Recaps

Lu Ye confirmed that his cultivation aptitude had improved after his time in the Dragon Ascent World, then discovered that flames had awakened more than twenty Talent Tree leaves carrying an unknown spirit pattern. He set aside the search for more flames and began using Golden Spirit Signs to cultivate with Yiyi and Amber, while Hua Ci watched.

• Lu Ye confirmed that his ability to absorb Spiritual Energy had improved far beyond his former one-leaf aptitude.
• Lu Ye inspected the Talent Tree and found more than twenty leaves glowing with an unknown spirit pattern, but he decided not to use his emergency Core Fire or buy costly Mystic Fires to ignite them.
• Lu Ye called Yiyi and Hua Ci to cultivate and revealed that he had eighteen Golden Spirit Signs.
• Hua Ci declined to join because spirit signs would shorten Lu Ye's cultivation time and her own cultivation relied more on poisons.
• Lu Ye remembered that the Golden Spirit Signs were for his use alone and crushed one, enveloping himself, Yiyi, and Amber in dense Spiritual Energy while Hua Ci watched.

Lu Ye, Yiyi, and Amber spent a month cultivating, while Hua Ci refined her stored Myriad Poison Pills and rose rapidly in cultivation. After Lu Ye reached Cloud River Tier Eight and Hua Ci reached Tier Six, Lu Ye prepared to settle his lingering conflict with the cultivators who had pursued him in the Hunting Ground.

• Hua Ci swallowed Myriad Poison Pills to restore the cultivation she had stored while remaining on the Spirit Stream Battlefield, where she had dominated the Spirit Stream Ranking as a Medical Cultivator.
• Lu Ye used his Golden Spirit Signs in measured cycles, resting to consolidate his gains while studying the Overlord Saber Technique and training in the Mirage Scene.
• After a month, Lu Ye reached Cloud River Tier Eight, and Yiyi and Amber kept pace with his cultivation.
• Hua Ci refined her Myriad Poison Pills and advanced from Cloud River Tier One to Tier Six in a month.
• Lu Ye announced that he was leaving to settle matters with the people who had pursued him in the Hunting Ground, and Yiyi sensed that his rise resembled his past dominance on the Spirit Stream Battlefield.

After emerging from Heaven's Mystery Merchant Guild, Lu Ye drew Xia Liang, Tan Sheng, and a host of Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators into pursuit. He stopped in an open area and called them a rabble, leaving them wary that he might have an ambush prepared.

• Xia Liang and Tan Sheng debated whether to keep waiting for Lu Ye, with Xia Liang insisting this was their last chance to kill him.
• Lu Ye walked out of Heaven's Mystery Merchant Guild, and Xia Liang, Tan Sheng, Chu Yun, Zhou Pei, and other Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators followed him into the sky.
• As they pursued Lu Ye, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng concluded that he had reached Cloud River Tier Seven, though Lu Ye concealed his true cultivation with the Breath Concealment Spirit Pattern.
• When Xia Liang urged the pursuers to close the distance, Lu Ye descended and turned to face them in an open area.
• The Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators suspected Lu Ye had prepared an ambush, and Lu Ye looked up at them and called them a rabble.

Lu Ye charged alone into roughly two hundred Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators and fought through their attacks, using his formidable body and saber to cut down enemies and target the Sacred Fire Sect Spell Cultivators. He reached Zhou Pei just as she unleashed Prairie Fire Burial Explosion, leaving both of them caught in the deadly technique’s spread.

• Lu Ye taunted the hesitant Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators, then launched himself at them and endured their spells and Controlled Artifacts as he advanced.
• Chu Yun and Zhou Pei’s Fire Dragon spells engulfed Lu Ye, but he emerged unharmed and carved a bloody path through the crowd.
• Lu Ye reached Chu Yun and Zhou Pei, forcing them to retreat with their repulsive spell; Xia Liang, Tan Sheng, and others struck Lu Ye from behind.
• Lu Ye used the attacks’ force to surge toward Zhou Pei, who activated Prairie Fire Burial Explosion despite knowing she would also be caught in it.

Lu Ye killed Zhou Pei and Chu Yun with a powerful spell and saber, then revealed that he had reached Cloud River Tier Eight. The surviving Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators realized he had lured them away from the Heaven's Mystery Merchant Guild to prevent their escape.

• Zhou Pei detonated her Prairie Fire Burial Explosion, but Lu Ye survived and killed her with a saber strike.
• Lu Ye used the God-Striking Whip to bind Chu Yun, dragged him close, and killed him with a saber.
• Lu Ye explained that the God-Striking Whip came from Qin Zhao's spellcraft, which he had experienced through the Dragon Ascent World's source power.
• Xia Liang and Tan Sheng recognized that Lu Ye was at Cloud River Tier Eight after he killed two Tier Nine Spell Cultivators and more than a dozen other cultivators in ten breaths.
• Tan Sheng realized Lu Ye had deliberately led them away from the Heaven's Mystery Merchant Guild so they could not flee.

Lu Ye fought off roughly two hundred Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators, killing dozens while Tan Sheng and Xia Liang struggled to challenge him. Though the pursuers believed his wounds had left him near collapse, Lu Ye continued charging into their ranks.

• After Tan Sheng ordered an attack, Lu Ye charged through the Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators, cutting down several with the Crag Mountain Saber.
• Lu Ye used the God-Striking Whip to bind and kill fleeing cultivators, claiming another dozen or so victims.
• A hidden Cloud River Tier Nine Body Cultivator attacked Lu Ye, but Lu Ye blocked his mace and sent him flying with a powerful strike.
• Tan Sheng and Xia Liang seized a brief opening to attack, but Lu Ye blasted Tan Sheng away and struck Xia Liang into a crater.
• Xia Liang and Tan Sheng rose to pursue Lu Ye again as he charged into the densest groups, reducing the pursuers from two hundred to a little over a hundred.
• The remaining Myriad Demon Ridge Cultivators urged one another to hold on, believing Lu Ye's many wounds meant he was nearly finished.

Lu Ye’s immense life force and rapid healing were revealed to the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, prompting most of them to flee. He killed Tan Sheng after Tan Sheng’s desperate spear thrust briefly reached the level of Intent, and Xia Liang remained the last of his four intended targets.

• Lu Ye tore off his blood-soaked garment, revealing that his many wounds were superficial and already healing.
• Terrified by Lu Ye’s resilience, the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators broke their encirclement and fled.
• Lu Ye pursued Tan Sheng, while Tan Sheng urged Xia Liang to escape and burned his vital blood to buy him time.
• Tan Sheng turned to attack with a spear thrust that touched upon Spear Intent, but Lu Ye countered with Myriad Stars.
• Tan Sheng’s spear pierced Lu Ye only three inches deep, and Lu Ye killed him before the wound stopped bleeding.

Lu Ye defeated the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators who had hunted him, then pursued and killed Xia Liang outside Heaven's Mystery City. He entered the city unchallenged as news of his overwhelming victory spread.

• Lu Ye gathered the spoils from the defeated Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators and pursued Xia Liang, who was fleeing toward Heaven's Mystery City.
• Lu Ye overtook Xia Liang and forced him to turn and fight just outside the city.
• Lu Ye overwhelmed Xia Liang in their clash, then killed him after Xia Liang launched one final charge.
• The cultivators watching the fight did not dare stop Lu Ye as he entered Heaven's Mystery City.
• News spread that Lu Ye had killed Tan Sheng and Xia Liang and slaughtered most of the more than two hundred cultivators who had hunted him.

Lu Ye returned to Return Heaven Valley with Hua Ci, Yiyi, and Amber after defeating more than two hundred opponents, and reunited with Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, and Jujia. The group settled back into the Spirit Land, where Li Baxian prepared to welcome them with a feast.

• News spread across the Cloud River Battlefield that Lu Ye had defeated more than two hundred opponents, and cultivators began to recognize him as one of the strongest in the Cloud River Realm.
• Lu Ye brought Hua Ci, Yiyi, and Amber to Return Heaven Valley, where Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, and Jujia welcomed them.
• Li Baxian greeted Lu Ye and Hua Ci, while Amber reunited with Jujia.
• The group entered the Spirit Land and saw that the wolf pack had grown and continued guarding the valley.
• Li Baxian showed Hua Ci the hut he and Feng Yuechan had built for her, then began preparing a welcome feast.

After reuniting with his companions in Return Heaven Valley, Lu Ye rested, shared the techniques he had obtained in Dragon Ascent World, and learned about the upcoming Cloud River Hegemony. He was left surprised to discover that he needed to register before the deadline.

• Lu Ye and his companions celebrated their reunion over a meal and wine while Jujia and the wolves cultivated beneath the moon.
• Lu Ye slept until evening, woke refreshed, and joined Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, Hua Ci, and Yiyi for dinner.
• Lu Ye gave Li Baxian a copy of the Book Sword Art and Feng Yuechan a Jade Slip of Imperial Heaven Sect's Secret Techniques, and both eagerly studied their gifts.
• Li Baxian reminded Lu Ye to register for the Cloud River Hegemony, and Hua Ci explained that the top hundred participants would receive rewards from the Heavenly Mechanism.
• Lu Ye learned that first place awarded twenty Golden Spirit Signs and wondered why he had to register.

Lu Ye registered for the Cloud River Hegemony and used the Dragon Ascent World's origin to explore the life of a powerful spear cultivator, gaining insights before recovering for another attempt. Three days later, the Hegemony began, and Lu Ye and his companions gathered around the Heaven's Mystery Pillar as a booming sound shook the Cloud River Battlefield.

• Hua Ci told Lu Ye that the Cloud River Hegemony registration period was nearly over and described its rewards, so they registered at the Heaven's Mystery Pillar.
• Lu Ye cultivated and entered the Dragon Ascent World's origin, selecting a bright star associated with a sharp, fierce aura and learning to move through the cultivator's life selectively.
• Lu Ye discovered that the cultivator was a famed spear wielder who died fighting off an ambush, then withdrew from the origin and spent a day recovering.
• Lu Ye made another attempt to explore the origin, and three days passed before he sensed that the Cloud River Hegemony had begun.
• Lu Ye, Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, Hua Ci, and Jujia gathered around the Heaven's Mystery Pillar as a tremendous boom swept the clouds from the Cloud River Battlefield.

Lu Ye entered the Cloud River Hegemony and won his first match by overpowering a horned Demon Cultivator, earning Battle Merit and a victory. He began a second match against a nervous Tier Five cultivator, sending Amber to fight while he contemplated formation insights.

• The Heavenly Mechanism stirred battle intent across the Cloud River Battlefield, then sent Lu Ye into the arena.
• Lu Ye defeated the horned Demon Cultivator with a barrage of saber strikes, forcing him to surrender before his shield was destroyed.
• Lu Ye returned to the Heaven's Mystery Pillar and confirmed that his victory earned him fifty-five Battle Merit and one recorded win.
• Lu Ye reviewed the hegemony's rules, including its seven-day opening stage, one-hundred-battle limit, and later selection of the top three thousand.
• Lu Ye entered his second match against a Tier Five cultivator and sent Amber to fight while he sat down to contemplate formation insights.

Lu Ye finished his first hundred Cloud River Hegemony matches with a perfect record, then returned to the Nine Provinces to have Master Yu advance his Crag Mountain Saber. He asked her to raise it to the Dharma Artifact level, and she quoted a price of thirty thousand Merit.

• Amber defeated a Tier Five opponent in Lu Ye’s place, and Lu Ye went on to complete one hundred matches with one hundred consecutive victories.
• After finishing his matches, Lu Ye told Li Baxian he needed to return to the Main Sect, and Li Baxian agreed to inform Hua Ci and the others.
• Lu Ye returned to the Crimson Blood Sect, contacted Master Yu, and met her in the Heaven's Mystery Vault.
• Lu Ye placed his Crag Mountain Saber on the Stone Platform and asked Master Yu to advance it to the Dharma Artifact level.
• Master Yu warned that the work required valuable materials, and Lu Ye told her to name her price; she asked for thirty thousand Merit.

Lu Ye returned to the Crimson Blood Sect to have his saber upgraded and visited Shui Yuan, the Sect Master, and Madam Yun. After Lu Ye called Madam Yun his Master, she revealed her name and was astonished when he realized her maidservant was an Artificer's creation.

• Lu Ye bargained with a woman in the Heaven's Mystery Vault, agreed to pay twenty-three thousand Merit for a saber upgrade, and accepted that it would take up to half a month.
• Lu Ye reunited with Shui Yuan, then visited the Sect Master with Yiyi before sharing a meal with Shui Yuan.
• Lu Ye brought fish to Madam Yun and discussed the Spirit Pattern Path with her, then called her Master, which delighted her.
• Madam Yun told Lu Ye her name was Yun Xuechu and offered him a chance of survival if he invoked her name in a crisis.
• Lu Ye asked whether Yun Xuechu had studied the Artificer Dao and recognized that her maidservant was an artificial creation controlled by Yun Xuechu's divine sense.

Yun Xuechu revealed that her maidservant Xiao Die was her Clone and explained how the Spirit Pattern Path supported the subsidiary cultivation paths. After Lu Ye entrusted her with the damaged Dragon Seat and Dragon Spine Blade, Yun Xuechu seized the Sect Master and carried him to Bright Heart Peak; Lu Ye then prepared to enter the Cloud River Hegemony’s second round.

• Yun Xuechu explained that Xiao Die was her Clone and that the Spirit Pattern Path was the foundation of subsidiary paths such as Artificing.
• Lu Ye showed Yun Xuechu the damaged Dragon Seat and Dragon Spine Blade from the Dragon Ascent World, and she agreed to try repairing them.
• Lu Ye left Bright Heart Peak, returned to Green Bamboo Peak, cultivated, and later headed to the Heaven's Mystery Pillar for the next round of the Cloud River Hegemony.
• Yun Xuechu grabbed the Sect Master and carried him to Bright Heart Peak, while Shui Yuan told the worried Yiyi not to mind it.
• Lu Ye confirmed he had ranked in the top 3,000, put on a Face Mask, and prepared to begin the second round.

Lu Ye entered the Cloud River Hegemony’s second round disguised as a masked Tier Eight Spell Cultivator and overwhelmed a Tier Nine opponent with his spells. After sweeping through many elite cultivators, he faced Feng Rulie, a formidable spear-wielding Weapon Cultivator who endured his barrage and finally closed in on him.

• Lu Ye defeated a Tier Nine Spell Cultivator in ten breaths, then realized the second-round matchups came slowly and waited by the Heaven's Mystery Pillar while reading.
• Lu Ye won battle after battle with his powerful spellcasting, and rumors spread about a masked Tier Eight Spell Cultivator who might be Lu Yiye.
• Lu Ye fought Feng Rulie, whose skill and persistence made him the strongest opponent Lu Ye had faced so far.
• Feng Rulie endured Lu Ye's spells, broke through his defenses, and charged within spear range.

Feng Rulie returned from his battle with Lu Ye shaken by the Spell Cultivator’s unexpected spear strike, while Lan Ziyi revealed herself as a Cloud River Tier Nine opponent in Lu Ye’s final battle of the second round. Lu Ye recognized her strength and wondered how Boundless Island had advanced her so quickly without weakening her foundation.

• Feng Rulie conceded to Lu Ye after Lu Ye countered his close-range spear attack with a stunning thrust, then returned to his sect unharmed but shaken.
• Martial Uncle Nan comforted Feng Rulie and warned that pursuing both Weapon Cultivation and Spell Cultivation could hinder a cultivator’s future.
• After completing thirteen battles in the second round, Lu Ye was matched against Lan Ziyi on the Combat Platform.
• Lan Ziyi recognized Lu Ye as the rumored Spell Cultivator and summoned her twin blades when her instincts warned her of his threat.
• Lu Ye tested Lan Ziyi with a spell, saw her cut it apart, and realized she had reached Cloud River Tier Nine with a stable foundation.

Lu Ye defeated Lan Ziyi in the Cloud River Hegemony, then returned to Green Bamboo Peak to cultivate and reflect on the Dragon Ascent World’s origins. Three days later, he received word that Master Yu had finished upgrading his Crag Mountain Saber.

• Lu Ye overwhelmed Lan Ziyi with Small Fireball Technique spells, and she recognized him as the masked Spell Cultivator.
• Lan Ziyi warned Lu Ye that he would eventually see the truth about the conflict between their camps, then tried to use his concealed identity to stop him from attacking.
• Lu Ye charged Lan Ziyi, who admitted defeat and was removed from the Combat Platform.
• Lu Ye returned to Green Bamboo Peak and spent the next three days reflecting on the Dragon Ascent World’s origins while waiting for the second round’s results.
• Lu Ye received a message that Master Yu had completed the Crag Mountain Saber’s upgrade.

Lu Ye inspected his newly upgraded Crag Mountain Saber, bought magic-artifact-grade equipment, and learned he had made the Cloud River Hegemony’s Top Hundred. As the third round began, Ying Wuji challenged him and drew him into a forest arena rigged to favor a Ghost Cultivator.

• Lu Ye examined the Crag Mountain Saber after Master Yu upgraded it, then spent about thirty thousand Merit on a magic-artifact-grade Weapon Casket and Controlled Artifacts.
• Lu Ye received the Top Hundred results and saw his own name alongside Feng Rulie, Lan Ziyi, Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, and Jujia.
• Lu Ye reviewed the third round’s rules, which let contestants choose five opponents and accept up to five challenges.
• Ying Wuji challenged Lu Ye, and Heaven’s Mystery transported him to a dense forest arena chosen by the challenger.
• Lu Ye sensed hidden formations and an Air Lock Grand Array, then realized the terrain and restrictions favored a Ghost Cultivator.

Ying Wuji challenged Lu Ye in the Cloud River Hegemony, hoping to prove his Ghost Cultivator techniques could overcome Lu Ye’s perception, but he quickly conceded after Lu Ye saw through his concealment. Lu Ye then drew Lan Ziyi as his next opponent, and she accepted his challenge.

• Ying Wuji ambushed Lu Ye with his Curved Blades, but Lu Ye turned and blocked his attack immediately.
• Lu Ye recognized Ying Wuji and broke through his Shadowless Concealment, forcing Ying Wuji to concede and leave the arena.
• Ying Wuji reported his defeat to his master and resolved to avoid Lu Ye in the future.
• Lu Ye randomly challenged available cultivators until the Battlefield Mark selected Lan Ziyi, who accepted.
• Lu Ye entered the Battle Arena and faced Lan Ziyi.

Lu Ye completed his ten battles in the Cloud River Hegemony’s third round and was ranked first despite being only Cloud River Tier Eight. As the fourth-round Ranking Battle began, he went to wait at Heaven’s Mystery Hall, where only the two cultivators ranked below him could challenge him.

• Lan Ziyi conceded to Lu Ye before they fought, and he defeated his next opponent after a six-hour wait.
• Lu Ye finished his ten battles and returned to Green Bamboo Peak to cultivate until his Battlefield Mark announced that the third round had ended.
• The provisional rankings placed Lu Yiye first, with Mu Qingyun second, Yang Yuan third, Jujia thirty-sixth, and Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan forty-second and forty-third.
• Lu Ye reviewed the rankings and noted that Lan Ziyi stood eleventh and Feng Rulie fifteenth.
• Lu Ye went to Heaven’s Mystery Hall to await the fourth-round challenges, since only Mu Qingyun and Yang Yuan were eligible to challenge him.

Lu Ye watched Jujia wear down a Tier Nine Spell Cultivator and Li Baxian win with the Book Sword Art as the fourth round’s rankings shifted. Lan Ziyi climbed to second place, but on the final day Lu Ye doubted she would challenge him, leaving the anticipated showdown uncertain.

• Lu Ye watched Jujia defeat a Tier Nine Spell Cultivator by relentlessly pursuing him until he admitted defeat.
• Li Baxian used two strikes inspired by the Book Sword Art to overcome his opponent, though he felt his cultivation limited how much farther he could climb.
• Lan Ziyi steadily defeated higher-ranked opponents, rising from eleventh place to second below Lu Ye.
• Lan Ziyi did not challenge Lu Ye on the sixth day, and spectators believed she was recovering from her difficult battle with Mu Qingyun.
• On the final day of the fourth round, Lu Ye doubted Lan Ziyi would challenge him and noted that Mu Qingyun was still injured.

Lu Ye collected the rewards for winning the Cloud River Hegemony and returned to Return Heaven Valley, while Mu Qingyun hesitated to advance to the True Lake Realm after sensing that doing so would make him miss something. He went to tell his master, Mu Suifeng, about the strange intuition.

• The fourth round ended with Lu Ye in first place, Lan Ziyi second, and Mu Qingyun third, while the other cultivators from Return Heaven Valley Spirit Land also secured rankings.
• Lu Ye collected twenty Golden Spirit Signs and received Heavenly Mechanism's Favor, but chose not to use the signs immediately because he wanted time to consolidate his cultivation.
• After two days on Green Bamboo Peak, Lu Ye returned to Return Heaven Valley with Amber and Yiyi when his one-month stay in the Nine Provinces ended.
• Mu Qingyun prepared to use a Golden Spirit Sign to advance to the True Lake Realm but sensed that he would miss something if he advanced then.
• Mu Qingyun visited Mu Suifeng and told him that he had encountered a strange matter.

Lu Ye agreed to escort Hua Ci to Five Poisons Pool, but diverted to settle a personal grudge at Sacred Universe Spiritual Land. He attacked the stronghold jointly held by Sacred Fire Sect and Universe Sect, shaking its Protective Grand Array.

• Mu Qingyun sought Mu Suifeng's guidance about a strange matter, and Mu Suifeng told him to follow his instincts.
• Lan Ziyi examined a Golden Spirit Sign, sensed something interesting, and went to Boundless Island's Heaven's Mystery Hall.
• Hua Ci offered Lu Ye two Golden Spirit Signs as payment to escort her to Five Poisons Pool, but Lu Ye told her to keep them.
• Lu Ye checked the Ten-Part Map, chose a route past Sacred Universe Spiritual Land, and set out with Hua Ci, Amber, and Yiyi.
• Lu Ye recognized Sacred Universe Spiritual Land as the base of cultivators who had hunted him and attacked its Protective Grand Array.

Lu Ye attacked Sacred Universe Spiritual Land and slaughtered its cultivators despite the Protective Grand Array remaining intact. As reinforcements arrived through Heaven's Mystery Hall, he charged inside, leaving Tu Guanxiong horrified as their auras began to disappear.

• Tu Guanxiong and Wang Xun discussed the danger Lu Ye posed to Sacred Universe Spiritual Land after his rise to the top of the Cloud River Hegemony Ranking.
• Lu Ye broke into Sacred Universe Spiritual Land and killed cultivators while his three controlled artifacts attacked alongside him.
• Wang Xun and Tu Guanxiong tried to restrain Lu Ye, but he wounded them both as the casualties surpassed a hundred.
• Tu Guanxiong sent for reinforcements, then joined Wang Xun in another attempt to hold Lu Ye back.
• When reinforcements appeared in Heaven's Mystery Hall, Lu Ye charged inside, and their auras began vanishing amid cries and beastly howls.