Chapter Summaries

Ying Zhou fought Qin Wujun, using the Brahma Sea Asura Art to control his Asura Bloodline and overcome his fear. Murong Wu’s signal brought an arrow attack, but Qin Wujun countered with a tiger-shaped strike and realized the two men had vanished into an illusion.

• Ying Zhou gained the upper hand against Qin Wujun by tearing apart an iron fence and cutting his arm with Asura Pardons Buddha.
• Qin Wujun reversed the fight with a sleeve technique, wounded Ying Zhou, and revealed he had spent half a year training before confronting him.
• Ying Zhou rejected Qin Wujun’s attempt to manipulate him and vowed that his strength would keep growing.
• Murong Wu revealed that he had sent a message, and a volley of arrows attacked Qin Wujun in the alley.
• Qin Wujun deflected the arrows and sent a tiger-shaped force at Ying Zhou and Murong Wu, but they disappeared, leaving him to recognize that he was inside an illusion.

Si Ming helped Xiao Xuan’s small border country build a railway by blasting apart a mountain, then trained to master the Mercury Alloy Body. He encountered Ling Huanxi, who had come to see Xiao Xuan and deliver a message from Third Brother.

• Qin Wujun let Hualiu escape with Ying Zhou and decided to investigate Si Ming, whom Ying Zhou credited with teaching him the Brahma Sea Asura Art.
• Si Ming used the Nuclear Divine Fist to flatten a mountain for the railway construction crew in Xiao Xuan’s country.
• Si Ming returned to Dyed Azure and trained overnight with plutonium as he approached the threshold of the Mercury Alloy Body.
• Ling Huanxi arrived at the entrance and told Si Ming she had come to see Eldest Brother and deliver a message from Third Brother.

Si Ming learned that he would travel to France for the Grandmaster Trial with Yan Jinghong and Ling Huanxi, and helped Ling Huanxi find Xiao Xuan. After receiving word that Ying Zhou’s father threatened the orphanage, Si Ming consulted Yu Shuying and agreed to hire assassins to deal with him.

• Ling Huanxi told Si Ming that he and Yan Jinghong would lead the Grandmaster Trial in France, with Murong Qing joining them and their French Second Sister among their contacts.
• Si Ming escorted Ling Huanxi to the quarry, where Xiao Xuan was working, then returned to Dyed Azure Town and spent two hours laying thirty kilometers of road.
• Yao Bilian sent Si Ming a telegram warning that Ying Zhou’s released father planned to harm the orphanage and was difficult to locate.
• Si Ming called Yu Shuying for advice, and she recommended hiring the Blood Pupil Society to kill Ying Zhou’s father.
• Si Ming objected that assassins seemed an unrighteous choice, but Yu Shuying ended the call after deciding to arrange it.

Si Ming returned to Tange City, encouraged Ying Zhou to overcome his fear of his father, and learned that the Blazing Yang Battle Art could now theoretically reach level fourteen. He took the improved cultivation documents and left the Mohist Knight Guard base, while Xiao Xuan’s promised internal cultivation method and the threat from the Remote Heaven Society remained unresolved.

• Si Ming told Ying Zhou that he had overcome a psychological barrier by punching his father and arranged for him to train at the Mohist Knight Guard base.
• Ying Zhou insisted he would protect Little Wu, and Si Ming teased him about his feelings and warned him not to anger Murong Qing.
• Si Ming instructed Hualiu to guard Ying Zhou and Little Wu before visiting the Doctor at the Mohist Knight Guard base.
• The Doctor explained that research on the giant moth’s shed shell had helped Grandmasters improve the Blazing Yang Battle Art to a theoretical limit of level fourteen.
• Si Ming took the improved cultivation documents and asked the Doctor to send him a miniaturized Profound Armor when one became available.

Si Ming, Murong Qing, Yan Jinghong, and Ling Huanxi traveled to France, where Yan Jinghong explained the Legalist nation’s customs and warned them to avoid its political conflict over noble privileges. After arriving in the orderly capital of Faxian City, they began their exchange visit with a teaching assistant from Codex University.

• Yan Jinghong told Si Ming and Murong Qing about France’s Legalist laws, its God of Law, and the growing dispute over nobles’ legal privileges, and warned them to stay out of it.
• Si Ming and his companions arrived in France, where Codex University’s teaching assistant Cuan Er greeted them as their guide.
• Cuan Er explained that Legalists valued symmetry and exact craftsmanship, while Si Ming felt uncomfortable with the city’s rigid order and Murong Qing admired it.
• Cuan Er led the group toward Faxian City, where Si Ming observed the orderly streets and recalled how his former philosophy teacher had changed his views about people following traffic rules.

Yan Jinghong visited Yinglan’s grave in France, where Ying Tao angrily blamed him for her death and Yinglan’s older brother defended him. Meanwhile, Si Ming and Murong Qing completed their enrollment at Codex University and moved into adjoining dorm rooms.

• Yan Jinghong left Si Ming and Murong Qing with Ling Huanxi and went to visit Yinglan’s grave, bringing her favorite Jade Jade Dew Wine.
• Yan Jinghong reflected at the grave on Yinglan’s death and his guilt, then carefully cleaned her tombstone.
• Ying Tao confronted Yan Jinghong, accused him of murdering Yinglan, and threw the wine bottle, which Yan Jinghong caught.
• Yinglan’s older brother arrived, rebuked Ying Tao, and explained that Yinglan had sacrificed herself willingly and Yan Jinghong had no choice.
• Yinglan’s older brother invited Yan Jinghong to drink with him, and Yan Jinghong agreed despite having brought two juniors.
• Si Ming and Murong Qing completed their enrollment procedures, and Cuan Er showed them their adjoining single rooms in the nobles’ dormitory.

Si Ming and Murong Qing defended a mute girl who had been selling necessities in the teachers’ building after three students tried to take her to the security office. Si Ming challenged the horse-faced student to prove she had broken the rules, leaving the students unable to answer his argument.

• Cuan Er left to arrange Ling Huanxi and Yan Jinghong’s accommodation, while Si Ming and Murong Qing returned to their rooms to unpack.
• A mute girl offered daily necessities to Si Ming, who bought what he needed and sent her to ask Murong Qing if she wanted anything.
• Murong Qing shielded the girl when a horse-faced student and two companions accused her of violating the school’s ban on selling in the noble dormitory.
• Si Ming intervened, claimed the girl had given the goods away, and used the Nine Shao Pitch-Setting Art to knock the two companions off balance.
• The horse-faced student accused the girl of selling goods to Murong Qing, but Si Ming offered a story that she had given them to Murong Qing as an apology after admiring their relationship.
• Si Ming demanded evidence and invoked the presumption of innocence, leaving the horse-faced student unable to refute him.

Si Ming and Murong Qing helped a mute girl avoid being accused of selling goods in the dormitory, then agreed to keep pretending to be a couple while in France. The next day, Yan Jinghong’s drunken night disrupted their plans, so Si Ming and Murong Qing decided to visit a courtroom trial instead.

• Si Ming challenged Guan Zhen’s followers for accusing the little girl without evidence, and Guan Zhen left after warning him not to cause trouble again.
• Murong Qing teased Si Ming about attracting complications, and the little girl thanked her with a white chrysanthemum bookmark.
• Si Ming persuaded Murong Qing that they should keep pretending to be a couple to avoid further trouble, then escorted the girl from the dormitory.
• Si Ming and Murong Qing learned that Yan Jinghong had returned drunk and was still asleep, forcing them to abandon their plans to gather intelligence.
• Si Ming and Murong Qing decided to explore Codex University and attend a courtroom trial.

Si Ming and Murong Qing watched a trial at Codex University and discussed how the God of Law weighed evidence and upheld the law rather than moral justice. Student Wei Tianyang explained that France’s nobles received punishments reduced according to rank, but their privileges did not make them innocent or exempt them from all penalties.

• Si Ming and Murong Qing observed how the God of Law’s scales showed which side had the stronger case during a trial.
• Murong Qing and Si Ming contrasted the Legalist God of Law with the Mohist God of Justice and discussed the limits of legal fairness.
• Wei Tianyang introduced himself to Si Ming and Murong Qing and explained how social needs and inequality shaped French society.
• Wei Tianyang said French nobles could not receive the death penalty unless stripped of their status, and described how punishments were reduced by rank.
• Murong Qing concluded that noble privileges were limited and did not allow nobles to turn guilt into innocence.

Si Ming and Murong Qing accompanied Wei Tianyang to a law students’ debate about differences between France and the Su State. Si Ming challenged the nobles’ defense of inherited privilege, leaving the room laughing at his claim that noble status depended on the “skill” of reincarnation.

• Wei Tianyang explained that French nobles and the imperial family received legal privileges, and invited Si Ming and Murong Qing to share their firsthand experience of the Su State.
• Murong Qing warned Si Ming not to get drawn into the conflict between nobles and commoners, but he followed Wei Tianyang to the debate.
• Si Ming entered the impromptu debate and defended the Su State’s policies, arguing that its benefits were earned through ability while French noble privileges came from birth.
• A noble student argued that French martial artists could earn titles through cultivation, and Si Ming replied that descendants of hard-working ancestors had not earned their own privileges.
• Si Ming mocked the nobles’ inherited status as the result of reincarnation skills, and commoner students laughed and joined in.

Si Ming argued against hereditary noble privilege during a classroom debate, but the second prince challenged the commoner students’ ideals by offering a noble title to anyone who knelt. Tian Yi accepted the offer, leaving the class divided and furious.

• Si Ming defended the Su State’s system as fairer than inherited nobility, and his argument won support from commoner students.
• The second prince entered the classroom and dismissed the debate, claiming the students would abandon their ideals if they became nobles.
• Commoner students protested the second prince, while Fu Gu and the noble students rallied behind him.
• The second prince offered the last Tiger Guard Captain post to the first student who knelt before him.
• Tian Yi knelt and accepted the offer, prompting his classmates to condemn him.
• Tian Yi defended his choice by saying he had acted faster than the others.

Han Hao revealed his identity as the third prince of France and explained why he wanted to abolish imperial and noble privileges through a constitutional monarchy. Si Ming recognized that Han Hao’s political ideas had been inspired by a novel Si Ming had written, leaving him uneasy about the influence of his work.

• After the debate ended, Han Hao apologized to Si Ming and Murong Qing for hiding his identity and maneuvering them into the third prince’s faction.
• Murong Qing challenged Han Hao for scheming against them, while Si Ming asked why Han Hao had approached them rather than their master.
• Han Hao explained that Spirit Transformation experts held enough power to make even princes cautious about approaching their master directly.
• Han Hao argued that the imperial family should surrender power to preserve itself, since suppressing demands for equality would lead to revolution or national decline.
• Murong Qing praised Han Hao’s proposal, and Han Hao credited Su State scholarship and recommended Sima Kongming’s novel, Ghosts and Gods Metropolis.
• Si Ming realized Han Hao had drawn inspiration from the novel Si Ming had written and wondered whether it had also influenced the Remote Heaven Society.

Si Ming decided to support France’s third prince as part of his independent effort to gather information, while Yan Jinghong agreed not to stop him as long as he relinquished his Mohist Knight Guard status. Yan Jinghong assigned Si Ming to investigate the sensitive imperial tombs for signs of the Remote Heaven Society’s interference with the sealed sites.

• Si Ming reflected on his defeat in Linked Mountains City and resolved to develop his own strategic judgment instead of relying on others.
• Si Ming explained to Murong Qing that he had chosen the third prince because the prince approached him first, opposed the nobles, and admired his books.
• Yan Jinghong told Si Ming that he could not officially involve the Mohist Knight Guard in France’s succession struggle, but would not prevent Si Ming from acting alone if he gave up his membership.
• Yan Jinghong reminded Si Ming to prioritize their mission and assigned him to inspect the tombs of France’s emperors for signs of tampering.
• Han Hao warned that bringing outsiders into the imperial tombs would be difficult.

Si Ming secured Han Hao’s help to enter the imperial mausoleum and went there with Su Yingtao, who challenged him over his connection to Yan Jinghong. When Su Yingtao attacked, Si Ming effortlessly evaded his sword strike.

• Si Ming persuaded Han Hao to give him a token for the imperial mausoleum and arrange an escort.
• Han Hao assigned Su Yingtao to guide Si Ming, and Si Ming accepted him despite Han Hao’s concerns.
• On the way to the mausoleum, Su Yingtao questioned whether Si Ming was Yan Jinghong’s disciple and insulted Yan Jinghong.
• Si Ming challenged Su Yingtao to a short duel, and Su Yingtao readily attacked him with a fast sword thrust.
• Si Ming shifted aside with almost no visible movement and avoided Su Yingtao’s strike.

Si Ming defeated Su Yingtao by evading his sword attacks and using Sound of Broken Harmony to disrupt his Qi and blood. After Su Yingtao conceded, he questioned Si Ming about Yan Jinghong, and the two continued to their destination.

• Su Yingtao attacked Si Ming for a minute with the Eight Forms of the Divine Edge, but Si Ming evaded and deflected every strike without using his hands.
• When Su Yingtao intensified his assault, Si Ming snapped his fingers and used Sound of Broken Harmony to disrupt Su Yingtao’s Qi and blood, repeatedly knocking him down.
• Unable to stand or continue fighting, Su Yingtao admitted defeat, and Si Ming stopped attacking him.
• Su Yingtao questioned why Si Ming used martial arts unrelated to Yan Jinghong or the Dinghu Sect, and Si Ming defended a disciple’s freedom to develop his own techniques.
• Su Yingtao accused Yan Jinghong of concealing the truth, but Si Ming suspected Su Yingtao’s grievance involved his eldest martial aunt and chose not to press him.
• Si Ming and Su Yingtao continued their journey, keeping their personal disagreement separate, and soon reached their destination.

Si Ming found a Divine Pillar signal in the French imperial mausoleum and planned to report it to his master. Meanwhile, Yan Jinghong accompanied Su Yingbo and Ai Qing to visit General Wang Zhong, where he greeted his old mentor.

• Si Ming used the Divine Pillar Detector in the imperial mausoleum, and it indicated that a Divine Pillar was sealed nearby.
• Si Ming wondered whether the signal was a Remote Heaven Society trap or a decoy, then decided to inform his master and the others.
• Yan Jinghong met Su Yingbo and his pregnant wife, Ai Qing, and joined them on a visit to General Wang Zhong.
• Ai Qing and Su Yingbo bantered on the way, while Yan Jinghong reflected on how love had changed his friend.
• Wang Zhong scolded Su Yingbo for arriving late, and Yan Jinghong greeted the old general.

Yan Jinghong rejected Si Ming’s suggestion to break Old General Wang out, believing there was still a chance to resolve the case through proper channels. Seven days later, he learned that Wang had been sentenced to life imprisonment and lifelong deprivation of political rights.

• Si Ming suggested breaking Old General Wang out of prison, but Yan Jinghong refused because the case had not yet been decided.
• Yan Jinghong believed Wang’s comrades and Spirit Transformation disciple could help clear him or reduce his sentence.
• Seven days later, Yan Jinghong heard that Wang had received life imprisonment and lifelong deprivation of political rights.
• Yan Jinghong questioned why the trial had moved so quickly and why the sentence was so severe.

Si Ming urged Su Yingbo to seek Han Hao’s help in breaking Old General Wang out of prison instead of yielding to the second prince. Han Hao weighed the political risks and benefits but had not yet agreed when Si Ming warned that refusing could cost him his followers.

• Su Yingbo explained that the second prince had rushed Old General Wang’s trial and threatened him unless he declared support, while Yan Jinghong said a life sentence could keep the old general imprisoned for at least fifteen years.
• Si Ming rejected surrendering to the second prince and proposed a prison break backed by the third prince; Su Yingbo agreed to let Si Ming seek the prince’s help.
• Si Ming told Han Hao he planned to break Old General Wang out, and Han Hao objected that the act would give the second prince grounds to attack him.
• Si Ming argued that rescuing Old General Wang could win Su Yingbo’s support and demonstrate Han Hao’s strength, while Murong Qing objected to killing guards and Si Ming agreed to injure them instead.
• Han Hao said he had already taken risks by letting Si Ming enter the imperial mausoleum and wanted further proof of sincerity, but Si Ming refused and warned that Han Hao’s followers might lose faith in him.

Si Ming and Murong Qing led a jailbreak assault on Bashidi Prison, where Si Ming fought through the guards and clashed with Qi Tailai. The prison brought out hidden cannons, and the assault remained underway.

• Si Ming and Murong Qing arrived openly at Bashidi Prison, announced their challenge, and waited for their allies to join them.
• Si Ming charged the prison guards with his Collapse Sword, smashing their shield wall and scattering those who tried to stop him.
• Qi Tailai intercepted Si Ming's attack and identified the raid as an attempt to free a prisoner, suspecting the Third Prince or Su Yingbo had sent them.
• Si Ming claimed the Heaven-Defying Society had no allegiance to anyone and forced Qi Tailai back with a clash of fist and palm.
• Qi Tailai ordered hidden cannon barrels to emerge from the prison walls.

Yan Jinghong and Su Yingbo broke through Bashidi Prison’s defenses to reach the cells holding important prisoners. They hurried inside, mindful that their identities could be exposed if they used recognizable martial arts.

• Yan Jinghong and Su Yingbo recited entrance poems while driving back the prison guards.
• Su Yingbo summoned a treasured saber and cleaved through the steel gate with the Left-Falling Stroke Form.
• Yan Jinghong paused to realize that they had not needed to recite entrance poems, and Su Yingbo blamed the idea on Yan Jinghong’s disciple.
• Yan Jinghong and Su Yingbo continued toward the old general, with Yan Jinghong warning Su Yingbo not to use signature martial arts.