Chapter Summaries

Han Feng Yang’s Ancient Path Treasure brought him into the Yang Clan, where Yang Lingqing welcomed him and invited him to train in the Yang Family Sacred Land. As Chen Yang headed toward the Central Region with the younger members of his family, Luo Qianchou and Nangong Jinghe prepared to use a captured enemy’s Primordial Spirit to uncover the forces behind the Demon Soil.

• Chen Yang recalled how Yang Lingrui’s old debt to Han Jingyi had protected the Han Family and inspired the name Han Feng Yang.
• The cultivators left the Twilight Ancient Path, and news spread that the Yang Clan had obtained at least five True Intent Formless Manifestations while Han Feng Yang and Tao Yuan had won treasures for the Tiger Chasing Dynasty.
• Zhao Qi brought Han Feng Yang to meet Yang Lingqing, who welcomed him as family and invited him to visit the Yang Family Sacred Land.
• The Tiger Chasing Dynasty arranged to move the Han Family to Chongtian City, and Han Feng Yang later settled at Yangyuan Peak under Zhao Qi’s guidance.
• Chen Yang traveled with five children to the Central Region, arranged for Sun Qingge to take Huang Ying to her sect, and continued toward Xi Yan Immortal Mansion with the others.
• Luo Qianchou credited Nangong Jinghe’s baiting plan for helping him defeat a True Intent Cultivator, and they planned to interrogate the captive’s Primordial Spirit to trace the Demon Soil’s leadership.

The Five Directions Immortal Mansion auctioned thirty-six public slots for the Great Five Elements Secret Realm, which was set to open fifteen months later. With two months remaining, Chen Yang brought four Yang Clan children to Xi Yan Immortal Mansion after two of them advanced to the Core Formation Realm, where unfamiliar cultivators noticed their arrival.

• After Chen Yang vanished from Xi Yan Immortal Mansion, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's watchers learned he had already departed and reported his profound spatial Daoist Magic.
• The Five Directions Immortal Mansion reserved slots for major powers, its own disciples, former allies, and twenty Yang Clan cultivators, then auctioned thirty-six remaining slots at Lan Shui Immortal Mansion.
• More than a hundred forces competed over the slots, and the five-day auction sold all thirty-six before the Mansion announced the Secret Realm would open fifteen months later.
• Chen Yang brought Yang Yuanling, Yang Yuanzhao, and two other Yang Clan children toward Xi Yan Immortal Mansion, pausing to have them fight Demon Spawn along the way.
• Yang Yuanling and Yang Yuanzhao broke through to the Core Formation Realm under Chen Yang's watch, and the four children reached Xi Yan Immortal Mansion two months before the Secret Realm opened.
• Several Central Region cultivators at the mountain gate wondered who the unfamiliar children were and why they had arrived without elders.

Chen Huai'an and his companions met cultivators from Duanlang Sect and Lotus Mountain while waiting for the Five Directions Immortal Mansion Secret Realm to open. Lin Ximing challenged Lin Qiao to a Dao discussion, but Chen Huai'an took her place, and the duel began with Lin Ximing unaware of how deeply it would affect him.

• Rong Chang and Qiu Chen approached Chen Huai'an, Lin Qiao, Yang Yuanling, and Yang Yuanzhao, and introduced their disciples Lin Ximing and Zhang Tai.
• The four gave their names but concealed their backgrounds, while Yang Yuanling and Yang Yuanzhao used the aliases Yuan Ning and Yuan Zhao.
• Lin Ximing invited Lin Qiao to discuss the Dao, and Chen Huai'an volunteered to spar with him instead.
• Rong Chang created an independent space for the duel and reminded Chen Huai'an and Lin Ximing to stop before either was harmed.

Chen Huai'an and Lin Ximing tested their water arts in a Dao Discussion Space, where Lin Ximing discovered that Chen Huai'an was far stronger than he had assumed. After Lin Ximing unleashed his ultimate technique, Chen Huai'an swallowed the entire torrent and praised its water.

• Lin Ximing suppressed his cultivation to the Essence Condensation Sixth Layer and began a spell duel with Chen Huai'an.
• Chen Huai'an's Tide Born Waves Surge shattered Lin Ximing's Wave Severing technique, and Lin Ximing used the Water Sealing Technique to end the first exchange.
• Lin Ximing admitted he had underestimated Chen Huai'an, raised his cultivation to the Essence Condensation Tenth Layer, and summoned the Four Directions Convergence Flow.
• Chen Huai'an's water-art clones attacked Lin Ximing, but Lin Ximing's Water Command technique turned their spells against them and dispersed the clones.
• Lin Ximing's torrent swallowed Chen Huai'an, who then swallowed all the water and told Lin Ximing, "Fellow Cultivator, good water!"

Chen Huai'an ended his water-technique duel with Lin Ximing in a draw, and his companions entered Xi Yan Immortal Mansion for the Five Elements Dharma Assembly. While awaiting the assembly, Chen Huai'an learned about Central Region water-technique lineages and the exceptional demands of the Pure Water Technique.

• Chen Huai'an used the Pure Water Technique to withstand Lin Ximing's killing move, and the two agreed to treat their exchanges as a draw.
• Rong Chang and Qiu Chen presented their factions' tokens, and Xi Yan Immortal Mansion admitted them into the estate.
• An escorting cultivator recognized the concealed origins of Lin Qiao and her companions after glimpsing Chen Yang, promised to keep their identities secret, and let them enter without presenting a token.
• Over the following month, cultivators from Central Region factions arrived at Xi Yan Immortal Mansion, including Xuan Youli of the Dagan Dynasty.
• Chen Huai'an discussed water techniques with Lin Ximing and learned that the Pure Water Technique required rare talent and had only one successful practitioner, Venerable Xuan Jing.

Yang Yuanzhao explored the Xi Yan Immortal Mansion before encountering Xuan Youli at a volcanic region. After she recognized his connection to the Northwest Yang Clan, he brought her to visit Lin Qiao, leaving the old acquaintances reunited in Lin Qiao’s cave dwelling.

• Yang Yuanzhao received a passage decree, obtained a Wind Fire Treasure Fan, and learned about his cultivation method from an unnamed old man in the library.
• Yang Yuanzhao saw Xuan Youli emerge from a volcano’s flames while manifesting her Mystic Phoenix physique.
• Xuan Youli questioned Yang Yuanzhao about his identity and deduced that he belonged to the Northwest Yang Clan.
• Xuan Youli introduced herself as an old acquaintance of Yang Yuanhong and Lin Qiao, and Yang Yuanzhao took her to Lin Qiao’s cave dwelling.
• Lin Qiao welcomed Xuan Youli into her cave dwelling.

Lin Qiao reprimanded Yang Yuanzhao for carelessly revealing information, then Xuan Youli shared the Five Elements Secret Realm’s complex structure with the Yang Clan cultivators. As the Five Elements Dharma Assembly began, the secret realm’s long-awaited opening phenomenon appeared with Chen Yang’s assistance.

• Lin Qiao questioned Yang Yuanzhao about his encounter with Xuan Youli and warned him to be more cautious.
• Lin Qiao introduced Yang Yuanling and Chen Huai'an to Xuan Youli, who was impressed by the Yang Clan’s young geniuses.
• Xuan Youli explained that the Great Five Elements Secret Realm contained five interconnected lands, and Chen Yang realized the Yang Clan could use soulfire and his divine ability to coordinate across them.
• Seven days later, the Five Elements Dharma Assembly began at the Five Directions Immortal Mansion.
• The Immortal Mansion’s cultivators performed their secret arts, and the Five Elements phenomenon reappeared in Azure Waves with Chen Yang’s assistance.

The Great Five Elements Secret Realm reopened after more than two hundred years, thanks to Chen Yang’s efforts to save it and the Xi Yan Immortal Mansion. The four of the Yang Clan entered their assigned realms and arrived at platforms bearing ancient stone steles.

• The Xi Yan Immortal Mansion’s cultivators celebrated the return of the Five Elements phenomenon after years of sacrifice to revive the Secret Realm.
• The Xi Yan Mansion Lord placed Lin Qiao and the other three of the Yang Clan ahead of the other entrants because of Chen Yang’s aid to the mansion.
• Lin Qiao chose the Earth Dao Secret Realm, Junior Sister Yuan chose the Wood Dao Secret Realm, Junior Brother Chen chose the Water Dao Secret Realm, and Junior Brother Yuan chose the Fire Dao Secret Realm.
• The Xi Yan Mansion Lord gave the four stone-plaque secret treasures and specially forged True Fire Talismans before they entered their assigned realms.
• The four arrived on circular platforms with ancient stone steles, whose writing they could decipher with Chen Yang’s avatar accompanying them.

Chen Yang deciphered the Secret Realm’s stone stele and shared its guidance with the Yang Clan, while powerful newcomers entered the realm. Lin Qiao reached a hidden underground city and agreed to explore it with the Kudhan Temple monk Ming Fang, each wary of the other’s abilities and origins.

• Chen Yang learned from Yan Ming that the stone stele formed anew whenever the Five Elements rotation phenomenon appeared, then shared its guidance with Lin Qiao and the other Yang Clan members.
• Yan Ming reported that he had received only faint, fragmentary contact from the Spirits of the Secret Realm in the other four Secret Realms, and Chen Yang told him to keep watch over Yuan Zhao.
• The second batch of cultivators entered the Secret Realm, though most could understand little or nothing of the stone stele’s instructions.
• Lin Qiao followed the stele’s guidance through a hidden quicksand passage and reached an underground ancient city as Ming Fang of Kudhan Temple arrived through a tunnel.
• Lin Qiao and Ming Fang introduced themselves and agreed to explore the ancient city together while remaining cautious of one another.

Yang Yuanzhao lost an earthfire essence after triggering a deadly mechanism, while Ling Shuang returned from Myriad Sword Sect with two Sword Dao Truths. On her way back, she found Yang Lingrui resisting a powerful Killing Dao evil entity and offered to help him overcome it.

• Yang Yuanzhao escaped a killing calamity by using two activations of his True Fire Talisman, but the earthfire essence fled and he began searching for another opportunity.
• Ling Shuang left Myriad Sword Sect after winning every challenge and receiving two Sword Dao Truths from Dugu Fuchun.
• Ling Shuang sensed concealed killing intent in the snowy mountains and discovered Peng Tao and Steward He guarding Yang Lingrui as he resisted an evil entity.
• Peng Tao explained that Yang Lingrui's cultivation and Dao attainment might not be enough to subdue the entity, though he and Steward He could protect him if things went wrong.
• Ling Shuang offered to help Yang Lingrui, saying she had enough killing intent and killing aura to aid him.

Ling Shuang helped Yang Lingrui subdue the Killing Dao evil relic by unleashing the Taicang Sword’s killing intent and cutting off the relic’s escape routes. Yang Lingrui claimed its True Intent and spine, then left the snowy peak with Ling Shuang and the two seniors, looking ahead to future cultivation and a possible alliance with the Sword Immortal.

• Ling Shuang drew part of the Taicang Sword and sent its Sword Qi and killing intent into the icy cavern to support Yang Lingrui.
• Yang Lingrui drew in Ling Shuang’s killing intent, while Ling Shuang severed the evil relic’s underground roots and blocked its escape.
• Yang Lingrui resisted the relic’s final assault, took its True Intent of the Way of Slaughter, and seized its black spine.
• Yang Lingrui thanked Ling Shuang for her aid, and she praised his Killing Dao talent and proposed that they might fight together after he proved his Dao.
• Yang Lingrui thanked Peng Tao and the other senior for protecting him, and Peng Tao dismissed the need for repayment.

Ling Shuang learned about Yang Lingrui and Yun Xiwu’s relationship and left to return to Meishan, while Yang Lingrui traveled back to the Fuyao Sect. At the sect’s mountain gate, Yang Lingrui easily overcame a cultivator’s challenge by taking control of his Mysterious Wind and was allowed to enter.

• Peng Tao explained Yang Lingrui’s history with Yun Xiwu to Ling Shuang, who praised Yang Lingrui and asked to attend their wedding.
• Ling Shuang departed for Meishan, while Yang Lingrui returned toward the Fuyao Sect with Peng Tao and another companion.
• After more than a month of travel, Yang Lingrui reached the Fuyao Sect’s mountain gate and was challenged by a cultivator surnamed Xu.
• Xu attacked using his wind arts, but Yang Lingrui pulled the Mysterious Wind from Xu’s body and then returned it.
• Xu acknowledged Yang Lingrui’s strength, opened the mountain-protecting formation, and let him enter.

Yang Lingrui entered Fuyao Sect and met Nie Ancheng, who questioned why he had abandoned the wind Dao after mastering a way to combine two winds. Yang Lingrui explained that he chose the Killing Dao because he believed it was higher, farther-reaching, and stronger.

• Yang Lingrui entered Fuyao Sect’s formation and turned away four Mysterious Wind spirit embryos that tried to acknowledge him as their master.
• Nie Ancheng greeted Yang Lingrui and revealed that Yun Xiwu had already defeated him with the Void Nether Divine Wind.
• Nie Ancheng asked Yang Lingrui whether he had created a method to combine two winds and, after Yang Lingrui confirmed it, challenged him over abandoning the wind Dao.
• Yang Lingrui calmly told Nie Ancheng that he had chosen to specialize in the Killing Dao because it was higher, farther-reaching, and stronger than the wind Dao.

Yang Lingrui and Nie Ancheng prepared to settle their Dao obsessions through a duel, but Nie Wuchen returned from the Outrealm and sent them into a sect grotto-heaven. He rewarded Peng Tao and two elders with Azure Flame No-Return wind and ordered them to lead an assault on the Azure Flame Demon Cave when war began.

• Nie Ancheng steadied his resolve to challenge Yang Lingrui, and both men prepared to fight over their Dao Paths.
• Peng Tao and two Fuyao Sect elders accepted that they could not dissuade Nie Ancheng and began preparing a battlefield for the duel.
• The Wind That Never Returns appeared over Fuyao Sect, and Peng Tao and the elders recognized Nie Wuchen's return.
• Nie Wuchen gave the three elders Azure Flame No-Return wind and ordered them to use it in a future assault on the Azure Flame Demon Cave.
• Peng Tao and the elders looked for Yang Lingrui and Nie Ancheng, found only traces of their auras, and realized Nie Wuchen had sent them into a sect grotto-heaven.

Yang Lingrui and Nie Ancheng fought a Dao contest in Remnant Wind Cave Heaven, where Yang Lingrui defeated Nie Ancheng’s strongest wind arts by refining them into a single divine wind. The contest ended in a declared draw, and Nie Ancheng named the new wind Candle Firmament as the two left the cave heaven together.

• Yang Lingrui and Nie Ancheng manifested their powers and began their contest in Remnant Wind Cave Heaven.
• Yang Lingrui countered Nie Ancheng’s attacks, while Nie Ancheng used the Way of Space and twelve mysterious winds to launch his strongest killing moves.
• Yang Lingrui transformed his Killing Dao manifestation into a furnace and fused the two divine winds with the aid of the lingering wills of the Canglan Wind Dao lineage.
• Yang Lingrui gave the fused divine wind to Nie Ancheng, who named it Candle Firmament and wept upon sensing what it contained.
• Yang Lingrui told the waiting Fuyao Sect disciples that the contest was a draw, and Nie Ancheng accepted the result as he set his sights on a new goal.

Yang Lingrui reunited with Yun Xiwu at the summit of Fuyao Sect and confessed how deeply he had missed her. Hand in hand, they entered the hall to meet the sect’s gathered Venerables, with Yang Lingrui determined to prove he was worthy of her choice.

• Yang Lingrui reached the mountaintop and recognized Yun Xiwu despite her using a magic treasure to hide.
• Yang Lingrui told Yun Xiwu that his longing for her let him sense her presence, and she urged him to keep speaking so openly.
• Yun Xiwu took Yang Lingrui into the suspended palace, where he sensed several Profound Insight Venerables gathered inside.
• Yang Lingrui reassured Yun Xiwu that he was not nervous when she was with him, then called her cute and made her blush.
• Yang Lingrui interlocked fingers with Yun Xiwu and led her toward the hall, promising to show everyone that she had chosen well.

Yang Lingrui and Yun Xiwu appeared before Fuyao Sect’s leaders to discuss whether the sect would approve their relationship. Venerable Lingyue supported them, Venerable Mingxiao objected over Yang Lingrui’s family background, and Venerable Shuying fiercely defended the couple.

• Yang Lingrui entered the great hall with Yun Xiwu and greeted the Fuyao Sect’s True Intent Cultivators and five Mystic Insight Venerables.
• Nie Wuchen invited the elders to state their views on Yang Lingrui, and Venerable Lingyue approved of him as a match for Yun Xiwu.
• Venerable Mingxiao objected, arguing that Yang Lingrui’s family background made him unsuitable for the Fuyao Sect.
• Venerable Shuying interrupted Mingxiao, rebuked his concern with family status, and declared Yang Lingrui and Yun Xiwu a perfect match.

The Fuyao Sect’s elders debated whether Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui should become Dao companions, with concerns about the coming Great Wars of Two Daos and their safety. Nie Wuchen framed the decision around the Northwest Yang Clan’s remarkable rise, revealing that it had taken only forty-eight years.

• Venerable Shuying supported Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui’s union, while Mingxiao Venerable opposed it and Venerable Yangyi urged them to wait until they reached True Intent.
• Nie Wuchen noted the four ancestors were split two to two and restored the assembled cultivators’ senses after removing their Spatial Seals.
• Nie Wuchen said he had discussed the alliance of Fuyao Sect, the Dongfang Clan, and the Northwest Yang Clan with Fellow Daoist Zihuan.
• Nie Wuchen asked Mingxiao Venerable about Fuyao Sect’s history, then revealed that the Northwest Yang Clan had risen from its rebirth of cultivators in just forty-eight years.

Nie Wuchen and the Fuyao Sect’s Venerables agreed to a three-party alliance with the Yang Clan after learning how quickly it had risen. Nie Wuchen then approved Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui’s union, promising Yun Xiwu she would not have to live with regret.

• Peng Tao and the Fuyao Sect cultivators reacted with surprise when Nie Wuchen revealed that the Yang Clan had risen to rule a borderland in just forty-eight years.
• The Fuyao Sect’s leaders reconsidered the alliance, recognizing the Yang Clan’s potential, cohesion, and capacity to keep growing.
• Venerable Mingxiao and Venerable Yangyi withdrew their objections, and Nie Wuchen settled the three-party alliance while noting that preparations were underway to protect Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui during the war.
• Nie Wuchen summoned Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui, spoke of love and the regret caused by missed chances, and told Yun Xiwu, “In this matter, as you wish.”

Nie Wuchen approved Yang Lingrui and Yun Xiwu becoming Dao companions, and Fuyao Sect spread the news throughout the Central Region as forces gathered for congratulations and war preparations. Meanwhile, cultivators in the Great Five Elements Secret Realm located the supreme treasure opportunity but faced daunting obstacles to opening it.

• Nie Wuchen warned Yang Lingrui not to betray Yun Xiwu, and Yang Lingrui vowed to devote his life to protecting her.
• Nie Wuchen announced Fuyao Sect would publicize the pair's union, and Elder Peng Tao celebrated the match he had helped bring about.
• After the sect discussion, Nie Wuchen took Yun Xiwu and Yang Lingrui into the Forbidden Ground's cavern-heaven, while news of their union spread across the Central Region.
• Central Region forces gathered at Fuyao Sect to congratulate the couple and discuss deployments to the Outrealm Battlefield and the coming war.
• Cultivators in the Great Five Elements Secret Realm found the sites containing the supreme treasure opportunity but hesitated to pursue it because opening it required uniting the five Secret Realms before time ran out.