Chapter Summaries

Young Master Chu Yang’s group defeated and looted a crowd, then discovered Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing hiding nearby. The White Face youth threatened Nie Yun, who refused to surrender his jade token or kneel, leaving the confrontation about to turn violent.

• Young Master Chu Yang revealed his late Heavenly Bridge Realm strength and forced the crowd to hand over their jade tokens and treasures.
• The White Face youth collected the spoils, bringing Chu Yang’s group to more than one hundred and forty jade tokens.
• Chu Yang warned that Zong Yan might also have reached the late Heavenly Bridge Realm and could gather even more tokens.
• Ye Jianxing’s reaction exposed him and Nie Yun, and Chu Yang blasted apart the rock where they had been hiding.
• The White Face youth demanded that Nie Yun surrender his jade token and kneel, but Nie Yun refused.

Nie Yun used demonic qi to make Chu Yang’s companion appear poisoned, driving Chu Yang’s group away from Ye Jianxing. He then led Ye Jianxing after them to obtain their jade tokens by another method, and asked whether Ye Jianxing had a grudge against Zong Yan.

• Nie Yun struck the white-faced young man with demonic qi, causing him to fall and appear poisoned.
• Chu Yang mistook Nie Yun for a Poison Master and left with his companions rather than risk fighting him.
• Ye Jianxing questioned whether they could take the group’s jade tokens, and Nie Yun said they would not need to seize them directly.
• Nie Yun used Tracking Qi to follow Chu Yang’s group, and Ye Jianxing followed him.
• Nie Yun asked Ye Jianxing whether he had a grudge against Zong Yan.

Nie Yun learned that Zong An opposed Ye Jianxing because Ye Jianxing could threaten Zong Yan’s position as a sect leader candidate. After warning Nie Yun about Zong Yan’s Supreme Sword Art Talismans and the danger of revealing the Great Sorrow Seven Immortal Sword, Ye Jianxing watched Nie Yun head alone toward Young Master Chu Yang’s group and resolved never to make him an enemy.

• Ye Jianxing told Nie Yun that Zong An and Wenxu had been rivals, and that Zong An feared Ye Jianxing might take Zong Yan’s sect leader candidate position.
• Ye Jianxing explained that Zong An had broken through to the Void Absorption Realm and given Zong Yan Supreme Sword Art Talismans that could overpower Nie Yun.
• Ye Jianxing warned Nie Yun not to use the Great Sorrow Seven Immortal Sword around Sword God Sect members because it was a secret art.
• Nie Yun tracked the White Face youth to a cave where Young Master Chu Yang and the others were treating him, then told Ye Jianxing to hide and vanished underground using the Earth Walker Master talent.
• Ye Jianxing realized Nie Yun had another powerful talent and decided he must never become Nie Yun’s enemy.

Chu Yang tried to send Zong Yan after Nie Yun, but Zong Yan overheard the scheme and challenged Chu Yang in the cave. Their fight escalated as both revealed powerful techniques, and Zong Yan launched a seven-colored sword attack.

• Chu Yang and his companions decided to use Nie Yun's conflict with Zong Yan to make their rivals fight and planned to contact Zong Yan.
• Zong Yan entered the cave, exposed Chu Yang's scheme, and attacked him with the Fearless Freedom Sword.
• Chu Yang countered with the Mysterious God Spinning Stab and then the Tidal Soul Removal Hand, but Zong Yan dispelled the soul attack with a shout.
• Chu Yang unleashed the demonkin Serene Unmoving Spinning Secret Art, and Zong Yan answered with seven-colored sword qi.

Nie Yun disguised himself as Zong Yan, defeated Chu Yang long enough to steal his jade tokens, and escaped to reunite with Ye Jianxing. He split the tokens with Ye Jianxing and reflected on how the Netherworld Sword had let him contend with a late-stage Heavenly Bridge Realm expert.

• Nie Yun, disguised as Zong Yan, killed White Face and Chu Yang’s other subordinates with the Great Sorrow Seven Immortal Sword, then struck Chu Yang while feinting a second sword attack.
• Chu Yang prepared to use his trump card, but Nie Yun fled the cave, leaving Chu Yang to discover that all his jade tokens had been stolen.
• Nie Yun reappeared beside Ye Jianxing, and the two escaped to an uninhabited valley before Chu Yang could pursue them.
• Nie Yun gave Ye Jianxing seventy-three of the 147 jade tokens he had stolen from Chu Yang.
• Nie Yun recalled that he had used his Earth Walker Master and Sky Eye Master talents to find Chu Yang, and that the Netherworld Sword had helped him fight as Zong Yan.

After escaping Young Master Chu Yang with the stolen jade tokens, Nie Yun offered some to Ye Jianxing, who refused them so he could prove himself through his own efforts. Nie Yun then entered the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion with his Demon Pets to cultivate the sword arts, while Ye Jianxing set out to seize more tokens.

• Nie Yun recalled how the Netherworld Sword and Sleight of Hand had helped him fight Young Master Chu Yang to a draw and steal the jade tokens before escaping underground.
• Ye Jianxing returned the jade tokens, saying he wanted to win them through his own efforts and uphold the example of Uncle Wenxu.
• Nie Yun recognized that Ye Jianxing had his own principles, apologized for being rash, and agreed to wait for him to surpass him.
• Ye Jianxing left to seize more jade tokens and promised to find Nie Yun before the trial ended.
• Nie Yun entered the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion, laid out the jade tokens, and told Xiao Feng, Purple Eye, Little Tiger, and Black Rock to study the sword arts.
• Nie Yun selected a jade token and began cultivating as his four Demon Pets studied their chosen sword arts.

Xiao Feng and the other Demon Pets struggled to master swordplay, then watched Nie Yun unleash set after set with astonishing speed. At Tianyou Valley, Elder Zong An introduced a Soul Imprint Jade Sword that could display the trial participants’ results for the Grand Elders.

• Xiao Feng explained that swordplay required mastery of realm, qi, spirit, and soul, but he and the other Demon Pets had made little progress in eight days.
• Xiao Feng, Purple Eye, Black Rock, and Little Tiger wagered on how many swordplay sets their master had mastered, with the loser facing punches for every set guessed wrong.
• Nie Yun drew the Netherworld Sword and performed swordplay so powerfully that the Demon Pets were pushed to the edge of the training ground as they counted his sets.
• Elder Zong An showed the Grand Elders a Soul Imprint Jade Sword that projected trial participants’ results for an early assessment.

The Sword God Sect elders watched the Soul Imprint Jade Sword reveal the trial rankings, with Ye Jianxing first at nineteen sword arts before Zong Yan took the lead at twenty-two. Zong An’s boasts were vindicated, and the other elders hurried to curry favor with him as they anticipated Zong Yan’s victory.

• Elder Ni Xu explained that the Soul Imprint Jade Sword displayed rankings based on the jade tokens and sword arts mastered by trial participants.
• The jade sword revealed a participant with nineteen mastered sword arts, whom an elder identified as Ye Jianxing.
• The elders questioned Zong An when Zong Yan had no ranking, and Zong An insisted his nephew was building strength and would win.
• The jade sword showed a new score of twenty-two, and Zong An identified the leader as Zong Yan.
• The elders congratulated Zong An and offered him gifts and favors, hoping to benefit if Zong Yan became sect master.

Nie Yun mastered 147 sword arts using Chen Wenxu’s Essence of Martial Skill, then discovered Zong Yan and his companions hiding in a cave after Chu Yang attacked them. As Zong Yan’s group rested and discussed the coming trial, Nie Yun quietly began plotting to take advantage of their situation.

• Nie Yun’s 147 jade tokens caused the Soul Imprint Jade Sword to explode, and the four Demon Pets realized they had lost their bet about his abilities.
• Nie Yun credited Chen Wenxu’s Essence of Martial Skill with helping him master the sword arts and decided to leave the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion.
• Nie Yun spotted Zong Yan and his injured companions resting in a cave, including Qian Hong, whose sword he had shattered earlier.
• Zong Yan and the others said Chu Yang had attacked them without warning, apparently demanding the return of his jade tokens.
• Zong Yan’s companions praised his mastery of twenty-two jade-token sword techniques and anticipated his success in the trial as Nie Yun listened.

Nie Yun secretly approached Zong Yan to steal his jade tokens, using his Concealment and Earth Walker talents to avoid detection. Just as the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion drifted toward Zong Yan’s Storage Dantian, Zong Yan sensed someone nearby and warned the others.

• Zong Yan boasted to his followers that he would become sect leader and make them all elders.
• Nie Yun used his Concealment and Earth Walker talents to move through the cave wall and plan to steal Zong Yan’s jade tokens with the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion.
• Zong Yan sensed possible danger and swept the area with Soul Force, but Nie Yun concealed his heat and vitality and escaped detection.
• After Zong Yan dismissed his premonition, Nie Yun positioned himself above him and let the cave mansion fall as a speck of dust toward his Storage Dantian.
• As Nie Yun prepared to use the Divine Thief Talent, Zong Yan suddenly stood up and warned everyone that someone was there.

Nie Yun hid in the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion while Zong Yan's group cornered Ye Jianxing, then tried to steal from Zong Yan as Ye Jianxing fought Su Xu. The battle continued with Ye Jianxing showing unexpected strength, alarming Zong Yan about his future ambitions.

• Ye Jianxing arrived at the stone cave looking for Tong Yun, and Zong Yan's group blocked him when he tried to leave.
• Zong Yan revealed his intent to kill Ye Jianxing under the cover of a spar, while Nie Yun realized Ye Jianxing was outnumbered and resolved to steal from Zong Yan before intervening.
• Nie Yun slowly drifted the Purple Splendor Cave Mansion toward Zong Yan's lower abdomen, but Zong Yan moved away before Nie Yun could reach him.
• Zong Yan ordered Su Xu to spar with Ye Jianxing, and the two began exchanging fierce sword attacks.
• Zong Yan saw Ye Jianxing's rapid improvement and worried that Ye Jianxing could soon threaten his bid to become a sect leader candidate.

Nie Yun stole Zong Yan’s flying spirit weapon while Ye Jianxing began fighting him, then buried himself underground and headed toward Ye Jianxing. Ye Jianxing faced Zong Yan’s deadly Three Talents Seven Kill Sword as Nie Yun moved to help him.

• Ye Jianxing badly wounded Su Xu, prompting Zong Yan to step in and order the others to guard the exit.
• Zong Yan unleashed his late Heavenly Bridge Realm power, and Ye Jianxing attacked him with his sword.
• Ye Jianxing’s sword wind blew Nie Yun’s Purple Splendor Cave Mansion onto Zong Yan, allowing Nie Yun to steal Zong Yan’s flying spirit weapon.
• Nie Yun left Zong Yan’s other sword alone, then used Earth Walker Master and Concealment Master to burrow toward Ye Jianxing.
• Zong Yan attacked Ye Jianxing with the Three Talents Seven Kill Sword, whose three streaks of sword qi covered his vulnerable points.

Nie Yun disguised himself as Chu Yang and rescued the wounded Ye Jianxing from Zong Yan, then brought him to a cave and gave him Zong Yan’s stolen jade tokens. With the trial ending in less than a day, Nie Yun infused Ye Jianxing with Chen Wenxu’s Essence of Martial Skill, allowing him to perform the sword techniques contained within it.

• Ye Jianxing’s sword technique failed to stop Zong Yan, who wounded him and moved in for the kill.
• Nie Yun, disguised as Chu Yang, struck Zong Yan with the Maha Divine Palm and sent Ye Jianxing into the Dragon Bone Divine Boat.
• Zong Yan blocked the palm, but Su Xu and Qian Hong died and his other subordinates were badly injured before Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing escaped.
• Nie Yun explained how he had stolen Chu Yang’s jade tokens from Zong Yan and gave more than twenty of Zong Yan’s jade tokens to Ye Jianxing.
• Nie Yun infused Ye Jianxing with Chen Wenxu’s Essence of Martial Skill, and Ye Jianxing immediately performed ten sword techniques contained in the essence.

Nie Yun searched Zong Yan’s flying spirit artifact and found a Supreme Sword Art he could not yet cultivate. Ye Jianxing mastered enough sword arts to break the Sword God Trial record, then learned that Nie Yun had mastered 148 sets.

• Nie Yun examined Zong Yan’s flying spirit artifact and found five jade plaques and the Dust Breaking Absolute Kill Sword Art, but realized he lacked the strength to cultivate it.
• Nie Yun decided he could master Supreme Sword Arts after entering the Sword Hall and forming a Sword Dao Dantian.
• Ye Jianxing demonstrated twelve newly mastered sword arts, bringing his total to forty-one and breaking Uncle Wenxu’s record of thirty-six.
• Ye Jianxing asked how many sword arts Nie Yun had mastered, and Nie Yun revealed that he had mastered all 148 sets.
• Ye Jianxing was stunned by Nie Yun’s total and nearly fell over.

The Sword God Trial ended, and Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing were teleported out after cultivating their sword arts. As the Sword God Sect elders counted the remaining contestants’ jade plaques, they plotted to prevent an outsider from winning first place.

• The trial announcement ended the ten-day Sword God Trial, and Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing placed their jade plaques to teleport out.
• Zong An and the elders speculated that Chu Yang or Ying Long had cultivated 148 sword arts, then discussed keeping an outsider from claiming the top reward.
• Luo Yutian told contestants who had failed to obtain jade plaques or cultivate their sword arts to leave, reducing the field to fewer than a hundred.
• The elders counted the contestants’ jade plaques, and Ye Jianxing arrived with nineteen plaques and every corresponding sword art successfully cultivated.

The Sword God Trial results revealed that Tong Yun had mastered 148 jade plaques, while Ye Jianxing had mastered 41, stunning the elders and contestants. Zong Yan and Chu Yang then exposed their bitter feud, each presenting only a handful of plaques as they accused each other of causing their losses.

• Luo Yutian announced that Ye Jianxing had obtained 41 jade plaques, astonishing the elders and leaving Zong An furious.
• Luo Yutian revealed that Tong Yun had obtained 148 jade plaques, and Ye Jianxing explained that Tong Yun had mastered them in under eight days and helped him with the final 22.
• The elders realized Ye Jianxing had not been held back by Tong Yun and wondered whether Tong Yun was a Sword Dao Master.
• Luo Yutian noticed Chu Yang and Zong Yan clawing at each other, and Zong An slapped his nephew down.
• Zong Yan presented four jade plaques and Chu Yang presented five, then they accused each other of stealing plaques and ruining their results.

After Nie Yun’s impersonations caused Zong Yan and Chu Yang to fight, the Sword God Trial selected its ten qualifiers and Luo Yutian led them toward the Sword God Sect for further assessments. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure tracked Nie Yun to the sect and planned to use the situation against him.

• Zong An took the disgraced Zong Yan away, and Luo Yutian continued the trial inspection.
• Luo Yutian named the ten qualifiers, including Nie Yun in first place, Ye Jianxing in second, Zong Yan in third, and Chu Yang in tenth.
• Luo Yutian gave the qualifiers Sword Intent Talismans and warned them to obey the Sword God Sect’s rules during the next assessment.
• Luo Yutian led the group through the Teleportation Array toward the Sword God Sect.
• A mysterious figure sensed that Nie Yun had gone to the Sword God Sect and decided to muddy the waters so Nie Yun would die faster.

Zong An learned that Tong Yun had gathered and refined an unprecedented number of jade tokens, and he and Zong Yan suspected Tong Yun was a Poison Master. They planned to discredit him and rig the first assessment at Sword Spirit Peak, where Nie Yun and the others arrived to face the peak’s murderous aura.

• Zong Yan told Zong An that Chu Yang had attacked him and killed Qian Hong and the others, then recalled Chu Yang accusing Sword God Sect disciples of associating with Poison Masters.
• Zong An learned that Tong Yun had obtained and refined 148 jade tokens and helped Ye Jianxing seize 22, then struck Zong Yan for calling Tong Yun trash.
• Zong An and Zong Yan suspected Tong Yun was a Poison Master and decided to report him to the Sect Leader so Ye Jianxing could be blamed and Zong Yan’s result could still win the championship.
• Zong Yan proposed exploiting the Sword Spirit Peak spiritual-object assessment, and Zong An agreed to target Tong Yun.
• Nie Yun and the others arrived at Sword Spirit Peak and felt its dense killing intent, which Luo Yutian explained was a test arranged by the Sword God Sect.

The second test of the Sword God Trial began as Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing entered Sword Spirit Peak to search for treasures. As Chu Yang confronted Zong Yan, Zong Yan questioned why their earlier conflict had happened and began to persuade him that the attack made no sense.

• Luo Yutian explained the five rules of the one-day treasure hunt and opened the passage to Sword Spirit Peak.
• Nie Yun and Ye Jianxing entered the peak, where Ye Jianxing explained how disciples earned and used contribution points.
• Nie Yun realized the peak might hold Golden Stalk Grass, which he needed to refine the Peerless Pill and strengthen his soul, and agreed to follow Ye Jianxing to a place with spirit treasures.
• Chu Yang rejected Zong Yan’s attempt to talk, but Zong Yan argued that attacking him in his original appearance would have needlessly provoked conflict between the Chu Family and the Sword God Sect.
• Chu Yang reconsidered Zong Yan’s reasoning and acknowledged that it made some sense.

Zong Yan convinced Chu Yang that Tong Yun had stolen their jade tokens and framed them, then recruited him into a plan against Ye Jianxing and Nie Yun. Meanwhile, Ye Jianxing and Nie Yun explored Sword Spirit Peak, where they discussed its treasures and the danger of hunting powerful demonic beasts.

• Zong Yan pointed out that Chu Yang's stolen jade tokens matched Yun Tong's newly mastered sword techniques, and that Zong Yan's losses matched Ye Jianxing's gains.
• Chu Yang and Zong Yan realized they had encountered Ye Jianxing and Tong Yun before their belongings were stolen, and Chu Yang concluded they had been set against each other.
• Zong Yan proposed a scheme against Ye Jianxing and Tong Yun, and Chu Yang agreed before they flew off in separate directions.
• Ye Jianxing led Nie Yun along a route through Sword Spirit Peak, and Nie Yun used his Heavenly Eye Talent to scan ahead for danger.
• Ye Jianxing collected Snowstorm Grass and explained that Sword Spirit Valley could yield herbs, Innate Spirit Weapons, and valuable demonic beasts.
• Ye Jianxing suggested that hunting a Void Absorption Realm demonic beast could secure first place, while Nie Yun considered the idea dangerously unrealistic.