Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Ruffian Dragon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the New Spring Literary Gathering, Ao Huang proudly begins reciting a famous New Year poem given to him by Fang Yun. Before he can reveal Fang Yun as the author, the Ritual Hall publicly condemns the Jia Kingdom’s Lei Family for violating the Three Rites and human ethics.
• The announcement completely diverts the crowd’s attention. The scholars cheer the Sacred Academy’s decision, viewing it as a just punishment for the Lei Family’s previous attacks on Fang Yun and their humiliation of the Jing Kingdom’s Void Sage.
• Ao Huang becomes jealous and offended that his poem receives no attention. He leaves the gathering angrily, though the admiration of ordinary citizens and children along the way gradually restores his pride.
• On New Year’s Eve, Fang Yun’s household celebrates together. Ao Huang, Little Fox/Nunu, and Little Meteor enthusiastically play with fireworks.
• Ao Huang deliberately fires fireworks over the Left Prime Minister’s Residence, disturbing Liu Zizhi and the Liu Family. After striking Liu Zizhi with a firework, Ao Huang dismisses his complaints with a vulgar insult and proudly returns home.
• Fang Yun jokingly labels him a “Ruffian Dragon,” while Ao Huang insists that he is simply a “good dragon.”
• During the New Year, Fang Yun visits the major Half-Sage Families, important officials, and the imperial family. He also sends greeting cards and gifts to other lineages, including the residence of Left Prime Minister Liu Shan, despite their hostility.
• By the fifth day of the new year, Fang Yun resumes his studies, including the Spring Hunt and Palace Examination courses.
• Fang Yun’s status is emphasized by the imperial carriage and eighteen exceptionally powerful Pure-Blood Dragon Horses gifted by the Dragon Palace. These horses are far superior to ordinary Dragon Horses and are capable of fighting Royal Race Demon Marshals, making them coveted even by Half-Sage Families.

Character Developments

• Ao Huang: Displays vanity, childish jealousy, pride, and a mischievous sense of humor. Although frustrated when the Lei Family steals attention from his poetry recital, he quickly regains confidence through public admiration. His prank against the Liu Family highlights his increasingly bold and irreverent personality.
• Fang Yun: Remains composed and socially responsible. He manages important New Year obligations, maintains courtesy even toward Liu Shan’s faction, and promptly returns to his studies rather than indulging in celebration.
• Liu Shan: Is shown to be physically and mentally deteriorating. His reduced vitality and increasingly sinister expressions suggest that his political situation and recent setbacks are placing him under severe strain.
• Liu Zizhi: Acts as the reluctant representative of the Liu Family when confronting Ao Huang. His helpless response reflects the family’s weakened position and unwillingness to provoke Fang Yun further.
• Nunu, Little Meteor, and the Inkstone Turtle: Join Ao Huang’s prank and openly enjoy the chaos, reinforcing their close, playful relationship with him.

Significant Themes

• The authority of ritual and social order: The Ritual Hall’s condemnation demonstrates that even powerful families must be restrained by the Three Rites. The chapter stresses that the greater a family’s influence, the more seriously it must be held accountable.
• Public justice and legitimacy: The crowd’s approval shows that the Sacred Academy maintains public trust by punishing the Lei Family after its attacks on Fang Yun and the Jing Kingdom.
• Pride and recognition: Ao Huang’s frustration reflects the desire for acknowledgment, while his recovery through popular admiration shows how easily pride can be restored by praise.
• Power and status: Fang Yun’s carriage and Dragon Horses symbolize his growing prestige and his exceptional relationship with the Dragon Palace.
• Playfulness amid political conflict: New Year celebrations, fireworks, and Ao Huang’s antics provide comic relief against the serious struggles involving the Lei and Liu Families.

Character Interactions

• The crowd praises the Ritual Hall’s judgment while unintentionally ignoring Ao Huang’s poem, causing his resentment.
• Citizens and children admire Ao Huang as he flies through the capital, improving his mood.
• Ao Huang torments Liu Zizhi and the Liu Family with fireworks, while Nunu, Little Meteor, and the Inkstone Turtle laugh and encourage the prank.
• Fang Yun affectionately scolds Ao Huang for his vulgar behavior, creating a humorous contrast between Fang Yun’s restraint and Ao Huang’s unruliness.
• Fang Yun maintains formal goodwill toward Liu Shan by sending New Year greetings despite their antagonistic relationship.
• The chapter closes by highlighting Fang Yun’s elevated position through his association with the Dragon Palace and the extraordinary Dragon Horses it provides.

Chapter Summary: “Spring Hunt Begins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Despite his rising status, Fang Yun remains modest and disciplined, spending his time between Spring Garden and the Academy while quietly cultivating himself.
• On the eve of the Metropolitan Graduate Spring Hunt, Fang Yun trains in the bamboo grove of East Garden. He controls the True Dragon Ancient Sword at the speed of sound, maneuvering it through dense bamboo without damaging the leaves.
• This exercise reveals that Fang Yun’s sword-control skill, independent of his sword’s extraordinary power, has already reached the level of a Three-Hall Hanlin Academician. However, he recognizes that experienced Hanlin Academicians still surpass him in judgment and timing.
• Fang Yun reflects on the Hanlin Hall system, which was established after military defeats to ensure scholars developed practical combat ability alongside mastery of the classics.
• After exhausting his Literary Qi, Fang Yun returns home, sleeps briefly, and prepares to leave for the Spring Hunt.
• Fang Yun travels to Sage Cui’s Aristocratic Family with an imposing escort: four Horse Barbarian Marquises wearing rare Demon Realm armor, along with Barbarian Commanders, Barbarian Generals, and human soldiers. His military strength causes unease throughout the capital.
• At the Cui Family estate, Fang Yun meets the other twenty-nine participants in the Spring Hunt, including newly advanced metropolitan graduates, Jing Kingdom’s elite young scholars, and experienced middle-aged metropolitan graduates.
• The Cui Family head leads the group through a paifang that serves as the entrance to the Cui Clan Literary World. They enter a passage connecting Sage Cui’s Literary World to Sage Kong’s Literary World, from which they will travel to Hunting Ground Island.

Character Development

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates exceptional sword-control ability, discipline, humility, and self-awareness. Although he has rapidly grown in power, he acknowledges his lack of experience compared with older Hanlin Academicians and worries that insufficient time is his greatest weakness.
• Fang Yun’s military presence: His private army reflects his growing status and strength. He has progressed from admiring powerful figures such as Fierce Lord to possessing forces that could easily overwhelm them.
• The Cui Family head: Acts as the formal host and guide, emphasizing the importance and solemnity of the Spring Hunt.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Fang Yun possesses immense strength but avoids arrogance and unnecessary display, using his power primarily for preparation and protection.
• Experience versus talent: Natural gifts, powerful treasures, and strong Literary Guts give Fang Yun a tremendous advantage, but he recognizes that years of practical experience remain difficult to replace.
• Theory and practical combat: The history of the Hanlin Halls highlights the Human Race’s realization that scholarly knowledge must be paired with battlefield ability.
• Preparation and limited time: Fang Yun’s intense training reflects his determination, while his concern about lacking time foreshadows the challenges ahead.
• Rising status and responsibility: His escort and public reception show how much Fang Yun’s position has changed, as well as the fear and expectations attached to his growing influence.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun gives instructions to Fang Daniu and the four Horse Barbarian Marquises before entering the Cui Family estate alone.
• The Cui Family head and other officials formally welcome Fang Yun, and he exchanges polite greetings with the assembled participants.
• All thirty metropolitan graduates participate in the ceremonial salute before entering the Cui Clan Literary World.
• The chapter ends with the group beginning their journey toward Hunting Ground Island, where the Spring Hunt will officially commence.

Chapter Summary: Desolate City Ancient Land

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and the Jing Kingdom scholars travel through a corridor formed from Sage Cui’s will. Fang recognizes it as part of a Half-Sage’s Literary World, a space containing hidden inheritances and treasures.
• They pass through a Gate of Light and enter a recreation of Sishui Courtyard, where Confucius once lectured.
• The Jia Kingdom group arrives, led by Li Ming, head of the Li Family. Fang and several Jia scholars exchange greetings, including Liu Kui, whom Fang previously helped in the Sacred Ruins and on the Discourse Ranking.
• Tension emerges because Liu Kui has supported Fang despite the presence of many Lei Family members in Jia Kingdom. The Lei Family’s interests conflict with Fang and Jing Kingdom.
• The Jing Kingdom scholars depart first. Afterward, Lei Li, the Lei Family’s powerful Poem Maniac, warns Jia Kingdom’s scholars that they must defeat Jing Kingdom in the Spring Hunt or face severe punishment.
• Fang and the others leave Sage Kong’s Literary World and arrive in the Desolate City Ancient Land, a bleak, ruined realm filled with abandoned cities, ancient relics, and dangerous mysteries.
• The chapter concludes by explaining the importance of the Desolate City Maze, a major source of divine treasures and sacred relics, and the long-running struggle between the Human Race and Demon Barbarians for control of the region.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates humility and political awareness by addressing Li Ming as a fellow student rather than emphasizing his status as a Void Sage. His earlier assistance to Liu Kui has also earned him loyalty and respect.
• Cui Wenzhuo acts as a diplomatic mediator, maintaining cordial relations with Jia Kingdom while preventing tensions from escalating.
• Liu Kui shows independence and integrity. Although helping Fang has offended the powerful Lei Family, he refuses to betray his own convictions merely to gain their favor.
• Lei Li is established as a formidable and embittered figure. Once a potential Grand Academician, he was exiled after committing an offense and has spent decades cultivating powerful War Poetry and combat abilities. His harsh leadership reflects both his ambition and resentment.
• Li Ming appears more measured than Lei Li, urging Jia Kingdom’s scholars to pursue victory without creating unnecessary conflict.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and legacy: Half-Sage Literary Worlds preserve hidden treasures and teachings, but only descendants or successors with sufficient talent can access them.
• Power and political rivalry: The interactions between Jing Kingdom, Jia Kingdom, the Lei Family, and Fang Yun show how personal loyalty and national competition overlap.
• Merit versus bloodline: Although aristocratic families possess enormous resources, individuals such as Fang Yun and Liu Kui are judged by talent, integrity, and achievement rather than lineage alone.
• Ruins and forgotten civilizations: The Desolate City Ancient Land represents a mysterious remnant of an ancient race, containing immense treasures whose origins and mechanisms remain unknown.
• Conflict and strategic resources: The Human Race and Demon Barbarians continually fight over the Ancient Cities and the Desolate City Mazes because of the rare objects and sacred relics they contain.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Cui Wenzhuo travel together as part of the Jing Kingdom group, with Cui guiding the group through the encounter with Jia Kingdom.
• Fang exchanges formal greetings with Li Ming, establishing mutual respect between the two Half-Sage Families.
• Fang and Liu Kui acknowledge their past cooperation, revealing that Fang helped Liu Kui in the Sacred Ruins and that Liu later supported Fang on the Discourse Ranking.
• The Jia Kingdom scholars, particularly the Lei Family members, react uneasily to Liu Kui’s friendly relationship with Fang.
• Lei Li pressures and threatens the Jia scholars, demanding that they defeat Jing Kingdom in the Spring Hunt.
• Li Ming counters Lei Li’s aggression with a more diplomatic appeal for cooperation and discipline.

Chapter Summary: “Unease”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun arrives at Hunting Ground Island in the Desolate City Ancient Land, a mysterious island surrounded by an impassable ocean. No one who ventures into the surrounding seas ever returns.
• He reflects on the island’s unusual environment: its gravity is roughly four times that of the Saint Origin Continent, its air contains faint toxins, and its harsh conditions have shaped the local Human Race.
• Fang Yun considers the strength of the Metropolitan Graduates from the Ten Kingdoms, particularly Jia Kingdom’s experienced Blood-Bathed Warriors. He recognizes that veterans such as Lei Li, who have spent decades fighting Demon Barbarians, may rival him despite his own exceptional talent.
• The chapter emphasizes the importance of finding the correct path of cultivation. Fang Yun recalls Li Wenying’s Sacred Way Direction Theory, according to which talent and effort matter less than choosing the right direction and persevering.
• Upon leaving the ruined hall, Fang Yun sees more than ten thousand Ancient Land scholars gathered. They unexpectedly greet him in unison as “Fang Void Sage.”
• The Ancient Land scholars revere Fang Yun because his War Poetry, Gall-Refining Poetry, and other achievements have greatly aided their endless struggle against the Demon Barbarians.
• The Jia Kingdom delegation witnesses the greeting. Most are pleased, but the Lei Family members react with resentment, blaming Fang Yun for Lei Yue’s decision to abandon the family leadership and spend the remainder of his life in the Ancient Land.
• The participating Metropolitan Graduates depart in Flood Dragon Horse carriages for the Metropolitan Graduate Hunting Ground, where the Spring Hunt will determine access to the Sacred Academy and the number of times they may enter Hanlin Hall.
• Once outside Hundredth Desolate City, the air becomes more harmful. Several Metropolitan Graduates begin coughing, revealing that they are poorly adapted to the Ancient Land and may have only half their usual strength during the three-day Spring Hunt.
• Fang Yun accesses the Literary Ranking and sees that the rankings have been replaced by the names of the Ten Kingdoms, each currently showing zero.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates growing awareness of his own unease and the dangers of the Ancient Land, though he cannot identify the source of his foreboding. He remains calm, observant, and physically well adapted to the environment because of the Dragon Pearls he has consumed.
• He shows humility by returning the Ancient Land scholars’ formal salute rather than taking their worship for granted.
• Fang Yun also displays maturity and strategic awareness by acknowledging that long-term experience and correct cultivation can allow figures such as Lei Li to rival naturally gifted geniuses.
• Lei Li is established as a formidable, battle-hardened Metropolitan Graduate whose decades of experience have made him far stronger than an ordinary scholar of the same rank.
• The Lei Family is revealed to harbor continued hostility toward Fang Yun, especially because they believe he damaged their family’s future through Lei Yue’s withdrawal.
• Several Jing Kingdom Metropolitan Graduates are weakened before the competition even begins, creating an immediate disadvantage for Fang Yun’s side.

Significant Themes

• Unease and hidden danger: Fang Yun’s unexplained foreboding suggests that the supposedly controlled Hunting Ground may contain threats beyond the known dangers.
• Talent versus experience: The chapter stresses that years of struggle, correct direction, and practical combat experience can rival innate genius.
• The importance of finding one’s path: Li Wenying’s example illustrates that success depends on identifying the proper Sacred Way and persisting in it.
• Sacrifice for the Human Race: The Ancient Land scholars value contributions to humanity above family status or political power, explaining their intense admiration for Fang Yun.
• Environmental adaptation and limitation: The Ancient Land’s gravity and toxic air physically distinguish its inhabitants and can significantly weaken outsiders.
• Political and familial resentment: Fang Yun’s achievements have earned him loyalty from the Ancient Land scholars but have deepened hostility from the Lei Family.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun interacts respectfully with the Ancient Land scholars, returning their collective bow after they honor him as the Fang Void Sage.
• The Jing Kingdom scholars initially misunderstand the large gathering but realize that the scholars have assembled specifically to welcome Fang Yun.
• Jia Kingdom’s delegation hears the greeting; most react positively, while the Lei Family members respond with displeasure and resentment.
• Poem Maniac Ma Chaoming comments on the Metropolitan Graduates’ condition and introduces the Literary Ranking, marking the transition from arrival and ceremony to the beginning of the Spring Hunt competition.

Chapter Summary: “The Army at the Border”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Literary Ranking is renamed the Ten-Kingdom Spring Hunt Ranking, measuring points based on demons slain: Demon Soldiers are worth 1 point, Demon Generals 5, Demon Marshals 100, Demon Marquises 1,000, and Demon Tokens 50,000.
• The Spring Hunt takes place on Hunting Ground Island, which contains three heavily defended Demon Mountains. Each mountain is controlled by multiple Demon Marquises and contains a valuable Demon Token.
• A Demon Token can be obtained either by fighting up the mountain or through military strategy, but after fifteen minutes the entire mountain’s demon forces will pursue whoever takes it. No one has ever successfully held a token until the hunt ended.
• Fang Yun assesses Jing Kingdom’s likely performance. He believes eighth place is secure, seventh is attainable, and sixth is possible, though reaching the top five is nearly impossible because those kingdoms are vastly stronger.
• The chapter explains the importance of the rankings: higher placement grants kingdoms more opportunities to enter the Sacred Academy, serve in Hanlin Hall, and gain other valuable positions.
• The Metropolitan Graduates arrive at the sealed Hunting Ground. Fang Yun recognizes many old allies and acquaintances from the Sacred Ruins, the Ten-Kingdom Competition, and the Dragon Ascension Platform.
• Once all competitors enter, the Half-Sage barrier seals the grounds. It can rescue anyone suffering a fatal injury, but being expelled would still damage that person’s kingdom’s ranking and make them a likely scapegoat.
• Immediately after the hunt begins, the nearby Hundred and First and Hundred and Second Desolate Cities receive the highest-level alarm: a massive Demon Barbarian army is attacking the border.
• The cities are ordered to evacuate rather than fight. Scholars estimate that the force may contain ten million demons, making it the greatest invasion since humanity entered the Desolate City Ancient Land.
• A huge Moon Tree Phantom and blood-red Demon Moon appear above Hunting Ground Island, revealing the invasion’s true purpose.
• The connection between Sage Kong’s Literary World and the Hundredth Desolate City is severed, and the Hunting Ground is sealed so that no warning can reach the Metropolitan Graduates inside.
• The attackers’ goal is revealed to be not merely the destruction of the competitors, but specifically Fang Yun, the Void Sage.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains analytical and strategically minded, carefully evaluating Jing Kingdom’s chances and recognizing the enormous value of obtaining a Demon Token.
• He demonstrates his growing importance by becoming the primary target of a massive, carefully planned Demon Barbarian assault.
• Ji Zhibai appears physically and reputationally broken. Though he remains seated in the carriage despite his ruined reputation and lingering illness, his continued presence shows considerable resilience.
• Many of the young Metropolitan Graduates owe part of their improved strength to Fang Yun’s assistance in the Sacred Ruins, reinforcing his influence over the new generation of scholars.
• The Metropolitan Graduates display varied attitudes toward Fang Yun—admiration, curiosity, goodwill, competitiveness, calm observation, and hostility—foreshadowing possible alliances and conflicts during the hunt.

Significant Themes

• Competition and national power: The Spring Hunt is both an individual contest and a struggle for each kingdom’s prestige and access to the Sacred Academy.
• Strategy versus brute force: The Demon Token can be claimed through direct combat or military stratagems, emphasizing that intelligence may rival raw strength.
• Political consequences of ranking: Individual success or failure affects entire kingdoms, while expelled competitors may bear personal blame for national losses.
• Fang Yun’s growing prominence and danger: His achievements have made him influential among humans but also important enough to become the central target of enemy forces.
• Hidden threats and betrayal: The demons conceal their army, sever communication, and attack precisely when humanity’s strongest young scholars are isolated.
• Human vulnerability: The sudden invasion shows that even the supposedly controlled Spring Hunt can become a deadly battlefield.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun observes and reconnects with numerous Metropolitan Graduates, including Yan Yukong, Li Fanming, Zong Wude, Xun Zhixing, Kong Delun, and Han Shoulu.
• The competitors exchange restrained nods and study one another, reflecting the mixture of familiarity, rivalry, respect, and hostility among the Ten Kingdoms.
• The surrounding scholars discuss the invasion and realize that the sealed Hunting Ground prevents them from warning Fang Yun and the others.
• The chapter ends with the revelation that the Demon Barbarian army has engineered the crisis specifically to trap and kill Fang Yun.

Summary: Battle for Desolate City

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Moon Tree releases a powerful blood-colored radiance that envelops Hunting Ground Island, cutting it off from the outside world. At the same time, the Temple of Sages projects orange Literary Qi toward the Moon Tree, creating a stalemate.
• Three Half-Sage Incarnations formed from Sacred Blood attempt to leave the Temple of Sages and intervene in the Spring Hunt, but the Moon Essence blocks them. Unless they can escape, the Metropolitan Graduate Spring Hunt cannot be stopped.
• Tens of millions of Demon Barbarians march toward Spring Hunt Island. The Human Race abandons the One Hundred and First and One Hundred and Second Desolate Cities, retreating toward the island while scholars and soldiers remain behind to protect them.
• Great Scholar Liang Sili and other leaders suspect that the Demon Realm is using the Moon Tree’s Shadow Clone to trap or destroy Fang Yun and everyone on Hunting Ground Island. They note that Barbarian Sage Niu Han has not personally appeared, suggesting the Demon Realm has adopted a more cautious strategy.
• The Human Race’s retreat is ambushed by ten Great Demon Kings and thirty Demon Kings who emerge from underground. The soldiers and scholars rapidly form defensive lines, but the Demon Barbarians’ overwhelming blood and qi threaten to crush them.
• Just as Liang Sili’s forces appear doomed, a hidden Mohist Great Scholar reveals himself by creating a defensive city wall through the techniques “Rigid Conformity” and “Inside-Outside Reversal.”
• Ten additional Great Scholars emerge from among the refugees, including Li Wenying, Ye Hongyu, and Nangong Leng. The balance of power reverses, giving the Human Race a strong chance to defeat the Demon Kings.
• A second retreating force from One Hundred and Second Desolate City is also ambushed, but it likewise contains ten concealed Great Scholars.
• Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Graduates inside the Hunting Ground remain unaware of the outside crisis. The thirty students from Kong City withdraw from the competition, choosing not to provoke or support any particular kingdom.

Character Developments

• Liang Sili is portrayed as a determined defender willing to sacrifice himself and his Sacred Academy artifact to protect the Human Race. His reluctance to attack with full strength emphasizes the burden of leadership and the need to preserve the Temple of Sages statue.
• The concealed Mohist Great Scholar and the hidden Great Scholars reveal that the Human Race had prepared extensive defensive measures in advance. Their disguises and sudden appearances demonstrate strategic planning and unity.
• Li Wenying, Ye Hongyu, and Nangong Leng join the battle, reinforcing their reputations as powerful and dependable Great Scholars.
• The Human soldiers and young scholars overcome their fear. Though intimidated by the Demon Kings, they maintain disciplined formations and fight with courage.
• The Kong City Metropolitan Graduates display political caution by withdrawing rather than becoming entangled in conflicts among the Ten Kingdoms.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus overwhelming force: The Demon Barbarians rely on numbers and surprise, while the Human Race counters through hidden preparations, defensive formations, and strategic deployment.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Liang Sili’s willingness to risk his life and the destruction of the Temple of Sages statue highlights the personal cost of defending civilians.
• Unity and cooperation: Scholars, soldiers, refugees, and representatives of different academic traditions unite against a common enemy.
• Fear overcome by resolve: The Demon Kings’ blood-and-qi pressure induces terror, but the Human soldiers’ command to “Kill!” restores their courage and discipline.
• Isolation and uncertainty: Hunting Ground Island’s severed communication leaves those inside unaware of the battle outside, while the outside forces cannot know what is happening within.
• Hidden strength: The Human Race’s concealed Great Scholars suggest that apparent weakness may disguise careful planning and substantial reserves.

Character Interactions

• Liang Sili discusses the Demon Realm’s strategy with the Grand Academicians, revealing his understanding of the Moon Tree Shadow Clone and the Sacred Academy’s contingency plans.
• The scholars and soldiers coordinate their defenses under Liang Sili’s leadership when the Demon Kings attack.
• The hidden Mohist Great Scholar intervenes at the critical moment, protecting the entire refugee force and earning the admiration of the younger scholars.
• The newly revealed Great Scholars join forces with Liang Sili’s group, transforming a desperate defense into a counterattack.
• The Tiger Demon King attempts to rally the Demon Kings by insisting that fighting offers their only chance of survival.
• The Kong City graduates separate themselves from the other Metropolitan Graduates, avoiding political involvement in the competing kingdoms’ struggles.

Chapter Summary: “Different”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Metropolitan Graduate Spring Hunt begins with graduates from the Ten Kingdoms observing one another in a tense atmosphere.
• The traditional ranking order is emphasized: Shu, Qi, Cloud, and Wu occupy the top four positions; Jia, Qing, and Yue form the middle tier; Jing, Gu, and Shen usually rank lowest.
• Last year’s Ten-Kingdom Competition disrupted this pattern. Qing Kingdom was pushed from the middle tier into the lowest tier, largely because of Fang Yun’s overwhelming achievements. As a result, Qing’s admission quotas were drastically reduced.
• Qing Kingdom’s people have conflicted feelings toward Fang Yun: they admire his strength and contributions to the Human Race but resent the humiliation he brought upon Qing Kingdom.
• Xun Cong of Qing Kingdom politely acknowledges Fang Yun’s greatness but declares that Qing’s graduates must defeat Jing Kingdom for the sake of their kingdom’s honor.
• Li Fanming mocks Ji Zibai by suggesting that even a powerful graduate like Xun Cong may be far weaker than Fang Yun. Fang Yun stops Li from escalating the personal conflict.
• Lei Li of Jia Kingdom insists that the Spring Hunt is a collective contest, not Fang Yun’s individual competition. He reveals that Jia Kingdom has decided to assault one of the dangerous Demon Mountains, even at the risk of total annihilation.
• Zong Bu of Qing Kingdom responds by announcing that Qing will activate its “fourth plan”: if its Literary Ranking falls below Jing Kingdom’s, its graduates will also attack a Demon Mountain.
• Fang Yun recognizes Zong Bu as a terrifying combatant known for sacrificing his own advancement for Qing Kingdom and the Zong Family. Zong Bu has personally slain powerful Demon Marshals and Demon Marquises and may possess strength exceeding Lei Li’s.
• Zong Wude objects to the plan, warning that Qing’s graduates should not throw away their lives, especially Yan Yukong, who has Half-Sage potential.
• Yan Yukong refuses to retreat, viewing this Spring Hunt as perhaps his final opportunity to surpass Fang Yun. Xun Zhixing, who previously lost to Fang Yun in Literary Suppression of a Prefecture, also agrees to participate.
• The chapter ends with Ji Shouyu breaking his silence and stating that this year’s Metropolitan Graduate Hunting Ground is fundamentally different from previous years.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates restraint and political awareness by stopping Li Fanming from provoking Ji Zibai. He understands that the Spring Hunt represents a serious contest between kingdoms rather than an opportunity to settle personal grudges.
• Li Fanming: Shows confidence in Fang Yun and openly ridicules Ji Zibai, though he ultimately accepts Fang Yun’s warning to stop.
• Ji Zibai: Suffers public humiliation and internal anger after being compared unfavorably to Fang Yun. His restrained exterior barely conceals his resentment.
• Lei Li: Displays fierce loyalty to Jia Kingdom and a willingness to sacrifice himself and his fellow graduates for national honor.
• Zong Bu: Is revealed as a fanatical and exceptionally powerful warrior who has sacrificed his personal future to strengthen Qing Kingdom. His reputation as a “fiendish god” comes from his instinctive love of slaughtering powerful Demon Barbarians.
• Zong Wude: Provides a voice of caution and compassion, opposing the reckless plan to enter the Demon Mountain.
• Yan Yukong: Shows determination and ambition. Despite his valuable potential and the danger of death, he refuses to abandon his chance to catch up to Fang Yun.
• Xun Zhixing: Maintains his resolve despite having previously lost to Fang Yun and joins the proposed high-risk strategy.
• Ji Shouyu: Remains calm and observant throughout the discussion, then signals that unusual and significant developments are about to occur.

Significant Themes

• National honor versus personal safety: Jia and Qing Kingdom’s graduates are prepared to risk death rather than suffer another humiliating defeat.
• The burden of genius: Fang Yun’s rapid rise has altered the balance between kingdoms and forced former rivals to take extreme measures.
• Sacrifice for collective interests: Zong Bu’s delayed advancement and willingness to fight demonstrate how individuals may surrender their futures for their family or kingdom.
• Resentment toward exceptional power: Fang Yun is admired for strengthening the Human Race but hated for exposing the weakness of other kingdoms.
• Competition and political tension: The Spring Hunt is not merely a test of individual strength; it is a struggle involving national reputation, quotas, family rivalries, and long-standing rankings.
• Risk and strategic desperation: The decision to enter the Demon Mountains shows how far the kingdoms are willing to go to change their declining position.

Character Interactions

• Xun Cong respectfully acknowledges Fang Yun while making clear that Qing Kingdom must oppose him for political reasons.
• Li Fanming provokes Ji Zibai by comparing him unfavorably with Fang Yun, prompting visible but restrained anger from Ji Zibai.
• Fang Yun intervenes to prevent Li Fanming’s mockery from worsening existing personal tensions.
• Lei Li challenges Li Fanming’s confidence and defends Jia Kingdom’s strength and determination.
• Zong Bu and Lei Li establish a shared willingness to risk their groups’ lives by attacking a Demon Mountain.
• Zong Wude argues with Zong Bu and Yan Yukong, warning them not to sacrifice themselves recklessly.
• Yan Yukong and Xun Zhixing reaffirm their determination to surpass Fang Yun, while Ji Shouyu’s final remark hints that the coming competition will be unlike any previous Spring Hunt.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Pool, Altar”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Shouyu, heir of the King Wen Family, uses the family’s bloodline ability and mastery of the Book of Changes to foresee the future. He warns the Metropolitan Graduates that a disaster is approaching—one so great that they may be unable to resist it.
• His divination severely strains him, causing blood to flow from his eyes. Although he claims a short rest will restore him, his warning unsettles the group.
• The scholars reassure themselves that the sages and Great Scholars are monitoring the Hunting Grounds and would intervene if a catastrophe occurred. Ji Shouyu clarifies that his deductions cannot account for powers at the Sainthood level, leaving open the possibility that even the sages may be beyond his calculations.
• The various kingdom groups begin separating to hunt according to their plans. Cloud Kingdom and Wu Kingdom depart, while Jing Kingdom’s thirty Metropolitan Graduates prepare to follow the riverbank.
• Deep inside Demon Mountain, unseen Demon Barbarians cut their arms and pour their blood into a massive Blood Pool. A sinister force stirs within it, and a newly constructed altar floats above the boiling blood, suggesting that the demons are preparing a dangerous ritual.
• Ma Chaoming, the Jing Kingdom group’s commander, explains their strategy: destroy small barbarian tribes, retreat while fighting medium tribes, and carefully assess any large tribe before engaging.
• Fang Yun refuses to use all his strongest abilities recklessly, remembering that unlike the Heavenly Tree, death in the Spring Hunt is real and the hunt will last three days.
• As the group advances, Ma Chaoming prepares to write the expedition poem “Chang Wu,” which can strengthen hundreds or thousands of people for several days. Fang Yun offers him his own brush, ink, and spare Sage Pages.

Character Developments

• Ji Shouyu is established as an exceptionally gifted diviner whose power is tied to both his bloodline and his understanding of the Book of Changes. His physical suffering reveals the cost of his foresight, while his warning suggests that the coming threat is far beyond ordinary dangers.
• Fang Yun acts cautiously and responsibly. Although he possesses powerful abilities, he recognizes the need to conserve his trump cards and prioritizes survival over immediate glory. He also shows generosity by offering supplies to Ma Chaoming and considering lending Lake-Containing Shells to less-equipped scholars.
• Ma Chaoming is confirmed as the practical leader of the Jing Kingdom group. His battlefield experience and command of the Yuanmen Arrow make him suited to directing coordinated operations, even though Fang Yun holds greater status.
• He Ludong is portrayed as another powerful Jing Kingdom scholar, particularly capable of leading large-scale combat, though less suited than Ma Chaoming to the current expedition command.
• The Wu Kingdom scholars are contrasted favorably with Qing Kingdom scholars: they fight directly and openly and have developed respect for Fang Yun rather than repeatedly opposing him.

Significant Themes

• Limits of prophecy and human understanding: Ji Shouyu’s divination can calculate countless variables but cannot incorporate Sainthood-level power, emphasizing that even the greatest human talents have limits.
• Trust in authority versus hidden danger: The scholars rely heavily on the sages’ protection, yet the secret Blood Pool and altar imply that a threat may be developing beyond their awareness.
• Caution and strategic restraint: Fang Yun understands that survival, resource management, and timing matter more than displaying maximum strength immediately.
• Sacrifice and ominous ritual: The demons’ self-inflicted bloodletting creates an atmosphere of terror and suggests a large-scale ritual requiring the sacrifice of many beings.
• Cooperation across status and kingdoms: Despite political divisions, the scholars coordinate plans, share resources, and recognize one another’s strengths.

Character Interactions

• The Metropolitan Graduates respond with concern to Ji Shouyu’s vision, but most attempt to reassure him and themselves by invoking the sages’ protection.
• Fang Yun directly advises Ji Shouyu and the others to value their lives over their rankings.
• Ma Chaoming takes command of the Jing Kingdom group but looks to Fang Yun for the final decision if they encounter a large barbarian tribe, acknowledging Fang Yun’s superior combat potential.
• Fang Yun and Ma Chaoming interact respectfully despite their age difference and differing roles. Fang Yun offers practical support for Ma Chaoming’s use of “Chang Wu,” reinforcing the group’s cooperative spirit.
• The unseen Demon Barbarians act collectively in fear and obedience, pouring their blood into the ritual pool while remaining silent before the ominous altar.

Summary: “Changes in the Hunting Grounds”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Zhixing praises Fang Yun for being willing to use a precious Sage Page, noting that only the Kong family would normally spend such a treasure so freely.
• Fang Yun gives Ma Chaoming four exceptional scholarly treasures: the Inkstone Turtle, Dragonblood Ink, a Sage Page, and a Hanlin Academician’s brush.
• Using these treasures, Ma Chaoming writes the ancient Expedition Poem Chang Wu, which strengthens the entire Jing Kingdom group.
  • The Inkstone Turtle’s dragon roars greatly enhance the ink.
  • The Sage Page and literary treasures multiply the poem’s power.
  • The finished poem becomes 3.7 times stronger than normal, approaching the effect of a poem written by a Grand Academician.
• The Sage Page distributes its power among all thirty scholars, physically and spiritually strengthening them.
• The group’s morale rises. Their combat efficiency improves, stamina loss is reduced, and they believe they could now evade even a Demon Marshal.
• Advancing along a riverbank, the group discovers a newly established Demon Barbarian tribe containing roughly ten thousand members.
• The tribe is heavily defended, with at least a hundred Demon Marshals and several Demon Marquises. Directly attacking it would risk serious injuries and consume much of the group’s Literary Qi.
• Fang Yun and He Ludong notice that the tribe’s tents and demon dens are less than a year old, confirming that the Demon Barbarians in the Hunting Grounds have recently changed their behavior and expanded into new settlements.
• Fang Yun argues that the tribe’s recent formation means its members have not yet coordinated effectively through the powerful Demon Race War Banner. If the Human scholars eliminate the Demon Marshals first, the rest of the tribe should collapse into disorder.
• Fang Yun and Qiao Juze support attacking the tribe, identifying themselves as Tongue-Sword Metropolitan Graduates. Ji Zhibai urges caution, warning that the Hunting Grounds lack the special advantages Fang Yun had in the Heavenly Tree and that a mistake could result in severe injury or expulsion.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates generosity by sacrificing rare treasures for the group’s benefit and displays growing tactical authority. He quickly identifies the tribe’s recent construction and proposes exploiting its lack of coordination.
• Ma Chaoming remains disciplined and cautious, but using Fang Yun’s treasures allows him to produce an extraordinarily powerful Chang Wu. He takes responsibility for the group’s safety and hesitates to attack without consensus.
• Zhang Zhixing highlights the rarity and value of Fang Yun’s resources, reinforcing Fang Yun’s extraordinary status among the Metropolitan Graduates.
• Qiao Juze shows confidence and loyalty by supporting Fang Yun’s aggressive plan.
• Ji Zhibai undergoes a subtle emotional shift. His usual hatred toward Fang Yun is replaced by helplessness and envy, though he still opposes Fang Yun’s recklessness and favors a safer strategy.
• He Ludong contributes his practical experience by confirming that the demon settlement is newly built.

Significant Themes

• The value and sacrifice of scholarly treasures: Sage Pages, literary brushes, Dragonblood Ink, and the Inkstone Turtle demonstrate how rare resources can dramatically alter battlefield conditions.
• Collective strength and morale: Ma Chaoming’s poem strengthens the entire party, showing how one scholar’s achievement can benefit an entire army.
• Adaptation in warfare: The Demon Barbarians are becoming more organized and dangerous, forcing the Human Race to reconsider its previous tactics.
• Courage versus prudence: Fang Yun and the younger Tongue-Sword scholars favor a bold assault, while Ma Chaoming and Ji Zhibai emphasize the dangers of overextending themselves.
• Strategic exploitation of weakness: Fang Yun recognizes that the new tribe’s lack of coordination may neutralize the Demon Race War Banner, turning a seemingly overwhelming force into a vulnerable one.
• Fang Yun’s growing influence: Although he is still a relatively new Metropolitan Graduate, his resources, insight, and confidence increasingly shape the group’s decisions.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Zhixing and the other scholars react with admiration and envy to Fang Yun’s rare treasures.
• Ma Chaoming accepts Fang Yun’s gifts with restrained excitement and uses them to create the powerful Chang Wu.
• The group openly debates the value of attacking the newly discovered tribe.
• Ma Chaoming asks Fang Yun for his opinion, acknowledging his strategic importance.
• Fang Yun’s declaration that he is a Tongue-Sword Metropolitan Graduate signals his willingness to take risks; Qiao Juze immediately echoes him.
• Ji Zhibai challenges Fang Yun’s position, creating tension between Fang Yun’s aggressive strategy and Ji’s cautious judgment.
• Despite their disagreements, the scholars remain focused on protecting the group and maximizing their chances of survival in the increasingly dangerous Hunting Grounds.

Summary

This passage announces the official release of the simplified-Chinese mainland edition of Confucian Sage. Unlike the earlier Taiwan traditional-character edition, this version was published by a mainland press and became available through Taobao, JD.com, Dangdang, and physical bookstores.
The book is approximately 250,000 Chinese characters long and has been formatted into much longer chapters: each printed chapter combines roughly four or five chapters from the online version. Its list price is slightly above 20 yuan, though discounts are commonly available.
The cover uses a notably cute and playful design, prompting humorous comments about how adorable Fang Yun looks and a joking question about the absence of Nunu. The passage ends with a May Day greeting, though the speaker jokingly describes spending the holiday confined at home as a somewhat gloomy experience.

Character Developments and Interactions

• No new plot or character development occurs.
• Fang Yun and Nunu are mentioned humorously in relation to the book’s cover.
• The narrator addresses readers directly with a lighthearted holiday greeting.

Significant Themes

• Publication and accessibility of the novel in different editions.
• The contrast between online serialization and printed-book formatting.
• Playful interaction with readers and affection for the characters.
• The humorous, self-deprecating mood surrounding staying home during the holiday.

Chapter Summary: “Acting on Impulse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group discusses Fang Yun’s earlier battle in the Heavenly Tree, where he wrote the War Poetry “Sword Chant” on a giant leaf using his hand as a brush. The poem reached the Second Realm, produced a Poem Soul, and created an extraordinary phenomenon that helped him kill numerous Demon Marshals.
• The Metropolitan Graduates prepare to attack a tribe of roughly ten thousand Demon Barbarians. Their original plan was to use a “Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao” tactic, but the possibility of attracting even more Demon Barbarians makes this dangerous.
• Fang Yun proposes using Clockwork Birds to scout the surrounding area before deciding on a strategy. The returned birds reveal that many Demon Barbarian tribes are unexpectedly migrating toward larger tribes.
• The timing of the migration is suspicious: it began almost exactly when Fang Yun’s group entered the Hunting Grounds. The group wonders whether the Demon Barbarians know of their presence and are deliberately preparing for battle.
• While they hesitate, the Spring Hunt rankings show Qi, Wu, Cloud, Qing, and Jia Kingdoms rapidly accumulating kills. Jing Kingdom risks falling behind, increasing the pressure to attack.
• Fang Yun concludes that they cannot search for safer targets and must attack the ten-thousand-strong tribe before them.
• The group debates how to minimize casualties. Ji Zhibai suggests leaving the inexperienced Metropolitan Graduates behind, but Ma Chaoming and He Ludong warn that even experienced fighters could be overwhelmed by a Demon Barbarian army.
• Fang Yun proposes an aggressive solution: infiltrate the enemy camp and assassinate the Demon Marshals, whose combined attacks pose the greatest threat to the weaker members of the group.
• Ji Zhibai condemns the idea as reckless, explaining that the Demon Barbarian Army Banner would expose any infiltrators unless they possessed a Military Text fused with the Way of Wisdom.
• Zhang Zhixing reveals that Fang Yun possesses exactly such a Military Text. The group is stunned, while Ji Zhibai is embarrassed and exasperated that Fang Yun’s plan is actually viable.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates leadership, strategic awareness, and unusual military talent. He remains focused on serving Jing Kingdom rather than exploiting his elevated status as a Void Sage.
• His possession of a Military Text that has undergone a Talent-Qi Martial Drill and merged with the Way of Wisdom reveals that his abilities extend beyond poetry and literary cultivation into advanced military strategy.
• Ji Zhibai initially acts as a cautious realist, criticizing Fang Yun’s assassination plan as impulsive. Once Fang Yun’s hidden ability is revealed, Ji Zhibai is left speechless and humiliated.
• Ma Chaoming assumes responsibility for directing the scouting operation and is recognized as one of the group’s strongest members.
• He Ludong contributes practical battlefield knowledge, emphasizing how dangerous it is to fight while surrounded by ten thousand experienced Demon Barbarians.
• Zhang Zhixing supports Fang Yun by revealing the crucial information about his Military Text.
• The other Metropolitan Graduates become increasingly aware of the gap between Fang Yun’s formal rank and his actual abilities, treating him with both respect and uncertainty.

Significant Themes

• Strategic caution versus bold action: The group must balance the need to gain points with the danger of attacking a much larger force.
• The burden of leadership: Fang Yun’s status makes others hesitant to act independently, forcing him to guide the group while reassuring them that he is fighting for Jing Kingdom like everyone else.
• Hidden capabilities and underestimated talent: Fang Yun’s military achievement has been concealed until the situation makes it necessary to reveal it.
• Competition and urgency: The changing Spring Hunt rankings create pressure, pushing Jing Kingdom toward riskier decisions.
• Uncertainty and possible manipulation: The Demon Barbarians’ synchronized migration suggests that a larger, unexplained force or intelligence may be influencing events.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun’s humility eases the discomfort of the older Metropolitan Graduates, who are wary of contradicting a Void Sage.
• Ma Chaoming and He Ludong act as voices of practical military experience, resisting plans that could expose the weaker members to annihilation.
• Ji Zhibai openly challenges Fang Yun, accusing him of acting impulsively; however, Zhang Zhixing’s revelation proves that Fang Yun has the exact ability needed to carry out the plan.
• The final exchange reverses the apparent power dynamic: Ji Zhibai believes he has exposed a fatal flaw in Fang Yun’s proposal, only to discover that Fang Yun had already accounted for it.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush Assassination!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group confirms that Fang Yun’s military methods have become extraordinarily powerful, likely merging with the Way of Wisdom. His Military Text now contains four military methods, surpassing the other scholars present.
• A newly advanced Demon Marquis appears in the Demon Barbarian tribe, forcing the Metropolitan Graduates to act quickly. Fang Yun realizes the advancement creates an opportunity: the Demon Marshals will gather to congratulate the new Marquis, allowing the humans to ambush many powerful enemies at once.
• Fang Yun lends twenty-two Hanlin Academician Literary Treasures to the other Metropolitan Graduates, ensuring that the group has adequate offensive and defensive equipment.
• Twelve experienced or exceptionally talented Metropolitan Graduates are selected for the assault, while the remaining scholars stay behind as an ambush force.
• Fang Yun uses his World-Passing Edge-Concealing Poem, Sword Chant twelve times, greatly strengthening the first strikes of everyone’s Lip Spears and Tongue Swords.
• Using the military method Deceiving Heaven to Cross the Sea, the assault team becomes completely undetectable. They infiltrate the Demon Barbarian camp and even pass close to tents without being discovered by the tribe’s powerful army banner.
• The group reaches a gathering of Demon Marshals, Barbarian Commanders, and Demon Generals. At Ma Chaoming’s signal, the concealment is dropped and the scholars launch their surprise attack.
• Fang Yun’s True Dragon Ancient Sword, moving at the speed of Six Resonances, kills multiple Demon Barbarian Commanders and Generals before striking down the newly advanced Wolf Demon Marquis.
• Fang Yun announces the Marquis’s death in the demon language using Tongue Blossoms Thunder, while the other scholars begin preparing their War Poetry.
• Immediately afterward, Fang Yun activates Dual-Mindedness, writing the Dragon Sword Poem with one hand and the Second Realm Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle with the other, summoning Mist Butterflies and preparing additional battlefield effects.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates overwhelming growth in military strategy, concealment techniques, sword power, and multitasking. His military methods are now strong enough to evade the army banner of a ten-thousand-member Demon Barbarian tribe at close range.
• He also acts as the group’s primary supplier and tactical leader, lending Literary Treasures and designing much of the attack’s offensive strategy.
• Ji Zhibai continues to feel embarrassed and outmatched whenever he interacts with Fang Yun. His inability to write Fang Yun’s White Horse Heroic Poem leaves him humiliated, and some of the others begin to pity him.
• Ma Chaoming takes responsibility for organizing the attack and coordinating the scholars’ movements and timing.
• He Ludong and the other Metropolitan Graduates gain confidence in Fang Yun’s abilities, especially after witnessing the immense enhancement provided by his Sword Chant.

Significant Themes

• Strategic superiority and preparation: The victory depends on careful planning, concealment, coordinated attacks, and the proper use of Literary Treasures rather than brute force alone.
• Fang Yun’s extraordinary advancement: His abilities have reached a level that significantly surpasses those of his peers, making him the decisive force in the operation.
• Teamwork and resource-sharing: Fang Yun strengthens the entire group by lending treasures and enhancing their weapons, showing that his power benefits the wider human side.
• Humiliation and rivalry: Ji Zhibai’s repeated embarrassment highlights the widening gap between him and Fang Yun, while also adding a touch of comic relief.
• The importance of surprise: The chapter emphasizes assassination and ambush tactics, with the humans exploiting the Demon Barbarians’ momentary distraction after the Marquis’s advancement.

Character Interactions

• Ji Zhibai retracts his earlier remarks, while Fang Yun responds calmly and refuses to escalate the disagreement.
• The scholars question Fang Yun about his Military Text and compare their own abilities with his, revealing both admiration and envy.
• Fang Yun offers to lend Literary Treasures, and the group eagerly accepts his assistance.
• Ma Chaoming gives tactical orders and coordinates the attack, while Fang Yun proposes a more aggressive plan in which he personally kills the new Demon Marquis.
• Ji Zhibai’s admission that he knows only one of the required White Horse poems causes further embarrassment, contrasting his shortcomings with Fang Yun’s broad mastery.
• The chapter ends with the group’s successful first strike and Fang Yun preparing a second wave of powerful techniques.

Summary: “Fierce Battle Against the Demon Barbarians”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and the Metropolitan Graduates launch a powerful ambush against a demon barbarian tribe.
• Fang Yun’s Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle, enhanced by the Mist Butterfly’s Weak Water, summons Ice Knights capable of absorbing Weak Water and growing dramatically stronger.
• When other Metropolitan Graduates imitate Fang Yun’s technique, their Ice Knights become ordinary Demon Generals, while Fang Yun’s reach the level of Sage-Son Demon Generals. Nearly three thousand Ice Knights are eventually summoned.
• The Ice Knights charge in coordinated groups, shattering the demon barbarians’ formation and preventing them from using their military banners or mounting coordinated attacks.
• Human origin-energy cavalry summoned through Barbarian-Conquering King further disrupts the enemy ranks.
• Fang Yun repeatedly creates Weak Water Cavalry to protect the group, then uses a Dragon Sword Poem to summon True Dragon Ancient Swords.
• Empowered by the Sword Chant, the swords move at Six Resonances—faster than most Demon Marshals can react—and kill several enemies every breath.
• The other Metropolitan Graduates display their own powerful abilities:
  • He Ludong kills Demon Marshals with his Lip Spear and Tongue Sword.
  • Ma Chaoming’s tracking Yuanmen Arrows, empowered by the phantom of Lü Bu, strike enemy weaknesses and never miss.
  • Zhang Zhixing’s flaming meteor crushes several Demon Marshals and kills large numbers of weaker demons.
  • A player of Guangling Melody summons Nie Zheng phantoms that jointly kill Demon Marshals.
  • Ban Ming traps enemies on a chessboard and eliminates them through Chess Way techniques.
  • Ji Zhibai uses the Miscellaneous School Official Seal and diplomatic powers to confuse enemies into killing one another.
• Because the battle proceeds far better than expected, the eighteen Metropolitan Graduates waiting in ambush are summoned forward. The original retreat-and-counterattack strategy becomes unnecessary.
• By the time the rear forces arrive, roughly ninety percent of the tribe’s Demon Marshals have been killed. The group has suffered no injuries, and only four of six defensive Literary Treasure layers have been broken.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun establishes himself as the decisive force on the battlefield. His ability to exploit the Mist Butterfly’s Weak Water transforms the effectiveness of the entire group’s Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle.
• Ma Chaoming recognizes Fang Yun’s strength and urges everyone to imitate his technique. His confidence and leadership grow as his powerful Yuanmen Arrows repeatedly kill Demon Marshals.
• Ji Zhibai initially refuses to use Fang Yun-related poetry because of their hostility, but he still fights ferociously and demonstrates the formidable strength of a kingdom’s Zhuangyuan.
• The Metropolitan Graduates as a whole gain confidence. Inspired by Fang Yun, they abandon caution and reveal their individual talents, turning the ambush into an overwhelming victory.
• The demon barbarians rapidly lose their discipline. Once their formation breaks and their bloodlust takes over, they attack chaotically, panic as their Marshals fall, and become unable to resist effectively.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and shared power: Fang Yun’s discovery allows the other graduates to strengthen their own Ice Knights, showing how individual innovation can multiply a group’s power.
• Preparation versus adaptation: Although the humans planned a cautious ambush followed by retreat, Fang Yun’s unexpected strength forces them to change tactics and pursue a decisive victory.
• Order versus chaos: The humans coordinate their abilities intelligently, while the demon barbarians lose access to their banners and formation-based strength once their ranks are divided.
• Individual excellence within collective action: Each Metropolitan Graduate contributes a distinct technique, demonstrating that the group’s power comes from both cooperation and personal specialization.
• Fang Yun’s growing influence: His strength inspires and directs the surrounding graduates, establishing him as the central figure of the battle even among powerful peers.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun’s success directly influences the other Metropolitan Graduates, who imitate his Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle after Ma Chaoming calls for them to work together.
• Ji Zhibai’s refusal to use Fang Yun’s associated poetry highlights their unresolved rivalry, though battlefield necessity keeps them fighting alongside one another.
• Ma Chaoming acts as a battlefield coordinator, ordering the scattered Metropolitan Graduates to regroup once victory becomes certain.
• The graduates’ different abilities complement one another: Fang Yun and the Ice Knights break the formation, the cavalry maintains pressure, and the various literary and strategic techniques eliminate the surviving Marshals and Generals.
• The human forces’ cooperation contrasts sharply with the demon barbarians’ disorganized attacks and mutual destruction.

Chapter Summary: “Third!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and the Metropolitan Graduates continue retreating through the Hunting Grounds while fighting large numbers of Demon Barbarians.
• Fang Yun uses the Rare Object Mist Butterfly, whose power is dramatically amplified through Human Race techniques. The other graduates are awed by its destructive potential.
• After regrouping, the thirty Metropolitan Graduates form a coordinated battle formation, controlling their Lip Spears and Tongue Swords like a deadly net. They slaughter Demon Barbarians with overwhelming efficiency.
• Fang Yun’s powerful Literary Guts block every incoming demon art without significant effort. The battle becomes less a contest than a one-sided massacre, with the Demon Barbarians eventually throwing themselves to their deaths.
• The group’s success causes Jing Kingdom to rise rapidly in the Spring Hunt rankings, reaching third place with 30,920 points.
• The graduates discuss whether they can maintain this position. Jia Kingdom and Qing Kingdom, desperate to preserve their national honor, are also competing fiercely. Jing Kingdom ultimately decides not to risk entering Demon Mountain because Ji Shouyu has warned of a possible catastrophe there.
• News of Jing Kingdom’s temporary third-place ranking spreads across the nation. Citizens gather at Literary Academies to watch the rankings, celebrating Fang Yun’s achievements and Jing Kingdom’s unprecedented performance.
• Ma Chaoming proposes immediately attacking another large tribe while the Demon Barbarians remain divided, and the group sets off.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates the extraordinary power of the Mist Butterfly, his Literary Guts, and his innovative battle techniques. His influence extends beyond individual combat, changing how the entire Human Race approaches warfare.
• The Metropolitan Graduates operate with growing confidence and coordination. Their Academy training allows them to fight as a unified force, overwhelming enemies far stronger in numbers.
• Ma Chaoming, an experienced demon-slayer, expresses admiration for the battle and recognizes that Fang Yun’s inventions will transform Human Race military tactics.
• Ji Zhibai remains practical and cautious, reminding the group that Jia and Qing Kingdoms are still competing and opposing the dangerous suggestion of entering Demon Mountain.
• He Ludong shares the graduates’ exhilaration but supports the decision to avoid Demon Mountain because of the suspected calamity.
• Jing Kingdom’s citizens develop intense pride and enthusiasm as they witness their nation’s historic ranking.

3. Significant Themes

• The transformative power of innovation: Fang Yun’s poems and Rare Objects do more than strengthen him personally; they inspire new military strategies across the Human Race.
• Collective strength and coordination: The graduates’ success comes from combining individual abilities through Academy-trained formations and teamwork.
• The cruelty of unequal power: Once the gap between Fang Yun’s group and the Demon Barbarians becomes too great, the battle turns into effortless slaughter.
• National pride and rivalry: The Spring Hunt is both a competition among individuals and a contest determining the prestige and National Fortune of the Ten Kingdoms.
• Courage balanced by caution: Although the graduates are achieving unprecedented success, they refuse to pursue glory recklessly by entering Demon Mountain in the face of a predicted disaster.
• Fang Yun’s growing influence: His poems, techniques, and achievements are reshaping Human Race combat and inspiring widespread public hope.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Yun’s use of the Mist Butterfly impresses and frightens the other Metropolitan Graduates, who recognize that only he can currently unleash its full power.
• The graduates fight in close cooperation, combining their Lip Spears and Tongue Swords into a coordinated killing formation.
• Ma Chaoming praises Fang Yun’s broader contribution to Human Race warfare, while Fang Yun reflects on how his previous poems have already changed battlefield tactics.
• Ji Zhibai counters the group’s optimism by reminding them of Qing Kingdom and Jia Kingdom’s determination to defend their rankings.
• He Ludong and the others agree that avoiding Demon Mountain is wiser than seeking additional points in a dangerous location.
• After seeing the rankings, the group regains its confidence and follows Ma Chaoming’s plan to hunt another newly formed Demon Barbarian tribe.

Chapter Summary: “Counter-Hunt”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Clockwork birds discover two newly formed Demon Barbarian tribes, numbering approximately 8,000 and 12,000. Their unusual composition—many Demon Soldiers and Generals, but relatively few Commoners—suggests they are primarily made up of captives and survivors rather than a normal, naturally developed tribe.
• After their initial victory, the Jing Kingdom Metropolitan Graduates travel toward the next tribe in high spirits. They discuss Jing Kingdom’s improved position in the Spring Hunt rankings and speculate about why Demon Barbarians are suddenly gathering in large numbers.
• Fang Yun reveals that some Demon Barbarians had mentioned orders to prevent the Human Race from ascending Demon Mountain. He proposes leaving surviving Commanders and Generals for questioning and assigns Ji Zhibai responsibility for extracting information.
• The group attacks the second tribe, which is still settling after a recent migration and lacks the organization and defensive strength of the previous tribe. The battle is much easier than the first.
• Fang Yun disables four Barbarian Commanders and more than twenty Barbarian Generals. Ji Zhibai uses the Miscellaneous School and School of Diplomacy to confuse and interrogate them.
• The captured Demon Barbarians reveal that a Demon Marquis—apparently Lang Gong—ordered them to delay the Human Race and prevent them from reaching Demon Mountain. They also mention a secret plan, a fixed time, and the possibility of destroying all the Human Metropolitan Graduates in the Hunting Grounds.
• After the prisoners stop providing useful information, He Ludong kills them. The Human scholars retreat to a tent to assess the danger and conclude that the Demon Barbarians are preparing a coordinated counter-hunt.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun continues to establish himself as the leader of the group. He remains cautious and strategic, choosing interrogation over simply killing every enemy and recognizing that the unusual enemy movements indicate a larger plan.
• Fang Yun modestly claims to possess five inches of Literary Qi, though his true progress is much greater. The revelation astonishes the others and reinforces his reputation as an unprecedented genius.
• Ji Zhibai has abandoned his plans to assassinate or disgrace Fang Yun because he understands the severe political and personal consequences. Although he remains resentful, he is increasingly affected by Fang Yun’s authority and even feels proud when Fang Yun entrusts him with an important task.
• Ji Zhibai performs effectively during the interrogation, using his expertise to confuse the captured enemies and extract information.
• The younger Metropolitan Graduates are reminded of their relative weakness, particularly their limited Literary Qi and incomplete mastery of movement techniques. The older graduates reassure them that they will help carry them if necessary.
• The group as a whole shifts from confidence after their victories to unease once the scale and organization of the Demon Barbarian plan become clear.

Significant Themes

• The danger behind apparent victory: Easy victories and rising morale conceal a larger enemy strategy.
• Leadership and strategic judgment: Fang Yun’s authority comes not only from strength but from caution, planning, and his ability to interpret incomplete information.
• The widening gap between exceptional talent and ordinary achievement: Comparisons of Literary Qi emphasize Fang Yun’s extraordinary advancement and the awe—and discomfort—he inspires in others.
• Political consequences and restraint: Ji Zhibai’s decision not to attack Fang Yun demonstrates how power, law, and factional politics limit personal hatred.
• Counter-hunting and reversal of roles: The Human Race, accustomed to hunting Demon Barbarians in the Spring Hunt, may now be the prey in a carefully prepared operation.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Yun gives Ji Zhibai a direct responsibility, temporarily placing him in a position of trust and causing Ji to feel unexpectedly honored.
• The Metropolitan Graduates discuss the threat collectively, with some dismissing the danger because the Half-Sages could intervene, while others warn that the Demon Barbarians’ behavior is too coordinated to ignore.
• Older graduates reassure newly promoted members that they can carry them if the group must flee, highlighting both camaraderie and the disparity in experience.
• During the interrogation, Ji Zhibai’s techniques complement Fang Yun’s battlefield control, while the prisoners’ testimony causes the entire group to reconsider the nature of the Spring Hunt.
• By the end of the chapter, the group’s earlier confidence gives way to shared concern as they realize the Demon Barbarians may be deliberately assembling forces to trap every Human Metropolitan Graduate in the Hunting Grounds.

Chapter Summary: “Thunderous Voice Spreads the Doctrine”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The people of the One Hundred and First and One Hundred and Second Desolate Cities evacuate to Bridgehead Fortress, which guards the route to Hunting Ground Island. The Great Scholars place two enlarged Temple of Sages statues inside the fortress, creating powerful protective barriers.
• A massive Demon Barbarian army gathers across the battlefield. It includes more than one hundred Great Demon Kings, several of whom belong to the powerful Ancestral God Clan.
• The fortress defenders learn that a passage to Sage Kong’s Literary World will take up to three days to stabilize. They fear they may not survive that long, especially since other Human Race reinforcements appear to have been intercepted.
• The appearance of the Vajra Tiger Demon King, Hu Xiong, causes particular alarm. His strength is said to rival or exceed that of a Half-Sage Incarnation, signaling that the Ancestral God Clan is becoming actively involved. The defenders speculate that the Demon Barbarians may be preparing a second Battle of Two Worlds Mountain or a full-scale war.
• Distant flashes reveal that Sacred Blood Incarnations and Half-Sage Incarnations have begun fighting. Liang Sili orders the fortress to prepare for battle. Several Great Scholars reveal sacred objects carried in seemingly ordinary book cases, emphasizing the seriousness of the impending conflict.
• Meanwhile, Fang Yun leads the Jing Kingdom Metropolitan Graduates in attacking another Demon Barbarian tribe. They kill twelve thousand enemies and interrogate survivors, learning further details about the Demon Barbarians’ conspiracy.
• Around a campfire, the Jing Kingdom group debates whether to climb Demon Mountain. Ji Zhibai warns that Jing Kingdom is too weak to compete with the major kingdoms, even with Fang Yun’s strength, since Demon Marquises could restrain him while the rest of the group were destroyed.
• Fang Yun accepts this reasoning and proposes a cautious strategy: continue moving toward Demon Mountain, kill Demon Barbarians encountered along the way, remain within one hundred miles of other Human Race groups, and warn them about the conspiracy.
• He Ludong uses Tongue Blossoms Thunder to spread the warning. Other kingdoms respond and relay the information onward. Qi Kingdom and the Kong Family, who are deep in the forest, do not answer, so Wu, Shu, and Cloud Kingdom send people to warn them directly. Their cooperation earns widespread praise.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates leadership and flexibility. Rather than recklessly relying on his personal power, he accepts Ji Zhibai’s caution and chooses a strategy centered on cooperation and survival.
• Ji Zhibai acts as a voice of reason, reminding the group that Fang Yun cannot compensate for the overall weakness of Jing Kingdom compared with the major kingdoms.
• He Ludong takes responsibility for communicating the warning, helping unite the scattered Human Race teams.
• Liang Sili displays firm military leadership by ordering the fortress defenders to prepare for battle.
• Hu Xiong, the Vajra Tiger Demon King, is introduced as a terrifying new threat whose presence indicates the Ancestral God Clan’s growing involvement in the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Collective strength versus individual power: Fang Yun is powerful, but the chapter emphasizes that one person cannot defeat overwhelming forces alone.
• Cooperation and communication: The use of Tongue Blossoms Thunder allows the Human Race groups to share intelligence and coordinate rather than fight in isolation.
• Escalating war: The gathering Demon Barbarian army, the Ancestral God Clan’s appearance, and the clash of powerful incarnations suggest that a much larger conflict may be approaching.
• Prudence over recklessness: The Jing Kingdom scholars reject the temptation to pursue glory at Demon Mountain without sufficient strength, choosing a measured and practical course.
• Sacrifice and preparation: The fortress defenders recognize the likely cost of delaying the enemy while preparing sacred protections and battle resources.

Character Interactions

• The Great Scholars and Grand Academicians in Bridgehead Fortress discuss the lack of reinforcements and the terrifying power of the Demon Barbarian army, revealing their anxiety and uncertainty.
• The defenders react collectively to Hu Xiong’s appearance, recognizing that his presence may mark a major strategic shift.
• Ji Zhibai challenges the group’s confidence and persuades them that Jing Kingdom cannot compete directly with the stronger kingdoms.
• Fang Yun listens to Ji Zhibai, agrees with his assessment, and turns the discussion into a coordinated plan.
• He Ludong communicates Fang Yun’s plan to the other kingdoms, leading to a chain of mutual warnings and cooperation.
• Wu, Shu, and Cloud Kingdom demonstrate solidarity by sending envoys to warn the absent Qi Kingdom and Kong Family groups.

Chapter Summary: “Someone Died”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After three consecutive battles, the Jing Kingdom’s Metropolitan Graduates rest from exhaustion while Fang Yun remains unusually disciplined. He takes watch, cultivates his Talent Qi Ancient Sword, and studies the Classics of the Sages until nearly dawn before sleeping.
• The next morning, the Spring Hunt Rankings reveal that Jing has fallen to eighth place despite eliminating three tribes. The major kingdoms have exceeded 100,000 points, while Jing has only slightly more than 90,000. Fang Yun’s contribution is recognized as the main reason Jing has not fallen as low as Gu and Shen.
• The Qing Kingdom ranks first with over 120,000 points, apparently having destroyed at least four large tribes and possibly fighting a fifth. The others speculate that Qing is risking enormous losses to recover from its humiliation during the Ten-Kingdom Competition.
• The group discusses Fang Yun’s Third Realm Arrow in the Stone, Ma Chaoming’s archery, and Fang Yun’s hidden Poetry Cauldron, whose power he is saving for a life-threatening moment.
• After resting and sending out Clockwork Birds to scout, the Jing scholars discover an enormous tribe of approximately 30,000 Demon Barbarians. The tribe has no Demon Marquis, but its organization and military formation suggest the influence of an intelligent, mysterious strategist.
• Fang Yun explains the unfamiliar term “organizational ability” through references to the Classics of the Sages, impressing the others and concealing the fact that the term originated from his modern knowledge.
• Before the Jing Kingdom decides how to attack, Xun Cong of the Qing Kingdom announces through Tongue Blossoms Thunder that a newly promoted Qing Metropolitan Graduate has been accidentally killed by Demon Barbarians.
• The scholars realize that this is unprecedented: deaths have never occurred outside Demon Mountain during the Spring Hunt. They conclude that the Hunting Grounds’ protective Half-Sage power may have weakened or stopped functioning, possibly because of a major crisis in the outside world.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Yun is portrayed as exceptionally disciplined, calm, and powerful. Even while exhausted, he studies and cultivates instead of immediately sleeping. His conduct earns the admiration of the older scholars.
• Fang Yun continues to conceal his strongest abilities, including the full potential of his Third Realm Arrow in the Stone and Poetry Cauldron. He is increasingly cautious because revealing too much could make him a greater target for the Demon Barbarians.
• Zhang Zhixing and the other Jing scholars become more aware of the enormous gap between Jing and the stronger kingdoms. They respect Fang Yun’s contribution while deciding not to compete recklessly with Qing.
• Ma Chaoming displays humility when praised for his archery and openly acknowledges that Fang Yun’s poetic and Void Sage abilities surpass those of ordinary archers.
• Xun Cong acts as the bearer of alarming news, warning the other kingdoms that the Spring Hunt has become far more dangerous than expected.
• The Jing scholars shift from confidence and strategic planning to fear and uncertainty after learning that death is now possible.

3. Significant Themes

• Discipline and greatness: Fang Yun’s willingness to study and cultivate under extreme exhaustion suggests that true greatness comes from character and perseverance, not merely talent or fame.
• National competition and humiliation: The Qing Kingdom’s reckless advance reflects its desire to erase the shame of its earlier defeat, showing how pride and political rivalry drive dangerous decisions.
• Hidden power and strategic restraint: Fang Yun deliberately keeps his strongest techniques secret, emphasizing the importance of preserving one’s trump cards in a hostile environment.
• Order versus chaos: The unusually well-organized Demon Barbarian tribe suggests that the enemy is learning human military methods, while its imperfect coordination reveals the limits of Demon Barbarian unity.
• The collapse of established rules: The death of a Metropolitan Graduate signals that the Spring Hunt’s traditional protections can no longer be trusted. The scholars must confront an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic change.
• Knowledge and language: Fang Yun’s explanation of “organizational ability” demonstrates how classical learning can provide authority and allow him to disguise knowledge that others would find suspicious.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Yun’s conduct during the night impresses the two Metropolitan Graduates sharing watch with him, who recognize that his reputation is supported by genuine virtue.
• The Jing scholars discuss the rankings and Qing Kingdom’s dangerous progress, agreeing that they should advance steadily rather than imitate Qing’s reckless strategy.
• They praise Fang Yun’s Arrow in the Stone and compare it with Ma Chaoming’s Yuanmen Arrow. Ma Chaoming responds modestly and credits Fang Yun’s Void Sage heritage and superior poetic power.
• The group debates how to attack the 30,000-member Demon Barbarian tribe, especially the danger of being surrounded and suffering injuries severe enough to trigger removal from the Hunting Grounds.
• After Xun Cong’s warning, the scholars collectively reassess the situation. Their discussion turns from tactics and rankings to the frightening possibility that the entire Spring Hunt has become an uncontrolled life-or-death crisis.

Summary: “The Ten Kingdoms Gather”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Inside Demon Mountain, the Blood Pool completes a mysterious ritual, forming a blood-colored eggshell on an altar. The shell changes from red to green and begins emitting a deadly green mist.
• The mist kills more than half of the ten thousand demon barbarians inside the mountain and severely weakens two of the twenty-four Barbarian Marquises. The surviving Marquises kneel and beg the emerging “Holy Venerable” for mercy.
• The mist spreads beyond Demon Mountain, killing or injuring surrounding demon barbarians and causing the landscape to wither. The transformation suggests that a powerful force of Sainthood has descended and that the demon barbarians are preparing a major counterattack.
• Meanwhile, the Jing Kingdom Metropolitan Graduates realize that the Hunting Grounds have been cut off from the outside world. Gao Yong attempts to request departure, but no Half-Sage responds, confirming that the sages can no longer sense or rescue them.
• Ma Chaoming explains that the Hunting Grounds’ protective power is inactive and will now treat the human scholars like demon barbarians, preventing them from leaving. The only realistic escape is to break through Demon Mountain, likely requiring Great Scholar-level strength.
• Fang Yun takes command and calls on all scholars in the Hunting Grounds to gather at a designated hill. His message reaches three hundred li through Tongue Blossoms Thunder.
• The scholars of Gu, Shen, Yue, Cloud, Wu, Qi, Shu, Qing, and Jing Kingdoms, along with Kong City, assemble. Jia Kingdom refuses to join, choosing instead to deliberate or continue its own attack.
• By noon, 299 Metropolitan Graduates have gathered. Fang Yun organizes the information and presents their choices: attack Demon Mountain before the demon barbarians finish gathering power, or remain together and hope for rescue.
• The scholars conclude that the demon barbarians likely used a Moon Tree Shadow Clone to isolate the Hunting Grounds from Sage Kong’s Literary World and the Temple of Sages. Rescue attempts might also be blocked.
• The chapter ends with the Wu Kingdom openly advocating an immediate assault on Demon Mountain rather than passively waiting for death.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun assumes effective leadership. Although he describes himself as “unworthy” of his Void Sage position, he acts decisively, gathers the Ten Kingdoms, analyzes the crisis, and directs the discussion toward practical action.
• Ma Chaoming provides crucial strategic insight, explaining why the scholars cannot leave and outlining the dangers of both attacking and waiting.
• Gao Yong demonstrates courage by volunteering to test whether the sages can still hear them. His unanswered request confirms their isolation.
• Ji Zhibai remains silent but unexpectedly supports Fang Yun’s decision to abandon Jia Kingdom, revealing contempt for Jia Kingdom and the Lei Family.
• Yan Yukong shows grief and anger after friends die in a place that was supposed to be safe, emphasizing the emotional cost of the crisis.
• The scholars of the various kingdoms begin setting aside political rivalries. Gu Kingdom, despite poor relations with Jing Kingdom, cooperates readily, while Cloud Kingdom shows maturity by abandoning an ongoing attack to respond to the larger emergency.
• Jia Kingdom becomes isolated because of its hesitation and refusal to join the coalition.

Significant Themes

• Leadership in crisis: Fang Yun’s authority comes less from formal rank than from his willingness to take responsibility and provide a plan.
• Unity over political rivalry: The kingdoms must cooperate despite longstanding tensions, since division would leave them vulnerable to the demon barbarians.
• Action versus passive hope: The scholars face a terrible choice between a dangerous attack with possible survivors and waiting for rescue that may never come.
• Isolation and uncertainty: The disappearance of the sages’ protection removes the scholars’ usual safety net and forces them to rely on their own judgment.
• The hidden danger of the Spring Hunt: What was intended to be a controlled test has become a life-or-death conflict, exposing the fragility of human confidence in Sage protection.
• Sacrifice and survival: The deaths among the demon barbarians and the scholars’ fallen companions foreshadow the heavy losses likely to come in the assault on Demon Mountain.

Character Interactions

• The Barbarian Marquises submit to the green eggshell’s power, with the Wolf Demon Marquis begging the “Holy Venerable” for mercy.
• Gao Yong’s failed attempt to contact the sages prompts the Jing Kingdom scholars to accept that they are trapped.
• Fang Yun consults Ma Chaoming, then takes the initiative to summon the other kingdoms.
• Representatives from the kingdoms exchange information and gradually agree to cooperate, while Jia Kingdom remains hesitant.
• Fang Yun questions the assembled scholars about the nature of the isolation and the demon barbarians’ abilities, turning the gathering into a strategic council.
• The Wu Kingdom scholars strongly support Fang Yun’s implied plan to attack, signaling that the coalition is beginning to favor decisive action over waiting.

Summary of “The True Spring Hunt”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Hong of Wu Kingdom calls for the Human Race scholars to unite and hunt the Demon Barbarians rather than become their prey. Scholars from Qi, Shu, Yue, Qing, the other kingdoms, and Kong City agree to attack Demon Mountain together.
• The Jia Kingdom Metropolitan Graduates initially arrive late, led by Lei Li of the powerful Lei Family. While the others have already planned a coordinated assault, Lei Li objects to acting without Jia Kingdom’s participation.
• Fang Yun decisively cuts him off, declaring that the plan is settled and asking Jia Kingdom whether it trusts the Lei Family or the united forces of the nine kingdoms and Kong City.
• Most Jia Kingdom scholars—including members of major aristocratic clans, the Mohist School, and the Luban Family—choose to follow Fang Yun. Only the Lei Family members and a few close allies hesitate.
• The unified group of more than three hundred Metropolitan Graduates begins marching toward Demon Mountain. The Lei Family eventually follows because remaining isolated in the dangerous Desolate City Ancient Land would likely mean death.
• As they travel, the scholars discuss which of the three Demon Mountains to attack. Shouyu is expected to use prophecy to identify the source of danger, while Fang Yun orders the group to fight through any Demon Barbarian tribe they encounter.
• The scholars become increasingly enthusiastic, viewing the expedition as the greatest Spring Hunt in history. When they learn that a tribe of thirty thousand Demon Barbarians lies ahead, they enthusiastically vow to destroy it.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun displays a new level of authority and decisiveness. He openly invokes his status as a Void Sage and refuses to let Lei Li delay or control the united forces.
• Lei Li is shown to be proud and politically assertive, but he is quickly marginalized when most Jia Kingdom scholars side with Fang Yun. His anger and reluctant decision to follow reveal the Lei Family’s declining influence.
• Ji Zhibai recognizes that Fang Yun’s Void Sage status has changed the balance of power. Although Ji once dared to oppose Fang Yun in the capital, he understands that even higher political figures must now temporarily yield to him.
• Kong Detian suggests that the Kong Family would respond to conflict according to Confucius’s principle of “repaying resentment with uprightness,” implying that the family may tolerate or restrain itself for the Human Race’s greater good.
• The Jia Kingdom aristocratic clans demonstrate that they respect Fang Yun’s contributions and Sage status more than the Lei Family’s authority.
• The assembled Metropolitan Graduates transform from rival groups concerned with rankings into a united force motivated by collective survival and the defense of humanity.

Significant Themes

• Unity against a common enemy: Rival kingdoms and factions set aside old conflicts to confront the Demon Barbarians together.
• Changing political authority: Fang Yun’s elevation to Void Sage status shifts the power structure, weakening the Lei Family’s traditional prestige.
• Practical leadership versus empty hierarchy: Fang Yun values immediate action and collective security over ceremony, delay, or family pride.
• Sacrifice for the Human Race: The scholars understand that they may die, yet choose to fight rather than allow themselves to become prey.
• Merit over lineage: Fang Yun’s tangible contributions—such as the Heavenly Leaf Scholarship Fund and Heavenly Evolution Poetry—earn him greater respect than inherited aristocratic status.
• Courage and shared purpose: The scholars’ excitement grows as they prepare to face overwhelming odds, turning the hunt into a symbolic expression of Human Race solidarity.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Hong inspires the initial call for unity, which is echoed by representatives from the various kingdoms.
• Ma Chaoming attempts to organize the expedition, but Lei Li interrupts him and challenges the group’s decision-making.
• Fang Yun directly confronts Lei Li, forcing Jia Kingdom to choose between following the Lei Family and joining the broader alliance.
• Mo Shan, the Mohist School, and the Luban Family publicly support Fang Yun, encouraging other Jia Kingdom scholars to follow.
• Ji Zhibai silently observes the loss of Lei Family influence and recognizes Fang Yun’s increased political power.
• Kong Detian’s exchange with the other scholars highlights the Kong Family’s cautious, principled approach to conflict.
• The united scholars encourage one another through bold declarations, culminating in their collective resolve to attack the thirty-thousand-strong Demon Barbarian tribe.

Chapter Summary: “Three Hundred Warriors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The three hundred twenty-nine Metropolitan Graduates launch a surprise assault on a Demon Barbarian tribe of thirty thousand.
• Fang Yun first uses the Second Realm Sword Chant to strengthen the Lip Spears and Tongue Swords of thirty particularly powerful warriors. He then conceals the army’s movements with the Military Text Deceiving Heaven to Cross the Sea.
• The tribe’s defensive battle flag detects them when they approach, but the Human scholars immediately unleash a coordinated attack. Their hundreds of Lip Spears and Tongue Swords rapidly decapitate large numbers of Demon Barbarians.
• The Metropolitan Graduates divide their forces according to rank and ability:
  • Newly promoted graduates target lesser Demon Barbarians and Demon Generals.
  • Elite graduates, many wielding weapons infused with Flood Dragon Bones, focus on Demon Generals and Demon Marshals.
  • More than sixty powerful scholars specifically intercept and kill Demon Marshals before they can threaten the formation.
• Lei Li becomes the battle’s most spectacular killer of lesser enemies by repeatedly using his Third Realm Provincial Graduate War Poem, Song of the Great Wind. It creates enormous tornadoes that transform into towering wind giants capable of slaughtering Demon Generals and forcing Demon Marshals to flee.
• Fang Yun’s two True Dragon Ancient Swords remain the most efficient weapons against Demon Marshals.
• Medical School scholars attempt to use poison techniques. Although the Demon Barbarians’ vital blood prevents the poison from causing direct injury, it weakens large numbers of enemies and supports the main assault.
• The Human side suffers no casualties. Even though the Demon Barbarian tribe is large and experienced, it cannot exploit any weakness in the scholars’ formation.
• As the battle progresses, Fang Yun studies the veteran Blood-Bathed Warriors and adapts their battlefield techniques without abandoning his own style.
• Ji Zhibai notices that Fang Yun changes how he uses his True Dragon Ancient Swords. Instead of wastefully cutting enemies in half, Fang Yun begins striking hearts and heads directly, conserving Literary Qi and increasing efficiency.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates not only overwhelming combat ability but also exceptional adaptability and analytical intelligence. He uses Dual-Mindedness to fight while carefully observing veteran warriors, then immediately refines his own methods.
• Lei Li distinguishes himself as the strongest Metropolitan Graduate at killing Demon Generals and lesser Demon Barbarians. His Third Realm Song of the Great Wind reveals extraordinary mastery of War Poetry and gives him power comparable to Hanlin-level combat poetry.
• The Blood-Bathed Warriors display the value of long-term battlefield experience. Their calm judgment, precise targeting, and ability to repair mistakes make them indispensable despite the younger scholars’ greater brilliance.
• Ji Zhibai remains a keen observer of Fang Yun and recognizes that Fang Yun’s rapid tactical improvement reflects profound wisdom rather than mere talent.
• The wider group of Metropolitan Graduates functions as a disciplined, coordinated army rather than a collection of individual scholars, with each member assigned targets suited to his strengths.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus experience: The young scholars possess remarkable power, but the Blood-Bathed Warriors show that decades of combat experience create an almost instinctive understanding of battle.
• Adaptability and wisdom: Fang Yun’s greatest strength is not simply his powerful techniques, but his ability to identify weaknesses, learn from others, and alter his habits immediately.
• Teamwork and coordinated strength: The Human scholars defeat an army vastly larger than themselves through planning, specialization, and mutual protection.
• Mastery of technique: Lei Li’s Third Realm poem illustrates how deep understanding can transform an ordinary literary work into a devastating battlefield force.
• Efficiency over spectacle: Fang Yun’s change from dramatic sword strikes to precise attacks highlights the importance of conserving resources and choosing the most effective method.
• The fusion of art and warfare: The Blood-Bathed Warriors’ movements, recitations, and writings are described as beautiful and artistic, presenting combat as both destruction and refined creation.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun fights alongside the Metropolitan Graduates while comparing his methods with those of Zhang Zhixing, Ji Shouyu, Lei Li, and the veteran Blood-Bathed Warriors.
• The younger scholars rely on the Blood-Bathed Warriors’ experience to maintain an unbroken defense and prevent Demon Marshals from reaching vulnerable fighters.
• Lei Li’s spectacular wind giants draw admiration and envy from Fang Yun and the other observers, establishing him as the group’s foremost mass killer.
• Ji Zhibai watches Fang Yun throughout the battle and, near its conclusion, recognizes the significance of Fang Yun’s rapid tactical transformation.