Chapter Summaries

Qin Yu led his six-person squad into the Shadow Woods, where he defeated a powerful demonic wolf and claimed its spirit core before they found a valley of spirit herbs. As a red-robed woman and her four companions demanded the squad’s treasures and herbs, Qin Yu faced them down and prepared to fight.

• Cloud-Leveling Hall’s outer disciples entered the Shadow Woods after the elder warned them of its dangers and ordered them to cooperate.
• Qin Yu led Yang Zheng and four other disciples through the forest, where they encountered a middle-stage Spirit Awakening Realm demonic wolf.
• Qin Yu defeated the demonic wolf with his spear techniques, stopped it from self-detonating, and took its spirit core.
• The squad continued deeper into the woods and discovered a clearing filled with spirit herbs, but Qin Yu warned them that it might have a guardian.
• A red-robed woman and four men emerged, demanded the spirit core and spirit herbs, and threatened the squad.
• Qin Yu refused to surrender the treasures and raised his spear against the red-robed woman as their confrontation began.

Qin Yu’s squad faced the Pure Fragrance Garden disciples over spirit herbs before a middle-stage Qi Condensation Realm tiger interrupted their fight. Qin Yu lured the beast toward the rival group and escaped with his companions, while the Pure Fragrance Garden woman used a forbidden Soul-Splitting Nail to wound the tiger and fled, leaving the beast alive among the herbs.

• Qin Yu stood against the Pure Fragrance Garden woman’s attacks and defended his squad, but the giant black-and-gold tiger emerged from the spirit herbs and stopped their battle.
• Qin Yu used Spirit Spear Fleeting Shadow to draw the tiger’s attention to the Pure Fragrance Garden squad, then led Yang Zheng and the others to safety.
• Qin Yu’s squad hid in a secluded hollow, treated Yang Zheng’s injuries, and waited for the tiger and the Pure Fragrance Garden disciples to weaken each other.
• The tiger killed four Pure Fragrance Garden disciples and drove their woman leader to fight desperately among the burning spirit herbs.
• The woman struck the tiger with the forbidden Soul-Splitting Nail, grievously wounding it, then fled into the Shadow Woods vowing revenge on Qin Yu’s group.

Qin Yu’s squad harvested a patch of spiritual herbs after the wounded giant tiger fled, but the beast returned and forced Qin Yu to face it alone. On the brink of death, Qin Yu’s gray light annihilated the tiger; he rejoined Yang Zheng and the others, concealing the power as they headed back to the main group.

• Qin Yu led Yang Zheng and the other disciples to harvest the spiritual herbs while the wounded giant tiger was away, and Yang Zheng guarded them.
• When the tiger returned, Yang Zheng led the other disciples away while Qin Yu stayed behind to hold off the beast.
• Qin Yu fought the Qi Condensation Realm tiger with the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art, but its life-burning attack left him gravely injured and near death.
• Qin Yu’s gray light erupted and erased the giant tiger, including its demonic core, before it could strike again.
• Qin Yu took a healing pill, caught up with Yang Zheng and the others, and concealed the gray light as they set out to rejoin the main group.

After Qin Yu’s team returned from the Shadow Woods with the expedition’s richest haul, Cloud-Leveling Hall rewarded them, and Qin Yu shared the prize with his companions. He used his share to break through to the Qi Condensation Realm, then went with Yang Zheng to explore the outer disciples’ market.

• Qin Yu concealed the gray light’s role in his injuries, and his team presented their top-grade herbs and medicinal plants to the elder before returning to Cloud-Leveling Hall.
• At the commendation ceremony, Qin Yu’s team received three hundred high-grade spiritual pills and fifty mid-grade spirit stones for bringing back the expedition’s greatest harvest.
• Qin Yu divided the rewards equally among Yang Zheng and the other four disciples, strengthening their bond with him.
• Qin Yu used the pills and spirit stones to cultivate through ten stages and reached initial entry into the Qi Condensation Realm without relying on the gray light.
• Yang Zheng visited Qin Yu, revealed that he had reached initial entry into the Spirit Awakening Realm, and invited him out for a meal.
• Qin Yu and Yang Zheng walked through the bustling market near Cloud-Leveling Hall, admiring its shops, vendors, and spiritual wares.

Qin Yu heard that strange fluctuations in the Soul-Rending Mountain Range had driven nearby demon beasts berserk, then secretly left the Cloud-Leveling Hall to investigate. After defeating a powerful demon wolf, he found a mutated beast core whose gray light resonated with the mysterious power within him.

• Qin Yu and Yang Zheng feasted at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and overheard rumors of unusual fluctuations and rampaging demon beasts near the Soul-Rending Mountain Range.
• Qin Yu decided to investigate alone and told Yang Zheng he was leaving to escort medicinal herbs for the sect.
• Qin Yu traveled north and entered the Soul-Rending Mountain Range, where he witnessed signs of the anomaly and encountered a frenzied demon wolf.
• Qin Yu killed the late spirit awakening realm demon wolf with his Heaven-Guiding Strike and found a strange beast core in the ravine.
• Qin Yu suppressed the core’s frenzied will with the gray light within him, then took the core after sensing that its gray point resonated with his own mysterious power.

Qin Yu discovered the Soul-Rending Ancient Tree and saw its guardian drive away the woman from the Shadow Woods and her companions. After they ambushed him on his way out, he escaped into the mountain mist and lured one pursuer toward a mutated demonic dragon, hoping to turn the hunt against them.

• Qin Yu followed the mutated demon core’s pull to the Soul-Rending Ancient Tree, where the woman from the Shadow Woods and two powerful companions tried to awaken it.
• The tree’s armored guardian appeared, forcing the three intruders to retreat, while Qin Yu’s mutated demon core helped conceal him from its gaze.
• The woman and her companions intercepted Qin Yu as he tried to leave, but he escaped their attacks by using Light Spirit Step, Spirit Current Whirl, and the black mist.
• The woman ordered her companions to split up and search for Qin Yu, who decided to lead them toward a mutated demonic dragon near a mountain rift.
• Qin Yu drew the Qi Condensation Realm man into pursuit and reached the rift, where the dragon’s threatening presence filled the air.

Qin Yu escaped the Soul-Rending Mountain Range after luring a pursuer into the demonic dragon’s territory, where the dragon killed him and then fought off the alluring woman and the black-robed Yuan Transformation Realm expert. The woman fled while the dragon killed the black-robed man, and Qin Yu returned toward Cloud-Leveling Hall with two demon cores and renewed resolve, keeping the mysterious gray light secret.

• Qin Yu evaded the Qi Condensation Realm man, who pursued him into the demonic dragon’s territory and was burned to ash by the awakened dragon.
• The alluring woman and the black-robed Yuan Transformation Realm expert rushed to the rift, found the man dead, and traced his pursuit back to Qin Yu.
• The woman and the black-robed man attacked the demonic dragon, but its flames overwhelmed their defenses despite the man’s use of the Demonic Abyss Heaven-Devouring Seal.
• The woman escaped with a purple-gold talisman, leaving the exhausted black-robed man to die in the dragon’s World-Burning Dragon Breath.
• Qin Yu watched the battle from hiding, escaped the burning area, and resolved to become strong enough to face such an enemy himself.
• On his way back to Cloud-Leveling Hall, Qin Yu considered his two demon cores and vowed to keep the mysterious gray light secret from Deacon Zhang and Yang Zheng.

After returning to Cloud-Leveling Hall, Qin Yu refined a mutated beast core and mastered all five forms of the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art. As the Great Yan Continent inter-sect martial tournament approached, he joined Nangong Heyao and other outer disciples in a wine gathering and resolved to fight for Cloud-Leveling Hall.

• Qin Yu returned to his lodgings, stabilized his Qi Condensation Realm cultivation, and practiced the fourth and fifth forms of the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art.
• Qin Yu refined the mutated beast core despite its violent power, greatly increasing his Spiritual Qi and sensing a strange gray power.
• Qin Yu used his new strength to master all five forms of the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art and vowed to gain more combat experience.
• Yang Zheng told Qin Yu that the inter-sect martial tournament was only days away, and Qin Yu decided to participate.
• Nangong Heyao, Zhao Xinyu, and two disciples visited Qin Yu; Nangong Heyao praised him and urged Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples to unite against rival sects.
• Nangong Heyao, Qin Yu, and Yang Zheng shared wine and pledged to bring glory to Cloud-Leveling Hall, while Nangong Heyao later said Qin Yu could one day rival or surpass him.

Cloud-Leveling Hall prepared for the inter-sect martial tournament as Qin Yu entered Blood Shadow Deadly Valley to strengthen himself. After stealing and consuming the Purple-Gold Immortal Grass, he broke through to major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm, with the tournament only three days away.

• The grand elder announced that the tournament in White Frost Ancient City would begin in three days and pit sects against one another, offering a peerless cultivation art and one thousand supreme-grade pills to Cloud-Leveling Hall's greatest contributor.
• Qin Yu decided he needed more dangerous training and left for the forbidden Blood Shadow Deadly Valley rather than the Soul-Rending Mountain Range.
• Qin Yu fought and killed several powerful demonic beasts, including a Crimson Flame Giant Python, and collected their demon cores and spiritual pills.
• Qin Yu spotted the Purple-Gold Immortal Grass behind a battle between a Super Devil Ape and a Blood Devil Mantis, then risked the beasts' attacks to steal it.
• Qin Yu hid in a cave and consumed the Purple-Gold Immortal Grass, breaking through from initial entry to major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm.

Qin Yu tested the strength he had gained from reaching major accomplishment in the Qi Condensation Realm, then joined Cloud-Leveling Hall on its journey to the Great Yan Continent tournament in White Frost Ancient City. After the sects gathered and tensions rose, Venerable White Frost began the draw and selected Cloud Waves Gate, Gale Hall, and Mystic Crane Sect for the first outer-disciple battles.

• Qin Yu destroyed a thirty-foot boulder with a spear strike and judged his attack at least ten times stronger than before.
• Three days later, Qin Yu and Yang Zheng boarded Cloud-Leveling Hall's spirit ship and traveled to White Frost Ancient City for the tournament.
• At the tournament plaza, disciples from rival sects mocked Cloud-Leveling Hall, and Qin Yu vowed to answer them in the ring.
• Venerable White Frost silenced the gathering, warned the sects against fighting outside the ring, and arranged the tournament seating.
• Venerable White Frost drew the first outer-disciple matchups, selecting Cloud Waves Gate, Gale Hall, and Mystic Crane Sect to compete first.

Cloud Waves Gate, Gale Hall, and Mystic Crane Sect fought six matches, and Gale Hall and Cloud Waves Gate advanced while Mystic Crane Sect was eliminated. Cloud-Leveling Hall then entered the tournament and drew its matchups, leaving Qin Yu set to face Ye Qing.

• Tang Lie defeated Lin Sheng, and Liu Chong defeated Zhou Yuan, giving Gale Hall its first two victories over Cloud Waves Gate.
• Ye Qing defeated Sun Kui, but Lin Yue defeated Wei Feng and Zhou Lie defeated Fang Chen, leaving Gale Hall with three wins, Cloud Waves Gate with one, and Mystic Crane Sect with one.
• Ye Qing defeated Lin Yue in the sixth match, bringing Cloud Waves Gate to two victories and securing its advancement alongside Gale Hall; Mystic Crane Sect was eliminated.
• Qin Yu reflected on the need to grow stronger as Venerable White Frost announced the next round and summoned Cloud-Leveling Hall to draw lots.
• The spirit disc assigned several matchups, including Qin Yu against Cloud Waves Gate's Ye Qing, and Qin Yu prepared to take the stage.

Cloud-Leveling Hall’s Zhao Xinyu, Yang Zheng, and Nangong Heyao each won their martial tournament matches, strengthening the sect’s standing in the first round. The chapter ended with Nangong Heyao defeating Gale Hall’s Zhou Lie in a single decisive sword strike.

• Zhao Xinyu defeated Tang Lie of Gale Hall with her Splendid Radiance Sword Art and won the crowd’s acclaim.
• Yang Zheng fought Zhou Yuan of Cloud Waves Gate despite a cultivation gap, broke through to Spirit Awakening Realm greater accomplishment, and won with Heng Mountain Sword Art.
• Qin Yu and the Cloud-Leveling Hall disciples praised Yang Zheng, while Zhao Xinyu told him he had earned her admiration.
• Nangong Heyao faced Zhou Lie of Gale Hall and shattered his saber attack with Mountain-Suppressing Single Sword.
• Venerable White Frost declared Nangong Heyao the winner, and Nangong said that the sword’s might was like a mountain.

Qin Yu defeated Ye Qing with a single sword strike, completing Cloud-Leveling Hall’s three victories and earning the attention of powerful sects. After Liu Hongzhuang defeated Bai Shuangxue with a blood-burning technique, Qin Yu and his fellow disciples agreed that Yang Zheng and Zhao Xinyu should concede if they drew her, leaving Qin Yu or Nangong Heyao to face her.

• Qin Yu defeated Ye Qing with Spirit Light Slash, and Venerable White Frost declared him the winner as Cloud-Leveling Hall celebrated its three victories.
• Liu Hongzhuang of Pure Fragrance Garden and Bai Shuangxue of Leaning on Swords, Listening to Snow fought with charm arts and ice sword techniques.
• Liu Hongzhuang burned her blood to strengthen her demonic phoenix, shattered Bai Shuangxue’s icy domain, and won the match despite the cost of the technique.
• Qin Yu recognized Liu Hongzhuang from the Shadow Woods and warned Yang Zheng that her secret art made her a dangerous opponent.
• Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, Zhao Xinyu, and Nangong Heyao agreed that Yang Zheng and Zhao Xinyu should concede if matched against Liu Hongzhuang, while Qin Yu or Nangong Heyao would confront her.

The tournament’s elimination rounds began, and the Cloud-Soaring Sect defeated the Qianyuan Sect to advance to the finals. Cloud-Leveling Hall drew Pure Fragrance Garden, and its leaders agreed that Yang Zheng should surrender rather than risk Liu Hongzhuang killing him.

• Pure Fragrance Garden swept Swordside Snow, while the Cloud-Soaring Sect and Qianyuan Sect each won their group matches.
• The draw paired Cloud-Soaring Sect against Qianyuan Sect and Cloud-Leveling Hall against Pure Fragrance Garden.
• Chu Tiance and Lin Jianxin won their matches against Hong Ba and Shi Kuangshi, giving the Cloud-Soaring Sect a two-to-one victory over the Qianyuan Sect.
• The Cloud-Soaring Sect advanced to the finals with Chu Tiance, Lin Jianxin, and Gu Qingfeng named as its finalists.
• The draw matched Zhao Xinyu against Huo Caixu, Yang Zheng against Liu Hongzhuang, Nangong Heyao against Lan Lengqing, and Qin Yu against Luo Yilin.
• Qin Yu, Nangong Heyao, and Zhao Xinyu urged Yang Zheng to surrender to Liu Hongzhuang, and Yang Zheng agreed to protect himself and preserve Cloud-Leveling Hall’s chance of victory.

Zhao Xinyu lost to Huo Caixu after a fierce fire-and-ice duel, and Yang Zheng stopped Huo Caixu from killing her before conceding his own match against Liu Hongzhuang. Nangong Heyao then defeated Lan Lengqing with his sword techniques, giving Cloud-Leveling Hall another victory.

• Zhao Xinyu and Huo Caixu exchanged powerful fire and ice attacks until Zhao Xinyu’s sword shattered and she could no longer fight.
• Huo Caixu tried to kill Zhao Xinyu, but Yang Zheng rushed onto the arena, deflected her spear, and protected Zhao Xinyu.
• Cloud-Leveling Hall’s elder suppressed Huo Caixu’s flames and condemned her attack, while Pure Fragrance Garden’s elder defended her conduct and deepened the feud between the sects.
• Yang Zheng voluntarily conceded his match against Liu Hongzhuang to avoid her enchantment, and returned to his companions.
• Nangong Heyao defeated Lan Lengqing with his Heaven-Soaring sword techniques and won the third match for Cloud-Leveling Hall.

Qin Yu defeated Luo Yilin with Heaven-Guiding Strike, giving Cloud-Leveling Hall a chance to force a deciding two-on-two match against Pure Fragrance Garden. The chapter ended with Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao preparing to face Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng, who planned to attack them with beguiling arts and cold poison.

• Qin Yu overcame Luo Yilin's Netherworld Soul-Devouring Blade-Heaven-Devouring Spirit-Extinguishing with Heaven-Guiding Strike, gravely wounding her and breaking her blade.
• The tournament referee announced that Cloud-Leveling Hall and Pure Fragrance Garden were tied, so each side had to send two disciples for a deciding match.
• Liu Hongzhuang chose Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao as opponents, and Qin Yu named Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng in return.
• Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao planned to face Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng together, with Qin Yu confronting Liu Hongzhuang and Nangong Heyao suppressing Yue Linmeng.
• Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng plotted to disrupt Qin Yu's mind with beguiling arts and use Yue Linmeng's cold poison and Frost Soul-Severing Slash against their opponents.

Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao fought Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng in the tiebreaker between Cloud-Leveling Hall and Pure Fragrance Garden. After their teammates were incapacitated and Liu unleashed her ultimate art, Qin Yu killed her with the Spear of Ashen Annihilation, then collapsed unconscious as the arena erupted.

• Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao faced Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng, and both sides opened with powerful combined attacks.
• Nangong Heyao injured Yue Linmeng, but Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng countered with their trump cards, leaving Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao badly wounded.
• Qin Yu summoned the Spear of Ashen Annihilation and joined forces with Nangong Heyao to badly injure Yue Linmeng, then used the spear to overwhelm Liu Hongzhuang.
• Liu Hongzhuang unleashed Blood Lotus Buries Heaven, but Qin Yu defended himself and counterattacked with Qi Cyclone Spear Dance and Spirit Spear Fleeting Shadow.
• Qin Yu's final spear thrust killed Liu Hongzhuang, and he collapsed unconscious; onlookers and sect leaders reacted to his victory.

Qin Yu’s gray power erased Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng, securing Cloud-Leveling Hall first place in the tournament and bringing the sect great rewards and recognition. When the five great sects invited Qin Yu to join them, he chose White Cloud Sect and left with Yang Zheng and Zhao Xinyu, while Nangong Heyao joined Juntian Hall.

• Qin Yu’s gray light destroyed Yue Linmeng’s blood-lotus attack and erased Yue Linmeng and Liu Hongzhuang, leaving Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao alive in the arena.
• The grand elder rescued Qin Yu, and the adjudicating elder declared Cloud-Leveling Hall the tournament champion, naming Nangong Heyao and Qin Yu first place.
• The city lord and Cloud-Leveling Hall bestowed rewards and purple-gold tokens on Qin Yu, Nangong Heyao, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu.
• Elders from the five great sects arrived at Cloud-Leveling Hall and invited Qin Yu to join them, offering different terms for his companions.
• Qin Yu chose White Cloud Sect, and Nangong Heyao chose Juntian Hall; Yang Zheng and Zhao Xinyu prepared to accompany Qin Yu.
• Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu boarded White Cloud Sect’s spirit vessel, while Nangong Heyao boarded Juntian Hall’s vessel and departed from Cloud-Leveling Hall.

Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu traveled to the White Cloud Sect, where they passed the welcoming ceremony and became outer disciples. Assigned to Heavenly Splendor Peak, they looked toward the sect’s higher realms and vowed to make their mark.

• Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu boarded the White Cloud Sect’s spirit ship and received their initial outer disciple provisions.
• During the journey, Qin Yu stabilized his major accomplishment in the Qi Condensation Realm, Yang Zheng advanced into the Qi Condensation Realm, and Zhao Xinyu strengthened her Spiritual Sense and Qi channels.
• The trio arrived at the White Cloud Sect and saw talented new disciples gathering from across the Great Yan Continent.
• The new disciples completed the White Cloud Heavenly Stele test and received outer disciple tokens.
• Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu were assigned to the outer sect palaces on Heavenly Splendor Peak and resolved to rise within the sect.

Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu advanced their cultivation in the White Cloud Sect before choosing the Immortal Vein Ruins for their first patrol assignment. After entering the ruined territory, they discovered an ancient altar beneath a storm of chaotic lightning and sensed that a power beyond the Yuan Transformation Realm lay hidden there.

• Qin Yu broke through to initial entry into the Yuan Transformation Realm, while Zhao Xinyu reached major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm and Yang Zheng reached initial entry.
• The White Cloud Sect assigned its new outer disciples patrol duty in the spirit stone mines, the Immortal Vein Ruins, or the Ancient Spiritual Sea.
• Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, and Zhao Xinyu chose the Immortal Vein Ruins, received patrol tokens and maps, and traveled there by spirit vessel.
• The three entered the ruins and crossed shattered spiritual veins, an ancient hall, and a canyon filled with waterfalls and clouds.
• At a desolate altar, the three saw a ruined statue beneath a vast storm of lightning and chaos, and Zhao Xinyu suspected the ruins concealed an existence beyond the Yuan Transformation Realm.