Chapter Summaries

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.

Cao Youqian stopped drowning his sorrows and decided to settle into a quiet life at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, where Chu Feng agreed to teach him cooking. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er returned from the Cloud Dream Marsh with Mysterious Yin Fruits, and Chu Feng received a cultivation reward when Xiao Chen advanced.

• Cao Youqian told Chu Feng about his troubles, then took his master's advice to stop drinking and consider what direction to take.
• Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er slew a True Fate Realm Blackwater Black Serpent and found five Mysterious Yin Fruits growing nearby.
• After guarding the fruits until they ripened, Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er collected them and returned to Dao-Seeking City, where Xiao Chen ate them while Liu Yue'er kept watch.
• Cao Youqian told Chu Feng he wanted to learn cooking and make the Miscellaneous Dao Institute his home, and Chu Feng gave him spirit stones to buy supplies.
• Chu Feng heard the system announce that Xiao Chen had reached the ninth level of the Dao Foundation Realm and received ten years of cultivation.

Chu Feng celebrated Xiao Chen's rapid cultivation breakthrough, while Cao Youqian was ambushed outside Dao-Seeking City by Lin Ping'an, who blamed him for taking his fiancée Xia Lianxin. Just as Lin Ping'an's sword strike threatened Cao Youqian, Xiao Chen intervened to protect his junior brother.

• Chu Feng discovered that Xiao Chen had advanced to the Ninth Level of Dao Foundation and checked his own system status.
• Cao Youqian left Dao-Seeking Academy for Dao-Seeking City, unaware that watchers had reported his departure.
• Ma Bin and Zhang Kun confronted Cao Youqian outside the city and brought forward Lin Ping'an, who sought revenge over Xia Lianxin.
• Cao Youqian realized Xia Lianxin had misled him about her engagement to Lin Ping'an, but Lin Ping'an refused to believe his explanation and attacked.
• Xiao Chen's sword light dispersed Lin Ping'an's strike, and he declared that Cao Youqian was his junior brother.

Xiao Chen intervened when Lin Ping'an threatened Cao Youqian, and Cao Youqian challenged Lin Ping'an to a match on the life-and-death platform one year later. Back at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, Chu Feng identified Lin Ping'an as a child of destiny and advised Xiao Chen to kill him if he could; Cao Youqian then asked Chu Feng for a cultivation method.

• Xiao Chen arrived to protect Cao Youqian and offered to make him compensate Lin Ping'an for his earlier wrongdoing.
• Lin Ping'an demanded that Cao Youqian crawl between his legs, but Xiao Chen gave him the choice to leave or defeat him and do as he pleased.
• Cao Youqian challenged Lin Ping'an to a match on the life-and-death platform one year later, and Lin Ping'an accepted before leaving with his companions.
• Cao Youqian apologized to Xiao Chen and resolved to cultivate, so Xiao Chen told him to ask Chu Feng for guidance.
• Chu Feng concluded that Lin Ping'an was a child of destiny and told Xiao Chen to kill him if the opportunity arose, after which Cao Youqian asked Chu Feng for a cultivation method.

Chu Feng agreed to teach Cao Youqian and decided to create a body-refining method suited to his unusual body. He also guided Xiao Chen and Liu Yue'er in their sword cultivation before Ancestor Xuanhuo arrived for a late-night visit.

• Chu Feng agreed to take Cao Youqian as a disciple and learned that Cao's small dantian, blocked meridians, and poor comprehension had stalled his cultivation.
• Chu Feng promised to devise a cultivation method for Cao Youqian within seven days, then helped Xiao Chen identify the path to the Invincible Sword Dao.
• Chu Feng advised Xiao Chen to forge an invincible sword heart by winning every battle and suppressing his generation's prodigies.
• Chu Feng told Liu Yue'er that she could cultivate her icy Sword Intent in a cold pool or a place of extreme yin, while Liu Yue'er resolved to stand openly beside Xiao Chen.
• Chu Feng ruled out several cultivation methods for Cao Youqian and decided to teach him body refinement.
• Ancestor Xuanhuo arrived at Chu Feng's residence late at night and asked to see him.

The Profound Fire Pill King confronted Chu Feng over Cao Youqian’s treatment, then agreed to provide earth fire after Chu Feng promised to help Cao Youqian progress. Chu Feng completed the Chaos Body Refining Art, and when the earth fire was ready, he assigned Cao Youqian to cultivate in it, leaving him pleading for another method.

• The Profound Fire Pill King criticized Chu Feng for letting Cao Youqian drink and be bullied, but Chu Feng explained that hardship had motivated Cao Youqian to cultivate.
• Chu Feng asked the Profound Fire Pill King for earth fire, promising to help Cao Youqian reach the True Fate Realm within a year; the elder agreed and offered inner disciple spots if he succeeded.
• Chu Feng spent the night writing the Chaos Body Refining Art, combining Five Elements Body Refining and Yin-Yang Body Refining.
• Two nights later, the Profound Fire Pill King drew out the Miscellaneous Dao Institute’s earth fire and gave Chu Feng a jade pendant to control it.
• Xiao Chen and Cao Youqian arrived, and Chu Feng told Cao Youqian to cultivate using the earth fire; Cao Youqian protested that it could burn him alive and asked if he could train somewhere else.

Chu Feng began Cao Youqian’s body-refining training in the earth fire cave and used tea to help Xiao Chen calm his mind after months of fighting. Xiao Chen realized Chu Feng’s tea ceremony reflected the Miscellaneous Dao Institute’s old traditions and asked whether Chu Feng knew all its skills.

• Chu Feng gave Cao Youqian the Chaos Body Refining Art and explained that body refining suited his unusual meridians and dantian.
• After reading the first chapter overnight, Cao Youqian accompanied Chu Feng and Xiao Chen to the earth fire cave, where Chu Feng explained the jade pendant and the daily training schedule.
• Xiao Chen activated the formation, and Cao Youqian began tempering his body in the earth fire while Chu Feng brewed tea and Xiao Chen cultivated nearby.
• Chu Feng invited Xiao Chen to drink tea, and the ordinary spiritual tea calmed Xiao Chen’s mind and diminished his killing aura and Sha Qi.
• Xiao Chen recognized that Chu Feng’s tea ceremony reflected the Miscellaneous Dao Institute’s traditions and asked whether Chu Feng knew all its skills.

Chu Feng taught Xiao Chen the principles of tea brewing while Cao Youqian endured an eighteen-hour session in the earthfire cave. After a month of cultivation, Cao Youqian reached the verge of a True Fate breakthrough but stopped because the Five Elements Chapter required him to complete Five Elements body tempering first.

• Chu Feng explained to Xiao Chen that true tea brewing required calm focus and could involve putting one's intent into the tea.
• Cao Youqian pushed himself to endure the earthfire, and Chu Feng extinguished the cave's flames after eighteen hours.
• Xiao Chen found Cao Youqian badly burned, gave him water and a Rejuvenation Pill, and taught him the Method of Entering Meditation and Sitting in Forgetfulness.
• Over the next month, Cao Youqian tempered his body in the earthfire and found that his cultivation grew as pill toxins left his body.
• Cao Youqian realized his spiritual power had reached its limit, halted his cultivation to avoid breaking through before completing Five Elements body tempering, and asked Xiao Chen what to do.

Xiao Chen used a secret technique from Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin to drain Cao Youqian’s spiritual power and help him overcome his cultivation problem. Meanwhile, Lin Qingyu broke through to the True Fate Realm and awakened a powerful physique, but the auspicious clouds from his breakthrough appeared to be heading elsewhere.

• Cao Youqian told Xiao Chen about his cultivation trouble, and Xiao Chen brought him to ask Chu Feng for advice.
• Chu Feng reminded Xiao Chen of Sword Rushing Through Disabled Acupoints, prompting Xiao Chen to take Cao Youqian away and try the technique on him.
• Xiao Chen enveloped Cao Youqian in Sword Qi and drained his spiritual power, leaving Cao Youqian unable to break through to the True Fate Realm.
• Lin Qingyu broke through to the True Fate Realm in seclusion, awakening his bloodline and causing a dramatic heavenly phenomenon.
• The Sword Martial King and Sword Dao Institute elders gathered to guard Lin Qingyu, but they noticed the auspicious clouds were moving somewhere else.

Xiao Chen broke through to the True Fate Realm and awakened the Heaven-Collapsing Physique, while Chu Feng received a system reward that granted him ten years of cultivation and the perfected physique. Xiao Chen chose to remain in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, and the academy head began to suspect that Chu Feng was hiding his cultivation.

• Xiao Chen's breakthrough in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute caused a phenomenon that drew the academy's senior figures to the back mountain.
• Xiao Chen stabilized his breakthrough, reached the True Fate Realm, and awakened the Heaven-Collapsing Physique; Chu Feng received the system's cultivation and physique rewards.
• The academy head praised Xiao Chen's Divine Physique and asked where he planned to cultivate, but Xiao Chen declared that he would remain in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.
• The Sword Martial King urged Xiao Chen to leave the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, but Xiao Chen credited his master's guidance there for his progress.
• Chu Feng claimed he had taught Xiao Chen through ideas from stories and novels, and the academy head noticed that Chu Feng was concealing his cultivation.

Chu Feng challenged the Sword Martial King and argued that the Miscellaneous Dao Institute deserved equal treatment with the other institutes. The headmaster granted the institute inner disciple slots for disciples who reached the True Fate Realm, and the institute heads left questioning whether Chu Feng could raise more outstanding disciples.

• Chu Feng taunted the Sword Martial King, who grew furious until the headmaster ordered them both to stop.
• The headmaster asked Xiao Chen to stay at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and offered him a true disciple slot; Chu Feng objected to the institute receiving only one slot.
• Chu Feng praised Cao Youqian's potential to awaken a Saint Physique and challenged the Sword Martial King to bet on it, but the Sword Martial King refused.
• The headmaster granted the Miscellaneous Dao Institute the same treatment as the other institutes, allowing its disciples to earn inner disciple slots by reaching the True Fate Realm.
• After the great figures left, the Carefree Sword King questioned the headmaster's decision, and the headmaster pointed out that the Miscellaneous Dao Institute had only two disciples.

Xiao Chen broke through to the True Fate Realm and awakened a divine body, while Lin Qingyu discovered that his own sacred-body breakthrough had been eclipsed. Elder Bing then promised Qin Rou her full support so she could defeat Xiao Chen in their future battle.

• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he planned to stabilize his cultivation, take a mission, and return to Great Liang to visit his mother.
• Lin Qingyu emerged from seclusion expecting praise for awakening the Sharp Metal Sacred Body, but learned Xiao Chen had awakened a divine body and fainted from shock.
• Elder Bing confirmed the news with Qin Qingqing and offered Qin Rou cultivation guidance and resources to prepare her to face Xiao Chen.

Cao Youqian completed the first stage of the Chaos Body Refining Art, while Chu Feng learned that Xiao Chen had reached minor accomplishment in Sword Intent and gained a deeper understanding of the Sword Dao. After explaining Cao Youqian’s progress, Chu Feng sent him to begin the next stage of body tempering in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool.

• Cao Youqian emerged from eighty-one days in the fire cave, reached the beginner level of the Chaos Body Refining Art, and discovered his body and meridians had grown stronger and clearer.
• Chu Feng saw Xiao Chen ranked number one hundred on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, then received a reward when Xiao Chen’s Sword Intent reached minor accomplishment.
• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng about Cao Youqian’s breakthrough, and they went to see his transformed physique.
• Chu Feng explained that the earthfire had refined the medicinal power in Cao Youqian’s body, completing fire and wood Body Tempering, and instructed him to cultivate in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool for eighty-one days.
• Xiao Chen absorbed Cao Youqian’s spiritual power and said he would no longer accompany him in cultivation; the two walked back toward the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

Cao Youqian began a three-month training stint in the Thousand-Year Cold Pool after Xiao Chen returned his lost spirit stones and prepared to leave the Miscellaneous Dao Institute. His punishing cultivation drew attention across the Dao-Seeking Academy, while Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he was ready to go down the mountain to train.

• Xiao Chen gave Cao Youqian the hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones from the storage bag Cao had lost to him, and said he would visit Liu before leaving the institute.
• Cao Youqian rented a ten-foot cold pool for three months and flew to the Thousand-Year Cold Pool to temper his body.
• Cao Youqian cultivated in the cold pool for fifteen days straight, maintaining his strict routine despite the bitter cold.
• Disciples across the Dao-Seeking Academy spread stories about the bald outer court cultivator enduring the cold pool without showing pain.
• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng that he was ready to go down the mountain to train.

Xiao Chen prepared to leave Dao-Seeking Academy for Great Liang after Liu Yue'er emerged from seclusion, while the academy awaited her breakthrough and watched a mysterious bald cultivator train in the cold pool. Liu Yue'er awakened the rare Profound Yin Jade Physique, prompting a dispute over which institute would claim her, and exchanged a smile with Xiao Chen.

• Xiao Chen told Chu Feng he would leave for Great Liang after Liu Yue'er emerged from seclusion in seven days, and Chu Feng advised him to defeat every opponent he faced.
• Disciples reported that a completely bald cultivator had trained in the Body Cultivation Institute's cold pool for a month, and Elder Niu planned to identify him after forty-nine days.
• Xiao Chen arrived at the Sword Dao Institute to wait for Liu Yue'er, as purple clouds appeared above the institute and elders gathered in anticipation of her sacred physique.
• The Sword Martial King and Carefree Sword King argued over whether Liu Yue'er would join the Sword Dao Institute or the Heavenly Spirit Institute.
• Liu Yue'er emerged from seclusion having awakened the rare Profound Yin Jade Physique, and she and Xiao Chen smiled at each other.

Liu Yue'er joined the Carefree Sword King after crediting Chu Feng's guidance for her rapid cultivation and Sword Intent, drawing attention to Chu Feng across the academy. As the academy discussed Chu Feng's abilities, the Body Cultivation Institute prepared to welcome its disciple out of a forty-nine-day seclusion.

• The Carefree Sword King claimed Liu Yue'er as his descendant and disciple, while Sword Martial King watched his attempt to recruit her fail.
• Liu Yue'er told the Carefree Sword King that Chu Feng had guided her to comprehend nine-tenths Sword Intent and advance to the True Fate Realm, and the Carefree Sword King left with her to thank Chu Feng.
• Liu Yue'er secretly signaled Xiao Chen, who departed, while Sword Dao Institute disciples discussed seeking Chu Feng's guidance and Sword Martial King complained that Chu Feng was undermining his institute.
• Chu Feng sneezed at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and practiced Taiji Fist, unaware of the commotion, while Dean Chen told Elder Xia that Chu Feng was hiding his abilities.
• Liu Yue'er and Xiao Chen set out for Great Liang on a disciple-recruitment mission as Elder Niu received word that the Body Cultivation Institute disciple's forty-nine days in the cold pool had ended.