Chapter Summaries

Ye Beixuan brought Qin Yun to Sword-Forging City and met with City Lord Qin Yi to have two ancient relics refined. As Qin Yi began refining the qilin head, the stone bead in its mouth started to shine.

• Qin Yun accepted Ye Beixuan as his master, learning that Ye Beixuan was Chief Chu’s disciple and that Chief Chu would be his grandmaster.
• A month later, Ye Beixuan and his companions visited City Lord Qin Yi, who agreed to refine their ancient relics and privately worried about what they contained.
• Qin Yi and the group traveled to Sword-Forging City’s sword-forging grounds, where Xiao Chen recognized the supreme-grade fire vein.
• Ye Beixuan showed Qin Yi the qilin head and the Demon God Bone, and Qin Yi hid his excitement at seeing the bone.
• Qin Yi used the fire vein to refine the qilin head for three days and three nights, until a dazzling light shone from the stone bead in its mouth.

Ye Beixuan recovered the inscribed key from Sword-Forging City, while Chu Feng welcomed Bing Yan back after she comprehended the True Essence of Sword Dao. Two months later, Great Sage Golden Wing emerged from seclusion after comprehending two points of the True Essence of the Great Dao.

• Qin Yi retrieved the key from the formation and handed it to Ye Beixuan, who said Sword-Forging City could keep the Demon God Bone and negotiate its price with Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Chen and his companions disguised themselves and left Sword-Forging City for the Yellow Sand Desert, while Qin Yun promised to visit Dao-Seeking Academy in ten years.
• After Bing Yan comprehended the True Essence of Sword Dao, Chu Feng prepared a feast and welcomed her back from a year in seclusion.
• Chu Feng and Bing Yan celebrated with Chen Qianqian and Bai Qian, then watched the sunset together and discussed Bing Yan's future Half-Saint breakthrough.
• Great Sage Golden Wing emerged from seclusion after comprehending two points of the True Essence of the Great Dao, and Chu Feng greeted him on Miaomiao Mountain.

The Dao-Seeking Academy's heads broke through to the Half-Saint Realm, while Great Sage Golden Wing challenged and beat the other heads after Chu Feng brought him to Great Sage Xuanhuo. As the Carefree Great Sage lectured at the Heavenly Spirit Institute, he noticed that Bing Yan had shown no reaction to his teaching.

• The Carefree Sword King broke through to the Half-Saint Realm, and eight more heads of the Dao-Seeking Academy followed after cultivating beneath the breakthrough phenomenon.
• The Carefree Great Sage announced a seven-day lecture at the Heavenly Spirit Institute, while the other heads kept a low profile.
• Chu Feng introduced Great Sage Golden Wing to Great Sage Xuanhuo, and Golden Wing challenged him to a sparring match.
• Great Sage Golden Wing defeated Xuanhuo and the Academy's other seven heads, prompting them to enter seclusion instead of lecturing.
• The Carefree Great Sage lectured for three days, then noticed that Bing Yan had shown no reaction to his teaching.

Bing Yan revealed that she had comprehended the True Essence of Sword Dao and showed the Heavenly Spirit Institute the visualization painting Chu Feng had made for her. The Carefree Great Sage felt outdone by Chu Feng, then was beaten by the Golden Eagle Great Sage, and later the nine chiefs visited the dean together.

• The Carefree Great Sage questioned Bing Yan about her silence, and she revealed that she had already comprehended the True Essence of the Great Dao.
• Bing Yan demonstrated her Sword Dao mastery by clashing sword qi with the Carefree Great Sage, who praised her achievement.
• Bing Yan showed her fellow disciples the visualization painting that had helped her comprehend the Dao and revealed that Chu Feng had painted it.
• The Carefree Great Sage praised Chu Feng, felt humbled, and dismissed his disciples before retiring to his study.
• The Golden Eagle Great Sage arrived at night to challenge the Carefree Great Sage, who announced the next day that he was entering seclusion.
• Half a month later, the Dao-Seeking Academy's nine chiefs visited the dean together.

The dean approved the nine chief seats’ request to enter the Holy Institute after they arranged to hand over their duties. Three months later, Chu Caiyi awakened the Prison-Suppressing Divine Physique, and Ye Beixuan led the disciples into the Desolate Ancient City Secret Realm as the desert’s cultivators gathered outside its entrance.

• The nine chief seats asked the dean for permission to cultivate at the Holy Institute, and he agreed to their entry in three months after they arranged successors.
• The Great Sage Golden Wing asked Chu Feng if he could fight all nine chief seats at once, and Chu Feng said the dean would not allow it.
• Chu Feng received news that Chu Caiyi had reached the True Fate Realm, awakened the Prison-Suppressing Divine Physique, and perfected her Taiyin True Intent.
• In the Yellow Sand Desert, Chu Caiyi woke after her breakthrough and told Cao Youqian and the others about her Divine Physique.
• Ye Beixuan said the disciples needed to wait for nine sand tornadoes, and seven days later he used a key to open the Desolate Ancient City Secret Realm.
• The disciples entered the sand tornadoes as they merged, while more than a hundred cultivators gathered outside; when the anomaly vanished, a spiritual land appeared.

Chu Feng learned that the Holy Institute's nine envoys had arrived to take over the Dao-Seeking Academy's institutes and attended their appointment assembly with Elder Bing and Great Sage Golden Wing. The envoys arrived acting superior, and the dean appeared just as tensions rose, leaving the assembly poised to begin.

• Chu Feng received a letter saying the nine chiefs from the Holy Institute had arrived and that their appointments would be announced in three days; Elder Bing said she would leave the Heavenly Spirit Institute.
• Chu Feng, Elder Bing, and Great Sage Golden Wing arrived at the academy plaza, where the gathered elders and disciples greeted them.
• The nine Holy Institute envoys descended in imposing robes and pressured the crowd before landing.
• The leading envoy, Martial Nephew Lin, criticized the academy's elders and disciples for not bowing to them.
• The dean appeared on the platform and addressed Martial Nephew Lin as everyone bowed in greeting.

At the appointment ceremony, Lin Ming became chief of the Heavenly Spirit Institute and challenged its members to prove themselves. Bing Yan declared she would leave because no one there could guide her, then faced Lin Ming in an aerial duel that began with her drawing her sword.

• The academy head appointed Lin Ming and eight others as chiefs of the Dao-Seeking Academy’s institutes.
• Lin Ming invited the Heavenly Spirit Institute’s elders to challenge him and criticized the institute for falling behind the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
• Bing Yan announced that she wished to leave the Heavenly Spirit Institute because no one there could guide her.
• Lin Ming challenged Bing Yan to demonstrate her strength, and the academy head directed them to fight in the air.
• Bing Yan and Lin Ming took to the sky, where Bing Yan drew her sword and struck before Lin Ming finished speaking.

Elder Bing defeated Lin Ming in a brief clash, revealing that she had comprehended the True Essence of Sword Dao and making the Holy Institute chiefs reconsider their arrogance. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen and his companions entered Desolate Ancient City and made their way toward its royal court through the bone monsters.

• Elder Bing’s Sword Qi overwhelmed Lin Ming, who conceded that she could leave the Heavenly Spirit Institute.
• Lin Ming showed the other chiefs the Sword Qi wounds on his palm, convincing them that Elder Bing had comprehended the True Essence of Sword Dao.
• Yue Wushuang explained that Carefree Great Sage had warned her not to provoke Elder Bing, and the chiefs reconsidered their schemes.
• On Miaomiao Mountain, Chu Feng explained that he had only meant to warn Lin Ming, then invited Great Sage Golden Wing to keep drinking.
• Ye Beixuan used the key to open Desolate Ancient City’s gate, and Xiao Chen and his companions fought their way through the bone monsters toward the royal court.
• The bone monsters stopped outside the royal court, and Cao Youqian joked that Ye Beixuan’s ancient text sounded like a guide to the secret realm.

After the royal court’s gate of light separated the group, Cao Youqian discovered an underground Nether River and began tempering his body in its depths. He ignored an aged dark figure that tried to speak with him as the others pursued opportunities of their own.

• Ye Beixuan opened the royal court’s gate of light, and Xiao Chen and the others were teleported to separate locations.
• Ye Beixuan headed toward the palace containing the Primordial Chaos Mirror, while Cao Youqian entered an abandoned building filled with Yin Qi and departed souls.
• Cao Youqian broke through the palace floor and descended a long staircase to an underground river he recognized as a Nether River.
• Cao Youqian jumped into the Nether River and let its departed souls drag him toward the riverbed, where his divine light drove them away.
• After seven days and seven nights, Cao Youqian reached the riverbed and continued tempering his body while an aged dark figure repeatedly tried to speak to him.

Xiao Chen entered the Sword Tower and defeated its sword spirits to earn access to its higher floors. On the sixth floor, he asked the twelve ancient sword spirits to teach him all their True Essences of Sword Dao, explaining that he followed the Invincible Sword Path.

• Xiao Chen entered the Sword Tower and discovered that its gleaming swords were shattered relics held together by their remnant souls.
• He crossed the first four floors by drawing his divine sword to silence the Sword Qi attacking him.
• On the fifth floor, Xiao Chen defeated forty of the forty-nine Saint Rank sword spirits in one strike, and an ancient voice opened the stairs to the sixth floor.
• The twelve sword spirits on the sixth floor emerged and offered to help Xiao Chen comprehend the True Essence of Sword Dao.
• Xiao Chen declared that he wanted to learn from all twelve spirits and demonstrated his sword strike before explaining that he followed the Invincible Sword Path by drawing on a hundred schools.

Xiao Chen began studying the True Essence of Sword Dao from the twelve sword spirits, while Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi discovered a lingering spirit in the Music Palace. After Qin Qin played a piece that revealed the spirit’s resentment, she learned where the treasure was hidden and was warned to conceal their luck before entering the chamber.

• Xiao Chen told the twelve sword spirits that he was called Xiao Chen and began learning their True Essence of Sword Dao.
• Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi entered the Music Palace, where Qin Qin played the guqin and Chu Caiyi danced with the palace’s unseen dancers.
• The woman’s lingering thought challenged Qin Qin to play a piece expressing resentment, and Qin Qin spent a day and a night preparing.
• Qin Qin played the Lament of the Xiang Consorts for seven days and seven nights as Chu Caiyi danced and the woman accompanied them on her jade xiao.
• The woman revealed that the treasure lay in the secret chamber beneath her phoenix bed and warned Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi to conceal their luck before entering.
• Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi admitted they did not know how to conceal their luck, but decided to proceed with the treasure Master had left them.

Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi entered an underground palace and discovered that its powerful mistress intended to seize their fortune. After the mistress learned Chu Caiyi had the fortune of a Great Emperor, she celebrated her chance to become a female emperor and asked Qin Qin how she should thank her for bringing such a valuable body.

• Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi passed through a hidden passage and a mist array into an underground palace lit by a moonstone.
• When Chu Caiyi struck at the palace’s wandering ghosts, the mistress appeared and claimed the ghosts’ plan to take their fortune was a fair exchange for her treasures.
• The mistress used the power of the Great Dao to immobilize and capture Qin Qin and Chu Caiyi, while Qin Qin searched for a countermeasure and Chu Caiyi waited for an opening.
• The mistress used a mirror to reveal Qin Qin’s purple-gold-tinged fortune and Chu Caiyi’s purple-gold fortune of a Great Emperor.
• The mistress rejoiced that Chu Caiyi’s fortune could help her become a female emperor, then asked Qin Qin how she should thank her for bringing Chu Caiyi.

Chu Caiyi defeated the invading Saint Soul after the slumbering empress intervened in her sea of consciousness. She woke beside Qin Qin and revealed that she had absorbed the Saint Soul's power and memories, including knowledge of the underground palace's treasures.

• The regal woman entered Chu Caiyi's sea of consciousness to devour her soul, while Chu Caiyi tried to summon the Chaos Demon God's power.
• The regal woman found Chu Caiyi and reached to seize her, but a golden beam struck her hand.
• The sealed empress opened her eyes, and her presence shattered the regal woman's Saint Soul into starlight that Chu Caiyi absorbed.
• Chu Caiyi followed Qin Qin's voice out of the darkness and woke beside her, then explained what had happened.
• Qin Qin told Chu Caiyi to keep the incident secret from everyone but their Master, and Chu Caiyi offered to lead her to the underground palace's treasures.

Xu Caichen gained access to the Ten Thousand Books Pavilion, impressed its guardian with poems and a passage from the Analects taught by Chu Feng, and began studying on the second floor. Elsewhere in the royal court, Wang Baole and Han Ping cautiously reunited and agreed to search for treasures.

• Xu Caichen completed the couplet at the pavilion entrance and earned permission to read on the first floor.
• After finishing the first-floor books, Xu Caichen wrote Song of Righteous Qi and qualified for the second floor.
• Xu Caichen copied a passage from the Analects, prompting the guardian to grant him access to every floor of the pavilion.
• Xu Caichen went to the second floor and became absorbed in a book filled with Literary Qi.
• Wang Baole and Han Ping recognized each other, traded cautious greetings, and decided to search the royal court for treasures.

Wang Baole and Han Ping discovered a Muluan Tree while exploring a deathly estate, but its spirit tried to devour them to gain their fortune. Han Ping killed the tree spirit with the Sword Jade, and he began extracting the tree’s essence as Wang Baole kept watch.

• Wang Baole and Han Ping entered an estate filled with plants from the Realm of Death and identified a poisonous Mandala Flower.
• The two found a Muluan Tree, whose fruit could seal ghosts and fiends, and Wang Baole warned Han Ping that it might have a guardian spirit.
• The Muluan Tree spirit bound Wang Baole and Han Ping with vines and revealed that it planned to devour them to reach the Saint Realm.
• Wang Baole told Han Ping to act, and Han Ping used the Sword Jade to kill the Muluan Tree spirit instantly.
• Han Ping began extracting the Muluan Tree’s essence while Wang Baole stood guard.

Wang Baole and Han Paopao found spirit plant essence and subdued two demons in the manor, then ordered them to draw a map. Wang Baole teased Han Paopao about his interest in Mandala, but Han explained that he wanted her to help him farm.

• Han Paopao brought Wang Baole a large mass of spirit plant essence, and Wang Baole told him to nurture it until it reached Quasi-Saint Rank before they split it.
• Wang Baole threatened to destroy the manor unless anyone still alive revealed themselves, and Mandala and Mysterious Moon Fungus emerged.
• Wang Baole promised not to kill the two demons if they did not oppose him and asked them to guide him through the manor.
• Mandala introduced herself as a flower demon skilled in growing plants, while Mysterious Moon Fungus said he could devour soul entities and make clones.
• Mandala explained that Elder Mu had been the manor's strongest being, and Wang Baole ordered the demons to draw a map including the underground areas.
• Wang Baole teased Han Paopao about wanting to follow Caichen's example, but Han said he wanted to take Mandala back to farm with him and showed his Sword Jade as a way to persuade her.

Wang Baole and Han Paopao explored Desolate Ancient City, discovering sources of pure yang and pure yin along with cultivation materials. Wang Baole offered Mandala a chance to leave the manor with Han Paopao, and she eagerly agreed to cultivate and farm with him.

• Mushroom Head and Mandala showed Wang Baole and Han Ping a map, then led them to a forbidden dry well where Wang Baole sensed pure yang essence.
• Wang Baole and Han Paopao searched a courtyard and found jade slips containing spirit-chef memories and spirit-plant cultivation methods.
• Wang Baole and Han Paopao found the place of pure yin beneath the goldenrain tree, which Wang Baole said the old Half-Saint had kept for itself.
• Wang Baole asked Mandala if she wanted to leave the manor, and she eagerly accepted Han Paopao's offer to farm and grow spirit herbs with him.
• Wang Baole invited Mandala to cultivate with them at the place of pure yin, while Mushroom Head lamented being left out.

Cao Youqian broke through while cultivating in the Nether River, where Whitebeard offered him a trial to perfect his Extreme Dao Fist Intent. Cao Youqian fought his way deeper into the river, nearing great perfection as the departed souls grew stronger and overwhelmed him in a swarm.

• Ye Beixuan refined the Pseudo Primordial Chaos Mirror and began absorbing its Primordial Chaos purple qi to break through.
• Cao Youqian broke through after tempering his body in the Nether River, where Whitebeard asked whether he had come looking for a lost treasure.
• Cao Youqian joked that he had lost a pair of tyrant fists and refused Whitebeard's gauntlets, asking instead to perfect his Extreme Dao Fist Intent.
• Whitebeard sent Cao Youqian into a trial where he had to fight through the Nether River to reach its end, warning that failure meant being devoured by ten thousand ghosts.
• Cao Youqian advanced through the river, replenishing his spiritual power by defeating departed souls and nearing great perfection in Extreme Dao Fist Intent.
• Dozens of departed souls swarmed Cao Youqian while he was distracted, but his body endured their bites as the other souls continued to attack.

Xiao Chen reached the Dao Integration Realm and achieved Great Perfection in Sword Intent, then chose to ascend to the Sword Tower’s seventh floor. Meanwhile, Chu Feng learned of Xiao Chen’s progress, and the chapter followed several disciples as they continued their pursuits in Desolate Ancient City.

• Xiao Chen thanked the twelve Sword Souls for their guidance and chose to experience the Sword Tower Spirit’s Sword Dao on the seventh floor.
• Chu Feng received a system reward for Xiao Chen’s breakthrough and discussed his concern for the disciples in Desolate Ancient City with Bing Yan.
• Chu Caiyi remained in a meditative trance beneath the royal court while Qin Qin guarded her and studied the Divine Rank technique Demon God Funeral March.
• Xu Caichen finished the books on the Ten Thousand Books Pavilion’s second floor, left his essays with the artifact spirit, and went up to the third floor.
• Wang Baole cooked with Mushroom Head while Han Paopao and Mandala worked in the spiritual field, and Mandala wiped Han Paopao’s sweat as she wondered how to prompt him to confess his interest.

Xiao Chen endured the seventh floor’s Five Elements Sword Path and reached the tower spirit, who agreed to explain his Five Elements Sword Technique. Meanwhile, Cao Youqian faced a group of Nirvana Realm departed souls in the Nether River.

• Xiao Chen advanced through the sword spirit’s Sword Intent trial and entered a vision of a sea of fire, where Chu Feng’s words helped him press on with his Invincible Sword Intent.
• Xiao Chen crossed an iceberg, a swamp, a mountain of swords, and a forest of wooden swords without abandoning his Invincible Sword Path.
• The tower spirit welcomed Xiao Chen, recognized the Invincible Sword Path, and asked about the cultivation method that had left him just short of comprehending the True Essence of Sword Dao.
• Xiao Chen told the tower spirit that he practiced Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin, and the tower spirit began teaching him the Five Elements Sword Technique.
• Cao Youqian confronted a group of Nirvana Realm departed souls blocking his way through the Nether River and challenged them to attack together.