Chapter Summaries

Summary: “Guanlan Daoist’s Condition”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Guanlan Daoist arrives at the Dao Entry Pavilion, drawing the attention of the Primordial geniuses gathered there.
• She congratulates Lu Ren for passing the Ten-Origin Heavenly Pass and breaking the Final Origin Pass record, revealing his identity to everyone.
• Lu Ren asks for the Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill, which Guanlan Daoist had previously promised only if he broke all ten records left by Cang Xuanming.
• Since Lu Ren has broken only the Final Origin Pass record, Guanlan refuses to honor the original wager outright. However, she reveals that she possesses the pill and offers him a new bargain.
• Lu Ren must participate in the Great Dao Sect’s New Disciple Ranking Tournament, win first place, and use the winner’s reward to obtain the Azure Tide Secret Canon for Guanlan Daoist.
• Lu Ren confidently accepts, declaring that he will secure first place and fight anyone who obstructs him.
• After Guanlan leaves, the surrounding geniuses mock Lu Ren, believing an “Ordinary Battle Body” cannot defeat disciples with Primordial Battle Bodies.
• Lu Ren completes his registration and receives his Great Dao Sect disciple token.
• Elder Huntian warns him that this group of new disciples is stronger than Cang Xuanming’s generation. He believes Lu Ren might reach the top ten but considers first place impossible.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His reputation rises after his record-breaking performance, but he immediately faces skepticism from the Great Dao Sect’s elite. His determination becomes even stronger as he accepts the challenge of winning the tournament to obtain the pill he urgently needs within three years.
• Guanlan Daoist: She is revealed to be calculating and testing Lu Ren. Rather than simply rewarding him, she uses the precious pill to create a more difficult challenge, requiring him to obtain the Azure Tide Secret Canon.
• Elder Huntian: He acts as a pragmatic guide and offers a realistic assessment of Lu Ren’s chances, emphasizing the strength of the upcoming competition.
• The Primordial geniuses: Their initial curiosity turns into disdain after learning that Lu Ren possesses an Ordinary Battle Body and still intends to challenge the sect’s strongest new disciples.

3. Significant Themes

• Determination versus external judgment: Lu Ren remains unmoved by ridicule and refuses to let others define his limits.
• The cost of opportunity: Precious treasures such as the Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill require difficult sacrifices and achievements.
• Reputation and prejudice: Lu Ren’s record-breaking accomplishments earn him recognition, but the sect’s elites still judge him by his battle-body classification.
• Rising competition: Entering the Great Dao Sect marks a transition from dominating the Ten Thousand Dao Source Ruins to confronting a much stronger group of peers.
• Tests of potential: Guanlan’s condition transforms the ranking tournament into a trial of whether Lu Ren can prove himself among the sect’s true geniuses.

4. Character Interactions

• Guanlan Daoist and Lu Ren: Their respectful but strategic exchange centers on the Soul-Congealing Pill. Guanlan challenges Lu Ren to win the tournament and obtain the Azure Tide Secret Canon, while Lu Ren responds with absolute confidence.
• Lu Ren and the surrounding geniuses: Though they ridicule his ambition, Lu Ren ignores their provocations and maintains his composure.
• Lu Ren and Elder Huntian: After registration, Lu Ren asks for an honest evaluation. Elder Huntian acknowledges his talent but warns that reaching first place is far beyond what current circumstances suggest.

Chapter Summary: Great Dao Sect’s Situation

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren learns that competing for first place in the Great Dao Sect’s New Disciple Ranking Tournament will be far more difficult than he expected.
• Although he has reached the forbidden extreme of the Domain-Transformation Stage and can contend with Dao-Shedding cultivators, Elder Huntian explains that most newly admitted disciples are Primordial Battle Bodies, with many already at the Dao-Shedding Stage.
• Elder Huntian reveals the Great Dao Sect’s internal power structure: of the sixteen Primordial Clans, nine possess absolute authority and each has produced a Daoist of the Great Dao Sect. The remaining seven clans are also fiercely competitive.
• Every disciple represents a powerful clan, meaning the tournament is not merely an individual competition but a struggle involving the clans’ future influence and resources.
• Guanlan Daoist’s public appearance was meant to protect Lu Ren from open retaliation by Annihilation Daoist and to signal that he had the Yin-Yang Skywatch Clan’s backing.
• Elder Huntian suggests that Guanlan Daoist hopes Lu Ren can win a high ranking for her clan, which currently lacks outstanding successors.
• He warns Lu Ren that the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan will likely target him secretly because he defeated Ji True Lord’s Great Dao Mirror Image.
• After Elder Huntian leaves, Lu Ren is attacked by a covert soul technique infused with Annihilation power. The attack is destroyed by the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda before it can harm him.
• Lu Ren identifies the attacker as a Realm-Locking Stage genius from the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan and confronts him.
• When the young man dismisses the attack as merely a test, Lu Ren immediately retaliates with the Void Instant-Kill Sword. His sword strike destroys the opponent’s lightning shield and forces him backward, shocking the surrounding Primordial geniuses.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates confidence in his ability to challenge higher-realm opponents, though he begins to understand the overwhelming strength and political backing of the Great Dao Sect’s disciples. He remains determined to compete for a high ranking and responds decisively to provocation rather than allowing himself to be intimidated.
• Elder Huntian: Acts as Lu Ren’s adviser, explaining the sect’s clan-based power structure and warning him about the dangers of hidden opposition.
• Guanlan Daoist: Though absent from most of the scene, her actions reveal that she is quietly supporting Lu Ren and attempting to use his talent to strengthen the declining Yin-Yang Skywatch Clan.
• Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan disciple: Reveals hostility toward Lu Ren by launching a secret soul attack. His confidence is shaken when Lu Ren not only resists the attack but overwhelms his defense with a single sword technique.

Significant Themes

• Competition and political struggle: The ranking tournament reflects the larger rivalry among the sixteen Primordial Clans, making advancement in the sect inseparable from clan power.
• Talent versus background: Lu Ren’s Ordinary Battle Body places him at a perceived disadvantage against Primordial Battle Bodies, but his achievements challenge the assumption that innate lineage determines strength.
• Hidden dangers and factional conflict: Even before the tournament begins, Lu Ren is targeted covertly, showing that threats within the Great Dao Sect may come through indirect or underhanded means.
• Determination against overwhelming odds: Despite learning that Dao-Shedding geniuses and powerful clans stand in his way, Lu Ren refuses to abandon his goal of ranking highly.
• Protection and strategic alliances: Guanlan Daoist’s public support demonstrates how personal cultivation and political backing are intertwined within the sect.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Elder Huntian: Elder Huntian tempers Lu Ren’s confidence with warnings about the strength of the Primordial clan disciples and explains why Guanlan Daoist intervened publicly.
• Lu Ren and Guanlan Daoist: Their relationship is framed as a strategic alliance; Guanlan supports Lu Ren while hoping he will represent the Yin-Yang Skywatch Clan in the tournament.
• Lu Ren and the Annihilation Clan disciple: Their interaction immediately becomes confrontational. After surviving the disciple’s secret attack, Lu Ren openly condemns his methods and counters with a powerful sword strike, establishing that he will not tolerate covert harassment.
• Lu Ren and the surrounding geniuses: His effortless resistance and swift counterattack attract the attention and surprise of the other newly admitted disciples, marking him as a serious competitor before the tournament even begins.

Chapter Summary: “Many Primordial Geniuses”

• Lu Ren establishes his strength: Lu Ren casually knocks Ji Qiu backward with a single sword strike, shocking the surrounding disciples because Lu Ren is only at the Domain-Transformation Stage while Ji Qiu is at the Realm-Locking Stage. Ji Qiu is furious and wants to attack again, but a companion stops him, warning that doing so would only humiliate him further. Ji Qiu suppresses his anger and vows to defeat Lu Ren during the ranking tournament, insisting that Lu Ren’s Ordinary Battle Body can never compare with superior physiques.
• Lu Ren continues cultivating: Ignoring the surrounding discussions, Lu Ren returns to the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda and begins refining the Great Dao Spirit Weapons he seized from the five lords. Since he previously lost five hundred such weapons fighting Ji True Lord’s Great Dao Mirror Image, he hopes that refining these stronger weapons will further increase the power of his technique, Myriad Weapons Slaying the Dao.
• Arrival of Luo Tianheng: As more newly inducted disciples gather, Luo Tianheng arrives with a white-robed elder. A renowned genius of the Heavenly Net Myriad Forms Clan and a personal disciple of a Great Dao Sect elder, Luo Tianheng has recently returned from training in the Chaotic Antiquity Battlefield. His shifting, profound aura causes the disciples to regard him as one of the strongest candidates for first place.
• Luo Tianheng and Yan Lin wager on first place: Luo Tianheng challenges Yan Lin, a powerful Dao-Shedding Stage genius from the Nine Luminaries Flame Heaven Clan, to compete for the top position in the ranking tournament. Yan Lin accepts and proposes wagering a Great Dao True Treasure, demonstrating the confidence and resources of both geniuses.
• Sword Boy challenges their assumptions: Sword Boy of the Myriad Swords Imperial Heaven Clan mocks Luo Tianheng and Yan Lin, claiming that even the three of them may not be qualified to compete for first place. He identifies Ji Litian of the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan as the true favorite, revealing that Ji Litian has deduced the Grand Dao True Intent Thunder Annihilation to the Fifth-Order Return to Simplicity level.
• Shock over Ji Litian’s achievement: Luo Tianheng and Yan Lin are visibly shaken. Reaching the Return to Simplicity level is extraordinarily difficult, especially for newly inducted disciples, most of whom would already be considered geniuses for reaching the Intent-Transformation Stage. Ji Litian’s achievement makes the ranking tournament far more competitive and casts doubt on the chances of the previously recognized top geniuses.
• Lu Ren takes interest: Hearing about Ji Litian’s mastery of Thunder Annihilation, Lu Ren emerges from cultivation and wonders how Ji Litian compares with Ji True Lord, hinting that he is already measuring this newly revealed rival against a powerful opponent from his past.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lu Ren remains calm and detached, demonstrating overwhelming combat strength despite his lower cultivation realm. His focus is on improving Myriad Weapons Slaying the Dao rather than arguing with rivals.
• Ji Qiu suffers humiliation and becomes determined to defeat Lu Ren in the tournament.
• Luo Tianheng displays confidence and ambition by openly challenging Yan Lin for first place.
• Yan Lin responds aggressively and backs his confidence with a valuable wager.
• Sword Boy acts as an informed, provocative outsider who unsettles the other geniuses by revealing Ji Litian’s superior achievement.
• Ji Litian, though absent, emerges as a major unseen threat and possibly the strongest competitor in the tournament.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated opponents: Lu Ren’s low cultivation does not reflect his true combat power.
• Competition among geniuses: The ranking tournament is framed as a contest between elite disciples backed by powerful clans and extraordinary techniques.
• The importance of mastery over cultivation level: Ji Litian’s Return to Simplicity mastery suggests that profound understanding of a Grand Dao True Intent can outweigh ordinary measures of strength.
• Rising tension and uncertainty: The arrival of new experts continually reshapes expectations for who can claim first place.

Chapter Summary: “The Ranking Battle Begins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The newly inducted disciples gather outside the Dao Entry Pavilion as the ranking battle is about to begin.
• The Great Dao Bell rings, and Elder Huntian appears to announce the start of the competition.
• He transports the disciples through a gate of light to the Ten-Thousand Dao Platform, an enormous arena surrounded by ancient Ten-Thousand Dao Pillars. Each pillar contains an independent battle space.
• Approximately 1,540 new disciples participate, though Dao-Shedding Stage disciples are allowed to skip the first round and advance directly to the second.
• The first round begins with each participant receiving 100 points. They must undergo ten random challenges, during which the victor can take one-tenth of the opponent’s points.
• After the random challenges, disciples may continue challenging higher-ranked opponents for one month, though they cannot challenge someone whose point total exceeds theirs by more than 100.
• The top 100 disciples will advance to the second round.
• Points earned can later be exchanged one-for-one for Great Dao Points, which are usable for cultivation resources.
• Final rankings also determine access to increasingly powerful Source Courts. The top 100 will compete for a Dao-Tier Source Court, whose cultivation environment is vastly superior to even a Mortal-Tier Tenth-Rank Source Court.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates careful observation and strategic thinking. He notices that many expected Dao-Shedding Stage geniuses are absent and correctly infers that they have advanced directly to the second round.
• He initially worries that continuous battles over a month could leave disciples too badly injured to compete, but learns that the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillars contain recovery formations and that severely disadvantaged fighters can admit defeat.
• Lu Ren becomes more aware of the importance of the competition and the advantages that a high ranking can provide.

Significant Themes

• Competition for resources: The battle is not merely a contest of strength; rankings determine access to valuable cultivation resources and future opportunities.
• Ambition and status: The disciples are eager to prove themselves and bring honor or rewards to their Lineages.
• Fairness within ruthless competition: Recovery formations, voluntary surrender, and restrictions on challenge gaps help prevent the contest from being decided solely by early injuries.
• The importance of cultivation advantages: The enormous difference between Mortal-Tier and Dao-Tier Source Courts emphasizes how resources can shape a cultivator’s future.
• Strategic endurance: Since the competition lasts a month and involves repeated challenges, participants must manage their points, injuries, and opponents carefully.

Character Interactions

• The disciples openly discuss their ambitions, particularly the goal of reaching the top 100 and obtaining a Dao-Tier Source Court.
• A nearby disciple explains the recovery mechanisms of the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillars to Lu Ren, resolving his concerns about prolonged combat.
• Elder Huntian serves as the authoritative figure who introduces the arena, explains the rules, and reveals the rewards, intensifying the disciples’ excitement and determination.

Summary: “Ten Victories in Ten Battles”

Key Plot Points and Events

Elder Huntian announces the rewards for the second round of the new disciples’ ranking tournament. The top hundred receive increasingly valuable Dao Tier Source Courts, while the top three gain access to first-grade Heaven Tier Source Courts. First place also receives an enormous bonus of ten thousand Great Dao Points, making the competition especially intense.
The tournament begins with every disciple receiving one hundred points and being transported into separate battle spaces within the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillars. Lu Ren’s first opponent is a Domain-Transformation Stage disciple from the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan. The opponent attacks confidently after hearing that Lu Ren defeated the Annihilation Dao Child’s Great Dao Mirror Image, but Lu Ren effortlessly suppresses him with his twenty-zhang Chaos Great Dao Domain. Unable to move or circulate his Primordial Force, the opponent quickly surrenders.
Lu Ren’s second opponent is a woman from the Taiqing Yuan Celestial Clan. Before fighting, Lu Ren asks about Su Jiyuan, but she agrees to answer only if he defeats her. Her swift sword attack cannot break through Lu Ren’s Chaos Great Dao Domain, so she concedes and reveals that Su Jiyuan is being specially groomed by her clan.
Lu Ren continues through the third to tenth battles, defeating every opponent with overwhelming ease. After ten consecutive victories, his score rises to 203 points. Once all participants complete their matches, Lu Ren ranks one hundred and thirtieth. Although many disciples share his score, he is the only one among them at the Domain-Transformation Stage.
The next phase is announced: a month-long ranking tournament in which disciples may challenge those above them or defend their positions. Lu Ren enters the space corresponding to his rank but chooses not to challenge anyone immediately, expecting Realm-Locking Stage experts to target him because of his surprisingly low ranking relative to his cultivation.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates overwhelming control over the Chaos Great Dao. His twenty-zhang Great Dao Domain is far stronger than what is normally expected at his stage, allowing him to defeat or force the surrender of similarly ranked opponents without serious effort. He also shows continued concern about Su Jiyuan and remains strategically cautious about the next tournament phase.
• Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan disciple: Begins confident but becomes frightened and impressed after being completely immobilized by Lu Ren. He warns his fellow clansmen about Lu Ren’s strength.
• Taiqing Yuan Celestial Clan woman: Initially tests Lu Ren with a surprise sword attack, but after failing to penetrate his domain, she acknowledges his superiority and provides limited information about Su Jiyuan.
• Su Jiyuan: Though absent, she is revealed to be receiving special cultivation and attention from the Taiqing Yuan Celestial Clan.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond conventional expectations: Lu Ren’s Chaos Great Dao Domain greatly exceeds the normal limits of disciples at his cultivation level, emphasizing his exceptional talent.
• Competition and status: The enormous rewards make ranking a major source of motivation, while the tournament’s structure highlights how quickly reputation and position can change.
• Strategic concealment and reputation: Lu Ren’s low rank compared with his actual power makes him an attractive target, but it may also allow him to surprise stronger challengers.
• Connections across clans: Lu Ren’s inquiry about Su Jiyuan shows that personal relationships and information about powerful clans remain important amid the competition.

Character Interactions

Lu Ren intimidates the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan disciple through a one-sided battle, prompting the defeated disciple to warn others. His exchange with the Taiqing Yuan Celestial Clan woman combines combat with an attempt to gather information about Su Jiyuan. These interactions help spread Lu Ren’s reputation while also revealing that Su Jiyuan is being prepared as an important figure within her clan.

Chapter Summary: Ji Qiu’s Challenge

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren enters the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillars ranking battles and initially focuses on conserving his strength rather than issuing challenges.
• Because he remains inactive while other disciples fight and gain points, his rank falls from roughly 130th to around 210th.
• The ranking system allows disciples within one hundred places of each other to issue challenges; entering the top hundred is enough to advance to the second round.
• Five powerful Daoists—Guanlan, Nine Luminaries, Myriad Swords, Annihilation, and Myriad Manifestations—arrive to observe the rankings. Guanlan Daoist reveals interest in recruiting Lu Ren.
• The Daoists debate Lu Ren’s chances of entering the top hundred. Myriad Swords Daoist doubts him because Lu Ren is only at the Domain-Transformation Stage, while Ji True Lord believes Lu Ren can defeat ordinary Realm-Locking cultivators.
• After defeating another Realm-Locking disciple and reaching roughly 300th place, Ji Qiu notices Lu Ren’s declining rank and challenges him, hoping to prove that Lu Ren’s earlier victory over him was only due to surprise.
• Ji Qiu unleashes his Annihilation Thunder Tribulation Force, but Lu Ren responds with his Chaos Great Dao Domain.
• Contrary to Ji Qiu’s belief that Lu Ren’s domain was only twenty zhang wide, it expands to an enormous 120 zhang. The overwhelming pressure suppresses Ji Qiu’s power and forces him to kneel.
• Lu Ren warns Ji Qiu to admit defeat before the pressure damages his Great Dao Origin.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates exceptional restraint and confidence, deliberately avoiding unnecessary battles. He reveals that his true strength is far greater than observers—including Ji Qiu—expected. His Chaos Great Dao Domain establishes him as a serious contender for the top hundred.
• Ji Qiu: Remains proud and resentful after their previous encounter, convinced that Lu Ren only defeated him through a surprise attack. His confidence collapses when Lu Ren’s vastly superior domain suppresses him almost effortlessly.
• Ji True Lord: Shows unusual support for Lu Ren, acknowledging that Lu Ren’s Forbidden Extreme Realm and powerful domain make him capable of defeating ordinary Realm-Locking experts.
• The visiting Daoists: Become increasingly interested in Lu Ren’s potential, with Guanlan Daoist openly considering him as a possible successor or recruit.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Lu Ren’s true ability is underestimated because others rely on incomplete information about his cultivation.
• Strength versus rank: Rankings do not always immediately reflect actual power; Lu Ren’s declining position hides his extraordinary combat ability.
• Strategic patience: Lu Ren prioritizes preserving his strength for the more important second round instead of chasing temporary ranking gains.
• Pride and consequences: Ji Qiu’s desire to prove himself leads him to challenge Lu Ren, only to be decisively overwhelmed.
• Recognition of talent: Lu Ren’s performance begins attracting the attention of powerful Daoists and may influence his future opportunities.

Character Interactions

• The visiting Daoists discuss Lu Ren’s prospects, with Guanlan Daoist defending his value and Myriad Swords Daoist questioning whether he can reach the top hundred.
• Ji Qiu confronts Lu Ren directly, claiming their previous encounter was decided by surprise and demanding a proper test.
• Lu Ren calmly counters Ji Qiu’s attacks and exposes his mistaken assumptions about the size of his Great Dao Domain.
• The chapter ends with Lu Ren urging Ji Qiu to surrender before his cultivation foundation is seriously damaged.

Chapter 4337 Summary — “Score Control”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Qiu, a newly advanced Realm-Locking Stage cultivator, challenges Lu Ren but is overwhelmed by Lu Ren’s Chaos Great Dao Domain, which has expanded to an astonishing 120 zhang.
• Realizing that continuing would damage his Great Dao Origin, Ji Qiu concedes. Lu Ren gains points and returns to the top hundred rankings.
• Ji Qiu warns the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan’s disciples not to challenge Lu Ren casually, explaining that ordinary Realm-Locking Stage cultivators cannot withstand his domain suppression.
• Despite the warning, multiple Realm-Locking Stage disciples challenge Lu Ren. Lu Ren defeats them all, rapidly climbing from the top hundred to the top thirty.
• The spectators and senior figures are shocked that an Ordinary Battle Body at the Domain-Transformation Stage can defeat so many Realm-Locking Stage opponents.
• Ji Feng, a powerful Realm-Locking Stage genius of the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan with a bloodline concentration of fifty-two, challenges Lu Ren to test whether Lu Ren truly possesses the legendary Domain-Transformation Forbidden Extreme Realm.
• Lu Ren’s ranking suddenly drops from the top thirty to the seventies, leading everyone to believe Ji Feng defeated him quickly.
• However, Ji Feng reveals that Lu Ren voluntarily conceded after only a few exchanges, even remarking that Ji Feng’s strength was merely “so-so” and that he would let him win one match.
• The Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan members attempt to rationalize the concession as Lu Ren fearing defeat, but Ji Feng is humiliated rather than pleased.
• Ji True Lord correctly identifies Lu Ren’s strategy: he is deliberately controlling his score and ranking, rather than simply trying to win every battle.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming domain power against ordinary Realm-Locking Stage cultivators. His decision to concede to Ji Feng reveals that he is calculating and strategically managing his ranking.
• Ji Qiu suffers a serious blow to his confidence after being forced to concede. He becomes wary of Lu Ren and warns his fellow clan members, though he later tries to preserve the clan’s pride by suggesting Lu Ren conceded out of fear.
• Ji Feng is introduced as a stronger and more confident clan genius. Although he technically gains the victory, Lu Ren’s deliberate concession makes him feel insulted and enraged.
• The Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan disciples initially celebrate Ji Feng’s apparent victory, interpreting it as the restoration of their clan’s honor. Their confidence collapses when they learn Lu Ren chose to lose.
• The observing Daoists and elders become increasingly interested in Lu Ren’s unusual performance. Myriad Swords Daoist assumes Lu Ren has finally been exposed, while Ji True Lord sees through the apparent defeat.

Significant Themes

• Strategic restraint versus brute victory: Lu Ren does not seek to win every battle. He manipulates his score and ranking for an undisclosed strategic purpose.
• Hidden strength and misdirection: His voluntary concession causes others to underestimate him, allowing him to conceal his true abilities.
• Pride and humiliation: Ji Feng’s reaction shows that being deliberately allowed to win can be more insulting than suffering a straightforward defeat.
• Prejudice against the Ordinary Battle Body: Lu Ren’s achievements challenge the belief that an Ordinary Battle Body cannot compete with powerful Realm-Locking Stage cultivators.
• Perception versus reality: The spectators interpret the ranking drop as a defeat, but the truth is that Lu Ren remains in control of the situation.

Chapter Summary: “Picking on the Soft Persimmon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji True Lord and Myriad Swords Daoist realize that Lu Ren is deliberately manipulating his ranking in the first round of battles.
• Lu Ren intentionally concedes when his ranking rises too high and wins only when he falls out of the top hundred, keeping himself safely within the qualifying range while avoiding unnecessary attention from stronger opponents.
• The other prodigies eventually recognize his strategy and stop challenging him, causing his ranking to drop as the scores of the top contestants rise.
• When Lu Ren falls below the top hundred, he chooses to challenge Ji Feng, who has just reached ninety-eighth place. Lu Ren casually describes him as a “weaker” opponent, provoking Ji Feng.
• Ji Feng attacks with the Primordial Divine Ability Annihilation Thunder Sword, but Lu Ren destroys it with a single strike from the Chaos Ancient Sword.
• Ji Feng then unleashes his Wind-Thunder Extreme Slaughter, using Grand Dao True Intent and numerous thunder dragons.
• Lu Ren employs Chaos Dao Contemplation and Dao Evolution to perceive and predict the attack’s movements, destroying the thunder dragons before they can reach their full power.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates exceptional confidence, tactical intelligence, and precise control over the ranking system. His strength proves far greater than expected for someone with an Ordinary Battle Body. He also reveals the advanced ability to analyze and predict the trajectories of powerful techniques.
• Ji Feng: Initially confident in his status as a Realm-Locking prodigy of the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan, he becomes enraged by Lu Ren’s dismissal and increasingly shocked as both of his strongest techniques are effortlessly countered.
• Myriad Swords Daoist and Ji True Lord: Correctly identify Lu Ren’s score manipulation, becoming increasingly impressed by his daring and composure.
• Nine Luminaries Daoist: Highlights the arrogance of the Primordial Clan disciples and recognizes that Lu Ren’s presence in the top hundred challenges their pride.

Significant Themes

• Strategic restraint versus open competition: Lu Ren values qualification and long-term advantage over glory, deliberately concealing his true strength.
• Pride and underestimation: The elite disciples look down on Lu Ren because of his Ordinary Battle Body, while Lu Ren treats their reputations as irrelevant.
• Hidden power: Lu Ren’s apparent weakness masks extraordinary combat ability, turning the expectations of the surrounding prodigies against them.
• Observation and prediction: Rather than relying solely on overwhelming force, Lu Ren uses his Chaos Dao Contemplation to understand and dismantle Ji Feng’s techniques at their source.
• Humiliation of the elite: An Ordinary Battle Body entering the top hundred—and defeating a proud Primordial Clan prodigy—undermines the hierarchy and confidence of the established geniuses.

Character Interactions

• The Daoists discuss and interpret Lu Ren’s unusual ranking strategy, shifting from suspicion to admiration.
• Lu Ren and Ji Feng exchange insults before their battle: Lu Ren calls Ji Feng a suitable “soft persimmon,” while Ji Feng condemns him as arrogant.
• Ji Feng tries to prove his superiority through increasingly powerful techniques, but Lu Ren repeatedly defeats them with minimal effort, leaving Ji Feng confused and horrified.

Chapter Summary: The First Round of the Ranking Battle Ends

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren confronts Ji Feng, a powerful disciple of the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan. Despite Ji Feng’s Realm-Locking Stage cultivation and fifty-two bloodline concentration, Lu Ren completely overwhelms him.
• Ji Feng realizes that Lu Ren possesses combat strength comparable to the Dao-Shedding Stage. His Primordial Divine Ability and Grand Dao True Intent are both effortlessly countered, leaving him no hope of victory.
• Ji Feng voluntarily concedes, causing Lu Ren’s ranking to rise to eighty-ninth place. He then warns his fellow clan members not to challenge Lu Ren.
• As the month-long first round continues, Lu Ren deliberately manages his ranking. He challenges others whenever he risks falling outside the top hundred, but occasionally concedes to avoid ranking too high.
• Lu Ren eventually settles at ninety-seventh place, just high enough to qualify for the second round.
• Jian Tie, a prodigy of the Myriad Swords Imperial Heaven Clan with greater bloodline concentration and stronger apparent power than Ji Feng, decides to challenge Lu Ren.
• Because Jian Tie is ranked above Lu Ren, he first arranges for another disciple to challenge him and voluntarily loses, dropping his ranking to around one hundred and twentieth place. He then directly challenges Lu Ren in an attempt to force him out of the top hundred.
• The battle cannot be observed, but Jian Tie is soon thrown out of Lu Ren’s Ten-Thousand Dao Pillar. Lu Ren’s ranking rises from ninety-seventh to sixtieth.
• The bell signaling the end of the first round rings immediately afterward.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability far beyond what his cultivation level suggests. He is not merely trying to maximize his ranking; instead, he carefully controls it to guarantee advancement while avoiding unnecessary attention. His defeat of both Ji Feng and Jian Tie establishes him as one of the strongest new disciples.
• Ji Feng: Moves from confidence to complete submission after recognizing Lu Ren’s superiority. His defeat changes him into a reluctant informant, warning his clan that challenging Lu Ren would be futile.
• Jian Tie: Reveals considerable pride and determination. Rather than accepting Lu Ren’s advancement, he manipulates the ranking rules to create a chance to challenge him. His decisive defeat shows that his confidence was misplaced.
• Other Primordial Clan disciples: Their attitudes shift from curiosity and hostility toward caution and disbelief as Lu Ren repeatedly defeats stronger opponents.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Lu Ren’s apparent cultivation level conceals combat power capable of defeating high-level prodigies.
• Pride versus reality: Jian Tie’s confidence and the clans’ unwillingness to accept Lu Ren’s rise contrast sharply with the undeniable results of battle.
• Strategy and restraint: Lu Ren’s deliberate control of his ranking shows that success depends not only on strength but also on careful planning.
• Reputation through action: Lu Ren earns recognition not through boasts, but through clean victories that force even his opponents to acknowledge his superiority.
• Competition among elite clans: The ranking battle reflects the rivalry and prejudice among the Primordial Clans, many of whom do not want Lu Ren to advance.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Ji Feng engage in a decisive confrontation, ending with Ji Feng’s voluntary surrender.
• Ji Feng reports Lu Ren’s strength to his clanmates and urges them to avoid challenging him.
• Jian Tie openly challenges the fear surrounding Lu Ren and arranges a ranking sacrifice so he can fight him.
• Ji Feng predicts Jian Tie’s defeat, while another clan disciple defends Jian Tie’s strength.
• Jian Tie’s immediate defeat validates Ji Feng’s assessment and cements Lu Ren’s dominance as the first round concludes.

Chapter Summary: Ji Litian

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jian Tie is swiftly defeated and blasted out of the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillar by Lu Ren. His loss shocks the surrounding disciples because Jian Tie had been considered strong enough to enter the top hundred.
• Jian Tie reveals that Lu Ren possesses combat power at the Dao-Shedding Stage, despite being only an Ordinary Battle Body at the Domain-Transformation Stage.
• Jian Tie’s defeat causes him to fall out of the top hundred, eliminating him from the second round. His attempt to force Lu Ren out of the rankings backfires.
• The five Daoists, including Myriad Swords Daoist and Guanlan Daoist, recognize that Lu Ren may be strong enough to contend for the top twenty. Guanlan Daoist realizes she had underestimated him.
• Elder Huntian announces the end of the first round. The top hundred disciples advance to the second round, which will determine the final rankings.
• The second round introduces a challenge-based system: each disciple receives five challenges and can replace another disciple’s rank by defeating them. Lower-ranked disciples must challenge progressively higher-ranked opponents before reaching the top ten.
• Ji Litian and fourteen other Dao-Shedding Stage geniuses arrive or begin participating in the second round. Their overwhelming strength causes their opponents to concede without fighting.
• The fifteen Dao-Shedding Stage disciples rapidly occupy the top fifteen positions, with Ji Litian ranked first, Sword Boy second, Luo Tianheng third, and Yan Lin fourth.
• Lu Ren observes that the top ranks are now heavily protected by these powerful geniuses. Despite this, he declares that his ambitions extend beyond merely entering the top ten.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: His victory over Jian Tie confirms that his combat ability has reached the Dao-Shedding Stage. He gains recognition from the disciples and Daoists and demonstrates confidence in aiming for the highest ranks.
• Jian Tie: He suffers a humiliating defeat and is eliminated from the second round. His bitterness stems not only from losing but also from realizing that his attempt to manipulate the rankings caused his own downfall.
• Guanlan Daoist: She acknowledges that she underestimated Lu Ren, suggesting increased interest in and appreciation of his potential.
• Ji Litian: He makes a dramatic entrance with an aura of powerful lightning and is immediately established as the strongest participant, taking first place after his first challenges.
• The fifteen Dao-Shedding Stage geniuses: Their dominance becomes clear as they effortlessly defeat or intimidate lower-ranked opponents into conceding and seize the top fifteen positions.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Lu Ren’s status as an Ordinary Battle Body contrasts sharply with his exceptional combat power, challenging assumptions about innate talent and rank.
• Ambition and competition: The ranking battle rewards those willing to challenge stronger opponents, while the enormous differences in rewards intensify the struggle for the top positions.
• Overconfidence and consequences: Jian Tie’s decision to target Lu Ren in order to protect his own ranking results in his elimination.
• Power hierarchy: The arrival of the Dao-Shedding Stage geniuses dramatically reshapes the rankings and illustrates the vast gap between cultivation realms.
• Determination against overwhelming odds: Despite fifteen superior geniuses occupying the top ranks, Lu Ren remains focused on surpassing expectations rather than settling for a respectable position.

Character Interactions

• Jian Tie’s fellow disciples question him after his defeat, prompting him to reveal Lu Ren’s true strength.
• The five Daoists discuss Lu Ren’s performance, with Nine Luminaries Daoist teasing Guanlan Daoist for having “found a treasure.”
• Sword Boy informs Ji Litian about Lu Ren’s victory and Dao-Shedding Stage combat power.
• Ji Litian reacts with surprise upon seeing Lu Ren ranked sixtieth and connects his strength to Lu Ren’s earlier defeat of Annihilation Daoist’s Great Dao Mirror Image.
• Elder Huntian sets the rules and initiates the second round, while the participating geniuses reshape the rankings through a series of uncontested challenges.

Chapter Summary: Tyrant Armor Mountain-Sealing

Key Plot Points and Events

• The second round of ranking battles begins. Unlike the first round, each disciple has only five challenge opportunities, making them cautious. They can also observe other battles through their divine souls before choosing opponents.
• Lu Ren, ranked sixtieth, grows tired of waiting and takes the initiative. He challenges Ba Hu, ranked thirtieth, a powerful Realm-Locking prodigy of the Tyrant Armor Mountain-Sealing Clan.
• Ba Hu is known for his fifty-four-percent bloodline concentration and exceptional defensive ability, making him a formidable opponent even among Realm-Locking cultivators.
• Their battle attracts widespread attention, including that of the five Daoists, elders, and top-ranked Dao-Shedding prodigies such as Ji Litian, Sword Boy, and Luo Tianheng.
• Ba Hu begins with a powerful saber strike, attempting to overwhelm Lu Ren through strength. Lu Ren counters with the Chaos Ancient Sword and his Heaven-Chaos Great Dao True Intent.
• Lu Ren’s attack forces Ba Hu backward more than ten steps, shocking the spectators. Despite having an Ordinary Battle Body and a lower innate physical advantage, Lu Ren gains the upper hand through his powerful swordsmanship and mastery of Grand Dao True Intent.
• Lu Ren continues attacking, repeatedly forcing Ba Hu into retreat. In desperation, Ba Hu activates his bloodline divine ability, Heaven-Tyrant Guard.
• The ability forms a thick, dark-golden defensive shield around Ba Hu, resembling the protection of massive divine mountains. Lu Ren’s sword lights strike the shield repeatedly but fail to break it.
• Ba Hu regains confidence and declares that Lu Ren’s Ordinary Battle Body cannot overcome the defenses of the Tyrant Armor Mountain-Sealing Force.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates that his combat strength is far beyond what his Ordinary Battle Body suggests. His mastery of Heaven-Chaos Great Dao True Intent allows him to overpower Ba Hu in direct clashes and reveals that he may genuinely possess Dao-Shedding-level combat power.
• Ba Hu: Initially arrogant and confident in his superior strength and defense, he is visibly shaken after being forced backward. His confidence returns only after activating Heaven-Tyrant Guard, showing that his greatest reliance is his clan’s powerful defensive bloodline.
• The observing Daoists and prodigies: Their interest in Lu Ren intensifies. Myriad Swords Daoist recognizes the extraordinary power of Lu Ren’s attacks, while Ji True Lord and Nine Luminaries Daoist analyze his mastery of Grand Dao True Intent and the challenge of breaking Ba Hu’s defense.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond appearances: Lu Ren’s Ordinary Battle Body appears disadvantaged compared with Ba Hu’s Primordial Battle Body, yet his understanding of the Great Dao compensates for—and may surpass—innate physical superiority.
• Offense versus defense: The battle centers on whether Lu Ren’s exceptional sword attacks can overcome Ba Hu’s nearly impenetrable bloodline defense.
• Revealing hidden abilities: The ranking battle serves as a stage for Lu Ren to reveal his true strength to the wider sect, while Ba Hu unveils his clan’s signature defensive technique.
• Confidence and adaptability: Ba Hu’s arrogance is challenged by Lu Ren’s unexpected power, forcing him to rely on his strongest defensive ability.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Ba Hu exchange confident remarks before the battle, with Ba Hu mocking Lu Ren’s decision to challenge him.
• Their combat interaction contrasts Lu Ren’s calm, relentless sword attacks with Ba Hu’s forceful saber strikes and defensive transformation.
• The observing experts discuss and evaluate Lu Ren’s abilities, particularly his use of Grand Dao True Intent despite his Ordinary Battle Body.
• The chapter ends with Ba Hu challenging Lu Ren’s ability to break his defense, setting up the next stage of their confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “A Sword Shattered a Divine Ability”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren secretly combines his Origin Qi and Remnant Qi, merging them into the Chaos Great Dao Origin and drawing out hidden primordial power from the Void of Destiny Qi.
• With the Chaos Ancient Sword, he unleashes a gray-white Chaos Sword Light that shatters Ba Hu’s powerful Heaven-Tyrant Guard, a defensive bloodline divine ability considered nearly indestructible.
• The sword strike seriously injures Ba Hu and sends him crashing to the edge of the battle platform.
• Realizing he cannot win without exposing more of his trump cards, Ba Hu concedes. Lu Ren’s ranking rises from 60th to 30th place.
• The spectators and observing Daoists are stunned, especially because Lu Ren broke a Primordial Divine Ability with a single strike.
• Ji True Lord predicts that Lu Ren may contend for the top five, despite being only at the Realm-Locking Stage.
• Ji True Lord also reveals that Sect Master Xuan Yin has accepted Lu Ren as a personal disciple, shocking the other Daoists.
• The Daoists speculate that Lu Ren may have been chosen as a “whetstone” for Cang Xuanming, but Ji True Lord warns that Lu Ren may be too formidable for such a role.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates a major improvement in controlling and utilizing his existing power rather than simply increasing his cultivation. He can now awaken primordial might hidden within his Remnant Qi, greatly enhancing the strength of his sword techniques.
• Ba Hu: Suffers a decisive defeat and is forced to concede. His confidence and unwillingness to lose give way to a practical recognition of Lu Ren’s overwhelming advantage.
• Ji True Lord: Develops an even higher opinion of Lu Ren, judging him stronger than Cang Xuanming and capable of reaching the tournament’s top five.
• Guanlan Daoist: Although capable of observing profound forces through yin-yang insights, she cannot determine exactly how Lu Ren’s sword gained such primordial might.
• Sect Master Xuan Yin: His decision to accept Lu Ren as a personal disciple introduces uncertainty about his intentions and his relationship with Cang Xuanming.

Significant Themes

• Hidden potential and mastery: Lu Ren’s breakthrough comes not from higher cultivation, but from better command of the powers already within him.
• Unpredictability of genius: Even experienced Daoists cannot fully understand or predict Lu Ren’s methods.
• Power versus rank: Though Lu Ren remains at a lower cultivation stage, his techniques and control allow him to challenge opponents with superior Great Dao power.
• Political and sectarian maneuvering: Xuan Yin’s acceptance of Lu Ren as a disciple may alter the balance within the Great Dao Sect and affect the rivalry between Lu Ren and Cang Xuanming.
• The danger of underestimating opponents: Ji True Lord suggests that using Lu Ren merely to temper Cang Xuanming could backfire.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren directly offers Ba Hu the chance to continue after defeating him; Ba Hu reluctantly concedes rather than reveal all his remaining abilities.
• The watching disciples debate whether Lu Ren can challenge the top ten.
• Myriad Swords Daoist asks Ji True Lord to evaluate Lu Ren’s potential, prompting the prediction that Lu Ren may reach the top five.
• Ji True Lord’s claim that Lu Ren is stronger than Cang Xuanming shocks the other Daoists.
• The Daoists discuss and question Sect Master Xuan Yin’s motives, with Guanlan Daoist suggesting Lu Ren may be intended as Cang Xuanming’s training opponent and Ji True Lord warning that Lu Ren could overturn that plan.

Chapter Summary: “Challenge the Dao-Shedding Stage”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating Ba Hu, Lu Ren immediately returns to the Ten-Thousand Dao Platform and chooses to continue fighting rather than rest.
• Ranked thirtieth, he is eligible to challenge disciples placed eleventh through twenty-ninth. Instead of choosing a lower-ranked opponent, Lu Ren directly challenges Zhong Shaoyang, ranked fifteenth.
• The spectators are shocked by his decision, since Zhong Shaoyang is a powerful Dao-Shedding prodigy of the Profound Yang Cold-Heaven Clan and is believed to possess strength comparable to the top five.
• Inside the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillar, Zhong Shaoyang confronts Lu Ren. Lu Ren explains that he chose Zhong because he considers him the strongest opponent among ranks eleven through fifteen.
• Zhong Shaoyang begins the battle with his icy white saber, using Cold-Heaven Grand Dao power combined with Profound Yang. His attack contains Grand Dao True Intent at the Intent-Transformation Stage and vastly exceeds Ba Hu’s strength.
• Lu Ren blocks Zhong Shaoyang’s attacks with the Chaos Ancient Sword. Although he is forced back slightly, his Chaos Dao Contemplation at the Dao Evolution level allows him to analyze and adapt to Zhong’s techniques.
• The two exchange dozens of blows without either gaining a decisive advantage. Lu Ren’s ability to contend with a Fourth-Stage Dao-Unity Realm Dao-Shedding cultivator while only at the Domain-Transformation Stage astonishes the watching disciples and Daoists.
• Realizing that ordinary attacks cannot suppress Lu Ren, Zhong Shaoyang releases his full Profound-Yang Cold-Heaven Force and activates the Primordial Divine Ability, Profound Yang Cold-Heaven Wheel.
• The technique manifests as a terrifying cold sun whose power simultaneously freezes the void and burns away the Grand Dao, causing the observing Dao-Shedding prodigies to react with alarm.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates confidence, strategic judgment, and a desire to challenge genuinely powerful opponents. His Dao Evolution ability proves capable of compensating for the enormous cultivation gap between himself and Zhong Shaoyang.
• Zhong Shaoyang: Reveals that he is far stronger than his fifteenth-place ranking suggests. Initially calm and courteous, he becomes serious and battle-hungry after discovering that Lu Ren can withstand his saber techniques.
• The Observers: The disciples and five Daoists begin reassessing Lu Ren. His performance exceeds their expectations and confirms that his strength is extraordinary for someone at the Domain-Transformation Stage.

Significant Themes

• Challenging the strong: Lu Ren values testing himself against superior opponents rather than taking an easier path toward higher rankings.
• Hidden strength and rankings: Zhong Shaoyang’s fifteenth-place position conceals strength likely sufficient for the top five, showing that rankings do not always reflect a cultivator’s full ability.
• Technique versus cultivation: Lu Ren’s advanced Chaos Dao Contemplation and ability to evolve Grand Dao True Intent allow him to battle an opponent with a much higher cultivation realm.
• Escalation of conflict: The fight progresses from skillful exchanges to the release of Zhong Shaoyang’s full primordial power, setting up a decisive confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Zhong Shaoyang exchange respectful but probing remarks before the battle. Lu Ren openly praises Zhong’s hidden strength, while Zhong challenges him to reveal his true abilities.
• Sword Boy, Luo Tianheng, and Yan Lin comment on Lu Ren’s decision and view Zhong Shaoyang as a test of Lu Ren’s actual limits.
• The five Daoists debate Lu Ren’s abilities. Ji True Lord explains that Lu Ren’s Dao-evolution talent enables him to offset Zhong Shaoyang’s cultivation advantage, while Myriad Swords Daoist and Guanlan Daoist express surprise at his performance.

Summary: “Defeating Zhong Shaoyang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhong Shaoyang unleashes the Profound Yang Cold-Heaven Wheel, a Primordial Divine Ability that combines freezing Cold-Heaven power with origin-burning Profound Yang power.
• The spectators, including several Dao-Shedding geniuses and the attending Daoists, recognize the attack as extraordinarily powerful.
• Lu Ren responds by activating his Chaos Great Dao Domain and wrapping it around his body as a defensive barrier, while also fully activating his golden Crystal Luster.
• Although the attack shatters Lu Ren’s Great Dao Domain and cracks his Crystal Luster, he withstands it without retreating. His defense astonishes everyone, and Guanlan Daoist admits that her own Great Dao Domain is inferior to his.
• Lu Ren then counterattacks with Void Afterimages, confusing Zhong Shaoyang and concealing his true position.
• While Zhong Shaoyang destroys the afterimages, Lu Ren uses the Void Instant-Kill Sword to strike him from behind, breaking through his Crystal Luster and sending him crashing onto the platform.
• Zhong Shaoyang attempts a desperate counterattack with his Cold-Yang saber, but Lu Ren uses Chaos Dao Contemplation, Dao Evolution to see that the attack’s trajectory is flawed.
• Lu Ren effortlessly deflects the saber strike and follows with another sword attack that severely wounds Zhong Shaoyang.
• Recognizing that he can no longer win, Zhong Shaoyang admits defeat. His ranking is replaced by Lu Ren’s, placing Lu Ren in fifteenth place.
• The crowd is stunned because Zhong Shaoyang had been considered strong enough to contend for the top five.
• Rather than resting or challenging a nearby opponent, Lu Ren immediately enters the pillar ranked first and challenges Ji Litian, the strongest publicly recognized genius of the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren demonstrates overwhelming defensive strength, tactical awareness, and confidence. His ability to endure Zhong Shaoyang’s Primordial Divine Ability proves that his Chaos Great Dao Domain surpasses even that of established Daoists.
• Lu Ren also reveals superior combat judgment through his use of illusions, instantaneous sword techniques, and predictive insight from Chaos Dao Contemplation.
• Zhong Shaoyang is shown to be a powerful and proud genius capable of unleashing a devastating Primordial Divine Ability. However, after his strongest move fails and his counterattack is neutralized, he accepts defeat with reluctance but dignity.
• Guanlan Daoist openly acknowledges Lu Ren’s superior defensive domain, signaling that Lu Ren may already have surpassed the older Daoist-level experts.
• Ji Litian is established as the next major benchmark: the acknowledged number-one genius and Lu Ren’s most ambitious target yet.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond expectations: Lu Ren’s victory overturns the spectators’ assumptions about his limits and suggests that he may compete for the top five—or even higher.
• Defense versus overwhelming power: Lu Ren does not evade Zhong Shaoyang’s strongest attack; he withstands it directly, emphasizing the extraordinary resilience of his cultivation.
• Combat intelligence and adaptability: Lu Ren wins not through brute force alone, but by combining defense, deception, instantaneous attacks, and the ability to identify flaws in his opponent’s technique.
• Humility and recognition: The experts’ shocked reactions, especially Guanlan Daoist’s admission, show the significance of acknowledging a younger cultivator’s superiority.
• Ambition and challenge: Lu Ren’s immediate decision to challenge the first-ranked Ji Litian reflects his confidence and determination to test himself against the strongest opponent available.

Character Interactions

• The surrounding geniuses react with shock to Zhong Shaoyang’s Primordial Divine Ability and later to Lu Ren’s successful defense.
• Ji True Lord questions Guanlan Daoist about whether her Great Dao Domain could match Lu Ren’s; she admits that it cannot.
• Zhong Shaoyang expresses genuine surprise that Lu Ren blocked his strongest technique, while Lu Ren calmly turns the exchange into a challenge for Zhong Shaoyang to withstand his attack.
• Their battle shifts from Zhong Shaoyang’s initial dominance to Lu Ren’s tactical control, ending with Zhong Shaoyang’s reluctant confession of defeat.
• The entire assembly, including eliminated disciples and the five Daoists, reacts with disbelief to Lu Ren’s victory and then erupts when he challenges Ji Litian.

Chapter Summary: “Challenge the First Directly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren shocks everyone on the Ten-Thousand Dao Platform by using his third challenge opportunity to challenge Ji Litian, the current first-ranked contender, rather than fighting for a lower position.
• The spectators and leading prodigies consider the decision extremely risky, since losing would leave Lu Ren with only two challenges remaining. Guanlan Daoist recognizes the danger, while Myriad Swords Daoist admits that Lu Ren has earned the right to challenge Ji Litian.
• Lu Ren reveals that Guanlan Daoist instructed him to fight for first place. Ji Litian mocks this decision and emphasizes the gap between them: he has completed the Second Dao-Shedding Transformation, while Zhong Shaoyang had completed only the first.
• Ji Litian unleashes his powerful Annihilation Thunder Tribulation Force and attacks with the Return to Simplicity-level Grand Dao True Intent, Annihilation Thunderburst.
• Lu Ren counters with Chaos Dao Contemplation and Dao Evolution, allowing him to perceive and analyze the trajectory of Ji Litian’s profound technique. He responds with the Heaven-Chaos Great Dao True Intent.
• Their first collision sends Lu Ren backward, but Ji Litian is surprised that his attack fails to seriously injure him. The observing Daoists are even more astonished that Lu Ren can deduce the path of a Return to Simplicity-level true intent.
• The battle intensifies into a prolonged exchange of thunderous punches. Lu Ren repeatedly analyzes and neutralizes Ji Litian’s attacks, but Ji Litian’s superior cultivation, powerful battle body, and sixty-percent Annihilation Thundertribulation Bloodline gradually give him the advantage.
• After more than a hundred exchanges, cracks form in the golden Crystal Luster protecting Lu Ren. Ji Litian finally strikes him in the chest and sends him crashing into the edge of the platform, confidently questioning how Lu Ren can compete for first place.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Demonstrates exceptional courage, confidence, and ambition by directly challenging the strongest contender. His ability to analyze and reproduce the trajectories of advanced Grand Dao True Intent reveals an extraordinary combat talent. However, he begins to suffer under Ji Litian’s overwhelming physical and cultivation advantage.
• Ji Litian: Establishes himself as vastly stronger than Zhong Shaoyang and displays calm confidence in his Second Dao-Shedding Transformation. Though initially dismissive, he becomes secretly surprised by Lu Ren’s defensive and analytical abilities before regaining control of the battle.
• Guanlan Daoist: Is shown to have placed strong faith in Lu Ren, specifically urging him to compete for first place despite the risks.
• Myriad Swords Daoist and the other Daoists: Their view of Lu Ren rises as they witness his ability to withstand and decipher Ji Litian’s advanced techniques.
• Ji True Lord: Explains that Lu Ren’s special method allows him to deduce the trajectories of Grand Dao True Intent, even at the nearly traceless Return to Simplicity level.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus recklessness: Lu Ren’s direct challenge represents tremendous bravery, but it also risks wasting his remaining opportunities if he loses.
• The gap between cultivation stages: Ji Litian’s Second Dao-Shedding Transformation demonstrates how dramatically power increases with each transformation.
• Skill overcoming raw strength: Lu Ren cannot match Ji Litian’s power directly, so he relies on observation, deduction, and the Chaos Dao to reduce the effectiveness of Ji Litian’s attacks.
• Hidden potential and changing perceptions: Lu Ren’s performance forces the spectators and powerful Daoists to reassess him, proving that his apparent limitations do not reflect his true combat ability.
• Confidence under pressure: Both fighters remain determined to claim supremacy, with Lu Ren refusing to retreat despite Ji Litian’s clear advantage.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Ji Litian clash verbally over whether Lu Ren is qualified to challenge for first place.
• Guanlan Daoist’s faith in Lu Ren becomes a point of tension, as Ji Litian questions whether she has overestimated Lu Ren or underestimated him.
• The observing Daoists debate and analyze Lu Ren’s unique ability, with Ji True Lord clarifying its astonishing nature.
• Ji Litian ends the chapter by asserting his dominance after knocking Lu Ren back, setting up the continuation of their decisive battle.

“Suppressing Ji Litian” — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Litian initially suppresses Lu Ren without even using his full Primordial Divine Ability, leading the disciples to believe that Lu Ren is ultimately inferior to the Second Dao-Shedding Transformation.
• Ji True Lord explains that Lu Ren has only been testing Ji Litian and has yet to reveal his true strength.
• Lu Ren rises from the attack with only minor damage and unleashes his trump card: five hundred Great Dao Spirit Weapons.
• He activates Myriad Weapons Slaying the Dao, combining the weapons into multiple torrents of slaughter that repeatedly bombard Ji Litian.
• Ji Litian’s defenses begin to fail. He is forced backward, suffers churning blood and qi, and develops cracks in his Crystal Luster body.
• Realizing that prolonged defense will lead to defeat, Ji Litian changes tactics. He abandons direct confrontation with the weapon torrents and charges toward Lu Ren’s true body.
• Ji Litian fully activates his Annihilation Thunderforce, forming purple-black lightning armor and breaking through one of the slaughter torrents.
• He attacks Lu Ren with a powerful thunder tribulation palm. Lu Ren responds with the Chaos Great Dao Domain, but the domain is shattered.
• The destruction of the domain releases numerous Void Afterimages, confusing Ji Litian. Although his Eye of Thunder Punishment destroys the afterimages, Lu Ren’s true body has mysteriously disappeared.
• The five hundred Great Dao Spirit Weapons regroup and attack Ji Litian from every direction.
• Ji Litian summons his Great Dao True Treasure, the Annihilation Heavenly Thunder Seal, which temporarily blocks the weapon formation. However, the seal is eventually blasted away by Myriad Weapons Slaying the Dao.
• As Ji Litian searches for Lu Ren, a powerful and mysterious Grand Dao True Intent emerges from the thunderous battlefield. Guanlan Daoist realizes that Ji Litian is now in serious danger.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Reveals that his earlier performance was only a test. He demonstrates overwhelming control over five hundred Great Dao Spirit Weapons and combines offensive power with deceptive movement techniques. His disappearance suggests he is preparing an even stronger counterattack.
• Ji Litian: Initially confident and dominant, he is forced to recognize the danger of Lu Ren’s weapon formation. He displays tactical intelligence by targeting Lu Ren’s true body, unleashing his full Annihilation Thunderforce, and using his Great Dao True Treasure, but still struggles to regain control.
• Ji True Lord: Shows strong confidence in Lu Ren, correctly identifying that Lu Ren has not yet fought seriously.
• The observing Daoists and disciples: Their opinions shift from assuming Lu Ren will lose to recognizing that Ji Litian may be in danger. Guanlan Daoist is the first to sense the impending threat.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and strategic restraint: Lu Ren deliberately conceals his strongest abilities, allowing Ji Litian and the spectators to underestimate him.
• Power versus tactics: Ji Litian possesses greater individual destructive power, while Lu Ren relies on coordinated weapons, battlefield control, and deception.
• Adaptation in battle: Both fighters alter their strategies when their initial approaches become ineffective.
• The danger of relying on overwhelming force: Ji Litian’s thunder techniques and treasure are extremely powerful, but Lu Ren’s formation gradually wears them down.
• Uncertainty and concealed trump cards: The chapter ends before revealing Lu Ren’s next move, emphasizing that the battle’s decisive moment has not yet arrived.

Character Interactions

• The disciples and Daoists debate whether Lu Ren can defeat Ji Litian, with Ji True Lord defending Lu Ren’s hidden potential.
• Lu Ren openly challenges Ji Litian’s assumption of superiority after surviving his initial assault.
• Ji Litian responds by directly targeting Lu Ren, declaring the battle over as he launches his thunder palm.
• Their confrontation becomes a contest between Ji Litian’s destructive thunderforce and Lu Ren’s coordinated Myriad Weapons Slaying the Dao.
• Guanlan Daoist’s alarmed reaction signals that Lu Ren has likely set a trap or begun preparing a decisive technique.

Chapter Summary: Claiming First Place in the Ranking Battle

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Lu Ren survives Ji Litian’s lightning assault, he reappears from the dissipating sea of lightning with his Chaos Great Dao fully manifested.
• Lu Ren unleashes “Chaos Heaven Burial,” a devastating attack containing the Grand Dao True Intent of annihilation.
• Ji Litian attempts to defend himself with his Annihilation Thunder Punishment Great Dao Domain, but Lu Ren’s chaotic beam pierces through it and severely injures him.
• Despite suffering heavy damage, Ji Litian refuses to retreat. He draws a thunderbolt longsword and continues fighting Lu Ren in close combat.
• Lu Ren gradually overwhelms Ji Litian, whose injuries worsen with every clash. He eventually knocks Ji Litian down and suppresses him beneath his Great Dao Domain.
• Ji Litian refuses to concede until Ji True Lord orders him to accept defeat. Ji Litian finally admits that Lu Ren has won.
• Lu Ren is officially recognized as the first-ranked disciple in the New Disciple Ranking Battle, replacing Ji Litian atop the Ten-Thousand Dao Pillar.
• The spectators and the five Daoists are stunned. Lu Ren’s victory as an Ordinary Battle Body over a prodigy with a Primordial Battle Body is expected to shake the entire Great Dao Sect and possibly the Upper Stream of the Great Dao River.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren proves that his Ordinary Battle Body does not limit his potential. His mastery of the Chaos Great Dao allows him to defeat Ji Litian, a Second Dao-Shedding Transformation prodigy with exceptional bloodline and combat abilities.
• Lu Ren remains calm and restrained after winning, recognizing that first place brings not only honor but also immense pressure and future challenges.
• Ji Litian undergoes a major shift in attitude. His initial contempt for Lu Ren disappears after the battle, replaced by respect and seriousness. He acknowledges Lu Ren as a “monster” and promises to challenge him again.
• Ji Litian’s determination and unwillingness to surrender demonstrate his pride and warrior spirit, though he ultimately accepts defeat when ordered by Ji True Lord.
• Ji True Lord acts as a pragmatic authority figure, recognizing that Ji Litian’s defeat is unavoidable and instructing him to concede.
• Guanlan Daoist appears quietly pleased, since Lu Ren’s victory proves her confidence in him and wins her apparent wager with the other Daoists.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus conventional status: Lu Ren’s victory challenges the belief that an Ordinary Battle Body must be inferior to a Primordial Battle Body.
• Pride and acceptance of defeat: Ji Litian’s refusal to concede highlights his pride, but his eventual acknowledgment of Lu Ren shows growth and respect.
• Honor accompanied by pressure: Lu Ren understands that becoming number one will attract constant challengers and greater scrutiny.
• Breaking expectations: The battle overturns the assumptions of the disciples and elders, establishing Lu Ren as an unprecedented rising power.
• Respect earned through strength: Ji Litian does not respect Lu Ren because of reputation or background; he respects him only after witnessing Lu Ren’s overwhelming combat ability.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Ren vs. Ji Litian: Their exchange develops from contempt and rivalry into grudging respect. Lu Ren challenges Ji Litian’s refusal to accept defeat by pointing out that even his Daoist has lost.
• Ji Litian and Ji True Lord: Ji True Lord’s command forces Ji Litian to set aside his pride and concede, emphasizing the tension between personal will and clan authority.
• Lu Ren and the Daoists: The Daoists react with surprise and admiration. Myriad Swords Daoist is astonished, Myriad Manifestations Daoist recognizes the significance of the result, and Nine Luminaries Daoist points out that Guanlan Daoist has won her gamble.
• Lu Ren and the disciples: His victory transforms him from an underestimated newcomer into the center of attention across the Great Dao Sect, with many disciples now likely to seek him out as a challenger.

Summary: “Bountiful Rewards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The elders of the Great Dao Sect watch Lu Ren’s victory over Ji Litian through a projection scroll. They are shocked that Lu Ren, despite possessing only an Ordinary Battle Body, defeated a prodigy two levels above him.
• The Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan is humiliated by Ji Litian’s defeat, while the gray-robed elder takes satisfaction in seeing the situation exceed Xuan Yin’s control.
• After losing, Ji Litian falls to fifteenth place but uses his remaining challenge opportunities to climb back to second.
• The ranking battle continues for three days and three nights. Although several Dao-Shedding Stage prodigies secure high positions, none dares challenge Lu Ren after witnessing his victory over Ji Litian.
• When the battle concludes, the final top ten are:
  1. Lu Ren
  2. Ji Litian
  3. Sword Boy
  4. Luo Tianheng
  5. Yan Lin
  6. Zhong Shaoyang
  • …
  10. Han Chen
• Lu Ren becomes the first-ranked new disciple, surpassing the elite prodigies of the Fifteen Clans.
• Elder Huntian announces the rewards: top-hundred disciples may select a Dao-Tier Source Court; the top three receive a First-Grade Heaven-Tier Source Court; Lu Ren additionally receives ten thousand Great Dao Points and permission to select one secret canon from the sect’s secret treasury.
• The top ten disciples follow Elder Huntian to the Myriad Treasures Vault to claim their rewards. The vault contains countless rare treasures protected by powerful restrictions.
• Lu Ren is shown the Great Dao Sect’s secret canons. He chooses the Azure Tide Secret Canon, an ancient jade slip with a powerful water-based aura.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren establishes himself as the strongest new disciple of his generation. His victory confirms that his Ordinary Battle Body does not limit his potential and that he may eventually challenge figures such as Cang Xuanming.
• Ji Litian suffers a major blow to his pride and reputation after losing to Lu Ren, but demonstrates resilience by recovering second place.
• Sword Boy, Luo Tianheng, and Yan Lin acknowledge Lu Ren’s superiority and wisely avoid challenging him, showing both caution and respect.
• The elders reassess Lu Ren’s potential, with some viewing him as a future rival to the sect’s strongest prodigies.
• The Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan is portrayed as humiliated and resentful over Ji Litian’s defeat.
• Lu Ren’s choice of secret canon suggests decisiveness and possibly an affinity for water-related or profound Dao techniques.

Significant Themes

• Overcoming innate limitations: Lu Ren’s success emphasizes that an “Ordinary Battle Body” does not determine one’s ultimate strength or destiny.
• Talent versus achievement: Lu Ren’s demonstrated ability outweighs the prestige of Ji Litian’s clan and higher cultivation realm.
• Honor and humiliation: Ji Litian’s defeat damages his clan’s pride, while Lu Ren’s victory elevates his reputation throughout the sect.
• Competition and hierarchy: The ranking battle reveals the shifting balance of power among the new disciples and establishes Lu Ren at the summit.
• Resources and opportunity: The Great Dao Sect’s treasures, Source Courts, and secret canons represent the immense advantages available to its top disciples.
• Political tension: The elders’ reactions imply broader conflicts within the sect, particularly involving Xuan Yin and the Annihilation Thunder Punishment Clan.

Character Interactions

• The elders debate Lu Ren’s strength and future potential while observing him through the scroll.
• A gray-robed elder comments mockingly on the situation surpassing Xuan Yin’s plans.
• Ji Litian avoids the crowd after his defeat and focuses on rebuilding his ranking through further challenges.
• The top Dao-Shedding Stage disciples recognize Lu Ren’s superiority and refrain from provoking him.
• Elder Huntian formally announces the rankings and rewards, then escorts the top ten to the Myriad Treasures Vault.
• Sword Boy and Luo Tianheng express amazement at the vault’s treasures, comparing the Great Dao Sect’s resources favorably—even overwhelmingly—to those of their own lineages.
• An elder explains the importance of the secret canons to Lu Ren, who responds decisively by selecting the Azure Tide Secret Canon.

Chapter Summary: Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill in Hand

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren selects the Azure Tide Secret Canon as his reward from the Myriad Treasures Vault, despite Elder Huntian warning that it is unsuitable for his cultivation. Lu Ren clarifies that he intends to use it in a trade rather than cultivate it.
• After the ranking battle, Lu Ren is awarded a First-Grade Heaven-Tier Source Court, an exceptionally valuable cultivation residence. Elder Huntian explains that Lu Ren has three years of protection before veteran disciples can challenge him for ownership.
• Lu Ren also learns that he will receive 10,000 Great Dao Points, which can be exchanged for cultivation resources.
• Guanlan Daoist arrives and praises Lu Ren for winning the ranking battle with an Ordinary Battle Body, calling his achievement unprecedented in the Great Dao Sect’s history.
• Lu Ren gives Guanlan Daoist the Azure Tide Secret Canon. Although she reveals she would have given him the pill regardless of his ranking, Lu Ren insists on honoring their agreement.
• Guanlan Daoist hands Lu Ren the Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill, the treasure he desperately needs to save Yao Yao.
• Lu Ren asks how to reach Sky Pact Ancient City quickly. Guanlan Daoist agrees to take him there because she also needs to travel to the Profound Source River Region.
• She summons the Glazed Voidcraft, a powerful spatial warship reserved for Daoists, and they begin traveling through the void.
• During the journey, Guanlan Daoist apologizes for using Lu Ren to help the Yin-Yang Skywatch Clan and obtain the Azure Tide Secret Canon. She then gives him Void Dao Marrow as compensation, saying it can help him advance to the Realm-Locking Stage and improve his Void Instant-Kill Sword.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren reaches the highest position among the new disciples and officially establishes himself within the Great Dao Sect. Despite this achievement, his primary concern remains obtaining the pill needed to save Yao Yao.
• His calm and perceptive nature is emphasized when he accepts Guanlan Daoist’s admission that she used him. Rather than feeling betrayed, he recognizes that their relationship was mutually beneficial.
• Lu Ren’s confidence grows as he accepts the challenge of defending his Heaven-Tier Source Court, believing three years will be enough time to increase his strength.
• Guanlan Daoist is shown to possess a more complicated and honest side. She admits her schemes openly and demonstrates appreciation for Lu Ren by offering both the pill and the Void Dao Marrow.
• Elder Huntian acts as a mentor and guide, warning Lu Ren about the dangers surrounding his new status and the future challenges from veteran disciples.

Significant Themes

• Mutual exploitation and trust: Guanlan Daoist used Lu Ren for her clan’s interests, but Lu Ren also benefited from her guidance. Their relationship is presented as an exchange based on mutual value rather than simple loyalty.
• Achievement versus true purpose: Lu Ren has reached the summit among new disciples, but fame and status matter less to him than saving Yao Yao.
• The burden of superiority: Winning first place grants Lu Ren an exceptional Source Court but also makes him a target for veteran disciples.
• Growth and preparation: The three-year protection period and the Void Dao Marrow emphasize that Lu Ren’s current success is only the beginning of a greater struggle.
• Reciprocity and sincerity: Although the characters operate through deals and hidden motives, both Lu Ren and Guanlan Daoist ultimately honor their promises.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ren and Elder Huntian: Elder Huntian warns Lu Ren against choosing an unsuitable secret canon and later explains the risks attached to his Heaven-Tier Source Court. Lu Ren respectfully accepts the advice but remains confident in his future strength.
• Lu Ren and Guanlan Daoist: Their exchange centers on the Azure Tide Secret Canon and the Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill. Guanlan praises Lu Ren, admits her motives, and offers him additional assistance. Lu Ren responds with understanding rather than resentment.
• Lu Ren and Yao Yao: Although Yao Yao does not appear directly, Lu Ren’s emotional reaction to receiving the pill reveals that saving her is the central motivation behind his recent struggles.

Chapter Summary: Impacting the Realm-Locking Stage

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ren accepts the Void Dao Marrow from Guanlan Daoist.
• Guanlan Daoist confirms that Lu Ren and Cang Xuanming are both personal disciples of Sect Master Xuan Yin, setting up an inevitable battle between their Void of Destiny Battle Bodies.
• She explains that Cang Xuanming’s influence comes largely from the support and resources of Ordinary Battle Body lineages, which view him as their representative and hope he will surpass the Primordial Battle Body Daoists.
• The Daoists originally intended to use Lu Ren to restrain Cang Xuanming, but Lu Ren instead surpassed Cang Xuanming and defeated all the Primordial Clan prodigies in the newcomer ranking battle.
• While traveling toward Sky Pact Ancient City, Lu Ren reveals that he is likely going there to save someone and is seeking the Grand Mysterious Soul-Congealing Pill.
• The journey will take three days through space, rather than three months by crossing the Great Dao River.
• Lu Ren enters the Reincarnation Ancient Pagoda and begins refining the Void Dao Marrow to break into the Realm-Locking Stage.
• The marrow helps him form Void-Sealing Power, allowing his Chaos Great Dao Domain to connect with and potentially seal the surrounding void.
• Despite refining the entire bottle, Lu Ren cannot stabilize the power. His attempted breakthrough fails, causing his domain to collapse, injuring him, and forcing him out of the pagoda.
• The chapter ends with Lu Ren in danger of suffering further backlash if he cannot complete the breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Lu Ren: Shows confidence and political awareness regarding his relationship with Sect Master Xuan Yin and his rivalry with Cang Xuanming. He remains determined to save someone in Sky Pact Ancient City and pushes himself recklessly toward the Realm-Locking Stage. His near-breakthrough reveals both his immense potential and the current limits of his comprehension.
• Guanlan Daoist: Acts as an adviser and provides important information about Cang Xuanming’s background and support network. She acknowledges Lu Ren’s exceptional rise and appears increasingly impressed by his strength and clarity of thought.
• Cang Xuanming: Though absent, he is characterized as a powerful rival whose status is supported not only by Sect Master Xuan Yin but also by numerous Ordinary Battle Body lineages and their resources.

Significant Themes

• Fated rivalry: Lu Ren and Cang Xuanming are destined to clash as individuals possessing Void of Destiny Battle Bodies.
• Power and legitimacy: The chapter questions whether Cang Xuanming’s achievements are truly his own, since much of his strength and status come from external support.
• Political alliances: Battle Body factions use powerful figures as symbols and representatives, revealing the influence of collective loyalty and resource networks.
• Determination versus preparation: Lu Ren’s resolve is extraordinary, but his failed breakthrough shows that determination alone cannot replace sufficient comprehension.
• The cost of advancement: Attempting to force a breakthrough into the Realm-Locking Stage results in injury and potential backlash.

Character Interactions

• Guanlan Daoist warns Lu Ren about his connection to Cang Xuanming and probes whether he understands Sect Master Xuan Yin’s motives.
• Lu Ren responds calmly, accepting the risks and refusing to worry excessively about hidden schemes.
• Guanlan reveals why the Daoists initially supported Lu Ren: they hoped he could suppress Cang Xuanming, though he ultimately exceeded their expectations.
• The two discuss the journey to Sky Pact Ancient City, after which Guanlan reads the Azure Tide Secret Canon while Lu Ren privately attempts his breakthrough.