Chapter Summaries

Yu Tunzhou visited Jin Moyuan and accepted a spar with Jin Qingshui while Zhuang Yuan and his allies moved to rescue the imprisoned villagers of Apricot Blossom Village. As the rescue unfolded, Jin Xiongfei tried to leave the gathering, but Yu Tunzhou challenged him to a match.

• Yu Tunzhou met Jin Moyuan, who praised his progress and offered him a place in the upcoming Qianyang Grotto-Heaven training.
• Jin Moyuan introduced Yu Tunzhou to Jin Xiongfei, and Yu decided not to tell Jin Moyuan about Jin Xiongfei's role in threatening Apricot Blossom Village.
• Yuan Mengzhou, Jiang Cheng, Fang Zhengchu, and Zhuang Yuan planned a rescue after receiving Yu Tunzhou's signal that he would keep Jin Xiongfei occupied.
• Yu Tunzhou defeated Jin Qingshui in a sword spar, using his skill to expose weaknesses in her swordsmanship.
• Zhuang Yuan and his allies attacked the Jin estate, found the imprisoned villagers, and fought Jin Ting and Zhao Heng while arranging their escape.
• After a servant summoned Jin Xiongfei away from the sparring ground, Yu Tunzhou stopped him and challenged him to a real match.

Yu Tunzhou defeated Jin Xiongfei in a hand-to-hand contest and helped buy time for Zhuang Yuan and his allies to rescue the villagers. After defeating Shen Si and experiencing the Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person while cultivating, Yu Tunzhou was visited by Yuan Mengzhou, who said Zhuang Yuan wanted to see him again.

• Yu Tunzhou challenged Jin Xiongfei and, after Jin Moyuan limited Xiongfei’s Gang Qi, outmatched him with his fist techniques and struck him in the forehead.
• Zhuang Yuan killed Jin Ting and joined Yuan Mengzhou and the others in defeating Zhao Heng, then helped rescue the villagers from the cellar and move them toward the river.
• A rescued old man gave Zhuang Yuan a note revealing that Jin Ting had told Jin Xiongfei the location of the Heavenly Yang Martial Arts School in Qingping County.
• Yu Tunzhou received Zhuang Yuan’s note confirming the villagers had been rescued, then traveled to the Clear Water Sect and defeated Shen Si with Taiji swordplay.
• Yu Tunzhou condensed his acupoints to one hundred and eighty and experienced the Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person while cultivating.
• Yuan Mengzhou leaped into Yu Tunzhou’s courtyard and asked him to come because Zhuang Yuan wanted to see him.

After Zhuang Yuan died from injuries inflicted by Jin Xiongfei, Yu Tunzhou resolved to answer the injustice and invited Jin Xiongfei to a meeting. Yu struck him down in West Xuan Commandery and publicly declared himself responsible, confronting Martial Uncle Jin as the chapter ended.

• Yu Tunzhou arrived too late to save Zhuang Yuan, who died after asking Jiang Cheng to take his body home and urging his friends to let the feud end.
• Jiang Cheng demanded revenge against Jin Xiongfei, but Yuan Mengzhou and Fang Zhengchu refused to risk their sects and martial arts hall; Yu later heard Jin Moyuan recount his past acts of justice.
• Jin Xiongfei dismissed the villagers as worthless and told Yu Tunzhou to leave the Jin Household, while Yu resolved to act despite the danger.
• Yu Tunzhou invited Jin Xiongfei and the others to a restaurant; Jiang Cheng, Yuan Mengzhou, and Fang Zhengchu arrived dressed in black and prepared to attack.
• Yu Tunzhou used Swallow the Sun and Refine the Moon to break Jin Xiongfei’s protective Gang Qi and blast him into the street.
• Yu Tunzhou announced that he had killed Jin Xiongfei, then stomped on his chest to sever his heart meridian and challenged Martial Uncle Jin.

Yu Tunzhou confronted Jin Moyuan after killing Jin Xiongfei, and the two reached a tense understanding that let Yu leave West Xuan Commandery. Jin Moyuan then defeated Jin Tingfeng with a single move, while Liu Qiandao confirmed that Yu had passed his test.

• Yang Che sensed Yu Tunzhou’s crude grasp of Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person and wanted to challenge him, but Daoist Wenyang warned him against risking his Dragon and Tiger Ranking position.
• Jin Moyuan confronted Yu Tunzhou over Jin Xiongfei’s death, and Yu argued that the Jin Household had ignored Jin Xiongfei and Jin Shaoyan’s crimes and threatened the consequences of killing him.
• Yu Tunzhou urged Jin Moyuan to let the matter end, invoked the Supreme Purity Lineage as a deterrent, and agreed to leave West Xuan Commandery while Jin Moyuan allowed him to go.
• Jin Tingfeng demanded that Jin Moyuan stop Yu, but Jin Moyuan revealed his Heavenly Eagle Spirit Aspect and sent her flying back to the Jin Household residence with one move.
• Liu Qiandao appeared and told Jin Moyuan that Yu had passed his test, explaining that Yu had encountered the second master of the Supreme Purity Lineage in the grotto-heaven.

After Yu Tunzhou killed Jin Xiongfei and left West Xuan Commandery, Jin Moyuan moved to take control of the Jin Household while learning that Huaiqing had predicted Great Yan would collapse within three years. As Yu continued toward the Western Desert, he learned more about his Divine Ability and impending Dao Embryo, while Jin Qingwu prepared his sister for life without him.

• Jin Moyuan told Liu Qiandao he needed at least ten days to reorganize the Jin Household, then offered to send Jin Qingwu to the Northern Dark Continent and revealed his suspicions about the boy’s role in Jin Xiongfei’s schemes.
• Liu Qiandao said Huaiqing had predicted Great Yan would collapse in the third year of Tianshun, startling Jin Moyuan because it was currently the first year.
• Yu Tunzhou said farewell to Yuan Mengzhou, Jiang Cheng, and Fang Zhengchu, fought Yuan Mengzhou, and continued toward the Western Desert as the three discussed his likely rise on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking and a possible meeting with Feng Yanleng.
• Great Sage Huntian awoke after sensing Dao Source and told Yu Tunzhou that his Immortal Foundation Divine Ability was not a Dao Source Divine Ability; he also warned Yu to wait for his guidance before attempting the next Eight-Nine Mysterious Art breakthrough.
• Yu Tunzhou noticed that his Dao Embryo was close to forming as he traveled, while Jin Qingshui told Jin Qingwu that their father had been killed and Jin Moyuan had moved against Jin Tingfeng.
• Jin Qingwu told Qingshui that Yu Tunzhou had avenged their mother and urged her to seek Jin Moyuan’s protection or leave the clan; he said he could not remain in the Jin Household and told her to live on as dawn broke.

After Yu Tunzhou killed Jin Xiongfei, news of his suspected mastery of Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person reached the old prince and Star Palace, drawing astonishment and plans to bring him together with Feng Yanleng. As Yu Tunzhou traveled deeper into the Western Desert, he uncovered the Seven Bandits’ plans against Gao Old Village and headed there to warn its people.

• Garrison Commander Wang ordered Xiao He to send news of Yu Tunzhou’s victory to Feng Xu, who passed the report to the old prince.
• The old prince dismissed Feng Xu’s guess about Yu Tunzhou’s Martial Dao innovation, learned that Yu Tunzhou had reached the Pure Land, and ordered Feng Xu to locate Feng Yanleng and tell her the news.
• Mo Shougui and Daoist Purple Mountain discussed Yu Tunzhou’s strength and agreed that Star Palace needed to act as the Martial Dao entered a golden age and an age of chaos.
• Zhao Cang told Ghost Blade Sun Xiongman about Yu Tunzhou, and Sun Xiongman ordered his men to search the Western Desert for the young martial artist.
• Yu Tunzhou learned that Sun Xiongman’s bandits were seeking Feng Yanleng and that Illusory Spider Hua Nongying planned to attack Gao Old Village, so he decided to warn its master, Fu Baichuan.

Yu Tunzhou attended Zhu Baichuan’s banquet and watched Ji Yanleng accuse the village master of betraying Jiang Ying to the Seven Bandits. Ji Yanleng revealed herself as Feng Yanleng and attacked Zhu Baichuan, who called on Hua Nongying for help.

• Yu Tunzhou entered Gao Old Village under a false name and sat beside Luo Zichuan at Zhu Baichuan’s banquet.
• Ji Yanleng accused Zhu Baichuan of betraying Jiang Ying ten years earlier and said she had rescued her and buried her in her hometown.
• Zhu Baichuan denied the accusation and threatened to capture Ji Yanleng, who declared that she had come to kill him.
• Ji Yanleng summoned the Mistwater Sword, and Shen Yulou recognized her as Feng Yanleng.
• Zhu Baichuan called for Hua Nongying to help kill Feng Yanleng, but Feng Yanleng struck first with the Supreme Sword Lord’s Sword Intent.

Yuyang exposed Zhu Baichuan’s betrayal of Jiang Ying, and the ensuing battle turned against Feng Yanleng and her allies when Hua Nongying intervened. Yu Tunzhou used the Vajra Bracelet to break Zhu Baichuan’s defenses and help Feng kill him, while Hua escaped; Feng recognized Yu and invited him to drink with her another time.

• Yuyang attacked Zhu Baichuan and revealed that he had betrayed Jiang Ying and helped the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert torment her for Xuandu’s inheritance.
• Hua Nongying arrived and fought Yuyang while Zhu Baichuan battled Feng Yanleng, driving the other martial artists back with his powerful Gang Qi.
• Yu Tunzhou realized the Vajra Bracelet could pierce Zhu Baichuan’s defenses and circled behind him while Feng kept him occupied.
• Yu struck Zhu Baichuan’s skull with the Vajra Bracelet, breaking his body-tempering defenses, and Feng killed and beheaded him.
• Hua Nongying fled after assessing Yu’s weapon, and Feng recognized Yu and suggested they share a drink when they next met.

After helping Feng Yanleng and Yuyang defeat Zhu Baichuan, Yu Tunzhou arranged for the Gold-Wielding Guard to manage the fallout in Donghe County and began cultivating in seclusion. His Immortal Foundation transformed as he used Taijiquan to shape his Dao Embryo, revealing two possible Dao Paths: Taiji and Wuji.

• Yuyang and Feng Yanleng took Zhu Yaowu into custody and invited Yu Tunzhou to meet them at Falling Star Gorge half a month later.
• Yu Tunzhou asked Gold-Wielding Guard Liu An to prevent infighting over Gao Old Village, prepare for a possible attack by Hua Nongying, and gather information about Zhu Baichuan, Falling Star Gorge, and Xuandu.
• At a secluded residence in Donghe County, Yu Tunzhou studied how the Vajra Bracelet could pierce protective Gang Qi and considered its limits against Hua Nongying.
• Yu Tunzhou watched his Primordial Azure One Qi begin transforming and reflected on how his Immortal Foundation could guide his Dao Path.
• Yu Tunzhou practiced Taijiquan under the principles of Wuji and Taiji, causing Fist Intent to spread across Donghe County as his Dao Embryo took shape.
• Great Sage Huntian recognized the power of a source of the Dao and cried out that it resembled Laojun's-Taiji Diagram, while Yu Tunzhou realized he had two Dao Paths: following the current as Taiji or reversing it as Wuji.

Yu Tunzhou formed an unsettled Dao Embryo that held the paths of Taiji and Wuji, while Great Sage Huntian warned him to study both before choosing. After learning that Falling Star Gorge might hold the Xuandu inheritance, Yu Tunzhou resolved to master the first level of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art before going there, and Huntian warned that completing it would bring a lightning tribulation.

• A yin-yang phenomenon spread across Donghe County as Yu Tunzhou formed his Dao Embryo, and Liu An identified him as its source and drove the local factions away from Gao Old Village.
• Huntian examined Yu Tunzhou's Dao Embryo, explained the Taiji and Wuji paths, and urged him to delay choosing between them.
• Yu Tunzhou refined his remaining acupoints while Liu An brought records about Zhu Baichuan, Falling Star Gorge, and Xuandu.
• Yu Tunzhou suspected the Xuandu inheritance lay near the village where Zhu Baichuan, Jiang Ying, and Yuyang were born, and decided to finish the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art before exploring it.
• Huntian rejected Yu Tunzhou's claim that Grand Dharma Master Xuandu was Laojun's foremost disciple and one of Nüwa's first humans, then warned that the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art's first tribulation was a lightning tribulation.

Yu Tunzhou completed the first stage of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, reached Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person, and survived six bolts of heavenly lightning that transformed his body. Great Sage Huntian warned that the new Heavenly Dao still threatened him, so Yu Tunzhou planned to seek Xuandu’s inheritance at Falling Star Gorge, only to discover the tribulation had burned off his hair.

• Yu Tunzhou connected all 365 acupoints into a cycle of yin and yang and sensed the primordial Qi of heaven and earth as he reached Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person.
• Six bolts of heavenly lightning struck Yu Tunzhou; he endured the first five, used dragon pearl wine to recover, and survived the sixth by entering a state of feigned death.
• Liu An and the martial artists of Donghe County felt the tribulation’s pressure and mistook the lightning for a Divine Ability Yu Tunzhou was cultivating.
• Yu Tunzhou revived with a treasured golden sheen beneath his skin, and Great Sage Huntian concluded that the Ancient Method was not tolerated in this age and suggested seeking Xuandu’s inheritance in an ancient-world fragment.
• Yu Tunzhou discovered that his new Unity of Heaven and Celestial Person let him perceive his surroundings with extraordinary clarity, then planned to travel to Falling Star Gorge after resting.
• Yu Tunzhou reached for his head and realized the lightning tribulation had burned off his hair.

Yu Tunzhou left Donghe County for Falling Star Gorge while Liu An recorded his bald head as a possible sign he intended to become a Buddhist monk. In the Western Desert, Hua Nongying, Sun Xiongman, and Yan Wen agreed to pursue Xuandu’s inheritance, while Zhao Cang mistook Yu Tunzhou for his quarry at Western Yang Pass before recognizing his bald head.

• Yu Tunzhou asked Liu An to care for a fledgling, chose a conical hat, and quietly left Donghe County; Liu An reported that Yu Tunzhou showed signs of entering the Buddhist order.
• Hua Nongying told Sun Xiongman that she knew Yu Tunzhou’s whereabouts and proposed joining forces to seek Xuandu’s inheritance.
• Yan Wen revealed that Helian Tu was occupied by Qin Zang, then joined Hua Nongying and Sun Xiongman in planning to watch the abandoned village near Falling Star Gorge.
• Yu Tunzhou reached Western Yang Pass and continued toward Falling Star Gorge.
• Zhao Cang spotted Yu Tunzhou in the crowd, briefly thought he had found his target, then recognized his bald head and cursed his subordinate for mistaking him for a young man.

Yu Tunzhou found Feng Yanleng and her companions in Falling Star Gorge as they prepared to enter the Xuandu inheritance, but Yan Wen and other members of the Seven Bandits ambushed them. Guided by Huntian, Yu Tunzhou summoned heavenly lightning to attack the bandits, then escaped through the opened gateway with the others as the lightning continued to intensify.

• Yu Tunzhou spotted a staged horse-bandit chase and suspected Hua Nongying was trying to lure him, then entered Falling Star Gorge and found Yuyang.
• Yuyang explained that Yan Wen, an External Scenery expert, had ambushed their group and killed Zhang Ping; Yu Tunzhou met the surviving heroes and learned Feng Yanleng held the Law Seal for the inheritance gateway.
• As Feng Yanleng opened the starry gateway at midnight, Yan Wen, Hua Nongying, Sun Xiongman, and their bandits attacked the group.
• Huntian recognized the gateway's primordial presence and urged Yu Tunzhou to use the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, which drew heavenly lightning down on everyone in the gorge.
• Yu Tunzhou endured and refined his own lightning strike, then warned the others that another wave was coming and urged them through the open gateway.
• Yu Tunzhou followed Feng Yanleng into the gateway, and Yuyang and the remaining companions escaped inside as the heavenly lightning grew stronger.

Yu Tunzhou and his companions entered Xuandu Cave, where they found the Eight Sceneries Palace and confronted Yan Wen. Their discovery of the inheritance site coincided with Helian Tu revealing that he expected someone important to arrive and ordering the Heavenly Demon Sect to send stronger forces.

• Yu Tunzhou escaped Yan Wen's heavenly lightning tribulation by leading his companions through the portal, while Feng Yanleng's blade strike delayed their pursuers.
• Sun Xiongman and Hua Nongying discovered that the grotto-heaven made comprehending the unity of heaven and man easier, and they agreed to an alliance as Yan Wen followed Yu Tunzhou's group.
• Yu Tunzhou's group crossed a mountain path guarded by restrictions and reached Xuandu Cave, where they entered the Eight Sceneries Palace.
• Yan Wen caught up with them, but Yu Tunzhou distracted him by calling out Helian Tu's name, allowing Feng Yanleng and the others to attack.
• In the Western Desert, Helian Tu told Huyan Zheng that the inheritance would attract a certain person and ordered him to summon Heavenly Demon Sect members at least at the External Scenery level.

Yu Tunzhou and his allies killed Yan Wen after Feng Yanleng wounded his Primordial Spirit, but Shen You then appeared and demanded that Feng Yanleng enter the Dao Palace. As Yu Tunzhou prepared to use the Vajra Bracelet, Great Sage Huntian recognized it and began to suspect Yu Tunzhou was Laojun reincarnated.

• Feng Yanleng struck Yan Wen’s Primordial Spirit, and Qin He, Yuyang, Ye Jing, and Master Yile joined her in battling him.
• Yan Wen tried to seize Feng Yanleng, but Yu Tunzhou struck through his protective Gang Qi, allowing Yuyang and another attacker to kill him.
• Yu Tunzhou searched Yan Wen’s belongings and found a Yellow Springs Token and a Pseudodivine Weapon before Feng Yanleng revealed a secret route out of the grotto-heaven.
• Shen You appeared, identified himself as the Heavenly Demon Kou Ziling’s disciple, and pressured Feng Yanleng to enter the Dao Palace by threatening her companions and hinting at her unknown origins.
• Yu Tunzhou asked Great Sage Huntian to awaken the dormant Vajra Bracelet, and Huntian recognized its Inner Heaven and Earth and suspected Yu Tunzhou was Laojun reincarnated.

Yu Tunzhou entered the Eight Sceneries Palace and discovered a Taiji Diagram suppressing a mysterious being, while powerful forces clashed around him. After the Vajra Bracelet drove back one attacker, the Eight Trigrams Furnace carried Yu Tunzhou to an ancient palace, where an old Daoist addressed him as Xuandu and gave him the Earth-Leaving Flame-Light Flag.

• Feng Yanleng negotiated for everyone to enter the Dao Palace together, and Shen You agreed while warning that no one but Feng Yanleng could leave.
• Yu Tunzhou and the others entered an empty hall, where an illusion tested their hearts; Yu Tunzhou alone resisted it and sensed that those bearing Dao and Virtue faced no restrictions.
• Yu Tunzhou followed the corridor to a hall containing the Eight Trigrams Furnace and the Taiji Diagram, where he saw a mysterious figure suppressed by the two artifacts.
• The imprisoned figure's heartbeat harmed the others, and three forces clashed until Great Sage Huntian awakened the Vajra Bracelet to protect Yu Tunzhou.
• The Eight Trigrams Furnace swallowed Yu Tunzhou and carried him to an ancient Eight Sceneries Palace, where an old Daoist called him Xuandu and handed him the Earth-Leaving Flame-Light Flag.

Yu Tunzhou found himself in the Primordial Era inhabiting a body associated with Grand Dharma Master Xuandu, where the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue sent him to meet Celestial Venerable Yuanshi and taught him One Qi Transforms into the Three Pure Ones. Meanwhile, Yan Huifeng and Kou Ziling discussed the dwindling number of Dharma Aspect cultivators and the enemies they saw in the path of ascension.

• Yu Tunzhou accepted the Earth-Leaving Flame-Light Flag from the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue, discovered his unfamiliar body and missing treasures, and concluded that he might have taken Grand Dharma Master Xuandu's place.
• Yu Tunzhou gave the flag to Guangchengzi, who mistook him for Senior Brother Xuandu and thanked him before leaving.
• Yu Tunzhou questioned the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue, who sent him to Jade Void Palace to meet Celestial Venerable Yuanshi; Yuanshi acknowledged him and immediately sent him away.
• After Yu Tunzhou returned, the Heavenly Lord of Dao and Virtue began teaching him One Qi Transforms into the Three Pure Ones, and Yu Tunzhou saw the figure of Great Master Xuandu before him.
• In the Western Desert, Kou Ziling sensed four forces had emerged and warned Yan Huifeng that Dharma Aspect cultivators viewed others as obstacles to ascending to heaven.

Yu Tunzhou returned from the primordial age, condensed Innate One Qi in the Eight Sceneries Palace, and endured the eighth and ninth heavenly lightning bolts to advance his Eight-Nine Mysterious Art. After recovering from the tribulation, he set out to find Hua Nongying and her companion, wondering whether Shen You was still in the Western Desert.

• Kou Ziling discussed the overseas surviving clans with Yan Huifeng and considered meeting Yu Tunzhou, while Yan Huifeng departed the Heavenly Demon Sect.
• Kou Ziling asked Deng Canglan to kill two of his peers in the top ten of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, and Deng Canglan refused to follow his master's Cultivation Method.
• Yu Tunzhou returned to the present age and, guided by the Eight Sceneries of the Eight Sceneries Palace, condensed Innate One Qi and began laying the foundation for One Qi Transforms into the Three Pure Ones.
• Yu Tunzhou left the Eight Sceneries Palace, faced the eighth and ninth heavenly lightning bolts with his physical body, and survived the tribulation.
• Yu Tunzhou recovered through the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, gained strength comparable to someone who had mastered its second level, and decided to seek out Hua Nongying and her companion.

Yu Tunzhou returned to Twin Rivers Commandery, learned that the Three Harmonies Martial Arts School and its allies were under attack, and defeated Zhao Huchen before tracking him to the Qingyang Prince's Residence. There, Yu Tunzhou discovered Prince Qingyang Ji Zhaole was working with the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert and the Six Paths of Evil and Demons, while Hua Nongying was present.

• Han Chong learned that several factions connected to Hero Yu and Senior Zhang were being targeted and that Zhao Huchen had come to demand the Three Harmonies Martial Arts School disband or join his school.
• Han Chong refused Zhao Huchen's offer and vowed to defend the school; Zhao Huchen gave him until the next sunset to disband.
• Yu Tunzhou confronted Zhao Huchen in an alley, defeated him with a single punch, and ordered him to tell those behind him to prepare for his arrival.
• Yu Tunzhou followed Zhao Huchen to the Qingyang Prince's Residence and overheard Prince Qingyang Ji Zhaole discuss the attack and summon Mr. Yin.
• Mr. Yin arrived and asked who had trespassed, while Yu Tunzhou spotted Hua Nongying and realized Ji Zhaole was colluding with the Seven Bandits of the Western Desert and the Six Paths of Evil and Demons.

Yu Tunzhou overheard Commandery Prince Qingyang and Elder Yin planning a Blood God Ritual against the Twin Rivers Wang Household and those who resisted the prince, with Helian Tu set to join them. After discovering that they had marked him as a target too, Yu Tunzhou arranged for Luo Zichuan to seek reinforcements and decided to unite everyone he could against the plot.

• Elder Yin told Ji Zhaole that the Six Paths of Evil and Demons had sealed off Twin Rivers Commandery and planned to use the Blood God Ritual to destroy the Wang Household and the prince’s opponents.
• Ji Zhaole agreed to target Yu Tunzhou instead of Feng Yanleng, while Yu Tunzhou stayed hidden and learned that Helian Tu would arrive after keeping Qin Zang occupied.
• Elder Yin returned to the courtyard in a bodiless form to search for Yu Tunzhou, but Yu remained concealed until dawn and slipped out of the prince’s residence.
• Yu Tunzhou considered leaving the city to seek help, then spotted Luo Zichuan and persuaded him to leave Twin Rivers Commandery and request reinforcements from his household.
• Luo Zichuan agreed to seek help, and Yu Tunzhou decided to stay and try to stop the ritual by uniting everyone who could be united.