Arc 1Chapters 1–25
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Yun Qing returned to the Yun Clan after more than a decade of cultivation, where his first encounter with the young Lineage head, Yun Huang, tested the clan's rule that concubine-born sons must kneel. Yun Qing greeted Yun Huang with a standing bow, and Yun Huang answered with overwhelming pressure.
Yun Qing underwent the Yun Clan’s spiritual aptitude test and revealed a legendary chaos dao embryo and primordial double pupils. After the clan recognized his extraordinary talent, Yun Huang accepted him as an elder brother and allowed him to stand when speaking.
After revealing his chaos dao embryo and primordial double pupils at the Spirit Testing Ceremony, Yun Qing secured Yun Huang’s reluctant recognition and reunited with Yun Shuo. In the Heaven-Supporting Hall, Yun Qing reflected on the Soul-Tracing Secret Rite and realized Yun Huang was a reincarnated immortal origin.
Yun Qing resolved to win Yun Huang’s trust and protect Yun Shuo, while Yun Huang remained suspicious of his concubine-born elder brother. Yun Huang chose Yun Shuo as a test of Yun Qing’s loyalty, setting their relationship on a dangerous course.
Yun Huang used Yun Shuo’s missed morning lessons as an excuse to pressure Yun Qing, who accepted responsibility and was ordered to serve at Perching Phoenix Hall for a month. Yun Qing accepted the command and prepared for the uncertain opportunity or danger awaiting him there.
Yun Qing attended Yun Huang at Perching Phoenix Hall, quietly easing his routine and temper as Yun Huang struggled with an ancient formation. After the formation failed and backlashed, Yun Huang turned his frustration on Yun Qing and ordered him to leave.
Yun Qing helped Yun Huang resolve a problem in his formation and accepted an order to attend him for a month. After arriving at the Serenity Courtyard, Yun Qing found that Yun Huang had treated him with respect rather than setting a trap, then suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
Yun Qing discovered that Heart-Cleansing Vine had stirred memories of his past life, then received an extravagant reward from Yun Huang that he took as an apology. The next morning, Yun Huang revealed a concealed training ground and invited Yun Qing to spar.
Yun Qing avoided sparring with Yun Huang by using his unsuitable clothing as an excuse, but an urgent report about the Soul-Suppressing Stele sent Yun Huang into a fury. Yun Huang ordered Yun Qing to accompany him to the Ancestral Shrine, where they would deal with the incident.
Yun Qing quelled the fight between Yun Hao and Yun Shuo, judged that both sides should answer to the Discipline Hall, and suspected someone had tampered with the Soul-Suppressing Stele. Yun Huang then summoned Yun Qing to the training grounds to fulfill his invitation to spar.
Yun Qing fought Yun Huang at full strength in the Perching Phoenix Hall training grounds, but Yun Huang decisively overcame him while holding back. After recognizing Yun Qing as the foremost of the Yun Clan’s Twelve Young Masters, Yun Huang received Yun Qing’s earnest reply.
Yun Huang guided Yun Qing on how to deepen his understanding of Nirvana and let him decide how to handle the Ancestral Shrine incident. Yun Qing investigated the shattered Soul-Suppressing Stele and, suspecting a hidden instigator, summoned Steward Jia.
Yun Qing uncovered the Fifth Elder’s attempt to slant the report about the Soul-Suppressing Stele, while Yun Chi tried to implicate Yun Qing during Yun Hao’s appeal before Yun Huang. Yun Huang destroyed Yun Hao’s cultivation and then turned his attention to Yun Chi, asking whether he still wished to share the punishment.
Yun Huang punished Yun Hao and intimidated Yun Chi, while Yun Qing ordered sanctions against the servants involved. Yun Qing suspected Yun Chi was plotting to remove him before the Cloud Summit Tournament, but the identity of the visitor at his door remained unknown.
Yun Qing received specially prepared medicine from Yun Huang and recovered from his injuries, while he and the second elder discussed the clan’s ties to the Young Lord and the incident at the Ancestral Shrine. Yun Huang caught them whispering, and Yun Qing prepared to report the Soul-Suppressing Stele matter under his watchful divine sense.
Yun Qing exposed a hidden crack in the Soul-Suppressing Stele and traced the plot to the Twelfth Elder's branch, whose attempt to secure its place in the Cloud Summit Tournament might involve seizing his chaos dao embryo. Yun Huang withdrew after Yun Qing pledged his loyalty, but Yun Qing later discovered a Radiant Sun Seal mark near his sea of qi, suggesting someone was still watching him.
Yun Huang chose to keep Yun Qing’s chaos Dao embryo secret for now, preferring to watch him navigate the Yun Clan’s factions. Meanwhile, the Fifth Elder expelled Yun Hao’s household, and the Twelfth Elder and Yun Chi plotted to seize Yun Qing’s origin before Yun Huang grew too protective of him.
Yun Qing restored the damaged Soul-Suppressing Stele with his Chaos qi, easing Yun Huang’s displeasure. Yun Huang then revealed the stele’s connection to the Ancestral Shrine Forbidden Grounds, leaving Yun Qing’s careful question about his origins unanswered.
Yun Huang questioned Yun Qing about his previous life before returning with him to the Perching Phoenix Hall, where Yun Chi joined the Cloud Valor Guards and tried to rival Yun Qing for a place at Yun Huang’s side. Yun Qing countered Yun Chi’s maneuver with familiar, attentive service to Yun Huang, leaving their rivalry unresolved.
Yun Qing pretended to be injured to make Yun Chi believe the Twelfth Elder’s branch had an opening, then persuaded Yun Huang to visit the clan academy. Yun Chi joined their outing with guards, and Yun Huang’s arrival at the Sunshine Court silenced the gathered disciples.
Yun Qing taught the clan academy disciples how to control spiritual power before interrupting a main-line disciple who was bullying the injured Yun Li. He gave Yun Li a pill to heal his damaged dantian, leaving him with a chance to recover and cultivate again.
Yun Qing restored order at the Clan School, helped Yun Li, and taught the children while Yun Chi noticed signs of weakness in him. Afterward, Yun Huang hinted that he saw through Yun Qing’s performance, leaving Yun Li’s admiration and Yun Chi’s suspicions to grow.
Yun Huang forcibly tempered Yun Qing with radiant sun divine power to make his injuries look convincing, then stopped him from seeing a mysterious presence in the sky. Yun Qing returned to the Perching Phoenix Hall after Yun Chi mistook his staged weakness for punishment, while an unknown momentous event seemed to be approaching.
Yun Qing and Yun Huang witnessed the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List announce its opening, igniting excitement across the Heavenly Origin Continent. The Heavenly Dao explained how prodigies could qualify and compete as the list divided into four colored streams.
The Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow Lists began selecting cultivators across the world, granting them power and recognition. As Wang Hu celebrated his Heaven List entry, a moon-white-robed boy warned that the lists had not yet ranked their entrants and revealed that an Immortal List stood above them.