Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu, fleeing eight Creation cultivators, meets the still-injured Chen Qianqian, who offers to guide him to another exit. Chen can hold off only one or two opponents, so Ye Qiu agrees to follow him.
• Chen demands the Earth Dragon Demon Beast Spirit Ye Qiu ate. Ye Qiu cannot return it—Brother Snake has already digested it—so he promises compensation and an apology after they escape.
• Chen leads Ye Qiu through the forest and a ravine to an abandoned gate marked Mountain River Secret Realm. Ye Qiu’s strongest saber strike cannot open it.
• Chen reveals that his family once gave the Secret Realm to the Academy and that the gate may still have a mechanism, though he claims not to know where it is. He later admits he can open it, but before he can explain how, the gate responds to Ye Qiu.
• Following Brother Snake’s hint, Ye Qiu studies the four characters on the gate. The characters awaken one by one, subjecting him to the crushing force of a mountain and then the torrent of a river. Ye Qiu advances through both trials, absorbing and refining Dragon Blood as his strength rises.
• The gate glows gold and begins to open. Chen is struck down by the trials and loses consciousness.

Character development and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains resourceful and determined under pressure, but his desperation makes him impatient with Chen’s teasing and vague explanations. Instead of relying on brute force alone, he recognizes the gate’s hidden intent and perseveres through its challenge.
• Chen Qianqian is both an ally and a comic source of friction: he insists on being repaid for the spirit, teases Ye Qiu, and delays revealing that he can open the gate. His injuries worsen as he is caught in the gate’s power.
• Brother Snake offers a crucial clue—telling Ye Qiu to examine the characters—while jokingly refusing to return the already-digested spirit.
• Ye Qiu and Chen bargain, argue, and threaten one another, yet Chen still guides Ye Qiu toward an escape route.

Significant themes

• Perseverance under pressure: Ye Qiu turns the gate’s overwhelming force into an opportunity to grow stronger.
• Power through understanding: His saber cannot open the gate; progress comes from recognizing and responding to the meaning embedded in its characters.
• Comic tension amid danger: The argument over compensation and Chen’s teasing contrast with the urgent pursuit and life-threatening trials.

Key plot points and events

• As the Preliminary Selection appears to end, Ye Qiu is still missing, and his allies fear he may not have survived.
• A previously sealed, abandoned gate opens. Ye Qiu emerges through it, badly injured and carrying the unconscious Chen Qianqian. His return shocks the Academy and the rival clans.
• Rather than celebrate, Ye Qiu turns to the nearly extinguished main gate. He kills several Ye, Chu, and Liu Family members as they emerge, then enters the gate and returns with more heads. The gate vanishes, and Ye Qiu bitterly notes that three enemies escaped.
• When the clans protest, Ye Qiu challenges them to name a rule forbidding killing in the selection. He kills another Liu Family disciple, provoking Ye Qilin to attack.
• Lu Li intervenes, but Ye Qilin is pulled out of the first sword strike’s path. As Wang Song officially declares the selection over, Lu Li’s second strike kills Ye Qilin.
• Nan Qingyue backs Lu Li, warning the Ye Family not to interfere when her disciple intends to kill.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu returns battered but defiant, turning his survival into an act of vengeance against the families that threatened him. He openly rejects intimidation and uses the selection’s lack of clear rules to justify his violence.
• Lu Li shifts from preparing to intervene earlier to actively protecting Ye Qiu’s side, killing Ye Qilin despite the official end being announced.
• Song Shu, the Grand Law Enforcer, Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang move from grim fear to relief and joy when Ye Qiu returns.
• Nan Qingyue shows guarded approval of Ye Qiu and openly supports her disciple, Lu Li.
• Wang Song tries to end the selection, but his announcement comes too late to prevent further bloodshed.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu’s return reunites him with his relieved allies, while his actions immediately provoke the Ye, Chu, and Liu Families.
• He confronts the clans’ outrage with defiance, refusing to be cowed by their elders.
• Lu Li protects Ye Qiu’s position by attacking Ye Qilin; Nan Qingyue reinforces that support by challenging the Ye Family directly.

Significant themes

• Defiance against power: Ye Qiu refuses to submit to influential clans and answers their threats with force.
• Vengeance and escalating violence: The conflict moves from competition to open, retaliatory killing.
• Rules and authority: Ye Qiu exposes the ambiguity of the selection’s rules, while Wang Song’s belated declaration shows how fragile institutional control has become.
• Loyalty and solidarity: Ye Qiu’s friends celebrate his survival, and Lu Li and Nan Qingyue stand with him against the clans.

Plot points and events

• Lu Li kills Ye Qilin, Ye Clan’s celebrated young talent, and Ye Qiu pockets the Storage Rings of the dead. The Ye, Chu, and Liu clans are furious, but Wang Song refuses to intervene, apparently wary of Lu Li and uncertain of the Dean’s position.
• The Preliminary Selection ends, and Wang Song announces that the Grand Selection will take place the next day. Ye Qiu’s group avoids the Star Pavilion and rests outside the academy to conserve strength.
• The group worries that the three great clans will target them in the coming battles. Ye Qiu accepts the danger, reasoning that their enemies would have tried to kill them regardless.
• Lu Li questions Ye Qiu about a rumor that Li Zhenzhen is keeping him. After teasing him into essentially admitting it, she lets Nan Qingyue confront him with her sword.
• Lin Qi, representing the Star Pavilion, reminds Ye Qiu that he owes the Pavilion about seventy million Law Crystals. Lu Li offers to pay, but Ye Qiu says she needn’t.
• Lu Li then offers to sell Ye Qiu to Li Zhenzhen for seventy million. Li Zhenzhen bargains him down to seven million, which Lu Li accepts—leaving Ye Qiu stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Li openly takes responsibility for killing Ye Qilin and shows protective tenderness toward Ye Qiu, checking his injuries. She also teases him, tests his honesty, and treats his supposed “sale” to Li Zhenzhen with comic practicality.
• Ye Qiu remains outwardly carefree and smug after the violence, though he privately admits how close he came to failing. He jokes and deflects when questioned about Li Zhenzhen, then reacts with alarm to Lu Li’s bargain.
• Wang Song and the three clans are left seething but hold back, suggesting Lu Li’s status—and the Dean’s silence—makes retaliation risky.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer worry about the coming Grand Selection; Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling share a quiet affectionate moment, while Yuan Gang tends his lingering injuries.
• Nan Qingyue listens in on the exchange about Li Zhenzhen and confronts Ye Qiu with her sword. Lin Qi renews the Star Pavilion’s claim on Ye Qiu’s debt.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Lu Li’s killing of Ye Qilin defies clan authority, but the academy’s unclear response prevents the clans from acting openly.
• Consequences and survival: The group has escaped the Preliminary Selection, yet the Grand Selection promises further life-or-death conflict.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Li’s willingness to claim responsibility and care for Ye Qiu contrasts with his joking evasions.
• Comedy amid danger: Debt, jealousy, and the absurd bargaining over Ye Qiu undercut the chapter’s otherwise tense aftermath.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Rudí’s hidden plan: Ye Jiangshan reveals that the purple King Ye Sword—also called the Purple Firmament Sword—and the Azure Firmament Sword must fuse. Ye Rudí is already strong enough to fight Creation Realm opponents, but his father orders him to hide his full ability at the next day’s Grand Selection. The competition is only a means to enter the Great Dao Academy, where he hopes to obtain the third sword, the Spirit Firmament Sword. Fusing all three will perfect his Xiantian Sword Body and eventually allow him to receive the Ye Imperial Sword Qi’s ancestral baptism.
• Ye Qiu’s growing strength and ambition: While cultivating with the Resonance Mountain River Secret Realm and absorbing Dragon Blood, Ye Qiu approaches the True Formation Realm. After hearing how the Grand Selection’s ten Battle Stages determine the top ten, he abandons his goal of making the top thirty and sets his sights on the top ten, hoping to bring attention to Southern State.
• Lu Li’s unexpected payment: Lu Li returns with a ring containing seven million, explaining that Ye Qiu’s buyer initially offered only five million and that one million had been paid as a deposit. Ye Qiu is offended by the valuation, but Lu Li takes him to explore the competition grounds.
• The Saber Cliff trial: Lu Li shows Ye Qiu an ancient blade mark left by a Saber God, said to contain a powerful Blade Technique inheritance. They study it overnight. Ye Qiu enters a vision in which a woman wielding a blade repeatedly attacks him with Blade Qi. He learns to withstand successive strikes, enduring nine blade lights before attempting thirteen.
• Ye Qiu’s breakthrough: The thirteen-blade challenge sends him flying and leaves him spitting blood, but the ordeal stirs his Dragon Blood and completes the solidification of his Mana Seed. He reaches the True Formation Realm; further consequences are hinted at but not revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Rudí shows confidence in his growing combat power, but accepts his father’s warning to conceal his strength. His ambition centers on completing the three-sword fusion and entering the Great Dao Academy.
• Ye Jiangshan acts as a strategic mentor, protecting Rudí’s secret and directing him toward a long-term goal. His tense reflection—“A whole ten years”—suggests a prolonged personal burden or plan.
• Ye Qiu shifts from frustration over his valuation to renewed determination about the Grand Selection. His perseverance at Saber Cliff demonstrates both his resilience and his ability to learn through danger.
• Lu Li guides Ye Qiu, looks out for his safety, and warns that she may have to leave after the competition. Though she does not explain where she is going, she says he will be safer with Li Zhenzhen nearby. Their teasing exchanges mask a serious concern for his welfare.

Significant themes

• Concealing strength and pursuing long-term goals: Rudí must suppress his talent now to secure greater opportunities later.
• Growth through hardship: Ye Qiu’s dangerous confrontation with the Saber God’s lingering technique directly fuels his cultivation breakthrough.
• Ambition and regional pride: Ye Qiu’s new top-ten goal is tied not just to personal success, but to raising Southern State’s standing.
• Unspoken care and uncertainty: Lu Li’s impending departure and protective advice deepen the mystery around her while revealing her concern for Ye Qiu.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu breaks through the saber-light trial at Saber Cliff, condensing his Mana Seed into True Essence and reaching the Jade Body stage. He receives the incomplete Divine Ability Godbreaker, a powerful saber technique that appears to be at least second-grade. With his improved cultivation and a third of the Dragon Blood refined, he believes a top-ten finish is within reach.
• The Academy’s bells announce the start of the Grand Selection. Lu Li has also advanced: she says she spent the night speaking with the Saber God and learned the Thirteen Forms of God Breaking. At her request, Saber Cliff gives Ye Qiu a second technique, Godbreaker Second Saber—but refuses when he asks for another.
• Ye Qiu and Lu Li head to the selection grounds, where a little over five hundred candidates remain. The next stage begins with a talent test: candidates need at least five-star talent to continue, while those who fail may receive only nominal-disciple status.
• Southern State’s candidates perform strongly. Wu Xiaokai earns a Nine-Star result that begins to merge toward Half-step Divine Grade, while Luo Ling also tests at Nine-Star, near its peak.
• Yuan Gang’s turn begins, and his seemingly tiny Little Red Sparrow reveals unexpectedly powerful talent. It shines even brighter than Wu Xiaokai’s result, apparently reaching Divine Level, then grows into a towering bird at least three meters tall.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu grows stronger and gains new saber techniques, but his repeated attempts to obtain more from Saber Cliff end in frustration. He jokes and bickers with Lu Li, while Brother Snake teases him that the Saber God’s treatment is connected to Ye Qiu being “afraid of your wife.”
• Lu Li proves she received far more from the Saber God than Ye Qiu did, displaying both confidence and a teasing streak. Her skill with a sword may explain why she experienced the trial differently.
• Wu Xiaokai shows immense potential, and his smug reaction reflects confidence that his awakening body will let him grow even stronger.
• Yuan Gang, previously treated as a concern because of his tiny bird, is poised to surprise everyone with the Little Red Sparrow’s extraordinary power.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer are encouraged by Southern State’s strong results, which could earn their group additional points.

Significant themes

• Talent and hidden potential: The tests reveal that appearances can be misleading, especially in Yuan Gang’s case.
• Perseverance and growth: Ye Qiu’s painful effort at Saber Cliff yields new abilities and a stronger foundation.
• Competition and ambition: The Grand Selection raises the stakes, with candidates’ talent determining whether they can proceed.
• Humor and rivalry: Ye Qiu and Lu Li’s playful exchange, along with Brother Snake’s teasing, lightens the tension surrounding the trials.

Key plot points and events

• Yuan Gang’s Little Red Sparrow proves to be a high-grade Divine-Level talent, earning the Yuan Family recognition as Southern State’s third Meritorious Family. Southern State’s delegation celebrates its strong showing, with Ye Qiu expected to be its most impressive candidate.
• Ye Qiu’s first test on the Stone Stele produces no light or movement. Since the assessment has lasted far longer than anyone else’s, the crowd assumes his talent must be extraordinary—but Ye Qiu fears the opposite.
• When the elder replaces the stele with a larger, supposedly better one, Ye Qiu tries again. It still shows no response, and his energy is even reflected back at him.
• Ye Qiu claims both steles are broken. Suspicion and confusion spread until Liu Xiu reveals that he has a Mortal Body. Rivals from the Liu, Chu, and Ye families seize on this, declaring him talentless and destined to hit a low ceiling.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuan Gang shifts from quiet, overlooked disciple to a celebrated Divine-Level talent, and smugly challenges Ye Qiu’s standing.
• Ye Qiu goes from confident favorite to anxious and bewildered as the test fails twice. His blunt claim that the steles are broken adds an awkward, comic edge to the scene.
• Song Shu is jubilant over Southern State’s success and urges Ye Qiu to impress the crowd; when Ye Qiu falters, he encourages him to relax.
• Lu Li confidently predicts Ye Qiu is at least Divine Level, then grows concerned when the test yields nothing.
• Liu Xiu exposes Ye Qiu’s Mortal Body, prompting hostile families to use the revelation against him.
• The testing elder, initially dismissive of Southern State, becomes courteous after its successes, but is left baffled by Ye Qiu’s unexplained results.

Significant themes

• Innate talent versus present strength: The crowd assumes a Mortal Body imposes a hard limit, regardless of Ye Qiu’s current ability.
• Reputation and prejudice: Southern State’s achievements earn new respect, while Ye Qiu is quickly judged and mocked once his background is revealed.
• Uncertainty and suspense: Two supposedly reliable testing devices fail to register Ye Qiu, leaving open whether he truly lacks talent or the test cannot measure him.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu’s constitution test appears to confirm he has an ordinary Mortal Body. The elders question whether someone with no apparent talent belongs at the Great Dao Academy, while others dismiss his earlier achievements as luck or help from Chen Qianqian.
• Ye Qiu’s attempt to prove himself fails: the testing tablet rejects his aura. He silently asks Brother Snake for help, and Snake’s yawn causes the tablet to crack and explode. Two replacement tablets and an elder’s golden-needle test also break when Ye Qiu touches them.
• Unable to explain the results, the elders offer three possibilities: Ye Qiu has no talent, the tests cannot measure his constitution, or his talent exceeds their limits. They postpone judgment and promise a fuller examination.
• After testing concludes, the Grand Selection moves to its decisive Battle Stage. The fights will be projected across the states, allowing families to watch. Ye Qiu learns that his grandfather will see him.
• While Song Shu sets a goal of reaching the Top Hundred—and hopes for the Top Fifty—Ye Qiu declares that he is aiming for the Top Ten. He heads toward the ten elevated arenas reserved for the highest-ranked contenders.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu stays composed under public doubt and refuses to explain the mysterious tests, knowing the truth about Brother Snake would sound unbelievable. The chance to be seen by his grandfather strengthens his resolve.
• Brother Snake remains lazy and unresponsive to Ye Qiu’s plea, yet his yawn inadvertently wrecks every test instrument.
• The elders shift from questioning Ye Qiu’s place at the Academy to admitting that their tests may be inadequate, though his standing remains undecided.
• Wu Xiaokai and Yuan Gang are energized by the prospect of their families watching the battles. Li Zhenzhen continues to doubt Ye Qiu and presses him about his value.
• Song Shu and Ye Qiu differ sharply in ambition: Song Shu hopes for a strong but attainable placement, while Ye Qiu openly targets the Top Ten.

Significant themes

• The limits of conventional judgment: Standard tests cannot classify Ye Qiu, leaving his true potential uncertain.
• Appearance versus reality: Ye Qiu seems talentless by the Academy’s measures, yet his unexplained power and the destruction of the instruments suggest otherwise.
• Ambition and public recognition: The Battle Stage offers a chance to bring honor—and lasting Fortune—to one’s state, while Ye Qiu is especially driven by the thought of his family watching.

Plot points and events

• The Grand Selection’s free-for-all Battle Stages rise across the plaza, each representing a rank. Contestants choose their own stage and fight to claim it; the Chief Examiner, Wang Song, announces that the battles may be lethal.
• Ye Qiu tells Wu Xiaokai and his companions to aim for the top hundred—or top fifty if possible—but prioritizes staying alive. He then ignores several challengers and passes the top-hundred, top-fifty, and top-thirty areas, continuing toward the top ten.
• Ye Qiu’s progress alarms Song Shu, who fears the top ranks are far beyond him. Lu Li argues that Ye Qiu must have confidence and stands ready to intervene; Nan Qingyue is prepared to back her.
• The Chu, Ye, and Liu families have ordered their elite disciples to kill Ye Qiu if they meet him. Other observers dismiss his ambition as arrogance, while Wang Song notes that the top competitors include cultivators at the Third and Fourth Levels of Creation.
• At the Thirteenth Battle Stage, a woman in white blocks Ye Qiu. Unlike the earlier challengers, he accepts her challenge and steps onto the stage.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu appears focused and self-assured, refusing to be baited into unnecessary fights as he heads for the top ten. His ambition alarms allies and enemies alike.
• Wu Xiaokai and his companions follow Ye Qiu’s safer advice and head for the top hundred.
• Song Shu is torn between wanting a spectacular result for Southern State and fearing Ye Qiu will be killed.
• Lu Li trusts Ye Qiu’s judgment and is ready to disregard the rules to protect him. Nan Qingyue supports her because of Lu Li’s feelings for Ye Qiu.
• Wang Song and the great families view Ye Qiu as a threat or an overconfident upstart; the families’ hostility makes his advance especially dangerous.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus recklessness: Ye Qiu’s push for the top ten may be extraordinary confidence—or dangerous overreach.
• Survival and personal choice: Contestants choose their own ranks, but the freedom to compete comes with potentially fatal consequences.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Li and Nan Qingyue are prepared to risk themselves for Ye Qiu, while his companions must balance ambition with staying alive.

Plot points and events

• Across the states, a magical image broadcasts the Great Dao Academy’s Battle Stages. The outcome matters greatly to Southern State, whose people watch anxiously.
• In Pill City, Ye Qiu’s Wen Family relatives cheer for him, hoping he reaches the top hundred, while Wen Zheng chiefly wants him to survive.
• Ye Qiu walks past the top-hundred, top-fifty, top-thirty, and top-twenty areas, stopping at Battle Stage thirteen. There he confronts Ye Lingxi of the powerful Ye Imperial Clan.
• Ye Lingxi attacks with Silver Frost, a Demigod’s sword, and a Divine Ability. Ye Qiu emerges unharmed, despite having been easily defeated by her in the Secret Realm only days earlier.
• Ye Qiu counters with the first form of Godbreaker, shattering her second attack, then kills her with one saber slash. He immediately strikes Battle Stage twelve, decapitating its Purple-Robed Man, and advances toward stage eleven.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu reveals a dramatic increase in strength and confidence. He no longer merely hopes to place well: he challenges elite opponents and defeats them with overwhelming ease.
• Wen Zheng is proud of Ye Qiu but increasingly frightened as the young man passes each higher-ranked area and takes on the dangerous Ye Lingxi.
• Ye Lingxi shifts from confidence to disbelief and terror as her strongest attacks fail and Ye Qiu closes in.
• The Purple-Robed Man’s brief appearance underscores the fear Ye Qiu inspires.

Significant themes

• Power and transformation: Ye Qiu’s sudden growth overturns expectations set by his earlier defeat.
• Ambition versus safety: His family hopes for recognition, but Wen Zheng fears the cost of pursuing it.
• Spectacle and high stakes: The battle is watched across the realm, making each victory—and death—public and politically significant.
• Overwhelming force: Ye Qiu’s title-worthy saber technique turns formidable weapons and cultivation into no defense at all.

Character interactions

• Wen Zheng and the Wen Family encourage Ye Qiu from afar, while he briefly acknowledges them with a smile before continuing upward.
• Ye Qiu and Ye Lingxi face off in a personal rematch shaped by their earlier encounter in the Secret Realm.
• After killing Ye Lingxi, Ye Qiu immediately turns on the next stage’s contestant, extending the confrontation rather than pausing to celebrate.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu shocks the arena by killing the Chu and Ye family contenders—both at the Second Level of Creation—in a single saber strike. The crowd, including the rival families, is stunned and frightened.
• Wu Xiaokai rushes onto the Hundredth Battle Stage, defeats its stunned occupant, and celebrates Ye Qiu’s victory. Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer rejoice as Southern State rises from its usual low standing: Ye Qiu has eliminated the selection’s twelfth-ranked contender.
• Ye Qiu collects the fallen fighters’ weapons and Storage Rings, then advances toward the Top Ten steps. Contestants make way, wary of his blood-red eyes and growing Killing Intent.
• On the Tenth Step, a black-clad swordsman attacks with a Spirit Artifact sword and hidden flying blades. Ye Qiu counters by refusing to defend and threatening a lethal exchange. The opponent dodges, leaving an opening; Ye Qiu slips through the flying blades and forces him to concede.
• When a white-robed challenger steps forward—apparently hoping to face Ye Qiu after his strength fades—Ye Qiu kills him instantly. He challenges the remaining contestants to come forward, and they all retreat.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu emerges as a terrifyingly powerful and determined fighter. He deliberately preserves and builds his Killing Intent, using momentum and fear to press onward despite the risks.
• Wu Xiaokai openly celebrates Ye Qiu and shows fierce loyalty and admiration.
• Lin Qi, who had protected Ye Qiu in the Secret Realm the day before, cannot accept how dramatically Ye Qiu’s strength seems to have changed. He avoids provoking him.
• The contestants and rival families shift from confidence or ambition to fear, recognizing that Ye Qiu is beyond the opponents they expected to face.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu’s victories leave the Chu, Liu, and Ye families—and the nearby Wang Household—too intimidated to confront him.
• Lin Qi gives an awkward explanation that he does not owe Ye Qiu money, then steps down from his stage rather than risk a fight.
• The black-clad swordsman attempts a sophisticated, layered attack, but Ye Qiu’s willingness to risk death forces him to withdraw and concede.
• Other contenders plan to wait until Ye Qiu is weakened, but his swift execution of the white-robed challenger crushes that strategy and silences the crowd.

Significant themes

• Power and reversal of status: Southern State, usually dismissed by the other states, suddenly commands attention through Ye Qiu’s victories.
• Courage and momentum: Ye Qiu turns aggression and Killing Intent into psychological and physical pressure, advancing without hesitation.
• Ambition versus fear: The Top Ten promises enormous rewards, yet the contenders’ desire for honor and resources falters when faced with Ye Qiu’s overwhelming threat.
• Reputation through action: Ye Qiu’s reputation changes in moments, from someone Lin Qi had protected to a fighter others fear to approach.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu intimidates the crowd on the tenth step, cementing Southern State’s rise from last place to first among the thirty-two states, behind only Central Province.
• Lu Li recognizes that Ye Qiu’s precise movement shows micro-perception, a sign that he has begun to unite hardness and softness.
• On the ninth step, Ye Qiu defeats a white-robed swordsman’s overwhelming Thirty-Six Thousand Swords technique with the second form of Godbreaker. The swordsman, wounded, warns him about the opponent above.
• On the eighth step, Ye Qiu faces Yin Ran, who blinds him with a mental attack and wounds his arm. Using his sharp spiritual perception, he counters and appears to defeat her.
• As Ye Qiu turns away, Yin Ran attacks again and pierces his chest. He kills her with Broken Saber, then pulls out the blade; his heart is on the right, so the wound is not fatal.
• Ye Qiu sits to recover while onlookers consider taking advantage of his injuries, but his bleeding stops and his aura surges again.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu displays growing technical mastery, immense fighting drive, and resistance to mental attacks. His mistake of turning his back on Yin Ran teaches him not to let appearances soften his guard.
• Lu Li watches with pride and identifies the deeper significance of Ye Qiu’s movement.
• The white-robed swordsman acknowledges Ye Qiu’s strength and offers a warning before Ye Qiu continues upward.
• Yin Ran initially proposes avoiding serious injury, but proves treacherous by launching a second attack after seeming defeated.
• Nan Qingyue praises Ye Qiu’s ability, then mocks his tendency to be distracted by attractive women. Lu Li’s teasing reply about their size leaves Nan Qingyue looking cold.

Significant themes

• Relentless ambition: Ye Qiu’s focus narrows to fighting and climbing higher.
• Growth through danger: His perception and combat skill let him overcome opponents with formidable techniques.
• Appearance versus reality: Yin Ran’s charm masks her lethal intent, underscoring Ye Qiu’s lesson not to lower his guard.
• Reputation and reversal: Southern State’s rise from last to first reflects a dramatic overturning of expectations.

Plot points

• Ye Qiu’s wound from the woman’s barbed Spirit Artifact heals unusually quickly. The cause is mainly his Dragon Blood: the shock of the battle has accelerated its refinement, making him stronger even as he fights.
• His Broken Saber begins devouring the essence of the many Spirit Artifacts stored alongside it.
• Ye Qiu climbs to the Seventh Tier despite Black-Robed Qin Sen warning him not to fight while injured. Their clash quickly reveals that Ye Qiu is growing stronger by the moment. Qin Sen asks him to ease off, then pays him 200,000 to let the bout end without losing face.
• Learning that Qin Sen’s target is his second brother, Qin Lin, Ye Qiu accepts another 200,000 to beat him. On the Sixth Tier, Ye Qiu overpowers Qin Lin, who offers 500,000 in exchange for sending Ye Qiu after their eldest brother, Qin Mu.
• Ye Qiu tells Qin Mu about the supposed job. Qin Mu declines to fight and heads back toward his brothers; cries soon rise from the Seventh Tier.
• Still puzzled by his rapidly accelerating Dragon Blood refinement, Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake what is happening. Brother Snake gives a grave answer: “Bloodline!”

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains composed and opportunistic, turning the Qin brothers’ rivalry into a series of lucrative bargains. Meanwhile, his power surges beyond his control as his Dragon Blood refines itself.
• Qin Sen, Qin Lin, and Qin Mu are revealed as brothers whose apparent enmity is partly playful or staged: each tries to recruit Ye Qiu to beat another, but Qin Mu ultimately goes to join his brothers rather than fight him.
• Brother Snake shifts from silence to unusual seriousness, implying that Ye Qiu’s power surge has deeper significance than ordinary battle-induced growth.

Significant themes

• Growth through adversity: A near-fatal wound becomes the catalyst for Ye Qiu’s rapid increase in strength.
• Power and opportunism: Ye Qiu’s strength earns him not only access to higher tiers but also substantial rewards.
• Hidden identity and inheritance: Brother Snake’s final remark suggests Ye Qiu’s accelerating power is tied to his bloodline, setting up a deeper revelation.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu reaches the fifth step of the Stairway, surpassing every known contender and setting a historic record. The spectators are stunned, especially the Ye, Chu, and Liu families and the Star Pavilion’s observers.
• He keeps climbing, moving to the fourth step despite warnings that the higher ranks are dangerous. As he absorbs Dragon Blood at an extraordinary rate, Brother Snake recognizes that Ye Qiu’s bloodline is stirring.
• On the fourth step, Ye Qiu confronts Xiao Zhen, a swordsman he previously encountered in the Secret Realm. Xiao Zhen challenges him, but Ye Qiu’s speed lets him evade the opening strike and counter with overwhelming punches.
• Ye Qiu’s attacks grow stronger with each exchange, combining his Divine Abilities through One Punch Breaks All Laws. During the fight, he breaks through to True Condensation Third Level and badly injures Xiao Zhen.
• Xiao Zhen retreats down the Stairway, but Ye Qiu pursues him, eventually knocking him back onto the seventh step. There, the Qin brothers are already brawling over Qin Sen. They stop to watch Ye Qiu’s decisive final blow send Xiao Zhen flying.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu reveals power far beyond what anyone expected from someone believed to have a Mortal Body. His senses, control, and strength improve rapidly, and battle appears to awaken a powerful bloodline whose origin remains uncertain.
• Xiao Zhen, previously a formidable and confident swordsman, becomes alarmed as Ye Qiu surpasses his defenses and steadily grows stronger. He ultimately flees the fight.
• Ye Jiangshan is left questioning what he knows about Ye Qiu’s origins and whether Ye Qiu’s strength comes from the Ye family or his mother, Wen Xi.
• Qin Mu and Qin Lin are impressed and relieved they did not antagonize Ye Qiu; even together, they believe they would have struggled against Xiao Zhen.

Significant themes

• The limits of expectations: Ye Qiu’s apparent lack of talent makes his record-breaking achievement all the more astonishing.
• Power awakened through adversity: Combat and Dragon Blood seem to stir Ye Qiu’s latent bloodline and accelerate his growth.
• Escalation and ambition: Though he has already exceeded his stated goal of reaching the Top Ten, Ye Qiu continues climbing.
• Strength reshapes status: A previously hunted youth now dominates an opponent regarded as exceptionally powerful.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu and Xiao Zhen’s encounter shifts from mutual recognition to a one-sided confrontation, with Ye Qiu relentlessly pursuing him as he retreats.
• The onlookers move from disbelief to concern as Ye Qiu keeps advancing and growing stronger.
• The Qin brothers and Qin Sen pause their own fight to watch Ye Qiu defeat Xiao Zhen, reacting with shock and relief.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu defeats Xiao Zhen in a brutal pursuit across the Grand Plaza. Xiao reaches the edge and tries to withdraw, but Ye Qiu kills him with the Broken Saber before he can finish declaring it. Ye Qiu takes Xiao’s Storage Ring and challenges the Ye Clan members who tried to intervene.
• Ye Qiu publicly taunts Lu Li, who responds with playful admiration. Despite others urging him to stop, he insists on winning first place in the Southern State competition.
• His presence terrifies the competitors: Ye Rudí retreats, and men on the lower steps bow to him. Ye Qiu passes the Seventh Tier and reaches the Second Step, where he meets Li Zhenzhen.
• Li Zhenzhen explains that Ye Jiulong is fighting on the First Step and is exceptionally strong. She and Ye Qiu wait for the current fight to end.
• While eating one of Li Zhenzhen’s Treasure Medicines, Ye Qiu continues growing stronger and breaks through three realms without encountering resistance. Brother Snake reveals that Ye Qiu’s unusual Bloodline has not truly awakened; only the first hint of awakening has appeared, and its full potential remains unknown.
• Ye Jiulong defeats Wang Teng, the Young Master of the Wang Household. As challengers prepare to face him, Li Zhenzhen negotiates with the Black-Skirted Woman for the first turn—first refusing payment, then accepting 500,000 Law Crystals. Ye Qiu counters with an offer of one million, and the woman agrees.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu demonstrates overwhelming combat strength and increasing confidence, but his rapid, involuntary growth also unsettles him. He wants to control his power but cannot explain its source to others.
• Li Zhenzhen remains competitive and resourceful. She recognizes Ye Qiu’s growing strength, feeds him a Treasure Medicine, and bargains to secure a chance to fight Ye Jiulong.
• Ye Jiulong is established as a formidable contender by defeating Wang Teng and drawing several challengers.
• Xiao Zhen is killed after Ye Qiu refuses to let him escape, escalating Ye Qiu’s conflict with the Ye Clan.

Significant themes

• Power and fear: Ye Qiu’s decisive victory changes how the crowd and rival families treat him.
• Uncontrolled growth and hidden potential: His strength rises rapidly through an unexplained Bloodline whose true awakening has barely begun.
• Competition and ambition: Ye Qiu insists on aiming for first place, while the contenders maneuver for the best chance to challenge Ye Jiulong.
• Consequences of pride and conflict: Xiao Zhen’s attempt to withdraw comes too late, showing the violence and high stakes of the tournament.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu taunts and confronts the Ye Clan after killing Xiao Zhen, then shares a playful exchange with Lu Li.
• Ye Rudí avoids Ye Qiu, while other competitors show him fear and deference.
• Li Zhenzhen shares food and discusses Ye Jiulong’s strength with Ye Qiu; he asks for more fruit, but she refuses, joking that it would make him too strong to beat.
• Li Zhenzhen and the Black-Skirted Woman bargain over who will challenge Ye Jiulong first. Ye Qiu enters the negotiation with a higher offer, leaving the woman’s agreement as the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Key plot points and events

• The Black-Skirted Woman challenges Ye Jiulong but is quickly thrown back, badly injured. Ye Qiu offers to fight for her in exchange for payment; when she learns he claims a close bond with her brother Chen Qianqian, she takes her money back and leaves.
• After another fighter is brutally defeated, the crowd grows wary of challenging Ye Jiulong. Li Zhenzhen urges Ye Qiu to act, and he asks what first place is worth. She jokes that the prize is “one of you”; Ye Qiu accepts and charges up the stair.
• Wang Song watches Ye Qiu’s challenge alongside the mysterious Young Master Gong, who confirms Ye Qiu is Wen Xi’s son. Wang Song’s interest appears to carry a sinister edge.
• On the Battle Stage, Ye Qiu attacks with his Broken Saber. Ye Jiulong easily breaks his first strike and counters the next, but Ye Qiu’s powerful second slash cracks and destroys Ye Jiulong’s Heaven-Flipping Seal.
• Ye Jiulong wounds Ye Qiu repeatedly with sword attacks, yet Ye Qiu keeps pressing forward, unleashing successive slashes and refusing to retreat. When Ye Jiulong tries to widen the distance, Ye Qiu burns his essence blood to catch up. The chapter ends with Ye Qiu charging in for another attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from joking and bargaining to confronting Ye Jiulong directly. Though badly wounded, he shows fierce resolve, endurance, and tactical determination, relying on close combat and escalating his power to stay within striking range.
• Ye Jiulong begins the fight amused and dismissive, but Ye Qiu’s ability to break his seal surprises him. He grows angry as Ye Qiu survives repeated attacks and keeps advancing.
• Li Zhenzhen goads Ye Qiu into challenging Ye Jiulong, while the two share a comic misunderstanding when both women cover their chests after noticing Ye Qiu looking their way.
• The Black-Skirted Woman is humiliated by Ye Jiulong’s taunt and distrusts Ye Qiu’s claim of friendship with Chen Qianqian.
• Young Master Gong takes a keen interest in Ye Qiu as Wen Xi’s son; Wang Song’s reaction hints at hidden ambitions or hostility.

Significant themes

• Defiance and perseverance: Ye Qiu refuses to yield even when outmatched and bleeding.
• Pride and power: Ye Jiulong’s contempt is challenged by an opponent who can withstand his attacks.
• Hidden stakes and political intrigue: Ye Qiu’s lineage draws attention, while the Ye, Chu, and Liu clans are expected to target him, and Wang Song’s interest suggests further schemes.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu presses Ye Jiulong at close range, repeatedly unleashing powerful saber strikes. During the fight, he breaks through to the fourth level of True Essence, and his attacks grow sharper.
• Ye Jiulong finally treats him as a serious opponent and counters with “One Sword Moves Heaven and Earth,” seemingly landing a devastating blow to Ye Qiu’s chest.
• Ye Qiu emerges from the blood mist and continues fighting, using his extraordinary vitality and relentless pressure to keep Ye Jiulong from creating distance. Though badly wounded, he grows fiercer as the battle goes on.
• Ye Qiu repeatedly slams into Ye Jiulong and eventually draws blood, forcing the stronger swordsman to expend significant energy.
• Ye Jiulong’s frustration turns to murderous intent. He unleashes a startling aura that paralyzes the spectators and makes their Awakened Items tremble. A hazy golden light and indistinct figure appear behind him, revealing that he has been concealing a formidable power.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu demonstrates exceptional resilience, rapid growth, and tactical determination. Knowing he is outmatched in cultivation and reserves, he commits to close combat and accepts severe injuries to wear Ye Jiulong down.
• Ye Jiulong moves from contempt and surprise to respect, then anger and murderous intent as Ye Qiu refuses to fall. His newly revealed aura suggests a hidden source of strength.
• Wang Teng reassesses Ye Qiu, estimating that in a peak-condition fight, Ye Qiu might have the advantage—even over him.
• Li Zhenzhen, Chen Luolan, and the other observers recognize Ye Qiu as an unusually dangerous and impressive fighter. The Ye Clan, by contrast, anticipates Ye Jiulong’s hidden power.
• Young Master Gong initially expresses interest in Ye Qiu’s potential, but his expression turns cold. Wang Song privately concludes that Ye Qiu must be eliminated.

Significant themes

• Resilience and perseverance: Ye Qiu keeps fighting despite wounds that appear crippling.
• Growth under pressure: His cultivation and combat ability rise in the midst of battle.
• Cunning and adaptation: Ye Qiu compensates for his disadvantages by forcing the fight into close quarters.
• Hidden power and escalating danger: Ye Jiulong’s concealed aura changes the stakes just as Ye Qiu begins to challenge him.
• Recognition and threat: Ye Qiu’s performance earns admiration, but also makes powerful observers see him as a threat.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Jiulong summons the phantom of Ye Huang using Ye Huang Sword Blood. Its immense pressure immobilizes people across the Stairway, including Li Zhenzhen, and onlookers assume Ye Qiu cannot survive it.
• As Lu Li and Nan Qingyue try to intervene, Vice Dean Wang Song blocks them, citing the Grand Selection’s rules.
• Ye Qiu discovers that the phantom’s pressure disappears when it reaches him. Brother Snake explains that Ye Qiu’s bloodline is higher in grade than Ye Huang’s, though it has not awakened.
• Ye Qiu pretends to tremble, encouraging Ye Jiulong to approach. When Ye Jiulong attacks, Ye Qiu evades and lands a devastating punch that shatters his chest.
• Ye Qiu follows with a Broken Saber strike. Ye Jiulong releases the phantom’s golden energy to defend himself; the blast sends both fighters flying and leaves them injured.
• As he lands, Ye Qiu urges Li Zhenzhen to move. She quickly dashes onto the First Battle Stage.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu reveals unexpected confidence and a potentially extraordinary bloodline. He conceals his immunity to the phantom’s pressure, then turns Ye Jiulong’s arrogance against him with a surprise counterattack.
• Ye Jiulong shifts from contemptuous certainty to alarm after Ye Qiu’s blows expose his vulnerability. His use of the phantom is both a powerful defense and a sign that he has been forced to reveal his trump card.
• Brother Snake provides the key explanation for Ye Qiu’s resistance, while withholding details about when his bloodline will awaken.
• Li Zhenzhen warns Ye Qiu to flee under the pressure, then acts on his instruction to move to the First Stage.
• Lu Li and Nan Qingyue prepare to intervene but are stopped by Wang Song, whose enforcement of the rules puts him at odds with them.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Ye Jiulong and the spectators mistake Ye Qiu’s apparent fear for helplessness.
• Inherited power and bloodline hierarchy: Ye Qiu’s still-dormant bloodline surpasses the legendary Ye Huang’s.
• Arrogance and reversal: Ye Jiulong’s confidence brings him within striking distance, allowing Ye Qiu to seize the advantage.
• Rules versus intervention: The Grand Selection’s formal rules prevent outside help, even as the fight appears dangerously unequal.

Key plot points

• Ye Qiu withstands Ye Huang’s overwhelming pressure, stunning the crowd and even drawing the attention of Young Master Gong.
• Li Zhenzhen, Chen Luolan, and Ye Qiu repeatedly attack the already battered Ye Jiulong as he tries to escape down the Stairway. His Ye Huang Aura fades, and he is left gravely injured.
• Ye Qiu pursues him relentlessly, slashing him until Ye Jiulong loses an arm, suffers a shattered leg, and can no longer flee.
• The Ye Clan demands a chance to negotiate. Ye Qiu refuses, saying he would spare Ye Jiulong only if the clan dissolved. When clan members rush to intervene, he kills several attackers; the others back off as his allies arrive.
• Ye Jiulong reflects on his arrogance and underestimating Ye Qiu. A powerful figure—the Dean—is heard ordering Ye Qiu to let him go, but Ye Qiu refuses and kills Ye Jiulong with a final saber strike.
• Ye Qiu takes Ye Jiulong’s Storage Ring, adding to his growing fortune in Law Crystals. The chapter ends with the enraged Ye Clan confronting him and Ye Qiu turning toward the Black-Robed Man who issued the command.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu proves his resilience and resolve, fighting through severe injuries and refusing to let anyone—whatever their rank—prevent him from finishing Ye Jiulong.
• Ye Jiulong recognizes too late that pride and carelessness led to his defeat. He had assumed his bloodline made him invincible and had dismissed Ye Qiu as insignificant.
• Li Zhenzhen and Chen Luolan help wear Ye Jiulong down, reinforcing the strength of Ye Qiu’s allies.
• The Ye Clan shifts from confidence in its champion to desperation, then fury, as Ye Jiulong’s defeat becomes inevitable.

Significant themes

• Arrogance and its consequences: Ye Jiulong’s belief in his own invincibility leaves him vulnerable.
• Perseverance and hidden strength: Ye Qiu survives overwhelming pressure and injury, aided by his awakened bloodline and determination.
• Mercy versus vengeance: Ye Qiu rejects negotiation and intervention, choosing to finish a dangerous rival.
• Power and defiance: Ye Qiu’s refusal to obey even the Dean signals that conventional authority may not restrain him.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu and his allies coordinate their attacks against Ye Jiulong, while Ye Qiu ultimately takes sole responsibility for pursuing and killing him.
• The Ye Clan tries to bargain and then attacks to protect Ye Jiulong; Ye Qiu answers with force and rejects their demands.
• The Dean orders Ye Qiu to spare Ye Jiulong, but Ye Qiu dismisses the command and kills him anyway.

Plot points and events

• Young Master Gong reacts angrily to Ye Qiu’s disregard, but Lu Li challenges him to a fight to the death and immediately attacks. When Gong tries to flee, an old man appears to help; Lu Li and Nan Qingyue kill him together. Gong escapes.
• Lu Li tells Ye Qiu to continue. Ye Qiu orders the Ye, Chu, and Liu families to leave the Grand Plaza, then—at Lu Li’s suggestion—adds the Wang Household. When the families resist, he attacks, and many members flee. The three other families are nearly cleared from the selection.
• Ye Qiu climbs the Stairway and tells Qin Mu, Qin Lin, and Qin Sen to keep fighting. On the Second Step, he orders Wang Teng to leave. Wang Teng yields, explaining that he is not close to Wang Song; Ye Qiu replies that neither is he.
• Wang Teng leaves with two other Wang disciples, both to avoid a worsening fight and to undermine Wang Song. The Wang Household’s younger members blame Wang Song for costing them their rankings.
• Wang Song protests to Lu Li about her conduct and tries to raise the question of Young Master Gong’s identity, but Nan Qingyue silences him.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Li displays decisive, overwhelming strength and little regard for authority or decorum. She backs Ye Qiu’s purge and openly challenges Wang Song to confront her.
• Nan Qingyue fights alongside Lu Li, helps kill the old man, and bluntly shuts down Wang Song.
• Ye Qiu turns the selection into a sweeping purge of rival clans. Though badly injured, he projects growing strength and forces opponents to withdraw through a mix of threats and action.
• Wang Teng chooses pragmatism over pride, judging that fighting Ye Qiu—especially with Li Zhenzhen still present—would be unwise. His departure also exposes the Wang Household’s internal political tensions.
• Wang Song loses control of the situation and faces resentment from his own household as well as open defiance from Lu Li and Nan Qingyue.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Strength determines who controls the selection, and even prominent families retreat when confronted by superior force.
• Factional conflict and political rivalry: The crisis reveals both hostility among the clans and divisions within the Wang Household.
• Consequences of leadership: Wang Song’s actions cost his household members their opportunities, making him the target of their anger.
• Pragmatism over status: Wang Teng accepts a lower standing—or none at all—rather than risk an unnecessary fight.

Plot points and events

• The Grand Selection continues through a full day and night, ending at noon. Ye Qiu holds the Second Step, while Li Zhenzhen remains in first.
• Though Ye Qiu could have challenged for first, he lets Li Zhenzhen keep the position, asking only that she stop mentioning the five million. She thanks him, saying she owes him.
• Ye Qiu’s hard-fought battle greatly strengthens him: his Qi and Blood approach seven hundred thousand, and his cultivation stabilizes at True Condensation Fourth Level. He remains uncertain about the grade of his unusual Bloodline.
• Southern State’s other contestants also perform well: Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling finish in the top sixty, while Yuan Gang reaches the sixtieth stage after fighting fiercely. Ye Qiu places second—the best result ever achieved by a state outside Central Province.
• The announcement that Li Zhenzhen is the Mu Family’s “Little Ancestor” shocks the crowd. The Mu Clan Leader and his people bow to her, confirming that the powerful clan obeys her.
• Ye Qiu is announced as “Clan Leader” of Southern State’s Ye Clan. His achievement exposes the Central Province Ye Clan’s rejection of him and humiliates them, especially since he defeated their contestants. The clan leaves in anger and regret.
• Southern State erupts in celebration. Its rise from last place to second is hailed as a historic reversal, and Ye Qiu becomes a symbol of the state’s renewed pride.
• In Pill City, Wen Zheng watches with pride and grief, calling Ye Qiu his grandson and remembering Ye Qiu’s mother, Xier.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows confidence and generosity by yielding the top spot to Li Zhenzhen. His achievement establishes him as a leader in his own right, beyond the Ye Clan that cast him out.
• Li Zhenzhen is revealed to be far more than she seemed: she is the Mu Family’s Little Ancestor, treated with deference by its leaders. She and Ye Qiu share a cordial exchange, and she acknowledges his favor.
• The Ye Clan confronts the consequences of rejecting Ye Qiu. Ye Tongtian feels conflicted, while Ye Jiangshan struggles with disbelief, anger, resentment, and possible regret; he urges Ye Rudí to keep pursuing success.
• Song Shu and Southern State’s supporters release long-held frustration and celebrate the state’s unprecedented accomplishment.
• Wen Zheng combines pride in his grandson with sorrow over the suffering Ye Qiu endured and memories of his daughter.

Significant themes

• Redemption and vindication: Ye Qiu’s success answers the Ye Clan’s rejection and reverses Southern State’s humiliation.
• Merit over status: Ye Qiu’s performance earns respect that lineage and old prejudices had denied him.
• Collective pride and transformation: Southern State’s achievement reshapes how its people see themselves and their place among the states.
• Family, loss, and legacy: Wen Zheng’s pride in Ye Qiu is inseparable from his grief and remembrance of Xier.