Chapter Summaries

Zhang Yuan trained the Surging Wave Palm in the Wooden Dummy Room, then followed Dong Yuanwei’s advice and practiced swimming in the river. There, he detected a new Extraordinary Lifeform but could not contain it because all three Divine Nest chambers were occupied, leaving him determined to upgrade the Divine Nest.

• Dong Yuanwei demonstrated the Surging Wave Palm and explained that Zhang Yuan would need to cultivate its intent through his own comprehension and by learning from nature.
• Dong Yuanwei advised Zhang Yuan to swim in the Celestial Steed River and revealed that the Surging Wave Palm could also be practiced in water.
• Zhang Yuan trained against a fish-skin dummy, then went to the river and swam and dived in its shallows.
• While underwater, Zhang Yuan detected a containable genetic entity, but the prompt vanished when he moved out of detection range.
• Zhang Yuan realized he could not contain the new lifeform because all three Divine Nest chambers had hosts, and resolved to find a way to upgrade the Divine Nest.

Zhang Yuan followed a watcher to a hideout and discovered Scarface and his accomplices planning to attack his family. He killed all four men and delivered their corpses to rebirth.

• Zhang Yuan spotted Old Third watching him in Fishmonger Alley and secretly followed him to a dilapidated house.
• Scarface and the burly Brother Lu planned to attack Zhang Yuan’s family that night, believing they had no allies.
• Zhang Yuan burst into the hideout and killed Brother Lu with three powerful palms.
• Zhang Yuan killed Scarface and the other two accomplices, then turned their corpses to ash while reciting the Rebirth Mantra.

Zhang Yuan burned the clothes in the thugs’ room to conceal what had happened, then sought Chen Zhize’s help with settling near Wu Manor and learning to fish for Source Essence. At Whale Fortress, he accepted Xu Zhengyang’s bet and shattered the dummy’s fish scales with a single palm strike.

• Zhang Yuan set fire to the clothes in the room and quietly left while the neighbors rushed to put out the blaze.
• Zhang Yuan asked Chen Zhize how to qualify for land in Wu Manor, and Chen explained that he needed to become an Official Disciple of the Battle Hall and earn another merit.
• Zhang Yuan asked whether he could fish to supplement his household income, and Chen approved and offered to introduce him to an old fisherman.
• Zhang Yuan trained with the Fish Skin Dummy while Xu Zhengyang challenged him to a contest over who could shatter its scales first.
• Zhang Yuan wagered one hundred taels of silver, then shattered the dummy’s fish scales with one palm strike, leaving Xu Zhengyang speechless.

Zhang Yuan proved his strength to Dong Yuanwei, settled his bet with Xu Zhengyang, and gained the instructor’s support for balancing training with fishing. The next day, he bought a discounted fishing boat and set out on the Celestial Steed River with Sun Bo to learn the trade.

• Zhang Yuan shattered the fish scales on a wooden dummy, and Dong Yuanwei recognized his exceptional strength and offered to cover Xu Zhengyang’s debt.
• Zhang Yuan explained that he planned to fish to pay for the medicinal ingredients needed for the Boulder Foundation Skill, and Dong Yuanwei approved his schedule.
• Xu Zhengyang returned with eighty-seven taels of silver, promised to pay the remaining thirteen later, and vowed to win back his loss.
• Zhang Yuan continued practicing the Surging Wave Palm and left early the next morning for the docks.
• Chen Zhize introduced Zhang Yuan to Sun Bo and sold him a newly made Black Awning Boat for ten taels.
• Zhang Yuan and Sun Bo rowed out onto the Celestial Steed River so Sun Bo could teach him to fish.

Zhang Yuan mastered Sun Bo’s fishing skills while continuing his martial training, then reassured the old fisherman that Chen Zhize would provide work for his son. Sun Bo rewarded him by teaching him his exclusive Flying Hook Turtle Fishing technique.

• Zhang Yuan learned to scull in three days and spent the following weeks practicing fishing, swimming, and martial arts.
• At the river bend, Zhang Yuan cast a net and caught a valuable six- or seven-jin carp along with several other fish.
• Sun Bo declared Zhang Yuan skilled enough to fish independently and revealed his worry that Chen Zhize might not arrange a dock job for his son.
• Zhang Yuan promised to speak to Chen Zhize, easing Sun Bo’s worries.
• Sun Bo taught Zhang Yuan his unique Flying Hook Turtle Fishing method for catching soft-shelled turtles.

Zhang Yuan secured a livelihood selling his catch through the Raging Whale Gang and demonstrated that he had mastered the Surging Wave Palm. Dong Yuanwei rewarded him by promising to teach him the Wave Cutting Blade and Rippling Steps.

• Zhang Yuan told Chen Zhize he had learned fishing, praised Sun Bo’s instruction, and received permission to sell his catch at the dock for the market price.
• Zhang Yuan told Dong Yuanwei he expected to master the Surging Wave Palm within three days, and Dong Yuanwei promised to teach him the Wave Cutting Blade and Rippling Steps if he passed.
• Three days later, Zhang Yuan shattered the fish scales on a new Fish Skin Dummy with his palm strikes, proving he had achieved mastery.
• Dong Yuanwei praised Zhang Yuan and began teaching him the Wave Cutting Blade and Rippling Steps, while the watching disciples were left dejected.

Zhang Yuan trained in the Wave Cutting Blade Technique under Dong Yuanwei and unexpectedly grasped its blade intent during a live-weapon spar. Dong Yuanwei recognized his remarkable talent and prepared to train him more seriously.

• Dong Yuanwei taught Zhang Yuan the Wave Cutting Blade Technique through five days of one-on-one instruction and sparring.
• Dong Yuanwei gave Zhang Yuan a sharpened Goose Feather Saber and told him to attack with everything he had.
• Zhang Yuan fought Dong Yuanwei with a series of increasingly fluid attacks, but could not break through his instructor's defenses.
• Zhang Yuan activated the Jade Mantis's ability and, within three breaths, chained together the technique's first five forms with powerful blade momentum.
• Dong Yuanwei was astonished that Zhang Yuan had grasped the blade intent after only five days, then decided to spar with him in earnest.
• Zhang Yuan saluted Dong Yuanwei and committed himself to the training, regarding him as a true master.

Zhang Yuan continued building his strength but worried that his dwindling silver and lack of Source Essence would limit his progress. After Sun Bo retired from fishing and gave him a turtle-luring whistle, Zhang Yuan went alone to the river bend and hooked something beneath the water.

• Zhang Yuan reviewed his growing strength and saw that the Divine Nest still needed Source Essence to evolve.
• Zhang Yuan worried that his savings were running out and that he needed a new source of income to keep buying medicine.
• Sun Bo retired from fishing, gave Zhang Yuan a Lure Whistle, and thanked him for helping his youngest son find work.
• Zhang Yuan rowed alone to the river bend near Whale Fortress and cast a net, but caught only small fish.
• Zhang Yuan blew the Lure Whistle, spotted ripples, and threw a flying hook into the water, where it suddenly caught something heavy.

Zhang Yuan landed an exceptionally valuable old turtle while fishing, then stood up to Chao Bao and his men when they tried to drive him from the river bend. Chao Bao left in frustration after Zhang Yuan challenged him to settle the dispute at the Grievance Resolution Stage.

• Zhang Yuan caught a large, over-thirty-year-old softshell turtle with his Flying Hook Turtle Fishing trick and put it in the livewell.
• Two Fast Boats approached Zhang Yuan from both sides, and Chao Bao accused him of poaching on the Raging Whale Gang's fishing grounds.
• Zhang Yuan showed his Identity Token and challenged Chao Bao's authority to inspect it or requisition the river bend.
• Chao Bao claimed the Outer Hall had taken over the fishing grounds and threatened Zhang Yuan, who answered with sharp insults.
• Zhang Yuan challenged Chao Bao to fight at the Grievance Resolution Stage, and Chao Bao and his men turned their boats around and left.

Zhang Yuan sacrificed a large turtle to strengthen the Divine Nest, then learned that Chao Bao’s arrogance came from his powerful connections and gained reassurance from Chen Zhize and Dong Yuanwei. At the county gate, he encountered Chen Dawang, a survivor from Chen Family Village, who blamed Zhang Xiong for the villagers’ deaths.

• Zhang Yuan sacrificed the old turtle for 1.9 Source Essence and fed it into the Divine Nest before returning to the dock.
• Zhang Yuan told Chen Zhize about Chao Bao, and Chen Zhize revealed Chao Bao’s ties to Chao Hongjie and urged Zhang Yuan not to back down.
• Zhang Yuan told Dong Yuanwei about the dispute, and Dong Yuanwei promised to involve Zhao Jinlan if Chao Hongjie continued causing trouble.
• Zhang Yuan practiced the Wave Cutting Blade and Rippling Steps with the Divine Nest’s enhancements before returning to the County Town at dusk.
• Chen Dawang recognized Zhang Yuan at the city gate, revealed that he had survived the strange disaster, and blamed Zhang Xiong for getting the others killed.

After hearing Chen Dawang’s tragic account of the disaster at Thousand Peak Mountain, Zhang Yuan found him steady work at the docks. Later, Chao Hongjie brought Chao Bao to apologize and asked Zhang Yuan to help find a White Dragon Loach to treat Chao Bao’s sick mother, leaving Zhang Yuan outwardly conciliatory but privately suspicious.

• Chen Dawang told Zhang Yuan that Zhang Xiong fled when a strange phenomenon struck Thousand Peak Mountain, and that Chen Family Village and his family had been lost.
• Zhang Yuan paid for Chen Dawang’s lodging, then brought him to the docks, where Chen Zhize arranged a laboring job for him.
• Zhang Yuan caught more than a dozen carp in the River Bend Area and sacrificed them to advance the Divine Nest’s evolution.
• Chao Hongjie introduced himself to Zhang Yuan and ordered Chao Bao to apologize for their conflict the previous day.
• Chao Hongjie explained that Chao Bao had wanted to monopolize the river bend to catch a White Dragon Loach for his gravely ill mother, and asked Zhang Yuan to give one to the Chao Family if he caught it.
• Zhang Yuan accepted the apology and promised to hand over any White Dragon Loach, then privately laughed at what he saw as their act.

Zhang Yuan suspected that the rare White Dragon Loach was the Extraordinary Lifeform he had detected and sought advice from the fisherman Sun Bo about catching one. Chao Hongjie revealed that he wanted the fish to earn a Qi Accumulation Pill and advance his position, while Sun Bo struggled to answer Zhang Yuan’s question.

• Zhang Yuan inferred that Chao Hongjie’s public appeal for White Dragon Loaches was a scheme to acquire the fish, and suspected one might be the Extraordinary Lifeform he needed.
• After leaving the Wubao, Chao Hongjie slapped and berated Chao Bao for botching their negotiations and trying to line his own pockets.
• Chao Hongjie told Chao Bao that a Celestial of Nanxun Prefecture had offered a Qi Accumulation Pill for a White Dragon Loach, which could help him advance to Qi Entry and seek the branch helm master’s seat.
• Zhang Yuan ended his cultivation early, returned to the docks, and visited Sun Bo to ask how to catch a White Dragon Loach.
• Sun Bo said he had seen White Dragon Loaches twice and warned Zhang Yuan that fishermen considered them descendants of the Dragon God, but he could not give him a method for catching one.

Zhang Yuan tried to catch a White Dragon Loach with increasingly elaborate bait, but his efforts failed even as his Divine Nest reached Level 2. When disciples of the Raging Whale Gang crowded the river bend, Chen Zhize revealed that a Celestial was offering a Qi Accumulation Pill for each White Dragon Loach.

• Zhang Yuan set five baited eel cages in the Reed Marshes, but caught only small fish, shrimp, and river snails.
• Zhang Yuan set nine cages with stronger blood-based bait the next day, caught a large white eel, and ate it in soup with his family.
• Zhang Yuan's Divine Nest upgraded to Level 2, adding a nest chamber and strengthening his connection to his parasites.
• Zhang Yuan failed to catch a White Dragon Loach as more Raging Whale Gang disciples arrived to fish and set cages in the River Bend Area.
• Chen Zhize told Zhang Yuan that a Celestial from Nanxun Prefecture was offering one Qi Accumulation Pill for each White Dragon Loach.

Zhang Yuan ignored Chen Zhize’s warning long enough to make one final attempt to catch a White Dragon Loach, using tofu soaked in his own blood as bait. His cage caught one, and he began containing it with the Divine Nest Emblem.

• Chen Zhize told Zhang Yuan that Qi Accumulation Pills were being offered for White Dragon Loaches and urged him to stay at Whale Fortress, lending him a hundred taels.
• Zhang Yuan resolved to make one last attempt and soaked tofu in his own blood to prepare bait.
• At dawn, Zhang Yuan set his blood-tofu-filled eel cages in a secluded part of the River Bend Area, where many other fishing boats had gathered.
• After half an hour, Zhang Yuan spotted a shaking gourd, received a notification that a containable genetic entity had been detected, and found a White Dragon Loach in the cage.
• Zhang Yuan grabbed the loach as the Divine Nest Emblem glowed and an ancient incantation formed on his tongue.

Zhang Yuan gained Beginner Water Proficiency from the White Dragon Loach and tested its abilities underwater, where he caught a giant carp with Surging Wave Palm. As he left the crowded river bend, Raging Whale Gang Punishment Hall Disciples stopped his boat to search it, and one of them reacted with alarm at what he found in the livewell.

• Zhang Yuan activated the White Dragon Loach and discovered that Water Proficiency let him swim, see, and stay underwater with ease.
• Zhang Yuan used Surging Wave Palm underwater to stun a giant carp and brought it back to his boat.
• Zhang Yuan saw fishermen crowding the river bend in search of White Dragon Loaches and steered downstream to leave.
• Raging Whale Gang Punishment Hall Disciples stopped Zhang Yuan's boat for an inspection, and one cried out after looking in the livewell.

Zhang Yuan sold the enormous carp he caught and put his fishing work on hold as the White Dragon Loach turmoil unsettled the County Town. After dedicating himself to martial arts training, he was summoned to the Dragon God Hall and offered an early chance to become an Official Disciple of the Battle Hall.

• Punishment Hall Disciples searched Zhang Yuan's boat for White Dragon Loaches but found none.
• Zhang Yuan sold his giant carp at the fish market for nineteen taels and covered his fishing gear to pause his work.
• Zhang Yuan spent the following days training in martial arts as tensions in the County Town grew.
• Dong Yuanwei brought Zhang Yuan to the Dragon God Hall, where Zhao Jinlan praised his talent and diligence.
• Zhao Jinlan told Zhang Yuan that he could take the gang-entry assessment early and become an Official Disciple of the Battle Hall.

Zhang Yuan completed his initiation as an Official Disciple of the Raging Whale Gang’s Battle Hall and received his first assignment escorting a merchant ship. As the ship sailed toward Nanxun Prefecture City, he accepted a ten-tael red envelope from its owner and chief steward.

• Zhang Yuan joined the Battle Hall, received his weapon, clothes, settling-in silver, and a monthly pay of ten taels.
• Dong Yuanwei warned Zhang Yuan that the Battle Hall was short-handed, offered further martial guidance, and gave him a booklet of cultivation insights.
• Zhang Yuan began training at the main Martial Arts Field and met Battle Hall disciples and Incense Masters.
• Zhang Yuan boarded a merchant ship with Feng Ming to escort it upstream along the Celestial Steed River toward Nanxun Prefecture City.
• The shipowner and chief steward hosted Zhang Yuan and Feng Ming at a banquet and gave each a red envelope, which Zhang Yuan found contained a ten-tael silver note.

At night on the Celestial Steed River, Zhang Yuan saw a shadow in the water and heard Feng Ming’s warnings about the strange and how martial artists could survive them. Back in his cabin, Zhang Yuan studied Dong Yuanwei’s martial arts notes and resolved to visit Old Master Chen’s grave.

• Zhang Yuan spotted a vast shadow beneath the river before it vanished, and Feng Ming warned him not to stare at the water at night.
• Feng Ming told Zhang Yuan about Water Ghouls and explained that ordinary martial arts were useless against most of the strange.
• Feng Ming advised Zhang Yuan to flee from the strange and mentioned the Linhe Branch’s Blood Burning Art, which could be exchanged for two Small Merits.
• Zhang Yuan thanked Feng Ming, returned to his cabin, and reviewed the lessons he had heard.
• Zhang Yuan read Dong Yuanwei’s martial arts notes and thought that he must visit Old Master Chen’s grave.

Black-clad bandits attacked the merchant ship at night, and Zhang Yuan fought them off with his saber and extraordinary speed. After wounding a powerful axe-wielding bandit, Zhang Yuan drove him to leap overboard, while the attack on the ship remained underway.

• A sailor was killed by an arrow, and another raised the alarm as bandits hooked grappling ropes onto the merchant ship.
• Zhang Yuan and Feng Ming rushed onto the deck, where Zhang Yuan used his extraordinary abilities to kill three bandits.
• A burly bandit attacked Zhang Yuan with a Xuanhua Axe, but Zhang Yuan evaded his blows and repeatedly wounded him.
• Badly injured, the axe-wielding bandit staggered to the railing and jumped overboard.

Zhang Yuan killed the fleeing Ugly Bandit by throwing his saber into the river, then returned to the merchant ship with the bandit's head. As the ship resumed its journey and Feng Ming praised Zhang Yuan's battle merits, an ash-black hawk arrived carrying a message.

• Zhang Yuan pursued the fleeing Ugly Bandit, struck him with his Goose Feather Saber, and killed him underwater.
• Zhang Yuan returned to the merchant ship with the Ugly Bandit's head, and Feng Ming warned him against chasing a cornered foe.
• Feng Ming organized treatment for the wounded, cleanup of the deck, and preservation of the bandits' heads for claiming Battle Merit.
• The merchant ship resumed its journey at dawn, and Feng Ming told Zhang Yuan he had earned at least two Small Merit.
• An ash-black hawk landed beside Zhang Yuan and Feng Ming with a small bamboo tube tied to its leg, changing Feng Ming's expression.