Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Cloud-Walking Qi Archery

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Shan’s group resumes its journey toward Blackwater Town after surviving the night.
• They cross a decaying wooden bridge over the river. Under Luo Shan’s orders, Ke Jun, Chen Xun, and several others cut down trees and repair the bridge before the caravan can pass.
• The group rests at a narrow gorge called A Thread of Sky, a dangerous smuggling route known for mountain-bandit tolls.
• Gao Feng explains that the bandits previously accepted the caravan’s customary toll but recently attempted to raise it. Luo Shan forced them to restore the old price, creating the possibility of renewed conflict.
• To prevent the bandits from trapping the entire caravan, Luo Shan divides the group into two parties. He leads most of the caravan forward while Ke Jun, Gao Feng, Sun Cheng, Xue Nan, and Chen Xun remain behind to protect the retreat.
• Ke Jun warns Chen Xun that, as a newcomer with little martial experience and no experience killing, he could become an obvious weak point in a fight. Instead of joining the frontline battle, Chen Xun is assigned to use a crossbow from concealment.
• Ke Jun gives Chen Xun a rare blue-quality weapon: the Cloud-Walking Qi Archery Crossbow. Its attributes grant cultivation support, mastery of Cloud-Walking Qi Archery, and increased precision.
• Chen Xun equips the Iron Shoes and absorbs the weapon’s mastery-level archery knowledge. He realizes that while the technique remains accessible after removing the item, it becomes much less clear, making the crossbow extremely valuable.
• Before Chen Xun can consider asking Ke Jun to sell it, the mountain bandits launch their attack. Chen Xun loads a bolt and prepares to fight.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates reliability by helping repair the bridge and following orders without complaint.
• He remains inexperienced and somewhat untested in combat, but Ke Jun recognizes that he can still contribute through ranged support.
• Chen Xun’s reaction to the blue crossbow reveals his growing awareness of the value of special items and his excitement at gaining a powerful martial technique.
• His attitude changes from cautious curiosity to focused readiness when the bandit attack begins.
• Luo Shan is shown as a decisive and experienced leader. He anticipates danger, organizes the caravan efficiently, and plans for both forward movement and retreat.
• Ke Jun acts protectively toward Chen Xun, assigning him a role suited to his abilities rather than recklessly exposing him to close combat.
• Li Peng remains visibly nervous, emphasizing the danger of the route and contrasting with Chen Xun’s increasing composure.

Significant Themes

• Practical leadership and preparation: Luo Shan’s planning, the bridge repairs, and the two-group formation show that survival depends on discipline and foresight.
• Danger beneath ordinary travel: A routine caravan journey is complicated by corruption, smuggling routes, bandits, and the constant threat of ambush.
• Strength through specialization: Chen Xun is not yet a capable melee fighter, but the crossbow allows him to serve an important role from a concealed position.
• The value and limitations of external power: The crossbow grants Chen Xun mastery-level knowledge, but his understanding weakens when he removes it, raising questions about dependence on powerful items.
• Experience versus inexperience: The veterans understand the danger immediately, while Chen Xun and Li Peng must be informed and adapt quickly.

Character Interactions

• Luo Shan commands the group firmly, assigning tasks and later dividing the caravan for safety.
• Gao Feng explains the bandits’ history to Chen Xun and Li Peng, helping the newcomers understand the situation.
• Ke Jun directly evaluates Chen Xun’s weaknesses and gives him a safer but crucial combat role.
• Chen Xun accepts Ke Jun’s instructions obediently, then privately marvels at the crossbow’s hidden technique and potential.
• The chapter ends with the group’s preparations becoming reality as the bandits attack and Chen Xun takes aim from ambush.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Xun climbs onto a ledge overlooking the One-Line Sky Gorge, where four of his allies are fighting a much larger bandit group. The narrow pass limits how many bandits can attack at once, but the defenders begin to struggle when bandit archers prepare to shoot.
• Ke Jun calls for Chen Xun to take out the archers. Chen Xun kills both with his crossbow, allowing his companions to resume fighting at full strength.
• The bandit leader tries to shoot Chen Xun, but his arrows are poorly aimed. Chen Xun instead targets the ordinary bandits, killing eight before exhausting the ten bolts Ke Jun lent him. The remaining bandits retreat, and their leader vows to remember him.
• Ke Jun and the others praise Chen Xun. Chen asks to buy the crossbow, and Ke Jun agrees to sell it for ten taels of silver.
• Before they can celebrate for long, Ke Jun urges the group to support Captain Luo. Luo arrives bloodied with wounded men and warns that pursuers are behind them. The group flees, carrying two gravely wounded men, including Chen Xun’s acquaintance Li Peng. The bandits have also captured all three carts of medicinal supplies.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xun proves calm and highly effective under pressure, using his archery skill and elevated position to turn the fight. He modestly credits the crossbow, though Ke Jun recognizes that Chen’s accuracy is his own. Chen also takes the opportunity to secure a weapon suited to him.
• Ke Jun and the other defenders shift from near-disaster to renewed confidence once Chen eliminates the archers, and they openly credit him with saving them.
• The bandit leader grows furious and desperate as Chen picks off his men, but ultimately chooses retreat.
• Luo Shan appears badly bloodied yet remains focused on getting his people away from danger.

Significant themes

• Strategy over numbers: The gorge’s narrowness and Chen’s high vantage point help overcome the bandits’ numerical advantage.
• Skill and composure under pressure: Chen’s careful aim contrasts with the bandit archer’s fear and the leader’s uncontrolled shooting.
• The cost of survival: The defenders escape, but suffer serious casualties and lose their medicinal cargo, leaving the mission’s outcome uncertain.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Peng recovers at home from the injuries he suffered during the battle at A Thread of Sky. His mother cares for him and forces him to take his bitter medicine.
• Rather than feeling grateful to Luo Shan for saving him, Li Peng becomes jealous of Chen Xun, who escaped injury and received a commendation from the Li Estate. He also begins to resent Luo Shan, wrongly believing he deserved the same rewards.
• Luo Shan remains seriously injured, causing the Third Medicinal Escort Squad to suspend operations.
• During nearly two weeks of recovery and training, Chen Xun advances to 72% of the First Blood-Qi Transformation and becomes strong enough to lift five hundred catties.
• His martial techniques improve: the Iron Garment Art nears Perfection, while the Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique and Charging Bull Step reach Minor Accomplishment. His newly learned Cloud-Walking Qi Archery reaches Proficient.
• Zhang Shitou and Ke Jun inform Chen Xun that Li Estate experts destroyed most of the bandits at A Thread of Sky and occupied the route.
• Chen Xun learns that the estate’s attack was likely deliberate: Herb-Guarding Team Three had been used as bait to provoke the bandits, giving the Li Family justification to seize the strategically valuable passage without interference from Black Wind Fortress.
• Chen Xun becomes wary of both the Li Family and possibly Luo Shan, suspecting that the entire incident may have been planned.
• Liu Feng asks Chen Xun to lend him money because of Chen Xun’s reward. Chen Xun refuses, leading Liu Feng to angrily threaten that he will regret the decision.

Character Developments

• Li Peng: His recovery exposes his envy, entitlement, and distorted sense of fairness. He refuses to acknowledge Luo Shan’s protection and instead blames others for his injuries and lack of recognition.
• Chen Xun: His cultivation and martial skills steadily improve. He also demonstrates increasing intelligence and caution, recognizing the Li Family’s political and financial motives behind the bandit extermination.
• Luo Shan: Still recovering from severe injuries sustained while protecting his team. Though he saved Li Peng, he remains unaware that Li Peng now resents him.
• Zhang Shitou: Returns to his talkative, cheerful personality after becoming a martial artist and spreads news about the Li Estate’s victory.
• Ke Jun: Provides Chen Xun with a clearer explanation of the situation at A Thread of Sky.
• Liu Feng: Reveals arrogance and a sense of entitlement, invoking their shared origins and his second-grade talent to pressure Chen Xun into lending him money.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and ingratitude: Li Peng’s resentment shows how envy can corrupt gratitude and distort one’s understanding of events.
• Manipulation and exploitation: The Li Family appears to have used its own escort team as bait to create a justification for seizing A Thread of Sky.
• Growing awareness and distrust: Chen Xun begins to understand the political calculations behind the estate’s actions and becomes more guarded toward powerful figures.
• Talent versus actual ability: Liu Feng’s pride in his second-grade talent contrasts with Chen Xun’s practical progress and the Li Family’s preference for truly exceptional potential.
• Power and profit: The Li Family’s occupation of A Thread of Sky will allow it to collect tolls, revealing the financial motives behind its military actions.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Peng’s mother insists that he take his medicine, highlighting her care and his dependence during recovery.
• Li Peng internally contrasts himself with Chen Xun and blames Luo Shan, despite Luo Shan having risked his life to protect him.
• Zhang Shitou and Ke Jun separately confirm the estate’s victory to Chen Xun.
• Chen Xun questions Ke Jun about why A Thread of Sky had not been occupied earlier, leading to the revelation about Black Wind Fortress and the estate’s possible scheme.
• Liu Feng asks Chen Xun for money, appeals to their shared status as newly promoted martial artists, and reacts angrily when Chen Xun refuses.

Chapter Summary: “Ma Qianli”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Shitou explains why Liu Feng has been desperately borrowing money. Liu Feng must repay Brother Zhao a full bottle of Blood-Strength Powder, even though he originally borrowed only two-thirds of a bottle. Since Liu Feng has grown dependent on the faster training provided by the powder, he is desperate to buy another bottle.
• Chen Xun visits the Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop to purchase Dragon-Tiger Soup. The shop’s unusually warm attitude toward him makes him suspicious, especially because the owner, Li Long, seems interested in his progress in the Iron Garment Art.
• Chen Xun searches the butcher-shop district for tiger bones but cannot find any. Since tiger bones are generally kept by hunting teams, he realizes he must either hunt independently or reach the Qi-Blood Second Transformation required to join the Li Family’s Hunting Team.
• On his way home, Chen Xun is confronted by Ma Qianli and members of the Wild Wolf Gang. Ma accuses him of killing Yu Sheng and Yu Qiang.
• Chen Xun calmly denies the accusation and demands evidence. Because Chen Xun now has the Li Family’s protection and has recently earned merit, Ma Qianli decides not to arrest him without proof.
• Although Ma publicly lets Chen Xun pass, he privately resolves to kill him. Chen Xun recognizes the danger and worries especially about Qingqing’s safety.
• The chapter ends with Chen Xun thinking of a possible way to protect Qingqing.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Remains calm and assertive under pressure, refusing to be intimidated by Ma Qianli. He becomes increasingly cautious about hidden schemes and understands that his insufficient cultivation limits his access to resources such as tiger bones. His priorities also shift toward protecting Qingqing from his enemies.
• Ma Qianli: Revealed as calculating, ruthless, and politically cautious. He avoids openly attacking Chen Xun because of the Li Family’s influence, but secretly harbors murderous intent. His past connection to Yu Qiang shows that he benefited directly from the business he helped seize from Chen Xun.
• Liu Feng: Shown to be financially strained and overly reliant on Blood-Strength Powder for training. His current predicament provides a contrast to Chen Xun’s more restrained attitude toward resources.
• Li Long: Introduced as someone with an undisclosed interest in Chen Xun. His desire for Chen Xun to improve his Iron Garment Art suggests that the butcher shop may be planning to exploit or benefit from Chen Xun’s body or cultivation.
• Zhang Shitou: Provides information about Liu Feng and displays ordinary human schadenfreude at another person’s misfortune.

Significant Themes

• Power and protection: Chen Xun’s affiliation with the Li Family gives him some protection, but not enough to eliminate danger entirely.
• Hidden motives and distrust: Both the Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop and Ma Qianli conceal their true intentions, reinforcing Chen Xun’s belief that unsolicited kindness often masks exploitation.
• Cultivation and resources: Training depends heavily on scarce resources such as Blood-Strength Powder, pills, medicinal foods, and animal bones. Advancement is also tied to social status and access to powerful organizations.
• Political caution versus personal ruthlessness: Ma Qianli cannot act openly because of the Li Family’s influence, yet he remains willing to kill Chen Xun covertly.
• Responsibility and vulnerability: Chen Xun is less concerned for himself than for Qingqing, emphasizing his growing sense of responsibility toward those close to him.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Zhang Shitou: Zhang explains Liu Feng’s financial troubles, while Chen Xun listens without joining in the mockery.
• Chen Xun and the Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop: Chen receives unusually friendly service, but he senses that Li Long has ulterior motives.
• Chen Xun and Ma Qianli: Their confrontation is tense but controlled. Ma attempts to pressure Chen Xun into confessing, while Chen refuses to show fear and forces Ma to acknowledge the lack of evidence.
• Ma Qianli and his subordinate: Ma explains that the Wild Wolf Gang cannot provoke the Li Family without proof, revealing his strategic thinking. Nevertheless, he privately decides to eliminate Chen Xun later.
• Chen Xun and Qingqing: Though Qingqing does not appear directly, concern for her drives Chen Xun’s actions and leads him to devise a plan for her protection.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Pool Acupoint”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Qianli’s men fail to capture Chen Qingqing because Chen Xun has already moved her to safety.
• After several days of investigation, Ma Qianli discovers that Chen Qingqing is staying at the Li Family Martial Arts School.
• Ma Qianli orders his men to monitor both the school and Chen Xun, intending to seize Chen Qingqing as leverage against him.
• Chen Qingqing settles into life at the martial arts school and helps with household chores despite the matron’s concern.
• Chen Xun consumes the last of his Blood-Strength Powder and trains, raising his cultivation to 85% of the First Blood-Qi Transformation.
• He realizes that he will soon reach the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit and must begin preparing for the next breakthrough.
• To advance, he needs to locate and open his Blood Pool Acupoint, a process requiring an Acupoint-Finding Secret Art.
• Because he has not yet met the Li Family’s requirements to obtain one—and cannot safely reveal his true progress—Chen Xun looks for an alternative source.
• He theorizes that items formed from powerful human desires may exist in the Inner-Courtyard Training Ground, where stronger Martial Artists train with higher-quality equipment.
• Since only Li Family members and their attendants can enter, Chen Xun considers asking Sun An, attendant to the Li Family’s Twelfth Young Master, for help.
• He devises a plausible excuse for gaining access to the training ground.

Character Developments

• Ma Qianli becomes increasingly frustrated and vindictive after repeatedly failing to find Chen Qingqing. He regrets not killing Chen Xun when they first met and intensifies his surveillance.
• Chen Qingqing demonstrates humility, gratitude, and a strong work ethic. Although she is being protected, she refuses to remain idle and willingly contributes through chores.
• Chen Xun continues progressing at an exceptional speed, reaching 85% cultivation in less than two months as a Martial Artist. He also shows caution, strategic thinking, and resourcefulness by concealing his strength and seeking unconventional methods to obtain the secret art.

Significant Themes

• Pursuit and concealment: Ma Qianli’s hunt contrasts with Chen Xun’s efforts to protect himself and his sister through secrecy and careful planning.
• Rapid cultivation and ambition: Chen Xun’s unusually fast progress highlights his talent and determination, while the upcoming breakthrough introduces a new challenge.
• Ingenuity versus established systems: Although the Li Family controls access to cultivation resources, Chen Xun searches for hidden opportunities instead of following the official route.
• Protection and self-reliance: Chen Qingqing’s safety depends on Chen Xun’s foresight, while her willingness to work reflects her desire to maintain dignity and independence.
• The influence of desire: The chapter expands the idea that powerful human emotions and aspirations can cause ordinary objects to transform into special items.

Character Interactions

• Ma Qianli questions his subordinate about Chen Qingqing’s whereabouts and commands him to maintain surveillance.
• Chen Qingqing exchanges a warm, caring conversation with the matron, who worries that she is working too hard.
• Chen Xun interacts indirectly with the Li Family system through his training and cultivation requirements.
• Chen Xun recalls Sun An and considers approaching him for access to the Inner-Courtyard Training Ground, setting up a future interaction.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun asks Sun An for help but is abruptly rejected. Sun An’s impatience makes it clear that their former relationship has changed, closing off Chen Xun’s first potential route into the inner courtyard.
• While continuing to cultivate and investigate, Chen Xun learns that the Li Family’s Seventh Young Master is seeking human punching bags to help train a strange palm technique.
• The position pays five taels of silver for surviving a full day, with medical treatment and additional compensation for injuries. However, previous volunteers suffered severe mental trauma from the technique’s bizarre effects, causing most people to avoid the job.
• Believing his Iron Garment Art may help him endure the attacks—and attracted by the money—Chen Xun registers.
• The next morning, he is escorted into the heavily guarded and luxurious inner courtyard. He carefully follows the rules and submits to the lower status expected of a servant.
• At the Inner-Courtyard Training Ground, Chen Xun notices a massive golden-colored bronze cauldron weighing over a thousand jin. The servant explains that it is an ancient heirloom of the Li Family and a goal for its young masters to lift.
• Chen Xun is taken to the Seventh Young Master’s private training room and locked inside to wait. There, he discovers an abstract tiger painting that emits a green item designation.
• Ignoring the servant’s warning not to touch anything, Chen Xun examines the painting and obtains information about the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art. The painting grants a cultivation bonus and allows long-term viewers to improve in the technique.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Becomes more resourceful and proactive after Sun An’s rejection. Rather than giving up, he searches for alternative opportunities and willingly risks injury for money and access to the inner courtyard. His cautious but opportunistic nature is reinforced when he secretly investigates the painting.
• Sun An: Has evidently grown distant and impatient toward Chen Xun, suggesting a deterioration in their relationship or a change in his loyalties and circumstances.
• Zhang Shitou: Acts as Chen Xun’s informant, gathering news and warning him about the dangers of the Seventh Young Master’s palm technique.
• Inner-courtyard servant: Displays arrogance toward Chen Xun because of his servant status, but also provides information about the training ground and its artifacts.

Significant Themes

• Adaptability and perseverance: Chen Xun responds to rejection by finding another path instead of becoming discouraged.
• Social hierarchy and humiliation: The contrast between the inner courtyard’s elite residents and Chen Xun’s lowly servant status is emphasized through greetings, treatment, and the servant’s condescension.
• Risk and opportunity: Chen Xun accepts substantial physical and psychological danger in exchange for money, experience, and possible access to valuable cultivation resources.
• Hidden opportunities: Ordinary-looking objects may conceal extraordinary value. The abstract painting appears decorative but is actually a cultivation aid.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen Xun obeys visible rules when necessary but willingly breaks them when he believes the potential reward is worth the danger.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Sun An: Their brief exchange ends in rejection, revealing Sun An’s changed attitude and shutting down Chen Xun’s initial plan.
• Chen Xun and Zhang Shitou: Zhang provides useful information and expresses concern when Chen Xun decides to become a punching bag.
• Chen Xun and the inner-courtyard servant: The servant treats Chen Xun dismissively, warns him repeatedly about proper conduct, and escorts him through the inner courtyard.
• Chen Xun and the guards: The guards inspect him but allow entry after the servant identifies him as the Seventh Young Master’s volunteer.
• Chen Xun and the painting: By touching the painting, Chen Xun unlocks its hidden information and discovers a new cultivation opportunity.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Xun finds a painting containing the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art. It combines a breathing method that detects abnormalities in the body with a tiger visualization that can strengthen the method and intimidate foes. Even modest mastery should help locate hidden Blood Pool Acupoints, though the art is difficult to cultivate.
• He replaces the painting exactly as he found it, then begins practicing what he learned while waiting for the Li family’s Seventh Young Master.
• The Seventh Young Master hires Chen Xun as a training target. Chen Xun may defend himself but cannot strike back, and he spends the morning absorbing blows from the young master’s Dark Nether Palm. Impressed by the practice, the Seventh Young Master offers him five taels of silver per day and orders the household physicians to treat him.
• As Chen Xun is carried to the medical hall, he overhears Li family disciples mocking him for risking injury for money.
• He also sees Sun An, a former acquaintance, serving the Twelfth Young Master. Sun An warns against recruiting Chen Xun, falsely portraying him as violent and ill-mannered. The Twelfth Young Master dismisses the idea, and Sun An avoids Chen Xun’s gaze.
• The physician quickly treats Chen Xun. He recovers by the next day and continues as the Seventh Young Master’s punching bag for seven days, earning thirty-five taels. The chapter ends as Chen Xun anticipates an additional, unexpected benefit from the arrangement.

Character developments

• Chen Xun secures a valuable cultivation technique and begins practicing it. He remains composed under both physical punishment and social scorn, while accepting the dangerous job for its generous pay.
• The Seventh Young Master is enthusiastic about combat training and recognizes Chen Xun’s usefulness, rewarding him well and ensuring his injuries are treated.
• Sun An reveals his willingness to undermine a former acquaintance to protect his own standing and secure favor with the Twelfth Young Master.

Significant themes

• Opportunity amid hardship: Chen Xun turns an unpleasant, risky role into income and potential benefits.
• Self-interest and betrayal: Sun An’s slander contrasts with Chen Xun’s earlier willingness to defend him.
• Power and social hierarchy: The Li family’s disciples treat Chen Xun as expendable, while his options are limited by their authority.
• Discipline and hidden potential: The newly acquired secret art offers a route to greater insight into Chen Xun’s body and future cultivation.

Character interactions

• Chen Xun respectfully negotiates his role with the Seventh Young Master and accepts the payment.
• Li family disciples openly mock Chen Xun, but he refuses to react.
• Sun An disparages Chen Xun to the Twelfth Young Master; their brief eye contact leaves Sun An visibly uneasy.
• The medical staff treat Chen Xun efficiently, enabling him to return to training the following day.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Inner Court Medical Hall descends into chaos after its treasured, decades-old medical book goes missing.
• The book is revealed to be in Chen Xun’s possession. After equipping it, he gains:

Major Accomplishment in Green Satchel Medical Art

Minor Accomplishment in Green Satchel Alchemy

• Lesion Awareness, allowing him to sense illnesses and identify their locations through pulse diagnosis.
• Chen Xun realizes the medical knowledge will let him practice medicine and eventually refine alchemical medicines, though practical alchemy experience is still necessary.
• Liu Feng and Zhao Qing visit Chen Xun. Liu Feng mocks Chen Xun for looking injured, but Chen Xun reveals that he earned forty taels of silver by serving as Seventh Young Master’s training target for eight days.
• Liu Feng is shocked and jealous, especially because he has just become Ninth Young Master’s attendant.
• Zhao Qing explains that Liu Feng gained the position after luckily finding a red lizard during an ore escort mission. Instead of asking for money, Liu Feng begged to become Ninth Young Master’s attendant.
• Liu Feng soon leaves for the Inner Court.
• After awakening the medical art, Chen Xun examines the treatment he received from the Inner Courtyard Clinic. He discovers that the physicians used aggressive acupuncture and powerful tonics to suppress his injuries rather than heal them.
• Chen Xun realizes the treatment may have damaged his foundation and concludes bitterly that the physicians treated him this way because he is only a servant.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun gains an important new skill set in medicine and alchemy. His medical knowledge also reveals the true severity of his injuries and the danger of relying on the clinic’s treatment.
• He becomes more cautious and distrustful of the Inner Court’s medical practitioners, recognizing the exploitation built into the servant system.
• Liu Feng gains status by becoming Ninth Young Master’s attendant, but his arrogance and jealousy become more obvious when he learns how much Chen Xun earned.
• Although Liu Feng’s luck improves his position, his pride remains fragile and easily threatened.
• Zhao Qing shows sympathy and moral courage by defending Chen Xun against Liu Feng, though he remains intimidated by Liu Feng’s growing power.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: The medical book grants Chen Xun abilities that can improve his independence, survival, and future prospects.
• The exploitation of servants: Chen Xun’s injuries were suppressed rather than properly treated because the physicians did not value his life or long-term health.
• Luck and opportunity: Liu Feng’s rise results from a lucky discovery, while Chen Xun’s progress comes through endurance, work, and the acquisition of valuable knowledge.
• Class inequality and status: The characters’ treatment and opportunities depend heavily on their relationship with powerful young masters.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: Chen Xun appears to have recovered, but the medical art reveals that his injuries were merely concealed and may have worsened.

Character Interactions

• Liu Feng taunts Chen Xun and treats Zhao Qing dismissively after gaining the protection of Ninth Young Master.
• Zhao Qing intervenes on Chen Xun’s behalf, creating tension with Liu Feng.
• Chen Xun calmly counters Liu Feng’s mockery by revealing his unexpectedly high earnings, leaving Liu Feng envious and stunned.
• Chen Xun later thanks Zhao Qing for defending him, strengthening their mutual respect.
• Chen Xun’s final realization about the clinic’s treatment transforms his attitude toward the Inner Court from suspicion into cold resentment.

Summary

Chen Xun finishes drinking a bitter medicinal soup and uses the Stake Stance, along with his medical knowledge and special traits, to accelerate his recovery. After discovering widespread hidden injuries caused by repeatedly serving as the Seventh Young Master’s punching bag, he had spent five days treating himself. His injuries are now fully healed, allowing him to resume cultivation.
During his recovery, Chen Xun also continued studying the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art, raising it nearly to mastery. His cultivation has reached 92% of the First Blood-Qi Transformation stage, and he expects to reach the limit within a few days, after which he can attempt a breakthrough.
Chen Xun then checks the results of his attempts to refine Blood-Strength Powder. After numerous failures—mostly due to poor heat control—he successfully produces three and a half bottles. The ingredients cost only about two taels of silver, while the finished medicine is worth more than ten, revealing the powder’s considerable profit potential. He uses part of it to resume strengthening his Blood Qi and physical body.
The next day, Chen Xun visits his younger sister, Chen Qingqing, at the Li Family Martial Arts School. Qingqing is initially emotional because he has been absent, but she quickly brightens when he gives her a roast chicken. Chen Xun reassures himself that she is safe and well cared for by the school master and his wife. He recalls how he had pleaded with them to shelter her after fearing that his enemies might target her.
Chen Xun then thanks the school master, Li Mingyuan, who asks whether his troubles have been resolved. Chen Xun admits they have not and gives him a carefully altered account of the conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang, concealing the truth about Yu Sheng and Yu Qiang’s deaths. Sympathetic and angered that the gang threatened someone connected to the Li Family, Li Mingyuan sends a warning letter to Jiang Tianlang, the gang leader.
Jiang Tianlang blames Ma Qianli for involving the Li Family and orders him never to provoke Chen Xun again. Ma Qianli outwardly obeys but privately becomes even more enraged, withdrawing his surveillance of Chen Xun and Qingqing only because he is forced to do so. He goes to drink at a lover’s home, unaware that someone with cold, hostile eyes is already watching him.

Character Development and Interactions

• Chen Xun: Recovers from serious injuries, successfully refines Blood-Strength Powder, resumes cultivation, and demonstrates greater confidence and strategic deception. He remains protective of Qingqing while learning to use the Li Family’s influence.
• Chen Qingqing: Shows strong emotional dependence on her brother but is reassured by his visit and appears happy and secure at the martial arts school.
• Li Mingyuan: Initially cautious about involvement, he becomes willing to help Chen Xun after his wife’s encouragement and his sense of responsibility toward someone connected to the Li Family.
• Ma Qianli: Is reprimanded by Jiang Tianlang, loses authority temporarily, and develops a stronger personal hatred toward Chen Xun.
• Jiang Tianlang: Acts pragmatically, prioritizing the Wild Wolf Gang’s relationship with the Li Family over Ma Qianli’s grievances.

Significant Themes

• Recovery and self-improvement through discipline and specialized knowledge
• The economic value of medical and alchemical skills
• Family loyalty and the importance of protecting vulnerable loved ones
• Political and social influence as protection against violence
• Deception, hidden motives, and escalating tension beneath outward obedience

Chapter Summary: “Kill Ma Qianli”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Qianli visits his lover, An Niang, and drinks with her while complaining about the stall owner whose growing business has angered him.
• After both become heavily intoxicated, Chen Xun secretly enters the room.
• He puts An Niang into a deeper sleep with silver needles, then examines Ma Qianli and discovers that Ma has damaged his heart and lungs from forcibly breaking through in cultivation.
• Using his medical knowledge and silver needles, Chen Xun deliberately triggers Ma Qianli’s hidden injuries.
• Chen reveals himself and admits that he killed the Yu Qiang brothers, stating that Ma Qianli is his next target.
• Ma Qianli is unable to resist, begs for mercy, and dies after vomiting blood and suffering severe heart and lung pain.
• Chen searches the body but finds only a small amount of money, which he leaves behind to avoid suspicion. He then departs without disturbing the room.
• The next day, An Niang wakes and discovers Ma Qianli’s corpse. The authorities investigate, but the coroner determines that Ma died when heavy drinking caused his old internal injuries to flare up.
• The Wild Wolf Gang is informed. Its leader, Jiang Tianlang, reacts with disbelief and contempt, mocking Ma as useless for “drinking himself to death.”
• Ma Qianli is buried several days later. Because the official explanation supports natural death and Chen appears to have no obvious motive, no one suspects him.
• On the day of Ma’s burial, Chen Xun reaches the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit and prepares to break through.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun becomes more calculating, ruthless, and confident. Rather than killing Ma through a direct confrontation, he exploits Ma’s existing injuries and stages the death as a medical relapse caused by alcohol.
• Ma Qianli is shown as arrogant and violent, but helpless when faced with death. His pleas reveal fear and self-preservation rather than genuine remorse.
• An Niang is affectionate toward Ma but becomes an unwitting participant in his death. Her drinking with him and subsequent confusion make her a useful witness without implicating Chen.
• Jiang Tianlang displays contempt for Ma and frustration over the Wild Wolf Gang’s recent losses, suggesting the gang’s influence is being weakened.

Significant Themes

• Strategic revenge: Chen Xun relies on planning and medical expertise instead of brute force, eliminating Ma while avoiding detection.
• Justice versus cruelty: Ma is punished for his actions, but Chen’s method is deliberate and merciless, blurring the line between justice and vengeance.
• Appearances and deception: Ma’s death is accepted as an accident caused by drinking, demonstrating how easily appearances can conceal murder.
• The vulnerability of hidden injuries: Chen’s medical insight turns Ma’s preexisting cultivation damage into a fatal weakness.
• Rising power: Chen’s successful progress toward a cultivation breakthrough parallels his growing ability to control dangerous situations.

Character Interactions

• Ma and An Niang share an intimate meal and drinks, with An Niang attempting to calm his anger and limit his drinking.
• Chen silently manipulates An Niang’s sleep before confronting Ma.
• Chen taunts Ma by admitting responsibility for the Yu brothers’ deaths and announcing his intention to kill him.
• Ma begs Chen for help, but Chen rejects his apology as insincere and watches him die.
• The constables question An Niang, while the coroner’s report redirects suspicion away from murder.
• Jiang Tianlang and his subordinate discuss Ma’s death, with the gang leader responding with ridicule rather than grief.

Chapter Summary: “Breakthrough, Qi-Blood Second Transformation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun begins his breakthrough to the Qi-Blood Second Transformation after reaching the limit of the First Transformation.
• He consumes large amounts of Blood-Strength Powder to generate Blood Qi, then uses the Mountain Lord Breathing Method and the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art to search for the hidden Blood Pool Acupoint.
• By visualizing a massive White Tiger, Chen Xun gains enough awareness to locate the acupoint. He concentrates his Blood Qi against it repeatedly, consuming enormous quantities of medicinal powder in the process.
• The Blood Pool Acupoint eventually opens, allowing the remaining Blood Qi to flow inside. Chen Xun successfully advances to the Qi-Blood Second Transformation, initially reaching 1% advancement.
• Exhausted from maintaining the visualization technique, he sleeps from the afternoon until the following morning.
• Upon waking, Chen Xun discovers that his Acupoint-Finding Secret Art has risen dramatically from 50 to 150 Mastery, likely because of its intensive use during the breakthrough.
• While eating at a restaurant, Chen Xun hears Sister Ye being harassed by men searching for a valuable century-old painting.
• He intervenes when Captain Sun of the Gale Gang threatens her, knocking Captain Sun unconscious with two punches.
• When Captain Sun’s subordinates arrive, Sister Ye urges Chen Xun to flee. The two escape to a remote alley, where she explains that the painting is worth several hundred taels of silver and may be connected to her deceased husband’s death.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun successfully enters the Qi-Blood Second Transformation, greatly strengthening his cultivation foundation.
• His ability to use visualization and martial techniques improves significantly, as shown by the large increase in his Acupoint-Finding Secret Art mastery.
• Chen Xun demonstrates growing confidence and physical power by defeating Captain Sun effortlessly.
• He also reveals a protective and courageous side, willingly stepping into danger to defend Sister Ye.
• Sister Ye is shown to be under considerable pressure and danger. Although frightened, she remains firm in refusing to let the men enter her home or intimidate her into cooperation.
• Her connection to the mysterious painting and her husband’s death introduces a deeper personal conflict.

Significant Themes

• Breakthrough through endurance: Chen Xun’s advancement requires careful control, immense effort, and the consumption of substantial resources.
• The importance of technique and perception: The visualization of the White Tiger allows Chen Xun to sense and control his Blood Qi well enough to locate the hidden acupoint.
• Power and responsibility: Chen Xun’s new strength is immediately placed in a moral context when he uses it to protect a vulnerable woman rather than for personal gain.
• Hidden secrets and danger: The mysterious painting suggests unresolved events surrounding Sister Ye’s husband and hints at a broader conspiracy or conflict.
• The cost of cultivation: The breakthrough leaves Chen Xun physically and mentally exhausted, emphasizing that rapid advancement comes with significant strain.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun’s interaction with Sister Ye shifts from casual familiarity to active protection. He remembers visiting her home despite her claim that no unrelated men have entered it, suggesting a humorous or understated familiarity between them.
• Chen Xun confronts Captain Sun, rejecting his bullying and defeating him immediately.
• Sister Ye attempts to protect Chen Xun by urging him not to pursue the fleeing men and warning him about the Gale Gang.
• After escaping, Sister Ye begins revealing the connection between the gang’s pursuit, the century-old painting, and her husband’s death, setting up the next stage of the plot.

Chapter Summary: “Purple Item: Painting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun examines an ancient painting and discovers that it is a purple-grade item with several powerful attributes:
  • Calm Mind, which eliminates distractions and helps him enter a cultivation state.
  • Focused Spirit, which sharpens his senses, improves comprehension, and strengthens his spirit.
• Ye Ying reveals the painting’s history. Her late husband, Yun Zhen, acquired it and was later murdered after refusing to sell it to someone who recognized its value.
• After Yun Zhen’s death, suspicious men came searching for the painting, and thieves broke into his study. Ye Ying eventually retrieved the painting from his workplace and hid it beneath her floorboards.
• Chen Xun asks to borrow the painting, and Ye Ying willingly gives it to him, relieved to be rid of both its danger and the painful memories attached to it.
• Because Chen Xun and Ye Ying have angered the Gale Gang, he persuades her to leave her home and stay at his rented house.
• As they attempt to leave Bamboo-Wood Ward, Captain Sun and the Gale Gang’s branch master intercept them. Chen Xun avoids fighting openly and carries Ye Ying away, escaping into a crowded area where the gang cannot act without attracting attention.
• The branch master orders his men to watch Ye Ying’s former home and search it for the painting, unaware that she has already left.
• At Chen Xun’s residence, Ye Ying begins settling in and cleaning the house. She and Chen Xun take separate rooms for the night.
• Chen Xun tests the painting’s effects during cultivation. Calm Mind allows him to enter deep concentration immediately, while Focused Spirit more than doubles his progress in the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art. He estimates reaching Minor Accomplishment in less than half a month.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates increasing caution and strategic thinking. Although he could likely defeat the Gale Gang members, he deliberately avoids revealing his true strength or exposing his recent breakthroughs and secret martial art.
• He also shows compassion and responsibility by protecting Ye Ying, offering her a safe place to stay, and planning for Qingqing to live with them.
• Ye Ying moves from grief and anxiety toward practical acceptance. Though reluctant to abandon her home, she recognizes the danger posed by the Gale Gang and agrees to leave. Her decision to give Chen Xun the painting also shows her desire to escape the burden connected to it.
• Yun Zhen, though deceased, is characterized as an innocent scholar whose possession of the painting brought about his murder.
• Captain Sun is portrayed as cowardly and opportunistic, attempting to claim credit and act independently, while the branch master treats him harshly and reinforces his authority.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden in ordinary objects: The painting appears unremarkable to Ye Ying but contains abilities of immense value to Chen Xun.
• Greed and violence: The painting’s worth leads to betrayal, murder, robbery, and continued pursuit by the Gale Gang.
• Protection and found family: Chen Xun begins taking responsibility for Ye Ying and Qingqing, creating a safer household for people endangered by the gang.
• Prudence and concealed strength: Chen Xun prioritizes survival and secrecy over proving his superiority in combat.
• Transformation through cultivation: The painting’s attributes dramatically improve Chen Xun’s mental discipline, comprehension, and progress, making it a major asset in his advancement.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Ye Ying develop trust as he comforts her over Yun Zhen’s death and helps her escape the Gale Gang.
• Ye Ying repays his protection by treating the painting as his and helping turn his bare residence into a livable home.
• Chen Xun directly clashes with Captain Sun and the Gale Gang but avoids a prolonged confrontation.
• The branch master reprimands Captain Sun for acting selfishly, revealing the gang’s internal hierarchy and ruthless discipline.

Chapter Summary: “News”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Peng returns to the Martial Artist Courtyard after more than a month of recovery and learns that Liu Feng has become the Ninth Young Master’s attendant. Both Li Peng and Zhao Qing react with jealousy and resentment.
• Zhang Shitou arrives with alarming news: the Li Family Hunting Team has suffered catastrophic losses after encountering something terrifying in the mountains. He personally saw several bloodied survivors fleeing, including a normally imposing Hunting Team member.
• Chen Xun urges everyone—Zhang Shitou, Zhao Qing, and Li Peng—to keep the matter secret, since spreading such information could bring punishment from the Li Family. Although Li Peng agrees outwardly, he soon betrays their confidence.
• Chen Xun continues cultivating after reaching the Qi-Blood Second Transformation. Through Blood-Strength Powder and his special abilities, he rapidly fills the Blood Pool Acupoint and condenses liquid Essence Blood, which strengthens his body and can greatly amplify martial techniques.
• Chen Xun’s cultivation reaches 3% of the Second Transformation. He can condense only one drop of Essence Blood per day, but he expects to progress faster after filling the current Blood Pool Acupoint or opening a second one.
• Li Peng rushes home and tells his father, Li Yuan, about the Hunting Team disaster. Li Yuan investigates and confirms the report indirectly: the Inner Courtyard Clinic has closed, suggesting that a high-ranking family member—likely the Hunting Team’s new leader, the Fourth Master—was seriously injured.
• Li Yuan recognizes the news as strategically valuable and decides to contact an unnamed person. He praises Li Peng for reporting it but orders him to focus on cultivation rather than becoming involved.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates composure, kindness, and discretion by helping Zhang Shitou recover and warning everyone not to spread the news. His cultivation continues advancing rapidly, and his understanding of Essence Blood and the Blood Pool Acupoint deepens.
• Li Peng: Reveals jealousy toward Liu Feng and resentment toward Chen Xun. He is impulsive and hypocritical, breaking his promise to keep the Hunting Team’s disaster secret in hopes of gaining his father’s approval or influence.
• Zhang Shitou: Shows his practical background and courage. His experience as a hunter allows him to recognize the seriousness of the survivors’ condition and bring the information back to the courtyard.
• Li Yuan: Proves observant and politically calculating. Rather than relying on rumors, he confirms the report through the Inner Courtyard Clinic’s closure and immediately considers how to exploit the situation.
• Zhao Qing: Displays envy of Liu Feng’s newfound position but otherwise remains cautious and restrained.
• Liu Feng: Though absent from the chapter, his advancement to the Ninth Young Master’s attendant establishes him as someone whose fortunes have risen sharply.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and social hierarchy: Liu Feng’s promotion exposes the envy felt by Li Peng and Zhao Qing, while Li Peng’s behavior reflects resentment toward those who rise above him.
• Secrecy and betrayal: The group understands that the Hunting Team news is dangerous, but Li Peng’s decision to reveal it demonstrates how personal ambition can override loyalty.
• Political exploitation of disaster: Li Yuan treats the Hunting Team’s losses not merely as bad news but as an opportunity to contact allies and advance his own interests.
• Cultivation and efficiency: Chen Xun’s progress highlights the importance of resources, special abilities, and efficient refinement in martial advancement.
• Contrasting character and moral conduct: Chen Xun’s calm assistance to Zhang Shitou contrasts with Li Peng’s selfishness and Chen Xun’s internal criticism of his behavior.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Peng and Zhao Qing: Their conversation about Liu Feng reveals mutual envy and their awareness of changing status within the family.
• Chen Xun and Zhang Shitou: Chen Xun treats Zhang Shitou considerately by giving him water and helping him calm down, unlike Li Peng’s impatient questioning.
• The four courtyard residents: Chen Xun, Li Peng, Zhao Qing, and Zhang Shitou agree to keep the Hunting Team disaster secret, though Li Peng later violates that agreement.
• Li Peng and Li Yuan: Li Peng reports the news to his father, seeking recognition. Li Yuan confirms its truth, praises him, but warns him not to interfere further.
• Li Yuan and the broader Li Family: The closure of the Inner Courtyard Clinic becomes indirect evidence of the Hunting Team’s losses and the injury of an important family member.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Feng reaches the First Transformation Limit, greatly boosting his confidence. He plans to obtain an Acupoint-Finding Secret Art from the Ninth Young Master and eventually surpass Chen Xun, Li Peng, and others who once looked down on him.
• News of Liu Feng’s progress spreads among the attendants. Most respond warmly, but Sun An becomes intensely jealous and secretly questions his decision to distance himself from Liu Feng and Chen Xun.
• Li Peng, unwilling to fall behind Liu Feng, takes a Blood-Strength Pill supplied by his family and begins cultivating despite its overwhelming medicinal effects.
• Chen Xun hints that he will soon reach the same level. The following day, it is revealed that he has already reached the First Transformation Limit, been certified by Steward Zhu, and earned the right to purchase an Acupoint-Finding Secret Art.
• Chen Xun pays twenty taels of silver and obtains the art, though he privately considers it inferior to his superior Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art. He bought it mainly to publicly legitimize his cultivation.
• Li Peng, consumed by jealousy, falsely suspects Chen Xun of possessing unexplained wealth and reports him. Steward Zhu rebukes him, explaining that Chen Xun legally earned the money as the Seventh Young Master’s sparring partner. Li Peng is humiliated and develops an even stronger hatred for Chen Xun.
• Sun An is shaken by Chen Xun’s rapid advancement, experiencing regret and jealousy, but convinces himself that abandoning their former association was still the correct choice.
• Liu Feng is frustrated that Chen Xun has once again advanced only one day behind him. Determined to maintain his lead, he continues studying his Acupoint-Finding Secret Art.
• Several days later, reports emerge that the Li Family Hunting Team suffered heavy losses. The Huo Family produces corpses allegedly belonging to the team, forcing the Li Family to admit the disaster despite initially denying it.
• The Li Family imposes a gag order, urgently recruits new Hunting Team members, and begins selecting martial talent from among its servants. It also dismisses untalented servants, recruits replacements, and temporarily lowers fees at its martial arts school, gaining more than ten new talented disciples.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun continues to conceal his true abilities while strategically revealing enough strength to gain access to future opportunities, especially the Hunting Team. His financial resources and superior cultivation methods give him a major advantage.
• Liu Feng grows more ambitious and competitive. His breakthrough gives him confidence, but Chen Xun’s nearly identical progress keeps him determined to improve.
• Li Peng becomes increasingly jealous and reckless. His attempt to surpass others with a Blood-Strength Pill fails to give him an immediate advantage, while his false accusation against Chen Xun leaves him publicly disgraced.
• Sun An suffers from intense envy and regret after seeing both Liu Feng and Chen Xun advance rapidly. He remains outwardly loyal to the Twelfth Young Master while hiding his conflicted feelings.
• Steward Zhu demonstrates fairness and authority by defending Chen Xun against Li Peng’s baseless accusation.
• The Li Family leadership becomes more reactive and pressured after the Hunting Team’s losses, taking emergency measures to rebuild its strength.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and rivalry: The characters constantly compare their progress, with Liu Feng, Li Peng, and Sun An reacting emotionally to Chen Xun’s advancement.
• Hidden strength and strategic restraint: Chen Xun deliberately conceals his true cultivation and reveals only enough to secure recognition and future opportunities.
• Social hierarchy and prejudice: Li Peng’s repeated use of “mud-legged” reflects contempt for Chen Xun’s lower background, while Chen Xun’s success challenges those assumptions.
• Merit versus status: Chen Xun gains recognition through proven achievements and legal earnings rather than family privilege, contrasting with Li Peng’s dependence on family resources.
• Power and survival: The Hunting Team’s losses reveal the dangers surrounding the Li Family and create new opportunities for talented servants like Chen Xun.
• Institutional competition: The Li Family’s emergency recruitment and discounted martial arts training demonstrate how external threats affect its internal policies and intensify competition with other schools.

Character Interactions

• Liu Feng privately vows to surpass Chen Xun and Li Peng.
• Sun An presents a fawning exterior to the Twelfth Young Master while secretly resenting Liu Feng’s success.
• Li Peng mocks Chen Xun’s claim that he will soon advance, then becomes enraged when Chen Xun actually succeeds.
• Steward Zhu publicly rejects Li Peng’s accusation and confirms Chen Xun’s legitimate achievements.
• Chen Xun and Liu Feng become direct but mostly unspoken rivals, repeatedly advancing within a day of one another.
• The Li Family’s response to the Hunting Team disaster affects servants, martial artists, rival families, and martial arts schools throughout the city.

Chapter Summary: “Successfully Joining”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun is interviewed by Xie Xiong, a burly Hunting Team member, and successfully accepted into the team.
• Xie Xiong praises Chen Xun’s rapid cultivation progress, courage, and clever use of a crossbow during the bandit mission.
• Chen Xun receives a Tiger Token, proving his membership. He learns that the Hunting Team captain carries the superior Dragon Token.
• The Hunting Team offers valuable benefits, including access to Mutant Beast meat, Blood-Strength Pills, and martial techniques at the Dragon-Tiger Grounds.
• Xie Xiong hints that a mysterious past “incident” has made it possible for someone of Chen Xun’s cultivation level to join, but refuses to discuss the classified matter.
• Chen Xun meets Luo Tao, another applicant at the First Blood-Qi Transformation Limit, and the two agree to become acquainted if Luo passes.
• Li Peng, jealous of Chen Xun and overconfident about his own chances, is rejected because of his weak cultivation, poor temperament, and betrayal of Chen Xun during their previous mission. Xie Xiong reveals that Li Peng’s actions were recorded, leaving Li Peng humiliated and resentful.
• Chen Xun reports to the Dragon-Tiger Grounds, the Hunting Team’s inner-courtyard headquarters. He notices a stone lock emitting Violet Light, suggesting it is connected to the mysterious system or special items he can perceive.
• He meets Yang Feng, a senior member who suffers from a concealed injury. Yang Feng gives Chen Xun a tour of the headquarters and leads him to the Tower of Ten Thousand Beasts.
• Inside, Chen Xun meets several other newcomers and learns from He Jin about the tower’s cultivation benefits.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Officially advances from outsider to Hunting Team member. His reputation for bravery, intelligence, and reliability is recognized, and he begins gaining access to resources that can accelerate his cultivation. His curiosity about the Violet Light and the Hunting Team’s secrets also grows.
• Xie Xiong: Acts as a fair but strict evaluator. He recognizes genuine ability while condemning cowardice, betrayal, and poor character. He becomes Chen Xun’s first official teammate.
• Li Peng: His envy and resentment intensify after being rejected and publicly humiliated. Rather than accepting responsibility, he blames Chen Xun and develops a stronger grudge against him.
• Luo Tao: Introduced as a potential friend and future teammate. His excitement after seeing Chen Xun pass reflects the appeal of the Hunting Team’s opportunities.
• Yang Feng: Appears friendly and welcoming but is secretly suffering from a serious injury, possibly connected to the mysterious incident mentioned by Xie Xiong.
• He Jin: Provides Chen Xun with important information about the Tower of Ten Thousand Beasts and the team’s cultivation methods.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus entitlement: Chen Xun is accepted because of his actual achievements, while Li Peng is rejected because his behavior and record reveal poor character.
• The value of reputation and loyalty: The Hunting Team records members’ conduct. Chen Xun’s willingness to fight and save others benefits him, whereas Li Peng’s betrayal damages his future.
• Access to power and opportunity: Membership grants Chen Xun access to rare resources, secret techniques, and specialized training unavailable to ordinary martial artists.
• Hidden secrets and danger: The classified “incident,” Yang Feng’s injury, and the mysterious Violet Light suggest deeper conflicts within the Hunting Team.
• Cultivation through confrontation: The Tower of Ten Thousand Beasts shows that spiritual strength can be developed by facing and enduring the preserved aura of powerful Mutant Beasts.

Character Interactions

• Xie Xiong evaluates Chen Xun, praises his accomplishments, and warns him not to investigate classified matters.
• Chen Xun encourages Luo Tao before his assessment, beginning a possible friendship.
• Xie Xiong confronts Li Peng about his betrayal and compares their performances, exposing the reasons for his rejection.
• Yang Feng welcomes Chen Xun, conceals the seriousness of his injury, and guides him through the headquarters.
• He Jin explains the Tower of Ten Thousand Beasts and its role in strengthening the spirit and advancing the Visualization Method.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Feng introduces the newly formed Hunting Team’s organization, benefits, and rules in the Tower of Ten Thousand Beasts.
• The team will consist of one squad with fifteen members. Seventy percent of all hunted Mutant Beasts must be handed over to the estate. Of the remaining thirty percent, half is distributed among the members and half is sold within the team, with the proceeds placed in a public reward fund.
• Members gain access to valuable facilities, including:
  • The Beast Pavilion, which strengthens spiritual power.
  • Cold-storage facilities for Mutant Beast meat.
  • A martial arts repository.
  • A pill repository.
• Yang Feng announces five severe rules: no killing teammates, hiding prey, privately selling team supplies, privately teaching team martial arts, or disobeying the captain during hunts. Violating any of these rules results in execution.
• The group is ordered to assemble the next morning at the Dragon-Tiger Grounds to meet the captain.
• Chen Xun notices the purple-lit stone lock but still does not get an opportunity to use it, though he resolves to return later.
• Luo Tao invites Chen Xun to lunch. Chen Xun learns that Luo Tao came from the Li Family Martial Arts School, is bound to serve the Li Family for three years, and has been trapped at the First Transformation Limit because poverty restricts his access to cultivation resources.
• Upon returning to the Martial Artist Courtyard, Chen Xun becomes the focus of attention after others hear that he joined the Hunting Team. Their reactions range from envy to regret.
• The team’s extremely high casualty rate is revealed: of fifteen former members, eight died, three were seriously injured, one was crippled, and only three suffered minor injuries. This explains why many Martial Artists avoided joining.
• Chen Xun resumes cultivating with Blood-Strength Powder. His Blood Qi has filled roughly two-thirds of his Blood Pool Acupoint, allowing him to produce two drops of Essence Blood per day.
• His Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art is close to Minor Accomplishment. Once completed, he expects to open another Blood Pool Acupoint and greatly accelerate his cultivation compared with ordinary Martial Artists.
• The following morning, Chen Xun arrives early at the Dragon-Tiger Grounds and meets Luo Tao and Zhang Zhong. The other recruits gradually arrive.
• Yang Feng and Xie Xiong eventually appear behind a middle-aged man identified as the Li Family’s Fourth Master, who is also the captain of the Hunting Team. Everyone respectfully greets him.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates ambition, composure, and strong survival instincts. He understands the danger of the Hunting Team but sees it as a means to obtain cultivation resources. His unusual plan to open multiple Blood Pool Acupoints promises a major advantage over other Martial Artists.
• Yang Feng: Establishes himself as a strict and powerful organizer. His mastery of the Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art, nearing Major Accomplishment, reveals that he is stronger than Chen Xun initially expected.
• Luo Tao: Becomes Chen Xun’s first friendly connection within the team. His financial struggles show the limitations faced by ordinary low-level Martial Artists and explain his stalled cultivation.
• Zhang Zhong: Is portrayed as disciplined and diligent, regularly rising early to cultivate.
• Fourth Master: Is introduced as the Hunting Team’s captain and a powerful, respected member of the Li Family.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus opportunity: The Hunting Team offers access to rare cultivation resources but carries an extraordinary risk of death or permanent injury.
• Class and financial inequality: Martial Artists’ progress depends heavily on access to silver, pills, and training resources. Luo Tao’s stagnation reflects how poverty can limit even talented cultivators.
• Discipline and loyalty: The team’s ironclad rules emphasize obedience, secrecy, and cooperation in an environment where betrayal could endanger everyone.
• Ambition and self-improvement: Chen Xun’s determination to cultivate multiple Blood Pool Acupoints highlights his drive to surpass ordinary limits.
• Fear and temperament: The chapter distinguishes between a lack of strength, which can be remedied through cultivation, and cowardice, which may prove fatal during a hunt.

Character Interactions

• Yang Feng addresses and intimidates the entire team while explaining its structure and laws.
• Chen Xun observes Yang Feng’s cultivation and silently recognizes their shared secret art.
• Luo Tao and Chen Xun bond over lunch, discussing their backgrounds and the economic burdens of martial training.
• Other Martial Artists question Chen Xun about joining the Hunting Team, revealing their envy and uncertainty.
• Chen Xun exchanges early-morning conversation with Luo Tao and Zhang Zhong before the captain’s arrival.
• The recruits collectively show respect to Fourth Master, establishing his authority over the Hunting Team.

Summary: “A New Purple Item”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fourth Master Li Tiangang welcomes the new members of the Hunting Team, presenting himself as approachable and emphasizing that trust will develop over time.
• Yang Feng and Xie Xiong explain the team’s daily structure:
  • Mornings focus on encircling and hunting Mutant Beasts, identifying their weaknesses, and studying previously encountered species.
  • Afternoons are free for personal training.
• Xie Xiong warns Martial Artists still at the Qi-Blood First Transformation Limit to break through to the Second Transformation within one month or leave the team.
• Wu Zhen begins teaching hunting formations, while the foul-tempered Zheng Hu teaches the group about Mutant Beasts.
• After a morning of shared training, the newcomers become more comfortable with one another and go to the cafeteria together.
• Yang Feng and Xie Xiong privately discuss a mysterious matter connected to a Li Family secret. Xie firmly warns Yang Feng never to ask about it again.
• Yang Feng’s injury is revealed to be more serious than he admits: although he claims to have only a lingering cough, he secretly coughs blood.
• Chen Xun remains at the Dragon-Tiger Grounds in the afternoon and asks Yang Feng whether the storeroom contains tiger bones and Mutant Beast meat. He needs tiger bones for a medicinal bath related to his Iron Garment Art.
• Yang Feng offers to investigate the storeroom and suggests that Chen Xun seek guidance from Xie Xiong, who has practiced a similar body-tempering technique.
• While waiting, Chen Xun examines a stone lock and discovers that it is a rare purple-grade item with powerful entries:

Stake Training Bonus

Primordial Unity Stance: Perfection

• Great Strength, adding one thousand jin of strength
• Gravity, allowing him to double the gravity acting on himself
• The stone lock’s description reveals that it once belonged to a genius whose rise was ended when the stone lock killed him, suggesting a dangerous and mysterious past.
• Chen Xun secretly stores the stone lock in his item inventory and absorbs its martial knowledge. His Primordial Unity Stance progress rises from 180/300 to 240/300, bringing him close to Major Accomplishment.
• He begins testing the effects of the Great Strength and Gravity abilities, hoping Gravity may accelerate Blood Qi cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun becomes more ambitious and resourceful. He actively seeks materials for his Iron Garment Art, recognizes the value of the purple stone lock, and cautiously hides his discovery rather than investigating its dangerous history.
• Li Tiangang is introduced as humble, charismatic, and seemingly trustworthy, though his connection to the Li Family’s secret adds an element of mystery.
• Yang Feng acts as a helpful manager and mentor, assisting Chen Xun with resources and recommending Xie Xiong. However, his hidden injury shows that he is concealing his true condition.
• Xie Xiong emerges as stern, direct, and protective. He enforces high standards for the new recruits and strongly guards the Li Family’s secrets.
• Wu Zhen appears kind and approachable, while Zheng Hu is portrayed as rough, intimidating, and hot-tempered.
• The new recruits begin transitioning from strangers into a cohesive group through shared training and meals.

Significant Themes

• Trust and secrecy: Li Tiangang seeks to earn the newcomers’ trust, while Yang Feng and Xie Xiong conceal a sensitive Li Family matter.
• Pressure and advancement: The one-month breakthrough deadline emphasizes the harsh demands of the martial world.
• Hidden danger: Both Yang Feng’s concealed injury and the stone lock’s deadly history suggest that appearances can be deceptive.
• Opportunity through chance: Chen Xun’s discovery of the purple stone lock gives him an unexpected opportunity to greatly improve his cultivation.
• Discipline and shared experience: Training and learning together rapidly build familiarity and unity among the recruits.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Tiangang addresses the newcomers warmly, establishing an initial bond with them.
• Yang Feng and Xie Xiong coordinate the team’s training and privately debate the recruits’ usefulness and the Li Family secret.
• Xie Xiong supports Yang Feng when his coughing worsens, revealing their camaraderie.
• Yang Feng advises Chen Xun about Xie Xiong and promises to search for tiger bones.
• Chen Xun’s interactions with the stone lock—not another character—drive the chapter’s main breakthrough, giving him new martial insights and a powerful cultivation advantage.

Chapter Summary: Refining Blood-Strength Pills

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun experiments with his newly activated [Great Strength] and [Gravity] traits.
• [Gravity] allows him to increase the force acting on his body by up to onefold and apply it selectively to limbs, organs, or his Blood Pool Acupoint.
• He discovers that applying gravity to his Blood Qi compresses it and greatly accelerates the production of Essence Blood.
• Chen Xun visits Yang Feng at the Dragon-Tiger Grounds and purchases tiger bones and low-grade Mutant Beast meat.
• He returns home, where Ye Ying and Chen Qingqing help prepare a hot-water bath for cultivating the Iron Garment Art.
• Chen Xun repeatedly fails while refining [Blood-Strength Pills], becoming nearly obsessive, but eventually succeeds.
• Using tiger bones and medicinal ingredients, he begins intensive cultivation through the Tiger Medicinal Bath.
• Over several days, he makes rapid progress in the Iron Garment Art and advances the Primordial Unity Stance to Major Accomplishment.
• He refines eighteen Blood-Strength Pills and confirms that they are much more effective than Blood-Strength Powder, though his body absorbs them unusually quickly.
• Testing confirms that Gravity more than doubles his Essence Blood production—from two drops per day to five.
• The [Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art] reaches Minor Accomplishment, allowing him to prepare to open his second Blood Pool Acupoint.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates increasing control and creativity with his traits, using Gravity not merely for combat or physical training but to improve cultivation efficiency.
• His alchemy skills improve significantly. After his first successful Blood-Strength Pill, his refinement success rate rises to sixty percent.
• His martial progress accelerates dramatically:
  • Iron Garment Art advances by roughly fifty points per day.
  • Primordial Unity Stance reaches Major Accomplishment.
  • Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art reaches Minor Accomplishment.
• Chen Xun’s obsessive, determined nature is evident when he continues refining pills despite repeated failures, though he is able to regain composure when interrupted.
• Ye Ying continues helping maintain the household and supports Chen Xun’s cultivation.
• Chen Qingqing has left the Li Family Martial Arts School but remains under Chen Xun’s protection and is expected to study martial arts there when old enough.
• Yang Feng assists Chen Xun by allowing him to purchase scarce tiger bones and Mutant Beast meat from the warehouse.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity in cultivation: Chen Xun maximizes the usefulness of his traits by applying them in unconventional ways.
• Resourcefulness and self-reliance: His ability to refine Blood-Strength Pills reduces his dependence on expensive and scarce external supplies.
• Persistent effort and gradual mastery: Despite repeated alchemy failures, Chen Xun continues experimenting until he succeeds.
• The value of rare resources: Mutant Beast meat, tiger bones, medicinal baths, and pills are all costly but essential for rapid martial advancement.
• Protection through strength: Chen Xun’s concern for Chen Qingqing reflects the dangerous nature of the world and the necessity of martial ability.
• Accelerated growth versus ordinary limits: Chen Xun’s traits, experience, and special techniques allow him to progress far faster than typical Martial Artists.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun consults Yang Feng, who provides access to tiger bones and Mutant Beast meat while reminding him to pay the full price.
• At home, Ye Ying and Chen Qingqing cooperate in preparing the medicinal bath at Chen Xun’s request.
• Chen Xun’s interactions with both women reveal a supportive household dynamic, with him acting as provider and protector.
• His internal struggle with failed alchemy highlights the tension between his ambition and the limits of patience, while the interruption from Ye Ying helps him regain control and focus.

Chapter Summary: Opening the Second Blood Pool Acupoint

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun successfully locates and opens his second Blood Pool Acupoint after cultivating the [Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art] to Minor Accomplishment.
• With two Blood Pool Acupoints and the [Gravity] trait, he can now produce fourteen drops of Essence Blood daily—several times faster than an ordinary martial artist.
• His increased cultivation speed requires him to continue buying Blood-Strength Pills and exotic beast meat, placing pressure on his dwindling finances.
• As winter approaches, Chen Xun takes Chen Qingqing and Ye Ying shopping for warm clothing. During the outing, he notices that a seemingly ordinary laborer has been secretly following him.
• Chen Xun lures the stalker away, immobilizes him with silver needles, and tortures him using his advanced medical and acupoint knowledge.
• The stalker reveals that his name is Liu Bo and that Master Zhao of the Gale Gang—confirmed to be Zhao Tong—sent him.
• Recognizing Zhao Tong as the man connected to Captain Sun who previously pursued him and Ye Ying, Chen Xun decides to retaliate.
• Chen Xun kills Liu Bo silently with a Blood Qi-infused needle, finding only a few copper coins on him.
• After returning the women home, Chen Xun prepares supplies such as knockout smoke, lime, and chili powder for a planned operation against Zhao Tong.
• He cultivates with the Essence Blood generated by his two acupoints, raising his strength slightly. His cultivation reaches 56% of Qi-Blood Second Transformation.
• Chen Xun intends to push the [Iron Garment Art] to Perfection before beginning the night’s operation.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Becomes more perceptive, calculating, and confident as his spiritual power and medical knowledge improve. He demonstrates efficient methods of surveillance detection, interrogation, assassination, and preparation for uncertain enemies. His financial difficulties also motivate him to consider robbing Zhao Tong.
• Chen Qingqing: Remains cheerful and affectionate toward Chen Xun, enjoying the shopping trip and seeking his approval of her clothing.
• Ye Ying: Acts warmly toward Chen Qingqing and participates in the clothing selection, while still showing modesty and hesitation about accepting Chen Xun’s generosity.
• Liu Bo: Initially disguises himself as a harmless, impoverished laborer, but is exposed as a spy working for Zhao Tong. He breaks quickly under Chen Xun’s torture and reveals his employer.
• Zhao Tong: Reemerges as an ongoing threat. Despite Chen Xun having temporarily forgotten him, he continues monitoring Chen Xun through hired informants.

Significant Themes

• Growth through cultivation: Opening the second Blood Pool Acupoint significantly increases Chen Xun’s ability to generate Essence Blood and accelerate his martial advancement.
• Perception versus appearance: Liu Bo’s weak, honest-looking disguise contrasts with his role as a stalker, emphasizing the danger of judging people by appearances.
• Preparation and caution: Chen Xun refuses to underestimate Zhao Tong and gathers multiple tools before confronting him, reflecting his increasingly strategic mindset.
• Power and control: Chen Xun’s mastery of acupoints allows him to immobilize, interrogate, and kill opponents with precision.
• Financial pressure and survival: The cost of cultivation leaves Chen Xun nearly penniless, pushing him toward dangerous actions such as robbing wealthy enemies.
• Protective relationships: The relaxed shopping scene with Chen Qingqing and Ye Ying contrasts with Chen Xun’s violent actions, showing both his caring family role and ruthless protective side.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun affectionately reassures Chen Qingqing about her appearance, while Ye Ying helps her choose clothes.
• Chen Xun observes Liu Bo’s movements from a distance, identifies him as a stalker, and tricks him into revealing himself.
• He uses silver needles to paralyze Liu Bo, then interrogates him in a secluded alley until he discloses Zhao Tong’s involvement.
• Chen Xun returns to the clothing shop and pays for the women’s purchases before escorting them home, maintaining his protective role despite the threat surrounding him.

Chapter Summary: Iron Garment Art at Perfection, Adding Points

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun successfully cultivates the Iron Garment Art to Perfection. His skin temporarily becomes as hard and dark as iron, giving him greatly enhanced defensive ability.
• Reaching Perfection grants him his first Universal Point.
• After considering several options, Chen Xun spends the point on Constitution, raising it to 5 points, Grade C, Middle Tier.
• The increase does not immediately improve his outward strength, but it expands his Blood Pool Acupoints by roughly one-fifth, increasing their capacity for Blood Qi.
• Chen Xun realizes that superior Constitution—and therefore larger Blood Pool Acupoints—is likely a major reason why talented martial artists cultivate so quickly. He begins to believe the rumors about the Li Family’s Eighth Young Master reaching the peak of the Blood-Qi Third Transformation in only one year.
• He then continues cultivating and discovers that his Blood Qi refinement speed has improved slightly.
• That night, Chen Xun travels to Green Bamboo Ward, where the Gale Gang is holding a lavish birthday celebration for the gang leader’s first wife. The gang uses the event to extort gift money from local residents.
• Chen Xun infiltrates the banquet by disguising himself as a low-ranking gang worker. He observes Zhao Tong, a branch leader who is heavily intoxicated.
• Chen Xun follows Zhao Tong home and waits until he is unconscious. He kills him using silver needles, then searches the house for valuables.
• He finds only a small amount of silver at first, but later discovers one hundred taels hidden in Zhao Tong’s wife’s room. He also uses homemade incense to knock out anyone who might interfere.
• Chen Xun escapes unnoticed. Zhao Tong’s wife does not discover the murder until the following noon, when her scream alerts the Gale Gang.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun becomes more powerful and increasingly confident in the usefulness of his status panel and Universal Points. However, learning about the advantages possessed by high-grade geniuses tempers his self-satisfaction and reminds him of the gap between ordinary talent and true genius.
• His improved Constitution gives him greater long-term potential, particularly through expanded Blood Pool Acupoints and faster Blood Qi cultivation.
• Chen Xun also demonstrates growing stealth, patience, deception, and ruthlessness. He infiltrates an enemy stronghold, tracks Zhao Tong, assassinates him without detection, and loots his home methodically.
• Zhao Tong is portrayed as corrupt, gluttonous, and careless. His drunkenness leaves him defenseless and allows Chen Xun to kill him easily.
• Zhao Tong’s wife appears more responsible and capable than her husband, managing the household and secretly saving a considerable amount of money.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus effort: Chen Xun learns that innate Constitution affects the size of Blood Pool Acupoints and helps explain why geniuses cultivate so rapidly.
• Growth through external enhancement: The Universal Point system allows Chen Xun to overcome natural limitations and gradually improve his talent.
• Power and exploitation: The Gale Gang’s forced collection of birthday gifts highlights its abuse of authority and the suffering of ordinary residents.
• Pragmatism and ruthlessness: Chen Xun treats assassination and theft as practical methods for dealing with enemies, showing his willingness to use covert and morally ambiguous tactics.
• Hidden strength: Chen Xun’s most important gains—expanded acupoints, improved cultivation speed, and perfected defense—are not immediately obvious from his physical appearance.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Chen Qingqing/Ye Ying: His celebration after perfecting the Iron Garment Art is overheard by them. Ye Ying calmly reassures Chen Qingqing that something good must have happened.
• Chen Xun and the Gale Gang worker: Chen Xun avoids suspicion by pretending to be an ordinary newcomer and complaining naturally about being assigned menial labor.
• Chen Xun and Zhao Tong: Their interaction is indirect. Chen Xun secretly follows Zhao Tong, waits until he is helpless, and kills him without a confrontation.
• Zhao Tong and his wife: Their relationship reflects domestic resentment. She criticizes his drinking and must arrange for him to be carried to bed, while also managing the household finances.
• Chen Xun and Zhao Tong’s wife: Although she is unaware of his presence, Chen Xun takes her saved money and sarcastically thanks her after drugging her unconscious.