Recaps

After Lin Xuan's sword strike drew Azure Wave City's leaders to the Twelve-Story Pavilion, he accepted He Qinglang's invitation to join the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect as an elder. He Qinglang then read Lin Xuan's sword scripture and offered one billion to place it in the sect's collection.

• He Qinglang sealed off the area, keeping the three household ancestors from investigating the lingering Sword Qi.
• Bikong explained that Lin Xuan had defeated the attacker with a sword strike and revealed that Lin Xuan had mastered the Sword Domain.
• He Qinglang invited Lin Xuan to join the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect as an elder, and Lin Xuan accepted.
• He Qinglang read Bikong's sword scripture, became engrossed in it, and offered Lin Xuan one billion to add it to the sect's collection.

Lin Xuan agreed to join the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect after He Qinglang offered him generous benefits for sharing the sword scripture. Meanwhile, Fang Yun'er prepared to take part in the Fang Household's grand competition, hoping to light up at least three Divine Marks.

• He Qinglang offered Lin Xuan sect contribution points and a share of future study fees in exchange for joining the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect and allowing its disciples to study the sword scripture.
• He Qinglang promised to reimburse Bikong for the Spirit Stones he spent and granted him unconditional access to the scripture, and Lin Xuan accepted the offer.
• Fang Yun'er spent time with Fang Linlin and Fang Yu before the Fang Household's grand competition began.
• Fang Linlin nervously complained about the talent test, while Fang Yu told her to calm down and Fang Linlin reassured Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Yun'er held token number 119 and prayed that she would light up at least three Divine Marks on the talent-testing wall.

Fang Yun'er attended the Fang Household’s annual assessment, where rumors spread that Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect elders would be watching for promising disciples. Dressed up by Fang Linlin, she drew attention in the crowd before someone recognized her and shouted in surprise.

• Fang Household disciples gathered for the annual assessment and discussed the direct descendants and the chance to impress the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect elders.
• Fang Yun'er watched the bustling crowd while Fang Linlin dressed her in a white gown and admired her handiwork with Fang Yu.
• People around the assessment noticed Fang Yun'er’s beauty and looked her way.
• An unidentified person shouted at Fang Yun'er, accusing her of having survived and appeared in front of them.

Fang Zhenyu and the other Fang Household descendants mocked Fang Yun'er, but Fang Linlin and Fang Yu stood up for her. Fang Yu and Fang Zhenyu released their bloodline manifestations and agreed to fight, while nearby descendants discussed the legendary Fang Xing.

• Fang Zhenyu arrived with the Jinglan City collateral descendants and insulted Fang Yun'er and Fang Linlin.
• Fang Yun'er wrote that her relatives had abandoned her, Uncle Li, and Master near the Desolate Forest's interior, and that Master had saved her.
• Fang Linlin and Fang Yu grew angry at the danger Fang Yun'er had faced, then drew her behind them and challenged Fang Zhenyu's group.
• Fang Yu released an emerald bird manifestation that forced Fang Zhenyu to answer her challenge; Fang Zhenyu countered with a cyan pagoda manifestation.
• Direct descendants watching discussed Fang Xing, whose feats and cultivation had made him the younger generation's unreachable target.

Fang Zhenyu revealed seven Divine Marks during the assessment and drew the attention of the Fang Household’s elders and direct-line factions. After she taunted Fang Yu and Fang Yun'er, Fang Yu calmed them and sent Fang Linlin to take her turn.

• Fang Zhenyu stepped onto the platform and struck the divine stone, which displayed seven Divine Marks.
• The elder announced Fang Zhenyu as a chosen, and a main-line elder offered to vouch for her entry into the direct line if she placed in the assessment.
• Direct-line descendants considered recruiting or aligning with Fang Zhenyu, while she celebrated her talent and looked down on Fang Yu and Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Linlin grew angry at Fang Zhenyu, but Fang Yu calmed her and encouraged her to take the assessment.
• Fang Linlin took Fang Yun'er's hand, said she would go first, and asked them to wish her luck.

Fang Linlin passed the talent assessment with three and a half Divine Marks, then Fang Yu revealed seven and challenged Fang Zhenyu's pride. Fang Yun'er stepped onto the platform with her friends cheering her on, and a main-line descendant became captivated by her.

• Fang Linlin passed the assessment with three and a half Divine Marks and celebrated with Fang Yu and Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Zhenyu's companions mocked Fang Linlin, and Fang Yu called them vermin before taking the assessment herself.
• Fang Yu revealed seven Divine Marks, drawing the elders' excitement and Fang Zhenyu's resentment.
• Fang Yu told Fang Zhenyu that seven Divine Marks were nothing special and promised to stand behind Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Yun'er stepped onto the platform for her assessment, and a main-line descendant declared that he wanted her.

Fang Yun'er passed the aptitude assessment with three divine marks and celebrated the chance to improve her and her mother's lives. Back at Black Robe Lane, her happiness vanished when wedding chests filled with treasures were brought to her, suggesting someone had sent betrothal gifts.

• Fang Hong announced that he would take Fang Yun'er as his concubine if she performed poorly in the grand competition, and rebuked his fiancée Tong Xin when she questioned him.
• Fang Yun'er activated three divine marks and passed the aptitude assessment, then wept with joy and shared her excitement with Fang Linlin and Fang Yu.
• Fang Yun'er returned to Black Robe Lane in high spirits despite her anxiety about fighting the next day.
• A group brought red chongwood chests filled with rare treasures to Fang Yun'er, making her smile disappear and leaving Fang Linlin silent and Fang Yu livid.

Fang Yun'er rejected Fang Hong's betrothal gifts and refused to become his concubine. After the servants took the gifts away, a maid threatened to drive her out of Azure Wave City, but Fang Yun'er insisted she would stay and take the Fang Household's assessment.

• Fang Linlin wanted to refuse Fang Hong's betrothal gifts for Fang Yun'er, but Fang Yu told her to let Yun'er decide for herself.
• Fang Yun'er firmly refused the marriage and the gifts, despite a servant mocking her poor aptitude and warning her she might regret it.
• The Fang Household servants took the gifts away after Fang Yun'er maintained her refusal.
• A maid confronted Fang Yun'er, insulted her, and ordered her to leave Azure Wave City before nightfall.
• Fang Yun'er answered that she would not leave and would take the Fang Household's assessment.

Fang Yun'er refused to withdraw from the Lineage assessment and resolved to prove herself in the True Martial Combat Competition. As the competition began before a Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect elder, Fang Hong and Tong Xin grew resentful of her refusal, and Tong Xin secretly plotted to cripple her.

• Fang Yun'er rejected the maid's warning and signed that she would give the competition everything she had, while Fang Linlin and Fang Yu doubted her chances.
• The True Martial Combat Competition began, drawing the Fang Household's leaders and an elder from the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect.
• Fang Hong remembered that Fang Yun'er had refused to become his concubine and decided he could still obtain her after the assessment.
• Tong Xin resented Fang Yun'er for rejecting her attempt to drive her away and plotted to use her connections to cripple her and ruin her face.
• The Lineage assessment officially began as Tong Xin waited for a chance to strike.

Fang Yun'er watched the Fang Household head assessment begin with a fight between main-line descendant Fang Tianxing and collateral descendant Fang Li. Fang Tianxing defeated Fang Li after letting him demonstrate his skill, leaving the collateral descendants impressed by the main line’s strength.

• Fang Yun'er and Fang Linlin watched as Fang Tianxing and Fang Li were named as the first pair to fight.
• Fang Li released his Peak Earth Venerable presence and attacked Fang Tianxing, earning praise from Elder Gong and the Fang Household head.
• Fang Tianxing fought Fang Li through dozens of clashes, then overwhelmed him with a spear attack that shattered his spiritual-power shield.
• Fang Tianxing told Fang Li that he had yielded ten moves to show the gap between them, and Fang Li thanked him for showing mercy.
• The collateral descendants watched Fang Tianxing with fervent admiration after his victory.

Fang Zhenyu and Fang Yu emerged as dominant collateral-branch contenders in the Fang Household competition, while Elder Gong praised their talents and offered Fang Zhenyu a place in the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect if she reached the top ten. The chapter ended as Fang Zhenyu was called to face Fang Yun'er, with her rivalry with Fang Yu drawing the crowd’s attention.

• Fang Tianxing defeated Fang Li, and Elder Gong praised Tianxing's talent and restraint before saying he qualified to join the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect.
• Fang Zhenyu won her fifth match with her long whip, and Elder Gong promised she could enter the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect if she placed in the top ten.
• Fang Yu defeated a direct-line disciple from the Fang Household to secure her fifth consecutive win.
• Fang Yu and Fang Zhenyu exchanged challenging looks, and onlookers anticipated a showdown between the two seven-divine-mark talents.
• The referee announced Fang Zhenyu's next match against Fang Yun'er of Jinglan City.

Fang Yun'er was matched against Fang Zhenyu, whose followers mocked and threatened her while Fang Yu worried about the dangerous fight. When the insults turned to Fang Yun'er's master, she chose to enter the arena and fight.

• Fang Hong and Tong Xin anticipated Fang Yun'er's defeat and looked forward to seeing Fang Zhenyu punish her.
• Fang Yu and Fang Linlin worried that Fang Yun'er was outmatched by the stronger Fang Zhenyu.
• Fang Zhenyu entered the arena, transformed her whip into a sword, and challenged Fang Yun'er to force her out of a circle.
• Fang Zhenyu's followers mocked Fang Yun'er and insulted her master, provoking a flash of murderous intent from Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Yu tried to stop Fang Yun'er, but Fang Yun'er brushed her hand away and signaled that she had to fight to protect her master's honor.

Fang Yun'er revealed her hidden Heavenly Venerable Realm cultivation during the Fang Household assessment and countered Fang Zhenyu's attack. She struck back with the Azure Emperor Scripture, thinking of her master as azure light engulfed the arena.

• Fang Zhenyu confronted Fang Yun'er with contempt, driven by years of resentment over being compared to her cousin's beauty.
• Fang Zhenyu attacked with a powerful sword strike, while Fang Yu and Fang Linlin feared Fang Yun'er would be badly hurt.
• Fang Yun'er met the attack head-on and dispersed its Sword Qi, revealing that she had reached the Heavenly Venerable Realm.
• Fang Zhenyu was stunned that Fang Yun'er had surpassed her, and Fang Yun'er answered with another sword stroke.
• Fang Yun'er recalled her master's words about the Azure Emperor Scripture and silently hoped her master had seen her prove herself.

Fang Yun'er defeated Fang Zhenyu with a single sword strike, shocking the arena and forcing Fang Zhenyu to concede. Fang Hong decided that Fang Yun'er’s talent would not stop him from claiming her, while those who had mistreated her feared what she might do next.

• Fang Yun'er used azure lotus petals infused with Fang Zhenyu’s Sword Qi to blast Fang Zhenyu out of the arena.
• Fang Zhenyu spat blood in fury and disbelief as the spectators marveled that a fighter with only three Divine Marks had beaten her.
• Fang Zhenyu stopped her followers from blaming Fang Yun'er and openly conceded the match.
• Fang Zhenyu’s followers recalled how they had mistreated Fang Yun'er and worried that she might seek revenge.
• Fang Hong admired Fang Yun'er’s strength but concluded that the Fang Household would not oppose him if he claimed her.

Fang Yun'er stunned the Fang Household with her strength, defeating one opponent after another and becoming the competition's most surprising dark horse. The arena called her next match against Fang Xing of Azure Wave City.

• Tong Xin watched Fang Yun'er with fear and resentment, then reminded herself that Fang Yun'er might only have advanced through luck.
• Fang Linlin hugged Fang Yun'er in celebration and taunted Fang Zhenyu's group after their defeat.
• Fang Yun'er's victory established her as a remarkable dark horse, drawing interest from rival factions in the main lineage.
• Fang Yu continued winning matches, while Fang Yun'er also defeated several opponents in one-sided bouts.
• The announcer called Fang Yun'er of Jinglan City to face Fang Xing of Azure Wave City.

Fang Xing entered the tournament arena to face Fang Yun'er, and the gathered Fang Household members expected him to end her winning streak. Fang Zhenyu watched with resentment and anticipated Fang Yun'er's defeat.

• The crowd recognized Fang Xing as the Fang Household's celebrated prodigy and speculated that he had reached the Half-Step Great Emperor realm.
• Fang Xing stepped onto the platform opposite Fang Yun'er, carrying only a longsword and wearing plain robes.
• The spectators dismissed Fang Yun'er's chances, believing Fang Xing's talent and mastery of cultivation methods far surpassed hers.
• Fang Zhenyu resented Fang Yun'er's success and took pleasure in the thought that her match against Fang Xing would end her tournament run.

Fang Xing revealed that he had reached the Thearch Realm Third Layer and urged Fang Yun'er to concede, but she refused and prepared to fight. He unleashed a terrifying Sword Intent that darkened the sky, drawing Elder Gong's praise and an offer of a True Disciple position at Xingji Peak for Fang Xing.

• Fang Xing displayed his Thearch Realm Third Layer cultivation, shocking the spectators and Fang Tianxing.
• Fang Xing told Fang Yun'er that her talent would limit her to the Great Emperor Realm and asked her to concede.
• Fang Yun'er silently refused by drawing her spirit sword and taking a fighting stance, while Fang Hong and others mocked her resolve.
• Fang Xing accepted her choice, warned her not to die, and vanished as he launched a powerful sword strike.
• Fang Xing's Sword Intent stirred a heavenly phenomenon, and Elder Gong praised him and offered to appoint him a True Disciple of Xingji Peak.

Fang Yun'er surprised the audience by matching Fang Xing's sword strike and revealing her formidable Sword Intent, though she knew she was not yet strong enough to defeat him. Fang Xing praised her and prepared to attack at full strength to eliminate her from the competition.

• The Fang Household head declined Elder Gong's offer to take Fang Xing as a disciple until Fang Xing could decide for himself.
• Fang Yun'er countered Fang Xing's sword strike with a stronger blow, and their Sword Qi collided without either side yielding.
• The spectators and Fang Household elders realized Fang Yun'er possessed third-level Sword Intent and had been concealing her strength.
• Fang Zhenyu watched Fang Yun'er's display and recognized how far she had fallen behind her.
• Fang Yun'er reflected that Lin Xuan's teachings had rapidly advanced her sword cultivation, but she still considered Fang Xing too strong to defeat.
• Fang Xing praised Fang Yun'er for enduring a strike powered by forty percent of his strength, then declared he would attack at full strength and send her out of the competition.

Fang Yun'er used her master's Azure Arrow Sword Array to defeat Fang Xing in the Lineage assessment, revealing a trump card that left the Fang Household stunned. With Fang Xing beaten, Fang Zhenyu feared no one could stop Fang Yun'er from taking first place.

• Fang Xing resolved to defeat Fang Yun'er with a decisive sword strike, while privately worrying that she would cry afterward.
• Fang Yun'er realized she could not withstand Fang Xing's attack through ordinary means and activated the Azure Arrow Sword Array her master had taught her.
• Fang Yun'er used the array to tear through Fang Xing's Sword Qi and knock him off the stage, ending the match in her victory.
• The Fang Household elders speculated that Fang Yun'er had gained the sword array through a fortuitous encounter and noted its cost of draining her Spiritual Power.
• Fang Zhenyu watched Fang Yun'er win and feared she would take first place in the Lineage assessment.

Fang Yun'er dominated the second round of the Lineage assessment, earning tenth place overall and drawing praise and concern from the Fang Household elders. The head of the Fang Household and Elder Gong appeared to announce the rewards, as the gathered disciples anticipated who would be selected for the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect.

• Fang Hong, Tong Xin, and other peers feared the consequences if Fang Yun'er entered the main branch, while the elders praised her strength and sword intent but questioned how she had advanced so quickly despite having only three divine marks.
• The Fang Household's supreme elder examined Fang Yun'er's information and wondered whether her sudden progress had come at the cost of her natural aptitude.
• Fang Yun'er swept through her second-round matches and took first place in that round, but her poor first-round result left her tenth overall.
• The head of the Fang Household and Elder Gong appeared on a divine platform to announce the final rewards, and the disciples anticipated the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect's selection.
• Elder Gong stepped forward to begin speaking as Fang Yun'er looked forward to the rewards.

Gong Zhi announced that fifteen members of the Fang Household could enter the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect, but he left Fang Yun'er off the list despite her strong performance in the assessment. When Fang Linlin questioned the decision, Gong Zhi explained that he admired Fang Yun'er but believed her low aptitude would limit her future.

• Gong Zhi introduced himself as an elder of Xingji Peak and named fifteen Fang Household members, including Fang Tianxing, Fang Xing, Fang Yu, Fang Zhenyu, Fang Yuan, and Fang Jinmeng, as eligible to enter the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect.
• Gong Zhi finished his list without naming Fang Yun'er, even though she had placed tenth overall and defeated Fang Xing.
• Fang Linlin protested that Fang Yun'er deserved a place, but the head of the Fang Household sealed her mouth with Spiritual Power.
• Gong Zhi said he admired Fang Yun'er but would not admit her because her aptitude was too low and her future in the Sword Dao would be limited.

After the assessment, the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect rejected Fang Yun'er despite her tenth-place finish, leaving her isolated while Fang Zhenyu took comfort in her own acceptance. Fang Hong then renewed his marriage proposal, unaware that Fang Yun'er had no intention of accepting.

• Elder Gong judged that the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect had no need for Fang Yun'er, and she silently accepted the rejection as Fang Linlin comforted her.
• The Fang Household head announced the assessment rewards, and after the senior members left, the direct-line factions courted Fang Zhenyu while Fang Yun'er stood nearly alone.
• Fang Zhenyu reassured herself that her greater talent and entry into the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect would eventually let her surpass Fang Yun'er.
• Fang Hong approached Fang Yun'er, argued that she and her mother would face hardship in Jinglan City, and renewed his marriage proposal.
• Fang Hong promised to care for Fang Yun'er's mother and offered Fang Yun'er the position of principal wife, convinced she would agree.

Fang Yun'er rejected Fang Hong's marriage proposal, and he left after she threatened him with a sword. She slipped away from the Fang Household to cry alone, just as someone found her.

• Tong Xin challenged Fang Hong over calling Fang Yun'er his principal wife, but he rebuked her and focused on his proposal.
• Fang Yun'er laid a longsword against Fang Hong's neck to make clear she would not marry him.
• Fang Hong ordered his guards to stay back, threatened Fang Yun'er, and left with Tong Xin.
• Fang Yun'er told Fang Linlin she was going to look for her master, then left to be alone.
• Fang Yun'er sat in a corner and cried before someone asked why she was there.

After Fang Yun'er placed tenth in her Lineage assessment, Lin Xuan invited her to join him at the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect as a True Disciple of Ximu Peak. The story then shifted to Peak Master Cao Zhengyang, who prepared to enter a desperate seclusion and needed someone to oversee Ximu Peak in his absence.

• Fang Yun'er told Lin Xuan that she had placed tenth in the Lineage assessment, though she remained upset about something she would not explain.
• Lin Xuan told Fang Yun'er to pack and return with him to the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect, where she would become a True Disciple of Ximu Peak.
• Fang Yun'er was stunned to learn she had received a position of authority comparable to a Direct Disciple.
• Cao Zhengyang reflected on Ximu Peak's decline after losing two elders and several disciples, and worried that the peak might be merged into another.
• Cao Zhengyang learned that Elder Bikong would return in two or three days and decided to enter seclusion, making arrangements for someone to oversee Ximu Peak while he was gone.

Cao Zhengyang struggled to choose a successor for Ximu Peak, finding flaws in every available candidate. He was cheered when He Qinglang told him about the promising young cultivator Lin Xuan, but he remained worried about Ximu Peak's future.

• Cao Zhengyang ruled out his daughter Cao Chun because she lacked the strength and temperament to lead Ximu Peak.
• Cao Zhengyang considered Bikong and He Qinglang, but Bikong was unsuited to long-term leadership and He Qinglang was unwilling to leave his post as Azure Wave City's city lord.
• Cao Zhengyang worried that Ximu Peak had too few capable people to preserve its legacy.
• He Qinglang contacted Cao Zhengyang and told him about Lin Xuan, a young rogue cultivator who had overpowered a middle-stage Saint Realm opponent and possessed a sword scripture.
• Cao Zhengyang trusted He Qinglang's judgment that Lin Xuan had a clean background and felt delighted by the prospect of a promising newcomer.