Chapter Summaries

After Zhang Qingyuan’s battle, Lin Yan and his teacher assessed his strength and considered asking him for help with an unspecified matter. The Cloud Water Sect’s leaders set the Inner Sect Grand Competition for the end of the year, while the Sect Master wondered whether Zhang Qingyuan might become another Water Sword Immortal.

• Lin Yan’s teacher praised Zhang Qingyuan’s talent and combat skill but reaffirmed his commitment to assisting Lin Yan.
• Lin Yan asked his teacher whether Zhang Qingyuan was strong and suggested asking him for help; his teacher agreed the plan was feasible and might benefit them both.
• The White-robed Long-haired Young Master and a hidden companion judged Zhang Qingyuan capable of ranking among the top fifty contestants in the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
• Cloud Water Sect’s Important Figures discussed Mingshui’s Named Disciple and decided to hold the Inner Sect Grand Competition at the end of the year.
• The Sect Master agreed to warn Vast Sea Sect before the competition and wondered whether Zhang Qingyuan would become another Water Sword Immortal.

Zhang Qingyuan’s defeat of a Steadfast Faction disciple spread through the Inner Sect, though it was overshadowed by other battles. At a welcome banquet, he reunited with Zhao Yuanyang and Shen Hongzhou, and the three shared memories and caught up after ten years apart.

• News of Zhang Qingyuan’s arena victory spread through the Inner Sect, where some disciples estimated he could rank among the top two hundred.
• Zhao Yuanyang hosted a private welcome banquet for Zhang Qingyuan and Shen Hongzhou, thanking Zhang for helping him against the Steadfast Faction.
• Zhang Qingyuan drank Zhao Yuanyang’s costly Spirit Wine and felt it refine and stabilize his cultivation.
• Shen Hongzhou praised Zhang Qingyuan’s growth and recalled their earlier sparring match, while reflecting on how Zhang’s example had encouraged him to cultivate.
• The three discussed Inner Sect changes, their battles in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, and the deaths of former Separate Courtyard companions, growing closer over the gathering.

After the welcoming banquet, Zhang Qingyuan learned that the Western Desolation was rich in Gold Element spirit items and planned to consider traveling there after settling matters at the sect. He refined Zhao Yuanyang’s Spirit Wine, reached the peak of the early True Essence Fourth Layer, and began preparing to use Tongzhen Pills to advance before the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

• Zhao Yuanyang told Zhang Qingyuan that the Western Desolation held abundant Gold Element spirit items and offered to help him buy some, but Zhang Qingyuan declined.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned to a rented high-grade Cave Dwelling and planned to cultivate before the Inner Sect Grand Competition, which was six or seven months away.
• Zhang Qingyuan refined the Spirit Wine Zhao Yuanyang had given him and reached the peak of the early True Essence Fourth Layer.
• Zhang Qingyuan considered how his One Origin Gui Water Scripture and Taiyi Spirit Refining Technique had helped him advance quickly, but he could not grasp a fleeting thought about their effects.
• Zhang Qingyuan took out his Alchemy Furnace and began practicing the process of refining Tongzhen Pills, hoping to reach the Late True Essence Fourth Layer before the competition.

Zhang Qingyuan refined Tongzhen Pills and advanced to the Fourth Layer Mid Stage while the Inner Sect focused on challengers ahead of the Grand Competition. Meanwhile, Yu Shaojing vowed revenge after his companions urged him to let Zhang Qingyuan go.

• Zhang Qingyuan refined a batch of seven Tongzhen Pills and prepared himself before consuming them.
• After refining his third pill, Zhang Qingyuan broke through to the Fourth Layer Mid Stage and stabilized his cultivation.
• Zhang Qingyuan continued cultivating and planned to study more techniques and martial arts before the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
• Yu Shaojing smashed a stone table and swore to avenge the humiliation Zhang Qingyuan had dealt him.
• Yu Shaojing's companions warned that Zhang Qingyuan was too powerful to challenge, but Yu Shaojing insisted someone would deal with him.

Yu Shaojing brought a companion into Wind Fiend Valley to seek Liu Pengfei’s help against Zhang Qingyuan, but a powerful tiger demon cornered them. A clear, bell-like wind rose through the valley, and Yu Shaojing recognized it as their chance to survive.

• Yu Shaojing explained that he had come to ask Liu Pengfei, a powerful Steadfast Faction disciple, to honor an old promise and help him deal with Zhang Qingyuan.
• Yu Shaojing’s companion worried that they would not find Liu Pengfei and might not survive the valley’s deadly winds and beasts.
• A True Essence Sixth Layer tiger demon appeared in the storm and trapped Yu Shaojing and his companion beneath its overwhelming pressure.
• A clear, bell-like wind rang across Wind Fiend Valley, and Yu Shaojing recognized its arrival with joy.

Yu Shaojing found Wind Daoist, revealed that Zhang Qingyuan had humiliated him, and asked Liu Pengfei to intervene. Wind Daoist agreed to help, eager to test his newly advanced Wind Intent before challenging Yun Tianjun.

• Wind Daoist’s breeze erased the Tiger Demon, which crumbled into sand before Yu Shaojing and his companion.
• Wind Daoist appeared and stopped Yu Shaojing from bowing, then asked why he had come.
• Yu Shaojing explained his grievance with Zhang Qingyuan and asked Liu Pengfei to teach him a lesson.
• Wind Daoist agreed to act, saying he had completed his seclusion and wanted to test his strength before facing Yun Tianjun.

Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei returned to the Inner Sect and challenged Yun Tianjun, while also arranging a fight with Zhang Qingyuan. Zhang Qingyuan learned of the challenge only after missing it and realized Liu Pengfei had treated him as a warm-up opponent.

• Liu Pengfei formed a gigantic Wind Bird from his aura and carried Yu Shaojing and another man into the sky.
• Liu Pengfei’s return stirred the Inner Sect, where disciples anticipated his challenge against Yun Tianjun, a renowned prodigy.
• Zhang Qingyuan remained in his Cave Dwelling refining pills and cultivating, unaware that Liu Pengfei had challenged him for the twenty-third.
• Lin Yan told Zhang Qingyuan that Liu Pengfei had specifically named him and that the scheduled battle had already passed.
• Zhang Qingyuan recognized Liu Pengfei as an ally of Yu Shaojing’s Steadfast Faction and reacted with a chilly glint.

Lin Yan invited Zhang Qingyuan to explore a dangerous Half-step Cave True Realm expert’s ruins in the Western Desolation, and hinted that the trip could help Zhang Qingyuan find a suitable Body Refining Method. Zhang Qingyuan weighed the risks against his preparations for the Inner Sect Grand Competition and considered using the journey to scout the region.

• Zhang Qingyuan said he could settle his score with Liu Pengfei at the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
• Lin Yan asked Zhang Qingyuan to join him in exploring ruins that might hold an expert’s inheritance and something Lin Yan needed.
• Zhang Qingyuan weighed the dangerous two-to-three-month trip against his plans to improve his strength before the competition.
• Lin Yan pointed out that the journey could help Zhang Qingyuan address his need for a profound Body Refining Method.

Zhang Qingyuan’s discussion with Lin Yan about a powerful Body Refining inheritance was interrupted when Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei attacked the area around his Cave Dwelling. Zhang Qingyuan rejected Liu Pengfei’s demand to spare Yu Shaojing and struck back, leaving the two cultivators facing off in the air.

• Zhang Qingyuan asked Lin Yan to confirm the existence of a profound Body Refining Method, and Lin Yan estimated that he was seven or eight times out of ten certain.
• Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei and Yu Shaojing bombarded the ground around Zhang Qingyuan’s Cave Dwelling, drawing the attention of nearby Inner Sect cultivators.
• Zhang Qingyuan emerged and demanded an explanation, while Liu Pengfei said he had come at Yu Shaojing’s request to make Zhang Qingyuan stop troubling him.
• Zhang Qingyuan suddenly unleashed a Sword Light that split apart Liu Pengfei’s wind-formed bird and forced Liu Pengfei to flee the blast with Yu Shaojing.
• Zhang Qingyuan rose into the air, declared that he disliked people speaking to him from above, and challenged Liu Pengfei’s claim to his respect.

Zhang Qingyuan and Wind Daoist fought fiercely in the sky, matching each other’s wind and sword techniques as Inner Sect cultivators watched in shock. After their first exchanges ended without a clear advantage, Wind Daoist vanished into countless phantoms and gathered a vast storm for his next attack.

• Wind Daoist summoned a gigantic Void Vortex and unleashed a storm of lethal gale qi at Zhang Qingyuan.
• Zhang Qingyuan countered with a vast ocean of Sword Qi, and their attacks collided in a blast that drove nearby Inner Sect cultivators back.
• The two fighters rushed into the storm and exchanged close-range attacks, with Zhang Qingyuan evading Wind Daoist’s palm and striking back with sword qi.
• Wind Daoist met Zhang Qingyuan’s sword attack with a punch, and the clash sent both fighters flying back several zhang without either gaining the upper hand.
• Wind Daoist vanished into countless phantoms that filled the sky and unleashed qi streams converging into a vast torrential storm.

Zhang Qingyuan fought Wind Daoist, whose speed and afterimage technique overwhelmed him until a defensive Dharma Treasure kept him unharmed. Wind Daoist launched another assault, but Zhang Qingyuan claimed he had seen through the technique, leaving the fight poised to continue.

• Zhang Qingyuan swept away Wind Daoist’s afterimages with Sword Qi but realized the attack had missed his true body.
• Wind Daoist used his mastery of Wind Intent to unleash a rapid barrage that wore down Zhang Qingyuan’s circular Sword Qi shield.
• Wind Daoist shattered the shield with a powerful punch and sent Zhang Qingyuan crashing into a hill.
• Zhang Qingyuan emerged unharmed thanks to a Dharma Treasure-grade Inner Armor he had obtained in the South Sea.
• Wind Daoist vowed to break the armor and attacked again with thousands of afterimages.
• Zhang Qingyuan said he had seen through Wind Daoist’s technique as his Sword Intent surged.

Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei challenged Zhang Qingyuan’s claim that he could see through his wind-based concealment, but Zhang Qingyuan repeatedly located and struck him. The two continued fighting in the sky, with Liu Pengfei wounded and demanding to know how Zhang Qingyuan found him.

• Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei used his mastery of Xun Wind Power to hide his true body among countless afterimages and attacked Zhang Qingyuan.
• Zhang Qingyuan slashed through the air with sword qi, found Liu Pengfei, and wounded him despite his evasive movement.
• Liu Pengfei attacked again with a beam of light, but Zhang Qingyuan evaded it using the Wind Cloud Formless Body.
• Zhang Qingyuan struck an empty patch of sky with a palm, forcing Liu Pengfei to emerge after their attacks collided.
• Liu Pengfei asked how Zhang Qingyuan had found him, and Zhang Qingyuan gave no explanation.

Liu Pengfei unleashed a dramatic increase in speed and power, forcing Zhang Qingyuan to evade his attacks and recognize that he had adapted Liu Pengfei’s Wind Intent. After strengthening his resolve, Liu Pengfei charged even faster, but Zhang Qingyuan stood his ground and launched a confident counterattack.

• Liu Pengfei broke through Zhang Qingyuan’s defenses with a sudden burst of speed and struck him twice, injuring him through his inner armor.
• Zhang Qingyuan used a movement technique infused with Wind Intent to evade Liu Pengfei’s palm, startling Liu Pengfei and giving Zhang Qingyuan time to retreat.
• Liu Pengfei steadied his Dao Heart by recalling how years of effort had let him surpass his former limits, and his aura grew stronger.
• Liu Pengfei charged Zhang Qingyuan at even greater speed, but Zhang Qingyuan declared he had found a way to defeat him and thrust out a powerful palm.

Zhang Qingyuan exploited the weakness in Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei’s lightning-fast movement, suppressed him long enough to land a decisive strike, and won their battle. The stunned Inner Sect cultivators recognized Zhang Qingyuan as a rising contender, while hidden observers left with their own thoughts about his strength.

• Zhang Qingyuan used the Four Seas Suppressing Heaven Palm to restrain Liu Pengfei’s high-speed movement.
• Liu Pengfei broke free of the suppression, but Zhang Qingyuan struck him with the Heaven-Shattering Finger of Qiankun.
• Liu Pengfei was sent crashing into a crater, severely injured and unable to resist.
• The Inner Sect cultivators watched in shock as Zhang Qingyuan defeated the renowned Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei.
• Hidden observers called Zhang Qingyuan a formidable opponent and left after the battle.

After Zhang Qingyuan defeated Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei, news of the battle spread through the Inner Sect and beyond, making Zhang a contender for the top ten in the upcoming Inner Sect Grand Competition. Fellow disciples reacted with admiration, regret, and renewed determination, while Hu Junshan remembered Zhang’s relentless diligence and continued his own cultivation.

• Inner Sect Experts who had gathered to study Wind Daoist Liu Pengfei learned that Zhang Qingyuan had defeated him, and recognized Zhang as a formidable new rival.
• The updated Inner Sect Ranking List placed Zhang Qingyuan among those who could contend for the top ten, and rumors about his talent and rise spread widely.
• Jiang Wenrong and other former peers boasted that they had once studied alongside Zhang Qingyuan, though they privately felt the gulf between their achievements and his.
• Shen Hongzhou, Zhao Yuanyang, and other disciples congratulated Zhang Qingyuan with Messaging Talismans and resolved to cultivate harder.
• Hu Junshan recalled Zhang Qingyuan’s years of diligence, chose not to correct the rumors about him, and continued tempering himself through cultivation.

After his battle with the Wind Daoist, Zhang Qingyuan secluded himself to study Wind Intent and the opponent’s techniques. He failed to learn the Wind Daoist’s higher-level mastery, but strengthened his movement technique by combining Wind Intent with Water Intent.

• Zhang Qingyuan discovered that he had comprehended Wind Intent during his battle with the Wind Daoist and reflected on Liu Pengfei’s greater mastery of it.
• Zhang Qingyuan spent half a month reviewing the battle, hoping to understand how Liu Pengfei merged with heaven and earth and wielded Xun Wind Power.
• Zhang Qingyuan failed to grasp Liu Pengfei’s higher realm, but deepened his understanding of Wind Intent.
• Zhang Qingyuan combined Wind Intent and Water Intent in Wind Cloud Formless Body and appeared silently outside his Cave Dwelling.
• Zhang Qingyuan realized his movement technique had improved enough to evade ordinary True Essence Realm Sixth Layer cultivators and felt grateful for the battle that prompted his breakthrough.

Zhang Qingyuan left his cave dwelling to join Lin Yan on an expedition to the Western Desolation before the Inner Sect Grand Competition. As Lin Yan anticipated competing with him, Elder Xiao warned that Zhang Qingyuan’s rapid growth made him a formidable rival.

• After consolidating his strength for several days, Zhang Qingyuan set out for the Western Desolation with Lin Yan, hoping to find a body refining inheritance before the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
• New Inner Sect disciples discussed Zhang Qingyuan’s rise to fame after his victory over Wind Daoist, while Lin Yan listened from a nearby pavilion.
• Lin Yan told Elder Xiao that he was confident he could place in the top ten and looked forward to defeating Zhang Qingyuan in the competition.
• Elder Xiao explained that Zhang Qingyuan had improved rapidly during his battle with Liu Pengfei and had advanced to the mid stage of True Essence Fourth Layer with stable cultivation.
• Lin Yan accepted that Zhang Qingyuan could become his greatest rival and said he welcomed the challenge.

Zhang Qingyuan met Lin Yan to plan their journey to a ruin in the Western Desolation, where they hoped to find a body-refining method and prepare for future searches for Geng Metal Spirit Items. Concerned that Golden Extremity Sect disciples would challenge the famous Zhang Qingyuan, they agreed to conceal their identities and travel quickly before setting out together.

• Zhang Qingyuan arrived at the pavilion, and Lin Yan remarked on how much his movement technique had improved since his battle with Wind Daoist.
• Lin Yan showed Zhang Qingyuan a map and explained that teleportation arrays could shorten their journey to Tianxi City, but the Western Desolation lay within Golden Extremity Sect territory.
• Lin Yan warned that Golden Extremity Sect disciples might challenge Zhang Qingyuan because of his reputation, disrupting their expedition and spreading rumors if they left in haste.
• Zhang Qingyuan agreed to disguise himself and keep their identities hidden, and the two finalized their plans.
• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan departed from the pavilion in two Escape Lights.

After a month of travel and several dangerous encounters, Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan reached the Wilderness Mountain Range to search for a ruin. As they began narrowing down its location, they heard cultivators fighting nearby and went to investigate.

• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan detoured through neutral cities after the Cloud Water Sect shut down its Teleportation Array to Tianxi City.
• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan killed a band of robber cultivators who ambushed them, then took their spoils, including Metal Attribute spirit materials.
• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan endured more trouble on the road before reaching the Wilderness Mountain Range a month later.
• Lin Yan used an old map to estimate the ruin's location, and Zhang Qingyuan suggested using Little White to search once they narrowed the area.
• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan heard a battle nearby and hurried over to learn who was fighting.

Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan investigated a battle near the ruins and recognized a possible fellow sect member among the cultivators besieging a white giant ape. As the ape unleashed a desperate attack on the woman, the fight reached a critical point.

• Zhang Qingyuan and Lin Yan approached the valley to assess the cultivators fighting nearby.
• Zhang Qingyuan suspected that the talisman-using woman was an Inner Sect Disciple from their sect and moved closer to confirm her identity.
• The white giant ape, badly wounded by the cultivators, roared and charged at the woman who had injured it most.
• The woman activated a powerful talisman to form a wind net and prepared a second talisman.
• The giant ape erupted with blood-colored power and prepared to fight to the death.