Chapter Summaries

Yu Ci learned the costs and risks of He Qing’s Heart Splitting Sword Lock and secured the Star Picking Main Tower for cultivation. After two days of refining the God Slaying Thorn, he achieved a breakthrough, only to recognize the demonic-eyed object that appeared from his storage ring.

• Xingtian explained that He Qing used the Flowing Water Sword for the Heart Splitting Sword Lock, sacrificing vitality and emotions while binding herself to a severe oath.
• Yu Ci learned that Yu Zhou had likely helped He Qing prepare the curse lock and that the Empirical Branch’s doctrinal deduction was nearing its final push.
• Yu Ci obtained permission to use the Star Picking Main Tower for closed-door cultivation and dismissed Xingtian’s warning that interfering with the deduction could make him a sect enemy.
• After two days of cultivation, Yu Ci successfully manipulated the heart demon sha qi and brought the God Slaying Thorn under his control.
• A round object fell from Yu Ci’s storage ring, and he recognized its bright red demonic eye.

Yu Ci returned from Star Picking Tower to Wanfa Jing She under orders to remain confined while the sect pursued its Great Evolution Yin Yang deduction. As Li You and Zhang Yan discussed rejecting the deduction, a pillar of light rose from the Ancestor Hall through the storm clouds.

• Shan Gu returned to Yu Ci with golden horns and newly formed eyes, and Zhou Yu ordered Yu Ci to guard Wanfa Jing She with the Tu family brothers.
• Yu Ci challenged the Tu family brothers to another artifact-control contest, then went with them to Wanfa Jing She.
• The Empirical Branch kept Yu Ci under close guard while the Great Evolution Yin Yang deduction continued.
• Li You declared that he would refuse to use the Great Evolution Yin Yang method and carve out his own path if necessary.
• Zhang Yan spoke with Yu Ci about the Northern Wastes, then both watched a pillar of light burst from the Ancestor Hall through the clouds.

Yu Ci watched Ancestor Fang’s tribulation-crossing method succeed as the mountain-guarding array repelled the heavenly demons, but he rejected the celebration and withdrew in anger. When demons breached the defenses nearby, Yu Ci’s dwelling protected him and he swiftly destroyed the ones that approached.

• Runes descended over the Ancestor Hall as the mountain-guarding array activated and repelled waves of Azure Void Demonic Shadows.
• Li Hong explained the Empirical Branch’s history and urged Yu Ci to consider the danger to its disciples if Ancestor Fang’s method failed.
• Yu Ci questioned why Ancestor Fang had to use this method on himself, but the Marrow Burning Blood River revived the rune array and the tribulation proceeded smoothly.
• Li Hong and the Empirical Branch cultivators celebrated Ancestor Fang’s success while Yu Ci shattered his doorway and went back inside.
• Wang Jiu entered Yu Ci’s dwelling to make sure he was there, then warned the others not to leave him alone.
• Outer Realm Heavenly Demons breached the grand array, but Yu Ci’s dwelling repelled two mind demons and his sword Qi destroyed another.

Yu Ci used decoys and a sudden escape to break through the Li Chen Sect’s defenses and head toward the Star Picking Tower. After knocking Zhang Yan unconscious, he disappeared as the Ancestor Hall’s breakthrough appeared to succeed.

• Yu Ci’s talismans helped the cultivators defeat the attacking Outer Realm Heavenly Demons while the tribulation’s final strike targeted the Ancestor Hall.
• Li Hong, Wang Jiu, and others realized Yu Ci was missing, and Wang Jiu exposed the Grand Unity Star Pivot Clones in his house.
• Yu Ci released many more clones, exploited confusion among the defenders, and escaped past Dan Chu and the others.
• Dan Chu, Wang Jiu, and Li Hong pursued Yu Ci toward Sky Pillar Mountain, but his aura abruptly vanished.
• Yu Ci appeared before Zhang Yan, knocked him unconscious, and slipped away as a light rose from the Ancestor Hall and cheers began.

Yu Ci used the Thunder-Slaying Calamity-Averting Token to send a lightning orb toward Star Picking Tower while Venerable Yu Xu and the others tried to understand his intent. The orb struck He Qing, leaving her bloodied and snapping one of the fish-dragon’s horns.

• Venerable Yu Xu learned that Yu Ci had escaped with help from a hidden Walking Void cultivator and sent Su Jiren to find him.
• Yu Ci dismissed the Shadow Ghost’s advice to attack more forcefully and explained that he was trying to make his case despite his limited standing and cultivation.
• Yu Ci prepared to wield the Thunder-Slaying Calamity-Averting Token from a distance, while the Shadow Ghost said Tie Lan was on its way.
• Venerable Yu Xu recognized the lightning orb approaching Star Picking Tower and realized Yu Ci had sent it inside.
• The orb struck He Qing, who touched her bloodied face as the fish-dragon beside her spun wildly with one golden horn broken off.

Yu Ci used the Primordial Formless Sword to wound the dragon-fish and demand an account from He Qing, halting the heavenly tribulation’s crisis and prompting Fang Hui to reveal he had survived. He escaped into the Spirit Sea with Tie Lan, where He Qing caught up with him and he asked why she had chosen him for the mess.

• Yu Ci wielded the Primordial Formless Sword to sever the dragon-fish’s horn, then wrote in the clouds demanding that someone give him an account.
• Yu Ci wrote that the matter was settled and the overall situation unharmed, after which the sword disappeared and the thunder and fire ceased.
• Venerable Yu Xu ordered a search for Yu Ci, but He Qing flew after him, and Fang Hui told the others not to interfere with her.
• Fang Hui greeted Old Mr. Zhu as he arrived at the Star Picking Tower.
• Tie Lan helped Yu Ci escape through the mountain into the Spirit Sea, where He Qing found him.
• Yu Ci projected his yin spirit and asked He Qing why she had chosen him for the mess.

Yu Ci confronted He Qing about the methods she had taught him and uncovered how Fang Hui had used her ambition and inferiority to drive her cultivation. After Yu Ci and He Qing tested a clean Qi-harvesting method, he launched an attack, and He Qing asked whether he knew of the Heart Splitting Sword Lock.

• Yu Ci questioned He Qing about the techniques she had taught him and asked why she had chosen those methods.
• Old Mr. Zhu asked Fang Hui why he had chosen He Qing, and Fang Hui explained how her ambition and inferiority made her willing to endure his Marrow Burning Blood River method.
• Yu Ci and He Qing acknowledged that Fang Hui had allowed their conversation to be heard, then Yu Ci challenged He Qing to explain why she had not used a clean Qi-harvesting method.
• He Qing left her body as a Yang God, and Yu Ci used the Qi-harvesting method to transfer some Heavenly Dragon True Intent to her without dual cultivation.
• Yu Ci activated two full moons to attack He Qing, while Tie Lan appeared and struck at her physical body; He Qing asked Yu Ci whether he knew of the Heart Splitting Sword Lock.

Yu Ci confronted He Qing and pieced together the hidden bargain involving Yu Zhou, the Heart Splitting Sword Lock, and the pill that had saved him. He Qing revealed the full wording of her oath, then struck Yu Ci despite its apparent protection, leaving Shadow Ghost and Xing Tian shouting for him to flee.

• He Qing overpowered Yu Ci and wounded Tie Lan while the twin mirrors began merging beyond Yu Ci's control.
• Yu Ci confronted He Qing about the Heart Splitting Sword Lock and explained how he had traced Yu Zhou's sacrifice and the pill that extended his life.
• He Qing confirmed Yu Zhou had prepared the pill for Yu Ci and revealed that she had sworn not to harm him in this life or incarnation.
• He Qing asked whether Yu Ci had assumed her oath prevented her from harming him, then pressed her golden palm into his Yin Spirit as Shadow Ghost and Xing Tian warned him to flee.

Yu Ci survived He Qing’s attack on his Yin Spirit by entering a state of pure focus, then returned to his body after the Heart Splitting Sword Lock’s backlash damaged He Qing’s Yang God. He Qing explained that the sword lock split vitality and spirit to remove tribulations, leaving Yu Ci to face the consequences of her secret technique.

• Old Mr. Zhu warned Fang Hui that the cultivation world’s turmoil and competition for Divine Lord positions made gradual preparations dangerous.
• As He Qing attacked his Yin Spirit, Yu Ci’s thoughts fragmented, but he entered a clear, single-minded state and maintained his life-and-death sword intent.
• The Heart Splitting Sword Lock’s backlash struck He Qing’s Yang God with Myriad Demons Devour Heart, while her Yin-Yang Qi and Yu Ci’s True Dragon Form Qi shielded her from successive blows.
• He Qing split her Yang God to sever the curse backlash, and Yu Ci used the Suspended Bright Moon to capture the demonic shadow and return to his orifice.
• Yu Ci re-formed his Yin Spirit and saw He Qing pull the Flowing Water Sword from her chest as her qi weakened.
• He Qing told Yu Ci that the Heart Splitting Sword Lock cut apart vitality and spirit to eliminate tribulations and attain a pure Yang God.

He Qing revealed that she had split her Yang God and used the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror to overcome a dangerous step in her transformation. After blasting Yu Ci out of the mountain gate, she explained that she was undergoing the Imprisonment Tribulation and absorbed Shan Gu’s True Dragon Form Qi to rebuild her foundation as a Longevity True Man.

• He Qing healed her wounded body while Yu Ci searched for a chance to escape, and Shadow Ghost warned him about her strength.
• Xingtian and Shadow Ghost prepared to disguise and hide Yu Ci, but He Qing used the Heavenly Law Absolute Prison to blast him out of the mountain gate.
• He Qing followed Yu Ci into the night air, where Shan Gu caught up and hesitated behind her.
• Yu Ci asked He Qing what tribulation she was undergoing, and she explained that she had broken free of seventy years of restraints and was facing the Imprisonment Tribulation.
• He Qing seized Shan Gu by its horn and drew out its True Dragon Form Qi, using it to consolidate her foundation and complete her transformation into a Longevity True Man.

Yu Ci faced He Qing after she revealed her plan to strip the vitality from his Yang God and take his Heavenly Dragon True Intent. As He Qing tried to seize it, Yu Ci used the newly restored Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror and his own defiance to probe her motives, but the chapter ended with the True Intent nearly torn from him.

• He Qing admitted that she had planned from the beginning to carve away Yu Ci’s Yang God vitality, and Shan Gu’s True Dragon Form Qi had helped restore her strength.
• The Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror returned to Yu Ci and used the Void Mirror Disk’s disintegration to repair its structure, then shone green light that eased his Yin God’s injuries.
• He Qing shattered Yu Ci’s defenses and offered to spare him if he surrendered the Heavenly Dragon True Intent, while Yu Ci sensed that her killing intent shifted with his attitude.
• Yu Ci summoned the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror’s help and raised the Seven Star Sword, but He Qing pinned the blade down with overwhelming force.
• Yu Ci poured the Heavenly Dragon True Intent into the sword, and He Qing grabbed the blade and began forcibly tearing the True Intent from his body as he demanded to know what she wanted.

Yu Ci drew He Qing into his Inner Void and used the battle there to probe her choices and sacrifices while the realm struggled to contain her. As He Qing prepared to kill him, Yu Ci summoned a sword and announced his ultimate art.

• Yu Ci entered a half-meditative state and successfully perceived the Inner Void and the real world at the same time.
• Yu Ci projected He Qing into the Inner Void, where their True Dragon Forms fought as her powerful qi mechanism began destabilizing his realm.
• He Qing recognized the danger of the Inner Void and overpowered Yu Ci’s True Dragon Form while examining the Grand Profound Seal.
• Yu Ci tried to provoke He Qing by discussing choice, sacrifice, and her decision to give something up, then sent his demonized Yang God to attack her.
• He Qing dismissed the weakened demonized Yang God and threatened to collapse the Inner Void with Yu Ci inside it.
• Yu Ci summoned a sword and declared that He Qing would bear witness to his ultimate art.

Yu Ci used the Dragon Slaying Manifesting Gauze to destroy He Qing’s True Dragon Form and wound her, then escaped with Tie Lan. As Xing Tian carried him away, Yu Ci learned that the Heavenly Dragon True Intent could recover through his Life and Death Talisman.

• He Qing overwhelmed Yu Ci, but Yu Ci used a sword strike to split the True Dragon Form he had gathered, causing the inner void to collapse.
• A murderous tide burst from the void and split He Qing’s True Dragon Form, gravely injuring her foundation as she struck Yu Ci.
• Tie Lan intercepted He Qing’s attack and fled with Yu Ci, while Xing Tian secretly enabled their escape.
• Old Mr. Zhu waited anxiously on the Star Picking Tower as Fang Hui sensed a change and rose from his seat.
• Xing Tian carried the gravely injured Yu Ci away, and Yu Ci’s remaining medicinal power from the Profound Truth Condensing Void Pill began healing him.
• Yu Ci explained that he had used Haodian’s spiritual imprint to wield the Dragon Slaying Manifesting Gauze, and that the Life and Death Talisman could preserve the Heavenly Dragon True Intent for recovery.

Yu Ci exposed how He Qing’s damaged Dao foundation left her unable to control her power, while a great heart-demon tribulation began to descend. The Outer Realm Heavenly Demons swarmed toward He Qing as she erupted in gray-white flame.

• Xingtian’s protection abruptly vanished, leaving Yu Ci and Tie Lan exposed to He Qing’s pursuit.
• Fang Hui activated the sealing restriction at the mountain gate, while he and an unseen Daoist remained locked in a stalemate.
• Fang Hui recognized the gray haze as a great heart-demon tribulation and rushed outside the mountain gate.
• Yu Ci warned He Qing to look at the sky, then pointed out that without the Fish Dragon and Fang Hui’s Dao foundations, she had to bear her cultivation alone.
• He Qing became unable to move as her damaged Dao foundation faltered, and gray-white flame covered her while Outer Realm Heavenly Demons descended.

Yu Ci fled underground as Fang Hui’s divine intent swept across the sky, while He Qing’s inner demon erupted. Fang Hui erased the demons and He Qing along with them, and Xie Liang challenged him to explain his actions through a series of questions about the Dao.

• Yu Ci followed the Shadow Ghost’s advice, concealed his aura, and plunged underground to escape Fang Hui’s approaching divine intent.
• Fang Hui arrived above the demonic tide surrounding He Qing and dismissed Venerable Yu Xu’s suggestion that they intervene.
• Fang Hui used the Heavenly Law Absolute Prison to freeze the tide and erase the demons, killing He Qing in the process.
• Xie Liang returned to the sect and asked Fang Hui to discuss the Dao, questioning the difference between the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man.
• Xie Liang asked why reading books had left him clear-minded, while seeing Fang Hui had made him increasingly confused.

Fang Hui answered Xie Liang’s challenge by making Yu Ci’s return a matter of sect discipline, then used his Marrow Burning Blood River to accelerate the growth and decay of life across a thousand-mile radius. The chapter ended with Xie Liang witnessing the blood-light’s destructive effects as Fang Hui set a one-month deadline for Yu Ci to return.

• Xie Liang confronted Fang Hui over He Qing and Yu Zhou, using the influence of his allies to press for an accounting.
• Fang Hui said He Qing’s death would be concealed for now and ordered Su Jiren to summon Yu Ci and judge his departure under sect discipline.
• Su Jiren explained the penalties for Yu Ci’s defiance, while Xie Liang argued that Yu Ci’s access to the Xuan Yuan Gen Ben Qi Fa should not be reclaimed.
• Fang Hui invoked the Marrow Burning Blood River, sending blood-light across a thousand miles that spurred plants and animals into rapid growth and transformation.
• Fang Hui gave Yu Ci one month to return and face wall-facing; if he refused, the sect would consider him a traitor and leave his fate to him.
• Xie Liang sensed the blood-light’s effects as lush grass below turned yellow and withered into a dead zone.

Yu Ci recognized that Fang Hui’s Marrow Burning Curse had strengthened his cultivation while cutting his lifespan in half, but he refused Xie Liang’s offer to return. He sang a farewell and vanished into the clouds, setting out on his own journey.

• Yu Ci awakened on a mountain, realized he was at Sky Rift Valley, and sensed the curse continuing to strengthen his body and True Sha.
• Xie Liang emerged from the clouds and asked whether Yu Ci would return with him.
• Yu Ci identified the curse’s benefits and learned from Xie Liang that it consumed Innate Vital Energy and would halve his lifespan.
• Yu Ci refused to return, explaining that doing so would violate the terms of the bargain and his commitment to using the sword.
• Yu Ci spoke of Master Yu, thanked Xie Liang for seeing him off, and sang a farewell with him before disappearing into the clouds.

Wan Quan was pressured by Fifth Brother to lure Yu Ci to a secret location before Ghost Hand Festival, while Yu Ci crossed paths with him again in Black Sand City. The chapter ended with Wan Quan asking Yu Ci for his name.

• Wan Quan met Yu Ci at the South City Gate and directed him to a shop that bought beast bones and demon cores.
• Fifth Brother ambushed Wan Quan and ordered him to lead Yu Ci to a location before Ghost Hand Festival, threatening him if he failed.
• Wan Quan agreed after Fifth Brother mentioned Red Fang Workshop and said Master Hong had chosen him for the task.
• Yu Ci returned from the Shengmao shop and met Wan Quan again, explaining that he had found its offer for Ghost Monkey Fangs unfair.
• Yu Ci asked why Black Sand City was so quiet, and Wan Quan explained that the Great Yuan Magnetic Ore mine made people feel weary at that time of day.
• Wan Quan asked Yu Ci for his honored name.

Yu Ci entered the Northern Wastelands with Wan Quan, who guided him through the underground routes to Yinkui City and helped him trade his gathered materials. Yu Ci hired Wan Quan to guide him for two more days, while Wan Quan grew increasingly wary of the strength Yu Ci had shown.

• Yu Ci asked Wan Quan to find him work involving summoning souls or catching ghosts.
• Wan Quan led Yu Ci through the tunnels beneath Black Sand City toward Yinkui City and explained the region's ward halls, checkpoints, and safety fees.
• Wan Quan arranged trades that exchanged Yu Ci's beast bones and demon cores for supplies and currency at favorable prices.
• Yu Ci gave Wan Quan more than fifteen Ghost Monkey Fangs as payment for his services, startling Wan Quan with their value.
• Yu Ci hired Wan Quan to guide him for two more days and sealed the arrangement before Wan Quan could refuse.

Yu Ci used his soul-summoning technique on Ghost Hand Zhou and revived a trace of his awareness, then declined to investigate the cause of Zhou’s condition. As Yu Ci and Wan Quan left, they spotted Master Su, leaving Yu Ci’s search for a peaceful place to cultivate interrupted by another encounter.

• Wan Quan brought Yu Ci to meet Guo Tang, who explained that his master, Ghost Hand Zhou, had lost his soul while practicing.
• Yu Ci performed a casual-looking spell on Ghost Hand Zhou, and a luminous pearl formed on Zhou’s forehead as he began to breathe again.
• Yu Ci explained that Zhou’s soul had shattered and that his spell had only gathered remnants, then refused Guo Tang’s request to investigate further.
• Yu Ci left with Wan Quan and said he wanted to find a peaceful place to cultivate in Yinkui City.
• Wan Quan followed Yu Ci’s gaze and recognized Master Su.