Recaps

The Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon and Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard fought over the Ice God Tree and Red Flame Tree, devastating Ice Cold Valley. As Xie Guan and the other cultivators moved to finish off the wounded beasts, a strange cry and a vast darkness arrived, frightening everyone and the beasts alike.

• Wu Hu and Qin Zheng realized that the Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard had emerged to protect the Red Flame Tree beneath the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon’s Ice God Tree.
• Xie Guan warned that the Heavenly Beasts were about to fight for their lives as their battle intensified.
• The Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon’s icy attack collided with the Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard’s lava counterattack, destroying much of Ice Cold Valley and burying many spectators.
• Xie Guan ordered the Spirit Wheel Realm fighters to retreat and led the Divine Soul Realm experts in preparing to attack the gravely wounded beasts.
• A piercing cry staggered the cultivators, and a vast darkness swept in from the horizon, making the two Heavenly Beasts recoil in fear.

The Nine Nether Sparrow arrived at Ice Cold Valley, killed the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon and the Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard, and carried off their corpses. When Xie Guan and the gathered cultivators attacked, the bird used Life Force Plunder to drain their spiritual energy and Spirit Souls before flying away.

• The Nine Nether Sparrow descended on Ice Cold Valley and crushed the heads of the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon and the Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard, killing them.
• Xie Guan urged the gathered cultivators to attack the immature Nine Nether Sparrow and seize it.
• More than a thousand cultivators launched attacks at the bird as it flew off with the two Heavenly Beasts’ corpses.
• The Nine Nether Sparrow released black rings of light that stripped the flesh from hundreds of Spirit Wheel Realm students and drained spiritual energy from the Divine Soul Realm experts.
• Xie Guan’s spirit sea was drained, and he fell toward the ground as his followers rushed to help him.
• The Nine Nether Sparrow mocked the attackers and vanished into the clouds with both corpses.

Mu Chen plundered the life force and essence of two Heavenly Tier Spirit Beasts, then spent half a month hunting powerful beasts across the Northern Heavens Realm. He broke through to the middle stage of the Heaven Melting Realm and set out for the central region with three days left before the deadline.

• Mu Chen stole the Ice God Tree and Red Flame Tree after defeating the two Heavenly Tier Spirit Beasts at Ice Cold Valley.
• The beasts’ Spirit Beast Essences tried to flee, but Mu Chen swallowed them and used Life Force Plunder to drain their corpses.
• Mu Chen refined the energy from his spoils but remained just short of a breakthrough, so he continued hunting across the Northern Heavens Realm.
• Mu Chen killed a Diamond One-Eyed Ape and absorbed its flesh and blood essence, breaking through to the middle stage of the Heaven Melting Realm.
• Mu Chen headed toward the central region, carrying the upgraded divine-grade Demon-Subduing Staff.

Mu Chen reunited publicly with Luo Li on the Black Great Plain, where the gathered factions had assembled to open the way to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. He delayed the opening to greet the Shi Brothers and left the crowd anticipating his encounter with them.

• The factions gathered on the Black Great Plain, where Luo Li arrived carrying the Luo God Sword and received greetings from the kings and other elites.
• Mu Chen appeared before Luo Li, and she declared that she liked him as the crowd learned of their relationship.
• Luo Li asked why Mu Chen had not sought her out, and he explained that he had focused on improving his cultivation and wanted to surprise old friends.
• King Zhou asked Mu Chen and Luo Li to summon the Northern Heavens Divine Hall, but Mu Chen postponed it to greet the Shi Brothers.
• Mu Chen called out to Shi Jingtian and Shi Hao, drawing the crowd's attention to the two half-step Heaven Melting Realm kings.

Mu Chen fought the Twin Kings of the Shi Family after Emperor Luo agreed not to interfere, using two third-level Spirit Arrays to keep the brothers apart. The Shi Brothers battled the arrays for half an hour, but their summoned dragon and tiger kept returning, and Shi Jingtian called for Shi Hao to use a special move.

• Mu Chen challenged Shi Jingtian and Shi Hao over their feud from the Spirit Road, and Emperor Luo said she would not interfere.
• Shi Jingtian and Shi Hao attacked Mu Chen together, but he trapped each brother in a separate third-level Spirit Array.
• The Wind Dragon Heaven-Breaking Array battered Shi Jingtian while the Golden Tiger Roaring Heaven Array fought Shi Hao.
• Shi Jingtian used Stone Emperor Art techniques, including Meteor Heaven Fall, to destroy the Wind Dragon, but it reformed as long as the array remained intact.
• After half an hour of fighting, Shi Jingtian urged Shi Hao to use their special move.

Mu Chen killed the Shi Brothers after they transformed into Earth Spirit Stone Pythons, then entered the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy with the other qualified students. The academy awarded them Spiritual Value Tokens, and Mu Chen’s total of 10,800 stunned everyone.

• The Shi Brothers used their Earth Spirit Stone Python Essences to break the Spirit Array and attack Mu Chen.
• Mu Chen trapped the pythons in black-flame hands, absorbed their Essences, and burned the Shi Brothers to ashes.
• Mu Chen and Luo Li activated their ninth-level marks, summoning an ancient hall that admitted students with Spirit Seals of level four or higher.
• A white-robed elder welcomed the students to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy and explained their Spiritual Value Tokens.
• Luo Li revealed that she had 5,000 Spiritual Value, and Mu Chen’s token showed 10,800, silencing the crowd.

New students at the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy accepted challenges from senior students, and Mu Chen revealed that he had reached the mid-stage Heaven Melting Realm. An Ran summoned her Northern Nether Golden-Patterned Eagle and powered up to face him again.

• The academy’s white-robed envoy invited the new students to challenge seniors, and An Ran selected Mu Chen while Luo Li chose the powerful Gabriel.
• Luo Li struck Gabriel with her sword before he could finish introducing himself, shocking him with her Heaven Melting Realm strength.
• Mu Chen teased An Ran about getting angry, so she attacked him with the Void-Shattering Spirit Palm.
• Mu Chen repelled An Ran’s attack and revealed mid-stage Heaven Melting Realm strength, astonishing the seniors and the envoy.
• An Ran apologized, then summoned her Northern Nether Golden-Patterned Eagle and reached the mid-stage Heaven Melting Realm.

Mu Chen defeated An Ran by suppressing her spirit essence, then sealed her spiritual energy when she refused to concede. After the freshmen won their matches and received rewards, the new students entered the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

• Mu Chen used Imperial Suppression to break apart An Ran's Northern Nether Golden-Patterned Eagle and knock her unconscious.
• An Ran resumed her attack after waking, but Mu Chen sealed her spiritual energy and qi sea, causing her to collapse.
• Mu Chen helped An Ran up after Luo Li quietly signaled her approval, and An Ran left in embarrassment.
• The freshmen won six matches to the upperclassmen's four, and the white-robed elder awarded each victor five thousand Spiritual Value points.
• The elder announced that Mu Kui, Bing Qing, and Yang Hong had also defeated seniors in the other Northern Heavens Realms.
• The white-robed elder opened a giant bronze gate, and the freshmen surged into the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy.

Mu Chen and Luo Li arrived at the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy with the new freshmen, where Mu Chen antagonized Yang Hong and gathered students from his realm around him. Instructor Mu Ling arrived to lead them to the residential area, while Zhou Yuan became infatuated with her.

• Mu Chen surveyed the academy and exchanged greetings with Mu Kui and Bing Qing, then provoked Yang Hong with a throat-slitting gesture.
• Mu Chen anticipated facing Yang Hong at the Freshman Assembly in a month and hoped to kill him before the academy's million observers.
• As instructors arrived, the freshmen from Mu Chen's Northern Heavens Realm gathered around him, including Zhou Ling, Yan Xiao, and Yan Ling.
• Instructor Mu Ling arrived, and Zhou Yuan whispered to Mu Chen that she was exactly his type.
• Mu Ling led the freshmen toward the academy's residential area.

Mu Chen arranged for himself and Luo Li to share a lake-view dorm room, then asked Instructor Mu Ling to help him meet Elder Ling Xi. Mu Ling accepted his Spiritual Value and took him deeper into the academy, though the chapter left the meeting unresolved.

• Instructor Mu Ling explained the academy’s Spirit Gathering Arrays and room costs, while Mu Chen and his companions chose Grade C Rooms.
• Mu Chen took Luo Li to a two-floor lake-view dorm room, and they agreed to use separate floors before he pounced on her and locked the door.
• The next day, Mu Chen gave Instructor Mu Ling a thousand Spiritual Value and asked her to introduce him to Elder Ling Xi.
• Instructor Mu Ling explained that Ling Xi kept to herself, but agreed to try after Mu Chen offered another thousand Spiritual Value.
• Mu Chen and Instructor Mu Ling headed deeper into Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy to seek out Ling Xi.

Mu Chen reached Ling Xi and told her that Qing Yanjing was his mother and the person who had adopted her. Ling Xi recognized the Great Pagoda Art and began sharing spiritual energy with him, which unexpectedly strengthened his energy.

• Mu Chen’s first message failed to bring Ling Xi out, but his mention of Aunt Jing made her rush out and demand to know who Aunt Jing was.
• Ling Xi sent Instructor Mu Ling away with a Teleportation Spirit Array and led Mu Chen into her courtyard.
• Ling Xi showed Mu Chen a painting of a mysterious woman and asked who she was.
• Mu Chen identified the woman as Qing Yanjing, his mother, and said she had adopted Ling Xi.
• Mu Chen and Ling Xi formed identical nine-story pagodas with the Great Pagoda Art, stirring fragments of Ling Xi’s memories.
• Ling Xi held Mu Chen’s hand and circulated their shared spiritual energy, causing the energy in Mu Chen’s body to grow stronger.

Mu Chen helped Ling Xi recover the memories Qing Yanjing had sealed, restoring her bond with Aunt Jing and awakening her formidable Spirit Array cultivation. Ling Xi explained that Qing Yanjing had reached Saint Grade and returned to the Futu Clan to report the Great Elder, leaving Mu Chen reassured but wary of his mother's plans.

• Mu Chen explained that Ling Xi was his Yin Attendant and offered to help undo the seal on her memories.
• Mu Chen knelt before the painting of Qing Yanjing, whose power restored Ling Xi's memories of her childhood and Aunt Jing.
• Ling Xi wept in Mu Chen's arms, then regained her composure and revealed that her Spirit Array cultivation had risen to intermediate Earth Grade and would continue returning toward the Grandmaster realm.
• Ling Xi told Mu Chen that Qing Yanjing had advanced to Saint Grade after leaving the Hundred Spirit Continent, then returned to the Futu Clan to report the Great Elder.
• Mu Chen realized his mother might be planning a confrontation with the Great Elder and felt reassured by her strength.

Ling Xi used the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy’s Level Eight Spirit Gathering Array to help Mu Chen and his companions cultivate, then began training Mu Chen in Spirit Arrays. She trapped him inside the Spirit Array House until he could advance to Level 4, while she prepared to recover her strength and pursue the Grandmaster realm.

• Ling Xi revealed the academy’s Level Eight Spirit Gathering Array and drew spiritual energy through it for Mu Chen.
• The Hundred Spirit youths cultivated amid a surge of spiritual energy, while the black-clad girl also drew energy from the array.
• Mu Chen asked Ling Xi to plant the Ice God Tree and Red Flame Tree in the array’s core so they could mature faster.
• Ling Xi criticized Mu Chen’s Spirit Array progress and sent him into the Spirit Array House for special training until he reached Level 4.
• Ling Xi watched Mu Chen face deadly Spirit Arrays and planned to restore her cultivation before attempting the Spirit Array Grandmaster realm.

Mu Chen refused Ling Xi’s offer to accelerate his cultivation at the cost of her health, then headed to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy’s Freshman Assembly. At North Spirit Mountain, he reunited with Luo Li and his companions as Supreme Zhu Tian arrived to preside over the competition.

• Ling Xi offered to help Mu Chen cultivate through the Futu Clan’s Yin Scroll method, but he refused because it would harm her.
• The academy’s bell announced the Freshman Assembly, and Mu Chen left after Ling Xi urged him to claim first place.
• Mu Chen arrived at North Spirit Mountain and learned that Luo Li had defeated a Heaven Ranking expert to take the eighty-third spot.
• Mu Chen told Luo Li that he had met the elder behind the recent changes in the Freshman District and promised to introduce them.
• Zhu Tian arrived with two elders and announced that he would preside over the Freshman Assembly.

Mu Chen transformed into the Nine Nether Sparrow and carried Luo Li toward the summit of North Spirit Mountain, stunning the freshmen and elders. A Mountain Swallowing Python ambushed them as they crossed a rocky plateau.

• Zhu Tian announced that the first freshman to claim the Spirit Flag would become chief and that the top five would receive rewards, including a chance to choose a high-tier Spirit Art.
• Mu Kui, Bing Qing, and Yang Hong charged ahead through the beast hordes while Mu Chen and Luo Li remained at the mountain’s foot and sent their companions on ahead.
• Mu Chen transformed into the Nine Nether Sparrow, picked up Luo Li, and flew toward the summit, astonishing the students and elders who recognized the Super Heavenly Beast.
• Zhu Tian noticed that Mu Chen’s transformation seemed unusually lifelike and considered asking the Academy Guardian about it.
• A Mountain Swallowing Python burst from the ground and lunged at Mu Chen and Luo Li as they flew over a rocky plateau.

Mu Chen, transformed into the Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow, fought through powerful Heavenly Beasts and reached the summit despite a Heaven Transformation Realm creature’s attacks. He claimed the Spirit Flag alongside a silver-haired woman, while the other first-years were left to face the summit’s defenses.

• The Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow killed a Mountain Swallowing Python and several other Heavenly Beasts as Yang Hong, Bing Qing, and Mu Kui sped up to catch it.
• A hidden creature attacked with a giant lava hand, but the Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow burned through it with mysterious black flames.
• The creature launched a larger attack, but the Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow used the clash to reach the summit and pull down the Spirit Flag.
• The mysterious creature raised a Heaven-Reaching Fire Curtain around the summit, forcing the remaining first-years to break through its defenses.
• A slender hand raised the Spirit Flag, and observers saw a man and a silver-haired woman standing together beneath it.

Mu Chen and Luo Li reached North Spirit Mountain’s summit and claimed the Spirit Flag, but Yang Hong challenged Mu Chen’s right to be named top freshman. When Yang Hong’s attack failed, Mu Chen revealed that he had reached the late stage of the Heaven Melting Realm.

• Mu Chen and Luo Li reached the summit first, claimed the Spirit Flag, and earned the top two freshman rankings and rewards.
• Yang Hong, Bing Qing, and Mu Kui reached the summit later, and Yang Hong argued that the flag’s holder—not the first climber—would be the true top freshman.
• Yang Hong proposed that Bing Qing and Mu Kui help him defeat Mu Chen and Luo Li, but Mu Chen suggested taking Yang Hong out first, and the two Primordial Clan prodigies stepped aside.
• Yang Hong unleashed his Heaven-Breaking Spirit Halberd at Mu Chen and revealed that he had reached the middle stage of the Heaven Melting Realm.
• Mu Chen shattered Yang Hong’s attack with his spiritual pressure and revealed that he had reached the late stage of the Heaven Melting Realm.

Mu Chen trapped Yang Hong’s Ancient Tiger Flood Dragon in the Futu Pagoda and refined it, killing Yang Hong. With the duel over, Bing Qing challenged Luo Li as the fight for the Spirit Flags continued.

• Yang Hong summoned and merged with his Heaven Tier Ancient Tiger Flood Dragon essence soul, then attacked Mu Chen.
• Mu Chen manifested the Futu Pagoda and sealed the Ancient Tiger Flood Dragon inside, ignoring elders who wanted to intervene.
• Mu Chen refined the beast with the Nine Nether Underworld Fire, killing Yang Hong and absorbing pure spiritual energy.
• Mu Chen turned his attention to the Spirit Flags as Bing Qing and Mu Kui watched him.
• Bing Qing challenged Luo Li, and the two prepared to fight with their swords.

Mu Chen faced Wood Spirit Clan prodigy Mu Kui in a trial, overcoming his vines and shield with the Samsara Death Seals. Mu Kui summoned an Ancient Treant Legion, but Mu Chen unleashed the Nine Nether Underworld Fire and destroyed it, leaving the watching students stunned.

• Mu Chen and Mu Kui introduced themselves before Mu Kui attacked with a wood-enhanced punch and Spirit-Binding Vines.
• Mu Chen used eight stacked Samsara Death Seals to break through Mu Kui's vines and shatter his Divine Wood Shield.
• Mu Kui summoned the Ancient Treant Legion, bringing the trees around North Spirit Mountain to life and sending them to attack Mu Chen.
• Mu Chen unleashed the Nine Nether Underworld Fire, which burned the Treant Warriors to ash and left the students watching in shock.

Mu Chen won the Freshman Assembly and claimed the title of freshman No. 1, while Luo Li defeated Bing Qing. After the celebration, Li Xuantong confronted Luo Li and reacted with anger when he saw her holding hands with Mu Chen.

• Mu Chen defeated Mu Kui with his Nine Nether Underworld Fire, forcing Mu Kui to concede.
• Luo Li defeated Bing Qing, and the two matches set up Mu Chen and Luo Li as the finalists.
• Mu Chen joked with Luo Li instead of fighting her, then claimed the Spirit Flag as the other freshmen gave up.
• Elder Zhu Tian declared Mu Chen the champion and awarded him five hundred thousand Spiritual Value; Luo Li placed second, with Mu Kui and Bing Qing tied for third.
• Three days later, Li Xuantong waited outside the freshman dormitories and greeted Luo Li when she returned with Mu Chen.
• Li Xuantong's expression shifted when Luo Li introduced Mu Chen, and his aura pressed down on the surrounding freshmen.

Mu Chen confronted Li Xuantong, who demanded that he leave Luo Li because of her duties to the Luo God Clan. Mu Chen challenged him to a three-move fight, and Li Xuantong revealed his near-Heavenly Passage Realm strength as the duel began.

• Mu Chen identified Li Xuantong and his standing as the Heaven Ranking's second, unsettling Li Xuantong's attempt to intimidate him.
• Li Xuantong told Mu Chen to leave Luo Li and described her responsibility to lead the struggling Luo God Clan, but Mu Chen said he already knew her circumstances.
• Li Xuantong insisted Mu Chen could not bear Luo Li's burdens, and Mu Chen asked why he should obey him if he was not his father.
• Li Xuantong's pressure provoked Luo Li to release her full strength, and she drew the Luo God Sword to stand with Mu Chen.
• Mu Chen stopped Luo Li from intervening and challenged Li Xuantong to spar, promising to defeat him in three moves.
• Li Xuantong accepted a three-move challenge and unleashed spiritual energy at the peak of the Heaven Transformation Realm, near the Heavenly Passage Realm.

Mu Chen faced Li Xuantong on the Spirit Academy’s battle platform, where their clash escalated from martial techniques to spiritual arrays. The chapter ended with Li Xuantong surrounded by a sea of black lotuses as Mu Chen unleashed his Demon Lotus Spirit-Slaughtering Array.

• Li Xuantong opened the duel with his Spirit Profound Jade Marrow Hand, and Mu Chen drew on his contracted companion’s power to meet it with the Samsara Death Seal.
• Li Xuantong revealed the Heavenly Profound Divine Art and sent his One Profound Finger crashing toward Mu Chen.
• Mu Chen advanced to the fourth level of Spirit Array Master and formed the Demon Lotus Spirit-Slaughtering Array, which shattered Li Xuantong’s crystalline finger.
• Li Xuantong dismissed Mu Chen’s array as merely fourth-level and formed an even larger crystalline finger.
• Mu Chen destroyed the renewed attack and filled the battle platform with countless black lotuses, surrounding Li Xuantong.

Mu Chen defeated Li Xuantong with ten combined fourth-level Spirit Arrays, winning the battle and taking his second place on the Heaven Ranking. Li Xuantong admitted defeat, while Mu Chen’s true cultivation remained at the late stage of the Heaven Melting Realm despite his temporary breakthrough.

• Mu Chen unleashed ten fourth-level Spirit Arrays as a combined Array Diagram against Li Xuantong.
• Li Xuantong formed the Heavenly Profound Compass, but Mu Chen’s barrage shattered it, destroyed the battle platform, and pierced Li Xuantong’s protective armor.
• The spectators saw Mu Chen standing above the crater, then Li Xuantong emerged battered and admitted that he had lost.
• Li Xuantong said Mu Chen had taken his second place on the Heaven Ranking.
• Mu Chen’s spiritual energy quickly recovered through his Eight Spirit Veins, while his Heaven Transformation Realm power was revealed to have come from a temporary contract-fueled breakthrough.

After defeating Li Xuantong, Mu Chen claimed second place on the Heaven Ranking and collected his Spiritual Value. Three days later, he and the other Freshman Assembly winners entered the Spirit Art Hall to choose their rewards, and Mu Chen flew toward the depths of its river of light.

• Mu Chen demanded and received Li Xuantong's twenty million Spiritual Value after defeating him.
• Mu Chen celebrated his victory with Luo Li as news of his rise to second on the Heaven Ranking spread through the academy.
• Li Xuantong recovered from his defeat, secluded himself, and broke through into the Heavenly Passage Realm.
• Mu Chen, Luo Li, Mu Kui, Bing Qing, Zhou Ling, and another freshman went to the Spirit Art Hall to choose spirit arts.
• Zhu Tian opened the Spirit Art Hall and sent the six winners into its river of light, warning that each could choose only once.
• Mu Chen transformed into a Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow and flew deeper into the river of light.

Mu Chen, linked to Jiu You, seized two Divine Spirit Arts in the Spirit Art Temple: the Nine Dragon Heavenly Wind Art and the Four Gods Constellation Scripture. The second scroll’s connection to the Ancient Heavenly Palace left him wondering whether the palace held a more advanced version.

• The Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow found the Divine Spirit Arts gathered in the river’s core and captured the Nine Dragon Heavenly Wind Art.
• Mu Chen realized that the Spirit Art Temple had not expelled him after he took the first art, possibly because his Bloodline Link with Jiu You counted them as two people.
• The Nine Nether Underworld Sparrow pursued the strongest remaining scroll, which bore mysterious beast patterns.
• Mu Chen used the Futu Ancient Pagoda to suppress and capture the resisting scroll.
• The scroll revealed itself as the mid-grade Four Gods Constellation Scripture, which was suspected to have come from the Ancient Heavenly Palace.