Chapter Summaries

Lin Chen went to the Martial Arts Administration Department after noticing Dai Yuxi’s family pharmacy was being targeted and wondering whether its late founder was the benefactor whose Martial Arts Will had helped him. At the department, Lin Chen gained insight from the Founding Emperor’s calligraphy and met Kong Qifeng, who told him he would stay in Capital City long enough to meet the emperor before returning to the academy or Poyang County.

• Dai Yuxi suspected someone was staging repeated incidents to force her family to sell its pharmacy, and Lin Chen recognized its late founder’s name as possibly belonging to the Senior Dai whose Martial Arts Will had aided him.
• Lin Chen reached the Martial Arts Administration Department and gained insight from the Founding Emperor’s calligraphy, further improving his Town Yue Manual and body tempering.
• Chu Zining welcomed Lin Chen and led him to Kong Qifeng, who praised his success in Yan Country and teased him about matching Pei Qingming’s earlier insight at the department.
• Kong Qifeng asked Lin Chen to remain in Capital City briefly to meet several people and the emperor, though Lin Chen said he would otherwise prefer to return to Azure Ripple Martial Arts Academy or Poyang County.

Lin Chen learned that Great Liang had begun its final assault on the Demon Race while Han Country held back, then went to the Dai Family Pharmacy to investigate repeated accusations against the family’s medicine. Dai Yuxi confirmed that the Dai family’s ancestors came from Jiangnan Province and questioned why Lin Chen had come.

• Kong Qifeng told Lin Chen that Marquis Zhenbei had led one hundred thousand soldiers against the Demon Race’s royal court while Han Country’s thirty thousand border troops watched.
• Lin Chen explained to Kong Qifeng that Han Country relied on schemes and avoided costly wars, and Kong Qifeng said he would take Lin Chen to the Imperial Palace the next day.
• Lin Chen declined Chu Zining’s offer to show him the Capital City and headed toward Azure Cloud Martial Arts Academy to find Kong Qing.
• Lin Chen stopped at the Dai Family Pharmacy and heard Dai Yuze explain that outsiders had repeatedly accused the family of selling inferior medicine as quality goods.
• Dai Yuxi confirmed that the Dai family’s ancestors came from Jiangnan Province and asked Lin Chen whether he had come to buy pills.

Lin Chen learned that the Dai Family Pharmacy was being sabotaged and asked Kong Qing to help secure an official investigation. The authorities exposed the Cai Family’s scheme, and the Dai Family’s reputation was cleared, though Dai Yuxi wondered who had prompted the sudden intervention.

• Lin Chen confirmed that Dai Yuxi’s grandfather, Dai Jingfeng, had once owned the Martial Arts Will scroll that helped Lin Chen, and offered to repay the favor by advising her about the pharmacy’s troubles.
• Dai Yuxi explained that three customers had fallen ill after taking pills from the pharmacy following an unnamed person’s failed attempt to buy it.
• Lin Chen asked Kong Qing, whose father was the Prefect of Jingzhao, to ensure that the authorities thoroughly investigated the Dai Family Pharmacy.
• Constable Captain Liu Jun ordered an investigation, learned that the Cai Family had framed the pharmacy to force its sale, and sent constables to arrest them.
• Liu Jun told Dai Yuxi and Dai Yuze that the pharmacy had been framed and promised to clear the Dai Family’s name; Dai Yuxi suspected Lin Chen might have helped.

Lin Chen spent the night climbing Martial Path Mountain, rising from rank 84,500 to 79,500 before Kong Qifeng summoned him to the Imperial Palace. On the way, Kong Qifeng told him that the Demon Race’s Northern Border royal court had been destroyed at the cost of more than five thousand martial artists, and Lin Chen arrived to meet three first-rank ministers.

• After a welcome feast, Lin Chen returned to the Martial Arts Administration Department, cleared the alcohol from his system, and began challenging opponents on Martial Path Mountain.
• Lin Chen defeated thousands of opponents, while Zhao Chuan and his junior brothers recognized that they had all been beaten by the same powerful challenger.
• At dawn, Lin Chen saw that his ranking had risen from 84,500 to 79,500 and realized that skipped challenges had helped him advance faster.
• Chu Zining escorted Lin Chen to Kong Qifeng’s carriage, which took them to the Imperial Palace.
• Kong Qifeng told Lin Chen that Great Liang had destroyed the Demon Race’s Northern Border royal court, with more than five thousand martial artists sacrificed in the campaign.
• Kong Qifeng brought Lin Chen into the Imperial Palace to meet three first-rank ministers.

Lin Chen met Great Liang’s ministers and Emperor Liang Jing, who explained the path to the Transcendent Grade and the resources the Nine Kingdoms lacked. The chapter left Lin Chen hoping to earn water-attributed Xiantian Energy through Martial Path Mountain, while learning that the Founding Emperor had powerful enemies in the Yan Imperial Dynasty.

• The Left Prime Minister, Right Prime Minister, and Minister of the Military Department tested Lin Chen, then gave him jade-box gifts and tried to recruit him before Kong Qifeng sent him to meet the emperor.
• After Lin Chen left, the ministers and Kong Qifeng discussed Han Country and Zheng Kingdom gathering their armies and agreed to remain wary of Elephant Kingdom.
• Emperor Liang Jing told Lin Chen that the Transcendent Grade consisted of Xiantian and Heavenly Manifestation, and that the Nine Kingdoms lacked water-attributed Xiantian Energy.
• Emperor Liang Jing explained that entering the top ten thousand on Martial Path Mountain could let Lin Chen exchange for Xiantian Energy, and Lin Chen resolved to pursue that goal.
• When Lin Chen asked about the Founding Emperor’s origins, Emperor Liang Jing said the Liang family’s ancestor had powerful enemies in the Yan Imperial Dynasty and had warned against involving Liang Country.

After Great Liang celebrated the Zhenbei Army’s destruction of the Northern Border Demon Race, Lin Chen traveled to Lihuo Province to find fire-attributed Xiantian Energy. Duke Fang Funan welcomed him and offered to personally escort him to the underground fire the next day.

• Riders announced that the Zhenbei Army had wiped out the Northern Border Demon Race, and people across Great Liang celebrated the news.
• Zhao Canghu ordered Lakeside Village to hold an ancestral rite, partly to raise money for the village’s Martial Hall and burial plots.
• Lin Chen arrived in Nanli Prefecture after seven days of travel to seek Lihuo Province’s fire-attributed Xiantian Energy.
• Fang Funan welcomed Lin Chen at the entrance to Duke Fang’s Residence and praised his writing, martial talent, and influence on Fang Zhan.
• Fang Funan told Lin Chen that the underground fire was in an unfavorable location and promised to escort him there the next day.

Lin Chen entered the sealed Lihuo formation to collect Fire-aligned Xiantian Energy before his cultivation advanced too far for him to enter. He found a rich source beside a vast magma-filled abyss and began gathering Lihuo Energy while preparing to fight on Martial Path Mountain.

• Fang Funan warned Lin Chen about Lihuo's deadly heat and Fire Poison, then gave him an Ice Silk garment and opened the formation entrance.
• Lin Chen entered the formation with six beads that could absorb Lihuo Energy and followed the magma river deeper into the seal.
• After three days, Lin Chen reached a vast abyss where magma poured between the two entrances to the formation.
• Lin Chen found that a bead had begun absorbing Lihuo Energy, then used his throwing knives to place it closer to the abyss.
• Lin Chen took out the Martial Path Seal and prepared to fight challenge battles while he waited for the bead to fill.

Lin Chen created the Xiantian-level Heavenly Evolution Myriad Manifestations Destruction Palm and used it to climb the Martial Path Mountain rankings, then tempered his soul with the Soul Tempering Fire. Meanwhile, Han Country’s young men approached the abyss to awaken Lihuo as part of a plan to destroy Great Liang.

• Lin Chen refined the seven forms of the Wind Cloud Palm into the Heavenly Evolution Myriad Manifestations Destruction Palm, which appeared on his System Panel as an incomplete Xiantian Cultivation Method.
• Lin Chen tested his new palm technique on Martial Path Mountain and defeated opponents with a single strike, then reached ranking 52,500 after ten more days of challenges.
• Lin Chen exchanged ten thousand points for Soul Tempering Fire, which purified his soul and strengthened his perception and control of flying knives.
• Four young men from Han Country approached the abyss to awaken the sealed Lihuo, but one Junior Brother stopped when his protective light barrier could no longer withstand the heat.
• The leading man revealed that Han Country planned to use Lihuo to scorch Great Liang’s southern territory while its army attacked from north and south with Zheng Kingdom’s cooperation.

Lin Chen learned that Han Country and Zheng Kingdom planned to use Lihuo to devastate Great Liang, but Lihuo awakened before he could escape the formation. He sought shelter on Martial Path Mountain as Fang Funan sent Zhuang Xianrong into the depths to rescue him.

• Zang Qing used Fire Lizard Essence Souls to awaken Lihuo, but Lin Chen struck him with a divine soul attack, questioned him, and killed him after learning of the plan against Great Liang.
• Lin Chen retrieved the remaining beads and tried to flee, but Lihuo surged into a torrent of fire and magma, killing Zang Qing’s three junior brothers.
• Lin Chen used the Martial Path Seal to shelter himself and entered Martial Path Mountain, where he found no exchangeable items that could counter Lihuo.
• Fang Funan sensed Lihuo’s revival and prepared to descend, but Zhuang Xianrong volunteered to rescue Lin Chen and leaped into the crack.

After Lin Chen disappeared inside the awakened Separation Flame, Fang Funan prepared to investigate while Han Country and the Southern Sands Three Islands' plot came to light. Great Liang was then attacked on multiple fronts, and the emperor announced that the national war had begun.

• Zhuang Xianrong found a sea of fire inside the formation and reported that Lin Chen was likely in grave danger, but Fang Funan decided to go down himself and sent Zhuang Xianrong back to watch the Southern Sands Three Islands.
• Qi Tai reassured the three island lords that Han Country would give them land after Liang Kingdom was destroyed, while privately worrying that Zang Qing and the other Martial Artists might not return from the formation.
• Han Country's hundred thousand troops attacked Pacifying Demon City, and Xiao Yaojin stood with his father as the Zhenbei Army assembled.
• Zheng Kingdom's powerful and wealthy joined the Demon Race, and fifty thousand Martial Artists carrying Demonic Beast bloodlines advanced on Soaring Cloud City by sea.
• The twelve bells rang across Great Liang, and the emperor issued a proclamation announcing that the national war had officially begun.

Zheng Kingdom launched a massive attack on Soaring Cloud City with Demonized Martial Artists and sea demons, pushing the defenders to the brink. Pei Qingming arrived, defeated the sea demons, and routed Zheng Kingdom’s army, leaving the city victorious and the other kingdoms’ spies alarmed.

• Zheng Kingdom’s fifty-thousand-strong force attacked Soaring Cloud City, and the academy used Soaring Cloud Power to break through the demonic clouds.
• The Black Armored Army and Great Liang’s martial artists fought Zheng Kingdom’s forces while the city’s defenders struggled against a flood dragon and two Sea Demon Kings.
• The Eight-Armed Demon King and Thousand-Eyed Ghost Mother overwhelmed the defenders, and a vice dean told Meng Xing and nine other disciples to escape.
• Pei Qingming arrived and cut apart the Eight-Armed Demon King’s tentacles with his sword, then destroyed Zheng Kingdom’s warships and killed the demon king.
• Pei Qingming’s attack routed Zheng Kingdom’s martial artists, and Soaring Cloud City’s defenders ended the battle after inflicting devastating losses.

Lin Chen continued his undefeated run in Martial Path Mountain, reaching 47,800 consecutive victories while still ranked beyond the top fifty thousand. After learning of his record and realizing Lin Chen was wasting time on one-at-a-time challenges, Du Xiaofeng ordered Gao Zeming to secretly find out who he was, hoping Lin Chen was outside the sect.

• Lin Chen kept challenging opponents with Azure Ripple Finger, still hoping to encounter an Azure Ripple Sect disciple.
• A Yan Imperial Dynasty official noticed Lin Chen’s 47,800-win streak and discovered he had climbed from beyond the hundred-thousandth rank in only a few months.
• The official learned Lin Chen had fought tens of thousands of matches and used a Jade Token to replace the jade stele’s displayed names with Lin Chen’s.
• Gao Zeming told Du Xiaofeng that Lin Chen had never lost, and Du Xiaofeng angrily criticized him for challenging one match at a time.
• Du Xiaofeng instructed Gao Zeming to discreetly ask disciples, including Outer Disciples, about Lin Chen without consulting Elder Zhu or revealing the reason.
• Du Xiaofeng suspected Lin Chen was outside the Azure Ripple Sect and told Gao Zeming to find information about him within a day.

Gu Kong’s information led Du Xiaofeng to discover that Lin Chen was trapped in Li Fire and using Martial Path Mountain to survive. Du Xiaofeng found a dangerous technique that could help Lin Chen withstand the flames, leaving Lin Chen’s fate dependent on whether he could cultivate it.

• Gu Kong recognized Lin Chen’s name in Steward Gao’s mission and told Du Xiaofeng how he had met him, including how Steward He had rebuked him for trying to report Lin Chen.
• Du Xiaofeng arranged for Qin Yan to watch for Lin Chen on Martial Path Mountain, and Qin Yan eventually met Lin Chen during a challenge.
• Lin Chen told Qin Yan that he was trapped in Li Fire and had spent sixteen days using Martial Path Mountain to evade it, then defeated Qin Yan after their exchange.
• Qin Yan reported Lin Chen’s predicament to Gao Zeming, who brought him and Gu Kong to Du Xiaofeng.
• Du Xiaofeng learned that the sect had a technique for refining Inferno Fire, but its cultivation had killed three previous disciples and defeated two others, and he obtained it for Lin Chen.

Qin Yan relayed the Boundless Divine Aspect Art to Lin Chen, who spent seven days comprehending it while fighting on Martial Path Mountain. After returning to face the Lihuo, Lin Chen began absorbing the flames with help from his Azure Ripple Token, but as its energy ran low, another jade pendant released a green radiance into his body.

• Du Xiaofeng gave Qin Yan the inherited Boundless Divine Aspect Art and promised to make Lin Chen a Core Disciple if he mastered it and survived the Lihuo.
• Qin Yan eventually encountered Lin Chen on Martial Path Mountain and passed on the art, warning him not to leave unless he was confident.
• Lin Chen used his experience with the Town Yue Manual to comprehend the art while fighting five hundred battles, then stopped challenging after reaching the top forty thousand.
• Lin Chen returned to the sealed space and used the art to draw strands of Lihuo into his body, relying on Azure Ripple Energy to restrain the flames.
• As Lin Chen's Azure Ripple Token cracked and its energy dwindled, the jade pendant against his skin emitted green light that seeped into his body.

Lin Chen used the Flower Appraisal Jade to survive the Lihuo’s destruction, complete the first transformation of the Boundless Divine Aspect Art, and grow into a giant within the sea of fire. Meanwhile, Li Zhe plotted against the Lin Family, and Jia Nanzhu told Zhao Canghu that Lin Chen’s survival was uncertain, leaving the village youths to enlist under the weight of that news.

• The Flower Appraisal Jade released pure green energy that protected Lin Chen’s meridians as he controlled and liquefied the Lihuo.
• Lin Chen guided the Lihuo through his meridians, endured ninety-nine cycles of body tempering, and awakened the Giant Aspect, then absorbed more Lihuo in the sea of fire.
• Li Zhe concluded that Lin Chen was dead and planned to target the Lin Family by arranging transfers for Su Lingchuan and He Ruyun and using Huo Shu as cover.
• He Ruyun accepted his order to report to the northern battlefield, while Su Lingchuan questioned why both local officials were being transferred.
• Jia Nanzhu told Zhao Canghu that Lin Chen had been missing for five months and faced nine chances of death for every one chance of survival.
• After learning Lin Chen’s fate, Zhao Canghu agreed to let Gu Fei and the other village youths enlist, warning them that the village would not support their families if they died.

Huo Shu tried to kill Lin Chen’s family, but Jia Nanzhu captured her and learned that Li Zhe had manipulated her into attacking. Jia Nanzhu then confronted Li Zhe and decided to kill him and his father, Li Yuan, to protect Lin Chen’s family.

• Huo Shu and three Awakened Martial Artist subordinates entered Lakeside Village to kill Lin Chen’s family, but Jia Nanzhu stopped them and captured Huo Shu.
• Huo Shu admitted that Li Zhe had told her Lin Chen was dead and had used her hatred to provoke the attack while keeping the Li Family’s hands clean.
• Jia Nanzhu resolved to protect Lin Chen’s family and kill Li Zhe and Li Yuan to prevent future threats.
• Li Zhe learned Huo Shu had not returned from Lakeside Village and prepared to leave for his father’s side.
• Jia Nanzhu arrived at the Li Family, rejected Li Zhe’s denials and threats, and raised his hand to kill him.

Liu Xinyuan found Jia Nanzhu’s message explaining that he had killed the Li family for targeting Lin Chen’s family, and chose to conceal the evidence while delaying his report. In Lihuo Province, Lihuo awakened beneath its formation, but its flames soon receded as Lin Chen’s giant fought a fire dragon inside.

• Liu Xinyuan arrived at the Li residence and found Li Zhe and the rest of the family dead.
• Liu Xinyuan read Jia Nanzhu’s message, learned the Li family had tried to assassinate Lin Chen’s family, and destroyed the note.
• Liu Xinyuan sealed the residence and planned to delay reporting the murders while pretending to investigate.
• The jade stele in Lihuo Province cracked as Lihuo awakened, prompting Fang Funan and the Southern Suppression Army elders to gather at the formation.
• Fang Funan sensed that the flames inside the formation had receded, while a ten-zhang giant continued fighting the fire dragon within.

Lin Chen escaped the formation after reaching an agreement with the Spirit of Li Fire, and his strength surged to the Fourth Rank. After learning that Li Zhe had targeted his family while he was missing, Lin Chen left to see his teacher as Fang Funan investigated who had leaked news about his disappearance.

• Jia Nanzhu coughed blood after pushing himself to reach the battlefield, revealing that his old injury still prevented him from safely using Upper-Grade strength.
• Lin Chen endured a ten-day stalemate with the Spirit of Li Fire, agreed it could leave if it stayed out of Great Liang, and watched it depart toward the Southern Sands Three Islands.
• Lin Chen checked his System Panel and discovered that cultivating the Giant Aspect had raised him to the Fourth Rank and increased his Spirit Rank to 7.5.
• Fang Funan found Lin Chen, brought him out of the formation, and heard how Han Country and the Southern Sands Three Islands had conspired to awaken Li Fire; he explained that Great Liang was at war with Han Country and Zheng Kingdom.
• Fang Funan received Kong Qifeng's letter, which revealed that Li Zhe had targeted Lin Chen's family while Lin Chen was missing and that Jia Nanzhu had killed the Li family; Lin Chen left to see his teacher, while Fang Funan began investigating the leak.

Lin Chen reunited with his injured teacher, Jia Nanzhu, and learned why he had attacked the Li Family. After Li Yuan fled the military camp, Lin Chen deduced his route and pursued him, catching up as Li Yuan tried to cross into Zhao Kingdom.

• Lin Chen visited Ge Hongyi's camp and learned that Jia Nanzhu had lost to Li Yuan, while Ge Hongyi had stopped the fight and reported the matter to the court.
• Lin Chen reunited with Jia Nanzhu, who explained that he had targeted the Li Family to protect Lin Chen's family after believing Lin Chen had died.
• Jia Nanzhu told Lin Chen that Huo Shu had survived and that Li Zhe had incited her to attack Lin Chen's family on the Li Family's behalf.
• Ge Hongyi discovered Li Yuan had fled, and Lin Chen guessed he was heading southeast toward Zhao Kingdom instead of north.
• Li Yuan reached a river near Zhao Kingdom and vowed revenge on Lin Chen, but Lin Chen appeared behind him and challenged him to fight.

Lin Chen confronted Li Yuan on the river and attacked him for plotting against the Lin Family. After revealing a giant flame technique, Lin Chen overwhelmed Li Yuan while soldiers from both kingdoms watched from the banks.

• Li Yuan recalled learning that Lin Chen was presumed dead in the Lihuo formation and approved of Li Zhe targeting the Lin Family.
• Lin Chen rejected Li Yuan's assumption that he had come to persuade him to return to Great Liang and said he had come to kill him.
• Lin Chen revealed that he had reached the Fourth Rank and clashed with Li Yuan, matching his strength.
• Li Yuan used the Azure Scale Corroding Bone Spear and revealed that he had fused his Martial Arts Will with a Demon Race Bloodline.
• Lin Chen transformed into a giant surrounded by flames, broke Li Yuan's spear attack, and repeatedly slammed him into the river.
• Martial Artists from Great Liang and Zhao Kingdom gathered on the riverbanks and watched Lin Chen overpower Li Yuan.