Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing asks Li Dashan to teach him a Bone-Forging Realm combat technique, hoping to make better use of the qi-blood produced by Blood-Burning Pills. Li advises against rushing into a new technique: Deng’s perfected Tiger-Subduing Fist and Seven Forms of Settling Solitude, combined with refining his unusually valuable wasteland blood, are likely more useful.
• Li explains that repeatedly taking Blood-Burning Pills is not wasted effort. By widening his meridians in advance, Deng can make a pill’s power take effect faster in a future battle.
• Deng questions Li about the Bone-Forging Realm and the Pure Jade Method, but Li declines to explain further and tells him to practice and discover its benefits himself. He leaves Deng to take the pills on his own, trusting his Violet Palace Method.
• After a restorative Medicinal Bath, Deng checks his training panel and sees modest gains in his realm and Violet Palace Method. He decides to test his pill-enhanced fighting strength against Zhang Yan, a senior disciple at the Bone-Forging First Layer.
• Deng persuades Zhang to spar in the Underground Refining Chamber. After warming up, he takes a Blood-Burning Pill, circulates his qi-blood with the Violet Palace Method, and guides it through the Devour Heaven Scripture. The process further absorbs a small amount of the wasteland blood within him.
• In the spar, Deng’s first punch surprises Zhang and forces him back. Their continued exchange shows that Deng’s pill-boosted qi-blood and highly refined Tiger-Subduing Fist let him hold his ground against a Bone-Forging Realm opponent. Zhang cannot break Deng’s defense, though he proposes switching to weapons to continue the test.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing shows ambition and curiosity, but also growing discipline: he listens to Li’s reasoning, recognizes the need to test his abilities rather than rely on speculation, and stays level-headed despite Zhang’s praise.
• Li Dashan acts as a practical, protective mentor. He redirects Deng from a hasty technique acquisition toward cultivation better suited to his unusual circumstances, while keeping some of the Pure Jade Method’s benefits deliberately unexplained.
• Zhang Yan is conscientious and reluctant to leave the hall for war, but agrees to help Deng. His initial confidence gives way to genuine surprise and respect when Deng proves stronger and more skilled than expected.
• The exchange between master and disciple is affectionate but humorous: Deng keeps pressing Li with questions, while Li tries to escape. Deng similarly coaxes Zhang into sparring, even threatening to involve their master.

Significant themes

• Practice over speculation: Deng’s progress and actual sparring test matter more than abstract assumptions about techniques or realms.
• Preparation and adaptation: Widening his meridians now will let Deng use Blood-Burning Pills more quickly when danger arises.
• Cultivation beyond appearances: Though still in the Skin Tempering Realm, Deng’s mastery, pill-enhanced qi-blood, and unusual wasteland blood let him challenge someone a realm above him.
• Effort and measurable growth: The training panel makes Deng’s steady work visible, reinforcing his belief that persistent practice yields results.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing’s Blood-Burning Pill wears off after nearly five hundred breaths, far longer than it lasts for most martial artists. Though exhausted, he recovers quickly by refining Wasteland Blood with the Devour Heaven Scripture.
• Reviewing his spar with Zhang Yan, Deng Qing concludes that his perfected Tiger-Subduing Fist can challenge a Bone-Forging First Layer fighter when boosted by the pill. His progress also confirms the value of refining Wasteland Blood.
• Fan Sheng delivers Deng Qing’s monthly allowance and the chapter highlights how becoming a Personal Disciple has brought him new income, connections, and access to resources. Deng Qing realizes that advancement means greater opportunity and resolves to keep climbing.
• In a second spar, Deng Qing loses to Zhang Yan’s Wind-Thunder Sword after thirty moves. He recognizes the gap between their sword skills but deliberately holds back, preserving Zhang Yan’s pride and their good relationship.
• Deng Qing, Zhang Yan, and their master, Li Dashan, set out for the Liangshan front. Fan Sheng catches up to give Deng Qing valuable Soft Armor, insisting that he take it for protection.
• The group travels in a carriage drawn by powerful Strange Horses, later transferring to ordinary carriages as they approach the military staging area. Deng Qing also encounters Song Wuliang, Chen Kong, and Song Que; Song Que signals him to keep up their appearance of hostility.
• At Liangshan, the enormous encampment and stream of troops make the scale of the coming battle real to Deng Qing. He sees badly wounded soldiers being carried through the muddy camp. As Li Dashan reassures his disciples, Deng Qing notices a huge, blazing cauldron giving off a strong medicinal fragrance.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing grows more confident after testing his strength, while remaining calculating: he conceals his full sword-fighting ability to avoid embarrassing Zhang Yan. His increasing income also gives him a clearer understanding of the importance of status and resources.
• Zhang Yan recognizes Deng Qing’s talent and encourages him, while sharing a friendly, teasing rapport with him.
• Fan Sheng demonstrates deep affection and concern for Deng Qing by making the long ride to deliver armor he values. Their closeness is evident in Deng Qing’s gratitude and promise to return it.
• Li Dashan leads the group to Liangshan and tries to steady his disciples when they encounter the realities of war.
• Song Que quietly asks Deng Qing to maintain their public pretense of being enemies, and Deng Qing agrees to play along.

Significant themes

• Strength through cultivation: Refining Wasteland Blood restores Deng Qing’s stamina and improves his overall progress, while the Blood-Burning Pill offers powerful but temporary combat strength.
• Advancement and resources: Deng Qing sees that higher status brings money, connections, and opportunities, reinforcing his determination to rise.
• Preparation and danger: Fan Sheng’s armor and Li Dashan’s warnings underscore that skill cannot eliminate the hazards of battle.
• The gap between heroic ideals and war: Liangshan’s vast military presence, mud, and severely wounded soldiers contrast sharply with romantic images of frontier warfare.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing, Zhang Yan, and their master, Li Dashan, arrive at Liangshan’s military camp. A public display of Martial Origin Pill refining is meant to motivate recruits: merit can earn a pill.
• At the Military Affairs Office, a new order separates Li Dashan from his personal guards and disciples. Li is assigned to Martial Might Camp, while Deng Qing and Zhang Yan must be reassigned according to their cultivation.
• Deng Qing and Zhang Yan receive different identity plaques—green for Deng Qing, white for Zhang Yan—and are sent in separate directions. Li promises to find them once he is settled.
• Deng Qing is assigned to guard parapets Seventeen and Eighteen with six ordinary soldiers and two low-ranked martial artists. The wall’s nighttime watch is lax, but Deng Qing remains alert and cultivates, making steady progress by refining Wasteland Blood.
• Hungry after training, Deng Qing buys overpriced beef and flatbread from a boy selling food on the wall. He also pays the boy to introduce him to an information broker, Big Brother Zhao.
• Zhao explains that the camp’s loose discipline reflects its mixed forces and limited military training, and that influential groups profit from the tolerated black market. More importantly, he tells Deng Qing that gathering Blazing Sun Grass is a practical way to earn merit: a hundred stalks can be exchanged for a Martial Origin Pill.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing adapts quickly to being separated from his master. Though disappointed, he recognizes that his own preparations—taking a Blood-Burning Pill and refining Wasteland Blood—have given him a measure of independence. He is pragmatic, avoids needless confrontation, cultivates during his watch, and prioritizes learning how to earn a pill.
• Li Dashan accepts the military order without protest and gives both disciples cautious advice: learn the rules, avoid rashness, and wait for him to reconnect with them.
• Zhang Yan is unsettled by the separation but follows orders after Deng Qing reassures him.
• Big Brother Zhao proves observant and commercially minded, accurately inferring Deng Qing’s situation before offering useful information for a fee. Their exchange establishes a transactional but cordial relationship.
• Deng Qing treats his assigned soldiers generously by buying them flatbread, earning their gratitude and helping build goodwill among his small unit.

Significant themes

• Merit and ambition: Martial Origin Pills are both a coveted cultivation resource and a tool for motivating service; Deng Qing now has a concrete route to pursue one.
• Adaptability and self-reliance: Military reassignment disrupts Deng Qing’s expectations, but his prior preparation and practical choices help him adjust.
• Order versus disorder: The front line is nominally a military installation, yet its lax discipline and informal markets reveal the difficulty of controlling a diverse, inexperienced force.
• Commerce and influence: Even basic food sales depend on powerful connections, while information itself is treated as a commodity.

Plot points and events

• Big Brother Zhao explains that Deng Qing can pay a substitute to cover his wall-guarding shift, freeing him to gather Blazing Sun Grass in the nearby forests. The herb grows where Wasteland Qi leaking from the Desolate Soil has altered the environment and is needed to make pills that help people adapt to the Desolate Soil.
• Deng Qing agrees to join the herb-gathering effort. He offers Zhao ongoing referral payments and a reward for reaching one hundred stalks, encouraging Zhao to find him a genuinely capable guide. Zhao recruits Uncle Huang, an experienced, independent herb-gatherer.
• Uncle Huang trains Deng Qing for thirteen days in identifying and harvesting the herb, reading tracks, navigating the forests, and avoiding danger. Deng Qing then begins gathering alone, using what he learned to observe a swarm of giant ladybug Qi Beasts, whose preferred cold, damp habitats can point to Blazing Sun Grass.
• While hiding near the swarm, Deng Qing practices the Devour Heaven Scripture. His circulation improves, his fatigue fades, and the technique approaches its next stage. His other martial skills and cultivation also make modest progress.
• After half a month, Deng Qing has collected sixty-four stalks, but needs one hundred to exchange for a Martial Origin Pill. He has only eight Blood-Burning Pills left and eight days before reaching the warned-against thirty-day limit for taking them. Private trades in military supplies are forbidden and unreliable, while Li Dashan and Zhang Yan remain missing.
• Desperate to accelerate his gathering, Deng Qing decides to exploit the ladybug swarm. He uses insect-luring powder and rabbit entrails as bait, then hides to watch the Qi Beasts respond.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing proves cautious, analytical, and resourceful: he asks careful questions, pays to secure reliable help, studies the beasts before acting, and applies Uncle Huang’s lessons rather than rushing into danger. His urgency grows as his pill deadline approaches.
• Big Brother Zhao shifts from making a quick deal to taking responsibility for Deng Qing’s interests once the ongoing payments give him an incentive. Their relationship becomes a mutually beneficial arrangement.
• Uncle Huang is a disheveled, wine-loving, money-minded veteran, but also a skilled and generous teacher. Deng Qing rewards his instruction, and Huang responds by teaching him more carefully.
• Li Dashan and Zhang Yan are absent, and their unexplained disappearance leaves Deng Qing unable to rely on Li Dashan’s promise of two pills.

Significant themes

• Practical knowledge and preparation: Deng Qing succeeds through observation, note-taking, training, and patience.
• Money and mutual benefit: Payments secure cooperation, but Deng Qing uses them strategically to align Zhao’s interests with his own.
• Risk and survival: Herb gathering avoids the battlefield but still exposes Deng Qing to dangerous, unpredictable Qi Beasts.
• Urgency and uncertainty: His strict deadline, dwindling pills, and missing allies force him to take calculated risks.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing uses rabbit entrails and buried powder to lure the ordinary ladybug Qi-Beasts away from their territory, then slips into their nest.
• He discovers 52 stalks of blazing sun grass, bringing his total to 116—enough, he believes, to secure a Martial Origin Pill.
• A massive, apparently sleeping Ladybug King guards the patch. Deng Qing quietly harvests the grass, nearly alerting it when his trowel strikes a pebble, but escapes with the plants.
• Other herb gatherers track him, likely alerted by a ghost familiar responding to the uproar among the ladybugs. Four members of the Seven Heroes of Shaoshang surround him.
• Their leader, the Yellow-Browed Guest, claims they had found the grass first and offers 500 taels for half of Deng Qing’s haul. Deng Qing recognizes the offer as a trap when the note dissolves from a concealed chemical.
• The four attack. Deng Qing swiftly kills all of them with his Blacksteel Soft Sword, then destroys the ghost familiar hidden in the leader’s bamboo tube.
• He searches the bodies cautiously, collects money and eight additional stalks of blazing sun grass, disposes of the corpses with dissolving powder, changes his clothes, removes his disguise, and heads back toward the Military Camp.

Character developments

• Deng Qing shows growing confidence, resourcefulness, and composure. He plans carefully, stays alert to traps, and uses both deception and lethal force when negotiations turn into an ambush.
• His success in gathering the grass gives him relief: he expects it to secure the pill he needs and free him from worrying over his Blood-Burning Pills.
• The Yellow-Browed Guest’s practiced politeness proves to be a cover for coercion and deception. One-Eyed Dragon, by contrast, is impatient and openly favors attacking.

Significant themes

• Survival through vigilance: In a dangerous world, even a seemingly generous offer may conceal a deadly trick.
• Predation and reversal: Deng Qing first robs the insect nest of its harvest, then defeats men who try to rob him.
• Preparation and adaptability: His disguises, planted supplies, knowledge of ghost familiars, and cautious handling of suspicious items all help him survive.
• Violence and moral ambiguity: Deng Qing’s harvest leads to conflict, and he responds with swift, fatal violence before erasing the evidence.

Character interactions

• Deng Qing exploits the ladybugs’ attraction to bait to divert them from their nest, but must work close to the sleeping Ladybug King.
• The Yellow-Browed Guest and Deng Qing exchange courteous salutes and veiled threats, each testing the other’s strength and claims. Deng Qing bluffs about his master and probes whether the gang’s stronger members are present.
• One-Eyed Dragon breaks the tense negotiation by urging an attack. The group’s coordinated ambush fails against Deng Qing, who kills all four before they can escape.

Plot and events

• Deng Qing returns to camp with a large haul of Blazing Sun Grass. At the Medicine Hall, he exchanges enough Merit Points for a Martial Origin Pill and stores it in an expensive Ice Soul Bottle, wanting to secure it before circumstances change. Having the pill makes him feel confident he can reach the Bone-Forging Realm.
• At breakfast, Deng Qing learns from Big Brother Zhao about the Secret Trading Market. A visit reveals that a Ladybug King’s corpse can be worth far more than Blazing Sun Grass. He briefly regrets not pursuing one, then reasons that his cautious choice to gather herbs was still characteristic—and safer. He also wonders whether the ladybug beasts have moved since he stripped their former camp of herbs.
• Meanwhile, Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng investigate the disappearance of four of their fellow “Seven Heroes of Shaoshang.” Du Wencheng suspects the brothers followed a furious swarm of ladybugs to people who had harvested their Blazing Sun Grass, fought them, and were killed. He obtains Medicine Hall records and plans to identify likely suspects by the size of their herb deposits and then check their alibis. The Northwest Seven Wolves and Changsha Cave Ghosts are considered but not confirmed; Deng Qing’s unusually large solo deposit of fifty-two stalks also draws notice.
• Deng Qing is summoned by his senior brother Zhang Yan, who has been away fighting the Donghuang Cult in the Desolate Soil. Zhang Yan returns wounded but says it is only a flesh wound. He reveals that his opponent was Blood Butcher Xiong Zhen, a notorious and dangerous cult fighter.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing remains prudent and security-minded: he pays to preserve the pill rather than wait, and chooses reliable gains over a risky hunt. His confidence rises, but the investigation may put him under suspicion.
• Big Brother Zhao repays Deng Qing’s earlier help with a meal and introduces him to the secret market, providing both companionship and valuable information.
• Du Wencheng emerges as the patient strategist among the surviving brothers, using evidence and methodical elimination rather than rushing into revenge. Meng Kuo is hot-headed and eager to attack, while Lu Yan is grieving but willing to follow Du’s reasoning.
• Zhang Yan reconnects with Deng Qing after a prolonged absence and shares news of the wider conflict; their reunion turns toward concern when Deng Qing learns Zhang Yan fought Xiong Zhen.

Significant themes

• Security versus opportunity: Deng Qing’s caution may cost him a lucrative prize, but it also protects what he has already earned.
• Evidence and suspicion: The brothers’ investigation shows how ordinary records can become tools for tracking enemies—and how Deng Qing’s legitimate success may make him a target.
• Brotherhood and vengeance: The Seven Heroes’ grief binds them together, but their differing temperaments shape how they pursue justice.
• A widening conflict: The local dangers of the wilds and camp are linked to the larger war against the Donghuang Cult.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yan tells Deng Qing that the main fighting force has entered the Desolate Soil, while Deng Qing’s low cultivation has kept him outside the conflict. Zhang Yan has been unable to find or contact their master, Li Dashan.
• Deng Qing has earned enough Merit Points to obtain one Martial Origin Pill and has stored it in an Ice Soul Bottle. He plans to keep widening his meridians with Blood-Burning Pills before attempting Aperture Condensation.
• Zhang Yan advises him to pursue more Martial Origin Pills: combining several during a breakthrough could greatly accelerate Deng Qing’s progress toward the first Bone-Forging layer.
• Rather than continue gathering Blazing Sun Grass, Deng Qing joins Zhang Yan’s mission team. Zhang Yan has arranged a four-person squad with Chen Kong and Song Que, setting aside earlier tensions with the Golden Saber Sect in favor of cooperation.
• The mission is to search for a badly wounded wasteland beast that fled after interrupting a battle between their forces and the Donghuang Cult. Finding it brings a large reward; even an unsuccessful search earns five Merit Points. Zhang Yan plans to pool his share with Deng Qing’s so they can obtain another Martial Origin Pill.
• Zhang Yan warns that the search is dangerous: the Donghuang Cult may also be looking for the beast, and its remnants could be encountered in the woods. He urges Deng Qing to use the present opportunity to strengthen himself, as the war may expand to lower cultivation ranks.
• They discuss the Pure Jade Method. Zhang Yan has only reached its initial stage and needs Li Dashan’s supervision to control the dangerous Qi-Blood Storm it causes. Deng Qing has progressed much further, thanks in part to his Violet Palace Method.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing shifts from relying on his master’s promise to taking practical steps to secure his own pills. He is ambitious but receptive to Zhang Yan’s guidance, and agrees to the risky mission.
• Zhang Yan acts as a protective senior brother, offering Deng Qing a share of his reward and encouraging him to prioritize strength. He is visibly unsettled by the Desolate Soil and later surprised—and briefly discouraged—by Deng Qing’s rapid progress with the Pure Jade Method.
• The two share trust and warmth: Deng Qing readily follows Zhang Yan, pays for their tea, and offers to protect him during cultivation, though Zhang Yan jokes that a Skin-Tempering disciple guarding a Bone-Forging one would invite ridicule.
• Zhang Yan’s cooperation with Chen Kong and Song Que reflects a willingness to put factional disputes aside when survival and shared interests matter.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance and preparation: Deng Qing recognizes that he must secure resources himself rather than depend on promises.
• Risk and opportunity: The dangerous search offers a faster path to Merit Points and cultivation resources than ordinary herb gathering.
• Comradeship and unity: Zhang Yan stresses cooperation across old rivalries in the face of a larger threat.
• Uneven talent and cultivation costs: Deng Qing’s exceptional progress contrasts with Zhang Yan’s slower, hazardous practice, while the Pure Jade Method’s potential benefits come with serious risks.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing and Zhang Yan register for the Wasteland Beast search at the camp’s Merit Office. Chen Kong and Song Que join them, despite Song Que’s lingering hostility toward Deng Qing; Chen intervenes and urges them to set aside their feud while working together.
• The team obtains an Image Recording Needle, which records their route and encounters as proof for merit claims. Deng Qing covers the fifty-tael deposit, and Zhang Yan takes responsibility for carrying and using the device.
• The steward explains that a Ghost Familiar or Yin Pet might track the escaped Wasteland Beast by scent. Chen Kong lets his Yin-Blade Ghost Pet smell a sample of the beast’s blood.
• Deng Qing also smells the blood. Its scent triggers an intense craving and accelerates his Qi-Blood, which he controls with the Violet Palace Method. He suspects this reaction comes from having refined Wasteland Blood through the Devour Heaven Scripture—and realizes he can memorize the beast’s scent.
• The four head southeast to search the designated area. Along the way, they discuss the Martial Dao Institute, learning that it researches the Desolate Soil and trains disciples from across the land.
• A giant Qi Beast ant attacks them, followed by nearly a hundred more. Their ordinary strikes cannot kill the ants, but Deng Qing discovers that their eyes are vulnerable. The group adapts and begins defeating them.
• Chen Kong turns the fight into a friendly contest with Deng Qing over who can kill more ants. Both prove highly skilled, and Chen Kong becomes increasingly competitive.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing remains observant and resourceful: he pays the deposit, recognizes the ants’ weak point, and controls his alarming reaction to the Wasteland Beast’s blood. His growing strength and unusual cultivation begin to set him apart.
• Zhang Yan acts as the team’s steady leader, carrying the recording needle and guiding the group. His limited progress with the Pure Jade Method provides a contrast to Deng Qing’s advancement.
• Chen Kong works to keep peace between Song Que and Deng Qing, then shows both leadership and competitive pride in the ant battle. He holds back his physical advantages to test his saber skill.
• Song Que initially tries to restart his feud with Deng Qing, but agrees to cooperate for Chen Kong’s sake. Deng Qing’s generosity also prompts him to praise Deng Qing, revealing how quickly his outward attitude can shift.
• The group’s teamwork grows through shared preparation and combat, though Chen Kong’s contest with Deng Qing adds a playful rivalry.

Significant themes

• Cooperation despite conflict: Old grievances are temporarily set aside because survival and shared goals require teamwork.
• Knowledge and adaptation: The Image Recording Needle reflects the Institute’s advances, while identifying the ants’ weak point shows the value of observation in battle.
• The mysteries and dangers of cultivation: Deng Qing’s reaction to the blood hints that his inherited methods and connection to Wasteland Blood may be powerful—and difficult to control.
• Merit, proof, and practical incentives: The needle makes the expedition’s success verifiable, while the chance to earn merit motivates the team’s actions.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing and Chen Kong fight together against a swarm of unusually tough flying ants. Their swordsmanship and blade work destroy the insects, which dissolve into mist when killed. Chen Kong openly admits defeat to Deng Qing and praises his exceptional control of sword momentum.
• The group discusses how Wasteland Qi transforms ordinary creatures into Qi Beasts and why Qi Beasts and Wasteland Beasts leave different remains.
• While resting, the four are overtaken by Moving Wild Qi, a wave of Wasteland Qi that spreads frost across the landscape and stirs a violent Qi-Blood Storm in their bodies. Chen Kong, Zhang Yan, and eventually Song Que lose consciousness.
• Deng Qing withstands the surge by circulating the Devour Heaven Scripture. The experience dramatically advances his cultivation and triggers a major correction and expansion of the technique. He discovers it is a blood-refining art that draws sustenance from living beings, but decides that its usefulness matters more to him than whether it is considered sinister.
• When the others wake, Zhang Yan explains that Moving Wild Qi is generally not harmful to martial artists if encountered only occasionally. The group recovers and resumes its journey.

Character developments

• Deng Qing proves his swordsmanship can rival—and surpass—Chen Kong’s. He also makes a major breakthrough in cultivation, improves the Devour Heaven Scripture, and becomes more willing to use a morally questionable art if it makes him stronger.
• Chen Kong shows humility by acknowledging Deng Qing’s superiority. His strong Qi-Blood makes him more vulnerable to the Qi-Blood Storm, causing him to collapse early.
• Song Que admires Deng Qing and jokes about his extraordinary progress. Though weaker than the others, he endures the Moving Wild Qi longer than Zhang Yan and Chen Kong.
• Zhang Yan stays composed enough to warn the others and later explains the phenomenon. He reveals that his master taught him a secret art that offers some resistance to Wasteland Qi.

Character interactions

• Chen Kong’s candid praise deepens the group’s respect for Deng Qing; Song Que and Zhang Yan share in celebrating his skill.
• Zhang Yan tries to guide Deng Qing through the Moving Wild Qi, while the group’s different reactions reveal how cultivation and specialized methods affect their endurance.
• Afterward, Chen Kong notices Zhang Yan’s unusual resilience, prompting Zhang Yan to disclose his secret art. Song Que then wonders why the Golden Saber Sect lacks it, and Chen Kong lightens the discussion with a joking explanation.

Significant themes

• Strength through adversity: The dangerous exposure to Wasteland Qi becomes a catalyst for Deng Qing’s growth.
• Power and morality: Deng Qing questions conventional judgments of righteous versus sinister techniques, valuing results and personal use.
• Individual differences in cultivation: Greater Qi-Blood can mean both greater power and greater vulnerability to certain forces.
• Respect and humility: Chen Kong’s honest concession and the others’ admiration establish Deng Qing’s rising reputation.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Yan, Deng Qing, Chen Kong, and Song Que reach Wave-Hand Mountain, the area assigned for their search. Chen Kong sends his Ghost Familiar ahead, which leads them toward fighting.
• The four stumble into a battle between True Yang Martial Sect members and Donghuang Cult fighters. They join the sect’s side, helping rout the cultists. Two enemies escape after a burly fighter uses smoke to cover their retreat.
• The survivors’ leader, Huang Yunfan, has the bodies searched and divides the recovered spoils, including a share for the four newcomers. He then proposes that the groups join forces to search for the Wasteland Beast’s remains, effectively taking charge.
• While paired with Deng Qing, Song Que warns him that Huang is reputed to be overbearing and that Huang’s attendant, Jia Yu, is corrupt and unscrupulous. Huang’s father, Elder Huang Changhe, is a Furnace Realm martial artist.
• Deng Qing smells Wasteland Beast blood near a cliff and realizes the remains may lie below. Unable to retrieve them alone, he quickly rigs a vine rope and calls everyone over, positioning himself to claim credit for finding the trail.
• Jia Yu dismisses Deng Qing’s evidence and argues that investigating the cliff would waste time. Zhang Yan sees through his motive and offers to keep his group at the cliff while the others continue searching. Deng Qing agrees, and Song Que suggests using Chen Kong’s Ghost Familiar to investigate.

Character developments

• Deng Qing shows caution in battle, keen senses, and strategic ambition. Rather than risk a solo descent or lose the discovery’s credit, he secures witnesses and evidence of his lead.
• Zhang Yan demonstrates practical leadership: he protects his group in the fight, records their participation, and recognizes Jia Yu’s attempt to control access to the cliff.
• Song Que shifts from flattering Huang in public to privately warning Deng Qing about him, revealing both his social opportunism and his willingness to share useful information.
• Huang Yunfan appears gracious and capable, but his proposal to combine forces gives him overall command. His reputation and powerful family make the others wary.
• Jia Yu emerges as Huang’s calculating attendant, willing to obstruct the search when it may not serve his interests.

Significant themes

• Merit and credit: The characters’ actions are shaped by the need to document contributions and secure recognition.
• Trust and political maneuvering: Polite cooperation masks competing motives, especially around Huang’s leadership and Jia Yu’s objections.
• Caution versus ambition: Deng Qing balances the danger of investigating the cliff against the opportunity to claim an important discovery.
• Power and influence: Huang’s family standing affects how others treat him, while Jia Yu’s behavior illustrates how proximity to power can be used.

Character interactions

• The four newcomers fight alongside the sect members and are accepted into the spoils-sharing, though they remain alert to the group’s hierarchy.
• Song Que flatters Huang face-to-face, then privately gives Deng Qing a harsh account of Huang and Jia Yu.
• Huang invites the groups to cooperate; Chen Kong and Zhang Yan accept, though Deng Qing recognizes that the arrangement gives Huang control.
• At the cliff, Jia Yu challenges Deng Qing’s claim, Zhang Yan backs his junior, and the disagreement becomes a contest over who will investigate—and potentially claim—the discovery.

Key plot points

• Deng Qing confirms that the Wasteland Beast’s remains lie beneath the cliff. Huang Yunfan takes control of the recovery effort, directing the group to weave a long vine rope and choosing who will descend first.
• After Zheng Fei accidentally drops a pouch of viper blood, white frost spreads from below. Jia Yu explains that the blood disrupted the dead beast’s Wasteland Qi, triggering Corpse Dissolution. Its flesh and blood will disappear, leaving only its most valuable, Qi-assimilated parts.
• Worried about losing time—and the credit—to other groups, Huang Yunfan proposes that anyone who can reach the remains may share the reward. He takes a Blazing Sun Pill and descends, but returns exhausted, unable to withstand the increasingly powerful Wasteland Qi.
• Other volunteers also fail: Wang Wenying cannot cross the frost, and two Skin-Tempering martial artists retreat after the Qi makes their blood surge. Deng Qing considers risking the descent, aware that the reward could be substantial.
• Huang Yunfan then sends Jia Yu to try, offering him a Blazing Sun Pill. Jia Yu declines it, hinting that his training may let him endure Wasteland Qi unaided.

Character developments and interactions

• Huang Yunfan uses his family’s influence and commanding manner to steer the group and position himself for credit. Though he presents himself as generous, Song Que and Deng Qing recognize that he changes the rules to suit his own advantage. His failed descent punctures his confident image.
• Deng Qing stays observant and strategic. He notices how Huang Yunfan sidelines Zhang Yan and Chen Kong, weighs the political risks of competing, and grows determined to pursue the reward because it could provide the Martial Origin Pills he wants. His thoughts also turn to the improved Devour Heaven Scripture and its easier, restorative cultivation.
• Song Que openly resents Huang Yunfan’s maneuvering and privately warns Deng Qing about the stakes and the Blazing Sun Pill.
• Zhang Yan and Chen Kong defer to Huang Yunfan, likely to avoid creating trouble for their masters. They decline to attempt the dangerous descent.
• Jia Yu serves as an authority on Wasteland Qi, explaining the danger and the value of the remains. His apparent confidence without a protective pill raises questions about his training.

Significant themes

• Credit, power, and favoritism: Huang Yunfan’s status lets him assign roles and shape who benefits, while others must balance opportunity against political consequences.
• Risk and reward: The remains promise immense merit, but the Wasteland Qi makes recovery genuinely dangerous.
• Appearance versus reality: Huang Yunfan’s talk of shared credit contrasts with his self-interested choices, while his failed descent exposes the limits of his confidence.
• Hidden abilities and knowledge: Jia Yu’s composure and Deng Qing’s private cultivation progress suggest that the group’s true capabilities may not yet be clear.

Key plot points and events

• Deng Qing volunteers to descend the Frost-Stained Land with Jia Yu, hoping to earn merit and Martial Origin Pills. Zhang Yan suspects the danger and offers him an Image Recording Needle as protection, but Deng refuses it.
• Thanks to the Devour Heaven Scripture, Deng Qing withstands the increasingly dense wasteland qi. He pretends to struggle, then slides quickly down the cliff. Jia Yu descends more slowly and is surprised to find Deng already below.
• Deng Qing claims a gust made him fall, concealing that he has already located the wasteland beast’s remains. Distrusting Jia Yu, he sends him in the wrong direction while keeping watch.
• Jia Yu finds the remains and reveals a pool of Wasteland Blood beneath them. He explains that a fallen pouch of viper blood disrupted the beast’s qi after death, leaving the blood infused with a rare substance he calls Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood.
• Jia Yu demonstrates that he can absorb the blood through his fingertip and draw more from the pool. He then uses it to smash a rock with a punch powerful enough to risk injuring even a Bone-Forging expert. The chapter ends as Deng Qing witnesses this display.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing shows growing confidence in his cultivation, but remains cautious and pragmatic. He hides his true abilities from Jia Yu, avoids needless confrontation, and carefully manages what he reveals.
• Zhang Yan demonstrates concern and loyalty by offering the recording device as a safeguard against Jia Yu. Deng understands the warning but declines the device.
• Jia Yu is observant and persuasive. He recognizes that Deng Qing’s performance is false, then tries to secure Deng’s cooperation by promising to share the treasure. Whether he is genuinely trustworthy remains uncertain.
• Deng and Jia Yu maintain polite outward manners while each watches the other closely. Deng’s suspicion shapes his decisions even as he listens to Jia Yu’s account.

Significant themes

• Caution versus ambition: Deng Qing accepts a dangerous opportunity for its potential reward but takes steps to limit the risks.
• Trust and self-interest: Both men weigh cooperation against the possibility of betrayal; Jia Yu argues that shared interests are safer than secrecy.
• Hidden strength and deception: Deng Qing conceals his abilities, while Jia Yu’s explanations and motives may also be incomplete.
• Rare opportunity and cultivation: The discovery of Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood suggests that chance encounters can yield extraordinary power—and invite conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Jia Yu pressures Deng Qing to refine the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood, threatening him if he refuses. Deng Qing agrees, concealing that he practices the Devour Heaven Scripture rather than the Pure Jade Method.
• Jia Yu teaches him how to draw out and cleanse the Wasteland Qi, but withholds the method for truly refining and controlling the baleful blood. Deng Qing’s Devour Heaven Scripture—and new information revealed by his status panel—lets him refine it anyway.
• The panel registers the baleful blood as a new entry, revealing its unusual nature. As Deng Qing processes more of it, his progress rises from 2% to 35%, and his body grows stronger.
• After gathering the blood, Jia Yu tries to use the shared bloodline between their refined baleful blood to drain Deng Qing’s portion. Instead, Deng Qing’s strand proves unbreakable, and Jia Yu’s entire hoard is pulled into Deng Qing’s hand. Deng Qing purges Jia Yu’s aura and claims the blood as his own.
• Jia Yu attacks. Though Deng Qing is initially outmatched by Jia Yu’s Bone-Forming cultivation, his perfected swordsmanship lets him survive. After taking a Blood-Burning Pill, he gains enough power and speed to turn the fight around and wounds Jia Yu.
• Jia Yu abandons the fight and uses his superior footwork to keep his distance, planning to wait for the pill’s effects to wear off. Deng Qing stops chasing and instead moves toward the valuable beast carcass, threatening Jia Yu’s chance to claim merit and conceal his wrongdoing.
• Jia Yu rushes back and forcibly stimulates his Qi-Blood and Internal Breath, accepting the risk of damaging his meridians to stop Deng Qing.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing remains outwardly compliant while carefully exploiting his secret cultivation method and the panel’s knowledge. He turns Jia Yu’s attempted coercion and blood-draining scheme to his advantage, then proves resourceful in combat.
• Jia Yu shifts from confident manipulator to shocked and furious victim when his plan backfires. Though he has the higher realm, he chooses evasion over a risky fight until Deng Qing threatens the carcass.
• Their relationship moves from coercion and false cooperation to open hostility: Jia Yu treats Deng Qing as a disposable accomplice, while Deng Qing hides his capabilities and ultimately takes control of the treasure.

Significant themes

• Hidden knowledge and deception: Deng Qing’s secret scripture and the panel let him surpass what Jia Yu expects.
• Power and exploitation: Jia Yu tries to use Deng Qing as labor and eliminate him afterward, but Deng Qing reverses the scheme.
• Ingenuity against raw strength: Deng Qing’s skill, preparation, and tactical choices let him challenge a stronger opponent.
• Greed and risk: Jia Yu’s desire for the blood and the carcass drives him to betray Deng Qing and potentially injure himself.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qing kills Jia Yu by exploiting Jia Yu’s ignorance of the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood. Jia Yu’s sword strike lands on Deng Qing’s neck but is blunted by the blood; Deng Qing then drives his broken sword into Jia Yu’s chest and kills him.
• Wounded and drained by the fading effects of the Blood-Burning Pill, Deng Qing cultivates with the Devour Heaven Scripture, then hides on a ledge until the search party finds him.
• When the group discovers Jia Yu’s body, Deng Qing claims an unknown attacker stole his sword, struck him, and knocked him unconscious. Chen Kong supports the story by blaming Donghuang Cult remnants. The group accepts this explanation and focuses on retrieving the Wasteland Beast remains.
• Back at camp, Deng Qing receives a private tent while the Merit Exchange assesses the group’s contributions. Zhang Yan expects Deng Qing to receive substantial Merit Points.
• Huang Yunfan confronts Deng Qing and tests his cultivation with a Realm-Testing Sphere. It confirms Deng Qing is still in the Skin Tempering Realm, undermining Huang’s suspicion that he secretly advanced and killed Jia Yu. Huang leaves without proof.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qing demonstrates tactical patience and composure: he concealed his new power, wins through surprise, and invents a minimal account that is difficult to disprove. He is also nearing a breakthrough, believing his meridians have reached their limit and hoping to obtain Martial Origin Pills.
• Song Que unexpectedly defends Deng Qing, realizing their time together has made him respect him despite their earlier mistrust.
• Zhang Yan protects Deng Qing during the accusations and later reassures him about his likely Merit Points, though he privately cautions him not to reveal too much.
• Chen Kong supplies a plausible alternative explanation that redirects suspicion toward the Donghuang Cult remnants.
• Huang Yunfan remains consumed by Jia Yu’s death. Although the test confirms Deng Qing’s low cultivation, he responds with anger rather than accepting the loss, insisting that Jia Yu’s death alone makes Deng Qing deserve to die. He orders a respectful burial for Jia Yu, including one of his own garments.

Significant themes

• Deception and knowledge: Deng Qing’s victory depends on Jia Yu’s mistaken assumptions and on Deng Qing concealing his abilities.
• Suspicion and self-preservation: Deng Qing’s carefully limited story, and the group’s willingness to accept a convenient explanation, show how survival and uncertainty shape truth.
• Loyalty and changing relationships: Song Que’s spontaneous defense of Deng Qing marks a shift from fear and hostility toward genuine regard.
• Grief and vengeance: Huang Yunfan’s refusal to accept the evidence reveals how grief can override reason.

Chapter Summary: “Deng Qing Tempered His Bones”

Key plot points and events

• After his fight with Jia Yu, Deng Qing keeps up the appearance of being injured while secretly cultivating. He uses Blood-Burning Pills to strengthen his qi-blood and circulate his newly acquired mystic wasteland baleful blood.
• The Merit Exchange awards him 105 merit points for his contribution to the wasteland expedition. Zhang Yan confirms that the points can be exchanged for Martial Origin Pills.
• Li Dashan returns from the front injured and missing two fingers. He fulfills his promise by giving Deng Qing three Martial Origin Pills, despite the cost of his own injuries.
• Deng Qing buys four more pills with merit points, bringing his total to eight, and rents a Cultivation Room for his breakthrough.
• Before cultivation begins, Li Dashan explains how to temper the bones of the limbs and carefully teaches Deng Qing the qi-blood circulation route. Deng Qing intends to maximize the benefits of the pills without accidentally completing the breakthrough too soon.
• Using the cultivation panel to track his progress, Deng Qing repeatedly lets his qi-blood approach the breakthrough threshold—99%—before redirecting it into his limbs. Each cycle tempers his bones while preserving the shortcut he is trying to exploit. Li Dashan and Zhang Yan watch in amazement at his precision.
• In a parallel scene, Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng finish checking every suspect group connected to the murders of the Yellow-Browed Guest and others. With all groups cleared, they decide to investigate individuals instead. Meng Kuo singles out Deng Qing as suspicious, and Lu Yan reveals that Deng recently earned more than a hundred merit points.

Character developments

• Deng Qing is disciplined and methodical, carefully preparing for his breakthrough. His cultivation panel gives him an exceptional advantage, while his measured control makes even Li Dashan admire his technique.
• Li Dashan shows his devotion to Deng Qing by keeping his promise despite returning badly injured. He also acts as a careful mentor, guiding Deng through a potentially dangerous breakthrough.
• Zhang Yan remains supportive and humorous, but is awed by Deng Qing’s cultivation and Li Dashan’s assessment of it.
• Lu Yan, Meng Kuo, and Du Wencheng are exhausted but persistent. Their failed search among the suspect groups forces them to change tactics and focus on individuals.

Significant themes

• Discipline and preparation: Deng Qing’s careful training and attention to instruction help him manage a high-risk process.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Li Dashan’s injuries underscore the personal cost of fulfilling his promise to his disciple.
• Knowledge and advantage: Deng Qing’s panel lets him judge cultivation progress with unusual precision, surpassing what ordinary experience can provide.
• Uncertainty and suspicion: The investigators’ inability to identify the killers deepens the mystery and turns their attention toward Deng Qing.

Character interactions

• Zhang Yan teases Deng Qing about asking for more help, while still celebrating his reward and supporting his breakthrough.
• Li Dashan and Deng Qing share a quiet exchange about Jia Yu’s hatred of the Celebration Hall; Li dismisses it as resentment over a failed extortion attempt, though Deng suspects there is more behind it.
• Li Dashan gives Deng detailed instruction and cautions him not to let his qi-blood break through prematurely. His concern contrasts with Deng’s calm, calculated timing.
• Zhang Yan asks whether Deng’s unusual method is dangerous; Li reassures him and praises Deng’s extraordinary control.
• The investigators debate the failed search, with Meng Kuo arguing that Deng’s unusual movements and earnings make him a likely suspect.

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.