Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ning, disguised as the Silver Masked Man, intervened when Fang Daoquan overwhelmed Feng Zhen and fought the half-step Great Grandmaster head-on. Their clash left Fang Daoquan suspecting Jiang Ning might be the rumored Invincible Grandmaster.

• Fang Daoquan used his Spiritual Pressure to suppress Feng Zhen and instantly defeated a Grandmaster who tried to help.
• Jiang Ning stepped in under Marquis Zhou Sheng's orders, blocked Fang Daoquan, and let Feng Zhen leave to support the other fighters.
• Fang Daoquan summoned a spear and attacked Jiang Ning with his Flood Dragon techniques, but Jiang Ning's swordsmanship and Divine Sense let him deflect the assaults.
• Jiang Ning and Fang Daoquan collided with their strongest attacks, splitting the earth and drawing the attention of nearby fighters.
• Fang Daoquan struck with his Splitting Mountain Technique, but Jiang Ning held firm, leading Fang Daoquan to wonder if he was the rumored Invincible Grandmaster.

Jiang Ning used the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword to kill Fang Daoquan, then joined Feng Zhen’s battle and slaughtered Zhi Xuan Mountain’s Grandmasters. As he advanced toward Middle Finger Peak’s entrance, Yun Shanhe and Purple Robe Marquis’s clash continued overhead, with Purple Robe Marquis blocking Yun Shanhe from going down to help.

• Jiang Ning learned Fang Daoquan’s strength and, using the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword, repeatedly wounded him before severing his head and killing him.
• Jiang Ning joined Feng Zhen’s battlefield and killed several Grandmasters, shocking Feng Zhen with his speed and strength.
• Jiang Ning continued slaughtering Zhi Xuan Mountain’s fighters as he advanced toward the entrance to Middle Finger Peak.
• Yun Shanhe shouted at Zhou Sheng, and Purple Robe Marquis answered that they were already locked in a fight to the death and he would not let Yun Shanhe go down to save the others.

Jiang Ning helped Zhou Sheng’s forces storm Zhi Xuan Mountain, where Xiang Yuan arrived and tried to enter the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land. The Blessed Land’s surviving Ancestor stopped him and took Yun Shanhe away, after which Xiang Yuan destroyed Zhi Xuan Mountain’s main building and summoned Jiang Ning to follow him.

• Jiang Ning cut down the defenders at the mountain gate and left Feng Zhen to lead the assault up Middle Finger Mountain.
• Yun Shanhe confronted Jiang Ning and Zhou Sheng, while Zhou Sheng asked Jiang Ning to help hold him back and conceal Jiang Ning’s identity.
• A woman emerged from the altar’s Five-Colored Light Pillar, but Xiang Yuan shot her with a bloodstained arrow, killed her, and tore open a passage toward the Xuan Yuan Grotto-heaven.
• The surviving Ancestor of the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land struck Xiang Yuan, seized Yun Shanhe, and closed the passage before Xiang Yuan could claim the Heart of the Grotto-heaven.
• Xiang Yuan told Zhou Sheng to deal with Zhi Xuan Mountain, destroyed its grandest building with his bow, and ordered Jiang Ning to accompany him.

After Martial King Xiang Yuan warned Jiang Ning against attempting the Ninth Blood Exchange without preparation, he urged him to visit Xiao Wuque in the Royal Capital. Jiang Ning practiced his Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword while the battle at Zhi Xuan Mountain continued, then learned from Zhou Sheng that Xiao Wuque was the Martial Saint Manor’s second-in-command and a likely successor to the Martial Saint.

• Xiang Yuan praised Jiang Ning’s strength, warned him about the dangers of the Ninth Blood Exchange, and told him to meet Xiao Wuque in the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning watched the battle at Zhi Xuan Mountain continue, decided to improve his Indestructible Vajra Body before attempting another Blood Exchange, and practiced his Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword.
• Zhou Sheng arrived and praised Jiang Ning’s sword art, recognizing how it had enabled him to defeat Fang Daoquan.
• Jiang Ning told Zhou Sheng that Xiang Yuan had sent him to meet Xiao Wuque, and Zhou Sheng explained Xiao Wuque’s exceptional talent and standing as the Martial Saint Manor’s second-in-command.
• Zhou Sheng said Jiang Ning deserved thirty percent of the operation’s credit but would keep his contribution from public reports to avoid making him a target while Yun Shanhe and the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land remained threats.

Jiang Ning trained his Indestructible Vajra Body before attending a Victory Banquet honoring the destruction of Zhi Xuan Mountain. At the banquet, Zhou Sheng presented him as “Your Highness,” and Jiang Ning noticed that his wine was unusually rich in energy.

• Jiang Ning resumed training the Indestructible Vajra Body at the Marquis Mansion while waiting for the Victory Banquet.
• Zhou Sheng assured Jiang Ning that a Silver Star Sand Mask would conceal his identity from Yun Shanhe and invited him to the banquet; Zhong Yue thanked Jiang Ning for protecting Zhong Ling.
• Jiang Ning prioritized cultivating his body and preparing for the Ninth Blood Exchange over further improving his swordsmanship, then bathed and dressed for the banquet.
• Jiang Ning arrived at the Victory Banquet wearing his Silver Mask, and Zhou Sheng seated him beside himself as guests greeted him as “Your Highness.”
• Feng Zhen toasted Jiang Ning, who tasted the energy-rich wine and noticed that only the head tables had wine of comparable quality.

After the Victory Banquet, Jiang Ning continued cultivating the Indestructible Vajra Body before preparing to leave Jun Tian City for Dongling City. Zhou Sheng sent two maids after him, hoping they would be accepted into Jiang Ning’s service.

• Zhong Yue toasted Jiang Ning repeatedly at Zhou Sheng’s Victory Banquet, and Jiang Ning gained Source Energy from the wine.
• The Prefectural Lord of Five Peaks Prefecture arrived, questioned Jiang Ning’s identity, and then offered him a conciliatory toast.
• After the banquet, Jiang Ning trained through the night and continued cultivating the next morning, raising the Indestructible Vajra Body’s progress.
• Jiang Ning said farewell to Zhou Sheng and departed for Dongling City after promising they would drink together when they met again.
• Zhou Sheng asked the two maids whether Jiang Ning had touched them, then arranged for Green Ivy to escort them after Jiang Ning so they could seek places in his service.

Jiang Ning returned to Dongling City after Zhi Xuan Mountain’s destruction and prepared for his journey to the Royal Capital. He trained the Indestructible Vajra Body for days, then woke rested and expected to complete its breakthrough that day.

• Jiang Ning reunited with Luyi, Zhong Ling, and the others, and told Zhong Ling that Zhi Xuan Mountain had fallen with Martial King Xiang Yuan’s intervention.
• Jiang Ning reasoned that Xiang Yuan had targeted the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land and its Heart of the Grotto-heaven, then decided not to spend Source Energy Points on Wind Thunder Step or the Summer Time Treasure Scroll.
• Jiang Ning focused on training the Indestructible Vajra Body and fed Linglong his blood to strengthen her before his planned trip to the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning trained nearly nonstop for several days, reaching 37866/40000 progress before exhaustion overcame him and Linglong carried him to bed.
• Jiang Ning woke the next day refreshed, saw that the Indestructible Vajra Body’s progress remained at 37866/40000, and expected to break through that day.

Jiang Ning broke through the Indestructible Vajra Body, greatly increasing his strength, then set out for the Royal Capital to take the Martial Examination Metropolitan Examination. Before leaving, he learned that the Yellow Sky Sect was gathering around Luoshui, a development that revealed a threat beyond his ability to confront.

• Jiang Ning spent one hundred thousand Source Energy Points to break through the Indestructible Vajra Body, and the Dragon Elephant Power trait deepened as his physical strength nearly doubled.
• Jiang Ning said farewell to Liu Wanwan, Jiang Li, Jiang Yiming, Zhong Ling, and Luyi, then left for the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning visited Bai Luoyu, asked him to help Jiang Li if trouble arose, and arranged for Bai Luoyu to contact him through the Celestial Secrets Record if needed.
• Jiang Ning visited Zhao Yulong at the Patrol Office and learned that the Yellow Sky Sect was gathering around Luoshui.
• Jiang Ning considered the Yellow Sky Sect’s powerful figures and agreed with Zhao Yulong that they were not qualified to get involved.

Jiang Ning left for the Royal Capital to take part in the Martial Examination Metropolitan Examination while worrying about unrest from the Yellow Sky Sect. As he neared Shangjing Prefecture, Ji Mingyue waited in the palace, determined to marry him despite the emperor’s opposition.

• Jiang Ning asked Zhao Yulong to look after his family, then told Wang Qingtan he was leaving for the Royal Capital; Wang Qingtan accepted his feelings for him and chose not to hold him back.
• Li Sixiang learned Jiang Ning was traveling to the Royal Capital and searched for his likely route, but Jiang Ning crossed Guangning Prefecture by water and escaped his pursuit.
• Jiang Ning reached Shangjing Prefecture and realized he was close to the Royal Capital, while Li Sixiang gave up searching the wrong route.
• Ji Mingyue told Ji Minghao she had confessed her feelings for Jiang Ning to the emperor so she could face his disapproval alone, and she eagerly anticipated seeing Jiang Ning at the examination.

Jiang Ning entered Shangjing and encountered the procession of Fu Yuan Saint Monarch, a clay-bodied deity who had gone to discuss the Dao with the Imperial Advisor. After considering the threat posed by returning deities, Jiang Ning entered the city, bought a map, and set off for his first destination.

• Jiang Ning reached Shangjing’s gates and presented his Martial Examination recommendation letter, drawing attention from the guards and a Heavenly Surveillance Bureau Daoist who recognized his strength.
• Fu Yuan Saint Monarch’s grand procession arrived, and the Saint Monarch addressed Jiang Ning before entering the capital to meet the Imperial Advisor.
• Jiang Ning learned that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had descended from a worshiped statue and judged him more formidable than the Black Lotus Old Mother and the God of Flesh and Blood.
• Jiang Ning entered Shangjing and reflected on the power of deities before declining a guide’s offer and buying a map instead.
• After checking the map against his previous understanding, Jiang Ning vanished and headed for his first destination.

Jiang Ning rested and gathered information at the Royal Capital’s Nine Heavens Pavilion before setting out to visit Xiao Wuque, the Martial Saint’s Close Disciple. He learned more about the Martial Examination’s leading contenders and Fu Yuan Saint Monarch, whose attention toward him left him uneasy.

• Jiang Ning overheard diners discuss Fu Yuan Saint Monarch’s status as an Orthodox God of the Heavenly Court and the powerful figures who had failed to defeat him.
• Jiang Ning learned that Wan Jianyi and Mingxin were leading contenders for the Martial Examination, while diners judged Jiang Ning too young to match them.
• Jiang Ning considered the unsettled imperial succession and decided to avoid getting too close to Ji Minghao.
• Jiang Ning rested at Nine Heavens Pavilion, then listened to guests discuss the Martial Examination and the rankings of Wan Jianyi, Mingxin, and himself.
• Jiang Ning heard that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had defeated powerful challengers and faced the Imperial Advisor in a battle whose outcome remained unknown.
• Jiang Ning recalled that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had noticed him, felt a faint sense of danger, and left to visit Xiao Wuque.

Jiang Ning met Xiao Wuque at the Patrol General Bureau, where they discussed Jiang Ning’s Blood Exchange progress and Past Life Wisdom. Xiao Wuque explained that life originated from the True Spirit and that famous reincarnations could only possess fragments of one.

• After the guards at Martial Saint Manor said Xiao Wuque was absent and refused to reveal his whereabouts, Jiang Ning heard Xiao Wuque summon him to the Patrol General Bureau.
• A guard at the bureau escorted Jiang Ning into the Prison Suppressing Hall, where he met Xiao Wuque.
• Xiao Wuque asked about Jiang Ning’s cultivation, and Jiang Ning revealed that he had completed eight Blood Exchanges and awakened memories from two lifetimes.
• Over wine, Xiao Wuque identified the person who valued Jiang Ning as the Old Blind Man of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, who had guarded the Star Gazing Platform for three hundred years.
• Xiao Wuque explained that the True Spirit Mark was the source of life and that any genuine reincarnation of a complete True Spirit would transcend the limits of the world.

Xiao Wuque explained that Jiang Ning was the reincarnation of a newly born True Spirit, then rewarded his recent merits with Immortal Phoenix Blood to aid his Ninth Blood Exchange. Jiang Ning accepted a token granting him access to the Dao Palace’s Library of Collection and arrived at the Dao Palace.

• Xiao Wuque explained that Jiang Ning’s two lives’ memories meant his True Spirit remained close to its primordial state, giving him exceptional talent and comprehension.
• Xiao Wuque described how his master created the True Spirit Nine Transformations Blood Exchange Method to cleanse a True Spirit and acknowledged Jiang Ning’s potential to reach the Martial Saint’s level.
• Jiang Ning reviewed and approved the dossier of his recent achievements, and Xiao Wuque awarded him a drop of Immortal Phoenix Blood that could strengthen him and help save his life during a failed Ninth Blood Exchange.
• Jiang Ning told Xiao Wuque that he wanted to study at the Dao Palace’s Library of Collection, and Xiao Wuque gave him a token for free entry.
• Jiang Ning left the Prison Suppressing Hall and reached the Dao Palace, where a Lame Old Man dozed beside the gate.

Jiang Ning entered the Dao Palace Library and used Mind-Spirit Diversion to read ten books at once, rapidly increasing his Literacy experience before the strain forced him to stop. After replenishing himself with wine containing Emperor Flow Paste, he explored the lake and discovered its water held nourishing energy, then gathered some of that energy into his flask.

• Jiang Ning showed Xiao Wuque’s token to the Lame Old Man, entered the Dao Palace, and reached its spatially expanded Library.
• Jiang Ning used Divine Sense to read and digest ten books simultaneously, while Dao Palace Students watched and speculated about his Spiritual Power.
• After reading through the day, Jiang Ning stopped at night with a sore brow and exhausted mind, but saw that his Literacy experience had risen substantially.
• Jiang Ning entered the lake, used Fire Eye to identify active energy in its water, and realized it was responsible for the lake’s nourishing effect.
• Jiang Ning drank wine containing Emperor Flow Paste to restore himself, then used Fire Eye to draw energy-rich water into his empty flask.

Jiang Ning resumed reading in the Library until morning, then followed the Dao Palace students to breakfast and met Li Mujin. He learned that Ji Mingyue had publicly pledged to marry no one but him and had been confined to the Luan Palace, leaving him worried about the consequences.

• Jiang Ning returned to the Library after recovering his Spiritual Power and read thousands of books through the night.
• Jiang Ning left the Library at sunrise and followed the students to the Dining Hall, where he ate Spirit Rice Porridge and steamed fish.
• Li Mujin sat with Jiang Ning, introduced herself, and recognized him as the Dongling County Patrol Envoy and the Seventeenth Princess's sweetheart.
• The students discussed Ji Mingyue's public declaration that she would marry no one but Jiang Ning and her confinement to the Luan Palace.
• Jiang Ning worried about Ji Mingyue's reputation and future, then left the Dining Hall while Li Mujin watched him go.

Jiang Ning reflected on Ji Mingyue’s resolve, continued reading at the Library, and discovered he could recover by absorbing the lake’s spiritual energy. After several days, Ji Minghao brought Ji Mingyue to meet him at the Dao Palace.

• Jiang Ning learned that Ji Mingyue had publicly insisted on marrying him, then returned to the Library to read and improve his Literacy.
• Li Mujin watched Jiang Ning use Spiritual Power to read ten books at once before leaving for the second floor.
• Ji Mingyue told Ji Minghao she would marry no one but Jiang Ning, and Ji Minghao promised to sneak her out to meet him in a few days.
• Jiang Ning used the lake’s spiritual energy to recover and gained Source Energy, while deciding not to disturb the Spirit Crystal Vein beneath the lake.
• Ji Minghao and Ji Mingyue appeared before Jiang Ning as he walked toward the Dining Hall, and he recognized them.

Jiang Ning met Ji Mingyue in the Royal Capital, where she confessed her affection and he told her he had promised to marry Wang Qingtan. Ji Mingyue left heartbroken, while Ji Minghao continued pursuing Jiang Ning’s support in his bid for the throne; later, he questioned why Jiang Ning was reading miscellaneous books in the Dao Palace Library.

• Ji Minghao greeted Jiang Ning warmly at the Dao Palace and discreetly encouraged him to spend time with Ji Mingyue.
• Ji Mingyue walked with Jiang Ning by the lake, told him she treasured the jade pendant as a love token, and asked whether he still carried it.
• Jiang Ning told Ji Mingyue he had promised to marry Wang Qingtan, and Ji Mingyue left with reddened eyes after learning they were already together.
• Ji Minghao escorted Ji Mingyue back, while Jiang Ning overheard people debating the unsettled succession and returned to the Library.
• Ji Minghao waited for Jiang Ning in the Library, then asked why he spent his time reading ordinary books instead of material related to the Martial Path.

Jiang Ning learned that Ji Minghao supported his relationship with Ji Mingyue and gave him a Second Rank Great Grandmaster cultivation method and rare herbs. After reading the method’s explanation, Jiang Ning discovered that the Spirit Platform Illuminating True Self Method suited his unusual cultivation path.

• Ji Minghao told Jiang Ning he would support Ji Mingyue and asked him to promise that she would be treated as an equal wife, not a concubine; Jiang Ning agreed.
• Ji Minghao gave Jiang Ning a Second Rank Great Grandmaster cultivation method, an explanatory sheet, and two Dragon Beard Grasses to help him advance.
• Jiang Ning read the explanation and learned that entering the Second Rank Divine Intent Realm required Heaven-and-Man Interacting and a perfected heart, followed by using intent to nourish and transform the spirit.
• Jiang Ning read the Spirit Platform Illuminating True Self Method and realized it suited his True Spirit Nine Transformations path by allowing him to observe and illuminate his True Self.

Jiang Ning refined the Dragon Blood Grass, then rejected Li Mujin’s warning about his ties to the Eighth Prince and reaffirmed that he intended to avoid the succession struggle. He left the Library after hearing rumors that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had clashed with the Imperial Advisor and secured recognition as the Divine Path’s orthodox successor.

• Jiang Ning memorized the Spirit Platform Illuminating True Self Method but decided to keep its beast-skin scroll until he mastered the technique.
• Jiang Ning consumed the Dragon Blood Grass and sealed his pores to absorb its vital essence, but sensed only a minor improvement in his Blood Qi, physique, and strength.
• Jiang Ning noted his Source Energy total and went to the Library, where Li Mujin warned him to keep his distance from the Eighth Prince and Seventeenth Princess because of the Imperial Clan’s succession struggle.
• Jiang Ning told Li Mujin that he planned to take the Martial Examination Metropolitan Examination and return to Dongling County, then dismissed the throne struggle as irrelevant to someone with sufficient strength.
• Jiang Ning overheard Library patrons discussing Fu Yuan Saint Monarch’s conflict with the Imperial Advisor, his recognition as the orthodox successor of the Divine Path, and rumors about the Martial Saint’s uncertain status.

Jiang Ning used his Heavenly Eye to witness Fu Yuan Saint Monarch attack the Royal Capital with Divine Puppets and battle the Imperial Advisor. As the city’s grand formation awakened and Fu Yuan grew to immense size, the Imperial Advisor prepared a powerful counterattack.

• Jiang Ning heard Fu Yuan Saint Monarch challenge a woman in the sky and used his Heavenly Eye to watch the battle from the Library.
• Jiang Ning saw Fu Yuan control tens of thousands of citizens with scarlet Causality Threads and redirect the Imperial Advisor’s strike onto the puppets.
• Fu Yuan recognized Jiang Ning as the God Lord and asked him for help if the Imperial Advisor attacked again.
• The Imperial Advisor severed more than a thousand Causality Threads, but Fu Yuan restored control of the fallen Divine Puppets and injured a woman in red who tried to help.
• The Imperial Advisor summoned the Royal Capital’s grand formation as Fu Yuan expanded to the size of a Heavenly God and unleashed a devastating attack.
• The Imperial Advisor told the city’s citizens to go, then sent Sword Shadow and green light tearing through the sky.