Chapter Summaries

Li Xiuwen finished the Placement Exam ranked eleventh after defeating several Elephant-Hurling opponents, earning an excellent evaluation and drawing attention as a peerless talent. As his rivals accepted that they could not catch him, the 4K Gang and Su Ming began planning to investigate and target him.

• Zhang Lingxuan and Zhang Huang praised Li Xiuwen’s talent, while Zhang Lingxuan revealed he had already advanced to Elephant-Hurling and could not yet be challenged by him.
• Li Xiuwen defeated Ye Changkong and two other early Elephant-Hurling fighters, finished eleventh in the rankings, and received the Placement Exam’s first excellent evaluation of the year.
• Li Xiuwen and Wang Daorong agreed to fight the Vault Mountain geniuses together once Li Xiuwen reached Elephant-Hurling.
• Wang Daorong warned Hong Sanquan that his obsession and excessive use of medicines were damaging his health, then told him Li Xiuwen had defeated Ye Changkong after breaking through in movement technique during the fight.
• Hong Fang accepted that Hong Sanquan could not catch Li Xiuwen and ordered him to stop taking the medicines and pushing himself.
• After hearing Li Xiuwen had defeated an Elephant-Hurling expert at Tiger Hunt, Big Bi Zai suspected he had killed Xiao Tao and sent word to Ninth Young Master; Su Ming then ordered Wang Yaoyao and Fu Dayou to secretly investigate Li Xiuwen’s routines and connections.

Li Xiuwen perfected the Whale-Killing Fist, weathered growing threats from Heaven’s Will, and advanced from peak Tiger Hunt to Elephant-Hurling. As he prepared for the next stage of competition and sought to protect those close to him, Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s masters discussed his potential and his coming fight with Zhang Lingxuan.

• Su Ming decided to kill Li Xiuwen himself because he feared his subordinates could not defeat him and might drive him into hiding.
• Heaven’s Will intensified its attacks on Ever Joy, and Heavenly-Liang Old Man warned the Axe Gang that the attacks might be meant to lure Li Xiuwen out; Master Huang arranged safer lodging for Li Xiuwen’s relatives.
• Mr. Ming and a Sun-Embracing Peak master discussed Li Xiuwen’s potential and wagered on whether he could defeat Zhang Lingxuan and qualify for the Thirty-Two Paths.
• Li Xiuwen perfected the Whale-Killing Fist while repeatedly challenging Zhang Lingxuan, and their clash left both fighters injured before the Grand Void Illusory Realm collapsed.
• Huang Sihai told Li Xiuwen to avoid leaving the Learning Society, and Li Xiuwen warned Little Loudspeaker, Ao Jiu, and Gui Xuanling to stay safe as Heaven’s Will’s attacks continued.
• After reaching the Tiger Hunt Limit and perfecting the second layer of the Whale-Swallowing Art, Li Xiuwen formed his seventh blood-qi seed and advanced to Elephant-Hurling.

Li Xiuwen advanced to Elephant-Hurling, uncovered the Heavenly Dragon Qi-Observing Art, and became Huang Sihai’s direct disciple. When he touched the Sea Sand Style’s ancestral statue, he passed its trial and comprehended the first level of the Limitless Tremor Fist.

• Li Xiuwen confirmed his Elephant-Hurling cultivation, continued challenging Zhang Lingxuan in the Grand Void Illusory Realm, and told Tiger Granny he would fight Zhang Lingxuan at the assessment.
• Li Xiuwen assembled passages from the Dragon-Shaking Classic into the Heavenly Dragon Qi-Observing Art and reached its first layer with the Incense Burner’s help.
• Mr. Long discussed Li Xiuwen’s prospects for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly and told him that his friend, a Moving-Mountain Style master, had arrived in Fragrant Sea.
• Li Xiuwen visited his aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law, learned that his aunt-in-law was pregnant, and reunited with his master Huang Sihai at the Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.
• Huang Sihai accepted Li Xiuwen as his direct disciple and showed him the Sea Sand Style’s ancestral statue and its Limitless Tremor Fist inheritance.
• Li Xiuwen held the statue’s head, defeated Fierce Shark in its illusion, and comprehended the first level of the Limitless Tremor Fist.

Li Xiuwen received the Limitless Tremor Fist inheritance and discovered a hidden nine-character martial art, which Huang Sihai believed could restore the Sea Sand Style. As Li Xiuwen built the Axe Gang into a major force, he returned to the Azure Hall Placement Exam and challenged Liu Cang, the tenth-ranked fighter.

• Li Xiuwen completed his apprenticeship under Huang Sihai, revealed the hidden Heaven and Earth Shaken, Sea Trembled, Whale-Splitting Chan inheritance, and urged his master to protect the statue head and keep the discovery secret.
• Li Xiuwen welcomed Little Loudspeaker, Little Basket, Green-Haired Turtle, Wang Dafu, and other Learning Society disciples into the Axe Gang, raising its Tiger Elephant membership to twelve and drawing gifts from rival gangs.
• Lion-Head Buddha gave Li Xiuwen the Lion Vajra Body manual, while Huang Sihai and the Three Heroes discussed Li Xiuwen's progress and his connection to the hidden inheritance.
• Lu Shanjun visited Chen Beiwang and said he wanted to recruit Li Xiuwen into the Little Martial Saint Alliance, promising to protect him from Sirius and the Iron Wire Style.
• Li Xiuwen practiced the Lion Vajra Body and Dragon-Binding Skill as the next Placement Exam approached, while Zhang Lingxuan and the Four Great Powerhouses assessed his prospects.
• At the Azure Hall Placement Exam, Li Xiuwen stepped forward and challenged Liu Cang of the White Ape School, the tenth-ranked mid Elephant-Hurling fighter.

Li Xiuwen climbed to seventh on the Azure Rankings after defeating Liu Cang, Li Qun, Wang Dali, and Meng Tiantian, then challenged Zhang Lingxuan. He awakened Sea Sand Style’s Spirit-Summoning technique, overwhelmed Zhang Lingxuan, and pinned him to the ground.

• Li Xiuwen defeated Liu Cang in ten breaths, earning a place in the Azure Rankings’ top ten.
• Li Xiuwen defeated Li Qun, Wang Dali, and Meng Tiantian in succession, then stopped at seventh place.
• After the rankings were announced, Li Xiuwen challenged Zhang Lingxuan while Wang Daorong challenged Zhang Huang.
• Zhang Lingxuan used White Snake Frenzy and Spirit-Summoning to intensify his attack, but Li Xiuwen understood how to unite his martial will with Sea Sand Style’s heritage.
• Li Xiuwen summoned the Grandmaster’s aura, struck Zhang Lingxuan with Commanding the Four Seas, and threw him to the ground.
• Li Xiuwen pinned Zhang Lingxuan beneath his knee and declared that Zhang had lost before reaching one hundred moves.

Li Xiuwen defeated Zhang Lingxuan with the Sea Sand Style’s Spirit-Invocation Technique, while Wang Daorong beat Zhang Huang using a dangerous Western martial combat art. Tiger Granny warned Wang Daorong about Leviathan Industries and urged Li Xiuwen to prepare for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly, where he began to consider competing for a place among the Thirty-Two Paths.

• Li Xiuwen defeated Zhang Lingxuan, who accepted his loss and invited him to fight again at the Golden Network Gate in West River.
• Wang Daorong defeated Zhang Huang with the Heavenly Steed Tramples the Stars Killing Fist, securing Azure Hall’s victory.
• Tiger Granny warned Wang Daorong that Leviathan Industries and its martial combat techniques could damage practitioners, then granted him a monthly subsidy.
• Tiger Granny told Li Xiuwen to study Spirit-Invocation and prepare for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly, naming Zuo Tianqing as a formidable rival.
• Li Xiuwen asked about other favorites and considered fighting his way into the Thirty-Two Paths.

Tiger Granny explained the Dragon Rising favorites and advised Li Xiuwen about mental cultivation and his likely rivals. After Li Xiuwen defeated Zhang Lingxuan, news of his victory spread, and Chen Beiwang recalled the tragedy that drove him to pursue martial arts and seek revenge.

• Tiger Granny told Li Xiuwen about the Six-Fingered Little Monk, Zuo Tianqing, Wu Meihua, and Chang Shixian as leading contenders for Dragon Rising’s Four Paths.
• Tiger Granny explained that elite martial artists cultivated essence, qi, and spirit, and warned Li Xiuwen that Wu Meihua might counter him.
• Li Xiuwen resolved to defeat Wu Meihua and win pride for Master Huang, while Tiger Granny arranged a monthly subsidy for him.
• News spread that Li Xiuwen had defeated Zhang Lingxuan, prompting excitement across Azure Hall, Tiger Hall, and the Four Seas Society.
• Thunder Boy told Huang Sihai that Li Xiuwen had beaten Zhang Lingxuan, and Chen Beiwang remembered his parents’ deaths, his master’s guidance, and his vow to avenge his father by killing Li Tianhao.

After Li Xiuwen defeated Zhang Lingxuan, martial leaders across Tiger Hall and other sects assessed his prospects and considered how to approach him. Li Xiuwen collected his new Azure Hall status and allowance, then began challenging other top-ranked disciples to fund his cultivation as he prepared for the Dragon Rising gathering.

• Huang Sihai reflected on Li Xiuwen's victory over Zhang Lingxuan and worried that Wu Meihua could outshine him at the Dragon Rising gathering.
• Lu Shanjun decided to support Li Xiuwen's advancement, while Hu Tianba and Dan Toulao praised his combat awareness and urged their disciples to maintain good relations with him.
• Bitter Ascetic, Liu Bai, and Sirius reacted to Li Xiuwen's victory, each considering his potential and future prospects.
• Li Xiuwen collected his allowance and put on the Young Tiger Black Robe, while Wang Daorong encouraged him to reach peak Elephant-Hurling before the Dragon Rising gathering.
• Li Xiuwen calculated the cost of his cultivation and decided to challenge suitable Azure Rankings contenders to earn Treasure Tokens.
• Li Xiuwen challenged Liu Cang, won ten Treasure Tokens, and promised to remember him if he became successful.

Li Xiuwen strengthened himself with a Blood-Coagulating Elixir while rival factions discussed the threat he posed and plotted around him. After Huang Sihai confessed his lifelong regret over failing to master Spirit-Summoning, Li Xiuwen revealed that he had figured it out.

• Li Xiuwen collected Tongbao from Azure Rankings fighters, bought a Blood-Coagulating Elixir, and advanced his Whale-Swallowing Art as he planned to reach mid elephant-hurling before hunting again.
• Hong Fang warned Wang Wu and Fatso that Li Xiuwen's Spirit-Summoning Technique and Azure Rankings position made attacking him too dangerous, though Fatso suspected others would try.
• Su Ming recruited the vengeful Wu Youcai to help target Li Xiuwen, then ordered him and his other agents to wait while Wen Tianming prepared an independent assassination attempt.
• Wen Tianming, a late elephant-hurling Oniwaban assassin, disguised himself as a Dragon Pursuit Guild member and waited for Li Xiuwen to leave the Community School.
• Huang Sihai told Li Xiuwen that he had never mastered Spirit-Summoning and had long felt he had disappointed his master.
• Li Xiuwen told Huang Sihai that he had figured out Spirit-Summoning.

Li Xiuwen told Huang Sihai that the Patriarch had taught him Spirit-Summoning, then prepared to teach the Sea Sand Style’s Three Heroes. Mr. Long introduced him to Sister Lao, who accepted him as a Mountain-Moving disciple after he demonstrated his knowledge of the Dragon-Shaking Scripture and developed the Heavenly Dragon Qi-Observation Technique.

• Li Xiuwen explained that the Patriarch taught him Spirit-Summoning in the statue’s illusion, and Huang Sihai invited him to teach the Three Heroes.
• Li Xiuwen wrote notes on Spirit-Summoning and continued training in the Grand Void Illusory Realm by challenging Zhang Huang.
• Mr. Long introduced Li Xiuwen to Sister Lao, who tested his knowledge of burial geomancy and the Dragon-Shaking Scripture.
• Li Xiuwen showed Sister Lao his self-developed Heavenly Dragon Qi-Observation Technique, convincing her to teach him theoretical knowledge.
• Sister Lao had Li Xiuwen pay respects to Patriarch Cao Mang, establishing him as a Mountain-Moving disciple.

Li Xiuwen learned the Profound Passage Classic from Sister Lao, taught the Three Heroes his Spirit-Invocation Technique, and saw the Learning Society gain access to a simplified Dragon-Tiger art. When an assassin from Heavenly Class One ambushed him, Li Xiuwen pursued him into the sewers and struck him with a devastating invoked punch.

• Sister Lao accepted Li Xiuwen as her disciple, gave him her Profound Passage notes, and explained the Mountain-Moving Formation Diagram and the ways of Yin-Yang Martial Artists.
• Mr. Long told Li Xiuwen about Sister Lao's other disciples, and Li Xiuwen later shared his Spirit-Invocation Technique with Huang Sihai and the Three Heroes at the martial hall.
• Chen Beiwang successfully invoked the Grandmaster's spirit, while Thunder Boy explained Tiger Hall's hierarchy and invited Li Xiuwen to join the Little Martial Saint Alliance after passing next year's gate trial.
• Zhang Wuji comforted Zhang Lingxuan after he lost to Li Xiuwen, and Mr. Ming secured the Dragon-Tiger Sun-Embracing Art for the Learning Society to offer its Tiger Hall disciples.
• Wen Tianming disguised himself as a Dragon-Chasing Duke and tried to assassinate Li Xiuwen, but Li Xiuwen saw through his disguise and wounded him with gunfire.
• Wen Tianming fled through the sewers, but Li Xiuwen caught up, invoked his ancestral master, and punched through Wen Tianming's arm and chest.

Li Xiuwen killed Wen Tianming, while Qiu Xiang intercepted and killed Li Xingxing before both heads were sold to Crown Prince Ren. After advancing to Mid Elephant-Hurling and defeating Ma Baojia in the Great Void Dreamscape, Li Xiuwen completed the second level of Three Forgings of the Heart Furnace and began tempering his will at a level comparable to a new Golden Network practitioner.

• Li Xiuwen killed Wen Tianming at the Enclave’s edge, searched his body, and fed the corpse to Crocodile.
• Qiu Xiang ambushed Li Xingxing’s car outside the Enclave and killed him, then met Li Xiuwen and sold both heads to Crown Prince Ren.
• Crown Prince Ren warned Li Xiuwen that Wen Tianming belonged to the Oniwaban, and later announced that Branch Headquarters experts had killed Wen Tianming and Li Xingxing.
• Li Xiuwen bought two Great Elixirs, condensed his seventh blood-qi seed, reached Mid Elephant-Hurling, and defeated Ma Baojia after a hundred moves in the Great Void Dreamscape.
• Li Xiuwen trained for another half month, began condensing an eighth blood-qi seed, and planned to earn enough for further cultivation before the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly.
• Li Xiuwen completed the second level of Three Forgings of the Heart Furnace, bringing his willpower and mental strength to a level comparable to someone newly entered into Golden Network.

Li Xiuwen discovered that his mental power had awakened into faint psychic will and sought a way to form inner heaven and earth aura before the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly. After obtaining Daoist Youshan’s notes, he learned the Youshan Aura Painting Art and began studying its method for creating an aura’s embryonic form.

• Li Xiuwen used his psychic will to sense a rough outline of the space within ten feet and realized he had mastered a form of inner heaven and earth vision.
• Li Xiuwen resolved to strengthen himself before the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly by learning to project inner heaven and earth aura.
• Gui Xuanling, Little Loudspeaker, and Ao Jiu stayed up late to pursue their own training goals.
• Li Xiuwen asked Elder Feng for guidance and borrowed Daoist Youshan’s Records of You Shan for 100 Tongbao.
• Li Xiuwen read about the Youshan Aura Painting Art, which used repeated mental practice of martial intent to form the embryonic shape of inner heaven and earth aura.

Li Xiuwen meditated on the Youshan Painting-Aura Method, then experienced a sudden enlightenment in the Grand Void Illusion and comprehended the Tremor Technique. After demonstrating its power and reflecting on his training before the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly, he visited the Tiger-Crane Society, where Su Cha showed him a new target.

• Li Xiuwen entered a void state while meditating and repeatedly painted the scene of the Nine Dragons Patriarch fighting the Giant Whale, but none of his paintings captured the Patriarch's spirit.
• In the Grand Void Illusion, Li Xiuwen fought Sun Dazhou and, just before being defeated, realized that the Limitless Tremor Fist borrowed vibrations from the surrounding world and channeled them through the body.
• Li Xiuwen gained nine percent proficiency in the Limitless Tremor Fist and used his new Tremor Technique to injure Sun Dazhou, then resolved to prioritize the Whale-Killing Fist while incorporating the technique into his other attacks.
• At the Tiger-Crane Society, Wang Hezi worried about the Spirit-Invocation Technique and the martial arts heritage of the Prosperous State, while Su Cha encouraged the disciples to build their own legacy.
• Su Cha took Li Xiuwen to his office and showed him Chen Tingjun's photograph, explaining that the peak Elephant-Hurling fighter ranked among the top eight in the Qian division and carried an 800 Treasure Token bounty.

Li Xiuwen learned about Chen Tingjun’s strength and began preparing to kill him, while Crown Prince Ren’s forces defeated South Seas fighters contesting a Martial Tomb. After Li Xiuwen discovered Wu Youcai was conspiring against him, he trained in the Grand Void Illusory Realm and planned to strike Chen when Su Ming left for Sheng Country.

• Su Cha warned Li Xiuwen that Chen Tingjun was a dangerous Tiger-Crane Style expert and advised him to wait until Su Ming left on a mission, but refused a share of any reward.
• Crown Prince Ren arrived on the island and killed the berserk Monkey-Eating Kingdom Officer, then ordered his people to capture surviving fighters and investigate the Martial Tomb.
• Crown Prince Ren learned that the tomb was a Mid-Grade Martial Tomb guarded by a water-element exotic beast and ordered an investigation and training expedition.
• Wu Youcai visited Chen Tingjun and offered intelligence while urging Providence’s leaders to kill Li Xiuwen.
• Li Xiuwen followed Wu Youcai after he left Chen Tingjun’s villa and concluded that Wu Youcai was plotting against him.
• Li Xiuwen fought Chen Tingjun repeatedly in the Grand Void Illusory Realm, assessed his defenses, and resolved to attack after Su Ming left for Sheng Country.

Li Xiuwen completed the Whale Battling the Vast Sea inner heaven and earth aura and used it to defeat or challenge several top fighters in the Grand Void Illusory Realm. As he prepared for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly and a secret move against Su Ming, Mr. Long gave him the Water Dragon’s Song burst Secret Art to learn.

• Tiger Granny arranged for Azure Hall disciples to explore a Great Qian Mid-Rank Martial Tomb and discussed preparing promising candidates for the Dragon-Bone Great Tomb.
• Li Xiuwen perfected the Youshan Painting-Aura Method, forming the Whale Battling the Vast Sea inner heaven and earth aura.
• Li Xiuwen used the aura in the Grand Void Illusory Realm to defeat Sun Dazhou, Little Blazing Monk, and Wang Hezi, while Wang Daorong narrowly beat him and Zhang Huang resisted the aura better.
• Li Xiuwen decided to keep his new aura secret for the Prosperous State and learned from Su Cha that Su Ming had gone there.
• Li Xiuwen discovered that Zhi had reached Golden Network and asked Mr. Long for a Tiger Elephant-grade burst Secret Art.
• Mr. Long gave Li Xiuwen the Water Dragon’s Song, which could boost his middle-stage Elephant-Throwing cultivation close to its peak by burning his blood.

Li Xiuwen learned about the stages of Spirit-Summoning, killed the traitor Wu Youcai, and acquired the Windwalking secret art. He then headed for Chen Tingjun, who agreed to join the Oniwaban and decided to attack Li Xiuwen this month.

• Mr. Long explained the dangers of Water Dragon's Chant and the three stages of Spirit-Summoning, while Li Xiuwen revealed he wanted to compete for the Four Paths.
• Little Basket told Li Xiuwen that Wu Youcai had left, and Li Xiuwen ambushed Wu Youcai in the Sewers and killed him for betraying the Enclave.
• Li Xiuwen found the Windwalking manual on Wu Youcai and used its first layer to change direction in midair.
• Yagyu Saburo invited Chen Tingjun to join the Oniwaban and told him about a planned attack on Prosperous State geniuses during the Dragon Raises Its Head gathering.
• Chen Tingjun decided to attack Li Xiuwen this month, hoping to profit by killing the genius.

Li Xiuwen ambushed Chen Tingjun at his villa and killed him after a fierce close-quarters battle. During the fight, Li Xiuwen discovered how to apply the tremor technique to his blades and advanced his Limitless Tremor Fist.

• At a gathering outside Fragrant Sea, Chiba Xiao Feng vowed to avenge Xiao Tao, while Yagyu Saburo planned to attack the Prosperous State’s geniuses during the Dragon Rising trials.
• Chen Tingjun studied information on Li Xiuwen, then Li Xiuwen burst into his villa and attacked him with Thunderheart Palms and Pig-Slaughtering Blades.
• Chen Tingjun used his perfected defenses, weapons, and ambush tactics against Li Xiuwen, but Li Xiuwen’s inner heaven and earth aura and strange movement technique turned the fight in his favor.
• Li Xiuwen discovered that he could apply the tremor technique to his blade work and used a Tremor Blade to decapitate Chen Tingjun.
• Li Xiuwen trained on Chen Tingjun’s corpse and raised his Limitless Tremor Fist proficiency to 28%.

Li Xiuwen reached the peak of Elephant-Hurling after refining three Great Elixirs and tested his strength in the Grand Void Illusory Realm, crushing several opponents. As the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly approached, he planned to keep seeking elixirs and later challenge Wang Daorong.

• Li Xiuwen delivered Chen Tingjun's head to Su Cha, who gave him three Blood-Coagulating Elixirs, and Ming Pao later reported that Su Cha had killed Chen Tingjun.
• Li Xiuwen entered seclusion with three Great Elixirs while the Azure Hall assessment took place; Sun Dazhou challenged Zhang Huang and lost, and Zhang Lingxuan defeated every challenger before leaving for the Prosperous State.
• The Learning Society began selecting teachers for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly as the gathering drew closer.
• Li Xiuwen condensed his ninth blood-qi seed, reached peak Elephant-Hurling, and found that his qi and blood had grown powerful enough to overwhelm late-stage fighters.
• In the Grand Void Illusory Realm, Li Xiuwen crushed Sun Dazhou, Wang Hezi, and Little Blazing Monk, then set his sights on Wang Daorong.
• Li Xiuwen asked Little Basket about Wu Youcai and learned that the investigation had been closed after the Tigress refused to reopen it.

Li Xiuwen returned from seclusion at Elephant-Hurling peak and prepared for the Dragon-Raising-Head Dharma Assembly while the 4K Gang planned to ambush him. At the Learning Society’s Placement Exam, he rose through the Azure Rankings by defeating Ma Baojia and Sun Dazhou, leaving the other top contenders to face him next.

• Li Xiuwen gave Little Basket Tongbao and urged them to challenge the Iron Wire Society’s arenas to gain experience and resources.
• Li Xiuwen told Huang Sihai he had reached Elephant-Hurling peak and planned to claim first place in the Azure Hall, while Xiao Feng agreed to go ahead to Mount Tai Prefecture and assassinate him for Big Bi Zai.
• Zuo Tianqing, Little Monk, a young Daoist from the Mount Lao Way, and Wu Zongheng each reviewed the tournament list and took notice of its competitors, including Li Xiuwen.
• Tiger Granny recorded Li Xiuwen’s rise to Elephant-Hurling peak, and the Placement Exam results put Little Loudspeaker nineteenth, Gui Xuanling eleventh, Ao Jiu thirty-third, and Little Basket sixty-sixth.
• Li Xiuwen defeated Ma Baojia with one punch and advanced to fifth on the Azure Rankings after Wang Tong declined to fight him.
• Li Xiuwen refused to use Spirit-Summoning against Sun Dazhou, overwhelmed him with the Whale-Slaying Fist, and left him unable to stand.