Chapter Summaries

Zhao Xiu left Purple Sky Sect with several disciples and joined Zhou Ling’s Lingxiao Sect, weakening the Liu Family’s hold on her former sect. After welcoming them, Zhou Ling proposed that Zhang Yu Hu become He Zijian’s Dao companion because their Lightning Attribute sword intents complemented each other, then sent them to spar.

• Wu Shi Hong introduced Zhao Xiu to Zhou Ling and explained that she had left Purple Sky Sect with several disciples to join Lingxiao Sect.
• Zhao Xiu condemned the Liu Family’s control of Purple Sky Sect, and Zhou Ling accepted her and her five disciples into Lingxiao Sect.
• Zhou Ling recognized Zhang Yu Hu and suggested that she and He Zijian could become Dao companions because their Lightning Attribute sword intents were compatible.
• Zhou Ling explained that Zhang Yu Hu’s Thunder Sound Sword Art prevented her from condensing her own Lightning Attribute Sword Dao, and Zhang Yu Hu agreed to test He Zijian in a spar.
• Zhou Ling introduced He Zijian to Zhang Yu Hu and sent them to the sparring grounds to fight while restricting their cultivation to the Golden Core realm.

Zhang Yu Hu and He Zijian exchanged Thunder Sword Intent, agreed to become Dao companions, and Zhou Ling brought Zhao Xiu and her followers into the Lingxiao Sect. Zhou Ling then entered the Mountain Sea Virtual Realm trial to compete for Head of the Xuan Army Division, despite concerns about his weaker Soul Cultivation.

• Zhang Yu Hu and He Zijian fought while studying each other's complementary Thunder Sword Intents, and Zhou Ling stopped their match once they had gained enough insight.
• Zhang Yu Hu accepted Zhou Ling's proposal to become He Zijian's Dao companion, and Zhou Ling arranged for their engagement to take place later.
• Zhou Ling escorted Zhao Xiu and Wu Shi Hong to the Lingxiao Sect, where Fairy Zi Ling welcomed Zhao Xiu's group and discussed the sect's future with them.
• Zhou Ling arrived at Dao Alliance headquarters with Liu Zheng Shang, He Yong Nian, and Chu Zheng Qi to compete for Head of the Xuan Army Division in the Mountain Sea Virtual Realm.
• Head Meng opened the passage and sent the four contestants into the realm in soul form, while the Dao Alliance leaders guarded their physical bodies.
• Lin Zheng Gong warned that Zhou Ling's weaker Soul Cultivation could put him at risk, but Head Meng said the trial was necessary and took the first watch.

Zhou Ling entered the Mountain Sea Virtual Realm, took the identity of the dead Immortal Official Mu Yang, and sailed toward Ba Min Immortal City. After defeating a black demon dragon that threatened a group of sacrificial maidens, he was welcomed by the city’s soldiers as their new City Lord.

• Zhou Ling found the crew of Mu Yang’s official ship dead, killed the corpses possessed by evil entities, and absorbed Mu Yang’s soul to learn his memories.
• Zhou Ling disguised himself as Mu Yang and steered the Dragon Boat toward Ba Min Immortal City, avoiding a sacrificial yin ship and a region crawling with yin souls.
• Zhou Ling encountered maidens being offered to the Sea God and destroyed the ghostly face and Third Order black demon dragon attacking them.
• Zhou Ling burned the dragon’s escaping demon soul, then identified himself to Wu Jia and the soldiers as the newly appointed City Lord Mu Yang.
• Wu Jia and the soldiers welcomed Zhou Ling back to Ba Min Immortal City and prepared to take the demon dragon’s body away for burning.

Zhou Ling arrived in Ba Min Immortal City after killing the black dragon and ordered an end to human sacrifices and a campaign against evil entities. While examining Wu Jia’s golden saber and his own jade seal, he began to understand the realm’s ancient Artifact Crafting methods and the seals’ potential for improvement.

• Zhou Ling questioned Wu Jia about the sacrifices, then reached Ba Min Immortal City with the black dragon’s corpse and announced that he had slain it.
• Zhou Ling forbade further human sacrifices and used Soul Devouring Flame to burn the black dragon’s body, gaining divine soul power from it.
• Zhou Ling ordered Wu Jia to record the city’s sacrificial rites and yin god temples, then asked Lu He and Ye Dong to report recent evil-entity incidents.
• Zhou Ling declined a welcoming banquet and studied Wu Jia’s golden saber and his jade seal while eating.
• Zhou Ling used his talents to understand the seals as ancient Artifact Crafting methods and discovered that his jade seal could detect yin-fiend creatures and could be enhanced.

Zhou Ling exchanged Immortal Merit for a Profound Seal manual and recovery pills, then upgraded Wu Jia’s saber and experimented with combining Profound Seals and Inscription seals. He discovered a Soul Devouring Flame method that let him create a Fifth-Tier inscription, then checked the competitors’ scores as the trial continued.

• Zhou Ling used his Immortal Merit to obtain the Third-Order Profound Seal Sub-Collection and five bottles of pills.
• Zhou Ling refined Wu Jia’s Golden Saber Profound Seal, raising the saber to Third-Grade Mid-Tier.
• Zhou Ling tested ways to fuse Profound Seals with Inscription seals and found that refining their nodes with the Soul Devouring Flame produced a stable, more powerful structure.
• Zhou Ling successfully formed a Fourth Order inscription with Fifth-Tier power and decided to study the method further after the competition.
• Zhou Ling checked the points Soul Jade and saw Liu Zheng Shang in first place, himself second, Chu Zheng Qi third, and He Yong Nian fourth.

Zhou Ling prepared Ba Min Immortal City for an approaching Baleful Mist by strengthening its defenses, troops, and Profound Artifacts. When the mist arrived with many evil creatures inside, he judged that fighting within it would put the Xuan Army at a disadvantage.

• Zhou Ling learned from Wu Jia that sea battlefield ruins and demonic creatures caused evil entity incidents, and he warned that Baleful Mist might reach the city in about ten days.
• Zhou Ling ordered Wu Jia to reinforce the city's defenses and keep residents from going out to sea, then asked Lu Scribe to gather the city's Profound Artifacts for him to enhance.
• Zhou Ling upgraded Wu Jia's Profound Saber, inspected the city with Wu Jia and Lu Scribe, and pointed out weaknesses in its defenses and the Xuan Army's formations.
• Zhou Ling spent seven days studying inscriptions and improving Profound Artifacts before the Baleful Mist arrived and the city's warning bells rang.
• Wu Jia asked whether the Xuan Army should attack the evil creatures at sea or rely on the city's defenses, and Zhou Ling warned that the mist's sinister aura made entering it dangerous.

Zhou Ling led Ba Min Immortal City’s defense against a massive fiend army and a hidden Fifth-Tier Evil Dragon. He destroyed the Black Dragon Demon King and the Baleful Eye, leaving the sea calm and the city’s defenders victorious.

• Wu Jia ordered the Five Thunder Ship to attack the Baleful Mist, and Zhou Ling identified the Baleful Eye as the source of the fiends.
• Zhou Ling used the Immortal Official Jade Seal to cut through the mist and strike the Baleful Eye, drawing out a Fifth-Tier Evil Dragon.
• Zhou Ling ordered Wu Jia and Lu Scribe to lead warship formations against the fiend army while he fought the Black Dragon Demon King.
• The Black Dragon Demon King’s Blood Fiend Domain suppressed Zhou Ling’s Golden Sword Manifestation, but Zhou Ling joined it with Soul Devouring Flame and burned away the corrupting energy.
• Zhou Ling used the Golden Eye to expand his immortal clouds, severed the Black Dragon Demon King’s claw, and cleaved its body into three pieces.
• Zhou Ling captured the demon soul with the Golden Eye, and the Baleful Eye collapsed as the sea returned to calm.

Zhou Ling slew the Evil Dragon and the invading evil entity army, advancing his divine soul to peak Nascent Soul and taking first place in the competition. He exchanged Immortal Merit for Profound Pattern manuals, while Liu Zheng Shang decided to target him and the Dao Alliance leaders praised his strength.

• Zhou Ling used the jade seal and Golden Sword Rain to help the Profound Armor Army wipe out the evil entity army after killing the Black Dragon and destroying the Baleful Eye.
• Zhou Ling absorbed the souls of the Black Dragon and other evil entities, broke through to peak Nascent Soul divine soul, and reached thirty-five thousand competition points.
• Zhou Ling received thirty thousand Immortal Merit for leading Ba Min Immortal City's forces, then exchanged some of it for Fourth Order and Fifth Order Profound Pattern manuals.
• Liu Zheng Shang learned that Mu Yang of Ba Min Immortal City had killed the Fifth-Tier Evil Dragon, identified him as Zhou Ling, and decided he could no longer spare him.
• Lu Xian An and Head Meng discussed Zhou Ling's victory at Dao Alliance headquarters, while Huang Yan praised his potential.

Zhou Ling fused the fifth-tier Nine Profound Seal into the Golden Eye, awakening its Soul Domain and gaining power capable of challenging Soul Transformation Cultivators. With the competition nearing its end, he led reinforcements to rescue Wu Jia from the Gourd Island Pirates, but a mysterious attacker struck at the Five Elements Warship.

• Zhou Ling fused the Nine Profound Seal into the Golden Eye, forming domain manifestations and greatly increasing his divine soul power, though activating the Soul Domain rapidly depleted him.
• Zhou Ling saw that he remained far ahead in the competition standings and decided to stay in the virtual realm while guarding against Liu Zheng Shang.
• A Profound Armor soldier reported that Wu Jia’s forces had come under pirate attack, so Zhou Ling led fifty elite soldiers aboard the Five Elements Warship to provide aid.
• Zhou Ling’s reinforcements reached the Thunder Warship, where the Gourd Island Pirates were overwhelming Wu Jia’s soldiers, and the Five Elements Warship destroyed one pirate boat.
• As Zhou Ling prepared to attack the remaining pirates, an enormous black hand seal appeared overhead and slammed toward the Five Elements Warship.

Zhou Ling fought Liu Zheng Shang, whose soul domain trapped him and whose Purple Sky thunder arts threatened the Profound Armor Army. Zhou Ling broke the domain with the Immortal Official Jade Seal, then used the Golden Eye’s soul domain to overwhelm Liu Zheng Shang, leaving his fate beneath the engulfing golden sword light.

• Zhou Ling recognized Liu Zheng Shang’s Five Peaks Thunder Palm and shattered its thunder palm with his Golden Sword Manifestation.
• Liu Zheng Shang trapped Zhou Ling in a soul domain, threatened his family, and revealed his hostility toward Zhou Ling and the Dao Alliance.
• Zhou Ling used the Immortal Official Jade Seal to break Liu Zheng Shang’s soul domain, injuring him in the process.
• Zhou Ling unleashed the Golden Eye’s soul domain and a colossal golden sword, overpowering Liu Zheng Shang’s weakened thunder attack.
• The golden sword light engulfed Liu Zheng Shang after he cried out in disbelief.

Zhou Ling survived the virtual realm trial, killed Liu Zheng Shang, and won the competition to become Head of the Xuan Army Division. He returned to the Zhou Family to celebrate his victory, while the Dao Alliance leaders considered the consequences for the Liu Family.

• At Dao Alliance headquarters, one of the four soul tablets shattered, and the division heads feared Zhou Ling had perished.
• Three days later, Zhou Ling and two other cultivators emerged from the virtual realm; the division heads learned Liu Zheng Shang had died and Zhou Ling had won with forty-five thousand points.
• Zhou Ling told the division heads that Liu Zheng Shang had attacked him and that he had killed him, then presented the jade token as proof.
• Head Meng declared Zhou Ling the winner and instructed him to complete the appointment procedures for Head of the Xuan Army Division.
• After reviewing the trial record, Head Meng and the other leaders condemned Liu Zheng Shang and discussed distancing themselves from the Liu Family.
• Zhou Ling returned to the Zhou Family, reunited with Wang Xin and their children, and received congratulations from his family and associates.

Zhou Ling prepared to take over the Xuan Army Division by resigning from the Heavenly Inspection Division and assembling trusted allies to join him. After receiving the division’s Azure Dragon Jade Seal, he considered how to investigate and weaken Purple Heaven Sect influence within the Star Brilliance Xuan Army.

• Zhou Ling invited He Zijian and Zhang Yu Hu to join the Xuan Army Division, advised He Zijian to form his Golden Core first, and urged the pair to arrange their marriage.
• Zhou Ling resigned as Head of the Heavenly Inspection Division, and Lu Yunxi, Qi Jian Zhi, Feng Lan, and Pei Qing Shuang chose to accompany him to the Xuan Army Division.
• Zhou Ling completed his appointment procedures and received the Azure Dragon Jade Seal, which offered stronger combat benefits than his previous seal.
• Zhou Ling reviewed the duties of the four Xuan Armies and considered investigating Purple Heaven Sect cultivators in the Star Brilliance Xuan Army to weaken the Liu Family’s influence.

Zhou Ling prepared to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck before taking charge of the Xuan Army Division, while discussing the risks and his plans with Gong Yi and Fairy Zi Ling. After arranging defenses and receiving his master's assurance that she would protect him, he began his breakthrough atop Purple Cloud Peak.

• Gong Yi warned Zhou Ling about the dangers of his new post and urged him to prepare carefully for the Nascent Soul Tribulation.
• Zhou Ling explained his preparations, his concerns about forming two Nascent Souls, and his plan to place He Zijian and others in the Xuan Army Division while removing Liu Family and Purple Firmament Sect authorities.
• Gong Yi suggested using Guest Official Wu to deter Purple Firmament Sect cultivators, but Zhou Ling declined because Wu Shi Hong had promised not to involve himself in the conflict.
• Zhou Ling decided to attempt the breakthrough in half a month and resolved to discuss protection with Fairy Zi Ling.
• Fairy Zi Ling agreed to defend Zhou Ling from the Liu Family ancestor with the Thunder Gang Dragon Seal, and Zhou Ling began charging toward the Nascent Soul bottleneck on Purple Cloud Peak.

Zhou Ling began his Nascent Soul breakthrough on Purple Cloud Mountain, drawing powerful spiritual energy as allies guarded him and the Liu Family considered disrupting the tribulation. He successfully passed the Mana Gate and formed two Nascent Souls, but still had to complete the remaining stages of the breakthrough.

• Fairy Zi Ling sent Jin Yun and Fang Yu Yun to guard the approaches to Purple Cloud Mountain while Zhou Ling’s family and allies watched over his tribulation.
• Gong Yi estimated that Zhou Ling had more than a fifty percent chance of forming a Nascent Soul, while Wu Shi Hong and Zhao Xiu prepared to stop the Liu Family from interfering.
• Zhou Ling consumed a Heavenly-Grade Nascent Soul Pill and absorbed spiritual energy from Purple Cloud Mountain and his Spirit Stones until his Golden Cores cracked and transformed into two Nascent Souls.
• Liu Si Dao decided to go to Purple Cloud Mountain with the Liu Family Head and look for an opportunity to strike, while Head Meng summoned Lin Zegong to go protect Zhou Ling.
• Zhou Ling safely passed the Mana Gate and formed one Five Elements Nascent Soul and one Lightning Nascent Soul, then prepared to face the remaining stages of his breakthrough.

Zhou Ling defeated an outer-realm evil demon at the Inner Demon Gate and began his Nascent Soul thunder tribulation. He resisted six bolts with his bare body, leaving the onlookers stunned as the tribulation continued.

• Zhou Ling used the Golden Eye and a golden soul sword to destroy the outer-realm evil demon that attacked him in the Inner Demon Gate.
• Liu Si Dao and the Liu Family Head considered interfering but held back while Head Meng and Lin Zegong watched over the area.
• Zhou Ling killed the demon after it repeatedly reformed, and the energy from its death strengthened his soul and expanded his Sea of Consciousness.
• A powerful thundercloud gathered above Purple Cloud Mountain, and Zhou Ling rose into the sky to face the Nascent Soul tribulation without using a weapon.
• Zhou Ling endured the first six lightning strikes with his physical body, absorbing Purple Thunder Laws and astonishing the gathered cultivators.

Zhou Ling faced the final three rule lightning tribulations and successfully broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm. He discovered that he had formed two Nascent Souls, while the Liu Family planned to have him killed through the Xuan Army Division.

• Head Meng and Lin Zegong praised Zhou Ling’s strength but said he needed experience before becoming a Dao Alliance leader, while Old Ancestor Liu ordered the Liu Family to arrange his death through the Xuan Army Division.
• Zhou Ling used his Five Elements Treasure Swords to withstand the fire and water attribute lightning tribulations, absorbing their rule power as he fought.
• Zhou Ling summoned the Sunday Immortal Sword and Spirit Flame to destroy the final metal lightning tribulation.
• Gong Yi told the Zhou Family that Zhou Ling had passed his tribulation, and he received the power of Heaven and Earth Rules.
• Zhou Ling discovered that he had formed a Five Elements Nascent Soul and a Lightning Attribute Nascent Soul, then descended to the ground.

After surviving the lightning tribulation, Zhou Ling entered the Nascent Soul Realm with dual Heaven-Grade Nascent Souls and spent half a month consolidating his vastly increased strength. He prepared to take control of the Star Brilliance Legion and arranged a Nascent Soul Celebration, while considering whom he could appoint to key posts in the Xuan Army Division.

• Head Meng and Lin Zegong discussed Zhou Ling’s successful tribulation and the danger posed by the Liu Family and Purple Firmament Sect within the Star Brilliance Legion.
• Zhou Ling returned to the Cultivation Room to stabilize his dual Nascent Souls, and Gong Yi concluded that he had condensed a Heaven-Grade Nascent Soul.
• While consolidating for half a month, Zhou Ling found that his rules, mana, soul, body, and Spirit Flames had grown stronger enough to let him challenge Soul Transformation cultivators.
• Zhou Ling considered replacing the Star Brilliance Legion’s three Grand Commanders, weighing Chen Zhanglei and Ji Siqing as possible candidates.
• Zhou Ling reunited with his family, agreed to hold his Nascent Soul Celebration in five days, and considered reserving a Grand Commander position for the Wang Family.

Zhou Ling planned to secure control of the Star Brilliance Legion by creating a personal Imperial Guard Camp, then hosted a grand celebration after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. The arrival of three renowned young prodigies drew attention to a possible contest with Zhou Ling, and Head Meng arrived as the celebration continued.

• Zhou Ling heard Qi Jian Zhi describe the Purple Sky Sect cultivators holding important posts in the Star Brilliance Legion and ordered their suspected misconduct evidence kept for later use.
• Pei Qing Shuang proposed building a separate camp, so Zhou Ling ordered an Imperial Guard Camp formed under Feng Lan and assigned Qi Jian Zhi, Pei Qing Shuang, Lu Yunxi, and others to organize it.
• Guests arrived for Zhou Ling's Nascent Soul Celebration, including Deputy Head Lin, Chen Zhanglei, Patriarch Wang, and Wang Yu, who agreed to stay and spend time with Zhou Ying'er.
• Qin Yi, Xia Ruo He, and Wu Dao Yuan arrived to congratulate Zhou Ling, and Zhou Ling noticed that Wu Dao Yuan had advanced to the Five Realms of Sword Dao.
• Head Meng arrived at the celebration, and Zhou Ling went out to welcome him.

At Zhou Ling’s Nascent Soul Celebration, Wu Dao Yuan publicly challenged him and wagered a powerful Five Lightning Sword Array against Zhou Ling’s Five Elements Sword Pellet. Zhou Ling accepted the duel, and Head Meng agreed to witness their contest as they headed to the dueling plaza.

• Zhou Ling thanked the guests at his celebration, toasted his family and supporters, and accepted congratulations on becoming a Nascent Soul True Person.
• Wu Dao Yuan challenged Zhou Ling in front of the gathered cultivators, saying he wanted to settle their rivalry from the Youyun Star Domain trial.
• Wu Dao Yuan revealed the Five Lightning Sword Array as his stake, and Zhou Ling agreed to wager the Five Elements Sword Pellet he had previously won from him.
• Zhou Ling asked Head Meng to witness the match and ensure the winner kept the other’s treasure without later disputes.
• Zhou Ling led Wu Dao Yuan toward the dueling plaza as the guests followed to watch.

Zhou Ling faced Heavenly Palace’s number one prodigy, Wu Dao Yuan, in a sword contest and endured the ancient sword intents unleashed by Wu Dao Yuan’s domain. Zhou Ling shattered Wu Dao Yuan’s fire and thunder sword attacks, while absorbing their sword intents as the duel continued.

• Li Ru worried that Zhou Ling could not defeat Wu Dao Yuan, while Gong Yi and Qi Jian Zhi expressed confidence in Zhou Ling; Qin Yi and Xia Ruo He bet on Wu Dao Yuan, and Pei Qing Shuang bet on Zhou Ling.
• Wu Dao Yuan opened his Sword Heart Sword Domain, causing Zhou Ling’s Sunday Immortal Sword and the surrounding cultivators’ treasure swords to tremble under its power.
• Wu Dao Yuan unleashed the Wu Family ancestors’ Fire Rain Sword Qi, but Zhou Ling activated the Sunday Immortal Sword and crushed the attack with his Golden Sun Sword Domain.
• Wu Dao Yuan summoned a Thunder Sword Domain, and Zhou Ling’s golden sword clashed with it until both domains collapsed; Zhou Ling absorbed the attack’s Thunder Sword Intent.