Recaps

After the battle destroyed much of Wushan Town and Old Jack’s smithy, Loa grieved over the loss of his home and found comfort in Hillman’s support. At Old Jack’s grave, Loa decided to leave Wushan Town someday and explore the world, seeking strength and a future of his own.

• Hillman reported that more than eight hundred people had been found dead, many others were injured, and much of Wushan Town lay in ruins.
• Loa dug Old Jack’s sword, damaged pictures, armor, and dagger from the smithy wreckage and sat grieving among the keepsakes.
• Hillman gave Loa liquor and urged him to cry, then told him that Wushan Town and its people could become his home.
• Loa gathered his belongings and went to Old Jack’s grave, where he poured out the remaining liquor and spoke about the destruction.
• Loa told Old Jack that he wanted to see the wider world and become strong enough to protect what mattered to him.
• Loa stayed beside Old Jack’s grave through the night, holding his keepsakes and facing the road ahead with resolve.

After mourning Old Jack, Loa said goodbye to Linley and the people of Wushan Town, deciding to leave and grow stronger. He broke through to Rank 3 and set out toward the wider world with supplies and farewells from his neighbors.

• Loa visited Linley, who had begun to seem more cheerful after the previous day's events, and told him he planned to leave Wushan Town.
• Loa met Linley's little brother Wharton and gave him Old Jack's carved wooden sword.
• Steward Hiri gave Loa a map and silver coins, and Loa discovered that he had advanced to Rank 3 Warrior.
• Uncle Pete, Old Brown, Auntie Anna, Grandpa Mund, and Hillman each offered Loa supplies, advice, or encouragement as he said goodbye.
• Loa left Wushan Town along the road toward the wider world.

On the road to Fenlai City, Loa encountered a cannibal bandit and killed him after outmaneuvering him in a fight. He buried the body, camped in the woods, and rested before continuing toward the city the next day.

• Loa walked toward Fenlai City and expected to reach its walls around noon the following day.
• A fat, axe-wielding man tried to attack Loa and spoke of eating him.
• Loa dodged the man's heavy blows and wounded him repeatedly with his sword.
• When the bandit tried to flee, Loa caught him and killed him with a thrust through the eye.
• Loa searched the corpse, buried it beside the road, and camped in the woods for the night.

Loa arrived in Fenlai City seeking cultivation books, but found them far beyond his means and struggled to find work that would not bind him to a long apprenticeship. After an old mercenary pointed him toward the Mercenary Guild, Loa decided to seek work there despite the dangers.

• Loa entered Fenlai City and was awed by its size, crowds, and bustling streets.
• Loa visited the Hall of Wisdom, discovered that even the cheapest battle-qi manual cost 50 gold coins, and left unable to afford one.
• Loa rented a cheap attic room in the southern district and counted his remaining possessions: one Magic Crystal Core, thirteen silver coins, and forty-five copper coins.
• Loa spent two days seeking work at smithies and elsewhere, but found no viable job and grew increasingly worried about supporting himself.
• An old mercenary told Loa that the Mercenary Guild offered varied work and freedom at the risk of injury or death.
• Loa decided to visit the Mercenary Guild and pursue mercenary work.

Loa registered with the Mercenary Guild in Fenlai City, becoming a Gray Iron Rank I mercenary after paying the fee and receiving his insignia and identity card. He headed to the mission board to find work and begin supporting himself.

• Loa left his attic room and followed directions to the Mercenary Guild in Fenlai City.
• Loa filled out a registration form, listing his age as ten and Wushan Town as his place of origin.
• The clerk took Loa's ten copper coins and issued him a Gray Iron Insignia and identity card, explaining the mission rules and risks.
• Loa pinned on his insignia and walked to the noticeboard to inspect Gray Iron Rank missions.

Loa accepted a mission to clear Gnawtooth Rats from a dockside warehouse and earned his first money in Fenlai City. After collecting his reward, he took another mission to patrol the southern city wall with the City Guard.

• Loa chose the Gray Iron Rank mission to clear rats from Warehouse Three and registered it at the Mercenary Guild.
• Loa entered the warehouse and killed the Gnawtooth Rats, sharpening his use of Gale Thrust and gaining a new understanding of Weapon Combat Battle-qi.
• Loa killed more than thirty rats and received proof of completion from the dock supervisor.
• Loa turned in thirty-five rat tails at the guild and received four silver coins and five copper after the guild’s cut.
• Loa chose a City Guard perimeter patrol mission for the two hours before sunset.

Loa earned extra pay after stopping a smuggler, then found work at Bob’s Anvil by demonstrating his hundred-fold steel forging skill. After forging six billets, he earned six silver coins and secured a place to sleep, giving him a foothold in Fenlai.

• Loa patrolled the southern wall, dodged a crossbow bolt, and helped capture a smuggler carrying untaxed daggers, earning a dagger and extra pay.
• Loa took a rush-gathering job and searched the Mercenary Guild board for a chance to advance his rank.
• Loa accepted a notice seeking a blacksmith's assistant and passed Bob's test by forging a billet of hundred-fold steel.
• Bob hired Loa to forge billets at Bob's Anvil and offered him a bed in a shed behind the shop.
• Loa forged six billets that day, received six silver coins, and counted his savings before going to sleep.

Loa balanced his training and smithing under Bob’s guidance, then investigated an abandoned quarry with Old Blade and discovered a bristleback boar hunting there. After reporting the threat and earning mission credit, Loa believed he was close to qualifying for promotion from Gray Iron Rank.

• Loa practiced sword thrusts before dawn, and Bob recognized him as an unusually young Rank 3 Warrior and advised him to balance his qi between both arms.
• Loa and Bob forged chopping knives, and Bob spotted that Loa was overusing his right arm and told him to circulate some qi through his left.
• Loa teamed up with Old Blade to investigate an abandoned quarry, where they found a Rank 2 bristleback boar and Loa pierced its eye with a thrust before Old Blade killed it.
• Loa and Old Blade spotted two more beasts inside the hut and withdrew to report the threat, then split the mission’s twelve silver coins and received a strong experience assessment.
• Bob gave Loa Fire Phosphorus Powder for future missions while pretending to dock his pay for bent knife blanks.
• Loa reviewed the guild’s promotion requirements and concluded he was probably one step away from applying for a Gray Iron Rank assessment.

Loa advanced to mid-stage Rank 3 and joined Old Blade’s escort job to Black Marsh Town, where he fought bandits at Shatterbone Gorge. He returned safely to Fenlai City with enough savings to move closer to buying a battle-qi manual.

• Loa repaired Old Blade’s chain mail and counted his savings, which he planned to grow through an upcoming ore escort job.
• Old Blade assembled a six-person mercenary team, including the Rank 4 Warrior Shadow Snake, to guard thirty wagons of black iron ore.
• Shadow Snake spotted moving torches during the first night, and Old Blade ordered extra watches before the caravan continued toward Shatterbone Gorge.
• Bandits attacked at the gorge, and Loa killed a flail-wielding attacker while Shadow Snake and the others protected the high-purity ore wagons.
• The caravan drove off the bandits and reached Fenlai City safely, earning Loa six gold coins for the escort.
• Loa returned to Bob’s blacksmith shop with twenty-nine gold coins saved and thought about buying General Principles of Battle-qi.

Loa trained his swordsmanship at dawn, then spent the day catching up on blacksmithing orders while Bob warned him about the risks of advancing to Rank 4. The chapter ended with Loa considering how to earn more gold and deciding to ask Old Dao about it.

• Loa practiced Gale Thrust and a twenty-form greatsword routine, refining his technique and control of qi.
• Bob watched Loa train but chose not to ask about the origins of his unusual swordsmanship.
• Bob told Loa to make up the blacksmith shop’s backlog of orders, and Loa spent the day forging tools under his supervision.
• Bob observed that Loa’s qi was nearing its limit and cautioned him that breaking through from Rank 3 to Rank 4 required care.
• After dinner, Loa worried that he was still short on gold and thought of asking Old Dao about a quick way to earn more.

Loa sought a fast way to earn money and entered the black market’s Blood Arena, where he defeated the heavily favored Skullcrusher in his first deathmatch. He escaped through the sewers with enough money to buy the General Principles of Battle-qi, and the fight brought him closer to breaking through to rank 4.

• Loa asked Old Dao how to make quick money, and Old Dao told him about the Blood Arena and showed him a safe escape route.
• Loa entered the underground arena under the alias Wild Wind, paid the ten-gold entry fee, and bet all his remaining gold on himself.
• The host paired Loa with Skullcrusher, a powerful fighter on a four-match winning streak, and the crowd heavily favored Skullcrusher.
• Loa dodged Skullcrusher’s hammer attacks, struck his armpit, and killed him with a thrust to the throat.
• Loa escaped through the sewers with 110 gold coins, bringing his savings above his goal and sensing that the rank 4 barrier had grown thinner.

Loa returned to Cast Iron Alley after the arena and helped Bob begin forging a thousand-fold steel saber billet, learning how to control force and heat. He then visited the Hall of Wisdom and bought a systematic battle-qi text, a magical beast compendium, and a map before heading back toward the alley.

• Loa rested at an inn, reviewed the improvised thrusts he had used in the arena, and recognized that he had reached the peak of Rank 3 Warrior.
• Loa returned to Cast Iron Alley, where Bob taught him the principles of forging thousand-fold steel for a mercenary captain's saber.
• Loa helped Bob work the black water iron billet and practiced hammering it, gradually learning to transmit force through the metal.
• Loa visited the Hall of Wisdom and bought General Principles of Battle-qi and Body Tempering for fifty gold coins.
• Loa also bought an illustrated magical beast compendium and a map of the Fenlai Kingdom and surrounding regions, then left for Cast Iron Alley.

Loa studied the Hall of Wisdom’s book on Battle-qi and learned how warriors advanced through the ranks and circulated Qi. After following its Great Circulation route, he broke through to rank four and gained a clearer path forward.

• Loa returned to his shack and carefully read the Hall of Wisdom’s book on Battle-qi and physical conditioning.
• Loa learned that Battle-qi became essential from rank four onward, and that higher ranks brought greater control and power.
• Loa studied the meridian diagrams and the different circulation routes associated with elemental Battle-qi.
• Loa guided his Weapon Combat Battle-qi through thirty circuits of the Great Circulation route, easing his fatigue and making the Qi more condensed and responsive.
• Loa broke through the barrier to become a rank-four warrior.

After breaking through to Rank 4, Loa continued forging with Bob, learned that Bob was a Rank 6 Fire Element Warrior, and considered taking Fenlai City’s autumn magical aptitude test. Loa expected Linley to arrive for the test, anticipating that they might meet again beneath the White Spire.

• Loa practiced combining his sword styles and helped Bob finish the rough grinding of the Thousand-Fold Steel Warblade.
• Bob recognized Loa’s breakthrough, and Loa described his improved control, strength, and endurance.
• Bob revealed that he was a Rank 6 Fire Element Warrior whose battle-qi enhanced his forging.
• Bob suggested Loa take the Radiant Church’s autumn magical aptitude test, and Loa agreed that learning his elemental affinity could guide his future cultivation.
• Loa thought that Linley would soon come to Fenlai City for the test and anticipated meeting him again beneath the White Spire.

Loa went out with Bob to celebrate the sale of their warblade, then slipped away and wandered Fenlai City's food street. There he unexpectedly spotted Hillman and Linley, leaving him to approach the familiar figures.

• Tie Yan inspected the Thousand-Fold Steel Warblade and paid Bob a thousand gold coins for it.
• Bob took Loa to Bishui Paradise, but Loa dodged the women there and escaped outside.
• Loa wandered through the food street, buying snacks and enjoying the bustle of the city.
• Loa spotted Hillman and Linley at a sugar-painting stall and moved toward them.

Linley and Hillman reunited with Loa in Fenlai City and learned that he had become a rank 4 warrior. After sharing a meal, Linley prepared for the next day’s magic test, encouraged by Doehring Cowart.

• Linley and Hillman noticed Loa following them and confronted him in a quiet alley.
• Loa tested Hillman with a fierce punch, then sparred with him until Hillman recognized and stopped his old friend.
• Loa greeted Linley and Hillman, invited them to dinner, and revealed that he had advanced to rank 4 through training and mercenary work.
• Loa welcomed Bebe, ordered him another roast chicken, and told Linley he might also take the magic test the next day.
• Loa paid for an inn for Linley and Hillman, then said goodbye before the test.
• Linley admitted to Doehring Cowart that Loa’s progress had surprised him, regained his resolve, and began meditating for the test.

Linley and Loa arrived at White Square for the Holy Union’s magic aptitude test, where nobles and commoners gathered in sharply divided sections. After the church announced the test, Linley and Loa entered with the other candidates as Hillman stayed behind to watch.

• Hillman told Linley that magical talent mattered more than noble rank and explained the costs and opportunities of magical education.
• Loa woke after drinking with an old acquaintance, prepared his testing fee, and headed to White Square.
• Loa found Linley and Hillman in the commoners’ section and joined them as the square filled with people.
• A cleric announced that the magic test was about to begin and directed candidates and spectators to separate entrances.
• Linley handed the sleeping Bebe to Hillman, then entered the church with Loa to take the test.

Linley and Loa underwent the magic aptitude test in Fenlai City, where both revealed supreme-grade affinity in two elements. Linley accepted admission to the Ernst Institute, while Loa refused to pursue magic and left determined to follow the warrior’s path.

• Linley displayed supreme-grade earth and wind affinity, mid-grade fire affinity, and high-grade Spiritual Force, prompting the Ernst Institute to offer him admission.
• Linley accepted the Ernst Institute’s invitation and received a red admission letter.
• Loa revealed supreme-grade wind and lightning affinity but declined to test his Spiritual Force because he wanted to become a warrior.
• Loa left the testing hall with Linley and Hillman, then escorted them to the city gates as they departed for Wushan Town.
• After saying goodbye, Loa reflected that his elemental affinity might one day affect his Weapon Combat Battle-qi and continued into Fenlai City.

A year after Old Jack's death, Loa returned to Wushan Town to honor his grandfather at the grave and tell him about his life in Fenlai City. He left with renewed resolve to grow stronger and someday learn whether Old Jack's soul still existed in the realm of death.

• Loa recalled surviving a deadly Blood Arena fight against a short warrior who used dark element battle qi, and considered whether to pursue wind or lightning techniques.
• Loa asked Bob for leave and returned to Wushan Town on the anniversary of Old Jack's death.
• Loa quietly visited Old Jack's grave, arranged food, ale, and spirit money, and told him about his smithing, Rank 4 strength, combat experiences, and magical aptitude.
• Loa said he missed Old Jack and hoped that reaching great heights might let him discover whether his grandfather was well in the afterlife.
• Loa bowed three times at the grave and left Wushan Town without looking back.

Loa bought wind and lightning cultivation manuals, combat techniques, and a movement technique, then used months of training to develop a way to combine the elemental Battle-qi through his weapon combat Battle-qi. After reaching the middle stage of Rank 4 Warrior, he told Bob he planned to train at the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and Bob gave him supplies for the journey.

• Loa bought Wild Wind Guidance, Rushing Thunder Art, their matching combat techniques, and the incomplete movement scroll Gentle Breeze Caressing Willow at the Hall of Wisdom.
• Loa trained in wind and lightning Battle-qi separately after attempts to fuse them directly caused painful clashes, and he developed the sword move Thunder Collapse.
• Loa discovered that his weapon combat Battle-qi could act as a bridge and amplifier for both elemental types, and he improved his evasion by practicing Gentle Breeze Caressing Willow.
• By February, Loa had reached the middle stage of Rank 4 Warrior and decided that the black-market arena no longer offered enough challenge.
• Loa told Bob he planned to train at the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and Bob warned him about its dangers before giving him fire powder and medicinal supplies.

Loa entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range and tested his strength by killing a Rank 3 Rockskin Boar. After a concealed Dead Leaf Viper poisoned his leg at camp, he treated the bite, abandoned the fire, and kept watch through the night.

• Loa traveled deeper into the forest, encountered a Rockskin Boar, and stopped its charge with his bare hands.
• Loa threw the boar, killed it with Thunder Collapse, and took its Rank 3 Magic Crystal Core and some meat.
• Loa made camp and roasted boar meat, but a hidden Dead Leaf Viper sprang from the leaves and bit his calf.
• Loa swallowed Bob's antidote, treated the wound, and realized his vigilance had failed to account for danger on the forest floor.
• Loa extinguished the fire, moved to a more concealed spot, and stayed awake with his sword through the night.

Loa cautiously traveled deeper into the Magical Beast Mountain Range, where he found evidence that humans had been killed by weapons as well as beasts. That night, he ambushed a pack of Fang Wolves, seized their Magic Crystal Cores, and fled before the blood could attract more predators.

• Loa recovered enough to walk, then found three partially eaten human corpses bearing fatal wounds from edged weapons.
• Loa avoided pack beasts, killed several solitary magical beasts, and prepared a concealed tree platform for the night.
• Loa watched seven or eight Fang Wolves wear down two wounded old Wind Wolves, then attacked when both sides were weakened.
• Loa killed four Fang Wolves in quick succession, causing the survivors to flee into the forest.
• Loa collected eight Magic Crystal Cores and wolf meat, then escaped through the trees to avoid other predators.

Loa fought a peak level-four Shadow Cat in the darkness and used his developing ability to sense airflow to survive its attacks. He killed the beast, gained a deeper understanding of his perception and movement techniques, and returned to the forest wounded but more capable.

• Loa continued honing his combat skills in the Magical Beast Mountain Range and improved his ability to detect disturbances in the wind.
• A Shadow Cat ambushed Loa at night, tearing through his armor and badly wounding him.
• Loa sensed the Shadow Cat’s approach and wounded it with a sword strike before luring it into range and smashing its face with Crushing Thunder.
• The Shadow Cat used Shadow Ambush, but Loa evaded its strike with the principles of Breeze Caresses the Willow and killed it with Gale Thrust.
• Loa extracted the Shadow Cat’s dark Magic Crystal Core, treated his wounds, and disappeared back into the forest.

After surviving a deadly battle with the Shadow Cat, Loa hid, tended his wounds, and hunted a rabbit for food. His recovery and cultivation brought him to the peak of Rank 4, with a breakthrough to Rank 5 close at hand.

• Loa escaped the Shadow Cat, hid in a rocky hollow, and stayed awake through the night while cleaning his wounds and masking his scent.
• Loa used the Great Circulation and medicinal herbs to ease his injuries, then hunted and killed a Soft-Bone Rabbit for food.
• While roasting and eating the rabbit, Loa reviewed the Shadow Cat fight and gained new insight into sensing and moving with the wind.
• Loa cultivated after eating and realized his battle-qi had reached the absolute peak of Rank 4.
• Loa resolved to recover fully, refine his new wind insights, and find a safe place to attempt his Rank 5 breakthrough.

Loa reflected on the nature of wind and thunder and found a way to coordinate his different battle-qi through Weapon Combat Battle-qi. His insight triggered a breakthrough to level five, and he set out toward the deeper forest to test his new strength.

• Loa kept to his rocky hollow while his wounds healed and he contemplated his battle against the Shadow Cat.
• Loa realized Weapon Combat Battle-qi could guide his wind and lightning battle-qi without forcibly merging them, and resolved to test the idea later in safety.
• Loa’s battle-qi surged as he broke through the barrier to become a level-five warrior.
• Loa tested his new battle-qi gauze robe and channeled wind and lightning battle-qi into his longsword.
• Loa erased his traces, packed his belongings, and headed deeper into the forest.