Chapter Summaries

After Lingxiao Sect’s Nascent Soul Supreme Elder died, the sect’s patriarch admitted defeat and ordered a retreat, while Su Bai commanded Heavenly Dao Sect to pursue and destroy Lingxiao Sect. The chapter ended with Cloud Heaven Sect and the Great Zhao Imperial Family refusing to help Lingxiao Sect.

• Lingxiao Sect’s patriarch confirmed that his junior brother had died, and the sect’s elders and disciples realized their dominance was over.
• The patriarch seized Zhao Baoxiao, who called Ling Xiao his father, then killed him for bringing disaster upon Lingxiao Sect.
• The patriarch ordered Lingxiao Sect to retreat, and Su Bai commanded Heavenly Dao Sect to pursue them and level Lingxiao.
• Su Bai sent the Fire Qilin to support the chase as Heavenly Dao Sect’s disciples celebrated their chance to crush Lingxiao Sect.
• The patriarch pleaded with Yun Zhi and the Great Zhao Emperor to stop the pursuers, but both refused to intervene.

Su Bai held the Cloud Heaven Sect and Great Zhao Imperial House at bay while the Fire Qilin destroyed the Lingxiao Sect and killed its patriarch. With the Lingxiao Sect defeated, Su Bai asked the two remaining Nascent Soul experts who should claim the Spirit Vein.

• Su Bai warned the Cloud Heaven Sect and Great Zhao Imperial House not to intervene, and both Nascent Soul experts chose to remain still.
• The Fire Qilin returned with the Lingxiao Sect patriarch's head and reported that Lingxiao had escaped while the sect's remaining members had surrendered or been killed.
• Su Bai praised the Fire Qilin and promised to find him a mate within three years.
• Su Bai landed on the Fire Qilin and asked the Cloud Heaven Sect and Great Zhao Imperial House who should claim the Spirit Vein.

Su Bai told Yun Zhi and the Great Zhao Emperor that forces in the Heavenly Dao Sect’s territory must submit or be destroyed, and offered to protect them from the Immortal Alliance in exchange for a fifty-percent levy. He left the gathered leaders stunned after wounding a Cloud Heaven Sect elder and declaring that anyone who offended him would be pulled up by the roots.

• Yun Zhi asked how Su Bai would treat the Cloud Heaven Sect if the Heavenly Dao Sect came to rule the Empire, and Su Bai said she could look to how her own sect treated smaller forces.
• Su Bai explained the Cultivation World’s exploitative hierarchy and told Yun Zhi that the Cloud Heaven Sect had only two choices: submit or be destroyed.
• Yun Zhi asked what submission would cost, and Su Bai demanded fifty percent from Nascent Soul-level forces while promising protection from the Immortal Alliance.
• A Cloud Heaven Sect elder insulted Su Bai and threatened that the sect’s ancestor could destroy the Heavenly Dao Sect if he reached Spirit Transformation, so Su Bai wounded the elder with a glance.
• Su Bai warned that he would pull up the roots of anyone who offended him and said he was informing the gathered forces rather than asking for their opinions.

After the Cloud Heaven Sect withdrew, the Great Zhao Imperial Family pledged allegiance to Su Bai and offered half its annual income in exchange for Zhao Tianlong’s place in the Heavenly Dao Sect. Su Bai accepted Zhao Tianlong, leaving the Mid-Grade Spirit Vein uncontested.

• Yun Zhi led the Cloud Heaven Sect away after deciding it could not contend for the Spirit Vein, and she told Liu Yanran that the Heavenly Dao Sect treated its followers better than the Immortal Alliance did.
• The Emperor of Great Zhao pledged allegiance to Su Bai and offered half the imperial family’s annual income.
• The Emperor asked Su Bai to let his talented great-grandson, Zhao Tianlong, cultivate in the Heavenly Dao Sect and use the Spirit Spring one day each month.
• Zhao Tianlong knelt before Su Bai, who accepted him into the sect, and the Emperor handed over a Storage Ring containing the promised resources.
• The Emperor left with his ministers and generals, leaving Zhao Tianlong behind as the Lingxiao Sect lay destroyed and no one remained to challenge Su Bai for the Mid-Grade Spirit Vein.

Su Bai discovered that the Spirit Spring beneath the mountain came from a High-Grade Spirit Vein containing vast quantities of High-Grade and Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. He realized the vein could rapidly strengthen the Heavenly Dao Sect and power its Flying Vessel, leaving the sect poised for a major rise.

• Su Bai told Little Fire to watch Zhao Tianlong, then entered the Spirit Spring and felt its unusually pure spiritual energy.
• Su Bai followed the spring underground and found countless Spirit Stones feeding a vast pool of liquid spiritual energy.
• Su Bai explored deeper and recognized that the enormous deposits of Medium-Grade, High-Grade, and Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones formed a High-Grade Spirit Vein.
• Su Bai considered how the vein’s output dwarfed the Lingxiao Sect’s accumulated resources and would attract far stronger forces if its true grade were known.
• Su Bai realized the High-Grade Spirit Stones could accelerate the Heavenly Dao Sect’s cultivation and let its Flying Vessel unleash sustained Nascent Soul-level attacks.

Su Bai returned to the Heavenly Dao Sect with a High-Grade Spirit Vein and buried it beneath Heavenly Dao Mountain, causing the sect’s spiritual energy to surge. Thousands of disciples broke through, Su Bai advanced to the Golden Core Sixth Layer, and the captured Lingxiao Sect disciples reconsidered escaping.

• Su Bai returned to the Heavenly Dao Sect with the Fire Qilin carrying a High-Grade Spirit Vein, and promised the Fire Qilin a Spirit Pool for his service.
• Su Bai buried the High-Grade Spirit Vein beneath Heavenly Dao Mountain and released part of its spiritual energy into the sect.
• The sect’s spiritual energy density soared, and its plants and spirit herbs grew more vigorously.
• More than ten thousand Heavenly Dao Sect disciples broke through in fifteen minutes, while Su Bai advanced from the Golden Core Fourth Layer to the Golden Core Sixth Layer.
• The captured Lingxiao Sect disciples marveled at the sect’s spiritual energy, and some abandoned their plans to escape.

Su Bai punished Lingxiao Sect’s prisoners by sending the worst offenders to face the people and assigning the rest to work in the mines, with a chance to join the Heavenly Dao Sect. Meanwhile, a Lingxiao Sect survivor persuaded the Great Jin Emperor to target the Heavenly Dao Sect, setting Great Jin’s plans in motion.

• Su Bai selected more than a thousand notorious Lingxiao Sect prisoners, sealed their cultivation, and handed them over to Cloudwater City’s residents to judge and punish.
• Su Bai sentenced the remaining prisoners to mine for six months, offering wages and the chance to take the Heavenly Dao Sect’s assessment.
• After seeing the Heavenly Dao Sect distribute Spirit Stones, a Golden Core elder and other prisoners eagerly agreed to reform and serve.
• Su Bai began handling Lingxiao Sect’s spoils and bringing its territory under the Heavenly Dao Sect’s control.
• A Lingxiao Sect survivor asked the Great Jin Emperor to avenge the sect and promised him the Spirit Spring if he destroyed the Heavenly Dao Sect.
• The Great Jin Emperor, tempted by the Spirit Spring and the chance to overturn Great Jin’s decline, resolved to make a move.

Su Bai inventoried the Lingxiao Sect’s enormous spoils and vowed to ensure people in the Heavenly Dao Sect could cultivate and would not starve. He rebuilt the sect’s Floating Island with stronger materials and Tier-Five formations, turning it into a high-speed aerial fortress.

• Su Bai surveyed the Lingxiao Sect’s vast wealth and reflected that he would use his resources to improve ordinary people’s lives and give everyone in the Heavenly Dao Sect a chance to cultivate.
• Su Bai went to the seized Floating Island and found that its Tier-Four Floating Stone was paired with weak defensive and speed formations.
• Su Bai dismantled the Floating Island and reforged it with precious ores to make its structure far sturdier.
• Su Bai exchanged thirty thousand points for Tier-Five defense, speed, and attack formations and installed them on the rebuilt island.
• Su Bai prepared the Floating Island to reach speeds beyond those of a High-Grade Flying Vessel and serve as a mobile aerial fortress.

Su Bai thanked Nameless for defending the Heavenly Dao Sect and welcomed Zhao Tianlong and Han Feiyu as prospective personal disciples after they climbed high on the Heavenly Ladder. The Guardian Spirit chose a righteous Immortal Art for Zhao Tianlong and revealed that Han Feiyu was suited to the Dao of Keeping a Low Profile.

• Su Bai thanked Nameless for killing a Lingxiao Sect Nascent Soul expert, but Nameless refused the Spirit Pool Su Bai had prepared for him.
• Zhuge Feng reported that Zhao Tianlong and Han Feiyu had climbed to the eighty-eighth and eighty-seventh levels of the Heavenly Ladder, respectively.
• Su Bai promised to accept Zhao Tianlong and Han Feiyu as disciples once they reached the ninetieth level, then sent them to choose Immortal Arts.
• The Guardian Spirit gave Zhao Tianlong the Mighty Righteous Qi Manual, which suited his Gold Spirit Root and righteous nature.
• The Guardian Spirit explained that Han Feiyu's cautious personality conflicted with the Peerless Prodigy Path, but suited the Dao of Keeping a Low Profile.

Han Feiyu chose to cultivate the Cautious Dao, while Su Bai tested his Golden Core Sixth Layer strength against Fire Qilin and proved he could fight at the Nascent Soul Realm. Su Bai left Fire Qilin soaking in the Spirit Pool, confident that his strength already made him invincible in Great Zhao.

• Guardian Spirit explained the Cautious Dao to Han Feiyu and warned that the Peerless Prodigy Path would bring many powerful enemies.
• Han Feiyu chose the Cautious Dao so he could cautiously make his way to the pinnacle.
• Su Bai took Fire Qilin beyond the Heavenly Dao Sect’s Unbeatable Domain and ordered him to attack at full strength.
• Su Bai fought Fire Qilin, then gave him pills for the Spirit Pool and left him to soak.
• Su Bai concluded that his Golden Core Sixth Layer cultivation gave him the strength to fight Nascent Soul cultivators and dominate Great Zhao.

Over a month, the Heavenly Dao Sect grew to more than 120,000 disciples, while Su Bai reached Golden Core Great Perfection and tested his strength against the Fire Qilin. Far away, Di Buyu set out for Southern Ridge to avenge his younger brother by destroying the Heavenly Dao Sect.

• The Heavenly Dao Sect expanded rapidly, Cloudwater City grew to five million residents, and the sect’s disciples surpassed 120,000, with more than 100,000 entering Qi Refining.
• Han Feiyu and Zhao Tianlong became Su Bai’s sixth and seventh personal disciples, while Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, and Mu Lingxian advanced in cultivation.
• Su Bai revealed he had reached Golden Core Great Perfection and dragged the newly advanced Fire Qilin into the sky for a sparring match, leaving it battered despite its helmet.
• Su Bai assessed that he could suppress a peak Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivator and could overwhelm the Lingxiao Sect at its peak.
• In the Immortal Alliance’s core territory, Di Buyu learned his younger brother had died in Southern Ridge and declared he would wipe out the Heavenly Dao Sect.
• Despite warnings about the Heavenly Dao Sect and the danger in Southern Ridge, Di Buyu flew south on a White Tiger to exact revenge.

Ling Xiao broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm with Great Jin’s support and led six Shadow Guard Nascent Souls and dozens of Golden Core experts to attack the Heavenly Dao Sect. He confronted Su Bai outside the sect’s defensive formation, confident that their force would destroy the sect and seize its Spirit Vein.

• Ling Xiao thanked the Great Jin Emperor for the Nascent Soul Formation Pill and asked when they would seize the Spirit Vein.
• The Great Jin Emperor revealed six Nascent Soul Shadow Guards and ordered them to infiltrate Great Zhao with Ling Xiao.
• Ling Xiao and the Shadow Guards attacked the Heavenly Dao Sect, but its defensive formation blocked his sword strike.
• Su Bai appeared before Ling Xiao and the six Nascent Soul cultivators, who demanded that he hand over the Spirit Vein.
• Ling Xiao boasted that his seven Nascent Souls and dozens of Golden Core experts could destroy the Heavenly Dao Sect and Great Zhao.

Su Bai tested the modified Floating Island’s weapon against Ling Xiao’s invading force, annihilating dozens of Golden Core cultivators and three Nascent Soul cultivators in one shot. Ling Xiao and four other Nascent Soul cultivators survived, stunned by how much the Floating Island had changed.

• Ling Xiao led seven Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of Golden Core Shadow Guards in an assault on the Heavenly Dao Sect’s defensive formation.
• Su Bai withdrew the formation and activated the Floating Island’s fifth-tier attack formation with a Supreme-Grade Spirit Stone.
• Ling Xiao recognized the Floating Island and ordered the cultivators to enter its pipe and destroy it; three Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of Golden Core cultivators went inside.
• Su Bai’s Floating Island fired a blazing energy wave through the pipe, killing everyone inside and blasting a mountain near the Cloud Heaven Sect from a thousand li away.
• The Shadow Guards commander found that nearly all the Life Tablets had been pulverized, while Ling Xiao and four Nascent Soul cultivators survived outside the pipe.
• Su Bai remarked that he should have lowered the weapon’s power, since the blast had destroyed the enemies’ Storage Rings.

Su Bai and the Heavenly Dao Sect pursued the fleeing Nascent Soul cultivators, overwhelming them with superior strength and powerful equipment. Su Bai killed Ling Xiao, ending the rival’s hopes of becoming Great Zhao’s strongest cultivator.

• Ling Xiao and the three surviving Nascent Soul members of the Shadow Guards fled in different directions, but Su Bai sent the Fire Qilin, Xiao Yan, and Zhuge Feng’s Floating Island after them.
• Su Bai caught Ling Xiao and shattered his right arm with a single punch.
• The Floating Island and Xiao Yan’s Flying Vessel killed two Shadow Guards Nascent Souls and destroyed their escaping souls.
• Ling Xiao lamented that Su Bai had ruined his ambitions, but Su Bai told him he was unworthy of reaching Spirit Transformation.
• Su Bai pierced Ling Xiao’s forehead, shattering his sea of consciousness and annihilating his soul.

Su Bai killed Ling Xiao and joined the Fire Qilin and the Heavenly Dao Sect’s forces to defeat the Great Jin Shadow Guard commander, wiping out all the invaders. The battle raised the Heavenly Dao Sect’s standing across the empire, while Cloud Heaven Sect and Great Zhao recognized the danger of opposing it.

• Su Bai destroyed Ling Xiao’s Nascent Soul, ending the last surviving remnant of the Lingxiao Sect.
• Su Bai, the Flying Vessel, and the Floating Island joined the Fire Qilin in surrounding the fleeing Shadow Guard commander.
• The Fire Qilin beat the commander, crushed his head, and swallowed his fleeing Nascent Soul.
• The seven Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of Golden Core cultivators who invaded the Heavenly Dao Sect all perished.
• Powerhouses across the empire were shaken by the Heavenly Dao Sect’s strength, and Cloud Heaven Sect’s elders discussed their relief at not having provoked it beyond repair.
• Great Zhao’s ministers praised the emperor for aligning with the Heavenly Dao Sect, and the emperor concluded that his gamble had been right.

The Great Jin Emperor vowed revenge on Heavenly Dao Sect after losing his Shadow Guards, while Su Bai’s sect grew and he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Meanwhile, Di Buyu arrived in Great Jin and set his sights on Heavenly Dao Sect.

• The Great Jin Emperor raged over the deaths of his Shadow Guards and vowed to destroy Heavenly Dao Sect while turning the six nations against it.
• Su Bai inspected the upgraded Floating Island and discussed finding the Fire Qilin a white-furred divine beast mate.
• Heavenly Dao Sect expanded over seven days, its disciples advanced, and Su Bai received their cultivation feedback.
• Su Bai shattered his Golden Core, formed a Nascent Soul, and entered the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Di Buyu emerged from Great Jin’s Teleportation Array, then threatened Heavenly Dao Sect.

Su Bai tested his new Nascent Soul Realm strength outside the Unbeatable Domain and discovered that he had gained a trace of Spatial Power. He returned to the Heavenly Dao Sect and met the leaders of over a thousand Minor Trend forces, who had gathered in Cloudwater City to pay their annual taxes.

• Su Bai left the Unbeatable Domain and used a step to unleash faint Spatial Power, crushing a nearby mountain.
• Su Bai returned to the Sect Main Hall, where Zhuge Feng reported that the leaders of many Minor Trend forces had gathered in Cloudwater City to see him.
• Su Bai traveled to Hundred Sects Assembly Square with Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, and his other direct disciples, while Han Feiyu stayed behind.
• The gathered leaders bowed to Su Bai and praised his cultivation before he asked why they had come.
• A short, plump old man reminded Su Bai that the day was set aside for the forces to pay their annual taxes under the former Lingxiao Sect's rules.

Su Bai collected annual taxes from the powers across the Heavenly Dao Sect Territory and ordered the wealth distributed equally among all its people. After killing the City Lord of Heavenly River City for calling commoners lowly, he declared everyone in the territory a citizen of the Heavenly Dao Sect.

• More than a thousand powers publicly announced their annual taxes, which totaled over eighty million taels of gold and 1.4 billion taels of silver.
• Su Bai ordered Zhuge Feng, Xiao Lingxi, and his other disciples to distribute the wealth equally to everyone in the territory.
• The leaders realized that over sixty million people, including commoners and servants, would share the tax proceeds.
• The City Lord of Heavenly River City objected to commoners receiving an equal share, and Su Bai killed him.
• Su Bai declared that everyone living in the Heavenly Dao Sect Territory was a citizen of the Heavenly Dao Sect, regardless of wealth or status.

Su Bai imposed protections for ordinary people in the Heavenly Dao Sect’s territory, then rode the Fire Qilin to Qingzhou to confront the Immortal Alliance’s tax collector, Di Buyu. He arrived as Di Buyu threatened the Cloud Heaven Sect and the Imperial Family, while the Fire Qilin spotted Di Buyu’s White Tiger and mistook the encounter for a blind date.

• Su Bai ordered local leaders to cap annual price increases, provide workers with rest days and limited hours, and pay minimum wages, threatening to take over businesses that disobeyed.
• The leaders agreed to Su Bai’s rules, and the people cheered as he departed.
• Three days later, Su Bai summoned the Fire Qilin and headed to Qingzhou, where an Immortal Alliance Upper Immortal was collecting taxes.
• Di Buyu forced Yun Zhi and the Cloud Heaven Sect’s Grand Elder to pay triple taxes because the Lingxiao Sect had been destroyed and the Imperial Family had pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Dao Sect.
• Su Bai arrived on the Fire Qilin and challenged Di Buyu, while the Fire Qilin eagerly noticed the White Tiger beside him.

Su Bai confronted Di Buyu, while the Fire Qilin fought Di Buyu’s White Tiger. Di Buyu revealed his Purple Thunder Spear and prepared to battle Su Bai, leaving Yun Zhi wondering whether Su Bai could defeat him.

• Di Buyu recognized Su Bai as the Heavenly Dao Sect’s Sect Master and threatened to kill him.
• The Fire Qilin charged Di Buyu’s White Tiger and held its own despite the White Tiger’s higher cultivation.
• The Fire Qilin taunted the White Tiger and invited her to join the Heavenly Dao Sect, prompting her to attack again.
• Di Buyu noticed the Fire Qilin had reached Nascent Soul Middle Stage and questioned how quickly it had advanced.
• Di Buyu summoned the Purple Thunder Spear, and Yun Zhi realized he was a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator rather than a Spirit Transformation expert.
• Yun Zhi wondered whether Su Bai could defeat Di Buyu and make the Cloud Heaven Sect reconsider its choice.