Chapter Summaries

Chen Ruofu and Fang Putang planned to rally support for Qin Shi as Tai'an’s exceptional rising star, while Mo Qihuan warned Ying Lin to stop targeting Qin Shi and arranged for Mo Zhenting to confront him. The chapter ended with Mo Qihuan reflecting that he was one step from reaching safety as a storm gathered over Central City.

• Fang Putang proposed uniting the Nanhuang Dojo, powerful conglomerates, and government backing to protect Qin Shi from the Ying family and Central City’s Education Department.
• Chen Ruofu agreed to proceed cautiously, noting that Qin Shi’s Top 100 Competition victory had left the Ying family with few options, though the trip to Central City could bring new danger.
• Mo Qihuan spoke with Ying Lin, defended Qin Shi’s victory over Zhou Yuanchen, and warned Ying Lin not to make another move against him.
• Ying Lin revealed his anger that Qin Shi had inherited He Lanchán’s Void Meditation Method and could unlock secrets on the Heavenly Road.
• Mo Qihuan told Ying Lin that Mo Zhenting would settle the old score with Qin Shi, then ordered Ying Lin to leave Hengzhou on the day Qin Shi received the governor’s commendation.
• Mo Qihuan watched storm clouds gather and reflected that he had spent decades walking on thin ice and was close to reaching the shore.

After defeating Zhou Yuanchen, Qin Shi recovered at Copper Mountain and taught the Xia siblings how to sense its pulse through the Demon Mountain Breathing Method. He then headed for the finish line, where Xu Sheng and Old Zhang prepared to take him to Marshal Qin’s altar for Heavenly Light Empowerment.

• Qin Shi defeated Zhou Yuanchen by freezing his Entropy Sea Bank account and then recovered from the strain of breaking through the Professional Level barrier.
• Xia Hong and Xia Ying watched Qin Shi cultivate, and Xia Hong became eager to challenge him after sensing his powerful life force.
• Qin Shi explained how to synchronize breathing with Copper Mountain’s pulse, and Xia Ying successfully sensed its rhythm.
• Qin Shi encouraged the Xia siblings to practice the Demon Mountain Breathing Method gradually, then left to continue toward the trial’s finish line.
• Xu Sheng and Old Zhang discussed the competition results and awaited Qin Shi so they could take him to the altar for Heavenly Light Empowerment.

After winning the Top 100 Competition, Qin Shi met with Old Zhang and chief examiner Xu Sheng before heading to the Void Altar for celestial-light empowerment. Old Zhang revealed that He Lanchán had once secluded himself there, and Qin Shi sensed a faint response from his Void Meditation Method as he followed the path He Lanchán had walked.

• Xu Sheng praised Qin Shi’s victory in the Top 100 Competition and stepped away so Qin Shi could speak privately with Old Zhang.
• Old Zhang explained that the ruined Void Altar could draw celestial light to temper the body and told Qin Shi that He Lanchán had once secluded himself there.
• Qin Shi said he would try to reach the fourth physical limit, and Old Zhang confirmed that his Skin Barrier was close to breaking through.
• Xu Sheng guided Qin Shi along the path to the Void Altar, pointing out the name tablets of past martial arts figures, including He Lanchán’s.
• Qin Shi noticed a strange glimmer from the altar formed by his Void Meditation Method as he reflected on following He Lanchán’s path.

Qin Shi endured the Void Altar’s celestial baptism and opened his fourth bodily limit, then used Mental Resonance to witness He Lanchán uncover the secret behind his teacher’s erasure. The chapter left Qin Shi watching He Lanchán reveal a radiant key as he described the deputy commander’s tragic ties to the Zhu imperial bloodline and the future Void Lord.

• Xu Sheng gave Qin Shi a token and warned him that the celestial baptism could be dangerous before Qin Shi entered the Void Altar.
• Qin Shi sat on the lotus-shaped stone seat, endured the celestial light, and opened the fourth limit, the Skin Gate.
• Old Zhang explained that the altar’s intensity depended on the recipient’s aura, while he privately feared Qin Shi might uncover the taboo surrounding He Lanchán’s inheritance.
• Qin Shi fell into a half-sleep and used Mental Resonance to hear He Lanchán question how his teacher had betrayed Eastern Xia and what the Nine Marshals had tried to erase.
• He Lanchán revealed that the Zhu bloodline’s pact with the four Spirit Pillars preserved Eastern Xia’s name and that a Zhu woman had borne the deputy commander a child with a mandate.
• He Lanchán said the Zhu heir had to suffer a thousand years of divine fire as Void Lord, then showed a radiant key and suggested his teacher had left the Imperial Capital with it.

Qin Shi endured a month beneath the light from beyond, condensing a Saint Embryo prototype and strengthening his body and mind. His cultivation triggered a new Mental Resonance in which he encountered the Deputy Marshal and Marshal Qin.

• Qin Shi lost the end of his Mental Resonance with He Lanchán and learned nothing more about the radiant key or the Deputy Marshal’s fate.
• Super Little He advised Qin Shi to use the light from beyond to condense a Saint Embryo, so Qin Shi began cultivating inside the ruined temple.
• Qin Shi absorbed Energy Factors for thirty days while Xu Sheng waited outside and the Hengzhou Martial Arts Association continued funding the Void Altar.
• Qin Shi formed a hollow Saint Embryo prototype, strengthened his body, and came close to entering the Professional Level.
• Qin Shi’s Inner Scenery resonated with two historical figures, and he recognized the Deputy Marshal before hearing him address the imposing man as “Big brother.”

Qin Shi witnessed a lingering memory of Marshal Qin teaching his younger brother A Yue that lasting civilization depended on a road built by the people, not merely individual power or the Spirit Pillars. The memory ended with Marshal Qin preparing to share a technique for taming the Lord of Gluttony, while Qin Shi reflected on the brothers’ tragic future.

• Marshal Qin challenged A Yue’s belief that strength alone determined civilization’s fate and explained why only those who embodied a new road could become Spirit Pillars.
• Marshal Qin recounted how working alongside farmers helped him reach the Martial God stage and realize that countless ordinary people sustained civilization.
• Marshal Qin vowed to free Eastern Xia from the Spirit Pillars and give its citizens a lasting path, while urging A Yue to value the people.
• A Yue promised to study politics and joked about starting a family, and Marshal Qin warned him about his romantic entanglements.
• Marshal Qin explained that he had come to Hengzhou to set up Void Altars and hoped to tame the Lord of Gluttony for its core.
• Marshal Qin invited A Yue to carve their names together and promised to teach him a technique for taming the Star God.

After completing a month of cultivation, Qin Shi learned that he could choose between Qiguang Hengda University and the Four Great National Universities, while the Ying Family’s threat made his decision more complicated. Lin Yunqing and Lin Xiaohan discussed how Qiguang Hengda could offer him protection and resources, but Qin Shi had not yet chosen where to go.

• Qin Shi failed to retain more than an incomplete version of Marshal Qin’s Martial God Method, then left the small world after the heavenly light ended.
• Qin Shi considered the secrets behind He Lanchán’s legacy and the Ying Family’s interest in him, and resolved to grow stronger before confronting them.
• Xu Sheng told Qin Shi that the Tai’an Metropolitan Area wanted him as its supernova and that he could choose Qiguang Hengda University or one of the Four Great National Universities.
• Lin Yunqing and Lin Xiaohan discussed Qin Shi’s conflict with the Ying Family and the risks of attending the Four Great National Universities.
• Lin Xiaohan said Qiguang Hengda University could offer Qin Shi special admission and apply for a Military Grade Divine Mecha for his training.

Qin Shi returned to the Tai'an Metropolitan Area after winning the Top 100 Competition and was welcomed as a rising star selected for the Stellar Cup. As the Four Great National Universities’ admissions representatives prepared to recruit him, Qin Shi was left facing a major decision about where to study.

• On the airship, Qin Shi discussed discipline and the Martial Path with Xu Sheng, while noting that cultivation energy diminished as they neared the city.
• Kang Yun'er learned that the admissions office planned to interview Qin Shi first, raced to confront its representatives, and watched their car pass her motorcycle.
• Qin Shi arrived to a welcome organized by his friends, classmates, and teacher Qian Feng, with reporters waiting nearby.
• Fang Putang told Qin Shi that the Tai'an authorities had selected him as a regional rising star and Stellar Cup competitor, granting him entry and special privileges.
• Fang Putang offered Qin Shi a ride and said he needed to decide whether to attend one of the Four Great National Universities or remain at Qiguang Hengda University.

Qin Shi declined special recruitment from the Four Great National Universities and chose to remain in Hengzhou, trusting his own path and the support of local officials. As he left the Education Committee, editor Kang Yun'er offered him a ride and warned that the universities would not offer him another chance, leaving him to begin an interview on his own terms.

• After Qin Shi left the Top 100 Competition, Xu Mo, Zhou Ning, and Zhao Yunzhu discussed his prospects and the Four Great National Universities.
• Fang Putang told Qin Shi that local officials hoped he would stay in Tai'an, and Qin Shi decisively agreed to remain in Hengzhou.
• Qin Shi declined to meet the universities' recruitment representatives, explaining that he would look toward the future rather than reconsider his decision.
• Teacher Wei and Teacher Li arrived to recruit Qin Shi, while Kang Yun'er waited outside the Education Committee to interview him.
• Kang Yun'er warned Qin Shi that turning down the universities had closed his path to Eastern Xia's upper echelons, but he calmly got on her motorcycle and asked her to take him home before the interview.

Qin Shi returned to Old Factory Street with editor-in-chief Kang Yun'er, who explained her hope that his story could draw attention to the Four Alliance Region's planned revitalization. He reunited with Qin Xiao and Qin Lan, then left to visit Old Liang while Kang Yun'er began interviewing his family.

• Kang Yun'er told Qin Shi that the Imperial Capital was considering a Borderlands Revitalization plan and hoped he could become a prominent voice for Hengzhou and the Four Alliance Region.
• Qin Shi and Kang Yun'er arrived on Baogong Street, where neighbors welcomed him home and praised his success.
• Qin Xiao welcomed Qin Shi and said she was grateful for the easier job he had found her; Qin Shi encouraged her to pursue night school and a supervisory position.
• Qin Lan greeted Qin Shi and recognized Kang Yun'er as a journalist whose column she followed.
• Qin Shi left to visit Old Liang, and Kang Yun'er began asking Qin Lan about her brother.

Qin Shi reunited with his old friends on Old Factory Street, then visited Teacher Liang and showed him how far he had advanced. He persuaded Liang to swallow a Blood Flower to treat his Dao Injury, and a terrifying aura burst from Liang as it took effect.

• Qin Shi met Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng, heard how they had started a construction crew, and agreed to have dinner with them the next day.
• Xie Yucheng admitted he had feared Qin Shi had changed, and Li Yuan reminded him that Qin Shi was still their friend.
• Qin Shi visited Teacher Liang, who examined him and praised his perfected sinews, bones, and skin.
• Qin Shi offered Teacher Liang a Blood Flower, but Liang initially refused because he believed his long-standing Dao Injury could not be healed.
• Qin Shi insisted that Liang take the Blood Flower and put it in his mouth, triggering a powerful aura and a vision of a Bronze Giant Spirit.

Qin Shi learned the Soldier Attack Warfare Method from Old Liang and began cultivating the Fourth Legion’s all-round training technique. After opening his first vortex, he heard about the legions’ reputations and asked how Old Liang’s Dao Injury was healing, only for Old Liang to suddenly attack him.

• Qin Shi’s spirit sight exposed Old Liang’s Bronze Giant Spirit, causing Qin Shi pain and prompting Old Liang to warn him never to observe him that way again.
• Old Liang explained the Soldier Attack Warfare Method, its costs and benefits, and named Qin Yue and Jiang Wanli as its most advanced practitioners.
• Qin Shi asked to learn the method, and Old Liang advised him to open about twelve vortices before entering the Specialized Domain.
• After five days of practice, Qin Shi opened his first vortex and learned from Old Liang why the Fourth Legion’s soldiers were called bucket-men.
• Qin Shi asked about Old Liang’s recovering Dao Injury, and Old Liang sprang up and kicked at him.

Qin Shi sparred with Old Liang, demonstrated his mastery of Hundred Forms Cultivating Momentum, and offered to help Yan Shuang escape the Yancheng Qin Family’s reach. At a high-level Tai'an conference, Chen Ruofu and Fang Putang defended Qin Shi’s nomination as the region’s supernova against pressure from Central City.

• Qin Shi countered Old Liang’s techniques with his own mastery of Hundred Forms Cultivating Momentum before Old Liang stopped the spar with his Life Field Domain.
• Old Liang told Qin Shi about Yan Shuang’s family history and his Meditation Master certification, and Qin Shi offered to ask Lin Xiaohan about arranging a false identity for him.
• Wei Zheguang and Old Feng discussed the General Representative Conference and rumors that Hengzhou was preparing its 74th Expansion.
• Zhou Shu challenged Qin Shi’s nomination as Tai'an’s supernova and threatened the region’s resources, but Chen Ruofu and Fang Putang refused to back down.
• Chen Ruofu declared that Qin Shi came first in Tai'an’s greater good, and Fang Putang ordered Zhou Shu to leave and challenged the Education Department to name someone who could replace him.

After Zhou Shu failed to sway Tai'an’s leaders, Mo Qihuan sidelined him and arranged to honor Qin Shi. At Nanhuang Dojo, Zhou Yuanchen discovered Qin Shi was an Entropy Sea Bank Gold Tier Customer and asked him to slash the price on his shopping list.

• Zhou Shu reported Chen Ruofu and Fang Putang’s support for Qin Shi, and Mo Qihuan reassured him before secretly transferring him to infrastructure work.
• Mo Qihuan ordered preparations for the Fourth Legion and a ceremony recognizing Qin Shi, then reflected on the Ying family and resolved to wager everything.
• Qin Shi visited the newly completed Nanhuang Dojo, brought Zhou Ning breakfast, and trained while considering how to break into the Specialized Domain.
• Zhou Yuanchen visited Qin Shi, guessed that he had borrowed heavily to win the Top 100 Competition, and learned that Qin Shi was a Gold Tier Entropy Sea Bank Customer.
• Zhou Yuanchen asked Qin Shi to use his daily customer benefit to slash the price on his shopping list.

Qin Shi persuaded Zhou Yuanchen to use his position as Central City’s supernova to secure more Education Department funding, while asking him to share information about Central City. After Zhou Yuanchen left determined to defeat Qin Shi, Old Zhang named Qin Shi Nanhuang Dojo’s heir and granted him authority to act first and answer for it later.

• Qin Shi explained to Zhou Yuanchen how he could become irreplaceable to the Education Department by positioning himself as Qin Shi’s rival and securing special funding.
• Zhou Yuanchen agreed to work with Qin Shi and provide information about Central City in return for Qin Shi’s help.
• Outside Nanhuang Dojo, Zhou Yuanchen told Zhou Shu that he had entered the Specialized Domain and would defeat Qin Shi, adding that he had secured a special fund from the Education Department.
• Qin Shi told Old Zhang that he had helped Zhou Yuanchen to gain a useful contact and make the Education Department spend its resources.
• Old Zhang named Qin Shi the heir and young master of Nanhuang Dojo, giving him authority to arm himself and strike first before answering for his actions.

Old Zhang gave Qin Shi a no-restrictions license and warned him about the dangers of power and political traps before Qin Shi prepared to leave for Central City. As Qin Shi trained against simulated Specialized Domain opponents, Ren You and Yu Weiwei recognized his extraordinary potential to surpass the Specialized Domain.

• Old Zhang gave Qin Shi the no-restrictions token, warned him about Mo Qihuan, and declined to accompany him to Central City.
• Qin Shi accepted the Executive Deputy Hall Master position at the Nanhuang Dojo and registered his identity, prompting Eastern Xia authorities to flag him as a dangerous individual.
• Old Feng updated the Tribunal blacklist, placed the Nanhuang Dojo near the top, and saw Liang Zhengxiong alone at the top of Hengzhou's dangerous-individual list.
• Qin Shi trained in Xuanming's simulated Central City, using his physical limits to overpower a Professional Level 1 opponent.
• Ren You and Yu Weiwei judged that Qin Shi had unlocked about sixty percent of his potential and could eventually surpass the Specialized Domain.

Qin Shi fought increasingly powerful simulated opponents to push his body toward the Specialized Domain, ultimately surviving a battle with Shen Changyuan’s simulation and unlocking the Layered Armor achievement. Severely injured but recovering, he sensed a path toward Professional Level.

• Qin Shi healed and tempered his body with the Demon Mountain Breathing Method, then asked Yu Weiwei to increase the intensity of his training.
• Yu Weiwei set a three-person armed squad against Qin Shi, who dodged their gunfire, crushed a Vulcan cannon, and defeated all three opponents.
• Yu Weiwei summoned a simulation of Shen Changyuan, whose opening attack injured Qin Shi and accelerated the transformation of his body.
• Qin Shi repeatedly charged Shen Changyuan and endured devastating blows, growing denser and healing until the simulation vanished after Xuanming ran out of resources.
• Qin Shi received the Layered Armor achievement while recovering from severe injuries and saw a path leading toward Professional Level.

Qin Shi recovered from simulated combat and nearly entered the Specialized Domain, but chose to delay his breakthrough until he reached the Fifth Limit. He then left Tai'an for Central City with Yu Weiwei to receive his award and join the Stellar Cup Youth Division rankings.

• Qin Shi used Xuanming to fight Senior Brother Shen Changyuan's combat data, strengthened his body, and reached 99.9 Vitality before pulling back from the Specialized Domain.
• Yu Weiwei and Ren You discussed Qin Shi's rapid progress, while Old Zhang praised his restraint and explained the challenge of mastering the Seven Great Limits.
• Yu Weiwei told Old Zhang she would leave for Central City with Qin Shi the day after tomorrow, and he warned her to restrain her bloodlust.
• Chen Ruofu saw Qin Shi off and arranged for Secretary Huo to assist him, reassuring him that the Governor's Mansion would protect him from the Ying Clan.
• Qin Shi boarded the special train to Central City, bidding farewell to his family, friends, and Nanhuang Dojo seniors as Yu Weiwei joined him for the journey.

Qin Shi traveled toward Central City, refined his combat and cultivation methods, and met with An Jingchu of the Primal Energy Company. The company offered him testing privileges on the Great Universe Server in exchange for fighting United Pharmaceuticals in the Specialized Domain.

• Qin Shi inspected his new Layered Armor achievement and discussed the Demon Mountain Breathing Method with Xia Hong and Xia Ying before Yu Weiwei served him her dangerous special bento.
• Qin Shi cultivated on the train by inhaling energy from molten flame to develop his lung secret cache.
• An Jingchu met Qin Shi aboard the train and offered him a generous sponsorship from the Primal Energy Company.
• An Jingchu said the company could seek testing privileges for Qin Shi on the Great Universe Server if he fought on its behalf against United Pharmaceuticals in the Specialized Domain.

Qin Shi accepted a login card from An Jingchu and entered the Great Universe Server, where he explored its features and discovered the Milky Way District's rankings. He found Qi Wuxiang ranked seventeenth and ended the chapter intrigued by cross-region matchmaking.

• An Jingchu explained Primal Energy Company's approach to the Great Universe Server and gave Qin Shi a login card, while Qin Shi asked whose interests the company served.
• Qin Shi consulted Super Little He, learned to create an alternate identity, and used the card to enter the Great Universe Server.
• Qin Shi created an ordinary-looking character, began grinding monsters, and leveled up to unlock the server's basic features and marketplace.
• Qin Shi viewed the combat-power leaderboard and saw He Lanchán ranked fifty-sixth and Qi Wuxiang ranked seventeenth.
• Qin Shi discovered that he did not qualify for the rankings and noticed the cross-region matchmaking feature.