Chapter Summaries

On May 5, Zhou Ming faced Wei Ni in a school duel, where her Space Ring and greater magical strength appeared to give her the advantage. He evaded her attacks without using scrolls or potions, but Wei Ni began preparing a large-scale fire spell as the chapter ended.

• Wei Ni revealed her Space Ring, and Zhou Ming pretended to surrender before persuading her to agree to a duel without Magic Scrolls.
• Zhou Ming asked Wei Ni to end their grudge after the duel, but she launched Hurricane Descent as the arena barrier rose.
• Zhou Ming used Super Acceleration Spell, Flight Spell, and Wind Shield to evade Wei Ni's hurricanes, wind blades, and fireballs.
• Wei Ni switched to earth magic, but her Stone Bullet Impact spells missed Zhou Ming as he dodged them.
• After spending more than one-third of her mana without injuring Zhou Ming, Wei Ni began casting Raging Flame Fire Stream, alarming the audience.

Zhou Ming outmaneuvered Wei Ni in their duel, disarmed her, and forced her to admit defeat after she attacked him in a rage. Wei Ni fled in tears, leaving Zhou Ming with her belongings and the crowd reacting to his victory.

• Wei Ni bombarded Zhou Ming with powerful spells, but he dodged her attacks and countered with wind and fire magic until her magic power ran low.
• Wei Ni broke their agreement by drinking a Magic Power Recovery Potion and taking out several Magic Scrolls, so Zhou Ming used Super Acceleration Spell and Super Flight Spell to snatch her staff, Space Ring, and scrolls.
• Wei Ni charged at Zhou Ming with her bare hands, and he wrestled her to the ground and spanked her until teachers stopped him and declared him the winner.
• Caroline helped Wei Ni up, but Wei Ni shook her off and ran home sobbing as several female students followed her.
• Zhou Ming watched Wei Ni leave without feeling happy about the duel, then called after her to remind her that she had forgotten her belongings.

After defeating Wei Ni, Zhou Ming kept her valuable equipment and learned she had left Royal Capital Dilo City. He then proved his plan for industrial potion production could work, as the factory produced tens of thousands of Mind-Calming Potions, most of perfect quality.

• Zhou Ming spared Wei Ni because of her powerful family, but she refused to collect her Storm Staff and Space Ring and soon left school and Royal Capital Dilo City.
• Zhou Ming studied and used Wei Ni's Storm Staff and Space Ring while telling others he was only keeping them temporarily.
• After the Yadoud Kingdom's first Potion Production Factory was completed, Zhou Ming organized an experiment to produce Mind-Calming Potions using an eighty-seven-step assembly line.
• Zhou Ming persuaded the nobles to let him risk more than 700,000 gold coins' worth of herbs, promising to cover any losses himself.
• Old Fox and the other mages tasted the assembly line's potions and confirmed they were of perfect quality.
• After processing all the herbs, the factory produced 32,644 bottles of Mind-Calming Potion, more than 95 percent of them perfect quality.

After the Potion Factory’s success drew hundreds of invitations from Yadoud Kingdom’s powerful families, Zhou Ming urged King James to build alliances through potion production rather than let the royal family monopolize the profits. His visit to Duke Rudolph ended in threats, but Zhou Ming left safely and offered limited cooperation instead.

• News that the factory had produced tens of thousands of potions spread through the kingdom’s upper class, prompting families from every faction to seek Zhou Ming’s favor.
• At the royal palace, Zhou Ming advised King James to involve many families in potion production and exports so the royal family could gain allies while expanding the market.
• Duke Rudolph offered Zhou Ming money, a pardon for the Lei Lin Family, and marriage to Lilith in exchange for exclusive help establishing a Rudolph Potion Factory, but Zhou Ming refused.
• Duke Rudolph threatened Zhou Ming and summoned armed soldiers, while Lilith pleaded with them to stop; Zhou Ming left the residence safely after offering the Rudolph Family a small share or sales rights in ten kingdoms.
• After Zhou Ming departed, Duke Rudolph ordered Lilith to keep trying to win him over and said he would rather destroy Zhou Ming than let another family use him.

After the three dukes tried and failed to recruit Zhou Ming, their forces threatened him and Lina, so he abducted Earl Hill’s family and forced Hill to stop using underhanded tactics. Zhou Ming later reconciled with Hall Gannis, learned Wei Ni was safe, and received Hall’s potion shop and medicinal materials guild before Hall left for the Vitros Empire.

• Zhou Ming failed to reach agreements with Duke Morat Hanson and Harlow Paris Duke, who both wanted him to establish a Potion Factory without the royal family.
• After an assassin entered Zhou Ming’s room and gang members nearly kidnapped Lina, Zhou Ming traced the attacks to Earl Hill and abducted Hill’s family and household.
• Zhou Ming threatened Earl Hill with torture until Hill promised to use open tactics instead of schemes against Zhou Ming and those around him.
• Duke Paris told Earl Hill he intended to take the Potion Factory and the kingdom for the Paris Family, and Hill pledged his loyalty.
• Zhou Ming visited Hall Gannis, apologized for what happened with Wei Ni, and learned she was safe with her parents in the Vitros Empire.
• Hall gave Zhou Ming the Gannis Potion Shop and its affiliated medicinal materials guild, then left for the Vitros Empire with Wei Ni’s Storm Staff.

Zhou Ming expanded the potion business by rebuilding the herb guild, scaling up factory production, and exporting 100,000 potions through agents across neighboring kingdoms. The sales brought huge profits to the royal family, and King James considered how to reward Lei Lin for his service.

• Zhou Ming took over the Gannis Potion Shop and inherited Manager Huo Er's books, formulas, and potion samples.
• Zhou Ming rebuilt the Gannis Herb Merchant Guild, set up herb-growing experiments, and organized factory production of Mind-Calming, Stamina Recovery, and Healing Potions.
• Zhou Ming sold agency rights in twenty-two neighboring kingdoms and partnered with the Continental Chamber of Commerce to transport potions by griffin.
• In early September, more than 100,000 potions were shipped abroad, and distributors sold out their stock in about half a month.
• King James saw that the royal family had earned nearly ten million gold coins that month and praised Lei Lin's business plan.
• King James asked how to reward Lei Lin, then wondered what reward would be suitable.

King James granted Zhou Ming the title of unlanded viscount and appointed him Kingdom Financial Comptroller after Zhou exposed Old Ford’s hidden fortune and won the court’s support with promises of financial reforms. The appointment passed over the king’s objections, leaving James furious as Zhou took control of the kingdom’s finances.

• King James and Roberts settled on making Zhou Ming an unlanded viscount and offering him the Financial Comptroller post after deciding they could not pardon the Lei Lin Family or grant him a suitable fief.
• King James named Zhou Ming a viscount, dismissed Old Ford, and appointed Zhou as the new Kingdom Financial Comptroller at court.
• Old Ford attacked Zhou, but Zhou stopped him and revealed that he had hidden millions in treasure and adulterated grain supplied to the border legions.
• King James let Old Ford retire instead of investigating him, while the court wondered how Zhou had uncovered his corruption.
• Zhou promised to double officials’ salaries, halve taxes and tributes for nobles with fiefs, and keep royal expenses out of the treasury, winning unanimous support for his appointment.
• King James opposed Zhou’s appointment, but the ministers’ support forced it through, leaving the king enraged.

Zhou Ming used his new role as Kingdom Financial Comptroller to persuade King James and the nobles to establish banks and expand trade, while planning transport aircraft to move currency and goods. As he earned a reputation as the kingdom’s God of Wealth Hakes, news arrived that Fitz had located the Little Princess of the elves, and Anqili Tika demanded to know where she was.

• After King James kept Zhou Ming behind following the court meeting, Zhou Ming gave him a lesson that changed his anger into warm approval.
• Three days later, Zhou Ming explained to King James and the nobles how bank branches and bills of exchange could solve the costly problem of transporting potion profits.
• Zhou Ming gave Yodel transport aircraft blueprints and urged the nobles to invest abroad in medicinal ingredients and develop clothing exports.
• The nobles learned that Zhou Ming held shares in successful clothing and cake businesses, and they began calling him God of Wealth Hakes.
• On September 20th, Fitz reported that he had found the Little Princess of the elves in the Dolan Empire, and Anqili Tika rushed to Zhou Ming to ask where she was.

Zhou Ming learned that Princess Aliya had been bought by the dangerous Duchess Du Lisha and agreed to help Tika rescue her after she gathered intelligence in the Dolan Empire. Tika and Gejiefu departed by griffin, while Zhou Ming stayed behind to settle his affairs and prepare to join them.

• Zhou Ming told Tika that Duchess Du Lisha had bought Princess Aliya for fifteen million gold coins and warned her of the duchess's threat to young girls.
• Tika insisted on leaving for the Dolan Empire, and Zhou Ming persuaded her to gather intelligence and wait two or three months for him before attempting a rescue.
• Zhou Ming sent Gejiefu with Tika to assist her and keep her from acting rashly, and told him that Difu was searching the Kadorn Kingdom for news of his family.
• Zhou Ming promised Gejiefu he would help reunite him with his family after their business in the Dolan Empire was finished.
• On September 22, Gejiefu shaved his head and mustache to meet a griffin's one-hundred-kilogram weight limit.
• Tika and Gejiefu flew toward the Dolan Empire on griffins while Zhou Ming waved goodbye.

After Tika and Gejiefu left Potion Castle, Zhou Ming arranged for Henry to live and study at Bruno Magic School and sought powerful bodyguards from King James. The King introduced two female knights, including Princess Sivenis, leaving Zhou Ming shocked.

• Zhou Ming arranged for Henry to attend Bruno Magic School, where Catherine promised to look after him.
• Zhou Ming told Lina about Henry’s move, and Lina vowed to visit her brother while privately longing for Zhou Ming’s love.
• At court, Zhou Ming rejected accusations that he had robbed and killed Old Ford’s family, then threatened the Pinos family with losing access to his business ventures.
• King James agreed to provide Zhou Ming with two bodyguards, and Zhou Ming came to the palace to meet them.
• King James introduced two female knights, one of whom Zhou Ming recognized as Princess Sivenis.

Zhou Ming resisted King James's plan to assign Princess Sivenis as his guard, but accepted her and Nabe after learning they were both Great Swordsmen. On the journey back to Potion Castle, he challenged them to catch him as he flew ahead, and they raced after him in anger.

• Nabe drew her sword on Zhou Ming, but Princess Sivenis ordered her to put it away and apologized to him.
• Zhou Ming asked King James to assign him other guards, while Sivenis explained why she wanted to protect him and described the changes his work had brought to the Kingdom.
• Zhou Ming questioned Sivenis's ability to protect him, and she revealed she was a Great Swordsman; Nabe also displayed Great Swordsman strength.
• Zhou Ming accepted Sivenis and Nabe as his guards, then teased Nabe during the trip back to Potion Castle by asking her to buy him food and drinks.
• Zhou Ming challenged the women to chase his Super Flight Spell to Potion Castle, then sped into the sky as Sivenis and Nabe pursued him.

Zhou Ming completed his preparations for a six-month exchange trip by developing a magic-powered aircraft that could drastically shorten travel time. After the Wind Demon Engine passed its thrust test, he flew Gale 1 with Princess Sivenis and Nabe aboard.

• Zhou Ming beat Princess Sivenis and Nabe to Potion Castle’s rooftop, then sparred with Nabe and spent the next two months working alongside them.
• Zhou Ming established Dilo Bank, prepared another potion sale, and secured permission from Old Fox Roberts for an exchange at Grey Magic School.
• Zhou Ming revealed that the Wind Demon Engine’s thrust had reached 1,320 shield-force units, and Moduofu agreed to finalize the engine and continue developing it.
• Zhou Ming urged Moduofu to keep researching a diesel-powered propeller engine for ordinary people, despite its technical problems and the Wind Demon Engine’s advantages.
• Zhou Ming named his aircraft Gale 1 and took off from a runway with Princess Sivenis and Nabe seated behind him.

Zhou Ming tested Gale 1 and prepared to fly to the Dolan Empire with Teacher Sears and Ross Ding. After telling Princess Sivenis she no longer needed to guard him, he left her in tears and departed the next morning.

• Zhou Ming landed Gale 1 at Potion Castle, where Princess Sivenis and Nabe praised the aircraft and Sivenis asked him to build one powered by battle qi.
• Zhou Ming told Sivenis he would leave for the Dolan Empire the next day and that she no longer needed to serve as his guard, upsetting her until she ran away crying.
• Nabe chased after Sivenis to comfort her, while Zhou Ming prepared to leave with the help of Teacher Sears and Ross Ding.
• At the Continental Chamber of Commerce, Sears objected to sitting below the commoner Ross Ding, so Zhou Ming rearranged their seats before boarding Gale 1.
• Zhou Ming started the engine and accelerated Gale 1 down the runway toward the Dolan Empire.

Zhou Ming flew the Gale 1 into Kaila City, where he befriended the Dolan Empire’s Sword Saint Sangqi Duo and Legendary Magician Bulanmu. After he and Sears searched for Tika and Gejiefu, the wounded Fitz arrived with word that the Warrior Captain and Tika were in danger.

• Sears and Zhou Ming took turns powering the Gale 1 during its long flight, and Sears endured the freezing cabin before finally putting on warmer clothes.
• The Gale 1 reached Kaila City, drawing the attention of Sangqi Duo and Bulanmu, who followed it to the Continental Chamber of Commerce.
• Zhou Ming explained the Wind Demon Engine to Bulanmu, learned that he was the principal of Grey Magic School and an old friend of Roberts, and gained his support for his studies.
• Zhou Ming stored the Gale 1 at the Continental Chamber of Commerce, while Ross Ding enthusiastically promoted magic aircraft to its staff.
• Zhou Ming and Sears searched an empty house for Tika, Gejiefu, and their companions, then waited for hours without finding them.
• The bloodied Fitz arrived pursued by a patrol squad and told Zhou Ming that the Warrior Captain and Tika were in danger.

Zhou Ming escaped Kaila City with Fitz and Sears after Tika’s failed attempt to rescue Aliya from Duchess Du Lisha. In Du Lisha’s dungeon, the duchess tortured Tika and Gejiefu, then stopped when Aliya pleaded with her.

• Zhou Ming distracted the guards, escaped with Fitz, and rendezvoused with Fitz and Sears outside Kaila City.
• Fitz told Zhou Ming that Tika had attacked the Duchess Residence to rescue Aliya, but Du Lisha returned and captured Tika and Gejiefu.
• Zhou Ming refused to rush back to Kaila City, deciding to wait before attempting a rescue.
• Du Lisha questioned and whipped Tika and Gejiefu, while Gejiefu urged her to return Aliya to her parents.
• Tika spoke to Aliya in the Elf Language, but Du Lisha struck her and revealed she understood it.
• Aliya begged Du Lisha to stop beating the prisoners, and Du Lisha relented before leaving with her.

Zhou Ming used his potion business and a new magical aircraft to make a fortune and earn access to nine floors of Grey Magic School’s library. With the Forbidden Magic books on the tenth floor still restricted, he planned to appeal to Emperor Kasinger Bigelow for access.

• Zhou Ming entered Grey Magic School as an exchange student in Magic Class 6 and sought its extensive magical knowledge to improve his cultivation.
• After Branm Field approved his potion laboratory, Zhou Ming opened Lei Lin Potion Shop, whose affordable potions became popular and earned him access to the library’s bottom five floors.
• Zhou Ming partnered with the Continental Chamber of Commerce to produce Flight Backpacks, selling nearly two thousand and making a net profit of eighty million gold coins.
• Zhou Ming donated twenty million gold coins to Grey Magic School and gained access to four more floors of its library.
• Branm Field refused Zhou Ming access to the tenth floor because it contained Forbidden Magic, so Zhou Ming set his sights on Emperor Kasinger Bigelow to obtain permission.

Zhou Ming demonstrated the Magic Rifle to Emperor Bigaro and persuaded him that its low cost, range, and ease of use made it a strategic weapon. In exchange for its designs, Bigaro granted Zhou Ming three hours on the tenth floor of Grey Magic School’s library, while privately ordering Branm to keep him in the empire or kill him if he tried to leave.

• Zhou Ming showed Bigaro that the Magic Rifle could shoot through two wooden pillars and lodge deep in a stone wall.
• Zhou Ming explained the rifle’s power, range, low production cost, and ability to let ordinary magicians threaten even Great Magicians.
• Bigaro accepted the Magic Rifle as a strategic weapon and considered how it could strengthen the Dolan Empire’s Royal Magician Corps.
• Zhou Ming offered the rifle’s designs in exchange for three hours on the tenth floor of Grey Magic School’s library, and Bigaro approved the request.
• After Zhou Ming left the palace, Bigaro told Branm to keep him in the empire and ordered Branm to kill him if he insisted on leaving.

Zhou Ming finished gathering magical knowledge and strengthening his cultivation in the Dolan Empire, then prepared to rescue Tika and Gejiefu and take the elf princess Aliya from Duchess Du Lisha. He had secretly bribed much of the duchess's household and planned to begin his operation the next day.

• Zhou Ming scanned most of Grey Magic School's library, improving his Plane Analysis and meditation method, and raised his mana by drinking five Magic Spring Potions.
• Zhou Ming decided not to return to the Yadoud Kingdom yet because Tika and Gejiefu remained imprisoned in Duchess Du Lisha's residence.
• Zhou Ming bribed more than a hundred household staff and guards, including Habis, and obtained a complete map of the residence.
• Zhou Ming secretly arranged comfortable conditions for Tika and Gejiefu in prison, while making Tika write daily self-criticism letters and rewarding jailers for Gejiefu's weight gain.
• Zhou Ming reviewed Du Lisha's debts, extravagance, and mistreatment of her staff, then prepared to take Aliya from her starting the next day.

Zhou Ming visited Duchess Du Lisha to propose a partnership producing a faster Second Generation Flying Backpack, and negotiated a forty-percent share of the profits. After they built a prototype resembling armor, Zhou Ming challenged Du Lisha to a flying race for ten million gold coins, and she accepted after Aliya urged her on.

• Zhou Ming offered Du Lisha thirty million gold coins for Aliya, enraging Du Lisha, then proposed that they produce and sell his Second Generation Flying Backpack together.
• Zhou Ming agreed to give Du Lisha forty percent of the profits in exchange for her backing against powerful local forces and help at critical moments.
• Over three days, Zhou Ming and Du Lisha built a prototype Flight Backpack with four Wind Demon Engines, dark red armor, and a Magic Stone in its chest.
• Zhou Ming challenged Du Lisha to race east until sunset, promising her ten million gold coins if she flew ahead of him.
• Aliya urged Du Lisha to race so she could get something tasty to eat, and Du Lisha accepted the challenge.

Zhou Ming’s plan to rescue elf Little Princess Aliya succeeded while he distracted Du Lisha, and he escaped toward the Yadoud Kingdom as Teacher Sears flew Aliya and Tika toward the Elf Forest. Du Lisha returned to find her residence destroyed and vowed revenge, while Zhou Ming prepared to reunite with his allies and continue building ties with the Elf Race.

• Zhou Ming kept Du Lisha chasing him until sunset while Tika, Gejiefu, Fitz, Sears, and the bribed guards rescued Aliya and assembled Gale 2.
• Sears and Tika flew Aliya west aboard Gale 2, while Gejiefu paid the conspirators and sent them fleeing from the Duchess Residence.
• Du Lisha returned to find the guards dead and Aliya missing, burned her residence to ruins, and swore to kill Lei Lin.
• Zhou Ming continued toward the Yadoud Kingdom and arranged for Sears to send Aliya and Tika to the World Tree and the Elf Forest.
• Sears agreed to resign from his teaching post and follow Zhou Ming, who expected the Continental Chamber of Commerce to protect him from Du Lisha.