Chapter Summaries

Lin Bai learned that the Demon Tower had urged the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace to suspend its war with the Northern Region because the Spirit Realm, Demon Realm, and Netherworld had sent forces into the Devil Realm. Liu Huan revealed that the Palace would press ahead with its ten-thousand-year plan and accelerate it, leaving Lin Bai wary of the danger to the Devil Realm.

• Liu Huan told Lin Bai that the Demon Tower had secretly contacted He Gongji and tried to persuade the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace to stop fighting.
• Lin Bai read He Gongji's Jade Slip, which recounted how Yue Hang joined the Demon Tower and warned that forces from the Spirit Realm, Demon Realm, and Netherworld had entered the Devil Realm.
• He Gongji reported that the Demon Tower wanted the Palace and the Northern Region to suspend the war, while he urged the Palace to continue its plan with a countermeasure against outside interference.
• Liu Huan told Lin Bai that the Palace would not abandon its ten-thousand-year plan and would speed it up before the other realms became fully involved.
• Lin Bai criticized the Palace for risking the Devil Realm, and Liu Huan invited him to join and help complete the plan.

Lin Bai read reports of the war in the One Night Divine Sect’s territory, where the Chu Kingdom’s reinforcements broke through the Dragon Mountain Range as the three great sects lost ground. The reports left the One Night Divine Sect besieged and the Four Gloom Demon Palace’s response unknown.

• Lin Bai reviewed news that the Seven Nights Divine Sect, Overturning Heavens Sect, and Worship Heaven Sect had fought the Pure Yang Sect on the Mutian Plains, with heavy casualties on both sides and no victor.
• The Pure Yang Sect and its allies launched surprise attacks on enemy battlefronts, while the Chu Kingdom’s reinforcements led by Chu Tingxue and Princess Chenxian advanced into the One Night Divine Sect’s territory.
• The Chu Kingdom’s forces broke through the Dragon Mountain Range after high-level martial artists failed to arrive, while Zuo Yifu’s forces withdrew to their mountain gate.
• The Overturning Heavens Sect and Worship Heaven Sect retreated into their main estate territories as their battlefronts collapsed, and Phoenix Valley took control of the Worship Heaven Sect’s three Thousand Provinces.
• Millions of Chu Tinghan’s martial artists and allied fighters died in the Dragon Mountain Range, and the One Night Divine Sect lost Ning'an City as the three great sects faced disaster.

Lin Bai reviewed intelligence about Chu Tinghan and Azure Lotus Sect’s forces entering One Night Divine Sect’s territory and considered the threat posed by Chu Tingxue’s uncertain allegiance. He concluded that the Chu Empire’s reinforcements should leave Azure Dragon Battalion and Dragon Slayers Battalion behind to watch Chu Tingxue while Qi Tian Sect continued toward Pure Yang Sect and Phoenix Valley.

• Lin Bai read that Chu Tinghan’s delegation, led by Wang Zhengyang, had entered One Night Divine Sect’s territory with thousands of martial artists, while Azure Lotus Sect’s delegation, led by Qi Lingyu, had also withdrawn there.
• Lin Bai learned that spies had detected more than a hundred high-level martial artists from Chu Tinghan’s and Azure Lotus Sect’s territories, with many others still hidden.
• Lin Bai considered how Chu Tingxue’s unclear stance could threaten the Chu Empire’s forces and recalled Azure Lotus Sect’s history of conflict with the Chu Empire.
• Lin Bai decided that Azure Dragon Battalion and Dragon Slayers Battalion should remain in Chu Tingxue to keep watch, while Qi Tian Sect continued leading the army toward Pure Yang Sect and Phoenix Valley.

Lin Bai learned that the Seven Nights Divine Sect’s forces were losing ground as the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace pushed to end the war quickly, while the Eastern Region studied the Four Gloom Demon Palace’s extensive intelligence. A new report revealed that Prince Qin had disappeared in the One Night Divine Sect’s territory, and the Eastern Region left without making the news public.

• Lin Bai read news of the Seven Nights Divine Sect’s defeats and feared its territory would be annihilated if Pure Yang Sect and Phoenix Valley invaded.
• Lin Bai inferred that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace was rushing to conclude the war and hoped Chu Tingxue, Chu Tinghan, and Princess Chenxian would recognize the scheme.
• The Eastern Region examined the military tower’s reports, learned that the Four Gloom Demon Palace and three other forces had joined hands, and identified the start of its grand plan.
• A messenger brought Xing Si a report that Prince Qin had vanished in the One Night Divine Sect’s territory, prompting the sects to search for him.
• The Eastern Region declined to publicize Prince Qin’s disappearance, then left the military tower after considering how long the war might drag on.

Lin Bai searched the War Pavilion’s reports for a way to escape Nine Underworlds City, but found no teleportation array and realized his life remained in Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s hands. Lin Baixian visited him and offered to show him around Four Gloom City, while he considered what reports might be stored above the eighth floor.

• Lin Bai gave up searching for familiar faces and returned to the War Pavilion to look for an escape route in its reports.
• Lin Bai read the first seven floors and deduced that Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s ten-thousand-year scheme began when Chu Kingdom invited the Devil Realm’s top sects and Flourishing Sects.
• Lin Bai found that the reports on the eighth floor onward concerned the Devil Realm’s other three regions, but the Council of Elders had restricted his access to those floors.
• Lin Baixian came to the War Pavilion, asked about Lin Bai’s search, and offered to accompany him around Four Gloom City.
• Lin Bai remained wary of Nine Underworlds Demon Palace and reasoned that its power left him unable to resist if it turned against him.

Lin Bai and Li Baixian watched the Nine Great Palaces’ monthly martial competitions, then went to the Fourth Divine Hall as Li Baixian explained the palaces’ origins and hierarchy. The chapter left them at the Fourth Divine Hall, where its towering gate had just opened.

• Projection arrays across Nine Underworlds City displayed Dao Realm martial artists sparring in the monthly competition between the Nine Great Palaces.
• Li Baixian explained the different levels of martial competition and said the Divine Sons of the other halls were arrogant prodigies like Mo Yu.
• Lin Bai asked about the four great divine halls and the One Emperor and Nine Saints, and Li Baixian recounted how the nine prodigies became Divine Sons after the Holy Son system was abolished.
• Li Baixian led Lin Bai to the Fourth Divine Hall and explained that the four halls shared no fixed rank or exclusive Dao Tradition.
• Li Baixian used her Identity Token to open the enormous gate, and she and Lin Bai entered the Fourth Divine Hall.

Lin Bai entered the Ninth Divine Hall with Li Guxian and learned about Liu Muyang, its founder and one of the One Emperor, Nine Saints. Li Guxian brought him into the Star Abode Hall, revealing that it connected to the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s Supreme Divine Weapon, the Star Abode Pagoda, whose vast interior held countless rooms.

• Lin Bai entered the Ninth Divine Hall and saw the statue of Liu Muyang, whom Li Guxian identified as the hall’s founder and one of the One Emperor, Nine Saints.
• Li Guxian explained that the Nine Great Palaces had similar facilities and that the Star Abode Hall was used for martial contests and discussions of the Dao.
• Li Guxian used her Identity Token to open the Star Abode Hall’s light gate, and she and Lin Bai crossed into an elegant room inside it.
• Li Guxian told Lin Bai that the Star Abode Pagoda was a Supreme Divine Weapon containing an independent space connected to the Star Abode Halls.
• Lin Bai looked from the terrace and saw the pagoda’s enormous circular interior lined with countless rooms.

Li Guxian explained how the Star Abode Pagoda worked as Lin Bai watched its martial contests from her private room. She revealed her impressive record in the contests, leaving Lin Bai to recognize that her reputation rested on genuine martial skill as well as schemes.

• Li Guxian explained that Nine Underworlds Demon Palace disciples could enter the Star Abode Pagoda with their Identity Tokens and were assigned private rooms according to rank.
• Lin Bai watched Luo Wei of the Fifth Divine Hall defeat a black-robed warrior in a contest, after which the loser was carried to a room below and Luo Wei returned to his own room.
• Li Guxian told Lin Bai that the contests had only just begun and that stronger gongzi- and lingzi-level warriors would make them more interesting.
• Li Guxian recalled that she had competed in 1,875 Star Abode Pagoda contests, winning 1,699, drawing 32, and losing 144.
• Lin Bai recognized that Li Guxian had been a formidable warrior before becoming the Goddess of the Ninth Divine Hall.

Lin Bai watched the martial contests as Li Guxian explained the origins and structure of the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture. After learning that he could consult its complete version as the Demon Palace’s Divine Son, Lin Bai agreed to take a look.

• Lin Bai recognized the Thousand Lifetimes Palm performed by a young woman and asked Li Guxian about the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture.
• Li Guxian explained that the scripture had once been the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s sole inheritance, but the palace later acquired other Dao Traditions through annexation.
• Li Guxian said the scripture likely originated in the ancient era and was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate, despite containing techniques powerful enough to dominate the world.
• Li Guxian described the Mortal, Transcendent, and Questioning Dao Chapters, which granted cultivation methods in stages after examinations.
• Li Guxian offered Lin Bai access to the complete Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture because he was the Demon Palace’s Divine Son, and Lin Bai agreed to read it.

Lin Bai read the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture with Li Guxian’s permission and discovered that it was a legacy of Lihun Heaven, an ancient Spirit Realm devil sect. He realized the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had been founded on the Dao Tradition of Zhao Beiliu, the Nine Underworlds Devil Lord.

• Li Guxian gave Lin Bai a copy of the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture and confirmed that the Council of Elders allowed him to read it.
• Lin Bai used his Demon Eyes to read and memorize the scripture’s dense classical text quickly.
• Lin Bai discovered the scripture was written by Zhao Beiliu, the Nine Underworlds Devil Lord of Lihun Heaven.
• Lin Bai concluded that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had inherited its Dao Tradition from Lihun Heaven rather than creating it itself.
• Lin Bai recalled that Holy Lord Qin Su had raised the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace to its peak a hundred thousand years earlier.

Lin Bai finished reading the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture and discovered that its cultivation method required extremely rare Natural Treasures, while its Mystic Arts and Dao Arts were its greatest draw. He began examining the many techniques recorded in the book, looking beyond the Thousand Lifetimes Palm and Myriad Souls Fist.

• Lin Bai used his Demon Eyes to rapidly read the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture while Li Guxian watched in astonishment.
• Over five days, the martial competition advanced to battles among Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm fighters, and high-level martial artists arrived at the Star Abode Pagoda.
• Lin Bai finished the scripture and found that its cultivation method could lead from the Martial Dao Ninth Level to immortality but demanded rare Natural Treasures.
• Lin Bai concluded that he did not need to abandon his current cultivation and focus instead on the scripture's Mystic Arts and Dao Arts.
• Lin Bai counted more than a hundred Mystic Arts and Dao Arts and turned his attention from the Thousand Lifetimes Palm and Myriad Souls Fist to the other techniques.

Lin Bai read the powerful but dangerous Mystic Arts and Dao Arts in the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture, finding most too difficult or costly to cultivate. He became interested in the Defend Kill Technique and began gathering the Killing Intent in his body.

• Lin Bai read about the Nine Origins Unification Art and learned that planting its mark required a martial artist’s wholehearted cooperation or risked a deadly backlash.
• Lin Bai examined the Blood Avatar Art and Soul Devouring Technique, weighing their power against the severe injuries and dangers they caused.
• Lin Bai finished reading the Mystic Arts and Dao Arts in the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture but found none suitable until he reached the Defend Kill Technique.
• Lin Bai decided the Defend Kill Technique’s requirements and drawbacks suited him because he already possessed considerable Killing Intent.
• Lin Bai used a minor spell to draw his Killing Intent into his palm, where it formed a black vortex and began condensing into a sphere.

Lin Bai tested his Killing Intent and found it dense enough to begin cultivating the Defend Kill Technique, then studied the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture for arts he could use. He began practicing the technique and selected a Mystic Art and Dao Art to test, while leaving the rest of the scripture’s difficult, resource-intensive secrets for later.

• Lin Bai condensed the Killing Intent in his palm into a sphere as large as a water vat, horrifying Li Guxian.
• Lin Bai learned that his Killing Intent was so dense because many prodigies and opponents he had killed across major realms had contributed to it.
• Lin Bai began cultivating the Defend Kill Technique to remove Killing Intent and prevent it from interfering with his future breakthroughs.
• Lin Bai examined the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture and found that many of its powerful talisman arts required materials unavailable in the modern martial world.
• Lin Bai chose a Mystic Art and Dao Art he could cultivate immediately, while memorizing the scripture’s other arts and knowledge for possible future use.

Li Guxian watched the martial arts assessment and confronted Li Siyuan, the Eighth Divine Hall’s Divine Child, about his return and his hostility toward Lin Bai. Their exchange left Li Siyuan questioning the Demon Palace’s intentions for Lin Bai while Li Guxian defended him and challenged the disdain directed at her.

• A Young Lord-tier prodigy of the Ninth Divine Hall lost a bout, disappointing Li Guxian.
• Li Siyuan greeted Li Guxian and asked why she had come to oversee the assessment after returning from the Imperial Capital of Chu.
• Li Guxian mocked Li Siyuan for being badly wounded by Prince Qin of Chu and asked whether he had returned to recover or seek revenge.
• Li Siyuan noticed Lin Bai beside Li Guxian and asked what the Demon Palace intended by bringing him back and treating him like a Divine Child.
• Li Guxian said Lin Bai had no interest in Li Siyuan’s position and offered to give him the Ninth Divine Hall’s Divine Child position, then pointed out that Li Siyuan and others considered her unworthy of being Goddess.

Lin Bai cultivated the Defend Kill Technique from the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture to dissolve the Killing Intent within him, then spoke with Lin Baixian and Li Siyuan at the Star Abode Pagoda. He learned that most of the Nine Underworlds Devil Palace's Divine Children and Dao Children were away carrying out its ten-thousand-year plan.

• Lin Bai cultivated the Defend Kill Technique for several days and sensed that it had begun to dissolve the Killing Intent within him, though he knew the process would take time.
• Lin Baixian greeted Lin Bai at the Star Abode Pagoda, and he noticed that her injuries had not fully healed.
• Lin Baixian told Lin Bai that the Divine Children and Dao Children of the eight Divine Halls were away handling matters or missions for the Devil Palace's ten-thousand-year plan.
• Li Siyuan greeted Lin Bai and apologized for how she had approached him in the territory of the One Night Divine Sect, while Lin Bai remarked that she had seemed intent on killing him.
• Lin Bai learned that only Lin Baixian and the injured Li Siyuan were currently in Four Gloom City among the Divine Children and Goddesses he knew.

Qi Hao’s opponent was changed to Xu Zheng, and Li Guxian fought the Eighth Divine Hall’s Daoist disciple while Lin Baixian explained the techniques and political tensions surrounding them. Xu Zheng gained the upper hand with a massive sword strike as the Sect Master suspected Li Siyuan had arranged the matchup.

• Li Guxian explained that the other Divine Halls challenged Ninth Divine Hall fighters to undermine her, while the Council of Elders forbade internal fighting during the Devil Palace’s grand plan.
• Lin Baixian told the Sect Master that Li Guxian used the Four Dragons Swallowing Heaven Art and the Heavenly Burning Art, while Xu Zheng wielded the Xu Zheng One Sword Art.
• The Sect Master suspected Li Siyuan had tampered with the roster after Qi Hao’s opponent changed to Xu Zheng.
• Li Guxian and Xu Zheng clashed with fire dragons and sword gleams, and Xu Zheng gradually felt he was suppressing her.
• Xu Zheng gathered his solid and illusory sword gleams into a giant blade and slashed at Li Guxian.

Lin Bai and Xu Zheng began their duel inside the Star Abode Pagoda, where Lin Bai spread his white flames across the platform and summoned four fire dragons to attack. Xu Zheng faced the attack without taking precautions, leaving Lin Bai’s flames poised to catch him off guard.

• Lin Bai inspected the Star Abode Pagoda’s sturdy space while Xu Zheng waited on the circular platform.
• Lin Bai and Xu Zheng exchanged greetings before Lin Bai spread his white flames across the platform.
• Xu Zheng stood still and studied the flames, believing Lin Bai’s Great Purity Dao Fruit Realm cultivation posed little threat.
• Lin Bai formed four fire dragons with the Four Dragons Swallowing Heaven Art and sent them toward Xu Zheng, blocking his escape routes.

Lin Bai faced Xu Zheng’s Nine Dragons Swallowing Heaven Art in the Star Abode Pagoda and found its flames powerful but survivable. After Lin Bai’s counterattack seemed to consume Xu Zheng, Xu Zheng reappeared unharmed and revealed the Killing Intent hidden in his black smoke, leaving Lin Bai on guard.

• Lin Bai realized the Star Abode Pagoda’s formations had concealed the full might of Xu Zheng’s Nine Dragons Swallowing Heaven Art from spectators.
• Xu Zheng challenged Lin Bai to receive his attack, and Lin Bai agreed despite sensing the danger.
• Xu Zheng’s nine black fire dragons engulfed Lin Bai, but Lin Bai endured the flames and replied that killing him would take effort.
• Lin Bai launched nine fire dragons that appeared to swallow Xu Zheng, prompting spectators to mock him as defeated.
• Xu Zheng silently reappeared where the flames had vanished, then released strange black smoke that Lin Bai recognized as Killing Intent.

Lin Bai unleashed the Defend Kill Technique, shocking the martial artists who sensed the immense Killing Intent surrounding him. As the technique manifested as black flames identified as Karmic Fire, Li Siyuan's divine sense was harmed, and she struggled to dispel its effects.

• Lin Bai's dense Killing Intent frightened the martial artists watching from the balconies and puzzled Li Guxian, who wondered why it had not corrupted his mind.
• Li Siyuan recognized Lin Bai's technique as the Defend Kill Technique and marveled that he appeared to have mastered it after reading the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture for only one or two hours.
• Xu Zheng recognized the technique and guarded himself behind nine converging fire dragons as the black smoke around Lin Bai thickened.
• Lin Bai's black smoke descended and spread across the platform as clusters of black flames, which Li Siyuan identified as Karmic Fire.
• Li Siyuan's divine sense was struck by pain and hallucinatory wails when it touched the flames, so she withdrew it and tried to dispel the erosion.

Xu Zheng defeated Li Guyi in the Star Abode Pagoda after his white flames overwhelmed the nine Divine Fire Pillars. Li Guyi conceded before the flames could destroy his treasures, and Fan Jun returned to Lin Baixian’s platform with the first victory.

• Li Guyi brought out nine Divine Fire Pillars, which Xu Zheng recognized as powerful treasures refined with years of effort.
• Xu Zheng formed a White Fire Sword from his flames and sent it crashing into the Divine Fire Pillars, while Lin Bai’s sword formation shattered nearby.
• Xu Zheng’s white flames split into strands and began devouring the pillars, leaving Li Guyi unable to remove them.
• Li Guyi admitted defeat and asked Xu Zheng to withdraw his Mystic Arts before the flames destroyed the pillars.
• Xu Zheng recalled the white flames, Fan Jun congratulated Lin Baixian on the victory, and Fan Jun returned to Lin Bai’s platform.