Chapter Summaries

The first-year classes’ showdown began with Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng trading rapid attacks while their teammates joined the fight. The battle escalated as Gu Yue checked Zhang Yangzi’s aerial assault, and Wang Jinxi entered the fray.

• Long Hengxu warned both classes against deliberately injuring their opponents, then started the match.
• Wei Xiaofeng and Xie Xie clashed at high speed, with Xie Xie identifying Wei’s real body and forcing him to defend against his twin daggers.
• Hu Fangyuan mocked the fight, prompting Zhang Yangzi to attack him from the air while Su Xiao reinforced Zhang with a shield.
• Gu Yue intercepted Zhang Yangzi with ice, wind, and earth attacks, damaging his wings and driving him out of his dark mist.
• Wang Jinxi activated his martial soul and charged into the battle.

Tang Wulin used his Golden Dragon King strength to hold off Wang Jinxi, while the four-on-four match between Class Five and Class One remained closely contested. When Zhang Yangzi caught Gu Yue distracted and attacked her from behind, Hu Fangyuan intervened with a fiery punch.

• Tang Wulin stepped in to stop Wang Jinxi from attacking Gu Yue and matched his bone-claw strikes with punches.
• Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng fought at high speed as Gu Yue and Zhang Yangzi battled with elements and aerial attacks.
• Su Xiao boosted Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, but Tang Wulin blocked Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon Transformation with his Golden Dragon Claw and cracked his bone armor.
• Zhang Yangzi dove at Gu Yue while she was distracted by Tang Wulin's golden scales.
• Hu Fangyuan suddenly moved between Zhang Yangzi and Gu Yue and struck Zhang Yangzi's claw with a flame-wreathed punch.

Hu Fangyuan dominated the arena, knocking Zhang Yangzi, Su Xiao, and Wei Xiaofeng out of action as Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi began a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Their fused form attacked Hu Fangyuan, who answered with Water Refining Azure Furnace, leaving their clash unresolved.

• Hu Fangyuan shattered Zhang Yangzi's bone claws, hurled him into Su Xiao's shield, then threw him out of the arena, where Wang Jinxi caught him.
• Hu Fangyuan kicked Wei Xiaofeng away when he tried to attack, then struck him out of the arena after Wei Xiaofeng shielded Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi during their fusion.
• Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi combined into a powerful eagle-and-dragon figure using a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
• The fused figure attacked Hu Fangyuan, who unleashed all four Strength Path Gu Worms and raised a wide wave with Water Refining Azure Furnace to block its dive.

Hu Fangyuan overwhelmed Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi after they used an incomplete Martial Soul Fusion Skill, securing First-Year Class Five’s victory over Class One. Long Hengxu reported the dangerous match to Yu Zhen, who was astonished by Hu Fangyuan’s abilities.

• Hu Fangyuan countered the fused Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi with a flying kick and a barrage of punches, shattering their defenses.
• Hu Fangyuan broke the fused being’s Bone Dragon Claw and struck him unconscious with the Heaven Refining Furnace, ending the Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
• Long Hengxu announced First-Year Class Five as the winner, while the injured Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng were taken to the infirmary.
• Long Hengxu went to Yu Zhen’s office and explained how the match had escalated and how First-Year Class Five had defeated Class One.
• Yu Zhen listened as Long Hengxu described Hu Fangyuan’s performances and was repeatedly astonished by the student’s abilities.

Yu Zhen and Long Hengxu discussed creating a Special-Grade Class for Eastsea Academy’s gifted first years, with Wu Changkong as their homeroom teacher. Yu Zhen approved the proposal in principle and left its final consideration to the Academy Board of Directors.

• Yu Zhen accepted Long Hengxu’s explanation of the day’s events and asked him to submit a detailed report.
• Long Hengxu proposed a Special-Grade Class to concentrate the academy’s resources on its exceptional first-year students.
• Yu Zhen considered the students’ potential and asked how Long Hengxu would staff the class.
• Long Hengxu recommended Wu Changkong as homeroom teacher and defended the choice by pointing to Class Five’s results.
• Yu Zhen approved the proposal in principle, asked Long Hengxu to prepare a detailed plan, and told him to consult Wu Changkong.

Di Tian visited Hu Fangyuan at Gu Yue’s request and delivered thousand-year whale rubber for his refining. After warning Hu Fangyuan not to meddle in Gu Yue’s affairs, Di Tian left, and Hu Fangyuan celebrated the valuable material and concluded that Gu Yue was investing in him.

• Long Hengxu left the headmaster’s office after securing approval to prepare a proposal.
• Hu Fangyuan sensed a powerful presence in his courtyard and entered to find Di Tian waiting.
• Di Tian gave Hu Fangyuan thousand-year whale rubber from Gu Yue and told him to keep supplying her and avoid improper thoughts.
• Hu Fangyuan handed Di Tian three bottles of Moonlight Dew to deliver to Gu Yue, and Di Tian vanished after warning him.
• Hu Fangyuan inspected the whale rubber and rejoiced that it could raise the success rate of his Four-Image Combined Refinement by at least twenty percentage points.

Hu Fangyuan guarded the thousand-year whale rubber and began the Four-Image Combined Refinement to create the rank-three Four Symbols Iron Body Gu. In his hidden chamber, he used water refinement to cleanse and nourish the four Gu worms before proceeding to the next stage.

• Hu Fangyuan hid the thousand-year whale rubber in his Storage Soul Tool and waited until the night was quiet.
• Hu Fangyuan cut his wrist and drew out the Copper Bone Gu, Silver Tendon Gu, Iron Skin Gu, and Brute Flesh Gu.
• Hu Fangyuan opened his secret chamber and summoned the Heaven Refining Furnace and Azure Cicada.
• Hu Fangyuan began water refinement, washing impurities from the four Gu worms and nourishing their bodies.

Hu Fangyuan successfully combined four rank-one Gu into the rank-three Four Symbols Iron Body Gu, but the process left him severely depleted. Knowing he still had to implant the Gu into his body, he began refining Thousand-Year Whale Rubber to prepare for the procedure.

• Hu Fangyuan used water and fire refinement to break down the Silver Tendon Gu, Iron Skin Gu, Brute Flesh Gu, and Copper Bone Gu.
• Hu Fangyuan fused the four Gu’s materials in the Heaven Refining Furnace and sacrificed a mouthful of heart’s blood to stabilize the creation.
• Hu Fangyuan completed the rank-three Four Symbols Iron Body Gu and held the heavy, iron-like Gu in his palm.
• Hu Fangyuan decided to postpone implanting the Gu until he recovered and began refining Thousand-Year Whale Rubber in the Heaven Refining Furnace.

Hu Fangyuan used thousand-year whale rubber and the Four Symbols Iron Body Gu to undergo a painful bodily transformation. He emerged with the Gu rooted in his backbone and a powerful, iron-hardened body.

• Hu Fangyuan melted the whale rubber and poured it into a tub of water to make a medicinal bath.
• He entered the tub, reopened his wrist wound, and the Four Symbols Iron Body Gu burrowed into it.
• The Gu crawled to Hu Fangyuan’s backbone and fused with it as the medicinal power reforged his bones, tendons, muscles, and skin.
• After the bath’s medicinal power was absorbed, Hu Fangyuan awoke with an iron-gray sheen and greatly increased physical strength.
• Hu Fangyuan stood beside the tub and threw a punch using only his physical strength.

Hu Fangyuan awakened a new kind of physical strength, then attended an assembly where the academy reorganized the first-year classes and announced a new elite Class Zero. The chapter ended with eight students selected for the pilot class under Wu Changkong.

• Hu Fangyuan tested his newly integrated physical strength, then cleaned up and slept after exhausting himself with cultivation.
• The first-year students assembled, and Tang Wulin noticed Zhang Yangzi was absent and Wang Jinxi was injured.
• Long Hengxu announced that the former First-Year Class Five would become First Grade Class One and would not continue in the Class Promotion Tournament.
• Long Hengxu awarded the new First Grade Class One a grade-A meal each day for the semester.
• Long Hengxu announced First-Year Class Zero, led by Wu Changkong, and selected Hu Fangyuan, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, Wei Xiaofeng, and Su Xiao.

Eastsea Academy established First Grade Class Zero and reprimanded its seven students for the injuries caused during the Class Promotion Tournament. Principal Yu Zhen warned them to work hard and obey the rules, while Hu Fangyuan privately recognized the scolding as a way to keep talented students in line and accepted the academy’s generous support.

• Long Hengxu announced that the eight students who fought in the tournament would be severely criticized and that six would lose their rewards.
• Yu Zhen explained the purpose of Class Zero to the remaining first-grade classes, which then left the field.
• Hu Fangyuan considered how Eastsea Academy was investing in promising students and imagined that other academies would compete to recruit them.
• Yu Zhen gathered the seven Class Zero students and scolded them for their injuries and conceit, warning them against another incident.
• The students agreed to behave, while Hu Fangyuan privately viewed Yu Zhen’s reprimand as a carrot-and-stick tactic and resolved to take advantage of the academy’s resources.

Yu Zhen asked the seven students selected for Class Zero to sign agreements promising to stay at Eastsea Academy through the junior and senior divisions. Six signed, while Wei Xiaofeng asked to consult his family, leaving his place in Class Zero uncertain.

• Yu Zhen handed the students agreements and explained that Eastsea Academy would invest more in them if they committed to staying.
• Hu Fangyuan and Tang Wulin signed quickly, and Gu Yue followed after sharing a quiet exchange with Hu Fangyuan.
• Xie Xie overcame his hesitation and signed, followed by Wang Jinxi and Su Xiao.
• Wei Xiaofeng remained hesitant and told Yu Zhen he wanted to discuss the agreement with his family because they might choose a better academy for him later.