Chapter Summaries

After losing his horse, Ye Chen stopped in Ancient Spring Town and heard that the Flowing Cloud Sect's Inner Sect Disciple Ranking Match was approaching. He grew interested in facing Ghost Sword Li Kuang, while the restaurant's patrons recognized him as a Flowing Cloud Sect disciple.

• Ye Chen found that the Ancient Water Lake innkeeper and attendants had disappeared with his and Qu Ming's horses, then continued on foot.
• At the Fairy Flower Restaurant, Fairy Flower told martial wanderers that her husband, Song Qingyun, had been invited to observe the upcoming ranking match but was in secluded cultivation.
• The patrons discussed the invited observers and contenders, including Pei Shaoqing, Ghost Sword Li Kuang, and Blood Shadow Blade Meng Chong.
• Ye Chen considered his chances against Li Kuang and wondered what rewards the ranking match would offer.
• As Ye Chen left the restaurant, a martial wanderer noticed his Flowing Cloud Sect sleeve insignia, and Fairy Flower hoped Song Qingyun would finish cultivating in time to attend the match.

Ye Chen prepared for the June Ranking Match while several formidable Inner Sect contenders revealed their strength. Blood Shadow Blade Meng Chong left the slaughter of Kui Water Stronghold behind him, apparently still eager for a worthy opponent.

• Ye Chen returned to the Soaring Cloud Great Hall, saw his low position on the Ranking Jade Wall, and resolved to aim for the Inner Sect Top Ten while continuing his cultivation.
• Xiao Ye trained in the mountains by smashing a rocky mountain and vowed to compete for first place in the Ranking Match before challenging Xu Jing.
• Li Yun’s master urged him to enter the Ranking Match and warned him about Meng Chong and Ghost Sword Li Kuang, while Li Yun demonstrated fourteen Sword Lights.
• Meng Chong attacked Kui Water Stronghold alone and slaughtered its members with his blood-red saber technique.
• Meng Chong killed the stronghold’s three chieftains with one slash, then left without a drop of blood on his robe.

Ye Chen approached Half-Step Sword Intent and prepared for the Inner Sect Disciple Ranking Match, while Wu Zongming regained his resolve to pursue greater strength. The chapter left Ye Chen at the Mid True Condensation Realm Peak on the eve of the match, with the contest set to begin the next day.

• Ye Chen cleaved the waterfall with a strike that brought him close to Sword Intent, though he recognized he had only reached Half-Step Sword Intent.
• Wu Zongming visited Ye Chen, and their conversation about ambition led Wu Zongming to realize he had lost his drive to advance.
• Wu Zongming told Ye Chen that contestants had to draw lots before the Ranking Match, and they went to register for the competition.
• Ye Chen drew Group Seven, Number Twenty-Eight, with Feng Ping as the seeded contestant, while Wu Zongming drew Group Three, seeded by Xiao Ye.
• On the night before the Ranking Match, Ye Chen reached the Mid True Condensation Realm Peak and strengthened his Pure Jun True Qi and Qi Sword.

Ye Chen attended the Flowing Cloud Sect’s Inner Sect Ranking Match as the competition began, where he saw the Inner Sect Top Ten and learned the tournament rules. The first group bouts started, leaving Ye Chen waiting for his own match.

• Ye Chen arrived at the Martial Arts Plaza and joined Wu Zongming, while his parents watched from the VIP seats.
• The Inner Sect Top Ten entered, and Ye Chen heard Wu Zongming describe Xu Jing’s past achievement and Meng Chong’s recent rise.
• The Grand Elder explained the ten-group format, seeded contestants, points system, and qualification rules for the finals.
• The Grand Elder declared the Ranking Match underway, and the Stewards drew lots as Inner Sect Disciples began fighting on their group platforms.

Ye Chen and Wu Zongming began the tournament with strong performances, while Zhang Haoran also maintained a winning streak. As the later rounds began, Ye Chen defeated a stronger opponent in one move, but Feng Ping demonstrated overwhelming strength and was considered nearly unbeatable in their group.

• Wu Zongming defeated his first opponent with Blazing Wild Fist, and Ye Chen advised him not to reveal too much of his strength.
• Ye Chen disarmed a flat-browed youth and won his first match, then won four more to reach ten points; Wu Zongming lost one match, while Zhang Haoran and Huang Bingwen reached ten and eight points respectively.
• During the later rounds, Wu Zongming lost to a Late True Condensation Realm opponent, while Zhang Haoran continued winning and reached twelve points.
• Ye Chen defeated Feng Ping's opponent in the sixth round with a single strike, prompting Zhou Ruo and Xiao Ye to note his strength.
• Feng Ping defeated Gao Liang effortlessly, and nearby disciples concluded that almost no one in their group, including Ye Chen, could beat him.

Ye Chen fought his way to the final round tied for first place, while Li Yun and Tie Feng shocked the spectators by defeating members of the Inner Sect Top Ten. The chapter ended as Ye Chen and Feng Ping clashed at such speed that their movements were difficult to follow.

• Ghost Sword Li Kuang defeated Zhang Haoran with one sword strike.
• Li Yun defeated Dong Haohua with a single sword strike and revealed that he had shown mercy.
• Tie Feng defeated Song Fei with three kicks, impressing the elders, and Ye Chen explained that Tie Feng had used Momentum.
• Ye Chen entered the tenth round with eighteen points, tied with Feng Ping for first place.
• Feng Ping attacked Ye Chen with rapid finger strikes, and Ye Chen vanished to meet him at speed.

Ye Chen defeated Feng Ping and finished first in Group Seven, while Li Yun, Tie Feng, and Zhang Haoran also qualified for the finals. The afternoon finals began with Meng Chong cutting Feng Ping in their opening bout.

• Ye Chen evaded Feng Ping’s finger attacks and defeated him with a punch, taking first place in Group Seven.
• The group standings qualified Feng Ping, Zhang Haoran, Li Yun, and Tie Feng for the finals, while Wu Zongming missed out.
• The Grand Elder announced the finals’ elimination matches and Ranking Match, then started the first round across three platforms.
• Song Fei and Li Yun won their opening matches, while Meng Chong faced Feng Ping on the third platform.
• Meng Chong drew his blade and slashed Feng Ping’s clothes from chest to waist, then laughed and left the stage.

The Inner Sect Top Ten matches continued as Ye Chen, Tie Feng, and other contenders displayed their strength. Tie Feng defeated Pei Shaoqing with a powerful kick, while the first round ended with Yi Qing forcing his opponent to concede.

• Meng Chong defeated Feng Ping with a single slash, leaving the other contenders wary of him.
• Ye Chen knocked Yang Lie off the stage by exploding the platform beneath him with Latent Force.
• Zhang Haoran defeated his opponent in fewer than ten moves, and the next several matches ended in one-sided victories.
• Tie Feng broke Pei Shaoqing's palm attack and defeated him with his move One Leg Moves Wind and Clouds, Sweeping All Under Heaven.
• Yi Qing dazzled the crowd with his fan techniques and made his opponent concede in the final match of the first round.

Ye Chen continued his winning streak as the Inner Sect ranking match reached its decisive rounds, while Meng Chong defeated Yi Qing and Zhou Ruo lost her perfect record. The chapter ended as Ye Chen faced Ghost Sword Li Kuang in the eighth round.

• Ye Chen defeated Double Spears Dong Haohua in a few moves, and Zhou Ruo beat Qiu Ruotong before Xiao Ye and Li Yun fought to a draw.
• Meng Chong defeated Yi Qing with his seventh blade, leaving five contestants with perfect records after the sixth round.
• Yi Qing narrowly defeated Zhou Ruo after more than a hundred moves in the seventh round.
• Ye Chen stepped onto the platform to face Ghost Sword Li Kuang as the audience and Ye Tianhao and Shen Yuqing watched anxiously.

Ye Chen revealed his swordsmanship and challenged Li Kuang in a fierce duel, countering his first strike and forcing him to unleash the seventh sword of the Nine Ghost Shadow Swords. Ye Chen answered with Sword Intent, leaving the spectators stunned as the battle reached its turning point.

• The spectators acknowledged Ye Chen's strength as he faced Li Kuang on the platform.
• Ye Chen drew the Cloudshadow Sword and revealed the sharp aura he had concealed with the Aura Concealment Art.
• Li Kuang opened with Soul-Shattering, but Ye Chen deflected it and counterattacked with Reaching the Summit.
• Ye Chen and Li Kuang exchanged blows that shattered the platform, while Pei Shaoqing said Li Kuang had comprehended the seventh sword of the Nine Ghost Shadow Swords.
• Li Kuang unleashed Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Souls, and Ye Chen's sword swing awakened Sword Intent, making nearby disciples' swords tremble in their sheaths.

Ye Chen defeated Li Kuang with Half-Step Sword Intent and became the focus of the Flowing Cloud Sect and the wider martial world, while a Purple Sun Sect spy secretly marked him for death. The ninth round began with Meng Chong facing Xiao Ye, who struggled against Meng Chong’s powerful blade strikes.

• Ye Chen’s Half-Step Sword Intent overwhelmed Li Kuang, and the steward declared Ye Chen the winner.
• The Grand Elder praised Ye Chen’s potential but ordered that his loyalty be tested, while Zhu Lieyang secretly decided to kill him for the Purple Sun Sect.
• Song Fei and Yi Qing discussed whether Ye Chen could challenge Meng Chong as the eighth round ended with Ye Chen, Meng Chong, and Tie Feng undefeated.
• Xiao Ye challenged Meng Chong in the ninth round, but Meng Chong’s second blade forced Xiao Ye back and left him bleeding.

Xiao Ye unveiled the Ancient Demon Secret Technique against Meng Chong but ultimately lost after Meng Chong severed both of his True Qi arms. The final round began with Ye Chen facing the undefeated Tie Feng, leaving their strength and the next challenger to Meng Chong unresolved.

• Xiao Ye blocked Meng Chong’s Third Blade with a True Qi arm, then revealed a second arm and challenged him with the Ancient Demon Secret Technique.
• Meng Chong severed Xiao Ye’s azure True Qi arm, but his saber became trapped in the green arm as Xiao Ye launched a True Qi ball that Meng Chong destroyed with blood-red lightning.
• Meng Chong cut through the green arm, whose fragments burst into flames and scorched the platform, and Xiao Ye admitted defeat.
• The remaining matches ended, and the final round began with Ye Chen facing Tie Feng, both still undefeated.
• Tie Feng asked Ye Chen to go easy on him, and Ye Chen agreed while remaining wary of Tie Feng’s unrevealed strength.

Ye Chen defeated Tie Feng by cutting through his Great Momentum with Half-Step Sword Intent, leaving only Ye Chen and Meng Chong undefeated in the tournament. The tenth round ended with the two tied for first, setting up a contest between them for the top place.

• Tie Feng attacked Ye Chen with One Leg Moves Wind and Clouds, but Ye Chen cut apart his Great Momentum with a sword strike.
• Tie Feng unleashed a flurry of kicks, and Ye Chen countered with dozens of Sword Qi strikes that cleaved through the attacks.
• Ye Chen released Half-Step Sword Intent, drawing nearby swords into his sword momentum and breaking Tie Feng's kicking momentum, sending Tie Feng flying and making him spit blood.
• Tie Feng praised Ye Chen's final strike and warned him that Meng Chong's overwhelming blade momentum could resist Half-Step Sword Intent.
• After the remaining six matches, the tenth round ended with Ye Chen and Meng Chong tied for first at twenty points, while Feng Ping, Dong Haohua, and Song Fei fell off the rankings.

The Inner Sect Ranking Match began, and Ye Chen defeated Zhou Ruo before Xiao Ye conceded after Ye Chen shattered his True Qi arms with his fists. The contest continued to establish the new rankings, with Meng Chong defeating Li Yun and Ye Chen remaining on course to challenge him.

• The Grand Elder began the Ranking Match after the ten disciples rested and replenished their strength with Essence Pills.
• Qiu Ruotong and Pei Shaoqing conceded to Ye Chen, while Zhou Ruo fought him with her Azure Bird Seal before admitting defeat.
• Li Yun defeated Pei Shaoqing with Sword Light Duplication, and Tie Feng forced Yi Qing to concede after their prolonged fight.
• Meng Chong defeated Li Yun by breaking his Sword Lights and knocking him off the platform with a punch.
• Xiao Ye challenged Ye Chen, but Ye Chen shattered his blue True Qi arm and overpowered his green one with Sole Dominator, prompting Xiao Ye to concede.

Ye Chen and Meng Chong fought an extended, evenly matched battle for first place in the Inner Sect competition. After more than a thousand exchanges, Ye Chen gained the upper hand, and Luo Hanshan declared him the winner.

• Tie Feng conceded to Meng Chong, bringing Meng Chong and Ye Chen together for the anticipated final battle.
• Flowing Cloud Sect disciples discussed the matchup, and Luo Hanshan predicted Ye Chen would prevail through endurance while Xu Jing said Meng Chong would lose.
• Meng Chong and Ye Chen traded saber strikes and sword attacks across the platforms, fighting through more than a thousand moves without a clear victor.
• Meng Chong used Startling Lightning Over the World and struck at Ye Chen with his fist, but Ye Chen met the attack with his own fist.
• After another clash, Meng Chong showed blood at the corner of his mouth, and Luo Hanshan said Ye Chen had won.

Ye Chen defeated Meng Chong and secured first place in the Flowing Cloud Sect's Inner Sect Ranking Match. He received the top reward and was chosen to join the sect's delegation to Jade Valley, where the great sects' elites would gather.

• Ye Chen used Dominate as King to withstand Meng Chong's lightning punch and win their match.
• Luo Hanshan warned the Core Disciples that Ye Chen, Meng Chong, Tie Feng, and Xiao Ye could challenge their positions.
• The Ranking Match ended with Ye Chen first, Meng Chong second, Tie Feng third, and Xiao Ye fourth.
• Ye Tianhao celebrated Ye Chen's victory as prominent figures congratulated him and considered his growing reputation.
• The Grand Elder announced the rewards and named Ye Chen to accompany the congratulatory delegation to Jade Valley on the ninth day of the seventh month.

Ye Chen trained with the Surging Cloud Swordplay in the depths of the Silent Mountain Range, where he fought two peak Level Four demon beasts. After showcasing the sword art’s power, he left the beasts wary and unable to press their attack.

• Ye Chen learned he would accompany the congratulatory delegation to Jade Valley in one month.
• In the Silent Mountain Range, Ye Chen spotted a Thorn Demon Wolf and a Silver Lightning Demon Ox fighting near his position.
• The Silver Lightning Demon Ox and Thorn Demon Wolf attacked Ye Chen together, and he drove them back with his swordplay.
• Ye Chen used Surging Cloud Infinity to wound the Silver Lightning Demon Ox, then watched as both beasts hesitated to attack again.
• Ye Chen reflected that the Earth-grade Low-tier Surging Cloud Swordplay had proven powerful in his trial against the demon beasts.

Ye Chen defeated two peak Level Four demon beasts in the Silent Mountain Range, while Zhu Lieyang pursued him and was badly wounded by a distant attack from a Black Giant Python. At Jade Valley, three young women discussed Ye Chen’s victory and Half-Step Sword Intent, and two recognized his name with surprise.

• Ye Chen killed the Silver Lightning Demon Ox and Thorn Demon Wolf with Sword Qi infused with Half-Step Sword Intent, then collected their Inner Cores and valuable materials.
• Zhu Lieyang arrived after Ye Chen had left and complained that he had lost his chance to kill him.
• A Black Giant Python fired a black-light attack from dozens of miles away, shattering Zhu Lieyang’s defenses and wounding him as he fled.
• Three young women at Jade Valley discussed the Flowing Cloud Sect ranking match and learned that Ye Chen had won first place and comprehended Half-Step Sword Intent.
• The pretty girl and Senior Sister Ji reacted with disbelief when they heard Ye Chen’s name and accomplishments.

Ye Chen joined the Flowing Cloud Sect’s party for Jade Valley after revealing that he had mastered the Surging Cloud Swordplay. The sect’s Heavenly Wind Vulture carried Ye Chen, Xu Jing, the Grand Elder, the Fourth Elder, and Luo Hanshan into the sky toward their destination.

• A Steward Disciple told Ye Chen that the Grand Elder had ordered him to gather at the Welcoming Plaza for the trip to Jade Valley.
• Ye Chen told the Grand Elder and Fourth Elder that he had learned the Surging Cloud Swordplay, then demonstrated its powerful Sword Momentum.
• The Heavenly Wind Vulture, the Flowing Cloud Sect’s tamed Level 5 Demon Beast, descended onto the Welcoming Plaza.
• The Grand Elder led Ye Chen, Xu Jing, and Luo Hanshan aboard the vulture, which flew swiftly toward Jade Valley.

Ye Chen and the elders traveled toward Jade Valley, where he was expected to represent the Flowing Cloud Sect, and fought off Meat Demons along the way. Other sects also journeyed to Jade Valley, including North Snow Manor’s Lin Qi and Yu Yue, Southern Luo Sect’s Yuan Xuemei, and Purple Sun Sect’s Ouyang Ming.

• Xu Jing told Ye Chen that the chief disciples would not attend Jade Valley unless someone reached the Primal Origin Realm and could match Young Master Jade.
• The Fourth Elder burned through a swarm of Meat Demons, and the Grand Elder cut a Level Five Meat Demon in half with his Purple Light Finger.
• The Fourth Elder praised the Grand Elder’s technique, and the Grand Elder’s remark about mastering it recalled Ye Chen’s rapid progress.
• Lin Qi and Yu Yue traveled with North Snow Manor elders, and Lin Qi grew eager to face the Flowing Cloud Sect disciple who had comprehended Half-Step Sword Intent.
• Yuan Xuemei traveled with the Southern Luo Sect and spoke with Senior Brother Nangong as their Hei Lin demonic beast crossed the sea of clouds.
• Ouyang Ming rode a Two-Headed King Bat with three companions toward the southwest.