Chapter Summaries

Xu Wuyi traveled to the Western Desert to study fire under Flame Venerable after Han Mo warned him that he could soon be conscripted to fight the Werewolf Race over a star realm. Flame Venerable began his three-month instruction by telling him to contemplate an ancient painting and discover what fire meant to him.

• Xu Wuyi agreed to leave for the Western Desert, and Han Mo warned him not to rush a breakthrough while he strengthened his spirit and combat skills for a possible conscription within half a month.
• Han Mo told Xu Wuyi that the Federation and the Werewolf Race were mobilizing for a contest over a star realm restricted to lifeforms below level 35.
• Xu Wuyi traveled by high-speed aircraft to the Western Desert royal capital and went to the palace's East Garden.
• Xu Wuyi met Flame Venerable, who showed him the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire painting and assigned him to study it each day for three months.
• Flame Venerable told Xu Wuyi that he must discover what fire was for himself, since people could arrive at different understandings of its nature.

Xu Wuyi deepened his understanding of the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire under Flame Venerable’s guidance, then received a summons from the Federation Military. At the Western Desert Military District Third Training Base, he learned he would test his abilities against a simulated phantom of the werewolf Milo.

• Flame Venerable left Xu Wuyi alone to study the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire, and Xu Wuyi gradually sensed the painting’s fiery will.
• Xu Wuyi spent ten days steadily contemplating the painting while Flame Venerable watched and worried that the Federation’s conflict with the Werewolf Race would soon limit his teaching time.
• Xu Wuyi received an encrypted military invitation to a special ability test and confirmed that he would attend.
• Xu Wuyi told Flame Venerable about the test, and Flame Venerable urged him to gain experience through real combat.
• At the Western Desert Military District Third Training Base, Major Luo Cheng explained that Xu Wuyi would fight a Battle Net phantom reproducing ninety percent of the werewolf divine child Milo’s strength.

Xu Wuyi tested himself against Milo, the Werewolf Race's Divine Child, and used his spear technique and [Undying Flame] to gain the upper hand. As Milo's vital blood began to fall, Luo Cheng suspected the phantom had not yet revealed its full strength.

• Luo Cheng explained that Xu Wuyi would face Milo's phantom as part of the selection test and warned him not to underestimate the Divine Child.
• Xu Wuyi entered the virtual arena and faced Milo, whose strength and speed matched his own.
• Xu Wuyi and Milo exchanged attacks, and Xu Wuyi began to read Milo's predictable fighting rhythm.
• Xu Wuyi landed a spear thrust that ignited Milo's wound with [Undying Flame], then pressed his advantage with successive attacks.
• Milo's vital blood began to drop, but Luo Cheng recognized that the battle was about to change.

Xu Wuyi struggled against Milo after the Werewolf Divine Child summoned the Celestial Wolf Phantom, which overwhelmed him and suppressed his Undying Flame. As Milo closed in, Xu Wuyi recalled the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire and realized the essence of fire was motion.

• Milo summoned the Celestial Wolf Phantom, whose spiritual pressure strengthened him and forced Xu Wuyi backward.
• Milo’s enhanced attacks drove Xu Wuyi into the arena barrier and wounded him, while the phantom suppressed the spreading Undying Flame.
• Xu Wuyi tried to strike Milo with the God-Shocking Spear’s spiritual impact, but Milo resisted it and continued attacking.
• Luo Cheng considered stopping the test but decided to wait after seeing Xu Wuyi had not given up.
• As Milo approached the kneeling Xu Wuyi, Xu Wuyi recalled Flame Venerable’s words and concluded that fire’s essence was burning, or motion.

Xu Wuyi defeated Milo's phantom by linking the scattered Undying Flames into a single net and igniting them together. Afterward, Luo Cheng praised his breakthrough and told him to remember the feeling of touching the essence of intent.

• Xu Wuyi realized the flames on Milo's wounds could be connected, then used precise spear thrusts to link them into a net.
• Xu Wuyi unleashed the linked Undying Flames, destroying Milo's phantom and causing the Celestial Wolf Phantom to crumble.
• Luo Cheng ordered the technicians to record the data as they watched Xu Wuyi's victory in stunned silence.
• Luo Cheng told Xu Wuyi he was the first tester to defeat Milo's phantom and asked how he had done it.
• Xu Wuyi explained that Milo's borrowed power had a weakness, and Luo Cheng urged him to remember the feeling of touching the essence of intent.

Xu Wuyi accepted a conscription order to join the Celestial Dipper Star Realm Frontline Base, choosing to face the battlefield early despite the danger. After receiving a protective talisman from the Flame Venerable, he arrived at the spaceport and met four unfamiliar Martial Artists as Major Luo Cheng gathered the group.

• Xu Wuyi told Luo Cheng he was willing to set out for the front line, reasoning that he would rather adapt early than face an Alien Race Grandmaster unprepared.
• Xu Wuyi told the Flame Venerable that he understood fire as movement, and the Flame Venerable approved of his insight and said, "I am fire."
• Xu Wuyi received a conscription order assigning him to the Celestial Dipper Star Realm Frontline Base.
• The Flame Venerable gave Xu Wuyi a crimson jade pendant containing a wisp of Heart Fire to protect him in a life-or-death crisis.
• Xu Wuyi arrived at Western Desert Military District First Spaceport and met four unfamiliar Martial Artists in the command hall.
• Major Luo Cheng arrived and announced that everyone had assembled.

Xu Wuyi and four other level 35 Martial Masters watched a recording of Milo slaughtering a scout team, including Old Cat, and received orders to ambush him. The chapter ended with Xu Wuyi assigned to deliver the final strike in the planned fight at Canyon 7-B.

• Luo Cheng introduced Shi Gang, Lin Zhaowen, Liu Yue, and Zhou Ming to Xu Wuyi as the Federation's level 35 combat team.
• The team watched footage of Milo killing five Martial Masters after summoning the Celestial Wolf Phantom, then saw Old Cat send a final warning before Milo attacked him.
• Luo Cheng reported that Old Cat and all eleven members of his scout team had died after encountering Milo's squad.
• Luo Cheng explained that a six-member bait squad would lure Milo toward Canyon 7-B, where Xu Wuyi's team would kill him.
• Luo Cheng assigned Xu Wuyi the final strike, Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and Lin Zhaowen the task of forcing out Milo's Celestial Wolf Phantom, and Zhou Ming long-range support.

Luo Cheng briefed Xu Wuyi and the others on the risks of their mission to ambush Milo, then sent them toward the Celestial Dipper Star Realm aboard a stealth aircraft. As they traveled, Zhou Ming revealed that Old Cat had once saved his life, and the group continued toward their operation.

• Luo Cheng warned the five that Milo’s appearance might be a trap and told them to prioritize survival over the mission.
• Luo Cheng ordered the team to prepare and depart at two-forty, urging them to return alive and avenge Old Cat.
• Xu Wuyi and the others boarded a Shadow-III infiltration vessel and began traveling through an underground launch shaft toward the Celestial Dipper Star Realm.
• Xu Wuyi asked Zhou Ming whether he knew Old Cat, and Zhou Ming said they had fought together and Old Cat had saved his life.
• Shi Gang said they would make Milo’s death worth Old Cat’s sacrifice as the aircraft entered low orbit.

Xu Wuyi and his squad traveled to the Celestial Dipper Star Realm and began moving toward Canyon 7-B. When a werewolf patrol blocked their route, they prepared a silent ambush.

• Lin Zhaowen piloted the aircraft through a space jump to the Celestial Dipper Star Realm and identified their landing site near the Darkblood Mountains.
• The five-person squad landed, implanted encrypted communicators, and followed Lin Zhaowen's detour toward Canyon 7-B.
• Liu Yue spotted six werewolf warriors approaching, and the squad decided to eliminate them without raising an alarm.
• Liu Yue and Xu Wuyi moved to attack while Shi Gang protected Lin Zhaowen and Zhou Ming took sniper position.
• Zhou Ming fired his sniper rifle as Liu Yue's countdown ended.

Xu Wuyi’s squad cleared a werewolf patrol and reached their planned ambush site in Canyon 7-B, where Xu Wuyi refined his control over the [Undying Flame] as they waited for Milo. By the morning of the third day, the bait squad’s attacks still had not drawn any organized Werewolf Race forces nearby.

• Xu Wuyi, Liu Yue, and Zhou Ming killed six werewolf warriors without raising an alarm, and Xu Wuyi burned away the bodies with [Undying Flame].
• The squad fought off poisonous bees and swamp monsters on the way to Canyon 7-B, then settled into caves and set up warning devices and night watches.
• Liu Yue asked Xu Wuyi how his flames worked, and he said they might be able to burn through energy shields if they could attach to them.
• Xu Wuyi meditated and found that his understanding of fire let him guide the [Undying Flame] as though it were alive.
• On the third morning, Lin Zhaowen reported that the bait squad had attacked at least three werewolf strongholds, killing over twenty warriors and four battle generals, but no organized Werewolf Race forces had appeared nearby.

Xu Wuyi and his team waited in a cave for Milo, detecting growing Werewolf activity nearby. When the Bait Squad arrived with Milo in pursuit, the team prepared to ambush him as he approached the gorge.

• Xu Wuyi detected a six-member Werewolf patrol, and the team let it pass without revealing their position.
• After sensing four Werewolf Generals assembling northwest of the cave, Xu Wuyi persuaded the team to wait another half day before withdrawing.
• Xu Wuyi and the others sensed a burst of energy and heard wolf howls as Lin Zhaowen's scanner detected the Bait Squad fleeing Milo toward them.
• Lin Zhaowen reported that Milo was eight kilometers away and closing fast, so Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and Zhou Ming prepared for his arrival.

Xu Wuyi’s ambush against Milo turned into a desperate battle when Milo summoned the Celestial Wolf Phantom and four Werewolf Generals arrived as reinforcements. Xu Wuyi entered the canyon and killed one Werewolf General with a single spear strike.

• Xu Wuyi sensed Milo pursuing the Bait Squad, but Milo detected him and changed course to flee; Zhou Ming’s sniper shot checked Milo’s escape.
• Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and the six members of the Bait Squad surrounded Milo in the canyon, but Milo fought them off and wounded several martial artists.
• Milo summoned the Celestial Wolf Phantom, boosting his power and turning the fight against the human martial artists.
• Four Werewolf Generals arrived at the canyon entrance, forcing Xu Wuyi to join the battle.
• Xu Wuyi charged into the canyon and burned one Werewolf General to charred remains with his first spear strike.

Xu Wuyi joined the others in fighting Milo and used his Undying Flame to turn the flames on Milo’s wounds into a resonating fire net. Milo and his Celestial Wolf Phantom were engulfed and began to break apart.

• Xu Wuyi killed all four Werewolf Generals in less than ten seconds and joined Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and the Bait Squad around Milo.
• Xu Wuyi attacked Milo first and blocked a full-strength strike empowered by the Celestial Wolf Phantom, though he was forced back and injured.
• Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and the others attacked Milo together while Xu Wuyi struck from different angles with his spear.
• Milo burned his blood and vitality to strengthen the Celestial Wolf Phantom, and Xu Wuyi used the flames on Milo’s wounds to form a dark-gold fire net.
• Xu Wuyi made the connected flames resonate, causing the Celestial Wolf Phantom to crack and Milo to be swallowed by dark-gold fire.

Xu Wuyi’s group killed Milo and fled as the Werewolf Race’s forces closed in. With wounded teammates slowing the retreat, Xu Wuyi and Zhou Ming stayed behind to delay the pursuers while the others headed for the rendezvous point.

• Xu Wuyi collected a dark-gold bone fragment from Milo’s ashes as proof of the mission’s completion.
• Lin Zhaowen detected the approaching Werewolf force, and Iron Sword led the survivors out of the canyon with Black Fox and Wildcat wounded.
• As the pursuers drew close, Xu Wuyi and Zhou Ming split from the group to buy the others time to reach the aircraft.
• Zhou Ming took a sniper position while Xu Wuyi hid below the ridge, and Zhou Ming’s opening shots killed three pursuers.

Xu Wuyi and Zhou Ming escaped the Werewolves with the surviving Bait Squad members and recovered at Outpost Base Seven. Their mission received an S-class rating, and Xu Wuyi was awarded five thousand merit points for killing Milo.

• Xu Wuyi and Zhou Ming fought off the Werewolves long enough for the extraction aircraft to arrive and rescue the survivors.
• The exhausted squad returned to Outpost Base Seven, where Xu Wuyi and the others received medical treatment.
• After recovering, Xu Wuyi, Shi Gang, Liu Yue, and Lin Zhaowen met Major Luo Cheng in the command center.
• Major Luo Cheng announced that the mission earned an S-class rating and that Xu Wuyi received a first-class personal merit citation and five thousand merit points for killing Milo.

Luo Cheng informed Xu Wuyi and Bait Squad of their classified merits for killing Milo and warned them to keep the mission secret to avoid revenge from Milo’s divine father, Bass. After receiving three days of leave, the group prepared to rest or return to Federation territory, while Xu Wuyi went to the observation platform.

• Luo Cheng announced the merits awarded to Xu Wuyi, Bait Squad, and the others for the mission.
• Luo Cheng ordered everyone to keep the mission and their rewards top secret because Bass might retaliate against them and their families.
• Xu Wuyi confirmed he could quietly spend his merits, and Luo Cheng granted the group three days of leave and advised Bait Squad to return to the rear.
• Shi Gang checked his merit balance, Liu Yue searched the exchange list for a cultivation method, and Zhou Ming and Lin Zhaowen spoke together.
• Xu Wuyi went to the base’s observation platform and looked out the window.

Xu Wuyi returned from the Celestial Dipper Star Realm to the Western Desert Royal Capital, reflecting on the battle and his understanding of fire. He began examining the dark-gold sparks around his Great Sun Atop the Mountain intent after Flame Venerable left him a message to observe his fire’s nature.

• Xu Wuyi and Shi Gang, Liu Yue, Zhou Ming, and Lin Zhaowen boarded an aircraft back to the Federation mainland while Iron Sword and the Bait Squad remained in treatment.
• During the journey, Xu Wuyi reflected on Old Cat’s sacrifice, Milo’s death, and the fire principle he had grasped; he resolved to grow stronger before his next trial.
• Xu Wuyi reached the Western Desert Royal Capital and learned from Flame Dance that Flame Venerable had gone to the Earthfire Abyss and left a message telling him to observe his fire’s nature.
• Xu Wuyi healed his hidden injuries with the Hundred Refinements Furnace, then focused on his sea of consciousness and watched the dark-gold sparks orbit his Great Sun Atop the Mountain intent.

Xu Wuyi deepened his understanding of the Celestial Bird Bathing in Fire painting and encountered a spiritual imprint that challenged him to ask whether he was fire. On the third day, his consciousness resonated with the divine bird, opening a new direction in his cultivation.

• Xu Wuyi sensed liveliness within the painting’s flames and felt the Great Sun Atop the Mountain intent respond to his insight that fire was oneself.
• Xu Wuyi resumed his daily body tempering, spear practice, and quiet observation of the painting.
• A voice within the painting asked Xu Wuyi what fire was and whether he was fire, leaving him to question how his own understanding differed from Flame Venerable’s.
• Xu Wuyi recognized the voice as a spiritual imprint left by the painting’s creator and resolved to pursue the question further.
• On the third day, Xu Wuyi let the painting’s intent envelop him and resonated with the divine bird, sensing the connection between fire and life.

Xu Wuyi created and named the Golden Crow Bearing the Earth Visualization Method after fusing his body-tempering and spiritual cultivation into a new path. The next morning, he noticed his body moving with improved coordination and rhythm.

• Xu Wuyi visualized a Golden Crow scattering golden light across the earth of his consciousness, strengthening his spiritual power.
• The Martial Dao Diligence Record recognized his self-created Visualization Method at Entry level, 13%.
• Xu Wuyi tested the method and found that it made his Undying Flame more spiritual and expanded his perception range from ten kilometers to fifteen.
• Xu Wuyi realized he had found his own Martial Dao path and named the method Golden Crow Bearing the Earth.
• On the morning of the fourth day, Xu Wuyi finished practicing the Basic Body Tempering Method and felt his breathing, qi and blood, and movements coordinating naturally.

Xu Wuyi refined his Golden Crow Bearing the Earth Visualization Method and awaited Flame Venerable’s judgment. After returning, Flame Venerable approved its direction and explained that it was an embryonic Heart Image built from Xu Wuyi’s own understanding.

• Flame Dance told Xu Wuyi that Flame Venerable would return at noon the next day.
• Xu Wuyi practiced Golden Crow Bearing the Earth, raising its progress from 13% to 14%, and felt his spirit resonate briefly with Flame Venerable’s jade pendant.
• Flame Venerable returned to the East Garden and noticed Xu Wuyi’s progress.
• Xu Wuyi told Flame Venerable about creating Golden Crow Bearing the Earth and admitted that he had killed Milo during the Star Realm mission.
• Flame Venerable called the Visualization Method a good path for Xu Wuyi and explained that it was an embryonic Heart Image, not yet a full one.