Recaps

After transmigrating into the body of a frail village youth named Lin Qing, Lin Qing learned about his dead father, his prospects in the dangerous Azure Sun Mountains, and the village’s hopes for martial arts. He found his father’s modest savings and land deeds, then discovered a cultivation system panel that offered him a potential path forward.

• Lin Qing woke in the original owner’s body after the youth’s grief over his father’s death proved fatal.
• Lin Qing surveyed the dilapidated village at the edge of the Azure Sun Mountains and considered how to support himself.
• Lin Qing learned that villagers sent their children to the county martial arts hall, though most failed to become martial artists, and that Lin Hu used his training to bully villagers.
• Lin Qing searched beneath his bed and found about a dozen taels of silver, over a hundred copper coins, and deeds to two acres of land.
• Lin Qing summoned a light-blue system panel displaying his name, Mortal realm, and no recorded cultivation methods.

Lin Qing negotiated the sale of his late father's two mu of farmland to Lin Hu's family so he could raise money to study martial arts in the county town. After completing the deed transfer and receiving three taels of silver, he returned home to pack for his departure.

• Lin Hu's family pressured Lin Qing to sell his fields for only five hundred copper coins per mu and threatened to cause trouble if he refused.
• Lin Qing countered their threats by warning he would appeal to the village head and tell the neighbors how they had bullied him.
• Lin Qing demanded one and a half taels of silver per mu, and Lin Hu's family agreed to pay three taels for both fields.
• Lin Qing followed Lin Hu's family to the village head, signed the land transfer, received the silver, and went home to prepare for the county town.

Lin Qing left his home after Lin Hu broke in to search it, then joined a herb-gathering team heading to Azure Sun County. As he departed Nameless Village, he resolved to pursue martial arts so he would not be bullied again.

• Lin Qing tidied his house, ate a meal made from the family's remaining food, and hid his silver and belongings before leaving for the night.
• Lin Qing hid in a haystack and watched Lin Hu break into his house and search it, then stayed outside until morning.
• Lin Qing left his home at dawn and waited at the village entrance for a group traveling toward Azure Sun County.
• The leading apothecary agreed to let Lin Qing accompany the herb-gathering team without charging him.
• Lin Qing joined the procession and resolved to learn martial arts after recalling Lin Hu's treatment of him.

Lin Qing traveled toward Azure Sun County Town and learned about the local martial academies, but was warned that his frail body could not yet withstand their training. An elderly apothecary advised him to build his health with a Life-Nourishing Art first, and Lin Qing reached the town resolved to follow that guidance.

• Lin Qing struggled to keep up with the party, and a young apprentice told him about four reputable martial academies in Azure Sun City.
• A burly guard described the academies’ different training styles and warned Lin Qing that his weak physique might not endure martial training.
• The elderly apothecary advised Lin Qing to practice a Life-Nourishing Art for several months before entering a martial academy.
• Lin Qing learned that larger bookshops sold Life-Nourishing Arts and thanked the apothecary for his guidance.
• Lin Qing and the party arrived within sight of Azure Sun County Town.

Lin Qing entered Azure Sun City, rented a courtyard near two martial academies, and discovered his system could record Life-Nourishing Arts after he read them. After practicing Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art, he saw its progress rise to five, then went to bed without candles or bedding.

• Lin Qing entered Azure Sun City with the apothecaries' group, thanked them, and parted ways.
• Lin Qing rented a small courtyard near Bedrock Martial Academy and Drifting Cloud Martial Academy.
• Lin Qing read Life-Nourishing Arts at a bookstore, and his system recorded the arts he finished reading.
• Lin Qing bought Spleen-Strengthening Life-Nourishing Art, ate pork trotter rice, and returned to his courtyard.
• Lin Qing practiced Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art until its panel progress reached five, then realized he had forgotten to buy candles and bedding.

Lin Qing settled into his new courtyard, practiced the Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art, and bought supplies and clothes. At lunch, he learned that Ye Lingchuan had entered the Hidden Dragon Ranking and that a banquet would be held in his honor at Fortune Tower.

• Lin Qing practiced the Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art twice, bringing its progress to 7/100.
• Lin Qing bought bedding, clothes, household goods, and cooking ingredients for his courtyard.
• Lin Qing ate at a busy restaurant and overheard jianghu travelers discussing Ye Lingchuan's entry into the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
• The travelers said Ye Lingchuan had become a Certified Martial Artist before seventeen and had perfected the Qingyun Stance Skill in six months.
• Lin Qing learned that Hall Master Ye had booked Fortune Tower for a grand banquet that night and memorized the names and news he heard.

Lin Qing perfected the Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art, which fused into his body and improved his cultivation. He chose Bedrock Martial Academy and set out to seek a master, carrying the silver he had left.

• Lin Qing completed the Clear-Mind Life-Nourishing Art, and the technique fused into his body as his progress reached perfection.
• Lin Qing noticed the other Life-Nourishing Arts now required fewer repetitions and suspected that perfected techniques either helped him learn related arts or improved his aptitude.
• Lin Qing decided to seek training at Bedrock Martial Academy, which he trusted to teach commoners fairly.
• Lin Qing began practicing the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art and gained eight progress points after an hour.
• Lin Qing counted his remaining money and left for Bedrock Martial Academy.

Lin Qing visited Bedrock Martial Academy, met Academy Master Shi Jian, and became a registered disciple after accepting the academy’s rules and tuition. He left after observing the disciples practice, unable to record the Bedrock Stance Art by watching, and resumed cultivating at home.

• Lin Qing reached Bedrock Martial Academy and watched its disciples practice the Bedrock Stance Art under Zhao Lei’s lead.
• Zhao Lei brought Lin Qing to meet Academy Master Shi Jian, who assessed him and explained the academy’s training, fees, and rules.
• Shi Jian accepted Lin Qing as a registered disciple and instructed him to attend stance practice the next morning.
• Lin Qing registered with steward Wang, paid three taels of silver, and received two sets of training clothes.
• Lin Qing observed the disciples’ practice, found he could not record the stance art onto his panel, then returned home and cultivated the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art.

Lin Qing learned the Bedrock Stance Art with fellow newcomer Wang Yuan and discovered that the system had begun recording it, though completion would require 1,000 points. After the academy’s morning training, Lin Qing returned home to practice the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art and investigate his system.

• Zhao Lei introduced Lin Qing to Wang Yuan and taught them the Bedrock Stance Art’s postures and breathing methods.
• Lin Qing saw the Bedrock Stance Art appear on his system panel with a recording progress of 0/1000.
• Wang Yuan told Lin Qing that his father, the master of Drifting Cloud Martial Academy, had sent him to Bedrock Martial Academy because he struggled with its academy’s nimble stance art.
• Wang Yuan explained that widely taught academy stance arts were not secret and could be bought in the Black Market, prompting Lin Qing to consider learning other academies’ arts later.
• After the morning practice and lunch, Lin Qing returned home to continue practicing the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art.

Lin Qing completed the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art, improving his aptitude and setting an automatic path toward becoming a Certified Martial Artist. After hearing that a ferocious beast had attacked his hometown, Lin Family Village, he continued collecting and recording martial arts manuals throughout the county seat.

• Lin Qing completed the Harmonious Essence-Nourishing Art, and the panel showed that his breakthrough time had fallen to seventy-five years.
• Lin Qing celebrated at a roadside restaurant and overheard men say a ferocious beast had attacked Lin Family Village, killing or injuring more than a dozen people.
• Lin Qing learned that Lord Xiao had gone to investigate the beast and that medicinal herbs might become more expensive.
• Lin Qing began visiting bookstores across the county seat to memorize and record life-nourishing arts, buying cheap basic martial arts manuals when shopkeepers objected.
• Lin Qing finished searching the county seat's bookstores and recorded numerous arts, including fist, footwork, saber, spear, and palm techniques.

After Azure Sun County drew martial artists seeking a Fourth-Tier Savage Beast, Lin Qing stayed focused on cultivating but was tracked to his home by Lin Hu. Lin Qing killed Lin Hu when he broke into the courtyard, leaving Lin Qing to face the consequences of the intrusion.

• Wang Yuan told Lin Qing that Xiao the Centurion had been gravely injured by a savage beast on Azure Sun Mountain, and rumors of a Fourth-Tier beast drew martial artists and factions to Azure Sun County.
• The commandery sent a Fourth-Tier Thousand Commander and a small squad to reinforce the Martial Suppression Office, which struggled to control the influx of dangerous outsiders.
• Lin Hu spotted Lin Qing in the county, followed him to his courtyard, and returned at night to break in.
• Lin Qing woke at the sound of Lin Hu entering, recognized him, and waited with a wooden stool.
• Lin Qing struck Lin Hu on the back of the head, then choked him until he stopped breathing.

After killing Lin Hu, Lin Qing hid his corpse in the river and watched the county yamen for signs that Lin Hu’s family had reported him missing. He learned that a beast had killed Lin Hu’s entire family, leaving no one to investigate his disappearance, and finally relaxed.

• Lin Qing searched Lin Hu’s body, took his silver, and pushed his stone-weighted corpse into a secluded river.
• Lin Qing returned to his residence, removed traces of the struggle, and spent the night awake.
• Lin Qing claimed illness at the martial arts school, then watched the county yamen for two days in case Lin Hu’s family reported him missing.
• On the third day, Lin Qing spoke with Uncle Gen, who told him that a ferocious beast had killed the village head’s family and Lin Hu’s family, with Lin Hu the sole survivor.
• Lin Qing confirmed there were no further details and left the teahouse relieved that no one would search for Lin Hu.

Lin Qing discovered that his growing cultivation had increased his appetite and learned that advanced Stance Training required Blood-Qi Potion and medicinal baths to support recovery. He avoided buying potion at the martial hall or Spring Renewal Hall and purchased a dose from Hundred Herbs Hall instead.

• Lin Qing found that life-nourishing arts were yielding diminishing gains as his body approached their limit.
• Wang Yuan explained that improving Bedrock Stance Art mastery increased energy needs and recommended ferocious beast meat or Blood-Qi Potion, while medicinal baths helped the body recover from training.
• Lin Qing decided to find a discreet supply of Blood-Qi Potion because his Bedrock Stance Art was advancing faster than Wang Yuan realized.
• Lin Qing bought medicinal bath ingredients from the martial hall but chose not to buy Blood-Qi Potion there.
• Lin Qing avoided Spring Renewal Hall to prevent recognition and bought Blood-Qi Potion at Hundred Herbs Hall for 110 copper coins per dose.

Lin Qing discovered that his Life-Nourishing Arts had reached their limit and resolved to focus on the Bedrock Stance Art. A massive battle erupted in the Azure Sun Mountains over a Fourth-Tier Savage Beast, and as the beast fought three factions, a white figure slipped into its cave.

• Lin Qing saw that his Life-Nourishing Arts had fused and that his Bedrock Stance Art had reached a proficiency cap of 500.
• Lin Qing woke to a savage beast's roar from the Azure Sun Mountains and sensed a major battle underway.
• The Azure Profound Sect, Blazing Flame Valley, and Martial Suppression Office became embroiled in a sprawling conflict across the mountains.
• A Fourth-Tier bear-like Savage Beast emerged and attacked the combatants, forcing the three factions to join forces against it.
• Three Fourth-Tier experts fought the beast without gaining the upper hand, while a white figure entered the beast's cave.

Su Xuan, Zhou Lie, and Qin Cang killed a powerful Fourth-Tier bear and searched its lair, where Sun Shaoping slipped away with a mysterious treasure. The three experts and other martial artists pursued him into Azure Sun County Town, but Sun Shaoping vanished into its alleys.

• Zhou Lie, Qin Cang, and Su Xuan fought together for half an hour before killing the bear-shaped savage beast.
• Qin Cang said the bear's den was nearby, and the three experts followed its trail into the forest.
• Sun Shaoping darted out of the cave, and Qin Cang, Zhou Lie, and Su Xuan chased him through the forest.
• Sun Shaoping ran toward Azure Sun County Town as other martial artists joined the pursuit.
• Sun Shaoping disappeared into the town's streets and vaulted into an empty courtyard while his pursuers searched for him.

Lin Qing returned home to find a powerful man in white hiding in his bedroom, and realized the man’s ring revealed that the world was far more than low-martial. He helped conceal the fugitive from the searching martial artists, who gradually stopped coming by late night.

• Lin Qing encountered three martial artists searching the alley for someone dressed in white and told them he had seen no one.
• After practicing the Bedrock Stance Art, Lin Qing discovered a man in white hiding in his bedroom, who threatened him with a dagger and demonstrated his Third-Tier Peak strength.
• The man in white told Lin Qing that the searchers were after him and ordered him to keep his whereabouts secret.
• Lin Qing saw the man’s dagger vanish and a dim gleam flash from his ancient ring, recognizing it as a Storage Ring and concluding that he lived in a High Profound World.
• The man in white hid inside a wooden cabinet as martial artists repeatedly questioned Lin Qing, and Lin Qing convinced them he knew nothing.
• The searches continued until the latter half of the night, when the footsteps outside began to dwindle.

Lin Qing questioned Sun Shaoping, an outsider hiding in the Summer Kingdom, about the world beyond the Ten-Thousand Mountains and how to leave. Sun Shaoping explained the dangers and the path to the Fifth Tier, gave Lin Qing Earthheart Marrow, and left at dawn, inviting him to seek out the Sun Family in the Qi Kingdom.

• Lin Qing recognized Sun Shaoping’s Storage Ring and realized he had come from beyond the Summer Kingdom.
• Sun Shaoping explained that he planned to leave at daybreak in disguise after the martial artists searching for him had grown tired.
• Sun Shaoping told Lin Qing that the Summer Kingdom lay deep within the Ten-Thousand Mountains, where powerful Monster Beasts made escape nearly impossible for Fourth-Tier Martial Artists.
• Sun Shaoping explained that reaching the Fifth-Tier Meridian-Opening Realm required awakening Divine Sense with the help of a Visualization Diagram.
• Sun Shaoping gave Lin Qing a bottle of Earthheart Marrow and told him to find the Sun Family in the Qi Kingdom if he ever escaped the mountains.
• Sun Shaoping left beneath the brightening sky.

After consuming Earthheart Marrow, Lin Qing’s Bedrock Stance Art advanced at fivefold speed, forcing him to reconsider his cultivation resources and seek other stance arts. He joined Wang Yuan on a trip to Azure Sun County’s unusually busy Black Market, where the two disguised themselves and entered.

• Lin Qing swallowed a drop of Earthheart Marrow and found that it raised his Bedrock Stance Art progress fivefold for a little over two hours.
• Lin Qing decided he needed ferocious beast meat and new Stance Training, and planned to ask Wang Yuan about the Black Market.
• Lin Qing asked Wang Yuan how to reach the Black Market, and Wang Yuan invited him to go that evening amid the influx of martial artists after the Azure Sun Mountain incident.
• Lin Qing used more Earthheart Marrow to advance his Bedrock Stance Art, then bought a black hooded robe before meeting Wang Yuan.
• Wang Yuan guided Lin Qing through marked alleys to the crowded Black Market entrance, and they disguised themselves before heading underground.

Lin Qing explored Azure Sun County's Underground Black Market and bought five Stance Training manuals and a supply of First-Tier ferocious beast meat. After learning about Skyvault Pavilion, he finished his purchases and headed back toward the entrance to meet Wang Yuan.

• Lin Qing separated from Wang Yuan and searched the market stalls for Stance Training, recognizing Shi Jian selling Bedrock Stance Art.
• Lin Qing bought the Drifting Cloud, Qingyun, Thunderstrike, Coiling Dragon, and Mountain-Suppressing Stance manuals for thirty-six taels of silver.
• Lin Qing learned from a stall owner that Skyvault Pavilion sold information and compiled the Hidden Dragon Ranking and Heaven Ranking.
• Lin Qing bought a sealed iron box and ten catties of First-Tier ferocious beast meat at the Myriad Beasts Shop.
• Lin Qing wandered around the Black Market until it was nearly time to meet Wang Yuan, then headed toward the entrance.

Lin Qing left the Black Market with Wang Yuan’s warning in mind, then decided to leave the martial academy after his cultivation progress slowed. After completing the withdrawal formalities, he held a farewell dinner with Wang Yuan and Zhao Lei, leaving to pursue a different cultivation path.

• Wang Yuan explained that the Martial Suppression Office was guarding the Black Market while Xiao the Centurion recovered, and warned Lin Qing not to visit alone.
• Lin Qing gained only 36 progress points in the Bedrock Stance Art before telling Shi Jian he could no longer continue at the martial academy.
• Shi Jian approved Lin Qing’s departure without asking for an explanation, and Lin Qing completed the withdrawal formalities with the steward.
• Lin Qing invited Wang Yuan and Zhao Lei to dinner at Fortune Tower and thanked them for their help at the academy.
• Lin Qing told Wang Yuan and Zhao Lei he planned to follow a different cultivation path, then parted with them after their meal.

Lin Qing mastered the Bedrock Stance Art after a day of intensive practice, and his estimated breakthrough time fell to 200 days. He began training the newly recorded Drifting Cloud Stance Art and planned to fuse more techniques to accelerate his cultivation.

• Lin Qing read five Stance Training manuals and recorded their techniques in his mind.
• Lin Qing cooked First Tier ferocious beast meat and took Earthheart Marrow before practicing the Bedrock Stance Art.
• Lin Qing reached mastery in the Bedrock Stance Art, and his panel showed it fused with the Essence-Stabilizing Foundation-Firming Art.
• Lin Qing saw his estimated breakthrough time shrink to 200 days and considered how fusing more techniques could speed his progress.
• Lin Qing practiced two rounds of the Drifting Cloud Stance Art, ate the remaining ferocious beast meat, and went to bed.

Lin Qing returned to the Black Market to sell cultivation manuals and buy enough ferocious beast meat to sustain his unusually demanding cultivation. Back home, he studied basic martial arts to prepare for the dangers of frequent trips, and the system recorded them as new skills.

• Lin Qing discovered his perfected Bedrock Stance Art consumed four jin of ferocious beast meat per day, confirmed he could stop its automatic operation, and decided to revisit the Black Market.
• Lin Qing wore a disguise and sold his Stance Training manuals for thirty taels after searching the Black Market stalls, while avoiding Shi Jian.
• Lin Qing bought twenty jin of first-tier ferocious beast meat and a sealed iron box from two different shops, then returned safely to his residence.
• Lin Qing set aside his Drifting Cloud Stance Art cultivation for the night and read six basic martial arts booklets to prepare for future Black Market visits.
• Lin Qing opened the system and saw that Basic Fist Art, Basic Movement Art, Basic Leg Art, Basic Sword Art, Basic Saber Art, and Basic Spear Art had been recorded.

Lin Qing perfected three basic martial arts with the help of Earthheart Marrow, then went to the Black Market to buy ferocious beast meat. When three robbers ambushed him on his way home, he killed them all and took their money.

• Lin Qing perfected the Drifting Cloud Stance Art and used Earthheart Marrow to master the Basic Movement Art, Basic Fist Art, and Basic Sword Art.
• Lin Qing bought a refined iron dagger, then purchased twenty pounds of ferocious beast meat from two Black Market shops.
• Three robbers cornered Lin Qing in an alley and demanded his goods and silver.
• Lin Qing killed Third Brother with a dagger, then killed Second Brother and Eldest Brother in the fight.
• Lin Qing searched the bodies and found eight hundred taels in banknotes and more than fifty taels in silver.

After killing the three men who ambushed him, Lin Qing used his stolen wealth to train until his blood qi reached the prerequisite for becoming a First-Tier Martial Artist. He chose to wait for the system’s timing and headed back to the Black Market to buy beast meat and seek higher-tier cultivation arts.

• Lin Qing recalled killing Third Brother, Second Brother, and Eldest Brother, then counted the eight hundred and fifty taels he had taken from them.
• Lin Qing completed Qingyun Stance Skill, Thunderstrike Stance, and Coiling Dragon Stance Art over several days of intense training, while Mountain-Suppressing Stance Art completed automatically.
• Lin Qing’s panel showed a breakthrough time of twenty days, and he recognized that his blood qi had reached the Blood Qi Like Quicksilver prerequisite for becoming a Certified Martial Artist.
• Lin Qing decided not to attempt a breakthrough yet and reasoned that the Earthheart Marrow’s training multiplier had weakened as his aptitude improved.
• Lin Qing completed Basic Leg Art, made progress in Basic Saber Art, and set out for the Black Market to replenish ferocious beast meat and find higher-tier cultivation arts.

Lin Qing bought Second Tier ferocious beast meat in the Black Market and asked Skyvault Pavilion where he could browse Second-Tier Cultivation Arts. Learning that the Martial Suppression Office was the only place with a broad selection, he purchased a documented new identity to conceal his age and background before leaving the Black Market safely.

• Lin Qing bought ten pounds of Second Tier ferocious beast meat from the Myriad Beasts Shop for one hundred taels of silver.
• At Skyvault Pavilion, Lin Qing learned that the Martial Suppression Office held the largest collection of Second-Tier Cultivation Arts in the Summer Kingdom.
• Lin Qing asked Skyvault Pavilion for a false identity, and the attendant offered genuine identities with official records instead.
• Lin Qing selected an eighteen-year-old rural identity with no living family, documented as a newly advanced First-Tier Martial Artist, for two hundred taels of silver.
• Lin Qing received the identity booklet and plaque, then left the Black Market with the beast meat and saw two corpses in an alley on his way out.