Recaps

Yu Xiangtian appointed the Metal Spirit Pulse Master to lead the Secret Realm expedition, then sent Elder Zhou to seek an alliance with the Sword Heaven Upper Sect. He planned to win their cooperation by exploiting their enmity with the Divine Martial Royal Court, which would also join the expedition.

• The Metal Spirit Pulse Master asked to lead the Secret Realm expedition, seeking to secure his position after his failed alignment with the New Faction.
• Yu Xiangtian approved the request, and the other Pulse Masters left the Council Hall.
• Elder Zhou warned Yu Xiangtian about the Metal Spirit Pulse Master's ties to the New Faction, but Yu Xiangtian said the situation remained under control.
• Yu Xiangtian instructed Elder Zhou to contact the Sword Heaven Upper Sect about a partnership for entering the Secret Realm.
• Elder Zhou realized Yu Xiangtian meant to use the Sword Heaven Upper Sect's hatred of the Divine Martial Royal Court to persuade them to cooperate.

The Gold Spirit Pulse Master tried to remove Lin Tian from a team leadership position to prevent the Heavenly Steed Lineage from gaining prestige. Meanwhile, Lin Tian cultivated in preparation for the Secret Realm, nearing a breakthrough that would strengthen all five of his streams of True Qi.

• The Gold Spirit Pulse Master reviewed the Secret Realm assignments and found that Mu Chunfeng and Lin Tian had each been named a team leader.
• The Gold Spirit Pulse Master kept Mu Chunfeng’s position but ordered an elder to remove Lin Tian from his leadership role.
• Lin Tian abandoned his plan to seek the Demon-Subduing Golden Body in the Hebei Region because the Secret Realm was about to open.
• Lin Tian continued cultivating the Primordial Five Elements Art and drew power from a blood bead as his True Qi neared Gang Realm Perfection.

Lin Tian learned that his team leader position had been taken and considered whether to fight to reclaim it for the Secret Realm benefits, while continuing to cultivate as the Secret Realm grew more active. The chapter ended with Sword Heaven Upper Sect’s flying vessel brazenly crossing Dao Origin Sect’s mountain gate, prompting Elder Zhou to recognize the truth behind the rumors about them.

• Mu Chunfeng told Lin Tian that he had been replaced as team leader, apparently through the influence of the Gold Spirit Pulse Master.
• Lin Tian learned that team leaders could carry more Secret Realm Origin Power and decided he might reclaim the position if his cultivation advanced.
• Lin Tian heard that Sword Heaven Upper Sect had joined the expedition and wondered whether its arrival would disrupt his plans to find Secret Realm Origin Crystals for Hua Chengming.
• The Secret Realm rumbled and sent a beam of light skyward, but it did not open, while Lin Tian’s Gang Realm cultivation continued to progress.
• A Sword Heaven flying vessel charged over Dao Origin Sect’s mountain gate and knocked patrolling disciples off their feet.
• Elder Zhou stopped an angry elder from confronting the vessel and silently concluded that the rumors about Sword Heaven’s unruly sword cultivators were true.

Elder Zhou ordered Dao Origin Sect elders to stop the Sword Heaven Upper Sect's Flying Boat, but it sped away, provoking the elders. Aboard the boat, Elder Ling revealed that the Sword Heaven Upper Sect had come not only to aid the Dao Origin Sect but also to seize the Secret Realm Origin Crystals, which it expected to find in abundance.

• Elder Zhou sent three elders to stop the Flying Boat crossing the Dao Origin Sect's skies.
• The Flying Boat accelerated away from the elders, and the Sword Heaven Upper Sect's disciples mocked them as they fell behind.
• Elder Hao questioned whether Elder Ling was provoking the Dao Origin Sect too much, but Elder Ling argued that the sect was asking for help without offering enough in return.
• Elder Hao reflected that the Sword Heaven Upper Sect had also come because of what happened with the Divine Martial Royal Court fifty years earlier.
• Elder Ling revealed that the Sword Heaven Upper Sect had discovered the Secret Realm would produce many Secret Realm Origin Crystals and planned to take more than seventy percent of them.

Elder Ling stopped the Sword Heaven Upper Sect’s Flying Boat at the entrance to the Dao Origin Sect’s Inner Sect, and Elder Zhou came to meet them despite his anger. After nearly a month of cultivation, Lin Tian left his chamber and watched four women practice before Xue Rou asked him for advice on her combat technique.

• Elder Ling agreed to stop the Flying Boat before it entered the Dao Origin Sect’s Inner Sect, and Elder Zhou led his elders forward to welcome the Sword Heaven Upper Sect visitors.
• Lin Tian released and recalled his five true essences in the Cultivation Chamber, then left to clear his head after setting his cultivation to continue automatically.
• Lin Tian watched four women practice in the courtyard and noticed that the woman in red used the Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Spear.
• Xue Rou approached Lin Tian, greeted him, and asked whether he would offer her advice on a difficulty with her combat technique.

Lin Tian guided Xue Rou in her sword technique and discovered that his Formless Combat Technique could use his Fate Grid to help others break through their bottlenecks. He then gave the remaining women advice, while keeping this new ability secret.

• Lin Tian agreed to guide the four women and asked Xue Rou to explain her difficulty with her sword technique.
• Lin Tian guided Xue Rou through her sword movements, helping her perfect the technique and break through.
• Lin Tian realized his Formless Combat Technique had connected with his Fate Grid, which recorded Xue Rou's sword art and enabled the breakthrough.
• Lin Tian considered the potential of using the ability to help others overcome bottlenecks, but decided to guard the secret.
• Lin Tian gave the other three women verbal advice and demonstrations, with the spear-cultivating woman benefiting the most.

Yu Xiangtian received Elder Ling and the Sword Heaven Upper Sect delegation to discuss cooperation in the Secret Realm. He agreed to let their disciples compete for leadership of the team below the True Essence Realm, then left for the Cultivation Chamber while Elder Zhou departed the Boundless Pavilion.

• Elder Zhou brought the Sword Heaven Upper Sect delegation into the Dao Origin Sect, where Yu Xiangtian hosted them and discussed a lasting partnership with Elder Ling.
• Elder Ling said he worried about the danger facing his disciples in the Secret Realm and proposed that each sect lead one of the two teams.
• Yu Xiangtian weighed the potential loss of Secret Realm Origin Power against the need to maintain fair terms and a long-term alliance.
• Elder Ling proposed that the Sword Heaven Upper Sect's disciples compete for leadership of the team below the True Essence Realm, leaving the True Essence Realm team untouched.
• Yu Xiangtian agreed to Elder Ling's request at the banquet, then told Elder Zhou that the decision could not be reversed.
• Yu Xiangtian headed to the Cultivation Chamber, while Elder Zhou left the Boundless Pavilion.

Elder Ling ordered the elders to begin their plan at Dao Origin Sect immediately. Elder Hao then told Gu Changyuan and his sister to help secure an important position, after finding Changyuan battered and hearing his claim that he had fallen.

• Elder Ling rejected waiting a few days and sent the other elders to inform their disciples that the plan had to begin at once.
• Gu Changyuan tried to persuade his sister to let him leave their courtyard, claiming he wanted to find her a husband.
• Gu Changyuan angered his sister by calling her old and was beaten before Elder Hao arrived.
• Elder Hao noticed Changyuan's bloody nose and handprints, but Changyuan insisted he had simply fallen.
• Elder Hao told them it was time to carry out the plan and warned them to secure the important position.

Gu Changyuan challenged Xuantian Du for the right to lead at the Myriad Phenomena Arena, while Gu Qingshuang promised Elder Hao she would not fail the sect. An hour after the challenge began, word spread that Gu Changyuan had defeated Xuantian Du.

• Elder Hao addressed Gu Qingshuang, who promised she would not fail the sect, then left to report to Elder Ling.
• Gu Qingshuang told Gu Changyuan he could go out, and he followed her.
• Gu Changyuan arrived at the Myriad Phenomena Arena and challenged Xuantian Du, the current holder of the right to lead.
• Xuantian Du received a Martial Dao Will message, understood why Gu Changyuan had challenged him, and descended to fight.
• An hour later, news spread that Gu Changyuan had defeated Xuantian Du, a Half-Step True Essence Realm cultivator.

Lin Tian reviewed intelligence about the contenders for the leader’s position, including Xie Shi, while Xie Shi prepared to challenge Gu Changyuan. At the Myriad Phenomena Arena, Dao Origin Sect and Sword Heaven Upper Sect disciples faced off amid growing hostility before the fight began.

• A Gold Spirit Lineage man received the Pulse Master’s warning to approach the coming fight cautiously and secure the position.
• Lin Tian read Song Bao’er’s reports about Gu Changyuan and the contenders, learning that Xie Shi’s failed attempt to break through had made reaching the True Essence Realm much harder for him.
• Five days later, Xie Shi announced his challenge to Gu Changyuan at the crowded Myriad Phenomena Arena.
• Sword Heaven Upper Sect disciples taunted the Dao Origin Sect disciples, who held back from fighting because their elders had ordered them to.

Gu Changyuan and Xie Shi fought fiercely on the Arena, pushing their Half-Step True Essence power to the limit. As Xie Shi revealed a blood-colored trump card, Gu Changyuan claimed it was not enough to defeat him and began to glow with starlight.

• The witnessing elder started the battle, and Gu Changyuan and Xie Shi immediately clashed with their strongest sword and saber techniques.
• Their repeated collisions shattered the Arena and sent shockwaves into the crowd, prompting the elder to protect and reinforce the barrier.
• Gu Changyuan and Xie Shi were blown apart after their battle reached its peak, then gathered power beyond ordinary True Gang for a decisive strike.
• Xie Shi infused his longsaber with blood-colored energy, while Gu Changyuan recognized his hidden trump card and began to glow like starlight.

After Xie Shi lost to Gu Changyuan, the Dao Origin Sect’s Yu Xiangtian considered the threatened loss of its leading slot but chose not to jeopardize relations with the Sword Heaven Upper Sect. Meanwhile, Lin Tian advanced the Primordial Five Elements Art to its eighth layer, triggering a startling surge in his True Gang.

• Lin Tian learned that Xie Shi had been defeated and returned to cultivation, while the Metal Spirit Pulse Master worried he would be held responsible for giving up the leading slot.
• Elder Zhou told Yu Xiangtian that Xie Shi had lost, the Secret Realm still showed no sign of opening, and the Sword Heaven Upper Sect had revealed nothing suspicious.
• Yu Xiangtian ended the surveillance of the Sword Heaven Upper Sect to preserve the sects’ bond and learned that Hua Chengming remained inside the Dao Derivation Tower.
• Yu Xiangtian and Elder Zhou briefly considered whether Lin Tian could challenge Gu Changyuan, but dismissed the idea because Lin Tian was only in the Late Gang Realm.
• Lin Tian completed the seventh layer of the Primordial Five Elements Art and broke through to the eighth, causing all five streams of his True Gang to surge dramatically.

Lin Tian’s cultivation surged after two of his True Gangs reached the Peerless True Gang tier, straining his meridians and revealing that his body could not yet withstand further growth. He decided he could store the Secret Realm Origin Power until he strengthened his body, while Gu Changyuan’s victory left the Dao Origin Sect’s quota unchallenged.

• Lin Tian felt his power surge so violently that he feared his meridians would burst and considered dispersing his cultivation to survive.
• Lin Tian discovered that his True Gang’s growth had halted because the other three True Gangs had not reached the Peerless True Gang tier.
• Lin Tian considered strengthening his body through the Demon-Subduing Golden Body, but realized he might not have time before the Secret Realm opened.
• Lin Tian decided to store the Secret Realm Origin Power in the Dao Origin Sect until his physical cultivation improved.
• Gu Changyuan, Gu Qingshuang, and Elder Hao drank tea in a courtyard, where Elder Hao noted that no one had challenged Gu Changyuan since his victory over Xie Shi.

Elder Hao warned Gu Changyuan and Gu Qingshuang that Lin Tian could threaten their bid for the Secret Realm Origin Crystal, especially because he repeatedly concealed his true strength and revealed unexpected trump cards. After reading Lin Tian’s records, Gu Qingshuang asked Elder Hao whether he might endanger their plans.

• Elder Hao and Gu Changyuan grew excited about the rewards they expected from securing the Secret Realm Origin Crystal, while Gu Qingshuang warned them not to lower their guard.
• Elder Hao recalled Lin Tian’s record of defeating stronger opponents and recognized him as a dangerous unknown because he often hid his strength.
• Elder Hao showed Lin Tian’s records to Gu Changyuan and Gu Qingshuang.
• Gu Changyuan expressed interest in Lin Tian’s rise, while Gu Qingshuang recognized his exceptional talent and combat ability.
• Gu Qingshuang asked Elder Hao whether Lin Tian might pose a threat to them.

Elder Hao Chang warned Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan that Lin Tian concealed abilities beyond those shown in his battles and advised them to treat him cautiously. Though Elder Hao Chang suggested Lin Tian might help them in the upcoming Secret Realm, Gu Changyuan resolved to challenge him, and Gu Qingshuang forbade it.

• Elder Hao Chang pointed out that Lin Tian repeatedly revealed hidden powers, including two True Gangs and Spear Intent, only when needed in battle.
• Elder Hao Chang warned Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan that Lin Tian likely had more strength and trump cards than the records showed.
• Elder Hao Chang suggested they could seek Lin Tian's help if they faced danger in the upcoming Secret Realm.
• Gu Changyuan dismissed the warning and decided to challenge Lin Tian using the quota in his hands.
• Gu Qingshuang stopped Gu Changyuan from using the sect's quota to challenge Lin Tian.

Gu Changyuan was eager to fight Lin Tian, while Gu Qingshuang worried that Lin Tian’s cautious nature meant he was confident of winning. After Lin Tian challenged Gu Changyuan, Yu Xiangtian compared Lin Tian’s behavior to Hua Chengming’s and found them strikingly similar.

• Gu Qingshuang warned Gu Changyuan not to challenge Lin Tian because the matter concerned the sect, but a messenger arrived to report that Lin Tian had challenged him.
• Gu Changyuan eagerly accepted the challenge, and Gu Qingshuang followed him to the Myriad Phenomena Arena.
• News of Lin Tian’s challenge spread through the Dao Origin Sect, and Elder Zhou confirmed it to Yu Xiangtian.
• Yu Xiangtian wondered whether Lin Tian had gained confidence from a recent breakthrough, but Elder Zhou said he did not know what had prompted the challenge.
• Yu Xiangtian reflected that comparing Lin Tian with Hua Chengming helped explain Lin Tian’s unusual behavior and cautious personality.

Lin Tian challenged Gu Changyuan for the Myriad Phenomena Arena quota, drawing a huge crowd as he sensed Gu Changyuan’s developed Special Physique and another powerful, hidden presence belonging to Gu Qingshuang. Gu Changyuan met Lin Tian and praised his ability to conceal his strength, leaving Lin Tian confused about the investigation and praise he had received.

• News of Lin Tian’s challenge to Gu Changyuan packed the Myriad Phenomena Arena with spectators.
• Lin Tian sensed that Gu Changyuan possessed a powerful Special Physique whose aura seemed to resonate with his True Astral energy.
• Lin Tian detected an even stronger hidden aura on an elevated platform and discovered its owner was the veiled Gu Qingshuang, who realized he had noticed her.
• Gu Changyuan stepped onto the Arena, and Lin Tian decided he would need the quota to secure more Secret Realm Origin Power before his upcoming trip.
• Gu Changyuan told Lin Tian that he had studied information about him and praised his repeated displays of hidden strength, leaving Lin Tian puzzled.

Lin Tian prepared to face Gu Changyuan, but Gu Qingshuang replaced her brother after judging that Lin Tian was too powerful for him. As the Witness Elders prepared to start the match, Lin Tian considered ending the fight with one full-strength strike.

• Lin Tian learned that the Sword Heaven Upper Sect had assessed him as a notable opponent and worried about the trump cards he had left for later battles.
• Gu Changyuan became angry when Lin Tian looked toward Gu Qingshuang, seeming to treat him as an obstacle before the real fight.
• Gu Qingshuang descended, revealed her face, and ordered Gu Changyuan to leave the Arena so she could take his place.
• Gu Qingshuang accepted Lin Tian's challenge after concluding that Gu Changyuan might not be able to handle him and wanting to test the results of her secluded cultivation.
• The Witness Elders began preparing the match, while Lin Tian considered using his full strength to defeat Gu Qingshuang in a single strike.

Lin Tian and Gu Qingshuang unleashed their full power on the arena, and their clash produced a blinding explosion and a powerful shockwave. The Witness Elder strengthened the barrier as the arena shook, but no further movement followed.

• Lin Tian decided to reveal his power and try to end the battle quickly.
• Gu Qingshuang sensed Lin Tian's overwhelming Chaos True Gang and realized he had reached Gang Realm Perfection.
• Gu Qingshuang combined her True Gang with her icy physique, while the Witness Elders raised a stronger barrier to protect the watching disciples.
• Lin Tian and Gu Qingshuang charged at each other and collided, unleashing a blinding explosion that shattered the arena stones and shook the surroundings.
• A Witness Elder increased the barrier's power as the shockwave passed, and the arena produced no further movement.

Lin Tian defeated Gu Qingshuang with a single spear strike and received the position representing the leader, though the battle left her clothes torn and her embarrassed. After Yu Xiangtian learned of Lin Tian’s victory, Elder Zhou brought him urgent news that sent him toward the Secret Realm, while an unexpected visitor appeared in Lin Tian’s courtyard.

• The dust cleared to reveal Lin Tian standing and Gu Qingshuang defeated, with her clothing torn by the force of the battle.
• Lin Tian covered Gu Qingshuang with his robe and apologized, and she left with Gu Changyuan.
• The Witness Elders awarded Lin Tian the position representing the leader, and he returned to his courtyard.
• Yu Xiangtian heard of Lin Tian’s victory, then received urgent news from Elder Zhou and flew toward the Secret Realm.
• An unidentified figure appeared in Lin Tian’s courtyard before he could begin cultivating.

Lin Tian learned from Mu Chunfeng that the Secret Realm was likely to open soon and received information about the mission and the Three Great Royal Courts. The new knowledge left Lin Tian eager to explore the wider world beyond what he knew.

• Mu Chunfeng congratulated Lin Tian on defeating the Sword Heaven Upper Sect disciples and told him the Secret Realm was likely about to open.
• Mu Chunfeng sent Lin Tian the Dao Origin Sect's map of the Secret Realm and explained that their goal was to occupy resource points, gather Secret Realm Origin Power, and return safely.
• Lin Tian asked Mu Chunfeng about the Three Great Royal Courts, and Mu Chunfeng shared what he knew about the Divine Martial, Divine Shaman, and Divine Shepherd Royal Courts.
• Lin Tian considered how much he still did not know about the Martial Way and the world, and felt curious about the greater realms beyond.

After losing their Secret Realm slot, Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan learned from Elder Hao that the Three Great Royal Courts had changed the entry rules so everyone would arrive at random locations. Elder Hao warned them that the Royal Courts’ confidence was backed by their strength and urged them to stay cautious, leaving them to prepare for the expedition.

• Mu Chunfeng left Lin Tian’s courtyard after sharing everything he knew, and Lin Tian returned to his Cultivation Chamber.
• Elder Hao visited Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan and told them not to worry about losing their slot.
• Elder Hao explained that the Three Great Royal Courts had changed the Secret Realm rules so entrants would arrive at random locations and usually fight alone.
• Elder Hao told Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan that the Royal Courts trusted their warriors to defeat the two upper sects even when scattered.
• Elder Hao recalled the Sword Heaven Upper Sect’s disastrous expedition decades earlier and warned Gu Qingshuang and Gu Changyuan not to act rashly in the Secret Realm.

After the Secret Realm rules changed to make entrants act alone, Lin Tian welcomed the freedom while his attendants worried about the added danger. Song Bao'er considered Wen Qingxue’s suggestion that she persuade him, but instead reflected on the privileges and rapid cultivation gains she had received by serving Lin Tian.

• Elder Zhou asked Yu Xiangtian whether the Dao Origin Sect should add rules of its own, but Yu Xiangtian refused to use up the Sect's limited opportunities.
• The disciples reacted to the new rules: powerful disciples welcomed the chance to act alone, while most feared entering the dangerous Secret Realm without support.
• Song Bao'er told Lin Tian that entrants would have to act alone, and he calmly accepted the change before heading to the Cultivation Chamber.
• Wen Qingxue and the other women worried that Lin Tian might be in danger and asked Song Bao'er to persuade him, but Song Bao'er teased Wen Qingxue instead.
• After the women left, Song Bao'er headed toward Lin Tian and thought about how serving him had brought her status, discounted resources, and rapid cultivation progress.

Lin Tian discovered that his Blood-Colored True Qi had stopped growing because his True Gang had reached its limit, and he planned to seek the next Demon-Subduing Golden Body method after the Secret Realm trip. When the Secret Realm opened, Elder Zhou escorted him to the gathering place, where Lin Tian saw numerous young True Essence Realm experts and felt a powerful aura as the ground shook.

• Song Bao'er worried about Lin Tian and left after recognizing how far his strength exceeded the courtyard members'.
• Lin Tian realized his Blood-Colored True Qi had stopped advancing because his abundant True Gang constrained it, and he planned to obtain the Demon-Subduing Golden Body method in the Hebei Region.
• Three days later, a beam of light rose from the Dao Origin Sect and bells announced the Secret Realm's opening.
• Lin Tian left his Cultivation Chamber, gave Song Bao'er instructions, and accepted Elder Zhou's escort to the Secret Realm entrance.
• Lin Tian arrived at the gathering plaza and saw nearly a hundred young True Essence Realm experts from the Dao Origin Sect and the Sword Heaven Upper Sect.
• The ground shook violently, and Lin Tian sensed an unfamiliar, powerful aura.

Lin Tian and the gathered disciples prepared to enter the Secret Realm after an ancient rune-covered gate emerged from the ground. Once the elders opened the portal and the True Essence Realm disciples entered, Lin Tian led the remaining disciples through it.

• An ancient stone gate appeared before Lin Tian, releasing powerful Earth Vein Origin Power.
• Yu Xiangtian and the elders arrived, and Elder Zhou distributed Origin Storage Crystals to the gathered disciples; Lin Tian received a black crystal while many others received purple ones.
• Elder Zhou and the other elders channeled True Essence into the gate, opening a whirlpool-like portal to the Secret Realm.
• Yu Xiangtian and the elders entered first, followed by the True Essence Realm disciples.
• The remaining disciples waited for Lin Tian to move, and then followed him through the portal.