Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing’s movement and tactics frustrate Zhao Jia during the group assessment. He repeatedly draws the fight toward Meng Hui, who is struck by Zhao Jia’s staff and forced across the boundary line.
• Elder Wei ends the assessment and rules that Xu Ming, Xue Lin, and Deng Qing have passed into Grade A. Meng Hui protests and demands a one-on-one fight, but the woman in white throws him into a wall and orders him out.
• Deng Qing moves to Grade A’s dining hall and meets Song Que, who is also a Grade-A examiner. Song explains the local ties among Xu, Xue, and Meng Hui’s families, but believes the assessment was not rigged.
• In his new, more spacious quarters, Deng Qing calculates what he needs to advance from Skin Tempering Third Layer to Fourth Layer. Despite counting his expected food, pills, pay, and other gains, he estimates he is about 200 taels short.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing shows tactical composure and a willingness to exploit the assessment’s rules, while keeping his attention on future cultivation. He is wary of Meng Hui’s grudge but takes Song’s reassurance in stride.
• Meng Hui reveals himself as proud and hot-tempered: after failing by crossing the boundary, he challenges the ruling and is swiftly punished.
• Song Que offers Deng Qing candid advice and background on the local families, presenting himself as confident in his own fighting ability and forgiving nature.
• Elder Wei enforces the assessment impartially, while the woman in white makes clear that challengers cannot override the rules.

Significant themes

• Rules and fairness: The assessment’s outcome follows the boundary rules, despite Meng Hui’s complaints and the tangled local connections.
• Pride and status: Meng Hui’s concern for face contrasts with Deng Qing’s practical focus; promotion also brings visible privileges, including better food and quarters.
• Persistence and calculation: Deng Qing methodically gathers resources toward advancement, turning a daunting cultivation goal into a manageable remaining shortfall.

Plot and key events

• After Deng Qing humiliates Meng Hui during the examination, he expects Meng Hui to retaliate, likely targeting him rather than Zhao Jia or the woman in white.
• Unwilling to wait for trouble or risk a confrontation later, Deng Qing decides to act first. He spends the evening cultivating before practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist.
• His technique reaches 79% Grand Mastery, revealing a new stage beyond the mastery levels he had previously seen.
• Deng Qing cautiously takes three Ginseng Pills. The first two cause little strain, but the third sends his Qi-Blood surging so violently that he must practice to control and refine it.
• As he practices, his conscious effort falls away and the forms merge into a unified flow. The panel records 80% Perfected Mastery. Deng Qing experiences the fist as instinctive, integrated with his breathing and body.
• After washing and changing, he goes to Meng Hui’s room at night and knocks. Meng Hui opens the door, furious to find him there.

Character development

• Deng Qing becomes more proactive: rather than simply fearing retaliation, he decides to confront the situation on his own terms. His martial skill also advances dramatically, and he begins to understand mastery as something embodied rather than merely memorized.
• Meng Hui remains proud and hot-tempered. Having been publicly disgraced, he reacts to Deng Qing’s visit with immediate anger.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing’s earlier use of Zhao Jia to force Meng Hui out of the examination’s white circle has left Meng Hui feeling humiliated. Deng Qing believes Meng Hui will blame him for the loss of face.
• The chapter ends with a direct face-to-face encounter: Deng Qing identifies himself, and Meng Hui opens the door ready for a confrontation.

Significant themes

• Mastery through practice: Deng Qing’s breakthrough comes when technique stops being deliberate calculation and becomes unified with his body and breath.
• Risk and initiative: Deng Qing prefers to address a likely threat proactively rather than wait for it to grow.
• Strength and adaptation: His improved body tolerates more medicinal power, though the third pill still demands control and disciplined practice.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing confronts Meng Hui in a secluded room, ostensibly to clear up their disagreement. Meng Hui threatens revenge after the examination, but Deng attacks first.
• Deng’s Perfected Mastery of Tiger-Subduing Fist lets him defeat the Skin Tempering Realm Meng Hui quickly, then restrain him and gag him.
• Deng uses his knowledge of the body’s muscles, bones, and Qi-Blood to inflict intense pain until Meng Hui submits.
• Rather than demand an IOU, Deng dictates a hostile statement about the White-Clad Woman, forcing Meng Hui to write it in his own hand. Meng Hui realizes the note could expose him to her and becomes terrified.

Character developments

• Deng Qing shows greater confidence in his martial ability, discovering how decisively his perfected technique gives him the advantage at close range. He also proves calculating and ruthless, using pain and intimidation to control Meng Hui.
• Meng Hui begins defiant and vengeful, but Deng’s attack and torture break his resistance. His fear of the White-Clad Woman ultimately matters more than his anger toward Deng.

Significant themes

• Power and mastery: Deng’s advancement transforms his technique into an instinctive, overwhelming weapon.
• Coercion and control: Physical force gives way to psychological leverage as Deng exploits Meng Hui’s fear of the White-Clad Woman.
• Revenge and consequences: Meng Hui’s earlier hostility has consequences, while the dictated statement turns his own handwriting into a potential danger.

Character interactions

• Deng initially addresses Meng politely, but quickly overpowers and humiliates him when Meng remains hostile.
• Meng’s curses and threats are replaced by pleading and obedience under pain.
• Deng exploits Meng’s fear of the White-Clad Woman, making him write a statement that could implicate him in insulting her.

Chapter Summary: “Entering the Sword Grove”

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing forces Meng Hui to write and sign a confession, then uses it to deter him from retaliating. He says a friend will make the confession public if anything happens to him.
• When Meng Hui loses his temper and smashes furniture, Deng Qing returns and loudly frames the outburst as resentment toward the white-robed elder who had previously thrown Meng against a wall. Nearby residents gather, making the confession seem even more credible.
• Meng Hui realizes Deng Qing has arranged the evidence so that any later claim of coercion would be hard to believe. He suppresses his anger and pretends to be calm, afraid Deng Qing will return again.
• The next morning, Deng Qing obtains authorization from Steward Zhou to train in the Sword Grove. A servant guides him to its concealed underground entrance.
• The Sword Grove’s steward explains the rules: remove outer clothing, use only the training swords provided, and leave when unable to continue, since injuries are not the Martial Arts Hall’s responsibility. Deng Qing changes and prepares to enter.

Character developments

• Deng Qing shows himself to be calculating and proactive, preferring to neutralize a threat through leverage and social manipulation rather than risk a direct fight. He is pleased with his strategy and sleeps well.
• Meng Hui shifts from violent confidence to fear and forced restraint. He remains enraged but understands that retaliation could expose him through the confession.
• Steward Zhou and the Sword Grove steward serve as procedural gatekeepers, helping establish the Martial Arts Hall’s training system and its rules.

Significant themes

• Preempting danger: Deng Qing acts before Meng Hui can carry out his planned ambush.
• Reputation and evidence: The confession gains power because Deng Qing publicly shapes how others interpret Meng Hui’s behavior.
• Power through restraint: Meng Hui’s anger is useless while Deng Qing controls the narrative and holds the threat of exposure.
• Discipline and risk: The Sword Grove offers training, but practitioners must judge their limits and accept responsibility for injuries.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing repeatedly taunts and pressures Meng Hui, then uses a public performance to make him deny his resentment in front of witnesses.
• Meng Hui outwardly appeases Deng Qing and the gathered residents while inwardly wishing to attack him.
• Steward Zhou verifies Deng Qing’s qualification and issues authorization; the Sword Grove steward then briefs him on the facility’s safety and equipment rules.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing enters the Sword Grove and finds a stone hall containing corridors marked Elementary, Medium, and Advanced. Xu Ming and Xue Lin, fellow Grade-A Sword Examiners, are resting nearby with red marks on their bare chests.
• In an Elementary corridor, Deng Qing discovers that a glowing ceiling stone fires sword-light attacks whenever he takes up the practice sword. The attacks grow more numerous and varied as he advances, ricocheting off the walls.
• After initially taking several hits, Deng Qing adapts and uses the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude to deflect the volleys. He reaches the corridor’s end and clears the Elementary Sword Forest.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin interpret his quick return as a sign of weakness, since they had each lasted over an hour. Deng Qing notices their disdain but ignores it.
• After resting, Deng Qing enters a Medium corridor. Its white stone launches a much faster, more powerful attack, which he manages to block, though the force numbs his wrist.

Character development

• Deng Qing is curious, composed, and eager to test himself. He quickly learns from the attacks, adapts his swordplay, and grows more confident as he advances.
• Rather than being discouraged by hits or judged by his peers, he treats the Sword Grove as a valuable, relatively safe way to improve.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin remain guarded and competitive, showing little interest in befriending Deng Qing.

Significant themes

• Practice through challenge: The Sword Grove offers strenuous training without the lethal risks of sparring against an uncontrolled opponent.
• Adaptability and progress: Deng Qing succeeds by studying the attacks and adjusting his technique.
• Status and appearances: Xu Ming and Xue Lin judge Deng Qing by how briefly he stayed in the Elementary corridor, but the chapter shows that outward impressions may not reveal his actual ability.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing exchanges only brief, formal greetings with Xu Ming and Xue Lin; their rivalry and lack of rapport keep them distant.
• The Sword Grove itself acts as Deng Qing’s training partner, confronting him with increasingly difficult attacks and prompting his rapid improvement.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing enters the white-Sword-Light section of the Sword Grove and realizes its attacks follow the same pattern as the earlier azure Sword Light.
• He advances until three simultaneous strikes push him to his limit. Rather than retreating for good, he stays there to practice, repeatedly reshaping the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude under pressure.
• After being struck and exhausted, he recovers at the entrance by circulating the Violet Palace Method, then returns to train. He repeats this cycle for about two hours, leaving with bruises but greatly encouraged.
• Deng Qing checks his progress: the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude have risen from 69% to 70% in a few hours. He leaves the Sword Grove, changes, and heads for food.
• He encounters Meng Hui, who tries to avoid him. Deng Qing corners him and insists they are friends now; Meng Hui agrees nervously.
• At lunch, Song Que praises Deng Qing’s sudden reconciliation with Meng Hui. Deng Qing hints that he secured the friendship preemptively and warns Song to keep the matter private.

Character developments

• Deng Qing grows more skilled through disciplined, repeated training and learns to adapt his sword forms instinctively. He remains secretive about his abilities and takes a forceful, pragmatic approach to preventing future conflict.
• Meng Hui is still resentful and intimidated by Deng Qing, despite outwardly agreeing to friendship.
• Song Que recognizes Deng Qing’s intimidating side and is relieved that his own earlier apology may have spared him similar trouble.

Significant themes

• Growth through adversity: intense pressure helps Deng Qing refine and combine his techniques.
• Preparation and recovery: alternating hard practice with deliberate rest lets him sustain his training.
• Concealment and reputation: Deng Qing hides his growing strength and carefully manages how others perceive him.
• Power and uneasy reconciliation: his “friendship” with Meng Hui is less mutual warmth than a settlement enforced by fear.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing repeatedly confronts the Sword Light, using it as a demanding training partner and recovering with the Violet Palace Method between bouts.
• He presents reconciliation to Meng Hui as a sincere offer, but his grip and Meng Hui’s fearful reaction reveal the imbalance between them.
• Song Que questions how the feud ended so quickly; Deng Qing frames his approach as settling conflict before it can escalate, then asks Song to keep the conversation between friends.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing and Song Que discuss the strange Saber and Sword Groves. Their stones release self-directed weapon flashes, which Deng Qing sees as evidence that the world contains forces beyond ordinary martial arts.
• They speculate about the Martial Dao Lower Court, whose resources and training grounds could greatly accelerate their progress. But entry requires a Recommendation Letter, and applicants face strict scrutiny of three generations of family history. Both regard admission as a distant possibility.
• Song advises Deng Qing to make the most of the Prefecture Examination and build connections with the Lower Court. Deng, recognizing that information and relationships matter, decides to mend fences with Xu Ming and Xue Lin.
• Deng publicly claims that he and Meng Hui are distant cousins, using Meng as a bridge to approach the two. Though privately furious, Meng is pressured into playing along. Xu Ming and Xue Lin accept the explanation and suggest they spend more time together.
• Over the next two days, Deng trains intensively in the Intermediate Sword Grove, taking Ginseng Pills to recover. He keeps his abilities discreet while his sword technique improves.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing grows more curious about the supernatural aspects of his world and more deliberate about forming useful connections, while continuing to conceal his strength.
• Song Que remains a practical companion: he shares what he knows, tempers Deng’s ambitions, and encourages him to focus on the opportunities at hand.
• Meng Hui is forced into Deng’s fabricated “cousin” story, despite his resentment.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin soften toward Deng after the supposed family connection and begin spending time with him.

Themes

• A world beyond ordinary martial arts: the groves, Evil Apparitions, and other strange phenomena hint at deeper forces.
• Ambition and limited access: advancement depends not only on effort but also on family standing and institutional connections.
• Pragmatism and concealment: Deng balances hard training with careful networking and keeps his abilities hidden.
• Persistence: relentless practice, combined with recovery pills, steadily strengthens Deng.

Ending

After another demanding session, Deng takes a Ginseng Pill and circulates the Violet Palace Method. His status shows the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude at 77% Grand Mastery, the Violet Palace Method at 55% Minor Mastery, and Tiger-Subduing Fist at 80% Perfection, while he remains at the Third Layer of Skin Tempering.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing discovers that his Seven Forms of Settling Solitude has reached 77%, up eight points after several days in the Sword Grove. He is eager to reach Perfected Mastery at 80%, but rests first because he is exhausted.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin explain that Sword Examiners are expected to eliminate as many Martial Exam candidates as possible. The examinations are meant to screen applicants early, and doing well could earn an examiner a place on the Martial Dao Lower Court’s roster for well-paid future work.
• After eating and sleeping, Deng Qing enters the Superior Sword Grove, where faster, stronger beams overwhelm him at first. He is bruised and driven back, but discovers that pushing himself against the beams accelerates his sword-form progress.
• The next morning, a gong announces that weapon testing will take place. All Sword Examiners are ordered to report to the Eastern Martial Arena after breakfast.

Character developments

• Deng Qing remains ambitious and disciplined, but learns more about the institutional purpose of the exams and the career opportunities attached to performing well. He also shows grit by repeatedly enduring the Superior Grove despite pain and exhaustion.
• Xu Ming is pushing himself because he hopes to impress the Martial Dao Lower Court.
• Xue Lin demonstrates a pragmatic, hard-nosed view: fairness matters less than meeting the Lower Court’s demand for strong candidates.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing praises Xu Ming’s progress, then questions why Sword Examiners should try to prevent candidates from earning top grades.
• Xue Lin corrects Deng Qing’s assumptions and explains the screening system, prompting Deng Qing to reconsider the exam’s purpose.
• Xu Ming adds that strong performance may lead to rostered work for the Lower Court, which catches Deng Qing’s interest.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and self-improvement: Deng Qing’s technique advances through repeated effort under punishing conditions.
• Merit and institutional selection: The examination system prioritizes filtering out weaker candidates and investing in those who survive multiple stages.
• Fairness versus pragmatism: The characters debate whether an uneven examination is unjust or simply part of a competitive world.
• Ambition and opportunity: The prospect of future work motivates the examiners to prove themselves.

Plot points and events

• The Weapon Preliminary Test begins with the Grade C qualification. Each student draws three Grade-C Sword Testers and must defeat all three using a standard-issue Iron Sword. Proctors verify each fighter’s Qi-Blood before the matches.
• Sun Hai passes his first match after a brief exchange, and the day’s contests continue one opponent at a time. By the end of the day, most students have completed the test; only a little over twenty of the seventy or eighty candidates are eliminated.
• Deng Qing watches Li Cheng’s test. Li Cheng wins all three fights efficiently, earning a Grade C result.
• After the test, Deng Qing avoids speaking with Li Cheng so as not to arouse suspicion. He spends the evening training in the Advanced Sword Forest, repeatedly resisting its powerful, fast Sword Light and returning to practice after resting with the Violet Palace Method.
• On the second day, only those who passed Grade C remain. They must again defeat three opponents to qualify for the next grade.
• Deng Qing focuses on Li Cheng and Zhuo Lin. Zhuo Lin has become the talk of the candidates after defeating his three Grade-C opponents in just three ordinary sword strokes—one stroke per match. Some now predict he could win the Preliminary Test.

Character developments

• Deng Qing remains cautious about his connection with Li Cheng, but his relentless training shows his determination to improve before he must leave the Martial Arts Hall.
• Li Cheng demonstrates mastery of the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude, defeating three opponents with growing ease and earning a Grade C result.
• Zhuo Lin emerges as a startlingly powerful contender. His effortless victories suggest formidable skill, though the chapter offers little about his personality.
• Sun Hai shows competent fighting ability and wins his opening match.

Themes

• Merit tested through combat: Candidates’ skill is measured in successive, supervised duels, with strict rules and Qi-Blood checks to prevent cheating.
• Preparation and privilege: The high pass rate reflects how the candidates were selected and supported with cultivation methods and medicinal resources before arriving.
• Perseverance: Deng Qing endures pain and exhaustion in pursuit of improvement.
• Rising competition: Li Cheng’s solid performance and Zhuo Lin’s astonishing efficiency raise expectations for the coming stages.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing and Li Cheng exchange a brief look but avoid speaking, with Deng Qing deliberately keeping his distance.
• Li Cheng faces and defeats three Grade-C Sword Testers.
• Zhuo Lin’s one-stroke victories against three opponents become a subject of widespread discussion among the candidates.

Key plot points and events

• The Grade-B sword assessment proves much more difficult than the previous day’s test. Several students struggle, and by lunchtime fewer than half have passed.
• Li Cheng earns a Grade-B pass after defeating three examiners. He wins the first two through persistence and a feigned display of exhaustion, then narrowly defeats the third while injured. Deng Qing doubts he can pass Grade A.
• Zhuo Lin draws three Grade-B opponents but asks to fight all of them at once. The White-Clad Woman approves, framing the request as a more demanding test of his ability.
• The three examiners attack in coordination, but Zhuo Lin disarms and knocks them down with a single display of extraordinary swordsmanship.
• Zhao Jia recognizes the technique as Sword Python and is astonished that someone in the Skin Tempering Realm has mastered it. The White-Clad Woman confirms Zhuo Lin’s cultivation level.
• Asked about his connection to Zhuo Fengmian, Zhuo Lin says he is his grandfather. The woman praises him, and the examiners record his pass. The remaining performances seem ordinary by comparison.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Cheng shows stamina, tactical judgment, and grit, but his hard-won victory leaves him visibly exhausted and injured.
• Deng Qing watches both Li Cheng and Zhuo Lin closely. He worries about Li Cheng’s prospects and is awed by Zhuo Lin’s skill.
• Zhuo Lin appears calm and self-assured, but his demand to face three examiners at once comes across as openly dismissive. His effortless victory confirms that his confidence rests on exceptional ability.
• The White-Clad Woman takes an active role in Zhuo Lin’s assessment, overrules Elder Wei’s objection, verifies Zhuo Lin’s realm, and recognizes the significance of his family connection.
• Zhao Jia reacts with shock to Sword Python, while Elder Wei initially rebukes Zhuo Lin’s arrogance but defers to the White-Clad Woman’s decision.

Significant themes

• Skill revealed under pressure: Li Cheng’s struggle and Zhuo Lin’s effortless victory show sharply different levels of ability.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Zhuo Lin’s challenge insults the examiners, yet his performance justifies his confidence.
• Reputation and lineage: Zhuo Fengmian’s name changes how the senior figures view Zhuo Lin.
• Public assessment and hierarchy: The test exposes differences in strength while placing students, examiners, and authorities in a visible chain of judgment.

Key plot points and events

• After the Grade B assessment, twenty-two students qualify to challenge the three Grade-A Sword Examiners—Deng Qing, Xu Ming, and Xue Lin—at the next day’s Grade-A Test.
• The examiners worry about Zhuo Lin, who has announced he will challenge all three at once, as he did with the Grade B examiners.
• Steward Cao summons them to the Martial Arena, where Zhao Jia asks whether they can stop Zhuo Lin. None gives a confident answer, and Zhao Jia calls for replacements.
• The White-Clad Woman explains that Zhuo Lin could exhaust the examiners and expose their abilities, giving his allies an advantage. She is also concerned that Yanshan Prefecture’s results will look suspiciously inflated compared with Eastern Qilin Prefecture’s.
• Zhao Jia suggests scheduling Zhuo Lin last, but Elder Wei rejects changing the established Number Token order. The White-Clad Woman orders an urgent search for replacement examiners and bars the three current examiners from visiting the Sword Grove.
• After leaving, Xu Ming and Xue Lin part ways. Deng Qing stays nearby, circling a tree, apparently waiting for a chance to negotiate.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing remains detached from the competition, focused on earning money and advancing his cultivation. He avoids committing himself in the meeting, quietly assessing whether the crisis could create an opportunity.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin are anxious about facing Zhuo Lin and resent Zhao Jia’s blunt dismissal of their qualifications.
• Zhao Jia prioritizes finding a solution quickly, while Elder Wei worries about the consequences of disrupting the established exam order.
• The White-Clad Woman asserts authority over the officials, emphasizing reputation, fairness, and the risk of giving Zhuo Lin’s faction an advantage.

Significant themes

• Reputation and institutional pressure: Officials fear that results could make Yanshan Prefecture appear either exceptionally talented or incompetent.
• Fairness versus expediency: Replacing examiners or changing match order might solve an immediate problem but risk accusations of unfairness.
• Self-interest and opportunity: While others fret over prestige and duty, Deng Qing looks for practical personal gain.

Summary

Deng Qing approaches the masked White-Clad Woman and offers to fight Zhuo Lin in the next day’s Grade-A Test. She doubts him, pointing out that Zhuo Lin’s advanced Sword Python technique is beyond what an ordinary Skin Tempering Martial Artist can handle. To prove himself, Deng Qing demonstrates the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude at full strength. Its seamless, ever-changing swordplay impresses her, and she agrees that he is capable of facing Zhuo Lin. She appoints him as her side’s main fighter for the test.
Deng Qing then asks for two hundred taels’ worth of resources, preferably forty Ginseng Pills, so he can train overnight in the Sword Grove and continue improving his sword skills and Qi-Blood. The White-Clad Woman readily agrees, and Deng Qing realizes he has asked for less than she expected.
His second concern is the danger of becoming a Sword Examiner who defeats every Martial Exam Student, potentially making enemies of a whole crowd and threatening his livelihood in Yanshan Prefecture. The White-Clad Woman acknowledges the risk and promises that her side will protect him if he wins, though she has not yet worked out how.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing reveals the depth of his swordsmanship and his confidence, but also shows practical caution: he negotiates for resources and thinks ahead about the social consequences of victory. His long experience with poverty has distorted his sense of what constitutes a modest request.
• The White-Clad Woman shifts from dismissing Deng Qing to recognizing his skill and entrusting him with the main-fighter role. She is impressed by his technique but finds his modest request for payment almost comically small. She also agrees to help manage the political fallout, though without a concrete plan.
• Their exchange is a negotiation built on mutual assessment: Deng Qing must demonstrate his ability before she will support him, while he seeks both the means to improve and reassurance that victory will not ruin his standing.

Significant themes

• Skill earned through discipline: Deng Qing attributes his mastery to hard practice, and his demonstration overturns the White-Clad Woman’s assumptions.
• Ambition balanced by prudence: He wants to win, but recognizes that success can create enemies and carry consequences beyond the arena.
• Poverty and self-worth: Deng Qing asks for far less than his prospective sponsor considers reasonable, revealing how hardship has shaped his expectations.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Back at his lodgings, Deng Qing plans to return safely to Everjoy County after the Martial Dao Trial, preferably traveling with Li Cheng.
• The White-Clad Woman arrives late at night and abruptly attacks him. Deng Qing dodges two strikes using his Perfected Mastery Tiger-Subduing Fist, but she quickly immobilizes him by disrupting the flow of his Qi-Blood.
• She covers his face with a gray-white paste to make a mold, explaining that she is addressing his concerns about being recognized. Once the mold is complete, she releases him.
• The woman gives Deng Qing forty Ginseng Pills, worth at least two hundred taels. They will help him advance to the fourth level of Skin Refinement, but she makes clear they are payment conditional on his defeating Zhuo Lin in the Grade-A Test the next morning.
• Deng Qing requests overnight access to the Sword Grove. She gives him a Black Token that the hall’s stewards recognize, allowing him to enter.
• He also asks why Zhuo Lin is being subjected to a difficult test despite his evident skill. The woman explains that the Martial Dao Institute prioritizes eliminating candidates and would rather recruit no one than make entry easy.
• Deng Qing proposes replacing all three Sword Examiners, rather than just himself, to avoid attracting suspicion. He plans to fight first and stop every candidate himself, leaving the other two examiners with no need to act. The woman agrees.
• After she leaves, Deng Qing gathers his belongings and heads to the Sword Grove, where the Black Token grants him passage.

Character developments

• Deng Qing shows quick reflexes and confidence under pressure, but remains cautious and practical. He negotiates carefully, anticipates how changes to the examiner roster might look, and commits to a risky strategy for the test.
• The White-Clad Woman reveals herself as both formidable and transactional: she restrains Deng Qing without warning, yet provides the disguise mold, pills, and access he needs. Her wager on his performance shows she has a strong personal stake in his success.

Significant themes

• Preparation under pressure: Deng Qing uses the limited hours before the test to secure resources and train.
• Trust and power: The woman’s help comes with intimidation and conditions; Deng Qing must depend on her while guarding against being misled.
• Unfair systems and merit: The Institute deliberately makes its examinations difficult to weed out candidates, even those who seem deserving.
• Appearance and concealment: The face mold and planned disguise reflect the need to hide identity and manage suspicion.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing’s first encounter with the White-Clad Woman is a frightening misunderstanding: he assumes her sudden attack is an attempt to silence him, while she is actually immobilizing him to make a face mold.
• Their exchange is a tense negotiation. Deng Qing presses for practical assurances and explains his plan; she responds impatiently but ultimately grants his requests.
• Her final warning that she has wagered heavily on him underscores the pressure between them as Deng Qing prepares for the test.

Key events

• Deng Qing trains through the night in the Superior Sword Grove, using Ginseng Pills to restore stamina and build qi-blood while repeatedly facing volleys of Sword Light.
• His Seven Forms of Settling Solitude advances from 79% at Grand mastery to 80% at Perfected mastery. He recognizes that this single percentage point marks a major breakthrough.
• With the perfected technique, he easily handles the three-shot challenge and then masters the Sword Grove’s final four-shot zone, deflecting repeated volleys with precise, flowing sword movements.
• After stabilizing his skill, he rests briefly, washes at an underground spring, and meets the White-Clad Woman, who asks about his progress. Deng Qing confidently assures her he will not disappoint her in the day’s match.

Character development

• Deng Qing’s endurance and determination are evident in his all-night practice, but his breakthrough also brings a clear change in confidence and composure. He moves from struggling against Sword Light to calmly controlling the four-shot challenge.
• The White-Clad Woman appears travel-worn when she arrives, but remains focused and direct.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and disciplined practice: Repeated training and recovery enable Deng Qing’s advance.
• Breakthroughs and mastery: A small numerical increase represents a profound qualitative leap.
• Preparation and confidence: Deng Qing’s new skill sets the stage for the match.

Character interactions

• The White-Clad Woman checks on Deng Qing’s training. He responds with confidence, while she listens and studies him closely; their exchange ends before her reaction is revealed.

Plot points and events

• The woman in white gives Deng Qing a face-changing disguise called Mongqi Hide. It adheres seamlessly to his skin, making him look like a different person.
• She assigns him the new identity Xie Xuan and provides a black robe and new boots so he will not be recognized by his clothing.
• As the Grade-A Martial Exam begins, Zhao Jia summons the woman in white to oversee it. She lets Deng Qing leave his belongings in the Sword Grove, which is closed to the public.
• Deng Qing hurries to the dining hall and uses the woman’s token to obtain a huge bowl of rice and braised meat. Though the manager chases him out, the woman intervenes. Deng Qing finishes the entire meal on the way to the Martial Arena.

Character developments

• Deng Qing accepts the disguise and new identity, showing gratitude and determination to prove himself. His eagerness to eat also highlights his appetite and practical, unceremonious nature.
• The woman in white has gone to considerable effort to help him, even traveling over a hundred li overnight to obtain the disguise. Though she maintains a stern manner, she softens toward him and lets him store his belongings.

Significant themes

• Concealment and identity: Deng Qing must change his appearance, clothes, and name to compete without revealing who he is.
• Effort and trust: The woman’s help creates an obligation that Deng Qing promises to repay through his performance.
• Humor in ordinary behavior: Deng Qing’s enormous meal and the woman’s bafflement provide comic contrast to the serious preparations for the exam.

Character interactions

• The woman in white instructs Deng Qing on how to use the disguise and cautions him that only his actions—not his promises—will prove his worth.
• Deng Qing thanks her and asks permission to leave belongings in the Sword Grove; she agrees out of sympathy.
• Zhao Jia relays the exam summons, while the woman later shields Deng Qing from the dining-hall manager’s complaint.

Key plot points and events

• The Grade-A Qualification Test begins, with Grade-B candidates required to defeat three Grade-A Sword Examiners. The previous day’s examiners have been replaced, prompting Zhuo Lin to question the change.
• Elder Wei and a Martial Dao Lower Court proctor explain that anyone below the Skin Tempering Realm who passes verification may serve as an examiner. Deng Qing’s Qi-Blood test confirms his eligibility.
• Deng Qing, competing under the name Xie Xuan, faces Yuan Chong first. He waits as Yuan builds momentum, then spots weaknesses in his technique and disarms him with one precise strike.
• Ma Zhong is next. He uses the Burning Sun Method to strengthen himself and the momentum-building Wave-Stacking Sword. Deng Qing again waits, then cuts through the technique’s momentum and knocks the sword from Ma Zhong’s hands.
• Both defeated candidates are left stunned, questioning whether their encounters even count as sword matches.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing displays remarkable composure and precision. His Perfected Mastery of the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude has greatly sharpened his ability to spot openings, allowing him to defeat opponents without meeting their force directly.
• The White-Clad Woman has arranged for Deng Qing to serve as an examiner. His success reassures her that her hurried preparations were worthwhile, though she keeps her reaction hidden behind her mask.
• Zhuo Lin challenges the change of examiners but backs down when the officials assert their authority. Even after Deng Qing’s first win, he remains unconvinced by the display.
• Elder Wei and Zhao Jia recognize that the White-Clad Woman has found an exceptionally capable examiner, and they observe Deng Qing’s victories with growing interest.
• Yuan Chong and Ma Zhong approach their fights with confidence, building up powerful attacks; Deng Qing’s effortless counters leave both bewildered and disarmed.

Significant themes

• Skill over brute force: Deng Qing wins by identifying and exploiting weaknesses rather than matching his opponents’ power.
• Composure and timing: He allows opponents to complete their preparations, then acts at the decisive moment.
• Authority and fairness: Zhuo Lin’s objection highlights the tension between candidates’ concerns and the exam officials’ control over the rules.
• Hidden capability: Deng Qing’s apparent stillness conceals keen perception and formidable technique.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing defeats five consecutive challengers with ease, leaving the waiting Martial Exam Students despondent.
• Zhuo Lin is finally called to fight. He taunts Deng Qing, offers him time to recover, then insists he can face all three Grade-A examiners. Elder Wei cuts through the posturing and orders the duel to begin.
• Zhuo Lin’s first attack is exceptionally fast and nearly strikes Deng Qing’s throat. Deng Qing redirects it, but the blow tears his shoulder’s clothing. The observers are impressed that the unsharpened sword still did damage.
• Zhuo Lin boasts that he used only thirty percent of his strength and unleashes his signature Sword Python Art, whose blade changes direction repeatedly to target Deng Qing’s chest, throat, and wrist.
• Deng Qing settles into the focused state he developed in the Superior Sword Grove. Rather than trying to overpower or outdo Zhuo Lin, he studies the sword itself, intercepting each change of direction before the attack can fully develop. The exchange continues with repeated clashes, Deng Qing’s defense holding firm.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing remains outwardly calm and even recognizes his own tendency to show off. When Zhuo Lin’s skill poses a real threat, he shifts from casual confidence to concentrated, adaptive swordsmanship.
• Zhuo Lin is talented and technically formidable, but his pride and need to establish superiority show through his boasts and theatrical manner. Elder Wei’s rebuke visibly angers and embarrasses him, though he complies.
• Elder Wei is impatient with empty swagger and insists on action. Zhao Jia and the other observers recognize the danger and quality of Zhuo Lin’s swordplay, while the waiting students hope Deng Qing will stop him.
• The White-Clad Woman watches Deng Qing closely and is relieved that he does not panic after being threatened.

Significant themes

• Composure versus arrogance: Zhuo Lin’s confidence is expressed through boasts, while Deng Qing’s strongest advantage comes from quiet concentration.
• Skill through observation and adaptability: Deng Qing counters the Sword Python not by matching its complexity, but by anticipating the openings created by its turns.
• Public pressure and spectacle: The crowded exam field, students’ hopes, and observers’ reactions heighten the duel’s stakes and contrast with Deng Qing’s inward focus.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Jia and Elder Wei discuss how Xie Xuan keeps anticipating the changes in Zhuo Lin’s Sword Python technique. They suspect he is exploiting fleeting gaps, though neither can explain how he does it.
• In the arena, Deng Qing—referred to as Xie Xuan during the fight—deflects Zhuo Lin’s attacks with a smooth, circular defense. Zhuo Lin’s confidence fades as his supposedly unbeatable technique fails.
• Zhuo Lin reveals that Sword Python is a demanding technique his grandfather modified for the Skin Tempering Realm. He has trained it since childhood and even delayed advancing realms to perfect it.
• After Elder Wei orders them to stop talking and fight, Zhuo Lin unleashes Sword Python Transformation, a much stronger form that creates a giant flood-dragon of sword shadows and attacks from every direction.
• Deng Qing remains composed, using the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude as a seamless, apparently flawless defense. He also studies Zhuo Lin’s technique as he blocks it.
• Zhuo Lin realizes that Deng Qing’s swordsmanship has no discernible openings, recalling his grandfather’s teaching about mastering a style until its movements become instinctive. Unable to accept defeat, he bites his tongue and spits blood onto his sword, forcing his Qi-Blood to surge further.

Character developments

• Deng Qing/Xie Xuan is revealed as an exceptionally skilled swordsman whose calm, integrated technique can counter even a powerful, complex attack.
• Zhuo Lin shifts from confidence and pride to confusion, frustration, and desperation as his signature technique proves ineffective.
• Zhao Jia and Elder Wei are impressed and unsettled by Deng Qing’s ability, which they cannot fully explain.
• Li Cheng is struck by the resemblance between Deng Qing’s technique and the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude, while recognizing that Deng Qing’s skill appears even greater.

Significant themes

• Mastery beyond technique: True proficiency comes when forms become instinctive and seamless, rather than a collection of separate moves.
• Composure versus desperation: Deng Qing’s calm control contrasts with Zhuo Lin’s growing anger.
• Pride and the cost of ambition: Zhuo Lin’s years of sacrifice and training make his unexpected failure especially difficult to accept.
• The limits of reputation: Zhuo Lin’s celebrated technique and undefeated record do not guarantee victory against an unknown opponent.

Character interactions

• Zhao Jia and Elder Wei speculate about Deng Qing’s skill, exposing the spectators’ uncertainty.
• Zhuo Lin asks what swordsmanship Deng Qing uses; Deng Qing replies simply that it is “the kind that defeats my opponent.”
• Elder Wei cuts off their exchange and urges them to continue fighting.
• Zhuo Lin’s increasingly aggressive attacks meet Deng Qing’s controlled defense, turning their duel into a clash between forceful complexity and effortless precision.

Key plot points and events

• Zhuo Lin pushes his sword technique beyond its limits, using the Second Sword Python Transformation to overwhelm Deng Qing and drive him to the edge of the arena.
• Deng Qing stays calm, avoiding direct clashes and targeting weak points in Zhuo Lin’s attacks. When Zhuo Lin concentrates his remaining strength into one final thrust, Deng Qing finds a tiny opening, breaks through the Sword Shadow, and disarms him.
• Zhuo Lin collapses after the force of his technique rebounds against him. Deng Qing wins, leaving the arena stunned.
• Refusing to accept defeat, Zhuo Lin accuses Deng Qing—whom the crowd calls Xie Xuan—of hiding his true cultivation and demands a retest. The students, already resentful of Xie Xuan’s success, join the protest.
• An Exam Proctor condemns Zhuo Lin for refusing to accept a loss. The White-Clad Woman then dismisses his claims and violently hurls him into a wall, silencing the crowd.

Character developments

• Deng Qing/Xie Xuan demonstrates exceptional composure, precision, and mastery of the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude. Rather than overpowering Zhuo Lin, he wins by reading and exploiting the flaws in his technique.
• Zhuo Lin shows formidable skill and determination, but his desperation makes him overextend himself. After losing, his pride turns into anger and denial.
• The White-Clad Woman reveals her authority and formidable power, forcefully ending both Zhuo Lin’s protest and the crowd’s unrest.

Significant themes

• Precision over brute force: Deng Qing defeats a stronger, more aggressive opponent by understanding the structure of his attacks.
• Pride and the inability to accept defeat: Zhuo Lin’s refusal to concede worsens his humiliation.
• Appearance versus ability: The students assume Deng Qing must be cheating because they cannot reconcile his victory with their expectations about cultivation levels.
• Authority and fairness: The crowd questions the assessment, while the officials insist that defeat alone is not evidence of cheating.

Character interactions

• Zhuo Lin relentlessly pressures Deng Qing, but Deng Qing answers with controlled, tactical defense.
• After the match, Zhuo Lin challenges Deng Qing’s legitimacy and rallies the students against him.
• An Exam Proctor rebukes Zhuo Lin; the White-Clad Woman then confronts him directly and uses force to restore order.

Key plot points and events

• After Deng Qing, disguised as Xie Xuan, defeats Zhuo Lin, the remaining Martial Exam Students lose heart and either concede or withdraw. None of the twenty-two Grade-B students earns Grade A.
• Deng Qing stays behind to return the Black Token and ask the White-Clad Woman how to remove his Mongqi Hide. She tells him to soak it in clean water and lets him keep it as a reward, explaining how to preserve it.
• She confirms his sword talent could qualify him for the Weapon Examiner roster. To advance, he must either remain in the Skin Tempering Realm and continue as an examiner or enter the Bone-Forging Realm and learn a technique suited to that level.
• At the White-Clad Woman’s direction, Deng Qing collects his belongings from the Sword Grove and changes back into his usual appearance.
• He encounters Xu Ming and Xue Lin, who are packing up after their work at the Martial Arts Hall ends. They recount the spectacular “Xie Xuan” victory, unaware that Deng Qing was the swordsman. Deng Qing then heads to the east gate to collect his pay.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing is relieved that he fought under an assumed name, since “Xie Xuan” has made enemies among the students. He is pleased to receive the Mongqi Hide and takes the White-Clad Woman’s cultivation advice seriously.
• The White-Clad Woman shifts from using Deng Qing as a substitute examiner to offering practical guidance and recognizing his talent, though she doubts he will reach the necessary Bone-Forging level in time for the Provincial Examination.
• Xu Ming and Xue Lin are excited by the rumored examiner’s feats and grateful they were replaced before facing Zhuo Lin. Their conversation lets Deng Qing hear how his disguised performance is being discussed.
• Zhuo Lin and the other examinees are left humiliated and frustrated by the test’s outcome, while the examiners quietly acknowledge Deng Qing as he waits outside the arena.

Significant themes

• Identity and concealment: Deng Qing’s disguise protects him from the consequences of his public victory and may prove useful again.
• Talent and discipline: Natural sword skill earns recognition, but reaching higher realms requires sustained training and techniques suited to new abilities.
• The limits of achievement: Victory in one realm does not make a technique universally superior; as the White-Clad Woman says, “Each mountain has its own view.”