Chapter Summaries

Shen Yun demonstrated his newly gained Reverse Dao by restoring a ruined landscape, then crippled the Gold Element Sword Venerable and learned that the Second Dao Lord had reached the eighth heaven of Void Refinement. After hearing that the four other Sword Venerables had died, the Second Dao Lord decided to confront Shen Yun personally.

• Shen Yun used Reverse Dao to restore the landscape, explaining that it could reverse calamity damage for no more than a hundred breaths.
• Azure Dragon and Wu Yao marveled at Shen Yun’s strength and discussed his prospects for reaching the Dao Lord realm.
• Shen Yun crippled the Gold Element Sword Venerable’s cultivation and demanded information about the Second Dao Lord.
• The Gold Element Sword Venerable revealed that the Second Dao Lord had reached the eighth heaven of Void Refinement a thousand years earlier.
• A gray-robed old servant reported that the four great Sword Venerables’ soul lamps had gone out, and the Second Dao Lord said he would make a move personally.

The Second Dao Lord personally attacked Canglan Hall before the seventh day, forcing Shen Yun and his allies to flee. Shen Yun was intercepted in the Chaos Zone, where the Second Dao Lord demanded to know whether he was ready to die.

• The Second Dao Lord emerged from Cangyun Island, and Venerable Yu and True Monarch Qingluan realized he was heading for Canglan Hall to confront Shen Yun.
• Gold Element Sword Venerable revealed that the Second Dao Lord possessed two supreme bloodlines, including one tied to Space Divine Ability, and Shen Yun gathered the Sword Venerables' Space Rings to escape.
• The Second Dao Lord struck Canglan Hall's Covering Sky Great Formation, cracking it with a single blow before forcing his way toward the hall.
• Shen Yun sent Wu Xining away with Qiongqi King, stored Beichen in Azure Dragon's Minor World, knocked Gold Element Sword Venerable unconscious, and fled toward the Chaos Zone with Azure Dragon.
• The Second Dao Lord caught up with Shen Yun and Azure Dragon, blocked their path, and asked Shen Yun if he was ready to die.

Shen Yun and the Azure Dragon fought the Second Dao Lord after Shen Yun refused his offer to join Biyun Island. Though the Second Dao Lord’s killing move left the Azure Dragon gravely wounded, Shen Yun ordered him to retreat to Canglan Hall.

• The Second Dao Lord admired Shen Yun’s resolve and offered him a place as his foremost battle general, but Shen Yun refused.
• Shen Yun supported the Azure Dragon with Primordial Mana, allowing him to unleash the Heavenly Dragon Blood Burning Technique and surge to late-stage Void Returning.
• The Azure Dragon clashed with the Second Dao Lord while Shen Yun continually healed and empowered him with the Five Elements Domain of Law.
• The Second Dao Lord unleashed the Heavenly Desolation God-Splitting Claw, tearing open half the Azure Dragon’s body and leaving the pair in peril.
• Shen Yun used the Nirvana Incarnation Method to halt the Azure Dragon’s worsening injuries, then ordered him to go to Canglan Hall.

Shen Yun and Azure Dragon fled to Canglan Hall while Second Dao Lord pursued them, and Shen Yun used the Xuangui Incense Burner to unleash a terrifying ghostly power against him. As Second Dao Lord was swallowed by the demonic darkness, Shen Yun and Azure Dragon escaped, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Shen Yun used Nirvana True Fire to heal Azure Dragon as they raced toward Canglan Hall, with Second Dao Lord close behind.
• Experts gathered outside Canglan Hall and were astonished that Shen Yun could hold off Second Dao Lord for so long.
• Gold Element Sword Venerable woke as the battle reached Canglan Hall and was reduced to ash by Second Dao Lord's attack.
• Shen Yun grabbed the Xuangui Incense Burner and hurled it at Second Dao Lord's spatial blade, while Azure Dragon fled from the hall.
• The incense burner released countless ghostly faces that broke Second Dao Lord's space domain and dragged him into darkness.
• Shen Yun and Azure Dragon escaped as Second Dao Lord's roars echoed from the demonic darkness enveloping Canglan Hall.

Shen Yun emerged from Canglan Hall after the Second Dao Lord vanished, leaving Cangyun Island vulnerable to its enemies. As Shen Yun departed, the First Dao Lord sensed Immortal Lord Fang’s arrival and invited him to appear.

• Shen Yun returned from Canglan Hall on Azure Dragon, and cultivators realized the Second Dao Lord was missing while Cangyun Island’s allies panicked.
• Azure Dragon explained that Shen Yun had stirred the demonic thought of an ancient existence, which had manifested and made the Second Dao Lord its scapegoat.
• When Canglan Hall disappeared after seven days, cultivators attacked Cangyun Island’s people, and Sun Chuan publicly renounced the island.
• Shen Yun bid farewell to Azure Firmament Palace and left, while True Monarch Qingluan and Venerable Yu led their forces toward Cangyun Island to claim a share of its territory.
• The First Dao Lord heard Daoist Xuan Yue’s account of Shen Yun’s escape and summoned Immortal Lord Fang, who appeared in a blaze of five-colored immortal light.

Fang Tianyi discussed the Second Dao Lord’s transformation into a puppet and the danger posed by the growing Demonic Thought. Shen Yun prepared to leave for Central Continent, but Wu Xining revealed that Wu Ping'an belonged to the Great Qian Martial Marquis Lineage, hinting at his unusual bloodline and a connection to the Second Dao Lord.

• Fang Tianyi appeared after Shen Yun claimed the Five Elements Chaos Tower, and the First Dao Lord acknowledged Fang’s disciple’s mastery while reflecting on his own breakthrough.
• Fang Tianyi showed the First Dao Lord the Second Dao Lord, whom the Demonic Thought had refined into a puppet, and explained that karma prevented him from acting directly.
• Shen Yun rode Beichen to the Wu family’s island and reunited with Wu Xining and Wu Ping'an.
• Wu Ping'an asked whether Shen Yun had slain the Second Dao Lord, and Shen Yun confirmed that the Dao Lord had fallen before saying he would return to Central Continent.
• Wu Xining asked Shen Yun to consider Wu Ping'an’s special bloodline; Shen Yun recognized that he carried two bloodlines and suspected a connection to the Second Dao Lord.
• Wu Xining revealed that the Wu family belonged to the Great Qian Martial Marquis Lineage.

Wu Tianyin gained the Old Martial Marquis’s permission to act against the Marquis Lineage of Nobles, while the Old Martial Marquis kept the lineage’s hidden reason for avoiding the imperial clan from him and ordered a search for Lord An’s descendants. In the Boundless Sea, Shen Yun learned the Wu Siblings’ bloodline secret, offered Wu Ping'an guidance, and prepared to return to Central Continent.

• Wu Tianyin declared that he could not accept what happened in the Jade Platform Case, and the Old Martial Marquis told him to go ahead with his decision.
• The Old Martial Marquis revealed to Elder Mo that the Martial Marquis Lineage had a hidden reason for never intermarrying with the imperial clan and ordered more people to search for Lord An’s descendants.
• Wu Xining told Shen Yun that her family descended from the Martial Marquis Lineage and that their bloodline had kept her from cultivating safely.
• Shen Yun explained that Wu Ping'an and Wu Xining could overcome their bloodline conflict by fusing their two bloodlines, and he offered to give Wu Ping'an pointers.
• Fang Tianyi praised Shen Yun from above and departed, while Shen Yun sensed his jade pendant’s power and resolved to return to Central Continent.

As the Metropolitan Examination approached, Shen Wude, Shen Qingruo, and Jue Wushen entered the Great Gan Capital with Jian Wushuang and discovered that crowded inns were beyond their means. Jian Wushuang brought them to Great Thunder Sound Temple for free lodging, where he learned that strange movements had been occurring in the temple’s back mountain.

• Shen Wude paid the group’s entrance fee at Vermilion Bird Gate and worried about the cost of staying in the capital.
• The group entered the capital, explored its prosperous streets, and found that nearly every inn was full or too expensive.
• Jian Wushuang said he knew a place where they could stay without paying Spirit Stones and led the group north to Great Thunder Sound Temple.
• Master Jing Yuan arranged guest rooms for them, explaining that his master had ordered the temple to accommodate Jian Wushuang.
• Jian Wushuang asked about unusual events at the temple and learned that strange movements had occasionally come from the back mountain.

Shen Yun and the Wu siblings traveled down the Luo River toward the capital, where they heard news about the imperial examination and encountered White Deer Academy’s Ximen Qiao. A violent disturbance forced their spirit boat toward shore, and Shen Yun saw ominous black qi around Great Thunder Sound Temple.

• Shen Yun and the Wu siblings boarded Old Man He’s spirit boat and learned about the examination’s leading contenders, including Shen Yun and Li Xiandao.
• Ximen Qiao challenged Shen Yun’s reputation and praised Li Xiandao, but the other cultivators ignored him.
• Shen Yun learned Old Man He was a Nascent Soul Realm expert as violent winds and waves began battering the boats on the Luo River.
• Old Man He ordered everyone to go ashore, while Ximen Qiao dismissed the danger and was knocked down by a wave.
• Shen Yun used the Qi Gazing Technique and spotted ominous black qi coiling around Great Thunder Sound Temple.

Shen Yun and Beichen fought a demon tide on the Luo River while an unknown Heart Demon Power drove the creatures into a frenzy. As the battle overwhelmed the Spirit Boats, Shen Yun revealed Vast Righteous Qi and began purifying the demon horde.

• A Flying Shuttle Sturgeon attacked the Spirit Boat, but Beichen appeared as a Giant Kun and swallowed it.
• A larger demon tide struck the Spirit Boats, and Shen Yun ordered Beichen to devour the creatures while he shielded one boat with his Primordial Domain of Law.
• Old Man He succumbed to a corrupting power and sealed himself, while Azure Dragon identified the force as Heart Demon Power originating deep within the Luo River.
• Mo Santong rallied the cultivators to fight alongside Shen Yun, but the demon tide overwhelmed them as Ximen Qiao refused to help.
• Shen Yun unleashed a vast white light that rescued the endangered cultivators and restored clarity to the demon creatures.
• Ximen Qiao recognized Shen Yun's power as great accomplishment in Vast Righteous Qi.

Shen Yun dispelled the demon disaster with Vast Righteous Qi, gained Qi of Merit, and advanced his cultivation before leaving to investigate its source. At Great Thunder Sound Temple, the assembled experts prepared to confront the Heart Demon sealed in the back mountain as Li Xiandao and the White Deer Academy arrived.

• Shen Yun cleared the black mist with Vast Righteous Qi, and Mo Santong and the cultivators bowed to thank him.
• Wu Yao and Azure Dragon identified the golden light gathering in Shen Yun’s palm as Qi of Merit, which fused with his Vast Righteous Qi and brought it to great achievement.
• Shen Yun ordered the Qiongqi King to escort the Wu Siblings to the Great Gan Capital, then departed for the north to investigate the demon disaster.
• At Great Thunder Sound Temple, Jue Wushen, Master Jing Yuan, Jian Wushuang, and Shen Qingruo questioned the monks about the Heart Demon threatening the temple.
• Situ Jing arrived with Bai Qian and Li Xiandao, and Master Mingtai sent Jing Yuan to lead the experts toward the back mountain.

Jian Wushuang and the others climbed Great Thunder Sound Temple’s rear mountain, where Situ Jing revealed that the sealed Demon Buddha had once been a gifted Buddhist child who fused Buddhism with demonic arts. At the summit, they found Shen Yun facing an ancient figure summoned by the mountain’s Buddha inscription, and the two sat down to debate the Dao.

• Jian Wushuang pressed Master Jing Yuan for the identity of the presence in the rear mountain, and Situ Jing revealed that the legendary Demon Buddha was sealed there.
• Situ Jing recounted how the Buddhist child learned the ways of many schools, secretly cultivated demonic arts, and was eventually sealed by Venerable Monk Kong Jian.
• Master Jing Yuan briefly awakened memories of his past life and said the abbot had failed to teach the child how to cultivate his heart.
• Li Xiandao attacked the white-clad figure on the summit with Vast Righteous Qi, but the strike circled him harmlessly; Bai Qian recognized him as Young Master Shen Yun.
• The mountain’s Buddha inscription produced an imposing figure, and Shen Yun and the figure sat facing each other to debate the Dao.

Shen Yun and the Demon Buddha debated the Dao, impressing the onlookers and deepening Shen Yun’s understanding enough to advance two Nascent Soul realms. The Demon Buddha acknowledged Shen Yun’s talent, then posed one final question to end their discussion.

• Bai Qian, Situ Jing, and Jian Wushuang assessed the Demon Buddha’s power and feared no one could stop him until the White Deer Mountain Chief arrived.
• The onlookers listened to Shen Yun and the Demon Buddha discuss the Dao, while Bai Qian and Li Xiandao recognized the gulf between their own understanding and Shen Yun’s.
• Jian Wushuang awakened Master Jing Yuan from dangerous contemplation and discussed the risk of Shen Yun confronting the Demon Buddha.
• Shen Yun broke through to Nascent Soul Fifth Layer and Nascent Soul Sixth Layer during the debate, and the Demon Buddha praised his talent.
• The Demon Buddha withdrew his emotions and asked Shen Yun one last question to conclude their discourse.

The Demon Buddha explained how he had cultivated the seven emotions through the Supreme Forgetfulness Chapter before severing them to pursue transcendence, and Shen Yun recognized the path he had taken. The Demon Buddha then asked Shen Yun what he would have chosen in his place.

• The Demon Buddha revealed that the Supreme Forgetfulness Chapter required severing the seven emotions and cleansing the sea of consciousness to reach the Supreme Primordial Spirit.
• The Demon Buddha said he had cultivated five Great Daos before his sealing and refined a sixth after eight thousand years of Buddhist practice.
• Shen Yun deduced that the Demon Buddha had cultivated the seven emotions and then severed their Great Daos to seek a supreme Dao fruit.
• The Demon Buddha's power of the seven emotions overwhelmed Bai Qian, Li Xiandao, and Master Jing Yuan, while Shen Yun remained unmoved.
• The Demon Buddha explained that he had experienced mortal life, including marriage, battle, and government service, before renouncing it all and returning to Buddhism.
• The Demon Buddha asked Shen Yun how he would have chosen if he had been in the Demon Buddha's place.

Shen Yun answered the Demon Buddha’s question about his obsession with demonic arts, saying the real mistake was that he had been too weak to control them. The Demon Buddha was shaken by the answer, while the others watched in stunned silence.

• Bai Qian, Li Xiandao, Jing Yuan, Jian Wushuang, and Situ Jing debated whether the Demon Buddha regretted cultivating demonic arts, and Jian Wushuang argued that he would have made the same choice again.
• Jian Wushuang suspected the Demon Buddha wanted Shen Yun to validate his past choice, and he and Situ Jing prepared for a fight.
• The Demon Buddha ignored the others’ hostility and asked Shen Yun for an answer, while Shen Yun told everyone to wait and said he would settle their earlier karma.
• Shen Yun advised the Demon Buddha to act within his abilities and said the only mistake was that he lacked the strength to control demonic arts.
• The Demon Buddha roared that he had overestimated himself, then seemed to accept Shen Yun’s blunt judgment that he had been too weak, leaving everyone stunned.

Shen Yun’s words helped the Demon Buddha sever his obsession and return to his original Buddhist identity as Kongwen, who chose to remain in the mountains. At Great Thunder Sound Temple, Commander Mo and the Mirror Division arrived to investigate the demonic qi, bringing a talisman they believed could seal the powerful figure.

• Shen Yun told the Demon Buddha that he had been foolish to abandon Buddhist cultivation, and the Demon Buddha accepted the rebuke and bowed to him.
• The Demon Buddha asked where he should go, then said he wished to remain among the green mountains; the stone wall’s Buddha character merged with his Divine Sense, and he introduced himself as Kongwen.
• At Great Thunder Sound Temple, Master Mingtai and the monks saw the demonic qi recede and believed the crisis had ended.
• Commander Mo arrived with Mirror Division agents, including Fang Shiyun, and said they had come to investigate the demonic qi disaster.
• Commander Mo presented a Demon Suppressing Ancient Talisman and insisted that the Mirror Division inspect the scene despite Master Mingtai’s warning.
• Master Mingtai led Commander Mo and his group toward the rear mountain.

The Mirror Division party confronted the Demon Buddha, dismissing warnings about his power and demanding that he return to his seal. The Demon Buddha killed Li Zhonghe with a single palm, leaving Commander Mo and the others to face the danger they had ignored.

• Commander Mo led the Mirror Division party up the mountain, while Master Mingtai grew alarmed at the sight of the Demon Buddha.
• Shen Yun and the others recognized the visitors’ intentions and stayed out of the confrontation.
• Li Zhonghe demanded that the Demon Buddha surrender and return to his seal, while Commander Mo blocked Master Mingtai from intervening.
• The Demon Buddha calmly asked the Mirror Division party to leave, but Li Zhonghe and the others insulted him and pressed their threats.
• Shen Yun warned Fang Shiyun to keep her distance as the Demon Buddha raised his hand.
• The Demon Buddha struck Li Zhonghe’s head with one palm, turning him to ash before Commander Mo could act.

The Demon Buddha killed Commander Mo and the Mirror Division members who attacked him, then offered Shen Yun his protection before departing. The incident shook Great Gan, while the Overlord’s plans against Shen Yun faltered and he vowed their conflict was not over.

• Commander Mo used the Demon Suppressing Ancient Talisman and the Northern Dipper’s power to attack the Demon Buddha, but the Demon Buddha shattered the talisman and killed him with two palms.
• The Demon Buddha killed the kneeling Mirror Division members despite Master Mingtai’s plea for mercy, and Master Yintai warned that the death of a third-rank immortal official would shake Great Gan.
• The Demon Buddha promised Shen Yun that he could seek his help in the future, then vanished into the void.
• The Ninth Prince visited the Great Thunder Sound Temple, and the crisis in Great Gan abruptly quieted as the Demon Buddha became a taboo figure and Shen Yun gained a reputation for his protection.
• At Overlord Manor, the heirs learned they must not provoke the Demon Buddha, and the Overlord smashed his treasures and vowed that his conflict with Shen Yun was not over.

As the martial examination approached, Shen Yun was widely favored to top the Scholarly Arts Tournament, while Ye Jiuge mastered the Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder True Scripture and prepared to challenge the leading contenders. Ye Jiuge ended the chapter eager to fight Shen Yun.

• People across the realm discussed the coming examination, and gambling houses treated Shen Yun as the certain Scholarly Arts Tournament champion.
• Reports described the Overlord training with his spear through the night despite not taking part in the examination.
• At Divine Firmament Dao, Ye Jiuge reached the threshold of the Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder True Scripture after only three months of study.
• Chen Aotian and Senior Brother Linghu predicted that Ye Jiuge would place among the top three, but named the Martial Marquis's heir and Shen Yun as the top two contenders.
• Ye Jiuge heard their confidence in Shen Yun and declared that he looked forward to fighting him.

On the eve of the Metropolitan Examination, Shen Yun remained unconcerned while Jian Wushuang considered taking Wu Ping'an as a disciple and Shen Wude reported that the bets were placed. Wu Tianyin arrived at the palace gates and demonstrated his overwhelming presence before Shen Yun emerged, their gazes meeting.

• Jian Wushuang told Shen Yun he admired his composure and said he wanted to take Wu Ping'an as a disciple, but Shen Yun said the choice had to be mutual.
• Shen Wude announced that he had placed all his bets on Shen Yun, and he warned Shen Yun about Wu Tianyin's formidable strength.
• Wu Tianyin meditated through the night, received Elder Mo's reminder to hold fast to his original heart, and left for the Imperial City.
• At the palace gates, Wu Tianyin's presence subdued the gathered heirs, and he effortlessly withstood Ye Jiuge's battle intent.
• Shen Yun walked into the morning light, and his gaze collided with Wu Tianyin's.