Chapter Summaries

Chen Shouyi returned home with over six hundred arrows and gave Chen Xingyue his old War Bow and fifty arrows. As artillery fire resumed and grew denser and closer, Chen Shouyi watched from the window, increasingly uneasy.

• Chen Shouyi saw refugees working to level ground in the safety zone and considered why the city government could not distribute its stockpiled money.
• Chen Shouyi brought home more than six hundred arrows, and Chen Xingyue persuaded him to give her his old War Bow.
• Chen Xingyue assembled the bow and practiced drawing it while Chen Shouyi gave her fifty arrows.
• Chen Shouyi examined an Armor-piercing Arrow and decided to wait until evening to test it.
• Chen Shouyi stopped practicing when distant artillery began firing, then watched as the bombardment paused and resumed closer and more densely.

As artillery fire intensified near Hedong City's safety zone, Chen Shouyi prepared weapons while his family sheltered in the basement. When the guns fell silent, he grabbed Shell Girl and the Long Sword, deciding they could not stay in the villa.

• Chen Xingyue called Chen Shouyi to dinner and asked whether the family was safe, and he reassured her that the safety zone was heavily defended.
• At dinner, Chen Dawei told the family they had more than five hundred jin of rice, and the family waited as the artillery paused.
• A nearby explosion shook the villa, and Chen Shouyi sent his parents and Chen Xingyue to the basement while he went upstairs to prepare his bow and arrows.
• Chen Shouyi watched the distant fighting as the artillery gradually dwindled and finally stopped.
• After Chen Xingyue roused him from a daze, Chen Shouyi decided the family could not stay and took the briefcase containing Shell Girl and the Long Sword.

Chen Shouyi accepted conscription and left his family to fight as a Great Martial Artist. Meanwhile, the wounded god advanced toward the safe zone, intent on taking control of the nation.

• Chen Shouyi agreed to join the soldiers and gave Chen Xingyue the briefcase containing Shell Girl before leaving his family.
• At the municipal government battlefield, the wounded god survived an explosion and evaded a sniper shot.
• The god killed a soldier who attacked him with explosives, then destroyed another soldier and a machine gun with his battle axe.
• After resting and recovering some strength, the god headed toward the safe zone, sensing it was the center of the nation.

Chen Shouyi joined the martial artists and soldiers assembled to confront the Barbarian God as it charged toward the municipal government building. After he and the autocannons slowed its advance, explosive Steam Trucks struck the giant and sent it flying toward them, giving Chen Shouyi an opening.

• Chen Shouyi arrived at the municipal government building and joined the assembled martial artists, including Song Jieying and Qin Liuyuan, as they waited for the enemy.
• A warning flare signaled the Barbarian God’s approach, and the giant charged down the main road while dodging and deflecting autocannon fire.
• Chen Shouyi drew his bow and fired a rapid volley of arrows, slowing the giant’s advance.
• Steam Trucks rushed in to surround the giant, which smashed three vehicles before a fourth exploded beside it.
• The blast sent the giant flying backward through the flames toward Chen Shouyi, who recognized his chance.

Chen Shouyi and the defenders battered Dabono with arrows, autocannon fire, and self-destructing trucks until the giant fell before the municipal government building. The chapter ended with Dabono dead and the secure zone celebrating its victory.

• Chen Shouyi first fired ordinary arrows at Dabono, then switched to Armor-piercing Arrows when he realized his mistake.
• Chen Shouyi, Qin Liuyuan, the other martial artists, and the autocannons attacked Dabono as it descended and crashed into the plaza.
• The remaining self-destructing trucks exploded near Dabono, weakening it further as the defenders continued firing.
• Dabono advanced toward the municipal government building and warned the “Mortal king” that he would pay with his life.
• Chen Shouyi shot Dabono in the eye, and the giant collapsed before reaching the building.
• The autocannons tore apart Dabono’s corpse, and the survivors celebrated while Chen Shouyi sat down exhausted.

Chen Shouyi struggled through a bizarre, hallucinatory journey home, where familiar people attacked and killed him. As his vision faded, he wondered whether he was experiencing death.

• Chen Shouyi walked home, confused and exhausted, and met Zhang Xiaoyue, who claimed she had missed him.
• Zhang Xiaoyue drew Chen Shouyi’s sword and stabbed him in the heart after accusing him of lying about thinking of her.
• Chen Shouyi pulled out the sword and continued toward home, where his parents and Chen Xingyue attacked him.
• Chen Shouyi awoke bound in the living room as Chen Dawei sharpened a knife and said they intended to kill and eat him.
• Chen Xingyue drew her sword and cut Chen Shouyi’s throat, and he lost consciousness as his family smiled around him.

After escaping the Barbarian God's nightmare, Chen Shouyi discovered that the World Tree had absorbed the curse and transformed the Memory Space. He tested his new ability to control his body in a childhood memory and concluded that his actions were only extrapolations, leaving him eager to explore the space further.

• Chen Shouyi woke in Gray Mist Space and realized the Barbarian God's curse had caused his nightmare, while the World Tree absorbed the dark aura.
• After the black mist vanished, Chen Shouyi noticed the Memory Leaf had become more substantial and found himself inside a childhood memory with Chen Xingyue.
• Chen Shouyi learned he could spend energy to control his younger self, then pinched Chen Xingyue's cheeks and fled when she cried for their mother.
• Chen Shouyi checked the Memory Leaf and confirmed that his interference had not altered the original memory, but had been an extrapolation by the Book of Knowledge.

After the war, Chen Shouyi woke in the hospital and returned home, where his family had been anxiously waiting for him. He retrieved the briefcase containing Shell Girl and refused to let Chen Xingyue see what he was raising.

• Hospital staff found that Chen Shouyi was unharmed but could not draw blood from his unusually tough arm, and he woke after three hours.
• Chen Shouyi thanked the martial artists who had stayed with him and left the hospital, assuring Song Jieying that he was fine.
• Chen Xingyue spotted Chen Shouyi returning home, and Mother Chen scolded him for not sending word.
• Chen Shouyi told his parents that he had visited an injured coworker, then asked Chen Xingyue for the briefcase in the basement.
• Chen Shouyi denied promising to give Chen Xingyue its contents, retrieved the briefcase, and shut her out of his bedroom when she tried to see inside.

Chen Shouyi explored the new Memory Space and discovered that he could act without the restraints he felt in real life. He challenged the Barbarian God inside the memory, but was crushed almost instantly and thrown back into his bedroom.

• Chen Shouyi put Shell Girl to bed and entered the Memory Space to test the newly formed memory.
• Chen Shouyi pinched Song Jieying's cheek and taunted the others, feeling free to act recklessly because he saw them as characters in a game.
• When the Barbarian God approached, Chen Shouyi jumped from the eighth floor and raced out to confront him.
• Chen Shouyi rejected the Barbarian God's demand that he submit and declared he had come to slay a god.
• The Barbarian God crushed Chen Shouyi beneath his foot, ejecting him from Memory Space.

Chen Shouyi repeatedly tried and failed to fight the Barbarian God in the Memory Space, then joined a military operation to confront barbarians holding thousands of hostages in Cheng'an District. The chapter left the martial artists preparing to attack alongside soldiers and rescue the captives.

• Chen Shouyi entered the Memory Space several times, but the Barbarian God killed him almost instantly each time.
• Chen Shouyi discovered that the simulations had cost him a whole point of energy and decided to use them more carefully.
• Chen Shouyi fed Shell Girl honey, and she asked to wear her Princess Dress the next day.
• Song Jieying offered Chen Shouyi steamed buns during the truck ride, and he ate them all before she could have any.
• Chen Shouyi and the other martial artists arrived in Cheng'an District and saw a deserted, devastated area filled with bodies.
• Major General Sun told the martial artists that about three thousand barbarians held over ten thousand hostages and ordered them to work with the soldiers to eliminate the barbarians and rescue as many captives as possible.

The Barbarian King learned that the Church could no longer reach its god, while human forces launched an assault to free the captives at Yunshan Mountain. The rescue became a massacre as fleeing humans were caught in the crossfire, and Chen Shouyi charged into the fighting to attack the barbarians.

• The Barbarian King executed slaves and met with the Church Leader, who warned that war was coming because prayers to their god had gone unanswered.
• Chen Shouyi, Song Jieying, Xue Youcheng, and Company Commander Zhang Chunxiao approached Yunshan Mountain with soldiers and saw captives forced to build a stone structure.
• Snipers killed the barbarians keeping watch on the mountaintop, and Zhang Chunxiao ordered the soldiers to attack.
• The captives fled when they heard gunfire, but barbarians slaughtered many of them as the crowd obstructed the snipers' shots.
• Chen Shouyi rushed into the crowd, decapitated a barbarian who charged him, and advanced toward another while soldiers struggled to control the panicked people.

Chen Shouyi fought through the fleeing crowd as the Barbarian King broke with the religious Leader and ordered a retreat, splitting the barbarians between those who fled and those who charged in fanatical defiance. Human forces overwhelmed the remaining attackers with artillery and gunfire, and Chen returned to his unit as the battle’s outcome became clear.

• Chen Shouyi cut down barbarians mixed among the fleeing civilians while a shell struck the mountainside and frightened the Barbarian King.
• The Barbarian King killed the Leader, declared that the God of Courage had fallen, and ordered the tribesmen to retreat.
• The Deputy Leader denounced the king and urged the remaining believers to attack, and fanatical barbarians charged into artillery fire.
• Chen Shouyi withdrew from the battlefield’s advancing gunfire and rejoined Song Jieying and Xue Youcheng.
• Machine guns and Rocket Launchers cut down the barbarians, while a few powerful warriors resisted before being overwhelmed.

After the battle at Yunshan Mountain, Chen Shouyi discovered that he could move small objects with his mind, though the ability was weak and limited in range. On the ride back, martial artists debated how the government would deal with those who ignored the summons, leaving Chen Shouyi concerned that a lack of punishment would discourage those who had answered.

• Airships bombed Yunshan Mountain with napalm, setting the forest ablaze as hidden barbarians fled the flames.
• Chen Shouyi returned to Hedong City with the surviving martial artists and noted that two had died in the battle.
• Chen Shouyi checked his Status Panel, found that his Will had risen to 13.4, and tested his sharper Sword Qi.
• Chen Shouyi discovered that concentrating his mind could lift and move small objects, but the ability worked only within two meters and quickly exhausted him.
• Martial artists discussed those who had ignored the summons, and Chen Shouyi worried that failing to punish them would damage morale among the martial artists.

Chen Shouyi returned home after the battle and saw three nuclear-powered strategic airships flying over the safe zone. That night, he encountered a martial artist leaving Hedong City to avoid the call-up and realized the authorities faced a difficult choice over how to handle those who had refused to serve.

• Chen Shouyi and Song Jieying watched three enormous nuclear-powered airships pass over the safe zone, and Chen Shouyi guessed they were reinforcements.
• Chen Shouyi returned home, showered, and slept, then denied to his family that he had fought in the battle.
• Chen Shouyi left home that night with Shell Girl and met a martial artist carrying a suitcase who said he was returning to his hometown.
• Chen Shouyi let the man leave and considered how punishing or forgiving martial artists who had refused the call-up could drive more of them away from Hedong City.

Chen Shouyi spent a restful evening playing with Shell Girl before receiving his salary and a delivery of Divine Marrow serum and divine blood serum the next morning. The chapter left him signing for the vials delivered by Bai Xiaoling.

• Chen Shouyi read about Barbarian Tribes and refused Shell Girl's request to go out, then played a jumping game with her until she hit the ceiling.
• Chen Shouyi apologized for hurting Shell Girl and promised her two gemstones as a reward.
• Bai Xiaoling brought Chen Shouyi his monthly payslip, totaling five million six hundred and fifty thousand yuan.
• Bai Xiaoling gave Chen Shouyi a sealed briefcase containing ten vials each of Divine Marrow serum and divine blood serum, and he signed the receipt.

Chen Shouyi tested the divine blood and Divine Marrow he had received, gaining only a small increase in Intelligence from the latter. After refusing a municipal government mission that appeared aimed at Cui Ziwen, he learned from the newspaper that Cui had been killed resisting arrest.

• Chen Shouyi drank several vials of divine blood and Divine Marrow, but only the Divine Marrow increased his Intelligence, eventually raising it to 144.
• A deputy office director offered Chen Shouyi extra resources to kill a dangerous criminal, but Chen refused after suspecting the target was Cui Ziwen.
• Chen Shouyi bought the Hedong Daily and read that Cui Ziwen had been killed while resisting arrest.
• Chen Shouyi learned that the other martial artists who had refused conscription received financial penalties and formal warnings.

Chen Shouyi bought eighteen crystal balls for Shell Girl and met Qin Liuyuan for drinks, where he learned the military had used four Great Martial Artists in the operation that led to Cui Ziwen’s death sentence. He returned home reflecting on the difference between his abilities and a true martial master.

• Chen Shouyi bought all eighteen crystal balls from an accessories shop and carried them home while keeping his purchase from Chen Xingyue.
• Qin Liuyuan invited Chen Shouyi to drink and revealed that four military Great Martial Artists, including Xiao Changming, had taken part in the operation.
• Qin Liuyuan said Cui Ziwen had completed many dangerous missions and condemned the city and military for sentencing him to death over one mistake.
• Qin Liuyuan explained that martial masters had exceptional strength, refined internal organs, and keen danger senses, and said Chen Shouyi might have fared better than Cui Ziwen.
• Chen Shouyi said his strength and training still fell short of a martial master’s, then left the restaurant and headed home.

After three days of intense training, Chen Shouyi increased his strength and returned to Hedong City, where he was summoned to a meeting about the war and the discipline of Martial Artists. The meeting appointed Lei Ruiyang as director of the Martial Arts Notarization and Discipline Inspection Office, leaving Chen Shouyi wondering whether Xiao Changming had also become a Martial Master.

• Chen Shouyi completed three days of high-intensity training and raised his strength to 151 with the second optimized Thirty-Six Body Tempering Forms.
• Chen Shouyi returned to the city with Shell Girl and noticed a cordoned-off area where the God Corpse had lain, briefly seeing a disturbing phantom above black mist.
• A city government employee summoned Chen Shouyi to a meeting attended by hundreds of civilian and military Martial Artists.
• The city's top official reviewed Hedong City's war casualties and warned Martial Artists against disregarding discipline.
• The official introduced Lei Ruiyang as Jiangnan Province's first Martial Master and announced his appointment as director of the Martial Arts Notarization and Discipline Inspection Office.
• Chen Shouyi noticed Xiao Changming's calm reaction and wondered whether he had advanced to Martial Master.

Chen Shouyi clashed with the newly appointed director, Lei Ruiyang, when Lei announced strict discipline and compulsory closed military training for martial artists. After leaving the meeting, Chen Shouyi headed off eager to test Lei Ruiyang's strength in the Memory Space.

• Lei Ruiyang introduced himself as the new director and announced that martial artists would face stricter discipline and one month of closed military training.
• When Lei Ruiyang challenged Chen Shouyi for seeming to disagree, Chen pretended not to hear him, provoking laughter from the civilian martial artists.
• Xiao Changming intervened before the argument escalated, and Lei Ruiyang finished by warning martial artists and announcing plans for a Great Martial Artist examination site.
• After the meeting, Qin Liuyuan and Song Jieying cautioned Chen Shouyi about Lei Ruiyang, but Chen insisted he had done nothing wrong.
• Chen Shouyi left on his bicycle, eager to enter the Memory Space and test Lei Ruiyang's strength.

Chen Shouyi replayed the meeting in Memory Space and imagined himself killing Lei Ruiyang and Xiao Changming in a fight without restraint. He concluded that he had reached Martial Master's strength and expected to grow stronger soon.

• Chen Shouyi threw away Shell Girl's stained Princess Dress after failing to wash it clean.
• In Memory Space, Chen Shouyi insulted Lei Ruiyang, smashed through the meeting table, and killed him by slamming him into the floor.
• Chen Shouyi attacked Xiao Changming and fought him at close range as military martial artists gathered around them.
• Chen Shouyi killed a Great Martial Artist who tried to ambush him, then broke Xiao Changming's chin and neck with a kick.
• Chen Shouyi left Memory Space, felt exhilarated by the fight, and judged that he had reached Martial Master's strength.