Chapter Summaries

After Qin Heng revealed that he had learned the Blazing Fire spear technique from a single viewing, he grew rapidly through daily sparring with Ding Baishan. When Ding Baishan’s repeated defeats left him despairing, he asked Chen Yu to fight Qin Heng, and she accepted.

• Qin Heng explained that he had glimpsed the Goddess of War’s Blazing Fire technique and could only use it intermittently, astonishing Zhao Chong, Wang Wenhao, and Ding Baishan.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan went to cultivate, while Zhao Chong and Wang Wenhao sparred and discussed Qin Heng’s potential.
• For nearly half a month, Qin Heng sparred with Ding Baishan daily and steadily improved by reflecting on each fight.
• On September 13, Ding Baishan complained that Qin Heng had outgrown him, but Qin Heng provoked him into fighting and defeated him repeatedly.
• Ding Baishan hugged Chen Yu’s leg and begged her to stand up for him, so she agreed to fight Qin Heng.
• Qin Heng recognized that Chen Yu was a Martial Master but accepted her challenge and asked her to go easy on him.

Chen Yu took Qin Heng and Ding Baishan to the Military Affairs Building, where Old Bai assigned them a mission at North 4 Wilderness Camp after signs of an impending beast horde appeared. Qin Heng looked forward to life-and-death tempering, while Chen Yu was appointed to protect the two, leaving them to argue over whether her protection would undermine the challenge.

• Chen Yu defeated Qin Heng repeatedly in the Weapon Sparring Room, then told him and Ding Baishan to accompany her to the Military Affairs Building for a mission.
• On the way, Chen Yu explained that her master had given her a C1-Class Star Silver Sword, which she had tempered with battle qi for over half a year.
• Old Bai told them that beast hordes had retaliated after the Base City hunted seven High-level Beast Kings, and that Monsters were gathering near North 4 Wilderness Camp.
• The mission details showed that Hall Master Wang Daoyi had selected Qin Heng and Ding Baishan to go to North 4 for tempering ahead of a likely beast horde.
• Qin Heng welcomed the chance to fight Monsters, while Ding Baishan complained about being included as a bonus and Chen Yu was assigned to act as their bodyguard.
• Qin Heng questioned whether he could undergo life-and-death tempering with Chen Yu protecting him, and Ding Baishan asked her to focus on keeping him safe instead.

Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan flew toward North Camp 4 to train and hunt Monsters. On the way, Chen Yu discussed the rare Demon Plants that could strengthen battle qi as they crossed the Border Wall into the wilderness.

• Chen Yu explained that she joined the trip to temper herself before the Martial Arts Tournament while helping keep Qin Heng away from Monsters too powerful for him.
• Old Bai arranged for the three students to leave the next morning by aircraft, and they boarded an armed Heavenly Dao Martial Hall helicopter.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan hoped to earn money by hunting valuable Monsters, while Qin Heng aimed to save enough to buy neural sympathetic exoskeletons for his parents.
• Chen Yu said she wanted to find a hundred-year Demon Plant to increase her battle qi, and Qin Heng recalled that Demon Plants were rare and dangerous at higher tiers.
• The helicopter crossed the Border Wall toward North Camp 4, and the trio saw a broken Great Bridge beside a river filled with enormous fish.

Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan discussed the growing monster threat and the world’s rare candidates for becoming Martial Gods. Ding Baishan revealed that Qin Heng might eventually train at Guanghan Palace on the moon, leaving Qin eager to go there.

• Chen Yu and Ding Baishan explained that Beast Kings could organize monster hordes into coordinated attacks and that the Alliance’s expanded hunts were necessary.
• Qin Heng and Chen Yu discussed the distant threat of Beast Gods and the need for Nansha to produce a Martial God.
• Chen Yu said Grandmasters expected Qin Heng and Ji Lingyun to have a chance at reaching the Martial God realm.
• Ding Baishan described twenty-six other extraordinary prodigies worldwide and said Qin Heng might train at headquarters before advancing his studies.
• Ding Baishan explained that Guanghan Palace was a lunar cultivation base with unusually dense Cosmic Energy, and Qin Heng realized he might qualify to go there.

Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan’s helicopter was attacked by a Great Wind Bird and four companions while flying over a Monster-dense area. They parachuted out as the aircraft’s rotors were destroyed, leaving the pilots to be killed by the birds.

• Ding Baishan told Qin Heng and Chen Yu about the moon base and his experiences in Central Plains before a Great Wind Bird approached their helicopter.
• The Great Wind Bird attacked with wind blades and tried to ram the aircraft, so the gunner opened fire but failed to stop it.
• The injured bird pursued the helicopter and called five Great Wind Birds to join the attack.
• The squad leader ordered Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan to parachute from the helicopter, and the three jumped.
• Two Great Wind Birds sliced apart the helicopter’s rotors, and two more killed the pilots before they could open their parachutes.

After Great Wind Birds brought down their aircraft, Chen Yu, Qin Heng, and Ding Baishan survived the crash and contacted Zhang Zhenwei for directions to North Camp 5. They set off through the monster-filled wilderness, and Qin Heng decided to buy a satellite communication chip after learning how useful it was.

• Chen Yu killed two Great Wind Birds with her sword, while Qin Heng and the others landed in the jungle and fought off nearby Monsters.
• Chen Yu reached Zhang Zhenwei by satellite phone, and he directed the group toward North Camp 5, sixty-two kilometers away.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan killed several Advanced Monsters while Chen Yu watched, then gathered valuable materials from the corpses.
• The three recovered the dead soldiers’ identification tags, buried them, and headed toward North Camp 5.
• Chen Yu told Qin Heng that a satellite communication chip cost about 35,000 yuan, and he resolved to buy one after returning.

Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan watched two Monster groups fight, then joined the battle to claim their valuable materials. Chen Yu appeared to target the fleeing Dragon Crocodile Beast, but instead killed the wounded Raging Black Bear with a surprise strike.

• Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan found the Raging Black Bear's group fighting the Dragon Crocodile Beast's group over territory.
• Chen Yu and her companions waited as the Dragon Crocodile Beast used Gravity Ripples to weaken the Raging Black Bear's side.
• Chen Yu agreed to take the Dragon Crocodile Beast's valuable brain material while Qin Heng and Ding Baishan fought the other Monsters.
• Chen Yu charged into the battle and used Falling Star Battle Qi to kill three Monsters, while the Dragon Crocodile Beast fled.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan attacked the wounded Monsters as Chen Yu feinted toward the Dragon Crocodile Beast and split the Raging Black Bear's head with her sword.

Chen Yu killed the Raging Black Bear before pursuing the Dragon Crocodile Beast, while Qin Heng and Ding Baishan fought off Monsters drawn to the battle. Qin Heng killed the Earth Flower Snake that had cornered Ding Baishan, leaving the pair to continue their fight in the forest.

• Chen Yu slew the Raging Black Bear and charged into the forest after the Dragon Crocodile Beast.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan killed a group of wounded Monsters, then faced a pack led by a Monkey King.
• Qin Heng fought off Azure-Eyed Golden Monkeys and killed their Monkey King while avoiding the Earth Flower Snake's attacks.
• The Earth Flower Snake threatened Ding Baishan, who climbed into a tree to escape it.
• Qin Heng sensed the snake beneath the soil and pierced it through the heart with his spear.

Qin Heng and Ding Baishan rushed to help Chen Yu, who was fighting a pack of Monsters while a Wilderness Walker hunter refused to assist without payment. Chen Yu unleashed her ultimate technique and killed the two Advanced Ferocious Beasts, leaving the battle’s remaining Monsters still present.

• Qin Heng killed an Earth Flower Snake by spotting it beneath the soil, and he and Ding Baishan went to look for Chen Yu when she did not return.
• Qin Heng and Ding Baishan found Chen Yu battling more than a dozen Ferocious Beasts and two Advanced Ferocious Beasts, while a Wilderness Walker hunter demanded two hundred thousand yuan to help.
• Ding Baishan and Qin Heng joined the fight, but Chen Yu was struck by one of the Advanced Ferocious Beasts and crashed through several trees.
• Chen Yu rose, unleashed her Falling Star Battle Qi, and used Demon Subduing Sword—Falling Sun to kill the Black Tiger and giant bear.

After Chen Yu, Qin Heng, and Ding Baishan defeated a group of Monsters, they gathered their spoils and suspected Wilderness Walker Company was preparing a major operation nearby. As they rested, Qin Heng realized his divine sense had begun to detect hidden enemies, hinting at a future breakthrough.

• Chen Yu, Qin Heng, and Ding Baishan killed the remaining Monsters and collected valuable materials while a middle-aged Martial Warrior roasted meat and warned them to head east, not north or west.
• The three returned to their earlier battlefield, gathered more spoils, and estimated their haul at around 1.2 million.
• Chen Yu speculated that Wilderness Company was preparing to encircle and suppress a Beast King or clear the area, while Ding Baishan sensed that something major was happening to the northwest.
• Chen Yu and the others searched for a place to rest and wait for help from North Camp 5.
• Qin Heng reflected that his divine sense had grown stronger and could detect the Earth Flower Snake hidden underground, possibly foreshadowing a major increase in power after he reached the Martial Master realm.

Qin Heng investigated an unnaturally quiet valley and found brittle Monster skeletons, then discovered finger-thick roots that instantly devoured a field mouse. He fled toward Chen Yu and Ding Baishan, warning them to run as the unknown creature’s threat remained imminent.

• Chen Yu rested while Qin Heng stood guard, and Li Xue called to say her group would arrive within five minutes and warned them about nearby Beast Kings.
• Qin Heng noticed the valley’s grass showed no signs of large animals and reasoned that something terrifying had kept them away.
• Qin Heng found brittle Golden Spiral Horned Goat skeletons and grew alarmed that their remains looked strangely clean despite the recent rainy season.
• Qin Heng sensed something dangerous moving through the grass and saw finger-thick roots pursue him.
• The roots caught a field mouse and drained away its flesh and skin in an instant, leaving brittle bones behind.
• Qin Heng ran back and shouted for Chen Yu and Ding Baishan to flee, while Ding Baishan asked whether the monster was worth money.

Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan waited for their rescuers outside a valley after Qin Heng spotted a dangerous Demon Plant. When Li Xue, Cui Wenlin, and Shen Hao arrived, Qin Heng told them about the roots and their prey-draining power.

• Qin Heng warned Chen Yu and Ding Baishan that the valley's Demon Plant might be several hundred years old, so they waited outside rather than investigate.
• Qin Heng and the others heard a distant battle and a giant beast's roar before Li Xue, Cui Wenlin, and Shen Hao arrived.
• Li Xue explained that Wilderness Company was fighting two Beast Kings after a contracted Grandmaster disappeared nearby.
• Qin Heng suspected the valley's roots might be connected to the missing Grandmaster, but reasoned they could not be a Millennial Demon King since he and his companions had escaped.
• Qin Heng told the three seniors about the Demon Plant and described how its beige roots drained prey until only bones remained.

Qin Heng identified a dangerous, unknown Demon Plant in Green Grass Valley, and the seniors who investigated it were attacked. After Shen Hao lost his left hand, the group recognized the plant as a Millennial Demon King and called for help, leaving them waiting for Zhang Zhenwei to arrive.

• Qin Heng described the beige, blood-draining roots to Shen Hao, Cui Wenlin, and Li Xue, who ruled out the known Ghost Claw Tree and Hell Bodhisattva.
• Shen Hao, Cui Wenlin, and Li Xue entered Green Grass Valley while Qin Heng, Chen Yu, and Ding Baishan watched from a slope.
• Li Xue cut down the grass, revealing a silent valley with no herbivorous beasts, and Qin Heng predicted the Demon Plant would attack soon.
• Beige roots burst from the grass and resisted the seniors' attacks; one root drained Shen Hao's left hand, forcing him to sever his forearm and flee.
• Shen Hao judged the plant to be an unknown Millennial Demon King, and Chen Yu contacted her master, Zhang Zhenwei.
• Zhang Zhenwei postponed his hunt for a High-level Beast King and set out to reach the group within an hour.

Qin Heng and the others hid as the wounded Giant Lizard Beast King fled into a valley and was caught by the Millennial Demon King. When Wilderness Company arrived to claim the Demon King, Chen Yu invoked his master Zhang Zhenwei, setting up a confrontation.

• Qin Heng and the others waited for Zhang Zhenwei while Shen Hao tended his wounds and lamented losing an arm.
• The injured Giant Lizard Beast King fled past the group with Jiang Luyang and Wilderness Company's experts in pursuit.
• The Beast King entered the valley, where the Millennial Demon King attacked it with hundreds of roots and began draining its life force.
• Jiang Luyang and Wilderness Company's experts arrived, recognized the Demon King, and planned to report it to President Ji.
• Cui Wenlin claimed that the group had discovered the Demon King first, and Chen Yu identified himself and said Zhang Zhenwei would arrive shortly.

Wilderness Company drove Chen Yu, Qin Heng, and their companions away from the valley, then Jiang Luyang attacked the Millennial Demon King while it was still draining the Giant Lizard King. The group circled around the mountain to watch from above, where Qin Heng seized two goats to scout the way.

• Jiang Luyang challenged the Heavenly Dao Martial Hall team’s claim to the Demon King and ordered his Great Martial Masters to drive them away.
• Li Xue led the six team members out of the valley, and Qin Heng noticed the Demon King’s roots seemed to be growing as it drained the Giant Lizard King.
• Chen Yu called Zhang Zhenwei, who told the group to withdraw and avoid clashing with Wilderness Company.
• After the team left, Jiang Luyang charged into the valley and attacked the Demon King with his Modao and Flame Battle Qi.
• Qin Heng led the others around the mountain to find a vantage point, then grabbed two Elementary Monster goats to scout the way.

Qin Heng and the others searched for the true body of the Demon King while its roots fought Jiang Luyang and the Giant Lizard King. By testing where roots attacked, Qin Heng located the likely center of its territory and threw burning charcoal there to investigate.

• Qin Heng and the others watched the Demon King battle Jiang Luyang and drain the Giant Lizard King, then discussed the value of its Source Core.
• Qin Heng tested the valley grass by throwing goats into different areas and observed roots attack only those within the Demon King's reach.
• Cui Wenlin brought two Monsters, and Qin Heng used their deaths and survival to map the edge of the Demon King's territory.
• Qin Heng used the mapped points to identify a likely center about 1,300 meters from the entrance, though the spot looked ordinary.
• Qin Heng lit two pieces of deadwood and threw them toward the suspected center and a nearby area to test for a reaction.

Qin Heng and the others exposed the Demon King's true body with fire, provoking it to reveal its hidden strength and devastate the martial artists at the valley entrance. Zhang Zhenwei arrived as the Demon King finished draining the Giant Lizard King, and he confronted Jiang Luyang, who tried to claim the site for Wilderness Company.

• Qin Heng and the others saw the flames avoid a patch of grass, identifying it as the Demon King's true body.
• The enraged Demon King unleashed hundreds of hidden roots, killing more than twenty Wilderness Company martial artists and forcing Jiang Luyang and the others to retreat.
• The Demon King sent roots toward Qin Heng and his group, but they fled beyond its reach and returned to observe from the ridge.
• The Giant Lizard King died as the Demon King drained its life force, while Jiang Luyang waited for another Grandmaster to intervene.
• Zhang Zhenwei arrived, but Jiang Luyang tried to stop him and claimed Wilderness Company had the right to the site; Zhang demanded that Jiang leave or be forced out.

Zhang Zhenwei arrived in the valley, drove Jiang Luyang away, and killed the powerful new Demon King. He recovered its plant-like true body but learned that its energy could not help him break through to the Martial God realm.

• Zhang Zhenwei forced Jiang Luyang and his people to leave, then checked on Chen Yu and learned that Shen Hao had lost a wrist fighting the Demon King.
• Chen Yu and Qin Heng told Zhang Zhenwei that the Demon King was a new species and pointed out its true body; it gathered more than a thousand roots to defend itself.
• Zhang Zhenwei used Star Flame and two sword strikes to destroy the Demon King's roots and grievously damage its true body.
• The Demon King begged Zhang Zhenwei to spare it and promised to kill more beasts, but Zhang Zhenwei said it was more valuable dead and annihilated its consciousness.
• Zhang Zhenwei examined the Demon King's tuber-like body and told Chen Yu that its pure energy could greatly increase strength but could not help him break through.

Zhang Zhenwei divided the Demon King Root among the younger martial artists and reserved two portions, while promising Qin Heng a custom weapon as an extra reward. Ji Dingjiang then tried to buy a portion for Ji Lingyun, who agreed to Shen Hao’s price of thirty million ahead of the Martial Arts Tournament.

• Zhang Zhenwei divided the Demon King Root into eight portions, gave six to the group, and reserved two for research and later use.
• Chen Yu suggested that Qin Heng deserved an additional share, so Zhang Zhenwei promised him a custom weapon instead.
• Ji Dingjiang arrived and negotiated with Zhang Zhenwei, who offered Wilderness Company the Beast King’s corpse and half of the Demon King’s remains.
• Ji Dingjiang and Ji Lingyun went to the younger martial artists and offered ten million for a portion of the Demon King Root.
• Shen Hao demanded thirty million, and Ji Lingyun agreed to the price, hoping the treasure would help him win the tournament and enter the Dragon God Martial Hall headquarters.

Qin Heng and the other young martial artists consumed Demon King Root to strengthen themselves ahead of the Martial Arts Tournament. As Qin Heng’s growth surpassed everyone else’s, Ji Dingjiang learned that Qin Heng was Ji Lingxue’s boyfriend and reacted with shock.

• Ji Dingjiang paid Shen Hao thirty million for the Demon King Root, and Ji Lingyun began consuming it with Qin Heng, Chen Yu, Ding Baishan, Li Xue, and Cui Wenlin.
• The six cultivators absorbed the root’s energy, and Qin Heng felt his body and strength improving at an extraordinary rate.
• Ji Lingyun initially produced the strongest energy fluctuations, but Qin Heng’s aura kept rising as he advanced from Intermediate Martial Warrior toward the Advanced Martial Warrior level.
• Ding Baishan reached his limit after absorbing part of the root’s energy, while Qin Heng continued growing without showing signs of stopping.
• Ji Dingjiang asked Zhang Zhenwei whether Qin Heng had an Innate Martial Meridian physique, and Zhang Zhenwei revealed that Qin Heng was Ji Lingxue’s boyfriend and that they were discussing marriage.
• Ji Dingjiang reacted in shock, and Zhang Zhenwei reminded him that he had driven Ji Lingxue away.