Chapter Summaries

Qin Tiexin broke free of Lan Lingwei’s ice technique and won the first semifinal, while Xiao Wan prepared to risk exposing her identity to reach the finals and confront Mingjue. Her semifinal against Xie Chen began with her revealing a talisman that raised her cultivation to the false core realm.

• Qin Tiexin completed his nine-layer Earth Wheel and shattered Lan Lingwei’s ice prison with a single Arhat Fist punch.
• Lan Lingwei conceded, and the referee declared Mingjue the winner; Qin Tiexin helped her up before she left the arena.
• Xiao Wan decided she had to defeat Xie Chen to face Mingjue and investigate his identity and bracelet.
• Xiao Wan and Xie Chen entered the arena, where she told him to concede and he drew his rusty sword.
• Xiao Wan crushed her jade talisman, raising her cultivation to the false core realm and drawing spiritual Qi into a vortex around her.

Xie Chen fought Xiao Wan, who revealed her False Core Realm cultivation and overwhelmed him with Buddhist techniques. After enduring her attacks to build his sword momentum, he unsealed Remnant Firmament and launched a powerful final strike, leaving the crowd convinced that Xiao Yan was about to lose.

• Xiao Wan revealed her False Core Realm cultivation, which the Star Selection Bureau official confirmed was still within the rules, and manifested an eight-armed Buddha.
• Xie Chen attacked but was stopped by Xiao Wan’s Buddhist force field and had his spiritual power disrupted by her Thousand Epiphyllum Delusion-Breaking Finger.
• Xie Chen adapted by targeting gaps in Xiao Wan’s seals, weakening her Buddha phantom, while her Great Tranquility Demon-Subduing Sound pressured his mind and drove his sword momentum higher.
• Xie Chen endured Xiao Wan’s attacks and unleashed three sword forms in succession, shattering most of the eight-armed Buddha’s arms.
• Xie Chen burned his sword essence and Essence Blood to unseal Remnant Firmament, then launched One Sword Without Return as the spectators declared that Xiao Yan was about to lose.

Xiao Wan defeated Xie Chen in the semifinals by using the Principle of Nirvanic Chan Mind, setting up a final against Mingjue. As Qin Tiexin recovered, he weighed how to face Xiao Wan without revealing that he was Liu Qing, but had not yet found her weakness.

• Xiao Wan suppressed Xie Chen's sword intent and killing move with the Principle of Nirvanic Chan Mind, then sent him out of the arena.
• The Star Selection Bureau official declared Xiao Yan the winner, and Xiao Wan studied Qin Tiexin for signs that he was Liu Qing before returning to the rest area.
• Betting favored Xiao Yan, but one person placed three hundred thousand spirit stones on Mingjue to win.
• The Star Selection Bureau provided Qin Tiexin and Xiao Wan with separate chambers and resources to recover before the final.
• Qin Tiexin considered how to fight Xiao Wan without using techniques that would expose him, and wondered whether she had any weaknesses.

Qin Tiexin realized that conceding was the safest way to keep Xiao Wan from exposing his identity as Liu Qing. Xiao Wan won the championship, but as she left, Qin Tiexin reported her for taking the exam in someone else’s place.

• Qin Tiexin and Xiao Wan entered the final match before a packed crowd, and the Star Selection Bureau announced that it would end only when someone conceded or could no longer fight.
• Xiao Wan trapped both fighters inside the Pure Dharma Glazed Realm, which suppressed non-Buddhist martial techniques, and challenged Qin Tiexin to reveal his true abilities as Liu Qing.
• As Xiao Wan approached with a Buddhist attack, Qin Tiexin raised his hand and conceded, stunning the spectators and frustrating her attempt to expose him.
• Xiao Wan continued toward Qin Tiexin, but three Golden Core cultivators intervened, declared her the champion, and stopped her from attacking him.
• As Xiao Wan turned to leave, Qin Tiexin reported Xiao Yan for taking the exam in someone else’s place.

Qin Tiexin accused Xiao Yan of using a stand-in, and Xiao Wan fled when the Star Selection officials ordered an identity check. With Xiao Yan’s results annulled, the crown prince and several factions competed to recruit Qin Tiexin as Mingjue.

• Qin Tiexin told the chief referee that Xiao Yan was a stand-in because her cultivation and martial techniques differed from those he had seen before.
• When ordered to verify her identity, Xiao Wan withdrew the Pure Dharma Glazed Realm and fled the drill grounds.
• A masked Buddhist cultivator blocked the Golden Core pursuers, allowing Xiao Wan and the cultivator to escape.
• Crown Prince Chen Xiao ordered an investigation into the stand-in incident, a search of the Xiao Residence, and the annulment of Xiao Yan’s results.
• Qin Tiexin explained his suspicions to Chen Xiao, who praised his judgment and offered him the post of guard commander.
• Representatives from the Supreme Splendor Academy, Nebula Sect, and city lord’s residence also offered Qin Tiexin positions and benefits.

The Star Selection results were announced after Qin Tiexin, also called Mingjue, won first place when Mingjue conceded the final. Xiao Yan was disqualified for using a proxy, Lin Chuan rose to tenth, and Qin Tiexin collected his reward while planning to return home after reattaching his arm.

• The prince and crown prince stopped the factions from pressing Qin Tiexin about his future, leaving his destination for the emperor to decide.
• Qin Tiexin returned to the rest area and reflected that he had wanted to fight Xiao Wan, but restoring his arm took priority.
• A mysterious bettor collected one million Spirit Stones after wagering on Mingjue, while the gambling house still profited from bets on Xiao Yan.
• Crown Prince Chen Xiao announced the rankings, disqualified Xiao Yan for using a proxy, and awarded Lin Chuan tenth place after Chen Du's disappearance left a vacancy.
• Qin Tiexin accepted fifty thousand Spirit Stones for first place and planned to return to the Azure Xuan Region once his arm was reattached.

The Star Selection challenges ended with the top ten rankings confirmed, and Qin Tiexin prepared to enter the imperial city in three days. He returned with Lin Chuan to the Lin Residence, aware that concealed observers were following them, and asked Lin Chuan about the imperial palace treasury.

• Lin Chuan and Lu Qingye defended their top-ten places against three challengers each, while Yan Yue, Xiao Zhenyue, and Xie Chen also turned back those who challenged them.
• The crown prince confirmed the top ten and ordered them to gather at the Eastern Star Gate in three days to cultivate in the imperial city and select treasures.
• Qin Tiexin chose to stay at the Lin Residence rather than return to his courtyard, and Lin Chuan told him that Ming'an had been asking when he would come back.
• Qin Tiexin sensed concealed observers with killing intent following him and Lin Chuan as they walked toward the Lin Residence.
• Liu Suifeng proposed a celebration, but Lin Chuan declined so they could prepare for the imperial palace; Qin Tiexin then asked Lin Chuan about its treasury.

Lin Chuan explained Golden Core formation and the roles of sacred treasures, Principles, and the transitional stages to Qin Tiexin. After they returned to the Lin Residence, Marquis Lin prepared to share what he knew about the Star Selection, leaving Qin Tiexin poised to hear about his experience.

• Lin Chuan explained how a sacred treasure for Core Formation anchors a cultivator’s Principle and affects the grade of the Golden Core.
• Lin Chuan described half-step Golden Core and False Core, and Qin Tiexin recognized that conceding to Xiao Wan had been the safest choice.
• Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin entered the Lin Residence, where Madam Lin and Ming'an welcomed them and noticed Qin Tiexin’s changed build.
• Marquis Lin congratulated Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin, sealed the hall with barriers, and offered to share his experience from the Star Selection.

Marquis Lin advised Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin on choosing treasures from the imperial treasury, emphasizing compatible martial techniques and Core Formation Sacred Relics. After explaining how sacred relics form and their categories, he left them considering his advice to favor the oldest relic when several suited them equally well.

• Marquis Lin recalled entering the imperial treasury and advised Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin to choose a resonant martial technique or a Core Formation Sacred Relic.
• Marquis Lin told them to prioritize a sacred relic that suited them, but to choose the oldest if several were equally compatible.
• Lin Chuan argued that modern cultivation methods and techniques were more refined than ancient ones, while Qin Tiexin silently agreed.
• Lin Chuan explained how Golden Core Sacred Relics formed from principles of heaven and earth settling over long periods, and Marquis Lin described them as nascent seeds of the Heavenly Dao's rules.
• Lin Chuan outlined Innate and Acquired Sacred Relics, noting that extracted Golden Cores could serve as seeds of principles but carried resentment and were generally used only by Evil Cultivators.

Marquis Lin explained why ancient Golden Core sacred objects were valuable and gave Qin Tiexin and Lin Chuan the Sacred Object Qi-Sensing Instruction to help them find compatible ones. Qin Tiexin returned to his courtyard determined to master the method before entering the imperial city in three days.

• Lin Chuan described artificial sacred objects and warned that their incomplete Principles could limit cultivators to the Core Formation stage.
• Marquis Lin explained that only sacred objects capable of preserving their Principles survived, making age valuable when objects were equally compatible.
• Marquis Lin clarified that compatibility came before age and told Qin Tiexin and Lin Chuan how the instruction measured resonance with sacred objects.
• Marquis Lin gave Qin Tiexin and Lin Chuan Jade Slips containing the Sacred Object Qi-Sensing Instruction and told them to practice it for three days.
• Qin Tiexin returned to his courtyard, carried the waiting Ming'an inside, and began studying the instruction before their trip to the imperial city.

Qin Tiexin practiced the Sacred Object Qi-Sensing Instruction while staying with Ming'an at the Lin Residence, then asked whether Ming'an would leave the Heavenly South Domain with him. Ming'an chose to follow his senior brother, and they agreed that wherever the two of them were together would be Zhaoming Temple.

• Qin Tiexin studied and repeatedly practiced the three steps of the Sacred Object Qi-Sensing Instruction, using Spirit Stones to replenish his spiritual power.
• Qin Tiexin observed that Ming'an was healthy and thriving at the Lin Residence, and Ming'an said he cultivated diligently and was happy wherever he was with his senior brother.
• Qin Tiexin asked whether Ming'an would accompany him somewhere far away, and Ming'an clung to him and said he did not want them to be apart.
• Qin Tiexin suggested rebuilding Zhaoming Temple and making Ming'an its abbot, but Ming'an said he wanted to become a Scripture Pavilion elder and that wherever the two of them were would be Zhaoming Temple.
• Qin Tiexin promised to build a bigger Zhaoming Temple with Ming'an someday, and Ming'an happily agreed.

Qin Tiexin formed a detection net with the Qi Sensing Instruction and tested the objects in his storage ring for Golden Core sacred objects. He discovered that the Void Spirit Python’s skull held a rare spatial principle and decided to refine it into a bone artifact for protection.

• Qin Tiexin practiced the Qi Sensing Instruction until his detection net stabilized and covered three feet around him.
• Qin Tiexin tested Marquis Lin’s Essence Condensation Stone and sensed its faint power of principle.
• Qin Tiexin searched his stored beast cores and Spirit Bones with the detection net.
• Qin Tiexin discovered that the Void Spirit Python’s skull contained a high-grade spatial principle.
• Qin Tiexin set the skull aside, deciding to refine it into a bone artifact to gain the python’s intangibility and protect himself during his planned imperial palace mission.

Qin Tiexin refined the Void Spirit Python's skull into a bone bracelet that gave him access to Intangibility and Space Blade. After improving the bracelet with auxiliary Spirit Bones, he tested its abilities and prepared to enter the imperial city with a new means of defense and attack.

• Qin Tiexin studied the skull's intact Intangibility and Space Blade patterns and carefully carved Spirit Runes around them.
• Qin Tiexin activated Intangibility and confirmed that it made his body immune to physical attacks and most spells for one breath, with an hour-long recovery time.
• Qin Tiexin carved Gathering Spirit and Spirit-Conducting Runes onto auxiliary Spirit Bones and strung them around the skull to form a bracelet.
• Qin Tiexin found that the bracelet shortened Intangibility's recovery time and allowed him to activate Space Blade through the same spiritual-power circuit.
• Qin Tiexin tested Space Blade on a millstone, cutting it cleanly in half, then covered the bracelet with his sleeve so it would not frighten Ming'an.

Qin Tiexin and the other finalists entered the imperial city through the Eastern Star Gate, passing increasingly strict inspections while Qin concealed a white jade puppet for Senior Brother Chen Xi. The puppet vanished inside the city, and Qin realized Chen Xi had entered as the group waited to meet the crown prince.

• Qin Tiexin left Ming'an at the Lin Residence and joined Lin Chuan on the way to the Eastern Star Gate.
• Qin Tiexin, Lin Chuan, Lan Lingwei, Gu Ting, Xie Chen, Fu Qingge, Xiao Zhenyue, Yan Yue, Chen Chen, and Lu Qingye passed identity checks and entered the outer city.
• Qin Tiexin passed two inspections without the guards discovering the white jade puppet in his storage ring.
• After the inner gate inspection, Qin Tiexin let the puppet slip from his palm, and it turned transparent and vanished as Senior Brother Chen Xi entered the imperial city.
• Qin Tiexin sensed the power of the stars near the main hall, then waited with the others for the crown prince to arrive.

Crown Prince Chen Xiao brought the ten Star Selection cultivators before the emperor, who confirmed their rewards and cultivation time in the imperial Spirit Vein. The group reached the Spirit Vein’s sealed entrance, and Qin Tiexin stepped inside to begin his allotted cultivation.

• Chen Xiao led the ten cultivators into the golden hall, where the emperor praised their Arena Trial performances and issued their rewards.
• The imperial edict granted the cultivators Spirit Vein cultivation time according to rank and the right to choose treasures from the treasury.
• Lin Chuan worried that his five days would leave him behind Qin Tiexin, who advised him to find a suitable sacred item.
• A guard opened a hidden entrance beneath the palace grounds and led the group down to the Spirit Vein’s guarded stone door.
• Xiao Zhenyue greeted his eldest uncle at the entrance, and the guard checked the cultivators’ identity jade tokens before opening the door.
• Qin Tiexin entered the Spirit Vein as dense Spiritual Qi poured through the open doorway.

Qin Tiexin cultivated in the imperial Spirit Vein until Senior Brother Chen Xi signaled him to fake a meridian injury and be taken to the infirmary. Medical Cultivator Su treated him in her secluded courtyard, then revealed she knew he was pretending.

• Qin Tiexin and the others began cultivating in the Spirit Vein, while he restrained his progress to avoid breaking through before his arm was reattached.
• After two days of cultivation, Qin Tiexin saw his spiritual liquid rise and realized he needed to slow down further.
• On the third day, Senior Brother Chen Xi sent Qin Tiexin the signal to act, and Qin activated a talisman that made him appear to suffer a cultivation injury.
• Lin Chuan summoned the person in charge, who sent Qin Tiexin to the imperial infirmary while Lin Chuan stayed behind.
• Medical Cultivator Su volunteered to treat Qin Tiexin and took him to her secluded courtyard, where she confirmed his injuries were fake and told him to stop pretending.

Chen Xi brought his junior brother Qin Tiexin to Su Qing for treatment to reattach his severed arm. Su Qing began a ten-day procedure to clear the lingering Principle damage from Qin Tiexin’s shoulder and the arm before reconnecting them.

• Su Qing identified Qin Tiexin and sealed the courtyard so she and Chen Xi could speak privately with him.
• Chen Xi revealed himself from a puppet and joined Su Qing in preparing Qin Tiexin for treatment.
• Qin Tiexin restored his original appearance, then climbed into a vat of medicinal liquid as Chen Xi brought out his severed arm.
• Su Qing explained the treatment and warned Qin Tiexin that it would be painful.
• Su Qing used silver needles to seal Qin Tiexin’s acupoints and began cutting into his healed shoulder to remove stagnant blood and lingering Principle damage.

Over five days, Su Qing painstakingly removed the extreme sharpness principle from Qin Tiexin’s shoulder and severed arm, then prepared the meridians for reattachment. With the principle cleared, she offered to transfer its strongest strand onto his short saber, Star Scar.

• Su Qing used medicine to draw the sharpness principle from Qin Tiexin’s shoulder and began repairing the meridians in his severed arm.
• Chen Xi quietly assisted Su Qing while Qin Tiexin endured the painful treatment.
• Over five days, Su Qing cleared the principle, regrew damaged meridians, and matched the meridians, blood vessels, and bones at the severed ends.
• Su Qing confirmed that the principle had been cleared and Qin Tiexin’s meridians were ready for reattachment.
• Su Qing took Star Scar and proposed transferring the strongest strand of principle onto it, and Qin Tiexin agreed.

Su Qing reattached Qin Tiexin’s severed right arm after clearing away the harmful Principle, using a precious pill to help the wound heal. Qin Tiexin regained his arm, which was stronger than his left, and learned that Su Qing had left a harmless trace of extreme sharpness inside it for him to study.

• Su Qing infused a wisp of silver light into Star Scar and returned the saber to Qin Tiexin after clearing the Principle from his wound.
• Qin Tiexin rested overnight, then prepared for Su Qing to reattach his right arm.
• Su Qing aligned and connected the meridians, bones, and blood vessels in Qin Tiexin’s arm while Chen Xi supported it.
• Su Qing crushed a fourth-tier pill into medicinal liquid and applied it until the arm fused with Qin Tiexin’s shoulder.
• Qin Tiexin regained sensation and clenched his right fist, discovering the arm was stronger than his left.
• Su Qing wrapped the healing shoulder and revealed she had left a harmless trace of extreme sharpness in Qin Tiexin’s arm for him to study.

Qin Tiexin's severed arm fully healed and was reattached, and he prepared to return to the Spirit Vein with it concealed. He left the courtyard under orders to protect the arm and keep his recovery hidden.

• Su Qing removed Qin Tiexin's bandages and confirmed that his reattached arm had healed well, though she warned him not to take heavy blows or use Edgeless for at least twenty days.
• Qin Tiexin demonstrated his restored strength, while Su Qing recalled how she had panicked when he swung his two-hundred-thousand-jin saber Edgeless.
• Chen Xi affixed four talismans that made Qin Tiexin's right arm invisible so he could keep appearing injured in the imperial palace.
• Qin Tiexin restored Mingjue's face and prepared to return to the Spirit Vein, while Chen Xi reminded him to act as usual and conceal his arm.
• Su Qing told Qin Tiexin not to force his comprehension of the wisp of a Principle Seed, and Qin Tiexin left with the guards.