Recaps

Qin Hao cut a miles-long gap through the Lei family's encirclement and killed Pei Yangrong, disrupting Lei Yun's plan to capture the Cloudwing Beast Cub. He let the cub escape into the forest, and Lei Yun swore to kill him.

• Xu Hongying spotted Qin Hao racing through the forest and realized he had mastered Wandering Dragon Steps.
• Qin Hao killed Lei family retainers at several posts and opened a miles-long gap in their encirclement.
• Pei Yangrong recognized Qin Hao, fled, and fired a signal flare, prompting Lei Yun to send Yuan Kun after him.
• Qin Hao destroyed Pei Yangrong's Dantian and then killed him.
• The Cloudwing Beast Cub appeared, and Qin Hao stepped aside to let it escape into the forest.
• Lei Yun sensed the cub fleeing and vowed to kill Qin Hao for ruining his plan.

After Qin Hao escaped the Lei family’s search, Liu Changqing challenged him to a single-strike contest of swordsmanship. Qin Hao won with the fifth sword of the Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus, while Liu Changqing resolved to perfect his own Sword Force and challenge him again.

• Lei Yun sent his people to search for Qin Hao after the Cloudwing Beast escaped.
• Liu Changqing intercepted Qin Hao and asked to test his swordsmanship, promising to stop Lei Yun if he came after him.
• Qin Hao accepted the challenge and revealed that he had recently mastered the fifth sword of the Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus.
• Liu Changqing unleashed One Sword Becomes Ten Thousand Swords, a strike he had honed for ten years.
• Qin Hao’s fifth sword overpowered Liu Changqing’s attack, and Liu Changqing admitted defeat before promising to fight him again after perfecting his Sword Force.

Qin Hao hid from the Lei family, trained his sword, and began hunting them for their Myriad Phenomena Tokens. After meeting the Cloudwing Beast Cub, he followed it into the Illusion Array while Lei Yun discovered the slain Lei family members and vowed to kill him.

• Qin Hao counted five Myriad Phenomena Tokens but decided he still needed more, then spent two days improving his fifth Azure Lotus sword technique.
• Lei Yun led the search for Qin Hao, while Qin Hao emerged from hiding and killed several Lei family members, finding no tokens among them.
• Qin Hao killed more Lei family members and found only one Myriad Phenomena Token among them.
• The Cloudwing Beast Cub found Qin Hao and led him through the Dense Forest to the Illusion Array at the center of Clearheart Island.
• Lei Yun found the dead Lei family members and swore that Qin Hao deserved to die.

Qin Hao followed the Cloudwing Beast Cub to a hidden cave, where he found a Mid-Grade Storage Ring and pressed a Crystal Stone that triggered a huge upheaval. The collapse revealed the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, a trial for recruiting Azure Flame Sect disciples, and Xiahou Lie summoned the new disciples to attempt it.

• The Cloudwing Beast Cub led Qin Hao to a hidden cave beneath the Mountain Peak, where he found a powerful expert's skeleton and took its Storage Ring after burying the remains.
• Qin Hao discovered that the ring was a Mid-Grade Storage Ring and buried the ruined pills inside with the skeleton.
• The Cloudwing Beast Cub urged Qin Hao to press a Crystal Stone, triggering violent tremors that collapsed the cave and Mountain Peak.
• Xiahou Lie, Lei Wu, and Bai Yu found the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, whose steps tested will and martial resolve and offered Azure Flame Sect disciple ranks.
• Xiahou Lie failed to enter because he was not in the Body Tempering Realm, then ordered every new disciple on Clearheart Island to come climb the stairway.

The Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway appeared on Clearheart Island, and the Myriad Phenomena Hall sealed the island as new Disciples rushed toward it. Qin Hao recognized the stairway as part of the Ancient Era Ruins and passed its first Illusory Realm trial, while Li Shan remained trapped at the step.

• Xiahou Lie, Lei Wu, and Bai Yu formed a barrier around Clearheart Island and ordered everyone to stay out.
• New Disciples, including Lei Yun and Zhu Jingsheng, raced toward the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway as Qin Hao arrived first.
• Qin Hao read the Stone Stele and realized the stairway belonged to the Azure Flame Sect ruins; Li Shan arrived and learned that Qin Hao had killed Pei Yangrong.
• Li Shan stepped onto the stairway and became trapped in an Illusory Realm of a volcanic crater.
• Qin Hao entered the same trial, leaped into the lava-filled crater, and returned to the stairway while Li Shan still hesitated.

Lei Jiaojiao and the gathered new disciples discovered the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, an Ancient Era Sect’s willpower trial, while Qin Hao climbed far ahead of them. The chapter ended with Deng Mingxuan stepping onto the stairway to test it.

• Lei Jiaojiao entered the stairway, endured the volcanic illusion, and passed its first stone step.
• Lei Jiaojiao discovered Qin Hao had climbed to the tenth stone step while Li Shan remained stuck on the first.
• Lei Yun, Zhu Jingsheng, Deng Mingxuan, Tang Bingyan, Yuan Kun, Long Yan, Liu Changqing, Xu Hongying, and other disciples arrived and read the stele describing the Azure Flame Sect’s recruitment trial.
• The crowd spotted Qin Hao on the eleventh stone step, and Lei Yun vowed to confront him after reaching the top.
• Deng Mingxuan stepped onto the First Floor to try the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway.

Qin Hao endured the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway’s crushing pressure and climbed to the thirteenth stair, while other disciples struggled through its Illusory Realms and many were eliminated. The crowd mistakenly thought Qin Hao had failed, then spotted his faint figure on the eighteenth stair.

• Qin Hao resisted the pressure on the eleventh and twelfth stairs, discovered it compressed and strengthened his Sword Force, and reached the thirteenth stair.
• Lei Yun passed the first Illusory Realm, followed by Zhu Jingsheng, Deng Mingxuan, and others, while Xu Hongying entered a frozen-sea Illusory Realm on the second stair.
• New disciples became trapped in the stairway’s Illusory Realms, and many were eliminated after exceeding the time limit on a stair.
• Li Shan was eliminated on the third stair, and half the participants had been thrown out in less than half an hour.
• The crowd saw the eleventh stair was empty and assumed Qin Hao had been eliminated, but then spotted him on the eighteenth stair.

Qin Hao climbed the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway to the nineteenth stone step, earning the status of an Azure Flame Sect Outer Disciple. As others assumed he had reached his limit, the stairway’s pressure had instead tempered his Sword Force, and he stood ready to push onward.

• Onlookers envied Qin Hao as he advanced to the eighteenth step while Lei Yun, Zhu Jingsheng, and Deng Mingxuan reached the eleventh.
• Qin Hao stepped onto the nineteenth stone step under immense pressure, becoming an Azure Flame Sect Outer Disciple.
• Lei Yun, Zhu Jingsheng, and Deng Mingxuan continued climbing, and Lei Yun surged ahead to the fifteenth step.
• The crowd believed Qin Hao had stopped at the nineteenth step and expected Lei Yun to challenge him after the trial.
• Qin Hao’s Sword Force grew stronger under the stairway’s pressure, which compressed it to its utmost limit.

Qin Hao fused his Willpower with his Sword Force while remaining on the nineteenth step of the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway. His fusion created a pressure-laden rain that eliminated Xue Yunlong, while Qin Hao appeared to enjoy it.

• Qin Hao discovered that the pressure had compressed his Sword Force and strengthened it, then focused on merging it with his Willpower.
• Lei Yun, Zhu Jingsheng, Deng Mingxuan, Liu Changqing, and other geniuses passed Qin Hao as he remained motionless on the nineteenth step.
• The disciples below realized Qin Hao had stayed on the step far longer than the usual limit, and Xu Hongying suspected he was gaining insight.
• Xue Yunlong reached the nineteenth step, but rain carrying immense pressure struck him until he collapsed and was transported away.
• The rain intensified as the other geniuses sensed the pressure in each drop, while Qin Hao looked pleased as it fell on him.

Qin Hao fused Sword Force with his willpower and formed a Willpower Sword Prototype, allowing him to withstand the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway’s crushing rain pressure. He climbed past the other geniuses and reached the thirty-third step ahead of Lei Yun, who raged and followed him.

• Qin Hao’s willpower took shape under the rain’s pressure, forming a crude Willpower Sword Prototype in his Consciousness Space.
• Qin Hao walked past the geniuses on the twenty-first step and continued climbing while they struggled against the pressure.
• Qin Hao passed Nie Hongjie and Ding Yaohui, then spoke with Yuan Kun, Long Yan, Xu Hongying, Tang Bingyan, and Liu Changqing as he climbed.
• Lei Yun reached the thirty-second step and assumed Qin Hao had fallen from the stairway when he could not see him below.
• Qin Hao appeared beside Lei Yun, called him an insignificant stumbling block, and stepped onto the thirty-third stone step.
• Lei Yun, furious at being passed, roared and charged onto the thirty-third stone step.

Xiahou Lie, Lei Wu, and Bai Yu wagered on who would claim first place on the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway and become Initiation Trial Rookie King. As Lei Yun struggled onto the thirty-third step, Qin Hao climbed past him, leaving Lei Yun shocked and injured.

• Bai Yu and Lei Wu argued over whether Zhu Jingsheng or Lei Yun would win the stairway and Rookie King contests.
• Lei Wu and Bai Yu wagered a Bloodcloud Stone and Wood Essence on their chosen disciples, while Xiahou Lie wagered two Crimson Flame Golden Silkworm Pills on someone else winning both contests.
• Xiahou Lie thought of Qin Hao, recalling his Sword Force and survival of Lei Jiaojiao's sneak attack, and the elders accepted his wager.
• Lei Yun endured the pressure on the thirty-third stone step, while Qin Hao observed his willpower and continued climbing.
• Qin Hao stepped onto the thirty-fourth stone step, and Lei Yun spat blood in shock at seeing him climb ahead.

Qin Hao climbed to the forty-second stone stair of the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, far surpassing the other disciples. After Lei Yun failed to advance beyond the thirty-sixth stair and was eliminated, Qin Hao remained alone on the stairway.

• Qin Hao climbed from the thirty-fifth to the forty-second stone stair, leaving Lei Yun, Zhu Jingsheng, and the others behind.
• Lei Yun accused Qin Hao of cheating, then pushed himself upward to the thirty-sixth stone stair while Zhu Jingsheng and the other disciples struggled to keep climbing.
• Nie Hongjie, Ding Yaohui, Xu Hongying, Tang Bingyan, Long Yan, Yuan Kun, Liu Changqing, Deng Mingxuan, and Zhu Jingsheng were eliminated one after another.
• Lei Yun forced his way onto the thirty-seventh stone stair but could not withstand the pressure and returned to the thirty-sixth.
• Lei Yun was eliminated, leaving Qin Hao alone on the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway.

Qin Hao pushed beyond the other new disciples on the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, climbing to the forty-eighth stairway through sheer willpower. He stood poised to attempt the forty-ninth, while Lei Yun panicked at the prospect of Qin Hao becoming an Inner Disciple.

• Lei Yun mocked Qin Hao and threatened Xu Hongying, while the crowd watched Qin Hao climb past the forty-second stairway.
• Qin Hao reached the forty-third, forty-fourth, and forty-fifth stairways despite the rising pressure.
• Qin Hao forced his way onto the forty-sixth and forty-seventh stairways as the pressure strained his Willpower Sword Prototype and nearly crushed him.
• Qin Hao declared that his will and fate belonged to him, then stood upright on the forty-eighth stairway.
• The crowd marveled at Qin Hao's progress as Lei Yun insisted Qin Hao could not reach the forty-ninth without his Divine Soul being pierced.

Qin Hao endured the pressure of the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, reached the fiftieth stone stair, and received an Azure Flame Sect Inner Disciple Token. After the stairway transported him back, Lei Yun and Lei Jiaojiao demanded that he surrender it.

• Qin Hao broke through the pressure on the forty-eighth stair, reached the forty-ninth stair to qualify as an Inner Disciple, and pushed on until he collapsed on the fiftieth.
• The crowd marveled at Qin Hao's achievement, while Lei Yun and the Lei family members seethed with envy and hatred.
• A gentle force revived Qin Hao at the Palace, where he saw a Golden Inner Disciple Token fly to him and vanish with him when he grabbed it.
• Qin Hao reappeared among the crowd as twenty-seven yellow Outer Disciple Tokens flew to their owners.
• Lei Yun threatened Qin Hao and demanded his Inner Disciple Token, and Lei Jiaojiao joined him in making the same demand.

Lei Yun and the Lei family tried to seize Qin Hao’s Inner Sect Disciple Token, but Qin Hao rejected them and revealed how much his strength had grown. Lei Yun then exposed his Ninth Layer Peak of Body Tempering cultivation and attacked Qin Hao with Demon-Disintegration Thunder.

• Lei Yun, Lei Jiaojiao, Yuan Kun, and other Lei family members surrounded Qin Hao and demanded his token and treasures.
• Qin Hao refused to hand over the token, mocked Lei Jiaojiao and Lei Yun, and knocked Lei Jiaojiao back with a sword strike that triggered her Black Mystic Ring.
• Lei Yun revealed that he had reached the Ninth Layer Peak of Body Tempering and boasted about his Fifth-Rank Martial Soul.
• Lei Yun ordered Yuan Kun to seal off the area, then charged Qin Hao with Demon-Disintegration Thunder.

Qin Hao fought Lei Yun, whose Demon-Disintegration Thunder, manifested Martial Soul, and weapon gave him a formidable advantage. Qin Hao revealed that his Sword Force had grown dramatically and prepared to test his nearly mastered Sixth Sword of Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus, while still keeping his own Martial Soul secret.

• Lei Yun attacked Qin Hao with Demon-Disintegration Thunder, but Qin Hao's strengthened Sword Force blocked his first strike.
• Qin Hao and Lei Yun exchanged dozens of blows as Qin Hao held his ground without using Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus.
• Lei Yun manifested his Giant Wolf Martial Soul, prompting the onlookers to fear he could unleash Thunder Illuminates the World.
• Lei Yun equipped his Tiger-Rending Knuckle Guards and charged at Qin Hao again.
• Qin Hao decided to answer with Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus, relying on the pure Sword Force and nearly mastered Sixth Sword he had developed on the Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway.

Qin Hao battled Lei Yun on Clearheart Island, matching his Thunder Illuminates the World with increasingly powerful strikes from the Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus. Lei Yun revealed a Silver Moon Battle Shield that neutralized Qin Hao’s Sword Force and launched a counterattack, while Lei Jiaojiao watched for a chance to ambush Qin Hao.

• Lei Yun struck Qin Hao with Thunder Illuminates the World, but Qin Hao answered with the first three swords of the Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus and was driven back.
• Qin Hao unleashed Unyielding Battle Will and advanced through the Fourth and Fifth Swords, forcing Lei Yun into an even clash and then making him stumble backward with repeated Fifth Sword strikes.
• Lei Yun realized he could not quickly defeat Qin Hao, while Qin Hao taunted him and demanded that he fight instead of boasting.
• Lei Yun produced the Yellow-Tier Top-Grade Silver Moon Battle Shield, and Lei Jiaojiao regained confidence and waited for an opening to ambush Qin Hao.
• Qin Hao struck the shield, but its silver runes absorbed his Sword Force and left only a faint mark; Lei Yun then attacked with a barrage of lightning-filled palm shadows.

Qin Hao killed Lei Jiaojiao after she tried to ambush him, provoking Lei Yun’s fury. He then unleashed a series of powerful Azure Lotus sword strikes against Lei Yun’s Silver Moon Battle Shield, leaving its defense shaking.

• Lei Yun attacked Qin Hao with his manifested Martial Soul, Silver Moon Battle Shield, and Demon-Disintegration Thunder, while Qin Hao held back his own trump cards.
• Lei Jiaojiao tried to strike Qin Hao from behind with her Black Long Whip, but he dodged and killed her with one sword strike as she fled.
• Lei Yun raged over Lei Jiaojiao’s death and launched repeated palm strikes at Qin Hao, who advanced with his sword.
• Qin Hao unleashed the Sixth Sword of the Nine Swords of the Azure Lotus, then followed with several more strikes that battered Lei Yun’s trembling Silver Moon Battle Shield.

Qin Hao overwhelmed Lei Yun with repeated full-strength sword strikes and nearly defeated him, forcing Lei Yun to use a Thousand Escape Talisman to flee. Qin Hao collected Lei Yun’s tokens, other treasures, and Silver Moon Battle Shield, while the onlookers watched in awe.

• Qin Hao relentlessly attacked Lei Yun, whose Silver Moon Battle Shield began to slip from his grasp.
• Lei Yun tried to interrupt Qin Hao with a palm strike, but Qin Hao knocked the shield from his hand and continued the assault.
• Lei Yun pleaded for Qin Hao to stop and warned him about the Lei family, but Qin Hao said he intended to kill him and kept attacking.
• Lei Yun threw his tokens and treasures toward Qin Hao, then used a Thousand Escape Talisman to escape at greatly increased speed.
• Qin Hao collected Lei Yun’s Myriad Phenomena Tokens, Outer Disciple Token, pills, and other treasures, then picked up the Silver Moon Battle Shield.

Qin Hao defeated Lei Yun, then killed Yuan Kun with a single sword strike after Yuan Kun tried to flee. He rejected offers to join the Medicine Hall and Mystic Origin Hall and set off for the Myriad Phenomena Hall, undeterred by the Lei family.

• Lei Yun escaped Qin Hao by abandoning his treasures and using a Thousand Escape Talisman, while Xu Hongying drew Qin Hao’s attention to Yuan Kun.
• Yuan Kun fled, but Qin Hao struck him down with one sword, killing him before he could use his trump cards.
• Qin Hao searched Yuan Kun’s corpse for treasures and announced his departure for the Myriad Phenomena Hall.
• Zhu Jingsheng and others warned Qin Hao about the Lei family and invited him to join their halls, but Qin Hao declined and said he would pursue the martial dao Peak on his own terms.

The Initiation Trial ended, and the new disciples gathered to hand in their Myriad Phenomena Tokens. As Zhu Jingsheng’s group reported their results, Lei Wu remained confident that Lei Yun would win, but the Rookie King had yet to arrive.

• Qin Hao declined to join a faction and left to search for the Cloudwing Beast Cub before the trial ended.
• The new disciples gathered at Clearheart Island’s outskirts to register their Myriad Phenomena Tokens, while Xiahou Lie, Lei Wu, and Bai Yu awaited the results.
• Liu Changqing handed in eight tokens, while Xu Hongying and Nie Hongjie each had three and Ding Yaohui had two.
• Zhu Jingsheng arrived with Deng Mingxuan and the others, then reported twelve tokens; Lei Wu declared Lei Yun the likely Rookie King, and Bai Yu disputed him.
• Long Yan handed in five tokens, Tang Bingyan seven, and Deng Mingxuan ten, bringing the collected total to sixty-five with thirty-five still unaccounted for.

Qin Hao arrived at the gathering point with all thirty-five remaining Myriad Phenomena Tokens, winning the Rookie King title and exposing his extraordinary achievements. After Lei Wu learned that Qin Hao had defeated Lei Yun and killed Lei Jiaojiao and Yuan Kun, he returned carrying a barely breathing Lei Yun and demanded Qin Hao’s death.

• Qin Hao arrived and registered thirty-five Myriad Phenomena Tokens, astonishing the crowd and securing the Rookie King title.
• Lei Wu confronted Qin Hao and demanded to know what had happened to Lei Yun, Yuan Kun, and Lei Jiaojiao.
• Nie Hongjie and other new disciples recounted Qin Hao’s feats at the Body-Refining Cave and Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway, including his defeat of Lei Yun and the deaths of Lei Jiaojiao and Yuan Kun.
• Lei Wu, Xiahou Lie, and Bai Yu rushed to investigate the collapsed Body-Refining Cave and fallen Azure Flame Heavenly Stairway.
• Lei Wu returned carrying a barely breathing Lei Yun and angrily accused Qin Hao of brutality, demanding that he die.

Qin Hao became the Rookie King of the Initiation Trial after Xiahou Lie stopped Lei Wu from attacking him and collected the wager from Lei Wu and Bai Yu. The new disciples boarded the Sky-Rising Boat for the Myriad Phenomena Hall, while Qin Hao was congratulated by Liu Changqing, Zhu Jingsheng, and the others.

• Lei Wu attacked Qin Hao in a rage over Lei Yun's injuries and missing treasures, but Xiahou Lie struck Lei Wu back and warned him not to attack a new disciple.
• Bai Yu defended Qin Hao and reminded Lei Wu that the Initiation Trial's rules applied equally to everyone.
• Xiahou Lie collected the wood essence and Bloodcloud Stone he had won in a wager with Bai Yu and Lei Wu.
• Xiahou Lie announced that Qin Hao had won first place with thirty-five Myriad Phenomena Tokens, ahead of Zhu Jingsheng in second place.
• The new disciples boarded the Sky-Rising Boat for the Myriad Phenomena Hall, and Liu Changqing, Zhu Jingsheng, and others congratulated Qin Hao on becoming the Rookie King.

After the Initiation Trial, Qin Hao arrived at Myriad Phenomena Grounds as the new disciples’ Rookie King. When Lei Zhen sent two veteran disciples to summon him, Qin Hao refused and challenged Lei Zhen to come find him instead.

• Qin Hao arrived at Myriad Phenomena Grounds with the other new disciples, while Lei Yun vowed to take revenge on him.
• Two veteran Outer Hall disciples shoved a new disciple and demanded that Qin Hao come forward.
• Qin Hao insisted that the veteran apologize, prompting the new disciples to join him in demanding an apology.
• The veteran disciples said Lei Zhen had summoned Qin Hao, but Qin Hao refused to go and told them to report that he would wait for Lei Zhen to come to him.

After refusing Lei Zhen’s summons, Qin Hao headed to the Treasury Hall to collect his rewards and pursue a fifth-rank martial soul. Lei Zhen decided to have Pei Shan deal with him, while turning his attention to Liu Ruoxue and their marriage plans.

• Liu Changqing, Zhu Jingsheng, Xu Hongying, and other new Disciples warned Qin Hao that Lei Zhen and his powerful followers could retaliate against him.
• Qin Hao left for the Treasury Hall, determined to grow stronger after learning Lei Zhen had sent people to summon him.
• The two messengers told Lei Zhen that Qin Hao had refused his summons, and Lei Zhen learned that Qin Hao had become Rookie King and defeated Lei Yun.
• Lei Zhen rejected Yang Benhong’s offer to attack Qin Hao and instead ordered him to notify Pei Shan, who held a grudge against Qin Hao.
• Lei Zhen asked Liu Ruoxue to accompany him to Tianshui City to finalize their marriage, and she agreed.
• Qin Hao presented his Sect Token at the Treasury Hall and entered.