Chapter Summaries

Wang Yu weighed the dangers of joining a faction against his need to obtain the Blood Burning Method, while Sun Chengshan suggested that he enlist in the Nanxi Empire's military. After considering the risks and his ambitions, Wang Yu decided to join the army.

• Wang Yu reflected on why he would not join a family faction without first knowing its internal affairs and whether he could quickly obtain its Blood Burning Method.
• Sun Chengshan told Wang Yu that he might join the Lu Family in several years after passing the martial arts school to He Zheng.
• Sun Chengshan proposed that Wang Yu join the military, where he could earn merit and access the Blood Burning Method in the military treasury.
• Wang Yu considered the military's opportunities and dangers, including the possibility of war and assassination.
• Wang Yu decided the next day to join the army, choosing to pursue martial arts while accepting that he could not avoid every danger.

Wang Yu prepared to leave for the provincial capital to join the army, sharing a farewell meal with Sun Chengshan and Song Hezheng. He left the Secret Deer Gang alone after Sun Chengshan assured him the gang was being restrained by the Garrison Commander.

• Sun Chengshan told Wang Yu about the July new recruit selection in the provincial capital, and Wang Yu said he would leave in a couple of days.
• Song Hezheng regretted that Wang Yu would miss the next sea tide, while Wang Yu explained he had exhausted the body-tempering methods and wanted to obtain a Blood Burning Method.
• Wang Yu asked Sun Chengshan about the heat wave during the last sea tide, and Sun Chengshan said investigators had found signs of an undersea volcanic belt beneath the Silver Belt Sea.
• Sun Chengshan and Song Hezheng held a simple farewell meal for Wang Yu.
• Wang Yu offered to eliminate the Secret Deer Gang before leaving, but Sun Chengshan said the gang was being suppressed and would not dare act recklessly.

Wang Yu left the martial arts hall and traveled by airship from Island Town 732 to Nanxi’s capital on Fragment Star No. 5. He arrived in Capital City and learned that the annual new recruit selection was underway, with registration at the East District Military-Political Building No. 1.

• Liu Yemei confessed her feelings to Wang Yu, but he politely rejected her because he wanted to focus on martial arts.
• Wang Yu thanked Sun Chengshan, left the martial arts hall, and boarded an airship bound for the capital.
• During the three-day journey, Wang Yu flew over several sea areas and learned about the Conquest Sea Area’s history and the harsh conditions of the Torrent Sea Area.
• The airship arrived at Island No. 701, where Wang Yu saw the vast capital city and its surrounding military fortifications and satellite towns.
• Wang Yu spotted a banner announcing the annual new recruit selection and its registration location at the East District Military-Political Building No. 1.

Wang Yu arrived in Capital City and registered for the new recruit selection, where he saw how prosperous the city was and how capable its soldiers were. He joined the other candidates for a physical examination, with martial artists scheduled to spar afterward.

• Wang Yu arrived in Capital City and registered at Military and Political Building No. 1 for the new recruit selection.
• Wang Yu assessed the martial artist soldiers guarding the building and judged that the burly Vice Captain had cultivation at least as strong as his own.
• Wang Yu waited with other candidates and heard rumors of higher military pay, a raised selection threshold, and a possible war.
• Chen Wenlin gathered the candidates and led them to the physical examination, explaining that martial artists would later spar to record their strength.

After Wang Yu’s examination revealed that he had reached the Body Tempering Sixth Level at eighteen, Chen Wenlin selected him and other qualified Martial Artists for an additional combat test. They learned they would spar against soldiers of equal cultivation, with a Crimson Tiger Pill promised to anyone who won, while the previous batch had failed to defeat a single soldier.

• Chen Wenlin noticed Wang Yu’s unusually high cultivation despite his merely qualified bone structure and good comprehension, and set his registration form aside for special attention.
• Chen Wenlin selected about twenty Martial Artists at the Body Tempering Third Layer or above for an additional test, including Wang Yu and Ding Fu.
• Wang Yu and the other recruits entered an arena, where they saw that the previous batch had been beaten by military soldiers.
• Chen Wenlin announced that each recruit would spar with a soldier of equal cultivation and that anyone who won would receive a Crimson Tiger Pill worth ten thousand Crystal Coins.
• A civil servant reported that two members of the previous batch had performed fairly well, but all had lost and none had defeated a soldier.

Wang Yu fought Li Yuanbo in the military’s extra test and proved far stronger despite their shared realm. As Li Yuanbo neared collapse, Wang Yu considered whether to lose, overwhelm him, or win with a convincing display of effort.

• Chen Wenlin explained the extra test’s rules and assigned the new recruits their opponents.
• Chen Wenlin matched Wang Yu with Li Yuanbo, a military soldier at the Body Tempering Sixth Great Perfection Realm.
• Wang Yu charged Li Yuanbo and blocked his powerful probing punch with the Undying Bell Skill.
• Wang Yu seized Li Yuanbo’s wrist and used his Shadowless Fist to overwhelm him, while Li Yuanbo relied on experience to defend.
• Wang Yu recognized that his strength exceeded Li Yuanbo’s and weighed how much of his ability to reveal.

Wang Yu defeated Li Yuanbo in the additional test and drew the attention of Chen Wenlin, who offered him a place in the Eleventh Corps. Chen Wenlin promised to seek special approval for Wang Yu to obtain a Blood Burning Method through a loan and merit missions.

• Ding Fu lost his additional-test match and realized how much stronger the military Martial Artists were than those he had known in Island Town 732.
• Wang Yu changed his attack at the decisive moment and defeated Li Yuanbo, winning the additional-test match.
• Chen Wenlin pocketed Wang Yu's information sheet and later gave him a Crimson Tiger Pill.
• Chen Wenlin asked Wang Yu to join the Eleventh Corps, and Wang Yu explained that he had enlisted to find a suitable Blood Burning Method.
• Chen Wenlin offered to seek a lower rank requirement for Wang Yu to obtain a Blood Burning Method and help him earn the Merit Points for a loan.

Wang Yu joined the Pioneer Garrison Third Battalion after Chen Wenlin secured him a swift enlistment and promised help obtaining the Blood Burning Method. After adapting to military life, Wang Yu visited the Secret Martial Building, where he still lacked permission to study the method.

• Chen Wenlin persuaded Wang Yu to enlist by offering to help him obtain the Blood Burning Method, then arranged temporary lodging for him in Capital City.
• Chen Wenlin secured Wang Yu’s enlistment notice within three days, and Wang Yu reported to the Third Battalion headquarters outside Capital City.
• Chen Wenlin welcomed Wang Yu, showed him around the fortress, and gave him one week to adjust instead of attending the month-long new recruit camp.
• Wang Yu completed his adjustment period and learned about the Pioneer Garrison’s history and military achievements.
• Wang Yu visited the Secret Martial Building, where the Blood Burning Methods were kept on the second floor, but he was not yet qualified to study them.

Wang Yu explored the first floor of the Secret Martial Building and memorized five body tempering methods. Over the next five days, he practiced them until each reached the first level, then considered learning tough qigong to improve his battlefield survivability.

• Wang Yu entered the Secret Martial Building and studied body tempering methods, beginning with Falling Leaf Fist.
• Wang Yu memorized Falling Leaf Fist, Flower Flicking Finger, Thousand Illusions Hand, Lost Track Steps, and Thunderous Saber Technique before leaving late at night.
• Wang Yu practiced the five methods at Training Ground No. 9, reaching the first level in each, with Thunderous Saber Technique taking five days.
• Wang Yu decided saber techniques would better help him kill enemies in battle and considered learning tough qigong to strengthen his survival ability.

After the new recruit selection ended, Wang Yu continued training outside the recruit camps and used Plum Blossom Beast meat to accelerate his cultivation. He advanced several Body Tempering Methods and planned to master a few before taking on more, while aiming to learn every method in the Secret Martial Building.

• The new recruit selection ended, and tens of thousands of recruits began training at military camps, while Wang Yu continued to receive special treatment.
• Wang Yu bought three jin of Plum Blossom Beast meat at the military cafeteria and learned that its price had risen because supplies were scarce.
• At Training Ground Nine, Wang Yu practiced the Lost Track Steps, Thunderous Saber Technique, Falling Leaf Fist, and Flower Flicking Finger.
• Wang Yu reflected on the twenty-five complete Body Tempering Methods he had learned and decided to focus on mastering several before practicing the rest.
• Wang Yu planned to memorize all the Body Tempering Methods in the Secret Martial Building so he could cultivate them through his personal interface later.

Wang Yu trained his Thunderous Saber Technique until Chen Wenlin summoned him for a review of the Talent Special Regulation, which could let him obtain the Blood Burning Method early. The officials began assessing his background and prepared a combat-potential test against Li Yang, a Blood Burning Realm Martial Artist.

• Veteran soldiers watched Wang Yu practice several Body Tempering Methods, and he chose to train his saber to keep a lower profile.
• Chen Wenlin found Wang Yu at the training ground and hurried him to meet the reviewers from Capital City.
• Chen Wenlin explained that Wang Yu’s review could let him bypass the usual military-rank and Merit Point requirements for the Blood Burning Method.
• Wang Butong questioned Wang Yu about his age, cultivation, martial arts experience, and victory over Li Yuanbo.
• Wang Butong arranged a combat-potential test against Li Yang, and Chen Wenlin urged Wang Yu to fight hard but signal him if he could not win.

Wang Yu faced Li Yang in an assessment fight and used his best techniques to demonstrate his strength. After forcing Li Yang to activate his Blood Burning state, Wang Yu conceded and left the outcome to the assessors.

• Luo Chu arrived to watch Wang Yu’s assessment, while Wang Butong and the others prepared to record the results.
• Wang Yu feinted past Li Yang and struck him hard enough to send him flying, surprising the onlookers.
• Wang Yu pressed his advantage with rapid, forceful punches, leaving Li Yang struggling to defend himself.
• Li Yang activated his Blood Burning state and began reversing the fight’s momentum.
• Wang Yu withdrew and conceded before Li Yang could retaliate, and Chen Wenlin led him aside.
• Wang Yu reflected that he had shown his full strength but could not overcome the gap between the Body Tempering and Blood Burning realms; Li Yang concluded Wang Yu had deliberately quit at the worst moment.

Li Yang confirmed Wang Yu’s exceptional combat ability, and the Military and Political Department approved reduced requirements for him to cultivate a Blood Burning Method. Appointed an unattached Special Operations Soldier, Wang Yu received his first support mission amid attacks by ferocious beasts near Capital City.

• Li Yang evaluated Wang Yu as a perfect young genius after assessing his strength, techniques, and combat potential.
• Wang Butong completed Wang Yu’s verification, and three days later the Military and Political Department approved his early eligibility to cultivate a Blood Burning Method under lowered merit and rank requirements.
• Chen Wenlin and Luo Chu appointed Wang Yu an unattached Special Operations Soldier instead of making him a Squad Leader, and Chen promised to take him on suitable missions to earn merits.
• Ferocious beasts from the undeveloped forest attacked Nanxi’s troops and settlements around Capital City as the nation began exploring the island’s dangerous half.
• Four days after Wang Yu became a Special Operations Soldier, Chen assigned him and another soldier to a routine Yellow Grade support mission, and Wang Yu dressed in his special leather armor.

Wang Yu and Lu He raced to Baiyun Village to support a squad facing three Plum Blossom Beasts. After their vehicle crashed, Wang Yu assessed the situation and prepared to fight the beasts.

• Lu He drove Wang Yu toward Baiyun Village and explained the Yellow Grade mission and the dangers of Plum Blossom Beasts.
• Zhao Pingzhi and Li Yuan led their ten-person squad in a standoff against three Plum Blossom Beasts while waiting for support.
• Lu He’s military vehicle flipped down a slope and wrecked as it arrived, but Wang Yu and Lu He emerged unharmed.
• Wang Yu checked for casualties and damage, finding no casualties and some damaged rice fields.
• Lu He warned Wang Yu about the beasts’ strength, speed, and weak points before the fight.

Wang Yu and Lu He defeated three Plum Blossom Beasts, and Wang Yu chose to turn in their materials for Merit Points. Over the following month, Wang Yu completed a steady stream of Yellow Grade missions and accumulated 1,500 Merit Points, continuing to cultivate as he worked toward earning the Blood Burning Method.

• Wang Yu killed the three Plum Blossom Beasts with a few precise punches while Lu He held off the other two.
• Wang Yu followed Lu He's advice and turned in the beasts' materials for extra Merit Points.
• The Military and Political Department awarded Wang Yu 100 additional Merit Points and Lu He a reward for his role as instructor.
• Wang Yu spent the next month cultivating at the fortress garrison and completing Yellow Grade support missions.
• Wang Yu reached 1,500 Merit Points and continued training, aiming to discover the limits of his strength.

After earning recognition for a flawless first year of missions, Wang Yu secretly trained his many perfected martial arts and considered combining their core principles into a method of his own. He had not yet achieved that synthesis, but his year of study had turned him into a walking martial arts repository.

• Wang Yu completed nearly a hundred Special Operations Soldier missions with a perfect success rate and received the Outstanding Recruit title, one thousand merit points, and First Class Merit.
• Wang Yu perfected the sixth level of the Thunderous Saber Technique, Lightning Serpent Dance, after more than a year of training.
• Alone at Training Ground No. 9, Wang Yu practiced the Shadowless Ghost Hand, Falling Leaf Fist, and other techniques he had cultivated to grand completion.
• Wang Yu reflected on integrating the core principles of his mastered Body Tempering Methods into a unique system and recognized that he still had a long way to go.
• Wang Yu continued using the Secret Martial Building’s collection to study techniques, having mastered more than five hundred Body Tempering Methods and perfected over fifty.

Wang Yu fused numerous perfected Body Tempering Methods into four powerful techniques that let him grow stronger beyond the usual Body Tempering Sixth Level limit. The next morning, he joined Chen Wenlin for an Orange Grade mission to capture a wanted criminal and earn the merit he needed to obtain a Blood Burning Method.

• Wang Yu used his personal interface to deduce and test technique fusions, beginning with a successful merger of Falling Leaf Fist and Shadowless Fist.
• Over the next year, Wang Yu fused seventeen fist techniques into Wild Baseball Fist, eleven leg and movement techniques into Basic Leg Techniques, thirteen defensive arts into Basic Defense, and eight saber techniques into Basic Saber Techniques.
• Wang Yu found that the four fused techniques could keep improving his strength beyond the normal Body Tempering Sixth Level limit, and he continued practicing them.
• Wang Yu met Chen Wenlin at the base plaza the next morning and learned that their Orange Grade mission was to capture a wanted criminal tracked down in Capital City.
• Chen Wenlin told Wang Yu that multiple squads were joining the dangerous mission and that its merit could make up what Wang Yu needed to obtain a Blood Burning Method.

Wang Yu and Chen Wenlin joined the search for the Flower Picking Bandit, whose repeated crimes had triggered an extensive manhunt in Capital City. After entering the Military and Political Building for a briefing, Wang Yu saw Shi Yang seated at the head of the conference table.

• Chen Wenlin gave Wang Yu sketches and records of the Flower Picking Bandit, and Wang Yu studied the different details noted by witnesses.
• Wang Yu suggested the bandit might have another purpose for suddenly committing crimes in Capital City, while Chen Wenlin said Imperial powerhouses would ensure the criminal was caught.
• Wang Yu and Chen Wenlin entered Capital City, where soldiers checked everyone at the gates and searched the streets.
• Chen Wenlin and Wang Yu went to a conference hall in the Military and Political Building, where Wang Yu recognized Shi Yang at the head of the table.

Wang Yu attended a case conference on the hunt for the Flower Picking Bandit, where Shi Yang and Xu Pingzhou coordinated the military and Security Bureau response. With the operation facing cancellation if the criminal was not caught by the day after tomorrow, Wang Yu and Chen Wenlin left to inspect the bandit's last known location.

• Guan Yunwu recognized Wang Yu, and Shi Yang recalled meeting him when Wang Yu sold them crabs on Island Town 732.
• Chen Wenlin identified Xu Pingzhou as the Security Bureau's Deputy Director and Shi Yang as the young officer leading the military operation.
• Xu Pingzhou said the bandit had struck five times and warned that the operation would be canceled unless the criminal was caught by the day after tomorrow.
• Xu Pingzhou assigned Security Bureau personnel to surveillance while Shi Yang directed the military officers to search for clues and report discoveries.
• Wang Yu told Chen Wenlin he had no leads, and they agreed to investigate the place where the wanted criminal was last seen.

The Flower Picking Bandit met secretly with Sister Mu at Red Apricot Flower Pavilion and demanded protection for continuing to help her group disrupt the trade agreement between Ximos and Nanxi. Meanwhile, Chen Wenlin and Wang Yu searched Capital City without finding him, with the mission deadline approaching.

• The Flower Picking Bandit revealed his anger at Sister Mu for putting him at risk and demanded a guarantee that he could escape safely with the goods.
• The Flower Picking Bandit guessed that Sister Mu's group planned to interfere with the trade agreement between Ximos and Nanxi, and she stayed silent.
• Sister Mu promised the city would fall into chaos after the Flower Picking Bandit's task and gave him a Qi Explosion Stone for self-defense.
• Chen Wenlin and Wang Yu finished another day of searching Capital City without finding the Flower Picking Bandit.
• Chen Wenlin continued checking possible hiding places, confident he could spot the bandit through his Disguise Technique, while Wang Yu doubted him.