Chapter Summaries

Zhang Qingyuan defeated Feng Changqiu in an arena fight, but Feng’s mastery of a palm technique he had practiced for years awakened Zhang Qingyuan to how much he had neglected his own foundations. Zhang Qingyuan left vigilant about his stalled Water Intent and cultivation method, recognizing that Feng had surpassed him in martial skill despite being at a lower realm.

• Zhang Qingyuan recognized that Feng Changqiu had perfected a low-grade palm technique through years of repeated practice and had comprehended Water Intent.
• Zhang Qingyuan answered Feng Changqiu’s palm with Three Waves Covering the Sea and briefly realized that he had neglected his own Water Intent while pursuing cultivation resources and treasures.
• Zhang Qingyuan’s stronger True Essence shattered Feng Changqiu’s attack and blasted him out of the arena.
• Zhang Qingyuan thanked the wounded Feng Changqiu, learned his name, and left the arena without celebrating his victory.
• Zhang Qingyuan reflected that Feng Changqiu had surpassed him in martial skill and Water Intent despite being at the True Essence Realm Third Layer.

After his battle with Feng Changqiu, Zhang Qingyuan reflected on how his rapid cultivation had weakened his foundation and resolved to pursue First Place for his own ambitions rather than its prize. He planned to spend several years cultivating in the sect after the competition, then received a visit from Wang Yuènián.

• Zhang Qingyuan recognized that Feng Changqiu had surpassed him in Water Intent and took the encounter as a warning to strengthen his foundation.
• After a day of reflection, Zhang Qingyuan decided the Town Origin Cauldron was not worth sacrificing his reserves for and resolved to rebuild his foundation after the competition.
• Zhang Qingyuan reaffirmed that he would still pursue First Place, but for the sake of his own drive rather than the prize.
• Zhang Qingyuan planned to remain in the sect and cultivate diligently for several years, postponing his plans to return to the Gui Family.
• Wang Yuènián visited Zhang Qingyuan, praised his rise in strength, and was invited inside for tea.

Wang Yuènián brought Zhang Qingyuan to meet the Mystic Water Peak Master, who explained that Daoist Ming Shui had asked him to look after Zhang Qingyuan while he was away. After praising Zhang Qingyuan and offering guidance, the Peak Master heard him describe his unstable foundation and stalled progress in Water Intent.

• Wang Yuènián told Zhang Qingyuan that the Peak Master had summoned him and escorted him to a mountain courtyard.
• The Mystic Water Peak Master sent Wang Yuènián away and reassured Zhang Qingyuan that Daoist Ming Shui was well but would be absent for a long time.
• The Mystic Water Peak Master praised Zhang Qingyuan's cultivation and told him he could seek help whenever he had questions.
• Zhang Qingyuan asked for guidance on consolidating his unstable foundation and advancing his Water Intent.

The Mystic Water Peak Master explained that Zhang Qingyuan’s rapid cultivation had left his foundation insufficiently consolidated and guided him through the path of Artistic Conception toward the Momentum of Heaven and Earth. Zhang Qingyuan left with a clearer cultivation path and planned to spend several years strengthening his foundation after the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

• Zhang Qingyuan recognized that his quick progress through the True Essence Realm had left his cultivation foundation unstable.
• The Mystic Water Peak Master praised Zhang Qingyuan’s insight and explained that cultivation meant refining oneself within and sensing Heaven and Earth without.
• The Mystic Water Peak Master described how Artistic Conception could resonate with Heaven and Earth and develop into the Momentum of Heaven and Earth.
• Zhang Qingyuan connected the explanation to Feng Changqiu’s palm strike and gained clarity about his path of cultivation.
• Zhang Qingyuan resolved to consolidate his foundation and review his cultivation system for several years after the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
• Zhang Qingyuan thanked the Mystic Water Peak Master when the day-and-night guidance ended.

After receiving guidance from the Mystic Water Peak Master, Zhang Qingyuan gained a clearer path for improving his cultivation and refined his control of his strength. He meditated while awaiting his match, and two days later his turn in the second round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition arrived.

• The Mystic Water Peak Master praised Zhang Qingyuan's comprehension, urged him to pursue the Cave True Realm, and promised an extra reward if he placed in the top ten.
• The Mystic Water Peak Master reflected on Mystic Water Peak's decline and hoped Zhang Qingyuan would improve the peak's standing in the competition.
• Zhang Qingyuan left the guidance session with firmer foundations, clearer insight into Artistic Conception, and smoother control of his True Essence.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned to the plaza and meditated on his White Jade Cushion while waiting for his match, briefly considering the cushion's origins.
• After two days of cultivation, Zhang Qingyuan's strength improved slightly and his turn in the second round arrived.

Zhang Qingyuan faced Yang Tianlie, a powerful body cultivator who knew about the Huainan Zhang Family and predicted its defeat. Yang Tianlie unleashed the Great Sun Wheel Heaven Art and charged at Zhang Qingyuan, leaving their fight poised to begin in earnest.

• Yang Tianlie crashed onto the arena and told Zhang Qingyuan that the Huainan Zhang Family had suffered severe injuries and that he would lose.
• Zhang Qingyuan considered the danger surrounding his lineage but chose not to question Yang Tianlie before the referee began the match.
• Yang Tianlie activated the Great Sun Wheel Heaven Art, transforming his body with blazing heat and immense strength.
• Spectators identified Yang Tianlie as a renowned body cultivator who had reached the art's fourth level and once crushed a True Essence Realm Sixth Layer rogue cultivator.
• Yang Tianlie shattered the arena with a stomp and charged at Zhang Qingyuan with a lightning-fast strike.

Zhang Qingyuan and Yang Tianlie exchanged devastating attacks in the arena, with Zhang Qingyuan surviving Yang Tianlie’s apparent killing blow through an elusive escape technique. Zhang Qingyuan then met Yang Tianlie’s Great Sun head-on, and their escalating powers remained locked together as Zhang sought a breakthrough in the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art.

• Yang Tianlie unleashed a Great Sun punch, and Zhang Qingyuan countered with Sword Intent that filled the arena with waves of Sword Qi.
• Yang Tianlie overwhelmed Zhang Qingyuan’s Sword Momentum and appeared to destroy him with a punch, but Zhang Qingyuan reappeared behind him unharmed.
• Zhang Qingyuan said he would face Yang Tianlie directly, then used Sea Overturning to collide with Yang Tianlie’s Great Sun attack.
• Yang Tianlie’s body became wrapped in crimson, magma-like light as his Aura surged, while Zhang Qingyuan drew on Heaven and Earth Qi and transformed into a vast sea to seek a breakthrough in body refinement.

Zhang Qingyuan and Yang Tianlie fought an evenly matched battle, each unleashing power near the True Essence Realm Late Stage. Yang Tianlie revealed that his Yang Flame True Gang was steadily eroding Zhang Qingyuan, while spectators expected the fight to soon end.

• Zhang Qingyuan and Yang Tianlie exchanged devastating attacks that shook the arena and forced both fighters back hundreds of zhang.
• Zhang Qingyuan noticed that Yang Tianlie’s True Gang had seeped into his palm and made it burn, though his Water Intent and strong cultivation had protected him from serious injury.
• Yang Tianlie acknowledged Zhang Qingyuan’s strength but declared that his Yang Flame True Gang would gradually erode him and leave him unable to fight.
• A spectator explained that Yang Tianlie had cultivated the fourth level of the Great Sun Wheel Heaven Art, which let his True Gang erode ordinary cultivators’ True Essence.

As Yang Tianlie’s Yang Flame True Gang seemed to give him the advantage, Zhang Qingyuan revealed that he had been defending to study his opponent and prepare to break through in the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art. He unleashed his full strength and raised a finger to end the battle.

• Spectators concluded that Yang Tianlie’s fourth-level Great Sun Wheel Heaven Art gave him the advantage, while Yi Guangtian defended Zhang Qingyuan against their doubts.
• Yang Tianlie urged Zhang Qingyuan to admit defeat, but Zhang Qingyuan said he had not yet used all his methods.
• Zhang Qingyuan explained that he had spent their earlier exchanges defending to learn from Yang Tianlie’s body-refining techniques and gain insight into the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art.
• Zhang Qingyuan decided to stop prolonging the fight, gathering his power and attacking Yang Tianlie with the Heaven-Shattering Finger of Qiankun.

Zhang Qingyuan unleashed the Heaven-Shattering Finger of Qiankun against Yang Tianlie, whose desperation helped him break through and master Sun Across the Sky. Their ultimate techniques collided in a tremendous explosion, leaving the fight’s outcome unresolved.

• Zhang Qingyuan summoned a vast phantom finger that overwhelmed the arena with crushing pressure and astonished the spectators and Cloud Water Sect Master.
• Yang Tianlie broke free of the finger’s suppressive force but charged forward because he had nowhere to escape.
• Yang Tianlie broke through under pressure and unleashed Sun Across the Sky, an ultimate technique from the Great Sun Wheel Heaven Art.
• Yang Tianlie’s blazing Great Sun struck Zhang Qingyuan’s enormous phantom finger, triggering an earth-shattering explosion.

Zhang Qingyuan defeated Yang Tianlie in a devastating final clash during the Inner Sect Grand Competition. After the referee declared Zhang Qingyuan the winner, spectators and the Top Ten Disciples considered how far the unexpected contender might advance.

• Zhang Qingyuan's giant finger broke Yang Tianlie's Great Sun, shattered his lava armor, and sent him crashing into a crater.
• The Deacon referee declared Zhang Qingyuan the winner after confirming Yang Tianlie could no longer fight.
• The spectators recovered from the battle's shock and said Zhang Qingyuan and Yang Tianlie showed strength worthy of the Inner Sect's Top Ten.
• The Top Ten Disciples watched Zhang Qingyuan with varying degrees of interest and concern, while spectators wondered how far he would advance.

After Zhang Qingyuan defeated Yang Tianlie, spectators celebrated his rise as a dark horse and began questioning the Inner Sect Ranking List’s established standings. Yi Guangtian proudly defended Zhang Qingyuan and told others about his past as his fame spread.

• Spectators discussed Zhang Qingyuan’s victory over Yang Tianlie and praised him as a dark horse who had risen from humble beginnings.
• People became eager to see whether Zhang Qingyuan could reach the final stage and defeat one of the Inner Ranking’s top ten.
• Yi Guangtian mocked a richly dressed cultivator who had predicted Zhang Qingyuan’s defeat, and the cultivator left in embarrassment.
• Spectators asked Yi Guangtian about Zhang Qingyuan, and he enthusiastically began recounting Zhang Qingyuan’s past deeds.

After defeating Yang Tianlie, Zhang Qingyuan ignored the attention he had attracted and returned to his Cave Dwelling to refine his gains. On the way, he encountered a mysterious young gentleman, who later updated the Inner Ranking to place Zhang Qingyuan ninth.

• Zhang Qingyuan’s victory over Yang Tianlie spread his fame among the cultivators watching the competition, and Zhang Changyang celebrated the honor and benefits it brought the Zhang Family.
• Zhang Qingyuan left the plaza to study the Yang Flame True Gang sealed in his burned arm and pursue a breakthrough in the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art.
• A mysterious young gentleman blocked Zhang Qingyuan on a tree-lined road, said he had come to see the competition’s greatest dark horse, and let him pass after their brief exchange.
• After Zhang Qingyuan departed, Xiao Qi urged the mysterious young gentleman to teach him a lesson, but the young gentleman scolded Xiao Qi and dismissed the idea.
• The mysterious young gentleman used his booklet to update the Inner Ranking, placing Zhang Qingyuan ninth and shifting the lower entries back.

The updated Inner Sect Ranking List placed Zhang Qingyuan ninth, drawing attention to his batch of newly promoted disciples and provoking reactions from rivals. Yan Kuangtu vowed to challenge him in the finals, while Fu Hongtian returned to cultivation and Yang Wenqian reflected on how far Zhang Qingyuan had surpassed her.

• The revised rankings placed Zhang Qingyuan ninth, Yan Kuangtu eleventh, Lin Yan in the top twenty-five, Bing Yuyao eighty-ninth, and Fu Qiaolei ninety-seventh.
• Yan Kuangtu burned the ranking list and vowed to prove he was stronger than Zhang Qingyuan at the Inner Sect Grand Competition finals.
• Fu Hongtian studied Zhang Qingyuan's ranking, remembered how their positions had reversed over three fights, and resumed his intense cultivation.
• Yang Wenqian saw Zhang Qingyuan's name in ninth place and sighed over how far he had surpassed her.
• Xiaoman teased Yang Wenqian about being lovesick, and the two began playfully scuffling beside the lake.

Zhang Qingyuan secluded himself to refine the Yang Flame True Gang and cultivate the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art, breaking through to its Beginner Realm. He emerged with greatly enhanced physical strength and cultivation, confident about the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

• Zhang Qingyuan remained unaware of the turmoil outside as he refined the Yang Flame True Gang and worked to advance his body-refinement art.
• Zhang Qingyuan endured intense heat and surging power as he tempered his body in seclusion.
• Zhang Qingyuan successfully reached the Beginner Realm of the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art, and his cultivation rose to the True Essence Fifth Layer Early Peak.
• Zhang Qingyuan tested his enhanced body by stabbing his palm with a High-grade Magic Sword and crushing its blade without using True Essence.
• Zhang Qingyuan judged that his combat power had more than doubled and set his sights on the top ten in the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

Eleven days after his last match, Zhang Qingyuan returned to the arena with his newly mastered Desolate Sky Body Refining Art stabilized and his strength greatly increased. He faced Le Wengang in the final preliminary round, and the chapter left them motionless at the start of a tense match.

• Zhang Qingyuan broke through into the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art and used the eleven-day interval to stabilize its power.
• Zhang Qingyuan reflected that his improved strength could put him among the Inner Ranking's top five and perhaps let him contend for first place.
• Le Wengang arrived late, recognized Zhang Qingyuan's reputation, and apologized while asking him to show mercy.
• Zhang Qingyuan returned Le Wengang's greeting but remained alert and ready to fight.
• The referee started the match, and Zhang Qingyuan and Le Wengang stood still, each waiting for the other to reveal an opening.

Le Wengang broke the stalemate with a desperate, full-power attack against Zhang Qingyuan, but Zhang Qingyuan crushed his sword momentum with two immense golden qi dragons. Le Wengang then drove his Natal Magic Treasure at Zhang Qingyuan’s palms, and the chapter ended with him stunned by the result.

• Le Wengang realized he could not find an opening in Zhang Qingyuan’s defenses and decided to stake everything on one attack.
• Le Wengang unleashed his speed and struck from behind with a sudden sword attack that expanded into thousands of Sword Qi.
• Zhang Qingyuan caught the attack with both hands and summoned two Golden Flood Dragon Shadows that ground Le Wengang’s Sword Momentum to dust.
• Le Wengang forced his Natal Magic Treasure toward Zhang Qingyuan’s palms, hoping to leave a wound before his attack was overwhelmed.
• Le Wengang’s sword struck Zhang Qingyuan’s palms with a metallic clang, leaving Le Wengang frozen in astonishment.

Zhang Qingyuan defeated Le Wengang by catching his full-force Natal Magic Treasure strike barehanded, demonstrating the power of his newly learned Desolate Sky Body Refining Art. After the match, Gu Qingtong brooded over being pushed out of the Inner Ranking’s top ten and vowed to surpass the others in the Grand Competition.

• Le Wengang conceded after Zhang Qingyuan caught his Natal Magic Treasure longsword and stopped his attack.
• Zhang Qingyuan released the sword, politely accepted the concession, and reflected that his body-refining cultivation alone had let him defeat Le Wengang.
• The spectators praised Zhang Qingyuan’s strength and marveled that he had withstood a magic treasure’s full-powered strike barehanded.
• Gu Qingtong watched from a high platform, resentful that Zhang Qingyuan and Yan Kuangtu had pushed him down to twelfth place, and vowed to trample his rivals in the Grand Competition.

After entering the semifinals of the Inner Sect Grand Competition, Zhang Qingyuan faced a provocation from Gu Qingtong, who blamed him for losing his Top Ten ranking. Zhang Qingyuan returned to secluded cultivation, confident in his growing strength and determined to defeat Yuwen Shaohuan.

• Gu Qingtong, having broken through a cultivation bottleneck, confronted Zhang Qingyuan with a silent challenge and vowed to meet him in the Finals.
• Zhang Qingyuan recognized Gu Qingtong’s grudge and considered how his newly cultivated Desolate Sky Body Refining Art had greatly increased his strength.
• Zhang Qingyuan focused on Yuwen Shaohuan, resolving to defeat him and learn whether he knew why Zhang had been sent to the South Sea.
• After completing his fourth arena battle, Zhang Qingyuan advanced to the semifinals and left the plaza for his rented Cave Dwelling.
• Zhang Qingyuan began secluded cultivation to strengthen his bodily qi and blood, aiming to build a cycle linking his essence, qi, and spirit.

While the Inner Sect Grand Competition advanced toward its semifinals, Zhang Qingyuan secluded himself to cultivate the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art. After a month, he had raised its proficiency to Entry (6/10) and strengthened his body, though further progress looked increasingly difficult.

• As the Grand Competition’s preliminary rounds continued, Zhang Qingyuan cultivated the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art in a deserted sect-rented Cave Dwelling.
• Zhang Qingyuan noticed that seven or eight days of cultivation had raised the technique’s proficiency by only one point, but he concluded that the art’s rank explained its slow progress.
• Zhang Qingyuan continued cultivating in seclusion for a month while the preliminary rounds concluded and the semifinals were scheduled after a recovery period.
• Zhang Qingyuan raised the Desolate Sky Body Refining Art’s proficiency by four points to Entry (6/10), gaining further strength as his rate of progress began to slow.