Chapter Summaries

Yang Ling received his Eighth-Rank Iron Clothes Constable promotion and learned that his Thief-Catching Saber Technique proficiency could be inherited by the Tiger Catching Saber Technique. After improving his skills and cultivating, he was told that a guest had arrived to see him.

• Lin Yan brought Yang Ling to a residence and offered him a room, introducing Yun Niang as his beloved.
• Yang Ling equipped his Eighth-Rank Iron Clothes, inspected his rewards, and learned the Tiger Catching Saber Technique, which could later lead to Dragon Catching Saber Technique.
• Yang Ling inherited half of his Thief-Catching Saber Technique proficiency, raising Tiger Catching Saber Technique to 3,900 proficiency, then used six Spirit Nurturing Pills to raise it to 6,900.
• Yang Ling cultivated the Vajra Mingwang Technique and checked his improved attributes after his promotion increased his Insight uses.
• Yun Niang told Yang Ling that a guest had arrived to see him.

Yang Ling accepted twenty Spirit Nurturing Pills from Bai Zhixing, then went to Changhe Prefecture’s Martial Market to look for pills and learn where to buy martial goods. When Wen You demanded to inspect Yang Ling’s Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe, Yang Ling refused and tried to leave, but a Shizi Gang member blocked his way.

• Bai Zhixing thanked Yang Ling for killing Qi Dalong and gave him twenty Spirit Nurturing Pills as a gift.
• Yang Ling accepted the pills and planned to use them to advance his Tiger Catching Saber Technique to Perfected Skill.
• Lin Yan directed Yang Ling to the licensed Martial Market in the north of the Prefecture.
• Yang Ling visited a blacksmith shop and asked whether it sold mining pickaxes, but the assistant said it did not.
• Wen You arrived with the Shizi Gang, demanded to inspect Yang Ling’s hoe, and sent a companion to block Yang Ling when he refused and turned to leave.

Yang Ling visited a blacksmith shop to have a Crane-Mouth Hoe made, and Wen You recognized him as a high-ranking Iron Clothes officer and apologized for the gang’s earlier disrespect. Master Craftsman said he could make a better hoe using Hundred Refined Red Gold, and the chapter ended as he explained its steep material cost.

• Wen You recognized Yang Ling as the exceptionally young Eighth Rank Iron Clothes and Upper Eighth Rank expert, then slapped himself and his men to apologize.
• Wen You urged Master Craftsman to help Yang Ling, and the craftsman examined Yang Ling’s Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe.
• Master Craftsman said he could not improve the hoe using ordinary red gold but could use Hundred Refined Red Gold to improve its mining speed and efficiency.
• Master Craftsman explained that five liang of Hundred Refined Red Gold would cost five hundred taels of silver, with additional minerals needed to forge the hoe.

Yang Ling visited the Chu Family Medicine Store to buy Spirit Nurturing Pills, but Chu Huatian offered him the pills for free and then revealed he needed help. He begged Yang Ling to save the store after uncovering years of theft from its Inner Vault.

• Wen You brought Yang Ling and the Shizi Gang to the pharmacy, where Chu Huatian welcomed Yang Ling and offered him twenty high-quality Spirit Nurturing Pills for free.
• Yang Ling refused the gift and started to leave, demanding that Chu Huatian state what he wanted.
• Chu Huatian mentioned that the store also had a Peiyuan Pill, prompting Yang Ling to offer to discuss helping him with a nonviolent problem.
• Chu Huatian asked Wen You and the others to leave, then knelt with the Fat Shopkeeper and pleaded with Yang Ling to save the Chu Family Medicine Store.
• Chu Huatian explained that the store had discovered medicinal herbs missing from its Inner Vault for years.

Yang Ling declined Chu Huatian’s request to help the Chu Family Medicine Store over stolen herbs linked to the Rong Tribe, then used Spirit Nurturing Pills to perfect his Tiger Catching Saber Technique. The next morning, he and Lin Yan arrived at the government office and were summoned to a Public Security Division meeting.

• Chu Huatian told Yang Ling that a Rong Tribe Spy had stolen about twenty thousand taels’ worth of herbs from the Chu Family Medicine Store, and Yang Ling warned that the family could still be responsible for negligence or collusion.
• Yang Ling refused to promise help with the investigation, leaving Chu Huatian worried that the Chu Family would not escape the consequences.
• Yang Ling declined Wen You’s invitation to drink, swallowed Spirit Nurturing Pills, and advanced his Tiger Catching Saber Technique to Perfected Skill before saving the remaining pills for later.
• After practicing the Vajra Mingwang Technique, Yang Ling went to the government office with Lin Yan, where Lü Zhan summoned him to a Public Security Division meeting at Minister Shi’s order.

Yang Ling joined a discussion about Medicinal Herbs from the Chu family found among the Rong Tribe, while Sun Biao argued that the evidence needed careful investigation. Shi Xin and Yun Ruo agreed on a plan to detain the Chu family’s key figures and inspect its records and warehouses.

• Shi Xin introduced Yun Ruo as an Upper Eighth Rank Expert, though Yang Ling judged her to be a Seventh-rank Expert based on her abilities.
• Yun Ruo asked Yang Ling about his internal cultivation method, but Sun Biao stopped her from pressing him on the private matter.
• Sun Biao described the Chu family’s long history and argued that the small quantity of Medicinal Herbs found with the Rong Tribe did not prove the family was involved in spying.
• Yun Ruo agreed that the discovery could be a ploy by the Rong Tribe Spy, and she and Shi Xin settled on detaining the family’s key figures while checking its accounts.
• Shi Xin and Yun Ruo led two groups toward the Chu family to begin the investigation.

Yun Ruo led the Iron Clothes Department to seal the Chu Family’s medicine warehouse and investigate whether the family had supplied herbs to the Rong Tribe. As Shi Xin questioned the warehouse managers, one said the stolen herbs had been released against requisition slips bearing Chu Yuan Chu’s signature and seal.

• Yun Ruo arrived at the Chu Family with the Iron Clothes Department and announced she would seal the medicine warehouse and inspect its ledgers over herbs found in Rong Tribe territory.
• Chu Yuan Chu gathered the family members and managers, while Shi Xin criticized him for waiting until the department uncovered the matter to speak up.
• Shi Xin and his team entered the courtyard, where Lü Zhan’s men kept the Chu Family members under watch as Yun Ruo’s subordinates began the inspection.
• Chu Yuan Chu explained the situation to his family, and several relatives denied involvement in the family business or any ties to the Rong Tribe.
• Shi Xin questioned three men who managed the warehouse stock, and one said the herbs had been released on requisition slips bearing Chu Yuan Chu’s signature and seal, though some slips might have been forged.

Yang Ling identified Chu Huasheng as a suspect by detecting blood and locust-tree scents and noticing marks on his hands. Lü Zhan found Shopkeeper Qian’s buried body in the West Suburbs, leaving Chu Huasheng pale and Master Yun Ruo astonished.

• Shi Xin ordered Lü Zhan to punish Chu Huasheng, but Yang Ling stopped them and examined Chu Huasheng.
• Yang Ling detected blood and locust-tree scents and pointed out that Chu Huasheng’s scraped palms looked like they had been used for digging.
• Shi Xin sent Lü Zhan and a dozen constables to search the West Suburbs despite Master Yun Ruo’s doubts.
• Lü Zhan returned about an hour later with a corpse that Chu Yuan Chu recognized as Shopkeeper Qian.
• Master Yun Ruo asked Yang Ling how he had discovered the body.

Yang Ling rejected Yun Ruo’s offer to join Second Division, accepted Shi Xin’s promise of a future Position of Master, and prepared to return to Qingshan City. After receiving ten Peiyuan Pills from the Chu Family, he checked the Divine Realm rankings and told Yun Niang to inform Old Lin he was leaving.

• Yun Ruo tried to recruit Yang Ling, but he refused and credited Shi Xin for advancing his career.
• Shi Xin promised Yang Ling a commendation and a possible Position of Master if he returned to Changhe Prefecture within a year.
• Chu Huatian gave Yang Ling a box containing ten Peiyuan Pills in thanks for his help.
• Yang Ling checked the Divine Realm Rank List, saw that Lin Caiyi and others were close behind him, and decided to wait until Level 30 before taking the pills.
• Yang Ling told Yun Niang to inform Old Lin that he was returning to Qingshan City.

Luo Yu demanded that Yang Ling provide Martial Arts manuals and Constable positions in the name of fairness, but Yang Ling refused to give Players anything without equal value in return. He ordered the Players expelled from the Red Gold Mine and left them to seek work and official identities in Qingshan City.

• Luo Yu confronted Wu Xiaochen and demanded Martial Arts manuals and at least ten Constable positions for the Players.
• Gao Chen and his two companions chose to stay out of the dispute and quietly focus on growing stronger.
• Yang Ling returned, heard Wu Xiaochen's report about falling mine production, and asked Luo Yu what he could offer in exchange for the requested help.
• Yang Ling rejected Luo Yu's appeal to fairness and suggested he seek help from other top-ranked Players instead.
• Yang Ling ordered the Mine Guards to clear the Players out of the Red Gold Mine, and he told them they could earn money in Qingshan City and obtain identities through Chen Guoqing.

Yang Ling and Little White were trapped in a Stone Cave between two Overlord Ghost Spiders, so they tried to break through a wall. Yang Ling killed one spider with his enhanced speed and strength, but the second leaped into the cave to attack.

• Yang Ling saw two Overlord Ghost Spiders blocking the way out, and Little White led him to a crack in the Stone Cave wall.
• Yang Ling and Little White dug at the wall, but an Overlord Ghost Spider climbed into the cave while Yang Ling held his Invisibility Talisman ready.
• Yang Ling inspected the spider’s Attribute Panel and decided his speed could overcome its powerful strength.
• Yang Ling activated his techniques, reached 110 agility, and killed the Overlord Ghost Spider with his Dragon Bone Saber.
• The second Overlord Ghost Spider fired spider silk at Yang Ling, then leaped from the Dark River and charged into the Stone Cave.

Yang Ling collected valuable loot from the Overlord Ghost Spiders and opened the Golden Treasure Chest, which contained Divine Ape Visualization, a technique that increased Mental Power. He learned it and discovered it could eventually grant Object Control.

• Yang Ling found a Second-rate Twelve-Style Vajra Leg manual and a Hundred-Year Fire Ginseng among the Overlord Ghost Spiders' drops.
• Yang Ling learned Twelve-Style Vajra Leg and stored the Fire Ginseng to try later.
• Yang Ling opened the Golden Treasure Chest and found the Divine Ape Visualization picture.
• Yang Ling comprehended Divine Ape Visualization and saw that its later stages increased Mental Power and granted Object Control.

Yang Ling consumed Fire Ginseng, which dramatically improved his level, attributes, skills, and Qi and Blood, and advanced his Divine Ape Visualization. He used a Peiyuan Pill to build experience in the visualization and began taking a second one as he aimed to advance it further.

• Yang Ling decided to save his Peiyuan Pills until the Divine Ape Visualization was closer to its next advancement.
• Yang Ling ate the Fire Ginseng, which raised his level twice, increased his skills and Qi and Blood, and advanced the Divine Ape Visualization to First Glimpse of the Door.
• Yang Ling put his two Free Attribute Points into Agility after discovering they could not increase his Mental Power.
• Yang Ling checked the Divine Realm Rank List and saw that he had widened his lead over Lin Caiyi and the other ranked players.
• Yang Ling used a Peiyuan Pill on the Divine Ape Visualization, waited until it gained 500 Experience Points, and took a second pill after inspecting the Red Gold Mine.

Yang Ling discovered that combining Tiger Catching Saber Technique, Lingxu Step, and Twelve-Style Vajra Leg let him raise all three skills’ proficiency at once, and he calculated how quickly his training could advance. That night, four Warrior Monks from Ku Jue Temple entered his courtyard, led by Hui Wu, and Yang Ling asked what they wanted.

• Yang Ling confirmed that practicing his three Martial Skills together increased each skill’s proficiency in sync.
• Yang Ling calculated that his training could raise all three skills by up to 300 proficiency points per day and imagined becoming a West-Rank Grandmaster.
• After nightfall, four Warrior Monks from Ku Jue Temple approached Yang Ling in his courtyard.
• Yang Ling inspected Hui Wu’s Attribute Panel and noted his strong Strength and practiced Ku Jue Heart Sutra.
• Yang Ling asked the four monks what brought them there, and one replied that their clothing should identify them as members of Ku Jue Temple.

Yang Ling faced Hui Wu and three Ku Jue Temple monks who demanded his secret to rapid Leveling Up, but he insisted that mining was the explanation. Hui Wu threatened to kill him, and Yang Ling compared their Cultivation Methods as the confrontation continued.

• Yang Ling identified Hui Wu and the others as Ku Jue Temple Players and said mining the Red Gold Mine had helped him Level Up.
• The monks demanded Yang Ling reveal his secret and offered Ku Jue Temple's protection, while Yang Ling refused and told them to return to their religious practice.
• Hui Wu calmly asked Yang Ling to hand over the secret, and the other monks urged Hui Wu to kill him for Experience Points.
• Yang Ling questioned Hui Wu about the Ku Jue Heart Sutra, learning that Hui Wu had reached Mastery Through Practice and gained 40 Strength while circulating energy.
• Hui Wu claimed his Cultivation Method and Martial Skills gave him the advantage despite Yang Ling's higher level.

Yang Ling killed Hui Wu and the three monks who had come to the Red Gold Mine, then reconsidered how to divide his time between leveling and cultivation. He moved his training to a hidden chamber in Mine Tunnel 36 and began using Peiyuan Pills to advance the Vajra Mingwang Technique.

• Hui Wu realized Yang Ling was an Upper Eighth Rank Martial Artist and died with his Health Points depleted, regretting that he had come.
• Yang Ling killed the three fleeing monks, searched the four bodies, and hid them deep in Mine Tunnel 36.
• Yang Ling calculated that his cultivation methods left him only eleven hours for Martial Skills practice and chose to prioritize Peiyuan Pills over leveling.
• Yang Ling carved a hidden stone chamber in Mine Tunnel 36, stationed Little White there, and swallowed a Peiyuan Pill to increase the Vajra Mingwang Technique's Experience.

Luo Yu argued with Chen Guoqing over work, Class Transfer, and his plan to form a gang in Qingshan City. When Wen You arrived seeking Yang Ling, Luo Yu reported Yang Ling’s origins as unknown, then admitted he was still a refugee applying for an official identity.

• Luo Yu asked Chen Guoqing to help him and his colleagues find better work and support a new gang, but Chen Guoqing refused to secure territory for them.
• Chen Guoqing warned Luo Yu that the Divine Domain was dangerous and said Hui Wu and Luo Kai had died.
• Wen You arrived at the Iron Clothes Department Yamen and asked to meet Yang Ling.
• Luo Yu reported Yang Ling for having unknown origins and being unfit to serve as Constable.
• Wen You asked Luo Yu where he was from, and Luo Yu said he was still a refugee applying for an official identity.

Yang Ling mined Red Gold Mine at extraordinary speed, gaining experience until his hoe overheated, then continued training while it cooled. Meanwhile, Chen Guoqing and his companions arrived at the mine village and learned Yang Ling was living in a mine shaft.

• Yang Ling used the Vajra Mingwang Technique and Furious Ten Consecutive Strikes to mine a large pile of Red Gold Mine while Little White ate insect pupae.
• After his Qi and Blood ran dry, Yang Ling continued mining with Lingxu Step and the Dragon Bone Saber, increasing his agility and gaining more experience.
• Yang Ling mined until the Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe became scorching hot and began smoking, then set it down to cool and practiced the Three Martial Skills.
• Chen Guoqing arrived at Red Gold Mine, greeted Chen Xu, and asked where Yang Ling was.
• Chen Xu told Chen Guoqing, Wen You, Chu Huatian, and Bai Zhixing that Yang Ling had been living in a mine shaft and rarely came out.

Yang Ling exchanged a massive haul of Red Gold Mine ore before meeting Wen You, who told him the Public Security Division First Branch had requested the Iron Clothes Art for him. The news suggested Yang Ling could enter the Iron Clothes Department and eventually pursue higher-ranked cultivation arts.

• Yang Ling brought several bags of Red Gold Mine ore to Li Tianye and Wang Haodong, who weighed 273 jin, 6 liang, and 5 qian and paid him 517 liang and 3 qian.
• Chen Xu told Yang Ling that Wen You had been waiting in the village for three days, and Yang Ling went to meet him after collecting his earnings.
• Li Tianye told the Player miners that Yang Ling's huge haul came from hard work, not realizing Yang Ling had mined it in just three days.
• Wen You told Yang Ling that Sun Biao had requested a copy of the Iron Clothes Art from the Capital City and explained that it could lead to higher-ranked cultivation arts.

Wen You told Yang Ling about the Water Qilin Cave, its dangers, and the Water Bodhi, then offered him Peiyuan Pills and invited him to become the Shizi Gang’s Supreme Elder. Yang Ling rejected the position, while Wen You urged him to plan for the cave.

• Wen You explained that the Water Qilin Cave stayed open for ten days and that the awakened Water Qilin made it deadly to remain there.
• Wen You said the Mine Gang had obtained Mysterious Ore from the cave and that a Water Bodhi had helped an Iron Clothes Department Grandmaster advance his cultivation.
• Yang Ling learned that the Water Bodhi was one of the twelve Martial Way Sacred Medicines, alongside the Fire Spirit Pearl and Crimson Wood Ghost Ginseng.
• Wen You gave Yang Ling five Peiyuan Pills on behalf of his father, Wen Kongxuan.
• Wen You invited Yang Ling to become the Shizi Gang’s Supreme Elder, but Yang Ling refused.
• Wen You set the invitation aside and urged Yang Ling to begin planning for the Water Qilin Cave.