Chapter Summaries

Lin Ming and Zi Yan settled in West City while North King and Xia Jia gathered intelligence, learning that powerful young cultivators had converged there because of the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object. The chapter left them watching a lavish divine-artifact carriage drawn by four Dragon Horse Beasts arrive above the city.

• Lin Ming, Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia entered West City and settled in a Wine Pavilion.
• North King and Xia Jia left to gather information while Lin Ming and Zi Yan listened to rumors about Asura Dragon Spear Luo Ming, the Mad Nether Blade Swordsman, and other powerful arrivals.
• Lin Ming realized the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object had drawn exceptional young cultivators from across the Sky Luo Continent to West City.
• A thunderous disturbance filled the sky as lightning converged above the city into a golden sphere.
• Lin Ming and the city's cultivators saw a luxurious divine-artifact carriage pulled by four Dragon Horse Beasts pass overhead.

Lin Ming and Zi Yan learned that the extravagant newcomer was Xia Xuan, the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty’s youngest imperial brother, who had come to West City for the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object. Xia Xuan noticed Zi Yan and coveted her, but her warning gaze made him cautious, so he only smiled from afar and ignored Lin Ming.

• Zi Yan disapproved of the spectacle of divine beasts being used to pull a carriage, while Lin Ming urged her to remain calm.
• Cultivators in the Wine Pavilion identified the procession as belonging to the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty and said Xia Xuan was a Peak Tier 9 Supreme seeking the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object to strengthen his foundation.
• Xia Xuan emerged from the golden carriage with two concubines and surveyed the crowds below.
• Xia Xuan spotted Zi Yan, became captivated by her beauty and strength, and regarded her with covetous intent.
• Zi Yan sensed Xia Xuan’s stare and warned him with a cold gaze that revealed her Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline’s pressure.
• Xia Xuan sensed Zi Yan’s strength, restrained himself from approaching her, and smiled at her from afar while dismissing Lin Ming.

Lin Ming and Zi Yan faced Xia Xuan’s attention as they gathered in the city ahead of the contest for the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object. After a silent clash of gazes, Xia Xuan concealed his hostility and decided to investigate them before making a move.

• Xia Xuan ignored Lin Ming and focused on Zi Yan, whose anger eased when Lin Ming teased her and patted her hand.
• Xia Xuan noticed Zi Yan’s affectionate response to Lin Ming and scrutinized the young man for the first time.
• Lin Ming met Xia Xuan’s gaze without fear, and their brief spiritual-energy clash passed unnoticed by most of the city.
• Xia Xuan realized he could not gauge Lin Ming’s strength, but reasoned that Lin Ming was not an Earth Sovereign and should be weaker than him.
• Xia Xuan held back from acting against Lin Ming and Zi Yan because their backgrounds were unknown and the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object mattered more.
• Xia Xuan planned to investigate the pair and considered taking Zi Yan if they proved to be Rogue Cultivators without powerful backing.

Lin Ming and Zi Yan watched Xia Xuan leave, then saw numerous renowned young cultivators arrive in West City. Their gathering suggested that an important event connected to the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object was about to unfold, and they waited for North King and the others to return with information.

• Zi Yan recognized the lecherous intent in Xia Xuan's gaze, and Lin Ming vowed to make him pay if he threatened her.
• Mu Feng arrived in West City atop a Flood Dragon, followed by Jian Xin on a flying sword and Xu Ru from Horizon Tower.
• Many other famed cultivators gathered in West City, drawing crowds and driving up demand for information.
• Lin Ming and Zi Yan suspected the arrivals were connected to the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object and decided to wait for North King and the others.

Lin Ming learned that a team had found the route to the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object but could not pass an ancient Restriction, so they planned to auction the information in West City. The next evening, factions and cultivators crowded into Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, where Lin Ming's group watched from a private room.

• North King and Xia Jia told Lin Ming that a team had discovered the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object's location after losing more than half its members in the Far Western Lands.
• Xia Jia explained that two Tier 8 Supremes had died at an ancient Restriction and that the surviving team would auction the route information the following night.
• News of the auction spread through West City, drawing cultivators and major factions eager to obtain the route map.
• Crowds poured into the central district and gathered at the reopened Heavenly Treasure Pavilion for the auction.
• Xia Jia secured and furnished a second-level private room, where Lin Ming and his group of four settled in to watch.

Lin Ming and the North King discussed who was organizing the auction as the leading young talents arrived and competed over the Route Map. Xia Xuan and Xu Ru recognized Lin Ming and Zi Yan as the Dragon Battle Palace’s benefactors, leaving their identities exposed to the gathered powers.

• Lin Ming asked the North King about the auction’s organizers and learned that a long-established local faction had been chosen to appear impartial.
• Xia Xuan, Mu Feng, Jian Xin, and Xu Ru entered the crowded auction hall, drawing attention from the cultivators.
• Xia Xuan demanded that others yield the Route Map to the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty, and Mu Feng mocked him with a counteroffer.
• Xu Ru declined Xia Xuan’s invitation to sit together and went upstairs, where she spotted Lin Ming and Zi Yan in their suite.
• Xia Xuan asked Xu Ru about the pair, and she identified them as likely benefactors from the Dragon Battle Palace in the Northern Domain.

At the auction, Lin Ming and Zi Yan joined the gathered factions while Xia Xuan dismissed their Dragon Battle Palace origins and considered them beneath him. The auction began under Mo Lin of the Western Cold Sect, with sealed treasures brought onto the stage.

• Xia Xuan learned that Lin Ming and Zi Yan came from Dragon Battle Palace and sneered at their Northern Domain background, while Xu Ru inferred their earlier clash and considered using Xia Xuan's grudge to her advantage.
• Xu Ru took a southern private box as Xia Xuan, Mu Feng, and Jian Xin settled into seats overlooking the hall.
• Lin Ming observed Xia Xuan's contempt from afar and silently warned that he would retaliate if Xia Xuan acted against him; Zi Yan asked what was wrong, and Lin Ming said he had watched an entertaining show.
• A bronze bell quieted the auction pavilion, and Mo Lin of the Western Cold Sect ascended the stage to open the auction.
• Young women carried silver trays protected by spiritual energy barriers onto the stage, drawing the crowd's attention to the concealed treasures.

Mo Lin opened the auction with the Mountain-Covering Seal, a powerful Quasi-Sacred Artifact that Lin Ming recognized as containing immense earth-element spiritual energy. The seal’s ten-million Supreme Spirit Liquid starting price left the packed hall weighing whether they could afford to bid.

• Mo Lin announced that the auction had begun and introduced its nine items, including a final intelligence offering.
• Lin Ming examined the first item through its spiritual shield and identified the black stone seal as a powerful Quasi-Sacred Artifact.
• Lin Ming told Zi Yan that the seal was extraordinary, while other experts in the hall also recognized its likely rank.
• Mo Lin named the item the Mountain-Covering Seal and claimed that even a Tier 9 Supreme would not dare take its power lightly.
• Mo Lin set the starting bid at ten million Supreme Spirit Liquid, and the high price quieted many would-be bidders.

The Mountain-Covering Seal drew fierce bidding at the West City auction before Xia Xuan outbid the other contenders. Mo Lin awarded the Quasi-Sacred Artifact to the prince for fifteen million Supreme Spirit Liquids.

• Yu Huan of Full Gold Hall bid eleven million Supreme Spirit Liquids for the Mountain-Covering Seal.
• The Mad Leopard Stronghold Master raised the bid to twelve million, and the contest pushed the price to thirteen million.
• Lin Ming watched the bidding but chose not to participate, considering the artifact too weak to be worth the cost.
• Xia Xuan bid fifteen million Supreme Spirit Liquids, causing Yu Huan and the Mad Leopard Stronghold Master to withdraw.
• Mo Lin declared Xia Xuan the winner, and the Mountain-Covering Seal was taken behind the stage.

At the Western Cold Sect auction, Lin Ming became interested in the damaged Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array after learning it was an incomplete Grandmaster Grade spirit array diagram. The hall showed little interest, until a young voice bid four million Supreme Spirit Liquid.

• A Southern Region expert won the crimson saber for eighteen million Supreme Spirit Liquid and left the auction.
• Lin Ming examined the Bronze Ancient Scroll revealed as the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array and sensed its intricate spiritual energy structures.
• Mo Lin announced that the array was said to be Grandmaster Grade, startling the auction crowd.
• A Gray-robed Old Man questioned the claim, and Mo Lin clarified that the array was incomplete and lacked the method to form its array foundation.
• After bidders stayed silent, an unidentified young voice bid four million Supreme Spirit Liquid for the array.

Lin Ming competed with several spiritual array masters to buy the incomplete Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array. After Bai Zhenzi conceded at eleven million Supreme Spirit Liquid, Lin Ming hoped the auction would end before the price reached his fifteen-million limit.

• Lin Ming bid four million Supreme Spirit Liquid on the incomplete array, drawing the attention of the pavilion and Xia Xuan.
• Bai Zhenzi, a direct disciple of the Immortal Array Sect, raised the bid, and Lin Ming answered with five million.
• Bai Zhenzi and other spiritual array masters competed with Lin Ming, pushing the price to ten million before the other bidders withdrew.
• Lin Ming raised the bid to eleven million, and Bai Zhenzi conceded after weighing the cost against his savings.
• Lin Ming quietly felt relieved, since his limit for the array was fifteen million Supreme Spirit Liquid.

Xia Xuan deliberately drove up the price of the residual array scroll to spite Lin Ming, then stopped after Lin Ming bid fifteen million drops of supreme spirit liquid. Lin Ming won the scroll and warned Xia Xuan that he might one day regret yielding it.

• Xia Xuan outbid Lin Ming by offering twelve million for the residual array scroll, drawing anger from Zi Yan and suspicion from the pavilion.
• Lin Ming raised the bid to thirteen million, and Xia Xuan countered with fourteen million while still acting indifferent.
• Lin Ming bid fifteen million, reaching the limit he had set for himself, and Xia Xuan finally looked toward him.
• Xia Xuan stopped bidding and claimed he would yield the residual array to Lin Ming.
• Lin Ming thanked Xia Xuan and warned him that the scroll might someday be worth far more than its price.

Lin Ming secured the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array despite Xia Xuan's attempt to drive up its price, and he believed the incomplete formation held an ancient power worth far more than he paid. As the auction continued toward the coveted route map, the fifth item was unveiled and the major factions waited for the main event.

• Xia Xuan mocked Lin Ming after losing the bidding contest, while Lin Ming said Xia Xuan might regret letting him obtain the incomplete formation.
• Mo Lin concluded the auction at fifteen million Supreme Spirit Liquid, and an attendant delivered the sealed Bronze Ancient Scroll to Lin Ming.
• Xu Ru won the incomplete Heaven-Splitting Finger for eighteen million Supreme Spirit Liquid while Lin Ming watched without bidding.
• The major factions focused on the route map, the auction's ninth and most anticipated item, as they conserved their resources for the coming contest.
• Mo Lin introduced the fifth auction item, an emerald-green pill whose medicinal fragrance spread through the hall.

The auction’s earlier items sold as the gathered factions waited for the final lot: an ancient scroll concealing a route map related to the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object. When Mo Lin opened bidding, factions and cultivators drove its price rapidly to ten million Supreme Spirit Liquid, and the contest continued.

• A mysterious Southern Region buyer bought the Blue Sea Origin-Congealing Pill for twenty-two million Supreme Spirit Liquid, while later lots went to a Western Region sect, Mu Feng, and Xu Ru.
• Lin Ming remained detached as Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia watched the auction and tracked the competing factions.
• Mo Lin announced the final item, and the maid presented a dark-yellow scroll whose contents were concealed by spatial folds.
• Xia Xuan, Mu Feng, Jian Xin, and Xu Ru focused on the scroll as Mo Lin set its starting price at one million Supreme Spirit Liquid.
• Cultivators and faction representatives bid rapidly, pushing the scroll’s price to ten million Supreme Spirit Liquid before the pace began to slow.

Lin Ming entered the bidding for the Route Map and stunned the auction hall by offering twenty-eight million supreme spirit liquid. His unexpected bid interrupted Xia Xuan’s apparent path to victory and left the top-tier factions wondering how Lin Ming could afford it.

• As the scroll’s price reached eighteen million, Mu Feng made the first bid from the Hidden Dragon Pavilion.
• Xia Xuan, Xu Ru, and Jian Xin joined the bidding, and the price climbed to twenty-five million supreme spirit liquid.
• Xia Xuan expected the other factions to withdraw, confident that the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty had the deepest reserves.
• Lin Ming suddenly bid twenty-eight million, shocking the auction hall and the four top-tier factions.
• Xu Ru reconsidered what the Horizon Tower knew about Lin Ming and wondered whether he had hidden wealth or a powerful backer.

Lin Ming drove Xia Xuan into bidding thirty-five million Supreme Spirit Liquid for the route map, then revealed he had never wanted the scroll and had only meant to make Xia Xuan spend more. Xia Xuan won the auction but was left furious and humiliated.

• Lin Ming bid twenty-eight million Supreme Spirit Liquid for the route map, shocking Xia Xuan and Zi Yan.
• Xia Xuan raised his bid to thirty million, and Lin Ming calmly countered with thirty-one million.
• Xia Xuan, enraged, bid thirty-five million, reaching the limit of his allocated funds.
• Lin Ming stopped bidding despite Zi Yan's tension, and Xia Xuan mocked him for backing down.
• Lin Ming told Xia Xuan he had only wanted him to spend more Supreme Spirit Liquid, leaving Xia Xuan speechless with rage.
• Mo Lin announced Xia Xuan as the winner of the route map, while the auction hall took note of Lin Ming's audacity.

As West City’s factions watched Xia Xuan after the auction, Lin Ming examined the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array in a secluded courtyard. The scroll showed him a vision of its creator constructing a vast formation and summoning a golden dragon and a silver-white elephant.

• After the auction ended, factions and cultivators in West City began watching Xia Xuan, who had won the route map and the chance to pursue the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object.
• Lin Ming and Zi Yan discussed the danger gathering around Xia Xuan in the shielded courtyard North King had secured.
• Lin Ming meditated, then retrieved the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array and used his Soul Power to investigate the ancient scroll.
• The scroll awakened and projected a vision of a robed figure constructing an enormous spirit array across an ancient world.
• The figure summoned a golden dragon and a silver-white elephant into the formation, filling the sky with brilliant golden-white light.

Lin Ming learned the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array was incomplete without its core hub, then spent a day studying how to restore it with Purifying Lotus. When Xia Xuan announced his departure from West City and challenged those pursuing his map, Lin Ming and his companions set out after him as rival factions flooded the skies.

• Lin Ming received insights into the Dragon-Elephant Shattering Heaven Array and realized its missing core hub prevented it from reaching Earth Sovereign-level power.
• Lin Ming and Purifying Lotus studied the array’s Formation Patterns in the Courtyard over the following day.
• North King reported that Xia Xuan was preparing to leave his residence, which rival factions had surrounded.
• Xia Xuan publicly challenged anyone coveting his map to follow him as he departed.
• Lin Ming decided to follow Xia Xuan, and Zi Yan, North King, and Xia Jia joined him as cultivators across West City surged toward Xia Xuan.

Xia Xuan led the followers pursuing the Sunflower Ice Spirit Object through the Far Western Lands, using his route map to pass safely through danger zones while they suffered heavy losses. The survivors continued after him more cautiously, terrified of the traps ahead.

• Xia Xuan studied the route map as cultivators from across West City followed his Golden Carriage toward the Far Western Lands.
• At Riftwind Valley, Xia Xuan ordered the carriage through at full speed and escaped the scheduled Gale Wind, while the pursuing cultivators were caught in it and dozens died.
• Xia Xuan continued deeper into the Far Western Lands after learning from his scouts that the wind had devastated the followers behind him.
• Over the next two days, Xia Xuan led his followers through deadly danger zones, including a Blizzard-shrouded valley where more than a hundred cultivators froze to death.
• The remaining cultivators recognized Xia Xuan's plan and followed from a distance, their greed replaced by fear.

Xia Xuan led his golden carriage through the Shattered Realm Abyss using the map, while the followers behind him died in the shifting Spatial Rifts. Lin Ming watched from a distance and prepared to see how he would fare against Xia Xuan.

• Xia Xuan reached the Shattered Realm Abyss and ordered his people to cross by following the safe nodes marked on the Jade Slip.
• Xia Xuan and Tie Kui guided the carriage through the Spatial Rifts, while followers without a map tried to copy their route.
• Spatial Rifts killed dozens of pursuing cultivators, and only a handful reached the far side alive.
• Lin Ming and his three companions watched from a distant ice hill as Xia Xuan resumed his journey.
• Lin Ming surveyed the bodies and said he wanted to see who came out on top.