Chapter Summaries

Gu Sheng entered the Qinghe Holy Land assessment under the name Qing Feng and tried to hide his strength, but accidentally awakened a Dao seed and finished all five trials in a record 110 breaths. His result made him the top-ranked candidate, prompting accusations of cheating and attracting the examiner’s scrutiny.

• Ling Xiao drew attention after his assessment, while Liang Yu passed and took fourth place on the rankings.
• Gu Sheng deliberately slowed down through the combat, speed, physical, and willpower trials, but his divine sense caused the Dao seed in the final trial to sprout and illuminate the assessment space.
• Gu Sheng was expelled from the formation and wrote Qing Feng as his name, taking first place ahead of Ling Xiao with a time of 110 breaths.
• Ling Xiao rebuked Gu Sheng for failing to keep a low profile, while Liang Yu watched him with suspicion and the Third Elder offered to recommend him to his master.
• Qinghe Holy Land disciples accused Gu Sheng of cheating, but the examiner silenced them and warned that anyone disrupting order would be expelled from the Holy Land.

Ling Xiao dominated the selection gauntlet, earning Gu Sheng's team six slots before the examiner changed the rules and let Tian Kun and Qingshan fight for the last one. After Qingshan won, Wang Chenyu accused Gu Sheng of cheating in the formation examination, leaving the chapter on the accusation.

• Bai Xin, Dai Hongmao, Zhao Tieshan, Tian Kun, and Qingshan challenged Ling Xiao in turn, but he defeated each of them with ease.
• The examiner changed the rules and let Tian Kun and Qingshan duel for the final slot, and Ling Xiao agreed to step aside.
• Qingshan concealed his tempered body and defeated Tian Kun after luring him into striking his hardened abdomen.
• Wang Yun thanked Ling Xiao for helping him obtain a slot, and the examiner announced the recruitment competition's end.
• Wang Chenyu interrupted the announcement, accused Gu Sheng of cheating in the formation examination, and Liang Yu defended him.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao advanced to the third round of the sacred land assessment, where the contestants fought for the remaining entry slots. Ling Xiao decisively defeated Jiang Dashan, while Gu Sheng began his match against Dai Hongmao and concealed his true strength as their weapons clashed.

• Gu Sheng learned that a sacred land disciple targeted him out of jealousy, and he told Ling Xiao to wait for the third round before responding.
• Gu Sheng noticed a blue-robed cultivator bearing the Blood Fiend Sect's aura, raising his suspicions about the assessment.
• The third round began with individual battles, and Ling Xiao challenged Jiang Dashan, snapped his broadsword between two fingers, and kicked him off the arena.
• Tian Kun defeated his opponent with a single palm strike, while the remaining contestants prepared for their matches.
• Gu Sheng chose Dai Hongmao as his opponent, blocked the attacks from his rune-covered fan, and clashed swords with him while suppressing his aura to mid-Nascent Soul.

Ling Xiao accepted Wang Chenyu’s proposed rematch, defeated Wang Yuchen, and claimed the Frost Sword as his wager. The Holy Land prepared Ke Yucheng and Zhuang Feichen for the remaining matches, but Gu Sheng’s side hesitated to face them.

• Wang Chenyu challenged Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao to an additional match, and the examiner ordered three one-on-one battles between the sides.
• Ling Xiao demanded a fifth-grade spiritual pill as the prize, and Wang Chenyu offered his Frost Sword when he could not provide one.
• Wang Yuchen attacked Ling Xiao, but Ling Xiao revealed that he also had half-step Earth Palace Realm strength and overpowered him.
• Ling Xiao beat Wang Yuchen unconscious and claimed the Frost Sword, while the examiner ordered Ke Yucheng and Zhuang Feichen to win the remaining matches.
• Ke Yucheng and Zhuang Feichen faced Gu Sheng’s side, where no one volunteered to fight, and Zhuang Feichen singled out a frail young man.

Wang Yun surrendered to Zhuang Feichen after the latter’s aura injured him, and Gu Sheng gave him a healing pill. Gu Sheng then fought Ke Yucheng while concealing his true strength, and the chapter ended with Ke Yucheng’s sword halted just before it pierced Gu Sheng’s dantian.

• Wang Yun surrendered after Zhuang Feichen’s aura inflicted internal injuries, and the examiner confirmed the surrender was valid.
• Gu Sheng gave Wang Yun a Grade 3 Spirit Pill, prompting Zhuang Feichen to urge Ke Yucheng to prevent Gu Sheng from surrendering.
• Gu Sheng revealed an Earth Palace Late Stage aura and surprised Ke Yucheng by wounding his fist with the Azure Jade Sword.
• Ke Yucheng unleashed the Myriad Manifestations Sword Art, and Gu Sheng took several wounds while appearing to struggle against the attack.
• After counting one hundred exchanges, Gu Sheng deliberately exposed an opening, and Ke Yucheng thrust toward his dantian until the examiner stopped the sword with his pressure.

Gu Sheng manipulated his sparring match with Ke Yucheng to leave the arena, then revealed overwhelming power when Ke Yucheng pursued him with a killing strike. After Ke Yucheng was sent to Dragon Subduing Hall and the entrance examination ended, Gu Sheng and the other successful candidates traveled toward Qinghe Holy Land to learn their disciple rankings.

• The examiner stopped Ke Yucheng's first dangerous attack, but Ke Yucheng resumed the match and wounded Gu Sheng with the Nine Revolutions Azure Peak Art and Blood Fiend Sword.
• Gu Sheng used calculated retreats and concealed injuries to maneuver off the arena, where the examiner declared Ke Yucheng the winner.
• Ke Yucheng ignored the ruling and attacked Gu Sheng again, but Gu Sheng unleashed a terrifying pressure that disrupted Ke Yucheng's Spiritual Power before the examiner struck him down.
• The examiner ordered Ke Yucheng to face punishment at Dragon Subduing Hall, while Gu Sheng concealed his strength and rapidly healed as the examiners watched him warily.
• After the examination concluded, the examiner led the ten successful candidates toward Qinghe Holy Land and said their talents, potential, and performance would determine their disciple rankings.
• Liang Yu and the others saw Qinghe Holy Land's mountains and palaces emerge through the clouds as their group approached the sect-protecting grand formation.

Ling Xiao and Gu Sheng arrived for Qinghe Holy Land’s talent test, where they learned that a mysterious figure from Tianlan Holy Land had nearly slaughtered the six great Holy Lands’ finest disciples. As the Archaic Eye began testing the newcomers, Su Yongchang exempted Ling Xiao and Gu Sheng, leaving their true talents and identities unexamined.

• Li Su challenged Ling Xiao over his defeat of Wang Yuchen, but Su Yongchang stopped the inner sect disciples from confronting him before the test.
• Su Yongchang revealed that a figure from Tianlan Holy Land had nearly killed the geniuses of the six great Holy Lands during the Sacred Path trial, and Gu Sheng reacted uneasily to the news.
• At Earth Spirit Palace, Ling Xiao and Gu Sheng worried that Qinghe Holy Land’s Archaic Eye could expose their disguises and talents.
• The Archaic Eye classified the first tested newcomers as outer sect disciples, while Xu Guangzhi and Liu Qingshan earned inner sect places.
• Just as Ling Xiao and Gu Sheng were called to take the test, Su Yongchang exempted them and ordered the other newcomers assigned to their residences.

Su Yongchang brought Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao to meet his one-armed master, who examined their cultivation and made them his final disciples. After recounting his hatred of Gu Sheng and Daoist Xiushan, he sent the pair to Profound Nether Sacred Mountain, where Su Yongchang warned them that powerful cultivators trained in seclusion.

• Su Yongchang led Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao through the Nine Heavens Silver River, where they saw a powerful beast beneath the water and met his master fishing on the riverbank.
• The one-armed old man examined Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao, saw through their concealed cultivation, and sensed that Gu Sheng's spiritual circulation was unusual.
• The old man blamed Gu Sheng of Tianlan Holy Land and Daoist Xiushan for his severed arm and ruined foundation, then demanded that the two young men kill them if they had the chance.
• The old man accepted Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao as his final disciples and ordered Su Yongchang to take them to Profound Nether Sacred Mountain.
• As they approached the mountain, Su Yongchang warned them that powerful cultivators, including Holy Sons and Saintesses, practiced there.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao entered Profound Nether Sacred Mountain, found a cave, and began cultivating with the techniques Daoist Yong'an had given them. After Gu Sheng made rapid progress with the Heaven Measuring Sacred Fist and Heavenly Sorrow Sword, footsteps stopped outside their cave.

• Su Yongchang warned Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao about the dangers of Profound Nether Sacred Mountain and left them with the Xuanming Emissary after they presented their Azure Dragon Tokens.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao reached the mountain during the night, saw ghostly creatures flee from a sudden white light, and found a cave with a defensive formation.
• Gu Sheng discovered that the Taiji Seven Stars Sword strengthened his yin cultivation art, then completed the first level of the Heaven Measuring Sacred Fist.
• Gu Sheng gained an initial grasp of the Sorrowful Wind Stance while Ling Xiao practiced the Nine Heavens Soaring Cloud Steps.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao heard someone approach and stop outside the cave, so Gu Sheng prepared for battle.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao sharpened their skills on Profound Nether Sacred Mountain while Ke Yucheng and Tang Zhiyuan plotted to kill Gu Sheng and steal his treasure. As night fell, a clash of terrifying sword qi and black demonic aura erupted at the summit, drawing the cultivators’ attention.

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao questioned Daoist Yong'an’s generosity before resuming their cultivation on Profound Nether Sacred Mountain.
• After leaving the Dragon Subduing Hall, Ke Yucheng learned Gu Sheng was Daoist Yong'an’s disciple and enlisted Tang Zhiyuan to ambush him on the mountain.
• Liang Yu interrupted Wang Yuchen’s cultivation and said he had information about Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao’s true identities.
• Gu Sheng revealed his progress with sword techniques, and he and Ling Xiao planned to explore the mountainside after hearing rumors of Profound Nether True Water near the summit.
• Ke Yucheng and Tang Zhiyuan followed Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao with Stealth Talismans, but a sudden yin wind darkened the mountain and a vast clash erupted at the summit.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao sensed the summit’s sword qi, while Gu Sheng’s own sword qi began to resonate with it.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao joined Pan Zhuang’s group to seek Saint Infant Grass in a dangerous cave, where Gu Sheng’s sword skill and perception proved valuable. At the cave entrance, Pan Zhuang told them to discard their Azure Dragon Tokens because the demonic beasts could sense them.

• Gu Sheng used the Heavenly Sorrow Sword to kill an Ink Abyss Tiger while Tang Zhiyuan watched and grew greedy for the secret behind Gu Sheng’s skill.
• Pan Zhuang invited Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao to join his group in search of Saint Infant Grass, and they agreed despite Ling Xiao’s suspicions.
• The group traveled through the darkness, avoided an Earth Palace Peak wolf, and reached the gorge leading to the cave.
• At the cave entrance, Jin Xianyun entertained Yu Tianyi and Pan Zhuang as they promised her treasures and Saint Infant Grass.
• Pan Zhuang asked who carried an Azure Dragon Token, then warned Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao to throw theirs away because the cave’s demonic beasts could detect them.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao were betrayed by Pan Zhuang, who sealed them inside a cave to claim the Saint Infant Grass. They killed the injured Three-eyed Scaled Wolf and obtained the herb, while Pan Zhuang and the others entered the blood-soaked cave and feared the guardian had been slain.

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao discarded the Azure Dragon Token and approached the cave with Pan Zhuang's group, but Pan Zhuang struck them inside and sealed the entrance with the Seven Absolute Spirit Sealing Array.
• Pan Zhuang deceived Yu Tianyi and Jin Xianyun, claiming a demonic beast had dragged Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao into the cave, then left to pursue his plan.
• Gu Sheng realized Pan Zhuang had targeted the Saint Infant Grass and explained that the Azure Dragon Token ruse and their position at the front had been part of the betrayal.
• A wounded early Heavenly Palace Realm Three-eyed Scaled Wolf attacked Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao, and Gu Sheng killed it with one strike of the Azure Jade Sword.
• Gu Sheng collected the Saint Infant Grass in a Jade Box and prepared with Ling Xiao for Pan Zhuang's return.
• Pan Zhuang's group entered the cave, found the ground covered in fresh demon beast blood, and feared that the Seventh-tier Blood Pattern Python guarding the herb had been killed.

Ling Xiao and Gu Sheng faced Pan Zhuang’s group in the Blood Pattern Python’s cave, where Ling Xiao revealed overwhelming strength and Gu Sheng killed their attackers. They eliminated the survivors and left no one alive to carry word back to Qinghe Holy Land.

• Pan Zhuang’s group found the dead Blood Pattern Python and discovered Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao beside its treasure hoard, then demanded the Saint Infant Grass.
• Ling Xiao defeated Yu Tianyi with a series of punches after Yu Tianyi attacked him.
• Ling Xiao crushed Pan Zhuang’s spirit blade and sent him flying, and Gu Sheng beheaded Pan Zhuang with the Azure Jade Sword.
• Pan Zhuang’s three remaining junior disciples tried to flee, but Gu Sheng killed them with sword qi.
• Gu Sheng killed Jin Xianyun after she pleaded for her life and threatened him with her bloodline restriction.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao lured Ke Yucheng and Tang Zhiyuan into the cave by hinting at treasure and leaving bloody evidence behind. After the pair discovered signs of powerful deaths and tried to retreat, Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao confronted them, and Tang Zhiyuan attacked Gu Sheng.

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao met Ke Yucheng and Tang Zhiyuan outside the cave, where Gu Sheng hinted that unusual treasures lay within.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao retreated into the cave, and Ke Yucheng persuaded a wary Tang Zhiyuan to follow them.
• Ke Yucheng found Pan Zhuang's bloodstained jade pendant and assumed Pan Zhuang and the others had died, while Tang Zhiyuan remained suspicious.
• Tang Zhiyuan and Ke Yucheng discovered a powerful demon beast's corpse and dead core disciples, then realized that a person had killed some of them with sword qi.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao emerged from the darkness as Ke Yucheng and Tang Zhiyuan tried to flee, and Tang Zhiyuan attacked Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao escaped after Gu Sheng killed Tang Zhiyuan and Ke Yucheng, then Gu Sheng used the Saint Infant Grass to cultivate the second layer of the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art. His breakthrough failed because the spiritual energy at the mountain’s foot was too weak, so they moved higher up Profound Nether Sacred Mountain, where they encountered Qinghe Holy Land disciples and a crowd gathered along the path.

• Gu Sheng caught Tang Zhiyuan’s sword barehanded, shattered it, severed Tang Zhiyuan’s arm, and killed him before killing Ke Yucheng, who recognized him as a fugitive wanted by the Seven Great Holy Lands.
• Ling Xiao reduced the corpses to ashes and concealed them while Gu Sheng collected their belongings and temporarily blocked the tracking mark on Tang Zhiyuan’s Azure Dragon Token.
• Gu Sheng returned with Ling Xiao to their cliffside cave and attempted to advance the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art using the Saint Infant Grass, enduring severe pain as the herb’s yin energy tempered his body.
• Gu Sheng later failed three times to break through because the spiritual energy at the foot of Profound Nether Sacred Mountain was insufficient, so he and Ling Xiao decided to seek a denser cultivation site higher up the mountain.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao passed several Qinghe Holy Land core disciples and then came upon a crowd of twenty or thirty disciples gathered at a bend in the mountain path.

Gu Sheng encountered Su Muxue at Profound Nether Sacred Mountain and concealed his identity as she questioned him, drawing the hostility of other disciples. He and Ling Xiao hid in a cave to cultivate, but Wang Yuchen, Liang Yu, and Long Teng found them and attacked the isolation array while Gu Sheng was on the verge of a breakthrough.

• Ling Xiao pulled Gu Sheng into a crowd, where Gu Sheng recognized Su Muxue and pretended his name was Qing Feng when she asked if they had met before.
• Other disciples confronted Gu Sheng, but Su Muxue left after warning that she expected a satisfactory answer the next time they met.
• Gu Sheng took Ling Xiao to a hidden cave, sealed it with a Mystic-rank isolation array, and began cultivating with the Saint Infant Grass and the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art while Ling Xiao worked on his own breakthrough.
• Wang Yuchen, Liang Yu, and Long Teng followed the gathering spiritual energy to the cave, and Long Teng struck the barrier, disrupting Gu Sheng's cultivation and causing him to bleed.
• Long Teng claimed he was entitled to take over the cultivation site and prepared to hit the weakening barrier again as Ling Xiao rushed to confront the intruders.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Teng attacks the formation protecting Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao, causing Gu Sheng's cultivation breakthrough to fail and leaving him with severe internal injuries.
• Su Muxue appears, revealing she knows Gu Sheng's secret and offers him a way to leave Qinghe Holy Land through the Imperial Dragon Hall's new mission.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao rush to the Imperial Dragon Hall, finding a bounty on Gu Sheng's head worth ten thousand points.

Character Developments

• Gu Sheng's internal injuries worsen due to Long Teng's attack, forcing him to push through the pain to reach the Imperial Dragon Hall.
• Su Muxue's actions hint at a hidden connection with Gu Sheng, possibly from the Saint Path trial.
• Ling Xiao becomes more protective of Gu Sheng, showing concern for his well-being.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of power and resources (points) within the cultivation world.
• The consequences of hidden secrets and the potential danger they pose.
• The bonds between cultivators, such as Ling Xiao's growing loyalty to Gu Sheng.

Character Interactions

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao: Their bond strengthens as Ling Xiao becomes more protective of Gu Sheng, and they work together to reach the Imperial Dragon Hall.
• Gu Sheng and Su Muxue: Their interaction hints at a hidden past, with Su Muxue knowing Gu Sheng's secret and offering him a way out of Qinghe Holy Land.
• Gu Sheng and the other disciples: Gu Sheng's bounty on the mission board causes a stir among the disciples, highlighting the potential danger he faces.

With a bounty on Gu Sheng, he and Ling Xiao accepted a Poison Winged Elephant mission to leave the holy land, but Daoist Yong'an persuaded them to recover at Golden Crow Mountain first. They entered the volcano to cultivate while Long Teng and his companions waited outside, and Gu Sheng realized he needed an even harsher environment to strengthen his special physique.

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao accepted a mission to hunt Poison Winged Elephants, and a mission-counter attendant warned them not to ask about Gu Sheng's bounty.
• Long Teng learned that Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao planned to leave and decided to ambush them in Black Mist Canyon.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao visited Daoist Yong'an, who examined Gu Sheng's weakened body and gave him an Azure Dragon Token to enter Golden Crow Mountain.
• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao entered Golden Crow Mountain, while Long Teng, Wang Yuchen, and Liang Yu waited outside for them to emerge.
• Inside the volcano, Ling Xiao absorbed the lava's yang energy, but Gu Sheng judged it insufficient and pointed toward a deeper, darker region.

Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao descended into Golden Crow Mountain’s deeper magma regions, where Gu Sheng used the Saint Infant Grass and the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art to break through to the late Heavenly Palace Realm. After consolidating his cultivation and gaining insight into the Yang Dao, Gu Sheng prepared to enter the core region, while Ling Xiao watched from behind.

• Gu Sheng and Ling Xiao entered the second barrier, where Gu Sheng endured the intense yang energy and began cultivating with the Nine Dragon Qiankun Art.
• Gu Sheng used the remaining leaves of his Saint Infant Grass to fuel an energy storm and break through his cultivation art, while Ling Xiao arrived after his own breakthrough.
• Gu Sheng absorbed the magma’s yang energy and reached the late stage of the Heavenly Palace Realm; Ling Xiao tried to enter a deeper region but was blasted back by its pressure.
• Gu Sheng resolved to grow strong enough to face Long Teng, consolidated his new realm, and began comprehending the Yang Dao as Ling Xiao resumed cultivation.
• After three days, Gu Sheng stabilized his late Heavenly Palace Realm and headed toward the core region, the cultivation ground of Qinghe Holy Land’s strongest body refiners.

Gu Sheng crossed Burning Heaven Valley’s barrier and began cultivating amid its crushing pressure and violent energy, while Hong Yun and Mi Yingzong fought over an old grudge. After refining the valley’s energy, Gu Sheng secretly began weakening his protective barrier to temper his body, leaving Mi Yingzong intrigued by his dangerous method.

• Gu Sheng endured the barrier’s pressure and entered Burning Heaven Valley, where Hong Yun questioned his cultivation and reacted respectfully when Gu Sheng named Daoist Yong'an as his master.
• Mi Yingzong challenged Hong Yun’s authority, and their argument escalated into a fierce physical battle that ended with both men injured but still defiant.
• Ling Xiao tried to cross the barrier to help Gu Sheng, but the barrier struck him back and left him unconscious outside.
• Gu Sheng absorbed the valley’s violent energy by guiding it through the Nine Revolutions Profound Sun Art, astonishing the cultivators watching him.
• Gu Sheng gradually weakened his Spiritual Power barrier to use the valley’s pressure to temper his body, and Mi Yingzong recognized what he was attempting.