Chapter Summaries

After defeating a Heavenly Soldier force, Shen Qian discovered that the Heavenly Scale guarded a vast army of millions, including beings far stronger than the enemies he had faced. When he called out for Jiang Chengye, familiar figures appeared, followed by Jiang Chengye himself.

• Shen Qian and Tantai Qin discussed the Heavenly Scale’s origins and the immense strength of its complete form.
• Shen Qian crossed the Scale’s boundary, saw the ruined Heavenly Court and its vast army, then retreated when he realized how many Heavenly Soldiers stood beyond it.
• After recognizing that the Heavenly Scale kept the army from reaching him, Shen Qian returned to the boundary and saw millions of Heavenly Soldiers and powerful Heavenly Generals.
• Shen Qian called for Jiang Chengye, and Fu Xiaoxiao, Ye Jialei, Zhai Bufan, and other familiar figures appeared in silver armor.
• Jiang Chengye approached across the Heavenly Soldiers, appearing just as he had in Shen Qian’s memories.

Shen Qian confronted Jiang Chengye in the ruined Heavenly Court, seeking answers about those swallowed by the door ten years earlier, but Jiang Chengye attacked instead. Their fierce battle left Shen Qian badly injured before he combined Mental Power with Shadow Blade and cut across Jiang Chengye’s torso.

• Jiang Chengye hurled the Sky-Piercing Halberd at Shen Qian, then declared that trespassers in the Heaven Realm would be killed without mercy.
• Shen Qian fought Jiang Chengye with the Mountain River Saber and discovered that Jiang Chengye could conceal his vital energy and battle with overwhelming physical strength.
• Jiang Chengye unleashed a golden, flame-wreathed power that struck Shen Qian into a mountain and left him coughing blood.
• Shen Qian used a Mental Power-infused Lion’s Roar to create an opening, then launched Shadow Blade at Jiang Chengye.
• Jiang Chengye split the blade light with his halberd, but a spreading line of blood revealed that Shen Qian had cut across his upper body.

Shen Qian and Jiang Chengye fought across several domains, where Shen Qian discovered Heavenly Soldiers excavating frozen mythical beasts and setting up a formation around an ancient gate. After a distant scream, Jiang Chengye lifted his seal and risked the Heavenly Scale’s punishment to strike at Shen Qian, who fled and called on the system.

• Shen Qian wounded Jiang Chengye with his self-created Shadow Blade and questioned him about Hu Feiwei and Jiang Xuan, but Jiang Chengye attacked when Shen Qian mentioned Jiang Xuan.
• Shen Qian and Jiang Chengye fought through an icy domain, where Shen Qian saw Heavenly Soldiers digging toward a frozen dragon, a Kui Ox, other mythical beasts, and four men bearing the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise tattoos.
• Jiang Chengye struck Shen Qian’s shoulder and sent him into a desert domain, where Shen Qian saw Heavenly Soldiers assembling a formation around a huge white-jade gate under a woman’s direction.
• A distant scream made Jiang Chengye stop fighting, and he told Shen Qian that he was out of time and should not have come there.
• Jiang Chengye lifted his seal and mobilized elemental force as the Heavenly Scale summoned lightning against him, while Shen Qian fled and called on the system.
• Jiang Chengye unleashed his Fangtian Halberd as a furious dragon and sent it after Shen Qian.

Shen Qian escaped Jiang Chengye by activating the broken gate with four formation flags, but it sent him to an unknown island where he found a vast ancient hall. Meanwhile, Liu Changqing arrived on Wuding Bridge and declared himself its champion.

• Tantai Qin warned Shen Qian to run, and he fled Jiang Chengye’s pursuing Fangtian halberd toward the broken gate.
• Shen Qian used four formation flags to briefly activate the formation, opened the gate, and escaped with Tantai Qin as Jiang Chengye’s halberd struck the desert.
• The formation woman realized Shen Qian had forcibly activated the damaged formation by understanding its structure, while Jiang Chengye retrieved his halberd and left.
• Shen Qian emerged in the mountains, and Tantai Qin transformed into light and returned to her main body.
• Shen Qian discovered he was on an island surrounded by dark seawater and found an ancient hall beneath the vegetation.
• Liu Changqing burst onto Wuding Bridge, laughed, and announced that he was its champion.

Shen Qian entered the Divine Mechanism Hall and received three gifts from King Taiyi: S-Class battle armor, an upgraded Invisibility Talisman, and a transformation of his Origin Energy and body. After leaving the hall, he unexpectedly came face-to-face with Old Liu.

• Shen Qian entered the hall after its doors opened and was transported to a starry realm where King Taiyi appeared.
• King Taiyi mistook Shen Qian for the first-place winner of Wuding Bridge and granted him three gifts.
• King Taiyi gave Shen Qian S-Class battle armor and modified the Invisibility Talisman from Sixth Senior Brother.
• King Taiyi used mechanical arms to temper Shen Qian's Origin Energy and body, greatly increasing his strength.
• Shen Qian returned outside the hall and recognized Old Liu, who also recognized him.

Shen Qian accidentally claimed the Wuding Bridge champion’s reward before Liu Changqing, then hid as nineteen furious competitors waited to ambush Liu Changqing outside Divine Mechanism Hall. When they attacked, an unseen ally struck Li Dapao and left the gathered Mountains and Seas martial artists searching for the attacker.

• Liu Changqing confronted Shen Qian at Divine Mechanism Hall and learned that Shen Qian had entered the trial by accident and claimed first place.
• Liu Changqing explained that Wuding Bridge tested newly advanced Mountains and Seas martial artists and that its rewards could be stolen from anyone unable to fight their way out.
• Liu Changqing told Shen Qian to hide as nineteen competitors approached, united against Liu Changqing after he had stolen treasures and insulted them.
• Liu Changqing entered Divine Mechanism Hall while Shen Qian faded from sight, then the nineteen martial artists waited outside for Liu Changqing to emerge.
• Liu Changqing came out carrying a dark-red staff and attacked Qiu Ji, but an unseen force sent Li Dapao flying and severely injured him.
• Qiu Ji and the others retreated and searched their surroundings for whoever had struck Li Dapao.

Shen Qian and Liu Changqing defeated the Mountain Sea Metropolis powerhouses at Wuding Bridge, then discovered that Shen Qian’s enhanced Invisibility Talisman raised troubling questions about the Divine Mechanism Hall. The chapter ended with them collecting the treasures dropped by their defeated opponents.

• An unseen Shen Qian ambushed and incapacitated several Mountain Sea powerhouses while Liu Changqing fought Qiu Ji and blocked the bridgehead.
• Working together, Shen Qian and Liu Changqing defeated the remaining powerhouses, while the cold and glamorous woman severed her own heart meridian and vanished in a bubble.
• Liu Changqing learned that Shen Qian had not reached Mountain Sea and questioned how his Invisibility Talisman had become so powerful.
• Liu Changqing warned Shen Qian to keep the Divine Mechanism Hall’s apparent intervention secret because its implications could be significant.
• Liu Changqing and Shen Qian collected the treasures dropped by the nineteen defeated Mountain Sea Metropolis powerhouses.

Shen Qian and Liu Changqing divided the treasures they had gathered after defeating Wuding Bridge’s participants, then prepared to fight their way out. At the bridge’s entrance, the defeated martial artists accused them of unfair conduct, but Marquis Xuanming ruled that Liu Changqing had broken no rules and that no mysterious accomplice existed in the records.

• Shen Qian and Liu Changqing appraised 236 treasures worth about 1.9 billion and agreed that Liu Changqing would take most of them while Shen Qian kept the medicinal materials.
• Liu Changqing told Shen Qian they would kill their way out, and Shen Qian realized they intended to attack more participants.
• More than a hundred defeated Mountain Sea Martial Artists gathered at Wuding Bridge’s entrance and accused Liu Changqing and an invisible accomplice of plundering them.
• Qiu Ji argued that the mysterious accomplice might have infiltrated the trial and summoned Marquis Xuanming to investigate.
• Marquis Xuanming declared that Liu Changqing had committed no violation and that no mysterious person appeared in Wuding Bridge’s records, then dismissed the crowd.

Shen Qian and Liu Changqing faced Marquis Xuanming over the treasures they had taken at Wuding Bridge, then Shen Qian explained his journey through the mysterious door and learned that King Taiyi was Marquis Xuanming’s master. As Shen Qian and Liu Changqing returned inland, Liu mentioned an ancient Water Prison guarded near Wuding Bridge, leaving Shen Qian with a fleeting sense that the revelation connected to something he had encountered.

• Marquis Xuanming ordered Liu Changqing to surrender thirty percent of their gains to compensate the injured martial artists, and Liu handed over a pile of treasures.
• Marquis Xuanming questioned Shen Qian about the door, the ancient Heavenly Court, and his meeting with King Taiyi, and Shen answered while withholding Tantai Qin’s name.
• Marquis Xuanming revealed that King Taiyi was his master and explained that the figure in the Divine Mechanism Hall was unlikely to have been King Taiyi himself.
• Marquis Xuanming sent Shen Qian away and searched Wuding Bridge for his missing master, finding no trace of him.
• On the speedboat back inland, Liu Changqing warned Shen Qian about the dangers of the sea and said Marquis Xuanming guarded an ancient Water Prison near Wuding Bridge.
• Shen Qian felt a fleeting connection to the Water Prison but could not identify it, then looked forward to measuring how much stronger he had become.

Shen Qian returned to Jiangzhou and tested the enormous gains he had made during his journey, discovering that his strength could rival Mountains and Seas despite his realm remaining around the Intermediate Martial Artist level. Afterward, Jiang Xuan brought him food and offered him a massage, while Shen Qian tried to tell her something important about Jiang Chengye.

• Jiang Xuan welcomed Shen Qian at Qianjiang Martial Arts Hall, and he asked her to take him to the Black Gold Training Room to assess his strength.
• Shen Qian used the body-testing machine and found that his Limit Strength had reached 21,875 kilograms, while the machine could not identify his Origin Energy Intensity.
• Shen Qian concluded that he remained around the late stage of Intermediate Martial Artist despite possessing strength comparable to Mountains and Seas, and he recorded a Mental Power score of 1897F.
• Shen Qian planned to obtain a divine ability from the Bronze Man Formation secret realm and considered how he could begin practicing Arhat Golden Body.
• Jiang Xuan brought Shen Qian food wearing a qipao and offered to massage him, but Shen Qian tried to tell her something important about Jiang Chengye.
• Jiang Xuan dimmed the lights and told Shen Qian they could talk about it at dawn.

Shen Qian returned to Jiangzhong Military University after nearly a week away and found the school and government preparing to judge him for missing the enlistment ceremony. He entered the small auditorium to face thirteen officials, where a military representative demanded that he admit his guilt.

• Shen Qian arrived at Jiangzhong Military University, where armed guards and university staff quickly surrounded him.
• Yu Shouyi asked whether Shen Qian had been kidnapped or forced to act against his will; Shen Qian denied both and followed him toward the small auditorium.
• Professors and students gathered as Shen Qian’s wristband filled with missed calls and he saw negative reports about his absence.
• Yu Shouyi warned Shen Qian that representatives from the Martial Arts Department, Ministry of Education, and Military Department had come to Jiangzhou to handle the matter.
• Shen Qian entered the small auditorium, where thirteen officials confronted him and Director Zhou demanded that he admit his guilt.

Shen Qian was put on trial for abandoning his military post, and the tribunal moved to expel him and send him to the Forbidden Zone. When he defied the officials and Zhou Changhe attacked him, Shen Qian revealed an aura belonging to the Mountains and Seas realm.

• Zhou Changhe questioned Shen Qian about his eight-day absence and ruled that he had abandoned his post without authorization.
• The tribunal sentenced Shen Qian to expulsion from Military Martial University and three years with the Northeast Tiger Cage Army’s Forbidden Zone Reclamation Force.
• Yi Mingshan and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Public Security and Martial Arts Department demanded that Shen Qian also be expelled from the military register, sparking an argument with Zhou Changhe.
• Shen Qian interrupted the officials and declared that they were not qualified to decide his fate.
• Zhou Changhe attacked Shen Qian, but Shen Qian struck him back and revealed an aura that Zhou Changhe recognized as Mountains and Seas.

Shen Qian revealed that he had reached the Mountains and Seas realm, ending the joint investigation into his disappearance and enlistment ceremony absence. Zhou Changhe explained that the military had intended to protect and temper Shen Qian by sending him to the Tiger Fortress Army, but Shen Qian’s breakthrough had made the plan unnecessary.

• Zhou Changhe recognized Shen Qian as a Mountains and Seas Martial Artist, and the other directors realized Shen Qian had reached the realm before turning eighteen.
• Shen Qian explained that he had missed the ceremony because he sensed the Dao Sea’s pull and pursued a breakthrough, leaving the directors unable to challenge his choice.
• Yi Mingshan applauded Shen Qian and left, after which the representatives from other departments also departed.
• Zhou Changhe told Shen Qian that the military’s upper ranks had arranged his punishment to protect him from public attention and temper his character, while preserving his resources.
• Shen Qian realized the Tiger Fortress Army posting was meant to place him near his Eldest Senior Brother, Jiang Huan, and Zhou Changhe admitted the plan had been rendered pointless by Shen Qian’s unexpected breakthrough.
• Zhou Changhe explained that the other departments had used the investigation to try to recruit Shen Qian into their own talent-nurturing systems.

After the investigation cleared Shen Qian of wrongdoing, he reflected on the importance of strength and prepared to enter the Bronze Man Formation for the Arhat Golden Body. Yu Shouyi warned him about the dangers of the upcoming Nine Heavens competition and revealed that Qu Bai had also reached Mountains and Seas.

• Zhou Changhe told Shen Qian that the investigation had ended and that officials might issue a gag order, while Shen Qian chose to remain in Jiangzhou.
• Zhou Changhe announced that the investigation team’s preliminary assessment found no violations by Shen Qian, and the assembled students learned he was safe.
• Shen Qian told Yu Shouyi what had happened, and Yu Shouyi warned him to stay cautious during the Nine Heavens competition.
• Yu Shouyi revealed that Qu Bai had entered Mountains and Seas, surprising Shen Qian.
• Shen Qian avoided the students seeking explanations and went to the Bronze Man Formation, where he entered Shaolin Temple after a short wait.

Shen Qian learned the Arhat Golden Body divine ability in the Bronze Man Formation Secret Realm and discovered that its three cultivation paths had already begun changing his body. He decided to attempt all three paths at once, hoping to cultivate the ability faster despite his dwindling system energy.

• Master Jigang struck Shen Qian with three sariras and guided him to visualize the Arhat Golden Body cultivation method.
• Shen Qian cleared the Bronze Man Formation trial, received a C+ evaluation, and decided to challenge the A Thread of Sky Secret Realm next.
• Shen Qian returned to Villa No. 7 and tested his improved physical strength, toughness, and potential.
• Shen Qian learned that the Arhat Golden Body had three paths—clones, bone defense, and blood rebirth—and that he had only begun the first level.
• Shen Qian chose to cultivate all three paths simultaneously and worried that his system had too little energy left.

Shen Qian was formally enlisted as a major and appointed Legion Commander of the Ninth Company in the Jiangzhong Army’s Luxu Battalion. He reported to the garrison with adjutant Shang Zuo and learned that his understrength company had many vacant leadership positions.

• Shen Qian waited for his appointment while training, settling a promised Creation Pill with Gu Yunlan, and transferring money to Yuan You.
• Duan Zhengzhi asked Shen Qian what distinguished a Military Martial Artist, and Shen Qian answered that they had a little more courage.
• Duan Zhengzhi awarded Shen Qian the rank of major and appointed him Legion Commander of the Ninth Company of the Luxu Battalion.
• Shang Zuo introduced himself as Shen Qian’s new adjutant and informed him that he had to report to the battalion that day.
• Shen Qian traveled with Shang Zuo to the garrison and learned the Ninth Company had only 718 personnel and numerous vacant posts.

Shen Qian arrived at the Luxu Battalion to take command of Ninth Company and found it neglected, understrength, and shortchanged in resources. After learning that the company’s decline stemmed partly from Jiang Chengye’s past command and a rule that rewarded strength, Shen Qian ordered the company assembled and prepared to confront its problems while Yu Shouyi remained absent.

• Shen Qian found Commander Yu absent and skipped the usual introduction before searching for Ninth Company.
• Shen Qian discovered Ninth Company hidden behind a narrow path and learned from Lin Tong that the company had been neglected for years, with resources distributed according to strength.
• Lin Tong explained that Jiang Chengye had commanded Ninth Company ten years earlier and that he had recently been injured fighting six centurions over supplies while his own officers stood aside.
• Shen Qian ordered Shen Cong to gather Ninth Company at the open ground within ten minutes and treated anyone who failed to arrive as a deserter.
• Shen Qian treated Lin Tong’s injuries and gave him Advanced Medical Mixture, prompting Lin Tong to regain confidence and get out of bed.
• Shen Qian headed for the assembly ground, privately acknowledging that he was acting the villain to force Yu Shouyi to respond.

Shen Qian imposed strict discipline on Ninth Company and promised to address the grievances behind its decline. He then widened the camp entrance by destroying the fence, provoking Tenth Company Legion Commander Bi Xiu into a fight.

• Shen Qian declared absent soldiers deserters, and Lin Tong defeated Cai Feng after Cai Feng attacked the Discipline Squad.
• Shen Qian introduced himself, announced a sweeping discipline crackdown, and gave the soldiers one day to reform.
• Wei Le described Ninth Company's unpaid wages, lost rewards, and poor facilities, and Shen Qian promised to eliminate the causes of their grievances.
• Shen Qian demolished the fence between Ninth and Tenth Companies and stopped Tenth Company's guards with a strike that carved a ravine in the ground.
• Tenth Company Legion Commander Bi Xiu confronted Shen Qian and launched an attack.

Shen Qian defeated Bi Xiu and secured Ninth Company’s territory, then entered Fifth Battalion alone to challenge its battle formation. He emerged dragging a towering cart piled with supplies, leaving the onlookers stunned.

• Shen Qian defeated Bi Xiu in one strike, and Bi Xiu ordered Tenth Company to return Ninth Company’s territory and send over two hundred sets of battle armor.
• Guan Xuexian told Shen Qian that Eighth Battalion would return its occupied territory before the next day, so Shen Qian turned toward Fifth Battalion to reclaim the supplies taken from Lin Tong.
• Shen Qian ordered Ninth Company’s soldiers to wait outside and entered Fifth Battalion alone, where Meng Hai’s three thousand soldiers formed a tiger-shaped battle formation and attacked him.
• The battle cries inside Fifth Battalion faded and stopped, leaving Ninth Company and the other commanders waiting anxiously outside.
• Shen Qian emerged in silver armor, dragging a rope attached to a flatbed cart piled more than ten meters high with supplies.

Shen Qian forced the Fifth Battalion to return the Ninth Company's supplies, then promised his soldiers better rewards while tightening discipline. After beginning reforms to rebuild the understrength company, he returned to school and received a mysterious package from someone named Gao.

• Shen Qian returned from the Fifth Battalion with a cart piled high with military supplies, and the Ninth Company celebrated his success.
• Meng Hai blocked other commanders from entering the Fifth Battalion, then revealed his wounded hand and the many soldiers Shen Qian had knocked unconscious.
• Shen Qian promised to restore the Ninth Company's supplies and overdue benefits, raise cultivation rewards, and provide high-grade equipment for certain breakthroughs.
• Logistics officers from several battalions arrived to return supplies and land they had occupied, while Shen Qian warned the Ninth Company that future discipline violations would draw harsher punishment.
• Shen Qian returned to school, found Aunt Hua waiting with a package marked only with the surname Gao, and opened it before entering his home.