Chapter Summaries

The Dragon Gate Trials opened as the young martial artists gathered at Hidden Dragon Ancient City, with Tuo Ba Ku revealing a formidable kingly aura. Ye Chen arrived late but passed the first trial without attacking the barrier, leaving the crowd astonished.

• Tuo Ba Ku arrived with a powerful Star Extremity Realm man and stood beside Sikong Sheng, then answered the young elites' aura pressure with a forceful kingly presence.
• The south gate opened and revealed three platforms holding the Dragon Gate Trials, prompting the competitors to begin the challenges.
• Luo Hanshan, Zhu Mei, and Xu Jing crossed the first trial, while Ye Chen's absence worried the Flowing Cloud Sect.
• Ye Chen arrived and the elders realized he had advanced to the Late Primal Origin Realm.
• Ye Chen passed directly through the blue barrier of the Wall-Breaking Trial without attacking it, stunning the competitors and onlookers.

Ye Chen passed the Token-Seizing Trial with ease and reunited with Luo Hanshan, Zhu Mei, and Xu Jing on the third platform. As the Dragon Gate Leap began, Leng Wuqing reached the South City Gate while Ye Chen and his companions watched the challengers.

• Luo Hanshan and Zhu Mei resisted the crystal palace’s attacks, seized jade tokens, and passed the second trial.
• Ye Chen entered the palace, evaded the crystalline rays with his speed, seized a jade token, and reached the third platform.
• Ye Chen reunited with Luo Hanshan, Zhu Mei, and Xu Jing, and revealed that he had reached the Late Primal Origin Realm.
• Ye Chen sensed that Xu Jing had fused her True Qi into her body, giving her immense physical power.
• Leng Wuqing completed the Dragon Gate Leap and entered the South City Gate as Sikong Sheng, the Fire Spirit Prince, and Lin Yun watched from above.

Ye Chen and the other competitors faced the final Dragon Gate Trial, and Ye Chen crossed it with ease before reuniting with old acquaintances. The gates closed behind the younger generation, sealing the competitors inside as the next stage of the competition began.

• Luo Hanshan failed the Dragon Gate Leap, while Zhu Mei and Xu Jing successfully climbed to the southern city gate.
• Ye Chen crossed the Dragon Gate Leap faster than Xu Jing and reunited with Murong Qingcheng, drawing jealous attention from Lin Yun and Mo Yan.
• Tuo Ba Ku intervened when Lin Yun challenged Ye Chen with his gaze, then introduced himself to Ye Chen.
• Tian Hao, Lin Yue, Fourth Night, and Sixth Night gathered around Ye Chen, surprising the crowd with their familiarity with him.
• The final competitor failed, and the Dragon Gate Trials sank as the southern city gate shut, sealing the younger generation inside.

Ye Chen and Luo Hanshan explored Hidden Dragon Ancient City before discovering an Attack Power Test Pillar that measured martial artists’ strength. The chapter ended with Qian Yun of Sunset Cloud Gate scoring above sixty crystals, the Primal Origin Realm maximum.

• Seven people from the Heavenly Wind Kingdom, including Ye Chen, Xu Jing, and Zhu Mei, qualified for the elimination rounds, while Yuan Hengying brooded over Ye Chen’s rapid growth.
• Luo Xinglie led the Flowing Cloud Sect group to a courtyard in the central district after learning that competition would begin only after two days of lodging and preparation.
• Ye Chen spoke with Luo Hanshan, who accepted his failure to pass the Dragon Gate Trials as a lesson, then joined Ye Chen for a walk through the ancient city.
• Ye Chen and Luo Hanshan found an Attack Power Test Pillar and observed that its crystal rows corresponded to different cultivation realms.
• Luo Hanshan scored forty-five crystals, while Qian Yun struck the pillar hard enough to light sixty crystals and turn the final one crimson.

Ye Chen tested his attack power in Hidden Dragon Ancient City, first lighting sixty crystals with his fist and then surpassing Qian Yun by turning the sixtieth crystal deep red with his sword. Other young experts revealed purple and black results, while Sikong Sheng stunned the city by lighting sixty-one crystals, demonstrating strength that could contend with an early Star Extremity Realm expert.

• Qian Yun turned the sixtieth crystal red, and another young expert managed only fifty-nine crystals on his first strike.
• Ye Chen used Five Peaks as One without his sword and lit sixty crystals, then struck with Heaven Shattering Clouds and turned the sixtieth crystal a deeper red than Qian Yun's.
• Qian Yun decided he wanted to face Ye Chen in the competition and defeat him with his full strength.
• Mo Yan, Murong Qingcheng, Ice Ling, Li Daoxuan, and Tuo Ba Ku turned the sixtieth crystal purple, while Yan Chi Huo and Lin Yun turned it black with casual strikes.
• Sikong Sheng struck the pillar with an unseen palm and lit sixty-one crystals, and news of his result spread throughout Hidden Dragon Ancient City.

Ye Chen and the Flowing Cloud Sect prepared for the Hidden Dragon Rankings as the competition’s referees and rules were established. The elimination rounds began, and after the contestants learned their groups, Yuan Hengying discovered that he was in Ye Chen’s group.

• Ye Chen’s companions praised his and Xu Jing’s results from the target trial, while Ye Chen resolved to rely on his prepared trump cards.
• The sect masters appointed Luo Jiacheng Chief Referee and selected twelve additional referees for the competition.
• Luo Xinglie urged Ye Chen and the others to compete cautiously as crowds gathered at the arena and twelve protected platforms rose from the ground.
• Chief Referee Luo Jiacheng explained the rules and announced that contestants would compete in groups through successive elimination rounds before the Ranking Match.
• Ye Chen, Xu Jing, and their companions received their group assignments and competition numbers, and Yuan Hengying found that he was in Ye Chen’s group.

Ye Chen watched the group elimination matches before defeating Xiao Heng with the artistic conception of Lone Peak Annihilation. Afterward, he decided to use Heaven Shattering Clouds instead in future early-round fights, while the Group Three referee recognized the unusual power of his technique.

• Yuan Hengying defeated Huang Lang by breaking through his Protective True Qi with a series of claw attacks.
• Lin Qi cleanly defeated a Mid Primal Origin Realm opponent, while Tian Hao lost after holding out for just over thirty moves.
• Bing Ling defeated a contestant ranked twenty-third in the previous Hidden Dragon Rankings with one punch.
• Ye Chen disoriented Xiao Heng with Lone Peak Annihilation and defeated him with a single punch.
• Ye Chen chose to use Heaven Shattering Clouds instead of Lone Peak Annihilation unless necessary, and the referee realized how strongly Ye Chen's artistic conception could affect an opponent's senses.

Gao Feng challenged Teng Mo’s confidence in their match and broke through his Prairie Fire Sword with precise technique. After Gao Feng countered Teng Mo’s next attack with Sword Storm, Ye Chen judged that Gao Feng had won.

• Teng Mo and Gao Feng entered the stage, where Gao Feng claimed he was considering how many moves he needed to defeat Teng Mo.
• Teng Mo attacked with the Prairie Fire Sword, but Gao Feng charged through the Sword Lights and shattered them by exploiting their weaknesses.
• Teng Mo followed with Sparkfire Ring, and Gao Feng answered with Sword Storm, extinguishing the ring and sending a powerful sword wind toward him.
• Ye Chen concluded that Gao Feng had won because Teng Mo had not mastered the Prairie Fire Sword’s full essence or intent.

Ye Chen overwhelmed Yuan Hengying with a single sword during the group-stage eliminations, drawing attention to his hidden strength. After the match, Zhu Mei asked how much power he had used, and Ye Chen said he had used half of half.

• Gao Feng defeated Teng Mo, and his victory made him the center of attention in Group Three.
• Xu Jing won her matches decisively, while Zhu Mei, Su Wen, Lin Qi, and Qin Yulian recorded mixed but promising results.
• Luo Xinglie and the Grand Elder discussed the rising young experts and identified Xu Jing and Lin Qi as strong prospects to advance.
• Yuan Hengying warned Ye Chen that he had prepared secret moves, then attacked him with two demon-hawk techniques.
• Ye Chen shattered Yuan Hengying’s attacks and defeated him with one sword, leaving the Sky Eagle Fortress spectators shocked.
• Zhu Mei asked Ye Chen how much strength he had used, and Ye Chen replied, “Half of half.”

Ye Chen dominated his group’s matches at the Hidden Dragon Rankings tournament, while the Heavenly Wind Kingdom contestants struggled to secure enough wins to advance. The chapter ended with Ye Chen defeating Chen Jie and being judged a likely fifth among the Top Ten Rising Stars.

• Xu Jing won her fifth match, and Ye Chen told Zhu Mei how many losses she could afford while still having a chance to advance.
• Wei Renjie defeated Lin Qi, whose weaker cultivation and Blade Intent left him at a disadvantage.
• Ye Chen’s opponents from his sixth match onward conceded, while Xu Jing won eight of nine matches and Zhu Mei lost her eighth and ninth matches.
• Chen Jie challenged Ye Chen with Tiger Break Kill, but Ye Chen defeated him with two flashes of Sword Light.
• Spectators placed Ye Chen fifth among the Top Ten Rising Stars and Xu Jing eighth.

The second-stage elimination rounds began, bringing together the elites of Groups Three and Twelve in Group Seven, where half would be eliminated. After Teng Mo defeated Ge Tingfang by exploiting her fading momentum, Ye Chen prepared to face Gao Feng, whom Tang Xiaoshan judged to have a slim chance of winning.

• Long Biyun said she planned to teach Qin Yulian the Southern Luo Sect's true ultimate art and discussed Ye Chen's rapid rise with the Grand Elder.
• After a two-hour rest, the second-stage rounds began, and Groups Three and Twelve merged into Group Seven, with twelve of the twenty-four contestants set to advance.
• Teng Mo defeated Ge Tingfang after her relentless assault lost momentum and he counterattacked; Ye Chen had predicted the shift in their fight.
• Bing Ling, Gu Qing, and Tang Xiaoshan each won their opening matches with ease.
• Ye Chen was matched against Gao Feng in the eighth bout of the first round, and Tang Xiaoshan estimated Gao Feng's chances of winning at about thirty percent.

Ye Chen faced Gao Feng, whose minor mastery Sword Intent and powerful swordsmanship initially kept the duel even. After Gao Feng prepared his hidden ultimate move, Ye Chen revealed his own Sword Intent and overwhelmed him, leaving Gao Feng defeated against the arena barrier.

• Gao Feng and Ye Chen entered the martial platform, and Gao Feng vowed to defeat him for his junior sister.
• Gao Feng opened with Sword Storm, but Ye Chen shattered its sword wind and Sword Qi with his sword momentum.
• Gao Feng activated his minor mastery Sword Intent and exchanged attacks with Ye Chen, who fought using Heaven Shattering Clouds without revealing his own Sword Intent.
• Gao Feng gave up searching for an opening and unleashed Ghost Startles Wind, but Ye Chen countered with Heaven Shattering Clouds.
• Gao Feng began gathering power for his hidden ultimate move, and Ye Chen revealed that he had comprehended Sword Intent too.
• Ye Chen’s Sword Intent crushed Gao Feng’s sword momentum, and his strike shattered Gao Feng’s Protective True Qi and sent him into the arena barrier.

Ye Chen revealed his Sword Intent and defeated Gao Feng with one precise strike, drawing attention from spectators and fellow competitors. As the second-stage elimination matches continued, Xu Jing won her first point, and Ye Chen awaited the second round.

• Ye Chen unleashed his Sword Intent and defeated Gao Feng with a single sword strike, while Gao Feng recognized that Ye Chen had shown mercy.
• Spectators and experts discussed Ye Chen's strength, while Lin Yun dismissed him and Mo Yan judged that he could not enter the top ten.
• Wu Liangyu defeated his opponent in three moves as spectators debated the strength of the Soaring Demon Sect and the Young Titans.
• Ye Chen considered how many previous Hidden Dragon Rankings competitors had been eliminated and noted that new talents from the Heavenly Wind Kingdom had emerged.
• Xu Jing easily defeated her opponent with a Thunderous Onslaught and earned her first point in the second-stage elimination rounds.
• The second round of matches was about to begin, and Ye Chen wondered who his next opponent would be.

Bing Ling defeated Gu Qing in the opening match of the second round after their ultimate techniques collided, though both were injured. The fifth group’s matches continued, and Ye Chen was next to face Wu Liangyu.

• Bing Ling and Gu Qing began their match, and Gu Qing pressed her with his Azure Cloud Ninefold Strike.
• Gu Qing unleashed the Bluestone Divine Skill, but Bing Ling countered with Glacier Shatter and shattered his stone-pillar phantom.
• The referee declared Bing Ling the winner, and the Ice Severing Sect and Azure Cloud Pavilion took their injured disciples away for treatment.
• Lin Qi won his match while the fifth group’s other bouts continued.
• Ye Chen’s sixth match began as he faced Wu Liangyu, the third disciple of the Soaring Demon Sect.

Ye Chen defeated Wu Liangyu and extended his winning streak as other rising stars showcased their strength across the groups. The chapter ended as Ye Chen faced Tang Xiaoshan, who revealed that his Blade Intent had reached the fifty-percent realm.

• Wu Liangyu attacked Ye Chen from the air with Death Hurricane and Death Storm, but Ye Chen split both attacks and defeated him with a sword strike.
• The spectators reacted to Ye Chen's twelfth straight victory, while Wu Liangyu brooded over how far Ye Chen had surpassed him.
• Tang Xiaoshan won his matches with a slash, his scabbard, and a quick-draw technique, while Ye Chen continued winning without treating Tang as a rival.
• Tuo Ba Ku, Li Daoxuan, Murong Qingcheng, Devil Eye Mo Yan, and Fire Spirit Prince Yan Chi Huo each displayed their strength in matches across the other groups.
• Ye Chen and Tang Xiaoshan were matched against each other in Round Five, and Tang revealed that his Blade Intent had reached the fifty-percent realm.

Ye Chen faced Tang Xiaoshan, whose fifty percent Blade Intent had made him a formidable opponent among the younger generation. Ye Chen revealed his own mastery of Sword Intent and wounded Tang twice with Lone Peak Annihilation, leaving Tang terrified and the match unresolved.

• Yan Chi Huo was surprised that Tang Xiaoshan had reached fifty percent Blade Intent, while Murong Qingcheng believed Ye Chen still had hidden strength.
• Tang Xiaoshan attacked Ye Chen with his saber, but Ye Chen parried and evaded his strikes while identifying flaws in Tang’s use of Blade Intent.
• Ye Chen activated fifty percent Sword Intent and the artistic conception of Lone Peak Annihilation, then pierced Tang’s shoulder with a swift sword strike.
• Tang claimed he had not lost, but Ye Chen warned him before striking again and grazing his throat, showing he could have killed him.
• Tang froze in fear after realizing he could not block Ye Chen’s swords, while Ye Chen reflected on the lethal power of Lone Peak Annihilation.

Ye Chen defeated Tang Xiaoshan with a single sword strike, convincing the crowd that he was a Young Titan and drawing the attention of Li Daoxuan. As Ye Chen’s fame rose, Ji Xueyan looked back on their broken engagement and wondered whether he could overcome the formidable opponents still ahead.

• The referees and spectators were stunned when Ye Chen defeated Tang Xiaoshan in one strike, and they recognized him as a Young Titan.
• Gao Feng anticipated a contest between Ye Chen and Bing Ling, while Gu Qing and Lin Yun realized they had underestimated Ye Chen; Murong Qingcheng watched him with focused interest.
• Li Daoxuan’s Sword Intent stirred in response to Ye Chen’s strike, and Ye Chen recognized him as his greatest rival among swordsmen.
• The referee declared Ye Chen the winner, and Ye Chen and Li Daoxuan each sensed the other’s swordsmanship; the Emotionless Sect’s Sect Master judged Ye Chen suited to the Emotionless Formula.
• Ji Xueyan recalled dissolving her engagement to Ye Chen and his later rise, then wondered whether he could defeat the powerful opponents ahead, including Sikong Sheng.

The seventh through ninth rounds of the competition saw Gao Feng and Lin Qi win with unexpected techniques, while Xu Jing continued her strong showing. The chapter ends as Ye Chen and Bing Ling began their anticipated match, with Ye Chen’s opening strike pushing her back.

• Gao Feng defeated Wu Liangyu by severing his wing with the Ascending Sword Drawing Technique.
• Lin Qi used Innate One Qi and a swift weapon switch to defeat a stronger swordsman.
• Xu Jing defeated her opponent, while Long Biyun warned against anyone using their influence to target promising geniuses.
• Ye Chen and Bing Ling met in the ninth round, and Ye Chen’s Heaven Shattering Clouds drove Bing Ling back.
• Ye Chen split into three images and attacked Bing Ling from different angles, but she identified his real body.

Ye Chen fought Bing Ling through a series of escalating exchanges, countering her ice techniques with swordplay and strategy. Bing Ling’s Ice Crystal Fist failed before it could hit him, leaving the onlookers unsure how Ye Chen had stopped it.

• Bing Ling attacked Ye Chen with Rolling Ice Boulders, but Ye Chen cut through her defenses and used a True Qi afterimage to mislead her.
• Bing Ling unleashed Ice Spirit Explosion Annihilation Art, and Ye Chen countered its blast with Heaven Shattering Clouds, injuring her lightly.
• Bing Ling created four blizzards to restrict Ye Chen and prepared her Ice Crystal Fist as a finishing move.
• Ye Chen cut apart the blizzards and drew his sword against Bing Ling’s punch with Lone Peak Annihilation.
• Bing Ling’s Ice Crystal Fist failed when her arm drooped and its icy coating shattered, while Li Daoxuan realized Ye Chen had drawn a sword strike he could not see.

Ye Chen defeated Bing Ling by spotting and striking a weakness in her Ice Crystal Fist, then reflected on the Quick Sword Intent behind his attack. The crowd recognized his strength, while Li Daoxuan prepared for their coming Ranking Match and vowed that Ye Chen’s quick sword would not be enough to beat him.

• Bing Ling asked how Ye Chen had defeated her, and he explained that he had severed a visible True Qi pathway in her imperfect Ice Crystal Fist.
• Bing Ling acknowledged that she had lost to Ye Chen, thanked him for showing mercy, and stepped off the stage.
• Ye Chen considered how his Quick Sword Intent and Slow Sword Intent were developing from Lone Peak Annihilation, then the referee declared him the winner.
• Spectators discussed Ye Chen’s victory and anticipated his Ranking Match against Li Daoxuan.
• Li Daoxuan released his Sword Intent and challenged Ye Chen to use his full strength, while the Emotionless Sect Master assessed Ye Chen’s four sword art intents and urged Li Daoxuan not to underestimate him.