Chapter Summaries

Su Chen killed four Iron Garb Sect martial artists who were threatening three members of the He Family, then accepted one of their two Jade Wonder Fruits. After the He brothers fled, Su Chen ate the fruit and used the Chaos Immortal Record to absorb its spiritual energy as his cultivation began to soar.

• Su Chen killed four Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm Iron Garb Sect martial artists with one sword strike and took valuables from the corpses.
• The leader of the three He Family youths explained that they had found two Jade Wonder Fruits and offered both to Su Chen in gratitude for saving them.
• Su Chen kept one Jade Wonder Fruit and returned the other to the He Family leader.
• Su Chen urged the three He Family youths to leave while he stayed behind to face any Iron Garb Sect pursuit and continue toward the location on his map.
• Su Chen ate the Jade Wonder Fruit and circulated the Chaos Immortal Record, converting its spiritual energy into true qi as his cultivation rapidly rose.

After reaching the Tenth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, Su Chen encountered an Iron Garb Sect group investigating the deaths of Wu Yi and his companions. When they tried to rob him, he killed two attackers, prompting them to realize he might have killed Wu Yi’s group as well.

• Su Chen broke through to the Tenth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm after absorbing a Jade Wonder Fruit with the Chaos Immortal Record.
• An Iron Garb Sect group led by a young master found Wu Yi and his companions dead and vowed to hunt down the killer.
• A martial artist noticed the spiritual energy lingering on Su Chen and attacked him to take his valuables.
• Su Chen killed Ding Xiao and another Iron Garb Sect martial artist with the Vast Sea Sword.
• The survivors recognized Su Chen’s strength and suspected he had killed Wu Yi and the others.

Su Chen accepted Ma Hui’s challenge and killed the Iron Garb Sect’s Young Master with a single sword strike. He then faced Ma Hui’s black-clothed guard, who attacked with his Origin-Returning Iron Palm.

• Ma Hui offered Su Chen a one-on-one fight, intending to torment him, and revealed that he had reached the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm.
• Ma Hui attacked with his Silver Serpent Whip Art, but Su Chen blocked the whip with his longsword.
• Su Chen turned Ma Hui’s challenge against him and killed him with a powerful sword strike before the guard could intervene.
• The black-clothed guard, whose cultivation was at the peak of the Tenth Layer of the Qi-Attraction Realm, attacked Su Chen with his Origin-Returning Iron Palm.

Su Chen killed a Half-Step Essence Condensation Realm expert from the Iron Garb Sect by identifying and exploiting a flaw in his palm technique, then eliminated the other witnesses. After collecting supplies, Su Chen meditated to recover from his injuries and resolved to strengthen his body as he pursued the opportunity marked on his map.

• Su Chen blocked the black-clad expert’s palm attacks with his sword and studied his combat methods.
• Su Chen endured more than a dozen blows, then used Eightfold Waves of One Sword to pierce the flaw in the expert’s palm technique and kill him.
• Su Chen killed the remaining Iron Garb Sect martial artists so they could not report what happened.
• Su Chen searched the corpses, took the young master’s pills and Purple-Gold Knuckle Duster, and discarded the cultivation manual.
• Su Chen meditated to heal his injuries and decided he needed to temper his physique.

After recovering from his injuries, Su Chen found the hidden cave and obtained a Primordial Five-Element Lotus. He consumed it and began breaking through from the Tenth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm to the Essence Condensation Realm.

• Su Chen recovered most of his injuries, then traveled deeper into the mountain range toward the map's marked location.
• Su Chen found a vine-hidden cave entrance, descended into its cavern, and opened a concealed stone chamber by pressing a mechanism.
• Su Chen discovered a Primordial Five-Element Lotus and recognized it as a divine treasure capable of remaking a martial artist's body and bones.
• Su Chen swallowed the lotus and used the Chaos Immortal Record to absorb its violent spiritual energy into his dantian.
• Su Chen began condensing his abundant true qi into Essence Energy to form an Essence Core and enter the Essence Condensation Realm.

Su Chen used the Primordial Five-Element Lotus to break through to the First Layer of Essence Condensation Realm and discovered that he had formed five elemental Essence Cores. After consolidating his cultivation, he returned to Clear River City, where Wang Bingyan confronted him over her younger brother’s permanent injury.

• Su Chen condensed five small Essence Cores of different elements, realizing the Primordial Five-Element Lotus had given him talent in all five attributes.
• Su Chen accepted that the five Essence Cores would require far more cultivation resources and continued cultivating with confidence in his future.
• After three more days, Su Chen consolidated his First Layer of Essence Condensation Realm cultivation and concealed his Essence Energy.
• Su Chen returned to Clear River City after half a month in the Rising Sun Mountains, having advanced from the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm.
• Wang Bingyan blocked Su Chen on the main street and accused him of causing her younger brother to become crippled, demanding that they settle the score.

Su Chen rejected Wang Bingyan’s demand for compensation and accepted Ye Xuan’s challenge to duel ten days later at the Southern City Martial Arena. After returning to the Jiang Family, he reassured Xu Yin about his trip and learned that her old injury had not returned after taking his pill.

• Su Chen refused to take responsibility for Wang Bingyan’s brother and knocked aside the two Wang Family disciples who tried to stop him.
• Ye Xuan accused Su Chen of wrongdoing and demanded that he sever one of his arms, but Su Chen challenged him to act on the threat.
• Ye Xuan challenged Su Chen to a duel at the Southern City Martial Arena in ten days, and Su Chen accepted.
• Su Chen returned to the Jiang Family, rested, and told Xu Yin that he had been safe in the mountains.
• Xu Yin told Su Chen that her old injury had not flared up since taking his pill and that she felt more vigorous.

Su Chen told Xu Yin that Jiang Shan and Jiang He planned to take Jiang Tingyi’s Skyreach Academy admission slot and give it to Jiang Yuewu at the old madam’s birthday banquet. He revealed that Jiang Shan would drug Tingyi before the banquet, and proposed that Tingyi prove her strength to secure her place.

• Xu Yin noticed Su Chen had reached the Tenth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, unaware that he had concealed his breakthrough to the First Layer of Essence Condensation Realm.
• Xu Yin told Su Chen that Skyreach Academy had sent a teacher to honor Jiang Hai’s promise by admitting Jiang Tingyi, and that the old madam’s seventieth birthday banquet was five days away.
• Su Chen warned Xu Yin that Jiang Shan and Jiang He intended to use the banquet to transfer Tingyi’s admission slot to Jiang Yuewu.
• Su Chen recounted how the scheme had worked in his previous life, leaving Tingyi without her place and leading to her forced engagement to Wang Sheng.
• Su Chen said Tingyi needed to demonstrate overwhelming strength at the banquet, but warned that Jiang Shan would secretly drug her with Sinew-Softening Powder the day before.

Xu Yin and Su Chen planned to protect Tingyi from being poisoned and help her rely on herself to defeat Jiang Yuewu. Su Chen went to Five Treasures Hall for body-tempering supplies, where Jiang Minghao tried to humiliate him but the steward recognized and welcomed him.

• Xu Yin agreed to keep lineage food away from Tingyi while still having her pretend to be poisoned at the birthday banquet.
• Su Chen told Xu Yin that Tingyi should come find him if she wanted to take charge of her own destiny.
• Su Chen headed to Five Treasures Hall to buy body-tempering medicinal materials but was denied entry because he lacked a VIP pass.
• Jiang Minghao mocked Su Chen outside the hall and threatened to have him expelled from the Jiang Family, angering Su Chen.
• A Five Treasures Hall steward recognized Su Chen, apologized for not welcoming him, and personally escorted him inside.

Su Chen went to Five Treasures Hall to buy medicinal ingredients, including its sole Bloodsnake Ginseng, but Envoy Feng blocked the sale and tried to claim it for himself. Su Chen countered by offering double the price, and Envoy Feng angrily challenged him.

• Su Chen asked the steward to sell him every ingredient on his list, including the Bloodsnake Ginseng.
• Shopkeeper Min agreed to sell the ginseng after recognizing Su Chen as the alchemist who had treated a Coldheart Python bite.
• Envoy Feng demanded proof of Su Chen's alchemist credentials and threatened to have him beaten out, while Su Chen calmly challenged his authority.
• Envoy Feng ordered the steward to fetch the ginseng for himself, and Shopkeeper Min realized he had obstructed Su Chen to secure it.
• Su Chen offered to pay double Envoy Feng's price, provoking Envoy Feng's angry rebuke.