Chapter Summaries

Zhou Leng trained for his upcoming martial examination while recovering from an injury that had stalled his cultivation. After receiving support from Li Linhan and eating a medicinal meal, he practiced the Mystic Tide Art but remained at Minor Accomplishment, First Heaven.

• Zhou Leng ran the qi-circulation test in three minutes and nine seconds, improving his time by two seconds despite his body giving out before his true qi was exhausted.
• Zhou Leng signed up for joint cultivation sessions and learned that the school would reward a major improvement in martial examination ranking, while he worried about the costs of cultivation and losing his government subsidy after graduation.
• Zhou Leng visited Li Linhan, who warned him to keep his distance from trouble at the company and urged him to eat medicinal meat daily until the martial examination.
• Li Linhan told Zhou Leng that the city was unsettled by Innate Realm experts fighting over a mysterious treasure, and that Zhou Leng's third brother would soon advance to the Innate Realm.
• Zhou Leng ate the medicinal meal, returned home, and circulated the Mystic Tide Art through his body in meditation.
• Zhou Leng's cultivation strengthened only slightly, leaving him at Minor Accomplishment, First Heaven, where he had remained since a demon injured him six months earlier.

Zhou Leng entered the mist-covered mountain to search for Big Yellow, the dog that had saved his life, despite warnings and the danger of the unfamiliar fog. After a long, fruitless search, he followed a wild boar’s directions toward a dark part of the forest, recalling a childhood promise as he pressed on.

• Zhou Leng trained at home, ran through Dragon Roam River Park, and noticed two suns in the sky and unusual fog covering Xiaoru Village and Ruge Mountain.
• The village chief told Zhou Leng that Big Yellow had been missing for three days, and Zhou Leng decided to search the mountain himself.
• Zhou Leng packed food and equipment, informed Uncle Li and Mo Hai that he was heading into the fog, and began searching familiar places on Ruge Mountain.
• A large wild boar indicated a direction that might lead to Big Yellow, but Zhou Leng searched through the day without finding the dog.
• As evening approached, Zhou Leng recalled the woman who had told Big Yellow to protect him, removed his green wristband, and followed the boar’s direction into the dark forest.

Zhou Leng followed Big Yellow’s tracks into a freezing, hidden forest and found the dog beneath an enormous Frost Giant Tree. After the tree’s lights helped him recover and greatly increased his cultivation, Zhou Leng and Big Yellow returned safely to Xiaoru Village, though he remained unsure what the place was.

• Zhou Leng followed Big Yellow’s paw prints through a hidden passage into a primeval forest, where the cold overwhelmed him as he searched for the dog.
• Zhou Leng reached a clearing and saw Big Yellow beneath a vast white wall, but a catastrophic vision of darkness swept over him.
• Zhou Leng woke beside a rejuvenated Big Yellow and discovered that the white wall was the trunk of an enormous Frost Giant Tree.
• Big Yellow pleaded with the Frost Giant Tree, which shed white lights onto them; Zhou Leng cultivated beneath it and advanced two levels in the Mystic Tide Art.
• Zhou Leng and Big Yellow left the forest, returned through the rock crevice to Ruge Mountain, and went back to Xiaoru Village.
• Zhou Leng sent Li Linhan a voice message to confirm he was safe, and Li Linhan told him to go home and eat.

Zhou Leng recovered rapidly through medicinal food, cultivation, and martial arts practice, while his classmates worried that his damaged condition had ruined his chances at the Martial Examination. On Monday morning, Li Linhan told him that something his third brother had sent had arrived.

• Zhou Leng warned Big Yellow to stay in the village, then jogged toward the city and found that his qi-running time had improved to four minutes and eighteen seconds.
• Zhou Leng ate medicinal food at Li Linhan's home, practiced his martial arts, and recorded that his cultivation and external techniques had each advanced.
• Zhou Leng cultivated throughout the day, ate heavily, read Zhao Dongjun's collected works, and continued training at Dragon Roam River Park.
• Mo Hai and Xu Qingjin discussed Zhou Leng's absences and worried that his poor health would prevent him from entering a Martial University.
• Zhou Leng practiced mental visualization and martial arts before sleeping, then heard Li Linhan say that a delivery from his third brother had arrived.

Zhou Leng accepted three Qi-Nourishing Pills sent by his Third Brother and prepared for the final day of formal classes at No. 8 High School. His teachers reminded the students why the Martial Examination focused on true qi and why humanity protected children’s peaceful education, leaving the class to continue asking cultivation questions.

• Li Linhan gave Zhou Leng three Qi-Nourishing Pills on his Third Brother’s behalf and urged him to avenge his family by killing Sirens and demons.
• Zhou Leng wrapped the pills and stored them in the refrigerator, then wrote in his martial arts diary and went to school.
• Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao discussed their futures and their plans to work at Pioneer Corporation after the college entrance exams.
• Xu Meijie marked the final day of formal classes by having the students recite their class motto: “Not for my own wish to be made a marquis, but only that the sea's waves be stilled!”
• Sun Xiong explained why the Martial Examination tested true qi and reminded the students that keeping children’s classrooms peaceful was humanity’s only path to survival.
• The students recited the Martial Ancestor’s words about protecting quiet, peaceful desks before Sun Xiong opened the final class to cultivation questions.

Zhou Leng explained how mind training during his recovery improved his control of true qi and his martial arts, and Sun Xiong urged him to keep cultivating despite the odds against entering the Affiliated Martial Academy. After hearing about the school’s exam rewards, Zhou Leng resolved to improve his ranking, and his reflexes revealed that he was nearing Qi Follows the Body.

• Zhou Leng told the class that he had mentally rehearsed martial arts moves while bedridden, strengthening his true-qi control and advancing his Wave-Stacking Palm and Eight Trigrams Step.
• Sun Xiong suggested Zhou Leng might have awakened a faint Martial Will and promised to help him find a path if he did not enter the Affiliated Martial Academy; Zhou Leng said he wanted to fight his way back into West Sea Demon City.
• Zhou Leng heard that No. 8 High School would reward students who greatly improved their city rankings and considered how the pills could help him continue cultivating.
• When Hu Yi tapped his shoulder, Zhou Leng dodged and raised a qi-backed guard, prompting Hu Yi to say he was close to Qi Follows the Body.
• Zhou Leng, Hu Yi, and Feng Wenhao left school and greeted Principal Lu, who kindly told Zhou Leng to take care of his illness.

Zhou Leng prepared to train in the Mysterious Forest, discovered an unexplained Qi-Nourishing Pill, and met Zhang Xinglie before heading to Ruge Mountain with Big Yellow. The chapter ended as seven wild boars emerged in front of them.

• Zhou Leng told Mo Hai and Xu Qingjin he would miss three days of group training and planned to train in his hometown instead.
• Zhou Leng budgeted his savings, bought high-calorie food, and found a Qi-Nourishing Pill in his backpack whose giver he could not identify.
• Zhou Leng practiced at home overnight, then met Zhang Xinglie, who had reached Qi-Nourishing Perfection and encouraged him.
• Zhou Leng met Big Yellow in Xiaoru Village, agreed to visit the Frost Giant Tree, and returned home to eat Uncle Li's Meat Medicinal Diet and take two Qi-Nourishing Pills.
• Zhou Leng and Big Yellow climbed Ruge Mountain, where seven wild boars emerged from the forest.

Zhou Leng cultivated beneath the Frost Giant Tree in the Mysterious Forest, where the immense spiritual energy helped him advance and recover at an extraordinary rate. After returning to Xiaoru Village, he found that Li Linhan had prepared a huge meal for him, which Zhou Leng ate before vowing to kill more sea sirens and demons.

• Zhou Leng and Big Yellow met the huge black wild boar and its six piglets, then entered the Mysterious Forest and found spiritual energy far above Blue Star's baseline.
• Zhou Leng paid respects to the Frost Giant Tree and cultivated for nearly ten hours, advancing the Mystic Tide Art to the fourth level of Minor Success.
• Zhou Leng ate a large quantity of food, trained in his martial arts, and discovered that two hours of sleep restored him despite his intense exertion.
• Zhou Leng sprinted faster than before and, after meditating the next morning, found his Mystic Tide True Qi close to the fifth level of Minor Success.
• Zhou Leng returned to Xiaoru Village and found that Li Linhan had left him a pot full of lamb spine stew and ribs; Zhou Leng ate it all and promised to kill more sea sirens and demons.

Zhou Leng continued cultivating until his martial arts improved, then prepared for the Martial Examination with support from Li Linhan and Zhang Meiqin. He arrived at Ru City University’s examination venue and reviewed the tests as the broadcast began.

• Zhou Leng cultivated beneath the Frost Giant Tree and recorded substantial gains in his martial arts by July 13.
• Li Linhan gave Zhou Leng high-ranking Blood Qi Realm magical beast meat and told him to digest it before circulating his art the next morning.
• Zhang Meiqin drove Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie to Ru City University, where the Martial Examination was being held.
• Zhou Leng watched the Ancient Civilization Adjudication Declaration video and entered the university’s martial arts arena through Passage Four.
• Zhou Leng reviewed the examination’s tests of total true qi, true qi intensity, and true qi control, and estimated that his cultivation had increased his true qi quantity.
• The martial arts arena broadcast began welcoming the candidates to the Martial Examination.

Zhou Leng completed his morning blood test and true qi assessment, drawing attention after his results surged and his blood showed a pure ice-type aura. Wang Boxiong placed him on the key monitoring list, and officials planned a second verification after his next examination while Principal Lu prepared to defend him.

• Zhou Leng entered Modular Examination Hall No. 4, greeted Rao Mingxian, and completed the blood draw and morning true qi tests.
• Wang Boxiong reviewed Zhou Leng's records and blood sample, found no signs of demonic cultivation, and judged that he might awaken a Qi Extraordinary Body.
• Wang Boxiong learned Zhou Leng had risen more than twenty-two thousand places and added him to the key monitoring list.
• Zhou Leng returned with Zhang Xinglie for the afternoon test while Wang Boxiong and Deputy Director Lu watched; they decided to seek approval for a second verification after the next examination.
• Principal Lu told Sun Xiong that he would accompany him to the examination site and challenge any unjustified recheck of Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng completed the marble and Bubble Basketball tests with exceptional scores, but Deputy Director Lu Qiming ordered a second verification because his ranking had risen unusually. With Wang Boxiong supervising the process, Zhou Leng began retaking the Martial Examination while Zhang Xinglie waited outside Passage Four.

• Jiang Yan told Zhou Leng and Hu Yi to work during the college entrance exams, but Zhou Leng refused and prioritized the exams.
• Zhou Leng practiced with the Demonic Marble Table and earned a score expected to convert to a perfect 100.
• Zhou Leng guided nine of ten trial bubbles through the hoop and scored perfectly on the ninth and tenth official shots, earning an expected score of 99.
• Lu Qiming told Zhou Leng that higher authorities had approved a second verification of his results.
• Zhou Leng asked for the highest-ranking Martial Guard to guarantee the inspection's legality, and Wang Boxiong agreed to supervise.
• Zhou Leng entered a backup examination room and began retaking the Martial Examination as Zhang Xinglie waited outside Passage Four.

Zhou Leng emerged from a retest with results that could break Ru City's record, and Principal Lu secured seven Qi-Nourishing Pill vouchers from the Education Bureau as compensation. Later, Zhou Leng discussed his university options and future in Martial Dao with Li Linhan, who began asking about Martial Arts Field Study.

• Zhang Xinglie, Principal Lu, and Sun Xiong waited for Zhou Leng, who had been held for a retest in Exam Room Four.
• Lu Qiming praised Zhou Leng's results and confirmed the retest had found no problems, prompting Principal Lu to protest and demand compensation.
• Zhang Xinglie backed Principal Lu's pressure on Lu Qiming, who gave Zhou Leng seven Qi-Nourishing Pill vouchers.
• Zhou Leng and Zhang Xinglie discussed Zhang Xinglie's coming move to Xiong City and Zhou Leng's choices between West Sea Martial University, Ru City Martial University, and a martial academy.
• Zhou Leng told Li Linhan he intended to pursue only Martial Dao, and Li Linhan explained Affiliated Martial Academies before asking whether Zhou Leng had heard of Martial Arts Field Study.

Zhou Leng considered joining a paid martial arts field study in Demon City to earn merit and gain combat experience, while making plans for training and tuition. He was still weighing his team options as he began preparing at Xiaoru Village.

• Li Linhan offered Zhou Leng a place on Boss Xue's son's field study team, and Zhou Leng said he would decide within three days.
• Zhou Leng read his classmates' discussion of field studies, then asked Li Linhan whether Feng Wenhao could join the team.
• Xu Qingjin invited Zhou Leng to a class gathering and discussed their plans to apply to Ru City martial schools.
• Zhou Leng saw Zhang Xinglie returning from early-morning cultivation and went for his own run, thinking through his training, finances, and field study preparations.
• Zhou Leng arrived at Xiaoru Village to cultivate.

Zhou Leng found a Divine Script Golden Page beneath the Frost Giant Tree and struggled to memorize its characters while continuing his cultivation. After his Mystic Tide Art reached grandmastery, he checked his examination results and found that his Martial Examination score qualified him to apply for Ru City Martial University's supplementary admission exam.

• Big Yellow dug up a Divine Script Golden Page, and Zhou Leng tried to memorize its characters, repeatedly sleeping when the effort overwhelmed him.
• Zhou Leng contacted Li Linhan and decided to join the Martial Path Study Team with his classmate Feng Wenhao, then removed his green wristband after a hospital examination.
• Zhou Leng cultivated beneath the Frost Giant Tree until his Mystic Tide Art reached grandmastery, improving his true qi recovery and reducing his sleep time.
• Zhou Leng checked his examination results, found a total score of 672 and a city ranking of 12,437th, and confirmed that his Martial Examination score of 276 qualified him for Ru City Martial University's supplementary admission process.
• Hu Yi messaged Zhou Leng that he had ranked 52,000th and scored 199 on the Martial Examination.

After his dramatic exam improvement, Zhou Leng received congratulations, watched Zhang Xinglie leave for the capital, and reached the second layer of Qi-Nourishing Great Accomplishment. As Zhou Leng prepared to apply to Ru City Martial University, Principal Lu urged him to aim for West Sea Martial University instead.

• Zhou Leng shared his scores with Hu Yi, and their classmates celebrated his rise of more than sixty thousand places after his injury and recovery.
• Zhou Leng saw Zhang Xinglie off as he left Ru City for Yunhua, and Zhang Xinglie urged them to keep climbing toward the peak together.
• Zhou Leng studied the Divine Script Golden Page and cultivated for two days, using his last two Qi-Nourishing Pills to reach Great Accomplishment Second Layer.
• At school, Zhou Leng discussed applications with his classmates and chose Ru City Martial University and its affiliated academy rather than risk applying to West Sea Martial University.
• Principal Lu gave Zhou Leng six Qi-Nourishing Pills, an Origin-Replenishing Pill, and a military merit exchange voucher, then argued that Zhou Leng should choose West Sea Martial University for its superior resources.

Zhou Leng chose West Sea Martial University’s supplementary admissions while also applying to Ru City Martial University’s affiliated martial academy, then went with Feng Wenhao to test their abilities at Xue Tongming’s company. Zhou Leng impressed the onlookers with his fighting skill, while Feng Wenhao’s spar began poorly.

• Principal Lu encouraged Zhou Leng to apply to West Sea Martial University and promised to recommend him, then called teachers to help persuade him.
• After hearing that he could still cultivate in Demon City and graduate early, Zhou Leng chose West Sea Martial University for supplementary admission and Ru City Martial University’s affiliated martial academy.
• Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao went with Li Linhan to meet Xue Tongming, who required them to spar with Guo Xiaohao.
• Zhou Leng explained his approach to legwork, then attacked Guo Xiaohao with a sustained series of techniques and evaded his counterattack.
• Guo Xiaohao praised Zhou Leng’s adaptable offense and defense, though he noted his lack of combat experience and messy stance when retreating.
• Feng Wenhao charged at Guo Xiaohao with unstable footwork, prompting Xue Tongming to criticize his weak basics as Li Linhan asked Zhou Leng for his assessment.

Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao impressed Xue Tongming and were hired to protect his son, Xue Chengsong, during a martial arts field study. After taking an Origin-Replenishing Pill and refining his techniques, Zhou Leng arrived with the team at Shuizhou Base, where Xue Chengsong warned them about the dangers and rewards of their mission.

• Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao sparred with Guo Xiaohao, who exposed Feng Wenhao's weak fundamentals and praised Zhou Leng's solid martial arts foundation to Xue Tongming.
• Xue Tongming hired Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao as bodyguards for Xue Chengsong, and Feng Wenhao accepted lower compensation without bargaining.
• Zhou Leng took an Origin-Replenishing Pill beneath the Frost Giant Tree, felt his health improve, and refined his Wave-Stacking Palm and Mystic Tide Art.
• Zhou Leng and the others reached Shuizhou Base with Xue Chengsong, who explained the importance of Merit Badges and military merit.
• Xue Chengsong promised rewards if the team helped him gain admission to West Sea Martial University, then warned that anyone who betrayed him would face his father's retaliation.

Zhou Leng's study team entered Water Continent Demon City, where Chen Shouhu captured a Demon-Worshiping Cult infiltrator during an attack on the Pioneer Base. As the team camped and continued toward Wolf Valley, Chen Shouhu discussed the cult's growing activity and asked about Zhou Leng; the next morning, someone taunted Xue Chengsong.

• Xue Chengsong led Zhou Leng's team toward Wolf Valley, and they saw a golden-leaved treant at the Pioneer Base.
• An explosion triggered an alarm, and Chen Shouhu defeated a black-clad intruder with help from the treant before the alarm was lifted.
• The team left the base and traveled through Water Continent Demon City, where Xue Chengsong explained its dangers and led them to a monitored campsite.
• Chen Shouhu warned his Martial Brigade to stay alert amid frequent fiend incursions and ordered the captured Huangmeng Sect Innate killed if he did not talk by the next day.
• Chen Shouhu learned that Zhou Leng had entered the base and asked about his condition, while instructing his staff to treat him equally.
• After breakfast the next morning, Zhou Leng's team prepared to leave camp, and someone jeered at Xue Chengsong.

Zhou Leng’s team entered Wolf Valley for their Martial Arts Field Study, fought off several demonic wolves, and praised Zhou Leng for detecting them early. As the team rested after leaving the valley, Pioneer Base detected abnormal spatial fluctuations at three monitoring points.

• Chang Luan encountered Xue Chengsong’s group, and Xue Chengsong explained their families’ rivalry was unlikely to turn into serious conflict during the field study.
• Xue Chengsong warned the team that their Merit Badges would lose contact with the outside world beyond the red-spotted forest, and the seven students reviewed their combat roles before entering Wolf Valley.
• Zhou Leng sensed a Blue-Backed Demonic Wolf approaching, and the team coordinated their attacks until it fled.
• The team encountered demonic wolves three times that night, and Xue Chengsong credited Zhou Leng’s perception with helping keep everyone safe.
• The seven wrote field study notes and arranged night watches before sleeping at camp.
• Alarms sounded at Pioneer Base when monitoring points 791, 792, and 793 detected abnormal spatial fluctuations.

Zhou Leng’s team hunted a demon wolf in Wolf Valley, but their victory was interrupted when a Rust Priest attacked them and tried to capture Zhou Leng. Lord Tong Tianxia arrived just as the Rust Priest threatened the rest of the team.

• Xue Chengsong led the team in a feigned retreat, then they surrounded and weakened a demon wolf until Zhou Leng struck it down with a powerful palm, allowing Xue Chengsong to kill it.
• Guo Xiaohao and Liu Teng watched Zhou Leng’s rapid improvement, but a Rust Priest seized them and killed them after Guo Xiaohao shouted a warning.
• Xue Chengsong ordered the team to flee and split up, but the Rust Priest’s grating sound immobilized them and left them helpless.
• The Rust Priest singled out Zhou Leng to take back to the sanctuary and reached for Feng Wenhao, but Lord Tong Tianxia appeared and the priest released Zhou Leng.