Chapter Summaries

Xuanyuan Xueluo revealed why she had come to help Xu Taiping and his companions, then killed Yun Mubai after exposing his crimes. At a ruined temple, Xu Taiping told his companions they would head to the Sixth Layer of the Mysterious Wasteland Tower after recovering, and opened a divine soul mark to study a divination about it.

• Xuanyuan Xueluo warned Xu Taiping and his companions never to return to Sword-Worshipping Manor, hiding her disappointment that Xu Taiping had not contacted her in ten years.
• Yun Mubai threatened to report Xuanyuan Xueluo, but she accused him of murdering the Old Manor Lord, using outsiders to kill Yun Fei, and plotting against the Otherworlders.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo declared that Xu Taiping and the others were her friends and cut Yun Mubai's throat.
• At a ruined temple west of Sword-Worshipping Manor, Xu Taiping told Elder Zhang, Nanxing, Yuzhu, and Zhai Mo to heal before challenging the Tower Spirit and heading to the Sixth Layer.
• After the others left, Xu Taiping opened the Lotus Eye's second Divine Soul Mark to examine its divination about the Sixth Layer.

Xu Taiping watched the Lotus Eye’s Divine Soul imprint and learned that the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s marriage tournament, where its three strongmen guarded the path to Gu Qingcheng, was likely part of a Nine Abysses plot. The imprint ended with Xu Taiping in disguise being invited to ascend the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, while Wuhuan’s strength remained unknown.

• Xu Taiping heard martial-world patrons discuss the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s tournament, which offered the Pavilion Master’s position and Gu Qingcheng’s hand in marriage to anyone who defeated Siyou, Gaishan, and Wuhuan.
• Xu Taiping suspected the Nine Abysses’ Demon Cultivators had spent years arranging the tournament as a trap, and recognized Gu Qingcheng as Ye Chensha’s younger sister.
• Xu Taiping watched challengers face Siyou and Gaishan, studying their methods as Siyou defeated most opponents and one Martial Artist advanced to challenge Gaishan.
• Xu Taiping noted that Wuhuan had not fought, leaving his strength uncertain.
• An Elder invited Xu Taiping, appearing in disguise, to ascend the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

Xu Taiping watched the Lotus Eye's visions to uncover the trap awaiting him at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion's marriage tournament. He learned that a demonic beast would replace Gu Qingcheng and devour him, while the Pavilion's old master kept her captive in a stone cell beneath the pavilion.

• Xu Taiping watched a vision of himself pass the three trials and ascend to Gu Qingcheng's wedding chamber.
• When Xu Taiping lifted the bride's veil, a demonic beast split open, seized him with many arms, and devoured him.
• Xu Taiping reasoned that the real Gu Qingcheng had been switched out for the beast as he came upstairs so the Tower Spirit would not stop the attack in time.
• Xu Taiping saw Gu Qingcheng imprisoned in a stone cell while the Heavenly Frost Pavilion's old master showed her his mangled corpse.
• Gu Qingcheng agreed to remain in the tower and marry the old master if he announced her death and retired with her.
• Xu Taiping concluded that Gu Qingcheng's stone cell was likely directly beneath the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

Xu Taiping and his companions entered the Sixth Layer of the Mysterious Wasteland Tower, trained for six months, and arrived at the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s marriage tournament. There, Xu Taiping spotted Xuanyuan Xueluo and wondered why a White Tiger Armor Commander had come to the gathering.

• Xu Taiping and his companions defeated the Fifth Layer’s Tower Spirit and entered the Sixth Layer, planning to strengthen themselves before attending the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s marriage tournament.
• Ye Chensha watched their progress through the Haotian Mirror while Fairy Lingyue secretly misled him about where Xu Taiping’s group would go.
• Six months later, Xu Taiping and his companions completed their trials and reached the Heavenly Frost Pavilion on the day of the marriage tournament.
• Elder Zhang sent Xu Taiping and Gongshu Nanxing to collect Waist Tokens while he and the others prepared an Earth-Element Underground-Escape Formation.
• Gongshu Nanxing recognized Xuanyuan Xueluo, who was disguised as a man and collecting a Waist Token with her subordinates, and Xu Taiping wondered why she was there.

Xu Taiping and Gongshu Nanxing disguised themselves as Iron Blade Gang disciples to enter the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s marriage tournament while avoiding Xuanyuan Xueluo’s search for Otherworlders. After they collected their entry tokens, Gao Qi of Tyrant Blade Valley arrived and planned to use them as preliminary opponents.

• Xuanyuan Xueluo learned that Otherworlders had entered the tournament grounds and ordered A Mu to watch for one with a dendrobium scent.
• Gongshu Nanxing and Xu Taiping avoided detection with medicinal powder and collected entry tokens under the identities Song Xian and Du Mu of the Iron Blade Gang.
• A long-faced young man mocked the pair, then decided to target them in the preliminary fights to conserve his strength.
• The young man identified himself as Gao Qi of Tyrant Blade Valley, and the crowd reacted to the arrival of the valley master’s eldest son.

At the Heavenly Frost Pavilion’s preliminary round for the Tournament to Find a Spouse, Gao Qi chose to challenge Xu Taiping, who was competing under the alias Song Xian. The two took their positions on the platform, and the match was about to begin.

• Xu Taiping sent his Mysterious Origin Avatar to watch Gao Qi while Nanxing warned him to be cautious.
• A Heavenly Frost Pavilion elder announced that challengers would compete in pairs to eliminate half the participants before the tournament.
• Gao Qi went to the platform and selected Song Xian of the Iron Blade Sect as his opponent.
• Xu Taiping accepted Gao Qi’s challenge and stepped onto the platform, planning to finish quickly without revealing too many of his moves.
• After the elder explained the rules, Gao Qi and Xu Taiping rested their hands on their sabers and exchanged warnings before the fight.

Xu Taiping tested Gao Qi’s strength in the arena while concealing his own cultivation. After surviving Gao Qi’s Caged Sparrow Saber, he kept defending with an unfamiliar style, leaving the spectators puzzled.

• Gao Qi drew his saber and unleashed Tyrant Saber Valley’s Caged Sparrow Saber at Xu Taiping.
• Xu Taiping formed Profound Ice Armor and protective True Qi, but Gao Qi’s attack shattered both and drove him toward the edge of the arena.
• Xu Taiping stopped himself from falling out by driving his saber into the arena floor.
• Gao Qi pressed his attack, forcing Xu Taiping to block a storm of saber strikes without counterattacking.
• Xu Taiping met Gao Qi’s attacks with seemingly clumsy strokes, and Xuanyuan Xueluo and A Mu wondered what saber technique he was using.
• Xu Taiping was actually relying on his Martial Dao Ultimate Intent rather than a saber technique.

Xu Taiping used water and ice to make Gao Qi slip off the arena, defeating him without revealing his true strength. Gao Qi disputed the loss, and the Heavenly Frost Pavilion elder faced pressure to uphold the rules.

• Gao Qi trapped Xu Taiping with the Caged Sparrow Saber, but Xu Taiping shattered a water-filled gourd and filled the arena with fog.
• Gao Qi’s slash cut through Xu Taiping’s armor and wounded his shoulder, but Xu Taiping charged into him and froze the water on the arena floor.
• Xu Taiping rammed Gao Qi again, causing him to slide off the arena and lose the match.
• Gao Qi returned to the arena and accused Xu Taiping of cheating, while Xu Taiping asked the Heavenly Frost Pavilion elder whether falling off still meant defeat.
• Nanxing and Gongshu Nanxing challenged the elder to uphold the rules, prompting the watching cultivators to protest.

Xu Taiping defeated Gao Qi, but a Heavenly Frost Pavilion elder framed the win as dishonorable and promised Gao Qi a chance to return to the competition. As the first day’s matches continued, Xu Taiping and Gongshu Nanxing watched the field narrow and anticipated further trouble.

• Xu Taiping pressed the judging elder to enforce the rule that anyone who fell from the platform lost, and the elder declared Gao Qi defeated while casting Xu Taiping’s victory as dishonorable.
• The elder privately assured Gao Qi he would try to add him back to the competition and arrange trouble for Xu Taiping during the Tournament to Find a Spouse.
• Gao Qi left the platform resentful, and Gongshu Nanxing warned Xu Taiping that he might seek revenge; Xu Taiping said his Mysterious Origin Avatar would keep watch until he took the platform.
• The paired matches continued, and Gongshu Nanxing won her bout as the competitors were reduced to just over sixty.
• Gongshu Nanxing noted that few remaining cultivators were strong, and Xu Taiping explained that many sects were waiting to see how the seven-day tournament unfolded.

Jun Shuyan of Tianyuan Studio challenged Hall Master Siyou in the arena, hoping to win the chance to become Pavilion Master and marry Gu Qingcheng. Siyou overwhelmed Jun Shuyan’s opening attacks, leaving the duel’s outcome uncertain.

• The Elder announced that challengers who defeated Siyou, Gaishan, and Wuhuan could become Pavilion Master and marry Gu Qingcheng.
• Gongshu Nanxing identified the three Hall Masters as the strongest cultivators they had encountered in the tower, and Xu Taiping recalled Siyou’s ruthless strength.
• Jun Shuyan of Tianyuan Studio entered the arena and challenged Siyou.
• Siyou leaped into the arena, and the force of his aura knocked several cultivators to the ground.
• Jun Shuyan trapped Siyou in a tornado and summoned a Golden-Armored Divine General to attack him.
• Siyou shattered the tornado and destroyed the Divine General’s blade shadow and sword-wielding arm with a punch.

Jun Shuyan used his folding fan and Silver Sand to trap Hall Master Siyou in a powerful silver-thread whirlwind, while Siyou continued to hold back his ultimate punch. Xu Taiping studied Jun Shuyan’s fusion of wind and metal essence as the Golden-Armored Divine General dissolved into true essence and entered Jun Shuyan.

• Jun Shuyan swept the Golden-Armored Divine General away from Siyou, causing Siyou’s punch to miss and destroy a distant pavilion.
• Xu Taiping told Gongshu Nanxing that Siyou had not yet used his full strength and could deliver a martial dao ultimate punch.
• Jun Shuyan scattered Silver Sand and used his fan to drive the grains at Siyou, who shattered them with a punch before knocking the Divine General back.
• Jun Shuyan unleashed his fan’s power to wrap Siyou in a silver-sand whirlwind that cut Siyou’s Martial Saint Realm body.
• Xu Taiping recognized that Jun Shuyan had fused wind and metal essence and considered trying the technique in future matches.
• The Golden-Armored Divine General exploded into pure true essence and plunged into Jun Shuyan’s body.

Jun Shuyan’s silver-sand attack failed when Siyou broke through it with a single punch, revealing his mastery of the Martial Dao. After Xu Taiping treated the badly injured Jun Shuyan, he asked to borrow Jun Shuyan’s treasured fan and silver sand.

• Jun Shuyan absorbed the Golden-Armored Divine General’s True Essence and tightened his silver-thread cocoon around Siyou with the fan and silver sand.
• Siyou endured the silver sand’s cuts, unleashed scarlet Gang Qi, and punched through the cocoon, sending Jun Shuyan out of the arena.
• Xu Taiping and Gongshu Nanxing recognized that Siyou had reached the Ultimate Realm of the Martial Dao, and Xu Taiping treated Jun Shuyan’s injuries.
• Jun Shuyan lamented that nobody in their group seemed able to defeat Siyou as another cultivator entered the arena to challenge him.
• Xu Taiping asked Jun Shuyan to lend him the treasured fan and silver sand, and Jun Shuyan agreed while asking what Xu Taiping planned to do with them.

Xu Taiping borrowed Jun Shuyan’s Folding Fan and Silver Sand to prepare for his challenge against Hall Master Siyou. After other challengers were killed or fled, Xu Taiping took the stage as Song Xian of the Iron Blade Gang, while Gao Qi watched eagerly.

• Xu Taiping told Jun Shuyan he wanted to use the Wind Essence and Metal Essence treasures against Hall Master Siyou, and Jun Shuyan warned him about Siyou’s strength.
• Jun Shuyan lent Xu Taiping his Folding Fan and Silver Sand and cautioned him that using them consumed great amounts of True Essence and Qi and Blood.
• Hall Master Siyou killed more challengers, and the remaining contestants left rather than take the stage when the Heavenly Frost Pavilion elder called their names.
• The elder called for Song Xian of the Iron Blade Gang, and Xu Taiping stepped forward as Gao Qi watched from the seats.
• Xu Taiping leaped onto the arena and challenged Hall Master Siyou as the elder whispered to Siyou.

Xu Taiping used a clone and mist to survive Hall Master Siyou’s attacks in their arena match. The crowd was stunned when his clone blocked Siyou’s powerful punch with the Great Sage Fist’s Mountain-Bearing Form.

• Hall Master Siyou’s qi and blood pressure staggered Xu Taiping, but Xu Taiping steadied himself and prepared to fight.
• Hall Master Siyou struck Xu Taiping with a fist of blue-green aura, but the figure shattered into mist, revealing it was a clone.
• Xu Taiping used the Mist-Borrowing Technique to cover the arena, but Siyou blasted away the fog and attacked again.
• Xu Taiping’s clone raised golden palm shadows and used the Mountain-Bearing Form to block Siyou’s punch.
• The martial world figures watching were astonished that Xu Taiping’s clone could use martial arts, while Gao Qi was shocked that Xu Taiping survived.

Xu Taiping used his Mysterious Origin Avatar to hold off Hall Master Siyou while he tried to fuse the powers of wind essence and metal essence. After the avatar’s ordinary punches, elevated by Martial Dao ultimate intent, surprised Siyou, Siyou unleashed his killing move, and the avatar raised the Mountain-Bearing Form to meet the next blow.

• Xu Taiping’s Mysterious Origin Avatar endured Siyou’s punches with the Mountain-Bearing Form while Xu Taiping began feeding true essence into the folding fan and Silver Sand.
• Xu Taiping’s avatar froze Siyou with the Frost Breath Art, then struck first when Siyou thawed himself with blood qi.
• The avatar’s ordinary Great Sage Fist punches, driven by Martial Dao ultimate intent, held off Siyou and made him recognize that the punches had reached the ultimate realm.
• Siyou unleashed his fist technique’s killing move and shattered the avatar’s fist force.
• Xu Taiping’s avatar resumed the Mountain-Bearing Form, and Siyou’s next punch crashed against its protective golden light.

Xu Taiping used his Mysterious Origin Avatar to fight Hall Master Siyou evenly for a time, but Siyou destroyed the avatar and attacked his real body. Xu Taiping then used Jun Shuyan’s North Wind Fan and a cloud of Silver Sand infused with Geng Metal blade qi, leaving Siyou surrounded by flying blades.

• Xu Taiping’s Mysterious Origin Avatar traded fierce blows with Hall Master Siyou, surprising the crowd and angering Gao Qi.
• Hall Master Siyou broke through the avatar’s Mountain-Bearing Form and destroyed it, then charged Xu Taiping with an ultimate killing move.
• Xu Taiping swept Jun Shuyan’s North Wind Fan and sent a powerful gale at Siyou, while Jun Shuyan recognized that the force came from Xu Taiping rather than the fan’s divine ability.
• Xu Taiping scattered Silver Sand and used the Sword-Controlling Art to turn it into flying knives infused with Geng Metal blade qi.
• Hall Master Siyou sensed the blade intent surrounding him and punched toward the incoming cloud of Silver Sand.

Xu Taiping used the North Wind Fan and Silver Sand to trap Siyou, but Siyou broke free and launched a powerful counterattack. Xu Taiping then fused the wind and metal into a silver hummingbird, leaving the clash at a decisive moment.

• Xu Taiping broke Siyou's Fist Force with Silver Sand, then used the North Wind Fan to wrap him in a silver cocoon.
• Siyou forced the cocoon open with his Qi and Blood, judged Xu Taiping's strength, and unleashed his full power.
• Siyou shattered the cocoon and sent a flood dragon of Fist Aura toward Xu Taiping.
• Xu Taiping called out "Fuse!" and combined the Gang Wind and Silver Sand into a silver hummingbird whose beating wings shook the arena.

Xu Taiping defeated Hall Master Siyou with a silver hummingbird formed by fusing wind and metal essence, but Siyou launched a furious attack after conceding. The chapter ended as nine phantoms of Siyou charged at Xu Taiping, declaring that he still deserved to die.

• Hall Master Siyou dismissed the silver hummingbird as a bluff and attacked Xu Taiping with his Red Dragon's Wrath technique.
• Xu Taiping's hummingbird shattered Siyou's flood-dragon fist force and severed one of his arms through his protective gang qi.
• Jun Shuyan speculated that Xu Taiping had mastered the spell at the legendary Celestial Person realm, while Gongshu Nanxing told him not to let his imagination run wild.
• Xu Taiping knocked Siyou down, spared his life, and accepted Siyou's admission of defeat.
• As Xu Taiping turned to challenge Hall Master Gaishan, Siyou created nine phantoms and attacked him, shouting that Xu Taiping still deserved to die.

Xu Taiping killed Hall Master Siyou, then fought Hall Master Gaishan, whose palm and saber attacks pushed him to the brink. An unknown elder intervened and shattered Gaishan’s saber projection, leaving the duel unresolved.

• Xu Taiping’s silver-winged hummingbird sliced Siyou apart and killed him in the arena.
• Gaishan charged Xu Taiping and knocked the hummingbird back with a saber strike.
• Jun Shuyan recognized the limits of Xu Taiping’s fused spirit weapons, while Gongshu Nanxing worried that he lacked another weapon to match Gaishan.
• Gaishan struck with his Mountain-Shaking Palm, and Xu Taiping transformed the hummingbird into a goshawk to break the palm projection.
• Gaishan followed with a stored saber attack, but an aged voice rang from the tower and a burst of sword qi shattered his saber projection.

Xu Taiping resumed his contest against Hall Master Gaishan after the Former Pavilion Master intervened, and he used the North Wind Fan and Silver Sand to hold off Gaishan’s attacks. He then brought out Golden Crow Fire and fanned it, apparently attempting a dangerous fusion of the fan’s power and his own True Fire, leaving Gongshu Nanxing and Jun Shuyan alarmed.

• The Former Pavilion Master stopped Gaishan’s attack, reprimanded him, and arranged for the contest to continue with Xu Taiping’s consent.
• Gaishan unleashed his strength and attacked Xu Taiping with a massive blade phantom, but Xu Taiping used the North Wind Fan and Silver Sand to form a silver-winged goshawk that broke the attack and kept Gaishan at bay.
• Jun Shuyan worried that Xu Taiping’s lower-grade treasures would only delay defeat, while Gongshu Nanxing trusted that Xu Taiping had a plan.
• Xu Taiping summoned Golden Crow Fire and fanned it with the North Wind Fan, making the flames swell dramatically.
• Jun Shuyan realized Xu Taiping might be trying to combine the fan’s power with his True Fire and warned that the fusion could destroy a cultivator’s physique, while Gongshu Nanxing wondered what Xu Taiping intended.