Chapter Summaries

Hong Batian arrived at the Phoenix clan’s palace as the Grand Elder’s cherished third son and confronted his older brother Feng Yu. He insulted and shoved Feng Yu aside before entering the hall.

• A crimson carriage drawn by a True Immortal Realm One-Horned Sacred Venerable carried Hong Batian through the palace complex.
• Onlookers explained that Hong Batian was the Grand Elder’s long-lost third son, now doted on and granted anything he wanted.
• Hong Batian arrived at the grand hall with an old attendant and encountered Feng Yu, who mocked him.
• Hong Batian called Feng Yu a useless dog, shoved him aside, and walked into the hall.

Feng Yu complained about Hong Batian’s arrogance, while his Dao Protector silently compared their wasted and impressive cultivation progress. Hong Batian met his father, who asked him to treat his elder brother more politely and recalled the guilt he had carried after abandoning Hong Batian as a child.

• Feng Yu cursed Hong Batian for insulting him, while his Dao Protector privately judged Feng Yu’s talent and cultivation to have gone to waste.
• Hong Batian restrained his swagger in the great hall, sat down, and ate an immortal fruit before asking his father why he had summoned him.
• Hong Batian’s father gently asked him to be more polite to Feng Yu, his elder brother.
• Hong Batian’s father remembered leaving him behind to draw enemy fire and believing him dead until he was eventually found alive with his divine soul and personal imprint sealed.

Hong Batian reunited with his parents, who indulged him and defended his chosen name. His mother arranged for him to meet the Ancient Imperial Clan patriarch’s young princess, and Hong Batian agreed to go but wondered how to refuse if he was dissatisfied.

• Hong Batian complained to his father about how someone had treated him, and his father tried to calm him and suggested he change his name.
• Hong Batian proudly defended the name Hong Batian, and his mother appeared and threatened anyone who mocked it.
• Hong Batian’s mother welcomed him warmly and said she had arranged for him to meet the Ancient Imperial Clan patriarch’s young princess the next day.
• Hong Batian agreed to go, then asked his mother how he should refuse if he was dissatisfied.

Hong Batian prepared to confront the Ancient Royal Clan with the Phoenix Clan’s backing and traveled to their home at Ancient Holy Mountain. He arrived to find no one waiting to welcome him.

• Madam Mei urged Hong Batian to reject the Ancient Royal Clan publicly and called them homeless dogs.
• After Hong Batian left, Madam Mei told the middle-aged man that she would move against the Ancient Royal Clan if they refused the Phoenix Clan’s offer.
• Hong Batian traveled in a Phoenix Clan chariot pulled by a one-horned Sacred Venerable, while cultivators and factions made way for it.
• After three days, Hong Batian reached the Ancient Holy Mountain and wondered why no one had come out to welcome him.

Hong Batian confronted the Ancient Holy Mountain over its failure to welcome him, then entered its vast inner world with Wan Cang. Wan Cang led him toward the Clan Chief while the story explained the Ancient Royal Clan’s origins.

• Hong Batian accused the Ancient Holy Mountain of slighting him and the Phoenix Clan, and Wan Cang apologized for the late welcome.
• Hong Batian severed one of Wan Cang’s arms, then said he would forgive the offense and asked to tour the Ancient Holy Mountain.
• Wan Cang escorted Hong Batian into the world formed from ten compressed galaxy clusters and offered to take him to the Clan Chief.
• Hong Batian called Wan Cang “Little Cang,” and Wan Cang concealed his anger as he led him past stars and powerful experts.
• The narration explained that the Ancient Royal Clan arose from survivors of a destroyed ancient force and later absorbed many subordinate races.

Hong Batian arrived at Void Palace to meet the ancient imperial clan’s chief, who had already summoned Liu Yue. The chief praised Hong Batian’s potential and served him Enlightenment Tea, while Wan Cang left in anger after escorting him.

• Hong Batian, Wan Cang, and an old man reached Void Palace, where its gates opened with a terrifying aura.
• After Hong Batian entered the palace, Wan Cang grew resentful at being treated like a servant and departed.
• Hong Batian bowed to the clan chief, then sat as the chief said he had notified Liu Yue.
• The clan chief praised Hong Batian’s talent and predicted he might one day explore the secret of Transcendence.
• Hong Batian drank the Enlightenment Tea, and his empty cup refilled before he could set it down.

Hong Batian met Liu Yue, the woman chosen by the elder as his future wife, and was immediately captivated by her. The chapter ended with him introducing himself and asking her to call him Batian.

• The narration described the Human Race's survival through the rise and fall of countless races and the rumors that it was connected to the Great Dao.
• Hong Batian watched a figure approach Void Palace's gates and became mesmerized when she appeared as Liu Yue.
• Liu Yue greeted the elder, who introduced her to Hong Batian as the husband he had chosen for her.
• Liu Yue politely asked Hong Batian his name, and he introduced himself as Hong Batian before inviting her to call him Batian.
• The elder covered his face in embarrassment over Hong Batian's chosen name.

Hong Batian and Liu Yue were left alone in Liu Yue Wilderness, where Cang Yun appeared and declared his love for her. Hong Batian identified himself as Liu Yue’s formally betrothed fiancé, setting himself against Cang Yun.

• Liu Yue and Hong Batian were transported to Liu Yue Wilderness, while an elder vanished into the shadows to protect Hong Batian.
• Liu Yue told Hong Batian that she had been born in the quiet, desolate wilderness.
• Cang Yun arrived amid a rain of flower petals and presented Liu Yue with a flower he had gathered from across ninety-nine great stars.
• Liu Yue told Cang Yun she saw him only as her best friend and reminded him that she was engaged.
• Cang Yun noticed Hong Batian and asked who he was, and Hong Batian declared that he was Liu Yue’s fiancé in a marriage arranged by their parents.

Hong Batian and Cang Yun argued over Liu Yue, each claiming a closer bond with her, before Cang Yun challenged Hong Batian to a fight. Cang Yun boasted of his cultivation and prodigious rise, while Hong Batian reflected that his own Phoenix bloodline had never awakened and that he had been denied the cultivation and resources of his clan.

• Cang Yun demanded to know whether Liu Yue was truly Hong Batian's fiancée, and Liu Yue eventually confirmed it with a nod.
• Cang Yun called Hong Batian an outsider and urged him to leave Liu Yue, while Hong Batian defended their marriage contract and warned Cang Yun to keep his distance.
• Cang Yun summoned a blue-green spear and challenged Hong Batian, believing his childhood bond with Liu Yue could outlast Hong Batian's claim.
• Cang Yun described his rapid cultivation and standing as the Ancient Royal Clan's second greatest prodigy, then asked what Hong Batian had to match him.
• Hong Batian acknowledged Cang Yun's talent but thought he could have reached Celestial Immortal cultivation before one hundred if his Phoenix bloodline had awakened and he had grown up with the clan's support.

Hong Batian and Cang Yun fought while holding back to protect the important star where Liu Yue came each year. The battle escalated when Cang Yun unleashed the first transformation of the Mystic Dragon Seven Transformations against Hong Batian.

• The narration described how ancient inheritances and concentrated resources let the Star River Cosmos's top factions maintain their overwhelming advantage.
• Cang Yun taunted Hong Batian and thrust his spear toward Hong Batian's brow, but Hong Batian deflected it and struck Cang Yun's chest with the Mysterious Underworld Hand.
• Cang Yun charged again, and Hong Batian countered with the Phantom Seven Hands as both men restrained their strength to avoid damaging the star.
• Hong Batian briefly thought of Taiyuan during the fight, angering Cang Yun, who attacked with the Mystic Dragon Seven Transformations, First Transformation—Earth Dragon Upheaval.

Hong Batian accepted Cang Yun’s challenge to compete in the Ancient Royal Clan’s Cloud Mist Secret Realm trial. Three days later, he joined the gathered young talents as the trial began, with points awarded for killing ancient demon species.

• Hong Batian easily knocked Cang Yun aside, then accepted his challenge to see who would take first place in the trial three days later.
• Liu Yue suspected Hong Batian was using his visit to investigate the Ancient Royal Clan’s younger generation, then left him to prepare.
• Hong Batian spent the next three days finding his way to the Cloud Mist Secret Realm.
• An organizer began the trial, explaining that contestants would earn points by killing ancient demon species, with higher-ranking demons worth more points.

Hong Batian entered the Cloud Mist Secret Realm competition, where participants would hunt ancient demonic spawn and compete for points and a chance at special training. His guardian Tiger Force stayed behind after the organizer assured him that Hong Batian would be safe, while an unknown figure approached a palace in the starry sky.

• The chubby little fellow announced that the competition would feature ancient demonic spawn as strong as peak Heavenly Immortals and that the first-place winner would receive special training in the Ancient Royal Clan’s sacred land.
• Hong Batian listened as the younger generation discussed the dangers of the secret realm and its treasures.
• The chubby little fellow opened the Cloud Mist Secret Realm and sent the young talents inside.
• Hong Batian told the empty space beside him to stay, then entered the realm.
• The chubby little fellow invited Tiger Force to wait with him and assured him that Hong Batian would be safe because he had arranged everything.
• A furtive figure knelt reverently before the entrance of a pitch-black palace drifting through space.

Hong Batian and Cang Yun hunted demon seeds inside the Cloud Mist Secret Realm while a mysterious figure plotted against the Phoenix Clan and the Ancient Royal Clan. Cang Yun found a brutally mutilated corpse, leaving the killer’s identity unknown.

• A mysterious figure confirmed that their plans were in place and spoke of killing Huang Tian’s beloved son and making the Ancient Royal Clan suffer.
• Hong Batian sensed an ambush in the desert and used his power to erase five peak Earth Immortal demon seeds, collecting their flames.
• Hong Batian wondered whether his rival had entered the secret realm and declared that the era belonged to him.
• Cang Yun boasted that he had slain thirteen peak Earth Immortal spirits in half an hour.
• Cang Yun followed a smell of blood through the forest and discovered a corpse missing its arms and legs, with a large claw mark on its chest.

Cang Yun investigated signs that someone was killing cultivators in the Cloud Mist Secret Realm, while Hong Batian found a gorge full of corpses and was confronted by two cultivators demanding his spirits. The woman prepared to attack when Hong Batian did not agree to surrender them.

• Cang Yun saw a corpse and decided to investigate suspected killings in the secret realm.
• Hong Batian complained that he had encountered only Earth Immortal Realm demon spawn before discovering many corpses in a gorge.
• A fiery red arrow narrowly missed Hong Batian and blasted a hole in the mountain wall.
• A woman with a longbow and a man carrying a heavy sword demanded Hong Batian hand over his spirits, claiming they wanted no lives.
• When Hong Batian questioned them about the corpses and asked what would happen if he refused, the woman nocked an arrow and gave him one last chance to surrender.

Hong Batian fought off a woman and her greatsword-wielding companion after they attacked him, revealing power that made them mistake him for a Heavenly Immortal. They fled, but Hong Batian called them back.

• The woman challenged Hong Batian and shot a blazing crimson arrow at him.
• Hong Batian caught the arrow with Phantom Seven Hands and broke it, so the woman sent Woodenhead to attack with his greatsword.
• The woman fired three arrows as Woodenhead struck from behind, but Hong Batian caught the arrows and stopped the greatsword with his hand.
• Woodenhead realized Hong Batian had absorbed his powerful strike without damaging the ground and fled, believing Hong Batian was a Heavenly Immortal.
• The woman also tried to flee, but Hong Batian told them to come back.

Hong Batian spared Hong Yue and made her travel with him through the Cloud Mist Secret Realm. After she showed him a map and suggested the safer Sumeru Peak, he ignored her advice and headed toward the dangerous Dark Moon Lake.

• Hong Batian asked the captured woman her name, and Hong Yue begged for her life.
• Hong Batian spared Hong Yue but ordered her to come with him, and she explained that she had tricked a swordsman into following her.
• Hong Yue showed Hong Batian a map of the Cloud Mist Secret Realm and suggested they head to Sumeru Peak, where demonic spawn were scarce.
• Hong Batian grabbed Hong Yue and carried her toward Dark Moon Lake, despite her warning that it was dangerous.

Hong Batian dragged the terrified Hong Yue to Dark Moon Lake, where Cang Yun confronted them and warned of strange threats in the area. When Cang Yun disturbed the lake, a gigantic demonic dragon emerged, and Hong Yue recognized it as a spirit of strangeness.

• Hong Yue pleaded with Hong Batian not to go to Dark Moon Lake, but he dragged her there anyway.
• Hong Batian and Hong Yue arrived at the silent, purple lake, where Hong Yue feared the powerful demonic creatures said to dwell there.
• Cang Yun appeared recording them with an Image Recording Stone and accused Hong Batian of letting Liu Yue down by finding a new lover.
• Cang Yun warned that strange things beyond demonic creatures had killed living beings on the way to the lake.
• Cang Yun struck the lake, and a massive blackish-purple demonic dragon rose from the water; Hong Yue identified it as a spirit of strangeness.

Hong Batian recognized the demonic dragon’s eerie spirit as a remnant of the ancient creatures that had once nearly destroyed the Star River Cosmos. He accused the Ancient Royal Clan of colluding with them, but Cang Yun denied it and charged the dragon, leaving the group facing a powerful threat.

• Hong Batian recalled how eerie creatures had spread across the cosmos and nearly overturned it in a war lasting over a hundred million years.
• Hong Batian warned Cang Yun that the Ancient Royal Clan would be exterminated if it was found colluding with eerie creatures.
• Cang Yun denied the accusation and said they should defeat the demonic dragon and extract its divine soul to uncover the truth.
• Cang Yun charged the peak Heavenly Immortal demonic dragon while Hong Batian told Hong Yue to shoot it in the eyes.
• The demonic dragon sent Cang Yun flying before Hong Batian could reach it, and Cang Yun spat out blood as his spear fell onto the lake.

Hong Batian, Hong Yue, and Cang Yun fought a demonic dragon at the lake until three bizarre ones appeared. Cang Yun recognized them as genuine bizarre ones, despite believing their kind had been purged.

• Hong Yue attacked the demonic dragon with seven arrows, but its roar shattered her attack.
• Hong Batian struck the demonic dragon with his Mystic Jade Hand and sent it flying.
• Cang Yun drove the demonic dragon into the lake with Meteor Fall.
• Cang Yun dodged a sword attack and faced a masked swordsman with six floating swords.
• A strange child and a clown-masked figure appeared, and Cang Yun realized all three newcomers were genuine bizarre ones.

Cang Yun confronted three peak Heavenly Immortal aberrations and a demonic dragon inside the Ancient Royal Clan’s territory. Hong Batian accused the clan of colluding with aberrations, leaving Cang Yun unable to deny the evidence.

• Cang Yun demanded to know how Zayik, Helen, and Bal Rakshasa had entered the Ancient Royal Clan’s territory and questioned the clan’s apparent ties to aberrations.
• Zayik approached Cang Yun and said he would explain the human heart before threatening to kill him.
• Helen claimed Cang Yun as her opponent, while Bal Rakshasa dismissed Hong Yue as too weak to fight.
• Hong Yue collapsed in relief after Bal Rakshasa looked away from her.
• Hong Batian mocked Cang Yun for the evidence that the Ancient Royal Clan had colluded with aberrations, and Cang Yun could not refute him.