Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu tricked Old Toad into believing that corrupt County Magistrate Jian Zhongyi had taken the frog clan’s Treasure Fish and that Legless Frog had suffered greatly while preparing the Crab Feast. After Old Toad enjoyed the feast, Liang Qu pressed him to provide more support, leaving him ashamed and reluctant to part with Treasure Fish.

• Liang Qu flattered Old Toad and steered his attention toward the pond expansion and the Crab Feast.
• Liang Qu claimed Jian Zhongyi had demanded three thousand taels in bribes and that the Treasure Fish had been spent on the feast, enraging Old Toad.
• Liang Qu persuaded Old Toad that Legless Frog had labored and been injured for the frog clan, and Old Toad gave up asking for food until Liang Qu invited him to inspect the feast.
• Old Toad devoured the crab dishes and praised their flavor while Liang Qu asked him to support the pond expansion.
• When Old Toad dismissed the need for Treasure Fish, Liang Qu accused him of valuing small gains over the frog clan’s revival, making Old Toad lower his head in shame.

Liang Qu hosted a crab banquet for his colleagues and fellow disciples after Old Toad brought him another rare Treasure Fish. The gathering ended with Ran Zhongshi explaining the River Conservancy Office’s plan to form a fleet, which would likely require Liang Qu to lead a monthly expedition into the Great Marsh’s Deep Water Area for a share of the profits.

• Liang Qu waited for Old Toad to bring a Treasure Fish, and Old Toad emerged with a colorful Big Fish before abruptly leaving after sensing danger.
• Liang Qu held separate noon and evening meals so his colleagues and fellow disciples could enjoy the banquet without mixing with unfamiliar guests.
• Xiang Fangsu, Ke Wenbin, Ran Zhongshi, and the others ate Liang Qu’s crabs while Xu Yuelong received the largest pair in thanks for helping Liang Qu pre-borrow Great Merit.
• Xu Yuelong let slip that he had fought Wei Lin in Hua Zhu County, but he avoided saying who had won.
• Ran Zhongshi explained that the River Conservancy Office planned to organize monthly Treasure Fish expeditions into the Great Marsh’s Deep Water Area and pay Martial Masters who led teams a share of the profits.

Liang Qu learned about the River Conservancy Office’s plans to form fleets and fish for Treasure Fish in the Deep Water Area, while the Ghost Mother Sect remained a threat. He hosted a lavish crab feast for his fellow disciples, who celebrated his recent achievements and toasted his promising future.

• Liang Qu questioned Xu Yuelong and Ran Zhongshi about Deep Water Area fishing, fleet dividends, and the dangers posed by the Ghost Mother Sect.
• Ke Wenbin joked about volunteering for fleet duty, and the gathering at Liang Qu’s home ended after everyone ate and toured the grounds.
• Liang Qu found Xu Zishuai sneaking food in the Martial Arts School kitchen, so Hu Qi and Xiang ChangSong made him crack crabs as compensation.
• Yang Dongxiong and Xu Shi joined Liang Qu and the disciples for a crab feast, where they discussed the risks and profits of merchant ships following the River Conservancy Office’s fleets.
• The disciples praised Liang Qu’s accomplishments and toasted his future as a true dragon.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe searched an underground river for the strange fish and clues to the reincarnated Dragon Lord, but became hopelessly lost. After breaking through the rock into a harvested field, they escaped into the Great Marsh and decided to wait by the underground river entrance.

• Long Pingjiang found an arrow mark in the underground river and realized Long Pinghe had led them in circles.
• Long Pingjiang recalled that the brothers had come south to search for the reincarnated Dragon Lord after learning the Flood Dragon was hunting a mysterious thief.
• Long Pinghe admitted he had followed a strange fish into the underground river, and Long Pingjiang suspected its master might be connected to the Dragon Lord Reincarnation.
• After getting lost again, Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe broke through the rock above them and emerged in a harvested field near dawn.
• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe ran east, avoided returning fishermen, and entered the Great Marsh through a reed marsh.
• Long Pingjiang decided that the brothers should wait at the underground river entrance.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe followed a family of River Otters through an underground river while searching for the Dragon Lord Reincarnation, and Liang Qu tested his newly learned Eye Consciousness Method before returning home. The brothers reached the pond near Liang Qu’s courtyard, where an unseen speaker confronted them about stealing a crab.

• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe hid beside the underground river, then followed Scarface River Otter and his family into it.
• Liang Qu tested the beginner-stage Eye Consciousness Method on Azure Stone Street and sensed varying degrees of malice in passersby.
• Liang Qu returned home, where Scarface River Otter and his family left the West Wing disappointed that the Old Monk had not returned.
• Liang Qu followed the River Otters to the pond, while Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe hid in the underground river after sensing someone approaching.
• Long Pingjiang heard a human voice accuse him and Long Pinghe of stealing the speaker’s crab.

Liang Qu drove two Dragonfolk out of the underground river and confronted them in the Great Marsh. They mistook his water-control abilities and gathering of mutants for signs that he was their reincarnated Dragon Lord, then begged him to return and lead their clan.

• Liang Qu used his water control to flush Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe from the underground river into the Great Marsh.
• Liang Qu and his aquatic companions surrounded the Dragonfolk, and he demanded to know why they had come ashore and whether they had stolen his crabs.
• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe knelt before Liang Qu and pleaded with him to return to the palace and preside over their clan.
• The Old Giant Clam and the River Dolphins arrived as Long Pingjiang explained why he believed Liang Qu was the reincarnated Dragon Lord.
• Liang Qu scratched his temples and questioned whether he was the Dragon Lord's reincarnation.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe mistook Liang Qu for the reincarnated Dragon Lord, while Liang Qu denied it and mourned the two baskets of crabs they had taken away. The Dragonfolk decided to keep their discovery secret, and the next morning Fat Catfish brought Liang Qu a valuable Yellow Head Venerable that the two visitors had left behind.

• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe interpreted Liang Qu’s unusual water beasts as proof that he was the Dragon Lord reincarnated, despite Liang Qu’s denials.
• Long Pingjiang pulled Long Pinghe away without taking the two baskets of crabs, and Liang Qu realized the loss only after they had gone.
• Long Pingjiang told Long Pinghe that they should keep Liang Qu’s identity secret to protect his plans from the Flood Dragon.
• The next morning, Fat Catfish presented Liang Qu with a Yellow Head Venerable and indicated that the two Dragonfolk had given it to him.

Liang Qu accepted more Treasure Fish from the Dragonfolk and celebrated the launch of the Fortune Ship, which he and the River Earls carried to Shang Rao Wharf and tested on the Great Marsh. Afterward, Li Shoufu delivered Liang Qu’s flood-control reward, including two heavenly treasures and the Azure Dragon Kill Scripture.

• Ta Ta Kai accepted a Yellow Head Venerable from the Dragonfolk, and Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe later sent Liang Qu two more Treasure Fish.
• Liang Qu, Cha Qing, and Fan Zixuan lifted the completed Fortune Ship out of Liu Quanfu’s courtyard and carried it to Shang Rao Wharf.
• Fan Zixuan and Cha Qing guided the Fortune Ship into the Great Marsh, where it floated safely as the shipwrights checked it for leaks.
• Liang Qu offered incense for the Fortune Ship’s launch, then took it sailing across the Great Marsh with the workers aboard.
• Liang Qu gave Old Giant Clam a boatman’s manual for training the River Otters and practiced spear techniques with Fubo.
• Li Shoufu showed Liang Qu his flood-control reward: Morning Dew Worm, Withered Wind Narcissus, and the Azure Dragon Kill Scripture.

Liang Qu received his flood-control rewards, discovered that two spear manuals concealed directions to Flowing Gold Sea, and broke through to the Galloping Horse Extreme Realm by consuming heavenly treasures. He told Yang Dongxiong about the hidden martial art and revealed that he intended to try cultivating a Second True Aura.

• Liang Qu inspected the Morning Dew Worm, Withered Wind Narcissus, and Azure Dragon Kill Scripture in his new study, finding that the scripture shared an underlying intent with the Azure Dragon Seven Kill Spear.
• Liang Qu decoded vertical annotations in the two manuals to uncover the locations Flowing Gold Sea and three li east of Bitterwood Cliff, then decided to ask Yang Dongxiong to have Yang Xu search there.
• Liang Qu consumed the Origin Aperture Great Pill, Seven-Colored Rainbow Flow, and Withered Wind Narcissus, opening his final two apertures and reaching the Galloping Horse Extreme Realm.
• Liang Qu visited Yang Dongxiong the next morning and explained the hidden directions; Yang Dongxiong agreed to write to Yang Xu and request a search for the remaining martial art.
• Liang Qu told Yang Dongxiong that he planned to use the Grand Purity Dragon Aura to attempt cultivating a Second True Aura.

Liang Qu told Yang Dongxiong he was certain he could condense a Second True Aura, and Yang Dongxiong encouraged him to proceed. Liang Qu’s confidence rested on his martial arts, Martial Bone, Azure Dragon Kill Scripture, Fate Standard, and the groundwork laid by Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness; he ended convinced he could succeed.

• Liang Qu claimed his chances of condensing a Second True Aura were ten out of ten, reasoning that eight or nine parts were close enough to ten.
• Yang Dongxiong praised Liang Qu’s confidence and urged him to attempt the breakthrough while he was young.
• Liang Qu reflected on how Wolf Smoke differed from earlier realms and how true aura transformed a Martial Artist’s strength and standing.
• Liang Qu credited Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness’s Preserving Spirit realm with helping him prepare to condense channels and true aura.
• Liang Qu concluded that because he had opened four apertures, he could cultivate a Second True Aura.

Liang Qu assessed the gains from the Withered Wind Narcissus and prepared to take the Morning Dew Worm after a safe interval. Old Monk returned from Hua Zhu County without finding the Heretical Monk, but explained that the monk’s attempt to collect Qi had failed and might be tried again.

• Fan Xinglai opened the door and welcomed Old Monk back.
• Liang Qu saw that the Withered Wind Narcissus had strengthened his Golden Body and raised his Marsh Essence total to 19,203 points.
• Liang Qu found that much of the liquid in the Morning Dew Worm’s box had disappeared, so he decided to wait until fifteen days had passed before taking it.
• Old Monk told Liang Qu he found traces of Qi Concealment in Hua Zhu County but no Heretical Monk, and said the attempt to collect Qi had failed.
• Liang Qu realized the Heretical Monk might try again and decided to inform Old Monk rather than confront the danger himself.

At Flowing Gold Sea, Yang Xu received a letter from his Ninth Junior Brother asking him to retrieve half a secret manual near Bitterwood Cliff, and he set out with thirty-six riders. In Huaiyin Prefecture, Liang Qu watched Ta Ta Kai and the River Otters sail a Fortune Ship, then used Summoning Wind and Rain as dark clouds gathered overhead.

• A postal courier arrived at Heyuan Prefecture with letters, and Yang Xu collected a message from his family.
• Yang Xu read that his Ninth Junior Brother had asked him to retrieve half a secret manual near Bitterwood Cliff, and he arranged for the courier to wait until the snow eased.
• Yang Xu requested leave and led thirty-six riders out of the city through the snow.
• Ta Ta Kai and six River Otters piloted Liang Qu's Fortune Ship out of Shang Rao Wharf after months of training.
• Liang Qu used Summoning Wind and Rain, darkening the clear night sky and startling the Dragonfolk in the river.

Liang Qu tested how his Galloping Horse Extreme Realm and the Withered Wind Narcissus had changed his Summoning Wind and Rain, discovering that the rain could cover a town and calm the mind. After assessing its uses, he consumed the Morning Dew Worm, which dissolved into a refreshing liquid and cleared his mind.

• Dark clouds gathered over the Great Marsh, and Liang Qu's rain spread around the Fortune Ship as the Dragonfolk noticed its calming effect.
• Liang Qu used his united Nine Apertures to control the rain and found its range had grown to several square kilometers, enough to irrigate ten thousand mu of farmland.
• Liang Qu discovered that the Withered Wind Narcissus had improved the rain's quality, making it calm the mind and soothe the spirit rather than expanding its range.
• Liang Qu learned that the Dragonfolk used their blood to make bait and tracked high-quality Treasure Fish, which explained their steady monthly catches.
• Liang Qu sent Ta Ta Kai to practice sailing, then swallowed the Morning Dew Worm after it had absorbed water and matured.
• The Morning Dew Worm dissolved into a mint-like liquid that left Liang Qu's mind clear and lucid.

Liang Qu broke through to the Third Layer of Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness by using the River Lord as the focus for Preserving Spirit, unleashing a devastating spear strike across the Great Marsh. The River Lord sensed danger again and realized its offspring were disappearing, prompting it to search the shallow shore.

• Liang Qu used the Morning Dew Worm to clarify his understanding of Preserving Spirit and chose the River Lord as the focus for drawing out his potential.
• Liang Qu's blood Qi surged, and he leaped onto the bow to unleash a spear strike that split the rain and the Great Marsh before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Ta Ta Kai carried Liang Qu back into the cabin as the Dragonfolk watched, and Long Pingjiang sensed Liang Qu's attack as a fatal threat.
• A fisherman mistook the River Lord's enormous shadow beneath his boat for his imagination and resumed eating.
• The River Lord felt a chill at its neck and recalled repeated premonitions of loss, learning that its eldest offspring had vanished before sensing danger for a fourth time.

After recovering from the Preserving Spirit burst, Liang Qu used the Morning Dew Worm’s lingering effects to advance several martial arts and strengthen his confidence in condensing his Second True Aura. He then inspected the newly opened Qingjiang Shipyard, confirmed its first ships were sound, and collected leftover timber for his beavers.

• Liang Qu had Ta Ta Kai fetch medicine and lotus root, then used Cannot Move’s Revitalization to recover from the Preserving Spirit burst.
• Liang Qu cultivated through the Morning Dew Worm’s remaining effects, advancing Preserving Spirit, Azure Dragon Seven Kill, the Thunder Character Seal Technique, and Falling Star Arrow.
• Liang Qu sailed east to Qingjiang Shipyard to inspect its first batch of ships and questioned the foreman about construction and capacity.
• Liang Qu found no problems with the ships and had Ta Ta Kai and the River Otters load the shipyard’s leftover timber onto the blessed ship.

Liang Qu learned about the Dragonfolk while Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe prepared to return to their clan for Spring Festival. Elsewhere, two Dragonfolk found a huge serpent’s trail and suspected it was the snake the Zhang Clan had joined forces to capture.

• Liang Qu visited Chen Qingjiang, who explained that he was expanding his house and building a shelter for his donkey.
• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe told Liang Qu that sixty Dragonfolk teams, comprising 120 Wolf Smoke Experts, were searching for the reincarnated Dragon Lord.
• The brothers explained Dragonfolk bloodline limits, cultivation, and customs before leaving for the Great Marsh, ending their supply of Treasure Fish to Liang Qu.
• Liang Qu denied being the Dragon Lord and practiced his spear techniques after the Dragonfolk brothers departed.
• Near Fragrant Township County, two Dragonfolk found a long, wide groove in the riverbed and connected it to reports of a huge snake in the Shallow Water Area.

Liang Qu and the beaver family completed two armed warships for Old Toad’s first Glory Plan, and Liang Qu learned more about where the Dragonfolk lived. He prepared to deliver a ship and seek Treasure Fish in exchange, hoping to advance his Marsh Ape fusion.

• The beaver family finished two large warships, and Ta Ta Kai tested a ship ballista by firing an arrow into the pond bottom.
• Old Toad praised Liang Qu’s work, accepted his explanation for keeping the ships modest in size, and admired the Spring Couplets.
• Liang Qu asked Old Toad about the Dragonfolk, and Old Toad explained that they lived west of the undercurrent and had recently been leaving their settlement.
• Liang Qu arranged for Fat Catfish to deliver one ship while he and Old Toad took the other, intending to exchange it for Treasure Fish.
• Liang Qu checked the Ze Cauldron and saw that his Marsh Ape fusion rate was 52.6%, with 23,202 Marsh Essence available.

Liang Qu delivered a warship equipped with working ship ballistas and Profound Water Iron bolts to Toad, who eagerly tested the weapons. Toad traded him two Treasure Fish and gifted him three mysterious Exploding Spears, one of which blasted Liang Qu and Fat Catfish across the lakebed.

• Liang Qu arrived at Toad's cave with Fat Catfish and delivered a new warship fitted with a ship ballista and more than thirty bolts.
• Toad tested the ballista repeatedly, firing the Profound Water Iron bolts into a slope and retrieving them after they struck.
• Toad said its tasty Treasure Fish had been used for New Year's Eve dinner, so Liang Qu chose the two largest from the eight it had left.
• Toad gave Liang Qu three old Exploding Spears and demonstrated one, sending Liang Qu and Fat Catfish tumbling through mud and sand with its blast.
• Liang Qu recovered, accepted the two remaining Exploding Spears, and thanked Toad.

Liang Qu arrived at the Yang Residence for the New Year gathering, where Yang Dongxiong announced that he and Xu Shi planned to travel to Huang Province for her father's birthday banquet. Several disciples agreed to join them, while others left their plans undecided until August.

• Liang Qu arrived at the Yang Residence just in time for the closing-door firecrackers and joined the disciples in the main hall.
• Yang Dongxiong announced that he and Xu Shi would travel to Huang Province in September or October for Xu Shi's father's eighty-ninth birthday banquet.
• Yang Dongxiong said his senior disciple would accompany them and invited the other disciples to travel by boat along the Jianghuai.
• Xu Zishuai, Xiang ChangSong, and Hu Qi agreed to go, while Yu Dun and Liang Qu were unsure whether their duties would allow them to join.
• Yang Dongxiong told the undecided disciples they could make their plans by August, then invited everyone to dinner.

During the New Year celebrations, Yang Dongxiong gave Liang Qu advice about avoiding excess as his cultivation advanced rapidly. Meanwhile, Dragonfolk learned that a Snake Demon had gone ashore near Fragrant Township County, and the Frog Clan discovered Old Toad had bought a residence on land.

• Yang Dongxiong told Liang Qu not to let success, ability, or conduct reach extremes, then joined his disciples in a New Year toast.
• Long Zijian and Long Zihe warned Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe that they had spotted a Snake Demon near Fragrant Township County.
• Long Zijian said the Snake Demon might have come ashore looking for a large snake captured by humans, easing Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe's fears that the Dragon Lord had been discovered.
• Old Toad celebrated with the Frog Clan, loudly talking about his plans to surround the Great Marsh from shore and the first Glory Plan.
• Da Pang told curious Big frogs that Old Toad had bought a large residence on land and used a passageway to go ashore.