Recaps

Deng Qing followed Li Dashan’s advice to refine his accumulated wasteland blood and rely on his perfected martial arts rather than rush to learn a Bone-Forging Realm technique. He tested his strength against Zhang Yan after taking a Blood-Burning Pill, surprising his senior brother and proving he could contend with a Bone-Forging First Layer fighter; Zhang Yan then proposed switching to weapons.

• Li Dashan explained that the Pure Jade Method, Deng Qing’s accumulated wasteland blood, and the quickened effects of Blood-Burning Pills would serve him better than learning a combat technique in haste.
• Deng Qing used a Medicinal Bath, checked his improved cultivation progress, and decided to ask Zhang Yan to test his combat strength.
• Deng Qing persuaded Zhang Yan to meet him in the Underground Refining Chamber, where he practiced while waiting.
• Deng Qing took a Blood-Burning Pill, circulated the Violet Palace Method and Devour Heaven Scripture, and felt some of his wasteland blood merge into his body.
• Deng Qing’s opening punch drove Zhang Yan back, and the two exchanged repeated blows until Zhang Yan admitted he could not break Deng Qing’s guard.
• Zhang Yan said Deng Qing could likely withstand a Bone-Forging First Layer opponent, then offered to continue the test with blades and spears.

Deng Qing tested his strength against Zhang Yan, discovered that refining Wasteland Blood restored him and improved his abilities, and received his monthly allowance as a Personal Disciple. He then traveled with Li Dashan and Zhang Yan to the Liangshan front, where the vast military camp and its wounded soldiers showed him the realities of the battle.

• Deng Qing recovered from the Blood-Burning Pill’s effects by refining Wasteland Blood and concluded that his pill lasted nearly five hundred breaths and his perfected Tiger-Subduing Fist could challenge a Bone-Forging First Layer Martial Artist.
• Fan Sheng gave Deng Qing his valuable Soft Armor before Deng Qing, Zhang Yan, and Li Dashan departed for Liangshan.
• Deng Qing fought Zhang Yan with swords, lost after thirty moves, and concealed that he believed he could have won by using his full strength.
• Fan Sheng met the departing group at the relay station and returned to Everjoy County after giving Deng Qing the Soft Armor.
• Deng Qing traveled toward Liangshan with Li Dashan and Zhang Yan, later sharing a carriage with Song Wuliang, Chen Kong, and Song Que.
• Deng Qing arrived at the vast military camp, saw wounded soldiers being carried on stretchers, and noticed a huge cauldron burning on a raised platform.

Deng Qing and Zhang Yan arrived at the front line with Li Dashan, but military orders separated them and assigned Deng Qing to guard a section of the wall. After settling in, Deng Qing learned from an Information Broker that gathering Blazing Sun Grass could earn merit toward a Martial Origin Pill.

• Deng Qing and Li Dashan watched Martial Origin Pills being refined, and Li Dashan explained that soldiers could earn pills through merit.
• A clerk registered Li Dashan, Deng Qing, and Zhang Yan, then separated the two disciples from Li Dashan under a military order.
• Deng Qing received a green identity plaque and was assigned to command eight men at parapets Seventeen and Eighteen of Section A.
• Deng Qing cultivated on the wall, refined Wasteland Blood, and saw his realm and techniques progress.
• Deng Qing bought food from a young seller, paid to meet Big Brother Zhao, and learned that gathering Blazing Sun Grass could earn merit toward a Martial Origin Pill.

Deng Qing began gathering Blazing Sun Grass with help from Big Brother Zhao and Uncle Huang, while training and studying the nearby Qi Beasts. With only eight days left to secure a Martial Origin Pill before his Blood-Burning Pills became dangerous, he tried to lure a swarm of giant ladybugs into a trap.

• Deng Qing paid Big Brother Zhao to arrange a substitute for his wall duty and connect him with experienced herb-gatherer Uncle Huang.
• Deng Qing gathered Blazing Sun Grass in the mountains and watched a swarm of giant ladybug Qi Beasts to learn their habits.
• Deng Qing practiced the Devour Heaven Scripture and saw its progress approach a new stage.
• After half a month, Deng Qing had collected sixty-four stalks of Blazing Sun Grass and had eight days left to obtain a Martial Origin Pill before reaching the Blood-Burning Pill limit.
• Deng Qing chose to use insect-luring powder and rabbit entrails to draw the ladybugs into a trap, then hid nearby to watch.

Deng Qing harvested a large patch of blazing sun grass from the Ladybug Qi-Beasts’ territory, narrowly avoiding waking their Insect King. After the Seven Heroes of Shaoshang tried to take half his haul, he killed all four pursuers and headed back toward the Military Camp in disguise.

• Deng Qing followed the ladybugs’ movements to their nest and discovered fifty-two stalks of blazing sun grass beside the sleeping Insect King.
• Deng Qing quietly harvested the grass, escaped after a noise stirred the Insect King, and fled when other herb gatherers pursued him.
• The Yellow-Browed Guest and three members of the Seven Heroes of Shaoshang surrounded Deng Qing and demanded half his haul.
• Deng Qing rejected the Yellow-Browed Guest’s offer, then killed One-Eyed Dragon, the tall lean man, the short stocky man, and the Yellow-Browed Guest when they attacked.
• Deng Qing destroyed the ghost familiar in the bamboo tube, looted and disposed of the bodies, changed clothes, removed his mask, and hurried toward the Military Camp.

Deng Qing exchanged his gathered Blazing Sun Grass for a Martial Origin Pill and secured it in an Ice Soul Bottle. Meanwhile, Du Wencheng investigated the deaths of his brothers and flagged Deng Qing as a possible suspect before Zhang Yan returned with news of the Donghuang Cult and Blood Butcher Xiong Zhen.

• Deng Qing exchanged his Blazing Sun Grass for a Martial Origin Pill, bought an Ice Soul Bottle, and stored the pill safely against his body.
• Big Brother Zhao took Deng Qing to the Secret Trading Market, where Deng Qing learned that a Ladybug King's corpse was highly valuable and wondered whether the ladybug beasts had moved after he harvested their grass.
• Du Wencheng reasoned that the killers of four of the Seven Heroes of Shaoshang had likely handed their Blazing Sun Grass in at the Medicine Hall, then obtained transaction records to identify suspects.
• Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng examined the records, ruled out the Northwest Seven Wolves, and flagged Deng Qing after seeing he had turned in fifty-two stalks alone.
• Zhang Yan reunited with Deng Qing, explained that he had been fighting the Donghuang Cult in the Desolate Soil, and revealed that Blood Butcher Xiong Zhen had wounded him.

Deng Qing learned that the fighting in the Desolate Soil had escalated and, with only one Martial Origin Pill secured, agreed to join Zhang Yan’s team on a mission to find a wounded wasteland beast. Zhang Yan and Deng Qing set out south, hoping the mission’s Merit Points would help Deng Qing obtain another pill before attempting his breakthrough.

• Deng Qing told Zhang Yan he had earned one Martial Origin Pill and wanted more time to widen his Meridians before breaking through.
• Zhang Yan invited Deng Qing to join a team with Chen Kong and Song Que on a Command Center mission to search for a wounded wasteland beast.
• Zhang Yan explained that the mission offered Merit Points even if the team found no trace, and he planned to pool his points with Deng Qing’s so they could obtain another Martial Origin Pill.
• Zhang Yan warned Deng Qing that the Donghuang Cult might also search for the beast and that the mission could be dangerous.
• Zhang Yan learned that Deng Qing had already advanced further in the Pure Jade Method, then the two set out south for the mission.

Deng Qing joined Zhang Yan, Chen Kong, and Song Que on an assignment to search for a Wasteland Beast, and his reaction to its blood revealed a connection to the Devour Heaven Scripture. The team encountered a swarm of giant Qi Beast ants, discovered their eyes were vulnerable, and Chen Kong challenged Deng Qing to a contest as they fought.

• Deng Qing registered for Zhang Yan's Wasteland Beast assignment and met Chen Kong and Song Que outside the Merit Office, where Song Que agreed to set aside their feud temporarily.
• The four rented an Image Recording Needle, and Deng Qing paid the deposit before Zhang Yan took charge of the device.
• Chen Kong's Yin-Blade Ghost Pet sniffed the stored Wasteland Beast blood, and Deng Qing also smelled it, feeling his Qi-Blood surge and suspecting the Devour Heaven Scripture had caused his reaction.
• The four followed the assigned route and encountered a swarm of giant ants, which they fought after Deng Qing discovered that striking their eyes made them vanish.
• Chen Kong challenged Deng Qing to see who could kill more ants, and the two began cutting through the swarm with their weapons.

Deng Qing and his companions survived a wave of Moving Wild Qi, which unexpectedly accelerated his cultivation and improved the Devour Heaven Scripture. After Zhang Yan, Chen Kong, and Song Que recovered, the group resumed its search in the mountains.

• Deng Qing and Chen Kong defeated the swarm of Qi Beast ants, and Chen Kong acknowledged Deng Qing's superior Swordsmanship.
• The four travelers rested on a slope, where Zhang Yan explained why the ants had dissolved into mist after dying.
• Moving Wild Qi swept across the slope, knocking Chen Kong, Zhang Yan, and Song Que unconscious while Deng Qing used the Devour Heaven Scripture to control his Qi-Blood Storm.
• Clear Radiance showed that Deng Qing's realm and Violet Palace Method had advanced and that the Devour Heaven Scripture had reached Minor Mastery; he received a corrected method and learned its blood-refining nature.
• Song Que, Zhang Yan, and Chen Kong woke, and Zhang Yan explained Moving Wild Qi and his secret art's resistance to it.
• Zhang Yan urged the group to hurry back into the mountains before dark.

Deng Qing discovered the scent of the Wasteland Beast’s blood below a cliff and called the others to investigate, while Jia Yu challenged his claim. The group remained divided over how to proceed, and Song Que suggested using Chen Kong’s Ghost Familiar to search below.

• Zhang Yan, Deng Qing, Chen Kong, and Song Que joined a battle against Donghuang Cult fighters and helped Huang Yunfan’s group defeat them, though two enemies escaped.
• Huang Yunfan divided the spoils and persuaded Zhang Yan and Chen Kong to combine their groups and search the nearby woods with him.
• Song Que warned Deng Qing that Huang Yunfan was overbearing and that Jia Yu had caused trouble during a visit to Golden Saber Sect.
• Deng Qing smelled Wasteland Beast blood below a cliff, made a vine rope, and called the others over to document his discovery.
• Jia Yu dismissed Deng Qing’s evidence and argued against exploring the cliff, while Zhang Yan insisted his group would investigate; Song Que proposed sending Chen Kong’s Ghost Familiar down.

The group discovered that the Wasteland Beast’s corpse was beneath the cliff, but Corpse Dissolution filled the descent with dangerous Wasteland Qi. Huang Yunfan tried to claim the retrieval credit, yet failed to descend, leaving Jia Yu preparing to attempt it without a Blazing Sun Pill.

• Huang Yunfan organized the group to weave a longer vine rope and chose Chen Ming, Wang Wenying, and three others to climb down, while Deng Qing and several companions stayed above.
• Zheng Fei’s viper blood fell below the cliff and triggered Corpse Dissolution; Jia Yu explained that the Wasteland Beast’s remains would survive but the spreading Wasteland Qi would block the descent.
• Huang Yunfan proposed that whoever reached the remains first would receive the leading retrieval credit, then swallowed a Blazing Sun Pill and climbed down.
• Wang Wenying and two Skin Tempering Realm Martial Artists attempted the descent but retreated when the Wasteland Qi disrupted their Qi-Blood; Huang Yunfan also returned exhausted.
• Huang Yunfan offered Jia Yu a Blazing Sun Pill and told him to try, but Jia Yu declined, saying he could enter the Wasteland Qi without one.

Deng Qing descended into the Frost-Stained Land with Jia Yu and found the wasteland beast’s remains, while concealing that he had already located them. Jia Yu revealed a rare substance called Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood and demonstrated its power, leaving Deng Qing to decide how to respond to the dangerous opportunity.

• Deng Qing joined Jia Yu’s descent, using the Devour Heaven Scripture to withstand the wasteland qi while pretending to struggle.
• Jia Yu climbed down cautiously and eventually found Deng Qing waiting near the cliff’s base.
• Deng Qing secretly found the beast’s remains first but led Jia Yu away from them, wary that Jia Yu might harm him.
• Jia Yu discovered the remains and persuaded Deng Qing to consider sharing an opportunity rather than keeping silent about it.
• Jia Yu explained that the blood beneath the bones had condensed Baleful Intent and demonstrated how he could absorb it as Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood.
• Jia Yu used the blood’s power to shatter a rock with a punch, showing Deng Qing its formidable strength.

Deng Qing secretly refined the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood and wrested Jia Yu’s gathered blood from him, then fought him with the strength of a Blood-Burning Pill. Jia Yu fled until Deng Qing threatened the Wasteland Beast carcass, forcing him to recklessly stimulate his Internal Breath and charge back into the fight.

• Deng Qing agreed to refine the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood and discovered that the Devour Heaven Scripture let him extract and refine it beyond Jia Yu’s instructions.
• Deng Qing used the blood’s attraction to pull Jia Yu’s gathered baleful blood into his own palm, then erased Jia Yu’s aura and claimed the entire mass.
• Jia Yu attacked Deng Qing, who used his sword skill and Blood-Burning Pill to overwhelm him and wound his shoulder.
• Jia Yu escaped behind the rocks and waited for the pill’s effects to fade, while Deng Qing stopped chasing him.
• Deng Qing rushed toward the Wasteland Beast carcass, prompting Jia Yu to force his Qi-Blood into a chaotic surge to stop him.

Deng Qing killed Jia Yu by using the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood to withstand his sword, then concealed the truth when the others found them. Huang Yunfan later tested Deng Qing’s cultivation and confirmed he was still in the Skin Tempering Realm, but remained furious over Jia Yu’s death.

• Deng Qing defeated Jia Yu with his broken sword after the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood stopped Jia Yu’s killing blow, then recovered by circulating the Devour Heaven Scripture.
• Zhang Yan and Song Que found Deng Qing, while Huang Yunfan and Chen Ming accused him of killing Jia Yu; Deng Qing claimed an unknown attacker had taken his sword and knocked him unconscious.
• Chen Kong blamed Donghuang Cult remnants for Jia Yu’s death, and the group transported the Wasteland Beast remains and Jia Yu’s corpse back to camp.
• The Merit Exchange began assessing the group’s contributions, and Zhang Yan told Deng Qing he would receive substantial Merit Points for discovering and protecting the remains.
• Huang Yunfan brought a Realm-Testing Sphere to Deng Qing’s tent, confirmed that Deng Qing was still in the Skin Tempering Realm, and left without proving his suspicion.
• Huang Yunfan told his middle-aged attendant to bury Jia Yu properly and place one of his own garments in the grave.

Deng Qing used his merit points and Li Dashan’s Martial Origin Pills to begin a carefully controlled bone-tempering breakthrough, repeatedly directing his qi-blood into his limbs just before it could break through. Meanwhile, Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng eliminated their last suspect group and turned their attention to Deng Qing.

• Deng Qing cultivated for three days, then learned the Merit Exchange had awarded him 105 merit points for his contribution.
• Li Dashan arrived with three Martial Origin Pills despite having lost two fingers in battle, and told Deng Qing to use them for his breakthrough.
• Deng Qing exchanged merit points for four more pills, rented a Cultivation Room, and listened as Li Dashan explained the Bone-Forging Realm and its training routes.
• Deng Qing used the panel to wait until his progress reached 99% before diverting each surge of qi-blood into his limbs, impressing Li Dashan and Zhang Yan with his precise control.
• Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng ruled out the Three Eagles of the Northern Ridge and every other group on their suspect list.
• Meng Kuo named Deng Qing as a suspicious individual, and Lu Yan revealed that he had recently earned more than a hundred Merit Points.

Deng Qing broke through into the Bone-Forging Realm under Li Dashan’s guidance, then celebrated with Li Dashan and Zhang Yan. After Li Dashan was summoned away, Zhang Yan advised Deng Qing to seek a suitable cultivation method through the Merit Exchange.

• Du Wencheng, Lu Yan, and Meng Kuo made Deng Qing their primary suspect and planned to question the incoming martial exam students about him.
• Deng Qing swallowed his Martial Origin Pills and, guided by Li Dashan, directed his qi-blood to open his origin aperture and reach the Bone-Forging Realm.
• Deng Qing refined the qi-blood accumulated in his skin membrane into his limbs, raising his Bone-Forging First Layer progress to 88%.
• Li Dashan and Zhang Yan congratulated Deng Qing on his breakthrough, and Deng Qing treated them to a banquet.
• A drum summons called Li Dashan away, and Zhang Yan suggested Deng Qing choose a cultivation method from the Merit Exchange.

Deng Qing tested his old techniques after entering the Bone-Forging Realm, then rented the White-Clad Woman a room at the Sunny-Rain Residence in exchange for her guidance. She agreed to teach him and, astonished that he had used eight Martial Origin Pills to break through, told him to buy Ginseng Pills and meet her that night.

• Deng Qing confirmed that his Tiger-Subduing Fist and Seven Forms of Settling Solitude still appeared on his panel, but realized they could no longer channel the strength of his Bone-Forging Realm.
• Deng Qing spotted the White-Clad Woman at the Merit Exchange, made her Peach and Plum Spring Breeze, and brought it to her at the western camp.
• Deng Qing learned that better rooms at the Sunny-Rain Residence cost twenty merit points for a month, rented one, and gave its key to the White-Clad Woman.
• Deng Qing waited for the White-Clad Woman and asked to learn from her after Zhang Quan passed through the western camp.
• The White-Clad Woman agreed to teach Deng Qing, then learned he had broken through using eight Martial Origin Pills and told him to buy Ginseng Pills and meet her at the Sunny-Rain Residence at a quarter to ten that night.
• Deng Qing agreed and went to the Merit Exchange, where an inquiry immediately changed his mind.

Deng Qing bought Ginseng Pills, cautiously received Li Cheng and Zhang Quan’s invitation, and trained before seeking guidance from the White-Clad Woman. After she praised his physical abilities, she chose to teach him the Elephant-Throwing Method instead of the swordsmanship he requested.

• Deng Qing bought ten Ginseng Pills at the Black Market after Big Brother Zhao introduced him to a seller.
• Li Cheng visited Deng Qing with Zhang Quan, invited him to an outing, and later agreed with Zhang Quan’s plan to use the meal to gradually repair their relationship.
• Deng Qing trained with the Devour Heaven Scripture, tested his internal breath and mystic wasteland baleful blood, then paid Big Brother Zhao to watch Zhang Quan’s movements.
• Deng Qing visited the White-Clad Woman, who tested his attacks and praised his strength, speed, and qi-blood control.
• Deng Qing asked to learn swordsmanship so he could pursue a place at the Martial Dao Lower Court, but the White-Clad Woman decided to teach him the Elephant-Throwing Method first.

The White-Clad Woman taught Deng Qing the Elephant-Throwing Method, explaining how bone-forging relied on mastering cultivation and consuming high-energy nourishment. After practicing through the night, Deng Qing reached the method’s initiation stage, and his panel began recording his progress.

• The White-Clad Woman explained that Deng Qing needed high-energy nourishing substances and strong mastery of his cultivation method to advance in the bone-forging realm.
• The White-Clad Woman demonstrated the Elephant-Throwing Method by lifting a massive boulder and hurling it across the river, then taught Deng Qing its mental method and three moves.
• Deng Qing practiced the method for hours, taking Ginseng Pills as the White-Clad Woman advised, while discovering that their potency barely affected his stronger body.
• Deng Qing’s panel registered the Elephant-Throwing Method at 1% initiation, and he eagerly resumed practicing.
• The White-Clad Woman watched Deng Qing celebrate, then tried and failed to make a drink taste right before going to bed.

Deng Qing trained relentlessly, rapidly improving the Elephant-Throwing Method after the White-Clad Woman told him to keep his breakthrough secret and work hard. After attending a suspicious dinner with Li Cheng and Zhang Quan, Deng Qing and the others encountered a masked swordsman blocking their path back to camp.

• The White-Clad Woman saw Deng Qing had practiced through the night and told him not to report his breakthrough or tell anyone, urging him to train hard for two more days.
• Deng Qing spent the day practicing in a Cultivation Room, refining all his stored Wasteland Blood and raising his Elephant-Throwing Method to nineteen percent.
• Deng Qing invited Zhang Yan to Li Cheng's dinner, but Zhang Yan declined and accepted the remaining Cultivation Room time.
• A servant led Deng Qing to a pavilion where Li Cheng and Zhang Quan hosted him; Deng Qing suspected the meal and chose only dishes Li Cheng had tasted first.
• Deng Qing declined wine and an apology, then shared a meal and conversation with Li Cheng while remaining wary of Zhang Quan.
• As Deng Qing, Li Cheng, and Zhang Quan walked back toward camp at night, a masked man stepped from behind a tree and barred their way with a saber.

Deng Qing killed Zhang Quan and the three remaining Seven Heroes of Shaoshang, then took the unconscious Li Cheng to a waterfall. After Deng Qing confronted Li Cheng about how he had treated him, he left Li Cheng behind, while Li Cheng wondered whether Deng Qing was a prince of a former dynasty.

• Masked attackers Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng surrounded Deng Qing, Zhang Quan, and Li Cheng, demanding Deng Qing's life while allowing the others to leave.
• Deng Qing broke Zhang Quan's arms and leg, then killed him after Zhang Quan tried to plead his innocence.
• Deng Qing killed Meng Kuo, Du Wencheng, and Lu Yan in rapid succession, then gathered useful supplies and carried Li Cheng away from the scene.
• Li Cheng awoke beside a waterfall and learned from Deng Qing that he had killed Zhang Quan and the three masked men.
• Deng Qing told Li Cheng that he had failed to understand the wrongs done to him, declared himself a scion of Huaxia and descendant of the Yan and Huang Emperors, and walked away.
• Li Cheng recalled Deng Qing's earlier lack of deference and wondered whether he was a prince of the former dynasty.

After uncovering Zhang Quan’s crimes, Li Cheng abandoned the retest and chose to return to the Clan Mausoleum. Deng Qing received a nomination for the Martial Dao Institute’s official roster, defeated Zhao Jia to prove his worth, and learned he would serve as a coordinator in the Desolate Soil retest.

• Li Cheng learned from Chen Shan that Zhang Quan had repeatedly harmed Deng Qing and abused the Li Family’s influence, then decided to return to the Clan Mausoleum rather than take the retest.
• Deng Qing learned that the White-Clad Woman had nominated him for the Martial Dao Institute roster, prompting Zhao Jia to challenge her choice.
• The White-Clad Woman arranged a fight between Deng Qing and Zhao Jia, and Deng Qing disarmed and hurled Zhao Jia across the river with an unarmed technique.
• Elder Wei accepted Deng Qing’s victory, while the White-Clad Woman explained that Deng Qing still had to pass an assessment to enter the roster.
• The White-Clad Woman told Deng Qing to join the retest candidates in the Desolate Soil as a coordinator and offered to train him beneath a waterfall the next day.

Deng Qing trained beneath a waterfall, advanced to bone-tempering two, and greatly improved his martial techniques. His breakthrough was interrupted when Zhao Feiyan arrived to challenge the White-Clad Woman Jian over the final recommendation slot for enrollment.

• The White-Clad Woman had Deng Qing demonstrate how to make Peach and Plum Spring Breeze, and he later spent his merit points on a Great Fortune Pill and bought Ginseng Pills with his remaining silver.
• Zhang Yan congratulated Deng Qing on his recommendation for the Martial Dao Lower Court’s register and advised him to keep the opportunity quiet.
• Deng Qing learned to borrow the waterfall’s force, practiced the Elephant-Throwing Method under its torrent, and reached bone-tempering two after taking the Great Fortune Pill.
• The White-Clad Woman noticed three visitors approaching, and Deng Qing learned that she was named Jian when Zhao Feiyan and Mr. Su greeted her.
• Zhao Feiyan said she would use her own recommendation right to compete with Jian for the last enrollment slot, and asked Jian to name the terms.

Deng Qing won Jian Ruyu’s enrollment recommendation by defeating Chen Xiaotian, then began working as an assistant administrator in the Desolate Soil. The chapter left him traveling across the region, where he calmly watched a wave of frost-like wild qi approach.

• Jian Ruyu and Zhao Feiyan disputed whose candidate would receive the last recommendation, and Deng Qing volunteered to fight Chen Xiaotian.
• Deng Qing disarmed Chen Xiaotian and slammed him into the ground, securing Jian Ruyu’s recommendation and driving Zhao Feiyan and Mr. Su away.
• Jian Ruyu explained Chen Xiaotian’s reputation, told Deng Qing to perform well as an assistant administrator, and said the work would support his enrollment assessment.
• Deng Qing entered the Desolate Soil with the Prefecture Examination Administration and began traveling through its landscape without needing a Blazing Sun Pill.
• Deng Qing filled his flask at a lake, killed a giant fish with the Desolate Iron Sword, and continued toward a distant forest as frost-like wild qi spread across the ground.

Deng Qing killed a Unicorn Wolf, secured a place among the top coordinators, and continued training while Chen Tai warned him to stop outshining others. The next evening, Chen Tai confronted Deng Qing after he killed two more qi beasts, accusing him of making enemies.

• Deng Qing patrolled his assigned territory, followed a Flamebird, and killed a Unicorn Wolf by striking its qi petal.
• Deng Qing submitted the qi petal and his Image Recording Needle at the Merit Rewards Office, then learned from Chen Tai that his results ranked in the top three.
• Deng Qing assured Chen Tai he understood the warning not to steal others' limelight, then trained with a 250-kilogram stone and improved his Elephant-Throwing Method.
• Deng Qing helped Chef Fei with kitchen chores before returning to his room to sleep.
• The next evening, Chen Tai confronted Deng Qing over killing two more qi beasts and accused him of taking all the glory for himself.