Chapter Summaries

After defeating Lin Jiao, Fang Han received a generous reward from the Fang Clan and used part of it to activate fourfold Sword Art Talent Amplification. The next morning, he prepared to test how the new amplification affected his sword practice.

• Elder Fang Yuan rewarded Fang Han with three hundred taels of silver and one hundred Blood Vitality Pills for defeating Lin Jiao and bringing honor to the Fang Clan.
• Fang Han told Fang Zheng and Lin Wan about his victory and offered them two hundred taels, but they insisted that he keep the money for his cultivation.
• Fang Han used one hundred taels to raise his Sword Art Talent Amplification from twofold to fourfold.
• The next morning, Fang Han finished Crane Stance training, picked up a Refined Iron Longsword, and anticipated testing his improved sword talent.

Fang Han used his enhanced sword talent to deepen his mastery of the Breeze Sword Art, then broke through to Tendon Refining Mid-Stage after more than twenty days of cultivation. When Lin Shan brought Lin Jiao to challenge him again, Fang Yuan tried to postpone the match, and Lin Jiao stood up with an excuse to leave the hall.

• Fang Han used fourfold Sword Art Talent Amplification to rapidly improve his Breeze Sword Art and move toward Great Accomplishment.
• The Inner Hall disciples heard that Lin Jiao had reached Tendon Refining Mid-Stage and wondered whether he had reclaimed his standing above Fang Han.
• After more than twenty days of arduous cultivation, Fang Han used a Blood Vitality Pill to break through to Tendon Refining Mid-Stage.
• Lin Shan visited Fang Yuan with Lin Jiao and requested another match between the young disciples.
• Fang Yuan said Fang Han was at a critical juncture in his cultivation and refused to arrange the sparring match for now.
• Lin Jiao stood up and said he needed to relieve himself.

Lin Jiao forced his way into the Fang Clan’s Inner Hall and challenged Fang Han, who accepted to protect the Lineage’s reputation. Fang Han defeated him decisively, and Fang Yuan and Lin Shan arrived as the fight was already underway.

• Lin Jiao left his escort behind and raced to the Inner Hall Martial Arts Arena to challenge Fang Han again.
• Fang Han accepted Lin Jiao’s challenge after the watching disciples made refusal a threat to the Fang Clan’s prestige.
• Lin Jiao and Fang Han took up weapons and began fighting on the Combat Platform as an instructor rushed to alert Fang Yuan.
• Fang Han used his refined Breeze Sword Art to turn aside Lin Jiao’s attacks and exploit gaps in his Blade Intent.
• Fang Han struck with Breeze Piercing Sun, knocked Lin Jiao’s broadsword from his hand, and sent him crashing to the ground.

After Fang Han defeated Lin Jiao, the Fang Clan celebrated his breakthrough to Tendon Refining Mid-Stage and publicized his victory across Liangshui City. Fang Han received rewards that brought him closer to the thousand taels of silver needed to activate his Tier-Three Root Bone Amplification.

• Fang Han defeated Lin Jiao, shocking the Inner Hall disciples with his Tendon Refining Mid-Stage strength and ability to challenge the top twenty.
• Fang Yuan and Lin Shan arrived; Lin Shan dragged the defeated Lin Jiao away, while Fang Yuan praised Fang Han and went to report the victory to Fang Lingyuan.
• Fang Lingyuan rewarded Fang Han and ordered news of his victory to spread throughout Liangshui City.
• Fang Zheng proudly heard customers celebrate his son, Fang Han, as a rising genius.
• Fang Han counted his new rewards and savings, totaling seven hundred and seventy-seven taels, leaving him two hundred and twenty-three taels short of activating Tier-Three Root Bone Amplification.

Fang Han deposited most of his silver into the System Panel and resolved to earn more by reaching the Martial Dao Stele’s top ten. After advancing the Breeze Sword Art to Greater Accomplishment, he tested his strength and secured tenth place.

• Fang Han recharged seven hundred taels of silver into the System Panel and decided that entering the Martial Dao Stele’s top ten was his best route to increasing his income.
• Fang Han cultivated intensely for more than ten days, then advanced the Breeze Sword Art from Proficiency to Greater Accomplishment with a powerful strike that scarred a distant bluestone slab.
• Fang Han headed to the Martial Dao Stele, drawing a crowd of Inner Hall disciples who followed to watch his ranking test.
• Fang Han unleashed Breeze Piercing Sun with his Greater Accomplishment Sword Art and Tendon Refining Mid-Stage strength, and his ranking settled at tenth place.

Fang Han rose to tenth place on the Martial Dao Stele, stunning the Inner Hall disciples and Elder Fang Yuan. Fang Hong failed to reclaim his former rank, while Fang Han gained the resources and training-room access allotted to the top ten.

• Fang Han's name appeared in tenth place, drawing astonished reactions from the top-ranked disciples and the Inner Hall crowd.
• Fang Hong approached Fang Han but suppressed his anger, then decided to test again and reclaim tenth place.
• Fang Hong's second test left him in eleventh place, and he fled the courtyard in humiliation.
• An instructor reported Fang Han's rise to Elder Fang Yuan, who ordered his tenth-place monthly resources and access to Grade A No. 10 Martial Dao Room allocated to him.

Fang Han settled into private training in the Grade A No. 10 Martial Dao Room before Elder Fang Yuan assigned him a mission to capture or kill a wanted bandit. Armed with a new Azure Edge Sword and promised fifty taels, Fang Han left eager for real combat.

• Fang Han began practicing the Breeze Sword Art in the secluded Martial Dao Room, determined to rise higher in the Martial Dao Stele rankings.
• Elder Fang Yuan explained that top-ten descendants had to undertake missions to gain real combat experience.
• Fang Yuan assigned Fang Han to capture or kill Black Rat, a wanted bandit hiding in an abandoned residence south of Liangshui City, with a fifty-tael reward.
• Fang Yuan gave Fang Han the bandit's location and presented him with the Azure Edge Sword as a gift from the Lineage.
• Fang Han accepted the mission and sword, then left with anticipation for combat and the reward.

Fang Han searched an abandoned courtyard for Black Rat, then followed the fugitive’s trail with help from a Fang Clan servant. As they hurried through an alley, an attacker sprang from behind and thrust twin blades at Fang Han’s back.

• Fang Han disguised himself in a coarse gray garment and searched Black Rat’s abandoned courtyard, finding signs that someone had lived there recently but no one inside.
• A Fang Clan servant named Ding Jiuqi revealed that Elder Fang Yuan had sent him to assist Fang Han and offered to track Black Rat.
• Ding Jiuqi found fresh traces by the courtyard’s northwestern wall and led Fang Han into the alleys in pursuit.
• A ghostly attacker vaulted over a wall behind Fang Han and stabbed at his back with twin blades.

Fang Han killed the ambushing Black Rat, then returned to cultivation and received his monthly reward for ranking tenth on the Martial Dao Stele. With the bounty and his allowance, he calculated that he could gather one thousand taels in about nine months, and hoped a higher rank would speed that up.

• Black Rat ambushed Fang Han with poison-coated twin blades, but Fang Han blocked the attack and killed him with the Breeze Sword Art.
• Fang Han gave Black Rat’s silver pouch to the tracker as payment and ordered him to handle the corpse and claim the authorities’ bounty.
• Fang Han reported back to Elder Fang Yuan, who praised his performance, and then resumed focused cultivation in his Martial Dao Room.
• At the end of the month, Fang Han received twenty Blood Vitality Pills and twenty taels of silver for ranking tenth on the Martial Dao Stele.
• Fang Han calculated that his monthly reward and Black Rat’s bounty would let him save one thousand taels in about nine months, and considered pursuing a higher rank.

Fang Han learned about the Prodigy Ranking and Martial Artist Ranking, two monthly lists that mysteriously appeared on indestructible steles across Qingyang Prefecture. After reading the top ten prodigies’ names and strengths, he resolved to one day stand among them.

• Fang Han found the Inner Hall disciples excitedly discussing the newly updated rankings and asked what they were.
• Fang Lin explained that the rankings listed Qingyang Prefecture’s strongest young prodigies and strongest martial artists, and Fang Chen said they appeared automatically on two enormous steles.
• Fang Lin told Fang Han that major forces had failed to investigate or move the steles, while some believed they might be connected to the Great Chu Imperial Family.
• Fang Han borrowed Fang Lin’s booklet and read about the top ten prodigies, all of whom were far stronger than Liangshui City’s younger generation.
• Fang Han felt motivated rather than discouraged and resolved that his name would one day appear among the leading prodigies.

Fang Han broke through to the Tendon Refining Late-Stage and rose from tenth to seventh on the Martial Dao Stele, startling the Inner Hall. He returned to his Martial Dao Room, where a servant told him his parents were waiting with an urgent matter.

• Fang Han advanced his cultivation and Breeze Sword Art during more than ten days of training, then broke through to the Tendon Refining Late-Stage after a month at the Mid-Stage.
• Fang Han went to the Martial Dao Stele and used Breeze Piercing Sun to raise his ranking from tenth to seventh.
• Fang Mei, Fang Rui, Fang Xue, Fang Hao, and Fang Hong heard that Fang Han had reached seventh place and reacted with surprise or concern.
• Fang Han returned to his Martial Dao Room and anticipated the monthly rewards that could help him activate Level Three Amplification.
• A Fang Clan servant told Fang Han that his parents were waiting outside the Inner Hall entrance to discuss an urgent matter.

Fang Han learned that mountain bandits had severely wounded his eldest uncle, Fang Ye, while attacking the Fang Clan's merchant caravan. He discovered that the caravan's martial artists protected Fang Ye because of Fang Han's standing in the Inner Hall, and ended the chapter hoping to join the Lineage's response against the bandits.

• Fang Han hurried to meet his parents and learned that bandits at Black Cloud Ridge had attacked the caravan and wounded Fang Ye.
• Fang Han and his family visited Fang Ye, whose physician confirmed that he would survive but need a long recovery.
• Fang Ye thanked Fang Han, explaining that the caravan's martial artists had protected him because of Fang Han's status.
• Fang Han felt grateful to the Lineage for protecting his family and remained with Fang Ye until the physician examined him again.
• Fang Han returned to his residence, thought about the Lineage's likely response to the bandits, and picked up his Azure Edge Sword.

Fang Han and the other top ten Inner Hall disciples were ordered to join an operation against the Black Snake Bandits, and they approached the bandits’ stronghold with Fang Tu before dawn. Inside, the bandit leaders celebrated their stolen goods, unaware that the Fang Clan forces were watching from the forest.

• Elder Fang Yuan told Fang Han and the other top ten disciples that they would take part in the operation to destroy the Black Snake Bandits’ stronghold.
• Fang Tu was assigned to lead the group and ordered everyone to assemble before dawn and obey his commands.
• Fang Tu led several dozen martial artists out of Liangshui City and stealthily approached the Black Snake Bandits’ stronghold at Black Cloud Ridge.
• Snake Two and Snake One celebrated the stolen caravan goods while Snake Three worried that the Fang Clan would seek revenge.
• The bandit leaders dismissed Snake Three’s warning as dozens of Fang Clan forces watched their stronghold from the forest.

Elder Fang Tu led the Fang Clan in a swift assault on the Black Snake Bandits’ mountain stronghold, where Fang Han distinguished himself by killing a stronger bandit leader. The Fang Clan wiped out the bandits, and Fang Han stood amid the aftermath, still adjusting to the slaughter.

• Elder Fang Tu and four other elders stormed the stronghold, broke through its defenses, and opened the gates for Fang Han and the Fang Clan martial artists.
• Fang Han used his Mastery Realm Breeze Sword Art to kill several bandits and pierce a fleeing bandit with compressed air force.
• Fang Han defeated a Tendon Refining Late-Stage bandit leader by exploiting an opening and stabbing him through the heart.
• Elder Fang Tu and the other elders killed Snake One, Snake Two, and Snake Three as the Fang Clan overwhelmed the bandits.
• The Fang Clan exterminated the Black Snake Bandits, and Fang Han surveyed the corpses while reflecting on his growing familiarity with killing.

After the Fang Clan defeated the Black Snake Bandits, Fang Han returned to cultivation and came close to reaching his goal of a thousand taels of silver for the next Talent Amplification level. He then hit the bottleneck between Tendon Refining and Bone Refining, but remained confident he would overcome it soon.

• Fang Han and the others escorted the spoils from the Black Snake Bandits’ stronghold back to Liangshui City, where Fang Lingyuan praised them for their victory.
• Fang Han resumed cultivating and visited Fang Ye, whose injuries had improved and whose spirits lifted after hearing the bandits had been wiped out.
• A clan servant delivered Fang Han his share of the spoils: one hundred taels of Snowflake Silver.
• Fang Han received thirty-five taels of monthly silver for ranking seventh on the Martial Dao Stele and recharged it, bringing his System Panel wealth to 982 silver.
• After another half month of cultivation, Fang Han encountered the bottleneck between Tendon Refining and Bone Refining but remained calm and confident he would break through.

Fang Han broke through to Bone Refining Early-Stage and demonstrated his improved strength at the Martial Dao Stele, rising to fourth place. His rapid advancement alarmed the disciples ahead of him, while Elder Fang Yuan hurried to tell Clan Head Fang Lingyuan.

• Fang Han shattered his bottleneck and reached Bone Refining Early-Stage, strengthening all 206 bones in his body.
• Fang Han went to the Martial Dao Stele and used his Greater Accomplishment Breeze Sword Art to strike it.
• The Martial Dao Stele ranked Fang Han fourth, prompting astonishment among the gathered disciples.
• Fang Lin felt relieved that he had repaired his relationship with Fang Han, while Fang Xue, Fang Hao, and the three disciples Fang Han surpassed felt pressure and dismay.
• Elder Fang Yuan learned of Fang Han's breakthrough and hurried to Pine Wave Pavilion to inform Clan Head Fang Lingyuan.

After Fang Han reached the Bone Refining Realm, Fang Lingyuan and Fang Yuan believed he might qualify for a mysterious Holy Land and resolved to support his growth. Fang Han attended his maternal grandfather Lin Chengde’s lively birthday banquet, where relatives and merchants fawned over him, then planned to resume training without letting the praise make him complacent.

• Fang Yuan told Fang Lingyuan that Fang Han had broken through to the Bone Refining Realm, and they discussed his chances of reaching the Holy Land’s Beginner stage standard.
• Fang Lingyuan ordered Fang Yuan to protect and support Fang Han as he grew.
• Lin Wan reminded Fang Han to take leave from the Martial Hall for Lin Chengde’s birthday, and Fang Han noticed his cultivation had slowed since entering the Bone Refining Realm.
• Fang Han went with his family to Lin Chengde’s birthday banquet, where Lin Hai credited Fang Han’s growing reputation with reviving the family cloth shop’s business.
• Lin Chengde and the banquet guests praised Fang Han, while his parents and sister shared in the family’s newfound attention.
• On the carriage ride home, Fang Han dismissed the fawning as dependent on his potential and planned how to make up for the day of missed training.

Fang Han used his monthly resources to activate the Tier-Three Root Bone Amplification, raising his talent to eightfold and dramatically increasing his cultivation speed. After several days of rapid progress, he was summoned to Elder Fang Yuan’s Quiet Room.

• Fang Han received thirty Blood Vitality Pills and fifty taels of silver for placing fourth on the Martial Dao Stele.
• Fang Han recharged his System with twenty taels and activated the Tier-Three Root Bone Talent Amplification, raising it to 8x and leaving him with two taels.
• Fang Han trained his stance and felt his vitality and blood surge, strengthening his bones and accelerating his progress toward the Bone Refining Mid-Stage.
• Fang Han spent the following days cultivating at an unprecedented pace under the Eightfold Root Bone Amplification.
• A Fang Clan servant told Fang Han that Elder Fang Yuan had ordered him to visit his Quiet Room.

Elder Fang Yuan sent Fang Han to kill the bandit leader Blood Blade Niu Mang, who was hiding in Liangshui City's Drunken Spring Breeze. Fang Han defeated Niu Mang, but a Lin Family disciple suddenly killed him and took his body.

• Elder Fang Yuan gave Fang Han Niu Mang's portrait and hideout location, warning him to avoid harming people in the busy district.
• Fang Han sensed someone following him but continued to Drunken Spring Breeze, where he identified Niu Mang among the guests.
• Niu Mang recognized Fang Han as a threat and fled through the rear of the pleasure house, with Fang Han pursuing him.
• Fang Han disarmed Niu Mang and slashed him severely, leaving him unable to resist.
• A Lin Family Inner Hall disciple appeared, killed Niu Mang with a blade strike, and began carrying away the corpse.

Fang Han fought Lin Bao after the Lin Family disciple tried to claim the corpse of his defeated target, and he wounded Lin Bao before taking the body to the Liangshui City Yamen. He collected the eighty-tael reward and headed back to the Fang Clan, concerned that the clash might cause trouble.

• Fang Han blocked Lin Bao from taking the corpse of the mission target, and Lin Bao attacked him.
• Fang Han used his Greater Accomplishment Sword Art to overcome Lin Bao's stronger cultivation and cut his sword-wielding wrist.
• Fang Han left Lin Bao behind in front of the watching crowd and carried the corpse to the Liangshui City Yamen.
• The constable verified the corpse's identity and gave Fang Han the eighty-tael reward.
• Fang Han headed back to the Fang Clan, planning to tell Elder Fang Yuan about his clash with Lin Bao.