Chapter Summaries

Su Yu used the Cold Abyss Sword to practice the Thunderbolt Sword Art and reached Lesser Accomplishment by mastering its third form, Thunderbolt Piercing. With the three days over, he prepared to attend the genius gathering at Haiyun Pavilion.

• Su Yu decided to improve the Thunderbolt Sword Art because his Thunder Intent had reached Lesser Accomplishment and the Cold Abyss Sword could support his strength.
• Su Yu refined Thunderbolt Flash and Thunderbolt Strike, making their power more controlled and concentrated.
• Su Yu practiced Thunderbolt Piercing and used his Gold Intent insights to compress thunder into a precise strike.
• Su Yu pierced the Sword Testing Stone and shattered its interior, completing Thunderbolt Piercing and advancing the Thunderbolt Sword Art to Lesser Accomplishment.
• Elder Zhou observed Su Yu's strike and recognized his impressive mastery of thunder-attribute sword arts.
• Su Yu sheathed the Cold Abyss Sword and set out for the genius gathering at Haiyun Pavilion.

Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan attended a martial arts gathering at Haiyun Pavilion, where Tianhai City's young elites discussed the Canghai Ranking. The gathering's attention turned to Qin Xuance and Xie Wuya as they faced each other, setting the stage for a possible rematch.

• Su Yu finished training, met Yan Qingxuan, and left with her for Haiyun Pavilion while their companions remained in seclusion.
• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan heard young martial artists discuss the Canghai Ranking and Qin Xuance's previous loss to Xie Wuya.
• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan entered Haiyun Pavilion, where Gu Hanzhou scrutinized Su Yu's Cold Abyss Sword and Han Junyue greeted them.
• Liu Tingchao welcomed the guests and laid out the rules for sparring at the gathering.
• Qin Xuance looked toward Xie Wuya, whose sheathed saber trembled as the hall anticipated their rematch.

At the Haiyun Pavilion gathering, Su Yu accurately predicted Zhao Chenshan’s victory and watched Lu Mingchuan defeat Xu Chen with the Hanshan Sword Art. Lu Mingchuan challenged Su Yu over the Cold Abyss Sword, and Su Yu entered the field with the sword still sheathed.

• Zhao Chenshan defeated Chen Feng in three moves after Su Yu predicted that Chen Feng’s impatient saber momentum would leave him vulnerable.
• Xu Chen challenged Lu Mingchuan, who used the Hanshan Sword Art’s freezing power to slow Xu Chen’s water-type sword arts and win.
• Lu Mingchuan called out Su Yu, implying that Su Yu lacked the Sword Dao attainment to wield the Cold Abyss Sword.
• Su Yu accepted the challenge, entered the field, and told Lu Mingchuan there was no need to draw his sword for a spar.

Su Yu defeated Lu Mingchuan with the Cold Abyss Sword still sheathed, exposing flaws in Lu Mingchuan’s Hanshan Sword Technique. After Su Yu returned to his seat, a young man in crimson fighting clothes challenged Gu Hanzhou.

• Su Yu entered the arena with the Cold Abyss Sword in its sheath, and Lu Mingchuan challenged him to explain himself if he lost.
• Lu Mingchuan attacked with the Hanshan Sword Technique, but Su Yu used the scabbard to deflect his first two strikes and disrupt their sword momentum.
• Lu Mingchuan unleashed Hanshan Pressing Peak, but Su Yu broke through the strike, tapped his wrist, and stopped the scabbard at his throat.
• Su Yu explained that Lu Mingchuan rushed the transitions in his sword momentum, and Han Junyue praised Su Yu’s keen judgment.
• A young man in crimson fighting clothes challenged Gu Hanzhou, who accepted the bout.

Gu Hanzhou defeated Yue Linchuan with his seventy-percent Sword Intent, restoring the Hanshan Sword Sect’s standing after Lu Mingchuan’s loss to Su Yu. Shen Ruowei then challenged Yan Qingxuan, who rose to meet her.

• Yue Linchuan attacked Gu Hanzhou with his Red Flame Palm Technique, but Gu steadily disrupted his strikes with his sword.
• Yue Linchuan unleashed Red Flame Burning Sea, and Gu split the wave with his Seventy Percent Sword Intent before stopping his sword near Yue’s brow.
• Yue Linchuan admitted defeat, and the gathered martial artists compared Gu’s strength with Su Yu’s.
• Shen Ruowei asked Yan Qingxuan to spar, and Yan Qingxuan rose and walked to the center of the hall.

Yan Qingxuan fought Shen Ruowei in the arena and defeated her with the Azure Sea Tide and Biluo Crape Myrtle techniques. She returned to Su Yu, while the onlookers recognized that both of them were far stronger than they had assumed.

• Shen Ruowei attacked Yan Qingxuan with her Wood Intent and vine shadows, but Yan Qingxuan’s Azure Sea Tide pushed them back.
• Shen Ruowei used Azure Wood Cage to trap Yan Qingxuan, who shattered it with Biluo Crape Myrtle.
• Shen Ruowei conceded after Yan Qingxuan’s palm force stopped just short of her.
• The arena’s spectators reconsidered Yan Qingxuan’s strength, and Su Yu judged that she was close to comprehending Martial Dao True Intent.
• Yan Qingxuan returned to her seat and told Su Yu she was still far behind him.

At Haiyun Pavilion, Han Junyue challenged Liu Tingchao to test his Water Intent against Liu’s Tide Momentum. Liu gained the upper hand with layered waves, and Han began to reveal his Sea Covering technique as their contest continued.

• Han Junyue asked Liu Tingchao to spar and test his insights from the earlier matches.
• Han and Liu exchanged water-based palm techniques, with Liu’s layered Tide Momentum breaking through Han’s returning currents.
• Han used Dark Tide to attack Liu with hidden currents, but Liu redirected them with Returning Billows and countered.
• Liu’s Triple Tide forced Han to slide half a step back, showing the difference between their rankings.
• Han gathered a heavier, sinking Water Intent, and Liu recognized the move as Sea Covering.

Han Junyue and Liu Tingchao fought with water techniques, and Liu Tingchao won by a narrow margin after exposing a weakness in Han Junyue’s steady but passive momentum. Gu Hanzhou then challenged Su Yu to test whether the Cold Abyss Sword suited him, and the arena filled with Sword Intent.

• Han Junyue used Sea Covering against Liu Tingchao’s layered Listen to the Tide Palm, and Liu Tingchao gained the advantage through superior rhythm.
• Liu Tingchao used Triple Tide to force Han Junyue back, then told him his water momentum lacked an attacking wave to break a stalemate.
• Han Junyue accepted the loss and recognized the direction he needed to improve, while Su Yu judged the difference between the two fighters to be a small but crucial one.
• Gu Hanzhou rose and said it was time to test whether the Cold Abyss Sword was compatible with Su Yu.
• Su Yu agreed, and Gu Hanzhou entered the arena as cold Sword Intent spread across it.

Su Yu and Gu Hanzhou fought over whether Su Yu could properly wield the Cold Abyss Sword, with Su Yu using lightning sword arts to withstand Gu Hanzhou’s Ice Intent and Seventy Percent Sword Intent. Gu Hanzhou then prepared his strongest strike, Cold Mountain Single Line.

• Gu Hanzhou challenged Su Yu to prove the Cold Abyss Sword belonged in his hands and opened their duel with the Hanshan Sword Technique.
• Su Yu used basic swordwork and the Cold Abyss Sword’s Triple Guidance Array Pattern to trade blows with Gu Hanzhou, while avoiding the pressure of his Ice Intent.
• Gu Hanzhou unleashed Cold Peak Linked Clouds, but Su Yu broke through the layered sword momentum with Thunderbolt Flash.
• Gu Hanzhou followed with Ice Trace, and Su Yu deflected its concentrated Sword Light with Thunderbolt Strike.
• Gu Hanzhou acknowledged that Su Yu’s strength had grown more serious and announced his strongest strike, Cold Mountain Single Line.

Su Yu defeated Gu Hanzhou by combining Thunder Intent and the Cold Abyss Sword’s chill to break Cold Mountain Single Line. After the match, Qin Xuance challenged Xie Wuya to a rematch between two top-ranked Canghai Ranking fighters.

• Gu Hanzhou unleashed Cold Mountain Single Line, concentrating his Ice Intent and Seventy Percent Sword Intent into a powerful strike.
• Su Yu used the Cold Abyss Sword to harmonize Thunder Intent with its chill and countered with Thunderbolt Piercing.
• Su Yu broke Gu Hanzhou’s sword line and stopped his blade three feet away, winning the match.
• Gu Hanzhou accepted his defeat, while spectators and Han Junyue and Liu Tingchao reconsidered Su Yu’s potential on the Canghai Ranking.
• Qin Xuance challenged Xie Wuya to fight again, and Xie Wuya accepted.

Qin Xuance and Xie Wuya fought in Haiyun Pavilion, displaying the strength that earned them places near the top of the Canghai Ranking. As Qin Xuance condensed his spear momentum into a piercing strike, Xie Wuya braced his saber for the next clash.

• Liu Tingchao allowed Qin Xuance and Xie Wuya to spar, warning them to stop at the touch.
• Qin Xuance opened with a fierce spear thrust, and Xie Wuya drew his Black-Sheathed Long Blade to meet it.
• Qin Xuance and Xie Wuya traded repeated attacks, with Xie Wuya cutting off Qin Xuance’s strongest spear momentum.
• Qin Xuance used Mountain-Breaking and forced Xie Wuya to sway slightly, showing he had improved since their last fight.
• Qin Xuance concentrated his Metal Intent, True Essence, and spear momentum at the spear tip, while Xie Wuya gripped his saber with both hands and lowered his stance.

Qin Xuance and Xie Wuya fought a fierce spear-and-saber exchange at the Haiyun Pavilion gathering, with Xie Wuya narrowly stopping Qin’s attack and winning by half a move. Liu Tingchao ended the martial discussion, leaving the gathered geniuses to reflect on the gap between the Canghai Ranking’s top ranks and its lower ranks.

• Qin Xuance condensed his spear art into a precise golden point, prompting Liu Tingchao to activate the sparring ground’s formation.
• Qin Xuance thrust with Gold Splitting, and Xie Wuya met him with Tide Breaking.
• Their attacks collided and exploded, leaving both men with only minor cuts to their clothing.
• Qin Xuance admitted he was still half a move short, while Xie Wuya said Qin was stronger than last time.
• The onlookers recognized the strength of the upper Canghai Ranking, and Su Yu assessed Xie Wuya as a worthy opponent.
• Liu Tingchao praised their exchange and declared the martial discussion over.

After Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan impressed Tianhai City's martial artists at Haiyun Pavilion, they learned about the Canghai Ranking gathering and Guan Chao Cliff. Yan Qingxuan planned to seek insight there, while Su Yu prepared to further refine his sword techniques before the ranking gathering.

• Liu Tingchao told Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan they could register for the Canghai Ranking small gathering in half a month.
• Han Junyue invited them to Guan Chao Cliff in three days, where Yan Qingxuan might gain insight into Martial Dao True Intent.
• Gu Hanzhou acknowledged his defeat to Su Yu and promised to face him again at the ranking gathering.
• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan returned to the inn and told their companions about their victories over Gu Hanzhou and Shen Ruowei.
• Elder Zhou and Situ Hai encouraged Yan Qingxuan to seek a breakthrough at Guan Chao Cliff, while Su Yu resolved to improve his sword techniques with the Cold Abyss Sword.

Li Yuanhao ordered surveillance of Su Yu’s connections while investigating signs of the Nine Nether Cult’s return. At the Qin Family, Qin Jun and Qin Yun discussed Su Yu’s growing strength and the Southern Domain’s worsening tensions before being summoned by the Family Head.

• Li Yuanhao concluded Su Yu’s group had likely crossed the Tianlan Sea and ordered covert monitoring of the Yunlan Sect, the Su Family, and Su Yu’s associates without provoking them.
• A guest elder reported that incidents near the Southern Domain border bore suspicious traces of Nine Nether Cult techniques, and Li Yuanhao ordered the investigation kept secret.
• Qin Yun told Qin Jun that Southern Bright Merchant Association trade routes had been attacked and that the Nine Nether Cult’s traces might have been planted.
• Qin Jun told Qin Yun that Su Yu had gained the upper hand against Situ Hao and killed Li Wenchao in Golden Wind City.
• Qin Jun said Su Yu would not stop at the Southern Domain, and a Qin Family clansman summoned him and Qin Yun to meet the Family Head.

Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan registered for the Canghai Ranking small gathering, then headed to Guan Chao Cliff after Han Junyue invited them to temper their martial insights. On the way, Su Yu’s advice helped Yan Qingxuan see how to approach comprehending Martial Dao True Intent.

• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan registered for the Canghai Ranking small gathering, listing their cultivation levels and specialties.
• Song Yuan told them that Han Junyue had invited them to Guan Chao Cliff to observe the convergence of sea tide and starlight and temper their martial insights.
• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan left for Guan Chao Cliff as evening approached.
• Yan Qingxuan asked Su Yu what he had first understood when comprehending Martial Dao True Intent, and he told her to grasp its essence rather than its surface traits.
• Yan Qingxuan realized she should first seize the clearest central point in her own martial path instead of rushing to define her intent.

At Guan Chao Cliff, Yan Qingxuan watched the tides and starlight as she sought to clarify her insights, while Han Junyue refined his Water Intent with Enlightenment Tea. Yan Qingxuan reached the threshold of Martial Dao True Intent, and memories of her past battles surfaced as pale purple light gathered around her.

• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan arrived at Guan Chao Cliff and found Han Junyue using Enlightenment Tea to refine his Water Intent.
• Su Yu observed that Han Junyue’s Water Intent had grown sharper since his battle at Haiyun Pavilion.
• Yan Qingxuan watched the ocean tide in silence while Su Yu sensed her Zixiao True Essence gradually settling.
• A pale purple light appeared around Yan Qingxuan, and the martial artists on the cliff realized she was nearing Martial Dao True Intent.
• Yan Qingxuan recalled her battles against Su Yu, the Sky Demon Sect Master, the Ink-Blue Sea Beast, and Shen Ruowei as her insight gathered.

Yan Qingxuan comprehended the rare Ziwei Intent on Guan Chao Cliff and demonstrated her new strength, drawing attention ahead of the Canghai Ranking gathering. She and Su Yu left the cliff together with less distance between them than before.

• Yan Qingxuan named her newly formed True Intent Ziwei Intent, and the martial artists on Guan Chao Cliff recognized her as a new contender for the Canghai Ranking.
• Song Lin challenged Yan Qingxuan to exchange one move, and she shattered his Wind Blades with a single palm and forced him back.
• Song Lin admitted defeat and thanked Yan Qingxuan for showing mercy, while Su Yu judged that she had grown far stronger since Haiyun Pavilion.
• Yan Qingxuan thanked Su Yu for helping her cross the threshold, and their brief exchange showed less estrangement between them.
• Han Junyue congratulated Yan Qingxuan and remarked that her Ziwei Intent would make the upcoming Canghai Ranking gathering livelier.
• Su Yu and Yan Qingxuan left Guan Chao Cliff together under the night sky.

After stabilizing his cultivation, Su Yu used Level 4 Beast Cores to restore the Dao Severing Sword and decided to hunt sea beasts near Tianhai City for more resources and combat experience. He joined a squad scheduled to return before the Canghai Ranking small gathering and set out to sea.

• Yan Qingxuan returned with the Ziwei Intent, surprising Elder Zhou, Situ Hai, and the others.
• Su Yu assessed his stabilized Sea Breaking Realm cultivation and saved his Spirit Nurturing Pill for a later breakthrough.
• Su Yu fed Level 4 Beast Cores to the Dao Severing Sword, but its recovery remained limited by the damage from Wind-Splitting Gorge.
• Su Yu chose to join a nearshore sea beast-hunting squad to gather resources and prepare for the Canghai Ranking small gathering.
• Song Yuan registered Su Yu as an ordinary first-level Sea Breaking Realm martial artist, and Su Yu set out to sea the next morning.

Su Yu joined Xu Yan's beast-hunting squad and spent several days learning the near-sea routes and the team's methods. The squad killed three low-rank sea beasts while Su Yu watched without taking part, leaving Yan Chong dissatisfied with his lack of contribution.

• Su Yu met Xu Yan, Yan Chong, He Zhou, and Jiang Yao at the flying boat and agreed to follow the squad's rules.
• Xu Yan guided the squad through the near seas for two days, pointing out reefs, dangerous currents, and signs of beast herds.
• He Zhou detected a fourth-level low-rank Black-backed Sea Crocodile, and Xu Yan directed the squad as they trapped and killed it.
• The squad later killed two more fourth-level low-rank sea beasts while Su Yu observed and waited for a chance to act.
• Yan Chong viewed Su Yu's failure to contribute as a problem.

Su Yu joined Xu Yan’s team as they encountered the stronger Black Shark Hunting Team, whose captain Zhou Kui tried to kill them and take their gains. Su Yu killed Zhou Kui with one sword strike, leaving the Black Shark members facing a sudden reversal.

• Yan Chong and He Zhou argued that Su Yu should receive no share of the team’s earlier gains, and Xu Yan agreed to exclude him unless he contributed in future hunts.
• He Zhou detected a fourth-level mid-rank sea beast, but the Black Shark Hunting Team arrived and demanded the team’s harvest and Storage Bags.
• Zhou Kui’s array master sealed the sea around Xu Yan’s flying boat and suppressed its array, trapping the team.
• Yan Chong attacked a Black Shark martial artist but was driven back, while Zhou Kui mocked Su Yu and slashed at him.
• Su Yu drew the Dustless Sword, split Zhou Kui’s saber-light, and killed him with a single strike.