Recaps

Lu Heng sparred with Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan, defeating all three with his unusual physique and mastery of multiple attributes. Han Yue noticed his command of four attributes and asked about his cultivation technique, but Lu Heng kept it secret.

• Liu Qing tested Lu Heng with his spear, but Lu Heng blocked his strike and countered with wood and fire techniques until Liu Qing conceded.
• Yan Hao attacked Lu Heng with his twin hammers, but Lu Heng absorbed the force, evaded his earth spikes, and countered at close range.
• Lin Yan challenged Lu Heng with his fire axe, but Lu Heng resisted the flames and forced Lin Yan to evade a golden blade aimed at his throat.
• Han Yue recognized Lu Heng's mastery of wood, fire, earth, and metal, then asked what cultivation technique he practiced.
• Lu Heng refused to reveal his technique, and Han Yue apologized for asking.

Lu Heng finished his spar with Yan Hao, Liu Qing, and Lin Yan, then agreed to refine pills for them in exchange for ingredients. After Han Yue marveled at his abilities, Lu Heng advised her on how to approach the Dou Ling breakthrough, leaving her with a new idea to consider.

• Lu Heng gave Yan Hao, Liu Qing, and Lin Yan lists of ingredients and agreed to refine pills for them, telling them to bring the ingredients to the Secluded Bamboo Forest in three days.
• Liu Qing and Yan Hao promised to support Lu Heng if anyone caused him trouble in the Outer Academy.
• Han Yue reflected on Lu Heng's strength, his control of four attributes, and his alchemy skills, wondering whether he came from one of the Ancient Races.
• Lu Heng teased Han Yue about staring at him, making her blush before she questioned how he had grown so much stronger.
• Han Yue explained that she had reached the ninth star of Da Dou Shi but could not break through the Dou Ling barrier.
• Lu Heng told Han Yue that her Dou Qi was too rigid and suggested she seek the soft, flowing nature of water.

Lu Heng and Han Yue exchanged cultivation insights, then went to dinner together, drawing gossip from students who saw them walking side by side. Their evening was interrupted when Wang Xiao blocked their path and demanded Lu Heng apologize to Wang Yan at the upcoming Selection Tournament; Lu Heng taunted him, and Wang Xiao erupted in anger.

• Lu Heng shared his understanding of water-attribute transformations with Han Yue, and they traded cultivation knowledge until nightfall.
• Han Yue invited Lu Heng to dinner to thank him for his guidance, and he accepted while joking that he wanted expensive food.
• Students gossiped as Lu Heng and Han Yue walked together, and Han Yue realized she did not dislike their misunderstanding.
• Wang Xiao and several older students blocked Lu Heng and Han Yue, and Wang Xiao demanded Lu Heng kneel and apologize to Wang Yan at the Selection Tournament.
• Han Yue stepped in to protect Lu Heng, but Lu Heng came forward and mocked Wang Xiao and the Wang Clan.
• Wang Xiao flared his Six-Star Da Dou Shi aura and threatened Lu Heng.

Lu Heng faced Wang Xiao’s challenge at the cafeteria entrance and revealed that his fire power overwhelmed Wang Xiao’s Beast Fire. He left Wang Xiao badly wounded with a single Blazing Sun Finger strike.

• Han Yue stepped in to protect Lu Heng from Wang Xiao, but Lu Heng asked her to stand aside and warned that he would handle the fight himself.
• Wang Xiao charged Lu Heng with Blazing Flame Collapse, striking him in the chest, but Lu Heng stood firm and absorbed the fire Dou Qi.
• Lu Heng unleashed his fourth-stage Li Fire Body, overwhelming Wang Xiao’s fire and immobilizing him with the heat.
• Lu Heng pierced Wang Xiao’s Dou Qi Armor with Blazing Sun Finger and blasted him backward, leaving a charred hole in his shoulder.

Lu Heng defeated Wang Xiao in a single move, took his Storage Ring, and offered to refine a Cold Marrow Pill for Han Yue. After the fight, Elder Huo decided to recruit Lu Heng into the Alchemist Department, while Han Yue arranged to spar with him every morning.

• Lu Heng used his crimson flame to overwhelm Wang Xiao, then took his Storage Ring as compensation and warned him not to challenge him again without bringing something valuable.
• Lu Heng left with Han Yue, and Hu Gan and Elder Huo watched from the tower as Elder Huo praised Lu Heng and resolved to recruit him into the Alchemist Department.
• At dinner, Lu Heng offered to refine a Cold Marrow Pill for Han Yue using ice-attribute Yao Cai from Wang Xiao's Storage Ring.
• Han Yue accepted the offer and said she would accompany Lu Heng for morning training each day, planning to test her ice against his fire.

Lu Heng refined a Cold Marrow Pill for Han Yue and trained with her, strengthening their bond as he prepared for the Selection Tournament. Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and Xueni worried that he would leave for the Inner Academy, while Xiao Yu reacted jealously to rumors about his fight with Wang Xiao.

• Lu Heng used the Cold Jade Marrow from Wang Xiao's Storage Ring to refine a Cold Marrow Pill.
• Han Yue arrived early for morning training and sparred with Lu Heng, whose Geng Metal Body endured her attacks.
• Lu Heng gave Han Yue the pill, and she thanked him before playfully throwing a teacup at him when he teased her.
• Xiao Yu and Xueni spoke with Instructor Ruo Lin about Lu Heng entering the Selection Tournament and possibly leaving for the Inner Academy.
• Xiao Yu dismissed rumors that Lu Heng had crippled Wang Xiao for Han Yue, but her grip warped the book in her hands.

Lu Heng learned that Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan had all failed to break through with his Profound Realm-Breaking Pills, while Han Yue’s cultivation had risen after taking hers. As the Selection Tournament approached, Lin Xiuya warned Lu Heng that the three failed candidates remained formidable, and Han Yue fled the courtyard after Lin Xiuya teased her about Lu Heng.

• Ruo Lin told Xueni that Lu Heng was already registered for the Selection Tournament and had grown too powerful for her to teach.
• Lin Xiuya visited Lu Heng and Han Yue, then revealed that Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan had all failed to break through to Dou Ling.
• Lu Heng explained that taking another Profound Realm-Breaking Pill would have greatly reduced odds and could damage the users’ foundations.
• Han Yue said her pill had raised her cultivation from Seven-Star Peak to Nine-Star, and Lin Xiuya warned Lu Heng to be careful of the three failed candidates at the tournament.
• Lin Xiuya teased Lu Heng and Han Yue about their closeness, and Han Yue blushed before abruptly leaving the courtyard.

The Inner Academy Selection Tournament began, and Lu Heng arrived at Central Plaza amid rumors about his recent victories. After drawing a token for Ring No. 7, he spotted Han Yue in the waiting area.

• Xiao Yu and Xueni met Lu Heng and warned him that the tournament rules had become more difficult.
• Lu Heng entered Central Plaza, where Old Man Huo and the three experts Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan watched him arrive.
• Hu Gan announced the tournament's start and ordered the participants to draw lots.
• Lu Heng drew the token for Ring No. 7 and saw Han Yue in the waiting area.

Lu Heng entered the Outer Academy Selection Tournament’s first-round melee on Ring No. 7, where other contestants mistook his calm corner position for weakness. As a burly student attacked him with a saber, Lu Heng raised an Earth Origin Shield to block the strike.

• Han Yue wished Lu Heng luck, drawing attention from the students around them.
• Liu Qing and the other top Outer Academy fighters greeted Lu Heng, while Liu Fei doubted his combat ability and Bai Cheng mocked him.
• Lin Yan defended Lu Heng and Lin Xiuya warned him to watch for attacks from behind; Lu Heng answered Bai Cheng with a threat before heading to Ring No. 7.
• Vice Dean Hu Gan announced that forty contestants would fight on each ring and only the top twenty from each would advance.
• Lu Heng chose a corner of Ring No. 7 and waited as the melee began, prompting a burly student to attack him with a saber.
• Lu Heng cast Earth Origin Shield, raising a person-sized barrier to block the burly student's strike.

Lu Heng used earth, wood, fire, and metal techniques to repel every opponent who approached him on Ring No. 7. The first round ended with Lu Heng still standing in the arena while the other rings’ battles also produced clear standouts.

• Lu Heng blocked a burly student’s broadsword with Earth Origin Shield, then withered his arm using Azure Wood Seal and drove him off the arena.
• Lu Heng struck two more students with Blazing Sun Finger, burning their meridians until they surrendered.
• Liu Qing, Yan Hao, Lin Yan, Han Yue, and Bai Cheng overwhelmed their opponents on Rings No. 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9 with their signature techniques.
• Lu Heng cut three charging students’ weapons in half with Golden Light Slash, and they fled Ring No. 7.
• A bell ended the first round, and a mentor ordered the students to stop fighting.

After advancing from the first-round free-for-all, Lu Heng spent time with Han Yue and the other students before winning his first one-on-one match against Zhao Xun with a single finger strike. He left the ring having advanced, while the spectators were stunned by how quickly he had defeated his opponent.

• Han Yue gave Lu Heng Qi Recovery Pills and warned him that his opponents would be on guard after seeing his techniques.
• Liu Qing introduced Lu Heng to his cousin Liu Fei, who praised his Yuan-Coagulating Pill and asked about his life-force-draining palm imprint.
• Han Yue cut short Liu Fei's questions, and Liu Fei teased her about protecting Lu Heng before leaving with Liu Qing and the others.
• The next morning, Vice dean Hu Gan announced the one-on-one round and drew Lu Heng against Zhao Xun on Ring No. 7, Group Eight.
• Lu Heng used his spiritual perception to track Zhao Xun's fast attack and struck his wrist with a crimson-gold finger wind.
• Lu Heng's fire poison left Zhao Xun unable to move, and Zhao Xun conceded as Lu Heng advanced after a match lasting less than three minutes.

Lu Heng and Han Yue advanced to the final melee of the Selection Tournament, where they joined forces with Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan. The chapter ended with Lu Heng planning to test a new fusion Dou Technique on Bai Cheng during the battle.

• Han Yue defeated her opponent with Ice Wind Rift Slash, while Bai Cheng won his match with a vicious spear thrust.
• Lu Heng blocked Wang Meng’s Gale Blade Technique with the Earth Origin Shield, then cut Wang Meng’s weapon in half with Golden Light Slash and forced him to flee.
• Han Yue defeated a defensive five-star Da Dou Shi, and the fifty advancing students were announced ahead of the final qualification battle.
• Vice Dean Hu Gan explained that the melee would take place in the Outer Academy Back Mountain, with the last five students earning access to the Inner Academy’s Library Pavilion and defeated opponents increasing their starting Fire Energy.
• Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan proposed that Lu Heng and Han Yue cooperate with them to eliminate Bai Cheng’s group before competing for the final spots; Lu Heng agreed.
• Lu Heng told Han Yue he had developed a new fusion Dou Technique and intended to test it on Bai Cheng, while Han Yue blushed and stomped on his foot.

Lu Heng practiced fusing Dou Qi attributes, developing powerful new techniques before Xueni, Xiao Yu, and Ruo Lin visited him ahead of the tournament. After Ruo Lin promised to agree to anything if he reached the top five, the fifty-man free-for-all began, and Lu Heng set out to hunt on the Back Mountain.

• Lu Heng fused wood and fire Dou Qi into the Azure Wood Explosive Flame Seal, then developed the Fire-Earth Lava Barrier and Earth Gold Mountain-Suppressing Edge.
• Xueni and Xiao Yu brought Lu Heng medicinal porridge, teased him about Han Yue, and urged him not to push himself in the tournament.
• Ruo Lin warned Lu Heng about the competition, and he hugged her before she left, promising to prove her doubts wrong.
• Ruo Lin said she would agree to anything if Lu Heng made the top five, then vanished into the night.
• The academy bell announced the final fifty-man free-for-all, and Lu Heng headed to the Back Mountain, hoping to face Bai Cheng.

Lu Heng entered the Inner Academy Selection melee, where the strongest contestants quickly eliminated waves of students. When two seniors targeted him, he blocked a saber strike with his Earth Origin Shield and began a counterattack.

• Lu Heng met Xueni, Xiao Yu, and Ruo Lin on the way to Central Plaza, where they wished him luck and Ruo Lin warned him that Bai Cheng's group would target him.
• Vice dean Hu Gan announced that the melee would end when only five students remained standing, with any method allowed except killing.
• Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, Lin Yan, and Han Yue each used their abilities to send groups of students out of the arena.
• Two senior students attacked Lu Heng from both sides, but he stopped the saber wielder's strike with his flame-coated Earth Origin Shield.
• Lu Heng countered with Azure Wood Seal, pressing a green palm print against the saber-wielding student's wrist.

Lu Heng defeated Bai Cheng and Fu Ao after they attacked him during the arena melee. He left both men outside the arena as the spectators watched in shock.

• Lu Heng drained vitality from one student’s arm and frightened another into surrendering.
• Bai Cheng ambushed Lu Heng with a lightning spear, but Lu Heng blocked the strike with an Earth Origin Shield and burned Bai Cheng’s arm with Li Fire.
• Lu Heng’s Golden Light Slash cut Bai Cheng’s spear in half, shattered his dou qi armor, and sent him tumbling off the arena.
• Fu Ao charged Lu Heng to avenge Bai Cheng, but Lu Heng’s Azure Wood Explosive Flame Seal defeated him and blasted him off the arena.

With six fighters remaining and only five places in the Library Pavilion selection, Lu Heng battled Lin Yan while the others fought to decide who would be eliminated. He rescued an exhausted Han Yue from Liu Qing’s spear and prepared to face Liu Qing himself, leaving the match unresolved.

• Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, Liu Qing, Lin Yan, Han Yue, and Lu Heng each paired off as the six remaining fighters contested the five Pavilion places.
• Lin Xiuya and Yan Hao traded swift sword attacks and hammer blows, while Liu Qing pressured Han Yue with his heavy spear.
• Lu Heng defended against Lin Yan’s axe with an enhanced Earth Origin Shield and countered with Blazing Sun Finger and Azure Wood Explosive Flame Seals.
• Liu Qing overwhelmed Han Yue’s final Ice Wind Rift Slash, shattered her protective Dou Qi Veil, and sent her flying backward.
• Lu Heng appeared in front of Han Yue and blocked Liu Qing’s spear with his flame-ringed shield, then helped her recover with wood-attribute dou qi and Qi Recovery Pills.
• Lu Heng told Han Yue to rest and declared that he would take on Liu Qing, who slammed his spear into the ground as the confrontation continued.

Lu Heng faced Liu Qing in the arena and began fusing four kinds of energy into a dangerous attack. Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan joined forces to stop him from seriously injuring Liu Qing, just as Lu Heng unleashed his Four Symbols—Origin Slash.

• Liu Qing challenged Lu Heng to another spar, and Lu Heng brought out a massive black heavy sword.
• Lu Heng’s Golden Light Slash broke through Liu Qing’s claw attack, prompting Liu Qing to fight with his spear and unleash two powerful Dou Techniques.
• Lu Heng drew in earth energy and fused it with the power of his Azure Wood, Li Fire, and Geng Metal bodies, alarming the onlookers with the danger of his gathering attack.
• Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan joined Liu Qing and launched their strongest attacks at Lu Heng.
• Lu Heng completed his fusion and released Four Symbols—Origin Slash.

Lu Heng defeated Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan with the Four Symbols—Origin-Returning Slash, then collapsed from the strain. Han Yue caught him as the crowd celebrated, while Hu Gan questioned the power of Lu Heng’s Dou Technique.

• Lu Heng used the Four Symbols—Origin-Returning Slash to overwhelm the four Nine-Star Da Dou Shi and shatter his heavy sword.
• Lu Heng collapsed unconscious, and Han Yue caught him and checked that his condition was stable.
• Liu Qing and the others recovered and accepted their defeat as the Arena erupted in cheers.
• Ruo Lin recalled her promise to agree to anything if Lu Heng reached the top five, while Xiao Yu and Xueni reacted to his victory.
• Hu Gan asked Old Man Huo whether Lu Heng’s Dou Technique surpassed the Earth rank.

Lu Heng defeated the Outer Academy’s strongest fighters with a four-attribute Earth-Tier Dou Technique, then collapsed from exhaustion. Hu Gan granted Lu Heng, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan entry to the Library Pavilion, and three days later Lu Heng woke to find Han Yue, Xueni, and Xiao Yu watching over him.

• Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan admitted defeat and acknowledged Lu Heng’s strength after his devastating attack.
• Han Yue revived Lu Heng by administering a Qi Recovery Pill mouth-to-mouth, then offered to withdraw from the top five so he would not lose his opportunity.
• Hu Gan announced an exception allowing Lu Heng, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan all to enter the Library Pavilion and select cultivation methods.
• Han Yue carried the unconscious Lu Heng away while Lin Yan and Liu Qing protected them from the crowd.
• Three days later, Lu Heng woke in a special-care ward with Han Yue, Xueni, and Xiao Yu beside him, and Ruo Lin teased him about their bet over the top five.

Lu Heng woke in the infirmary, where Ruo Lin gave him a kiss as an advance reward for their wager. The others woke soon afterward, and Han Yue checked on his recovery while Ruo Lin brought him medicinal porridge.

• Ruo Lin teased Lu Heng about their wager, then kissed his cheek and told him to claim his chosen condition later.
• Xiao Yu, pretending to sleep, heard the kiss and felt jealous.
• Han Yue woke up, realized she had fallen asleep beside Lu Heng, and hurriedly fixed her disheveled appearance.
• Xueni woke and asked Lu Heng for grilled meat, while Xiao Yu sat up and pretended she had just woken.
• Ruo Lin brought Lu Heng medicinal porridge, and Han Yue asked about his condition; Lu Heng said he felt better but was hungry.

After waking from the competition, Lu Heng learned that all six finalists had advanced and that Han Yue had fed him medicine mouth-to-mouth in front of the academy. The two grew closer before visitors interrupted them with news that the Library Pavilion would open the next morning.

• Ruo Lin gave Lu Heng porridge, and Xueni told him that Hu Gan had advanced all six finalists to the Library Pavilion.
• Xueni revealed that Han Yue had crushed a pill and fed it to Lu Heng mouth-to-mouth while he was unconscious, embarrassing them both.
• After Ruo Lin, Xueni, and Xiao Yu left, Han Yue told Lu Heng she had acted because she could not let anything happen to him.
• Lu Heng held Han Yue's hand and teased her about the taste of the pill, easing their awkwardness before a knock interrupted them.
• Lin Yan, Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, and Liu Qing visited Lu Heng, and Liu Qing gave him Hu Gan's token and announced the Library Pavilion would open the next morning.

Lu Heng and Han Yue returned to the Secluded Bamboo Forest, both troubled by their feelings and the other people drawn to him. Lu Heng began an honest conversation about their mutual attraction, but the chapter ended before he could explain what that meant for them.

• Lin Xiuya and the others left the infirmary, and Han Yue helped Lu Heng put on his robe.
• Lu Heng and Han Yue walked back to the Secluded Bamboo Forest in silence, each weighing their feelings and the possibility of rivals.
• Lu Heng invited Han Yue to share tea in his courtyard, but she tried to leave because the atmosphere made her uneasy.
• Lu Heng stopped Han Yue and admitted that they both had feelings for each other.
• Han Yue denied liking Lu Heng, and he teased her about repaying her debt by feeding him medicine mouth to mouth.
• Lu Heng told Han Yue he had liked her since they first met and wanted to hold her close.

Lu Heng confessed to Han Yue that he already loved Ya Fei but wanted Han Yue too, leaving her to decide whether to accept their complicated relationship. Han Yue chose to stay, and after they kissed, Lu Heng invited her to go treasure hunting in the Library Pavilion the next morning.

• Lu Heng told Han Yue about Ya Fei and admitted he was not faithful, while offering Han Yue the choice to leave or remain with him.
• Han Yue accepted Lu Heng despite his love for Ya Fei and said she wanted to see what made Ya Fei so special.
• Lu Heng kissed Han Yue, and she gradually responded to him.
• Lu Heng teased Han Yue about the taste of the pill and told her to rest before their treasure hunt in the Library Pavilion.

Han Yue reflected on her feelings for Lu Heng while he planned to seek treasures that could strengthen his soul power. The six students entered the Library Pavilion, where Lu Heng found himself surrounded by a vast starry expanse.

• Han Yue returned to her room and admitted to herself that she had fallen for Lu Heng despite his flaws.
• Lu Heng decided to look for treasures that could enhance his soul power before falling asleep.
• Hu Gan led Lu Heng, Han Yue, Lin Yan, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, and Yan Hao through a dangerous passage to the Library Pavilion.
• Elder Qian and Elder Bai examined Lu Heng, noting his powerful soul and four-attribute Dou Qi before opening the pavilion.
• Hu Gan explained the pavilion’s one-item and one-hour rules, and the six students entered.
• Lu Heng stepped through the doorway and appeared in a vast starry space filled with floating balls of light.

Lu Heng searched the Library Pavilion and captured a rare Seven-Colored Phantom Dragon Saliva Grass that could greatly nourish his soul. After the group left with their chosen treasures, Hu Gan announced that their final trial before entering the Inner Academy would be the Fire Energy Hunting Tournament in seven days.

• Lu Heng used his soul power to search the flying treasures and spotted a dim, shifting light cluster with an unusual pull toward his soul.
• Lu Heng trapped the light cluster with his Azure Wood Seal and Li Fire, then discovered it contained a Seven-Colored Phantom Dragon Saliva Grass.
• Lu Heng stored the herb in his Storage Ring, while Liu Qing secured an earth-attribute combat technique and Han Yue captured an icy-blue jade slip.
• The six students left the Library Pavilion as Elder Qian praised their choices and warned them against greed.
• Hu Gan told the students that the Fire Energy Hunting Tournament would be their final trial before entering the Inner Academy in seven days.