Chapter Summaries

Ye Qiubai rescued the Azure Sect's Grand Elder and the surviving ambush squad, then led them away from the Sunset Dynasty's army. Once the three pursuing Late Qianyuan Realm experts became separated from their army, Ye Qiubai turned to attack them with the others.

• The Azure Sect's Grand Elder and his squad were trapped and losing hope after their ambush failed, and an enemy expert killed one of their members.
• Ye Qiubai shattered two attacks aimed at the Grand Elder, ordered the squad to retreat, and used his Sword Intent and Demon’s Descent to cover their escape.
• The Sunset Dynasty's commander-in-chief ordered the army to stop pursuing after learning that the other two armies had been ambushed and could not reinforce them.
• Ye Qiubai noticed that the three pursuing experts had become separated from their army and asked the squad members still able to fight to join him in attacking them.
• After the group drew five hundred zhang from the army, Ye Qiubai turned back, unleashed his Sword Domain, and called on the others to attack.

Ye Qiubai and the Azure Sect’s grand elder joined forces to overwhelm three late Qianyuan Realm experts, but the enemies called for reinforcements. As a Half-Step Void God corpse puppet raced toward them, Ye Qiubai prepared to unleash the eighth sword of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon.

• Ye Qiubai and the Azure Sect’s grand elder attacked the three late Qianyuan Realm experts together, breaking their assault and forcing them to retreat.
• Ye Qiubai trapped the three men within his Sword Domain and pressed forward on the river of Sword Intent as the others attacked again.
• One of the three experts fired a signal flare, prompting Qin Tiannan to order his group to advance fifty zhang.
• The armored Sunset Dynasty general released a corpse puppet from a coffin and sent it rushing toward Ye Qiubai’s group.
• Ye Qiubai sensed the approaching corpse puppet, raised the Dark Demon Sword, and began the eighth sword of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon.

Ye Qiubai unleashed the eighth strike of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon and killed three late Qianyuan Realm experts. After using a recovery pill, he ordered the Azure Sect's grand elder and the others to retreat as a figure filled with Corpse Qi rushed toward them.

• Ye Qiubai gathered overwhelming Demon Qi and raised the Dark Demon Sword to unleash the eighth strike against the three late Qianyuan Realm experts.
• The Demon Qi disrupted the three experts, and Ye Qiubai's black slash shattered their Spiritual Qi barriers and Treasure Artifacts.
• Ye Qiubai opened his Sword Domain and sent three enormous swords through the experts' hearts, killing them.
• Ye Qiubai took a recovery pill, then told the Azure Sect's grand elder and the others to retreat immediately because a Corpse Qi-filled figure was approaching.

Ye Qiubai led the surviving ambush squad toward the Valley of Heavenly Punishment while a Half-Step Void God corpse puppet pursued them. He slowed it with his Frost Sword Domain and held it back with a sword strike, then reunited with Qin Tiannan as the puppet abandoned the chase.

• The Azure Sect's grand elder urged the ambush squad to flee while he stayed behind to hold off the approaching corpse puppet.
• Ye Qiubai combined Ice Artistic Conception with his Sword Domain, slowing the corpse puppet and giving the squad time to escape.
• Ye Qiubai struck the corpse puppet with Pacify Mountains and Rivers, holding it back for nine breaths before leading everyone onward.
• The corpse puppet stopped pursuing the squad and returned after apparently receiving a command.
• Ye Qiubai reunited with Qin Tiannan and the support squad; six members of the ten-person ambush squad survived, and the Azure Sect's grand elder praised Ye Qiubai.

Huang Tian Ming learned of the ambush that struck the Sunset Dynasty’s three armies and ordered their commanders replaced, while he continued forcibly raising Jiang Chan’s cultivation to harvest her Heavenly Nether Cauldron Physique. Back at the Northern Region Alliance’s base, Ye Qiubai received praise for the successful ambush and declined a reward, putting the war first.

• Huang Tian Ming learned through his corpse puppets that Ye Qiubai carried two Sword Saint inheritances, then ordered the puppets to stop pursuing him.
• An armored man reported that all three Sunset Dynasty armies had been ambushed near the Valley of Heavenly Punishment, and Huang Tian Ming ordered their commanders recalled and replacements appointed.
• Huang Tian Ming visited Jiang Chan in a sealed chamber and continued raising her cultivation so he could absorb her cauldron power once she reached the Void God Realm.
• Ye Qiubai and his companions returned to the Northern Region Alliance’s base, where Wu Deshi and the others praised the successful ambush and the Azure Sect master apologized to Ye Qiubai.
• Wu Deshi offered Ye Qiubai a reward, but Ye Qiubai declined for the time being, saying the war took priority.

News of Ye Qiubai’s successful ambush spread across the continent, drawing the Hidden Sword Sect into the conflict and earning praise from the Hidden Dao Academy. The former ruler of the Sunset Dynasty remained confident in his plans, while Lu Changsheng and the others in the Southern Region learned of Ye Qiubai’s victory.

• Word spread that Ye Qiubai had devised and led the ambush that rallied the Northern Region Alliance, and people began speculating about his unknown master.
• After learning the full details, Lin Rufeng praised Ye Qiubai and ordered the Hidden Sword Sect to support the Hidden Dao Academy and pressure the Sunset Dynasty.
• Dean Yan questioned the former ruler of the Sunset Dynasty about his forces, then defended the master of the Law Enforcement Hall when the former ruler reacted to news of the ambush.
• The master of the Law Enforcement Hall reported Ye Qiubai’s victory, prompting Dean Yan to praise him while the former ruler warned that Huang Tian Ming’s methods still posed a grave threat.
• At the Cottage, Mu Wan'er celebrated Ye Qiubai’s success, Mu Ziqing felt relieved, and Lu Changsheng grumbled that he should not cause trouble.

Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin left the Cottage to aid the Northern Region Alliance, while Lu Changsheng secretly sent a phantom after them. As the alliance planned its next moves, Ye Qiubai sensed two powerful presences arriving.

• Ning Chenxin offered to help his Senior Brother, and Lu Changsheng warned him not to cause trouble.
• Hong Ying decided to investigate the corpse puppets used by the Sunset Dynasty, and Mu Wan'er gave her two rings of recovery pills.
• Hong Ying, Ning Chenxin, and Hu Qing left the Cottage, while a phantom secretly departed for the Northern Region.
• Wu Deshi proposed reinforcing the Valley of Heavenly Punishment's formations and having alchemists prepare more pills.
• Ye Qiubai said the alliance needed more peak combatants, then sensed two presences approaching and said they had arrived just in time.

Hong Ying, Ning Chenxin, and Ye Qiubai arrived to help the Northern Region Alliance, and Hong Ying proposed that the three gather intelligence behind enemy lines. At the Great Rift Valley, Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin had Ye Qiubai draw the enemy’s attention so they could slip past the sentries.

• Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin joined Ye Qiubai at the Northern Region Alliance’s council and offered to help.
• Hong Ying proposed that the three handle reconnaissance because the alliance lacked intelligence about the Sunset Dynasty’s forces.
• The trio used Hong Ying’s concealment cloaks to leave the Valley of Heavenly Punishment, and Hong Ying decided to target the enemy’s pill-refining supplies.
• At the Great Rift Valley, Hong Ying noticed black Qi surrounding the enemy troops and determined that they could only cross by flying past the sentries.
• Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin chose Ye Qiubai as bait, and he unleashed his Sword Domain and a slash across the valley, alerting the enemy.

Ye Qiubai's strike opened a breach in the Great Rift Valley while Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin infiltrated the Sunset Dynasty's camp and destroyed its pill-refining site. The pair were surrounded, with Hong Ying confronting a Half-Step Void God corpse puppet as Ning Chenxin blocked the Qianyuan Realm experts.

• Ye Qiubai unleashed his Sword Domain, opened a breach in the Great Rift Valley, and retreated toward the Valley of Heavenly Punishment as the enemy's powerful fighters pursued him.
• Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin used concealment cloaks to reach the rear of the Sunset Dynasty's camp, noting enemy positions and locating the pill-refining site and nearby corpse puppet.
• Hong Ying told Ning Chenxin to destroy the pill-refining site with her and then leave while she investigated the corpse puppets, but Ning Chenxin insisted they leave together.
• Hong Ying attacked with her Samsara Spear Intent as Ning Chenxin summoned a divine general with the Dao Scripture, and their strikes destroyed the pill-refining camp and killed its alchemists.
• More than a dozen Late Qianyuan Realm experts and a Half-Step Void God corpse puppet arrived, and Hong Ying charged at the puppet while Ning Chenxin stayed behind to hold off the experts.
• Ning Chenxin used the word “Suppress” to stop an expert's palm attack and declared the road closed.

Ning Chenxin used the Dao Scripture to repel the Sunset Dynasty’s experts, but their armored commander sacrificed his allies’ souls to a banner and surged to near Void God Realm strength. Hong Ying recognized him as the ancient terror Yin Corpse Elder.

• The armored commander ordered the Sunset Dynasty’s experts to attack Ning Chenxin while Hong Ying fought the corpse puppet.
• Ning Chenxin summoned a heavenly general from the Dao Scripture, and Ye Qiubai sensed the battle’s eruption and rushed toward the Great Rift Valley.
• Ning Chenxin used the Formation character to strengthen the heavenly general, who shattered the experts’ attacks and drove them back.
• The armored commander used a soul banner to absorb Corpse Qi and souls from the Sunset Dynasty’s experts, raising his strength to the Half-Step Void God Realm.
• Hong Ying recognized the armored commander as Yin Corpse Elder.

Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin fought the Yin Corpse Elder’s armored servant and corpse puppet, then withdrew after learning that reinforcements were approaching. The armored man ordered his troops to stop them, fearing punishment from the eldest prince.

• Ning Chenxin used the Dao Scripture’s Dispel to purify the armored man’s Corpse Qi, but the man absorbed the heavenly general’s power during their clash.
• Hong Ying told Ning Chenxin to retreat and unleashed the Samsara Spear Technique against the armored man.
• Ning Chenxin used the heavenly general to hold back the corpse puppet while Hong Ying struck the armored man and sent him flying.
• Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin withdrew because they had achieved their objective and two more corpse puppets were approaching.
• The armored man ordered his troops to stop Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin, fearing the eldest prince’s punishment.

Hong Ying, Ning Chenxin, and Ye Qiubai escaped pursuit after Lu Changsheng secretly activated a formation beneath the Great Rift Valley, then the three returned to the Northern Region Alliance with news of their successful raid. The alliance celebrated their victory and prepared to go on the offensive, while a young man arrived at the Western Region Buddhist Sect.

• Ye Qiubai opened a gap in the enemy ranks with his Sword Domain, allowing Hong Ying and Ning Chenxin to cross the Great Rift Valley toward the Valley of Heavenly Punishment.
• A rainbow radiance erupted across the rift and stopped the armored man and three corpse puppets from pursuing the trio.
• Lu Changsheng revealed that he had set the formation beneath the rift, then disguised its origin by damaging formation nodes and arranging five enemy corpses nearby.
• A man in a yellow brocade robe inspected the formation and skeletal remains, concluded they were remnants from the past, and departed.
• Hong Ying and the others returned to the Northern Region Alliance, where Wu Deshi praised their raid and announced preparations for an offensive.
• A young man arrived at the Western Region Buddhist Sect and stood before its golden Buddha statue.

A white-robed envoy from the Upper Realm ordered the Western Region Buddhist Sect to investigate the mysterious man who had thwarted powerful projections and to control his disciples through the Sunset Dynasty. As the Buddhist Sect joined the Northern Region war, Lin Rufeng arrived to support Dean Yan against the Sunset Dynasty’s old sovereign, escalating the conflict.

• The Upper Realm envoy told the six Buddhist elders that Empress Yunhuang had been reborn and a mysterious man had defeated projections sent to stop her.
• The elders recognized the mysterious man as someone whose phantom had once overwhelmed their sect, and the envoy ordered them to learn whether he sought the divine object without provoking him.
• The long-bearded elder proposed targeting the man’s disciples, including Ning Chenxin, Ye Qiubai, and a red-robed woman, and the sect planned to help the Sunset Dynasty win the Northern Region war.
• The envoy approved the plan and headed to the Sunset Dynasty with an elder, officially drawing the Buddhist Sect into the war.
• At the Hidden Dao Academy, Lin Rufeng arrived to aid Dean Yan, and the Sunset Dynasty’s old sovereign disappeared to fight as the conflict escalated.

The Northern Region Alliance welcomed reinforcements from the Hidden Dao Academy Main Academy and the Hidden Sword Sect, then organized a counterattack against the Sunset Dynasty. Both armies gathered on opposite sides of the Great Rift Valley, where the first full-scale battle was about to begin.

• Ding Yunhe and the Hidden Dao Academy Main Academy arrived with the Hidden Sword Sect, whose vice sect master Sun Luo and disciple Liang Feng had come partly because of Ye Qiubai.
• The alliance leaders divided their forces into three groups, placing Ding Yunhe and Hong Ying at the center and Ye Qiubai and Ning Chenxin on opposite flanks.
• Wu Deshi rallied the Northern Region Alliance, and its forces marched toward the Great Rift Valley to attack the Sunset Dynasty's three armies.
• The Sunset Dynasty's scouts spotted the alliance's advance, and the three armies assembled to meet the attack.
• The two forces faced each other across the Great Rift Valley as the Sunset Dynasty's right-flank general ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack.

The Northern Region Alliance gained an edge when its battle formation strengthened its troops, but the Sunset Dynasty sent powerful experts to disrupt it. Ning Chenxin stepped in and killed two Qianyuan Realm experts, leaving the enemy army shaken.

• The Northern Region Alliance's formation restored Spiritual Qi and strengthened its soldiers, shifting the battle in its favor.
• A late Qianyuan Realm expert attacked the formation's four Water Overflow Realm cultivators, but Wu Deshi intercepted him and went up to fight.
• The armored general sent two more Qianyuan Realm experts after the formation, and Ning Chenxin volunteered to stop them.
• Ning Chenxin used the Dao Scripture's suppressive seal to repel both experts, then summoned a heavenly general that crushed them.
• The armored general recognized Ning Chenxin and shouted for his men to retreat, while the Azure Sect's sect master wondered who had trained him and the other remarkable disciples.

Ning Chenxin, Ye Qiubai, and Hong Ying turned the tide of the battle at the Great Rift Valley, prompting the Northern Region Alliance to launch an all-out assault. As the Sunset Dynasty deployed its corpse puppets and commanders, the three disciples met their opponents head-on, while Ye Qiubai faced a swordsman who trusted his superior cultivation to overcome the suppression of Ye Qiubai’s Sword Domain.

• Ning Chenxin summoned a heavenly general with the Dao Scripture and killed two Qianyuan Realm experts, lifting the Northern Region Alliance’s morale.
• Sun Luo and Ding Yunhe ordered attacks on their fronts as Ye Qiubai and Hong Ying unleashed their techniques against the Sunset Dynasty’s forces.
• Jian Chaomian advanced to Great Sword Master, while Liang Feng joined the battle after reflecting on Ye Qiubai as a rival worth pursuing.
• The Sunset Dynasty commanders deployed three half-step Void God corpse puppets, which Yun Jing, the Azure Sect’s sect master, Sun Luo, and Ding Yunhe moved to restrain.
• The three commanders charged Ye Qiubai, Hong Ying, and Ning Chenxin, who met them with confidence and battle intent.
• Ye Qiubai’s Sword Domain suppressed the sword of the opposing commander, but the commander relied on his late Qianyuan Realm cultivation and refused to back down.

Ye Qiubai, Ning Chenxin, and Hong Ying fought the Sunset Dynasty’s commanders, with Hong Ying overwhelming her opponent. Facing her lethal Samsara Spear Technique, the commander devoured Yin souls from a soul banner and broke through to the Half-Step Void God realm, at the cost of a secret art that would consume his body and soul.

• Ye Qiubai used Demon's Descent against the armored man, then suppressed and erased his Gale Greatsword with his Sword Domain and river of Sword Intent.
• Ning Chenxin controlled the heavenly general and fought the left-side commander with ease, relying on his Confucian Dao cultivation.
• Hong Ying kept the central armored man on the defensive and prepared to finish him with the Samsara Spear Technique.
• The armored man, unwilling to retreat and weaken his army’s morale, devoured the Yin souls inside a soul banner.
• The Yin Corpse Elder's secret art raised the armored man to the Half-Step Void God realm, while Hong Ying recognized that it would consume his body and soul within an hour.

Hong Ying killed the Sunset Dynasty's central army commander with the Samsara Spear Technique, shifting the battle decisively in the Northern Region Alliance's favor. As the alliance pressed its advantage and the remaining commanders were held at bay, golden Buddhist light appeared in the sky and a voice called for the slaughter to cease.

• The armored commander used the Corpse Puppet Secret Technique to reach Half-Step Void God strength, while his yin spirits disrupted the Northern Region Alliance and let the Sunset Dynasty's armies counterattack.
• Hong Ying unleashed the first form of the Samsara Spear Technique and ground the commander's arm to dust before erasing his body and soul.
• Hong Ying's victory rallied the Northern Region Alliance, which wiped out the central army and began supporting the left and right flanks.
• Ning Chenxin and Ye Qiubai kept the remaining armored commanders from breaking away to aid their forces.
• The clouds parted, golden Buddhist light shone down, and a voice said, "Amitabha. Cease this slaughter."

The Buddhist Sect intervened in the battle at the Great Rift Valley, claiming it wanted to prevent further bloodshed and forcing the Northern Region Alliance to retreat. The elders then invited Ning Chenxin to visit, while their forces admitted they feared the hidden master of Ning Chenxin, Ye Qiubai, and Hong Ying.

• Two Buddhist elders descended in golden light and ordered both sides to stop fighting, withdrawing the corpse puppets from the battlefield.
• Wu Deshi challenged the elders’ neutrality, while Ding Yunhe and Sun Luo accused them of shielding the Sunset Dynasty.
• The Buddhist elders revealed their Void God Realm strength and threatened to stop the Northern Region Alliance by force.
• Dean Yan and Lin Rufeng arrived, but Lin Rufeng ordered Wu Deshi to retreat to the Valley of Heavenly Punishment rather than risk a battle.
• A Buddhist elder invited Ning Chenxin to visit the sect, and the general later asked why the elders had not kept the alliance there.
• The long-bearded elder stayed silent, wary that the master of Ning Chenxin, Ye Qiubai, and Hong Ying might be nearby.

Xiao Hei endured the freezing winds of the Land of the Extreme North to advance his Eternal Devil Body to its second level, then saw three fragmented memories that caused unbearable pain. When three White-Furred Giant Wolves attacked him, he succumbed to demonic madness and killed them with his fists.

• Xiao Hei tempered his body in the extreme cold for several months and crossed the threshold of the Eternal Devil Body's second level.
• Xiao Hei saw three fragmented scenes: a black palace in a blood-red land, a black-robed man with five horned figures, and a woman telling her brother not to return until he was sure.
• Xiao Hei's sea of consciousness shook and filled him with unbearable pain as the visions appeared.
• Three White-Furred Giant Wolves approached Xiao Hei and attacked while he was rolling in pain.
• Xiao Hei rose, entered a state of demonic madness, and killed all three wolves with his punches.