Chapter Summaries

Shen Bai learned that Zhou Qing had vanished into the Death Realm, but Daoist Master Yangyuan’s warning convinced him not to interfere. As Shen Bai strengthened his abilities and prepared for a Shuinan Merchant Guild caravan, Ding Quan brought more than a hundred murdered travelers to the bureau, and an insect flew from one corpse toward Shen Bai.

• The First Prince told Shen Bai that Zhou Qing had entered the Death Realm and might be in grave danger, but that intervening could ruin the opportunity he had found there.
• Shen Bai read Daoist Master Yangyuan’s letter and decided to wait rather than travel to Xuanjing City; after the First Prince left, he privately considered Shen Bai a threat and planned to take over Lingyun Dao if Shen Bai died.
• Several days later, Shen Bai reached Level Six in the Myriad Water Art and arranged for Ding Quan to escort the Shuinan Merchant Guild’s caravan through Lingyun Dao.
• Shen Bai used the Limitless Divination Art to examine the caravan members’ corpses after Ding Quan reported finding them near Fenghua Dao, with no escort or signs of a battle.
• An insect crawled out of one corpse’s mouth and flew toward Shen Bai.

Shen Bai traced the attack on the Shuinan Merchant Guild to a split within the Gu Village and traveled to the Calamity Source Mountain Range to investigate. At the Myriad Gu Worm’s pagoda, he exposed the Grand Elder as a conspirator connected to the Myriad Cities Era and stopped his escape.

• Shen Bai captured a gu insect found on a corpse, learned it came from the Calamity Source Mountain Range, and ordered the Heavenly Oversight Bureau to investigate the missing Fenghua Dao escorts.
• After learning that twenty Fenghua Dao escorts had vanished, Shen Bai led a hundred Heavenly Spirit Realm experts into the Calamity Source Mountain Range and met Chang Yue and Xiao Fei near the Gu River.
• Village Chief Wan told Shen Bai that the Gu Village had split into Zhou and Yue factions, that the Yue Faction had attacked the Shuinan Merchant Guild caravan, and that the Zhou Faction had stayed because the Myriad Gu Worm was transforming.
• Village Chief Wan led Shen Bai to the Myriad Gu Worm’s pagoda, but the Grand Elder tried to prevent them from entering and asked Shen Bai to wait several months.
• Shen Bai identified the Grand Elder’s connection to remnants of the Myriad Cities Era, then caught him as he fled on a swarm of gu insects.

Shen Bai discovered that the Myriad Gu Worm had been stolen through collusion between the Yue Faction and the remnants of the Myriad Cities Era, then helped Village Chief Wan destroy the Yue Faction and secure Gu Village’s refuge in Lingyun Dao. After Xiong Zerun’s interrogation revealed the worm’s devouring trait, Shen Bai wondered how the demonic factions intended to use it in the Lava Forbidden Zone.

• Shen Bai exposed the Grand Elder as a remnant of the Myriad Cities Era, but the Grand Elder destroyed his own soul before Shen Bai could question him.
• Shen Bai and Village Chief Wan found the Myriad Gu Worm’s box empty, and Shen Bai used the Limitless Divination Art to trace the theft to the Yue Faction and the remnants of the Myriad Cities Era.
• Shen Bai led Village Chief Wan and his forces to attack Xiong Zerun’s camp, where Village Chief Wan captured Xiong Zerun alive as a token of allegiance and Gu Village joined Lingyun Dao.
• Daoist Xusheng, Monk Mingxin, and Dean Hou planned to use the Heaven-Mimicking Pearl to imitate the Myriad Gu Worm, distract Shen Bai, and pursue their plans in the Lava Forbidden Zone.
• After two days of interrogation, Xiong Zerun’s confession revealed the Myriad Gu Worm’s powerful devouring trait, leaving Shen Bai wondering what the demonic factions intended to do with it.

Shen Bai investigated an invisible light-shadow near the Lava Forbidden Zone and discovered that it was connected to Ke Xiaoran and a mysterious jade stone. When the forbidden zone opened, Shen Bai exposed the Demonic Faction’s Life-Death Road and forced its members out into the open.

• Shen Bai traveled to Cangnan Dao, where Yu Lixuan assigned Jiao Hong to guide him to the Lava Forbidden Zone.
• Shen Bai chased an unseen light-shadow and encountered Ke Xiaoran, who claimed the area belonged to the Artifact Forging Sect before vanishing.
• Shen Bai followed the light-shadow, watched Ke Xiaoran absorb it, and obtained a jade stone that the Limitless Divination Art linked to the Lava Forbidden Zone.
• After two days of waiting and grinding the Void-Breaking Red Eye, Shen Bai saw the Lava Forbidden Zone open and prepared to enter alone.
• Shen Bai detected the Demonic Faction using the Life-Death Road, struck its spatial flaw with Cold Moon, and sent its members tumbling out.

Shen Bai entered the Lava Forbidden Zone, gained the Bone Transformation Technique by appraising the Heaven-Mimicking Pearl, and infiltrated Lava City’s Artifact Forging Sect under Ke Xiaoran’s identity. As the Demonic Factions searched for the Lava Core, Shen Bai encountered a girl who claimed the city was fake before soldiers took her away.

• Jiao Hong’s forces captured or killed many Demonic Faction cultivators after Shen Bai caused them to fall from the Life-Death Road, and Shen Bai entered the Lava Forbidden Zone.
• Daoist Xusheng sent a Heaven-Mimicking Pearl disguised as a Myriad Gu Worm to lure Shen Bai away while Monk Mingxin led the Demonic Factions toward the Lava Core beneath an ancient city.
• Shen Bai exposed the false worm, appraised the Heaven-Mimicking Pearl, and gained the Disguise Technique, which evolved into the Bone Transformation Technique.
• Daoist Xusheng and the others reached Lava City, learned that its inhabitants were creatures produced by the forbidden zone, and used pills and local clothes to conceal themselves from Shen Bai.
• Shen Bai followed the Divination Art’s clues to Lava City, was mistaken for Ke Xiaoran because of the identity jade, and joined the Artifact Forging Sect ahead of its convention.
• After changing his appearance and exploring the sect, Shen Bai found a trembling girl who insisted everything was fake, but soldiers seized her before he could question her.

Shen Bai entered the Lava Domain, where he uncovered the Demonic Factions’ plan and killed Daoist Xusheng and Monk Mingxin. He pursued Dean Hou to the Lava Core, where Dean Hou fused with the Myriad Gu Worm and challenged him, but Shen Bai revealed that he still far outclassed him.

• Shen Bai entered the Lava Domain and learned from Amber that something strange lay beneath the lava.
• Daoist Xusheng, Monk Mingxin, Dean Hou, and more than a thousand Demonic Faction members gathered to find the Lava Core, and Shen Bai revealed his identity before killing the gathered fighters with the Soul Annihilation Sword.
• Dean Hou fled into the magma with the Myriad Gu Worm, abandoning Daoist Xusheng and Monk Mingxin, whom Shen Bai then killed.
• Dean Hou reached the Lava Core and used the Myriad Gu Worm to devour it and merge with him, transforming his body and boosting his power.
• Shen Bai caught up with Dean Hou and attacked, but Dean Hou used the magma to defend himself and raise its temperature.
• Shen Bai summoned an array of divine abilities and told Dean Hou that, despite his new strength, he was no match for him.

Shen Bai defeated Dean Hou, captured the weakened Myriad Gu Worm, and discovered that the Lava Forbidden Zone remained after its core vanished. After escaping Lava City with the Awakened, he learned that their underground refuge believed the City Lord’s Mansion held the truth behind their world, while Lava City prepared to hunt them down.

• Shen Bai repeatedly overwhelmed Dean Hou’s devouring defenses and killed him, then seized the Myriad Gu Worm after Amber confirmed the eerie aura had vanished.
• Shen Bai followed the artifact convention participants out of the forbidden zone and saw Lava Guards move to detain them; when rescuers attacked to free Ke Xiaoran, he joined them and escaped with Hong Dongyi.
• At the Awakened camp, Hong Dongyi explained that they believed Lava City was unreal and that an operational core in the City Lord’s Mansion was the root of its mysteries.
• The City Lord ordered Situ Zhen to use the Artifact Forging Sect’s tracking method to exterminate those afflicted with madness, and he secretly feared becoming afflicted himself.
• Hong Zhuang and Amber sensed something compelling about the Lava Guards, while Shen Bai began upgrading his Void-Breaking Red Eye.
• Situ Zhen used glowing jade to locate the Awakened, then led more than ten thousand Lava Guards out of Lava City to pursue them.

After reaching level six in the Void-Breaking Red Eye, Shen Bai exposed and defeated Gate Master Situ’s attack, killed the City Lord, and found and destroyed Lava City’s control core. A powerful strange creature absorbed the core, and Shen Bai prepared to use his red eyes against it.

• Shen Bai raised the Void-Breaking Red Eye to level six and learned it could dispel illusions and other falsehoods within its range.
• Shen Bai warned Hong Dongyi that Gate Master Situ and the Lava Guards were outside, then killed them with Buddha’s Aspect Fist when they attacked.
• Shen Bai fought the City Lord, killed him with the Soul Annihilation Sword, and learned that a secret passage in the City Lord’s study led to the control core.
• Shen Bai found the Lava Forbidden Zone’s control core and destroyed it, causing the city’s people to realize they were trapped within an illusion-like forbidden zone.
• A strange being emerged and absorbed the control core’s power, while Lava City’s inhabitants awakened; Shen Bai used the Limitless Divination Art and turned his Void-Breaking Red Eye on the creature.

Shen Bai destroyed the Lava Forbidden Zone, uncovered its connection to the Barren Forbidden Land, and killed Yang Xiu before returning to Cangnan Dao with Bizarre Transformation Orbs. A black-robed man learned of Yang Xiu’s death and began planning to eliminate Shen Bai.

• Shen Bai used the Void-Breaking Red Eye to find and destroy the bizarre entity, then followed Amber’s sense of an aura to a barrier above the City Lord’s Mansion.
• Shen Bai broke through the sky barrier, entered a ruined replica of Lava City, and found a Bizarre Transformation Orb and a journal describing how Chaos had destroyed the city and its City Lord had dragged it into the Barren Forbidden Land.
• The journal’s destruction awakened the sword that led Shen Bai to Yang Xiu, who carried two Bizarre Transformation Orbs and attacked him; Shen Bai killed Yang Xiu and took the orbs.
• The Lava Forbidden Zone dissolved, and Shen Bai glimpsed Drunken Daoist within the Barren Forbidden Land before returning through a spatial rift to Jiao Hong and the Heavenly Oversight Bureau members.
• Shen Bai told Jiao Hong that the three Demonic Faction leaders had been eliminated and agreed to visit the Heavenly Oversight Bureau in Cangnan Dao.
• A black-robed man arrived at the cleared site, learned that Yang Xiu was dead, and decided to devise a plan to eliminate Shen Bai.

After saving Hao Shi from a divine-soul wound, Shen Bai learned that a hidden refuge from the Myriad Cities Era lay in Cangnan Dao and entered it alone to search for Bizarre Items. He found the refuge’s entrance and faced the giant Soul Ape guarding it.

• Yu Lixuan welcomed Shen Bai to Cangnan Dao and hosted a banquet in his honor, where Shen Bai met Dao Commander Hao.
• Shen Bai gave Amber three Bizarre Transformation Orbs for her third evolution, then trained his Bone Transformation Technique while she entered an egg.
• At the banquet, Shen Bai learned that Hao Shi had been gravely injured after stumbling into a hidden place, and Hong Zhuang identified it as a refuge from the Myriad Cities Era.
• Shen Bai used the Soul Annihilation Sword to destroy the black qi in Hao Shi’s divine soul, waking him and learning how he had reached the refuge.
• After divining supreme fortune, Shen Bai traveled alone to the river, used the Yin-Yang Item Storage Technique to reveal the refuge’s entrance, and entered its canyon.
• Shen Bai walked deeper into the refuge and encountered the giant white-furred Soul Ape, which roared at him.

Shen Bai entered Beast Village with the Flower Village merchant Guo Qi after killing the villagers and beasts who attacked him, then bought three Bizarre Items and learned about the shelters’ factions and fear of the Chaos Organization. As Shen Bai and Guo Qi visited another merchant association, a sudden burst of footsteps approached from behind.

• The Soul Ape, Eight-Horned Turtle, and two Beast Village villagers attacked Shen Bai, but he killed them all and confronted Guo Qi, who had witnessed the fight.
• Guo Qi explained that he came from Flower Village to trade, and Shen Bai made him pose as a fellow merchant and lead him into Beast Village.
• Shen Bai bought three Bizarre Items with Guo Qi’s Spirit Taming Grass, then learned that Beast Village’s Conservative and Radical factions disagreed over outsiders and that the Chaos Organization had injured explorers from Flower Village.
• Shen Bai accompanied Guo Qi to another merchant association, where they began another trade visit before Shen Bai heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Shen Bai uncovered the Chaos Organization’s attempt to take control of Beast Village and confronted its agent, Dongfang Qing, who escaped after revealing that several local leaders could match his power. After Shen Bai killed the chamber of commerce owner and his followers, he disguised himself as the owner and met the Radical Faction’s Grand Elder, who offered to help him approach the Conservative Faction’s Second Elder.

• Shen Bai used the Void-Breaking Red Eye to overhear the chamber of commerce owner and Dongfang Qing discuss the Chaos Organization’s plan to control Beast Village and exploit a conflict with the Conservative Faction.
• Shen Bai revealed his identity, and Dongfang Qing recognized him as one of the Twelve Peerless Young Masters before admitting he was an Absolute Peak Realm cultivator.
• Dongfang Qing withdrew after explaining that the village chief and an elder from each faction were also Absolute Peak Realm cultivators, leaving the owner and his followers to attack Shen Bai and draw the village’s attention.
• Shen Bai killed the owner and his followers, then disguised himself as the owner and returned to the chamber of commerce, where he told Guo Qi what had happened.
• Shen Bai questioned Guo Qi about the Conservative Faction’s Second Elder, but Guo Qi knew little about him; an unseen Absolute Peak Realm expert then appeared and offered help.
• Guo Qi recognized the newcomer as the Radical Faction’s Grand Elder.

Shen Bai joined the Grand Elder’s effort to stop Beast Village from isolating itself, but discovered that the village chief had been possessed by a Chaos Organization remnant. The Grand Elder fought the Second Elder while Shen Bai faced the village chief, who tried to recruit him before attacking; Shen Bai evaded his spatial techniques and prepared to strike back.

• The Grand Elder asked Shen Bai to help resolve Beast Village’s conflict with the Conservative Faction, and Shen Bai agreed in exchange for seven Bizarre Items.
• Shen Bai and the Grand Elder confronted the village chief and Second Elder, but the negotiations failed when the village chief refused to maintain contact with the refuges.
• Shen Bai used his Void-Breaking Red Eye to reveal that the village chief had undergone Body Seizure and was working for the Chaos Organization.
• The village chief invited the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Shen Bai to join the Chaos Organization, but the Grand Elder refused and Shen Bai drew Cold Moon.
• The village chief and Second Elder opened a separate battlefield, where the Grand Elder fought the Second Elder and Shen Bai battled the village chief.
• The village chief diverted Shen Bai’s attacks through space, but Shen Bai evaded his claws and opened a spatial rift, declaring that the fight would become a one-sided slaughter.

Shen Bai killed the clan chief and Second Elder, secured Beast Village's Bizarre Items, and strengthened several divine powers through their appraisal. After learning the Chaos Organization was conducting experiments across eras, he returned to Lingyun Dao, where Amber's evolution was nearing completion.

• Shen Bai used his spatial abilities to defeat and kill the clan chief, then killed the Second Elder after he tried to surrender.
• The Grand Elder promised Shen Bai seven Bizarre Items and handled Beast Village's cleanup while Shen Bai waited and planned to learn about other refuges.
• Shen Bai converted the Bizarre Items into proficiency for Soul Annihilation Sword, Mind-Disturbing Bizarre Incantation, and Myriad Shadow Kill, unlocking new abilities against bizarre creatures and within shadows.
• The Grand Elder told Shen Bai that Flower Village had closed its passage and that the Chaos Organization appeared to be conducting experiments, possibly allowing the world to develop until it could contend against them.
• Shen Bai left Beast Village and returned to Lingyun Dao, where he hurried to the Yin-Yang Item Storage Technique space after seeing cracks form in Amber's egg.

Amber emerged safely from her third evolution, giving Shen Bai the ability to grind two divine abilities at once, while the Chaos Organization prepared to assassinate him. Shen Bai raised three abilities to level six before receiving an invitation to travel to the Great Nan Kingdom for a Heavenly Prodigy List reassessment, and his divination produced a field of gold.

• Amber emerged from her giant egg unharmed, and Shen Bai discovered she could grant a fourfold proficiency bonus and let him grind two divine abilities simultaneously.
• Dongfang Qing met Qing Yu and three other Absolute Peak Realm experts, learned the Chaos Organization had sacrificed members to target Shen Bai, and received the Myriad Beings Resentment Art.
• Shen Bai raised the Spirit Forging Art and Yin-Yang Item Storage Technique to level six and transformed the Bone Transformation Technique into the Heart Transformation Technique.
• Ding Quan brought Shen Bai a secret invitation to travel to the Great Nan Kingdom for a reassessment of the Heavenly Prodigy List, prompting concern from Ding Quan and Hong Zhuang.
• Shen Bai suspected the Great Zhou Dynasty and Great Nan Kingdom had a larger plan that required his presence, then used the Limitless Divination Art and received a field of gold.

Shen Bai left Lingyun Dao for the Great Nan Kingdom after arranging the Heavenly Oversight Bureau’s affairs, while the First Prince began preparing to expand his control. Along the way, Shen Bai investigated a strange presence in Weng Family Village and discovered the villagers’ New Year celebrations had concealed its aura; he turned a corner and saw something that surprised him.

• Shen Bai accepted the journey to the Great Nan Kingdom, entrusted Lingyun Dao’s affairs to its officials, and departed after bidding farewell to the Heavenly Oversight Bureau.
• The First Prince learned that Shen Bai had left and began arranging to take control of the Heavenly Oversight Bureau gradually.
• Shen Bai arrived at Weng Family Village, where Village Chief Weng explained that poverty, repeated damage from battles, and resentment plagued Heavenly Goods Dao.
• Amber located a strange presence on a deserted street and explained that the villagers’ New Year atmosphere had obscured its aura.
• Shen Bai followed the strange aura around the street corner and saw something that surprised him.

Shen Bai confronted five Absolute Peak Realm members of the Chaos Organization who gathered Heavenly Goods Dao’s resentment to lure him into battle. After the enemies merged into a giant, Shen Bai broke through their resentment with his blood-red Sword Qi and brought down a colossal sword, leaving the battle’s outcome imminent.

• Shen Bai destroyed a resentment-born bizarre entity in Weng Family Village, but the remaining resentment gathered and surged toward the sky.
• Hong Zhuang identified the gathering method as the Myriad Beings Resentment Art, and five Absolute Peak Realm cultivators appeared with the Resentment Annihilation Orb.
• Dongfang Qing summoned Shen Bai to fight and threatened to unleash the resentment upon Heavenly Goods Dao, so Shen Bai flew out to face him and the four other Chaos Organization members.
• Shen Bai countered the five attackers’ combined abilities, then copied their resentment giant form to learn how its power worked.
• The five enemies merged into a hundred-zhang resentment giant, but Shen Bai absorbed some of its resentment and pierced it with blood-red Sword Qi.
• Shen Bai declared the five enemies helpless once their resentment was dissolved, and a hundred-zhang blood-red sword descended through the night.

Shen Bai defeated Dongfang Qing and left Heavenly Goods Dao with five enemies’ heads before arriving in disguise at Wuxie Mountain for the Heavenly Prodigy List revision. After protecting Qin Shuang from Lu Zhong, Shen Bai reunited with her and was summoned by Mo Xuan for an important discussion.

• Shen Bai destroyed Dongfang Qing’s resentful energy giant, killed him and the four other attackers, and left their heads with Daoist Master and the Dao Decree bearer before flying to Great Nan Kingdom.
• At Wuxie Mountain, Qin Shuang waited for Shen Bai while Lu Zhong mocked her and challenged her over her loyalty to him.
• Shen Bai revealed himself, defeated Lu Zhong with one punch, and carved countless saber wounds into him after hearing him threaten Qin Shuang.
• Shen Bai reunited with Qin Shuang and left with her after the Demon Suppressing Bureau took away Lu Zhong and collected the five heads.
• Lei Long told Shen Bai that Mo Xuan wanted to meet him, and Shen Bai agreed to go with Qin Shuang.

Mo Xuan explained that the Great Zhou Dynasty had promised Great Nan Kingdom information from the Barren Forbidden Land and Shen Bai’s potential in exchange for protection after Emperor Shengwu’s fall. After learning more about the Chaos Organization and the Heavenly Prodigy List’s paired-battle rankings, Shen Bai left with Qin Shuang as Bei Chen faced a challenge to his first-place position.

• Mo Xuan privately told Shen Bai that Great Nan Kingdom would help defend the Great Zhou Dynasty for three years if Shen Bai showed sufficient potential.
• Mo Xuan revealed that Emperor Shengwu planned to enter the Barren Forbidden Land and transmit information about it, which would be given to Great Nan Kingdom three years later.
• Mo Xuan explained that the Ten Great Forbidden Zones held clues about the Chaos Organization and its experiments across eras.
• Mo Xuan told Shen Bai that the Heavenly Prodigy List revision would rank two hundred prodigies through fairly arranged paired battles beginning the next morning.
• Shen Bai left with Qin Shuang for their neighboring lodgings, while Bei Chen heard a woman in green offer to help him keep first place.

Bei Chen accepted Yuan Ya’s secret art to preserve his first-place ranking, while Shen Bai began the Heavenly Prodigy List revision by decisively defeating Changsun Xuan and watching Qin Shuang win her match. Shen Bai’s next battle began against Jing Hai, who spread a Bagua formation across the arena.

• Yuan Ya persuaded Bei Chen to learn the Jingyue Heart Cleansing Incantation, warning that it would leave him severely weakened for half a year, and secretly planned to use his desire for victory to make him kill Shen Bai and then die himself.
• Mo Xuan opened the ranking revision, sent the prodigies into the match space, and assigned Shen Bai a first-round battle against Changsun Xuan.
• Shen Bai shattered Changsun Xuan’s Golden House with one strike of Cold Moon and won the match.
• Qin Shuang defeated her opponent, celebrated with Shen Bai, and advanced to the next round.
• After the first round and a half-hour recovery break, Shen Bai entered his next match against Jing Hai, who activated a Bagua formation covering the arena.