Arc 55The Nine Residences

Lin Ming and his companions explored the Lin, Dragon, Star, and Thunder Residences, collecting treasures and tokens while Lin Ming mastered powerful legacies. At the Heavenly River, their tokens opened the seal, and Qing Yanjing identified Lin Ming as the one she had been seeking.

  • Lin Ming defeated the Golden Dragon Disciple, earned a Golden Dragon Token, and led Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia into the Ancient Heavenly Palace.
  • Lin Ming used his inner world to search the floating islands, found a map to the Nine Mansions, and uncovered the Lin Residence’s Supreme Spirit Liquid, Azure Wood Seal, and Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art.
  • Lin Ming refined the Azure Wood Seal while Zi Yan studied the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art, then they claimed the Dragon Mansion, where Zi Yan absorbed its Dragon Spirit Pearl and advanced to Perfected Tier 9 Supreme.
  • Lin Ming dismantled the Star Residence’s Big Dipper Seven-Star Formation and passed its three array trials, gaining the Star Residence Token and the master’s formation insights.
  • As other cultivators arrived and found the Lin, Dragon, and Star Residences missing, Lin Ming led his companions to the Thunder Residence and claimed its Supreme Spirit Liquid and sacred Thunder Spear.
  • Lin Ming refined the Thunder Spear and began practicing Thunder Punishment while Qing Yanjing and other powerful cultivators gathered outside the Heavenly River’s seal.
  • Lin Ming, Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia brought their four Nine Residences Tokens to the Heavenly River, and the tokens opened the seal as Qing Yanjing spotted Lin Ming and said, “Found you.”
Chapters 1352–1376 Vol. 14 Read

Ch. 1352Inner Domain

Lin Ming defeated the Golden Dragon Disciple and obtained a Golden Dragon Token, then led Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia through the Ancient Heavenly Palace’s outer array. The group arrived inside the palace grounds, where they saw its vast mountains, ruined halls, and floating stone islands.

  • Lin Ming defeated the Golden Dragon Disciple, who conceded and dissolved into light that formed a Golden Dragon Token.
  • Lin Ming emerged from the Dragon Ascension Gate, and a golden pillar and giant dragon revealed that he had become a Golden Dragon Disciple.
  • North King and Xia Jia entered the Dragon Ascension Gate and received a Golden Eagle Token and a Bai Ying Token, respectively.
  • Lin Ming and Zi Yan led North King and Xia Jia through the outer spiritual array using their identity tokens.
  • Lin Ming and the others arrived inside the Ancient Heavenly Palace and surveyed its mountains, palaces, and floating stone islands.

Ch. 1353Drawing the Stone Island Inside

Lin Ming and his companions searched three floating stone islands in the Ancient Heavenly Palace but found only ruined, empty halls. To speed up their search, Lin Ming tried to draw the next island into his inner world, where he could control its formation more easily.

  • Lin Ming warned Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia that the Ancient Heavenly Palace's formations could be deadly, then led them toward the floating stone islands.
  • The group searched three islands and found only decayed objects, empty halls, and ruined buildings marked by signs of an ancient battle.
  • After the fruitless searches, Lin Ming realized that dismantling formations and searching islands one by one would take too long.
  • Lin Ming told the others to retreat while he tested whether he could draw an island into his inner world.
  • Lin Ming opened a black, flame-ringed hole in his palm, and its suction made the island's spiritual formation patterns flash wildly.

Ch. 1354Nine Mansions

Lin Ming absorbed a stone island and found a map that revealed the Ancient Heavenly Palace’s layout and the route to the Nine Mansions. Hoping to earn tokens that would let them enter the Heavenly Pool, he led the group to the nearby Lin Residence, which appeared as a small, plain stone island.

  • Lin Ming swallowed the stone island, dismantled its protective formation, and found two skeletons in a ruined chamber.
  • Lin Ming discovered a storage ring containing a half-sage halberd and a jade slip with a detailed map of the Ancient Heavenly Palace.
  • Lin Ming told Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia that they were in the Nine Mansions region and explained that they needed Mansion tokens to enter the Heavenly Pool.
  • The North King described the Heavenly Pool’s rumored baptism, and Lin Ming clarified that it offered a chance at advancement rather than a guaranteed breakthrough.
  • Lin Ming identified the nearby Lin Residence on the map, and Zi Yan led the group toward it.
  • Lin Ming and the others arrived at a small, unassuming stone island that was the site of the Lin Residence.

Ch. 1355Lin Residence

Lin Ming drew the seemingly ordinary stone island into his inner world and broke its grandmaster-level formation, revealing the vast forest city of the Lin Residence. He led Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia toward its central hall, where they found remains and signs of an ancient battle.

  • Zi Yan tested the stone island with a spiritual attack, and a silver barrier effortlessly neutralized it.
  • Lin Ming pulled the island into his inner world, where he shattered its protective formation.
  • The hidden Lin Residence expanded into a vast forest island filled with towering trees and halls, centered on a great blue-green hall.
  • Lin Ming led Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia through the forest, breaking the remaining formations in their path.
  • The group found skeletal remains and battle-damaged halls near the center, revealing signs of fierce fighting from more than ten thousand years earlier.

Ch. 1356Sacred Artifact

Lin Ming dismantled the grandmaster-level formation protecting the Lin Residence and led his companions into its central hall, where they found a vast pool of Supreme Spirit Liquid and two powerful artifacts. The group recognized the dark seal as a Sacred Artifact, while the nature of the jade scroll remained unknown.

  • Lin Ming used World Power to shatter the forest formation protecting the central hall.
  • Lin Ming, Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia entered the hall and discovered an enormous tree surrounded by an emerald pool.
  • The North King identified the pool as Supreme Spirit Liquid and estimated that it still held the equivalent of at least fifty million drops.
  • Lin Ming looked past the pool and found a dark seal and a green jade scroll suspended within the hall.
  • Zi Yan recognized the dark seal as a Sacred Artifact, and the group reacted with awe at the power of both objects.

Ch. 1357The master of the Lin Residence

Lin Ming uncovered the master of the Lin Residence hidden among the hall’s preserved corpses, revealing that the ancient master had awakened with a malevolent crimson glimmer in his eyes. Xia Jia and the North King braced themselves as the hall turned cold.

  • Zi Yan and Xia Jia admired the Supreme Spirit Liquid and treasures Lin Ming had found in the Lin Residence.
  • The North King warned that the seated figures might have been killed by the Extraterritorial Clans and that their evil energy could corrupt the mind.
  • Xia Jia swept the seated corpses away with spiritual energy, but Lin Ming sensed someone hiding at the top of the staircase and forced him to appear.
  • Xia Jia and the North King recognized the figure as the master of the Lin Residence and prepared for danger.
  • The master's eyes opened, revealing a faint crimson glimmer of evil energy, and the hall's atmosphere turned chilling.

Ch. 1358The Lin Residence's Treasures

Lin Ming defeated and annihilated the Lin Residence's master, whose corpse had been controlled by extraterritorial evil energy. He and Zi Yan claimed the Lin Residence's treasures and identified them as its core legacies.

  • The Lin Residence's master attacked Lin Ming with evil energy, but Lin Ming blocked his strikes using his inner world's power and Emperor Flame.
  • Lin Ming pierced the master's body with a multicolored beam, then destroyed the corpse and the evil energy within it.
  • Lin Ming summoned the seal and learned that it was the Azure Wood Seal, a sacred artifact that wielded wood-element power.
  • Zi Yan took the emerald jade scroll and discovered that it contained the minor divine ability called the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art.
  • Lin Ming said the Azure Wood Seal and the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art were the Lin Residence's core legacies.

Ch. 1359The rankings of the Nine Residences

Lin Ming explored Lin Residence’s remaining treasures and began refining the Azure Wood Seal while Zi Yan prepared to cultivate the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art. The seal gradually awakened, revealing the ancient strand of azure wood power at its core.

  • Lin Ming sensed the treasures hidden across Lin Residence, disabled their protective formations, and sent North King and Xia Jia to collect them.
  • After North King and Xia Jia left, Lin Ming offered Zi Yan the Azure Wood Seal, but she refused because she wanted him to refine it.
  • Lin Ming considered Lin Residence’s low ranking among the Nine Residences and decided he would be better able to use the sacred artifact’s power.
  • Lin Ming surrounded the Azure Wood Seal with spiritual energy and supreme spirit liquid and began the slow refinement process.
  • As the seal’s glow softened, a tiny divine tree appeared within it, and Lin Ming recognized it as the millions-of-years-old azure wood power that formed the artifact’s core.

Ch. 1360Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art

Lin Ming slowly refined the Azure Wood Seal while Zi Yan cultivated the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art in the great hall. The North King and Xia Jia searched the Lin Residence for treasures, then returned to wait without disturbing them.

  • Lin Ming used the Emperor Flame to help his essence blood penetrate the Azure Wood Seal and patiently continued refining it.
  • Zi Yan cultivated the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art as leaves around her repeatedly grew, withered, and regained their vitality.
  • The North King found a powerful half-sacred-artifact heavy sword in an underground chamber.
  • Xia Jia found a pair of half-sacred-artifact short swords, and the two gathered more valuables from the Lin Residence.
  • The North King and Xia Jia returned to the great hall, saw Lin Ming and Zi Yan still cultivating, and sat quietly near the entrance.

Ch. 1361Dragon Mansion

Lin Ming refined the Azure Wood Seal while Zi Yan mastered the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art and discovered it came from one of the Thirty-Six Peerless Divine Abilities. The group left for the Dragon Mansion, where they encountered deadly purple mist that Zi Yan identified as Dragon Breath Poison.

  • Lin Ming branded his essence blood into the Azure Wood Seal, fully refining it and gaining the ability to command its power.
  • Zi Yan completed her cultivation and revealed that the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Art was derived from the Great Withering and Flourishing Art, one of the Thirty-Six Peerless Divine Abilities.
  • Lin Ming led Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia out of the Lin Residence and toward the Dragon Mansion, the third-ranked of the Nine Residences.
  • The group reached a valley shrouded in corrosive purple mist, and Xia Jia inhaled some of it and nearly fell from the sky before North King caught her.
  • Zi Yan identified the poisonous mist around the Dragon Mansion as Dragon Breath Poison.

Ch. 1362Dragon Spirit Pearl

Zi Yan absorbed the deadly dragon breath poison and the group uncovered a Dragon Spirit Pearl in the Dragon Mansion ruins. Lin Ming recognized that it was suited to Zi Yan and agreed she should have it.

  • Zi Yan explained that dragon breath poison was deadly to most cultivators but would nourish her dragon-phoenix bloodline.
  • Zi Yan swallowed the dark-purple mist, strengthening her bloodline and revealing the Dragon Mansion.
  • Lin Ming drew Stone Island into his inner world, where the group explored the vast, lifeless ruins beneath lingering Dragon Clan pressure.
  • The group found a White Bone Throne at the ruins' center, with a Dragon Spirit Pearl containing a white dragon floating above it.
  • Zi Yan identified the pearl as a powerful legacy left by the Dragon Mansion's master, and Lin Ming nodded to show that it belonged to her.

Ch. 1363In hand

Lin Ming uncovered and carefully dismantled a Corpse Spirit Formation hidden beneath the ruins, revealing a Corpse Puppet Dragon guarding the Dragon Spirit Pearl. Zi Yan defeated the dragon and claimed the pearl.

  • Lin Ming exposed the hidden formation and Corpse Puppet Dragon beneath the ruins, then warned that the formation could suppress their power.
  • Lin Ming carefully dismantled the Corpse Spirit Formation and burned away the released Death Qi without damaging the White Bone Throne or Dragon Spirit Pearl.
  • Zi Yan rushed toward the pearl despite Xia Jia's warning, and the Corpse Puppet Dragon attacked her with Death Qi and its claws.
  • Zi Yan neutralized the Death Qi and punched the Corpse Puppet Dragon into the ruins.
  • Zi Yan took the Dragon Spirit Pearl from atop the White Bone Throne.

Ch. 1364Star Residence

Zi Yan refined the Dragon Spirit Pearl in the Dragon Mansion, reaching Perfected Tier 9 Supreme and strengthening her Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline. Lin Ming then led the group toward the Star Residence, where they discovered that its seven apparently separate stone islands formed one enormous formation.

  • Zi Yan absorbed the Dragon Spirit Pearl while Lin Ming, North King, and Xia Jia searched the Dragon Mansion and found little else of value.
  • Zi Yan completed her refinement, advanced to Perfected Tier 9 Supreme, and gained a purer, stronger Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline.
  • Lin Ming led Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia out of the Dragon Mansion and announced that they would head to the Star Residence.
  • After flying for nearly an hour, the group reached seven stone islands, none of which appeared to stand out as the Star Residence.
  • Lin Ming explained that all seven islands were linked by formations and together formed the Star Residence.

Ch. 1365The Seven-Star Formation

Lin Ming discovered that an ancient formation bound the Star Residence’s seven stone islands together and carefully severed its weakened links. He absorbed all seven islands into his Inner World, and he and his companions prepared to explore the Star Residence.

  • Zi Yan detected ancient spiritual-energy lines connecting the seven stone islands, and Lin Ming identified the structure as the Big Dipper Seven-Star Formation.
  • Lin Ming examined the formation for four hours and found six weakened gaps in its connections.
  • Lin Ming used six Spirit Seals to sever the gaps, causing the Big Dipper Seven-Star Formation to collapse.
  • Lin Ming used a Black Hole to absorb all seven stone islands into his Inner World, leaving the sky empty.
  • Lin Ming invited Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia to explore the Star Residence, and the four entered the Five-Elements World.

Ch. 1366Star Tower

Lin Ming led Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia to the Star Residence’s gateway island and began exploring its formation tower. After clearing a dangerous trace of Evil Clan energy, the group entered the tower and climbed toward its summit, where the formation teachings grew increasingly profound.

  • Lin Ming examined the seven floating islands, drew the eastern island toward the group, and identified it as the gateway to the Star Residence.
  • Lin Ming broke the island’s defensive barrier and determined that Heavenly Pivot Island was a screening formation centered on the crystal tower.
  • Lin Ming detected residual evil energy around the tower’s base and warned that it could corrode anyone who entered unprotected.
  • Lin Ming carefully removed the evil energy, then led Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia into the tower.
  • The group climbed the spiral staircase as Lin Ming studied the tower’s increasingly advanced formation knowledge.

Ch. 1367The Trial

Lin Ming entered the Star Residence Master’s first array trial and broke its seven arrays, including a near-grandmaster-level formation. He completed the trial, though the chapter ended before the next step of the Star Residence legacy was revealed.

  • The Master of the Star Residence appeared and offered his legacy and token to whoever passed three array trials, then vanished into the crystal.
  • Lin Ming stepped into the silvery-white ring while Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia waited outside.
  • Lin Ming recognized the first trial as the Sevenfold Array and broke its red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue arrays in succession.
  • Lin Ming studied the violet array’s five-element cycle and found a weak point between its fire and metal elements.
  • Lin Ming severed the weak connection, causing the violet array to collapse.

Ch. 1368Five Elements Sealing Array

Lin Ming passed the first trial and entered the second, where he dismantled the Five Elements Sealing Array by disrupting its central balance. The gray space vanished, leaving him on a new platform with a golden token.

  • Lin Ming took the silver token after completing the first trial and was transported to the second floor.
  • Lin Ming explored the sealed gray space and discovered a dark-gold platform and pillar that activated the Five Elements Sealing Array.
  • Lin Ming recognized that brute force would fail and used his five elements power to find the array’s central node.
  • Lin Ming disrupted the five-colored core until it exploded, causing the Five Elements Sealing Array to collapse.
  • Lin Ming found himself on a new stone platform with pale golden flames and a golden Big Dipper token.

Ch. 1369Inheritance

Lin Ming entered the Star Residence’s third trial, where the Master of the Star Residence challenged him to find the Formation Core Star hidden in a vast starry array. After tracing the array’s patterns, Lin Ming detected a faint star whose resonance connected it to the earlier trials and his Inner World, and walked toward it.

  • Lin Ming took the token confirming he had passed the second trial, and the altar’s light transported him into the third trial.
  • The Master of the Star Residence explained that the trial tested inheritance and that Lin Ming would receive it only by finding the Formation Core Star among the stars.
  • Lin Ming used his World Power and Soul Power to perceive the starry sky as an enormous array linked by countless formation-pattern threads.
  • Lin Ming recognized the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper and found an empty hollow at the center of their loop, where the Formation Core Star should have been.
  • Lin Ming searched the dim stars and sensed that one distant dusky blue star resonated with the arrays from the first two trials and his Inner World.
  • Lin Ming strode through the starry array toward the faint star in its deepest reaches.

Ch. 1370Obtaining the Inheritance

Lin Ming received the Star Residence master's vast inheritance of formation knowledge and emerged with a transformed understanding of formations. He collected the Star Residence Token and left the now-silent altar.

  • Lin Ming touched the deep-blue star and absorbed the Star Residence master's lifetime of insights into spirit patterns, Five-Element formations, composite arrays, and spatial formations.
  • Lin Ming endured the overwhelming flood of knowledge and gained a new understanding of the way of formations.
  • The deep-blue star transformed into the Star Residence Token, which Lin Ming placed beside the two tokens he had already obtained.
  • The starry sky dissipated, and Lin Ming returned to the stone platform as the altar's rings and central crystal went dark.
  • Lin Ming tested his new knowledge by forming a spirit pattern, then dispersed it and left the space.

Ch. 1371Qing Yanjing

Lin Ming obtained the Star Residence Token and sensed that outside forces were entering the Ancient Heavenly Palace, leaving his group little time to explore. After Qing Yanjing won a Golden Dragon Token at the Dragon Ascension Gate, Lin Ming led his companions toward the dangerous Thunder Residence, hoping the Star Residence Token would help them reach it before the newcomers caught up.

  • Lin Ming reunited with Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia and showed them the Star Residence Token, completing their collection of tokens from three residences.
  • Lin Ming sensed more people entering the Ancient Heavenly Palace through the Dragon Ascension Gate, and warned his companions that their time to explore was limited.
  • Qing Yanjing entered the Dragon Ascension Gate's trial and emerged with a Golden Dragon Token, astonishing the waiting crowd.
  • Lin Ming studied the map Jade Slip and chose the Thunder Residence, reasoning that the Star Residence Token could help suppress its formations and that its rewards could strengthen them.
  • Lin Ming, Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia hurried toward the Thunder Residence before the latecomers could catch up.

Ch. 1372The chain reaction caused by the vanished residences

Latecomers arrived at the Ancient Heavenly Palace seeking the Nine Residences, only to find the Lin Residence and Dragon Mansion gone. Qing Yanjing discovered the Star Residence had also vanished and hurried to the Heavenly Pool, expecting to confront whoever had taken it.

  • Cultivators entered the Ancient Heavenly Palace with inherited maps and jade slips, then scattered toward the locations of the Nine Residences.
  • A party from a small Eastern Region sect found the Lin Residence missing, then discovered the Dragon Mansion was gone too, and their leader destroyed his map in anger.
  • Other cultivators reached the former sites of the Lin Residence and Dragon Mansion and left frustrated after finding only faint traces of spiritual energy.
  • Qing Yanjing consulted the Buddha Ancient Clan's jade slip and raced to the Star Residence, where she found it missing and sensed an unfamiliar flame aura.
  • Qing Yanjing concluded that someone had taken the Star Residence and headed for the Heavenly Pool to wait for them.

Ch. 1373Thunder Residence

Lin Ming absorbed the Thunder Residence into his Inner World and searched its halls with Zi Yan, Xia Jia, and the North King. After finding supplies and a vast pool of thunder-infused spirit liquid, he recognized sacred-artifact power in the patterns at the rear of the Thunder Palace.

  • Lin Ming used his chaos lightning to absorb the Thunder Residence's stone island into his Inner World and led Zi Yan, Xia Jia, and the North King through its formations.
  • Lin Ming dismantled the Thunder Residence's thunder formations and searched its side halls with the others.
  • Xia Jia found a Lei Yuan Barrier-Breaking Pill, which Lin Ming gave her to help overcome a cultivation bottleneck.
  • The North King found sealed thunder-attribute materials, and Lin Ming let him and Xia Jia keep the supplies they found.
  • Lin Ming and the others entered the Thunder Palace and discovered a pool containing an estimated seventy to eighty million drops of supreme spirit liquid.
  • Lin Ming examined the dense lightning patterns at the rear of the hall and recognized fluctuations from a sacred artifact.

Ch. 1374The Thunder Residence's Sacred Artifact

Lin Ming and Zi Yan discovered a sacred Thunder Spear and the Thunder Punishment minor divine ability in the Thunder Palace. Lin Ming refined the spear and began practicing the technique, while North King and Xia Jia continued searching the Thunder Residence.

  • Lin Ming and Zi Yan found two Thunder Pillars holding a sacred Thunder Spear and a sheet of gold foil.
  • Lin Ming subdued the Thunder Spear with Chaos Lightning and retrieved it from its lightning barrier.
  • Zi Yan retrieved the gold foil, which recorded the nine-layer Thunder Punishment technique and explained how a Thunder Attribute sacred weapon could amplify it.
  • Lin Ming and Zi Yan recognized that the Thunder Spear could serve as a conduit for Thunder Punishment, reducing its backlash and boosting its power.
  • Lin Ming spent about four hours engraving his spiritual energy imprint into the Thunder Spear until its Thunder Core accepted him.
  • Lin Ming began practicing Thunder Punishment with the refined Thunder Spear.

Ch. 1375Before the Heavenly River

The Heavenly River drew powerful cultivators from across the Sky Luo Continent as they gathered outside its sealed entrance, each waiting for the baptism to begin. Qing Yanjing arrived with a token, and the chapter ended with Xu Ru recognizing Lin Ming and his companions as survivors of the Xia Emperor’s attack.

  • Flower-Faced Fox watched a cold, formidable party arrive and judged that their Nine Residences Token might be better than his own.
  • Qing Yanjing arrived with a jade pendant from the Spirit Residence and searched the crowd for the person who had emptied the Star Residence.
  • Elite disciples and experts from major powers gathered outside the seal, many bearing injuries from crossing the damaged formations around the Nine Residences.
  • The Heavenly River’s waters began to sound, stirring the spiritual power of everyone nearby and drawing them toward the river.
  • Lin Ming, a purple-gold-clad woman, and two companions arrived, and Xu Ru recognized them as survivors of the Xia Emperor’s attack.

Ch. 1376The Heavenly River Opens

Lin Ming and his companions reached the Heavenly River, and the gathered Nine Residences Tokens opened its ancient seal, releasing a tremendous surge of spiritual energy. As the crowd rushed toward the opening, Qing Yanjing recognized Lin Ming, while he stayed back to assess the situation.

  • Lin Ming, Zi Yan, the North King, and Xia Jia arrived at the Heavenly River, and their four Nine Residences Tokens shone and sent beams of light into the sky.
  • The beams from the token holders converged into a nine-colored rune that tore open the seal and unleashed the Heavenly River’s spiritual energy.
  • Zi Yan, the North King, Xia Jia, and the surrounding crowd sensed the river’s power and recognized the chance for a profound baptism.
  • Qing Yanjing spotted Lin Ming’s star-blue pillar and quietly said, "Found you."
  • Token holders and other hopeful cultivators surged toward the opening, while Lin Ming remained behind to weigh his options.
Arc 55 of 57
Arc 55 of 57