Chapter Summaries

Ling Wuyuan arrived at Cold Moon Palace with Yuan Yujun and the others, and the onlookers were astonished by his high status and extraordinary talents. Zhu Danfeng praised Yuan Yujun for bringing Ling Wuyuan and Pei Yi closer, and Yuan Yujun privately took credit for her disciple’s apparent success.

• Ling Wuyuan arrived at Cold Moon Palace with Pei Yi, Yuan Yujun, and the others, drawing attention as the only man in the group.
• The onlookers recognized Ling Wuyuan’s elevated position in Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion and reconsidered his reputation as they recalled his broad talents.
• The onlookers noticed Ling Wuyuan and Pei Yi holding hands and approved of their closeness.
• Zhu Danfeng gave Yuan Yujun an approving look, believing she had helped Pei Yi and Ling Wuyuan grow closer.
• Yuan Yujun wondered why Pei Yi had become so bold, then proudly decided she deserved credit for her disciple’s success.

Yuan Yujun and her companions arrived at Cold Moon Palace, where Ling Wuyuan met its senior elders and impressed them with his bearing and social grace. Xu Shuyi welcomed the group and then proposed they rest before going to the imperial palace to discuss the Imperial Grand Competition.

• Yuan Yujun greeted Xu Shuyi and the other elders as Ling Wuyuan learned about Cold Moon Palace’s hierarchy and formidable strength.
• Xu Shuyi examined Ling Wuyuan and became convinced that the sect’s extraordinary reports about him were true.
• Ling Wuyuan politely exchanged pleasantries with Xu Shuyi and the elders, winning their favorable first impressions.
• Xu Shuyi invited everyone to rest in the main hall before heading to the imperial palace to discuss the Imperial Grand Competition.

Ling Wuyuan and the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion group arrived at White Mist Country’s imperial palace, where the palace’s grandeur and the lavish Royal Carriages impressed him. Yuan Yujun explained that the young disciples had been brought only to meet the countries’ leaders and observe, and that they should stay put during the meeting.

• Ling Wuyuan admired the imperial palace’s enormous gates and extravagant architecture after arriving with Yuan Yujun’s group.
• A palace general summoned Royal Carriages because visitors were not allowed to fly within the imperial palace grounds.
• The general recognized Ling Wuyuan and was surprised to see him ride in the lead carriage with Yuan Yujun, Xu Shuyi, and the other elders.
• Yan Xiujin wondered whether there were fun places to visit, and Pei Suxia told her she would not be allowed to go to them.
• Yuan Yujun told the young disciples they had no say in the meeting and should remain obediently in place after arriving.

Ling Wuyuan crafted a rune-inscribed metal mask in the carriage, impressing the artifact refiners and prompting several women to ask him to make jewelry for them. The group arrived at the imperial garden ahead of the meeting and was directed to wait in its central pavilion.

• Ling Wuyuan refined metal and shaped it into a mask with runes that isolated external perception, strengthened it, and made it adhere.
• Zhu Danfeng, Yuan Yujun, Xu Shuyi, Pei Yi, and the others praised Ling Wuyuan's artifact-refining skill and talent.
• Yan Xiujin asked Ling Wuyuan to make her jewelry, and Wu Yanlian demanded priority crafting rights; Pei Suxia and Yao Yueyan also showed interest.
• After passing through multiple checkpoints, the group arrived at an imperial garden escorted by palace guards.
• A middle-aged man welcomed Yuan Yujun and Xu Shuyi, explained that the rulers and forces of eight surrounding nations had mostly arrived, and directed them to the central pavilion to wait.

Yi Guangrui greeted Yuan Yujun and her delegation in the capital, then was stunned to see Ling Wuyuan arrive with one of her disciples holding each of his hands. Their public display left onlookers questioning how a man had entered the supposedly male-forbidden Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion.

• Yi Guangrui reflected on his powerful position in White Mist Country and his deference to Yuan Yujun, a Divine Ability Realm expert.
• After Yuan Yujun cooperated with him, Yi Guangrui prepared to welcome the delegation inside.
• Ling Wuyuan stepped from the carriage with a veiled, icy-blue-haired girl holding one hand and a younger veiled girl holding the other.
• Yi Guangrui recognized the girls' identity tokens and was astonished that Yuan Yujun, Xu Shuyi, and the others showed no objection.
• Distant onlookers lamented that Ling Wuyuan had seemingly won the affection of women from Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion.
• Ling Wuyuan ignored their complaints and enjoyed showing off.

Yi Guangrui recognized Ling Wuyuan at the gathering and was baffled by his masked appearance and his companions. At the meeting, White Mist Country Lord Yi Guangxiang recalled his long-standing admiration for Yuan Yujun and the gulf between them before welcoming her and Xu Shuyi to their seats.

• Yi Guangrui recognized Ling Wuyuan from his hair and eyes, then wondered why he wore a mask and arrived with a woman on each arm.
• Yi Guangrui led Yuan Yujun and the others toward the garden pavilion as the gathered factions’ attendants waited in disciplined silence.
• Yuan Yujun entered the meeting room with Xu Shuyi, and the assembled important figures regarded her with awe.
• Yi Guangxiang recalled how Yuan Yujun had once surpassed him and how centuries of effort had not narrowed the gap between them.
• Yi Guangxiang invited Yuan Yujun and Xu Shuyi to take their seats.

Ling Wuyuan observed the faction leaders arguing at a meeting to organize the Imperial Grand Competition, while Yuan Yujun and Xu Shuyi remained neutral. The factions settled the competition’s arrangements and rewards, and the story left off as Yuan Yujun’s group declined the White Mist Royal Family’s banquet invitation.

• Ling Wuyuan watched nineteen faction leaders quarrel during the meeting and reflected on his hopes of one day becoming strong enough to sit at the table.
• Yi Guangxiang announced that the time, rules, venue, and rewards for the Imperial Grand Competition had been decided and asked the factions to contribute.
• Yuan Yujun offered a low-grade Enlightened Intent Realm cultivation method or martial skill as the first-place prize.
• The other faction leaders assigned contributions and rewards, and Yi Guangxiang confirmed that the competition would begin in seven days.
• Yuan Yujun declined the White Mist Royal Family’s banquet invitation, and Ling Wuyuan drew envious and resentful looks from the other factions.

On the ride from the imperial palace, Yuan Yujun explained that she had made an Enlightened Intent Realm Manual the Imperial Grand Competition’s first prize to draw powerful contestants and give Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian a chance to win fame. She trusted them to take the championship, while privately thinking that losing the manual would cost her little because it had come from Ling Wuyuan.

• Yuan Yujun asked why she had chosen an Enlightened Intent Realm Manual as the competition’s first prize, and Yan Xiujin’s off-topic reply earned her a beating.
• Yuan Yujun said the valuable prize would attract strong contestants and let Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian prove their strength and become known across the nations.
• Yuan Yujun told Pei Yiman, Pei Suxia, and Yao Yueyan they could compete but needed to control their dangerous power.
• Ling Wuyuan felt moved by Yuan Yujun’s plans for him, and Wu Yanlian tearfully promised that she and Ling Wuyuan would win.
• Yuan Yujun reflected that she was confident in their chances and would not mind losing the prize, since it was a damaged manual from Ling Wuyuan that she had already studied.

Ling Wuyuan strolled through Rainbow Mist City with Pei Yiman and her companions, sharing a romantic moment before the others teased them. As the group headed toward talisman equipment shops, hostile figures confronted Ling Wuyuan.

• Pei Yiman admired Rainbow Mist City's mist, and Ling Wuyuan offered to create similar scenery near Jade Night Snow Mountain.
• Pei Yiman said she valued walking with Ling Wuyuan more than the scenery, and he promised they would take more trips together.
• Pei Suxia, Wu Yanlian, Yan Xiujin, and Yao Yueyan joked about the couple flirting and argued over whether Yan Xiujin could marry Ling Wuyuan.
• Passersby recognized the group as members of Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion and watched Ling Wuyuan with curiosity.
• As Pei Yiman and the others planned to visit talisman equipment shops, several hostile figures confronted Ling Wuyuan and asked if he was Ling Wuyuan.

Nangong Yun challenged Ling Wuyuan, but Ling mocked his lack of reputation and refused to take him seriously. When Nangong Yun persisted, Ling stepped up and kicked him.

• Nangong Yun introduced himself as a member of the Nangong Family and challenged Ling Wuyuan to fight.
• Pei Suxia explained that the Nangong Family was influential and that Nangong Mu ranked twenty-sixth on the Country Ranking.
• Nangong Yun claimed his strength matched Nangong Mu's and demanded that Ling leave the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion if he lost.
• Ling and the others mocked Nangong Yun as an unknown nobody, drawing jeers from the crowd.
• Nangong Yun accused Ling of being afraid and vowed to deal with him in the arena.
• Ling called Nangong Yun a barking stray dog, stepped in front of him, and delivered a straight upward kick.

Ling Wuyuan swiftly defeated Nangong Yun in Rainbow Mist City, relying on his speed and Yuan Yujun’s protective talisman despite the city’s formations. He left Nangong Yun gravely injured and unconscious, while assuring Pei Yiman that his opponent’s future was over.

• Ling Wuyuan crossed the distance to Nangong Yun in a single step, startling him and the hidden observers with his speed and confidence.
• Ling Wuyuan kicked Nangong Yun in the chin, shattering his teeth and sending him soaring into the air.
• The city’s anti-flight formation knocked Nangong Yun back down, leaving him badly injured in a crater.
• Ling Wuyuan called Pei Yiman and the others to leave, while he and Pei Yi mocked Nangong Yun as a wild dog.
• Nangong Yun fainted again from rage as Yao Yueyan complained about their taunts and Pei Yiman voiced her killing intent.
• Ling Wuyuan told Pei Yiman that Nangong Yun had no future left, though he did not know what the man was plotting.

Ling Wuyuan dismissed Nangong Yun’s motives and publicly defeated and humiliated him, prompting people to reconsider Ling’s strength after learning Nangong Yun had claimed to match Nangong Mu. At the Nangong Family, Nangong Mu learned that his cousin was gravely injured and regretted not revealing his own strength before Nangong Yun challenged Ling Wuyuan.

• Ling Wuyuan decided he did not care why Nangong Yun provoked him and took satisfaction in humiliating him after defeating him.
• News of Nangong Yun’s defeat spread, and people wondered whether Ling Wuyuan could also defeat Nangong Mu, the Nangong Family’s representative ranked twenty-sixth.
• A maid told Nangong Mu that Nangong Yun remained unconscious with damaged meridians and a head injury that might leave him crippled.
• Nangong Mu acknowledged that the Nangong Family could not challenge Ling Wuyuan or the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion, especially since Nangong Yun had started the trouble.
• Nangong Mu regretted not revealing his true strength to his cousin earlier, then dismissed the maid so he could think alone.

Nangong Mu reflected on the rivalry between himself and Nangong Yun, then learned how badly Nangong Yun’s attempt to use Ling Wuyuan for fame had backfired. The chapter ended with Nangong Mu nearly laughing at the news that Ling Wuyuan had publicly humiliated and crippled Nangong Yun.

• Nangong Mu considered Ling Wuyuan’s cultivation and recognized that Ling Wuyuan had dealt with his rival, Nangong Yun, for him.
• Nangong Mu recalled how the Nangong Family had kept Nangong Yun as a reserve while placing him in the spotlight, fueling Nangong Yun’s resentment and ambition.
• Nangong Mu secretly revealed that he had reached the Source Gathering Realm and planned to reveal his strength at the Imperial Grand Competition.
• Nangong Yun tried to use a staged duel with Ling Wuyuan to win fame, expecting either outcome to benefit him.
• Ling Wuyuan ignored Nangong Yun’s setup, mocked him publicly, and crippled him, leaving him a laughingstock.
• Nangong Mu heard what had happened and nearly laughed in front of the maid.

Factions across White Mist Country and beyond feared Ling Wuyuan’s potential but hesitated to target him because Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion stood behind him. Ling Wuyuan kept his Abyssal Divine Speed secret, while Guan Xiangfei prepared to enter secluded cultivation before the Imperial Grand Competition.

• Factions considered whether Ling Wuyuan was in the Qi Nourishing Realm or the Source Gathering Realm and feared his strength and future potential.
• The factions decided not to provoke Ling Wuyuan while his backing from Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion remained a threat.
• Ling Wuyuan resolved to keep Abyssal Divine Speed hidden, revealing at most a minor increase to his physical speed if necessary.
• Guan Xiangfei celebrated the news that Ling Wuyuan would enter the Imperial Grand Competition and vowed to defeat him.
• Jiang Xing warned Guan Xiangfei that the Enlightened Intent Realm Manual prize would draw powerful, previously hidden competitors.
• Guan Xiangfei realized the competition would be dangerous and decided to enter secluded cultivation.

Yi Guangxiang reviewed a detailed report on Ling Wuyuan and regretted that the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion had taken him in before the White Mist Royal Family could act. Seven days later, Yuan Yujun and her companions prepared to leave for the Imperial Grand Competition.

• Yi Guangxiang read the official intelligence report on Ling Wuyuan, wondered about his origins, and noted that Ling Wuyuan had crippled Nangong Yun.
• Yi Guangxiang recalled considering killing Ling Wuyuan to seize the Azure Lake White Stream Palace Inheritance, but abandoned the plan after Ling Wuyuan joined the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion.
• Seven days later, projections were set up across Rainbow Mist City for the opening day of the Imperial Grand Competition.
• Yuan Yujun asked Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian whether they were ready, and both confirmed they were.
• Yuan Yujun ordered the group to set off, and the avian demon beast carried their luxurious carriage and convoy toward the arena.

Yuan Yujun arrived at the Imperial Grand Competition, where parents eagerly presented their children to her in hopes of getting them into the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion. Ling Wuyuan learned that his presence had led many people to mistakenly believe the sect would accept male disciples, and Yao Yueyan suggested publishing a notice to correct the rumor.

• Yuan Yujun arrived at the competition venue, and parents held up their children and called out to her, hoping she would take them into the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion.
• Ling Wuyuan watched the parents and remarked that they looked as if they were displaying merchandise.
• Wu Yanlian told Ling Wuyuan that parents had previously presented only daughters, but now they also held up sons because of him.
• Yao Yueyan said that men had recently been asking patrols near Jade Night Snow City whether the sect would accept male disciples.
• Yao Yueyan suggested that the Snow Moon Cloud Heaven Pavilion publish a notice in the News Report, and Ling Wuyuan felt embarrassed.

Yuan Yujun sent Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian into the competition with absolute confidence, and Ling Wuyuan’s presence intensified as he entered the venue. Guan Xiangfei spotted him and realized that he had reached the Source Gathering Realm and become far stronger.

• Yuan Yujun told Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian to prove their strength and claim the championship, and they agreed without hesitation.
• Yuan Yujun led Pei Yi and the others to the viewing room while Ling Wuyuan prepared to enter the venue.
• Ling Wuyuan began passively drawing in spiritual energy on a scale that astonished Wu Yanlian and pressured the people around him.
• Guan Xiangfei surveyed the crowded venue and heard spectators identify Ling Wuyuan as he arrived with Wu Yanlian.
• Guan Xiangfei saw Ling Wuyuan’s enormous Spiritual Energy Vortex and recognized that he had reached the Source Gathering Realm and grown much stronger.

Ling Wuyuan’s overwhelming presence intimidated most contestants, though a few powerful fighters welcomed the challenge. The country lord then announced that the preliminary round would be a no-rules battle in a damaged secret realm, ending when only fifty contestants remained.

• Ling Wuyuan’s influence over heaven and earth’s spiritual energy weakened nearby Source Gathering Realm cultivators and left Qi Nourishing Realm contestants feeling powerless.
• Guan Xiangfei responded to Ling Wuyuan’s pressure by growing more eager to fight, and Ling Wuyuan noticed him and several stronger contestants.
• After the arena gates closed, the country lord announced the preliminary round’s rules to the contestants and spectators.
• The country lord said all 1,335 contestants would enter a damaged secret realm for a grand melee until only fifty remained, with contestants near death automatically removed or able to withdraw using their tokens.
• A pale-blue gate rose before the contestants under the country lord’s control.

Ling Wuyuan entered the secret realm fragment for the preliminary round, feeling an unexpectedly familiar sensation as he crossed its gate. The experience reminded him of his violent transmigration from Earth and left him wondering about the connection between his two worlds before he arrived safely.

• Yi Guangxiang secretly assessed Ling Wuyuan's immense spiritual power and felt hostility toward the threat his talent posed.
• The contestants entered the blue gate of light, with Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian waiting until most of the crowd had gone ahead.
• Ling Wuyuan and Wu Yanlian exchanged a brief farewell before stepping through the gate.
• Ling Wuyuan felt no discomfort during the spatial transition and instead recalled the severe ordeal of his transmigration from Earth.
• Ling Wuyuan wondered whether he could return to Earth and what the meteorite had been, then reached the secret realm fragment within seconds.

Ling Wuyuan surveyed the secret realm and flew toward Wu Yanlian after using their compass to locate her. He arrived just as Han Zhongbo threatened her, interrupting their confrontation.

• Ling Wuyuan assessed the secret realm’s sparse terrain, artificial sun, and low spiritual energy as contestants began fighting nearby.
• Ling Wuyuan used the compass prepared for finding Wu Yanlian and flew across the arena, while the contestants who spotted him avoided challenging him.
• Han Zhongbo approached Wu Yanlian and proposed teaming up in exchange for seeing her face, then threatened her when she refused.
• Wu Yanlian put away her compass and prepared to deal with Han Zhongbo, but Ling Wuyuan crashed down nearby and interrupted their standoff.