Chapter Summaries

Jiang Man rapidly advanced his Six Harmonies Palm during class and prepared to spar with Song Qing. Song Qing offered to lose dramatically so Jiang Man could build a reputation, but Jiang Man denied relying on Luo Xuan and had not accepted the offer when their match was about to begin.

• Little Fatty told Jiang Man that Song Qing was likely at the fourth or fifth layer of the Six Harmonies Palm.
• Teacher Fu explained the Six Harmonies Palm and gave the students two hours to practice before sparring.
• Jiang Man advanced to the fourth layer in an hour and learned to release four palm imprints by the end of practice.
• Teacher Fu told the students to spar at an intensity they chose, and Song Qing paired with Jiang Man.
• Song Qing offered to lose spectacularly in exchange for Jiang Man introducing him to Luo Xuan, but Jiang Man said he had advanced through talent and hard work.

Jiang Man defeated Song Qing in a sparring match and continued his cultivation, then asked Zhao Leming how to obtain a Superior Visualization Method quickly. Zhao Leming revealed an upcoming sect trial that could offer one, but hinted that helping Jiang Man enter would come at a steep price.

• Jiang Man defeated Song Qing with the Six Harmonies Palm, surprising the other students and Teacher Fu.
• Song Qing assumed Luo Xuan had chosen Jiang Man because of his ability, but Jiang Man insisted his victory came from his own talent and effort.
• Jiang Man continued practicing alongside Little Fatty and reached the sixth layer of the Qi and Blood Method that evening.
• Jiang Man asked Zhao Leming about obtaining the Cloudfront Office's Superior Visualization Method within two months.
• Zhao Leming told Jiang Man that sect representatives would soon select people to test three Superior cultivation methods, and said he could help Jiang Man compete for a place at a steep price.

Jiang Man traded the second half of the Flame-Treading Spirit Steed method to Zhao Leming for a chance to register for a Superior Visualization Method trial, then focused on meeting its cultivation requirements. Meanwhile, Luo Xuan prepared to use Jiang Man’s need for resources to draw him toward becoming his Personal Guard.

• Zhao Leming explained the rare trial opportunity and its strict requirements, and Jiang Man agreed to bring him the second half of the Rearing Method in exchange for a registration chance.
• Jiang Man delivered the method to Zhao Leming, who confirmed it was the second half and promised to provide news by November.
• Jiang Man returned to the courtyard and practiced until his Simple Qi and Blood Method reached the ninth layer.
• Luo Xuan told Cheng Yu he had stopped asking Jiang Man to spar so Jiang Man might consider becoming his Personal Guard, and said he would give Jiang Man an opening if he showed interest.

Jiang Man advanced his body cultivation but discovered that it consumed far more food and Spirit Source than he could easily afford. While Luo Xuan waited for him to return her handkerchief, Song Qing went to her residence instead, leaving the chapter on his offer to serve her.

• Luo Xuan dropped her handkerchief so Jiang Man would have an excuse to approach her, but Jiang Man gave it to Song Qing instead.
• Jiang Man opened his first Flesh Body layer and, after buying three jin of special beast meat, opened his second layer by filling his Blood Gourds.
• Jiang Man decided to seek more Spirit Source and went to the Guard Office to ask about his price.
• Song Qing went to Luo Xuan's residence and knelt, declaring that he was willing to serve her like a hound or horse.

Jiang Man earned Spirit Sources at the Spirit-Gathering Hall while improving his Qi and Blood Method, then learned that Wuyun Sect experts would soon inspect the Three Towers and Six Pavilions. Hoping to reach the qi refining sixth layer in time, he borrowed Spirit-Gathering Pills from Little Gao and was offered access to the Spirit-Gathering Hall.

• Jiang Man doubled his pay by lighting eight beads at the Spirit-Gathering Hall and thanking it for nurturing him.
• Jiang Man spent his earnings on beast meat and cultivated until he opened his third qi and blood gourd, strengthening his body and techniques.
• The Cloudfront Office prepared for an inspection by Wuyun Sect experts, and Jiang Man waited for the promised cultivation methods from Mr. Zhao.
• Jiang Man decided his earnings were too slow and borrowed six Spirit-Gathering Pills from Little Fatty to help reach the qi refining sixth layer.
• Little Fatty offered to lend Jiang Man his opportunity to cultivate at the Spirit-Gathering Hall.

Jiang Man reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining and rose to fourteenth in the Cloudfront Office rankings, while Little Fatty improved only slightly and received a harsh assessment. Cheng Yu decided to exploit Jiang Man’s pride and the grudge between him, Luo Xuan, and Fang Yong to recruit him, and planted an idea with Cheng Moyang.

• Little Fatty explained that his father expected him to improve faster than Jiang Man and urged Jiang Man to aim for the top ten.
• Jiang Man broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, and Old Yellow Ox warned him that he had only one month left.
• Jiang Man’s ranking rose from eighteenth to fourteenth, while Little Fatty advanced one place but was criticized for wasting resources.
• Luo Xuan decided to stop pursuing Jiang Man and focus on competing for a spot, while Cheng Yu resolved to recruit him by crushing his hopes.
• Cheng Yu told Cheng Moyang that Luo Xuan had suffered a setback, hoping to stir resentment against Jiang Man.

Jiang Man received a token for a November trial to learn a cultivation method, while racing to raise his cultivation before the assessment. Cheng Moyang and Young Master Yang investigated how Jiang Man was funding his progress and began wondering how he would handle another crisis.

• Jiang Man planned to reach Qi Refining Sixth Layer before the December assessment and discussed his borrowed pills and missing Visualization Method with Old Yellow Ox.
• Jiang Man advanced to Qi Refining Fifth Layer in late October, then spent almost all his Spirit Sources on food and pills in early November.
• Zhao Leming gave Jiang Man a token for a trial at the Dharma Transmission Office on November seventeenth and warned him that his strength would be checked on the fifteenth.
• Zhao Leming worried that Jiang Man was advancing too quickly and would harm his body, while Jiang Man left determined to pursue the opportunity.
• Young Master Yang told Cheng Moyang that Jiang Man had refused Luo Xuan's offer to become a guard, and Cheng Moyang learned that Jiang Man had been earning Spirit Sources at the Spirit-Gathering Hall.
• Cheng Moyang called Jiang Man ambitious and wondered how he would respond if he faced another demand for compensation.

Jiang Man cultivated and prepared to reach the Qi Refining Sixth Layer while Old Yellow Ox promised to find him another wife after recovering. On November 14, Fang Yong arrived at Jiang Man’s Stable with an Illusory Moon Silver Mane, whose sudden illness made Jiang Man suspect he had come to target him.

• Cheng Moyang and Young Master Yang lured Fang Yong into claiming he cultivated at the Spirit-Gathering Hall, then mocked him after he left.
• Jiang Man kept his trial token secret, cultivated toward the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and heard his wife accuse Old Yellow Ox of lying about the Magpie Bridge.
• Old Yellow Ox warned Jiang Man that his wariness could help his wife locate them and said he would find him another wife once he recovered.
• Jiang Man spent the following weeks cultivating and earning Spirit Sources, reaching ninety percent of the way toward filling his gourd by November 13.
• On November 14, Fang Yong brought an Illusory Moon Silver Mane to Jiang Man’s Stable, where the horse developed spots and cried out as Fang Yong turned toward Jiang Man.

Jiang Man was accused of poisoning Cheng Moyang’s spirit steed and fought Chang Qiwen before fleeing into the Guard Office, where all three men were arrested. The Law Enforcement Office said Jiang Man would remain detained for up to three months while it investigated.

• Jiang Man examined the sick spirit steed and suspected it had been poisoned, but Fang Yong accused him of contaminating the fodder.
• Young Master Yang confirmed the fodder was poisoned, and Chang Qiwen blamed Jiang Man and Fang Yong, then attacked Jiang Man after Young Master Yang encouraged him.
• Jiang Man fought back with Six Harmonies Palm, tricked Chang Qiwen by calling out for Mr. Zhao, and fled using Spirit Travel Step.
• Chang Qiwen chased Jiang Man, while Fang Yong followed them; Jiang Man ran into the Guard Office, and all three were arrested.
• An interrogator questioned Jiang Man, who denied poisoning the steed and learned that he could be held for up to three months during the investigation.

Jiang Man was released from the Law Enforcement Office after using his Token, then suspected Cheng Yu had benefited from the plot that got three Sixth Courtyard contenders arrested. After opening his sixth Gourd, he returned to the Sixth Courtyard determined to claim first place, while the rankings were still approaching.

• The Interrogator returned Jiang Man's Spirit Sources, released him, and told him the case could remain unresolved for up to three months; Fang Yong had left, but Chang Qiwen was detained.
• Old Yellow Ox said the poisoned fodder smelled like poison used by one of Young Master Yang's people, and Jiang Man suspected Cheng Yu had benefited from the contenders' arrests.
• Jiang Man cultivated through the night, opened his sixth Gourd, and realized Chang Qiwen had slowed down to help get them all arrested.
• Jiang Man went to the Sixth Courtyard and told Little Fatty he would rise higher than tenth place when the rankings came out on the seventeenth.
• Little Fatty explained that the courtyard now believed Fang Yong was a rich young master and Jiang Man was being groomed by Luo Xuan, while Chang Qiwen was the only genuinely poor one.

As the trainees prepared for next month’s combat assessment, Cheng Yu arranged for Chang Qiwen to injure Luo Xuan or Fang Yong, while Jiang Man prepared to learn a visualization method. The rankings revealed unexpected changes at the top, leaving Luo Xuan second, Fang Yong third, and Cheng Yu surprised that someone else had surpassed her.

• Cheng Yu told Chang Qiwen he had failed, then assigned him to injure Luo Xuan or Fang Yong on the fifteenth of next month.
• Jiang Man decided to seek combat practice through the Guard Office and went to the Dharma Transmission Office to learn the Visualization Method.
• Luo Xuan received her ranking sheet and discovered she had fallen to second place with a score of 63.
• Fang Yong saw that he had dropped to third place and realized Cheng Yu had surpassed him.
• Cheng Yu found herself in fourth place and wondered who the new expert above her was.

Little Fatty and the others were stunned when Jiang Man took first place in the rankings, while Luo Xuan left amid rumors that he had surpassed her. Jiang Man then entered a cultivation courtyard, where he began studying the difficult Water-Wood Visualization Method under a powerful instructor.

• Little Fatty waited with Song Qing for the rankings and expected Jiang Man to place eleventh or twelfth.
• Little Fatty discovered Jiang Man had taken first place with sixty-four points, shocking the crowd and prompting Luo Xuan to leave in silence.
• Jiang Man entered a courtyard compound and paid a guard ten Spirit Sources before waiting with the other candidates.
• A burly man mocked Jiang Man's coarse clothes and guessed he was a death-sworn retainer of the Luo Lineage.
• A powerful man instructed the candidates to study the Water-Wood Visualization Method, and Jiang Man found its text too obscure to understand without guidance.

Jiang Man failed to cultivate the Water-Wood Visualization Method because it had been deliberately altered, but Old Yellow Ox corrected it and helped him begin advancing rapidly. By daybreak, Jiang Man had reached the eighth layer and planned to keep cultivating until he reached the thirteenth layer before his week was up.

• Senior Brother Lu explained the Water-Wood Visualization Method, but Jiang Man and the other candidates failed to complete it before time ran out.
• Senior Brother Lu judged Jiang Man’s performance mediocre, while he and Junior Sister Xia discussed the candidates and the sect’s hidden recruitment plans.
• Jiang Man returned to the Stable and told Old Yellow Ox about the method, and Old Yellow Ox determined that it had been deliberately made incorrect.
• Old Yellow Ox amended the method, allowing Jiang Man to form a Water Cauldron and reach the first layer of the Visualization Method.
• Jiang Man advanced to the seventh layer before dawn and reached the eighth layer after waking, then decided to keep cultivating toward the thirteenth layer.

Jiang Man completed the thirteenth layer of the Visualization Method and entered the Visualization Realm, First Layer, astonishing Old Yellow Ox. After visiting the Sixth Courtyard, he faced a private challenge from Chang Qiwen, who doubted that Jiang Man had earned his first-place standing.

• Jiang Man advanced through the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth layers before reaching the Visualization Method’s thirteenth layer and entering the Visualization Realm, First Layer.
• Jiang Man joked with Old Yellow Ox about his talent, then received a message from his wife and replied that she knew nothing about a peerless heaven’s chosen.
• Jiang Man realized the Peerless Heaven’s Chosen Destiny had not yet reacted because one day remained in its hundred-day goal.
• Jiang Man arrived at the Sixth Courtyard and found its students, including Luo Xuan and Fang Yong, diligently cultivating and wary of him.
• Little Fatty told Jiang Man that his parents wanted to support him and warned that someone might challenge his claim to first place.
• Chang Qiwen confronted Jiang Man and demanded a private fight, saying he did not believe Jiang Man had truly earned the title.

Jiang Man accepted Chang Qiwen’s private challenge and trained under Luo Xuan while continuing to cultivate as the Sixth Courtyard’s new first-place student. He left his classmates stunned when he said he practiced until dawn and asked whether they needed rest.

• Jiang Man accepted Chang Qiwen’s private challenge, and Chang Qiwen paid him one thousand Spirit Sources before arranging to find him that night.
• Fu Yidan told Jiang Man to study more spell arts, then taught the students the Three Talents Force and paired him with Luo Xuan for sparring.
• Luo Xuan agreed to match Jiang Man’s level, and their sparring helped him improve without her resorting to underhanded attacks.
• Jiang Man cultivated at the front of the courtyard until everyone else had to keep practicing alongside him.
• Luo Xuan asked how late Jiang Man practiced at night, and he replied that he continued until dawn before leaving the courtyard.

Jiang Man learned that his Peerless Heaven's Chosen Destiny had produced two pills and awaited its next requirement. Meanwhile, Cheng Yu devised a scheme to manipulate him through a forged admiration letter from Luo Xuan, hoping to disrupt the rivals and claim second place.

• Jiang Man told curious passersby that the Sixth Courtyard was cultivating, then discussed his destiny with Old Yellow Ox, who asked whether others might copy his sleepless training.
• Luo Xuan told Cheng Yu that Jiang Man had rapidly become first despite lacking spell-arts knowledge and combat experience, and she resolved to train harder to challenge him.
• Cheng Yu decided to forge an admiration letter from Luo Xuan to make Jiang Man try to defeat Fang Yong, setting up injuries that could help her claim second place.
• Jiang Man's Peerless Heaven's Chosen Destiny produced two high-quality pills in his Dantian, and he waited to learn its third requirement.

Jiang Man learned that his Peerless Heaven's Chosen Destiny required him to cultivate 150 times a day and reach the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment method within 300 days, so he resolved to enter a sect and obtain the method. He then faced Chang Qiwen in a duel and drove him back with powerful palm strikes.

• Jiang Man discovered his new destiny demands and learned from Old Yellow Ox that the Origin Condensation Method was the Foundation Establishment method, which he had to master to the ninth layer within 300 days.
• Jiang Man decided he needed to enter a sect to obtain the method and continued preparing to earn Spirit Sources.
• Chang Qiwen arrived at the Stable and said he resented Jiang Man for ruining his chance to compete for a slot.
• Jiang Man asked who Chang Qiwen worked for, but Chang Qiwen denied any motive beyond resentment and attacked with the Dragon-Suppressing Method.
• Jiang Man countered with Six Harmonies Palm and Three Talents Force, repeatedly forcing Chang Qiwen back.

Jiang Man defeated Chang Qiwen, learned that poverty and a payment of Spirit Source had motivated Chang Qiwen to test him, and accepted compensation before returning to cultivation. Just as he planned how to secure first place, Cheng Yu arrived at his courtyard.

• Jiang Man overwhelmed Chang Qiwen with repeated Six Palms United strikes reinforced by Three Talents Force, and Chang Qiwen admitted defeat.
• Jiang Man asked why Chang Qiwen had attacked him, and Chang Qiwen explained that he had taken the job for Spirit Source because his family was poor.
• Chang Qiwen revealed that he had received ten thousand Spirit Source, but most had been reclaimed or sent home, and he offered Jiang Man six hundred more before leaving.
• Old Yellow Ox warned Jiang Man that his actual combat skills needed improvement, and Jiang Man returned to cultivating so he could raise his qi and blood and secure first place.
• Old Yellow Ox sensed someone approaching, and Jiang Man saw Cheng Yu, ranked fourth in the Sixth Courtyard, coming toward his courtyard.

Cheng Yu delivered Jiang Man a secret letter from Luo Xuan, which she interpreted as an indirect confession and promise of a future marriage if they both secured spots. Jiang Man doubted the letter was sincere and resumed cultivating, focused on getting stronger and finding work.

• Cheng Yu arrived at Jiang Man’s courtyard late at night and gave him a sealed letter from Luo Xuan.
• Jiang Man opened the letter and read Luo Xuan’s account of their history and her hope that they would obtain spots and pledge themselves to each other.
• Cheng Yu explained that Luo Xuan admired Jiang Man and urged him to seriously injure Fang Yong so Luo Xuan’s spot would be secure.
• Cheng Yu offered to help Jiang Man find resources or work, then left, privately viewing him as someone she could shape into a useful blade.
• Jiang Man asked Old Yellow Ox why anyone would admire him, but Old Yellow Ox told him to cultivate before his remaining three hundred days ran out.
• Jiang Man dismissed the letter as unconvincing because it offered no Spirit Sources and began cultivating while planning to claim Spell Arts and seek sparring work at the Guard Office.

Jiang Man learned the Dragon-Suppressing Method, sparred with Luo Xuan, and continued enforcing his cultivation schedule as the courtyard’s top-ranked student. He then went to the Guard Office to begin covering shifts, where Steward Miao was surprised to see that his ranking really was first place.

• Fu Yidan gave Jiang Man the spell arts manuals for thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty points, and he learned the Dragon-Suppressing Method before improving it to the fifth layer.
• Jiang Man sparred with Luo Xuan, realized he was behind her in technique, and decided he should learn basic fist, palm, and movement techniques.
• Jiang Man made the courtyard students cultivate until he left, then joked with Little Fatty about marrying Luo Xuan to gain talent.
• Jiang Man told two guards that he remained first place and agreed to start covering shifts at the main gate.
• Steward Miao saw Jiang Man’s first-place ranking on the sheet and wondered whether she had treated him badly before.