Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ming prepared for war against the Red Tiger Tribe while using Luck to raise his attributes, enduring extreme pain as his body and mind grew stronger. He decided to avoid further reckless increases because his growing size could make people see him as a monster.

• Guo Si mobilized the Azure Wolf Tribe and Gaoyuan County Town after Zhang Ming ordered preparations for war.
• Zhang Ming checked his Attribute Panel and saw his daily Luck bonus rise from 1500 to 1600.
• Zhang Ming spent Luck to raise his Body and Mind attributes, suffering intense pain as his body transformed.
• Zhang Ming measured his increased height and weight and concluded he should not add attributes recklessly while he remained physically human-sized.
• Zhang Ming displayed his new strength as his Attribute Panel showed Body 26, Mind 26, Luck 700, and a daily Luck bonus of 1700.

Zhang Ming planned to conquer the Red Tiger, Snow Leopard, and Flying Eagle Tribes while avoiding Great Yu’s attention by not holding a Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony. He led an army to Shansui County Town, and after reaching the city, promised his commanders they would learn how he planned to take it the next day.

• Zhang Ming found that increasing his physique and will had not changed his Gathering Evil Art or Killing Intent Mana, then considered the limits and risks of gaining County Town’s Azure Qi.
• Zhang Ming decided to conquer the three tribes and their occupied county towns without attracting Great Yu’s notice.
• Zhang Ming led six thousand elite cavalry and one hundred personal guards from the Azure Wolf Tribe toward Shansui County Town.
• The Red Tiger chieftain learned of the approaching Azure Wolf army but trusted Shansui County Town’s walls to protect him.
• At a camp near Shansui County Town, Guo Si asked Zhang Ming how he planned to breach the walls, and Zhang Ming said they would find out the next day.

Zhang Ming led the Azure Wolf Tribe army to attack Shansui County Town, where the Red Tiger Tribe defenders mocked their cavalry approach. After Zhang Ming destroyed a vast section of the city wall with a powerful blast, his troops stormed inside and seized the town.

• Zhang Ming silently advanced the Azure Wolf Tribe army toward Shansui County Town while the Red Tiger Tribe sounded the alarm.
• The Red Tiger Tribe Great Chieftain mocked the cavalry and prepared to shoot Zhang Ming, but the disciplined army’s advance unnerved the defenders.
• Zhang Ming unleashed a blast that destroyed nearly a hundred meters of the city wall and killed the Red Tiger Tribe Great Chieftain, Second Chieftain, and many elites.
• Zhang Ming ordered the Azure Wolf Tribe to charge and empowered several hundred elite cavalrymen with the Evil Energy Berserk Technique.
• The Azure Wolf Tribe routed the disorganized defenders and took control of Shansui County within hours.

Zhang Ming defeated the Red Tiger Tribe and forced its elders to accept absorption into the Azure Wolf Tribe. As he considered the aftermath in Shanshui County, the Snow Leopard and Flying Eagle Tribes arrived with a joint army, and Zhang Ming prepared to face them.

• Zhang Ming spared the Red Tiger Tribe's people but declared that the tribe would cease to exist and its survivors would become part of the Azure Wolf Tribe.
• The Snow Leopard and Flying Eagle chieftains decided to attack Shanshui County after the Azure Wolf and Red Tiger Tribes weakened each other.
• The two tribes assembled a joint force of mounted archers and thirty thousand auxiliaries and marched toward Shanshui County Town.
• Zhang Ming learned that their army was thirty li from town and welcomed the chance to confront them.
• Zhang Ming explained that his Killing Intent Bombs had brought down the county walls, but that making them required a battlefield filled with Killing Intent.

Zhang Ming led five thousand Azure Wolf cavalry to face the allied Snow Leopard and Flying Eagle Tribes, whose chieftains had come to stop him. After killing both chieftains and breaking their army with repeated cavalry charges, Zhang Ming secured victory for the Azure Wolf Tribe.

• The Snow Leopard and Flying Eagle Tribe chieftains learned that Temujin was approaching with five thousand elite cavalry, but remained uneasy despite their numerical advantage.
• Zhang Ming halted his cavalry before the allied army and challenged the two chieftains to a duel.
• When the chieftains hesitated, Zhang Ming killed them both in rapid succession.
• Zhang Ming rallied the Azure Wolf cavalry and used the Evil Energy Berserk Technique to empower the thousand riders at the front.
• Zhang Ming led repeated charges that shattered the allied army of the Snow Leopard and Flying Eagle Tribes.

After conquering four tribes and four county towns, Zhang Ming focused on stabilizing his new territory, while Gaoyuan County prospered under his rule. An old man and his young disciple assessed Temujin as a Hidden Dragon with limited prospects and continued their search for others.

• Zhang Ming consolidated his control over four tribes and four county towns, holding back from further campaigns to stabilize the territory and avoid provoking Wang Wenshan.
• Zhang Ming and Guo Si oversaw the recovery of Gaoyuan County, which became peaceful and prosperous.
• An old man and his young disciple toured Gaoyuan County and discussed whether Temujin could become a dragon.
• The youth used the Heavenly Eye Technique to examine the county office’s scant fortune, and the old man concluded that Temujin would likely remain within the four counties and Yan Yun.
• The old man explained that finding enough Hidden Dragons could overturn Heaven’s power, then he and the youth flew away on an Azure Gourd to search elsewhere.

Zhang Ming reached the third layer of the Gathering Evil Art, the Melting Evil Realm, and assessed the limits of his new strength. After learning that an old man and a young man had entered Gao Yuan, he suspected they were Daoist Sect cultivators who might offer support against Great Yu.

• Zhang Ming used two hundred thousand units of fortune to advance the Gathering Evil Art to its third layer, the Melting Evil Realm.
• Zhang Ming judged that his realm matched a Great Confucian Scholar or a Refining Spirit and Returning to Void cultivator, though he lacked their methods and combat skills.
• Zhang Ming recalled seeing something fly above the city and ordered Guo Si to investigate suspicious newcomers.
• Zhang Ming found reports about an old man and a young man who toured the city before disappearing into an inn.
• Zhang Ming concluded the pair were more likely Daoist Sect cultivators than Confucianism cultivators and suspected they had come to support his opposition to Great Yu.

Zhang Ming exposed Old Daoist Sun as a Daoist Sect agent, subdued him with Killing Intent, and learned that the sect had sent him to aid Zhang Ming and build a Nine-story Pagoda. Old Daoist Sun identified the pagoda and its pearl as tools for drawing in and storing or transmitting luck, then began explaining the conflict between the Daoist Sect and Confucianism.

• Guo Si brought Old Daoist Sun to meet Zhang Ming and left them alone at Zhang Ming's request.
• Zhang Ming pressured Old Daoist Sun, seized his head, and used Killing Intent to control him.
• Old Daoist Sun revealed that the Daoist Sect had sent forces to assist Hidden Dragons, but he knew little about its wider plans.
• Zhang Ming asked Old Daoist Sun about a structure the Daoist Sect had ordered him to build, and Sun presented a blueprint and pearl.
• Old Daoist Sun said the Nine-story Pagoda was likely a Tower of Luck and that the pearl stored or transmitted luck.
• Old Daoist Sun began explaining why the Daoist Sect and Confucianism were at odds and why a Daoist faction supported the Five Directions Cult against Great Yu.

Zhang Ming learned that the Daoist Sect’s Heavenly Mystery Lineage opposed Confucianism over a likely struggle for fortune, then postponed building the Nine-story Pagoda. He asked Old Daoist Sun about Talisman Cultivators and reflected on the demands and power of Confucian cultivation.

• Old Daoist Sun explained that the Heavenly Mystery Lineage was the Daoist branch in conflict with Confucianism and speculated that their rivalry stemmed from fortune.
• Zhang Ming inferred that the Heavenly Mystery Lineage’s influence and the Daoist cultivators’ presence among the Hidden Dragons were connected to fortune.
• Zhang Ming told Old Daoist Sun to keep their discovery secret and decided to delay the Nine-story Pagoda until they could observe what happened after others built theirs.
• Zhang Ming asked Old Daoist Sun to explain the path of Talisman Cultivators, and Old Daoist Sun agreed to share what he knew.
• Zhang Ming considered the requirements for entering Confucian cultivation and how a Confucian cultivator’s Azure Qi could greatly strengthen Gaoyuan County Town.

Zhang Ming set aside his stalled efforts to cultivate Confucianism and learned from Old Daoist Sun how Daoist Sect Talisman Cultivators nurtured personally made talismans into Talisman Treasures. After seeing Sun demonstrate his Spirit Fire Talisman, Zhang Ming showed his Killing Intent Mana, leaving Sun shocked that the Barbarian chief was a Three Realm Cultivator.

• Zhang Ming concluded that entering Confucianism cultivation was blocked because he lacked an object enlightened by a Confucian Sage, and decided to keep reading local classics instead.
• Zhang Ming asked Old Daoist Sun about Talisman Cultivators, and Sun explained that they made talismans themselves and nurtured them in their dantians as Talisman Treasures.
• Old Daoist Sun summoned his Spirit Fire Talisman and explained that it attacked souls and consciousness without producing heat or physical damage.
• Zhang Ming released Killing Intent Mana, which weakened the Spirit Fire, and Old Daoist Sun realized Zhang Ming was a Three Realm Cultivator.

Zhang Ming learned the way of talismans from Old Daoist Sun and quickly advanced his Spirit Fire Talisman skill to proficiency. He also considered the limits of cultivation in this world and the fortune points needed to advance further with the Gathering Evil Art.

• Zhang Ming demonstrated precise control over his mana, impressing Old Daoist Sun, who then began teaching him the origins and principles of the way of talismans.
• After several days of instruction, Zhang Ming formed a Spirit Fire Talisman, and Old Daoist Sun offered him practical corrections.
• Old Daoist Sun reflected on his opposition to the Heavenly Mystery Lineage and began considering whether Zhang Ming could support the Daoist Sect without destroying Central Plains culture.
• Zhang Ming checked his Attribute Panel and saw that his Will had risen to 30 and his Spirit Fire Talisman skill had reached proficiency.
• Zhang Ming judged that cultivators in this world lagged behind those in the Martial Arts World in physique, spirit, and lifespan, while the Gathering Evil Art's next advancement required far more fortune points than he could currently obtain.

Zhang Ming reflected on his growing Daily Luck and decided to study talisman cultivation from its foundations under Old Daoist Sun. Meanwhile, the Five Directions Cult besieged Kyoto, and Emperor Tianyuan raged as Great Yu’s National Fortune Array remained obstructed.

• Zhang Ming considered waiting until his Spirit Fire Talisman reached perfection and wondered whether talismans could be used beyond nurturing Talisman Treasures.
• Zhang Ming’s unification and governance of the tribes and county towns had raised his Daily Luck to 7,000, while the New Azure Wolf Tribe and four county towns encompassed over 500,000 people.
• Old Daoist Sun asked whether Zhang Ming wanted to practice the Spirit Fire Talisman or learn other talismans, then advised him to begin with the foundations of the Daoist Sect.
• Zhang Ming eagerly agreed to learn the foundational texts and knowledge from Old Daoist Sun.
• The Five Directions Cult army besieged Kyoto as its National Fortune Azure Sea churned and the National Fortune Array could not unleash its Supernatural Ability.
• Emperor Tianyuan demanded that the Imperial Academy remove the obstruction and blamed his generals for failing to prevent the attack.

Emperor Tianyuan ordered the Grand Commandant and Prime Minister to defend Kyoto City and repair the National Fortune Grand Formation, while suspecting they were conspiring against him. At Prosperous Feast, the two officials secretly discussed replacing the current ruler and choosing a successor, with the Prime Minister concealing his contempt for the Grand Commandant.

• The Prime Minister and Grand Commandant blamed each other for the Five Directions Cult army appearing outside Kyoto City.
• Emperor Tianyuan ordered the Grand Commandant to strengthen the city’s defenses and the Prime Minister to repair the National Fortune Grand Formation, postponing judgment until after the battle.
• Emperor Tianyuan erupted in anger in his imperial study and suspected the officials were plotting to make him risk his life by wielding national fortune.
• The Prime Minister and Grand Commandant met at Prosperous Feast, where the Prime Minister said the person they targeted would choose as they expected, even if it cost him his life.
• The two officials discussed a replacement from Ningnan, and the Prime Minister hid his contempt for the Grand Commandant.

One year after Zhang Ming took over Gaoyuan County Town, his governance and grassland trade transformed it into a thriving commercial hub. Merchant captain Li Feng and his daughter Xiao Yun arrived, and Xiao Yun became fascinated with Zhang Ming as they anticipated the upcoming fighting tournament.

• Zhang Ming kept his agreement with Yan Yun Governor Wang Wenshan and helped stabilize the region while governing Gaoyuan County Town.
• Gaoyuan County Town grew into Yan Yun's second-largest city, with more than three hundred thousand residents and a booming trade network linking the Central Plains and the grasslands.
• Merchant captain Li Feng and his daughter Xiao Yun arrived in Gaoyuan County Town and marveled at its prosperity.
• Li Feng explained the city's role in grassland trade, and Xiao Yun praised Zhang Ming's military and governing achievements.
• Li Feng told Xiao Yun that influential people had failed to win Zhang Ming's favor and that a Wang Family descendant had been executed under Gaoyuan law.
• Li Feng and Xiao Yun set out to enjoy the annual fighting tournament, hoping Zhang Ming might attend.

The second fighting tournament reached its finals, where Zhang Ming watched the contestants and considered how promising fighters might strengthen his Guard Team and his experiments in transcendent martial arts. A man from a remote grassland tribe won the championship, and Zhang Ming focused on the contestants’ potential for transformation rather than their rankings.

• The tournament finals began with one hundred contestants and drew a large crowd, including Zhang Ming and other important guests.
• Zhang Ming noticed that at least one-tenth of the contestants showed traces of transcendent power and considered recruiting promising fighters into the Guard Team.
• The contestants advanced through the rounds until the top ten, top five, top three, and champion were determined.
• A man from a remote grassland tribe won first place, surprising Zhang Ming, who cared more about the fighters’ suitability for transcendent martial transformation than their rankings.

After the fighting tournament, Zhang Ming invited its contestants to join his Guard Team. Days later, Old Daoist Sun revealed that Emperor Tianyuan had died defending Kyoto from the Five Directions Cult, leaving Zhang Ming and his officials to confront the news.

• Zhang Ming invited the tournament contestants to join his Guard Team and help protect their homeland.
• Zhang Ming trained his new Guard Team in the revised Sha Wu Jue.
• Old Daoist Sun summoned Zhang Ming, Guo Si, and Batumen to an emergency meeting and told them Emperor Tianyuan had died.
• Old Daoist Sun explained that the Five Directions Cult had besieged Kyoto and disrupted its National Luck Azure Sea.
• Emperor Tianyuan sacrificed himself to wield the National Luck and destroy the Five Directions Cult's army, but fell in the process.

Old Daoist Sun reported that Emperor Tianyuan, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Commandant had died in quick succession, and Zhang Ming and his allies expected Great Yu’s turmoil to deepen. Zhang Ming decided to keep building strength on the frontier as his Attribute Panel showed the gains of a prosperous year.

• Old Daoist Sun revealed that Emperor Tianyuan had died, followed shortly by the Prime Minister and the Grand Commandant, and Zhang Ming suspected the ministers’ plot had triggered backlash.
• Guo Si warned that the Daoist Sect’s surviving contingencies could help push Great Yu into chaos worse than the Five Directions Cult’s rebellion.
• Zhang Ming and his allies concluded that Gao Yuan’s Four Counties and the Azure Wolf Tribe should build strength, train soldiers, and wait for the right moment.
• Zhang Ming returned to cultivation and dismissed the emperor’s death as irrelevant to him, though he considered moving his plan forward.
• Zhang Ming opened his Attribute Panel and saw his strengthened stats, mastered talismans, and expanded leadership identities.

A year after consolidating his territory, Zhang Ming reviewed his cultivation, talismans, luck, and growing influence. Emperor Tianyuan’s sudden death left him uneasy, so he decided to spend points and prepare for what might come.

• Zhang Ming noted that his physique and willpower had improved over the past year, while his Killing Intent Mana had grown only to 13% of the Melting Evil Realm’s limit.
• Zhang Ming saw that his four talisman types had reached perfection but still had no way to transplant a Talisman Cultivator’s arts or use talismans through other materials.
• Zhang Ming reviewed his five million accumulated luck and the increase in his Daily Luck as his territory’s policies and prosperity advanced.
• Zhang Ming recalled the news of Emperor Tianyuan’s sudden death and felt that the danger meant he could not keep saving his points.
• Zhang Ming considered using an illusory External Incarnation to manage his territory and called on the Attribute Panel to give him points.

The Three Dukes forced the young Emperor Ningnan to grant provincial governors full military and administrative authority, weakening the imperial court and setting Great Yu on a path toward regional war. Zhang Ming and his allies decided not to strike Wang Wenshan first, but Zhang Ming proposed turning their forces toward the grasslands.

• Emperor Ningnan approved the Governor System after the Empress Dowager nodded under pressure from the Three Dukes.
• Guo Si condemned the system, while Zhang Ming recognized its resemblance to the late Han Dynasty’s decentralization and the chaos that followed.
• Old Daoist Sun and Batumen urged Zhang Ming to strike Yan Yun Governor Wang Wenshan before he could threaten Gao Yuan.
• Guo Si argued that attacking a Great Yu provincial city first would cost them the moral high ground and invite retaliation from the northern provinces.
• Zhang Ming agreed that they had to remain defensive against the Provincial Government, then pointed to the grasslands as their next target.

The Azure Wolf Tribe marched a powerful army toward the Northern Grassland Royal Court, while Wang Wenshan received news that he had been appointed Governor of Yan Yun State. Seeing the Azure Wolf Tribe and Gao Yuan as vulnerable, he began plotting to seize their territory.

• Thirty thousand cavalry set out across the grasslands toward the Northern Grassland Royal Court.
• The chapter described how Zhang Ming had strengthened the Azure Wolf Tribe with improved training, supernatural support, and an elite two-hundred-man Guard Team.
• Wang Wenshan learned that the imperial court had appointed him Governor of Yan Yun State and celebrated the power the position gave him.
• Wang Wenshan vowed revenge on Wang Wenlong, who had thwarted his bid to lead the Wang Family.
• Wang Wenshan noted that the Azure Wolf Tribe had sent troops deep into the grasslands and plotted to take advantage of its reduced defenses in Gao Yuan.