The Monarchs, the most powerful sacred artists on Cradle, rule with unquestioned authority. They are mysterious and distant, and catching a glimpse of one is privilege enough for a lifetime. To meet one is to come face-to-face with a legend. Now, they have all gathered in one place, bringing their heirs and greatest students together for a competition to determine whose successor is the best in the world.

As the Uncrowned King tournament reaches its final rounds, tensions between the competing factions are higher than ever. The outcome may determine the power balance throughout the rest of the world. Each Monarch schemes to seize any advantage they can...while far away, a Dreadgod stirs. When the tournament ends, the Dreadgod will rise. Whether it will be driven back into the sea or allowed to rampage depends on the Monarchs. And on which of them is left standing.

Sacred Valley has been saved...at least, what’s left of it. With his home finally secure, Lindon delves deep into the ancient labyrinth, seeking long-lost Soulsmithing knowledge and the secret to destroying the Dreadgods. Monarchs plot against him and against each other, unaware of the threats gathering in realms beyond. Far above Lindon and the Monarchs and the Dreadgods, another war is waged. Suriel and the Abidan clash against the Mad King and his forces in a battle for the fate of many worlds. And if it is lost, Cradle will be destroyed. 

A tournament approaches. All around the world, great clans and sects prepare their disciples to fight against one another in a competition of young Underlords. Even the Blackflame Empire is drawn in, but their youth are not strong enough to compete. Yet. To temper and test them, the Akura clan throws all the elites of the Blackflame Empire into a lush training ground. There, training will be much faster and more rewarding. 

Long ago, the Monarch Northstrider created a world of his own. This world, known as Ghostwater, housed some of his most valuable experiments. Now, it has been damaged by the attack of the Bleeding Phoenix, and a team of Skysworn have been sent to recover whatever they can from the dying world. And when the plan goes horribly wrong, Lindon and Orthos find themselves lost in the Monarch’s world alone. Now, Lindon must brave the depths of this new dimension, scavenging treasures and pushing his skills to new heights to compete with new enemies.

Lindon has a year left. When his time runs out, he’ll have to fight an opponent that no one believes he can beat. Unless he learns sacred arts the right way, from scratch, he won’t have a chance to win...and even then, the odds are against him. In the course of their training, he and Yerin travel to the Blackflame Empire, where they fight to master an ancient power left behind by a fallen clan. This is Lindon’s chance to learn a true Path, but there are those who do not wish to see these lost techniques revived.

Outside Sacred Valley, ancient ruins rise from the earth, drawing sacred artists from miles around to fight for the treasures within. Factions rise and fall as warriors bicker over rare resources, but time is limited. A powerful family from the Blackflame Empire is coming to claim the ruins, and when they arrive, no one else will have a chance at the prize. Lindon has reached Copper, taking the first step on the road to power, but the warriors of the outside world are still far beyond him. 

Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world. Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan. When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.

Simon can only watch, helpless, as his family is killed and his friends captured by enemy Travelers—men and women who can summon mystical powers from otherworldly Territories. To top it off, another young man from Simon's village discovers that he's a savior prophesied to destroy evil and save the realm. Prophecy has nothing to say about Simon. He has no special powers, no magical weapons, and no guarantee that he'll survive. But he sets off anyway, alone, to gain the power he needs to oppose the Travelers and topple their ruthless Overlord.

Digby finally has everything he wants: The heist went off without a hitch, the shards of the Heretic Seed are in his possession, and Autem is in disarray. All he has to do is unlock the power he’s stolen. But it seems that restoring the Seed to its former glory is easier said than done. Something has gone wrong, and it’s up to Digby to fix it, whether he wants to or not. 

Jim has saved his clan, but has become a wanted man in the process. His journey toward the capital must continue. He needs to warn the king of the danger his kingdom now faces, and Jim only has the support of his friends. Winter is trying to freeze them to death; the forces of darkness are on high alert; and the monsters are hungry. The hunt is on. Jim must find a way to survive the storm. Even if his team does make it, Jim knows his enemies will be waiting for him to show his face once more.

Jake has finally found a personal goal of his own as he gains a quest to defeat three more Beast Lords before he can face the final opponent of the Tutorial: The King of the Forest. Something he happily does, fully immersing himself in grasping power and gaining levels as he hunts through Dungeons to kill stronger and stronger foes. In another region of the Tutorial, turmoil amongst the humans quickly died down after a disastrous battle leaves nearly everyone except the Metal Mage William dead.

Jim was thrust back in time, returned to his body at the moment he started cultivating. Anyone else might have given up, but Jim doesn’t have that option. He’s already made the mistakes that doomed him in his first life, and he knows what to do to make it right. Jim wants to right the wrongs of the past...or future? All while a pair of angry gods torture him through lack of sleep.

Darkness seeps deeper into the world. The gods can only watch from afar. Time is running out. Jim and his friends found a way to stop the evil infesting the leadership of the Empire, but the shadows of the world are not all cast by the demon incursion. There's plenty of darkness already dwelling within the corrupted heart of the Empire. One of the team goes missing, and Jim has to find them before it’s too late. They'll have to find a way to come together, or risk the Empire sinking completely into the darkness. 

Reidon Ward will become a god. He doesn't know it yet, of course. Reidon was born weak, sickly, and small. Afflicted with a painful disease and abandoned by his parents because of it, he has had to fight tooth and nail for every minor advantage life has allowed him. However, his perseverance has not gone unnoticed, and when the most powerful artificial intelligence in human history takes an interest in him, things began to change quickly.