the Chu Empire’s passes and could join the Northern Region and Seven Nights Divine Sect in declaring war if the empire descended into chaos.
• Qiao Mo warned Lin Bai that the Chu Emperor’s Birthday Celebration could determine the Chu Empire’s future fate.

Lin Bai considered how the Chu Emperor’s failure to appoint a Crown Prince and investigate the princes’ deaths had destabilized Chu Kingdom, while wondering whether the emperor was now trying to correct his past mistakes. At the Martial Arts Arena, Yi Zien challenged the Northern Territory’s South Mountain Clan to another match, and one of their fighters accepted.

• Lin Bai concluded that the absence of a Crown Prince lay at the heart of Chu Kingdom’s turmoil and reflected on the deaths of the First, Second, and Twelfth Princes and Prince Chen’s banishment.
• Lin Bai wondered whether the Chu Emperor had tacitly allowed him to investigate the First and Second Princes’ deaths to make amends for past failures.
• Yi Zien appeared on the arena platform and asked whether the South Mountain Clan’s martial artists were present.
• Northern Territory martial artists mocked Yi Zien over his previous defeat, and he proposed another sparring match for one hundred immortal jades.
• A burly South Mountain Clan martial artist accepted Yi Zien’s challenge and descended to the arena platform.

Lin Bai and the others watched a Northern Region warrior defeat Yi Zien, and Lin Bai explained that the South Mountain Clan relied on overwhelming strength and ferocious attacks. The next match began with Li Juenian facing another South Mountain Clan warrior.

• Ye Guyu, Qiao Mo, and Qin Yao discussed the Northern Region’s customs and why its warriors wore little clothing despite the cold.
• Yi Zien fought a South Mountain Clan warrior, who attacked ferociously with a freezing crescent saber and knocked Yi Zien off the arena.
• Lin Bai explained that the Northern Region warrior had overwhelmed Yi Zien with superior strength, despite leaving openings.
• Lin Bai worried that the Tianshui Sect’s other fighters would struggle against the South Mountain Clan’s core clansmen.
• Li Juenian began the next match against a burly South Mountain Clan warrior carrying a giant sword.

Northern Domain martial artists defeated every Tianshui Sect disciple who entered the arena, following earlier complete defeats for the Celestial Immortal Sect and the Chen Family. Lin Bai and Qin Yao worried that news of the losses could damage Chu’s border troops’ morale as war between the domains approached.

• A Northern Domain martial artist used his Overlord Sword Dao and giant sword to defeat Li Juenian, giving the Tianshui Sect its second consecutive loss.
• Celestial Immortal Sect disciples gathered with Tianshui Sect disciples, and Chen Family prodigies joined them as they discussed the repeated defeats.
• Qin Yao learned that the Celestial Immortal Sect had lost every match the previous day and the Chen Family had suffered the same fate the day before.
• Bai Yifei and Zhou Xinjin also lost, leaving the Tianshui Sect without a single victory.
• Lin Bai and Qin Yao feared that news of the defeats would embolden Northern Domain martial artists and weaken the morale of Chu’s border troops.

After the Northern Region martial artists won three contests in a row, Lin Bai concluded that the Eastern Region Holy Sons should not enter the competition while tensions between the regions remained high. Prince Chen sent a warning that the Holy Sons must stay out, and Lin Bai agreed.

• Lin Bai explained to Qiao Mo, Ye Guyu, and Qin Yao that Holy Sons entering the contests could provoke a political crisis, especially if one of them lost.
• Lin Bai worried that Zhao Xiantu and Li Mo might take the field and be defeated, bringing further disgrace to their families and escalating tensions.
• Lin Bai and the others left the Divine Armory Pavilion and returned to the Tianshui Sect's traveling palace.
• A servant from Prince Chen's Residence told Lin Bai not to interfere in the contests with the Northern Region and specifically warned that the Holy Sons must not take the field.
• Lin Bai agreed to Prince Chen's instruction and sent the servant away.

Lin Bai received the Chu Emperor’s decree forbidding him from competing against Northern Region martial artists in the Divine Armory Pavilion, while the frontier crisis remained secret. After discussing the defeats with Pan Qing, Lin Bai went to meet Chen Yule and Yi Song, who were furious over their sects’ losses and demanded a response.

• Eunuch Xi delivered the Chu Emperor’s oral decree forbidding Lin Bai from taking the field during the exchanges with Northern Region martial artists.
• Pan Qing asked Lin Bai about the sects’ defeats, and Lin Bai learned that his ancestor knew nothing of the secret situation at the frontier.
• Chen Yule and Yi Song invited Lin Bai to Immortal Abode Restaurant to discuss the Northern Region martial artists, and Pan Qing suggested the imperial clan might choose to ignore their provocations.
• Lin Bai arrived at the restaurant and found Yi Song smashing cups in anger over the Eastern Region sects’ defeats.
• Yi Song urged Lin Bai to devise a way to stop the Northern Region martial artists from running wild.

Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song discussed why the Northern Domain martial artists were provoking Chu’s sects and families, and why the Chu Emperor had forbidden the Saint Child from joining the fights. They concluded the humiliation could be tied to the looming border war, so they would have to endure it and follow Chu’s arrangements.

• Yi Song fumed that Northern Domain martial artists had defeated Chu’s sects and families, while Lin Bai and Chen Yule urged him to discuss the matter calmly.
• Lin Bai said the imperial family’s warning and rumors of armies near the border suggested the contest was connected to conflict between the Eastern and Northern Domains.
• Lin Bai explained that the Northern Domain martial artists were publicizing their victories to damage Chu’s martial reputation and possibly weaken the border soldiers’ morale.
• Chen Yule reasoned that the Chu Emperor had barred the Saint Child from fighting to prevent a defeat that could worsen the situation.
• Yi Song demanded a chance to vent his anger, but Lin Bai and Chen Yule said they had to endure the humiliation and put the nation first.

Lin Bai learned that Old Man Wuchuan could reforge his flying swords, then went to the meeting hall as Grand Ancestor Pan Qing scolded the Tianshui Sect disciples over their losses to Northern Region martial artists. Pan Qing asked whether Prince Chen had acted, and Lin Bai said there had been no move, though he warned that the Northern Region's arrogance should be curbed.

• Lin Bai visited Old Man Wuchuan, who confirmed he could reforge the flying swords if Lin Bai found the Essence of the Five Elements.
• Qiao Mo, Qin Yao, and Ye Guyu told Lin Bai that Grand Ancestor Pan Qing was berating Bai Yifei and the other disciples over the Divine Armory Pavilion sparring.
• Pan Qing scolded Bai Yifei, Zhou Xinjin, Yi Zien, Li Juenian, Fang Yuanshu, and the others for losing every match to Northern Region martial artists and bringing shame on the sect.
• Lin Bai said someone was likely stirring up the rumors and advised Pan Qing to keep the junior brothers inside and have them ignore the talk.
• After dismissing the disciples, Pan Qing asked Lin Bai whether Prince Chen had acted; Lin Bai said no and remarked that the Northern Region martial artists' arrogance should be curbed.

After the Northern Region martial artists defeated Chu Kingdom disciples, Lin Bai encouraged Bai Yifei, Zhou Xinjin, and the others to learn from their humiliating loss. He then left the imperial palace to secretly teach the Northern Region martial artists a lesson, telling his fellow disciples to claim he was in seclusion.

• Lin Bai asked Ancestor Pan Qing whether he could deal with the Northern Region martial artists in secret, and Pan Qing told him Emperor Chu would protect him if he caused trouble while defending the kingdom’s honor.
• Lin Bai returned to his residence and reassured Bai Yifei, Zhou Xinjin, Yi Zien, Li Juenian, and the others that their defeat against the prepared Northern Region martial artists was not their fault.
• Lin Bai told the defeated disciples that humiliation and hardship could lead to growth, sharing examples of the suffering endured by Chen Yule, Yi Song, and Huang Qingyun.
• Qiao Mo and Qin Yao sensed Lin Bai’s weariness as he recalled painful experiences from his past, including the Giant God’s appearance and the Giant God Race’s descent.
• Lin Bai left the imperial palace to deal with the Northern Region martial artists and ordered the others to stay put and say he was in seclusion if anyone asked.

Lin Bai disguised himself and learned that the Northern Region’s victories had fueled talk of Chu’s declining strength, while Luo Yu remained trapped beneath the pond. He recruited Chen Yule with a Golden Rose Mask to act against the Northern Region martial artists despite the Chu Emperor’s ban on Holy Sons entering the arena.

• Lin Bai heard that Luo Yu was still suppressed beneath the pond and that Northern Region martial artists had defeated members of the Chen Family, Tianshui Sect, and Celestial Immortal Sect.
• Lin Bai realized that public opinion was turning against Chu’s Five Great Families and Seven Sects and worried the rumors could cause unrest at the border.
• Lin Bai went to an alley near the Chen Family residence and met Chen Yule, who wanted to avenge his family but was constrained by the Chu Emperor’s edict.
• Lin Bai gave Chen Yule a Golden Rose Mask and invited him to join his plan against the Northern Region martial artists.
• Chen Yule put on the mask, concealed his aura, changed into a black robe, and followed Lin Bai into the market.

Lin Bai brought Chen Yule and Yi Song in disguise to Hongtian Tavern, seeking information about the Northern Region martial artists. The tavern keeper, Chao Yushi, recognized their identities, and the three revealed their true appearances.

• Lin Bai teased Chen Yule by making him wear a Golden Mask, then led him to recruit Yi Song.
• Lin Bai gave Yi Song a flower-carved gold mask as a joke, and Yi Song joined Lin Bai and Chen Yule in disguise.
• Lin Bai told Chen Yule and Yi Song that they would secretly investigate the Northern Region martial artists, then led them to Hongtian Tavern.
• Lin Bai used a coded message about receiving a general's appointment and a marquisate to summon tavern keeper Chao Yushi.
• Chao Yushi deduced that the disguised visitors were Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song, so the three dropped their disguises.

Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song learned that the Northern Region’s provocation had already begun a wider war, then proposed disguising themselves to challenge Northern Region martial artists and restore morale. Chao Yushi agreed to help after the three vowed they could win against any opponent below the Grand Luo Dao Fruit Realm.

• Chao Yushi told Lin Bai, Chen Yule, and Yi Song that he had found no leads on Xia Jingzhi, and Chen Yule decided to search for him using the Chen Family’s forces.
• Lin Bai asked Chao Yushi about the Northern Region’s defeat of the Chen Family, Celestial Immortal Sect, and Tianshui Sect at the Divine Armory Pavilion, and Chao Yushi explained that the incident was a calculated provocation in a war already underway.
• Chao Yushi said the Chu Emperor had ordered the holy sons not to enter the arena, since their defeat would make the situation worse.
• Lin Bai proposed that he, Chen Yule, and Yi Song disguise themselves and publicly defeat Northern Region martial artists to counter the insult and improve frontier morale.
• Lin Bai, Yi Song, and Chen Yule each said they could avoid defeat against anyone below the Grand Luo Dao Fruit Realm, and Chao Yushi offered to help with their plan.