Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Linchuan City remains under siege by the Scarlet Firmament Sect and Black Peak Sect. Elder Xu, badly wounded, holds the city’s Protective Formation while the two enemy Half-Step Venerables repeatedly strike it from opposite sides.
• The defenders are exhausted and fear the Formation may fail before reinforcements arrive. Elder Xu steadies them, insisting they keep their positions and fight if necessary.
• A steward reports that seven of the eight disciples sent to the distant Eastern Spirit Fields have returned, but one squad is still outside the city. Elder Xu cannot leave the Formation to rescue them without risking everyone inside, so he orders the southeastern wall to watch for their approach.
• The missing squad—led by a blue-robed disciple and including Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang—is making its way back through a detour. One member has a wounded leg, and the group narrowly avoids enemy patrols.
• At last, the squad sees Linchuan City’s barrier still standing. Relieved, they prepare to cross the final stretch toward the southeastern gate.

Character developments and interactions

• Elder Xu shows resolve and responsibility, rallying frightened disciples despite his injuries. His inability to rescue the stranded squad weighs on him, forcing him to choose the city’s survival over a dangerous attempt to help them.
• Xia Yun Huang feels frustrated by her limited strength after being unable to help during an attack. That frustration strengthens her desire to reach the Sea Breaking Realm, though she focuses on getting the group to safety.
• Xia Li supports the wounded disciple as they travel; the injured man insists he can continue, but Xia Li stays beside him.
• The enemy elders taunt Elder Xu and deliberately wear him down. He refuses to answer, silently preparing to resist them as long as he can.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal compassion: Elder Xu must protect the city rather than risk leaving to save eight disciples.
• Endurance under siege: Both the defenders and the returning squad persist despite injury, exhaustion, and fear.
• Hope amid danger: The intact barrier gives the squad renewed hope, though they have not yet reached safety.
• The limits of strength: Elder Xu’s injuries and Xia Yun Huang’s inability to fight effectively underscore how much survival depends on physical power—and how painful its absence can be.

Key plot points and events

• A Luochen Sect squad of eight reaches Linchuan City after traveling in hiding. Just as they rush toward the gate, Scarlet Firmament Sect disciples ambush them from both sides.
• The squad is badly outmatched: its leader faces a sixth-layer Sea Breaking Realm opponent, while the returning disciples are weaker and several are injured. The Red-Robed Elder arrives and orders the squad killed.
• Elder Xu wants to help but is pinned at the gate tower by a Black Peak Sect elder attacking the city barrier. He cannot leave without risking the city’s defenses.
• The squad leader attacks to buy the others time but is wounded. Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang also fail to break through. With the enemy closing in, Xia Li and the leader make a desperate stand.
• Su Yu arrives at the last moment. His sword kills the tall, thin saber wielder and two other attackers, while Xu Zheng engages the Black Peak Sect elder. Elder Xu creates an opening, and a steward escorts the survivors inside the city.
• Su Yu stays outside to protect the others as the Red-Robed Elder recognizes him and renews his killing intent.

Character developments and interactions

• The squad leader remains protective and decisive, first guiding the group toward the gate, then risking himself to give the others a chance to escape.
• Xia Li supports an injured companion, tries to shield the group, and eventually fights despite the overwhelming odds. His relief after Su Yu’s rescue is tempered by concern as he watches Su Yu remain outside.
• Xia Yun Huang looks to the city for help and fights when the group is attacked, but recognizes the danger after Su Yu intervenes and urges him to be careful.
• Su Yu acts swiftly and decisively, rescuing the squad without pursuing fleeing enemies. He checks on Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang, then positions himself between the survivors and the Red-Robed Elder.
• Elder Xu is frustrated by his inability to rescue the squad, but uses his sword strike to delay the Red-Robed Elder once Su Yu has opened a path to the gate. Xu Zheng independently confronts the Black Peak Sect elder, easing the pressure on the city defenses.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and self-sacrifice: The leader and Xia Li risk themselves to protect their companions.
• Hope under threat: The city is close enough to see, yet safety remains uncertain until help arrives.
• The limits of strength: The squad’s courage cannot overcome the enormous power gap on its own.
• Timely intervention and mutual protection: Su Yu and Xu Zheng’s coordinated actions turn a near massacre into a rescue, while the city’s defenders protect both the survivors and the barrier.

Key plot points

• Su Yu confronts Xing Lie, a powerful Scarlet Firmament Sect elder who killed a Luochen Sect elder and has been attacking the city.
• After ensuring Xia Li and the others reach safety, Su Yu faces Xing Lie’s devastating Red Baleful Palm head-on.
• Su Yu combines his sword domain, sword intent, refined physique, and accumulated true essence in a single strike. He breaks through Xing Lie’s palm and defenses, killing him instantly.
• The rescue party and defenders are stunned and relieved: all eight rescued disciples return alive, and the threat Xing Lie posed is gone.
• The green-robed elder flees from Xu Zheng, but Su Yu pursues him. A hidden middle-aged man in yellow intervenes with a powerful fist blast, forcing Su Yu to retreat.
• Xu Zheng identifies the newcomer as a bridge-forging-stage opponent—far more formidable than Xing Lie. The chapter ends as Su Yu and Xu Zheng prepare to face this new threat.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yu displays a dramatic increase in power. His swordsmanship is now backed by an unusually strong physique, allowing him to kill a half-step venerable with one blow. He remains focused on protecting his allies and preventing the attackers from escaping.
• Xing Lie begins the confrontation arrogant and dismissive, but his confidence collapses when Su Yu’s strike overwhelms him.
• Xia Li, Xia Yun Huang, and the rescued disciples move from fear and uncertainty to disbelief and relief. Xia Yun Huang recognizes Su Yu’s familiar habit of exceeding expectations.
• Elder Xu and Xu Zheng are both shocked by Su Yu’s strength. Elder Xu is relieved that the rescue succeeded; Xu Zheng realizes Su Yu’s growth cannot be explained by his sword domain alone.
• The green-robed elder loses his nerve after Xing Lie’s death and tries to flee, calling for help when Su Yu closes in.
• The man in yellow emerges from hiding, revealing that a stronger enemy was waiting nearby. Xu Zheng moves to support Su Yu and warns him of the danger.

Significant themes

• Unexpected growth and hidden potential: Su Yu’s rapid progress surprises even allies who already consider him powerful.
• Courage and protection: Su Yu prioritizes getting the endangered disciples to safety before turning to face the enemy.
• Confidence versus reality: Xing Lie’s contempt for a younger opponent proves fatal.
• Victory brings new danger: The defeat of one powerful enemy does not end the conflict; a stronger opponent immediately raises the stakes.

Key plot points and events

• After killing Xing Lie and rescuing the disciples, Su Yu faces a hidden Bridge Forging expert in yellow who blocks his return to Linchuan City. The man had been waiting to ambush reinforcements from the Luochen Sect and now wants revenge for Xing Lie.
• The yellow-clad man’s powerful earth-infused punches drive Su Yu away from the city and into the sky. Su Yu initially focuses on evasion and defense, while Elder Xu keeps fighting the green-clad spear wielder and orders weaker disciples off the walls.
• Su Yu reveals that his body-refining cultivation lets him withstand the repeated impacts. He then opens his thirty-foot sword domain and counters with successive sword strikes, forcing the Bridge Forging expert to retreat.
• The opponent realizes Su Yu’s endurance comes from an exceptional body-refining technique and grows greedy for it. He gathers the surrounding law into a denser layer around his fists, preparing a stronger assault. Su Yu, confident but alert, raises his sword to meet him.

Character developments

• Su Yu demonstrates that his strength extends beyond his sword domain: his improved body allows him to endure attacks that would previously have overwhelmed him. He remains composed and begins testing his abilities against a genuinely powerful opponent.
• The yellow-clad expert shifts from confident aggression to surprise and frustration when Su Yu withstands his assault. He becomes more determined after recognizing the value of Su Yu’s body-refining technique.
• Elder Xu continues protecting the city and its disciples, but Su Yu’s ability to challenge the stronger enemy surprises him.
• The disciples, Xia Li, and Xia Yun Huang watch in shock and anxiety; seeing Su Yu counterattack brings them renewed hope.

Significant themes

• Growth through cultivation: Su Yu’s training pays off in both physical resilience and combat ability.
• Courage tempered by judgment: Su Yu accepts the challenge but stays aware of the risks and does not mistake survival for victory.
• Power and greed: The enemy’s interest in Su Yu’s technique turns a revenge-driven fight into a struggle over coveted strength.
• Hope under pressure: Su Yu’s resistance lifts the morale of those defending Linchuan City.

Character interactions

• The yellow-clad expert taunts and pursues Su Yu, while Su Yu answers first with controlled defense and then with a direct counterattack.
• Elder Xu urges Su Yu to retreat and protects the city from the green-clad opponent; seeing Su Yu gain ground forces that opponent to lose focus, giving Xu an opening.
• The city’s disciples and Xia Li react with disbelief as Su Yu turns the tide, while Xia Yun Huang’s anxiety eases when she sees him hold his own.

Chapter Summary: “Holding His Own”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yu battles a middle-aged man in yellow, a powerful Bridge Forging expert, outside Linchuan City.
• The opponent relies on overwhelming fist techniques and concentrated yellow law power, while Su Yu counters with the Cold Abyss Sword, his Sword Domain, Qingxuan true essence, powerful blood energy, and movement techniques.
• Su Yu withstands a direct punch with his bare palm, surprising his opponent and proving that his physical strength can partially offset the cultivation gap.
• The yellow-robed expert attempts to exhaust Su Yu by bombarding him with attacks from multiple directions. Su Yu avoids being trapped, uses his movement techniques to close the distance, and repeatedly reverses the momentum of the fight.
• Su Yu employs Space true intent, causing his Sword Light to vanish and reappear beside his opponent. He wounds the man’s shoulder, though he is injured in return while approaching.
• The opponent unleashes a powerful finishing punch, but Su Yu draws the Cold Abyss Sword and blocks it head-on. Both fighters are forced back, and the yellow-robed man’s fist is cut.
• Meanwhile, Xu Zheng gains the advantage over the old man in green. The yellow-robed expert interrupts his fight with Su Yu to protect his ally.
• Recognizing that capturing Linchuan City is no longer possible, the yellow-robed man orders a retreat. His sect’s disciples flee in terror.
• Su Yu and Xu Zheng do not pursue, choosing caution because their enemies remain dangerous and further ambushes may await them.
• The defenders return to the city, where Elder Xu and the disciples thank Su Yu and Xu Zheng for saving them.

Character Developments

• Su Yu: Demonstrates that, despite being only at the seventh layer of the Sea Breaking Realm, he can stand against a Bridge Forging expert. His Sword Domain, physical resilience, movement, and Space true intent allow him to compensate for his lower cultivation. He is injured but remains composed and gains confidence after proving that even a Bridge Forging expert can be wounded.
• Middle-aged man in yellow: Begins the battle confident in his superior cultivation and physical power, but gradually becomes shocked, frustrated, and wary of Su Yu. He recognizes that Su Yu cannot easily be exhausted or kept at a distance and ultimately retreats when the battle becomes strategically unfavorable.
• Xu Zheng: Defeats and seriously pressures the old man in green, forcing the yellow-robed expert to intervene. He acts prudently afterward by refusing to pursue the retreating enemy.
• Elder Xu: Maintains the city’s defensive formation throughout the battle and gains a deeper appreciation for Su Yu’s extraordinary combat ability.
• The disciples: Initially consider entering the city to help once Su Yu is defeated, but the destructive power of the battle terrifies them. By the end, they recognize Su Yu as the reason they survived.

Significant Themes

• Strength overcoming cultivation gaps: Su Yu’s performance shows that mastery, physical power, and specialized techniques can allow a weaker cultivator to challenge someone at a higher realm.
• Adaptability and combat intelligence: Su Yu avoids fighting only on his opponent’s terms. He alternates between defense, mobility, close-range attacks, and Space true intent.
• Caution versus arrogance: The invading forces begin confidently but retreat once they realize the city’s defenders are stronger and more coordinated than expected.
• Mutual respect born from battle: Both Su Yu and the yellow-robed expert recognize the other as a serious threat, even though they remain enemies.
• Teamwork and protection: The battle’s outcome depends not only on individual strength but also on Xu Zheng’s pressure against the old man in green and the need for the yellow-robed expert to protect his ally.

Character Interactions

• Su Yu and the yellow-robed man exchange both physical attacks and verbal challenges, with the opponent demanding to know Su Yu’s cultivation art and Su Yu refusing to reveal it.
• The yellow-robed man’s concern for the old man in green forces him to abandon his duel with Su Yu and shield his injured companion.
• Xu Zheng and Su Yu fight on the same side without directly coordinating, their combined presence making the enemy’s victory impossible.
• Elder Xu supports the defenders by stabilizing the city’s formation and later formally thanks Su Yu and Xu Zheng.
• The disciples’ cheers and gratitude emphasize Su Yu’s transformation from an outsider or participant in the battle into the principal savior of the city.

Key plot points and events

• After the battle for Linchuan City, the Luochen Sect treats its wounded and inspects damage to the city’s defensive Formation, knowing the enemy may return.
• Su Yu checks on Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang, urging them to remain inside the city. He then treats injuries he sustained fighting a Bridge Forging expert.
• Xu Zheng briefs Su Yu on the sect’s vulnerable resources: Northern Mist Mountain’s spirit vein, Cloud Marsh Valley’s medicinal herbs, and Golden Radiance Ridge’s ore. Three Bridge Linking elders are guarding them.
• Xu Zheng reveals that the Luochen Sect has at least ten Bridge Forging elders and three Bridge Linking elders, but the Scarlet Firmament Sect is stronger, and the Luochen Sect is stretched thin across too many fronts.
• They suspect the attack may be part of a broader scheme targeting the allied Long River Sect. The Sect Master has sent word to that sect, but the Luochen Sect must defend itself in the meantime.
• Xu Zheng notes that the war’s ultimate outcome may depend on Heaven Piercing Realm venerables, a level far beyond Su Yu’s reach. Su Yu resolves to keep cultivating and prepare for the enemy’s return.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yu shows concern for Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang, accepts the limits of his current strength, and remains committed to helping the sect. His victory in the battle has earned him the respect of the city’s disciples.
• Xu Zheng gives Su Yu a frank assessment of the war and its wider implications, while reassuring him that saving Linchuan City has already been a major contribution.
• Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang accept Su Yu’s advice to stay in the city, having grasped how dangerous the conflict is.

Significant themes

• War’s widening stakes: What first appears to be a conflict among three sects may be part of a larger effort to isolate or destroy the Luochen Sect’s ally.
• Strength and limitation: Su Yu’s growing power matters, but he recognizes it cannot determine a war fought across many fronts and among vastly stronger cultivators.
• Duty and perseverance: The defenders must protect the sect’s people and resources rather than wait for rescue; Su Yu responds by resolving to grow stronger.

Pei Duo fought Tao Lie to a standstill and forced the Scarlet Firmament Sect to end its assault on Golden Radiance Ridge for the day. After learning that Su Yu had helped secure Linchuan City, Pei Duo saw that Tao Lie’s forces were still occupying the ridge’s perimeter, leaving the struggle over the mines unresolved.

• Tao Lie’s forces destroyed the Luochen Sect’s northern encampment, and Pei Duo left the formation to challenge Tao Lie away from the main mining area.
• Pei Duo and Tao Lie exchanged powerful attacks, and Pei Duo wounded Tao Lie with a spear thrust.
• Tao Lie unleashed Mountain-Burning, but Pei Duo met it with a concentrated spear strike, injuring both fighters without defeating either.
• Tao Lie withdrew with his elders, and Pei Duo returned to the formation to tend to the wounded and inspect the defenses.
• Pei Duo received Xu Zheng’s message that Linchuan City had held, Xing Lie was dead, and Su Yu had driven back a Bridge Forging expert.
• Tao Lie’s forces remained on the northern slope and began securing the paths and mine entrances, so Pei Duo realized the fight over Golden Radiance Ridge was not over.

Su Yu reached the peak of the seventh layer of the Sea Breaking Realm and made new progress understanding the Sky-Splitting Sword Art. With Linchuan City’s formation repaired, he learned that the sect was regrouping to counterattack and agreed to leave with Xu Zheng.

• Linchuan City repaired the northern section of its formation, and Su Yu reassured Xia Li and Xia Yun Huang before returning to cultivate.
• Su Yu refined pills and advanced to the peak of the seventh layer of the Sea Breaking Realm, then tested how his strengthened body handled his sword techniques.
• Using the Space-Mark Stone, Su Yu connected new insights about the first move of the Sky-Splitting Sword Art, though he still needed to test them with his sword.
• Xu Zheng and Elder Xu told Su Yu that the Scarlet Firmament Sect occupied two mine tunnels at Golden Radiance Ridge while the sect withdrew forces from outlying garrisons.
• Su Yu agreed to leave Linchuan with Xu Zheng that afternoon and join the sect’s regrouping and planned counterattack.

Su Yu and the Luochen Sect launched an attack to retake Stone Spring Fort and rescue captured workers and supplies. Su Yu drew Cao Kuang away from the fort, where their rematch began with Cao Kuang attacking from two directions.

• Su Yu returned to the Luochen Sect with Xu Zheng, and the Sect Master ordered them to retake Stone Spring Fort, where Cao Kuang and two Bridge Condensation elders were stationed.
• Su Yu agreed to keep Cao Kuang occupied and seek a chance to kill him, while Cheng Su led the assault on the fort and Xu Zheng joined the other elders.
• The Luochen Sect party reached Stone Spring Fort and found Black Peak Sect disciples forcing wounded herb workers to carry timber.
• Cheng Su attacked the fort's formation, and Su Yu intercepted Cao Kuang's punch before drawing him away to a nearby ridge.
• Su Yu and Cao Kuang began their rematch, and Cao Kuang launched consecutive attacks that blocked Su Yu's path forward.

Su Yu fought Cao Kuang above Barren Ridge and defeated him in a head-on clash, forcing the injured Bridge Forging expert to flee. With Cao Kuang gone, Su Yu and Cheng Su reclaimed Stone Spring Fort, rescued its captives, and preserved its supplies.

• Su Yu used his Sword Domain and successive sword strikes to pressure Cao Kuang, despite Cao Kuang guarding against his Space Sword Light.
• Su Yu's Star Cloud Sword Art, Six-Form Fusion injured Cao Kuang and drove him hundreds of feet backward, while Cheng Su and the others intensified their attack on Stone Spring Fort's formation.
• Cao Kuang unleashed his strongest punch, but Su Yu's sword cleaved through it and wounded him; Cao Kuang fled north and ordered the fort's defenders to retreat.
• Su Yu stopped pursuing Cao Kuang and returned to Stone Spring Fort as its elders abandoned the formation and fled.
• Cheng Su led his people into the fort, the Black Peak Sect disciples scattered, and Su Yu saved the storehouse supplies by killing a steward who tried to burn them.
• Su Yu and Cheng Su rescued the detained workers and laborers, and Stone Spring Fort was reclaimed.

Su Yu and the Luochen Sect reclaimed Stone Spring Fort after Su Yu defeated Cao Kuang, and they prepared to hold the fortress while reinforcements arrived. Cao Kuang warned the Black Peak Sect about Su Yu’s growing strength and sought help from the Scarlet Firmament Sect, but the allied sects disagreed over sharing the burden of the war.

• Cheng Su’s forces secured Stone Spring Fort, rescued the detained workers, and confirmed that Cao Kuang and the remaining Black Peak Sect disciples had retreated.
• Cheng Su and Xu Zheng received orders to hold Stone Spring Fort until reinforcements arrived, while Su Yu rested and recovered his true essence.
• Cao Kuang recovered from his sword wound and told a Black Peak Sect elder that Su Yu’s attacks had grown stronger and had overwhelmed him in their clash.
• Cao Kuang asked Tao Lie of the Scarlet Firmament Sect to coordinate an attack, but Tao Lie refused to move forces away from Golden Radiance Ridge and said he would consult his sect.
• Cao Kuang ordered the Black Peak Sect to report Su Yu’s strength and keep nearby forces gathered so the Luochen Sect could not exploit another opening.

After the Long River Sect could not send reinforcements, the Luochen Sect planned to defend its key resource sites and strike at the Scarlet Firmament Sect’s foothold on Golden Radiance Ridge. Su Yu made progress with the First Form of the Sky-Splitting Sword Art, then learned the enemy was building an outpost and formation on the Northern Slope, prompting the sect to prepare an attack.

• A replacement elder took over Stone Spring Fort, and Cheng Su reported the victory to the Sect Master.
• The Sect Master revealed that the Long River Sect was tied down by fighting in Yunlan Province and could not aid the Luochen Sect.
• The Sect Master chose Golden Radiance Ridge as the sect’s next target, and Su Yu agreed to join the battle after recovering his true essence.
• Su Yu practiced with the Space-Mark Stone and learned to link spatial power with the movements of the First Form of the Sky-Splitting Sword Art.
• Xu Zheng reported that the Scarlet Firmament Sect was connecting its two Northern Slope mine tunnels and building an outpost with a formation.
• The Sect Master ordered the Luochen Sect to strike before the Scarlet Firmament Sect finished securing its foothold.

Su Yu and the Luochen Sect attacked the Scarlet Firmament Sect’s positions at Golden Radiance Ridge to reclaim the Northern Slope’s western mine tunnel. Pei Duo held off Tao Lie while Su Yu overcame the defenders’ delaying tactics, leaving Xue Zhong cornered beside the unfinished formation.

• Su Yu and the Luochen Sect’s reinforcements arrived at Golden Radiance Ridge, where Pei Duo explained the plan to attack the western mine tunnel.
• Pei Duo fought Tao Lie above the ridge while Su Yu advanced on Xue Zhong and a Bridge Condensation elder guarding the western tunnel.
• Su Yu realized Xue Zhong was buying time for formation masters to complete the barrier, and he redirected his sword strikes to threaten their work.
• Cheng Su blocked reinforcements from the east, and Xu Zheng joined Su Yu to face the Bridge Condensation elder.
• Su Yu drove Xue Zhong back toward the unfinished formation as Luochen Sect deacons closed in, forcing Xue Zhong to prepare to counterattack.

Su Yu and the Luochen Sect retook the western mine tunnel after he wounded Xue Zhong and broke the Scarlet Firmament Sect’s barrier. Tao Lie withdrew east and sought help from the Black Peak Sect, while he marked Su Yu as another obstacle to any advance toward Golden Radiance Ridge.

• Su Yu fought Xue Zhong at the mine entrance while Xu Zheng held off a Bridge Condensation elder and prevented him from interfering.
• Su Yu used his Sword Domain and Space Sword Light to wound Xue Zhong, then shattered the barrier and stopped the formation work.
• Tao Lie tried to descend and rescue the defenders, but Pei Duo intercepted him and traded injuries rather than let him pass.
• Xue Zhong ordered a retreat east, and Su Yu, Cheng Su, and the Luochen Sect disciples held the reclaimed mine tunnel instead of pursuing.
• Pei Duo ordered guards and reinforcements to secure the tunnel, while Tao Lie asked the Black Peak Sect to intensify attacks elsewhere and reported the setback to his sect.
• Tao Lie watched Su Yu enter the reclaimed mining area and recognized him as a new obstacle to reaching Golden Radiance Ridge.

Shen Ningshuang and Xiao Yue escorted Luochen Sect disciples through the fighting at Cloud Marsh Valley, killing a Bridge Condensation elder but failing to prevent losses elsewhere. After news arrived that Su Yu had helped retake the mine tunnel at Golden Radiance Ridge, he and Pei Duo considered the worsening situation across the sect’s other fronts.

• Shen Ningshuang and Xiao Yue fought off enemies at Cloud Marsh Valley while the disciples retreated, and they coordinated an attack that killed the dark-faced old man and drove the sallow-faced man away.
• Shen Ningshuang collected the dead elder’s Storage Bag, and she and Xiao Yue led the disciples safely into the main valley’s defenses.
• Xiao Yue learned that two eastern herb gardens had fallen and that several Luochen Sect disciples had died before they could withdraw.
• The elders returned from the fighting and arranged defenses as Cloud Marsh Valley lost more outer positions, while the main valley held.
• News arrived that Su Yu had helped retake the mine tunnel at Golden Radiance Ridge and wounded Xue Zhong, lifting Xiao Yue’s spirits.
• At Golden Radiance Ridge, Su Yu learned Shen Ningshuang and Xiao Yue were safe, but Pei Duo reported setbacks at Cloud Marsh Valley and Northern Mist Mountain, leaving Su Yu concerned about the sect’s limited forces.

While the Western Mine’s defenses were restored, Su Yu studied the Space-Mark Stone and mastered the First Form of the Sky-Splitting Sword Art. He tested the move against Cheng Su, proving it could break through a prepared defense, and returned with greater confidence in facing future enemies.

• Pei Duo and Cheng Su organized the Western Mine’s defenses as reinforcements arrived, while Su Yu stayed to cultivate and patrol.
• Su Yu realized that space true intent had to guide the entire sword move instead of giving way to his usual striking method.
• Su Yu practiced for two days on the barren slope and mastered the First Form of the Sky-Splitting Sword Art.
• Su Yu tested the move against Cheng Su, whose saber could not stop the silver sword light from breaking through his defense.
• Cheng Su attacked in a second exchange, but Su Yu met his saber head-on with the First Form, and Cheng Su praised the move’s power.

Su Yu joined Cheng Su to rescue Luochen Sect disciples carrying formation materials and fought Lu Qian, who had been ambushing them. Su Yu’s complete First Form wounded Lu Qian badly, forcing him to flee while the formation materials were recovered.

• Cheng Su learned that Lu Qian had intercepted a patrol transporting formation materials, and Su Yu volunteered to help stop him.
• Cheng Su intervened when Lu Qian attacked the escorts, while Su Yu circled around to cut off Lu Qian’s retreat.
• Lu Qian sent saber attacks at Su Yu and fled east, but Su Yu shattered the attacks and pursued him.
• Lu Qian used a guarded saber technique to counter Su Yu’s Space Sword Light, but Su Yu’s complete First Form broke through his defenses and wounded his shoulder.
• Lu Qian unleashed successive saber strikes to escape, and Su Yu stopped pursuing before reaching Tao Lie’s territory.
• Cheng Su handed the rescued group over to arriving disciples and praised Su Yu for finally striking Lu Qian.

Su Yu and the mining area faced five enemy Heaven Piercing Realm venerables, whose overwhelming presence left the defenders helpless. Luochen Sword Sovereign and Bedrock Venerable arrived to confront them, leaving the two sides poised for a clash.

• Su Yu reflected on his improved sword art after driving Lu Qian away and escorted the group back to the Western Mine with Cheng Su.
• Five venerables from the two enemy sects arrived above the mining area, and their pressure overwhelmed Su Yu, Pei Duo, and the other defenders.
• Red-Brow Saber Venerable asked for Luochen Sword Sovereign, dismissing Pei Duo before he could finish explaining that the sect had been notified.
• Luochen Sword Sovereign and Bedrock Venerable arrived, and Luochen ordered Pei Duo to take the disciples inside the formation.
• Luochen Sword Sovereign faced the five enemy venerables and asked whether they had come for more than the mine tunnels.

Luochen Sword Sovereign and Bedrock Venerable faced five Venerables over control of Golden Radiance Ridge, then fought them in the barren mountains. After Bedrock Venerable was driven back and wounded, Luochen Sword Sovereign revealed a third-order sword domain and broke the encirclement, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Red-Brow Saber Venerable demanded that the Luochen Sect surrender territory and a mine tunnel, but Luochen Sword Sovereign refused and led the five attackers away from the ridge.
• Red-Brow Saber Venerable, Iron Prison Fist Venerable, Danyang Venerable, Cold River Venerable, and Black-Robed Venerable attacked Luochen Sword Sovereign and Bedrock Venerable together.
• Luochen Sword Sovereign and Bedrock Venerable repelled the first coordinated assault, forcing Red-Brow Saber Venerable and Danyang Venerable to recognize their strength.
• The five attackers shifted their assault onto Bedrock Venerable, wounded him, and tried to prevent Luochen Sword Sovereign from coming to his aid.
• Luochen Sword Sovereign unleashed his third-order sword domain, shattered the five Venerables’ encirclement, and allowed Bedrock Venerable to return to his side.

Luochen Sword Sovereign used his third-order Sword Domain to turn the battle at Golden Radiance Ridge against the five Venerables, while Bedrock Venerable helped shield him. After Luochen wounded Red-Brow Saber Venerable and the attackers agreed to negotiate, Luochen demanded that they return all the territory seized from his Luochen Sect.

• Luochen Sword Sovereign's third-order Sword Domain overwhelmed Red-Brow Saber Venerable and restricted the attacks of the five Venerables, while Bedrock Venerable joined the fight beside him.
• The five Venerables coordinated an assault on Bedrock, and Luochen Sword Sovereign used Bedrock's defense to occupy Iron Prison Fist Venerable and strike Red-Brow with a powerful sword attack.
• Luochen Sword Sovereign's second slash cut deeply across Red-Brow Saber Venerable's shoulder and chest, forcing the others to protect him and abandon their advance.
• Iron Prison Fist Venerable called for negotiations, and Luochen Sword Sovereign demanded that the five Venerables return every piece of territory they had taken from the Luochen Sect.