Chapter Summaries

Qin Hao discovered that combining his Destruction Laws with his Vitality Laws created a powerful sword strike but caused a dangerous backlash. He found that fusing the opposing forces into a Yin-Yang diagram within a Sword Shadow could cancel the backlash, giving him a way to continue developing his Martial Skill.

• Qin Hao realized that using Near at Hand, Far Away with his perfected Destruction Laws greatly increased their power.
• Qin Hao combined his Destruction Laws and Half-Step Vitality Laws in a sword strike, but the opposition between them caused a severe backlash.
• Qin Hao studied the black and white forces in the Sword Shadows and concluded that their unequal strengths and opposing natures caused the backlash.
• Qin Hao tried using less Destruction Laws and more Vitality Laws, but the backlash continued even when their strengths were closer.
• Qin Hao formed a Yin-Yang diagram inside one Sword Shadow, canceled its backlash, and realized he could fuse the forces to make the technique safe.

Qin Hao fused Destruction Laws and Vitality Laws into his sword strike, then incorporated the Power of Heaven and Earth through Earth's Wrath, greatly increasing its power. After realizing spatial cultivators could trace the strike’s fluctuations, he decided to add the Time Laws to leave no trace.

• Qin Hao spent ten days fusing Destruction Laws and Vitality Laws into every Sword Shadow, creating a powerful strike that let him compete for the Azure Flame Tournament Top 100.
• Qin Hao began using Earth's Wrath with the strike to draw the Power of Heaven and Earth into his Sword Shadows.
• Qin Hao practiced until he coordinated the Laws, Near at Hand, Far Away, and Earth's Wrath, making the strike many times stronger than Earth's Sword.
• Qin Hao judged that he could now defeat three Shi Chengtian and considered challenging the Seventeenth Floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower.
• Qin Hao realized cultivators of Space Laws could trace his strike's Spatial Fluctuations and decided to add the Time Laws to disrupt them.

Qin Hao perfected and named his new sword move Shadowless Trace while continuing his secluded cultivation. Shi Chengtian enlisted Teng Jinshui, whose Gold Laws had reached Second-Order, to help kill Qin Hao on the Shi Family Ancestor’s orders.

• Qin Hao incorporated the Time Laws into his sword strike, creating the elusive move Shadowless Trace, and planned to challenge the Heaven-Piercing Tower’s Eighteenth Floor after his cultivation period.
• Qin Hao continued practicing Shadowless Trace and comprehending the Destruction Laws and Half-Step Vitality Laws during seclusion.
• Shi Chengtian learned that Teng Jinshui had emerged from seclusion with Second-Order Gold Laws and hurried to meet him.
• Shi Chengtian told Teng Jinshui that Qin Hao had wronged him and claimed the Shi Family Ancestor had ordered Qin Hao’s death.
• Teng Jinshui was astonished when Shi Chengtian named Ancestor Yanshi as the one who had ordered Qin Hao killed.

Shi Chengtian enlisted Teng Jinshui to kill Qin Hao, but they learned Qin Hao had left his cultivation chamber to challenge the Eighteenth Floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. Teng Jinshui and Shi Chengtian headed to the tower, with Teng Jinshui doubting Qin Hao could clear the floor.

• Shi Chengtian offered Teng Jinshui one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones to kill Qin Hao, and Teng Jinshui agreed.
• Shi Chengtian told Teng Jinshui that Qin Hao was cultivating in the Number Ten Earth-Class Cultivation Chamber, and they hurried to Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain.
• Shi Chengtian opened the chamber and found another young man inside, who revealed that Qin Hao had left to challenge the Eighteenth Floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower.
• Shi Chengtian attacked the young man in anger, sending him flying and leaving him badly injured.
• Teng Jinshui told Shi Chengtian that challenging the Eighteenth Floor did not mean Qin Hao could clear it, then led him toward the tower.

Qin Hao challenged the Eighteenth Floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower, where one hundred Guardians attacked him together with Near at Hand, Far Away and Destruction Laws. As Shi Chengtian waited outside to humiliate him, Qin Hao answered the Guardians’ assault with Shadowless Trace.

• Shi Chengtian decided to wait for Qin Hao to leave the tower so he could beat and humiliate him in Heaven-Piercing Plaza.
• After Shi Chengtian and Teng Jinshui left Earth Character Plaza, the injured young man and the other geniuses discussed Qin Hao’s challenge and feared Teng Jinshui would overpower him.
• Qin Hao found that the Eighteenth Floor’s Guardians had grown stronger to match the level he had reached on his previous challenge.
• The White-Clothed Youth told Qin Hao the trial had a time limit and warned that one hundred Guardians would drive him out.
• All one hundred Guardians attacked with Near at Hand, Far Away, First-Rank Perfected Destruction Laws, and sword lights, while Qin Hao countered with Shadowless Trace.

Qin Hao challenged the Eighteenth Floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower and revealed a powerful new strike that combined several forces. He blocked the attacks of one hundred Guardians and charged at them, while the White-Haired Elder recognized the strike’s potential and considered Qin Hao’s chance to earn his promised opportunity.

• The White-Haired Elder watched Qin Hao challenge the Eighteenth Floor and set clearing it in Half a Quarter Hour as the condition for his promised opportunity.
• The White-Haired Elder sensed Qin Hao’s strike combining Destruction, Life Force, time, spatial pull, and the Power of Heaven and Earth, and was amazed by his potential.
• The martial artists gathered outside the tower watched Qin Hao’s challenge, while Ke Cheng regretted that the Spirit-Scolding Sect had failed to recruit him.
• Qin Hao’s Sword Shadow blocked all one hundred Guardians’ sword attacks without wavering.
• The White-Clothed Youth questioned how Qin Hao had developed the strike in a month, and Qin Hao charged at the Guardians to begin attacking.

Qin Hao defeated the hundred Guardians on the Heaven-Piercing Tower’s Eighteenth Floor in less than Half a Quarter Hour and received a Sparring Stone that could aid breakthroughs in Martial Skills. As he considered using it to develop a defensive sword move, Teng Jinshui arrived outside the tower and met with Ke Cheng and the others.

• Qin Hao defeated the hundred Guardians, leaving only the White-Clothed Youth standing, and passed the Eighteenth Floor within the required time.
• The White-Clothed Youth gave Qin Hao a Sparring Stone that could summon a matching Sparring Partner three times and help him break through while practicing Martial Skills.
• The White-Clothed Youth vanished after completing his task, and Qin Hao resolved to use the Sparring Stone to develop a defensive sword move.
• Qin Hao learned that he could activate the Sparring Stone only in a Heaven-Class Cultivation Chamber on Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain.
• Teng Jinshui and Shi Chengtian arrived at the square, and Teng Jinshui went to Ke Cheng and the others’ private room.

Teng Jinshui and Shi Chengtian learned that the Heaven-Piercing Tower had withheld Qin Hao’s battle Projection to protect him, then dismissed his chances of clearing the Eighteenth Floor. Qin Hao cleared the entire tower in less than Half a Quarter Hour, leaving them shocked and Teng Jinshui still determined to challenge him.

• Ke Cheng told Teng Jinshui that the Heaven-Piercing Tower had refused to release Qin Hao’s battle Projection to any faction, a rare measure reserved for Top Talents.
• Shi Chengtian argued that Qin Hao lacked the ability to clear the Eighteenth Floor, and Teng Jinshui agreed that Qin Hao was unlikely to succeed so soon after passing the Seventeenth Floor.
• Teng Jinshui said he wanted to spar with Qin Hao because Qin Hao had refused to join the Spirit-Scolding Sect, and Shi Chengtian and the others supported him.
• He Kai noticed the Eighteenth Floor’s light had gone out in less than Half a Quarter Hour, and Shi Chengtian assumed Qin Hao had failed.
• The Heaven-Piercing Tower announced that Qin Hao had cleared it, stunning Shi Chengtian, Ke Cheng, and Teng Jinshui.
• Teng Jinshui acknowledged Qin Hao’s ability but still insisted on showing him the gap between himself and a true genius.

Qin Hao cleared Heaven-Piercing Tower and planned to spend four months improving his strength before the Azure Flame Grand Tournament. Teng Jinshui and Shi Chengtian confronted him, and Qin Hao challenged Teng Jinshui to a Life-and-Death Battle.

• Qin Hao appeared after clearing Heaven-Piercing Tower for his third attempt, shocking the crowd with how quickly he had passed its final floors.
• Qin Hao planned to enter a Heaven-Class Cultivation Chamber and create a second Sword Move by incorporating Great Heavenly Dipper Art while advancing his Laws.
• Teng Jinshui, a Spirit-Scolding Sect Core Disciple ranked sixty-eighth on the Potential Rankings, challenged Qin Hao to spar over his refusal to join the sect.
• Qin Hao refused Teng Jinshui's challenge, and Shi Chengtian stepped in to demand an apology and threaten him over the Shi Family and the Cultivation Chamber.
• Qin Hao accused Teng Jinshui of acting like a hound and declared that their fight would be a Life-and-Death Battle.

Qin Hao challenged Teng Jinshui and Shi Chengtian to a Life and Death Battle, then faced them both on the Arena. Teng Jinshui opened the fight with a powerful Second-Order Gold Laws attack, leaving the crowd convinced Qin Hao was in danger.

• Qin Hao proposed a Life and Death Battle against Teng Jinshui and invited Shi Chengtian to join him.
• Shi Chengtian accepted, planning to avoid Qin Hao directly and attack if an opportunity arose.
• Qin Hao, Teng Jinshui, and Shi Chengtian stepped onto the Arena as thousands of young talents gathered to watch.
• Teng Jinshui attacked Qin Hao with a hundred-zhang golden saber formed from his Second-Order Gold Laws.

Qin Hao used his self-created Shadowless Trace to overwhelm Teng Jinshui’s Second-Order Gold Laws, revealing the gap between their strength despite both having cleared the Heaven-Piercing Tower. As Teng Jinshui’s golden blade began to fail, he unleashed Water Laws, while Shi Chengtian feared the consequences of Teng Jinshui’s defeat.

• Qin Hao countered Teng Jinshui’s giant golden blade with Shadowless Trace, filling the Arena with Sword Shadows infused with Destruction Laws, Vitality Laws, and the Power of Heaven and Earth.
• Qin Hao’s Sword Shadows began suppressing Teng Jinshui’s Gold Laws, and the crowd realized that the many unused shadows could overwhelm him completely.
• Qin Hao reflected that clearing the Heaven-Piercing Tower’s Eighteenth Floor tested each challenger against copies of their own strength, so the achievement did not make him and Teng Jinshui equals.
• Teng Jinshui, alarmed that his golden blade would be devoured, summoned Water Laws and sent a swarm of water blades toward Qin Hao.
• Shi Chengtian regretted joining the Life and Death Battle as he feared what Qin Hao would do if Teng Jinshui lost.

Qin Hao overwhelmed Teng Jinshui with his Sword Shadows, leaving him badly injured, while Shi Chengtian took advantage of the clash to launch a surprise attack. Qin Hao had anticipated the ambush and sent ten Sword Shadows to intercept Shi Chengtian’s ultimate strike.

• Shi Chengtian realized Teng Jinshui was losing to Qin Hao and decided he would have to attack.
• Teng Jinshui’s Water Laws blades shattered against Qin Hao’s Sword Shadows, and the backlash badly injured him.
• Ke Cheng and the others regretted that Qin Hao had refused to join the Spirit-Scolding Sect after demonstrating Core Disciple-level strength.
• Shi Chengtian crept toward Qin Hao through the clash and unleashed Year Baleful from the Seven Baleful Saber Technique.
• Qin Hao revealed he had anticipated the ambush and sent ten Sword Shadows into the path of Shi Chengtian’s strike.

Qin Hao defeated and killed Shi Chengtian and Teng Jinshui in the Life and Death Battle at Heaven-Piercing Plaza. After collecting their Storage Spirit Rings, he left the Arena and met Wang Xiaoling while the crowd and Spirit-Scolding Sect disciples reeled from the killings.

• Qin Hao's Sword Shadows overwhelmed Shi Chengtian's defenses, cut him apart, and extinguished his Life Force.
• Teng Jinshui pleaded for Qin Hao to stop and warned that the Spirit-Scolding Sect would retaliate, but Qin Hao attacked and killed him with countless Sword Shadows.
• Qin Hao collected Shi Chengtian's and Teng Jinshui's Storage Spirit Rings and stepped down from the Arena as the plaza fell silent.
• Ke Cheng decided to report the deaths to the hall master and withdrew with Qi Zhiyuan and He Kai.
• Qin Hao reached the edge of the plaza and met Wang Xiaoling.

Qin Hao bought Wang Xiaoling’s intelligence on the Heaven-Class Cultivation Chambers and learned that their sparring partners were modeled on different Martial Souls. He found that Shi Youbing, a powerful Shi Family prodigy, held the Jian Wu Martial Soul Cultivation Chamber.

• Qin Hao told Wang Xiaoling he needed intelligence on the Heaven-Class Cultivation Chambers and paid him eight hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones for a booklet.
• Wang Xiaoling explained that the chambers’ sparring partners were based on Martial Souls and recommended the metal-attribute chamber for Qin Hao’s Jian Wu Martial Soul.
• Qin Hao read about Gao Bo and other chamber holders, learning that they were formidable prodigies with high Potential Rankings.
• Qin Hao found the entry for the Jian Wu Martial Soul Cultivation Chamber and discovered that Shi Youbing held it and ranked thirty-first on the Potential Rankings.

Qin Hao decided to challenge Shi Youbing for the Sword Martial Soul Cultivation Chamber despite warnings that Shi Youbing was an exceptionally powerful opponent. As Qin Hao headed to Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain, Shi Youbing broke his seclusion to answer a message from Ancestor Yanshi, who saw that he had advanced to Third-Order Gold Laws.

• Wang Xiaoling warned Qin Hao that Shi Youbing was stronger than Teng Jinshui and had mastered powerful Gold and Earth Laws.
• Qin Hao chose to challenge for the Sword Martial Soul Cultivation Chamber, citing his own Sword Martial Soul and his conflict with the Shi Family.
• A crowd followed Qin Hao toward Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain, eager to watch him face Shi Youbing.
• Inside the chamber, Shi Youbing fought its sparring partner while wielding Third-Order Gold Laws and Second-Order Earth Laws.
• Ancestor Yanshi contacted Shi Youbing, praised his breakthrough, and received his respectful greeting.

Ancestor Yanshi urged Shi Youbing to reach the Top Hundred in the Azure Flame Grand Tournament and promised to find him an Inner Gate Disciple Token. Their discussion of Shi Chengtian was interrupted when Qin Hao challenged Shi Youbing, leaving Ancestor Yanshi furious.

• Ancestor Yanshi pressed Shi Youbing to reach the Top Hundred, while Shi Youbing admitted his chances were uncertain.
• Ancestor Yanshi promised to seek an Azure Flame Sect Inner Gate Disciple Token to improve Shi Youbing’s chances.
• Ancestor Yanshi told Shi Youbing that Shi Chengtian’s Life Soul Tablet had shattered after Qin Hao took his Number Ten Earth-Class Cultivation Chamber.
• A boom announced a challenge to Shi Youbing, and Qin Hao appeared at the chamber entrance before a crowd.
• Shi Youbing recognized Qin Hao, and Ancestor Yanshi flew into a rage.

Qin Hao attacked Ancestor Yanshi’s projection at Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain, using Shadowless Trace to pierce and destroy it while Shi Youbing failed to stop him. Back at the Shi Family Manor, the furious Ancestor Yanshi ordered an urgent investigation into Qin Hao, troubled by the power and laws behind his sword strike.

• Qin Hao attacked Ancestor Yanshi’s projection with the Setting Sun Sword after warning him that he was forbidden from entering Heaven-Piercing Azure Mountain.
• Shi Youbing charged Qin Hao with both swords, but Qin Hao redirected Shadowless Trace toward Ancestor Yanshi and overwhelmed Shi Youbing with Sword Shadows.
• Qin Hao’s Sword Shadows pierced Ancestor Yanshi’s projection until it dispersed, and Ancestor Yanshi ordered Shi Youbing to kill Qin Hao before vanishing.
• Ancestor Yanshi’s projection shattered in the Shi Family Manor, and he roared in fury after learning Qin Hao had killed Shi Chengtian.
• Ancestor Yanshi ordered two armored men to gather all Intelligence on Qin Hao within three hours, while worrying over the laws and power in Qin Hao’s final sword strike.

Qin Hao shattered Ancestor Yanshi’s Projection and attacked Shi Youbing, who countered with a powerful dual-sword defense. After studying Shi Youbing’s fused Laws and sword technique, Qin Hao decided to use the fight as an opportunity to create a new defensive Sword Move.

• Ancestor Yanshi fumed over Qin Hao shattering his Projection and trusted that Shi Youbing’s trump card would help him survive.
• Qin Hao sent his Sword Shadows toward Shi Youbing, who met them with his twin swords and Dual Swords Under Heaven.
• Shi Youbing struggled to block the Sword Shadows and unleashed Peerless Sword Guard, combining Gold Laws, Earth Laws, and defensive swordsmanship to hold them back.
• Qin Hao recognized how Shi Youbing had fused Laws into his technique and resolved to create his own second great Sword Move focused on defense.

Qin Hao fought Shi Youbing and, after using their exchange to refine his swordsmanship, discovered how to combine Shadowless Trace with the Great Heavenly Dipper Art. He launched the improved attack against Shi Youbing, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Shi Youbing left the Cultivation Chamber and faced Qin Hao outside, while Qin Hao ignored his taunts to consider how to develop the Great Heavenly Dipper Art.
• Shi Youbing attacked with Dual Swords Under Heaven, and Qin Hao tried a defensive sword strike that was overwhelmed and sent him flying backward.
• Qin Hao realized he could work Shadowless Trace directly into the Great Heavenly Dipper Art instead of fusing his underdeveloped Laws.
• Qin Hao used Spatial Fluctuations to close the distance and unleashed Shadowless Trace, startling Shi Youbing.
• Shi Youbing answered with Dual Swords Under Heaven, and Qin Hao began an unnamed, extraordinarily fast follow-up strike.

Qin Hao blocked Shi Youbing’s attack with a powerful Sword Net, then revealed why he could repeatedly use techniques that should have exhausted his low-ranked Origin Laws. Shi Youbing fled across the square, and Qin Hao set out to pursue him.

• Qin Hao formed a Sword Net that absorbed Shi Youbing’s sword light without budging, astonishing the assembled geniuses.
• Shi Youbing questioned how Qin Hao could use such powerful techniques with First-Order Destruction Laws and below-First-Order Vitality Laws, then realized he could not easily defeat him.
• Qin Hao reflected that his use of Near at Hand, Far Away and Earth's Wrath made his Origin Laws far more efficient, and planned to improve his Sword Net and Shadowless Trace in the Heaven-Class Cultivation Chamber.
• Qin Hao decided to finish Shi Youbing, but Shi Youbing panicked and fled across the square.
• The onlookers erupted as Shi Youbing, ranked thirty-first on the Potential Rankings, ran from Qin Hao.