Chapter Summaries

Ning Chen entered Myriad Sword Mountain’s Sword Discourse Competition, aiming to earn a place among the ten who could comprehend the sword beneath Great Profound Peak. After surviving the melee with Feiyu, he faced a Spirit Transformation Imperial Dao swordsman who had singled them out.

• Ning Chen reached Myriad Sword Mountain, watched Great Profound Peak for more than twenty days, and briefly stirred its sword pressure before leaving.
• Grand Simplicity met Ning Chen and invited him to watch an event at Great Profound Peak after the competition ended.
• Ning Chen agreed to form an alliance with Feiyu and entered the Sword Discourse Competition, where the final ten would earn three days of sword comprehension.
• Ning Chen and Feiyu fought together while concealing their strength, then evaded a dozen pursuers and a sword attack from a violet-clad Spirit Transformation Imperial Dao expert.
• As fewer contestants remained, the violet-clad swordsman approached Ning Chen and Feiyu, and Ning Chen stepped forward to face him.

Ning Chen overwhelmed the strongest contestants at Myriad Sword Mountain’s Sword Discourse Competition, then declined to claim first place so Feiyu could win and comprehend Great Profound Peak’s sword intent. After the Grand Simplicity Peak Master revealed that past inheritors had vanished, an immense pressure awakened behind the peak.

• Ning Chen defeated the violet-robed swordsman, then invited the two remaining Spirit Transformation experts to attack him together.
• Ning Chen defeated both experts despite their strongest sword techniques, and Feiyu was declared the competition’s victor.
• The top ten went to Great Profound Peak, where Feiyu alone comprehended its sword intent after three days.
• A beautiful woman drained the purple-clad swordsman’s divine source outside Myriad Sword Mountain.
• The Grand Simplicity Peak Master told Ning Chen that Great Profound Peak’s past inheritors had disappeared, and a powerful presence awakened behind the peak.

The Grand Simplicity Peak Master challenged the Great Profound Ancestor to end his centuries of murdering disciples and refining their souls into sword spirits. After defeating him with a final sword formed from Myriad Sword Mountain’s peaks, he gave his name as Jiang Taibai and left, while Ning Chen and Feiyu witnessed the battle.

• The Great Profound Ancestor emerged from seclusion and invited Feiyu to become his disciple, but the Grand Simplicity Peak Master stopped him and demanded that the Ancestor undergo Dao Transformation.
• Ning Chen told Feiyu that the Sword Discourse Competition was a scam and that the Great Profound Ancestor had likely been the first-generation Sword Master.
• The Grand Simplicity Peak Master summoned the Grand Simplicity Divine Sword and fought the Great Profound Ancestor, who used the souls of his slain disciples as swords.
• Wounded and bleeding, the Grand Simplicity Peak Master turned Myriad Sword Mountain’s peaks into swords and struck down the Great Profound Ancestor, destroying his cultivation and ending his life.
• The Grand Simplicity Peak Master said his name was Jiang Taibai, left the Grand Simplicity Divine Sword in the ground, and walked away.

After leaving Myriad Sword Mountain, Ning Chen traveled to Wei City, where the city’s laws suppressed cultivation and many Enlightened Ones had settled. He found shelter with a tea cultivator and then met Yun Manlu at the empty house where he was staying.

• Ning Chen rejected abandoning his demon body to pursue the Imperial Dao and continued north toward Wei City.
• Ning Chen entered Wei City in the rain and accepted tea and shelter from a young man in green who had studied the Tea Dao for a thousand years.
• The young man in green told Ning Chen that the Blacksmith and the Teacher nearby might help with his blocked Dao, and directed him to an empty house.
• Ning Chen settled into the deceased drunkard’s house and met Yun Manlu when she came inside to shelter from the rain.
• Yun Manlu said her name only coincidentally matched that of a Heavenly Maiden under the Northern Realm Water Cloud Empress.

In Wei City, Ning Chen made a paper umbrella and spoke with Yun Manlu about why they had come to seek enlightenment. After sharing breakfast with the Blacksmith, Ning Chen heard his warning about the dangers of the Slaughter Sword Dao, but he remained determined to continue along his path.

• Ning Chen spent the night reflecting on his unstable Dao Heart and made a paper umbrella after the rain stopped.
• Yun Manlu told Ning Chen she had come to Wei City to seek enlightenment, and she challenged his reasons for coming.
• Ning Chen met the Teacher, then watched Wei City's residents begin their daily work as his mind gradually settled.
• A woman from the blacksmith shop invited Ning Chen and Yun Manlu to breakfast with her and the Blacksmith.
• The Blacksmith recognized Ning Chen's Slaughter Sword Dao, warned him of its karmic dangers, and advised him to change it.
• Ning Chen said it was too late to change, and the Blacksmith urged him to carve a path through it without worrying too much about right and wrong.

Ning Chen settled in Wei City with Yun Manlu, where their neighbors caught him and the young man in blue trying to peek at her bathing. After Teacher took Ning Chen in and discussed their Daos, he warned that the Slaughter Sword Dao could lead toward becoming the Dao through slaughter.

• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu built a small house beside the Blacksmith’s shop and decided to stay in Wei City.
• The young man in blue dragged Ning Chen toward Yun Manlu’s house to peek at her bathing, but Yun Manlu caught them and the neighbors rebuked them.
• After Yun Manlu shut Ning Chen out for the night, Teacher invited him inside and recognized his Slaughter Sword Dao.
• Ning Chen told Teacher that the Confucian Dao rested on caring for all living beings, and challenged Teacher to face that principle again.
• Teacher advised Ning Chen that slaughtering all living beings under heaven could make him the Dao.

Ning Chen and Yun Manlu investigated a battle of Dao realms after it shook Wei City, only to be pursued by a forbidden sword that could destroy a cultivator’s Dao. They escaped into Wei City, where its Divine Demon Laws suppressed the phoenix fire, while their attacker stopped outside.

• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu saw two Divine Realm powers battling through their Dao realms outside Wei City and learned that the contest could destroy the loser’s Dao.
• One combatant unleashed the Enlighten Me Dao-Slaying Art, sending a small silver sword after Ning Chen and Yun Manlu.
• Yun Manlu used her Azure Silk Ribbon to block the sword, but it shattered the artifact and wounded her.
• Ning Chen summoned phoenix wings and carried Yun Manlu at great speed back into Wei City, where the Divine Demon Laws suppressed his phoenix fire.
• The pursuing Divine Realm power reached the city’s outskirts and frowned as he looked toward Wei City.

Ning Chen, Yun Manlu, the young man in green, and Teacher confronted a God Realm expert wielding the Enlighten Me Dao Sword, who had chased Ning Chen and Yun Manlu to Wei City. After a failed attempt to take him out beyond the city walls, the three men fled back inside, leaving the expert waiting outside.

• Ning Chen brought the injured Yun Manlu into Wei City, where he found his house collapsed and settled her in the surviving wooden cottage.
• Ning Chen warned the young man in green and Teacher that the expert might kill anyone who left the city, and they agreed to take him out despite the danger of his forbidden art.
• After spending a cold night outdoors, Ning Chen, the young man in green, and Teacher left Wei City to confront the expert, but found no one and headed toward the forest.
• The expert ambushed the three with the Enlighten Me Dao Sword, and they attacked him together but could not overcome his superior strength.
• The young man in green, Teacher, and Ning Chen retreated into Wei City, narrowly escaping the sword as the expert glowered outside the walls.

Ning Chen, Teacher, and the young man in blue joined forces against the blue-robed mighty one, using their artifacts and abilities to injure him despite his Dao Sword and Dao realm phenomenon. As the exhausted enemy unleashed his remaining divine essence, Li Blacksmith suddenly struck him on the head with an iron hammer.

• Ning Chen, Teacher, and the young man in blue retrieved the Confucian Golden Scroll and a tattered blue umbrella before leaving Wei City to confront the blue-robed expert again.
• The blue-robed expert summoned a divine tiger Dao realm phenomenon and attacked, while Ning Chen, Teacher, and the young man in blue combined their powers and artifacts to wound him.
• The blue-robed expert's Enlighten Me Dao Sword wounded Ning Chen, but the young man in blue used his Dao realm to create an opening for Teacher to strike the enemy with the Confucian Golden Scroll.
• Ning Chen, Teacher, and the young man in blue continued their desperate battle, injuring the blue-robed mighty one while sustaining serious wounds themselves.
• As the blue-robed mighty one unleashed his remaining divine essence, Li Blacksmith rushed in and smashed the enemy's head with an iron hammer.

Ning Chen and his companions defeated a Divine Realm elder, discovered he belonged to the Hall of Gods, and agreed that Ning Chen would bear the consequences. As the group rebuilt Wei City, Ning Chen studied the forbidden Enlighten Me Dao Sword, and Yun Manlu chose not to attack him while he was absorbed in its cultivation.

• Li Blacksmith killed the blue-robed mighty one with a single hammer blow, and the group divided the loot from his body.
• Teacher searched the elder's remaining soul and learned that he had belonged to the Hall of Gods, so the four returned to Wei City.
• At the blacksmith shop, Teacher promised to transcribe the Enlighten Me Dao Sword method and declared that Ning Chen would bear the trouble; Ning Chen accepted and secured the others' help if needed.
• Ning Chen studied the forbidden sword method through the night, and Yun Manlu teased the group before they left to rebuild Wei City's wooden houses over the following days.
• Yun Manlu entered Ning Chen's house and found him immersed in the sword method; though she considered attacking him, she loosened her hands and did not strike.

Ning Chen prepared to leave Wei City after his sword cultivation advanced, receiving gifts and a letter from its residents before setting out with Yun Manlu. Meanwhile, Rising Sun God confronted the Water Cloud Empress over the destruction of the Red Flame Clan and accused Yun Manlu, though the Empress denied she could be responsible.

• Ning Chen told Yun Manlu he would leave Wei City and declined her suggestion that he serve the Water Cloud Empress in the Northern Divine Realm.
• Teacher gave Ning Chen a letter to deliver to the Confucian leader of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty if he faced danger, and the young man in green gave him a Soul Binding Rope.
• The woman brought Ning Chen a rust-covered broken sword from Brother Li, and Ning Chen spent his final days in Wei City observing ordinary life.
• Ning Chen left Wei City, and Yun Manlu appeared and joined him on the road.
• Rising Sun God arrived at the Water Cloud Imperial Palace and accused one of the Empress's followers of destroying the Red Flame Clan.
• The Water Cloud Empress denied responsibility and said Yun Manlu was in the Central Heaven Realm, far from the southern frontier.

The Rising Sun God confronted the Water Cloud Empress over the Red Flame Clan’s destruction, while the Hall of Gods investigated a mysterious human ascendant and Elder Lijian’s death. After defeating a demonic ambush, Ning Chen sought pure demonic energy and reached Tearless Demonic City with Yun Manlu, where he prepared to enter the Abyss of Gods and Demons alone.

• The Rising Sun God clashed briefly with the Water Cloud Empress, then left without resolving his accusations about the Red Flame Clan.
• The Hall of Gods discussed the Rising Sun God’s interest in a human ascendant and learned that Elder Lijian had been killed near Wei City, so one of its members volunteered to investigate.
• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu fought off hundreds of demons, and Ning Chen absorbed their demonic energy for his own use.
• Yun Manlu told Ning Chen about the dangerous Abyss of Gods and Demons and agreed to lead him to its Southern Border entrance.
• Yun Manlu brought Ning Chen to Tearless Demonic City, and Ning Chen told her to wait while he entered alone.

Ning Chen and Yun Manlu entered the Abyss of Gods and Demons to gather demonic energy, but escaped when the Great Dao began cleansing the collapsing realm. After months of searching the Southern Border, Ning Chen still lacked the living demonic energy needed to awaken his demonic body, while the Water Cloud Heavenly Maiden arrived in the region searching for him.

• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu crossed the storms at Tearless Demonic City and entered the Abyss of Gods and Demons so Ning Chen could devour its demonic energy.
• Yun Manlu prepared to strike Ning Chen, but the Great Dao’s cleansing began before she could act, and she dragged him toward an exit as the Abyss collapsed.
• Yun Manlu used a black furnace to resist the cleansing, and Ning Chen carried her through the destruction by cleaving a path out with his sword.
• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu escaped above Tearless Demonic City, then traveled for months to sites of gathered demonic energy, but Ning Chen’s demonic body remained unawakened because the energy lacked vitality.
• The Water Cloud Heavenly Maiden arrived in the Southern Border and wondered where Little Phoenix was.

Ning Chen and Yun Manlu searched Yuan Chi Mountain for demonic qi to help him reach the Imperial Dao Supreme Being Realm, then traveled to Vermilion Bird Ancient City to investigate the Hall of Gods. There, a mysterious woman in a green dress recognized Ning Chen and approached him, leaving him wary.

• Ning Chen exhausted the demonic qi in Demonic Cloud Ravine without breaking through, so Yun Manlu led him to Yuan Chi Mountain.
• Yun Manlu defeated an Ancient Ferocious Beast, and Ning Chen extracted and crushed its demonic pearl to absorb its vital demonic qi.
• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu discussed the danger of confronting the Hall of Gods and headed to Vermilion Bird Ancient City to investigate.
• Ning Chen and Yun Manlu rented rooms at an inn, and Ning Chen went to admire the city lights by the river.
• A woman in a green dress approached Ning Chen, said she was curious about him, and left after revealing that she knew his surname.

Ning Chen fought a Vermilion Bird Divine Temple assassin in a deadly weapons-only duel while a Water Cloud Clan woman confronted Yun Manlu and invited Ning Chen to the Northern Territory. After defeating the assassin, Ning Chen learned the woman was also named Yun Manlu, and she confirmed she belonged to the Water Cloud Clan.

• The Vermilion Bird Divine Temple learned that Ning Chen had appeared and ordered an assassin to eliminate him, while also ordering Yun Manlu to be watched.
• The long-robed assassin found Ning Chen at the inn, and they agreed to settle their fight through techniques without using cultivation.
• Ning Chen and the assassin exchanged severe wounds until Ning Chen defeated him and dragged his unconscious body away.
• A woman in green from the Water Cloud Clan froze Yun Manlu after declaring that she had come to take Ning Chen back to the Northern Territory.
• The woman in green waited for Ning Chen to finish fighting, then invited him to visit the Northern Territory, and revealed her name as Yun Manlu.

The Water Cloud Heavenly Maiden exposed the Demonic Emissary’s identity, and Ning Chen joined the ensuing battle to protect her. After Yun Manlu’s Frost Spear pierced the Demonic Emissary, she revealed her name as Demonic Moon and began a forbidden blood sacrifice.

• Yun Manlu revealed that the woman beside Ning Chen was a demon, and the Demonic Emissary broke free from frozen space to confront her.
• The Demonic Emissary and Yun Manlu clashed while Ning Chen and the long-robed man watched from Vermilion Bird City.
• Ning Chen joined the fight, summoned tens of thousands of swords, and told the Demonic Emissary that he had known her identity and did not care that she was a demon.
• Yun Manlu unleashed Nine Falling Frost Heavens, forcing Ning Chen to flee with the Demonic Emissary before a Frost Spear pierced her chest.
• The Demonic Emissary told Ning Chen her name was Demonic Moon, then began the Demon Realm’s Millennium Forbidden Technique by offering her blood to the Demon God.

Ning Chen refused to let Yun Manlu take Demonic Moon and awakened his demonic and phoenix bodies to fight off the Vermilion Bird Divine Temple. He formed the Ultimate Dao as a blood-red sword light pierced the skies, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Yun Manlu and the Vermilion Bird Divine Temple's Ninth Elder moved to seize Ning Chen and kill Demonic Moon, but Yun Manlu agreed to leave Ning Chen to his own clan's Empress.
• Demonic Moon began a forbidden technique that used her life and soul to secure Ning Chen's escape, but Ning Chen persuaded her to trust him and stop.
• Ning Chen awakened his demonic body and phoenix body, then fused their powers with his human body and three swords to unleash the Demonic Phoenix Tribulation.
• The Ninth Elder and the divine temple experts joined forces to block Ning Chen's attack while Yun Manlu struck at him with her Frost Spear.
• Ning Chen blocked Yun Manlu's spear with the Heavenly Tome of Creation and formed the Ultimate Dao from his human, divine, and demonic powers.

Ning Chen completed his Extreme Dao, slaughtered the Divine Temple’s generals, and defeated the Ninth Elder before escaping the divine city with Demonic Moon. In a remote mountain range, Demonic Moon’s injuries worsened, and she asked Ning Chen to devour her after she died.

• Ning Chen fused his three bodies, completed his Extreme Dao, and killed the Divine Temple’s generals amid the Imperial Dao Great Tribulation.
• Ning Chen used the tribulation to overwhelm the Ninth Elder, pierced him through the back, and devoured his divine source.
• Ning Chen escaped north as Yun Manlu pursued him, then hid with Demonic Moon in a vast mountain range.
• Ning Chen called on Little Gourd to save Demonic Moon, and Little Gourd gave her his spirit blood.
• Demonic Moon briefly regained her strength, looked over the Divine Realm, and asked Ning Chen to devour her after she died.

Demonic Moon returned to Wei City with Ning Chen, where she died after asking to see the city once more. Ning Chen absorbed her and fully entered the demonic path, then attacked Yun Manlu as the people of Wei City and distant gods watched.

• Demonic Moon told Ning Chen that an ancient forbidden art had fatally wounded her Three Souls and Seven Spirits, and asked him to take her back to Wei City.
• Ning Chen carried Demonic Moon to Wei City on a Fire Phoenix, while Yun Manlu followed them through the void.
• At the city gates, Demonic Moon died in Ning Chen’s arms, telling him she had no regrets.
• Ning Chen absorbed Demonic Moon and became a complete demon, suppressing his humanity and divinity despite Teacher’s warning.
• Ning Chen confronted Yun Manlu and attacked her with a demonic sword; she turned and blocked the strike with a Frost Spear.

Ning Chen fought Yun Manlu outside Wei City, using the Heavenly Tome of Creation, the Wind-Forest Secret Art, and the Black Phoenix Origin to overcome their difference in cultivation. He unleashed the Self-Severing Enlightenment Art and shattered her Dao Realm Green Lotus, while the Water Cloud Empress sensed the attack and rose in fury.

• Ning Chen wounded Yun Manlu and pressed his attack, forcing her to reveal her full divine power.
• Ning Chen used the Heavenly Tome of Creation's Scrolls of Earth, Heaven, Moon, and Nothingness to attack and restrain Yun Manlu, but she broke free and defended herself with the Unraveling Lotus Guard.
• Ning Chen used the Wind-Forest Secret Art's Wind, Fire, and Mountain arts to strike Yun Manlu, while his Sacred Imperial Law blocked her counterattack.
• Ning Chen's Black Phoenix Origin began devouring Yun Manlu's divine power, but she summoned the Dao Realm Green Lotus and erased the space where he had stood.
• Ning Chen revealed the Self-Severing Enlightenment Art and struck with the Enlighten Me Dao Sword, splitting Yun Manlu's Dao Realm Green Lotus and dimming her eyes.
• The Water Cloud Empress sensed Yun Manlu's Dao Realm breaking and rose from her couch, her killing intent surging.