Chapter Summaries

Xu Yan killed cultivators across the Ancient Ruins Battlefield to gather blood essence for the Blood-Colored Pill Furnace. After three days and nights of refining, he completed the Blood Demon Pill.

• Xu Yan killed two Medicine King Valley disciples and a wounded middle-aged Demon Cultivator, collecting their blood essence and learning that seven or eight more cultivators would be enough to form the pill.
• Xu Yan followed a distant confrontation and found Zhou Tai attacking a young woman who threatened him with her grandfather’s status as a sect elder.
• Xu Yan killed Zhou Tai and the young woman, collected their blood essence, and burned their bodies to ash.
• Over the next five days, Xu Yan killed three more groups of cultivators and gathered enough blood essence to refine the Blood Demon Pill.
• Xu Yan refined the pill for three days and nights in a mountain cave, then opened the furnace and found the completed scarlet pill inside.

After swallowing the Blood Demon Pill, Xu Yan broke through two realms to the eighth layer of qi refining and set his sights on escaping the Ancient Ruins Battlefield. Outside his cave, he encountered a wounded Foundation Establishment Realm Ruin Beast whose unnatural intelligence suggested it had fused with an ancient remnant soul, and the beast began advancing toward him.

• Xu Yan swallowed the Blood Demon Pill and, after three days of cultivation, advanced to the eighth layer of qi refining, though he knew he could not safely take another pill for ten years.
• Xu Yan decided to head for the ancient teleportation formation at the center of the Ancient Ruins Battlefield, hoping to exploit the conflict between the Six Sects and the Devil Dao Sects to escape.
• When Xu Yan removed the formation at his cave entrance, he found dozens of Ruin Beasts gathered outside and realized they were bowing to a wounded Foundation Establishment Realm Ruin Beast approaching in the distance.
• Xu Yan suspected the approaching Ruin Beast had fused with an ancient remnant soul, then destroyed the beasts that charged him while keeping his attention on their leader.
• The Foundation Establishment Realm Ruin Beast stepped toward Xu Yan as a cold, evil, ancient aura rose from its body.

Xu Yan faced a conscious Ancient Remnant Soul that planned to seize his body, but his strongest attack failed and the soul entered his sea of consciousness. The old man prepared to destroy Xu Yan’s divine sense, unaware that the boy’s sea of consciousness was unusual.

• The Ancient Remnant Soul emerged from the Ruin Beast and recognized Xu Yan’s High-Grade Five-Element Spiritual Root and Taiyi Five Elements Art as a suitable vessel.
• Xu Yan pretended to accept his fate, then attacked the old man with a Scarlet Pill, but the Ancient Remnant Soul remained unharmed.
• The Ancient Remnant Soul rushed into Xu Yan’s sea of consciousness to seize his body, and Xu Yan gathered his divine sense to resist.
• The old man noticed that Xu Yan’s sea of consciousness differed from an ordinary cultivator’s, but decided to destroy his divine sense first.
• The old man recalled his master’s divination and his resentment toward his senior brother, then found Xu Yan’s divine sense within the misty sea.

Xu Yan destroyed Kong Xuan’s remnant soul with the Green Pearl and spent ten days absorbing his memories. He began studying the Purple Sun Sword Art in the cave, where a sharp aura started to gather around him as he practiced.

• Xu Yan used the Green Pearl to destroy Kong Xuan’s remnant soul, then struggled to reach a cave and activate its concealment formation before collapsing.
• After ten days, Xu Yan awoke having absorbed Kong Xuan’s memories, including the Great Azure Soul-Tempering Art and knowledge of the Azure Spirit Realm.
• Xu Yan set aside the difficult soul cultivation art and chose the Purple Sun Sword Art as a way to quickly strengthen his combat ability.
• Xu Yan memorized the Sword Formula and studied Kong Xuan’s insights, learning that its power could be enhanced by comprehending Sword Intent.
• Xu Yan left the cave and practiced the Purple Sun Sword Art with his azure flying sword as a sharp aura began to form around him.

Xu Yan tested the Purple Sun Sword Art, then traveled into the Tomb of Myriad Spirits, where he discovered demonic cultivators refining a Ten Thousand Demons Bell. One of the figures had a familiar voice that made Xu Yan recognize someone he had been searching for.

• Xu Yan used the Purple Sun Sword Art's first form, Sword Qi Like Rain, but the powerful strike nearly shattered his Greenedge Sword.
• Xu Yan considered forging a Five Elements Dao-Evolving Sword in the future and decided to seek a spirit artifact flying sword first.
• Xu Yan traveled toward the center of the Ancient Ruins Battlefield and entered the Tomb of Myriad Spirits.
• Xu Yan heard an aged voice demonstrating how to refine the Ten Thousand Demons Bell and concealed himself to observe.
• Xu Yan spotted two figures refining the demonic bell with Deathly Aura and recognized one of them by voice, his fury rising.

Xu Yan watched as Chen Lie and a blood-robed demonic cultivator turned on each other during the refinement of the Ten Thousand Demons Bell. Chen Lie killed his master with Millennium Corpse Poison and revealed that his apparent upper body was a bonded Spirit Puppet.

• Xu Yan recognized that the gaunt blood-robed old man resembled the Blood-Robed Daoist he had encountered in Zhuliu City.
• The old man examined Chen Lie’s progress in the Corpse-Demon Scripture and gave him a Corpse-Demon Pill, which Chen Lie swallowed.
• The old man tried to take Chen Lie’s soul to finish refining the Ten Thousand Demons Bell, but the poison Chen Lie had applied to his palm began to spread through his body.
• Chen Lie explained that he had obtained Millennium Corpse Poison from an underground cavern and used it to poison the old man.
• Chen Lie revealed that his apparent upper body was a bonded Spirit Puppet, and the poisoned old man collapsed and died.

Xu Yan killed Chen Lie after the dwarf seized the Ten Thousand Demons Bell, then took the Jade Slip containing the bell’s refining method. He completed the final step by feeding Chen Lie’s soul and his own blood essence into the bell.

• Chen Lie killed the gaunt old man, merged with his twin brother’s Spirit Puppet, and moved to claim the Ten Thousand Demons Bell.
• Xu Yan ambushed Chen Lie, severed the Spirit Puppet, and captured the dwarf before he could escape.
• Xu Yan disabled Chen Lie with the Greenedge Sword and offered him a Soul-Devouring Pill in exchange for a quick death.
• Chen Lie swallowed the pill and died, while Xu Yan learned the final step of refining the Ten Thousand Demons Bell from the Jade Slip.
• Xu Yan extracted Chen Lie’s soul and cast it, along with his blood essence, into the Ten Thousand Demons Bell.

Xu Yan impersonated a demonic cultivator to improve his chances of escaping the Ancient Ruins Battlefield. Near the battlefield’s center, he met Daoist San Zui, who was using the same disguise, and they agreed to travel together despite recognizing each other’s deception.

• Xu Yan collected Chen Lie’s Storage Bag, burned his corpse, and took the gaunt old man’s blood-red robe before heading toward the battlefield’s center.
• Over three days, Xu Yan traveled and killed five cultivators, then rested in a temporary cave abode and considered how to escape after finding no rogue cultivators.
• Xu Yan put on the blood-red robe and a black cloak, carried the Ten Thousand Demons Bell, and set out disguised as a demonic cultivator.
• Xu Yan encountered a black-robed cultivator, and the two tested each other’s claimed affiliations with the demonic sects.
• Xu Yan recognized the other cultivator as Daoist San Zui, and they each realized the other was an impostor before agreeing to travel together.

Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui encountered Six Sects disciples fighting two Demon Cultivators and killed the disciples before testing whether the surviving Demon Cultivator could see through their disguises. After he recognized them and they killed him, they continued toward the Ancient Teleportation Array, planning to keep their distance from other Demon Cultivators.

• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui spotted Six Sects disciples attacking two injured Demon Cultivators with a Thousand Demons Banner.
• Daoist San Zui and Xu Yan launched a surprise attack, killing four Six Sects disciples and driving three survivors to flee.
• The surviving Demon Cultivator thanked Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui and warned them that control of the Ancient Teleportation Array was the only way out.
• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui pretended to leave, then killed the Demon Cultivator when he recognized their disguises.
• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui divided the dead cultivators' possessions, burned the corpses, and continued toward the battlefield's center.

Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui fought their way toward the Ancient Teleportation Array atop the beacon tower, intending to seize the Formation Banner and escape. They reached the tower’s summit as Wang Teng held the banner amid the battle between the Six Sects and the Demon Sects.

• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui saw the two sides fighting over the Ancient Teleportation Array and agreed to cooperate to seize its Formation Banner.
• Disciples of the Six Sects mistook the approaching pair for Demon Cultivators and attacked them, while the Demon Cultivators welcomed them as allies.
• Xu Yan used the Ten Thousand Demons Bell to block the Six Sects’ attacks as Daoist San Zui crushed one disciple with his seal and injured another.
• Daoist San Zui pointed out that the Formation Banner was held by Wang Teng, who was overpowering a burly Demon Cultivator with sword light.
• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui fought up the beacon tower’s steps and reached the top after half an incense stick.

Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui joined forces with the Burly Demonic Cultivator to attack Wang Teng and seize the Formation Banner, but Meng Shan arrived to aid Wang Teng. As the battle escalated, Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui prepared to strike with their true weapons while Wang Teng challenged Xu Yan’s swordsmanship.

• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui appeared to help the Burly Demonic Cultivator and agreed to cooperate in taking the Formation Banner.
• The three attackers struck Wang Teng, who countered with the Azure Lotus Sword Art and was slightly injured in the clash.
• Meng Shan arrived to help Wang Teng, and Daoist San Zui warned Xu Yan that Meng Shan carried powerful talismans bestowed by his grandfather.
• The Burly Demonic Cultivator turned to hold off Meng Shan while Daoist San Zui urged Xu Yan to seize the Formation Banner quickly.
• Xu Yan revealed the Azure Peak Sword, and Wang Teng recognized that he and Daoist San Zui were not Demon Sect cultivators and prepared to fight Xu Yan.

Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui killed Wang Teng, but his Blood Sword Heart Curse marked them for a Spirit Sword Sect elder to track. With the elder enraged and pursuing vengeance, they decided to escape the Ancient Ruins Battlefield.

• Wang Teng attacked Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui with his sword light, while Daoist San Zui summoned a mountain from Myriad Illusion Sand and Xu Yan unleashed Sword Qi Like Rain.
• Wang Teng's sword light shattered Daoist San Zui's mountain and injured him, but Xu Yan's sword qi pierced and severely wounded Wang Teng.
• Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui struck together and killed Wang Teng, triggering a blood-colored sword curse that entered both men and revealed their locations to its caster.
• A middle-aged Sword Cultivator in the Spirit Sword Sect learned that Wang Teng had died and vowed revenge for the destruction of his Sword Puppet.
• Xu Yan took Wang Teng's Storage Bag and the Formation Banner, then urged Daoist San Zui to flee the Ancient Ruins Battlefield; Daoist San Zui agreed.

After escaping the Ancient Ruins Battlefield, Xu Yan and Daoist San Zui discovered that a Blood Sword Heart Curse would lead a Spirit Sword Sect expert to them, so they split up to seek refuge. Xu Yan fled toward the Ancient Demon Abyss, but Ji Heng caught up and destroyed his Azure Leaf Boat as Xu Yan raced to escape.

• Daoist San Zui activated the Ancient Teleportation Array, and he and Xu Yan escaped the Ancient Ruins Battlefield while leaving the Burly Demonic Cultivator behind.
• Daoist San Zui warned Xu Yan that the Blood Sword Heart Curse’s master was hunting them and described the Ancient Demon Abyss and Netherworld Domain as possible refuges.
• Xu Yan chose the Ancient Demon Abyss and flew toward it on his Azure Leaf Boat, hoping the Green Pearl would protect him from its poisonous mist.
• At the Spirit Sword Sect, Ji Heng learned that his disciple had died and set out to kill the person responsible.
• As Xu Yan neared the Ancient Demon Abyss, Ji Heng caught him, struck down at his boat, and forced him to flee using the Bloodfiend Shadow-Escaping Steps.

Xu Yan used Spirit-Detonating Pills to restore his strength and flee toward the Ancient Demon Abyss, but Ji Heng’s sword strike blasted him into its poisonous mist. Ji Heng left to pursue Daoist San Zui, while Xu Yan lay motionless near the Abyss for days.

• Xu Yan repeatedly used the Bloodfiend Shadow-Escaping Steps to escape Ji Heng, draining his blood essence and lifespan as he neared the Ancient Demon Abyss.
• Xu Yan swallowed two Spirit-Detonating Pills, sacrificing twenty years of his lifespan to restore his injuries and blood essence before using the escape art again.
• Ji Heng caught up and struck Xu Yan with a blood-colored sword light, shattering his defenses and sending him unconscious into the Ancient Demon Abyss.
• Ji Heng waited an hour, concluded Xu Yan could not have survived, then used a red thread to pursue Daoist San Zui toward the Netherworld Ghost Domain.
• Xu Yan lay motionless near the edge of the Ancient Demon Abyss as several days passed.

Xu Yan regained consciousness in the Ancient Demon Abyss after surviving a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s sword attack, but his injuries, lost lifespan, and damaged foundations left him near death. After slowly recovering enough to stand, he examined the barren surroundings and looked toward the depths of the Abyss, wondering about the Ancient Demon Race.

• Xu Yan woke after half a month, enduring agony as the Sword Qi inside him severed his meridians, while the Green Pearl saved him from dying.
• Xu Yan swallowed a Healing Pill and lay through a day-long black poisonous rain, which the Green Pearl absorbed without harming him.
• After several days of recovery, Xu Yan discovered that spiritual energy in the Ancient Demon Abyss was extremely thin and that the Blood-Colored Pill Furnace had been shattered.
• Xu Yan forced himself to circulate his cultivation method for three days until he could stand, then recalled what he had learned about the Ancient Demon Race and peered into the Abyss.

Xu Yan ventured into the Ancient Demon Abyss, gathering spirit herbs and learning from the remains of cultivators who had died there. After traveling more than ten li, he found the glowing skeleton of a powerful Body Cultivator and discovered an Azure Flood Dragon Furnace at its chest.

• Xu Yan picked a Six-Leaf Soul-Returning Grass near the abyss’s outskirts and continued deeper, relying on the Green Pearl to consume the poisonous mist entering his body.
• Xu Yan found the poisoned remains of Chen She and dismissed the cultivation technique left on his Jade Slip.
• Xu Yan passed more than a hundred cultivators’ remains and collected three more first-tier spirit herbs as he traveled a thousand zhang and then over ten li into the abyss.
• Xu Yan mistook a blue-green cross-legged skeleton for a living cultivator, then recognized it as a powerful Body Cultivator and retrieved the Azure Flood Dragon Furnace from its chest.

Xu Yan refined the Azure Flood Dragon Furnace and ventured deeper into the Ancient Demon Abyss to find the Wonder-Yang Flower needed for a Yang-Nourishing Pill. He located the flower growing at the meeting point of a blazing mountain and an icy lake.

• Xu Yan refined the Azure Flood Dragon Furnace and read the Azure Flood Dragon Daoist's inscription explaining how he had left the furnace behind.
• Xu Yan set out to find the Wonder-Yang Flower, having gathered every ingredient for a Yang-Nourishing Pill except the principal one.
• Xu Yan explored deeper into the Ancient Demon Abyss, encountered a Demon Ape, and decided not to venture more than another ten li.
• Xu Yan found a scarlet mountain beside an icy lake and identified a cavern at their meeting point as the place where yin and yang converged.
• Xu Yan spotted a green vine bearing a scarlet Wonder-Yang Flower and a pitch-black flower above the icy lake.

Xu Yan killed the Black-and-White Venom Python guarding the damaged Wonder-Yang Flower and collected the spiritual treasures and herbs. He sealed himself inside the cavern to prepare for refining Yang-Nourishing Pills and cultivate, beginning by roasting the python’s meat to replenish his magic power.

• Xu Yan found that a beast had eaten part of the Wonder-Yang Flower and called the creature beneath the frozen lake to emerge.
• The Black-and-White Venom Python rose from the lake, and Xu Yan identified it as an upper-grade tier-one beast with a Mortal Demon Bloodline.
• Xu Yan killed the python with his Greenedge Sword before it could attack him.
• Xu Yan collected the Wonder-Yang Flower, the Cold Peony, and the cavern’s other Spirit Herbs, then brought the python’s carcass inside.
• Xu Yan sealed the cavern with a boulder and tier-one formations before preparing the Azure Flood Dragon Furnace.
• Xu Yan roasted and ate the python meat, which began replenishing his magic power.

Xu Yan refined two Yang-Nourishing Pills and used them to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, then set out deeper into the Ancient Demon Abyss. After discovering that the Demon Ape had been following him, he lured it into a Dense Forest and launched a surprise attack.

• Xu Yan completed refining two Yang-Nourishing Pills with the Azure Flood Dragon Furnace and restored his magic power before taking them.
• Xu Yan consumed both pills and, several days later, broke through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
• Xu Yan considered the dangers of the Ancient Demon Abyss and decided to venture deeper in search of resources to strengthen himself.
• Xu Yan left his cave and discovered that the Demon Ape was still tracking him, so he pretended not to notice and ran into a Dense Forest.
• The Demon Ape pursued Xu Yan into the forest, where Xu Yan vanished and an azure sword light descended upon it.

Xu Yan wounded the unusually intelligent Demon Ape, marked it with his Divine Sense, and followed it beyond the Ancient Demon Abyss’s outskirts. He found the Demon Ape descend into a fissure and discovered a plaza piled with cultivators’ bones, where he noticed something unusual about the skeletons.

• Xu Yan wounded the Demon Ape with the Greenedge Sword, secretly marked it, and pursued it to learn why it had been following him.
• The Demon Ape fled toward its clan, while Xu Yan tracked it and suspected its secret might be connected to the vanished Ancient Demon Race.
• Xu Yan continued following the Demon Ape beyond the hundred-li outskirts, concealing his aura as the forest grew strange and dangerous.
• The Demon Ape jumped into a deep fissure filled with black mist, and Xu Yan waited before approaching its edge.
• Xu Yan sensed a plaza at the fissure’s bottom, found it covered in cultivators’ skeletons, and noticed they all shared a distinctive trait.