Chapter Summaries

Lu Heng received the fourth-tier Magic Cores and Yao Cai he had ordered, then learned that Wang Xiao planned to cripple him during the Selection Tournament. Wang Yan warned him and started to leave, but Lu Heng stopped him by tossing him a jade bottle.

• Wen Zhu and Qing He delivered five top-grade fourth-tier Magic Cores and crates of Yao Cai to Lu Heng at the Secluded Bamboo Forest.
• Lu Heng said he planned to use the materials to strengthen his constitutions and prepare a trump card for the Selection Tournament.
• Wang Yan arrived and warned Lu Heng that his brother Wang Xiao intended to cripple him during the tournament.
• Wang Yan said he wanted to defeat Lu Heng fairly through alchemy and began to leave.
• Lu Heng called Wang Yan back and tossed him a jade bottle.

After warning Wang Yan that he would face Wang Xiao at the Selection Tournament, Lu Heng secluded himself to absorb his newly acquired resources and strengthen his elemental physiques. By the end of the fourth day, he was enduring the final, painful stage of his cultivation.

• Lu Heng gave Wang Yan a jade bottle and told him to deliver a message to Wang Xiao that he would be waiting at the Selection Tournament.
• Ruo Lin warned Lu Heng that Wang Xiao was a brutal six-star Da Dou Shi, but Lu Heng insisted that he needed to prepare for their inevitable clash.
• After Ruo Lin, Qing He, and Wen Zhu left, Lu Heng closed his courtyard and began four days of seclusion.
• On the first three days, Lu Heng completed his fourth-tier Azure Wood Body, Li Fire Body, and Thick Earth Physique by absorbing matching Magic Cores and medicinal herbs.
• On the fourth day, Lu Heng used metal-attribute resources and the Five Spirits Chaos Art to temper his body, enduring the sharp energy as his bones began to harden.

Lu Heng completed the fourth-tier upgrades to all Four Great Constitutions, leaving him with a huge appetite for Dou Qi and a need to replenish his resources. At the dining hall, he learned Lin Xiuya had failed to break through to Dou Ling but had reached the half-step Dou Ling level, while Han Yue welcomed Lu Heng to join her.

• Lu Heng finished refining the Metal Attribute Magic Cores and raised all Four Great Constitutions to the Fourth Tier.
• Lu Heng realized his four constitutions required an enormous amount of Dou Qi and headed to the dining hall for a large meal.
• Lu Heng overheard senior students say Lin Xiuya had failed his breakthrough attempt.
• Lu Heng joined Han Yue, who explained Lin Xiuya had suffered minor internal injuries but had reached the half-step Dou Ling level.
• After seeing Lu Heng's huge order of food, Han Yue suggested they continue their conversation in a private room.

Han Yue told Lu Heng that his pill had propelled her to early Nine-Star, while Lu Heng revealed his improved Metal Attribute Dou Qi and asked her to spar with him. As they left the private room to fight, Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan arrived at the cafeteria to seek out the alchemist.

• Han Yue revealed that Lu Heng's pill had carried her past the eight-star barrier to early Nine-Star, and she credited him with helping her prepare for the Selection Tournament.
• Yan Hao heard about Han Yue's breakthrough and decided to seek one of Lu Heng's pills, while Liu Qing headed to the cafeteria to find the alchemist.
• Lu Heng finished eating and asked Han Yue to spar so he could test his strength against a Nine-Star opponent before the tournament.
• Lu Heng displayed his sharper Metal Attribute Dou Qi, and Han Yue agreed to fight him at her full Nine-Star strength.
• Lu Heng and Han Yue left the private room and encountered Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan as they arrived at the cafeteria.

Lu Heng bargained with Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan for Profound Realm-Breaking Pills by asking them to spar with him. He led the three to the training ground to test his strength.

• Han Yue stepped in front of Lu Heng when Liu Qing, Yan Hao, and Lin Yan confronted him, but Lu Heng moved forward to hear them out.
• Yan Hao, Liu Qing, and Lin Yan asked Lu Heng for pills that could help them break through, offering money and favors in return.
• Lu Heng refused their offers, saying he already had enough money and did not need bodyguards.
• Lu Heng proposed refining pills in exchange for the three men acting as sparring partners, and they agreed to go to the training ground.

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.