Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping used clones to defeat the assassins sent after him and learned from Fairy Lingyue that Jin Hezhi had hired them. As Demoness Su Su trapped one clone in a formation, Xu Taiping considered kidnapping her to demand ransom from the Poison King Cult.

• Xu Taiping’s clone killed Nan Zhen and the Old Man of the Moon, but poison-tipped spears pinned the clone down as Qing He and Blood Hand entered the room.
• Two arrows killed Qing He and incapacitated the old man with the cane, while Xu Miaoyan watched from the bathtub.
• The real Xu Taiping questioned the dying Blood Hand, and Fairy Lingyue used Soul Searching to identify Jin Hezhi as the employer.
• Demoness Su Su activated the Heavenly Net Blood Blade Formation around the fishing village to trap Xu Taiping.
• From a nearby inn, Xu Taiping revealed that both figures in the courtyard were clones and wondered how much the Poison King Cult would pay to ransom Demoness Su Su.

Xu Taiping faced Demoness Su Su’s demand for the secret of All Beings Are Equal while protecting Xu Miaoyan from the Poison King Cult’s formation. He secured Xu Miaoyan in armor and a protective talisman, returned her senior brother’s voice-transmitting jade slip, and left to confront Su Su as he considered their karmic tie settled.

• Demoness Su Su’s blood blade split the fisherman’s courtyard, and she demanded that Xu Taiping reveal the secret of All Beings Are Equal.
• Xu Taiping asked Su Su for time, while she threatened to destroy the courtyard if he did not decide quickly.
• Xu Taiping moved Xu Miaoyan from the bathtub, protected her with armor and a Golden Bell Talisman, and warned her that her poison would have to wear off on its own.
• Xu Taiping told Xu Miaoyan that the Yin God of the Wilderness, not he or Su Su, had killed her senior brother.
• Xu Taiping returned the senior brother’s voice-transmitting jade slip to Xu Miaoyan and walked toward the front courtyard, believing he had settled his karmic tie.

Xu Taiping used a clone to mislead Demoness Su Su and lure her into an ambush, then abducted her before the Poison King Cult's Holy Maiden trapped them both beneath her Flower Umbrella. Xu Taiping drew the Water-Cutting Blade and prepared to strike the umbrella, which the Holy Maiden recognized.

• Demoness Su Su ordered the Heavenly Net Blood Blade Formation to destroy the courtyard, believing Xu Taiping was inside.
• Xu Taiping attacked Su Su, revealed that the courtyard figure was his clone, recovered the Azure Luan Ring, and fled.
• Su Su pursued Xu Taiping in her Spirit Carriage, but he stopped it, broke its barrier, and froze her before abducting her.
• The Poison King Cult's Holy Maiden arrived and trapped Xu Taiping and Su Su beneath her Flower Umbrella.
• Xu Taiping drew the Water-Cutting Blade to cut through the umbrella, and the Holy Maiden recognized it.

Xu Taiping rejected the Poison King Cult Holy Maiden’s offer and was rescued by Chen Hao and Huang Que. Huang Que took him to a hidden courtyard and revealed that the Azure Profound Sect’s upheaval concerned the Seven Peaks Grand Competition: the Seventh Peak Lord had been imprisoned.

• The Poison King Cult Holy Maiden offered to spare Xu Taiping and his senior brothers if he revealed the secret of All Beings Are Equal, but Xu Taiping refused because he did not trust her.
• The Holy Maiden’s puppet body revealed that Su Su’s body had been destroyed, and the Holy Maiden escaped Xu Taiping’s Lotus Eye before Chen Hao’s sword forced her back.
• Chen Hao attacked the Holy Maiden while Huang Que took Xu Taiping away with a Teleportation Talisman.
• Huang Que brought Xu Taiping to a hidden courtyard and warned him that an upheaval in the Azure Profound Sect was connected to the Seven Peaks Grand Competition.
• Huang Que told Xu Taiping that the Sect Master had imprisoned the Seventh Peak Lord for allegedly helping Su Chan betray the sect and causing the deaths of many disciples.

Huang Que told Xu Taiping that Peak Lord Zhao Qian had been imprisoned after his Sword Intent revived, while Qingxiao was trapped in Fallen Longyuan amid a deadly jiangshi outbreak. Xu Taiping refused to abandon the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, even as Huang Que relayed the Nine Prefectures’ request that he stay out of the conflict.

• Huang Que explained that a Moonshadow Stone connected to Xu Taiping’s battle at Lotus Temple had revived Zhao Qian’s Sword Intent, leading to Zhao Qian’s imprisonment by the Seven-Regulated Verse Bureau.
• Xu Taiping read Qingxiao’s letter warning him not to return if Qingxiao failed to escape Fallen Longyuan, and Huang Que told him Qingxiao could not return after a flying jiangshi appeared there.
• Xu Taiping tore up the letter and insisted he would keep their promise to help the Seventh Peak win the Seven Peaks Grand Competition and challenge the Sect Master.
• Huang Que warned Xu Taiping that Sect Master Zhou had prepared a deadly trap, strengthened Ye Xuan with Su Chan’s inheritance, and failed to persuade Zhao Linglong and the other Seventh Peak disciples to withdraw.
• Xu Taiping said he had all the more reason to return, and Huang Que revealed that the Nine Prefectures wanted him to avoid the struggle because he had been invited to the Golden Scale Assembly in the Shangqing Realm.

Xu Taiping learned from Huang Que about the Golden Scale Assembly, its ranking, and the fortune Emperor Youyun bestowed on cultivators and their realms. Huang Que explained that Xu had been rejected from the original roster, but a new invitation specifically required him to attend the assembly in Youyun Heaven ten years later.

• Xu Taiping told Huang Que he had learned about the Shangqing Realm and True Martial Heaven from Duan Tianya’s remnant soul.
• Huang Que explained that the Golden Scale Assembly gathered cultivators from different realms every sixty years and offered ranking rewards through Emperor Youyun’s fortune.
• Xu Taiping inferred that the Nine Prefectures would also benefit from sending a contestant, and Huang Que confirmed that even an unranked entrant’s realm received some fortune.
• Huang Que said Xu’s name had appeared on a roster submitted three years earlier, but Youyun Prefecture had rejected it along with the other candidates.
• Huang Que revealed that an envoy had delivered a personal invitation from the Prefect of Youyun Prefecture requiring True Martial Heaven to send the young man shown in a Moonshadow Stone to the assembly in ten years, then placed the stone on the table.

Xu Taiping learned that Shang Jiu had sent a Moonshadow Stone recording his battle at Lotus Temple, and Huang Que warned him that Qingxuan’s Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation made returning dangerous. Huang Que urged him to leave for Youyun Heaven, but Xu Taiping chose to stand by his senior brothers and sisters on Seventh Peak.

• Xu Taiping and Huang Que watched the Moonshadow Stone’s recording of Xu Taiping fighting alone at Lotus Temple.
• Xu Taiping identified Shang Jiu as the cultivator who had left the final images, but concealed his reasons for doing so.
• Huang Que explained that Qingxuan’s Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation could kill even powerful outsiders and warned that the Nine Prefectures could not protect Xu Taiping there.
• Huang Que urged Xu Taiping to leave for Youyun Heaven and attend the Golden Scale Assembly instead of returning to Qingxuan.
• Xu Taiping refused to abandon his senior brothers and sisters, saying that fighting for those close to him was central to his path of cultivation.

Xu Taiping decided to return to Qingxuan and fight to protect the Seventh Peak, while Zhao Linglong grieved for her missing fellow disciples and vowed to challenge the Sect Master. She confronted He Jun when he claimed Moon Perching Pavilion as a First Peak cultivation ground.

• Xu Taiping explained to Huang Que that winning the Seven Peaks Grand Competition could let the disciples demand a Sword Inquiry against the Sect Master, and he resolved to return to Qingxuan despite the danger.
• Zhao Linglong lingered at Moon Perching Pavilion, mourned Xu Taiping and Second Senior Brother, and vowed to help the Seventh Peak win first place and seek justice.
• He Jun arrived with First Peak disciples and claimed that Moon Perching Pavilion and Profound Seclusion Abode could become their cultivation grounds under sect regulations.
• Zhao Linglong ordered He Jun to leave and warned that the First Peak could not take over the Seventh Peak until after the competition, insisting Xu Taiping and Second Senior Brother would return.

Xu Taiping returned to Qingxuan and reunited with Zhao Linglong after she faced He Jun and First Peak disciples trying to provoke her. He Jun challenged Xu Taiping under the pretense of a spar, but Xu Taiping crushed his sword formation and beat him until Jin Hezhi intervened.

• He Jun confronted Zhao Linglong at Moon Perching Pavilion and tried to provoke her into striking a fellow disciple, which could cost her eligibility for the Seven Peaks Grand Competition.
• Xu Taiping arrived in time to block Zhao Linglong's attack, and she tearfully recognized him and welcomed him back.
• Xu Taiping questioned He Jun for trespassing, but He Jun claimed they were there to spar and formed the Seven-Star Sword Formation with six disciples.
• Xu Taiping shattered the formation with a punch and brutally beat He Jun and the other First Peak disciples.
• Jin Hezhi ordered Xu Taiping to stop, but Xu Taiping pinned He Jun beneath his foot and told Jin Hezhi to fight him or leave.

Xu Taiping used Qingxuan’s rules to punish First Peak disciples who had trespassed at Moon Perching Pavilion, defying Jin Yue and Jin Hezhi as they tried to stop him. The chapter ended with Jin Yue claiming he needed to search the residence for a Devil Race spy, while Xu Taiping cited a rule giving him time to prepare before an elder could enter.

• Jin Hezhi attacked Xu Taiping, but Jin Yue intervened and ordered Xu Taiping to release the trespassing disciples.
• Xu Taiping cited the Qingxuan Seven Verses and destroyed He Jun’s dantian despite Jin Yue’s objections.
• As disciples and elders gathered, Xu Taiping continued punishing First Peak disciples and challenged Jin Yue and Jin Hezhi to defend their own honor.
• Jin Yue struck Moon Perching Pavilion’s barrier and demanded entry to search for a Devil Race spy.
• Xu Taiping cited the Seven Verses’ rule granting a disciple time to prepare before an elder could force entry.

Xu Taiping defended the Moon Perching Pavilion from Jin Yue and the First Peak, demonstrating that his strength had grown enough to repel Jin Yue’s attack. After the Seventh Peak’s disciples and allies gathered, Jin Yue withdrew, while Jin Hezhi threatened Xu Taiping ahead of the Seven Peaks Grand Competition.

• Jin Yue attacked the Moon Perching Pavilion’s barrier, and Zhao Linglong was injured when she used her bonded Immortal Silk to stop his strike.
• Xu Taiping crushed the dantians of the First Peak disciples who had come to provoke the Seventh Peak, then used the Water-Cutting Blade to repel Jin Yue’s powerful attack.
• Xu Taiping continued defending the barrier and threw out the remaining First Peak disciples after crushing their dantians.
• Xu Taiping opened the barrier and invited Jin Yue to search the pavilion as Zhao Linglong stood beside him.
• Jiang Zhi, the Seventh Peak’s other disciples, and some Guest Elders arrived, prompting Jin Yue to withdraw.
• Jin Hezhi warned Xu Taiping not to disappoint him at the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, and Xu Taiping replied that the same applied to him.

Jin Hezhi confronted Jin Yue over Zhao Qian's killing of his demonized mother, while Xu Taiping prepared to represent the Seventh Peak in the Grand Competition. As the first round began, Ninth Uncle and Prefect Liu made plans to protect Xu Taiping from the dangers surrounding Qingxuan.

• Jin Yue reprimanded Jin Hezhi for provoking Zhao Linglong, and Jin Hezhi angrily insisted that Zhao Qian had killed his mother, not a demon.
• Xu Taiping agreed to practice his blade with Blade Ghost, while Fairy Lingyue warned him not to exhaust himself before the Grand Competition.
• Ninth Uncle and White Bird visited the Moon Perching Pavilion, and Ninth Uncle decided to leave Qingxuan because Zhou Tong's sword and the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation made it too dangerous.
• Prefect Liu ordered Huang Que to bring Wuyazi out of seclusion, saying the Nine Prefectures would pay any price to keep Xu Taiping alive.
• At the Five Elders Pool, Elder Black Dragon called Xu Taiping, Zhao Linglong, and Jiang Zhi to take their places for the Seven Dragons Seize the Pearl round, and Xu Taiping reassured his senior sisters.

Xu Taiping prepared for the Seven Dragons Seize the Pearl contest as the stands buzzed about his reputation and he reassured Xu Ziyan that Dugu Qingxiao would return. Xu Ziyan warned him that the Sect Master's rule could cost the bottom two peaks a third of their Immortal Fields or Medicine Gardens.

• Spectators discussed Xu Taiping's fame and expected the Seven Peaks Grand Competition to bring retaliation against him.
• Jiang Zhi asked where Xu Taiping's sword was, and he demonstrated that he could use the Windwalking Chapter to fly on the wind instead.
• Xu Ziyan thanked Xu Taiping for helping her recover and said she had reached Profound Connection Peak, while regretting that Dugu Qingxiao had given her the Bodhi Fruit.
• Xu Taiping told Xu Ziyan that Dugu Qingxiao had promised to return for the competition, restoring her confidence that he would keep his word.
• Xu Taiping returned Lin Buyu's jade bracelet and put on his own, then Xu Ziyan warned him that the bottom two peaks would forfeit a third of their Immortal Fields or Medicine Gardens.

Xu Taiping, Jiang Zhi, and Zhao Linglong competed for the Clam Pearls in the Seven Peaks Grand Competition’s first round. After Jin Hezhi knocked Zhao Linglong into the pool and their attempt failed, Xu Taiping proposed a different strategy for the next round.

• Xu Taiping reassured Xu Ziyan that Seventh Peak could compete without Sixth Peak’s help.
• Jiang Zhi seized a Clam Pearl and passed it to Zhao Linglong, but Jin Hezhi struck Zhao Linglong and sent the pearl into the pool.
• Xu Taiping rescued Zhao Linglong instead of pursuing the fallen pearl, while First Peak took two pearls.
• Jin Hezhi taunted Zhao Linglong, but Xu Taiping and Jiang Zhi stopped her from reacting.
• Before the second round, Xu Taiping proposed a new plan, and Jiang Zhi and Zhao Linglong agreed to try it.

During the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, Jiang Zhi and Zhao Linglong seized five Clam Pearls and passed them to Xu Taiping, who smashed through a blockade of eight disciples to place them on a statue. After Seventh Peak secured five pearls in the round, Xu Taiping urged his senior sisters to keep gathering as many pearls as possible, confident in his growing strength.

• Jiang Zhi and Zhao Linglong swept up five Clam Pearls and tossed them to Xu Taiping, who was surrounded by pursuing disciples.
• Xu Taiping charged through the eight disciples, knocking several into Five Elders Pool, then placed all five pearls on a statue.
• Elder Black Dragon announced that Seventh Peak had secured five Clam Pearls, while Sixth Peak and First Peak had secured one each.
• Eighth Brother laughed at the First Peak disciple who had mocked Xu Taiping, while Ye Xuan quietly recorded notes on a Jade Slip.
• Zhao Linglong praised Xu Taiping and Jiang Zhi checked whether he was hurt; he assured them he was unharmed.
• Xu Taiping told Jiang Zhi and Zhao Linglong to keep seizing as many pearls as they could, and they agreed after sensing his strength.

Xu Taiping and his Seventh Peak companions captured all seven Clam Pearls in round three, as Xu Taiping smashed through the other peaks’ defenses and placed them in a Five Elders Statue. Jin Hezhi then accused Xu Taiping of breaking the rules by using an offensive technique.

• Jiang Zhi helped Zhao Linglong gather all seven Clam Pearls and pass them to Xu Taiping.
• The other peaks surrounded Xu Taiping with armor, talismans, and protective techniques, expecting to stop his charge.
• Xu Taiping unleashed his Python Flood Dragon Physique and Wind-Riding Technique, knocking Yan Bing, Jin Hezhi, and the other disciples out of his way.
• Xu Taiping placed all seven Clam Pearls in a Five Elders Statue, giving Seventh Peak all the pearls in the round.
• Zhao Linglong and Jiang Zhi celebrated with Xu Taiping, while Xu Ziyan reflected that Seventh Peak would endure as long as he remained.
• Elder Black Dragon announced Seventh Peak’s victory, and Jin Hezhi claimed Xu Taiping had violated the ban on offensive spells.

After Jin Hezhi and Lu Zimu accused Xu Taiping of cheating, Xu Taiping proposed proving his strength by punching each of them without True Essence. He sent Lu Zimu flying into the pool and then turned to Jin Hezhi for his turn.

• Jin Hezhi and two examining elders challenged Xu Taiping's strength, prompting Elder Black Dragon to ask him to prove his innocence.
• Zhao Linglong protested the accusation, but Xu Taiping calmed her and proposed that Jin Hezhi and Lu Zimu each take a punch from him.
• Jin Hezhi and Lu Zimu agreed to the test, and Elder Black Dragon required them to defend without True Essence.
• Xu Taiping transformed his Sleeping Flood Dragon Physique into its Awakened state and struck Lu Zimu with his Python Flood Dragon Physique and Thousandfold Force.
• Xu Taiping's punch sent Lu Zimu into the pool, and he invited Jin Hezhi to take the next punch.

Xu Taiping proved he had not cheated by using only his qi and blood to punch Jin Hezhi, sending him flying and silencing the doubters. As the fourth round of the Seven Peaks Grand Competition began, Xu Taiping reassured Jiang Zhi and revealed an even more intimidating aura.

• Elder Black Dragon confirmed Xu Taiping’s first punch used only qi and blood, but asked Jin Hezhi to take another punch to verify it.
• Jin Hezhi agreed after the surrounding disciples jeered at him, and Elder Black Dragon forbade Xu Taiping from using martial arts.
• Xu Taiping struck Jin Hezhi with a qi-and-blood-powered punch that sent him flying, despite Jin Hezhi secretly using true essence to defend himself.
• Elder Black Dragon declared Xu Taiping innocent and ordered the disciples to return for the fourth round.
• Jiang Zhi urged Xu Taiping to proceed cautiously, but he told her to keep seizing pearls and let him handle the rest.
• Xu Taiping’s blood qi stirred into a powerful aura that alarmed the gathered disciples.

As the Seventh Peak prepared for the next Seven Peaks Grand Competition contest, Xu Taiping brought out two Grass Return Pills he had refined to help heal Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang. The disciples agreed that Zhou Liang, Wu Mo, and Shi Wen would join the endurance contest, hoping to secure the win that could keep their chance at becoming Chief alive.

• Jiang Zhi reviewed the Seventh Peak’s strong results in the first five contests and warned that the peak could be reclaimed if they failed to become Chief.
• Zhao Linglong and Third Senior Brother encouraged the group, saying a first-place finish in Dripping Water Pierces Stone would leave them a chance to win the final contest against the First Peak.
• Zhou Liang asked to compete in the endurance contest, and Jiang Zhi agreed on the condition that he not risk his life.
• Wu Mo and Shi Wen asked to join the contest, and Jiang Zhi accepted their offers.
• Xu Taiping arrived with food and wine, then presented Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang with two Grass Return Pills to help treat their lingering injuries.

Xu Taiping gave Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang Grass Return Pills to treat their hidden injuries, and both accepted them before the Seven Peaks Grand Competition. At the match against the Fourth Peak, Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang appeared confident enough to compete without Xu Taiping, while their opponents prepared to face them seriously.

• Xu Taiping urged Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang to take the Grass Return Pills, and they swallowed them despite initially refusing.
• Zhao Linglong told Xu Taiping that Jiang Zhi had once taken the chief's place in Sword Inquiry Qingxuan and might have reached the Spirit Refining Realm if not for an accident.
• Jiang Zhi said she suspected her past accident had been arranged, much like what Dugu Qingxiao experienced in the Thousand Buddha Kingdom, and Xu Taiping suspected the Sect Master was suppressing potential rivals.
• Elder Black Dragon announced the Seventh Peak's lineup of Jiang Zhi, Zhou Liang, Zhao Linglong, and Wu Mo against the Fourth Peak, without Xu Taiping.
• The Fourth Peak disciples speculated that the Seventh Peak was focused on the First Peak, and Yu Cai told Zhu Shining to use the heaviest weight she could manage.
• Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang assured Xu Taiping that the Grass Return Pills had helped them and that they were ready to compete.