Chapter Summaries

Ye Xuan questioned Devil Moon about entering the Heavenly Domain and learned that both available routes required an escort. Devil Moon offered to take him in as her servant, leaving Ye Xuan to consider the humiliating arrangement.

• Ye Xuan restrained Devil Moon and asked how to enter the Heavenly Domain.
• Devil Moon explained that entry required a recommendation from one of the three major powers or first place on the Half-Emperor Rankings, followed by an escort from the Heavenly Domain.
• Devil Moon said the Heaven-Ascending Steps had disappeared and that the three major powers would likely recruit any contender before they could enter through the rankings.
• Devil Moon offered to use her standing in the Rogue Cultivator Alliance to bring Ye Xuan into the Heavenly Domain.
• Devil Moon clarified that she could bring only a servant, meaning Ye Xuan would have to enter as hers.

Ye Xuan forced Devil Moon to accept a Slave Mark, giving him control over her life and actions. Devil Moon became his servant after he promised to remove the mark once she brought him safely into the Heavenly Domain.

• Ye Xuan told Devil Moon to open her sea of consciousness so he could plant a Slave Mark, threatening to kill her if she refused.
• Devil Moon hesitated, then agreed and opened her sea of consciousness.
• Ye Xuan inscribed the Slave Mark, linking Devil Moon's life and obedience to his will.
• Devil Moon bowed to Ye Xuan and called him her master, feeling ashamed but less resentful after accepting her new position.
• Ye Xuan found Devil Moon's submission strange and briefly felt a wicked thought arise.

Ye Xuan suppressed a wicked thought toward Devil Moon, then asked the Black-Clad Queen about his prospects in the Heavenly and Immortal Domains. With the queen agreeing to conceal him, he decided to challenge the Half-Emperor Rankings to gain combat experience and target the three major factions’ prodigies.

• Ye Xuan restrained himself around Devil Moon, asked her to gather information about her servant, and promised her freedom once they reached the Heavenly Domain.
• Ye Xuan asked the Black-Clad Queen whether he could break through the Immortal Domain’s barrier, and she warned him that the Heavenly Domain would be more dangerous than the Outer Heavenly Domain.
• Ye Xuan offered the queen more Immortal Spiritual Veins and asked whether he should challenge the Half-Emperor Rankings.
• The Black-Clad Queen approved the challenge and promised to conceal Ye Xuan from detection.
• Ye Xuan prepared to fight ranked Half-Emperors, improve through combat, and hunt prodigies from the three major factions.

Ye Xuan obtained Xue Tong’s identity information from Devil Moon and learned the skills needed to impersonate him and enter the Heavenly Domain. After mastering Xue Tong’s techniques, he headed to the Half-Emperor Pavilion in disguise to challenge the rankings.

• Devil Moon gave Ye Xuan a jade slip containing information about Xue Tong, a peak half-emperor and one of her followers.
• Devil Moon warned that Ye Xuan would have to fool the Rogue Cultivator Sect’s master and the Heavenly Domain experts to avoid exposing his disguise.
• Ye Xuan studied Xue Tong’s background, habits, saber techniques, and divine abilities, then mastered them in less than a night.
• Ye Xuan asked Devil Moon where Xue Tong’s saber was and left to challenge the Half-Emperor Rankings.
• Ye Xuan disguised himself as a sallow-faced scholar and arrived outside the Half-Emperor Pavilion.

Ye Xuan entered the Half-Emperor Pavilion to assess its fights and find someone to kill, but dismissed its rankings as unworthy of training. After learning the challenge rules, he watched Gale win nine bouts and awaited the powerful opponent expected in Gale’s tenth match.

• Ye Xuan checked the Half-Emperor Ranking List, noticed Devil Moon’s second-place ranking, and entered the pavilion intending to kill.
• Ye Xuan paid one thousand low-grade immortal stones to watch and followed the crowd to the arena.
• Ye Xuan watched Gale defeat a spear-wielding cultivator with a single saber strike while spectators criticized the challenge rules.
• Ye Xuan learned that challengers needed ten consecutive wins to qualify for the rankings and that each tier restricted which opponents they could challenge.
• Gale won nine consecutive matches, and the crowd awaited the formidable fighter expected to face him in his tenth bout.

Ye Xuan registered to challenge the Half-Emperor Rankings after deciding the arena battles held little interest for him. Meanwhile, Xiao Hanyi of the Xiao Clan investigated Xiao Sheng’s killer as Gale defeated Zi Yi and earned the right to challenge the rankings’ hundredth-ranked cultivator.

• Ye Xuan watched Zi Yi enter the arena and judged that he could not defeat Gale.
• Ye Xuan asked Zhang Yuan where to register, then headed to the registration area despite warnings about the danger.
• Ye Xuan paid two thousand low-grade immortal stones to register and resolved to rob the Half-Emperor Pavilion when he left.
• Xiao Hanyi asked the Half-Emperor Pavilion’s steward whether there was news of Xiao Sheng’s killer or suspicious newcomers.
• Gale defeated Zi Yi, secured his tenth consecutive victory, and qualified to challenge the hundredth-ranked cultivator on the Half-Emperor Rankings.

Ye Xuan entered the ten-consecutive-win challenge as Mad Saber and faced the Black-Robed Swordsman in his first match. He killed his opponent with one punch, leaving the venue stunned.

• Ye Xuan told Zhang Yuan that he had signed up for the challenge, while spectators wondered whether he had real strength.
• After Gale left for another venue, the seductive woman announced Mad Saber as the next challenger, and Ye Xuan leaped onto the battlefield.
• Xiao Hanyi and the beautiful woman found Ye Xuan unusual, while Ye Xuan sensed someone powerful spying on him.
• The Black-Robed Swordsman appeared as Ye Xuan’s first opponent, prompting spectators to predict Ye Xuan’s defeat.
• Ye Xuan rushed forward and exploded the Black-Robed Swordsman’s head with a single punch.

Ye Xuan, fighting as Mad Saber in the Half-Emperor Pavilion, defeated opponent after opponent with overwhelming ease. After winning his first two matches, he continued his streak through nine consecutive victories, leaving the arena roaring with excitement.

• Ye Xuan killed the black-robed swordsman with one punch and won his first match as Mad Saber.
• A seven-win Half-Emperor challenged Ye Xuan, but Ye Xuan broke through his Ten Thousand Layers of Mountains and killed him with a slap.
• The arena crowd cheered as Ye Xuan waited for his third opponent and absorbed the cultivation of his defeated foes.
• Ye Xuan defeated his third opponent with one punch and continued winning until he had nine consecutive victories.

Ye Xuan, fighting as Mad Saber, faced his tenth opponent, the returning Ghost-Eyed Divine Emperor Du Shan, whose illusion made Ye Xuan appear helpless. Du Shan reached for Ye Xuan’s throat, confident he had already won.

• The crowd celebrated Mad Saber’s strength, while Zhang Yuan claimed him as a friend and was not believed.
• Du Shan appeared as Mad Saber’s tenth opponent, and the crowd recognized him as a former number-one-hundred Half-Emperor ranked expert.
• Du Shan met Ye Xuan’s gaze and trapped him in an illusion of enchanting fairies.
• Du Shan approached Ye Xuan and reached to pinch his throat, declaring that dying in his illusion was an honor.

Ye Xuan revealed that Du Shan’s illusion had failed and killed him, earning ten consecutive victories and the right to challenge an expert on the Half-Emperor Rankings. As he was escorted to the next battlefield, Xiao Hanyi became curious about Ye Xuan’s unreadable cultivation, and Ye Xuan received his reward while waiting for the challenge.

• Ye Xuan escaped Du Shan’s illusion, crushed his neck, and burned his soul with True Solar Fire.
• The host announced Ye Xuan’s tenth victory, and the crowd celebrated his qualification to challenge an expert on the Half-Emperor Rankings.
• The alluring female host escorted Ye Xuan toward another battlefield while Xiao Hanyi wondered why he could not discern Ye Xuan’s cultivation.
• Xiao Hanyi decided to go see Ye Xuan for himself, despite the beautiful woman’s insistence that Mad Saber was a peak half-emperor.
• The alluring female cultivator brought Ye Xuan to a luxurious room and presented him with his reward as he waited for the next challenge.

Ye Xuan collected his reward at the Half-Emperor Pavilion while Gale defeated the hundredth- and ninetieth-ranked experts. Hearing that a challenger called Mad Saber had also won ten matches, Devil Moon suspected he might be Ye Xuan and hurried to the pavilion to check.

• Ye Xuan accepted ten thousand low-grade immortal stones and let a seductive cultivator serve him, while keeping his identity and thoughts to himself.
• Gale defeated the hundredth-ranked expert in three moves and then beat the ninetieth-ranked female sword cultivator in five, earning the crowd's admiration.
• Ye Xuan learned he would have to challenge an expert ranked below ninetieth because Gale had already claimed the hundredth-ranked opponent.
• Devil Moon heard that Gale was challenging the eightieth-ranked expert and that Mad Saber had achieved ten consecutive victories at the Half-Emperor Pavilion.
• Devil Moon suspected Mad Saber might be Ye Xuan and left her residence to investigate, worried about what would happen to her Slave Mark if he died.

Ye Xuan fought Yang Yue, a celebrated Blood Baleful Intent Sect prodigy, and killed him with a single punch. Xiao Hanyi grew suspicious of Ye Xuan’s strength and ordered him to fight Gale next, followed by a challenger from the top ten if he won.

• Ye Xuan learned that his next opponent was Yang Yue, ranked ninety-sixth on the Half-Emperor Rankings.
• Yang Yue appeared to a crowd of adoring female cultivators and ignored Ye Xuan.
• Ye Xuan struck Yang Yue with the Emperor Formula, destroying his body and killing him moments later.
• Ye Xuan absorbed Yang Yue’s cultivation as the venue fell silent.
• Xiao Hanyi ordered Ye Xuan to fight Gale next and arranged for a top-ten ranked cultivator to challenge him if he won.

After Mad Saber defeated Yang Yue, Xiao Hanyi arranged for him to face Gale and summoned the top three Half-Emperor-ranked experts to watch. The fight began with Gale charging at Mad Saber after Mad Saber refused to draw his saber.

• Xiao Hanyi told the beautiful woman to arrange a match between Mad Saber and Gale and summon Wu Qingyang, Devil Moon, and Yue Wushuang.
• Mad Saber’s victory over Yang Yue won him the crowd’s cheers, while Devil Moon watched him and hoped he was not the person she feared.
• The presiding expert announced that Mad Saber would fight Gale, surprising both Mad Saber and the crowd.
• Gale entered the platform and told Mad Saber to draw his saber, but Mad Saber said Gale was not worthy of it.
• Gale erupted with Spiritual Qi, took on the appearance of a Golden-Winged Great Peng, and charged at Mad Saber.

Ye Xuan defeated Gale and drew the attention of the Half-Emperor Pavilion and the Xiao Clan. As the Pavilion arranged for him to face the Demon Emperor, Devil Moon warned him that an Xiao Clan expert was investigating him.

• Ye Xuan destroyed Gale’s fire dragon, caught his flaming fist, and slammed him into the battle platform, winning the match.
• Devil Moon suspected that Mad Saber was Ye Xuan, while a maid told her to prepare for battle on the orders of an important Xiao Clan figure.
• Xiao Hanyi ordered the three great powers to investigate Ye Xuan, suspecting he had killed Xiao Sheng.
• The host announced that Ye Xuan would face the twentieth-ranked Demon Emperor under changed Pavilion rules.
• Devil Moon sent Ye Xuan an urgent voice transmission warning him to leave because a powerful Xiao Clan expert was investigating him.

Ye Xuan, fighting under the alias Mad Saber, faced the Human Immortal Sect expert Demon Emperor in the Half-Emperor Pavilion. As the battle began, Demon Emperor summoned a horde of peak half-emperor beasts to attack Ye Xuan.

• Devil Moon warned Mad Saber and tried to determine whether he was Ye Xuan, but he did not respond.
• Demon Emperor arrived on the platform, prompting spectators to worry that Mad Saber faced an unfair and potentially fatal matchup.
• Devil Moon watched from a window, while Xiao Hanyi sealed off the Half-Emperor Pavilion and prepared to capture Mad Saber if he survived.
• The presiding expert started the match, and Ye Xuan rushed to attack as Demon Emperor spread mist across the platform.
• Demon Emperor conjured peak half-emperor demonic beasts from the mist, and they charged at Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan crushed the Demon Emperor’s demonic beasts and conjured dragon, then killed him despite an order to stop. The furious Human Immortal Sect expert confronted Ye Xuan, leaving the conflict on the verge of escalating.

• Ye Xuan charged through the Demon Emperor’s demonic beasts with his fists and shattered them.
• The Demon Emperor conjured a powerful true dragon, but Ye Xuan destroyed it with a punch.
• The Demon Emperor tried to retreat, but Ye Xuan caught up and killed him with a crushing blow.
• The Human Immortal Sect expert shouted for Ye Xuan to stop, then confronted him in fury after the Demon Emperor died.

Ye Xuan defended his killing of Demon Emperor and was protected from the Human Immortal Sect expert by the Half-Emperor Pavilion’s rules. As Huang Tianyun prepared to challenge him, Devil Moon learned that the Pavilion and Xiao Hanyi wanted Ye Xuan dead, while a seductive presider tried to influence him to show mercy.

• Ye Xuan challenged the Human Immortal Sect expert’s outrage, arguing that the Half-Emperor Rankings allowed challengers and ranked cultivators alike to die, and a woman ordered the expert to obey the Pavilion’s rules.
• The presiding expert declared Mad Saber the winner over Demon Emperor and announced that Huang Tianyun, ranked fifth, would challenge him next.
• Devil Moon was summoned to meet the Half-Emperor Pavilion master and Xiao Hanyi with the other top-ranked cultivators, and Xiao Hanyi gave them talismans and ordered them to kill Ye Xuan at any cost.
• The seductive female presider used a bewitching power on Ye Xuan and asked him to spare the ranked geniuses, and he pretended to agree while resisting her influence.
• Huang Tianyun landed on the battle platform with a powerful air of slaughter as the spectators watched the impending fight.

Ye Xuan killed Huang Tianyun in a swift battle, then demanded to face Wu Qingyang for the top spot on the Half-Emperor Rankings. As Wu Qingyang entered the platform, Ye Xuan secured the black-robed queen’s promise to protect him from a suspected ambush, and the final battle was about to begin.

• Ye Xuan dodged Huang Tianyun’s attacks, struck him with his Emperor Art, and killed him with a sword strike.
• The crowd reacted to Huang Tianyun’s death, while the Half-Emperor Pavilion’s leader and Xiao Hanyi suspected Ye Xuan was exceptionally dangerous; Devil Moon recognized him as her master and warned him through the Slave Mark about the talisman.
• Ye Xuan challenged first-ranked Wu Qingyang directly, and Xiao Hanyi told Wu Qingyang to use the talisman as soon as he entered the platform.
• Ye Xuan asked the black-robed queen to protect him, and she agreed before dismissing his spiritual sense from her divine palace.
• Wu Qingyang leaped onto the battle platform, and the crowd focused on the two fighters as their final battle approached.

Ye Xuan sensed danger from Wu Qingyang’s talisman and struck first, killing the Half-Emperor Rankings’ top cultivator with one slash. With Xiao Hanyi sealing the Half-Emperor Tower and powerful figures turning against him, Ye Xuan teleported away and hid his presence.

• Wu Qingyang hesitated over whether to obey Xiao Hanyi and use the talisman or fight Ye Xuan himself.
• Ye Xuan sensed danger, opened all 108 spiritual meridians, and charged at Wu Qingyang with Wandering Dragon Steps.
• Ye Xuan’s saber slash cut Wu Qingyang in two and killed him before he could use the talisman.
• Xiao Hanyi sealed off the Half-Emperor Tower, while the Rogue Cultivator Alliance powerhouse erupted with killing intent and Devil Moon feared for Ye Xuan.
• Ye Xuan used Teleportation to vanish from the platform and concealed his presence.

Xiao Hanyi tracked Ye Xuan despite his presence-concealing ability and nearly killed him, but Ye Xuan escaped and disguised himself among Zhang Yuan’s group. Devil Moon recognized Mad Saber’s identity after seeing him use Draw the Ground as a Prison.

• Xiao Hanyi spotted Ye Xuan with his penetrating vision and pursued him as Ye Xuan repeatedly teleported away.
• Xiao Hanyi struck Ye Xuan and tore flesh from his back, but True Solar Fire burned the flesh before Xiao Hanyi could use it to track him.
• Ye Xuan noticed Zhang Yuan being humiliated by another cultivator and decided to avenge him.
• Ye Xuan trapped the surrounding cultivators, devoured their spiritual sense, killed Zhang Yuan’s tormentor, and took his appearance.
• Xiao Hanyi broke through the prison and found that Ye Xuan had disappeared, while Devil Moon recognized him from the divine ability.