Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ping and the escorts became trapped in a county town where a Golden Bone genius robbed travelers while the authorities looked away. When the outsiders scattered to flee, Jiang Ping doubled back and intercepted the roadblocker as he pursued the Chief Escort.

• Lu Yao thanked her escorts, then asked her distant relatives whether she could practice martial arts.
• The escorts entered a bustling county town, where the Chief Escort learned that a roadblocker had been robbing caravans and escort teams.
• Eleven Rank 7 experts went out to confront the roadblocker, but all were killed, and the survivors identified him as a Golden Bone genius.
• After five days, robberies and killings began inside the town, so the outsiders decided to scatter and flee with their valuables.
• Jiang Ping raced away, changed his appearance, and doubled back to follow the Chief Escort, who was carrying the most goods.
• Jiang Ping stepped in front of the bloodstained young roadblocker as he approached the Chief Escort.

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, mastered the Innate Blood Technique, and tested the strength of his rapidly improving body and Saber Qi. The Chief Escort sent him to the Prefecture City with Ji Baichuan, Song Yuanshan, and Fang Yong to broaden his horizons and prepare for the Martial Examination.

• Jiang Ping completed his Jade Bone and mastered the Innate Blood Technique, while his Saber Qi reached the Tenfold Realm and his physical defenses surpassed those of a Sixth Grade genius who had cultivated Invincible Vajra.
• Jiang Ping continued presenting himself as an Eighth Rank perfection expert, earning promotion to Fifth Head Escort and impressing Jidao Martial Academy with his comprehension.
• The Chief Escort told Jiang Ping that Ji Baichuan and Song Yuanshan had entered Sixth Grade and planned to travel to the Prefecture City with Fang Yong.
• The Chief Escort asked Jiang Ping to accompany them, get to know Ji Baichuan, and gain experience among the gathered geniuses; he also gave Jiang Ping ten large-denomination Silver Notes.
• Jiang Ping left for the Prefecture City the next morning and 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.

After the Heroes' Banquet, Jiang Ping prepared for the Martial Examination by cultivating the Heavenly Might Technique and copying his Autumn Leaf Saber Intent. He rejected several requests to share the technique, but agreed after the Chief confirmed his request through letters, leaving Ji Baichuan to study the painting.

• At dawn, Ning Qianxue and other banquet guests left with their painting scrolls, while Jiang Ping decided to focus on the Martial Examination.
• The next day, Song Yuanshan, Wei Rou, Ji Baichuan, and others learned that Jiang Ping had obtained a copy of the Heavenly Might Technique that could be studied with others.
• Jiang Ping assessed how much progress he might make with the technique and began copying the complete Autumn Leaf Saber Intent as he trained for the Martial Examination.
• Jin Ze and several ranked geniuses visited to request access to the Heavenly Might Technique, but Jiang Ping turned them down because their offers lacked a complete Innate Blood Technique.
• Ji Baichuan returned with a letter and five Silver Notes from the Chief requesting that Jiang Ping share the technique; Jiang Ping verified the request and agreed despite his reservations.
• The next day, Ji Baichuan came excitedly to study the Heavenly Might Painting, and Jiang Ping explained how to enter it through Sympathetic Resonance and trace the technique with a sword.

Jiang Ping registered for the Provincial Examination instead of pursuing the martial scholar title, surprising his friends and the elders of the Four Seas Escort Agency. Seven days later, dressed for the examination, he set out with Escort Huang and the Chief Escort.

• Jiang Ping and his companions registered for the Martial Examination, where Fang Yong chose the County Examination and Jiang Ping chose the Provincial Examination.
• Jiang Ping received an A-Upper rating for his appearance and height, while Fang Yong received B-Middle.
• Lin Yi met Jiang Ping and went with Ji Baichuan to Ji Baichuan's courtyard, while Jiang Ping invited Escort Huang and the Chief Escort into his home.
• The Chief Escort and Escort Huang discussed Jiang Ping's refusal to share the Heavenly Might Technique with Ji Baichuan and concluded that the matter had freed Jiang Ping from owing the Chief a favor.
• Seven days later, Jiang Ping dressed in azure robes and left for the Provincial Examination accompanied by Escort Huang and the Chief Escort.

Jiang Ping and the other young martial artists gathered for the Provincial Examination, where aristocratic families and officials watched the prefecture’s top talents. As the examination began, Jiang Ping considered the dangers of revealing his Martial Bones and decided to keep his origins concealed for now.

• Jiang Ping joined the other examinees and their elders as they set out for the examination grounds.
• Officials and family elders discussed extraordinary talents, including Martial Bone prodigies, and Cao Qingzhi’s hopes of reaching the National Academy.
• The Provincial Examination began, and Jiang Ping was the first examinee to step onto the stage while Chen Weimin dismissed him as mediocre.
• The other celebrated examinees took the stage, and Cao Qingzhi’s cold demeanor drew attention after his reported setback in the Imperial City.
• Jiang Ping reflected on the danger of exposing his Martial Bones and resolved to hide his origins until he reached Fifth Rank.

Jiang Ping and the other geniuses tested their comprehension by identifying the strongest Artistic Conception in two Screen Paintings. As the first candidates completed the test, the officials and family elders debated their abilities and the value of the Murong Family's Wonder Painting.

• The Changping Prefect explained that the geniuses had to identify the strongest Artistic Conception in each Screen Painting.
• Jiang Ping used Sympathetic Resonance to compare the techniques, finding Domain Level Sword Intent as the strongest Artistic Conception in the second painting.
• Cao Qingzhi completed the assessment first, followed by Bai Ji, an unnamed genius, and Chen Qingyan.
• Ji Baichuan became the fifth to finish, prompting one family elder to dismiss his performance as the result of experience with the Murong Family's Wonder Painting.
• Chen Qingyan's uncle praised the Wonder Painting's techniques and explained that his niece had obtained its Painting scroll, while the Chief considered its significance.

Jiang Ping placed third in the Comprehension Gate, but the final round’s group draw put him against Cao Qingzhi first. Despite others urging him to withdraw, Jiang Ping entered the match and immediately conceded to the top-ranked genius.

• Cao Qingzhi remained first in the Comprehension Gate’s comprehension test, Bai Ji placed second, and Jiang Ping held third.
• The examiners divided the twenty-four remaining geniuses into three groups, and Jiang Ping landed in Group A with Cao Qingzhi and Ji Baichuan.
• Escort Huang, Qing Yan's Uncle, and Juren Chen urged Jiang Ping to withdraw, but Jiang Ping insisted on competing.
• The Changping Prefecture Lord used Supernatural Powers to raise three protected arenas for the strength-measuring round.
• Cao Qingzhi faced Jiang Ping in Group A’s opening match, and Jiang Ping conceded immediately.