Chapter Summaries

Qin Yan climbed the Heavenly Stairway past the 600th step, using his Blood River to withstand the sudden increase in pressure. Above the stairway, Yun Nichang and the elders discussed the strength of this year's East Academy prodigies and praised the former Holy Son, Yun Feiyang.

• Qin Yan climbed past the 500th step at a steady pace without using True Qi or other means to resist the pressure, shocking the surrounding prodigies.
• Qin Yan reached the 600th step, where the pressure nearly forced him to his knees, and summoned a Blood River to ease the burden before continuing upward.
• Yun Nichang asked the elders to guess how many East Academy disciples would reach the 999th step, prompting them to debate the number.
• Yun Nichang credited Yun Feiyang's past victories over the other academies' Holy Sons and Holy Maidens for attracting more prodigies to the East Academy.
• The elders praised Yun Feiyang's talent and discussed which disciples might become the next Holy Son and Holy Maiden and defeat the other academies in four years.

Qin Yan continued climbing the Heavenly Stairway, relying on his Blood River and two Spear Intents to withstand the growing pressure. Lin Ruoxi and Long Aotian cleared the stairway, while Qin Yan remained on the 830th Step with more than a hundred levels to go.

• Qin Yan reached the 700th Step and used his newly comprehended Silence Spear Intent to resist the intensified pressure.
• Qin Yan combined his perfected Annihilation End Spear Intent with Silence Spear Intent and continued climbing beyond the 800th Step.
• Lin Ruoxi cleared the Heavenly Stairway, revealing seven perfected Sword Intents as the prodigies below watched.
• Long Aotian also cleared the Heavenly Stairway, appearing with a Three-Clawed Golden Dragon phantom and standing beside Lin Ruoxi.
• Qin Yan resumed climbing and reached the 830th Step, facing more than a hundred arduous levels ahead.

Qin Yan unleashed Mo Yuan’s spirit weapon skill and surged up the Heavenly Stairway, passing Lin Qingyue and revealing his identity. He reached Layer 997, where a scorching aura appeared ahead as he struggled toward the final two levels.

• Qin Yan activated Blood Burst and combined his blood power, spear intents, and True Qi to sprint up the Heavenly Stairway.
• Lin Qingyue saw the powerful climber pass her and recognized Qin Yan when he encouraged her to keep climbing.
• Lin Qingyue set aside her embarrassment and continued toward the upper levels.
• The Heavenly Stairway announced that Beichen Xing, Zhao Wuji, and other special-class disciples had cleared the trial.
• Qin Yan climbed to Layer 997 under crushing pressure and sensed a scorching aura ahead.

Qin Yan reached Layer 998 of the Heavenly Stairway, where he encountered Huang Jiuli struggling under the immense pressure. He used the Five-Colored Divine Light to stand, leaving Huang Jiuli astonished.

• Qin Yan recognized Huang Jiuli, the Phoenix Divine Mountain prodigy, kneeling on Layer 998.
• Qin Yan leaped onto Layer 998 and was immediately crushed face-down by its overwhelming pressure.
• Qin Yan's fall made Huang Jiuli laugh and lose her balance, causing her to collapse beside him and blame him for her humiliation.
• Huang Jiuli told Qin Yan that those crushed down by the stairway could hardly rise, but he began moving despite the pressure.
• Qin Yan summoned the Five-Colored Divine Light, stood firmly on Layer 998, and left Huang Jiuli stunned.

Qin Yan used his earth-and-water divine light to withstand the pressure and cleared the Heavenly Stairway, stunning the other prodigies. His victory left Shen Wanqian excited about their connection, while Lin Qingyue abandoned her plan to challenge him for now and Huang Jiuli remained behind in shock.

• Qin Yan used the Yellow and Blue Lights to ease the pressure, then stepped onto the 999th stair and cleared the Heavenly Stairway.
• The plaza announced Qin Yan's achievement, and the gathered prodigies were shocked that someone from Blue Star had joined the handful of people to reach the summit.
• Shen Wanqian celebrated Qin Yan's success and considered how their friendship could benefit his standing in the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce.
• Lin Qingyue realized Qin Yan was stronger than her, postponed her plan to challenge him, and continued climbing toward her own limit.
• Huang Jiuli lay on Layer 998, stunned and lifeless after Qin Yan left her behind.

Qin Yan cleared the Heavenly Stairway and joined five other prodigies at its summit, drawing the elders’ attention to his cultivation of the Five Elements Chaos Genesis. As the trial neared its end, Su Qingwan became the seventh person to clear it.

• Huang Jiuli remained trapped on Layer 998 and recognized Qin Yan’s ability after he cleared the Heavenly Stairway.
• Qin Yan reached the summit, where Lin Ruoxi recognized him and the other five prodigies regarded him as a formidable newcomer.
• The elders identified Qin Yan’s Five Elements Chaos Genesis cultivation and discussed whether he could reach the Sixth Grade.
• Yun Nichang ordered Mystic Guards to secretly protect the prodigies, especially Qin Yan, who lacked a powerful background.
• As the trial neared its end, Su Qingwan cleared the Heavenly Stairway and joined the six people at the summit.

Qin Yan and the other prodigies witnessed Su Qingwan display her formidable mental strength before the Heavenly Stairway trial ended. Golden thrones appeared for those who had passed, and Qin Yan sat on his, discovering it restored his stamina.

• Qin Yan sensed Su Qingwan's powerful mental strength, which briefly affected him and the other prodigies at the summit.
• Su Qingwan wrote with an ancient brush, surrounding herself with characters as Li Ruoxi noted that her mental strength had reached 400 Hz.
• Three bells rang, golden light engulfed the Heavenly Stairway, and its crushing pressure vanished as the trial ended.
• Golden thrones appeared behind the prodigies who had passed, and Yun Nichang told them to take their seats.
• Qin Yan sat on his throne and felt its gentle power restore his accumulated stamina.

The Golden Thrones ranked the Prodigies by how far they had climbed the Heavenly Stairway, and Qin Yan surveyed the competitors before Yun Nichang announced the Challenge Tournament rules. As the plaza hesitated over how to use its single challenge, someone finally volunteered to go first.

• Golden Thrones formed a pyramid above the square, seating the seven who cleared the Heavenly Stairway at its peak and ranking the other Prodigies beneath them.
• Qin Yan spotted Lin Qingyue above the 950th Step and Shen Wanqian between the 850th and 900th Steps, and estimated that about 6,000 disciples had qualified for the tournament.
• Yun Nichang announced that challenges would end at 6 PM, each Prodigy could challenge once, and each person could be challenged up to three times.
• The plaza fell silent as the Prodigies waited to see how the challenges would unfold.
• A voice from a lower cluster of Thrones declared, "I'll do it!"

Qin Yan faced the Treefolk prodigy Mu Qingfeng in the Golden Arena, where his Mo Yuan Spirit Weapon helped him turn aside Mu Qingfeng’s stronger hammer strike. Qin Yan gained the upper hand and began his counterattack.

• Mu Qingfeng challenged Qin Yan and entered the Golden Arena with him as spectators debated their cultivation gap.
• Mu Qingfeng formed an Ancient Wooden Hammer and attacked Qin Yan with the strength of an Early Sixth Grade cultivator.
• Qin Yan used the Mo Yuan Spirit Weapon’s Five Elements Block to reduce the force of Mu Qingfeng’s blow and send him stumbling backward.
• Qin Yan unleashed his Silence Spear Intent and Extinction Intent, then charged at Mu Qingfeng.

Qin Yan continued to overpower Mu Qingfeng, whose Ancient Wood True Qi was suppressed by Qin Yan’s Metal-Fire Fusion True Qi. Mu Qingfeng launched his Thorn Armor-Breaking Hammer, but Qin Yan met it with Five Elements Block, leaving the strike weakened against his greater Blood Qi.

• Qin Yan’s relentless spear attacks drove Mu Qingfeng from the center of the arena to its edge, while a Special-Class Disciple explained that Qin Yan’s cultivation, body refinement, and superior Martial Arts Skill gave him the advantage.
• Qin Yan used Metal-Fire Fusion True Qi to suppress Mu Qingfeng’s Ancient Wood True Qi and struck him hard enough to send him crashing onto the arena’s edge.
• Mu Qingfeng rose, gathered his Ancient Wood True Qi, and attacked Qin Yan with his Minor Success Earth Fiend Martial Skill, Thorn Armor-Breaking Hammer.
• Qin Yan countered with Five Elements Block, dispersing thirty percent of Mu Qingfeng’s strike and leaving its power far below Qin Yan’s Blood Qi.

Qin Yan defeated Mu Qingfeng by using Five Elements Block to weaken his opponent’s final attack, then knocked him unconscious with a counterstrike. His display of strength and the mysterious skill of his spear discouraged other Prodigies from challenging him as battles began across the plaza.

• Qin Yan used Five Elements Block to weaken Mu Qingfeng’s full-force attack, then sent Mu Qingfeng’s hammer flying into him and won the match.
• The Golden Arena vanished, Qin Yan returned to his seat, and treatment attendants carried the unconscious Mu Qingfeng away.
• Special-Class Disciples noticed that Qin Yan’s low-grade Mo Yuan Spirit Weapon could weaken attacks and suspected it possessed a Spirit Weapon Skill.
• After seeing Qin Yan’s strength, Prodigies who had considered challenging him fell silent, while challengers fought on more than a hundred Golden Arenas.
• Qin Yan watched the Special-Class Disciples display powerful intents, domains, and physiques, and felt excited by the prospect of facing strong opponents.

As battles continued, Lin Qingyue used her Tide Domain to wear down a Special-Class Disciple on a Golden Arena. Ao Yuan, a powerful Flood Dragon Clan prodigy who cultivated both Body Refining and Qi Refining, challenged Qin Yan, and their fight began with Ao Yuan charging in with a powerful punch.

• Long Aotian exchanged a silent look with the Black-Armored Prodigy, who glanced toward Qin Yan and nodded.
• Lin Qingyue fought a crimson-clad Special-Class Disciple, using her Tide Domain to weaken her opponent while avoiding direct clashes.
• Qin Yan watched Lin Qingyue's battle as a golden thread appeared beneath his throne, announcing a challenger.
• Ao Yuan challenged Qin Yan, drawing attention as a formidable First-Class Disciple from the Flood Dragon Clan.
• Qin Yan and Ao Yuan appeared on a Golden Arena, where Ao Yuan charged and struck Qin Yan's Five Elements Block with his patterned gauntlet.

Qin Yan escalated his fight with Ao Yuan by unleashing Blood Burst, raising his Blood Qi enough to block Ao Yuan’s powerful punch and counterattack. He pressed the assault but could not pierce Ao Yuan’s rune-protected body, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Ao Yuan’s punch sent Qin Yan stumbling back, and Qin Yan realized his opponent combined stronger Body Refining and Qi Refining to reach about 1.6 million Cal of power.
• Qin Yan taunted Ao Yuan about his age, and Ao Yuan charged at him at three times his previous speed.
• Qin Yan activated Blood Burst, boosting his Blood Qi to 1.2 million Cal, then blocked Ao Yuan’s attack with Five Elements Block.
• Qin Yan counterattacked and sent Ao Yuan flying, then pursued him with a barrage of spear thrusts.
• Ao Yuan’s black runes protected his body from Qin Yan’s attacks, leaving only shallow white marks.

Qin Yan and Ao Yuan fought to a stalemate until Ao Yuan transformed into a black flood dragon and unleashed the Black Flood River Domain. Qin Yan countered with his Blood Mist Domain, neutralizing its suppression, but as Blood Burst began to weaken, he decided to use a killing move.

• Qin Yan and Ao Yuan traded attacks across the arena, but Qin Yan's Five Elements Block and Ao Yuan's tough body kept either of them from breaking through.
• Ao Yuan acknowledged Qin Yan's strength, transformed into a massive black flood dragon, and activated the Black Flood River Domain.
• Qin Yan unleashed his Blood Mist Domain, and the two Domains clashed until the Black Flood River Domain's effects on him were neutralized.
• Qin Yan and Ao Yuan hesitated to attack as their defenses made a breakthrough difficult, while Qin Yan sensed that Blood Burst was fading.
• Qin Yan decided to end the fight with a killing move and poured his Dark Nether True Water Qi and Southern Bright Flame True Qi into the Mo Yuan Spear.

Qin Yan defeated Ao Yuan with a devastating Ice Flame Spear Technique strike that pierced the flood dragon’s defenses. Ao Yuan fell unconscious, leaving Qin Yan victorious.

• Qin Yan unleashed his Minor Success Ice Flame Spear Technique, combining ice, flame, and Third Grade Silence Spear Intent.
• Ao Yuan countered with Black Flood Dragon Sky-Shattering Claw, but Qin Yan’s spear aura shattered the black water giant claw.
• Qin Yan’s weakened spear aura tore a massive wound into Ao Yuan’s abdomen, and its powers prevented the wound from healing.
• Ao Yuan transformed back into human form, fell onto the arena, and lost consciousness.
• Qin Yan emerged victorious over Ao Yuan.

Qin Yan defeated Ao Yuan in the Challenge Tournament, impressing the watching disciples with his strength and martial skill. Yun Nichang then ended the End-of-Month Assessment and announced that rewards had been distributed.

• Qin Yan defeated Ao Yuan, who lost consciousness, and both fighters returned to their Thrones.
• The Special-Class Disciples discussed Qin Yan's strength, his Minor Success Heavenly Stalwart Exquisite Grade Martial Skill, and his relatively low cultivation realm.
• Qin Yan watched the remaining arena battles and noticed Lin Qingyue seated on her throne; no one challenged him again.
• As the sun set, Yun Nichang announced the end of the Challenge Tournament and said the assessment rewards had been distributed to the Prodigies' Tokens.
• Yun Nichang declared the End-of-Month Assessment over, and golden light carried the Prodigies down from their Thrones.

After defeating Ao Yuan in the Challenge Tournament, Qin Yan received congratulations from Shen Wanqian and spoke with Lin Qingyue, who had failed to defeat a Special-Class Disciple. Lin Qingyue left still puzzled by how far Qin Yan had surpassed her.

• Shen Wanqian congratulated Qin Yan on his victory over Ao Yuan and considered the potential future of his cultivation.
• Qin Yan praised Shen Wanqian’s own tournament performance, recalling how he had defeated his opponent with a giant golden ingot.
• Shen Wanqian told Qin Yan that Lin Qingyue had come to see him, and she arrived and silently studied him.
• Qin Yan asked Lin Qingyue about her challenge, and she admitted that she had lost to a Special-Class Disciple despite using her Domain Suppression.
• Lin Qingyue wondered how Qin Yan had developed such formidable skills and Blood Qi, then left with a lonely but determined air.

Qin Yan trained with his Mo Yuan Spirit Weapon while Long Aotian questioned Ao Yuan about Qin Yan after his defeat. Long Aotian dismissed Ao Yuan’s assessment as superficial and pressed him to consider why Qin Yan had advanced so quickly, leaving the answer unresolved.

• Qin Yan returned to his courtyard and practiced the Ice Flame Spear Technique, combining it with Silence Spear Intent and Extinction Qi.
• Ao Yuan knelt before Long Aotian and apologized for failing to defeat Qin Yan, but Long Aotian told him to get up and let the matter pass.
• Long Aotian asked Ao Yuan to assess Qin Yan, and Ao Yuan described Qin Yan’s strengths before listing his lower cultivation, spirit weapon, and other disadvantages.
• Long Aotian called Ao Yuan’s analysis superficial and asked why Qin Yan had achieved so much at a young age.
• Ao Yuan attributed Qin Yan’s progress to Essences gained from the Five Elements Tower, but Long Aotian said there was more to it.

Long Aotian recognized Qin Yan’s hidden potential and ordered Ao Yuan to monitor and challenge him, while preparing for the East Academy Holy Son competition. The next morning, Qin Yan collected 150 Mystic Points and began refining his monthly supply of Five Elements Spirit Pills.

• Long Aotian told Ao Yuan that Qin Yan might possess a Body Refining Physique, an exceptional spirit weapon and cultivation technique, and an unexplained mystery.
• Long Aotian ordered Ao Yuan to watch Qin Yan and challenge him at every End-of-Month Assessment.
• Long Aotian considered the other prodigies competing for East Academy Holy Son, then cultivated his Dragon Clan defensive form.
• On November 1st, Qin Yan checked his Token and found 150 Mystic Points, including 100 points for clearing the Heavenly Stairway.
• Qin Yan claimed five free bottles of Five Elements Spirit Pills and began refining them.

Qin Yan spent 150 Mystic Points cultivating at Spirit Mountain, hoping to reach Peak Fifth Grade, but the Five Elements Chaos Genesis consumed so many resources that he still fell just short. He left convinced that one more batch of resources would let him break through.

• Qin Yan refined a pill, strengthening his Five Elements Branches, but decided he needed more resources and headed to Spirit Mountain.
• Qin Yan spent 150 Mystic Points on Lotus Platform No. 110 and cultivated as disciples gathered to watch.
• After three and a half hours, Qin Yan’s Five Elements Branches had grown thicker and greener, but he had not broken through to Peak Fifth Grade.
• Qin Yan sensed that another batch of resources would be enough, then left Spirit Mountain as the gathered Prodigies discussed him.