Chapter Summaries

Yang Zhuo briefed Zhao Wuyin on the Yellow Sand 011 Demon Nest and raised concerns about a shrine near one of its nodes, but Zhao approved keeping it as a training site. Back at Huaqing Pool, Meng Chuan began learning Five Thunders Strike the Summit from Luo Guanyun before his first Demon Nest trial.

• Yang Zhuo told Zhao Wuyin that Yellow Sand 011 covered nearly eighty thousand square kilometers and that its nodes and countermeasures remained stable.
• Yang Zhuo warned Zhao Wuyin that a shrine near the second node involved confidential matters, but Zhao guaranteed the university's support for keeping the site.
• Zhao Wuyin told Yang Zhuo that conditions in the Sky Demon Realm were worsening and hoped the next generation would grow quickly.
• Meng Chuan met Luo Guanyun by video call, and they exchanged remarks about their health and his upcoming Demon Nest trial.
• Luo Guanyun explained the Five Elements lightning behind Five Thunders Strike the Summit and demonstrated the method for Meng Chuan.

Meng Chuan learned to visualize the blazing sun and lightning under Luo Guanyun’s guidance, condensing Bing Fire Yang Lightning and beginning his practice of Five Thunders Strike the Summit. The lesson ended with Luo Guanyun promising to teach him the other four kinds of lightning while Meng Chuan pursued the technique’s limit break.

• Luo Guanyun taught Meng Chuan to draw on the blazing sun through heartfire and form Bing Fire, which Meng Chuan achieved on his ninth attempt.
• Luo Guanyun explained how to guide Bing Fire into the palms and combine it with lightning, while Meng Chuan practiced visualizing the natural forces.
• Luo Guanyun reflected that Heart Demon Planting True Qi and the Parasitic Assembly’s Demon Seed True Qi shared the same origin, and that Meng Chuan had grasped the technique’s essence better than he had.
• Meng Chuan condensed crimson Bing Fire Yang Lightning and saw Five Thunders Strike the Summit appear on his panel with the Advanced limit-breaking trait Thunder Eye.
• Luo Guanyun promised to guide Meng Chuan in condensing the other four elements of lightning and advised him to deepen his understanding of nature through steady practice.

Meng Chuan continued training his Five Elements lightning and martial arts while preparing for the December 3rd assembly, and learned that Wu Hong planned to challenge him for the vice-captain position. As Meng Chuan set out before dawn, he found his strengthened body no longer fit comfortably inside his martial robe.

• Luo Guanyun warned Meng Chuan to stay alert while he searched the Island Nation for Fang Jianxing, and Meng Chuan continued practicing lightning to prepare for their eventual confrontation.
• By early December, Meng Chuan had condensed the four remaining types of Five Elements lightning and progressed in the Five Elements Spiritual Breath Fist and Azure Nether Dragon-Locking Body.
• Shang Ruyi advised Wu Hong not to challenge Meng Chuan, but Wu Hong remained resentful after She Yu encouraged him to seek the vice-captain position.
• Before dawn on the day of the assembly, Meng Chuan packed and practiced in his Crimson Fire Dragon Garment, which strained against his enlarged body until he suppressed his strength with Flesh Bloom.

Meng Chuan reflected on the shared origins of qi refinement and martial arts before practicing Five Thunders Strike the Summit beside Starfall Springs. At dawn, Sudden Enlightenment brought his lightning fist technique to life, and its thunderous force woke Xu Qingfeng and others at Huaqing Pool.

• Meng Chuan considered how ancient Qi Refiners and martial artists had joined methods as the world's qi faded, and resolved to seek out old sects and study their Qi Refinement Methods.
• Meng Chuan sat by Starfall Springs with the original Five Thunders Strike the Summit manual and practiced its Bing Fire Yang Lightning form.
• At sunrise, Meng Chuan entered Sudden Enlightenment and made his crimson lightning flow with new vitality as he continued practicing.
• Meng Chuan's increasingly powerful punches produced thunderous booms that woke Xu Qingfeng.
• Xu Qingfeng angrily opened his curtains and saw that other people at Huaqing Pool were also searching for the source of the thunder beneath a clear morning sky.

Meng Chuan mastered Bing Fire Yang Lightning after enduring the dangers of practicing with it, then traveled to Fengtian City for a trial. He recognized the new technique as a powerful trump card, though he knew it could not match Planet Annihilation when that move was fueled by Demon Planting True Qi.

• Xu Qingfeng, Chen Jingyi, a grandmaster, and Dong Yue watched Meng Chuan practice as he wrestled with violent lightning inside his body.
• Meng Chuan used his resilient body and repeated corrections to master the circulation of Bing Fire Yang Lightning.
• Meng Chuan entered the lightning element through the Five Elements Fist and unleashed a punch that sent crimson lightning into the clouds, setting nearby treetops alight.
• A grandmaster at Huaqing Pool suppressed the rising flames, and Meng Chuan apologized to the people he had disturbed.
• Luo Meng watched Meng Chuan from her balcony, dismissed Thunder Arts, and returned to pursuing her own path.
• Meng Chuan landed in Fengtian City and reflected that Bing Fire Yang Lightning was a powerful new trump card, while Planet Annihilation required Demon Planting True Qi to reach its true strength.

Meng Chuan returned the martial arts manuals to Professor Li and declined to stay at headquarters, then joined the newly advanced Martial Artists gathering at Martial Zenith Square. There, he spotted Captain She Yu and expected her to cause trouble for him.

• Meng Chuan returned to headquarters and told Loulan that he could not stay to cultivate there because he had too many other matters to handle.
• Meng Chuan returned both manuals to Professor Li, who let him keep the Melting Core Flame Burst Fist but took back Five Thunders Strike the Summit for experiments.
• After Meng Chuan left, Li Zhenyue practiced his cultivation method and wondered where genuine qi could exist outside the True World.
• Meng Chuan joined the Yong'an Campus group at Martial Zenith Square, where newly advanced Martial Artists from fifteen campuses had gathered.
• Meng Chuan recognized Captain She Yu, titled Candlelight Shadow, and suspected she would soon provoke him.

Meng Chuan confronted She Yu after she provoked him in front of the expedition, and she attacked him with her Second Limit Beast King Form. He resisted her crushing serpent domain and tore it apart before punching toward her face.

• She Yu called Meng Chuan to the front, prompting the gathered recruits to speculate about their grudge.
• Wu Hong criticized Meng Chuan for ignoring She Yu, but Meng Chuan walked up to her and told her not to disturb him.
• She Yu challenged Meng Chuan's confidence and attacked with her Nether River Black Scale Beast King Form.
• Meng Chuan endured the serpent's crushing pressure, seized its shadowy body, and tore it apart.
• Meng Chuan drove a flaming punch toward She Yu's face as Shang Ruyi watched, ready to intervene.

After Shang Ruyi stopped Meng Chuan and She Yu from fighting, he imposed a warning mark on them and laid down rules against infighting during the trial. The next night, Meng Chuan arrived at the Heng Mountain Military Restricted Zone and spotted Chen Xuan, whose sword seemed to be a grandmaster-level True Martial.

• Shang Ruyi intervened when Meng Chuan and She Yu clashed, then warned them and the others not to fight during the Demon Nest trial.
• Meng Chuan sensed that Shang Ruyi’s mental mark could trigger Tracing Back the Patterns, while Wu Hong realized he feared Meng Chuan’s strength.
• She Yu struggled to understand how Meng Chuan had broken free of her momentum and brooded over their conflict.
• The next night, Meng Chuan and hundreds of young Martial Artists gathered outside Dengzhou City at the Heng Mountain Military Restricted Zone.
• Meng Chuan recognized Chen Xuan of Eastern United University as the only top-tier genius present in the National Talent Database and suspected his sword was a grandmaster-level True Martial.

Meng Chuan and the students from the four universities prepared for a Demon Nest trial, learning how military merit and rewards would be determined. Yang Zhuo arrived to explain the trial’s rules and warned them to fight within their abilities and return alive.

• Shang Ruyi explained that the universities would be ranked by the number and quality of Heavenly Demons killed, with individual contributions tracked by Merit Jade Talismans.
• Meng Chuan decided he would exchange harvested materials for credits, while Wu Hong privately believed his Demon Nest experience gave him an edge in hunting Heavenly Demons.
• Yang Zhuo, the Five Limits Venerable and commander of the Qi-Lu Land garrison, arrived to oversee the trial.
• Yang Zhuo recognized Meng Chuan’s exceptional Essence talent and sensed that his Spirit was innately weaker.
• Yang Zhuo told the students there were no mandatory missions, ordered them to act within their means and return alive, and warned them not to earn no military merit by merely following others.

Yang Zhuo laid down rules for the Demon Nest trial, and the students prepared to enter Yellow Sand Sky. As the teams crossed the Sky Demon Force Field, Meng Chuan planned to lead his classmates before searching deeper for Upper Sky Demons.

• Yang Zhuo warned the students to avoid infighting and said he would personally execute anyone who endangered the team.
• Shang Ruyi told She Yu and Meng Chuan to set aside their conflict inside the Demon Nest and bring everyone back alive.
• Meng Chuan checked his supplies and equipment, including Tiger Soul, while Wu Hong watched and hoped to win the spear back.
• After the students rested, Shang Ruyi briefed North Union University, and the four schools set out for Heng Mountain's peak.
• At the peak, Meng Chuan told the Yong'an Campus students he would lead them at first and later search for Upper Sky Demons; Chen Xuan also intended to explore alone with Inverted Suspension.
• Shang Ruyi led the students toward the Sky Demon Force Field, where people from the other three United Universities vanished into the black mist.

Meng Chuan and North Union University entered the Yellow Sand 011 Demon Nest, where Shang Ruyi explained the dangers and led them toward their camp. Along the way, the group learned that the cleared route was unusually safe compared with the Demon Nest’s unexplored regions.

• Shang Ruyi instructed the students to register their blood on their Merit Jade Talismans and warned them to stay within their limits as he led North Union University into the Demon Nest.
• Meng Chuan crossed the passage into a vast, scorching desert and used Flesh Bloom to reshape his nose so it could filter out the sand.
• Shang Ruyi explained the Demon Nest’s classifications, scarce resources, and hazardous demonic-energy-laden sand as he guided the group toward camp.
• A military Martial Artist warned the students that Heavenly Demons could swarm in uncleared areas and recounted the terrifying Demon Nest Lord Nine Tails.

Meng Chuan learned about the dangers and rules of Demon Nests as North Union University settled into its camp in Yellow Sand 011. After receiving his Merit Jade Talisman, he prepared to scout and hunt Heavenly Demons.

• A soldier explained Great Chu’s classifications of Heavenly Demons, and Meng Chuan wondered how humanity could face the beings in Restricted Zones.
• Shang Ruyi explained that technology failed inside Demon Nests and assigned the students their barracks.
• Meng Chuan chose a rear barrack and planned to scout for two days before spending the rest of the trial hunting Heavenly Demons.
• Shang Ruyi told the students to work together against Heavenly Demons, travel according to their strength, and avoid regions battered by sandstorms.
• The students registered their blood on their Merit Jade Talismans, and Meng Chuan visited the quartermaster’s office to learn the value of Heavenly Demons.

Meng Chuan reviewed merit-point rewards and cultivation resources before leading the Yong'an group out to explore near camp. They reached a marked Sharp Peak Stone Formation, while Wu Hong remained behind and She Yu rebuffed him.

• A staff member explained how demon kills earned ordinary merit points and how special merit points could upgrade medals, and Meng Chuan admired Army Commander Yang Zhuo’s accomplishments.
• Meng Chuan considered buying Vein Nourishing Spirit Pills with his future merit points and resolved to save Undying Fruits for his relatives and master when they needed them.
• Meng Chuan and the Yong'an group discussed the Merit Armory’s resources before setting out to explore around camp.
• Wu Hong asked She Yu when headquarters would depart, but She Yu told him to join another campus because Shang Ruyi had warned her to stay away from him.
• Meng Chuan led the group to the Sharp Peak Stone Formation, a marked site made up of more than a thousand sandstone pillars.

Meng Chuan led the Yong'an group into a rocky-spire Demon Nest to investigate a suspected Upper Sky Demon and establish a hunting ground. As the team advanced and encountered stronger Heavenly Demons, Meng Chuan demonstrated his strength and learned how the Merit Jade Talisman recorded kills.

• Meng Chuan guided the group deeper into the spires, warned them about the suspected Upper Sky Demon, and arranged them in a guarded formation.
• Meng Chuan activated Purple Qi Armor as the group advanced through the sheltered but demonic-qi-filled area.
• Meng Chuan detected a flying Middle Sky Demon sand scorpion and killed it with one punch, then warned the team to watch the sky.
• Meng Chuan recovered the scorpion’s true spirit and valuable materials, while explaining that the Merit Jade Talisman recorded kills for the military to assess.

Meng Chuan led the Yong'an Campus team through the Sharp Peak Stone Formation, defeating waves of Sand Scorpions as he searched for an Upper Sky Demon. He found a powerful demon concealed in a massive sandstone structure, which revealed itself as a Crimson Spider, leaving Chu Yanlong warning him to run.

• Meng Chuan killed the Sand Scorpions ambushing the team, and the students defeated the rest without casualties.
• The team rested, collected their spoils, and continued deeper into the Sharp Peak Stone Formation while Meng Chuan practiced his fist techniques against Heavenly Demons.
• Meng Chuan sensed concentrated demonic qi behind a huge sandstone structure and sent the others back while he approached it.
• The sandstone structure exploded, revealing a colossal creature, and Chu Yanlong identified it as an Upper Sky Demon called the Crimson Spider.
• Chu Yanlong shouted for Meng Chuan to run, judging the Crimson Spider too powerful to face unless Meng Chuan had reached the Second Limit.

Meng Chuan fought and killed an enormous Demon Eye Spider, collected its valuable eyes and true spirit, and improved his Five Thunders Strike the Summit through real combat. After his companions returned to camp to rest, he set out alone to scout the nearby Wave Rock region.

• Meng Chuan recognized the giant spider as a Demon Eye Spider when its red beams weakened him and forced him to drop Tiger Soul.
• Meng Chuan donned the Zhengning Armor, shattered the spider's back carapace with Bing Fire Yang Lightning, and killed it with a blow to its brain.
• Meng Chuan flipped the spider over, removed its upper-rank true spirit and eight valuable eyes, and noted that its bristles had pierced his palms with neurotoxin.
• Meng Chuan and the others cleared out sand scorpions, counted their gains, and rested after the prolonged fighting; Meng Chuan's Five Thunders Strike the Summit advanced to the proficient level.
• Meng Chuan let the others return to camp while he and Chu Yanlong continued hunting in the Sharp Peak Stone Formation.
• After finishing his survey of the area, Meng Chuan parted from Chu Yanlong and headed toward the Wave Rock region, planning to return to camp in about five hours.

Meng Chuan explored the Wave Rock Zone and ambushed a powerful Crab Demon, earning enough merit to overtake She Yu. The chapter ended as the Crab Demon recovered from his opening strike and prepared to face him.

• Xu Qingfeng and the Yong'an group returned to camp with a large haul, and other trial participants asked to hunt with them.
• Xu Qingfeng and his companions checked the merit board, where She Yu led Meng Chuan with 142 points to 101.
• Meng Chuan sensed a powerful Heavenly Demon hidden behind granite and struck first, shattering the rock and blinding one of its eyes.
• The merit board updated to show Meng Chuan at 168 points, ahead of She Yu.
• Meng Chuan recognized that the Crab Demon was stronger than the Demon Eye Spider as its injured eye began to regenerate.

Meng Chuan fought a powerful upper-rank Crab Demon at Wave Rock and destroyed it with his Planet Annihilation technique. He left with its true spirit and battle merits, but its valuable crab heart was vaporized, and he returned to camp conserving his strength.

• The Crab Demon attacked Meng Chuan with its claws and demonic qi, but he dodged and tore off one of its claws with a Banner Drum Stance throw.
• Meng Chuan concealed his face and fought the Crab Demon for over eight minutes, using Demon Planting True Qi while both opponents rapidly recovered from their wounds.
• Worried someone would witness his hidden technique, Meng Chuan gathered his power into Planet Annihilation and annihilated the Crab Demon, leaving a huge pit.
• Meng Chuan found only the Crab Demon's true spirit, realizing its valuable crab heart had been vaporized, then collected nearby Heavenly Demon materials.
• Meng Chuan decided he could wear down enemies more patiently on his future solo journey, and he headed back to camp while avoiding upper-rank demons to recover his stamina.

Meng Chuan hunted demons on his way back, broke the limit of River Severing Palm, and increased his Five Elements Universe Art’s progress. Back at camp, his merit total had climbed to 202, and he resolved to hunt more aggressively the next day.

• Meng Chuan killed a Middle Sky Sand Worm with River Severing Palm and gained the Icy Vortex trait when the art reached perfection.
• Meng Chuan added Icy Vortex to the Five Elements Universe Art, raising its Second Limit Break progress from 75% to 80%.
• Meng Chuan considered how to broaden his attack effects while deciding to focus on Five Elements Fist until he completed the Second Limit Break.
• Meng Chuan returned to the North Union University camp and found that he had earned 202 merit points, compared with She Yu’s 160.
• Meng Chuan planned to reach 500 merit points the next day and 1,000 a day once he traveled alone, while his classmates praised his strength and Wu Hong roasted potatoes for his Master.

Meng Chuan continued hunting Heavenly Demons, rising to second place in the trial rankings before setting out alone. On the fourth day, he found a powerful Upper Sky Demon asleep in a sand cave and prepared to attack it by concealing his strength.

• Shang Ruyi encouraged Wu Hong to keep cultivating and live up to the title Ferocious Tiger King.
• Meng Chuan’s battle merit reached 588 points, and he placed second among the four schools as Chen Xuan appeared to lead the rankings.
• Meng Chuan set out with the Yong'an group, warned Xu Qingfeng to be careful, and heard that Chen Ke had died after encountering an Upper Sky Demon alone.
• After parting from the group, Meng Chuan hunted more than a hundred kilometers and found an Upper Sky Demon sleeping inside a sand cave.
• Meng Chuan used Flesh Bloom to suppress his physique and conceal his Essence, Qi, and Spirit before approaching the sleeping demon.