Chapter Summaries

Ye Xuan discovered that the woman offering him tea was a dangerous impostor who trapped him on the top level of the Heaven-Ascending Steps. A divine palace intervened and attacked her, while its voice accused her of stealing its belongings and disguising herself to seduce men.

• Ye Xuan used his Divine Eyes to examine the tea and saw the woman repeatedly change into a skeleton, then sensed danger and tried to teleport away.
• The woman sealed the top level, stopped Ye Xuan from teleporting, and reached to capture him so she could study him.
• A divine palace appeared above Ye Xuan, struck the woman, and shattered her palm attacks.
• The woman summoned the Heaven-Ascending Steps into her palm and attacked the divine palace, causing the Steps to vanish from the cultivators below.
• A voice from the divine palace called the woman an old monster and accused her of stealing its belongings and disguising herself to seduce men.
• The divine palace opened a rift and began swallowing the Heaven-Ascending Steps.

The divine palace swallowed the Heaven-Ascending Steps, enraging their owner, who transformed into a terrifying skeleton and attacked Ye Xuan. The fairy maiden restrained the skeleton with Dragon-Trapping Lock, allowing Ye Xuan to escape, but he fled again after realizing the three major factions would pursue him without the Steps’ protection.

• The divine palace swallowed the Heaven-Ascending Steps and vanished into Ye Xuan's mind.
• The female cultivator transformed into a skeleton and attacked Ye Xuan, while the fairy maiden urged him to flee.
• The fairy maiden used Dragon-Trapping Lock to bind the skeletal arm and the skeleton, giving Ye Xuan time to escape.
• The skeleton broke free after the cultivators had fled and vowed to hunt down Ye Xuan.
• Ye Xuan overheard cultivators predict that the three major factions would pursue him, then left the area at full speed.

After the Heaven-Ascending Steps vanished, the major factions sent their leaders and experts to search for Ye Xuan, but he avoided them by disguising himself and headed for the Blood Baleful Intent Sect. He teleported into the sect’s base to take advantage of the experts who had left.

• News of the Heaven-Ascending Steps’ disappearance spread through Starry Sky City, and Tian Gu ordered the Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s experts to search for Ye Xuan while he went to inform the sect master.
• The Human Immortal Sect’s master and the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s leader also emerged from seclusion, and the three factions’ experts searched the area but failed to find Ye Xuan.
• Ye Xuan disguised his appearance and aura, then decided to loot the Blood Baleful Intent Sect while its forces were away.
• Ye Xuan reached the sect’s base and used Teleportation to enter without alerting its guards.

Ye Xuan captured Yan Feng inside the Blood Baleful Intent Sect and forced him to reveal its defenses, leaders, treasury, and underground spiritual vein. After learning that Elder Gong guarded the dangerous vein, Ye Xuan had Yan Feng lead him toward the treasury.

• Ye Xuan knocked out Yan Feng and took him to an isolated area inside the sect.
• After repeatedly striking Yan Feng whenever he tried to shout, Ye Xuan frightened him into answering questions.
• Yan Feng revealed the sect's strongest cultivators and the guards at its treasury and underground spiritual vein.
• Yan Feng warned Ye Xuan that Elder Gong guarded the spiritual vein and was at least as strong as Elder Tian Gu.
• Ye Xuan took a garment from Yan Feng's spatial ring and ordered him to lead the way to the treasury.

Ye Xuan infiltrated the Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s Treasure Pavilion with Yan Feng and killed its disguised guardian, Elder Hao, before looting the treasury. They escaped, while Elder Gong sensed something from deep within the sect.

• Yan Feng led Ye Xuan to the Treasure Pavilion, where Elder Hao guarded the entrance.
• Ye Xuan realized Elder Hao was an Emperor Realm Third Layer expert, not the First Layer Yan Feng had expected.
• Ye Xuan vanished with Wandering Dragon Steps and killed Elder Hao with the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword.
• Ye Xuan made Yan Feng take Elder Hao’s appearance, then entered the pavilion and killed the people inside while sweeping up its resources.
• Ye Xuan left the Treasure Pavilion with Yan Feng, and Elder Gong opened his eyes in a distant hall.

After Elder Gong discovered the corpses in the treasure pavilion, Ye Xuan fled with Yan Feng before returning to the Immortal Spiritual Vein entrance. He began extracting the nine veins, exposing his true target and drawing the sect’s experts toward him.

• Elder Gong found the treasure pavilion full of corpses and raised the alarm across the Blood Baleful Intent Sect.
• Ye Xuan grabbed Yan Feng, teleported him away from the Immortal Spiritual Vein entrance, and left him unable to speak.
• Elder Gong ordered the sect sealed and its grand formations activated while cultivators searched for the intruder.
• Ye Xuan returned to the entrance, found its Emperor Realm guard gone, and slipped past the two Half-Emperors.
• Ye Xuan began extracting the nine Immortal Spiritual Veins, shaking the sect and revealing his objective.
• The Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s experts rushed toward the Immortal Spiritual Vein entrance in fury.

Ye Xuan raced to extract one of the Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s Immortal Spiritual Veins before Elder Gong and the other experts could reach him. Elder Gong recognized Ye Xuan and pushed through his defenses, but Ye Xuan discovered that devouring Elder Gong’s spiritual sense made the vein move faster.

• Cultivators across Starry Sky City sensed the disturbance as the Blood Baleful Intent Sect sealed its gates.
• Ye Xuan used all one hundred and eight meridians to pull at an Immortal Spiritual Vein, shaking the sect as it began to move.
• Ye Xuan called on the woman in his mind for help, but she refused to respond, so he continued on his own.
• Elder Gong charged toward Ye Xuan, who unleashed True Solar Fire, thunder dragons, and binding techniques to delay him while he kept extracting the vein.
• Elder Gong recognized Ye Xuan and broke through the attacks, but Ye Xuan found that devouring Elder Gong’s spiritual sense made the Immortal Spiritual Vein move faster.

Ye Xuan took all nine Immortal Spiritual Veins from the Blood Baleful Intent Sect, but Elder Gong and the sect’s cultivators blocked his escape. Ye Xuan concealed himself among the enemies and ambushed an Emperor Realm Fifth Layer cultivator, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Ye Xuan collected the first Immortal Spiritual Vein, then swept up the other eight as Elder Gong arrived.
• Elder Gong destabilized space and prevented Ye Xuan from teleporting away, while two Emperor Realm First Layer cultivators attacked him.
• Ye Xuan wounded the two attackers, then killed several Half-Emperor cultivators when he could not escape.
• Ye Xuan disguised himself as the fallen Mo He and concealed his presence, leaving the Blood Baleful Intent Sect cultivators unable to find him.
• Ye Xuan ambushed an Emperor Realm Fifth Layer cultivator with his techniques, and three streaks of sword light slashed toward the man.

Ye Xuan ambushed the Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s cultivators, killing those below the middle Emperor Realm while repeatedly evading Elder Gong. The chapter left Elder Gong unable to pursue him without risking more deaths, as Ye Xuan disguised himself among the fleeing cultivators.

• Ye Xuan grievously wounded Elder Zhao with the Three Primordial Unity Forms, then escaped Elder Gong’s attack by concealing his presence.
• Ye Xuan used the Demon-Devouring Divine Canon and his sword to kill several Half-Emperors and early-stage Emperor Realm cultivators while they were in pain.
• Elder Gong ordered cultivators at the early-stage Emperor Realm and below to retreat after realizing Ye Xuan could kill them instantly.
• Ye Xuan disguised himself among the retreating cultivators and killed more than a dozen, warning the sect that he could be hiding among any of them.
• Elder Gong hesitated to act, while the fleeing cultivators watched one another warily, unsure who among them was Ye Xuan.

Elder Gong failed to uncover Ye Xuan, who used his concealment techniques to remain hidden while cultivators were mysteriously killed. The Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master returned with his injured forces and opened the sect-protecting formation, setting the stage for a confrontation over the stolen Immortal Spiritual Vein.

• Elder Gong repeatedly searched the cultivators with his spiritual sense, but Ye Xuan's huge-mouth ability devoured it and concealed him from detection.
• Elder Gong's unobstructed spiritual sense coincided with several cultivators exploding, leaving everyone unsure whether he or Ye Xuan had killed them.
• Ye Xuan stayed hidden in the crowd with his Supreme Mortal Bone and A Thousand Changes and Myriad Transformations.
• The Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master and his injured experts returned after battling a mighty expert on the Heaven-Ascending Steps.
• The Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master opened the sect-protecting formation, intent on finding whoever had stolen the sect's Immortal Spiritual Vein.

The Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s master returned to find its Immortal Spiritual Vein missing and began inspecting the suspected culprits. Ye Xuan remained disguised but realized his turn was approaching, leaving him facing imminent discovery.

• The sect master entered the Blood Baleful Intent Sect and demanded that Elder Gong explain what had happened.
• The sect master threatened the gathered cultivators and ordered them to step forward, but no one confessed.
• The sect master began inspecting each cultivator’s sea of consciousness while Ye Xuan worried that his disguise could not hide it.
• The sect master killed a Human Immortal Sect infiltrator and several other factional moles during the inspections.
• Ye Xuan saw that only about a dozen cultivators remained ahead of him and grew anxious as his turn neared.

Ye Xuan escaped the Blood Baleful Intent Sect after its Sect Master was distracted by fleeing moles, but the Emperor Realm Ninth Layer expert tracked his teleportation and caught up. Ye Xuan sensed Starry Sky City nearby, but the Sect Master's massive hand struck at his location before he could reach it.

• Four or five planted moles tried to flee the sect, and the Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master killed them with one palm strike.
• Ye Xuan concealed his presence and teleported out while the Sect Master searched for him.
• The Sect Master realized Ye Xuan had escaped and chased him beyond the sect.
• Ye Xuan repeatedly teleported toward cover and disturbed the surrounding space, but the Sect Master followed the spatial fluctuations.
• Ye Xuan sensed Starry Sky City and prepared to teleport into its crowds, but the Sect Master closed in and struck his location with a massive hand.

Ye Xuan escaped the Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master by hiding among fleeing cultivators, while the Human Immortal Sect Master and the Rogue Cultivator Alliance leader stopped the pursuit from turning into a massacre. The three major powers and others began searching for Ye Xuan, who remained inside Starry Sky City and slipped into a magnificent residence.

• Ye Xuan used Wandering Dragon Steps and the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword to strike the watching cultivators, then hid among the fleeing crowd and concealed himself.
• The Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master attacked the fleeing cultivators, but the Human Immortal Sect Master and the leader of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance intervened and stopped him.
• The Blood Baleful Intent Sect Master left without killing anyone else, while the two other leaders departed after arranging to pursue Ye Xuan.
• The three major powers announced an astronomical bounty on Ye Xuan, prompting rogue cultivators and minor powers to join the search.
• Ye Xuan stayed in Starry Sky City and slipped into an exceptionally magnificent residence.

Ye Xuan hid in Devil Moon’s residence while the three major factions searched unsuccessfully for the stolen Immortal Spiritual Vein. The arrival of powerful visitors from the true Heavenly Domain left the search unresolved, as one of their young people asked where the Outer Domain’s new genius was.

• Ye Xuan concealed himself in Devil Moon’s residence and began recovering, while Devil Moon wondered whether he could survive the danger.
• The three major factions searched Starry Sky City and the Outer Heavenly Domain for Ye Xuan but found no trace of him, including at Devil Moon’s residence.
• Ye Xuan stayed hidden and focused on cultivating until he could break through to Half-Emperor.
• A portal appeared above Starry Sky City, and powerful visitors emerged whom the three faction leaders respectfully greeted as people from the true Heavenly Domain.
• An old visitor flew toward the Heaven-Ascending Steps with two others, while one of the young visitors asked where the Outer Domain’s newly arrived genius was.

Xiao Sheng arrived in Starry Sky City seeking to challenge its strongest young cultivators, but learned that Ye Xuan might have taken the Heaven-Ascending Steps and that two of his intended opponents had died. As Xiao Sheng departed, Ye Xuan cultivated in Devil Moon’s residence, where Devil Moon sensed that the surrounding Immortal Spiritual Qi seemed unusually dense.

• Xiao Sheng learned that Ye Xuan had killed experts, stolen the Blood Baleful Intent Sect’s Immortal Spiritual Veins, and might have taken the Heaven-Ascending Steps.
• Three experts from the Heavenly Domain inspected the barren site where the Heaven-Ascending Steps and chained skeleton had vanished, then returned to Starry Sky City to search for Ye Xuan.
• Xiao Sheng asked to spar with Xue Chen, Devil Moon, and Wu Qiu, but learned that Xue Chen and Wu Qiu had fallen and Devil Moon was in seclusion.
• Xiao Sheng left Starry Sky City, disappointed that he had no worthy opponent to challenge.
• Ye Xuan secretly cultivated using the nine Immortal Spiritual Veins in Devil Moon’s residence, while Devil Moon sensed unusually dense Immortal Spiritual Qi but could not find its cause.

After recovering, Ye Xuan continued cultivating in Devil Moon’s residence while Devil Moon sensed a chance to break through to the Emperor Realm. Xiao Sheng arrived with Heavenly Domain geniuses, attacked a guard, and demanded a spar with Devil Moon, prompting a Rogue Cultivator Alliance expert to challenge him instead.

• Ye Xuan’s injuries healed, but he remained at the peak of the Saint Realm, while Devil Moon cultivated in seclusion and sensed the barrier to the Emperor Realm.
• Xiao Sheng arrived at Devil Moon’s residence with young geniuses from the Heavenly Domain and kicked a guard aside, shattering the guard’s dantian.
• Devil Moon emerged and asked Xiao Sheng why he had attacked her guard; Xiao Sheng introduced himself and claimed he had come to seek pointers in a spar.
• A peak Half-Emperor from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance stepped forward and offered to spar with Xiao Sheng in Devil Moon’s place.

Xiao Sheng effortlessly defeated Zhao Kuang and every peak Half-Emperor who challenged him, then turned to Devil Moon and asked her to spar with him. Devil Moon faced the prospect of fighting an opponent she knew was beyond her strength.

• Zhao Kuang charged at Xiao Sheng with his imperial saber after Xiao Sheng insulted him.
• Xiao Sheng shattered Zhao Kuang's attack with fire dragons and blasted him to the ground, burning him until Devil Moon asked him to spare Zhao Kuang's life.
• Xiao Sheng extinguished the flames and challenged the crowd, offering to fight all the peak Half-Emperors at once.
• Countless cultivators attacked Xiao Sheng, but he swept them all to the ground with his fire dragons.
• Xiao Sheng asked Devil Moon to spar with him and promised to go easy on her.

Ye Xuan interrupted Xiao Sheng’s advances toward Devil Moon and fought him in Starry Sky City. After Ye Xuan shattered Xiao Sheng’s punches, he raised his club to strike him.

• Devil Moon refused Xiao Sheng’s invitation, saying she intended to enter secluded cultivation and break through to the Emperor Realm.
• Xiao Sheng took offense at Devil Moon’s refusal and demanded to know whether she was refusing to give him face.
• Ye Xuan emerged from the crowd and insulted Xiao Sheng for pestering Devil Moon.
• Xiao Sheng charged at Ye Xuan and unleashed hundreds of powerful punches.
• Ye Xuan swept his club through the punch shadows, then appeared above Xiao Sheng and brought the club down toward his head.

Ye Xuan killed Xiao Sheng in Starry Sky City, then escaped before the Xiao Clan expert arrived. The expert sealed the city and questioned Devil Moon, but she denied knowing Ye Xuan, leaving him hidden in her residence as the search began.

• Xiao Sheng activated a defensive talisman, but Ye Xuan trapped him with Draw the Ground as a Prison and killed him with the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword.
• Ye Xuan used Teleportation to escape as the Xiao Clan expert and other powerful figures arrived.
• The Xiao Clan expert found Xiao Sheng's corpse and ordered Starry Sky City sealed while demanding to know who had killed him.
• Devil Moon told the Xiao Clan expert that the killer was the man who had stolen the Blood Baleful Intent Sect's Immortal Spiritual Vein and taken the Heaven-Ascending Steps.
• The Xiao Clan expert collected Xiao Sheng's remains and left, and Devil Moon returned to her residence.
• Hidden in Devil Moon's residence, Ye Xuan realized the experts had not fought and that Xiao Sheng's death had not helped him learn how to reach the Heavenly Domain.

Ye Xuan considered how to reach the Heavenly Domain after watching a Xiao Clan expert depart through a spatial gateway, then confronted Devil Moon to ask for guidance. The chapter ended with Ye Xuan holding her at knifepoint and threatening to kill her if she resisted.

• The Xiao Clan expert ordered the three factions to seal the Outer Heavenly Domain and find Xiao Sheng's killer before leaving through a spatial gateway with Xiao Sheng's remains.
• The three factions and other Heavenly Domain experts feared the Xiao Clan's wrath and turned their anger toward Ye Xuan.
• Ye Xuan wondered whether talismans or the Half-Emperor Rankings could get him into the Heavenly Domain, then decided to question Devil Moon.
• Devil Moon tried to calm herself after the earlier danger, but Ye Xuan suddenly appeared in her bedchamber and pressed two fingers to her neck.
• Ye Xuan warned Devil Moon not to move or make trouble, and she nervously asked what guidance he wanted.