Chapter Summaries

Lu Ye ignored Xiao Ruyun’s order and flew to Immortal Radiance Mountain, intending to help stop Ning Hu’s slaughter with an Exotic Treasure. He arrived to find Ning Hu still killing the sect’s people, and realized the hidden agent did not intend to leave alive.

• Shangguan Qiu asked Lu Ye what he thought, but Xiao Ruyun dismissed his opinion and urged the squad to withdraw.
• Lu Ye said he would repay the harm he had suffered and set off toward Immortal Radiance Mountain to intervene.
• Xiao Ruyun tried to stop Lu Ye by invoking his Lieutenant Guard authority, but Lu Ye revealed his higher Captain rank and flew on alone.
• Geng Wuwang woke as the squad realized Lu Ye outranked them, then led them after him.
• Lu Ye reached Immortal Radiance Mountain and saw Ning Hu holding a young disciple amid the bodies of the sect’s cultivators.
• Lu Ye realized Ning Hu had no intention of escaping, and Geng Wuwang’s squad arrived behind him.

Ning Hu killed Ziyan to force An Mofeng to stop relying on younger disciples and fight for himself, then attacked the gathered cultivators of Immortal Radiance Mountain. As the defenders began to falter, Lu Ye used the God Extinguishing Sword to shatter Ning Hu’s Divine Sense and create an opening for Geng Wuwang and the others to strike.

• Ning Hu told An Mofeng that his dependence on promising disciples had worn away his will to advance, then killed Ziyan in front of him.
• Ning Hu charged into the gathered disciples, and Geng Wuwang led Squad A3 and Immortal Radiance Mountain’s elders in a desperate fight against him.
• Lu Ye stayed at the edge of the battle, waiting for Ning Hu to use Divine Sense while the defenders suffered mounting injuries.
• Ning Hu launched a Divine Sense attack at Geng Wuwang, and Lu Ye deployed the God Extinguishing Sword to shatter it.
• Ning Hu caught the God Extinguishing Sword, but its hidden sword light struck his Divine Sense and made him stagger and scream.
• Geng Wuwang punched Ning Hu away as Kang Yuanqiao’s Flying Swords pursued him, and Lu Ye thrust with Myriad Stars.

Lu Ye and Squad A3 killed Ning Hu after his spiritual sense was shattered and they sealed his Spiritual Power. The late-arriving Divine Sea Realm reinforcements found Ning Hu dead, while Immortal Radiance Mountain dealt with its heavy losses and its sect master collapsed.

• Lu Ye bombarded Ning Hu with Fire Spirit Stones branded with Explosion Spirit Patterns, but Ning Hu survived and charged at him.
• Lu Ye raised a Confinement Array, and Squad A3 activated their Six Element Spirit Restraint Locks to seal Ning Hu's Spiritual Power.
• Geng Wuwang stabbed Ning Hu through the chest, and Ning Hu briefly praised Lu Ye before dying.
• Squad A3 tended to their wounds as Immortal Radiance Mountain's survivors organized treatment and cleanup; An Mofeng collapsed after spitting blood.
• A Divine Sea Realm reinforcement arrived and recognized Ning Hu's body.

After Ning Hu’s death, Qian Wudang and an elderly Sword Cultivator considered why the Hidden Agent had stayed to fight and how Lu Ye’s God Extinguishing Sword had helped defeat him. While recovering at Immortal Radiance Mountain, Lu Ye learned that the sword was reusable and had once belonged to his Eldest Senior Brother.

• Qian Wudang learned that Ning Hu had been slain and discussed with the elderly Sword Cultivator why Ning Hu stayed behind, why An Mofeng did not intervene, and how the God Extinguishing Sword had shattered Ning Hu’s Divine Sense.
• Qian Wudang concluded that Ning Hu had likely tried to force An Mofeng to advance to the Divine Sea Realm, then left the area after telling the elderly Sword Cultivator to keep watch.
• Lu Ye recovered at Immortal Radiance Mountain and examined the God Extinguishing Sword, which had lost its Spiritual Light after striking Ning Hu.
• The elderly Sword Cultivator recognized the God Extinguishing Sword and told Lu Ye that it was reusable and had once been a fearsome weapon in his Eldest Senior Brother’s hands.

Lu Ye imprinted the origin of a saber-wielding expert, mastered the second form of the Overlord Saber Technique, and then left Immortal Radiance Mountain with Geng Wuwang’s squad. As they headed back to Vast Sky City, Geng Wuwang thanked Lu Ye for saving the mission and confronted Xiao Ruyun about trying to keep him off the squad.

• Lu Ye learned that Eldest Senior Brother had once possessed the God Extinguishing Sword and wondered what the old Sword Cultivator meant by saying it was not a one-use Exotic Treasure.
• Lu Ye imprinted the origin of a Dragon Ascent World saber expert in two hours, then practiced the expert’s saber arts.
• Lu Ye unleashed Arc Moon, the second form of the Overlord Saber Technique, and carved deep ravines into the ground around the Spirit Peak.
• Geng Wuwang and the others emerged from their rooms, saw Lu Ye’s destruction, and decided to return to Vast Sky City to report.
• Geng Wuwang’s squad departed on a Spirit Boat with Lu Ye at the controls, while the old Sword Cultivator reported their departure to Qian Wudang.
• Geng Wuwang thanked Lu Ye for turning the mission around and glared at Xiao Ruyun over his earlier attempt to stop Lu Ye from joining.

After Squad A3 returned to Vast Sky City, Geng Wuwang praised Lu Ye and tried to recruit him, while Qian Wudang planned to borrow Lu Ye’s abilities despite being unable to transfer him from Cangyan Mountain Pass. Lu Ye failed to restore the God Extinguishing Sword and asked Shui Yuan about it, leaving her reassured that no Divine Sea Realm cultivator had harmed him.

• Xiao Ruyun apologized to Lu Ye, and Geng Wuwang scolded Squad A3 for failing to follow Lu Ye into Immortal Radiance Mountain before promising to transfer half their mission rewards to him.
• Geng Wuwang invited Lu Ye to join the Law Enforcement Division, but Lu Ye declined for now because he was new to the True Lake Realm and unfamiliar with the Bing Province Guard.
• After the squad reached Vast Sky City, Lu Ye tried to replenish the God Extinguishing Sword by channeling Divine Sense into it, but the attempt failed.
• Geng Wuwang reported the mission to Qian Wudang and asked to transfer Lu Ye into Squad A3; Qian Wudang threw him out and ordered the squad to keep the mission secret.
• Qian Wudang decided he could borrow Lu Ye’s abilities in future missions, though he could not transfer him from Nian Yuexian’s command at Cangyan Mountain Pass.
• Lu Ye asked Shui Yuan how to restore the God Extinguishing Sword; she confirmed it was reusable but did not know how to replenish it, then rushed out fearing a Divine Sea Realm cultivator had attacked him before Lu Ye reassured her.

Lu Ye learned that restoring the God Extinguishing Sword cost thirty thousand Battle Merit, paid the fee, and was summoned by Qian Wudang before he could leave for Cangyan Mountain Pass. Qian asked about Lu Ye’s explosive Fire Spirit Stones and explained that the dangerous crafting process had caused severe casualties among Spirit Pattern Masters.

• Lu Ye found that the God Extinguishing Sword could be recharged at the Battle Merit Pavilion for thirty thousand Battle Merit and restored its power.
• A Law Enforcement Division envoy brought Lu Ye to meet Qian Wudang, delaying his departure for Cangyan Mountain Pass.
• Qian reassured Lu Ye that the mission’s intelligence errors and dangerous outcome would be kept confidential, then asked to see his explosive Fire Spirit Stones.
• Lu Ye gave Qian a Fire Spirit Stone inscribed with an Explosion Spirit Pattern, and Qian contained its blast in his hand.
• Qian explained that Spirit Pattern Masters had once used these explosive stones on the front lines but stopped after too many were killed by explosions caused by failed Spirit Pattern construction.

Lu Ye negotiated with Qian Wudang to produce Explosive Fire Spirit Stones for the Law Enforcement Division in exchange for Battle Merit, while keeping the method behind his safe refining process to himself. He moved into a Law Enforcement Division courtyard with ten thousand Fire Spirit Stones and began work under a seven-day contract.

• Qian Wudang questioned Lu Ye about how he survived failed Explosion Spirit Pattern constructions, but Lu Ye swore by Heaven's Mystery that his method could not be used by others.
• Lu Ye offered to refine Explosive Fire Spirit Stones for the Province Guard, and he bargained with Qian Wudang until they agreed on five Battle Merit per stone and a loss rate capped at thirty percent.
• Qian Wudang and Lu Ye signed a Heaven's Mystery Contract requiring Lu Ye to deliver the agreed stones, then Qian Wudang assigned him a courtyard for seven days.
• A cultivator delivered ten thousand Fire Spirit Stones to Lu Ye, and Lu Ye calculated that he needed to deliver seven thousand Explosive Fire Spirit Stones while keeping the remainder.
• Lu Ye set up warning and protective Formations in the courtyard and began refining the stones.

Lu Ye finished refining the Explosive Fire Spirit Stones and tempered himself in the Mirage Scene before Qian Wudang summoned him to the Law Enforcement Division. When Lu Ye explained that he had to return to Cangyan Mountain Pass, Qian Wudang asked him to contact Nian Yuexian so they could discuss his work.

• Lu Ye refined the Explosive Fire Spirit Stones, then spent seven days cultivating and fighting opponents in the Mirage Scene.
• The delivered Explosive Fire Spirit Stones earned Lu Ye thirty-six thousand Battle Merit, and his mission rewards brought his total to over two hundred seventy thousand.
• Qian Wudang summoned Lu Ye, praised his refining ability, and told him to continue making Explosive Fire Spirit Stones.
• Lu Ye pointed out that he had to return to Cangyan Mountain Pass to avoid abandoning his post and losing his monthly stipends.
• Qian Wudang asked Lu Ye to use his Guard Token to contact Nian Yuexian and arrange a discussion.

Lu Ye returned to Cangyan Mountain Pass, where the Cloud River Battlefield reopened and the Purple Star Dao Palace established itself under the Crimson Blood Sect. After consuming vast quantities of Fire Spirit Stones, his Talent Tree completed its metamorphosis and revealed that its roots could rapidly absorb Spiritual Power from a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone.

• Lu Ye relayed messages between Qian Wudang and Nian Yuexian, agreed to have Fire Spirit Stones collected from Cangyan Mountain Pass every seven days, and received another ten thousand stones.
• Lu Ye gathered with Geng Wuwang and the others, retrieved his repaired Crag Mountain Saber, and returned to Cangyan Mountain Pass to report to Nian Yuexian.
• The Cloud River Battlefield reopened, and the Purple Star Dao Palace formally established itself in Soldier Province under the Crimson Blood Sect.
• Lu Ye spent more than half a day feeding Fire Spirit Stones to the Talent Tree until it transformed into a seed and grew into a great tree.
• Lu Ye sensed the transformed Talent Tree's roots wrap around a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone and rapidly draw its Spiritual Power into his body.

Lu Ye discovered that the transformed Talent Tree could absorb energy from Spirit Stones and Demonic Cores, greatly expanding his cultivation options but consuming its stored fuel. While cultivating, he sent a Talent Tree root into a Spiritual Power vortex and sensed an immense sea of Spiritual Energy beyond it.

• Lu Ye found that the Talent Tree rapidly absorbed Spiritual Power from Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, while draining its own stored fuel in the process.
• Lu Ye tested a Demonic Core and confirmed the Talent Tree could absorb its energy; he then ate one and digested it safely, easing Yiyi’s worry and alarming Amber.
• Lu Ye decided to cultivate toward True Lake Tier Two, replenishing the Talent Tree with Fire Spirit Stones as he constructed the Spirit Gathering Funnel.
• Yiyi wondered whether cultivators could pass through a Spiritual Power vortex to reach the Earth Vein or Spirit Vein beyond it.
• Lu Ye extended a Talent Tree root into the vortex and sensed extraordinarily dense Spiritual Energy on the other side.

Lu Ye discovered that the Talent Tree let him cultivate by probing into Spiritual Power vortices, allowing him to use the cheapest vortex without losing efficiency. He then found that the same method worked even better with spirit signs, leaving him eager to test how quickly he could advance from True Lake Tier One.

• Lu Ye found that the Talent Tree's roots could reach denser Spiritual Energy inside a Spiritual Power vortex, and he learned that every vortex level connected to the same place.
• Lu Ye concluded that a basic Spiritual Power vortex would provide the same cultivation efficiency while consuming far less Merit, and he dubbed the method Stealing Heaven's Mystery.
• Lu Ye exchanged for Golden Spirit Signs, opened one in his Bamboo Lodge, and probed the vortex with the Talent Tree's roots.
• Lu Ye discovered that the environment inside a spirit-sign vortex was at least three times better than the one outside, and he excitedly kissed Yiyi and Amber.
• Yiyi suggested that Lu Ye use cheaper White Spirit Signs, but Lu Ye explained that they lasted only one incense stick while Golden Spirit Signs lasted a day and night.
• Lu Ye and Yiyi resumed cultivating, and Lu Ye wondered how quickly he could reach True Lake Tier Two.

After using ten Golden Spirit Signs, Lu Ye advanced from True Lake Tier One to Tier Three, astonishing Nian Yuexian. He found Myriad Demon Ridge already mining the Volcanic Crater and returned to find Cheng Xiu waiting nervously under Nian Yuexian’s intimidating presence.

• Lu Ye finished his cultivation with the Golden Spirit Signs and discovered that his cultivation had risen rapidly to True Lake Tier Three.
• Nian Yuexian inspected Lu Ye’s cultivation, expressed shock at his progress, and considered pursuing a long-abandoned plan with his help.
• Lu Ye went to the Volcanic Crater hoping to find Fire Spirit Stones, but saw Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators mining it and left without approaching a newly advanced True Lake cultivator he recognized.
• Lu Ye returned from patrol and found Cheng Xiu waiting outside his Bamboo Lodge, tense beneath Nian Yuexian’s presence.

Nian Yuexian tested Lu Ye’s Twin Phoenixes Flying Spiritual Pattern and assigned him a formal mission to deliver Soul Cleansing Water, then asked him to accompany her to Liyuan in three days. Lu Ye accepted the dangerous journey and went to the Battle Merit Pavilion to buy another means of protecting his life.

• Lu Ye returned from patrol and helped Cheng Xiu recover before Cheng delivered the Explosive Fire Spirit Stones and agreed to request monthly deliveries.
• Nian Yuexian asked Lu Ye about Twin Phoenixes Flying, then had him activate it with her so she could experience its effects again.
• Nian Yuexian issued Lu Ye a mission to present her with three drops of Soul Cleansing Water, and Lu Ye gave her a bottle containing extra drops as a personal offering.
• Nian Yuexian told Lu Ye to accompany her to Liyuan in three days, explaining that the trip was a request rather than a mission.
• Lu Ye decided to go with Nian Yuexian and headed to the Battle Merit Pavilion to purchase a high-grade Dharma Artifact Treasure Robe for protection.

Lu Ye bought and tested the Red Dragon Battle Robe before using his Battlefield Mark to contact Shen Xiaomao, an old acquaintance from the Cloud River Battlefield. He met her near Lone Mountain Pass, where she confirmed that the Myriad Demon Ridge bounty on him remained in effect.

• Lu Ye exchanged ninety thousand Battle Merit for the Red Dragon Battle Robe and chose to make it black.
• Lu Ye tested the robe in the Mirage Realm and found that it could withstand attacks from True Lake cultivators, though it consumed more Spiritual Power.
• Lu Ye tried to contact someone with a Sound Transmission Stone, then sent a message through his Battlefield Mark and received a reply.
• Lu Ye traveled to a hill near Lone Mountain Pass while Nian Yuexian noticed his departure but did not interfere.
• Shen Xiaomao arrived and recognized Lu Ye as the man she had known as Ye Liu.
• Lu Ye asked whether Shen Xiaomao had brought anyone to collect the bounty on him, and she implied that she had come alone.

Lu Ye enlisted Shen Xiaomao to deliver a Sound Transmission Stone to Ying Wuji, bribing her with three drops of Soul Cleansing Water. When Ying Wuji recognized the object, he suspected Shen Xiaomao was tied to Lu Ye and swore a Heaven's Mystery Oath to prove he was not a Vast Sky Alliance agent.

• Lu Ye gave Shen Xiaomao a Sound Transmission Stone and asked her to deliver it to Ying Wuji at Lone Mountain Pass.
• Shen Xiaomao initially refused to help, but Lu Ye offered her three drops of Soul Cleansing Water, and she agreed.
• Shen Xiaomao went to Ying Wuji's residence, intent on finding out whether he was a Vast Sky Alliance agent before handing over the item.
• Ying Wuji recognized the Sound Transmission Stone as one Lu Ye had used in the Peerless Continent and reacted as if facing an enemy.
• Shen Xiaomao challenged Ying Wuji to swear a Heaven's Mystery Oath, and he immediately swore that he was not from the Vast Sky Alliance.

After Ying Wuji received Lu Ye’s summons, Lu Ye told Nian Yuexian he had secured Ying as a guide for their journey to Liyuan and used Simulated Might to conceal her cultivation. Two days later, Nian Yuexian took Lu Ye into the sky, leaving Cangyan Mountain Pass behind as they began their trip.

• Ying Wuji and Shen Xiaomao swore Heaven’s Mystery Oaths, and Ying took the Sound Transmission Stone after warning her to avoid Lu Ye.
• Lu Ye summoned Ying Wuji to meet him northeast of Lone Mountain City, then told Nian Yuexian he would serve as their guide to Liyuan under pressure from Lu Ye’s leverage.
• Lu Ye placed Simulated Might on Nian Yuexian, allowing her to disguise her Divine Sea Realm cultivation as True Lake Realm.
• Lu Ye spent two days reflecting on the Dragon Ascent World’s origin and training his saber arts in the Mirage Realm.
• Nian Yuexian carried Lu Ye into the sky toward their meeting with Ying Wuji, saying neighboring passes could respond if Myriad Demon Ridge attacked Cangyan Mountain Pass.

Lu Ye recruited Ying Wuji for a secret trip by giving him three drops of Soul Cleansing Water and adding his imprint, then met up with Nian Yuexian in disguise. The chapter left Ying Wuji believing Nian Yuexian, who called herself Shuixian, was Lu Ye’s charming junior sister.

• Lu Ye met Ying Wuji near Lone Mountain City and gave him three drops of Soul Cleansing Water as payment for joining the trip.
• Ying Wuji agreed to go with Lu Ye, while insisting he would withdraw if the plan crossed his bottom line.
• Lu Ye added his imprint to Ying Wuji’s Battlefield Mark, making it possible for them to contact each other directly.
• Ying Wuji saw the masked Nian Yuexian waiting with Lu Ye and asked who she was.
• Nian Yuexian called Lu Ye Senior Brother and introduced herself to Ying Wuji as Shuixian, leaving Lu Ye deeply uncomfortable.

Lu Ye, Nian Yuexian, and Ying Wuji traveled under cover to Liyuan, where traces of a decades-old battle revealed the place’s connection to Lu Ye’s Eldest Senior Brother and Nian Yuexian’s past. As they approached a vast ravine, Nian Yuexian continued steering them toward an unknown destination.

• Lu Ye adopted the identity Niu Meng, and he, Nian Yuexian, and Ying Wuji set out for Liyuan with Ying Wuji handling Myriad Demon Ridge patrols along the way.
• During their journey, Nian Yuexian posed as Lu Ye’s Junior Sister Shuixian and amused Ying Wuji by encouraging him to grow strong enough to defeat Lu Ye.
• After three days, the group reached Liyuan, and Ying Wuji explained that the Liyuan Great War had cost Lu Ye’s Eldest Senior Brother his life and shifted control of half of Soldier Province to the Myriad Demon Ridge.
• Lu Ye realized Nian Yuexian’s silence and her adjustments to their course showed that she was searching for a specific place connected to the old battle.
• Two hours later, the group approached a massive ravine that split Liyuan in two.

Lu Ye accompanied Nian Yuexian to a hidden opportunity in One-Line Sky, while Ying Wuji discovered her true identity as a powerful Divine Sea Realm cultivator. After Nian Yuexian opened a concealed passage, she took Lu Ye in with her to face its danger, leaving Ying Wuji to follow.

• Lu Ye, Ying Wuji, and Nian Yuexian descended into One-Line Sky, where Nian Yuexian revealed she had once discovered a secret after fleeing injured enemies.
• Nian Yuexian dropped her disguise, and Ying Wuji recognized her as the formidable cultivator he had seen during the siege of Lone Mountain City.
• Nian Yuexian dismantled the concealed Formations and opened a hidden passage, while Lu Ye cut his palms and joined hands with her to enter safely.
• Nian Yuexian warned Ying Wuji to stay within thirty meters of her, and he agreed to follow rather than risk being left behind.
• Nian Yuexian carried Lu Ye into the dark passage, blocked a sudden attack with her sword, and continued inward as Ying Wuji followed in fear.