Recaps

Jiang Ping learned that Fang Yong had defected to the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency, then pursued a Grandmaster Level sword art and a stronger cultivation technique. After two months of training, he reached Golden Skin.

• Escort Huang told Jiang Ping that Fang Yong had chosen to join the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency, ending the tension between the two agencies.
• Jiang Ping returned from an escort mission and decided to keep seeking a Master Realm skill before changing his plans.
• Jiang Ping traveled to the Prefecture City and bought the Grandmaster Level Ruoshui Swordplay for five hundred taels.
• Jiang Ping purchased the Crimson Blood Technique, returned to Yang City, and devoted himself to cultivation and sword training.
• Two months later, Jiang Ping broke through from Jade-like Iron Skin and achieved Golden Skin.

Jiang Ping reached great perfection in Golden Skin, tested its strength, and began cultivating Iron Bone as he advanced toward the Seventh Rank. While tempering his bones, he discovered an innate Martial Bone in his spine, then had to take an escort mission because he was nearly out of silver.

• Jiang Ping achieved Eighth Grade Golden Skin great perfection and found that his golden robe could withstand his Blazing Sun Sword Qi.
• Jiang Ping tested Ruoshui Sword Qi and stopped when its aura cracked his golden robe.
• Jiang Ping studied the Crimson Blood Technique and began tempering his bones toward Seventh Grade Iron Bone.
• Jiang Ping discovered an extra vertebra in his spine and identified it as a Martial Bone.
• Jiang Ping tempered his bones for several days and saw the Martial Bone reveal a jade-like luster and blurry inscriptions.
• Jiang Ping took an escort mission because he had almost no silver left.

At Escort Huang’s promotion banquet, Jiang Ping was asked to choose five new members for Huang’s team and selected Sun Qi and Qian Dele among them. After a smooth escort journey to the Prefecture City, Jiang Ping visited an old bookstore to investigate the secret of martial bones and found a connection to the Blood Art.

• Huang Youren celebrated breaking through to the Eighth Rank, while Escort Huang and others discussed Fang Yong’s departure and his rapid progress.
• Jiang Ping learned that Sun Qi and Luo Tiegen had been injured by bandits during an escort mission.
• Escort Huang announced that he was expanding his team by five escorts and let Jiang Ping choose them; Jiang Ping selected Sun Qi and Qian Dele first.
• Several days later, Sun Qi and Qian Dele joined Escort Huang and Jiang Ping on a mission to deliver goods to the Prefecture City.
• After delivering the goods, Jiang Ping visited an old bookstore and discovered that martial bones were connected to the Blood Art.

Jiang Ping studied Blood Techniques and learned that his Martial Bones could be stolen, so he resolved to conceal them until he reached the Fifth Grade Realm. The next morning, Escort Huang’s group set out for Yang City, where Jiang Ping secretly used Sword Qi to drive off the Robbing Bandits following them.

• Jiang Ping learned that Martial Bones could be transplanted and searched the ancient texts for a way to hide his own.
• Jiang Ping resolved to learn the Blood Escape Technique and keep his Martial Bone aptitude secret until reaching the Fifth Grade Realm.
• Jiang Ping met Liu Wensheng, Qian Dele, and Sun Qi before the group returned to the inn.
• The next morning, Huang Youren led the escorts out of Prefecture City toward Yang City.
• Jiang Ping recognized five Robbing Bandits following the escort group, including their Seventh Rank leader.
• Jiang Ping unleashed Sword Qi that forced the bandits to their knees, then let Escort Huang believe the danger had passed.

Jiang Ping broke through to the Seventh Rank and later revealed his rapid progress to Huang Youren, explaining his family troubles and his need for resources. Huang Youren recognized Jiang Ping’s exceptional talent and promised to secure cultivation resources for him despite the Escort Agency’s focus on Ji Baichuan.

• Jiang Ping broke through to the Seventh Rank and tested his powerful Sword Qi, nearly damaging his Golden Robe.
• Jiang Ping revealed his Ninth-Rank Great Accomplishment cultivation to Huang Youren, who was astonished by his progress.
• Jiang Ping told Huang Youren how his family had obstructed his path and admitted that he feared Chen An but needed resources.
• Jiang Ping confessed that he had made Head Escort Zhu take the blame in the Blood Case and revealed that he had bought the Blazing Sun Sword Art.
• Jiang Ping said he wanted to lead Escort Missions and hoped to reconcile with the Chen Family father and son.
• Huang Youren promised to use his influence to secure resources for Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping revealed his exceptional talent to the Four Seas Escort Agency and gained the head escorts’ approval and promise of greater support. News spread through Yang City, while martial academies and other young talents reacted to his rise and weighed it against their own prospects.

• Jiang Ping demonstrated Ninth-Rank Great Accomplishment Blood Armor, Flying Snow Saber Qi, and Riding the Wind Sword Qi, astonishing the head escorts.
• The Chief Escort praised Jiang Ping’s talent as comparable to Chen An’s and agreed to report his case and allocate him resources after Jiang Ping asked to take on the Mighty Drafter.
• Word of Jiang Ping’s talent spread through Yang City, and Jidao Martial Academy regretted that Chen Weimin had kept him from joining them.
• Ji Baichuan told Song Yuanshan that he had cultivated Golden Bone and that Master Lin would devote his resources to Ji Baichuan’s Martial Examination challenge.
• Fang Yong dismissed Jiang Ping as a threat, citing Ji Baichuan’s access to resources, and continued training toward Fifth Rank.

Jiang Ping moved into a spacious new home and received five thousand taels plus several cultivation manuals from the Four Seas Escort Agency. He planned to use the resources to advance rapidly, possibly reaching the Golden Bone Realm.

• The head escorts debated Jiang Ping's support and learned that Ji Baichuan had agreed to undertake a dangerous task for the Chief after reaching the Fifth Grade Realm.
• Jiang Ping invited Escort Huang and his aunt to celebrate his move into a large new home.
• Zhu Yue gave Jiang Ping five thousand taels and manuals that included the Blood Escape Technique and two Offensive Techniques.
• Jiang Ping asked about the Invincible Vajra and learned that a neighboring family's collection might include a costly Concept Level Blade Art.
• After Zhu Yue left, Jiang Ping decided to use his silver on nutritious food to rapidly improve his strength and try to reach the Golden Bone Realm.

Jiang Ping refined his cultivation with Lingxi Meat, received a brief reconciliation letter from Chen An, and rapidly advanced through the Ninth and Eighth Grade Realms. As Song Yuanshan questioned whether Jiang Ping should pursue Golden Bone, Zhu Yue explained that Song had spoken to protect Ji Baichuan’s claim on the Escort Agency’s resources.

• Jiang Ping ate two jin of Lingxi Meat per meal and decided to spend two months focusing on cultivation rather than taking escort missions.
• A servant delivered Chen An’s three-word letter, “Reconciliation reached,” and Jiang Ping burned it after reading it.
• Jiang Ping showed Head Escort Zhu Yue his Ninth-Rank Perfection blood qi, and Zhu Yue told him that a Concept-level Saber Technique had been removed from sale after great clans pressured the Merchant Guild.
• Fang Yong broke through to the Eighth Grade Realm, but Jiang Ping followed only days later and then surpassed him in Iron Skin cultivation.
• Song Yuanshan declared that Jiang Ping was too old to benefit from forging Golden Bone, and Zhu Yue told Jiang Ping that Song was trying to discourage the Chief from allocating more resources to him so Ji Baichuan could receive them instead.

Jiang Ping joined the Four Seas Escort Agency’s silver escort mission to earn money and advance his Jade Bone, despite the danger of protecting an orphan pursued by a Seventh Grade Golden Bone expert. As the mission departed, the frightened girl asked Jiang Ping whether she would die.

• Zhu Yue assured Jiang Ping that the Chief would still grant him three thousand taels and speculated that Ji Baichuan was being trained to fight the Chief’s Fifth Rank enemy.
• Jiang Ping asked to join the Chief Escort’s silver escort mission, and Zhu Yue agreed to seek the Chief Escort’s approval.
• The Chief Escort approved Jiang Ping’s participation, and Jiang Ping spent the next few days tempering his Jade Bone and preparing hidden weapons.
• At the mission’s departure, the Chief Escort revealed that the team was escorting an orphan whose family had been killed by enemies led by a Seventh Grade Golden Bone expert.
• The three head escorts balked at the danger, but the Chief Escort said the team would abandon the mission if they encountered the expert and had the girl hide in a cargo cart.
• Jiang Ping helped the girl into the cart, and she asked him whether she would die.

Jiang Ping and the Four Seas Escort Agency escorted Lu Yao out of Changping Prefecture while her enemies searched for her. After the convoy crossed into the prefecture where her relatives lived, the Chief Escort warned that its stronger martial artists could make the rest of the journey dangerous.

• The Chief Escort led the convoy out of Yang City under the Mighty Flag and hurried through Changping Prefecture to escape Lu Yao’s enemies.
• At a fork in the road, a bandit leader recognized the convoy’s strength and sent his men away, then agreed to guide Lu Yao’s pursuers to her.
• The convoy crossed out of Changping Prefecture five days later, changed to the Renyi Flag, and continued through two more prefectures as Lu Yao emerged from hiding.
• Jiang Ping helped the escorts defeat a bandit group whose leader was Seventh Rank, while Head Escort Zhu praised his strength.
• The Chief Escort warned Lu Yao that her relatives’ prefecture had many more powerful martial artists than Changping Prefecture.

Jiang Ping and the Four Seas Escort Agency became trapped in a county town where a Golden Bone genius preyed on travelers while local authorities looked away. When the outsiders fled in scattered groups, Jiang Ping doubled back and intercepted the roadblocker before he could attack the Chief Escort.

• Lu Yao thanked the escorts, then asked her distant relative whether she could learn martial arts.
• The Chief Escort learned that a roadblocker had robbed caravans and escort teams, and the group went to the county town for safety.
• Eleven Seventh Rank experts attacked the Golden Bone roadblocker, but all were defeated, and the last survivor died after reporting what happened.
• After a caravan was looted inside town and the authorities failed to act, the outsiders agreed to flee in scattered groups; Jiang Ping secretly returned to protect the Chief Escort.
• Jiang Ping caught up with the Chief Escort and blocked the bloodstained young roadblocker's path.

Jiang Ping ambushed and killed Yan Jue, a talented fighter who had been robbing caravans, then looted his belongings and continued toward Yang City. He left with nearly twenty thousand liang and a Concept-level saber technique.

• Jiang Ping ambushed Yan Jue on the road, and the two fought with Sword Qi and Saber Qi.
• Yan Jue pressed Jiang Ping into close combat, but Jiang Ping revealed his Golden Skin and Golden Bone and overwhelmed him.
• Yan Jue accused Jiang Ping of being Zhong Wuming or Li Qingqing before Jiang Ping killed him.
• Jiang Ping killed Yan Jue’s bandits and looted their silver, stolen goods, and the Autumn Leaf Saber Technique.
• Jiang Ping sold some of the stolen goods, changed horses, and hurried toward Yang City.

After returning to Yang City, Jiang Ping studied the Autumn Leaf Saber Technique alongside the Ruoshui Sword and rapidly advanced his Saber Qi, while discovering that mentally cultivating his Martial Dao overwhelmed him. The Chief Escort later told him that experts suspected a formidable Seventh Rank martial artist had killed Yan Jue, and Jiang Ping concealed that he was the killer.

• Jiang Ping returned to the Four Seas Escort Agency, where Escort Huang welcomed him and said the other escort leaders were still delivering the remaining goods.
• Jiang Ping used the Autumn Leaf Saber Technique and Ruoshui Sword to deepen his understanding, reached the Blade Qi Domain, and found that visualizing Martial Dao cultivation caused him unbearable pain.
• After recovering, Jiang Ping practiced with two mental figures and produced eight or nine strands of Saber Qi within four or five days.
• Jiang Ping visited the wounded Chief Escort with Lingxi Meat and heard that bandits had injured him during the final delivery.
• The Chief Escort explained that Yan Jue had been killed by a terrifying Seventh Rank expert with Golden Skin, Golden Bone, and eighty percent Sword Qi, and named several possible suspects from the Qingcheng Martial Examination.

Jiang Ping learned how formidable Changping Prefecture’s top geniuses were and discovered that the official tied to Yan Jue’s crimes had escaped punishment through powerful connections. He then strengthened his sword and saber skills, advanced his Jade Bone, and began to understand the blood technique inscribed on his Martial Bone.

• The Chief Escort told Jiang Ping that Changping Prefecture’s top five were at least Half-Step Fifth Rank, and that this year’s martial examination included a Martial Bone Prodigy.
• Jiang Ping learned that the archivist who had worked with Yan Jue was transferred to the provincial government and promoted despite his role in the Blood Case.
• Jiang Ping accepted three thousand taels, thanked the escort chiefs and Escort Huang, and commissioned a saber and a sword.
• Jiang Ping used both weapons to advance his Autumn Leaf Saber Technique, then experimented with two little men practicing swordsmanship and continued improving rapidly.
• Jiang Ping reached ninety percent Saber Qi, advanced his Jade Bone beyond halfway, and discovered that his Martial Bone’s blood technique could restore and double his combat strength.

Jiang Ping completed his Jade Bone and mastered the Innate Blood Technique, then tested his greatly increased strength. The Chief Escort sent him to Prefecture City with Ji Baichuan, Song Yuanshan, and Fang Yong to meet young talents and prepare for the Martial Examination.

• Jiang Ping finished transforming his bones into Jade Bone and mastered the Innate Blood Technique.
• Jiang Ping tested his Tenfold Realm Saber Qi and Imperial Green Robe, confirming his body could withstand the attack and his Blood Technique greatly increased his power.
• Jiang Ping was promoted to Fifth Head Escort after revealing his cultivation and skills, while continuing to train in private.
• The Chief Escort told Jiang Ping that Song Yuanshan and Ji Baichuan had reached Sixth Grade and planned to travel to Prefecture City with Fang Yong.
• The Chief Escort gave Jiang Ping silver and instructed him to travel with the others to meet competitors and spend time with Ji Baichuan.
• The next morning, Jiang Ping met Ji Baichuan, Song Yuanshan, Fang Yong, and two women traveling with them.

Jiang Ping joined the Yang City geniuses on their journey to the Prefecture City for the Martial Examination, meeting Wei Rou, Chen Qingyan, and Zhao Ming along the way. After impressing them with his swordsmanship, he resolved to reveal his abilities gradually and aim for the top twelve and the Provincial Graduate title while keeping his Martial Bone talent secret.

• Jiang Ping met Wei Rou and Chen Qingyan, then traveled toward the Prefecture City with Fang Yong, Song Yuanshan, and Ji Baichuan.
• Wei Rou told Jiang Ping that Chen Qingyan had resumed martial training and would focus on the Martial Dao until she reached the Peak.
• The group detoured to meet Zhao Ming, the county's sole genius, and toured the city before gathering for a moonlit picnic.
• Song Yuanshan defeated Zhao Ming in a technique exchange, and Zhao Ming challenged Jiang Ping, who left him nearly stripped after displaying his pinnacle Scorching Sun Swordplay.
• Jiang Ping decided to reveal his talent step by step to pursue the top twelve and the Provincial Graduate title, while concealing his Martial Bone talent.

Jiang Ping accepted Wei Rou’s profound Blade Art and traveled with the other Yang City geniuses to Prefecture City, where Chen Qingyan provided them with spacious courtyards. After a month of training there, Jiang Ping came close to grasping Saber Intent.

• Wei Rou offered Jiang Ping a tenfold Grandmaster Realm Blade Art in exchange for sharing his insights, and he accepted her original notes.
• Seven geniuses from small county towns arrived in Prefecture City, where Wei Rou described Chen An’s formidable cultivation, techniques, and incomplete Innate Blood Technique.
• Chen Qingyan offered the group vacant courtyards on her street, and Jiang Ping and Wei Rou chose neighboring residences near her mansion.
• The group settled in, while Jiang Ping trained his internal organs, practiced Wei Rou’s Blade Art, and explored saber Artistic Conception.
• A month later, Jiang Ping’s Saber Qi briefly entered a strange state, and he realized he was close to grasping the basics of Saber Intent.

Jiang Ping broke through in his Saber Qi and began tempering his organs before attending a gathering of young geniuses with Wei Rou. There, his Yang City origins and age drew attention, while Ji Baichuan exposed his limits; one young girl still chose to stay by him.

• Wei Rou told Jiang Ping about an upcoming gathering where Chen An would introduce Jin Ze, a prodigy ranked eighth on the Martial Examination Ranking.
• Jiang Ping broke through, unified his Saber Qi, and discovered its power could make even the Jade Robe tremble before he began tempering his Golden Lungs.
• Wei Rou brought Jiang Ping to the gathering, where he met the assembled young talents and learned that Chen An had not yet arrived.
• Several youths befriended Jiang Ping because he came from Yang City, but Ji Baichuan revealed Jiang Ping was twenty-four and could not enter the Fifth Rank, prompting them to leave.
• A young girl continued following Jiang Ping, saying her master had taught her to make friends sincerely and to build connections.

Jiang Ping met Chen An at a banquet and revealed his remarkable ability to comprehend Saber Qi. Half a month later, Wei Rou improved her saber skills under Jiang Ping’s guidance and told him Chen An had invited him to a birthday banquet.

• Chen An and Jin Ze arrived at the banquet, where the gathered youths eagerly introduced themselves and sought their friendship.
• Jin Ze offered an offensive Blood Technique as a reward for comprehending Blade Light from his Blade Art within half an hour.
• Jiang Ping and Chen Qingyan each comprehended Saber Qi and left; Jiang Ping had cultivated three streams, more than Chen Qingyan’s two.
• Chen An was impressed when he heard Jiang Ping had comprehended three streams of Saber Qi.
• Half a month later, Wei Rou practiced saber techniques in Jiang Ping’s courtyard and praised his insights for helping her improve.
• Wei Rou told Jiang Ping that Chen An wanted him to attend his birthday banquet.

Jiang Ping refused repeated invitations to Chen An’s birthday banquet and focused on avoiding Fifth Rank martial artists until he could conceal his Martial Bone. After breaking through to Sixth Grade, he learned to hide his Martial Bone and began studying powerful Blood Arts.

• Jiang Ping refused Wei Rou’s and Ji Baichuan’s attempts to persuade him to attend Chen An’s banquet and meet Jin Ze, wary that a Fifth Rank martial artist might see through his talent.
• Jiang Ping resolved to reach Sixth Grade before meeting the Prefecture City’s prodigies and devoted himself to Organ Refining and Artistic Conception.
• Two months later, Jiang Ping reached Sixth Grade, refined his Golden Lungs, and condensed martial essence blood powerful enough to crush the floor with a single drop.
• Jiang Ping learned the Concealment Technique from Blood Escape and concealed his Martial Bone and the radiance of his viscera.
• Jiang Ping studied Blood Escape and other Blood Arts, including the Blood Buddha’s Hand and Invincible Vajra, while considering how they might strengthen his defense.

Jiang Ping and Wei Rou grew distant after she suspected he was withholding Blade Art insights, while Jiang Ping advanced his blood techniques and Martial Dao. At a dinner gathering, Chen Qingyan revealed a golden invitation to the Genius Banquet, which was scheduled for the following night.

• Jiang Ping learned from Fang Yong that Wei Rou believed he had kept secrets about the Golden Severing Saber, though he had shared his insights honestly without revealing his exceptional talent.
• Wei Rou later apologized for missing their meeting, but her stern manner convinced Jiang Ping she still suspected him, and she soon began avoiding him and reclaimed her blade manual.
• Jiang Ping cultivated Indestructible Vajra and Blood Escape to Great Accomplishment, then combined his blood techniques to strengthen himself as his Martial Dao reached Sixth Grade.
• Fang Yong told Jiang Ping that Wei Rou had complained about him again after her Blade Art progress stalled, and Jiang Ping said he no longer cared about their friendship.
• At a gathering with his fellow townsmen, Ji Baichuan said the Genius Banquet's guest list was finalized, but Chen Qingyan produced a golden invitation and said it was not too late.

Jiang Ping accepted an invitation to a banquet where talented fighters from several prefectures would study the Murong family’s Mysterious Scripture. He attended with Chen Qingyan and watched the gathering’s most prominent guests arrive as the banquet’s host appeared.

• Song Yuanshan explained that a Murong descendant had brought the difficult Mysterious Scripture to a Heroes’ Banquet, and Chen Qingyan gave Jiang Ping an invitation.
• Jiang Ping and Chen Qingyan attended the banquet, passed the entrance inspection, and saw renowned fighters from several prefectures arrive.
• Jin Ze’s younger brother disparaged Jiang Ping and Chen Qingyan, who sat at the far end and declined Jin Ze’s invitation to meet.
• Jiang Ping and Chen Qingyan received little attention as the elite guests gathered, while Jin Ze had to make connections himself.
• When the guests had assembled, a handsome young man with a jade hairpin emerged from the manor, and everyone stood as Jiang Ping rose with oil on his mouth.

Murong Shu hosted a banquet where Murong Family juniors tested the Four Prefectures’ geniuses in sparring before presenting the family’s Mysterious Scripture. The guests were astonished by the Murong descendants’ formidable foundations, then gathered to study the scripture, whose contents surprised Chen An, Jin Ze, and Jiang Ping.

• Murong Shu proposed sparring matches before showing the guests his family’s Mysterious Scripture, and the prefectures’ Rank Twos chose Jin Ze to test the Murong Family.
• A Murong junior defeated Jin Ze with her perfected Golden Skin and dual blood techniques, then revealed that she had forged incomplete Jade Bone.
• Bai Ji fought the Murong Family’s Half-Step Fifth Rank and lost, while a woman from another prefecture defeated him afterward with Artistic Conception nearing completion.
• Murong Shu offered to fight but, after no one stepped forward, ended the sparring and brought out the Mysterious Scripture.
• Chen An and Jin Ze stared in surprise at the Mysterious Scripture, while Jiang Ping examined it with curiosity.

Jiang Ping and the other geniuses studied the Murong Family’s copied painting scroll, which contained a Lightning Technique leading toward Domain Level. Jiang Ping entered the painting’s world and witnessed the White-Haired Old Man whose sword created its lightning and destruction.

• Murong Shu revealed that the painting scroll held a Lightning Technique and explained that cultivators had to enter it and form Sympathetic Resonance to gain enlightenment.
• Anran sensed that the technique was related to lightning, while a Rank Two expert and Bai Ji demonstrated that they had entered the painting.
• Murong Shu said anyone who comprehended a strand of technique qi could receive a complete copy, and explained that his grandfather had copied the scroll from the original.
• Jin Ze asked Anran whether he was confident of meeting the requirement, while Chen An asked whether Anran had entered the painting.
• Jiang Ping told Chen Qingyan that he had entered the painting and asked what weapon she would use to imitate the lightning; she chose a sword.
• Jiang Ping recalled seeing a White-Haired Old Man resembling Murong Shu wield a sword amid the painting’s lightning and desolate landscape.

Jiang Ping and several other cultivators comprehended the Heavenly Might Technique and gained strands of sword or saber qi. The chapter ended with Chen Qingyan succeeding just before dawn, while Anran failed and Jin Tao shifted his attention to another unsuccessful genius.

• Jiang Ping tested the strength of sword qi, then entered the painting to study the Old Man wielding his sword and suppressed a breakthrough.
• Ning Qianxue became the first to cultivate saber qi, and Murong Shu explained the Heavenly Might Technique's power and the record of one hundred and forty-nine strands set by Martial Bone Prodigy.
• Bai Ji and several others cultivated saber qi, while Jiang Ping produced desolate Sword Qi and received a painting scroll from Murong Shu.
• Jiang Ping asked Murong Shu for protection if an aristocratic family tried to take his scroll, and Murong Shu gave him an address and promised to intervene.
• Murong Shu revealed that the painting's lightning came from an ancient swordsman; Ning Qianxue said she had seen him, and Chen Qingyan later attained enlightenment through the sword.
• Anran failed to meet the requirement, and Jin Tao abandoned his approach toward Jiang Ping and Chen Qingyan to greet another unsuccessful genius.