Chapter Summaries

He Pingsheng questioned why his pills remained mostly middle grade despite his superior equipment and abilities, while Feng Wanxi repeatedly produced high-grade batches. Zhu Xuanlun finally resumed refining and produced two supreme-grade pills, leaving He Pingsheng still pondering his next move.

• The Great Order Wisdom King stopped Zhu Zhengyan from scolding Zhu Xuanlun, and Demon Emperor Vajra urged Zhu Zhengyan to avoid disturbing the contestants.
• He Pingsheng began his third batch without using the Southern Bough Immortal Spring, but again produced six high-grade and six middle-grade pills.
• Feng Wanxi produced twelve high-grade pills in her third and fourth batches, while He Pingsheng paused refining to think about his unchanged results.
• Feng Wanxi finished all five batches with three consisting entirely of high-grade pills, while several contestants produced supreme-grade pills through unorthodox methods.
• Zhu Xuanlun began his third batch and produced two supreme-grade pills and ten high-grade pills.

Zhu Xuanlun refined multiple Supreme Grade pills and took first place in the alchemy round, while He Pingsheng claimed second after producing one Supreme Grade pill in his final batch. Before the rankings were completed, Feng Wanxi accused someone of using Southern Bough Immortal Spring to cheat, revealing the Phoenix Race’s plan to disqualify He Pingsheng.

• Zhu Xuanlun refined two batches of pills, producing several Supreme Grade pills and convincing the crowd that he had secured first place.
• He Pingsheng completed his fourth batch with twelve High Grade pills, then refined one Supreme Grade and eleven High Grade pills in his fifth batch.
• Demon Emperor Vajra announced Zhu Xuanlun as first and He Pingsheng as second, but Feng Wanxi interrupted with an objection.
• Feng Wanxi proposed inspecting the Supreme Grade pills for treasures that could improve their quality, accusing a contestant of using Southern Bough Immortal Spring.
• The Phoenix Race had learned of He Pingsheng’s past Supreme Grade pills and planned to use the accusation to eliminate him from the competition.

Feng Wanxi presented a recording of Nan Qiqi giving He Pingsheng the Southern Bough Immortal Spring and accused him of cheating. He Pingsheng admitted receiving it but claimed he had not used it, then produced a bottle containing the drop for the emperors to examine.

• Feng Wanxi argued that Zhu Xuanlun had not cheated, while the Phoenix Race urged an investigation into contestants who had refined a single supreme-grade pill.
• Feng Wanxi crushed a jade slip and showed a recording of Nan Qiqi giving He Pingsheng the Southern Bough Immortal Spring.
• Nan Qiqi angrily demanded to know which of her four maids had betrayed her, and a maid stepped forward to accuse He Pingsheng.
• Feng Wanxi called for He Pingsheng and the Vermilion Bird Emperor Domain to be disqualified, but Great Order Wisdom King and the emperors gave He Pingsheng a chance to speak.
• He Pingsheng admitted that Nan Qiqi had given him the spirit liquid but denied using it, producing a jade bottle that he said still contained the drop.

He Pingsheng challenged the Phoenix Race’s accusation that he had used Southern Bough Immortal Spring and proposed proving his pill-refining ability with another batch. The Phoenix Race agreed to let him try, while planning to keep contesting his innocence even if he succeeded.

• He Pingsheng produced a bottle containing a drop of Southern Bough Immortal Spring, prompting Demon Emperors to question whether he had used it and whether Feng Wanxi’s evidence still proved anything.
• He Pingsheng argued that if he had to prove he did not cheat, the other prodigies who refined supreme-grade pills should face the same demand.
• He Pingsheng challenged Feng Wanxi to prove that she had personally comprehended her Divine Ability in the second trial, and she refused to prove it.
• Demon Emperor Vajra urged everyone to drop both disputes and prepare for the fourth trial, but the Phoenix Race’s Demon Emperor insisted the matter be settled.
• He Pingsheng asked for another set of ingredients so he could prove his ability by refining pills, and the Great Order Wisdom King supported the proposal.
• The Phoenix Race’s Demon Emperor agreed to let He Pingsheng refine another batch, expecting that failure would prove the accusation and planning to dispute his innocence even if he succeeded.

He Pingsheng proved he could refine supreme-grade pills without cheating, but Feng Wanxi refused to accept his test as proof that he had not cheated in the previous round. When He Pingsheng prepared to swear a Heavenly Dao oath, the Phoenix Race’s Demon Emperor and others urgently warned him to stop.

• He Pingsheng requested spirit liquid from Demon Emperor Vajra and used it to refine pills in front of the gathered emperors and spectators.
• Despite alchemy experts criticizing his methods, He Pingsheng produced one supreme-grade pill and eleven high-grade pills, convincing the emperors that he had refined them himself.
• Great Order Wisdom King demanded that Feng Wanxi also prove she had not falsified her results, but Feng Wanxi refused to repeat her earlier trial.
• He Pingsheng raised his hand and invoked the Heavenly Dao, prompting the Phoenix Race’s Demon Emperor and Demon Emperor Vajra to tell him to hold his tongue.
• Feng Wanxi realized that an oath could settle the dispute, but she knew she could not swear one truthfully and feared the Phoenix Race would lose face.

He Pingsheng avoided swearing a Heavenly Dao Oath after Feng Wanxi admitted she had doubted his results, and the competition rankings placed him second in the trial but left him behind Feng Wanxi overall. As the Phoenix Race elders discussed securing first place on the Stone Terrace Heavenly Ladder, they learned that Feng Wanxi’s Dao Heart had become clouded with dust.

• The Phoenix Race Demon Emperor and others urged He Pingsheng not to swear, and Feng Wanxi admitted she had accepted his results and asked to end the dispute.
• He Pingsheng lowered his hand, deciding that exposing the Phoenix Race’s guilty behavior had achieved enough without escalating the conflict.
• Demon Emperor Vajra announced the trial rankings, with Zhu Xuanlun first and He Pingsheng second, while the overall rankings placed Zhu Xuanlun first and Feng Wanxi second.
• Demon Emperor Vajra scheduled the fourth trial for ten days later, and He Pingsheng told Zhou Qingmei he hoped to discuss skipping it with Nan Qiqi.
• The Phoenix Race’s Seventh Elder said that winning the Stone Terrace Heavenly Ladder mattered more than points, then a woman reported that Feng Wanxi’s Dao Heart had become clouded with dust.

The Phoenix Race learned that Feng Wanxi's Dao Heart had been clouded and planned to kill He Pingsheng in the fourth round by removing his defensive treasure and sealing his teleportation ability. He Pingsheng reassured Nan Qiqi about her role in the alchemy contest, then turned to discuss the next round.

• The Phoenix Race elders confirmed that Feng Wanxi's Dao Heart was clouded with dust, but believed they could clear it after the contest.
• The elders judged He Pingsheng a greater threat than Wang Dun and identified his turtle shell and teleportation ability as key protections.
• The Seventh Elder proposed banning Magical Treasures in the fourth round and secretly using Demon Emperor Hollow's Imperial Armament to seal He Pingsheng's teleportation.
• The Seventh Elder revealed that Qiao Huizhu had ascended to the Immortal Realm, removing the Phoenix Race's fear of her intervention.
• Nan Qiqi apologized to He Pingsheng for involving him in her cheating scheme, and He Pingsheng said he would keep the Southern Bough Immortal Spring before they discussed the fourth round.

Nan Qiqi explained the fourth trial to He Pingsheng, but the Great Order Wisdom King revealed new rules that stripped away He Pingsheng’s safety measures and threatened his standing. He Pingsheng agreed to enter the trial despite the danger, while the changed Wallbreaker rule left his fifth-trial plans unresolved.

• Nan Qiqi told He Pingsheng that the fourth trial involved fighting for Jade Tokens and competing for points at five stone steles, with Life-Saving Tokens available to escape.
• The Great Order Wisdom King announced that contestants could bring no Magical Treasures into the Greater Chiliocosm and would have no Life-Saving Tokens.
• He Pingsheng realized the new rules targeted him and said he would refuse to enter, but the Great Order Wisdom King revealed that nonparticipants would lose all their points.
• The Great Order Wisdom King warned that Qiao Huizhu had ascended, leaving He Pingsheng vulnerable to further attacks, and He Pingsheng decided to enter the trial.
• The Great Order Wisdom King explained that only a Wallbreaker of the same race could help a prodigy climb the Heavenly Ladder, preventing him from serving as He Pingsheng’s Wallbreaker.

He Pingsheng refused the Great Order Wisdom King’s warnings and chose to enter the fourth trial, asking her to safeguard his Turtle Shell. After confessing that she missed their dream-daughter Yuqing, the Great Order Wisdom King became his wife in reality and hoped to conceive before the trial.

• Nan Qiqi left the Great Hall to discuss the changed rules with the others, while the Great Order Wisdom King warned He Pingsheng that the Phoenix Race might kill him in the fourth trial.
• He Pingsheng insisted on joining the trial to help the Vermilion Bird Emperor Domain and asked the Great Order Wisdom King to keep his treasures safe.
• He Pingsheng entrusted her with his blood-red Turtle Shell, which she identified as an Imperial Armament and stored away.
• The Great Order Wisdom King told He Pingsheng that she missed their dream-daughter He Yuqing and revealed she had recreated Master Ma Town in Great Order Emperor City.
• The Great Order Wisdom King proposed becoming He Pingsheng’s wife in reality, and they spent the day together before she urged him to try again to conceive before the fourth trial.

The fourth trial, the Battle for the Steles, began as the chosen prepared to enter the Greater Chiliocosm and compete for Jade Tokens and five stone steles. He Pingsheng entered the lineup after Qiao Xiaoqiao withdrew, and the chapter ended as Demon Emperor Vajra called his name to surrender his treasures and enter.

• Demon Emperor Vajra explained the trial rules: participants would fight for Jade Tokens during the ten-day trial, and the five stone steles offered bonus points.
• He Pingsheng received a Jade Token, while Qiao Xiaoqiao withdrew because she feared being used against him and had earned no points in the earlier trials.
• He Pingsheng learned that more than two hundred chosen had withdrawn and that participants would enter at random locations without ordinary Magical Treasures.
• Zhu Xuanlun and Feng Wanxi entered the vortex carrying their Lifebound Magical Treasures after Demon Emperor Vajra inspected them and warned that using them would result in disqualification.
• Demon Emperor Vajra called He Pingsheng's name as the crowd turned to watch him.

He Pingsheng entered the secret realm after convincing Demon Emperor Vajra and the Phoenix Race's seventh elder that he had surrendered his magical treasures. After arriving in the vast world, he chose to hide instead of competing for the Heaven's Chosen Stone Stele, setting up a formation on the riverbed to evade his enemies.

• He Pingsheng showed Demon Emperor Vajra his surrendered treasures while secretly keeping the Primordial Purple Gold Staff concealed in his dantian.
• The Phoenix Race's seventh elder inspected He Pingsheng and warned him that using a magical treasure would get him disqualified.
• He Pingsheng entered the azure vortex and arrived in a vast world, where he used a white jade token to view a map and locate himself beside the Heaven-Reaching River.
• He Pingsheng decided not to seek the Heaven's Chosen Stone Stele because he feared the Phoenix Race's plans and intended to avoid danger.
• He Pingsheng swam to the riverbed and set up a third-grade Water-Repelling Formation to hide and conceal his aura.

He Pingsheng hid underwater in the Greater Chiliocosm and honed his Daoist law while waiting out the ten days. Meanwhile, Feng Wanxi gathered prodigies to plan his death and revealed that they had tracked his location.

• He Pingsheng dried out an underwater space with spirit stones, settled in, and used the Dao-Refining Heavenly Stele to hone his Daoist law.
• Feng Wanxi gathered more than thirty Phoenix Race, Hollow Beast Tribe, and Celestial Roc Emperor Domain prodigies behind a barrier.
• Feng Wanxi announced that the gathering was meant to kill He Pingsheng, and Crown Prince Tianyu, Liu Haoran, and two Hollow Beast prodigies refused to participate and left.
• Feng Wanxi displayed a map with He Pingsheng marked by a scarlet dot, and Crown Prince Empty Void guessed that his jade token had been marked for tracking.

Feng Wanxi explained that He Pingsheng’s survival depended on his teleportation ability and powerful defensive artifact, then laid out a three-step plan to kill him. Crown Prince Empty Void led a seven-person squad armed with the Spacetime Golden Banner toward He Pingsheng’s location.

• The Phoenix Race used a mark left in He Pingsheng to pinpoint his location.
• Crown Prince Empty Void described his past encounter with He Pingsheng, and Feng Wanxi explained He Pingsheng’s teleportation ability and red turtle shell.
• Feng Wanxi proposed testing He Pingsheng with six or seven attackers, then escalating to Integrated Body Realm fighters and the Twelvefold Nirvana Shared Lifespan Grand Array if needed.
• Crown Prince Empty Void revealed the Spacetime Golden Banner, which could seal space within ten thousand li and prevent teleportation.
• Crown Prince Empty Void formed a seven-person squad with two Hollow Beasts, two Phoenix Race disciples, and two Celestial Roc Emperor Domain prodigies, then led them toward He Pingsheng.

Crown Prince Empty Void’s group found He Pingsheng and sealed the surrounding void, trapping him against six Void Refinement prodigies. He Pingsheng survived their opening attacks and swiftly killed both Phoenix Race prodigies, leaving the other four facing him.

• Demon Emperor Hollow stayed behind to guard the golden divine banner while six prodigies went to find He Pingsheng.
• Feng Yu broke He Pingsheng’s formation and led the six in a coordinated attack after they surrounded him above the river.
• He Pingsheng failed to escape because the surrounding void had been sealed, but used Heavenly Law and Earthly Form to withstand the attacks.
• He Pingsheng struck back with Nine Heavens Ice Dragon and a Soul-Linking Curse Talisman, killing Feng Yu.
• He Pingsheng used his golden hand and another Soul-Linking Curse Talisman to kill the second Phoenix Race prodigy.

He Pingsheng killed all six Demon Race prodigies who attacked him, collected their belongings, and destroyed every jade token before hiding underground. Crown Prince Empty Void reported the defeat to Feng Wanxi, who proposed sending two Body Integration Realm cultivators after He Pingsheng, but no one volunteered.

• He Pingsheng pursued and killed the fleeing Hollow Beast prodigies, while Crown Prince Empty Void escaped using the Spacetime Golden Banner.
• He Pingsheng collected the dead prodigies' jade tokens, rings, and Lifebound Magical Treasures, then crushed all the jade tokens and hid underground.
• Crown Prince Empty Void returned to Feng Wanxi and reported that He Pingsheng had killed the six attackers and possessed Heavenly Law and Earthly Form.
• Feng Wanxi reassessed He Pingsheng's strength and called for a prodigy to undergo Dao Union so two Body Integration Realm cultivators could attack him.
• No one volunteered, and Feng Wanxi urged the Phoenix Race prodigies to act while explaining that she could not break through because she had to climb the Heavenly Stele.

Feng Wanxi persuaded Feng Wu to undergo Dao Union by promising to recommend him as the Phoenix Race Holy Son. At the Heaven's Chosen Stone Steles, Wang Dun arrived and Ming Yue yielded his seat rather than fight him.

• Feng Wanxi offered the Phoenix Race Holy Son position to anyone who underwent Dao Union and returned alive, and Feng Wu accepted.
• Feng Wu brought out his clone and began undergoing Dao Union as dark clouds and lightning gathered overhead.
• At the Heaven's Chosen Stone Steles, a Phoenix Race woman challenged Ming Yue, who repelled her with his Eight Divisions of Heavenly Dragons.
• Wang Dun arrived at the summit, and the surrounding prodigies backed away from him.
• Ming Yue offered his stone stele to Wang Dun and stepped down, wary of fighting him.

Wang Dun tricked Ming Yue and killed two Phoenix Race prodigies before claiming the stone stele for Nan Qiqi and reserving another seat for his junior brother. He waited for He Pingsheng and worried that Feng Wanxi might have gone after him.

• Ming Yue yielded the stone stele, but Wang Dun feinted at his Buddhist shield and killed a Phoenix Race prodigy instead.
• Ming Yue fled, and Wang Dun killed another Phoenix Race prodigy who tried to take the stele.
• Wang Dun threatened Zhu Xuanlun, then gave the first stone stele to Nan Qiqi.
• Wang Dun claimed seven jade tokens from a Phoenix Race prodigy who stepped down from the last stele, saving the seat for He Pingsheng.
• Wang Dun wondered where He Pingsheng and Feng Wanxi were and worried that his junior brother might defeat and bed her.

He Pingsheng was confronted by Feng Wu and his clone, who had both reached the Body Integration Realm, but their attacks failed to injure him. He launched poisoned divine sense nails at both Phoenixes after Feng Wu tried to flee.

• He Pingsheng discovered that the Fifty-Fifty Talisman had not been enhanced and began enhancing Spirit-Nourishing Pills before cultivating with the Dao-Refining Heavenly Stele.
• Feng Wu and his clone appeared, and Feng Wu revealed that he had entered the Body Integration Realm the previous night.
• He Pingsheng evaded Feng Wu’s first Nirvana Sky-Rending strike, but Feng Wu’s clone struck him into magma with a second attack.
• He Pingsheng emerged unharmed, and Feng Wu fled when he realized he could not break through He Pingsheng’s defenses.
• He Pingsheng sent poisoned Formless Big Dipper Nails at Feng Wu and his clone, then swallowed a supreme-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pill.

He Pingsheng pursued Feng Wu, overcame his defenses with poisoned weapons, and subdued him before delivering a killing blow. Feng Wu offered to become He Pingsheng’s servant and revealed that six more Phoenix Race cultivators, backed by a killing array and an imperial weapon, planned to target him.

• Feng Wu’s crimson divine light blocked He Pingsheng’s first Divine Sense attack, but He Pingsheng chased him with the Silver River Flying Shuttle as Crown Prince Empty Void fled.
• He Pingsheng struck Feng Wu with the Cold-Ice Linked Arrow Technique, shattered his cyan shield, and pierced him with the poisoned Eight-Treasure Purple Cloud Spikes.
• He Pingsheng trapped Feng Wu in poisonous brambles, and Feng Wu’s poisoned clone fell unconscious in a mountain valley.
• Feng Wu begged for his life and warned He Pingsheng that six other Phoenix Race cultivators planned to join their clones in the Twelvefold Nirvana Shared Lifespan Grand Array, aided by Demon Emperor Hollow’s Spacetime Golden Banner.
• He Pingsheng agreed to spare Feng Wu if he handed over his Heavenly Dao Slave Mark.

He Pingsheng made Feng Wu his servant and learned his plan to steal Crown Prince Empty Void’s Spacetime Golden Banner, while Feng Wu returned to Feng Wanxi’s camp and concealed their alliance. After six Phoenix Race cultivators entered the body integration realm, Feng Wanxi approached Feng Wu with a request.

• He Pingsheng bound Feng Wu with the Heavenly Dao Slave Mark, cured his poison, and agreed to let him return to Feng Wanxi’s camp as an insider.
• Feng Wu proposed ambushing Crown Prince Empty Void to seize the Spacetime Golden Banner and asked He Pingsheng to poison him again as cover.
• Feng Wu returned to the camp, blamed Crown Prince Empty Void for guessing that he had died, and claimed his clone had fallen while he escaped He Pingsheng.
• Feng Wu warned the group about He Pingsheng’s strength, poison, and divine sense attacks, convincing Feng Wanxi that they needed to prepare carefully.
• Feng Wanxi ordered six junior brothers to merge their Daoist laws, and they entered the body integration realm and began undergoing tribulation.
• Feng Wanxi asked Feng Wu for a favor, assuring him that she did not intend to send him into battle.