Chapter Summaries

Wang Yuan killed Gao Tianci after revealing that he had spared Gao Shiqing’s life, then took Elder Danxia’s manual and studied the Bitao Sect’s Bitao True Force. He recognized the Bitao Sect’s power and considered the consequences of wiping out its elder, disciples, and Gao Tianci.

• Wang Yuan told Gao Tianci that he had spared Gao Shiqing, condemned the Gao Family’s arrogance, and killed Gao Tianci.
• Wang Yuan searched Elder Danxia’s body, found a martial manual, and returned to the Panshi Fist Academy after telling Zheng Shan and the others to clean up the corpses.
• Wang Yuan studied Bitao True Force and saw how its abundant, enduring Force Power could strengthen his abilities and complement his existing techniques.
• Wang Yuan recalled that the Bitao Sect was one of Cloud Province Prefecture City’s Four Great Sects and that its strength far surpassed Gaoye City’s.

Wang Yuan decided to leave Gaoye City for Prefecture City to seek resources and a possible alliance with Kaoshan Sect before the Bitao Sect retaliated. Zheng Shan separately concluded that Kaoshan Sect was the best potential backer for Wang Yuan, drawing on his own past as one of its inner disciples.

• Wang Yuan assessed the threat posed by the Bitao Sect and decided Gaoye City could no longer provide the resources he needed to grow stronger.
• Wang Yuan chose to travel north to Prefecture City, where he hoped to learn more about Bitao True Force and find a possible backer in Kaoshan Sect.
• Wang Yuan planned to use the time before the Bitao Sect could respond to stabilize Gaoye City and make arrangements for his family and Zheng Shan.
• Zheng Shan worried that the Bitao Sect would send several Late Hua Jin experts or a Bone Forging Realm elder to avenge Elder Danxia and the disciples Wang Yuan killed.
• Zheng Shan decided Wang Yuan needed a powerful ally in Prefecture City and settled on Kaoshan Sect as the most promising choice.
• Zheng Shan revealed the faint Kaoshan Sect inner disciple mark on his wrist.

After Wang Yuan killed the Bitao Sect elder and his disciples, Zheng Shan decided the academy could not protect him from retaliation and arranged for him to seek refuge with Elder Mu of the Kaoshan Sect. The chapter leaves Zheng Shan explaining that Wang Yuan must go to the Prefecture City with a letter and token to gain Elder Mu’s protection.

• Zheng Shan recalled leaving the Kaoshan Sect after a clash with Elder Li and decided to appeal to Elder Mu for help protecting Wang Yuan.
• Zheng Shan wrote Elder Mu a letter describing Wang Yuan’s talent and the threat from the Bitao Sect, then enclosed it with the token Elder Mu had given him.
• Wang Yuan finished comprehending the Bitao True Force as Zheng Shan came to speak with him in the Quiet Room.
• Zheng Shan told Wang Yuan that killing the Bitao Sect elder and his disciples had ended any chance of reconciliation, and that retaliation could endanger the academy and Gaoye City.
• Zheng Shan told Wang Yuan to leave for the Prefecture City and explained that the bronze tube held a letter and token that could help him meet Elder Mu.

Wang Yuan prepared to leave Gaoye City for the Kaoshan Sect in Prefecture City, where Zheng Shan hoped Elder Mu would accept him as a disciple. After saying farewell to his family, Wang Yuan set out into the snowy night.

• Zheng Shan told Wang Yuan to deliver his letter and token to Elder Mu and seek discipleship at the Kaoshan Sect, explaining his old conflict with Elder Li and the risks it posed.
• Zheng Shan assured Wang Yuan that Panshi Fist Academy could defend Gaoye City and instructed him to travel discreetly, avoid Bitao Sect, and prioritize reaching Elder Mu.
• Wang Yuan told Wang Gui, Madam Zhou, and Wang Yu that he was leaving for Prefecture City to pursue martial training, while concealing most of the danger from Bitao Sect.
• Madam Zhou gave Wang Yuan warm clothes and provisions, and his family urged him to take care and send word after he arrived.
• Wang Yuan bade farewell to his family and left their home as snow fell over Gaoye City.

Wang Yuan left Gaoye City for Prefecture City and the Kaoshan Sect, while several days later an escort party and a disguised young woman with her old servant sheltered from a snowstorm in a Mountain God Temple. Pursuers arrived at the temple, leaving the young woman and the others facing an imminent confrontation.

• Shi Long gave Wang Yuan two horses, supplies, forged papers, and directions before Wang Yuan rode northeast from Gaoye City.
• Wang Yuan looked back at the city and named Prefecture City and the Kaoshan Sect as his destination before riding into the snow.
• Several days later, an escort chief and his guards took shelter from a blizzard in an abandoned Mountain God Temple alongside a young woman disguised as a man and her old servant.
• The escort chief ordered his guards to keep watch while the young woman and her servant remained in a corner of the temple.
• Hoofbeats announced the pursuers' arrival, and the guards drew their weapons as the old servant prepared to defend the young woman and urged her to escape.

Wang Yuan entered a snowbound temple as Uncle Zhou threatened Third Miss and the escorts, then faced the Hua Jin expert’s contempt. The chapter ended with Uncle Zhou directing his Transformation Force pressure at Wang Yuan.

• Uncle Zhou broke into the temple and demanded that Third Miss return with him to answer to Second Master.
• Third Miss refused, and Uncle Zhou’s pressure injured her old servant as he tried to shield her.
• Uncle Zhou ordered the escorts to leave and prepared to seize Third Miss and clear the temple.
• Wang Yuan entered to ask whether he could take shelter from the snow.
• Uncle Zhou dismissed Wang Yuan as a wild brat and sent a blast of Transformation Force toward him.

Wang Yuan ignored Uncle Zhou’s threats and calmly roasted a wheat cake in the ruined temple. When Uncle Zhou attacked with his Grasping Bone Palm, Wang Yuan seized his wrist and shattered it with a casual squeeze.

• Uncle Zhou shouted at Wang Yuan and threatened him, but Wang Yuan sat by the campfire and began roasting a wheat cake.
• Uncle Zhou grew furious at being ignored and gathered Yin Cold Force in his palm.
• Uncle Zhou attacked Wang Yuan with his Grasping Bone Palm, aiming for his face.
• Wang Yuan caught Uncle Zhou’s wrist without putting down his wheat cake and stopped the palm strike.
• Wang Yuan tightened his grip, shattered Uncle Zhou’s wrist bones, and sent a heavy, spiraling force surging into his body.

Wang Yuan effortlessly killed Uncle Zhou, a Mid-stage Hua Jin expert, after Uncle Zhou attacked him while he was roasting flatbread. The stunned escorts, Third Miss, and the old servant watched in fear as Wang Yuan finished eating and turned his attention to the corpse.

• Wang Yuan crushed Uncle Zhou’s wrist and sent him crashing into the temple wall with a wave of spiraling Force Power.
• Wang Yuan killed Uncle Zhou with a casual blast to the chest after telling him he was too noisy.
• The escorts, Third Miss, and the old servant stared in shock and fear at Wang Yuan’s strength.
• The old servant told Third Miss that Wang Yuan was unfathomable and might be their unexpected chance to survive.
• Wang Yuan finished roasting and eating his flatbread, then frowned at Uncle Zhou’s corpse in the wall crater.

Wang Yuan rested in a ruined temple after killing Uncle Zhou, while Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu weighed whether to ask for his protection on the road to Prefecture City. Lin Wanqiu begged to follow him and offered her possessions and hidden treasures, but Wang Yuan gave no sign that he had heard her, leaving her desperate as Uncle Fu suddenly remembered something.

• Wang Yuan accepted salt from the escort leader, finished his food, and ordered everyone to keep quiet while he rested until the snow stopped.
• Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu realized they still needed to reach Prefecture City because her relatives' pursuit would continue.
• Lin Wanqiu decided to seek Wang Yuan's protection, and Uncle Fu reluctantly agreed.
• Lin Wanqiu knelt before Wang Yuan, thanked him for saving her, and asked to follow him in exchange for her possessions and hidden treasures.
• Wang Yuan remained motionless and appeared to ignore Lin Wanqiu's plea, until Uncle Fu suddenly remembered something.

Lin Wanqiu offered Wang Yuan a treasured piece of Sixth Tier Crimson Flame Earth Dragon jerky in exchange for protection on the journey to Prefecture City. Wang Yuan demanded that Uncle Fu test it first, and Uncle Fu confirmed it was genuine and a powerful tonic.

• Uncle Fu reminded Lin Wanqiu that her father had obtained a rare treasure, and Lin Wanqiu revealed the Crimson Flame Earth Dragon jerky.
• Wang Yuan recognized the jerky's exceptional energy and its value for strengthening his cultivation.
• Wang Yuan told Lin Wanqiu to hand over the item, and she reluctantly gave it to Uncle Fu.
• Wang Yuan ordered Uncle Fu to eat some of the jerky to verify it was safe.
• Uncle Fu swallowed a tiny piece, felt it nourish his Vital Blood and old injuries, and confirmed it was genuine.

After tasting the Sixth-tier Crimson Flame Earth Dragon Dried Meat, Wang Yuan agreed to escort Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu to Prefecture City in exchange for keeping it. He searched Uncle Zhou’s remains and collected his money, pills, token, and Corrupting Heart Palm manual, deciding to study the technique’s methods without practicing it.

• Wang Yuan absorbed a small piece of the dried meat, greatly advancing his Talent Bead’s energy charge and anticipating a fourth Talent Awakening.
• Wang Yuan agreed to take Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu to Prefecture City, claiming the dried meat and ordering them to follow his instructions.
• Wang Yuan searched Uncle Zhou’s remains and found a metal token, several thousand taels in gold notes, sinister pills, and a manual for Corrupting Heart Palm.
• Wang Yuan rejected cultivating Corrupting Heart Palm but decided to study its techniques for useful insights, and he kept the other items for possible future use.

After the snowstorm passed, Wang Yuan set out for Prefecture City with Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu. He took Lin Wanqiu’s conspicuous white horse, Snow Shadow, and prepared to turn any pursuers it attracted into an opportunity.

• Wang Yuan finished absorbing the sixth-tier jerky’s energy and left the ruined temple with Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu after the storm ended.
• The escorts departed by another route, while Wang Yuan noticed that Lin Wanqiu’s horse, Snow Shadow, was an unusually valuable and conspicuous white steed.
• Wang Yuan rebuked Lin Wanqiu for choosing a mount that made her easy to spot while fleeing.
• Wang Yuan took Snow Shadow for himself and calmed it with his strength and Mountain Rock Force intent.
• Wang Yuan rode toward Prefecture City with Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu following on his ordinary horses, welcoming the possibility that the white horse would attract pursuers.

Wang Yuan led Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu through the snowy mountains toward Prefecture City, then sensed blood in a pine forest and went to investigate. Meanwhile, Liu Xiao arrived at the ruined Mountain God Temple, found Uncle Zhou missing, and discovered evidence of a powerful impact.

• Wang Yuan guided Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu along a safe route through the snow as they discussed the danger posed by Lin Wanqiu’s Second Uncle and the Lin Family ancestor.
• Wang Yuan detected the blood of several people in a pine forest, told Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu to wait, and vanished into the trees.
• Liu Xiao, a Late Hua Jin Great Martial Master, arrived at the Mountain God Temple with seven martial artists and ordered them to search inside.
• Liu Xiao found the temple empty and saw a human-shaped indentation in the rear wall, while Uncle Zhou’s whereabouts remained unknown.

Liu Xiao found evidence that Uncle Zhou had been killed by a powerful Extreme Yang expert who rescued Lin Wanqiu, and he sent men after them toward Prefecture City. In the forest, Wang Yuan discovered three drained bodies and heard a sinister voice call him a source of pure Vital Blood.

• Liu Xiao examined the temple’s scorch marks and bloodstains and concluded that an unknown expert had killed Uncle Zhou and taken Lin Wanqiu.
• Liu Xiao ordered word sent to Second Master and led eight black-clad riders after Wang Yuan’s group toward Prefecture City.
• Wang Yuan found three hunters or herb gatherers whose bodies had been drained of Vital Blood in a clearing.
• Wang Yuan ruled out a demon beast and suspected an evil art or blood-drinking creature had killed them.
• A hidden voice in the forest called Wang Yuan’s Vital Blood a great tonic.

Wang Yuan confronted Blood Bat Old Man, who tried to claim him as food after his bat drank the blood of three people. Wang Yuan killed the Crimson-eyed Blood Bat with the pressure of a single punch and left Blood Bat Old Man facing his attack.

• Blood Bat Old Man emerged from the shadows and bragged that his Crimson-eyed Blood Bat had fed on three people.
• Blood Bat Old Man identified Wang Yuan as a powerful fighter and announced his intention to drain his blood.
• Wang Yuan asked whether the bat had drunk the three people's blood, then rushed Blood Bat Old Man.
• The Crimson-eyed Blood Bat attacked Wang Yuan while Blood Bat Old Man struck with his Blood Corroding Bone Claw.
• Wang Yuan's fist pressure hurled the bat into a pine tree, killing it, as Blood Bat Old Man roared and unleashed his Blood Refining True Gang.

Wang Yuan killed Blood Bat Old Man with one punch, then searched his corpse and discovered two evil cultivation manuals. He took the manuals to study their techniques and weaknesses, leaving the Crimson-eyed Blood Bat’s control method understood but its fate unresolved.

• Wang Yuan shattered Blood Bat Old Man’s Blood Refining True Gang and both arms before crushing his chest with a single punch, killing him.
• Wang Yuan checked the corpse for traps, then took Blood Bat Old Man’s money, blood pills, and two booklets.
• Wang Yuan examined the Blood Refining True Gang and considered adapting its methods of condensing Force Power into protective qi.
• Wang Yuan read the Blood Spirit Bat Beast-Taming Secret Art and realized it explained Blood Bat Old Man’s shared perceptions and coordination with the Crimson-eyed Blood Bat.

Wang Yuan finished looting Blood Bat Old Man and returned to find Liu Xiao and seven black-clad martial artists confronting Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu. After Wang Yuan emerged from the pine forest, Liu Xiao asked whether his pursuers had come for Lin Wanqiu.

• Wang Yuan took the Blood-Controlling Spirit Bat Secret Art, checked Blood Bat Old Man's corpse for more valuables, and left the clearing.
• Liu Xiao arrived with seven martial artists and surrounded Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu on the mountain road.
• Liu Xiao questioned Lin Wanqiu about Uncle Zhou and suspected she had brought a helper.
• Wang Yuan emerged from the pine forest carrying a leather bag and two booklets, then asked Liu Xiao's group if they had come for Lin Wanqiu.

Wang Yuan intervened when Liu Xiao and seven Lin Family martial artists tried to take Lin Wanqiu back, recognizing their threat as an attempt to silence her. He killed Liu Xiao with a single punch and blocked the remaining men as they tried to flee.

• Liu Xiao introduced himself as a guest elder of the Lin Family and demanded that Wang Yuan stop interfering in the family’s affairs.
• Wang Yuan refused to leave Lin Wanqiu to Liu Xiao and said he would protect her life because he had accepted her item.
• Liu Xiao attacked Wang Yuan with Ghost Shadow Soul Searching Claw, but Wang Yuan stopped the strike with his palm and shattered Liu Xiao’s fingers.
• Wang Yuan punched through Liu Xiao’s Body Protecting Qi and broke his arms, sending him crashing into a pine tree with fatal injuries.
• The seven martial artists in black tried to flee, but Wang Yuan appeared in their path and stopped them.

Wang Yuan killed all seven Lin Family pursuers who tried to flee, then collected their valuables and Liu Xiao’s martial arts manuals. He ended the chapter with Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu watching him in fearful awe.

• The seven black-clad martial artists split up and fled after Liu Xiao was defeated.
• Wang Yuan used his senses and swift movement to catch and kill each fleeing pursuer.
• Wang Yuan searched the seven corpses and gathered their money, weapons, medicine, and cultivation pills.
• Wang Yuan found Liu Xiao dead and took his manuals, Ghost Shadow Soul Searching Claw and Ghost Shadow Steps.
• Wang Yuan returned to Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu, who looked at him with reverence and fear.

Wang Yuan and his companions traveled safely to Chongde Prefecture after he studied his new techniques, developed Primordial Chaos Qi Force, and advanced the Talent Bead’s charge. They entered the bustling city, where Lin Wanqiu began to address him.

• Wang Yuan led Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu onward after killing Liu Xiao’s group, and the Lin Family did not pursue them during the journey.
• Wang Yuan studied Corrupting Heart Palm, Blood Refining True Gang, Blood-Controlling Spirit Bat Secret Art, Ghost Shadow Soul Searching Claw, and Ghost Shadow Steps, gaining new insights into his martial techniques.
• Wang Yuan began combining four types of Force Power into Primordial Chaos Qi Force and absorbed Sixth-tier Crimson Flame Earth Dragon Dried Meat, bringing his Talent Bead’s energy to 88/100.
• Seven days later, Wang Yuan, Lin Wanqiu, and Uncle Fu reached Chongde Prefecture and passed through its city gate without trouble.
• Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Fu relaxed amid the busy streets, while Lin Wanqiu rode closer to Wang Yuan and addressed him as Senior.