Chapter Summaries

Fang Han struggled to reach the Flesh Refining Realm before the Fang Clan’s final assessment, fearing he would be barred from the Martial Hall. After returning home to his family, he discovered a system that could permanently amplify his talents by spending money.

• Fang Han trained at the Martial Arts Arena while remaining stuck at the peak of the Skin Refining Realm.
• Instructor Fang Zhen announced that disciples who failed to reach the Flesh Refining Realm by age sixteen would lose their place in the Martial Hall, with the final assessment one month away.
• Fang Han returned home, greeted his little sister Fang Ying, and admitted to his parents that he had not yet broken through.
• Fang Han went to bed and saw a System Panel offering permanent talent amplification in exchange for silver.
• Fang Han realized the system could improve his talent and might help him reach the Flesh Refining Realm in time.

Fang Han spent his savings to double his root bone talent and discovered during Crane Stance training that his qi and blood had surged, letting him improve beyond his apparent Skin Refining limit. He ended the night exhausted but newly confident that he could reach the Flesh Refining Realm within a month.

• Fang Han used ten taels of silver to amplify his root bone talent twofold instead of enhancing his sword art talent.
• Fang Han tested the amplification by practicing the Fang Clan's Crane Stance in the courtyard at night.
• Fang Han felt his qi and blood grow far stronger and resume tempering his stagnant skin membranes.
• Fang Han realized he had not reached his true Skin Refining limit and that this had prevented his breakthrough.
• Fang Han practiced until dawn, sensed hope of reaching Flesh Refining within a month, then washed up and went to sleep.

Fang Han used his doubled Root Bone Talent to train Crane Stance for two hours, pushing his skin membrane closer to the Flesh Refining threshold. After lunch, he began practicing the Breeze Sword Art with a longsword.

• Fang Zhen noticed that Fang Xuan and Fang Zi were absent, and other descendants speculated that they had given up before the assessment.
• Fang Han drank Blood-Qi Soup and practiced Crane Stance as his surging qi and blood tempered his skin membrane.
• Fang Han sustained his training for two hours, felt his skin grow tougher, and stopped only when his body could no longer bear the strain.
• Fang Han collected a medicinal meal provided by the Fang Clan descendants' Lineage.
• Fang Han picked up a Refined Iron Longsword and prepared to practice the Breeze Sword Art.

After months of persistent training, Fang Han broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm in the final month before the family assessment deadline. His breakthrough drew envy from struggling disciples and brief surprise from Instructor Fang Zhen, while more advanced disciples dismissed it as minor progress.

• Fang Han practiced his sword art and continued working hard despite having only reached the Beginner stage.
• Over five days, Fang Han trained daily with Blood-Qi Soup and the Crane Stance as his blood and qi gradually weakened the bottleneck in his skin membrane.
• During a morning Crane Stance session, Fang Han endured intense pain as his blood and qi smashed through the bottleneck and fused his skin and flesh.
• The disciples in the Martial Arts Arena watched Fang Han break through to the Flesh Refining Realm, and many struggling disciples felt envy and renewed hope.
• Instructor Fang Zhen was surprised by Fang Han's breakthrough, while advanced disciples considered it only a belated qualification to remain in the Martial Hall.
• Fang Han calmly accepted the attention, clenched his fist, and resolved to continue along the martial path.

Fang Han celebrated breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm with his family, then passed the Fang Clan assessment and entered the Inner Hall with seven other youths. Elder Fang Yuan welcomed them and announced their generous silver and Blood Vitality Pill allowances.

• Fang Han returned home and told Fang Zheng and Lin Wan that he had broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm, filling his family with joy.
• News of Fang Han's breakthrough spread through the branch families, and people congratulated him as he left for the Martial Arts Arena.
• A month later, Fang Zhen announced the eight youths who had passed the annual assessment, including Fang Han, who had broken through during the final month.
• Fang Han and the seven other successful youths followed Fang Zhen to the Inner Hall, where they met Elder Fang Yuan.
• Elder Fang Yuan welcomed the new Inner Hall entrants and promised each thirty taels of silver, followed by five taels and ten Blood Vitality Pills each month.

Fang Han and seven other new disciples tested their combat power on the Inner Hall’s mysterious Martial Dao Stele. Fang Han ranked fifty-ninth out of sixty-one, surpassing two disciples despite being the last of the group to reach the Flesh Refining Realm, before Elder Fang Yuan led them to collect their rewards and monthly allotments.

• Elder Fang Yuan led the eight new disciples to the Martial Dao Stele and explained that it recorded attack strength and rankings.
• Fang Lin tested his attack first and ranked fifty-fourth, then the other new disciples recorded their names and tested their skills.
• Fang Han used the Breeze Sword Art against the stele and ranked fifty-ninth.
• Fang Tao and Fang Chen ranked sixtieth and sixty-first, while the other disciples reacted with surprise at Fang Han’s result.
• Elder Fang Yuan told the new disciples to follow him to collect their rewards and monthly allotments.

Fang Han used ten taels of silver to amplify his Sword Art Talent to twofold and quickly advanced his Breeze Sword Art to Minor Accomplishment. The chapter ended when someone noticed his breakthrough and exclaimed in surprise.

• Fang Han told Fang Zheng and Lin Wan about his Inner Hall rewards, then decided to spend ten taels of silver on Sword Art Talent Amplification.
• Fang Han upgraded his Sword Art Talent from zerofold to twofold through the System Panel.
• Fang Han practiced the Breeze Sword Art and gained sharp new insights into its movements and techniques.
• After several days of practice, Fang Han broke through to Minor Accomplishment and chose not to retest his ranking on the Martial Dao Stele.
• Someone saw Fang Han practicing and asked in shock whether his Sword Art had reached Minor Accomplishment.

Fang Han reached Minor Accomplishment in Sword Art, leaving Fang Tao and the other disciples stunned, then went to watch a challenge between Fang Lie and Fang Mei. Fang Lie opened their fight with a fierce punch at Fang Mei.

• Fang Tao watched Fang Han's flowing sword practice and realized he had reached Minor Accomplishment in Sword Art.
• Nearby disciples praised Fang Han's progress, while Fang Lin dismissed his sword skill as no threat.
• After an hour of exhausting drills, Fang Han heard that Fang Lie had challenged Fang Mei for her top-ten rank and monthly reward.
• Fang Han joined the crowd at the Combat Platform, where Fang Lie and Fang Mei prepared to fight under an instructor's supervision.
• Fang Lie rushed Fang Mei and attacked with Tiger Roar Fist: Stone Splitting.

Fang Mei defeated Fang Lie in a fierce ranking match by exploiting the opening left by his strongest attack. Inspired by the fight, Fang Han trained with a Blood Vitality Pill and reached the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage several days later.

• Fang Mei dodged Fang Lie's attacks and wore down his strength as they fought on the Combat Platform.
• Fang Lie unleashed Tiger Roar Fist—Mountain Shatterer, but Fang Mei slipped to his flank and struck his exposed ribs with Frost Palm—Jade Cutter.
• The instructor stopped Fang Mei from pursuing, declared her the winner, and Fang Han resolved to reach the top ten.
• Fang Han returned to training, took a Blood Vitality Pill, and used Crane Stance to absorb its energy.
• Several days later, Fang Han completed his training and broke through to the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage.

Fang Han reached the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage after just over a month, startling his fellow new disciples and making Fang Lin wary of him as a rival. At year’s end, Elder Fang Yuan announced the annual Martial Dao Stele re-test, and Fang Han looked forward to seeing how his improved strength would affect his ranking and rewards.

• Fang Han reflected on his rapid progress and saw that unlocking Level Two Root Bone Talent Amplification required 100 taels of silver, far more than he had saved.
• Fang Chen, Fang Tao, and Fang Lin were shocked to see Fang Han had reached the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage, and Fang Lin began to regard him as a dangerous competitor.
• Fang Han calmly practiced his Breeze Sword Art while Fang Lin responded to the pressure by training with greater focus.
• At year’s end, Elder Fang Yuan gathered sixty-one Martial Hall disciples and announced that their Martial Dao Stele rankings and ranking changes would determine their annual rewards.
• Fang Han looked forward to the re-test because his swordsmanship and cultivation had improved significantly since his previous ranking.

The Fang Clan disciples retook the Martial Dao Stele ranking test, and Fang Han rose from fifty-ninth to fifty-fourth place, alarming Fang Lin. Elder Fang Yuan announced the top ten rankings and began distributing their rewards.

• Fang Hong, Fang Xue, and Fang Hao retested, keeping the top three rankings in the same order.
• The other disciples tested, causing several lower rankings to shift while the top ten remained largely unchanged.
• Fang Han used Breeze Piercing Forest to claim fifty-fourth place, five ranks higher than before.
• Fang Lin saw Fang Han close behind him at fifty-third place and resolved to cultivate harder so Fang Han would not surpass him.
• Elder Fang Yuan compared the new rankings with last year's register and announced silver rewards for the top ten, beginning with Fang Hong and Fang Xue.

Fang Han received fifty taels of silver for rising five places in the Inner Hall rankings and saved it toward strengthening his Root Bone Talent. New Year’s gifts from relatives brought his savings to 107 taels, allowing him to unlock its second-level amplification and raise it to 4x.

• Elder Fang Yuan awarded Fang Han fifty taels of silver for climbing from rank fifty-nine to fifty-four in less than a month.
• Fang Han counted his savings and realized he needed twenty-three more taels to unlock the next Root Bone Talent amplification.
• Fang Han’s family celebrated New Year with Grandfather, Grandmother, Fang Ye, Fang Ping, and other relatives, who praised him for becoming an Inner Hall disciple.
• Fang Han received generous New Year’s money from visiting relatives, bringing his total savings to 107 taels.
• Fang Han recharged the system with one hundred taels and unlocked the second-level Root Bone Talent amplification, increasing it from 2x to 4x.

Fang Han’s Fourfold Root Bone Amplification greatly accelerated his cultivation, allowing him to reach the Flesh Refining Late-Stage in half a month. At the Inner Hall Martial Arts Arena, he faced wary peers and an overconfident Fang Lin as Elder Fang Yuan began the new year’s training.

• Fang Han activated Fourfold Root Bone Amplification and felt his Blood-Qi and body-tempering improve dramatically during cultivation.
• Fang Han realized Third-Level Amplification would cost 1,000 taels of silver and wondered whether it would raise his multiplier to eightfold.
• After several days of cultivation, Fang Han broke through from the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage to the Flesh Refining Late-Stage in half a month.
• Fang Han decided that others might attribute his rapid progress to Aperture Opening rather than discover the system’s secret.
• At the Inner Hall Martial Arts Arena, the other disciples regarded Fang Han cautiously, while Fang Lin believed his own breakthrough to the Flesh Refining Late-Stage put him ahead.
• Elder Fang Yuan urged the disciples to cultivate diligently and then ordered them to begin training.

Fang Lin challenged Fang Han to test their progress on the Martial Dao Stele, offering silver for every place Fang Han gained. Fang Han rose to forty-eighth, surpassing Fang Lin and leaving him humiliated.

• Fang Lin tested himself on the Martial Dao Stele and rose five places to forty-eighth, earning the other disciples' admiration.
• Fang Lin provoked Fang Han to take the test and promised ten taels of silver for every place Fang Han moved up.
• Fang Han accepted the wager and demonstrated his late-stage Flesh Refining and powerful Breeze Sword Art before the gathered crowd.
• The Martial Dao Stele placed Fang Han at forty-eighth, six places higher than before, pushing Fang Lin down to forty-ninth.
• Fang Lin stared at his lower ranking as his pride collapsed and humiliation overwhelmed him.

Fang Han rose six places on the Martial Dao Stele after displaying rapid progress, prompting Elder Fang Yuan to suspect he had undergone Aperture Opening. Fang Yuan learned that Fang Han had advanced from mediocrity to the Flesh Refining Late-Stage in little over half a month, but regretted that his awakening had come too late to challenge the Lin Family’s rising genius, Lin Jiao.

• Fang Han claimed his ranking had risen six places and told Fang Lin to bring him sixty taels of silver the next day.
• Elder Fang Yuan spotted Fang Han and was astonished to learn he had advanced from the Flesh Refining Mid-Stage to the Late-Stage in little over half a month.
• Elder Fang Yuan sent Fang Rui to investigate Fang Han’s earlier training, and Fang Rui reported that Fang Han had been mediocre in the Outer Hall until he barely reached the Flesh Refining Early-Stage before his assessment.
• Elder Fang Yuan concluded that Fang Han had most likely undergone Aperture Opening, transforming his aptitude and potential.
• Elder Fang Yuan lamented that Fang Han’s awakening had come too late to rival Lin Jiao, who had entered the Lin Family’s Inner Hall at the Tendon Refining Early-Stage.

Fang Han used a Blood Vitality Pill and Crane Stance training to break through the bottleneck between Flesh Refining and Tendon Refining. He tested his transformed strength and speed in the courtyard, newly confident in his power.

• Fang Lin delivered the sixty taels of silver he owed Fang Han and thereafter avoided him.
• Fang Han spent half a month training and grew close to the Tendon Refining Realm.
• Fang Han returned home and spent the evening with his little sister Fang Ying and his parents, Fang Zheng and Lin Wan.
• Fang Han took a Blood Vitality Pill and used Crane Stance to guide its energy through his body.
• Fang Han broke through the bottleneck and entered the Tendon Refining Realm.
• Fang Han tested his new strength, speed, and coordination in the courtyard.

Fang Han advanced his Crane Stance training and broke through to the Proficiency Realm in the Breeze Sword Art, shocking the inner hall disciples. Elder Fang Yuan took the breakthrough as further proof that Fang Han had opened his apertures, but regretted that he still lagged behind Lin Jiao in cultivation.

• Fang Han practiced the Crane Stance and felt his blood and Qi strengthen his tendons, the focus of the Tendon Refining Realm.
• Fang Han practiced the Breeze Sword Art and unleashed blade-force with Breeze Piercing Forest, reaching the Proficiency Realm.
• The inner hall disciples reacted with shock and awe at Fang Han's swordsmanship breakthrough, while Fang Lin grew more fearful of him.
• An instructor reported Fang Han's breakthrough to Elder Fang Yuan, who concluded that Fang Han had undergone aperture opening.
• Elder Fang Yuan celebrated Fang Han's talent but regretted that Fang Han remained behind Lin Jiao in cultivation.

Fang Yuan took Fang Han and Fang Lin to the Lin Family’s gathering, where Lin Jiao defeated the young talents from the other clans with ease. After defeating Fang Lin, Lin Jiao turned his attention to Fang Han, setting up their confrontation.

• Fang Yuan received Lin Shan’s invitation to a gathering meant to showcase Lin Jiao against the other clans’ young talents.
• The next morning, Fang Yuan brought Fang Han and Fang Lin to the Lin Family residence, where elders and young disciples from all five clans gathered.
• Lin Shan proposed that the youths spar, and Lin Jiao defeated Yue Yan, He Ling, and Sun Jing in a few moves each.
• Fang Lin challenged Lin Jiao but was knocked off the Combat Platform after two saber strikes.
• Lin Jiao looked toward Fang Han with a sneer, treating him as the next opponent and a stepping stone.

Fang Han defeated Lin Jiao in a sparring match at the Lin residence, revealing that he had reached Tendon Refining Early-Stage and mastered proficient swordsmanship. The chapter ended with Lin Shan hiding his humiliation and ordering a feast while the other elders congratulated Fang Yuan.

• Fang Han accepted Lin Jiao's challenge and stepped onto the Combat Platform with a refined iron longsword.
• Fang Han dodged Lin Jiao's opening strike and countered, revealing his Tendon Refining Early-Stage cultivation.
• Lin Jiao unleashed the Lin Family's Wind-Breaking Blade Technique, but Fang Han used his proficient swordsmanship to withstand the assault and expose a flaw.
• Fang Han struck Lin Jiao's shoulder with Breeze Piercing Sun, settling the match in his favor.
• The Lin Family disciples watched in shock as Yue Lei, He Xiong, and Sun Kang congratulated Fang Yuan and mocked Lin Shan.
• Lin Shan suppressed his anger, congratulated Fang Yuan, and ordered a feast.

Fang Han defeated Lin Jiao at the Lin Family banquet, earning praise from Fang Yuan and a major reward from the Fang Clan. Lin Jiao vowed to grow stronger and reclaim his honor, while Fang Lingyuan ordered three hundred taels of silver and one hundred Blood Vitality Pills for Fang Han.

• Fang Han exchanged polite words with the Yue Clan, He Clan, and Sun Clan disciples after defeating Lin Jiao at the banquet.
• Fang Yuan praised Fang Han and promised to report his victory to the Lineage for a reward.
• Lin Shan encouraged Lin Jiao to overcome his defeat by breaking through to Tendon Refining Mid-Stage, and Lin Jiao hurried to the Martial Arts Arena.
• Fang Yuan told Fang Lingyuan that Fang Han had reached Tendon Refining and Sword Art Proficiency and had defeated Lin Jiao.
• Fang Lingyuan concluded that Fang Han had opened his apertures and ordered Fang Yuan to reward him with three hundred taels of silver and one hundred Blood Vitality Pills.