Chapter Summaries

After Yuan You’s deliberate Red Pear Demonic Snake incident brought her and Shen Qian together, he asked her to manage his wealth, and the Blade Cultivation Squad returned safely to Jing City. After visiting his parents, Shen Qian tested his strength and found that his system-assisted combat power had risen to a level comparable to a late-stage Advanced Martial Artist.

• Yuan You was bitten by a Red Pear Demonic Snake, and Shen Qian sucked out the venom while her instincts led them to become intimate.
• Shen Qian recognized that Yuan You had risked her life to earn his trust and asked her to manage his growing wealth.
• Shen Qian, Yuan You, and Dao Jiu returned to Jing City with the squad, completing many bounty missions without losing anyone.
• Shen Qian left Yuan You to handle the mission report and went home to visit his parents before heading to the Sky-Reaching Tower.
• Shen Qian tested himself at the Martial Arts Simulator and recorded 7,128 kg of burst strength, rising to 8,193 kg when the system took over.

After returning from two months of training, Shen Qian reunited with Ling Xiao and tested his strength in a brief spar. When he logged into the Hundred Kings Hall to catch up on news, the Star Council unexpectedly promoted him to core member.

• Shen Qian reflected on his training, checked his growing bank balance, and learned that Eldest Senior Brother could not attend his school admission banquet while Second Senior Sister would wait for him in Jiangzhong.
• Ling Xiao pulled Shen Qian into the training room and sparred with him, praising his rapid improvement and saying he could handle a few moves against a newly advanced Mountain Sea Martial Artist.
• Shen Qian learned that Liu Changqing had recently attained the Dao but was currently underground after an unusually wild breakthrough.
• Shen Qian logged into the Hundred Kings Hall, checked his contribution points and private messages, and then entered the community to see what had happened during his absence.
• The Star Council announced that Shen Qian, temporary member No. 98, had been promoted to core member of the Hundred Kings Hall.

Shen Qian became a core member of the Hundred Kings Hall, learned about his new privileges and obligations, and spent his final days in Jing City saying goodbye to friends and family. On October 16, 2297, he headed to the Sky-Reaching Tower for a farewell banquet before leaving for Jiangzhong, where stepping onto its staircase triggered a sudden transformation.

• The Hundred Kings Hall recognized Shen Qian as a core member, and he learned that his promotion brought new privileges but made leaving the society subject to the Star Council's approval.
• Shen Qian collected 630 contribution points for his cultivation breakthroughs and prepared to leave Jing City.
• Shen Qian reunited with classmates and friends, learned that Ouyang Fei would attend Jiangzhong Military University, and declined to lend Gu Zifang money.
• Shen Qian maintained ties with Song Ye, the City Lord's Manor, and the Dark Star Squad, while the Old Days Squad rose to second in the local rankings.
• Shen Qian spent his final three days with Wang Xiaojuan and Shen Liang, then said goodbye to his parents and went to the Sky-Reaching Tower.
• Shen Qian chose the tower's spiral staircase, and the world transformed as he stepped onto the first stair.

Shen Qian climbed the Sky-Reaching Tower and witnessed a vision of Big Shot Gao's early life, ending with Gao Wenyuan kneeling before the mysterious White-robed Man. At his farewell banquet in Jing City, Shen Qian received gifts from his senior brothers as he prepared to leave.

• Shen Qian climbed the tower's stairs and saw a vision of a gifted child who grew up to be Gao Wenyuan, then watched Gao Wenyuan kneel before the White-robed Man before the vision collapsed.
• Shen Qian reached the ninety-ninth floor and asked Wu Jun what the stairs showed; Wu Jun said they contained Teacher's Dao essence and could temper Mental Power and one's Dao heart.
• Shen Qian joined his senior brothers and sisters at his farewell banquet, where he learned Liu Changqing had been temporarily released from underground for the occasion.
• Shi Dingyan gave Shen Qian four formation flags from Buya Valley to help him set formations faster.
• Ling Xiao gave Shen Qian a wooden sword containing a strike with about eighty percent of his full power, strong enough to destroy an ordinary Mountains and Seas cultivator.

At Shen Qian’s farewell banquet, his teacher Gao Wenyuan gave him a profound experience of observing Jing City before he left for university. Ji Ruoshui revealed her feelings as Shen Qian departed, and snow began falling over Jing City as his plane took off for Jiangzhong.

• Wu Jun gave Shen Qian a Soul Stone, and Liu Changqing reluctantly gifted him an Invisibility Talisman refined by King Taiyi.
• Shen Qian thanked Ji Ruoshui and said farewell to Gao Wenyuan, who used Observe the World to let him witness the lives of Jing City’s citizens.
• After Shen Qian left the Sky-Reaching Tower, Ji Ruoshui ran after him, wiped away her tears, and gave him a handkerchief embroidered with a portrait and four words.
• Shen Qian heard Ji Ruoshui playing the zither from the tower, then hurried to the airport and boarded a flight to Jiangzhong with Dao Jiu.
• As the plane took off, snow fell across Jing City, and Shen Qian bowed toward the city in farewell.

Shen Qian arrived in Jiangzhou with Wan Ning, who arranged his transportation and guided him through the city. At the Psionic Market, he bought enrollment supplies and explored the demon-beast district before entering the Beast Fighting Arena, drawn by its unusual auras.

• Wan Ning met Shen Qian at the airport, and he gave her thirty million Huaxia Coin to buy the car and cover their expenses.
• Wan Ning explained Jiangzhou's history and the rivalry between Jiangzhong Military University and Suke Martial University while driving Shen Qian to lunch.
• Shen Qian asked Wan Ning to guide him through the Psionic Market, where they bought his books and standard equipment for the academic year.
• Shen Qian explored the southern district's demon-beast shops but found the available beasts unappealing, including an R-Class Di Yang.
• Shen Qian noticed the Beast Fighting Arena and entered with Wan Ning and Dao Jiu after sensing unusual auras inside.

Shen Qian visited East Sun Beast Fighting Arena to find a demon beast, but discovered that its sales representative was offering him overpriced beasts with hidden flaws. He became interested in the arena’s fights for untamed beasts and watched as a martial artist chose a suspiciously weak-looking Emperor Monkey.

• Shen Qian inspected a T-Class Golden Dye and an S-Class Hellbird, then realized both had concealed defects and left the sales area.
• After hearing cheers, Shen Qian followed Meijia to the beast-fighting arena and learned that challengers could win untamed demon beasts by defeating them.
• Shen Qian watched Lin Zhe defeat a Black-backed Giant Turtle and take it home after paying far below its market price.
• Shen Qian examined the caged demon beasts and considered challenging one, but another martial artist chose Cage No. 19 first.
• The crowd warned that the white Emperor Monkey in Cage No. 19 had injured previous challengers, and Shen Qian watched closely.

Shen Qian challenged the unusually intelligent Emperor Monkey, communicated with it, and won its submission. When the Beast Fighting Arena tried to stop him from taking it, he opened every cage and escaped as the beasts flooded the arena.

• The Emperor Monkey used martial skills to defeat a young martial artist, and Shen Qian entered the arena to challenge it.
• Shen Qian spoke to the Emperor Monkey in beast language, and it submitted to him before following him from the arena.
• Manager Qian and Meijia accused Shen Qian of using improper means and blocked him from taking the Emperor Monkey.
• Shen Qian opened the cages, and the released beasts attacked the staff and threw the arena into chaos.
• Shen Qian used Meijia's employee card to open the security door as the beasts surged out past the Mountains and Seas expert.

Shen Qian escaped the chaos at the East Sun Beast Fighting Arena and headed to Wind Cloud Blacksmith Shop to seek an A-grade weapon from Master Gu. After learning that Master Gu chose commissions according to what each applicant could offer, Shen Qian began considering another way to persuade her.

• Shen Qian and Dao Jiu left the Beast Fighting Arena as the Emperor Monkey’s calls sent the released beasts rampaging through the venue, which caught fire behind them.
• Shen Qian told Wan Ning that the Emperor Monkey had caused the chaos, then took her and Dao Jiu toward the western district to buy a weapon.
• Shen Qian arrived at Wind Cloud Blacksmith Shop seeking an A-grade Long Saber or longsword and used Dao Jiu’s aura to prompt Master Gu to open her workshop.
• Master Gu appeared and explained that applicants should submit what they could offer and the weapon they wanted, leaving her assistant to collect their requests.
• Shen Qian decided that Master Gu’s desires might offer another way to secure a weapon, beyond money or force.

Shen Qian met Gu Yunlan and offered hope of reviving Ran Feng with the Creation pill, prompting her to bring him to the unconscious man. As Shen Qian prepared to explain that the pill had been developed, his call to Cheng Shanhe failed, so he contacted Little Wei instead.

• Li Jiaqi taunted Geng Qianqiu about Shen Qian and learned that Geng Qianqiu had grown stronger since his exam humiliation.
• Ye Shicong gathered the freshmen to discuss offering Gu Yunlan medicinal treasures in exchange for forging Psionic Weapons, but Gu Yunlan rushed out to question Shen Qian about curing Ran Feng.
• Shen Qian followed Gu Yunlan into the workshop with Dao Jiu, Wan Ning, and an Emperor Monkey, then examined Ran Feng and confirmed that he still had a thread of life.
• Gu Yunlan explained how Ran Feng had died during an attempt to break through into Mountains and Seas, and Shen Qian said the Creation pill might save him.
• Shen Qian told Gu Yunlan that Creation had been developed, failed to reach Cheng Shanhe by phone, and called Little Wei instead.

Shen Qian secured Master Gu’s promise to forge him an A-grade Psionic Weapon and arranged with Professor Cheng to get the Creation Pill for Ran Feng. Outside the blacksmith shop, Ye Shicong’s attempt to seize Shen Qian’s token and Emperor Monkey ended in a confrontation, and Ye demanded to know how Geng Qianqiu knew Shen Qian.

• Shen Qian called Professor Cheng, who agreed to reserve a Creation Pill for Ran Feng as soon as possible.
• Master Gu thanked Shen Qian, agreed to forge him a long saber for one yuan, and discussed its design with him.
• Ye Shicong confronted Shen Qian outside the Wind Cloud Blacksmith Shop and demanded the knife and Emperor Monkey, but Shen Qian refused.
• Ye Shicong’s companions attacked, and Dao Jiu swiftly overwhelmed them before sending Ye Shicong flying with a punch.
• Wan Ning stayed to handle the arriving Police Warriors while Shen Qian left with Dao Jiu and Emperor Monkey; he hinted that Li Jiaqi and Geng Qianqiu should have stopped Ye Shicong.
• Li Jiaqi realized Shen Qian had noticed her and Geng Qianqiu, and Ye Shicong pressed Geng Qianqiu to reveal who Shen Qian was.

After learning Shen Qian was the national Martial Champion, Ye Shicong vowed to make things interesting at Jiangzhong Military University. Shen Qian finished preparing for enrollment and arrived at the university, where ten Mountain Sea guards and a familiar white-haired elder awaited the incoming students.

• Geng Qianqiu told Ye Shicong that the youth he had confronted was Shen Qian, the national Martial Champion, and Ye Shicong mocked Shen Qian before leaving.
• Shen Qian and Wan Ning left the Psionic Market and planned to collect custom armor from the Jiangzhong Military Factory.
• After spending six days in Jiangzhou, Shen Qian traveled alone to the new student assembly point and learned from a military attendant that an enrollment ceremony was coming.
• Shen Qian boarded the armored vehicle with Yang Lingjie, who chatted about Jiangzhong Military University and did not recognize Shen Qian as the national Martial Champion.
• The vehicle crossed the forbidden zone and reached the university, where ten Mountain Sea security guards watched from above the gate and Shen Qian recognized a white-haired old man among them.

Shen Qian arrived at Jiangzhong Military University’s freshman camp and learned that the enrollment ceremony would include an assessment. Director Yu Shouyi asked him to set a benchmark for the other students, while Shen Qian also confirmed that the university’s sealed old campus was nearby and that the camp included older-year students recruited to prepare for a national event.

• Shen Qian and Yang Lingjie arrived at the temporary camp, where staff assigned them a tent and laid out strict rules for the night.
• Yang Lingjie told Shen Qian that the freshmen included many powerful students and that the enrollment ceremony would serve as an assessment tied to dormitory and mentor assignments.
• A Military Martial Artist escorted Shen Qian to Yu Shouyi, who revealed that the assessment questions were in a confidential pouch and asked Shen Qian to set a benchmark by demonstrating his strength.
• Shen Qian declined to read the questions and asked Yu Shouyi about the sealed old campus; Yu Shouyi confirmed it was nearby and guarded.
• Shen Qian noticed that a quiet cluster of tents housed powerful older-year students, and Yu Shouyi explained that they had been recruited to help the new university prepare for a major event at the end of the year.

At Jiangzhong Military University’s opening ceremony, Shen Qian reunited with fellow freshmen and faced challenges from several provincial champions, who expected to compete in the day’s assessment. Yu Shouyi announced that the assessment would affect students’ housing, final evaluations, and mentors, then introduced Earl Pingyang as the university’s honorary principal.

• Shen Qian spotted Ouyang Fei among the freshmen, and Ouyang Fei’s greeting drew attention to Shen Qian’s status as the national Martial Champion.
• Xiao Ye and Yue Dakuan recognized Shen Qian from the Ascending Heavenly Ladder, while several other provincial champions gathered around him.
• Ye Shicong, Xiao Ye, Zhao Keyi, Yue Dakuan, and the others challenged Shen Qian to fight, but Yue Dakuan pointed out that the opening ceremony’s assessment could give them a chance to compete.
• Yu Shouyi began the ceremony, announced that the assessment would determine housing, final evaluation difficulty, and mentor assignments, and introduced Earl Pingyang as the honorary principal.
• Earl Pingyang descended onto the platform, and Shen Qian realized that the university’s leadership included people with whom he had close connections.

Shen Qian discovered that his second senior sister, Cheng Qingqing, was among Jiangzhong Military University's lead instructors as Yu Shouyi announced the school's competitive student-selection rules. Earl Pingyang transformed the plaza into an assessment course and explained that freshmen would race through mud and throw spears at a towering wall, with results determining their rankings.

• Yu Shouyi introduced Earl Pingyang, vice principal Tantai Qin, and the university's lead instructors, and Shen Qian recognized Cheng Qingqing as his second senior sister.
• Yu Shouyi announced that students would choose instructors by assessment rank, with limited places under the principal, vice principal, and lead instructors.
• Yu Shouyi revealed that unaccepted students would be expelled after three months unless they earned a disciple seat, which they could claim by defeating another student in a formal challenge.
• Shen Qian noticed that Zhao Keyi had used Mental Power to determine the number of freshmen and regarded him as a potential threat.
• Earl Pingyang transformed the plaza into a muddy course ending at a towering stone wall and gave every student a black spear.
• Earl Pingyang explained that students had to cross the muddy path and throw their spears at the wall, with rankings determined by how high the spears reached.

Shen Qian charged through the spear assessment’s mudflat by dodging and smashing mud arrows, then hurled his spear toward the stone wall despite a hidden gravity field. The chapter ended before his score was announced.

• Earl Pingyang started the assessment, and Yue Dakuan led the first charge before invisible arrows knocked him back from the mudflat.
• A senior student threw a spear from partway across the mudflat and lodged it in the stone wall, revealing that contestants did not have to cross the entire field.
• Shen Qian entered the mudflat as Ye Shicong, Zhao Keyi, and other rivals followed, then surged ahead at extraordinary speed.
• Shen Qian punched apart the mud arrows as he advanced, while Xiao Ye failed to break one and Zhao Keyi eventually gave up trying.
• Shen Qian dodged Earl Pingyang’s invisible arrow, crossed the mudflat, and threw his spear toward the highest point of the stone wall.

Shen Qian finished the entrance assessment after throwing his spear beyond the clouds, astonishing the instructors and other freshmen. When the top-ranked students chose mentors, Earl Pingyang offered to guide Shen Qian without using a mentor slot, but Vice Principal Tantai Qin pressed him to choose her.

• Shen Qian met senior student Qu Bai, who threw his spear into the clouds before entering Jiangzhong Military University.
• Zhao Keyi, Geng Qianqiu, Ye Shicong, and the other freshmen threw their spears, but none reached the clouds.
• Shen Qian arrived at the plaza, where instructors watched him closely, and Yu Shouyi announced that students would choose mentors according to their assessment ranking.
• Ning Zhiyuan, Xiang Mian, He Meini, He Shu, and the other instructors tried to persuade Shen Qian to choose them.
• Shen Qian chose Earl Pingyang, who offered to mentor him without using one of the first-year slots and asked him to select another main mentor.
• Tantai Qin asked why Shen Qian had avoided considering her, then directly told him to choose her.

Shen Qian chose Tantai Qin as his instructor, and the freshmen’s spear-throwing results became public when Earl Pingyang revealed the stone wall, showing Shen Qian’s spear among those at the summit. After settling into a villa dormitory and speaking with Ding Yi, Shen Qian learned that his first lecture with Tantai Qin would begin the next morning.

• Cheng Qingqing briefly offered to guide Shen Qian, then withdrew, and Shen Qian accepted Tantai Qin as his instructor.
• Zhao Keyi and six other provincial top scorers chose Earl Pingyang, while Yu Shouyi explained that only 685 freshmen qualified to select instructors.
• Qu Bai challenged Yu Shouyi to reveal Shen Qian’s score, so Earl Pingyang cleared the mist and exposed the stone wall, where eighteen spears stood at its thousand-meter peak, including Shen Qian’s black spear.
• Shen Qian explored the campus, deposited money onto his student card, ate at Cafeteria No. 2, and chose Villa No. 7 as his dormitory.
• Shen Qian spoke with Ding Yi and received notice to attend Tantai Qin’s Instructor’s Lecture the next morning.

Shen Qian attended Tantai Qin’s first class, where she set a ten-day sword-intent test, then followed her to her residence and was caught in a sudden eruption of her power. He woke in a basement beside an injured, confused Tantai Qin, who collapsed before he could leave, leaving him worried about what the system had done while he was unconscious.

• Shen Qian hid Tantai Qin’s spatial necklace in his basement safe, then arrived at her class and sat in the front row beside Li Jiaqi and Zhu Xiaozhi.
• Tantai Qin showed the class three sword marks and ordered first-years to comprehend the first strand of sword intent within ten days or be dismissed.
• Tantai Qin stopped Shen Qian after class, took him to her residence, and asked whether they had met before; Shen Qian claimed their opposing affiliations made him avoid her.
• Tantai Qin agreed Shen Qian could choose another instructor and offered to stabilize his foundation, but her power erupted and the system forced Shen Qian into AFK mode.
• Shen Qian awoke in a basement beside Tantai Qin and her cat Jade, then watched Tantai Qin collapse after the blanket around her fell away.

After waking from two days unconscious, Shen Qian asked Cheng Qingqing to help him explain his absences from Jiangzhong Military University, then reviewed the AFK Record to learn what happened during Tantai Qin’s loss of control. The record revealed that he had survived her rampaging origin force at the cost of Ling Xiao’s wooden sword and had absorbed some of Tantai Qin’s power.

• Shen Qian left healing pills, tea, and a note for Tantai Qin, then discovered he had missed two days of classes and school obligations.
• Shen Qian met Cheng Qingqing, who agreed to report that he had been recuperating with her and pointed out that Earl Pingyang already knew where he had been.
• Shen Qian returned to his villa and found that the AFK system had used his formation flags and Ling Xiao’s wooden sword to blunt Tantai Qin’s out-of-control origin force.
• Shen Qian learned that he had absorbed part of Tantai Qin’s origin force, which he could digest because her Dao Rhyme remained within him.
• Shen Qian read that the AFK system had cleaned Tantai Qin, carried her to the basement, and activated an isolation formation when it sensed Earl Pingyang’s approaching will.