Chapter Summaries

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.

He Qinglang brought Lin Xuan and Fang Yun'er to the struggling Ximu Peak, where they learned that Chunwei Peak had sent Elder Qi to become Deputy Peak Master under the Sect Master's decree. The decree gave Ximu Peak a chance to resist the appointment by defeating Elder Qi, leaving Cao Zhengyang under pressure to accept the rival peak's interference or risk being merged into Chunwei Peak.

• He Qinglang told Lin Xuan and Fang Yun'er that Ximu Peak was in dire straits as he led them into the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect.
• He Qinglang sensed a tense confrontation in the Peak Master's Hall and hurried inside, followed by Lin Xuan and Fang Yun'er.
• Huang Mian told Cao Zhengyang that Chunwei Peak's Late Saint Realm Elder Qi would serve as Ximu Peak's Deputy Peak Master by the Sect Master's order.
• Cao Zhengyang recognized that Chunwei Peak's appointment was likely a way to interfere in Ximu Peak, given the peaks' longstanding feud.
• Huang Mian announced that Ximu Peak could avoid the appointment if someone defeated Elder Qi, but warned that refusal could lead to Ximu Peak being merged into Chunwei Peak.

He Qinglang stepped forward to challenge Xu Zegang after Huang Mian claimed that Ximu Peak could choose its deputy peak master by defeating him. The chapter ended with He Qinglang facing Xu Zegang, while Cao Zhengyang warned him not to underestimate the Chunwei Peak elder.

• Huang Mian asked Xu Zegang to demonstrate why he deserved to be Ximu Peak's deputy peak master, leaving Cao Zhengyang concerned that no one could challenge him without risking Ximu Peak's reputation.
• He Qinglang stepped forward and confronted Huang Mian, drawing cheers from Ximu Peak's disciples.
• Huang Mian mocked He Qinglang for being exiled to govern Azure Wave City and returning too late to stop the appointment.
• He Qinglang said he had always remained Ximu Peak's eldest disciple and challenged Huang Mian to honor his claim that victory would determine the deputy peak master's qualifications.
• Huang Mian confirmed that defeating Xu Zegang would keep Chunwei Peak out of Ximu Peak's affairs, and Cao Zhengyang warned He Qinglang that Xu was a dangerous opponent.
• He Qinglang stopped before Xu Zegang and asked the elder to instruct him.

Xu Zegang defeated He Qinglang in a duel over Ximu Peak’s deputy leadership, leaving the peak’s disciples afraid of what would happen next. A mysterious white-robed man arrived and asked whether defeating Xu Zegang would qualify someone to become Deputy Peak Master.

• Xu Zegang overwhelmed He Qinglang with his heavy sword, even after He Qinglang opened the Eight Gates Formation.
• Xu Zegang knocked He Qinglang down and declared that he had lost.
• Huang Mian mocked He Qinglang and the disciples of Ximu Peak, while they feared Xu Zegang would take control of the peak.
• A white-robed stranger entered the hall and asked whether anyone who defeated Xu Zegang could become Ximu Peak’s Deputy Peak Master.
• He Qinglang recognized the stranger and realized he had brought him along.

Lin Xuan challenged Xu Zegang to a single strike over the deputy peak master position at the Cinnabar Cloud Sword Sect. After Xu Zegang unleashed his full strength, Lin Xuan calmly swung his sword, and the chapter ended as the hall’s stunned onlookers saw the result.

• Xu Zegang dismissed Lin Xuan and pressed Cao Zhengyang to appoint him deputy peak master after defeating He Qinglang.
• Lin Xuan declared that he would slay Xu Zegang in one strike, ignoring He Qinglang’s warning.
• Xu Zegang grew furious and attacked Lin Xuan with his annihilating sword art at greater strength than before.
• Lin Xuan casually swung his sword, and the two attacks collided with an explosive roar.
• The smoke cleared, leaving everyone staring in disbelief at what had happened.

Lin Xuan defeated Xu Zegang with a single sword strike, forcing the Chunwei Peak delegation to abandon its bid for Ximu Peak’s deputy peak master position. Cao Zhengyang then appointed Lin Xuan deputy peak master, leaving the disciples impressed and convinced by his strength.

• Lin Xuan struck Xu Zegang once, shattered his Sword Qi, and severely injured him in front of the hall.
• Cao Zhengyang praised Lin Xuan and challenged Chunwei Peak to send another contender, but Xu Zegang and Huang Mian did not respond.
• Cao Zhengyang rebuked Huang Mian, ordered him to leave, and warned that only Su Xiubai could represent Chunwei Peak in future.
• After the Chunwei Peak delegation left, Cao Zhengyang thanked Lin Xuan for protecting Ximu Peak from Xu Zegang’s control.
• Cao Zhengyang appointed Lin Xuan deputy peak master and ordered Ximu Peak’s disciples to obey him.