Chapter Summaries

Wei Sheng rescued Wei He and Han Donglai from the Han Family Grain Shop, killed the evil-gu monster inside, and traced clues to the Hong Family. After sneaking into their estate, he discovered Hong Chengyuan was feeding captive martial artists to a hidden creature in a fishpond.

• Wei Sheng emerged from the grain shop carrying Wei He and Han Donglai, told Pu Jinsheng the evil-gu monster was dead, and left while Pu Jinsheng searched the shop and found a massacre.
• Wei He explained how he had gone to find Han Donglai, and Han Donglai mentioned that one of his captors smelled faintly of fish.
• Wei Sheng suspected the Hong Family, escorted Wei He to Su Garden, disguised himself as Sang Qi, and infiltrated the Hong Family estate.
• Wei Sheng overheard Hong Chengyuan and Steward Huang discuss arranging Wei He's abduction through the White Lotus Cult and their suspicions about Wei Sheng's strength.
• Hong Chengyuan ordered captive martial artists thrown into the estate's fishpond, where a hidden creature devoured them; Wei Sheng watched from concealment.

Wei Sheng’s failed assassination of Hong Chengyuan exposed the Hong Family’s demon-feeding and earned him access to another martial art, but the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield injured him during training. Unable to find the Hydroxymethyl Vine he needs in Black Mountain, he hears Lin Qing offer a possible way to obtain it.

• Gao Shuihan and Big Iron Hammer attacked Hong Chengyuan at the Hong Family estate, but Hong Chengyuan overpowered them until Wei Sheng intervened and wounded him with a series of saber strikes.
• A scarlet demon tongue seized Wei Sheng and forced him to retreat; Hong Chengyuan then chased after him but turned back, while Gao Shuihan and Big Iron Hammer disappeared.
• Wei Sheng told Yu Qianji that Hong Chengyuan was feeding people to a demon, and Yu Qianji counted the information as a great service and let him choose a martial art from the third floor of the Fish Scale Pavilion.
• Wei Sheng chose the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield, but its rebounding force injured him after three days of practice, so he sought Hydroxymethyl Vine to continue training.
• Wei Sheng found no Hydroxymethyl Vine at several shops, but Lin Qing said he had an idea for obtaining the rare herb.

Wei Sheng broke into Huang Wenpeng’s Precious Medicine Repository to steal Hydroxymethyl Vine, but Gao Shuihan and Big Iron Hammer arrived and triggered a fight with Huang Abing. As Huang Wenpeng pursued Gao Shuihan, Wei Sheng escaped with the repository’s entire stock of precious medicines and returned to Su Garden.

• Lin Qing told Wei Sheng that Huang Wenpeng possessed Hydroxymethyl Vine and offered to introduce him to the County Commandant, but Wei Sheng declined.
• Wei Sheng entered the Winter Garden, used Drunken Breeze to knock out two Eleven Refinements guards, and began looting the Precious Medicine Repository.
• Gao Shuihan and Big Iron Hammer entered the repository to steal medicine, but Huang Abing ambushed them and killed Big Iron Hammer as Gao Shuihan escaped.
• Huang Wenpeng shot at Gao Shuihan, then discovered that an accomplice had stolen all the medicines; he fired several arrows at Wei Sheng, who dodged them and escaped.
• Wei Sheng returned to Su Garden with his bundle and celebrated his haul.

Wei Sheng stole and began refining precious medicines while Black Mountain faced a growing plague and the threat of Chong Xuanhu, a White Lotus Martial Arts Master. After nine days of intense cultivation, Wei Sheng reached Entry in the Tiger-Demon Bone-Refining Fist.

• Wei Sheng hid the stolen medicines, including Hydroxymethyl Vine, as news of the robbery and a bounty spread through the Inner City.
• Gao Shuihan learned that a third thief had taken the medicines, met his one-armed rescuer Xu Longxiang, and heard that the thief had worn black.
• Lin Qing gathered Wei Sheng and other local leaders to discuss Black Mountain's instability, the plague, and Chong Xuanhu's expected arrival.
• Wei Sheng visited Yu Qianji, then decided to use the stolen medicines to strengthen himself and sent Li Fenghua to bring people from the Outer City.
• Wei Sheng swallowed the Hydroxymethyl Vine and trained day and night; nine days later, he reached Entry in the Tiger-Demon Bone-Refining Fist.

Wei Sheng reached Twelve Refinements and discovered that the Outer City had been reduced to a plague-stricken wasteland while White Lotus Cultists prepared an attack. As he warned the Inner City, Scarlet Pupil met with Yu Qianji, and the attack began with a thunderous blast at the gate.

• Wei Sheng completed his third bone tempering, broke through to Twelve Refinements, and reunited with Lao Xu and A Chang at Su Garden.
• Wei Sheng saw the devastation in the Outer City and learned from a White-Fat Daoist and his fellow cultists that the White Lotus Cult planned to attack Black Mountain at midnight.
• Wei Sheng killed the cultists and hurried to warn the Inner City, where he encountered the scarlet-pupiled Scarlet Pupil.
• Scarlet Pupil revealed that Yu Qianji was a covert operative of the Double-Pupil Guards and warned that Chong Xuanhu, a Martial Arts Master, had also arrived.
• Scarlet Pupil sensed the attackers at the Inner City gate, and a thunderous blast shook the city.

The White Lotus Cult and Black Wind Stronghold broke into Black Mountain City, where Huang Wenpeng’s forces and the city’s martial experts met them in battle. As Hong Chengyuan betrayed the city and attacked Fang Heting, an unknown fighter seized Hong and ripped out his heart, leaving his identity and the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• The western city commander killed County Magistrate Fang Maozhen, then Chong Xuanhu smashed open the gates and led the White Lotus Cult into the city.
• Yu Qianji gathered the Fish-Dragon Gang, while Fang Heting sent people to look for Wei Sheng and Huang Wenpeng prepared to defend the County Yamen.
• Huang Wenpeng’s archers attacked the advancing civilians, but the White Lotus Cult members transformed through evil gu and fought their way into the city alongside Black Wind Stronghold’s forces.
• The city’s martial experts and Winter Pacification Army clashed with the invaders, while Huang Wenpeng and Chong Xuanhu watched without joining the fight.
• Hong Chengyuan betrayed Black Mountain City and joined Xu Longxiang in attacking Fang Heting; he then revealed he had sent Zhang Shun and another expert to Su Garden after Wei Sheng.
• Hong Chengyuan demonized and attacked Fang Heting, but an unknown man grabbed him and tore out his beating heart.

Wei Sheng revealed his twelve-refinements strength, killed Hong Chengyuan and Xu Longxiang, and helped crush the White Lotus fighters before Chong Xuanhu used the Flesh-and-Blood Stele to become a second-organ Martial Arts Master. After Huang Wenpeng wounded Chong Xuanhu with a True Intention Arrow and fled, Wei Sheng faced the empowered Deputy Helm Master, whose body stiffened when Wei Sheng's punch rang with a crane's cry.

• Wei Sheng killed Hong Chengyuan, then overwhelmed Xu Longxiang and tore him in half after the holy gu's power began to fade.
• Wei Sheng joined the battle and rapidly killed White Lotus Demonic Cultivators while the other fighters held off the remaining enemies.
• Chong Xuanhu activated the Flesh-and-Blood Stele, absorbed the dead cultists' blood-red threads, and gained the strength of a second-organ Martial Arts Master.
• Chong Xuanhu blasted Huang Abing apart, but Huang Wenpeng struck him with a True Intention Arrow that severed his left arm.
• Huang Wenpeng fled toward Wei Sheng and led Chong Xuanhu into a secluded alley, where an unseen attacker kicked Huang Wenpeng aside before Chong Xuanhu gravely wounded him.
• Chong Xuanhu turned to attack Wei Sheng, but he stiffened when a crane's cry sounded in his mind as Wei Sheng lunged at him.

Wei Sheng and Fang Heting joined forces against Chong Xuanhu, but Zhong Yuwei, a Scarlet Pupil commander, ultimately killed him and secured the city’s victory. After the battle, Zhong Yuwei covered for Fang Heting over Huang Wenpeng’s death, while Wei Sheng left for Su Garden to check on his younger brother and sort through his loot.

• Wei Sheng revealed his mastery of White Crane True Intention and injured Chong Xuanhu, then Fang Heting arrived and helped him attack from both sides.
• Chong Xuanhu used the Gu Fusion Great Art and the Flesh-and-Blood Stele to heal his wounds and restore his strength, but Zhong Yuwei appeared and beheaded him.
• Yu Qianji announced Chong Xuanhu’s death and displayed the sealed stele, breaking the White Lotus Demonic Cultivators’ resolve and turning the battle into a rout.
• The city’s forces drove off the White Lotus Demonic Cultivators and defeated Black Wind Stronghold, though the Winter Pacification Army suffered heavy losses.
• Zhong Yuwei told Dong Wuhou she would not pursue Huang Wenpeng’s crimes, and Wei Sheng left for Su Garden to check on his younger brother and examine his loot.

After Black Mountain’s rebellion was quelled, Wei Sheng examined the spoils he had taken and began cultivating while the city recovered. Yu Qianji recommended him to the Double-Pupil Guards, and a month later Wei Sheng’s Crane Immortal Bone-Refining Method had reached the Entry stage.

• Wei Sheng returned to Su Garden, inspected his spoils, and found martial arts manuals, a Star-Seizing Pavilion assassin token, Toad Venom, a valuable bow, and 4,753 taels in banknotes.
• After hearing that the Fish-Dragon Gang had suffered heavy casualties and the Lin Family had been ambushed by a Three-Legged Green Toad, Wei Sheng denied being the mysterious expert who had killed Hong Chengyuan and Xu Longxiang.
• Wei Sheng reached the County Yamen and saw officials distributing Zhong Yuwei’s medicinal water to purge Flesh-and-Blood Gu from the people of Black Mountain.
• Zhong Yuwei appeared at the County Yamen, met Wei Sheng, and departed after encouraging him to make a name for himself in the Provincial City.
• Yu Qianji gave Wei Sheng a Double-Pupil Guards token and ordered him to report to the office in Sishui Prefecture in one month.
• Wei Sheng resumed training, and a month later his Crane Immortal Bone-Refining Method had reached Entry with 39 Dao Origin points.

Wei Sheng perfected the Four Extremes Body-Tempering Art, advanced Penglai Misty Steps, and prepared to leave Black Mountain for the Prefectural City. After receiving the Flesh-and-Blood Stele and a letter of introduction to Gu Yunxi, he boarded a Wu Household ship with Wei He and Wu Qingman, bound for the city.

• Wei Sheng fused five Bone-Refining Methods into Bone Divine Mountain, reaching the Twelve Refinements' utmost limit with 129,600 jin of strength in one arm.
• Wei Sheng created the perfected Four Extremes Body-Tempering Art and advanced Penglai Misty Steps to Great Accomplishment, gaining much greater speed and three-second afterimages.
• Wei Sheng told Yu Qianji farewell and received the Flesh-and-Blood Stele, which he recognized as a source of Evil Gu Power.
• Wei Sheng visited Fang Heting, who gave him a letter to Gu Yunxi at Kui Water Court and warned him about the dangers of the Prefectural City.
• Wei Sheng said goodbye to friends and boarded the Wu Household merchant ship with Wei He and Wu Qingman, who offered to explain the Prefectural City's factions during their three-day journey.

Wei Sheng learned about the Prefectural City’s powerful factions and the rare great medicines he needed to become a Martial Arts Master before arriving there with Wei He and Wu Qingman. He reunited with Mother Wei and Wei Shu, met Cui Heng and Cui Jinyu, and the chapter ended as Administrator Yuan Feidao arrived with news of Wei Sheng’s father.

• Wu Qingman explained the Prefectural City’s major powers and warned Wei Sheng to keep his Clear Crane Lineage identity from the Yin Tiger Sect.
• Wei Sheng lamented that he needed five-element great medicines to uncover the Five-Viscera Mysteries, then reached the Prefectural City with Wu Qingman and Wei He.
• Wu Qingman brought Wei Sheng and Wei He to Mother Wei’s residence, where Cui Heng and Cui Jinyu were waiting with the pregnant Wei Shu.
• Wei Sheng reunited with his mother and eldest sister, greeted Cui Heng as his brother-in-law, and noticed Cui Jinyu’s disdainful attitude.
• Administrator Yuan Feidao arrived, greeted Wei Sheng warmly, and announced that he had news about Wei Sheng’s father.

Wei Sheng learned that his father had been sent into a newly discovered tomb, then accepted a provisional promotion to Black-Pupil Guard at the Sishui Double-Pupil Guards Office. While researching the region’s famous prodigies and feared criminals, he discovered that the top-ranked Crane Demon was his acquaintance Fang Heting.

• Yuan Feidao told Wei Sheng that his father’s work crew had been sent into a great tomb, and promised to bring him to the family if he emerged.
• Wei Sheng attended a welcome banquet with his mother, Wei He, Wei Shu, Cui Heng, Cui Jinyu, and Yuan Feidao, then decided to buy a larger house and showed his mother his savings.
• Wei Shu and Cui Heng wondered about Wei Sheng’s sudden change and Yuan Feidao’s deference, while Cui Jinyu urged Cui Heng to secure an earth-aspect great herb and recruit Chu Minghui.
• Wei Sheng reported to Wang Zhongyu at the Double-Pupil Guards headquarters and accepted a provisional promotion to Black-Pupil Guard despite lacking the cultivation required for command.
• Yan Liang showed Wei Sheng around the office, where Wei Sheng read about the Ten Prodigies and Five Fiends and recognized the first-ranked Crane Demon as Fang Heting.

Wei Sheng learned about the Guards Office’s resources and his teacher Fang Heting’s past, then perfected the Golden Bell Shield and fused it with his Tiger-Howling Saber Technique. When Wei Shu arrived in tears, Wei Sheng learned that Cui Heng had been set up over an Earth-Element Great Medicine and might be in danger at Worry-Relief Hall.

• Wei Sheng read that Fang Heting had once rivaled a Grandmaster, learned that information about Dragon-Taming Valley and Linyuan Town was classified, and browsed the Guards Office’s Merit Pavilion.
• Wei Sheng saw that an Earth-Element Great Medicine cost a thousand merit points, collected his Black-Pupil Guard provisions, and delivered Fang Heting’s letter to Wutai Academy, where Elder Qin told him to return for an answer within ten days.
• Wei Sheng used Dao Origin and Viscera-Strengthening Pills to perfect the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield, then developed Tiger’s Roar saber momentum and fused the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique into the shield.
• Wei Shu arrived crying, and Wei He told Wei Sheng that the Cui family had bought an Earth-Element Great Medicine at auction before Sun Tai claimed it was stolen and demanded its return.
• Wei Sheng concluded that Sun Tai had orchestrated the theft, and Wei Shu revealed that Cui Heng had gone to negotiate with him at Worry-Relief Hall.

Wei Sheng intervened when Sun Tai tried to seize the Cui Family’s earth-aspect great medicinal herb, then defeated him with his saber and defensive martial arts. After Yan Liang confirmed Wei Sheng was a Black-Pupil Guard, Sun Tai backed down, and Wei Sheng left with Cui Heng, Chu Minghui, and Yan Liang; later, Cui Heng visited Wei Sheng’s home with gifts.

• Sun Tai beat Cui Heng’s Second-Organ Attendant and demanded the Cui Family’s earth-aspect great medicinal herb for one tael of silver.
• Chu Minghui challenged Sun Tai to protect the herb but lost after Sun Tai overpowered his Tyrant Saber.
• Wei Sheng arrived and claimed to be a Black-Pupil Guard, then crushed Sun Tai’s wrist when Sun Tai attacked him.
• Wei Sheng used the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique and his defensive martial art to wound Sun Tai, stopping his final strike when Yan Liang arrived.
• Yan Liang identified Wei Sheng as his fellow Black-Pupil Guard, and Sun Tai apologized and abandoned his claim to the herb.
• Wei Sheng joined Cui Heng, Chu Minghui, and Yan Liang for a banquet, then returned home; Cui Heng later arrived with gifts.

Cui Guofeng rewarded Wei Sheng for driving back Sun Tai and recruited him as a Cui Family guest elder, while news of Wei Sheng’s strength drew attention from Wutai Academy’s Kui Water Court. Gu Yunxi accepted Wei Sheng as her disciple, and he immediately asked her for the Great Medicine he needed to break through to Martial Arts Master.

• Cui Guofeng gave Wei Sheng precious medicines, a residence deed, and an Earth-Element Great Medicine, then appointed him a Cui Family guest elder for fifty thousand taels of silver a month.
• Wu Qingman offered Wei Sheng the same monthly payment on behalf of the Wu Household, but he declined and went to the Double-Pupil Guards Office to collect his uniform.
• After Cui Jinyu learned that Wei Sheng had defeated Sun Tai, Chen Yuque sought him out at Gu Yunxi’s request and invited him to the Kui Water Court.
• Wei Sheng traveled with Chen Yuque to Wutai Academy, where Gu Yunxi warned him not to mention the extinct Tianshui Clear-Crane Lineage and accepted him as a Kui Water Court disciple.
• Wei Sheng told Gu Yunxi that he had already accumulated enough to become a Martial Arts Master and asked her to grant him the Great Medicine he needed.

Wei Sheng joined Kui Water Court and learned that the Academy rewarded disciples who broke cultivation records with a stalk of great medicine. After secretly advancing Wind Shadow Without Trace, he challenged Qin Kun of Kun Earth Court to earn access to the Kun Earth True Art, and Qin Kun handed him the manual after their bout.

• Wei Sheng learned that he could earn Earth-Element Great Medicine by breaking a cultivation record, and Chen Yuque taught him the Kui Water True Art and Wind Shadow Without Trace.
• Wei Sheng realized that the five courts’ true arts had once formed a complete art and decided to seek the Kun Earth True Art rather than use the Kui Water True Art to cultivate his spleen.
• Wei Sheng practiced Wind Shadow Without Trace in his new courtyard and reached entry, then waited until he had enough Dao Origin to improve it further.
• Sang Sang brought Qin Kun to meet Wei Sheng, and Qin Kun agreed to let him learn the Kun Earth True Art if he could match or overcome Qin Kun’s defense.
• Wei Sheng broke Qin Kun’s Earth Armor with Tiger Baleful Intent and withstood Qin Kun’s Mountain Suppression using the Tiger-Roaring Golden Bell, so Qin Kun honored the wager and gave him the Kun Earth True Art manual.

Wei Sheng obtained the Kun Earth True Art and perfected Wind Shadow Without Trace, impressing Gu Yunxi and Chen Yuque with his rapid movement-art progress. After collecting an earth-aspected great medicine and retrieving his precious medicine, he prepared to break through to Martial Arts Master.

• Qin Kun gave Wei Sheng the Kun Earth True Art and invited him to visit the Kun Earth Court, while Sang Sang scolded him for trying to recruit Wei Sheng.
• Wei Sheng perfected Wind Shadow Without Trace, then went to Kui Water Hall to ask Gu Yunxi for an earth-aspected great medicine.
• Chen Yuque tested Wei Sheng and was shocked when he evaded her attacks with Wind Shadow Without Trace at Great Accomplishment.
• Gu Yunxi sent Chen Yuque to collect an earth-aspected great medicine for Wei Sheng from Lu Changqing at the Greenwood Court.
• Wei Sheng collected the great medicine, retrieved an earth-aspected precious medicine from his residence, and returned to his courtyard with the materials needed for his breakthrough.

After losing the Kun Earth True Art to Wei Sheng, Qin Kun was urged by Peng Yue to focus on cultivation and prepare for the Five-Court Trial. Wei Sheng entered the Martial Arts Master realm by breaking two spleen shackles, then went to the guard station to choose his first mission.

• Qin Kun told Peng Yue that Wei Sheng had defeated him with Blade Force and the perfected Tiger-Roaring Golden Bell, winning the Kun Earth True Art in their wager.
• Peng Yue reassured Qin Kun and instructed him to reach the Second-Organ Realm in three months for the Five-Court Trial, which would decide who entered the Five Directions Cave.
• Wei Sheng used an earth-element Great Medicine to break the first shackle in his spleen, unleashing Qi-Blood Wolf Smoke, then broke the second with the remaining medicinal power.
• Wei Sheng spent Dao Origin points trying to break his third spleen shackle, stopped when the attempt made little progress, and realized he needed more Great Medicine.
• Wei Sheng assessed his new strength, decided to seek a high-level energy-concealment method, and headed to the guard station to select a mission.

Wei Sheng accepted missions to hunt three fugitives and began refining the evil gu inside the Flesh-and-Blood Stele while waiting for their locations. After Ren An provided their whereabouts, Wei Sheng killed Thunderclap Hand and Red-Haired Demon, then confronted Jingzhe Daoist after finding the Bu Family slaughtered.

• Wei Sheng accepted a Black Mountain mission and three profound-grade fugitive hunts, including the mission for Jingzhe Daoist, despite Wen Qiang warning him about the dangerous target.
• Wei Sheng met Ren An at a northern-city apothecary, learned the fugitives' reported locations, and refined the Flesh-and-Blood Stele with Red Lotus Flame Force while he waited.
• Wei Sheng found Thunderclap Hand with Madam Yang and killed him with a blood-colored saber strike.
• Wei Sheng killed Red-Haired Demon with a single strike at a ruined temple in Stone Bridge Ward.
• Wei Sheng arrived at the Bu Family residence, found its members slaughtered, and discovered Jingzhe Daoist was a second-organ master who had concealed his strength.
• Wei Sheng struck Jingzhe Daoist with a powerful saber attack, shattered his weapon, and fatally wounded him as Jingzhe Daoist recognized Blade Force.

Wei Sheng killed Jingzhe Daoist and claimed his techniques and a map to a Water-Element Great Medicine, then strengthened his cultivation and returned to the Academy. Qin Kun and Sang Sang arrived just as he prepared to develop Saber Intent, and Sang Sang pulled him away to see a grand event.

• Wei Sheng killed Jingzhe Daoist, reported the Bu Family massacre, and took a secret technique and a map to a Water-Element Great Medicine on Giant Ao Island.
• Wang Zhongyu learned that the Giant Whale Gang had targeted Double-Pupil Guards auditing its accounts and ordered evidence gathered and commandants assembled in half a month.
• Wei Sheng presented the heads of Thunderclap Hand, Red-Haired Demon, and Jingzhe Daoist at the Merit Pavilion, then exchanged most of his merit points for three Earth-Element Great Medicines.
• Wei Sheng visited Mother Wei and Wei He, gave Wei He pills and cultivation advice, then returned to the Academy and broke all three spleen shackles with the medicines and Dao Origin Points.
• Qin Kun and Sang Sang visited Wei Sheng, and Sang Sang took him to see a grand event just as he was about to spend Dao Origin Points developing Saber Intent.