Chapter Summaries

After discovering his savings were gone, Lin Fan confronted his family and learned that his father had taken the money to cover Lin Ming’s gambling debts. Betrayed by his parents’ favoritism, Lin Fan left after declaring that he was severing ties with them.

• Lin Fan found his drawer empty and realized that his seventeen taels of silver were missing.
• Lin Fan attacked Lin Ming with a piece of firewood, but Father Lin and Mother Lin intervened.
• Father Lin admitted taking Lin Fan’s savings to pay Lin Ming’s debts and berated Lin Fan for objecting.
• Lin Fan declared that he had repaid the debt of being raised and was cutting ties with his family.
• Mother Lin offered her own savings, but Lin Ming protested that she needed the money for his marriage.
• Lin Fan pushed Mother Lin’s hand away and left the house without looking back.

Lin Fan, unwilling to abandon his dream of practicing martial arts, sought work as a human training dummy at the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall. He passed the brutal test of taking three club blows, but still had to reach the entry level of Iron Cloth Shirt within ten days.

• Lin Fan decided to risk becoming a human training dummy, and his friend Zhang Meng gave him two taels of silver to help him pursue the work.
• Lin Fan arrived at the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall and joined dozens of applicants for its test.
• The instructor struck applicants with a wooden club; most failed to withstand the blows and were eliminated.
• Lin Fan endured three blows and passed the test, drawing on his years of hard labor to stay on his feet.
• The instructor told Lin Fan and the eleven other successful applicants to reach the entry level of Iron Cloth Shirt within ten days or leave.

Lin Fan endured brutal martial training and activated his Heaven Rewards Diligence fate, which promised success through perseverance despite his ordinary aptitude. After rolling down a slope, he discovered the ordeal had raised his Iron Cloth Shirt progress by ten points and resolved to stand up within the instructor’s short deadline.

• Lin Fan soaked in secret medicine, then put on abrasive clothes and followed the instructor to a slope.
• The instructor ordered the trainees to roll down the thirty-meter slope, and Lin Fan overcame his fear and joined them.
• While tumbling in agony, Lin Fan activated his Heaven Rewards Diligence fate and saw his cultivation status panel.
• Lin Fan reached level ground and discovered that rolling down had advanced Iron Cloth Shirt from 0 to 10 progress.
• The instructor gave the injured trainees two incense sticks’ worth of time to recover, and Lin Fan silently resolved to stand before time ran out.

Lin Fan endured repeated rolls down the training slope and discovered that his body recovered faster than the others, while his Iron Cloth Shirt progress increased. After earning extra medicinal food as one of the first five to stand, he ate with Li Feng and Wang Wu and prepared to continue training.

• Lin Fan noticed the secret medicine eased his pain unusually quickly, but pretended to suffer as Li Feng became the first to stand and earned extra medicinal food.
• Lin Fan and Wang Wu stood next, received the same reward, and rolled down the slope again, raising Lin Fan's Iron Cloth Shirt progress by 10 points.
• During the next rounds, Lin Fan waited for Wang Wu and concealed how quickly he recovered while Li Feng repeatedly endured the slope; Lin Fan's progress reached 40.
• The instructor sent Lin Fan, Li Feng, and Wang Wu to eat while the other candidates had to finish four rolls before eating.
• Lin Fan ate beef and two servings of medicinal food, then followed Li Feng and Wang Wu toward the secret medicine vats when the instructor ordered training to resume.

Lin Fan endured brutal slope training and mastered the basics of Iron Cloth Shirt, then discovered his skin had grown resilient after soaking in the school’s secret medicine. As he settled into the dormitory, a lackey of Li Feng tried to take his soap, and Lin Fan finally confronted him.

• Lin Fan and the other trainees repeatedly rolled down the slope, while the instructor tossed the unconscious trainees back to the top and made them continue.
• Lin Fan secretly stayed conscious through the punishment and mastered beginner-level Iron Cloth Shirt; Li Feng held out for six trips before fainting.
• Lin Fan and Wang Wu ate, bathed, and found that a razor blade could leave only a white mark on Lin Fan’s hardened skin.
• Lin Fan chose a dorm room with Wang Wu and two other top-five trainees, avoiding the room Li Feng had taken.
• A lackey demanding soap for Li Feng entered Lin Fan’s room, snatched Wang Wu’s soap dish, and blamed Wang Wu for not offering it sooner.
• Lin Fan claimed the soap was his and grew increasingly angry as the lackey accused him of wasting Li Feng’s time.

Lin Fan beat one of Li Feng’s men for touching his soap, then refused to back down when Li Feng confronted him. Li Feng threatened to make Lin Fan and his supporters kneel and beg, but left without starting a dormitory fight.

• Lin Fan dodged a punch, knocked Li Feng’s man down, and pummeled him while Wang Wu and the other roommates watched.
• Li Feng arrived and demanded that Lin Fan stop, but Lin Fan finished beating the man and said he had acted because the man touched his soap.
• Wang Wu and three roommates stood with Lin Fan as Li Feng’s group threatened them and tried to turn them against him.
• Wang Wu persuaded the three roommates to hold their ground, and they declared that they would not let Li Feng take anything from their dormitory.
• Li Feng restrained himself from fighting, threatened that Lin Fan and the others would kneel and beg him, and left with his roommates.

Lin Fan endured the slope-rolling training while secretly advancing his Iron Cloth Shirt, as Li Feng reached the entry level and gained the instructor’s favor. Lin Fan’s roommates began doubting him, and the instructor ordered him and the others back to training.

• Lin Fan and his roommates confronted Jiang Tong over his refusal to support them, but they returned to bed without fighting.
• During ten morning rolls down the slope, Lin Fan advanced his Iron Cloth Shirt while Li Feng outlasted him; Li Feng later tried to stomp on Lin Fan, who woke in time to stop him.
• During the afternoon training, Li Feng reached the entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt and earned an extra serving of medicinal food, while his roommates celebrated and taunted Lin Fan.
• Lin Fan told Wang Wu that he was close to reaching the entry level, but Jiang Tong mocked him and urged the group to beg Li Feng for mercy.
• The instructor looked down on Lin Fan and his roommates and ordered them to resume rolling down the slope.

Lin Fan reached basic mastery in Iron Cloth Shirt despite the instructor's favoritism toward Li Feng, then learned he was close to minor accomplishment. The chapter left him approaching a confrontation between Zhao Tao and Jiang Tong over medicinal food.

• The instructor ordered Lin Fan and his roommates to keep rolling down the slope while Li Feng's group mocked them, and Zhao Tao prepared to attack Lin Fan when he passed out.
• Lin Fan stood up with a carp's kip-up and announced that he had reached basic mastery in Iron Cloth Shirt, which the instructor confirmed.
• Li Feng challenged Lin Fan to catch up before he reached minor accomplishment in four days, and Lin Fan's roommates worried about facing Li Feng if he succeeded.
• Lin Fan checked his progress and saw Iron Cloth Shirt at minor accomplishment 240/400, then reassured Wang Wu that he was close to advancing.
• Lin Fan returned to the dining hall and heard Zhao Tao demand two bowls of Jiang Tong's medicinal food for Li Feng.

Lin Fan intervened when Zhao Tao tried to take both of Jiang Tong’s medicinal meals for Li Feng, forcing the group to divide them. After Wang Wu and Meng Lin gave Lin Fan their bowls to help him reach minor accomplishment first, Zhao Tao and Li Feng’s other dormmates surrendered their meals to Li Feng under pressure.

• Zhao Tao kicked Jiang Tong down and tried to take both of his medicinal meals for Li Feng.
• Lin Fan demanded one bowl for himself and threatened to destroy the medicinal food if Li Feng’s dorm fought his group, so Li Feng backed down and Zhao Tao took one bowl.
• Lin Fan took Jiang Tong’s remaining bowl, dismissing Jiang Tong’s accusation that he was no better than Li Feng’s group.
• Wang Wu and Meng Lin offered their medicinal meals to Lin Fan, and he accepted them after they insisted.
• Li Feng glared at Zhao Tao, who gave Li Feng his own bowl and pressured the other four dormmates to surrender theirs as well.

Lin Fan refused to take his roommates’ medicinal food, then trained on the slope until his Iron Cloth Shirt reached minor accomplishment. Jiang Tong’s attempt to bargain for protection failed, while Li Feng’s roommates suffered from giving him their medicinal food.

• Lin Fan declined Wang Wu’s bowl, soaked in the secret medicinal preparation, and rolled down the slope until his Iron Cloth Shirt progress reached 340/400.
• Li Feng predicted he would reach minor accomplishment within two days, while Lin Fan left without revealing how close he was.
• Jiang Tong begged Lin Fan to protect some of his medicinal food, but Lin Fan rejected him and said his food already belonged to Li Feng and himself.
• The next morning, Jiang Tong passed out after one roll, and Zhao Tao and his roommates passed out after two; the instructor scolded them but ignored Li Feng’s role.
• Lin Fan rolled down the slope again and reached minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt.

Lin Fan continued advancing toward major mastery in Iron Cloth Shirt while Wang Wu and Meng Lin reached the beginner stage amid the instructor’s favoritism toward Li Feng. The next morning, Li Feng’s roommates resisted surrendering their medicinal food, and Zhao Tao angrily confronted them on Li Feng’s behalf.

• Lin Fan’s Iron Cloth Shirt progress rose to 10 as he trained, and he concealed his strength while matching Li Feng’s pace.
• Wang Wu reached the beginner stage, but the instructor dismissed his achievement while Li Feng and his allies insulted Lin Fan’s group.
• Meng Lin also reached the beginner stage, deepening Jiang Tong’s regret over having failed to side with Lin Fan.
• Lin Fan left the slope with his progress at 260, while Li Feng vowed to cripple him the following night.
• Li Feng’s four roommates refused to give him their medicinal food at breakfast, and Zhao Tao threatened them for resisting.

Li Feng crushed his roommates’ resistance and let Zhao Tao abuse them, while Lin Fan and his companions watched. Driven to desperation, the four roommates attacked Zhao Tao in Li Feng’s dormitory and beat him until he fell silent.

• Li Feng drove off the four roommates who challenged him, and Zhao Tao threatened them while Lin Fan and his companions mocked the spectacle.
• At lunch, Li Feng knocked down the four roommates and took their medicinal meals, then let Zhao Tao beat them; Li Feng repeated this at dinner.
• The four roommates discussed attacking Zhao Tao and fleeing before Li Feng could retaliate.
• Zhao Tao entered Li Feng’s dormitory and ordered the four roommates to fetch clothes, prompting them to attack him.
• The four roommates ignored Zhao Tao’s pleas for mercy and beat him until he stopped speaking.

Lin Feng reached minor mastery in Iron Cloth Shirt and challenged Lin Fan, only to discover that Lin Fan had reached the same level and could match him. Meanwhile, Zhao Tao’s death was covered up by his attackers, and Lin Fan ended the night expecting to advance further in his training.

• After Wang Wu and Meng Lin left the dorm where Zhao Tao had been killed, the four attackers decided to remove his body and make it appear that they had all left together.
• Lin Feng reached minor mastery in Iron Cloth Shirt and attacked Lin Fan, but Lin Fan revealed that he had reached minor mastery too, and the two fought to a draw.
• Lin Feng threatened to defeat Lin Fan once he reached major mastery, then left while Lin Fan checked his Fate Panel and saw his Iron Cloth Shirt at major mastery (620/900).
• Wang Wu told Lin Fan that the four men had killed Zhao Tao and taken away his body, and that the roommates would not report them.
• Lin Feng dismissed his departed lackeys as worthless, and Lin Fan went to bed after finding Jiang Tong already there.

Lin Fan secretly trained his Iron Cloth Shirt from major accomplishment to perfection while Li Feng was taken away after reaching minor accomplishment. The chapter left Lin Fan stronger and close to becoming a martial artist, though the instructor continued forcing him and his roommates through punishing training.

• The instructor learned that Zhao Tao and four others had left, then celebrated when Li Feng announced he had reached minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt.
• Lin Fan hid his own progress and trained secretly on the slope, reaching major accomplishment by nearly noon.
• Lin Fan continued training with extra medicinal food, advancing his Iron Cloth Shirt toward perfection while reassuring Wang Wu and the others that he would soon reach minor accomplishment.
• The instructor returned and ordered Lin Fan and the others to roll down the slope thirty times before they could eat.
• Lin Fan completed another roll and advanced Iron Cloth Shirt to perfection.

After reaching minor accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt, Lin Fan left the rear courtyard to report to the outer courtyard, where he learned that Human Stakes faced brutal treatment. He encountered Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Yu, who had crippled Liu Rui and already knew of Lin Fan through Li Feng.

• Lin Fan told the instructor he had reached minor accomplishment, but the instructor sent him to report to the outer courtyard alone.
• The instructor revealed that the deputy hall master might take Li Feng as his final disciple if Li Feng reached major accomplishment within seven days, while Lin Fan resolved to attract the hall's higher-ups' attention.
• Lin Fan packed his belongings and entered the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall, where gate disciples warned that Zhang Yu might bully him.
• Lin Fan saw Elder Chen declare Liu Rui's shattered leg beyond treatment, then watched Zhang Yu kick Liu Rui unconscious for cursing him.
• Zhang Yu recognized Lin Fan as the new Human Stake and said Li Feng had told him about Lin Fan.

Zhang Yu assigned Lin Fan to serve as Young Master Tang’s human training dummy, and Lin Fan endured Tang’s punches in hopes of earning three taels of silver. Meanwhile, Li Feng decided Lin Fan had to be removed from the martial hall, and Zhang Yu promised to throw him out.

• Zhang Yu ordered Lin Fan to replace Liu Rui as Young Master Tang’s human training dummy and threatened him when he objected.
• Zhang Yu brought Lin Fan to Young Master Tang, who offered him three taels of silver if he could withstand the training.
• Lin Fan endured Young Master Tang’s punches without falling, impressing him and earning the promise of more silver after further practice.
• Zhang Yu told Li Feng that Lin Fan had been sent to Young Master Tang and was likely badly injured.
• Li Feng told Zhang Yu he did not want to see Lin Fan again, and Zhang Yu promised to have him thrown out of the martial hall.

Lin Fan earned Young Master Tang's approval as a live training dummy and was promised instruction in the Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg. Zhang Yu resented Lin Fan's success and threatened to make him crawl out of the martial hall once stronger disciples returned.

• Young Master Tang treated Lin Fan to an extravagant meal, then practiced kicks and martial techniques on him as a live training dummy.
• Impressed that Lin Fan endured the training, Young Master Tang promised Zhang Yu would teach him the Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg, and rewarded him with three taels of silver.
• Lin Fan delivered Young Master Tang's message to Zhang Yu, who arrived expecting trouble but learned that Young Master Tang was satisfied with Lin Fan.
• Young Master Tang ordered Zhang Yu to teach Lin Fan properly and told Lin Fan to wait for him the following afternoon.
• After Young Master Tang left, Zhang Yu angrily confronted Lin Fan and threatened to make him crawl out of the martial hall when more skilled disciples returned.

Lin Fan used his Fate Panel to memorize Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg after one demonstration, then quickly trained Gang-Breaking Fist to entry level. Zhang Yu and Li Feng plotted to make Lin Fan fail Young Master Tang’s requirements, unaware of his rapid progress.

• Zhang Yu arranged for an outer court disciple to demonstrate Gang-Breaking Fist and Gale Leg only once to Lin Fan.
• Lin Fan’s Fate Panel recorded both techniques and preserved their moves and principles in his memory.
• Lin Fan struggled to perform Gang-Breaking Fist correctly at first, but each practice rapidly raised its progress.
• Zhang Yu told Li Feng that he planned to make Lin Fan fail as a living training dummy so Young Master Tang would abandon him.
• Lin Fan practiced Gang-Breaking Fist until it reached entry level 400/400 before sunset.

Lin Fan practiced Gale Leg and discovered that Zhang Yu and others were withholding half the apprentices’ medicinal meals, while Han Feng assigned him a suspicious dormitory. After reaching initiation in Gale Leg and making progress in Gang-Breaking Fist, Lin Fan went to wait for Young Master Tang.

• Lin Fan practiced Gale Leg, struggled through repeated falls, and reached initiation after his medicinal meal ran out.
• Han Feng ordered Lin Fan and the other apprentices to surrender half their medicinal meals, and Lin Fan suspected Zhang Yu and the martial school’s higher-ups were profiting from the rule.
• Han Feng placed Lin Fan in a solitary dormitory room, where Lin Fan suspected a trap but stayed and practiced Gale Leg through the night.
• The next morning, Lin Fan practiced Gang-Breaking Fist while Zhang Yu told Li Feng that he had arranged for Lin Fan to share Lu Hao’s room and expected trouble when Lu Hao returned.
• Lin Fan advanced Gang-Breaking Fist to 420/800 and went to Young Master Tang’s training room to wait for him.

Lin Fan learned the Body Tempering Art at the martial academy and discovered that Young Master Tang’s guidance greatly accelerated his Gang-Breaking Fist progress. After Young Master Tang left, Lin Fan practiced the Body Tempering Art alone, finding its training painful.

• The martial instructor demonstrated the Body Tempering Art up to the tiger and leopard thunder sound stage, and Lin Fan acquired the art through his fate panel.
• The instructor explained that only seven martial prodigies in Qinghe Commandery had reached the dragon roar and tiger howl stage, while Lin Fan wondered whether persistence could take him there.
• Lin Fan kept his secret knowledge of martial arts hidden and decided to practice the Body Tempering Art at night in his unoccupied dormitory.
• Young Master Tang asked Lin Fan to demonstrate the Gang-Breaking Fist, then gave him pointers that increased his progress by thirty points per practice round.
• Young Master Tang praised Zhang Yu for guiding Lin Fan and told him to keep teaching, leaving Zhang Yu confused before he departed.
• Lin Fan returned to his dormitory and practiced the Body Tempering Art, enduring sharp cracking sounds and pain as he stretched his body.