Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang, heir to the Xu Clan, attempts to awaken his martial soul for the 36th time after failing 35 earlier attempts. Since his parents vanished when he was three, he has trained for years hoping to become powerful enough to find them and reunite his family.
• With his grandfather Xu Juren and younger sister Xu Qingying watching, Qingyang successfully forms a martial soul: a five-colored, emperor-rank sword—the highest-ranked awakening in the clan for centuries.
• Just as he is about to withdraw it, the sword disappears. Qingyang collapses in despair, leaving his family stunned.
• A mysterious golden tower between his brows awakens and draws his consciousness into its first inner space, the Heavenly Abyss, a vast realm filled with stars, mountains, and ancient weapons.
• The tower’s spirit identifies itself and explains that Qingyang’s sword was absorbed during the awakening, making him the master of the Desolate Tower. It warns that he faces a major crisis, though Qingyang does not yet understand what danger awaits.

Character developments

• Xu Qingyang is defined by extraordinary persistence: repeated failures never weaken his resolve. His excitement at finally succeeding turns to despair when the sword vanishes, then to curiosity and cautious hope as he learns about the tower.
• Xu Qingying openly supports and admires her brother, whose success brings her great joy before the disappearance shocks her.
• Xu Juren is proud and moved by his grandson’s success, but becomes alarmed when the martial soul vanishes.
• The Tower Spirit appears as a calm, mysterious guide, revealing Qingyang’s new connection to the Desolate Tower while withholding the full nature of the danger.

Significant themes

• Perseverance: Qingyang’s 36th attempt is rewarded after years of failure.
• Family and motivation: His desire to find his missing parents and make his sister proud drives his cultivation.
• Triumph followed by uncertainty: His unprecedented awakening immediately becomes a frightening loss.
• Hidden power and destiny: The vanished sword is revealed to be tied to an ancient tower, suggesting Qingyang’s true path may be far beyond an ordinary martial soul.

Character interactions

• Qingying cheers Qingyang on, and he promises to succeed for her sake.
• The Xu clan elders and relatives praise his determination and celebrate his emperor-rank sword, while Xu Juren expresses pride in him.
• After the sword disappears, his family reacts with shock and concern.
• Inside the tower, Qingyang questions the Tower Spirit, first seeking to recover his sword and then asking why becoming the tower’s master puts him in danger.

Plot points and events

• The Desolate Tower reveals that it has twelve floors, each holding powerful forbidden beings who must kill its master to escape. Several legendary prisoners are trapped on the first floor, making Xu Qingyang’s new position as tower master dangerous.
• The Tower offers to help protect Xu Qingyang, provided he recovers its lost treasures to strengthen the seals and restore its power.
• Before assigning a treasure hunt, the Tower teaches Xu Qingyang four source patterns and helps revive his sword martial soul. Xu Qingyang then unexpectedly awakens two additional martial souls: the Vermilion Bird and the True Dragon.
• The Tower asks him to retrieve a wisp of Azure Lotus Demonflame from the Boundless Mountains in three days.
• A mysterious woman in white appears and warns the Tower against sending a member of her family to repair its injuries. The Tower recognizes her as the Ruthless Empress and is frightened by Xu Qingyang’s connection to her.
• Alarmed by that connection, the Tower upgrades itself and activates “infinite comprehension mode” for Xu Qingyang.
• The Ruthless Empress praises Xu Qingyang’s resilience, asks whether his absent parents left him a cultivation method, and offers to guide his cultivation. He accepts. She produces twelve golden books, whose contents are not yet revealed.

Character developments

• Xu Qingyang moves from fearing that the Tower’s prisoners will kill him to gaining confidence as his sword martial soul returns and he awakens two more. He also agrees to seek the Azure Lotus Demonflame and study under the Empress.
• The Desolate Tower shifts from acting as Xu Qingyang’s guide and assigning him a task to becoming intimidated by his powerful family connection. It upgrades itself in hopes of remaining useful to him.
• The Ruthless Empress emerges as a powerful, protective relative and potential mentor. She recognizes Xu Qingyang’s perseverance through years of failed awakenings.

Themes

• Power and peril: Becoming the Tower’s master grants Xu Qingyang new abilities but makes him a target for its imprisoned enemies.
• Perseverance: His years of failure are reframed as training that built unusual willpower.
• Legacy and hidden origins: The Empress’s family connection and questions about Xu Qingyang’s parents hint at a significant, unexplained background.
• Rapid growth and opportunity: The restored martial soul, two additional awakenings, the Tower’s upgrade, and the Empress’s offer all accelerate Xu Qingyang’s path.

Character interactions

• The Tower explains the danger of its prisoners, offers protection, teaches Xu Qingyang source patterns, and assigns him the Demonflame quest.
• The Ruthless Empress confronts the Tower, prompting its fearful upgrade, then reassures Xu Qingyang, praises his endurance, and offers to become his mentor.
• Xu Qingyang responds with excitement to his new powers and readily accepts both the treasure quest and the Empress’s guidance.

Key plot points and events

• A woman in white gives Xu Qingyang the twelve volumes of the Heavenly Book, written by the master of the Great Dao Diagram.
• Xu can open only the first volume, the Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art. It promises unusually rapid cultivation with minimal resources, and spiritual-energy stars that can make him powerful even beyond his own realm. He cannot access the remaining volumes until he begins cultivating.
• Xu’s consciousness returns from the Desolate Tower. He wakes after being unconscious for a day, with his sister, Xu Qingying, keeping vigil.
• His grandfather, Xu Juren, reassures him after the disappearance of his sword martial soul, saying people in the kingdom have awakened martial souls again. Xu promises to persevere.
• Qingying tells Xu that the first elder tried to make his own grandson, Xu Changye, the family’s young master. Xu Juren blocked the move, but the elder may continue pushing for power.

Character developments

• Xu Qingyang gains a powerful potential path to cultivation, though he has not yet begun practicing and cannot access most of the Heavenly Book. Despite his lost martial soul, he remains composed and determined.
• Xu Qingying shows deep devotion and fear of losing her brother, then is visibly relieved when he wakes.
• Xu Juren supports Xu Qingyang and tries to guard him from despair, while also resisting the first elder’s attempt to shift family leadership.
• The first elder emerges as a political rival seeking to advance Xu Changye.

Significant themes

• Hope after apparent failure: Losing a martial soul seems to end Xu’s prospects, but the Heavenly Book offers a new possibility.
• Family loyalty and care: Xu’s concern for Qingying and the support of both her and their grandfather give him emotional strength.
• Ambition and internal power struggles: The first elder’s bid for leadership hints at conflict within the Xu family.
• Potential versus present limits: Xu possesses extraordinary teachings, but must begin cultivating before he can unlock their full power.

Character interactions

• The woman in white guides Xu and gives him the Heavenly Book, but leaves its secrets for him to explore.
• Qingying’s anxious vigil turns to joy when Xu speaks; he reassures her and reaffirms his responsibility to protect her.
• Xu Juren comforts Xu and encourages him to continue, while Xu responds with gratitude and resolve.
• Qingying warns Xu about the first elder’s political maneuvering; Xu recognizes the move as predictable but hopes the elder will leave his family alone.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang practices the Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art and rapidly reaches the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. His sea of consciousness also opens—an ability normally associated with the higher Blood Moving realm.
• Excited by his progress, he heads to the council hall to tell his grandfather, clan leader Xu Juren, that his Sword Martial Soul has recovered and that he can cultivate.
• Before he can share the news, Qingyang overhears Xu Juren arguing with First Elder Xu Taichong. Taichong says Qingyang should give up the young-master position because his Sword Martial Soul vanished and he supposedly cannot cultivate. Xu Juren angrily defends his grandson and warns Taichong not to covet the position.
• Instead of revealing his breakthrough, Qingyang announces that he wants to resign as young master. He says it would be unfair to the family if he kept the position while unable to cultivate. Xu Juren refuses, insisting that Qingyang’s strategic ability makes him worthy of the role regardless.
• Qingyang leaves without changing his grandfather’s mind. Xu Juren briefly suspects he sensed a cultivator’s aura from Qingyang, but dismisses the thought. Taichong, meanwhile, privately celebrates the prospect of his own grandson competing for the position.
• Back at his pavilion, Qingyang’s sister Xu Qingying questions him about the visit. She urges him not to resign, believing he is sacrificing his position out of consideration for their grandfather. Their conversation is interrupted by an anxious visitor who has heard about Qingyang’s resignation.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang is newly empowered by his cultivation breakthrough, but hides it. His stated reason for resigning is concern for the family; his real motives are to keep a low profile and test the clan’s members.
• Xu Juren remains fiercely protective of Qingyang and values his grandson’s judgment and leadership beyond martial strength. Though he notices something unusual about Qingyang, he doubts his own impression.
• Xu Taichong openly challenges Qingyang’s claim to leadership while pretending to be concerned for the family. He hopes his grandson will benefit from Qingyang stepping aside.
• Xu Qingying is loyal and affectionate, convinced Qingyang is making a selfless sacrifice. She has faith in his future even though she believes he cannot cultivate.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken assumptions: Qingyang has already advanced far in cultivation, while others continue to judge him by his missing Martial Soul.
• Loyalty and family protection: Xu Juren defends Qingyang, and Qingying supports him emotionally.
• Ambition and succession: Taichong’s challenge reveals political rivalry within the Xu clan.
• Self-presentation and testing others: Qingyang’s apparent willingness to relinquish his status is part of a deliberate effort to conceal his progress and gauge the clan’s loyalties.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Jinhong visits Xu Qingyang and learns that Qingyang has proposed giving up the Xu family’s young-master position. Qingying teases Jinhong about wanting the post, but he insists he only wants to follow Qingyang.
• Jinhong tastes Qingyang’s new Slow Yangzhou Tea. Its spiritual energy immediately helps him break through to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment.
• Jinhong warns that Xu Pan, the Grand Elder’s grandson, is coming to cause trouble. Qingyang suspects the confrontation is a pretext for Xu Pan—and his grandfather, Xu Taichong—to take the young-master position now that Qingyang has lost his Sword Martial Soul.
• Xu Pan arrives with several men and insults Qingying and Jinhong. Jinhong is ready to defend Qingyang, but Qingyang tells him to stand aside and claims he will handle Xu Pan himself.
• Xu Pan attacks with Eight Extremes Leaping Tiger Fist. Qingyang remains motionless, prompting Xu Pan’s followers to mock him. Qingying intervenes, but Xu Pan kicks her aside; Jinhong catches her before she is badly hurt.
• Seeing his sister injured, Qingyang erupts in anger. The chapter ends as he vows to retaliate.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang remains calm and self-assured despite his apparent lack of cultivation, even refusing Jinhong’s help. His restraint breaks when Xu Pan hurts Qingying.
• Xu Qingying fiercely defends her brother and openly condemns Xu Pan and the Grand Elder’s opportunism. Her attempt to protect Qingyang leaves her vulnerable to Xu Pan’s attack.
• Xu Jinhong demonstrates loyalty to Qingyang, receives a sudden cultivation breakthrough from the tea, and tries to shield Qingyang and Qingying.
• Xu Pan is revealed as arrogant and aggressive, using Qingyang’s loss of his Sword Martial Soul as an opportunity to challenge his standing.
• The siblings’ close bond and Jinhong’s devotion to Qingyang are highlighted through their defense of one another.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and family protection: Jinhong stands by Qingyang, while Qingying risks herself to defend her brother.
• Ambition and opportunism: Xu Pan and the Grand Elder appear to exploit Qingyang’s setback to seize power.
• Hidden potential and underestimated strength: The tea’s extraordinary effect—and Qingyang’s confidence despite appearances—suggest that power and ability may not be what others assume.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang defeats Xu Pan with one punch, shattering his attack and destroying his dantian. He dismisses Xu Pan’s threats and tells him to have his grandfather seek revenge.
• Xu Qingying and Xu Jinhong are stunned by Xu Qingyang’s strength, since his Sword Martial Soul was believed to have disappeared. Xu Qingyang refuses to explain how he became powerful, promising to tell them later.
• Xu Qingyang plans to end his engagement to Su Zilian. Before he can act, Xu Jinhong returns with news that she has arrived at the Xu Family council hall intending to break off the engagement herself.
• Elsewhere, Xu Pan tells his grandfather, Xu Taichong, that Xu Qingyang crippled him. Taichong doubts him until Xu Pan shows him an Echo Stone recording of the fight.
• After confirming Xu Qingyang’s strength, Xu Taichong and Xu Pan conclude that he must have gained a valuable opportunity. They plot to seize it, believing it could restore Xu Pan’s dantian and make him stronger.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang reveals formidable strength despite the reported loss of his Sword Martial Soul. He remains composed and secretive, showing little concern about Xu Pan’s threats.
• Xu Qingying is shocked and curious about her brother’s sudden power, but accepts his decision not to explain.
• Xu Jinhong trusts Xu Qingyang and suspects his apparent loss of power may have been deliberate. He delivers the news about Su Zilian’s arrival.
• Xu Pan shifts from threatening Xu Qingyang to seeking revenge through his grandfather, then becomes eager to exploit Xu Qingyang’s supposed secret.
• Xu Taichong moves from disbelief to anger and finally greed after seeing the recording; he agrees to help Xu Pan obtain Xu Qingyang’s power or opportunity.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and deception: Xu Qingyang’s true abilities remain concealed, prompting speculation about whether he staged his apparent decline.
• Revenge and ambition: Xu Pan and Xu Taichong turn a personal defeat into a plot to seize what they believe is Xu Qingyang’s source of strength.
• Loyalty and trust: Xu Jinhong’s confidence in Xu Qingyang contrasts with the hostility of Xu Pan and Taichong.
• Engagement and shifting fortunes: The impending breakup with Su Zilian reflects how Xu Qingyang’s changed status is already affecting his relationships.

Plot points

• Xu Qingyang arrives at the council hall and finds his fiancée, Su Zilian, accompanied by her black-clad attendant, Hua Guzi. The Desolate Tower announces a new upgrade: Su Zilian’s blood phoenix martial soul triggers its “dao companion attraction” mode.
• Hua Guzi declares that the Su Family has come to end the engagement, arguing that Xu is no longer worthy now that his emperor-rank sword martial soul has vanished. She demands the engagement document and threatens force.
• Su Zilian slaps Hua Guzi and apologizes, explaining that she came to give Xu a second-grade Unity Pill—an expensive, scarce medicine that can restore martial souls. She says she still believes he can recover and rise to greatness.
• Xu offers to end the engagement, warning that his lost martial soul may make the marriage unacceptable to Su Zilian’s family and teachers. She promises to try to persuade them, then leaves.
• Xu Juren is relieved and urges Xu to use the pill to restore his martial soul and secure his future. Xu considers telling his grandfather that he has already restored it, entered martial cultivation, and reached the seventh level of foundation establishment.
• Their conversation is interrupted when Grand Elder Xu Taichong arrives, furious and accusing Xu of crippling his grandson Xu Pan’s dantian. Xu Juren challenges the accusation, pointing out that Xu Pan is at the fifth level of foundation establishment.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang remains composed when the engagement is threatened. He is surprised by Su Zilian’s support but cautious about the social and family pressures surrounding their match. He keeps his own restored strength secret for now.
• Su Zilian shows loyalty and conviction, rejecting Hua Guzi’s attempt to speak for her and offering Xu costly help rather than abandoning him.
• Hua Guzi is openly contemptuous of Xu’s apparent weakness and pushes the breakup aggressively, but Su Zilian’s rebuke establishes that her actions do not represent her mistress’s wishes.
• Xu Juren initially fears the engagement is ending, then becomes hopeful about Xu’s future. He quickly shifts into a protective role when Xu Taichong confronts his grandson.

Significant themes

• Worth beyond status or power: Su Zilian’s support contrasts with Hua Guzi’s belief that Xu’s value depends on his martial soul.
• Loyalty versus social pressure: Su Zilian is devoted to Xu, yet acknowledges that family and institutional expectations may stand in their way.
• Hidden strength and dramatic irony: Xu’s private progress sharply contrasts with the weakness others assume he has.
• Family conflict and retaliation: The chapter closes by turning the focus from the engagement to a brewing dispute within the Xu Family.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Taichong accuses Xu Qingyang of crippling Xu Pan and reveals he knows Xu Qingyang has reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.
• Xu Qingyang admits it and adds that his sword martial soul has been restored. Xu Juren is delighted, but Taichong demands Xu Qingyang surrender both his opportunity and martial soul, threatening to expose him to outsiders.
• Xu Juren attacks Taichong. His fist intent overwhelms Taichong’s saber techniques, and he kills the First Elder after deciding Taichong would otherwise seek revenge.
• Xu Qingyang thanks his grandfather. Juren promises to deal with Xu Pan himself and sends Qingyang to cultivate.
• Meanwhile, Xu Pan waits eagerly for Taichong to bring back Xu Qingyang’s secrets and plots to cripple and mutilate him. Xu Jinhong arrives and announces that Taichong was killed by the patriarch.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang openly acknowledges his new strength and restored martial soul, while sensing that Taichong has a hidden agenda. His bond with Xu Juren is strengthened by his grandfather’s protection.
• Xu Juren moves from surprise and joy at Qingyang’s recovery to decisive violence when Taichong threatens his grandson. He recognizes that sparing Taichong would invite retaliation.
• Xu Taichong reveals his greed and jealousy by trying to seize Qingyang’s gains, then begs for mercy when outmatched.
• Xu Pan remains vindictive and cruel, planning to torture Qingyang, but has not yet learned that his grandfather is dead.
• Xu Jinhong delivers the news of Taichong’s death, setting up the confrontation with Xu Pan.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Xu Juren prioritizes his grandson’s safety over clan rank or personal restraint.
• Ambition and betrayal: Taichong’s position as First Elder does not stop him from scheming against his own family.
• Power and vulnerability: Qingyang’s newfound strength inspires admiration but also makes him a target.
• Revenge and consequences: Taichong’s threat and Xu Pan’s plans show how cycles of hostility continue even after one antagonist is removed.

Plot points and events

• Xu Jinhong confirms that the patriarch sent him to kill Xu Pan. Xu Pan reveals he spread word that Xu Qingyang had found a great opportunity, then Xu Jinhong kills him.
• Xu Qingyang studies the Great Dao Sword Scripture and learns the nine moves of the Wordless Sword Art. He masters them almost instantly, reaches peak sword intent, and estimates that his fighting ability is now at the early Golden Core level, despite being only at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.
• Seeking a suitable weapon, Xu Qingyang visits the Artifact Pavilion in Heavenly Martial City. Its master, Shi Xiu, offers him the broken fifth-grade Red Sparrow Sword. The Desolate Tower identifies it as the Vermilion Bird War God’s legendary sword, whose will may aid Xu Qingyang. His vermilion-bird martial soul resonates with it.
• Xu Qingyang buys the sword for three thousand spirit crystals after Shi Xiu discounts the listed price of five thousand.
• Qi Qin arrives and demands the sword, but Xu Qingyang suspects he is really after the rumored opportunity. They agree to settle the dispute in the Life-and-Death Arena: Xu Qingyang must endure one sword strike from Qi Qin to keep the sword; if Qi Qin wins, he also claims Xu’s opportunity. Shi Xiu warns that Qi Qin is at the early Blood Moving realm while Xu supposedly has no martial cultivation. The chapter ends as Qi Qin tells Xu to attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang displays startling sword talent and confidence, accepting a dangerous challenge despite Shi Xiu’s warning. His new swordsmanship makes him far stronger than his cultivation level suggests.
• Xu Jinhong acts on the patriarch’s orders and kills Xu Pan after learning Xu Pan has publicized Xu Qingyang’s opportunity.
• Xu Pan dies after revealing that his rumor may draw others toward Xu Qingyang.
• Shi Xiu behaves generously toward Xu Qingyang, offering a discount and trying to warn him about Qi Qin.
• Qi Qin openly tries to take the sword and opportunity, provoking Xu Qingyang into a duel.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and underestimated ability: Xu Qingyang’s apparent weakness conceals extraordinary combat strength.
• Opportunity attracts danger: The rumor about Xu’s fortune creates threats even as it advances the plot.
• Ambition and contest: Rare weapons and power are treated as prizes to be seized or won through confrontation.
• Legacy and resonance: The Red Sparrow Sword’s connection to the Vermilion Bird War God hints at a deeper inheritance awaiting Xu Qingyang.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang reveals formidable swordsmanship with the Red Sparrow Sword, unleashing “One Sword Controls the Dragon.” The attack overwhelms Qi Qin, shattering his sword and seriously wounding him.
• Xu Qingyang confronts Qi Qin over his plan to seize Xu’s “opportunity.” When Qi Qin refuses to back down, Xu kills him despite Qi Tian’s attempt to intervene.
• Qi Tian, a senior member of the Qi Family, threatens to kill Xu and take his opportunity. Shi Xiu steps in, rebuking Qi Tian for targeting a junior and forcing him to withdraw.
• Xu thanks Shi Xiu but insists the conflict was unavoidable: Qi Qin would have tried to kill him if Xu had spared him. Xu then leaves the Artifact Pavilion, where Qi Tian is waiting and again demands his opportunity.

Character developments

• Xu Qingyang proves that, despite losing his Sword Martial Soul, he has developed exceptional sword skill and is far from the “worthless cultivator” Qi Qin assumed. He is decisive, defiant, and confident—even after provoking the powerful Qi Family.
• Qi Qin shifts from arrogance to panic when Xu’s strength becomes clear, but remains intent on taking Xu’s opportunity and is killed for it.
• Shi Xiu moves from surprise at Xu’s ability to actively protecting him, though she worries that his boldness is reckless. His composure leaves her suspecting he has another hidden advantage.
• Qi Tian is enraged by Qi Qin’s death but backs down when Shi Xiu intervenes, then renews his threat once Xu leaves her protection.

Significant themes

• Power and misjudgment: Qi Qin and his family underestimate Xu, with fatal consequences.
• Survival and retaliation: Xu sees killing Qi Qin as necessary because sparing him would not have ended the threat.
• Courage versus recklessness: Xu’s resolve impresses Shi Xiu, but his willingness to provoke powerful enemies concerns her.
• Power, status, and protection: Shi Xiu’s intervention restrains Qi Tian inside the pavilion, but Xu’s safety becomes uncertain once he steps outside.

Character interactions

• Xu defeats and kills Qi Qin, then insults the watching Qi Family members when they berate him.
• He confronts Qi Tian, who threatens him and demands his opportunity.
• Shi Xiu challenges Qi Tian for attacking a junior and shields Xu, despite Qi Tian’s implied warning against interfering.
• Xu and Shi Xiu discuss the consequences of the killing; she cautions him, while he defends his choice.
• The chapter ends with Qi Tian confronting Xu outside the pavilion, setting up their next clash.

Plot points

• Xu Qingyang faces Qi Tian, who wants to take his “fortuitous opportunity.” Though Xu is currently no match for him, he buys time by pretending he will hand it over.
• Xu uses the Forbidden Arts Heavenly Book to master the Heaven-Slaying Art. Its single move, the Sword-Slaying Stance, consumes his spiritual energy but temporarily raises his power to the mid Nascent Soul realm.
• When Qi Tian demands the opportunity, Xu reveals the deception and attacks. His sword strike, reinforced by Vermilion Bird War God Will, breaks Qi Tian’s Heavenly Buddha Palm and kills him.
• Xu spares the remaining Qi Family members, ordering them to report that he killed Qi Tian and Qi Qin and that he is ready to face their revenge. They flee with the bodies.
• At the Artifact Pavilion, Shi Xiu marvels at Xu’s unexpected strength.
• Back at the Qi Family, patriarch Qi Tai’a and Qi Taicang conclude Xu’s power likely comes from a valuable opportunity. They decide to use Qi Tian’s and Qi Qin’s deaths as a pretext to attack the Xu Family—and resolve to move that very day.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang proves cunning as well as formidable: he stalls Qi Tian, learns a dangerous art, and confidently declares himself willing to face the Qi Family. He shows restraint by sparing the survivors.
• Qi Tian is driven by ambition, hoping to gain status within his family by taking Xu’s opportunity. He underestimates Xu’s secret art and is killed.
• Shi Xiu becomes more intrigued by Xu, unable to explain how he defeated two Qi Family members.
• Qi Tai’a and Qi Taicang shift from grief and shock to opportunistic aggression, seeing Xu’s supposed treasure as a chance to strengthen themselves.

Significant themes

• Cunning and preparation: Xu wins by exploiting Qi Tian’s complacency and using the time to prepare.
• Power and its cost: The Heaven-Slaying Art grants immense temporary strength but drains Xu’s spiritual energy.
• Ambition and retaliation: The Qi leaders turn their relatives’ deaths into an excuse to pursue Xu’s opportunity and attack his family.
• Defiance: Xu openly accepts the consequences of killing Qi Tian rather than retreating or appeasing the Qi Family.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingying suffers a severe flare-up of her cold poison, and Xu Jinhong rushes to alert her brother, Xu Qingyang.
• At Willow Tower, Physician Li Xunzhou says the poison is beyond his ability to cure. He temporarily suppresses it with eighteen golden needles, but the treatment fails almost immediately: Qingying screams and is encased in ice.
• Xu Qingyang arrives and rebukes Li for risking his sister’s life. Li learns Qingyang is the Xu Clan’s young master and quickly backs down.
• Xu Juren and Xu Jinhong consider seeking a more skilled physician. Qingyang instead says he can treat Qingying.
• Consulting the white-robed woman within the Desolate Tower, Qingyang learns that his Sky-Swallowing Pattern can absorb the poison. To cure it permanently, Qingying must cultivate a cold-attribute method because she has an ice phoenix physique.
• The woman gives Qingyang the Cold Nether True Scripture, and he prepares to treat his sister.

Character developments and interactions

• Qingyang’s panic and urgency underscore how deeply he loves and feels responsible for Qingying, who has been his closest family since their parents disappeared.
• Xu Juren is protective and increasingly desperate, first trusting Li’s expertise, then seeking another physician when Qingying’s condition worsens.
• Xu Jinhong supports the family and urges swift action, while also reminding Li of Qingyang’s standing in the clan.
• Li’s confidence collapses when his treatment fails and he realizes he has angered the powerful Xu family.
• The mysterious woman in the Desolate Tower becomes a crucial source of knowledge and aid, giving Qingyang both a way to address the immediate crisis and a path toward a lasting cure.

Significant themes

• Family devotion and responsibility: Qingyang’s determination to save his sister drives the chapter.
• Limits of conventional expertise: Even a prominent physician cannot handle Qingying’s unusual condition.
• Hidden potential and destiny: Qingying’s ice phoenix physique and Qingyang’s newly gained methods reveal supernatural causes and possibilities.
• Urgency and hope: The failed treatment raises the stakes, but the Desolate Tower offers a new chance of survival.

Plot and events

Xu Qingyang ignores his family’s doubts and uses the Sky-Swallowing Pattern to draw the cold poison from his sister, Xu Qingying. The ice covering her vanishes, and she recovers. Xu Qingyang then refines the poison with the Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art, turning it into spiritual energy and advancing from the seventh level of Foundation Establishment to the middle stage of Blood Moving.
Amazed by the cure, physician Li Xunzhou begs Xu Qingyang to take him as a disciple. Xu Qingyang refuses, and Li leaves. Qingying wakes, learns her brother saved her, and thanks him.
Xu Qingyang notices that her poison flared again far sooner than expected. Qingying recalls being knocked unconscious by a masked person while studying a Treasure Art. The family suspects someone deliberately triggered the poison to kill her. Xu Qingyang proposes pretending that Qingying’s poison was only suppressed, hoping the culprit will try again so they can catch them.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang proves his hidden abilities as both healer and cultivator. His devotion to Qingying drives him to save her, and he remains calm and strategic after uncovering the likely murder attempt.
• Xu Qingying recovers and expresses heartfelt gratitude, then grows furious when she realizes someone tried to harm her.
• Xu Juren and Xu Jinhong move from doubting Qingyang’s ability to celebrating his success and supporting his plan to lure out the attacker.
• Li Xunzhou is stunned by Qingyang’s skill and seeks to become his disciple, but accepts the refusal.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes family devotion, hidden talent and unexpected growth, and turning danger into advantage. A medical crisis becomes both a breakthrough for Qingyang and the start of a plan to expose the person targeting Qingying.

Plot points and events

• Qi Tai’a arrives at the Xu residence with Qi Taicang and dozens of Qi Family members, demanding that Xu Juren surrender Xu Qingyang. He accuses Qingyang of killing Qi Qin and Qi Tian at the Artifact Pavilion.
• Xu Qingyang confirms that he killed them, shocking his relatives, who doubt he could defeat opponents far stronger than himself.
• The Desolate Tower announces that it has upgraded and activated an invincibility mode that protects Qingyang from attacks below the Grotto-Heaven Realm and retaliates against his enemies.
• When Qi Tai’a attacks, Qingyang intervenes. His sword strike shatters the patriarch’s saber attack, proving he can fight at Qi Tai’a’s level.
• Qi Tai’a dodges Qingyang’s follow-up, then strikes him with his black saber. The blow leaves Qingyang unharmed, exposing the Desolate Tower’s protection. As Qi Taicang and the others mistakenly assume Qi Tai’a is winning, Qingyang hints at another surprise and a beam of light pierces Qi Tai’a’s forehead.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang remains calm despite the confrontation and his family’s disbelief. He openly admits responsibility, displays formidable sword strength, and reveals his confidence once the Tower’s invincibility mode protects him.
• Xu Juren immediately defends his grandson, refusing to surrender him even when threatened. His confidence in Qingyang falters briefly, then turns to astonishment at Qingyang’s power.
• Xu Qingying and Xu Jinhong encourage Qingyang and trust in their family’s protection, but both are stunned when he demonstrates his strength.
• Qi Tai’a begins with threats and certainty that the Xu family must comply. His confidence gives way to confusion and disbelief as Qingyang breaks his attack and withstands his saber.
• The encounter highlights a sharp contrast between Qingyang’s family, who doubt his claims until they witness his abilities, and the Qi retainers, who misread the fight from below.

Significant themes

• Power revealed through action: Qingyang’s claims seem impossible until he proves them in combat.
• Family loyalty and protection: Xu Juren refuses to hand over his grandson, while Qingying and Jinhong reassure Qingyang.
• Hidden advantages and reversals: The Desolate Tower’s upgrade transforms the confrontation, turning Qi Tai’a’s attack into a futile effort and setting up Qingyang’s decisive counterattack.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang kills Qi Tai’a with the Desolate Tower’s power. As he dies, Qi Tai’a tells Qi Taicang to flee, but Taicang attacks Xu Qingyang instead.
• Xu Qingyang defeats Taicang with one sword strike and cripples his cultivation. Taicang leaves with the patriarch’s body, threatening revenge.
• Xu Juren warns Xu Qingyang that Qi Tai’a’s daughter married into the Ye Family, which has close ties to the powerful War God Academy. The Qi and Ye families may seek the Academy’s help against him. Xu Qingyang says he will face them if they come.
• Xu Qingyang visits Xu Qingying and explains that her cold poison stems from her ice phoenix physique. He gives her the Cold Nether True Art. After an hour of cultivation, her cold poison disappears; after four hours, she awakens the ice phoenix physique.
• The Desolate Tower then announces an upgrade and activates “myriad-eternal divine physique mode” for Xu Qingyang.

Character development

• Xu Qingyang demonstrates overwhelming strength but downplays it, telling his family that his apparent peak Nascent Soul combat power came from a forbidden technique. He also shows resolve in the face of future threats and care for his sister.
• Xu Qingying moves from admiration to determination, declaring that she wants to grow strong enough to fight beside her brother. Her successful cultivation reveals her hidden potential.
• Qi Taicang is left powerless and resentful after Xu Qingyang cripples him.

Character interactions

• Xu Qingyang’s relatives celebrate his victory and praise him; Xu Juren later warns him about the political danger posed by the Ye Family and War God Academy.
• Xu Qingyang encourages Xu Qingying’s ambition, teaches her the art that cures her cold poison, and guards her as she cultivates.
• Xu Tai’a’s dying warning to Taicang goes unheeded, leading to Taicang’s defeat.

Significant themes

• Power and its consequences: Xu Qingyang’s victory creates new enemies and may draw in greater forces.
• Family loyalty and protection: He shares his knowledge to help Qingying and is prepared to confront threats to his family.
• Hidden potential and cultivation: Qingying’s illness conceals a rare physique, awakened through proper cultivation.
• Resolve and courage: Xu Qingyang refuses to back down, presenting steadfastness as a cultivator’s defining virtue.

• Xu Qingying awakens a rare physique: Xu Qingying confirms that she has awakened the Ice Phoenix Physique. Xu Qingyang congratulates her and warns her to keep it secret, since powerful factions might target her and endanger the Xu Family. She agrees. Their exchange also shows Xu Qingyang guiding his sister to value determination over innate gifts.
• Xu Qingyang discovers his own divine body: Xu Qingyang initially claims he has only a mortal body, but a radiant phantom reveals that he possesses the legendary Immovable Wisdom King Divine Body. Both siblings are astonished. Xu Qingyang reflects that a powerful physique is only an aid; true strength requires willpower and resolve.
• He advances his cultivation: Xu Qingyang studies the second page of the Great Dao Primordial Chaos Art, learning that he can absorb forces beyond spiritual energy—including sunlight and other natural or supernatural energies. The Desolate Tower unlocks a safe heavenly-sun absorption mode, letting him absorb solar power and rapidly break through from the middle to the peak of the Blood Moving Realm.
• He gains sword-flight ability: Xu Qingyang reads the second page of the Great Dao Sword Scripture, which teaches the Heaven-Covering Sword Lord’s wind-moving Sword-Controlling Technique. The Desolate Tower unlocks a corresponding training mode, and Xu Qingyang immediately rides the Red Sparrow Sword into the sky above Heavenly Martial City.
• The Qi Family seeks revenge: At the Qi Family, former patriarch Qi Yue arrives to find patriarch Qi Tai’a dead and elder Qi Taicang’s cultivation crippled. Enraged, he promises vengeance and demands to know who defeated them.
  Character development and themes: Xu Qingyang’s powers expand dramatically, but he remains focused on discipline and growth rather than relying solely on his divine body. His protective relationship with Xu Qingying is emphasized, as is the danger that exceptional talent can attract. The chapter contrasts Xu Qingyang’s rapid ascent with the Qi Family’s turn toward retaliation, setting up a new conflict.

Plot points and events

• Qi Taicang tells the Qi Family patriarch, Qi Yue, that Xu Qingyang killed Qi Tai’a. Though Xu had long been considered a talentless wastrel, he has gained combat strength at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm through a mysterious opportunity.
• Eager to seize that power, Qi Yue recognizes the Xu Family’s defenses may be too formidable for the Qi Family alone. He sends Qi Yunkong to enlist the Ye Family of Nanyang Prefecture, suggesting that Qi Tai’a’s daughter, Ye Shuangshuang, may help.
• The next morning, Xu Juren notices Xu Qingyang has reached the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm. He sends him to investigate a disturbance in the Boundless Mountains, partly to give him experience. A reported golden dragon may signal the appearance of a treasure.
• Xu Qingyang privately recalls that the Desolate Tower predicted the event and trusts that the Azure Lotus Demonflame will help him.
• At the mountains’ entrance, a group from Azure Waves Academy arrives to investigate. Su Zilian warns that the mountains may hold extraordinary dangers, but Wang Pan dismisses her concern.
• Ye Xingchen, a devoted and aggressive suitor of Su Zilian, arrives and proposes publicly. She rejects him, reminding him that she is engaged and asking him to address her formally. Ye Xingchen is left furious at another rejection.

Character developments and interactions

• Qi Yue shifts from disbelief to ambition, deciding to use the Ye Family to overcome the Xu Family’s defenses.
• Xu Juren acts as a mentor, urging Xu Qingyang to build strength through real-world experience.
• Xu Qingyang is increasingly confident in his rapid growth and in the guidance of the Desolate Tower.
• Su Zilian remains firm and independent, rejecting Ye Xingchen despite the public pressure.
• Ye Xingchen appears charming and devoted in public, but his anger at rejection hints at a possessive, volatile side.
• Wang Pan challenges Su Zilian’s judgment, while Ye Xingchen’s arrival turns the group’s attention from the mountain mission to his attempted proposal.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: The Qi Family sees Xu Qingyang’s opportunity as a means to elevate its own strength.
• Growth through trials: Xu Juren emphasizes that cultivation requires experience and hardship, not just talent.
• Fate and foreshadowing: The Desolate Tower’s prediction links the mountain upheaval to Xu Qingyang’s coming opportunity.
• Agency and entitlement: Su Zilian asserts her choice, while Ye Xingchen’s anger exposes the darker side of his apparent devotion.

Plot points and events

• Wang Pan provokes Ye Xingchen by revealing that Su Zilian refused to break her engagement to Xu Qingyang and even gave Xu precious pills. Ye Xingchen lashes out at Su, demanding an explanation for rejecting him.
• Xu Qingyang arrives and rebukes Ye Xingchen for his behavior. The group is astonished to discover that the supposedly useless Xu—who had lost his sword martial soul—has recovered and can cultivate again.
• Ye Xingchen threatens Xu, but Su Zilian steps between them and blocks his punch with her spear, declaring that she will protect Xu.
• Ye Xingchen postpones his revenge until they enter the Boundless Mountains. Xu likewise decides not to fight in front of the gathered witnesses.
• As Xu, Su Zilian, Wang Pan, Luo Yu, and the others enter the mountains, Ye Qing, the Nanyang Ye Family’s Ninth Elder, arrives with more than a dozen followers. He explains that the family patriarch sent him to help capture Xu and seize his opportunity.
• Ye Qing warns Ye Xingchen that Xu recently killed the Qi Family patriarch and crippled Qi Taicang, reportedly demonstrating peak Nascent Soul combat strength. Ye Xingchen is stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Xingchen grows increasingly enraged by Su Zilian’s rejection and Xu’s return to prominence. Though he is eager to attack, he delays his plan until the mountains.
• Xu Qingyang appears composed and self-assured, concealing his intentions while judging that the crowd makes it unwise to fight immediately.
• Su Zilian openly defends Xu, signaling a stronger commitment to him and directly challenging Ye Xingchen.
• Wang Pan deliberately needles Ye Xingchen, while Luo Yu also objects to Ye’s insults.
• Ye Qing introduces a larger threat: the Ye Family is now actively pursuing Xu’s power and opportunity.

Significant themes

• Reputation and reversal: Xu’s transformation from “good-for-nothing” to formidable cultivator overturns the group’s assumptions.
• Jealousy and wounded pride: Ye Xingchen’s anger is driven by rejection and public humiliation.
• Loyalty and protection: Su Zilian risks confrontation to shield Xu.
• Power, ambition, and danger: The Ye Family’s plan to capture Xu raises the stakes beyond a personal rivalry.

Key plot points and events

• In the Boundless Mountains, Bai Fengliu and Yi Qiushui duel over a supposed Dragon Orb. Onlookers wonder whether their battle caused the mountains’ strange changes, but Xu Qingyang doubts it.
• A demonic cultivator named Demon Eater appears and reveals that he planted the Dragon Orb as bait to lure the two prodigies. He knocks them away, retrieves an iron box, and announces that he has finally obtained the Iron Pagoda.
• A gigantic golden dragon suddenly intervenes, knocks the box from Demon Eater’s grasp, then captures him and disappears. The group is left shaken and assumes the box contains treasure.
• The Desolate Tower tells Xu Qingyang that a treasure has appeared, upgrades, and activates an omnidirectional treasure-hunting mode.
• Xu urges Su Zilian to search with him, promising they will find plenty. Though Luo Yu and Wang Pan challenge him, Su chooses Xu. They split into separate groups.
• Ye Xingchen, Ye Qing, and their companions arrive. Using a compass that tracks a mark placed on Xu, they pursue him toward the southeast.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingyang stays composed when the golden dragon appears and receives a new advantage from the Desolate Tower. He confidently offers to lead Su to treasure, but his boast irritates Wang Pan and Luo Yu.
• Su Zilian chooses to accompany Xu, partly because she wants to stay close enough to protect him if danger arises. Her decision strains her relationship with Luo Yu, who warns she will not share any treasure.
• Wang Pan and Luo Yu distrust Xu’s confidence and defend their own ability to find treasure. They leave with the others after Su sides with him.
• Bai Fengliu and Yi Qiushui begin as rivals fighting over the Dragon Orb, then realize they have been manipulated. Their fate is left uncertain after Demon Eater’s attack.
• Demon Eater is revealed as the mastermind behind the bait and the iron-box scheme, but the golden dragon abruptly defeats and removes him.
• Ye Xingchen and Ye Qing pursue Xu, setting up a likely confrontation.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden motives: The Dragon Orb is bait, and the apparent cause of the mountains’ changes may conceal a larger scheme.
• Power and humility: Xu’s calm confidence contrasts with the other characters’ fear, while Luo Yu warns that there is always someone stronger.
• Loyalty and trust: Su chooses Xu over the group, risking both conflict and exclusion from their treasure.
• Uncertainty and shifting fortunes: The golden dragon’s sudden intervention overturns Demon Eater’s plan and leaves the treasure hunt unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingyang and Su Zilian find a scarlet dragon egg in the Red Crow Forest. Su Zilian stores it, and they follow a map to an abyss in search of more treasure.
• At the abyss’s bottom, they discover more than a hundred high-grade pills, red gold ore, several spirit veins, and a pair of God-Striking Whips. They split the pills, and each takes one whip.
• Ye Xingchen arrives with the Ye Family’s Ninth Elder, Ye Qing, intending to settle scores with Xu Qingyang and take his opportunities. Ye Qing, a half-step Grotto-Heaven cultivator, attacks Xu Qingyang as the chapter ends.

Character developments

• Su Zilian’s luck improves dramatically while traveling with Xu Qingyang, leading her to wonder if he is a “child of destiny.” She also shows greater confidence, warning Ye Qing she will use her master’s trump card to protect Xu Qingyang.
• Xu Qingyang remains composed and boldly taunts his opponents, despite Ye Qing’s formidable strength. He identifies the pills with help from the Desolate Tower, but tells Su Zilian he learned about them through reading.
• Ye Xingchen returns seeking revenge and plunder; Ye Qing demonstrates contempt for Su Zilian’s threat and moves to strike.

Themes

• Fortune and partnership: Xu Qingyang and Su Zilian’s cooperation brings them a string of valuable discoveries.
• Hidden knowledge and power: Xu Qingyang’s access to the Desolate Tower’s knowledge gives him an advantage.
• Ambition and conflict: Their growing riches attract enemies, turning exploration into a confrontation.

Character interactions

• Xu Qingyang and Su Zilian share excitement over their discoveries, divide the pills, and take matching whips.
• Su Zilian stands up to Ye Xingchen and Ye Qing in Xu Qingyang’s defense.
• Xu Qingyang provokes Ye Qing, while Ye Xingchen mocks Su Zilian’s ability to protect him. Ye Qing’s attack leaves the confrontation unresolved.