Chapter Summaries

Xu Xiaoshou challenged Cheng Xingchu to a contest over his spirit sword, then used his Innate Sword Intent to make the sword fly into his hand. Yu Zhiwen was flustered by Xu Xiaoshou’s dramatic display, while Cheng Xingchu was forced back into his seat.

• Xu Xiaoshou wagered that Cheng Xingchu would give him his sword if he lost, and Cheng Xingchu agreed to compete in swordsmanship.
• Xu Xiaoshou proposed that they discuss the sword path without fighting, leaving the spirit sword to choose its own master.
• Xu Xiaoshou revealed his Innate Sword Intent, and Cheng Xingchu struggled to keep his spirit sword from leaving his grasp.
• When Cheng Xingchu tried to attack, Xu Xiaoshou called, “Sword, come,” and the spirit sword flew into his hand as his unfinished spirit technique shattered.
• Xu Xiaoshou’s display flustered Yu Zhiwen, and Cheng Xingchu sprang up in anger to reclaim his sword.
• Xu Xiaoshou ordered Cheng Xingchu to sit, and a sword aura pierced him and forced him into a sitting position in midair.

Xu Xiaoshou defeated Cheng Xingchu with his Innate Sword Intent and tried to leave, but Cheng Xingchu accepted another wager after Jiang Bianyan urged him on. Cheng Xingchu staked an Origin Mansion, which Ye Xiaotian identified as ruined.

• Xu Xiaoshou defeated Cheng Xingchu with a display of Innate Sword Intent, and Ye Xiaotian stopped him from provoking his injured opponent further.
• Cheng Xingchu refused to accept his loss, but Xu Xiaoshou argued that he would have died in a life-and-death battle and invited him to wager again.
• Jiang Bianyan sent Cheng Xingchu a voice transmission, and Cheng Xingchu agreed to another wager.
• Cheng Xingchu first offered a superior technique, but Xu Xiaoshou rejected it and demanded a different stake.
• Cheng Xingchu produced an Origin Mansion, and Yu Zhiwen explained what it was before Ye Xiaotian revealed that it was ruined.

Xu Xiaoshou agreed to wager his fifth-grade spirit sword against Cheng Xingchu’s ruined Origin Mansion, believing he could restore it with the resources at hand. Cheng Xingchu set restrictive rules for their fight, but Xu Xiaoshou proposed a one-punch contest and insisted Cheng strike first.

• Ye Xiaotian explained that the Origin Mansion had lost its life laws and would require a grandmaster spatial spiritual array master and a supreme life-element treasure to repair.
• Cheng Xingchu offered the ruined Origin Mansion for Xu Xiaoshou’s fifth-grade spirit sword, and Xu agreed to the wager.
• Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi suspected Xu Xiaoshou had obtained the Life Spirit Seal, and Ye crushed a chair armrest when he realized what Elder Sang’s earlier wager implied.
• Cheng Xingchu ruled that neither fighter could use sword techniques, that only spiritual essence could be used to break defenses, and that defensive spiritual artifacts were allowed.
• Xu Xiaoshou agreed to Cheng Xingchu’s rules, proposed that each throw one punch and whoever was knocked farther back would lose, then told Cheng to strike first.

Xu Xiaoshou defeated Cheng Xingchu by enduring his Grandmaster technique and detonating fire seeds, leaving Cheng Xingchu unconscious and badly injured. After Zhao Xidong confirmed Cheng Xingchu was alive, Xu Xiaoshou asked whether his destroyed right hand could be fixed.

• Cheng Xingchu unleashed his peak Upper Spirit Realm strength and attacked Xu Xiaoshou with the Great Tortoise Profound Palm.
• Xu Xiaoshou countered with the Five-Finger Seed Imprinting Technique, and Ye Xiaotian teleported them outside the hall as the fire seeds exploded.
• Xu Xiaoshou emerged unharmed while Cheng Xingchu was blasted unconscious and crashed onto the hardstone floor.
• Zhao Xidong found Cheng Xingchu alive but discovered that his right hand had been blown away and his jade pendant shattered.
• Xu Xiaoshou asked whether Cheng Xingchu's missing hand could be fixed, alarming Hall Master Jiang.

After Xu Xiaoshou defeated Cheng Xingchu, he returned to the Spirit Palace with several powerful treasures, leaving Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi to deal with the startling revelations. Xu Xiaoshou fled after Ye Xiaotian ordered him away, but not before returning twice to retrieve the treasures he had dropped.

• Jiang Bianyan conceded defeat, carried the unconscious Cheng Xingchu away, and Yu Zhiwen followed after bidding farewell.
• Xu Xiaoshou asked whether Cheng Xingchu might seek revenge, then presented Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi with the Origin Mansion and Life Spirit Seal for repairs.
• Ye Xiaotian discovered Xu Xiaoshou had also refined a Seal Stone, and Xu Xiaoshou denied having any more treasures until A-Jie spoke from inside his robes.
• Qiao Qianzhi recognized A-Jie as another world-suppressing treasure, while Zhao Xidong accused Xu Xiaoshou of being a spy and tried to attack him.
• Ye Xiaotian ordered Xu Xiaoshou to disappear, and Xu Xiaoshou fled after handing over two treasures, then ran back twice to retrieve the white ring he had dropped.
• Ye Xiaotian roared at Xu Xiaoshou to leave for good, while Zhao Xidong collapsed in awe.

Xu Xiaoshou celebrated his newly acquired treasures, then overheard Lan Xinzi and Chao Qingteng discussing Chao Shu’s death and a plot against him. He confronted them and asked Lan Xinzi directly whether she wanted to kill him.

• Xu Xiaoshou tested his fifth-grade spirit sword against Hidden Pain and considered what to do with the Life Spirit Seal.
• Xu Xiaoshou recalled Mu Zixi’s strange power and the masked woman with Star Pupils.
• Xu Xiaoshou overheard Lan Xinzi press Chao Qingteng to help kill him, while Chao Qingteng rejected her and alluded to the truth about Chao Shu’s death.
• Xu Xiaoshou stepped out and pointed out that they should have spoken inside, revealing that he had heard their conversation.
• Lan Xinzi dismissed Xu Xiaoshou, and he asked whether she wanted to kill him.

Xu Xiaoshou confronted Lan Xinzi about the attempts on his life, and she openly admitted that she had ordered them. She revealed she wanted him dead because she found him interesting, leaving the two onlookers and the gathered crowd stunned.

• Xu Xiaoshou asked Lan Xinzi whether Zhang Xinxiong had sent Feng Kong and Shao Yi, and she admitted that she had sent them herself.
• When Chao Qingteng tried to retreat into the gatehouse, Xu Xiaoshou removed the door and stopped him from leaving.
• Xu Xiaoshou asked whether Chao Shu and Yuan Tou had acted under Lan Xinzi's orders, and she confirmed it.
• Lan Xinzi said she had first targeted Xu Xiaoshou because of Wen Chong, then became interested after he survived an Innate assassin's ambush.
• Lan Xinzi privately told Xu Xiaoshou that she wanted to kill him simply because she liked it.

Xu Xiaoshou struck first when Lan Xinzi tried to kill him, then pursued her despite the arrival of the law enforcers. Lan Xinzi escaped his attacks for the moment, but Xu Xiaoshou prepared a more powerful attack as she fled.

• Lan Xinzi revealed that she intended to kill Xu Xiaoshou and attacked him, but his Black Sword pierced her chest twice.
• Xu Xiaoshou dismissed Lan Xinzi’s attempt to heal and smashed her with a bathtub as she tried to retreat.
• A black-clad law enforcer tried to stop Xu Xiaoshou, but he knocked the enforcer into the ground with the bathtub.
• Xu Xiaoshou pursued the wounded Lan Xinzi, but her movement technique and the arriving enforcers repeatedly blocked him.
• When Lan Xinzi turned to see why Xu Xiaoshou had stopped chasing, he produced five sparks and extended his other hand.

Xu Xiaoshou faced Zhao Xidong over the aftermath of his fight with Lan Xinzi and the law enforcers, but Zhao let him go after suspecting he was tied to Elder Sang and a larger hidden scheme. As Xu prepared to leave with the injured Lan Xinzi, Zhang Xinxiong arrived and revealed he had been looking for Xu.

• Zhao Xidong confronted Xu Xiaoshou about the two law enforcers buried in pits and Lan Xinzi's injuries, while Xu insisted he had acted in self-defense.
• Zhao demanded Xu hand over the cauldron, but Xu said it belonged to Elder Sang, prompting Zhao to suspect Xu was secretly Elder Sang's disciple and part of a larger game.
• Zhao allowed Xu to leave, and Xu offered to help the injured Lan Xinzi go with him.
• Zhang Xinxiong arrived, placed a portrait of Xu Xiaoshou against his chest, and said he had long known him from afar.

Zhang Xinxiong confronted Xu Xiaoshou over Lan Xinzi and challenged him to a life-and-death match. Xu Xiaoshou rejected the month Zhang offered him to prepare, leaving their fight looming sooner.

• Zhang Xinxiong arrived and grabbed Xu Xiaoshou by the collar, asking whether he had killed Yuan Tou.
• Xu Xiaoshou denied involvement and appealed to Zhao Xidong, who intervened and suggested taking the dispute to the life-and-death arena.
• Xu Xiaoshou said he would be delighted if Zhang Xinxiong died on the spot.
• Zhang Xinxiong issued Xu Xiaoshou a challenge letter and gave him one month to prepare.
• Xu Xiaoshou said one month was too long and refused to wait that long.

Ye Xiaotian learned that Xu Xiaoshou had entered a life-and-death battle with Zhang Xinxiong and rushed to the arena, where the fight began with Zhang Xinxiong unleashing his Ancestor Bear Bloodline. The arena shattered under the black bear’s roar, leaving Xu Xiaoshou’s fate uncertain.

• Ye Xiaotian and Qiao Qianzhi discussed Xu Xiaoshou’s haul of world-suppressing treasures before a messenger reported that he had challenged Zhang Xinxiong to a life-and-death battle.
• Ye Xiaotian erupted in anger and headed for the arena after hearing the news.
• Zhou Tianshen watched Xu Xiaoshou face Zhang Xinxiong and shouted encouragement for him to fight.
• Xu Xiaoshou charged Zhang Xinxiong with his fist raised, while Zhang Xinxiong summoned the phantom of a huge black bear.
• Zhang Xinxiong’s black bear roared and blasted apart the arena, sending massive stones flying.

Xu Xiaoshou overwhelmed Zhang Xinxiong in their arena fight, revealing powerful body cultivation and techniques that countered Zhang’s Ancestor Bear Bloodline. The chapter ended with Zhang trembling in midair after Xu snapped his fingers.

• Xu Xiaoshou struck Zhang Xinxiong hard enough to send him flying and fracture his hand, then taunted him.
• Zhang Xinxiong activated his Ancestor Bear Bloodline, but Xu Xiaoshou scorched him with Emberlight Skyburn.
• Zhang Xinxiong appeared above Xu Xiaoshou and unleashed a Master-level spiritual technique, but Xu scattered its black energy with a sharp inhalation.
• Xu Xiaoshou counterattacked with a punch that shattered the arena and sent Zhang Xinxiong flying again.
• Xu Xiaoshou snapped his fingers, and Zhang Xinxiong began trembling uncontrollably in midair.

Xu Xiaoshou fought the resurrecting Zhang Xinxiong, whose Ancestral Bear bloodline gave him immense strength and rapid recovery. As Zhang Xinxiong broke into the Grandmaster Realm, Xu Xiaoshou threw A-Jie, which transformed into the Precept Blade and beheaded him.

• Zhang Xinxiong recovered from his apparent death and transformed into a massive black bear.
• Xu Xiaoshou struck Zhang Xinxiong, but the bear paw absorbed his force and hurled him away.
• Xu Xiaoshou blasted Zhang Xinxiong with five compressed fireseeds, destroying the arena as Zhang Xinxiong rapidly regenerated.
• Zhang Xinxiong broke through into the Grandmaster Realm and charged at Xu Xiaoshou.
• Xu Xiaoshou threw A-Jie, which transformed into the Precept Blade and cut off Zhang Xinxiong's head.

Xu Xiaoshou killed Zhang Xinxiong with A-Jie transformed into a precept blade, then left the arena after claiming Zhang’s spatial ring. As Ye Xiaotian questioned Elder Sang’s harsh way of teaching, Elder Sang left after saying someone was looking for him.

• Xu Xiaoshou used A-Jie’s blade form to sever Zhang Xinxiong, killing him in the life-and-death arena.
• Zhao Xidong declared Xu Xiaoshou the winner, and Xu Xiaoshou retrieved Zhang Xinxiong’s spatial ring.
• Xu Xiaoshou patted the grief-stricken Lan Xinzi on the head and told her they should watch fireworks together sometime.
• Ye Xiaotian confronted Elder Sang for letting Xu Xiaoshou’s violent nature grow, but Elder Sang insisted Xu Xiaoshou was not yet ready.
• Elder Sang said someone was looking for him and left.

Zhao Xidong questioned whether Elder Sang was connected to the Saint Slave, prompting Ye Xiaotian and the others to reconsider their doubts about Sang’s recent behavior. His suspicions focused on Sang’s role in the encirclement plan and his possible rescue of Luo Leilei, but Zhao Xidong had no evidence beyond intuition.

• Ye Xiaotian told Xiao Qixiu and Qiao Qianzhi that Xu Xiaoshou had killed Zhang Xinxiong and said Elder Sang seemed to have changed.
• Xiao Qixiu brought Zhao Xidong to meet the three seniors, and Zhao asked whether Elder Sang was connected to the Saint Slave.
• Ye Xiaotian asked Zhao Xidong to explain his reasoning, and Zhao recalled that Elder Sang had played a crucial role in the second encirclement plan.
• Zhao Xidong pointed out that Elder Sang had arrived midway rather than protecting Su Qianqian throughout, then asked whether Luo Leilei and her rescuer had died.
• Ye Xiaotian realized Zhao might suspect Sang had gone to save them, but Zhao admitted he had no evidence beyond intuition.

Ye Xiaotian ordered an investigation into Elder Sang and told Zhao Xidong to keep Xu Xiaoshou under watch. Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoshou knocked Zhou Tianshen unconscious and tried unsuccessfully to make A-Jie transform into a sword.

• Xiao Qixiu scolded Zhao Xidong for guessing that Elder Sang was a Saint Slave, but Ye Xiaotian ordered Zhao to investigate Elder Sang's past and Saint Slave connections anyway.
• Ye Xiaotian also told Zhao Xidong to keep an eye on Xu Xiaoshou and make him settle down for a few days.
• Zhou Tianshen pestered Xu Xiaoshou to show him the iron ball's saber form, so Xu Xiaoshou summoned A-Jie and let it knock Zhou unconscious.
• Xu Xiaoshou tried to command A-Jie to transform into a saber and then a sword, but it only called him Mama.
• Xu Xiaoshou cut his fingertip and dripped blood onto A-Jie, which made its eyes flash red, but it still failed to transform.

Xu Xiaoshou tested A-Jie’s transformations and discovered that his commands could turn it into a powerful ring-blade, though it also attacked him with an enormous iron pestle. After the damage drew a black-clad man’s anger, Xu Xiaoshou invoked Elder Sang’s authority and ordered him to rescue Zhou Tianshen and pretend he had seen nothing.

• Xu Xiaoshou found that saying “Shrink” turned A-Jie into an iron ball, and throwing it while commanding it to cut down a target transformed it into a devastating ring-blade.
• Xu Xiaoshou tried to make A-Jie become a sword, but it ignored his command and smashed a boulder as an iron ball.
• Xu Xiaoshou challenged A-Jie to hit him, and it transformed into a huge iron pestle that sent him crashing through more than a hundred spirit trees and knocked Zhou Tianshen flying.
• Xu Xiaoshou retrieved Zhou Tianshen and urged a black-clad man to take him to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion for treatment.
• When the black-clad man threatened to report the destruction to the headmaster, Xu Xiaoshou showed him Elder Sang’s token and ordered him to save Zhou Tianshen and claim he had seen nothing.

Xu Xiaoshou visited the Spirit Treasury Pavilion to meet Elder Sang and seek advanced pill formulas, while Mu Zixi tried to convince him she could cultivate Emberlight Skyburn. He claimed to have mastered two pills and declared himself a ninth-rank alchemist, leaving Elder Sang and Mu Zixi stunned.

• Xu Xiaoshou put away Elder Sang’s token, decided not to study A-Jie’s other forms yet, and headed for the Spirit Treasury Pavilion to find Elder Sang and seek new pill formulas.
• Elder Sang demonstrated pill-condensing to Mu Zixi, who envied Emberlight Heavenly Flame and insisted she could learn Emberlight Skyburn.
• Xu Xiaoshou arrived and teased Mu Zixi about accepting that she could not cultivate the flame before asking Elder Sang why he had summoned him.
• Xu Xiaoshou claimed he had mastered the Red-Gold Pill and Spirit Refining Pill and said he had improved the Emberlight Pill-Condensing Art into a Soup-Stewing Style.
• Mu Zixi doubted Xu Xiaoshou’s claims and said it had taken her three days to refine medicinal liquid, so Xu Xiaoshou declared himself a ninth-rank alchemist.

Xu Xiaoshou challenged Mu Zixi to an alchemy contest, claiming he could refine pills despite Elder Sang and Mu Zixi doubting him. As the contest began, Mu Zixi blew up her Little Bathtub, and Xu Xiaoshou revealed that he was more worried about the treasured cauldron than her.

• Xu Xiaoshou bet Mu Zixi that he could refine a pill, while Elder Sang offered him pill formulas and a spiritual technique if he proved it.
• Xu Xiaoshou and Mu Zixi agreed to a contest, with Mu Zixi demanding that Xu Xiaoshou return the Life Spirit Seal if he lost and Xu Xiaoshou demanding that she stop attacking him if she lost.
• Xu Xiaoshou and Mu Zixi bickered and fought until Elder Sang ordered them to separate.
• Mu Zixi tried to regain the advantage through alchemy and hurriedly loaded herbs into her Little Bathtub.
• Mu Zixi's Little Bathtub exploded, and Xu Xiaoshou asked if the treasure was okay rather than expressing concern for her.

Xu Xiaoshou tested his self-created Soup-Stewing Style of pill refinement while Mu Zixi learned to condense Red-Gold Pills. His Red-Gold Elixir astonished Elder Sang, but its resemblance to snot and a shared jar of honey left Elder Sang and Mu Zixi vomiting.

• Xu Xiaoshou refined medicinal broth in a bathtub while Mu Zixi failed several batches of Red-Gold Pills.
• Mu Zixi successfully condensed a small Red-Gold Pill on her ninth batch, earning praise from Xu Xiaoshou and Elder Sang.
• Xu Xiaoshou finished his Soup-Stewing Style and produced a golden-red Red-Gold Elixir that Mu Zixi mocked as snot.
• Elder Sang tasted the elixir and reacted with astonishment, while Mu Zixi recognized it as the honey she had already eaten from her ring.
• Xu Xiaoshou teased Mu Zixi about eating the elixir, and Elder Sang and Mu Zixi both vomited.