Chapter Summaries

Fang Han became the Inner Hall’s top disciple, surpassing Fang Hong, and was summoned by Clan Head Fang Lingyuan. Fang Lingyuan revealed that a major opportunity awaited Fang Han if he reached the Inner Qi Realm before the second day of the second lunar month next year.

• Fang Han claimed first place in the Inner Hall, prompting shock among the disciples.
• Fang Xue accepted that Fang Han had surpassed her, while Fang Hong reacted with humiliation and despair.
• Elder Fang Yuan celebrated Fang Han’s rise and believed he might one day rival Lin Ao.
• Elder Fang Yuan brought Fang Han to meet Clan Head Fang Lingyuan at Pine Wave Pavilion.
• Fang Lingyuan praised Fang Han and told him that reaching the Inner Qi Realm before the deadline would bring an opportunity tied to his martial future and the Fang Clan’s fate.

After Fang Lingyuan urged Fang Han to reach the Inner Qi Realm before the second day of the second month, Fang Han intensified his cultivation and mastered Gale Step. Elder Fang Yuan then summoned him to offer him a task that could provide additional income.

• Fang Lingyuan and Elder Fang Yuan told Fang Han that a Great Opportunity depended on the clan’s rise and fall, but they withheld its details until he reached the Inner Qi Realm by the deadline.
• Fang Han devoted himself to cultivation, received his monthly reward of fifty Blood Vitality Pills and one hundred taels of silver, and recharged the silver into his System Panel.
• Fang Han trained in the Grade A No. 10 Martial Dao Room and advanced Gale Step from proficiency to mastery in just over a month.
• Fang Han tested his mastered Gale Step, recognized that his combat ability had improved, and judged that he had surpassed Fang Hong but still needed to fight Lin Ao to know how he compared.
• Elder Fang Yuan summoned Fang Han and offered him a task that could bring in extra monthly income.

Fang Han accepted the Fang Clan’s task of helping Xia Kang inherit Clear Mist Tea Garden in exchange for a share of its monthly profits. As Fang Han met the old garden master to press Xia Kang’s case, Xia Hao arrived with Lin Ao, the famed Lin Family prodigy.

• Elder Fang Yuan told Fang Han that Xia Kang would offer half of Clear Mist Tea Garden’s monthly profits if the Fang Clan helped him win the inheritance, and Fang Han accepted the task.
• Fang Han traveled to Xia Kang’s residence, where Xia Kang’s disappointment at his youth turned to excitement when he recognized him as the Fang Clan’s Qilin Child.
• Xia Kang explained that Xia Hao had gained their father’s favor and the support of an honored Lin Family figure, and Fang Han promised to meet the old garden master the next morning.
• Fang Han and Xia Kang visited Xia Yuan at Clear Mist Tea Garden, and Fang Han stated that he had come to discuss the garden’s future and support Xia Kang.
• Xia Hao interrupted their conversation and entered with Lin Ao, the acknowledged strongest member of Liangshui City’s younger generation.

Fang Han challenged Lin Ao’s claim to Xia Hao’s inheritance of the Tea Garden, and the two fought in Xia Yuan’s sitting room. Lin Ao initially drove Fang Han back, but Fang Han used his mastery-level Gale Step to evade a decisive spear thrust.

• Lin Ao arrived with Xia Hao and demanded that Fang Han accept Xia Hao’s claim to the Tea Garden inheritance.
• Fang Han refused to yield, and Lin Ao attacked him with the Army-Breaking Spear Art.
• Fang Han met Lin Ao’s spear with his Gentle Wind Sword Art but was pushed onto the defensive by Lin Ao’s greater cultivation and perfected spear technique.
• Fang Han suddenly used his mastery-level Gale Step, causing Lin Ao’s thrust to miss.

Fang Han defeated Lin Ao in a fight over the inheritance of Clear Mist Tea Garden, allowing Xia Kang to inherit it and secure Fang Han a share of its profits. After Fang Han reported the outcome to Elder Fang Yuan, the elder was alarmed to learn that Lin Ao had intervened and asked whether Fang Han was hurt.

• Fang Han used his speed and swordsmanship to wound Lin Ao and defeat him after nearly a hundred exchanges.
• Lin Ao left the reception hall in anger, while Xia Hao was terrified and Xia Kang rejoiced at Fang Han's victory.
• Xia Yuan agreed to entrust Clear Mist Tea Garden to Xia Kang, who promised to honor Fang Han's support.
• Fang Han returned to Fang Mansion and told Elder Fang Yuan that Xia Kang would inherit the garden and share half its monthly profits with him.
• Elder Fang Yuan was shocked to learn Lin Ao had intervened and urgently asked Fang Han whether they had fought and whether he was injured.

After Fang Han revealed that he had defeated Lin Ao, Elder Fang Yuan brought him to Clan Head Fang Lingyuan, who praised his achievement and rewarded him with one thousand taels of silver. Fang Han returned to the Martial Dao Room to keep cultivating, determined to reach the Inner Qi Realm and pursue the opportunity awaiting him.

• Fang Han told Elder Fang Yuan that he had defeated Lin Ao, shocking the elder.
• Elder Fang Yuan hurried Fang Han to Pine Wave Pavilion to report the victory to Clan Head Fang Lingyuan.
• Fang Han confirmed that he had beaten Lin Ao by one move, and Fang Lingyuan praised his talent and contribution to the Fang Clan.
• Fang Lingyuan rewarded Fang Han with one thousand taels of silver and urged him to reach the Inner Qi Realm.
• Fang Han returned to Grade A No. 10 Martial Dao Room to cultivate toward the Prodigy Ranking and the opportunity available next February.

After Fang Han defeated Lin Ao, news of his victory spread through the Fang Clan and Liangshui City, raising his standing and easing the resentment of those he had surpassed. Fang Han remained focused on cultivation, while his father Fang Zheng learned of the victory and felt immense pride.

• Elder Fang Yuan spread the news of Fang Han's victory through the Inner Hall, where the disciples celebrated and Fang Xue and Fang Hong each reacted with surprise and relief.
• Fang Han continued cultivating and, when he emerged that afternoon, noticed the Inner Hall disciples greeting him with unusual reverence.
• At Fanghua Restaurant, Boss Li told Fang Zheng that Fang Han had defeated Lin Ao and that the city's view of its strongest young fighter might change.
• Fang Zheng was stunned by the news, then concealed his excitement behind a modest response as the restaurant's patrons watched him.

After defeating Lin Ao, Fang Han received a thousand taels of silver from the clan and used it to raise his Sword Art Talent Amplification to eightfold. The next morning, he entered the Martial Arts Arena and was greeted with admiration by the newly admitted Inner Hall disciples.

• Fang Ying welcomed Fang Han home and excitedly told him about the silver, while Lin Wan learned that he had defeated Lin Ao and celebrated his achievement.
• Fang Han opened the clan’s chest of a thousand taels of silver and recharged his system, bringing his possessed wealth to 1,732 silver.
• Fang Han spent 1,000 silver to activate Level 3 Sword Art Talent Amplification, raising his sword art talent to eightfold.
• Fang Han entered the Martial Arts Arena the next morning and realized a new batch of disciples had joined the Inner Hall.
• The older students identified Fang Han as the Inner Hall’s chief and told the newcomers about his rise and victory over Lin Ao, prompting their admiration.

Fang Han used his Eightfold Sword Art Talent Amplification to master the Gentle Wind Sword Art, greatly strengthening his offense. At lunch, he heard that an outsider had defeated Sun Qing and planned to challenge the Six Heroes of Liangshui one by one.

• Fang Han continued cultivating in the Inner Hall, then tested his Eightfold Sword Art Talent Amplification with the Gentle Wind Sword Art.
• After more than ten days of intensive practice, Fang Han performed Gentle Wind Void Piercer and raised the Gentle Wind Sword Art to Mastery.
• Fang Han concluded that he could now face Lin Ao in a direct clash without being outmatched.
• At the dining hall, Fang Han overheard disciples say an outsider had defeated Sun Qing and intended to challenge the Six Heroes of Liangshui.

Xiao Chen defeated four of the Six Heroes of Liangshui and planned to challenge Fang Hong and Fang Han together, hoping the fights would help him break through to the Inner Qi Realm. Fang Han learned that a visitor had arrived, but did not yet know who it was.

• News of Xiao Chen's victories over Sun Qing, He Qingyan, Yue Lingtian, and Lin Ao spread through the Fang Clan Inner Hall, leaving Fang Han concerned about their coming challenge.
• Xiao Chen failed to break through to the Inner Qi Realm after fighting Lin Ao, despite using the battle's pressure to test his cultivation bottleneck.
• Xiao Yuanshan told Xiao Chen that Fang Hong and Fang Han remained among the Six Heroes and described Fang Han as Liangshui City's recognized top young fighter.
• Xiao Chen decided to challenge Fang Hong and Fang Han together the next day, hoping their strength would help him break through.
• Fang Han received his monthly allowance, then learned that an unidentified visitor was waiting for him in the reception room.

Fang Han used the silver from his family allowance and the Tea Garden profits to raise his Footwork Talent Amplification to eightfold. Practicing Gale Step in the Martial Dao Room, he quickly reached mastery.

• Xia Kang brought Fang Han 220 taels of silver as his share of the Tea Garden’s monthly profits, and Fang Han promised to help if trouble arose.
• Fang Han combined the Tea Garden’s silver with his family allowance and recharged his System Panel, bringing his possessed wealth to 1,052 silver.
• Fang Han spent 1,000 silver to raise his Footwork Talent Amplification from fourfold to eightfold.
• Fang Han practiced Gale Step and rapidly grasped its subtleties, improving his speed and coordination.
• Fang Han broke through to Gale Step mastery, moving silently and leaving lifelike afterimages.

Fang Han arrived at the Combat Platform Courtyard to face Xiao Chen, a formidable young fighter from the Xiao Clan. After Xiao Chen decisively defeated Fang Hong, Fang Han stepped onto the platform to meet him.

• Fang Han's Gale Step reached mastery after he unlocked Level Three Footwork Talent Amplification, and he chose to focus on honing his sword art before the coming challenge.
• A servant summoned Fang Han to the Combat Platform Courtyard, where Elder Fang Yuan introduced him to Xiao Chen and Elder Xiao Yuanshan of the Xiao Clan.
• Xiao Chen called on Fang Hong to fight first, and Fang Hong accepted Elder Fang Yuan's order and mounted the platform.
• Xiao Chen defeated Fang Hong in twelve moves, leaving him with a bloody chest wound and forcing him to retreat from the platform.
• Xiao Chen challenged Fang Han, and Fang Han drew the Azure Edge Sword as he stepped onto the platform.

Fang Han and Xiao Chen fought an intense arena duel, each revealing the full power of their ranked martial techniques. Xiao Chen’s battle intent surged as the clash shook his bottleneck to the Inner Qi Realm, and the fight continued with neither gaining an advantage.

• Xiao Chen opened with a powerful saber strike, but Fang Han blocked it and matched his attacks with the Gentle Wind Sword Art.
• Xiao Chen shifted to a ranked saber technique, shocking Lin Ao, Yue Lingtian, He Qingyan, and the watching elders with the strength he had concealed.
• Fang Han unleashed the major accomplishment Gentle Wind Air-Splitting, and the two exchanged blows evenly, each retreating three steps.
• Xiao Chen’s excitement and battle intent intensified as the pressure made his Inner Qi Realm bottleneck tremble, and he launched another relentless series of attacks.
• Fang Han met Xiao Chen’s ranked saber moves with his sword art as the battle continued amid exploding force, flying stones, and breaking arena stones.

Fang Han defeated Xiao Chen by evading his strongest strike with the perfected Gale Step and counterattacking. His victory established him as the undisputed leading young martial artist in Liangshui City, while the other families watched him warily.

• Fang Han and Xiao Chen fought more than two hundred moves as spectators and elders recognized their near-Inner Qi Realm strength.
• Xiao Chen unleashed Blood Slaughter World-Ending, but Fang Han used his perfected Gale Step to evade the blow.
• Fang Han pierced Xiao Chen beneath the ribs with the Azure Edge Sword, winning the duel.
• Xiao Chen acknowledged Fang Han's mastery and left the courtyard with Xiao Yuanshan, while the Fang Clan celebrated Fang Han's victory.
• Fang Han reflected on the strength of Xiao Chen and the wider world of martial artists beyond Liangshui City.
• News of Fang Han's victory spread through Liangshui City, bringing relief to its residents and wariness from the other families.

Fang Han cultivated Startling Swan Step to the Beginner stage, then reached the Bone Refining Late-Stage limit after two months of training. As he continued working to break through to the Inner Qi Realm, Fang Zhong arrived with a summons from Clan Head Fang Lingyuan.

• Fang Han studied Startling Swan Step and reached the Beginner stage after an hour of practice, aided by his footwork talent and perfected Gale Step.
• Over the next half month, Fang Han used Crane Stance, Monster Beast Meat, and his amplified Root Bone Talent to strengthen his bones and blood and qi.
• Fang Han reached the Bone Refining Late-Stage limit and recognized the solid bottleneck separating him from the Inner Qi Realm.
• Fang Han devoted a full day to cultivation with Blood Vitality Pills, but did not break through the bottleneck.
• The next morning, Fang Zhong told Fang Han that Clan Head Fang Lingyuan had requested his presence at Pine Wave Pavilion.

Fang Han met Wang Meng, daughter of the Wang Clan of Linshan City’s Clan Head, while showing her around the Fang estate. After she explained that she rejected the elders’ matchmaking plans, Fang Han accepted her refusal, and they parted on more cordial terms.

• Fang Lingyuan introduced Fang Han to Wang Zhengyang and Wang Meng, guests from the Wang Clan of Linshan City.
• Fang Lingyuan asked Fang Han to show Wang Meng around the Fang estate, and Fang Han noticed her distant manner toward him.
• Wang Meng told Fang Han that she wanted a husband like her elder brother Wang Miao, a prodigy on the Prodigy Ranking, and had not come to pursue a match with him.
• Fang Han calmly accepted Wang Meng’s refusal and assured her he would not pester her.
• Wang Meng’s frostiness eased after Fang Han responded frankly, while he privately resolved to reach the Prodigy Ranking for his own sake.

Fang Han set aside the failed matchmaking attempt and spent five days cultivating in his Martial Dao Room. He broke through from the Bone Refining Realm into the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm, and his System Panel showed that he still possessed 52 silver.

• Fang Lingyuan accepted that Wang Meng had no interest in Fang Han and told him to focus on reaching the Inner Qi Realm.
• Fang Han returned to his Martial Dao Room, swallowed a Blood Vitality Pill, and began attacking the bottleneck with Crane Stance.
• Fang Han failed to break through during the first four days but remained confident that his eightfold root bone talent would prevail.
• On the morning of the fifth day, Fang Han shattered the bottleneck and condensed his first wisp of Internal Qi in his Sea of Qi Acupoint.
• Fang Han celebrated reaching the Ninth Grade Inner Qi Realm, and his System Panel appeared with 52 silver listed as his possessed wealth.

After reaching the Inner Qi Realm, Fang Han discovered that his System Panel could accept valuable items as top-ups, then learned that his breakthrough qualified him to seek a place in Azure Profound Sect. He left eager to join the Seven Sects and gain access to a wider world and greater resources.

• Fang Han topped up his System Panel with a Blood Vitality Pill and confirmed it added one silver without reducing the pill’s value.
• Fang Han went to Elder Fang Yuan after remembering the Opportunity promised for reaching the Inner Qi Realm before the second day of the second lunar month.
• Elder Fang Yuan recognized Fang Han’s breakthrough and hurried him to meet Clan Head Fang Lingyuan.
• Fang Lingyuan examined Fang Han, praised his progress, and revealed that Azure Profound Sect would recruit disciples on the second day of the second lunar month next year.
• Fang Lingyuan explained that reaching the Inner Qi Realm before age eighteen gave Fang Han an excellent chance of passing Azure Profound Sect’s Beginner stage assessment.
• Fang Han became eager to join Azure Profound Sect, seeing it as a path to greater resources and a broader future.

Elder Fang Yuan gave Fang Han the Fang Clan’s low-grade Internal Qi technique, Pure Origin Technique, and explained why higher-grade cultivation methods were needed to advance beyond the limits facing Liangshui City’s families. After finding Blood Vitality Pills barely helped his Inner Qi cultivation, Fang Han received Inner Qi Pills and discovered they nearly doubled his Internal Qi growth, leaving him focused on cultivation.

• Elder Fang Yuan took Fang Han to the Library Pavilion and gave him Pure Origin Technique after he entered the Inner Qi Realm.
• Elder Fang Yuan explained that the Fang Clan and the other great families of Liangshui City had no techniques above low-grade, and that the Azure Profound Sect offered a chance to obtain stronger methods.
• Fang Han studied Pure Origin Technique, learned how Inner Qi grades and Divine Treasuries worked, and found that his Internal Qi grew slowly even with his Root Bone Talent enhancement.
• Fang Han tested a Blood Vitality Pill and found it offered little help with Inner Qi cultivation.
• Elder Fang Yuan gave Fang Han his monthly allotment of ten Inner Qi Pills, which were designed to aid Inner Qi cultivation.
• Fang Han took an Inner Qi Pill and found that it nearly doubled his Internal Qi growth, then resumed cultivating.

Fang Han took first place in the Fang Clan's Martial Dao Stele re-test and received silver from both the clan and Clear Mist Tea Garden. Realizing he needed far greater resources to strengthen his talents, he set his sights on joining Azure Profound Sect, while a mysterious visitor entered Lin Yaotian's study.

• Fang Han used only Bone Refining Late-Stage strength to claim first place in the Martial Dao Stele re-test, and Elder Fang Yuan awarded him five hundred taels of silver.
• Xia Kang visited Fang Han with Clear Mist Tea Garden's dividend and New Year gifts, bringing him another two hundred and eighty taels of silver.
• Fang Han recharged the System with his silver and saw that his next talent amplifications required ten thousand taels.
• Fang Han resolved to seek the resources of the Seven Sects and became more determined to attend Azure Profound Sect's recruitment.
• A cloaked figure entered the Lin Family residence at night and met Clan Head Lin Yaotian in his study.