Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao continues fighting several opponents at once, enduring their attacks while recovering from injuries with remarkable speed. The longer the battle goes on, the more clearly he outlasts them.
• Tang Xiu, driven by hatred, burns his essence blood to strengthen his Blue Silver Grass and attack Li Xiao more desperately.
• Li Xiao secretly replenishes his energy by drawing essence qi and true qi from people below the arena who carry his sub-insects.
• After deciding Tang Xiu poses a genuine threat, Li Xiao feigns weakness, evades the vines, and uses the Po Jun Bow to pierce Tang Xiu’s defenses with three arrows.
• Though Tang Xiu is gravely wounded and Arrestor Zhan calls for surrender, Li Xiao delivers a final Iron Wire Fist strike that kills him, reducing his body to blood mist.
• Arrestor Zhan attacks Li Xiao in anger, but the Three Origins Sect Master intercepts him and asserts the sect’s authority. Arrestor Zhan withdraws, warning that he will remember the incident.

Character developments

• Li Xiao demonstrates extraordinary endurance, recovery, combat skill, and tactical control. His calm manner after killing Tang Xiu suggests he is willing to be ruthless and accepts the political consequences.
• Tang Xiu abandons restraint and burns his essence blood in pursuit of revenge, but his desperation leaves him vulnerable to Li Xiao’s trap.
• Arrestor Zhan shifts from confidence in Tang Xiu to fury and humiliation after Tang Xiu’s death, but ultimately restrains himself when confronted by the sect master.
• The Three Origins Sect Master openly protects Li Xiao and makes clear that outsiders must follow the sect’s rules.

Significant themes

• Strength and endurance: Li Xiao’s ability to withstand pressure and replenish himself turns a prolonged fight in his favor.
• Revenge and its cost: Tang Xiu’s hatred drives him to fight recklessly and ultimately leads to his death.
• Power, authority, and consequences: Li Xiao’s victory becomes a public political confrontation, with the sect master’s intervention preventing further violence.
• Ruthlessness and accountability: Li Xiao kills an opponent who has been defeated, then offers a cold justification, leaving others to judge his conduct.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao treats the other fighters largely as tests of his ability, but singles out Tang Xiu because of Tang’s lethal intent.
• Tang Xiu’s escalating attacks provoke Li Xiao to target him decisively.
• Arrestor Zhan’s demand to stop goes unanswered; he then tries to retaliate, only to be blocked by the Three Origins Sect Master.
• The sect master’s calm defense of Li Xiao forces Arrestor Zhan to back down, while the spectators watch the fight become a broader contest of authority.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the sect grounds, Six Doors Arrestor Zhan coughs blood and realizes the Three Origins Sect Master’s casual blow injured him badly. He had assumed the newly emerged seventh-turn Divine Arrestor would make it safe to provoke the sect, but now doubts the Sect Master is truly only sixth-turn.
• Li Xiao points the Po Jun Bow at Yang Shaohua. Unable to face the arrow’s threat, Yang concedes; Zhao Wumian and Bai Ye soon follow.
• The officiating elder declares Li Xiao the winner of the challenge round and confirms he has retained his position as Flying Cloud Peak’s Candidate Saint Son.
• Han Shu of Iron Wire Peak and Ye Qian of Azure Wave Peak also defeat their challengers and retain their positions, though the crowd remains focused on Li Xiao’s performance.
• Li Xiao reflects that his victory has secured real influence within the sect. He also sets his sights on the Ten Thousand Souls Sect Ruins and its legacy, including the mystery of the Seventh-Turn Zombie.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao’s display establishes him as a formidable force: even powerful challengers choose to concede rather than risk fighting him. He remains composed, seeing the title as a first step rather than a final triumph.
• His friends celebrate and affirm their support: Huangfu Yuan praises his fame, Du Tianshan jokes that he will no longer spar with him, and Shi Xin welcomes the prospect of walking alongside him. Wu Lingshuang’s relief and admiration show in her expression.
• Shen Qingyun fears Li Xiao will seek revenge for their past grievances, but Li Xiao ignores him and goes to his friends.
• Zhan’s retreat reveals that the Sect Master may be far stronger than outsiders believe.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Li Xiao’s victory transforms how others treat him, earning awe and deference as well as formal status.
• Ambition and unfinished goals: He recognizes that securing the Candidate Saint Son position is only the beginning of his rise.
• Hidden strength and uncertainty: Zhan’s injury raises doubts about the Sect Master’s true cultivation and hints at deeper power within the sect.

Key plot points and events

• The Three Origins Sect Master formally names Li Xiao, Han Shu, and Ye Qian as their peaks’ Candidate Saint Sons. All three are also appointed Deputy Peak Masters—a first for the sect—and receive superior-grade treasure weapons, 50,000 contribution points, and other cultivation resources.
• The appointments appear intended to recognize the candidates’ standing and prepare them for leadership, especially Li Xiao, whose strength has exceeded what the usual title alone would convey.
• Huangfu Yulong approaches Li Xiao to build a connection. Li Xiao is uncomfortable, but Huangfu Yuan smoothly takes over the conversation, allowing Li Xiao to leave.
• In a private meeting, the Sect Master reveals that the Nether Hall has invited the Three Origins Sect to join an effort to disrupt Emperor Zhou’s upcoming Heaven-Sacrificing Grand Ceremony in Capital City. The gathered powers debate the risks and motives of getting involved.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao stays composed about his rewards and avoids a relationship with Huangfu Yulong, though he appreciates Huangfu Yuan’s intervention.
• Huangfu Yuan shows social tact by rescuing Li Xiao from an awkward exchange.
• Huangfu Yulong makes a courteous attempt to draw closer to Li Xiao.
• The Sect Master demonstrates political calculation: he elevates the Candidate Saint Sons while warning that the sect must not rely on the Nether Hall, whose aims may differ from its own.
• Han Shu and Ye Qian accept their rewards, appearing calm but pleased.

Significant themes

• Recognition and succession: The unprecedented Deputy Peak Master appointments signal the candidates’ growing authority and future leadership roles.
• Political maneuvering and alliances: The Nether Hall’s invitation draws the Three Origins Sect into a wider power struggle over Emperor Zhou’s rule.
• Caution amid cooperation: The Sect Master is open to using the Nether Hall’s involvement but stresses the danger of trusting an organization with unclear motives.

Key events

• After becoming a Candidate Saint Son, Li Xiao considers moving to the official residence on Flying Cloud Peak but decides it would only add to his already overwhelming duties. His priority remains cultivation.
• Friends gather at his courtyard to celebrate. Yang Shaohua, whom Li Xiao fought earlier, arrives to apologize and seek a cordial relationship. Li Xiao accepts his apology, and the group’s initially restrained gathering becomes friendly.
• The next morning, Li Xiao joins fellow candidates Han Shu and Ye Qian for the formal elevation ceremony.
• The Sect Master reminds the three that they must serve the sect and remain loyal. They pay respects in the Founders’ Hall and give drops of essence blood to ancient lamps, which can track them if they are in danger—or if they betray the sect.
• The Sect Master officially names Li Xiao, Han Shu, and Ye Qian Candidate Saint Sons. Li Xiao reflects on how far he has come and imagines that he might one day be remembered among the sect’s founders and sages.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao shows a practical focus on cultivation rather than status or administrative work. He also demonstrates restraint by welcoming Yang Shaohua instead of turning a former opponent into an enemy.
• Yang Shaohua shifts from adversary to respectful potential ally, apologizing and approaching Li Xiao humbly.
• Han Shu and Ye Qian treat Li Xiao with respect despite sharing his rank and being older. They appear composed and capable in their own right.
• The celebratory gathering strengthens Li Xiao’s ties with his companions, while the ceremony formally binds the three candidates to the sect and its legacy.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal ambition: Li Xiao wants to cultivate, but his new position brings substantial responsibilities.
• Loyalty and accountability: The ceremony’s blood-bound lamps symbolize both the sect’s protection of its leaders and its power to pursue traitors.
• Legacy and transformation: Standing before the founders’ tablets, Li Xiao recognizes his rise from an ordinary disciple and contemplates the possibility of leaving a lasting mark.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao, Han Shu, and Ye Qian receive distinctive purple robes, personal Tokens, and jade insignias marking them as Candidate Saint Sons. The insignias grant them authority to call upon some of the Three Origins Sect’s forces.
• The Sect Master tells them that he has accepted the Nether Hall’s invitation to join other factions in an assault on Capital City during Emperor Zhou’s sacrifice to heaven. He warns the newly appointed trio to keep cultivating and prepare for upheaval.
• Elder Feng privately approaches Li Xiao, worried about Shen Qingyun. Li Xiao promises Shen will not trouble them much longer, though he cannot act against him while Shen remains protected by a Supreme Elder. Feng accepts that he must wait.
• Li Xiao visits the Sect treasury to claim his new privileges. Though he may choose only one item, he is drawn to the divine bow Riftwind. The elder explains its history and recognizes Li Xiao’s archery skill, but says he is not yet eligible to select it.

Character developments and interactions

• The new Candidate Saint Sons respond solemnly to their recognition and to the Sect Master’s warning, showing that they understand the responsibilities attached to their status.
• Li Xiao’s increased rank changes how Feng Qing approaches him, but Li Xiao reassures Feng that he remains the same person. His promise concerning Shen Qingyun gives Feng renewed hope.
• Li Xiao shows restraint in the treasury despite his eagerness to take advantage of his new benefits. His interest in Riftwind reveals his continuing commitment to archery.

Significant themes

• Status and responsibility: The robes and insignias symbolize both prestige and duty, while the approaching assault threatens to reshape the wider world.
• Loyalty and delayed justice: Li Xiao’s reassurance sustains Feng’s trust, but political protection forces him to wait before settling the matter with Shen Qingyun.
• Legacy and worthiness: Riftwind’s history links past greatness to Li Xiao’s demonstrated talent, even as rules keep the weapon beyond his reach for now.

Key plot points and events

• In the Three Origins Sect treasury, Li Xiao covets the divine bow Riftwind but accepts that he is not yet qualified to wield it. He instead takes a pair of high-grade, speed-enhancing boots and several bottles of pills.
• That night, Huangfu Yuan visits Li Xiao and warns him that Emperor Zhou’s upcoming Heaven-sacrifice ceremony involves dangerous political complications. He cautions Li Xiao against getting involved, especially since the Three Origins Sect appears to support Huangfu Yulong.
• Li Xiao admits that, as a new Candidate Saint Son, he has little influence over the sect’s major decisions.
• Before Huangfu Yuan leaves, Li Xiao asks about the Ten Thousand Souls Sect after explaining that he explored its ruins while seeking materials for body refinement. The Golden Blade Sect, which discovered the ruins, now hopes to come under his protection.
• Huangfu Yuan reveals that the ruins conceal an enormous opportunity: a Golden-Armored Zombie whose body was divided and sealed in three places. Each part has a token that helps reinforce its seal; someone who gathers all three tokens can reunite the body and control the zombie at the peak of the seventh turn.

Character developments

• Li Xiao shows ambition but also restraint: he gives up on Riftwind because he recognizes his current limitations. He remains politically cautious yet keenly alert to opportunities in the ruins.
• Huangfu Yuan acts as a wary adviser, sharing knowledge from his previous life. His growing goodwill toward Li Xiao makes him more candid than he would normally be.

Significant themes

• Power and readiness: Valuable weapons and opportunities require the strength and standing to use them safely.
• Political danger and limited agency: Li Xiao understands the risks surrounding the sect’s alliances but cannot yet shape its decisions.
• Fortune, knowledge, and ambition: Huangfu Yuan frames the zombie as a matter of destiny, while Li Xiao immediately recognizes its strategic value.
• Buried danger: The same ruins that promise immense power contain threats severe enough to have required several seventh-turn experts to suppress.

Character interactions

• Huangfu Yuan warns Li Xiao about the Heaven-sacrifice ceremony; Li Xiao thanks him but explains his limited authority.
• Li Xiao probes Huangfu Yuan about the Ten Thousand Souls Sect. Huangfu Yuan initially hesitates, then shares the ruins’ history and the method for controlling the Golden-Armored Zombie, leaving Li Xiao visibly intrigued.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao learns that the token he possesses is one of three needed to control the Ten Thousand Souls Sect’s peak seventh-turn Golden-Armored Zombie. The other tokens are held by the Cai Family and inside the zombie’s severed upper body, making them difficult—and potentially dangerous—to obtain.
• Huangfu Yuan also tells him about the sect’s legendary Ten Thousand Souls Banner, a weapon said to contain countless ghosts and souls. Though supposedly shattered, Li Xiao recalls seeing a mysterious black banner at the sect ruins and quietly stores the clue away.
• After the tournament, Li Xiao is overwhelmed by visitors and by the routine duties of his new role as Candidate Saint Son and deputy Peak Master.
• To lighten his workload, he summons his disciple Chen An, gives him cultivation guidance, and begins training him to handle Flying Cloud Peak’s administrative tasks.

Character developments

• Li Xiao openly admits his interest in the zombie, showing greater candor than before, but remains careful about revealing how much Huangfu Yuan’s information matters to him. He also proves attentive and patient as a mentor.
• Chen An remains diligent and modest despite the advantages of being Li Xiao’s disciple. Though inexperienced and prone to early mistakes, he learns from them quickly and grows into the administrative work.
• Huangfu Yuan acts as a friendly informant, teasing Li Xiao about his ambitions while sharing useful, potentially valuable information.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: Control of a seventh-turn zombie could transform Li Xiao’s prospects, but obtaining the tokens will require difficult choices and risks.
• Mentorship and responsibility: Li Xiao supports Chen An’s cultivation while also helping him build practical skills and independence.
• Patience and learning: Chen An’s progress comes through correcting mistakes, while Li Xiao recognizes that competence requires experience.
• The burden of leadership: Li Xiao’s rising status brings influence and attention, but also consumes time he would otherwise spend cultivating.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao and Huangfu Yuan discuss the zombie tokens and Ten Thousand Souls Banner; Huangfu Yuan reads Li Xiao’s interest and responds with humor and caution.
• Li Xiao patiently instructs Chen An in cultivation, then entrusts him with routine duties. When Chen An makes mistakes, Li Xiao offers guidance rather than reprimands, and Chen An responds with diligence and improvement.

Key plot points and events

• Chen An takes on responsibility for managing Flying Cloud Peak, handling its documents, accounts, and schedules with great care. This frees Li Xiao to focus on cultivation and training.
• A secret message from the Golden Blade Sect reports that the Cai Family’s Old Ancestor has reached the sixth turn. The Cai Family now dominates Mu Province and is developing the Ten Thousand Souls Sect ruins, pushing the Golden Blade Sect and Hatred-Severing Palace aside.
• The Golden Blade Sect asks Li Xiao for help. He realizes the Cai Family possesses a Token he needs, but a direct fight against a sixth-turn expert would likely be fatal—even with his Sword Qi.
• Li Xiao tells the Golden Blade Sect to withdraw and avoid provoking the Cai Family while he seeks another solution.
• He considers asking the Three Origins Sect for help but rejects the idea, fearing that doing so would expose his interest in the ruins and the important zombie connected to them.
• Instead, Li Xiao contacts Zhou Bai of the secluded Sword Sect, hoping a Sword Sect elder could restrain the Cai Family Old Ancestor without drawing the Three Origins Sect into the matter. Zhou Bai replies that he will meet Li Xiao in five days.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen An becomes a diligent and reliable administrator. He understands that his greatest contribution is easing his master’s workload, and Li Xiao grows more confident in him.
• Li Xiao balances renewed cultivation with increasingly urgent political maneuvering. He remains calm when hearing bad news, but recognizes that he must act carefully to obtain the Token.
• Chen An delivers the Golden Blade Sect’s report and follows Li Xiao’s instructions to reassure them and prevent an immediate clash.
• Li Xiao reaches out to Zhou Bai, relying on their Sword Sect connection to find a discreet source of help.

Significant themes

• Strategy over brute force: Li Xiao cannot safely confront the stronger Cai Family directly, so he seeks an ally whose involvement will not reveal his motives.
• Secrecy and competing interests: The Token and the ruins are valuable enough that Li Xiao must carefully control who learns of them.
• Trust and service: Chen An’s steady work gives Li Xiao the time and freedom to pursue his own goals.
• Power and timing: The Cai Family’s rise is aided by the wider factions being distracted by the Emperor’s ceremony, allowing it to dominate Mu Province.

Li Xiao left the Three Origins Sect to meet Zhou Bai and deliver the Sword Sect’s lost inherited cultivation method, entrusted to him by Venerable Jingyang. Zhou Bai offered to make Li Xiao the Sword Child, but Li Xiao reaffirmed his allegiance to the Three Origins Sect.

• Li Xiao handed Flying Cloud Peak’s affairs over to Chen An and got permission from Elder Shi and the Flying Cloud Peak Master to leave the sect.
• Li Xiao traveled to a small city and met Zhou Bai at a tavern, where Zhou Bai congratulated him on becoming the Candidate Saint Son.
• Li Xiao gave Zhou Bai a Jade Talisman containing the Sword Sect’s other inherited cultivation method, which Venerable Jingyang had entrusted to him.
• Zhou Bai thanked Li Xiao on behalf of the Sword Sect and offered to make him the Sword Child if he joined them.
• Li Xiao declined Zhou Bai’s offer, saying he would remain with the Three Origins Sect, and Zhou Bai accepted his decision.

Li Xiao persuaded Zhou Bai to help kill the Cai Family Old Ancestor, who had seized power in Mu Province. Zhou Bai reached the Cai Family estate before Li Xiao and launched a massive sword strike at the celebrating family.

• Li Xiao asked Zhou Bai to kill the Cai Family Old Ancestor, and Zhou Bai agreed to leave with him immediately.
• Zhou Bai told Li Xiao that the Sword Sect was likely to take part in Emperor Zhou's Heaven-Sacrificing Rite despite its wish to withdraw from worldly affairs.
• Zhou Bai flew ahead to Mu Province while Li Xiao struggled to keep up, and the Cai Family celebrated its Old Ancestor's breakthrough and dominance over the province.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor sensed an unexplained threat during the banquet but found nothing and continued celebrating.
• Zhou Bai concealed his identity above the Cai Family estate, drew his sword, and sent a thousand-foot streak of Sword Qi crashing down toward it.

Zhou Bai attacked the Cai Family Old Ancestor and exposed the Cai Family’s connection to the Red Dust Demon Sect and a zombie-like power. After the Old Ancestor trapped Zhou Bai in insidious corpse qi, he fled while Li Xiao watched from the ruins, ready to help.

• Zhou Bai’s sword strikes split the Cai Family Residence apart and wounded the Cai Family Old Ancestor, while Li Xiao arrived at the outskirts.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor pleaded with Zhou Bai to stop and warned that the Cai Family had pledged allegiance to the Red Dust Demon Sect, but Zhou Bai attacked again.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor revealed corpse marks and unleashed dense corpse qi, which Zhou Bai struggled to disperse with his sword.
• Li Xiao watched from behind a broken wall with the Riftwind Bow ready as the Cai Family Old Ancestor used the corpse qi to cover his escape.

Li Xiao and Zhou Bai killed the fleeing Cai Family Old Ancestor, but Li Xiao could not find the Token on his corpse or anywhere in the estate. Cai Yang had secretly stolen the Token and escaped with it, leaving its fate in his hands.

• Li Xiao shot the fleeing Cai Family Old Ancestor with the Po Jun Bow and wounded him, while Cai Yang slipped away from the ruins.
• Li Xiao and Zhou Bai worked together to prevent the Old Ancestor from escaping, and Zhou Bai cut him in two.
• Zhou Bai left for his sect, and Li Xiao searched the Old Ancestor's body but found no Token.
• Li Xiao searched the chaotic Cai Family estate until morning but still found no sign of the Token.
• Cai Yang concealed his aura and escaped with the Token after stealing it from the Old Ancestor's room and killing others who sought it.

Li Xiao failed to find the Token at the Cai Family residence and recruited the Golden Blade Sect and Hatred-Severing Palace to hunt the family’s remnants and block their escape from Mu Province. The Hatred-Severing Palace agreed to help after Li Xiao confirmed that the Cai Family Old Ancestor was dead.

• Li Xiao concluded that the Cai Family had moved the Token elsewhere and went to the Golden Blade Sect for help.
• Li Xiao ordered Wang Yuanqiao to mobilize the Golden Blade Sect, hunt the Cai Family, and seal Mu Province’s routes, promising assistance from the Hatred-Severing Palace.
• Li Xiao traveled to the Hatred-Severing Palace and asked its leaders to help pursue the Cai Family remnants.
• The grand elder questioned Li Xiao’s report that the Cai Family Old Ancestor had died, and Li Xiao offered to let the palace verify it at the Cai Family residence.
• The grand elder agreed to have the Hatred-Severing Palace work with the Golden Blade Sect to block routes and hunt the Cai Family remnants.

Li Xiao persuaded the Hatred-Severing Palace and Mu Province’s other powers to help hunt down the Cai Family’s remnants. The province was sealed off, and hundreds of Cai Family members were captured, but Li Xiao’s interrogations yielded no answers.

• Li Xiao warned the Hatred-Severing Palace not to question his reasons and secured its agreement to help seal off Mu Province.
• After Li Xiao left, the palace elders speculated about his motives, and the grand elder ordered the sect to block routes and deploy its Fifth-Turn elders.
• Li Xiao visited smaller powers across Mu Province, and they agreed to join the blockade.
• Mu Province’s forces sealed roads, passes, and crossings, while residents spread stories about Li Xiao’s authority.
• Powers that had been friendly with the Cai Family cut ties, and searchers captured several hundred members of its main and collateral branches.
• Li Xiao interrogated several captives, but learned nothing.

Li Xiao's search for the Cai Family Token yielded no leads, while Cai Yang tried to escape Mu Province disguised as a refugee. At the border, the Black-and-White Elders intercepted him and fought to capture him for Li Xiao.

• Li Xiao interrogated captured Cai Family members but learned nothing about the Token or who held it.
• Cai Yang disguised himself as a beggar and reached a city on Mu Province's border, hoping to enter the Western Region.
• Guards closed the city gates just as Cai Yang neared the exit, so he leapt toward the wall.
• The Black-and-White Elders spotted Cai Yang's fifth-turn cultivation and attacked him to earn favor with Li Xiao.
• Cai Yang blocked their attacks, then exchanged more than ten moves with the two elders as additional guards approached.

Li Xiao arrived at the border city in time to save Cai Yang from the Black-and-White Elders and two reinforcements, then killed the masked man who tried to carry Cai Yang away. The elders learned the man’s face was unfamiliar as Li Xiao approached the badly wounded Cai Yang.

• Cai Yang and the Black-and-White Elders burned their essence blood and fought to a deadlock as more cultivators approached.
• Two newcomers joined the battle, and the Black Elder struck Cai Yang down before the four moved to capture him.
• A black-clad man appeared, rescued Cai Yang, and fled, but Li Xiao arrived and forced him to stop with an arrow.
• Li Xiao attacked with his golden Buddha Qi Sword and black Demonic Qi Sword, forcing the black-clad man to release Cai Yang.
• Li Xiao cut the black-clad man in two, and the Black Elder destroyed the lower half of his body and removed his mask, revealing an unfamiliar gray-haired man.