Chapter Summaries

Zuo Xiaoduo spoke with Fang Yinuo, who offered him vast sums of money, then went through combat practice without a teacher’s guidance. At lunch, Zhao Wensheng and his second-year classmates confronted him to reclaim the dining hall table they had lost, while a refined man watched nearby.

• Fang Yinuo told Zuo Xiaoduo he could provide him with tens of thousands of high-grade stones and even hundreds of millions, and invited him to visit.
• Wen Xingtian sent Zuo Xiaoduo to practice on his own because his strength far exceeded the other students’ and Wen could not teach his fighting style.
• Zuo Xiaoduo entered the dining hall and saw Zhao Wensheng and more than thirty second-year classmates waiting for him.
• Zhao Wensheng explained that his homeroom teacher had beaten him for losing a fight over the table to a freshman and ordered the class to win it back.
• A cultured-looking middle-aged man sat by the window, quietly watching the confrontation as Zhao Wensheng and his classmates avoided looking at him.

Zuo Xiaoduo and Class One faced Second-Year Class Seven in a formal fight over a dining table after the upperclassmen challenged them. The whole of Class One sat together to back Zuo Xiaoduo, and the chapter left him and Wu Qing heading outside to fight.

• Teacher Tian ordered his students to challenge Zuo Xiaoduo after the first-year had taken a table from upperclassmen.
• Zhao Wensheng challenged Zuo Xiaoduo to claim an empty table, and Zuo Xiaoduo led all thirty-six members of Class One to sit together.
• Wu Qing, the monitor of Second-Year Class Seven, stepped forward to demand that Class One give up the table.
• Wu Qing said Wu Yuntian was his younger paternal cousin but insisted he was representing only Class Seven.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and Wu Qing flew out through a window as the crowd rushed to watch their fight.

Zuo Xiaoduo and Wu Qing fought to a standstill, impressing the students with their swordsmanship and combat skill. Their duel continued as Zuo Xiaoduo’s Light Rain Sword grew stronger and Wu Qing struggled to understand his opponent’s power.

• Students from both classes gathered to watch Zuo Xiaoduo and Wu Qing battle, and the two traded blows evenly.
• Zuo Xiaoduo and Wu Qing drew their swords and exchanged attacks, matching each other’s Sword Qi and kicks.
• Zuo Xiaoduo enjoyed meeting a worthy opponent and found his swordsmanship improving during the fight.
• Wu Qing was alarmed that Zuo Xiaoduo could match his strength despite being a newly enrolled junior.
• The spectators watched as Zuo Xiaoduo’s rain-and-mist swordplay and Wu Qing’s Dragon-like Sword Qi clashed without either gaining the advantage.

Zuo Xiaoduo defeated Wu Qing in a sword match, winning the meal table for Class One. Teacher Tian shared Second-Year Class Seven’s penalty meal with his students and challenged them to win the table back, while Class One quietly showed him respect before leaving.

• Zuo Xiaoduo unleashed a surging Sword Qi Tide that overwhelmed Wu Qing’s Sword Qi Dragon and decided their match.
• Wu Qing conceded defeat, and Zuo Xiaoduo joked about being the Sword King as the students laughed.
• Teacher Tian told Wu Qing that the loss was no disgrace and promised to stand and eat with Class Seven while urging them to win the table back within three months.
• Teacher Tian and Class Seven ate standing while Class One ate seated in silence, and several students cried as they watched their teacher share their punishment.
• After finishing their meal, Zuo Xiaoduo and Class One bowed to Teacher Tian and left quietly.
• A Class Seven student called for the class to return to training and win the table back.

Wu Qing led Second-Year Class Seven away, determined to train harder and win back their table from Zuo Xiaoduo. Wen Xingtian praised Zuo Xiaoduo’s conduct after his victory, assigned the class homework, and later pushed Zuo Xiaoduo through an hour of brutal training while advising him to hone every skill into a potential trump card.

• Wu Qing led Second-Year Class Seven away, and the students resolved to train harder and reclaim their table from Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Wen Xingtian praised Zuo Xiaoduo’s restraint and manners after his victory, then told the class to reflect on proper conduct and submit their thoughts.
• Wen Xingtian used Zuo Xiaoduo’s supposed reminder about homework to assign the class an assignment, drawing the classmates’ resentment toward Zuo Xiaoduo.
• Wen Xingtian returned to the villa and put Zuo Xiaoduo through an hour of extreme sparring inside the Annihilation Sky Pagoda.
• Wen Xingtian advised Zuo Xiaoduo to train all his methods until they could serve as trump cards, then left to train Li Chenglong.

Zuo Xiaoduo followed Wen Xingtian’s advice by refining all his techniques through an all-night training session, which brought him to the Innate Peak and close to a breakthrough. He asked Wen Xingtian how to suppress his cultivation so he could strengthen his foundations before entering the Embryonic Breathing Realm.

• Zuo Xiaoduo practiced hidden weapons, swordsmanship, movement techniques, and other skills in the Annihilation Sky Pagoda, integrating new insights from Wen Xingtian’s advice.
• After training through the night, Zuo Xiaoduo discovered that his cultivation had reached the Innate Peak and his Origin Qi was nearly saturated.
• Li Chenglong called for Zuo Xiaoduo to go to school, and Zuo Xiaoduo visited Wen Xingtian before classes.
• Zuo Xiaoduo asked Wen Xingtian for a technique to suppress his surging True Essence Qi and prevent an early breakthrough.
• Wen Xingtian examined Zuo Xiaoduo, learned that his overnight progress came from training and reflection, and felt gratified by his student’s willingness to apply his advice.

Zuo Xiaoduo asked Wen Xingtian how to suppress his impending breakthrough, and Wen Xingtian taught him about the Ice Heart Jade Pot Heart Method and the stages of Origin Qi. The chapter left Wen Xingtian stunned by Zuo Xiaoduo’s report that his Dantian held dense, churning red fog with no vapor remaining.

• Wen Xingtian explained that suppressing a breakthrough depended on personal endurance and taught Zuo Xiaoduo the Ice Heart Jade Pot Heart Method.
• Wen Xingtian asked Zuo Xiaoduo to inspect the state of his Origin Qi.
• Wen Xingtian described how Origin Qi changed from vapor to mist, clouds, liquid, and solid as martial artists advanced.
• Zuo Xiaoduo said his Origin Qi was red and formed dense fog that churned like a tide.
• Zuo Xiaoduo told Wen Xingtian that the fog was so thick he could not see his hand and that he believed no vapor remained.

Zuo Xiaoduo sparred with seven classmates chosen by Wen Xingtian, then learned that the first student trial would begin in a week and that Wen expected him to win first place. He followed Wen Xingtian after class, planning to hunt Star Beasts and replenish supplies for his Dragon Blood Flying Knife.

• Wen Xingtian questioned Zuo Xiaoduo about his cultivation, then left in a fury after hearing his description of his qi.
• Wen Xingtian selected seven classmates with nearly flawless techniques to spar with Zuo Xiaoduo, who beat them while recognizing their strengths.
• Wen Xingtian announced that the first trial would begin in a week and usually took place at the Falling Star Plains, where students hunted Star Beasts for credits and rankings.
• Wen Xingtian warned Class One to claim at least three of the top ten places and singled out Zuo Xiaoduo, demanding that he take first place.
• Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to come with him, while Zuo Xiaoduo considered using the trial to replenish his Dragon Blood Flying Knife supplies.

Zuo Xiaoduo began compressing his Innate origin qi and endured the agonizing Thorny Road until he completed his first suppression. He left his qi reduced to one-third of its former volume, with his rapid cultivation fueled by abundant resources.

• Wen Xingtian gave Zuo Xiaoduo the Ice Heart Jade Pot Heart Method and told him to return it the next morning.
• Over three days, Zuo Xiaoduo followed his routine and reached his first self-imposed restraint on his breakthrough.
• Zuo Xiaoduo began compressing his Innate origin qi, enduring severe pain as he recalled that Zuo Xiaonian had survived eight suppressions.
• Zuo Xiaoduo persisted through the agony and compressed the origin qi in his Dantian until it occupied one-third of its space.
• Zuo Xiaoduo's rapid progress came from absorbing spiritual qi with the Ice Heart Jade Divine Art, upper-grade star soul jade, and the Dragon Blood Flying Knife.

Zuo Xiaoduo recklessly compressed the True Essence in his Dantian far beyond the safe limit, unaware of the danger, and used Fortune Points to repair the damage. He finally stopped after hammering it into a pancake roughly one twenty-fourth of his Dantian's capacity, satisfied that it surpassed Nian Nian Cat's compression by a wide margin.

• Zuo Xiaoduo kept compressing his True Essence past one-third, one-quarter, and one-seventh despite excruciating pain.
• Zuo Xiaoduo spat blood when his meridians began to crack, then used half a Fortune Point to repair them and continued compressing.
• Zuo Xiaoduo compressed his True Essence to one-seventeenth of its original volume, then formed an Origin Qi hammer in his Dantian.
• Zuo Xiaoduo repeatedly hammered the compressed True Essence, using the Ice Heart Jade Pot Heart Method and Fortune Points to endure the pain and repair his meridians.
• Zuo Xiaoduo stopped when the True Essence reached roughly one twenty-fourth of his Dantian's capacity and decided the result was good enough.

After surviving the Thorny Road, Zuo Xiaoduo urgently sought more Star Soul Jade to refill his depleted Dantian and disguised himself as a woman to visit Fang Yinuo’s lingerie shop. He confronted Fang in the office, furious about the trouble Fang’s shop had caused him.

• Zuo Xiaoduo recovered from the Thorny Road and absorbed spiritual energy and Star Soul Jade through the night, but his Dantian remained unfilled.
• Zuo Xiaoduo asked Li Chenglong to request leave for him and hurried to Fang Yinuo’s lingerie shop to find more Star Soul Jade.
• Zuo Xiaoduo disguised himself as a woman, entered the shop, and asked the employees to tell the boss, “Duo Duo Duo.”
• Fang Yinuo recognized Zuo Xiaoduo, stumbled down the stairs, and escorted him upstairs while the employees speculated about their visitor.
• Zuo Xiaoduo sat down in Fang Yinuo’s office and angrily confronted him about the trouble he had caused.

Zuo Xiaoduo received upper-grade star soul jade from Fang Yinuo and warned him to avoid trouble by acting like a coward. He then asked Fang Yinuo to find fresh Star Beasts to recharge his Dragon Blood Flying Knife, leaving Fang Yinuo scrambling to agree.

• Fang Yinuo reported that he had gathered over ten thousand upper-grade star soul jade pieces and suspected someone was manipulating Fenghai City's market.
• Fang Yinuo gave Zuo Xiaoduo seventeen thousand upper-grade pieces, including thirty-five hundred with the yang attribute.
• Zuo Xiaoduo warned Fang Yinuo that his conspicuous spending might attract enemies and advised him to pay off anyone he could not safely offend.
• Fang Yinuo said he could recover any money he gave away by robbing somewhere else later.
• Zuo Xiaoduo asked Fang Yinuo to find fresh Star Beasts to recharge his Dragon Blood Flying Knife, and Fang Yinuo hurriedly agreed.

Zuo Xiaoduo and Fang Yinuo arranged to store Star Beasts at an estate so Zuo could drain their energy during field training, then Zuo returned to school and got into a comic fight with Xiang Bing and Li Chenglong. Wen Xingtian noticed Zuo’s battered appearance and asked that evening whether he had started suppressing his cultivation level.

• Fang Yinuo offered to buy an estate outside the city where Zuo Xiaoduo could drain the energy of stored Star Beasts, and Zuo agreed.
• Fang Yinuo returned to the shop and called Lili upstairs, prompting the employees to tease her about their earlier gossip.
• At school, Zuo Xiaoduo claimed he had drenched himself in perfume, then provoked Xiang Bing by insulting her appearance.
• Xiang Bing scratched Li Chenglong when she saw him cheering Zuo Xiaoduo’s chase, and Li Chenglong retaliated by beating her before they entered separate Nutrient Pods.
• After training, Wen Xingtian asked Zuo Xiaoduo whether he had begun suppressing his cultivation level.

Zuo Xiaoduo misunderstood Wen Xingtian’s advice and believed his first compression had been insufficient, so he set out to cultivate and attempt a second compression. He left the story determined to compress his true essence harder than before, unaware of how exceptional multiple compressions were.

• Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to keep compressing his true essence until he reached his limit, despite the pain.
• Wen Xingtian left the Annihilation Sky Pagoda to train Li Chenglong, while Zuo Xiaoduo resumed his exercises.
• Zuo Xiaoduo absorbed upper-grade star soul jade until his dantian was about four-fifths full.
• Zuo Xiaoduo entered the Annihilation Sky Pagoda with more jade and resolved to complete a second compression before dinner.
• Zuo Xiaoduo decided to endure the pain and compress harder, unaware that Zuo Xiaonian’s eight compressions had been extraordinarily rare.

Zuo Xiaoduo attempted a second journey down the Thorny Road, but believed he could not compress his true essence any farther. Wen Xingtian, convinced Zuo Xiaoduo was failing to meet the training’s demands, prepared to help him try again.

• Zuo Xiaoduo began his second compression in the Annihilation Sky Pagoda and endured four hours of agony to reach slightly beyond the level he had achieved the day before.
• Zuo Xiaoduo pounded his true essence with spiritual energy but could not compress it any farther, leaving him despondent.
• Wen Xingtian arrived, learned of Zuo Xiaoduo’s supposed lack of progress, and urged him to keep trying.
• Zuo Xiaoduo revealed that he had already compressed some of his true essence, so Wen Xingtian ordered him to absorb more until his dantian was full again.
• Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to use upper-grade star soul jade and prepared to help him compress his true essence.

Zuo Xiaoduo absorbed enormous quantities of upper-grade star soul jade to fill his Dantian before attempting a third compression of his cultivation. Wen Xingtian watched in disbelief as the compression began causing Zuo Xiaoduo severe pain.

• Zuo Xiaoduo cultivated for hours, consuming piece after piece of upper-grade star soul jade while Wen Xingtian wondered why his Dantian had not filled.
• At two in the morning, Zuo Xiaoduo's Dantian was bursting, and he absorbed two more pieces before declaring himself ready.
• Zuo Xiaoduo asked to compress his cultivation inside the Annihilation Sky Pagoda, but Wen Xingtian insisted he do it outside.
• Zuo Xiaoduo began compressing his true essence with the Ice Heart Jade Pot Heart Method and silently endured the growing pain as it spread through his meridians.

Zuo Xiaoduo endured an agonizing attempt to compress his true essence while Wen Xingtian judged his perseverance and then intervened to help. Wen Xingtian’s power spread through most of Zuo Xiaoduo’s dantian without meeting the resistance he expected, leaving him puzzled.

• Zuo Xiaoduo groaned and howled through an hour of compression, prompting Wen Xingtian to create a soundproof barrier and cover his ears.
• Zuo Xiaoduo said he could compress his true essence no further, and Wen Xingtian told him to hold steady while he helped.
• Wen Xingtian filled Zuo Xiaoduo’s empty meridians with his own origin qi and prepared to compress the dantian.
• Wen Xingtian’s true qi passed through more than half of the dantian without resistance, and he briefly praised Zuo Xiaoduo’s progress.
• Wen Xingtian spread his true essence through two-thirds of the dantian but still found it strangely empty.

Wen Xingtian examined Zuo Xiaoduo’s dantian and discovered that he had compressed his true essence qi to an astonishing degree, despite believing he had failed. Zuo Xiaoduo explained his hammering method and revealed that Qin Fangyang and Zuo Xiaonian had both urged him to compress it as much as possible.

• Wen Xingtian pressed his origin qi into Zuo Xiaoduo’s dantian and found the true essence compressed so far that it could not be reduced further.
• Zuo Xiaoduo said he had used a spiritual-qi hammer to pound down the last stubborn layer, and asked Wen Xingtian how to compress it more.
• Wen Xingtian struggled to hide his shock as he realized Zuo Xiaoduo genuinely believed his cultivation had not met the standard.
• Zuo Xiaoduo credited Qin Fangyang with teaching him to compress his cultivation as much as possible.
• Zuo Xiaoduo added that Zuo Xiaonian had given him the same advice.

Wen Xingtian learned that Zuo Xiaoduo had hammered his True Essence into an unprecedentedly compressed state and was already on his third compression cycle. He reassured Zuo Xiaoduo that his progress was acceptable, though he remained stunned by its scale.

• Wen Xingtian was shocked to learn Zuo Xiaoduo had hammered his True Essence inside his Dantian to compress it further.
• Zuo Xiaoduo explained that he had compressed his True Essence to about a tenth of its size before using a hammer when it stopped shrinking.
• Wen Xingtian realized Zuo Xiaoduo had already compressed his True Essence three times, not just once.
• Zuo Xiaoduo said he might manage only twenty-something more compressions and recalled doing thirty-something when he advanced to Innate.
• Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to continue as he had been and accept that everyone had limits.

After Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to remain in the villa and consolidate his cultivation, Zuo kept suppressing his power and absorbing star soul jade. He arranged for Fang Yinuo to gather more resources and investigate an old teacher, while warning Fang to avoid the west.

• Wen Xingtian told Zuo Xiaoduo to stay in the villa, suppress his cultivation, and skip school until the trial.
• Zuo Xiaoduo absorbed star soul jade through the night, then threw the resulting powder into the Shard-Dregs Pool and ate stored mutton.
• Zuo Xiaoduo summoned Fang Yinuo, who brought him ten thousand pieces of upper-grade jade and reported progress on acquiring star beasts.
• Fang Yinuo told Zuo Xiaoduo that the Wu Lineage and Gao Lineage had made no recent moves against him.
• Zuo Xiaoduo asked Fang Yinuo to find Li Chengqiu and gather materials, then warned him to avoid going west because of an ominous sign.