Chapter Summaries

Li Zhōujūn enjoyed the hospitality of Mu Zhenhuang and continued his leisurely journey toward Azure Ink Painting Saint. After waiting more than half a year, Azure Ink Painting Saint finally saw him arrive and threatened to kill him.

• Li Zhōujūn declined Mu Zhenhuang's offer to help him confront the person behind the world inside the painting, then joined her, Myriad Manifestations Emperor, and Medicine Emperor for a drink.
• Mu Zhenhuang gave Myriad Manifestations Emperor a superior-quality pill, and Li Zhōujūn later left his two drunk friends in Lin Xiashuang's care.
• Li Zhōujūn spent more than half a year sightseeing on his way to Azure Ink Painting Saint, while Azure Ink Painting Saint grew increasingly impatient waiting with Ink Mountain Painting Immortal.
• Li Zhōujūn arrived just as Azure Ink Painting Saint was about to leave, and Ink Mountain Painting Immortal angered her master by taking over his threats.
• Azure Ink Painting Saint revealed himself as Ink Mountain Painting Immortal's master and vowed that Li Zhōujūn would not leave alive.

Li Zhōujūn fought Azure Ink Painting Saint, surviving his painted attacks and disabling the Saint Slaying Grand Formation. As the two prepared to continue their confrontation, Li Zhōujūn asked whether the aura Azure Ink Painting Saint had sensed from Qin Tianyi matched the aura of a calligraphy and painting Qin Tianyi had left him.

• Azure Ink Painting Saint unleashed a scorching sea of fire, but Li Zhōujūn emerged unharmed.
• Azure Ink Painting Saint painted floodwaters that became true dragons, and Li Zhōujūn countered with his Jade Dragon Arm, bringing their attacks to a draw.
• At Ink Mountain Painting Immortal's urging, Azure Ink Painting Saint activated the Saint Slaying Grand Formation against Li Zhōujūn.
• Li Zhōujūn used the Array Ignoring Skill to stop the flying swords and make them fall, leaving Azure Ink Painting Saint stunned.
• Li Zhōujūn showed Azure Ink Painting Saint Qin Tianyi's calligraphy and painting and asked whether its aura resembled Qin Tianyi's.

Li Zhōujūn learned that his ancestor Qin Tianyi had left a powerful clone to guard the Central Continent, putting Azure Ink Painting Saint at his mercy. After learning that Luo Baiyu was the key to a ninth-grade Dao Saint secret realm and would disappear when it opened, Li Zhōujūn realized she had known the danger and urged him to reach the realm.

• Azure Ink Painting Saint recognized Qin Tianyi's aura in Li Zhōujūn's calligraphy and painting, and Li Zhōujūn revealed that Qin Tianyi was his ancestor.
• Qin Tianyi's clone appeared, confirmed Li Zhōujūn's descent, and offered to kill Azure Ink Painting Saint if Li Zhōujūn asked.
• Li Zhōujūn made Azure Ink Painting Saint and Ink Mountain Painting Immortal cry, then demanded to know why they had attacked the little rabbit.
• Ink Mountain Painting Immortal explained that the rabbit was the key to a ninth-grade Dao Saint secret realm, and Azure Ink Painting Saint said the key would disappear when the formation opened the entrance.
• Li Zhōujūn recalled Luo Baiyu's warnings and realized she had known she was the key.

Li Zhōujūn accepted Azure Ink Painting Saint’s pledge of loyalty and planned to visit a Ninth-Rank Dao Saint secret realm with Central Great Emperor. Mo Xuan killed Central Great Emperor and vanished, and months later news of the death shook the Central Continent.

• Azure Ink Painting Saint pledged eternal loyalty to Li Zhōujūn and promised not to touch the Ninth-Rank Dao Saint secret realm; Li Zhōujūn accepted his jade slip and warned him to behave.
• Li Zhōujūn decided to find Central Great Emperor and travel with him to the secret realm without a key.
• Mo Xuan appeared in Central Great Emperor’s hall and revealed that he had come to kill Central Great Emperor as part of a wager.
• Mo Xuan exploited Central Great Emperor’s injured divine soul, killed him, and took his head before disappearing.
• Several months later, word of Central Great Emperor’s death spread, shaking the Central Continent.

Mo Xuan killed Great Emperor Xuannan and then tried to assassinate Li Zhōujūn, whose Fifty-Fifty passive stopped the sword at his neck. With the killer exposed before Li Zhōujūn, Mu Zhenhuang, and Northern Star Great Emperor, the group faced the mysterious attacker.

• Great Emperor Xuannan stopped fleeing and challenged Northern Star Great Emperor to keep fighting, but Mo Xuan suddenly beheaded him.
• Northern Star Great Emperor fled, and Mo Xuan revealed himself, reflected on his three months of travel, and considered targeting Phoenix Emperor or Azure Emperor next.
• Li Zhōujūn met Mu Zhenhuang and Northern Star Great Emperor, who confirmed that Central Great Emperor and Great Emperor Xuannan had died.
• Northern Star Great Emperor wondered whether Li Zhōujūn had killed the emperors, but Li Zhōujūn denied it and said Ink Mountain Painting Immortal was not responsible.
• Mo Xuan attacked Li Zhōujūn with the sword that had killed the other emperors, but Fifty-Fifty stopped it from piercing his neck.
• Li Zhōujūn flicked Mo Xuan's sword away and turned to face him.

Li Zhōujūn ordered Azure Ink Painting Saint to kill Mo Xuan, who had come to collect the heads of the Great Emperors. After Mo Xuan died, Li Zhōujūn advanced to the First-Rank Dao Emperor realm, while Soul Eye resolved to investigate his disciple’s death in the Central Continent.

• Mo Xuan admitted killing Central Great Emperor and Great Emperor Xuannan, then threatened to kill Li Zhōujūn, Northern Star Great Emperor, and Mu Zhenhuang.
• Azure Ink Painting Saint appeared, bowed to Li Zhōujūn, and warned Mo Xuan that he would die for offending Azure Emperor.
• Li Zhōujūn ordered Azure Ink Painting Saint to kill Mo Xuan, and Azure Ink Painting Saint cut off Mo Xuan’s head.
• Li Zhōujūn’s cultivation advanced to the First-Rank Dao Emperor realm after Mo Xuan died.
• At Original Soul Mountain, Primordial Soul Ancient Saint declared Bai Wuya the new Saint Child after Mo Xuan’s soul tablet cracked.
• Soul Eye decided to enter the Central Continent and uncover the cause of Mo Xuan’s death.

Great Sage Soul Eye and Bai Wuya headed toward the Central Continent after Mo Xuan’s death, while Azure Ink Painting Saint reported the matter to Li Zhōujūn and prepared to leave to rebuild Ink Mountain Painting Immortal. Soul Eye confronted Azure Ink Painting Saint over his disciple’s death, and the Saint revealed that Mo Xuan had offended someone beyond Original Soul Mountain’s power.

• Soul Bone, Soul Blood, and Soul Flesh doubted that Great Sage Soul Eye would dare enter the Central Continent because Qin Tianyi could kill him.
• Bai Wuya learned that Mo Xuan was dead and that he had become Original Soul Mountain’s Holy Son, then set out for the Central Continent to investigate.
• Azure Ink Painting Saint told Li Zhōujūn that Mo Xuan’s matter was settled and asked to leave so he could rebuild Ink Mountain Painting Immortal.
• Li Zhōujūn agreed to let Azure Ink Painting Saint go, then dismissed Northern Star Great Emperor and Mu Zhenhuang.
• Great Sage Soul Eye intercepted Azure Ink Painting Saint and demanded to know why he had killed Mo Xuan.
• Azure Ink Painting Saint said Mo Xuan had offended someone even Original Soul Mountain’s master could not afford to offend, then moved back onto the Central Continent’s soil.

Li Zhōujūn returned to Central City to bring the Central Great Emperor’s head back to the imperial dynasty, only to discover that the emperor was alive and meeting with his daughter, the new Central Empress. The chapter left Li Zhōujūn facing the apparently stronger Central Great Emperor, whose survival remained unexplained.

• Qin Tianyi killed Great Sage Soul Eye for threatening Azure Ink Painting Saint, then helped Azure Ink break through to the Third-Rank Dao Saint Realm.
• Li Zhōujūn left Mu Zhenhuang and Northern Star Great Emperor and traveled to Central City with the Central Great Emperor’s head, intending to return it to the dynasty.
• Li Zhōujūn learned that the Central Great Emperor’s daughter, Shi Shuzhu, had taken the throne as Central Empress and quelled unrest in the dynasty.
• Eastern Heavenly King admitted Li Zhōujūn to the imperial palace after he said he had an important item to return.
• In a garden pavilion, Li Zhōujūn found the Central Great Emperor alive beside Shi Shuzhu, who paid her respects to him as Uncle Azure Emperor.
• The Central Great Emperor introduced Shi Shuzhu and appeared to Li Zhōujūn with a familiar aura and greater strength than before.

Li Zhōujūn learned that Shi Cangqiong had survived by cultivating a second true body and agreed to help Shi Zhi enter a Ninth-Rank Dao Saint secret realm. At the secret realm, Luo Baiyu was startled to see Shi Zhi alive and recognized that Li Zhōujūn had come because of her connection to the gate.

• Shi Cangqiong explained that Mo Xuan had killed his former body, while his current body survived, and Li Zhōujūn returned the former body's head to him.
• Shi Cangqiong revealed that he now went by Shi Zhi and asked Li Zhōujūn to help him enter a Ninth-Rank Dao Saint secret realm; Li Zhōujūn agreed to break its array without the missing key.
• Shi Zhi explained to Li Zhōujūn that the Central Continent's Dao Saint laws had shattered, leaving other continents' limited places for advancement fiercely contested.
• Li Zhōujūn and Shi Zhi set out for the secret realm, where Luo Baiyu had arrived carrying the Jade Bottle.
• Luo Baiyu was shocked to see Shi Zhi alive, and Shi Zhi clarified that the Central Great Emperor had died but the man before her was Shi Zhi.

Li Zhōujūn shattered the formation around the ninth-grade Dao Saint’s secret realm, allowing Luo Baiyu to take human form without sacrificing herself. After rejecting her marriage proposal, he entered the secret realm with Luo Baiyu and Shi Zhi, where they arrived in a vast landscape of mountains and rivers.

• Luo Baiyu began transforming into the formation’s key, while Shi Zhi urged Li Zhōujūn to stop her.
• Li Zhōujūn used his system skill to shatter the formation with a finger, interrupting Luo Baiyu’s transformation into a key.
• With the formation broken, Luo Baiyu took human form and admitted she wanted to marry Li Zhōujūn, but he told her he saw her as a younger sister.
• Luo Baiyu insisted she would marry no one else and vowed to surpass Li Zhōujūn in cultivation, while Shi Zhi explained that the secret realm’s entrance could kill anyone below the Dao Saint realm.
• Li Zhōujūn carried Luo Baiyu and Shi Zhi safely through the entrance, and they arrived in the secret realm amid towering mountains and great rivers.

Li Zhōujūn brought Shi Zhi and Luo Baiyu into the secret realm, where Shi Zhi prepared to pursue Dao Sainthood and Li Zhōujūn left the realm’s resources to Luo Baiyu. The apparent Nine Yuan Saint Monarch was revealed as E Zhi, an ancient evil imprisoned there, and Li Zhōujūn stood between her and Luo Baiyu as E Zhi threatened to attack.

• Shi Zhi thanked Li Zhōujūn for bringing him into the secret realm, then went to a mountain to attempt a breakthrough to Dao Sainthood.
• Li Zhōujūn gave Luo Baiyu the secret realm’s resources, and completing his task advanced his cultivation to Third-Rank Dao Emperor.
• A woman claiming to be the Nine Yuan Saint Monarch appeared, offered to take Luo Baiyu as her disciple, and rebuked Li Zhōujūn.
• Shi Zhi recognized that the woman was an impostor and identified her as E Zhi, the evil being the true Nine Yuan Saint Monarch had imprisoned in the secret realm.
• Luo Baiyu recovered memories revealing that she was a clone of the Nine Yuan Saint Monarch, created to reinforce the grand formation that imprisoned E Zhi.
• E Zhi threatened to destroy Luo Baiyu and wipe out the Central Continent, but Li Zhōujūn stepped in front of Luo Baiyu and challenged her.

Li Zhōujūn faced Old Woman E'zhi after the system tasked him with breaking her composure and killing her, and he revealed power on the level of the Dao Accomplishment Realm. Old Woman E'zhi tried to retreat, but Li Zhōujūn called on an ancestor to slap her to death.

• The system gave Li Zhōujūn missions to break Old Woman E'zhi's composure and bring about her death, and he predicted she would die there that day.
• Old Woman E'zhi attacked Li Zhōujūn with mountains, then unleashed an army of demon and spirit heads collected from destroyed continents.
• Shi Zhi questioned Old Woman E'zhi about other continents, and she said stronger continents were common across the Main World.
• Li Zhōujūn let the heads bite him without harm, then released an aura that destroyed them all and prompted Old Woman E'zhi to recognize his Dao Accomplishment Realm power.
• Old Woman E'zhi proposed ending the fight, but Li Zhōujūn refused and asked an ancestor to slap her to death.

Li Zhōujūn withstands Old Woman E'zhi's devastating attack and taunts her until she demands to face his Ancestor. Qin Tianyi appears, and Old Woman E'zhi recognizes the Heavenly Emperor Qin and gives up any hope of resisting.

• Old Woman E'zhi tries to flee, but Li Zhōujūn blocks her and provokes her into fighting.
• Old Woman E'zhi unleashes a colossal black hand, but Li Zhōujūn survives without moving and mocks her.
• Li Zhōujūn tells Old Woman E'zhi that his Ancestor can help her sleep forever, and she challenges him to summon the Ancestor.
• Li Zhōujūn calls for the Ancestor, and Qin Tianyi appears before Old Woman E'zhi.
• Old Woman E'zhi recognizes Qin Tianyi as the Heavenly Emperor Qin and decides to end her own life rather than resist him.

Qin Tianyi killed Old Woman E'zhi and revealed that the Blood Pearl held the remnant soul of Blood Heavenly Emperor, whom he swiftly defeated. Li Zhōujūn gave the resulting divine-soul energy to Luo Baiyu, honoring his promise to leave the chamber’s opportunities to her.

• Qin Tianyi crushed Old Woman E'zhi with a gigantic palm, and Li Zhōujūn's cultivation rose to the Seventh-Rank Dao Emperor Realm.
• Qin Tianyi identified the blood-red pearl as Blood Heavenly Emperor's relic and revealed that he had planned to use its remnant soul to strengthen Li Zhōujūn's divine soul.
• Blood Heavenly Emperor emerged from the pearl and challenged Qin Tianyi's clone, but Qin Tianyi struck him down and prepared to refine his divine-soul power.
• Li Zhōujūn declined the reward because he had promised to leave the chamber's opportunities to Luo Baiyu, and Shi Zhi praised his character.
• Qin Tianyi cleansed Blood Heavenly Emperor's divine-soul power and sent the pure energy into Luo Baiyu.

Li Zhōujūn left Qin Tianyi after learning the ranks above the Dao Saint Realm, while Luo Baiyu continued refining Blood Heavenly Emperor's soul. Several days later, Bai Wuya arrived in the Central Continent to investigate Mo Xuan's death and threatened Old Immortal Liu, until Shi Zhi and Li Zhōujūn intervened.

• Qin Tianyi told Shi Zhi he could break through to the Dao Saint Realm and move around the Central Continent, but warned him not to abuse his power.
• Qin Tianyi explained the twelve turns of the Dao Accomplishment Realm and said Luo Baiyu could reach at least the third turn while refining Blood Heavenly Emperor's soul.
• Li Zhōujūn said he did not regret missing the chance to refine the soul, then left and asked Qin Tianyi to tell Luo Baiyu not to look for him.
• Bai Wuya arrived in the Central Continent to find out who had killed Mo Xuan and confronted Old Immortal Liu, escalating their argument into a threat to kill him.
• Shi Zhi and Li Zhōujūn arrived as Bai Wuya was about to attack Old Immortal Liu, and Bai Wuya threatened all three of them.

Shi Zhi revealed his Dao Saint strength, killed Bai Wuya, and joined Li Zhōujūn for drinks, where they heard that Shi Shuzhu had disappeared. They found her letter saying she had gone to the Burial Saint Mountain Range to seek a breakthrough, but Shi Zhi remained troubled by her absence.

• Shi Zhi revealed that he had reached the Dao Saint Realm and crushed Bai Wuya, while Li Zhōujūn explained that the Central Great Emperor was dead and Shi Zhi had taken his place.
• At Imperial Joy Tower, Li Zhōujūn and Shi Zhi overheard people discussing Shi Shuzhu’s disappearance and the rumor that she had gone to the Burial Saint Mountain Range.
• Shi Zhi said he could not contact Shi Shuzhu, and Li Zhōujūn agreed to accompany him to the Central Imperial Dynasty to search for her.
• Li Zhōujūn and Shi Zhi found no trace of Shi Shuzhu, though her soul tablet remained intact.
• Li Zhōujūn brought Shi Zhi a letter from Shi Shuzhu stating that she had gone to the Burial Saint Mountain Range to seek an opportunity to enter the Half-step Dao Saint Realm.

Li Zhōujūn and Shi Zhi investigated a strange letter from Shi Shuzhu and suspected Old Immortal Liu after discovering that several Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors had vanished. Li Zhōujūn teleported to confront Liu, whose drunken excuse faltered when asked why he had feared Shi Zhi’s Dao Saint cultivation.

• Li Zhōujūn and Shi Zhi realized Shi Shuzhu’s letter could only have been intended for Shi Zhi, though its use of her imperial title was inexplicable.
• Shi Zhi and Li Zhōujūn discovered they could not contact Mu Zhenhuang or Northern Star, who were imprisoned with other Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors in a sealed mountain cave.
• Shi Zhi suspected Old Immortal Liu, but Li Zhōujūn asked him to stabilize the Central Imperial Dynasty while he searched for Liu.
• Li Zhōujūn used the system to teleport to Old Immortal Liu, who claimed he had been drinking out of jealousy over Shi Zhi’s breakthrough.
• When Li Zhōujūn asked why Liu had feared Shi Zhi’s Dao Saint cultivation, Liu’s drunken haze vanished and he stared at Li Zhōujūn.

Li Zhōujūn confronted Old Immortal Liu about the disappearance of Shi Shuzhu and other Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors, while Central Great Emperor accused Liu of abducting his daughter. After Li Zhōujūn stopped Central Great Emperor from killing Liu, he said he had identified the true mastermind, leaving him poised to reveal the culprit.

• Li Zhōujūn tested Old Immortal Liu with a sword, confirmed he was a concealed Half-step Dao Saint, and questioned him about the missing Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors.
• A blood-red arrow coated with Soul Severing Flower Juice attacked Old Immortal Liu, but Li Zhōujūn caught it before it struck him.
• Central Great Emperor arrived and attacked Old Immortal Liu, accusing him of abducting Shi Shuzhu, but Li Zhōujūn blocked the blow.
• Old Immortal Liu denied the accusations and claimed he had accidentally seen Shi Shuzhu bathing, then feared Central Great Emperor would kill him to protect her reputation.
• Central Great Emperor tried to kill Old Immortal Liu again, but Li Zhōujūn restrained him and said he had determined who was behind the disappearances.

Li Zhōujūn traced the plot against the Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors to Shi Shuzhu, who had imprisoned them to make a pill for her advancement. After confronting her at the mountain, the group learned about her master and her reasons for the scheme, while the Central Great Emperor struggled to face his daughter's choices.

• Li Zhōujūn explained that the imprisoned Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors were being refined into a Dao Saint Blood Pill and linked the plot to Shi Shuzhu.
• Old Immortal Liu recounted how Shi Shuzhu had lured him into suspicion after he accidentally revealed his Half-step Dao Saint aura.
• The blood-robed figure activated the mountain formation, and Li Zhōujūn, the Central Great Emperor, and Old Immortal Liu arrived and exposed Shi Shuzhu.
• Shi Shuzhu revealed that her master, Blood Crow Demon Lord, had given her the formation as a trial to refine the pill and advance.
• Shi Shuzhu explained that she had used Blood Robe to conceal herself and had arranged for Senior Brother to destroy Original Soul Mountain, while the Central Great Emperor mourned her choices.
• Shi Shuzhu admitted she had stayed nearby after her failed attempt on Old Immortal Liu and accepted that Li Zhōujūn's deductions had exposed her.

Shi Shuzhu killed herself after her scheme was exposed, and the Central Great Emperor apologized to the rescued Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors before leaving with her body. Elsewhere, her senior brother Ma Chengshu learned of her death and swore revenge on the Central Continent.

• Shi Shuzhu shattered her own soul and died, restoring the Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors’ cultivation and freeing them from the mountains.
• The Central Great Emperor apologized for Shi Shuzhu’s crimes, and the rescued cultivators agreed not to pursue the matter.
• The Central Great Emperor thanked Li Zhōujūn for saving his daughter from the demonic path, then departed to lay her to rest.
• The Ninth-Rank Dao Emperors thanked Li Zhōujūn and promised to protect his descendants, while the Northern Star Great Emperor and Old Immortal Liu joked about sharing a drink.
• On Soul Music Continent, Ma Chengshu found Shi Shuzhu’s shattered life tablet amid the ruins of Original Soul Mountain and vowed to make the Central Continent pay for her death.