Chapter Summaries

After surviving a deadly fight with a strange fish, Chu Bai gained an inactive Seven Killings in the Fate Palace fate pattern and brought proof of the creature to Daoist Zhang. Daoist Zhang explained what the fish was and hinted that it could still be useful to Chu Bai.

• Chu Bai discovered that the battle had triggered the inactive Seven Killings in the Fate Palace fate pattern and resolved to learn Spell Arts as soon as possible.
• Chu Bai hid the fish in his family’s cellar, saved its scales and whiskers, and went to see Daoist Zhang the next morning.
• Chu Bai told Daoist Zhang about the fight and showed him the fish’s scales and whiskers.
• Daoist Zhang explained that the fish was not a Demon Beast but had grown strong and vicious from spiritual energy and baleful intent.
• Daoist Zhang told Chu Bai that the fish could still be a rare opportunity for him.

After Daoist Zhang treated Chu Bai’s injuries and praised the mutated fish as a potent cultivation tonic, Chu Bai processed it and refined its energy through the night. His progress surged, leaving him eager to use the fish and the Three-Bath River treasure ground to reach Qi Refining faster.

• Daoist Zhang treated Chu Bai’s bruises and explained that the mutated fish’s flesh could nourish his cultivation.
• Chu Bai stabilized his cultivation at the Zhang Residence, then went to the Zhao Residence to spar despite his injuries.
• Chu Bai processed the fish at home, setting aside meat for himself because its baleful energy could harm his mortal family.
• Chu Bai ate the fish and used the Lesser Qi-Gathering Art to refine its powerful vital essence into spiritual power.
• Chu Bai checked his panel and found his Qi Induction progress at 28/100 and his Minor Qi Gathering Technique proficiency at 145/200.

Chu Bai reached proficiency in the Minor Qi Gathering Technique, advanced his cultivation, and began learning the Spirit Water Needle from Daoist Zhang. When the Academy’s three-month term ended, Wang Xiaoliu could not afford to continue, while Chu Bai and Gu Qinghe prepared to remain.

• Chu Bai broke through to proficient in the Minor Qi Gathering Technique and reached 52/100 in Qi induction.
• Daoist Zhang examined Chu Bai’s progress and taught him the Spirit Water Needle, which Chu Bai eventually learned to use at beginner level.
• Daoist Zhang told the four disciples they had to pay ten taels of silver to continue Inner-Door Instruction.
• Li Jinyuan paid easily, and Gu Qinghe used his hard-earned money to secure another term, but Wang Xiaoliu left because his family could not afford the tuition.
• Chu Bai walked Wang Xiaoliu to the Academy gates, then stood with Gu Qinghe as they affirmed their resolve to keep pursuing cultivation.

After a dangerous beast drove the Pure Bathing Spirit Flow away from the Three-Bath River, Chu Bai chose survival and spent two months steadily cultivating and refining his skills. During a storm, he broke through to Qi Refining and gained deep-blue Spell Power, leaving him confident about the upcoming Dao Academy selection.

• Chu Bai sensed a huge underwater beast following the departing Pure Bathing Spirit Flow and retreated rather than risk his life pursuing it.
• Over the next two months, Chu Bai cultivated at the Three-Bath River, sparred with Zhao Xing, and improved his Spirit Water Needle while his spiritual qi steadily increased.
• Wu Shang observed Chu Bai handling Zhao Xing's Fireball Technique with increasingly skillful footwork and control of spiritual qi.
• When Chu Bai reached ninety-nine strands of spiritual qi, he recognized that he was ready to break through.
• During a thunderstorm, Chu Bai drew in water-aspected spiritual qi, compressed his hundred strands, and formed deep-blue Spell Power as he entered Qi Refining.
• Chu Bai used his new Spell Power to fire a powerful Spirit Water Needle through a hardwood board and into the wall, then judged himself nearly ready for the Dao Academy selection.

Chu Bai demonstrated his improved Spirit Water Needle and revealed his combat ability while sparring with Zhao Xing at the Zhao Residence Annex. Zhao Xing raised Chu Bai’s remuneration to six hundred wen, while Wu Shang realized Chu Bai had reached the Qi Refining stage.

• At dawn, Chu Bai condensed a Spirit Water Needle in one breath and pierced a falling reed leaf with it.
• During training, Chu Bai effortlessly dodged Zhao Xing’s Fireballs, prompting Wu Shang to stop the spar and let Chu Bai fight back.
• Chu Bai used a droplet of water to burst Zhao Xing’s first Fireball, then countered his attacks with water techniques and fought him to a draw.
• Chu Bai broke Zhao Xing’s Exploding Fireball with a concentrated line of water and stopped just short of striking his throat.
• Zhao Xing praised the spar and raised Chu Bai’s pay to six hundred wen, while Wu Shang recognized that Chu Bai had reached Qi Refining.

After breaking through to Qi Refining, Chu Bai told Daoist Zhang and learned that he had one month to prepare for the Dao Academy Selection. Daoist Zhang gave him Qi-Replenishing Pills and ordered him to practice the Spirit Water Needle, leaving Chu Bai eager to train.

• Chu Bai visited Daoist Zhang and demonstrated that he had reached Qi Refining.
• Chu Bai explained that watching the rain had given him insight and helped him break through the Hundred-Thread Barrier.
• Daoist Zhang warned Chu Bai that he had one month before the Dao Academy Selection and needed to improve his Spell Arts and combat skills.
• Daoist Zhang excused Chu Bai from miscellaneous classes and instructed him to make the Spirit Water Needle proficient.
• Daoist Zhang gave Chu Bai ten Qi-Replenishing Pills and told him to repeatedly exhaust and restore his spiritual energy while practicing.
• Chu Bai left the Zhang Residence determined to train and advance the Spirit Water Needle.

Chu Bai left his family to train in seclusion by the Three-Bath River for the Dao Academy Selection. After improving his Spirit Water Needle control and replenishing his Spell Power with a Qi-Replenishing Pill, he killed a carp with a precise volley.

• Chu Bai told Chu Xianglin and Li Qing he would spend a month training by the river, and Li Qing packed him flatbreads for the journey.
• Chu Bai practiced forming and controlling three Spirit Water Needles, refining his aim after one needle veered off target.
• Chu Bai exhausted his Spell Power, swallowed a Qi-Replenishing Pill, and felt his meridians strengthen as his energy returned.
• Chu Bai tested his aim on a leaping carp and killed it with a three-needle attack.

Chu Bai relentlessly trained Spirit Water Needle through storms on the Three-Bath River until he reached proficiency. He left with a stronger, stealthier spell and set his sights on the Dao Academy Selection.

• Chu Bai concluded that ordinary sparring could not activate his Seven Killings in the Fate Palace and chose not to risk his life seeking a real battle.
• With ten days left in the month, Chu Bai doubled his cultivation and used rain and storms to improve his Spirit Water Needle.
• During a storm, Chu Bai reached 99 progress and unleashed five water needles that curved through the rain and struck the river together.
• Chu Bai advanced Spirit Water Needle to Proficient, gaining instantaneous casting, greater concealment, and the ability to curve the needles with his spiritual sense.
• Chu Bai declared that he was ready for the Dao Academy Selection.

After returning from a month-long retreat, Chu Bai told his family that his cultivation had improved and prepared to take the Dao Academy Selection. At dawn, he left for the county town determined to make the most of his chance.

• Chu Bai returned home, reassured Li Qing and Chu Xianglin, and announced that he would register for the Dao Academy Selection.
• Li Qing prepared a celebratory feast, and Chu Bai agreed to stay with his Second Uncle in town during the three-day examination and repay the family debt.
• Chu Bai counted his savings, set aside money to repay his Second Uncle, and used the Visualization Tranquil Heart Mantra to prepare for the examination.
• At dawn, Chu Bai dressed in his master's robe, said goodbye to his parents, and set out for the county town.

Chu Bai passed the Dao Academy Selection’s registration screening in Anping County and received a token to enter the examination the next morning. Outside the registration site, he reunited with Gu Qinghe, who had just broken through to Qi Refining and rushed inside to register.

• A brocade-clad youth withdrew from registration after the examiner warned that falsifying his Bone Age would bring severe consequences.
• The examiner verified Chu Bai’s credentials and found his Qi Refining First Layer cultivation pure and his foundation solid.
• Chu Bai received his registration token and left the courtyard to prepare for a visit to his Second Uncle’s home.
• Chu Bai ran into Gu Qinghe, who revealed that he had broken through to Qi Refining the previous night.
• Chu Bai urged Gu Qinghe to register before the site closed, and Gu Qinghe hurried inside.

After leaving the Dao Academy registration office, Chu Bai repaid his Second Uncle’s four-tael loan and gave gifts to Liu Shi, who insulted him before greedily accepting the money. He chose not to ask to stay at their house and walked away to find lodging in Anping County before the Dao Academy Selection.

• Chu Bai bought osmanthus cakes and fabric before visiting his Second Uncle’s home to repay the family’s debt.
• Liu Shi mocked Chu Bai and assumed he had come to borrow money, but he calmly showed her four taels of silver and five hundred copper coins in interest.
• Liu Shi snatched the repayment and accepted Chu Bai’s gifts, then questioned where he had gotten the money.
• Chu Bai sensed another familiar person in the courtyard and decided not to ask to stay the night.
• Chu Bai left the house feeling relieved and set out to find a place to stay in Anping County.

After repaying his debt, Chu Bai went to his master Daoist Zhang, who tested his Spirit Water Needle and explained the Dao Academy Selection’s three trials. Daoist Zhang invited Chu Bai to stay at his residence, and he agreed before the exam the next morning.

• Chu Xianghai and Liu Shi counted the money Chu Bai had repaid, then decided not to invite him to stay with them.
• Chu Bai visited Daoist Zhang and demonstrated a Spirit Water Needle that pierced an Ironwood target and the wall behind it.
• Daoist Zhang explained that the selection tested Qi Gathering, Spirit Control, and the Dao Heart through a Heart Inquiry illusion.
• After learning Chu Bai could not conveniently stay with his Second Uncle, Daoist Zhang offered him a room at the residence and access to its Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Chu Bai accepted Daoist Zhang’s offer, and Daoist Zhang said he would take him to the examination grounds the next morning.

Chu Bai arrived at the Anping Examination Hall for the Dao Academy Selection and learned that the first trial would test how much spiritual energy each candidate could gather. As the Celestial Court Law Net created Spirit-Gathering Platforms and the trial began, Chu Bai prepared to take his place among the twenty-seven candidates.

• Chu Bai left the Zhang Residence after Daoist Zhang advised him to keep a still mind and not grasp for too much.
• Chu Bai reached the Examination Hall, where he exchanged a nod with Gu Qinghe, his fellow student and competitor.
• Chu Bai passed the strict entrance inspection and surrendered his Tranquil Heart Jade Ring before joining the other candidates.
• County Commandant Zhang introduced the selection and summoned a projection of the Celestial Court Law Net, which created a hundred Spirit-Gathering Platforms.
• County Commandant Zhang explained that candidates would gather spiritual energy over five rounds and store it in Jade Rings to determine their rankings.
• The bronze gong sounded, the platforms lit up with colorful spiritual energy, and the first trial began.

During the first round of the assessment, Chu Bai chose a Water Attribute Spirit-Gathering Platform and used his Pure Bathing Spell Power to clear impurities from his meridians, allowing him to absorb spiritual qi faster than the other examinees. As the hour ended, the Law Net shifted the platforms’ attributes, and Chu Bai braced for the next round.

• Chu Bai assessed the Spirit-Gathering Platforms and raced another examinee to claim a Water Attribute platform.
• Chu Bai used the Minor Qi Gathering Technique to channel filtered spiritual qi into his Jade Ring, beginning to score points.
• As impurities began to clog his meridians, Chu Bai washed them away with his Pure Bathing Spell Power and kept absorbing at increasing speed.
• A nearby examinee marveled at Chu Bai’s pace, while Gu Qinghe watched with a bitter smile as Chu Bai pulled ahead.
• The Law Net trembled as the first round ended, and Chu Bai stopped absorbing when the platforms’ attributes began to change.

Chu Bai adapted to the second round of the assessment by claiming a metal-attribute Spirit-Gathering Platform and converting its sharp energy into water spiritual energy. As the round neared its end, he remained determined to compete despite learning nothing of the reduced admissions quota.

• Chu Bai found the water-attribute platforms already occupied and chose a nearby metal-attribute platform because metal gave rise to water.
• Chu Bai endured the metal energy cutting through his meridians and transformed it into water spiritual energy that flowed into his Jade Ring.
• Li Wenyuan praised Chu Bai’s foundation and adaptability, while Zhang Cheng and Zhao Wu discussed the county academy’s two remaining places.
• Zhao Wu identified Wang Teng, Li Han, and Chu Bai as the leading candidates, with Li Han first, Wang Teng second, and Chu Bai third.
• Chu Bai continued cultivating as the second round neared its end and resolved to fight for a place.

Chu Bai overcame his poor results in the third and fourth rounds by claiming a Minor Pure Qi platform in the final round, where his Pure-Origin foundation let him absorb spiritual energy faster than anyone else. He finished the five-hour test with a full thread of spiritual energy in his Jade Ring, far ahead of the other candidates.

• Chu Bai struggled with wood and metal spiritual energy in the third and fourth rounds, while the impurities accumulated in his meridians and his ranking slipped.
• Chu Bai seized a nearby platform glowing with Minor Pure Qi in the fifth round, overtaking two candidates who wanted it.
• Li Wenyuan and Zhao Wu realized Chu Bai had built his foundation with Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi when his absorption speed surged.
• Chu Bai's [Pure Bathing Spell Power] cleared the accumulated metal and wood energies from his meridians, and his Jade Ring's brightness propelled him from fourth or fifth place to the lead.
• After the final gong, Zhao Wu inspected Chu Bai's Jade Ring and announced that it contained a full thread of spiritual energy, stunning everyone on the grounds.

Chu Bai earned a Top Grade A by gathering a full wisp of qi in the first stage of the examination, stunning the candidates and examiners. After recovering at the Zhang Residence, he prepared for the next day’s Spell Arts assessment, aware that his limited repertoire could put him at a disadvantage.

• Li Wenyuan examined Chu Bai’s Jade Ring, confirmed it held a full wisp of qi, and awarded him a Top Grade A.
• Li Han and Wang Teng reacted with shock and respect as the candidates recognized Chu Bai’s overwhelming result.
• Zhao Wu and Li Wenyuan praised Chu Bai’s potential but noted that he still had to pass the Spell Arts and Heart Inquiry stages.
• On his way back to the Zhang Residence, Chu Bai reflected on how his Minor Qi Gathering Technique, Fate Destinies, and luck had contributed to his score.
• Chu Bai recovered in the Quiet Chamber with a Qi-Replenishing Pill and considered the challenges awaiting him in the Spell Arts assessment.

Chu Bai competed in the spellcraft trial, destroying seventy-five puppets and earning second place with a Lower A rating. After recovering briefly, he faced the upcoming final trial, the heart inquiry.

• Zhang Cheng began the spellcraft trial, placing each candidate in a compartment with Beast-Shadow Puppets to destroy.
• Chu Bai used his Spirit Water Needle and footwork to defeat puppets as their numbers and varieties increased.
• The examiners noted Li Han's area attacks, Wang Teng's skill, and Chu Bai's precision despite his limited spell repertoire.
• The results placed Li Han first with seventy-nine puppets, Chu Bai second with seventy-five, and Wang Teng third with sixty-eight.
• Zhang Cheng announced the heart inquiry as the final trial, and Chu Bai took a Qi-Replenishing Pill and began Breath Regulation.

Chu Bai overcame the Heart Inquiry Trial by rejecting illusions of wealth and power and affirming his desire to keep pursuing the Dao. He became the first examinee to awaken, and after the trials ended, he left with Gu Qinghe to celebrate Gu's breakthrough into Qi Refining.

• Zhang Cheng began the Heart Inquiry Trial, trapping Chu Bai in an illusion of a prosperous life and supreme power.
• Chu Bai recalled his relentless efforts and broke free after declaring that he cultivated to keep moving forward and discover the Dao.
• Chu Bai awakened before the other examinees, impressing Zhang Cheng, Li Wenyuan, and Zhao Wu with his clear gaze and firm Dao heart.
• The remaining examinees awakened as the incense burned down, and the Law Net dispersed to end the three trials.
• Chu Bai met Gu Qinghe outside the Examination Hall and invited him to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to celebrate his breakthrough into Qi Refining.

The three examiners debated whether Chu Bai deserved Grade A in the Heart Inquiry Trial, despite the risks of requesting approval from the Provincial Government's Dao Academy. They jointly submitted the recommendation, and the distant authority approved it.

• Li Wenyuan urged Zhang Cheng and Zhao Wu to award Chu Bai Grade A for breaking free of the delusion quickly with an exceptionally clear Dao Heart.
• Zhao Wu warned that Grade A required official approval and that a rejected recommendation could damage the examiners' careers.
• Li Wenyuan argued that Chu Bai deserved recognition and resources, and Zhang Cheng agreed to support the Grade A recommendation.
• Zhang Cheng, Li Wenyuan, and Zhao Wu used their seals and the Law Net to submit their joint report to the Provincial Government's Dao Academy.
• The Dao Academy's supreme will reviewed the recorded trial and approved Chu Bai's Grade A result.