Chapter Summaries

Lin Taichu lured the drug-crazed sea beasts away from his soldiers and used their confusion to reach Snake Woman’s chamber. He confronted her after discovering the modification drug and a wounded soldier, but their battle had not yet begun.

• Lin Taichu ordered Aron to lead the soldiers out while he stayed behind to draw the sea beasts away.
• Lin Taichu lured the sea beasts into a wider hall, where they began attacking one another after their attacks interfered.
• Lin Taichu slipped through a narrow passage and found bottles of green liquid and an unconscious soldier tied to a stone platform.
• Snake Woman turned to face Lin Taichu, revealing her scarred face, and he vowed to kill her for her crimes.

Lin Taichu defeated Snake Woman’s Blazing Flames Turtle, controlled it with a spell, and seized the modification-potion formula. Snake Woman transformed herself into a gigantic sea serpent, devoured the remaining beasts, and charged at the guards.

• Snake Woman summoned the Blazing Flames Turtle, which attacked Lin Taichu with fireballs and poison needles.
• Lin Taichu used a black shield spell to absorb the fireballs, then wounded the turtle by piercing one of its eyes with his trident.
• Lin Taichu controlled the Blazing Flames Turtle with a spell and forced Snake Woman to reveal that it was her last modified sea beast and that the potion formula was in a drawer.
• Lin Taichu took the black notebook containing the formula, but Snake Woman swallowed a purple liquid and transformed into a gigantic sea serpent.
• The sea serpent swallowed an electric eel, crushed and devoured an octopus, ate the remaining ferocious beasts, and charged at the guards.

Lin Taichu led the guards away from a rampaging sea serpent and then let it swallow him so he could attack it from within. Inside its belly, he found a pale purple glow linked to the transformation potion and prepared to exploit its weakness to high temperatures.

• Lin Taichu escaped the stone chamber with the guards as the sea serpent devoured the sea beasts and smashed its way through the black market.
• Aron arrived with the dock guards, and Lin Taichu sent everyone back while he approached the sea serpent alone.
• Lin Taichu jumped into the sea serpent's mouth and was swallowed as Aron watched from a distance.
• Lin Taichu lit a torch inside the serpent and stirred its gastric fluid, making the creature thrash as the corrosive liquid began to burn him.
• Lin Taichu followed the esophagus toward a pale purple glow and realized that he had to wreak havoc inside the serpent to survive.

Lin Taichu and Aron killed the sea serpent and escaped the cave, after which Lin Taichu recovered in a palace in Atlantis. When he awoke, he warned Aron that the deep-sea magical beasts might riot and urged him to investigate the border.

• Lin Taichu ignited the potion inside the sea serpent, triggering explosions that tore through its stomach.
• Aron cut open the serpent’s belly and, with two guards, pulled Lin Taichu to safety before the remaining blasts killed the beast.
• Lin Taichu told the guards to secure the potion formula notebook and return with the survivors to the warship.
• After Lin Taichu passed out, the ship’s physician treated his burns, injuries, and exposure to poison; the King arranged for him to recover in a palace.
• When Lin Taichu awoke, he told Aron to investigate the deep-sea border because the magical beasts might riot after Snake Woman’s death.

Lin Taichu prepared an antidote for the victims of the modified sea beasts and learned that the deep-sea beasts were only restless, not rioting. After receiving the Guardian Medal of Atlantis, he went to investigate unusual energy fluctuations around the kingdom.

• Aron arranged a guarded room and supplies so Lin Taichu could prepare the antidote without exposing the formula.
• Lin Taichu made fifteen antidote pills and gave them to Aron to distribute to the injured.
• Aron reported that the deep-sea beasts were merely restless, the Dark Sea Organization had been dealt with, and Snake Woman’s unused potions had been destroyed.
• The King awarded Lin Taichu the Guardian Medal of Atlantis and asked him to examine the unusual energy fluctuations.
• Lin Taichu agreed and arrived at the observation chamber, where the lead observer prepared to show him the records.

Lin Taichu decided to leave Atlantis to train and grow stronger, despite King’s offer of a higher position. After receiving Atlantis’s guardian token and saying goodbye to Aron, he reached a port and set out for the desert.

• Lin Taichu investigated a brief energy fluctuation in the eastern waters that resembled diluted energy from the Dark Sea Organization’s potion, but found no explanation.
• Lin Taichu told King he planned to leave Atlantis so he could train and become strong enough to protect others.
• King tried to persuade Lin Taichu to stay and command Atlantis’s warships, but Lin Taichu declined and promised to return if Atlantis needed him.
• King gave Lin Taichu Atlantis’s guardian token and arranged supplies and a boat for his departure.
• Aron escorted Lin Taichu to the docks, and Lin Taichu sailed away from Atlantis the next morning.
• After two days at sea, Lin Taichu reached a port, changed out of his Atlantis clothes, and hired a carriage toward the desert.

After crossing the desert, Lin Taichu learned about a Martial Arts Tournament in the city center and registered to compete. He began training with his trident in a ruined temple, where two armed men arrived and asked if he was entering the tournament.

• Lin Taichu crossed the desert, reached a small town, and learned from the innkeeper about the bandit Heifeng Stockade and a Martial Arts Tournament in the city center.
• Lin Taichu traveled for four days to the city center, learned the tournament would begin in three days, and registered as contestant number thirty-seven.
• Lin Taichu went to a ruined temple outside the city and studied his cultivation manual before practicing close-combat techniques with his trident.
• Two burly men carrying sabers entered the temple and asked Lin Taichu whether he was participating in the Martial Arts Tournament.

Lin Taichu prepared for the Martial Arts Tournament, defeated Wang Kui in his first match, and watched Zhao Hu and Li Mo overwhelm their opponents. The tournament continued into its second day, where an old man in gray robes defeated a twin-bladed fighter.

• Lin Taichu trained in a ruined temple for two days before going to the City Lord's Mansion plaza for the tournament.
• The City Lord announced the tournament rules, and the first matches began as Lin Taichu watched Zhao Hu and Li Mo.
• Lin Taichu defeated Wang Kui by disarming him and holding his trident to Wang Kui's throat, drawing Li Mo's attention.
• Zhao Hu tossed his broadsword-wielding opponent from the platform, while Li Mo put his flexible sword to his opponent's neck before he could attack.
• On the second day, an old man in gray robes tapped a black-clad fighter's knee with his cane, forcing him to concede.

Lin Taichu advanced through the martial arts tournament and learned it was being held to find a Prince Consort, while he remained focused on the coming fights. Before the fourth day’s matches began, Wang Yue revealed she was the Prince’s daughter and had deliberately lost to him.

• Lin Taichu defeated a hammer-wielding opponent, then overheard that nobles had sent hidden experts to compete for the Prince Consort position.
• Lin Taichu defeated the veiled woman in blue, while the Old Man in Grey Cloth eliminated Zhao Hu and Li Mo defeated a whip-wielding opponent.
• After the remaining contestants fell to twelve, Lin Taichu learned the next day’s matches had been moved earlier and grew suspicious of the woman’s easy defeat.
• Wang Yue approached Lin Taichu at the crowded square, thanked him for showing mercy, and revealed she was the Prince’s daughter.
• The City Lord announced that the fourth day’s one-on-one matches would begin under the same rules.

Lin Taichu defeated Li Feng and Zhang Ping to reach the martial arts tournament final, while Wang Yue showed him increasing concern. He learned that Li Mo and the Old Man in Grey Cloth would join him in tomorrow’s final, where they might team up against him.

• Lin Taichu used a feigned opening to disarm Li Feng and force him to surrender.
• Lin Taichu defeated Zhang Ping after enduring his saber attacks and exploiting his fatigue.
• Li Mo beat the young swordsman, and the Old Man in Grey Cloth defeated the other man in black, leaving the three finalists.
• Wang Yue gave Lin Taichu a food box and warned him to be careful in the final.
• Lin Taichu worried that Li Mo and the Old Man in Grey Cloth might join forces against him.

Lin Taichu arrived late for the tournament final and faced Li Mo and Old Man in Grey Cloth in a three-way fight, secretly pretending to be badly hurt. After Lin Taichu sowed distrust between his opponents, Li Mo and Old Man in Grey Cloth turned on each other, leaving the final unresolved.

• Lin Taichu arrived at the crowded square just before the city lord could declare him forfeited.
• The city lord ordered Lin Taichu, Li Mo, and Old Man in Grey Cloth to fight together, with the last man standing declared champion.
• Li Mo and Old Man in Grey Cloth attacked Lin Taichu in tandem, and Lin Taichu pretended their blows had badly injured him.
• Lin Taichu taunted Li Mo and questioned Old Man in Grey Cloth's willingness to fight alongside him, making the two opponents distrust each other.
• Old Man in Grey Cloth suggested fighting Li Mo first, and Li Mo challenged him to decide the champion between them.

Lin Taichu let Li Mo and Old Man in Grey Cloth fight, then defeated Li Mo after he launched a forbidden sneak attack. He faced Old Man in Grey Cloth next and revealed his true strength, leaving the older man struggling to defend himself.

• Old Man in Grey Cloth accepted Li Mo's challenge, and the two fought while Lin Taichu watched for their weaknesses.
• Old Man in Grey Cloth injured Li Mo, but Lin Taichu stopped him from striking again and challenged Li Mo to fight.
• Lin Taichu disarmed Li Mo and held him at trident-point, but Li Mo tried to stab him with a hidden dagger, so Lin Taichu knocked him unconscious.
• The city lord disqualified Li Mo for breaking the rules and ordered Lin Taichu and Old Man in Grey Cloth to continue the match.
• Lin Taichu blocked Old Man in Grey Cloth's cane, wounded him with his trident, and pressed the attack until the older man's movements slowed.

Lin Taichu won the Martial Arts Tournament and received the champion’s prize, then the Prince invited him to become Wang Yue’s husband. Lin Taichu declined an immediate marriage but agreed to visit the Prince’s Mansion and get to know her better, where he told the Prince he had no home or family.

• Lin Taichu disarmed Old Man in Grey Cloth and was declared the Martial Arts Tournament champion by the City Lord.
• The Prince arrived, praised Lin Taichu’s skill, and gave him a hundred taels of gold and a top-grade longsword.
• The Prince asked Lin Taichu to marry Wang Yue, but Lin Taichu said they barely knew each other and marriage would be too hasty.
• Wang Yue agreed they should take things slowly, and the Prince invited Lin Taichu to the Prince’s Mansion to spend more time with her.
• Lin Taichu rode with the Prince and said he had wandered alone since childhood and had no family.

Lin Taichu accepted the Prince's offer to stay at the Prince's Mansion, where he could train and get to know Wang Yue. After settling into his room, he considered the benefits of staying while remaining wary of the noble young masters who might seek trouble.

• The Prince praised Lin Taichu's ambition, offered him sparring and introductions to Jianghu fighters, and brought him to the Prince's Mansion.
• Wang Yue welcomed Lin Taichu, and the Prince explained that he preferred Lin Taichu to the noble candidates because of his ability and character.
• Lin Taichu agreed to stay at the mansion for now so he and Wang Yue could get to know each other without rushing into marriage.
• Wang Yue showed Lin Taichu his room and told him he could spar with the Guards at the Training Ground.
• Lin Taichu examined the gold and sword in his wooden box, then weighed the training opportunities against the possibility that the noble young masters would cause trouble.

Lin Taichu accompanied the Prince to the City Lord's Mansion, where the Prince defended him against Minister Li's complaints about Li Mo and forced Minister Li to drop the matter. Back at the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Lei arrived with several young men to inspect Lin Taichu and looked at him with disdain.

• The Prince told Lin Taichu he would take him to the City Lord's Mansion to prevent Minister Li from causing further trouble.
• Wang Yue gave Lin Taichu new clothes, and he joined her and the Prince on the carriage to the City Lord's Mansion.
• Minister Li accused Lin Taichu of injuring Li Mo, but the Prince pointed out that Li Mo had ambushed Lin Taichu and threatened consequences if Minister Li kept pursuing the matter.
• Minister Li agreed to settle the dispute and left, while the Prince reassured Lin Taichu that he need not worry.
• Zhao Lei and several young men came to the Prince's Mansion to see Lin Taichu, and Zhao Lei regarded him with disdain.

Lin Taichu defeated Zhao Lei in a spar, earning his respect and learning that people in the palace might move against him to stop him from becoming Prince Consort. Concerned that the Prince’s household could be targeted, Lin Taichu decided to leave and continue his travels.

• Zhao Lei challenged Lin Taichu to a spar, and Lin Taichu accepted despite the Prince’s concerns.
• Lin Taichu used his trident to defeat Zhao Lei after more than twenty exchanges.
• Zhao Lei admitted his challenge had been a test because he worried about Wang Yue’s safety, and Lin Taichu promised to protect her.
• Zhao Lei warned the Prince and Lin Taichu that people in the palace opposed Wang Yue marrying an outsider and might use underhanded methods against Lin Taichu.
• Lin Taichu decided to leave the Prince’s Mansion and continue his travels so his presence would not endanger the Prince and Wang Yue.

Lin Taichu left the Prince's Mansion and stayed at an inn, where he discovered that rumors portraying him as the strongest person in the country were spreading. After the City Lord identified the Second Prince as the likely source of the rumors, Lin Taichu went to the City Lord's Mansion to seek help.

• The Prince gave Lin Taichu five hundred taels of silver and a carriage, and Lin Taichu left the Prince's Mansion despite Wang Yue's concern.
• Lin Taichu settled into a room at the Yue Lai Inn and spent the next few days practicing martial arts and exploring the city.
• Lin Taichu overheard people repeating exaggerated stories about his victories and suspected someone was trying to make him a target.
• A runner delivered a letter from the City Lord, who blamed the rumors on the Second Prince's effort to turn Lin Taichu and the Prince against each other.
• Lin Taichu went to the City Lord's Mansion, where the guards escorted him to meet the City Lord in his study.

Lin Taichu discussed the Second Prince’s threat with the City Lord, but the Prince arrived and pledged to protect him. The Prince sent Lin Taichu to meet the Second Prince and discover his intentions, and Lin Taichu reached the imperial palace with the Prince’s letter.

• Lin Taichu rejected the City Lord’s suggestion that he pretend to cooperate with the Second Prince.
• The Prince and Wang Yue arrived, and the Prince promised to protect Lin Taichu from the Second Prince.
• Lin Taichu reasoned that the Second Prince might be using him to pressure the Prince into an alliance.
• The Prince gave Lin Taichu a letter and instructed him to meet the Second Prince and probe his intentions.
• Lin Taichu went to the imperial palace the next morning, where a guard took the Prince’s letter to report his arrival.

Lin Taichu met with the Second Prince, who tried to recruit him, and reported the meeting to the Prince and Wang Yue. After learning that Lin Taichu might be targeted, he proposed pretending to join the Second Prince’s faction to deter attacks and complicate the Second Prince’s plans.

• The Second Prince offered Lin Taichu high office and rewards if he would follow him, but Lin Taichu declined for the time being and left.
• Lin Taichu told the Prince and Wang Yue that the Second Prince wanted to recruit him mainly to win over the Prince.
• The Prince warned that the Second Prince would not give up easily and that Lin Taichu could face an ambush.
• Lin Taichu proposed making people believe he had joined the Second Prince’s camp so potential attackers would hesitate and the Second Prince would be forced to protect him.

Lin Taichu spread a rumor that he had joined the Second Prince’s camp, using the prince’s reputation to deter people from targeting him. The Second Prince summoned him for an explanation, but Lin Taichu denied spreading the news deliberately and forced him to choose between accepting him or appearing petty.

• Lin Taichu told vendors and teahouse patrons that he had agreed to follow the Second Prince, and the story spread across the city.
• People who had planned to attack Lin Taichu, including Minister Li’s household, abandoned their plans after hearing he was supposedly under the Second Prince’s protection.
• The Second Prince learned of the rumor, realized Lin Taichu had used him as a shield, and decided he could not openly harm him without damaging his reputation.
• The Second Prince summoned Lin Taichu, who denied deliberately spreading the story and said he would be fortunate to follow him if the Second Prince accepted him.
• The Second Prince was left unable to reject Lin Taichu without seeming petty, though he suspected the rumor had been deliberate.