Chapter Summaries

Fang Xiao prepared to condense a Space Seed in his void aperture as the next step toward opening an inner grotto-heaven. He hesitated over how to use the Interface Spirit Seed after a Dao script unexpectedly replicated onto it.

• Fang Xiao recalled his Dao soldiers into six Gold Beans and a Jade Slip, and considered having Gold Beans refined for future use.
• Fang Xiao gave the Void Suppressing Sword Spirit, Zhenkong, a Dao soldier body and sent it to test the body and guard the cave dwelling.
• Fang Xiao ordered Space Severance to remain and help maintain a stable supply of Space Force while he opened his inner grotto-heaven.
• Fang Xiao locked onto the void aperture in his chest and prepared to build a layered Space Seed structure within it.
• Fang Xiao hesitated over the Interface Spirit Seed after Primordial Chaos Mana had triggered a connection with him and caused his Primordial Sword Body’s Dao script to replicate onto it.

Fang Xiao decided against fusing the Interface Spirit Seed with his Space Seed, but the Interface Spirit Seed entered it on its own while he was constructing it. He accepted the unexpected fusion and continued building, surpassing Taibai Ancestor's record by reaching ninety layers.

• Fang Xiao weighed the risks of fusing the Interface Spirit Seed with the Space Seed and chose to plant it later instead.
• Fang Xiao began constructing the Space Seed, forming its first layer into a triangular pyramid.
• The confined Interface Spirit Seed thrashed, settled down, and then suddenly vanished into the Space Seed while Fang Xiao built its second layer.
• Fang Xiao accepted that the Interface Spirit Seed had forced the fusion and resolved to construct the Space Seed to the best of his ability.
• Fang Xiao entered a state of serene focus and built the Space Seed to ninety layers, surpassing Taibai Ancestor's seventy-two-layer record.

Fang Xiao pushed his Space Seed construction beyond the one hundred and sixth layer despite his fading mental strength, then fell asleep just as his blind attempt at the one hundred and seventh layer was about to fail. A wave from within the Space Seed corrected the flaw, and the completed seed condensed into a glazed bead.

• Fang Xiao reached the one hundred and sixth layer after four days of construction and concluded that his Divine Soul could no longer observe a further layer.
• Fang Xiao used his deductions and Space Severance's precise control to attempt assembling the one hundred and seventh layer without observing it.
• Fang Xiao exhausted his mental strength while connecting the components and fell asleep before confirming whether the assembly had succeeded.
• A wave from within the Space Seed corrected a deviation at the final connection, preventing the structure from collapsing.
• The Space Seed completed its collapse and condensation, shrinking into a glazed bead filled with chaos.

King Xun, King Zhen, and King Li summoned Emperor Teng to report the Royal Court’s losses and the opposition gathering against it. Emperor Teng delegated the Imperial Seal and ordered them to find replacements, leaving King Li to confront the Royal Court’s disregard for King Gan and personal loyalty.

• King Xun told Emperor Teng that the Royal Court’s plans had been exposed, six candidates had died, King Gan had vanished in a Void Storm, and the sacred lands were preparing to attack.
• King Xun reported that the Royal Court had enough spirit veins but lacked two late-stage Spirit Transformation candidates and four mid-stage Deity Transformation cultivators.
• Emperor Teng asked about potential replacements, dismissed concern over the Tianlan Sect’s opposition, and entrusted the Imperial Seal to King Xun, King Zhen, and King Li.
• King Li argued for striking the Tianlan Sect, but King Xun and King Zhen explained that Emperor Teng wanted the plan advanced and new candidates recruited rather than King Gan rescued.
• King Li realized Emperor Teng had discarded King Gan and would spare the Tianlan Sect because Li Mobai and Qin Qing were useful, then left the hall in resignation.

After waking from his exhaustion, Fang Xiao confirmed that his Space Seed had successfully formed with 108 layers, including the Interface Spirit Seed. He decided to use the Great White Sword Pellet to shatter it and open his inner grotto-heaven, believing the feat might also let the sword pellet advance into a Spirit Treasure.

• Fang Xiao awoke after exhausting his mental energy while constructing the Space Seed, and Space Severance told him the seed had succeeded.
• Fang Xiao realized the Interface Spirit Seed had added a spatial layer, bringing the Space Seed to 108 layers.
• Fang Xiao considered the danger of shattering the Space Seed and opening an inner grotto-heaven in a single strike.
• Fang Xiao chose the Great White Sword Pellet as the weapon best suited to break the Space Seed and potentially advance into a Spirit Treasure.
• Fang Xiao examined the risks and decided he could repair or recreate the sword pellet and survive the attempt with his preparations.

Fang Xiao left the Violet Heaven Sect with Space Severance to open his inner grotto-heaven in the void, where he prepared to use the Primordial Sword Embryo's sword Dao power. As he raised the Sword Nurturing Gourd to strike, he resolved to avoid Heaven and Earth Dao Tracks because an acquired sword Dao could bind him to another's path.

• Fang Xiao and Space Severance entered the void through a spatial vortex so Fang Xiao could draw Space Force without disturbing the Violet Heaven Sect.
• Fang Xiao moved away from the vortex, kept it open for the return trip, and sent Space Severance back while he prepared to open his grotto-heaven.
• Fang Xiao manifested his Dharma forms, including the Dao soldier figures created by Scattering Beans to Create Soldiers.
• Fang Xiao stirred the Space Seed and fixed the resulting void aperture as the target for his strike.
• The Primordial Chaos Dao Venerable raised the Sword Nurturing Gourd and merged the Primordial Sword Embryo's sword Dao power into it, while Fang Xiao refrained from using Heaven and Earth Dao Tracks.

Fang Xiao unleashed the Great White Sword Pellet against the Space Seed, but when the attack began to weaken, he reaffirmed his resolve to follow his own path. His will awakened new power in the sword, and the Space Seed shattered.

• Fang Xiao and the Primordial Chaos Dao Venerable launched the Great White Sword Pellet at the Space Seed, piercing Fang Xiao and striking the seed inside the void aperture.
• The Space Seed's ripples tore apart Fang Xiao's body as the seed and the Great White Sword Pellet struggled against each other.
• When the Great White Sword Pellet began to lose power, Fang Xiao rejected his doubts and vowed to open the heavens rather than abandon his path.
• Fang Xiao, the six Dao soldiers, and the Primordial Chaos Dao Venerable cried, "Open the heavens," and the Great White Sword Pellet's power surged beyond its former peak.
• The Great White Sword Pellet's nascent sentience echoed the words, and the Space Seed shattered.

Fang Xiao survived the Space Seed’s destruction as its shockwave devastated his body, relying on his Indestructible Body and Soul Nurturing Gourd. When he tried to retrieve the missing Great White Sword Pellet, he discovered that summoning it caused the void aperture to plunge into the Sword Nurturing Gourd.

• The shattered Space Seed unleashed a shockwave that swept through the void aperture and began destroying Fang Xiao’s body, but his Indestructible Body regenerated him.
• Fang Xiao discovered that the shockwave had cracked the Soul Nurturing Gourd, though it had protected his soul from worse damage.
• Fang Xiao searched for the Great White Sword Pellet and could not find it, then failed to recondense it with Method Gathering Artifact.
• Fang Xiao activated the Sword Nurturing Gourd to summon the Great White Sword Pellet, but the void aperture suddenly plunged into the gourd.

Fang Xiao watched as his Void Aperture transformed his cave heaven and two natal treasures, then chose to remain in seclusion rather than risk interfering. With the expedition to Nanyang Dao approaching, Li Mobai visited and left Zhenkong instructions and intelligence for Fang Xiao, while the party prepared to set out without him.

• Fang Xiao saw the Void Aperture enter the Sword Nurturing Gourd and transform it, while his cave heaven and Great White Sword Pellet also underwent unexplained changes.
• Fang Xiao decided not to interfere with the transformations and kept watch in the void, leaving the damaged Soul Nurturing Gourd unrepaired.
• Li Mobai visited Fang Xiao's cave dwelling for the third time and learned from Zhenkong that Fang Xiao remained in a crucial seclusion.
• Li Mobai explained that Fang Xiao's escape abilities were important to the expedition's plans for entering and retreating from the Royal Court.
• Li Mobai gave Zhenkong a Jade Slip and instructed him to tell Fang Xiao that the party would set out ahead of him, with different meeting arrangements depending on when Fang Xiao emerged.

Fang Xiao returned to Violet Heaven Sect and reflected on the unusual small world within his void aperture, which contained the Primordial Chaos Sword Dao. He saw its potential to grow into a greater heaven and earth, but knew that completing its Great Daos was a distant task.

• Zhenkong enjoyed practicing Sword Arts through a tangible physical form for the first time.
• Fang Xiao returned to Violet Heaven Sect on the sixth day after Li Mobai and the others departed, pleased with the Sword Nurturing Gourd’s state.
• Fang Xiao considered how his grotto-heaven combined chaotic space currents with a stable central region and concluded that it could grow into a small world.
• Fang Xiao realized that his small world held only the Primordial Chaos Sword Dao, an innate Great Dao that would remain above any others born within it.
• Fang Xiao decided that he could study the greater heaven and earth’s Great Daos as references and delegate their development within his own world, while focusing on strengthening the Primordial Chaos Sword Dao.

Fang Xiao learned that the Great White Sword Pellet had become an Innate Treasure and the Sword Nurturing Gourd had fused with his void aperture to form the Gourd World. He set aside his Dao Slaying ability for now and decided to travel alone to Zhongyuan Dao to investigate the Royal Court Forbidden Array.

• Fang Xiao discovered that the Great White Sword Pellet had been reborn as an Innate Treasure bearing the Primordial Sword Body's Dao Slaying ability, while the Sword Nurturing Gourd fused with the void aperture.
• Fang Xiao realized Dao Slaying could temporarily sever the Heaven and Earth Dao Track, but he could not yet use it against enemies or safely test whether cutting the Dao Track would provoke Heaven and Earth's backlash.
• Fang Xiao found that the Sword Nurturing Gourd's fusion with the void aperture let him enter the small world, which had kept absorbing Space Force since its formation.
• Fang Xiao concluded that the Royal Court Forbidden Array might be more complicated than it seemed and chose to travel alone to Zhongyuan Dao rather than join the others on their journey.
• Fang Xiao learned that the Qingyun Sword Sect had been destroyed before Li Mobai could obtain records about the Royal Court Forbidden Array from the Qingyun Ancestor Master.

Fang Xiao learned that the Qingyun Sword Sect had been destroyed after a Mottled Blood Azure Dragon escaped and headed west, then decided to investigate Zhongyuan Dao and prepare for a possible retreat. He went to a Myriad Treasures Pavilion to ask about teleportation and reunited with Li Fa and Zi Xun, who revealed that they knew his identity as Fang Xiao of the Tianlan Sect.

• Li Mobai's investigation revealed that a Mottled Blood Azure Dragon had escaped the Qingyun Sword Sect's suppression and slaughtered the sect's three Spirit Transformation cultivators and its other members.
• News showed that the dragon had crossed the Eastern Domain and East Lin Dao, then entered the Gale Belt and headed toward Zhongyuan Dao.
• Fang Xiao chose to investigate Zhongyuan Dao alone and seek a teleportation route there through the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association.
• A Myriad Treasures Pavilion manager could not confirm whether the association had a secret teleportation array in Zhongyuan Dao, so he went to consult an elder.
• Li Fa and Zi Xun arrived, and Li Fa congratulated Fang Xiao on his cultivation advance before asking whether to address him as Profound Origin or Fang Xiao of the Tianlan Sect.

Fang Xiao revealed his identity to Li Fa and Zi Xun, who hoped to support him as the Taichang Realm’s defense against the arriving Devil Race. They warned him that the Royal Court could use a vast formation to dominate Zhongyuan Dao, and offered to help him reach peak Nascent Soul if he abandoned his plan to go there.

• Li Fa recognized Fang Xiao as the powerful cultivator behind the Shangqing Sect and Heavenly Master Dao’s destruction, and Fang Xiao admitted his identity.
• Li Fa and Zi Xun explained that they wanted to invest the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association’s resources in Fang Xiao rather than submit to the Devil Race.
• Fang Xiao asked whether the association had a transmission array to Zhongyuan Dao, where he intended to join the campaign against the Royal Court.
• Zi Xun revealed that Zhongyuan Dao’s twenty-four Immortal Cities formed the Twenty-Four Flying Stars Earth-Seeking Great Formation, which could monitor the entire region.
• Fang Xiao realized that Li Manshan and Jiang Qinyue might have been captured had they remained in Zhongyuan Dao after it was sealed.
• Li Fa urged Fang Xiao not to go to Zhongyuan Dao and offered to help him reach peak Nascent Soul within a few years.

Fang Xiao agreed to consider the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association’s offer of cultivation resources but insisted on going to Zhongyuan Dao to prepare for the Royal Court’s likely attack on the Tianlan Sect. Li Fa gave him a rare talisman that could grant a peak Nascent Soul cultivator early-stage Deity Transformation strength for half a day.

• Li Fa and Zi Xun explained that they were backing Fang Xiao to preserve the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association and prove that the Taichang Realm could resist the Devil Race without the Royal Court.
• Fang Xiao promised to protect them if they helped him quickly reach peak Nascent Soul, but said he would discuss the offer after returning from Zhongyuan Dao.
• Fang Xiao decided to hurry to Zhongyuan Dao and prepare for the Royal Court’s retaliation against the Tianlan Sect rather than rush to Nanyang Dao to contact Li Mobai and the others.
• Zi Xun tried to persuade Fang Xiao to stay, but Li Fa stopped him and gave him a One Qi Deity Transformation Talisman.
• Li Fa explained that the talisman could grant a peak Nascent Soul cultivator early-stage Deity Transformation cultivation for half a day and could help them break through to Deity Transformation.

Fang Xiao accepted Li Fa’s One Qi Deity Transformation Talisman and a route to Zhongyuan Dao, where he hoped to prepare for the Royal Court’s actions. Li Fa and Zi Xun discussed their decision to back him after Fang Xiao departed.

• Fang Xiao assessed how the One Qi Deity Transformation Talisman could temporarily strengthen his combat abilities and accepted it from Li Fa.
• Fang Xiao promised to repay Li Fa’s personal favor with a Spirit Transformation cultivator and kept that debt separate from the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association.
• Li Fa led Fang Xiao to a seldom-used teleportation formation arranged to send him near Zhongyuan Dao, and Fang Xiao departed.
• Zi Xun questioned Li Fa’s decision to give up the Li Clan’s treasured talisman, and Li Fa explained that his ancestors had prospered by backing a promising talent.
• Li Fa left the hall relieved while Zi Xun reflected on his words about placing bets on people.

Fang Xiao entered Zhongyuan Dao and searched for the Royal Court’s hidden formation, unaware that the Royal Court was already tracking him. The Azure Dragon recognized his Azure Cloud Dharma Aspect and flew to confront him, while King Xun and the Royal Court’s leaders continued preparing their ascension plan.

• Fang Xiao crossed into Zhongyuan Dao, found no trace of the Twenty-Four Flying Stars Earth-Seeking Great Formation, and used his divine ability to search for it.
• The Royal Court detected Fang Xiao’s arrival and monitored him, but held back because it did not know his purpose.
• The Mottled Blood Azure Dragon recognized Fang Xiao’s Azure Cloud Dharma Aspect, roared, and flew out of the Royal Court in anger at Qingyun Sword Sect.
• King Xun and the other leaders identified Fang Xiao as a Qingyun Sword Sect cultivator and left him to the Azure Dragon.
• King Xun ordered the Royal Court’s forces to monitor the twenty-four cities as the court prepared to begin its ascension plan.

Fang Xiao encountered the Mottled Blood Azure Dragon while crossing Zhongyuan Dao and realized the Royal Court had likely left him as prey for it. He sent the Primordial Reflection Mirror into the Azure Dragon’s clouds and attacked with the Great White Sword Pellet.

• Fang Xiao avoided entering the Twenty-Four Immortal Cities and hurried toward the border between Nanyang Dao and Zhongyuan Dao to intercept Li Mobai and the others.
• Fang Xiao sensed an approaching force and recognized the Mottled Blood Azure Dragon’s innate divine ability in its azure clouds.
• Fang Xiao deduced that the Azure Dragon’s power had inspired Qingyun Sword Sect’s Azure Cloud Dharma Aspect and that the Royal Court had likely intended the dragon to devour him.
• Fang Xiao sent the Primordial Reflection Mirror into the azure clouds to capture the Azure Dragon’s innate power.
• Fang Xiao invoked Sword Breaks Myriad Laws and launched the Great White Sword Pellet at the approaching Azure Dragon.

Fang Xiao tested the Great White Sword Pellet against Azure Dragon and found that its offensive power could rival a peak Deity Transformation cultivator, though Azure Dragon eventually forced it back. Azure Dragon’s Azure Cloud then overwhelmed Fang Xiao’s defenses, but Fang Xiao remained at the center to let the Primordial Reflection Mirror absorb its power more quickly.

• Azure Dragon caught Fang Xiao’s Great White Sword Pellet with his claw, and their attacks initially matched in strength.
• Fang Xiao realized the Great White Sword Pellet had become an exceptionally powerful Innate Treasure and could contend with peak Deity Transformation cultivators.
• Azure Dragon overpowered the Great White Sword Pellet and sent it flying back, but Fang Xiao caught it unharmed.
• Fang Xiao attacked Azure Dragon again with the Sword Pellet, forcing Azure Dragon to use his claws to fend it off while he unleashed his Azure Cloud.
• Azure Dragon’s Azure Cloud steadily overwhelmed Fang Xiao’s Primordial Immortal Light, but Fang Xiao stayed in place so the Primordial Reflection Mirror could absorb the innate power faster.

Fang Xiao prepared to leave after the Primordial Reflection Mirror nearly finished copying Azure Dragon's innate ability, but the Royal Court activated the Twenty-Four Flying Stars Earth-Seeking Great Formation. A spatial passage pulled Azure Dragon away, and it seized the Great White Sword Pellet before disappearing.

• Fang Xiao sensed that Li Mobai and the others had entered Zhongyuan Dao through the vibrating Identity Token.
• Spiritual lights revealed the Forbidden Array patterns as the Royal Court activated the Twenty-Four Flying Stars Earth-Seeking Great Formation.
• Fang Xiao tried to hurry toward the Primordial Reflection Mirror, but a spatial passage opened behind Azure Dragon.
• Chains of Space Force bound Azure Dragon and dragged it toward the passage.
• Azure Dragon grabbed the Great White Sword Pellet and vanished into the spatial passage.

Fang Xiao recovered the Great White Sword Pellet and set out to search for Li Mobai and the others after the spatial passage closed. Meanwhile, the Royal Court’s formation had transported Li Mobai and five other Deity Transformation cultivators to its center, where King Xun appeared and raised the possibility of their cooperation.

• Fang Xiao recalled the Great White Sword Pellet to his minor world before the spatial passage vanished.
• Fang Xiao sent out his Dao soldiers to search toward the border between Zhongyuan Dao and Nanyang Dao for signs of Li Mobai and the others.
• Li Mobai, Qin Qing, True Monarch Ziyan, True Monarch Yu Jing, Venerable Guang Ji, and True Lord Nan Xuan gathered on a platform in the Central Royal Court after the formation transported them there.
• Nan Xuan urged the group to cooperate, while Ziyan mocked him and Li Mobai called for whoever had brought them there to appear.
• King Xun appeared and said he had intended to confine the six, but would consider cooperation; Li Mobai mistook him for Emperor Teng.