Chapter Summaries

Manager Li noticed Fang Yuan’s huge wager on the Qinghe Arena and sent a man to investigate, while Fang Yuan prepared to leave the Martial Arts School and headed to the arena with Wang Fugui. The chapter ended as Fang Yuan approached the stage, where crowds were already discussing the favored competitors.

• Manager Li calculated that Fang Yuan’s ten-thousand-tael bet could pay out a million taels and secretly sent a gray-clad man to investigate him.
• Fang Yuan trained privately for several days, then left the Martial Arts School in a showy Wang Family carriage with Wang Fugui.
• Wang Fugui revealed that he had bet five thousand taels on Fang Yuan, and Fang Yuan considered how the betting pool’s organizers would respond.
• At Qinghe Arena, Wang Fugui explained that representatives from prefectural sects and government offices had gathered to select promising fighters.
• Fang Yuan approached the stage as spectators debated Zhao Lingyun, Liu Ruyan, and Zhou Yanzhi and shared their betting tips.

Fang Yuan arrived at the Qinghe Arena to register, where he learned that noble-born Chen Bo Zhao was among the favored contestants and that armed men were watching him. Registration was disrupted by a newly added strength trial that threatened to exclude martial artists below Second Rank.

• Fang Yuan heard spectators discuss Chen Bo Zhao's family ties to an Earl's Mansion and learned that locals had placed substantial bets on him.
• Hei Da and his men confirmed Fang Yuan's identity and watched him, while Zhao Tie and Zhou Chen remained their captives.
• Fang Yuan joined the registration queue and spoke with a white-robed martial artist who had bet on being eliminated in the first round.
• A clerk announced that a last-minute trial would effectively eliminate anyone below Second Rank and pointed to two stone locks as a martial artist struggled to lift one.

Fang Yuan passed the Arena Stage’s strength test by lifting a heavy stone lock one-handed, while Wang Fugui was forced to withdraw. Chen Bo Zhao and Zhou Yanzhi noticed Fang Yuan and wondered where he came from, with Chen Bo Zhao asking if he was a native.

• Several martial artists failed to lift the stone lock, and Wang Fugui admitted he could not enter the Arena Stage with Fang Yuan.
• A white-robed martial artist lifted the stone lock with ease before Fang Yuan’s turn.
• Fang Yuan calmly lifted and lowered the stone lock one-handed, passed the test, and received a participant token.
• The white-robed martial artist learned Fang Yuan’s name and regretted not betting on him.
• Chen Bo Zhao and Zhou Yanzhi saw Fang Yuan’s feat, and Chen Bo Zhao asked whether Fang Yuan was a native.

Fang Yuan received a Copper Token after an old man tested him at the Arena Stage entrance. Meanwhile, Chen Bo Zhao decided he wanted Fang Yuan as a Rod Servant and threatened his family if he refused, leaving Fang Yuan unaware of the danger.

• Chen Bo Zhao called Fang Yuan qualified to be his Rod Servant and said he would kill Fang Yuan's family if he refused.
• Zhou Yanzhi declined to interfere, while Hei Da and his men watched Fang Yuan from the crowd.
• Huangfu Ying recognized Chen Bo Zhao's threat and considered warning Fang Yuan, but Huangfu Song persuaded him to keep moving.
• A white-robed martial artist received an Iron Token from the old man at the shed and entered the Arena Stage.
• The old man swiftly tapped several points on Fang Yuan's body, praised him, and gave him a Copper Token as his temporary identity token.

Fang Yuan joined the other candidates after passing the old man's trial, while a would-be participant was exposed for falsifying his bone age and banned from martial arenas, sects, and government offices across Great Yin. The candidates were left wary of the old man's authority as they waited at the Qinghe Arena.

• A tall, thin young man held a stone lock overhead while Zhou Yanzhi watched and Fang Yuan chose not to show his own strength.
• Fang Yuan entered the open space and joined the White-robed Martial Artist, who had been waiting for him.
• The old man threw out a burly man who protested that he had passed the stone lock trial and should be allowed to participate.
• The old man revealed that the man had altered his bone age with a Collarbone Pill and threatened to report his identity to the Imperial City Security Department.
• The old man declared that the man would never again be accepted by Great Yin's martial arenas, sects, or government offices, and the White-robed Martial Artist whispered that the old man was fierce.

Fang Yuan observed the Qinghe Arena’s lax rules and learned that the Imperial Court’s old examiner could detect age fraud. Chen Bo Zhao arrived and warned Fang Yuan to admit defeat if they fought, while Huangfu Ying decided to warn Fang Yuan later.

• The old man announced that Qinghe Arena entrants only had to be under thirty and avoid forbidden drugs, and several contestants who had cheated slipped away.
• A gray-clad young man argued that cheating could be worth the risk if it went undiscovered, prompting Fang Yuan to consider the cheaters’ calculations.
• Fang Yuan noticed that everyone else wore an Iron Token while he carried a concealed Copper Token.
• Chen Bo Zhao entered with a Golden Long Rod, complained that the test was too easy, and told Fang Yuan to admit defeat if they met in the matches.
• Huangfu Ying watched Chen Bo Zhao approach Fang Yuan and decided to find a chance to warn him.

Fang Yuan waited for the Qinghe Arena matches to begin while considering the likely competition formats and the prefectural city contestants’ motives. Lin Pingzhi invited him to cooperate with the local martial artists, but Fang Yuan remained apart as the contest’s format and the Copper Token’s significance remained unknown.

• Chen Bo Zhao bet that Fang Yuan would be eliminated in the first round, while Zhou Yanzhi recognized his plan to suppress and recruit Fang Yuan.
• Fang Yuan warned the white-robed martial artist not to provoke Chen Bo Zhao, and the martial artist realized the danger of speaking carelessly.
• As more contestants gathered, Fang Yuan identified the prefectural city group as likely arena “seeds” and considered how individual combat and team combat would test different abilities.
• Fang Yuan recalled his prison experiences and suspected that the Copper Token might matter more than the arena rules.
• Lin Pingzhi invited Fang Yuan to join the Qinghe County martial artists in helping one another, but Fang Yuan did not join their group.

Fang Yuan waited for the Qinghe Arena to begin, shared jerky with a white-robed martial artist from war-torn Hanshan Commandery, and learned that Chen Bo Zhao had threatened his family. The chapter ended as Zhou Yanzhi reminded Chen Bo Zhao that it was the third round.

• Fang Yuan noticed the organizers had left and the contestants were waiting before the empty Grandmaster Chairs.
• The White-robed Martial Artist shared jerky with Fang Yuan and told him his master had died helping him escape the Rebel Army's blockade.
• Fang Yuan and the White-robed Martial Artist agreed they would fight each other without holding back if they met on the stage.
• Huangfu Ying warned Fang Yuan that Chen Bo Zhao had tried to recruit him as a Rod Servant and threatened to kill his whole family if he refused.
• Chen Bo Zhao smiled at Fang Yuan across the arena, and Zhou Yanzhi told him it was the third round.

Fang Yuan waited with the other candidates as the examination's delayed start tested their patience, while Myriad Treasures Pavilion collected bets inside the arena. The chapter ended as several candidates protested the wait and one declared he would quit, just before a bell rang.

• Lin Pingzhi returned to the Qinghe County martial artists and defended Fang Yuan after they criticized him for skipping their gathering and betting on himself to win.
• The candidates waited until noon, and an official warned that anyone who left the venue would lose their examination qualifications.
• Fang Yuan concealed his Copper Token and wondered why he alone had one while the commandery-city candidates, including Chen Bo Zhao, carried Iron Tokens.
• An official collected bets, and a white-robed martial artist wagered his two taels of silver on Fang Yuan, saying his master had told him to treat it as making a friend.
• Several candidates grew angry over the delay, and one announced that he would quit the examination just as a bell rang.

Eunuch Cao silenced the crowd and took his place at the Qinghe Arena examination, where the seating arrangement revealed the hierarchy among imperial officials and sects. As the gathered martial artists awaited the examination, the old daoist beside Eunuch Cao suddenly opened his eyes.

• Eunuch Cao appeared onstage, warned the crowd against questioning the examination, and took the central seat.
• Fang Yuan observed Zhao Fengxian of the Imperial City Security Department and recognized Li Hanshan and Xu Feng seated at the edge of the stage.
• An old daoist took the seat to Eunuch Cao’s left, while other officials and sect representatives filled the remaining seats.
• Local martial artists grew excited at the chance to join prominent sects, while Lin Pingzhi doubted the opportunity would be simple.
• Zhao Fengxian indicated that preparations were complete, and the old daoist suddenly opened his eyes as Eunuch Cao prepared to speak.

Qinghe Arena began under an elimination format in which martial artists defended the stage or challenged whoever stood on it. Fang Yuan considered the risks of facing unknown opponents as the crowd reacted to the rules.

• Old Daoist briefly opened his eyes, and Fang Yuan sensed an unusual aura before it vanished.
• Eunuch Cao opened Qinghe Arena and asked Prefect Zhao to announce the rules.
• Zhao Fengxian declared that the sixty-four martial artists would compete in an elimination format instead of using the previous points system.
• Zhao Fengxian explained that anyone could defend the stage, while challengers fought them; winners advanced and losers were eliminated.
• Fang Yuan assessed how the format could expose an unknown fighter to repeated challenges, while Chen Bo Zhao and Zhou Yanzhi showed interest in the contest.
• Qin Wan worried that the seemingly fair rules relied heavily on luck.

Qin Wan warned Green Vine that the tournament’s rules allowed powerful contenders to wear down rivals, while the contestants hesitated to make the first move. Chen Bo Zhao challenged Zhao Lingyun, drawing protests from bettors as Eunuch Cao noticed Fang Yuan hiding in the crowd.

• Qin Wan explained to Green Vine how opponents could use successive matches to exhaust a favored fighter, and Green Vine worried that Fang Yuan would be targeted.
• The sixty-four contestants waited for someone to take the stage, while Fang Yuan decided it would be best to challenge someone midway through the round.
• Chen Bo Zhao took the stage and challenged Zhao Lingyun, who accepted and headed up to fight him.
• Bettors protested when the two top contenders faced each other in the opening match, while Zhao Fengxian and Eunuch Cao calmly ignored the uproar.
• Eunuch Cao dismissed the praise of Chen Bo Zhao and spotted Fang Yuan hiding in a corner, then wondered whether anyone would attack him that day.

At Qinghe Arena, a local martial artist challenged Chen Bo Zhao before Zhao Lingyun could take the stage, hoping to attract the examiners’ notice. Chen Bo Zhao defeated him in one blow after he conceded, leaving the venue stunned when Chen Bo Zhao killed him anyway.

• Eunuch Cao spotted Bai Susu and Wang Yushuang from Sù Nǚ Palace in the stands and hurriedly avoided Bai Susu’s cold gaze.
• A martial artist jumped onto the arena stage and challenged Chen Bo Zhao, forcing Zhao Lingyun to withdraw and wait for the second round.
• Fang Yuan realized the local fighter had challenged Chen Bo Zhao to make an impression on the examiners and sect representatives.
• Chen Bo Zhao knocked the martial artist’s sword away with his Golden Rod, and the wounded fighter conceded.
• Chen Bo Zhao ignored the minor official’s attempt to stop the match and smashed the martial artist’s head with his Golden Rod.

Chen Bo Zhao killed a Qinghe County martial artist after he surrendered, exposing how little the arena’s deathmatch rules restrained the An Yuan Duke’s arrogant son. As more ranked fighters displayed their skill, Fang Yuan watched and recognized that the county city’s martial artists were all formidable.

• Chen Bo Zhao killed his opponent after the man surrendered, and the arena officials let the match stand under the rules.
• Fang Yuan recognized the dead man as a fellow Qinghe County martial artist and exchanged a brief, threatening look with Chen Bo Zhao.
• Chen Bo Zhao defended the killing to Zhou Yanzhi, saying fighters had to be ready to die once they entered the stage.
• Zhao Lingyun disarmed his challenger without harming him, then exchanged hostile looks with Chen Bo Zhao.
• Zhou Yanzhi defeated his opponent in three moves, and Liu Ruyan displayed fierce, nimble swordsmanship as Fang Yuan watched the ranked fighters.

Fang Yuan entered the Arena Stage and faced Li Qing, a local Third-Rank Martial Artist who had targeted him for refusing to join the local martial artists’ circle. Fang Yuan defeated Li Qing with a single kick and advanced, while Li Qing’s father recognized that Fang Yuan had deliberately spared his son from serious injury.

• Fang Yuan stepped onto the Arena Stage after the earlier matches ended.
• Li Qing challenged Fang Yuan, while local martial artists watched and expected Li Qing to defeat him.
• Li Qing charged with a swift saber strike, but Fang Yuan evaded it and kicked him off the Arena Stage.
• The minor official struck the gong to confirm Fang Yuan’s victory, and Li Qing protested before his father called him back.
• Li Hall Master thanked Fang Yuan with a fist salute after realizing Fang Yuan had avoided injuring Li Qing seriously.

Fang Yuan’s swift victory over Li Qing drew attention from the tournament’s leading martial artists, while Zhao Song also advanced with a three-move win. The first round ended with all seeded competitors advancing, and Fang Yuan anticipated that his newfound reputation might make him a target in the next round.

• Fang Yuan kicked Li Qing off the Arena Stage, ignored the watching martial artists, and returned to Zhao Song.
• Eunuch Cao and Zhao Fengxian discussed the speed of Fang Yuan’s kick, while Zhou Yanzhi, Chen Bo Zhao, Liu Ruyan, and Zhao Lingyun each assessed his footwork.
• Zhao Song defeated a Third-Rank County City Martial Artist in three moves with his shabby Old Sword.
• The Bronze Gong ended the first round, and all the seeded competitors advanced to the Top 32.
• Lin Pingzhi apologized to Fang Yuan for what had happened with Li Qing, and Fang Yuan said he did not take offense.
• Fang Yuan realized the other martial artists now saw him as a threat and expected that someone might target him in the next round.

The sects recruited several Top 32 contestants, while Fang Yuan received no offers and wondered about the enigmatic Daoist Robe Old Man. Zhao Fengxian announced that the next round would cut the contestants straight from thirty-two to four, leaving Fang Yuan to anticipate a difficult contest.

• Zhao Fengxian invited the examiners to recruit contestants, and a member of the Iron Spear Sect offered Zhao Lingyun a place, but Zhao Lingyun said they could talk after the fights.
• A Female Elder offered Liu Ruyan a place at Qingxia Valley and the chance to earn an Essence Condensing Method, and Liu Ruyan accepted.
• Several sects recruited contestants, but Zhou Yanzhi and a County City Martial Artist declined, while Chen Bo Zhao rejected the Iron Sword Sect's offer for lacking the promised method.
• Fang Yuan received no offers, and Li Hanshan decided not to spend a recruitment chance on him yet.
• The Daoist Robe Old Man briefly opened his eyes, and Fang Yuan felt an overwhelming pressure before the old man closed them again.
• Zhao Fengxian announced that the next round would advance only four contestants from the Top 32, surprising Fang Yuan and drawing Zhou Yanzhi's interest.

Fang Yuan drew Group C, a dangerous bracket with Chen Bo Zhao and Liu Ruyan, and learned that the winners could enter the County Martial Academy. As Group C prepared to fight, Green Vine and Qin Wan worried over Fang Yuan’s chances.

• Fang Yuan and the white-robed martial artist drew Group B, while Chen Bo Zhao, Liu Ruyan, and Zhao Lingyun drew Group C.
• Fang Yuan joined Group C’s eight competitors, where Lin Pingzhi decided he would surrender if he faced Chen Bo Zhao.
• Zhao Fengxian announced that each group’s winner would advance to the Top 4 and earn an opportunity to enter the County Martial Academy.
• A County City Martial Artist explained that the academy offered Essence Condensing Methods, which made the arena a major opportunity for Martial Artists.
• Spectators called Group C a Death Group because it included Chen Bo Zhao, Liu Ruyan, and Fang Yuan, while Green Vine fretted and Qin Wan scolded her.

As Group B’s screening matches approached, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion reopened betting and adjusted the contestants’ odds. Fang Yuan noticed his odds had improved to fifty-to-one, while Manager Li expected Chen Bo Zhao to win and dismissed Fang Yuan’s chances.

• Officials divided the arena into four stages as Group B’s contestants prepared to compete.
• The Myriad Treasures Pavilion posted revised odds, raising Chen Bo Zhao and Liu Ruyan’s odds to 1.5 and cutting Fang Yuan’s odds from one hundred to fifty.
• Manager Li predicted that Chen Bo Zhao would outlast Liu Ruyan and said Fang Yuan’s odds remained on the board because women had bet on him.
• Green Vine saw gamblers mock Fang Yuan’s fifty-to-one odds and insist that only women would wager on him.

Fang Yuan weighed whether to seize the initiative in the arena trials but hesitated when Lin Pingzhi warned him about Chen Bo Zhao. Chen Bo Zhao took the stage first and brutally defeated a challenger, while Fang Yuan waited for another chance to prove himself.

• Qin Wan teased Green Vine about placing more bets on Fang Yuan, then turned her attention to the arena.
• Zhao Fengxian announced that each group would fight until one martial artist remained standing, and Fang Yuan realized that going first could showcase his strength despite the risk of consecutive battles.
• Fang Yuan stepped forward at the same time as Chen Bo Zhao, but Lin Pingzhi grabbed his sleeve and warned that Chen Bo Zhao might kill him.
• Chen Bo Zhao strode onto the Group B arena and challenged the others, while Fang Yuan watched Zhao Lingyun and Zhou Yanzhi begin fighting on other stages.
• After the Group B crowd hesitated, an Outlander Martial Artist challenged Chen Bo Zhao; Chen disarmed him with one strike and then smashed his chest with a second, leaving him motionless.