Chapter Summaries

Qi Ling and the other contestants were forced to drink poisoned soup as a preliminary test for the competition, with the poison measuring their strength by how quickly they woke. Qi Ling pretended to be drowsy and chose to wake on the second day, where he found Kurumi emerging from her room at the same time.

• A contestant attacked the waiter over the suspicious soup, but the waiter broke his saber with his bare hand and revealed that the soup contained Thousand-Day Drunkenness.
• The waiter explained that contestants who did not drink the full bowl would be disqualified, and that stronger contestants would recover from the poison sooner.
• Qi Ling, Kurumi, and the other contestants drank the soup, and Qi Ling pretended to yawn despite feeling no drowsiness.
• Qi Ling decided to hide his strength by waiting until the second day to wake, expecting Kurumi to wake earlier.
• On the second day, Qi Ling left his room just as Kurumi emerged from hers, and she greeted him.

Qi Ling and Kurumi left the inn for the competition venue and agreed to let the shy Zhuge Xiaoyu travel with them. Xiaoyu said she had entered the competition to prove herself, not to claim its rewards.

• Qi Ling and Kurumi woke at the same time, ate breakfast, and took a map from the waiter before setting off.
• Kurumi told Qi Ling she would follow him and would find him wherever he went.
• Zhuge Xiaoyu asked to accompany Qi Ling and Kurumi to the competition venue, and Qi Ling agreed after Kurumi nodded.
• Qi Ling, Kurumi, and Zhuge Xiaoyu set out on the day-and-a-half journey to the venue.
• Zhuge Xiaoyu told Qi Ling she wanted to prove herself rather than win the competition's rewards.

Qi Ling and the two women were ambushed by three competitors on the way to Magic Fairy Castle. He protected Kurumi and fought back after Zhuge Xiaoyu was incapacitated by poison, but his overwhelming counterattack may have exposed his strength.

• Xiaoyu told Qi Ling that she wanted to prove her strength and usefulness, but she could not reveal her unusual Support System Martial Soul to someone she did not yet trust.
• Qi Ling, Kurumi, and Zhuge Xiaoyu followed the map toward Magic Fairy Castle, where Xiaoyu triggered a hidden trap that filled the path with smoke and arrows.
• Qi Ling caught the arrows, but they released Soul-Numbing Powder; Kurumi escaped unharmed, while Zhuge Xiaoyu breathed it in and collapsed.
• Qi Ling carried Zhuge Xiaoyu to fresh air and confronted the three ambushers, who were surprised that their poison had no effect on him.
• Second Brother attacked Qi Ling with a golden-lit fist, and Qi Ling struck back so hard that Second Brother's arm exploded.
• The two remaining brothers drew their weapons and surrounded Qi Ling, while he worried that his punch had broken his disguise.

Qi Ling defeated three would-be thieves, then traveled with Kurumi and the exhausted Xiaoyu to Magic Fairy Castle for the competition. There, they found a massive crowd of contestants and learned they had three hours to enter the castle or be disqualified.

• Qi Ling took the spear from one attacker and knocked out him and his companion without killing them.
• Qi Ling carried the sleeping Xiaoyu as he and Kurumi continued toward their destination.
• Qi Ling, Kurumi, and Xiaoyu arrived at Magic Fairy Castle, where Kurumi estimated that only about two hundred of the roughly twelve hundred contestants were qualified.
• A staff member announced that contestants had three hours to enter the castle or face disqualification.

Qi Ling and his companions qualified for the Demon God Contention Battle, where the first round became a three-hour free-for-all in which contestants had to collect more than five points to advance. Surrounded as an easy target, Qi Ling watched Kurumi draw away three attackers and prepared to face the four who remained.

• The man in charge closed the gates and announced that 1,243 contestants at the venue had qualified, with five other venues also hosting participants.
• He explained that contestants would earn points by defeating others, that killing was permitted, and that only those with more than five points after three hours would qualify unless the field dropped below two hundred sooner.
• The first round began, but contestants hesitated to attack because they could not assess one another's strength.
• Several contestants targeted Qi Ling, reasoning that his late arrival and two female companions made him an easy source of three points.
• Kurumi leaped away and drew three attackers after her, leaving Qi Ling facing four wary opponents.

Qi Ling defeated four competitors and qualified to advance, but an opponent used the Earth Movement Technique to abduct Xiaoyu. Qi Ling tracked him underground and blocked his path by hardening the earth beneath his feet.

• Qi Ling knocked a panther-transformed competitor unconscious, then quickly defeated the other three and raised his score to five.
• An opponent seized Xiaoyu with a chain and escaped with her beneath the ground using the Earth Movement Technique.
• Qi Ling used his Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils to locate the underground fugitive and pursued him across rooftops.
• Qi Ling activated his Divine Power of the Earth and hardened the ground, causing the fleeing man to crash into it.

Qi Ling was ambushed by Tu Yan, Jin Suo, and Yin Suo, who tried to bind and kill him for the five points marked on his chest. He shrugged off Tu Yan’s earth attacks and ended the chapter warning the three men that they were ready to die.

• Tu Yan emerged from the earth after Qi Ling hardened the soil, then Jin Suo and Yin Suo bound Qi Ling with their intangible chains.
• Tu Yan and the bald men noticed Qi Ling had five points and decided to defeat him for the reward.
• Tu Yan formed over a hundred earthen spikes and sent them at Qi Ling, but they crumbled harmlessly against him.
• Tu Yan trapped Qi Ling between two enormous boulders, but Qi Ling remained unharmed and only left his outline in the stone.
• Qi Ling grew tired of playing with the three men and warned them that they were ready to die.

Qi Ling broke free of Jin Suo and Yin Suo’s Soul-Locking Chains and overpowered them in a contest of strength. As he prepared to finish off the three attackers, the brothers injected a red liquid and transformed into monstrous, horned giants.

• Tu Yan boasted that Jin Suo and Yin Suo’s chains suppressed Qi Ling’s abilities and that the brothers could defeat him through strength.
• Jin Suo and Yin Suo transformed into towering giants and pulled their chains taut, but Qi Ling pretended to struggle before freeing himself.
• Qi Ling dragged the brothers toward him with their chains and punched each in the face, knocking out several teeth.
• Qi Ling warned the three men that they would not survive, and Jin Suo and Yin Suo injected red liquid into their necks.
• Jin Suo and Yin Suo grew beyond three meters tall, developed blood-red eyes and huge horns, and roared like wild beasts.

Qi Ling fought Jin Suo and Yin Suo after they transformed into frenzied beasts, then confronted Tu Yan when he tried to escape by taking Xiaoyu hostage. After killing Tu Yan, Qi Ling discovered that the tiny dagger he had used could pierce his hand.

• Jin Suo and Yin Suo charged Qi Ling with new strength, injured him, and forced him to fight back.
• Qi Ling shattered Jin Suo's horn and head with a punch, then killed Yin Suo by twisting his head backward.
• Tu Yan grabbed Xiaoyu and threatened to kill her, but Qi Ling used his Eighth Soul Skill to switch places with her.
• Qi Ling pulled Tu Yan from the ground after he tried to escape, but Tu Yan stabbed Qi Ling's palm with a tiny dagger.
• Qi Ling crushed Tu Yan into minced flesh, then realized the dagger had pierced his hand.

Qi Ling recovered from his fight with Tu Yan, carried the still-sleeping Xiaoyu, and met up with Kurumi as the round neared its end. While they waited in a building, they witnessed a lone fighter with 23 points slaughter nine opponents, revealing a formidable new threat.

• Qi Ling took Tu Yan's defense-penetrating dagger and saw his chest number rise from 5 to 9 after defeating Tu Yan, Jin Suo, and Yin Suo.
• Qi Ling carried the sleeping Xiaoyu away, then encountered Kurumi and exchanged guarded accounts of their fights.
• With enough points to advance, Qi Ling and Kurumi took shelter on the top floor of a tall building to wait out the round.
• Qi Ling watched a lone fighter bearing the number 23 hunt down a group of nine opponents.
• The fighter killed all nine with single blows from his halberd.

Qi Ling learned that Chu Ling, a True God-level contestant with the Fierce Ghost King Martial Soul, was among the tournament favorites and went to meet him despite Kurumi’s warning. Their encounter turned into a fight, and Qi Ling revealed his Demon God Fangtian Halberd and held Chu Ling to a draw with Blood Devil’s technique.

• Kurumi told Qi Ling that Chu Ling was one of three True God-level contestants and a leading tournament favorite.
• Qi Ling sent Kurumi and Xiaoyu away, then jumped out to approach Chu Ling.
• Chu Ling attacked Qi Ling without hearing his introduction, and Qi Ling narrowly dodged the first strike.
• Chu Ling launched a stronger attack, forcing Qi Ling to summon the Demon God Fangtian Halberd and clash with him.
• Qi Ling used Sever Mountains and Rivers Crosswise to meet Chu Ling’s next exchange evenly, prompting Chu Ling to ask who he was.

Qi Ling fought Chu Ling but was outmatched until the competition official stopped them because only two hundred contestants remained. After learning that his hidden dagger could have turned Chu Ling’s attack into a trap, Qi Ling resolved to become stronger and defeat him.

• Qi Ling attacked Chu Ling with the Demon God Halberd, but Chu Ling’s strength and skill forced him onto the defensive.
• As Chu Ling broke through Qi Ling’s guard and aimed a final blow, the official stopped the fight and announced that the two hundred remaining contestants had advanced.
• Chu Ling protested, but the official explained that Qi Ling had deliberately let his defense be breached to set a trap with the dagger hidden in his other hand.
• After the fight, Qi Ling examined the dagger he had obtained from Tu Yan and felt disappointed that he had resorted to a sneak attack.
• Qi Ling accepted that Chu Ling was stronger and vowed to improve until he could defeat him.

Qi Ling and his companions learned that they had advanced to the second round, then joined the contestants from the other zones. There, Qi Ling spotted the True God-level Queen of Ice, Cang Yue, whose zone had finished first with a score of 158.

• Qi Ling told Xiaoyu that she had passed the first round despite waking up with no points.
• The person in charge gathered the 200 remaining contestants and announced that 1,200 contestants had advanced across all six zones.
• Qi Ling arrived at the meeting area and spotted Xiao Ye, Qian Xunji, Xue Qinghe, and Cao Yang among the other contestants.
• Qi Ling searched the crowd for the other Demonic Souls and noticed the imposing, ice-surrounded Cang Yue.
• Kurumi identified Cang Yue as the True God-level Queen of Ice and revealed that her zone had finished first with a score of 158.

Qi Ling learned how Cang Yue’s points came from defeating a massive attack organized by the cunning Qian Jiyin, leaving her secretly weakened. Kurumi revealed the mysterious True God-level Zhen Hong and declared that the competition’s favorite to win was Qi Ling himself, chosen by the Demon God.

• Qi Ling asked about Cang Yue’s 158 points, and Kurumi explained that attackers had challenged her in a group and been defeated while weakening her.
• Kurumi identified Qian Jiyin as the strategist behind the attack, whose own followers had avoided the conflict unscathed.
• Qi Ling learned that Zhen Hong was another mysterious True God-level contestant who was absent from the gathering.
• Qi Ling guessed that Chu Ling or Zhen Hong might be most likely to win, but Kurumi named Qi Ling as the favorite because he possessed the Demon God’s power.

Kurumi revealed that she knew Qi Ling’s identity but promised to keep it secret if he teamed up with her in the later rounds. After officials announced that 1,200 contestants had advanced, Xiao Ye briefly suspected Qi Ling resembled someone she knew but dismissed the possibility.

• Kurumi told Qi Ling she had identified him and used the competition’s rules to ensure he could not attack her before the next round.
• Kurumi promised not to expose Qi Ling if he agreed to team up with her later, and she declared that he would win the competition.
• Xiaoyu found Qi Ling and Kurumi, and officials announced that 1,200 contestants had passed the first round and would move to another venue for the second.
• Cang Yue, Chu Ling, and Qian Jiyin’s group kept other contestants at a distance as everyone traveled to the next location.
• Xiao Ye approached Qi Ling because he resembled someone she knew, then concluded she had mistaken him for that person.

Qi Ling and the others reached a harbor and discovered that Noah, the Demon Alliance’s enormous ship, would carry them to the second competition venue. They met Alice, a Devil King and the trial’s examiner, and boarded Noah for the journey out to sea.

• Qi Ling noticed Xiao Ming had joined Xiao Ye and the Ye sisters, then traveled with the group toward their destination.
• The group reached a harbor and saw Noah, which Kurumi identified as the Demon Alliance’s famous ship.
• Alice somersaulted down from Noah and incapacitated a burly contestant who challenged her.
• Alice introduced herself as the Demon Alliance’s third-in-command, a cat demon and a Devil King, and announced she would examine the second trial.
• Alice told the contestants that the second round would take place in the middle of the sea, and they boarded Noah.

Qi Ling boarded the Noah disguised as Bai Di and learned that Luna had become the Demon Alliance’s holy maiden. On deck, Xue Qinghe mistook him for a capable contestant and proposed they search for Qi Ling together.

• Alice warned the contestants to stay out of restricted areas as they boarded the Noah, which would sail for about three days.
• Qi Ling recognized Luna, and Kurumi explained that she was the Demon Alliance’s holy maiden and a closely watched rising star.
• Luna asked Alice whether she had found Qi Ling, and Alice assured her that he was safe without revealing his identity or location.
• After dinner, Qi Ling went to the deck, where Xue Qinghe warned him about Kurumi and then discussed the Demon God’s chosen contestant, Qi Ling.
• Xue Qinghe proposed an alliance with Bai Di, intending to find Qi Ling among the contestants.

Disguised as someone else, Qi Ling joined Xue Qinghe’s alliance, which planned to eliminate him, so he could learn who its members were. Later, Luna mistook him for Qi Ling and revealed that she still dreamed of serving as his personal maid.

• Xue Qinghe told Qi Ling that his five-person alliance was targeting Qi Ling and invited him to join.
• Qi Ling agreed to join the alliance and arranged to attend its first gathering the following evening.
• After Xue Qinghe left to recruit others, Qi Ling wondered whether he had become a double agent.
• Luna mistook Qi Ling for someone else, then explained that Qi Ling was her former master and that she still hoped to be his personal maid.

Qi Ling spoke with Luna while disguised, then learned that Xiaoyu had joined Xue Qinghe's Eliminate Ling Alliance after being told it was formed to defeat him. He agreed to accompany Xiaoyu into the alliance and attended its first gathering with Xue Qinghe and Cao Yang.

• Luna shyly told Qi Ling stories about the Qi Ling she admired, while Alice watched and wondered about their connection.
• Kurumi told Qi Ling that Xue Qinghe had recruited Xiaoyu into the alliance and reminded him that their partnership would last until the tournament champion was decided.
• Qi Ling asked Xiaoyu why she joined, and she explained that Xue Qinghe had convinced her the alliance was formed to defeat the villain Qi Ling.
• Qi Ling agreed to join Xiaoyu but warned her not to trust people so easily.
• Xue Qinghe invited Qi Ling to the alliance's first gathering, where Qi Ling saw Cao Yang and several others, including Xiaoyu.

Qian Xunji formed an alliance to eliminate Qi Ling, portraying him as a world-threatening villain and arranging for the members to travel in pairs. Qi Ling chose to partner with Xiaoyu, while the seductive woman selected the weakened Cao Yang for reasons he could not discern.

• Xue Qinghe gathered Qi Ling, Xiaoyu, and three other recruits for Qian Xunji's alliance meeting.
• Qian Xunji described Qi Ling as an irredeemable villain who had to be eliminated to protect the world.
• The middle-aged man demanded to know what the alliance members would gain, and Xue Qinghe explained that they would share information and travel in pairs.
• The woman tried to partner with Qi Ling, but Xiaoyu objected, and Qi Ling chose to stay with Xiaoyu.
• The woman chose Cao Yang as her partner, though Qi Ling suspected she had another motive.