Recaps

Chu Feng went to recruit Xiao Chen as a disciple so he could keep him at the Dao-Seeking Academy and save his own institute from disbandment. As Madam Xiao led him to her son, Chu Feng’s Disciple Acceptance System activated, and he waited outside Xiao Chen’s residence.

• Chu Feng sought out Madam Xiao and offered to take her crippled son, Xiao Chen, as his disciple so Xiao Chen could remain at the academy.
• Madam Xiao doubted Chu Feng’s offer after learning he headed the low-ranked Miscellaneous Dao Institute, but agreed that staying at the academy was her son’s best chance.
• Chu Feng persuaded Madam Xiao that he could protect Xiao Chen, and she agreed to bring her son to acknowledge him as master.
• As Chu Feng followed Madam Xiao toward Xiao Chen’s residence, the Disciple Acceptance System activated and displayed his attributes.
• Madam Xiao reached the Sword Dao Institute’s outer disciple residences, and Chu Feng waited outside while she went to call Xiao Chen.

After losing his cultivation, fiancée, and place at the Dao-Seeking Academy, Xiao Chen agreed to join the neglected Miscellaneous Dao Institute at his mother's urging. Chu Feng accepted him as a disciple and chief disciple, and the story left Xiao Chen under Chu Feng's protection.

• Xiao Chen, crippled after obtaining a Five-Colored Ice Lotus, was rejected by Qin Rou and faced expulsion from the Dao-Seeking Academy.
• Consort Xiao arrived and persuaded Xiao Chen to remain at the academy by joining the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
• Xiao Chen met Chu Feng, knelt before him, and asked to become his disciple.
• Chu Feng accepted Xiao Chen as his disciple and the Miscellaneous Dao Institute's chief disciple, triggering a system reward of ten years of cultivation and lifespan.
• Chu Feng promised to protect Xiao Chen and took him to complete the transfer procedures.

Chu Feng transferred Xiao Chen from the Sword Dao Institute to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and defended him when Elder Bing mocked his ruined dantian and failed engagement. The chapter ended with Chu Feng proposing a three-year agreement to prove Xiao Chen would rise again.

• Chu Feng reassured Xiao Chen that he should remember his mother's and master's kindness, then took him to transfer his registration.
• Elder Bai completed Xiao Chen's transfer to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, while others whispered about his damaged dantian.
• Elder Bing arrived with Qin Rou and insulted Xiao Chen, revealing that Qin Rou was his fiancée.
• Chu Feng stood up for Xiao Chen and predicted that he would eventually forge a supreme Sword Dao.
• Elder Bing challenged Chu Feng to justify his claim, and Chu Feng proposed a three-year agreement.

Chu Feng and Elder Bing agreed that Xiao Chen and Qin Rou would fight in three years, with the loser and their master facing severe consequences. After returning to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, Chu Feng tried to figure out how to teach Xiao Chen despite knowing nothing about cultivation, and decided to invent a technique.

• Elder Bing challenged Chu Feng to a three-year agreement, wagering the dissolution of the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and an apology if Xiao Chen lost; Chu Feng accepted and secured a matching wager if Qin Rou lost.
• Xiao Chen vowed to cultivate hard enough to defeat Qin Rou, then followed Chu Feng back to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
• Chu Feng brought Xiao Chen to Miaomiao Mountain and told him to choose a courtyard, while privately planning to recruit more disciples for cultivation gains.
• The next morning, Xiao Chen waited two shichen for Chu Feng and asked him to show him how to cultivate.
• Chu Feng realized he knew no cultivation techniques and decided to make one up for Xiao Chen.

Chu Feng promised Xiao Chen a supreme sword art and set him to cultivate Sword Intent by repeatedly practicing a basic sword move beneath a waterfall. Xiao Chen began training with renewed confidence, while Chu Feng privately wondered whether his disciple could master the technique he had chosen.

• Chu Feng encouraged Xiao Chen, who had an Innate Sword Physique, to aim to become a Divine Emperor or even an Immortal Emperor.
• Chu Feng spent the afternoon choosing a technique for Xiao Chen, then wrote it down with a supplementary training method.
• The next day, Chu Feng told Xiao Chen to stop practicing his old technique and explained that he had to master Sword Intent first.
• Chu Feng led Xiao Chen to a waterfall and instructed him to repeat one basic sword move without using magic power until he could cleave the waterfall apart.
• Xiao Chen realized that perfecting the move could help him comprehend Sword Intent, thanked Chu Feng, and began swinging his sword beneath the waterfall.

Xiao Chen trained relentlessly beneath a waterfall while Chu Feng visited him and taught him the Sitting in Forgetfulness method to recover and cultivate his spiritual consciousness. After nearly half a month of practicing it, Xiao Chen entered a profound state that advanced his Sword Dao, then returned to sword practice determined not to disappoint his master.

• Xiao Chen practiced sword swings beneath the waterfall day and night until exhaustion swept him into the water.
• Chu Feng visited Xiao Chen, warned him against overworking, and taught him the Sitting in Forgetfulness method as a way to recover and cultivate spiritual consciousness.
• Xiao Chen began meditating each night and found that he emerged feeling more refreshed than after ordinary rest.
• Nearly half a month later, Xiao Chen entered a profound state in meditation and raised his comprehension of the Sword Dao.
• Xiao Chen discovered that his first sword stroke had reached perfection and resumed practicing, convinced Chu Feng was powerful.

Xiao Chen comprehended Sword Intent, and Chu Feng received a tenfold reward before giving him the Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin manual. The Dao Inquiry School required the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to enter the outer sect competition in three months or lose its resources, leaving Chu Feng to rely on Xiao Chen competing.

• After two and a half months of training, Xiao Chen cleaved the waterfall and comprehended Sword Intent Initial Mastery.
• Chu Feng received Sword Intent Great Perfection as a tenfold reward and decided to teach Xiao Chen Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin.
• Chu Feng gave Xiao Chen the manual, and Xiao Chen began cultivating its instructions in his courtyard.
• Elder Qin told Chu Feng that the Miscellaneous Dao Institute had to enter the outer sect competition in three months or lose its resources and servants.
• Chu Feng said Xiao Chen would compete, while Elder Qin offered to help if the institute ran short of money.

Xiao Chen mastered Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, received guidance from Chu Feng, and set out to gain experience before the Outer Sect Competition. He secretly left Dao-Seeking Academy under a disguise and accepted a bounty task in Dao-Seeking City while keeping his strength hidden.

• Xiao Chen used Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin beneath the waterfall, unleashing Sword Qi that sent the waterfall flowing backward.
• The system rewarded Chu Feng with Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin at Great Perfection after Xiao Chen mastered the technique.
• Xiao Chen asked Chu Feng about the technique’s suction force, and Chu Feng explained how its two methods worked and warned him to expel absorbed spiritual power.
• Chu Feng urged Xiao Chen to aim for first place in the Outer Sect Competition, and Xiao Chen promised to return from his two-month trip and prove himself.
• Xiao Chen secretly left Dao-Seeking Academy at night in disguise so others would not learn his true strength before the competition.
• Xiao Chen accepted a bounty task at the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion in Dao-Seeking City using a false identity.

Xiao Chen found the Flower Gentleman attacking Dao-Seeking Academy disciples in Cloud Dream Marsh and killed him with a single sword strike. He left without revealing his identity, while Liu Yue'er wondered if the cloaked rescuer was her Senior Brother.

• Xiao Chen tracked the Flower Gentleman through Cloud Dream Marsh and discovered Liu Yue'er and other Dao-Seeking Academy disciples fighting him.
• The Flower Gentleman used Immortal-Softening Powder to disable most of the disciples and injured Liu Yue'er and another female disciple.
• Xiao Chen concealed his identity and beheaded the Flower Gentleman with one sword strike as the criminal tried to escape.
• Xiao Chen collected the Flower Gentleman's corpse and left before the disciples could thank him.
• The disciples praised the cloaked rescuer's swordsmanship, and Liu Yue'er said his back looked like Senior Brother's.

Xiao Chen trained in Cloud Dream Marsh for a month, reaching the Dao Foundation Second Stage and earning the nickname Black-Robed God of Slaughter. After returning to Dao-Seeking City, he claimed the reward for Flower Gentleman’s head and secretly went back to the Dao-Seeking Academy.

• Liu Yue'er recognized Xiao Chen during the aftermath of the fight, but Xiao Chen stayed hidden to keep his restored cultivation secret from her companions.
• Xiao Chen continued training in Cloud Dream Marsh, where his masked swordsmanship made him famous as the Black-Robed God of Slaughter.
• After a month of fighting, Xiao Chen reached the Dao Foundation Second Stage and decided to return to the Dao-Seeking Academy.
• Chu Feng received a tenfold cultivation reward when Xiao Chen broke through, but he slept through the system’s announcement and noticed the increase only after waking.
• In Dao-Seeking City, cultivators recognized Xiao Chen at the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, where he submitted Flower Gentleman’s head and received his mission reward.
• Xiao Chen changed out of his conspicuous black outfit and returned to the Dao-Seeking Academy after nightfall the following day.

After Xiao Chen returned from his travels, Chu Feng cooked the demonic beast meat he had brought back and improvised advice about cultivating sword intent. On the day of the Dao-Seeking Academy's outer sect competition, Chu Feng and Xiao Chen set off on foot so they would not reveal their strength before the contest.

• Xiao Chen returned to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute after breaking through a minor realm and brought back meat from True Fate Realm demonic beasts.
• Chu Feng selected the best cuts and taught Xiao Chen to prepare the meat, impressing him with his knife skills and sword intent.
• Chu Feng made up guidance about savoring daily life and observing nature to cultivate sword intent, and Xiao Chen vowed to follow it.
• Chu Feng and Xiao Chen enjoyed the meal, with Xiao Chen soon wolfing down the food.
• On the morning of the outer sect competition, Chu Feng chose to walk with Xiao Chen rather than fly on their swords, saying they should conceal their strength until Xiao Chen amazed everyone.

Chu Feng told Xiao Chen to bet all his spirit stones on himself winning the outer sect competition, hoping to bankrupt the bookmaker who had mocked him with thousand-to-one odds. Xiao Chen placed the wager despite the crowd’s laughter, and walked away with the bet recorded on a jade slip.

• Chu Feng urged Xiao Chen to win the competition and, after hearing the crowd mock him, advised him to wager everything on himself to make Cao Youqian lose money.
• Xiao Chen explained that Cao Youqian was the wealthy grandson of the Pill Dao Institute’s head and loved making spirit stones.
• Xiao Chen ignored the crowd’s insults and told Cao Youqian he wanted to bet on himself taking first place.
• Xiao Chen wagered ten thousand spirit stones, including demonic cores, on his victory.
• Cao Youqian recorded the wager on a jade slip, and Xiao Chen checked it before leaving the betting table.

As the Dao-Seeking Academy’s outer institute tournament began, Chu Feng drew the heads’ attention by backing his injured disciple Xiao Chen to take first place. He challenged the Profound Fire Pill King to wager on Xiao Chen, leaving the bet unresolved.

• Disciples mocked Xiao Chen for betting a fortune on himself to win the tournament, while Liu Yue'er wondered why he had done it and Tang Feng planned to face him.
• The eight institute heads arrived, and Chu Feng joined them on the platform before the disciples bowed to the heads.
• The Free and Unfettered Sword King King declared the tournament open, and Elder Changqing explained the rules before the drawing of lots began.
• When the heads discussed their favored contestants, the Profound Fire Pill King asked Chu Feng who he supported.
• Chu Feng named Xiao Chen as his pick for first place, and the Profound Fire Pill King argued that Xiao Chen’s injuries left him with little chance of advancing.
• Chu Feng offered to make a wager with the Profound Fire Pill King.

Chu Feng wagered with the Profound Fire Pill King that Xiao Chen would prove himself in the competition, staking his place at the Dao-Seeking Academy against a Pill Dao Institute disciple. Xiao Chen decisively defeated Huang Qi in his first match, stunning the crowd and leaving the wager’s outcome in doubt.

• Chu Feng agreed that he would leave the Dao-Seeking Academy if Xiao Chen failed, while the Profound Fire Pill King promised him a Pill Dao Institute disciple if he won.
• The preliminary rounds began, and Chu Feng spotted Xiao Chen scheduled to fight first in arena nine against Huang Qi.
• Huang Qi greeted Xiao Chen confidently and attacked with the Blazing Fire Sword Art.
• Xiao Chen shattered Huang Qi’s Sword Qi with a single strike carrying traces of sword intent, and the referee declared him the winner.
• Huang Qi accepted the result in shock, while the crowd erupted in astonishment.

Xiao Chen stunned the Sword Dao Institute with a one-strike victory, then kept winning as his reputation and betting odds changed. As he prepared for the final preliminary match that could put him in the top hundred, two dark figures appeared behind the Sword Dao Institute.

• Xiao Chen defeated his first opponent with a strike containing five-tenths Sword Intent, then promised Liu Yue'er he would watch her match at arena ten.
• Tang Feng ordered a lackey to find Xiao Chen's next opponent and arrange for someone ruthless to cripple him.
• Chu Feng implied Xiao Chen had more strength than he had shown, prompting the Sword Martial King to investigate whether Chu Feng had bought spirit medicine for him.
• Over the next few days, Xiao Chen defeated several opponents with one sword strike, prompting spectators to avoid him and Cao Youqian to change the betting odds.
• Xiao Chen trained by chopping firewood and ate with Chu Feng, who said a win the next day would put him in the top hundred.
• After nightfall, two dark figures appeared on the mountain behind the Sword Dao Institute.

Tang Feng gave Shi Qiang a Supreme-Grade Vajra Talisman and urged him to use it against Xiao Chen in the outer institute competition. Shi Qiang blocked Xiao Chen’s opening sword strike and launched a punch, leaving the match unresolved as Xiao Chen countered with his sword.

• Tang Feng gave Shi Qiang a treasure and secured his promise to cripple Xiao Chen in their match.
• Tang Feng told an accomplice that Shi Qiang’s Berserk Bull Physique and defensive strength could reveal how to defeat Xiao Chen.
• The outer institute competition resumed, and Xiao Chen and Shi Qiang took their places on Arena Nine.
• Xiao Chen’s first sword strike cracked the Supreme-Grade Vajra Talisman shielding Shi Qiang but did not injure him.
• Shi Qiang attacked Xiao Chen with Berserk Bull Fist, and Xiao Chen calmly swung his sword to counter.

Xiao Chen defeated Shi Qiang with Sword Intent, shocking the Dao-Seeking Academy’s leaders and confirming that Chu Feng had helped him regain his strength. The leaders argued over which institute should take Xiao Chen, and the chapter ended with the Carefree Sword King asking Chu Feng to choose.

• Xiao Chen defeated Shi Qiang with a strike of Sword Intent, and the referee declared him the winner.
• The Sword Martial King questioned Chu Feng about Xiao Chen’s recovery, and Chu Feng said Xiao Chen had once lost all his cultivation.
• Chu Feng told the institute heads that a cultivation method he developed from miscellaneous books had helped Xiao Chen comprehend Sword Intent in less than three months.
• The Carefree Sword King stopped the institute heads from demanding Chu Feng’s method and proposed that they decide where Xiao Chen would cultivate.
• The Sword Martial King argued that Xiao Chen belonged in the Sword Dao Institute, while the other institute heads objected and competed for him.
• The Carefree Sword King asked Chu Feng which institute Xiao Chen should join.

Xiao Chen won four matches and advanced to the outer sect competition’s top ten, where the Carefree Sword King announced the prizes and the next round’s schedule. After Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he had reached the top eight, Lin Qingyu urged Tang Feng to test Xiao Chen’s strength, while considering Jin Gang’s Golden Bell Shield another obstacle for him.

• Chu Feng agreed not to interfere with Xiao Chen’s choice of institute and secured resources for the Miscellaneous Dao Institute based on its number of disciples.
• Xiao Chen won four consecutive elimination matches with a single sword strike each time and advanced into the top ten.
• The Carefree Sword King announced that the top three would become inner sect disciples and receive treasure artifacts, then scheduled the next matches and oversaw the draw.
• After the revival round, Xiao Chen, Lin Qingyu, Mo Qingwu, Jin Gang, Tang Feng, Liu Xiu, Cao Youde, Tie Xin, Zhuge Diji u, and Chen Xu made the top ten.
• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he had made the top eight, and Chu Feng encouraged him to pursue the championship without letting down his guard.
• Lin Qingyu asked Tang Feng to force Xiao Chen to reveal his full strength and said Jin Gang’s Golden Bell Shield could also test Xiao Chen’s abilities.

Xiao Chen defeated Tang Feng and advanced to the semifinals, where Jin Gang believed he had identified Xiao Chen’s weakness. Their match began with Jin Gang’s Golden Bell Shield repeatedly stopping Xiao Chen’s Sword Qi, and Jin Gang launched a fist attack at Xiao Chen.

• Xiao Chen defeated Tang Feng in three sword strikes, and the referee declared him the winner.
• Lin Qingyu and Jin Gang concluded that Xiao Chen’s repeated use of Sword Swing Form revealed a weakness, while Lin Qingyu planned to take first place after the others were injured.
• Lin Qingyu, Jin Gang, and Mo Qingwu advanced to the semifinals, and Cao Youqian worried that Xiao Chen might win the competition and collect their bet.
• The Profound Fire Pill King told Cao Youqian that Jin Gang, Lin Qingyu, and Mo Qingwu had likely discovered Xiao Chen’s weakness, then privately devised a plan in case Xiao Chen took first place.
• Jin Gang’s Golden Bell Shield shattered under Xiao Chen’s first strike but appeared again to block his next two strikes, after which Jin Gang declared he had found Xiao Chen’s weakness and attacked with Peerless Fist.

Xiao Chen faced Jin Gang’s Talisman Treasure defenses in the outer sect tournament and unleashed Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, depleting the treasure and winning the match. Jin Gang admitted defeat as the crowd erupted in cheers.

• Jin Gang revealed that he was using a Talisman Treasure and challenged Xiao Chen to break through its defenses.
• Xiao Chen and Jin Gang exchanged dozens of blows while Jin Gang tried to wear down Xiao Chen’s spiritual power.
• Xiao Chen thanked Jin Gang for giving him the chance to use the Miscellaneous Dao Institute’s supposed ultimate art and unleashed Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin.
• Xiao Chen’s Sword Qi exhausted Jin Gang’s Talisman Treasure, and the referee intervened before Jin Gang could be seriously hurt.
• The referee declared Xiao Chen the winner, and Jin Gang accepted defeat as the crowd roared.

Chu Feng claimed that he had created Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin for Xiao Chen, then watched Xiao Chen win the outer institute tournament. Afterward, Lin Qingyu chose to follow the Sword Dao Institute’s grand elder into the inner institute, while Chu Feng and Xiao Chen left to celebrate.

• After Xiao Chen used Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, the big shots questioned Chu Feng, who said he had created the art for Xiao Chen and explained that it required the practitioner to cripple their cultivation and possess exceptional sword talent.
• Lin Qingyu defeated Mo Qingwu in the semifinal after an hour of fighting, but Xiao Chen defeated Lin Qingyu the next day to take first place in the outer institute tournament.
• The Sword Dao Institute’s grand elder rebuked Lin Qingyu for losing confidence and offered him a choice between following him into the inner institute or choosing another master.
• Lin Qingyu chose to follow the grand elder and was reassured that Xiao Chen’s sword technique would be of little consequence in the inner institute.
• Xiao Chen congratulated Chu Feng on his cultivation art and reported his victory, and Chu Feng invited him to Dao-Seeking City to celebrate.

The Profound Fire Pill King brought Cao Youqian to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to settle his debt to Xiao Chen and fulfill a wager by making him Chu Feng’s disciple. After gaining cultivation from accepting Cao Youqian, Chu Feng watched the Profound Fire Pill King leave and began considering how to deal with his new disciple.

• Cao Youqian worried that Chu Feng and the others had fled, but the Profound Fire Pill King told him they were there because he owed money.
• Chu Feng and Xiao Chen arrived, and the Profound Fire Pill King had Cao Youqian hand over his five million spirit stones and other valuables.
• The Profound Fire Pill King invoked their wager and ordered Cao Youqian to kneel and acknowledge Chu Feng as his master.
• Cao Youqian offered tea to Chu Feng, completing the ceremony, and Chu Feng gained ten years of cultivation from the system.
• The Profound Fire Pill King left Cao Youqian in Chu Feng’s care, and Cao Youqian begged Chu Feng to spare him when Chu Feng approached.

Xiao Chen claimed his outer-sect competition reward and refused offers from all eight inner institutes, choosing to remain at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute out of loyalty to Chu Feng. As he returned to the institute, Lin Qingyu dismissed him as unworthy of being his opponent.

• Chu Feng accepted some of Xiao Chen’s spirit stones as an offering and left Xiao Chen and Cao Youqian to rest, while Cao Youqian chose an empty room for the night.
• Xiao Chen went to the Merit Hall, where the top three chose treasure artifacts and the disciples selected inner institutes.
• When Xiao Chen asked why the Miscellaneous Dao Institute was not an option, the Carefree Sword King and the other institute heads offered to take him into their institutes.
• Xiao Chen rejected the offers and said he would stay with his master at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, despite being warned he would receive only outer-institute resources.
• Lin Qingyu called Xiao Chen someone who had chosen to fall into depravity, and Xiao Chen ignored him and headed back to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

After Xiao Chen refused the inner court, Liu Yue'er visited him at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and learned that he planned to stay under Chu Feng's guidance. Xiao Chen agreed to take her on his upcoming trip down the mountain, while Cao Youqian asked Chu Feng if he could go down the mountain for fun.

• Liu Yue'er went to the Miscellaneous Dao Institute to ask Xiao Chen why he had refused the inner court, and he said he believed he could grow stronger there under Chu Feng.
• Xiao Chen invited Liu Yue'er to stay for a meal, and she saw Chu Feng, Xiao Chen, and Cao Youqian cooking together and tasted Chu Feng's impressive cooking.
• Liu Yue'er asked to accompany Xiao Chen on his trip down the mountain, and he agreed on the condition that she follow his arrangements.
• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he would stay away until he broke through to True Fate, and Chu Feng predicted he would achieve it within a year.
• Cao Youqian told Chu Feng that cultivation was too tiring for him, then tentatively asked if he could go down the mountain for fun.

Cao Youqian went to Dao-Seeking City to collect his business dividends, only to learn Cao Youde had taken them and planned to seize his other income too. After the Pill Dao Institute’s great elder ruled against him, Cao Youqian left, believing the patriarch had abandoned him.

• Chu Feng told Cao Youqian he could leave the mountain and advised him to stay low-profile and use his senior brother’s name if he got into trouble.
• Cao Youqian traveled to Dao-Seeking City and learned from Yuan Shuxiao that Cao Youde had collected his dividend from the Pavilion of Fragrant Beauties.
• Cao Youqian confronted Cao Youde at the Pill Dao Institute, where Cao Youde claimed Cao Youqian had no right to the dividends and intended to take over his other businesses.
• Cao Youde told Cao Youqian the patriarch was in seclusion and brought him to the great elder, who ruled that Cao Youqian could no longer receive Pill Dao Institute resources.
• Cao Youqian left the institute dejected, while Cao Youde told a lackey to spread the news rather than confront him directly.