Chapter Summaries

Lin Ke discussed expanding the Great Wilderness Newspaper Office with the Six Clans and other leaders, outlining a plan to classify and supervise newspapers. He saw the Six Clans as a potential reporting network and sought inspiration for advancing his Reformer School cultivation.

• The Gu Tribe uncle asked Lin Ke to have the Great Wilderness Newspaper Office cover the Six Clans’ return to the world.
• Lin Ke invited the Six Clans and his companions to discuss the newspaper office openly during the Literary Gathering.
• Zhang Yuda warned that newspaper offices needed control, and Lin Ke agreed that the Imperial Court should supervise them.
• Lin Ke explained that he wanted to consolidate newspapers into categories, including official, local, and privately run publications.
• Lin Ke considered recruiting the Featherfolk Clan, Flowerfolk, Stonefolk, Gu Tribe, Deerfolk, and Merfolk as reporters across different regions and environments.

Lin Ke invited the Six Clans to establish newspaper offices and assigned them roles suited to their abilities, while outlining strict oversight for future publications. He also proposed publications in each Sage Domain and a special edition about their founders, histories, and cultures, winning support from Huo Ran, the other prodigies, and the major sects.

• Wu Chafu and the other Six Clans representatives volunteered to establish newspaper offices after Lin Ke opened the opportunity.
• Lin Ke said future newspaper-office applications, publications, and articles would undergo strict review.
• Lin Ke assigned the Featherfolk as sky reporters and mail couriers and matched the other five clans to investigative work suited to their homelands and abilities.
• Huo Ran, Zhang Yuda, Guan Fangyi, and the others initially declined to take on the newspaper work, but Lin Ke proposed publications in each Sage Domain and gained their support.
• Lin Ke proposed a special edition about the Sage Domains and asked Huo Ran, the others, and the major sects to help.

After settling the dispute with the Six Clans, Lin Ke learned that the Punishments Department had suppressed news of a Fierce Demon incident in Jiangning Prefecture. He went to the Newspaper Office to investigate the report, where Xi He confirmed that an official of at least third rank had suppressed it.

• The Featherfolk Prince apologized to Lin Ke, Huo Ran, and the others, and Lin Ke agreed to let the conflict end there.
• Lin Ke asked the Six Clans' representatives about the Fierce Demon incident in Jiangning Prefecture, but none of them knew about it.
• Lin Ke suspected the Punishments Department was involved and decided to publicize the incident.
• Lin Ke visited the Newspaper Office, where editors were reviewing submissions and Xi He was working with chief editors and reporters.
• Lin Ke asked Xi He about the Jiangning Prefecture report, and Xi He said an official from the Punishments Department, at least third rank, had suppressed it.

Lin Ke told Xi He to publish an objective report about the Fierce Demon incident and gave him Great Confucian Documents containing contacts who could protect the Newspaper Office. He then outlined his plan to turn the documents into a far-reaching news and communication network, leaving Xi He and the staff eager to help.

• Lin Ke instructed Xi He to report the Fierce Demon incident without subjective speculation, and Xi He agreed despite fearing the backlash.
• Lin Ke gave Xi He Great Confucian Documents with contacts for powerful allies to call on if the Newspaper Office faced threats.
• Lin Ke told Xi He and the trusted staff about the Literary Gathering and his intention to recruit the Six Clans as reporters and editors.
• Lin Ke proposed using Great Confucian Documents to deliver news and eventually support forums, microblogs, and short videos across the Divine Continent.
• Xi He and the staff embraced Lin Ke's vision, while Lin Ke explained that limited production capacity and oversight needs made self-media a distant goal.

After arriving in the Capital City, Gao Sanliu learned that Lin Ke’s Great Wilderness Newspaper Office sold a Great Confucian Document called the Newspaper Terminal, which gathered news from across the world. Tempted by its introductory price and features, Gao Sanliu tried one and saw a new world open before him.

• Gao Sanliu pondered how to find Lin Ke and fulfill his father's wish that he become Lin Ke's disciple.
• A vendor introduced Gao Sanliu to newspapers and explained that Lin Ke had invented them.
• Gao Sanliu read about the Newspaper Terminal and learned it combined news from many newspaper offices into sixteen sections.
• The vendor offered the terminal for two taels of silver for three days, warning that its price would rise to five taels afterward.
• Gao Sanliu accepted the terminal to see how it worked, and the vendor tapped an icon to reveal a new world.

Gao Sanliu learned about the Capital City and Jiangning Prefecture through a newspaper terminal, then visited Tongfu Grand Restaurant on Chaoyang Street. Inspired by Bai Zhantang’s account of Lin Ke’s generosity, Gao Sanliu chose to become Lin Ke’s disciple and joined the enterprise.

• Gao Sanliu read reports about Lin Ke and the crisis in Jiangning Prefecture, then bought a copy of the Great Wei Daily because he could not afford a terminal.
• Gao Sanliu discovered Tongfu Grand Restaurant on Chaoyang Street, where patrons could enjoy performances and use newspaper terminals.
• Bai Zhantang welcomed Gao Sanliu and explained that he was the third crown prince, but had set aside his status to work as a waiter.
• Bai Zhantang described how Lin Ke helped people in need and urged them to help others in turn, leaving Gao Sanliu deeply moved.
• Gao Sanliu declared that he wanted to become Lin Ke’s disciple, and Bai Zhantang offered him a position with Tongfu Enterprises and explained the disciple ranks.

Lin Ke learned that Zhuge Li had advanced to the fourth realm after studying Lin Ke’s Probability Theory, then asked him to manage a Mathematics Academy and find overlooked talent. Zhuge Li’s divination revealed that the boy beside Bai Zhantang might lead him to a mathematics teacher.

• Hong'er served Lin Ke at Tongfu Restaurant while Bai Zhantang recruited people for Tongfu enterprise.
• Zhuge Li told Lin Ke that studying Probability Theory had helped him break through to the fourth realm.
• Lin Ke asked Zhuge Li about Great Wilderness University and learned that it lacked enough teachers to divide students into majors.
• Lin Ke appointed Zhuge Li to manage a Mathematics Academy and seek out overlooked mathematical talent.
• Zhuge Li divined that the boy beside Bai Zhantang held an opportunity to find a mathematics teacher.

Lin Ke prepared to prove himself by taking the Child Scholar Examination despite being at the maximum age, while Zhuge Li investigated Bai Zhantang’s family connection. When the examination began, talented candidates gathered across the realm, including many in the Imperial Capital.

• Lin Ke confirmed that the Child Scholar Examination was two days away and resolved to pass the examinations step by step to prove himself worthy of entering the Palace Examination.
• Hong'er reprimanded Jin'er for acting too freely around Lin Ke, and Lin Ke reflected on how the two sisters had once been fish saved from the Fish Market.
• Zhuge Li reported that Bai Zhantang’s family knew a Great Confucian of several paths, and Lin Ke instructed him to show proper courtesy during their visit.
• Lin Ke observed the newspaper terminals’ popularity and considered the infrastructure needed to expand their capabilities across Great Wei.
• The Child Scholar Examination began throughout the realm, and confident candidates gathered in Prefectural Cities and the Imperial Capital for the year’s five examinations.

Lin Ke took the Child Scholar Examination alongside youthful prodigies including Su Liuli and the Sightless Monk, drawing attention when the examiner recognized him and asked for his autograph. He finished quickly and left early, while the grader was stunned by his script.

• Lin Ke learned that Su Liuli and the Sightless Monk were eligible to take the Child Scholar Examination, and the Sightless Monk said he was thirteen.
• Lin Ke entered the examination grounds with Su Liuli and the Sightless Monk, where the examiner recognized him and asked him to sign his sleeve.
• The examiner began the test, and Lin Ke quickly answered the broad, mostly objective questions.
• Lin Ke noticed the other examinees watching him, submitted his paper early, and left the examination grounds.
• The grader saw Lin Ke's paper and exclaimed over his unusual script.

An examiner discovered an extraordinary calligraphic style on a perfect Child Scholar Examination paper and escalated it through the officials, who speculated that its anonymous author might be a hidden Sage Realm prodigy. Minister Xun went to inspect the paper himself, while wondering whether to replace his steward and ask Lin Ke for advice.

• An examiner found a flawless examination paper written in a distinctive style blending Seal and Zhou Script, and decided to show it to the Chief Examiner.
• The Chief Examiner judged the calligraphy capable of founding its own school and suspected its anonymous creator came from a Sage Domain.
• The Chief Examiner hurried to inform the Examiner-in-Chief, Minister Xun, that the Child Scholar Examination had produced a possible Sage Realm cultivator.
• Minister Xun doubted the steward's report, then headed to the Rites Department Branch Office to inspect the papers himself.
• Minister Xun considered replacing his mortal steward and thought he would ask Lin Ke for advice.

Minister Xun and the Chief Examiners reviewed the exceptional Child Scholar Examination papers and unsealed the Go-path paper to identify its candidate. After discovering Kong Ru’s pioneering work and recognizing another paper’s calligraphy as a potential sacred style, Minister Xun ordered the papers ranked for public display.

• Minister Xun began reviewing six papers that had reached the Sage Realm, including works in calligraphy, painting, and Go.
• Minister Xun unsealed the Go-path paper after the examiners suspected its writer might not meet the age requirement, revealing the name Kong Ru.
• Kong Ru’s name completed the black dragon’s transformation, breaking the Dragon-Binding Lock and earning Minister Xun’s admiration.
• Minister Xun ranked the painting papers below Kong Ru’s Go paper and initially dismissed the calligraphy papers as unoriginal.
• An examiner showed Minister Xun a paper with majestic, distinctive script, and Minister Xun placed it first, ahead of Kong Ru’s paper.

Minister Xun made the calligraphy work tied for first place with the Go work, arguing that its potential to establish a sacred path outweighed the Go work’s brilliance. He arranged newspaper coverage to promote his decision and Lin Ke, and the chapter ended as crowds rushed to see the Child Scholar Examination results.

• Minister Xun ranked the calligraphy and Go works jointly at the top, placing calligraphy first, and persuaded the Chief Examiners that its potential for sagehood deserved precedence.
• Minister Xun decided to publicize his reasoning, promote Lin Ke, and preempt criticism from the Kong Family through a newspaper report.
• A reporter sent by Xi He interviewed Minister Xun while a painter captured his likeness, and Minister Xun repeated his arguments about the examination’s purpose.
• The next day, Minister Xun’s statements spread across Capital City as word of the posted results sent crowds rushing to East Street.

As crowds gathered for the Child Scholar Examination results, Kong Ru, the Confucius Sage Territory’s present-day Sage Son, dismissed Lin Ke’s reputation and displayed his impressive literary achievements to Gu Yueqing. Gu Yueqing secretly recorded his boasts for a newspaper scoop, then noticed a young gentleman staring at her in awe.

• Crowds discussed the six model essays and waited for the examination results to be unveiled at noon.
• A brocade-clad young man, an icy woman, and a plain-clothed youth each declared their confidence or resolve before the results lists.
• Kong Ru told his attendant that he would tolerate losing Lin Ke if Lin Ke stood in the way of his becoming Zhuangyuan.
• Gu Yueqing challenged Kong Ru about Lin Ke, and Kong Ru’s attendant listed his many manifested works and rapid rise to the Fourth Realm Scholar level.
• Gu Yueqing pretended to be disheartened while secretly recording Kong Ru’s words as a potential Great Wilderness Newspaper Office scoop.
• An old woman pointed out a young gentleman staring at Gu Yueqing, who called her a pretty big sister.

Gu Yueqing, Tao Dongran, and Kong Ru waited for the Child Scholar Examination results and discussed their chances, including whether Lin Ke would be among the model papers. The Rites Department unveiled the results, and the crowd discovered that Kong Ru had placed second.

• Tao Dongran introduced himself to Gu Yueqing and shared his wish to travel the world and write books, while Gu Yueqing tried to provoke him and Kong Ru into revealing their ambitions.
• Gu Yueqing asked Kong Ru whether Lin Ke could appear among the model papers, and Kong Ru said Lin Ke would have to surpass him to become his rival.
• Tao Dongran asked how Gu Yueqing, Kong Ru, and he would compare, and Kong Ru wondered whether other prominent Sage Domains and institutions had entered the examination.
• Rites Department personnel revealed the results and model papers after warning the crowd to stand back.
• The crowd celebrated passes and reacted with surprise that Kong Ru had placed second.

Kong Ru and the other examinees learned that Minister Xun had ranked an unsealed paper first for its original calligraphy rather than flashy technique, while Kong Ru’s Go Path Great Dragon paper placed second. The author of the winning paper remained unknown, and the chapter ended as the young man who had dined above them told Zhuge Li to pay the bill, making Kong Ru, Gu Yueqing, and Tao Dongran realize he might have overheard them.

• Kong Ru saw that his paper had placed second and wondered why the unsealed paper above it had earned first place.
• Kong Ru, Gu Yueqing, and Tao Dongran recognized that the top paper displayed a new calligraphic path, then read Minister Xun’s remarks explaining the ranking criteria.
• Candidates and spectators debated the model papers, praising the Go Path Great Dragon while some questioned why the plain-looking first paper ranked highest.
• The top paper’s author remained unidentified, and the posted rankings were accepted as final.
• A young man told Zhuge Li to oversee the Newspaper Office while he entered seclusion and reminded him to pay for their meal on the third-floor terrace.
• Kong Ru, Gu Yueqing, and Tao Dongran stiffened as they realized the young man’s party may have overheard their conversation.

Lin Ke learned that Zhuge Li sensed something strange in a series of ordinary incidents across the Divine Land, so he ordered an investigation and sent his doppelganger to the Northwestern Circuit. The doppelganger struggled through the Dao Heir Trial, where he had to survive until the Zhuangyuan emerged and then challenge him alongside the Buddhist Heir.

• Lin Ke questioned why Minister Xun had made him the top scorer and said he only needed to pass the Child Scholar Examination and Scholar Examination before striving to become Zhuangyuan.
• Zhuge Li reported that Minister Li of the Demon Department had visited the Punishments Department amid the Fierce Demon incident in Jiangning Prefecture.
• Zhuge Li described a series of seemingly ordinary incidents across the Divine Land and said his intuition warned that they were connected.
• Lin Ke told Zhuge Li to investigate and decided to send his doppelganger to Weiyang City in the Northwestern Circuit.
• Lin Ke's doppelganger fought off a Third Realm lizard in the mountain forests and continued enduring the Dao Heir Trial until the Zhuangyuan emerged.

Lin Ke entered the Dao Heir Trial, then left its secret realm and traveled to Weiyang City to investigate concerns raised by Zhuge Li while keeping a low profile. He learned that the Great Wilderness Newspaper Office's newspapers had reached the city and, after realizing he had no silver, asked an inn waiter where he could pawn a long horn.

• Lin Ke noted that the Dao Heir Trial was largely a formality for him, though he still had to participate and prove his strength.
• Lin Ke left the secret realm and headed toward Weiyang City, listening to travelers discuss Mountain Monster Shi Yi's first-place model paper in the Child Scholar Examination.
• Lin Ke decided not to visit Weiyang City's city lord because he wanted to investigate Zhuge Li's concerns without attracting attention.
• Lin Ke heard a waiter advertising newspapers from the Great Wilderness Newspaper Office and entered the inn disguised as a traveling merchant.
• Lin Ke discovered he had no silver for a meal, produced a nearly one-meter-sixty-long horn from his Spatial Ring, and asked the waiter about nearby pawnshops.

Lin Ke exchanged a horned snake's horn for silver and learned from a local newspaper about Shi Yi's Dao Debate Gathering. He decided to attend after hearing that humans were treated unfairly there and that Shi Yi had defeated challengers.

• Lin Ke sold the horn of a second-realm horned snake for fifty taels of silver and read a pirated local newspaper.
• Lin Ke found an announcement for Shi Yi's Dao Debate Gathering and decided to go see it.
• Lin Ke tipped a waiter to ask about the gathering, but Xiao'er stopped the waiter from taking the silver.
• Xiao'er told Lin Ke that human masters were made to wait while demons and spirits were escorted inside, and that Shi Yi had defeated and thrown out Human Prodigies who challenged him.

Lin Ke investigated the Mountain Monster incident but found no clear leads until he realized a Great Confucian might be using One Leaf Blinds the Eyes to hide someone involved. After beating back a buffalo in the secret realm, he seized on a possible connection to the Fierce Demon of Jiangning Prefecture.

• Lin Ke learned that Shi Yi had been awakened after people mined out his iron ore, and heard that someone in the underworld had placed a bounty on him.
• Lin Ke searched markets and inns while Zhuge Li reviewed the case, but they found no suspicious information about the Mountain Monster.
• Lin Ke realized that One Leaf Blinds the Eyes might be concealing the existence of someone involved in the incident.
• Lin Ke struck down a charging water buffalo with the Golden Toad Swallows the Sun Art, then froze when he connected it to the Fierce Demon of Jiangning Prefecture.

Lin Ke uncovered the awakener of Shi Yi as the key to the Mountain Monster mystery and suspected Lin Xuanji was behind both that case and the Great Water Buffalo incident. He began investigating the Mountain Monster’s allies but was interrupted by a Stone Monster who claimed Shi Yi was clearing the secret realm.

• Lin Ke wrote down everything he knew about Shi Yi, erased the details that seemed normal, and realized that everyone overlooked the person who had awakened the Mountain Monster.
• Lin Ke suspected Lin Xuanji was pursuing a major scheme and decided to keep a close eye on him.
• A Stone Monster attacked Lin Ke and declared that his lord was clearing out the secret realm so Shi Yi could claim the title of Dao Heir.
• The Stone Monster swallowed a pill that raised his cultivation from the late Second Realm to the middle Third Realm, but Lin Ke defeated him in a clash of fists.
• Lin Ke questioned the Stone Monster about his lord and asked whether it was Shi Yi.