Chapter Summaries

Ding Ling and his companions reached Luoyang, where Lan Fenghuang of the Five Immortals Sect caught up with them and offered him her sect’s tonic wine. After drinking it, Ding Ling gained inner force and poison resistance, bringing him closer to the limits of his abilities.

• Ding Ling reflected that Ren Woxing might be using gifts and rumors to curry favor with him, while his own strength had risen far beyond their last encounter.
• Ding Ling guided Consort Yu, Qu Feiyan, Lin Pingzhi, Ding Jian, and the others as they traveled toward Luoyang, helping their cultivation improve rapidly.
• Ding Ling and his companions arrived at Luoyang and prepared to enter the city to rest before continuing toward Mount Hua.
• Lan Fenghuang and her followers caught up with Ding Ling at the city gates, and she introduced herself as the leader of the Five Immortals Sect.
• Lan Fenghuang offered Ding Ling a jar of her sect’s tonic wine, and Ding Ling checked it for poison before drinking it all.
• The wine increased Ding Ling’s inner force by 100 and gave him resistance to poison, while his fifth drop of True Water seemed close to splitting into a sixth.

Ding Ling met Lan Fenghuang, accepted her explanation for the tonic wine, and parted from her as Qu Feiyan struggled with jealousy and guilt. After entering Luoyang, Ding Ling followed a servant to a banquet prepared for him at Yanfu Restaurant, though he wondered why the venue seemed modest.

• Ding Ling drank Lan Fenghuang’s tonic wine without fear, and she praised his courage before admitting she had sent it to curry favor with a woman who had ordered the heroes to approach him.
• Ding Ling and Lan Fenghuang chatted warmly, while Qu Feiyan watched jealously and Consort Yu comforted her.
• Lan Fenghuang reassured Qu Feiyan that she would not take Ding Ling from her, then departed as Ding Ling rode toward Luoyang.
• Consort Yu helped Qu Feiyan understand her jealousy and suggested she invite Lan Fenghuang to a meal the next time they met.
• At Luoyang’s gate, a servant led Ding Ling to Yanfu Restaurant, where someone had arranged food and wine for him.

Ding Ling and his companions were lured into a poisoned, iron-barred trap in Luoyang by Zuo Lengchan. As Zuo Lengchan ordered archers to kill Ding Ling’s helpless friends first, the chapter left their fate uncertain.

• Ding Ling entered a busy Luoyang tavern with Qu Feiyan, Consort Yu, and the others, and reflected on his growing reputation and his resolve to seek the Nine Swords of Dugu on Mount Hua.
• A waiter brought a lavish feast, but Ding Ling spotted poison in the dishes before Dan Qingsheng could eat.
• A hidden attacker poisoned the air, leaving Consort Yu, Qu Feiyan, Huang Zhonggong, Lin Pingzhi, and the others unable to move, while iron bars sealed the room.
• Zuo Lengchan confronted Ding Ling and revealed that he had arranged the trap to avenge his junior brothers.
• Zuo Lengchan ordered his archers to shoot Ding Ling’s companions, and a rain of arrows fell toward the incapacitated group as Qu Feiyan watched Ding Ling.

Ding Ling rescued Qu Feiyan and her group by breaking through Zuo Lengchan’s arrow attack and wiping out the Songshan archers. He overwhelmed Zuo Lengchan in a duel, severed his left arm, and continued attacking as Zuo Lengchan called for Li Yuanba.

• Ding Ling froze the arrows aimed at Qu Feiyan’s group, shattered them with the Ju Que Sword, and cut open the iron bars.
• Ding Ling charged through the gap and killed dozens of Songshan Sect archers with a flurry of sword techniques.
• Ding Ling struck at Zuo Lengchan, who retreated from the blow and realized he had badly underestimated Ding Ling.
• Ding Ling disarmed Zuo Lengchan and cleaved off his left arm when Zuo Lengchan tried to block.
• Ding Ling refused to stop, and Zuo Lengchan rolled away and shouted for Li Yuanba.

Ding Ling survived Zuo Lengchan’s ambush and faced Li Yuanba, a powerful Ascender from the End of the Sui Dynasty whom Zuo had kept as his trump card. The chapter ended with the two preparing to fight while the tavern guests watched from outside.

• Li Yuanba burst through a private-room door and struck Ding Ling with a giant hammer, forcing him backward through another door.
• Ding Ling recognized Li Yuanba, who mocked him and said he would kill him because Zuo Lengchan had asked him to.
• Qu Feiyan and the others worried that Ding Ling might not be able to defeat Li Yuanba, while Zuo Lengchan ordered Li Yuanba to kill them all.
• Songshan Sect members drove guests from the tavern, and the crowd and players gathered outside to listen to the battle.
• Zuo Lengchan relied on Li Yuanba as his trump card after cultivating his loyalty and discovering his extraordinary strength and talent.

Ding Ling fought Li Yuanba through the restaurant, then freed Qu Feiyan and the others from their paralysis and lured Li Yuanba outside. The chapter left Ding Ling leading Li Yuanba toward a group of Songshan Sect members on the street.

• Li Yuanba relentlessly attacked Ding Ling with his giant hammers, forcing him backward and wrecking the restaurant.
• Ding Ling dodged a hammer blow, causing Li Yuanba to fall through the floor and crash onto the first floor, where he killed and injured customers as he charged through.
• Ding Ling killed Zuo Lengchan and took a bag from his body while Li Yuanba rampaged toward the staircase.
• Ding Ling broke a bottle from the bag and used its contents to free Qu Feiyan, Consort Yu, and the others from their paralysis.
• Ding Ling told the group to stay safe, then lured Li Yuanba through a window and onto a street where Songshan Sect members stood.

Ding Ling led Li Yuanba away from the restaurant and the nearby crowds to fight in an open square, where Li Yuanba’s overwhelming strength and fury made him a deadly threat. As their battle began, Ding Ling resolved that he had to kill Li Yuanba before the gifted warrior could become even more powerful.

• Ding Ling used the Seven Absolute Swords’ sound waves to incapacitate the Songshan Sect elites surrounding him, then escaped with his lightness skills while Li Yuanba smashed through the window and attacked them.
• Ding Ling chose an empty square for his fight with Li Yuanba and warned the bystanders to leave, while Li Yuanba charged through and killed Songshan Sect fighters.
• Ding Ling recognized that Li Yuanba had quickly reached the peak of the world’s physical limits and could grow strong enough to shatter them, so he decided not to spare his enemy.
• Li Yuanba hurled a giant hammer at Ding Ling, who evaded it and countered with sword qi as the two began exchanging attacks at tremendous speed.

Ding Ling fought Li Yuanba in a brutal battle that lasted more than two hours, while a woman and an old man from the Sun Moon Holy Cult watched and discussed his abilities. The fight reached its final stage with the woman predicting Li Yuanba’s death.

• Ding Ling and Li Yuanba fought across the plaza, devastating the surrounding area as players watched from afar.
• A woman in a bamboo hat and an old man watched the battle through telescopes and praised Ding Ling’s strength, speed, and Inner Force.
• The woman and the old man discussed recruiting Ding Ling to help Chief Ren unify the martial world and recalled how Zuo Lengchan had been killed.
• After two hours of fighting, the woman predicted that Li Yuanba was about to die.
• Ding Ling recognized Li Yuanba’s terrifying endurance, defense, and berserk fighting ability as the battle entered its final stage.

Ding Ling killed Li Yuanba after a fierce battle and found a secret manual beside his body. The chapter left him wondering who had recently written the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique and whom Li Yuanba meant to give it to.

• Ding Ling shattered Li Yuanba's armor, severed both arms, and killed him with the Overlord Saber Technique.
• Ding Ling reflected on Li Yuanba's extraordinary fighting strength and the danger he would have posed without Ding Ling's advantage.
• Ding Ling received Achievement Medals for shocking Zuo Lengchan and earning Ren Yingying's and Green Bamboo Old Man's recognition.
• Ding Ling found a bloodstained manual titled Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique beside Li Yuanba's corpse.
• Ding Ling questioned why Li Yuanba's ultimate technique had been written recently and whether he intended to give it to Zuo Lengchan.

Ding Ling mastered the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique after reading its manual and took Li Yuanba’s Leigong Wengjin Hammer. He left with the hammer, while frightened pedestrians and excited players cleared his path and called out to him.

• Ding Ling read the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique and instantly mastered it, realizing its power surpassed even his incomplete Sword God Art.
• Ding Ling inspected Li Yuanba’s corpse and wondered whether Li Yuanba’s second brother, Li Shimin, would seek revenge.
• Ding Ling lifted the nearly undamaged Leigong Wengjin Hammer and found that the mastered technique made the enormous weapon feel light in his hand.
• Ding Ling discarded Li Yuanba’s battered second hammer and carried the Leigong Wengjin Hammer toward the inn where Qu Feiyan and the others were staying.
• Pedestrians scattered before Ding Ling, while players cheered, asked to shake his hand, and begged to become his disciple.

After killing Zuo Lengchan and defeating the Songshan Sect’s attempt to seize Qu Feiyan and the others, Ding Ling ordered Deng Bagong to lead him to the Songshan Sect so he could take its resources. As Ding Ling prepared to leave Luoyang with his companions, Green Bamboo Old Man appeared and offered to help them escape the city quickly, saying his Aunt had been waiting to meet him.

• Ding Ling returned to the restaurant and killed Bu Chen and several other Songshan Sect experts with his hammer, while Deng Bagong surrendered and begged for mercy.
• Ding Ling ordered Deng Bagong to gather the Songshan Sect’s men and lead him there, intending to seize its treasures and defeat its remaining experts.
• Qu Feiyan, Consort Yu, Lin Pingzhi, and the others welcomed Ding Ling and discussed how he had survived the poison.
• Ding Ling mounted up with his companions and prepared to leave Luoyang without punishing the restaurant owner.
• Green Bamboo Old Man stopped Ding Ling and offered to help him leave Luoyang quickly, explaining that his Aunt had been waiting for him.

After the battle with Li Yuanba, Ding Ling left Luoyang with Green Bamboo Old Man’s help and went to meet the young lady he had been summoned to see. He discovered that she was Ren Yingying, the Holy Maiden of the Sun Moon Divine Church.

• Green Bamboo Old Man told Ding Ling that General Wang would stage a pursuit but secretly help him leave Luoyang.
• Ding Ling and his companions slipped out of the city with General Wang’s cooperation.
• Green Bamboo Old Man brought Ding Ling and the others to the courtyard where his aunt was staying.
• A young woman welcomed Ding Ling and led him to meet her young lady.
• Ding Ling met the beautiful woman, whom Huang Zhonggong and the others recognized as Ren Yingying, the Holy Maiden of the Sun Moon Divine Church.

Ren Yingying entertained Ding Ling and invited him to join her in a great undertaking, but he declined and played music with her instead. Jealous and drunk, Linghu Chong challenged Ding Ling to a sword fight.

• Ren Yingying spoke with Ding Ling and revealed that she knew he had recognized her as the Sun Moon Divine Church's Holy Maiden.
• Linghu Chong arrived tipsy, discovered Ding Ling in the reception hall, and sat down while Ren Yingying continued flattering Ding Ling.
• Linghu Chong grew jealous as Ren Yingying focused on Ding Ling and joined him in playing The Smiling, Proud Wanderer melody.
• After Ding Ling declined Ren Yingying's invitation to join her in a great undertaking, Linghu Chong drew his sword and challenged him to a duel.
• Ren Yingying objected to Linghu Chong interrupting her discussion with Ding Ling.

Linghu Chong challenged Ding Ling after becoming jealous of Ren Yingying’s attention, but Ding Ling froze his sword with Mystic Heaven Finger and stopped him. Linghu Chong left in humiliation, vowing to surpass Ding Ling, while Ren Yingying apologized to Ding Ling for the disruption.

• Linghu Chong, distressed by Ren Yingying’s attention shifting to Ding Ling, challenged Ding Ling to a fight.
• Qu Feiyan rebuked Linghu Chong for calling Tian Boguang his sworn brother, and Linghu Chong angrily attacked her.
• Ding Ling used Mystic Heaven Finger to freeze Linghu Chong’s sword, forcing him to drop it and retreat.
• Qu Feiyan further criticized Linghu Chong, who then challenged Ding Ling to a proper swordsmanship contest.
• Ren Yingying objected to Linghu Chong provoking her guest, and Linghu Chong left without his sword.
• Ren Yingying apologized to Ding Ling, while Linghu Chong walked away, realizing he had overestimated his place in her heart and vowing to defeat Ding Ling someday.

Ding Ling rejected Ren Yingying’s offer to join the Sun Moon Divine Church, explaining that he planned to seek Shattered Void and leave the world. Before departing, he promised to defeat Invincible East within a year, leaving Ren Yingying reluctant to part with him.

• Ding Ling dismissed Linghu Chong’s challenge after Ren Yingying reprimanded Linghu Chong and he left the reception hall.
• Ren Yingying spent the next day trying to impress Ding Ling with her knowledge and charm, but he remained unmoved.
• Ren Yingying asked Ding Ling to join the Sun Moon Divine Church as its vice leader and help her father defeat Invincible East.
• Ding Ling declined because he intended to pursue Shattered Void and leave the world, but promised to defeat Invincible East within a year as repayment for Ren Yingying’s hospitality.
• Ding Ling rode away with Qu Feiyan and the others as Ren Yingying called after him and promised to wait for him at Blackwood Cliff.

Ding Ling returned to Mount Song and found the sect in turmoil after Zuo Lengchan and Li Yuanba's deaths, though the unrest remained contained. As he approached the gates with Deng Bagong's growing group of followers, Vice Sect Leader Tang Yinge confronted him, confident in recently acquired power that would not last long.

• Ren Yingying admitted she admired Ding Ling and asked Green Bamboo Old Man how she could pursue him, but he confessed he knew little about love.
• Ding Ling and his group reached Mount Song, where Deng Bagong reported that Zuo Lengchan's and Li Yuanba's deaths had stirred unrest among the sect's disciples.
• Deng Bagong gathered and led more than two hundred disciples to the Mount Song Sect gates, cutting down those who resisted and recruiting those who submitted.
• Tang Yinge arrived and charged at Deng Bagong, declaring that he would purge the sect and ordering unrelated people to disperse.
• Tang Yinge challenged Ding Ling, believing the temporary power recently bestowed on him would let him defeat even Zuo Lengchan.

Ding Ling killed Tang Yinge with a single Great Yin-Yang Hand Seal and continued toward the Songshan Sect’s main hall. There, he faced Fei Bin, Lu Bai, and the other Songshan men as Deng Bagong taunted them.

• Tang Yinge attacked Ding Ling with the Seventeen Road Songshan Swordplay, but Ding Ling shattered his sword and crushed his heart with one palm strike.
• Tang Yinge died, and Ding Ling received the Achievement Medal for Intimidating Tang Yinge.
• Ding Ling recalled how the Songshan Sect’s poison trap might have killed him without Lan Fenghuang’s Five Immortals Great Tonic Wine and his medical skills, and he reaffirmed his promise to challenge Invincible East.
• Ding Ling and Deng Bagong reached the training ground before the Songshan Sect’s main hall, where they saw Fei Bin, Lu Bai, Sha Tianjiang, Sima De, and Zhao Sihai.
• Deng Bagong loudly praised Ding Ling and taunted Fei Bin and the others, who threatened to kill him after defeating Ding Ling.

Ding Ling confronted Fei Bin, Lu Bai, and the Songshan Sect disciples, who used a sword formation to try to kill him. He found its life gate and smashed through the formation with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, then sent the hammer hurtling toward Fei Bin.

• Deng Bagong taunted Fei Bin and his companions, and Sha Tianjiang challenged him to fight.
• Ding Ling took the Leigong Wengjin Hammer from Dan Qingsheng and Ding Jian and approached the Songshan Sect disciples.
• Fei Bin, Lu Bai, and the elite disciples activated a sword formation and warned Ding Ling not to enter.
• Ding Ling identified the formation's life gate and smashed through it with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer.
• Ding Ling rampaged through the formation, killing and wounding many disciples before hurling the hammer toward Fei Bin.

Ding Ling used the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique to kill Fei Bin and smash through Songshan Sect’s sword formations. As the Songshan Sect’s players fled in terror, Lu Bai and Sha Tianjiang were left shaken by Ding Ling’s overwhelming strength.

• Ding Ling pursued Fei Bin with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, smashed through the sword formation, and killed him in a few exchanges.
• Lu Bai, Sha Tianjiang, and the other Songshan Sect leaders watched in disbelief as Ding Ling displayed the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique.
• Ding Ling destroyed another small sword formation, crushing the elite disciples at its front.
• Songshan Sect players fled the formation and decided they must avoid making Ding Ling their enemy.

Ding Ling shattered the Songshan Sect’s sword formations and killed its remaining leaders in a fierce assault on Mount Song. Sha Tianjiang was the last to fall, while Ding Ling’s quest to defeat more than twenty planar powerhouses stood at 19/20.

• Ding Ling ignored the fleeing players and smashed through another Songshan Sect sword formation, killing the disciples who tried to escape.
• Lu Bai ordered Sha Tianjiang, Sima De, Zhao Sihai, and the others to attack Ding Ling, but Sha Tianjiang fled while the rest charged.
• Ding Ling overwhelmed Lu Bai and the Songshan leaders with his hammer, killing Lu Bai, Sima De, and Zhao Sihai.
• Ding Ling borrowed Qu Feiyan’s bow and shot Sha Tianjiang from hundreds of meters away, pinning him to a boulder.
• Ding Ling received achievement medals for intimidating Sima De, Zhao Sihai, and Lu Bai, and saw that his quest progress had reached 19/20.