Chapter Summaries

Zhou Yun left the Shangyang Immortal Sect trial with Aunt Bai while Jiang Ning broke through the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique, gained a Pure Yang Body, and began the second trial across the Profound Yin Sea. He set out by skiff toward the next island, where he hoped to find Heavenly Yang, and encountered powerful Silver Spearfish along the way.

• Zhou Yun told Aunt Bai she had chosen to be injured inside the Shangyang Immortal Sect trial, and Aunt Bai took her away using an escape art.
• Jiang Ning spent 20,000 source energy to break through the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique, awakening a Pure Yang Body as the ten suns blazed overhead.
• The Shangyang Immortal Sect began its second trial, requiring Jiang Ning to cross the Profound Yin Sea and reach the indicated island within the allotted time.
• Jiang Ning found that his Pure Yang Body resisted the sea’s cold yin intent, carved a small skiff, and set out toward the trial destination while seeking Heavenly Yang.
• Jiang Ning watched the island behind him dissolve into energy, then caught and ate a powerful Silver Spearfish before continuing across the sea.

Jiang Ning explored the Profound Yin Sea, ate Silver Spearfish to absorb their energy, and discovered a river of Earthly Baleful Yin Stones on the seabed. After the Grotto-Heaven’s will warned him not to take too many, he set out for the second trial, where he spotted a volcanic island and encountered Desert Flying Eagle.

• Jiang Ning grilled and ate Silver Spearfish, then entered the Profound Yin Sea and used his Heavenly Eye to find schools of them.
• Jiang Ning ate more than a hundred Silver Spearfish before reaching the seabed and discovering a river of Earthly Baleful Yin Stones.
• Jiang Ning took three Earthly Baleful Yin Stones, stopped when the Grotto-Heaven’s will warned him that yin and yang treasures were its foundation, and headed back to the surface.
• Jiang Ning reasoned that the Grotto-Heaven’s yang treasure must lie above the sea and traveled toward the second trial’s island.
• Jiang Ning spotted a towering volcanic peak whose energy might mark the location of Heavenly Yang, then saw Desert Flying Eagle approaching and heard him call out.

As the second trial began, the contestants discussed alliances and plans to eliminate their rivals, while Jiang Ning ignored the competition and pursued the mountain where he believed Heavenly Yang was located. The Grotto-Heaven announced that ten participants could enter the inner sect after three days and nights, while the sole victor could become a direct disciple; Jiang Ning continued toward the peak despite being slowed by the trial’s rules.

• Jiang Ning and Desert Flying Eagle agreed not to attack each other unless necessary, while Jiang Ning made clear that reaching the mountain mattered more to him than the trial.
• Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger agreed to join forces to eliminate the other participants before competing among themselves for the reward.
• Long Xiaofeng told Long Xingyun that he needed no alliance, while Qingyang Sect’s Second Senior Brother, Wang Yuan, and their junior sister discussed the Martial and Immortal Dao before agreeing to target the other contestants.
• Zhong Yue and Ye Zhengqi worried that Inspector Jiang and Sun Yuancheng might have been killed, noting that defeated participants could still be attacked before the trial expelled them.
• Jiang Ning followed a river rich in yang energy toward the mountain, drank its water, and gained experience in his Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique.
• The Grotto-Heaven announced the three-day trial rules, and Jiang Ning dismissed the chance to become an inner or direct disciple and continued toward the peak in search of Heavenly Yang.

Jiang Ning climbed toward the mountain peak seeking Heavenly Yang while the island’s extreme daytime heat gave way to a deadly yin chill at night. Elsewhere, Wang Yuan and his Qingyang Sect companions found a warm river and decided to follow it upstream in search of a treasure.

• Jin Chan endured Second Senior Brother’s Thunderfire Mother-and-Child Swords and Thunderfire Clash Technique, then escaped after their dragons collided.
• Second Senior Brother admitted Jin Chan’s Buddhist dragon surpassed his own, while Jiang Ning witnessed Jin Chan’s retreat through his Heavenly Eye.
• Jiang Ning absorbed the essence of five suns, gaining ten times his usual Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique experience, then hurried toward the peak to seek Heavenly Yang.
• As night fell, Jiang Ning sensed the temperature plunging and feared the island’s extreme yin would match its daytime extreme yang.
• Wang Yuan, Second Senior Brother, and their companions found the Yang River, whose warmth relieved the chill, and agreed to follow it toward its source.

Jiang Ning found Heavenly Yang Stones in the lava at Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven and used their yang energy with Earthly Baleful Yin to begin forging Divine Bone. As Qingyang Grotto-Heaven’s group heard the hammering and realized someone was forging Divine Bone near the crater, their second senior brother grew interested in the possible treasure.

• Jiang Ning descended into the crater, found Heavenly Yang in the lava, and used a thrown rock as a platform after discovering he could not safely enter the lava.
• Jiang Ning collected a second Heavenly Yang Stone, broke it and an Earthly Baleful Yin Stone with his teeth, and drew their energies into his body.
• Jiang Ning used his blood and vitality to forge his bones, turning the first chest bone faintly gold after 108 blows before continuing with the next bone.
• Ge Xian’er and the Qingyang Grotto-Heaven group heard the sound of bone forging, and Wang Yuan explained that Divine Bone was part of the foundation of a Martial Saint.
• Wang Yuan sensed a trial participant near the smoke-covered mountaintop, and the second senior brother suspected a priceless Divine Bone-forging treasure was there.

Jiang Ning completed the forging of twenty-six Divine Bones and defeated Wang Yuan, who had demanded the return of Wang Xuan’s flying sword. Xie Yang then challenged him on behalf of the Qingyang Sect, declaring that he and the other two would fight Jiang Ning together.

• Ge Xian’er used the Divine Wind Fan to clear the smoke, revealing Jiang Ning forging bones above golden magma and Wang Xuan’s flying sword on his back.
• Wang Yuan recognized his cousin’s sword and descended to reclaim it, while Xie Yang and the others stayed above.
• Jiang Ning finished forging twenty-six Divine Bones, then met Wang Yuan’s charge and overwhelmed him with two punches before fighting him inside a cavern.
• Jiang Ning emerged with Wang Yuan’s treasures, swallowed a piece of jade, and told Xie Yang that Wang Yuan was alive but had been eliminated from the trial.
• Xie Yang introduced himself as a Qingyang Sect true disciple, asked for Wang Xuan’s sword, and challenged Jiang Ning to face all three of them.

Jiang Ning overwhelmed Ge Xian'er and Xu Ming, taking their treasures as Xie Yang completed the Four Spirits Formation. He faced Xie Yang inside the formation, ready to test the Qingyang Sect disciple’s full strength.

• Jiang Ning charged up the crater and shattered Xu Ming’s Water-Fire Twin Dragons with a single sword stroke.
• Ge Xian’er attacked Jiang Ning with her Divine Wind Fan while Xie Yang set up the Four Spirits Formation, but Jiang Ning pushed through the gale and took her treasures.
• Jiang Ning struck Ge Xian’er hard enough to eliminate her, then caught Xu Ming’s flying swords and knocked him unconscious despite Xie Yang’s barrage of thirty-six swords.
• Xie Yang completed the Four Spirits Formation around Jiang Ning, who braced himself to face the formidable cultivator.

Jiang Ning disrupted Xie Yang’s Four Spirits Formation and forced him to retreat, then gathered treasures and continued tempering his Divine Bones in the grotto-heaven. As the trial narrowed to a few remaining contestants, Jiang Ning considered competing to become the sole victor and surveyed the island for its treasures.

• The Qingyang Sect elder rescued Ge Xian'er and revived Xu Ming, who reported that Xie Yang was fighting Jiang Ning.
• Jiang Ning used his Fire Eye to identify the Four Spirits Formation’s energy nodes and disrupted them with his sword, weakening the formation.
• Xie Yang retreated and removed the formation’s four foundation swords, collapsing the formation before telling Jiang Ning he would challenge him again the next day.
• Jiang Ning consumed the spiritual spoils he had taken from the others, gained experience in the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique, and tempered his body until he had forty-three Divine Bones.
• Jiang Ning collected another Heavenly Yang Stone from the magma, considered seeking the remaining Yin Stones by defeating a Shangyang Immortal Sect disciple, and surveyed the island for energy-rich locations.
• Long Xiaofeng defeated two contestants without killing them, while Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue discussed their struggle to qualify and regretted that Jiang Ning had not joined them.

Jiang Ning searched Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven for spiritual treasures and discovered that his Fire Eye let him travel safely through its perilous night. He found three Heaven-Answering Alliance envoys sheltering beneath a powerful divine tree, overheard them plotting to kill him, and decided to use the darkness to strike.

• Jiang Ning found seven energy-rich flowers and refined their power to improve his Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique.
• When night fell, Jiang Ning's Pure Yang aura dispersed a powerful yin wind that had penetrated his body, and he continued searching for treasures.
• Jiang Ning encountered Zhong Yue and Ye Zhengqi beside a river glowing gold in the darkness, realized the river protected them from the night, and moved on without attacking them.
• Jiang Ning found Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger gathered beneath a fire-lit divine tree, which they planned to chop down after the trial.
• Jiang Ning used his Fire Eye and Heavenly Eye to inspect the tree and spotted its potent tree heart.
• Jiang Ning overheard the three envoys discussing their plan to kill him and decided to attack them under cover of night.

Jiang Ning attacked the Heaven-Answering Alliance’s envoys in Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven’s darkness, using the yin wind and flying swords to separate and weaken them. Azure Dragon was left trapped in the darkness, battered by sword strikes and yin wind, as Jiang Ning refused to let him escape by surrendering.

• Jiang Ning cut down the divine tree protecting Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird, forcing the three envoys to flee into the night.
• White Tiger ran into the yin wind Jiang Ning had anticipated, and its successive gusts rapidly drained his strength.
• Jiang Ning used two flying swords to delay Vermilion Bird until the yin wind reached her.
• Azure Dragon tore open the fallen divine tree in search of a light-producing treasure, but Jiang Ning’s repeated sword strikes forced him to defend himself as darkness swallowed the area.
• Azure Dragon invoked Grandmaster Li Sixiang and tried to take a sword strike to qualify for elimination, but Jiang Ning dispersed the blade, leaving him to face the yin wind and the threat of death.

Jiang Ning watched the raging yin wind kill the Azure Dragon Envoy and the other Heaven-Answering Alliance spirit envoys, then absorbed the Fire-Bathed Divine Tree’s heartwood. After refining it, he broke through the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique’s secondary limit and discovered a new golden energy formed from essence, Qi, and spirit united.

• The Azure Dragon Envoy unleashed the blood-and-vitality flames of a six-blood-replacement grandmaster, but the raging yin wind extinguished his life while Jiang Ning watched.
• Jiang Ning cut into the fallen Fire-Bathed Divine Tree, retrieved its crimson heartwood, and swallowed it rather than risk carrying the treasure outside.
• Jiang Ning sat refining the heartwood through the night as its power drove back the darkness and strengthened his body.
• At daylight, Jiang Ning found the Azure Dragon Envoy and the other two spirit envoys dead, then discovered his source energy had risen to 61,374 and his technique’s progress was full.
• Jiang Ning spent 50,000 source energy to break through, awakening golden energy in his Dantian as his Qi and blood and spiritual power merged with his inner elixir’s Gang qi.

Jiang Ning broke through the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique, gained a stronger Longevity Species trait, and sensed that the remaining trial participants had gathered by the Yang River. There, Long Xiaofeng overwhelmed Lei Huo and challenged the others, whose attacks he calmly blocked with his dragon scales.

• Jiang Ning used source energy to advance the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique, forming golden mist in his dantian and upgrading his Longevity Species trait.
• Jiang Ning sensed six or seven people gathered by the Yang River and headed toward them.
• Xie Yang revealed that he had prepared a spirit-crystal-powered Four Spirits Formation to trap and eliminate the trial participants.
• Long Xiaofeng challenged the gathered fighters and defeated Lei Huo in a single exchange.
• Xie Yang and the saber-wielding man attacked Long Xiaofeng, but he deflected their sword and shattered the saber strikes with his dragon-scaled arm.

Long Xiaofeng fought Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue while Xie Yang waited for Jiang Ning, the final trial participant, to arrive. Jiang Ning joined them, confirmed that he had defeated Qingyang Sect disciples without killing them, and faced Xie Yang’s spirit-crystal-powered Four Spirits Formation.

• Long Xiaofeng defeated a saber-wielding opponent and then challenged Xie Yang, who held back because he was waiting for Jiang Ning.
• Long Xiaofeng attacked Zhong Yue and Ye Zhengqi, and their battle sent tremors through the surrounding land.
• Jiang Ning followed the tremors, found the fighting group, and arrived as the final trial participant.
• Xie Yang admitted that he had prepared the Four Spirits Formation again, while Jiang Ning recognized the spirit crystals strengthening it and declined to enter the formation.
• Jiang Ning confirmed to Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue that he had defeated Qingyang Sect disciples, but had spared their lives.

Long Xiaofeng fought Xie Yang after refusing to gang up on Jiang Ning, while Jiang Ning dismantled Xie Yang’s Four Spirits Formation. After the others were eliminated, only Jiang Ning and Long Xiaofeng remained in Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven, poised to fight.

• Long Xiaofeng chose to fight Xie Yang first and unleashed the Nine Manifestations of the Cloud Dragon, while Xie Yang answered with the Four Spirits Formation.
• Jiang Ning destroyed a formation node, swallowed spirit crystals, and weakened the formation as Long Xiaofeng battled Xie Yang.
• Xie Yang unleashed the Thunderfire Clash Technique, but Long Xiaofeng’s Dragon Soaring to Heaven overcame it and left Xie Yang defeated.
• Jiang Ning destroyed more formation bases, causing the Four Spirits Formation to collapse, and Long Xiaofeng sent Xie Yang out of the Grotto-Heaven.
• Long Xiaofeng sent Long Xingyun out, while Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue also left after brief exchanges with each other and Jiang Ning.
• Jiang Ning and Long Xiaofeng remained as the only contestants in Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven.

Jiang Ning defeated Long Xiaofeng with newly awakened energy that fused essence, energy, and spirit, then spent the remaining trial time gathering spiritual treasures and cultivating. After three alternations of day and night, the Grotto-Heaven recognized him as its sole survivor and granted him a true disciple token for the Upper Yang Inner Landscape.

• Xie Yang emerged injured after losing to Long Xiaofeng, and the old woman urged him and the others to respect the flourishing Martial Dao and cultivate both paths.
• Jiang Ning used a single punch powered by his fused essence, energy, and spirit to defeat Long Xiaofeng and send him out of the Grotto-Heaven.
• Jiang Ning examined the slowly recovering golden energy in his dantian and realized it could serve as a powerful trump card.
• Wang Xuan and the others waited outside for Jiang Ning, whose belongings included several flying swords they wanted returned.
• Jiang Ning spent the night eating spirit plants and gathering treasures, increasing his cultivation experience and source energy.
• After three alternations of day and night, the Grotto-Heaven declared Jiang Ning its sole remaining trial participant and awarded him a true disciple token, which he claimed with his blood.

Jiang Ning negotiated with the Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven's will for more time and Earthly Baleful Yin Stones, then used Yin and Yang Stones to temper his bones and advance toward Divine Bone. As he continued cultivating, Zhong Yue prepared to send Zhong Ling away amid growing unrest, while Long Xiaofeng explained that Jiang Ning had touched power on the Hunyuan level.

• Jiang Ning asked the Grotto-Heaven's will for Earthly Baleful Yin Stones and collected three from an undersea Yin River.
• Jiang Ning tempered his Jade Bones with Heavenly Yang and Earthly Baleful Yin Stones, turning another bone golden and consuming some of his accumulated energy.
• Zhong Yue told Zhong Ling that the Five Peaks Prefecture was becoming dangerous and that she would be safer with Jiang Ning; he also warned Ye Zhengqi that turmoil might soon erupt.
• Long Xiaofeng told Long Xingyun that Jiang Ning had touched power at the Hunyuan level, the realm of the First-Rank Martial Dao Pinnacle.
• As Ten Suns Sharing the Sky appeared, Jiang Ning negotiated for one more hour, finished another round of bone tempering, and rushed into the forest to gather more resources.

Jiang Ning returned from Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven and handed back the flying swords he had taken from Azure Cloud Sect after Elder Han Qiu personally demanded their return. He parted ways with the others, determined that Azure Cloud Sect would eventually give him an explanation, while Wang Xuan resolved to face him again and repay her defeat.

• Jiang Ning emerged above Yang Lake and told Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue that he planned to return to Dongling Commandery to cultivate.
• Han Qiu asked Jiang Ning to return Azure Cloud Sect's flying swords, and he gave them back to Xie Yang, Xu Ming, and Wang Xuan.
• Long Xiaofeng and Long Xingyun arrived to support Jiang Ning, then departed after Long Xingyun thanked him and promised to help him in the future.
• Jiang Ning watched the entrance to Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven close, while Desert Flying Eagle took Yan'er back toward the Northern Desert.
• Zhong Yue and Ye Zhengqi invited Jiang Ning to celebrate over drinks, while Han Qiu praised his restraint and Wang Xuan vowed to repay her defeat.

After leaving Upper Yang Grotto-Heaven, Jiang Ning began tempering his Jade Bone with the remaining yin-yang stones and continued his journey alone. He discovered that a mysterious blue-green fan could be refined, but its secret remained unknown.

• Jiang Ning explained that the Qingyang Sect elder’s watchful presence had finally disappeared, and he told Ye Zhengqi he would digest his gains and improve his strength.
• Jiang Ning used the Heavenly Yang Stone and Earthly Baleful Yin Stone to temper his bones, while Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue discussed whether he could one day attain a Martial Saint’s body and speculated that the Dao Palace controlled a Grotto-Heaven World.
• After another piece of Jade Bone turned gold, Jiang Ning left the ship to continue tempering his bones in the wilderness, ignoring Zhong Yue’s reminder about their agreement.
• By the next morning, Jiang Ning had exhausted the mysterious substance in the stone and checked his Source Energy and technique progress.
• Jiang Ning examined the blue-green fan he had taken from the Qingyang Sect woman, discovered that he could refine it, and began using the Lingbao Weapon Refining Technique on it.

Jiang Ning refined the Divine Wind Fan, gained its destructive wind and Lesser Forgetting Technique, and manifested Lingbao Divine Light. After failing to finish refining the far more complex ice coffin, he chose to continue tempering his bones, leaving him cautiously working on his skull.

• Jiang Ning refined nine restrictions of the Divine Wind Fan, discovered its abilities, and unleashed a powerful astral wind that devastated the landscape.
• Jiang Ning completed all seventeen restrictions, comprehended the Lesser Forgetting Technique, and absorbed the fan into his body, producing Lingbao Divine Light.
• Jiang Ning tried to refine the ice coffin with his newly strengthened energy, but his energy ran out before he could finish its second restriction, and his progress vanished.
• Jiang Ning chose to temper his bones rather than begin his sixth blood exchange, using the Heavenly Yang Stone and Earthly Baleful Yin Stone.
• After several days, Jiang Ning cautiously tempered his skull, nearing the final step of perfecting his bone tempering.

Jiang Ning forged his Divine Bone and completed his sixth blood replacement, gaining Divine Radiance in his blood. He realized the power it could unleash and reconsidered how dangerous Long Xiaofeng would have been if he had fought at full strength.

• Jiang Ning completed the forging of his Divine Bone and tested the strength of his newly empowered body.
• Jiang Ning vowed to reclaim from Azure Cloud Sect twice what it had taken from him, then began his sixth blood replacement.
• Jiang Ning absorbed heaven and earth’s spiritual energy and relied on his accumulated medicinal power and tree heart to pass through the blood replacement.
• Jiang Ning recovered with renewed vitality, noticed his hair and teeth had changed, and discovered thirty-six teeth in his jaws.
• Jiang Ning found golden Divine Radiance particles in his blood and burned one to unleash a surge of energy.
• Jiang Ning realized Long Xiaofeng could have been far more dangerous if he had risked his life and burned the Divine Radiance in his blood.