Chapter Summaries

On the way to Mount Song, Ding Ling trained Little Dragon Girl and considered how to provide for her when he eventually ascended. Their rest at an inn was interrupted when Shaolin monks accused Ding Ling of burning their temple and stealing its secret manuals.

• Ding Ling taught Little Dragon Girl the Outer Refining Breathing Method, which she quickly mastered and combined with her Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Inner Force.
• Little Dragon Girl learned common knowledge, became more capable, and bought books about being a virtuous wife, while Ding Ling privately planned for her future.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl rested at an inn, where she slept on a rope and they exchanged affectionate words before going to sleep.
• Shaolin monks arrived at their room and accused Ding Ling of setting fire to Shaolin Temple and stealing the Nine Yang Divine Art and other secret techniques.
• The old monk cited an eyewitness report and a Burning Wood Saber Technique manual found outside Ding Ling's door, then demanded that Ding Ling return the manuals and come to Shaolin Temple or face a fight.

Ding Ling killed the Shaolin monks who attacked him and discovered that the Burning Wood Saber Technique could create a Flame Blade. After leaving the inn with Little Dragon Girl, he saw Mount Song burning and realized someone had framed him, so he resolved to investigate the people behind it.

• The Bodhi Courtyard Head Seat accused Ding Ling of burning Shaolin Temple and stealing its manual, then attacked him with Prajna Divine Palm.
• Ding Ling killed the head seat and the monks with the Yitian Sword, earning an achievement for shocking Shaolin Temple’s Bodhi Courtyard Head Seat.
• Ding Ling took the Burning Wood Saber Technique, mastered it immediately, and tested how his Fused Strength formed a Flame Blade.
• Little Dragon Girl worried that Shaolin Temple would pursue them, but stood by Ding Ling as they left the inn.
• Ding Ling saw Mount Song ablaze and deduced that players had set the fires and planted the manual to frame him, then vowed to investigate them.

Ding Ling left Shaolin Temple after the Nine Yang Divine Art was stolen, but Abbot Wu Hai and the surviving monks confronted him and accused him of murdering Wu Shan and burning the temple. Ding Ling defeated them, drove off the onlookers, and discovered that the monks had taken medicines and scriptures with them.

• Ding Ling set out to leave Mount Song with Little Dragon Girl after deciding there was no reason to visit the burned Shaolin Temple.
• Abbot Wu Hai and a group of monks surrounded Ding Ling and demanded to know whether he had killed Wu Shan, stolen the scriptures, and started the fire.
• Ding Ling admitted killing Wu Shan but denied stealing the scriptures or burning the temple, so Wu Hai ordered the monks to attack.
• Ding Ling cut through the monks' formations with the Flame Blade, Sword God Art, and Nine Swords of Dugu, killing Wu Hai and many of his followers.
• Ding Ling used the Lion's Roar to scatter the players and spies watching from the shadows.
• Ding Ling searched the fallen monks and found medicines, pills, scriptures, and secret manuals among their belongings.

After escaping the fire at Mount Song, Ding Ling suspected that players had framed him and stole the Shaolin treasures before riding away with Little Dragon Girl. While reading the manuals and scriptures they had taken, he gained new martial arts and Buddhist energy that cleansed his Baleful Qi, but he realized that his killing could eventually overwhelm his ability to suppress it.

• Ding Ling reasoned that players had benefited from framing him, collected the Abbot and the others' manuals, medicines, and scriptures, and rode away with Little Dragon Girl.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl stopped in a forest, where he read the Shaolin manuals and mastered Flower-Plucking Grappling Hand, Dragon Claw Grappling Hand, and Precept-Breaking Saber Technique.
• Ding Ling read hundreds of scriptures, gained 0.7 Intelligence, and developed Buddhist energy that cleansed the Baleful Qi and negative emotions within him.
• Ding Ling feared that continued killing could eventually make his Baleful Qi overpower the Qing Nang Jing and cause him to lose himself.

Ding Ling refined Shaolin Temple’s Great Medicine, greatly increasing his attributes, then investigated a covert online post and discovered that Ke Bi Neng had entered The Return of the Condor Heroes World with several powerful allies. The chapter left Ding Ling aware that Ke Bi Neng’s hatred of him could soon bring their conflict to a new world.

• Ding Ling read Buddhist scriptures and secret manuals, then ate hundreds of stalks of Great Medicine and rapidly refined their power.
• Ding Ling’s Strength, Agility, Physique, and Defense each increased by 5.1 points, leaving him pleased with his greatly improved abilities.
• Little Dragon Girl worried about Ding Ling’s unusual cultivation, and he reassured her while encouraging her to keep improving.
• Ding Ling exchanged his in-game cultivation for real-world power, then used his hacking skills to search online for clues about the arson and the people targeting him.
• Ding Ling found a covert inquiry about Ke Bi Neng and learned that Ke Bi Neng hated him for his attack on the Xianbei Royal Court.
• Ding Ling discovered that Ke Bi Neng had trained under Zuo Ci, risen to prominence in The Deer and the Cauldron World, and entered The Return of the Condor Heroes World with Hai Dafu, Pang Toutuo, and Hong Antong.

Ding Ling discovered that Ke Bi Neng had helped arrange the attack on Shaolin Temple using fire oil disguised by a method learned from Zuo Ci, and he found the Mongol camp where the conspirators planned to divide their spoils. He set out with Little Dragon Girl to confront them, leaving the chapter on their journey north.

• Ding Ling learned that Ke Bi Neng had risen to a commander of ten thousand in the Mongol army and was secretly transporting fire oil and stone oil disguised with Zuo Ci's methods.
• Ding Ling traced the player I Am Overlord's chat group and discovered that the conspirators planned to divide their spoils at Ke Bi Neng's Mongol camp north of Shaolin Temple.
• Ding Ling returned to Little Dragon Girl and told her he was heading for the Mongol camp; she insisted on accompanying him, and he agreed after telling her to wear armor.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl rode north, and Ding Ling defeated a Mongol general at a city lord's mansion before forcing the City Lord to provide armor, weapons, and horses.
• Ding Ling taught Little Dragon Girl basic spear techniques on the road, and she quickly learned to pierce a small tree with her fused force.

Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl fought their way toward Ke Bi Neng’s Mongolian camp, where Mu Renqing confronted them. The chapter ended with Ding Ling recognizing Mu Renqing and wondering why the Mount Hua leader had allied with Ke Bi Neng and the players.

• Ding Ling killed a Mongolian cavalry squad with his hammer while Little Dragon Girl disarmed its officer, then killed him after Ding Ling urged her to defend herself.
• Ding Ling used his bow to wipe out another cavalry squad, terrifying the survivors and prompting them to flee toward the camp for reinforcements.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl switched to Ferghana horses and rode toward Ke Bi Neng’s camp as its troops sounded a battle horn.
• Mu Renqing emerged with soldiers and challenged Ding Ling for entering the camp and killing his men.
• Ding Ling recognized Mu Renqing as the Mount Hua leader from Sword Stained with Royal Blood and wondered why he had joined forces with Ke Bi Neng and the players.

Ding Ling confronted Mu Renqing, Hong Antong, Yuchi Gong, and Ke Bi Neng’s gathering, then attacked when Ke Bi Neng appeared. He left the group under a lethal rain of arrows, while some survivors fled toward the camp.

• Mu Renqing recognized Ding Ling and accused him of being a bloodthirsty demon after seeing the soldiers he had killed.
• Hong Antong urged the troops to attack Ding Ling, but Yuchi Gong warned that they should follow Ke Bi Neng’s strategy and treat him as a serious threat.
• Ke Bi Neng called for the group to return to camp and regroup, while Mu Renqing demanded compensation for his disciple.
• Ding Ling shot three arrows at Ke Bi Neng, who escaped into the camp, but the arrows killed the Skinny Monk.
• Ding Ling unleashed more than a hundred arrows with Whirlwind Arrows and Twin Severance Archery, killing slower-moving fighters as Yuchi Gong and others fled beneath their horses.

Ding Ling attacked Ke Bi Neng’s camp, killing soldiers with explosive arrows while the leaders debated how to stop him. As Ding Ling drew closer, Ke Bi Neng and the others prepared to wait for him to tire before striking.

• Ding Ling shot down soldiers outside the camp, and Hong Antong marveled at his overwhelming strength.
• Ke Bi Neng rebuked Hong Antong for underestimating Ding Ling, while Yuchi Gong also scolded him.
• The leaders watched Ding Ling continue firing from beyond their archers’ range and recognized his extraordinary stamina and control of fused strength.
• Hong Antong asked what they should do, and Hai Dafu proposed hiding among the troops and attacking once Ding Ling was exhausted.
• The players resented Ke Bi Neng for delaying their promised share of the Nine Yang Divine Art, but they could not challenge him while Ding Ling threatened the camp.

Ding Ling continued his assault on Ke Bi Neng’s army after exhausting his arrows, while the players reflected on their weakness and resentment toward him. He charged into the enemy archers with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, and Ke Bi Neng ordered his soldiers to attack rather than flee.

• The players reflected on how Ke Bi Neng had used them and recognized that their lack of strength left them vulnerable to being manipulated.
• Ding Ling exhausted his arrows and told Little Dragon Girl to stay behind him and protect his back as he charged the camp.
• Ke Bi Neng ordered his archers to advance and fire at Ding Ling.
• Ding Ling blocked the volley with the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique, then leaped from his armored Ferghana Horse and rushed into the archers.
• Ding Ling smashed through the archer ranks with his hammer, killing and scattering many soldiers.
• Ke Bi Neng shot a fleeing soldier and ordered the army to charge Ding Ling.

Ding Ling carved through Ke Bi Neng’s army with his giant hammer while Little Dragon Girl guarded him, terrifying the commanders who watched. Ke Bi Neng kept sending soldiers forward, but Ding Ling’s fused strength grew more complete as the battle continued, and the army remained unable to stop him.

• Ke Bi Neng threatened his soldiers with punishment against their clans and forced them to charge Ding Ling.
• Ding Ling slaughtered the advancing soldiers with his Leigong Wengjin Hammer while Little Dragon Girl protected his back and grew calmer in battle.
• Yuchi Gong feared Ding Ling and reconsidered his plans to avenge Li Yuanba and obtain the Nine Yang Divine Art.
• Ke Bi Neng regretted staying to command the army but continued ordering attacks because he feared the army would collapse if he fled.
• Ding Ling swung his hammer with increasing speed and control, crushing waves of soldiers as the battle continued.

Ding Ling drove through Ke Bi Neng’s army, killing thousands and terrifying its soldiers and commanders. After Ding Ling killed Hai Dafu’s surprise attacker, Hong Antong tried to flee, but Ding Ling pursued him through the air and brought down his hammer.

• Ke Bi Neng steadied his wavering soldiers by urging them to charge Ding Ling, who unleashed his full strength and killed thousands as he advanced.
• Ke Bi Neng ordered Hai Dafu and several other experts to attack Ding Ling, and Hai Dafu charged in with a blade and the Bone-Melting Palm.
• Ding Ling dodged Hai Dafu’s attack and killed him with two hammer blows.
• Hong Antong retreated and tried to flee after seeing Hai Dafu die, but Ding Ling pursued him using the Golden Goose Skill.
• Ding Ling struck at Hong Antong from above with the Nine Heavens Thunder Hammer Technique.

Ding Ling overwhelmed Hong Antong, Mu Renqing, and the other fighters with his giant hammer and fists, killing them as he fought through the army. He grew more exhilarated and charged deeper into the battle formation, leaving the battlefield in a rout of corpses.

• Hong Antong attacked Ding Ling with his spear, but Ding Ling broke it with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer and knocked him away.
• Ding Ling struck at Hong Antong while Mu Renqing attacked him from behind with the Mixed Origin Palm.
• Ding Ling met Mu Renqing’s palm with the Great Demon Subduing Fist, shattered his arm, and fatally injured him.
• Ding Ling crushed Hong Antong with his hammer as Pang Toutuo, Yuchi Gong, and other fighters also died beneath his blows.
• Ding Ling’s excitement intensified, and he charged into the army formation, killing soldiers and fierce generals with his hammer.

Ding Ling crushed Ke Bi Neng’s army and pursued him after the commander fled with the Nine Yang Divine Art. Ke Bi Neng’s hidden weapon failed to stop Ding Ling, who brought his hammer down on him.

• Ding Ling killed Yuchi Gong with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, and Yuchi Gong regretted challenging him.
• Ding Ling charged toward Ke Bi Neng, killing or scattering the fighters in his path as the surviving soldiers fled.
• Ke Bi Neng’s ten-thousand-man army collapsed, and he fled with the Nine Yang Divine Art hidden against his chest.
• Ding Ling caught up with Ke Bi Neng after he abandoned his horse and ran up a mountain.
• Ke Bi Neng fired Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles at Ding Ling, but they failed to pierce his armor and tough skin.
• Ding Ling struck Ke Bi Neng with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer as Ke Bi Neng tried to block with his saber.

Ding Ling killed Ke Bi Neng with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, then recovered his reason after Little Dragon Girl called out to him. He treated her exhaustion and left both of them alive after the battle, while regretting that Ke Bi Neng had died before he could question him.

• Ding Ling smashed Ke Bi Neng's saber and head with the Leigong Wengjin Hammer, killing him.
• Ding Ling continued striking Ke Bi Neng until Little Dragon Girl called to him and brought him back to his senses.
• Ding Ling used the Qing Nang Jing and Buddhist energy to expel the Baleful Qi that had nearly driven him berserk.
• Ding Ling apologized to Little Dragon Girl and reflected that he needed to guard his mind against the Baleful Qi of elite Mongolian fighters.
• Little Dragon Girl nearly collapsed from exhaustion, so Ding Ling made her sit and used the Healing Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual to restore her strength.

Ding Ling recovered the Nine Yang Divine Art and other manuals from the battlefield after defeating Ke Bi Neng and his allies. He rode south toward Xiangyang with Little Dragon Girl and began reading the newly revised Nine Yang Divine Art while they rested.

• Little Dragon Girl found the Nine Yang Divine Art among Ke Bi Neng's remains and handed it to Ding Ling.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl searched the battlefield, collecting secret manuals and undamaged divine weapons, including the Mixed Origin Skill and Mixed Origin Palm from Mu Renqing.
• Ding Ling chose to leave the battlefield when he noticed Little Dragon Girl was struggling with the carnage, then gathered fine warhorses to take south to Xiangyang.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl stopped in a secluded place, where she prepared food and he began reading the Nine Yang Divine Art.

Ding Ling learned the Nine Yang Divine Art and Mixed Origin Skill, greatly strengthening his inner force and physical attributes. After mastering Mixed Origin Palm as well, he moved on to another book.

• Ding Ling concluded that Ke Bi Neng had controlled the plot involving the Shaolin Temple scripture and the attempt on his life, while players had played supporting roles.
• Ding Ling mastered the Nine Yang Divine Art, transforming his seven drops of Pure Yang True Water into Nine Yang True Water and gaining rapid recovery and a powerful protective layer.
• Ding Ling tested the Nine Yang Divine Art’s defenses and found that its protective layer could reflect attacks below the level of a peak First-Rate expert.
• Ding Ling mastered the Mixed Origin Skill, which increased his inner force and physical attributes.
• Ding Ling mastered Mixed Origin Palm, further increasing his strength, agility, and constitution.

Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl traveled south, shared a quiet meal in the mountains, and grew closer as he trained her and cared for her. Their meal was interrupted by the arrival of a voice praising the smell of their food.

• Ding Ling tested the power of his Mixed Origin Palm and other techniques after driving them with the Nine Yang Divine Art.
• Ding Ling continued teaching Little Dragon Girl the Breathing Method as they traveled south together.
• Ding Ling hunted wild boars and a roe deer, and Little Dragon Girl prepared the camp while waiting for him.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl spoke openly about how much they enjoyed each other's company, then he cooked a feast for them.
• A mounted party kicked up dust near their camp, and Ding Ling sent it back at them with a palm strike before they rode away.
• As Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl ate, an old beggar arrived and praised the fragrance of their food.

Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl shared their cooking with Hong Qigong, whose delight in the food led Ding Ling to teach him culinary techniques. When Hong Qigong remembered an urgent matter involving the Five Villains of Tibet, Ding Ling offered to continue teaching him later, and Little Dragon Girl asked him to teach Ding Ling martial arts in return.

• Hong Qigong arrived, recognized Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl's food as delicious, and asked to taste it.
• Ding Ling and Little Dragon Girl gave Hong Qigong food, and he ate enthusiastically before asking who had cooked it.
• Little Dragon Girl told Hong Qigong that Ding Ling had made the food, and Ding Ling agreed to teach him his cooking techniques.
• Hong Qigong learned the basics of roasting from Ding Ling, then remembered his business with the Five Villains of Tibet.
• Ding Ling offered to teach Hong Qigong more cooking later, and Little Dragon Girl asked Hong Qigong to teach Ding Ling martial arts in return.

Hong Qigong tested Ding Ling’s talent by teaching him martial arts, and Ding Ling instantly mastered both the Free and Unfettered Palm Technique and the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Hong Qigong was left stunned by Ding Ling’s extraordinary skill and admitted that Little Dragon Girl had told the truth.

• Hong Qigong demonstrated the Free and Unfettered Palm Technique, and Ding Ling learned and perfected it after seeing it once.
• Ding Ling performed the technique, convincing Hong Qigong that he was a peerless genius.
• Hong Qigong introduced himself and agreed to teach Ding Ling his supreme techniques, beginning with the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.
• After one demonstration, Ding Ling performed all eighteen palms flawlessly at the Instinctive Realm.
• Hong Qigong was overwhelmed by Ding Ling’s achievement and told Little Dragon Girl that he should have believed her from the start.