Chapter Summaries

After a year and a half of defending the Thirteenth Battalion, Yang Tian reached the fifth tier and killed a sixth-tier Beta Flying Demon with his perfected sword strike. When a peak seventh-tier Bloodthirsty Beta attacked, Little Nian unleashed a mysterious power that killed it instantly, leaving both her and Yang Tian unconscious.

• Yang Tian flew into battle with Little Nian and destroyed a sixth-tier Beta Flying Demon with Instant Slash, sacrificing its magic crystal in the process.
• Yang Tian sensed a seventh-tier Bloodthirsty Beta and used his guardian skills, but the demon broke through his defenses after activating Bloodthirst.
• Yang Tian recited the Void God Spell as Little Nian cooed, and her Decree of nothingness killed the Bloodthirsty Beta instantly.
• Little Nian collapsed beside Yang Tian, who held her as he lost consciousness.
• Li Jie ordered the Thirteenth Battalion to retreat and sent Wang Ci and the other sixth-tier-or-higher fighters to block the enemy.

After recovering from the battle, Yang Tian received the rank of deputy corps commander and prepared to leave Imperial Dragon Pass for the Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament. He said goodbye to the Thirteenth Battalion and departed with their support.

• Li Jie told Yang Tian the selection tournament was about to begin, and Yang Tian asked him to arrange his registration before he said farewell to his comrades.
• Huang Dingjun awarded Yang Tian a deputy military commander rank and a mithril Military Token, giving him authority equivalent to a deputy Temple Master and 43,103 merit points.
• Yang Tian thanked the soldiers of the Thirteenth Battalion and entrusted Zhao Rong with their safety as they saluted him goodbye.
• Yang Tian praised He Xiaowu for changing and urged him to make amends to the civilians he had harmed.
• Yang Tian left Imperial Dragon Pass for the tournament, while the soldiers joked about how learned he was.

Yang Tian returned to the Holy City in time to enter the Demon Hunt Squad Selection Tournament, where he received Knight Number One and learned that the next round would soon begin. He arrived at the Grand Trial Arena as spectators wondered whether he could win the championship.

• Yang Tian bumped into Qingqing in the Holy City, traded sharp words with Yanyan, and left Qingqing curious about him.
• Han Qian welcomed Yang Tian and Li Jie, explained that Yang Tian had earned a bye in the second round, and told Li Jie to pursue the Eighth Order.
• Li Jie wished Yang Tian success and left, while Han Qian guided Yang Tian back to his unchanged dormitory.
• Yang Tian thanked Zi Yang for maintaining his room before she left to continue her work.
• Two days later, Yang Tian entered the Grand Trial Arena wearing the Knight Number One badge, drawing attention from spectators.

Yang Tian entered the knight division’s tournament and defeated Number Nine with a precise, low-tier technique, advancing to the top sixteen. He returned to cultivation, still anxious about his difficult breakthrough and the stronger opponents awaiting him.

• Yang Tian watched Number Three defeat Number Thirty-Six while he continued meditating and worried that his thought power had not recovered.
• Yang Tian faced Number Nine, who attacked with Ascension Array and Sunflare Slash, while Yang Tian waited for an opening.
• Yang Tian evaded the attack and stopped Number Nine with a second-tier Electric Thrust, explaining that he wanted to win without injuring him.
• Yang Tian demonstrated Sunflare Slash against a stone pillar, and the referee declared him the winner, advancing him to the top sixteen.
• Yang Tian resumed cultivating after the round and left the grounds to continue training for the finals.

Yang Tian defeated Number Six to secure a place in the top ten, then withdrew from the ranking matches to seek equipment and pursue a breakthrough. At Spirit-Riding Valley, the glimmers led him to the ancient Star Armor, astonishing Long Tianyin.

• Yang Tian defeated Number Six with Flame of Light, earning a place in the top ten.
• Yang Tian told Han Qian he wanted equipment and planned to withdraw from the ranking matches to attempt a breakthrough to the third rank of the fifth tier.
• Yang Tian entered Spirit-Riding Valley after Long Tianyin explained that the spiritual equipment would choose its own master.
• Yang Tian followed rainbow-colored glimmers to a mass of black armored metal, which Long Tianyin recognized as the ancient Star Armor.

Yang Tian encountered the Star Emperor, who gave him the Three Thousand Star Armor in exchange for a promise to seek out and protect his descendants. After the armor merged with Yang Tian, he remained unconscious as Long Tianyin and Yang Haoyu waited outside, hoping he would awaken in time for the finals.

• The Star Emperor appeared to Yang Tian and asked him to find his descendants in exchange for the Three Thousand Star Armor.
• Yang Tian hesitated to accept the Great Divine Artifact because he doubted he could fulfill the Star Emperor’s request, but the Star Emperor insisted and merged the armor with him.
• The Star Emperor discovered that Yang Tian had overlapping souls and a divine beast of nothingness, then sent him out as his consciousness weakened.
• Three thousand stars shielded Yang Tian from Long Tianyin and Yang Haoyu while the armor merged with him.
• Yang Haoyu and Long Tianyin noticed the stellar power withdrawing into Yang Tian, and Yang Haoyu believed the armor could help him win the championship.

Yang Tian arrived at the finals after obtaining the Three Thousand Star Armor and was assigned to group three, where he met Priest Qingqing again. He surrendered to her in their first match, leaving Qingqing wondering what he intended and whether he would really reach the top three.

• Yang Haoyu carried Yang Tian to the finals just in time for the group draw.
• The referee assigned Yang Tian to group three as Knight number one, alongside Priest number ten, Qingqing.
• Yang Tian invited Qingqing to join his squad if he placed in the top three, and she said they would discuss it after he qualified.
• Yang Tian and Qingqing faced each other in the first match, and Yang Tian immediately surrendered.
• Qingqing won, then wondered why Yang Tian had conceded and whether he could make the top three.

Yang Tian tested the Three Thousand Star Armor, then won his matches in the competition while recruiting Qingqing for his Demon Hunt Squad. After the Top Sixteen were decided, Qingqing mistook his invitation for romantic interest, but Yang Tian denied having any ulterior motives and left her annoyed.

• Yang Tian accidentally tested the Three Thousand Star Armor in the Grand Proving Ground, and Han Qian told him to win the championship as punishment.
• Yang Tian used Lock-On and Lightning Electric Thrust to defeat an eighth-rank assassin in the competition.
• Qingqing agreed to join Yang Tian's squad, and Yang Tian finished with eight victories and one loss while Qingqing finished with one victory and eight losses.
• The top three contestants from each group advanced to the Top Sixteen, and Yang Tian invited Qingqing to watch his match the next day.
• Qingqing asked whether Yang Tian liked her, but Yang Tian said he had only invited her to join his squad, making her angry.

Yang Tian faced Summoner Number One, whose Phoenix Firebird, Snow Bears, and powerful summoning spell threatened to overwhelm him. Yang Tian activated the Three Thousand Star Armor and flew toward his airborne opponent as the Summoner continued preparing his trump card.

• Zi Yang teased Yang Tian about his inexperience with girls and told him that a girl had feelings for him.
• The sixteen strongest contestants advanced directly, and Knight Number Two told Yang Tian he looked forward to fighting him.
• Summoner Number One summoned an Elder Phoenix Firebird and three Snow Bears, then began casting a spell with the aura of an Elder Undying Bird.
• Yang Tian killed all three Snow Bears with Holy Radiance Cross Slash but could not reach the airborne Summoner.
• The Star Emperor showed Yang Tian how to activate the Three Thousand Star Armor, and Yang Tian rose into the air on its stars.

Yang Tian defeated Summoner Number One in the Grand Proving Ground by using the Star Emperor’s Three Thousand Star Armor and Three Thousand Melodies to capture the level eight Undying Bird. He advanced to level four Earth Knight and reached the final eight, then returned home to stabilize his spiritual power and examine the undying flame.

• Yang Tian waited as Summoner Number One summoned a level eight Undying Bird, trusting the Star Emperor’s Three Thousand Star Armor to protect him.
• The Star Emperor struck the Undying Bird with three thousand stars, trapped it in a Star Confinement Formation, and captured its vital essence.
• Summoner Number One conceded, and Yang Tian advanced to level four Earth Knight after receiving spiritual power from the Star Emperor.
• Yang Tian reached the final eight and worried that his spiritual power might exceed the limit for entering Dream Paradise in five years.
• Qingqing supported Yang Tian as she escorted him home, where he began stabilizing his spiritual power and tested the small undying flame in his hand.

Yang Tian used the Undying Flame to interrupt a fire Mage’s spell and win his quarterfinal match, then left the venue with Qingqing. The afternoon matches advanced Knight Number Two, Assassin Number One, Warrior Number One, and Mage Number One, leaving the championship undecided.

• Yang Tian faced a fourth-tier fire Mage in the quarterfinals and summoned black flame that stopped the Mage’s incantation.
• Yang Tian defeated the Mage and advanced to the semifinals without watching the other arena matches.
• Qingqing teased Yang Tian about treating her to a meal and wanting to get to know him better, and he hurried away.
• Yang Tian wondered whether he liked Qingqing and returned to wait for the afternoon matches.
• Knight Number Two, Assassin Number One, Warrior Number One, and Mage Number One won their matches.

Yang Tian faced Knight Number Two in the semifinal and defeated him with his Star Armor, twin swords, and a powerful combination of skills. Yang Tian advanced to the championship match, while Knight Number Two was left to compete for third place.

• Yang Tian arrived at the Grand Proving Ground with Qingqing, whom he had chosen as his teammate.
• The draw paired Knight Number One, Yang Tian, against Knight Number Two, while Warrior Number One faced Mage Number One.
• Knight Number Two attacked with his Starry Unicorn and Sunflare Slash, but Yang Tian's Star Armor blocked the blows.
• Yang Tian counterattacked with his swords and skills, eventually unleashing a barrage that battered Knight Number Two and forced him to concede.
• Yang Tian told Knight Number Two to recover for the match for third place.

Yang Tian defeated Mage Number One to win the tournament, then began forming his Demon Hunt Squad by choosing Lin Qingqing. The squad selection ended with Yang Tian preparing to spin the wheel that would determine his remaining members.

• Mage Number One used his Wood Elemental Spirit Furnace and powerful wood magic against Yang Tian, but Yang Tian broke through the poisonous mist with the Undying Bird's flames.
• Yang Tian defeated Mage Number One with Instant Slash, controlling his sword strike so it stopped just before his opponent.
• The referee declared Yang Tian the winner, with Mage Number One in second place and Knight Number Two in third; Han Qian announced that the top three would each receive a spirit furnace.
• Yang Tian chose Lin Qingqing from the Priest Temple for his squad, and she accepted.
• Mage Number One chose a fourth-tier, ninth-rank guardian knight, while Knight Number Two chose a fourth-tier, ninth-rank ice-attribute mage.
• Han Qian began forming the squads and instructed Yang Tian to insert the squad-member weights and spin the wheel.

Yang Tian assembled the First Champion Group by drawing its members from the contestant pool, then heard their introductions as the other squads began forming. The chapter ended as Bai Xiaoxiao began to reveal her lifebound summoned beast.

• Yang Tian drew Assassin Number Five, Hanyu, and Mage Number Seven, Lan Ruyu, for his squad.
• Yang Tian drew Warrior Number Seven, Li Ang, and Summoner Number Three, Bai Xiaoxiao, completing the First Champion Group.
• Han Qian declared the group complete and began forming the Second Demon Hunt Squad.
• Yang Tian introduced himself as the squad leader, and Lin Qingqing, Hanyu, Lan Ruyu, and Li Ang shared their names and ranks.
• Bai Xiaoxiao introduced herself as a Ninth Rank Great Summoner who might soon become a Beast Controller.
• Yang Tian asked Bai Xiaoxiao about her lifebound summoned beast, and she began to answer.

Yang Tian registered his Demon Hunt Squad, then visited Han Qian to choose a spirit furnace and selected the low-ranked Bright Blessing for its sustained spiritual power recovery. After absorbing it, Yang Tian headed to the Spirit-Riding Valley to learn secret techniques.

• Li Ang agreed to wipe himself down with clean water daily after Yang Tian made it a squad requirement, and Bai Xiaoxiao described her seven-colored phoenix-winged butterfly and its support abilities.
• Han Qian dismissed the ten Demon Hunt Squads and gave them three days to rest and register before their first trial; Yang Tian's squad celebrated over a meal and met his mount, Little Nian.
• Yang Tian registered his squad at the Demon Hunt Tower, with Lin Qingqing accepted as vice-captain.
• Han Qian showed Yang Tian five spirit furnaces, but Yang Tian chose the Bright Blessing rather than the stronger Thousand-Ray Seal because he wanted sustained spiritual power recovery.
• Yang Tian absorbed the Bright Blessing and found that it restored his spiritual power continuously for about fifteen minutes, then set out for the Spirit-Riding Valley to learn secret techniques.

Yang Tian’s newly formed Soldier Grade Squad One began its trial by challenging their leader, Gao Yingjie, to test their teamwork. The battle left off with Yang Tian using the All Thoughts Extinguished Spirit Furnace to reposition Li Ang and Hanyu before launching a powerful attack.

• Han Qian sent the sixty contestants to face the Demon Race at a nearby Demon-Exorcism Pass, with Temple Knights accompanying them but forbidden to intervene unless necessary.
• Gao Yingjie introduced himself as Soldier Grade Squad One’s leader, and Yang Tian asked him to spar with the squad so they could practice working together.
• Yang Tian arranged the squad’s formation and explained how he would protect them while Lan Ruyu and Bai Xiaoxiao supported their attacks.
• Li Ang led the advance as Lan Ruyu cast water spells and Bai Xiaoxiao rode her Seven-Colored Phoenix Butterfly to boost the team, while Gao Yingjie countered them.
• Yang Tian discovered that his All Thoughts Extinguished Spirit Furnace had finished reconstructing and used it to swap Li Ang and Hanyu’s positions.
• Yang Tian changed to Retribution and unleashed his Light, Illumination skill, drawing Han Qian’s attention.

Yang Tian ended the training fight with Gao Yingjie and gave his new Demon Hunt Squad members advice on their roles and skills. As the team left the proving ground, he set a goal for everyone to reach the fifth tier within six months and asked Gao Yingjie for guidance.

• Yang Tian stopped the spar after Gao Yingjie defended against his shifting attacks and Hanyu’s attempted strike, while the other teammates neared exhaustion.
• Yang Tian advised Li Ang to protect the team’s vulnerable members, urged Lan Ruyu to use her full strength against the Demon Race, and recommended Bai Xiaoxiao develop stronger attacking and controlling summons.
• Bai Xiaoxiao said her Gate of Living Beings summoning technique could call seventh-rank-or-higher beasts but consumed too much mental power and remained unstable.
• Yang Tian praised Lin Qingqing’s healing and Hanyu’s combat ability, then thanked Gao Yingjie as the team established its initial coordination.
• Yang Tian led the squad away in their carriage and set a six-month goal for everyone to reach the fifth tier.
• Yang Tian asked Gao Yingjie for advice on the team and their cultivation, and Gao Yingjie began to answer.

Yang Tian and his Demon Hunt Squad arrived at Demon-Exorcism Pass for a three-month trial and joined the First Battalion under Lin Dingtian. As the squad assembled to meet an attack, a vast horde of Twin-Blade Demons appeared atop the walls.

• Gao Yingjie brought the squad to Demon-Exorcism Pass, where Sheng Lingxin welcomed the demon hunters and outlined their trials alongside ordinary soldiers.
• Yang Tian noticed a woman who resembled Cai'er and wondered if she was Cai'er's mother, reflecting on his own long separation from his parents.
• At the First Military Camp, Yang Tian introduced himself to Battalion Commander Lin Dingtian, revealed his rank as deputy legion commander, and said his squad would exercise independent command if orders proved flawed.
• Yang Tian assigned the squad's beds and reminded everyone to stay ready for battle, keep things simple, and obey orders.
• When the assembly signal rang, Yang Tian led the squad to assemble on time, and Lin Dingtian ordered the First Battalion onto the walls to fight.
• Yang Tian and the First Battalion reached the walls, where a vast horde of Twin-Blade Demons appeared.

Yang Tian and his Demon Hunt Squad fought off demons alongside the First Battalion, and he instantly killed a sixth-rank Beta Flying Demon during the changeover. After the battle, he reviewed the squad’s performance and set training goals, then began explaining how they would distribute merit points.

• Li Ang, Lan Ruyu, Hanyu, and the rest of Yang Tian’s squad fought the Twin-Blade Demons while Lin Qingqing healed and supported the soldiers.
• Yang Tian used Fifth tier, Flowing Slash to kill nearly a hundred demons, then exposed Luke Race and Di Ke Clan infiltrators with lime powder as the battle intensified.
• Bai Xiaoxiao summoned a seventh-rank Furious Dragon Bear and released her contract beasts, helping the squad wipe out the infiltrators and earn merit points.
• During the battalion changeover, Yang Tian wounded a sixth-rank Beta Flying Demon with Light, illumination and killed it with Instant Slash.
• Lin Dingtian praised Yang Tian, who later reprimanded Hanyu, assigned Li Ang a training task, and urged the squad to advance to the fifth tier within three months.
• Yang Tian outlined plans for the squad to reach General Rank and began explaining their merit-point arrangement.

Yang Tian’s squad pooled its merit points under Lin Qingqing’s management and continued fighting demons together. Their second day’s haul was much smaller than the first, leaving Lin Qingqing discouraged as the trial continued.

• Yang Tian announced that the squad would pool its merit points and let Lin Qingqing manage them, and the team transferred its points to her.
• The squad woke early, assembled, and joined Lin Dingtian on the city walls to fight the demons.
• Yang Tian used his fifth-tier Mother-Child Linked Aura to protect his teammates while they attacked, and Lin Qingqing collected demon corpses and valuable materials.
• After an uneventful day, Lin Qingqing counted only forty-something merit points, and Yang Tian explained the trial’s diminishing rewards and urged her to be patient.