Chapter Summaries

Shen Xiu turned the bandits’ attempted kidnapping into a brutal fight, overwhelming Tang Simin despite her Fifth Realm strength and hidden weapon. He ended the chapter still pummeling her as the onlookers watched in horror.

• Shen Xiu entered the courtyard where Tang Simin waited behind red gauze curtains, while the bandits outside bet on how long he would last.
• Shen Xiu blasted through the courtyard wall and sent Tang Simin crashing into a crater, shocking the bandits who had mistaken him for an ordinary scholar.
• Tang Simin attacked Shen Xiu with blood-red streams of force, but he broke through them and struck her until her chest caved in.
• Tang Simin launched a hidden finger bone at Shen Xiu, but he seized it after his pale golden aura vanished.
• Shen Xiu struck Tang Simin with a barrage of punches, shaking the ground as the onlookers watched in horror.

Shen Xiu killed Tang Simin and Wen Hong after they attacked him at Tiger Wolf Fortress, then freed the captives and searched the abandoned stronghold. He left with a fortune in silver while the surviving captives backed down from demanding a share.

• Tang Simin called on the fortress bandits to kill Shen Xiu, but they fled instead of helping her.
• Shen Xiu killed Tang Simin with a blow to the heart, then defeated and killed Wen Hong when he ambushed him.
• Lin Xiaofang and the other captives left their locked room and discovered Shen Xiu had defeated the fortress’s leaders.
• Lin Xiaofang found the dried corpses behind the red gauze and realized how close he had come to becoming a cultivation cauldron.
• Shen Xiu searched the fortress and found more than sixteen thousand taels of silver; a scholar demanded a share but backed down after learning how powerful Shen Xiu was.

Shen Xiu reached Feng'an Town and learned that Baiyun Pharmacy had driven Yunji Pharmacy out of business, with Wu Lixing holding Yunji's people captive. He confronted Wu Lixing and Shopkeeper Wang in an alley to settle the matter.

• Shen Xiu fed a crystalline finger bone to the Nine Transformations Golden Cicada, raising its satiety to 76.8%.
• Shen Xiu arrived in Feng'an Town and heard rumors that Baiyun Pharmacy had forced Yunji Pharmacy to close.
• Wu Lixing assured Shopkeeper Wang that Yunji Pharmacy had no one left to challenge them and that Baiyun could take over its premises.
• Shen Xiu blocked Wu Lixing and Shopkeeper Wang in an alley and said he had waited to settle matters.
• Wu Lixing recognized Shen Xiu as someone from Yunji Pharmacy and prepared to fight, warning him to consider his strength.

Shen Xiu defeated Wu Lixing in an alley and warned him that the Yun Family had other powerful retainers. Wu Lixing agreed to release the people from Yunji Pharmacy, then urged Shopkeeper Wang to abandon his master's schemes against the Yun Family.

• Wu Lixing attacked Shen Xiu with a series of kicks and strikes, but Shen Xiu blocked them with ease.
• Shen Xiu countered with a blood-red, flame-wreathed punch that sent Wu Lixing flying and left him badly injured.
• Shen Xiu identified himself as a retainer of the Yun Family and warned Wu Lixing that two more retainers matched his strength.
• Wu Lixing agreed to release the people from Yunji Pharmacy the next day, and Shen Xiu left the alley.
• After Shen Xiu departed, Wu Lixing told Shopkeeper Wang that Shen Xiu was a Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator and advised him to have his master abandon his schemes.

Wang Xuefeng learned that a powerful Yun Family retainer had helped Yunji Pharmacy and killed Shopkeeper Wang with his Blood Sword. Shen Xiu stayed at Yunji Pharmacy after the young shopkeeper warned him that Wang Xuefeng might retaliate, leaving the threat of their coming confrontation unresolved.

• Wang Xuefeng questioned Shopkeeper Wang about letting Yunji Pharmacy’s people go after Wu Lixing reported that a Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator had arrived.
• Wang Xuefeng dismissed Shopkeeper Wang, then sent his Blood Sword after him and killed him in the courtyard.
• Wang Xuefeng read about a renowned Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator from Shanglin City and told his Blood Sword that a better source of blood awaited it.
• Shen Xiu returned to Yunji Pharmacy, where the young shopkeeper explained that Wu Lixing had released the staff and left the Wang Family’s recruitment.
• Shen Xiu agreed to stay a few more days after the young shopkeeper warned that Wang Xuefeng, rumored to be able to kill a Fifth Realm Martial Cultivator, might retaliate.

Shen Xiu completed the Primal Elephant and advanced into the Marrow Cleansing realm while a hostile presence watched Yunji Pharmacy through the storm. He and Wang Xuefeng finally identified each other as their target and prey.

• Shen Xiu beat Baiyun Pharmacy's new shopkeeper after the man gave Yunji Pharmacy a hostile look, and the shopkeeper threatened revenge.
• Shen Xiu drank medicinal soup and endured intense pain as he completed the Primal Elephant, increasing his strength by at least ten percent and entering the Marrow Cleansing realm.
• Wang Xuefeng watched Yunji Pharmacy from a tower and smiled at the thought of using Shen Xiu's vital blood to grow stronger.
• Shen Xiu sensed murderous intent nearby and searched for its source in the storm.
• Shen Xiu spotted Wang Xuefeng on a distant tower, and they recognized each other as the person they sought.

Wang Xuefeng attacked Shen Xiu from a distance with his Blood Sword, while Shen Xiu tried to locate him through the storm. After catching the sword and sensing Wang Xuefeng’s disrupted aura, Shen Xiu found his hiding place and rushed toward him.

• Wang Xuefeng sent his Blood Sword through the rain, but Shen Xiu dodged its first strike.
• Wang Xuefeng attacked again, and Shen Xiu caught the Blood Sword near his throat before its force drove him aside.
• Shen Xiu searched for Wang Xuefeng, then leaped onto the pavilion where he had first seen him.
• Wang Xuefeng launched repeated attacks from hiding, wounding Shen Xiu as he pursued the sword’s linked aura.
• Shen Xiu stopped moving and caught Wang Xuefeng’s next sword between his palms, sensing an aura fall into disorder.
• Shen Xiu identified Wang Xuefeng’s location and raced toward him.

Shen Xiu fought Wang Xuefeng through the torrential rain, using his fists to repel the Blood Shadow Longsword while its attacks gradually grew stronger. The battle remained locked in a deadlock as Wang Xuefeng waited for Shen Xiu to tire.

• Shen Xiu smashed through the Old Rain Tower, but Wang Xuefeng remained hidden and launched a Blood Sword attack from the darkness.
• Shen Xiu struck the Blood Sword with his fist, jolting Wang Xuefeng's divine soul and revealing that Shen Xiu's golden aura blocked the sword's attacks.
• Wang Xuefeng spat out his essence blood to empower the Blood Shadow Longsword and sent it into a relentless assault on Shen Xiu.
• Shen Xiu repeatedly struck back at the sword by listening for its movements, while Wang Xuefeng watched from a pavilion and waited for him to weaken.
• Shen Xiu's punch sent the Blood Shadow Longsword crashing aside, but Wang Xuefeng's body only trembled slightly as his spirit grew more imposing.

Shen Xiu used Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell to recover his strength and rise from the Fifth Realm to the Sixth Realm, turning the tables on Wang Xuefeng. After knocking Wang Xuefeng into the ruins, Shen Xiu launched a Thunderous Strike to kill him.

• Wang Xuefeng continued attacking Shen Xiu with the Blood Shadow Longsword as Shen Xiu’s punches slowed and the blade wounded his arms.
• Shen Xiu vanished from his position and struck Wang Xuefeng from behind with overwhelming force, hurling him into ruined buildings.
• Wang Xuefeng emerged from the rubble, badly injured, and realized Shen Xiu had delivered the blow.
• Shen Xiu, restored to peak condition and elevated to the Sixth Realm by Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell, moved to kill Wang Xuefeng with a Thunderous Strike.

Shen Xiu withstood Wang Xuefeng’s sword and talisman attacks, then overpowered him and killed him. Wang Xuefeng’s Blood Shadow Longsword also lost its aura after his death.

• Shen Xiu struck Wang Xuefeng through several walls, leaving him badly injured.
• Wang Xuefeng attacked with the Blood Shadow Longsword and Explosive Fire Talismans, but the flames could not harm Shen Xiu.
• Shen Xiu appeared beside Wang Xuefeng, seized his throat, and caught the Blood Shadow Longsword with his other hand.
• Shen Xiu suppressed the sword’s crimson aura while Wang Xuefeng tried to summon a final attack.
• Shen Xiu snapped Wang Xuefeng’s neck, and the Blood Shadow Longsword lost its aura.

After killing Wang Xuefeng, Shen Xiu returned to Yunji Pharmacy and told Shopkeeper Chen that the threat to the business was gone. He continued reading a blood-based cultivation technique he had taken from Wang Xuefeng, discovering it was an Art of Nurturing Swords.

• After searching Wang Xuefeng's body, Shen Xiu left the rainy street before his temporary cultivation boost wore off.
• At Yunji Pharmacy, Shopkeeper Chen worried about the shop's future and Wang Xuefeng's arrival.
• Shen Xiu told Shopkeeper Chen that Wang Xuefeng had come looking for trouble the previous night and that Shen Xiu had killed him.
• Shopkeeper Chen reacted with shock, then relief, when he realized Wang Xuefeng was dead.
• Shen Xiu studied the booklet taken from Wang Xuefeng and identified it as a technique for nurturing a sword with blood.

Shen Xiu began nurturing Wang Xuefeng’s black sword with his blood and left Feng'an Town for home. On the road, he sought shelter from a relentless downpour and discovered villagers conducting a river ritual that included an infant.

• Shen Xiu studied the Art of Nurturing Swords, fed his blood to Wang Xuefeng’s black sword, and formed a faint, intermittent connection with it after three days.
• Baiyun Pharmacy closed and its people disappeared, so Shen Xiu left Feng'an Town after informing Manager Chen.
• Two days into his journey home along Fengshan Road, Shen Xiu traveled through a torrential downpour using Protective True Qi and decided to seek shelter.
• Shen Xiu reached a village and found villagers making lavish offerings beside the river as part of a strange ritual.
• A villager lifted a basket containing a crying infant, revealing that the baby was being presented as an offering.

Shen Xiu stopped the people of Ping'an Village from sacrificing an infant and discovered that a Turtle Spirit had been posing as their River God. He killed the monster, leaving the rescued child with its mother as the villagers fled.

• Shen Xiu caught the infant before the villagers could throw it into the river and learned that the River God demanded child sacrifices.
• The infant’s mother arrived, reclaimed her child, and the ashamed village elder offered himself to the River God.
• A whirlwind swept the elder away, prompting the villagers and the mother to flee as Shen Xiu attacked the creature.
• Shen Xiu exposed the River God as a fourth-rank Turtle Spirit, broke its water attacks, and shattered its shell with a punch.

After killing the River God turtle that terrorized Ping'an Village, Shen Xiu discovered a black turtle mark on his wrist and suspected the creature’s family had marked him for revenge. He drew them out at a river near Mianyang Town, where their water-arrow ambush struck his golden Protective Internal Energy.

• Shen Xiu revealed that Ping'an Village's River God was an old turtle, and the village chief stomped on its corpse in anger.
• After the rain stopped, Shen Xiu continued toward Shanglin and entered an inn, where he discovered a black turtle pattern on his wrist.
• Shen Xiu recalled washing his hands in a river and suspected the turtle's family had secretly placed the mark on him.
• Shen Xiu waited beside a river near Mianyang Town, hoping to draw out the turtle's relatives, but sensed no demonic presence.
• As Shen Xiu walked away, a humanoid phantom emerged in the river and launched water arrows at him, but his Protective Internal Energy shattered them.

Shen Xiu searched the river for the black turtle behind the water-arrow attacks and eventually forced it onto the riverbank. He killed it with a series of blows, adding to the Nine Transformations Golden Cicada’s satiety.

• Shen Xiu smashed apart the water face that formed from the river and searched for the hidden turtle.
• Shen Xiu repeatedly struck the river, sensing the turtle’s aura after moving downstream.
• Shen Xiu exposed the black turtle in the river and pursued it as it fled underwater.
• Shen Xiu hurled his black sword and dark-green scabbard at the turtle, flipping it onto its back.
• Shen Xiu broke the turtle’s water restraints, pinned it on the riverbank, and killed it with heavy punches.

Shen Xiu returned to Shanglin City after killing the demon turtle, raising the Nine Transformations Golden Cicada’s satiety to 87.8%. In Taixi City, Lei Zhengxing brought Instructor Zhao to Xiang Shou’s funeral and provoked Lin Yuan into facing a challenge from the Fifth Realm expert.

• Shen Xiu checked the Golden Cicada’s satiety after absorbing the fourth-rank demon turtle’s blood essence and found the turtle mark had vanished.
• Shen Xiu returned to Shanglin City and resumed cultivating.
• Lei Zhengxing arrived at Xiang Shou’s funeral with two companions, including the Fifth Realm Instructor Zhao.
• Lin Yuan blocked Lei Zhengxing’s way into the hall and told him to leave.
• Lei Zhengxing mocked Lin Yuan and challenged him to withstand Instructor Zhao’s challenge.

Lei Zhengxing brought Instructor Zhao to intimidate the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School and planned to return to challenge it, while Lin Yuan and Duan Hongfei considered asking Shen Xiu to help defend the school. Duan Hongfei wrote Shen Xiu a letter and sent Wang Si to deliver it.

• Lei Zhengxing and Instructor Zhao visited the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School, where Instructor Zhao assessed Lin Yuan as no threat.
• After leaving, Lei Zhengxing planned to return on the eighth of next month and challenge the school again.
• The Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School's funeral ended as its members worried about Lei Zhengxing's threat and their lack of strength.
• Lin Yuan asked Duan Hongfei to invite Shen Xiu back, believing his talent might have brought him to the Fifth Realm.
• Duan Hongfei agreed to try, wrote a letter to Shen Xiu, and sent Wang Si to deliver it.

Wang Si reached Shanglin and sought Shen Xiu, eventually finding him through a lead at an inn and the Yun Family. Shen Xiu recognized his former fellow disciple and learned Wang Si had brought a message from Instructor Duan.

• Wang Si arrived in Shanglin after a difficult journey and asked about Shen Xiu at the First Grade Fragrance inn.
• The innkeeper told Wang Si that Shen Xiu was a guest retainer of the Yun Family and directed him to their estate.
• Wang Si reached the Yun Family and sent word that he came from Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School with a message from Instructor Duan.
• Shen Xiu confirmed Wang Si’s identity and went to meet him at the Yun Family estate.
• Shen Xiu saw that Wang Si had grown stronger since they last met and had begun martial cultivation.

Shen Xiu learned from Wang Si that Wind Thunder Martial Arts School had taken over Taixi City’s martial arts schools and that Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School was in danger. He agreed to return with Wang Si, who then discovered that Shen Xiu’s strength far exceeded what he had imagined.

• Wang Si told Shen Xiu that Wind Thunder Martial Arts School had changed pavilion masters, absorbed or dismantled other schools, and that Xiang Shou had been killed by its hired expert, Zhao Xian.
• Wang Si gave Shen Xiu Instructor Duan’s letter asking for help, and Shen Xiu agreed to return to Taixi City the next day.
• Wang Si warned Shen Xiu that Zhao Xian had reached Fifth Realm Marrow Washing, but Shen Xiu said he would prepare and meet him at the inn.
• Steward Yun told Wang Si that Shen Xiu had long since reached the Fifth Realm and could kill an ordinary Sixth Realm martial cultivator.

Lei Zhengxing brought the Wind Thunder Martial Arts School to Golden Rainbow and used the defection of instructor Qian Biao to weaken its disciples before demanding a challenge. Lin Yuan stepped forward to face the Wind Thunder instructor, despite being far weaker and still waiting for Shen Xiu to return.

• Lei Zhengxing taunted Lin Yuan and pointed out that many Golden Rainbow disciples had already left after Xiang Shou's defeat and death.
• Lei Zhengxing revealed that Qian Biao had defected to Wind Thunder, and Qian Biao accused instructors Zhao Ye and Yang Qidao of considering the same move.
• Lei Zhengxing challenged Lin Yuan to a fight, intending to crush Golden Rainbow's spirit as Xiang Shou had been defeated before.
• Lin Yuan thought of Shen Xiu and the help he had requested, but when no one appeared, he stepped forward to face the Wind Thunder instructor himself.