Chapter Summaries

After Lin Bai defeated the Purple-haired Youth, the Purple-Haired Elder confronted him over his killing intent and warned him about the gulf between Great Mystic Art Users and the Dao Fruit realm. Then Xie Lan questioned Lin Bai about his flying sword technique, and Lin Bai concealed its true source.

• The Purple-Haired Elder accused Lin Bai of trying to kill his grandson, and Lin Bai admitted he had harbored killing intent but had not truly wanted to kill the Purple-haired Youth.
• The Purple-Haired Elder rebuked Lin Bai for underestimating Great Mystic Art Users, and Yue Chuanming promised the Devil Palace would discipline its Imperial Son.
• Xie Lan asked Lin Bai where he learned his flying sword technique, which Lin Bai recognized as an inheritance tied to the Spirit World's Flying Sword Immortal Sect.
• Lin Bai claimed he had obtained the technique in a perilous land, and Xie Lan responded with disbelief.

Lin Bai faced questions from Xie Lan and Yan Wenjing about how he broke through an illusion, and the elders judged which parts of his answers were true. When Lin Bai asked to leave Nine Underworlds City, Yue Chuanming arranged for Old Wen and Yu You to accompany him.

• Xie Lan doubted Lin Bai’s claim that his flying sword art came from a fortuitous coincidence, while Yan Wenjing questioned whether his illusion-breaking technique came from Lihun Heaven’s Demon Eyes.
• Lin Bai said he had obtained the Demon Eyes technique as a treasure in a perilous region of the Devil Realm, and Yan Wenjing judged that answer truthful while Xie Lan concluded Lin Bai had lied about the flying sword art.
• Lin Bai asked Luo Yuanjing and Yue Chuanming to honor their promise and let him leave Nine Underworlds City, and Yue Chuanming agreed to arrange a teleportation array.
• Yue Chuanming summoned Old Wen, the Palace Master’s personal steward, and named him as Lin Bai’s escort.
• Yue Chuanming assigned Dao Child Yu You to accompany Lin Bai as well, and Lin Bai accepted both escorts despite realizing he had no choice.

Lin Bai insisted on leaving Nine Underworlds City despite offers from Xie Lan and Yan Wenjing to stay and exchange cultivation insights. Yue Chuanming agreed to send him away the next morning, while Old Wen rebuked Yu You after Lin Bai left.

• Xie Lan and Yan Wenjing urged Lin Bai to remain in Nine Underworlds City, offering cultivation discussions and a chance to meet Lihun Heaven martial artists.
• Lin Bai declined their offers and told Yue Chuanming he wanted to leave immediately.
• Yue Chuanming said the teleportation formation was ready but that Lin Bai would leave the following day after receiving instructions from the elders.
• Lin Bai sent Old Wen and Yu You back to the Underground Palace to prepare for their departure, then went to meet the elders.
• Old Wen reprimanded Yu You for her discourteous behavior toward Lin Bai, the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace's Imperial Son.

Old Wen warned Yu You that Lin Bai was far more dangerous and powerful than she believed, then explained that his fate could not be divined because he might be the One That Escaped from the Great Dao. The chapter ended with Yu You beginning to understand how the Dao of Heaven’s flaws gave humanity a path to challenge the Demon Race.

• Old Wen told Yu You that Lin Bai had hidden trump cards and could defeat opponents within his realm, even warning that he might kill her if she provoked him.
• Old Wen explained that prodigies like Lin Bai either perished after making too many enemies or survived perilous crises to reach the furthest limit of Heaven and Earth.
• Old Wen revealed that Star Palace diviners had suffered backlash trying to read Lin Bai’s fate, and that even a Great Mystic Art User had failed to uncover all his heavenly secrets.
• Old Wen described the One That Escaped as the flaw in the Great Dao that made some people impossible to divine and allowed living beings to surpass their ordained limits.
• Yu You considered how humanity had used the One That Escaped to develop cultivation and gain a chance to contend with the Demon Race, whose long lifespans came with slow cultivation.

Lin Bai followed Yue Chuanming through a secluded alley to the Sanctum, where a divine soul of the Palace Master remained awake to oversee important matters. Yue Chuanming explained that the Palace Master’s meeting with Lin Bai had been proposed so Lin Bai could learn the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s authentic secret arts and mystic abilities.

• Lin Bai met Yue Chuanming in a secluded alley in Nine Underworlds City and followed him toward its hidden depths.
• Yue Chuanming revealed that the alley led to the Sanctum, where a strand of the Palace Master’s divine soul stayed awake and connected to him.
• Yue Chuanming explained that the Palace Master had not personally begun the Devil Palace’s ten-thousand-year grand plan based only on Li Guxian’s words.
• Yue Chuanming said he and the other elders had proposed Lin Bai meet the Palace Master because Lin Bai’s mystic arts did not come from the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace.
• Yue Chuanming explained that the publicly available Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture was abridged and that the Palace’s true Dao Tradition lay in secret arts and mystic abilities, many of which had been lost.
• Yue Chuanming urged Lin Bai to see the remaining inheritances for himself.

Lin Bai met the Palace Master and three Saint Elders of the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace, who agreed with his plan to leave Nine Underworlds City and revealed the Palace’s remaining inheritances. The Palace Master began explaining the available arts as Lin Bai considered which might help him survive the coming turmoil.

• Yue Chuanming led Lin Bai through a restriction into a Stone Hall, where projections of the Palace Master and three Saint Elders appeared.
• The Palace Master warned that Great Mystic Art Users would fight over the divine medicine in the Burial Earth and predicted a major war across the Demon Realm within three to six months.
• The Palace Master said Lin Bai, as the Demon Palace’s Emperor Child, could cultivate its secret arts and divine abilities for protection.
• Golden descriptions of the Demon Palace’s nine remaining core inheritances appeared on the Stone Hall’s walls, including alchemy, puppetry, and insect cultivation.
• The Palace Master described the alchemy inheritance and its medicinal formulas, then explained that the puppetry and insect-cultivation inheritances covered refining puppets and raising insects.

Lin Bai examined the Gu Cultivation and Puppet Art inheritances and learned how difficult it would be to refine their most powerful creations. He then studied six Great Mystic Art User cultivation arts, including the Nine Yuan Devil God Art, which could let an early-stage Great Mystic Art User contend with a late-stage one.

• The Palace Master explained that the Gold Devouring Insect King could reach Great Mystic Art User strength, but its refinement required vast resources and had only ever succeeded once.
• Lin Bai examined the Puppet Art, including the Devil King God Puppet, and judged its rare soul-essence requirements nearly impossible to obtain.
• The Palace Master introduced six cultivation-art inheritances and explained how Great Mystic Art User techniques grew stronger with their users rather than having fixed power.
• Lin Bai learned that the Holy Lord had cultivated the Nine Yuan Devil God Art to great accomplishment and could use early-stage strength to contend with late-stage Great Mystic Art Users.

The Palace Master explained that the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture formed the foundation of the Demon Palace’s secret arts, but Lin Bai might be able to use his Five Elements Scripture instead. After identifying Lin Bai’s art as the long-lost Five Elements Scripture, the Palace Master proposed testing whether it could activate one of the Demon Palace’s techniques.

• The Palace Master explained that the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture’s middle three levels were normally required to cultivate the Demon Palace’s secret arts, but said Lin Bai did not need to follow that prerequisite.
• The Palace Master asked Lin Bai to circulate his main cultivation art, and recognized it as the Five Elements Scripture cultivated to the Radiance Covering the Body realm.
• Lin Bai recalled that Ling Tianzi had once sent him to obtain the Grand Five Elements Art, which he realized was likely the Five Elements Scripture’s foundation chapter.
• The Palace Master explained the Five Elements Scripture’s importance and suggested Lin Bai try using it to activate a Nine Underworlds Demon Palace secret art.
• Lin Bai considered the risks of using an unorthodox heart method and compared the Demon Palace techniques with his own arts, including the Dragon Slaying Skill.

The Palace Master explained why the Five Elements Scripture might be compatible with the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture, connecting both to the exclusive circle of top-tier martial artists. Lin Bai considered the available secret arts and remained drawn to the Nine Yuan Devil God Art, while questioning the Undying Soul Incantation’s claim of immortality.

• Lin Bai asked whether using the Five Elements Scripture to activate the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture would weaken its power, and the Palace Master said the two scriptures might be connected.
• The Palace Master explained that ancient Great Mystic Art Users exchanged cultivation insights and suggested that the creator of the Nine Underworlds Devil Scripture might have learned from the Five Elements Immortal.
• The Palace Master and the three Saint Elders vanished, and Lin Bai examined the secret arts displayed on the stone walls.
• Lin Bai rejected Alchemy, Puppet Art, and Insect Nurturing, then focused on the Nine Yuan Devil God Art because of its extraordinary power.
• Lin Bai asked about the Undying Soul Incantation, and the Palace Master described its soul and spiritual-sense abilities.
• Lin Bai doubted that any technique could truly be undying and indestructible, reasoning that someone would eventually create a way to counter it.

Lin Bai presented the Imperial Son with three treasures left by the Holy Lord to restore the damage caused by cultivating the Nine Yuan Devil God Art. After preparing in the sanctuary, the Imperial Son began condensing a God and Demons Seal, leaving his bones, essence blood, and soul damaged but protected by Lin Bai and the three Saint Elders.

• The Palace Master urged the Imperial Son to try the Nine Yuan Devil God Art and revealed that the Holy Lord had left treasures to restore the resulting injuries.
• Lin Bai showed the Imperial Son Mystic Heaven Spirit Milk, a Myriad Flower Qi Return Pill, and a Soul Tablet made from the God and Demons Seal.
• The Imperial Son studied the method for condensing the God and Demons Seal, then spent seven or eight days preparing in the sanctuary.
• With Lin Bai and the three Saint Elders guarding him, the Imperial Son began extracting his essence blood, a rib, and part of his soul.
• The Imperial Son endured severe pain and began trying to divide his soul as he continued condensing the God and Demons Seal.

Lin Bai used the secret method from the art of flying swords to split off a piece of his divine soul, then followed the Nine Yuan Devil God Art to refine his bone, vital blood, and soul into a Gods and Demons Seal. After Lord Ling Zhi helped keep the escaping materials contained, Lin Bai completed the seal and summoned a woman from its red mist.

• Lin Bai compared the two soul-splitting methods and chose the one from the art of flying swords.
• Lin Bai extracted a rib, a drop of vital blood, and a sliver of divine soul, leaving him severely weakened.
• Lin Bai began merging the three materials into a Gods and Demons Seal, but the blood tried to escape and his pain interrupted his spellcasting.
• Lord Ling Zhi used the sanctuary's power to contain the blood and urged Lin Bai to continue.
• Lin Bai completed the seal, which settled into his palm, then summoned a woman from its red mist.

After mastering a divine art, Lin Bai prepared to leave Four Gloom City with Luo Ya and Old Wen. Yue Chuanming warned him about the dangers of his inherited arts and reputation, and the group departed for the ruins with Old Wen as his guide.

• Lin Bai emerged from the sanctuary, and Yue Chuanming congratulated him and asked him to call him Uncle Yue.
• Yue Chuanming warned Lin Bai that the Spirit Realm's righteous sects might target him for learning their inherited arts, and that his reputation could give his enemies an excuse to seize him.
• Lin Bai returned to the ruins and met Old Wen and Luo Ya, who had prepared the method of departure from Four Gloom City.
• Lin Bai asked about Old Wen's background, and Yue Chuanming refused to reveal details but assured him that Old Wen could be trusted.
• Lin Bai, Luo Ya, and Old Wen left the ruins and traveled toward the exit from Four Gloom City.

Lin Bai learned that Nine Underworlds Demon Palace was secretly relocating the martial artists of Nine Underworlds City to prepare for rebuilding its mountain gate in Qi Tian Sect Province. The chapter ended with Lin Bai realizing that the Demon Palace had used its Infiltration Plan to control Qi Tian Sect Province long ago.

• Lin Bai, Old Wen, and Yu You arrived at a cavern outside Nine Underworlds City, where martial artists were queuing to enter a teleportation formation.
• Old Wen explained that Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had secretly begun relocating Nine Underworlds City's martial artists more than a year earlier because the city was no longer safe for them.
• Old Wen revealed that the Demon Palace had built a mountain gate and protective formation in the Tranquil Mountains of Qi Tian Sect Province and planned to move its main headquarters there.
• Old Wen said the Demon Palace had secretly developed several provinces across the territories of rival sects as a precaution and had publicly announced its new mountain gate.
• Lin Bai learned that Qi Tian Sect, Ten Thousand Saints Mountain, and Chu had neither supported nor opposed the Demon Palace's announcement because they were occupied with their own conflicts.
• Lin Bai realized that the Demon Palace had secretly controlled Qi Tian Sect Province through its Infiltration Plan long before the relocation began.

Lin Bai, Yu You, and Old Wen used a teleportation array to leave Nine Underworlds City and travel toward the One Night Divine Sect’s territory. The elder revealed that the Four Gloom Demon Palace had secretly linked ancient arrays to create a network of cross-state-boundary teleportation arrays.

• Lin Bai presented Saint Elder Luo Yuanjing’s order, and the array guardian let him pass despite Nine Underworlds City’s order to confine him.
• Lin Bai learned that the array could take him beyond Plum Blossom Mountain Manor to Huang Long Thousand Provinces in the One Night Divine Sect’s territory.
• The guardian explained that the Four Gloom Demon Palace had repaired ancient teleportation arrays and linked them together over thousands of years, using more than a thousand arrays in the caverns outside Four Gloom City.
• The array consumed four pieces of Ten Thousand Saints Mountain jade and transported Lin Bai, Yu You, and Old Wen away in a pillar of black light.

Lin Bai left the mountain range with Old Wen and Yu You, intending to visit the Overturning Heavens Sect and Worship Heaven Sect before meeting Chu’s reinforcements in the Seven Nights Divine Sect’s territory. He reached Ink Fragrance City, where damage to the teleportation array forced him to stay overnight.

• Lin Bai ordered Old Wen and Yu You to leave the mountain range with him and said he would not meet Li Guxian at the border yet.
• Lin Bai decided to visit the Overturning Heavens Sect and Worship Heaven Sect before seeking Chu’s reinforcements, and Old Wen plotted a route through Ink Fragrance City.
• Old Wen piloted the Divine Wind Boat to Ink Fragrance City, where the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s banner flew and the city was on high alert.
• A soldier recognized Lin Bai as the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s Imperial Son and explained that an attack had damaged the city’s teleportation array.
• Lin Bai agreed to rest in Ink Fragrance City for the night while the Formation Daoists repaired the array.

Lin Bai stayed overnight in Ink Fragrance City while its teleportation formation was repaired, but a group of martial artists confronted him as a traitor to the Devil Realm Eastern Region and the Chu Kingdom. Their accusations made Lin Bai suspect that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had arranged for his reputation to be ruined before letting him leave Nine Underworlds City.

• The City Lord of Ink Fragrance City welcomed Lin Bai and arranged for him to stay until the teleportation formation was repaired.
• Lin Bai dismissed most of the servants and maids, declined the City Lord’s invitations, and cultivated while recovering from his soul injuries.
• Around midnight, Old Wen and Yu You alerted Lin Bai to intruders, and more than twenty martial artists appeared around the residence.
• A man in black accused Lin Bai of betraying the Devil Realm Eastern Region and the Chu Kingdom by joining the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace.
• The intruders accused Lin Bai of being a hidden agent and giving away the Seven Nights Divine Sect’s Formation Diagram.
• Lin Bai turned to Old Wen and suggested that the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace had arranged the accusations before allowing him to leave Nine Underworlds City.

Lin Bai confronted the Black-Robed Men and demanded evidence for their accusations that he had served as a Four Gloom Demon Palace agent. They presented records from the Zhao Xing Office that tied him to the palace’s imperial-capital operations and the kidnapping plot, leaving him with little room to deny the charges.

• Lin Bai challenged Old Wen over the Nine Underworlds Demon Palace’s arrangements and demanded evidence from the Black-Robed Men.
• The Black-Robed Men accused Lin Bai of betraying the Devil Realm Eastern Region and directing the Four Gloom Demon Palace’s operations in the imperial capital.
• Lin Bai denied knowing about the sect battle plans and asked where the evidence had come from.
• The Black-Robed Men said the Zhao Xing Office had released letters documenting Lin Bai’s contacts with Elder He Gongji and his role in the kidnapping plan.
• Lin Bai examined the Jade Slips and realized the evidence was powerful and had been deliberately arranged to disgrace him.

After the repaired teleportation array was tested, Lin Bai, Old Wen, and Dao Child Yu You traveled from Ink Fragrance City to Sky Dragon City. Lin Bai left Old Wen there to investigate while he and Yu You continued toward Overturning Heavens Sect's territory.

• The City Lord of Ink Fragrance City reported that the repaired teleportation array had passed repeated tests and explained that it could reach Sky Dragon City.
• Lin Bai departed Ink Fragrance City with Old Wen and Dao Child Yu You, while the City Lord ordered his troops to keep searching for Demon Subjugation Alliance martial artists.
• In Sky Dragon City, Yu You marveled at the city's scale and prosperity as Lin Bai took her to a roadside teahouse.
• Lin Bai told Old Wen to wait at the teahouse and gather information as quickly as possible.
• Lin Bai and Yu You left Old Wen behind and traveled onward through a teleportation array toward the area near Overturning Heavens Sect.

Lin Bai told Lingzi about Devil Palace’s strict advancement system and the seven-year Genius Gathering, where the First God Child had once overwhelmed the other geniuses. Lingzi remained unfazed by Li Guxian’s praise of the First God Child and recalled two opponents who had made him feel fear: Ye Jianjun and another figure.

• Lin Bai asked Dao Child Yu You whether he had grown up in Nine Underworlds City, and Yu You described his secluded training and life inside Devil Palace.
• Lin Bai explained Devil Palace’s assessments, ranks, and limits on the number of geniuses, then described how the Young Lords, Saint Sons, Dao Children, and God Children gathered every seven years.
• Lin Bai recalled meeting the First God Child of the First Divine Hall at a Genius Gathering, where the First God Child defeated every martial artist present.
• Li Guxian praised the First God Child and asked whether Lingzi was angry, but Lingzi said he accepted that others could be more talented than him.
• Lingzi remembered two people who had made him feel fear and named his former lower-realm opponent Ye Jianjun.

Lin Bai discussed Demonic Martial Souls and assessed the strength of holy sons from the Devil Realm’s major forces. He left Dao Child Yu You with a sobering picture of the realm’s strongest geniuses, especially Bu Junfeng, whom he regarded as a dangerous equal.

• Dao Child Yu You asked whether Demonic Martial Souls existed, and Lin Bai recalled that he had faced several and that they had eventually been killed.
• Lin Bai named the divine sons and holy sons he had encountered, dismissing many as ordinary while explaining that Li Siyuan was still an overwhelming opponent to most people.
• Lin Bai recalled fighting Bu Junfeng to a draw and said he lacked confidence that he could kill him in a life-or-death fight.
• Lin Bai described the holy sons of the other flourishing forces as generally weaker than Bu Junfeng, while noting that the young Demon Race member he fought in Four Gloom City seemed stronger than many of them.
• Lin Bai told Dao Child Yu You that no martial artist or weapon was truly invincible, and that even Demonic Martial Souls could be killed if someone found a way.