Chapter Summaries

Xu Jingming tested his newly upgraded SSS-rank Body Tempering Art in the Virtual World and discovered that it greatly amplified his power while giving him a more bloodthirsty, dragonlike form. He named the technique the Divine Lightning Blood Demon Body.

• Xu Jingming invited Catherine, Song Qiuyun, and Jiang Chuxuan to watch his tests, asking them to keep his strength secret until the Martial Hall Exchange Competition.
• Xu Jingming activated Thunder Extreme State, and Eva measured an eightfold increase in his strength.
• Xu Jingming entered Thunderstorm State, gaining a scarlet Qi Blood Shield, dragonlike claws, and a fierce transformation that frightened the women watching.
• Xu Jingming tested his claws and sprinting speed, while Eva recorded that Thunderstorm State increased his strength sixteenfold.
• Xu Jingming decided to name his SSS-rank Body Tempering Art the Divine Lightning Blood Demon Body.

Xu Jingming tested his newly strengthened Thunderstorm State and planned to seek better Battle Techniques, while Blood Kill’s successful mission set off speculation on the Sword Holder Forum. After Catherine learned she had been misled about Great Xia and departed for Oceania, Xu Jingming prepared to visit headquarters for new Battle Technique manuals and replenish his Ability Points.

• Xu Jingming tested Thunderstorm State, judged that it could last about ten minutes with the Radiant Lightning Ring, and decided to ask Su Qingli for an SS-rank single-target Battle Technique.
• Zhou Yu reported Lu Wenliang’s defeat as a completed government mission, prompting forum users to debate Blood Kill’s identity; Blood Sword and Zhou Yu kept Xu Jingming’s identity secret ahead of the Martial Hall Exchange Competition.
• Xu Jingming showed Catherine conditions in a neighboring province, and she realized her country’s media had deceived her and apologized to him.
• Catherine left Great Xia for Oceania aboard her Obsidian-grade Warplane after Xu Jingming urged her to investigate the Heaven's Mandate Sect for evidence of its ties to America.
• Xu Jingming decided to visit Thunder Martial Hall headquarters to see Su Qingli, obtain Battle Technique manuals, and replenish his Ability Points.

Xu Jingming visited Su Qingli at Thunder Martial Hall headquarters, where she praised his success on the Magic City Security Bureau mission and discussed the strength of Ninth-Order metahumans. She gave him the SS-rank single-target Lightning Type Battle Technique Heavenly Lightning Divine Punishment Sword, leaving him eager to learn it.

• Xu Jingming left Magic City after spending time with Yang Zhentian, Song Qiuyun, and Jiang Chuxuan, then flew to Thunder Martial Hall headquarters.
• Su Qingli praised Xu Jingming for completing the Magic City Security Bureau mission and defeating an Eighth-Order Upper Position elemental mage from the Spirit Fox Guild.
• Xu Jingming asked whether he could fight a Ninth-Order Metahuman, and Su Qingli explained how much strength he would need to challenge one.
• Su Qingli gave Xu Jingming the Heavenly Lightning Divine Punishment Sword, an SS-rank single-target Lightning Type Battle Technique created by her father.

Xu Jingming received Su Qingli’s Heavenly Lightning Divine Punishment Sword and revealed that he had created an SS-rank Body Tempering Art, then went to the Library to seek an Enhancement Type spear technique. After he left, Su Qingli faced renewed pressure from Hu Jinyu to appoint Liu Shan as Modu Inspector and worried that Ling Shuang might not be strong enough to oppose him.

• Su Qingli gave Xu Jingming the Heavenly Lightning Divine Punishment Sword and offered to help him find an SS-rank Lightning Type spear technique.
• Xu Jingming said he wanted an Enhancement Type SS-rank spear technique as a basis for creating a Lightning Type version, and revealed that he had developed an SS-rank Body Tempering Art.
• Su Qingli raised Xu Jingming’s Library access to the highest level, and he left to look for Battle Techniques.
• Liu Wei told Su Qingli that Deputy Director Hu was again pressing to appoint a Modu Inspector, with Liu Shan as the proposed candidate.
• Su Qingli rejected Liu Shan’s appointment again and considered putting Ling Shuang forward, though she feared Ling Shuang might lose to Liu Shan.

Xu Jingming chose the SSS+ spear technique Starry Sky Spear and prepared to train in the Wilderness Area while awaiting the Yer Secret Realm. Meanwhile, the Heaven's Mandate Sect learned he had killed Lu Wenliang and planned to use the Secret Realm and its completed Divine Envoy Project to target Blue Star’s Eighth-Order experts.

• Xu Jingming found Starry Sky Spear in the Thunder Martial Hall Library, returned the Body Tempering Arts he no longer needed, and spent the morning studying Lightning abilities with Su Qingli.
• Xu Jingming flew from Great Xia toward Melbourne, planning to visit Teacher Ling before training in the Wilderness Area and keeping watch for news that the Yer Secret Realm had opened.
• Tian Hong told the Heaven's Mandate Sect's Melbourne council that Xu Jingming had killed Lu Wenliang and urged them to eliminate Xu before the Holy Lord awakened.
• Tian Ling assigned Tian Xuan to prepare a plan to kill Xu Jingming, but Tian Jian said the Lord of Heaven's Mandate had already arranged a strike during the Yer Secret Realm expedition.
• Tian Jian revealed that the Heaven's Mandate Divine Envoy Project was complete and claimed its envoy could slaughter the Eighth-Order experts entering the Secret Realm.

The Heaven's Mandate Sect revealed that it had created a Divine Blood Envoy capable of Ninth-Order combat power and planned to use him to kill Xu Jingming in the Yer Secret Realm. Meanwhile, Xu Jingming continued hunting in the Oceania Wilderness Area, reached the Seventh-Order Upper Position, and prepared to return to Melbourne to check whether the secret realm had opened.

• Tian Jian told Tian Ling and the others that an Eighth-Order Peak Divine Blood Envoy could use the secret technique to gain Ninth-Order combat power and would target Xu Jingming in the Yer Secret Realm.
• Tian Hong left the meeting and considered Li Hao’s 95% compatibility with the Holy Lord’s divine blood, which might let Li Hao surpass Tian Jian after the Divine Blood Ritual.
• Xu Jingming returned to Melbourne and spent a day with Ling Shuang before heading back into the Oceania Wilderness Area to hunt ferocious beasts.
• On July 5, Xu Jingming killed the beasts in his hunting area and checked his system panel, which showed he had reached the Seventh-Order Upper Position and had 595,000 Ability Points.
• Xu Jingming planned to finish clearing the next area, return to Melbourne, and find out whether the Yer Secret Realm had opened.

Xu Jingming returned to Melbourne after breaking through to the Seventh-Order Upper Position and reunited with Ling Shuang at their Villa. After Xia Lan finished her training and left, Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang put off their planned Virtual Arena spar for an intimate encounter.

• Xu Jingming flew back to Melbourne and went straight to the Villa, where he found Ling Shuang teaching Xia Lan a Battle Technique.
• Xu Jingming told Ling Shuang he had broken through to the Seventh-Order Upper Position, then challenged her to prove who was stronger in the Virtual Arena.
• Ling Shuang continued to guide Xia Lan in her S-rank Void Chaotic Skewer Kill, pointing out flaws in her Space Ability.
• Xia Lan left the Villa, privately regretting that she had not confessed her feelings to Xu Jingming before he became Ling Shuang's partner.
• Xu Jingming carried Ling Shuang toward the bathroom, postponing their arena spar for close-quarters combat.

Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang discussed the imminent opening of the Yer Secret Realm and the limits on Thunder Martial Hall’s expedition team. In the Virtual World, Xu Jingming defeated Ling Shuang but found himself unable to harm a Ninth-Order Martial Saint.

• Ling Shuang told Xu Jingming that the Yer Secret Realm might open within days and that Thunder Martial Hall had selected six expedition members, including them.
• Xu Jingming learned that the six-person limit came from the Secret Realm’s entrant cap, and Ling Shuang said the competition’s rules had not yet been announced.
• After receiving notice of a meeting about the Secret Realm, Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang entered the Virtual World to test their strength.
• Xu Jingming overwhelmed Ling Shuang with Thunderstorm State, but she escaped lethal attacks by teleporting with her Space Ability.
• Xu Jingming fought an A-rank Ninth-Order Lower Position Martial Saint and was killed repeatedly, unable to react to its attacks or damage it with ranged techniques.

Xu Jingming learned about the extraordinary abilities of Ninth-Order Metahumans before joining Thunder Martial Hall’s team in the Yer Secret Realm. Blood Sword revealed that the expedition would gather rare resources for Great Xia and determine which martial hall would represent the nation, leaving Xu Jingming wondering whether he could use the treasures inside the Secret Realm rather than surrender them.

• Ling Shuang and Eva explained that Ninth-Order Martial Saints could regenerate even their heads, while Ninth-Order Law Saints could elementalize their bodies.
• Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang teleported to a plaza, where they learned Hu Jinyu had withheld Thunder Martial Hall’s Eighth-Order Upper Position Grandmasters from the expedition.
• Ling Shuang clashed with Chen Yang of Violent Bear Martial Hall, whose stronger lineup aimed to challenge Thunder Martial Hall’s dominance.
• Zhou Yu told Ling Shuang and Xu Jingming that the Secret Realm gathering would serve as a contest of strength among Blue Star’s nations, with Blood Sword leading Great Xia’s team.
• Blood Sword announced that the thirty participants would spend a month collecting Exotic Flowers and Rare Herbs, which would earn Contribution Points and determine the martial hall rankings.
• Blood Sword warned that all gathered resources had to be surrendered, and Xu Jingming wondered whether he could consume them inside the Secret Realm instead.

Blood Sword briefed Xu Jingming and the other Eighth-Order Grandmasters on the Yer Secret Realm’s terrain, gravity, resources, and dangers. He warned them that rival countries might break the rules, and told Great Xia’s experts to kill when necessary.

• Ling Shuang explained to Xu Jingming why even rare Exotic Flowers and Rare Herbs could not be consumed freely by Eighth-Order Grandmasters.
• Blood Sword simulated the Yer Secret Realm and explained its vast area, tenfold gravity, and the need to use lighter or adjustable-weight weapons.
• Blood Sword showed the locations of the Hundred Flowers Valleys and death zones, while Xu Jingming realized he could hunt the realm’s ferocious beasts for Ability Points.
• Blood Sword told the Grandmasters that although killing was forbidden in principle, they should kill in special circumstances and he would bear the consequences.
• Blood Sword revealed that foreign experts had previously killed Great Xia’s entrants, and Xu Jingming welcomed the order to fight back.

Blood Sword warned Xu Jingming about the dangers of the Yer Secret Realm and urged him to reconsider entering, but Xu Jingming remained confident. Blood Sword revealed that Great Xia had prepared an SSR-rank Yuan Armor to protect him, which Xu Jingming would receive in Maple Leaf Country.

• Blood Sword explained that entrants would be randomly teleported in the Yer Secret Realm and that Guardian Talismans would fail there.
• Blood Sword ordered everyone to arrive in Maple Leaf Country before nine the following evening, then asked Xu Jingming to stay behind.
• Blood Sword warned Xu Jingming that other countries, especially America, might target him and offered to replace him if he withdrew.
• Xu Jingming said he was confident he could survive the expedition, and Blood Sword praised his determination.
• Blood Sword showed Xu Jingming the Yuan Armor, a liquid combat suit that negated damage from Metahumans below the Ninth Order, and said it would be given to him in Maple Leaf Country.

Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang arrived in Toronto for the Yer Secret Realm expedition and attended Blood Sword’s banquet, where Xu Jingming confronted Wang Linyang over the Black Crow Campaign. Wang Linyang apologized for using Xu Jingming’s senior brother Liu Ming as bait, but Xu Jingming’s anger remained evident.

• Blood Sword lent Xu Jingming an SSR-rank Yuan Armor before Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang prepared to leave Melbourne for Maple Leaf Country.
• Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang arrived in Toronto, settled into a villa arranged by Blood Sword, and went to the Wilson Hotel banquet with four other Thunder Martial Hall members.
• Xu Jingming met Roland, an Eighth-Order Upper Position Metahuman with an S-rank earth ability, and judged him the strongest participant entering the Yer Secret Realm.
• Wang Linyang introduced himself to Xu Jingming, who recognized his name and asked whether he had commanded the Black Crow Campaign.
• Xu Jingming told Wang Linyang that his senior brother Liu Ming had been among the students used as bait in the campaign, and Wang Linyang apologized and asked him to forgive the past.

Xu Jingming rejected Wang Linyang’s apology for the harm he caused Liu Ming and refused to hide his contempt, angering Wang Linyang and drawing mixed reactions from the Eighth-Order Grandmasters. Ling Shuang offered to help Xu Jingming deal with Wang Linyang in the Yer Secret Realm, and he told her to leave him alive.

• Wang Linyang raised a glass to apologize, but Xu Jingming told him to seek forgiveness from Liu Ming and said he had only confirmed Wang Linyang’s identity so he would not hurt the wrong person.
• Xu Jingming left without accepting the apology, prompting the Eighth-Order Grandmasters to discuss his bluntness and the trouble it could cause with powerful factions.
• Wang Linyang crushed his wineglass in anger and returned to his circle, where several Grandmasters from established metahuman families consoled him and criticized Xu Jingming.
• Ling Shuang asked Xu Jingming if he was all right and offered to help him take revenge on Wang Linyang if they met in the Yer Secret Realm.
• Xu Jingming laughed and asked Ling Shuang to leave Wang Linyang alive, and she agreed to restrain herself.

Blood Sword summoned the thirty Metahumans preparing for the Yer Secret Realm and gave Xu Jingming a demonstration of the SSR-rank Yuan Armor. Xu Jingming tested its extraordinary protection, then learned that obtaining his own would require a long accumulation of Contribution Points.

• Blood Sword arrived at the banquet, reminded the Metahumans to stay in Toronto and reach Yer Base within ten minutes when summoned, then took Xu Jingming aside.
• Blood Sword showed Xu Jingming the Yuan Armor and explained that it required a Mental Strength Imprint and had to be returned after the Yer Secret Realm expedition.
• Xu Jingming imprinted the Yuan Armor, covered himself with it, and tested its protection by detonating dozens of Thunder Spears against his body without injury.
• Blood Sword told Xu Jingming that Yuan Armor could be exchanged for Contribution Points, but Xu Jingming gave up after hearing that Blood Sword had needed two years and three months to earn enough.

America’s experts prepared to search for a hidden palace in the Yer Secret Realm, while Xu Jingming and Ling Shuang waited for the realm to open. When activity was detected, Blood Sword gathered Great Xia’s delegation and led them to Yer Base.

• Kane Glenn assigned Ryan Hepburn to lead a third of America’s experts in searching for the palace and gave him its key and a spatial-fluctuation detector.
• Kane told Ryan not to prioritize killing Xu Jingming, and Ryan agreed to focus on finding the palace.
• Xu Jingming tested Yuan Armor, then spent the next two days training and exploring Toronto with Ling Shuang and Zhou Yu.
• Eva alerted Xu Jingming that the Yer Secret Realm was active, and he and Ling Shuang teleported to the villa complex entrance.
• Blood Sword gathered Great Xia’s thirty experts and flew with them to Yer Base, where staff welcomed the delegation.

Xu Jingming and the other nations’ Metahumans gathered at Yer Base as the Yer Secret Realm prepared to open. After the teams entered the vortex, only the seven Ninth-Order Metahumans remained outside.

• Xu Jingming surveyed the teams from Blue Star’s six major powers and assessed the powerful opponents who could challenge him.
• He noted that Metahumans from 103 other countries had to surrender 95% of the rare herbs they gathered to the major powers.
• Other nations watched Great Xia’s team, while Tian Jian and a dark-skinned Black Continent Metahuman fixed their attention on Xu Jingming.
• Xu Jingming stepped in front of Ling Shuang to block the heated stares from the India and Black Continent teams, and Ling Shuang explained their societies’ treatment of lower-order Metahumans.
• The spatial vortex opened, and Blood Sword ordered Great Xia’s team to enter as the other teams rushed into the Yer Secret Realm; only seven Ninth-Order Metahumans stayed behind.

Xu Jingming entered the Yer Secret Realm alone after he and Ling Shuang were separated by its random teleportation. He reached No. 67 Hundred Flowers Valley and learned it was the Flower Goddess’s Rear Garden, where a hidden palace might contain treasures, before three people confronted him and claimed the valley.

• Xu Jingming used Eva to locate himself in the northeastern Yer Secret Realm and flew toward No. 67 Hundred Flowers Valley.
• Eva discovered that the Yer Secret Realm was the Flower Goddess’s Rear Garden and told Xu Jingming about a hidden palace that might hold rare plants and seeds.
• Xu Jingming dismissed the idea of searching for the palace without its key and continued to gather Exotic Flowers and Rare Herbs.
• Xu Jingming arrived at No. 67 Hundred Flowers Valley, where three figures emerged and told him to leave because they had claimed it.

Xu Jingming claimed Hundred Flowers Valley from two European Grandmasters by intimidating them with Du Tian Divine Lightning and taking the contents of their Space Rings. He and Wang Zhan began gathering the valley’s Exotic Flowers and Rare Herbs for Thunder Martial Hall.

• Xu Jingming revealed his identity to Wang Zhan, who explained that he had agreed to let two European Grandmasters take most of the valley’s harvest.
• Xu Jingming demanded the entire valley and the Europeans’ gathered goods, then enclosed the four of them in a dome of Du Tian Divine Lightning.
• Xu Jingming’s aura frightened the two Europeans into surrendering their Space Rings and leaving Hundred Flowers Valley.
• Xu Jingming returned the empty rings and began gathering the valley’s Exotic Flowers and Rare Herbs with Wang Zhan.

Xu Jingming collected rare herbs, hunted fierce beasts to build up Ability Points, and learned that Galka possessed one of the missing Radiant Lightning Rings. The chapter ended with Galka unleashing an SS-rank lightning attack as Xu Jingming flew toward him.

• Wang Zhan offered Xu Jingming his collected herbs in exchange for future support, then proposed that Wang Han and Liao Pei join the deal; Xu Jingming agreed if Wang Zhan could persuade them.
• Xu Jingming headed toward nearby Hundred Flowers Valleys while hunting fierce beasts, and after eighteen days had accumulated 1.43 million Ability Points without unlocking the upgrades he wanted.
• Tian Jian gathered six Heaven's Mandate Sect members, including Jonathan, and decided they would wait to confront their enemies when everyone gathered to leave the Secret Realm.
• Galka attacked Xu Jingming with black lightning, but Xu Jingming blocked it with his Thunder Barrier.
• Eva identified the black ring behind Galka as one of the five Radiant Lightning Rings, and Galka launched his SS-rank Black Flash Lightning while Xu Jingming charged at him.

Xu Jingming interrupted Galka’s battle techniques with Du Tian Divine Lightning and killed him with Thunder God Finger. He recovered a Radiant Lightning Ring and fused it with his own, leaving him with two of the five rings combined.

• Xu Jingming transformed and used Du Tian Divine Lightning to interrupt Galka’s battle techniques, leaving Galka stunned by the strength of his ability.
• Xu Jingming struck Galka with Thunder God Finger, killing him and destroying the surrounding ground.
• Xu Jingming confirmed Galka was dead, then retrieved his Radiant Lightning Ring and learned it was the third of the five rings.
• Eva explained that Du Tian Divine Lightning could restore the rings, and Xu Jingming overlapped his two rings to fuse them into one.