Chapter Summaries

Xia Wuji discovered that someone in the Sun Moon Sect had hired the Seven Kill Hall to capture Wen Shanshan and planned to use her to restrain him. He prepared a counterattack while Liu Zhengyuan personally set out to carry out the scheme, leaving his First Branch Altar behind.

• Xia Wuji learned that the concealed commission ordered Wen Shanshan captured alive and arranged with Gold Killer Tu Xin to use the mission to expose the person behind it.
• Xia Wuji suspected Liu Zhengyuan's faction, kept Bai Ye out of the matter, and told Lin Piaoxue he had already arranged for Wen Shanshan's arrival.
• Liu Zhengyuan summoned Liu Xiao, berated him for his failures, and ordered him to cultivate for the Azure Cloud Competition, where he had to rank above Xia Wuji.
• Liu Zhengyuan confirmed that the Seven Kill Hall had accepted his commission to seize Wen Shanshan and use her as leverage against Xia Wuji.
• Liu Zhengyuan killed a subordinate who questioned his plan, then secretly left the First Branch Altar through a passage in the secret chamber.

Xia Wuji reunited with Wen Shanshan, then used her aura to bait Liu Zhengyuan and Yue Bufan into a trap at the exchange site. The five flying swords attacked Yue Bufan after he discovered the empty carriage, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Xia Wuji met Wen Shanshan in a hidden cave and spent the night with her before telling her she would need to cooperate with his plan.
• Xia Wuji arranged for Wen Shanshan to be sent to Azure City, sealed her aura inside five flying swords, and took the disguised swords to the exchange site in a carriage.
• Liu Zhengyuan enlisted Yue Bufan to retrieve Wen Shanshan and planned to kill the Seven Kill Hall assassins afterward.
• Yue Bufan inspected the carriage and found only five flying swords inside instead of Wen Shanshan.
• The five flying swords transformed into blazing sword rays and shot toward Yue Bufan.

Xia Wuji captured and killed Yue Bufan after foiling his ambush, then deliberately lured Liu Zhengyuan out of hiding. Liu Zhengyuan revealed himself with a burst of power, and Xia Wuji prepared to face him.

• Xia Wuji used five flying swords and the Golden Corpse Sword Puppet to pin Yue Bufan to a boulder and cut off his arm.
• Xia Wuji unmasked Yue Bufan, recognized him as the Seventh Branch Altar master, and accused him of hiring Seven Kill Hall assassins to attack his woman.
• Xia Wuji sensed Liu Zhengyuan nearby and questioned Yue Bufan, who claimed the attack had been his own decision.
• Xia Wuji stabbed Yue Bufan through the head and destroyed his soul, but Liu Zhengyuan did not appear to save him.
• Xia Wuji pretended to fear that Liu Zhengyuan was nearby and said they should leave, prompting Liu Zhengyuan to unleash his aura and reveal himself.

Xia Wuji lured Liu Zhengyuan into a trap after Liu attacked him and tried to force him to reveal his secrets. With Tu Xin’s ambush and the Golden Corpse Sword Puppet’s strike, Xia Wuji killed Liu Zhengyuan.

• Liu Zhengyuan attacked Xia Wuji with a massive palm, but the Golden Corpse Sword Puppet pierced through the hand seal and fought him before being damaged and knocked into a crater.
• Liu Zhengyuan praised Xia Wuji’s abilities and offered to spare his life if he revealed his secrets, but Xia Wuji refused.
• Xia Wuji fled toward Tu Xin’s hiding place as the Golden Corpse Sword Puppet tried to hold Liu Zhengyuan back.
• Xia Wuji used Nine Steps to Heaven and Sword Intent to distract Liu Zhengyuan, creating an opening for Tu Xin to stab him and sever his left arm.
• The Golden Corpse Sword Puppet pierced Liu Zhengyuan through the chest, and Xia Wuji beheaded him with a flying sword.

After killing Liu Zhengyuan and Yue Bufan, Xia Wuji repaired his Golden Corpse Sword Puppet, reunited with Wen Shanshan, and prepared amid growing tension in Qing Province. He then broke through to the fourth level of the Yin Yang Realm.

• Xia Wuji ordered Tu Xin to erase the traces of Liu Zhengyuan's death and return to the stronghold to carry out his earlier instructions.
• Xia Wuji repaired the damaged Golden Corpse Sword Puppet and ordered an investigation into the rare Life Source Stone needed to strengthen it.
• Lin Piaoxue brought Wen Shanshan to meet Xia Wuji, and the three spent time together.
• The Azure Cloud Competition advanced across Qing Province as the Sun Moon Sect discovered Liu Zhengyuan and Yue Bufan were missing and the Twelve Fiends remained quiet.
• Xia Wuji rebuilt Wen Shanshan's cultivation foundation while Lin Piaoxue's Yin Yang Spirit Martial Art progressed rapidly.
• Xia Wuji cultivated and broke through to the fourth level of the Yin Yang Realm.

After reaching the fourth layer of the Yin Yang Realm, Xia Wuji found his sword cultivation stalled and prepared for the Azure Cloud Competition as the Twelve Fiends’ attacks loomed. He accepted Liu Xiao’s apology outwardly but decided to have the Seven Kill Hall assassinate him and blame the Twelve Fiends.

• Xia Wuji’s Sword Intent reached perfection, but he could not advance to the Sword Heart Realm without a top-grade sixth-grade spirit sword, and he still lacked a Life Source Stone for his sword puppet.
• Xia Wuji told Tu Xin that the Azure Cloud Competition’s top hundred were heading to Azure City and ordered the Seven Kill Hall to watch for the Twelve Fiends without acting rashly.
• Ren Tianxing, Lin Bin, and Huang Bo arrived in Azure City with their forces as the Azure Cloud Competition neared its decisive battles and the Fiend Extermination Alliance’s announcement approached.
• Xia Wuji met Zhang Jian, congratulated him on reaching the Nirvana Realm, and asked about Yin Mountain, where Zhang reported that the blockade remained secure.
• Liu Xiao apologized to Xia Wuji for his past offenses, but after leaving, Xia Wuji decided to have the Seven Kill Hall kill him and frame the Twelve Fiends.

Xia Wuji reviewed intelligence on the Azure Cloud Competition, then led Sun Moon Sect forces out of Qing City to rescue endangered geniuses. Liu Xiao agreed to help a mysterious figure control Xia Wuji, but Xia Wuji sensed Liu Xiao’s arrival and declared that he had come to die.

• Xia Wuji read Ren Tianxing’s report on the competition’s strongest contenders and then spent time with Lin Piaoxue and Wen Shanshan.
• Ren Tianxing told Xia Wuji that the Twelve Fiends had ambushed and killed geniuses near Qing City, so Xia Wuji led a rescue mission outside the city.
• Xia Wuji dispersed his people across the wilderness and sent Bai Ye and Zhang Jian out to provide support.
• Liu Xiao agreed to approach Xia Wuji and activate a soul talisman so a mysterious figure could control Xia Wuji and take over the Sun Moon Sect.
• Xia Wuji summoned Tu Xin and ordered him to kill Liu Xiao, then realized Liu Xiao was already coming to him and said he had come to die.

Liu Xiao tried to lure Xia Wuji close so he could use a Soul Seizing Talisman, but Xia Wuji had Tu Xin ambush and kill him. Xia Wuji discovered that the talisman could lead him to its maker and set out with Tu Xin, planning to infiltrate the Soul Fiend Evil Lord’s circle.

• Liu Xiao approached Xia Wuji and pretended to offer information about Liu Zhengyuan and Yue Bufan to gain his trust.
• Tu Xin stabbed Liu Xiao from behind, shattered his meridians, and dragged him before Xia Wuji.
• Xia Wuji revealed that he had never intended to spare Liu Xiao and crushed his head beneath his foot.
• Tu Xin found a Soul Seizing Talisman hidden in Liu Xiao’s sleeve, and Xia Wuji explained that it could suppress a target’s soul and enable possession.
• Xia Wuji used the talisman’s aura to track its maker within a hundred li and left with Tu Xin, intending to plant a mole near the Soul Fiend Evil Lord.

Xia Wuji and Gold Killer Tu Xin pursued the wounded Qin Sheng, Soul Fiend Evil Lord’s eldest disciple, after he escaped their attack. Xia Wuji planted the Soul Splitting Technique in Qin Sheng’s soul, then let him leave as a hidden piece to use when the time was right.

• Qin Sheng tried to flee his cave, but Gold Killer Tu Xin and the Golden Corpse Sword Puppet struck him and forced him to escape after detonating two sixth-grade low-grade spirit artifacts.
• Xia Wuji followed Qin Sheng to a cave, where Tu Xin identified him as Qin Sheng, the Soul Fiend Evil Lord’s eldest disciple.
• Xia Wuji used the Soul Splitting Technique to plant an imprint in Qin Sheng’s soul origin, giving him a way to seize control of Qin Sheng later.
• Qin Sheng woke, believed he had escaped the two Nirvana Realm experts, and quietly fled into the wilderness while Xia Wuji watched from the shadows.

Xia Wuji returned to Azure City with the Sun Moon Sect after their rescue mission and encountered Sikong Bo and Sikong Ming of the True Dragon Hall. Sikong Ming attacked under the pretense of helping Xia Wuji refine his Dragon Qi, and Xia Wuji prepared to turn the attempted theft against him.

• Xia Wuji returned safely to camp, and Bai Ye and Zhang Jian assumed Liu Xiao had died during the Twelve Fiends' attack.
• The Sun Moon Sect group returned to Azure City, where they met Sikong Bo and his son Sikong Ming preparing to leave on another rescue mission.
• Sikong Bo and Sikong Ming offered to help Xia Wuji refine his Dragon Qi, but Bai Ye grew suspicious and tried to stop them.
• Sikong Ming suddenly attacked Xia Wuji with a three-clawed dragon shadow while Sikong Bo restrained Bai Ye and Zhang Jian.
• Sikong Ming used the Dragon Transformation Art to try to drain Xia Wuji's unrefined Dragon Qi, hoping to strengthen his own dragon shadow.
• Xia Wuji told Bai Ye and Zhang Jian not to worry and said he would accept Sikong Ming's kindness, hinting that he would make Sikong Ming pay in kind.

Si Kongming tried to absorb the unrefined Dragon Qi in Xia Wuji, but Xia Wuji turned the Dragon Transformation Art against him and seized most of his Dragon Qi. Si Kongming accused Xia Wuji of harming him and threatened to fight to the death.

• Si Kongming used the Dragon Transformation Art on Xia Wuji, hoping to absorb his Dragon Qi and strengthen his standing in the True Dragon Hall.
• When Si Kongming increased the force, Xia Wuji’s Dragon Qi seized the three-clawed dragon phantom and began dragging it into his body.
• Si Kongming lost control of his Dragon Qi and called for his father, Vice Hall Master Sikong, to save him.
• Vice Hall Master Sikong attacked Xia Wuji, but Bai Ye and Zhang Jian blocked his palm while he tried to pull the dragon phantom back.
• The phantom broke, and Si Kongming recovered only part of it; his Dragon Qi condensed into a one-clawed phantom instead of a three-clawed one.
• Si Kongming accused Xia Wuji of scheming against him and threatened to fight him unless he returned the Dragon Qi.

Xia Wuji denied responsibility after Sikongming lost most of his Dragon Qi, and Vice Hall Master Sikong tried to seize it by force. Ren Tianxing intervened, wounded Vice Hall Master Sikong with the Sun Moon Twin Blades, and warned Qingzhou against harming Xia Wuji.

• Xia Wuji accused Sikongming of failing to control the Dragon Transformation Art, while Vice Hall Master Sikong demanded that he return Sikongming’s Dragon Qi.
• Bai Ye and Zhang Jian stood with Xia Wuji as Vice Hall Master Sikong prepared to attack them and prevent the Sun Moon Sect from leaving.
• Ren Tianxing arrived and used the Sun Moon Twin Blades to break Vice Hall Master Sikong’s saber and wound both his shoulders.
• Ren Tianxing warned Vice Hall Master Sikong, checked that Xia Wuji was unharmed, and unleashed his killing intent as a warning to everyone in Qingzhou.

After Xia Wuji controlled and refined the Dragon Qi Si Kongming had forced into his body, he emerged from seclusion stronger and prepared for the Azure Cloud Competition. Ren Tianxing led Xia Wuji and the Sun Moon Sect’s other contestants to Azure City for the competition’s opening.

• Ren Tianxing returned to the Sun Moon Spirit Market with Xia Wuji and ordered Bai Ye and Zhang Jian to demand an explanation from the True Dragon Hall.
• Xia Wuji instantly controlled Si Kongming’s rampaging Dragon Qi, so Ren Tianxing arranged for him to enter seclusion and conceal his ability.
• Li Miaozhen refused Sikong Bo’s demands to take Xia Wuji’s Dragon Qi and punish Ren Tianxing, and reprimanded Si Kongming.
• During two days of cultivation, Xia Wuji refined Si Kongming’s Dragon Qi, reached the fourth layer of the Yin Yang Realm, and improved his control of the Seven Emotions Flying Swords.
• Ren Tianxing gathered the Sun Moon Sect’s six Azure Cloud Competition contestants and led them toward Azure City and the Azure Cloud Arena.

Azure Province's five great forces gathered at the Azure Cloud Arena for the Azure Cloud Competition, where Xia Wuji faced hostility from several rival prodigies. Yang Hannan announced the rules and rewards, and the contestants stepped forward to draw lots as the competition began.

• Ren Tianxing brought Xia Wuji and the Sun Moon Sect delegation to the arena, where Huang Bo and Lin Bin's alliance highlighted the shifting balance among the three sects.
• Hu Hai, Lin Shuang'er, and Sikong Ming watched Xia Wuji with hostility over their recent clashes with him.
• Li Miaozhen and Luo Chuan arrived with the True Dragon Hall and Pill Pagoda delegations, drawing attention to the unresolved conflict between Sikong Ming and Xia Wuji.
• Yang Hannan announced that contestants could use at most two spirit artifacts and ruled that Xia Wuji's flying swords counted as one set.
• Yang Hannan revealed the prizes for the top twelve, including a Grade Six Upper Rank Spirit Artifact, a Pure Origin Great Return Pill, and a Heaven Rank Middle-grade martial art inheritance for first place.
• Yang Hannan called the contestants to draw lots, and the Azure Cloud Competition began.

Xia Wuji faced Wu Xu of the Myriad Law Sect in the Azure Cloud Competition’s sixth match after Wu Xu drew the same lot as him. Wu Xu used the Nine Spirits Whip to counter Xia Wuji’s flying swords, but Xia Wuji declared that one sword would be enough and launched a blazing sword strike.

• The contestants drew lots, and Xia Wuji drew number six while Si Kongming, Hu Hai, Lin Shuang'er, and Meng Ting drew different numbers.
• Wu Xu drew number six and vowed to eliminate Xia Wuji, claiming he could render Xia Wuji’s flying swords useless.
• The first five matches took place, with a contestant from the Sky Eagle Sect decisively defeating a rival from a minor force in the second match.
• Wu Xu entered the arena for the sixth match and revealed the Myriad Law Sect’s Nine Spirits Whip, which spectators recognized as a weapon prepared to counter Xia Wuji’s flying swords.
• Xia Wuji dismissed Wu Xu’s threat, said one sword would be enough, and launched a blazing streak of sword light.

Xia Wuji defeated Wu Xu with a single flying sword, while Hu Hai won his match but nearly attacked his opponent after she mocked him. After the first round ended, Xia Wuji drew Hu Hai as his opponent for the second round, which would take place the next day.

• Xia Wuji used the Thousand Mechanisms Flying Sword to pierce Wu Xu and force him to concede, then returned to Ren Tianxing.
• A Myriad Law Sect elder blamed Wu Xu for his defeat and gave the Nine Spirits Whip to Lin Shuang'er, who challenged Xia Wuji; Xia Wuji called her trash.
• Hu Hai forced a True Dragon Hall disciple to concede, then tried to attack her after she mocked him as Hu Tunshi, but Yang Hannan stopped him and Huang Bo calmed him down.
• Si Kongming, Meng Ting, Lin Shuang'er, Qin Lie, Mu Wan, and Yi Shengnan won their matches as the Azure Cloud Competition's first round concluded.
• Xia Wuji drew lot number three for the second round, and Hu Hai drew the same number, prompting Hu Hai to threaten him while Xia Wuji mocked his beast-soul strength.

Xia Wuji prepared for his second-round Azure Cloud Competition match against Hu Hai while seeking a way to forge a Sixth Grade Supreme Rank spirit sword. Hu Hai received a Soul Calming Spirit Jade to control his beast soul, and the chapter ended as the rivals arrived at the arena for their anticipated battle.

• After Hu Hai's beast soul caused him to lose control, Huang Bo knocked him unconscious, and Yang Hannan postponed the second round until the next day.
• Ren Tianxing warned Xia Wuji that Hu Hai's beast-soul power could make him stronger than most first-stage Life and Death Realm martial artists, but Xia Wuji remained confident.
• Xia Wuji asked about upgrading his first-place reward to a Sixth Grade Supreme Rank spirit artifact, and Ren Tianxing promised Sun Moon Sect materials if Xia Wuji won first place.
• Huang Bo gave Hu Hai a Sixth Grade Lower Rank Soul Calming Spirit Jade and threatened to replace him as Young Sect Master if he lost to Xia Wuji.
• The next morning, Ren Tianxing and Huang Bo exchanged barbs as their groups arrived at the crowded Azure Cloud Arena, where Hu Hai and Xia Wuji prepared to face each other.

Xia Wuji faced Sky Eagle Sect Young Sect Master Hu Hai in the Azure Cloud Competition’s second round, where Hu Hai attacked with the power of his Blood Clawed Grey Eagle beast soul. Xia Wuji unleashed the Dragon Transformation Art, and his three-clawed divine dragon drove Hu Hai’s eagle soul from his body.

• A True Dragon Hall disciple defeated the Sky Eagle Sect’s second-seeded contestant in the opening battle, and a Pill Pagoda martial artist quickly won the next match.
• Xia Wuji and Hu Hai entered the arena for their highly anticipated seeded-contestant battle, while Lin Shuang'er mocked Xia Wuji’s chances.
• Hu Hai revealed a Soul Calming Spirit Jade and attacked Xia Wuji with his Spirit Claw, but Xia Wuji casually evaded his strikes.
• Hu Hai dove at Xia Wuji with the Blood Clawed Grey Eagle phantom and Spirit Claw, unleashing power strong enough to tear through the arena floor.
• Xia Wuji released the Dragon Transformation Art, sending out a three-clawed divine dragon that terrified Hu Hai’s genuine eagle soul and drove it from his body.

Xia Wuji defeated Hu Hai by destroying the Blood Clawed Grey Eagle soul sealed inside him, then faced scrutiny from Sikong Bo over his use of the Dragon Transformation Art. After the competition’s next-round matchups were set, Xia Wuji and Lin Shuang'er arranged to fight directly, leaving her confident she would end his run.

• Xia Wuji's Dragon Might shattered Hu Hai's Blood Clawed Grey Eagle soul, and his Blazing Embers sword pierced Hu Hai before Xia Wuji knocked broken black iron ore into his mouth.
• Sikong Bo accused Xia Wuji of stealing the True Dragon Hall's Dragon Transformation Art, but Li Miaozhen defended him and told Sikong Bo to seek answers at the Dragon Transformation Gate after the round.
• Yang Hannan declared Xia Wuji the winner, while Huang Bo had the injured Hu Hai dragged away after Hu Hai sprayed him with broken teeth and iron ore.
• The forty-eight-to-twenty-four round ended with eighteen contestants from the five top-tier powers and six from ordinary powers advancing; several other competitors won or were eliminated.
• Lin Shuang'er asked to choose her opponent, and Xia Wuji challenged her in return; Li Miaozhen approved their match as the first battle of the next round.
• Lin Shuang'er told Xia Wuji that his Azure Cloud Competition run would end against her.

After Xia Wuji explained how he obtained the Dragon Transformation Art, the True Dragon Hall accepted him, and Sikong Bo tried to mend their strained relationship with an apology and gifts. The next morning, Xia Wuji arrived at the Azure Cloud Arena, where Lin Shuang'er challenged him before their opening match.

• At the Sun Moon Spirit Market, a True Dragon Hall elder told Ren Tianxing and Xia Wuji that Li Miaozhen welcomed Xia Wuji to visit the hall.
• Xia Wuji told Ren Tianxing that the dragon soul had granted him Dragon Qi and passed on the Dragon Transformation Art; Ren Tianxing encouraged him to build ties with the True Dragon Hall.
• Li Miaozhen, Sikong Bo, and Yang Hannan questioned the dragon soul, which defended its decision to help Xia Wuji; Li Miaozhen warned Sikong Bo not to cause more trouble.
• Sikong Bo decided to apologize to Xia Wuji, but Sikong Ming refused to go and vowed to defeat Xia Wuji in the competition.
• Sikong Bo visited the Sun Moon Spirit Market and left a Storage Ring of Origin Stones and medicinal pills for Xia Wuji, who received it the next morning.
• Xia Wuji arrived at the Azure Cloud Arena, where Lin Shuang'er cracked her Nine Spirits Whip and declared that she had been waiting for him.