Chapter Summaries

Lin Ke and the Golden Wing Sect party arrived in Dali Domain, where Duan explained the local customs and settled them into accommodations in Dian Cang City. The other major sects arrived later and were housed in separate corners of the city ahead of the grand assembly.

• Hua Wujiang translated the local attendants' welcome, and Duan led Lin Ke and the others through Dian Cang City while explaining its clothing and customs.
• Duan brought the Golden Wing Sect party to the Erhai-Viewing Residence and gave each young prodigy a Guest Elder Token for identification and protection.
• Lin Ke and the others stayed in their quarters to rest while waiting for the other sects to arrive.
• The Cloud Ink Sect, Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect, and Jade Great Radiance Church parties arrived in turn and received separate lodgings.
• The Dali imperial family placed the four sects in the city's four corners to limit conflict and prevent them from forming overly close ties.

Lin Ke and the Golden Wing Sect arrived at the imperial palace to meet the Imperial Clan and the other sects. After assessing the formidable Jade Great Radiance Church, they watched the Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect enter the gathering.

• The sect disciples traveled to the imperial palace, where Dongfang Yao speculated about meeting young princes or princesses of the Dali Domain's Imperial Clan.
• Lin Ke and the others reached the plaza and saw the Jade Great Radiance Church's disciples seated in disciplined silence.
• Dongfang Yao and other Golden Wing Sect disciples criticized the Jade Great Radiance Church, while Lin Ke sensed that its disciples and leaders were exceptionally powerful.
• The Golden Wing Sect took its seats and waited for the remaining sects to arrive.
• The Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect arrived, led by a towering, muscular old man whose presence radiated heat and power.

The Golden Wing Sect and Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect exchanged insults and clashed with their auras before the Cloud Ink Sect arrived and calmed the plaza. The four sects assembled and awaited the host, and the Imperial Sovereign’s arrival was announced.

• The Howling Ape Old Ghost mocked Hua Wujiang and the Golden Wing Sect’s young disciples, prompting angry replies from both sides.
• Dongfang Yao taunted the Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect, and the two sects’ disciples unleashed their auras against each other.
• The Cloud Ink Sect arrived, and its middle-aged scholar’s calming presence eased the confrontation.
• Hua Wujiang and the Howling Ape Old Ghost ordered their disciples to stand down and save their disputes for the arena.
• The four sects took their seats, and a bell announced the Imperial Sovereign’s arrival.

The Dali Imperial Clan finally presented the Imperial Sovereign to the assembled sects, revealing the overwhelming might of a Spirit Transformation Stage powerhouse. After greeting him, the sects heard him dismiss the formalities.

• The imperial family and high ministers emerged, but left the Purple Gold Throne empty while the sects waited for the Imperial Sovereign.
• Lin Ke and the sect leaders suspected the imperial family was deliberately making them wait.
• A golden avenue appeared across the sky, and the sect leaders warned the disciples to guard their minds against its Imperial Dragon Might.
• The Imperial Sovereign walked along the golden avenue and suppressed everyone in the square with his Spirit Transformation aura.
• The imperial family and sects greeted the Imperial Sovereign, who took his seat and told them to dispense with the formalities.

The Dali Domain’s Imperial Sovereign explained the proposed rules for the Heavenly Pride Gathering, including access to the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm. When he announced that the Imperial Clan would field three hundred participants instead of one hundred, the sects protested, and the Jade Great Radiance Church threatened to withhold its support.

• The Imperial Sovereign welcomed the sect delegations, while Howling Ape Old Ghost challenged the Imperial Clan’s sincerity and nearly clashed with Prince Yun’er.
• A Cloud Ink Sect elder and the Imperial Sovereign calmed Howling Ape Old Ghost and Prince Yun’er before the sects began discussing the gathering’s rules.
• The Imperial Sovereign described the Heavenly Pride Gathering and revealed that its victors could enter the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm.
• The Imperial Sovereign announced that the Imperial Clan would increase its participants from one hundred to three hundred, with each of his three imperial children leading one hundred.
• Howling Ape Old Ghost and other sect leaders protested the rule change, and the Jade Great Radiance Church warned that it would show no consideration if the Imperial Clan disregarded the rules.

The Imperial Sovereign defended adding Imperial Clan participants by warning that the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm might be opening for the last time, provoking the sect leaders to confront him. He offered more entry places and guaranteed each sect's top three disciples access, but ended by warning that they would bear the consequences if they refused.

• The Imperial Sovereign said the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm might open for the last time and justified adding Imperial Clan participants as a way to prepare for the danger.
• Howling Ape Old Ghost and the middle-aged man from the Jade Great Radiance Church challenged the Imperial Sovereign, and the sect leaders and Imperial Clan guards readied for battle.
• The Imperial Sovereign suppressed the gathering's killing intent with his aura and argued that cooperation was preferable to mutual destruction.
• The Imperial Sovereign proposed expanding secret realm eligibility from the top ten to the top thirty.
• The Imperial Sovereign guaranteed that each sect's top three participating disciples could enter the secret realm regardless of their rankings.
• The Imperial Sovereign warned the sects that they would bear the consequences if they still rejected his terms.

The four major sects decided whether to accept the Imperial Sovereign of Dali Domain’s new Heavenly Pride Gathering rules, which guaranteed each sect a chance to enter the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm. After the Jade Great Radiance Church agreed, Howling Ape Old Ghost accepted the rules too, though he warned that the Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect still intended to win through strength.

• Hua Wujiang agreed to the new rules on behalf of the Golden Wing Sect, explaining they offered his sect a more reliable share of the benefits.
• True Lord Zheyu agreed on behalf of the Cloud Ink Sect, prompting Howling Ape Old Ghost to seek the Jade Great Radiance Church’s position.
• Yin Jue announced that the Jade Great Radiance Church would follow the new rules.
• Howling Ape Old Ghost accepted the rules for the Giant Strength Fire Prison Sect and warned the others that his disciples could still sweep up all thirty places through their strength.

Hua Wujiang and Grass Louse True Lord explained the three stages of the Heavenly Pride Gathering to the Golden Wing Sect disciples, focusing on the dangers and rules of the first two stages. They warned the disciples to survive the Wasteland and not risk their lives in the arena matches.

• Hua Wujiang explained that the first stage would take place in the Wasteland, where participants gathered ancient talismans to earn rankings and advantages in later stages.
• Hua Wujiang warned that Wasteland Spirits, ancient formations, and restrictions threatened the participants, while Grass Louse True Lord cautioned them against schemes by disciples from other sects.
• Hua Wujiang and Grass Louse True Lord reassured the disciples that special items and strong mental power could help counter Wasteland Spirits.
• Grass Louse True Lord explained that the second stage consisted of arena matches between participants ranked in the Wasteland, with the top one hundred advancing and no limits on combat methods.
• Grass Louse True Lord urged the Golden Wing Sect disciples not to force a victory if the odds turned against them, then demanded to know whether they understood.

Hua Wujiang explained the arena battles and Mountain-Sea Pool stage of the Heavenly Pride Gathering, while Grass Louse True Lord warned the disciples to value survival over victory. Back at his residence, Lin Ke confirmed Lin Xuanyuan’s connection to the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm and planned how his group would approach the trials, which began the next morning.

• Grass Louse True Lord revealed that his disciple had died at the previous gathering after becoming too fixated on winning, and urged the disciples to stay alive.
• Hua Wujiang explained that disciples who passed the first two stages could cultivate at the Mountain-Sea Pool for half a month, where aptitude and comprehension determined their gains.
• Lin Can, the Clam Maiden, the Dream-Eating Gecko, and Lin Xuanyuan gathered at Lin Ke’s residence, where the Dream-Eating Gecko and Lin Xuanyuan brawled until Lin Ke separated them.
• Lin Xuanyuan told Lin Ke that he sensed a distant force from the Cloud Dragon Secret Realm calling to him and sharing an origin with his bloodline.
• Lin Ke explained that the changed entry rules and his sect’s guaranteed places gave them a better chance of bringing Lin Xuanyuan into the secret realm, then directed the group to proceed cautiously in the first stage and assess rival disciples.
• Lin Ke told the spirit insects to prepare for the Heavenly Pride Gathering, which would begin the next morning.

The Imperial Sovereign began the Heavenly Pride Gathering’s first stage by giving the prodigies Wasteland Crystals and Ancient Talismans, then sending them into the Wasteland. Lin Ke arrived alone in the barren realm and set out to search for Ancient Talismans.

• The Imperial Sovereign gave each participant a Wasteland Crystal to conceal their aura and warned them not to harm fellow participants.
• The Imperial Sovereign created ten ancient mirrors to show the prodigies’ situations and distributed Ancient Talismans that could locate other talismans.
• Hua Wujiang reminded the Golden Wing Sect disciples to help fellow disciples in danger before the Imperial Sovereign activated the Teleportation Array.
• The Teleportation Array scattered the prodigies across the Wasteland as the Imperial Sovereign and sect leaders watched through the mirrors.
• Lin Ke arrived alone in the bleak Wasteland, sensed its polluted mental power, and decided to search for Ancient Talismans.

Lin Ke followed the ancient talisman’s signal to a stone forest, where he found Wasteland Spirits and four more ancient talismans. The Dream-Eating Gecko discovered that the spirits’ mental crystals could strengthen him and began devouring them as the remaining spirits attacked.

• Lin Ke used his ancient talisman to sense another one nearby and traveled through the wasteland, using his Mental Power to overcome the tainted pressure.
• Lin Ke reached a stone forest and sensed Wasteland Spirits moving among the rocks.
• The Dream-Eating Gecko identified the Wasteland Spirits’ cores as potent mental crystals and said absorbing them could increase his Mental Power.
• Lin Ke spotted four ancient talismans and told the Dream-Eating Gecko to handle the spirits while he collected them.
• The Dream-Eating Gecko killed several Wasteland Spirits and swallowed their crystals, then the remaining spirits charged at him and Lin Ke.

Lin Ke and the Dream-Eating Gecko slaughtered Wasteland Spirits across the wasteland and collected Ancient Talismans, drawing the attention of the trial’s watching elders and the Imperial Sovereign. After crossing into a silent expanse of white sand, Lin Ke continued onward toward a region where more Ancient Talismans awaited.

• The Dream-Eating Gecko killed the nearby Wasteland Spirits, and Lin Ke praised him before gathering four Ancient Talismans.
• Lin Ke traveled a hundred li in one day, killing over five hundred Wasteland Spirits and collecting sixty-eight Ancient Talismans.
• The group leaders and the Imperial Sovereign watched Lin Ke through an ancient mirror as Howling Ape Old Ghost criticized his unusual approach and Hua Wujiang defended him.
• True Lord Zheyu praised the Golden Wing Sect’s promising disciples, while the Imperial Sovereign showed surprise at Lin Ke.
• Lin Ke reached a silent stretch of white sand where the Dream-Eating Gecko noticed that the obstruction to Mental Power had disappeared.
• Lin Ke sensed more Ancient Talismans ahead and continued into the strange white-sand region.

Lin Ke discovered that the Blood Moon’s light carried overwhelming mental contamination and killing intent, but Ancient Rust could absorb it as nourishment. He used the Dream-Eating Gecko’s Mirage Scene to hide the sword from the ancient mirrors, and Ancient Rust began devouring the energy.

• Lin Ke and the Dream-Eating Gecko found that the Blood Moon’s power caused severe mental pain and confusion.
• Lin Ke concluded that the moonlight carried mental contamination and ancient killing intent, so he planned to wait until daytime before venturing out.
• Ancient Rust stirred in response to the killing intent, and Lin Ke decided to let it absorb the energy while concealed.
• The Dream-Eating Gecko created a hundred-zhang Mirage Scene that Lin Ke believed would evade the ancient mirrors’ scrutiny.
• Lin Ke released Ancient Rust, which drew in the blood-red energy and began absorbing the ancient battlefield’s killing intent.

Lin Ke let Ancient Rust absorb the killing intent in the white-sand region, and the sword shed much of its rust and awakened a faint bloody glow. He continued exploring the Wasteland cautiously, then encountered Imperial Clan prodigies whose condition seemed abnormal.

• Lin Ke allowed Ancient Rust to absorb the region’s killing intent while the Dream-Eating Gecko maintained an illusion, and the sword’s aura filled the area with chilling terror.
• The ancient mirror’s view of Lin Ke became obscured, worrying Grass Louse True Lord and Hua Wujiang as Howling Ape Old Ghost mocked the possibility that Lin Ke would fall to a Restriction.
• After a night of absorbing killing intent, Ancient Rust shed most of its rust and responded to Lin Ke’s Spirit Power with a faint bloody glow.
• Lin Ke continued through the white-sand region, where stronger Wasteland Spirits yielded more Ancient Talismans, but he avoided venturing deeper because he might encounter Nascent Soul-level foes.
• After another day of exploration, Lin Ke encountered Imperial Clan prodigies at night and noticed that something seemed wrong with them.

Lin Ke encountered soulless Imperial Clan prodigies beneath the blood moon, then tested his Mystic Flame Horned Beetle Sovereigns against a horde of Wasteland Spirits in the Gray Plain. After collecting 223 Ancient Talismans, he heard startled voices from nearby searching for the vanished talismans.

• Lin Ke and the Dream-Eating Gecko discovered that three Imperial Clan prodigies had been hollowed out by eerie red light beneath the blood moon.
• Lin Ke traveled through the White Sand Plain and entered the Gray Plain, where stronger Wasteland Spirits attacked him.
• Lin Ke sent his Insect Formation to attack more than a hundred Wasteland Spirits with mystic flame, destroying them and leaving crystals and Ancient Talismans behind.
• The Dream-Eating Gecko swallowed the crystals while Lin Ke collected 223 Ancient Talismans, bringing his total to 429.
• As Lin Ke prepared to leave, several nearby people cried out that the Ancient Talismans had disappeared.

Lin Ke refused the Imperial Clan prodigies’ demand for his Ancient Talismans and continued gathering them in the Wasteland. He reunited with Wu Dao, shared the newly found talismans with no one else, and learned Wu Dao had been beaten along the way.

• Four Imperial Clan prodigies confronted Lin Ke and demanded that he hand over the Ancient Talismans, but he refused and left without fighting them.
• The Dream-Eating Gecko and Lin Xuanyuan argued over whether they should secretly attack the Imperial Clan prodigies, while the Clam Maiden urged them to follow Lin Ke’s instructions.
• Lin Ke used the Insect Formation to wipe out dozens of Wasteland Spirits and collect nearly a hundred Ancient Talismans as the Imperial Clan prodigies secretly watched him.
• Wu Dao arrived while following the talismans’ trail, declined Lin Ke’s offer to split them, and told him that he had been beaten on his way through the Wasteland.

Lin Ke and Wu Dao teamed up to gather Ancient Talismans and encountered a group of Imperial Clan prodigies seeking help with a Hidden Space. The chapter ended with Duan Yifeng revealing that more than a thousand powerful Wasteland Spirits occupied it.

• Wu Dao told Lin Ke about encountering lifeless, mutated prodigies that attacked like Demon Beasts, and said they had used no Spell Arts.
• Lin Ke and Wu Dao agreed to travel together, then rested through the night as Lin Ke kept Ancient Rust's secret hidden.
• The pair collected more Ancient Talismans together, but found a group of seven Imperial Clan prodigies at a new gathering place.
• Duan Yifeng asked Lin Ke and Wu Dao to join his group in exploring a Hidden Space filled with Ancient Talismans.
• Wu Dao questioned why the Imperial Clan prodigies needed help, and Duan Yifeng revealed that over a thousand Wasteland Spirits were inside the Hidden Space.

Lin Ke and Wu Dao accepted Duan Yifeng’s offer to explore a hidden space filled with thousands of Ancient Talismans and Wasteland Spirits. After opening the entrance beneath an altar in the ancient city ruins, the group entered the cavern, where the Wasteland Spirits began to stir.

• Duan Yifeng told Lin Ke and Wu Dao that the hidden space held at least two thousand Ancient Talismans and invited them to join his group.
• Lin Ke and Wu Dao agreed to explore the space, and Duan Yifeng led the group thirty li to the ancient city ruins.
• An Imperial Clan prodigy distributed nine crystal spheres, and the group used them together to open the entrance beneath the altar.
• Duan Yifeng and the others entered the hidden space, followed by Lin Ke and Wu Dao.
• The group saw thousands of Ancient Talismans amid a cavern packed with Wasteland Spirits, and the creatures began roaring and surging into agitation.

Lin Ke, Wu Dao, and Duan Yifeng’s Imperial Clan Geniuses fought through a swarm of wasteland spirits and advanced toward the Ancient Talismans. After the group began collecting them, Duan Yifeng activated a formation to pull nearly all the talismans toward the Imperial Clan, prompting Wu Dao and Lin Ke to turn against him.

• Duan Yifeng and the six Imperial Clan Geniuses used spirit-sacrifice techniques to attack the wasteland spirits, while Lin Ke studied their cultivation method.
• Wu Dao unleashed his Dry Ants’ heartflame, and Lin Ke sent out ten Flying Swords, rapidly destroying the spirits.
• The group cleared most of the swarm and began collecting the Ancient Talismans scattered through the cavern.
• Duan Yifeng and the other Imperial Clan Geniuses took up seven positions and activated Formation Flags to draw nearly all the Ancient Talismans toward themselves.
• Wu Dao angrily sent the Dry Ants’ heartflame toward the formation, while Lin Ke halted his collection and faced the Imperial Clan members with his Flying Swords.

Duan Yifeng offered to return Wu Dao’s share of the Ancient Talismans if Wu Dao helped kill Lin Ke, accusing Lin Ke of being a Shu Frontier spy because of his spirit insects. Lin Ke asked Wu Dao to stay out of the fight and declared he would face any attack, leaving the accusation unresolved.

• Duan Yifeng kept the Ancient Talismans and told Wu Dao and Lin Ke he had only taken them to prevent mishaps.
• Duan Yifeng demanded that Wu Dao help him kill Lin Ke in exchange for returning the talismans and giving Wu Dao an extra share.
• Wu Dao rejected the demand and prepared his Dry Ants to attack Duan Yifeng and his companions.
• Duan Yifeng accused Lin Ke of being a Shu Frontier spy, citing his ability to raise spirit insects unique to the Shu Frontier.
• Wu Dao hesitated as Lin Ke confirmed he possessed the insects but said he could not explain the matter yet.
• Lin Ke urged Wu Dao to stay out of the fight and said he would take whatever methods Duan Yifeng used against him.