Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping drew on the Evil-Delivering Asura physique’s immense power to unleash a devastating Great Sage Fist against Huihai. He shattered Huihai’s fist force, broke off his arm, and left the Faceless Ones around them unable to resist.

• Huihai claimed Xu Taiping was not the real Xu Taiping and revealed that the Faceless Tower believed Xu Taiping was in the Mysterious Wasteland Tower.
• Xu Taiping signaled Senior Sister Linglong to retreat and prepared to fight Huihai.
• Huihai attacked with a punch far stronger than the one he had used against Zhao Linglong, and Xu Taiping fully drove the physique’s qi and blood and true essence.
• Xu Taiping grew to over twenty feet tall and gathered the physique’s power into his Great Sage Fist: Baxia Form, manifesting a towering Bull Demon phantom.
• Xu Taiping’s punch shattered Huihai’s fist force, broke off Huihai’s arm, and killed several Faceless Ones who tried to intervene.

Xu Taiping confronted the Faceless Tower elder and his followers while using Venerable Jiaye’s Duedu Asura Physique, learning that his blow against Huihai had used only a tenth of its blood qi power. He chose to kill rather than accept the elder’s offer, then opened his Unceasing Blade Domain against the elder’s attack.

• Xu Taiping pinned Huihai beneath his foot as a white-haired Faceless Elder and over a hundred Faceless Ones arrived and offered to spare Xu Taiping and Zhao Linglong if he let Huihai live.
• Xu Taiping asked Venerable Jiaye how much blood qi power his punch had used and learned it was ten percent, though exceeding thirty percent could shock his divine soul.
• Xu Taiping decided to eliminate the Faceless Tower group, but the elder refused to spare anyone beyond Xu Taiping and Zhao Linglong.
• Xu Taiping smashed Huihai’s head and seized his Primordial Spirit in a flame as the elder charged at him.
• Xu Taiping drew Duedu Asura’s Long Saber, unleashed his Unceasing Blade Domain, and engulfed the elder within its thousand-zhang reach.

Xu Taiping fought Baishu and Zhu Ling while using the Duedu Asura's body and the unceasing blade domain. As Zhu Ling's hidden sound attacks pierced his defenses and Baishu prepared to break the domain, Xu Taiping used the Profound Origin Clone Technique and unleashed the Tiger Roar, Dragon Roar, Gold-Shattering Art.

• Xu Taiping opened the unceasing blade domain, killing Huihai's subordinates, then used Chaotic Cicada against Baishu's palm strike.
• Xu Taiping's follow-up slash forced Baishu to catch and shatter the blade shadow with his arms.
• Zhu Ling attacked Xu Taiping with her pipa, concealing additional sound-wave strikes through her Notes Beyond the Strings true intent.
• Baishu began drawing a blood-red longsword and called for Zhu Ling to hold Xu Taiping off while he worked to break the blade domain.
• Xu Taiping created two origin avatars with the Profound Origin Clone Technique, then roared with them using the Tiger Roar, Dragon Roar, Gold-Shattering Art.

Xu Taiping wounded Zhu Ling with the hidden Divine Soul attack in his Tiger Roar, Dragon Roar, Gold-Shattering Art, but First Seat Baishu broke his Blade Domain with the Red Sword and its destructive True Intent. With Baishu's attack nearly upon him, Xu Taiping activated his Blade Domain's second power and transformed into the Eight-Armed Duedu Asura.

• Xu Taiping's Mountain-Bearing Form shielded him from Zhu Ling's pipa vortices, but her Notes Beyond the Strings cut him repeatedly.
• Xu Taiping's concealed Divine Soul attack struck Zhu Ling when a pipa string snapped, tearing at her Primordial Spirit and leaving her groaning in pain.
• First Seat Baishu was also hurt by Xu Taiping's Divine Soul attack, but he drew the Red Sword and shattered Xu Taiping's Blade Domain with a strike powered by True Intent.
• Baishu thrust the Red Sword at Xu Taiping, whose body felt slowed by the sword's destructive Sword Intent.
• Xu Taiping reopened his Blade Domain in a contracted form and drove his Qi and Blood and True Essence, transforming into the Eight-Armed Duedu Asura.

Xu Taiping used the Duedu Asura physique to overpower Baishu, but Baishu borrowed the true intent Force Like a Breakthrough Bamboo and shattered Xu Taiping’s blade attacks. As the borrowed power forced Xu Taiping to switch tactics, he prepared to combine thunder with Great Sun Golden Flame and unleash it through Heavenly Fire Finger.

• Xu Taiping used Dragon-Slaying to break Baishu’s sword shadows and wound him, then cut down a squad of attacking Faceless Ones.
• Baishu recognized Xu Taiping’s Duedu Asura physique, ordered the Faceless Ones to retreat, and began activating a Jade Jue.
• Zhu Ling used her pipa to shield Baishu from Xu Taiping’s attack, then collapsed from the strain.
• Xu Taiping endured the backlash tearing at his primordial spirit and replenished the Duedu Asura’s qi and blood as Baishu summoned Lord Wunian’s true intent from the Jade Jue.
• Baishu used Force Like a Breakthrough Bamboo to break Xu Taiping’s blade force and knock him back.
• Xu Taiping prepared to combine thunder with Great Sun Golden Flame and channel the power through Heavenly Fire Finger.

Xu Taiping tried to fuse thunder and fire origin powers into a new Thunderfire Finger while Baishu of the Faceless Tower relentlessly attacked him. The first attempt exploded and badly damaged his Duedu Asura body, but Xu Taiping remained determined to try again.

• Xu Taiping used the Duedu Asura's arms to repeatedly defend against Baishu's Red Sword while attempting to fuse thunder and fire origin powers.
• After several attempts, Xu Taiping formed a lightning-wreathed Golden Crow and launched it at Baishu's sword shadow, but it exploded and charred one of his arms.
• Baishu's Red Sword struck Xu Taiping's chest, and the sword qi injured him as five of his eight arms became unusable.
• Baishu gathered his remaining strength for another attack, while Xu Taiping raised his last available arm and began trying to form the Thunderfire Finger again.

Xu Taiping endured Baishu’s attacks while finding the balance needed to fuse Thunder Origin power with the Great Sun Golden Flame. Just as Baishu pierced his chest, Xu Taiping completed the fusion and unleashed the Thunderfire Finger as an enormous Golden Crow.

• Xu Taiping repeatedly failed to fuse the two powers, losing fingers as Baishu’s sword strikes damaged his Mountain-Bearing Form.
• Xu Taiping warned Zhao Linglong that Baishu and the surrounding people were in danger, so Zhao Linglong took the injured Eighth Junior Brother and the others into Miaoyin Temple.
• After losing more fingers, Xu Taiping found the balance needed to fuse Thunder Origin power with the Great Sun Golden Flame and rapidly enlarged the lightning flame.
• Baishu took the Cloud-Ascending Pill, strengthened his aura and Sword Intent, and struck through Xu Taiping’s protective golden light, piercing his chest.
• Xu Taiping kept the flame from dispersing, completed the fusion, and unleashed the Thunderfire Finger as a giant Golden Crow.

Xu Taiping unleashed a thunderflame Golden Crow that killed Baishu but continued to grow and wreak havoc beyond his control. With blood-red eyes opening in the heavens, Venerable Jiaye offered to teach Xu Taiping Buddha Jiaye’s hand seal.

• Baishu mistook the Golden Crow’s power for an ancient Origin Law, then fled when it shattered his sword strike.
• Xu Taiping sent the Golden Crow after Baishu, and it broke through the Red Sword, consumed Baishu, and grew stronger.
• The uncontrolled Golden Crow swallowed the Faceless Tower disciples and engulfed a snowy mountain, driving its beasts to flee.
• Venerable Jiaye warned Xu Taiping that the divine fire could attract Yin Gods, and blood-red eyes opened across the heavens.
• Xu Taiping asked how to stop the thunderflame, and Venerable Jiaye offered to teach him Buddha Jiaye’s hand seal.

Xu Taiping learned the Sea-Swallowing Seal from Venerable Jiaye to extinguish the lightning flame, accepting the risk of Heavenly Dao backlash. He successfully sealed the flame, causing the blood-red eyes in the sky to close and the eerie wailing to fade.

• Venerable Jiaye identified Xu Taiping's lightning flame as a branch of Origin Returning True Fire and explained that Ancient Buddha Kasyapa's Sea-Swallowing Seal could swallow attacks.
• Venerable Jiaye warned that teaching the Buddhist hand seal to Xu Taiping could bring Heavenly Dao backlash because he was a Daoist disciple.
• Xu Taiping accepted the risk, and Venerable Jiaye transmitted the Sea-Swallowing Seal and its scripture to him.
• Xu Taiping recited the Lankavatara Sutra, formed the seal, and sent a golden Buddha-light projection over the small mountain.
• The Sea-Swallowing Seal swallowed the lightning flame, and the blood-red eyes closed as the wailing faded.

Xu Taiping sealed the thunderflame he had summoned into a ring with the Sea-Swallowing Seal and learned that the trapped Faceless Tower cultivators’ primordial spirits were held by his Origin-Returning Fire. As he flew toward Miaoyin Temple, Baishu revealed that the Nine Abysses demon cultivators had identified Xu Taiping as Rusty Lion and planned to use a noble scion’s younger sister as bait to capture him.

• Xu Taiping received a ring formed by the Sea-Swallowing Seal, which could store the thunderflame he had summoned and seal powers from up to three opponents.
• Venerable Jiaye explained that the Origin-Returning Fire had trapped the Faceless Tower cultivators’ primordial spirits inside the ring.
• Baishu offered Xu Taiping information in exchange for his release, and Xu Taiping agreed to swear to free him if he told the truth.
• Baishu revealed that the Nine Abysses demon cultivators planned to lure Rusty Lion into a trap by using a noble scion’s younger sister as bait.
• Baishu told Xu Taiping that Rusty Lion was actually Xu Taiping, a disciple of the Azure Profound Sect.

Xu Taiping told Fairy Lingyue about the Nine Abysses’ trap and revealed that he had mastered the Thunderfire Finger and received Ancient Buddha Kasyapa’s Sea-Swallowing Seal inheritance. Fairy Lingyue warned him about the danger of fusing spirit essences and was left stunned by his new inheritance.

• Xu Taiping and Fairy Lingyue discussed how the Nine Abysses discovered his identity and used Baishu to lure him toward a false location for Ye Chensha’s younger sister.
• Fairy Lingyue explained that powerful demon cultivators were constrained by the Laws of Heaven and Earth and that the True Martial Great Emperor’s barrier protected True Martial Heaven.
• Xu Taiping said he planned to use the Nine Abysses’ scheme to suppress their forces in the Mysterious Wasteland Tower.
• Xu Taiping told Fairy Lingyue that he had fused the Great Sun Golden Flame with thunder power to summon thunderflame while fighting Baishu.
• Fairy Lingyue rebuked Xu Taiping for recklessly fusing spirit essences, then acknowledged that mastering the Thunderfire Finger could help him in the tower trial.
• Xu Taiping revealed that he had received Ancient Buddha Kasyapa’s secretly transmitted Sea-Swallowing Seal, shocking Fairy Lingyue.

Xu Taiping learned from Fairy Lingyue that accepting Ancient Buddha Kasyapa’s inheritance would bring Heavenly Retribution that could harm those around him, though Emperor Youyun’s fortune might offset some of it. Fairy Lingyue then explained the Origin Returning True Fire lineage and its three acquired fires, leaving Xu Taiping with a clearer understanding of the power and danger of his thunderflame.

• Fairy Lingyue warned Xu Taiping that combining Buddhist and Daoist Origin Law inheritances would bring Heavenly Retribution and could implicate those around him.
• Fairy Lingyue explained that Emperor Youyun’s fortune and Xu Taiping’s Golden Scale Ranking fortune might offset some of the Heavenly Dao’s punishment.
• Xu Taiping said he would prepare carefully for his future breakthrough to the Transformation Realm, and Fairy Lingyue offered to help him plan.
• Xu Taiping asked Fairy Lingyue about Origin Returning True Fire, and she described innate and acquired true fires and the Three Origins Returning to One.
• Fairy Lingyue named thunderflame, 𩙥 Flame, and Golden Flame as the three acquired fires of the Origin Returning True Fire lineage, explaining their origins and relative difficulty of control.
• Fairy Lingyue said 𩙥 Flame could cover a vast area and was especially suited to battle formations, where one person could hold off a thousand troops.

Xu Taiping learned that Golden Flame could pierce even a Martial God Realm physique and discussed the formidable Origin Returning True Fire with Fairy Lingyue. After receiving a warning about a trap set for Ye Chensha, he returned to the Mysterious Wasteland Tower, where news of Nanxing and the others’ accomplishments made him fear they were in danger at Sword-Worshipping Manor.

• Fairy Lingyue explained that Golden Flame had extraordinary armor-piercing power and that fusing Wind Essence, Thunder Origin, Metal Essence, and Fire Origin into Origin Returning True Fire was beyond Xu Taiping’s current abilities.
• Fairy Lingyue and Xu Taiping read a message saying Demon Cultivators planned to use Ye Chensha’s younger sister as bait, and they agreed to deceive the Demon Cultivators through Ye Chensha’s spy.
• Xu Taiping returned to the Mysterious Wasteland Tower and received cultivation rewards for Nanxing, Zhang Yi, Yuzhu, Zhai Mo, and the other Azure Dragon Armors’ accomplishments.
• Xu Taiping realized that the Lotus Eye had foretold a calamity at Sword-Worshipping Manor and hurried inside, worried that Nanxing and the others were in trouble.

Xu Taiping arrived at Sword-Worshipping Manor and reviewed the Lotus Eye's vision of Yun Mubai betraying Zhai Mo, Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu. After realizing Yun Mubai had poisoned the banquet wine, Xu Taiping considered how to warn them without alerting him.

• Xu Taiping landed in a courtyard at Sword-Worshipping Manor and hid from servants carrying wine to a banquet.
• Xu Taiping revisited the Lotus Eye's vision and saw Yun Mubai toast Zhai Mo, Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu.
• The vision shifted to a prison where Yun Mubai had the group tortured and demanded their cultivation manuals and formation methods.
• Nanxing warned Zhai Mo and Elder Zhang not to surrender their methods, while Yun Mubai ordered his disciples to strip Nanxing and Yuzhu.
• Xu Taiping realized the banquet wine was poisoned and weighed how to warn the group without drawing Yun Mubai's attention.

Xu Taiping discovered that Yun Mubai had poisoned the Sword-Worshipping Manor’s wine and stole antidote packets while disguised as a servant. At the Cloud Crane Hall banquet, Yun Mubai sprang his trap on Zhai Mo and his companions, ordering them arrested for his father’s death.

• Xu Taiping tested the cellar wine and learned that its poison weakened cultivators’ True Qi and Qi and Blood, then disguised himself as a servant to search for the antidote.
• Zhai Mo, Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu accepted a third invitation to Yun Mubai’s banquet after discussing their mission and rewards.
• At Cloud Crane Hall, Yun Mubai publicly praised Zhai Mo and his companions and toasted them as Xu Taiping watched in disguise.
• Xu Taiping stole five paper packets from Sword-Worshipping Manor disciples, suspecting they contained the antidote.
• Yun Mubai smashed his cup, and disciples surrounded Zhai Mo’s table as he ordered them arrested for causing his father’s death.

Yun Mubai poisoned Zhai Mo, Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu, then ordered the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords to trap them. Zhai Mo sacrificed himself to open a gap in the formation, and as Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu prepared to escape, an unknown voice warned them to take the antidotes in their sleeves and avoid Yun Mubai’s notice.

• Yun Mubai revealed his betrayal by ordering the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords to surround Zhai Mo and his companions, while telling everyone else to take Snow Dew Pills.
• Gongshu Nanxing, Elder Zhang, and Yuzhu realized poison was obstructing their true essence, and Nanxing protected Yuzhu with her gang qi.
• Zhai Mo fought off the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords despite his poisoning, but the formation renewed its attacks and he spat black blood.
• Zhai Mo urged Elder Zhang to escape with Nanxing and Yuzhu, then broke the formation’s balance by forcing one Sword Cultivator to abandon his sword.
• Zhai Mo unleashed his remaining strength to shatter the formation’s sword shadow, creating a gap, and Elder Zhang and Nanxing led Yuzhu toward it.
• An unknown voice told Elder Zhang, Nanxing, and Yuzhu to take the antidotes in their sleeves and escape without drawing Yun Mubai’s attention.

Xu Taiping secretly gave Elder Zhang and the others antidotes while Zhai Mo held off the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords. As Zhai Mo neared collapse, Xu Taiping revealed himself and took over the fight.

• Xu Taiping instructed Elder Zhang and the others to feign poisoning, and they swallowed the antidotes before fleeing through the hall.
• The Cloud Court Thirteen Swords attacked Zhai Mo, who fought on despite the poison weakening his body.
• Yun Mubai taunted Zhai Mo and demanded that he kneel, but Zhai Mo refused and threatened to take some of the swordsmen down with him.
• Zhai Mo held back the formation's enormous Sword Shadow with his bare hands to buy time for Elder Zhang and the others, even as his bones began to break.
• Xu Taiping placed a hand on Zhai Mo's shoulder and told him to leave the rest to him, revealing himself as Young Master Rusty Lion.

Xu Taiping fought the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords’ formation to protect Zhai Mo after rescuing him with an antidote. He ended the chapter tearing apart the formation’s two sword shadows with Chaotic Cicada, while Yun Mubai’s forces remained hostile.

• Xu Taiping shattered the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords’ first sword shadow and gave Zhai Mo an antidote.
• Yun Mubai ordered the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords to capture Xu Taiping and authorized them to use their jade jue.
• The Cloud Court Thirteen Swords unleashed their cloud-shrouded killing move, and Xu Taiping used his Mysterious Origin Avatar and Dragon-Slaying Form to repel an attack.
• Xu Taiping accused Yun Mubai of betraying those who had helped him, prompting Yun Mubai to order the swordsmen to capture or kill him before Zhai Mo recovered.
• Xu Taiping raised his Wild Lion Physique to the Raging Lion Realm and tore apart two sword shadows with Chaotic Cicada.

Xu Taiping fought the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords and Sword-Worshipping Manor disciples, then used his python flood dragon physique to defeat Yun Mubai. Just as Yun Mubai tried to flee, Xuanyuan Xueluo arrived with armored soldiers and ordered everyone to stand still.

• Xu Taiping broke the Cloud Court Thirteen Swords' formation and fought them with the Crane-Listening Stance.
• Yun Mubai ordered Sword-Worshipping Manor disciples to join the attack, forcing Xu Taiping to consider using his python flood dragon physique.
• Yuzhu restored Xu Taiping's strength while Nanxing, Elder Zhang, and Yuzhu returned to help him.
• Xu Taiping transformed into his python flood dragon physique, shattered Yun Mubai's Flying Sword Talisman, and struck him down with the help of his Mysterious Origin Avatar.
• Yun Mubai tried to flee, but Xuanyuan Xueluo entered the hall with armored soldiers and ordered everyone to stay still.

Xu Taiping encountered Xuanyuan Xueluo in the Fifth Layer, where ten years had passed since their time together in the Fourth Layer, and found that she no longer recognized him. After she let Xu Taiping and his companions leave Sword-Worshipping Manor, she suddenly called them back as they were about to exit.

• Yun Mubai recognized Xuanyuan Xueluo and begged her to save him, while Elder Zhang explained that the Fifth Layer took place ten years after the Fourth Layer.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo arrived with the White Tiger Armor and treated Xu Taiping and his companions as strangers.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo ignored Yun Mubai's accusations, ordered him silenced, and offered to let Xu Taiping's group leave if they withdrew from Sword-Worshipping Manor.
• Xu Taiping agreed, and Xuanyuan Xueluo ordered her soldiers to clear a path for him and his companions.
• As Xu Taiping and the others left, Xuanyuan Xueluo called them back, prompting Gongshu Nanxing to wonder if she had remembered them.