Chapter Summaries

Jiang Man returned from the Secret Realm with unexpected Spirit Sources, learned that others were searching for Number 210, and repaid Chang Qiwen’s debt. He offered Chang Qiwen a chance to take a sect letter-delivery job, but charged him nine thousand Spirit Sources for the recommendation.

• Jiang Man returned from the Secret Realm with eighteen thousand Spirit Sources and learned that Meng Qiewei’s scent might reveal his presence there.
• Yu Wanyi told Jiang Man about the notorious Number 210, then discovered that Jiang Man himself was Number 210 and had cultivated Heavenly Heart Seal to the eighth layer.
• Yu Wanyi gave Jiang Man five thousand Spirit Sources and agreed to advance him twenty-four thousand in investment funds.
• At Redwater Peak, Jiang Man gave Chang Qiwen forty-eight thousand Spirit Sources to repay his debt, then offered him a letter-delivery position requiring Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
• Jiang Man told Chang Qiwen the recommendation would cost nine thousand Spirit Sources, equal to three months of the job’s pay.

Jiang Man secured Spirit Sources from his friends and Fang Yong, then began cultivating the upper-grade Origin Condensation Method while learning that he would need the Five Elements Technique for the upcoming destiny trial. Meanwhile, Yu Wanyi worried that people searching for Number 210 might uncover her connection to him, and Meng Qiewei waited for the Secret Realm to open fully so she could identify the person she sought.

• Jiang Man lent Chang Qiwen a Sect Admission Recommendation Letter, borrowed Spirit Sources from him and Song Qing, and gave his friends advice on finding opportunities.
• Jiang Man learned that Fang Yong had reached Foundation Establishment and borrowed ten thousand Spirit Sources from him in exchange for a promise to team up during next year's assessment.
• Old Yellow Ox taught Jiang Man the upper-grade Origin Condensation Method and told him to learn the Five Elements Technique so he could leave a handprint on the Five Elements Stone.
• Yu Wanyi worried that rumors and a search for Number 210 could put her in danger, while Xia Jin told her that people were offering rewards for information about Number 210.
• Meng Qiewei said she would identify the person she sought once the Secret Realm opened completely, and Qing Dai reminded her that the tea she had poured away was expensive.

Meng Qiewei waited for the Secret Realm to open while Jiang Man cultivated and worried about his unpaid rent. Cheng Yu visited Fang Yong’s family with supplies and Cultivation Gold, Luo Xuan returned home, and Gao Cunfeng angrily confronted Little Fatty for misunderstanding his instructions.

• Meng Qiewei asked Qing Dai about the Secret Realm, Magpie Bridge, and the Immortal Gate’s search for Evil Gods, then reviewed information on the Evil Gods.
• Jiang Man advanced the Seven Star Origin Condensation Method through its ninth layer and received a notice that he owed six thousand three hundred in rent.
• Cheng Yu presented her token at the Cloudfront Office, then traveled to Fang Yong’s village and delivered supplies and Cultivation Gold for a child’s education.
• Cheng Yu spoke with Fang Yong’s parents about his determination to support them and noticed two people searching the area on flying swords.
• Luo Xuan returned to the Luo Residence and told Luo Huaili that life in the Sect was relaxing and the Gao Lineage’s support had eased tensions.
• Gao Cunfeng whipped Little Fatty for repeatedly spending his time cultivating instead of following instructions about Luo Xuan.

Jiang Man completed the thirteenth layer of the Origin Condensation Method while his courtyard learned its rankings and prepared for new classes. The chapter ended with Xia Jin telling Yu Wanyi that someone from the Nine Institutes had taken part in the contest, raising the possibility that Jiang Man was Number 210.

• Meng Qiewei refused to meet the Immortal Gate inspectors, and Qing Dai relayed her decision while assuring the elder she was on the clan's side.
• Jiang Man turned in spirit medicines to He Huaian, answered questions about them, and collected another thousand Spirit Sources instead of choosing to refine pills.
• Jiang Man returned to the Eighth Courtyard, where Zhao Yaoyao and Zhuo Bufan explained why others had expected him to join the Annual Ranking; Yan Yiqiu announced the Seven Peaks results and new lessons.
• Jiang Man advanced through the eleventh and twelfth layers before mastering the thirteenth layer of the Origin Condensation Method in late October.
• Xia Jin told Yu Wanyi that rumors linked Number 210 to the Nine Institutes, then realized someone from the Nine Institutes had participated and fell silent with her.

Jiang Man entered the second Secret Realm assessment after receiving a Token from Yu Wanyi, and openly admitted to being Number 210 when the other participants tried to identify him. He headed to study Five Elements Unification, leaving the others puzzled by his confidence.

• Yu Wanyi received a Token from her master for Jiang Man’s chance to enter the second Secret Realm assessment and warned that learning its Spell Arts would be difficult.
• Jiang Man continued cultivating and decided to enter the Secret Realm despite Old Yellow Ox’s doubts that he would have enough time to learn its best Spell Art.
• Yan Yiqiu warned Jiang Man to avoid three exceptionally gifted cultivators from the Eighth Courtyards, but Jiang Man remained confident and requested leave.
• After entering the Secret Realm, Jiang Man admitted he was Number 210 when the participants asked who he was.
• Jiang Man refused a challenge because private fighting was prohibited, then gave the challenger fifty Spirit Sources for directions to Five Elements Unification.
• Jiang Man entered the room where Five Elements Unification would be taught, and a nearby man asked whether he was the best in his courtyard.

Jiang Man endured the long wait for instruction on Five Elements Unification, memorized the spell art, and left without having his progress recorded so Old Yellow Ox could help him understand it. Meanwhile, Meng Qiewei received a visit from the Immortal Gate and summoned her husband, saying they were bullying her.

• Jiang Man learned about the thirty-thousand Spirit Source bounty on Number 210 and spent ten days cultivating while waiting for the lesson to begin.
• A middle-aged instructor explained Five Elements Unification for three days, and Jiang Man struggled to understand the material but memorized it.
• Jiang Man accepted Number Sixty-Six's ranking bet, revealed that he was Number 210, and left the Secret Realm without recording his progress so he could consult Old Yellow Ox.
• Meng Qiewei initially ordered Qing Dai to turn away two Immortal Gate visitors, but changed her mind after learning they had brought tea and a wedding gift tied to her mother's request.
• After Qing Dai went to admit the visitors, Meng Qiewei brought out a ball of light and told her husband, "Husband, they are bullying me."

Meng Qiewei punished two Immortal Gate investigators and sent a warning, while Jiang Man continued cultivating and scrambling for Spirit Sources as he prepared for the Secret Realm. The chapter ended with Jiang Man asking He Huaian to lend him ten Earth-Origin Pills, and He Huaian realizing they were worth nine thousand Spirit Sources.

• Meng Qiewei ordered Qing Dai to send the silk pouch and two injured investigators to the Immortal Gate and demand an explanation.
• Fang Yong told Jiang Man that the bounty had been canceled, then later gave him three thousand Spirit Sources after sharing information about Jiang Man with Zhang Bai.
• Old Yellow Ox warned Jiang Man that Meng Qiewei’s measures in the Secret Realm might reveal his location, and Jiang Man received her message saying she was being bullied and asking him to stand up for her once he became prominent.
• Jiang Man secured an advance of eighteen thousand Spirit Sources from Yu Wanyi, discussed the Secret Realm and his dao companion, and later advanced to Spirit Fifth Stage.
• After spending his remaining Spirit Sources on wine, Jiang Man visited He Huaian and asked to borrow ten Earth-Origin Pills, shocking his master with their nine-thousand-Source value.

Jiang Man borrowed five Earth-Origin Pills from He Huaian, exchanged them for Water Origin Pills, and advanced to Foundation Establishment Late Stage before entering the Secret Realm. Meng Qiewei sensed that her husband was inside the Secret Realm and narrowed the likely location to the Wuyun Sect, while Old Yellow Ox wondered why his protective measure had not triggered.

• He Huaian gave Jiang Man five Earth-Origin Pills after Jiang Man repeatedly argued that he was a prodigy who deserved an investment.
• Jiang Man exchanged the pills for seven Water Origin Pills and, after a week of cultivation, reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage, though his dense spiritual qi strained his body.
• At the Eighth Courtyard, Jiang Man discussed the Secret Realm and cultivation methods with Cao Cheng, An Rong, Zhao Yaoyao, Zhuo Bufan, and the others before leaving to cultivate the Heavenly Heart Seal.
• Jiang Man entered the Secret Realm at midnight, confident that his good fortune would protect him, while Meng Qiewei sensed his presence and concluded that he was probably in the Wuyun Sect.
• Meng Qiewei told Qing Dai to watch the new prodigy, and Old Yellow Ox wondered why the measure he had left behind had not been triggered.

Jiang Man entered the Secret Realm, cultivated the Five Elements Technique to its ninth level, and left a palm print at the highest point of a mysterious stele. After escaping the foggy central forest, he teamed up with Number 98 and Number 99 and demonstrated his strength when another group tried to recruit them.

• Jiang Man was flung into the central forest, waited as fog filled it, and began cultivating the Five Elements Technique while staying alert to danger.
• Number 66 learned that Jiang Man, Number 210, was ranked last, while the Secret Realm’s rules assigned participants to areas according to their Five Elements Technique mastery.
• Jiang Man advanced to the ninth level of the Five Elements Technique, overcame the forest’s poisonous hazards, and left a palm print at the top of a stele with the sentence, “This is the stone stele's limit, not mine.”
• On the ninth day, Jiang Man followed the Black Hawk out of the central forest and met Number 98 and Number 99, who supplied him with Qi and Blood Pills and joined his team.
• When three people tried to recruit the group based on their Five Elements affinities, Jiang Man revealed overwhelming power, and Number 98 and Number 99 chose to stay with him.

Jiang Man learned the secret realm’s ranking and reward rules, then went looking for Number 66 and challenged him. He defeated Number 66, accidentally knocked out someone who tried to intervene, and took the Superior Visualization Method from the Stone Forest.

• Jiang Man learned that combat rankings included any effective techniques, that higher ranks earned spirit source, and that upper-grade rewards required meeting the five-elements conditions.
• Number 99 and Number 98 found out that Number 66 was in their area, and Xiao Ming offered to lead them to him.
• Jiang Man reached the Stone Forest, where Number 66, Number 82, and Number 106 were competing for a Superior Visualization Method.
• Jiang Man entered the formation and returned with his companions, then waited while Number 66 rested before accepting his challenge.
• Jiang Man disarmed Number 66, overcame his sword arts, and struck him down; he also accidentally sent a newcomer flying when that person tried to stop him.
• Jiang Man told Number 66 he was weak because he wasted time, then left as the Stone Forest formation collapsed, revealing that the Superior Visualization Method had been taken.

Jiang Man obtained a Superior Visualization Method and a Secret Art Qualification while raising his ranking in the Five Elements Secret Realm. After he drove off a powerful team contesting the qualification, news reached Meng Qiewei that someone had left a palm print at the top of the stele and declared it was the stele’s limit, not his.

• Number 66 asked his companions why others had judged Number 210 as ordinary, and they tried to console him after his defeat.
• Jiang Man and his companions reached the edge region, where he found himself ranked forty-second and began searching for more rewards.
• Jiang Man broke a formation and obtained the Superior Spell Art Azure Smoke Zither and a Secret Art Qualification.
• A Foundation Establishment Perfection woman confronted Jiang Man over the qualification, but withdrew after he demonstrated his strength.
• Jiang Man continued defeating demonic beasts and puppets, while Number 66 saw Number 210 climb to twenty-sixth place.
• Qing Dai told Meng Qiewei that three palm prints had appeared on the stele, including one at the top accompanied by the claim that the stele, not its maker, had reached its limit.

Meng Qiewei discussed the mysterious palm prints and the Immortal Gate’s investigation while Jiang Man finished his time in the secret realm, collected Spirit Sources, and returned to cultivation. As Fang Yong searched for Number 210, three men appeared behind him and asked whether he was looking for them.

• Meng Qiewei heard that a young genius had left a palm print on the Five Elements Stele and considered rumors that her husband might still be alive.
• Jiang Man noticed additional palm prints on the stele, raised his ranking to twenty-fourth before falling to twenty-fifth, and collected Spirit Sources from Number 66 and grateful competitors.
• Jiang Man left the secret realm with thirty-seven thousand five hundred Spirit Sources, discussed Meng Qiewei’s possible measures with Old Yellow Ox, and reviewed his cultivation plans.
• Jiang Man headed for Zhi Redwater Peak at daybreak, while Fang Yong accompanied Zhang Bai toward the Foundation Establishment Court and listened as people demanded to know who Number 210 was.
• Fang Yong followed the voice but found no one; when he turned to leave, three men appeared behind him and asked whether he was looking for them.

Fang Yong sold the exclusive truth about Jiang Man’s identity as Number 210, while Jiang Man repaid debts, prepared for the annual assessment, and formed a team. The chapter ended with Qing Dai bringing Meng Qiewei a list.

• Fang Yong sold Bai Fan, Jiang Yingcai, and Duan Wu the information about Number 210 for eighty thousand Spirit Source, then gave Jiang Man fifty-five thousand of the proceeds.
• Jiang Man repaid Chang Qiwen and Little Fatty, learned that people were searching personnel files and the village, and said he would enter the annual assessment.
• Jiang Man recruited Lin Qingshan for his assessment team after Zhuo Bufan and Zhao Yaoyao declined to join.
• Wei Beichuan made Cao Cheng and An Rong write apologies after he surpassed them in the courtyard rankings.
• Qing Dai brought Meng Qiewei a list and asked whether she wanted to look at it.

Meng Qiewei learned that Jiang Man might be among the talented cultivators who left palm prints in the Five Elements Secret Realm and recognized his name as her husband's. Jiang Man completed the Seven Stars Visualization Method, learned that the Fate Pattern had already sent him to a secret realm through his palm print, and felt the Peerless Heaven's Chosen Destiny stir as the next assessment approached.

• Qing Dai told Meng Qiewei about promising cultivators, including Jiang Man, and Meng Qiewei wondered whether she had seen through her husband's name.
• Jiang Man cultivated and prepared spirit medicines while Old Yellow Ox questioned whether his skill showed he was an all-round Peerless Heavenly Prodigy.
• Old Yellow Ox advised Jiang Man to pair the Seven Stars Visualization Method with compatible upper-grade methods, and Jiang Man mastered the visualization method after two months of study.
• Jiang Man realized his palm print had already fulfilled the Fate Pattern's secret-realm condition, and Old Yellow Ox said Meng Qiewei might arrive in two months.
• Jiang Man agreed to attend the June assessment, while Yan Yiqiu explained the rewards and requirements for the first-place student to serve as a Cloudfront Office chief examiner.
• Ten days later, Jiang Man sensed the Peerless Heaven's Chosen Destiny stir and complained that it had taken too long to catch up.

Jiang Man’s Fate Pattern gave him a Hundred-Refinement Stone and a punishing new cultivation requirement, while his courtyard discussed how his success could protect their resources. At the June assessment, Zhuo Bufan placed second with a score described as equal to first.

• Jiang Man received a Hundred-Refinement Stone and learned he had to temper himself eighty times daily and enter the Method-Seeking Mist within nine hundred days to record his Glazed Dharma Body.
• Jiang Man endured painful cultivation, learned that only upper-grade methods could activate the stone, and continued strengthening his body.
• Lin Qingshan urged Zhuo Bufan, Zhao Yaoyao, and the others to rely on Jiang Man taking first place to secure their lineages’ support and resources.
• Yu Wanyi learned that Jiang Man might face targeting in other courtyards and planned to prepare more resources for him.
• Jiang Man completed the June assessment, and on June 3 Yan Yiqiu announced Zhuo Bufan’s second-place result: 159 points, equal to first.

Zhuo Bufan accepted second place and urged his clan to invest in him so he could draw closer to Jiang Man, while Jiang Man prepared for the upcoming Annual Assessment and improved his cultivation and physical body. Meng Qiewei arrived at his lodgings and confronted him about hiding from her and leaving a palm print on the Five Elements Stone.

• Zhuo Bufan told a winery manager that Jiang Man had returned and claimed first place would follow him, then urged his clan to provide resources so he could gain Jiang Man's attention.
• Yan Yiqiu questioned Jiang Man about his Annual Assessment team and reminded him that he needed to qualify for a Secret Technique; Jiang Man showed her his qualification Token.
• Jiang Man reviewed his first-place score of 280, planned his training, and spent the following month strengthening his cultivation, spirit, and physical body.
• Jiang Man reached the fifth stage of his physical body, then found two books about understanding a dao companion just before Meng Qiewei appeared at his lodgings.
• Meng Qiewei displayed her power and asked Jiang Man whether he had left the palm print on the Five Elements Stone, leaving him alarmed that his connection to it might have been discovered.

Jiang Man survived Meng Qiewei’s visit, learned why she could attack Old Yellow Ox, and spent the next two weeks mastering the True Martial Art while strengthening his spirit. He then secured He Huaian’s support for buying pills if he took first place in the Annual Assessment, ending with Jiang Man privately dismissing Meng Qiewei as an old woman.

• Meng Qiewei questioned Jiang Man about their first meeting and the palm print on the genuine Five Elements Stone, then froze Old Yellow Ox before leaving.
• Old Yellow Ox explained that Meng Qiewei had left power on Magpie Bridge after fighting the Immortal Gate and warned that investigators might eventually arrive.
• Jiang Man chose to improve his spirit and learned the True Martial Art, mastering it by August first and preparing to pursue the Sixth Level of Spirit.
• Jiang Man visited He Huaian with 4,500 Spirit Sources and asked for help obtaining Fire-Origin Pills and Earth-Origin Pills.
• He Huaian promised Jiang Man access to his pill quota if he took first place for the year, and returned the Spirit Sources as support.
• Jiang Man accepted He Huaian’s challenge and privately thought Meng Qiewei was just an old woman who would eventually become another defeated opponent.

Jiang Man prepared for the Third Courtyard assessment, refined his control over the True Martial Art, and qualified alongside several others. At the assessment site, he and his teammates encountered Zhang Bai and his companions, who recognized Jiang Man as the former number one of the Nine Institutes.

• Jiang Man reached the sixth level of spirit and sparred with Fang Yong, discovering how to keep the True Martial Art stable while activating it.
• Jiang Man placed among those qualified for the Third Courtyard assessment, and Yan Yiqiu told the participants to form teams with people from other institutes.
• Fang Yong qualified as well, and Cheng Yu told him she feared returning home because her mother beat her; Fang Yong said she could stay away this year.
• Jiang Man, Lin Qingshan, and Fang Yong met before the assessment, discussed the rewards, and headed to the Back Mountain of Cloud Glow Peak.
• Zhang Bai and another woman confronted Fang Yong, while Zhang Bai recognized Jiang Man as the former number one of the Nine Institutes; Zhao Yaoyao stepped back to shield the two people in front of her.

Jiang Man defeated Zhang Bai and Bai Qing, obtained the Three Talents Body Refinement Method, and planned to challenge the remaining geniuses in the Seven Peaks Secret Realm. As the competition began, Yu Wanyi sought a Trial Secret Realm place for him, while a wine shopkeeper considered how the results would affect Young Master Zhuo’s resources.

• Jiang Man struck Zhang Bai down and injured Bai Qing after they insulted him and Fang Yong, then learned where to find the middle-grade Body Refinement Method.
• Jiang Man obtained the Three Talents Body Refinement Method and announced that he would challenge everyone in the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Institutes during the Seven Peaks competition.
• Bai Fan worried that his claimed loss to Jiang Man would be exposed as humiliating if Jiang Man’s ranking proved false.
• Yu Wanyi asked Immortal Maiden Huaijing to secure Jiang Man a place in the Trial Secret Realm, and her master agreed to try to make him a team leader.
• The Seven Peaks competition began, and the wine shopkeeper said Young Master Zhuo’s resources would depend on whether someone from Cloud Glow Peak took first place.

Jiang Man single-handedly defeated every competitor from the Seventh, Eighth, and Nine Institutes, leaving the rankings with only his name for days. His victory drew attention from investors and mentors, while Zhuo Bufan admitted that he could only try to keep up with Jiang Man as the story ended with the shopkeeper proposing a beauty as a way to bind him.

• Jiang Man activated a special channel and defeated every genius from the Seventh, Eighth, and Nine Institutes in less than an incense stick’s time, earning the sole first-place ranking.
• Yu Wanyi learned that Jiang Man’s victory had disrupted other investors’ plans, while He Huaian and Mo Zainian reacted to the news of his achievement.
• Jiang Man received the Giant Sword Technique and a Sun Refining Stone, then returned home and considered how to strengthen himself and advance his cultivation.
• The rankings stayed unchanged for three days with only Jiang Man listed, before other names began appearing on the fourth day.
• Zhuo Bufan told the Wine Workshop shopkeeper that he could never catch up to Jiang Man and argued that the clan could not secure him with a contract.
• The shopkeeper suggested that an unrivaled beauty might be able to win Jiang Man over.