Chapter Summaries

Chu Yunfei awoke in an abyss after the demon soul was devoured by the Abyss-Devouring Sword, which advanced by consuming the Weeping Blood Sword. He learned more about the sword’s former master, Luo Wuxu, and found Ling Xueyao still gravely wounded nearby.

• The Abyss-Devouring Sword devoured the Weeping Blood Sword and the demon soul, advancing while the demon soul cursed Luo Wuxu before disappearing.
• The formation on the stone platform faded, and the Abyss-Devouring Sword fell beside Chu Yunfei as the abyss grew still.
• Chu Yunfei awoke badly injured and saw the dead Blood Baleful Intent Tower assassins, the unconscious Ling Xueyao, and the Abyss-Devouring Sword.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon explained that the demon soul had killed the assassins, then tried to use his spirit sword against the Abyss-Devouring Sword and was devoured.
• Chu Yunfei sensed that the Abyss-Devouring Sword had advanced to earth rank middle grade and learned the demon soul had reached at least the Dao Mysterious Realm.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon told Chu Yunfei that the sword’s former master was Luo Wuxu, who had subdued Vast Waves and killed the Demon Emperor.

Chu Yunfei discovered that Ling Xueyao was close to death from the Blood Baleful Intent Soul-Locking Formation’s lingering power and prepared to treat her. After refining eight assassins’ corpses to heal himself, he began breaking through from the ninth level of the Spirit Martial Realm to the Heavenly Origin Realm.

• Chu Yunfei learned from Xiaoxiao Dragon that Ling Xueyao’s injuries and spreading blood baleful power threatened her life, and he gave her healing pills that could not stop the erosion.
• Chu Yunfei realized he needed to recover before treating Ling Xueyao, so he placed the eight assassins’ corpses into the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate and refined them into origin essence.
• Chu Yunfei absorbed the golden origin essence, healing his injuries and restoring his spiritual power as the energy began pushing him toward a breakthrough.
• Chu Yunfei circulated the Boundless Creation Scripture and drew in the abyss’s Spiritual Qi as spiritual power in his dantian started to liquefy, leaving him one step from the Heavenly Origin Realm.

Chu Yunfei recovered enough to tend to the unconscious Ling Xueyao, whose injuries were worsening as blood baleful power spread toward her heart. While treating her, he and Xiaoxiao Dragon discovered that Ling Xueyao had a flawless spirit physique.

• Chu Yunfei failed to break through to the Heavenly Origin Realm, but recovered most of his spiritual power and injuries after refining the assassins' source essence.
• Chu Yunfei carried the unconscious Ling Xueyao to safer ground and found that blood baleful power was advancing through her meridians toward her heart.
• Chu Yunfei used the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate to draw the blood baleful power from Ling Xueyao's acupoints and destroy it.
• At Xiaoxiao Dragon's suggestion, Chu Yunfei checked Ling Xueyao's main meridians and found them free of pill toxins and impurities.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon identified Ling Xueyao as having a flawless spirit physique.

Chu Yunfei refined the blood baleful intent from Ling Xueyao’s meridians and discovered she possessed a flawless spirit physique. After Ling Xueyao woke to find his hand on her chest while he treated her, she drew a sword and confronted him.

• Chu Yunfei recognized Ling Xueyao’s flawless spirit physique and continued clearing the blood baleful intent from her meridians.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon warned Chu Yunfei that a final wisp was entangled with Ling Xueyao’s heart meridians, so he sealed three acupoints to force it toward her arm.
• Ling Xueyao began to regain consciousness as Chu Yunfei drew the last of the blood baleful intent into the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate and refined it away.
• Ling Xueyao woke, saw her loosened clothes and Chu Yunfei’s hand on her chest, then pressed a golden sword to his throat and called his name in anger.

After waking with a sword at Chu Yunfei’s throat, Ling Xueyao accused him of taking advantage of her while she was unconscious. Chu Yunfei proved he had removed the blood baleful intent and saved her, leaving Ling Xueyao shaken by his sacrifice and by his knowledge of her secret Flawless Spirit Physique.

• Ling Xueyao woke and threatened Chu Yunfei with her sword after realizing her clothes were disheveled.
• Chu Yunfei explained that he had treated her by extracting the blood baleful intent, and Ling Xueyao confirmed it was gone from her meridians.
• Chu Yunfei revealed that he had needed to treat her directly because the last strand of blood baleful intent was concealed near her heart meridians.
• Chu Yunfei identified Ling Xueyao’s secret Flawless Spirit Physique, startling her because only her imperial father knew about it.
• Ling Xueyao recalled Chu Yunfei’s efforts to protect and save her, then saw him cough blood from his own severe injuries.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao recovered from their injuries and investigated the stone platform where a Demon Race remnant soul had been imprisoned. Their search revealed a hidden, incomplete formation pattern in the ground.

• Ling Xueyao threatened Chu Yunfei into keeping their earlier encounter secret, then fainted and was caught by him.
• Ling Xueyao changed clothes and felt guilty for how she had treated Chu Yunfei after he risked his life to protect her.
• Ling Xueyao gave Chu Yunfei imperial healing spirit liquid, and he urged her to recover while they searched for an exit.
• Chu Yunfei told Ling Xueyao that a thousand-year-old Demon Race remnant soul had killed the eight assassins before dissipating.
• Chu Yunfei found concealed formation patterns in the stone platform and uncovered an incomplete pattern in a shallow groove nearby.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao discovered an Earth Vein Spirit Spring beneath the stone platform, which had powered the Soul-Locking Formation. As they approached the spring, Xiaoxiao Dragon warned Chu Yunfei that a living creature was lurking nearby, and crimson eyes appeared in the mist.

• Chu Yunfei activated hidden formation patterns, revealing stairs beneath the stone platform and a bronze door leaking pure Spiritual Qi.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao opened the door and carefully explored a passage leading to a vast underground cavern.
• Ling Xueyao recognized the milky spring in the cavern as an Earth Vein Spirit Spring, while Chu Yunfei realized it had sustained the Soul-Locking Formation.
• Chu Yunfei cautiously surveyed the spring’s surroundings, but Xiaoxiao Dragon warned him that something alive was twenty zhang to the west.
• Chu Yunfei halted as a pair of enormous crimson vertical pupils emerged from the shadows and stared at them.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao discovered a seventh-level Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast guarding the earth vein spirit spring and devised a plan to lure it into narrow terrain. As Ling Xueyao engaged it and drew its attention, Chu Yunfei watched for an opening to attack its weak points.

• Xiaoxiao Dragon identified the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast and warned Chu Yunfei that its belly and limb joints were its weak points.
• Chu Yunfei rejected Ling Xueyao's suggestion to retreat and proposed luring the beast between two stone pillars so its size would restrict its movements.
• Chu Yunfei revealed his contracted spirit beast, Little Purple, whose Heavenly Origin Realm presence provoked the territorial beast.
• The Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast charged at Little Purple, and Ling Xueyao agreed to lure it toward the rubble.
• Ling Xueyao attacked the beast's eye and repeatedly struck at its blind spots, but its armor deflected her Sword Qi while Chu Yunfei watched its limbs for an opening.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao worked together to kill the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast, with Chu Yunfei directing the battle and striking its vulnerable abdomen. After securing the corpse, they searched the cavern for danger and found a hidden cave containing an ancient skeleton clutching a broken sword.

• Chu Yunfei guided Ling Xueyao through the beast’s attacks, steering it between stone pillars so she could expose its armored abdomen.
• Chu Yunfei trapped the Abyss-Devouring Sword in the beast’s belly plates, then waited for Little Purple to stun it and forced the armor gap open to deliver a fatal strike.
• Chu Yunfei stored the beast’s corpse, and he and Ling Xueyao agreed to search the cavern before deciding what to do with the earth vein spirit spring.
• Chu Yunfei uncovered a hidden cave entrance beneath rubble, where he and Ling Xueyao found a long-dead skeleton holding half of a rust-covered broken sword.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao investigated a long-dead cultivator’s skeleton in a cave beneath the Soul-Locking Formation and uncovered an inscription identifying him as Lu Shaoyuan, a legendary Heavenly Edict Sect genius. The chapter left them realizing that Lu Shaoyuan, missing for thirty years, had died in the abyss despite reaching the Divine Sea Realm Ninth Level.

• Chu Yunfei cautiously entered the cave with Ling Xueyao and found that its skeleton had been dead for decades, with severe chest injuries and a ruined earth-grade sword.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao reasoned that an isolation formation had protected the injured man from the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast, which had grown stronger around the Earth Vein Spirit Spring.
• Chu Yunfei noticed traces of an incomplete spatial formation, leaving open the possibility that the man had arrived through teleportation rather than falling into the abyss.
• Little Purple revealed carved inscriptions on the cave wall, and Chu Yunfei used spiritual power to make the remaining words clearer.
• Chu Yunfei read that the dying man was Lu Shaoyuan of the Heavenly Edict Sect, and Ling Xueyao recognized him as a famed genius who had vanished thirty years earlier.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao deciphered Lu Shaoyuan’s final words, learning how the Blood Baleful Intent Tower tried to recruit and then hunted him, and how he became trapped in the cave. They discovered evidence linking the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect to the tower, while Shen Qianyue’s fate remained unknown.

• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao read that the Blood Baleful Intent Tower’s deputy tower master offered Lu Shaoyuan a gold-mask position and a sixth-grade Mystery-Breaking Pill, but Lu Shaoyuan refused and was threatened with death.
• They learned that three gold-masked assassins ambushed Lu Shaoyuan three days later, and Ling Xueyao connected one of them to the assassin who fought Shen Qianyue aboard the Cloud-Chasing Boat.
• Ling Xueyao and Chu Yunfei considered the tower’s hidden strength and worried that Shen Qianyue might not have survived his encounter with the gold-masked assassin.
• Chu Yunfei deciphered that Lu Shaoyuan burned part of his divine soul to escape the attackers, then reached the cave through a damaged teleportation formation in the Black Wind Mountain Range.
• They concluded that Lu Shaoyuan died from his injuries after the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast trapped him inside the cave, keeping him from reaching the nearby Earth Vein Spirit Spring.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao deciphered Lu Shaoyuan’s final clue and found that the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect had ties to the Blood Baleful Intent Tower.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao examined Lu Shaoyuan’s final words and debated whether the gold-masked attacker’s Heavenly Evil Devil Sect techniques proved the sect was behind the Blood Baleful Intent Tower. They discovered Lu Shaoyuan had left a letter for his master, Qin Yangui, and found it in the cave, where Ling Xueyao stopped Chu Yunfei from touching it.

• Chu Yunfei argued that Lu Shaoyuan’s account of the gold-masked attacker did not prove the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect controlled the Blood Baleful Intent Tower.
• Ling Xueyao agreed to investigate the sect’s personnel changes and the three princes while keeping the inquiry secret.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao read Lu Shaoyuan’s request to deliver a letter to Qin Yangui, his master who had searched for him for twenty years.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao found a yellowed letter and a blue-green jade slip on a stone table deeper in the cave.
• Ling Xueyao stopped Chu Yunfei as he reached toward the items.

Chu Yunfei found Lu Shaoyuan’s Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword and decided to deliver the sealed letter to Qin Yangui when he had the chance. He and Ling Xueyao returned to the earth vein spirit spring, where Chu Yunfei prepared to break through to the Heavenly Origin Realm.

• Chu Yunfei took Lu Shaoyuan’s jade slip and learned the first form of the Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword, while Ling Xueyao explained its power and weaknesses.
• Ling Xueyao declined to cultivate the technique, and Chu Yunfei stored the jade slip, sealed letter, remains, and broken sword.
• Chu Yunfei said he would deliver the letter and remains to the Heavenly Edict Sect when an opportunity arose, despite Ling Xueyao warning him about the risks.
• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao returned to the damaged earth vein spirit spring, where Little Purple drank the spring water and Chu Yunfei prepared to break through.

Chu Yunfei, Ling Xueyao, and Little Purple cultivated in the Earth Vein Spirit Spring to recover and grow stronger. Chu Yunfei used the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast’s origin essence to break through into the Heavenly Origin Realm, leaving Ling Xueyao startled by the power of his new presence.

• Chu Yunfei entered the spirit spring to cultivate, and Ling Xueyao followed after learning that soaking in it made absorption far more effective.
• Ling Xueyao recovered in the spring while Chu Yunfei secretly glanced at her, drawing her angry warning and Xiaoxiao Dragon’s teasing.
• Chu Yunfei used the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate to refine the Scarlet-Pupiled Iron-Armored Beast’s corpse and absorbed its origin essence.
• Chu Yunfei drew the spring’s Spiritual Qi into his dantian at an astonishing rate as Ling Xueyao and Little Purple cultivated nearby.
• Chu Yunfei’s spiritual power liquefied, his barrier shattered, and his presence surged as he broke through to the Heavenly Origin Realm.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao broke through in the spirit spring, collected spirit crystals, and repaired a damaged teleportation formation. They activated it to leave the abyss, though the uncertain landing point threatened to put them in danger.

• Ling Xueyao used the spiritual power from Chu Yunfei's breakthrough to advance to the ninth layer of the Heavenly Origin Realm, while Chu Yunfei reached its first level and Little Purple advanced to the third.
• Chu Yunfei gave Ling Xueyao the remaining spirit spring water, and they collected about thirty thousand spirit crystals from the cave.
• Chu Yunfei found the damaged formation base mentioned by Lu Shaoyuan and repaired it with spirit crystals and spiritual power.
• Ling Xueyao warned that the formation might send them to an unsafe location in the Black Wind Mountain Range, but she and Chu Yunfei stepped into it and were swallowed by white light.

Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao escaped the Black Wind Mountain Range and reunited with the injured Shen Qianyue, who had lost a cultivation level fighting the gold-masked assassin. As the three flew toward the imperial capital, they concealed key discoveries about Lu Shaoyuan, while a crow reported their survival to an unseen master.

• Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao emerged from the ruined teleportation formation and found that their communication talisman could not reach the imperial capital.
• Shen Qianyue rejoined them, explained that he had burned his blood essence to wound the gold-masked assassin, and revealed that his cultivation had fallen from the Divine Sea Realm seventh layer to the sixth.
• Ling Xueyao told Shen Qianyue that Lu Shaoyuan had been killed by gold-masked assassins and that one assassin's technique shared origins with the Heavenly Evil Devil Sect's Devil-Suppressing Hand.
• Shen Qianyue warned Ling Xueyao to keep Lu Shaoyuan's last words secret because the Blood Baleful Intent Tower might have an informant in the imperial capital, and the three set off for the capital.
• Ling Xueyao gave Chu Yunfei a Wind-Riding Talisman and asked him to conceal the spirit spring and Lu Shaoyuan's belongings, including from Shen Qianyue.
• A black crow watched the three depart, retrieved a communication talisman, and reported to its master that the target was alive and that they had mentioned Lu Shaoyuan.

Ling Chengyuan learned that Ling Xueyao had survived another assassination attempt and considered accepting the Heavenly Sword Sect’s secret support in the struggle for succession. Ling Xueyao, Shen Qianyue, and Chu Yunfei reached the imperial palace, where Ling Chenglie blocked their entry and challenged Chu Yunfei’s right to enter.

• Zhao Yuangeng told Ling Chengyuan that the Blood Baleful Intent Tower’s latest attempt to kill Ling Xueyao had failed and that she was returning with Shen Qianyue and Chu Yunfei.
• Ling Chengyuan discussed the Heavenly Sword Sect’s offer to meet him during the sect competition and ordered Zhao Yuangeng to investigate Chu Yunfei.
• Chu Yunfei, Ling Xueyao, and Shen Qianyue entered the capital and traveled to the inner palace by imperial carriage.
• Ling Chenglie arrived with Attendant Sun, blocked the palace entrance, and questioned Chu Yunfei’s identity.

Ling Xueyao brought Chu Yunfei into the palace, but Ling Chenglie tried to stop them and challenged Chu Yunfei. Chu Yunfei kicked Ling Chenglie flying, and Shen Qianyue intervened before the second prince could retaliate, leaving Ling Chenglie vowing revenge.

• Ling Xueyao confirmed that Chu Yunfei was Great Qian's future prince consort and insisted on bringing him into the palace despite Ling Chenglie's objections.
• Ling Chenglie pressured Chu Yunfei to leave the imperial capital, and Chu Yunfei refused to back down.
• Ling Chenglie attacked Chu Yunfei, who evaded his palm strike and kicked him onto the palace steps.
• Enraged, Ling Chenglie prepared a killing move, but Shen Qianyue suppressed him and warned him not to attack someone under Ling Xueyao's protection.
• Ling Chenglie withdrew after Ling Xueyao threatened to oppose him, then promised Chu Yunfei that their conflict was not over.

Chu Yunfei entered the poisoned hall to examine the unconscious emperor, Ling Zhantian, and discovered that he had been afflicted with the ancient Soul-Devouring Nether Poison. Chu Yunfei determined that he could remove the poison, but Ling Zhantian’s damaged body and soul would also need treatment before he could awaken.

• Ling Xueyao warned Chu Yunfei that Ling Chenglie might retaliate, while Shen Qianyue noted that the second prince had appeared suspiciously soon after their arrival.
• Ling Xueyao gave Chu Yunfei a jade token that opened the barrier around Ling Zhantian’s hall and urged him to leave if the poison became dangerous.
• Chu Yunfei entered the hall and used his Myriad Poison Tyrant Body to absorb and refine the poisonous mist as he advanced toward the inner chamber.
• Chu Yunfei examined Ling Zhantian and found that poison had spread through his meridians, organs, and sea of consciousness, where it was consuming his soul.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon identified the poison as the ancient Soul-Devouring Nether Poison, and Chu Yunfei concluded that removing it alone would not heal Ling Zhantian enough to awaken.

Chu Yunfei considered whether to absorb Ling Zhantian’s Soul-Devouring Nether Poison into his Myriad Poison Tyrant Body or refine it in the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate. Xiaoxiao Dragon advised refining it for cultivation resources and revealed that the cauldron’s second core function could fuse and transform physique origins.

• Chu Yunfei identified two ways to handle the poison: absorb it to strengthen his physique or refine it into origin essence to boost his cultivation.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon recommended refining the poison, explaining that Chu Yunfei needed cultivation more urgently and that the Myriad Poison Tyrant Body had a limited ultimate ceiling.
• Chu Yunfei agreed that the Myriad Poison Tyrant Body could be countered by top-tier physiques capable of suppressing or purifying poison.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon explained that the Divine Cauldron of Heavenly Mandate’s known refining and time-acceleration abilities were only its first core function.
• Xiaoxiao Dragon revealed that the cauldron’s second core function was physique fusion and transformation, since it could refine physique origins.