Chapter Summaries

A young man explained how the Freedom Minor Method could damage Shi Tiexin’s body and soul, intending to turn him into a cauldron and eventually devour him. Shi Tiexin received the technique from Old Tang and discovered through the Vision System that it carried hidden harmful effects.

• The young man described how the Freedom Minor Method’s five practices could ruin a cultivator’s organs and soul, making them useful as a cauldron.
• The young man dismissed the risk that Shi Tiexin might escape the method’s restraints and said Shi Tiexin would become his prey.
• Old Tang taught Shi Tiexin the Freedom Minor Method, praising its five parallel practices and their combined benefits.
• Shi Tiexin’s Vision System identified the technique as a hidden part of the Fate-Guiding Divine Art, not the Pure Clarity Sect secret canon Old Tang had claimed.
• Shi Tiexin examined the technique’s details and learned that using it damaged his potential and cultivating it affected his thoughts until he reached Perfect progress.

After recognizing the Freedom Minor Method as a likely trap, Shi Tiexin decided to pretend to follow the bait while using it to grow stronger. He spent his Heavenly Gifted Golden Light to rapidly advance its Minor Eating Method, but the path to Perfection proved costly and stubborn.

• Shi Tiexin considered several conspiracies that might explain why he had received the Freedom Minor Method and decided to act as though he would cultivate it while gathering strength and information.
• Shi Tiexin concluded that he could not use or cultivate the method normally, so he chose to pour Heavenly Gifted Golden Light into its Minor Eating Method.
• Shi Tiexin raised the Minor Eating Method to Qualified and activated Gluttony +1, then advanced it to Good and enhanced Gluttony to +2.
• Shi Tiexin spent sixty points of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light to push the Minor Eating Method through Excellent, Profound, and Limit.
• Shi Tiexin reached Profound ninety-nine and found the Perfection barrier unmoved by several more points of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light.

Shi Tiexin perfected the Minor Eating Method, removing its harmful attributes and discovering that it greatly increased his ability to digest food and produce Primal Vital Energy. After preparing for his next journey, he answered the call to cross Worldlines, beginning a new arc.

• Shi Tiexin spent one hundred points of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light to perfect the Minor Eating Method, remove Damage and Lingering Heart, and gain Gluttony +9.
• Shi Tiexin tested the method at a late-night restaurant and found he could eat enormous amounts while keeping his appetite under control.
• Shi Tiexin refined twenty-seven strands of Primal Vital Energy from one meal and estimated he could produce up to one hundred and fifty strands a day with enough food.
• Shi Tiexin resolved to cultivate all five Freedom Minor Methods and wondered how powerful those with true-inheritance divine arts had become.
• Shi Tiexin returned to the Liang Tuan base, exchanged for Level Three Outer Sect Disciple status and Cool Cloud Leg, then answered the call to cross Worldlines.

Fengming First High School held its first early-morning broadcast exercises and running drills, exhausting students across the school. At breakfast, Ironheart arrived to acclaim from the Trash Class delinquents and took his seat as their rising leader.

• Fang Qingjue performed the broadcast exercises with flawless precision, while the sports students and Trash Class displayed very different levels of enthusiasm.
• Zheng Kaiming ordered the classes to run drills, and the students completed two laps before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Students praised Ling Xingjian's voice over the campus radio and speculated about her beauty compared with Fang Qingjue.
• After the morning exercises, students rushed to the cafeteria, where delinquents greeted Ironheart as Big Brother Tie.
• Ironheart's four lackeys prepared a table full of breakfast for him, and he accepted the attention contentedly.

Shi Tiexin returned to the peaceful Fengming First High School worldline and focused on completing Scholar Stone’s Destiny Mission while struggling to find enough food and money. As he considered ways to earn cash, a familiar punk handed him money and warned that someone had paid him to cause trouble for Shi Tiexin.

• Shi Tiexin checked the partially completed “Poverty Cannot Move” Destiny Mission and decided he needed to return to the Elite Class through the final exams.
• Shi Tiexin ate eight cafeteria breakfast servings but gained less Primal Vital Energy than he wanted, then spotted a truck delivering inferior rice for the cafeteria.
• Shi Tiexin worried about the cost of food and considered quick ways to make money, but rejected illegal schemes because he still needed to attend school.
• A familiar Trash Class punk gave Shi Tiexin several banknotes and said someone had paid him to mess with Shi Tiexin.

Shi Tiexin learned that a Key Class student had paid punks to target him, then returned to his studies and excelled on a surprise math quiz. Teacher Chu praised him as a model for Class 28 and predicted he would return to the Elite Class after finals.

• A punk told Shi Tiexin that a Key Class student had offered three hundred yuan to have him targeted, and said he had come to warn him instead.
• Shi Tiexin gave the money back to the punk and sent him with Zhou Nan to identify the student who had hired him.
• Three days later, Teacher Chu surprised Class 28 with an in-class quiz, while Shi Tiexin welcomed the chance to test his skills.
• Shi Tiexin finished the basic arithmetic quiz in less than half the allotted time, and Teacher Chu held up his paper as an example to the class.
• Teacher Chu returned the graded papers and urged the students to learn from Shi Tiexin before he returned to the Elite Class after finals.

Shi Tiexin learned that the spring sports meet offered generous prizes and arranged to enter every event through Zhao Qingmiao, hoping to profit from the competition. As he considered how to gain more vital essence and keep up with athletic students, Zhou Nan arrived with a bundle of large-denomination bills.

• Shi Tiexin received one point of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light from the class quiz and wondered how to earn more.
• Teacher Chu announced the spring sports meet, its registration rules, and cash prizes for champions.
• Shi Tiexin sent Zhao Qingmiao a note asking to enter every event, and Zhao registered him for them all.
• Shi Tiexin watched students train and realized their athletic ability could make it difficult for him to win competitions.
• Zhou Nan ran up to Shi Tiexin and showed him several large-denomination bills.

Shi Tiexin discovered that Central Star’s inexpensive night-market food let his Minor Eating Method gather essence rapidly, and he planned to claim the school championship to gain even more rewards. After eating through a second batch of food, he went to train at the athletic field and found evidence that someone else had been training there at night.

• Zhou Nan told Shi Tiexin that he had scammed money from the troublemaking student, and Shi Tiexin invited Zhou Nan, Zhou Xiong, and Liu Shufeng to dinner.
• Shi Tiexin and the others secretly climbed out of Fengming First High School to eat at the night market, where Shi Tiexin filled his thirty-strand essence limit and learned he could consume up to six meals a day.
• Shi Tiexin bought more food to eat later, while Zhou Xiong and Liu Shufeng were pleased that Big Brother Tie had treated them personally.
• Shi Tiexin ate through another batch of food after curfew, rapidly expanding his false core, and decided to train hard for the school championship.
• Shi Tiexin went to the athletic field at night and saw an unidentified person climbing out over a fence; he found warm equipment and fresh footprints before beginning his own training.

Shi Tiexin trained relentlessly while drawing stamina and recovery from his other Worldlines, rapidly improving Scholar Stone’s body. After a flirtatious boy interrupted his morning recitation, Shi Tiexin continued his routine and later met Zhou Xiong for skewers.

• Shi Tiexin trained through the night, turning pink smoke into rosy mist, replenishing himself with meat, and strengthening Gale Leg.
• Shi Tiexin recited poems from the Book of Songs at his usual morning spot, where a girl watched him and a flirtatious boy staged a dramatic poem toward a nearby window.
• Shi Tiexin returned to his routine of eating heavily and training hard, using abundant stamina and pink smoke to improve his physical fitness.
• Several days later, Zhou Xiong treated Shi Tiexin to skewers in Skewer Alley, and the stall owner promised Shi Tiexin a meal next time.

Shi Tiexin watched Over-the-Shoulder Dragon apologize to Brother Zhao, then calmly faced the gang leader when he came to settle their unfinished business. Over-the-Shoulder Dragon tried to read Shi Tiexin and learn about his martial arts, but the matter remained unresolved.

• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon arrived with liquor and apologized to the skewer stall owner, Brother Zhao, by drinking several bottles and smashing them over his own head.
• Brother Zhao accepted the apology, and Over-the-Shoulder Dragon went to Shi Tiexin's table and asked for a seat.
• Shi Tiexin calmly invited Over-the-Shoulder Dragon to sit while Zhou Xiong and Zhou Nan grew tense.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon questioned Shi Tiexin about his martial arts teacher, and Shi Tiexin named Situ Zhennan.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon decided to avoid a fight if possible, praised Shi Tiexin's master, and said they still needed to settle what had happened the other day.

Shi Tiexin faced Over-the-Shoulder Dragon, who sought to settle their dispute with a drinking contest. Shi Tiexin spent Heavenly Gifted Golden Light to perfect the Minor Drinking Method and drank his first bowl of baijiu as if it were porridge.

• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon arrived with his men and agreed to settle the trouble caused by his subordinates by holding a drinking contest with Shi Tiexin.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon proposed that whoever drank the other under the table would win an apology and end the dispute.
• Shi Tiexin decided to spend Heavenly Gifted Golden Light on the Minor Drinking Method rather than save it for later.
• The Minor Drinking Method reached perfection, granting Shi Tiexin Binge Drinking +9 and linking its star to the Minor Eating Method.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon drank his bowl, and Shi Tiexin swallowed his baijiu effortlessly.

Shi Tiexin used his perfected Minor Drinking Method to outdrink Over-the-Shoulder Dragon and discovered that cultivating a second layer of a divine art raised his essence-energy limit. He then confronted the lackey who had mocked him, leaving the man intimidated and unable to refuse his toast.

• Shi Tiexin drank bowl after bowl of baijiu without showing any signs of intoxication, while Over-the-Shoulder Dragon began to struggle.
• Shi Tiexin used the Minor Drinking Method to turn the liquor into refreshing energy and strengthen his body's circulation and fluid systems.
• Shi Tiexin matched Over-the-Shoulder Dragon's three bottles, then drank three more, impressing the crowd as Over-the-Shoulder Dragon faltered.
• Shi Tiexin realized that cultivating two layers of a divine art stacked their effects and doubled his meal's essence-energy limit to sixty strands.
• Shi Tiexin challenged the mocking lackey to drink a bottle with him, then crushed an empty glass bottle in his hand when the man hesitated.

Shi Tiexin ended a drinking contest with Over-the-Shoulder Dragon by showing mercy, then advanced his cultivation beyond the Nascent Core Realm’s limits. He planned to earn more Heavenly Gifted Golden Light at the Spring sports meet the next day.

• Shi Tiexin crushed a liquor bottle barehanded, frightening Over-the-Shoulder Dragon and his lackeys.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon drank to apologize for his men, but Shi Tiexin stopped him and called their contest a draw.
• Over-the-Shoulder Dragon praised Shi Tiexin, promised to treat him to a meal, and collapsed; his lackeys fled.
• Shi Tiexin carried the drunk Zhou Nan back to bed and stored the liquor and food beneath his bed.
• Shi Tiexin cultivated until his false core began advancing beyond the Nascent Core Realm and sensed the constraint and energy drain of breaking humanity’s limits.
• Shi Tiexin recognized that the Freedom Minor Method helped his core resist the constraint and resolved to make money at the Spring sports meet.

The sports meet began with the classes lining up and marching onto the field, where Wang Jinquan and Fang Qingjue drew attention before the First Year Trash Class faced jeers. Shi Tiexin led his class forward, and cheers suddenly erupted as they entered.

• Six flag bearers arrived, and the girls praised Student Union president Wang Jinquan for his looks and achievements.
• The Second Year Trash Class boys noticed the tall girl leading First Year Class 3, while Zhou Nan boasted about the Erguotou prepared for Shi Tiexin’s five-thousand-meter race.
• The flag bearers led the athletes onto the field, and Wang Jinquan and Fang Qingjue marched out with their respective classes.
• The First Year Trash Class heard mocking boos from the crowd and grew tense as their turn approached.
• Shi Tiexin lifted the placard, urged his classmates to hold their heads high, and led them forward as cheers roared outside.

Shi Tiexin’s arrival at the sports meet gave the Trash Class students a reason to cheer proudly despite the contempt of the other classes. After the opening ceremony, he began the men’s 400-meter heats and burst forward at the starting signal.

• The Trash Class students were jeered at until Shi Tiexin entered carrying Class 28’s sign, prompting students across multiple years to chant his name.
• Gu Shaohuai doubted that Shi Tiexin had been beaten up as promised, while Wang Jinquan watched the cheering with a darkened expression.
• The opening ceremony concluded with speeches and a warning about safety at dangerous events.
• Zhao Qingmiao told Shi Tiexin that the men’s 400-meter heats were first, and Shi Tiexin asked whether the class had obtained erguotou.
• Shi Tiexin took his place in the outermost lane and launched forward with the Gale Leg technique when the race began.

Shi Tiexin stunned the school by winning the 400-meter race so quickly that the referee suspected the stopwatch was broken. As the students celebrated, he considered the limits of his current training and watched Fang Qingjue win her own race.

• Shi Tiexin sprinted past the referee and won the 400-meter race by a wide margin, leaving Liu Jingsong far behind.
• The referee saw the stopwatch result and insisted the watch was inaccurate, unable to believe Shi Tiexin's time.
• Zhao Qingmiao, Zhou Nan, and the Trash Class students celebrated Shi Tiexin's victory and helped him rest.
• Shi Tiexin noticed that his false pellet had slightly diminished after the sprint and considered the advantages of body tempering.
• Fang Qingjue won the 400-meter race for Class 3, and Shi Tiexin confirmed that she ran faster than Zhou Nan.

At Fengming First High School’s sports meet, Shi Tiexin and Fang Qingjue posted astonishing sprint results that stunned the referees. Shi Tiexin then threw the shot put an extraordinary distance, prompting another referee to summon the department head.

• Shi Tiexin watched Fang Qingjue finish her 400-meter race and resolved to train harder.
• Shi Tiexin won the men’s 100-meter preliminary in 9.67 seconds, leaving the track referee unsure whether the stopwatch was accurate.
• Fang Qingjue raced past the referee in the women’s 100-meter preliminary and stunned him with her speed.
• The referee watched ordinary students struggle through the field events and recognized the familiar standards of Fengming First High School.
• Shi Tiexin threw the 7.26-kilogram shot put a tremendous distance, and the field-events referee shouted for the department head.

Shi Tiexin broke the school shot put record and earned a small amount of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light, but Scholar Stone refused to count his athletic success toward a Destiny Mission. When Shi Tiexin saw Youyou emerge from the restroom, Scholar Stone activated a new Destiny Mission.

• The department head learned that Shi Tiexin’s shot put result of 20.94 meters surpassed the national record and ordered it measured again.
• The track-event referee reported that Shi Tiexin had also posted an extraordinary hundred-meter result, and the department head sent people to find him.
• Shi Tiexin went to the restroom and received five more points of Heavenly Gifted Golden Light for his shot put performance.
• Shi Tiexin argued with Scholar Stone about whether his sports achievements counted toward a Destiny Mission, but Scholar Stone insisted that only academic results mattered.
• Scholar Stone activated a Destiny Mission when Youyou emerged from the women’s restroom, and Shi Tiexin recognized her aloud.

Shi Tiexin met Youyou’s counterpart in this Worldline and learned that her formal name was Ling Xingjian. Their encounter completed the first stage of his Destiny Mission to make friends and confidants.

• Shi Tiexin spotted a girl who resembled Youyou and was startled when the Destiny Mission “I Have Few Friends” appeared.
• The girl pulled Shi Tiexin aside and warned him not to call her by her nickname in public.
• Shi Tiexin confirmed that her nickname was Youyou, and she asked how he knew it.
• The girl recognized Shi Tiexin from his daily pronunciation practice and introduced herself as Ling Xingjian.
• Ling Xingjian left, and Shi Tiexin completed the Destiny Mission’s first stage.

Shi Tiexin shared memories of Ling Xingjian with Scholar Stone, helping the two selves connect and substantially complete the third Destiny Mission. He promised to help Scholar Stone experience friendship firsthand, then began planning how to get closer to Ling Xingjian as he saw her setting up a broadcasting corner.

• Shi Tiexin explained that he had shared many experiences with Ling Xingjian in another Worldline, and Scholar Stone eagerly opened a crack in his consciousness.
• Shi Tiexin shared his memories of the Girl in the Red Dress, causing a large part of Scholar Stone's consciousness to merge with him and substantially completing Destiny Mission 3.
• Scholar Stone said he wanted to experience youth and friendship firsthand, and Shi Tiexin promised they would work together while studying and practicing to return to the Elite Class.
• Shi Tiexin decided Ling Xingjian was the key to completing the mission and planned to ask Zhou Nan about her circumstances and interests.
• Shi Tiexin arrived at the sports field and saw Ling Xingjian heading to the podium as Student Union members prepared a broadcasting corner for her.