Chapter Summaries

After a small breakthrough, Qin Tiexin went to Cloud Ford Ward to measure his strength without revealing his abilities to the Lin Household. He rented a private room at Iron Bone Hall and prepared to test up to two hundred thousand jin.

• Madam Lin brought Qin Tiexin freshly baked spirit cakes and noticed he had broken through.
• Qin Tiexin felt his essence blood circulate at least thirty percent faster and decided to measure his strength.
• Qin Tiexin left the Lin residence and reviewed the layout and restrictions of Ten Thousand Stars City's wards as he walked.
• Qin Tiexin arrived at Iron Bone Hall, chose a private room for confidentiality, and requested a two-hundred-thousand-jin testing limit.

Qin Tiexin tested his strength in Ten Thousand Stars City and discovered that Edgeless’s weight rose in step with his own. While searching for Buddhist martial techniques, he learned that the Star Selection was drawing young Foundation Establishment cultivators to the city and remembered that two members of the Lin Household might compete.

• Qin Tiexin rented a private room and measured his strength at about seventy-two thousand jin with his arm and just over one hundred thousand jin with each leg.
• Qin Tiexin tested Edgeless and found that its weight matched his maximum strength, suggesting it grew as his strength increased.
• Qin Tiexin left the strength-testing hall and searched Cloud Ford Ward for introductory Buddhist martial techniques to support his disguise as the monk Mingjue.
• Qin Tiexin noticed crowds of young Foundation Establishment cultivators and overheard that they had come for the approaching Star Selection.
• Qin Tiexin recalled that the Lin Household's eldest young master and second young lady studied at Supreme Splendor Academy and might take part in the Star Selection.

Qin Tiexin visited the Imperial Dao Arts Workshop to buy Buddhist martial techniques, where Ling Shuyao received him in a private room. As he waited for her to bring suitable techniques, he decided he would refuse if the shop’s prices were too high.

• Qin Tiexin assessed the Star Selection but chose to avoid it because he planned to return to the Azure Xuan Region and conceal his identity.
• Qin Tiexin entered the Imperial Dao Arts Workshop and met Ling Shuyao, whose natural allure he resisted.
• Qin Tiexin asked to inspect Buddhist martial techniques for a body cultivator, and Ling Shuyao explained the workshop’s private, confidential sales process.
• Ling Shuyao served Qin Tiexin medicinal spirit tea and left to fetch techniques for him.
• Qin Tiexin regretted not checking the cheaper street stalls and resolved to decline if the workshop’s prices were excessive; footsteps then stopped outside his room.

Ling Shuyao presented Qin Tiexin with two powerful Buddhist martial techniques, but their prices exceeded his budget and neither suited his actual needs. She left to look for more affordable options, leaving the sale unresolved.

• Ling Shuyao showed Qin Tiexin the Mount Sumeru King Fist, a complete Sumeru Sect legacy priced at fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
• Qin Tiexin revealed through his reaction that he could not afford the first technique and asked to see the next one.
• Ling Shuyao demonstrated the Skanda Demon-Subduing Vajra Technique and offered it for twenty thousand Spirit Stones in installments.
• Qin Tiexin declined to buy the technique and asked Ling Shuyao for a more affordable, practical option.
• Ling Shuyao carried the Jade Slips out of the room to seek another choice for Qin Tiexin.

Qin Tiexin turned down Ling Shuyao’s expensive martial techniques and admitted he could spend only a little over a thousand Spirit Stones on basic manuals. As he tried to leave, Ling Shuyao unexpectedly pushed him back into his chair, then blushed and fell silent.

• Ling Shuyao showed Qin Tiexin the Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Taming Fist for eight thousand Spirit Stones and the Mad Demon Staff for six thousand, explaining their strengths and weaknesses.
• Qin Tiexin told Ling Shuyao that he wanted only simple introductory techniques and could not afford the inheritances she had recommended.
• Ling Shuyao asked Qin Tiexin to speak frankly about what he needed, and he explained that he had only a little over a thousand Spirit Stones.
• Qin Tiexin thanked Ling Shuyao and stood to leave, but she hurried over and pushed him back into his chair.
• Ling Shuyao realized she had touched a customer against the workshop’s rules and blushed, while Qin Tiexin asked if she wanted him to pay for the tea.

Qin Tiexin bought three basic Buddhist martial techniques from Ling Shuyao at the Imperial Dao Arts Workshop. He left with the Jade Slips and headed toward Purple Jade Ward as evening fell.

• Ling Shuyao returned with three old Jade Slips featuring Arhat Fist, Prajna Palm, and Lion's Roar, selected to suit Qin Tiexin.
• Ling Shuyao explained that the techniques were simple, practical Buddhist fundamentals and offered all three for two hundred Spirit Stones.
• Qin Tiexin accepted the offer and paid two hundred Lower-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Ling Shuyao packed the Jade Slips for Qin Tiexin and assured him the workshop would replace damaged slips and offer practice advice.
• Qin Tiexin left the workshop with the three Jade Slips and set off toward Purple Jade Ward.

Qin Tiexin displayed Arhat Fist, Prajna Palm, and Lion's Roar at the Lin Household training grounds to establish his identity as the martial monk Mingjue. After the disciples witnessed his power, Lin Feng's eldest brother Lin Chuan approached and greeted him.

• Qin Tiexin went to the Lin Household training grounds and observed the disciples' poor-quality law artifacts.
• Qin Tiexin practiced Arhat Fist before the disciples, producing powerful arhat faces with his punches.
• Qin Tiexin struck a bluestone target with Prajna Palm, leaving a deep palm print and drawing the disciples' attention.
• Qin Tiexin used Lion's Roar to shatter the target and send its fragments flying, stunning the onlookers.
• Lin Chuan approached Qin Tiexin, praised his martial skills, and paid his respects.

Lin Chuan, the Lin Household’s eldest son and a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, watched Mingjue’s Buddhist martial techniques and invited him to spar. Mingjue agreed only to avoid offending his hosts, and after three deliberately restrained exchanges, Lin Chuan recognized that he was holding back and urged him to stop.

• Lin Chuan returned to the residence, saw Mingjue perform Buddhist martial techniques, and believed the warrior monk possessed genuine Buddha-nature.
• Lin Chuan invited Mingjue to exchange moves, but Mingjue initially refused because their strength differed and he feared damaging their harmony.
• After Lin Chuan argued that sparring would help test their techniques, Mingjue accepted on the condition that they stop short of injury.
• Lin Chuan and Mingjue stepped onto the training platform as Lin Household disciples gathered to watch.
• Lin Chuan probed with three sword strikes, and Mingjue blocked or evaded each one without counterattacking.
• Lin Chuan recognized that Mingjue was deliberately holding back and told him there was no need to do so.

Qin Tiexin tested his combat skills against Lin Chuan in the ring, using his speed and powerful body to break through Lin Chuan’s defenses. The fight continued as Lin Chuan counterattacked with Eight Leaves Strike Together.

• Qin Tiexin set aside his staff and prepared to test his kicking techniques and footwork against Lin Chuan.
• Qin Tiexin charged with Burst Step, and Lin Chuan retreated with Grass Travels a Thousand Li while firing a sword ray.
• Qin Tiexin used Treading Step and Blood Qi to withstand the sword ray with his shoulder, then bent Lin Chuan’s sword under the pressure.
• Qin Tiexin’s Arhat Fist shattered Lin Chuan’s Golden Thread Wood-Grain Armor, but Lin Chuan dodged the follow-up impact.
• Lin Chuan closed in and launched Eight Leaves Strike Together, sending eight genuine sword tips at Qin Tiexin.

Qin Tiexin defeated Lin Chuan in an arena bout, though both recognized that neither had fought at full strength. Lin Boyuan arrived to praise the match, leaving the two combatants greeting him.

• Qin Tiexin caught Lin Chuan's sword with his protected hand and used Lion's Roar to disorient him.
• Qin Tiexin struck Lin Chuan's braced sword with Hills and Ravines Thrust Kick, sending him to the edge of the arena.
• Lin Chuan steadied himself, admitted defeat, and sheathed his sword, while Qin Tiexin called the bout a draw.
• Qin Tiexin noticed that Lin Chuan's concealed flexible sword had helped absorb the kick, and both men privately assessed the other's hidden strength.
• Lin Boyuan arrived with Madam Lin and an unfamiliar young woman, praised the fight, and received greetings from Lin Chuan and Qin Tiexin.

After Qin Tiexin defeated Lin Chuan, Lin Boyuan explained the gap in their combat experience and urged the Lin Household disciples to master their techniques through practice. Qin Tiexin declined the Lin family's dinner invitation, then watched them leave and reflected on the family he had never known before calming himself with a Buddhist invocation and returning to his courtyard.

• Lin Boyuan declared Qin Tiexin the rightful winner and explained how his combat experience and physique had overcome Lin Chuan's higher-grade techniques.
• Lin Boyuan identified Lin Chuan's mistakes and ordered him to spend six months training anonymously in the army or with a mercenary company after the Star Selection.
• Lin Boyuan urged the Lin Household disciples to focus on thoroughly mastering their martial techniques, and the chastened disciples dispersed.
• Lin Wei asked Qin Tiexin to spar, but Lin Boyuan stopped her before Madam Lin offered Qin Tiexin a cloth and Lin Boyuan invited him to a family dinner.
• Qin Tiexin declined the invitation and watched the Lin family leave, recalling his loneliness and the loss of his grandfather before calming himself with a Buddhist invocation and returning to his courtyard.

Qin Tiexin sparred with Lin Chuan and Lin Wei during the break, while Lin Chuan sought his guidance on Buddhist teachings and urged him to enter the Star Selection. As Lin Chuan prepared to return to Supreme Splendor Academy, a servant reported that the Xiao Household's second young miss had arrived at the Lin Household.

• Lin Chuan visited Qin Tiexin to spar without spiritual power, and the two practiced hand-to-hand combat over several days.
• Lin Wei came to the courtyard claiming she wanted Buddhist guidance, then challenged Qin Tiexin and failed to cut through his tough skin.
• Lin Wei watched Qin Tiexin spar with Lin Chuan while Lin Chuan asked Qin Tiexin difficult questions about Buddhist teachings.
• Qin Tiexin and Lin Chuan sparred with weapons, and Lin Chuan urged Qin Tiexin to join the Star Selection, but Qin Tiexin refused.
• A Lin Household manservant arrived and told Lin Chuan that the Xiao Household's second young miss was in the main hall with the marquis and madam.

Qin Tiexin learned how Lin Feng's childhood betrothal to Xiao Yan had become a source of conflict between the Lin and Xiao Households. As they arrived at the main hall, Qin resolved to grow strong enough to protect those who mattered to him.

• A servant's message prompted Lin Chuan to bring Qin Tiexin to the main hall over an old matter concerning Lin Feng.
• Lin Chuan explained that Lin Boyuan and Xiao Linyuan had betrothed their unborn children, and the two households later formalized the agreement.
• After Lin Feng was found to have a triple spirit root and blocked meridians, Lin Boyuan tried to dissolve the engagement, but the Xiao Household refused.
• Xiao Yan later asked to end the engagement after her sister became Brahma Sound Valley's Buddha Maiden and her own cultivation advanced, but Lin Boyuan refused to annul it without Lin Feng's decision.
• Qin Tiexin reflected on the Xiao Household's renewed pressure and resolved to become strong enough to protect Lin Feng and others he cared about.

Xiao Yan asked Lin Boyuan to return her marriage contract so she could enter the Buddhist fold and cultivate at Brahma Sound Valley. She presented two rare pills meant to address Lin Feng’s poor aptitude and blocked meridian, leaving Lin Boyuan’s response undecided.

• Qin Tiexin entered the main hall with Lin Chuan and noticed a Golden Core monk and Xiao Yan among the guests.
• Xiao Yan told Lin Boyuan that she planned to study under her elder sister at Brahma Sound Valley and asked him to end her engagement to Lin Feng.
• Lin Boyuan urged Xiao Yan to wait until Lin Feng returned and offered to consider the matter with him.
• Xiao Yan revealed an Origin-Converging Spirit-Calming Pill that could improve Lin Feng’s Spirit Root aptitude.
• Xiao Yan revealed a Myriad Meridian Mystic-Unblocking Pill that could clear Lin Feng’s blocked meridian if he dispersed his cultivation and started over.
• Lin Wei and Madam Lin reacted with distress as Qin Tiexin watched Lin Boyuan, whose decision remained unknown.

Xiao Yan presented Lin Boyuan with four increasingly valuable gifts to persuade him to return the marriage contract. After he remained unmoved by the pills and a token for a Supreme-Grade Law Artifact, she offered a fourth-tier Glazed Glass Soul-Purifying Pill and asked him to agree.

• Xiao Yan presented two high-grade third-tier pills, but Lin Boyuan asked whether she had anything else.
• Xiao Yan revealed Master Sun's artifact-refining token, which could commission a free Supreme-Grade Law Artifact, and Lin Chuan realized it was meant for him.
• Lin Boyuan remained calm and told Xiao Yan to continue, despite the token's value.
• Xiao Yan unveiled a Glazed Glass Soul-Purifying Pill from Chan Master Guanghui, explaining that it could aid a Golden Core cultivator during the Heart Devil Tribulation.
• Xiao Yan offered all four gifts to the Lin Household if Lin Boyuan would return the marriage contract.

Xiao Yan offered valuable gifts to persuade Lin Boyuan to dissolve her betrothal to Lin Feng, but he refused and defended the Lin Household with his fearsome saber. Xiao Yan and Benhong left without the marriage contract, while the conflict between their households remained unresolved.

• Lin Wei protested Xiao Yan’s request, but Lin Boyuan stopped her and listened to Xiao Yan’s offer of gifts in exchange for dissolving the betrothal.
• Lin Boyuan proposed keeping both the betrothal and the gifts, then angrily accused Xiao Yan and her party of provoking the Lin Household.
• Lin Boyuan’s Golden Core pressure struck Xiao Yan’s party, injuring the four servants, while Benhong protected Xiao Yan with a Buddhist barrier.
• Lin Boyuan partially drew his saber and threatened Benhong, whose shield began to crack under the saber’s blood Qi.
• Benhong agreed to leave, and Xiao Yan retrieved the gifts and followed him out, bitterly wondering whether Lin Feng was worth the humiliation.

Qin Tiexin confronted Xiao Yan after hearing her call Lin Feng trash and demanded that she apologize. Xiao Yan struck him and then prepared a powerful fist technique, while Lin Boyuan watched without intervening.

• Qin Tiexin rushed from the shadows and blocked Xiao Yan at the hall's doorway.
• Xiao Yan struck Qin Tiexin in the abdomen, but his body remained unmoved and the impact numbed her hand.
• Qin Tiexin demanded to know whom Xiao Yan had called trash and ordered her to apologize.
• Lin Boyuan stopped Lin Chuan and Lin Wei from stepping in as Xiao Yan gathered spiritual power for the Boundless Ganges Sands Fist.
• Xiao Yan attacked with her fist, and Qin Tiexin answered with an Arhat Fist straight punch.

Qin Tiexin struck Xiao Yan after she insulted Lin Feng, but Benhong stopped him from pursuing her. Xiao Yan left with Benhong after denying her insult, and Lin Boyuan demanded that the Duke of Tranquil Peace come in person if he wanted to break off the engagement.

• Qin Tiexin's Arhat Fist broke through Xiao Yan's three spiritual shields and sent her flying, but Benhong caught her.
• Benhong used his Buddhist domain to stop Qin Tiexin, while Lin Boyuan arrived and calmed him.
• Lin Boyuan asked Xiao Yan whether she had called Lin Feng trash, and she claimed she had been talking about the servants.
• Benhong and Xiao Yan left the Lin residence, and Lin Boyuan told her to have the Duke of Tranquil Peace come in person to break off the engagement.

After Xiao Yan left the Lin Residence, Lin Boyuan warned Qin Tiexin about the Xiao Household and the Brahma Sound Valley monk, then sent Lin Chuan and Lin Wei to investigate the Star Selection. Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Residence and asked to report an urgent matter to Xiao Wan, who was cultivating in seclusion.

• Lin Boyuan ordered the servants to remove Xiao Yan’s unconscious attendants and bar the Duke of Tranquil Peace’s Residence from entering without permission.
• Lin Chuan questioned Qin Tiexin about his Arhat Fist, and Lin Boyuan concluded that the bloody presence had stirred Qin Tiexin’s Qi and Blood.
• Lin Boyuan asked Lin Chuan and Lin Wei to investigate Brahma Sound Valley’s interest in the Star Selection and warned Qin Tiexin to beware of the monks’ attempts to convert him.
• Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Residence and asked the two Golden Core nuns guarding Xiao Wan’s quarters to announce her urgent report.

Xiao Yan reported her failure to recover the marriage contract to Xiao Wan, who ordered her to focus on the Star Selection and its third trial. After Xiao Yan left, Benhong contacted an unseen senior through a communication talisman, troubled by what he had witnessed at the Lin residence.

• Xiao Yan told Xiao Wan that Lin Boyuan had refused to return the marriage contract and that a one-armed warrior monk had damaged her protective bracelet.
• Xiao Yan removed the jade pendant that concealed her cultivation, revealing her Foundation Establishment peak-stage strength, and handed it to Xiao Wan.
• Xiao Wan said she would find help breaking the marriage contract and ordered Xiao Yan to obtain a Foundation Establishment early-stage maidservant for her.
• Xiao Wan explained that they had to find an item in the Star Selection's third trial, warned Xiao Yan about Golden Summit Temple, and said she would attend disguised as her maidservant.
• Benhong returned to his courtyard, took out a communication jade talisman, and contacted a youthful-sounding senior.