Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping reached the Immaculate Realm and used his improved physique to unleash a concealed blade technique against the Blade Slave. The Blade Slave began returning his saber to its sheath, and Xu Taiping appeared before its layers of protective blade qi as the decisive clash began.

• Gu Qingcheng explained that the Immaculate Realm was a stage needed to advance blood qi body tempering beyond the first turn.
• Xu Taiping sensed that his purified physique had become lighter and more coordinated, greatly increasing his combat strength.
• Xu Taiping expanded his mountain spirit blade domain, cornering the Blade Slave and forcing it to begin returning its saber to its sheath.
• Xu Taiping gathered his blade qi lightning, thunderflame, and mountain spirit power into a downward strike that shattered the Blade Slave's golden blade flames.
• The Blade Slave formed hundreds of layers of protective blade qi as it nearly sheathed its saber, and Xu Taiping flickered before the outermost layer.

Xu Taiping combined the Mountain Spirit Blade Domain’s power with the Dragon-Slaying Form and broke the Blade Slave’s Returning Blade to Sheath Form, leaving his opponent severely wounded. Gu Qingcheng confirmed Xu Taiping’s victory and said his slash deserved a place in the Shangqing Realm’s secret scrolls.

• Xu Taiping’s blade shattered hundreds of layers of the Blade Slave’s Protective Gang Qi.
• The Blade Slave formed a golden sphere around himself by returning his blade to its sheath.
• Xu Taiping cleaved through the sphere with the Thunder Soul Blade and sheathed his weapon.
• The Blade Slave coughed violently, unable to stand without leaning on his blade, while a deep wound crossed his chest.
• Gu Qingcheng confirmed Xu Taiping’s victory and praised his slash as worthy of recording in the great sects’ secret scrolls.

After Xu Taiping defeated Blade Slave’s Returning Blade to Sheath Form, he realized his Dragon-Slaying slash had permanently cost him cultivation and vitality. Unmoved by the price, Xu Taiping declared he would still draw his blade, and Blade Slave offered him his mantle.

• Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master recognized that Xu Taiping had fused several arts into a slash that showed a blade cultivator’s distinctive mastery.
• Xu Taiping sensed that his body, vitality, divine soul, and cultivation had permanently weakened after he broke Blade Slave’s technique.
• Xu Taiping thanked Blade Slave after realizing the senior had forced him to unleash the slash so he could learn its cost.
• Blade Slave asked whether Xu Taiping would still dare draw his blade, and Xu Taiping answered that knowing the price would make his blade heavier, faster, and sharper.
• Xu Taiping declared that a life-risking slash should wound and kill its target, prompting Blade Slave to offer him his mantle.

Xu Taiping inherited Blade Slave’s Life-Taking Blade legacy and promised to defend the mortal world against the Heaven-Outside Evil God. Blade Slave then offered to escort him and the Azure Dragon Armor to the Heaven-Ascending Platform, while hinting that the tower was guiding Xu Taiping toward a hidden mission.

• Xu Taiping accepted Blade Slave’s legacy and received the Heavenly Wrath Five Forms Art, the Life-Taking Blade manual, and Blade Slave’s saber insights.
• Blade Slave made Xu Taiping promise to defend the gates of the mortal world when the Heaven-Outside Evil God descended, and revealed he would have erased Xu Taiping’s Divine Soul Marks if he had hesitated.
• Blade Slave declared that Xu Taiping and the Azure Dragon Armor could ascend to the Eleventh Floor, and that his Clone would guard them to the Heaven-Ascending Platform.
• The King of Chu credited Xu Taiping’s extraordinary rewards to the Golden Scale Ranking’s Fortune, while Fairy Lingyue doubted Fortune could explain the tower’s generosity.
• As Blade Slave opened the way to the Eleventh Floor, he hinted at suffering inside and outside the tower, then asked Xu Taiping to reclaim a debt of blood on their behalf.

Xu Taiping and his companions learned that the Eleventh Layer held Guifang's Imperial Capital, where six hundred thousand corpse wraiths awaited the Ningyuan Kingdom's three armies. As battle began on Crane Crossing Plain, Xu Taiping resolved to reach the Heaven-Ascending Platform even if the armies were defeated, while Blade Slave declared he would protect him.

• Gu Qingcheng explained that Guifang's Imperial Clan had sacrificed its people to the Ghost Gods, creating a huge corpse wraith army now led by Goshu Miu near the capital.
• Xu Taiping and Gu Qingcheng concluded they needed the Ningyuan Kingdom's three armies to break through the corpse wraiths so they could reach the Heaven-Ascending Platform.
• Gu Qingcheng said the journey to the Eleventh Layer had moved them at least ninety years forward, leaving Xuanyuan Xueluo possibly alive but near the end of her lifespan.
• Xu Taiping vowed that they would find a way into the city and reach the Twelfth Layer even if the three armies lost.
• Blade Slave sensed that the battle on Crane Crossing Plain had begun and promised Xu Taiping he could cut down anyone who threatened his life.

Xuanyuan Xueluo led the White Tiger Army in a desperate charge toward the Imperial Capital, choosing to strike before Guifang could anticipate their full strength. After Ayu learned from a jade slip about the horrors inside the capital, Xuanyuan Xueluo rallied her soldiers to charge until death.

• Xuanyuan Xueluo ordered the White Tiger Army to keep charging despite the danger of being cut off from the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Armies.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo told Ayu that the court’s delay had left them with three months of missing intelligence and that they had to breach the city by surprise.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo gave Ayu a jade slip containing the findings of A Mu, who had died infiltrating the Imperial Capital.
• Ayu saw the horrors recorded in the jade slip and feared they could not fight what awaited them.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo declared that the charge would continue until her blood ran dry, and the White Tiger Army answered with a vow to fight until death.

Xuanyuan Xueluo led the White Tiger Army in a desperate charge toward Guifang’s Imperial Capital, determined to destroy its altar before she died. Just as the army broke through the corpse wraith formations and neared the gates, a silver-haired commander emerged with a powerful black-armored cavalry force.

• The White Tiger Army’s battle intent formed a white tiger that scattered corpse wraith formations and crushed hundreds of Flying Jiangshi-level ghost generals.
• Ayu reported that the Black Tortoise Army and Vermilion Bird Army had fallen back, leaving the White Tiger Army surrounded, and that Goshu Miu was approaching with several thousand riders.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo rallied her soldiers to charge for the sake of their families and breach the Imperial Capital before Goshu Miu could stop them.
• The White Tiger Army scattered the corpse wraith formations blocking the way, but the Imperial Capital’s gates opened and a silver-haired man rode out with tens of thousands of black-armored corpse wraith cavalry.
• Ayu warned Xuanyuan Xueluo that the cavalry’s battle intent was no weaker than the White Tiger Army’s.

Xuanyuan Xueluo and Ayu led the White Tiger Army toward the Imperial Capital, where the silver-haired Otherworlder Li Yezhu used a Bone Flute to gather the scattered Corpse Wraiths’ Battle Intent. As a vast silver web descended on the charging army, Zhu Huai recognized Li Yezhu as the Spider Demon, one of the Nine Abysses Seven Demonic Generals.

• Xuanyuan Xueluo identified the silver-haired commander as a hostile Otherworlder, but ordered the White Tiger Army to keep charging.
• The Black-Armored Corpse Wraith Cavalry’s spider Battle Intent checked the White Tiger Army’s advance, though Xuanyuan Xueluo broke through the remaining formations barring the way to the Imperial Capital.
• Ayu formed a long-spear formation and led the White Tiger Army toward Li Yezhu’s ten thousand cavalry, while Li Yezhu ordered his troops to hold.
• Li Yezhu played his Bone Flute, causing scattered Corpse Wraith cavalry to rise and become linked to the black spider’s Battle Intent.
• The Corpse Wraiths declared their allegiance to Yezhu, and their gathered Battle Intent formed a gigantic silver web that fell upon the White Tiger Army.
• Zhu Huai recognized the silver-haired man as Spider Demon Li Yezhu, one of the Nine Abysses Seven Demonic Generals.

Zhu Huai explained that Li Yezhu was a powerful Ninth Demon Abyss general whose Puppet Play demon seed could command vast armies and combine their battle intent. Xuanyuan Xueluo froze Li Yezhu and his forces with the White Tiger Army’s frost sky battle intent, but a sudden crash interrupted the King of Chu’s praise and left the observers alarmed.

• Zhu Huai identified Li Yezhu as Li Zhen, a former Mysterious Wasteland Heaven heir who became one of the Nine Abysses’ Ten Great Demonic Generals.
• Zhu Huai explained that Li Yezhu’s Puppet Play controlled the Corpse Wraith cavalry and linked their strength and battle intent.
• Li Yezhu and his cavalry broke through the White Tiger Army’s formation and sent its tiger battle-intent phantom flying backward.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo summoned the Northern Garrison Manor’s frost sky battle intent and froze Li Yezhu, his cavalry, and the black spider battle intent.
• A tremendous crash rang out from the Spirit Mirror, interrupting the King of Chu and changing the expressions of Zhu Huai and Qionghua.

Li Yezhu broke through Xuanyuan Xueluo’s battle intent and struck her down, shattering the Spirit Mirror as the watchers realized his blade skill and power made him nearly unbeatable. On Crane Crossing Plain, Xuanyuan Xueluo rose again and charged Li Yezhu, hoping to wound him and repay the long-absent Rusty Lion for an old favor.

• Li Yezhu broke free of Xuanyuan Xueluo’s Frost Sky Battle Intent and countered her spear with a blade strike that shattered the distant Spirit Mirror.
• Zhu Huai explained that Li Yezhu’s blade skill, military command, and Demon Seed power made him a threat Xuanyuan Xueluo was unlikely to withstand.
• Ayu caught the bloodied Xuanyuan Xueluo and gave her a pill while White Tiger Army deputy generals tried to hold Li Yezhu back.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo recalled Rusty Lion and resolved to wound Li Yezhu as repayment for his past favor.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo mounted her horse and charged back into battle despite Ayu’s efforts to stop her.

Xuanyuan Xueluo sacrificed herself to save the White Tiger army and seal Li Yezhu's arm, but Li Yezhu broke the ice pillar and the seal began to fade. As Xuanyuan Xueluo lay dying at Crane Crossing Plain, Ayu and her guards stayed by her side.

• In the Southern Chu palace, the King of Chu, Zhu Huai, and Sword Immortal Qionghua watched Xuanyuan Xueluo's battle against Li Yezhu through a Spirit Mirror.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo unleashed her life-forging Frost Sky Battle Intent, freezing herself in an ice pillar, piercing Li Yezhu's arm with a frost spear, and opening a path for the White Tiger army to retreat.
• Zhu Huai and Sword Immortal Qionghua explained that Xuanyuan Xueluo's seal would vanish when the ice pillar shattered, and Zhu Huai urged the King of Chu to send more cultivators to the tower together.
• Li Yezhu repeatedly struck the ice pillar with his Blade Force until it shattered, freeing Xuanyuan Xueluo and ending the seal on his arm.
• Ayu and several hundred personal guards who had stayed behind gathered around the weakened Xuanyuan Xueluo, who told Ayu he should not have stayed.

Xuanyuan Xueluo and Xiao Yu prepared to make a last stand against Li Yezhu until Xu Taiping arrived with Azure Dragon cavalry. As Li Yezhu’s formation gathered strength again, Xu Taiping ordered his troops to charge.

• Xuanyuan Xueluo stood with Xiao Yu and the Northern Garrison Manor guards, drew her saber, and called them to make one last charge.
• Li Yezhu’s battle intent shattered their gathered battle intent as his army bore down on them.
• The White Tiger Token glowed, and Xu Taiping’s Azure Dragon battle intent clashed with Li Yezhu’s formation, halting the Corpse Wraith cavalry.
• Xu Taiping arrived at the head of armored cavalry followed by tens of thousands of Azure Dragon Armor Phantoms, and Xuanyuan Xueluo and Xiao Yu recognized him as Rusty Lion.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo warned Xu Taiping that Li Yezhu could unite the battle intent of his hundred thousand riders, and Xu Taiping ordered his troops to charge.

Xu Taiping’s Azure Dragon battle intent gained the upper hand against Li Yezhu’s spider demon, but Li Yezhu rapidly restored it by turning enemy soldiers into Corpse Wraith heavy cavalry. Blade Slave warned Xu Taiping against accepting Li Yezhu’s saber challenge, and Xu Taiping sought the White Tiger Token before Blade Slave cut Li Yezhu’s attacking arms.

• Xu Taiping’s Azure Dragon battle intent tore into Li Yezhu’s spider demon, though the demon’s web trapped the dragon.
• The King of Chu, Zhu Huai, and Sword Immortal Qionghua discussed the battle and doubted Xu Taiping could withstand Li Yezhu and Blade Slave.
• Li Yezhu’s spider threads pierced thousands of Corpse Wraith heavy cavalry, swelling their ranks and restoring the spider demon’s battle intent.
• Li Yezhu challenged Xu Taiping to defeat his saber, but Blade Slave warned Xu Taiping that the challenge was a trap.
• Xu Taiping asked Xuanyuan Xueluo for the White Tiger Token, and she threw it to him as Li Yezhu attacked.
• Blade Slave severed the arms that emerged from rifts to strike Xu Taiping, inflicting matching wounds on Li Yezhu’s saber arm.

Xu Taiping summoned the Azure Dragon and White Tiger battle intents at once, driving Li Yezhu’s spider demon back. Li Yezhu then unleashed three hundred thousand corpse wraith cavalry, turning the tide of the clash.

• Li Yezhu warned Blade Slave that the Mysterious Wasteland Tower’s rules restricted him from striking first or killing, but Blade Slave dismissed the warning.
• Xu Taiping used a Mysterious Origin Avatar to hold the White Tiger Token while he held the Azure Dragon Token, then called both armies to fight alongside him.
• The Azure Dragon Armor wraiths answered Xu Taiping, and their battle intent broke free of the spider demon’s web and met it in a stalemate.
• A hundred thousand White Tiger Armor wraiths appeared and joined the Azure Dragon Armor, knocking Li Yezhu’s spider demon back a hundred zhang.
• Xuanyuan Xueluo told Xiao Yu to get the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird Tokens to Rusty Lion, and Xiao Yu agreed.
• Li Yezhu commanded the spider demon to control three hundred thousand corpse wraith cavalry, strengthening its battle intent and claiming Xu Taiping could not defeat him in a clash.

Xu Taiping strengthened the Azure Dragon and White Tiger armies’ battle intent, but Li Yezhu’s synchronized Corpse Wraiths still drove them back at Crane Crossing Plain. With defeat looming, Xu Taiping decided to test blades with Li Yezhu before using his last Five-Life Pearl to turn back time.

• Li Yezhu used synchronized steps to strengthen the Spider Demon Battle Intent and force back Xu Taiping’s Azure Dragon and White Tiger Battle Intent.
• Xu Taiping sensed the minds of sixty thousand Azure Dragon soldiers and ordered the army to form ranks, boosting its battle intent enough to break the Spider Demon’s web.
• Li Yezhu ordered the Corpse Wraiths to keep advancing in unison, and their growing battle intent suppressed both armies despite Xu Taiping strengthening the White Tiger formation.
• Xu Taiping judged that the Azure Dragon and White Tiger soldiers would not survive a close clash and considered using his last Five-Life Pearl to rewind time.
• Xu Taiping told Blade Slave that he wanted to test blades with Li Yezhu before the battle ended.

Xu Taiping split his consciousness among three Mysterious Origin Avatars and gathered the four armies of fallen souls to challenge Li Yezhu. He began forming ranks with all four armies, while observers doubted he could control their battle intent before Li Yezhu defeated them.

• Xiao Yu delivered the Vermilion Bird Token and Black Tortoise Token to Xu Taiping on Xuanyuan Xueluo's orders.
• Xu Taiping divided his consciousness into three portions for his Mysterious Origin Avatars despite the danger, and Li Yezhu dismissed him as unworthy of a duel.
• Sword Immortal Qionghua, Zhu Huai, and the King of Chu watched as Xu Taiping prepared to control the four military formations at once.
• Xu Taiping summoned the fallen souls of the Black Tortoise Army and Vermilion Bird Army, joining the Azure Dragon and White Tiger armies on the battlefield.
• Xu Taiping ordered the four armies to form ranks, while Zhu Huai and Sword Immortal Qionghua questioned whether he could mobilize their combined battle intent.

Xu Taiping’s Black Tortoise Army finally answered his command, proving that he could wield three Heaven Rank Iron Armor Tokens and helping the Azure Dragon and White Tiger battle intents drive back Li Yezhu’s Spider Demon. As the onlookers celebrated his achievement, Li Yezhu’s three hundred thousand Corpse Wraiths advanced again in near-perfect formation.

• Xu Taiping ordered the Azure Dragon and White Tiger armies to charge, and both battle intents answered.
• Xu Taiping commanded the Black Tortoise Army, but its wraiths did not respond at first, prompting the Old Palace Master and Yun Shiliu to discuss his limits and the growing threat from the Nine Abysses.
• One Black Tortoise wraith raised battle intent, then the rest of the army joined it and formed an enormous dark tortoise.
• The Black Tortoise battle intent struck the Spider Demon with rings of earthen-yellow light, forcing it back and giving the Azure Dragon and White Tiger armies room to recover.
• Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master realized Xu Taiping had mastered three Heaven Rank Iron Armor Tokens.
• Li Yezhu advanced his three hundred thousand Corpse Wraiths again, their steps nearly perfectly synchronized.

Xu Taiping tried to summon the battle intent of the one hundred thousand Vermilion Bird Armor, but his struggle to command it destabilized his other formations and endangered his divine soul. As Li Yezhu’s forces closed in and defeat seemed certain, Xu Taiping finally shouted the command to the Vermilion Bird Armor.

• Xu Taiping’s battle intent briefly helped suppress Li Yezhu’s Spider Demon battle intent, leading Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master to believe he had a chance if he challenged Li Yezhu to a trial of blades.
• Instead of testing blades, Xu Taiping tried to command the one hundred thousand Vermilion Bird Armor, but the effort destabilized the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise battle intents.
• Xu Taiping repeatedly failed to utter the final four words of his command, while his formations’ battle intent weakened and Goshu Miu’s army broke through the encirclement.
• Yun Shiliu warned that Xu Taiping’s divine soul was failing and that Li Yezhu would soon crush his formations; the Old Palace Master dismissed the prospect of helping him.
• Xu Taiping finally roared, “One hundred thousand Vermilion Bird Armor, heed my command!”

Xu Taiping successfully summoned the battle intent of the four army formations, turning the Vermilion Bird Battle Intent against Li Yezhu’s attack. After their blades clashed, Xu Taiping was badly struck, and Blade Slave went after Li Yezhu to demonstrate the first form of the Life-Taking Blade.

• Xu Taiping endured his failing physique and shouted the command to charge, successfully controlling the four Heaven Rank Iron Armor Tokens.
• A pillar of battle intent rose from a Vermilion Bird Armor soldier, confirming Xu Taiping’s success, as Li Yezhu charged to interrupt his summoning.
• The hundred thousand Vermilion Bird Armor soldiers roared their acceptance, and their battle intent formed a Vermilion Bird that wounded the Spider Demon Battle Intent.
• Empowered by four formations, Xu Taiping met Li Yezhu’s blade but was knocked down after their weapons collided.
• Blade Slave announced he would use Decree the Spirit, the first form of the Life-Taking Blade, and charged after Li Yezhu.

Blade Slave’s Life-Taking Blade gravely wounded Li Yezhu, but the Mysterious Wasteland Tower’s restrictions prevented him from killing him. Li Yezhu began restoring his strength with spider battle intent, leaving Xu Taiping facing a stronger opponent and unable to attack without risking Blade Slave’s intervention.

• Blade Slave slashed Li Yezhu, and a giant hand caught and crushed the blade flames, but Li Yezhu was left severely wounded with his right eye gouged out.
• Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master discussed the slash’s power and warned that Xu Taiping might not withstand Li Yezhu’s next attack.
• Li Yezhu used spider silk formed from battle intent to cover his wounds and restore some of his strength.
• Yun Shiliu pointed out that Li Yezhu’s healing could be interrupted, but the Old Palace Master said Xu Taiping could not strike without risking Blade Slave’s inability to intervene afterward.
• The spider silk around Li Yezhu burst apart as his aura surged.