Chapter Summaries

Jiang Qiu traveled to a Military Department test where he had to take first place to enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project as a preferred candidate. He learned that Yang Yu, a battle-tested genius and the sister of disgraced prodigy Yang Zheng, was the likely favorite, and he resolved to improve his archery by killing demons.

• Liu Qi drove Jiang Qiu out of Plateau City and warned him that the test would be dangerous, though Jiang Qiu had brought no armor.
• Liu Qi explained that Jiang Qiu could join the Heavenly Prodigy Project as a preferred candidate only by winning first place in the test.
• Liu Qi recounted how Yang Zheng had misused the project's resources and triggered stricter rules for admitting late-arriving students.
• Jiang Qiu learned that the test would involve killing Iron-Feathered Birds and possibly high-tier One-Eyed Owls, while an Inner City genius skilled with spear and bow was favored to win.
• Liu Qi identified the favored genius as Yang Yu, whose strength came from years of fighting to retain her place and resources.

Liu Qi told Jiang Qiu that the Military Department test would involve attacking Mount Dongqi and killing demon beasts near Dongqi Lake, then brought him to the assembly camp. There Jiang Qiu met Sun Yongsheng, who warned him that Yang Yu was expected to win and advised him to aim for the top ten.

• Liu Qi explained that the test would support the Military Department's attack on Mount Dongqi and require students to kill demon beasts near Dongqi Lake.
• Jiang Qiu decided to kill as many demons as possible, hoping to take first place, enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project, and earn money for Advanced Su Fragrance.
• At the assembly camp, students discussed Jiang Qiu's reputation and questioned whether he could place highly in the test.
• Liu Qi asked Sun Yongsheng to show Jiang Qiu around and prepare him for a possible nighttime departure into Mount Dongqi.
• Jiang Qiu felt disappointed when he met the subdued Sun Yongsheng, who described Yang Yu's strength and urged Jiang Qiu to aim for the top ten.

Jiang Qiu joined the military-led hunt near Dongqi Lake without wearing armor, determined to claim first place. He entered an iron forest and triggered a massive flock of concealed Iron-Feathered Birds, leaving him under attack as other prodigies watched.

• Jiang Qiu and Sun Yongsheng surveyed the assembly camp, and Sun Yongsheng helped him set up his tent.
• Liu Qi ordered the students to stay near the sergeants as the Seventh Martial Combat Team entered the wilderness toward Dongqi Lake.
• Sun Yongsheng warned Jiang Qiu to stay beside him, but Jiang Qiu said he aimed to take first place and moved ahead without armor.
• Jiang Qiu entered an iron forest and noticed Sun Yongsheng pointing toward the sky.
• A bowstring sounded, and the black pinecones opened into a vast flock of Iron-Feathered Birds that attacked Jiang Qiu.
• Sun Yongsheng shouted for Jiang Qiu to escape as the other nine Outer City prodigies witnessed the attack and one cried that something was wrong.

Jiang Qiu displayed exceptional toughness and archery while fighting the Iron-Feathered Birds, rapidly climbing into the top ten in kills. After a near miss from a purple flash, the One-Eyed Owl appeared, and the Heavenly Prodigy Project was ordered to withdraw from the Iron Forest.

• Jiang Qiu endured the Iron-Feathered Birds’ attack and shot down the birds with precise arrows, impressing Sun Yongsheng and the other Outer City prodigies.
• Jiang Qiu killed the leading Azure-Feathered Great Bird from roughly fifteen hundred meters away, then brought down another as the prodigies wondered whether he could compete for first place.
• Jiang Qiu fought while running through the Iron Forest, improving his archery and suffering shallow wounds from azure feathers.
• Jiang Qiu dodged a flash of purple light that passed close to his face.
• A senior sergeant announced that the One-Eyed Owl had appeared and ordered the Heavenly Prodigy Project to withdraw while the senior sergeants charged forward.

Jiang Qiu watched the One-Eyed Owl devastate the sergeant force while the other prodigies stopped to rest, then resolved to strike the high-rank demon himself. He released a devastating arrow toward the One-Eyed Owl, leaving its impact unresolved.

• Jiang Qiu killed birds in the ironwood forest as the One-Eyed Owl gathered the demons and unleashed a rain of feathers and purple lasers on the sergeants.
• Sun Yongsheng rested with the other prodigies, and Qiu Hu argued with him about holding back until the sergeants killed the One-Eyed Owl.
• Jiang Qiu drank Blood Boil Liquid and decided to attack the One-Eyed Owl before more people died.
• Jiang Qiu drew the Black Flood Dragon bow beyond the Skilled level, combining Penetrating Force and Steel Arms to launch an arrow through the ironwood forest toward the One-Eyed Owl.

Hu Tianlin and Yang Yu wounded the One-Eyed Owl, but a powerful archer struck it from over two thousand meters away and killed it. Yang Yu survived and wondered who had fired the final arrow.

• Hu Tianlin shot the diving One-Eyed Owl, but his arrows barely pierced its armor.
• Yang Yu used North Star Piercing the Void to break the Owl’s wing armor and force it downward.
• The One-Eyed Owl dove toward Yang Yu, and Hu Tianlin raced to protect her.
• An arrow fired from at least two thousand meters away pierced the Owl’s left wing and brought it crashing down.
• A second arrow struck the grounded Owl’s back, ruptured its heart, and killed it.
• Yang Yu stood beside the Owl’s corpse and asked who had killed it.

Jiang Qiu killed the One-Eyed Owl with his newly mastered Black Flood Dragon Piercing the Sky technique and topped the Military Department test with 2,100 kills. As the assembled forces prepared for danger, an arrow signaled that a top-tier demon beast was fleeing toward them.

• Jiang Qiu fused Penetrating Force, Steel Arms, Blood Circulation, and Aiming into the mastery-level archery move Black Flood Dragon Piercing the Sky, then confirmed that the One-Eyed Owl had been killed.
• Sun Yongsheng and Qiu Hu checked their Recording Rings and found Jiang Qiu ranked first with 2,100 kills, far ahead of Yang Yu’s 1,301 and Qiu Hu’s 61.
• Jiang Qiu and the others followed the assembly whistle to the One-Eyed Owl’s corpse, where Inner City prodigies and sergeants marveled at his victory and uninjured appearance.
• Yang Yu saw Jiang Qiu’s eyes and remembered her brother.
• Hu Tianlin warned that the mission was not over because dangerous demon beasts might escape from Dongqi Lake, then ordered everyone to assemble after an arrow signaled that a top-tier demon beast was approaching.

The wounded top-tier demon beast Ox King charged into Jiang Qiu and the sergeants, overwhelming their defense and injuring Hu Tianlin and Yang Yu. As the Ox King prepared to kill Yang Yu, Jiang Qiu unleashed a powerful spear force from behind.

• Jiang Qiu and the others drank Blood Boil Liquid and formed up when they learned a top-tier demon beast was approaching.
• The Ox King charged through the Iron Forest, and Hu Tianlin ordered the sergeants to hold it off until Officer Liu Qi returned.
• Hu Tianlin’s spear barely slowed the Ox King, which shattered his armor and blasted him away with a hoof.
• The Ox King leapt among the prodigies and struck Yang Yu, sending her crashing through iron trees before it raised a hoof to kill her.
• Jiang Qiu’s spear force erupted from behind Yang Yu with the momentum of a soaring dragon.

Jiang Qiu advanced his Spear Sense into Spear Momentum and struck back against the Ox King, breaking its right arm and forcing it to flee. Exhausted after unleashing Enraged Dragon Facing Heaven, he remained in the Iron Forest as the beast escaped before Liu Qi arrived.

• The Ox King knocked Yang Yu aside and prepared to kill him, while the surrounding geniuses and sergeants feared they could not survive.
• Jiang Qiu charged in and met the Ox King's descending hoof with his spear, forcing the beast back three steps.
• Jiang Qiu's Spear Sense advanced into Spear Momentum as he braced to face the Ox King's next attack.
• Jiang Qiu unleashed Enraged Dragon Facing Heaven, wounded the Ox King's abdomen, and fractured its right arm.
• Sensing Liu Qi approaching from the west, the Ox King threatened to return and fled into the woods.
• Jiang Qiu dropped his spear and panted as the panel revealed his new Spear Momentum talent.

Jiang Qiu reflected on his ambitions after unveiling a powerful new spear move and vowed to kill the Ox King a month later. Liu Qi learned that Jiang Qiu had crippled the beast and saved the prodigies, then discovered something startling in the Recording Ring.

• Jiang Qiu comprehended Enraged Dragon Facing Heaven and resolved to kill the Ox King to prove his martial path and become the foremost of the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies.
• Yang Yu watched Jiang Qiu and felt reassured that the strength she remembered from her brother was real.
• Liu Qi arrived, took attendance, and ordered emergency treatment for the wounded survivors.
• A senior noncommissioned officer told Liu Qi that Jiang Qiu had crippled the Ox King's arm and held it off long enough to save Yang Yu and the others.
• Liu Qi reviewed a student's Recording Ring and suddenly stopped when something in its record caught his attention.

Jiang Qiu placed first in the Military Department test and reflected on the heavy losses and his need to grow stronger. As the survivors prepared to leave, Cheng En thanked him for saving his life, and Yang Yu approached to ask if she could sit with him.

• Liu Qi announced Jiang Qiu would be considered for preferred-candidate status and access to the Virtual Training Pod, then ordered everyone to salute the dead.
• Jiang Qiu saluted the fallen and resolved to become stronger, especially so he could kill the escaped Ox King.
• Cheng En thanked Jiang Qiu for saving him, but Jiang Qiu told him there was no need to repay the favor.
• Qiu Hu praised Jiang Qiu’s achievements, while Sun Yongsheng quietly compared himself to Jiang Qiu and questioned how long it would take him to reach that level.
• Yang Yu approached Jiang Qiu and asked if she could sit near him.

Jiang Qiu learned about Lin Wei, the naturally strong martial arts prodigy favored to take first place among the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies, and resolved to compete despite having only a month to master movement techniques. After the test break ended, the group prepared to return for a vote on a preferred candidate slot, with Jiang Qiu widely expected to receive it and an extra thousand contribution points offered for the operation’s strongest performer.

• Yang Yu thanked Jiang Qiu for saving her and said he resembled her brother, Yang Zheng, who had once ranked first among the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies before being convicted of treason.
• Yang Yu warned Jiang Qiu that Lin Wei, a favored candidate with the Martial Arts Talent of being naturally strong, was the leading contender for first place.
• Yang Yu explained that mastering movement techniques in the Virtual Training Pod could help Jiang Qiu compete, though even Lin Wei had needed a year to learn them.
• After the break ended, Liu Qi announced that the test data had been sent to the base and that a vote would select one preferred candidate slot.
• Liu Qi said he had applied for an extra thousand contribution points for the operation’s strongest performer, while the group’s attention turned toward Jiang Qiu.

After the Military Department test, Jiang Qiu returned with the Outer City prodigies, who admired his spear skills and gathered around him. The convoy headed back to the city as Jiang Qiu wondered how much he would earn for the demon beasts he had killed.

• Yang Yu thanked Jiang Qiu for saving her life before returning to the Inner City prodigies, and the Outer City prodigies remarked on her unusual smile.
• Qiu Hu asked Jiang Qiu about his Martial Arts Talent, but Jiang Qiu said he had trained his skills step by step and named his crippling spear technique Enraged Dragon Facing Heaven.
• The Outer City prodigies introduced themselves and questioned Jiang Qiu about their fighting techniques as they walked back to the camp.
• Sun Yongsheng took down Jiang Qiu’s tent, and Qiu Hu and the others helped pack the group’s gear.
• Jiang Qiu boarded an armored vehicle with the Outer City prodigies, and the convoy left for the city.
• Jiang Qiu considered his likely place in the Heavenly Prodigy Project and wondered how much he would receive for the 2,099 birds and the high-tier One-Eyed Owl he had killed.

Jiang Qiu arrived at Heavenly Prodigy Base for the Preferred One selection meeting, while Wu Shan worried about the casualties from the Dongqi Lake operation. After learning Jiang Qiu was unharmed, Wu Shan warned him that developing the Mutated Pebble would require substantial funding.

• Jiang Qiu and the others traveled through Plateau City and arrived at Heavenly Prodigy Base in the Inner City.
• Liu Qi told Jiang Qiu that General Mo had guaranteed his Preferred One status and asked him to wait in a lounge during the selection meeting.
• Jiang Qiu received Wu Shan's call, and Wu Shan asked whether he had been injured during the Military Department test near Dongqi Lake.
• Jiang Qiu assured Wu Shan that he was unharmed, easing Wu Shan's fears about the operation's casualties.
• Wu Shan told Jiang Qiu that Yang Yu was expected to place first and that an expert's plans for developing the Mutated Pebble would require substantial funding.

Jiang Qiu learned that funding all thirteen Advanced Su Fragrance research plans could cost 42 million Xia Coins, then discovered his Military Department test rewards would cover the expense. As he recounted how he passed the test, Wu Shan was stunned by Jiang Qiu’s feats and realized he had reached the Steel Bones Realm.

• Wu Shan told Jiang Qiu that the thirteen Advanced Su Fragrance plans carried a preliminary estimate of 42 million Xia Coins, and Jiang Qiu agreed to keep funding the research.
• Jiang Qiu reported 1,991 low-rank demon kills, 108 mid-rank demon kills, and the One-Eyed Owl, while Wu Shan calculated that his rewards could reach at least 47 million Xia Coins.
• Wu Shan asked how Jiang Qiu passed the Military Department test, and Jiang Qiu recounted his arrival at Mount Dongqi with Liu Qi and his encounter with Sun Yongsheng and other Outer City prodigies.
• Jiang Qiu described stumbling into the Iron-Feathered Birds’ nesting ground, shooting down the One-Eyed Owl after comprehending a bow technique, and crippling the Ox King with a newly comprehended spear technique.
• Wu Shan was shocked by Jiang Qiu’s account and realized Jiang Qiu had already reached the Steel Bones Realm.

Wu Shan recognized Jiang Qiu's exceptional talent and advised him to use the Virtual Training Pod and Bone Spirit Incense to strengthen himself before the college entrance examination. After Jiang Qiu was unanimously approved as a Priority Candidate, Liu Qi sent Yang Yu to help him register and get familiar with the pod.

• Wu Shan reflected on Jiang Qiu's rise and decided to make better use of his potential, recommending spear or movement training and body-tempering resources.
• Jiang Qiu chose the movement-technique path, planned to exchange contribution points for Bone Spirit Incense, and aimed to reach the Muscle and Bone Realm before the college entrance examination.
• Qiu Hu and Sun Yongsheng told Jiang Qiu that the vote for his Priority Candidate status had passed unanimously and that General Mo would provide extra resources.
• Liu Qi congratulated Jiang Qiu and said Yang Yu would take him to register and introduce him to the Virtual Training Pod because Liu Qi needed his injuries examined.
• Yang Yu accompanied Jiang Qiu, while Sun Yongsheng, Qiu Hu, and the other Outer City Heavenly Prodigies wondered why Liu Qi suddenly needed an examination.

Jiang Qiu entered his information as a selected candidate and was assigned Virtual Training Pod No. 8 for the next month. Yang Yu explained the training options and recognized that Jiang Qiu’s self-created spear technique could help him become the foremost of the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies if he reached the Jade Tendons Realm.

• Jiang Qiu completed the selected-candidate registration while Yang Yu waited outside the data processing center.
• Jiang Qiu received a congratulatory message from Liu Zili and wondered how she knew he had returned to Plateau City.
• Yang Yu led Jiang Qiu to Virtual Training Pod No. 8 and showed him its comfortable living quarters and training room.
• Yang Yu showed Jiang Qiu the spear-technique options and explained their tiers and difficulty ratings.
• Yang Yu praised Jiang Qiu’s self-created spear technique and said he could lead the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies if he reached the Jade Tendons Realm within a month.

Jiang Qiu explored the Virtual Training Pod, then chose the exceptionally difficult Shadow Tread movement technique for training. Liu Qi warned him that mastering it would require following the path of Yang Zheng, whose skill with the technique had made it unrivaled.

• Yang Yu showed Jiang Qiu the Virtual Training Pod’s facilities and explained that preferred candidates could order mid-tier Beast Meat meals for free.
• After Yang Yu left, Jiang Qiu bathed, ate, and slept in the pod, then ordered steamed Azure-Feathered Great Bird for breakfast.
• Jiang Qiu selected Shadow Tread as his training technique, drawn to its power and its potential to improve his movement skills.
• Liu Qi arrived to activate the pod and cautioned Jiang Qiu that Shadow Tread was extremely difficult to master and demanded exceptional physical talent.
• Liu Qi explained that the pod’s Shadow Tread opponent was modeled on Yang Zheng, Yang Yu’s brother, whose version of the technique had surpassed the first tier.

Jiang Qiu chose to train in Shadow Tread despite Liu Qi's warning that he might not master it in time to compete for the best Demonic Blood Soaring Incense. Liu Qi activated the Virtual Training Pod, where Jiang Qiu faced his first projected opponent.

• Liu Qi told Jiang Qiu that finalists would compete for Demonic Blood Soaring Incense based on their overall rankings in spear arts, archery, and movement techniques.
• Jiang Qiu decided to learn Shadow Tread, hoping to reach the top ten in the movement technique rankings.
• Liu Qi warned Jiang Qiu that he could not change training directions once he began, then activated the Virtual Training Pod for a month.
• Jiang Qiu entered the chamber, where the system confirmed his training direction and began loading a sparring opponent.
• A faceless figure formed from blue light as the system announced that Jiang Qiu's first opponent had perfected Steel Bones Realm torso-stage strength.

Jiang Qiu trained against a powerful faceless opponent in the Virtual Training Pod to learn Shadow Tread. After a full day of practice, his progress reached 5/100, and Wu Hao applied to project into Warehouse 8.

• Jiang Qiu began sparring with the faceless opponent and used Blood and Qi Vision to study his movements and circulation.
• Jiang Qiu endured repeated punches while practicing Shadow Tread, completing one practice after nearly two hours and checking the movement technique rankings.
• Jiang Qiu rested, resolved to master Shadow Tread within twenty days, and continued training through the day.
• Jiang Qiu finished the session with Shadow Tread at 5/100 and wondered if a medicinal bath would help his body keep up.
• Wu Hao applied to project into Warehouse 8, and the system asked Jiang Qiu whether to approve.