Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu received the Sacrificial Text for the River God Sacrifice, where he would serve as Chief Priest, and went underwater to inspect a treasure Cannot Move had discovered. Inside a huge submerged rock, he found a glowing Water Ganoderma, but a concealed rock lump attacked him as he approached it.

• Liang Qu met Li LiBo, who delivered the Sacrificial Text and told him the River God Sacrifice would take place at noon the next day.
• Liang Qu asked Li LiBo to bring him his wooden chest, then took it to Pingyang Wharf and rowed out onto the river.
• Cannot Move led Liang Qu to a massive underwater rock, where Fist and the Fat Catfish joined them.
• Liang Qu crawled through a crack in the rock and climbed a glowing vine into an air-filled chamber.
• Liang Qu recognized a human-head-sized plant as Water Ganoderma, but a concealed lump of rock sprang from the wall and shot toward him.

Liang Qu subdued and controlled a venomous Water Centipede, which the Ze Cauldron identified as a Heavenly Water Centipede. After naming it Awei, he followed it into a hidden crevice and found a skeleton sitting in meditation.

• Fist knocked a concealed six-inch Water Centipede away from Liang Qu and held it down.
• Liang Qu used the Narrow Water Talisman to control the centipede, and the Ze Cauldron identified it as a Heavenly Water Centipede that could evolve.
• Liang Qu learned the Heavenly Water Centipede had been nourished by Water Ganoderma and Martial Artist Flesh and Blood, then named it Awei.
• Awei pointed Liang Qu toward a narrow crack in the Stone Cave, and Liang Qu sent Fist and Awei in to scout before squeezing inside.
• Liang Qu reached a small chamber where a moss-covered skeleton sat beneath glowing vines.

Liang Qu discovered the remains of a Great Qian Navy Vanguard General, harvested Water Ganoderma, and gained the Water Leap talent skill as his Water Monkey Marsh Spirit fusion passed halfway. He planned to bury the skeleton at his Lotus Root Field and use his newly improved abilities cautiously.

• Liang Qu found a message identifying the skeleton as a wounded Great Qian Navy Vanguard General who had taken his own life, and suspected a battlefield ruin might lie nearby.
• Liang Qu cut down the Water Ganoderma, divided its roots among his beasts, ate some, and trained as its energy raised his Marsh Essence and qi and blood.
• The Ze Cauldron announced that Liang Qu had comprehended Water Leap, which let him dash underwater but consumed a large amount of stamina.
• Liang Qu checked his abilities and the beasts' evolution progress, then decided to move the unsettling skeleton to the Lotus Root Field and use the cave as a base.
• Liang Qu tested a full-power Water Leap across fifty meters, exhausted himself, and had the immobile one carry him to the Black Awning Boat.

Liang Qu prepared to serve as Chief Priest at Yi Xing City's River God sacrifice, rehearsing the text and joining the ceremony at the wharf. As he was called to the altar, he spotted a withered, brown-skinned figure crawling across a rooftop and disappearing behind a gable wall.

• Chen Tongmin asked Liang Qu to review the Sacrificial Text and ritual procedure, and Liang Qu recited both correctly.
• Liang Qu bathed, dressed in his fine clothes, and concealed the Heavenly Water Centipede as a bracelet beneath his Arm Guard.
• Chen Tongmin escorted Liang Qu to the wharf, where more than a thousand villagers gathered around the altar for the sacrifice.
• Chen Jiechang, Li LiBo, and Chen Tongmin slaughtered a cow, sheep, and pig, then poured their blood into the river.
• The ritual witches took their positions, and Liang Qu froze when he saw a withered figure crawl across a rooftop and vanish behind a fireproof gable wall.

Liang Qu confronted a Mountain Ghost that attacked the River God worship ceremony at the dock, protecting the fleeing villagers and fighting it despite his injuries. Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang joined the battle as the Mountain Ghost’s venom-poisoned body remained locked in combat with Liang Qu.

• Liang Qu spotted a Mountain Ghost on the rooftop and warned the crowd to flee as it leaped toward a woman.
• Liang Qu struck the Mountain Ghost with a stone ball, then drew the panicked villagers toward shelter while Chen Zhaoan and others guided them indoors.
• The Mountain Ghost recovered and faced Liang Qu near the abandoned altar, where the shaman priest and ritual officiants had disappeared.
• Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang rushed to help, but the Mountain Ghost vanished and attacked Liang Qu, whose armor and clothing blocked its claws.
• Liang Qu bound the Mountain Ghost’s arm with his cloak and battered its face while Awei bit it and injected venom.
• The Mountain Ghost kicked Liang Qu in the chest as Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang reached him and hacked at it with knives that chipped on its skin.

Liang Qu and Chen Jiechang stabbed Mountain Ghost through gaps in its hardened skin, and Liang Qu fought through severe injuries to hold it down until the Heavenly Water Centipede’s toxin paralyzed it. After Mountain Ghost finally died, Liang Qu cut off its head and raised it before the villagers as a sacrifice to the River God.

• Liang Qu restrained Mountain Ghost while Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang stabbed its weak points, but Mountain Ghost struck Li LiBo aside and bit and clawed Liang Qu.
• Chen Jiechang drove his knife through Mountain Ghost with a kick, and Liang Qu bit it, kneed it, and slammed it into the ground, driving the blade deeper into its body.
• Liang Qu retreated with another knife as the wounded Mountain Ghost attacked, then slipped out of his cloak and used it to throw the creature down until the centipede venom paralyzed it.
• Chen Jiechang helped the injured Li LiBo and Liang Qu stand as they watched Mountain Ghost collapse, then crawl toward Liang Qu and finally die at his feet.
• Liang Qu cut off Mountain Ghost’s head and raised it before the villagers, declaring it the finest sacrifice for the River God.

Liang Qu completed the River God sacrifice after killing the Mountain Ghost, and the ceremony ended without further danger. He received treatment for his wounds and reassured the villagers while they awaited answers about the attack.

• Liang Qu led the sacrifice to the Huai River, and the River's Favor increased by 0.0001 after his first bow.
• A strong wind arose as Liang Qu bowed again, and the villagers watched in awe as he descended from the altar.
• The Village Elders brought Liang Qu to a residence by the docks and summoned a doctor to examine him.
• The doctor found Liang Qu's wounds serious but limited to flesh, while Li LiBo had a cracked forearm bone and would need months to recover.
• Liang Qu promised to ask his Senior Brothers to excuse Li LiBo from martial arts practice during his recovery.
• After Liang Qu bathed and received bandages, the Village Elders gathered around him to ask about the Mountain Ghost.

After killing a Mountain Ghost that appeared during the sacrifice, Liang Qu told the Village Elders it was neither the great Mountain Ghost from Ping Yang Town nor a newly born Little Mountain Ghost, and warned that something ghostly might be behind the recent attacks. He left by boat for Ping Yang Town with Chen Jiechang to consult his Master and seek help from his Senior Brothers.

• Liang Qu explained that the Mountain Ghost he killed was neither of the known Mountain Ghosts from Ping Yang Town, and the Village Elders feared that more monsters might be nearby.
• Liang Qu rejected the idea that the River God had sent the Mountain Ghost and suspected it had been drawn by the blood and people gathered for the sacrifice.
• Liang Qu suggested that something ghostly might explain why several spirit monsters had appeared, and the Village Elders urged him to stay and protect Yi Xing City.
• Chen Zhaoan offered Liang Qu ten taels of silver from each Village Elder in gratitude for saving them.
• Liang Qu said his Senior Brothers could handle stronger Mountain Ghosts and decided to go to Ping Yang Town to consult his Master.
• Liang Qu and Chen Jiechang boarded the Black Awning Boat and headed through the marshlands toward Ping Yang Town.

Liang Qu discovered that the river ritual had earned him a tiny amount of River's Favor and strengthened his Water Control ability. When he returned to the Yang Residence to ask Master Yang for help, Xu Shi told him his master was away.

• Liang Qu examined his Water Monkey Marsh Spirit's 0.0001 River's Favor and guessed that the ritual's scale, offerings, and his role as Chief Priest had earned it.
• Liang Qu tested his abilities on the boat and found that his Water Control had grown stronger, though he still could not sense blood flowing inside Chen Jiechang.
• Liang Qu spotted Zheng Xiang crossing South Stone Bridge, then set aside his questions about the Zhao Residence and continued to the Yang Residence.
• Xu Shi welcomed Liang Qu, offered him Treasure Silver, and noticed his bandaged injury before offering him Flesh Mending Pills.
• Liang Qu explained that the villagers were waiting for Master Yang, but Xu Shi told him Master Yang was not at the residence.

Xu Shi told Liang Qu that the Mountain Ghosts might be part of a Water Blessing Sect scheme involving Fetus Pearl Pills, while his master and several senior disciples were away. After Liang Qu discussed the danger with his senior brothers, they considered how to find the mastermind and whether to seek help from other martial arts schools.

• Xu Shi explained that Liang Qu's master and three senior disciples had gone to Chao River County, possibly lured away by a Water Blessing Sect plot, and gave Liang Qu pills to treat his wounds.
• Xu Shi described how the Water Blessing Sect had used Mountain Ghost fetuses to make Fetus Pearl Pills and suspected that the Mountain Ghosts in Yi Xing City had been planted long ago.
• Xu Shi urged Liang Qu to ask his senior brothers for advice and invited him and Chen Jiechang to dinner; she rewarded Chen Jiechang and Li LiBo with Blood Qi Pills for helping kill the Mountain Ghost.
• Liang Qu returned to the Martial Arts School and told Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi about Xu Shi's suspicions and the Fetus Pearl Pills.
• Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi questioned the pills' reported power and discussed finding the mastermind, with Hu Qi asking whether they should seek help from the other two martial arts schools.

Liang Qu and his senior brothers debated whether to warn Ping Yang Town’s martial arts schools about the Water Blessing Sect and its Mountain Ghosts, then gathered to discuss the threat. Hu Qi also told Liang Qu to train in martial arts and learn basic medicine, while Lu Gang took charge of the meeting.

• Xiang ChangSong argued that the martial arts school should keep the Water Blessing Sect’s plans secret, while Hu Qi warned that the schools could be at risk.
• Hu Qi and Liang Qu considered the uncertainty surrounding the Mountain Ghosts and decided to inform Senior Brothers Xu and Lu.
• Hu Qi learned that Liang Qu had broken through and told him to practice martial arts and later learn basic medical skills.
• Liang Qu told Lu Gang about the day’s events, and Lu Gang agreed to go to the martial arts school to discuss the Water Blessing Sect.
• Xu Zishuai and Xiang ChangSong arrived late, and Xu Zishuai said he had some knowledge of the Water Blessing Sect.

Xu Zishuai proposed using a blood sacrifice at Fahua Temple to lure out the Mountain Ghost and uncover the Water Blessing Sect’s plans. The senior brothers agreed to the plan, while Liang Qu stayed behind to prepare for his Spirit Weapon forging and train.

• Xu Zishuai suggested bringing wanted mountain bandits to Fahua Temple as a blood sacrifice to draw out the Mountain Ghost.
• Lu Gang approved the plan and arranged for two martial artists to remain in Yi Xing City; Xu Zishuai and Xiang ChangSong rode out that night to capture the bandits.
• Lu Gang told Liang Qu to come to his house the next day so Liang Qu’s blood could shape his Spirit Weapon’s nature.
• Hu Qi gave Liang Qu a Bow Strength Method booklet and instructed him to memorize it and begin training.

Liang Qu learned the Bow Strength Method from Hu Qi and trained both his strength and fighting methods through repeated combat. Afterward, Hu Qi explained how martial artists strengthen their inner root to resist the outside world, leaving Liang Qu stunned by the scale of the martial path.

• Liang Qu memorized the Bow Strength Method and learned to circulate his Qi and blood, but Hu Qi repeatedly disrupted his rhythm until his strength dissipated.
• Hu Qi made Liang Qu continue fighting after he grew exhausted, correcting his distance, openings, and control of the center of each fighter’s circle.
• Liang Qu trained late into the night, recognizing his progress and gaining a clearer understanding of combat while accepting that he still had much to learn.
• Liang Qu asked Hu Qi why martial artists could withstand blades without visibly thick or rough skin, and Hu Qi explained that breaking the Skin Barrier strengthened both the skin and an unseen inner root.
• Hu Qi described martial arts as strengthening one’s own root to resist the outside world and ultimately transcend it, leaving Liang Qu wondering whether Water Control would fail against a martial artist.

Liang Qu trained with Hu Qi before watching Lu Gang forge and shape his Spirit Weapon. Lu Gang completed the spear and handed it to Liang Qu.

• Liang Qu soaked in a medicinal bath, practiced Ape Fist, and slept after recovering from his fight with the Mountain Ghost.
• Liang Qu sparred with Hu Qi at the Martial Arts Field and improved his ability to fight without losing his force.
• After eating, Liang Qu went to Lu Gang's residence to watch the Spirit Weapon shaping.
• Lu Gang used Liang Qu's blood and Shadow Beast Skin to draw the softened tungsten gold into a spearhead and bind it to a wooden shaft.
• Lu Gang finished shaping the spear and handed it to Liang Qu.

Lu Gang finished a powerful spiritual spear for Liang Qu, explaining its materials and self-repairing qualities before helping him test it. Liang Qu left with the weapon and maintenance supplies, grateful for Lu Gang’s generosity.

• Liang Qu learned that Lu Gang had completed the spear early because Shadow Beast Skin replaced raw lacquer and spiritual artifacts needed no quenching.
• Lu Gang gave Liang Qu the ninety-six-jin spear, a long wooden case, and supplies for repairs and maintenance.
• Liang Qu tested the spear on wooden stakes and an iron rod, cutting through the targets without damaging its blade.
• Liang Qu thanked Lu Gang and promised to repay the favor, then carried the spear and supplies away.

Liang Qu named his new spear the Subduing Waves Spear and continued training at the Martial Arts School while sending the three beasts after a Bullhorn Pomfret. The beasts caught the huge fish, but their argument over how to divide it erupted into a muddy fight.

• Liang Qu showed Chen Jiechang his new spear, and they named it the Subduing Waves Spear.
• Chen Jiechang told Liang Qu that Si Hengyi wanted to see him at the academy and agreed to deliver pills to Li LiBo and check on Uncle Chen's family.
• Liang Qu lost control of his qi during training, was scolded by Hu Qi, and was ordered to lift thirty stone blocks.
• After the Fat Catfish reported finding a Bullhorn Pomfret, Liang Qu let the Fat Catfish, Cannot Move, and Fist try to catch it without him.
• Cannot Move herded the Bullhorn Pomfret toward Fist, and A Fei finished the hunt by slamming it down and biting through its skull.
• The three beasts argued over how to divide the fish, and Fist's pinches triggered a furious struggle that filled the water with mud and sand.

Xu Zishuai destroyed a Mountain Bandit stronghold and freed the captive women while Xiang ChangSong arranged transport. After special training, Liang Qu and his Senior Brothers prepared to investigate the Mountain Ghost at Fahua Temple, where they waited for Xu Zishuai and Xiang ChangSong to arrive.

• Xu Zishuai scouted the Mountain Bandits' stronghold, confirmed the bounty notice, and smashed through its gate with a sharpened tree trunk.
• Xu Zishuai killed the bandit leader and captured the remaining Mountain Bandits, while Xiang ChangSong returned with drivers to help the imprisoned women.
• Liang Qu practiced with Fubo after training and reflected on how the Spirit Weapon adapted to its wielder.
• Hu Qi and Lu Gang prepared for the trip to Fahua Temple, bringing a bow and a Mountain Hunting Dog to track Spirit Monsters.
• Liang Qu and his two Senior Brothers reached the fork beneath Fahua Temple and waited for Xu Zishuai and Xiang ChangSong as night fell.

Liang Qu and his senior brothers brought captured bandits to Fahua Temple, where Xu Zishuai used their blood to lure Mountain Ghosts. The Ze Cauldron triggered Mountain Search and Demon Subjugation, and Liang Qu killed his first Mountain Ghost as the battle began.

• Liang Qu learned that the Mountain Hunting Dog, Black Fang, was unusually strong and smart, then led it with Lu Gang and the others up the mountain.
• Black Fang sensed Mountain Ghosts near Fahua Temple, and the group entered the ruined temple with the captured bandits.
• Xu Zishuai killed the bandits and spilled their blood to draw out the Mountain Ghosts.
• The Ze Cauldron triggered Mountain Search and Demon Subjugation, promising Liang Qu the River Master Emperor's favor for completing it.
• Dozens of Mountain Ghosts appeared, and Lu Gang and Xu Zishuai attacked while Liang Qu killed one with his spear, raising the quest progress to one.

Liang Qu and the others slaughtered the Mountain Ghosts at Fahua Temple and discovered the hidden cavern where they had been raised. They found A Liang dead and pursued the unknown person who had escaped, but lost the trail at a river.

• Lin Guiyong stabbed A Liang to death in the secret space beneath the Guanyin Hall and escaped through the passage.
• Lu Gang, Xu Zishuai, Hu Qi, Xiang ChangSong, and Liang Qu fought the Mountain Ghosts while Liang Qu gained combat experience and increased his Mountain Search and Demon Subjugation progress.
• The group searched Fahua Temple and its surroundings with Black Fang, then found a concealed cave entrance.
• Inside the cavern, Liang Qu killed the young Mountain Ghosts, and Hu Qi identified the corpse as someone who had died from a single stab wound within three hours.
• The group followed the escapee's scent to a river, where the trail disappeared.

After merging with the River Master Emperor's Marsh Spirit, Liang Qu endured agonizing pain and received the first stage of Martial Dao Divinity, doubled Martial Dao Talent, and increased damage against water-element Demon Beasts. He discovered that the Favor had boosted his cultivation and spear instincts, then began Flesh Refinement and stepped onto the river's surface.

• Liang Qu left the Martial Arts School to investigate his Marsh Spirit's Favor in private.
• Liang Qu merged with the River Master Emperor's Marsh Spirit and endured a painful vision of a Divine General cleaving apart a Flood Dragon.
• Liang Qu recovered and found that his blood Qi was strong enough to begin Flesh Refinement.
• Liang Qu completed one round of Flesh Refinement and sensed the Subduing Waves Spear's living presence more clearly.
• Liang Qu stepped onto the river, and the flowing water began to lift him.