Chapter Summaries

Chu Qing killed Zheng Qingcang and slaughtered the Rebel Army forces in Feng City, leaving the city drenched in blood and its survivors traumatized. News of Feng City's destruction spread across the region, where the remaining Rebel Army members feared Chu Qing.

• Chu Qing praised Zheng Qingcang as a hero, then revealed he intended to kill him and gave him a forty-meter head start.
• Chu Qing killed the fleeing Zheng Qingcang with his Tyrant Spear and told the young couple to stay by the table to survive.
• Chu Qing announced Zheng Qingcang's death and fought the Rebel Army forces until their cries of battle became screams and pleas for mercy.
• At dawn, riders from Zijing found the river stained red and discovered Feng City filled with corpses and the words “Kill” written in bodies.
• News of Feng City's destruction spread through the Rebel Army camp and into Shi State City and beyond.
• A surviving Rebel Army general panicked when questioned about the massacre and begged Master Qing not to kill him.

After returning from the massacre at Feng City, Chu Qing found the Shi Residence under repeated Rebel Army attacks and reunited with his wounded Senior Sister, Zhao Hongxiu. As tens of thousands of Ironclad Butchers surrounded the residence, Chu Qing charged at them at three times the speed of sound.

• Chu Qing returned to the Shi Residence and found bloodstains, corpses, and black-robed warriors inside.
• Chu Qing found Zhao Hongxiu wounded but alive, and she told him the Rebel Army had been attacking the residence every hour.
• The Ironclad Butchers surrounded the Shi Residence and tore down its walls and buildings with chained spears.
• Chu Qing ordered the black-robed warriors to protect Zhao Hongxiu, then dismissed the rebels as too weak to fight.
• A Rebel Army general revealed that ten thousand Ironclad Butchers had been sent to kill Chu Qing, with thirty thousand more behind them.
• Chu Qing compared the Ironclad Butchers to the slaughter at Feng City and charged at them at three times the speed of sound.

The Rebel Army sent its Ironclad Floating Pagoda to kill Chu Qing, even as its leaders learned he had slaughtered Feng City. Chu Qing cut through the encircling troops, while King Shiyu received news that left him shaken and corrected his steward about which army was fighting.

• The Rebel Army's leaders learned that Chu Qing had massacred Feng City and realized their Ironclad Floating Pagoda had already been sent to fight him.
• Chu Qing charged through the Ironclad Floating Pagoda, breaking shields, cutting nets, and crushing soldiers with their own chains.
• The Ironclad Floating Pagoda's commander called in more troops, while King Shiyu watched the army surround Chu Qing and assumed Chu Qing would eventually break.
• A steward brought King Shiyu a letter, and King Shiyu collapsed after reading it before ordering the steward to help him away.
• The steward called the Ironclad Floating Pagoda the Holy King Army, and King Shiyu slapped him and corrected him that it was the Rebel Army.

Chu Qing slaughtered Feng City and continued fighting the Rebel Army’s Ironclad Floating Pagodas at Shi State City. After learning of the massacre, the Pagoda commanders ordered a retreat, but Chu Qing pursued them.

• King Shiyu learned that Chu Qing had massacred Feng City and shared the news with aristocratic families, whose leaders were horrified.
• Chu Qing continued mechanically killing Rebel Army troops, relying on his immense strength and recovery to sustain the slaughter.
• A female official ordered the governor to send thirty million black gold to the Princess to forge Heavy Armor for Chu Qing, revealing that she expected him to destroy the Ironclad Floating Pagodas.
• The Ironclad Floating Pagodas’ commanders learned of Feng City’s massacre and ordered their troops to retreat from Shi State City.
• Chu Qing refused to let the Ironclad Floating Pagodas escape and pursued them alone.

King Shiyu and the great houses mobilized their reserves to save the Rebel Army’s Ironclad Floating Pagodas, but Chu Qing continued slaughtering the trapped rebels despite their pleas. As the massacre neared its end, Chu Qing rejected the threat of being branded a demon and declared he would become a Supreme Hero.

• King Shiyu received a letter demanding that he spare no cost to save the Ironclad Floating Pagodas, so he summoned the Prince’s Residence’s reserves and joined the great houses’ forces.
• King Shiyu found only corpses at the Shi Residence, then led the great houses toward Chu Qing at a leisurely pace; the Gou family’s head and reserves were killed after rushing ahead.
• King Shiyu ordered the Nine Gates Commander to open the city gates, but the commander refused because Chu Qing had threatened to wipe out his family.
• King Shiyu and the great-house leaders reached Chu Qing as he killed the trapped Ironclad Floating Pagodas, and a head of a great house lost several reserves in a failed ambush.
• King Shiyu begged Chu Qing to stop and warned that the Imperial Capital’s Great Figure would punish him, but Chu Qing continued killing and vowed to become a Supreme Hero.

Chu Qing massacred the Ironclad Floating Pagodas and forced King Shiyu, the Heads of the Houses, and their old foundations to kneel before him. He left them humiliated and still accused them of conspiring against him, despite their denial.

• Chu Qing declared that he would kill nine million to become a Supreme Hero, terrifying King Shiyu and the Heads of the Houses.
• An old foundation charged at Chu Qing, but Chu Qing killed him with Eight Divine Hands: Peacock.
• Chu Qing demanded that everyone kneel and submit, and his blood-soaked city vision broke one old foundation's mind as the others knelt.
• King Shiyu resisted until Chu Qing smashed his shoulder with the Overbearing Spear, then knelt to avoid being killed.
• Chu Qing berated the kneeling group for making trouble and colluding with the Rebel Army, then tore a clump of King Shiyu's scalp away when he denied it.

Chu Qing’s massacre earned him the partial Supreme Hero title of Tyrant, and news of his words spread through the Great Gan Empire and reached the Imperial Palace. As the emperor weighed the Millennial Calamity and the danger facing his empire, he wondered whether Chu Qing was a hidden dragon.

• Chu Qing received the Tyrant title after his name and the saying about slaughtering nine million spread across the Great Gan Empire.
• A young eunuch and a palace maid were inspired by Chu Qing to practice martial arts, while Mi Mei ordered the female officials to gather information about him for the Princess.
• Mi Mei recalled the martial artist who had named her Consort Mei and worried that Chu Qing’s words might anger the emperor.
• The emperor dismissed a memorial about Chu Qing’s massacre because the dead were rebels, then wondered whether the Supreme Hero path was a mythic inheritance.
• Extraordinary people told the emperor that the Millennial Calamity had begun at Stone Ridge Mountain and that the Ninth Princess was exploring its forbidden zone.
• The emperor said the Ninth Princess would become Empress if she returned, considered testing the Great Zhou Empire, and wondered whether Chu Qing might be a hidden dragon.

The Holy King Army struggled to decide how to deal with Chu Qing after he destroyed Feng City and tens of thousands of Ironclad Floating Pagodas. In Shi State City, Chu Qing’s terrifying aura overwhelmed Zhao Hongxiu as he bathed.

• The King reviewed his lists of hidden dragons but still did not add Chu Qing’s name, while the Princess read Chu Qing’s letters and marveled at his ruthlessness.
• After news of Chu Qing’s massacre spread through Rebel Army territory, aristocratic families and Wu Fortress lords split their lineages and began reducing their support for the Rebel Army.
• The Holy King Army’s leaders lamented the loss of Feng City, tens of thousands of Ironclad Floating Pagodas, and Zheng Qingcang, then debated how to kill or recruit Chu Qing.
• The Holy King Army resolved to block Chu Qing from entering the Major City Martial Academy next spring and to prepare contingencies in case he got in.
• In Shi State City, Zhao Hongxiu changed Chu Qing’s bathwater but was nearly overcome by his terrifying aura; Chu Qing noticed her distress and asked why she would not look at him.

Chu Qing announced that he had entered the Pelt Realm to test how the provincial capital would react, prompting aristocratic families and other powerful groups to send him gifts. After Zhao Hongxiu collected the offerings, she discovered that Chu Qing’s mere presence seemed to unleash terrifying killing intent, leaving him confused when even servants cowered before him.

• Chu Qing ordered Zhao Hongxiu to spread word that he had entered the Pelt Realm, and aristocratic families realized he was testing their response.
• King Shiyu sent Chu Qing Pelt Realm resources, and other aristocratic families followed with gifts as the news spread and ordinary people celebrated.
• Zhao Hongxiu arranged the gifts and took bribes from stewards who wanted their offerings placed first.
• Zhao Hongxiu was overwhelmed by killing intent when she entered Chu Qing’s courtyard and told him she could not approach him.
• Chu Qing denied releasing killing intent, but servants screamed and kowtowed when he approached, while Zhao Hongxiu said his gaze terrified her.

Chu Qing discovered that his unintentional killing intent terrified even Third Limit Experts, who believed something was wrong with his body or spirit. He wrote Madam Shi a letter seeking help, but the Armored Soldier Sect intercepted it and prepared to humiliate her, dismissing warnings about Chu Qing.

• Chu Qing had Zhao Hongxiu bring Limit-Breaking Experts from the five great families to test how they reacted to his presence.
• The First and Second Limit Experts fled Chu Qing's courtyard in terror, overwhelmed by visions of a corpse mountain and a sea of blood.
• The Third Limit Experts entered together, but one tried to kill himself under Chu Qing's deathly killing intent before the group escaped and concluded something was wrong with Chu Qing.
• Chu Qing examined his body, suspected a problem with his spirit, and sent Madam Shi a letter through the great families' channels.
• The Armored Soldier Sect intercepted the letter and ordered someone to humiliate Madam Shi, while dismissing warnings about Chu Qing as rumors.

Madam Shi faced an accusation of conspiring against the Armored Soldier Sect until Chu Qing’s letter frightened her accusers into retreat. She sent him Madam Jin’s advice to read more books, while the sect members feared he would soon arrive to rescue her.

• Madam Shi struggled under disguised house arrest as her faction neared defeat, and Madam Jin tried to comfort her.
• A group confronted Madam Shi with a letter from Chu Qing and accused her of colluding with the Cui family.
• The group read Chu Qing’s account of killing in Feng City and destroying tens of thousands of Ironclad Floating Pagodas, then heard that even Third Limit martial artists could not meet his gaze.
• The accusers panicked, apologized to Madam Shi, and fled after realizing Chu Qing might take revenge on them.
• Madam Shi asked Madam Jin how to help Chu Qing, and Madam Jin suggested he read more books.
• Madam Shi sent a hawk toward Shi State with her reply, and sect members worried that Chu Qing would soon come for her.

Chu Qing read to suppress his growing killing intent and found that his cultivation accelerated, while the aura around him eventually contracted into his room. As Zhao Hongxiu waited for him to emerge, floods and drought drove vast numbers of starving refugees toward Shi State City, which was already at its limit, and the Rebel Army began moving again.

• Chu Qing swore to take revenge on the Armored Soldier Sect, then asked Zhao Hongxiu to spread word that he wanted books from the great clans.
• Chu Qing carefully read the books and discovered that his Eight Gods Method cultivation advanced at more than twice its previous rate.
• Over the next month, Chu Qing's killing intent spread across half of Shi Residence, and he wondered whether such an aura could create a forbidden zone.
• After another two months, Chu Qing's aura shrank into his room, where Zhao Hongxiu was too terrified to look inside.
• Floods followed by drought destroyed crops and dried up rivers and wells, sending hundreds of thousands of starving refugees toward Shi State City.
• Shi State City reached its capacity for refugees, the great clans resisted taking in more, and the Rebel Army became active again.

Rebel Army leaders awakened the Red Copper Golden Toad, hoping it would destroy Shi State City and derail the Princess’s reforms. The anomaly tore through the Rebel Army and attacked the city, leaving the Nine Gates Commander’s forces desperate for help from Master Qing and the Espers.

• Rebel Army soldiers used secret medicine and chains to approach the Red Copper Golden Toad in the moat, while their leaders ordered them to take coins from it.
• The Red Copper Golden Toad awakened, devoured soldiers, and charged toward Shi State City after the Rebel Army leaders revealed their plan to destroy the city and prevent its reforms.
• The Nine Gates Commander saw the anomaly, ordered the army to prepare, and sent word to King Shiyu and Master Qing that Master Qing’s Golden Toad had come alive.
• The Red Copper Golden Toad leaped onto the city wall, killing soldiers with the impact and swallowing a Third Limit expert after his attack failed.
• The remaining military experts searched for the Golden Toad’s weakness and urged the Nine Gates Commander to summon the great clans’ hidden forces and the Espers.

With the Others away, King Shiyu and Shi State’s aristocratic families faced the Red Copper Golden Toad without Chu Qing, and their fighters could not stop it. As the anomaly broke through the city wall, a family head ordered the Lineage reserves awakened to fight it.

• King Shiyu learned that the Red Copper Golden Toad Chu Qing had thrown into the moat had come alive, and he ordered the aristocratic families to send their experts against it.
• A general and another Third Limit expert attacked the Red Copper Golden Toad, but it killed them and overwhelmed the other fighters.
• The fighters urged a messenger to ask Chu Qing for help, but Zhao Hongxiu refused to disturb him while he cultivated.
• A family head went to Shi Residence to invite Chu Qing, but Zhao Hongxiu turned him away and challenged the family heads to show their fear by coming themselves.
• The Red Copper Golden Toad broke through the city wall and entered Shi State City, prompting a family head to order the Lineage reserves awakened to kill it.

The Red Copper Golden Toad slaughtered the Lineage foundations, forcing King Shiyu and the Heads of the Houses to beg Chu Qing for help. After emerging from seclusion stronger, Chu Qing refused to intervene and set out to seek Heaven-Connecting Resources.

• The Lineage foundations attacked the Red Copper Golden Toad, but it swallowed them as their wounds failed to hinder it.
• King Shiyu and the Heads of the Houses went to Shi Residence, knelt before Zhao Hongxiu, and pleaded for Chu Qing to save the city.
• Chu Qing completed the gold-tier Pelt Realm and sensed that linking his realms could let him advance toward the First Limit.
• Zhao Hongxiu told Chu Qing that the Red Copper Golden Toad had come to life and that the State Lord and a female official had arrived to ask for his help.
• Chu Qing refused to face the Red Copper Golden Toad and said he would go to the Martial Academy to seek Heaven-Connecting Resources.

Chu Qing sought the Martial Academy dean for Heaven-Connecting Resources and learned that opening a Heaven-Connecting Path also required a special martial art and a complete method. After the dean revealed his hidden resources and began to propose a condition, Chu Qing left to obtain other opening methods first.

• Chu Qing left for the Martial Academy while King Shiyu and the family heads stopped pleading and joined its Martial Masters in attacking the Red Copper Golden Toad.
• Chu Qing reached the dean’s courtyard, presented his Heaven-Connecting Token, and asked for Heaven-Connecting Resources.
• The mysterious dean confirmed Chu Qing had Gold-grade skin and flesh and learned that his Overlord Spear had broken its limit, giving him hope of opening a weapon Heaven-Connecting Path.
• The dean explained that martial artists faced an undefined realm beyond the Third Limit and revealed the Heaven-Connecting resources he had kept in a hidden chamber.
• The dean offered to teach Chu Qing his complete opening method on one condition, but Chu Qing left to obtain several secret methods first.

Chu Qing demanded the great clans’ Heaven-Connecting Path secret transmissions in exchange for defeating the Bronze Golden Toad, then subdued the stronger golden toad that emerged. He carried it back to the Shi Residence and ordered the Heaven-Piercing Secret Transmission delivered there.

• Chu Qing rejected the mysterious dean’s offer and appeared behind King Shiyu and the clan heads to demand their Heaven-Connecting Path secret transmissions.
• A clan head who looked toward Chu Qing lost control of himself and gouged out his eyes to escape the terror of Chu Qing’s presence.
• The Bronze Golden Toad collapsed, revealing a stronger golden toad that quickly killed or wounded several great clan foundations.
• King Shiyu agreed to provide the secret transmissions, and Chu Qing charged the golden toad while warning everyone not to look at him.
• Chu Qing battered the golden toad, used coins to suppress it, and immobilized it with three hundred and sixty-five coins.
• Chu Qing carried the golden toad to the Shi Residence and ordered the Heaven-Piercing Secret Transmission sent there.

Chu Qing collected more than a hundred Heaven-Connecting Secret Transmissions after suppressing the Golden Toad, then learned that the Rebel Army had released it. He began preparing to open the Heaven-Connecting Path, while King Shiyu and the great families deferred any retaliation until Chu Qing decided what to do.

• Chu Qing told King Shiyu and the Heads of the House that someone had deliberately released the Golden Toad and ordered them to find and destroy the family or organization responsible.
• The great families investigated and concluded that the Rebel Army had released the anomaly, prompting King Shiyu and the Heads of the House to consider striking back.
• The Head of the Cui House said only Chu Qing could decide whether to attack the Rebel Army, and King Shiyu agreed to wait until Chu Qing left seclusion.
• Chu Qing reviewed the Heaven-Connecting Secret Transmissions and discovered that they described varied rituals involving secret medicine and precious materials.
• Chu Qing visited the mysterious dean, told him he had received more than a hundred transmissions, and said he would piece them together to open the Heaven-Connecting Path.
• Chu Qing studied the resources needed to open the path, intending to master it before pursuing the main city's Martial Academy resources.

Chu Qing opened his Heaven-Connecting Path, killing two golden dragons in less than ten hours and astonishing the mysterious dean, who decided to send him to the Imperial Capital. Meanwhile, King Shiyu and the lineage heads faced pressure to hand Shi State over to the Holy King Army before year’s end.

• Chu Qing used secret medicine and rare treasures to open his Heaven-Connecting Path, discovering 108 golden dragons on his spine.
• Chu Qing condensed the Overlord Spear and killed his first golden dragon, strengthening his Four Great Realms and producing power that could suppress others.
• The mysterious dean heard two Heaven-Connecting anomalies within ten hours and resolved to send Chu Qing to the Imperial Capital.
• The mysterious dean gave Chu Qing his Heaven-Connecting secret transmission and asked for a future favor, but Chu Qing left the request undecided.
• King Shiyu and the lineage heads learned that the Gongyang Family, Luo Family, Bai Family, and other lineages demanded Shi State be handed to the Holy King Army before year’s end.

The Princess decided to prioritize forging a set of Heavy Armor for Chu Qing, believing his reforms and strength would help the Empire survive the Millennial Tribulation. Meanwhile, Chu Qing continued opening his Heaven-Connecting Path at an extraordinary pace, and the headmaster thought he might complete it before year’s end.

• The Princess told her female official to keep gathering refugees and grain in Shi State, explaining that millions of people could become a powerful army even if the city fell to the Rebel Army.
• The Princess ordered that Chu Qing receive the finest Heavy Armor and that his set be prioritized, despite the female official warning it could take three years to forge.
• Chu Qing killed the remaining great dragons in his consciousness, completing one twenty-sixth of his Heaven-Connecting Path as his golden spine turned crystalline white.
• Chu Qing continued opening spinal segments over the following days, though each one took longer and more precious materials were consumed.
• The headmaster, watching over Chu Qing, judged that he might complete the Heaven-Connecting Path before the end of the year.