Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er swallows a pill expecting poison or cultivation aid, only to discover it is an aphrodisiac. He spends the night cultivating his Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body to burn off its effects.
• The mishap makes him resolve to be more careful with unknown medicines. After waking, he tests another pill and confirms it is a cultivation aid that helps him recover from practicing the Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art.
• Before Zhao Er can decide whether to investigate the Longwind Gang, his sister Zhao Shan reports that gang members have arrived in the village.
• Zhao Er goes to meet them, accompanied at a distance by villagers carrying farm tools. The village chief identifies their leader as Gao Du, the gang’s deputy leader.
• Gao Du brings the badly injured man whose leg Zhao Er broke, saying he has been punished and expelled. He also reduces the village’s protection fee to eighty percent of its former amount.
• Gao Du reveals that the gang’s previous leader “met with an accident” and says he will take over. He offers Zhao Er a deputy-leader position or a recommendation to the more powerful Red Tiger Gang.

Character developments

• Zhao Er remains cautious and pragmatic, but his pill mistake reinforces the need to judge medicines before taking them. He also chooses to face the gang openly rather than hide.
• Zhao Shan acts as a lookout and quickly warns her family when danger approaches.
• Gao Du presents himself as conciliatory and respectful, but his offer carries an implicit warning: he knows Zhao Er killed the former leader, and the gang wants mutual non-aggression.
• The villagers show a growing willingness to stand behind Zhao Er, gathering silently with tools as he confronts the gang.

Significant themes

• Caution and consequences: Zhao Er’s impulsive use of an unknown pill nearly causes trouble, prompting greater care.
• Power and negotiation: The Longwind Gang responds to Zhao Er’s strength with concessions and recruitment rather than open conflict.
• Community solidarity: The villagers’ quiet presence suggests Zhao Er’s actions have given them confidence to face the gang.
• Uncertain trust: Gao Du’s friendly manner and generous gestures may be diplomacy, but Zhao Er cannot tell how sincere they are.

Character interactions

• Zhao Shan alerts Zhao Er, while Zhao Dazhu suggests he hide; Zhao Er refuses and chooses to meet the visitors.
• The village chief explains who Gao Du is and why the gang has come.
• Gao Du greets Zhao Er, offers compensation and reduced fees, then proposes that they settle past grievances—while making clear that the gang has influential backing.
• Zhao Er listens and watches Gao Du carefully, withholding judgment.

Key plot points

• Zhao Er refuses Gao Du’s offer to join the Longwind Gang, citing his obligations to another Lineage. Gao Du accepts the refusal and promises to keep the gang from harassing Zhao Family Village.
• Gao Du leaves flour, a sheep, and liquor as a gift. Zhao Er has his father distribute the goods among the villagers rather than keep them for himself.
• The next day, Zhao Er goes to County Town to buy the Dian Clan Eight Methods of Twin Halberds. Though his poisoned palms make him formidable against martial artists, he worries that they will be of little use against large or exotic beasts in the Clear Radiance Mountains.
• At the Martial Pavilion, Dian Zhang learns that Zhao Er has been cultivating the Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art with free iron dregs from a blacksmith rather than costly iron filings. Zhao Er explains that he relies on poison to withstand the much greater pain.
• Impressed by Zhao Er’s resolve, Dian Zhang sells him the basic halberd manual and promises an advanced technique for free once Zhao Er masters it. Dian Zhang then considers trying iron dregs himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er shows pragmatic judgment by declining the gang’s offer without provoking Gao Du, and generosity by sharing the gifts with the village. His unconventional cultivation method also reveals extreme toughness and determination as he prepares for the dangers of the mountains.
• Gao Du presents himself as a useful ally rather than an enemy, securing Zhao Er’s acceptance of his leadership over the Longwind Gang.
• Dian Zhang shifts from curiosity about Zhao Er’s purchases to admiration for his self-discipline. He decides to invest in Zhao Er’s training by offering a higher-level technique as a reward.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and survival: Zhao Er manages local threats while seeking skills suited to future challenges.
• Endurance and ambition: His willingness to endure painful, unconventional training marks him as unusually determined.
• Generosity and community: He shares the gang leader’s gifts with the villagers.
• Mentorship and investment: Dian Zhang recognizes Zhao Er’s potential and encourages his martial development.

Plot points and events

• Zhao Er buys pain-relieving poisonous herbs and a pair of heavy iron twin halberds, then studies the Dian Clan Eight Methods of Twin Halberds.
• His skill panel grants him an immediate grasp of the basic techniques. He practices from midday until late at night, gaining substantial proficiency but exhausting himself and relying on Blood Condensation Pills to keep going.
• After waking sore and late, he recognizes that his training was excessive and that his supply of pills is costly. With only fourteen pills left and about forty taels of silver, he decides to earn money by hunting in the mountains.
• Six days later, Zhao Er checks his progress and discovers that the Nine-Turn Golden Armor Art and Yin Body Art have finished fusing into the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art. He prepares to test its new cultivation method.

Character developments

• Zhao Er shows enthusiasm and rapid progress with the twin halberds, while beginning to learn the need for discipline and balanced training.
• He remains pragmatic about money: his costly pills and limited savings push him to seek income rather than rely on his remaining supplies.
• Zhao Shan is intrigued by his training and imitates his movements with wooden sticks.
• Zhang Xuan’e has made leather baskets for Zhao Er to use on his mountain trips.

Significant themes

• Effort and restraint: Zhao Er’s intense practice brings rapid gains but leaves him exhausted, teaching him that cultivation must proceed steadily.
• Skill and adaptation: The twin-halberd art rewards coordination and can be tailored to the weapons’ weight, while Zhao Er’s panel turns comprehension into a matter of continued practice.
• Practical survival: Martial advancement depends not only on training but also on securing money and supplies.
• Fusion and transformation: The merged body art retains its defensive strength while gaining flexibility and a new, less labor-intensive way to absorb metal and yin energy.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er acts on Dian Zhang’s advice that a weapon trains its wielder, choosing heavy halberds despite their initial difficulty.
• Zhao Shan watches him practice and copies him, showing her interest in martial arts.
• Zhao Er’s mother, Zhang Xuan’e, supports his mountain-gathering efforts by providing leather baskets.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Mu arranges for iron dregs from County Town’s smithies to be delivered to Zhao Er, giving him ample material for cultivation.
• Zhao Er begins practicing the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art, which draws in yin qi rather than requiring him to strike his body with metal fragments. The yin qi initially causes intense, icy pain.
• Swallowing poisons helps ease the pain. As he cultivates, the yin qi draws the toxins in his body together, purifying and fusing them into a new toxin.
• The fusion makes cultivation easier and more rewarding: his Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body progresses faster, while the Golden Body Art’s experience gain doubles. The iron dregs beneath him are reduced to powder.
• Zhao Er tests the new toxin on a tree. A gray-white palm mark appears, then vanishes, but the tree begins to wither the next day and loses bark soon after. Concluding the toxin is potent, he chops the tree down to monitor what happens.
• With cultivation less painful, Zhao Er practices more diligently, including his halberd skills. His increased progress also doubles his iron-dreg consumption, though his stored supply is still sufficient.
• The chapter ends with Zhao Er cultivating again, drawing yin qi from underground and nearby metal.

Character development and interactions

• Zhao Er adapts to a new, painful cultivation method and discovers an unexpected benefit: his toxins can be fused into a more powerful form. He is pleased by the faster progress but cautious about the toxin’s effects on living targets.
• Ning Mu supports him indirectly by arranging the iron-dreg deliveries and assigning someone to manage them.
• Zhao Shan, the little girl, notices the tree’s decline and alerts Zhao Er, helping him recognize the toxin’s delayed effect.

Significant themes

• Pain and perseverance: Zhao Er endures severe discomfort to advance his cultivation.
• Transformation through fusion: Yin qi acts as a catalyst that unifies and purifies his separate toxins.
• Power and caution: The new toxin appears to be a formidable weapon, but its delayed effects remain uncertain.
• Cultivation’s costs: Faster progress brings greater material consumption, requiring Zhao Er to manage his dwindling supply.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er completes the first turn of the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art, achieving an “Iron Body.” While the technique is active, his body becomes iron-like and can deflect a halberd strike, leaving only a faint mark; his strength and handling of the weapon also seem improved.
• The cultivation process consumes all the iron dregs he had brought and increasingly depletes the yin energy around his home. Zhao Er realizes he may need a new place to cultivate, but buying property in County Town is beyond his current means. The Clear Radiance Mountains have suitable yin-rich locations, though their dangers make them risky.
• With his new toughness and improved ability to protect himself, Zhao Er decides to explore farther into the mountains. He collects centipedes from his traps and checks his animal traps.
• One trap has caught a large wild boar. Zhao Er kills it with his halberd, while a second boar and several piglets flee.
• The white marten he encountered previously reappears, carrying a small black snake. It offers the snake to Zhao Er, who declines; the marten then eats it.

Character developments

• Zhao Er’s physical defenses have advanced significantly: he can withstand a direct strike from his iron halberd without serious injury. He is pleased with the milestone but also wary of the growing resource demands of cultivation.
• He shows greater confidence in the mountains, though he remains cautious when approaching an unknown sound or possible danger.
• His practical concerns remain prominent: he weighs cultivation needs against the cost of supplies and property.
• The white marten appears comfortable approaching Zhao Er and sharing food with him, suggesting a developing familiarity.

Significant themes

• Progress and cost: Zhao Er’s cultivation strengthens him but requires ever more metal and yin energy.
• Resource scarcity and ambition: His lack of money and access to suitable cultivation grounds limit his advancement.
• Growing capability, continuing danger: The Iron Body makes exploration more feasible, but the mountains remain unpredictable.
• Trust across species: The marten’s offering hints at a tentative bond between it and Zhao Er.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er calmly kills the trapped boar and lets the other animals escape rather than pursuing them.
• When the white marten offers its snake, Zhao Er responds gently and declines, after which the marten eats it.

Plot points and events

• Zhao Er kills a wild boar, resets a trap, and prepares to take the carcass down the mountain. White Marten stays nearby, fascinated by his iron halberd.
• As Zhao Er leaves, White Marten stops him and tries to communicate. After several gestures and calls, Zhao realizes it wants him to follow.
• He sets the boar down and trails White Marten for nearly an hour through damp, miasma-filled terrain. His improved poison resistance lets him travel safely.
• White Marten leads him to a lake at the forest’s edge, then darts ahead. Zhao hears a fierce struggle and cautiously peers through the shrubs.
• He finds White Marten fighting a huge black snake. The excerpt ends as Zhao realizes why the nimble, snake-eating animal needs help.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er is practical and alert: he handles the boar quickly to avoid attracting predators and initially resists wasting time. His curiosity and willingness to trust White Marten eventually outweigh his caution.
• White Marten shows intelligence and purpose, using gestures and repeated calls to enlist Zhao’s help. Its fascination with Zhao’s weapon hints at its interest in him or his equipment.
• Their relationship shifts from wary proximity to tentative cooperation. Zhao follows, but remains guarded rather than rushing blindly into danger.

Significant themes

• Trust across species: Zhao and White Marten build an unusual partnership through observation and attempted communication.
• Prudence and curiosity: Zhao balances survival instincts with the possibility that following White Marten may lead to something important.
• Nature’s dangers and hierarchy: The journey is mostly safe, but the giant snake reveals that even a formidable creature like White Marten can face a stronger opponent.

Plot points and events

• Zhao Er discovers a huge black snake fighting the white marten. Its horn-like bulges and extraordinary strength mark it as a Variant Beast, valuable for its blood essence and other useful materials.
• He studies the snake before acting, reasoning that it likely has potent venom and resistance to poison, and recognizing that its coils are a major danger.
• Seeing a chance to attack while the marten distracts it, Zhao Er coats himself in yin-infused venom to lower his body temperature and sneaks closer.
• He times his ambush as the snake lunges at the marten. His halberds strike the snake’s head and heart area, but its hide is so tough that neither blow reaches a vital depth.
• The snake sprays corrosive black venom, but Zhao Er’s body darkens and hardens under his defensive technique. He clings to the snake and repeatedly hammers its wounded spot with his remaining halberd.
• The marten’s cries draw his attention to the weakening coils. The snake has died, leaving Zhao Er the chance to claim a valuable prize.

Character developments

• Zhao Er shows patience and tactical thinking, weighing the risks before acting. His confidence grows when he realizes his abilities counter the snake’s likely defenses. Once attacked, he demonstrates grit and commitment, continuing to fight despite being caught in its coils.
• The white marten is shown as quick and clever: it keeps the snake focused on it and helps create an opening for Zhao Er, though its exact intentions remain unclear.

Character interactions

• The marten and snake are familiar adversaries, locked in a wary stalemate until the marten’s movements keep the snake occupied.
• Zhao Er uses the marten’s distraction to launch a coordinated, if unspoken, attack. The marten then signals him when the snake’s resistance is fading.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: The snake’s potential value tempts Zhao Er, but he recognizes that survival must come first.
• Preparation and opportunity: Careful observation, knowledge of snake anatomy, and timing make the ambush possible.
• Persistence under pressure: When the initial strike fails, Zhao Er adapts and keeps attacking rather than retreating.

Key plot points and events

• After killing the Blackwater Strange Serpent, Zhao Er immediately cultivates the Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body to absorb and refine the serpent’s potent venom, which causes him intense pain but yields unusually rapid progress.
• The settlement panel rewards him for killing the Variant Beast: his cultivation skills and poison resistance improve, and his Twin Halberd Art reaches level 2, allowing him to empower his weapons with qi and blood.
• The White Marten returns with the black fruit it had been seeking. The fruit’s juice is highly poisonous, withering nearby plants; the marten eats it alongside a small black snake.
• Zhao Er realizes the marten had drawn him into the fight to help obtain the Spirit Plant. He accepts their informal division of the spoils: the fruit for the marten, the serpent for him.
• Zhao Er extracts the serpent’s blood essence, prepares to carry its body back, and invites the marten to come along. It joins him by settling on his shoulder.

Character developments

• Zhao Er gains confidence from the fight’s rewards and recognizes that cooperating with the White Marten is more practical than trying to capture it. He values the serpent as the main reward and accepts a fair exchange.
• The White Marten shows resourcefulness and a clear appetite for the poisonous fruit. After their successful partnership, it becomes more trusting and affectionate toward Zhao Er.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: The dangerous ambush produces substantial cultivation gains and valuable spoils.
• Practical cooperation: Both characters benefit by taking what they want rather than fighting over the rewards.
• Growth through adversity: Zhao Er turns even the serpent’s venom and the battle’s consequences into opportunities to strengthen himself.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er admires the marten’s fruit but negotiates an unspoken division of the spoils rather than challenging it.
• The marten appears to understand his terms, continues eating the small snake, and responds to his invitation by riding on his shoulder—signaling mutual satisfaction and growing trust.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er returns from the woods carrying a huge black serpent. The villagers keep their distance, knowing he is now a martial artist and not wanting to seem as if they expect a share.
• He tells his parents not to butcher the creature at home. Since he lacks the expertise to process a variant beast properly, he plans to take it to County Town and find a knowledgeable buyer.
• Zhao Er removes and keeps the serpent’s venom sacs for his cultivation, then loads the covered body onto the village chief’s donkey cart.
• Rather than entrust the sale to Zhao Cai, whose honesty he doubts when large sums are involved, Zhao Er turns to his elder brother Zhao Da and sister-in-law Ning Mu. He offers Ning Mu twenty percent of the sale price for helping find a buyer.
• Ning Mu confirms the serpent is a Blackwater Strange Serpent by consulting a book. Its hide is highly valuable for armor, and the species is associated with Blackwater Fruit, which aids the evolution of venom-type variant beasts.

Character developments

• Zhao Er shows growing confidence and business sense: he protects the serpent’s value, keeps a useful part for himself, and carefully chooses whom to trust. He also acknowledges how close he came to being killed by the serpent’s venom.
• Zhao Da recognizes that his younger brother’s strength may now exceed his own, judging by the damage to Zhao Er’s weapons and the serpent’s wounds.
• Ning Mu proves knowledgeable and resourceful by identifying the creature from her family’s records.
• Zhao Shan is excited and affectionate when Zhao Er returns, while their parents show their concern by immediately fussing over him.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er gently sends Zhao Shan home to escape the afternoon heat, and his parents comply with his instructions about the serpent and cart.
• He speaks candidly with Zhao Da about the danger of the fight, while Zhao Da responds with admiration.
• Zhao Er treats Ning Mu as a trusted intermediary but makes the arrangement explicit and fair by offering her a share of the proceeds.

Significant themes

• Trust and self-interest: Zhao Er weighs the risk of relying on an apparently friendly acquaintance and chooses family ties with practical safeguards.
• Value and expertise: The serpent’s worth depends on proper knowledge and handling, not simply on its size or the effort required to kill it.
• Growing strength and family recognition: Zhao Er’s achievements are becoming visible to those around him, shifting how they understand his place in the family.
• Danger beneath success: His impressive victory was partly due to circumstance; the serpent’s venom could have overcome his newly developed defenses.

Key plot points and events

• After Zhao Er brings the Blackwater Strange Serpent to the Ning household, Ning Mu gives him a reference book on Variant Beasts and spirit materials, then explains the value of the serpent’s blood, hide, fangs, bones, and meat.
• Ning Mu recommends selling it to the wealthy Sun Family, known for armor-making and the body-tempering technique Jade-Folding Hand. A private sale may bring less than an open bidding war, but avoids offending other factions and could build Zhao Er a useful connection.
• Zhao Er trusts Ning Mu to handle the sale. Zhao Da hears an account of the hunt, though Zhao Er keeps the white marten’s role vague.
• Ning Mu returns with Sun Yuanying, the Sun Family’s celebrated young martial artist. After inspecting the serpent, Yuanying drives two fingers into its tough hide, astonishing Zhao Er.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Mu shows her expertise in business and factional politics, balancing profit against risk and opportunity. She treats Zhao Er supportively by sharing knowledge and arranging the sale.
• Zhao Er demonstrates trust in his sister-in-law and prioritizes long-term benefit over maximum immediate profit. He is impressed by Sun Yuanying’s strength.
• Zhao Da understands Ning Mu’s hesitation, explains her reasoning, and eagerly listens to Zhao Er’s battle account.
• Sun Yuanying is introduced as composed, direct, and exceptionally powerful. Her effortless penetration of the serpent’s hide establishes her skill more vividly than her reputation does.
• The brothers and Ning Mu act with mutual trust; Ning Mu and Yuanying meet as prospective seller and buyer, while Yuanying’s brief greeting and immediate inspection keep attention on the serpent.

Significant themes

• Practical strategy over short-term gain: Zhao Er accepts a potentially lower price to avoid conflict and cultivate a valuable alliance.
• Knowledge and commerce: Recognizing a creature’s parts and their uses turns a dangerous hunt into a calculated business opportunity.
• Strength and merit: Martial ability matters regardless of gender; Yuanying’s power commands respect through action.
• Trust and cooperation: Zhao Er relies on his family’s judgment, while his partnership with the white marten hints at future gains in the mountains.

Key plot points and events

• At the County Town, Sun Yuanying tests the Blackwater Strange Serpent’s hide and essence blood, confirming they are genuine after recent counterfeit cases.
• Zhao Er agrees to sell the hide, essence blood, and other parts except the removed Poison Gland and half the meat. Sun Yuanying offers twenty percent above the usual price—about 1,200 taels—plus the Poison Gland and half the meat as a gesture of friendship. She pays 1,000 taels immediately and promises the remainder and meat later.
• Zhao Er gives Ning Mu her agreed share. She declines part of his payment and lets him keep the full 1,000-tael note, treating the additional 200 taels as her fee.
• After the sale, Zhao Er asks Ning Mu to help find him a quiet property in the County Town, preferably near the Clear Radiance Mountains and costing under 800 taels.

Character developments

• Zhao Er impresses the others with his ability to kill a dangerous variant beast. He remains cautious about what he reveals, withholding the Blackwater Fruit and Poison Gland, and is increasingly focused on improving his martial arts and establishing himself in town.
• Sun Yuanying recognizes Zhao Er as unusually capable and potentially valuable to her family. Rather than bargain aggressively, she chooses to build trust and leave open the possibility of future business.
• Ning Mu acts as a trusted intermediary, helping secure the sale and supporting Zhao Er’s plans. She is generous with the payment but accepts his intention to compensate her.

Significant themes

• Capability and reputation: Bringing back a rare variant beast marks Zhao Er as someone others should take seriously.
• Trust and reciprocal advantage: The sale succeeds through cooperation, while Sun Yuanying’s fair offer and Ning Mu’s help create useful ties.
• Prudence and opportunity: Zhao Er conceals valuable details and sells the troublesome materials, balancing caution with the chance to gain money and connections.
• Ambition and adaptation: Moving to the County Town would give Zhao Er better access to information and business, especially when mountain hunting becomes his main source of income.

Character interactions

• Zhao Da explains the Sun Family’s Jade-Folding Hand to Zhao Er, prompting Zhao Er to compare it with his own body-tempering art.
• Sun Yuanying deals directly with Zhao Er but addresses Ning Mu as a trusted elder sister, reinforcing a friendly business relationship.
• Zhao Er and Ning Mu negotiate their share of the sale proceeds, while Sun Yuanying’s respectful conduct helps establish mutual confidence.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er tells his brother, Zhao Da, that he plans to buy a house in County Town. Zhao Da is delighted at the thought of bringing their parents there and sending their younger sister to school. Ning Mu offers to help find a property, since many lineages are selling assets to fund martial training.
• The Ning Family sends Zhao Er money and half the meat from the strange serpent. Ning Mu’s father personally sees him off with a cart full of gifts, now honoring Zhao Er for his own martial strength.
• Over the next half-month, Zhao Er maintains his routine of hunting and training. He never sees the White Marten again and, rather than sell his dried centipedes, stays home to cultivate.
• After practicing with his twin iron halberds, Zhao Er drinks the last bowl of wine infused with Blackwater Strange Serpent venom. He uses the Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body method to drive the poison through his body, destroying and repairing his muscles as his qi-blood grows stronger.
• When his qi-blood reaches its limit, Zhao Er deliberately redirects the excess poison into his bones. The poison hardens them through repeated damage and repair. Once it is spent, he tests his strength by punching an iron block, leaving a clear imprint. He has reached the second martial realm: Bone Tempering.
• A system notification confirms the event and awards experience to the Five Poisons Returning to Origin Body, along with increased poison resistance.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er continues to show discipline and resolve, taking a dangerous approach to cultivation instead of using the Detoxification Pill that ordinary practitioners would rely on. His success marks a major increase in physical strength and toughness.
• Zhao Da reveals his hopes for the family’s future, imagining a safer, more comfortable life for their parents and sister in County Town.
• Ning Mu treats Zhao Er as family and readily offers practical help. Her father’s generous gifts show the Ning Family’s growing respect for Zhao Er in his own right, beyond his connection to Zhao Da.
• Zhao Er’s family ties and reputation improve alongside his martial progress, though the chapter’s central focus is his solitary cultivation breakthrough.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and investment: Lineages sell property to raise martial artists, seeing cultivation as essential to preserving their future.
• Family aspiration and loyalty: The plan to move the family to County Town reflects Zhao Da’s desire to improve life for his relatives.
• Discipline and calculated risk: Zhao Er deliberately endures extreme pain and poison, turning a dangerous ordeal into a path to advancement.
• Transformation through adversity: Repeated destruction and repair—first in his muscles, then his bones—embody the chapter’s focus on strength forged through hardship.

Key plot points and events

• After reaching the Bone Tempering Realm, Zhao Er notices that his stronger qi-blood can neutralize ordinary toxins, while the Blackwater Strange Serpent’s venom may still be potent. He has no enemy to test it against.
• His village home no longer suits his training needs, so he goes to the county town to buy a property, accompanied by his elder brother Zhao Da and sister-in-law Ning Mu.
• The broker shows them several unsuitable houses before recommending a cheaper property in the northern outskirts. It is close to the mountains, a mass burial ground, and a mortuary lodge for deceased martial artists.
• Zhao Er is drawn to the location because it may provide plentiful yin qi for his Nine-Turn Golden Body Art, as well as nearby metal resources. He asks the price; the broker quotes five hundred taels.
• Zhao Da urges him to keep looking, concerned about the lodge’s mourners and the possibility of trouble with powerful martial artists. The chapter ends before Zhao Er decides whether to buy.

Character developments

• Zhao Er is newly confident after his breakthrough and increasingly practical about shaping his surroundings to support cultivation. He views the property’s ominous features as advantages rather than hazards.
• Zhao Da remains protective and cautious, weighing personal safety over the bargain and training benefits.
• Ning Mu helps arrange the search and shares Zhao Da’s initial unease about the location.
• The broker adapts his pitch after realizing the buyers are martial artists, openly explaining the property’s risks.

Significant themes

• Opportunity in danger: The house’s low price reflects its unsettling surroundings, but those same surroundings offer Zhao Er valuable cultivation resources.
• Cultivation reshapes daily life: Zhao Er’s advancement changes what he needs from a home and how he evaluates risk.
• Different views of safety: Zhao Er prioritizes training potential, while his family focuses on the dangers of living near the mortuary lodge.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er warmly thanks Ning Mu for her efforts before the three begin viewing houses.
• The broker carefully explains the location’s drawbacks, while Zhao Da and Ning Mu react with concern.
• Zhao Er dismisses the ominous atmosphere and asks about the price; Zhao Da counters by warning him about possible disturbances and dangerous visitors.

Key events

• Zhao Er’s cultivation has advanced far beyond his brother’s expectations: he broke through to the Bone Tempering Realm the previous day. He demonstrates his physical strength by crushing a pebble without using blood-energy force.
• Zhao Er insists on buying a secluded property with unusually dense yin qi, which soothes the blackwater toxin in his body and may help it transform. Zhao Da gives up trying to dissuade him, and Zhao Er agrees to pay five hundred taels.
• At the Wang family estate, Zhao Zhiyuan—known as Laitou—trains diligently as a servant and as the Third Young Master’s “Human Punching Post.” Though the work means taking blows, it earns him food, meat, tonic, and steady physical improvement.
• Zhao Zhiyuan dreams of becoming a martial artist and someday making Zhao Er acknowledge him. When Wang Ze learns that a young Bone Tempering martial artist has bought Wang family property, he takes Zhao Zhiyuan along to the Prefectural Office to sign the deed and encourages him to speak tactfully to the buyer.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er is confident in his strength and committed to pursuing the property because of its benefits for his toxin and cultivation.
• Zhao Da is astonished by Zhao Er’s rapid progress but ultimately accepts his decision, recognizing his younger brother’s new power.
• Ning Mu notices Zhao Er’s breakthrough and prompts him to confirm it.
• Zhao Zhiyuan is ambitious and resilient, interpreting his punishing training as a chance to advance. His envy of Zhao Er’s success fuels his determination to become a martial artist.
• Wang Ze values Zhao Zhiyuan’s quick wits and hopes to build ties with the powerful buyer. The chapter sets up a meeting between Zhao Zhiyuan and the very person he secretly hopes to surpass.

Significant themes

• Strength and status: Martial advancement reshapes family authority and commands respect from brokers and wealthy households alike.
• Ambition and envy: Zhao Zhiyuan’s hard work is sincere, but his desire to outdo Zhao Er also motivates him.
• Opportunity through hardship: Zhao Zhiyuan accepts an unpleasant role because it offers nourishment, training, and a path toward advancement.
• Cultivation and bodily change: Zhao Er’s use of yin qi to affect his toxin highlights the unusual, potentially risky path of his development.

Plot points and events

• Zhao Er meets Wang Ze, the Wang Family’s third young master, while arranging the purchase of Wang’s house. Wang Ze warmly courts his favor after learning Zhao Er is a young Bone Tempering Realm warrior and a mountain dweller.
• Zhao Er confirms he knows the nearby Manor House may have lowered the house’s value and says it does not bother him: he wants the property for cultivation and access to the mountains.
• Wang Ze explains that the Manor House belongs to an expert at complete Sinew Transformation. Though the expert is old and rarely leaves, the Wang Family could not challenge him.
• Zhao Er and Wang Ze complete the sale at the Prefectural Office. Wang Ze pays the deed tax as a courtesy, while Zhao Er gives him a five-hundred-tael banknote.
• Wang Ze leaves with Zhao Zhiyuan, then slaps him for failing to help draw information from Zhao Er. Zhao Zhiyuan realizes Zhao Er recognized him but chose not to engage.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er remains guarded and focused on practical matters, revealing little about his background or martial arts. His calm indifference toward Zhao Zhiyuan signals how completely he has moved beyond their former relationship.
• Wang Ze is socially adept and eager to recruit or befriend talented warriors, but also cautious around stronger opponents. He courts Zhao Er while openly acknowledging the limits of his family’s power.
• Zhao Zhiyuan (Laitou) is rattled by Zhao Er’s presence and unable to play his usual role as Wang Ze’s flattering intermediary. After being struck, he recognizes that Zhao Er’s silence is more painful than ridicule: it marks their unequal standing.
• Wang Ze’s friendly bargaining with Zhao Er contrasts with his harsh treatment of Zhao Zhiyuan, revealing both his opportunism and his authority over his attendant.

Significant themes

• Power determines influence: The Wang Family accepts the Manor House’s impact because its owner is much stronger.
• Social mobility and changing status: Zhao Er’s rise has put him beyond the reach of someone from his past.
• Restraint and guardedness: Zhao Er avoids revealing information, while others try to assess and cultivate him.
• Indifference as humiliation: Zhao Er’s lack of response wounds Zhao Zhiyuan more deeply than open mockery would have.

Key plot points and events

• After severing his ties with Laitou and the Wang family, Zhao Er makes clear he is not concerned with their opinions. He visits Prefectural Office martial instructor Dian Zhang, bringing wine.
• Zhao Er tells Dian Zhang that he has bought a house in the county town so he can live closer to needed resources. Dian Zhang accepts his reason but warns him against venturing too deep into the dangerous mountains while his cultivation is still limited.
• Zhao Er reports remarkable progress: he has reached Bone Tempering, advanced more than halfway through Iron Body training, and learned to use Qi-Blood freely in his twin-halberd techniques.
• He reminds Dian Zhang of the promise to teach him another halberd art once he mastered the Dian Clan Eight Methods. Dian Zhang says he will provide a manual, but first tests Zhao Er’s claims by flinging wine at him with formidable force.
• Zhao Er deflects the attack with both halberds and withstands the scattered droplets with his Iron Body, though the test makes clear how far Dian Zhang surpasses him.

Character developments

• Zhao Er shows growing confidence and ambition. He is progressing rapidly, investing in a home in town, and seeking stronger martial instruction. Despite his confidence, he remains respectful toward Dian Zhang.
• Dian Zhang is startled by Zhao Er’s exceptional advancement. His test suggests he wants to assess Zhao Er’s abilities firsthand before giving him further instruction.
• The broad-saber martial artist briefly appears as an imposing but surprisingly young expert. He and Dian Zhang seem familiar, though their relationship is not explained.

Significant themes

• Rapid advancement and talent: Zhao Er’s unusually fast cultivation surprises even a seasoned martial artist.
• Mentorship and evaluation: Dian Zhang’s support is paired with caution and practical testing.
• Strength and its limits: Zhao Er’s defenses hold, but the encounter emphasizes the gap between his growing power and Dian Zhang’s mastery.
• Prudence amid ambition: Dian Zhang encourages Zhao Er to pursue resources while warning him about the dangers of the mountains.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er approaches Dian Zhang warmly and respectfully, using wine and personal news to strengthen their relationship before asking for the promised manual.
• Dian Zhang responds with concern about Zhao Er’s safety, then reacts with astonishment to his progress and tests him in combat.
• Zhao Er and the broad-saber expert exchange only a brief glance; Dian Zhang does not introduce them.

Key plot points and events

• Dian Zhang tests Zhao Er and confirms his rapid progress: he has reached the bone-tempering realm and mastered the Basic Halberd Art.
• Dian Zhang gives him the Army-Breaking Halberd Art, a manual expected to carry him through three martial realms.
• After Zhao Er leaves, Dian Zhang tells Wu Xing that Zhao Er advanced from blood condensation to bone tempering in under a month. He hopes Zhao Er may qualify as an inner sect disciple at the Martial Academy by year’s end, especially if Wu Xing agrees to take him on.
• Wu Xing wonders whether Zhao Er’s exceptional talent points to evil-path cultivation. Dian Zhang rejects the suspicion: Zhao Er comes from a farming family, and although he entered the martial path through the unorthodox Five Poisons Art, Dian Zhang believes he is not an evil cultivator.
• Wu Xing explains why he came: martial artists have gone missing nearby, and corpses drained of blood have been found in the mountains. The Academy suspects evil cultivators are responsible and is investigating.
• The chapter explains the distinction between unorthodox cultivation, which uses unusual energies or resources but is generally tolerated, and evil cultivation, which advances by taking lives and is forbidden by major powers.
• Zhao Er leaves eager to study his new manual. Passing the Manor House, he notices an old man sitting at its entrance and recalls that its owner is a martial artist in the sinew-transformation realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er is established as exceptionally talented, disciplined, and ambitious. His existing halberd skills have begun to feel too basic, making Dian Zhang’s gift timely.
• Dian Zhang shifts from merely rewarding Zhao Er to actively advocating for his future, using the conversation to encourage Wu Xing to consider him as a potential partner.
• Wu Xing remains skeptical of Zhao Er’s current strength but becomes interested in his unusual rate of progress. His work hunting evil cultivators introduces a broader danger facing the region.
• Dian Zhang and Wu Xing’s exchange mixes professional concern with familiarity: Wu Xing challenges Dian Zhang’s judgment, while Dian Zhang defends Zhao Er and probes for news about the investigation.

Significant themes

• Talent and perseverance: Zhao Er’s speed is extraordinary, but Dian Zhang also credits his determination and hard practice.
• Orthodoxy, unorthodoxy, and evil: The chapter distinguishes unconventional methods from truly predatory cultivation, cautioning against judging practitioners by their methods alone.
• Opportunity and advancement: Zhao Er’s background does not prevent him from earning a place in the Martial Academy, though he must continue progressing.
• Hidden danger: The missing martial artists and blood-drained corpses suggest a serious threat operating beyond the city’s awareness.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er encounters the elderly martial artist who runs the Manor House. Though the man looks frail, his sharp eyes reveal his Sinew Transformation cultivation. Zhao Er senses a trace of Yin baleful energy around him and becomes more cautious about the Manor House.
• At his new courtyard, Zhao Er studies the Army-Breaking Halberd Art, mastering its basic principles quickly thanks to his experience with the Dian Clan Eight Methods of Twin Halberds. He learns its three killing techniques—Heavy Halberd, Blood Pierce, and Twin Flight—and is especially pleased that Twin Flight offers a ranged attack.
• The art appears on his panel as blue grade, prompting him to wonder whether a higher threshold exists beyond the three martial realms. He sets the question aside and cultivates, absorbing abundant Yin Qi. It fuses with and transforms the Blackwater Strange Serpent venom already in his body.
• Zhao Er leaves the courtyard before nightfall and returns to the village. The next morning, he heads into the mountains to check his centipede traps.
• After collecting centipedes from five traps, he hears an unusually loud rustling near the sixth. Armed with both halberds, he approaches and discovers a giant centipede.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Er grows more capable and confident: his prior halberd training lets him learn the new art rapidly, and his improved cultivation allows him to travel through the mountains faster and with less caution.
• He remains alert and analytical, noticing the Manor House owner’s unusual Yin energy and weighing the potential significance of the encounter.
• Zhao Er greets the old man briefly; the exchange is polite but leaves Zhao Er wary. Later, he glimpses a slender figure entering the Manor House, but does not interact with them.
• The enormous centipede surprises Zhao Er, but his alarm quickly turns to excitement.

Significant themes

• Power and progression: Zhao Er’s growing skill, cultivation, and access to new combat options mark his advancement, while the blue-grade ceiling hints at further levels of mastery.
• Caution amid uncertainty: The Manor House owner’s hidden qualities and the mysterious figure suggest that Zhao Er’s new surroundings may hold dangers or secrets.
• Harnessing danger: Zhao Er deliberately uses Yin Qi to transform the serpent venom within him, turning a harmful substance into part of his cultivation process.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Er identifies the nearly two-meter centipede as a Golden-Backed Heavenly Dragon, a heavily armored variant that can spray corrosive venom and is especially dangerous to body-tempering fighters.
• He attacks with the Army-Breaking Halberd Art’s Heavy Halberd, but the creature’s smooth, resilient shell deflects the blow. He only cuts off one pair of legs.
• The centipede counterattacks, clawing at Zhao Er while trying to bite him. His Nine-Turn Golden Body Art protects him from worse injury, though its claws still tear his skin.
• Zhao Er pins and restrains the creature with his Twin Iron Halberds, preventing it from biting him.
• He tests toxins in his body. Blackwater serpent venom has little effect, but his Yin Toxin rapidly slows and freezes the centipede.
• As the frost begins to fade and the creature starts recovering, Zhao Er uses one of its severed legs to stab through its mouthparts and into its head, killing it. A system message announces that the event is complete and rewards are being calculated.

Character development

• Zhao Er demonstrates tactical knowledge, adapting when his initial strike fails rather than retreating.
• He shows resourcefulness by exploiting the centipede’s body structure, using his halberds to restrain it and then turning its own severed leg into a weapon.
• The fight exposes limits in his new halberd technique: his control of Qi-Blood is still rough, and the strike’s power is wasted when the blades slide off the armor.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and improvisation: Zhao Er overcomes a superior opponent through observation and changing tactics.
• Strength and technique: Raw power is not enough; the centipede’s armor defeats his opening attack, while restraint and precision create an opportunity.
• Risk and resilience: Zhao Er endures injuries to keep the creature pinned until his toxin can weaken it.

Character interactions

• The encounter is a direct contest between Zhao Er and the Golden-Backed Heavenly Dragon. The centipede uses its armor, claws, and attempted bite to attack; Zhao Er responds with restraint, toxin, and a finishing strike using the creature’s own body part.

Plot points and events

• After defeating the Golden-Backed Heavenly Dragon, Zhao Er relaxes and begins inspecting its corpse. White Marten appears only after the fight, then casually tries a piece of the centipede before spitting it out.
• Zhao Er notices White Marten has become far faster and has developed new silver-white markings, suggesting it has evolved beyond the Venom-Eating Marten described in his reference book.
• He extracts and stores the Golden-Backed Heavenly Dragon’s valuable Poison Gland, recognizing that its toxin can aid his cultivation and broaden the range of toxins in his body. He also plans to sell the creature’s remains for money.
• The encounter changes Zhao Er’s thinking: instead of focusing on one especially powerful toxin, he intends to collect and combine different variant-beast toxins for different uses.
• Zhao Er invites White Marten to join him, offering to share the rewards of hunting snakes and finding Blackwater Fruit. White Marten accepts and rides on his shoulder.
• On the way home, Zhao Er hides White Marten inside his clothes to protect his family from its venom. He then tells his parents he plans to move to the county town, offering to help them move nearby as well.

Character development

• Zhao Er grows more strategic about toxins and recognizes that his poisonous stores make living with his family unsafe. His plan to move reflects both concern for them and a growing independence.
• White Marten shows signs of further evolution, greater speed, and growing trust in Zhao Er. Though it does not understand his words, it responds to his offer and settles contentedly against him.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er teasingly reproaches White Marten for missing the fight, but their familiarity is affectionate.
• He tries several ways to communicate his proposed hunting partnership; White Marten finally appears to understand and joins him.
• Zhao Er’s family welcomes him home with concern about his injuries rather than questions about the giant centipede. He explains his move candidly, emphasizing the danger posed by the poisons in his room.

Significant themes

• Adaptation and practical knowledge: Different toxins have different strengths, so Zhao Er learns to diversify rather than rely on a single weapon.
• Trust and cooperation: Zhao Er and White Marten form a partnership through an improvised bargain.
• Responsibility and separation: Zhao Er’s growing power brings danger to those around him, making distance and independence acts of protection.