Chapter Summaries

Ding Ling used Great Medicine to cultivate the maxed-out Zhongyuan Nine-Section Skill, raising his Inner Force Value from 20 to 98. He concluded that his progress depended on the skill opening meridians that let him absorb medicinal energy, but he was nearing the limit of the channels he had opened.

• Ding Ling reflected on Bai Wushuang’s strength and questioned whether she could really be Invincible East despite her youthful appearance.
• Ding Ling resolved to become powerful enough to protect his allies before teaching Lin Pingzhi, and he entered the medicinal tub Tian Boguang’s men had prepared.
• Ding Ling refined the Great Medicine with the Zhongyuan Nine-Section Skill, gaining 60 Inner Force Value and raising his total to 80.
• Ding Ling reasoned that his maxed-out skill had opened meridians that let him rapidly absorb Lingji and vital energy, while those channels would likely limit him to 100 Inner Force Value.
• Ding Ling chewed the remaining Great Medicine, gained 18 Inner Force Value, and reached 98.
• Ding Ling struck a tabletop using only Inner Force and estimated that his current strength was around that of a third-rate expert, with room to grow by opening more meridians.

Ding Ling negotiated with Fei Bin and Lu Bai for Songshan Sect manuals, then rapidly mastered two of them and increased his Inner Force. He continued reading the manuals as his aura deepened and one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians opened.

• Ding Ling tested the energy produced by combining his Breathing Method with his Inner Force, then agreed to meet Fei Bin the next day.
• Fei Bin and Lu Bai invited Ding Ling to join the Songshan Sect, and he asked to read its martial arts manuals before deciding.
• Fei Bin and Lu Bai returned with more than a dozen manuals, and Ding Ling began reading them.
• Ding Ling mastered the Qian Yuan Heart Sutra, gaining 10 Inner Force Value.
• Ding Ling mastered the Wu Lei Heart Sutra, gaining 50 Inner Force Value and breaking through one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Ding Ling learned the secret manuals Lu Bai and Fei Bin brought, maxing out several cultivation methods and martial arts as his inner force and meridians advanced. After Ding Ling sent Fei Bin flying with one palm, Fei Bin recognized that the intelligence about Ding Ling was wrong and withdrew with Lu Bai.

• Ding Ling ignored Lu Bai and Fei Bin's objections and continued reading the manuals they had brought.
• Ding Ling maxed out the Zhang Clan Heart Sutra and Liu Clan Heart Sutra, gaining inner force and opening another meridian.
• Fei Bin attacked Ding Ling from behind, but Ding Ling struck him with the Heaven Flipping Palm and sent him flying seven or eight meters.
• Lu Bai helped the injured Fei Bin up and warned Ding Ling not to push them too far.
• Fei Bin realized Ding Ling was far stronger than the reports claimed, then took Lu Bai and left.

Ding Ling used his newly strengthened Inner Force and Breathing Method to stop Fei Bin and Lu Bai from leaving, then badly injured Fei Bin in a palm exchange. He let them go while planning to deal with the Songshan Sect in secret to avoid drawing the orthodox sects into the conflict.

• Fei Bin regretted provoking Ding Ling but planned to kill him after returning to the Songshan Sect.
• Ding Ling used the Breathing Method with his Inner Force and Thousand-Mile Solo Traveler to cross the distance and block Fei Bin and Lu Bai.
• Ding Ling confronted Fei Bin, who insisted that he had come to invite Ding Ling and blamed him for refusing.
• Fei Bin attacked with the Great Songyang Divine Palm, but Ding Ling's Heaven Flipping Palm shattered both his hands and sent him tumbling away.
• Lu Bai carried the injured Fei Bin away after Ding Ling warned him not to return.
• Ding Ling decided to target the Songshan Sect secretly so the orthodox sects would lack grounds to condemn or surround him.

Ding Ling learned from Qu Feiyan that the Songshan Sect had massacred Liu Zhengfeng’s family after he ignored warnings about their intentions. Qu Feiyan said her grandfather, Qu Yang, had saved the remorseful Liu Zhengfeng from suicide.

• After Fei Bin and Lu Bai left, Ding Ling told Lin Pingzhi to warn his parents to keep their business low-profile to avoid Songshan Sect retaliation.
• Qu Feiyan secretly visited Ding Ling and praised him for defeating Fei Bin, then explained that she had come to tell him about the Golden Basin Hand-Washing Ceremony.
• Ding Ling asked Qu Feiyan to consider him a friend, and she happily accepted, introducing herself by name.
• Qu Feiyan told Ding Ling that Ding Mian, Lu Bai, and other Songshan Sect members had attacked Liu Zhengfeng’s family, killing Liu-jiejie and the others.
• Qu Feiyan explained that Liu Zhengfeng had rejected warnings, then tried to kill himself after his family was slaughtered, but her grandfather Qu Yang saved him.

Qu Feiyan asked Ding Ling to rescue Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, who were fleeing the Songshan Sect after players exposed their whereabouts. Ding Ling agreed, disguised them both, and followed Qu Feiyan to the forest where the fugitives had hidden.

• Qu Feiyan explained how Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang had become friends, how the Songshan Sect attacked them, and how players kept revealing their location.
• Ding Ling agreed to help Qu Feiyan and set out with her on a Ferghana Horse.
• Ding Ling disguised himself and Qu Feiyan so he could deny involvement in attacking the Songshan Sect.
• Qu Feiyan led Ding Ling to the forest where Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang had treated their injuries, though she did not know if they were still there.

Ding Ling carried Qu Feiyan to the clearing where Qu Yang was surrounded by Songshan Sect fighters and Liu Zhengfeng lay inside a mound cave. He killed six advancing disciples with arrows, then attacked the Songshan Guardians as one of them leaped forward to block his next volley.

• Ding Ling carried Qu Feiyan at high speed toward the sounds of fighting, and his Zhongyuan Nine-Section Skill absorbed scattered Inner Force as he moved.
• Ding Ling and Qu Feiyan reached the clearing, where Qu Yang was wounded and besieged while Liu Zhengfeng lay motionless in a cave.
• A Songshan Sect man ordered disciples to attack Ding Ling and Qu Feiyan, and Ding Ling killed all six with two volleys of arrows.
• The Songshan Guardians recognized Ding Ling as the archer who had killed Tian Boguang and wounded Yu Canghai.
• Ding Ling fired three arrows at the Guardians, and one leaped forward to try to block them.

Ding Ling slaughtered Songshan Sect disciples with explosive arrows, then drew the Ju Que Sword to fight Le Hou, Ding Mian, and Gao Kexin at once. He wounded all three, while Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan watched in amazement.

• Zhong Zhen attacked Ding Ling with his Nine-Bend Sword, but Ding Ling’s arrows shattered the sword and killed him.
• Le Hou confronted Ding Ling as Ding Ling continued firing arrows, killing several Songshan Sect disciples and leaving only a few First-Class Experts alive.
• After emptying his quiver, Ding Ling drew the Ju Que Sword and charged Le Hou, forcing him back with a powerful strike.
• Ding Mian and Gao Kexin joined Le Hou in attacking Ding Ling, but Ding Ling defended himself with several sword techniques and counterattacked all three.
• Ding Ling wounded Le Hou, Ding Mian, and Gao Kexin as Qu Yang wondered at his sudden increase in strength and Qu Feiyan watched from safety.

Ding Ling killed Ding Mian, Zhong Zhen, Le Hou, and Gao Kexin after defeating them in battle, earning four Achievement Medals. Qu Feiyan fainted at the sight of Qu Yang’s wounds, and Qu Yang, near death, asked Ding Ling to hear his final request.

• Ding Ling absorbed the remaining Inner Force in his meridians as he fought Ding Mian and the other two.
• Ding Ling defeated and killed Ding Mian, Zhong Zhen, Le Hou, and Gao Kexin with a strike of his Dawn Swordplay, earning four Achievement Medals.
• Qu Feiyan praised Ding Ling, then rushed to Qu Yang when she saw him coughing blood and discovered how badly he was wounded.
• Qu Feiyan fainted from grief, and Ding Ling caught her as Qu Yang admitted he was dying.
• Qu Yang told Ding Ling he had one matter to entrust to him.

Qu Yang entrusted his granddaughter Qu Feiyan and his treasured martial arts manuals to Ding Ling before dying. Ding Ling buried Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng, then brought Qu Feiyan to the Fuwei Escort Agency, where she asked to stay with him.

• Qu Yang gave Ding Ling his secret manuals and the score The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, asking him to care for Qu Feiyan.
• Qu Feiyan woke and said goodbye to Qu Yang, who urged her to be strong before he died.
• Ding Ling carved stone tablets for Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng, then left with Qu Feiyan after she mourned at their graves.
• Ding Ling took Qu Feiyan to the Fuwei Escort Agency and asked Lin Pingzhi to arrange food and lodging for her.
• Qu Feiyan told Ding Ling she did not want to be separated from him and wanted to stay with him.

Qu Feiyan chose to stay close to Ding Ling after Qu Yang’s death, and Ding Ling accepted her as a younger sister. He mastered three secret techniques Qu Yang had left him, astonishing Qu Feiyan and Lin Pingzhi with his speed and skill.

• Qu Feiyan asked to live and eat with Ding Ling, and he agreed on the condition that they sleep in separate beds.
• Qu Feiyan stayed beside Ding Ling while he taught Lin Pingzhi, who began treating her with respectful distance.
• Ding Ling read the Black Blood Divine Needle Technique and used a flicked teacup fragment to pierce a wooden pillar.
• Ding Ling mastered Thirteen Forms of Hengshan's Ever-Changing Cloud and Mist and demonstrated its swift, obscuring swordplay.
• Ding Ling mastered Cloud Piercing Steps and flashed through the air, leaving Lin Pingzhi dazzled and envious.

Ding Ling mastered several internal cultivation methods and opened the final Du Channel, completing all eight of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. As Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan watched in amazement, Ding Ling resolved to keep growing stronger without provoking the martial world before he was ready.

• Lin Pingzhi wondered whether Ding Ling's Cloud Piercing Steps resembled Qu Feiyan's family-inherited art, while Qu Feiyan was stunned that Ding Ling had perfected the footwork after seeing it once.
• Ding Ling mastered the Xuan Yuan Internal Cultivation Method, opening the Chong and Ren Channels and leaving only the Du Channel blocked.
• Ding Ling mastered the Hengshan Basic Internal Cultivation Method, which added only to his foundation, then read the Hengshan Returning Wind Heart Sutra.
• The Returning Wind Heart Sutra sent a surge of Inner Force through Ding Ling's body, breaking open the Du Channel and completing all eight extraordinary meridians.
• Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan were awestruck by Ding Ling's achievement, and Ding Ling recognized the value of Qu Yang's manuals, including the Hengshan methods Liu Zhengfeng had given him.
• Ding Ling decided that forcing disciples to surrender secret manuals could alert enemies, so he would avoid provoking the martial world until he had grown stronger.

Ding Ling mastered several secret-manual techniques and considered how to build his strength while avoiding conflict with other sects. After learning that Fei Bin and Lu Bai had escaped, he decided to cultivate for two days before heading north to Mount Hua.

• Ding Ling read Zhong Zhen's manual and mastered the Nine-Bend Sword Style, then read Le Hou's manual and mastered the Great Yin-Yang Hand Seal.
• Ding Ling demonstrated the palm technique by striking a stone table, astonishing Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan.
• Ding Ling read Gao Kexin's manual, mastered Lion's Roar, and tested it with a roar that shook the trees and sent leaves falling.
• Ding Ling checked his character panel and quest progress, noting that six experts counted toward his goal and that Fei Bin had not submitted.
• Lin Pingzhi told Ding Ling that Fei Bin and Lu Bai had fled before his return, and Ding Ling suspected players had warned them.
• Ding Ling decided to spend two days cultivating at the branch before traveling north to Mount Hua, with plans to visit the Songshan Sect when he was stronger.

Ding Ling left seclusion and set out with Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan for Mount Hua, hoping to find the secrets of Thinking Cliff and Feng Qingyang. On the road, Xiang Wentian approached him with a task and offered valuable martial arts manuals as rewards.

• Ding Ling raised his Inner Force to 180 and decided to seek Great Medicine rather than spend time cultivating in seclusion.
• Ding Ling, Lin Pingzhi, and Qu Feiyan set off for Mount Hua with supplies stored in Ding Ling's Storage Bag.
• Xiang Wentian arrived on horseback, recognized Qu Feiyan, and asked where Qu Yang was; Qu Feiyan grew upset at the mention of her grandfather.
• Xiang Wentian said he had come specifically to ask Ding Ling for help, but Ding Ling refused to make a deal with someone he did not know.
• Xiang Wentian offered Ding Ling an inner cultivation manual if Ding Ling defeated him in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, along with another secret technique if Ding Ling accompanied him somewhere.

Ding Ling competed against Xiang Wentian in painting, calligraphy, and music, winning Xiang’s admiration in every round. Xiang accepted Ding Ling’s superiority and praised the melody The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, then vowed revenge on the Songshan Sect for the two musicians who had composed it.

• Xiang Wentian challenged Ding Ling to compete in painting, calligraphy, and qin playing for his hidden inner-energy manual, while Qu Feiyan argued that Ding Ling should receive it if the rounds ended in draws.
• Ding Ling quickly painted a lifelike scene that stunned Xiang Wentian, who conceded the painting round and crumpled his own work.
• Ding Ling’s calligraphy impressed Xiang Wentian so much that he conceded the second round as well.
• Xiang Wentian handed Ding Ling an ancient qin, and Ding Ling played The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, moving Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan and leaving Xiang Wentian awestruck.
• Ding Ling explained the melody’s origin, and Xiang Wentian cursed the Songshan Sect and vowed to make its members pay for the deaths of the two musicians.

Ding Ling won Xiang Wentian’s final chess game and received the Pure Yang Skill, which he mastered immediately. After a day of cultivation, the skill replaced his previous inner force and strengthened his body, leaving him wary that the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay Manual might someday overpower him and force him to castrate himself.

• Xiang Wentian admitted defeat to Ding Ling and offered him a treasured inner cultivation manual as the prize for their final chess game.
• Ding Ling read the Pure Yang Skill once and instantly maxed it out, shocking Xiang Wentian with his ability.
• The Pure Yang Skill drew in primordial energy and raised Ding Ling’s Inner Force Value to 280.
• Ding Ling spent a day converting the Zhongyuan Nine-Section Skill’s inner force into Pure Yang Inner Force, which proved stronger and began improving his constitution.
• Ding Ling worried that learning the Evil-Exorcising Swordplay Manual might cause its inner force to take over and compel him to castrate himself.

Ding Ling completed his cultivation of the Pure Yang Skill and proved his strength to Xiang Wentian in a spar. Xiang Wentian then told him about the imprisoned Ren Woxing, while Qu Feiyan worried about what that rescue would involve.

• Ding Ling finished cultivating the Pure Yang Skill, and Xiang Wentian congratulated him and recognized his abilities.
• Xiang Wentian asked to test Ding Ling’s skill, and Ding Ling defeated him after adding the Breathing Method’s energy to his attacks.
• Ding Ling reflected that Bai Wushuang might be Invincible East and that she had held back during their previous encounter.
• Xiang Wentian grew more respectful of Ding Ling after their fight, while Lin Pingzhi and Qu Feiyan were pleased by Ding Ling’s victory.
• Xiang Wentian raised the plan to rescue former Sun Moon Divine Church Chief Ren Woxing and condemned those who had betrayed him; Qu Feiyan held back her concerns about Ren Woxing.

Qu Feiyan warned Ding Ling that Ren Woxing’s rescue could lead to conflict, but Ding Ling showed he was prepared. At West Lake Plum Villa, Xiang Wentian gave Ding Ling the Ground Absorption Skill, which Ding Ling mastered perfectly, leaving Xiang Wentian astonished.

• Qu Feiyan told Ding Ling about Ren Woxing and worried that he might clash with Ding Ling after being rescued.
• Ding Ling and his companions arrived at West Lake Plum Villa, where players recognized Ding Ling and discussed their failed attempts to find Ren Woxing and obtain the Star Absorbing Skill.
• Xiang Wentian changed his plan and agreed to pose as the steward of a Shattered Void practitioner.
• Lin Pingzhi reminded Xiang Wentian of his promise to give Ding Ling a secret technique, so Xiang Wentian handed over the Ground Absorption Skill.
• Ding Ling mastered the Ground Absorption Skill immediately, and Xiang Wentian marveled that Ding Ling had perfected a technique he himself had never advanced beyond Great Accomplishment.

Ding Ling and Xiang Wentian entered West Lake Plum Villa, where Ding Ling’s reputation won them an audience with the four Village Heads. The chapter ended as one Village Head challenged Ding Ling to demonstrate his abilities.

• Xiang Wentian praised Ding Ling’s skill and offered to recommend him as the Sun Moon Divine Church’s Right Emissary of Light if they rescued Ren Woxing, but Ding Ling declined to commit.
• At the villa entrance, Ding Ling proposed discussing music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and swordsmanship with the four Village Heads, and Ding Jian recognized his reputation and let the group inside.
• Ding Ling noticed that West Lake Plum Villa’s maze and trapping formations explained why Xiang Wentian needed his help to reach Ren Woxing.
• Ding Jian brought the four Village Heads to meet the group, and one of them asked whether Ding Ling truly excelled at the arts and weapons attributed to him.
• Ding Ling invited the Village Heads to test him, and the pale, swift-moving Village Head eagerly agreed.

Ding Ling challenged the Four Friends of Jiangnan to exchange their lifelong arts for his own, impressing them with his painting, calligraphy, and zither playing. As Huang Zhonggong, Dan Qingsheng, and Tu Biweng agreed to exchange, the remaining Village Head prepared to test Ding Ling’s chess skills.

• Ding Ling proposed competing with all four Village Heads and trading his skills for everything they had learned.
• Ding Ling painted a lifelike portrait of the Four Friends, produced remarkable calligraphy, and played The Smiling, Proud Wanderer on the zither.
• Huang Zhonggong offered to exchange his Seven-String Invisible Sword for Ding Ling’s zither skills.
• Dan Qingsheng agreed to exchange with Ding Ling, and Tu Biweng was won over by Ding Ling’s cursive calligraphy.
• The zombie-like Village Head challenged Ding Ling to a chess match, and Xiang Wentian brought out the board and pieces.