Chapter Summaries

Chen Sheng interrogated Li Hengkong, learned how he had gathered Breathing Techniques, and killed him without uncovering useful information about the Holy Church. Returning to the Grocery Store to move to the Martial Security Bureau, Chen Sheng encountered an uninspectable figure beneath a black umbrella, who recognized him as Brother Chen.

• Chen Sheng tortured Li Hengkong by the river and learned that a Wandering Taoist had introduced him to the Tide Rising Era, Qi Sense Users, and Celestials.
• Li Hengkong revealed that he had collected Breathing Techniques to prepare for the Tide Rising Era, but he knew little about the Holy Church, and Chen Sheng killed him.
• Chen Sheng took Li Hengkong's Breathing Techniques and worried that Zhao Zhenfeng would suspect him of killing the two men from Kongming Fist Gym.
• Chen Sheng told Xu Ying to bring Zhou Li to the Jincheng District Martial Security Bureau and headed back to the Grocery Store to pack.
• Chen Sheng sensed a powerful presence near the Grocery Store and saw that the Eye of Truth could not inspect the person under a black umbrella.
• The umbrella's owner folded it, recognized Chen Sheng, and greeted him as Brother Chen.

Shen Ziming reunited with Chen Sheng and offered to handle the matter involving Kongming Fist Gym. In Haizhou City, Zhao Zhenfeng ordered officials to locate and arrest Chen Sheng after Li Hengkong and Qi Ming went missing, while a mysterious person appeared at his doorway.

• Shen Ziming proved his identity to the wary Chen Sheng with private memories, then asked to speak inside the Grocery Store.
• Shen Ziming asked whether Chen Sheng had dealt with the people from Kongming Fist Gym and said he had come to handle the matter.
• Xiang Zheng told Zhao Zhenfeng that Li Hengkong and Qi Ming had gone to Spring River to find Chen Sheng and had been unreachable since the afternoon.
• Zhao Zhenfeng told Zhou Qiming to report Chen Sheng's whereabouts and have the Martial Security Bureau issue an arrest warrant if he could not be found.
• Xiang Zheng collided with a person who had appeared in Zhao Zhenfeng's doorway, and the stranger caught him and apologized.

Shen Ziming confronted Zhao Zhenfeng over the Force Sect’s cuts to spiritual medicine resources in Fuhai Province and announced that he would monitor its actions on behalf of the YiHe Sect. Zhao Zhenfeng defended the policy but knew Shen Ziming’s oversight would force the Force Sect to show restraint.

• Xiang Zheng struggled to recognize Shen Ziming, who entered Zhao Zhenfeng’s room and greeted him as a senior brother.
• Zhao Zhenfeng attacked Shen Ziming’s entrance with a precisely aimed teacup saucer and demanded that he leave, but Shen Ziming sat down and invoked his duty to oversee fellow committee members.
• Shen Ziming questioned the Force Sect’s withdrawal of resources from most local martial arts gyms and sects, warning that it could destabilize Fuhai Province.
• Zhao Zhenfeng defended the policy, explaining that resources had gone to qualified Grade A gyms and that other groups could become Force Sect affiliates by proving their strength.
• Shen Ziming said he would stay next door, monitor the Force Sect’s measures, and report them to his master, leaving Zhao Zhenfeng furious but concerned about the consequences for Xiang Li and the Force Sect.

Chen Sheng enjoyed a rare moment of leisure before training until all his attributes exceeded one hundred. Shen Ziming then arrived with two wooden boxes, including one containing a remarkably potent Spirit Seed.

• Chen Sheng rested after his workout and planned to retrieve spirit herbs from Li Hengkong’s former hideout while waiting for Shen Ziming to return.
• Chen Sheng woke at dawn, bought breakfast, and reflected on the threats posed by the Celestials and the Holy Church before resuming his training.
• After training through the morning, Chen Sheng raised his Strength, Agility, and Constitution above one hundred and called Shen Ziming to ask when they would meet.
• Shen Ziming arrived at the Grocery Store carrying a paper bag with two wooden boxes, and Chen Sheng found a brilliant green Spirit Seed inside one of them.

Chen Sheng received a high-quality Spirit Seed and a box of spirit herbs from Li Hengkong, while Shen Ziming helped expand the spirit field and warned him that the Force Sect could not act openly without evidence. Shen Ziming invited Chen Sheng to explore a newly discovered Sealed Land, but Chen Sheng refused; after Shen Ziming left, he suddenly vanished from the alley.

• Chen Sheng planted the tree root Spirit Seed, and Shen Ziming expanded the spirit field with additional herb seeds.
• Chen Sheng opened the second wooden box from Li Hengkong and found more than a dozen spirit herbs, which he prepared for cultivation.
• Shen Ziming asked whether Chen Sheng had left evidence from the previous day's events, and Chen Sheng said he had not.
• Shen Ziming explained that Sealed Lands held ancient Breathing Technique inheritances and invited Chen Sheng to explore a newly discovered one, but Chen Sheng refused.
• After sharing a meal, Shen Ziming left the Grocery Store, and Chen Sheng saw that he had disappeared from the empty alley.

Shen Ziming spoke with Sixth Brother about entering a Sealed Land alone to search for a cure for his family’s hereditary illness, despite his weakness and the dangers. Chen Sheng found the invisible Shen Ziming, and Shen Ziming revealed that he was a Celestial, though only a small fraction of one.

• Sixth Brother confronted Shen Ziming for giving away a top-tier Spirit Seed and asked whether his friend would accompany him into the Sealed Land.
• Shen Ziming admitted he had no companion and intended to enter the Sealed Land alone, while Sixth Brother urged him to return safely.
• Shen Ziming apologized to Chen Sheng for being unable to repay his debt, and Chen Sheng appeared beside him with a can of cola.
• Chen Sheng asked about the Spirit Seed and Shen Ziming’s condition, and Shen Ziming explained that he was a small fraction of a Celestial.

Shen Ziming explained that his hereditary disease came from Celestial Being Cells, which gave him Celestial-like abilities but threatened to destroy his body. He needed Qi Knot Stones from the Sealed Land to survive, and Chen Sheng agreed to help him find them.

• Shen Ziming told Chen Sheng how his mother died from a hereditary disease, his father later died in an accident, and the disease began affecting him after he turned eighteen.
• Shen Ziming explained that the Tide Rising Era temporarily restored his health, but his symptoms returned after he became a Qi Sense User.
• Shen Ziming said the Holy Church had identified Celestial Being Cells in his body and that Qi Knot Stones could kill them; Chen Sheng recognized the stones from Xu Rou's pendant.
• Shen Ziming told Chen Sheng he needed to enter the Sealed Land to find more Qi Knot Stones, after the authorities took the Martial Arts Association's remaining supply.
• Chen Sheng cut off Shen Ziming's warning, told him to call when he left, and vanished from the park.

Zhao Zhenfeng received Xiang Li’s orders to focus on the Sealed Land and Qi Knot Stones, then silenced Xiang Zheng’s demands to pursue Chen Sheng. Back in Quanjin City, Chen Sheng drank Spirit Herb Soup and began focused cultivation as he prepared to enter the Sealed Land.

• Zhao Zhenfeng reported his suspicions about Shen Ziming and the YiHe Sect to Xiang Li, who ordered him to gather Qi Knot Stones and obtain the Breathing Technique inheritance while keeping Shen Ziming alive.
• Zhao Zhenfeng told Xiang Zheng to stop investigating the attack and return to Kyoto in two days, then threatened him into silence when he insisted Chen Sheng was responsible.
• Chen Sheng returned to the Grocery Store and found that Shen Ziming’s Spirit Herb Field had grown rapidly, with a fresh harvest likely by morning.
• Chen Sheng drank the Spirit Herb Soup and began cultivating, as Water Essences gathered around him and helped his body process the herbs faster.

Chen Sheng upgraded Profound Darkness True Martial before the expected journey to the Sealed Land, triggering a painful transformation that broke his leg bones. He endured the ordeal by the river, and the upgrade left the technique at level three with a much higher ceiling.

• Chen Sheng trained at Yinghui Grocery Store and found that his increased strength had badly damaged the courtyard.
• Chen Sheng checked his attributes at the riverbank and used Skill Points to upgrade Profound Darkness True Martial to level three.
• Chen Sheng was struck by intense pain as his muscles and bones began transforming, while the nearby Water Essences stirred the river.
• Chen Sheng's leg bones snapped under the strain, but he suppressed his urge to strike out and endured the transformation for two hours.

After breaking through to the third level of Profound Darkness True Martial, Chen Sheng’s body transformed and his dormant attributes began converting into base strength. He gained the Black Tortoise Transformation and, unwilling to test its power on the damaged riverbank, leaped into the Spring River to try it underwater.

• Chen Sheng recovered from his transformation and discovered that his physique had become leaner, smoother, and more like his old appearance.
• Chen Sheng checked his Attribute Panel and saw that his Strength, Agility, and Constitution had increased substantially.
• Chen Sheng practiced controlling his new strength before washing away his dead skin at the riverbank.
• Chen Sheng learned that his dormant Harpy Form and Rabbit Form boosts were converting into base attributes and that Black Tortoise Transformation could control his muscles and activate his potential.
• Chen Sheng decided not to test the transformation on land and leaped beneath the river’s surface with Water Essence’s help.

Zhou Zheng arrived in Haizhou City to take over from Zhao Zhenfeng, who left to deal with the disturbance at the Sealed Land. Xiang Zheng’s mind had recovered enough to recognize Zhou Zheng and ask him for help, but Zhou Zheng balked when Xiang Zheng asked him to kill someone.

• Zhao Zhenfeng told Zhou Zheng to contact Zhou Qiming about matters in Fuhai Province and to get Xiang Zheng onto a plane without taking him to Quanjin City.
• Zhao Zhenfeng warned Zhou Zheng that Xiang Zheng might still be recovering, then left for the Sealed Land.
• Zhou Zheng rushed to Xiang Zheng’s room expecting to find him an idiot, but found him clear-eyed and bandaged instead.
• Xiang Zheng asked where Zhao Zhenfeng had gone, and Zhou Zheng said he had left for the Sealed Land and offered to take Xiang Zheng to the airport.
• Xiang Zheng asked Zhou Zheng to help him kill someone, and Zhou Zheng refused.

Xiang Zheng persuaded Zhou Zheng to take him to Quanjin City to investigate whether Chen Sheng had attacked him. They left for the airport with Zhou Zheng agreeing to help in exchange for a chance to choose a Breathing Technique from Xiang Li’s collection.

• Xiang Zheng refused Zhou Zheng’s offer to call Zhao Zhenfeng and brooded over the clues that made him suspect Chen Sheng had attacked him.
• Xiang Zheng decided he needed Zhou Zheng’s help, while Zhou Zheng prepared to take him to the airport for his scheduled flight.
• Zhou Zheng tried to persuade Xiang Zheng to leave, and Xiang Zheng offered him Spirit Seeds, reduced duties, and access to a Breathing Technique.
• Zhou Zheng agreed after Xiang Zheng offered a Breathing Technique from Xiang Li’s collection and changed the flight to that night.
• As they left, Zhou Zheng insisted they avoid harming the Force Sect’s interests, while Xiang Zheng secretly resolved to kill Chen Sheng if he proved to be the attacker.

Xiang Zheng and Zhou Zheng broke into Chen Sheng’s grocery store, found a top-grade Spirit Seed, and suspected Shen Ziming had supplied it. Chen Sheng returned and confronted them, while Zhou Zheng stepped between him and Xiang Zheng.

• Xiang Zheng smashed the grocery store’s shutter, silenced its alarm, and searched the premises with Zhou Zheng.
• Xiang Zheng found a top-grade Spirit Seed in the undamaged herb field and suspected it came from Shen Ziming of the YiHe Sect.
• Xiang Zheng decided to capture and interrogate Chen Sheng so the Force Sect could use the Spirit Seed as leverage against the YiHe Sect.
• Chen Sheng returned, admitted his identity, and demanded that Xiang Zheng explain why he was holding Chen Sheng’s Spirit Seed.
• Zhou Zheng introduced himself as a Power Sect Disciple and ordered Chen Sheng to keep his distance.

Xiang Zheng and Zhou Zheng tried to force Chen Sheng to identify the Spirit Seed as payment from the YiHe Sect, but Zhou Zheng discovered Chen Sheng's strength was far greater than expected. Zhou Zheng attacked him with full force, and the chapter ended with a severed arm flying toward Xiang Zheng.

• Xiang Zheng decided that Chen Sheng was more valuable alive as a witness than dead, and asked Zhou Zheng to make him reveal his Breathing State.
• Zhou Zheng entered his Breathing State and tried to restrain Chen Sheng, but Chen Sheng stopped his arm with one foot despite not entering his own Breathing State.
• Zhou Zheng ordered Xiang Zheng to retreat, then used his full strength after realizing Chen Sheng could match him.
• Zhou Zheng's fists crashed down on Chen Sheng as Xiang Zheng shouted for him to hold back.
• Blood sprayed, and a severed arm flew toward Xiang Zheng as he began to curse Zhou Zheng.

Chen Sheng killed Zhou Zheng and Xiang Zheng after revealing his Black Tortoise Transformation, then prepared to leave for the Sealed Land with Shen Ziming. He remained determined to wipe out the Force Sect if it continued to target him, while Shen Ziming arranged protection for Zhou Li and considered how to shield Chen Sheng.

• Chen Sheng crushed Zhou Zheng's head after overpowering him, then killed Xiang Zheng when he froze in terror.
• Chen Sheng returned to normal, gathered black plastic bags, and began wrapping the two bodies in the wrecked backyard.
• Shen Ziming arrived and helped Chen Sheng tie up the bodies; Chen Sheng identified one victim as the Force Sect Master's son.
• Shen Ziming said he would take Chen Sheng to the Sealed Land, seek his master's protection if needed, and arrange Martial Security Bureau guards for Zhou Li.
• Chen Sheng said he was tired of people seeking death and had prepared to wipe out the Force Sect, then went to dispose of the bodies before their departure.

Wang He and Zhao Zhenfeng’s teams searched for the Sealed Land entrance beneath a lake as the anomaly’s storms intensified. Wang He reached the guarded site and found Zhao Zhenfeng kneeling in the rain outside a cramped tent, respectfully addressing someone inside.

• Zhao Zhenfeng criticized the Linjiang Province team for failing to pinpoint the entrance after seven days, then sped ahead alone.
• Wang He restrained his team’s complaints and urged them to complete the Association’s task without falling behind the Kyoto martial artists.
• Wang He’s group reached the lake amid intensifying rain and lightning, which he recognized as evidence that energy was rapidly leaking from the Sealed Land.
• Wang He identified his group to the Martial Security Bureau guards and was allowed through the perimeter.
• Wang He found Zhao Zhenfeng kneeling respectfully outside a small tent in the rain and speaking to someone inside.

Zhao Zhenfeng met the mysterious Venerable Elder at the Sealed Land, then hurried toward gunfire after realizing the Linjiang Province team had moved away. In the rain-soaked woods, Wang He was badly beaten by the Goat-faced Man as the attackers overwhelmed his teammates and advanced on armed personnel.

• Zhao Zhenfeng greeted the Venerable Elder, who briefly tested him with an invisible pressure before telling him to leave quickly.
• Zhao Zhenfeng noticed the Linjiang Province team had vanished from the lake and heard distant gunfire, so he rushed toward it.
• Wang He blocked the Goat-faced Man's first strike but was injured and struggled to hold his ground for the armed personnel.
• The Goat-faced Man struck Wang He again and sent him flying dozens of meters into a crater.
• Wang He saw that his teammates had fallen and that the men in black were charging toward the Martial Security Bureau's armed personnel.

Wang He protected the Martial Security Bureau’s armed personnel from a Holy Church attack, but Zhao Zhenfeng arrived and killed five powerful Goat-faced Men with a single strike. Wang He called the Martial Arts Association for reinforcements as Zhao Zhenfeng condemned the injured exploration team.

• Wang He reentered the Breathing State and rushed to protect the armed personnel as three Holy Church attackers charged them.
• The armed personnel killed two Dog-faced Men, but the Chicken-faced Man wounded one of them before Wang He intervened and pursued him.
• Wang He killed the Chicken-faced Man, then saw five Goat-faced Men watching the approaching Zhao Zhenfeng with grave expressions.
• Zhao Zhenfeng attacked in a flash and killed all five Goat-faced Men, leaving Wang He stunned by his strength.
• Zhao Zhenfeng rebuked Wang He and the Linjiang Province exploration team, and Wang He contacted the Martial Arts Association to request reinforcements.

Shen forced a terrified Monkey-face Man to flee as a test of luck, while Chen Sheng and Shen Ziming approached the lake to locate the Sealed Land. The fleeing man ambushed Chen Sheng but was struck down before he could understand what happened.

• Shen ordered the Monkey-face Man to test his luck against the Power Sect Disciple and gave him three seconds to run.
• Shen Ziming, transformed into a black cat, told Chen Sheng they should find the Sealed Land before entering, and Chen Sheng agreed.
• Shen Ziming explained that leaking Sealed Lands caused phenomena according to the size of their breaches and that specialists repaired them after exploration.
• The Monkey-face Man hid in a tree and decided to attack Chen Sheng, who was approaching with Shen Ziming on his shoulder.
• The Monkey-face Man leapt at Chen Sheng, but blood sprayed as Chen Sheng struck him unconscious.

Chen Sheng and Shen Ziming tracked the Sealed Land’s entrance to the lake and prepared to break through the Martial Security Bureau and Martial Arts Association’s encirclement. As they sized up Zhao Zhenfeng, Shen Ziming explained that Zhao’s Nuclear Fist was a Force Sect Secret Martial Art.

• Shen watched a Monkey-faced Man attack a Faceless Man, who killed him instantly, then anticipated trouble ahead.
• Chen Sheng killed the Monkey-faced Man and discussed the Holy Church’s presence in the Sealed Land with Shen Ziming.
• Shen Ziming sensed that the Sealed Land’s entrance lay beneath the lake and warned Chen Sheng to avoid a direct fight with Zhao Zhenfeng.
• Chen Sheng examined Zhao Zhenfeng’s attributes and asked about his Nuclear Fist skill.
• Shen Ziming explained that Nuclear Fist was a Force Sect Secret Martial Art that could push its user’s physical strength beyond its limits.