Chapter Summaries

Chen Shi'an wondered why Tian Wenguang was backing him and learned that Tian Wenguang wanted to meet him at Number Eighteen, East Street. He arrived with Qianshan Xue, wary that Tian Wenguang might question him about Blackwater Ridge.

• Chen Shi'an rejected Ye Xicheng's attempt to win him over, and Qianshan Xue told him that Hundred Miasma Forest had attacked Windrise Martial Academy to retrieve something inside it.
• Qianshan Xue invited Chen Shi'an to meet Tian Wenguang that night and said she would take him there.
• Chen Shi'an worried Tian Wenguang might suspect him over the events at Blackwater Ridge, then calmed himself by reasoning that Mo Wuyang would have detected Tian Wenguang if he had been hiding nearby.
• Guan Tiehua drove Chen Shi'an and Qianshan Xue from the Demon Hunting Camp to Number Eighteen, East Street.
• Chen Shi'an and Qianshan Xue entered the courtyard and met Tian Wenguang, who offered Chen Shi'an wine.

Chen Shi'an learned that Windrise Stronghold would choose between him and Yun Feng to represent it at the Gathering of Heroes, a tournament hosted by the Sacred Martial Dynasty. He hoped to place among the top three and secure a chance to leave the Desolate Ruins with his family.

• Tian Wenguang questioned Chen Shi'an about his scouting at Blackwater Ridge, and Chen Shi'an said he had gone alone and found no other people there.
• Qianshan Xue told Chen Shi'an that Desolate Suppression City would host the Gathering of Heroes in three months, with one slot for Windrise Stronghold.
• Tian Wenguang explained that Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng would compete for the slot through the Demon Hunting Camp's Deputy Commander selection.
• Tian Wenguang said the Sacred Martial Dynasty hoped to recruit talented people from the Desolate Ruins, and Chen Shi'an learned that the top three could join it.
• Tian Wenguang asked Chen Shi'an to aim for the top hundred if he qualified, while Qianshan Xue explained that the tournament would also help the dynasty build ties with the strongholds.

Chen Shi'an bargained with Tian Wenguang for a reward if he attended the Gathering of Heroes and received the Origin Fusion Technique in return. After using it on two demon cores, he discovered that the Saintly Dao Stele absorbed them and began to recover, then he resumed cultivating while wondering what Tian Wenguang intended.

• Chen Shi'an questioned Tian Wenguang about selecting a representative for the Gathering of Heroes and asked for a reward if he reached the top hundred.
• Tian Wenguang gave Chen Shi'an the Origin Fusion Technique after Chen Shi'an asked to learn how to refine demon cores.
• Back at the Demon Hunting Camp, Chen Shi'an studied the technique and found that the Saintly Dao Stele absorbed the Three-Eyed Civet demon core.
• Chen Shi'an fed the Blazing Fire Lizard demon core to the stele, whose azure radiance returned as it rose into the air, though it did not respond to him.
• Chen Shi'an wondered whether Tian Wenguang planned to challenge Xiang Chuxiong's authority, then stopped speculating and cultivated the Great Evolution Saintly Art.

Yun Feng urged Xiang Chuxiong to let him kill Chen Shi'an during the upcoming deputy commander selection, while Qin Hu asked Chen Shi'an to let Su Qingrou and Chen Tiantian leave with the Qin family. Qin Hu then pressed Chen Shi'an to refuse Qin E'na's invitation to Dragon Soaring City and remain in Windrise Stronghold.

• Yun Feng told Xiang Chuxiong that Elder Tian was using the selection to limit their control of the stronghold and had secretly supported Chen Shi'an.
• Xiang Chuxiong told Yun Feng to defeat Chen Shi'an and win the deputy commander position, then left him to decide whether to kill Chen Shi'an.
• Chen Shi'an left the Demon Hunting Camp with Pi Hou and the others during their two-day break, and Qin Hu drew him into a dark alley to talk.
• Qin Hu said he planned to take Qin E'na, Zhao Ling, Su Qingrou, and Chen Tiantian away from Windrise Stronghold, and Chen Shi'an agreed that Su Qingrou should accompany Tiantian.
• Qin Hu warned Chen Shi'an that joining them in Dragon Soaring City would harm Qin E'na and diminish Chen Tiantian's standing, and urged him to stay in Windrise Stronghold.

Chen Shi'an told Qin E'na, Su Qingrou, and Zhao Ling that he would not leave for Dragon Soaring City with them, despite agreeing that Su Qingrou and Chen Tiantian should seize the chance to go. The group prepared to part, and the chapter ended with Su Qingrou asking what he would tell Tiantian.

• Chen Shi'an told Qin Hu that he would not travel to Dragon Soaring City with him and ordered the Qin party to leave that night.
• Zhao Ling told Chen Shi'an that Qin Hu had reported Chen Tiantian's five Marrow-Washings to the Qin family head, who wanted Tiantian brought to Dragon Soaring City with Su Qingrou.
• Chen Shi'an refused Qin E'na's offer to join the Qin Family, saying he would be an unwanted dependent and could become a burden to her and Tiantian.
• Su Qingrou said she and Tiantian would stay if Chen Shi'an did, but he urged them to pursue their chance to leave the Desolate Ruins.
• Chen Shi'an asked Qin E'na to ensure Su Qingrou could restore her identity and receive a share of any chili sauce business profits.
• Su Qingrou asked Chen Shi'an what he would tell Tiantian.

Chen Shi'an convinced Chen Tiantian to leave for Dragon Soaring City with Su Qingrou, Qin E'na, and Zhao Ling despite the danger posed by Qin E'na’s enemies. As the women departed, he promised Tiantian he would find them and then pulled Qin E'na into his arms.

• Chen Shi'an explained to Chen Tiantian that Qin E'na had been framed by her own clansmen and that traveling to Dragon Soaring City could put him in danger.
• Chen Tiantian agreed to leave with her mother and Qin E'na after Chen Shi'an promised in a pinky swear to come find them, or wait for her if he could not make it.
• At night, Qin Hu arrived with a carriage, and Xiaocui and her mother saw the travelers off at the Chen Family's gate.
• Chen Shi'an said goodbye to Su Qingrou, Zhao Ling, Qin E'na, and Chen Tiantian as Tiantian and Su Qingrou cried at their departure.
• Qin E'na reminded Chen Shi'an that she would wait for him in Dragon Soaring City, and he suddenly pulled her into his arms.

Chen Shi'an bid farewell to Qin E'na and the others, then arranged for Zhang Xiaocui and her mother to move somewhere safer because he had angered a powerful enemy. At the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he confronted Tao Yaoyao's teasing and discussed his unusual speed after reaching Martial Dao Entry-Rank.

• Chen Shi'an embraced Qin E'na and promised to find her in Dragon Soaring City, then watched her and the others depart with Qin Hu.
• Chen Shi'an offered Zhang Xiaocui's mother a thousand taels and said he would buy them a new house to protect them from retaliation by his powerful enemy.
• Chen Shi'an went to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, where Tao Yaoyao canceled her engagements and received him in her courtyard.
• Tao Yaoyao teased Chen Shi'an, and he unexpectedly hooked her chin before warning her not to keep provoking him.
• Tao Yaoyao questioned Chen Shi'an's startling speed, and he said his single marrow-washing had transformed him more than it did most people.

Chen Shi'an sold a Marrow-Washing Pill to Tao Yaoyao and negotiated a deal for Chen Su Ji’s chili sauce business with the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Tao Yaoyao accepted a profit-sharing arrangement, but she insisted that Chen Shi'an’s sister-in-law, as the shopkeeper, sign the agreement.

• Chen Shi'an refused Tao Yaoyao’s offer to join the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and sold her his Marrow-Washing Pill for five thousand taels of silver.
• Chen Shi'an offered to transfer ownership of Chen Su Ji, and Tao Yaoyao said she was interested in its chili sauce business and recipe.
• Chen Shi'an proposed either a hundred-thousand-tael buyout or a deal granting him thirty percent of profits from every shop until he received a hundred and ten thousand taels.
• Tao Yaoyao accepted the profit-sharing deal and agreed to provide Chen Shi'an ten thousand taels that day.
• Chen Shi'an brought out the recipe and proposed writing up an agreement, but Tao Yaoyao said his sister-in-law should sign it as Chen Su Ji’s shopkeeper.

Chen Shi'an signed an agreement with Tao Yaoyao to transfer Chen Su Ji and received fifteen thousand taels, then learned more about the Gathering of Heroes and Windrise Stronghold's power struggles. Tao Yaoyao tried to recruit him into the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, but Chen Shi'an declined.

• Tao Yaoyao had Cui Zhu bring fifteen thousand taels, and Chen Shi'an and Tao Yaoyao signed and fingerprinted their agreement.
• Tao Yaoyao offered to buy Chen Shi'an's Three-Eyed Civet Demon Core, but he said he had already refined it using a method from Tian Wenguang.
• Chen Shi'an asked Tao Yaoyao about the Gathering of Heroes, and she revealed that Yun Feng was Xiang Chuxiong's disciple and that the contest for deputy commander could determine who qualified to participate.
• Tao Yaoyao explained that Tian Wenguang still wielded influence over Windrise Stronghold and might be positioning Chen Shi'an against Xiang Chuxiong's interests.
• Tao Yaoyao urged Chen Shi'an to join the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, but he declined, suspecting it was also a place of conflict.
• Tao Yaoyao teased Cui Zhu about her feelings for Ye Xicheng, and Chen Shi'an worried that Cui Zhu might someday resent him.

Chen Shi'an visited Tao Yaoyao and Cui Zhu, promised to help Ye Xicheng, and learned little about the Gathering of Heroes. Afterward, he cultivated, discovered the Saintly Dao Stele was absorbing Mind Power more slowly, and bought a house before heading to the Slave Market.

• Cui Zhu asked Chen Shi'an to help Ye Xicheng, and Tao Yaoyao teased her about her feelings for him.
• Chen Shi'an urged Cui Zhu to consider confessing to Ye Xicheng, but she said she was unworthy and expected rejection.
• Tao Yaoyao offered to give Cui Zhu to Chen Shi'an as a concubine, but he declined and promised to help Ye Xicheng.
• Tao Yaoyao told Chen Shi'an that the Sacred Martial Dynasty had organized the Gathering of Heroes to deal with Northern Liang, then Chen Shi'an left the pavilion.
• Chen Shi'an tried to activate the Saintly Dao Stele's isolating power while cultivating, but it did not respond; he noticed it was absorbing Mind Power more slowly.
• Chen Shi'an chose a courtyard on South Main Street, completed the purchase with the old woman and property agent, then went to the Slave Market to buy a female slave.

Chen Shi'an arranged a discreet way to cover Su Qingrou and the others' departure, then prepared for the Demon Hunting Camp deputy commander selection and invested heavily in his subordinates' cultivation. He left Windrise Stronghold with his plans and responsibilities in place, while Hou Fang looked forward to starting a family.

• Chen Shi'an asked Hou Fang to help conceal Su Qingrou and the others' departure, but they decided to stage a robbery so he could report them missing after the City Guard Battalion's population check.
• Chen Shi'an discussed the upcoming Deputy Commander selection with Hou Fang, who encouraged him and revealed that he expected to marry within two months.
• Chen Shi'an visited Tao Yaoyao and asked her to delay taking over Chen Su Ji for a few days.
• Chen Shi'an spent nearly ten thousand taels of silver on spirit herbs and pills to improve Pi Hou and Du Gang's chances of reaching Martial Dao entry-rank.
• Chen Shi'an reflected that supporting his subordinates and building his own force were essential to becoming stronger and securing his position.

After leaving his family home for what he believed would be the last time, Chen Shi'an encouraged his subordinates to cultivate and warned Pi Hou and Du Gang to control their indulgences. With the Demon Hunting Camp deputy commander selection set for the next day, he prepared for a likely fight against Yun Feng.

• Chen Shi'an left his home in Windrise Stronghold and returned to the Demon Hunting Camp.
• Chen Shi'an gave his subordinates cultivation supplies and urged them to work hard so they could keep pace with him.
• Chen Shi'an gave Pi Hou and Du Gang extra supplies, then warned them to rein in their indulgences and pursue cultivation seriously.
• Chen Shi'an reflected that he had spoken at length because Su Qingrou and Chen Tiantian had left.
• Chen Shi'an considered the upcoming deputy commander selection and the possibility that he would fight Yun Feng, weighing how decisively to defeat him.

Chen Shi'an discussed the Deputy Commander selection and his plans for navigating the power struggle in Windrise Stronghold with Mo Wuyang. As the selection began, the City Guard Battalion secured the Demon Hunting Camp.

• Mo Wuyang complained that Chen Shi'an had not kept his promise to feed him, and Chen Shi'an promised they could hunt together once he became Deputy Commander.
• Chen Shi'an explained that Tian Wenguang wanted to use him against Xiang Chuxiong, and he planned to become the real player rather than let others move him as a pawn.
• Chen Shi'an and Mo Wuyang agreed that the Martial Saint Treasury might hold a saber, and Mo Wuyang claimed first pick of any treasures that could be eaten.
• Mo Wuyang warned Chen Shi'an to hide his cultivation from Tian Wenguang, and Chen Shi'an demonstrated that he could disguise his Origin Force fluctuations.
• Mo Wuyang reported that Fu Nantian remained imprisoned in the City Lord's Mansion but had recovered from his injuries.
• At dawn, the City Guard Battalion surrounded the Demon Hunting Camp ahead of the Deputy Commander selection.

Windrise Stronghold’s senior officials oversaw the selection for the Demon Hunting Camp’s deputy commander, beginning with an unexpected test about the poplar trees outside the camp gate. Chen Shi'an and four others advanced, and Chen Shi'an recognized Zhu Neng as an attentive man.

• Xiang Chuxiong and other Windrise Stronghold leaders attended the deputy commander selection and announced that Elder Tian Wenguang had set the examination questions.
• Ye Xicheng asked the eleven candidates to estimate how many poplar trees stood by the Demon Hunting Camp’s gate, giving them ten breaths to answer.
• Chen Shi'an recalled that two trees had been cut down on the left and four on the right, then wrote twenty-three as his answer.
• Six candidates were eliminated after the correct count was revealed, including Wei Bo and Zhao Xing.
• Chen Shi'an, Yun Feng, Song Yuming, Xu Yun, and Zhu Neng advanced, prompting Chen Shi'an to reconsider Zhu Neng as an attentive man.

Chen Shi'an assessed the first round, which eliminated the veteran squad leaders, while Yun Feng, Song Yuming, and Xu Yun advanced alongside him and Zhu Neng. The second round began with the five candidates blindfolded and asked to count circling footsteps as a gong and drum disrupted their hearing.

• Zhu Neng impressed Chen Shi'an with his precise work at his family's butcher shop, while the first round eliminated six squad leaders and left Chen Shi'an, Yun Feng, Song Yuming, Xu Yun, and Zhu Neng to advance.
• Ye Xicheng and Xiang Chuxiong defended the first round's question as a test of observation and vigilance, and the senior officers praised Tian Wenguang for devising it.
• The second round's instructions required the candidates to count how many circuits five men made around them while they were blindfolded, with answers off by more than one resulting in elimination.
• The five men began circling the candidates, then the gong and drum started sounding at random and made it difficult for them to hear the footsteps.

Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng both passed the second assessment after Chen pointed out that an error of one lap was allowed. Xiang Chuxiong proposed replacing the third assessment with a fight to decide who would become the Demon Hunting Camp’s deputy commander.

• Song Yuming tore off his blindfold and was eliminated, and Xu Yun later withdrew as well.
• Ye Xicheng ordered the gong and drum players to strike harder, and Zhu Neng eventually gave up, leaving Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng.
• Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng wrote down their counts, with Chen answering thirty-nine laps and Yun Feng answering forty.
• Wang Tianye and Song Yuan backed Yun Feng’s claim to victory, but Chen Shi'an reminded Ye Xicheng that a one-lap error still counted as passing.
• Xiang Chuxiong proposed that Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng settle the selection through combat, and Wang Tianye, Song Yuan, and Ye Zhengxiong supported him.

Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng prepared to duel for the Demon Hunting Camp deputy commander position, while Wang Tianye pushed for a fight without restrictions. Chen Shi'an proposed using fists and feet to protect Yun Feng, but Yun Feng insisted they fight with all their strength, and Wang Tianye urged Chen Shi'an to stop stalling.

• Xiang Chuxiong announced that Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng would fight for the deputy commander position.
• Wang Tianye argued that the duel should have no restrictions, and Qianshan Xue supported letting the fighters give their all.
• Yun Feng agreed to fight without restraint and taunted Chen Shi'an about being afraid of injury.
• Chen Shi'an warned that his fierce blade technique was difficult to control, then proposed a fist-and-foot bout that stopped short of causing harm.
• Xiang Chuxiong said the fighters would bear responsibility for any injuries, while Yun Feng reaffirmed his demand for an unrestricted fight.
• Wang Tianye praised Yun Feng and urged Chen Shi'an to stop delaying and fight.

Chen Shi'an challenged Wang Tianye’s interference and agreed to a potentially fatal duel with Yun Feng. As the match began, Yun Feng revealed the renowned Mysterious Edge Sword, exposing his connection to Xiang Chuxiong and leaving Ye Xicheng hoping Chen Shi'an would win.

• Chen Shi'an rebuked Wang Tianye for interfering in the Demon Hunting Camp, and Xiang Chuxiong ordered both men to stand down.
• Xiang Chuxiong allowed Chen Shi'an and Yun Feng to fight without limits, with each responsible for his own life or death.
• Chen Shi'an accepted the challenge, and Pi Hou brought him a standard-issue saber while Yun Feng received a sword from a subordinate.
• Yun Feng revealed that his sword was Mysterious Edge, prompting the senior figures to recognize its history and suspect his connection to Xiang Chuxiong.
• Ye Xicheng realized Xiang Chuxiong was openly placing Yun Feng in the Demon Hunting Camp, while Chen Shi'an prepared to fight without knowing the political implications.

Chen Shi'an killed Yun Feng with a swift saber draw and claimed the vacant Deputy Commander position, then challenged Wang Tianye's authority over him. The Demon Hunting Camp's soldiers rallied to Chen Shi'an as Pi Hou called on them to resist the City Guard Battalion's disrespect.

• Yun Feng attacked Chen Shi'an with the Mysterious Edge Sword, but Chen Shi'an drew his saber and killed him with a single slash.
• The stunned Demon Hunting Camp soldiers praised Chen Shi'an's drawing speed and began practicing their own saber draws until Ye Xicheng ordered them to stop.
• Xiang Chuxiong remained silent over Yun Feng's death, while Wang Tianye accused Chen Shi'an of deliberately killing him and demanded punishment.
• Chen Shi'an argued that, as the new Deputy Commander, he and Wang Tianye were equals and Wang had no authority to judge him.
• Pi Hou urged the Demon Hunting Camp soldiers to stand against the City Guard Battalion, stirring their anger.

Chen Shi'an won the Demon Hunting Camp deputy commander position and gained the soldiers’ support, while Xiang Chuxiong publicly endorsed him. At a follow-up meeting, Ye Xicheng assigned Song Yuming to Chen Shi'an’s command, prompting Song Yuming to object.

• The Demon Hunting Camp's officers and soldiers protested Wang Tianye's criticism, and Qianshan Xue declared Chen Shi'an deputy commander after his victory.
• Ye Xicheng gave Chen Shi'an the deputy commander's waist token, and the camp's soldiers hailed him as Commander Chen.
• Xiang Chuxiong praised Chen Shi'an, who pledged to serve the Demon Hunting Camp and the Stronghold, before the selection ceremony ended.
• Ye Xicheng convened the camp's officers and announced that its eighteen squads would be divided between Chen Shi'an and Qianshan Xue.
• Ye Xicheng assigned Song Yuming to Chen Shi'an's command, and Song Yuming stood up and declared that he disagreed.