Chapter Summaries

Zhang Qingyuan and the allied forces tracked the Yao Monkey King through the mountains and reached its lair on a barren cliff. They found a troop of hundreds of monkeys and began an attack, leaving the battle underway.

• Zhang Qingyuan asked Patriarch Zheng about the mountains, and Patriarch Zheng explained that the families had explored the nearby area but did not know where the Yao Monkey King’s lair was.
• The hunters followed the Yao Monkey King’s trail for half a day and led the force to a steep, rocky mountain dotted with caves.
• Hundreds of monkeys emerged among the rocks and trees, and Patriarch Zheng wondered why so many remained after the previous night’s fighting.
• The allied force’s leaders ordered an attack, and the hunters and Jianghu Rangers fired volleys of arrows that killed numerous monkeys.

Zhang Qingyuan led the attack on the Demon Monkey nest and slaughtered its ranked Monkey Demons while sharpening his Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles. He investigated the cave after the Yao Monkey King failed to appear and discovered a one-armed beast at Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level.

• Zhang Qingyuan and the other cultivators descended into the Demon Monkey nest as the monkeys fought back with stones and clubs.
• Zhang Qingyuan killed numerous low-level Monkey Demons, then swiftly decapitated four Spirit Essence Realm Third Level leaders and crushed a Fourth Level leader.
• The group’s assault broke the monkey pack, and Zhang Qingyuan’s swordsmanship gave several Jianghu Swordsmen a glimpse of a sword Martial Arts technique.
• Zhang Qingyuan noticed the Yao Monkey King had not joined the battle and approached the enormous cave on the cliff.
• A one-armed beast awakened inside the cave, roared with terrifying force, and Zhang Qingyuan recognized it as a Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level opponent.

Zhang Qingyuan faced the Yao Monkey King after it recovered from its injuries and broke through to the Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level overnight. Their fierce battle devastated the mountains, and the chapter ended as Zhang Qingyuan unleashed Collapsing Mountain against the charging beast.

• The Yao Monkey King emerged from its cave with a terrifying aura, alarming Patriarch Zheng and the others below.
• Zhang Qingyuan met the Yao Monkey King's charge with Silver Shadow, wounding its remaining fist but being knocked backward by its strength.
• The enraged Yao Monkey King pursued Zhang Qingyuan, smashing cliffs and rocks as he dodged its attacks.
• With a broken cliff behind him, Zhang Qingyuan stopped retreating and used Collapsing Mountain against the Yao Monkey King.
• Zhang Qingyuan's fist collided with the beast's power, unleashing a devastating impact that shattered the surrounding cliffs.

Zhang Qingyuan defeated and killed the Yao Monkey King, then searched the demon’s cave with Patriarch Zheng. They discovered that the monkey demons’ sudden growth came from four jars of Monkey King Wine brewed with Human Tier Middle Grade Mystic Moon Fruit, though three jars had already been consumed.

• Zhang Qingyuan shattered the Yao Monkey King’s arm and chest with Collapsing Mountain, then killed him with Silver Shadow.
• Patriarch Zheng asked what to do next, and Zhang Qingyuan left the remaining monkey demons for the others to handle.
• Zhang Qingyuan entered the Yao Monkey King’s cave with Patriarch Zheng and several cultivators to investigate the demon’s sudden rise in strength.
• Patriarch Zheng found four jars of Monkey King Wine brewed from Mystic Moon Fruit, with three jars empty and one still sealed.

After the Yao Monkey King’s defeat, Zhang Qingyuan accepted Monkey King Wine and Mystic Moon Fruit seeds before leaving River Pond Town. Patriarch Zheng warned his younger brother against abusing mortals and began recounting how a family’s mistreatment of an Innate Martial Artist had led to its downfall.

• Patriarch Zheng gave Zhang Qingyuan the remaining jar of Monkey King Wine and two Mystic Moon Fruit seeds, and Zhang Qingyuan accepted them.
• Zhang Qingyuan and the other cultivators left the monkey king’s lair after searching it, then finished hunting the scattered monkey demons and returned with their spoils.
• The next day, Zhang Qingyuan bid farewell to Patriarch Zheng and the alliance leaders and departed River Pond Town.
• After Zhang Qingyuan left, Patriarch Zheng’s younger brother questioned why the families had shared monkey demon corpses with mortals, and Patriarch Zheng warned him not to exploit his cultivator status.
• Patriarch Zheng told his younger brother that River Pond Town once had a fifth family, whose cultivator cheated and humiliated an Innate Martial Artist fifty years earlier.
• Patriarch Zheng recalled that the humiliated martial artist left vowing, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; do not mock a poor youth,” and departed in fury.

Patriarch Zheng explained why the Zheng Family avoided provoking cultivators over the Yao monkey corpses, while Zhang Qingyuan traveled back toward the Seventeenth Branch with his rewards. After drinking Monkey King Wine, Zhang Qingyuan broke through to the Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level Late Stage.

• Patriarch Zheng told the young cultivator how an Innate Martial Artist escaped a clan's pursuit, returned ten years later as a Spirit Essence Realm Ninth Level cultivator, and destroyed the family.
• Patriarch Zheng warned the young cultivator that withholding the Yao monkey corpses could create a powerful future enemy and urged him to broaden his horizons.
• Zhang Qingyuan hurried downstream toward the Seventeenth Branch, pleased with the Spirit Stones and Monkey King Wine he had received from the Zheng Family.
• Zhang Qingyuan drank the Monkey King Wine, whose surging spiritual energy shattered his bottleneck and advanced him to the Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level Late Stage.

After Monkey King Wine helped Zhang Qingyuan break through to the Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level Late Stage, a rainstorm on the river brought him to a profound state of insight. He practiced the Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles and fused its momentum with the Water Essence Art, ending with both proficiencies rapidly increasing.

• Zhang Qingyuan refined a sip of Monkey King Wine into spiritual power and broke through to the Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level Late Stage.
• As a storm swept over the river, Zhang Qingyuan stood alone in the rain and entered a mysterious state of contemplation.
• Zhang Qingyuan drew Silver Shadow and practiced the Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles, turning the rain around him with his sword momentum.
• Zhang Qingyuan’s insight coordinated the Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles with the Water Essence Art, and the Proficiency Panel recorded gains in both.
• Zhang Qingyuan continued practicing, transforming into a Flood Dragon of Sword Light as he swept downstream across the storm-swollen river.

Two Jianghu martial siblings saved a pair of children from villagers trying to sacrifice them to the River God. After driving off the villagers, they faced an enormous shadow approaching through the raging river.

• The martial siblings sought shelter from a storm while traveling to River Pond Town to join the hunt for the Yao Monkey King.
• They found villagers pushing two orphaned children in a cage into the river as an offering to the River God.
• The Jianghu Man kicked the Burly Men away, and the Jianghu Woman freed the children from the broken cage.
• The old man and villagers demanded the children back, claiming the sacrifice would please the River God.
• The Jianghu Man beat back the villagers, who fled while threatening that Lord River God would punish him.
• The river churned as an enormous shadow swam toward the bank.

A Jianghu couple and two children were attacked by a Giant Python, a Demonic Beast, and the Jianghu Man was nearly killed while holding it off. An unknown sword-wielding youth appeared and cut the python in half, then vanished into the mist.

• The Giant Python emerged from the river, and the villagers mistook it for the River God.
• The Giant Python lunged at the Jianghu Woman and the children, so the Jianghu Man drove them aside and fought it.
• The Jianghu Man’s Sword Light shattered, and the Giant Python wounded him as he tried to buy time for his Junior Sister to escape.
• A sword-wielding youth sent a sudden Sword Light across the river and split the Giant Python in two.
• The Jianghu Man glimpsed the youth vanish into the mist, and the Jianghu Woman rushed to him.

Zhang Qingyuan’s sword saved two Jianghu travelers and their children, unknowingly inspiring the foundation of a future Immortal Sect Family. After emerging from Enlightenment, he realized his sword art had nearly reached perfection but had fallen just short.

• The Jianghu senior brother and junior sister escaped death, used the demonic python’s remains to sense qi with the two children, and later founded an Immortal Sect Family.
• The Jianghu man and his wife created a family sword art based on Zhang Qingyuan’s sword, which became the lineage’s renowned signature technique.
• Zhang Qingyuan raced along the river after his Enlightenment ended, carrying regret that he had not achieved a complete breakthrough.
• Zhang Qingyuan saw that Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles had reached 999 proficiency and that Water Essence Art had improved, but his accumulation remained insufficient to reach perfection.

After his river epiphany, Zhang Qingyuan reflected on how his state of mind had helped his cultivation and tested that calm approach on his journey back. He returned to the Separate Courtyard with improved skills, but realized that further progress still depended on diligent practice.

• Zhang Qingyuan concluded that his interrupted sword epiphany had brought the Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles to the peak of Great Accomplishment, and that the rain, Monkey King Wine, and his state of mind had combined in a rare coincidence.
• Zhang Qingyuan traveled slowly for more than ten days, cultivating in a tranquil state and finding that his Cloud Smoke Steps and other techniques improved more efficiently.
• Zhang Qingyuan completed both mission handovers at the External Affairs Hall and returned to the Separate Courtyard.
• Zhang Qingyuan cast the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique over the Spirit Grain crops, then advised Hu Junshan, who had advanced to the peak of the Spirit Essence Realm Second Level.
• Zhang Qingyuan discovered that his gains from the calm state of mind had stalled as his accumulated practice ran out, so he resumed diligent cultivation.

Zhang Qingyuan spent half a month refining his martial skills and experimenting with Monkey King Wine, bringing two basic martial skills to the brink of perfection. With no one challenging him, he returned to quiet cultivation and shifted most of his focus toward raising his Cultivation Realm.

• Zhang Qingyuan repeatedly practiced the Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles, but its proficiency remained stuck at 999.
• Zhang Qingyuan used Monkey King Wine and Collapsing Mountain as a blueprint to train the Nine Refinements Bone Forging Fist, rapidly raising its proficiency to 999.
• Zhang Qingyuan stopped using the wine to preserve what remained, and took satisfaction in having two basic martial skills one step from perfection.
• Zhang Qingyuan reflected that his solid foundation and Collapsing Mountain Modified made him a formidable opponent among Seventh-Level Outer Sect disciples.
• Zhang Qingyuan found the Sect uneventful and, with no one provoking him, resumed cultivation with most of his effort devoted to raising his Cultivation Realm.

With the Outer Sect Grand Competition two months away, Zhang Qingyuan entered the marketplace hoping to buy pills that would speed up his cultivation, but his limited funds forced him to reconsider his options. After failing to find a suitable purchase, he went to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to browse.

• Zhang Qingyuan assessed his cultivation and decided he needed to raise his strength quickly to have a chance of entering the Inner Sect.
• He counted his available wealth and concluded that only twenty Spirit Stones were free to spend, since he wanted to save his Contribution Points and Spirit Peaches.
• Zhang Qingyuan searched the crowded marketplace for cultivation aids but passed up items he could not afford.
• He considered buying a forty-Spirit-Stone Barrier Breaking Pill but hesitated, and another disciple bought it first.
• Zhang Qingyuan found nothing else suitable and headed to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, where he browsed while waiting.

Zhang Qingyuan bought Thick Qi Pills and Spirit Rice, then advanced to Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection through intensive cultivation. With the Outer Sect Grand Competition approaching and his resources depleted, he decided to challenge Shen Hongzhou for the tenth rank in the Seventeenth Branch.

• Zhang Qingyuan bought a bottle of Thick Qi Pills and spent his remaining Spirit Stones on Spirit Rice.
• He cultivated with pills, Spirit Peaches, and Spirit Rice, reaching Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection in less than half a month.
• Zhang Qingyuan used up nearly all his resources and concluded that he needed to find a way to obtain a Seventh Level Barrier Breaking Pill before the Outer Sect Grand Competition.
• After hearing Headmaster Liu would lecture in two days, Zhang Qingyuan decided to challenge tenth-ranked Shen Hongzhou for the branch rewards.
• Two days later, the Seventeenth Branch disciples gathered on Chaoyang Peak, and Headmaster Liu's lecture began as scheduled.

Zhang Qingyuan attended Headmaster Liu’s lecture and waited through the Seventeenth Branch’s ranking challenges before challenging Shen Hongzhou for his tenth-place ranking. Shen Hongzhou accepted, and the two faced off on the arena as his Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection aura pressed down on Zhang Qingyuan.

• Zhang Qingyuan listened to Headmaster Liu’s basic cultivation lecture while keeping an eye on Shen Hongzhou.
• Headmaster Liu announced that disciples could challenge their peers to secure places before the Outer Sect Grand Competition, and several disciples fought to improve their rankings.
• Yao Ping defeated the disciple ranked fifteenth with his Tiger Sha God Slaying Claw and briefly looked toward Zhang Qingyuan.
• Zhang Qingyuan stepped onto the arena and challenged Shen Hongzhou, drawing disbelief from disciples who doubted he could defeat the top-ten-ranked senior.
• Shen Hongzhou accepted Zhang Qingyuan’s challenge and released the oppressive aura of a Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection cultivator.

Zhang Qingyuan challenged Shen Hongzhou and revealed that he had reached Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection. Their fight began with Shen Hongzhou’s Fire Dragon Technique and Zhang Qingyuan’s counterattack, but the duel remained unresolved.

• Zhang Qingyuan unleashed his Spirit Essence Realm Seventh Level perfection aura, shocking Shen Hongzhou and the watching disciples.
• Shen Hongzhou accepted Zhang Qingyuan as a serious opponent and attacked with the Fire Dragon Technique.
• Zhang Qingyuan used Circle Defense to withstand the Fire Dragon Technique without injury.
• Zhang Qingyuan emerged from the flames and struck at Shen Hongzhou with Silver Shadow.
• Shen Hongzhou blocked Zhang Qingyuan’s sword strike with his Mid-grade Magic Tool gloves, and their collision shook the arena.

Zhang Qingyuan and Shen Hongzhou fought to a stalemate until Shen Hongzhou unleashed the Mighty Bull Demon Fist and Zhang Qingyuan countered with Collapsing Mountain. Their strongest attacks collided, and both fighters were thrown backward, leaving the outcome undecided.

• Yao Ping watched Zhang Qingyuan's strength and feared he would never catch up after their earlier defeat.
• Zhang Qingyuan and Shen Hongzhou traded sword strikes, spells, and Magic Tool blows as Shen Hongzhou gradually weakened from the Spirit Essence cost.
• Shen Hongzhou gambled on his Mighty Bull Demon Fist, unleashing his full power in a decisive attack.
• Zhang Qingyuan put away the Silver Shadow and answered with Collapsing Mountain, whose power rivaled an Entry-tier Martial Skill.
• The two attacks collided with enough force to crack the arena stones and send Zhang Qingyuan and Shen Hongzhou flying in opposite directions.

Zhang Qingyuan defeated Shen Hongzhou in the Outer Sect Grand Competition, earning tenth place and drawing attention from the Seventeenth Branch. His victory established him as a rising figure, while he remained indifferent to the fame.

• Zhang Qingyuan's final clash with Shen Hongzhou sent Shen flying off the arena while Zhang managed to stay inside.
• Shen Hongzhou realized Zhang's Water Origin Art Spirit Essence and Magic Tool had accumulated inside him and briefly disrupted his Spirit Essence during his decisive strike.
• Shen Hongzhou accepted his defeat, and Headmaster Liu declared Zhang Qingyuan the winner and raised his ranking to tenth place.
• Sect disciples praised Zhang Qingyuan's strength and rapid cultivation, discussing his rise from an unremarkable background.
• Zhang Qingyuan ignored the attention and left the arena without concern for his growing reputation.

After Zhang Qingyuan defeated Shen Hongzhou and entered the Seventeenth Branch’s top ten, Headmaster Liu announced a Ten Branch Competition for the leading disciples of ten branches. Zhang Qingyuan prepared to use it as a chance to learn about stronger opponents, then followed Headmaster Liu for personal guidance.

• Headmaster Liu ended the branch ranking adjustments and announced that the top ten disciples would represent the Seventeenth Branch at a Ten Branch Competition in five days.
• Zhang Qingyuan learned that the competition would gather the top ten disciples from each of ten branches, with the winner receiving the Crimson Gold Soft Armor.
• Zhang Qingyuan judged that the stronger disciples would likely outclass him and set a modest goal of defeating someone at his own level and avoiding a first-round elimination.
• Headmaster Liu called Zhang Qingyuan to accompany him, drawing envious looks from the other disciples as Zhang Qingyuan followed.

Zhang Qingyuan told Headmaster Liu how he had gained a rare Heaven-Man Induction enlightenment but failed to use it to break through his swordsmanship, prompting the headmaster to explain the path to perfection. Headmaster Liu gave him the Water Control Technique, leaving Zhang Qingyuan with a new spell to cultivate.

• Headmaster Liu observed that Zhang Qingyuan’s Cloud Water Thirteen Sword Styles carried a trace of artistic conception and asked about his progress.
• Zhang Qingyuan recounted his river enlightenment, including how he gathered Sword Momentum but failed to reach perfected swordsmanship.
• Headmaster Liu lamented that Zhang Qingyuan had wasted a rare Heaven-Man Induction opportunity on a Basic Sword Technique and explained how artistic conception led to Martial Skill perfection.
• Headmaster Liu gave Zhang Qingyuan a Jade Slip containing the Water Control Technique, an Intermediate Spell suited to his Water Origin Art.
• Zhang Qingyuan accepted the technique and thanked Headmaster Liu, who then left.