Chapter Summaries

Yang Ling absorbed the Water Bodhi's effects as his attributes, level, and Mental Power increased, and he continued toward the exit. The warmth eventually vanished, leaving the effects of the treasure apparently spent.

• Yang Ling realized his Health Points had reached 3,000 and his Qi and Blood had tripled, while the Water Bodhi continued boosting his attributes.
• Yang Ling leveled up from 45 to 46 and gained a Free Attribute Point as Zhang Shendao and the others spotted him; Mian Zhengdong mistook his sudden disappearance for a sign of danger and hurried the group onward.
• The Divine Ape Visualization reached Perfected Skill, raising Yang Ling's Mental Power from 120 to 160.
• Yang Ling noted that his Heavenly Will True Scripture was nearing Perfected Skill and kept traveling toward the exit as his attributes continued rising.
• Yang Ling leveled up again and gained another Free Attribute Point, then noticed the warmth inside him had vanished.

Yang Ling used all 33 Free Attribute Points to raise his strength, then survived a refined-iron rope trap set by two Seventh-Rank Experts from Star Gazing Academy. After realizing they had targeted him for the pouch at his waist, he killed them and left the onlookers stunned.

• Yang Ling invested his 33 Free Attribute Points in strength, raising it from 24 to 57 and undergoing a physical transformation.
• Yang Ling adjusted to his increased strength and considered the pills and techniques he planned to improve after leaving Water Qilin Cave.
• Two Seventh-Rank Experts from Star Gazing Academy sprang a refined-iron rope trap, but Yang Ling's Indestructible Vajra Body protected his legs.
• Yang Ling overheard the men and saw their interest in his pouch, then killed both with a single palm strike.
• The group watching from a hundred meters away fell silent, shocked that Yang Ling had killed martial artists from Zhao State.

Yang Ling returned to Water Qilin Cave to rescue He Yang after killing the Star Gazing Academy Disciples who had attacked him. At the Cold Pond, He Yang accused the Star Gazing Academy of the assault and vowed to report them to the Iron Clothes Department.

• Two Star Gazing Academy Disciples emerged from the snow, gathered their bags of Rare Flowers and Herbs, and planned to accuse Yang Ling of slaughtering their companions.
• Yang Ling killed the two Seventh-rank Experts from Star Gazing Academy and asked He Yang to testify against their disciples.
• He Yang said his broken legs made him unable to leave Water Qilin Cave, but Yang Ling carried him and took the two bulging bags toward the exit.
• Yang Ling reached the Cold Pond with He Yang on the tenth day, where waiting Martial Artists asked about He Yang's injuries.
• He Yang accused the Star Gazing Academy Disciples of attacking them with Horse-Tripping Ropes and said he would report them to the Iron Clothes Department.

Yang Ling confronted Tong Yi and Tong Thirteen’s Rong Tribe spies while the Western Prince’s group fled toward the Cold Pond. The Asura Frogs turned on Tong Yi after Yang Ling removed their Silver Needles, and the Western Prince’s group and Chi Qingyao’s party joined the fight as Tong Thirteen tried to retreat.

• The Western Prince ordered his group to take Water Repelling Pills and hurry toward the Cold Pond as the Water Qilin neared awakening.
• Tong Yi played a Bone Flute, summoning three Asura Frogs, while Yang Ling covered the Western Prince’s group from Tong Thirteen’s Hand Crossbow barrage.
• Tong Yi made Yang Ling the Rong Tribe spies’ target, and the Asura Frogs suddenly seized Tong Yi with their tongues.
• Tong Thirteen realized the Asura Frogs’ Silver Needles were gone and ordered the spies to retreat while protecting their Second Rank Human Immortal.
• The Western Prince, Li Huaiyi, and Chi Qingyao’s group attacked the retreating spies, and Yang Ling explained that he had removed the Silver Needles after Cui Ying warned him of the ambush.

Yang Ling escaped the freezing Cold Pond and returned to the Giant Ship with the Western Prince, while the Heavenly Wolf Guard failed to recover the ice sculpture. The Western Prince ordered a hunt for the remaining Rong Tribe Spies and acknowledged that the Heavenly Wolf Guard had infiltrated even the Divine Sect.

• The Ice and Snow Wilderness and Cold Pond froze rapidly, forcing Yang Ling, Tong Thirteen, and the others to flee; several people were frozen to death.
• Yang Ling overtook Chi Qingyao and the others underwater and escaped the frozen passage with the Western Prince.
• Tong Thirteen and his companions surfaced without the ice sculpture, and the Western Prince recognized that the Heavenly Wolf Guard's plan had failed.
• Yang Ling and the Western Prince returned to the Cao Gang's Giant Ship, where the Sixth-Rank Experts discussed the losses in Water Qilin Cave.
• The Western Prince told Xu Wuji to seal off the Tianyuan River and arrest the Rong Tribe Spies, then reassured Lu Yunchen that the infiltration was not his fault.

Yang Ling accused Star Gazing Academy disciples of ambushing and robbing Martial Artists in the Water Qilin Cave, and the Western Prince considered the evidence against them. The group then discussed the missing Nine Immortal Dao Palace senior, while Li Ruhai revealed the expedition’s purpose was to rescue him.

• He Yang told the Western Prince that Star Gazing Academy disciples had attacked him with a Horse-Tripping Rope and robbed other Martial Artists.
• Yang Ling confirmed the accusations, presented three bags of confiscated Rare Flowers and Herbs, and said he had killed the attackers in self-defense.
• The Western Prince questioned Gu Weizhou about possible Rong Tribe Spies, and Lu Yunchen said the Iron Clothes Department would investigate and seek compensation.
• Yang Hong asked about the missing Nine Immortal Dao Palace senior, and the Western Prince said the senior had not escaped the Water Qilin Cave.
• The Western Prince praised Yang Ling’s kick, while Chi Qingyao hesitated to explain the senior’s identity.
• Li Ruhai revealed that the expedition had aimed to rescue a Second Rank Human Immortal of the Nine Immortal Dao Palace who had been trapped for 240 years.

Zhao Xun arrived to reveal that the Iron Clothes Department had planned to capture a Rong Tribe spy, prompting the Heavenly Wolf Guard’s intervention at the Water Qilin Cave. Zhang Hu reported the expedition’s losses and secret developments, leaving the rival factions’ clash judged a draw, perhaps slightly in the Iron Clothes Department’s favor.

• Zhao Xun arrived on a Golden Eagle and gave Yang Hong a dossier identifying a Second Rank Human Immortal from the Nine Immortal Dao Palace as a Rong Tribe spy.
• Zhao Xun explained that the Iron Clothes Department had planned to capture the spy, but the Heavenly Wolf Guard learned of the plan and intervened.
• Zhao Xun told the Fourth Prince that the Emperor had approved keeping the operation secret from him.
• Zhao Xun judged both sides’ plans unsuccessful and called the outcome a draw, possibly a slight advantage for the Iron Clothes Department.
• Zhang Hu reported that the Heavenly Wolf Guard lost four Tong Generation experts and detailed the events in the Water Qilin Cave, including a bribed Iron Clothes Department member and the Immortal God Cult’s explosives.

Yang Ling warned Zhao Xun that the Immortal God Cult had powerful explosives and followers in Zhao State, prompting plans for the Iron Clothes Department to eradicate it. After Zhao Xun awarded Yang Ling the seized herbs, the Water Qilin emerged from the prefectural capital.

• Yang Ling told Zhao Xun that the Immortal God Cult could make explosives, and the Fourth Prince confirmed their power nearly caused heavy losses in Water Qilin Cave.
• A member of the Iron Clothes Department reported signs of the Immortal God Cult in his territory, and Zhao Xun said the department was preparing to wipe it out.
• The Fourth Prince reported that the group had found no genuine Water Bodhi, and Zhao Xun said their Rare Flowers and Herbs were a worthwhile haul.
• The Fourth Prince explained that Gu Weizhou and others had tried to ambush Yang Ling and that Yang Ling had seized their three bags of herbs.
• Zhao Xun ruled that the seized herbs belonged to Yang Ling, who took the bags.
• The river churned several miles away, and Zhao Xun identified the Water Qilin emerging from the prefectural capital.

Yang Ling agreed to have Valley of the Dead appraise and potentially buy three bags of rare flowers and herbs from Water Qilin Cave, keeping a fourth bag for a prior deal with Medicine Gang. Elder Qin met him aboard the giant ship and prioritized appraising his haul while the other visitors waited.

• Yang Ling met two Valley of the Dead disciples, who asked to buy his rare flowers and herbs, and he agreed to sell three of his four bags.
• The disciples brought Yang Ling to Valley of the Dead’s reception cabin, where martial artists and Iron Clothes Constables waited for appraisals.
• Yang Ling greeted Zhang Hu, Mian Zhengdong, and the others, while Li Huaiyi reluctantly greeted him and was ignored.
• Elder Qin welcomed Yang Ling and asked the other visitors to wait while he appraised Yang Ling’s three bags first.

Yang Ling advanced Lingxu Step to Entering the Hall and Room by consuming Spirit Nurturing Pills, then accepted more pills as payment for Rare Flowers and Herbs. As Elder Qin appraised the next bag, he discovered a centuries-old Frost Zhu Fruit that could improve a Martial Artist’s constitution.

• Yang Ling used 68 Spirit Nurturing Pills to raise Lingxu Step to Entering the Hall and Room, increasing his Agility by 48 points.
• Yang Ling calculated that his boosted Agility reached 200 and considered his combat strength to be at least Middle Sixth Rank.
• Elder Qin valued the second bag’s Rare Flowers and Herbs at forty thousand taels, and Yang Ling chose 80 Spirit Nurturing Pills as payment.
• Yang Ling reviewed which Martial Skills he might improve next and decided to wait until he returned to Yunwen Provincial Capital before choosing.
• Elder Qin opened the third bag and found a Frost Zhu Fruit at least four hundred years old; Yang Ling recognized that it could improve a Martial Artist’s constitution.

Yang Ling appraised his Rare Flowers and Herbs, set aside a bag to honor his promise to Dai Huaijin, and learned more about the Medicine Gang. Lu Yunchen then summoned him and said his promotion to Seventh Rank Iron Clothes was all but guaranteed, before beginning to ask him about Changhe Prefecture.

• Yang Ling reflected on how his high Agility had enabled his gains in the Water Qilin Cave and chose Silver Notes for the remaining herbs, worth twenty thousand taels.
• Yang Ling promised to give Dai Huaijin's bag of Rare Flowers and Herbs to the Medicine Gang, and Elder Qin explained the gang's connections and powerful leader.
• Yang Ling left the appraisal room, and Qin Mo brought him to meet Lu Yunchen and the other Stewards.
• Lu Yunchen seated Yang Ling and told him his promotion to Seventh Rank Iron Clothes was nearly certain, then began discussing the Stewards in Changhe Prefecture.

Yang Ling received a new post in Changhe Prefecture, and Qin Mo arranged to transfer there with him. After the Martial Artists returned from Water Qilin Cave, the sects departed and Yang Ling urged Lin Caiyi to watch the Immortal God Cult and Heavenly God Cult.

• Lu Yunchen told Yang Ling that Sun Biao would transfer to Yunwen Provincial Capital and that Yang Ling could temporarily take over a vacant Third Branch position alongside his current post.
• Qin Mo asked to transfer to Changhe Prefecture, and Lu Yunchen approved his move to work under Yang Ling.
• At the harbor, Li Ruhai said the Divine Sect would investigate Tong Shi, while Zhao Xun warned that other Heavenly Wolf Guard spies might be among Tong Shi's associates.
• Master Jie Hai again asked Zhao Xun to release Warrior Monk Jue Ming if he was not a Rong Tribe spy, but Zhao Xun told him not to interfere with the Iron Clothes Department's procedures.
• Lin Caiyi asked Yang Ling what he wanted to tell her, and he urged her to watch the Immortal God Cult and Heavenly God Cult and report any news to the Iron Clothes Department.

At the Yunwen Provincial Capital Iron Clothes Department, evidence linked Gu Weizhou to the attack on He Yang, prompting the Fourth Prince to order his arrest. Gu Weizhou surrendered to Xu Wuji and was taken into custody.

• Lu Yunchen told Gu Weizhou that the Star Gazing Academy had to compensate He Yang, but Gu denied responsibility and invoked the Third Prince’s connection to the academy.
• Xu Wuji produced Blacksmith Wang, who testified that he had sold specially made Horse-Tripping Ropes to Gu Weizhou.
• He Yang accused Gu Weizhou of ordering the attack, but Gu insisted the Dean would clear his name and tried to leave.
• The Fourth Prince ordered Gu Weizhou seized, and Xu Wuji appeared behind him; Gu surrendered without resisting.

Yang Ling attended his Sixth-Rank Assessment at the Public Security Division’s Training Hall, where officials explained the witnesses, rewards, and test conditions. He learned that passing would make him a Newly Promoted Sixth Rank, though the title would not necessarily reflect his true cultivation.

• Yang Ling arrived at the crowded Training Hall and saw Lu Yunchen, the Fourth Prince, Zhao Xun, and other Iron Clothes gathered to watch his assessment.
• Yun Ruo told Yang Ling that the officials had come to witness the rare Sixth-Rank Assessment, and Lu Yunchen explained that the Fourth Prince and Zhao Xun could validate the result.
• The Fourth Prince and Zhao Xun promised that, if Yang Ling passed, Zhao Xun would register him in the Capital and he could receive the Iron Clothes Divine Armor Scripture and Dragon Catching Saber Technique.
• Lu Yunchen set the test: Yang Ling had to last more than a hundred moves without exhausting his Qi and Blood or leaving the Training Hall.
• Yang Ling asked how enduring the test against a Lower Sixth-Rank opponent would define his rank, and Lu Yunchen explained the idea of a Nascent Lower Sixth Rank.

Yang Ling charged Lu Yunchen and tested his strength against the Lower Sixth Rank martial artist, then relied on his speed to evade Lu Yunchen’s relentless attacks. His performance astonished the spectators and revealed how far his strength had advanced.

• Yang Ling activated his techniques and weapons, boosting his Strength to 166 and Agility to 200 before charging Lu Yunchen head-on.
• Yang Ling and Lu Yunchen exchanged several blows, leaving Yang Ling’s arm numb and draining some of his Qi and Blood and Health Points.
• Yang Ling used Lingxu Step to dodge Lu Yunchen’s attacks, blocking only when he could not escape.
• Yun Ruo, Li Huaiyi, and the Iron Clothes watched Yang Ling’s speed and resilience with shock and admiration.
• Zhao Xun told the Fourth Prince that Yang Ling had a stronger foundation, while the prince reflected that reaching Entering the Hall and Room would be difficult.

Yang Ling fought Lu Yunchen in the Sixth-Rank Assessment and proved he could withstand more than a hundred exchanges without leaving the training grounds. Lu Yunchen certified him as a newly promoted Sixth Rank, and Zhao Xun revealed that the rank carried unusual weight because so few Lower Sixth Rank experts could defeat Lu Yunchen.

• Yang Ling put away his Dragon Bone Saber but kept the Hundred Refined Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe, then fought Lu Yunchen with the Twelve-Style Vajra Leg and Indestructible Vajra Body.
• Yang Ling and Lu Yunchen exchanged more than a hundred blows as Yang Ling's Qi and Blood dwindled, while his Health Points remained intact.
• The Fourth Prince reminded Lu Yunchen that the assessment had passed a hundred exchanges, and Lu Yunchen stopped the fight.
• Lu Yunchen declared that Yang Ling had passed the Sixth-Rank Assessment and congratulated him on his promotion, prompting the crowd to applaud.
• Lu Yunchen prepared Yang Ling's rank certification documents, and Zhao Xun said Yang Ling's new rank carried exceptional weight because at most twenty Lower Sixth Rank experts in Zhao State could defeat Lu Yunchen.

As Lu Yunchen saw Yun Ruo off, he explained how Martial Artists could cultivate two Internal Skills and warned that incompatible techniques could cause Qi Deviation or damage their foundations. Yang Ling realized his First-class techniques prevented him from cultivating the Iron Clothes Divine Armor Scripture, while Qin Mo listened closely to the valuable advice.

• Lu Yunchen urged Yun Ruo to visit him and work with Yang Ling after returning to Changhe Prefecture.
• Yang Ling asked Lu Yunchen about cultivating multiple Internal Skills, and Lu Yunchen explained that sufficient Qi and Blood allowed two compatible techniques to be circulated together.
• Lu Yunchen said a First-rate Internal Skill would consume the power of a lower-ranked technique, and Yang Ling connected this to why the Divine Domain had rejected the Iron Clothes Divine Armor Scripture.
• Lu Yunchen warned that Internal Skills with different paths could cause Qi Deviation or ruin a cultivator's foundation, while Qin Mo memorized the advice.
• Yang Ling said he had one last question, and Lu Yunchen told him to hurry up and ask.

Zhang Tie announced that Sun Biao and Shi Xin were being transferred to new posts and revealed that Yang Ling had become a newly promoted Sixth Rank after his deeds at Water Qilin Cave. The chapter left Yang Ling set to replace Sun Biao as master of the Public Security Division First Branch in Changhe Prefecture.

• Zhang Tie delivered letters appointing Shi Xin as master of the Public Security Division First Branch in another prefecture and transferring Sun Biao to Yunwen Provincial Capital.
• Sun Biao invited the Iron Clothes Department colleagues to a banquet, and Zhang Tie agreed to attend as long as it followed department regulations.
• Zhang Tie told Sun Biao and Shi Xin that Yang Ling had killed Tong Jiu and Tong Xi, indirectly caused Tong Yi's death, and passed the Sixth Rank Test.
• Zhang Tie explained that Yang Ling would become master of the Public Security Division First Branch in Changhe Prefecture so he could consolidate his foundation.
• Shi Xin reacted with surprise when he learned Yang Ling would take Sun Biao's post.

Zhang Tie announced appointments from the Yunwen Provincial Capital, naming Yang Ling the Changhe Prefecture Public Security Division First Branch Master and temporary Third Branch Master. Sun Biao prepared to leave for the capital with his longtime constables, while Yang Ling took charge.

• Zhang Tie announced that Sun Biao would leave his post and report for duty in the Yunwen Provincial Capital.
• Zhang Tie announced that Shi Xin would transfer to Xiangfeng Prefecture as its Public Security Division First Branch Master.
• Zhang Tie appointed Yang Ling Changhe Prefecture Public Security Division First Branch Master and temporary Third Branch Master.
• Sun Biao congratulated Yang Ling and asked to take his longtime constables with him to the Yunwen Provincial Capital.
• Yang Ling thanked Sun Biao for making way for him and clearing away trouble.

After revealing his Sixth-Rank strength, Yang Ling officially became the Public Security Division First Branch Master in Changhe Prefecture and announced a yearlong operation against the Immortal God Cult. He put Yun Ruo in charge of coordinating the crackdown while planning to stay underground because he had angered the Heavenly Wolf Guard.

• The Anti-Theft Division Masters and constables accepted Yang Ling's promotion and congratulated him as he took the seals from Sun Biao and Shi Xin.
• Yang Ling told the assembled Masters that Immortal God Cultists had appeared in Water Qilin Cave and had connections to the Heavenly Wolf Guard.
• Yang Ling announced a Special Crackdown Operation targeting Immortal God Cultists while keeping the fight against Rong Tribe spies as a continuing priority.
• Yang Ling assigned Yun Ruo to coordinate the Public Security Division's support for the operation and said he would stay underground to avoid the Heavenly Wolf Guard.
• Sun Biao told Yang Ling that recruiting more Iron Clothes Constables and securing funding had to be discussed with Zhang Tie and the Patrol Division.