Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen activates his Glazed Battle Runes and catches the fleeing Zhang Qin, a Ninth Layer Foundation Establishment disciple of the Divine Arrow Sect. He kills him after confronting him for having shot at him first. The kill earns points and sends a surge of Spiritual Power through the Floating Immortal Sword Seal, further imprinting the Startling Swan Arrow Technique in his mind.
• Zhang Qin disappears after activating the mark on his forehead, leaving his belongings behind. Fang Chen discovers he can summon Paper Crane and use the Spirit Crane Space to store and retrieve items, avoiding the cost of buying a Storage Bag.
• Hoping to attract more attackers, Fang Chen waits in the open. Three hours later, another Divine Arrow Sect archer attacks him. Fang Chen pursues and kills him, gaining more points and Spiritual Power.
• After the second kill, Fang Chen’s Dao Platform trembles and a vision returns: a bowman shoots down the Twelve Suns. The vision delivers a flood of unfamiliar information, which Fang Chen begins to examine.

Character developments

• Fang Chen grows more confident and ruthless in the examination, treating stronger attackers as opportunities to earn points. He also adapts resourcefully by finding a way to use Paper Crane for storage.
• His understanding of the Startling Swan Arrow Technique advances through the Spiritual Power gained from his kills, culminating in the renewed vision and new information.
• The defeated archers reveal Fang Chen’s determination to retaliate against anyone who attacks him.

Significant themes

• Strength and survival: Fang Chen’s speed and power allow him to defeat opponents with higher cultivation.
• Retribution: He frames Zhang Qin’s death as justice for an attack that could have killed him.
• Resourcefulness: Fang Chen turns Paper Crane’s unusual abilities into a practical advantage.
• Power through conflict: Each kill brings points and spiritual insight, linking combat with rapid growth.
• Mystery and inheritance: The recurring Twelve Suns vision suggests a deeper origin or meaning behind Fang Chen’s Dao Platform and technique.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen confronts Zhang Qin, who curses him and threatens future revenge before vanishing.
• Fang Chen tests Paper Crane’s ability to store items; the crane successfully swallows and returns Zhang Qin’s bow.
• Fang Chen lures in a second Divine Arrow Sect archer, then kills him after chasing him through the city.

Key plot points and events

• During an Enlightenment state, Fang Chen receives the Heavenly Arrow technique and its companion secret art, the Samsara Eye. The Eye can reveal things hidden from ordinary sight, strengthen perception, and eventually allow him to examine his own Life Wheel—but cultivation is difficult and risks blindness.
• Fang Chen attempts the first stage by channeling True Essence into the acupoints around his eyes. The effort causes intense itching and pain, forcing him to stop.
• A group from the Primordial Sacred Land finds him and mocks him for calling himself the Riding Heaven Great Sage. Chen Huan orders Liu Yan to kill him.
• Liu Yan attacks, but Fang Chen perceives her Sword Qi as moving slowly. Using his bow and Glazed Battle Runes, he shatters it and kills her with a strike to the throat.
• The kill’s Spiritual Power relieves the pain in his eyes and brightens his vision. Fang Chen then takes Liu Yan’s sword, whose Azure Runes amplify its Sword Intent.
• He defeats another disciple, Wang Cong, then pursues and kills the fleeing members of the group. His Paper Crane gathers their dropped treasures.

Character developments

• Fang Chen gains two powerful techniques and begins awakening the Samsara Eye’s enhanced vision, though he has only glimpsed its potential and still suffers pain when practicing it.
• His confidence and combat ability grow: he quickly turns an apparent moment of vulnerability into a decisive counterattack, then pursues multiple enemies.
• Chen Huan shifts from contemptuous confidence to alarm and retreat after witnessing Fang Chen’s strength.

Significant themes

• Power through risk and hardship: The Samsara Eye promises extraordinary abilities but demands painful, dangerous cultivation.
• Perception and advantage: Fang Chen’s altered vision lets him read attacks and opponents more effectively.
• Reversal of arrogance: The group’s mockery and underestimation of Fang Chen are swiftly overturned.
• Power gained through combat: Spiritual Power from a kill temporarily eases the technique’s pain and improves Fang Chen’s vision.

Character interactions

• Chen Huan dismisses Fang Chen as weak and delegates his execution to Liu Yan.
• Liu Yan attacks Fang Chen but is killed before she can follow through.
• Fang Chen’s counterattack shocks Chen Huan and the other disciples, prompting their flight; he hunts them down while the Paper Crane collects their belongings.

Plot points and events

• Fang Chen hunts through the competition city, killing large groups indiscriminately and rapidly raising his score.
• His Foundation Establishment Dao Platform breaks through another layer, strengthening his Spiritual Power and Body Protection Gang Qi.
• The Samsara Eye reaches its first layer. Using the Reincarnation Eye Secret Technique, Fang Chen can now see clearly at great distances and read air currents—useful preparation for archery.
• After a day of fighting, his score exceeds 20,000 and he enters the combat rankings’ top 100,000, putting him on course for admission to Tianyuan Academy.
• Outside the competition, the Black Flame Dao Master celebrates Fang Chen’s progress. He and Dao Master Honghe also notice Chen Xiaofei—competing as “I Want to Kill the Bald Bird”—has risen to 3,000th in the alchemy rankings, well within the academy’s admission range.
• Fang Chen is suddenly attacked by Zhang Ning of the Divine Arrow Sect. Zhang’s arrow wounds Fang Chen’s shoulder, and he kills the other contestants in the square with headshots. He then fires again at Fang Chen, ending the chapter with the arrow closing in.

Character development

• Fang Chen adapts his training strategy: he prioritizes mastering the Samsara Eye before learning the Heavenly Arrow Secret Technique, while using combat to accelerate his cultivation.
• His improved vision and ability to judge distant air currents bring him closer to becoming an effective long-range archer.
• Zhang Ning is established as a formidable, ruthless marksman whose skill and equipment make him a serious new threat.

Themes

• Progress through struggle: Combat both raises Fang Chen’s score and fuels his cultivation.
• Preparation and adaptation: Fang Chen changes his plan when new techniques offer a more efficient path.
• Competition and survival: Alliances may form among faction members, but the arena remains brutally lethal.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen fights everyone he encounters without regard to faction.
• The Black Flame Dao Master and Dao Master Honghe watch the rankings and celebrate the prospects of Fang Chen and Chen Xiaofei.
• Zhang Ning confronts Fang Chen, acknowledging his ability to dodge the first shot before attacking again.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Ning of the Divine Arrow Sect attacks Fang Chen with a Golden Arrow, but Fang uses the Reincarnation Eye and his sword to deflect it. The Floating Immortal Sword Seal’s Spiritual Power also rapidly heals Fang’s shoulder wound.
• Zhang Ning flees deeper into the City. Though Fang pursues him, Zhang’s greater cultivation and speed initially keep him out of reach.
• Fang’s Dao Platform stirs a vision he saw during Foundation Establishment: a golden turtle chasing the giant Kuafu, who is pursuing the sun. The turtle gains a mysterious transformation after Kuafu taps its head beside a river, then races onward.
• Fang follows the vision and steps onto one of the turtle’s ripples. He receives the knowledge of a powerful new footwork technique, Kuafu Chasing the Sun, and uses it to rapidly catch Zhang.
• Zhang turns to fight. Fang deflects his arrow and lands a sword strike that sends Zhang tumbling and leaves him spitting blood, though Zhang’s armor limits the damage.

Character developments

• Fang Chen shows increased confidence and aggression after surviving Zhang’s attack. His sudden insight into Kuafu Chasing the Sun gives him a major boost in speed, helping him overcome the gap in cultivation.
• Zhang Ning shifts from confident attacker to startled fugitive, then fights back when Fang closes in. His ninth-level cultivation and armor remain formidable, but he is forced onto the defensive.

Significant themes

• Growth through persistence: Fang’s inability to catch Zhang leads to a breakthrough rather than surrender.
• Inheritance and inspiration: The ancient vision of the golden turtle becomes a source of new martial knowledge.
• Limits of cultivation: Fang’s lower level initially constrains him, but skill and insight let him challenge a stronger opponent.

Character interactions

• Fang and Zhang’s encounter escalates from Zhang’s attempted killing and Fang’s pursuit to a direct exchange of attacks.
• In the vision, Kuafu briefly acknowledges the golden turtle with a gentle gesture; the turtle’s transformation follows, suggesting that recognition or contact sparks its progress.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen confronts Zhang Ning, who uses his Sea of Fire Manifestation and Fire Cloud Armor before fleeing. Fang Chen tracks him with the Reincarnation Eye Secret Technique and kills him with a long-range golden arrow, followed by a second arrow to the head.
• Zhang Ning’s death earns Fang Chen a large reward and raises his score to 38,001. The Floating Immortal Sword Seal then pours Spiritual Power into him, most of it strengthening his Foundation Establishment Dao Platform.
• Fang Chen unveils Spiritually Connected Arrow Rain, forming an arrow from True Essence and nearby Spiritual Qi. It multiplies into dozens of arrows and kills a distant group of contestants before they can locate him. Paper Crane gathers the fallen equipment.
• Fang Chen’s points and ranking climb rapidly as he continues hunting across the Examination Grounds. Outside, Black Flame Dao Master and Dao Master Honghe celebrate his progress—and Yan Ziyi’s rise into the top five hundred thousand—while worrying that eight days of the examination remain and the battlefield will grow more dangerous.

Character developments

• Fang Chen demonstrates that his archery can defeat powerful opponents and eliminate groups from hundreds of zhang away. He recognizes bows as an efficient long-range weapon because they demand less Soul Power than Flying Swords.
• Zhang Ning’s confidence collapses when Fang Chen pierces his prized Third-Tier Spirit Treasure armor; he dies in disbelief.
• Black Flame Dao Master and Dao Master Honghe become increasingly hopeful about Fang Chen and Yan Ziyi’s chances of entering Tianyuan Academy, though they remain aware that their standings are not secure.

Significant themes

• Growing power and ingenuity: Fang Chen combines his secret techniques, spiritual perception, and archery to overcome stronger defenses and attack from afar.
• The costs and advantages of different weapons: Bows use less Soul Power than Flying Swords, making them especially effective at long range.
• Competition and uncertainty: High rankings bring hope, but the shrinking arena and remaining days mean success is not guaranteed.
• Rewards and advancement: Kills bring points and Spiritual Power, directly strengthening Fang Chen and improving his standing.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen and Zhang Ning’s encounter turns from Zhang Ning’s attempted counterattack and escape into a one-sided pursuit and execution.
• Fang Chen’s unseen attack on the distant contestants underscores the archer’s advantage: his targets are killed without discovering his position.
• Outside the grounds, Honghe excitedly reports Yan Ziyi’s ranking to Black Flame Dao Master; the two share in the excitement over both disciples’ progress while discussing the risks ahead.

Key plot points and events

• Seven days into the assessment, Fang Chen reaches five million points and 98th place on the Combat Rankings, becoming a striking outsider among the Central Region’s major-faction contestants.
• The Glazed Sword Sect celebrates its disciples’ progress: Yan Ziyi reaches 8,000th place, Chen Xiaofei reaches 500th on the Alchemist Rankings, and ten others enter the Combat Board’s top 100,000. Their leaders believe several disciples have effectively secured admission to Tianyuan Academy.
• Fang Chen ambushes a large group of Divine Arrow Sect and Primordial Sacred Land disciples. His arrow kills nearly two-thirds, but the survivors escape using Earth Evasion Talismans—an increasingly common obstacle as contestants accumulate points and supplies.
• Fang Chen wonders how Qin Tian, still ranked first, has amassed over 30 million points—more than six times his own. Fang has grown stronger during the assessment, advancing a cultivation layer and improving his techniques, but still senses a gulf between himself and the greatest Central Barrens geniuses.
• Thick fog spreads through the city. Fang Chen uses the Reincarnation Eye to see through it and hunt effectively. In three hours, he reaches ten million points and 20th place, while Qin Tian’s score rises to 40 million.
• Heavy rain clears the fog as the shrinking arena funnels contestants together for the final hour. In an alley, Fang Chen blocks a sudden Sword Qi attack. He turns to face its source: Qin Tian, who appears impressed by his defense.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Chen grows more capable and ambitious, but recognizes that his achievements do not yet match Qin Tian’s. He adapts quickly to changing conditions and uses the fog to his advantage.
• Qin Tian is established as the assessment’s overwhelming leader, with a score that continues to outpace Fang Chen’s dramatically. Their first direct encounter begins with Qin testing Fang Chen and acknowledging his skill.
• Dao Master Honghe, the Black Flame Dao Master, and the Glazed Sword Sect disciples share pride and excitement as they watch their sect’s contestants rise in the rankings.

Significant themes

• Ambition and the limits of achievement: Fang Chen’s rapid rise is impressive, yet Qin Tian’s lead reveals how much separates even exceptional talent from the very strongest.
• Adaptability and resourcefulness: Fang Chen turns the fog into an advantage, while contestants’ purchased escape talismans change the nature of combat.
• Collective pride and opportunity: The Glazed Sword Sect’s unexpected success offers its disciples a path to Tianyuan Academy and gives the sect’s leaders renewed hope.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen unexpectedly encounters Qin Tian, the Seventh Holy Son of the Primordial Sacred Land, whom he has been curious to meet.
• Their exchange quickly turns hostile. Qin Tian attacks with a lightning-charged sword, while Fang Chen counters using the Crimson Cloud Sword, strengthened by the Floating Immortal Sword Seal.
• Qin Tian’s speed and power initially overwhelm Fang Chen. Fang Chen takes a sword thrust through the shoulder but lands a counterattack—only for Qin Tian’s Third-grade Bodyguard Armor to stop his blade.
• The Sword Seal rapidly heals Fang Chen’s wound. Both fighters recognize the other as a genuine threat and resume their battle.
• Qin Tian drives Fang Chen into a house and unleashes Wrath of Thunder against the rubble, but Fang Chen escapes and attacks from above.
• Fang Chen activates his Glazed Battle Runes, increasing his strength enough to knock Qin Tian into the street, smashing the paving stones. The chapter ends as Qin Tian rises from the crater, battered and dusty.

Character developments

• Fang Chen remains bold and defiant despite facing a much stronger opponent. He adapts with his Misty Turtle Steps and Samsara Eye, and recognizes that his current cultivation is still below Qin Tian’s. His battle runes give him a chance to turn the tide.
• Qin Tian is established as an exceptionally powerful and confident Holy Son, with a Ninth Grade Lightning Spiritual Root and a Myriad Manifestations Dao Platform. Fang Chen’s unexpected counterattack unsettles him, though his armor protects him.

Significant themes

• Power and cultivation gaps: Fang Chen’s talent and techniques help him challenge Qin Tian, but the difference in their strength remains significant.
• Cunning and hidden advantages: Qin Tian’s armor changes the outcome of Fang Chen’s risky thrust, while Fang Chen’s varied abilities let him recover and counterattack.
• Defiance under pressure: Fang Chen refuses to back down, even when badly outmatched.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen and Qin Tian trade insults before fighting, each openly challenging the other’s pride.
• Their combat becomes a test of speed, technique, resilience, and equipment: Qin Tian presses his advantage, while Fang Chen survives, heals, and finds an opening with his battle runes.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen confronts Qin Tian, the Holy Son of the Primordial Sacred Land, while spectators gather to watch. Fang Chen mocks Qin Tian for holding first place only because he had not faced him.
• Qin Tian activates a silver, lightning-wreathed body technique and attacks with his sword. Using the Samsara Eye, Fang Chen reads and blocks Qin Tian’s Sword Qi.
• A surge of power from the Floating Immortal Sword Seal sends Fang Chen into an enlightened state, sharpening his perception and advancing his swordsmanship. He gains the upper hand, damages Qin Tian’s armor, and sends him crashing through buildings.
• Qin Tian rallies and unleashes a massive sword shadow. The two continue fighting through the street, demolishing structures and stunning the onlookers.
• Fang Chen drives Qin Tian into a pavilion and attacks the ruins. Qin Tian counters with the Meteor Sword, a rare, extremely fast Flying Sword worth two hundred thousand points. The chapter ends as Fang Chen blocks its strike.

Character developments

• Fang Chen demonstrates that he can match—and at moments overpower—Qin Tian. The battle pushes his swordsmanship forward as he enters a state of Enlightenment.
• Qin Tian shifts from furious confidence to serious resistance, drawing on his body technique, protective armor, and a powerful hidden weapon.
• The spectators reconsider their assumptions about Fang Chen after seeing him stand against the Primordial Sacred Land’s Holy Son.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus ability: Fang Chen challenges Qin Tian’s standing, and their fight reveals that rankings do not tell the whole story.
• Growth through combat: Fang Chen’s intense battle becomes a catalyst for a breakthrough in swordsmanship.
• Power and spectacle: The clash’s destruction and the crowd’s reactions emphasize the extraordinary strength of both fighters.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen provokes Qin Tian publicly, escalating their rivalry into a direct duel.
• The Primordial Sacred Land disciples urge Qin Tian to kill Fang Chen, then grow uneasy as Fang Chen gains the advantage.
• The gathered spectators watch from a distance, wary of being caught in the fighters’ destructive attacks.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Tian reveals that his earlier Meteor Sword was only one of many: he emerges from the ruins with seven more and uses the Primordial Sacred Land’s Flying Sword Art to attack Fang Chen with up to nine swords at once.
• Fang Chen holds his ground despite being at the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment, while Qin Tian is at Great Perfection. Their clash pushes both fighters close to their limits.
• Observers outside the Examination Grounds notice that both contestants’ scores have stopped rising at the same time, leading them to suspect that Fang Chen has encountered Qin Tian.
• Qin Tian activates his Manifestation and unleashes a tenth Meteor Sword. In response, Fang Chen receives a vision of a giant splitting Chaos with an axe and instinctively releases a devastating Sword Intent.
• Fang Chen’s strike knocks away the nine attacking swords, shatters the tenth, and kills Qin Tian. The Guiding Emissary awards Fang Chen a large bonus, sending his score to 31,480,000 and placing him first.

Character developments

• Fang Chen proves he can overcome a formidable opponent despite a cultivation gap. His swordsmanship advances under pressure, and the vision connected to his Ultimate Dao Platform appears to unlock a powerful new attack.
• Qin Tian displays exceptional skill and perseverance, but his confidence turns to desperation as Fang Chen withstands his Flying Sword Art. Even his Manifestation and tenth sword cannot save him.

Significant themes

• Strength beyond cultivation level: Fang Chen’s ability and composure let him challenge someone with a higher cultivation realm.
• Growth through pressure: The relentless duel pushes Fang Chen toward a sudden breakthrough in sword power.
• Confidence and limits: Qin Tian’s impressive technique has a cost; sustaining so many swords strains him as much as resisting them strains Fang Chen.
• Hidden power and revelation: Fang Chen’s vision and Sword Intent reveal that his potential exceeds what the spectators—and perhaps Fang Chen himself—understood.

Character interactions

• Qin Tian taunts Fang Chen and repeatedly escalates his attacks, while Fang Chen answers with increasingly rapid and forceful defenses.
• Primordial Sacred Land disciples cheer Qin Tian’s display, then react with shock when Fang Chen keeps resisting.
• Outside the arena, Glazed Sword Sect leaders and disciples track the contestants’ stalled scores and speculate about the clash, unable to see its details.

Key plot points

• Fang Chen kills Qin Tian with a newly comprehended sword technique, which he names Heaven and Earth Creation. His strike breaks Qin Tian’s tenth Meteor Sword and pierces him before Qin Tian can react.
• Qin Tian’s death sends him from first place to thirteenth, while Fang Chen—competing as Riding Heaven Great Sage—takes first. Qin Tian is teleported out, accepts his defeat, and vows to face Fang Chen again.
• The assessment ends. Fang Chen receives a temporary Golden Mark granting him the right to enter Tianyuan Academy, but he must return to the Examination Grounds space within three days.
• Fang Chen reunites with Dao Masters Honghe and Black Flame and the Glazed Sword Sect disciples. He learns that Xiao Fei placed thirty-second in the Alchemist Rankings, Zi Yi placed three-thousandth in the Combat Division, and fifteen other sect disciples also qualified for the academy.

Character developments

• Fang Chen gains a powerful new sword move and an unexpected first-place victory. He remains measured despite the acclaim, recognizing that the Examination Grounds made Qin Tian easier to kill than he would have been in the outside world.
• Qin Tian is shaken by the speed and force of Fang Chen’s attack, but accepts the loss and resolves to challenge him again.
• The Glazed Sword Sect’s leaders and disciples move from anxiety to celebration, proud of Fang Chen’s achievement and their other disciples’ results.

Significant themes

• Sudden mastery and breakthrough: Fang Chen’s victory comes from a moment of insight under extreme pressure.
• Humility and perspective: Even after defeating a major rival, Fang Chen acknowledges the role of circumstance and the dangers of facing powerful opponents beyond the assessment.
• Ambition and perseverance: Qin Tian turns defeat into a determination to meet Fang Chen again.

Character interactions

• Qin Tian and Fang Chen clash in a decisive duel, with Fang Chen’s new technique overcoming Qin Tian’s Manifestation and sword attack.
• The Glazed Sword Sect disciples enthusiastically congratulate Fang Chen, while Dao Masters Honghe and Black Flame praise him and point out his special reward.
• Fang Chen asks about the others’ results, shifting attention from his own victory to the sect’s broader success.

Key plot points and events

• The Tianyuan Academy assessment concludes, and the Black Flame Dao Master reports the Glazed Sword Sect’s strong results: Chen Xiaofei ranks thirty-second in the Alchemist Rankings, Yan Ziyi also performs well, and Fang Chen takes first place in the combat division.
• Chen Xiaofei returns, frustrated that the assessment ended just before he could finish his final batch of pills. He believes he might have taken first place if given one more incense stick’s worth of time.
• Initially, Chen Xiaofei is shocked when Fang Chen says he was eliminated, but the other disciples reveal that Fang Chen actually ranked first. Yan Ziyi already knows this from following the combat rankings.
• The Black Flame Dao Master announces that those who passed will enter Tianyuan Academy in three days. He urges them to keep a low profile and focus on training, while acknowledging they may choose to leave the Glazed Sword Sect afterward.
• Fang Chen, Yan Ziyi, Chen Xiaofei, and the other successful disciples pledge to remain loyal to the sect and help restore its former strength. The group celebrates with plans for food and wine.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Chen is pleased by his fellow disciples’ achievements and warmly encourages Chen Xiaofei. He firmly declares his loyalty to the Glazed Sword Sect, crediting it for supporting him.
• Chen Xiaofei shows great alchemical talent and ambition, lamenting his near-finished final batch. He admires Fang Chen and becomes exuberant when he learns of Fang Chen’s first-place result.
• Yan Ziyi is more openly warm and respectful toward Fang Chen than usual. She reflects on her defeats and recognizes that her sect’s limited access to powerful techniques—not her lack of potential—held her back. She hopes to gain stronger arts at Tianyuan Academy and vows to help elevate the sect.
• The Black Flame Dao Master and Dao Master Honghe treat Chen Xiaofei with unusual courtesy because of his talent. The Black Flame Dao Master offers practical advice and understands that loyalty may be tested by future opportunities. Honghe leaves to buy food and wine for the celebration.
• The disciples’ greetings, teasing, praise, and shared celebration reinforce the close, affectionate bonds within the Glazed Sword Sect.

Significant themes

• Talent and opportunity: The assessment rewards ability, but Chen Xiaofei’s near-miss and Yan Ziyi’s struggles show how timing and access to superior techniques can shape results.
• Sect loyalty and gratitude: The successful disciples promise to stay, motivated by gratitude and a shared desire to restore their home.
• Ambition balanced by humility: The Black Flame Dao Master urges caution and diligence even as the disciples celebrate their achievements.

Key plot points and events

• After celebrating their success with Dao Masters Honghe and Black Flame, Fang Chen, Yan Ziyi, Chen Xiaofei, and the Glazed Sword Sect disciples depart for Tianyuan Academy.
• At the Examination Grounds, some Primordial Sacred Land disciples recognize Fang Chen as the “Riding Heaven Great Sage.” His reputation clears the way, and the group enters without incident.
• They travel through a massive Teleportation Array and arrive at Tianyuan Academy, where the dense Spiritual Qi and three suns amaze them.
• The newcomers split according to their divisions: Chen Xiaofei goes to the Alchemists, while Fang Chen, Yan Ziyi, and the other Glazed Sword Sect disciples head to the Combat Division.
• The Combat Division group is placed in a huge, sealed transparent bubble where they cannot hear one another. After waiting silently for a day, they see a bell announce the appearance of a beautiful woman in purple.

Character developments

• Fang Chen confidently assumes responsibility for the group, reassuring them that the Academy is safe and promising to look after his companions.
• His first-place finish and demonstrated strength have made him widely recognized and respected.
• Chen Xiaofei accepts that his Alchemist training will take him away from Fang Chen’s group, while Yan Ziyi and the others remain under Fang Chen’s guidance.

Significant themes

• Reputation and earned respect: Fang Chen’s performance in the assessment earns him deference from others.
• New beginnings and separation: Entering the Academy marks a transition into a new stage of cultivation, with friends assigned to different paths.
• Scale and wonder: The vast teleportation system, unusually rich Spiritual Qi, and three suns emphasize how extraordinary Tianyuan Academy is.
• Patience and uncertainty: The Combat Division’s silent, unexplained waiting suggests a test or new challenge is about to begin.

Character interactions

• Black Flame Dao Master asks Fang Chen to care for the younger disciples; Fang Chen agrees.
• Yan Ziyi worries when people recognize Fang Chen, but he calmly reassures her.
• Chen Xiaofei parts from the group to join the Alchemists, exchanging farewells with Yan Ziyi and the others.
• Fang Chen directs the Combat Division disciples to wait quietly together, and they follow his lead.

Plot and events

• Palace Mistress Lingxin welcomes the new students to Tianyuan Academy. She explains that the academy was founded to cultivate talent across the Human Race and stays out of conflicts among its major powers; students must leave once they reach the Golden Core Realm.
• Lingxin’s voice draws Fang Chen and the other disciples into an unusual state of Enlightenment. Fang Chen senses that his mental power has strengthened and his Soul Origin has become purer, leaving him astonished by Lingxin’s ability.
• A golden transport ring carries the students to the academy’s floating-island grounds. Fang Chen is taken to an especially fine residence, awarded because he ranked first in the Combat Division of Examination Grounds 101.
• There he meets a lifelike academy puppet, who introduces herself as his assigned attendant. Fang Chen names her Little Glazed.
• Little Glazed shows him the residence, including its cultivation chamber, environmental Formations, and a private Teleportation Array connecting to major academy facilities. Fang Chen also receives a token worth 10,000 Points, usable for treasures, cultivation sites, and manuals.
• When bells announce the opening of the Sacred Pool, Little Glazed explains that it can bring disciples to Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and strengthen the bodies and souls of those already at that level. Fang Chen, currently at the Eighth Layer, eagerly heads there with her via the Teleportation Array.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Chen is impressed by Lingxin’s beauty, authority, and extraordinary influence, and recognizes the effect her guidance has had on him.
• Little Glazed begins a respectful, helpful relationship with Fang Chen, serving as his guide to his new home and the academy’s resources. Fang Chen responds with curiosity and chooses her name.
• Fang Chen’s priorities are practical and ambitious: he quickly focuses on using the Sacred Pool to advance his cultivation.

Significant themes

• Cultivation through knowledge and opportunity: Lingxin’s speech itself improves the disciples’ spiritual condition, while the academy offers structured resources for growth.
• Merit and privilege: Fang Chen’s top examination ranking earns him superior lodging, special conveniences, and substantial Points.
• Guidance and preparation: The academy provides both institutional support—through its facilities and rewards—and personal assistance through Little Glazed.
• Discipline and institutional purpose: Tianyuan Academy serves the Human Race broadly while remaining separate from political struggles, and students’ time there is bounded by cultivation milestones.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen and Little Glazed arrive at Tianyuan Academy’s vast frozen Sacred Pool. Little Glazed explains that only Foundation Establishment cultivators can enter; deeper water holds denser Spiritual Power but brings greater pressure. Rumors say an inheritance lies at the bottom, though no one has ever reached it.
• Thousands of cultivators arrive through a group Teleportation Array. When the ice melts, they begin sinking into the pool. Little Glazed stays above the water while Fang Chen descends.
• Underwater, Fang Chen successfully summons the Floating Immortal Sword, which has grown stronger since the Examination Grounds. Its power eases the pressure and feeds him Spiritual Power.
• Using the Reincarnation Eye to see through the murky water, Fang Chen descends far faster than the other cultivators. He activates the Floating Immortal Art to absorb Spiritual Power into his body, Soul Origin, and Dao Platform.
• After three hours, he reaches the clear, beautiful bottom of the pool, where colorful plants and fish flourish. His arrival reveals a huge black rock inscribed with characters.

Character developments

• Fang Chen is resourceful and confident: he tests whether he can summon his sword, uses his techniques to overcome the pool’s conditions, and rapidly advances deeper than others.
• Little Glazed acts as Fang Chen’s guide, explaining the Sacred Pool and its rules, then trusts him to cultivate on his own.

Significant themes

• Power and limits: Even legendary experts cannot enter the pool; its access is restricted by cultivation realm.
• Persistence and exploration: Fang Chen pushes beyond the depth other cultivators dare to reach, pursuing greater resources and the rumored inheritance.
• Cultivation through adaptation: His sword, eye technique, and art allow him to turn the pool’s pressure and Spiritual Power to his advantage.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen questions Little Glazed about the Sacred Pool’s location, history, and limitations; she answers and encourages him to cultivate.
• Other cultivators watch Fang Chen’s unusually rapid descent and warn that he may be exposing himself to dangerous pressure.
• Fang Chen finds no familiar Glazed Sword Sect disciples among the arrivals and descends alone.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen discovers inscriptions and images on the Sacred Pool’s floor describing the Hand of the Heavens, a complete Imperial Art created by a Great Emperor. The find could address a major gap in the Glazed Sword Sect’s techniques.
• He memorizes the art and tries to practice it, but his True Essence surges violently and ruptures a blood vessel. He stops, realizing the method seems incomplete, and searches the pool floor for the missing portion.
• Fang Chen instead focuses on absorbing the pool’s Spiritual Power. His cultivation breaks through to the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment, strengthening his Dao Platform and increasing his rate of absorption.
• Above the pool, a massive whirlpool forms as Spiritual Qi gathers around it. Palace Mistress Lingxin cannot see its source with her Heavenly Eye Secret Art, but decides cultivation must continue: stopping would freeze the pool for three hundred years, and the approaching Great Calamity makes that unacceptable.
• Fang Chen reaches what he believed was the pool’s bottom, only to find a cliff plunging into black water.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Chen is thrilled by the Imperial Art but remains cautious when its practice harms him. After stopping, he heals with the Floating Immortal Sword’s Spiritual Power and returns to cultivation.
• Palace Mistress Lingxin stays composed amid the unexplained disturbance. She consults with the academy elders, who defer to her judgment and agree not to suspend cultivation.
• The people cultivating in the pool and the elders above are unsettled by the whirlpool, while Fang Chen remains unaware of their concern as he explores below.

Significant themes

• Discovery and ambition: The Hand of the Heavens offers Fang Chen a rare opportunity to strengthen himself and fill a strategic weakness.
• Dangerous, incomplete knowledge: The art’s power comes with risk, and Fang Chen’s injury hints that he has found only part of it.
• Perseverance under pressure: Fang Chen continues cultivating despite setbacks, while the academy accepts the risk of leaving the pool open because of the coming calamity.
• The unknown: The pool’s immense depth, unexplained whirlpool, and newly revealed cliff suggest that Fang Chen’s discovery is only the beginning.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen follows the Floating Immortal Sword into the black water beneath the Sacred Pool. The sword draws in the strange water and channels a powerful surge of Spiritual Power into him.
• The black water enters Fang Chen’s body, causing severe pain, but the sword’s power eases it. He begins cultivating and realizes that practicing the Reincarnation Eye Secret Technique reduces the intense itching in his eyes.
• After five days, his Samsara Eye advances to its Second Transformation, changing his pupils from red to orange and allowing him to see through the darkness and black water.
• Fang Chen discovers inscriptions on a white jade slab: the missing portion of the Hand of the Heavens. Combined with the part he already knows, it completes the Imperial Art.
• Using the sword to draw out its Spiritual Power, Fang Chen cultivates for three more days and reaches the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

Character development

• Fang Chen shows persistence through pain, darkness, and uncertainty, adapting his cultivation when he discovers the Reincarnation Eye technique helps.
• His breakthroughs greatly strengthen both his body and soul. He also gains a clearer understanding of how privileged disciples of powerful sects benefit from abundant resources.
• He remains realistic about his limits: he believes he could defeat Qin Tian quickly in a rematch, but recognizes Qin’s defensive treasures would make killing him difficult.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen’s relationship with the Floating Immortal Sword is central: its vibrations lead him to the black water, and its Spiritual Power sustains and accelerates his cultivation.
• Above the Sacred Pool, Palace Mistress Lingxin and Tianyuan Academy’s elders watch the vortex. When it stops after three hours, they are visibly relieved; they otherwise have no direct contact with Fang Chen in this passage.
• Qin Tian is discussed as a future measure of Fang Chen’s strength, though he does not appear.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and adaptation: Fang Chen turns hardship into progress by adjusting his cultivation.
• Resource inequality: His rapid advancement reveals how much elite disciples benefit from their sects’ support.
• Discovery and completion: The hidden inscription resolves the incompleteness of the Hand of the Heavens and gives Fang Chen a major new cultivation resource.
• Power and its limits: Fang Chen’s strength rises sharply, yet powerful defensive Spirit Treasures still constrain what he can accomplish against elite opponents.

Key plot points and events

• As the Sacred Pool begins closing, Fang Chen uses the Misty Turtle Step underwater for the first time. It lets him move through the water with almost no resistance, and he races to the surface.
• He nearly collides with another person, apologizes, and is then met by Little Glazed, who escorts him away.
• Little Glazed shows him Thousand Saints Island, where carvings by Saints contain insights into the Great Dao. Entry requires 100,000 Points, far more than Fang Chen’s current 10,000.
• Back at his residence, Fang Chen accesses the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s catalogue. He is astonished by the prices, especially the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, which costs 100 million Points.
• Little Glazed explains that the academy has nine access levels based on total Points earned. Fang Chen’s 10,000 Points give him level-five access.
• Rather than buy a treasure immediately, Fang Chen decides to examine combat techniques in the Library Pavilion. He wants to strengthen his abilities and use his Points carefully.

Character developments

• Fang Chen discovers a new strength in the Misty Turtle Step and gains confidence in its underwater mobility.
• He shows growing discipline and strategic judgment: although tempted by the academy’s powerful treasures, he prioritizes the area where he feels weakest—combat techniques.
• Little Glazed continues to act as his helpful guide, explaining the academy’s resources and systems.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen apologizes to the person he nearly hits as he emerges from the pool; the person reacts irritably but the encounter ends there.
• Little Glazed warmly greets Fang Chen as “Master,” guides him through the academy, and explains Thousand Saints Island, Points, access levels, and the treasure catalogue.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and growth: Fang Chen tests an unfamiliar technique and discovers a valuable new application.
• Preparation and self-improvement: He weighs immediate purchases against his longer-term need to develop his combat skills.
• Ambition and hierarchy: The Points system and restricted access reveal the scale of Tianyuan Academy’s resources—and how much further Fang Chen must progress to reach them.

Chapter Summary: “Three Secret Arts”

Key events: Fang Chen searches Tianyuan Academy’s catalog for a secret art but finds nothing affordable or immediately useful. He asks Little Glazed whether a technique can extend his Lifespan. She explains that cultivation advances and special medicines can increase Lifespan, while certain secret arts can only slow its loss. She finds three options: the Myriad Spirit Seal Art, which seals the Life Wheel; the Spirit Turtle Hibernation Great Law, which reduces bodily activity through dormancy; and the Star Seal, which uses Stellar Power to mark the Life Wheel. All cost far more than Fang Chen can afford, so he decides not to spend his remaining Points.
Fang Chen then asks how to earn more Points. Little Glazed shows him the academy’s Inquiry Map, a vast training space containing reconstructed cultivators, dangerous battlefields, exotic beasts, and Trial Towers. Its challenges reward Points, while beast Inner Cores can help with Great Dao comprehension or be exchanged for Points. Secret arts in the Trial Towers can be practiced for free, with Points awarded for mastering them. After reviewing the options, Fang Chen decides to buy materials for cultivating the Hand of the Heavens, rather than pursue Points immediately.
Character development and interactions: Fang Chen is practical and cautious: concerned about the Lifespan costs of battle, he explores ways to reduce them, but rejects techniques he cannot afford. He also recognizes his shortcomings in combat techniques and spells and prioritizes strengthening himself. Little Glazed serves as his helpful guide, explaining the academy’s systems and efficiently finding relevant information.
Significant themes: The chapter contrasts increasing Lifespan with conserving it, presenting survival as a matter of managing limited resources. It also emphasizes the value of self-reliance and training: Fang Chen chooses to earn strength through cultivation and challenges rather than spend scarce Points on immediate purchases.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Chen prepares to cultivate the first level of the Hand of the Heavens, which requires repeatedly burning his hands with True Flame and tempering them in Profound Extreme Spirit Water.
• He asks Little Glazed to purchase the water, flame-producing materials, and supplies. The costs quickly reduce his Points.
• While waiting for the delivery, Fang Chen accepts Little Glazed’s offer of a massage. Her touch sends warm energy into his acupoints, leaving him relaxed.
• Once the supplies arrive, Fang Chen takes them into his secret cultivation chamber alone, keeping the Imperial Art hidden from Little Glazed.
• Using the Floating Immortal Sword to channel Spiritual Power and control the pain, he burns his left hand in the flames, cools it in the spirit water, and sheds a layer of dead skin. Seeing little visible change after one attempt, he begins the process again.

Character developments

• Fang Chen shows caution about both the dangerous flames and Little Glazed’s possible connection to the academy, but his determination to cultivate outweighs his fear.
• Little Glazed is attentive and competent, handling purchases and offering physical care. Her role also makes Fang Chen wary, since he suspects she may have been placed near him to observe him.

Significant themes

• Discipline through pain: Progress in cultivation demands repeated exposure to physical suffering.
• Secrecy and trust: Fang Chen guards the Hand of the Heavens, unsure whether those around him can be trusted.
• Power and risk: The right tools can make a dangerous process manageable, but cultivation remains hazardous.

Character interactions

• Little Glazed efficiently arranges Fang Chen’s purchases, then massages him while they wait for the delivery.
• Fang Chen appreciates her help but draws a boundary by sending her outside the chamber so he can cultivate privately.

Key plot points and events

• After a month of intensive training with the Floating Immortal Sword sustaining him, Fang Chen masters the first level of the Hand of the Heavens in his left hand. Its Dao patterns let him gather Spiritual Qi into a giant hand and crush a reinforced copper pillar.
• The technique is immensely powerful but drains more than half his True Essence almost instantly. Fang Chen expects it to be stronger outdoors, where it can draw Spiritual Qi from a wider area, and hopes to improve his control.
• He quickly forms Dao patterns on his right hand as well. However, once his hands are mastered, the patterns absorb the chamber’s true fire, making it too weak to continue tempering them. He concludes he will need a stronger flame, perhaps spirit fire.
• Fang Chen summons Paper Crane, who stores the chamber’s items in Spirit Crane Space, now larger than before.
• Ready to earn Points for better training materials and eventually pursue the technique’s second level, Fang Chen learns that his ranking has collapsed from around eighteenth thousand to outside the top ten million during his month of seclusion. The chapter ends as he checks the leaderboard.

Character developments

• Fang Chen gains a formidable new combat ability and confidence, but recognizes its heavy energy cost and his need for further practice. His rapid progress continues when his right hand forms Dao patterns after just one more round of tempering.
• His priorities shift from secluded training back to earning Points, both to restore his standing and obtain stronger materials.
• Paper Crane demonstrates his storage and spatial abilities, while Little Glazed continues to serve Fang Chen respectfully and keeps him informed.

Significant themes

• Power and cost: The Hand of the Heavens can destroy powerful objects, but its current use rapidly exhausts Fang Chen.
• Persistence and rapid growth: A month of disciplined practice leads to mastery in both hands.
• Ambition and competition: Fang Chen’s training advances his strength, but inactivity causes a dramatic loss in the academy rankings.
• Dependence on resources: Further progress requires stronger fire and better materials, which Fang Chen plans to obtain through earning Points.

Character interactions

• Fang Chen tests his new technique alone, then returns to training immediately after mastering it.
• He summons Paper Crane and asks him to collect the chamber’s contents before dismissing him.
• Little Glazed greets Fang Chen respectfully and reports that no one sought him out, but his ranking has plummeted because he earned no Points while secluded.