Chapter Summaries

Su Jiu learned that Yun Huanling’s Message Talismans had been hidden from her and told him she had taken the Cold Pool Secret Key. At the Grand Tournament, the Heavenly Dawn Sect withdrew from the competition, and Lin Yue’s match was suspended when her fear prevented her from competing, leaving Su Jiu watching a spirit comfort her.

• Yun Huanling confronted Su Jiu over the more than twenty Message Talismans she never received, then explained that the Heavenly Dawn Sect had investigated the missing Magic Treasure from Millet Village.
• Su Jiu revealed through divine sense transmission that she had taken the Cold Pool Secret Key, and Yun Huanling said he had suspected as much.
• At the Grand Tournament, Sect Leader Li announced that the Heavenly Dawn Sect would withdraw and leave its four Cold Pool Nightfall places to other sects.
• Tong Qi offered to postpone his match with Lin Yue after she nearly fell from the platform, and the referee suspended their match.
• Su Jiu saw a spirit beside Lin Yue stroke her hair and promise that it would not get hurt again, while Lin Yue cried and shook her head.

Lin Yue was reprimanded after refusing to fight because she could not bear to part from her zither spirit, while Su Jiu secretly saw the spirit. The arena matches continued, and a Heavenly Secret Sect disciple began to gain the upper hand against an Elysium Valley cultivator.

• Sect Leader Xu slapped Lin Yue and scolded her, while the zither spirit persuaded her to let it return to the zither and sleep.
• Su Jiu recognized the spirit as an artifact spirit, and Tong Qi noticed her silver-eyed gaze before it vanished when she looked at him.
• A Mystic Dharma Immortal Sect disciple defeated a Jade Sword Sect sword cultivator by conserving his strength and wearing his opponent down.
• Yun Huanling loudly teased a Heavenly Secret Sect disciple about facing a beauty, making him stumble and drawing laughter from the crowd.
• A dark-purple-robed Elysium Valley woman attacked the Heavenly Secret Sect disciple, who used his compass and Strange Gates and Hidden Armor to keep her at a distance with a barrage of silver light.

Su Jiu watched the Heavenly Secret Sect win through an illusion and Feng Piaoxu step in for the absent Lin Yue. That night, Sect Leader Xu discovered Lin Yue loved her zither spirit, and shattered the zither despite her pleas, causing the spirit to vanish.

• Yun Huanling explained that the Heavenly Secret Sect disciple had used an Illusion Array to get behind and defeat the Elysium Valley disciple.
• With Lin Yue still absent, Feng Piaoxu took her place against Tong Qi, who defeated her quickly to preserve her strength for the next day.
• Sect Leader Xu secretly investigated Lin Yue and discovered her zither spirit had taken form and that they loved each other.
• Sect Leader Xu confronted Lin Yue and took her zither, while she begged him to spare the spirit and promised to give him up.
• Sect Leader Xu shattered the zither, and the spirit faded away after telling Lin Yue not to cry.

After Lin Yue disappeared with the shattered zither, Su Jiu defeated Feng Piaoxu by evading her sound attacks and cutting through her pipa strings. Fang Xi recognized Su Jiu as the cultivator who had taken the Cold Pool Secret Key and planned revenge in the Nightfall Cold Pool.

• Lin Yue fled the Heavenly Music Pavilion with the shattered zither, leaving Sect Leader Xu disheartened.
• Su Jiu dodged Feng Piaoxu’s sound attacks, severed her pipa strings with one sword strike, and won the match.
• Sect Leader Xu praised Su Jiu’s sword intent and divine sense, while the Jade Sword Sect leader considered recruiting her as another disciple.
• Fang Xi connected Su Jiu to the Cold Pool Secret Key and resolved to repay her humiliation with a scheme in the Nightfall Cold Pool.

Su Jiu’s victory impressed rival sect leaders, while Lin Yue left the Heavenly Dawn Sect to seek a way to restore her shattered zither spirit and became a target of demonic cultivators. On the sixth day of the Grand Tournament, Su Jiu prepared to face Tang Wuchen of the Medicine Gate.

• The Heavenly Dawn Sect leader recognized Su Jiu as the girl who had captured Huang Feng and wondered whether he would marry her, while the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion leader scolded Yun Huanling for his weak cultivation.
• Lin Yue left the Heavenly Dawn Sect, hoping to find a way to revive her zither spirit, and refused to give directions to three strangers she encountered.
• After Lin Yue left, the three strangers revealed themselves as demonic cultivators and decided they could exploit her attachment to her zither spirit.
• The Grand Tournament reached its sixth day, with eight disciples remaining and four places in the final round to be decided.
• Su Jiu’s next opponent introduced himself as Tang Wuchen of the Medicine Gate and reminded her that they had met on Golden Guard Peak.

Su Jiu defeated Tang Wuchen by switching from swordsmanship to a powerful ice art, impressing the sect leaders. After an uneventful internal match among Mystic Dharma Immortal Sect disciples, Tong Qi visited Su Jiu and voiced doubts about facing Ye Chen, while she advised him to study the patterns in his attacks.

• Su Jiu dodged Tang Wuchen's poisoned needles and medicines, then used Thousand-Mile Ice Seal and an Ice Spike to win their duel.
• The sect leaders praised Su Jiu's talent, while the Heavenly Secret Sect's Sect Leader grew suspicious about her fate and resolved to divine about it after the Nightfall Cold Pool.
• Two Mystic Dharma Immortal Sect disciples drew matching lots, and one reluctantly conceded after their Sect Leader promised him benefits.
• Tong Qi visited Su Jiu and said he feared he could not handle Ye Chen's fast sword strikes.
• Su Jiu told Tong Qi that Ye Chen's footwork and sword strikes followed patterns he could learn to anticipate.

Tong Qi defeated Ye Chen in a grueling tournament match, while Qin Ming quickly won the final against an Elysium Valley disciple. The next morning, Xia Jue arrived with Jin Xi, Mo Yan, and four others, preparing to join the finalists on the journey to the Nightfall Cold Pool.

• Tong Qi and Ye Chen fought for two hours, with Tong Qi exploiting Ye Chen’s weak defense to win by pressing his folding fan against Ye Chen’s chest.
• Qin Ming defeated the Elysium Valley disciple after her charm technique failed to affect him, then brushed off Yun Huanling’s teasing.
• Qin Ming thanked Su Jiu and gave her a Storage Bag for helping him before, while Yun Huanling guessed she had provided the Great Restoration Pill that saved the Jade Sword Sect’s Sect Leader.
• On the seventh morning, Xia Jue arrived at the Heavenly Dawn Sect with six people, including Jin Xi and Mo Yan, to accompany the Azure Tide Sect’s finalists to the Nightfall Cold Pool.

Former Azure Tide Sect disciples watched Su Jiu prepare to fight Tong Qi, while their regret over leaving the sect deepened. Su Jiu and Tong Qi agreed to fight without pills, formation disks, or talismans, and the chapter left them poised to begin their match.

• Ran Chao and Lu Tianqi watched Su Jiu from the crowd as Ran Chao reflected on his estrangement from Lu Tianqi and the former disciples regretted leaving Azure Tide.
• A Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple questioned why they had left Azure Tide, and another mocked them for expecting to thrive after following Bai Su.
• Lu Tianqi reacted with hatred when he heard Su Jiu’s name, while the former disciples worried about their future prospects.
• Tong Qi drew Su Jiu as his opponent and agreed with her to use no pills, formation disks, or talismans.
• Su Jiu and Tong Qi exchanged formal bows as spectators debated the matchup and a brief argument broke out in the crowd.

Su Jiu defeated Tong Qi in their Azure Tide Sect match after outlasting his spiritual qi, while the leaders of the Jade Sword Sect and Mystic Dharma Immortal Sect tried to persuade Ning Hai to leave her with their sects. Su Jiu advanced with the Azure Tide Sect counting on her to win.

• Tong Qi launched a full-power attack on Su Jiu, and Ling Cangjue and the Mystic Dharma Immortal Sect leader separately urged Ning Hai to leave her with their sects, but Ning Hai refused.
• Su Jiu met Tong Qi's assault head-on and used her sword arts and ice techniques to wound him and disrupt his fan attacks.
• Yun Huanling questioned why his master had urged him to practice combat arts despite previously saying he was unsuited for them.
• Tong Qi ran low on spiritual qi while Su Jiu remained steady, and he conceded the match after exhausting himself.
• Tong Qi urged Su Jiu not to lose for the Azure Tide Sect, and Su Jiu confidently said she could not lose.

Qin Ming defeated Hu Yucheng in the tournament, then asked Su Jiu to join forces with him in the Cold Pool Secret Realm, where they agreed not to hold back against each other. At the Heavenly Dawn Sect, Fang Xi pleaded with Sect Leader Li to let her join the trip, and Li’s resolve began to soften.

• Su Jiu predicted Hu Yucheng would lose to Qin Ming, and Qin Ming defeated him with the Azure Cloud Sword after injuring his arm.
• Hu Yucheng’s admirers rushed to help him, while he gently defended Qin Ming and calmed them down.
• Qin Ming asked Su Jiu to travel with him in the Cold Pool Secret Realm, and they agreed to face each other without holding back if they met.
• Sect Leader Li briefed the twelve selected Foundation Establishment disciples on the secret realm’s forbidden areas before Fang Xi interrupted to ask why she had been excluded.
• Fang Xi admitted she was responsible for losing the secret key and pleaded for another chance, but Sect Leader Li pointed out her poor past contribution.
• Fang Xi said she had only thirty years left to find a breakthrough, then bowed her head against the floor until Sect Leader Li’s heart softened.

Su Jiu and Qin Ming fought a prolonged final match in the sect tournament, each pushing the other to the brink. Su Jiu awakened sword intent harmonization, struck Qin Ming with a combined attack, and appeared to secure victory while reaching foundation establishment late stage.

• Qin Ming and Su Jiu opened the final match with a clash of sword intent that damaged the arena and wounded them both.
• Su Jiu and Qin Ming traded attacks for hundreds of exchanges, moving their battle into the sky as their sects watched tensely.
• Qin Ming exposed a weakness as a trap and struck Su Jiu across the waist and abdomen, but she took a Minor Restoration Pill and charged back at him.
• After nearly half a day of fighting, Su Jiu entered sword intent harmonization and perceived Qin Ming's flaws with new clarity.
• Su Jiu combined Thousand-Mile Ice Seal with Ice Shatter, severely injuring Qin Ming, who bowed and congratulated her on her victory and advancement to foundation establishment late stage.

After the Azure Tide Sect swept the competition, its disciples prepared to enter the Nightfall Cold Pool Secret Realm and heard warnings about its dangers. At the barren destination, the Heavenly Secret Sect's leader used his Starlight Compass beneath the night sky and announced that the realm was ready.

• Su Jiu advanced during the competition, helping the Azure Tide Sect claim all four places, and Ling Cangjue comforted Qin Ming after his defeat.
• Su Jiu recovered quickly, declined a reward, and boarded the flying boat with the other disciples bound for the secret realm.
• Ning Hai and Xia Jue warned the disciples to avoid the Miasma Forest and Blood Mist Jungle, follow the rules against attacking fellow disciples, travel in groups, and return alive.
• The flying boat reached a barren wasteland, where Su Jiu and the other disciples waited until nightfall.
• The Heavenly Secret Sect's leader consulted his Starlight Compass beneath the stars and told the other sect leaders that the Nightfall Cold Pool was ready.

Su Jiu entered the Nightfall Cold Pool Secret Realm and landed in a wetland crawling with venomous insects. She found Feng Piaoxu trapped there without spiritual qi and began leading her out of danger.

• The eight Sect Leaders opened the Nightfall Cold Pool Secret Realm, which would remain open for ten outside days, equal to a hundred days inside.
• Su Jiu entered the realm and froze the venomous insects that swarmed around her landing spot.
• Feng Piaoxu was bitten by an unknown insect that drained her spiritual qi and left her stranded behind insect-repelling powder.
• Su Jiu followed Feng Piaoxu's cries for help and drove back the insects with Ice Spikes.
• Feng Piaoxu offered Su Jiu her Storage Ring to deliver to her master, but Su Jiu asked if she could walk and prepared to lead her through the wetland.

Su Jiu rescued Feng Piaoxu from the Wetlands and then killed five Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples who tried to rob her. She freed the two captured Medicine Gate disciples and returned toward Feng Piaoxu.

• Su Jiu brought Feng Piaoxu out of the Wetlands and helped her rest in a cave while she searched for wood scraps.
• Su Jiu overheard five Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples planning to rob her, but their leader initially refused because he feared her strength.
• The leader gave in to greed and sent his group to intercept Su Jiu, while Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi stopped resisting and waited to see what happened.
• Su Jiu dodged the five attackers and killed them with a single burst of sword qi.
• Su Jiu collected the Recording Stone and remembered the bound Medicine Gate disciples, Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi.

Su Jiu rescued Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi and brought them to the Cave, where Tang Wuchen treated Feng Piaoxu after discovering she had been bitten by a Spirit-Eroding Ant. When Su Jiu realized Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi knew her secret constitution, she nearly killed them but ultimately spared them after they agreed to swear heart-demon oaths.

• Su Jiu freed Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi from magical restraints and led them back to the Cave.
• Tang Wuchen recognized Feng Piaoxu's Spirit-Eroding Ant bite, while Jiang Qi lit a fire to warm her.
• Su Jiu suspected the Medicine Gate disciples knew her constitution's secret, so Tang Wuchen knocked Feng Piaoxu unconscious and Su Jiu sealed them inside a barrier.
• Su Jiu drew Purple Ultimate and demanded to know when they had discovered her secret, and Tang Wuchen said Jiang Qi noticed it on Golden Guard Peak.
• Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi offered heart-demon oaths, and Su Jiu sheathed her sword and ordered them to swear.
• Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi swore they would never reveal Su Jiu's secret.

Su Jiu cured Feng Piaoxu and set off with her and the two Medicine Gate disciples. Elsewhere, Qin Ming discovered an ancient ruin and a strange sword, while Yu Chang became captivated by it and his eyes darkened.

• Su Jiu used her blood to cure Feng Piaoxu, who woke with her memories erased and her spiritual energy recovering.
• Su Jiu let Feng Piaoxu believe Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi had saved her, then led all three companions onward.
• Qin Ming fell into a cavern and found ancient paintings telling of a Forging Aristocratic Clan that had forged a Holy Sword.
• Qin Ming opened a hidden chamber and found the sword from the painting beside a skeleton, then hid when someone approached.
• Yu Chang and Fang Ziyi entered the chamber, and Yu Chang became fixated on the sword as blackness filled his eyes.

Qin Ming tried to escape a cave with Yu Chang and Fang Ziyi, but a sinister sword pursued him and forced him to stay behind. Meanwhile, Su Jiu’s group discovered an herb garden and a pit of mortal remains, leaving them to wonder how people had once lived in the dangerous Secret Realm.

• Qin Ming knocked out Yu Chang after he repeatedly reached for the sinister sword, then tried to lead him and Fang Ziyi out of the cave.
• The sword chased the group, so Qin Ming sent Fang Ziyi and Yu Chang outside and prepared to hold it off with Azure Cloud.
• Su Jiu allowed Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi to harvest herbs while she gathered ingredients for Nascent Soul Stabilizing Pills.
• Jiang Qi found jade glimmer grass, and Tang Wuchen explained its potency before privately asking Su Jiu not to reveal what had happened that day.
• Feng Piaoxu picked a bone-bloom flower, causing the ground to collapse and reveal a pit filled with the remains of at least a hundred people.
• Tang Wuchen concluded that the remains belonged to mortals, and Su Jiu wondered how they had lived and died in the Secret Realm.

Su Jiu sensed a battle nearby and went north, while Tang Wuchen persuaded the reluctant Jiang Qi to follow and help. They found Qin Ming fighting a violent, spirit-bearing sword, and Su Jiu joined the battle as she realized the secret realm was suppressing the sword’s power.

• Su Jiu detected a fight to the north and flew toward it, while Feng Piaoxu followed.
• Feng Piaoxu challenged Jiang Qi and Tang Wuchen for hesitating, and Tang Wuchen urged Jiang Qi to face danger and help Su Jiu.
• Jiang Qi complained that Tang Wuchen was abandoning him, then agreed to follow him after hearing that Su Jiu had saved their lives.
• Su Jiu arrived to find Qin Ming bloodied and fighting a pitch-black sword beside two unconscious Jade Sword Sect disciples.
• Su Jiu blocked the sword with Purple Ultimate, sensed its fused demonic qi and spiritual energy, and suspected the secret realm had suppressed its strength.

Su Jiu and Qin Ming trapped a sentient demonic sword, but it escaped before they could contain it, and they realized it could control people’s minds. As they chased after it, Su Jiu turned aside to rescue Heavenly Secret Sect disciples from a Blood Demon Magic Beast.

• Feng Piaoxu supported Su Jiu and Qin Ming with her pipa while Tang Wuchen and Jiang Qi treated the injured Jade Sword Sect disciples.
• Su Jiu and Qin Ming trapped the demonic sword with an Ice Binding Talisman, but they had no safe way to take it out of the secret realm.
• The demonic sword shattered the ice and escaped, and Qin Ming revealed that Yu Chang had nearly been controlled after staring at it.
• Su Jiu realized the sword could influence people’s minds and chased after it with Qin Ming and Tang Wuchen.
• Heavenly Secret Sect disciples ran into Su Jiu’s group while fleeing a Blood Demon Magic Beast, so Su Jiu gave Qin Ming and Tang Wuchen talismans and went to help them.

Su Jiu defeated the Blood Demon Magic Beast and entered the Blood Mist Forest to find Yun Huanling. After rescuing him and carrying him toward safety, she suddenly stabbed him with a dagger, leaving his identity or intentions uncertain.

• Su Jiu froze and shattered the Blood Demon Magic Beast, then destroyed its Demon Core after resisting its Soul Possession.
• The Heavenly Secret Sect disciples told Su Jiu that Yun Huanling had entered the Blood Mist Forest, and she went in to look for him.
• A woman emerged after the disciples left and ominously said there would still be plenty of time for them.
• Su Jiu struggled through the forest's bloody mist as it restricted her senses, while Flower Bud urged her to leave.
• Su Jiu found Yun Huanling unconscious, gave him a pill, and carried him back toward the forest's edge.
• Yun Huanling woke and embraced Su Jiu, but she struck him with a dagger, leaving him bleeding and heartbroken.