Chapter Summaries

Li Bufan returned to Blade Peak alone, endured its saber intent, and built a hut at two thousand zhang before studying the Songhe Gate’s rules and peak structure. He learned how the upcoming Inner Disciple assessment worked, then went to Miscellaneous Peak to ask about the other candidates.

• Ling Zhan told Li Bufan he would have to climb Blade Peak through his own ability, and Li Bufan set out alone.
• Li Bufan endured the saber intent at two thousand zhang and built a thatched hut beside a mountain stream.
• Li Bufan studied Ling Zhan’s jade slip and learned about the Songhe Nine Peaks, disciple ranks, and the Inner Disciple assessment on Thunderstrike Peak.
• Li Bufan wondered whether Yang Kai, Lin Gong, Zheng Haonan, and Wang Mingxuan had become Outer Disciples.
• Li Bufan descended Blade Peak and hurried toward Miscellaneous Peak to ask about them.

Li Bufan learned that his four friends had passed the entry assessment and become Outer Disciples, then returned to Blade Peak. With the Inner Disciple assessment a month away, he began studying alchemy and successfully refined his first Great Qi and Blood Pill, setting out to make alchemy part of his training routine.

• Li Bufan visited Miscellaneous Peak and learned that Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan had passed the assessment and been assigned to Body Peak and Scripture Peak; all four friends were Outer Disciples.
• Li Bufan returned to his hut on Blade Peak and decided to study alchemy for the upcoming Pill Combat Tournament, using Elder Chen's teachings and the jade slip.
• Li Bufan carefully studied the Great Qi and Blood Pill formula, processed the ingredients, and refined a pill with Crimson Fire Flowing Paste and the Twelve Basic Alchemy Forms.
• Li Bufan's Heaven Rewards Diligence destiny marked him as a First-Rank Alchemist, and he found that alchemy had consumed much of his divine sense and true qi.
• After recovering, Li Bufan noticed his divine sense had grown more solid and planned to practice martial arts by day, refine pills in the afternoon, and recover with the Constant Stillness One Scripture.

Li Bufan spent a month cultivating and preparing for the Inner Disciple trial, learning that Thunderstrike Peak’s centennial Lightning Tide would make the competition dangerous and offer rare Lightning Origin Liquid. On the morning of the trial, he set out from Blade Peak for Thunderstrike Peak in peak condition.

• Li Bufan reunited with Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan, who warned him that thunderstorms were intensifying and fewer Thunderstruck Woods were available for the upcoming assessment.
• Wang Mingxuan explained that Thunderstrike Peak was entering its centennial Lightning Tide, when rare Lightning Origin Liquid appeared, and Li Bufan considered whether lightning could help temper his body.
• Li Bufan spent the month improving his martial techniques, cultivation arts, and alchemy, then rested and adjusted his condition on the day before the trial.
• Li Bufan prepared his Azure Scale Saber and Storage Bag, confirmed that he was in peak condition, and used Dragon Roaming Steps to head for Thunderstrike Peak.

Li Bufan entered Thunderstrike Peak for the seven-day trial to obtain Thunderstruck Wood and become an Inner Disciple. After evading repeated lightning strikes, he reached Thunder Underworld Valley, where the chapter left him entering the valley.

• Lei Luo opened Thunderstrike Peak's formation and announced that disciples who obtained Thunderstruck Wood during the seven-day trial could become Inner Disciples.
• Li Bufan entered the formation and found that the mountain's violent lightning-infused Vital Energy could not safely replenish his true qi.
• Using Wang Mingxuan's information and a map he had memorized, Li Bufan set out for Thunder Underworld Valley, where Thunderstruck Wood was more likely to grow.
• Li Bufan dodged several powerful bolts of blue and purple lightning as he crossed the mountain.
• Li Bufan reached Thunder Underworld Valley and stepped toward its entrance.

Li Bufan entered Thunder Underworld Valley and found a lightning pool ringed with Thunderstruck Wood. When Brother Wang and his group tried to trick him into harvesting it for them, Li Bufan pretended to comply and moved as they let down their guard.

• Li Bufan braved increasingly frequent lightning strikes as he made his way toward the center of Thunder Underworld Valley.
• Li Bufan found the lightning pool and spotted several pieces of Thunderstruck Wood along its edge.
• Brother Wang arrived with seven or eight disciples and proposed that Li Bufan harvest the Thunderstruck Wood as a token of introduction.
• Li Bufan realized the group wanted him to risk being struck by lightning, then asked Brother Wang to demonstrate how to harvest the wood.
• Brother Wang told Li Bufan to wrap the Thunderstruck Wood in true qi, and Li Bufan pretended to approach the pool as the group relaxed.
• Li Bufan suddenly moved.

Li Bufan defeated a group of disciples in Thunder Underworld Valley and forced their leader to harvest all four Thunderstruck Woods for him. He then began testing the lightning pool’s Lightning Origin Liquid to temper his body.

• Li Bufan used Dragon Roaming Steps and Surging Waves Palm to knock down the disciples, leaving only the black-clothed man standing.
• Li Bufan broke the black-clothed man’s finger and forced him to harvest the Thunderstruck Woods under threat of being thrown into the lightning pool.
• The black-clothed man narrowly dodged a bolt of purple lightning, but Li Bufan took the first Thunderstruck Wood from him and made him harvest the other three.
• After collecting all four Thunderstruck Woods, Li Bufan let the black-clothed man leave and turned his attention to the lightning pool.
• Li Bufan touched the Lightning Origin Liquid and began circulating the Nine Revolutions Golden Wall Art to temper his body.

Li Bufan used the Lightning Origin Liquid and Crimson Fire Flowing Paste to rapidly strengthen his body and dantian, then practiced the Thunderclap Saber Technique on Thunderstrike Peak. With four days left, he began studying the lightning’s true nature in hopes of breaking through his saber skills.

• Li Bufan tempered his body in the lightning pool, gaining nearly a hundred proficiency points in the Nine Revolutions Golden Wall Art in an hour.
• Li Bufan used Crimson Fire Flowing Paste to purify the Lightning Origin Liquid, allowing him to absorb its Vital Energy and refine it into true qi.
• After three days, Li Bufan left the pool with his body saturated, his dantian expanded to four feet nine, and his cultivation greatly advanced.
• Li Bufan practiced the Thunderclap Saber Technique beside the pool and found his Saber Intent Art was one step from a breakthrough.
• With four days remaining, Li Bufan devoted himself to saber practice and realized lightning’s essence included its vast force and momentum, not only its speed.

At Thunder Underworld Valley, Li Bufan fused saber momentum with lightning’s power, breaking through in the Saber Intent Art and Thunderclap Saber Technique. He cleaved apart a lightning sphere with his new move, Severing Thunder, then left the valley.

• Li Bufan realized that lightning’s destructive force came from its speed and power combined, then used a slow, momentum-filled slash to split a bolt of lightning.
• Li Bufan repeatedly slashed apart lightning bolts, deepening his saber intent until he reached Minor Mastery in the Saber Intent Art and Great Mastery in the Thunderclap Saber Technique.
• A purple lightning sphere formed from the thunderclouds and pursued Li Bufan, who chose to face it rather than run.
• Li Bufan unleashed his full strength and cleaved the lightning sphere in two, naming his strongest slash Severing Thunder.
• Li Bufan watched the thunderclouds disperse and left Thunder Underworld Valley after completing his training.

Li Bufan explored Thunderstrike Peak and followed a cultivator into the thunderclouds above Lightning Drawing Peak, where he discovered seven kinds of heavenly lightning. The lightning attacked him and sealed his way out, leaving him trapped despite his strongest saber techniques.

• Li Bufan set out to visit Lightning Drawing Peak after deciding he had secured an Inner Disciple spot with four pieces of Thunderstruck Wood.
• Li Bufan climbed Lightning Drawing Peak, shattering the lightning bolts along the way with his saber.
• Li Bufan saw a green-robed cultivator rise into the thunderclouds and followed them inside.
• Li Bufan discovered seven-colored heavenly lightning and headed toward the Water Lightning and Fire Lightning to temper his body.
• The seven kinds of lightning attacked Li Bufan, burning his flesh and sealing the exit.
• Li Bufan used Thunderclap Slash, Thunderclap Flash, and Severing Thunder to open a gap, but the lightning quickly filled it again.

Li Bufan escaped Thunderstrike Peak’s heavenly lightning, then spent three days recovering in the lightning pool and strengthening his body and dantian. He submitted his Thunderstruck Wood to Lei Luo and became an inner disciple of Songhe Gate.

• Li Bufan broke through the thundercloud with Chaos of Rivers and Mountains, escaped onto Thunderstrike Peak, and staggered back to Thunder Underworld Valley to recover.
• Li Bufan spent three days healing in the lightning pool, improving his Nine Revolutions Golden Wall Art and expanding his dantian while absorbing lightning origin liquid.
• Li Bufan left Thunderstrike Peak with four pieces of Thunderstruck Wood as the seven-day assessment ended.
• Lei Luo accepted the Thunderstruck Wood from the successful disciples and declared them inner disciples of Songhe Gate.
• Lei Luo gave Li Bufan and the other successful disciples silver inner disciple tokens.

After passing the Inner Disciple trial, Li Bufan went with Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan to Cloud Stream Market to celebrate. At Cloud Rain Residence, he used his new silver token to call up the restaurant’s menu.

• Lei Luo instructed Li Bufan to register his blood on the silver token, then announced the end of the Inner Disciple trial and departed.
• Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan met Li Bufan at the foot of Thunderstrike Peak and congratulated him on becoming an Inner Disciple.
• Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan explained Cloud Stream Market’s history, its traders, and the True Disciples who ran businesses there as the three traveled toward it.
• The three arrived at Cloud Stream Mountain and went to Cloud Rain Residence, where Wang Mingxuan explained that tokens displayed dishes and prices through a table array.
• Li Bufan placed his new silver token into the recess in their table.

Li Bufan, Wang Mingxuan, and Zheng Haonan browsed Cloud Rain Residence’s expensive dishes when Zhou Huofeng mocked Li Bufan for hesitating over the prices and claimed he had become an Inner Disciple through luck. Li Bufan challenged Zhou Huofeng to settle the dispute in the arena, and the two faced each other there.

• Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan suggested ordering costly dishes, while Li Bufan worried that the meal would be extravagant.
• Zhou Huofeng insulted the group, belittled Li Bufan’s promotion, and demanded that Li Bufan apologize before everyone.
• Li Bufan asked Wang Mingxuan about the rules and challenged Zhou Huofeng to fight in an arena.
• Zhou Huofeng accepted, displayed his fire-lotus movement technique, and went to the arena.
• Li Bufan followed Zhou Huofeng onto the arena as Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan warned him to be careful.

Li Bufan defeated Zhou Huofeng with a single palm strike after Zhou challenged him, then shared an extravagant meal with Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan. Afterward, the three walked to Cloud Stream Market, where Li Bufan began browsing the free trading stalls.

• Li Bufan used Dragon Roaming Steps and Surging Waves Palm to knock Zhou Huofeng out of the arena with one strike.
• Li Bufan calmly reminded Zhou Huofeng that their challenge had been fair, and Zhou's two companions carried him away in disgrace.
• Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan praised Li Bufan, and the three returned to Cloud Rain Residence to feast on costly dishes and wine.
• The three paid a bill of 129,600 taels and decided to walk through Cloud Stream Mountain to digest their meal.
• Li Bufan stopped at the free trading area of Cloud Stream Market, heard Wang Mingxuan's explanation, and began browsing the stalls.

Li Bufan explored Cloud Stream Market with Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan, buying a larger Storage Bag and discovering a lightning strike stone. Back at Blade Peak, the stone’s lightning power strengthened his body, and he ended the night cultivating and reflecting on the day’s gains.

• Li Bufan bought a five-hundred-tael lightning strike stone from a stall after sensing lightning power within it.
• Wang Mingxuan led Li Bufan and Zheng Haonan to Hundred Refinements Pavilion, where Li Bufan bought a hundred-zhang Storage Bag for eighty thousand taels.
• The three browsed shops across Cloud Stream Mountain, bought supplies, and parted at dusk after Li Bufan thanked Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan.
• Li Bufan returned to Blade Peak and increased the true qi he fed into the lightning strike stone, causing it to shatter and release lightning into his body.
• Li Bufan used Nine Revolutions Golden Wall Art to absorb the lightning power, raising his seventh revolution to 5521.
• Li Bufan cultivated with his martial techniques and absorbed the benefits of his meal before resting beneath the moonlight.

Li Bufan began competing at Hundred Battles Peak and won four arena matches in one day, including a bout against Shen Zhiwei. As he left at dusk, Pei Xuanzhou challenged him, and Li Bufan accepted after recalling the sect rules, landing the first powerful blow.

• Li Bufan registered for arena battles at Hundred Battles Peak and was assigned to arena B7.
• Li Bufan defeated Shen Zhiwei with his sixteen-layer Surging Waves Palm after learning she knew Lin Zhiyan.
• Li Bufan won all four of his matches that day, and his name began spreading through Hundred Battles Peak.
• Pei Xuanzhou of Flame Peak challenged Li Bufan after the day's matches had ended and taunted him when he initially declined.
• Li Bufan recalled that disciples could issue direct challenges, rushed Pei Xuanzhou with Dragon Roaming Steps, and knocked him back with a palm strike.

Li Bufan defeated Pei Xuanzhou in a challenge at Hundred Battles Peak by overwhelming him with superior saber intent and the Severing Thunder technique. Back at Blade Peak, he reflected on the challenges ahead, made three Great Qi and Blood Pills, and settled into his nightly cultivation.

• Li Bufan pressured Pei Xuanzhou with the Thunderclap Saber Technique, then struck him with Severing Thunder and forced him to retreat farther than Li did.
• Pei Xuanzhou revealed his saber intent, but Li Bufan’s stronger saber intent suppressed him and let Li defeat him with another Severing Thunder slash, knocking him out of the arena.
• Li Bufan took Pei Xuanzhou’s saber, returned it beside him, introduced himself as Blade Peak’s Li Bufan, and left Pei Xuanzhou in furious defeat.
• Li Bufan returned to his grass hut on Blade Peak, reviewed the day’s fights, and resolved to keep pursuing the goal of becoming the top Inner Disciple within a year.
• Li Bufan practiced alchemy and produced three Great Qi and Blood Pills, then circulated the Constant Stillness One Scripture beneath the moon.

Li Bufan continued his winning streak on Hundred Battles Peak, then fought Body Peak’s Jiang Boyang in a fierce unarmed match. After Li Bufan narrowly won, Jiang warned him that he had challenged him at the request of his senior brother, leaving Li Bufan wary of what might come next.

• Li Bufan won twenty-three consecutive matches over four days, earning the nickname “Thunderclap Saber.”
• Jiang Boyang challenged Li Bufan on behalf of Body Peak, and Li Bufan set aside his saber to fight him with his body.
• Jiang used the Vajra Elephant Throwing Technique to throw Li Bufan, but Li Bufan broke free with his Surging Waves Palm and Dragon Roaming Steps.
• The two fought at full strength until Li Bufan’s sixteen-layered palm strike sent Jiang tumbling from the arena, though Li Bufan was also badly hurt.
• Jiang congratulated Li Bufan, then warned him to be careful because his senior brother from Body Peak had requested the challenge.

After recovering from his battle with Jiang Boyang, Li Bufan decided to avoid further fights and focus on cultivation. He studied Elder Chen’s alchemy knowledge and began refining Great Qi and Blood Pills.

• Li Bufan healed his injuries and considered whether Jiang Boyang had been sent by Brother Wang’s side or Zhou Huofeng.
• Li Bufan decided to stop fighting for now, return to Blade Peak, and cultivate until he reached the third level of the dantian realm.
• At his cottage, Li Bufan reflected on Jiang Boyang’s techniques and saw that his Nine Revolutions Golden Wall Art proficiency had increased through combat.
• Li Bufan recognized the expense of his cultivation and decided to study alchemy, including for Elder Chen’s future pill combat tournament.
• Li Bufan spent two days studying Elder Chen’s jade slip, then set up his pill furnace and began refining Great Qi and Blood Pills.

Li Bufan reached Minor Mastery in alchemy by learning to refine multiple pills at once, then broke through the Constant Stillness One Scripture after exhaustion led him to sleep and the Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Pill Skill circulated on its own. He woke refreshed with a Sea of Consciousness expanded more than threefold.

• Li Bufan studied Elder Chen's method for splitting his mind and learned to refine multiple pills in one furnace.
• After seven days of practice, Li Bufan reached First-Rank Alchemist Minor Mastery and could refine six pills at once with a fifty percent success rate.
• Li Bufan found that his second-rank pill furnace limited further progress and put it away.
• Li Bufan struggled to break through the Constant Stillness One Scripture despite reaching 5000/5000 proficiency, then fell asleep from exhaustion.
• While Li Bufan slept, the Hibernating Dragon Sleeping Pill Skill circulated instinctively and drew Vital Energy into his Sea of Consciousness.
• Li Bufan woke to find the Constant Stillness One Scripture at Minor Mastery and his Sea of Consciousness expanded more than threefold.

After his divine consciousness broke through, Li Bufan sold his Great Qi and Blood Pills at Hundred Herbs Hall and went to Hundred Refinements Pavilion seeking a larger pill furnace. He found an enormous crimson furnace, though he had not yet learned its price or whether he would buy it.

• Li Bufan tested his expanded divine consciousness, Spirit Stab, and Spirit Control, then decided to seek a larger pill furnace.
• Li Bufan sold sixty Great Qi and Blood Pills to the shopkeeper at Hundred Herbs Hall for 3,600 taels of silver.
• Li Bufan searched the marketplace for a suitable pill furnace but found only small, low-grade options.
• Li Bufan asked an Inner Disciple at Hundred Refinements Pavilion for a large furnace, and the man brought out a gigantic crimson pill furnace.