Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Burial Goods”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Zhibai and Lei Li observe Fang Yun’s alarming growth. Fang Yun is not merely talented; he studies constantly, learns from others, and corrects his weaknesses, making him increasingly dangerous on the Sacred Way.
• Three hundred Metropolitan Graduates unite to destroy a giant Demon Barbarian tribe of roughly thirty thousand members. Their strength is exceptional, with many possessing power comparable to Hanlin Academicians.
• The group continues toward the Demon Mountains, destroying smaller tribes directly and using Fang Yun’s Deceiving Heaven to Cross the Sea technique to approach larger ones safely.
• Meanwhile, Bridgehead Fortress is under attack by tens of millions of Demon Barbarians. Human soldiers are vastly outnumbered, but Great Scholars strengthen them through poems that temporarily raise their combat ability, at the cost of shortened lifespans.
• By nightfall, the Metropolitan Graduates reach the three Demon Mountains, where they suspect the source of the disaster is hidden.
• Ji Shouyu uses the Book of Changes to investigate but is injured by a concealed force. He determines that Sainthood power is masking the truth inside the mountains.
• The group is shocked because both the Temple of Sages and the Hunting Grounds should have detected and prevented such power from entering.
• Kong Detian explains that the Moon God, famed for illusions capable of deceiving even Ancestral Gods, might possess the ability to bypass these protections. Fang Yun privately recalls his own connection to the Moon God’s relic and Moon Phase Divine Stone.
• The group realizes that the hidden Sainthood power may grow stronger over time. Yan Yukong credits Fang Yun’s early summons with possibly preventing an even worse disaster.
• Lei Li accuses Fang Yun of intentionally using the gathered Metropolitan Graduates as “burial goods”—sacrificial victims in a trap meant to kill Fang Yun. Ma Chaoming immediately condemns the accusation, but Lei Li argues that the Demon Barbarians would naturally exploit the Spring Hunt to assassinate Fang Yun.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: His reputation and abilities continue to rise sharply. He is shown as unusually adaptable and strategically cautious, while also being connected to the mysterious Moon God through a powerful relic.
• Ji Zhibai: Becomes increasingly threatened by Fang Yun’s progress and recognizes that Fang Yun’s diligence and ability to overcome weaknesses may carry him farther than ordinary genius.
• Lei Li: Reveals hostility and suspicion toward Fang Yun. His accusation suggests either genuine distrust, jealousy, or possible malicious intent.
• Ji Shouyu: Demonstrates powerful divination abilities but suffers a physical backlash when confronting concealed Sainthood power, establishing the limits of his knowledge.
• Kong Detian: Provides crucial historical knowledge about the Moon God and her ability to deceive the Temple of Sages.
• Yan Yukong: Shows sound judgment and fairness, recognizing that Fang Yun’s decision to summon everyone early may have saved their lives.
• Ma Chaoming: Defends Fang Yun against Lei Li’s reckless accusation.
• The Metropolitan Graduates: Their cooperation demonstrates the extraordinary combined strength of the Human Race’s younger elites and the growing gap between Fang Yun and his former peers.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus sustained effort: The chapter emphasizes that lasting greatness comes not simply from genius, but from constant learning, adaptation, and correction.
• Unity and national strength: The coordinated actions of the Metropolitan Graduates show how cooperation among the Ten Kingdoms can produce overwhelming power.
• Hidden threats and uncertainty: The concealed Sainthood power undermines the group’s confidence and raises the possibility that established safeguards can be deceived.
• Sacrifice and manipulation: The title’s imagery appears in Lei Li’s accusation that the gathered elites are being used as expendable “burial goods.”
• Truth versus illusion: The Moon God’s powers blur the boundary between reality and deception, making ordinary forms of detection unreliable.
• Political suspicion and rivalry: Fang Yun’s growing influence inspires both admiration and fear, especially among those who see his rise as a threat.

Character Interactions

• Ji Zhibai and Lei Li silently assess Fang Yun’s growing power, while other Metropolitan Graduates admire his development.
• The united graduates fight together effectively, reflecting increasing camaraderie and collective strength.
• The group supports Ji Shouyu after his failed divination and debates how Sainthood power could have bypassed their safeguards.
• Kong Detian and Meng Nuo explain the Moon God’s history, expanding the group’s understanding of the threat.
• Yan Yukong praises Fang Yun’s foresight, while Lei Li attacks his motives.
• Ma Chaoming confronts Lei Li, creating an open dispute over whether Fang Yun is a leader protecting the group or someone deliberately leading them into a death trap.

Chapter Summary: “Battlefield”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Metropolitan Graduates realize that the Demon Barbarians have trapped them in the Spring Hunt Grounds using the Moon Tree Phantom and Sainthood’s power. They believe they may be killed alongside Fang Yun.
• Lei Li angrily argues that Fang Yun’s presence caused the Demon Barbarians to deploy such a devastating scheme, while Ji Zhibai similarly expresses despair and resentment.
• Kong Detian fiercely rejects the accusation, insisting that anyone targeted by the Demon Barbarians is someone humanity must protect. He compares Fang Yun’s situation to the sacrifices of King Wen, Sage Kong, and other human heroes.
• Fang Yun declares that the entire Human Race lives on a battlefield: Demon Mountain, the Ancient Land, and every inch of human territory are battlefields. He condemns those who fail to understand this as unworthy of discussing the Sacred Way.
• His words restore the scholars’ morale. Li Fanming, Yan Yukong, and others use humor to ease the tension and accept that dying beside a Void Sage would not be shameful.
• The group discusses their tactical problem: the three Demon Mountains are heavily defended, and searching them individually would consume too much time. They ask Ji Shouyu to locate the source of the calamity.
• Ji Shouyu explains that he can use King Wen’s remaining King’s Star Position and the power of the Book of Changes to break through the Sainthood concealment, but he must borrow the unknowable Fortune of three exceptional scholars: Fang Yun, Kong Detian, and Yan Yukong.
• This power represents their future potential and destiny; losing it could damage their future Literary Ranks, lives, or achievements. Nevertheless, all three agree without hesitation.
• Ji Shouyu attempts the divination but is violently repelled. The hidden enemy is revealed to be inside one of the Demon Mountains: a serpent-like entity concealed within a green egg.
• The enemy announces that Ji Shouyu has discovered its existence and orders the Demon Barbarians to surround the humans and delay them for ten hours, after which even a Great Scholar will supposedly be unable to stop the destruction.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates maturity, courage, and a profound understanding of humanity’s struggle against the Demon Barbarians. He transforms the group’s fear into resolve by redefining their deaths as honorable battlefield sacrifices.
• Lei Li initially blames Fang Yun and feels bitter about dying through an enemy scheme rather than direct combat. Although silenced by Fang Yun’s argument, his frustration reflects the scholars’ genuine fear and helplessness.
• Kong Detian reveals intense loyalty to humanity and strong emotional ties to the Kong Family’s history of sacrifice. His anger at Lei Li shows his unwillingness to tolerate attacks on Fang Yun or the human cause.
• Ji Zhibai remains pessimistic, but eventually participates in the group’s crisis discussions rather than simply surrendering to despair.
• Yan Yukong maintains his humor and dignity, joking that the crisis has spared him the embarrassment of falling behind Fang Yun in Literary Rank.
• Ji Shouyu takes responsibility for finding a solution, risking his own safety and using a dangerous divination technique.
• Fang Yun, Kong Detian, and Yan Yukong display exceptional composure and self-sacrifice by willingly risking their future fortunes for the survival of the group.

Significant Themes

• Everyday existence as a battlefield: The chapter emphasizes that scholars must regard all of human territory as a battlefield because of the constant threat from the Demon Realm.
• Sacrifice for the greater good: The three chosen scholars willingly endanger their futures to save hundreds of companions.
• Honor and perspective in death: Dying through an enemy plot is initially viewed as meaningless, but Fang Yun reframes it as an honorable sacrifice in humanity’s larger war.
• Unity against external enemies: Internal blame is portrayed as destructive; the scholars must overcome resentment and cooperate against the Demon Barbarians.
• The burden of destiny: The unknowable Fortune symbolizes future potential and the difficult choice between preserving one’s destiny and saving lives in the present.
• Hope amid despair: Although the group appears doomed, their willingness to act and Ji Shouyu’s strategy provide a final chance of survival.

Character Interactions

• Lei Li and Ji Zhibai express resentment and hopelessness, prompting Kong Detian to defend Fang Yun and rebuke them.
• Fang Yun directly confronts Lei Li’s worldview, arguing that their location does not matter because the entire Human Race is engaged in a continuous war.
• Li Fanming and Yan Yukong lighten the mood, helping the scholars regain courage and solidarity.
• Ji Shouyu asks Fang Yun, Kong Detian, and Yan Yukong to lend him their Fortune; all three immediately consent.
• Ji Shouyu’s failed attempt triggers the enemy’s revelation, shifting the chapter from internal debate to an urgent confrontation with the hidden serpent entity and the surrounding Demon Barbarians.

Chapter Summary: “A Smile at Reunion Wipes Away All Enmity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Shouyu discovers that the Plague Lord’s power is hidden in a distant mountain and warns that the Human Race’s group is facing a Plague Lord incarnation.
• The Plague Lord had secretly planted dormant diseases in Demon Barbarian captives before they entered the Hunting Grounds. Once the Moon Tree Phantom severed the area from outside control, these plagues revived and began carrying out his will.
• The group realizes that the Plague Lord’s “Ashes Rekindled” ability makes every plague a potential incarnation of himself. If he is given enough time to develop his power, the Metropolitan Graduates will have almost no chance of survival.
• The revelation causes despair, especially because Fang Yun’s death would be a catastrophic loss for the Human Race. The Demon Barbarians’ scheme appears specifically designed to eliminate him.
• Fang Yun questions Lei Li’s continued hatred, arguing that if they are about to die, their old conflicts and grudges no longer matter.
• Faced with certain death, Ji Zhibai abandons his hostility toward Fang Yun and declares that he is willing to fight alongside him. His emotional release unexpectedly allows his Literary Guts to break through into the First Realm.
• Fang Yun accepts Ji Zhibai’s reconciliation and recites a poem ending with the line, “One smile at reunion wipes away all enmity.” The line deeply moves the group and becomes the emotional centerpiece of the chapter.
• Lei Li refuses to forgive Fang Yun, insisting that his hatred for the Fang family is too great. He even declares that he wants to live long enough to watch Fang Yun die.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Remains calm despite the overwhelming danger. Rather than clinging to personal grudges, he urges others to let go of hatred in the face of death, demonstrating maturity and magnanimity.
• Ji Shouyu: Acts as the one who identifies the Plague Lord’s hidden power and explains the seriousness of the threat. His grief reflects the apparent loss of the group’s chance of survival.
• Ji Zhibai: Experiences the most significant transformation. He accepts that his rivalry with Fang Yun was ultimately rooted in ambition and old political conflicts, then sincerely reconciles with him. This emotional breakthrough enables him to reach the Literary Guts First Realm and potentially advance toward becoming a Great Scholar.
• Lei Li: Becomes increasingly consumed by resentment. Unlike Ji Zhibai, he cannot set aside his hatred of Fang Yun and remains committed to revenge even in the face of death.
• Kong Detian and the others: Help explain the Plague Lord’s methods and recognize that the current crisis is part of a carefully calculated Demon Barbarian plan targeting Fang Yun.

Significant Themes

• Reconciliation and forgiveness: The chapter contrasts Ji Zhibai’s willingness to abandon old hatred with Lei Li’s refusal to do so.
• The futility of personal grudges: Fang Yun suggests that ambition, family conflict, and political rivalry lose their importance when death is imminent.
• Growth through emotional release: Ji Zhibai’s breakthrough shows that letting go of resentment can remove obstacles to spiritual and scholarly advancement.
• Sacrifice and strategic loss: Even killing several Demon Barbarian Sages would not compensate for Fang Yun’s death, emphasizing his importance to the Human Race.
• The danger of hidden schemes: The Plague Lord represents indirect, insidious warfare, contrasting with the Demon Barbarians’ usual image of relying on brute strength.

Character Interactions

• Ji Shouyu informs the group of the Plague Lord’s presence, while Kong Detian and Lei Li explain the nature of his plague power and ancestry.
• Fang Yun directly challenges Lei Li’s hatred, asking why he cannot let go of their feud when both may soon die.
• Ji Zhibai responds to the crisis by reconciling with Fang Yun and pledging to fight beside him. Fang Yun accepts his bow and answers with a poem expressing the possibility of erasing past enmity.
• Qiao Juze and Yan Yukong recognize the reconciliation as an event likely to become a celebrated story.
• Ma Chaoming criticizes Lei Li for refusing to forgive Fang Yun, but Lei Li proudly maintains his hatred, creating a sharp contrast with Ji Zhibai’s transformation.

Chapter Summary: “Disaster from the Mouth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tensions rise when Lei Li openly insults Fang Yun and questions his authority as a Void Sage. Several scholars condemn Lei Li’s arrogance, while Fang Yun remains calm and warns that insults will have consequences outside the Hunting Grounds.
• Lei Li reveals that he possesses the powerful Literary Heart “Disaster from the Mouth,” as well as the Swift Writing Literary Heart. He boasts about his decades of battlefield experience and claims he could kill Fang Yun within a hundred breaths in a fight to the death.
• Fang Yun and Lei Li agree to settle their rivalry through the Spring Hunt Ranking, with the higher-ranked kingdom declared the victor.
• Fang Yun apologizes to the group for drawing the Plague Lord’s attention to them. Zong Wude and Yan Yukong reject his apology, arguing that Fang Yun’s contributions to humanity outweigh any danger he has caused.
• Lei Li refuses to fight alongside Fang Yun, claiming that Fang Yun is more dangerous than the Plague Lord and accusing him of harming the Lei Family. Four other Lei Family members follow him, splitting from the main group.
• Fang Yun declares that the Lei Family has abandoned the Human Race and warns that he will seek Sage Judgment against them for deserting before battle. Lei Li argues that he is not fleeing combat, only refusing to fight beside Fang Yun.
• The remaining scholars choose to stay with Fang Yun. Zong Wude emphasizes that disputes with Fang Yun should be handled through reason and propriety, not by abandoning the group.
• Fang Yun distributes powerful Marching Pills from the Hua Tuo Aristocratic Clan, allowing the group to travel for three days without food, drink, or physical fatigue.
• More than three hundred Metropolitan Graduates resume their advance toward Demon Mountain. Fang Yun explains that, because the Plague Lord attacks through contagious poisonous substances, the group’s greatest need will be Medical Books.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates composure, authority, and strategic leadership. Rather than retaliating emotionally, he allows the Lei Family to leave but makes clear that their actions will have political and legal consequences.
• Lei Li is established as an extremely experienced and proud warrior. His confidence is not empty: his decades of combat experience and powerful Literary Hearts make him a genuine threat. However, his hostility and unwillingness to cooperate reveal his deep resentment toward Fang Yun and the Lei Family’s factional pride.
• Zong Wude and Yan Yukong show loyalty to the broader Human Race rather than to personal or family interests. They defend Fang Yun and emphasize the honor of fighting beside him.
• Zong Wude also criticizes the Lei Family’s decision, distinguishing legitimate ideological conflict from cowardly desertion.
• The remaining scholars collectively demonstrate greater unity and discipline by continuing to follow Fang Yun despite the danger.

Significant Themes

• Personal rivalry versus collective survival: Lei Li prioritizes his feud with Fang Yun, while the main group recognizes that the Plague Lord represents a threat to all humanity.
• Duty and loyalty: The chapter debates whether scholars should stand together against a common enemy even when they distrust or oppose one another.
• Honor and desertion: Fang Yun and the others view the Lei Family’s departure as a betrayal of the Human Race, while Lei Li insists that refusing to fight beside Fang Yun is not the same as fearing death.
• Authority and accountability: Fang Yun’s position as a Void Sage gives him the power to pursue judgment against those who abandon the fight, reinforcing the tension between personal freedom and responsibility to the larger community.
• Experience versus talent: Lei Li’s long military career and battle-hardened strength are presented as a serious counterbalance to Fang Yun’s exceptional natural ability and status.
• Knowledge as a weapon: The coming battle will depend not only on combat strength but also on Medical School knowledge and Medical Books capable of countering the Plague Lord’s infectious attacks.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Lei Li: Their verbal confrontation evolves into an explicit rivalry, culminating in their wager over the Spring Hunt Ranking.
• Lei Li and the other scholars: Lei Li’s insults provoke condemnation from He Ludong, Mo Shan, and others, though few openly challenge his combat reputation.
• Fang Yun and his allies: Zong Wude and Yan Yukong reassure Fang Yun that he has not dragged them into danger and that fighting beside him is honorable.
• Lei Family versus the main group: The Lei Family separates from the others, creating a clear political and military division.
• Fang Yun and the remaining force: Fang Yun acts as commander, supplying Marching Pills and immediately organizing the group’s advance and medical preparations against the Plague Lord.

Chapter Summary: “Overwhelming Difficulties”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Zilong asks everyone who possesses a Medical Book to identify themselves and state their Medical Way realm.
• Twelve Metropolitan Graduates have Medical Books. Only Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing specialize in the Medical Way; the others study it as a secondary discipline. All are at the First Realm, “Prescribe According to the Symptoms.”
• Their medical abilities can handle mild plagues, weaken moderate ones, and protect themselves somewhat from severe plagues, but they cannot truly counter a powerful plague.
• Fang Yun explains his familiarity with Medical School texts and reveals that he has studied the Medical Way as a secondary discipline. He recalls reading Medical Books after being poisoned in the Sacred Ruins and being saved by Hua Yuqing.
• Fang Yun concludes that the only viable strategy is for the Medical Book holders to combine their Medical Way power, weaken the plague, and lead an assault directly against the Plague Lord’s avatar.
• Sun Renbing supports this plan, arguing that they should use a straightforward, orthodox strategy rather than complicated military tactics against the Plague Lord’s Plague Force and Half-Sage avatar.
• The group realizes that the Demon Barbarians have likely gathered around the nearby mountain and may possess more than one hundred Demon Marquises. Many Demon Marshals may have been forcibly advanced through secret arts after the Moon Tree Phantom descended.
• Although these newly advanced Demon Marquises may lack experience and accumulated Demon Baleful Intent, they are still comparable to powerful First-Hall Hanlin Academicians.
• The group recognizes that reaching the Plague Lord’s avatar will already be extremely difficult, and killing it may be nearly impossible.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates broad medical knowledge despite lacking extensive practical experience. He accepts responsibility for proposing a strategy and shows his characteristic ability to analyze crises rationally. His past poisoning and recovery deepen his connection to the Medical Way.
• Zhang Zilong: Acts as the authority on the Medical Way’s realms and limitations. He is curious about Fang Yun’s hidden medical knowledge and recognizes its potential importance.
• Hua Yuqing: Her previous role in saving Fang Yun is mentioned, reinforcing their bond. She is excited by the possibility that Fang Yun could greatly strengthen the Medical School.
• Sun Renbing: Advocates Fang Yun’s direct and orthodox approach, showing trust in his judgment.
• Kong Detian and He Ludong: Emphasize the growing military threat posed by the Demon Marquises and help shift the group’s attention from the plague alone to the larger battlefield problem.
• The assembled Metropolitan Graduates: Their confidence fades as they recognize the overwhelming scale of the enemy forces and the likelihood of heavy casualties.

Significant Themes

• The limits of specialized knowledge: Medical Books are powerful, but their effectiveness depends on realm, practice, and the severity of the plague.
• Cooperation against overwhelming force: No individual physician can defeat the Plague Lord; survival depends on combining the power of many Medical School practitioners.
• Practical experience versus theoretical knowledge: Fang Yun lacks medical practice but possesses extensive theoretical understanding, suggesting that knowledge from different disciplines can become crucial in a crisis.
• Strategic realism: The characters repeatedly reassess their plans as new threats emerge, recognizing that reaching their target may be more difficult than defeating it.
• The danger of hidden preparation: The Demon Barbarians have used secret arts and the Moon Tree Phantom to strengthen their forces, demonstrating that the enemy’s preparations were deeper than expected.
• Mortality and sacrifice: Even powerful Metropolitan Graduates fear that they may die before confronting the Plague Lord, creating a tense atmosphere of uncertainty.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Zilong questions the group and establishes the Medical Way’s capabilities, while Fang Yun listens and evaluates their collective strength.
• Fang Yun’s revelation about his medical studies surprises Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing, who begin considering how his knowledge might benefit the Medical School.
• Fang Yun proposes joining Medical Way powers to suppress the plague, and Sun Renbing immediately endorses the plan.
• Kong Detian warns that the Demon Barbarians will gather and that many Demon Marquises may have advanced, prompting the group to reconsider their assumptions.
• He Ludong and the others voice growing doubts about whether they will even reach the Plague Lord, ending the chapter with the group in uneasy silence.

Chapter Summary: “Heart Pounding with Fear”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and the group reach the grasslands near Demon Mountain after crossing the desert. He urges everyone to prepare for the worst but leaves leadership of the assault to the School of War and Medical School experts.
• The Plague Force begins spreading toward them, turning the gray grass yellow-green and causing it to wither.
• Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing determine that the Plague Lord is extremely weak. He is only partially revived after previously dying as an avatar, and his plague power has not yet accumulated. If the group reaches him before dawn, they may be able to kill him permanently.
• Hua Yuqing gathers rare medicines to weaken the Plague Force. Zhang Zilong reveals his unusual ability to perform partial “Medicine Separation,” extracting useful components from the medicines through his Medical Book.
• Hua Yuqing asks Fang Yun for valuable treasures—one Longevity Fruit, one Life-Bestowing Fruit, and two Dragon Snake Grass leaves—to strengthen the medicine. He also contributes the heart’s blood of a Shark Clan Great Demon King, which is highly effective against epidemics.
• The medicine protects the more than three hundred Metropolitan Graduates from the worst effects of the plague. Most suffer only minor symptoms such as fever, coughing, sweating, and mild illusions.
• Although the group becomes optimistic, Ji Shouyu remains deeply concerned, suggesting that the situation is more dangerous than it appears. Fang Yun senses the same danger but deliberately says nothing, knowing that panic would destroy their chances of victory.
• The School of War and other experienced graduates devise a detailed battle plan. Fang Yun has everyone memorize it silently so they will be able to act quickly and precisely.
• Ji Zhibai praises Fang Yun’s growth and wisdom, quoting his maxim that “details determine success or failure; character determines destiny.” Their exchange suggests that their former hostility has largely disappeared.
• Just as the group finishes preparing, Sun Renbing warns that a large army of Demon Barbarians is approaching like a tidal wave.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates humility, strategic restraint, and leadership. Rather than taking control of every decision, he allows specialists to lead while quietly identifying the danger beneath the group’s optimism. His generosity is also emphasized when he gives Hua Yuqing extremely valuable treasures.
• Hua Yuqing: Shows medical expertise, resourcefulness, and courage. Despite possessing rare medicines and precious demonic materials, he willingly uses them because the group’s survival matters more than preserving his possessions.
• Zhang Zilong: Reveals that he has mastered partial Medicine Separation despite being only a First Realm Medical Way practitioner, highlighting his exceptional medical talent.
• Ji Shouyu: Serves as the most visibly cautious member of the group. His grave reaction implies that he understands the Plague Lord may still possess a hidden threat.
• Ji Zhibai: Acknowledges Fang Yun’s personal growth and offers sincere praise. Their mutual smile indicates that old grudges are beginning to fade.
• The Metropolitan Graduates: Initially encouraged by the medicine’s success, they become organized and disciplined after finalizing the battle plan.

Significant Themes

• Leadership through restraint: Fang Yun leads effectively by recognizing others’ strengths instead of dominating the discussion.
• Hidden danger beneath apparent victory: The Plague Force appears weakened, but Ji Shouyu’s alarm and Fang Yun’s instincts warn that the group may be underestimating the enemy.
• Preparation and precision: The repeated emphasis on memorizing the battle plan reflects the idea that small details can determine life or death.
• Sacrifice for the collective good: Rare medicines, treasures, and personal resources are surrendered to give the group a chance of survival.
• Personal growth and reconciliation: Ji Zhibai’s praise shows that Fang Yun’s character is changing, while their interaction suggests old conflicts can be overcome.
• Hope versus fear: The group’s confidence rises after the medicine works, while Fang Yun and Ji Shouyu remain fearful, creating tension before the coming battle.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun delegates responsibility to the School of War and Medical School practitioners, establishing cooperation among the different groups.
• Hua Yuqing requests medicines from everyone and later bargains playfully with Fang Yun for his valuable treasures. Their exchange reveals familiarity and mutual trust.
• Zhang Zilong’s medical ability earns Hua Yuqing’s confidence and Fang Yun’s surprise.
• Fang Yun and Ji Zhibai share a respectful conversation that symbolically repairs their strained relationship.
• The entire group works together to gather resources, suppress the plague, and formulate a coordinated strategy before facing the approaching Demon Barbarians.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun discovers that the demon barbarians possess a Gold-Inlaid Army Banner, a sacred military emblem used by the Demon Realm’s saintly personal guards. The banner greatly strengthens the army’s vitality, healing, demon arts, and combat instincts, making the 150,000 barbarians equivalent to roughly 400,000 ordinary troops.
• The demon army contains no Demon Marquis. Fang Yun realizes that the Plague Lord intends to use overwhelming numbers to exhaust the three hundred Human Race Metropolitan Graduates’ Literary Qi rather than engage them in a direct battle.
• The human scholars organize themselves into ranks according to age and experience. Older graduates take the front, while younger and newly promoted graduates are placed farther back to preserve their chances of survival.
• As the demon army advances, its banner produces a bloody mist that distorts vision and weakens human war poetry. Its rising vitality-and-blood wolf-smoke also removes fear from the demon barbarians and intensifies their bloodlust.
• The human scholars prepare war poetry, especially White Horse Ode, Fang Yun’s White Horse Heroic Poem, and various poems capable of summoning protective generals.
• Fang Yun proposes combining many scholars’ Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle poems. He first writes a powerful Rain-Praying Poem, using the Inkstone Turtle and Dragon Pearl to summon an immense storm while keeping the rain from damaging the scholars’ materials.
• Ma Chaoming and others join Fang Yun by using wind-and-rain war poetry, intending to turn the storm into a weapon against the approaching army.
• When the demon barbarians sound their horns, their overwhelming military presence shakes the scholars’ courage and disperses the storm clouds. Qiao Juze asks Fang Yun to recite a poem to restore their morale.
• Fang Yun recites: “Human Metropolitan Graduates charge Demon Mountain; not one demon barbarian mount shall return. If only this body may forever serve the nation, why must I enter Jade Gate Pass alive?”
• The poem inspires the scholars, especially Qiao Juze, who regains his composure and accepts that sacrificing his life for humanity is worthwhile.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates strategic insight, recognizing the Plague Lord’s tactic and devising a coordinated use of wind-and-rain war poetry. He also acts as the army’s emotional and spiritual leader.
• The Metropolitan Graduates move from apprehension to determination. Their willingness to fight despite overwhelming odds reflects their acceptance of sacrifice.
• Older scholars, including Ma Chaoming, show selflessness by taking the front position and allowing younger scholars a better chance of survival and advancement.
• Ma Chaoming combines practical military planning with patriotic resolve, supporting Fang Yun’s strategy and contributing his own wind-and-rain poetry.
• Qiao Juze initially trembles under the pressure of the demon army, but Fang Yun’s poem restores his courage and steadies his hand. He becomes ready to face death without regret.
• Ji Zhibai and the Zong Family members are subtly isolated because they have not learned Fang Yun’s White Horse poem, revealing the continuing divisions and tensions within the human side.

Significant Themes

• Patriotism and self-sacrifice: The scholars accept that serving humanity may require death, captured in the question of why one must enter Jade Gate Pass alive.
• Courage against overwhelming odds: Human strength is vastly inferior numerically, but unity, strategy, and conviction allow the scholars to resist fear.
• Leadership through words and culture: Fang Yun’s poetry functions as both a weapon and a source of morale, showing how scholarship and warfare are united in this world.
• Unity versus division: The human scholars must cooperate to survive, while the absence of Fang Yun’s poem among Ji Zhibai and the Zong Family highlights internal political estrangement.
• War as a test of ideals: The battle transforms abstract beliefs about serving the Human Race into an immediate, life-and-death commitment.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun addresses the scholars as a commander and strategist, explaining the enemy’s plan and asking them to combine their abilities.
• The older and younger graduates implicitly cooperate through their formation, with the veterans accepting greater danger to protect the younger generation.
• Ma Chaoming supports Fang Yun’s plan and adds his own wind-and-rain poetry, reinforcing Fang Yun’s leadership.
• Qiao Juze and the other scholars openly rely on Fang Yun for emotional strength when the demon army’s aura overwhelms them.
• Fang Yun’s patriotic poem unites the scholars, turning their fear into determination and preparing them for the coming battle.

Summary: “Mingqi Reappears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The demon barbarians charge the Human Race Metropolitan Graduates. The humans rely on long-range War Poetry and lyrics, attacking from a distance with rain arrows, ice blades, water beasts, and other techniques while retreating.
• The demon army counters with large-scale demon arts, using its numerical advantage to neutralize many attacks.
• Three Mingqi Demon Marshals appear on the backs of Elephant Demons. Their Bewitching Cry can instantly incapacitate anyone whose Literary Guts have not reached the peak of the First Realm.
• The situation becomes even more desperate when a Mingqi Demon Marquis appears. The human side realizes that its cry could overwhelm nearly every Metropolitan Graduate and end the battle immediately.
• Yan Yukong attempts to suppress the Mingqi with Confucius’s maxim, “The commander of the three armies may be taken, but the will of a common man cannot be taken!” His Literary Guts silence the three Mingqi Demon Marshals temporarily, but he cannot stop the Demon Marquis.
• The Metropolitan Graduates prepare for defeat, while Sun Renbing recognizes that the demons’ coordinated actions—including the Moon Tree Phantom, the Plague Lord’s avatar, mass troop concentration, and the Mingqi—are part of a deliberate strategy to create a killing ground.
• Fang Yun then protects everyone with his own Literary Guts. Quoting Confucius—“The benevolent do not worry, the wise are not confused, and the brave do not fear”—he unleashes the power of Literary Guts at the peak of the Second Realm.
• Fang Yun instantly destroys the three Mingqi Demon Marshals and kills the Mingqi Demon Marquis. His power also knocks more than five thousand lower-ranking demon barbarians unconscious.
• Although the attack severely drains him, Fang Yun calmly resumes writing Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle and orders the others to continue fighting.
• The demons are briefly thrown into chaos, but a Demon Marshal identifies Fang Yun as the target and rallies the army by promising rewards for his death. The demon barbarians then charge again.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates the terrifying strength of his Literary Guts, revealing that they have reached the peak of the Second Realm. He combines overwhelming power with extraordinary composure, inspiring the human army despite his exhaustion.
• Yan Yukong: Shows courage and loyalty by confronting the Mingqi directly with Confucian words. His ability temporarily restrains the three Demon Marshals, confirming his exceptional talent, though he is still outmatched by the Demon Marquis.
• Ji Zhibai: Reflects on his past resentment toward Fang Yun and feels relieved that he reconciled with him before their apparent deaths. His attitude shows a movement from rivalry and bitterness toward acceptance.
• Sun Renbing: Recognizes the demons’ actions as the work of a highly skilled strategist, deepening the sense that the current crisis is carefully engineered rather than accidental.
• The Metropolitan Graduates: Initially descend into despair when faced with the Mingqi Demon Marquis, but Fang Yun’s intervention restores their courage and fighting spirit.

Significant Themes

• Courage against overwhelming odds: Confucius’s words become literal sources of strength, especially the command that “the brave do not fear.”
• The power of moral and literary cultivation: Literary Guts, rather than brute force, allow Fang Yun to overcome creatures specifically designed to suppress the Human Race.
• Leadership and inspiration: Fang Yun’s calm response after defeating the Mingqi transforms panic into renewed determination.
• Rivalry, reconciliation, and mortality: Ji Zhibai’s thoughts emphasize the importance of resolving personal grudges before death.
• Strategy and manipulation: The demons are not merely attacking with numbers; they are exploiting the Hunting Grounds’ conditions to construct a carefully planned trap.

Character Interactions

• Yan Yukong attempts to protect the Metropolitan Graduates by confronting the Mingqi with Confucian doctrine.
• Fang Yun’s Literary Guts shield the entire human group, effectively taking responsibility for everyone’s survival.
• Fang Yun’s victory over the Mingqi restores the Metropolitan Graduates’ faith and motivates them to resume their attacks.
• The Demon Marshal redirects the demons’ attention toward Fang Yun, turning him into the central target of the battlefield and setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Killing Intent Lurks Beneath”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Human Race Provincial Graduates launch a massive coordinated attack against the 150,000-strong Demon Barbarian army, no longer caring about Fang Yun’s reputation as a “demon king.”
• More than one hundred graduates simultaneously use the War Poetry “Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle,” summoning over 15,000 Ice Knights. Fang Yun’s perfected version creates 1,000 powerful Ice Archery Cavalry, while the others summon lance cavalry.
• The Ice Knights charge the Demon Barbarians despite their weak defenses. Demonic arts destroy many before they reach the enemy, but Fang Yun’s archery cavalry kill or severely wound hundreds with precise attacks on vital points.
• The Demon Barbarian Gold-Inlaid Army Banner rapidly heals the wounded, though Fang Yun’s attacks leave lingering scars because they contain the power of his Lord’s Star Position and the Demon Ancestor.
• Once the Ice Knights enter the enemy formation, the banner weakens them, causing most to be destroyed after a single attack. Their assault kills fewer than 900 enemies, mostly low-ranking soldiers, while virtually no Demon Generals or higher-ranking warriors die.
• The Demon Barbarians attempt to surround the Human forces by sending 10,000 troops around each flank. The School of War graduates counter this with defensive War Poetry, preventing the detached forces from benefiting fully from their army banners.
• The battle settles into a prolonged war of attrition. Thousands of Demon Marshals remain in reserve, waiting for the Human side to exhaust its Literary Qi before attacking.
• Fang Yun maintains roughly 2,000 archery cavalry, repeatedly disrupting attempts to encircle the Human forces.
• He also uses the True Dragon Ancient Sword with devastating efficiency, cutting through rows of Demon Soldiers and Generals while its Dragon Scales deflect enemy attacks.
• Although the Human Race is suffering heavy Literary Qi expenditure, the Demon Barbarians are dying steadily. The battle appears likely to end in a Human victory—until the chapter closes with an ominous revelation: strange changes are beginning to occur within the corpses.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates overwhelming battlefield superiority. He coordinates his archery cavalry, protects the army from encirclement, and personally kills hundreds of enemies with his True Dragon Ancient Sword.
• His use of the Lord’s Star Position reveals the unusual strength of his connection to the Demon Ancestor’s power, allowing his attacks to resist even the healing effects of the enemy army banner.
• The Provincial Graduates show their willingness to fight alongside Fang Yun despite the Demon Race’s accusations against him. Their unity and determination strengthen the Human side.
• The experienced middle-aged Provincial Graduates distinguish themselves through disciplined use of Lip Spear, Tongue Sword, and War Poetry, proving their survival in earlier campaigns was due to genuine skill.
• Fang Yun’s tactical importance becomes unmistakable: without his archery cavalry, the Human army would likely have been surrounded.

Significant Themes

• Attrition versus decisive power: The Demon Barbarians rely on numbers, healing, and endurance, while the Humans depend on superior techniques and coordinated attacks.
• The limits of overwhelming force: Even a spectacular mass attack by thousands of Ice Knights achieves little against an army protected by a powerful banner.
• Experience and discipline: Veteran warriors survive not merely through strength, but through precise timing, battlefield awareness, and efficient technique.
• Unity amid suspicion: The Provincial Graduates set aside their doubts about Fang Yun and fight together against a common enemy.
• Hidden danger beneath apparent victory: The closing image of altered corpses suggests that the battle’s true threat has not yet revealed itself.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun works in close coordination with the School of War graduates, using his archery cavalry to cover weaknesses in their defensive formation.
• The Provincial Graduates support one another by blocking the Demon Barbarians’ flanking forces and forming protective battle soldiers and generals.
• Fang Yun’s presence changes the battlefield dynamic: the Human army can withstand the Demon Barbarian assault largely because his cavalry prevents encirclement and his sword eliminates powerful frontline troops.
• The Demon Barbarians respond collectively through their army banner, healing wounded soldiers and weakening the Human summons, creating a direct contest between Fang Yun’s abilities and the banner’s power.
• Both sides remain wary of the turning point to come, with the Demon Marshals waiting for the Humans to weaken while the Human fighters struggle to maintain their Literary Qi.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected Enemy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Human Race’s more than three hundred Metropolitan Graduates continue retreating while fighting the Demon Barbarians. The enemy force has been reduced from 150,000 to 50,000, but the remaining troops are elite and far more dangerous.
• Most newly promoted Metropolitan Graduates are nearly out of Literary Qi and can barely fight. They must conserve enough energy to use Swift Movement Battle Poems to escape. The more experienced scholars have somewhat more Literary Qi but are also severely depleted.
• The Demon Barbarians stop launching full attacks and instead maintain pressure, apparently following a deliberate strategy to exhaust the humans’ strength and morale. Sun Renbing and Ma Chaoming realize that an intelligent commander is directing them.
• The humans cannot bypass the enemy or immediately charge Demon Mountain. They would lack the strength to break through the defensive line and would be trapped between the Demon Barbarians and the mountain.
• The scholars discuss using the power of the Star Position, but doing so would likely leave them unable to reach Demon Mountain. They also reflect on their likely deaths and debate the importance of the Spring Hunt rankings and their nations’ reputations.
• Jing Kingdom’s ranking has risen sharply because Fang Yun’s Mist Butterflies have helped its newly promoted Metropolitan Graduates kill large numbers of Demon Barbarians. Jing Kingdom has overtaken Jia Kingdom and may enter the top five.
• Fang Yun reassures the others that they still have a chance, but Ji Shouyu suddenly senses danger and orders an immediate withdrawal in a direction away from Demon Mountain.
• As the humans flee, the corpses of slain Demon Barbarians begin to move. Green threads reconnect their bodies, reviving them as terrifying Plague Corpse Soldiers, an ability associated with the Plague Lord’s avatar.
• The living Demon Barbarians fear the resurrected corpses, which pursue the human scholars at high speed.
• The chapter ends with Fang Yun noticing an even greater threat: over 50,000 additional Demon Barbarians are charging from the Hunting Grounds’ entrance, led not by Demon Marquises or Marshals, but by five Metropolitan Graduates.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains calm and confident despite the desperate situation. His Mist Butterflies continue to support the newly promoted scholars, greatly benefiting Jing Kingdom’s ranking, and he becomes a central source of hope for the group.
• Ji Shouyu demonstrates exceptional perception by detecting the approaching danger before anyone else and decisively ordering the retreat.
• Sun Renbing analyzes the Demon Barbarians’ tactics, recognizing that their reduced aggression is part of a calculated strategy rather than mercy or weakness. He also uses a Military Text to increase the group’s speed.
• Ma Chaoming shows concern for both survival and Jing Kingdom’s reputation, expressing a desire for his kingdom to reach the top five even if he dies.
• Qiao Juze reveals his concern for Fang Yun, stating that Fang Yun’s death would be especially devastating.
• The newly promoted Metropolitan Graduates are shown struggling with exhaustion and fear, while the older scholars display greater discipline and resource management.

Significant Themes

• Exhaustion and attrition: The battle is no longer decided simply by numbers. The Demon Barbarians deliberately wear down the humans’ Literary Qi, bodies, and morale.
• Strategy versus brute force: The enemy’s coordinated tactics and hidden commander make the surviving 50,000 more dangerous than the original army.
• Sacrifice and reputation: Even while facing death, the scholars care about their kingdoms’ rankings and how history will remember them.
• Hope amid despair: Fang Yun’s confidence and the possibility of survival contrast with the others’ acceptance that they may die.
• Unexpected escalation: The discovery of the Plague Corpse Soldiers and the arrival of another 50,000 Demon Barbarians reveal that the apparent battle was only part of a much larger plan.

Character Interactions

• Sun Renbing and Ma Chaoming discuss the enemy’s strategy and the impossibility of bypassing the Demon Barbarians.
• The scholars debate whether to use the Star Position, how to reach Demon Mountain, and whether their ranking achievements still matter.
• The group acknowledges Fang Yun’s role in Jing Kingdom’s sudden rise and expresses concern for his survival.
• Ji Shouyu abruptly takes command by ordering the retreat, and Fang Yun immediately supports him, ensuring that the others follow without hesitation.
• The chapter closes by placing the exhausted group between the resurrected Demon Barbarians behind them and a massive new force led by five mysterious human scholars ahead.

Summary: “The Real and Fake Lei Li”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The five Metropolitan Graduates from the Lei Family—led by Lei Li—flee toward the Human Race’s larger group while being pursued by ten Demon Marquises and a vast Demon Barbarian army.
• They beg Fang Yun and the other graduates for help, apologizing for the Lei Family’s past actions and promising to resolve their hostility once they return home.
• Ji Shouyu recognizes that the five are not acting normally: the Plague Lord has enslaved or controlled them and is using them to ambush the Human Race.
• The Plague Lord reveals himself through Lei Li, mocking the graduates for uncovering his scheme. His control leaves the five victims alive but mentally manipulated.
• The group struggles with whether to save the enslaved Lei Family members. Kong Detian, invoking his authority as a Sacred Academy Consecrator, orders that the five be killed because they no longer belong to the Human Race.
• The false Lei Li alternates between curses and desperate pleas, attempting to confuse and emotionally manipulate the graduates. Ji Shouyu, Mo Shan, and Yan Yukong warn everyone not to trust him, emphasizing the Plague Lord’s talent for impersonation and psychological deception.
• The Human Race continues fleeing while its Literary Qi is steadily depleted. Eventually, Sun Renbing concludes that they must stop and fight.
• The group prepares to use Star Position powers against the pursuing Demon Barbarians and the Plague Corpse Soldiers.
• Zhang Zilong proposes summoning the Medical Way will of Saint Zhang Zhongjing to suppress the plague, but Zhang Zhixing argues that the Medical Way power should be preserved for a possible encounter with the Plague Lord.
• Following Fang Yun’s suggestion, Zhang Zhixing summons Saint Zhang Heng’s power and creates a massive “sun” of Great Sunfire.
• The fire burns away the Plague Force infecting the corpse soldiers, weakening them and turning the plague into black smoke as the Human Race prepares to counterattack.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains calm and decisive, refusing to be swayed by the apparent Lei Li’s pleas. He accepts Kong Detian’s support and proposes using fire against the plague, demonstrating strategic judgment.
• Ji Shouyu proves highly perceptive by identifying the five Lei Family members as controlled victims and exposes the Plague Lord’s deception before it can succeed.
• Kong Detian shows courage and political awareness by giving the order to kill the enslaved Lei Family members, protecting Fang Yun and the group from the moral and reputational consequences of the decision.
• Lei Li and the other four Lei Family graduates are revealed as tragic victims. They remain physically alive but have effectively lost control of themselves, becoming tools of the Plague Lord.
• The Plague Lord is established as a particularly cruel and cunning enemy. Rather than simply killing his captives, he preserves them as convincing false identities designed to exploit trust and compassion.
• Zhang Zilong and Zhang Zhixing demonstrate different but complementary forms of leadership: one focuses on medical suppression of the plague, while the other prioritizes preserving that power and uses fire as an alternative.
• The Metropolitan Graduates mature from hesitation to collective resolve, overcoming their instinct to save fellow humans once they recognize that the Lei Family members are being used as weapons.

Significant Themes

• Deception and identity: The central conflict concerns whether the apparent Lei Li is genuine or merely a puppet. The Plague Lord weaponizes familiar faces and voices.
• Compassion versus necessity: The graduates must choose between saving members of the Human Race and eliminating them to prevent a greater disaster.
• Unity and shared responsibility: The crisis tests the idea that the Human Race should share glory and disgrace. Kong Detian’s intervention allows the group to act collectively despite old political enmities.
• Psychological warfare: The Plague Lord attacks the group’s Literary Guts and emotions, using fear, guilt, pleading, and accusation rather than physical force alone.
• Strategy and resource management: The Human Race must decide how to allocate limited Star Position powers while being pursued by overwhelming forces.
• Fire versus plague: The summoned sun symbolizes purification and resistance, countering the Plague Lord’s corrupting power.

Character Interactions

• The five Lei Family members plead directly with Fang Yun, attempting to exploit the Human Race’s sense of solidarity.
• Ji Shouyu quietly warns the nearby graduates, and the controlled Lei Li immediately exposes the Plague Lord’s presence by addressing them with contempt.
• Fang Yun and Kong Detian cooperate: Fang Yun provides leadership, while Kong Detian formally takes responsibility for the harsh order to kill the enslaved five.
• Ji Shouyu, Mo Shan, and Yan Yukong reinforce one another by warning the group that Lei Li’s contradictory words are part of the Plague Lord’s manipulation.
• Fang Yun consults with Zhang Zilong and Zhang Zhixing about how to counter the plague, ultimately supporting the use of Zhang Zhixing’s fiery Star Position.
• The section ends with the Human Race united against the surrounding Demon Barbarians as the Great Sunfire begins weakening the Plague Corpse Soldiers.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush from Ten Sides”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Zhixing uses the power of his Metropolitan Graduate Star Position—revealed to be a Half-Sage-level position—to weaken tens of thousands of Plague Corpse Soldiers within ten li of the Great Sunfire. Although the soldiers become nearly powerless, they remain immortal as long as the Plague Force sustains them.
• Mo Shan activates the Mohist School’s Star Position power, creating a fortified stone castle from a transformed sash. The three hundred Metropolitan Graduates take shelter inside and reinforce it with War Poetry, summoning Yuanqi soldiers to form an additional defensive perimeter.
• The group discovers that Demon Barbarians are approaching from every direction. They are surrounded on ten sides, with roughly one hundred thousand Demon Barbarians and at least fifty Demon Marquises advancing from the direction of Demon Mountain alone.
• Sun Renbing realizes that the earlier deployment of 150,000 Demon Barbarians was deliberate: it exhausted the Human scholars’ Literary Qi, tested their strength, and bought time for the main forces to assemble.
• The scholars conclude that the ambush was likely designed by the deceased Military Barbarian Sage, whose strategic plans and contingency measures may have been set in motion long before the current Spring Hunt.
• Facing overwhelming numbers, the Human side prepares to use their Star Position powers in sequence and organizes the Metropolitan Graduates into three rotating groups. This will allow some fighters to rest, recover Literary Qi, and maintain a continuous defense.
• Fang Yun contributes three Sacred Power Literary Treasures—Jade-Inlaid Purple Grass Mats—to accelerate Literary Qi recovery, greatly improving the group’s chances of surviving the siege.

Character Developments

• Zhang Zhixing demonstrates the extraordinary destructive potential of a Half-Sage Star Position, earning admiration from the other Metropolitan Graduates.
• Mo Shan proves the defensive strength of the Mohist School by constructing an impregnable fortress, shifting the battlefield from open combat to organized defense.
• Sun Renbing openly acknowledges his strategic misjudgment. He had underestimated the Demon Barbarians by assuming they relied mainly on poison and brute force, but now recognizes that they planned the operation with sophisticated military strategy.
• Fang Yun remains calm and analytical despite the trap. He recognizes the importance of the fortress as a recovery base, organizes the troops into rotations, and supplies valuable Literary Treasures. He also connects the ambush to the Military Barbarian Sage’s long-term planning.
• Kong Detian worries that his Star Position, “Know Spring and Autumn,” is less useful in a large-scale battle because it only affects a ten-zhang area. Fang Yun reassures him that it will be extremely valuable if powerful enemies breach the castle.
• Chen Jing is delighted to recognize Fang Yun’s grass mats as treasures originating from the Chen Family, creating a moment of gratitude and familial connection.

Significant Themes

• Strategic warfare and hidden preparation: The enemy’s attack is revealed to be the culmination of a long-term plan rather than a spontaneous assault.
• The importance of intelligence: Fang Yun and the others were placed at a disadvantage because they lacked information about the enemy’s movements and intentions.
• Cooperation among different schools: The Human scholars combine the powers of the Mohist, School of War, and other traditions to compensate for their numerical inferiority.
• Resource management and endurance: Victory depends not only on killing enemies but also on preserving Star Position power and restoring Literary Qi.
• Legacy and contingency: The Military Barbarian Sage’s influence continues after death through carefully prepared schemes, emphasizing how the plans of great figures can shape future conflicts.
• Individual strength versus collective defense: Even powerful Star Positions are insufficient alone; survival requires fortifications, coordination, and rotating forces.

Character Interactions

• Ma Chaoming praises Zhang Zhixing’s Half-Sage Star Position and discusses the rarity of such powers.
• Ji Shouyu advises Mo Shan to conserve his Star Position power, emphasizing the Mohist fortress’s importance in the coming battle.
• Sun Renbing confesses his error to the group, while Fang Yun responds without blame and helps reinterpret the situation strategically.
• Fang Yun and Ji Shouyu jointly identify the Military Barbarian Sage as the likely mastermind, building on one another’s reasoning.
• Kong Detian expresses concern about his Star Position’s limitations, and Fang Yun explains how it can still serve as a decisive defensive weapon.
• Fang Yun’s gift of the Sacred Power grass mats raises morale, while Chen Jing’s recognition of their origin adds a personal and emotional note amid the crisis.

Summary: “Persuading Surrender”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As the Demon Barbarians approach Mohist Castle, the Kong Family and the Second Saint Family produce twelve Righteous Heart Seats, allowing the exhausted Metropolitan Graduates to recover their Literary Qi.
• The defenders organize themselves into five ranks according to strength and recovery needs. Fang Yun and the sixteen Blood-Bathed Warriors receive the highest priority, while weaker or newly advanced Metropolitan Graduates use the seats less frequently.
• Fang Yun rests first, silently reciting the Spring and Autumn Annals to restore his mind and Literary Qi.
• The initial Plague Corpse Soldiers are weakened by the castle’s Great Sunfire, while fifty thousand surviving Demon Barbarians from Demon Mountain arrive behind them. Further armies follow, eventually bringing more than six hundred thousand Demon Barbarians to the battlefield.
• Fang Yun recognizes that the Plague Lord and Military Barbarian Sage have deliberately created an unavoidable dilemma: attacking Demon Mountain led to encirclement, but failing to attack would have allowed the Plague Lord to grow stronger.
• Lei Li, controlled by the Plague Lord, calls a ceasefire and offers Fang Yun an extravagant bargain: service to the Demon Realm in exchange for an Ancestral God descendant’s body, guaranteed Sainthood within a century, rulership over humanity, and eventual Great Sagehood.
• Fang Yun rejects the offer, declaring that he will seize such achievements himself. His resolute voice, empowered by his Literary Guts, kills or severely harms tens of thousands of Demon Soldiers and burns away much of the Plague Force sustaining the Plague Corpse Soldiers.
• The Plague Lord makes a second attempt at psychological manipulation, threatening to kill the remaining Metropolitan Graduates unless Fang Yun surrenders.
• Yan Yukong, Ma Chaoming, and the other scholars reject the idea of sacrificing Fang Yun. They affirm that scholars may cherish life but do not fear dying in battle.
• Inspired by their defiance, Fang Yun openly challenges the Plague Lord. Enraged, the Plague Lord orders the Demon Barbarians to resume their attack.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates absolute confidence in his own path. Rather than accepting power from the Demon Realm, he insists on achieving greatness through his own strength and the Human Race’s struggle.
• His Literary Guts have grown powerful enough that a single declaration can devastate enemy troops and weaken plague-controlled forces.
• Yan Yukong emerges as a strong moral and emotional leader, exposing the Plague Lord’s attempt to divide the Human defenders and reminding everyone of their commitment to one another.
• Ma Chaoming reveals a mature acceptance of mortality. His survival is meaningful because it allows him to continue killing enemies and honoring those who once saved him.
• The broader group of Metropolitan Graduates develops from an exhausted army into a united force, sharing Fang Yun’s refusal to surrender despite overwhelming odds.
• The Plague Lord is shown to be both calculating and psychologically manipulative. It respects Fang Yun’s talent enough to offer him an extraordinary reward, yet becomes frustrated and disgusted when neither bribery nor threats can break the scholars’ resolve.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus betrayal: The Demon Realm attempts to lure Fang Yun away from humanity with promises of power, but he refuses to abandon his race.
• Self-determination: Fang Yun’s response emphasizes that true greatness must be earned rather than granted by an enemy.
• Courage and sacrifice: The scholars accept that death may come, but they refuse to let fear dictate their choices.
• Unity against manipulation: The Plague Lord’s threat is intended to make the defenders consider sacrificing Fang Yun, but their solidarity defeats the tactic.
• Human dignity and resistance: The chapter contrasts the Plague Lord’s view of people as expendable pieces with the scholars’ belief in shared responsibility, honor, and courage.
• Overwhelming odds: The enormous Demon Barbarian army underscores the defenders’ desperate situation and makes their moral victory especially significant, even before the battle resumes.

Character Interactions

• The Kong Family and Second Saint Family support the entire group by supplying the Righteous Heart Seats, reinforcing cooperation among the Human defenders.
• Fang Yun’s refusal of Lei Li’s offer directly confronts the Plague Lord’s attempt to tempt him with power and immortality.
• Yan Yukong responds to the threat against the other scholars, publicly defending Fang Yun and rejecting the possibility of collective betrayal.
• Ma Chaoming reinforces Yan Yukong’s speech by explaining why a scholar should continue fighting even when death is likely.
• Fang Yun then unites the group through his defiant insult and challenge, causing the Metropolitan Graduates to straighten with renewed pride.
• The Plague Lord, unable to break their unity, abandons persuasion and orders a full assault, ending the chapter on the eve of renewed battle.

Chapter Summary: “Qi-Recovery Poetry”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• A massive army of roughly 600,000 Demon Barbarians, accompanied by Plague Corpse Soldiers, surrounds Mohist Castle and launches repeated assaults.
• The Human Race’s Metropolitan Graduates defend the castle with vital-energy soldiers, War on Paper techniques, and Mohist mechanisms. Hidden spears repeatedly pierce enemies who reach the walls, greatly reducing the defenders’ pressure.
• Despite killing enormous numbers of enemies, the Human Race faces a worsening crisis: their Literary Qi is steadily being depleted, while the Demon Barbarians continue arriving in overwhelming numbers.
• A Sunfire attack is shattered by more than a thousand Demon Marshals, killing only a few thousand enemies and demonstrating how difficult it is to eliminate the entire army.
• The graduates discuss using Star Position powers as a last resort, but these abilities are limited and cannot defeat every Demon Barbarian.
• They realize that a Qi-Recovery Poetry could restore their Literary Qi, but such poetry is extraordinarily difficult. It requires deep understanding of principles and may touch the Sacred Way; only the most powerful and enlightened scholars can normally compose one.
• The group turns to Fang Yun, remembering that he once triggered the Voice of the Sacred Way before even becoming a Provincial Graduate.
• The Plague Lord Lei Li mocks them, confident that Fang Yun cannot compose such a poem. Some Human scholars also privately doubt whether Fang Yun’s youth and lack of experience are enough.
• Fang Yun stops participating directly in the battle, summons Frost-Iron Cavalry, and sits on the Righteous Heart Seat. As the battle drags on, the others become increasingly worried that he has lost his fighting spirit or is unable to find a solution.
• As many graduates exhaust their Literary Qi, they begin releasing their Star Position powers, transforming the battlefield and killing large numbers of enemies.
• Yan Yukong, nearly out of Literary Qi and unable to contribute effectively, prepares to sacrifice himself in close combat, but Zong Wude stops him.
• At that moment, the defenders notice that Fang Yun has begun writing poetry, suggesting that he may have found a way to create the desperately needed Qi-Recovery Poetry.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains calm and deliberate despite the battlefield crisis. His withdrawal from combat initially causes doubt, but his decision to sit on the Righteous Heart Seat implies that he is concentrating on a deeper solution rather than abandoning the fight.
• Lei Li displays confidence and cruelty, using mockery to exploit the Human Race’s desperation. His patience shows that he believes attrition will inevitably destroy the defenders.
• The Metropolitan Graduates move from confidence to anxiety as their Literary Qi dwindles. Their willingness to continue fighting despite near-certain death reveals their courage and loyalty.
• Yan Yukong demonstrates self-sacrifice, deciding to fight with a physical weapon after exhausting his Literary Qi. His readiness to die contrasts with the more strategic hope placed in Fang Yun.
• Zong Wude acts protectively toward Yan Yukong, preventing an unnecessary death and showing concern for his fellow soldiers.
• Qiao Juze and the Qing Kingdom graduates initially defend Fang Yun’s reputation, but they fall silent when confronted with the genuine difficulty of Qi-Recovery Poetry, revealing that even his supporters have limits to their expectations.

3. Significant Themes

• Endurance versus overwhelming force: The Human Race’s superior techniques and defenses allow them to kill vast numbers of enemies, but limited resources make prolonged warfare dangerous.
• The importance of Literary Qi: Literary talent is not merely offensive power; it is a finite resource whose depletion determines survival.
• Genius and expectation: Fang Yun’s extraordinary achievements cause others to expect miracles from him, while his youth makes some doubt whether he truly possesses the profound insight required.
• Principle over emotion: Qi-Recovery Poetry is described as requiring insight into essence, principle, and the Sacred Way rather than ordinary emotion or vivid imagery.
• Hope amid despair: Even when the defenders are nearly exhausted, they continue fighting and searching for a solution. Fang Yun’s poetry-writing introduces a final possibility of salvation.
• Sacrifice and collective responsibility: The graduates are prepared to die for the group, but their allies also try to prevent wasteful sacrifice while a better solution may still exist.

4. Character Interactions

• The Metropolitan Graduates collectively debate how to preserve their Literary Qi and whether Star Position powers should be used.
• Lei Li directly taunts the Human defenders, especially Fang Yun, attempting to undermine their morale.
• The graduates redirect their hopes toward Fang Yun because of his previous connection to the Voice of the Sacred Way.
• Fang Yun does not answer the doubts verbally; instead, he withdraws, sits in meditation, and ultimately begins writing.
• Yan Yukong attempts to sacrifice himself, while Zong Wude physically restrains him.
• The chapter ends with the defenders turning their attention to Fang Yun, whose act of writing may determine whether the entire force survives.

Chapter Summary: “Sacred-Way War Poetry!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Despite Fang Yun’s prolonged silence during the battle, the Metropolitan Graduates still hope he can save them. Yan Yukong and others remain behind rather than abandoning the fortress.
• Fang Yun reveals a Sage Page and explains that he has completed a poem inspired by the people’s words. He writes:

  “Half an acre of square pond opens like a mirror;
  sky’s light and cloud shadows drift together.
  How can the channel be so clear?
  For at its source, living water flows in.”

• The poem produces multiple layers of radiance and manifests as a powerful World-Passing Qi-Recovery Poetry. Its force brushes against the Sacred Way, causing even the Plague Lord and experienced scholars to recognize it as Sacred-Way War Poetry.
• The poem’s power spreads across the battlefield:
  • Plague Corpse Soldiers across dozens of miles are destroyed.
  • Demon Barbarians near the fortress collapse in enormous numbers.
  • More than three hundred Metropolitan Graduates receive the poem’s power and regain vast amounts of Literary Qi.
• The poem enters each scholar’s Literary Palace like a new source of energy, restoring their strength and greatly improving their ability to continue fighting.
• Fang Yun himself receives no recovery from the poem and is left almost completely drained. He survives only because the Literary Star Fragment in his Literary Palace supplies him with Literary Star Force, preventing the loss of many years of lifespan.
• The Plague Lord, speaking through Lei Li, recognizes the poem’s terrifying potential. He declares that if Fang Yun perfects it, it could become a major threat to the Demon Realm. He resolves to kill Fang Yun even at the cost of damaging his true body.
• News of the battlefield reaches the outside world through the Literary Ranking. Jing Kingdom, previously stuck in sixth place, suddenly gains points at an astonishing rate after Fang Yun’s poem takes effect, rising rapidly to fifth, fourth, and then third place.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates his willingness to sacrifice himself for others. He spends nearly all his Literary Qi to restore the strength of hundreds of comrades, accepting that he cannot benefit from the poem himself.
• His status rises further: the poem is not merely powerful War Poetry but a work touching the Sacred Way, confirming Fang Yun’s extraordinary literary and philosophical potential.
• Yan Yukong, Qiao Juze, and the other Metropolitan Graduates move from uncertainty to renewed faith in Fang Yun. His presence restores their morale before the poem even takes effect.
• The Plague Lord becomes openly alarmed by Fang Yun’s development. His admiration for the former Military Barbarian Sage’s foresight reveals that Fang Yun has long been considered a uniquely dangerous enemy.
• Lei Li briefly regains clarity and cries for help, but the Plague Lord’s power overtakes him again, showing that Lei Li is being used as a vessel rather than acting freely.

Significant Themes

• Hope in leadership: Fang Yun’s continued presence gives the scholars courage even before he acts. His reputation becomes a source of strength in itself.
• Sacrifice for the collective: Fang Yun exchanges his own vitality for the survival of hundreds, emphasizing the responsibility of a leader and the ideal of serving others.
• The power of literature: The poem is both artistic and metaphysical, restoring Literary Qi, destroying enemies, and touching the Sacred Way.
• Growth beyond established limits: The appearance of Sacred-Way War Poetry at Fang Yun’s level shocks both humans and demons, suggesting that he is entering territory normally associated with sages.
• Humanity versus the Demon Realm: The Plague Lord’s fear and determination show that Fang Yun’s rise has consequences extending far beyond the current battle.

Character Interactions

• Yan Yukong and the other graduates look back toward Fang Yun, revealing their lingering dependence on and trust in him.
• Qiao Juze openly celebrates Fang Yun’s appearance, voicing the confidence shared by the others.
• Fang Yun addresses the assembled scholars and explains the inspiration behind his poem, transforming their uncertainty into anticipation.
• The Plague Lord reacts directly to Fang Yun’s achievement, cursing the emergence of Sacred-Way War Poetry and acknowledging its future danger.
• Lei Li is caught between his own weakening consciousness and the Plague Lord’s possession, briefly begging for help before the Plague Lord resumes control.
• Outside the battlefield, people in Jing Kingdom passionately debate Fang Yun’s condition and defend his reputation as “Fang Void Sage.” When Jing Kingdom’s ranking suddenly surges, their faith in him appears vindicated.

Chapter Summary: “Spring Hunt Takes First!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Kingdom’s ranking value in the Spring Hunt surges dramatically, quickly surpassing Qing Kingdom and the other major powers. It eventually stops at 373,842, placing Jing Kingdom first and ranking among the top performances in the history of the Ten Kingdoms.
• The people of Jing celebrate, while Jia Kingdom—especially the Lei Family—is humiliated. They blame Lei Li’s past failures and speculate that Jing Kingdom must have found a way to kill tens of thousands of Demon Barbarians at once.
• The Lei Family remains confident that Lei Li and the other Jia Kingdom participants can recover the lead by attacking Demon Mountain the following day.
• Rumors circulate about the Sacred Academy’s emergency mobilization of Great Scholars, possibly connected to the discovery of lost Half-Sage residences, Literary Worlds, or treasures affected by the spatial disturbances caused by the collapse of the Sacred Ruins.
• In Jing Kingdom’s capital, Elder Qin begins fulfilling a previous promise in a humorous scene, causing confusion by starting to remove his clothes.
• At the Sacred Academy, officials reveal that Desolate City Ancient Land has fallen into chaos. A major battle involving the Human Race, Demon Barbarians, and even the Ancestral God Clan is expected. The Human Race may soon send reinforcements, though the main priority remains protecting Fang Yun inside the Hunting Grounds.
• Fang Yun produces a Qi-Recovery Poetry, “The View from the Book,” which immediately reaches first place on the Ding Ranking. The poem describes a clear pond fed by living water and uses it as a metaphor for constant renewal in learning.
• The Great Scholars praise the poem’s literary beauty and profound philosophy. They believe it may qualify as a Sacred-Way War Poem, capable of reducing the number of scholars who die after exhausting their Literary Qi.
• The officials speculate that Fang Yun could become not only the Poem Ancestor but also a Double Void Sage, though concern grows when news arrives that an incarnation of the Plague Lord has entered the Hunting Grounds.
• Meanwhile, Desolate City Ancient Land becomes the site of an all-out war. Half-Sage incarnations, Sacred Blood incarnations, Great Scholars, and Demon Barbarian Kings clash in battles that devastate vast areas.
• At Hunting Island, scholars defend Bridgehead Fortress against waves of Demon Barbarians. The Temples of Sages allow them to rapidly restore their Literary Qi and fight continuously.
• Fang Yun remains inside the Metropolitan Graduate Hunting Ground, resting with his eyes closed on the Righteous Heart Seat, named after the moral self-cultivation principles of the Great Learning.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates extraordinary influence and ability. His achievements raise Jing Kingdom to first place and his new poem reveals both literary brilliance and a possible connection to the Sacred Way.
• Fang’s reputation grows beyond that of an ordinary genius: the Great Scholars begin seriously discussing his potential to become a Double Void Sage.
• Despite the escalating danger surrounding him, Fang Yun remains composed and focused, resting on the Righteous Heart Seat rather than showing fear or panic.
• Lei Li and the Jia Kingdom faction are portrayed as under immense pressure. The Lei Family’s earlier confidence is shaken by Jing Kingdom’s unprecedented rise, though they still expect Lei Li to reclaim the lead.
• The Great Scholars of the Sacred Academy shift from admiration of Fang Yun’s poem to deep concern over his safety after learning that the Plague Lord’s incarnation has entered the Hunting Grounds.
• Elder Qin provides a brief comic moment by beginning to fulfill his promise in an overly literal and unexpected manner.

Significant Themes

• National glory and rivalry: Jing Kingdom’s sudden rise becomes a source of celebration for its people and humiliation for its enemies, emphasizing the political importance of the Spring Hunt.
• Renewal and continuous improvement: Fang Yun’s poem presents learning as “living water,” stressing that knowledge and self-cultivation must constantly renew themselves.
• The relationship between literature and power: Poetry is not merely artistic; Fang Yun’s work can restore Literary Qi, strengthen scholars in battle, and potentially contribute to the Sacred Way.
• Escalating war and sacrifice: The conflict expands from a competition in the Hunting Grounds into a large-scale struggle involving Half-Sages, Sacred Blood incarnations, and the fate of Fang Yun himself.
• Hope amid danger: Although the Plague Lord’s arrival alarms the Human Race, the scholars continue to believe Fang Yun will survive, reflecting their faith in his exceptional destiny.
• Moral cultivation: The Righteous Heart Seat and references to the Great Learning reinforce the importance of sincerity, self-discipline, and rectifying one’s heart before governing others or confronting the world.

Important Character Interactions

• The Lei Family members argue over Jing Kingdom’s sudden lead, with some expressing alarm and others insisting that Jia Kingdom can still recover.
• Sacred Academy officials debate the causes of the emergency mobilization, the possible discovery of Half-Sage relics, and whether the Dragon Race will join the coming battle.
• The officials praise Fang Yun’s poem and discuss its effects, moving from literary admiration to speculation about his future status as a possible Double Void Sage.
• Their discussion is interrupted by the alarming news that the Plague Lord’s incarnation has entered the Hunting Grounds.
• The Human Race and Demon Barbarians engage in widespread combat, while scholars at Bridgehead Fortress cooperate to defend the Hunting Island front.
• Fang Yun’s solitary meditation contrasts with the turmoil around him, highlighting his calmness and the immense forces converging on his position.

Summary of “The Battle Raged On”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun finishes composing a powerful Qi-Recovery Poem and uses it atop the fortress. Its power, bordering on the Sacred Way, restores the Literary Qi of the Metropolitan Graduates and kills roughly forty to fifty thousand Demon Barbarians.
• Yan Yukong is the first to awaken and realizes the poem’s extraordinary strength. He protects Fang Yun while Fang Yun recovers from the immense expenditure of Literary Qi.
• The revived scholars inspect the Spring Hunt Ranking and discover that Jing Kingdom has risen to approximately 370,000 points, far ahead of the other kingdoms.
• The group recognizes that Fang Yun’s poem may have restored their Literary Qi more effectively than any known Grand Academician-level Qi-Recovery Poetry, greatly improving their chances of survival.
• Lei Li orders the Demon Barbarians to continue attacking. The battle resumes, with ordinary Demon Barbarians serving as manageable opponents while the newly promoted Demon Marquises hesitate to engage.
• Fang Yun advises the older Metropolitan Graduates to teach the younger ones during the battle, allowing them to gain experience without interrupting the defense. Sun Renbing warns the Medical School graduates to remain alert for the Plague Lord’s possible use of Plague Force.
• The scholars discuss dangerous Demon races—especially the Leopard Clan, whose speed and spatial abilities make them deadly—while noting that such terrifying enemies were excluded from the Hunting Grounds.
• A new wave of Wolf Race demons attacks. Although the defenders kill many with Lip Spears and Tongue Swords, a Wolf Demon General reaches the wall and explodes, releasing a deadly green mist.
• At the critical moment, Fang Yun opens his eyes and instantly begins composing another War Poem using Superior Swift Writing, starting with: “A great wind rose, and clouds soared…”

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates the exceptional power of his Literary talent. His Qi-Recovery Poem not only saves the group’s strength but also changes the course of the battle. Despite exhaustion, he remains alert and acts decisively when the Wolf Demon breaches the defense.
• Yan Yukong shows his loyalty and protective instincts by shielding Fang Yun while he recovers. His nearly unparalleled Literary Guts also allow him to recognize the poem’s true significance.
• The Metropolitan Graduates move from doubt and discouragement to renewed confidence. They acknowledge that they had underestimated Fang Yun and begin cooperating more effectively.
• The older graduates take on mentoring roles, guiding the younger scholars during combat.
• The younger graduates gain practical experience under battlefield conditions, making the crisis an opportunity for rapid growth.
• Sun Renbing continues to provide morale and tactical warnings, mocking the Plague Lord while emphasizing the danger of Plague Force.
• Lei Li becomes more openly aggressive, ordering the assault to continue and pressuring the Demon Barbarians into a renewed attack.
• The newly advanced Demon Marquises reveal uncertainty, aware that the human Poem Maniacs may defeat them despite their elevated rank.

Significant Themes

• The transformative power of talent: Fang Yun’s poem exceeds normal limits and demonstrates how extraordinary literary ability can rival or approach the Sacred Way.
• Hope amid crisis: The recovery of Literary Qi restores the group’s morale and gives them a realistic chance of surviving the siege.
• Cooperation and mentorship: The scholars combine combat, medical vigilance, and instruction, showing that survival depends on collective effort rather than individual strength alone.
• Adaptability under pressure: The defenders must rapidly adjust to new enemy tactics, especially the sudden acceleration and self-destruction of the Wolf Race.
• The importance of preparation and knowledge: Their discussion of dangerous Demon races and their vigilance toward Plague Force reflect the value of strategic understanding in warfare.
• Hidden danger and escalation: Although the battle seems temporarily manageable, the Wolf Demon’s attack proves that the Demon Barbarians are constantly developing new threats.

Character Interactions

• Yan Yukong silently protects the exhausted Fang Yun, demonstrating trust and concern.
• The graduates discuss Fang Yun’s achievement and openly admit that they had misjudged him.
• Sun Renbing verbally clashes with the Plague Lord, using mockery to ease tension while warning the group about disease-based attacks.
• Senior graduates teach younger ones during combat, turning the battlefield into an improvised classroom.
• Lei Li’s command forces the Demon Barbarians to resume their assault, escalating the conflict.
• Fang Yun addresses the group directly, balancing leadership, instruction, and strategic planning before returning to recovery.
• The final crisis brings Fang Yun back into immediate action as he begins a new poem to counter the Wolf Demon’s poisonous mist.

Chapter Summary: “Cloud of Plague”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Wolf Demon General explodes, Fang Yun uses the Song of the Great Wind to create a tornado that absorbs the Wolf Demon’s corpse and its concentrated plague mist. The tornado then bursts apart, infecting and incapacitating hundreds of nearby Demon Barbarians.
• The Plague Lord deliberately sacrifices his own Demon Barbarian forces, treating them as expendable while preserving his strength. He explains that the Wolf Demon’s plague was highly concentrated and specifically designed to bypass the group’s defenses.
• Fang Yun warns the Metropolitan Graduates that the Plague Lord intends to drain their Literary Qi and eventually overwhelm them with repeated uses of Plague Force. The Plague Lord twists Fang Yun’s words into a scheme to sow distrust, claiming Fang Yun wishes to defect to the Demon Realm.
• The human group resists the provocation, but the psychological attack still lowers their morale. The battle continues, with the Plague Lord occasionally detonating Plague People and the graduates repeatedly destroying them.
• As the battle drags on, the graduates’ Literary Qi approaches exhaustion. Around 150,000 Demon Barbarians have been killed or wounded, but more than 400,000 remain. Fang Yun is unable to use his powerful Qi-Recovery Poetry again.
• The Plague Lord reveals his broader plan: kill the Metropolitan Graduates, exterminate everyone on Hunting Ground Island, defile the Temple of Sages with the Moon Tree Phantom, and use Hunting Ground Island and the Desolate City Ancient Land as bases for invading the Saint Origin Continent.
• He then summons a massive dark-green cloud of Plague Force from Demon Mountain. Its power approaches the level of the Sacred Way, leaving the graduates with little hope of resisting it directly.
• The group discusses Sacred Blood, but realizes it cannot form effective avatars beneath the Moon Tree Phantom. Fang Yun instead offers to merge Sacred Blood into War Poetry to kill or injure as many Demon Barbarians as possible.
• Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing propose medical techniques to weaken the plague. Their best hope is to survive the attack until the Hunting Grounds open, since the weakened Plague Lord may be unable to use such a powerful technique again.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains one of the group’s primary defenders, using the Song of the Great Wind and continuing to fight despite his own exhaustion. He also takes responsibility for using Sacred Blood offensively when others cannot.
• Fang Yun’s seemingly careless warning to the group arouses Ji Shouyu’s suspicion, suggesting that Ji may sense Fang Yun’s words concealed another purpose. The Plague Lord, however, interprets them as evidence of betrayal and exploits them publicly.
• The Plague Lord demonstrates increasing cunning. Rather than wasting power on broad attacks, he uses concentrated plague techniques, psychological manipulation, and expendable troops to weaken the graduates before delivering a decisive strike.
• Sun Renbing rejects the Plague Lord’s attempt to divide the group and defends the stability of their Literary Guts, though his frustration and helplessness become increasingly evident.
• Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing emerge as crucial support figures, offering medical and literary techniques that may reduce the plague’s lethality.
• The Metropolitan Graduates’ confidence declines as their Literary Qi runs low and they recognize that survival may depend entirely on rescue by the Sages or the opening of the Hunting Grounds.

Significant Themes

• Endurance under overwhelming pressure: The graduates continue fighting despite exhaustion, numerical disadvantage, and the approach of near-unstoppable Plague Force.
• Psychological warfare and distrust: The Plague Lord attacks morale as much as bodies, using Fang Yun’s words to suggest betrayal even though the group largely remains united.
• Sacrifice and expendability: The Plague Lord views his own troops as disposable, contrasting sharply with Fang Yun’s willingness to use his remaining resources to protect others and kill more enemies.
• Hope versus despair: The group’s dependence on distant rescue exposes how desperate their situation has become, yet their willingness to develop defensive strategies shows that hope has not completely vanished.
• Limits of power and preparation: Sacred Blood, powerful poetry, and medical techniques all have restricted uses, emphasizing that even extraordinary abilities are constrained by circumstance.
• Larger invasion threat: The battle is revealed to be part of the Demon Realm’s broader ambition to conquer Hunting Ground Island and eventually invade the Saint Origin Continent.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun advises the graduates about the Plague Lord’s strategy, while Sun Renbing nearly reprimands him for revealing information the enemy could exploit.
• The Plague Lord speaks through Lei Li, directly mocking Fang Yun and pretending to expose him as a traitor. Sun Renbing counters him, attempting to reassure the group.
• Ji Shouyu watches Fang Yun closely after the suspicious statement, indicating uncertainty about Fang Yun’s true intentions.
• The graduates collectively discuss whether Sacred Blood can help, with Kong Detian explaining its limitations under the Moon Tree Phantom.
• Fang Yun asks whether anyone has a solution to the incoming plague cloud. Zhang Zilong offers to sacrifice his lifespan, while Hua Yuqing promises to weaken the disease enough that it may only incapacitate rather than kill.
• Sun Renbing’s despairing reaction—calling them useless—captures the group’s growing frustration as the plague cloud approaches.

Chapter Summary: “Plague Giant Blade!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Renbing’s speech about comrades sacrificing themselves deeply affects the Human scholars. Many middle-aged Metropolitan Graduates recall being saved by comrades and struggle with guilt, grief, and shaken resolve.
• Qiao Juze and the others express their gratitude to Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing, who are prepared to sacrifice themselves against the approaching Cloud of Plague.
• The Plague Lord’s dark-green Cloud of Plague advances toward the fortress. Fang Yun realizes that its plague power is nearing the level of a living entity; if it grows for another day, even Grand Academicians may be unable to resist it.
• Fang Yun asks Ji Shouyu whether Sacred Blood can temporarily protect him from the Plague Lord’s Sainthood-level power. Ji agrees to use the power of a drop of Sacred Blood, though it will not make Fang Yun stronger than the Plague Lord.
• Ji Shouyu activates the Sacred Blood. Its Sage Light severely harms the nearby Demon Barbarians, blinding or killing tens of thousands and demonstrating the violent conflict between the Human and Demon races.
• The Sacred Blood merges with Fang Yun, granting him extraordinary sacred authority. He rises into the air, becomes surrounded by Sage Light, and displays a presence more majestic than that of an ordinary Great Scholar.
• Fang Yun uses the Military Text and the “Borrowing the Knife to Kill” stratagem from the Thirty-Six Stratagems. He forcibly reshapes the Cloud of Plague into a massive green blade.
• Fang Yun swings the transformed Plague Giant Blade at the Demon Barbarian army. The resulting wave of plague power kills more than thirty thousand Demon Barbarians in a single strike, causing their bodies to decay from disease rather than suffer ordinary wounds.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun shifts from a seemingly powerless observer to the chapter’s decisive force. His willingness to take the initiative reveals his confidence, strategic intelligence, and growing command of sacred and military power.
• Ji Shouyu demonstrates his loyalty and decisiveness by immediately using the Ji Family’s Sacred Blood to aid Fang Yun, despite the immense value and danger of the resource.
• Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing remain prepared to sacrifice themselves, embodying the Medical School’s compassion and commitment to the Human Race. Fang Yun’s intervention gives them a chance to survive and changes the expected course of events.
• The Metropolitan Graduates are emotionally affected by memories of fallen comrades. Fang Yun’s transformation restores their awe and hope, while also revealing his influence over their spirits.
• The Plague Lord remains arrogant and dismissive, believing the Cloud of Plague will overwhelm the Human scholars. His confidence is challenged when Fang Yun turns the plague itself into a weapon.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and indebtedness: The scholars view survival as inseparable from the sacrifices of their comrades, creating both gratitude and psychological burdens.
• Grief as a barrier to growth: Witnessing comrades die can damage a scholar’s Literary Guts, preventing advancement in Literary Rank.
• Duty to the Human Race: Zhang Zilong’s words emphasize that sacrifice is not merely tragic but a continuation of a sacred ancestral responsibility.
• The conflict of Sacred Ways: The clash between Sage Light and the Plague Lord’s power is portrayed as a ruthless struggle between races, where mercy has no place.
• Turning an enemy’s strength against them: Fang Yun’s use of “Borrowing the Knife to Kill” reflects the chapter’s central strategic idea—rather than resisting the plague directly, he transforms it into a weapon against its creator’s army.

Character Interactions

• Qiao Juze and the scholars formally thank Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing for being willing to sacrifice themselves.
• Ji Shouyu and Fang Yun cooperate closely, with Ji providing the Sacred Blood and Fang Yun using its power to confront the Plague Lord.
• The Plague Lord and Fang Yun engage in an indirect contest of confidence and authority: the Plague Lord expects Fang Yun to fail, while Fang Yun openly challenges him and turns the Cloud of Plague against the Demon Barbarians.
• Fang Yun’s sacred transformation affects the other Metropolitan Graduates, inspiring reverence and silently strengthening their Literary Guts.

Chapter Summary: “History’s First!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun successfully turns the Plague Lord’s own power against its army. Having deliberately provoked the Plague Lord into unleashing its plague technique, Fang Yun uses the Sacred Blood and the Way of Wisdom to control the resulting Plague Force.
• He manifests multiple enormous Plague Giant Blades, cutting through the Demon Barbarian army. In only a few breaths, more than thirty thousand are killed initially, and the army of roughly four hundred thousand is reduced to fewer than thirty thousand survivors.
• Almost all Demon Generals, along with several Demon Marshals and four Demon Marquises, are slain. The remaining Demon Barbarians flee in terror, viewing Fang Yun as something closer to an Ancient Demon or Demon King than a human scholar.
• The human scholars identify Fang Yun’s military stratagem as “Borrowing the Knife to Kill.” The technique uses an enemy’s own strength to destroy its forces, and Fang Yun’s precise naming and formulation make the stratagem especially significant.
• Fang Yun’s victory causes Jing Kingdom’s Literary Ranking points to rise at an astonishing rate. Jing Kingdom eventually surpasses one million points, breaks the historical Spring Hunt record, and becomes the strongest kingdom ever recorded in the Metropolitan Graduate Spring Hunt.
• The achievement triggers widespread celebration throughout Jing Kingdom and shock across the other kingdoms. The Xun and Lei families, as well as political figures such as Liu Shan, recognize that Fang Yun is almost certainly responsible.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates extraordinary control, strategic intelligence, and composure. He not only survives the Plague Lord’s attack but turns it into a devastating counterattack, reinforcing his reputation as both a supreme Confucian scholar and military strategist.
• The Plague Lord realizes too late that Fang Yun manipulated it into using the very technique Fang Yun could control. It chooses not to intervene fully because doing so would endanger its avatar’s development, leaving it unable to stop the massacre.
• Sun Renbing, the foremost Metropolitan Graduate of the School of War, is deeply impressed by Fang Yun’s innovation. He recognizes that Fang Yun has transformed a familiar tactic into a clearly defined and highly reusable military stratagem.
• Zhang Zilong and Hua Yuqing, members of the Medical School, survive what seemed certain death because of Fang Yun’s intervention. Their relief emphasizes how decisive his actions were.
• The Demon Barbarians become terrified and demoralized. Their descriptions of Fang Yun as an inhuman monster reflect their helplessness and growing fear of his power.
• Liu Shan remains hostile toward Fang Yun but is forced to acknowledge that only Fang Yun could have produced Jing Kingdom’s unprecedented ranking.
• The Xun Household becomes cautious and fearful, adopting a policy of sending gifts and apologies rather than antagonizing Fang Yun.
• The Lei Family is forced to accept that Jia Kingdom has lost decisively. Their desperate suggestion that the Literary Ranking might be wrong reveals their inability to accept Fang Yun’s overwhelming achievement.

Significant Themes

• Turning an enemy’s strength against itself: Fang Yun’s victory embodies the principle of using an opponent’s power as a weapon against them.
• Wisdom and strategy over brute force: Although the attack appears overwhelmingly destructive, its true foundation is Fang Yun’s planning, manipulation, and mastery of military principles.
• The rise of an unprecedented genius: Fang Yun’s achievements in both Confucian scholarship and warfare establish him as peerless across multiple disciplines.
• Reputation and psychological warfare: Fang Yun’s calm appearance contrasts sharply with the terror he inspires, showing how legend and fear can magnify the impact of victory.
• National glory and collective identity: Jing Kingdom’s record-breaking ranking unites its citizens in celebration and transforms Fang Yun’s personal success into a source of national pride.
• Political realignment through power: Fang Yun’s accomplishment forces rival families and kingdoms to reconsider opposing him, demonstrating how overwhelming ability can reshape alliances and attitudes.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun confronts the Plague Lord indirectly, baiting it into unleashing its plague and then declaring that it is too late to reverse the situation.
• The Plague Lord’s command for its army to flee highlights its desperation, but the Demon Barbarians are unable to escape Fang Yun’s blades.
• Sun Renbing and other scholars debate the nature of Fang Yun’s technique before identifying and praising it as “Borrowing the Knife to Kill.”
• Human scholars celebrate Fang Yun’s victory and acknowledge that he saved their lives, while spectators throughout the Ten Kingdoms react with astonishment to Jing Kingdom’s unprecedented ranking.
• Rival political families respond differently: the Xun Household adopts submission and reconciliation, while the Lei Family reacts with denial and disbelief.