Chapter Summaries

Wu Dongchuang planned to deal with Chen Shi'an before Dong Fengwu could recruit him, while Qiu Shuang pursued his scheme involving Gu Qingyao. Chen Shi'an entered the Top Ten Tournament, where the finalists learned that the top three could join the Sacred Martial Dynasty if they passed its assessment.

• Wu Dongchuang told Qiu Shuang to stay out of trouble until the Gathering of Heroes ended and said he would handle Chen Shi'an himself.
• Qiu Shuang thanked Wu Dongchuang for arranging matters with Gu Qingyao, then left after Wu Dongchuang warned him not to underestimate her.
• Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li urged Chen Shi'an to prioritize his safety in the next day's matches, but later worried that he might rank high enough to remain in the Sacred Martial Dynasty.
• Chen Shi'an cultivated overnight, then joined the other finalists at the Top Ten Tournament the next morning as Gao Tianfang and a central government official watched from the Reviewing Platform.
• The short, stout old man announced that the top three could join the Sacred Martial Dynasty and receive important appointments if they passed its assessment.

The Top Ten Tournament added six revived contestants, including Gu Qingyao, and began its first round. Chen Shi'an faced a revived Second Grade opponent and quickly gained the advantage, leaving the outcome of their match nearly decided.

• The Short, Fat Elder announced that six contestants would re-enter the tournament through a Revival Tournament, and Gu Qingyao joined the Contestant Seating.
• The Short, Fat Elder explained the rewards and rules, then started the tournament's first round to determine the top eight.
• Chen Shi'an was matched against a burly, yellow-faced man carrying a black axe, while Wu Dongchuang accused Dong Fengwu of arranging an easy opponent for him.
• Chen Shi'an evaded the man's axe and struck it with his Windbreaker Saber, staggering the man and numbing his hand.
• The burly man charged again, but Chen Shi'an used the Star-Treading Step to dodge, leaving his opponent at a clear disadvantage.

Chen Shi'an defeated the Burly Man to enter the final eight, then faced a middle third-grade Thin Man who tried to pressure him into conceding. Chen Shi'an provoked him into attacking and began fighting back, leaving the Thin Man surprised by his strength.

• Chen Shi'an defeated the Burly Man with the fifth move of the Mad Flame Saber Technique and secured a place in the final eight.
• Gu Qingyao defeated the Fat Woman, becoming the only repechage contestant besides Chen Shi'an to reach the final eight.
• After a break, Chen Shi'an drew the middle third-grade Thin Man as his opponent in the next round.
• The Thin Man threatened Chen Shi'an, then offered drinks and a brothel visit in exchange for a concession, but Chen Shi'an refused.
• Chen Shi'an startled the Thin Man with a sudden Windbreaker Saber strike, then defended against his black sticks as the Thin Man realized Chen Shi'an could match an early third-grade opponent.

Chen Shi'an turned the fight around against the small, thin man with a Mind Power-infused roar and a series of saber attacks, drawing the Yellow-Robed Man's interest. The small, thin man was driven to the arena’s edge and threw his Black Stick at Chen Shi'an’s head in desperation.

• Wu Dongchuang predicted Chen Shi'an would lose, while Dong Fengwu defended his performance before the Yellow-Robed Man.
• The Yellow-Robed Man said Chen Shi'an was interesting but would need to pass his assessment to serve the Imperial Dynasty.
• Chen Shi'an used a roar infused with Mind Power to daze the small, thin man, then struck him with the Windbreaker Saber and forced him back.
• Chen Shi'an pursued with eight slashes of the first Seven Star-Chasing Form, cutting the small, thin man's shoulder and prompting the Yellow-Robed Man to wonder whether Chen Shi'an had ties to Dragon Soaring City.
• Chen Shi'an pressed the small, thin man to the arena's edge with the Mad Flame Saber Technique, and the small, thin man hurled his Black Stick at Chen Shi'an's head.

Chen Shi'an fought a Desolate Ruins opponent who unleashed a Demon-Sealing Talisman containing a level-four Fire Cloud Bird. After taking its attack and pretending to be badly injured, Chen Shi'an lay on the arena floor as his opponent moved in to kill him.

• The thin man revealed a Demon-Sealing Talisman, and Chen Shi'an attacked before he could finish urging him to surrender.
• The talisman released a level-four Fire Cloud Bird, and Chen Shi'an met it with the sixth move of the Mad Flame Saber Technique.
• Chen Shi'an took the Fire Cloud Bird's final strike, concealed his Third Grade Origin Force amid the explosion, and spat blood to appear gravely injured.
• Qianshan Xue tried to reach Chen Shi'an, but Xiang Li stopped her; Dong Fengwu and Wu Dongchu argued over whether the talisman counted as strength.
• The short man strode toward Chen Shi'an and swung his black staff at his head while Qianshan Xue shouted for him to surrender.

Chen Shi'an killed his Third Grade Middle Stage opponent despite suffering severe injuries, then entered the top-four competition against Xu Chaoqian. Their match began with Xu Chaoqian easily blocking Chen Shi'an's weakened attacks and countering with his sword.

• Chen Shi'an sprang up to evade the short man's black staff and killed him with a saber slash.
• The yellow-robed man and Wu Dongchu dismissed Chen Shi'an's chances of being a prodigy, while Dong Fengwu watched him with interest.
• After the quarterfinals ended, Chen Shi'an advanced to the top four and Qianshan Xue urged him to remember her advice.
• Xu Chaoqian offered to spare Chen Shi'an, but Chen Shi'an insisted on fighting and launched a visibly weakened attack.
• Xu Chaoqian blocked Chen Shi'an's saber strikes and countered with a flurry of sword thrusts.

Chen Shi'an conceded to Xu Chaoqian, then secured fourth place in the Gathering of Heroes after conceding his final bout. The tournament ended with Xu Chaoqian in first and Gu Qingyao in eighth, and the top eight gathered to receive their rewards.

• Chen Shi'an admitted defeat to Xu Chaoqian and left the arena, while the other semifinal bouts continued.
• Chen Shi'an watched Gu Qingyao struggle against her powerful opponent and observed the other semifinalists injure each other in their evenly matched fight.
• After resting, Chen Shi'an briefly fought his next opponent, pretended his injuries prevented him from continuing, and conceded to take fourth place.
• A soldier seated Chen Shi'an among the top eight, where Wu Dongchuang regarded him with hostility and Dong Fengwu greeted him warmly.
• Xu Chaoqian took first place and Gu Qingyao finished eighth as the Gathering of Heroes concluded.
• Gao Tianfang congratulated the top eight and explained that the two contestants who died had left ninth- and tenth-place rewards unclaimed.

Chen Shi'an received his rewards for placing fourth at the Gathering of Heroes and watched the top three swear allegiance to the Sacred Martial Dynasty. The chapter ended as Yan San challenged all three new recruits to attack him together.

• Gao Tianfang awarded Chen Shi'an three bottles of pills and the Raging Tide Blade Technique, while promising to send supplies to the competitors’ strongholds.
• The Yellow-Robed Man asked the top three finishers to swear loyalty to the Sacred Martial Dynasty, and all three pledged themselves without hesitation.
• The Yellow-Robed Man gave Xu Chaoqian and the other two waist tokens, formally making them subjects of the Sacred Martial Dynasty.
• Gao Tianfang introduced his personal guard Yan San and called on him to spar with the three recruits.
• Yan San refused to fight them one at a time and told Xu Chaoqian and the other two to attack him together with all their strength.

Yan San defeated Xu Chaoqian and two other top finishers with ease, prompting Chen Shi'an to reconsider his confidence in the Sacred Martial Dynasty's strength. Back at the inn, Chen Shi'an shared his rewards with Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li, chose to replace his saber technique, and said he would pursue the Fire-Expelling Pill refinement method himself.

• Yan San overwhelmed Xu Chaoqian and the other two in one exchange, while Chen Shi'an recognized the gap in their foundations and resolved to guard against arrogance.
• Gao Tianfang ended the confrontation and invited the Desolate Ruins guests to a farewell banquet at the Four Seas Restaurant.
• At Shun'an Inn, Chen Shi'an divided his pills between Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li, and Xiang Li agreed that they would be brothers from then on.
• Chen Shi'an offered Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li the Raging Tide Blade Technique; Qianshan Xue advised him to abandon the Mad Flame Saber Technique and switch to it.
• Chen Shi'an told Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li that he would obtain the Fire-Expelling Pill refinement method from Ye Xicheng himself and already had a plan.

After mastering the Raging Tide Blade Technique, Chen Shi'an attended a farewell banquet in Desolate Suppression City, where Gu Qingyao issued him a veiled threat before departing with Liu Yang and Mu Tiezhu. Back at the inn, Chen Shi'an and his companions suspected Gu Qingyao had secured Wu Dongchuang's support as they prepared to leave for the Desolate Ruins the next morning.

• Chen Shi'an memorized and practiced the blade moves of the Raging Tide Blade Technique before a soldier summoned him to the banquet.
• Chen Shi'an, Qianshan Xue, and Xiang Li traveled to the Four Seas Restaurant, where Wu Dongchuang and Dong Fengwu hosted a farewell banquet for the Desolate Ruins contestants.
• Chen Shi'an noticed Gu Qingyao arriving alongside Wu Dongchuang, with Liu Yang and Mu Tiezhu following her.
• After the banquet, Gu Qingyao wished Chen Shi'an a safe journey but warned that his happiness might turn to sorrow, prompting Chen Shi'an to threaten Mu Tiezhu for insulting Qianshan Xue.
• Gu Qingyao left with Liu Yang and Mu Tiezhu, and Chen Shi'an returned to the inn with Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li, where they discussed her apparent connection to Wu Dongchuang.

Chen Shi'an and his companions worried that Wu Dongchuang might attack them after they entered the Desolate Ruins. Dong Fengwu secretly offered Chen a place in Desolate Suppression City in exchange for swearing loyalty to him, leaving Chen to weigh the choice.

• Qianshan Xue, Xiang Li, and Chen Shi'an discussed the threat Wu Dongchuang posed and planned to stay alert in the Desolate Ruins.
• Late that night, a young man in black summoned Chen Shi'an to meet Dong Fengwu in a carriage.
• Dong Fengwu praised Chen's potential and offered him a chance to remain in Desolate Suppression City.
• Dong Fengwu demanded that Chen swear loyalty to him in exchange for training, resources, and future advancement.
• Dong Fengwu contrasted the small pond of Windrise Stronghold with the power and status Chen could gain in Desolate Suppression City, urging him to accept.

Chen Shi'an refused Dong Fengwu's offer to serve in Desolate Suppression City, choosing to honor his commitments and keep his independence. On the journey back to the Desolate Ruins, he recognized that hostile people from Flowing Stone Stronghold might attack and began discussing a plan with Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li.

• Chen Shi'an declined Dong Fengwu's offer, explaining that he had to return to Windrise Stronghold and repay his friends' kindness.
• Dong Fengwu accepted Chen Shi'an's refusal, while the young man in black questioned why he did not punish him.
• Chen Shi'an told Qianshan Xue that he had refused because he would not become someone else's lackey, and she admitted she also felt no envy toward those who joined the Sacred Martial Dynasty.
• Chen Shi'an continued cultivating the Great Evolution Saintly Art, bringing his cultivation close to the third grade middle stage.
• Liu Mu escorted Chen Shi'an, Qianshan Xue, and Xiang Li out of Desolate Suppression City, where they noticed Gu Qingyao, Liu Yang, and Mu Tiezhu watching them with hostility.
• After they rode into the Desolate Ruins, Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li warned Chen Shi'an that the people from Flowing Stone Stronghold might attack, and Chen Shi'an began proposing a plan.

Chen Shi'an split from Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li to draw the pursuers away, then raced toward Windrise Stronghold while cultivating the Great Evolution Saintly Art. After advancing to Third Grade Middle Stage, he faced the exhausted blue-robed old man who had caught up with him.

• Chen Shi'an persuaded Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li to take another route while he drew the pursuers away with all three horses.
• Chen Shi'an rode day and night toward Windrise Stronghold, using the Great Evolution Saintly Art to restore his strength as Gu Qingyao and her companions pursued him.
• The blue-robed old man abandoned his horse and raced ahead, while Gu Qingyao, Liu Yang, and Mu Tiezhu stopped to rest.
• Chen Shi'an broke through to Third Grade Middle Stage on the fifth day and sensed the blue-robed old man approaching.
• The exhausted blue-robed old man confronted Chen Shi'an and said he was his only target.

Chen Shi'an killed an old man in blue who attacked him and his horses, then waited for Gu Qingyao, Liu Yang, and Mu Tiezhu to arrive. He confronted the three pursuers and walked toward them, leaving Gu Qingyao sensing danger.

• The old man in blue killed Chen Shi'an's three horses, but Chen Shi'an fought back and discovered the old man's Origin Force was weaker than his own.
• Chen Shi'an used Leveling Mountain to sever the old man's hands, then beheaded him and took his pills and money.
• Chen Shi'an buried the horses and turned back along the road he had come instead of heading to Windrise Stronghold.
• At dusk, Chen Shi'an waited in the ruins until Gu Qingyao, Liu Yang, and Mu Tiezhu rode up looking for the old man in blue.
• Chen Shi'an said he had killed the old man, drew the Windbreaker Saber, and advanced on the three pursuers as Gu Qingyao felt a powerful sense of danger.

Chen Shi'an killed Mu Tiezhu, pursued Liu Yang and Gu Qingyao, and revealed that he was Huang Dao. After Gu Qingyao ran until dawn, she tried to bargain for her life by offering marriage, but Chen Shi'an warned that Qiu Shuang and Desolate Suppression City would retaliate.

• Mu Tiezhu attacked Chen Shi'an, who disarmed and killed him with the Windbreaker Saber.
• Gu Qingyao urged Liu Yang to fight Chen Shi'an with her, but Liu Yang fled, so Chen Shi'an chased after him while Gu Qingyao escaped in another direction.
• Chen Shi'an pursued Gu Qingyao through the night, keeping her running until she exhausted her Origin Force at dawn.
• Chen Shi'an admitted he was Huang Dao and told Gu Qingyao he would send her to reunite with Liu Yang and Mu Tiezhu.
• Gu Qingyao offered to marry Chen Shi'an if he spared her, but he warned that Qiu Shuang could destroy Flowing Stone Stronghold if she rejected him.
• Gu Qingyao asked whether marrying Chen Shi'an would let him resolve the threat from Qiu Shuang.

Chen Shi'an forced Gu Qingyao to swear loyalty to him, then questioned her about her dealings with Wu Dongchuang. After warning her that Wu Dongchuang might turn on her, he told her to accept the support he offered and continue the plan.

• Chen Shi'an defeated Gu Qingyao, threatened to kill her, and demanded that she swear loyalty to him.
• Gu Qingyao swore upon her Martial Dao Heart to serve Chen Shi'an and never betray him.
• Chen Shi'an questioned Gu Qingyao about what she had promised Qiu Shuang and whether she had agreed to Wu Dongchuang's proposal.
• Gu Qingyao explained that Wu Dongchuang had offered to support Flowing Stone Stronghold in exchange for its submission, but she had stalled him while seeking her father's counsel.
• Chen Shi'an warned Gu Qingyao that Wu Dongchuang could exploit her, then instructed her to accept his support and carry on with the plan.

Chen Shi'an sent Gu Qingyao back to Flowing Stone Stronghold and planned to use her to slowly target Wu Dongchuang and Qiu Shuang. At Windrise Stronghold, Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li returned without him, and Xiang Chuxiong ordered Ye Xicheng to lead a search party into the Desolate Ruins.

• Chen Shi'an told Gu Qingyao he would slowly deal with Wu Dongchuang and Qiu Shuang, with her playing a leading role, then sent her back to Flowing Stone Stronghold.
• Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li arrived at Windrise Stronghold without Chen Shi'an, prompting the welcoming soldiers to realize he was missing.
• Ye Xicheng asked where Chen Shi'an was, and Qianshan Xue said he had likely drawn Desolate Suppression City’s pursuers away from them.
• At the City Lord's Mansion, Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li explained that Chen Shi'an had not returned and might have encountered people from Desolate Suppression City and Flowing Stone Stronghold.
• Wang Tianye argued against sending men on a dangerous, uncertain search, while Ye Xicheng urged the stronghold to look for Chen Shi'an.
• Xiang Chuxiong ordered Ye Xicheng to take the Demon Hunting Camp out to search for Chen Shi'an.

Wang Tianye and Xiang Chuxiong discussed how to deal with Tian Wenguang before supplies from Desolate Suppression City arrived, while plotting to use Fu Nantian to lure him into the Water Prison if necessary. The chapter left Chen Shi'an’s fate uncertain as the Demon Hunting Camp departed Windrise Stronghold to search for him.

• Wang Tianye told Xiang Chuxiong he expected to reach fourth grade within two to six months, and they worried Tian Wenguang might use the upcoming rewards to restore his vitality and pursue the Martial Saint Treasury.
• Xiang Chuxiong rejected recruiting other stronghold martial artists because Tian Wenguang might have planted pawns among them, and Wang Tianye proposed luring Tian Wenguang to the Water Prison through Fu Nantian.
• Xiang Chuxiong treated the Water Prison plan as a last resort and ordered Wang Tianye to cultivate toward fourth grade before the supplies arrived.
• Xiang Chuxiong told Wang Tianye to spare Chen Shi'an if possible and make him swear a Martial Dao Oath of loyalty, while warning Wang Tianye not to pursue Qianshan Xue.
• Ye Xicheng led almost all of the Demon Hunting Camp out of Windrise Stronghold to search for Chen Shi'an, leaving Qianshan Xue and a few others to guard headquarters.

Chen Shi'an's men found him after he escaped a fourth-level demon beast in the Desolate Ruins and brought him back to Windrise Stronghold. Xiang Chuxiong praised Chen Shi'an's achievements at the Gathering of Heroes, leaving him celebrated as a hero of the stronghold.

• Du Gang suggested asking Flowing Stone Stronghold for clues about Chen Shi'an, and Zhu Neng went to tell Ye Xicheng.
• Chen Shi'an emerged from the woods, reunited with Pi Hou, Du Gang, and Zhu Neng, and explained that he had shaken off a fourth-level demon beast.
• Chen Shi'an learned that Qianshan Xue and Xiang Li had returned safely, then sent Zhu Neng to find Ye Xicheng and returned to Windrise Stronghold with the others.
• Chen Shi'an told Qianshan Xue, Xiang Li, and Ye Xicheng that he had evaded the pursuit of Desolate Suppression City and Flowing Stone Stronghold.
• Xiang Chuxiong praised Chen Shi'an's service and his performance at the Gathering of Heroes before Windrise Stronghold's senior figures.

Chen Shi'an demanded Marrow-Washing Pills and Soft Porcupine Armor as rewards, using the request to challenge Windrise Stronghold’s unfair distribution of resources and signal his intention to reform it. Xiang Chuxiong granted him thirty pills and allowed an additional reward, while Chen Shi'an’s request for sixty sets of armor left the other commanders wondering if he planned to recruit more men.

• Chen Shi'an asked Xiang Chuxiong for a hundred Marrow-Washing Pills, and Wang Tianye criticized his demand before Chen Shi'an rebuked him and the City Guard Battalion.
• Chen Shi'an argued that the stronghold’s leaders wasted pills on their unqualified descendants while talented fighters went without them, and he considered how he would reform Windrise Stronghold.
• When Wang Tianye demanded to know what Chen Shi'an meant, Chen Shi'an answered that it was exactly what Wang thought, and Xiang Chuxiong silenced their argument.
• Xiang Chuxiong offered Chen Shi'an thirty Marrow-Washing Pills and permission to request another reward, so Chen Shi'an asked for sixty sets of Soft Porcupine Armor.
• Ye Xicheng and Wang Tianye wondered whether Chen Shi'an intended to recruit more people, since he had previously kept his command small.