Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ming exposed and dismissed a longtime steward who had betrayed the Zhang Family, then reflected on how he had built the family’s influence while failing to enter the path of martial arts. On his eighteenth birthday, he suddenly received the miracle Ignite Comprehension.

• Zhang Ming confronted Steward Li over embezzling from the Zhang Family and had him expelled from Zhang Mansion.
• Zhang Ming explained that Steward Li’s debts and irresponsible son would bring the steward to a worse fate than simply reclaiming the stolen money.
• Zhang Ming recalled how, after discovering the world’s supernatural dangers, he used commerce, sponsored scholars, and his teacher’s connections to build the Zhang Family into a major power in Yang City.
• Zhang Ming lamented that his younger siblings were martial geniuses while he had failed to sense Vital Energy despite practicing for twelve years.
• Zhang Ming heard a mysterious message announcing that he had obtained the miracle Ignite Comprehension upon reaching eighteen.

On his eighteenth birthday, Zhang Ming awakened [Ignite Comprehension], which burned his energy to dramatically increase his ability to understand and analyze. He used it to master [Mighty Bull Strength] and discovered why he had failed to comprehend Vital Energy, leaving him eager to grow stronger through future activations.

• Zhang Ming learned that [Ignite Comprehension] granted a hundredfold boost for ten minutes at its base level, at the cost of burning energy.
• Zhang Ming activated the ability and studied [Mighty Bull Strength], the Postnatal Cultivation Method he had practiced for more than ten years without comprehending Vital Energy.
• After ten minutes, Zhang Ming gained perfected-level martial experience in [Mighty Bull Strength], though the ability's aftereffects left him dizzy, nauseated, and exhausted.
• Zhang Ming realized his understanding of the method had been holding him back and believed he could comprehend Vital Energy within a day and become a Postnatal Martial Artist within two years.
• Zhang Ming decided to wait about five days between uses while he recovered, then left the study to eat and wondered whether nourishing soups or cultivated Vital Energy could fuel stronger boosts.

After using Grand Completion experience in [Mighty Bull Strength], Zhang Ming trained by eating heavily and rapidly expending the energy, finally comprehending Vital Energy and entering the Martial Dao. He planned to stabilize his realm before visiting his master at the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School.

• Zhang Ming dismissed the kitchen staff and ate a large meal to replenish his energy for training.
• Using Grand Completion experience in [Mighty Bull Strength], Zhang Ming trained smoothly and repeatedly between meals.
• After several rounds of eating and training, Zhang Ming comprehended Vital Energy and celebrated entering the Martial Dao.
• Zhang Ming reflected on his poor aptitude and resolved that [Ignite Comprehension] would let him overcome it.
• Zhang Ming decided to stabilize his realm for a few days, then visit his master at the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School.

Zhang Ming celebrated sensing Vital Energy with his parents, who congratulated him and discussed threats facing the Zhang Family. The family prepared for possible trouble from local rivals and refugees fleeing unrest in Bashu Province.

• Zhang Ming told Zhang Yongfeng and Li Su that he had successfully sensed Vital Energy after twelve years of practice, and they celebrated his achievement.
• Zhang Ming assured his parents that he expected to reach the Postnatal Realm without needing excessive family resources.
• Zhang Yongfeng warned Zhang Ming that local martial arts halls, gangs, and minor families might use underhanded tactics against the Zhang Family.
• Zhang Ming recalled the guards and servants he had arranged to protect the family and resolved to become Yang City's strongest within a few months.
• Zhang Yongfeng warned that famine and a White Lotus Sect revolt in Bashu Province could send refugees into Jiangnan, and Zhang Ming agreed the family should prepare.

Zhang Ming used his second [Ignite Comprehension] to optimize [Mighty Bull Strength], greatly strengthening the cultivation method and shortening his estimated path to Vital Energy completion. He ended the chapter eager to see what future activations would bring.

• Zhang Ming planned to obtain medicinal ingredients for great medicines through the Zhang Family’s businesses and considered training trusted subordinates in [Mighty Bull Strength].
• Zhang Ming trained for five days and found that his physical fitness had improved by at least thirty percent.
• Zhang Ming activated [Ignite Comprehension] and successfully optimized twenty-one nodes in [Mighty Bull Strength], creating Version 1.21.
• Zhang Ming realized the optimized method was at least fifty percent stronger and could let him complete his Vital Energy in about ten months.
• Zhang Ming looked forward to the third, fourth, and fifth activations of [Ignite Comprehension].

After improving Mighty Bull Strength through a third use of Ignite Comprehension, Zhang Ming returned to Mighty Bull Martial Arts School to seek its martial arts and medicinal resources. He revealed to his master Fang Hongbo that he had sensed Vital Energy, and Fang Hongbo welcomed him warmly as a newly eligible Core Disciple.

• The Zhang Family expanded its livestock, slaughterhouse, and medicine businesses while Zhang Ming continued strengthening his body and Vital Energy.
• Zhang Ming used Ignite Comprehension to improve Mighty Bull Strength to version 0.33, but the gains had declined, so he decided to return to the martial arts school.
• Zhang Ming traveled through prosperous Yang City and arrived at Mighty Bull Martial Arts School, where he met his master Fang Hongbo.
• Zhang Ming showed Fang Hongbo the Vital Energy gathered around his fist, and Fang Hongbo celebrated his disciple's breakthrough after twelve years.
• Zhang Ming asked about the cost of the school's martial arts and medicinal supplements, since becoming a Core Disciple did not make its resources free.

Zhang Ming persuaded the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School to sell him its non-core techniques for training Zhang Family retainers. After Zhang Ming and Fang Hongbo left, Niu Desheng and his son secretly planned to murder him during a future trip to Qingmang Mountain.

• Zhang Ming learned about the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School’s core arts and asked Fang Hongbo to sell him its other techniques for his family retainers.
• Fang Hongbo brought Zhang Ming to school master Niu Desheng, who agreed to sell the non-core techniques for one hundred taels each and accepted Zhang Ming’s five-hundred-tael gift.
• Niu Desheng privately told Niu Kangshao that Zhang Ming’s success in sensing Vital Energy made him a threat to their control over the Zhang Family.
• Niu Desheng and Niu Kangshao decided to wait a little over a month and ambush Zhang Ming during his usual business inspection trip, using the bandit-filled Qingmang Mountain as cover.

Zhang Ming bought martial arts manuals, great medicine, and a booklet on the martial Dao from his master Fang Hongbo. After studying it at home, he learned about the strongest factions in Great Zhou and wondered how his talented siblings were faring.

• Zhang Ming suspected that Yang City’s martial arts halls and gangs secretly cooperated, so he remained wary of the Niu family and the halls.
• Zhang Ming paid Fang Hongbo for six cultivation techniques and for permission to teach four of them to a hundred retainers, while Fang cautioned him against sharing techniques carelessly.
• Zhang Ming asked for more knowledge about the martial Dao, and Fang gave him a booklet and sold him ten portions of Mighty Bull Great Medicine.
• Zhang Ming returned to the Zhang manor and read that Glazed Temple, Divine Firmament Daoist Gate, Dragon Tiger Mountain, and four major sects each had a living Martial Saint.
• Zhang Ming recalled that his younger sister had joined Soaring Cloud Sect and his younger brother had joined Ten Absolute Sect, then continued studying the martial Dao’s secrets.

Zhang Ming studied the links between cultivation methods, Martial Skills, Vital Energy, and acupoints, then considered fusing three Mighty Bull arts into a stronger method. He resolved to focus on cultivation while waiting four days for his next [Ignite Comprehension].

• Zhang Ming learned that stronger cultivation methods and Martial Skills generally circulated Vital Energy through more acupoints, and he reviewed the Martial Dao realms.
• He calculated that [Mighty Bull Strength Version 0.33], [Mighty Bull Fist], and [Mighty Bull Body] covered 119 acupoints together and wondered if fusing them would create a stronger cultivation method.
• Zhang Ming planned to use [Ignite Comprehension] on six cultivation methods and test whether nourishing medicinal soups improved its efficiency.
• He realized the Merchant Guild's Livestock Farm needed to expand because he had deduced the recipe for the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School's great medicine.
• Zhang Ming looked forward to fusing the three Mighty Bull arts and reducing the nine months needed for his Vital Energy to reach perfection, then suppressed his excitement and cultivated.

Zhang Ming used Mighty Bull Great Medicine to strengthen [Ignite Comprehension], mastered [Mighty Bull Fist] and [Mighty Bull Body], and repeatedly tried to fuse them with [Mighty Bull Strength]. On his fourth attempt, the fusion succeeded, leaving him poised to discover the new cultivation method.

• Zhang Ming discovered that Mighty Bull Great Medicine doubled [Ignite Comprehension]'s effect, then gained Grand Completion experience in [Mighty Bull Fist] and [Mighty Bull Body] but failed to fuse all three methods.
• Zhang Ming made an Attribute Panel and began training, expecting his Martial Skill methods to advance quickly through their stored experience.
• Over twenty days, Zhang Ming brought [Mighty Bull Fist] and [Mighty Bull Body] to Grand Completion while strengthening his Vital Energy and body with [Mighty Bull Strength Version 0.33].
• Zhang Ming's three fusion attempts failed, but their accumulated insights deepened his understanding of the methods.
• Zhang Ming drank Mighty Bull Great Medicine and activated [Ignite Comprehension] for a fourth attempt, successfully fusing the three methods.

Zhang Ming fused three cultivation methods into the powerful Innate Realm [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] and completed his conversion, gaining strength that let him contend with Postnatal Martial Artists. He planned to broaden his combat skills beyond brute force, considering the [Black Tiger Saber] and medicine instead of the low-level [Five Poisons Palm].

• Zhang Ming endured severe pain as his fusion of three methods succeeded, creating the Innate Realm [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] with 213 acupoints.
• Zhang Ming examined the method’s three layers and their extraordinary strength, then resolved to convert to it within three days.
• After completing the conversion, Zhang Ming trained with a thousand-jin boulder and demonstrated his greatly increased strength and physical defenses.
• Zhang Ming predicted he could reach the Postnatal Realm within a year and the Innate Realm within three years.
• Zhang Ming considered the limits of relying on brute force and decided the [Black Tiger Saber] could conceal his strength, while he dismissed the [Five Poisons Palm] in favor of studying medicine.

Zhang Ming resolved to create an Immortal Path while continuing to develop his martial arts and the Zhang Family's businesses. After reaching Great Perfection in Black Tiger Saber and Great Wind Leg, he decided to inspect the family’s businesses incognito and was assigned to investigate trouble at the Qingmang Mountain coal and iron mine.

• Zhang Ming wrote down plans to develop new skills and explore whether Spiritual Energy could support immortal cultivation.
• Over eight days, Zhang Ming used Ignite Comprehension to bring Black Tiger Saber and Great Wind Leg to Great Perfection.
• Zhang Ming decided to travel with only a few servants to inspect the Zhang Family's businesses, and Zhang Yongfeng agreed to trust him.
• Zhang Yongfeng told Zhang Ming that someone had caused trouble at the coal and iron mine on Qingmang Mountain, and Zhang Ming agreed to investigate.

Zhang Ming traveled to the Qingmang Mountain Mine and discovered that its stewards had embezzled workers’ wages and benefits while secretly selling the mine’s armor and weapons. As Zhang Ming set out to investigate, the stewards prepared to kill him, and Niu Kangshao also led men after him.

• Zhang Ming left the Zhang Family with several servants and rode toward Qingmang Mountain, while Niu Kangshao learned of his departure and set out with Gang and Martial Arts Hall men to deal with him.
• Kong Yongxin received word that Zhang Ming was coming to the mine and summoned the other stewards, who feared the consequences of their secret dealings.
• Kong Yongxin proposed killing Zhang Ming, then stabbed a steward who objected and ordered the others to prepare their men.
• At the mine, Zhang Ming learned that the stewards had withheld miners’ wages and bereavement payments, and he told his companions that they had also been secretly selling armor and weapons.
• Zhang Ming led his companions onward into the mine as the stewards prepared for his arrival.

Zhang Ming infiltrated Qingmang Mountain Mine and discovered its expanded furnaces and hydraulic stamping machines, which convinced him the stewards deserved death. At the mine’s gathering, he revealed his identity, but Kong Yongxin called him a mountain bandit and offered a reward for killing him.

• Zhang Ming paid Wu Lao Jiu for directions to register at the mine and learned the mine was not hiring.
• Zhang Ming saw the mine’s expanded blast furnaces and hydraulic stamping machines and decided to confront its stewards.
• Lin De disarmed an armored soldier, and Zhang Ming’s group bribed him to lead them to the mine’s central compound.
• The soldier said the bosses had ordered everyone to wear armor because mountain bandits might come down from the mountains, making Zhang Ming suspect he had been targeted.
• Zhang Ming identified himself to the stewards and declared he would be staying at the mine.
• Kong Yongxin called Zhang Ming a mountain bandit and urged the soldiers to kill him for a reward of one hundred taels of silver.

Zhang Ming killed Kong Yongxin and uncovered that the Qingmang Mountain Mine had secretly sold five hundred sets of armor and weapons to an unknown buyer. He kept production and transactions going while investigating, and a mysterious woman praised his decision.

• Zhang Ming killed Kong Yongxin, subdued the Armored Soldiers, and ordered Kong Yongxin's loudest supporters imprisoned.
• Zhang Ming questioned the Mine's stewards and learned that Kong Yongxin had sold one hundred sets of armor and weapons every other month for five transactions.
• Zhang Ming concluded that the mysterious buyer was too powerful to confront rashly and had Lin De execute the two stewards.
• Lin De reported the Mine's stores, workers, soldiers, and equipment, and Zhang Ming ordered wages paid and production continued for now.
• A cool female voice told Zhang Ming that he had made a smart decision and that they liked doing business with smart people.

Zhang Ming met the veiled representative of the Mysterious Buyer, who tried to secure his cooperation by offering knowledge of the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School’s cultivation methods and a rare Marrow Cleansing Flower. He grew more wary of the powerful force behind her but was intrigued by the offer, leaving their cooperation unresolved.

• A black-clad woman revealed that she represented the Mysterious Buyer, who had been purchasing armor and weapons from Zhang Ming’s Qingmang Mountain Mine.
• The woman proposed cooperation and offered information about the Mighty Bull Martial Arts School’s great medicine and the original form of its three core cultivation methods.
• Zhang Ming refused to accept those offers alone, arguing that the woman’s group believed he and the Mine were valuable.
• The woman presented a Marrow Cleansing Flower and explained that it could improve Martial Dao aptitude, saying it would be a gift if Zhang Ming agreed to cooperate.
• Zhang Ming suspected the woman’s group had monitored him and the Mine for a long time, and he considered which major force might stand behind her.

Zhang Ming traded with Jiang Yingxue for a Marrow Cleansing Flower and swallowed it to improve his poor Martial Dao aptitude. The flower’s transformation caused him unbearable pain, leaving him convulsing and covered in blood.

• Zhang Ming agreed to produce more armor and weapons, as well as bows and crossbows, for Jiang Yingxue in exchange for the Marrow Cleansing Flower and a promise of further rewards after three months of cooperation.
• Zhang Ming teased Jiang Yingxue, who demonstrated her strength by appearing beside him and threatening to destroy his organs, then left after he shamelessly said he still wanted her.
• Zhang Ming concluded that the Mysterious Buyer needed something important from him and believed he had time to grow stronger before they got what they wanted.
• Zhang Ming opened the jade box, smelled the Marrow Cleansing Flower’s fragrance, and swallowed the flower without hesitation.
• The flower’s energy began transforming Zhang Ming’s body, but the process brought excruciating pain that left him convulsing and drenched in blood.

After cleansing his marrow, Zhang Ming became a Postnatal Martial Artist and improved life at the Mine while cultivating and managing its workers. When he learned that eighteen miners and five Armored Soldiers had vanished in Mine Cave No. 13, he prepared to investigate the danger himself.

• Zhang Ming used the Marrow Cleansing Flower, then discovered his senses and cultivation speed had greatly improved.
• Zhang Ming delegated Mine affairs to Lin De and, after more than two months of cultivation, broke through to become a Postnatal Martial Artist.
• Zhang Ming inspected the Mine, spoke with workers about their families, and relied on information he had memorized about its people to strengthen their loyalty.
• Lin De told Zhang Ming that eighteen miners and five Armored Soldiers had disappeared in Mine Cave No. 13, leaving only bloodstains on the ropes.
• Zhang Ming considered whether a Demon or Ghost was responsible and ordered ten fully armed Armored Soldiers to accompany him into the cave.

Zhang Ming led Lin De and ten Armored Soldiers into Mine Cave No. 13, where they encountered several Mine Cave Beasts. He killed the lead beast with a single Martial Skill strike and dragged its corpse as the others stared in shock.

• Zhang Ming ignored Lin De’s warning and led a twelve-person party back into the mine.
• The group found shattered armor and blood, then reached a vast underground karst cave.
• A Mine Cave Beast attacked with its long tongue, and the group discovered that crossbow bolts barely pierced its scales.
• When more Mine Cave Beasts appeared and blocked their retreat, Zhang Ming ordered the others to fall back while he held them off.
• Zhang Ming used Black Tiger Descends Mountain to kill the leading beast with one strike and dragged away its corpse.

Zhang Ming led Lin De and the Armored Soldiers out of Mine Cave No. 13 while fighting off a pack of Mine Cave Beasts, then arranged to seal and guard the entrance. Back home, he shared Demon Beast Meat with Lin De and gave him the Mighty Bull Cultivation Method to replace his current practice.

• Zhang Ming fought off the pursuing Mine Cave Beasts with thrown weapons and shields until the blocked tunnel gave his group time to escape.
• Zhang Ming ordered the Mine Cave entrance sealed and guarded, rewarded the ten Armored Soldiers, and made them swear to keep the events secret.
• Lin De reported that Mine Cave No. 13 had been sealed and its defenses were being prepared.
• Zhang Ming served Lin De Demon Beast Meat soup, and Lin De felt its powerful effect on his Vital Energy.
• Zhang Ming gave Lin De a booklet containing the Warrior Chapter of the Mighty Bull Cultivation Method.