Chapter Summaries

Gu Yang entered the Minor Competition and won his first two matches with ease, drawing the Martial Academy masters’ attention. After his second victory, he stood poised to continue advancing through the tournament.

• Gu Yang arrived at the plaza with Qin Hu’s formation and watched the other disciples while waiting for the competition to begin.
• Gu Yang drew wooden plaque 406 and observed earlier matches, spotting two fighters whose bouts ended unusually quickly.
• Gu Yang defeated a chubby boy with three punches, prompting the boy to accuse him of cheating.
• Qin Hu told the other masters that Gu Yang had joined less than a month earlier and had astonishing comprehension.
• Gu Yang used precise footwork and a sweeping kick to defeat his second opponent, securing two straight victories.

Gu Yang faced the highly regarded Fang Qi in the Minor Competition and revealed strength beyond the instructors’ expectations. He left the match having turned the contest against Yuan Qingshan’s prized disciple, while the instructors recognized his exceptional potential.

• After the second round, Gu Yang encouraged Li Zhiwu, who had been thoroughly defeated by Fang Qi.
• Gu Yang recognized Fang Qi as his opponent in the third round and began fighting cautiously against the taller, formidable youth.
• Fang Qi blocked Gu Yang’s punches and countered with a powerful strike, making Gu Yang realize he could not win in his normal state.
• Gu Yang suddenly unleashed his full strength, met Fang Qi’s counterattack with another heavy punch, and staggered him with the unexpected power.
• Qin Hu confirmed that Gu Yang had trained for only twenty-four days and had never learned martial arts before, astonishing the instructors and leaving Yuan Qingshan awkwardly silent.

Gu Yang defeated Fang Qi in a grueling third-round arena match, then recovered enough to prepare for the next round. He recognized that his all-out burst left him dangerously weak, while the intense battle had greatly increased his Azure Dragon Dance proficiency.

• Gu Yang unleashed a rapid barrage of punches that overwhelmed Fang Qi and knocked him unconscious.
• Yuan Qingshan accidentally shattered a platform railing while watching Gu Yang's match and blamed its poor material.
• Gu Yang nearly collapsed from exhaustion after winning, while support staff carried Fang Qi to the pharmacy.
• Gu Yang rested and discovered that the battle had raised his Azure Dragon Dance proficiency by more than fifty points.
• As the next round approached, Gu Yang stood after recovering one-fifth of his stamina and judged himself ready to fight again.

Gu Yang won all five of his Minor Competition matches and qualified for the top hundred, while Li Zhiwu also made the rankings after recovering from an earlier loss. As the disciples gathered to collect their rewards, the burly announcer’s terrifying aura overwhelmed them, but Gu Yang woke first and became curious about the man’s power.

• Gu Yang won the fourth and fifth rounds without difficulty, ending the Elimination Battle undefeated.
• Li Zhiwu learned that Gu Yang had earned a top-hundred place with number 406 and followed him to collect his reward.
• A short, sturdy youth arrived hoping to challenge Gu Yang, then learned that Gu Yang had already placed in the top hundred.
• The burly man’s bloodthirsty aura plunged the nearby disciples into fear, but Gu Yang broke free before the others.
• The burly man told the awakened disciples to line up and collect their Military Rations Pills.

After placing in the Minor Competition’s top hundred, Gu Yang received Military Rations Pills and drew new attention at the Martial Academy. He returned home and took Gu Dashan, Gu Mother, and Gu Yingying to a restaurant to celebrate and reassure them about his progress.

• Gu Yang and Li Zhiwu received Military Rations Pills, and Gu Yang refused a noble young man’s offer to buy his bottle.
• After the Minor Competition ended, Xiahou Ji befriended Gu Yang, who recognized that others treated him differently because of his strength.
• Gu Yang focused on Stance Training and gained three points of Blood Nourishing Stance proficiency.
• Gu Yang declined Li Zhiwu’s dinner invitation and went home with Gu Dashan.
• Gu Yang told his family about his result and showed them the pills before taking them to a restaurant to celebrate.

After celebrating Gu Er Lang’s success with his family, Gu Yang trained late into the night and then easily defeated Li Zhiwu in repeated sparring bouts. Because the fights offered little skill progress and he wanted to focus on stance training, Gu Yang ended their trade with Li Zhiwu.

• Gu Dashan got drunk celebrating Er Lang’s success, while Gu Yang helped his family home after their lavish meal.
• Gu Yang practiced the Blood Nourishing Stance Art late into the night before going to sleep.
• At the Training Ground, Gu Yang repeatedly defeated Li Zhiwu in sparring and gained only a little Azure Dragon Dance proficiency.
• Gu Yang told Li Zhiwu that their trade would end that day so he could focus on Stance Training.

Gu Yang tested a Military Rations Pill and discovered it sustained his training, then followed Qin Hu’s advice to exchange leftover Black Tiger Meat for sturdy boots. He reached the Chai Family Tailor Shop in Three Origins Ward, where the shopkeeper caught him staring.

• Gu Yang swallowed a Military Rations Pill and found that training brought a warm current that replenished his body.
• Gu Yang told Qin Hu he wanted to return the leftover Black Tiger Meat, but Qin Hu instructed him to trade it for hard-soled cowhide boots instead.
• Gu Yang trained through the day, raising his Blood Nourishing Stance Mastery by nine points, then collected the meat and left for Three Origins Ward.
• Gu Yang paid a passerby to lead him to the Chai Family Tailor Shop and found a beautiful middle-aged shopkeeper inside.
• The shopkeeper opened her eyes and teased Gu Yang for looking at her several times.

Gu Yang bought hard-soled cowhide boots using Black Tiger Meat and continued his intense training at the Martial Academy. When Li Zhiwu returned to challenge him after seven days of cultivation, Gu Yang defeated him with one punch, leaving him stunned.

• Gu Yang exchanged ten jin of Black Tiger Meat, worth five taels of silver, for boots costing three taels and received two taels in change from the female shopkeeper.
• After the boots were completed, Gu Yang wore them while training the Blood Nourishing Stance Art and raised its proficiency to 181/200 over seven days of hard cultivation.
• Li Zhiwu challenged Gu Yang, saying he had also defeated Xiahou Ji in seven punches and had improved during his absence.
• Gu Yang agreed to spar with Li Zhiwu, insisting that the money for the match could not be short.
• After several exchanges, Gu Yang knocked Li Zhiwu onto the Bluestone Floor with one punch, and Li Zhiwu asked how he could be so strong.

Gu Yang continued cultivating while encouraging Li Zhiwu, then practiced the Blood Nourishing Stance until its realm broke through. The chapter ended with potential development beginning.

• Gu Yang told Li Zhiwu that he had improved through hard work, rekindling Li Zhiwu's determination to train.
• Gu Yang practiced at the Martial Academy until evening, while two City Guard soldiers noticed his Wild Ox Leather Boots and discussed questioning him.
• Gu Yang joined his family during dinner but refrained from eating after taking a Military Rations Pill, then practiced his stance beneath the moon.
• Gu Yang filled the Blood Nourishing Stance's Minor Accomplishment proficiency and stayed at the Training Ground after the other disciples left.
• Gu Yang completed the stance sequence, broke through the Blood Nourishing Stance realm, and began Potential Development.

After reaching Blood Condensation, Gu Yang manifested the talent Mighty Ox Strength, which granted him innate giant strength and transformed his martial potential. He tested his new power by practicing Azure Dragon Dance, then left the Martial Academy and headed home.

• Gu Yang absorbed Military Rations Pills as his body underwent a transformation, and he manifested the talent Mighty Ox Strength.
• Gu Yang tested his increased power with a punch and realized his strength had more than doubled without causing discomfort to his body.
• Gu Yang checked his talents and learned that Mighty Ox Strength gave him an additional thousand catties of force, making him an innate martial genius.
• Gu Yang practiced Azure Dragon Dance repeatedly, gaining eight proficiency points while tiring himself out.
• Gu Yang left the Martial Academy at night and walked home.

Gu Yang defeated two City Guard men who ambushed him and made them pay him for the attack. After revealing his breakthrough to Qin Hu, he demonstrated his martial techniques to Hong Tao and passed the Martial Academy Seed Selection assessment, becoming a Trial Disciple.

• Gu Yang turned away from a dark alley, but two masked City Guard men attacked him, and he quickly overpowered them.
• Gu Yang recognized the men, stopped himself from killing them after one threatened his family, and demanded fifty taels of silver; the men agreed to pay.
• Qin Hu urged Gu Yang to cultivate the Blood Nourishing Stance Art, and Gu Yang revealed that he had reached the Blood Condensation realm.
• Qin Hu took Gu Yang to meet Hong Tao and explained that passing the Martial Academy Seed Selection would make Gu Yang a Trial Disciple bound for Canglong Island.
• Hong Tao recognized the beginner Stance Training framework of Azure Dragon Force in Gu Yang's demonstration and accepted him as a Seed Disciple.

Hong Tao explained Canglong Island’s rule over Cangzhou and the deadly Life and Death Trials that Trial Disciples faced against Ferocious Beasts. Wang Qi introduced Gu Yang to the Martial Academy’s points system, leaving him with a way to trade points for silver as well as cultivation resources.

• Hong Tao told Gu Yang that Canglong Island ruled Cangzhou and used Life and Death Trials to recruit disciples and control the threat of Ferocious Beasts.
• Gu Yang accepted the dangers of the trials and resolved to keep pursuing the Martial Path.
• Hong Tao brought Gu Yang to Wang Qi, who explained that Gu Yang would learn weapon techniques and later enter the mountains to face Ferocious Beasts.
• Wang Qi offered Gu Yang a saber for ten points and explained that points could buy resources and be earned by hunting Ferocious Beasts.
• Wang Qi told Gu Yang that points could also be exchanged for silver at a rate of one point per tael.

Gu Yang registered as a Trial Disciple, learned how the Martial Academy’s training and points system worked, and chose the Killing Blade Technique under Hong Tao’s guidance. After practicing its forms, he saw that it had become a new skill, while Hong Tao planned to send him into the mountains in twenty days to experience the saber technique through slaughter.

• Wang Qi registered Gu Yang as a Trial Disciple and showed him where the Weaponry and Small Pharmacy were.
• Wang Qi explained that disciples went outside the city to earn points and that the Martial Academy organized their training outings.
• Hong Tao offered Gu Yang a choice of weapon techniques and recommended the Killing Blade Technique, while warning him not to abandon his earlier Martial Techniques.
• Gu Yang chose the Killing Blade Technique, and Hong Tao helped him select a fine steel long saber for twenty points.
• Hong Tao taught Gu Yang the saber’s nine movements and eighty-one variations, then said he would send him into the mountains in twenty days.
• After practicing through the afternoon, Gu Yang saw that Life-Slaying Saber had reached Entry Level and become a skill.

Gu Yang discovered that skill fusion had limits and that his unassisted stance training progressed too slowly, so he bought Qi and Blood Powder and found it greatly accelerated his cultivation. After gaining ten proficiency points in a day, he worried that his Academy Credits would not cover his needs and resumed practicing the Killing Blade Technique for Hong Tao’s inspection.

• Gu Yang realized the Azure Dragon Dance and Life-Slaying Saber would not fuse, then continued his Blood Nourishing Stance practice despite its slow progress.
• Gu Yang left the Martial Academy through Tianshu Ward, admired its grand residences, and collected fifty taels from two men who admitted defeat.
• Gu Yang bought a packet of Qi and Blood Powder at the Small Pharmacy, briefly mistaking Insect Repellent Powder for it.
• Gu Yang drank the Qi and Blood Powder and found that it raised his stance-training progress to ten points over the day.
• Gu Yang calculated that his remaining Academy Credits could not cover his cultivation and supplies, then practiced the Killing Blade Technique ahead of Hong Tao’s inspection.

Gu Yang underwent Hong Tao’s special training to overcome his fear of blades and killing intent, eventually meeting Hong Tao’s standard for courage. With five days left before leaving the city for field experience, Gu Yang resolved to focus on improving his Killing Blade Technique.

• Hong Tao repeatedly disarmed Gu Yang and forced him to face each incoming blade until he stopped reflexively closing his eyes.
• Over the following days, Hong Tao trained Gu Yang to withstand his killing intent, and Gu Yang gradually learned to remain calm under it.
• Half a month later, Gu Yang calmly dodged Hong Tao’s killing-intent-laden strike and counterattacked, earning Hong Tao’s approval.
• Hong Tao told Gu Yang to prepare at home and meet him in five days to join the other disciples for a trip outside the city.
• Gu Yang practiced his skills, gained a wisp of killing aura, and decided to focus on advancing the Killing Blade Technique before departure.

Gu Yang broke through in the Life-Slaying Saber and manifested the Killing Intent Perception talent, though he still needed to test its range. On the night before leaving the city, he shared a lavish meal with his family, then departed at dawn as they watched him go.

• Gu Yang reached Minor Accomplishment in the Life-Slaying Saber and manifested Killing Intent Perception.
• Gu Yang realized the talent could detect nearby killing intent but did not reveal its effective range, so he planned to test it in the field.
• Gu Yang prepared roasted lamb and hot pot for a farewell dinner with Gu Dashan, Gu Mother, and Gu Yingying.
• Gu Yang left home at dawn the next day while his family watched him disappear down the street.

Gu Yang learned that Trial Disciples could not enter the Martial Academy’s Minor Competition and prepared supplies for his first training expedition outside the city. He joined Master Liao and the other disciples as they departed Tianshu Ward for Mount Mang.

• Gu Yang went to the Training Ground hoping to compete for Military Rations Pills, but Qin Hu told him Trial Disciples could not participate in the Minor Competition.
• Qin Hu instructed Gu Yang to prepare supplies for the expedition and reminded him to stay calm when facing danger.
• Gu Yang spent his remaining points on expedition supplies, bought standard-issue leather armor, and practiced his saber techniques.
• Hong Tao escorted Gu Yang to the iron gate, where he met the disciples joining the expedition and Master Liao, who was leading them.
• Master Liao ordered the disciples to check their supplies, and the group departed Tianshu Ward through the west city gate for Mount Mang.

Gu Yang traveled with a Martial Academy team to Mount Mang, using Azure Dragon Dance footwork to increase his proficiency along the way. After entering the mountain and reaching a large, active military camp, Master Liao took Gu Yang to register because it was his first visit.

• Gu Yang discovered that traveling with Azure Dragon Dance footwork increased its proficiency, and his skill improved during the journey to Mount Mang.
• Master Liao stopped the team for a short rest at the mountain's foot, then led them inside and warned them about nighttime dangers.
• Gu Yang sensed a hidden threat with Killing Intent Perception, but Master Liao killed a lunging python before Gu Yang could act.
• The team reached a large military camp deep in the mountains, where soldiers patrolled and scouts greeted Master Liao.
• Master Liao told the disciples to go to their assigned section and brought Gu Yang into the camp to register his information.

Gu Yang arrived at Grade Wu Military Camp, settled in, and joined the Martial Academy disciples’ first hunt for Ferocious Beasts. After leaving the camp alone, he killed a Black-skinned Patterned Leopard with a single saber strike.

• Master Liao had Old Liu register Gu Yang and give him a beast-hide pouch for collecting Ferocious Beast ears.
• A soldier escorted Gu Yang to his quarters, where he spent the night listening to beast roars from the mountains.
• Gu Yang practiced Stance Training with the soldiers and learned that many Martial Academy disciples had already been training in the mountains for a long time.
• Master Liao urged the disciples to kill without hesitation, then sent them out from the camp to hunt.
• Gu Yang entered the forest alone, tracked a hidden predator’s killing intent, and cleaved a Black-skinned Patterned Leopard in two with his saber.

Gu Yang hunted Ferocious Beasts in the mountain forest and found that fighting for his life rapidly improved his martial techniques. After collecting several trophies, he continued deeper into the forest, wary of further danger.

• Gu Yang killed a Black Panther with a focused saber strike, gaining five points of Life-Slaying Saber proficiency, and took its ear as a trophy.
• Gu Yang dodged a jade-green venomous snake’s attack, cut off its tail, then killed it and collected its head.
• Gu Yang waited to make sure the area was safe, tested that the snake was dead, and left its corpse behind.
• Gu Yang returned to kill two birds feeding on the snake, while a third escaped.
• Gu Yang checked his improved martial technique proficiency and turned away from another unidentified sound in the distance.