Chapter Summaries

Jiang Lan joined the Third Squad for a five-day hunt in the Wilderness Zone, where beast numbers were far higher than before. He effortlessly killed scores of fourth-tier beasts, and the exhausted squad settled into camp with Jiang Lan assigned to rest.

• Jiang Lan met new squad members Old Zhao and Old Sun before Zhou Yi led the group into the Wilderness Zone.
• Jiang Lan swiftly killed four fourth-tier beasts, shocking Old Zhao and Old Sun, while the rest of the squad dealt with the third-tier beasts.
• The squad hunted through the morning, killing thirty-six fourth-tier and 112 third-tier beasts.
• The squad continued hunting through the afternoon, bringing its fourth-tier kills to seventy-five and its third-tier kills to nearly two hundred.
• At dusk, the exhausted squad arranged three night watches, and Zhou Yi told Jiang Lan to rest.

Jiang Lan and Zhou Yi’s team advanced through the Wilderness Zone before a mid-fifth-tier Red-Maned Lion King pursued them. Jiang Lan stayed behind to fight it, severely injuring it and blocking its attempt to flee.

• Zhou Yi’s team fought through repeated groups of third- and fourth-tier beasts as they advanced through the Wilderness Zone.
• At three in the afternoon, Zhou Yi ordered the team to retreat when they sensed a powerful beast approaching, but the mid-fifth-tier Red-Maned Lion King pursued them.
• Jiang Lan volunteered to hold off the Lion King, and Zhou Yi ordered everyone else to retreat five hundred meters.
• Jiang Lan dodged the Lion King’s first pounce, then kicked it several meters away with Earth-Cracking Leg.
• Jiang Lan endured the Lion King’s paw strike unharmed and punched out one of its eyes.
• The wounded Lion King tried to flee, but Jiang Lan used Wind-Walking Step to block its path.

Jiang Lan killed a mid-fifth-tier Red-Maned Lion King and returned home after five days of patrol, where he used his spoils to raise Indestructible Diamond Body three levels. He headed back to the shop with his remaining fourth-tier essence blood to exchange for more fifth-tier essence blood.

• Jiang Lan killed the Red-Maned Lion King with an Earth-Cracking Leg strike, and Zhou Yi reported the situation over the radio.
• Jiang Lan and the Mobile Squads patrolled for three more days before withdrawing into the city, and Zhou Yi divided the five-day spoils with Jiang Lan receiving the fifth-tier rewards and the larger share of the fourth-tier rewards.
• Jiang Lan exchanged his Beast Cores for essence blood, returned home, and reunited with Shen Qingqiu.
• Jiang Lan used fourth-tier and fifth-tier essence blood to raise Indestructible Diamond Body from level 25 to level 28, increasing his attributes.
• Jiang Lan took his remaining fourth-tier essence blood to the shop and asked the shopkeeper to exchange it all for fifth-tier essence blood.

Jiang Lan exchanged fourth-tier essence blood for thirty bottles of fifth-tier blood and used it to raise his Indestructible Diamond Body from level twenty-five to level thirty-one. After testing his new strength, leg power, and speed, he realized he could now overwhelm Divine Strength Realm opponents, while his next upgrade awaited more fifth-tier essence blood.

• Jiang Lan exchanged 150 bottles of fourth-tier essence blood for the shopkeeper’s thirty bottles of fifth-tier essence blood and asked him to find more.
• Jiang Lan used twenty-eight bottles of essence blood to advance his Indestructible Diamond Body to level thirty-one, raising all four attributes above a thousand.
• Jiang Lan checked his System Panel and found that his next upgrade required thirty-two bottles of fifth-tier essence blood, which he did not have.
• Jiang Lan tested his punch and recorded 213,740 kilograms of force, while his Earth-Cracking Leg reached 294,618 kilograms.
• Jiang Lan tested his speed at 2,333.4 meters per second and concluded that he could now overwhelm Divine Strength Realm opponents.

Jiang Lan’s rapid growth left Wei Chong unable to continue training him, and an urgent Academy meeting brought military officers to the conference room. Jiang Lan suspected the middle-aged military man had reached the diamond realm.

• Jiang Lan returned home and shared a quiet evening with Shen Qingqiu.
• Jiang Lan easily deflected Wei Chong’s punch, endured his full-strength blow, and sent him staggering back with an Iron Mountain Fist.
• Wei Chong admitted he could no longer serve as Jiang Lan’s sparring partner and said he would report the matter to Su Wan.
• Jiang Lan received an urgent notice ordering all special admissions students to report to the main conference room at noon.
• Jiang Lan joined Zhao Xuan at the meeting and noticed Su Wan standing with two military officers, including a middle-aged man whose aura seemed stronger than a late fifth-tier ferocious beast.

Su Wan and Deputy Commander Chen briefed the special admissions students on a confirmed tier six ferocious beast in the Northern Depths and selected Jiang Lan, Fang Duo, Bai Ze, and Guo Yu for an advance team clearing a route for the Military’s hunting squad. Jiang Lan collected supplies and reviewed the dangerous three-to-five-day mission plan, then rested at home before the team’s departure the next morning.

• Deputy Commander Chen confirmed that a tier six ferocious beast had been sighted in the Northern Depths and explained that three Diamond Realm martial artists would hunt it after an advance team cleared fifth-tier beasts from their route.
• Su Wan provisionally assigned Jiang Lan, Fang Duo, Bai Ze, and Guo Yu to the Vanguard Team, which would depart at six the next morning.
• Deputy Commander Chen asked Jiang Lan about killing a mid-fifth-tier beast and praised his accomplishments, saying he had high hopes for him.
• Zhao Xuan and Lin Wan wished Jiang Lan safety, and Jiang Lan promised to return before collecting basic equipment from the Logistics Support Department.
• Jiang Lan read the mission document at home and assessed his chances against fifth-tier beasts, identifying being surrounded or encountering a tier six beast as the main dangers.

Jiang Lan left for a mission in the Wilderness Zone with a twelve-member advance team led by Han Zheng and Shen Yan. When the team encountered a mid-fifth-tier Gray-Maned Leopard, Jiang Lan killed it with one kick, astonishing everyone.

• Jiang Lan told Shen Qingqiu he would be away on a three-to-five-day mission, and Shen Qingqiu saw him off the next morning.
• Jiang Lan joined the advance team at the city gate, where Han Zheng and Shen Yan explained the combat and retreat rules.
• The team traveled into the Wilderness Zone, and Jiang Lan sensed a mid-fifth-tier beast ahead before the others did.
• Han Zheng ordered the team to attack the Gray-Maned Leopard, and Jiang Lan rushed forward and killed it with a single kick.
• Han Zheng and the other team members stared in shock at Jiang Lan's instant victory.

Jiang Lan impressed the Vanguard Team by killing several mid-Fifth Tier beasts and defeating a late-Fifth Tier Iron-Clad Bear. The team advanced nearly fifty kilometers before Han Zheng called for camp, assigning the watch while telling Jiang Lan to rest.

• Han Zheng saw the Gray-Maned Leopard Jiang Lan had killed and changed the team’s plan to let Jiang Lan handle beasts below the mid-Fifth Tier.
• Jiang Lan killed three mid-Fifth Tier Ferocious Beasts in quick succession as the team continued through the wilderness.
• Jiang Lan sensed a late-Fifth Tier beast and asked Han Zheng to let him fight it alone.
• Jiang Lan dodged the Iron-Clad Bear’s charge, endured its paw strike, and killed it with a punch and Earth-Cracking Leg.
• Han Zheng praised Jiang Lan, and the Vanguard Team advanced nearly fifty kilometers before making camp at dusk.

Jiang Lan and the Vanguard Team were caught between a sixth-tier beast and a pack of fifth-tier beasts, forcing them into a desperate battle. After they defeated the pack, the sixth-tier beast’s oppressive presence reached them, and Han Zheng ordered the team to flee with the wounded.

• Han Zheng received an emergency alert that a sixth-tier beast was moving south along the Vanguard Team’s route, and he ordered everyone to retreat.
• Jiang Lan sensed eight fifth-tier beasts rushing toward the team, so Han Zheng ordered them to form up against a rock wall and face the charge.
• Jiang Lan killed three beasts attacking the front, then rushed to help his teammates defeat the remaining beasts.
• As Han Zheng was about to speak after the battle, Jiang Lan sensed the sixth-tier beast’s presence, and Han Zheng ordered everyone to flee and help the wounded.

Jiang Lan stayed behind to hold off a Tier Six Ferocious Beast while Han Zheng and the others escaped. After taking several powerful blows and realizing he could not match the beast defensively, Jiang Lan launched a counterattack.

• Jiang Lan told Han Zheng to lead the team away while he delayed the Tier Six Ferocious Beast, and Han Zheng gave him one hundred seconds.
• The Tier Six Ferocious Beast charged Jiang Lan and struck him hard enough to send him crashing through a tree.
• Jiang Lan endured the beast's next attack head-on, suffering injuries but remaining on his feet.
• Jiang Lan decided that simply taking hits would not work and sprang forward to punch the beast.

Jiang Lan held off a Tier Six Ferocious Beast until Deputy Commander Chen and two other Diamond Realm fighters arrived to take over. He rejoined Han Zheng and the others, who were amazed he had survived, and Han Zheng promised the Academy would hear about his efforts.

• Jiang Lan struck the Tier Six Ferocious Beast with his Iron Mountain Fist and Earth-Cracking Leg, but barely affected it before its attack sent him skidding across the ground.
• Jiang Lan prepared to flee, but Deputy Commander Chen and two other Diamond Realm fighters arrived and knocked the beast aside, telling him to go ahead while they fought it.
• Jiang Lan watched the fighters battle the beast, realized how great the gap was between his strength and the Diamond Realm, and felt newly determined to grow stronger.
• Jiang Lan caught up with Han Zheng and the others, told them the Military's Diamond Realm fighters were holding off the beast, and reassured them that he was fine.
• Han Zheng thanked Jiang Lan and promised to explain his actions to the Academy, while Jiang Lan played down the danger he had faced.

After returning from the Wilderness Zone, Jiang Lan received his share of the hunting spoils, traded for more fifth-tier essence blood, and upgraded his indestructible diamond body to level thirty-two. He ended the chapter at home, recovering and planning to reach level thirty-three within three days.

• Han Zheng reported that the mission was complete and the Vanguard Team disbanded, then gave Jiang Lan twenty-two bottles of fifth-tier essence blood and twenty-two Beast Cores.
• Jiang Lan traded eighteen fifth-tier Beast Cores at the shop for eighteen bottles of fifth-tier essence blood.
• Jiang Lan returned home, reassured Shen Qingqiu, and rested after eating a meal she had prepared.
• Jiang Lan used thirty-two bottles of fifth-tier essence blood to raise his indestructible diamond body to level thirty-two, increasing his defense, vitality, and agility.
• Jiang Lan assessed his chances against tier six ferocious beasts and set a goal to reach level thirty-three within three days.

Su Wan told Jiang Lan that the Military wanted to recruit him for its special combat ranks after hearing about his stand against a tier six ferocious beast. Jiang Lan declined, and Su Wan agreed to delay the matter while warning him to keep a low profile.

• Jiang Lan went to Su Wan's office after she summoned him.
• Su Wan confirmed that she had read Han Zheng's report and learned from Deputy Commander Chen that Jiang Lan had held off a tier six ferocious beast alone.
• Su Wan gave Jiang Lan the Military's recruitment offer, and he considered the benefits before deciding to remain at the Academy.
• Su Wan agreed to hold off the Military for now and warned Jiang Lan that the Academy might not be able to resist if it insisted on recruiting him.
• Su Wan told Jiang Lan to keep a low profile, said the Spiritual Energy Chamber should reopen in a few days, and advised him to wait for a suitable mentor.

Jiang Lan used the reopened Spiritual Energy Chamber and twelve bottles of fifth-tier fierce beast blood essence to raise his indestructible diamond body to level 33. After the Academy lifted restrictions on entering the Wilderness Zone’s middle region, he left the city to hunt and search for opportunities, where he spotted what might be a spiritual energy cave.

• Jiang Lan learned the Spiritual Energy Chamber had reopened and absorbed enough spiritual energy there to reach 42/64 upgrade progress.
• Jiang Lan traded fourth-tier beast cores for twelve bottles of fifth-tier essence blood, then used them to advance his indestructible diamond body to level 33.
• Jiang Lan decided to leave the city for more essence blood and possible opportunities, registered with Su Wan, and received approval to enter the middle region.
• Jiang Lan left home the next morning, entered the middle region of the Wilderness Zone, and hunted ferocious beasts.
• Jiang Lan noticed a large concentration of spiritual power ahead that appeared to be a spiritual energy cave.

Jiang Lan discovered a vast underground cavern filled with spiritual energy crystals and defeated the late fifth-tier Rock-Tusked Boar guarding it. He upgraded his Indestructible Diamond Body to level 34, collected the remaining crystals, and left to return home, with more passages still unexplored.

• Jiang Lan followed dense spiritual energy into an underground passage and found hundreds of crystals throughout a large cavern.
• Jiang Lan killed the Rock-Tusked Boar with an Earth-Cracking Leg and an Iron Mountain Fist.
• Jiang Lan used the crystals to upgrade his Indestructible Diamond Body to level 34, raising his defense, vitality, and spirit.
• Jiang Lan harvested the reachable crystals, bringing his next upgrade progress to 52/256.
• Jiang Lan memorized the cavern's location and returned to the surface to head home before Shen Qingqiu became worried.

Jiang Lan harvested spiritual energy crystals from the cave and upgraded his Indestructible Diamond Body to level 35, discovering signs of old mining in one passage. Back home, he calculated that he could soon meet the next upgrade requirement but worried about obtaining enough higher-tier essence blood afterward.

• Jiang Lan entered the spiritual energy cave and collected crystals from its passages until he upgraded his Indestructible Diamond Body to level 35.
• Jiang Lan found an artificially excavated section reinforced with rusty iron pipes, suggesting someone had mined there decades earlier.
• Jiang Lan cleared the cave and outer passage, bringing his progress toward the next upgrade to 270 out of 512.
• Jiang Lan returned home, told Shen Qingqiu he had made a good haul, and went to shower.
• Jiang Lan calculated he could gather enough fifth-tier essence blood for another upgrade in under a month, but worried that later upgrades might require scarce sixth-tier essence blood.

Jiang Lan met with Deputy Commander Chen Xiao, who explained that the Military was not seeking to recruit him but wanted to introduce him to the Guardian Manor, a powerful organization of Diamond Realm Martial Artists. Jiang Lan became interested and decided to wait for the promised assessment.

• Jiang Lan accepted a friend request from Chen Xiao and agreed to meet him at Four Seas Teahouse.
• Chen Xiao asked Jiang Lan about joining the Military, but Jiang Lan said he preferred staying at the Academy.
• Chen Xiao revealed that the Guardian Manor was founded by powerful Martial Artists after spiritual energy revived and that its weakest members were in the Diamond Realm.
• Chen Xiao praised Jiang Lan for staying behind to protect his teammates during the Tier Six Ferocious Beast attack and offered him an assessment for possible membership.
• Jiang Lan considered the resources and strength the Guardian Manor could offer and decided to wait for its assessor.

Jiang Lan confessed his feelings to Shen Qingqiu, and Shen Qingqiu admitted he liked him too. Later, Gu Changqing contacted Jiang Lan on Chen Xiao’s behalf and arranged a meeting about the Guardian Manor for the next afternoon.

• Jiang Lan picked Shen Qingqiu up from work, and they walked home together before sharing dinner and an evening on the sofa.
• Shen Qingqiu noticed Jiang Lan seemed distracted, and Jiang Lan told him an organization might come looking for him.
• Jiang Lan kissed Shen Qingqiu and confessed that he liked him; Shen Qingqiu blushingly said he liked Jiang Lan too.
• Gu Changqing called Jiang Lan on Chen Xiao’s behalf and arranged to meet him outside the teahouse at two the next afternoon.

Jiang Lan met Gu Changqing to discuss joining the Guardian Manor and learned that passing its evaluation required retrieving Spirit Vein Ore from a dangerous Wilderness Zone. After hearing the mission details, he weighed the risk and asked what benefits membership would bring.

• Jiang Lan told Shen Qingqiu he was meeting someone from the organization, then teased him before Shen Qingqiu left for work.
• Jiang Lan met Gu Changqing at a teahouse, where Gu asked why he had declined the Military’s offer and what he wanted from the future.
• Gu Changqing explained that the Guardian Manor controlled Spirit Vein Mining Areas and that Spirit Vein Ore held far more spiritual energy than Fierce Beast Blood Essence.
• Jiang Lan described finding an abandoned cavern in the Wilderness Zone, and Gu Changqing confirmed that it had been an exhausted Spirit Vein Mining Area where new crystals had formed.
• Gu Changqing gave Jiang Lan an evaluation mission to retrieve Spirit Vein Ore from a newly discovered Spirit Vein Node near a peak Fifth Tier Ferocious Beast.
• Jiang Lan considered accepting the dangerous mission and asked Gu Changqing what benefits he would receive after joining the Guardian Manor.

Jiang Lan accepted Gu Changqing’s mission to retrieve Spirit Vein Ore from a node in the Deep Wilderness Zone, gaining access to valuable resources and the Guardian Manor’s protection. He reached the cave entrance guided by the locator and sensed a peak-fifth-tier aura inside.

• Gu Changqing explained the Spirit Vein Ore rewards, mining-area access, and protection offered by the Guardian Manor, and Jiang Lan accepted the mission.
• Gu Changqing gave Jiang Lan a locator and told him to return with the ore alive to pass.
• Jiang Lan told Shen Qingqiu he planned to enter the Deep Wilderness Zone, and Shen Qingqiu urged him to be careful.
• Jiang Lan left home after breakfast and traveled into the Deep Wilderness Zone, avoiding beasts until three blocked his path.
• Jiang Lan killed an Iron-Clad Bear, a Gray-Maned Leopard, and a Red-Maned Lion, then followed the locator to a cave emitting dense spiritual energy.
• Jiang Lan sensed a peak-fifth-tier aura deep inside the cave and realized he had reached the Spirit Vein Node.