Recaps

After killing Fang Yu, Jiang Ning focused on advancing the Summer Time Treasure Scroll as unrest threatened to spread. Zhi Xuan Mountain’s Mountain Master Yun Shanhai agreed to join the Heaven Response Alliance if Li Sixiang helped avenge Fang Yu, while Jiang Ning reached the breakthrough threshold for his cultivation method.

• Jiang Ning decided to prioritize raising his strength, then spent four days cultivating the Summer Time Treasure Scroll under the Great Sun.
• Wang Qingtan visited Jiang Ning at night, teased him about watching her and Zhong Ling sleep, and stayed with him.
• Li Sixiang told Zheng Changfeng and Yun Shanhai that Fang Yu had died at Jiang Ning’s hands.
• Yun Shanhai refused to attack a County Inspector directly but offered to join the Heaven Response Alliance if Li Sixiang avenged Fang Yu.
• Li Sixiang agreed and requested a section of Divine Bone bearing Yun Shanhai’s Mountain and Sea Artistic Conception.
• Jiang Ning filled the Summer Time Treasure Scroll’s progress to 10000/10000 and reached the Perfected Realm breakthrough threshold.

Jiang Ning broke through the Summer Time Treasure Scroll and gained the purple-grade Yangyan True Fire, a powerful solar flame that could melt rock and metal. He then practiced the Twofold Yin-Yang Sword until it reached the Perfected Realm, leaving him ready to spend Source Energy on its Seventh Limit Break.

• Jiang Ning spent 10,000 Source Energy Points on the Summer Time Treasure Scroll, causing a Great Sun to erupt within him and setting the surrounding mountain ablaze.
• Zhao Yulong and Su Zhi witnessed the distant Golden Light and discussed Jiang Ning’s standing as a prodigy who might one day become a Martial Saint.
• Jiang Ning discovered that the breakthrough had granted him the Yangyan True Fire, tested its power, and learned it could melt rock and metal while consuming his Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
• Jiang Ning reviewed his progress in Visualization and the Twofold Yin-Yang Sword, then decided to practice until the sword skill reached its next breakthrough.
• Jiang Ning practiced through the night until the Twofold Yin-Yang Sword reached the Perfected Realm, and he noted that its Seventh Limit Break would cost 10,000 Source Energy Points.

Jiang Ning advanced his swordsmanship and visualization while preparing for the Martial Examination in the Royal Capital and watching for Zhi Xuan Mountain's response. Elsewhere, Li Sixiang recruited Tyrant Saber Li San to kill Jiang Ning, offering him a Divine Bone containing the Intent of Mountains and Rivers.

• Jiang Ning spent Source Energy to break through the Twofold Yin-Yang Sword, gaining the All-Encompassing trait, then practiced it and the Seven Stars Demon Subduing Sword.
• Zhao Yulong and Bai Luoyu visited Jiang Ning to congratulate him on his strength, and he shared wine with them.
• Jiang Ning confirmed that the Martial Examination was twenty-one days away and planned to travel alone to the Royal Capital, while waiting to see whether Zhi Xuan Mountain would act over Fang Yu's death.
• Jiang Ning's Visualization skill reached Minor Completion, improving his progress with the Summer Time Treasure Scroll and the Great Sun Ascending Artistic Conception.
• Li Sixiang met Tyrant Saber Li San by the Luo River and asked him to kill Dongling County Patrol Envoy Jiang Ning.
• Li Sixiang offered Li San a Divine Bone containing the Intent of Mountains and Rivers, which Li San recognized as Yun Shanhe's Mountain River Finger.

Jiang Ning confronted Tyrant Saber Li San, who arrived in Dongling City on someone’s commission and challenged him to a fight. After Jiang Ning endured Li San’s saber strike unharmed, Li San unleashed a mysterious power from a Jade Box, conjuring a mountain-sized finger and a raging river that engulfed Jiang Ning.

• Tyrant Saber Li San entered Dongling City, and the gate captain recognized him as a wanted Grandmaster and alerted the Patrol Office.
• After receiving the Prefecture Lord’s warning that Li San was heading for his residence, Jiang Ning sent Linglong and his household to Dongling Mountain and went to meet Li San.
• Zhao Yulong watched as Li San approached Jiang Ning and began building up his Saber Intent.
• Li San struck Jiang Ning with his saber, but Jiang Ning’s Indestructible Vajra Body left him unharmed.
• Li San crushed a Jade Box and unleashed a mountain-sized finger that conjured a surging river, which submerged Jiang Ning as Zhao Yulong watched in shock.

Jiang Ning killed Tyrant Saber Li San after surviving the Mountain River Finger, then brought the finger bone to Shen Wenyuan, who identified it as a Divine Bone carrying the technique of Yun Shanhe, the Mountain River Marquis. Jiang Ning learned that Zhi Xuan Mountain’s master was a powerful Title Grandmaster and asked about the balance of power in Five Peaks Prefecture.

• Jiang Ning survived Tyrant Saber Li San’s finger technique with his Sixteen-Foot Golden Body, killed Li San, and took the white finger bone from him.
• Jiang Ning and Zhao Yulong suspected the attack came from Zhi Xuan Mountain, and Zhao advised Jiang Ning to ask Shen Wenyuan about the bone.
• Jiang Ning visited Shen Wenyuan, who identified the technique as Yun Shanhe’s Mountain River Finger and described Yun Shanhe as the Title Grandmaster known as Mountain River Marquis.
• Shen Wenyuan identified the finger bone as a Divine Bone from an ancient deity, explaining that it had carried the Mountain River Finger’s Artistic Conception.
• Jiang Ning asked whether the Imperial Court could suppress the sect forces in Five Peaks Prefecture, and Shen Wenyuan said Zhi Xuan Mountain’s Mountain River Marquis was nearly matched only by the prefecture’s Title-level Prefecture Lord.

Jiang Ning traveled to Jun Tian City to meet the Marquis of Five Peaks Prefecture, while preparing a new sword and planning to conceal his identity if he fought Zhi Xuan Mountain. The Marquis and Zhong Yue discussed their plan to draw out the force behind Zhi Xuan Mountain before learning that Jiang Ning had arrived.

• Jiang Ning crossed into Five Peaks Prefecture, entered Jun Tian City, and stayed at Spring Breeze Pavilion to rest before visiting the Marquis.
• Jiang Ning reforged his Blade Embryo into a Sword Embryo with Yangyan True Fire and bound it to himself with his blood.
• Jiang Ning went to the Marquis Mansion and presented his Identity Token, identifying himself as the Dongling County Patrol Envoy.
• The man in the purple Python Robe told Zhong Yue that he intended to make a move and wanted the force behind Zhi Xuan Mountain to emerge.
• Zhong Yue pledged his support, and the Marquis said he had fifty percent confidence against the Zhi Xuan Mountain Master.
• A gate guard reported Jiang Ning's arrival, and the Marquis ordered him to bring over Jiang Ning's Identity Token.

Jiang Ning met the Purple Robe Marquis and Zhong Yue in Jun Tian City, learned that Zhi Xuan Mountain had sent an assassin after him, and agreed to join their planned assault on the mountain. While waiting for the operation, he practiced the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword and made a major breakthrough, leaving him eager to test it the next day.

• Jiang Ning met the Purple Robe Marquis, received his Identity Token, and learned the Marquis planned to report his achievements against Zhi Xuan Mountain.
• Jiang Ning showed the Marquis and Zhong Yue a Divine Bone carrying the Mountain River Finger's Artistic Conception and revealed that Zhi Xuan Mountain had sent someone to assassinate him while trying to abduct Zhong Ling.
• Zhong Yue apologized for placing Jiang Ning in danger, and Jiang Ning urged the Marquis to stop leaving those around him vulnerable to hidden attacks.
• The Purple Robe Marquis revealed he had prepared to attack Zhi Xuan Mountain and welcomed Jiang Ning's help, with the assault set for the next day and Jiang Ning planning to conceal his identity.
• Jiang Ning practiced the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword in his courtyard, gained a surge of experience with a strike that split dusk and dawn, and resolved to reach proficiency before the operation.

Jiang Ning attended a family banquet hosted by the Marquis, politely refused Lady Xu’s attempt to match him with Rong'er, and then trained the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword until it broke through to proficiency. He discovered that its mastery-level spatial distortions made the sword difficult to perceive and parry, but consumed Golden Mist rapidly, leaving him wary as he prepared to attack Zhi Xuan Mountain the next day.

• Jiang Ning arrived at the Marquis’s family banquet, where the Marquis introduced Lady Xu and Zhou Tuo and told Zhou Tuo to address him as Uncle Jiang.
• Lady Xu asked whether Jiang Ning was married, and he said he already had a marriage betrothal, ending her hopes of matching him with Rong'er.
• Back in his courtyard, Jiang Ning practiced the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword until it broke through from initiation to proficiency.
• Jiang Ning inspected his Dantian and found that his Immortal Root had grown into a seven-inch-and-eight sapling with three radiant leaves.
• Jiang Ning tested the sword’s mastery-level techniques and found that they distorted space and perception, making the blade hard to track while rapidly draining Golden Mist.
• Jiang Ning let his depleted energy recover naturally and rested, knowing he would attack Zhi Xuan Mountain the next day.

Jiang Ning received imperial-tribute Xuan Shuang Zhi clothing and a silver Mask from the Purple Robe Marquis’s household to conceal his identity for the campaign against Zhi Xuan Mountain. He joined the Marquis on the way to the operation, where the Marquis revealed his forces’ deployment and said he had a sixty percent chance of success if Xuan Yuan Blessed Land stayed out of it, or eighty percent if it intervened.

• Jiang Ning practiced swordsmanship while waiting for word from the Purple Robe Marquis.
• Lady Xu brought Jiang Ning Xuan Shuang Zhi clothes and a silver Mask, while Rong'er praised him but felt she was not worthy of him.
• Jiang Ning put on the imperial-tribute outfit and Mask, then told the Purple Robe Marquis he would use swordsmanship to conceal his identity.
• Jiang Ning summoned his own sword, and the Purple Robe Marquis accepted it before they set out together.
• Jiang Ning kept pace with the Purple Robe Marquis as they flew toward Zhi Xuan Mountain, and the Marquis explained that Patrol Office martial artists and Feng Ming Army units were approaching from several directions.
• The Purple Robe Marquis said Jiang Ning could hold off a Top Grandmaster and estimated their chances of success at sixty percent without Xuan Yuan Blessed Land’s intervention, or eighty percent if it intervened.

Purple Robe Marquis Zhou Sheng and Jiang Ning arrived at Zhi Xuan Mountain, where Zhou Sheng demanded that Yun Shanhe surrender Gongsun Zhi. Yun Shanhe challenged Zhou Sheng to a match, while Feng Zhen and Zhong Yue attacked Fang Daoquan and were quickly overwhelmed.

• Feng Zhen confronted Zheng Changfeng at Middle Finger Peak, but Fang Daoquan arrived and used Spiritual Pressure to show he was close to becoming a Second Rank Great Grandmaster.
• Jiang Ning and Purple Robe Marquis Zhou Sheng arrived after breaking the Sound Barrier, while the Feng Ming Army concealed itself in groups across the surrounding forests.
• Zhou Sheng demonstrated his Spiritual Pressure against Fang Daoquan, then called Yun Shanhe down from the peak and demanded that he hand over Gongsun Zhi.
• Yun Shanhe refused and challenged Zhou Sheng to a match, and the two men rose into the sky.
• Feng Zhen and Zhong Yue attacked Fang Daoquan; he repelled Feng Zhen's staff strike, wounded Zhong Yue with one blow, and charged at Feng Zhen again.

Jiang Ning, disguised as the Silver Masked Man, intervened when Fang Daoquan overwhelmed Feng Zhen and fought the half-step Great Grandmaster head-on. Their clash left Fang Daoquan suspecting Jiang Ning might be the rumored Invincible Grandmaster.

• Fang Daoquan used his Spiritual Pressure to suppress Feng Zhen and instantly defeated a Grandmaster who tried to help.
• Jiang Ning stepped in under Marquis Zhou Sheng's orders, blocked Fang Daoquan, and let Feng Zhen leave to support the other fighters.
• Fang Daoquan summoned a spear and attacked Jiang Ning with his Flood Dragon techniques, but Jiang Ning's swordsmanship and Divine Sense let him deflect the assaults.
• Jiang Ning and Fang Daoquan collided with their strongest attacks, splitting the earth and drawing the attention of nearby fighters.
• Fang Daoquan struck with his Splitting Mountain Technique, but Jiang Ning held firm, leading Fang Daoquan to wonder if he was the rumored Invincible Grandmaster.

Jiang Ning used the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword to kill Fang Daoquan, then joined Feng Zhen’s battle and slaughtered Zhi Xuan Mountain’s Grandmasters. As he advanced toward Middle Finger Peak’s entrance, Yun Shanhe and Purple Robe Marquis’s clash continued overhead, with Purple Robe Marquis blocking Yun Shanhe from going down to help.

• Jiang Ning learned Fang Daoquan’s strength and, using the Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword, repeatedly wounded him before severing his head and killing him.
• Jiang Ning joined Feng Zhen’s battlefield and killed several Grandmasters, shocking Feng Zhen with his speed and strength.
• Jiang Ning continued slaughtering Zhi Xuan Mountain’s fighters as he advanced toward the entrance to Middle Finger Peak.
• Yun Shanhe shouted at Zhou Sheng, and Purple Robe Marquis answered that they were already locked in a fight to the death and he would not let Yun Shanhe go down to save the others.

Jiang Ning helped Zhou Sheng’s forces storm Zhi Xuan Mountain, where Xiang Yuan arrived and tried to enter the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land. The Blessed Land’s surviving Ancestor stopped him and took Yun Shanhe away, after which Xiang Yuan destroyed Zhi Xuan Mountain’s main building and summoned Jiang Ning to follow him.

• Jiang Ning cut down the defenders at the mountain gate and left Feng Zhen to lead the assault up Middle Finger Mountain.
• Yun Shanhe confronted Jiang Ning and Zhou Sheng, while Zhou Sheng asked Jiang Ning to help hold him back and conceal Jiang Ning’s identity.
• A woman emerged from the altar’s Five-Colored Light Pillar, but Xiang Yuan shot her with a bloodstained arrow, killed her, and tore open a passage toward the Xuan Yuan Grotto-heaven.
• The surviving Ancestor of the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land struck Xiang Yuan, seized Yun Shanhe, and closed the passage before Xiang Yuan could claim the Heart of the Grotto-heaven.
• Xiang Yuan told Zhou Sheng to deal with Zhi Xuan Mountain, destroyed its grandest building with his bow, and ordered Jiang Ning to accompany him.

After Martial King Xiang Yuan warned Jiang Ning against attempting the Ninth Blood Exchange without preparation, he urged him to visit Xiao Wuque in the Royal Capital. Jiang Ning practiced his Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword while the battle at Zhi Xuan Mountain continued, then learned from Zhou Sheng that Xiao Wuque was the Martial Saint Manor’s second-in-command and a likely successor to the Martial Saint.

• Xiang Yuan praised Jiang Ning’s strength, warned him about the dangers of the Ninth Blood Exchange, and told him to meet Xiao Wuque in the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning watched the battle at Zhi Xuan Mountain continue, decided to improve his Indestructible Vajra Body before attempting another Blood Exchange, and practiced his Tai Xu Yin Yang Sword.
• Zhou Sheng arrived and praised Jiang Ning’s sword art, recognizing how it had enabled him to defeat Fang Daoquan.
• Jiang Ning told Zhou Sheng that Xiang Yuan had sent him to meet Xiao Wuque, and Zhou Sheng explained Xiao Wuque’s exceptional talent and standing as the Martial Saint Manor’s second-in-command.
• Zhou Sheng said Jiang Ning deserved thirty percent of the operation’s credit but would keep his contribution from public reports to avoid making him a target while Yun Shanhe and the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land remained threats.

Jiang Ning trained his Indestructible Vajra Body before attending a Victory Banquet honoring the destruction of Zhi Xuan Mountain. At the banquet, Zhou Sheng presented him as “Your Highness,” and Jiang Ning noticed that his wine was unusually rich in energy.

• Jiang Ning resumed training the Indestructible Vajra Body at the Marquis Mansion while waiting for the Victory Banquet.
• Zhou Sheng assured Jiang Ning that a Silver Star Sand Mask would conceal his identity from Yun Shanhe and invited him to the banquet; Zhong Yue thanked Jiang Ning for protecting Zhong Ling.
• Jiang Ning prioritized cultivating his body and preparing for the Ninth Blood Exchange over further improving his swordsmanship, then bathed and dressed for the banquet.
• Jiang Ning arrived at the Victory Banquet wearing his Silver Mask, and Zhou Sheng seated him beside himself as guests greeted him as “Your Highness.”
• Feng Zhen toasted Jiang Ning, who tasted the energy-rich wine and noticed that only the head tables had wine of comparable quality.

After the Victory Banquet, Jiang Ning continued cultivating the Indestructible Vajra Body before preparing to leave Jun Tian City for Dongling City. Zhou Sheng sent two maids after him, hoping they would be accepted into Jiang Ning’s service.

• Zhong Yue toasted Jiang Ning repeatedly at Zhou Sheng’s Victory Banquet, and Jiang Ning gained Source Energy from the wine.
• The Prefectural Lord of Five Peaks Prefecture arrived, questioned Jiang Ning’s identity, and then offered him a conciliatory toast.
• After the banquet, Jiang Ning trained through the night and continued cultivating the next morning, raising the Indestructible Vajra Body’s progress.
• Jiang Ning said farewell to Zhou Sheng and departed for Dongling City after promising they would drink together when they met again.
• Zhou Sheng asked the two maids whether Jiang Ning had touched them, then arranged for Green Ivy to escort them after Jiang Ning so they could seek places in his service.

Jiang Ning returned to Dongling City after Zhi Xuan Mountain’s destruction and prepared for his journey to the Royal Capital. He trained the Indestructible Vajra Body for days, then woke rested and expected to complete its breakthrough that day.

• Jiang Ning reunited with Luyi, Zhong Ling, and the others, and told Zhong Ling that Zhi Xuan Mountain had fallen with Martial King Xiang Yuan’s intervention.
• Jiang Ning reasoned that Xiang Yuan had targeted the Xuan Yuan Blessed Land and its Heart of the Grotto-heaven, then decided not to spend Source Energy Points on Wind Thunder Step or the Summer Time Treasure Scroll.
• Jiang Ning focused on training the Indestructible Vajra Body and fed Linglong his blood to strengthen her before his planned trip to the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning trained nearly nonstop for several days, reaching 37866/40000 progress before exhaustion overcame him and Linglong carried him to bed.
• Jiang Ning woke the next day refreshed, saw that the Indestructible Vajra Body’s progress remained at 37866/40000, and expected to break through that day.

Jiang Ning broke through the Indestructible Vajra Body, greatly increasing his strength, then set out for the Royal Capital to take the Martial Examination Metropolitan Examination. Before leaving, he learned that the Yellow Sky Sect was gathering around Luoshui, a development that revealed a threat beyond his ability to confront.

• Jiang Ning spent one hundred thousand Source Energy Points to break through the Indestructible Vajra Body, and the Dragon Elephant Power trait deepened as his physical strength nearly doubled.
• Jiang Ning said farewell to Liu Wanwan, Jiang Li, Jiang Yiming, Zhong Ling, and Luyi, then left for the Royal Capital.
• Jiang Ning visited Bai Luoyu, asked him to help Jiang Li if trouble arose, and arranged for Bai Luoyu to contact him through the Celestial Secrets Record if needed.
• Jiang Ning visited Zhao Yulong at the Patrol Office and learned that the Yellow Sky Sect was gathering around Luoshui.
• Jiang Ning considered the Yellow Sky Sect’s powerful figures and agreed with Zhao Yulong that they were not qualified to get involved.

Jiang Ning left for the Royal Capital to take part in the Martial Examination Metropolitan Examination while worrying about unrest from the Yellow Sky Sect. As he neared Shangjing Prefecture, Ji Mingyue waited in the palace, determined to marry him despite the emperor’s opposition.

• Jiang Ning asked Zhao Yulong to look after his family, then told Wang Qingtan he was leaving for the Royal Capital; Wang Qingtan accepted his feelings for him and chose not to hold him back.
• Li Sixiang learned Jiang Ning was traveling to the Royal Capital and searched for his likely route, but Jiang Ning crossed Guangning Prefecture by water and escaped his pursuit.
• Jiang Ning reached Shangjing Prefecture and realized he was close to the Royal Capital, while Li Sixiang gave up searching the wrong route.
• Ji Mingyue told Ji Minghao she had confessed her feelings for Jiang Ning to the emperor so she could face his disapproval alone, and she eagerly anticipated seeing Jiang Ning at the examination.

Jiang Ning entered Shangjing and encountered the procession of Fu Yuan Saint Monarch, a clay-bodied deity who had gone to discuss the Dao with the Imperial Advisor. After considering the threat posed by returning deities, Jiang Ning entered the city, bought a map, and set off for his first destination.

• Jiang Ning reached Shangjing’s gates and presented his Martial Examination recommendation letter, drawing attention from the guards and a Heavenly Surveillance Bureau Daoist who recognized his strength.
• Fu Yuan Saint Monarch’s grand procession arrived, and the Saint Monarch addressed Jiang Ning before entering the capital to meet the Imperial Advisor.
• Jiang Ning learned that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had descended from a worshiped statue and judged him more formidable than the Black Lotus Old Mother and the God of Flesh and Blood.
• Jiang Ning entered Shangjing and reflected on the power of deities before declining a guide’s offer and buying a map instead.
• After checking the map against his previous understanding, Jiang Ning vanished and headed for his first destination.

Jiang Ning rested and gathered information at the Royal Capital’s Nine Heavens Pavilion before setting out to visit Xiao Wuque, the Martial Saint’s Close Disciple. He learned more about the Martial Examination’s leading contenders and Fu Yuan Saint Monarch, whose attention toward him left him uneasy.

• Jiang Ning overheard diners discuss Fu Yuan Saint Monarch’s status as an Orthodox God of the Heavenly Court and the powerful figures who had failed to defeat him.
• Jiang Ning learned that Wan Jianyi and Mingxin were leading contenders for the Martial Examination, while diners judged Jiang Ning too young to match them.
• Jiang Ning considered the unsettled imperial succession and decided to avoid getting too close to Ji Minghao.
• Jiang Ning rested at Nine Heavens Pavilion, then listened to guests discuss the Martial Examination and the rankings of Wan Jianyi, Mingxin, and himself.
• Jiang Ning heard that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had defeated powerful challengers and faced the Imperial Advisor in a battle whose outcome remained unknown.
• Jiang Ning recalled that Fu Yuan Saint Monarch had noticed him, felt a faint sense of danger, and left to visit Xiao Wuque.

Jiang Ning met Xiao Wuque at the Patrol General Bureau, where they discussed Jiang Ning’s Blood Exchange progress and Past Life Wisdom. Xiao Wuque explained that life originated from the True Spirit and that famous reincarnations could only possess fragments of one.

• After the guards at Martial Saint Manor said Xiao Wuque was absent and refused to reveal his whereabouts, Jiang Ning heard Xiao Wuque summon him to the Patrol General Bureau.
• A guard at the bureau escorted Jiang Ning into the Prison Suppressing Hall, where he met Xiao Wuque.
• Xiao Wuque asked about Jiang Ning’s cultivation, and Jiang Ning revealed that he had completed eight Blood Exchanges and awakened memories from two lifetimes.
• Over wine, Xiao Wuque identified the person who valued Jiang Ning as the Old Blind Man of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, who had guarded the Star Gazing Platform for three hundred years.
• Xiao Wuque explained that the True Spirit Mark was the source of life and that any genuine reincarnation of a complete True Spirit would transcend the limits of the world.

Xiao Wuque explained that Jiang Ning was the reincarnation of a newly born True Spirit, then rewarded his recent merits with Immortal Phoenix Blood to aid his Ninth Blood Exchange. Jiang Ning accepted a token granting him access to the Dao Palace’s Library of Collection and arrived at the Dao Palace.

• Xiao Wuque explained that Jiang Ning’s two lives’ memories meant his True Spirit remained close to its primordial state, giving him exceptional talent and comprehension.
• Xiao Wuque described how his master created the True Spirit Nine Transformations Blood Exchange Method to cleanse a True Spirit and acknowledged Jiang Ning’s potential to reach the Martial Saint’s level.
• Jiang Ning reviewed and approved the dossier of his recent achievements, and Xiao Wuque awarded him a drop of Immortal Phoenix Blood that could strengthen him and help save his life during a failed Ninth Blood Exchange.
• Jiang Ning told Xiao Wuque that he wanted to study at the Dao Palace’s Library of Collection, and Xiao Wuque gave him a token for free entry.
• Jiang Ning left the Prison Suppressing Hall and reached the Dao Palace, where a Lame Old Man dozed beside the gate.

Jiang Ning entered the Dao Palace Library and used Mind-Spirit Diversion to read ten books at once, rapidly increasing his Literacy experience before the strain forced him to stop. After replenishing himself with wine containing Emperor Flow Paste, he explored the lake and discovered its water held nourishing energy, then gathered some of that energy into his flask.

• Jiang Ning showed Xiao Wuque’s token to the Lame Old Man, entered the Dao Palace, and reached its spatially expanded Library.
• Jiang Ning used Divine Sense to read and digest ten books simultaneously, while Dao Palace Students watched and speculated about his Spiritual Power.
• After reading through the day, Jiang Ning stopped at night with a sore brow and exhausted mind, but saw that his Literacy experience had risen substantially.
• Jiang Ning entered the lake, used Fire Eye to identify active energy in its water, and realized it was responsible for the lake’s nourishing effect.
• Jiang Ning drank wine containing Emperor Flow Paste to restore himself, then used Fire Eye to draw energy-rich water into his empty flask.

Jiang Ning resumed reading in the Library until morning, then followed the Dao Palace students to breakfast and met Li Mujin. He learned that Ji Mingyue had publicly pledged to marry no one but him and had been confined to the Luan Palace, leaving him worried about the consequences.

• Jiang Ning returned to the Library after recovering his Spiritual Power and read thousands of books through the night.
• Jiang Ning left the Library at sunrise and followed the students to the Dining Hall, where he ate Spirit Rice Porridge and steamed fish.
• Li Mujin sat with Jiang Ning, introduced herself, and recognized him as the Dongling County Patrol Envoy and the Seventeenth Princess's sweetheart.
• The students discussed Ji Mingyue's public declaration that she would marry no one but Jiang Ning and her confinement to the Luan Palace.
• Jiang Ning worried about Ji Mingyue's reputation and future, then left the Dining Hall while Li Mujin watched him go.