Chapter Summaries

On Heavenly Dragon Divine Mountain, the young man on Three Absolutes Peak received news from the Wu Household and secret technique booklets from Chief Lei. After Chief Lei heard that the sect was undermining the young man's standing while promoting him as a candidate for head, he agreed to relay a warning, and the young man left without sparring.

• The young man fed Old One-Eye while a veiled woman delivered a message from the Wu Household.
• Chief Lei arrived carrying booklets he had found at a Fire-Worshipping Cult branch altar, and the young man sensed the bloodshed on him.
• The young man said the sect was building support for Chief Lei while damaging his own reputation, and warned that he might tear down the plaque on Hidden Dragon Peak.
• Chief Lei agreed to pass the warning to the sect's elders and invited the young man to spar.
• The young man refused, then disappeared into the forest with Old One-Eye.

Little Leopard integrated the Nine-Form Hammer Technique into his Tai Chi, gaining a new, if still limited, ability to attack. After wondering about Old Xing’s private guidance and the newly admitted apprentices, he went to rinse off, where a sudden commotion interrupted the night.

• Little Leopard reflected on how Old Xing’s instruction in the Chaotic Wind Hammer Method helped him understand Tai Chi’s hammer techniques and improve his smithing.
• Little Leopard finished practicing and realized his Tai Chi Fist could now be used to attack as well as train his body.
• Little Leopard wondered why Old Xing had admitted seven apprentices who fell short of the requirements and treated him differently in public and private.
• Little Leopard entered the apprentices’ room, found his roommates asleep, and went to rinse off at the courtyard well.
• A loud crash sounded, and someone ran through the night shouting for help and crying murder.

After Steward Lin and Old Xing were murdered, the Wu Household suppressed the investigation, leaving Little Leopard wary of a cover-up. He resumed his training at the ironworks, where his exceptional talent impressed the new master smith, Qin Xuanlong, and his latest forged knives revealed a remarkably sharp edge.

• A killer murdered Steward Lin and Old Xing, and Little Leopard silently vowed to avenge Old Xing.
• The Wu Household's new steward and master smith blamed roaming bandits and produced evidence that the dead men had embezzled, quickly shutting down the investigation.
• Little Leopard avoided further trouble, earned Qin Xuanlong's trust, and continued learning smithing and martial skills.
• Qin Xuanlong taught Little Leopard to throw darts, and the boy mastered the technique with extraordinary speed and accuracy.
• Little Leopard presented Qin Xuanlong with kitchen knives he had forged, and Qin Xuanlong tested one by slicing a wooden post in two.

Little Leopard impressed Qin Xuanlong by forging a kitchen knife of exceptional quality, prompting Qin to help him advance from apprentice to blacksmith. More than half a year later, Little Leopard was thriving at the Wu Ironworks, and Qin planned for him to enter the Wu Household's Selection when he turned ten.

• Little Leopard showed Qin Xuanlong a kitchen knife he had forged, and Qin recognized that the boy was skilled enough to make weapons.
• Qin Xuanlong decided to help Little Leopard because he knew the boy was poor and exceptionally talented, and Little Leopard accepted the arrangement while understanding Qin's motives.
• Little Leopard became a qualified blacksmith and spent more than half a year earning good wages, supporting his family, and improving his craft.
• Qin Xuanlong decided Little Leopard should enter the Wu Household's first round of Selection when he turned ten.
• Little Leopard credited his forging skill to his earlier Enlightenment and the Flameheart Method, which let him control heat with his inner qi.
• Little Leopard walked through Green Ram Market, content with his comfortable life and his chance to study martial arts.

Little Leopard spent market day buying books and catching up with his family’s hunters in Green Ram Market. When he found Zhang Yong about to kick a young man who had tried to set up a bookstall, the chapter left Little Leopard facing a chance to intervene.

• Little Leopard practiced Tai Chi Fist and flameheart inner qi while using market days to buy books and learn about the world.
• Little Leopard greeted Zhang Yong, a Black Dragon Society minor leader collecting protection money in Green Ram Market.
• Little Leopard gave his eldest brother much of his earnings, and the hunters teased him about getting engaged.
• Dagouzi asked Little Leopard when he could visit home, and Little Leopard said he might request leave next month.
• Little Leopard found the bookseller arguing with a young man who had set up a stall without paying for the space.
• Zhang Yong raised his foot to kick the young man again as Little Leopard watched.

Little Leopard bought Sun Hua’s books and discovered a hidden sheet of ancient pill formulas, including recipes for pills that could advance martial cultivation beyond the ninth rank. The chapter left him wondering whether the formulas revealed a path to the legendary Mystic Profundity Realm.

• Little Leopard recognized the starving Sun Hua, bought his battered books, and gave him enough silver for several meals.
• Little Leopard returned to his room at the Wu Ironworks and sorted through the books, dismissing several as unsuitable or irrelevant.
• Little Leopard found a hidden sheet in the Decoction Formula Manual listing six pill formulas, including Bone Tempering, Sinew Changing, Meridian Stabilizing, Blood Changing, and Marrow Washing Pills.
• Little Leopard recalled that spiritual pill formulas had mostly been lost, with only the Bone Tempering Pill formula surviving within the Profound Heaven Orthodox Sect.
• Little Leopard wondered whether the advanced pill formulas could lead to the legendary Mystic Profundity Realm beyond the ninth rank.

Little Leopard memorized the pill formulas hidden in the Tangtou Song and tested whether they were genuine by making Soul-Dazing Pills. After he slipped them into the Wu Ironworks’ wolfdogs’ water, all the dogs fell into an unbreakable sleep.

• Little Leopard memorized the five pill formulas and their refining instructions, then burned the sheet.
• Qin Xuanlong noticed Little Leopard had ruined several weapons, and Little Leopard asked for time off; Qin Xuanlong granted him three days.
• Little Leopard bought ingredients and a small earthenware pot, choosing to test the Soul-Dazing Pill because its ingredients were easy to obtain.
• Little Leopard struggled through several attempts before refining thirty-four Soul-Dazing Pills.
• Little Leopard dissolved five pills in the wolfdogs’ water, and all the dogs at the Wu Ironworks fell asleep and could not be woken.

Little Leopard’s Soul-Dazing Pills killed the Wu Ironworks’ wolfdogs, but the investigation found no culprit and the affair faded. Over the next half year, his forging and martial skills advanced, while he learned why reaching the Bone-Tempering Realm was such a formidable barrier.

• The Wu Household investigated the unconscious wolfdogs for half a month, but Little Leopard’s ordinary medicinal purchases cleared him of suspicion.
• The wolfdogs died from thirst, and the Wu Ironworks eventually ended its fruitless investigation and brought in more guard dogs.
• Little Leopard kept his remaining Soul-Dazing Pills close and returned to forging and martial arts training as Qin Xuanlong urged him to prepare for the Selection Assembly.
• After half a year, Qin Xuanlong praised Little Leopard’s sword-making and encouraged him to reach the peak of the First-Rank Martial Artist realm before turning ten.
• Little Leopard learned that becoming a Wu Household elder required reaching the Bone-Tempering Realm, a difficult breakthrough separated by a vast gulf from the Skin-Training Realm.

Little Leopard cultivated the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art and reached the First Rank, but knew he still needed the complete art and Bone-Tempering techniques to advance further. Qin Xuanlong warned him that Blood Wuy a was fleeing toward the Vast Cang Mountains with Lu Shaoyou in pursuit, leaving Little Leopard worried about his family near the mountains.

• Little Leopard chose to cultivate the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art, converting his flameheart inner qi and learning its finer workings.
• Little Leopard reached the First Rank and realized he still needed the full Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art and Bone-Tempering fist techniques to progress.
• Qin Xuanlong visited Little Leopard and told him to stay inside the Wu Ironworks for the next few days.
• Qin Xuanlong revealed that Blood Wuy a was heading toward the Vast Cang Mountains while Lu Shaoyou pursued him across provinces.
• Little Leopard worried that Blood Wuy a might endanger his family near the mountains, but Qin Xuanlong assured him the fugitive would likely keep going into the Wilds.

Little Leopard spent several quiet weeks forging and brewing Soul-Dazing Pills while the danger from Blood Wuy a faded from Green Ram Market. After deciding his martial training had reached a safe limit for his age, he chose to forge two kunai and went to buy the materials.

• Little Leopard resented Lu Shaoyou for pursuing Blood Wuy a, whom he blamed for endangering ordinary people and his own family.
• Little Leopard stayed at the ironworks, practiced martial arts, forged iron, and became skilled at turning ingredients into Soul-Dazing Powder.
• Little Leopard decided not to push his martial cultivation further until he was older and chose kunai as a small, versatile weapon.
• Little Leopard went to the Wu Ironworks storeroom and selected materials for his weapons, telling Old Zhang he planned to make darts.

Little Leopard spent two days experimenting with the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art while forging kunai, eventually succeeding in channeling his inner energy into a blade. After quenching it, he reflected on the fundamentals of artifact refining, though the kunai remained unfinished.

• Little Leopard experimented with using the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art to refine weapons, drawing on the basic methods taught by Old Xing and Qin Xuanlong.
• Little Leopard heated a kunai and successfully guided his nine-dragon divine fire inner qi into it, allowing the blade to absorb the energy until it reached capacity.
• Little Leopard quenched the dark-red kunai in cold water and smiled at his success.
• Little Leopard concluded that hammering and refining were the foundation of artifact refining, while other techniques formed its branches and leaves.

Little Leopard left the Wu Household for a visit home, hoping to investigate the baleful energy at West Mountain Pass, but storms stranded him on the way. A powerful stranger seized him and flew deep into the Vast Cang Mountains, where Little Leopard landed safely in a remote valley and turned to face his captor.

• Little Leopard finished forging his second kunai and received Qin Xuanlong's permission to go home for the New Year.
• Little Leopard decided to seek out West Mountain Pass and investigate the icy baleful energy tied to Li Haoran's memories and the Twofold Heaven-Piercing Sword.
• When no villagers arrived to travel with him, Little Leopard rented a donkey at Green Ram Market and set out alone in the rain.
• A sudden storm turned a mountain stream into a torrent, and a blood-colored figure seized Little Leopard, sealed his acupoints, and carried him off, while his donkey drowned.
• The stranger flew Little Leopard deep into the Vast Cang Mountains, briefly dropped him to test his fear, then caught him and brought him down into a misty valley.
• Little Leopard rolled safely onto the ground and admired the scenery until his captor called his attention back to the danger.

Little Leopard encountered the badly wounded Blood Wuy a in the Vast Cang Mountains and was forced to become his disciple. Blood Wuy a fed on the blood of animals to treat his injuries, while Little Leopard went back into the forest to find him more fresh blood.

• Little Leopard recognized Blood Wuy a and agreed to become his disciple rather than risk being killed.
• Blood Wuy a gave Little Leopard a Black Gold Short Sword and revealed that he was the deputy sect master of the Blood Sea Sect.
• Blood Wuy a ordered Little Leopard to bring him living creatures, and Little Leopard caught four rabbits near the forest's edge.
• Blood Wuy a drained the rabbits' blood but said it was not enough, so Little Leopard went deeper into the forest.
• Little Leopard blinded an adult white deer with his kunai and dragged it back to Blood Wuy a.

Blood Wuy a recovered enough to take Little Leopard to a secluded valley and gave him the complete Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art. Little Leopard recognized that Blood Wuy a’s gift violated the Blood River Sect’s promise and suspected it revealed his dangerous intentions.

• Blood Wuy a drained a white deer’s blood and told Little Leopard to find him more blood sustenance while he recovered from Lu Shaoyou’s attack.
• Blood Wuy a carried Little Leopard to a poisonous valley, then took him to a scenic spot after realizing its fumes would be deadly to him.
• Blood Wuy a criticized Little Leopard’s shallow knowledge of the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art and gave him the complete manual, including the method for forming nine-dragon divine fire mystic astral energy.
• Little Leopard recalled how Blood Wuy a had obtained the art from the Heavenly Dragon Way and how the Blood River Sect had promised never to reveal or practice it.
• Blood Wuy a dismissed the Blood River Ancestor’s promise, while Little Leopard hid his suspicion and acted meekly.

Blood Wuy a ordered Little Leopard to bring him ten animals each day and taught him lightness and hidden-weapon techniques before retreating to recover. As Little Leopard studied the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art, he learned how Astral Qi enabled flight and became convinced Blood Wuy a planned to kill him after using him, so he went to hunt for food to avoid provoking him.

• Blood Wuy a demanded ten animals daily and taught Little Leopard lightness and hidden-weapon techniques before hurrying away to heal.
• Little Leopard found a small cave near the Great Camphor Tree and began cultivating the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art.
• Little Leopard compared the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Art with the Flameheart Method and wondered whether their techniques could be combined.
• Little Leopard read Blood Wuy a's annotations and learned that refined Astral Qi could grant flight and other powers.
• Little Leopard concluded that Blood Wuy a intended to use and kill him, then set off to find fresh blood and flesh.

Little Leopard practiced the Wild Goose Floating Heart Method, then hunted a boar to meet Blood Wuy a’s demand for ten kills by midnight. As he chased the boar into the forest, he collided with a huge White-Scaled Python and stabbed it in the face with his sword.

• Little Leopard tested the Wild Goose Floating Heart Method and spotted a large black boar beside the stream.
• Little Leopard’s kunai missed the boar after he tried Blood Wuy a’s newly taught hidden-weapon technique, so he attacked with the Black Gold Short Sword.
• Little Leopard dodged the charging boar with his lightness skill, broke its tusks, and chased it as it fled into the forest.
• The boar tripped, and Little Leopard collided with a dark shape and fell forward.
• Little Leopard thrust his sword at the attacking White-Scaled Python, piercing it and getting splashed with its blood.

Little Leopard captured ten beasts after escaping a white-scaled python, then returned to the Secluded Valley and discovered Blood Wuy a fighting a poisonous toad monster. Blood Wuy a defeated the toad and ordered Little Leopard to come out of hiding.

• Little Leopard fought the wounded white-scaled python, which fled after spraying corrosive white mist.
• Little Leopard bound the unconscious boar, then caught four deer, two water deer, a mountain goat, and two unrecognized beasts.
• Little Leopard heard Blood Wuy a shouting and crept into the Secluded Valley, where he saw Blood Wuy a fighting a six-legged toad monster.
• The toad pursued Blood Wuy a with corrosive fluid, but Blood Wuy a blocked the venom and severed its tongue with a divine weapon.
• The toad fell into the pit, and Blood Wuy a told Little Leopard to come out of hiding.

After Blood Wuy a recovered from his fight with a monster, he taught Little Leopard a sword move and demanded more blood food. The next morning, Little Leopard caught a mountain leopard and began roasting a goat, but a silver-marked chipmunk stole it after making him vomit.

• Little Leopard brought Blood Wuy a ten live animals, and Blood Wuy a killed them and drank their blood to recover.
• Blood Wuy a praised Little Leopard, asked about his injuries, and taught him a sword move and its internal method, which Little Leopard had to memorize by rote.
• Little Leopard left the valley exhausted, returned to his cave, ate and drank, then meditated through the night.
• After waking, Little Leopard killed a mountain leopard with Kunai and prepared the goat it had attacked for roasting.
• A chipmunk with silver fur on its forehead approached Little Leopard, released a foul stench that made him vomit, and dragged his half-roasted goat into the forest.
• Little Leopard chased after the chipmunk, determined to catch the thief.

Little Leopard chased the chipmunk that had stolen his roast lamb, but its foul farts and mysterious ability to vanish and reappear thwarted him. He pretended to leave, then secretly resumed following it as it carried off the lamb.

• Little Leopard followed the upright-running chipmunk through the forest as its farts drove away beasts and birds and spoiled his roast lamb.
• Little Leopard attacked the chipmunk, but it dodged his Golden Leopard Claw by vanishing and reappearing on a branch.
• Little Leopard tried again with a Heavenly Net, then made several more attempts and concluded the chipmunk had a strange power with a range of about a hundred feet.
• Little Leopard stopped attacking and left, while the chipmunk picked up the roast lamb and continued on its way.
• Little Leopard reappeared and secretly followed the chipmunk from a distance.

Little Leopard followed the strange creature to its cave and discovered that the yellow cloth beneath it was a magic treasure. The creature remained safe behind its protective light as Little Leopard began considering the significance of what he had found.

• Little Leopard followed the creature to a clearing, where it dragged a roasted goat into a cave and ate before falling asleep on a scrap of yellow cloth.
• Little Leopard approached the sleeping creature, but a golden curtain of light from the Yellow Cloth blocked his hand and stung him.
• The creature woke and laughed at Little Leopard, who recognized the Yellow Cloth as a genuine treasure.
• Little Leopard reflected on how magic treasures were made by refining killing intent together with natural treasures and strange materials.