Chapter Summaries

Su Qianqian and Rao Yinyin were hiding in the Inner Court when a masked stranger entered their room and demanded to see Snowfall over Tomb City. He repelled Su Qianqian's attack with ease and declared that no sword in the world could strike him.

• Su Qianqian and Rao Yinyin discussed the attacks on Tiansang Spirit Palace and the burden of Su Qianqian's sword-bearer role.
• A noise from the back-mountain hot springs alerted the two girls, and a masked man entered their room asking how to reach the Inner Court.
• Rao Yinyin tried to protect Su Qianqian, but the greatsword's frigid energy struck her and the masked man hurled her into a wall.
• The masked man asked to examine Snowfall over Tomb City, but Su Qianqian refused and attacked him with Stele Weight.
• The masked man stopped the sword from a distance and sent Su Qianqian crashing through the roof, then warned her that no sword could strike him.

The masked man defeated Rao Yinyin and confronted Su Qianqian, using Snowfall over Tomb City and revelations about her family to provoke her. Su Qianqian broke through as myriad swords gathered to face him.

• The masked man struck Rao Yinyin down and left her trapped beneath rubble, unable to warn Su Qianqian.
• The masked man took Snowfall over Tomb City from Su Qianqian and told her he had visited the Su Family in Tiansang Commandery.
• Su Qianqian unleashed her peak Innate sword intent, but the masked man stopped her manifested sword with two fingers.
• The masked man claimed he had killed many of Su Qianqian's relatives and revealed that her family had obtained fake famous swords to protect her.
• Su Qianqian rejected his claims, and her sword aura surged as the Red Illusion Flower Millet formed a forest of swords around him.
• A breakthrough sword cry rang across Tiansang Spirit Palace, and its sword cultivators felt their swords tremble as someone identified the technique as Myriad Swords Return to the Sect.

Cen Qiaofu overwhelmed the Spirit Palace elders and exposed Qiao Qianzhi’s attempt to trap him with the Eight Prison Pillars. Xiao Qixiu rushed off after realizing Su Qianqian was in danger, while the others fought to hold Cen Qiaofu back.

• Cen Qiaofu revealed that he was a grandmaster of spirit arrays and recognized Qiao Qianzhi’s planned Eight Prison Pillars formation.
• A sword cry alerted Xiao Qixiu that Su Qianqian might have reached master-level sword intent, and he realized the masked man had gone to find a famed sword.
• Xiao Qixiu fled toward Su Qianqian, but Cen Qiaofu pursued and struck at him until Ye Xiaotian intercepted the blow.
• Qiao Qianzhi activated the Eight Prison Pillars, and Ye Xiaotian and the other elders joined forces to blast Cen Qiaofu and destroy the nearby Spirit Palace Grand Formation.
• Cen Qiaofu survived the blast, drew his iron axe, and prepared to fight harder as Qiao Qianzhi resolved to risk his life for his disciple.

Xu Xiaoshou sensed trouble in the back mountain and rushed there after sending Mu Zixi to find Elder Sang. The Masked Man had knocked out Su Qianqian and taken Snowfall over Tomb City, then faced Xiao Qixiu as he drew his sword to protect her.

• Xu Xiaoshou detected a new Swordmaster Sword Will in the back mountain and suspected the Masked Man had come for Snowfall over Tomb City.
• Xu Xiaoshou sent Mu Zixi to find Elder Sang, then hurried toward the back mountain while telling himself he would only observe from a distance.
• The Masked Man struck Su Qianqian unconscious just after her Swordmaster breakthrough, crushed her Sword Will, and took Snowfall over Tomb City.
• The Masked Man began coughing, changed masks, and wondered where Wen Ming was.
• Xiao Qixiu arrived bloodied and drew his sword against the Masked Man, who left Su Qianqian to him but refused to give up the sword.

The masked man used Xiao Qixiu’s hesitation and attachments to shatter his Sword Dao, leaving him near death. Just as Xiao Qixiu believed the masked man had escaped unharmed, a sword pierced the man’s chest.

• The masked man challenged Xiao Qixiu’s resolve, then helped him reaffirm his Sword Dao before urging him to follow and draw his sword.
• Su Qianqian grabbed Xiao Qixiu’s lapel and shook her head, stopping him from pursuing the masked man.
• The masked man condemned Xiao Qixiu for having too many attachments, causing his newly restored Dao to collapse.
• Xiao Qixiu vomited blood, fell to his knees, and realized the masked man had manipulated him into denying his own Dao.
• A crash sounded nearby, and Xiao Qixiu and Su Qianqian saw the masked man clutching his chest with a sword through it.

Xu Xiaoshou exploited the masked man's injuries by disguising himself as a sword-practicing night runner and impaling him. When the masked man tore away part of Xu Xiaoshou's disguise, both recognized the danger of the encounter.

• Xu Xiaoshou watched the masked man confront Xiao Qixiu and deduced that the man was badly injured and unable to fight at full strength.
• Xu Xiaoshou disguised himself, covered his eyes, and ran toward the masked man while practicing sword techniques to make their collision seem accidental.
• The masked man repeatedly stepped aside, but Xu Xiaoshou's evasive movements brought him back into the man's path, and his black sword pierced the masked man's chest.
• Xu Xiaoshou apologized, took the masked man's communication jade, and prodded the sword wound while claiming he had not meant to hurt him.
• The masked man suddenly rose and tore away half of Xu Xiaoshou's mask, leaving both men stunned as Xu Xiaoshou realized he might be recognized.

Xu Xiaoshou discovered that the masked man had become weak and bombarded him with fire seeds, while Elder Sang arrived with medicine to save Xiao Qixiu. When the masked man unleashed a great sword, Xu Xiaoshou realized he had pushed too far and fled.

• The masked man seized Xu Xiaoshou, but Xu Xiaoshou counterattacked and realized his opponent could barely defend himself.
• Xu Xiaoshou blasted the masked man with fire seeds as Xiao Qixiu and Su Qianqian watched in disbelief.
• Xiao Qixiu realized the masked man had been bluffing, while Elder Sang arrived with a pill bottle to treat him.
• Xu Xiaoshou noticed the masked man's advanced Mental Force holding his shattered body together and prepared to attack again.
• Elder Sang warned Xu Xiaoshou to stop, but the masked man summoned a great sword, and Xu Xiaoshou ran for his life.

Xu Xiaoshou’s reckless attempt to escape the masked man’s sword was stopped by Elder Sang, who intercepted the strike and knocked him aside. As Xu Xiaoshou recognized the gap between his strength and that of true powerhouses, he collided with Cen Qiaofu, leaving the axe-wielding old man bewildered by the sword wounds he received.

• Cen Qiaofu overwhelmed Ye Xiaotian and Jiang Bianyan, leaving both elders badly wounded as the Spirit Palace defenders struggled to hold him off.
• The masked man unleashed Snowfall over Tomb City’s full power, sending a deep-blue sword light after Xu Xiaoshou.
• Elder Sang intercepted the sword light with his fist and shoved Xu Xiaoshou away from the clash.
• Xu Xiaoshou realized his passive skills and limited cultivation could not match the power of the masked man and other great fighters.
• Elder Sang flicked Xu Xiaoshou aside, and Xu Xiaoshou collided with Cen Qiaofu, who was shocked by the sword-like wounds across his face and asked whether Xu Xiaoshou was a hedgehog.

Elder Sang trapped the masked man and Cen Qiaofu inside a blazing Dragon-Fusion Realm, while Xu Xiaoshou’s allies learned that he had helped wound the masked man. The chapter left Xu Xiaoshou being doubted again as the battle inside the flames was about to begin.

• Xu Xiaoshou recognized Cen Qiaofu as a powerful Saint Slave after seeing the bloodied Throne-level experts behind him.
• Elder Sang burned away the masked man’s sword aura, then enclosed himself, Cen Qiaofu, and the masked man in a white world of flames.
• Qiao Qianzhi and Ye Xiaotian arrived and questioned why Xu Xiaoshou had not hidden, while Xiao Qixiu credited him with saving his life.
• Xu Xiaoshou claimed he had stabbed the masked man, and Xiao Qixiu confirmed it as the others reacted with disbelief.
• Xu Xiaoshou sensed that the people inside the flames were about to fight, but Qiao Qianzhi accused him of boasting again.

Xu Xiaoshou watched Elder Sang battle Cen Qiaofu and the masked man inside the Dragon-Fusion Realm. Elder Sang trapped them in burning spheres and began compressing the flames into human-sized orbs, leaving Xu Xiaoshou stunned by a technique resembling his own pill-condensing method.

• Xu Xiaoshou watched the battle through Ye Xiaotian’s Grand Heaven-Shifting Mirror as Elder Sang struck Cen Qiaofu with white flames.
• Cen Qiaofu’s axe failed to break the Dragon-Fusion Realm, whose barrier swallowed his power and fed its flames.
• Elder Sang unleashed the Emberlight Heavenly Flame, burning Cen Qiaofu and the masked man and damaging their Dao foundations.
• The masked man urged Cen Qiaofu to escape, but Elder Sang split the Dragon-Fusion Realm into two burning spheres and compressed them into human-sized orbs.
• Xu Xiaoshou recognized Elder Sang’s compression technique as resembling pill-condensing.

Elder Sang trapped the masked man and Cen Qiaofu in blazing Dragon-Fusion Realm fireballs, then detonated them, but the masked man survived and Cen Qiaofu remained standing. The masked man asked to leave with Cen Qiaofu, while Elder Sang insisted that the famous sword stay, leaving the Spirit Palace to weigh the danger of keeping them there.

• Elder Sang compressed the masked man and Cen Qiaofu inside blazing fireballs with his Dragon-Fusion Realm, but neither man could break free.
• The fireballs went still, and Elder Sang detonated them, scorching the back mountain and sending heat across the academy.
• The masked man survived the blast, while Cen Qiaofu stood aged and weakened, still holding his axe.
• The masked man asked to leave with Cen Qiaofu, but Elder Sang said he could go only if he left the famous sword behind.
• Xiao Qixiu confirmed that Elder Sang and the masked man had known each other, while Ye Xiaotian warned that fighting further could draw powerful outsiders to the scene.
• Jiang Bianyan regretted not taking the earlier request for aid seriously as the masked man’s departure and the sword’s fate remained unsettled.

Su Qianqian grieved over the losses caused by the sword while Rao Yinyin comforted her. After the masked man subdued Elder Sang and Cen Qiaofu, he asked Xu Xiaoshou to leave with him, but Xu refused.

• Su Qianqian broke down over her family and loved ones, and Rao Yinyin comforted her, telling her the fault sometimes lay with the world.
• Snowfall over Tomb City reacted with grief, but the masked man brought the sword back under his control.
• Elder Sang's attack caused the masked man and Cen Qiaofu to suffer injuries, and the masked man stopped them from fighting further.
• Cen Qiaofu broke open the grand array as the group prepared to leave, but the masked man asked Xu Xiaoshou to come with him.
• Xu Xiaoshou refused the masked man's offer, saying he did not need anyone to teach him his sword path.

Xu Xiaoshou rejected the masked man’s attempts to recruit him, taunting him until the Saint Slave pair prepared to flee the approaching White-clothed Ones. He then demanded the masked man’s sword as the price of joining them, and the chapter ended with Cen Qiaofu restraining the furious man as Elder Sang’s flames spread to him.

• Xu Xiaoshou asked who the masked man was and mocked Lei Shuangxing as impulsive after learning he might still be alive.
• The masked man offered to guarantee Xu Xiaoshou would reach Sword Master within a year, but Xu Xiaoshou said a year was too long and haggled down to half a year.
• Xu Xiaoshou revealed that Elder Sang had also compared him to himself, embarrassing Elder Sang and amusing Qiao Qianzhi.
• Jiang Bianyan spotted the approaching White-clothed Ones, prompting Cen Qiaofu and the masked man to prepare to leave.
• Xu Xiaoshou said he might join the masked man if he gave him his sword, then demanded the sword first and exposed his continued teasing.
• Cen Qiaofu tried to drag the furious masked man away, but the masked man complained that Elder Sang’s fire had spread to him.

After the battle at Spirit Palace ended, Xu Xiaoshou questioned Elder Sang about the masked man’s repeated attacks and learned that Elder Sang’s physical strength far exceeded his own. The chapter left Xu Xiaoshou stunned by the possibility that Elder Sang had a Throne-level body.

• Xu Xiaoshou asked why the group had let Cen Qiaofu and the masked man escape, and Qiao Qianzhi and Ye Xiaotian explained that the two had held back and were too powerful to stop.
• Elder Sang arrived, questioned Jiang Bianyan about Holy Spirit Hall, and dismissed everyone after the battle ended.
• Xu Xiaoshou stayed behind with Elder Sang and asked whether he could have left with the masked man; Elder Sang said Xu Xiaoshou had to make his own choice and struggle against fate.
• Xu Xiaoshou mocked Elder Sang for allowing his territory to be attacked twice, and Elder Sang struck him into the ground.
• Xu Xiaoshou discovered that Elder Sang’s physical body might have reached the Throne level and wondered how far beyond the Master realm he had advanced.

After recovering from the previous night's events, Xu Xiaoshou went to the Spirit Affairs Pavilion to post a repair task and discovered that rumors had made him famous. His attempt to give one girl an autograph triggered a crowd frenzy, leaving the pavilion in chaos as disciples called for Elder Qiao.

• Xu Xiaoshou woke in a damaged guest room after returning to the outer court, while Su Qianqian and Rao Yinyin recovered from their injuries.
• Xu Xiaoshou went to the Spirit Affairs Pavilion to post a repair task and drew attention from disciples spreading bizarre rumors about his appearance.
• Xu Xiaoshou learned that Elder Qiao was absent and agreed to sign a young girl's notebook.
• Xu Xiaoshou's autograph prompted jealous disciples to crowd around him, and his attempt to quiet them failed.
• The crowd swarmed Xu Xiaoshou and shook the pavilion as a disciple called for Elder Qiao before being swallowed by the crush.

Xu Xiaoshou tried to avoid Zhao Xidong’s summons from the dean, but their argument turned into a scuffle that sent Zhao flying and left him bleeding. Zhao eventually asked Xu Xiaoshou to come along, and Xu Xiaoshou’s next move was left unresolved.

• Xu Xiaoshou escaped the crowd at the Spirit Affairs Pavilion and learned from Zhao Xidong that the dean wanted to see him.
• Xu Xiaoshou tried to evade Zhao by claiming Elder Sang had called him to the Spirit Treasury Pavilion.
• Zhao Xidong grabbed Xu Xiaoshou, but Xu Xiaoshou’s passive retaliation launched him into the air and injured him.
• The crowd heard Zhao accuse Xu Xiaoshou and cried out from the crush of people piled inside the pavilion.
• Zhao Xidong dropped his plan to take Xu Xiaoshou to the Spirit Law Pavilion and asked him to come see the dean.

Xu Xiaoshou left the Spirit Affairs Pavilion with Zhao Xidong while the crowd fought over his autograph. At the New Council Hall, Ye Xiaotian rejected Jiang Bianyan’s offer for White Cavern slots and proposed a match to decide their dispute, awaiting the arrival of his chosen fighter.

• Xu Xiaoshou agreed to accompany Zhao Xidong, leaving the Spirit Affairs Pavilion as the Arhats fought over the autograph he had signed.
• Qiao Qianzhi objected when Jiang Bianyan sought two White Cavern slots, arguing that the Spirit Palace had too few to spare.
• Jiang Bianyan offered a ring of resources and argued that the newly promoted disciples were too weak to enter the dangerous White Cavern.
• Ye Xiaotian rejected the offer and proposed that each side send one person to fight for the slots.
• Cheng Xingchu questioned whether the Spirit Palace had anyone to challenge him, and Ye Xiaotian announced that his chosen fighter had arrived.

Xu Xiaoshou entered the council hall to meet the people gathered for a planned contest, and his handshake with Yu Zhiwen surprised Cheng Xingchu and Zhao Xidong. The chapter ended with Xu Xiaoshou introducing himself in a way that left Yu Zhiwen blankly confused.

• Zhao Xidong arrived, and Ye Xiaotian clarified that he was only there to lead the main participant in.
• Xu Xiaoshou poked his head around the doorway before Ye Xiaotian called him inside.
• Xu Xiaoshou greeted Ye Xiaotian, Qiao Qianzhi, and Jiang Bianyan, then walked past Cheng Xingchu to greet Yu Zhiwen.
• Yu Zhiwen stood and shook Xu Xiaoshou's hand, surprising Cheng Xingchu and Zhao Xidong.
• Xu Xiaoshou praised Yu Zhiwen's name and introduced himself as Xu Xiaoshou, leaving her confused.

Ye Xiaotian tried to persuade Xu Xiaoshou to fight Cheng Xingchu by promising him the spoils from the Heavenly Mystery Gate and another reward. Xu Xiaoshou agreed, then immediately sat back down and challenged Cheng Xingchu to name anything he could beat him at besides cultivation.

• Jiang Bianyan suggested Xu Xiaoshou was too weak to fight Cheng Xingchu, but Ye Xiaotian insisted his strength exceeded his cultivation.
• Ye Xiaotian offered Xu Xiaoshou the Heavenly Mystery Gate spoils and an additional reward if he defeated Cheng Xingchu.
• Xu Xiaoshou eagerly accepted the contest, seeing Cheng Xingchu as the obstacle keeping his treasures from being acknowledged.
• Cheng Xingchu told Xu Xiaoshou to set the rules, and Xu Xiaoshou sat back down, asking what he could possibly beat him at besides cultivation.

Xu Xiaoshou provoked Cheng Xingchu while distracting Yu Zhiwen from using her starry eyes, then agreed to a match on his own terms. After learning Cheng Xingchu wielded a fifth-grade spiritual sword, Xu Xiaoshou proposed that they compare their physical bodies.

• Cheng Xingchu challenged Xu Xiaoshou, while Yu Zhiwen tried to use her starry eyes and was startled when Xu Xiaoshou stared directly at her.
• Xu Xiaoshou mocked Cheng Xingchu for still wanting to compete, then accepted the match after Cheng Xingchu insisted.
• Xu Xiaoshou asked to set the rules and sat beside Yu Zhiwen to discuss the Dao, while Cheng Xingchu reluctantly found another seat.
• Xu Xiaoshou learned that Cheng Xingchu's sword was fifth grade and watched him demonstrate its spiritual control.
• Xu Xiaoshou proposed that he and Cheng Xingchu compare their physical bodies.