Chapter Summaries

As the beast tide approached Glory City, Shen Fei watched Nie Li’s preparations blunt its advance while Ye Zong held the defenders back. Nie Li’s traps devastated the leading beasts, but the furious Black Gold Rank beast king and the rest of the tide still threatened the city.

• Ye Zong ordered the defenders to wait as the beast tide drew near, while Shen Fei recalled the devastation of the previous attack and trusted Nie Li’s defenses.
• Nie Li fired an arrow into the snow, igniting an oil-filled trench that burned and slowed the bronze- and Silver Rank beasts.
• Seven gold-rank demon beasts charged through the weakening fire, followed by a massive Black Gold Rank beast king.
• Nie Li triggered a chain of buried explosives that killed or crippled the leading gold-rank beasts and scorched the beast king, forcing it to retreat while the tide kept charging.

Shen Fei spotted a concealed group of demon beasts moving toward a weakened section of the western wall and went to stop them with Xiao Ning'er. The two reached the beasts’ position and prepared to attack before they could breach the city.

• Shen Fei noticed a black gold rank beast leading a group toward the western wall’s damaged section and warned Nie Li.
• Shen Fei used the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art and Shadow Mantis to slip down the wall and pursue the beasts.
• Nie Li realized the black gold rank beast had awakened its intelligence and sent Xiao Ning'er to help Shen Fei.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er caught up with the group, which included four gold rank Snow Bears and a dozen silver rank beasts.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er agreed that she would draw the leader’s attention while he dealt with the gold rank beasts.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er fought a demon beast pack outside Glory City's North Gate, killing its gold-rank leaders while Xiao Ning'er distracted the black gold rank giant bear. When the intelligent bear regrouped its remaining forces, Shen Fei decided to engage it alone while Xiao Ning'er cleared the silver beasts.

• Xiao Ning'er drew the black gold rank giant bear away from the gate while Shen Fei attacked the advancing demon beasts.
• Shen Fei killed several silver beasts and all three gold-rank beasts, with Xiao Ning'er helping him bring down the Blazing Demon Lion.
• The giant bear recalled the surviving silver beasts and formed a defensive group, revealing its considerable intelligence.
• Shen Fei told Xiao Ning'er he would hold the giant bear's attention while she eliminated the remaining silver beasts, and she agreed to finish quickly.

Shen Fei fought the Black Gold Giant Bear while Xiao Ning'er dealt with the remaining Silver Demon Beasts. Shen Fei badly wounded the bear but was left unable to fight, and Xiao Ning'er flew to his side as the bear prepared to recover and strike again.

• Shen Fei realized the Black Gold Giant Bear was a peak Black Gold Rank Four-Star beast, then used speed and precise slashes to wound him.
• Xiao Ning'er flew above the battlefield and killed the remaining Silver Demon Beasts with wind and lightning attacks.
• Shen Fei seized the bear's roar as an opening and drove both blades into his chest, but the bear had deliberately baited him.
• The Black Gold Giant Bear struck Shen Fei, breaking his right arm and shin and hurling him into the city wall.
• Shen Fei took a Healing Pill but lost the ability to fight, while the wounded bear paused to recover.
• Xiao Ning'er killed the last Silver Demon Beast, saw Shen Fei injured against the wall, and flew toward him.

Xiao Ning'er defended the injured Shen Fei from a Black Gold Giant Bear, exhausting most of her Soul Force and wounding the beast with a powerful lightning strike. As the bear recovered and prepared to attack again, she drew out a damaged Legendary Inscription scroll as their last chance.

• Xiao Ning'er found Shen Fei badly injured but conscious, stabilizing his meridians at the foot of the city wall.
• Xiao Ning'er stood between Shen Fei and the Black Gold Giant Bear, bombarding its wounds with lightning spears to keep it from descending the slope.
• The Black Gold Giant Bear hurled a boulder at Xiao Ning'er, but she dodged and rushed closer under cover of the dust.
• Xiao Ning'er unleashed a powerful lightning bolt that widened the bear's chest wounds and briefly paralyzed it, but drained most of her Soul Force.
• As the Black Gold Giant Bear recovered and prepared to charge, Xiao Ning'er retrieved the damaged offensive Legendary Inscription scroll from her Spatial Ring.

Xiao Ning'er used the scroll to kill the Black Gold Rank giant bear, then collapsed beside the badly wounded Shen Fei. As the two recovered and recognized that they would face future dangers together, City Guard reinforcements arrived and found them beside the bear’s corpse.

• Xiao Ning'er fired the scroll’s beam into the giant bear’s old wound, killing it and destroying the scroll.
• Xiao Ning'er collapsed beside Shen Fei after exhausting her Soul Force, and she cried as she watched him lie unconscious.
• Shen Fei woke and teased Xiao Ning'er, and they smiled at each other before looking toward the battlefield.
• Xiao Ning'er and Shen Fei each realized they would no longer face the road ahead alone.
• A City Guard patrol arrived, and its captain asked Xiao Ning'er and Shen Fei if they had killed the Black Gold Rank giant bear.

After recovering at a rear medical station, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er returned to the battlements as the beast tide intensified. When the defensive inscriptions failed and demon beasts broke through, they fought lesser beasts at the breach while Shen Fei noticed Shen Hong hanging back from the battle.

• Xiao Ning'er and the injured Shen Fei were treated at a rear medical station and rested for sixteen hours.
• Still only partly recovered, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er left the medical station and returned to the battlements.
• The beast tide surged against the walls as Nie Li directed inscription masters and the defensive inscriptions weakened.
• Black Gold Rank demon beasts shattered a section of the wall, and Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er guarded the breach against lesser beasts.
• Shen Fei noticed Shen Hong's forces holding back, while Nie Li also watched Shen Hong and silently signaled Du Ze.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er helped Huyan Lie kill a Black Gold Rank Windfang Beast, then fought for hours as Glory City's defenders pushed back the Beast Tide. Ye Zong killed the Beast King, sending the remaining beasts fleeing, and the exhausted defenders began tending to the wounded.

• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er joined Huyan Lie against a Windfang Beast, using talismans and precise strikes to help him kill it.
• Shen Fei, Xiao Ning'er, and Huyan Lie reinforced the wall's defenses as the fighting continued for four hours.
• Ye Zong killed the Beast King and claimed its wind-and-snow Demon Spirit.
• The remaining Demon Beasts fled after the Beast King fell, and Glory City's defenders cheered their victory.
• Ye Zong ordered the defenders to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded while Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er rested against the battlements.

After the Beast Tide battle, Shen Fei learned that the city's casualties were far lower than expected, largely because Nie Li had predicted the attack and strengthened the defenses. As the survivors began repairing the wall and treating the wounded, Shen Fei took Xiao Ning'er by the hand and guided her down from the battlements.

• A junior officer reported that the battle had left twenty thousand dead, one thousand seriously wounded, and three thousand lightly wounded, nearly a third fewer casualties than expected.
• Soldiers and Wind Snow Family elders praised Nie Li for predicting the Beast Tide and reinforcing the wall with inscription arrays, and the elders approved of his potential marriage to Ye Ziyun.
• Huyan Lie praised Shen Fei's battlefield efforts and teased him about his engagement to Xiao Ning'er.
• Shen Fei saw Xiao Ning'er caring for wounded soldiers and asked if she was tired.
• Shen Fei took Xiao Ning'er by the wrist and carefully guided her down the steep steps from the wall without letting go of her hand.

After the battle, Xiao Yunfeng accepted Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er's relationship and told them to discuss the wedding once the beast tide had retreated. Xiao Ning'er asked Shen Fei to be with her for who she was, not because of their betrothal, and he assured her he wanted to protect her as herself.

• Xiao Yunfeng saw Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er arrive hand in hand and reflected on how Shen Fei had changed from the wastrel he had once feared his daughter would marry.
• Shen Fei respectfully called Xiao Yunfeng his father-in-law, and Xiao Yunfeng told the couple to rest and discuss the wedding after the beast tide retreated.
• Xiao Ning'er led Shen Fei somewhere secluded and told him she wanted their relationship to be about who they were, not their family status or arranged betrothal.
• Shen Fei reassured Xiao Ning'er that he understood her hurt and wanted to protect her for herself, and she tightened her hold on his hand.

After the Beast Tide retreated, Glory City resumed its daily routines while Shen Fei returned to the Sacred Family for a tense meeting. Shen Hong warned that the Dark Guild and the Beast Tide made Glory City unsafe, leaving the family’s leadership silent as he argued they should seek a way to survive elsewhere.

• Ye Zong ordered defenders to rest in shifts and civilians to return to work as Glory City began recovering from the Beast Tide.
• Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er parted outside the City Lord's Mansion, and Shen Fei returned to the Sacred Family after warning himself that the attacks would grow fiercer.
• A steward summoned Shen Fei to the main hall, where Shen Hong and the family elders had gathered.
• Shen Xiu suggested that Ye Zong might soon reach the Legendary Realm and free the Sacred Family from relying on the Dark Guild, but Shen Hong rebuked her.
• Shen Hong revealed that the Dark Guild's Demon Lord had reached the Legendary Realm and might surpass Ye Mo, then described the Guild's deep resources and the threat of the Beast Tide.
• Shen Hong argued that the family should seek a way to survive rather than wait for Glory City to fall, and the elders and Shen Xiu offered no further opposition.

Shen Hong punished Shen Fei for helping Huyan Lie defend the city without permission, confining him to his courtyard for half a month. Shen Fei accepted the confinement as a chance to cultivate and prepare for the Dark Guild threat, knowing he would have to face the coming crisis alone.

• Shen Hong accused Shen Fei of violating family rules by helping Huyan Lie fight a Black Gold Rank Demon Beast without permission.
• Shen Fei calmly accepted Shen Hong's order to remain confined for half a month and miss academy classes.
• Shen Yue left the hall disappointed that Shen Fei had not argued, while Shen Hong privately wondered at his eldest son's changed composure.
• Shen Fei told the steward that confinement would give him time to cultivate, then returned to his courtyard and locked the gate.
• Shen Fei began cultivating the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art and reflected on Shen Hong's plans to cooperate with the Dark Guild and abandon the city.

During his confinement, Shen Fei prepared to break through from gold rank 4-star by arranging to buy darkness-attribute Demon Spirits and conditioning his body. He received fifty Demon Spirits and rested, planning to begin refining them the next day.

• Shen Fei asked Uncle Zhang to secretly buy as many darkness-attribute Demon Spirits as possible from the Black Market.
• Shen Fei spent most of the day practicing punches to bring his body and spiritual power into sync.
• Uncle Zhang returned with fifty bronze- to silver-grade darkness-attribute Demon Spirits, including a silver peak Shadow Wolf.
• Shen Fei told Uncle Zhang he wanted the Demon Spirits for research and put them away.
• Shen Fei rested overnight so he could begin refining the Demon Spirits the next day.

Shen Fei learned that Ye Han had attempted to kill Ye Zong and escaped Glory City, while he remained confined to the Sacred Family estate. He set aside his worries about the escape and began refining demon spirits to break through to Gold Five-Star Rank.

• Shen Hong told the Sacred Family that Ye Han had attacked Ye Zong and ordered a search, while instructing the family to let Ye Han go if they found him.
• Shen Fei stayed inside the estate, studied inscriptions, and avoided sneaking out because Shen Hong was watching him closely.
• The old steward told Shen Fei the next morning that Ye Han had escaped Glory City and the City Guard had ended its pursuit.
• Shen Fei learned that Ye Zong's injuries were not life-threatening, then worried that Ye Han might reveal Glory City's defenses or seek Dark Guild support.
• Shen Fei arranged his demon spirits and began refining them to break through to Gold Five-Star Rank.

Shen Fei devoured Demon Spirits to advance his cultivation, triggering a dangerous trial in his Soul Sea that tempered his spiritual consciousness. After defeating the phantoms, he broke through to Gold Rank 5-Star and realized he would need stronger Demon Spirits to reach Black Gold Rank.

• Shen Fei refined Demon Spirits until the phantoms of ten consumed spirits appeared in his Soul Sea and attacked the Shadow Mantis.
• Shen Fei realized the phantoms were a trial built into the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art, capable of strengthening his spiritual consciousness or destroying it.
• Shen Fei circulated all his Soul Force through his meridians, weakening the phantoms while the Shadow Mantis defeated and devoured them.
• Shen Fei broke through to Gold Rank 5-Star after the final phantom vanished and his Soul Sea became broader and more stable.
• Shen Fei stored the remaining forty Demon Spirits, recognizing that he needed purer, higher-quality darkness-attributed spirits to reach Black Gold Rank.

Xiao Ning'er confronted the Winged Dragon Family elders over their plan to use her marriage agreement with Shen Fei to shore up the family’s finances. The First Elder tried to discipline her, and she met his Elder Giant Turtle phantom with her Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow as the council hall braced for a clash.

• The Second and Third Elders urged Xiao Ning'er to honor her marriage agreement with Shen Fei.
• Xiao Ning'er accused the elders of using the marriage to obtain money from the Sacred Family and explained that they had never asked for her consent.
• Xiao Ning'er said the family had cultivated her as a more valuable bargaining chip for the Shen family.
• The First Elder summoned his Elder Giant Turtle phantom and threatened to discipline Xiao Ning'er.
• Xiao Ning'er summoned her Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow phantom, and the two auras faced off in the council hall.

Xiao Ning'er achieved Soul Transformation, shocking the Winged Dragon Family elders into abandoning their pressure over her engagement and promising to support her cultivation. As the council discussed her training, she reflected on her growing feelings for Shen Fei and decided to visit the Sacred Family residence after the meeting.

• Xiao Ning'er's Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow condensed into a tangible form, revealing that she had reached Soul Transformation.
• Xiao Yunfeng and the elders recognized her potential to reach the Legendary Realm and changed their attitudes toward her.
• Xiao Ning'er said she would decide for herself when to discuss the engagement, and the elders agreed to prioritize her cultivation.
• Xiao Ning'er thought about Shen Fei and realized the engagement no longer troubled her as much as being treated like a bargaining chip.
• Xiao Ning'er decided to visit the Sacred Family residence after the meeting, even if she only stood outside its courtyard.

After a tense meeting about her engagement, Xiao Ning'er sought out Shen Fei and asked whether fate could be changed. Their quiet rooftop conversation left them leaning on each other and resolved to keep moving forward together, even if they did not know how far their relationship would go.

• Xiao Ning'er wandered outside the Sacred Family's estate after the meeting, reflecting on how the elders had changed their attitude after her soul transformation.
• Shen Fei heard Xiao Ning'er outside his courtyard, invited her in, and sat with her on the roof.
• Shen Fei guessed that the meeting had concerned Xiao Ning'er's engagement, and Xiao Ning'er asked whether he believed in fate.
• Shen Fei said fate offered choices at every fork, and Xiao Ning'er rested her head on his shoulder.
• Xiao Ning'er worried that they might not reach the end together, and Shen Fei said they could rest when they grew tired and then keep going.

After Xiao Ning'er kissed Shen Fei and left, Shen Fei considered the pressures facing her and the Sacred Family. He decided Shen Kun was his only chance to oppose Shen Hong and went to the Second Elder’s courtyard to meet him.

• Xiao Ning'er kissed Shen Fei on the cheek, then left his courtyard while he watched her go.
• Shen Fei reflected that Xiao Ning'er was facing pressure from the Winged Dragon Family to honor her marriage agreement.
• Shen Fei concluded that Shen Hong was committed to the Dark Guild and that Shen Kun was the only family elder he might persuade to oppose him.
• Shen Fei went to Shen Kun's courtyard and knocked on the gate late at night.
• Shen Kun opened the gate in a disheveled robe after being roused from sleep.

Shen Fei visited Second Elder Shen Kun to gain his support in competing with Shen Yue for the position of family head. He argued that Shen Yue was unprepared to lead the Sacred Family, leaving Shen Kun to weigh whether Shen Fei could secure its future.

• Shen Fei decided to approach Shen Kun through an ordinary power struggle rather than openly opposing Shen Hong's cooperation with the Dark Guild.
• Shen Kun admitted Shen Fei was unlikely to inherit the position of family head from Shen Hong.
• Shen Fei asked Shen Kun to support his bid for the position and help persuade the other Elders.
• Shen Kun asked why he should choose Shen Fei over Shen Yue.
• Shen Fei argued that Shen Yue was impulsive and too young to lead the family, especially as Shen Hong's health declined.