Recaps

Tang Jin'er visited Jiang Fa late at night to bring him medicinal bath packets before his semifinal match, and he accepted them despite realizing their expense. After she prepared his bath and left, Jiang Fa soaked in the tub while suppressing thoughts of her.

• Jiang Fa heard someone outside his room and opened the door to find Tang Jin'er, who claimed she had stopped by on the way.
• Tang Jin'er gave Jiang Fa medicinal bath packets to help him recover before his semifinal match, and he recognized that they were costly.
• Jiang Fa accepted the medicine but warned Tang Jin'er not to send him anything like it again.
• Tang Jin'er prepared the medicinal bath, and Jiang Fa thanked her as she hurried back to her room.
• Jiang Fa soaked in the tub and pushed away the image of Tang Jin'er from his thoughts.

Li Canghai and Shi Chongshan each discussed Jiang Fa’s rapid growth and decided he had to be killed before he drew the attention of the three great sects. The chapter left Li Kunlun’s role in Shi Chongshan’s plan unresolved.

• Li Canghai learned that Jiang Fa had reached the final four after defeating Gu Qingyan and Liu Mang with perfected techniques.
• Li Canghai learned that Lang Jiu, competing as Lu Jiu, was also in the final four and ordered Ding Wanshan to have him kill Jiang Fa on the platform the next day.
• Li Canghai’s guard reported that the stolen dark iron essence gold had been sold and that the Li Clan had left no trace for the Lin Lineage to follow.
• Shi Chongshan told Shi Zhenshan that Jiang Fa’s talent made him a threat who had to be eliminated, despite Jiang Fa being weaker than Li Kunlun.

Shi Chongshan plotted to have Li Kunlun cripple or kill Jiang Fa in the tournament and sought allies against the Zhao Clan Martial Hall. At the Wang residence, Wang Chengde showed Wang Yanzhi dark iron essence gold from the Lin Lineage’s mine and revealed its immense value.

• Shi Chongshan told Shi Zhenshan and Li Kunlun that the Boulder Martial Hall feared Zhao Zhong’s growing influence and planned to use the tournament to eliminate Jiang Fa.
• Li Kunlun claimed his Mystic Armor Art made him confident he could kill Jiang Fa, while Shi Chongshan warned him about Wang Yanzhi and the mysterious Lu Jiu.
• Shi Chongshan instructed Shi Zhenshan to meet Registrar Wu and invite the Wang Family head to a banquet after the tournament.
• Wang Yanzhi asked Wang Chengde whether the Li Clan had been behind the attack on the Lin Lineage’s mine, and Wang Chengde said the evidence against them was clear.
• Wang Chengde showed Wang Yanzhi dark iron essence gold and explained that the vein could supply Qingyang Prefecture’s three great weapons workshops for ten years and was worth more than a million taels.

Wang Chengde explained his plan to exploit the ore vein at Black Wind Ridge and turn Qingshan County’s martial artists against one another. He intended to wait until the martial tournament ended, then use the resulting chaos to secure resources and advance his family’s ambitions.

• Wang Chengde told Wang Yanzhi that the Wang Family would let the Li Clan and Lin Lineage weaken each other rather than seize the ore vein immediately.
• Wang Chengde planned to spread rumors after the martial tournament that Black Wind Ridge held both an ore vein and a third-tier fierce beast’s egg.
• Wang Chengde revealed that a Fire-Patterned Python lived near the mine and planned to lure it into the fighting martial artists, then have his own people take what remained.
• Wang Yanzhi questioned whether the martial artists might defeat the python, but Wang Chengde said powerful people would intervene if that happened.
• Wang Chengde told Wang Yanzhi to focus on the semifinals and not risk his life over the tournament’s prize.
• After Wang Yanzhi left, Wang Chengde reflected that he was willing to sacrifice the weak to secure a future for his son.

At the Qingshan Martial Meet semifinals, Wang Yanzhi and Lu Jiu began fighting for a place in the final and the chance to win a Mid Black Grade saber technique. Lu Jiu revealed a fierce, swift style after Wang Yanzhi’s sword cut his robe, and his saber struck back at an unexpected angle.

• Meng Qiuran announced the semifinal prize and explained the draw.
• Wang Yanzhi drew A, Lu Jiu drew B, Jiang Fa drew C, and Li Kunlun drew D, pairing Wang Yanzhi with Lu Jiu.
• Wang Yanzhi opened the match with a fast thrust from his Flowing Frost Sword.
• Lu Jiu dodged Wang Yanzhi’s follow-up slash, which cut his robe, then drew his short saber and charged.
• Lu Jiu attacked from below at a tricky angle, making Wang Yanzhi realize how fast he was.

Lu Jiu’s relentless, seemingly suicidal attacks wounded Wang Yanzhi and forced him to the edge of the platform. Wang Yanzhi admitted he feared death, then unleashed his full strength as the duel intensified.

• Lu Jiu pressed Wang Yanzhi with precise attacks that threatened to kill them both, driving him back across the platform.
• Wang Yanzhi blocked Lu Jiu’s saber and punch but was forced into the ropes, where he suffered a bleeding hand and a blow to his arm.
• Wang Chengde watched the fight while a subordinate warned that Lu Jiu’s reckless style prevented Wang Yanzhi from fully using his swordsmanship.
• Wang Yanzhi recognized Lu Jiu’s apparent willingness to die as a calculated way to seize momentum, and Lu Jiu taunted him for fearing death.
• Wang Yanzhi acknowledged his fear, then sharpened his presence and coated the Flowing Frost Sword in pale silver light as Inspector Qiao and Lu Jiu noticed his change.

Wang Yanzhi adapted to Lu Jiu’s life-for-life saber style and wounded him repeatedly, but Lu Jiu revealed his half-step transforming force cultivation and unleashed the Autumn Water Saber technique’s Severing the Flow. Wang Yanzhi survived the strike at the platform’s edge, though his sword cracked and he was badly hurt.

• Wang Yanzhi stopped trading blows with Lu Jiu and used controlled sword strikes to wound him while keeping the short saber at bay.
• Zhao Zhong praised Wang Yanzhi’s ability to understand and counter Lu Jiu’s fighting style.
• Lu Jiu revealed that his strength had reached half-step transforming force, and Inspector Qiao suspected he was a disciple of Mister Autumn Water of Azure Wave Lake.
• Lu Jiu used Severing the Flow to strike Wang Yanzhi, sending him to the platform’s edge and cracking the Flowing Frost Sword.
• Wang Yanzhi rose with a bleeding hand and asked Lu Jiu the strike’s name, and Lu Jiu answered, “Severing the Flow.”

Lu Jiu defeated Wang Yanzhi in the first semifinal of the Qingshan Martial Meet, leaving Wang Yanzhi injured and humiliated. Wang Chengde suspected Lu Jiu was a disciple of Mister Autumn Water of Azure Wave Lake, but ordered the martial meet and the family’s plan to continue.

• Lu Jiu’s Severing Flow Saber Technique overwhelmed Wang Yanzhi’s final strike, knocked the Flowing Frost Sword from his grasp, and left him badly injured.
• The referee declared Lu Jiu the winner of the first semifinal, and Lu Jiu left without acknowledging Wang Yanzhi.
• Wang Dezhao worried about Wang Yanzhi’s defeat, but Wang Chengde said the loss could be good for him.
• Wang Chengde identified Lu Jiu as almost certainly a disciple of Mister Autumn Water of Azure Wave Lake, based on his half-step transforming force cultivation and saber technique.
• Wang Chengde told Wang Dezhao to proceed with the plan as usual and said the martial meet would continue.

Wang Chengde planned to watch Lu Jiu after the martial meet, expecting the coveted saber art to make him a target, while dismissing Jiang Fa as no threat. In the stands, Lu Jiu told Ding Wanshan that killing Jiang Fa would fulfill his final debt, then revealed he hoped to reach Transforming Force and become Mister Autumn Water’s direct disciple.

• Wang Chengde told Wang Dezhao to have the Wang Family informants monitor Lu Jiu after the martial meet and decided to let the conflict between Li Kunlun and Jiang Fa play out on its own.
• Ding Wanshan gave Lu Jiu a secret letter from Li Canghai, who wanted Li Kunlun to cripple Jiang Fa in their semifinal.
• Ding Wanshan argued that Jiang Fa was no threat because he had only reached late dark force, but Lu Jiu stayed silent and watched the arena.
• Lu Jiu told Ding Wanshan that killing Jiang Fa would complete the third and final task he had agreed to after learning at Azure Wave Lake.
• Lu Jiu said he planned to reach Transforming Force before turning twenty so Mister Autumn Water would accept him as a direct disciple, leaving Ding Wanshan silent.

Ding Wanshan offered to fund Lu Jiu’s attempt to reach Transforming Force in exchange for three future favors, and Lu Jiu agreed. Meanwhile, Jiang Fa faced Li Kunlun in the martial gathering’s arena, where the match began.

• Ding Wanshan explained that his poor constitution and damaged meridians had kept him at peak An Jin for seventeen years, then offered Lu Jiu resources to break through in exchange for three things.
• Lu Jiu recalled Mister Autumn Water’s saber training and agreed to Ding Wanshan’s proposal.
• Jiang Fa entered the arena to face Li Kunlun as spectators anticipated a fierce clash between the Zhao Clan Martial Hall and Boulder Martial Hall.
• The referee announced the rules and started the match between Jiang Fa and Li Kunlun.

Jiang Fa fought Li Kunlun, whose powerful punches and body-tempering techniques initially gave him the advantage. After losing his saber, Jiang Fa endured Li Kunlun’s assault and realized that his own body-tempering arts absorbed most of the force, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Li Kunlun launched a series of forceful attacks, and Jiang Fa dodged with Wind-Chasing Steps before blocking a punch with his saber.
• Jiang Fa flipped over Li Kunlun and struck down with his saber, but Li Kunlun caught the blade barehanded and nearly wrenched it away.
• Jiang Fa released his saber to exploit Li Kunlun’s momentary hesitation, then struck him with Mountain-Breaking Fist and forced him back half a step.
• Li Kunlun resumed attacking with Boulder Fist, while Jiang Fa evaded his punches after losing his weapon.
• Li Kunlun hit Jiang Fa’s shoulder, but Jiang Fa found that his Seven-Colored Glazed Glass Art and Great Strength Vajra Art had absorbed most of the impact.

Jiang Fa endured Li Kunlun’s relentless, deadly attacks while studying the gaps in his Boulder Fist and using the fight to hone his Mountain-Breaking Fist. Though the spectators thought he was nearing defeat, Jiang Fa’s injuries were minor, and he continued to hold on as Li Kunlun unleashed his full strength.

• Jiang Fa dodged Li Kunlun’s heavy Boulder Fist attacks and noticed a brief pause in Li Kunlun’s right shoulder between punches.
• Li Kunlun struck Jiang Fa’s guarded arms and sent him crashing into the ropes, leaving him bleeding as spectators feared for him.
• Tang Jin'er, Pei Yan'er, and Gu Qingyan watched Li Kunlun’s attacks with growing concern, while Gu Qingyan wondered why Jiang Fa would not admit defeat.
• Jiang Fa stood and taunted Li Kunlun, who resumed his assault with a series of strikes aimed at Jiang Fa’s vital points.
• Jiang Fa kept evading Li Kunlun’s blows and dropped to one knee, appearing badly hurt even though his bruises concealed only minor injuries.

Jiang Fa used Li Kunlun’s relentless Boulder Fist attacks to practice Mountain-Breaking Fist during their arena fight. At the arena’s edge, Jiang Fa broke through to the Martial Arts Transformation Realm and shattered both of Li Kunlun’s wrists with one punch.

• Li Kunlun attacked Jiang Fa with Boulder Fist, but Jiang Fa repeatedly answered with the basic opening form of Mountain-Breaking Fist.
• Li Kunlun grew furious when he realized Jiang Fa was using him as a practice target and unleashed a series of attacks aimed at Jiang Fa’s vital points.
• Li Kunlun drove Jiang Fa to the arena’s edge, but Jiang Fa planted himself with Mountain-Breaking Stance and prepared another Mountain-Breaking Fist.
• Zhao Zhong, Lie Changkong, Shi Chongshan, and Inspector Qiao reacted in shock as Jiang Fa’s punch revealed the Martial Arts Transformation Realm.
• Jiang Fa’s punch broke both of Li Kunlun’s wrists and sent him flying across the arena, leaving him crying that it was impossible.

Jiang Fa killed Li Kunlun in the Qingshan Martial Meet arena, prompting Shi Chongshan to attack him. Zhao Zhong and Magistrate Meng Qiuran invoked the meet’s life-and-death rules to stop Shi Chongshan, though he remained bitter over his disciple’s death.

• Jiang Fa struck Li Kunlun repeatedly, then pierced his heart and killed him in the arena.
• Shi Chongshan rushed at Jiang Fa, but Zhao Zhong intercepted his attack and defended the rules of the martial meet.
• Shi Chongshan argued that Jiang Fa should pay for Li Kunlun’s death, while Zhao Zhong reminded him that he had previously insisted life and death were left to fate in the arena.
• Meng Qiuran ordered Shi Chongshan to stand down, citing the rules approved by Qingyang Prefecture and warning that he could not allow an attack.
• Shi Chongshan accepted that he could not openly defy the rules but protested that he could not let Li Kunlun’s death pass without a response.

After Jiang Fa killed Li Kunlun in the semifinal, Meng Qiuran upheld the tournament rules and forced Shi Chongshan to leave without retaliating. Jiang Fa advanced to the final against Lu Jiu and refused to rest, while observers recognized that he may have mastered the Mountain-Breaking Fist to the Transformation Realm.

• Meng Qiuran ruled that Jiang Fa had not broken the platform rules, and Shi Chongshan accepted the decision before carrying Li Kunlun’s body away.
• Shui Qingqian told Gu Qingyan that Jiang Fa’s fist technique had reached the Transformation Realm, while Zhao Zhong felt both pride and melancholy about his disciple.
• Tang Jin'er rushed to check on Jiang Fa, and he gently patted her head as she cried with relief.
• Meng Qiuran announced that Jiang Fa would face the rogue cultivator Lu Jiu in the final and offered him an hour to rest.
• Jiang Fa refused to rest, and Zhao Zhong accepted his decision after Jiang Fa assured him that he knew his limits.

Jiang Fa battled Lu Jiu in the Qingshan Martial Meet final, where Lu Jiu revealed he had been sent by Ding Wanshan to kill him and threatened his family. Lu Jiu’s taunt drove Jiang Fa into a furious eruption of blood and Qi, leaving the fight poised to change.

• Jiang Fa and Lu Jiu began the final bout, and Lu Jiu used his speed and Severing Flow saber technique to pressure Jiang Fa.
• Lu Jiu recognized Jiang Fa’s external body conditioning and continued targeting his joints and vital spots, forcing him to retreat.
• Lu Jiu claimed his half-step transforming force cultivation gave him the advantage over Jiang Fa’s techniques and late dark force cultivation.
• Lu Jiu revealed that Ding Wanshan had sent him to kill Jiang Fa and threatened to murder Jiang Fa’s family in Yellow Earth Town.
• Jiang Fa’s fury erupted as his blood and Qi surged, freezing the sneer on Lu Jiu’s face.

Jiang Fa defeated Lu Jiu with overwhelming strength and killed him on the Qingshan Martial Meet platform despite Lu Jiu invoking Mister Autumn Water. Inspector Qiao declared Jiang Fa the winner under the meet’s rules, while leaving what came afterward unresolved.

• Jiang Fa overwhelmed Lu Jiu’s defense, then grabbed his blade barehanded and struck him in the chest.
• Jiang Fa intercepted Lu Jiu in midair, slammed him into the platform, and crushed his throat and neck, killing him.
• The spectators erupted in shock as they realized Jiang Fa had killed a half-step transforming force expert.
• Meng Qiuran worried about Lu Jiu’s ties to Azure Wave Lake, but Inspector Qiao said the platform’s rules made Jiang Fa the winner.
• Inspector Qiao told Meng Qiuran they would discuss what happened next after the martial meet ended.

Jiang Fa won the Qingshan Martial Meet after defeating Li Kunlun and Lu Jiu, earning acclaim from the crowd and Zhao Zhong. Inspector Qiao questioned the source of his strength and examined his pulse, finding signs of extraordinary physical refinement.

• Meng Qiuran announced Jiang Fa of the Zhao Clan Martial Hall as the meet’s first-place winner, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
• Zhao Zhong praised Jiang Fa, while onlookers including Gu Qingyan, Zhou Nantian, and Wang Chengde reacted to his victory.
• An attendant summoned Jiang Fa to meet Meng Qiuran and Inspector Qiao, and Zhao Zhong checked his condition before letting him go.
• Qiao Guan praised Jiang Fa’s fighting strength and asked how he could defeat opponents above his level.
• Jiang Fa said he had obtained the Great Strength Vajra Art by chance and had perfected only its second level.
• Qiao Guan examined Jiang Fa’s pulse and sensed unusually dense fascia, abundant blood and Qi, and tightly controlled force.

Jiang Fa received the martial meet champion’s rewards and heard Qiao Guan’s advice about choosing among Qingyang Prefecture’s three great sects. Meng Qiuran announced the final rankings and said the top ten would be received by sect guides in three months.

• Qiao Guan examined Jiang Fa’s blood, Qi, and physical strength, then asked Meng Qiuran to proceed with the awards.
• Meng Qiuran presented Jiang Fa with the Mid Black Grade saber technique Surging Billows and Layered Waves Slash and one thousand taels in banknotes.
• Qiao Guan described the strengths of the Fire Cloud Sect, Earth Xuan Sect, and Heavenly Saber Valley, and advised Jiang Fa that Heavenly Saber Valley suited his saber skills.
• Meng Qiuran announced that Li Kunlun and Lu Jiu would not be ranked because they had died, so the remaining competitors moved up to fill the top ten.
• Meng Qiuran read out the final rankings, with Jiang Fa in first place, Wang Yanzhi second, and Liu Mang third.
• Meng Qiuran announced that the top ten would receive silver rewards and that sect guides would come to Qingshan County in three months.

After winning the Qingshan Martial Meet, Jiang Fa received praise from the county magistrate and reunited with the Zhao Clan Martial Hall disciples. Zhao Zhong warned him about enemies connected to Li Kunlun and Lu Jiu, then asked Jiang Fa to guide him toward breaking through Mountain-Breaking Fist's Transformation Realm.

• Meng Qiuran praised Jiang Fa's perseverance in his speech announcing him as champion of the Qingshan Martial Meet.
• Xu Feng, Zhao Chuan, Ma Ping, and Tang Jin'er celebrated Jiang Fa's victory before Zhao Zhong led the group back to the martial hall.
• Zhao Zhong apologized for neglecting Jiang Fa and warned him to watch for Shi Chongshan's underhanded retaliation and possible trouble from Lu Jiu's master, Mister Autumn Water.
• Zhao Zhong revealed that he had been stuck at Mountain-Breaking Fist's Perfection realm for ten years and asked Jiang Fa for guidance.
• Jiang Fa said he could not explain the breakthrough and offered to perform Mountain-Breaking Fist for Zhao Zhong.

Jiang Fa demonstrated the Mountain-Breaking Fist, helping Zhao Zhong break through to the Transformation Realm. Zhao Zhong then gave Jiang Fa the school’s Stele-Shattering Finger manual and an Essence-Concentrating Pill to support his cultivation.

• Jiang Fa performed the Mountain-Breaking Fist slowly so Zhao Zhong could study its details.
• Zhao Zhong understood the fist’s underlying intent and broke through to the Transformation Realm by striking a pine pillar.
• Zhao Zhong thanked Jiang Fa, who credited the breakthrough to his master’s years of practice.
• Zhao Zhong retrieved the Stele-Shattering Finger manual from a hidden compartment and explained its demanding training requirements.
• Zhao Zhong gave Jiang Fa an Essence-Concentrating Pill, saying it could help him reach peak An Jin within one to three months.

After returning to his room, Jiang Fa studied two newly acquired martial arts and discovered he could begin cultivating both immediately. He reviewed his progress and anticipated advancing the Origin-Returning Breath-Concealing Art soon.

• Jiang Fa counted his savings, stored the banknotes, and studied the principles and force-circulation method of the Surging Billows and Layered Waves Slash.
• Jiang Fa activated the panel’s entry for the Surging Billows and Layered Waves Slash by simulating its circulation route.
• Jiang Fa studied the Stele-Shattering Finger, gathered An Jin in his index finger, and punched a smooth, finger-sized hollow into a thick wooden table.
• Jiang Fa recognized that his bone-tempering arts let him bypass the finger technique’s usual initial training, then put away the Essence-Concentrating Pill until his blood and Qi had settled.
• Jiang Fa checked his panel, noting his Mountain-Breaking Fist had reached the transformation realm and his Origin-Returning Breath-Concealing Art was nearing the end of its second layer.

After Lang Jiu’s death, Ding Wanshan planned to use Mister Autumn Water and the Blood Wolf Gang to take revenge on Jiang Fa. He ordered an attack on Jiang Fa’s family in Yellow Earth Town, leaving them in immediate danger.

• Ding Wanshan sent Chai Wenyuan to deliver a letter to Mister Autumn Water, hoping Lang Jiu’s death would spur him to act against Jiang Fa.
• Ding Wanshan ordered the gang to watch the Zhao Clan Martial Hall and the Great Saber Gang while preparing to deal with Zhou Xiongtu after Jiang Fa.
• Chai Wenyuan reported that the gang’s men could attack Jiang Fa’s family in Yellow Earth Town the next day, and Ding Wanshan approved the plan.
• Ding Wanshan recalled how he had raised Lang Jiu as his hope of reaching Transforming Force after his own martial progress stalled.
• Ding Wanshan vowed to keep pursuing Jiang Fa’s death and declared that Jiang Fa’s family would pay first.

Jiang Fa practiced the Surging Billows and Layered Waves Slash, discovering how to retain residual force and layer it into a stronger attack. After improving his technique, he tested the Stele-Shattering Finger and left a smooth hollow in a blue brick.

• Jiang Fa went to the training grounds, where the inner courtyard disciples greeted him respectfully and Xie Tan avoided his gaze.
• Jiang Fa tested several ways to retain residual force in his saber strikes and began to understand the Surging Billows and Layered Waves Slash.
• Jiang Fa landed a powerful layered slash on an ironwood post, leaving a mark nearly twice as deep as his usual Cloak Saber Technique strikes.
• Jiang Fa practiced for nearly two hours, raising his technique's progress to Entry (11/1000) and increasing the success rate of his two-slash layers to nearly seventy percent.
• Jiang Fa practiced the Stele-Shattering Finger and made a smooth, fingertip-sized hollow in a blue brick.

Jiang Fa practiced Stele-Shattering Finger, then used an Essence-Concentrating Pill to repair and strengthen his meridians through Mountain-Breaking Stance training. After absorbing the pill, he remained at Peak An Jin with substantially improved Mountain-Breaking Stance progress.

• Jiang Fa practiced Stele-Shattering Finger on an ironwood post until his fingers hurt, raising the technique to Entry (18/800).
• Jiang Fa practiced the Cloak Saber Technique for another hour before returning to his room.
• Jiang Fa swallowed the Essence-Concentrating Pill and felt its medicinal power repair and widen his meridians.
• Jiang Fa held Mountain-Breaking Stance for hours to circulate the pill's medicinal power through his body.
• Jiang Fa absorbed the pill completely, gained 62 points in Mountain-Breaking Stance, and saw that his realm was Peak An Jin.