Recaps

Zhang Guangmu returned to the Real World after earning Excellent evaluations for his performance in "Apex Esports King." As Yan Xiaoxian praised him and Li Xiaoxiao teased him about his own performance, Zhang Guangmu reflected on his success and Li Xiaoxiao’s embarrassing past.

• Zhang Guangmu received Excellent evaluations from Dao, Buddha, and Confucianism, then reminded himself to stay humble.
• Yan Xiaoxian admitted Zhang Guangmu’s actions in the film had frightened him and expressed interest in working with him again.
• Luo Zhuan regarded Yan Xiaoxian’s deference to Zhang Guangmu as unsurprising, while Li Xiaoxiao suspected Zhang Guangmu would save the praise for his "Sharp Reviews of Zhang Guangmu" compilation.
• Li Xiaoxiao vowed to perform better next time, and Zhang Guangmu teased him about crying after being shot in "Endless Food Bag."

Li Xiaoxiao invited Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake to dinner at the Imperial Palace, and Zhang Guangmu accepted after easing Li Xiaoxiao’s awkwardness with a strange joke. The next day, Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake arrived at the Dragon Palace, deep beneath the Pacific Ocean.

• Li Xiaoxiao invited Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake to dinner at his mother’s request and promised to host a gathering on December 1st.
• Luo Zhuan reflected that none of the Endless warship’s current members seemed suited to be Vice-Captain, so the position might remain vacant.
• Zhang Guangmu accepted the invitation and joked about Li Xiaoxiao having a mother, prompting Li Xiaoxiao to challenge him to a spar.
• Zhang Guangmu defeated Li Xiaoxiao, leaving him with panda eyes, while Luo Zhuan laughed and concluded that Zhang Guangmu handled the situation well.
• The next day, Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake traveled by amphibious flying car to the Dragon Palace in the Mariana Trench.

Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake traveled by amphibious flying car to the Dragon Palace, where they met Li Xiaoxiao’s mother, the Cold Consort, and shared a lavish meal with her and the emperor. The emperor revealed that his Subconscious Sequence was Cultivator.

• Zhang Guangmu took Mooncake underwater in an amphibious flying car and reached the Dragon Palace.
• Palace maids escorted Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake to Liuli Palace, where the Cold Consort welcomed them.
• Zhang Guangmu and Mooncake enjoyed a lavish seafood meal with the Cold Consort.
• The emperor joined the meal casually, and Zhang Guangmu greeted him without interrupting his eating.
• The emperor spoke with Zhang Guangmu and revealed that his Subconscious Sequence was Cultivator.

At a banquet with Emperor Li Xuanji, Zhang Guangmu affirmed Li Xiaoxiao as a valued crew member and predicted he would become Xuanlong's First Sword Immortal, helping Li Xiaoxiao shed the burdens he had carried since childhood. Back home, Zhang Guangmu sensed that his Usable Ability Points had arrived.

• Emperor Li Xuanji welcomed Zhang Guangmu warmly at the banquet, while Zhang noticed the Emperor's distant reaction to his son Li Xiaoxiao.
• Zhang Guangmu drunkenly told Li Xuanji and Cold Consort that Li Xiaoxiao should not hide his brilliance and would become Xuanlong's First Sword Immortal.
• Zhang Guangmu explained that he believed in Li Xiaoxiao because he was his crew member, and Mooncake agreed with a meow.
• Li Xiaoxiao felt his burdens lift and resolved to live up to his Captain's expectation.
• After returning home in Shangyang Commandery, Zhang Guangmu felt his Usable Ability Points arriving.

Zhang Guangmu gained an ability point from the Anti-Erosion Scroll and raised his Imperial Body Forging Technique to level 16, greatly strengthening his body and control. He saved his remaining point, then received a martial arts production offer from Zhao Zhengrong.

• Zhang Guangmu viewed the Anti-Erosion Scroll in the Book of Acting, which depicted his past characters gathered behind his esports persona.
• Zhang Guangmu spent two ability points on Imperial Body Forging Technique, raising it to level 16.
• Zhang Guangmu felt his strength and control over involuntary muscles improve, and considered how formidable he would be in a Subconscious Film World.
• Zhang Guangmu kept his last usable ability point in reserve rather than further improving his technique.
• Zhao Zhengrong messaged Zhang Guangmu about a supernatural martial arts production with a role that suited him.

Zhang Guangmu joined Zhao Zhengrong’s martial arts supernatural production, “Martial Way Diary,” and prepared to play Young Master Mu. At the filming tower, Jiang Jiuxiao introduced himself and warned Zhang Guangmu not to tarnish his reputation as Bright Moon.

• Zhao Zhengrong invited the group to join “Martial Way Diary,” but Li Xiaoxiao, Chu Fan, Tang Lanshan, Jiang Ling, and Luo Zhuan were unavailable or declined for different reasons.
• Zhang Guangmu read the script and found its low-martial world and setting intriguing, despite thinking the plot and his character were shallowly designed.
• A month later, Zhang Guangmu headed to the filming tower, where he had 3,482 Dragon Shields left in his account.
• Zhang Guangmu reviewed his role as Zhao Zhengrong’s adopted son, Young Master Mu, who had avoided martial arts and indulged in pleasure before the country fell.
• Jiang Jiuxiao met Zhang Guangmu at the tower, praised his reputation as Bright Moon, and urged him not to tarnish it in “Martial Way Diary.”

Jiang Jiuxiao explained his obsession with the Radiant Moon title and his effort to remake his naturally gentle personality into a domineering one. Oda Marina tried to win Zhang Guangmu over before they became enemies in Martial Way Diary, but realized he might kill her without hesitation if they failed to bond.

• Jiang Jiuxiao challenged Zhang Guangmu to experience how he earned the Radiant Moon title, revealing that he had lost the title three years earlier and regretted being too humble and courteous.
• Jiang Jiuxiao described how repeated failures on the Path of the Great Emperor drove him to seek a master and change his habits and personality.
• Zhang Guangmu recognized Jiang Jiuxiao's natural kindness and guilt beneath his attempt to act hostile, and Jiang Jiuxiao dismissed his concern before leaving.
• Oda Marina greeted Zhang Guangmu, but he told her he had seen the cast list and saw no need to talk since they would be opposing enemies in the Film World.
• Oda Marina tried to flatter Zhang Guangmu and considered using their real-world meeting to build affection, but feared he would shoot her if they failed to form a bond in Martial Way Diary.

Zhang Guangmu met Oda Marina and Director Kurt Chesterton before entering the Film World of "Martial Way Diary." After infiltration, he awoke beside Jiang Jiuxiao, who urged him to flee to Dengquan Slope and meet Martial Marquis Lie.

• Oda Marina tried to charm Zhang Guangmu, but he dismissed her and received a warning that she was dangerous.
• Kurt Chesterton praised Zhang Guangmu's Imperial Body Forging Technique and wished him well in the Film World.
• Zhang Guangmu and Zhao Zhengrong entered their Infiltration Pods with the other Subconscious Actors.
• Zhang Guangmu reviewed the film's story of Jiang Jiuxiao and Oda Marina before successfully infiltrating the Film World.
• Jiang Jiuxiao urged Zhang Guangmu to mount a horse and hurry to Dengquan Slope on Longbei Cliff to join Martial Marquis Lie.

Zhang Guangmu and Jiang Jiuxiao fled with their guards toward Longbei Cliff as enemy forces pursued them. Zhang Guangmu dismounted and charged the enemy barehanded, leaving Jiang Jiuxiao torn between joining him and escaping.

• The guards urged Zhang Guangmu and Jiang Jiuxiao to flee toward Longbei Cliff and reunite with Zhao Zhengrong.
• Jiang Jiuxiao concealed his desire to abandon Zhang Guangmu, fearing Zhao Zhengrong's reaction if the young noble were left behind.
• Zhang Guangmu argued that they needed to kill their pursuers and learn the enemy's deployment before fleeing, while privately knowing he could not ride a warhorse.
• Zhang Guangmu dismounted and charged barehanded into the enemy ranks.
• Jiang Jiuxiao hesitated between fighting alongside Zhang Guangmu and preserving his own life, then judged that Zhang Guangmu would soon be killed or captured.

Zhang Guangmu turned back to fight alongside Jiang Jiuxiao and the Death Warriors, showing extraordinary skill despite having no Martial Way cultivation. After the group routed their pursuers and learned the enemy’s troop strength and route, Jiang Jiuxiao began to suspect Zhang Guangmu possessed a Heaven-Bestowed Item like his own.

• Zhang Guangmu chose to face the pursuers, and Jiang Jiuxiao led the group in a counterattack once they were surrounded.
• An enemy handed Zhang Guangmu a finely made blade, and Zhang Guangmu quickly cut down two pursuers.
• Jiang Jiuxiao fought with Martial Way Second Realm power but was puzzled when Zhang Guangmu matched his effectiveness despite seeming untrained.
• The pursuers lost their will to fight after roughly thirty were killed, and the group captured several fleeing enemies to learn their strength and planned route.
• The group lost eight guards, leaving forty-two, while Jiang Jiuxiao praised Zhang Guangmu’s swordsmanship and footwork and suspected he had a Heaven-Bestowed Item.

Jiang Jiuxiao suspected that Zhang Guangmu possessed a secret Heaven-Bestowed Item that let him master martial techniques with extraordinary speed. As the refugee group resumed its escape, Jiang Jiuxiao saw Zhang Guangmu consult a book called "Zhao's Steel Fist" and remained unsure what advantage it gave him.

• Jiang Jiuxiao probed Zhang Guangmu about his martial talent, and Zhang Guangmu claimed he could master martial techniques at a glance.
• Jiang Jiuxiao recalled how his Martial Way Diary had raised his cultivation and wondered whether Zhang Guangmu had a similar treasure that could complement his own.
• The refugee group set off again, and Jiang Jiuxiao noticed Zhang Guangmu seemed unskilled at riding a horse.
• During the evening rest, Jiang Jiuxiao saw Zhang Guangmu briefly flip through a book titled "Zhao's Steel Fist" and questioned whether it was a Heaven-Bestowed Item.

Zhang Guangmu gained Driving 1 and discovered he could quickly master any kind of vehicle, while Jiang Jiuxiao mistook his actions for evidence of a similar cheat. After the group reached Longbei Cliff, Jiang Jiuxiao failed to tame the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed, but Zhang Guangmu rode it calmly, leaving Jiang Jiuxiao stunned.

• Jiang Jiuxiao tried copying Zhang Guangmu’s apparent diary method, but only gained inner power after writing several hundred words with a charcoal pencil.
• Zhang Guangmu used the Book of Acting to gain Driving 1 and found that the unruly military steed obeyed him; he realized the ability applied to all kinds of transportation.
• Jiang Jiuxiao became convinced Zhang Guangmu had a secret, while the group followed the interrogated pursuit map and reached Longbei Cliff several days later.
• The refugees learned that the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed was a captured wild horse no one had tamed, and Jiang Jiuxiao chose to try riding it at once.
• Jiang Jiuxiao was thrown off the steed, but Zhang Guangmu approached and rode it around the enclosure as Jiang watched in astonishment.

After taming the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed, Zhang Guangmu reunited with Zhao Zhengrong and declared his resolve to cultivate and make the Country of Sakura pay. He rejected the story’s intended direction and decided to take control of the plot himself.

• Jiang Jiuxiao watched the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed submit to Zhang Guangmu and concealed his jealousy while considering how Zhang Guangmu’s secrets might help him restore the Country of Painting.
• Zhang Guangmu left Jiang Jiuxiao and met Zhao Zhengrong, who welcomed him and asked whether he was willing to cultivate.
• Zhang Guangmu agreed to cultivate and vowed to restore the Country of Painting and make the Country of Sakura pay for its conquest.
• Zhang Guangmu resolved to tear up the script because he could not accept the planned ending in which Jiang Jiuxiao and Oda Marina set aside the destruction of their country and family.

Zhang Guangmu began learning Zhao's Steel Fist and used his abilities to condense the Seed of Yang Qi in half a day, entering the first realm of the Martial Way. Zhao Zhengrong was astonished by his record-breaking progress but recognized that Zhang Guangmu's accumulated vitality had been exhausted, leaving further advancement dependent on gradual cultivation or rare treasures.

• Zhao Zhengrong explained the Four Great Realms of the Martial Way and taught Zhang Guangmu how to cultivate the Seed of Yang Qi safely.
• Zhang Guangmu's abilities helped him control and refine his yang qi as he practiced Zhao's Steel Fist.
• Zhang Guangmu condensed the Seed of Yang Qi in half a day and received the achievement Martial Way (Copper).
• Zhao Zhengrong celebrated Zhang Guangmu's unprecedented speed but lamented that he had begun martial training late.
• Zhao Zhengrong realized Zhang Guangmu had exhausted his abundant vitality and would need time to build it back up or find rare cultivation treasures.

Zhang Guangmu spent half a month consolidating his newly gained Martial Way strength before heading alone to the Martial Arts Tournament at Shantong Manor. There, Jiang Jiuxiao challenged him to wager the most precious thing each of them owned on who would rank higher.

• Zhang Guangmu told Zhao Zhengrong that he would attend the tournament alone, and Zhao Zhengrong wished him safety.
• The Little White Balls discussed Zhang Guangmu’s rapid advancement and speculated about his exchange of glances with Zhao Zhengrong.
• Zhang Guangmu assessed his combat strength, concluding that he could defeat Jiang Jiuxiao despite being at the Martial Way First Realm.
• Zhang Guangmu cultivated for half a month, stabilizing his Seed of Yang Qi realm and improving his Martial Way cultivation.
• At Shantong Manor, Jiang Jiuxiao challenged Zhang Guangmu to a tournament wager involving the most precious thing each of them owned.

At a martial arts tournament held by the Country of Sakura, Zhang Guangmu accepted Jiang Jiuxiao’s wager while concealing his identity with an elaborate disguise. Jiang Jiuxiao advanced by carefully defeating his opponents, while Zhang Guangmu prepared to show no mercy to fighters from the Country of Sakura.

• Zhang Guangmu accepted Jiang Jiuxiao’s wager, and Jiang Jiuxiao assumed the wager concerned a Heaven-Bestowed Item.
• Locals dressed as Country of Sakura soldiers seized two spectators who criticized the martial artists and escorted them away.
• The Country of Sakura’s Martial Arts Tournament began, drawing participants with varied motives and backgrounds.
• Jiang Jiuxiao dominated his matches using his Martial Way Second Realm cultivation, while Zhang Guangmu disguised himself as a striking, white-haired martial artist.
• Jiang Jiuxiao narrowly defeated Kosugita Junko despite having the strength to end their match quickly.
• Zhang Guangmu showed a far more violent approach, killing Country of Sakura opponents unless they forfeited beforehand.

Jiang Jiuxiao questioned Zhang Guangmu’s ruthless treatment of the Sakura Country samurai and confronted his own lack of attachment to either country. When Sakura Country fighters surrounded them, Zhang Guangmu defiantly insulted their leader, leaving a bloody fight seemingly unavoidable.

• Jiang Jiuxiao reached Zhang Guangmu and struggled to reconcile his sympathy for the defeated samurai with Zhang Guangmu’s merciless killings.
• Zhang Guangmu challenged Jiang Jiuxiao for sympathizing with the Sakura Country and reminded him of the countries’ enmity.
• Jiang Jiuxiao reflected on his detachment, his failures beside Zhang Guangmu, and his doubts about whether he could restore the Country of Painting.
• Spectators warned Zhang Guangmu that Sakura Country fighters were coming, but he stood his ground as ronin and samurai surrounded him and Jiang Jiuxiao.
• An Ashigaru General demanded that Zhang Guangmu crawl between his legs, and Zhang Guangmu angrily refused and insulted him.

Zhang Guangmu faced the Country of Sakura’s Yanagiha brothers, while Jiang Jiuxiao stood with him despite the danger. Yanagiha Otowa, hailed as the Future Swordsaint, began a duel by attacking Zhang Guangmu.

• Zhang Guangmu drew his sword and taunted Yanagiha Torikatsu and his companions, while Jiang Jiuxiao stepped up beside him.
• Yanagiha Otowa stopped the confrontation and challenged Zhang Guangmu to a one-on-one duel in defense of bushido.
• Jiang Jiuxiao recognized Yanagiha Torikatsu and Yanagiha Otowa as genius brothers of the Ryūgen Shinyō School and warned Zhang Guangmu about the Future Swordsaint.
• Yanagiha Otowa claimed he had defeated a Miyamoto Chie School swordsman with Menkyo Kaiden and said he needed pressure to advance his cultivation.
• Yanagiha Torikatsu’s soldiers aimed loaded crossbows at Zhang Guangmu, but Yanagiha Otowa did not notice.
• Yanagiha Otowa drew his Japanese sword and launched a violent attack on Zhang Guangmu.

Zhang Guangmu defeated and killed Yanagiha Otowa, then cut through the Country of Sakura soldiers who attacked him. As the battlefield descended into chaos, Jiang Jiuxiao appeared to be preparing to abandon Zhang Guangmu and flee.

• Yanagiha Otowa attacked Zhang Guangmu with a sword-drawing slash, but Zhang Guangmu blocked it with ease and called it weak.
• Yanagiha Otowa used his Spin technique, but Zhang Guangmu exploited its openings and killed him with a single slash.
• Yanagiha Torikatsu ordered his soldiers and three vicious dogs to attack Zhang Guangmu, while Jiang Jiuxiao cut down a crossbow bolt beside him.
• Zhang Guangmu killed the three dogs and cut down the soldiers as he advanced, causing many of them to flee or feign death.
• The Xiao Bai Group watched Zhang Guangmu's slaughter, while Jiang Jiuxiao appeared ready to abandon him and escape.

Zhang Guangmu fought and killed Great Colonel Gale Unno Yuki after Unno Yuki attacked him for killing the Yanagi Brothers. As soldiers closed in, Zhang Guangmu prepared to retreat with Jiang Jiuxiao, then killed a woman who tried to recruit Jiang Jiuxiao into the Country of Sakura.

• Unno Yuki blocked Jiang Jiuxiao’s escape and declared that killing Zhang Guangmu would atone for the Yanagi Brothers’ deaths.
• Unno Yuki attacked Zhang Guangmu, while Sakura soldiers surrounded Jiang Jiuxiao and forced him to defend himself.
• Zhang Guangmu countered Unno Yuki’s techniques and killed him with a single slash.
• Zhang Guangmu and Jiang Jiuxiao prepared to retreat as Sakura soldiers approached.
• A kimono-clad woman tried to persuade Jiang Jiuxiao to join the Country of Sakura, and Zhang Guangmu killed her with a backhand punch.

Zhang Guangmu killed Kosugita Junko and escaped with Jiang Jiuxiao, who later wrote about Zhang’s terrifying strength and concluded that he possessed a Heaven-Bestowed Item. The chapter ended with an unrelated promotional story about Su Luo, whose smile froze after he opened a window.

• Zhang Guangmu killed Kosugita Junko with a single punch, and Jiang Jiuxiao suppressed his anger and followed him as they fled the Country of Sakura soldiers.
• Zhang Guangmu and Jiang Jiuxiao traveled through the night, with Zhang riding the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed and Jiang envying the loyal horse.
• Jiang Jiuxiao secretly wrote in his Martial Way Diary, describing Zhang Guangmu’s brutality, extraordinary strength, and rapid rise in the Martial Way.
• Jiang Jiuxiao concluded that Zhang Guangmu possessed a Heaven-Bestowed Item and recorded that he had lost their wager over their most precious possessions.
• In the promotional story, Su Luo read bizarre answers to his question about changing studies before opening a window and freezing with a smile on his face.

Jiang Jiuxiao’s sudden breakthrough made him decide his bet with Zhang Guangmu was void, but Zhang Guangmu confronted him and demanded the promised Martial Way Secret Manual. Jiang Jiuxiao chose to fight, though he was astonished to learn Zhang Guangmu had wagered only his Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed.

• Jiang Jiuxiao finished writing in his diary, advanced his martial inheritance, and believed his strength had surpassed Zhang Guangmu’s.
• Jiang Jiuxiao decided to renege on their bet and hurried back to the temporary base.
• Zhang Guangmu confronted Jiang Jiuxiao, invoked their wager, and declared he would seize the Martial Way Secret Manual for the Country of Painting.
• Jiang Jiuxiao refused to yield and challenged Zhang Guangmu to a fight, promising only to cripple him and take his treasure.
• Zhang Guangmu agreed to fight and said he had wagered his Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed, leaving Jiang Jiuxiao astonished.

Jiang Jiuxiao realized Zhang Guangmu had no Heaven-Bestowed Item and, newly empowered, challenged him to a fight, intending to cripple his cultivation. Zhang Guangmu chose to face him bare-handed, and Jiang Jiuxiao launched a seemingly restrained sword strike.

• Jiang Jiuxiao inferred from Zhang Guangmu’s reaction that he had no Heaven-Bestowed Item and that the Bone-Piercing Wulong Steed was his most precious possession.
• Jiang Jiuxiao felt his strength surge to just short of the Martial Way Third Realm and challenged Zhang Guangmu to draw his blade.
• Zhang Guangmu planted his blade in the soil and walked toward Jiang Jiuxiao bare-handed, claiming he could take the Martial Way Secret Manual that way.
• Jiang Jiuxiao resolved to cripple Zhang Guangmu’s cultivation rather than kill him, while the Little White Balls doubted Zhang Guangmu could win and criticized his preference for close combat.
• Jiang Jiuxiao thrust his sword at Zhang Guangmu, confident he could defeat him with a single move.

Zhang Guangmu defeated Jiang Jiuxiao, crippled his cultivation, and convinced him that legendary immortals and Buddhas had been martial artists like himself. After the fight, Zhang Guangmu found the golden-covered Martial Way Diary (Yang), Jiang Jiuxiao’s Golden Finger.

• Jiang Jiuxiao attacked Zhang Guangmu with his sword, but Zhang Guangmu caught the blade between two fingers and overcame him barehanded.
• Zhang Guangmu named the Dao Venerable, Buddha, and Martial Ancestor as proof that beings from myth had once possessed extraordinary martial talent.
• Zhang Guangmu used a dangerous secret technique to create phantom displays of an immortal, a Buddha, and a towering warrior, leaving Jiang Jiuxiao stunned.
• Zhang Guangmu crushed Jiang Jiuxiao with an elbow and crippled his cultivation by pressing a foot to his chest.
• Zhang Guangmu searched Jiang Jiuxiao and found the golden-covered Martial Way Diary (Yang).

Zhang Guangmu took Jiang Jiuxiao’s Martial Way Diary (Yang), deduced that its contents were being shared with someone else, and spared the crippled prince. The Film Set staff debated the unexpected turn before Director Kurt Chesterton ordered the story to move directly to the Marquis Wu Falls section.

• Zhang Guangmu skimmed the diary and realized its daily entries could bring him rapid cultivation gains.
• Jiang Jiuxiao struggled to his feet after Zhang Guangmu crippled his cultivation and said he might prefer a hermit’s life.
• Zhang Guangmu explained that he had suspected Jiang Jiuxiao of betraying him during their escape, but the diary convinced him that someone else was receiving its contents, so he said Jiang Jiuxiao did not have to die.
• The Little White Balls and Film Set staff praised Zhang Guangmu’s deduction, while some staff members noted that he had mistaken how the diary’s Yin and Yang Scrolls worked.
• Kurt Chesterton said Jiang Jiuxiao could regain his strength through prepared encounters, ordered the buildup for Numbers Three, Five, and Nine cut, and began the Marquis Wu Falls section.