Chapter Summaries

Chen Fan prepared to leave for the imperial capital, where he hoped to investigate the Star Sect’s betrayal and Zhongli Haocang’s backup plan. On the journey, he and Wen Siyuan found a small city in Ancient Tea Commandery under attack by a giant, corrupted ape.

• Chen Fan used a day in the Enlightenment Hall to improve his earth, water, and wind intents and the three Sacred Swords.
• Chen Fan told Star Spirit about Zhongli Haocang’s backup plan, exchanged two golden feathers for auxiliary treasures, and received information about possible Star Sect caches in the imperial capital.
• Chen Fan said farewell to his relatives and friends in the commandery city, then left with Wen Siyuan aboard a bronze flying chariot.
• As the chariot crossed into Ancient Tea Commandery, Wen Siyuan spotted a city in chaos and descended to investigate.
• Chen Fan and the others found a blood-eyed giant ape rampaging through the city while several injured Grandmasters struggled to stop it, and Wen Siyuan suspected it was a Blight Demon.

Wen Siyuan discovered that a Haunting Demon had bewitched a demon ape into attacking a city, but the creature escaped before they could find it. As Chen Fan and his group headed back toward the capital, urgent news sent Wen Siyuan to the northern border to face a Heavenly Demon and reseal the Demon General of Winter.

• Wen Siyuan stopped the berserk demon ape and crushed it with invisible force, then identified signs that a Haunting Demon had bewitched it.
• Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying questioned local martial artists and learned the ape had led nearby demons and had never before attacked human settlements.
• Wen Siyuan explained that Haunting Demons fed on chaos and negative emotions and could be connected to cults; the group found dead demon beasts on the mountain but no Haunting Demon.
• Wen Siyuan received an urgent message that a Heavenly Demon had devastated half of Winter Commandery and that someone had broken the seal imprisoning its Demon General.
• Wen Siyuan agreed to head for the northern border to suppress the Heavenly Demon and reseal the Demon General of Winter.

After Wen Siyuan left to handle a sealed Demon General at the northern border, Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying continued toward the imperial capital. An emergency mission drew them toward a nearby battle, where they chose to investigate a distress signal beyond the reach of a tenth-level expert’s fight.

• Wen Siyuan departed for the northern border, and Cheng Caiying explained the history of Great Yong’s Demon Generals and the threat posed by Heavenly Demons.
• Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying set out on foot for Imperial Commandery after discussing why the Empress Dowager had not sent Tower Master Chen to the north.
• Their Embroidered Garment Tower tokens issued an emergency mission to reinforce someone nearby, and Cheng Caiying agreed to investigate.
• They spotted a Dao Domain battle between tenth-level experts and decided not to interfere.
• A loud blast and a smoke signal came from outside the battle’s range, so Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying headed over to investigate.

Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying rescued a young Tantai girl from a black-clad Grandmaster and escorted her away from the battlefield. A second enemy, injured after fighting Zong Qingchun, discovered that she had escaped the spatial barrier and pursued her.

• A black-clad Grandmaster attacked the young Tantai girl and her injured protector, but the girl's spiritual barrier reflected his blows.
• Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying answered the girl's distress signal; Cheng Caiying wounded the attacker, and Chen Fan killed him with a lightning-infused sword strike.
• The girl asked them to help Uncle Zong, but Cheng Caiying and Su Xin advised her to flee while Zong Qingchun held off the tenth-layer enemies.
• The girl gave Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying spirit talismans, and they hurried away with her and Su Xin.
• After the distant battle ended, another black-clad man found traces of their escape and pursued the girl, intent on killing her in one strike.

Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying rescued two members of the Tantai Clan and agreed to escort them toward Imperial Commandery. An assassin pursuing the group arrived, and Cheng Caiying fought him with the Son of Heaven Sword while Chen Fan protected the Tantai women and assessed the enemy.

• Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying stopped after escaping their pursuers, and Su Xin revealed that she and the girl belonged to the Tantai Clan, one of Imperial Commandery's Seven Great Families.
• Su Xin asked Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying to escort them to Imperial Commandery, and the two agreed because the journey lay along their route.
• Chen Fan sensed someone approaching and warned the group to prepare Vanishing Trail Talismans, while Cheng Caiying resolved to protect the Tantai Clan members.
• A tenth-realm assassin arrived and revealed that Zong Qingchun had fled badly injured; he then engulfed the group in his Dao Domain.
• Cheng Caiying used the Son of Heaven Sword to tear through the assassin's Dao Domain and engage him, while Chen Fan moved Su Xin and the girl to safety and suspected the enemy had been weakened in an earlier fight.

Chen Fan killed the wounded Tantai Clan assassin in secret and took Tantai Yue and Cheng Caiying toward Imperial Commandery aboard Tantai Yue’s flying vessel. They arrived at Azure Cloud City after learning about the powerful Zhao clan and the rivalries among Imperial Commandery’s great clans.

• Cheng Caiying defeated the tenth-level assassin but collapsed from her injuries, and Chen Fan secretly pursued and killed him before returning.
• Tantai Yue produced a Spirit-Controlling Ark, which Chen Fan refined, and the group flew toward Imperial Commandery.
• Tantai Yue told Chen Fan that she was the youngest child of the Tantai Clan and had never left Imperial Commandery before.
• Chen Fan spotted a massive ship bearing the Zhao clan’s banner, and Su Xin explained the clan’s influence and rivalry with the Tantai Clan.
• Chen Fan and the others reached Azure Cloud City, where Cheng Caiying and Su Xin described Imperial Commandery’s cities and the location of the Tantai Clan’s headquarters.

Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying brought Tantai Yue safely to the Tantai Clan estate in Spirit Feather City, where the clan head thanked them and offered rewards. Chen Fan chose a mysterious Silvermoon Gold fragment resembling one he already owned, while Cheng Caiying prepared to continue to the Imperial Capital despite her injuries.

• Chen Fan and his companions arrived at the Tantai Clan estate in Spirit Feather City, where Tantai Yue reunited with her father, the Tantai Clan Head.
• The Tantai Clan Head thanked Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying for saving Tantai Yue and offered them rewards, but Cheng Caiying said they needed to continue toward the Imperial Capital.
• The Tantai Clan Head gave Cheng Caiying a heaven-grade medicinal pill and allowed Chen Fan and his companion to choose items from the treasury.
• Chen Fan chose a Silvermoon Gold fragment that resembled the one he had obtained from Wei Baichuan, despite the Tantai Clan Head warning that its purpose was unknown.
• After refining the pill, Cheng Caiying said the attack had left her with lingering injuries, but she refused Chen Fan's offer to arrange a carriage and said she could reach the Imperial Capital.

After leaving the Tantai Clan, Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying headed for the imperial capital, but Cheng Caiying’s injuries flared up and left her unable to travel. They joined the Southern Sky Escort Agency’s convoy, which continued toward the capital as Feng Boshe warned Chen Fan that bandits were rampant even in the Imperial Commandery.

• Tantai Yue gave Chen Fan an unbound communication stone, and he accepted it before leaving the Tantai Clan with Cheng Caiying.
• Cheng Caiying’s injuries worsened on the road, forcing her to stop and recover while Chen Fan stood guard.
• A convoy from the Southern Sky Escort Agency offered them a ride to the imperial capital, and Cheng Caiying agreed to travel in a carriage.
• Chen Fan rode with the escorts, and Feng Boshe told him that their route from Primordial Yang City had already been troubled by several groups of bandits.

Chen Fan and the Southern Sky Escort Agency encountered a bandit gang led by a Grandmaster on the road to the imperial capital. After the bandits attacked, Chen Fan killed their leader and the rest of the gang, clearing the way for the convoy to continue.

• Feng Boshe explained that bandits roamed the route because powerful martial artists usually traveled by flying spirit beasts, and the convoy neared the imperial capital.
• Chen Fan sensed around thirty or forty people hiding in the bushes, and Yuan Pengkun halted the convoy as the bandits launched an arrow.
• A sable-clad Grandmaster bandit rejected Yuan Pengkun's offer of tea money and fought him, while his men threatened the convoy.
• Cheng Caiying urged Chen Fan to end the fight, and Chen Fan killed the bandit leader with a single lightning-fast sword strike.
• Chen Fan pursued and killed the fleeing bandits, leaving none alive.

Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying reached the Great Qian Imperial Capital after Chen Fan revealed his overwhelming strength to the Southern Sky Escort Agency. As they entered the vast city, Chen Fan encountered its flight restrictions, flying mounts, and powerful Black Panther Guard.

• After Chen Fan killed the bandits, Yuan Pengkun and Feng Boshe treated him with reverence, and the escort convoy hurried toward the Imperial Capital.
• Cheng Caiying declined the escort agency’s gifts and led Chen Fan toward the capital, while Yuan Pengkun and Feng Boshe speculated that Chen Fan might be a ninth-level martial artist.
• Chen Fan marveled at the Imperial Capital’s size and learned from Cheng Caiying about its air-restriction barrier and the Martial Academy’s powerful geniuses.
• At the designated landing area, Chen Fan dodged a diving great bird and politely spoke with a young man before following Cheng Caiying toward the gates.
• Chen Fan saw the Black Panther Guard and learned from Cheng Caiying that its commander was a tenth-level martial artist, though the Azure Python Army could still challenge powerful demon kings through its numbers.

Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying entered the imperial capital, where Crown Prince Liu Lun personally welcomed Chen Fan and escorted him to Heaven on Earth for a feast. The chapter ended as Liu Lun presented an elaborate dish made from the head of an eighth-level Mighty Demon Bull.

• Cheng Caiying showed her token at the capital gates, and the Black Panther Guards let her and Chen Fan enter.
• A young man offered to guide Chen Fan and Cheng Caiying, then watched in astonishment as they approached the Crown Prince’s ceremonial escort.
• Crown Prince Liu Lun greeted Chen Fan warmly, praised his strength, and invited him and Cheng Caiying into his carriage.
• Liu Lun brought them to Heaven on Earth, an entertainment venue run by his maternal family.
• Liu Lun introduced the roasted head of an eighth-level Mighty Demon Bull as a rare delicacy prepared with a Fire Spirit and fire intent.

Chen Fan attended a lavish banquet hosted by the Crown Prince, where he tasted eighth-tier demon beast meat and watched Miss Cai Die perform. The Seventh Prince and his companion Heavenly Prodigy arrived, and the Seventh Prince questioned whether Chen Fan was a candidate for the Origin Hunt Rite.

• Chen Fan ate Mighty Bull Demon Head and watched Miss Cai Die play the zither at Heaven on Earth.
• The Crown Prince introduced Miss Cai Die and invited her to perform for the banquet guests.
• The Seventh Prince barged into the private room, apologized to the Crown Prince, and joined the feast with Heavenly Prodigy.
• The Seventh Prince had Miss Cai Die continue playing and asked whom the Crown Prince was entertaining.
• The Crown Prince said Chen Fan was a talent he had long admired, and the Seventh Prince asked whether he was a young genius for the Origin Hunt Rite.

At a gathering with the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince, Chen Fan learned that the Origin Hunt Rite would take place in three years and drew the attention of Wu Tianjiao, a peerless eighth-realm genius. Wu Tianjiao challenged Chen Fan to fight once Chen Fan reached the eighth realm.

• The Seventh Prince tested Chen Fan by sending the power of heaven and earth at him, and Chen Fan blocked it.
• Chen Fan revealed that he was twenty-one, astonishing those present and prompting Wu Tianjiao to compare their paths to becoming Grandmasters.
• The Seventh Prince warned that Chen Fan might not match Wu Tianjiao at the Origin Hunt Rite, which was three years away.
• The Crown Prince introduced Wu Tianjiao as a Fire Spirit Physique who had reached the eighth realm before turning thirty.
• Wu Tianjiao acknowledged Chen Fan's talent and challenged him to a battle when Chen Fan reached the eighth realm.

Chen Fan toured the Imperial Capital with the Crown Prince and reflected on Great Qian’s decline. When he spotted the escort guards who had helped him and Cheng Caiying, the Crown Prince stopped his carriage and approached them.

• Wu Tianjiao challenged Chen Fan to an arranged battle, while Chen Fan concealed his true strength and the Crown Prince postponed the discussion.
• The Seventh Prince, Liu Jia, enjoyed the banquet before leaving, and Aunt Caidie received a reward and considered getting closer to Chen Fan.
• Yuan Pengkun confronted Master Lu over unpaid escort fees, but the Crown Prince’s approaching carriage forced them to move aside.
• Chen Fan recognized Yuan Pengkun and Feng Boshe from the carriage and explained to the Crown Prince how they had helped him and Cheng Caiying on the road.
• The Crown Prince stopped the carriage, descended, and walked toward Yuan Pengkun and the others as Master Lu greeted him.

The Crown Prince rewarded Chen Fan and explained that he valued him because the Origin Hunt Rite and the struggle for the Son of Heaven’s aura would shape the princes’ futures. He revealed that his reliance on the Zhao clan brought him both influence and powerful enemies, leaving his position less secure than it appeared.

• The Crown Prince promised gifts to Yuan Pengkun and the others, prompting Master Lu to agree to investigate their complaint against his steward.
• The Crown Prince brought Chen Fan to his residence, arranged a courtyard for him, and invited him to a private conversation.
• The Crown Prince admitted that he sought Chen Fan’s support not only out of appreciation for his talent but because he needed allies to improve his chances in the struggle for the throne.
• The Crown Prince explained that imperial family members needed both innate talent and the Son of Heaven’s aura, which they gained through prestige, strength, and support.
• The Crown Prince told Chen Fan that the Zhao clan had helped secure his position and retain Wen Siyuan, but the clan’s influence had also provoked powerful opposition and support for rival princes.

Crown Prince Liu Lun explained the Origin Hunt Rite and asked Chen Fan to help him win it, offering protection and support in return. Chen Fan accepted the Crown Prince’s invitation and raised the accusations linking him to Pu Zhongyu’s death, which Liu Lun promised to handle.

• Crown Prince Liu Lun described how the Wu Clan, Yichan Palace, and Jade Family backed rival princes competing for the throne.
• Liu Lun explained that the Origin Hunt Rite would let royal heirs compete for Imperial Aura through contests among their recruited geniuses.
• Liu Lun revealed that the rite’s final stage required each royal heir to send an under-forty genius into a secret realm to seize an auspicious beast.
• Liu Lun asked Chen Fan to serve him and help him win the Origin Hunt Rite, and Chen Fan agreed.
• Liu Lun gave Chen Fan a Crown Prince’s Residence Guest Retainer Token and promised to protect Chen Fan’s family and help him cultivate.
• Chen Fan told Liu Lun that the Pu Clan and Yichan Palace suspected him of involvement in Pu Zhongyu’s death, and Liu Lun promised to deal with them.

Chen Fan discovered that the assassin he had killed belonged to the Green-Robed Alliance and used the man’s communication spiritstone to disguise himself and learn about the failed mission. He also sensed an exceptionally powerful Star Sect member in the Imperial Capital but chose not to approach.

• Chen Fan searched the tenth-level assassin’s Sumeru Ring and found a Green-Robed Alliance token, a communication spiritstone, and two nonmatching fragments of a silver object.
• Chen Fan disguised himself as the assassin and answered a call from a Green-Robed Alliance contact, claiming that Zong Qingchun had injured him and rescued Tantai Yue.
• The contact told Chen Fan to stay out of sight while the alliance reported the failed mission, and Chen Fan realized he could use the dead assassin’s identity to infiltrate the organization.
• Chen Fan sensed a Star Sect member of greater-than-tenth-level strength somewhere in the Imperial Capital and decided not to seek them out.

Chen Fan visited the Embroidered Garment Tower’s main tower and chose the difficult Ten Thousand Swords Canon, confident that his powerful spirit would let him master it. After the Crown Prince sent him ten spirit swords, Chen Fan began cultivating at the Crown Prince’s Residence, where an invitation from the Imperial Capital General Academy promised access to the Martial Academy’s training resources.

• Cheng Caiying took Chen Fan to the Embroidered Garment Tower, where he borrowed the Ten Thousand Swords Canon despite her warning about its demands.
• Chen Wudao and an old man discussed Chen Fan’s arrival before learning that the Eclosion Sect would send a true disciple to Great Qian amid trouble involving fiends.
• Chen Fan began practicing the first level of the Ten Thousand Swords Canon with treasure-grade swords, but struggled to direct ten blades to attack separately.
• The Crown Prince sent Chen Fan ten mid-grade spirit swords to support his cultivation.
• The Imperial Capital General Academy invited Chen Fan to visit, and he looked forward to using the Myriad Illusions Hall and Myriad Forms Gourd.

Chen Fan toured the Imperial Capital General Academy and gained access to its Myriad Forms Gourd cultivation trials, where he tested himself against powerful opponents. Afterward, disciples began recognizing and challenging him, leaving him puzzled about what had happened in the capital.

• Sang Yuanliang welcomed Chen Fan on behalf of Old Principal Song and showed him around the main academy, explaining that he could use its shared permissions and cultivation facilities.
• Sang Yuanliang confirmed Chen Fan could cultivate with the Myriad Forms Gourd's power at the main academy and brought him to its dedicated facility.
• Chen Fan fought Shen Yuansi and Xu Yongyi in the gourd's arena, losing to both and concluding that his normal strength still fell short of top geniuses.
• Zheng Wenhao challenged Chen Fan, but Chen Fan refused and used his speed to leave when Zheng kept pestering him.
• A lean middle-aged man recognized Chen Fan near Myriad Illusions Hall, while other disciples also stared and whispered, making Chen Fan suspect that news about him had spread.

After Heavenly Secrets Tower published the Great Qian Heroes Ranking and named Chen Fan its top talent, the news drew attention from princes and challengers alike. When several eighth-level martial artists taunted him outside Myriad Illusions Hall, Chen Fan challenged them to fight for one thousand Origin Crystals.

• A senior brother told Chen Fan that the Heroes Ranking had named him first and showed him the ranking, which listed Cen Heyu second and Wu Tianjiao third.
• Chen Fan left to cultivate at Myriad Illusions Hall, while Crown Prince Liu Lun wondered whether Heavenly Secrets Tower meant to increase pressure on him and the princes.
• Wu Tianjiao learned that Chen Fan had defeated a ninth-level demon beast phantom and grew angry at being ranked third.
• Divine Calculator boasted to his youngest disciple about selling the ranking, but she warned him that pirated copies would soon spread.
• After Cheng Caiying told Chen Fan that the Crown Prince wanted to meet him, Chen Fan encountered several eighth-level challengers outside Myriad Illusions Hall.
• When Zheng Wenhao taunted him, Chen Fan challenged the group to fight at the battle arena for one thousand Origin Crystals.