Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping used the Book of Life and Death to call the Heartless Demon Emperor to account, while people across Mysterious Wasteland Heaven sent a rain of sword light against him. The Heartless Demon Emperor shattered the attacks with “Heaven and Earth Without Me,” and Heavenly Lord Cangzhu suggested that his words had made people forget their hatred of him.

• Xu Taiping carved the Heartless Demon Emperor’s name into the Book of Life and Death, then called him to account despite suffering its deadly backlash.
• Zhang Honghu denounced the Heartless Demon Emperor for betraying Mysterious Wasteland Heaven and causing the Nine Abysses Rebellion, and his sword pierced the Emperor’s left shoulder.
• Xu Taiping used the Heaven-Questioning Bell’s power to broadcast the accusations of people across Mysterious Wasteland Heaven, summoning countless sword strikes against the Heartless Demon Emperor.
• The Heartless Demon Emperor invoked “Heaven and Earth Without Me” and shattered the sword light filling the sky.
• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu said the Book of Life and Death’s power depended on the accusers remembering their hatred, and Ye Chensha suspected the Emperor had made people forget him through Word-Follows-Law.

Xu Taiping resisted the Heartless Demon Emperor’s tempting offers and declared that he would execute him regardless of guilt. The Book of Life and Death unleashed a vast tide of Netherworld Qi, and a massive pale hand struck toward the Heartless Demon Emperor.

• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu explained that the Heartless Demon Emperor’s Word-Follows-Law could make ordinary people forget him, while Xu Taiping’s killing intent drew more Netherworld Qi from the Book of Life and Death.
• The Heartless Demon Emperor offered Xu Taiping martial fortune, a cure for his Bone-Shattering Curse, cultivation resources, and secrecy if he stopped and left the Mysterious Wasteland Tower.
• Xu Taiping declared the Heartless Demon Emperor innocent because no one continued to accuse him, but said he still deserved to die.
• Xu Taiping pressed his Carving Knife against the Book of Life and Death’s bamboo slips and invoked a forced execution.
• A torrent of Netherworld Qi engulfed the area around the Mysterious Wasteland Tower, and a massive pale hand reached toward the Heartless Demon Emperor.

Xu Taiping used the Book of Life and Death to force a life-for-life struggle with Heartless Demon Emperor, sacrificing his remaining lifespan to continue writing the demon emperor’s name. The Book’s enormous hand crushed the Yin Soldiers but had not yet finished Heartless Demon Emperor, who tried to sway Xu Taiping again.

• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu explained that using the Book of Life and Death against Heartless Demon Emperor meant gambling Xu Taiping’s life against the Nine Abysses Emperor’s.
• Heartless Demon Emperor sent tens of thousands of Yin Soldiers to hold back the Book’s pale hand, while Xu Taiping began vomiting blood and struggled to keep carving.
• Xu Taiping offered all three hundred years of lifespan he had gained and forced the Carving Knife through the character “Wu” in Heartless Demon Emperor’s name.
• The Book’s pale hand crushed Heartless Demon Emperor’s Yin Soldiers, leaving only the gray mist around him to resist.
• Heartless Demon Emperor called out to Xu Taiping and asked whether he had considered himself, trying to beguile him again.

Xu Taiping rejected the Heartless Demon Emperor’s offer and forced him to retreat to the Demon Abyss by taking his own life and preparing to be reborn. Despite the cost, Xu Taiping then executed the remaining seven Demon Emperors, keeping his promise to his friends and the innocent people who sought justice.

• The Heartless Demon Emperor urged Xu Taiping to abandon their fight and accept the bargain, but Xu Taiping refused and continued carving his name from the Book of Life and Death.
• The Heartless Demon Emperor admitted defeat, declared that the eight Demon Emperors’ soul imprints would remain with Xu Taiping until their next contest, and burned his body to ashes to return to the Demon Abyss for rebirth.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told Xu Taiping that the Heartless Demon Emperor would not emerge for hundreds of years, and Xu Taiping spat out blood from the strain.
• Xu Taiping refused to stop and said he had promised his friends and the innocent people that the Eight Emperors would die.
• Xu Taiping carved the remaining Demon Emperors’ names from the Book of Life and Death and ordered Yingjiao, Turbid Rain, Cold Bone, Broken Sword, Night Cat, Longmu, and Qu Chen executed.
• Pale Fist Shadows pursued the fleeing Demon Emperors and smashed them apart one by one.

The Book of Life and Death annihilated seven Demon Emperors, badly weakening the Nine Abysses, but its backlash left Xu Taiping facing the Soul Seals of eight Demon Emperors. The chapter ended with the Prefects preparing to seize him if the seals turned him into a Corpse Wraith or Corpse Demon.

• The King of Chu asked Zhu Huai whether the Demon Emperors had truly perished, and Zhu Huai and Sword Immortal Qionghua explained that the Book of Life and Death had erased their souls and Demon Seeds.
• Zhu Huai and the King of Chu lamented Xu Taiping's injuries and praised his sacrifice, with the King pledging to have the trial recorded for posterity.
• Seven Soul Seals formed from the slain Demon Emperors' Primordial Spirits flew toward Xu Taiping and branded him.
• Zhu Huai explained that Soul Seals consumed a cultivator's Qi and Blood and could turn Xu Taiping into a Corpse Wraith or Corpse Demon.
• The Prefects of Youyun, Peerless Nether Heaven, and Chenglong Heaven dispatched people to True Martial Heaven to discuss taking Xu Taiping away for everyone's safety.

After learning that the Book of Life and Death could seal and kill Xu Taiping, his fellow disciples and the Azure Profound Sect vowed to protect him. Back in the Mysterious Wasteland Tower, Xu Taiping drew strength from the support of Cloud Cottage Mountain and Mysterious Wasteland Heaven as he prepared to face the seven remaining soul seals.

• Zhao Linglong and Jiang Zhi wanted to leave the tower to protect Xu Taiping, but Dugu Qingxiao urged them to stay calm and declared that no one could harm him while he remained in the Azure Profound Sect.
• Zhao Qian rejected a delegation from Youyun Prefecture and the Nine Prefectures that wanted Xu Taiping handed over, and he and the peak lords activated the Azure Profound Sect's Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.
• The Azure Profound Sect's disciples sent ten thousand swords skyward, filling Cloud Cottage Mountain with sword cries that Xu Taiping and Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland heard through the Heaven-Questioning Bell.
• Elder Zhang declared on behalf of Mysterious Wasteland Heaven's cities that they would fight anyone who disrespected Xu Taiping.
• Xu Taiping thanked Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland for the support and told him he was ready to face the seven remaining soul seals.

Xu Taiping endured the Eight Demon Emperors’ Soul Seals and fought the Book of Life and Death by imagining it as an opponent, reclaiming his life through relentless combat. Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told him he had won and promised him a magnificent gift.

• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland branded Xu Taiping with the Soul Seals as the Book of Life and Death devoured his fortune, lifespan, qi and blood, and true essence.
• Xu Taiping recalled his grandfather’s words and fought back by training his martial arts against an imagined Book of Life and Death, slowing the loss of his strength.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland and the watching cultivators realized Xu Taiping was using the imagined opponent to improve himself and resist the Book of Life and Death.
• Xu Taiping continued fighting after both arms broke, gripping his blade in his teeth until he endured the final Demon Emperor’s Soul Seal.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland called Xu Taiping back to awareness, told him he had reclaimed his life, and promised him a magnificent gift.

Xu Taiping learned that Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland had a way to help him endure the Eight Emperors' soul marks, which were draining his body and cultivation. The Hidden Immortal wine restored his depleted strength, but its rare ingredients only offered temporary relief, leaving the root problem unresolved.

• Heavenly Lord Cangzhu, Heavenly Lord Yunhua, and Wuji Immortal Elder admired Xu Taiping's resolve, while Fairy Lingyue vowed to find a way to remove his soul marks.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland asked Xu Taiping how the soul marks affected him, and Xu Taiping explained that they consumed his qi and blood, true essence, and divine essence at a terrible rate.
• Xu Taiping said he did not regret accepting the soul marks, and Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland offered him a cup of wine.
• The wine rapidly restored much of Xu Taiping's qi and blood, true essence, and divine essence, and Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland identified it as Hidden Immortal wine.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland transmitted the recipe for Hidden Immortal wine to Xu Taiping and explained that its rare ingredients made it a temporary remedy rather than a cure.

Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland explained how Xu Taiping could refine the eight soul seals by forging them into Immortal Swords and cultivating a furnace dao body. He revealed that Xu Taiping’s mortal bone could let him evade the Heavenly Dao’s constraints, leaving Xu stunned by its significance.

• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told Xu Taiping that Immortal-Hiding Wine could preserve his strength in a crisis but would not remove the eight soul seals.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland explained that Xu Taiping needed immortal-grade primordial meteoric iron to forge eight Immortal Swords and fuse the soul seals into them.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland taught Xu Taiping the furnace dao body method and said he needed to reach the Gold-Burning Realm to refine the soul seals with true fire.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland revealed that the furnace dao body could transform the soul seals’ supreme yin Netherworld Qi into supreme yang true fire.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told Xu Taiping that his mortal bone was the greatest flaw born with humanity and could escape the Heavenly Dao’s constraints, leaving Xu Taiping astonished.

Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland explained that Mortal Bone was a flaw in the Human Race and proposed that Xu Taiping unite the powers of five traditions to challenge the Heavenly Dao. He gave Xu Taiping his Great Sun Golden Flame, then transformed his fading true spirit into a raging gale.

• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told Xu Taiping that Mortal Bone was the Human Race's flaw and that the Luan-Phoenix and True Dragon races had been destroyed by the Heavenly Dao's jealousy.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland said he could not guarantee Xu Taiping would escape the Heavenly Dao's backlash, since no Mortal Bone cultivator in his memory had reached Xu Taiping's level.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland proposed that Xu Taiping use Mortal Bone to achieve Dao Integration with Buddhist, Daoist, martial, ghost, and demon powers.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland explained that Xu Taiping would need the Great Sun Golden Flame to forge eight Immortal Swords at the Heaven Gazing Realm and share the backlash from the Book of Life and Death's soul seals.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland transferred the Great Sun Golden Flame to Xu Taiping and turned his fading true spirit into a raging gale.

Xu Taiping learned that Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland’s Wind of Forgetfulness had erased the Shangqing Realm’s memories of his deeds in the tower, giving him ten years to prepare for impending calamities. After waking from more than three years of secluded cultivation, he shared his memories with Fairy Lingyue so she alone would know the truth.

• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland told Xu Taiping that the realm would remember Rusty Lion as the one who saved Mysterious Wasteland Heaven, and warned him to forge an Immortal Sword before the next ten years brought calamities.
• Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland urged Xu Taiping to seek the True Martial Great Emperor’s Sword Embryo and ask Chu Ling for help if needed, then the Tower Spirit and Blade Slave bid him farewell.
• Xu Taiping was pulled from the tower and woke in the Fan Tower Stone Chamber, where Fairy Lingyue told him he had spent over three years in secluded cultivation.
• Fairy Lingyue explained that Rusty Lion had defeated the Nine Abysses’ plot and saved Mysterious Wasteland Heaven, while Xu Taiping realized the Wind of Forgetfulness had changed her memories.
• Xu Taiping sent Fairy Lingyue a Divine Soul Mark containing his experiences in the tower, intending her to be the only person who knew the truth for the next ten years.

Xu Taiping showed Fairy Lingyue his memories from the Mysterious Wasteland Tower, restoring her memories and proving that Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland had altered them with the Wang You Wind. As Xu Taiping began managing the Soul Seals’ backlash, Zhu Xuejian of Yellow Maple Valley arrived to challenge him to another Sword Inquiry.

• Xu Taiping passed Fairy Lingyue a Divine Soul Mark containing his memories, and she discovered that her memories had been altered.
• The Wang You Wind released Fairy Lingyue’s suppressed memories, including Xu Taiping’s sacrifice to erase the Eight Demon Emperors with the Book of Life and Death.
• Xu Taiping took a Dragon Blood Pill and Spirit Marrow Liquid to restore his strength, then told Fairy Lingyue about Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland’s plan to restrain the Soul Seals and Netherworld Qi.
• Xu Taiping and Fairy Lingyue agreed to seek the ingredients for Immortal-Hiding Wine and help Xu Taiping reach the Transformation Realm within ten years.
• Zhu Xuejian of Yellow Maple Valley challenged Xu Taiping to another Sword Inquiry and threatened to kill his spirit pet if he refused.

Xu Taiping confronted Zhu Xuejian after she broke into Moon Perching Pavilion and injured Ping'an, then defeated her in a brief fight. Zhu Xuejian threatened to destroy his cultivation grounds with an Immortal-Grade Flying Sword Talisman, but a white-robed man arrived to stop her.

• Zhu Xuejian blasted apart the gates of Moon Perching Pavilion, sending Ping'an flying, and entered the courtyard with her sword aimed at him and Xu Taiping.
• Xu Taiping challenged Zhu Xuejian for trespassing and injuring Ping'an, then knocked her Life-Bound Flying Sword away and punched her out of the courtyard.
• Zhu Xuejian stood up and threatened to raze Xu Taiping's cultivation grounds with an Immortal-Grade Flying Sword Talisman unless he knelt and apologized.
• Fairy Lingyue warned Xu Taiping about the talisman's power, and they realized Zhu Xuejian had acquired new treasures since their memories were sealed.
• A white-robed man descended and tried to stop Zhu Xuejian.

Xu Taiping confronted Zhu Xuejian and Shen Li at Moon Perching Pavilion after Zhu threatened him and his spirit pet with a powerful Flying Sword Talisman. After Zhu secretly attacked him, Xu Taiping severed her arm, then accepted Shen Li’s Sword Inquiry challenge and demanded three Yellow Bamboo Fruits if he won.

• Zhu Xuejian threatened Xu Taiping with Yellow Maple Valley’s Flying Sword Talisman, while Shen Li urged Xu to appease her.
• Xu Taiping used his Blade Force to immobilize Zhu and demanded that she put away the talisman and apologize to his spirit pet.
• Zhu appeared to apologize, then secretly launched the Flying Sword Talisman at Xu Taiping when he withdrew his Blade Force.
• Xu Taiping split the incoming Sword Qi and cut off Zhu Xuejian’s right arm with a saber strike.
• Xu Taiping exposed Shen Li’s scheme to challenge him to a Sword Inquiry, accepted the challenge, and demanded three Yellow Bamboo Fruits from Yellow Maple Valley if he won.

Xu Taiping reassured Dugu Qingxiao, Jiang Zhi, and Zhao Linglong that he intended to accept Shen Li’s Sword Inquiry, despite their concerns. He showed his strength in a spar with Dugu Qingxiao, whose surprise at Xu Taiping’s powerful punch left him pleased with his junior brother’s progress.

• Dugu Qingxiao, Jiang Zhi, and Zhao Linglong urged Xu Taiping to reconsider accepting Shen Li’s Sword Inquiry from Yellow Maple Valley.
• Xu Taiping learned that Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland’s Wang You Wind had erased or altered memories and had changed the circumstances surrounding the Sword Inquiry.
• Xu Taiping told his senior siblings he would accept the challenge because it could secure Azure Profound Sect’s chance to participate in the Azure Cloud Assembly.
• Xu Taiping asked Dugu Qingxiao to spar so he could demonstrate his abilities rather than argue about his readiness.
• Xu Taiping struck Dugu Qingxiao hard enough to send him into the courtyard wall, and Dugu Qingxiao praised his improved fist techniques.

Xu Taiping reunited with Dugu Qingxiao, Zhao Linglong, and Jiang Zhi after his seclusion, then learned that Shen Li had recovered his cultivation and that cultivators across the Five Heavens would watch their Sword Inquiry. He agreed to proceed but added a condition that the Azure Profound Sect receive half the spectator proceeds.

• Xu Taiping reassured Dugu Qingxiao, Zhao Linglong, and Jiang Zhi that he had made progress in Martial Dao cultivation during his seclusion.
• Bai Yu arrived and warned Xu Taiping that Shen Li had regained the Heaven Gazing Realm with help from a Soul Artifact found by Du Ziyin.
• Xu Taiping said he was not afraid of Shen Li, despite the recovery of Shen Li's cultivation.
• Dugu Qingxiao received word that cultivators throughout the Five Heavens could watch the Sword Inquiry through Spirit Mirrors and told Xu Taiping he could refuse.
• Xu Taiping agreed to the Sword Inquiry on the condition that the Azure Profound Sect receive fifty percent of the proceeds from spectators.

Yellow Maple Valley’s leaders discussed the rewards of the Azure Cloud Ranking and Shen Li’s confidence in defeating Xu Taiping, while Shen Li concealed his desire to kill him. At Moon Perching Pavilion, Fairy Lingyue explained to Xu Taiping that ranking at the Azure Cloud Assembly could revive Cloud Cottage Mountain’s dormant spiritual veins.

• Du Ziyin and Zhu Xuejian complained that the Azure Profound Sect would take half the battle-viewing proceeds, but Zhu Yuan told them the Azure Cloud Assembly mattered more than the money.
• Zhu Yuan asked Shen Li about his chances against Xu Taiping, and Shen Li said his Heaven Gazing Realm strength would let him wear Xu Taiping down.
• Zhu Yuan explained that the Azure Cloud Ranking could revive spiritual veins and cause Yellow Maple Valley’s Yellow Bamboo Fruit trees to bear fruit far more often.
• Zhu Xuejian urged Shen Li to win so she could enjoy Yellow Bamboo Fruits, and Shen Li promised not to disappoint them while privately resolving to kill Xu Taiping.
• Shen Li reflected that his inexplicable hatred of Xu Taiping had plagued him for three years, unaware that it came from memories sealed by Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland.
• At Moon Perching Pavilion, Fairy Lingyue told Xu Taiping that the Azure Cloud Assembly could revive Cloud Cottage Mountain’s spiritual veins, which she believed had once been substantial.

Xu Taiping learned how Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland had protected his identity and planned to gather ingredients for Immortal-Hiding Wine in Peerless Nether Heaven. After Ping’an spotted the Evil God stirring in Xu Taiping’s shadow, Xu Taiping agreed to seek help at Ninth Uncle’s Forget-Me-Not Peak before confronting it; meanwhile, Mu Yuchen sensed that she and her companions had watched Xu Taiping and Shen Li’s Sword Inquiry before.

• Fairy Lingyue warned Xu Taiping to keep a low profile and agreed he could accompany Azure Profound Sect disciples to the Azure Cloud Assembly without entering the ranking.
• Fairy Lingyue explained that Peerless Nether Heaven might hold the ingredients for Immortal-Hiding Wine and that the Abyssal Pavilion’s Thirteen Seats still believed Xu Taiping was her disciple.
• Ping’an saw Xu Taiping’s shadow move on its own, and Fairy Lingyue identified the Evil God within it as a threat.
• Xu Taiping agreed to visit Ninth Uncle’s Forget-Me-Not Peak after his Sword Inquiry with Shen Li so the sword formation could help him slay the Evil God.
• At Guangling Pavilion, Mu Yun, Mu Yuchen, and Ji Ye watched the upcoming Sword Inquiry, and Mu Yuchen felt they had seen the same scene before.

Mu Yun, Mu Yuchen, and Ji Ye watched the Sword Inquiry and worried that Xu Taiping had lost his strength after the Bone-Shattering Curse and missed the Mysterious Wasteland Tower. The chapter ended as Xu Taiping faced Du Ziyin on the Sword-Suppressing Sword Platform and began coughing violently.

• Mu Yuchen mistook her feeling of familiarity for exhaustion from practicing Spirit Refining methods, and Mu Yun and Ji Ye agreed that she was imagining things.
• Mu Yun lamented that Xu Taiping had skipped the Mysterious Wasteland Tower and lost the respect of cultivators who had expected great things from him.
• Du Ziyin of Yellow Maple Valley challenged Xu Taiping to a Sword Inquiry after gaining an Immortal Sword and other treasures in the Mysterious Wasteland Tower.
• Xu Taiping stepped onto the Sword-Suppressing Sword Platform looking pale and thin, prompting Mu Yuchen, Ji Ye, and Mu Yun to doubt he could win.
• Xu Taiping tried to answer Du Ziyin but broke into a violent coughing fit.

Xu Taiping faced Du Ziyin in the Sword Inquiry match, initially appearing unable to withstand his swordsmanship before revealing his hidden Qi and Blood Power. The chapter ended with Xu Taiping shattering Du Ziyin’s giant sword with one punch and sending him flying.

• Xu Taiping coughed up blood, prompting Mu Yun, Ji Ye, and Mu Yuchen to speculate that he had injured himself trying to break the Bone-Shattering Curse.
• Du Ziyin struck Xu Taiping with a storm of Sword Qi and sent him nearly off the Sword-Suppressing Sword Platform.
• Dugu Qingxiao explained that Du Ziyin had grown stronger in the Mysterious Wasteland Tower and considered stopping the match if Xu Taiping could not withstand another strike.
• Du Ziyin formed a giant sword from hundreds of streams of Sword Qi and urged Xu Taiping to concede.
• Xu Taiping released his sealed Qi and Blood Power, shattered Du Ziyin’s giant sword with a punch, then rushed forward and struck him hard enough to break his protective sword gang and send him flying.