Chapter Summaries

The black hall’s master possessed the black-robed man and left with the coffin on his back. At a Sword Saint’s inheritance ruin, Ye Qiubai joined Liang Feng and the others against two golden-armored puppets while Murong Ce prepared an array.

• The black hall’s master rose from the coffin, possessed the black-robed man, and promised to handle the man’s affairs before carrying the coffin out of the hall.
• Ye Qiubai met Liang Feng at a Sword Saint’s inheritance ruin, where they also found Murong Ce and a group of cultivators.
• Hong Ying, Ning Chenxin, and Xiao Hei left to explore while Ye Qiubai agreed to join Liang Feng.
• Murong Ce began forming a Li Fire Array as the two golden-armored puppets charged at him.
• Liang Feng struck one puppet, while Ye Qiubai’s wooden sword slash forced the other back and cracked its shoulder.

Ye Qiubai used the Dark Demon Sword and its frost power to drive back two golden-armored puppets, while Murong Ce completed the Li Fire Array. The group combined their attacks to disable the puppets beside the ruins’ great hall.

• Liang Feng struggled to slow a golden-armored puppet, so Ye Qiubai used his Sword Domain to help him.
• Ye Qiubai summoned the Dark Demon Sword and unleashed Demon’s Descent, freezing the space and forcing both golden-armored puppets back.
• Murong Ce completed the Li Fire Array and called for everyone to attack together.
• Liang Feng, Ye Qiubai, and the others attacked the puppets with the array’s Li Fire and their sword techniques until the puppets fell silent.

After defeating the golden-armored puppets, Ye Qiubai and the others entered the Sword Saint’s great hall and faced four barriers infused with different artistic conceptions. Liang Feng and Murong Ce passed through the fire barrier, while everyone watched Ye Qiubai prepare to test the wood barrier.

• Ye Qiubai received credit for defeating the golden-armored puppets, leaving Murong Ce impressed and Liang Feng frustrated by the growing gap between them.
• The group entered the great hall and found four passageways guarded by barriers embodying flame, ice, wood, and wind artistic conceptions.
• Ye Qiubai chose the wood barrier, Liang Feng chose fire, and Murong Ce joined him there.
• The barriers attacked those who tried to pass, injuring some and allowing others through after they endured the trial.
• Liang Feng passed through the fire barrier using a sword barrier, and Murong Ce followed with a flame defensive array.
• The crowd turned to watch Ye Qiubai approach the wood-intent barrier.

Ye Qiubai overcame a regenerating sword formation by merging his life-sustaining intent into his Sword Domain, breaking through to the middle-stage Water Overflow Realm. He entered the third trial and faced a wooden figure whose swordsmanship closely matched his own.

• Ye Qiubai passed through the wood-intent barrier with ease using his intent of unending life.
• He entered a forest where branches transformed into wooden swords and repeatedly regenerated after his attacks.
• Ye Qiubai realized brute force would not break the sword formation and merged his intent of unending life into his Sword Domain.
• His transformed Sword Domain overwhelmed the forest and broke the formation, after which he consolidated his insight and reached the middle-stage Water Overflow Realm.
• Ye Qiubai entered a plaza and fought a wooden figure that mirrored his sword techniques and strength.
• Ye Qiubai recognized the figure as a counterpart to himself and decided to use the fight to hone his sword Dao.

Ye Qiubai fought a wooden figure that perfectly replicated his swordsmanship and Sword Domain, then found a way to refine his Domain and defeat it with the Primordial Sword Scripture. The wooden figure’s defeat left Ye Qiubai astonished at the Scripture’s extraordinary rank.

• Ye Qiubai exchanged attacks with a wooden figure that matched his strength, speed, Sword Intent, and techniques, while its Spiritual Qi did not run out.
• Ye Qiubai released his Sword Domain, and the wooden figure created an identical one; their rivers of Sword Intent collided.
• Ye Qiubai learned to contain the violent Sword Intent in his river, reducing its drain and sharpening its power until it suppressed the wooden figure’s Domain.
• Ye Qiubai shattered the wooden figure’s giant sword and Sword Domain, then attacked with the Primordial Sword Scripture’s Pacify Mountains and Rivers.
• The wooden figure could not reproduce the Scripture’s power, and Ye Qiubai’s strike broke its wooden sword and smashed it into the wall, leaving it motionless.
• Ye Qiubai realized the Primordial Sword Scripture exceeded the wooden figure’s ability to replicate, though he did not know that the ancient era likely had not possessed it.

Ye Qiubai, Liang Feng, and Murong Ce reached the inheritance of the Four Absolutes Sword Array, which required comprehending five conceptions. Ye Qiubai entered the celestial person state and mastered wind conception, leaving fire concept as his next focus.

• Ye Qiubai passed the wooden puppet trial and found a cliff surrounded by fire, wood, ice, and wind, whose conceptions formed a powerful sword array.
• Liang Feng and Murong Ce arrived, and the inheritance's illusory soul revealed that the Four Absolutes Sword Array required comprehending five conceptions, including sword intent.
• Ye Qiubai began studying wind conception while Liang Feng and Murong Ce separately focused on ice artistic conception and wood intent.
• Ye Qiubai entered the celestial person state and realized how wind could make a sword faster and sharper.
• Ye Qiubai comprehended wind conception and pierced a massive boulder with a swift, sharp strike; he then turned his attention to fire concept.

Xiao Hei reached the inheritance trial in a magma-filled purgatory and competed with a tall body cultivator to destroy its magma beasts. As the beasts’ magma tempered their bodies, Xiao Hei’s battle frenzy intensified, and he tore apart an enormous beast with his bare hands.

• Xiao Hei and the tall man entered the purgatory trial, where countless magma beasts emerged from the ground.
• Xiao Hei and the tall man agreed to compete and attacked the beasts using only their physical strength.
• Xiao Hei shattered magma beasts with his fists and absorbed their magma, which tempered his body while the tall man struggled through the pain.
• Xiao Hei’s battle frenzy grew as flame patterns appeared on his body, and he drove deeper into the horde.
• A much larger magma beast charged Xiao Hei, who knocked it down, pinned its head, and tore it apart with his bare hands.
• The tall man watched Xiao Hei’s feat in astonishment and wondered who had trained him.

Xiao Hei defeated the giant lava beast in Boundless Purgatory and completed the first level of the Eternal Devil Body. A lava throne rose before him, bearing the lifeless body of a tall, imposing man.

• All the lava beasts merged into a hundred-foot lava beast, which charged at Xiao Hei.
• Xiao Hei met the lava beast in repeated collisions, steadily overpowering it as the tall man watched.
• The lava beast grew terrified and retreated, but Xiao Hei broke its horn with a punch, ending the trial.
• After two hours of tempering, Xiao Hei fully mastered the first level of the Eternal Devil Body.
• A throne formed from lava rose before Xiao Hei with a lifeless tall man seated upon it.

Xiao Hei resisted the throne-seated man's crushing pressure until a mysterious armored figure formed from his Demonic Qi and intervened. The man passed his inheritance to the tall man instead, while Hong Ying reached a bamboo house deep in the secret realm.

• Xiao Hei charged the man on the throne, who held him down with increasing pressure as Xiao Hei refused to kneel for four hours.
• Xiao Hei's Demonic Qi formed an armored figure that confronted the man on the throne and warned him against demanding submission.
• The man on the throne explained that he had only wanted to test Xiao Hei, then asked the armored figure for time to pass on his inheritance.
• The armored figure returned to Xiao Hei, who woke from his demonic state without knowing what had happened.
• The man on the throne passed his inheritance to the tall man, then dissipated, while Hong Ying reached a bamboo house in the secret realm.

Hong Ying met the Grand State Preceptor at his bamboo house and discussed her plan to campaign on the Heavenly Road again, despite the weakness of the current era. The Grand State Preceptor watched four promising cultivators in inheritance ruins, while Hong Ying explained how her master, Lu Changsheng, had given her confidence.

• Hong Ying visited the Grand State Preceptor, who said he had prepared a secret realm for a future campaign on the Heavenly Road.
• The Grand State Preceptor showed Hong Ying four screens depicting Ye Qiubai, Ning Chenxin, Xiao Hei, and Mu Wan'er in inheritance ruins.
• Hong Ying praised Ye Qiubai's Sword Dao and told the Grand State Preceptor that Lu Changsheng was her master and had saved her Nine Revolutions of Reincarnation.
• The Grand State Preceptor watched Xiao Hei fight the magma behemoth and Mu Wan'er earn an ancient Alchemy Dao grandmaster's inheritance.
• Ning Chenxin discussed the Confucian Dao with the inheritance's Great Confucian, asking how cultivators could uphold justice in a world ruled by the strong.
• The Great Confucian fell silent when Ning Chenxin asked whether cultivators could truly save the weak at the cost of their own forces.

Ning Chenxin discussed the suffering of ordinary people and his doubts about changing cultivators with the Confucian Emperor, who urged him to stay true to his heart and influence others without trying to change everyone. Ning Chenxin comprehended Lu Changsheng’s words, entered the Celestial Person State, and received the Confucian Scripture after awakening seven days later.

• Ning Chenxin told the Confucian Emperor how Buddhists had allowed Devil Beasts to slaughter villagers and how other cultivators ignored ordinary people’s suffering.
• The Confucian Emperor praised Ning Chenxin’s devotion but explained that he could not change every cultivator and should remain true to his own Dao.
• Ning Chenxin recalled Lu Changsheng’s words, “Have a clear conscience,” and realized he should grow stronger and spread his ideas to more people.
• Ning Chenxin entered the Celestial Person State as the Confucian Emperor watched over him.
• Seven days later, Ning Chenxin awoke and found the Confucian Emperor gone, leaving behind the Confucian Scripture as a reference for his Dao.
• Ning Chenxin bowed to the Confucian Emperor in gratitude for dispelling his doubts.

Ye Qiubai received the Four Absolutes Sword Array inheritance while Hong Ying and the Grand Preceptor discussed their plans. After the secret realm ended, Li You concealed Ye Qiubai’s identity to keep the Li Clan from targeting him, and a black-robed figure arrived at the Sunset Dynasty palace.

• Ye Qiubai combined five kinds of concepts and received the Four Absolutes Sword Array inheritance scroll.
• The Grand Preceptor chose to remain in the inheritance ruins until Hong Ying had recovered her strength, promising to aid her in a future war on the Heavenly Road.
• After the secret realm ended, Li You told the Li Clan that an unknown masked person had intercepted him, concealing that Ye Qiubai was responsible.
• The Buddhist Son emerged from the secret realm smiling, while a black-robed figure left for the Northern Region.
• The black-robed figure reached the Sunset Dynasty palace, where imperial guards surrounded the visitor and demanded to know their identity.

An impostor using Huang Tian Ming’s body convinced Huang Yitong that he had gained a powerful inheritance and secured command of the Sunset Dynasty’s troops to unify the Northern Region. He then went to the Pear Garden and discovered something about Jiang Chan that filled him with joy.

• The impostor entered the imperial palace and persuaded Huang Yitong that he had returned from the Southern Region’s secret realm with an inheritance.
• He asked to take charge of the matter involving Ye Qiubai, claiming he meant to finish what he had started.
• The impostor revealed that he had reached the Late Qianyuan Realm and possessed three Half-Step Void God corpse puppets, prompting Huang Yitong to give him the tiger tally and authorize plans to unify the Northern Region.
• The impostor went to the Pear Garden, restrained Jiang Chan, and examined her brow and dantian.
• After sensing Jiang Chan, the impostor rejoiced and thought that Heaven was helping him.

After the ancient secret realm closed, the Sunset Dynasty launched a devastating campaign in the Northern Region, destroying the Absolute Array Sect and Azure Origin Sect. Yun Jing organized the region’s factions to prepare for war, while Ye Qiubai learned of the attacks and was told to wait and cultivate.

• The Sunset Dynasty destroyed the Absolute Array Sect and continued south to attack the Azure Origin Sect.
• Huang Tian Ming killed the Azure Origin Sect’s sect master by draining his vital Qi, and the dynasty slaughtered everyone in the sect.
• Yun Jing told Wu Deshi to unite the Northern Region’s factions, establish ship routes, and gather their people at the Hidden Dao Academy.
• Ye Qiubai asked to go to the Northern Region, but Qin Tiannan urged him to wait until they understood the Sunset Dynasty’s strength and motives.
• Lu Changsheng told Ye Qiubai to focus on cultivation.

As the Sunset Dynasty’s brutal campaign spread panic through the Northern Region, Huang Yitong confronted Huang Tian Ming over his ruthless methods. At the Cottage, Lu Changsheng tried to keep Ye Qiubai from joining the conflict by setting him a punishing waterfall training task, while the Northern Region’s war continued to stalemate.

• Huang Yitong warned Huang Tian Ming that draining mortals and rogue cultivators would cost the Sunset Dynasty the people’s support, but Huang Tian Ming dismissed the value of popular approval.
• Xiao Hei traveled to the Northern Region to find a place of extreme cold for the second level of the Eternal Devil Body, while Ye Qiubai remained troubled by the war.
• Mu Ziqing urged Ye Qiubai to focus on strengthening himself, and Lu Changsheng took him to a waterfall and required him to carve a hundred sword marks into a boulder using a wooden sword.
• Ye Qiubai repeatedly fell from the boulder under the waterfall’s force, while Lu Changsheng secretly hoped the training would keep him from going to the Northern Region.
• A month later, the Sunset Dynasty divided its forces into three armies led by Huang Yitong’s three great experts, while Huang Yitong guarded the imperial palace and Huang Tian Ming waited in ambush.

After completing his sword training and breaking through to the late-stage Water Overflow Realm, Ye Qiubai headed to the Northern Region with Qin Tiannan and Yun Ming to help defend against the Sunset Dynasty. The Northern Region’s forces were nearing collapse as they waited for reinforcements.

• Ye Qiubai calmed his mind beneath the waterfall, carved a sword mark with one strike, and broke through to the late-stage Water Overflow Realm.
• After carving one hundred sword marks, Ye Qiubai returned to the Cottage, where Qin Tiannan reported that the Northern Region had requested aid against the Sunset Dynasty.
• Lu Changsheng allowed Ye Qiubai to go and gave him a small sword that could save his life; Hong Ying sent Yun Ming with him, while Mu Ziqing stayed behind.
• The Sunset Dynasty attacked the Northern Region along three routes, forcing sects and clans to consolidate near the Northern Region Hidden Dao Academy.
• At the academy, Dean Wu and the gathered leaders waited anxiously for reinforcements as the second defensive line faced a possible breach.

The Northern Region Alliance prepared to defend Heavenly Punishment Valley after the Sunset Dynasty swiftly captured its first defensive line. At the academy council, Ye Qiubai argued that defense alone would fail and proposed ambushing the enemy outside the valley.

• The Northern Region Alliance fell back from Devil Beast Valley to the Azure Mountain Range and planned to make its final stand at the Northern Region Hidden Dao Academy.
• Wu Deshi welcomed Yu Su, Tian Cheng, Zhang He, Qin Tiannan, Ye Qiubai, and the other reinforcements, then called them to discuss the defenses.
• Yun Jing revealed that a half-step Void God Realm corpse puppet had severely injured him and warned that each of the Sunset Dynasty's three armies might have one.
• Wu Deshi proposed holding Heavenly Punishment Valley until reinforcements arrived, but explained that the Hidden Dao Academy Main Academy could not act while the Sunset Dynasty's previous ruler threatened it.
• Ye Qiubai warned that three corpse puppets could break through the valley and proposed launching an ambush outside it.

Ye Qiubai persuaded the Northern Region Alliance to ambush the Sunset Dynasty’s advancing armies outside the Valley of Heavenly Punishment instead of defending the valley. By nightfall, the teams were concealed around the great rift, waiting for the enemy to arrive.

• Ye Qiubai argued that defending the valley would leave the alliance vulnerable to the Sunset Dynasty’s superior forces and proposed a swift ambush at the great rift.
• Yun Jing, Wu Deshi, and the others approved Ye Qiubai’s plan and assigned three fast-striking teams to attack the advancing armies, with Qin Tiannan covering their retreat.
• The ambush teams prepared for the operation and set out after dusk wearing cloaks enhanced with presence-concealing formations.
• Ye Qiubai’s team took the rift’s left flank, the Azure Sect’s grand elder took the right, and Yu Su’s team positioned itself in the center.
• Qin Tiannan reminded the teams to strike once and withdraw, and they waited silently in the darkness for the Sunset Dynasty’s forces.

Ye Qiubai and the other ambushers attacked the Sunset Dynasty’s sinister army as it crossed the great rift, killing the two experts sustaining its bridge. They escaped toward the Valley of Heavenly Punishment while the enemy general was left to count his losses.

• Ye Qiubai recognized the approaching Sunset Dynasty army as sinister and watched two mid-stage Qianyuan Realm experts create a Spiritual Qi bridge across the rift.
• Ye Qiubai signaled Jian Chaomian and the others to attack the two experts once the army reached the middle of the bridge.
• The ambushers trapped the experts with Sword Intent, and Ye Qiubai killed them both with Demon's Descent.
• The bridge vanished, sending nearly a third of the Sunset Dynasty’s troops plunging into the rift.
• Ye Qiubai ordered the ambushers to retreat as a powerful presence approached, and the armored general did not pursue them toward the Valley of Heavenly Punishment.
• The armored general ordered the remaining troops to count their numbers and feared punishment from the eldest prince.

After a successful ambush, Ye Qiubai learned the Azure Sect grand elder’s team was pinned down and chose to go rescue them despite Qin Tiannan’s objections. He reached the battlefield and found the Sunset Dynasty’s army had crossed the Great Rift Valley, leaving only six members of the team to face three late Qianyuan Realm experts.

• Ye Qiubai and his companions returned safely after their ambush, and Qin Tiannan welcomed them back.
• Yu Su’s team returned with Yu Su slightly injured, but the Azure Sect grand elder’s team failed to appear.
• Spiritual Qi erupted from the Great Rift Valley, and Yu Su recognized the Azure Sect grand elder’s presence as the team came under attack.
• Ye Qiubai insisted on going to rescue the grand elder and his companions, and Qin Tiannan reluctantly let him go.
• Ye Qiubai reached the battlefield and saw that the Sunset Dynasty’s army had crossed the valley and reduced the original ten-person team to six, who were trapped by three late Qianyuan Realm experts.