Chapter Summaries

After a banquet at the Zhao Family, Zhao Jingyao secretly confessed her feelings to the sleeping Li Bufan and spent the night beside him. In the morning, Li Bufan found her in his bed and left without knowing what had happened, while Zhao Jingyao joined him in the courtyard and nervously asked whether he had slept well.

• Zhao Mengdong arranged a room for Li Bufan to stay in after the banquet.
• Zhao Jingyao visited Li Bufan while he slept, confessed that she liked him, and removed their upper garments before falling asleep beside him.
• Li Bufan woke, realized Zhao Jingyao was beside him, covered her with a quilt, and quietly left the room.
• Zhao Jingyao woke, dressed, and found Li Bufan practicing his fist techniques in the courtyard.
• Zhao Jingyao greeted Li Bufan and timidly asked whether he had slept well.

Li Bufan and Zhao Mengdong opened the Ten Thousand Spirits District as Great Flame’s Imperial Merchant, drawing crowds and merchants from across Flame Capital. After seven days of booming business, Zhao Mengdong established the Great Flame Chamber of Commerce as its first president, and he told Li Bufan that the Teleportation Formation would send him away the next day.

• Li Bufan and Zhao Jingyao joined Zhao Mengdong for the opening ceremony, where he credited the emperor and Li Bufan for the Ten Thousand Spirits District’s success.
• Li Bufan announced the opening, and Zhao Mengdong offered a ten percent discount, bringing a huge crowd into the district.
• Business owners from across Flame Capital arrived, praised Li Bufan, and joined Zhao Mengdong in setting aside past rivalries.
• The seven-day celebration filled the district with customers, while the merchants established the Great Flame Chamber of Commerce and elected Zhao Mengdong its first president.
• Zhao Mengdong thanked Li Bufan for helping the Zhao Family and said the Teleportation Formation would be ready to send him away the next day.

Li Bufan left Zhao Jingyao a letter of martial insights and departed through the Teleportation Formation without waking her. After reading his explanation that his heart belonged to someone else, Zhao Jingyao grieved but resolved to cultivate until she could become a Core Disciple of Songhe Gate.

• Zhao Jingyao prepared a medicinal bath for Li Bufan and struggled to confess her feelings before he gently rendered her unconscious.
• Li Bufan tucked Zhao Jingyao into bed, wrote her detailed insights into wind and cultivation, and explained that he already loved someone else.
• After washing with the cooled bathwater, Li Bufan left with an Attendant for the completed Teleportation Formation and did not look back.
• Zhao Jingyao awoke, read Li Bufan's letter, and wept over his departure and rejection.
• Zhao Mengdong comforted Zhao Jingyao, who vowed to cultivate diligently and become a Core Disciple of Songhe Gate.
• Zhao Jingyao later had Li Bufan's courtyard locked and kept the key, returning to read his papers and remember him.

After returning to Songhe Gate, Li Bufan cultivated until he reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm, then focused on consolidating his strength and honing his skills. When his progress stalled, he climbed Blade Peak to pay his respects to his master and test his saber intent.

• Li Bufan returned to Songhe Gate and went straight to Blade Peak to resume cultivation in his courtyard.
• After a month of secluded cultivation, Li Bufan reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm but held off on breaking through to the Acupoint Realm.
• Li Bufan practiced his martial arts, refined pills, cultivated his spiritual sense, and used a needle array to nourish his spirit herbs.
• When his cultivation hit a bottleneck, Li Bufan left his courtyard and headed up Blade Peak to visit his master and test his saber intent.
• Li Bufan climbed Blade Peak steadily as his Great Mastery saber intent dissolved and merged with the mountain's saber intent.

Li Bufan climbed Blade Peak to its summit, enduring Xie Qisha’s saber intent and strengthening his own. Xie Qisha praised his progress but told him to focus on developing a decisive saber strike, setting a higher standard for his path to becoming a true disciple.

• Li Bufan climbed to nine thousand zhang and fought through Xie Qisha’s manifested saber intent, gradually refining his own.
• At nine thousand five hundred zhang, Li Bufan nearly reached his limit before the saber-intent blades vanished and Xie Qisha called him to the summit.
• Li Bufan greeted Xie Qisha and recounted the opportunities and experiences he had gained during his half-year away from Blade Peak.
• Xie Qisha approved of Li Bufan’s progress in essence, qi, and spirit, then warned him that he needed one saber strike capable of deciding a battle.
• Xie Qisha said Li Bufan would train by climbing Blade Peak and would need to reach the summit to earn recognition as a true disciple.
• When Li Bufan asked whether eight thousand zhang was enough, Xie Qisha said his personally accepted disciple had to meet a far higher standard.

Li Bufan learned that Xie Qisha had secretly increased the pressure during his Core Disciple assessment, then continued training on Blade Peak while trying to understand his Master's words, “The saber path, ever-changing.” After reaching nine thousand two hundred zhang and being knocked back, he returned to his courtyard and practiced his saber forms in search of insight.

• Li Bufan asked Xie Qisha why the pressure at five thousand zhang during his assessment had exceeded the pressure at eight thousand zhang, and Xie Qisha revealed that he had arranged for extra saber intent to test him.
• Xie Qisha sent Li Bufan back to his courtyard and left him with the words, “The saber path, ever-changing.”
• Li Bufan climbed Blade Peak each day, strengthening his saber intent and Greedy Wolf Saber Technique as he advanced to nine thousand two hundred zhang.
• While pondering what “ever-changing” meant, Li Bufan lost focus and was struck by a saber-intent blade, but used Windfire Wandering Step to land safely below.
• Li Bufan returned to his courtyard, meditated on the Saber Intent Art and Greedy Wolf Saber Technique, then drew the Seven Killings Blade and practiced his learned forms without using true qi.

Li Bufan understood Five Elements Blade Transformation and refined the Greedy Wolf Saber Technique through relentless practice. After eighteen days of training, he broke through the blade intent barring the summit and reached the top of Blade Peak, where Xie Qisha praised him.

• Li Bufan realized he needed to merge the five elements with blade intent, letting their qualities perform the functions of blade intent.
• He practiced the Five Greedy Wolf Blades through the night, gained nearly a thousand points of proficiency, and strengthened his Five Elements True Meaning.
• Li Bufan resumed training on Blade Peak and spent eighteen days steadily advancing to the 9,900-zhang mark.
• He used Five Elements Turning Wheel to split the blade intent blocking his path and climbed the final distance to Blade Peak's summit.
• Li Bufan surveyed the summit and howled toward the heavens, and Xie Qisha appeared behind him and said, "Not bad."

Li Bufan trained with Xie Qisha and, with Li Tianying’s help, broke through to the Acupoint Realm. Xie Qisha tasked him with winning the Nine Peaks Martial Meet in three months, and Li Bufan began consolidating his new cultivation.

• Li Bufan tested his Five Elements Blade Transformation against Xie Qisha, who pushed him through a hundred exchanges and praised his progress.
• Li Tianying used arrays to gather vital energy and guided Li Bufan in cultivating the Circulatory Stars Diagram.
• After three days and nights, Li Bufan opened his first acupoint and formed a corresponding qi point, entering the Acupoint Realm.
• Li Tianying urged Li Bufan to use his brief perception of heaven and earth to refine his martial techniques, which all advanced considerably.
• Xie Qisha told Li Bufan to win the Nine Peaks Martial Meet in three months to become a True Disciple of Blade Peak.
• Li Bufan thanked Xie Qisha, returned to his courtyard, and began consolidating his cultivation.

Li Bufan reviewed the Acupoint Realm and the methods for opening its open, hidden, and ashi acupoints. After cultivating overnight, he opened three meridian acupoints and continued forming qi acupoints with the Circulatory Stars Diagram.

• Li Bufan thought of Lin Zhiyan and resolved to discuss their relationship after the Nine Peaks Martial Meet, then returned his attention to cultivation.
• Li Bufan studied the three kinds of acupoints and learned from Li Tianying that cultivators could open up to 360 in total.
• Li Bufan examined the Five Elements Heaven Skill and Circulatory Stars Diagram and planned to open acupoints while building an exceptional foundation.
• Li Bufan cultivated overnight and opened three meridian acupoints, aided by his strong foundation and the Spring and Autumn Needle Technique.
• Li Bufan continued using the Circulatory Stars Diagram to form qi acupoints as his cultivation advanced.

After entering the Acupoint Realm, Li Bufan visited Li Tianying to thank him and learned that the Heavenly Path in the Central Heaven Domain offered cultivators a chance to reach a higher world. Inspired by the challenge, Li Bufan resolved to see the Heavenly Path for himself.

• Li Bufan practiced his martial arts and felt how his Acupoint Realm true qi flowed through his meridians, acupoints, and qi sea.
• Li Bufan visited Li Tianying on Formation Peak to thank him for helping him break through, and Li Tianying invited him to play chess.
• While they played, Li Bufan told Li Tianying that he wanted to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts, though he did not know where that path led.
• Li Tianying explained that the world contained five great domains and that the Central Heaven Domain was where the Heavenly Path descended once every thousand years.
• Li Tianying described how prodigies competed for a chance to travel the Heavenly Path to a higher world, and Li Bufan resolved to witness it himself.

Li Tianying explained the coming Heavenly Path selection and urged Li Bufan to earn a place on the Hidden Dragon List, while Li Bufan vowed to qualify. Li Bufan then visited Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan as they sparred on the mountainside, and greeted them after seeing their progress.

• Li Tianying told Li Bufan that the Heavenly Path would descend in about ten years and that the Nine Peaks Grand Competition was his immediate priority.
• Li Tianying explained that the four domains’ Hidden Dragon Lists would determine who could enter the Heavenly Origin Realm’s selection, and that the next evaluation was less than a year away.
• Li Bufan resolved to make the Hidden Dragon List, and Li Tianying sent him to visit Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan.
• Li Bufan arrived at the mountainside and watched Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan spar at the peak of the third level of the Dantian Realm.
• Li Bufan greeted Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan after they ended their sparring match.

Li Bufan fought Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan, revealed that he had reached the Acupoint Realm, and shared a meal with them as they discussed joining him once he became a True Disciple. After parting with his brothers, he returned to Blade Peak and resumed cultivating.

• Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan attacked Li Bufan together, but he broke Wang Mingxuan's array and repelled both of their coordinated strikes.
• Li Bufan praised their cultivation and revealed that he had reached the Acupoint Realm, shocking Zheng Haonan and Wang Mingxuan.
• Zheng Haonan invited Li Bufan and Wang Mingxuan to Cloud Rain Residence, where they celebrated and discussed the Nine Peaks Grand Competition and Li Bufan's plans to become a True Disciple.
• Wang Mingxuan and Zheng Haonan told Li Bufan they wanted to join him when he opened his own mountain peak, and Li Bufan promised to take them in.
• Wang Mingxuan paid for the meal, and the three friends strolled through the marketplace before returning separately late at night.
• Li Bufan returned to Blade Peak and cultivated in the Spirit-Gathering Needle Array, circulating the Five Elements Heaven Skill and gathering true qi in his acupoints.

Li Bufan reunited with Lin Gong and Yang Kai at Ice Peak, where he learned of their romances with Luo Xueyao and Luo Xuexi. The five friends set out together for Building Outside the Building in the Cloud Stream Mountain Range, while Li Bufan resolved to speak with Lin Zhiyan after the Nine Peaks Martial Meet.

• Li Bufan visited Ice Peak and reunited with Lin Gong and Yang Kai, whose cultivation had advanced during his absence.
• Li Bufan learned that Luo Xueyao had agreed to date Lin Gong and that Yang Kai and Luo Xuexi were together.
• Luo Xueyao welcomed Li Bufan after he apologized for disrupting their plans, and Yang Kai invited him to Building Outside the Building.
• Li Bufan agreed to treat the group to a meal, and the five headed together to the Cloud Stream Mountain Range.
• Li Bufan thought of Lin Zhiyan and resolved to find her after the Nine Peaks Martial Meet before the group admired Building Outside the Building.

Li Bufan and his companions explored Heavenflame Tower, shopped, and sampled Flame Peak delicacies at Blazing Flame Street. As they enjoyed the outing, Li Bufan thought of Lin Zhiyan and felt a lingering melancholy.

• Yang Kai, Lin Gong, Li Bufan, and the Luo sisters entered Building Outside the Building and chose to visit Flame Peak's Heavenflame Tower.
• Luo Xueyao and Lin Gong browsed Flame Pavilion, where she bought a red hairpin, while Yang Kai gave Luo Xuexi a silver bracelet.
• Li Bufan watched the couples together and wondered whether Lin Zhiyan had returned and still remembered him.
• The group explored more shops, and Li Bufan bought small gifts for Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an.
• Yang Kai and the others followed Luo Xueyao to Blazing Flame Street, where they sampled Flame Peak snacks and ate lunch.

At Heavenflame Tower, Li Bufan used his powerful Spiritual Sense to win valuable Fire Seeds from a rigged-looking game, then joined his companions for dinner. The group ended the day celebrating over Flame Peak's spicy cuisine.

• Luo Xueyao tried the pill-cauldron game but failed to catch any Fire Seeds and lost her three chances.
• Li Bufan paid ten origin stones and used his Object Manipulation Realm Spiritual Sense to retrieve one Rank Four, three Rank Three, and six Rank Two Fire Seeds.
• The stallholder demanded that Li Bufan return the Fire Seeds, but the crowd backed Li Bufan, and the stallholder left with his cauldron.
• Luo Xueyao praised Li Bufan, who said his stronger Spiritual Sense had let him locate the Fire Seeds.
• Yang Kai apologized to Li Bufan over dinner, and the group enjoyed Flame Peak's spicy dishes together.

After sharing a lively meal at Flame Peak, Li Bufan noticed several people following him and confronted them on the mountain path. He recognized the disciple who had run a stall earlier among the group, and suspected they had come for his Fire Seeds.

• Li Bufan, Yang Kai, Lin Gong, and the Luo sisters shared food and wine, and Li Bufan agreed that he and Lin Gong would join Li Bufan if he opened a mountain peak.
• The group left Building Outside the Building after Yang Kai and Lin Gong drank too much, and Li Bufan paid the bill.
• Li Bufan detected several figures following them down the mountain and sent the Luo sisters away with Yang Kai and Lin Gong.
• Li Bufan used Windfire Wandering Step to confront the followers in the woods and recognized the stall-running disciple among them.
• Li Bufan suspected the group wanted his Fire Seeds and saw that their leader was a powerful Acupoint Realm cultivator.

Li Bufan avoided a fight with Yan Jiancheng by earning his respect and friendship, then returned to Blade Peak to cultivate. After opening all 180 Acupoints during two months of seclusion, he opened his first Hidden Acupoint and felt his power surge.

• Yan Jiancheng learned Li Bufan's identity, abandoned his claim to the Fire Seeds, and made peace with him because he admired Li Bufan's strength and his opposition to Zhou Huoyun.
• Li Bufan and Yan Jiancheng talked about the peaks and the Nine Peaks Martial Meet before parting at the foot of the Cloud Stream Mountain Range.
• Li Bufan reflected that strength determined how others treated cultivators, then returned to Blade Peak and resumed cultivation.
• After two months of seclusion, Li Bufan opened all 180 Acupoints and began cultivating his Hidden Acupoints with help from an essence stone.
• Li Bufan repeatedly drove true qi into his first Hidden Acupoint until it opened, causing his aura and strength to surge.

Li Bufan opened his first Hidden Acupoint and demonstrated the growing power of his cultivation before Gu Moxie challenged him to spar. Their duel on Hundred Battles Peak escalated from lightning techniques to Li Bufan’s Surging Waves Palm, and Gu Moxie urged him to fight in earnest.

• Li Bufan advanced to Minor Mastery of the Acupoint Realm by opening his first Hidden Acupoint and practiced Dragon Tiger Fist, destroying his courtyard with its power.
• Gu Moxie visited Li Bufan, teased him about the damage to his courtyard, and raced with him across the Songhe Nine Peaks.
• Li Bufan and Gu Moxie took positions on Hundred Battles Peak and began testing each other with lightning-aspected attacks.
• Li Bufan used Surging Waves Palm, but Gu Moxie pierced through the giant handprint with a focused finger blast.
• Gu Moxie asked Li Bufan to stop holding back, and Li Bufan unleashed the True Meanings of Wind and Fire together.

Li Bufan and Gu Moxie traded increasingly powerful attacks on Hundred Battles Peak, testing their physiques and mastery of wind, thunder, saber, and sword. Their final exchange ended evenly, with both preparing to continue the duel.

• Li Bufan attacked Gu Moxie with interwoven wind and fire, but Gu Moxie dispelled the assault with Profound Yang Seal and met Li Bufan's Dragon Tiger Majesty with Wind Thunder Palm.
• Li Bufan activated Nine Yang Body Protection and attacked with golden dragon and tiger forms, while Gu Moxie combined wind and thunder to challenge him.
• Their clashes shattered Li Bufan's golden protection and left lightning injuries, which he healed with the Wood True Meaning of Five Elements Heaven Skill.
• Gu Moxie formed a thunder sword, and Li Bufan answered with a golden longsaber as both prepared their strongest sword and saber techniques.
• Li Bufan's Chaos of Rivers and Mountains met Gu Moxie's Long Wind Shadow Sweep, and their water saber intent and wind swords canceled each other out.

Li Bufan and Gu Moxie fought an intense battle on Hundred Battles Peak, trading powerful elemental techniques until their final attacks flattened the summit. After praising each other, Gu Moxie warned that his last move, Soul-Seizing Thunder, targeted the Spirit Sea, but Li Bufan agreed to face it.

• Li Bufan and Gu Moxie exchanged fire, lightning, wind, and earth techniques, each countering the other's attacks.
• Li Bufan unleashed Five Elements Blade Transformation while Gu Moxie answered with a fusion of wind, thunder, water, and fire; their collision sheared the peak into a flat platform.
• The two landed, clasped fists, praised each other, and laughed after their fierce contest.
• Gu Moxie asked Li Bufan to receive one final move, and Li Bufan accepted without hesitation.
• Gu Moxie warned that Soul-Seizing Thunder attacked the Spirit Sea and could severely damage Spiritual Sense, but Li Bufan urged him to use it.