Chapter Summaries

Zhong Ming killed Mingya again with a single strike, and the spectators recognized that his abilities made him a match for Foundation Establishment cultivators. The sect elders then discussed whether to seize the Prince of Qinghe’s resources as they prepared for the coming calamity.

• Mingya returned from death but was split apart by Zhong Ming’s lingering Sword Intent and died again.
• Zhong Ming returned to Ji Qingyue’s flying boat and began nurturing his spirit.
• Cultivators and sect elders reacted with shock to Zhong Ming’s victory, while the elders noted that his abilities countered Mingya and gave him combat strength on the level of a Dao Child.
• The sect elders agreed that Zhong Ming could defeat Foundation Establishment cultivators despite his Qi Refinement cultivation.
• The Dao Protector elders debated whether to take the Prince of Qinghe’s resources, insisting they were needed to prepare for the coming calamity.

After Zhong Ming’s victory made him the celebrated number one cultivator in Clear River Prefecture City, the six major sects reconsidered how to deal with him. The Heavenly Sound Sect decided to recruit him through Miaoyun, who agreed to approach him and was given the sects’ plans against him.

• The Prince of Qinghe recognized Zhong Ming as Clear River Prefecture City's Number One, and people throughout the city celebrated his strength.
• After their meeting, the six major sects’ elders summoned their female True Disciples to discuss forming ties with Zhong Ming.
• Fa Xuan told Miaoyun that the Heavenly Sound Sect wanted her to approach Zhong Ming and build a connection with him.
• Miaoyun agreed to go to Zhong Ming for the sect, and Fa Xuan revealed the six sects’ strategies for defeating him.
• Fa Xuan told Miaoyun to share the strategies with Zhong Ming and blame the Spirit Illusion Sect and Thousand Autumn Valley for proposing them.

Liu Yu of the Consumptive Lung Line confronted the Ji brothers and the six great sects, declaring them sacrifices and unleashing a deadly plague. Nearly everyone in the Star Secret Vault began coughing up black blood and organ fragments, leaving Ji Chengping terrified.

• Liu Yu appeared between the six great sects and Ji Qinghui, Ji Qingkang, and the others, and rejected Ji Chengping’s threats.
• Liu Yu called the cultivators livestock and sacrifices, provoking a Foundation Establishment cultivator to challenge him.
• The Foundation Establishment cultivator began coughing violently as his strength drained and he coughed up black blood and organ fragments.
• A warning that the air was poisoned came too late, as the coughing spread among the six great sects, the Ji Clan attendants, and the cultivators around Zhong Ming.
• The seven newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators collapsed to their knees, while Ji Chengping was left frightened.

Zhong Ming summoned a Divine Lord Aspect and fought Cheng Lü’s Hundred-Headed King Buddha Aspect, using sword intent and Dao Resonance Flow to overcome the stronger opponent. He shattered the King Buddha’s arm but suffered serious injuries from Cheng Lü’s powerful strike.

• Cheng Lü increased the force of his Hundred-Headed King Buddha’s attack, while Zhong Ming summoned the Divine Lord Aspect and strengthened it with two solar divine powers.
• Zhong Ming’s Divine Lord Aspect met Cheng Lü’s King Buddha in a clash that shook the ground.
• Zhong Ming used Dao Resonance Flow to send force through the King Buddha’s arm, causing it to explode from within.
• Zhong Ming redirected most of Cheng Lü’s Baleful Intent-level force through the Divine Lord’s sashes, which he renewed with gathered water vapor.
• The remaining impact left Zhong Ming coughing blood with injured organs, tendons, bones, and qi.

After killing Cheng Lü, Zhong Ming turned the tide of the Star Secret Vault battle, rescuing the human cultivators and protecting the injured disciples of the Six Great Sects. He faced the remaining cultists with confidence, declaring that he was the strongest.

• Human cultivators cheered as Zhong Ming slew Cheng Lü and turned his divine might on the cultists, killing nearly a hundred with a single glance.
• Zhong Ming checked on Princess Qingyue and entrusted Yi Yunya, Han Yu, Yan Chen, and the others to her care before flying to the central battlefield.
• Zhong Ming found the Six Great Sects' disciples near defeat after Liu Yu and a Heart Lineage candidate had killed several True Disciples.
• Zhong Ming drove the divine child candidates back and shielded the surviving injured disciples, who thanked him for saving their lives.
• Liu Yu challenged Zhong Ming's certainty that the cultists had lost, and Zhong Ming calmly replied that he was the strongest.

After Zhong Ming survived the destruction of his heart, Liu Yu and Yuan Rong sacrificed their followers to summon the Five Organs Divine Sect’s Divine Child. Another Divine Child’s familiar aura appeared nearby, and the summoned being drained his allies and demanded a massive human sacrifice.

• Zhong Ming killed Fei Yi and declared Liu Yu, Yuan Rong, and the others were next, while they realized they could not easily harm him.
• Yuan Rong ordered the cultists to sacrifice themselves and summon their Divine Child, and their blood vitality and soul power formed a five-pointed star formation.
• Zhong Ming sensed a second Divine Child nearby with an aura like Mingya’s, but judged that the newcomer’s projected power was limited.
• The Five Organs Divine Sect’s Divine Child possessed the summoned vessel and mocked Liu Yu and Yuan Rong for needing his help.
• The Divine Child forcibly drained much of Liu Yu and Yuan Rong’s power and ordered them to sacrifice fifty thousand people within a year or die in repayment.

Zhong Ming pushed his body beyond its limits to sustain a hundred-meter Divine Lord manifestation, astonishing Five Hells and Meng You with its power and responsiveness. Five Hells recognized Zhong Ming as a threat to his future and resolved to stop his growth, but Zhong Ming sensed his fear and taunted him.

• Five Hells and the others were stunned that Qi Refining-stage Zhong Ming could summon and control a colossal Divine Lord manifestation.
• Zhong Ming used eight stomachs, his cells, and his acupoints to extract the Scarlet-Flame Gold-Pattern Elixir's power, while Demon Star kept his overstrained body from collapsing.
• Zhong Ming judged that pill toxicity and lifespan were not lasting concerns for him, but knew he could not keep burning at his limits for long.
• Five Hells and Meng You realized Zhong Ming controlled the manifestation without delay, revealing the strength of his divine soul.
• Five Hells grew wary of Zhong Ming's potential and resolved not to let him grow, then felt his mind darken as Zhong Ming laughed and called him afraid.

After Zhong Ming defeated the Five Prisons Divine Child, Meng You surrendered and offered a rare Youtan Flower Seed as compensation, and Zhong Ming left her fate to Ji Qingyue and Prince of Qinghe. He recovered from his injuries, then climbed the Dawn Star Tower and found little there that interested him.

• Liu Yu and Yuan Rong were slain by Qin Zhou, Ruan Shi, and the others, leaving Meng You as the last cultist in the Star Secret Vault.
• Meng You explained her position to Zhong Ming and warned him that the Five Prisons Divine Child’s true body still existed and hated him.
• Meng You gave Zhong Ming a Youtan Flower Seed as compensation, and he handed her over to Ji Qingyue and Prince of Qinghe.
• Zhong Ming spent a day and night using Demon Star to recover from his injuries while the surviving cultivators thanked him.
• Zhong Ming climbed the Dawn Star Tower in one sweep but found few resources that caught his eye.

More than a month after the Star Secret Vault calamity, Zhong Ming had grown stronger while cultivating at the Starry Sky Courtyard, and the Seven Mysteries Sect had gained a new base near Clear River Commandery. He rewarded the senior brothers whose cultivation had been ruined by corruption with his essence blood, giving them a chance to resume cultivation.

• Prince of Qinghe kept Zhong Ming at the Starry Sky Courtyard and supplied him with abundant cultivation resources after he helped avert disaster in Clear River Commandery.
• Prince of Qinghe granted the Seven Mysteries Sect a spirit-rich valley near the commandery capital for a new sect base.
• Zhong Ming summoned Jiang Yue, Dong Hai, Yang Chen, Qi Hong, and Shi Yun to meet him.
• Zhong Ming told the gathered senior brothers he wanted to repay their past kindness and drew five drops of purple-gold essence blood from his wrist.
• Zhong Ming gave the essence blood to the senior brothers whose paths of cultivation had been severed by corruption, and Qi Hong thanked him through tears.

Zhong Ming and his companions arrived in Immortal Martial City and settled at Qinghe Residence, where Ji Qingque brought the True-Form Map of Mountains and Rivers Dragon Veins. Zhong Ming set out to find Master Luo Zhiwei, accompanied by Ji Qinglian, Ji Qingyue, and the curious Ji Qingque.

• The Qinghe Prince's flying vessel brought Zhong Ming and his party to the immense Immortal Martial City.
• The group arrived at the Qinghe Prince's luxurious manor near the city.
• Ji Qingque visited and gave Ji Qingyue the True-Form Map of Mountains and Rivers Dragon Veins.
• Ji Qingyue introduced Zhong Ming as a genius recruited by her father and said the group would follow his orders until the prince arrived.
• Zhong Ming asked to go alone to Master Luo Zhiwei's residence, but Ji Qinglian and Ji Qingyue insisted on joining him, and Ji Qingque came along too.
• The group boarded a short-range flying vessel and headed to Luo Zhiwei's residence.

Zhong Ming challenged Luo Zhiwei to deduce the strongest formation for him, claiming he could learn anything she created. With Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian guaranteeing the costs, Luo Zhiwei took him to a secret chamber to examine his cultivation.

• Zhong Ming declared that his comprehension surpassed everyone’s and challenged Luo Zhiwei to test his talent.
• Luo Zhiwei warned that the deduction would consume enormous resources and that Zhong Ming would owe them if he could not learn the formation.
• Ji Qingyue promised that Clear River Commandery would cover all costs, while Ji Qinglian insisted Zhong Ming could learn any formation.
• Zhong Ming thanked them, and Luo Zhiwei brought him to a secret chamber and told him to circulate his cultivation technique on a special formation.
• Luo Zhiwei explained that the Myriad Manifestations Mirror would reveal the mysteries within Zhong Ming’s body and that her Dao Heart Oath prevented her from leaking his secrets.

In a dream, Zhong Ming witnessed Luo Zhiwei’s Year-Sequence Year-Ring Diagram manifest as a dragon that cycled through the four seasons. He realized that establishing the formation in his dantian would steadily grow his magical power and give him four seasonal Dao rhythms to wield.

• Zhong Ming saw the Year-Ring Dragon form from his star cores and begin revolving, changing the world around him.
• The dragon’s first four revolutions brought spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and Zhong Ming sensed each season’s distinct Dao rhythm.
• The dragon returned to spring, and Zhong Ming realized each completed seasonal cycle would add a year-ring and strengthen him.
• Zhong Ming recognized that the formation would unite his star cores, increase his magical power, and broaden his methods against enemies.
• Zhong Ming understood that the formation’s complete Dao rhythm had appeared in his dream, where he could record and replay it through Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns.

Chu Hanzhen returned to the Chu Clan and called an emergency family meeting after the events at Luo Zhiwei’s estate. Luo Zhiwei agreed to host Zhong Ming, Ji Qinglian, and Ji Qingyue, seeing Zhong Ming as a potential Dao companion who could help her advance in formation cultivation.

• Chu Hanzhen hurried back to the Chu Clan residence in Immortal Martial City to report the changes.
• Zhong Ming and Ji Qingyue asked Luo Zhiwei if they and Ji Qinglian could stay at her estate, and Luo Zhiwei agreed.
• Luo Zhiwei recognized that hosting the Prince of Qinghe’s daughters and Zhong Ming would signal her allegiance, and hoped Zhong Ming’s formation insight would help resolve her cultivation doubts.
• Chu Hanzhen convened an emergency family meeting, and the Chu Clan’s core members gathered in the council hall.
• The Chu Clan elders speculated about the reason for the summons, wondering whether their lands had been attacked or whether the meeting concerned the new army.

Chu Hanzhen declared that she had chosen to support Zhong Ming, prompting Chen Wanshang to let her leave while arranging for Xi Yue to accompany her. The chapter ended with Chu Hanzhen startled by the arrival of the formidable mermaid general.

• Xie Jiao asked Chu Hanzhen whether her family had forced her to betray Chen Wanshang, but Chu Hanzhen said the decision was her own.
• Chen Wanshang silenced her angry followers and allowed Chu Hanzhen to leave.
• Chen Wanshang asked why Chu Hanzhen had chosen Zhong Ming, and Chu Hanzhen claimed she was following her daughter Yu Ling's wishes.
• Chen Wanshang sent Xi Yue to go with Chu Hanzhen, and Chu Hanzhen was shocked to see her.

As Zhong Ming advanced from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, he triggered a lightning tribulation that astonished Luo Zhiwei. Luo Zhiwei concealed the breakthrough with formations, while Chu Hanzhen, Xi Yue, and the spies outside mistakenly credited the phenomenon to her.

• Zhong Ming's breakthrough darkened the sky and brought down a lightning tribulation usually associated with advancing to Golden Core.
• Luo Zhiwei recognized the tribulation, protected Zhong Ming, and activated formations to hide the event from outsiders.
• Chu Hanzhen and Xi Yue noticed the tribulation but assumed Luo Zhiwei had caused it with a formation.
• The spies outside the Immortal Martial Dao Academy also credited the tribulation to Luo Zhiwei and refrained from probing inside.
• Some spies left to report the situation to Chen Wanshang and Ji Yao, while the others waited outside the academy.

Zhong Ming survived the second tribulation bolt and discovered that it had given his magical power the ability to awaken spirituality in other things. As the final bolt gathered, Luo Zhiwei and Chu Hanzhen recognized it as Purple Firmament Divine Lightning and warned him that it could destroy his divine soul.

• The second bolt battered Zhong Ming but failed to kill him, leaving his body and meridians severely injured.
• Zhong Ming sensed that the lightning had infused his magical power with a faint origin life-force, granting it the ability to help things awaken spirituality.
• Zhong Ming concluded that the final of his three tribulation bolts would target his divine soul.
• The pale-purple final bolt gathered with an aura of silence that frightened everyone in the courtyard.
• Luo Zhiwei identified the bolt as Purple Firmament Divine Lightning, and she and Chu Hanzhen urged Zhong Ming not to face it head-on.

After reaching Foundation Establishment with a Supreme Dao Foundation, Zhong Ming examined the four innate spells he had awakened and considered how they could advance his abilities. He focused on using Mirage Dragon Illusory Qi alongside his dream realm and Dragon Creek Sword Dao to project the world of dreams into reality, though he knew the technique would take extensive refinement and consume immense power.

• Zhong Ming saw that his Dao Foundation had received a Supreme rating and recognized that his body, soul, spirit, intent, and foundation had fused into those of a true dragon hatchling.
• Zhong Ming examined [Calamity Evolution], which could develop resistances whenever he was attacked, and considered enduring more kinds of harm to strengthen it.
• Zhong Ming analyzed [Mirage Dragon Illusory Qi] and decided he wanted to use it to alter the world rather than merely create illusions or animate illusory soldiers.
• Zhong Ming planned to combine Mirage Dragon Illusory Qi with Great Dream of a Thousand Autumns and [My Heart, My Will as a Mirror] to project his dream realm into reality.
• Zhong Ming acknowledged that merging the three techniques would require long refinement and that bringing dreams into the outside world would consume enormous mana and soul power.

After Zhong Ming’s Foundation Establishment triggered a heavenly tribulation, his overwhelming power cowed Xi Yue and Chu Hanzhen. Chu Hanzhen pledged herself to him, and Xi Yue went further by kneeling and begging to become his servant, leaving everyone stunned.

• The crowd outside the Immortal Martial Dao Academy speculated about Luo Zhiwei’s formation and Xi Yue’s duel with Zhong Ming, unaware Zhong Ming had caused the lightning tribulation by advancing to Foundation Establishment.
• Zhong Ming hovered in his true dragon body above the courtyard, and his oppressive presence left Chu Hanzhen and Xi Yue unable to sense the Spiritual Energy around them.
• Chu Hanzhen called out to Zhong Ming, pledged herself to him, and moved away from Xi Yue.
• Xi Yue knelt before Zhong Ming, apologized for her past offenses, and declared herself his servant.
• Chu Hanzhen was stunned that Xi Yue had surrendered even more completely than she had, and wondered why Xi Yue risked angering the Heaven Sea King.

Ji Yao delighted in the rumor that Xi Yue had fallen for Zhong Ming and left Chen Wanshang, while Ji Hao suspected the story concealed a deeper secret. After ordering an investigation, he learned that Zhong Ming had also supposedly won the affections of Prince of Qinghe’s two princesses.

• A spy told Ji Yao and Ji Hao that Xi Yue had publicly declared her love for Zhong Ming, defended him violently, and threatened anyone who challenged him.
• Ji Yao decided to visit Chen Wanshang at Heaven Sea King's residence and mock her, while Ji Hao let her go and questioned the rumor’s truth.
• Ji Hao ordered his spies to investigate Zhong Ming and Xi Yue’s actions at the Immortal Martial Dao Academy.
• Ji Hao received Zhong Ming’s portrait and found his appearance utterly ordinary.
• A spy reported that Prince of Qinghe’s princesses Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian had both fallen for Zhong Ming and had openly fought over him.

Ji Hao learned of Zhong Ming’s growing influence and planned to use the Qi Family’s Purgatory Road to test him and Prince of Qinghe’s faction while winning support for the Silver Moon Prince’s Residence. He arranged to invite forces across Immortal Martial City to the secret realm’s opening three days later.

• Ji Yao left Wan Shang’s residence and met Ji Hao, who warned her not to meet Zhong Ming until he uncovered his true nature.
• Ji Hao told Ji Yao that Xi Yue, Luo Zhiwei, Ji Qingyue, and Ji Qinglian had all been drawn to Zhong Ming, convincing her that something was wrong with him.
• Ji Yao told Ji Hao Wan Shang’s analysis, and Ji Hao said Zhong Ming and Prince of Qinghe could be an opportunity for the Silver Moon Prince’s Residence to challenge the Heaven Sea King.
• Ji Hao decided to have the Qi Family open Purgatory Road and invite Ji Qingyue, Zhong Ming, and their companions to train there and prove their strength.
• Ji Hao ordered invitations sent to the forces and unaffiliated experts in Immortal Martial City for the opening three days later, promising the Silver Moon Prince’s Residence would cover the costs.