Recaps

Dongfang Yueming used his points to perfect the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method, reaching Dragon Elephant's Force in the Flesh Refining Realm. His daily point gain rose from two to six, though he realized he had not attained the realm's highest level.

• Dongfang Yueming sent Qian Jingming out of the dorm room and decided to spend points on the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method before attending the gathering.
• Dongfang Yueming advanced the method through beginner, minor accomplishment, and major accomplishment stages by spending points.
• Dongfang Yueming perfected the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method and reached the Flesh Refining Realm with Dragon Elephant's Force.
• Dongfang Yueming realized he had not reached the highest Flesh Refining level, Heaven-Splitting Body, and resolved to seek a more advanced method later.
• Dongfang Yueming saw that his daily point gain had increased from two to six and celebrated his greater strength and faster accumulation.

Dongfang Yueming advanced to the Flesh Refining Realm and headed with Qian Jingming to a gathering, where Shi Qing was confronted by her cousin Shi Yu. Shi Yu bragged about Li Hao’s cultivation, while Shi Qing remained alone and unshaken.

• Dongfang Yueming noticed an embarrassing side effect of practicing the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method and suppressed it by controlling his qi and blood.
• Dongfang Yueming changed clothes, concealed Scorpion’s poisoned dagger in his boot, and left with Qian Jingming while carrying his saber.
• At the lavish gathering, Shi Qing stood apart from the crowd as Shi Yu and Li Hao approached her.
• Shi Yu mocked Shi Qing for attending alone and challenged her to find a partner for the upcoming two-on-two family competition.
• Shi Yu praised Li Hao’s cultivation, and he boasted that he had reached perfection in the Cowhide Realm and Mighty Bull’s Strength.

Dongfang Yueming arrived at the gathering with Qian Jingming and learned that Shi Qing had arranged his invitation and provided the technique-transmission jade slip. Shi Qing welcomed him, led him inside, and asked him to dance, while Shi Yu expected the mismatched pair to become a spectacle.

• Shi Yu praised Li Hao's Body Tempering achievements while the couple looked down on others.
• Guards stopped Dongfang Yueming at the manor gate and told him that weapons were prohibited.
• Li Hao and Shi Yu mocked Dongfang Yueming for carrying a saber, and Qian Jingming admitted that Shi Qing had instructed him to invite Dongfang Yueming and had lent him the technique-transmission jade slip.
• Shi Qing came out to meet Dongfang Yueming, who thanked her and called her a beauty; she smiled and took him into the manor.
• Shi Qing led Dongfang Yueming to a quiet corner and asked him to dance, and he accepted.
• Shi Yu sneered at the pair and anticipated that Shi Qing's strength would make Dongfang Yueming's dance a disaster.

Dongfang Yueming surprised everyone by dancing in perfect sync with Shi Qing, whose strength stirred his memories of a childhood friend. As he left the gathering, he recognized Shi Qing as the girl he had once called Little Stone.

• Li Hao mocked Dongfang Yueming and expected Shi Qing to overwhelm him with her strength.
• Dongfang Yueming matched Shi Qing's powerful dance steps with his speed and control, astonishing her and the watching guests.
• Shi Qing praised Dongfang Yueming after the dance and let him leave the gathering.
• Dongfang Yueming discovered that Qian Jingming had already left and headed toward the manor gates alone.
• Dongfang Yueming remembered Shi Qing as Little Stone, a strong girl who had followed him when they were children.

Dongfang Yueming told an elderly stranger that weapons were essential for martial artists, then discovered the man was an unfathomably powerful expert when he tested him. The old man effortlessly blocked Dongfang Yueming’s strongest attacks and recognized his extraordinary strength and Jade Skin.

• Dongfang Yueming worried that Senior Shi might still resent an old grudge after learning how drastically she had changed since childhood.
• An elderly man stopped Dongfang Yueming and asked whether powerful experts needed weapons, referring to the Li family youngster’s claim that they did not.
• Dongfang Yueming argued that weapons compensated for human physical disadvantages, and the old man praised his reasoning.
• The old man suddenly grabbed at Dongfang Yueming, who reacted with his perfected Gale Movement Technique and drew his saber partway.
• At the old man’s urging, Dongfang Yueming unleashed his perfected Gale Movement Technique and Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms, but the old man blocked every strike with a casual sweep of his sleeve.
• The old man marveled at Dongfang Yueming’s strength, speed, movement technique, and Jade Skin.

Dongfang Yueming learned that Shi Qing’s relative was a Qi Refining Realm expert who wanted him to reach Marrow Cleansing within six months. He agreed the goal might be possible but asked the old man to provide top-tier Bone Forging and Tendon Transformation techniques first.

• The old man effortlessly deflected Dongfang Yueming’s attack and revealed that he had long since reached the Qi Refining Realm.
• The old man explained that he was Shi Qing’s uncle and that the Shi family’s main lineage suffered from a condition that caused faster aging.
• The old man asked Dongfang Yueming to reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm within six months.
• Dongfang Yueming judged the demand difficult but potentially achievable with enough resources and cultivation techniques.
• Dongfang Yueming asked the old man to give him top-tier techniques for the Bone Forging and Tendon Transformation realms.

Dongfang Yueming received the quasi-A-rank saber Light Snow from the old man, who told him the Beast Defense Frontier offered cultivation techniques and resources in exchange for military merit. Worried that Little Stone might suffer from the Shi Family’s accelerated-aging illness, Dongfang Yueming decided to reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm within half a year and help her.

• The old man admitted he had no cultivation techniques to give Dongfang Yueming and presented him with his former saber, Light Snow.
• Dongfang Yueming drew Light Snow and learned from the old man that it was a quasi-A-rank weapon.
• The old man explained that the Beast Defense Frontier offered military merit that could be exchanged for rare cultivation techniques and other resources, if a soldier survived long enough.
• The old man vanished into the night, leaving Dongfang Yueming to consider the dangers of the frontier and the old man's demand that he reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm within half a year.
• Dongfang Yueming worried that Little Stone might have the Shi Family's accelerated-aging illness and resolved to help her by going to the Beast Defense Frontier.

Shi Qing broke through to the Bone Forging Realm as she resolved to seek a way to lift the Shi Family’s bloodline curse. Dongfang Yueming planned to leave the patrol team and search for better opportunities, then discovered that Bone Forging techniques were not publicly listed.

• Uncle Shi told Shi Qing that even a Peak Grandmaster had failed to lift the Shi Family’s bloodline curse, and that powerful dynasties might hold the answer.
• Shi Qing entered seclusion and broke through to the Bone Forging Realm, becoming somewhat less massive in build.
• Dongfang Yueming considered how to obtain a stronger Flesh Refining technique and decided to quit the patrol team the next day.
• Dongfang Yueming searched the academy website for Bone Forging techniques and found that techniques for that realm and above were not publicly displayed.

Dongfang Yueming discovered that the academy kept Bone Forging cultivation techniques secret, while Zhang Meng learned that Scorpion had been killed and fled toward the Beast Defense Frontier. Gao Hu advanced to Lesser Flesh Refining and publicly demanded that Dongfang Yueming apologize before their arena match.

• Dongfang Yueming found no public information about Bone Forging techniques and recalled that military merit at the Beast Defense Frontier could buy them.
• Zhang Meng learned Scorpion had been beheaded and feared that Dongfang Yueming had powerful backing.
• Zhang Meng resigned from Captain Wang Zhen’s patrol team and left to seek opportunities at the Beast Defense Frontier.
• Gao Hu reached Lesser Flesh Refining with the Dragon Tiger Tendon Tempering Pill and boasted that he could crush Dongfang Yueming.
• Gao Hu tagged Dongfang Yueming in the freshmen’s group chat and demanded that he kowtow and apologize, setting off a commotion.

Lin Qingyao offered to help Dongfang Yueming with Gao Hu and then promised him one cultivation resource before entering seclusion. Dongfang Yueming asked for a Flesh Refining Method, and Lin Qingyao sent him the powerful Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force, which he found even more profound than the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method.

• Lin Qingyao messaged Dongfang Yueming that she could stop Gao Hu from bothering him, but Dongfang Yueming refused to withdraw from the arena match.
• Aunt Fu warned Lin Qingyao to focus on breaking through to the Tendon Transformation Realm and avoid distractions before the family trial.
• Lin Qingyao offered Dongfang Yueming one cultivation resource, and he accepted while asking for a powerful Flesh Refining Method.
• Lin Qingyao selected the Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force and sent Dongfang Yueming its encrypted manual.
• Dongfang Yueming examined the technique and realized it was more profound than the Crimson Sun Flesh Refining Method.

Dongfang Yueming used points to cultivate Lin Qingyao’s Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force, advancing it to perfection and reaching the Heaven-Splitting Body, the pinnacle of the Flesh Refining Realm. He celebrated his newfound strength and formidable foundation.

• Dongfang Yueming thanked Lin Qingyao for giving him the Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force, but discovered she had gone offline.
• Dongfang Yueming spent eight points to initiate the Nine-Turn Coiled Dragon Force and felt its power begin to transform his body.
• Dongfang Yueming spent more points to raise the method to minor and then major accomplishment, gaining strength he believed could rival an ordinary Bone Forging Realm martial artist.
• Dongfang Yueming spent his remaining cultivation points to perfect the method and attain the Heaven-Splitting Body.
• Dongfang Yueming felt his physical strength had increased more than tenfold and celebrated reaching the pinnacle of the Flesh Refining Realm.

After reaching the absolute perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm, Dongfang Yueming decided to leave for the Beast Defense Frontier and departed his dorm after breakfast. When Liu Yu mocked him in the cafeteria, Dongfang Yueming pinned him down with one hand, leaving Liu Yu humiliated and vowing revenge.

• Dongfang Yueming decided that he had nothing left to gain in the Flesh Refining Realm and resolved to head to the Beast Defense Frontier.
• The next morning, Dongfang Yueming checked his points, packed two sabers, and left his dorm for breakfast before departing.
• Liu Yu mocked Dongfang Yueming in the cafeteria for challenging Gao Hu despite supposedly lacking Skin Tempering progress.
• When Liu Yu tried to lash out, Dongfang Yueming slammed him against the table with one hand and calmly wiped his mouth.
• After Dongfang Yueming left, Liu Yu swore to repay the humiliation and make him suffer.

Dongfang Yueming resigned from the patrol team and went to enlist at the Beast Defense Frontier, suspecting Zhang Meng had arranged the assassin’s attack. At the registration point, he silenced the crowd’s mockery by effortlessly lifting the stone lock for greater flesh refining.

• Dongfang Yueming handed Captain Wang Zhen his uniform and token and resigned from the patrol team.
• Captain Wang Zhen said Zhang Meng had resigned the night before to seek his fortunes at the Beast Defense Frontier, leading Dongfang Yueming to suspect Zhang Meng had sent Scorpion after him.
• Dongfang Yueming thanked Captain Wang Zhen and Li Yue, then went directly to the Beast Defense Frontier registration point.
• A lean man with a scorpion tattoo mocked Dongfang Yueming and demonstrated that he could lift the stone lock for lesser flesh refining.
• Dongfang Yueming lifted the heaviest stone lock above his head with ease, leaving the crowd stunned and silent.

Dongfang Yueming impressed the frontier registrar by lifting a Greater Flesh Refining stone lock and received a military merit terminal before boarding a train to the Beast Defense Frontier. He joined four strangers in a compartment, suspecting that the journey ahead would be dangerous.

• Dongfang Yueming lifted the Greater Flesh Refining stone lock with one hand, surprising the registrar and the men who had mocked him.
• The registrar warned Dongfang Yueming about the frontier and gave him a terminal for recording and spending military merit.
• Dongfang Yueming left the registration point as the other men reacted with shock and discussed the dangers he might face.
• Dongfang Yueming checked his terminal and wondered whether people might steal others' devices and military merit.
• Dongfang Yueming verified his identity and boarded the special train to the Beast Defense Frontier.
• Dongfang Yueming entered a compartment with a woman in red, two middle-aged brothers, and an arrogant man, then sat down and watched his new travel companions.

After reaching Skin Tempering Entry, Liu Yu sought Qin Rushuang as his master but was rejected and given an impossible challenge. Reeling from the rejection, he accepted Wu Daozi’s offer of tutelage and agreed to the sinister price Wu Daozi demanded.

• Liu Yu reached Skin Tempering Entry after about ten days of cultivation and celebrated his progress.
• Liu Yu asked Qin Rushuang to take him as her disciple, but she refused and challenged him to reach Jade Skin in seven days and the Heaven-Splitting Body in a month.
• Qin Rushuang acknowledged Liu Yu’s good aptitude but told him he did not meet her standard, leaving him devastated.
• Wu Daozi introduced himself as the Yin Wind Hand, a Tendon Transformation Greater Completion expert, and offered to become Liu Yu’s master.
• Wu Daozi whispered the price of his help to Liu Yu, who overcame his fear and agreed in hopes of gaining power and revenge.

On the train to the Beast Defense Frontier, Dongfang Yueming concealed his real name while claiming to be a greater flesh refining expert, changing how the other passengers treated him. Hongxiu warned that the train would soon pass through beast gathering grounds, where passengers would face a test against hungry beasts.

• Zhou Tong introduced himself as a bone tempering initiate and demanded that the passengers introduce themselves.
• Hongxiu introduced herself as a greater flesh refining expert, while Tie Shan and Tie Zhu said they were both lesser flesh refining and urged Dongfang Yueming to join a squad.
• Dongfang Yueming claimed the name Dongfang Ri and said he was at greater flesh refining, stunning the passengers.
• Hongxiu warmly sided with Dongfang Ri and rebuked Zhou Tong when he questioned the truth of his claimed strength.
• Hongxiu revealed that the train would pass through beast gathering grounds, where people tasked with luring monsters would draw hungry beasts toward the passengers.

Dongfang Yueming and the other newcomers reached the Beast Defense Frontier and were ordered to fight a beast tide for military merit. As the battle began, Dongfang Yueming stayed calm and agreed to watch over Hongxiu, while Zhou Tong’s first kill left him eager to judge Dongfang Yueming’s performance.

• Hongxiu told the newcomers they would fight mortal beasts, and the train stopped in a desolate Gobi as Tie Shan and Tie Zhu nervously prepared to disembark.
• Dongfang Yueming and the others saw a vast beast tide approaching, and a gray-uniformed official explained the military merit awarded for each beast’s left ear.
• A high-level mortal beast appeared at the front of the tide, and a Blood Replacement Realm powerhouse stepped forward to fight it while the newcomers charged into battle.
• Hongxiu asked Dongfang Yueming to protect her, and he agreed while remembering her earlier advice about the frontier.
• Jealous of Hongxiu’s attention toward Dongfang Yueming, Zhou Tong killed a charging gale wolf and turned to see how Dongfang Yueming was faring.

Dongfang Yueming effortlessly killed several low-level mortal beasts, exposing Zhou Tong’s attempt to endanger him and earning Hongxiu’s attention. An intermediate-level Blue-Scaled Leopard then attacked, and after a greedy martial artist died trying to steal its ear, the enraged beast grew even more dangerous.

• Dongfang Yueming killed a Fanged Wild Boar and fought off the beast horde with practiced saber and movement techniques.
• Zhou Tong deliberately lured an Iron-Armored Rhinoceros toward Dongfang Yueming, who killed it and two other beasts in one swift attack.
• Dongfang Yueming collected the beasts’ ears, and Zhou Tong became wary of his strength while Hongxiu was impressed.
• A Blue-Scaled Leopard broke through the defensive line, and Hongxiu struck its eyes with her whip to slow its attack.
• A greedy martial artist tried to cut off the leopard’s ear, but the beast struck him down and nearby low-level beasts devoured him.
• The Blue-Scaled Leopard roared and its speed and strength increased as its blue scales began to glow.

Dongfang Yueming saved Hongxiu by killing a berserk Blue-Scaled Leopard in one strike, then helped fight off the remaining beasts. After the beast tide receded, the gray-clad staff member announced that the warriors would tally their military merits.

• The berserk Blue-Scaled Leopard nearly killed Hongxiu while Zhou Tong watched, but Dongfang Yueming stepped in and beheaded it with a single saber strike.
• Hongxiu and Zhou Tong were stunned by Dongfang Yueming’s speed and skill, while Dongfang Yueming put away the leopard’s ear and killed beasts threatening Hongxiu.
• The beast tide collapsed after the warriors and Blood Replacement Realm experts fought desperately, leaving many dead and wounded.
• Dongfang Yueming assessed his ruined saber and heavy pouch of beast ears, estimating he had earned nearly forty military merit points.
• Hongxiu thanked Dongfang Yueming for saving her, and the gray-clad staff member called the warriors to submit their collected ears for military merit tallying.

Dongfang Yueming rejected Zhou Tong’s attempt to take control of the team’s spoils and was accepted as captain after Hongxiu backed him. He registered 99 military merit points and divided them among the team, where Zhou Tong’s resentment remained and the Tie brothers discussed saving for a bone tempering method.

• Zhou Tong tried to collect everyone’s beast ears and register them himself, but Dongfang Yueming refused.
• Hongxiu openly supported Dongfang Yueming as captain, while Tie Shan and Tie Zhu stayed silent; Zhou Tong reluctantly agreed.
• Dongfang Yueming registered 96 low-level beast ears and one Blue-Scaled Leopard ear, earning the team 99 military merit points.
• Dongfang Yueming distributed the points: 34 to himself, 20 to Hongxiu, 19 to Zhou Tong, and 13 each to Tie Shan and Tie Zhu.
• Tie Zhu said the brothers hoped to save 100 points for a basic bone tempering cultivation method, and Zhou Tong mocked their chances of reaching the Bone Forging Realm.

Hongxiu questioned Dongfang Yueming about his cultivation and guessed that he had come to the Beast Defense Frontier to pursue Dragon Elephant's Force. Dongfang Yueming denied that was his only reason, leaving Hongxiu increasingly curious as she pressed him for an answer.

• Zhou Tong disparaged Tie Shan and Tie Zhu's prospects without resources, then left to prepare for a breakthrough to Lesser Bone Tempering.
• The camp was given half an hour to rest before the train continued to Black Stone Fortress.
• Hongxiu drew close to Dongfang Yueming and correctly guessed that he had reached Flesh Refining Perfection.
• Hongxiu revealed that she had cultivated Mighty Bull's Strength and hoped to advance it to Dragon Elephant's Force using resources from the frontier.
• Dongfang Yueming said that pursuing Dragon Elephant's Force was not the whole reason he had come, and Hongxiu asked what else he sought.

Dongfang Yueming was confronted by a group of martial artists demanding his military merits on the lawless road to the Beast Defense Frontier. Elsewhere, Zhang Meng earned a reward by killing a martial artist and plotted revenge against Dongfang Yueming after he broke through to the Bone Forging Realm.

• Hongxiu became flustered after her instinctive action toward Dongfang Yueming and hurried off to get ready.
• Dongfang Yueming planned to earn military merits at Black Stone Fortress and exchange them for a Bone Tempering cultivation technique.
• A bald scarred man and his companions surrounded Dongfang Yueming and demanded his military merits, explaining that the road to the Beast Defense Frontier had no order beyond strength.
• Zhang Meng killed a fallen martial artist, and his captain praised him for earning military merits by killing their own kind.
• The captain rewarded Zhang Meng with top-grade Bone Tempering Ointment, and Zhang Meng vowed to take revenge on Dongfang Yueming after breaking through to the Bone Forging Realm.

Dongfang Yueming defeated a bandit leader and took his military merit, while Hongxiu agreed to visit her father at Black Stone Fortress and asked Steward Hu to obtain two cultivation methods. The chapter left Steward Hu arranging the methods before Hongxiu arrived at the fortress.

• Dongfang Yueming broke the bald man's arm, demanded his military merit, and sent him and his companions away with 32 points taken.
• Dongfang Yueming planned to hunt stronger Mortal Beasts near Black Stone Fortress and earn enough merit for a Bone Tempering Method.
• Steward Hu found Hongxiu and urged her to visit her father, the Red-Bearded General, who had prepared resources for her breakthrough.
• Hongxiu agreed to see her father at the fortress, partly because she wanted resources to keep pace with Dongfang Yueming.
• Hongxiu asked Steward Hu to arrange the Hundred Beasts Flesh Refining Method and Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method instead of two sets of breakthrough resources.

Dongfang Yueming and his companions arrived at the Black Stone Fortress, where Hongxiu gave him two cultivation methods as payment for protecting her and kissed his cheek before disappearing into the crowd. The group was about to register at the Military Merit Office, while Zhou Tong hurried off to pursue a breakthrough and secretly plotted against Dongfang Yueming.

• Dongfang Yueming, Hongxiu, Zhou Tong, Tie Shan, and Tie Zhu reached the Black Stone Fortress by train.
• Zhou Tong left the group and headed into the fortress to find a place to break through to Lesser Bone Tempering.
• Tie Shan and Tie Zhu told Dongfang Yueming that newcomers needed to register their team at the Military Merit Office before accepting missions.
• Hongxiu sent Dongfang Yueming the Hundred Beasts Flesh Refining Method and Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method as payment for his protection.
• Hongxiu kissed Dongfang Yueming on the cheek, then blushed and fled into the crowd.

Dongfang Yueming parted ways with Tie Shan and Tie Zhu so he could cultivate in seclusion and use his points to advance the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method. He began tempering his bones and reached the Bone Forging Realm at lesser mastery.

• Dongfang Yueming told Tie Shan and Tie Zhu that their temporary squad had ended and that he would stop taking missions to cultivate in seclusion.
• Tie Shan and Tie Zhu accepted the separation, wished Dongfang Yueming well, and left to find their own paths.
• Dongfang Yueming studied the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method and learned that its highest theoretical result was Radiant Gold Bones.
• Dongfang Yueming rented a stone house at Black Stone Fortress, shut himself inside, and allocated points to the method.
• Dongfang Yueming advanced the Hundred Beasts Bone Tempering Method to lesser mastery and entered the Bone Forging Realm.