Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xu Yang spends over two months refining two Profound Yin Spirit-Communing Herbs. His mental power and saber intent grow substantially, his control reaches the Subtlety Realm, and he believes he can now match Han Qianlin.
• He leaves seclusion concealing his true strength, presenting himself as a Heavenly Origin Eighth-Layer perfection cultivator. At the Spirit Tower, he hears that several peers—including Lu Wei—have reached the same stage. Qi Ning then emerges having broken through to the Ninth Layer, drawing awe but no congratulations from the other students.
• Xu Yang reconnects warmly with his sister Xu Qing, who has advanced to the Sixth Layer. After resting, he takes a mission to leave the academy, hoping to confront Han Qianlin.
• Han Qianlin intends to pursue him, but Martial Lord Lieshan intercepts and shadows him, preventing him from acting. Xu Yang waits outside Jade Dragon Mountain, realizes someone must have protected him, and abandons the immediate plan.
• In Cloud Province City, Xu Yang spends nearly a month in disguise mapping Han Family forces and gathering resources. He decides the Treasure Gathering Studio’s main tower is too dangerous to attack and instead targets Han Qianlin, whose presence at the academy threatens Xu Qing.
• Xu Yang secretly enters Wu Tieshan’s estate, where Han Qianlin’s daughter Han Xi lives. He deliberately kills a patrol to draw defenders away from the treasury. Han Xi confronts him, and the chapter ends as she attacks; Xu Yang reveals his suppressed aura and evades her sword strike.

Character developments

• Xu Yang becomes more powerful and precise, growing confident enough to challenge Han Qianlin. He remains calculating, disguising his strength and carefully choosing where and how to strike.
• Zhang Jun apologizes for an earlier betrayal, but Xu Yang recognizes that the apology is motivated by his rising status. Xu Yang accepts it without resentment yet has no interest in restoring their friendship.
• Xu Qing continues progressing in cultivation and remains devoted to Xu Yang.
• Han Qianlin remains intent on killing Xu Yang, but his plans are repeatedly obstructed. He is frustrated and forced to retreat.
• Martial Lord Lieshan continues protecting Xu Yang by monitoring Han Qianlin, though Xu Yang does not know the precise details.
• Qi Ning’s breakthrough reinforces his position as the leading Spirit Bone Prodigy—and the distance between such prodigies and ordinary students.

Character interactions

• Xu Yang politely accepts congratulations from students and exchanges courteous words with Liu Rumei. Zhang Jun offers an apology, which Xu Yang accepts without renewing their bond.
• Xu Yang and Xu Qing share a warm reunion and practice together.
• Qi Ning passes through the crowd without engaging with anyone; students keep their distance because Spirit Bone Prodigies are known to disdain ordinary cultivators.
• Han Qianlin and Martial Lord Lieshan exchange guarded, hostile words. Lieshan’s presence prevents Han Qianlin from pursuing Xu Yang.
• Xu Yang’s attack on Wu Tieshan’s estate brings him into direct conflict with Han Xi, setting up the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Significant themes

• Power and status shape relationships: Zhang Jun’s regret appears tied more to Xu Yang’s success than to genuine remorse.
• Discipline and talent: Xu Yang’s refined control and Qi Ning’s exceptional innate talent highlight different routes to strength.
• Protection and retaliation: Xu Yang’s concern for Xu Qing drives his decision to target Han Qianlin, while the Han Family’s earlier aggression helps justify his willingness to strike at their relatives.
• Strategy under constraint: Xu Yang adapts when direct confrontation becomes impossible, using disguise, surveillance, and misdirection instead.

Chapter Summary: “Priceless Treasure”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang reveals himself as a Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer expert and kills Han Xi instantly, taking her High-Grade Spirit Weapon.
• He kills the arriving Heavenly Origin Seventh Layer guard but spares weaker guards to preserve the appearance of an ordinary robbery rather than a personal massacre.
• Xu Yang breaks into the Han Family treasury. He ignores most valuables and takes:
  • Three heavily protected boxes containing three exceptionally rare treasures.
  • Several valuable pills and spirit herbs.
• Han Xi’s enslaved Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer beast loses control after her death and begins attacking the Han Family residence, killing and devouring disciples.
• Han Qianzhong and Han Qianjun, both Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer experts, arrive with reinforcements and restrain the beast. When it breaks free again, Han Qianjun kills it.
• The Han Family discovers that Han Xi’s three priceless dowry treasures were specifically stolen. They realize Xu Yang deliberately targeted them and report the incident to the Demon Suppression Directorate, the Han Family, and Heavenly Strategy Academy.
• Han Qianzhong leads a pursuit team after Xu Yang. Xu Yang deliberately leaves an aura trail to lure them into the mountains.
• In the mountains, Xu Yang ambushes the pursuers using the Azure Dragon Tyrant Body. Despite remaining within the Heavenly Origin realm, his power rivals or exceeds that of a Divine Refinement expert.
• Xu Yang kills Han Qianzhong, Han Qianjun, and the other pursuing experts within seconds, leaving no bodies behind. He then declares that Han Qianlin will be his next target.
• At Heavenly Strategy Academy, Han Qianlin is informed that his daughter has been murdered. His rage causes his power to erupt uncontrollably, injuring both himself and Han Yun.
• Han Qianlin leaves the academy with a Han Family messenger to pursue his daughter’s killer, learning that Han Qianzhong and Han Qianjun are already chasing the murderer.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates extreme confidence, intelligence, and ruthlessness. He carefully limits what he steals to conceal his storage treasure and make the robbery appear plausible. His deliberate baiting of the Han pursuers reveals that he is conducting a calculated campaign against Han Qianlin and the Han Family.
• Han Xi: Her death triggers the collapse of the situation at the Han residence. Her connection to the enslaved beast also indirectly causes further Han Family casualties.
• Han Qianzhong and Han Qianjun: Initially act as powerful defenders seeking revenge, but their confidence turns to terror when they recognize Xu Yang as a Barrier-Breaking Prodigy. Both are killed instantly.
• Han Qianlin: His image as a powerful, controlled Divine Refinement expert breaks down after learning of Han Xi’s death. His grief and fury overwhelm his composure, driving him personally into the pursuit.
• Han Yun: Serves as the messenger who delivers the devastating news. He is badly injured by Han Qianlin’s uncontrolled outburst but continues carrying out his duty.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and retaliation: Xu Yang’s robbery is part of a broader vendetta against Han Qianlin, while the Han Family immediately seeks revenge for Han Xi’s death.
• Strategic deception: Xu Yang manipulates appearances by sparing weaker guards, taking only selected treasures, and leaving a false trail that lures the Han experts into an ambush.
• Power beyond conventional realms: Xu Yang’s Heavenly Origin cultivation conceals strength comparable to a Divine Refinement expert, emphasizing the danger of exceptional talent and Barrier-Breaking Prodigies.
• Family attachment and grief: Han Qianlin’s overwhelming reaction shows the depth of his love for his only daughter and how personal loss can destabilize even the strongest figures.
• The cost of enslavement: Han Xi’s death releases the beast from its control, causing it to retaliate against the people who had kept it enslaved.

Character Interactions

• Xu Yang confronts and kills Han Xi before facing her guard and the treasury defenders.
• Han Family guards react with fear and helpless anger, unable to challenge Xu Yang directly.
• Han Qianzhong, Han Qianjun, and the Han experts cooperate to suppress the rampaging beast, but later become Xu Yang’s victims.
• Han Qianjun finds Han Xi’s remains and reacts with intense grief and murderous hatred.
• Han Qianlin’s confrontation with Han Yun reveals his unstable emotional state after hearing the news.
• Han Qianlin then meets the Han Family messenger and immediately begins pursuing the killer, setting up a direct confrontation with Xu Yang.

Chapter Summary: “Hard Clash”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Qianlin is informed that his daughter, Han Xi, has been murdered while defending her wedding dowry. Furious and devastated, he rushes from Heavenly Strategy Academy to pursue the supposed killer.
• Xu Yang captures and hypnotizes a Han Family messenger, disguises himself as the man, and deliberately approaches Han Qianlin. He exploits Han Qianlin’s grief by claiming that Han Xi’s killer is still being pursued.
• While Han Qianlin is distracted and emotionally vulnerable, Xu Yang launches a point-blank assassination attempt. His first punch breaks through Han Qianlin’s hurried spiritual barrier and severely injures him.
• Han Qianlin immediately counterattacks, recognizing that his attacker is far stronger than an ordinary Heavenly Origin cultivator. Their first exchange reveals that Xu Yang is using the Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist.
• The battle escalates when Han Qianlin realizes Xu Yang is a Barrier-Breaking Prodigy who has secretly surpassed the Combat Power Barrier.
• Xu Yang activates the Dual Polarity Cosmos Technique, combining the Asura Armor-Breaking Fist with the Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist and bringing forth the full power of his physical body, spiritual energy, and Spirit Bone.
• The two fighters collide in a devastating exchange that destroys the surrounding mountainside. Xu Yang is badly injured, while Han Qianlin’s pre-existing wounds worsen significantly.
• Xu Yang’s disguise and concealed techniques fail after the clash, revealing his true identity. Han Qianlin is horrified to discover that the person who ambushed him is the supposedly ordinary Xu Yang.
• Xu Yang openly declares his intention to kill Han Qianlin and taunts him by invoking Han Xi’s death, preparing to continue the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Han Qianlin: His grief over Han Xi turns into uncontrollable fury, leaving him vulnerable to Xu Yang’s deception. Although badly ambushed, he demonstrates the strength and combat instincts of a veteran Divine Refinement expert. His discovery of Xu Yang’s true capabilities produces shock and fear, forcing him to recognize Xu Yang as a serious threat to the entire Han Family.
• Xu Yang: Reveals extraordinary patience, deception, and strategic planning. He has concealed his Spirit Bone talent and Barrier-Breaking cultivation despite years of humiliation and underestimation. His ability to fight a wounded Divine Refinement expert while still in the Heavenly Origin realm confirms that his true strength is far beyond what anyone believed.
• Xu Yang and Han Qianlin: Their conflict shifts from a hidden assassination attempt to an openly personal life-and-death battle. Xu Yang’s hatred is connected to Han Qianlin’s persecution of him and the destruction of those close to him, while Han Qianlin now sees Xu Yang as a hidden menace capable of annihilating the Han Family.

Significant Themes

• Deception and concealed strength: Xu Yang’s success depends on disguising himself, manipulating Han Qianlin’s emotions, and hiding his true cultivation and talent for years.
• Patience versus arrogance: Xu Yang endures scorn and lost opportunities rather than revealing his abilities, while Han Qianlin’s confidence and assumption that Xu Yang is insignificant leave him unprepared.
• Grief as both motivation and weakness: Han Qianlin’s love for his daughter drives him to seek revenge but also prevents him from questioning the messenger’s identity.
• Revenge and family conflict: The clash represents the culmination of Xu Yang’s campaign against the Han Family and Han Qianlin’s desire to avenge Han Xi.
• Limits of cultivation realms: The battle demonstrates the terrifying potential of a Barrier-Breaking Prodigy: Xu Yang, though not yet a true Divine Refinement expert, can challenge one through superior techniques, physical cultivation, and hidden talent.

Character Interactions

• The false messenger manipulates Han Qianlin by presenting Han Xi’s death in deliberately horrifying terms.
• Han Qianlin responds with grief and murderous resolve, unknowingly carrying Xu Yang directly into the perfect position for an ambush.
• During the fight, both men recognize each other’s techniques and power. Han Qianlin identifies Xu Yang’s Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist, while Xu Yang uses the Dual Polarity Cosmos Technique to counter Han Qianlin’s overwhelming strength.
• Once Xu Yang’s identity is exposed, Han Qianlin reacts with disbelief and fear, while Xu Yang openly taunts him and promises to send him to his death.

Chapter Summary: “Great Battle”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang confronts Han Qianlin after killing Han Qianlin’s daughter, Han Xi. He openly admits it, explaining that Han Xi deserved death for helping plot against him and attack his sister, Xu Qing.
• Han Qianlin vows to kill Xu Yang first and then make Xu Qing suffer. Neither man is willing to retreat, knowing that allowing the other to survive would create a future threat.
• Xu Yang launches the first major attack, exploiting Han Qianlin’s injuries from an earlier sneak attack. Han counters with the Major Achievement Golden Roc Sky-Splitting Fist, his strongest technique.
• Xu Yang reveals that his Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist has reached Perfection and combines it with the Dual Polarity Cosmos Technique. Their attacks collide with tremendous force, tearing apart the surrounding earth and sending both fighters flying.
• Although both suffer severe injuries, neither gains a decisive advantage. They continue exchanging blows, with Xu Yang relying on his stronger physique and Han Qianlin on his deeper cultivation and greater experience as a Divine Refinement expert.
• Realizing that his other techniques are insufficient, Xu Yang activates the Azure Dragon Transformation, covering himself in scales and gaining immense defensive and offensive power.
• Han Qianlin is shocked that Xu Yang has concealed such a powerful secret art. Xu Yang’s dragon tail and claws force Han onto the defensive, but Han eventually breaks the dragon tail and continues fighting.
• In a desperate exchange, Han’s fist shatters Xu Yang’s Azure Dragon Transformation while Xu Yang’s claws tear a large piece of flesh from Han’s chest. Both are gravely wounded, but neither suffers a immediately fatal injury.
• Xu Yang destroys the torn flesh so Han cannot restore it and declares that Han will die. The battle continues, with both men preparing for an even more brutal second phase.

2. Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates extraordinary restraint, having concealed both his breakthrough beyond the Combat Power Barrier and the Perfection-level Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist. His battle against Han pushes him to the limits, forcing him to use the Azure Dragon Transformation. Through the struggle, he gains sharper instincts, purer killing intent, and a deeper understanding of how combat tempers a martial artist.
• Han Qianlin: Reveals himself as a highly experienced Divine Refinement expert and the true master of the Golden Roc Sky-Splitting Fist. Initially confident in his superior cultivation, he becomes increasingly shocked by Xu Yang’s hidden abilities and realizes that Xu Yang may be capable of killing him. His fear of Xu Yang’s future potential eventually gives way to a willingness to risk his life in a direct exchange.
• Their relationship: The conflict is driven by mutual hatred, family vengeance, and fear of future retaliation. Neither views the fight as merely a contest; each believes the other must be eliminated completely.

3. Significant Themes

• Revenge and blood debt: Xu Yang kills Han Xi as retaliation for the Han Family’s attempts on his life and his sister’s safety. Han Qianlin responds with equal fury, making the battle a personal feud rather than a simple martial contest.
• Hidden strength and patience: Xu Yang’s long period of endurance and concealment allows him to surprise Han Qianlin with abilities he never expected. The chapter emphasizes that underestimating a quiet enemy can create disaster.
• Combat as transformation: The battle does more than injure Xu Yang; it refines his spirit, removes the effects of past cultivation shortcuts, and makes his killing intent more focused and terrifying.
• Youth versus experience: Xu Yang is a younger Barrier-Breaking Prodigy with greater future potential, while Han Qianlin possesses decades of Divine Refinement experience. Their fight tests whether raw potential and superior physique can overcome established cultivation.
• Determination and sacrifice: Both fighters continue despite shattered bones, damaged organs, and collapsing defenses. Their willingness to exchange injuries shows that victory depends on endurance and resolve as much as technique.

4. Character Interactions

• Xu Yang taunts Han Qianlin by confirming Han Xi’s death and reminding him of the Han Family’s crimes, deliberately provoking him into staying and fighting.
• Han Qianlin threatens Xu Qing, attempting to exploit Xu Yang’s concern for his sister and intensify his rage.
• During the battle, the two repeatedly assess and adapt to each other’s techniques: Han counters Xu Yang’s claws with precise fist strikes, while Xu Yang uses his physique and Azure Dragon defenses to attack without retreating.
• Their verbal exchanges mirror the physical struggle. Each insists that the other will die, but their reactions reveal growing respect and alarm at the opponent’s hidden strength.
• By the end, both recognize that the battle has entered its decisive stage: neither is near death yet, and the final outcome will depend on who can endure the longer, more destructive confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Final Kill”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang and Han Qianlin’s prolonged close-combat battle reaches its decisive stage. Xu Yang draws the Supreme-Grade Spirit Weapon, the Heavenly Star Blade, abandoning their previous exchange of fists and kicks.
• Using the Dual Polarity Cosmos Technique, Xu Yang combines the saber intents of the Extreme Prison Heaven-Slaying Art and Earth-Splitting Dragon-Shocking Slash into a devastating attack.
• Han Qianlin counters with Sky-Rending Strike, the killing move of the Golden Roc Sky-Splitting Fist, burning his essence, qi, and spirit to unleash a golden roc.
• The two attacks collide and explode, but Xu Yang presses forward through the resulting shockwave. His follow-up slash shatters Han Qianlin’s arms and severely injures him, while Xu Yang also suffers internal injuries.
• Desperate, Han Qianlin launches a spiritual attack, relying on his superiority as a Divine Refinement expert. Xu Yang counters with the Spiritual Blade, the ninth-layer technique of the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture.
• Although Xu Yang is badly injured by the clash, his denser spiritual power wounds Han Qianlin’s mindscape even more severely. Han realizes that he has lost and can no longer defeat Xu Yang except through mutual destruction.
• Han Qianlin attempts to flee, threatening to use the Han Family’s political influence and the Demon Suppression Directorate against Xu Yang. Xu Yang throws the Heavenly Star Blade after him, forcing him to evade.
• Xu Yang then reveals the Dragonspine Thunderclap Bow, a powerful Spirit Treasure. He fires an arrow formed from the energy of heaven and earth, striking Han Qianlin in midair and obliterating him completely.
• Han Qianlin dies without leaving a corpse. Xu Yang survives but is left gravely wounded, exhausted, and barely able to remain standing.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates the full extent of his hidden abilities and preparation. He successfully combines multiple saber arts through the Dual Polarity Cosmos Technique, withstands a Divine Refinement spiritual attack, and reveals that he possesses both a powerful Spirit Treasure bow and exceptional spiritual cultivation. His victory confirms his terrifying talent, but it comes at the cost of severe physical and mental injuries.
• Han Qianlin: Falls from a powerful martial lord to a desperate, badly injured fugitive. His arrogance and earlier haste—caused partly by his daughter’s crisis—leave him unarmored and vulnerable. He is forced to use forbidden or costly techniques, then resorts to threats and escape before ultimately being killed.
• Their conflict: Han Qianlin’s initial confidence turns into fear and regret as he recognizes that Xu Yang is responsible for several Han Family deaths and possesses far greater hidden strength than expected.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and concealed strength: Xu Yang’s mastery of several techniques and possession of multiple treasures allow him to overcome an opponent of a higher cultivation realm.
• The cost of victory: Both fighters push their bodies, spiritual power, and life force beyond their limits. Xu Yang wins, but suffers terrible injuries and exhaustion.
• Talent versus cultivation realm: Despite being only in the Heavenly Origin realm, Xu Yang’s refined spiritual power and mastery of advanced techniques allow him to injure a Divine Refinement expert.
• Arrogance and miscalculation: Han Qianlin’s underestimation of Xu Yang, his failure to wear armor, and his emotional disturbance contribute directly to his defeat.
• Power and influence: Han relies not only on personal strength but also on his family’s political authority, revealing the danger posed by aristocratic power and institutional corruption.

Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Han Qianlin exchange increasingly desperate attacks, with neither willing to retreat while the other remains capable of killing.
• Han mocks and threatens Xu Yang, declaring that the Han Family and the Demon Suppression Directorate will punish him. Xu Yang answers through action rather than argument, pursuing him relentlessly.
• Their spiritual confrontation becomes the battle’s turning point: Han expects his higher realm to guarantee victory, but Xu Yang’s Spiritual Blade wounds him more severely.
• In the final exchange, Han attempts to escape while Xu Yang uses the thrown Heavenly Star Blade to create an opening, then kills him with the Dragonspine Thunderclap Bow.

Chapter Summary: “Tremor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating and killing Han Qianlin, Xu Yang immediately erases all traces of the battle, including his aura, blood, and blade intent. He retrieves the Dragonspine Thunderclap Bow and Heavenly Star Blade before fleeing.
• Xu Yang encounters Han Yun, Han Qianlin’s old servant, on the road to Cloud Province City. Han Yun is rushing to see Han Xi’s killer punished, but Xu ambushes and kills him with a single overwhelming punch.
• Xu Yang escapes deep into Jade Dragon Mountain and hides in a cave to recover. His body is severely damaged, his Spirit Bone is weakened, and his spiritual power and spirit have suffered especially serious injuries.
• He estimates that physical recovery will take about a month, while his spirit may require several months. He swallows a precious Greater Restoration Pill obtained from Heavenly Strategy Academy, greatly accelerating his healing.
• Meanwhile, the Han Family reacts to signal fireworks indicating trouble in Cloud Province City. Han Qianhong remains at the family’s main estate, fearing the disturbance may be a trap designed to draw him away.
• At the Wu Residence, Han Qianxian realizes that Han Qianlin has failed to arrive after nearly an hour. He concludes that Han Xi’s death was deliberately used to lure Han Qianlin out of Heavenly Strategy Academy and assassinate him.
• Han Qianxian summons the Divine Refinement expert Han Chongyi from Treasure Gathering Studio, and the two hurry toward Heavenly Strategy Academy. They are stopped by Elder Yun, who confirms that Han Qianlin and Han Yun left the academy earlier and never returned.
• Heavenly Strategy Academy and the Demon Suppression Directorate begin a search, but Xu Yang has erased all useful clues. Only Han Qianlin’s academy waist token remains at the battle site.
• Han Qianhong eventually learns that Han Qianlin, Han Qianjun, Han Qianzhong, and several other Han Family experts have been killed. The losses severely weaken the family.
• In response, Han Qianhong announces a massive bounty: one million spirit coins and three treasures from the Han Family treasury for information identifying the killer. The news shocks Cloud Province and prompts powerful cultivators to join the hunt.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates extreme caution, ruthlessness, and strategic discipline after the battle. Despite being near death, he eliminates Han Yun to prevent witnesses and successfully conceals his identity. His confidence grows because Han Qianlin—the greatest immediate threat to him—is gone, and he believes he has enough time to recover before the Final Dragon Platform opens.
• Han Qianlin: His death marks a devastating blow to the Han Family. As a Divine Refinement expert and Heavenly Strategy Academy’s Martial Lord, he was both a family pillar and a major political deterrent.
• Han Qianhong: Initially cautious and responsible as clan head, he refuses to abandon the family stronghold. After learning of the deaths, he becomes enraged and desperate, recognizing that the Han Family may be systematically destroyed.
• Han Qianxian: Shows strong strategic awareness by quickly identifying the assassination plot. His shock and fury reflect the seriousness of losing Han Qianlin, but he acts decisively by seeking aid from the academy and Han Chongyi.
• Elder Yun and Heavenly Strategy Academy: Although the academy has internal grudges and political complications, it treats Han Qianlin’s disappearance as a serious institutional matter and mobilizes forces to search for him.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of power struggles: The killing of several high-ranking Han Family members reveals how one assassination can destabilize an entire clan.
• Cunning versus strength: Xu Yang survives not only through combat ability but through planning—using Han Xi’s death as a distraction, erasing evidence, and eliminating witnesses.
• The fragility of established power: Despite the Han Family’s wealth and influence, its strength collapses rapidly once its strongest experts are removed.
• Revenge and paranoia: The Han Family’s grief turns into an urgent search for the unknown killer, while other powerful cultivators fear they could become future targets.
• Recovery and endurance: Xu Yang’s physical and spiritual suffering highlights the cost of victory, while his healing process emphasizes resilience and preparation for future challenges.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Han Yun: Xu Yang intercepts Han Yun and kills him instantly, ensuring that no one can connect him to Han Qianlin’s death.
• Han Qianxian and the Wu Residence steward: Han Qianxian angrily questions why Han Qianlin has not arrived and realizes that the family has failed to recognize the assassination plot.
• Han Qianxian and Han Chongyi: They cooperate to investigate Han Qianlin’s disappearance and seek emergency assistance from Heavenly Strategy Academy.
• Han Qianxian, Han Chongyi, and Elder Yun: Elder Yun confirms that Han Qianlin left the academy, while agreeing to notify the academy’s leaders and the Demon Suppression Directorate.
• Han Qianhong and Lao Wu: Lao Wu delivers the devastating news of Han Qianlin’s death and the deaths of other Han experts. Han Qianhong responds by ordering a public bounty and demanding that the killer be found at any cost.

Chapter Summary: “Harvest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Strategy Academy learns that Han Qianlin, a Divine Refinement expert and Martial Lord, has been killed in the mountains after pursuing Xu Yang. His body and bones are completely destroyed.
• Lu Wei is relieved because he had already received the Han Family’s treasures and no longer needs to rely on Han Qianlin’s support to oppose Xu Yang. He still claims he will kill Xu Yang on the Final Dragon Platform, partly because the Han Family remains a threat.
• Sun Tao celebrates Han Qianlin’s death, while Gu Qingfeng worries that the incident may be part of a larger plot against the academy. The Heavenly Strategy Academy, Han Family, and Demon Suppression Directorate launch an investigation but find no useful clues, despite offering a huge reward.
• Xu Yang hides in a mountain cave and spends several days recovering from his battle. His physical injuries are severe but gradually improve through the Greater Restoration Pill and the Spring Silkworm Calamity-Crossing Art. His mental injuries remain especially troublesome.
• Xu Yang decides not to return to Cloud Province City or attack the Han Family’s businesses, recognizing that the city is under heavy surveillance and that destroying too many Han assets would only free the family to focus on him and Xu Qing.
• He examines his Status Panel and gains substantial points for killing Han Qianlin, Han Xi, and Han Qianjun. He also obtains rare treasures, including the Nine-Leaf Jadeheart Grass, Century Spirit Ginseng, and Tricolor Lotus Pod, all of which are valuable for breaking through to Divine Refinement.
• Xu Yang realizes that possessing the treasures could expose his connection to Han Qianlin’s death, so he keeps them hidden. He also saves his accumulated points for later use.
• After roughly a month of recovery, Xu Yang’s body is about ninety percent healed, though his mental power and combat strength remain significantly impaired. With only one month left before the Final Dragon Platform, he returns to the Heavenly Strategy Academy.
• His return causes a stir among the disciples, who now regard him as one of the strongest students beneath the Spirit Bone Prodigies.
• Ye Qiuling regrets having underestimated Xu Yang in the past, but Xu Yang only observes her progress coldly and walks away.
• Dean Chu Nangui questions Xu Yang about his absence and subtly tests him regarding Han Qianlin’s death. Xu Yang convincingly pretends to be shocked and blames the Demon Cult, avoiding suspicion.
• Xu Yang reunites with Gu Qingfeng, Sun Tao, Zuo Mu, and the others. They discuss the enormous reward offered for information about Han Qianlin’s killer, unaware that Xu Yang himself is responsible.
• Returning to his courtyard, Xu Yang finds Xu Qing and Leng Qiuyue refining Dragon-Tiger Profound Pills. He immediately notices that Leng Qiuyue is making serious mistakes that will likely cause the pill furnace to explode.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang becomes more cautious and strategic after killing Han Qianlin. Rather than recklessly exploiting his victory, he avoids Cloud Province City, conceals the stolen treasures, and waits for the Han Family’s attention to lessen.
• His victory over Han Qianlin confirms his immense strength, but the battle leaves him badly injured. His physical recovery is rapid, while his mental injuries limit him to only seventy or eighty percent of his normal combat strength.
• Xu Yang demonstrates exceptional emotional control when Chu Nangui tests him, successfully hiding his connection to the murder.
• Han Qianlin’s death removes Xu Yang’s most immediate and dangerous enemy, allowing Xu Qing to remain safer and giving Xu Yang greater freedom before entering the Profound Sect.
• Ye Qiuling experiences regret and humiliation after realizing that she misjudged Xu Yang’s talent and abandoned a potentially powerful ally.
• Chu Nangui becomes suspicious of Xu Yang, though Xu Yang’s flawless performance prevents him from confirming anything.
• Leng Qiuyue is shown to be confident in her alchemy but careless or inexperienced in certain techniques, while Xu Qing continues developing her alchemical abilities under Leng Qiuyue’s guidance.

Significant Themes

• Concealed power and identity: Xu Yang must hide both his role in Han Qianlin’s death and the treasures he obtained, emphasizing the danger of revealing strength too early.
• Strategic restraint: Victory does not lead Xu Yang to act recklessly. He understands that preserving the Han Family’s remaining businesses can drain their manpower more effectively than destroying everything at once.
• The cost of power: Although Xu Yang defeats a powerful Divine Refinement expert, he suffers severe physical and mental damage, showing that even overwhelming victories carry consequences.
• Regret and misjudgment: Ye Qiuling’s reaction reflects the consequences of judging people by their current status rather than recognizing their latent potential.
• Threats beneath appearances: The academy’s investigation, Chu Nangui’s probing questions, and the Han Family’s fear all suggest that Xu Yang’s hidden strength is becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.
• Preparation for advancement: The rare medicines, accumulated points, recovery period, and upcoming Final Dragon Platform all reinforce the chapter’s focus on preparing for Xu Yang’s next major breakthrough and entry into the Profound Sect.

Character Interactions

• Lu Wei, Sun Tao, and Gu Qingfeng discuss Han Qianlin’s death, revealing differing attitudes of relief, celebration, and concern.
• Chu Nangui warns and interrogates Xu Yang while subtly testing whether he knows anything about Han Qianlin’s murder.
• Xu Yang reunites with his friends and maintains his disguise while discussing the investigation.
• Xu Yang passes Xiao Yun and Xia Chuqing without engaging them, showing how far he has surpassed Xiao Yun and how little interest he has in their relationship.
• Ye Qiuling wants to reconcile with Xu Yang but lacks the courage, while Xu Yang responds with detached indifference.
• Xu Yang returns to Xu Qing and Leng Qiuyue’s courtyard and notices flaws in their pill refinement, setting up a likely confrontation or correction in the next scene.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon Ship”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang warns Leng Qiuyue that her Dragon-Tiger Profound Pill furnace is about to explode, though he cannot explain how he knows. She dismisses him, but the furnace soon explodes. Xu Qing believes Xu Yang’s instincts and notes that the most valuable ingredient, the Tranquil Heart Fire Lotus, had not yet been added, so the loss is limited.
• Xu Qing asks Leng Qiuyue to look after Xu Yang after they enter the Profound Sect. Leng agrees, though she doubts her own standing among the sect’s many prodigies.
• Xu Yang reveals that he suffered only a minor injury during his battle with Han Qianlin. He gives Xu Qing pills, spirit herbs, academy credits, and other resources taken from Han Xi’s vault so she can continue cultivating safely.
• Xu Yang leaves the Nine Nether Revival Grass with Xu Qing for emergencies but keeps the Essence of Wu Earth to help cultivate the Bodhi Swordheart later. He also makes plans to conceal the Spirit Treasure Gourd and Dragonspine Thunderclap Bow after entering the Profound Sect.
• Xu Qing tries to encourage a relationship between Xu Yang and Leng Qiuyue, calling Leng talented, beautiful, and suitable to become her sister-in-law. Xu Yang immediately sees through the scheme and jokingly scolds her for “playing matchmaker.”
• Xu Yang continues healing and helps Xu Qing cultivate. He and Xu Qing also transplant his spirit herbs into her courtyard before their departure.
• Dean Wang Shuheng visits and gives Xu Yang a Dragon Ascent Token, explaining that it is required to board the Dragon Ship. The departure date is uncertain but will occur sometime within the month, and Xu Yang is ordered not to leave the Inner Courtyard.
• Lu Wei unexpectedly breaks through to the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer after only a few months. The Inner Courtyard is shocked, and many believe he has become powerful enough to kill Xu Yang on the Final Dragon Platform.
• Xu Yang’s allies worry about the new threat, while others suspect the Han Family secretly aided Lu Wei. Xu Yang remains composed, noting that he may still break through before Dragon Ascent and that no one yet knows the exact conditions of the Final Dragon Platform.
• Lu Wei privately reveals that his Body Tempering cultivation has also reached the ninth layer, making him a dual ninth-layer cultivator. He believes Xu Yang cannot catch up in Body Tempering and remains confident of victory.
• Qi Ning gathers nearly all of the academy’s Spirit Bone Prodigies, along with Lu Wei and Tu Gang, to discuss their future after entering the Profound Sect. He warns them that hundreds of Spirit Bone Prodigies from across Great Xia may enter the sect, making even their exceptional talents relatively common and creating intense competition.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates remarkable intuition, generosity, caution, and strategic foresight. He continues recovering from his injuries while preparing carefully for the Profound Sect, protecting his secrets and supporting Xu Qing. Despite the danger posed by Lu Wei, he remains calm and confident.
• Xu Qing: Shows deep concern for her brother and increasing independence in managing resources and cultivation. Her loyalty leads her to ask Leng Qiuyue to protect Xu Yang, while her affection for both of them inspires her matchmaking attempt.
• Leng Qiuyue: Initially reacts defensively to Xu Yang’s warning, but the furnace explosion makes her recognize that he likely noticed a genuine problem. She agrees to help Xu Qing look after him in the Profound Sect.
• Lu Wei: Experiences a major breakthrough under pressure from Xu Yang and becomes more ambitious. His hidden Body Tempering advancement reveals that he has been concealing his true strength.
• Qi Ning: Takes on a leadership role among the strongest disciples by organizing a meeting and encouraging them to prepare collectively for the Profound Sect’s harsher competition.
• Wang Shuheng: Remains mysterious and efficient, providing Xu Yang with the Dragon Ascent Token and crucial travel instructions without revealing much about the upcoming event.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and mutual support: Xu Yang and Xu Qing continue to share resources, plans, and responsibilities through their unspoken bond.
• Preparation and secrecy: Xu Yang carefully hides his treasures, safeguards rare resources, and prepares for threats in the Profound Sect.
• Talent versus competition: The chapter emphasizes that extraordinary talent at the Heavenly Strategy Academy may become ordinary in the Profound Sect, where hundreds of elite cultivators will gather.
• Pressure as a catalyst for growth: Lu Wei’s rapid breakthrough suggests that powerful rivals can force hidden potential to emerge.
• Uncertainty and hidden strength: Xu Yang’s intuition, Lu Wei’s concealed dual cultivation, and the unknown nature of the Final Dragon Platform all reinforce the danger of judging opponents or situations by appearances.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Leng Qiuyue clash over his warning about the exploding furnace, but the event proves his judgment correct.
• Xu Qing and Leng Qiuyue establish a mutual promise of support, with Xu Qing asking Leng to protect Xu Yang.
• Xu Qing and Xu Yang share a humorous but affectionate exchange over her attempt to arrange a relationship between him and Leng Qiuyue.
• Xu Yang gives Xu Qing his resources and discusses which treasures should remain with her and which he must take with him.
• Xu Yang’s friends debate whether Lu Wei’s breakthrough came naturally or was arranged by the Han Family.
• Lu Wei consults Tu Gang about Qi Ning’s gathering, then joins the meeting of the academy’s strongest prodigies.
• Qi Ning warns the assembled cultivators that entering the Profound Sect will place them in a much larger and more competitive world.

Chapter Summary: “Descent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Leng Qiuyue threatens to kill Lu Wei on the Final Dragon Platform, but admits she cannot fully protect Xu Yang from Jiang Xun, Liu Yi, and the other powerful enemies targeting him.
• The Spirit Bone Prodigies form an alliance to enter the Profound Sect, deliberately excluding Xu Yang and his companions. They believe Xu Yang will likely die to Lu Wei and consider him a liability.
• Xu Yang remains unconcerned about being excluded, while Gu Qingfeng and the others feel insulted. Jiang Fan explains that the Profound Sect dislikes prodigies forming private alliances with aristocratic clans, viewing such connections as faction-building and a threat to sect loyalty.
• Xu Yang recovers completely from his battle with Han Qianlin. His physical, spiritual, and mental strength improve significantly, and he can once again cultivate the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture.
• A massive Dragon Ship arrives to collect the candidates for the Final Dragon Platform. Its radiance purifies the Inner Courtyard’s demonic qi, temporarily filling the area with rich energy.
• Xu Yang prepares to leave, saying goodbye to Xu Qing. He warns her to prioritize her safety and promises to return and settle any grievances against those who harm her.
• Nineteen candidates gather to board the Dragon Ship. Their instructors warn that boarding the ship itself is a test.
• Jiang Yue Bai, Wei Fengyi, and Yang Mingxiu rush forward arrogantly but are slowed dramatically by the ship’s terrifying pressure. The pressure increases according to the strength of the aura each person releases.
• The other candidates follow, struggling under the pressure. The people already aboard recognize several of the academy’s prodigies, though they mistakenly identify Xu Yang as Huo Xiaochen.
• Once the leading candidate reaches the ship, a long-haired man suddenly attacks him with a lethal palm strike. The pressure around the ship abruptly disappears, causing everyone below to surge forward uncontrollably.
• Xu Yang, whose true power is sealed, is caught off guard and shoots toward the ship. As he tries to regain control, an enemy launches a devastating fist directly at his head.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Becomes stronger after recovering from his injuries and gains greater control over his spiritual power. He remains calm despite being excluded from the alliance and deliberately continues hiding his true Spirit Bone talent. His protective feelings toward Xu Qing are emphasized, while the chapter ends with him suddenly placed in mortal danger.
• Xu Qing: Has grown considerably under Xu Yang’s guidance, reaching major accomplishment in the Asura Armor-Breaking Fist. She shows strong affection and dependence on her brother but accepts his departure with determination.
• Leng Qiuyue: Demonstrates confidence in her ability to kill Lu Wei, yet recognizes the political and personal danger posed by Jiang Xun and the other influential enemies.
• Jiang Yue Bai: Displays arrogance and impulsiveness by charging ahead, only to struggle under the Dragon Ship’s pressure. His behavior causes the other prodigies to question whether he will become a liability.
• Gu Qingfeng, Wu Xiuyuan, and Sun Tao: Feel slighted by their exclusion but ultimately prepare to accompany Xu Yang. Their loyalty and camaraderie with him are reinforced.
• Jiang Fan: Provides crucial insight into the Profound Sect’s strict opposition to preexisting alliances and aristocratic sponsorship, revealing the political structure of the sect.

Significant Themes

• Factionalism and loyalty: The Profound Sect values independent disciples and distrusts prodigies bound to aristocratic families or private alliances.
• Arrogance versus competence: Jiang Yue Bai’s boastful entrance contrasts with the severe difficulty of boarding the Dragon Ship.
• Hidden strength and strategic restraint: Xu Yang continues suppressing his true talent, planning to reveal it only when necessary to protect himself and Xu Qing.
• Family devotion: Xu Yang’s farewell shows that protecting Xu Qing remains one of his strongest motivations.
• A new stage of danger: The Dragon Ship marks the transition from academy life to the far more dangerous world of the Profound Sect, where even arrival is treated as a test.

Character Interactions

• Leng Qiuyue openly threatens Lu Wei while others refuse to cooperate with Xu Yang.
• Xu Yang’s companions defend the value of not joining the Spirit Bone alliance, while Jiang Fan explains the political consequences of such alliances.
• Xu Yang and Xu Qing share an emotional farewell, with Xu Yang urging her to endure trouble until he can return.
• The academy students bid farewell to their instructors before boarding.
• The candidates struggle collectively against the Dragon Ship’s pressure, while those aboard mock their difficulty.
• The chapter ends with Xu Yang unexpectedly confronted by a lethal attack immediately after the boarding pressure vanishes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang is suddenly attacked after boarding the Dragon Ship. He instinctively activates the Body-Protecting Vajra and blocks the assault with his physical strength.
• His attacker is revealed to be Hu Yu, a powerful Eighth-Layer genius. Xu Yang retaliates with the Asura Armor-Breaking Fist, severely injuring Hu Yu and shattering his fist.
• Hu Yu draws a High-Grade Spirit Weapon greatsword and attempts to kill Xu Yang, but a commanding voice from the Profound Sect suppresses all fighting before the clash can continue.
• The Profound Sect announces that anyone blasted off the ship is eliminated from Dragon Ascent. Several Heavenly Strategy Academy students are disqualified, including a Root Bone Perfection genius.
• A Profound Sect disciple, Peng Jun, explains that participants may attack newcomers boarding the ship and receive a Dragon-Tiger Profound Pill for successfully eliminating them, though reckless fighting is forbidden.
• Jiang Fan, the Young Marquis, boards the ship and receives special treatment from Peng Jun, suggesting that he is already connected to or possibly a disciple of the Profound Sect.
• The Dragon Ship departs to collect candidates from six provinces. Fighting is forbidden aboard the ship, and passengers are assigned small cultivation rooms.
• Xu Yang cultivates for two days using a Dragon-Tiger Profound Pill, then leaves his room to gather information and reconnect with the other Heavenly Strategy Academy students.
• He learns that sixty-four candidates from three provinces are currently aboard, including twenty-five Spirit Bone Prodigies. The strongest known figures include Lin Zhiyuan and the possibly Barrier-Breaking Prodigy Chen Guanchao.
• Xu Yang is invited to join a group planning to ambush and eliminate future passengers for pills and to reduce competition, but he refuses, believing such attacks create unnecessary deadly grudges.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, defeating Hu Yu with one punch and revealing that his body is nearly comparable to a High-Grade Spirit Weapon. He remains cautious, rational, and unwilling to harm strangers merely for rewards. He also begins actively gathering intelligence about potential rivals.
• Hu Yu: Suffers humiliation after his fist is shattered, but remains confident and eager to fight Xu Yang again using swordsmanship on the Final Dragon Platform. His pride and competitive spirit intensify.
• Jiang Fan: Is shown to possess exceptional status within the Profound Sect. Peng Jun personally welcomes him, and even other Spirit Bone Prodigies are surprised when Jiang Fan addresses Peng Jun as “Senior Brother.”
• Peng Jun: Appears as a powerful Divine Refinement expert and Profound Sect representative. He enforces the ship’s rules and treats Jiang Fan with unusual respect.
• Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan: Remain allied with Xu Yang and share his resistance to underhanded attacks, though Wu Xiuyuan is willing to consider ambushing newcomers for rewards.
• Yang Mingxiu: Mockingly dismisses the eliminated Heavenly Strategy Academy student, causing resentment among the academy’s other members.

Significant Themes

• Strength and physical cultivation: Xu Yang’s victory emphasizes the importance of Body Tempering and shows that his physique is one of his greatest advantages.
• Competition and elimination: Dragon Ascent is portrayed as a ruthless contest in which participants may be removed before the main trial even begins.
• Honor versus opportunism: Xu Yang rejects attacking uninvolved newcomers, contrasting with those who seek both pills and a strategic advantage through ambushes.
• Status and privilege: Jiang Fan’s special treatment highlights the influence of bloodline, aristocratic heritage, and connections within the Profound Sect.
• Rivalry and future conflict: Xu Yang’s battle with Hu Yu is postponed rather than resolved, while the presence of numerous powerful prodigies foreshadows increasingly dangerous confrontations.
• Rules and hidden danger: The Profound Sect permits controlled competition but strictly suppresses uncontrolled violence, suggesting that the Dragon Ship’s journey may contain dangers beyond ordinary rivalry.

Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Hu Yu clash physically, then promise to settle their rivalry with weapons on the Final Dragon Platform.
• Xu Yang and the other Heavenly Strategy Academy students react with anger to Yang Mingxiu’s insult toward an eliminated comrade.
• Peng Jun welcomes Jiang Fan and treats him as a respected junior fellow disciple, revealing Jiang Fan’s unusual standing.
• Xu Yang meets Wang Yu, a talented genius from Gan Province, and exchanges polite greetings.
• Wu Xiuyuan invites Xu Yang to join the planned ambushes, but Xu Yang refuses; Sun Tao supports his decision.
• Xu Yang begins forming connections with the other passengers while collecting information about the strongest competitors aboard the Dragon Ship.

Chapter Summary: “Holy Land”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Xiuyuan declines to provoke the Azure Edge Sword Sect, while Xu Yang and his companions are warned that the sect is a tightly united martial organization and should not be attacked recklessly.
• The group arrives at the dining level of the Dragon Ship and is impressed by the Profound Sect’s immense resources. Even its apparent servants possess Heavenly Origin Ninth-Layer cultivation and significant potential.
• Xu Yang spends the journey cultivating the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture, Azure Dragon Tyrant Body, and related techniques.
• The Dragon Ship reaches Azure Province, whose spiritual energy is denser than Cloud Province’s. The passengers see the enormous provincial capital before traveling to the mountains where the Azure Edge Sword Sect is located.
• Jiang Fan explains the blood feud between the Azure Edge Sword Sect and Heavenly Strategy Academy. Years earlier, a Heavenly Strategy prodigy killed the Azure Edge prodigy during a decisive battle, leading the sect to sever relations and begin targeting Academy members throughout the Profound Sect.
• The Dragon Ship arrives at the Azure Edge Sword Sect, a true sword-cultivation holy land filled with overwhelming sword intent and treasures such as the Bodhi Swordheart.
• Twenty-four Azure Edge Sword Sect disciples board the ship. The strongest among them, Xie Liuyun—a swordheart prodigy and Barrier-Breaking Prodigy—easily withstands the ship’s pressure and intimidates everyone into silence.
• Afterward, the Heavenly Strategy Academy and Azure Edge Sword Sect disciples sit opposite one another in a tense but nonviolent standoff. Lu Wei insults Xu Yang and his companions for refusing to join the Academy’s alliance, prompting Gu Qingfeng to defend their decision.
• Over the next half month, geniuses from the remaining provinces board the ship. The group learns that the ship carries 131 geniuses, including 52 Spirit Bone Prodigies and many Heavenly Origin Ninth-Layer experts. The enormous competition makes even the strongest passengers anxious.
• Xu Yang and his companions retreat into intensive cultivation. Xu Yang focuses especially on refining pills and advancing the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture, though he estimates it will take several more months to perfect.
• The Dragon Ship safely reaches Kyoto after sixteen days. Upon arriving, Xu Yang senses that Kyoto’s environment is not merely rich in spiritual energy but intrinsically more compatible with cultivation, causing his body, techniques, spirit, and Spirit Bone to react favorably.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang remains cautious and strategic. He refuses to involve himself in conflicts that do not yet concern him, while quietly preparing for future battles and concealing his true Spirit Bone status.
• Gu Qingfeng shows loyalty and a strong sense of fairness by defending Xu Yang and the others against Lu Wei’s accusations. He refuses to accept an alliance that offers no benefits but expects them to risk their lives.
• Sun Tao and the others become increasingly aware of the gap between themselves and the ship’s elite geniuses. Under Xu Yang’s encouragement, they devote themselves to cultivation rather than surrendering to fear.
• Jiang Fan demonstrates extensive knowledge by revealing the historical conflict between the Academy and the Azure Edge Sword Sect.
• Lu Wei emerges as arrogant and confrontational, criticizing those who do not join the Academy’s alliance.
• Xie Liuyun is established as an exceptionally powerful Barrier-Breaking Prodigy. His presence alone suppresses the hostility of the other passengers.

Significant Themes

• Strength and hierarchy: Xu Yang realizes that talent considered exceptional in Cloud Province is ordinary among the nation’s greatest geniuses. Spirit Bone talent and Barrier-Breaking achievements determine status.
• Political and institutional rivalry: The feud between the Heavenly Strategy Academy and Azure Edge Sword Sect shows how old grudges can implicate entire organizations and later generations.
• Pragmatism versus collective loyalty: Xu Yang and Gu Qingfeng reject alliances that demand sacrifice without offering protection or benefits, emphasizing independent judgment over forced solidarity.
• Cultivation through pressure: The overwhelming number of talented competitors motivates the characters to retreat from social conflict and improve their cultivation.
• Holy lands and environmental advantage: Azure Edge Sword Sect represents a specialized sword-cultivation paradise, while Kyoto is revealed to possess an even more profound cultivation environment that affects both the body and spirit.

Important Character Interactions

• Wang Yu warns Xu Yang and the others not to attack Azure Edge Sword Sect disciples because of the sect’s unity and strength.
• Jiang Fan recounts the Academy–Sword Sect feud, while Sun Tao and Gu Qingfeng criticize the sect for punishing the entire Academy over one arena death.
• Xie Liuyun silently intimidates the passengers when he boards, preventing anyone from attacking the Azure Edge disciples.
• The Heavenly Strategy Academy and Azure Edge Sword Sect members engage in a tense, silent confrontation aboard the ship.
• Lu Wei calls Xu Yang and his companions “cowardly turtles,” and Gu Qingfeng retorts that the alliance only seeks their help when facing danger.
• Xu Yang advises his friends to ignore the rivalry and focus on cultivation, maintaining his policy of avoiding unnecessary enemies while preparing for the Final Dragon Platform.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang and the other Dragon Ascent candidates arrive in Great Xia’s Kyoto aboard the Dragon Ship. The city and surrounding mountains are revealed as an immense martial-artistic and spiritual center, with abundant purple qi, floating palaces, powerful beasts, rare herbs, and an atmosphere that greatly accelerates cultivation.
• They pass the enormous Kyoto and arrive near the Great Xia Profound Sect. Jiang Fan separates from the group because he is already a Profound Sect disciple, while the others must still pass the upcoming selection.
• Fang Jun leads the candidates to Wangshu Tower, a Profound Sect property where they will stay until the Final Dragon Platform opens. They register, receive rooms, and learn that the competition will begin after the other Dragon Ships arrive.
• Kyoto’s strict but martial-oriented laws are explained: public fighting is forbidden, but grudges may be settled legally on specially constructed life-and-death arenas.
• Xu Yang, Sun Tao, Wu Xiuyuan, and Gu Qingfeng explore the city. They are astonished by Kyoto’s prosperity and the abundance of cultivation resources, especially compared with impoverished Qingyuan County and less-developed Cloud Province.
• The group notices that Wang Yu has suddenly distanced himself from them. Xu Yang suspects Wang Yu no longer sees value in associating with them after learning they are not allied with the Azure Edge Sword Sect.
• At a restaurant, they hear that Pei Qingyi is widely expected to become the Dragon Head, the first-place winner of the Final Dragon Platform. However, they also learn that Liang Province has another Barrier-Breaking Prodigy, Shen Xingxuan, and that several Kyoto geniuses stronger than Pei Qingyi may not be participating.
• Back at Wangshu Tower, the group cultivates. Xu Yang allows his Spirit Bone to absorb Kyoto’s unusual spiritual energy, discovering that the environment is especially nourishing to Spirit Bones.
• The next day, Xu Yang sets out to find Mu Zijing and deliver Elder Mu’s family letter. He reaches the imposing Mu Residence, identifies himself as a Heavenly Strategy Academy prodigy, and is granted entry.
• Xu Yang waits in the Mu family hall, where an elderly man—apparently Mu Feng—arrives with a steward, setting up their formal meeting.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang remains cautious, observant, and strategically minded. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by Kyoto’s grandeur, he assesses its political and martial environment, considers cultivating pills for profit, and recognizes the value of establishing an alliance with Mu Zijing.
• He continues concealing the true strength of his Spirit Bone, aware that powerful experts could identify it from even slight fluctuations.
• Xu Yang’s understanding of the wider world expands. He realizes that Kyoto contains many geniuses and that the Dragon Head competition will be far more difficult than expected.
• Sun Tao, Wu Xiuyuan, and Gu Qingfeng remain close to Xu Yang and share his curiosity about Kyoto. They are eager to explore the city but return to cultivation after realizing they may soon break through to the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer.
• Jiang Fan is confirmed to already possess Profound Sect disciple status, distinguishing him from Xu Yang and the other candidates.
• Wang Yu becomes distant without explanation, suggesting opportunism or a desire to associate with more influential factions.
• Pei Qingyi is established as a leading Kyoto genius and Barrier-Breaking Prodigy, while Shen Xingxuan emerges as a major rival from Liang Province.
• Mu Feng and the Mu Family are introduced as powerful, wealthy, and well-connected, clearly far more influential than an ordinary clan.

Significant Themes

• The vast disparity between regions: Kyoto’s prosperity, martial resources, and high average cultivation sharply contrast with the poverty of places such as Qingyuan County and the relative backwardness of Cloud Province.
• Competition and hidden strength: Public opinion favors Pei Qingyi, but the chapter emphasizes that unseen geniuses and nonparticipating experts may alter the outcome.
• Cultivation environment and opportunity: Kyoto’s spiritual energy provides enormous advantages, especially for Spirit Bone possessors, showing how location can influence advancement.
• Pragmatism and alliances: Xu Yang seeks Mu Zijing not from romance or personal attachment but because a native ally could provide intelligence and support in an unfamiliar, dangerous city.
• Social hierarchy and opportunism: Wang Yu’s sudden withdrawal reflects how relationships in the martial world may depend on perceived value and factional strength.
• Order alongside martial violence: Kyoto combines strict laws with a flourishing combat culture, allowing disputes to be settled through regulated arenas rather than uncontrolled street fights.

Character Interactions

• Fang Jun and the Profound Sect disciples guide the candidates to Kyoto and Wangshu Tower but largely withdraw once their basic responsibilities are complete.
• Jiang Fan exchanges farewells with Xu Yang, Sun Tao, Wu Xiuyuan, and Gu Qingfeng before entering the Profound Sect separately.
• Xu Yang discusses Wang Yu’s changed attitude with the other three, offering the theory that Wang Yu has abandoned them because they lack strong factional backing.
• The four friends explore Kyoto together, gather information at a restaurant, and analyze the likely Dragon Head candidates.
• At the Mu Residence, Xu Yang formally presents his connection to Elder Mu and Heavenly Strategy Academy. The Mu family guards respond respectfully, and he is invited inside to meet the household’s master.

Chapter Summary: “A Generous Gift”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang meets Mu Feng, head of the Mu Family, to deliver Elder Mu’s family letter.
• Mu Feng deliberately keeps Xu Yang waiting, accepts the letter without opening it, and invites him to a meal. Xu Yang recognizes the invitation as empty courtesy and realizes Mu Feng has no intention of honoring Elder Mu’s request.
• When Xu Yang refuses to stay, Mu Feng gives him a jade box containing a twenty-year Spirit-Nurturing Herb. The gift is framed as repayment for delivering the letter rather than as assistance or an alliance, clearly intended to sever any future obligation between Xu Yang and the Mu Family.
• After Xu Yang leaves, Mu Feng reads the letter with his granddaughter, Mu Zijing. They discover Elder Mu wanted Mu Zijing and Xu Yang to cooperate and support each other after entering the Profound Sect.
• Mu Feng and Mu Zijing initially dismiss Xu Yang because of his apparent Heavenly Origin Eighth-Layer cultivation and lack of Spirit Bone status. However, Elder Mu’s letter describes Xu Yang as an “uncut jade” whose talent surpasses that of ordinary Spirit Bone Prodigies, leading Mu Feng to realize Xu Yang may have concealed his true cultivation and abilities.
• Although Mu Feng regrets misjudging Xu Yang, Mu Zijing remains unwilling to form an alliance or consider him as a potential husband. Mu Feng decides they can avoid responsibility because Elder Mu left the choice to them, while instructing Mu Zijing not to provoke Xu Yang or reveal his talent.
• Xu Yang returns to Wangshu Tower and learns that the competition for the Profound Sect is much fiercer than expected. Other Dragon Ships contain numerous Spirit Bone Prodigies, including many who have already broken through the Combat Power Barrier.
• Xu Yang cultivates with a Golden Marrow Jade Bone Pill. Two days later, he learns that Sun Tao has successfully broken through to the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer, while Wu Xiuyuan and Gu Qingfeng have failed and can no longer attempt another breakthrough before Dragon Ascent.
• The chapter ends with news that the selection date has been fixed.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates perceptiveness, restraint, and self-respect. He quickly sees through Mu Feng’s deliberate slight and refuses to beg for support. He accepts the gift pragmatically but does not depend on the Mu Family. Xu Yang is also revealed to be unusually powerful, likely having concealed his true cultivation and status as a Barrier-Breaking Prodigy. Unlike others, he worries less about lacking talent and more about attracting dangerous attention.
• Mu Feng: Is introduced as calculating, status-conscious, and protective of the Mu Family’s interests. He looks down on Xu Yang because of his background and apparent cultivation, intentionally distancing himself from him. After reading Elder Mu’s letter, he realizes he has misjudged Xu Yang but rationalizes his actions and continues avoiding involvement.
• Mu Zijing: A proud Spirit Bone Prodigy who considers herself superior to ordinary geniuses. She rejects the idea of relying on Xu Yang and assumes Elder Mu intended him as a potential husband. Though arrogant, she agrees not to expose Xu Yang’s abilities or deliberately make him an enemy.
• Elder Mu: Though absent, he is shown to be perceptive and generous. He recognizes Xu Yang’s hidden potential and attempts to arrange a mutually beneficial alliance between Xu Yang and Mu Zijing.
• Sun Tao: Achieves an important breakthrough to the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer, surpassing the expectations of Gu Qingfeng and Wu Xiuyuan.
• Gu Qingfeng and Wu Xiuyuan: Their failed breakthroughs leave them discouraged, emphasizing the intense pressure surrounding the upcoming Dragon Ascent.
• Tu Gang: Breaks through to the ninth layer of the Azure Dragon Tyrant Body, proving that his seemingly simple and brutish appearance conceals exceptional Body Tempering talent.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice based on origin and status: Mu Feng assumes Xu Yang is an insignificant country youth seeking benefits, reflecting Kyoto elites’ contempt for outsiders.
• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Xu Yang’s concealed cultivation causes others to underestimate him, while Elder Mu’s warning suggests his talent may be far greater than anyone in Kyoto realizes.
• Political caution and self-preservation: Mu Feng prioritizes protecting the Mu Family from potential trouble involving Jiang Xun and Pei Qingyi, even at the cost of disregarding his father’s wishes.
• Fierce competition among geniuses: The arrival of multiple Dragon Ships reveals that Spirit Bone Prodigies are far more numerous and powerful than expected. Even provincial prodigies may struggle to stand out.
• Different forms of confidence: Mu Zijing’s confidence comes from her status and talent, whereas Xu Yang’s confidence is grounded in his hidden strength and calm assessment of circumstances.
• The dangers of revealing too much: Xu Yang recognizes that exceptional talent can be as dangerous as weakness, since powerful factions may target anyone who appears too outstanding.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Mu Feng: Their formal exchange is outwardly polite but filled with unspoken hostility and judgment. Xu Yang understands that Mu Feng is dismissing him, while Mu Feng believes he has successfully prevented future entanglement.
• Mu Feng and Mu Zijing: They read Elder Mu’s letter together and initially mock his recommendation. Their discussion shows their shared confidence in Mu Zijing’s superiority and their concern over the Mu Family’s reputation.
• Xu Yang and the other geniuses: At Wangshu Tower, Xu Yang interacts with Gu Qingfeng and Wu Xiuyuan, expressing concern after their failed breakthroughs. Their conversation highlights the contrast between Xu Yang’s calmness and the anxiety of those struggling to keep pace.
• The wider group of prodigies: News of numerous Combat Power Barrier breakthroughs creates a tense, oppressive atmosphere. Xu Yang remains composed while others, including Shen Xingxuan, realize their previous rankings and expectations may no longer matter.

Chapter Summary: “Undercurrents”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Profound Sect announces that the Dragon Ascent selection will begin in five days. Kyoto’s geniuses rapidly gather at Wangshu Tower, including nearly twenty Spirit Bone Prodigies and numerous powerful bloodline heirs.
• Jiang Xun confronts Xu Yang over the earlier incident at Heavenly Strategy Academy, where Xu Yang injured and humiliated him. Jiang Xun threatens revenge during the selection, and Xu Yang openly accepts the challenge, adding Jiang Xun to the list of people he intends to kill.
• Pei Qingyi, a powerful Barrier-Breaking Prodigy and leading contender for the “dragon head,” arrives. Xu Yang recognizes that Pei Qingyi is stronger than him overall and may possess even greater hidden techniques.
• Mu Zijing observes Xu Yang and realizes that his displayed cultivation is likely deceptive. She believes Jiang Xun may suffer badly if he provokes him, though she considers Pei Qingyi the far more dangerous opponent.
• The Profound Sect constructs the Dragon Platform and surrounding arenas. Rumors spread that great clans are recruiting promising Spirit Bone Prodigies, while Xiao Yun is ignored because his scandalous past has damaged his reputation.
• Gu Qingfeng reveals that Bai Qianqian may be the fiancée of the “Young Marquis,” probably Jiang Fan. This suggests Pei Qingyi’s pursuit of Bai Qianqian and his hostility toward Jiang Fan may be connected.
• Lu Wei seeks Yang Ao’s assistance in killing Xu Yang during the selection. Because the event will resemble a chaotic, multi-person battle rather than a series of fair duels, Lu Wei recruits Yang Ao to restrain Wu Xiuyuan while Jiang Xun and Hu Yu deal with Sun Tao and Gu Qingfeng.
• Leng Qiuyue warns Xu Yang that Lu Wei, Jiang Xun, and their allies intend to kill him during the selection. She urges him to withdraw, warning that his companions may also be dragged into the danger. Xu Yang refuses to retreat and instead welcomes the chance to eliminate several enemies at once.
• The night before the selection, Sun Tao emerges from seclusion after breaking through, though he has not fully stabilized his cultivation. He immediately joins Gu Qingfeng and Wu Xiuyuan in going to Xu Yang’s room.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Becomes increasingly confident and aggressive. He acknowledges that Pei Qingyi currently surpasses him but remains determined to confront stronger opponents. Rather than being frightened by the planned ambush, he sees the chaotic selection as an opportunity to defeat Jiang Xun, Lu Wei, and others together.
• Jiang Xun: His humiliation by Xu Yang continues to fuel his hatred. He behaves arrogantly toward Xu Yang but becomes submissive and fawning around Pei Qingyi, revealing his dependence on Kyoto’s powerful circles.
• Pei Qingyi: Established as one of the strongest participants and a major future threat to Xu Yang. His interest in Bai Qianqian may be connected to his hostility toward Jiang Fan.
• Mu Zijing: Demonstrates sharp perception and interest in Xu Yang’s concealed strength. She recognizes that he is stronger than he appears but believes Pei Qingyi remains his greatest obstacle.
• Leng Qiuyue: Shows concern for Xu Yang and struggles between her promise to protect him and the danger of opposing Jiang Xun’s faction. Her warning reflects both personal concern and practical caution.
• Lu Wei: Abandons the idea of a fair personal duel and organizes a coordinated attack against Xu Yang. He uses alliances and social connections to compensate for his uncertainty about defeating Xu Yang alone.
• Yang Ao: His ambition and desire to enter Kyoto’s elite circles lead him to accept Lu Wei’s dangerous proposal. His decision is motivated as much by political advancement as by confidence in the plan.
• Sun Tao: Emerges stronger after cultivation, becoming a more significant ally for Xu Yang and a serious threat to Lu Wei’s plans.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimation: Xu Yang conceals his true cultivation, causing enemies such as Pei Qingyi and Lu Wei to misjudge him.
• Power, status, and connections: Kyoto’s elite society is governed not only by cultivation but also by clan background, bloodlines, alliances, and political influence.
• Revenge and humiliation: Jiang Xun’s obsession with restoring his reputation drives the conflict, while Xu Yang embraces the opportunity to settle multiple grudges.
• Risk versus ambition: Characters such as Yang Ao must choose between personal safety and the opportunity to gain powerful allies.
• Loyalty and mutual protection: Xu Yang’s companions are prepared to defend him, while Leng Qiuyue struggles with whether she can intervene on his behalf.
• The danger of chaotic competition: The Dragon Ascent selection is revealed to be nearly a free-for-all, allowing alliances, ambushes, and group attacks rather than simple individual contests.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Jiang Xun: Exchange threats over Jiang Xun’s previous defeat, establishing their coming confrontation.
• Jiang Xun and Pei Qingyi: Jiang Xun fawns over Pei Qingyi, showing the imbalance in their status and their alliance.
• Xu Yang and Mu Zijing: Mu Zijing secretly assesses Xu Yang, while he notices her unusual gaze and identifies her as a powerful Mu Family prodigy.
• Xu Yang, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan: Discuss Bai Qianqian’s possible engagement to Jiang Fan and the political implications of Pei Qingyi pursuing her.
• Lu Wei and Yang Ao: Form a tactical alliance designed to isolate Xu Yang and his companions during the selection.
• Leng Qiuyue and Xu Yang: She warns him to withdraw, but he refuses, demonstrating his resolve and confidence.
• Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan: After Sun Tao’s breakthrough, the three allies go together to meet Xu Yang on the eve of the selection, setting up the imminent confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Prodigies”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan intend to help Xu Yang confront Lu Wei and Jiang Xun, despite the danger. Xu Yang refuses, telling them to focus on the Final Dragon Platform selection.
• Xu Yang reveals that he has secretly broken through to the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer, matching Lu Wei’s cultivation. He assures his companions that he can handle both enemies himself.
• Sun Tao, Wu Xiuyuan, and Gu Qingfeng learn that Xu Yang has supposedly transformed from a Mortal Bone into a Spirit Bone Prodigy after consuming a Hundred-Year Purple-Pattern King Ginseng. Xu Yang fabricated the story to explain his sudden improvement and conceal the truth behind his abilities.
• Xu Yang’s companions are shocked and envious, but relieved that his chances of defeating Lu Wei and Jiang Xun have greatly improved. They agree to keep his breakthrough and new talent secret.
• The next morning, the group pretends to remain worried and solemn so others will not realize Xu Yang’s true strength.
• Wang Yu attempts to greet them despite previously abandoning their friendship when Xu Yang’s position became precarious. Xu Yang and the others ignore him, exposing their contempt for his opportunism.
• At breakfast, Leng Qiuyue again urges Xu Yang to withdraw from the selection, warning that Lu Wei and Jiang Xun may kill him. Xu Yang politely but firmly refuses and assures her he has a way to resolve the situation.
• The Dragon Ascent selection begins. Hundreds of geniuses gather before the Dragon Platform, including numerous Spirit Bone Prodigies. Lu Wei and Jiang Xun follow Xu Yang closely, evidently afraid he may escape.
• Luo Zeping, an Outer Sect Deacon of the Profound Sect, announces the first-round rules: only the first 360 people to ascend the Dragon Platform will pass and become Profound Sect disciples. More than 450 talented youths are competing, making elimination inevitable.
• Wu Xiuyuan and Gu Qingfeng become anxious because their Heavenly Origin Eighth Layer cultivation may not be enough to secure a place. The chapter ends as the selection is about to begin.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Reveals his hidden Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer cultivation and confirms that he has become a Spirit Bone Prodigy. He remains cautious, calculating, and confident, deliberately concealing his strength until the right moment. He also demonstrates loyalty by encouraging his friends to prioritize their own futures.
• Sun Tao: Shows deep loyalty and battle spirit. He understands Xu Yang’s personality better than the others and correctly realizes that Xu Yang would not act without a reliable plan.
• Gu Qingfeng and Wu Xiuyuan: Prove that their friendship with Xu Yang is genuine by offering to risk their lives for him. After learning of Xu Yang’s transformation, they become relieved but also envious and concerned about their own chances in the selection.
• Wang Yu: Is exposed as calculating and opportunistic. He abandoned Xu Yang’s group when they lost influence, then tries to resume friendly relations once they meet again.
• Leng Qiuyue: Continues trying to protect Xu Yang on Xu Qing’s behalf, though she is unwilling or unable to directly oppose the powerful forces behind Lu Wei and Jiang Xun.
• Lu Wei and Jiang Xun: Remain dangerous enemies but appear wary of Xu Yang, following him closely to prevent him from avoiding the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus opportunism: Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan stand by Xu Yang despite the danger, contrasting sharply with Wang Yu’s self-serving behavior.
• Concealed strength and strategic patience: Xu Yang hides his breakthrough and talent, using secrecy to identify his enemies and gain an advantage.
• Talent and destiny: The distinction between ordinary geniuses and Spirit Bone Prodigies emphasizes how innate potential determines one’s future in the cultivation world.
• Risk and restraint: Xu Yang’s alleged decision to wait for the spirit medicine to mature symbolizes patience and courage, though the account itself is fabricated.
• Competition and scarcity: The Profound Sect’s limited admissions reveal that cultivation resources are finite, forcing even talented individuals to compete intensely for advancement.
• Power and social hierarchy: The gathering of sect experts, officials, and influential figures highlights the immense political and martial forces surrounding the selection.

Character Interactions

• Xu Yang repeatedly reassures Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan while refusing their assistance, prioritizing their opportunity to ascend the Dragon Platform.
• His companions respond with unwavering support, insisting that they would rather die together than abandon him.
• Sun Tao recognizes Xu Yang’s hidden confidence and interprets his breakthrough as proof that Lu Wei and Jiang Xun are doomed.
• Wang Yu’s attempted reconciliation fails when Xu Yang’s group openly ignores him, marking the end of their former relationship.
• Leng Qiuyue and Xu Yang exchange a tense but respectful conversation: she urges him to retreat, while he maintains that he can handle the danger himself.
• Lu Wei and Jiang Xun’s close pursuit of Xu Yang creates anticipation for the coming confrontation, which is likely to coincide with the Dragon Ascent competition.

Chapter Summary: “Revealing Himself”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Zeping explains the Dragon Ascension Platform’s brutal rules: contestants may use any normal strength or weapons up to Supreme-Grade Spirit Weapons, but forbidden drugs, life-burning techniques, and Spirit Treasures are banned. Attacks, alliances, and killing are all permitted.
• The rewards are announced: the first place receives 800 Sect Contribution, while ranks 2–60 receive increasingly smaller rewards. Xu Yang decides to aim for the top thirty rather than attract the danger and political attention associated with the top ranks.
• Xu Yang reveals to Leng Qiuyue that he has already reached the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer by using Mental Transmission. She realizes he has deliberately concealed his true strength to lure enemies into underestimating him.
• The Dragon Ascent begins. Barrier-Breaking Prodigies such as Pei Qingyi, Xie Liuyun, and Shen Xingxuan charge first, while the oppressive power of the platform forces everyone to climb the stairs rather than fly directly onto it.
• Jiang Xun, Lu Wei, Yang Ao, and Hu Yu surround Xu Yang, intending to kill him before he can ascend. Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan withdraw from the confrontation to pursue their own ascent.
• Their departure causes others to accuse them of cowardice and disloyalty. Xu Yang accepts their decision, insisting that they should not sacrifice themselves for him.
• Leng Qiuyue, however, turns back to save Xu Yang despite the danger of provoking Pei Qingyi, the Jiang Family, and other Kyoto factions. Jiang Xun has arranged for Yu Yong to intercept her, forcing her into battle.
• With Leng Qiuyue temporarily restrained and the four attackers closing in, Jiang Xun and Lu Wei unleash their full power. Lu Wei reveals that both his cultivation and body-tempering have reached the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer.
• Just as Xu Yang appears surrounded, he releases more than half of the Spirit Bone power he had been concealing. His Spirit Bone aura combines with his Ninth-Layer Azure Dragon Tyrant Body and Dragon Elephant Heart Scripture, causing the surrounding power of heaven and earth to submit to him.
• Jiang Xun, Lu Wei, Yang Ao, and the spectators are horrified as they realize Xu Yang is actually a Spirit Bone Prodigy—and likely an extraordinarily powerful one.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates strategic restraint and political awareness by planning to rank in the top thirty rather than expose himself unnecessarily. He also reveals that his cultivation has already reached the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer. When forced into battle, he finally exposes his hidden Spirit Bone, showing that his apparent weakness was carefully manufactured.
• Leng Qiuyue: Proves her loyalty to Xu Yang by abandoning her progress on the platform and returning to defend him, even at the risk of offending powerful factions. Her actions confirm that she values friendship and promises above personal advancement.
• Jiang Xun: Displays deep hatred toward Xu Yang and orchestrates a coordinated ambush. His confidence collapses when Xu Yang’s true identity and strength are revealed.
• Lu Wei: Has waited a year for revenge and believes he can finally defeat Xu Yang. He reveals his own impressive Ninth-Layer cultivation and Azure Dragon Tyrant Body, but is shocked to discover that Xu Yang has concealed an even greater power.
• Yang Ao: Aligns himself with Jiang Xun and Lu Wei, claiming their enemies are his enemies. His opportunism is condemned by others, and he becomes terrified when Xu Yang reveals his Spirit Bone.
• Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan: Choose survival and advancement over fighting beside Xu Yang. Their decision is viewed by many as disloyal, though Xu Yang allows them to leave.
• Liu Yi: Shows conflicted feelings toward Leng Qiuyue. She fears her friend will offend powerful figures, yet she is also reassured that Leng Qiuyue remains loyal and honorable.
• Yu Yong: Acts as Jiang Xun’s countermeasure against Leng Qiuyue, successfully delaying her rescue attempt through direct combat.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and strategic deception: Xu Yang’s concealment of both his cultivation and Spirit Bone illustrates the dangers of revealing too much talent without powerful backing.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: The contrasting choices of Leng Qiuyue and Sun Tao’s group highlight different definitions of friendship and survival.
• Factional politics and social hierarchy: Xu Yang fears becoming a target of influential sect factions and deliberately chooses a moderate ranking to gain benefits without attracting excessive scrutiny.
• Revenge and settling grudges: The Dragon Ascension round is designed as a final opportunity for disciples to resolve personal conflicts before entering the Profound Sect.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: The chapter’s central reversal is that the supposedly vulnerable Xu Yang is actually a Spirit Bone Prodigy with overwhelming strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Luo Zeping establishes the dangerous rules and rewards before the contest.
• Xu Yang and Leng Qiuyue exchange a private Mental Transmission, allowing her to recognize his concealed Ninth-Layer cultivation.
• Jiang Xun and Lu Wei publicly threaten Xu Yang, while Yang Ao and Hu Yu join their attack.
• Xu Yang asks Sun Tao, Gu Qingfeng, and Wu Xiuyuan not to interfere, and they leave despite public criticism.
• Leng Qiuyue attempts to return to Xu Yang’s side, but Yu Yong blocks her under Jiang Xun’s orders.
• Jiang Xun and Lu Wei launch their strongest attacks against Xu Yang, only for him to unveil his Spirit Bone and completely overturn their expectations.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yang reveals himself as a Spirit Bone Prodigy who has already reached the Heavenly Origin Ninth Layer. His immense pressure scatters Yang Ao and erases Hu Yu’s full-strength sword strike.
• Xu Yang kills Hu Yu with a single punch, then kills Yang Ao with Hu Yu’s greatsword. The revelation shocks the spectators, who had believed Xu Yang was weak.
• Jiang Xun and Lu Wei flee toward the dragon steps. Xu Yang pursues Lu Wei and kills him with one devastating sword blow, despite Qi Ning’s demand that he stop.
• Qi Ning refuses Xu Yang’s challenge, choosing to protect his standing in the selection rather than risk a fight. Pei Qingyi likewise ignores Jiang Xun’s desperate plea for help.
• Xu Yang turns on the last survivor, Jiang Xun. As the chapter ends, Xu Yang’s sword is about to strike while Jiang Xun is unable to defend himself.

Character developments

• Xu Yang emerges as far stronger than anyone suspected: confident, controlled, and utterly merciless toward those who tried to kill him.
• Lu Wei loses his confidence once he recognizes Xu Yang’s power. He attempts to flee, then fights back, but dies from a single blow.
• Jiang Xun shifts from aggressor to terrified victim, pleading first with Pei Qingyi and then with the selection’s deacon.
• Qi Ning prioritizes his alliance’s reputation and his own competition goals over rescuing Lu Wei, revealing the limits of his loyalty.
• Pei Qingyi treats Jiang Xun as expendable, choosing his own pursuit of the Dragon Head title.
• Leng Qiuyue realizes Xu Yang never needed her protection; she had underestimated both his strength and talent.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and sudden reversal: Xu Yang’s concealed talent overturns everyone’s expectations and reverses the apparent balance of power.
• Consequences and justice: The attackers’ attempt to kill Xu Yang brings lethal consequences; observers debate his ruthlessness but note that his enemies would have shown him no mercy.
• Self-interest over loyalty: Qi Ning, Pei Qingyi, and others weigh personal ambitions and status against helping their allies.
• Power and reputation: Xu Yang’s revelation instantly changes how rivals, allies, and spectators assess him.

Character interactions

• Xu Yang mocks Hu Yu before killing him, then pursues the surviving attackers without hesitation.
• Qi Ning tries to stop Xu Yang from killing Lu Wei, but Xu Yang confronts him over his earlier failure to intervene when Xu Yang was under attack.
• Lu Wei calls to Qi Ning for help, only to realize Qi Ning will not risk his own prospects for him.
• Jiang Xun begs Pei Qingyi and the deacon for rescue; neither helps, leaving Xu Yang to reach him.

Key events

• Xu Yang kills Jiang Xun, ending their feud and shocking the crowd. Jiang Yun is devastated, while Pei Qingyi’s failure to intervene confirms that the Jiang Family has no real connection to the Pei Clan.
• Xu Yang begins climbing the dragon staircase. He discovers that its pressure responds to resistance and can be overcome through comprehension, not brute strength. He adapts quickly, though he deliberately slows down to conceal the full extent of his talent.
• On the stairs, Xu Yang gives Sun Tao a heavy sword suited to his style and asks him and his companions to carry the other weapons. He passes Wang Yu without retaliating, judging that killing him over a lesser offense would damage his reputation.
• Xu Yang catches up with Leng Qiuyue, who is still fighting Yu Yong. He gives her Jiang Xun’s Supreme-Grade sword, allowing her to gain the upper hand, then insists that his own grievance with Yu Yong is his to settle.
• Xu Yang unleashes his full strength and overwhelms Yu Yong with a single powerful slash. The display reveals that Xu Yang has reached, or nearly reached, the Combat Power Barrier. As Yu Yong is sent flying, Xu Yang presses his attack, while Yu Yong tries in vain to rally Kyoto’s prodigies to help him.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yang emerges as both exceptionally talented and calculating. He pursues lethal justice against those who tried to kill him, but spares Wang Yu when revenge would seem petty. He also shows generosity by sharing valuable weapons with Sun Tao and Leng Qiuyue.
• Sun Tao and Leng Qiuyue benefit from Xu Yang’s support: Sun receives a sword suited to him, and Leng gains a weapon that dramatically strengthens her in battle.
• Yu Yong, having joined Jiang Xun’s plot, realizes too late that Xu Yang is far stronger than he expected. His appeals to compromise and then to the Kyoto crowd fail.
• The onlookers and rival prodigies, including Qi Ning, revise their assessment of Xu Yang after witnessing his climb and his decisive defeat of Yu Yong.

Significant themes

• Comprehension over brute force: The staircase tests insight and adaptability rather than raw cultivation; understanding its pressure lets Xu Yang advance quickly.
• Justice, revenge, and reputation: Xu Yang distinguishes between serious attempts on his life and lesser offenses, weighing both vengeance and the consequences of being seen as vindictive.
• Talent versus background: The crowd recognizes that family status and resources do not necessarily equal genuine ability; Xu Yang’s achievements force even elite observers to respect him.
• Loyalty and reciprocity: Xu Yang’s gifts to his allies contrast with the transactional nature of Yu Yong’s involvement with Jiang Xun.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Yang defeats Yu Yong in a brutal exchange on the Dragon Ascent steps. His strikes destroy Yu Yong’s flesh and organs, though the prodigy’s Spirit Bones remain unbroken. Xu Yang retrieves Yu Yong’s weapon and kills him.
• The onlookers are shaken by the death of a Spirit Bone Prodigy. Leng Qiuyue assumes Xu Yang is Heavenly Strategy Academy’s secret seventh prodigy. He denies it, explaining that a century-old Purple-Pattern King Ginseng transformed his Mortal Bone into a Spirit Bone half a year earlier.
• Xu Yang confronts Xiao Yun, citing his past bullying and his mistreatment of Xu Yang’s senior sister, Ye Qiuling. Xu Yang’s deeper motive is to seize the chance to kill Xiao Yun.
• Leng Qiuyue leaves her alliance with Qi Ning and the others, condemning them for failing to help her earlier. She also warns that anyone who aids Xiao Yun will become her enemy, effectively discouraging the group from intervening.
• Xiao Yun finds himself abandoned: Qi Ning refuses to fight Xu Yang, and Zhang Bo and Duan Ming avoid involvement. As Xu Yang reaches his level, Xiao Yun launches a surprise attack while Xu Yang is adjusting to the step’s pressure.
• Xu Yang weathers Xiao Yun’s mind-targeting Limitless God-Extinguishing Palm, then counters with the Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist. His first blow overwhelms Xiao Yun’s defense and forces him backward. Xu Yang follows with a second, dragon-shaped strike; the chapter ends before its impact is shown.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Yang reveals how he gained his Spirit Bone and demonstrates that his strength extends beyond blade techniques: he can wield the Primordial Dragon Elephant Fist with devastating force. He is also openly ruthless toward those who wronged him.
• Yu Yong is killed despite his unusually durable Spirit Bones, underscoring that resilience cannot protect him from damage to his flesh and organs.
• Leng Qiuyue breaks with the alliance after recognizing its members’ self-interest. She stands firm against Qi Ning’s excuses and makes Xiao Yun’s predicament worse by threatening anyone who helps him.
• Xiao Yun shifts from arrogance to panic as his former allies withdraw. He attacks dishonorably, but Xu Yang matches and surpasses him.
• Qi Ning and the others prioritize avoiding risk and political consequences over defending Xiao Yun. Their refusal exposes the alliance as fragile and transactional.
• Wu Xiuyuan sees Xu Yang’s move as vengeance on his own behalf and pledges loyalty, though Xu Yang’s stated grievance is tied to Ye Qiuling and his own history with Xiao Yun.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Even elite prodigies can die; extraordinary bones do not make the rest of the body invincible.
• Loyalty versus self-interest: The alliance collapses when its members face real danger, while Leng Qiuyue rejects its hypocrisy.
• Revenge and justice: Xu Yang frames his challenge around past abuse, but his willingness to kill also blurs the line between settling a grievance and exploiting an opportunity.
• Hidden strength and changing status: Xu Yang’s recent transformation overturns others’ assumptions about his past and makes him a threat to former bullies and rivals.

Chapter Summary: “A Menial Servant”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Yang defeats Xiao Yun decisively after Qi Ning refuses to intervene. Xiao Yun’s attacks are shattered by Xu Yang’s fists, and two successive strikes severely damage his organs and Spirit Bone. Xu Yang finally kills him by stomping on his chest.
• Xiao Yun’s death shocks the crowd, especially those from Heavenly Strategy Academy who fear Xu Yang may target them next. Xu Yang chooses not to pursue Jiang Yue Bai, Wei Fengyi, or Yang Mingxiu, prioritizing his climb and avoiding further conflict.
• As the ascent continues, Xu Yang observes that the competition becomes increasingly violent. Those competing for the top 360 positions fight desperately, while the strongest Barrier-Breaking Prodigies begin battling for the Dragon Head position.
• Li Zongyuan reveals overwhelming strength, defeating every other Barrier-Breaking Prodigy with a single punch, including Pei Qingyi and Xie Liuyun. He claims the Dragon Head position and reaches the summit first.
• Xu Yang reaches the Final Dragon in thirty-first place, narrowly missing the top thirty because his battles delayed him. Jiang Yue Bai arrives just before him in thirtieth place, while Qi Ning finishes twenty-second.
• Pei Qingyi confronts Xu Yang over the death of his subordinate, Jiang Xun. Xu Yang refuses to submit and argues that Jiang Xun attacked him first. Pei Qingyi openly promises to settle the matter in the future, creating a new rivalry.
• Heavenly Strategy Academy performs strongly, placing six people in the top sixty. Li Xun finishes sixty-first and is visibly humiliated, while Leng Qiuyue rejects him.
• Mu Zijing reaches the Final Dragon around seventieth place and feels ashamed that Xu Yang, whom she had looked down on, surpassed her.
• The final places in the top 360 are secured after several brutal fights. Zhong Kai is killed by Liu Feng, and the Liu family’s internal tension becomes apparent.
• Luo Zeping announces that the first 360 candidates have passed. Those who failed are eliminated from formal discipleship but may still join the Profound Sect as menial disciples, with the possibility of eventually becoming formal disciples.

Character Developments

• Xu Yang: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability and ruthless determination by killing Xiao Yun. He also shows restraint and strategic judgment by refusing to attack every former enemy, focusing instead on securing a place among the top candidates. Reaching thirty-first confirms that his talent is nearly equal to Qi Ning’s and above Jiang Yue Bai’s expectations.
• Xiao Yun: His arrogance and contempt for Xu Yang lead to his downfall. He dies regretting that he underestimated Xu Yang and failed to attack him earlier.
• Qi Ning: Refuses to risk his own life for Xiao Yun, revealing a pragmatic and self-interested side. He becomes increasingly wary of Xu Yang after seeing how close Xu Yang comes to his ranking.
• Jiang Yue Bai, Wei Fengyi, and Yang Mingxiu: Their fear of Xu Yang forces them to reassess him. They are relieved when he chooses not to attack them.
• Li Zongyuan: Establishes himself as the strongest competitor, far surpassing the other Barrier-Breaking Prodigies and proving himself a likely future True Disciple.
• Pei Qingyi: Suffers humiliation after losing the Dragon Head position and develops open hostility toward Xu Yang over Jiang Xun’s death.
• Mu Zijing: Her pride is shaken when Xu Yang surpasses her. She avoids facing him after realizing she had underestimated his potential.
• Wu Xiuyuan, Sun Tao, and Gu Qingfeng: Their survival and advancement are aided by Xu Yang’s elimination of powerful rivals and Sun Tao’s protection.
• Li Yunfei: Becomes the only member of his cohort to fail the selection, leaving him devastated.
• Leng Qiuyue and Li Xun: Their relationship deteriorates further when Leng Qiuyue openly ignores Li Xun after his poor result.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of arrogance: Xiao Yun’s belief that Xu Yang was insignificant directly contributes to his death.
• Strength and reputation: Xu Yang’s victories force other prodigies to respect and fear him, while Pei Qingyi’s concern over Jiang Xun shows how status and reputation influence behavior.
• Strategic restraint: Xu Yang proves that strength alone is not enough; he understands when further violence would damage his prospects and chooses to advance instead.
• Unequal levels of genius: The chapter emphasizes that even among exceptional Barrier-Breaking Prodigies, enormous differences in blood vitality, Root Bone, comprehension, and combat power remain.
• Survival and competition: The Dragon Ascent is presented as both a test of talent and a brutal struggle in which alliances, protection, and timing determine who survives.
• Second chances and social hierarchy: The Profound Sect’s offer of menial discipleship shows that failure is not necessarily the end, but also reinforces the divide between formal and lower-status disciples.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Yang and Xiao Yun: Their battle ends their long-standing conflict, with Xu Yang killing Xiao Yun after Xiao Yun’s earlier humiliation of Xu Yang’s senior sister.
• Xu Yang and Qi Ning: Qi Ning abandons Xiao Yun and later recognizes that Xu Yang’s talent is nearly comparable to his own.
• Xu Yang and Pei Qingyi: Their exchange is openly defiant. Xu Yang refuses to bow to Pei Qingyi, while Pei Qingyi promises future retaliation.
• Xu Yang and Jiang Yue Bai: Jiang Yue Bai reaches the Final Dragon just ahead of Xu Yang but realizes Xu Yang may actually possess superior talent.
• Li Zongyuan and the Barrier-Breaking Prodigies: Li Zongyuan challenges and defeats them all individually, ending their contest for the Dragon Head position.
• Leng Qiuyue and Li Xun: Leng Qiuyue’s deliberate rejection of Li Xun highlights his disgrace after barely missing the top sixty.
• Liu Yi, Liu Feng, and Guan Hao: Liu Feng kills Zhong Kai despite Guan Hao’s outrage, while Liu Yi and Liu Feng’s shared cultivation technique suggests a complicated family relationship.
• Luo Zeping and the eliminated candidates: Luo Zeping offers encouragement and explains that those who failed may still enter the Profound Sect as menial disciples.