Chapter Summaries

Chen Yang secretly used divine power to stop the erosion of Li Qingwan's sea of consciousness, restoring her hope of surviving her calamity. Yang Lingrui then caught Zi He trying to introduce wine to Yang Lingshu and stopped him.

• Chen Yang used divine power to help Li Qingwan, repaying a debt of gratitude to Yuande.
• Li Qingwan discovered that the erosion of her sea of consciousness had stopped and begun to recede, and that her weapon cultivation was stable again.
• Li Qingwan suspected Yang Lingrui's visit had brought her help and wept with relief at the chance to live without suffering the fate she feared.
• Yang Lingrui visited Zi He and found him urging Yang Lingshu to drink wine.
• Yang Lingrui took Zi He's wine, checked that Yang Lingshu had not drunk any, then returned the jar after Zi He pleaded.

Yang Lingrui and Zi He reviewed the participants in the Ancient Path journey and joined the Dynasty’s expedition to the Far North. After meeting fellow cultivators aboard an immortal vessel, they began forming an alliance for mutual protection.

• Zi He told Yang Lingrui that he had exhausted his options to save Li Qingwan, while Yang Lingrui apologized for raising the subject.
• Yang Lingrui and Zi He read the participant reports, learned that Mo Xian and Lord Xuan would not join the journey, and noted the Dynasty’s powerful cultivators and large contingent.
• Zi He explained that the understaffed Evil Extermination Division had sent only him as a Core Formation cultivator.
• Yang Lingrui, Zi He, and Yang Lingshu departed with the Dynasty’s forces aboard one of three cross-border immortal vessels heading for the Far North.
• Yang Lingrui reunited with Shen Yue, Xiao Yize, and He Shenglai, while the other gathered cultivators exchanged greetings or kept to themselves.
• At Chen Yang’s prompting, Yang Lingrui approached Shen Yue, Zi He, and Xiao Yize, and they agreed to form an alliance for the Ancient Path.

Yang Lingrui and the Tiger Chasing group arrived at the Twilight Ancient Path, where he urged Xue Qingluan to confront her lingering desire to surpass Yue Shuwang before entering. As the major Northwestern factions gathered, two unfamiliar immortal boats appeared from the southeast.

• Tiger Chasing's three immortal boats arrived at the Twilight Ancient Path, where Yang Lingrui and Xue Qingluan spotted Yue Shuwang and Yu Tingzhi among the Lanyue Sect disciples.
• Yang Lingrui asked Xue Qingluan whether she still wanted to become someone who could rival Yue Shuwang, and told her to decide whether she would enter the ancient path with him.
• Yang Lingrui and He Shenglai discussed Xue Qingluan's talent and her risk of losing confidence if she faced Yue Shuwang inside the ancient path.
• He Shenglai identified the immortal boats of the Northwestern dynasties, sects, and Su Family Main Lineage, confirming that eleven major factions had gathered.
• A fierce wave of air struck the assembled boats, and after Spiritual Connection cultivators investigated, two unfamiliar immortal boats arrived from the southeast.

Two Central Region sects arrived to compete for resources in the Twilight Ancient Path, unsettling Feng Lan and prompting the cultivators to discuss the new challengers. After Qiu Ran revealed he had mastered crimson lightning and joined Yang Lingrui's alliance, Feng Lan regained his resolve and joined as well.

• He Shenglai explained that two sects from the Central Region of Canglan had arrived with Foundation Condensation prodigies, while the He Family patriarch had stayed behind on the National Preceptor's advice.
• Feng Lan feared he could not compete with the Central Region prodigies, but Qiu Ran declared that he would not be deterred by defeat and revealed that he had mastered crimson lightning.
• Qiu Ran challenged Xiao Yize to a match after the Twilight Ancient Path, and Xiao Yize agreed to fight once the He Family's major matter had been settled.
• Yang Lingrui invited Qiu Ran to join the offensive and defensive alliance, and Qiu Ran accepted so he could find Xiao Yize to fight him.
• Yang Lingrui invited Feng Lan to join the alliance, and Feng Lan accepted, resolving to seek the will he had lost in the Vast Sea Blessed Land.

Chen Yang discovered that Ban Kuizhen had joined the Jade Firmament Sect’s expedition and secretly connected with him across the immortal boats. Ban Kuizhen recognized Chen Yang’s signal and prepared to meet him in the Twilight Ancient Path, while Xu Chen remained confident he could defeat the Northwest prodigies.

• Chen Yang sensed Ban Kuizhen’s divine power aboard the Jade Firmament Sect’s immortal boat and reached toward him with his own power.
• Ban Kuizhen recognized Chen Yang’s signal, searched the nearby boats, and exchanged a nod with Yang Lingrui.
• Chen Yang realized Ban Kuizhen’s presence gave him new options for maneuvering within the ancient path.
• Xu Chen identified Shen Yue and the Northwest wind-path prodigy, then claimed he was more than eighty percent certain he could defeat them.
• Ban Kuizhen privately welcomed Xu Chen’s arrogance, believing he would be free of the sect’s control once he met Chen Yang inside the ancient path.

The factions finalized the entry order for the Twilight Ancient Path, with Tiger Chasing winning the right to enter first thanks to the strength of Jia Huarai and Sikong Shang. As the snow-white paths formed, Yang Lingrui prepared to enter alongside Xue Qingluan and observed Murong Qiuhan’s changed presence.

• The faction leaders spent nearly two days negotiating entry order before Tiger Chasing secured the first chance to enter the Twilight Ancient Path.
• Zi He told Yang Lingrui that Tiger Chasing’s power and the combat strength of its True Persons had won it the advantage.
• Yang Lingrui asked whether Xue Qingluan had decided to enter, and she chose to accompany him into the ancient path.
• Yang Lingrui and Zi He joined Xue Qingluan on deck, where Shen Yue and He Shenglai soon arrived.
• Yang Lingrui saw Murong Qiuhan among the Murong Clan cultivators and noted her recovered limbs and transformed aura.
• The first entry group was set as Tiger Chasing, the allied Eastern Wilderness, the Moon Sect, and the Su Family, all Northwest factions.

Yang Lingrui and the other cultivators climbed the sunlit mountain road into the Twilight Ancient Path, enduring its scorching trial and gaining body-tempering benefits. After Jia Huarai stored Tiger Chasing's three immortal vessels with his void-splitting sword technique and entered the path, the other factions resolved to prevent him from gaining anything.

• Yang Lingrui and the other cultivators climbed the four roads, using spiritual treasures, techniques, or true essence to withstand the great sun's heat.
• Murong Qiuhan, Yang Lingrui, and other prodigies endured the sun's rays to the summit and received the body-tempering opportunity before entering the ancient path.
• Two Core Formation Cultivators broke through after being refined and tempered on the ascent.
• Jia Huarai sent the He Family cultivator and headmaster into the ancient path, then used his three void swords to pull Tiger Chasing's immortal vessels into rifts in space.
• Jia Huarai and the other titled True Persons entered the ancient path, leaving the factions alarmed by his growing sword power.
• The faction leaders agreed that they could accept gaining nothing from the journey, but would not allow Jia Huarai to benefit from it.

Yang Lingrui and the Tiger Chasing cultivators followed He Shenglai’s treasure-seeking art to a hidden city beneath an explored ruin. As Chen Yang investigated the city, the Ancient Path deity noticed him, and he discovered its gaze came from a colossal eye disguised as the waning moon.

• Murong Qiuhan and the Tiger Chasing cultivators exchanged farewells with other groups, then He Shenglai used the He Family’s secret art to lead Yang Lingrui and the others onward.
• The group reached an apparently empty ancient city, where Chen Yang sensed an abnormality that the others could not detect.
• He Shenglai planted and enlarged a spirit plant, causing the old city to turn over and reveal a complete city hidden beneath it.
• He Shenglai explained that spiritual ore and unknown powers had shielded the lower city from divine sense, while Chen Yang linked the place to the Ancient Path deity.
• When Chen Yang released his divine power, he felt the deity watching him and traced its gaze to the waning moon, which appeared to him as a colossal eye of blood-red and deathly pale hues.

Chen Yang discovered that resentment power fueled Mechanism City and uncovered how the Twilight Ancient Path’s deity used the three realms and cultivators’ fortune to disperse its own resentment. He replaced the city’s resentment power with his divine power, drawing the deity’s surprised attention once more.

• After the giant eye withdrew, Chen Yang decided to exploit the ancient-path deity’s resentment problem and lure it into the Shattered Divine Palace.
• Chen Yang examined Mechanism City and found that its interconnected mechanisms led to a vast underground labyrinth.
• Chen Yang sensed that resentment power powered the city and realized the deity had divided the ancient path into three realms to disperse resentment.
• Chen Yang deduced that the deity reopened the ancient path to draw cultivators to resentment-driven opportunity sites, where their fortune offset the resentment in exchange for treasures.
• Chen Yang gathered the resentment power from Mechanism City and replaced it with his own divine power to preserve Yang Lingrui’s fortune.
• The enormous eye opened again and watched Chen Yang with surprise and confusion.

Chen Yang controlled Mechanism City to guide Yang Lingrui and the other cultivators toward its underground maze, then adjusted the maze so Yang Lingrui would receive a special opportunity. The group was scattered into separate rooms and faced difficult trials, while Yang Lingrui reached a junction with valuable rewards in multiple directions.

• Chen Yang absorbed Mechanism City's resentment and replaced it with his divine power, taking control of the city's mechanisms.
• Yang Lingrui and the others descended into the underground maze after finding their journey through Mechanism City suspiciously smooth.
• Yang Lingrui recognized the Immortal Venerable's help and persuaded the group that their good fortune might explain their easy progress.
• Chen Yang adjusted the maze as the eight cultivators entered its shifting rooms and were separated.
• The other cultivators faced powerful mechanism beasts, puzzles, and obstacles, while Yang Lingrui debated whether to choose pills or a spirit treasure.

Yang Lingrui used Chen Yang’s guidance to collect treasures and reach Mechanism City’s final chamber, where he defeated two Bronze Mechanical Beasts with his newly created Divine Wind Thousand Splits. He found an ancient book whose contents Chen Yang identified, then reunited with Shen Yue’s group as Qiu Ran offered to buy his Lightning Treasure Mirror.

• Yang Lingrui used Chen Yang’s wall-seeing perspective to avoid most challenges, gather several Core Formation-level rewards, and reach the maze’s core ahead of the others.
• Yang Lingrui entered a combat room and destroyed two Bronze Mechanical Beasts with Divine Wind Thousand Splits, though he noted the technique took too long to prepare.
• Yang Lingrui reached the final hall and found an ancient book, which Chen Yang identified as the theoretical work Netherworld Guiding Hub Discourse about Mechanism City and the mechanism Dao.
• Yang Lingrui shared the ancient book with Shen Yue’s group when they arrived, then let Qiu Ran examine his Lightning Treasure Mirror.
• Qiu Ran offered Yang Lingrui sixty thousand Spirit Crystals for the Lightning Treasure Mirror.

Yang Lingrui’s group sold Qiu Ran a Lightning Treasure Mirror, then followed a new treasure signal to a thundercloud where Red Yao was being besieged. They entered the fight to help him, turning the battle into an uncertain standoff.

• Xue Qingluan and Zi He persuaded Qiu Ran to raise his offer for the Lightning Treasure Mirror to seventy thousand Spirit Crystals, and Yang Lingrui accepted.
• The group left the mechanism-art inheritance behind, returned to the surface, and followed He Shenglai’s feather toward a new opportunity.
• Yang Lingrui’s group reached a thundercloud and heard that Red Yao was under attack from Hua Maochen and Wind Thunder Temple cultivators.
• Qiu Ran recognized Red Yao, and the eight Tiger Chasing Cultivators charged into the thundercloud to aid him.
• Red Yao broke away from his attackers and thanked Yang Lingrui’s group, leaving the battle’s outcome uncertain.

Hong Yao and the Tiger Chasing cultivators joined the battle over the treasure, while Shen Yue accepted Lin Hui’s challenge to keep the Wind Thunder Temple prodigy occupied. Hong Yao trapped one Wind Thunder Temple steward in a lightning net, but Hua Maochen revealed a sword-body technique and used Hong Yao’s lightning to temper it, leaving their fight at a stalemate.

• Hong Yao explained that he needed Yang Lingrui and the others to hold back a Wind Thunder Temple cultivator and Lin Hui while he refined part of the treasure.
• Lin Hui recognized Shen Yue and challenged him to a duel, and Shen Yue accepted before they flew aside to fight.
• Hua Maochen feigned an attack on Hong Yao and redirected his sword toward Yang Lingrui, but Hong Yao caught it with a crimson lightning whip.
• Hong Yao unleashed his killing move, forcing Hua Maochen to abandon his sword and trapping the Wind Thunder Temple steward in a contracting lightning net.
• Hua Maochen fought Hong Yao with a sword-body technique and used the lightning to temper his body, creating a stalemate as the trapped steward struggled to resist.

Yang Lingrui and the other Tiger Chasing cultivators killed one Wind Thunder Temple steward, but Lin Hui escaped by sacrificing Steward Li and using a powerful escape art. Lin Hui later joined three Wind Thunder Temple elders and attacked four Murong Clan cultivators in the Waning Moon Realm, confident they were no match for him.

• Yang Lingrui killed the Wind Thunder Temple steward’s junior brother, and the steward broke through the lightning net by damaging his Origin Core to rush to Lin Hui’s aid.
• The steward tried to attack Shen Yue, but Qiu Ran, He Shenglai, Zi He, and the others surrounded him; he escaped their attack with Thunder Dissolution.
• Shen Yue grabbed Lin Hui and fled, but Lin Hui absorbed and refined Steward Li with a secret gourd before escaping with an art.
• Yang Lingrui’s group failed to catch Lin Hui, then returned to help Hong Yao surround Hua Maochen.
• Lin Hui met three Wind Thunder Temple elders, and the four attacked four Murong Clan cultivators in an ancient sect ruin, underestimating the princess among them.

Lin Hui and the Wind Thunder Temple cultivators attacked Murong Qiuhan’s group, but Murong Qiuhan revealed a bizarre golden dragon aura and faced Lin Hui’s strongest killing move. The chapter ended as Lin Hui unleashed his combined lightning attack against her, with his defeat already foreshadowed.

• Lin Hui and two Wind Thunder Temple cultivators attacked the three Murong Clan cultivators, who rose to meet them while Murong Qiuhan remained focused on a stone slab.
• Lin Hui used Lightning Flash to bypass the Murong Clan fighters and rush toward Murong Qiuhan, while the others began battling in midair.
• Murong Qiuhan revealed golden light in her eyes and a crimson-winged golden dragon phantom, stirring fear in Lin Hui.
• Lin Hui abandoned his plan to capture Murong Qiuhan alive and launched Thunderbolt Pierces the Heavens with his lightning spear and a bolt from the sky.

Murong Qiuhan transformed into a dragon-like form and endured Lin Hui’s Golden Profound Thunder, repeatedly reviving within her golden domain. Lin Hui died after exhausting himself with the sect treasure, while the Wind Thunder Temple fighters were left battling the empowered Murong Clan cultivators.

• Murong Qiuhan blocked Lin Hui’s lightning spear with her scaled dragon claw and revealed her dragon transformation.
• Lin Hui summoned Wind Thunder Temple’s Golden Profound Thunder treasure and struck Murong Qiuhan, but she unleashed a golden domain that restored and empowered the three wounded Murong Clan cultivators.
• The three Wind Thunder Temple cultivators were driven back as the Murong Clan fighters’ strength surged, while Lin Hui continued fighting Murong Qiuhan inside the domain.
• Murong Qiuhan repeatedly reconstructed herself after Lin Hui’s hammer blows, and she told him the treasure could kill her but he was too weak to wield it effectively.
• Lin Hui lost control and kept striking Murong Qiuhan until the Golden Profound Thunder consumed his body and soul, killing him and leaving the treasure on the ground.

Murong Qiuhan survived her battle with Lin Hui by using her life-soul reserves, then helped her guards defeat the remaining Wind Thunder Temple cultivators. Elsewhere, Hong Yao prepared a risky plan to break Hua Maochen’s sword body and Sword Heart.

• Murong Qiuhan recovered after Lin Hui’s defeat, discovering that the fight had consumed forty-two of her hundred reserve life souls.
• Murong Qiuhan emerged from the Sole Dominion Domain, and her guards killed two Wind Thunder Temple cultivators while she seized and swallowed the last cultivator’s exploding Origin Core.
• Murong Qiuhan’s three guards revealed that their cultivation-boosting secret art had cost them eight to thirteen years of lifespan each.
• Groups from the Yunchu Dynasty and Yingxian Gate recognized Murong Qiuhan’s party and withdrew rather than fight them.
• Hong Yao decided to force Hua Maochen’s sword body to its limit and have her allies attack together, hoping to create an opening for her Heart Thunder Method.

Hong Yao and Hua Maochen fought a head-on battle in the thunderclouds, each using the other to pursue his own goal. As Hua Maochen began to falter, Yang Lingrui and the others prepared to strike.

• Hong Yao dispelled the lightning net and confronted Hua Maochen, who revealed his newly strengthened sword body and prepared to fight.
• Hong Yao formed a vast scarlet thundercloud and used its lightning to transform into a Lightning Spirit Body.
• Hua Maochen entered Body-Sword Unity, and he and Hong Yao traded powerful attacks without retreating.
• Yang Lingrui gained insight into cultivation while watching the fight, then locked his aura onto Hua Maochen as the sword cultivator began to weaken.
• Yang Lingrui and the others gathered their spells and waited for Hua Maochen to reach his limit.

Hong Yao and his allies discovered that Hua Maochen had let them destroy his sword body so he could reforge it stronger. Chen Yang disrupted Hua Maochen’s consciousness with evil force, leaving him unable to choose whether to risk reforging or retreat to his former sword body.

• Hong Yao realized Hua Maochen had used their attacks to destroy his sword body and prepared a treasure to evacuate Yang Lingrui and the others if the reforging succeeded.
• Xue Qingluan explained Hua Maochen’s plan to Yang Lingrui, while Chen Yang located Hua Maochen’s consciousness among the Sword Qi.
• Chen Yang threw evil force at Hua Maochen’s consciousness, causing the sword intent within him to become turbulent and stir frightening doubts.
• Hua Maochen weighed reforging his sword body against reversing his cultivation, but his indecision clouded his Sword Heart and made him miss his chance to act decisively.

Hua Maochen’s attempt to reforge his sword body went disastrously wrong, while Chen Yang’s use of baleful power drew the ancient-path deity’s attention. The deity opened his “mouth” and lured cultivators toward it, causing factions throughout the Waning Moon Realm to converge on the site.

• Hua Maochen’s Sword Heart resisted his attempt to reverse his cultivation, and his turmoil left him trapped as sword intent ravaged his mind.
• Hong Yao led Yang Lingrui and the others away from the thunderclouds, while Yang Lingrui silently thanked Chen Yang for interfering.
• The ancient-path deity recognized Chen Yang’s baleful power and decided to lure him and the others into its “mouth” before acting.
• After Hua Maochen died and his sword intent scattered, the deity seized a strand, changed its aura, and sent it toward the “mouth.”
• He Shenglai’s Crest Feather detected the altered sword intent, and the group pursued it as cultivators across the Waning Moon Realm received signs of a great opportunity and set out toward the site.