Chapter Summaries

Li Yezhu trapped Xu Taiping in his overwhelming Please Enter the Urn attack, shattering Xu Taiping’s defenses. Rather than retreat, Xu Taiping used the Life-Taking Blade’s Deity-Sealing Form, and a divine manifestation empowered him as he prepared to meet Li Yezhu’s assault.

• Li Yezhu recovered much of his strength and launched an eight-armed blade attack at Xu Taiping.
• Li Yezhu surrounded Xu Taiping with cracks and blade-wielding arms, trapping him in Please Enter the Urn and breaking through his defenses.
• Yun Shiliu predicted Xu Taiping would need to retreat or use a defensive technique, while the Old Palace Master worried retreat would hinder his progress as a blade cultivator.
• Xu Taiping took the opening stance of the Life-Taking Blade’s Deity-Sealing Form, prompting the Old Palace Master to praise his resolve.
• Xu Taiping withdrew his blade domain, summoned the four battle intents, and raised his blade against Li Yezhu as a divine manifestation appeared behind him.
• The manifestation supported Xu Taiping, and his aura surged more than tenfold.

Xu Taiping used the Life-Taking Blade’s Deity-Sealing Form to grievously wound Li Yezhu, while the Old Palace Master explained the divine power behind his strike. Blade Slave then demonstrated the second form, Crossing the Gods, but Li Yezhu’s Demon Seed-created doubles absorbed its damage, leaving many of them intact.

• Xu Taiping’s Deity-Sealing Form caught Li Yezhu after he severed his eight arms, blasting away one thigh and badly injuring his side.
• Yun Shiliu recognized the divine being pushing Xu Taiping’s back as the Life-Taking Blade’s power of teaching the Dao, and the Old Palace Master explained how it worked.
• Blade Slave announced the Life-Taking Blade’s second form, Crossing the Gods, and sent a tide of blade qi toward Li Yezhu and the Corpse Wraith formation.
• Blade Slave’s blade-qi tide destroyed the battle-intent spider demon and damaged Li Yezhu’s doubles, but many of the Demon Seed-created substitutes survived.
• The Old Palace Master and Yun Shiliu noted that Li Yezhu’s thirty life-substituting puppets would require a great sacrifice to destroy in battle.

Blade Slave summoned the Yellow Springs Ferryboat with the Life-Taking Blade’s Ferrying Gods form, destroying most of Li Yezhu’s life-substituting clones before his blade force ran out. After Xu Taiping said he had learned sixty to seventy percent of the form, Blade Slave stepped aside and told him to kill Li Yezhu and break through the Imperial Capital of Guifang.

• Blade Slave’s Ferrying Gods form summoned the Yellow Springs Ferryboat, which destroyed Li Yezhu’s life-substituting clones as it approached.
• Li Yezhu’s clones dwindled to two, but the ferryboat and its waves vanished before they could reach him.
• Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master feared Xu Taiping’s odds were poor while Li Yezhu recovered his strength.
• Xu Taiping told Blade Slave he had learned sixty to seventy percent of Ferrying Gods.
• Blade Slave withdrew from the fight and ordered Xu Taiping to kill Li Yezhu and break through the Imperial Capital of Guifang.

In the Spider Cocoon, Xu Taiping gathered his strength and launched a Crossing the Gods strike at Li Yezhu, astonishing the King of Chu, Zhu Huai, and Sword Immortal Qionghua. They remained unsure whether Xu Taiping had grasped the form’s essence and could summon Huang Que, leaving the strike’s outcome unresolved.

• The King of Chu asked Zhu Huai how Xu Taiping could maximize his chances against Li Yezhu, and Zhu Huai and Qionghua advised him to endure Li Yezhu’s attack before relying on Blade Slave to weaken him.
• The King of Chu asked whether Xu Taiping might use Crossing the Gods, but Qionghua and Zhu Huai argued that he could not master its essential power or use it defensively in time.
• Xu Taiping raised his physique to the Dragon Whale Realm and gathered a storm of blade qi lightning, making the onlookers think he was preparing for Li Yezhu’s next attack.
• Xu Taiping surged toward Li Yezhu on waves of blade qi lightning, unleashing a strike with at least sixty percent of Blade Slave’s earlier power.
• Qionghua and Zhu Huai acknowledged that Xu Taiping had learned the form but doubted he could cleave open the Netherworld and summon Huang Que.

Xu Taiping wielded the Crossing the Gods Style against Li Yezhu, drawing the astonishment of the Three Sovereigns Dao Palace observers. He opened the Netherworld with his blade, leaving his mastery of the style’s crucial technique confirmed as the battle continued.

• Yun Shiliu regretted that Xu Taiping had struck before wearing Li Yezhu down, but the Old Palace Master said the timing was right for his blade cultivation.
• Xu Taiping summoned an enormous Ancient Deity Dharma Form, proving to Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master that he had reached the threshold of the Crossing the Gods Style.
• Li Yezhu sent his Spider Demon Battle Intent to intercept Xu Taiping, but Xu Taiping’s Four Armies Battle Intent repelled it.
• Xu Taiping unleashed the Crossing the Gods Style, cleaving the air with a massive blade mark that initially showed no change.
• Xu Taiping’s blade mark split open to reveal two black gates, and torrents of Netherworld Water and a small boat emerged as Yun Shiliu cried out that he had opened the Netherworld.

Xu Taiping used the Yellow Springs Skiff to destroy Li Yezhu’s remaining life-substitution clones and force him to flee, then led his forces into the Guifang Imperial Capital. The city’s interior remained perilous, leaving the path to the Heaven-Ascending Platform uncertain.

• Xu Taiping’s Yellow Springs Skiff shattered Li Yezhu’s life-substitution clones and broke his attack, but Li Yezhu escaped through a fissure before the skiff vanished.
• With Li Yezhu gone, his Three Hundred Thousand Corpse Wraith Army collapsed, and Zhai Mo and the others celebrated Xu Taiping’s victory.
• Xu Taiping charged toward the Guifang Imperial Capital with four armies’ battle intent and nearly four hundred thousand revenant souls while Xuanyuan Xueluo held Goshu Miu back.
• Gu Qingcheng, Zhai Mo, and Xu Taiping’s troops broke through the city’s defenses and breached the Guifang Imperial Capital.
• Zhu Huai explained that the city held corpse wraiths, evil gods, and Nine Abysses demonic beasts, some able to wield power beyond the Spirit Refining Realm near the Heaven-Ascending Platform.
• The King of Chu realized that his third son still had a chance to reach the tower’s summit and asked Zhu Huai when they could see inside the city.

Xu Taiping’s party fought through the inner city toward the Heaven-Ascending Platform after a Soul-Summoning Banner forced the Four-Hundred-Thousand Ghost Army back into its tokens. Dugu Qingxiao, Zhang Moyan, and Xuanzhi each held off powerful ghost cultivators so Xu Taiping could keep advancing, while the King of Chu watched uneasily.

• The Spirit Mirror showed Xu Taiping and the Azure Dragon Armor troops entering the inner city with the Four-Hundred-Thousand Ghost Army, but a Soul-Summoning Banner forced the ghosts back into the Four Iron Armor Tokens.
• Dugu Qingxiao, aided by Jiang Zhi and Zhao Linglong, struck down the black-robed ghost cultivator wielding the banner and urged Xu Taiping to ascend the tower.
• Xu Taiping led the remaining Azure Dragon Armor troops through the First Level checkpoint, where Zhang Moyan drove back a powerful ghost cultivator and told him to continue.
• At the Third Level checkpoint, Xuanzhi punched a ghost cultivator aside and called, “Brother Taiping, please ascend the tower.”

Xu Taiping and his companions reached the Heaven-Ascending Platform, where ghost creatures and evil gods threatened their final ascent to the twelfth layer. As Gu Qingcheng and the others held off the attackers, Xu Taiping charged toward the platform.

• In the Southern Chu palace, Sword Immortal Qionghua, the King of Chu, and Zhu Huai recognized that Xu Taiping’s companions had willingly helped him because of his courage and character.
• Xu Taiping, Gu Qingcheng, Elder Zhang, and the others arrived at the Heaven-Ascending Platform, where Gu Qingcheng explained that its black pillar brought ghost gods and yin bodies into the world.
• Gu Qingcheng, Zhai Mo, Gongshu Nanxing, and Yuzhu held back successive groups of ghost cultivators while urging Xu Taiping to ascend.
• Xu Taiping promised Elder Zhang he would not let him die, then drew the Thunder Soul Blade and rushed toward the Cloud-Ascending Platform.

The Old Palace Master recognized Xiahou You’s talent and decided to test her for the Nine Books of Cloud Talisman, while he and Yun Shiliu watched Xu Taiping and Blade Slave fight their way up the Heaven-Ascending Platform. Blade Slave invited Xu Taiping to take his place against the demons, and Xu Taiping accepted as an evil god launched an attack.

• The Old Palace Master decided to meet Xiahou You and consider teaching her the Nine Books of Cloud Talisman, partly to extend goodwill to Xu Taiping.
• Xu Taiping and Blade Slave cut through the Demon Cultivators and evil gods on the Heaven-Ascending Platform as the Old Palace Master and Yun Shiliu watched through a Spirit Mirror.
• The Old Palace Master told Yun Shiliu that Blade Slave had likely defeated Ancient Demon Chi Yin, despite the rumors of his death.
• The Old Palace Master said Xu Taiping could reach the tower’s Twelfth Layer with Blade Slave’s help and inform Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland of the crisis.
• Blade Slave asked Xu Taiping to draw his blade and take over, and Xu Taiping agreed.
• An evil god appeared before Xu Taiping and struck at him with a powerful palm.

Xu Taiping fought his way up the Heaven-Ascending Platform, honing the Life-Taking Blade under Blade Slave’s harsh instruction. Blade Slave saved him from dozens of Evil Gods, and the chapter ended with them facing Goshu Miu and the legendary Ancient Demon Chiyin.

• Xu Taiping used the Life-Taking Blade to slay Evil Gods one stroke at a time while Blade Slave criticized his technique.
• Xu Taiping’s swordsmanship improved as he climbed, and he began to wield the Life-Taking Blade’s difficult forms with greater skill.
• Dozens of Evil Gods overwhelmed Xu Taiping, so Blade Slave unleashed the Crossing the Gods Style and destroyed them all.
• Blade Slave invited Xu Taiping to ascend the tower with him, and they landed on the Heaven-Ascending Platform with the Elder.
• Goshu Miu and the red-haired Chiyin confronted Blade Slave, who recognized Chiyin as the one he had defeated beneath his blade.
• Yun Shiliu reacted with shock upon hearing Chiyin’s name and identified him as a legendary Ancient Demon of the Nine Abysses.

The Old Palace Master explained that the Chiyin facing Blade Slave was a remnant soul, and suspected the Nine Abysses planned to use their battle to restore it. Blade Slave devised a surprise attack with Xu Taiping, who began fighting Goshu Miu to create an opening.

• The Old Palace Master told Yun Shiliu that the Nine Abysses had brought Chiyin's remnant soul into the Mysterious Wasteland Tower and might use Blade Slave to strengthen it.
• Goshu Miu challenged Xu Taiping, but Blade Slave warned him that Chiyin's available power might exceed his own and proposed using the true intent United Heart, United Strength on Xu Taiping.
• Blade Slave instructed Xu Taiping to defeat Goshu Miu quickly, then join him in a surprise attack on Chiyin; Xu Taiping told Elder Zhang to prepare the Spirit-Shocking Formation when they moved against Chiyin.
• Blade Slave charged Chiyin as Xu Taiping confronted Goshu Miu, who attacked with a powerful punch.
• Xu Taiping drew the Thunder Soul Blade and unleashed Life-Taking Blade, Deity-Sealing Form against Goshu Miu.

Xu Taiping fought Goshu Miu, who revealed a powerful ghost ally, but the trapped primordial spirits of many Martial Gods gave Xu Taiping an opening. They asked him to kill Goshu Miu even though his death would also destroy their souls, leaving Xu Taiping to decide whether to strike.

• Xu Taiping's Deity-Sealing Form failed to injure Goshu Miu, whose Martial God physique had reached the Immaculate Realm, and Zhu Huai and Qionghua feared his ghost power made him difficult to kill.
• Xu Taiping used his mountain spirit blade domain to overpower Goshu Miu's palm force, but Goshu Miu's golden bell protected him while an evil ghost emerged from his chest and offered him its power.
• Gu Qingcheng warned Xu Taiping to stop Goshu Miu before the ghost lent him its strength, so Xu Taiping broke the golden bell with the Dragon-Slaying Form.
• The primordial spirits of Zhu Kaishan, Dugu Ye, and other Martial Gods trapped Goshu Miu inside the golden bell and urged Xu Taiping to attack.
• Goshu Miu warned that killing him would annihilate the Martial Gods' souls, but Zhu Kaishan and the others asked Xu Taiping to help them journey to the Yellow Springs.

Xu Taiping agreed to grant the trapped Martial Gods their wish for death and trapped himself and Goshu Miu in the Red Lion Ghost King's Beast Cage. He unleashed a single Crossing the Gods strike, while Goshu Miu relied on his remaining lives to endure it.

• Dugu Ye and the Martial Gods told Xu Taiping they would rather die without regrets than remain imprisoned, and asked him to grant them death.
• Xu Taiping summoned the Red Lion Ghost King and set a Beast Cage rule that he could strike Goshu Miu once while Goshu Miu could only defend.
• The Red Lion Ghost King accepted the rule and restored the Golden Bell around Goshu Miu.
• Xu Taiping used the Unceasing Blade Domain's Blood Burning power and attacked Goshu Miu with the Life-Taking Blade's Crossing the Gods Style.
• Goshu Miu calmly prepared to endure the strike, claiming his remaining lives would let him survive and retaliate.

Xu Taiping defeated Goshu Miu with an Ultimate Realm Crossing the Gods strike, destroying the Martial Gods’ Primordial Spirits in the Beast Cage. He asked the deity for another push and used the power to strike Ancient Demon Chi Yin, then ordered Elder Zhang to set up the formation.

• Xu Taiping’s divine manifestation pushed the Yellow Springs Skiff through Goshu Miu’s Golden Bell and the Martial Gods’ Primordial Spirits, shattering them along with Goshu Miu.
• Zhu Kaishan and Dugu Ye spoke their final words to Xu Taiping before their Primordial Spirits broke apart, and the Red Lion Ghost King announced Xu Taiping’s victory.
• Zhu Huai and Sword Immortal Qionghua recognized that Xu Taiping’s Crossing the Gods Style had reached the Ultimate Realm, prompting the second divine push.
• Xu Taiping asked the deity to lend him qi and blood and true essence so he could slay Ancient Demon Chi Yin, and the deity granted his request.
• Xu Taiping’s blade force surged to rival the Blade Slave’s, forcing Chi Yin to reveal his true form; the Old Palace Master identified the Blade Slave’s true intent of Working Together as One.
• Xu Taiping shouted to Elder Zhang to set up the formation.

Xu Taiping and the Blade Slave joined forces to drive Ancient Demon Chi Yin back, while the King of Chu learned why the Spirit-Shocking Formation was needed to open the way to the Mysterious Wasteland Tower’s Twelfth Layer. As Elder Zhang set up the formation on the Heaven-Ascending Platform, the Nine Abysses attacked him, but his protective treasures shielded him.

• Xu Taiping and the Blade Slave coordinated their attacks, forcing Chi Yin to reveal his true form and repeatedly driving him back.
• Sword Immortal Qionghua and Zhu Huai praised Xu Taiping’s courage as they watched the battle through the Spirit Mirror.
• Zhu Huai and Qionghua explained to the King of Chu that the Spirit-Shocking Formation would open the Heavenly Gate to the Twelfth Layer without violating the Heavenly Dao’s laws.
• The King of Chu asked about Zhang Yi, and Zhu Huai said he was likely a reclusive powerhouse from Mysterious Wasteland Heaven.
• The Nine Abysses sent clouds of black mist to attack Elder Zhang as he set up the formation, but protective treasures, including the Cloud-Cloaking Umbrella, surrounded him.

Xu Taiping and the Blade Slave defeated Ancient Demon Chi Yin while Elder Zhang activated the Spirit-Shocking Formation to open the Heavenly Gate to the Twelfth Layer. Chi Yin’s final punch crippled Elder Zhang and shattered the formation’s immortal sword, closing the gate, and the Blade Slave proposed that Xu Taiping try a Heavenly Gate Crash.

• Elder Zhang used the protective treasures Xu Taiping had given him to withstand demonic beasts while completing the Spirit-Shocking Formation.
• Xu Taiping and the Blade Slave overwhelmed Ancient Demon Chi Yin, and the Blade Slave destroyed the sacrificial platform linking the Nine Abysses demonic beasts to the Cloud-Ascending Platform.
• Elder Zhang activated the formation, and its golden light revealed the Heavenly Gate as its doors began to open.
• Chi Yin’s body and remnant soul were destroyed, but his final punch struck Elder Zhang and shattered the immortal sword powering the formation node.
• The Heavenly Gate closed, and the Blade Slave asked Xu Taiping whether he wanted to attempt a Heavenly Gate Crash.

After the Spirit-Shocking Formation’s nodes were destroyed, Xu Taiping refused to reverse time and attempted to open the Heavenly Gate by crashing into it. He survived the gate’s retaliation and prepared to try again, accepting Blade Slave’s final trial.

• The Old Palace Master told Yun Shiliu that the destroyed formation nodes meant the Heavenly Gate could only be opened by setting up another Spirit-Shocking Formation, and Yun Shiliu wondered whether Xu Taiping could reverse time.
• The Old Palace Master warned Yun Shiliu that the Nine Abysses would have a countermeasure to Xu Taiping’s time-reversal treasure, and they agreed Xu Taiping was not using it.
• The Old Palace Master promised Three Sovereigns Dao Palace would aid Xu Taiping in exchange for him serving as a battle general in the next Heaven-Demon Battlefield.
• Xu Taiping raised his physique to the Ultimate Realm’s Dragon Whale Physique, charged the Heavenly Gate, and slashed it, but the gate’s heavenly might repelled him and sent him crashing to the platform.
• The Old Palace Master explained that Heavenly Gate Crash was a deadly legendary method and identified it as Blade Slave and Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland’s final trial for Xu Taiping.
• Despite Elder Zhang’s pleas, Xu Taiping asked Blade Slave whether he had witnessed someone crash the gate open; after Blade Slave confirmed it, Xu Taiping vowed to keep trying.

Xu Taiping struck at the Heavenly Gate and was horribly wounded by its might, but he refused to give up and exchanged all his military merit for Dragon Blood Pills and Immortal Spirit Marrow. The Tower Spirit granted his request, leaving Xu Taiping with the supplies he needed to continue his attempt.

• Xu Taiping charged through the Heavenly Gate’s golden ripples and struck the gate with the Thunder Soul Blade, but the force of heaven scraped away his skin and flesh and sent him crashing onto the Cloud-Ascending Platform.
• The Old Palace Master judged Xu Taiping’s attempt too early, while Yun Shiliu condemned the trial she believed Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland and Blade Slave had set for him.
• Xu Taiping shouted that he would trade all his military merit for as many Dragon Blood Pills and pieces of Immortal Spirit Marrow as he could obtain.
• Yun Shiliu and the Old Palace Master recognized Xu Taiping’s resolve, and the Old Palace Master pledged to stake everything on him in the future.
• The Tower Spirit exchanged Xu Taiping’s military merit for six Dragon Blood Pills and six pieces of Immortal Spirit Marrow, which it placed in his hand.

Xu Taiping repeatedly battered the Heavenly Gate despite the devastating injuries caused by its heavenly might. After Elder Zhang urged him to stop, Xu Taiping asked whether he truly wanted justice for Mysterious Wasteland Heaven, and Elder Zhang begged him to smash the gate.

• Xu Taiping restored his strength with medicine and refused Elder Zhang's plea not to ram the Heavenly Gate again.
• Xu Taiping transformed into his Ultimate Realm dragon whale physique, shattered the rings of heavenly might with the Baxia Form, and struck the Heavenly Gate, forcing it open a crack.
• The impact stripped away most of Xu Taiping's flesh and left him with a broken arm, but he survived and used medicine to recover.
• Elder Zhang begged Xu Taiping to stop, but Xu Taiping demanded to know whether he wanted him to reach the top and seek justice for Mysterious Wasteland Heaven's dead.
• Elder Zhang knelt and urged Xu Taiping to smash the Heavenly Gate, and Xu Taiping agreed.

Xu Taiping realized he could improve his Dragon Whale Physique to break through the Heavenly Gates, and took all his remaining Dragon Blood Pills and Immortal Spirit Marrow to attempt Dragon Transformation. Fairy Lingyue and the Abyssal Pavilion's seats watched in alarm, unaware that his risky plan was entirely his own.

• Xu Taiping reasoned that he could not raise his cultivation in the tower, so he would strengthen his Qi and Blood by advancing his Dragon Whale Physique.
• Fairy Lingyue explained to the Abyssal Pavilion's seats that Dragon Transformation was the ultimate realm of the Flame Emperor Body Tempering Art's Dragon Whale Physique, though it was nearly impossible without rare resources.
• Xu Taiping restored his body and prepared to crash into the Heavenly Gates again, prompting Wuji Immortal Elder to criticize him and Ye Chensha to defend him.
• Xu Taiping swallowed all his remaining Dragon Blood Pills and Immortal Spirit Marrow, causing his aura to surge violently.
• Fairy Lingyue realized Xu Taiping intended to attempt Dragon Transformation, while Ye Chensha warned that the power could rupture his meridians and apertures.
• The Abyssal Pavilion's seats assumed Fairy Lingyue had arranged Xu Taiping's desperate plan, but she privately recognized that he was acting on his own.