Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping began his challenge against Thunder Department Battle General Lü Kui in the Zhenwu Treasury, meeting the ancient general’s power with his own battle intent and true dragon divine being body. Their fight began with a clash of fists, and Xu Taiping pressed Lü Kui with a relentless storm of attacks.

• Elder Wu warned Xu Taiping that failure would cost him the Flame-Thunder Armor and general-rank Thunder Sound Banner and force him to wait ten years before trying again.
• Xu Taiping accepted the challenge and stepped onto the platform, pushing forward against the pressure of the thirty-six Thunder Department battle generals.
• Elder Wu explained that Lü Kui’s cultivation would be restricted to Xu Taiping’s realm, though his combat prowess would remain exceptional.
• Xu Taiping and Lü Kui released their battle intent, then revealed their towering true dragon and greenwood bodies as the watching generals cheered them on.
• Xu Taiping struck Lü Kui with the ultimate-realm Heavenly Wrath Style, and after their first punches collided, he launched a relentless series of attacks against Lü Kui’s guard.

Xu Taiping defeated Lü Kui in a contest of physical strength, then faced him in a battle of generals on the Treasury’s high platform. Xu Taiping summoned the Treading the Sea Army, whose battle formation answered his call as Lü Kui’s three thousand Thunder Department soldiers prepared to attack.

• Xu Taiping chained Heaven-Shaking Fist and Mountain-Shaking Fist to send Lü Kui staggering, but Lü Kui’s Greenwood Body dispersed into willow catkins and reformed on the platform.
• Lü Kui conceded that Xu Taiping surpassed him in physical combat and proposed settling the contest through their power as battle generals.
• Elder Wu explained that they could summon martial artists and battle generals they had encountered, and Xu Taiping summoned the Treading the Sea Army from his memories.
• Xu Taiping summoned ten thousand ragged Treading the Sea Army soldiers and sensed their powerful battle intent, while Lü Kui formed his own battle formation with three thousand Thunder Department armored soldiers.
• Lü Kui’s formation released a tiger-shaped surge of battle intent, and Xu Taiping called out to the Treading the Sea Army, which answered together.

Xu Taiping led the Treading the Sea Army to defeat Lü Kui and the Thunder Department Iron Cavalry, drawing out the soldiers’ battle intent born of despair. After the challenge, he returned to his body with the treasures he needed and prepared to break through to the Dao Integration Realm.

• Lü Kui summoned more than ten thousand Thunder Department armored troops, whose battle intent shattered the Treading the Sea Army’s raging tide.
• Xu Taiping rallied the Treading the Sea Army, and their battle intent surged back to overwhelm Lü Kui’s thunder dragon.
• Xu Taiping and Lü Kui led their formations into a charge, and Xu Taiping’s strike broke through Lü Kui’s battle intent as the Treading the Sea Army swept away the Thunder Department troops.
• Elder Wu and the Lightning Mother recognized the Treading the Sea Army’s strength and credited Xu Taiping with drawing out their strongest battle intent.
• Xu Taiping returned to his body with the Thunder Sound Banner, Flame-Thunder Armor, and Thousand Faces Puppet Body, then confirmed to Ping'an and Old Daoist Huang that he was ready to break through to the Dao Integration Realm.

Ninth Madam and Ghost King Qin Ming learned that a secret report had exposed the God-Burying Mound ruins and drawn cultivators toward Yellow Springs Ruins. They discovered that five Mind Aspect Chaos Demonic Beasts were approaching, and Ninth Madam identified them as Taichong Delusion Seeds.

• Ninth Madam asked Qin Ming to obtain Mengpo Brew while they both received messages.
• Li Shu showed Ninth Madam a secret report revealing the God-Burying Mound ruins, and warned that it had spread through the Cultivation World's upper echelons.
• Qin Ming learned that cultivators were gathering outside Yellow Springs Ruins and probing its restrictions, so he ordered reinforcements and tighter surveillance.
• A subordinate reported that multiple Chaos Demon Seeds were approaching Yellow Springs Ruins, but could not determine their number or rank.
• Li Shu reported that five powerful Chaos Demonic Beasts shaped like multicolored nebulae were approaching, and Ninth Madam identified them as Taichong Delusion Seeds.

Five Taichong Delusion Seeds threatened the Yellow Springs Ruins, prompting Ghost King Qin Ming and Ninth Madam to prepare for their arrival while protecting Xuān Pǔ Palace. Xu Taiping learned of the danger but decided to seal his mind until the scheduled day of his breakthrough.

• Ninth Madam explained that Taichong Delusion Seeds could spread delusions through their clouds and rain, and that only a Ruin Star could halt their advance.
• Ghost King Qin Ming received the Fengdu Great Emperor's instructions to guard the Yellow Springs Ruins, warn cultivators to leave, and have those who remained recite the Jade Pivot Scripture.
• Ninth Madam and Qin Ming wondered whether the upheavals targeted Xu Taiping, but concluded Xuān Pǔ Palace was well concealed and protected by ancient restrictions.
• Qin Ming ordered cultivators to evacuate, while Ninth Madam warned Xu Taiping that several Taichong Delusion Seeds would soon pass through the ruins.
• In Xuān Pǔ Palace, Old Daoist Huang said his Heaven-Measuring Ruler could only partly counter the threat, and Xiaohei said he would need three to five years to digest Leopard Tail's true body.
• Xu Taiping decided to take the Soul-Merging Pill and seal off his mind until his scheduled breakthrough, instructing the others not to wake him.

Xu Taiping prepared to break through to the Dao Integration Realm, using every safeguard available as chaos spread through the Yellow Springs Ruins. Just as enemies breached Xuān Pǔ Palace, Cangwu Heavenly Lord revealed that he was still hunting them.

• Xu Taiping swallowed three Soul-Merging Pills and sent word to his allies to come aid his breakthrough in ten days.
• Xu Taiping summoned the protection of the Dragon-Slaying Ranking’s Ranking Spirit and the Half-Immortal promised by Dipankara Buddha, refusing to hold back any safeguards.
• Eight days later, Old Daoist Huang and Ping'an learned that five Taichong Delusion Seeds had arrived early and that fighting over the God-Burying Mound had kept Fengdu Prefecture occupied.
• The Six-Arms Mirror warned Old Daoist Huang and Ping'an that something terrible had happened outside, then a black spear pierced Xuān Pǔ Palace’s barrier and struck its immortal mountains.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord appeared in the mirror image and declared that Xu Taiping would not get the chance to break through.

Ghost King Qin Ming activated Xuān Pǔ Palace’s Thousand-Mile Layered City Grand Formation to stop Cangwu Heavenly Lord’s rune-covered spears, then learned that the attack was part of a plan to draw Fengdu Prefecture away from the Forbidden Grounds. The chapter ended with Elder Huang suspecting that the attackers were broadcasting the Sword Platform’s scene across the Upper Realm’s major Star Domains.

• Cangwu Heavenly Lord’s rune-covered spears shattered the outer barrier and shook Xuān Pǔ Palace’s Forbidden Grounds.
• Qin Ming arrived, reported that two other Ghost Kings had come to help, and activated the Thousand-Mile Layered City Grand Formation.
• The formation’s seven jade towers rose and repelled the spears, while Qin Ming revealed that the attack had been arranged to draw Fengdu Prefecture’s forces away from Xu Taiping.
• Qin Ming questioned Ping'an about the attacker, but Old Daoist Huang claimed they had only guessed it was Cangwu Heavenly Lord.
• Qin Ming received a message and used Elder Huang’s Spirit Mirror to view the Sword Platform, prompting Elder Huang to suspect the scene was being projected across the Upper Realm.

Cangwu Heavenly Lord used a Spirit Mirror broadcast to falsely accuse Xu Taiping of stealing the Upper Realm’s fortune and rallied cultivators to attack Fengdu Prefecture. As the crowd rushed toward the Yellow Springs Ruins, Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his companions arrived to confront Ping'an and the others.

• Ping'an, Old Daoist Huang, and Ghost King Qin Ming watched the Spirit Mirror show Xu Taiping extracting a peerless-grade Soulfire Stone from a ruin.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord accused Xu Taiping of stealing the Upper Realm’s fortune and claimed he planned to disrupt the cultivation world by breaking through to the Dao Integration Realm.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord urged cultivators to travel to the Yellow Springs Ruins and distract Fengdu Prefecture while he stopped Xu Taiping’s breakthrough.
• Heavenly Lord Qingmu revealed that Grand Teleportation Arrays had been prepared across several star domains, and cultivators rushed to use them despite warnings about the Taichong Delusion Seeds.
• A black spear descended through the barrier, and Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his three companions appeared before Ping'an and the others.

At Heavenly Lord Shihu’s Dao Field, Xiahou You and Shihu watched Cangwu Heavenly Lord and three other Upper Realm experts attack Xu Taiping’s breakthrough site, suspecting their actions concealed a greater plot. As Shihu prepared to spend his military merit to ask the Ancestor to save Taiping, Daoist Fengzhu and Heavenly Lord Xuanbei arrived and ordered the four attackers to take their own lives.

• Xiahou You condemned Cangwu Heavenly Lord’s accusations against Xu Taiping, while Shihu noted that the Upper Realm experts’ preparations seemed suspicious.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his three companions broke through the forbidden barrier and attacked Xu Taiping’s Sword Platform, shattering its protective formation and injuring Ghost King Qin Ming.
• Shihu decided to use his military merit to ask the Ancestor to save Xu Taiping, explaining that he owed Taiping for saving his life at Yaochi Sacred Land.
• Daoist Fengzhu and Heavenly Lord Xuanbei arrived at the breakthrough site, startling Shihu and Venerable Ziming.
• Heavenly Lord Xuanbei told Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his three companions to take their own lives.

Cangwu Heavenly Lord and three allies attacked Xuān Pǔ Palace to stop the Lower Realm cultivator, but Daoist Fengzhu and Heavenly Lord Xuanbei confronted them. Fengzhu broke free of Dong Cangzi’s Blood Prison Curse, and Heavenly Lord Shihu realized Fengzhu had recovered his lost Great Dao edict.

• Cangwu Heavenly Lord tried to persuade Xuanbei and Fengzhu to abandon their protection of the Lower Realm cultivator, but Fengzhu attacked the four and drained their magic power with a palm strike.
• Zhu Li and the others used rune-marked palms to break Fengzhu’s defenses and summon six black spears that pierced him, while another set of spears forced Xuanbei to dodge.
• The four used Dong Cangzi’s Blood Prison Curse to seal Fengzhu in a blood-colored coffin, and Heavenly Lord Shihu explained that Xuanbei and Fengzhu had lost part of their Great Dao power.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord threatened Xuanbei with Fengzhu’s life, but Xuanbei asked Fengzhu how long he would keep watching the show.
• Fengzhu shattered the blood coffin with his aura, condemned the four as Dong Cangzi’s subordinates, and revealed a five-colored radiance that led Heavenly Lord Shihu to conclude he had recovered his lost Great Dao edict.

Daoist Fengzhu and Heavenly Lord Xuanbei overwhelmed Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his companions, but three powerful newcomers appeared to confront them. The chapter left Xiahou You and Heavenly Lord Shihu realizing that Xiao Shen and Lady Chixue were among the threats facing Xu Taiping.

• Daoist Fengzhu repeatedly struck Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his three companions, while Heavenly Lord Xuanbei severed their hands and turned their own black spears against them.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his companions were trapped in a blood coffin, which then shattered as three powerful figures arrived.
• Xiao Shen threatened Xuanbei and Fengzhu for protecting Xu Taiping, claiming he had no fear of the two elders.
• Heavenly Lord Shihu recognized Xiao Shen as the Xiao Clan's ancestor and explained that he had reached the Heaven-Connecting Realm and inherited the clan artifact.
• Lady Chixue spoke to Heavenly Lord Xuanbei, who recognized her as the Red Snow Demoness, and Heavenly Lord Shihu warned that her combat strength might match his and Fengzhu's.

As Xu Taiping began an early breakthrough to Dao Integration, Liu Dong Cang and his allies threatened to destroy the Sword Platform barrier. Lin Hanjian of the Ageless Spring arrived to serve as Xu Taiping’s Dharma Protector.

• Lady Chixue revealed her grudge against Heavenly Lord Xuanbei, and Liu Dong Cang identified himself as Dong Cangzi’s disciple.
• Liu Dong Cang displayed Half-Step Half-Immortal cultivation and restored Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his three companions with his aura.
• The Crown of Heaven appeared above Xu Taiping, signaling that he was beginning his breakthrough to Dao Integration.
• Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his companions attacked the Sword Platform barrier with rune-covered black spears as Liu Dong Cang and his allies gathered their power.
• Lin Hanjian descended beside Heavenly Lord Xuanbei and Daoist Fengzhu and declared that he had come to protect Xu Taiping.

Heavenly Lord Hanjian and the Fengdu Great Emperor Zhong Xuan joined Xu Taiping’s protectors as Liu Dong Cang and his allies prepared to strike. Just as the seventh Crown of Heaven neared and Xu Taiping’s breakthrough approached, Heavenly Lord Cangzhu arrived to protect the Abyssal Pavilion’s Thirteenth Seat.

• Heavenly Lord Hanjian froze Cangwu Heavenly Lord and his companions’ attacks, forcing them to retreat from the Sword Platform.
• Heavenly Lord Shihu and Xiahou You realized that the seventh Crown of Heaven would signal Xu Taiping’s best chance to break through, and suspected Liu Dong Cang was waiting to disrupt it.
• Heavenly Lord Hanjian called upon Great Emperor Zhong Xuan, who arrived and declared that he had come to protect Xu Taiping.
• Liu Dong Cang, Lady Chixue, and Xiao Shen combined their auras and prepared to oppose Zhong Xuan and the other protectors.
• A dazzling sword-like radiance scattered their combined aura, and Heavenly Lord Cangzhu arrived to protect the Abyssal Pavilion’s Thirteenth Seat.

Heavenly Lord Cangzhu and Feng Tianxing joined Xu Taiping’s protectors and drove back Liu Dong Cang’s group as they tried to obstruct his realm breakthrough. The Fengdu Great Emperor challenged Xiao Shen’s accusation and revealed an illusory scene whose contents were not yet shown.

• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu warned Liu Dong Cang and his allies not to interfere with Xu Taiping’s breakthrough, but Liu Dong Cang invoked Dong Cangzi and prepared to fight.
• Liu Dong Cang, Lady Chixue, and Xiao Shen charged Heavenly Lord Cangzhu’s group to stall Xu Taiping’s breakthrough.
• Feng Tianxing arrived, struck Liu Dong Cang’s group with a Fist Shadow, and declared that he would protect his little brother Taiping.
• Feng Tianxing and Heavenly Lord Hanjian attacked Liu Dong Cang’s group, scattering and freezing them.
• Xiao Shen accused Lin Hanjian and Feng Tianxing of helping a tyrant, and the Fengdu Great Emperor Zhong Xuan challenged him before showing an illusory scene across the sky.

Phantom scenes of Xu Taiping protecting villagers and battling the Blightbones silenced accusations that he stole the Upper Realm’s cultivation fortune. As Dong Cangzi attacked Xu Taiping through a powerful clone, the Dragon-Slaying Ranking intervened to protect him just as his Seven Crowns of Heaven breakthrough began.

• Heavenly Lord Hanjian showed scenes of Xu Taiping defending Three Paths Village and fighting the Blightbones in Kaiyang Heaven, prompting Xiahou You and Heavenly Lord Shihu to defend him.
• Dong Cangzi appeared in the sky and shattered the Sword Platform’s barrier with a finger aimed at Xu Taiping.
• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu, Great Emperor Zhong Xuan, Heavenly Lord Xuanbei, and Daoist Fengzhu halted Dong Cangzi’s finger and sword, but his clone’s power pushed them back.
• The Dragon-Slaying Ranking of Chenglong Heaven arrived and sent azure dragon phantoms against Dong Cangzi, forcing him to withdraw his attacks.
• A five-colored Crown of Heaven appeared above Xu Taiping, and Xiahou You announced that his Seven Crowns of Heaven breakthrough had arrived.

Xu Taiping prepared to absorb the divine power of his seven-layered Crown of Heaven and break through to Dao Integration while powerful allies guarded him. As purple tribulation clouds appeared overhead, he readied the palace’s defenses and began his breakthrough.

• Xu Taiping awakened as his seven-layered Crown of Heaven descended around him, while Dong Cangzi drew Liu Dong Cang, Lady Chixue, Xiao Shen, and Cangwu Heavenly Lord into his palm to watch the coming tribulation.
• Heavenly Lord Hanjian, Heavenly Lord Cangzhu, Feng Tianxing, and the other guardians prepared to oppose Dong Cangzi, and Xu Taiping thanked them for protecting him.
• Feng Tianxing and Heavenly Lord Hanjian urged Xu Taiping to absorb the Crown of Heaven before the tribulation lightning arrived.
• Blade Ghost told Xu Taiping to spend his magic power freely while absorbing the Crown of Heaven and to refine Soulfire Stones if needed.
• Purple tribulation clouds appeared, and Xu Taiping instructed the Six-Nostril Mirror to activate Xuān Pǔ Palace’s complete barrier once the clouds had fully formed.

Xu Taiping rapidly absorbed the Crown of Heaven’s spiritual power while preparing to face the tribulation lightning, and Heavenly Lord Shihu and Xiahou You watched through the Spirit Mirror. Thirteen purple tribulation clouds formed, followed by a Purple Tribulation Lightning Ring that suggested an extraordinary breakthrough.

• Xu Taiping used his Furnace Dao Body to swallow the Crown of Heaven’s spiritual power and consumed Soulfire Stones to replenish his dao essence power.
• Heavenly Lord Shihu realized Xu Taiping had absorbed two of the Crown of Heaven’s seven layers and expected him to finish before the first two lightning bolts passed.
• Thirteen purple tribulation clouds appeared at once, startling Heavenly Lord Shihu and Xiahou You.
• Heavenly Lord Shihu suspected Xu Taiping was breaking through from the ultimate realm, and Xiahou You recognized the Purple Tribulation Lightning Ring as one associated with the Dao Integration Origin Opening Realm.

Xu Taiping’s breakthrough to the Dao Integration Realm triggered a Thirteenfold Crown of Heaven, a Purple Thunder Heavenly Tribulation Eye, and terrifying waves of tribulation lightning. As the Jade Mother’s Layered City Grand Formation began to fail, a Great Dao edict offered a way to withstand the lightning, and Ping'an volunteered to ascend the tower.

• Heavenly Lord Shihu and Xiahou You realized Xu Taiping was breaking through from the Ultimate Realm and saw the Thirteenfold Crown of Heaven appear.
• The Purple Thunder Heavenly Tribulation Eye appeared, and Heavenly Lord Shihu predicted Xu Taiping might reach the Heaven-Connecting Realm and become unmatched below the Half-Immortal Realm.
• The Jade Mother’s Layered City Grand Formation manifested around the Sword Platform, with its twelve-story tower shielding Xu Taiping from the first waves of tribulation lightning.
• Successive lightning waves battered the jade tower, and Heavenly Lord Shihu warned that thirteen waves would be followed by even more dangerous tribulations.
• A voice declared that those who ascended the tower could receive the Jade Mother’s Great Dao edict and use it to withstand the tribulation lightning.
• Ping'an volunteered to ascend the tower.

Ping'an and the cultivators on the jade tower fought off successive waves of tribulation lightning, revealing that Jade Mother's Edicts were hidden in the tower. After Feng Tianxing called the others up to claim the edicts, Dong Cangzi and his allies attacked the barrier left outside.

• Ping'an climbed atop the jade tower and used a five-colored manifestation of great dao power to disperse five pillars of lightning.
• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu, Feng Tianxing, and Old Daoist Huang went onto the jade tower as the sixth wave of tribulation lightning descended.
• Old Daoist Huang shattered the six lightning pythons with his ruler, but they merged into a larger python that Heavenly Lord Cangzhu and Feng Tianxing destroyed with their powers.
• Heavenly Lord Shihu realized that Jade Mother's Edicts were hidden in the tower, and Feng Tianxing urged the others to climb up.
• Fengdu Great Emperor, Heavenly Lord Xuanbei, Daoist Fengzhu, and Heavenly Lord Hanjian went to the tower's lower floors while the Dragon-Slaying Ranking guarded outside.
• Dong Cangzi, Liu Dong Cang, Xiao Shen, Lady Chixue, and the others attacked the barrier.

Heavenly Lord Hanjian used the Jade Mother’s Edict to shatter Dong Cangzi’s finger strike, while the Jade Tower’s Great Dao edicts repelled successive waves of tribulation lightning. All thirteen tribulation clouds then unleashed forty-five thunder jiao toward Young Master Taiping at the Sword Platform, leaving Heavenly Lord Shihu and Xiahou You unsure how he could survive.

• Dong Cangzi’s finger shadow pierced the Dragon-Slaying Ranking’s dragon shadows and struck its banner as Liu Dong Cang and the others attacked.
• Heavenly Lord Hanjian invoked the Jade Mother’s Edict and shattered Dong Cangzi’s finger shadow with a frost giant sword.
• The Jade Tower’s seven Great Dao edicts repelled the seventh wave of tribulation lightning, and its radiance withstood the eighth wave.
• All thirteen tribulation clouds lit up and sent down a total of forty-five thunder jiao toward Young Master Taiping at the Sword Platform.
• Xiahou You feared the lightning would kill Young Master Taiping, while Heavenly Lord Shihu wondered how anyone could stop it.