Chapter Summaries

Fang Han clashed with Yin Huang, who ambushed him and accused him of killing Shen You and taking his money. Their fight left them evenly matched, and Fang Han used his superior movement to evade Yin Huang’s barrage and launch repeated counterattacks.

• Fang Han confronted Yin Huang after forcing him back with a sword strike and denied knowing Shen You or taking his money.
• Yin Huang attacked with Nether Bone-Erosion, but Fang Han evaded the punch and countered with a full-powered sword strike.
• Yin Huang blocked Fang Han’s sword with his fist, and their clash forced both fighters to stagger backward.
• Yin Huang unleashed a barrage of black fist imprints, while Fang Han dodged through the gaps and struck at his shoulder blade.
• Yin Huang blocked Fang Han’s follow-up attacks, including a thrust aimed at his heart, as their battle continued.

Fang Han fought Yin Huang, using his speed and swordsmanship to exploit gaps in the Black Baleful Art’s formidable defenses. After Yin Huang unleashed a devastating killing technique and Fang Han evaded it, Yin Huang abruptly fled into the forest, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Fang Han landed a powerful sword strike on Yin Huang, but Yin Huang’s inner armor and abnormal physical strength left him with only a shallow wound.
• Yin Huang revealed that he had cultivated the Black Baleful Art and attacked Fang Han with corrosive black baleful Qi, driven by resentment over losing the Vajra Fruit at auction.
• Fang Han evaded Yin Huang’s attacks and repeatedly cut at the unarmored parts of his body, forcing Yin Huang to defend more cautiously as his injuries accumulated.
• Yin Huang unleashed Black Baleful Soul Corrosion, smashing two enormous black fist imprints into the rocks, but Fang Han narrowly dodged them.
• Yin Huang turned and fled into the dense forest instead of pursuing Fang Han.

After Fang Han survived Yin Huang’s ambush, Yin Huang returned to Nether Pavilion and told Gong Xing that Fang Han had escaped. Fearing Fang Han’s revenge, Gong Xing resolved to hire a killer, while Fang Han hid in a mountain cave and began breaking through to Fourth Grade.

• Fang Han decided not to pursue Yin Huang, judging that he lacked the strength to kill him and could grow stronger before their next encounter.
• Yin Huang returned to Nether Pavilion injured and angry, then told Gong Xing that Fang Han had escaped.
• Gong Xing feared Fang Han would retaliate against him and the Gong Clan, so he resolved to hire a killer despite the enormous cost.
• Fang Han hid in a cave near Clear River City and used the battle’s boost to his cultivation to attempt a breakthrough to Fourth Grade.

Fang Han broke through to the fourth rank, gaining the Hidden Force Divine Treasury, and decided to return to the Azure Profound Sect to avoid another ambush. Meanwhile, Gong Xing went to the Qingyang Black Market and asked Gou Laosan to arrange Fang Han’s murder.

• Fang Han shattered the bottleneck to the Zhubin Acupoint and advanced to the fourth rank, unlocking the Hidden Force Divine Treasury.
• Fang Han assessed his improved chances against Yin Huang but concluded that another attack could involve multiple assailants.
• Fang Han chose to abandon his travels and hurried toward the Azure Profound Sect using Windcloud Escape.
• Gong Xing entered an unmarked shop in the Qingyang Black Market and asked its shopkeeper, Gou Laosan, to help kill Fang Han.
• Gou Laosan reacted with alarm when Gong Xing identified Fang Han as an Azure Profound Sect genius direct disciple.

Gong Xing hired Gou Laosan to kill Fang Han, paying the two-million-tael deposit despite Gou Laosan’s fear of provoking the Azure Profound Sect. Gou Laosan ambushed Fang Han on the road and poisoned his arm, leaving Fang Han struggling to defend himself.

• Gong Xing provoked Gou Laosan into accepting a contract to kill Fang Han for five million taels.
• Gong Xing paid Gou Laosan two million taels upfront, and Gou Laosan reluctantly accepted the dangerous job.
• Gou Laosan ambushed Fang Han on the road from Green River City to the Azure Profound Sect.
• Fang Han dodged Gou Laosan’s poisoned blade but suffered a deep wound that numbed his left arm.
• Gou Laosan pressed his attack, and the poisoned, disadvantaged Fang Han barely kept him at bay with his movement technique and sword.

Fang Han overcame Gou Laosan’s assassination attempt, pursued him through the forest, and killed him with Void Sundering. The victory left Fang Han holding a shattered Flowing Wind Sword.

• Fang Han swallowed a Jade Dew Pellet to counter Gou Laosan’s poison and regained his strength.
• Fang Han turned the fight around and forced Gou Laosan to flee into the forest.
• Fang Han pursued Gou Laosan, dodging his hidden weapons and poison while steadily wounding him.
• Cornered at a cliff, Gou Laosan unleashed a life-risking secret art and charged at Fang Han.
• Fang Han pierced Gou Laosan’s heart with Void Sundering, but the Flowing Wind Sword broke into pieces as he tried to sheath it.

After defeating the assassin Gou Laosan, Fang Han searched his body, gained money and valuable equipment, and hurried back to the Azure Profound Sect. He suspected Gong Xing had arranged the attack and planned to report it to the Law Enforcement Hall the next morning; back at his courtyard, he told Qui Lan he was injured and hungry.

• Fang Han realized the Flowing Wind Sword had shattered from the strain of his battle with Gou Laosan and resolved to obtain a higher-grade sword.
• Fang Han considered Yin Huang, the Chu Family remnants, Tu Baichuan, and Gong Xing as possible masterminds, then leaned toward Gong Xing without finding proof.
• Fang Han searched Gou Laosan's corpse and found more than three million taels of silver, damaged soft armor, and a High Grade short blade.
• Fang Han recharged the soft armor and short blade through the System Panel, raising his wealth to 18.6 million silver.
• Fang Han left the forest and returned safely to the Azure Profound Sect, planning to report the assassination to the Law Enforcement Hall the next morning.
• At No. 35 Annex, Fang Han told Qui Lan his injury was minor and asked the kitchen to prepare dinner; she brought medicine and bandages.

After surviving two ambushes, Fang Han decided to conceal some of his strength when traveling outside the sect. He received a generous mission reward and a Minor Merit, then told Elder Zhou Jin that an assassin far above the disciple level had tried to kill him.

• Qui Lan told Fang Han that Chu Feng had been executed, his Lineage had been punished, and Wu Zheng had been promoted to sect elder.
• Fang Han restored his Internal Qi with True Spirit Pills and resolved to keep some strength hidden while preserving his status within the sect.
• Fang Han stabilized his Fourth Grade Early Stage cultivation and went to the Law Enforcement Hall to receive his mission reward.
• Elder Zhou Jin transferred ten thousand contribution points to Fang Han and recorded one Minor Merit for him.
• Fang Han told Elder Zhou Jin that Yin Huang had ambushed him and retreated after their battle.
• Fang Han described killing a Fourth Grade Late Stage assassin who had attacked him near the sect, and Elder Zhou Jin reacted with alarm.

Fang Han reported an assassination attempt to Elder Zhou Jin, who identified the killer as Gou Laosan and promised that Azure Profound Sect would investigate the people who hired him. Fang Han then went to Armory Hall to seek a weapon stronger than his broken sword, and Zhao Tie led him into a secret chamber to inspect Arcane Weapons.

• Elder Zhou Jin ordered an investigation after Fang Han described the late fourth-rank assassin and his poisoned short blade.
• A Law Enforcement Hall disciple identified the assassin as Gou Laosan, and Fang Han named Yin Huang and Gong Xing as possible employers.
• Elder Zhou Jin promised the sect would investigate Gou Laosan's contacts and told Fang Han to remain in the sect while the inquiry continued.
• Fang Han went to Armory Hall because his Flowing Wind Sword had shattered and rejected two High Grade swords as insufficient for his needs.
• Zhao Tie explained Arcane Weapons to Fang Han and opened a secret chamber containing a little over a dozen weapons.

Fang Han spent fifty thousand contribution points on the Cloudsplitter Dharma Weapon, while Gong Xing learned that Fang Han had returned unharmed and panicked over the likely failure of his assassination plot. The new monthly rankings showed Fang Han had risen to eighty-first on the Prodigy Ranking.

• Fang Han bought Cloudsplitter for fifty thousand contribution points after deciding he needed a weapon that could withstand powerful opponents.
• Gong Xing learned from Deacon Lu that Fang Han had returned to the Azure Profound Sect unharmed and went to the Qingyang Black Market to look for Gou Laosan.
• Gong Xing discovered that Gou Laosan had been gone for days and feared the assassin had failed or died, so he rushed back to urge the Gong Clan to flee Qingyang Prefecture.
• Zhou Heng delivered Fang Han nineteen thousand contribution points and three bottles of Golden Vajra Pills as his new monthly rewards.
• Fang Han read the new Prodigy Ranking and saw that he had risen eight places to eighty-first.

After the Prodigy Ranking rose Fang Han to eighty-first, Wang Miao accepted that Fang Han had surpassed him while Yin Huang vowed to defeat him. Fang Han mastered the Spirit Sniffing Art and continued training his sword and footwork before a message summoned him to the Law Enforcement Hall.

• Fang Han's rise to eighty-first drew admiration across the Azure Profound Sect, while Wang Miao's rise to eighty-eighth attracted less notice.
• Wang Miao recognized that Fang Han had surpassed him and resolved to keep advancing along the martial path.
• Yin Huang reacted angrily to falling to eighty-third and vowed to gain enough strength to defeat Fang Han decisively.
• Fang Han cultivated the Spirit Sniffing Art until it reached mastery, greatly improving his ability to detect and track scents.
• Fang Han practiced the Void-Sundering Nine Swords and Windcloud Escape, then Qui Lan told him Elder Zhou Jin had summoned him to the Law Enforcement Hall.

Fang Han learned that Gong Xing had hired the assassin who targeted him and set out to intercept the fleeing Gong Clan. He found the clan’s disguised caravan, discovered Gong Xing was absent, and began cutting down its fighters as Gong Biao attacked him.

• Fang Han ignored Yan Lu on his way to the Law Enforcement Hall, where Elder Zhou Jin revealed that Gong Xing had hired Gou Laosan to kill him.
• Elder Zhou Jin told Fang Han that the Gong Clan was fleeing beyond the prefecture and gave him its location, leaving him to deal with them.
• Fang Han packed supplies, told Qui Lan to watch the courtyard, and traveled southwest to intercept the clan.
• Fang Han stopped the disguised merchant caravan, recognized Gong Biao’s scent, and realized Gong Xing was not among the fleeing clan members.
• Fang Han killed the Gong Clan fighters who surrounded him, and Gong Biao charged at him with his remaining hand.

Fang Han slaughtered the Gong Clan caravan and tracked Gong Xing into the mountains using his Spirit Sniffing Art. He caught up with Gong Xing near the border of Songquan Prefecture and demanded to know why he had hired someone to kill him and whether anyone had directed him.

• Fang Han killed Gong Biao and the other Gong Clan martial artists, but Gong Biao refused to reveal Gong Xing's whereabouts before Fang Han killed him.
• Fang Han searched the caravan, seized its valuables, and deposited physical goods into his System Panel for 520,000 more silver.
• Gong Xing, having separated from the caravan because he feared Fang Han, fled through the forest toward Songquan Prefecture.
• Fang Han followed Gong Xing's scent into the forest and rapidly closed the distance between them.
• Fang Han intercepted Gong Xing in the Yangquan Mountain Range and asked why he had hired someone to kill him and whether anyone had put him up to it.

Fang Han killed Gong Xing after Gong Xing admitted hiring an assassin to kill him, then searched the body and absorbed its pills and weapons for a small increase in wealth. He left the forest and reached the official road just as an approaching convoy drew near.

• Gong Xing confessed that fear of Fang Han and the Gong Clan’s ruin had driven him to hire Gou Laosan for five million taels.
• Gong Xing attacked Fang Han with poisoned claws and Nether Ghost Claw, but Fang Han killed him with a single sword strike.
• Fang Han searched Gong Xing’s corpse and found medicines, ghostly blue claws, and roughly 5.3 million taels in banknotes.
• Fang Han used the System Panel to absorb the medicines and claws, increasing his possessed wealth by seventy thousand taels.
• Fang Han left the mountain forest and emerged beside the official road as the rumble of wheels and horses approached.

Fang Han encountered Lan Yuexin while traveling and accepted her invitation to ride with her caravan. He asked the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to search beyond Qingyang Prefecture for a Howling Moon Spirit Deer Horn, and Lan Yuexin promised to help.

• The caravan guards prepared to defend themselves when Fang Han appeared on the road, but he calmed them and explained that he meant no harm.
• Lan Yuexin recognized Fang Han from their previous meeting in Golden Brilliance City and invited him into her carriage.
• Fang Han thanked Lan Yuexin for her earlier warning about Yin Huang, and they agreed to address each other more familiarly.
• Lan Yuexin introduced Chen Qiong and explained that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion conducted trade beyond the prefecture.
• Fang Han asked Lan Yuexin to search for a Howling Moon Spirit Deer Horn, and she promised to use the pavilion's connections to find one.

Fang Han discovered that masked attackers had surrounded the inn to target Lan Yuexin’s Hundred Treasures Pavilion caravan, and warned her before the assault began. He intervened when their powerful leader attacked Lan Yuexin, then faced the leader and asked him to withdraw.

• Fang Han sensed the black-clad attackers surrounding the inn and concluded that they had come for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion caravan.
• Fang Han warned Lan Yuexin, who sounded the caravan’s alarm whistle and readied the guards.
• The attackers stormed the inn, and their masked leader wounded Chen Qiong before lunging at Lan Yuexin.
• Fang Han blocked the masked leader’s attack with his Cloudsplitter Sword and revealed that he was from Azure Profound Sect.
• Fang Han told the masked leader that Lan Yuexin had helped him and asked him to leave with his men.

Fang Han stopped an assassination attempt on Lan Yuexin, forcing the attackers to retreat and saving her life. The attack’s sponsor, Wan Yuntian of Myriad Treasures Tower, learned that Fang Han had thwarted his scheme and ordered his steward to investigate him.

• Fang Han fought Iron Hand, a peak late fourth-rank masked assassin, and held his own with his movement technique and swordsmanship.
• Iron Hand escaped behind poisonous smoke, and the other attackers fled after Chen Qiong ordered the caravan guards to protect the goods and Lan Yuexin.
• Lan Yuexin thanked Fang Han for saving her, and he said he had acted in return for her earlier warning and because he needed a favor from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
• Wan Fu reported to Wan Yuntian that the assassination of Lan Yuexin had failed because Fang Han intervened and wounded Iron Hand.
• Wan Yuntian blamed Fang Han for ruining his plan and ordered Wan Fu to investigate Fang Han’s background and weaknesses.

Fang Han escorted Lan Yuexin’s caravan safely back to Golden Brilliance City and secluded himself at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to master Void-Sundering Nine Swords. After achieving a major breakthrough, he received an urgent message from the Azure Profound Sect that left him grave.

• Fang Han offered to escort Lan Yuexin and her caravan to Golden Brilliance City, and she accepted his help.
• Fang Han brought the caravan safely to the city and accepted Lan Yuexin’s offer to stay in a quiet courtyard at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
• Fang Han spent ten days cultivating Void-Sundering Nine Swords before realizing that softness could complement the art’s force and mastering it.
• Lan Yuexin praised Fang Han’s swordsmanship, saying his strength seemed to surpass the Prodigy Ranking’s current fighters.
• An Azure Profound Sect messenger eagle delivered an urgent message, and Fang Han’s expression turned grave as he read it.

Fang Han investigated the disappearance of a fourth-rank sect deacon near Sunset Glow Town and found signs that two enemies had driven the injured man into the southeastern forest. After discovering Lan Yuexin had hidden a valuable Thunderbolt Pellet in his supplies, Fang Han resumed the pursuit at night, following the three scent trails deeper into the mountains.

• Fang Han received an urgent order to investigate the missing deacon, and Lan Yuexin supplied him with provisions and water.
• Fang Han hurried to Sunset Glow Town and learned that a fierce battle had taken place in the eastern forest the previous afternoon.
• Fang Han examined the ruined battlefield and used the Spirit Sniffing Art to identify three people, including one injured person who had fled southeast while two pursued.
• Fang Han found a Thunderbolt Pellet hidden among his provisions and realized Lan Yuexin had given him a valuable weapon as thanks.
• After eating, Fang Han followed the fading scent trails into the forest under the night sky.

Fang Han tracked the wounded Zhao Jin through the forest and intervened just as Gao Xiao and Tu Gang tried to kill him after stealing a secret manual. He rescued Zhao Jin and confronted the two Nether Pavilion deacons, who resolved to kill them both.

• Fang Han followed the scents of Zhao Jin and his pursuers through the forest and found the bloodied trail of their fight.
• Gao Xiao and Tu Gang cornered Zhao Jin and demanded the secret manual, but Zhao Jin tried to tear it rather than surrender it.
• Tu Gang seized the secret manual, and Gao Xiao attacked Zhao Jin to silence him.
• Fang Han arrived, blocked Gao Xiao's strike with the Cloudsplitter Sword, rescued Zhao Jin, and gave him a healing pill.
• Gao Xiao and Tu Gang recognized Fang Han and resolved to kill him and Zhao Jin to conceal their actions.