Chapter Summaries

Lin Chen and the other students began the Special Training Ground’s brutal training, overcoming a fire-and-stone obstacle course before being forced to heal in a dung pit. Lin Chen discovered the foul slime increased his qi-blood when he was injured, then entered the Iron House and was beaten unconscious; after recovering, he eagerly returned to train.

• Lin Chen reconciled Yu Fei and the other three after defeating them, and Min Huanbo praised Lin Chen for encouraging his Junior Brothers to improve.
• Min Huanbo sent the students across a fire-and-stone obstacle course to reach meat and wine; Lin Chen nearly reached the table before Xue Yun knocked him out with a club.
• Xue Yun and Du Yong forced the injured students to heal in the Dung Pool by swallowing its foul slime, then ordered them to enter training pavilions.
• Xue Yun directed Lin Chen to the Iron House, where an unseen attacker beat him unconscious, and Xue Yun carried him back to the dung pit.
• After recovering, Lin Chen saw that his qi-blood had increased by three thousand and realized the slime helped him when he was injured, so he eagerly returned to the Iron House.

Lin Chen endured Zhao Cangsheng’s agonizing medicinal bath, which greatly increased his qi and blood and improved his martial techniques. Confident that he could now see and counter the Iron House’s attacks, he returned to training, where he discovered the trial had been secretly made harder.

• Su Lingchuan suspected that Qiu’s sudden transfer from the Raozhou Prefecture Martial Affairs Department concealed another reason and resolved to follow his teacher’s instructions.
• Shen Ge told the students about Lin Chen’s impoverished upbringing and difficult path in martial arts, and the others’ resentment toward Lin Chen faded as they listened.
• Lin Chen endured Zhao Cangsheng’s medicinal bath for ten breaths before circulating his qi and blood, surviving the treatment and absorbing its benefits.
• The next morning, Lin Chen found his qi and blood had increased by fifty thousand and discovered that his techniques and qi-and-blood circulation had improved.
• Lin Chen returned to Iron House and identified the attackers as Bronze Golems, but six of them overwhelmed him and threw him out after ten breaths.
• Min Huanbo admitted he had added a sixth Bronze Golem to raise the difficulty, then froze when Senior Zhao threatened him over the assessment.

Min Huanbo and the other instructors placed Lin Chen in Grade A Special Training, while Lin Chen unknowingly believed he had to defeat all eight Bronze Golems to pass. After eight days of brutal training, he defeated them and walked out of the Iron House conscious, astonishing Xue Yun.

• Min Huanbo and the other five instructors unanimously approved Grade A Special Training for Lin Chen and reported the decision to the Academic Dean.
• Lin Chen repeatedly trained in the Iron House and used the Dung Pool to recover, eventually identifying the Bronze Golems’ armpits as their weak points.
• Zhao Cangsheng realized Lin Chen misunderstood the trial’s requirements but chose not to correct him, then urged him to practice his Gale Leg after soaking in medicinal liquid.
• Lin Chen continued training through the eighth day and defeated all eight Bronze Golems after enduring eighty breaths in the Iron House.
• Xue Yun watched Lin Chen emerge before the hundred-breath mark and realized, in shock, that Lin Chen had walked out fully conscious.

After Lin Chen defeated all eight Bronze Golems in the Iron House, Xue Yun revealed the feat to the instructors, alerting a rival Special Training Ground to Lin Chen’s strength. Huo Tong planned to challenge Lin Chen, but Jiang Qing beat Huo Tong on Lin Chen’s behalf and wrote to her mother to watch the Huo Family; Lin Chen remained unaware of her intervention as the instructors examined him.

• Xue Yun told the instructors that Lin Chen had defeated all eight Bronze Golems in a little over ninety breaths, after first telling visiting instructors only that Lin Chen lasted a hundred breaths.
• Zhang Jiang and the other instructors learned about Lin Chen from student records, and Huo Tong volunteered to challenge him in the upcoming competition.
• Zeng Yun told Jiang Qing that Huo Tong wanted to prove he was Raozhou Prefecture’s number-one genius, so Jiang Qing beat Huo Tong and warned him that he had failed to seize his chance.
• Jiang Qing suspected Huo Tong had another reason to target Lin Chen and wrote to her mother asking her to keep an eye on the Huo Family.
• Min Huanbo and five other instructors gathered around Lin Chen after he passed the Iron House test, while Lin Chen guessed that Senior Zhao had exaggerated how quickly past students passed.

After defeating two historical opponents on Martial Path Mountain, Lin Chen received the Qi and Blood Furnace reward and learned from Zhao Cangsheng that it purified his qi and blood. Zhao Cangsheng set him a new training goal and planned to take him beyond the Special Training Ground.

• Min Huanbo told Lin Chen that his batch would compete against another Special Training Ground in two months, but Lin Chen showed little interest and went to Martial Path Mountain instead.
• Lin Chen defeated Dou Ping on the seven-aperture steps, then challenged Bai Shengyu and earned ten breaths of the Qi and Blood Furnace.
• The Qi and Blood Furnace left Lin Chen drenched in sweat, and he noticed that his qi and blood value had not changed despite feeling depleted.
• After Lin Chen failed against a nine-aperture opponent and healed in the Dung Pool, Zhao Cangsheng explained that the furnace purified qi and blood so the body could hold more.
• Zhao Cangsheng challenged Lin Chen to reach the twelve-aperture steps within a month and resolved to take him outside the Special Training Ground.

Lin Chen completed Iron House’s third trial, but Zhao Cangsheng’s plan to take him to the Northern Border was halted by news that Marquis Zhenbei had died. Zhao left to pay his respects, while Lin Chen was told to focus on Martial Path Mountain; Jiang Duanchao anticipated renewed conflict at the border.

• Lin Chen endured Iron House’s barrage of stone fragments, pressed the final button, and completed all three assessments.
• Lin Chen said goodbye to Shen Ge, Yin Aosong, and the other junior brothers before preparing to leave with Zhao Cangsheng.
• Bu Wenbin stopped Zhao Cangsheng from taking Lin Chen to the Northern Border and revealed that the Old Marquis had died.
• Zhao Cangsheng attacked Bu Wenbin, then told Lin Chen that Marquis Zhenbei had passed away and left for the Northern Border.
• Bu Wenbin told Lin Chen to focus on Martial Path Mountain, while Jiang Duanchao read the news and prepared for trouble along the border.

After the Old Marquis's death, Great Liang's court agreed to abolish the Founding Emperor's decree concealing the Demon Race from commoners and to honor the Old Marquis's achievements. In Raozhou Prefecture, Martial Affairs Department head Xing Huaifeng moved to investigate Lin Chen over a denunciation, while the Huo Family maneuvered to ruin Lin Chen's prospects; Su Lingchuan and his allies tried to protect him as Xing approached Poyang County.

• Qiao Qing urged Emperor Wu of Liang to abolish the decree hiding the Demon Race from ordinary people, and the emperor agreed to apologize to the Founding Emperor and prepare an edict honoring the Old Marquis.
• Xing Huaifeng took office as Raozhou Prefecture's Martial Affairs Department head and announced that Lin Chen's elder cousin had accused him of being unfilial.
• Xing Huaifeng decided to investigate Lin Chen personally and brought the Martial Arts Administration heads to Poyang County.
• Huo Zhong revealed that the Li Family had helped Xing Huaifeng secure his post and planned to use the denunciation to strip Lin Chen of his chance to compete for Student Exemplar and revoke his martial examination qualifications.
• He Ruyun learned that Xing Huaifeng had come for Lin Chen, directed his men to arrest Lin Ming if possible, and sent Su Lingchuan's aide to warn the village head of Lakeside Village.
• Su Lingchuan thanked Zhang Wangshan for helping delay Xing's party, and the two suspected the Huo Family was behind Xing's move against Lin Chen.

Xing Huaifeng forced his way through Poyang County despite the county officials, local families, and martial arts halls rallying in support of Lin Chen. As Xing’s procession reached Lakeside Village, Lin Ming expected his grandfather to help frame Lin Chen, while Zhao Canghu and the villagers prepared to resist.

• Lin Xiuyong stopped Xing Huaifeng’s procession and accused Lin Ming of abducting and selling Qianqian, but Su Lingchuan challenged the accusation and Xing demanded that the gates be opened.
• He Ruyun, Poyang County’s family patriarchs, and the eight martial arts hall masters gathered to welcome Xing and show their support for Lin Chen, but Xing ordered everyone to disperse and continued toward Lakeside Village.
• He Ruyun and the patriarchs followed Xing, while Tai Rubai left to send a message to Lord Li and the hall masters pledged to stand together in support of Lin Chen.
• Zhao Canghu organized Lakeside Village’s villagers to stop Lin Ming, while Lin Family’s First Aunt brought Lin Chaoyang and armed relatives to the village entrance.
• Lin Ming arrived with Xing’s procession and saw his grandfather at the entrance; Lin Chaoyang told Zhao Canghu that the Lin Family would resolve its own affairs.

Lin Chaoyang exposed Lin Ming’s plot to frame Lin Chen, stabbed Lin Ming, and defended Lin Chen before the officials. Xing Huaifeng secretly killed Lin Ming and left, while Lin Chaoyang later died at the ancestral residence; Lin Chen remained unaware at the Special Training Ground, troubled by a sense of unease.

• Lin Ming urged Lin Chaoyang to accuse Lin Chen of being unfilial, and Xing Huaifeng warned the others not to interfere.
• Lin Chaoyang denied accusing Lin Chen, stabbed Lin Ming, and revealed Lin Ming’s role in Qianqian’s trafficking and his own past mistreatment of Lin Chen.
• Lin Chaoyang asked the officials to investigate who was targeting Lin Chen, while Zhao Canghu invoked Scholar Jiang Duanchao’s name and Xing Huaifeng backed down.
• Xing Huaifeng secretly killed the wounded Lin Ming, then departed as the other officials stayed behind to investigate the incident and pursue the suspected agents.
• Lin Chaoyang explained to Zhao Canghu that he had acted to protect Lin Chen, then returned to the ancestral residence and died that night surrounded by family.
• Lin Chen felt restless while practicing at the Special Training Ground, unaware of what had happened.

Lin Chen learned that his grandfather, Lin Chaoyang, had died and received three days' leave from special training to return to Lakeside Village. After lighting incense at the mourning hall without bowing, he asked Zhao Canghu to explain what had happened.

• Su Lingchuan and Zeng Qingyao found that Lin Chaoyang's followers had poisoned themselves, and Su Lingchuan learned that Lin Chaoyang had died.
• Huo Zhong blamed Xing Huaifeng for failing to deal with Lin Chen and ordered his family to clean up traces and do nothing for now.
• Bu Wenbin told Lin Chen that Lin Chaoyang had died and granted him three days' leave from special training.
• Jiang Kui escorted Lin Chen back to Lakeside Village, where Lin Liang told him that Lin Ming had caused Lin Chaoyang's death and that Lin Chaoyang had wanted the Lin Family placed in Lin Chen's hands.
• Lin Chen stood watch in the mourning hall with Lin Liang and Lin Hui, then asked Zhao Canghu to tell him what he had learned about the events surrounding Lin Chaoyang's death.

After Lin Chen learned that the Huo Family had likely helped block his bid for Jiangnan Province Student Exemplar, Su Lingchuan advised him to keep training and let strength protect him. Lin Chen left for the Special Training Ground, while Lord Li publicly accused Xing Huaifeng of harming Great Liang’s martial arts prodigy.

• Lin Chen took command of the Lin Family after Lin Chaoyang’s burial, reassured his mother, and told Gu Fei to use village funds to support promising young martial artists.
• Lin Chen traveled to Poyang County and asked Su Lingchuan why Xing Huaifeng had targeted him.
• Su Lingchuan explained that the Huo Family had likely smeared Lin Chen at another family’s request to keep him from competing for Jiangnan Province Student Exemplar, and passed on Lord Qiu’s message that Lin Chen should continue showing his full ability.
• Lin Chen thanked Su Lingchuan and learned that Lord Jiang would take him to the Special Training Ground the next day; Su also promised to watch over his family.
• Lin Chen visited Zeng Qingyao and Tai Rubai, who revealed that Lord Li had accused Xing Huaifeng before the Jiangnan Province Martial Affairs Hall of colluding with foreign spies to destroy Lin Chen.

Lin Chen joined Martial Garden and studied how virtual blood could be refined into true blood, then tested the theory while opening his fifteenth aperture at the Special Training Ground. As his aperture broke through, the System Panel began updating in response to his changed martial path.

• Lin Chen realized that increased blood and qi did not necessarily open more apertures, and decided to seek a deeper understanding of martial cultivation.
• Yan He'an revealed that Li Zhe of Hongdu Prefecture was Lin Chen's rival for Jiangnan Province Student Exemplar and invited Lin Chen to join Martial Garden.
• Lin Chen joined Martial Garden and received True Blood Refining Apertures Essentials, with Zhao Qianqiu covering its five-hundred-point cost.
• After studying the book, Lin Chen devised a plan to refine virtual blood into true blood and test it by opening an aperture.
• Lin Chen returned to the Special Training Ground, endured the medicinal bath and Dung Pool, and repeatedly struck his fifteenth aperture until it broke through.
• The System Panel appeared and announced that it was about to update because Lin Chen's martial path had changed.

Lin Chen learned that Xing Huaifeng had been removed and that the Jiangnan Province Student Exemplar selection might include a full-strength battle, which he proposed delaying until year’s end. The chapter left Lin Chen with new cultivation resources and an archery manual as Bu Wenbin prepared to become Raozhou Prefecture’s Director General.

• Lin Chen tested the strength of his newly opened Dragon Spine Aperture by smashing through bamboo, then found the System Panel was still updating the next morning.
• Bu Wenbin told Lin Chen that Xing Huaifeng had been removed as Director General of the Raozhou Prefecture Martial Affairs Department.
• Qiu Rufeng explained the Student Exemplar selection plan and told Lin Chen that Li Zhe had proposed a contest with the competitors’ realms suppressed.
• Lin Chen countered by proposing that any final contest be fought at full strength and held at the end of the year, and Qiu Rufeng agreed to report his suggestion to the Martial Affairs Hall.
• Qiu Rufeng gave Lin Chen an archery manual, while Lin Chen learned Bu Wenbin would become Raozhou Prefecture’s Director General and promised him access to the Special Training Ground’s cultivation resources.
• Lin Chen opened the manual and discovered its rule that each arrow must kill its target, leaving no need for a second shot.

Lin Chen trained in Greedy for Life, Fearful of Death Arrow while the System Panel unlocked a convertible Perfect Aperture Opening Realm that required more qi and blood. After proving he could absorb Crimson Blood Pills without clogging his meridians, he received the Special Training Ground’s remaining supply, leaving Min Huanbo to fend off Yang Jin’s questions.

• Lin Chen learned Greedy for Life, Fearful of Death Arrow and practiced its Steadiness and Accuracy formulas, struggling to split a falling water drop into six petals.
• Li Zhe explained that he accepted the Student Exemplar challenge to defend Jiangnan Province against challengers from other provinces, while privately considering whether to reconsider his marriage to Huo Shu.
• The System Panel finished updating and offered Lin Chen a conversion from Extreme Aperture Opening Realm to Perfect Aperture Opening Realm if he replenished his qi and blood.
• Lin Chen persuaded Min Huanbo to let him take extra cultivation resources and collected Crimson Blood Pills and Nourishing Aperture Pills from the treasury.
• After three days of consuming the pills and applying Dung Pool slime, Lin Chen showed Min Huanbo that his meridians were clear and the pill energy had been absorbed.
• Min Huanbo took the remaining Crimson Blood Pills from the treasury for Lin Chen, prompting Yang Jin to demand an explanation.

After consuming thirty bottles of Crimson Blood Pills, Lin Chen reached Perfect Aperture Opening Realm and fused Clear Wind Palm with Water Cloud Palm to create Wind Cloud Palm. He tested his increased strength at Martial Path Mountain, where the Qi and Blood Furnace raised his qi and blood limit, and he set his sights on reaching the fifteenth step.

• Lin Chen finished consuming the Crimson Blood Pills, and his System Panel showed Perfect Aperture Opening Realm at fifteen of twenty-four apertures.
• Lin Chen used the Utter Perfection title to fuse Clear Wind Palm and Water Cloud Palm into Wind Cloud Palm, then practiced it until he destroyed bamboo stalks throughout the grove.
• Lin Chen told Min Huanbo and Yang Jin that he planned to test his strength at Martial Path Mountain, and Min Huanbo let him go.
• Lin Chen defeated the nine-aperture predecessor on Martial Path Mountain with three palm strikes and learned that his Perfect Aperture Opening Realm gave him a major advantage in strength and speed.
• Lin Chen endured the Qi and Blood Furnace, which raised his qi and blood limit to 1,200,000, then resolved to reach the fifteenth step.

Lin Chen advanced to sixteen apertures, opened a seventeenth with an Aperture Unblocking Pill, and demonstrated his archery before Jiang Qing visited him at the neighboring training ground. Their encounter ended with Jiang Qing realizing Lin Chen was stronger than she expected and calling out his false modesty.

• Lin Chen reached thirteen apertures, raised his Qi-and-blood limit, and later opened his sixteenth aperture before using an Aperture Unblocking Pill to pursue the seventeenth.
• Zhao Cangsheng told Xiao Yaojin about Lin Chen, prompting Xiao Yaojin to ask to meet him while explaining his own goal of engraving his name on Martial Path Mountain before entering Organ Tempering.
• Lin Chen ate Crimsonflame Rhinoceros meat, opened another aperture with Wind Cloud Palm, and began cultivating toward the seventeenth aperture.
• Jiang Qing beat Huo Tong, then persuaded Xu Li to let her visit Lin Chen while keeping the trip and her actions from her father.
• Lin Chen displayed exceptional archery and nearly struck the approaching Jiang Qing before recognizing her voice and stopping his escape.
• Jiang Qing challenged Lin Chen to a palm exchange, was forced back by his strength, and questioned his claim that he had opened only seventeen apertures.

Lin Chen discussed Jiang Qing’s Martial Arts Will and the rumors linking him to the Li Family before continuing his rapid training at the Special Training Ground. After learning that Lin Chen had defeated a sixteen-aperture opponent on Martial Path Mountain, the instructors sought the Town Yue Manual for him, and urgent riders left Raozhou Prefecture that night.

• Jiang Qing explained how her father’s silver Martial Arts Will worked, warned Lin Chen about stronger varieties, and reassured him that students could not use such protection in official matches.
• Jiang Qing asked whether Lin Chen was connected to the Li Family and repeated the rumor that Old Lord Li wanted him as a future grandson-in-law before leaving.
• Over the next ten days, Lin Chen gained Qi and Blood Furnaces, lost several close fights to a senior with seventeen apertures, and reached 673,000 True Blood.
• Lin Chen asked Min Huanbo for the Town Yue Manual so he could improve his Iron Bone Technique, and Min explained that the Huang Family kept the manual as a privately created technique.
• Lin Chen told Min Huanbo that he had defeated the sixteen-aperture senior on Martial Path Mountain, prompting the instructors to report his achievement and request the manual from the Academic Dean.
• Min Huanbo traveled to Raozhou Prefecture, and Xu Luncai led six riders toward the Jiangnan Circuit’s central hub that night.

After Lin Chen’s achievement on Martial Path Mountain revealed his potential, Jiangnan Province’s officials moved to protect and support him while keeping his progress secret amid assassination threats. Jia Nanzhu was sent to meet Lin Chen, the Town Yue Manual was secured for him, and Huang Yuanliang devised a way to connect the Huang Family to Lin Chen through his instructor, Yu Yongnian.

• Bu Wenbin classified Lin Chen’s Special Training Ground performance as Grade-A confidential because talented Martial Arts students were being targeted by assassins.
• Bu Wenbin realized Lin Chen had likely broken into the top fifty on Martial Path Mountain and expected the Martial Affairs Hall to watch the Huo Family closely.
• Shao Jingshan approved Jia Nanzhu’s trip to guide Lin Chen, arranged for Zhang Dingfeng to deliver a letter to the Huang Family for the Town Yue Manual, and ordered Bu Wenbin to monitor the Huo Family.
• Huang Yuanliang gave Zhang Dingfeng the second volume of the Town Yue Manual without demanding anything in return.
• Huang Yuanliang explained to Huang Kun that he planned to accept Yu Yongnian as his disciple, making Lin Chen effectively part of the Huang Family’s line of disciples.

Jia Nanzhu visited the Special Training Ground and began preparing Lin Chen for combat by having him study martial arts manuals and train his archery against the other trainees. He challenged Lin Chen to hit all twenty-nine trainees within three days, leaving Lin Chen eager to begin.

• Jia Nanzhu arrived at the Special Training Ground to meet Lin Chen and observed that Lin Chen had opened seventeen apertures and begun forming an aura.
• Jia Nanzhu brought a carriage full of martial arts manuals, asked about Lin Chen's progress with the Greedy for Life, Fearful of Death Arrow, and assigned him more than twenty techniques to study.
• After Lin Chen read the manuals, Jia Nanzhu arranged for him to shoot arrows at the other trainees, who would wear protective gear.
• Jia Nanzhu explained that studying many martial arts would help Lin Chen read opponents' movements and anticipate their next actions.
• Jia Nanzhu challenged Lin Chen to hit all twenty-nine other trainees and promised him a gift if he succeeded within three days.

Lin Chen passed the forest archery assessment by predicting his fellow apprentices’ movements and hitting all twenty-nine with his twenty-nine arrows. Jia Nanzhu then revealed that Lin Chen’s Serpent Shadow Bow was actually a Dragon Shadow Bow made with Flood Dragon sinew, and gave him a drop of Flood Dragon blood.

• Lin Chen eliminated twenty apprentices early in the assessment, then studied the remaining apprentices’ movements before using his final arrows to hit them all.
• Shen Ge tried to trick Lin Chen into missing by leaping into the air, but Lin Chen’s arrow struck him and ended the assessment.
• Lin Chen told Jia Nanzhu that he predicted his apprentices’ movements by studying their breathing and subtle actions, and Jia Nanzhu praised his ability.
• Du Yong ordered Yu Fei, Shen Ge, and the other eliminated apprentices to complete the trial ten times, while Shen Ge recognized their frustration at falling behind Lin Chen.
• Jia Nanzhu showed Lin Chen that Flood Dragon blood made the Serpent Shadow Bow tremble, identified its bowstring as Flood Dragon sinew, and offered Lin Chen the blood as a gift.