Chapter Summaries

Ye Li emerged from the sealing formation after defeating eight Xianjing Nine Luminaries Division experts who had attacked him. Cao Ming accepted his explanation and told him he had done well, leaving the gathered observers stunned by his strength.

• Cao Ming concealed his shock as observers realized Ye Li was devouring the refinement energy inside the formation.
• Gu Le was teleported out bloodied and headless, and Cao Ming used his vitality to keep him alive.
• Lian Jing was blasted out with a charred hole in his chest, muttered that Ye Li was “Not human,” and fell unconscious.
• Six more battered figures emerged from the formation, leaving the observers horrified and prompting the Xuanming Sword Sect elder to question Cao Ming.
• Ye Li stepped out with his bloodstained greatbow and explained that the others had struck first, so he thought they were enemies.
• Cao Ming swallowed his alarm and told Ye Li that he had done well.

After Ye Li overwhelmed the Jade Mountain Refinement, Cao Ming ended the event and introduced him to the stunned observers as Longtan Grand Commandery’s new Retainer General. Cao Ming then invited Ye Li to attend the Xuanming Sword Sect’s Sword Master Ceremony before returning to Longtan.

• Cao Ming ordered attendants to remove the eight critically injured participants and told the observers to leave while the Nine Luminaries Division handled confidential procedures.
• The deputy master of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and other observers tried to learn Ye Li’s identity and ingratiate themselves with him, while Ye Li showed little interest.
• Cao Ming named Ye Li as Longtan Grand Commandery’s newly appointed Retainer General, and the observers departed after congratulating him.
• Cao Ming asked whether Ye Li planned to return to Longtan, and Ye Li said he did.
• Cao Ming explained that the Xuanming Sword Sect’s Sword Master Ceremony was an important event and invited Ye Li to attend in place of a Retainer General who could not accompany him.

Ye Li agreed to accompany Cao Ming to the Xuanming Sword Sect’s Sword Master Ceremony, choosing to delay his return to Dragon Pool and learn more about Xianjing Continent’s major powers. Cao Ming offered to select suitable Nine Luminaries Division clothing for him, and Ye Li left to rest while Cao Ming remained to seal Jade Mountain.

• Cao Ming invited Ye Li to accompany him to the Xuanming Sword Sect after Zeng Fan’s death left an invitation unused.
• Ye Li accepted, deciding he could notify Dragon Pool of his breakthrough and return later.
• Cao Ming offered to choose Ye Li clothing and gear identifying him as a retainer general of the Nine Luminaries Division, and Ye Li agreed.
• As Jade Mountain’s formation began closing, Cao Ming sent Ye Li to rest at the Jade Mountain Nine Luminaries Division and stayed to handle the site’s closure.

At the Xuanming Sword Sect, Zhou Qingyan and the Old Ancestor learned that Ye Li had won the Jade Mountain Refinement by absorbing its energy and defeating a group led by Gu Le. The Old Ancestor saw the feat as a deliberate warning from the Nine Luminaries Division and ordered the Sword Master Ceremony to proceed as Zhou Qingyan had proposed.

• The Old Ancestor asked Zhou Qingyan to predict who had won the Jade Mountain Refinement, and she named Gu Le or Su Yongye.
• The Law Enforcement Elder reported that Longtan Grand Commandery's newly appointed Retainer General, Ye Li, had taken first place by swallowing the refinement's energy.
• The elder revealed that Ye Li had wiped out Gu Le, three other Domain Lords, and five Saints in less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
• The Old Ancestor concluded that Cao Ming and the Nine Luminaries Division had concealed Ye Li and timed the refinement to blunt the Xuanming Sword Sect's momentum.
• The Old Ancestor told Zhou Qingyan to carry out her earlier proposal at the upcoming Sword Master Ceremony without holding back.

The Xuanming Sword Sect prepared a heavily attended Sword Master Ceremony to raise Zhou Qingyan’s standing and expand its influence across Xianjing Continent. As Cao Ming and Ye Li traveled to the ceremony, Cao Ming weighed the political stakes while Ye Li received congratulations and advice from Lin Huaijin.

• More than ninety sects sent representatives to the Xuanming Sword Sect’s Sword Master Ceremony, which was intended to showcase Zhou Qingyan and boost the sect’s influence.
• Cao Ming and Ye Li traveled from Jade Mountain toward the ceremony, with Cao Ming worrying about Zhou Qingyan’s strength and the political consequences of her performance.
• Lin Huaijin contacted Ye Li, congratulated him on his breakthrough and Jade Mountain victory, and encouraged him to broaden his horizons at the ceremony.
• Ye Li thanked Lin Huaijin for his help, and Lin Huaijin said Ye Li’s cultivation would be the best repayment.
• Cao Ming told Ye Li to light his Life Jade after the ceremony and advised him to observe carefully and speak little.

Ye Li and Cao Ming arrived at the Xuanming Sword Sect to observe its Sword Ceremony, where Ye Li learned that the Nine Luminaries Division could not participate in the martial exchanges. As the ceremony approached, Ye Li dismissed Zhou Qingyan as a fighter and began choosing martial skills.

• Cao Ming and Ye Li arrived at the Xuanming Sword Sect and followed an elder up the special passage to the ceremony plaza.
• Cao Ming explained that Zhou Qingyan and the core disciples would attempt to awaken the Heavenly Gate in the first stage of the ceremony.
• Cao Ming told Ye Li that Mountain Gate representatives could demonstrate their martial arts in the second stage, but the Nine Luminaries Division was not eligible to participate.
• Ye Li asked to leave the Nine Luminaries Division, then accepted that he could not enter the exchanges without registering beforehand.
• Ye Li ranked Zhou Qingyan last on his Heavenly Prodigy Rankings and began selecting Premium Martial Skills from the Skeletal Elder's collection as the ceremony neared.

Ye Li attended the Sword Master Ceremony with Cao Ming and declined an invitation to meet representatives from the Heavenly Crafts Mansion. As Cao Ming joined the Sword Sect’s Old Ancestor on the viewing platform, the Old Ancestor warned that Zhou Qingyan would soon make Ye Li a stepping stone to her fame.

• Cao Ming urged Ye Li to meet powerful factions gathered for the ceremony, but Ye Li showed little interest.
• A Sword Sect elder invited Cao Ming to speak with the Old Ancestor, while the Old Ancestor briefly looked toward Ye Li.
• Zhang Yan of the Heavenly Crafts Mansion invited Ye Li to meet his companions, but Ye Li politely refused.
• Cao Ming joined the Old Ancestor, who mocked his confidence in Ye Li and predicted Zhou Qingyan would defeat him.
• Cao Ming remained confident that he could protect Ye Li and decided to watch and wait.

Zhou Qingyan arrived at the Sword Master Ceremony, where the Sword Sect’s disciples praised her and visiting prodigies debated the possibility of challenging her. The Sword Sect Old Ancestor formally began her coronation and announced that she would acknowledge the Primordial Abyss Divine Sword as her master.

• Sword Sect disciples praised Zhou Qingyan and speculated about her martial exhibition, prompting visiting prodigies to react to their boasts.
• Zhang Yan urged Mountain Mover Yue Qing to treat the ceremony as a chance to congratulate Zhou Qingyan and probe her strength rather than focus on victory.
• Mu Liuying asked whether Ye Li or Zhou Qingyan would win in a fight, and Yue Qing said it was difficult to judge.
• Ye Li watched for an opportunity to spar with Zhou Qingyan as she entered the plaza and sat before her eight hundred personal disciples.
• The Old Ancestor of the Sword Sect declared Zhou Qingyan’s achievements and announced that she would inherit the great lineage and acknowledge the Primordial Abyss Divine Sword as her master.

Zhou Qingyan used her sword intent to blast open the Sword Gate during the Sword Master Ceremony, revealing her overwhelming strength and shocking the visiting Mountain Gate representatives. The Sword Sect Old Ancestor watched with satisfaction as Zhou Qingyan was called to test her edge.

• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor announced the first stage of the ceremony, and eight hundred disciples poured their Magic Power into the ancient stone stele.
• When the disciples only managed to make the stele shine faintly, the crowd realized Zhou Qingyan was expected to supply the missing power.
• Zhou Qingyan drew her sword a fraction and unleashed sword intent that illuminated the stele and blasted open the Heavenly Gate.
• A glass-like staircase appeared, and the Sword Sect disciples knelt and welcomed Zhou Qingyan as their Sword Master.
• Yue Qing, Zhang Yan, and Cao Ming reacted with shock as they recognized Zhou Qingyan's formidable cultivation.
• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor savored his success and called on Zhou Qingyan to test her edge.

At the Sword Master trial, Zhou Qingyan challenged the Mountain Gate representatives to face her without her sword, then brutally defeated the first challenger. The representatives realized the Sword Sect was using them as stepping stones to establish Zhou Qingyan’s reputation, leaving them furious.

• Zhou Qingyan declared that she would not use her sword and challenged the representatives to enter the arena.
• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor mocked the representatives for refusing to proceed with the trial.
• Yue Qing of the Archaic War Hall entered the arena and charged at Zhou Qingyan.
• Zhou Qingyan struck Yue Qing down with a Sword Qi dragon and left him unconscious and gravely injured.
• The Sword Sect disciples celebrated Zhou Qingyan’s victory while the Mountain Gate representatives recognized the insult and grew furious.

After Zhou Qingyan brutally defeated Yue Qing, she challenged Ye Li to a public blade test and offered to let him make three moves. Ye Li accepted and entered the square, where the confrontation was about to begin.

• Zhou Qingyan asked whether anyone else would challenge her, then fixed her attention on Ye Li.
• Zhou Qingyan invited Ye Li to test blades with her and said she would give him three moves.
• Cao Ming angrily condemned Zhou Qingyan's challenge as an insult to the Nine Luminaries Division, while the Sword Sect Old Ancestor dismissed it as a jest.
• Ye Li interrupted Zhou Qingyan and accepted the invitation.
• Ye Li leapt into the square, released his Dao Evolution Realm pressure, and called for the fight to begin.

Ye Li fought Zhou Qingyan in the Xuanming Sword Sect arena, revealing his strength as the fight escalated. He unleashed his Golden Soul Revival and struck Zhou Qingyan into a rock wall, leaving the match’s outcome unclear.

• Cao Ming warned Ye Li that he would intervene if his safety was threatened, while Ye Li continued building his martial pressure.
• Zhou Qingyan dodged Ye Li’s first punch and called it his first move, then met his next barrage with Sword Qi.
• Zhou Qingyan drew her sword and exchanged countless blows with Ye Li, wounding him and appearing to gain the advantage.
• Ye Li activated his second stage, Golden Soul Revival, and overwhelmed Zhou Qingyan with his immense pressure.
• Ye Li struck Zhou Qingyan in the face and sent her crashing into the rock wall.

Ye Li brutally defeated Zhou Qingyan in front of the Sword Sect crowd after she challenged him and offered to let him have three moves. He stood over her as she lay battered on the plaza, showing no pity.

• Ye Li’s punch smashed Zhou Qingyan into the bluestone wall, leaving her injured and the onlookers stunned.
• Ye Li attacked again before Zhou Qingyan could recover, shattering her sword-aura shield and forcing her to spit blood.
• Ye Li struck Zhou Qingyan’s sword until it flew from her hand, then punched her across the plaza into a stone pillar.
• Zhou Qingyan struggled to rise as Ye Li approached and said he never refused anyone’s provocation.

Ye Li brutally defeated Zhou Qingyan after she refused to accept her initial loss, leaving her gravely injured and her Dao Heart broken. He stood amid the ruined plaza and insulted the Sword Sect’s Sword Master as the crowd watched in fear.

• Zhou Qingyan rose despite her injuries and unleashed her sword intent, determined to defeat Ye Li.
• Ye Li shattered Zhou Qingyan’s sword and crushed both her arms with a series of attacks.
• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor tried to stop Ye Li and asked him to show mercy, but Ye Li struck Zhou Qingyan into the plaza.
• Zhou Qingyan made a final desperate stand with her sword intent, but Ye Li regenerated from her attacks and battered her until her Dao Heart collapsed.
• Ye Li withdrew his fists and told the silent crowd that their sect’s Sword Master had an average feel.

Ye Li defeated Zhou Qingyan in front of the gathered sects, leaving her gravely injured and her Sword Heart shattered. When the Sword Sect Old Ancestor tried to attack him, Cao Ming intervened and upheld the rules, leaving the Old Ancestor furious but unwilling to risk a greater conflict.

• Ye Li brutally defeated Zhou Qingyan, who lay unconscious and badly injured in the ruined square.
• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor unleashed his sword intent and moved to kill Ye Li.
• Cao Ming blocked the Old Ancestor’s attack with his own Venerable pressure.
• Cao Ming defended Ye Li, citing the agreed sparring rules and Ye Li’s status as a deputy general of the Nine Luminaries Division.
• The Sword Sect Old Ancestor held back, while Ye Li met his glare without fear and hoped the Sword Sect would attack.

Ye Li defeated Zhou Qingyan and forced the Xuanming Sword Sect's Old Ancestor to swallow his anger under Cao Ming's authority. As Ye Li prepared to leave, an ancient sword intent erupted from the sect's forbidden grounds, leaving everyone stunned.

• The Sword Sect's Old Ancestor suppressed his urge to attack Ye Li and apologized, admitting that Zhou Qingyan had deserved her defeat.
• Ye Li dismissed the Old Ancestor's apology and returned to the high platform while the Sword Sect's disciples recoiled in fear.
• Cao Ming told the Old Ancestor to handle the ceremony's remaining matters and invited Ye Li to return with him.
• Ye Li agreed to leave, while the gathered sect representatives worried that his strength would shift the balance of power in Xianjing Continent.
• A deep rumble shook the Xuanming Sword Sect, and a vast sword intent erupted from its forbidden grounds, stunning everyone as the Old Ancestor cried out, "Tai... Taiyuan?!"

Ye Li claimed the Primordial Abyss Divine Sword after defeating Zhou Qingyan and left the Xuanming Sword Sect with Cao Ming, leaving the sect in turmoil. Back in Yushan, Cao Ming warned Ye Li about the danger of possessing the sword and arranged to send him a Life Jade.

• The Primordial Abyss Divine Sword emerged from the forbidden ground, acknowledged Ye Li as its master, and settled at his waist as a sword pendant.
• Ye Li and Cao Ming departed the Xuanming Sword Sect, leaving the Sword Sect Old Ancestor furious and Zhou Qingyan gravely injured.
• The Sword Sect elders rushed to save Zhou Qingyan as the sect’s representatives witnessed the humiliating end of the Sword Master Ceremony.
• Cao Ming warned Ye Li that the sword would attract challengers and gave him a Mountain River Seal for emergencies.
• Ye Li returned to his residence after telling Cao Ming he would welcome invitations to similar events, and Cao Ming ordered a Life Jade sent to him.

Ye Li consumed Dao Evolution Realm pills and spent Malice Points to rise to the early eighth level of the Dao Evolution Realm. After noticing his reserves had dwindled, he received a Life Jade from Cao Ming, who planned to collect it after his official duties.

• Ye Li reflected on his gains from the Xuanming Sword Sect and resolved to build his strength and standing before confronting more powerful foes.
• Ye Li consumed nineteen Dao Evolution Realm pills, triggering a cultivation phenomenon over the Nine Luminaries Division residence.
• Cao Ming concealed the breakthrough’s grand phenomenon and began drafting a memorial praising Ye Li to the Capital City.
• Ye Li spent Malice Points to advance first to the sixth level and then to the early eighth level of the Dao Evolution Realm.
• Ye Li worried about his diminished Malice Points and wondered whether Lin Huaijin’s recommendation had worked.
• Ye Li found a Life Jade from Cao Ming, who instructed him to illuminate it with blood and leave it on his desk.

After hearing that Ye Li had defeated Zhou Qingyan at the Xuanming Sword Sect, Lin Huaijin reported his deputy general’s achievements to Princess Ling'an. She promised to send someone to Dragon Pool and invite Ye Li to study at Shiguang Academy, leaving Lin Huaijin hopeful about his future.

• Chen Chuan told Lin Huaijin that Ye Li had defeated Zhou Qingyan at the sword ceremony.
• Lin Huaijin realized Ye Li’s victory would strengthen his recommendation and contacted Princess Ling'an despite the late hour.
• Lin Huaijin told Princess Ling'an that Ye Li had reached the Dao Evolution Realm, won first place in the Jade Mountain Refinement, and defeated a hall master of at least the fifth level of the Dao Evolution Realm.
• Princess Ling'an praised Ye Li’s potential and offered him the chance to study at Shiguang Academy in the Capital City.
• Princess Ling'an said she would send someone to Dragon Pool in a few days, and Lin Huaijin agreed to arrange Ye Li’s visit.

Princess Ling'an decided to travel to Dragon Pool County to win Ye Li’s loyalty, but the Eldest Princess stopped her at the palace gates because the Vajra Buddhist Disciple was causing trouble in the region. Ling'an returned to Qingxin Hall, leaving her journey plans dashed.

• Princess Ling'an asked Baiyue whether personally visiting Ye Li in Dragon Pool County would win his loyalty, then decided to depart that night.
• Baiyue warned Ling'an to consult the Emperor or the Eldest Princess, but Ling'an ordered her to pack and said she would inform the Emperor herself.
• As Ling'an and Baiyue left Qingxin Hall, the Eldest Princess confronted them and asked where they were going.
• Ling'an admitted she planned to visit Xianjing Continent, and the Eldest Princess warned that the Vajra Buddhist Disciple was causing trouble there.
• The Eldest Princess ordered Ling'an to return to the palace or send Baiyue with protective treasures instead, and Ling'an reluctantly went back.