Chapter Summaries

Dongfang Yueming arrived at the United University Martial Arts Academy, eager to use his hoarded points to master martial arts after finally obtaining access to a technique. Instructor Qin Rushuang assigned the students a one-month deadline to reach beginner skin tempering, and Dongfang Yueming prepared to spend his points.

• Dongfang Yueming watched two martial artists pass and reflected on his Point Allocation system and the thousand points he had saved.
• Dongfang Yueming entered the academy’s martial arts hall and heard students discuss the martial path and their disadvantages as commoners.
• Qin Rushuang introduced herself as the students’ fundamentals instructor and distributed copies of the Skin Tempering Art.
• Qin Rushuang ordered the students to reach beginner skin tempering within a month or leave the academy.
• Dongfang Yueming stared at the Skin Tempering Art, eager to spend his thousand points and master it immediately.

Dongfang Yueming received the Skin Tempering Art and planned to use his system points to cultivate without buying costly resources. After Gao Hu deliberately humiliated him, Dongfang challenged him to meet in the academy arena in one month.

• Qin Rushuang left after distributing the Skin Tempering Art, and students celebrated before a shrewd young man offered Body Tempering Powder for five hundred credits per packet.
• Dongfang Yueming checked his system panel, saw that he had 1,000 points, and decided to memorize the technique so he could add points to it.
• Lin Qingyao asked Dongfang why he was not buying powder, and he explained that he was an orphan with no money.
• Gao Hu deliberately collided with Dongfang and mocked him after seeing Lin Qingyao speak to him, while other students warned Dongfang not to provoke the powerful Gao Family heir.
• Dongfang refused to back down and challenged Gao Hu to face him in the Martial Arts Academy arena one month later.

Dongfang Yueming challenged Gao Hu to fight him in the arena one month later, then discovered that initiating the Basic Skin Tempering Method cost only one point. As he headed off to cultivate, the sight of injured martial artists reminded him that he needed strength not only to defeat Gao Hu but to survive the dangers beyond the city.

• Gao Hu mocked Dongfang Yueming’s challenge but agreed to meet him in the arena in one month.
• Dongfang Yueming memorized the Skin Tempering Art and found the Basic Skin Tempering Method listed on his system panel, with initiation costing one point.
• Dongfang Yueming left to find a quiet place to cultivate while Qian Jingming saw a business opportunity in his urgent need to grow stronger.
• Dongfang Yueming passed injured senior students and realized that martial artists faced deadly dangers outside the city, strengthening his resolve to gain power immediately.

Dongfang Yueming used points to raise the Basic Skin Tempering Method to perfection in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. After learning that skin tempering perfection had higher levels and that advanced techniques required contribution points, he resolved to reach Jade Skin and began considering how to obtain a better method.

• Dongfang Yueming spent 19 points to bring the Basic Skin Tempering Method from uninitiated to perfection, greatly increasing his skin’s toughness and strength.
• He realized his skin could still be tempered further, but the basic technique had reached its limit.
• Dongfang Yueming searched the United University Martial Arts Academy website and learned the six stages of the Body Tempering Realm and the Cowhide, Stone Skin, and Jade Skin levels of skin tempering.
• He resolved not to settle for Cowhide and set his sights on reaching the Jade Skin Realm.
• Dongfang Yueming found that the Basic Flesh Refining Method cost 120 contribution points, compared with 20 for the Basic Skin Tempering Method.

Dongfang Yueming secured a city patrol job with doubled pay after claiming he had reached Greater Skin Tempering, then chose the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms as his first weapon technique. He planned to use his ability to add points to overcome the saber technique’s notorious difficulty and make it a hidden advantage.

• Dongfang Yueming found a temporary city security patrol task that paid three contribution points a day and applied for it.
• He confirmed he would take the patrol job despite the danger of encountering mortal beasts.
• Dongfang Yueming told the patrol station he had reached Greater Skin Tempering, and the issuer raised his daily pay to six contribution points and offered to assess him.
• He searched the martial arts exchange for a saber technique and read that the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms were difficult to master but powerful at perfection.
• Dongfang Yueming exchanged Federation coins for the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms and resolved to improve it by adding points.

Dongfang Yueming discovered that his daily points doubled after reaching Ox Skin and used points to perfect the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms. As he realized he needed a saber before his next patrol, Gao Hu broke through to major mastery in Skin Tempering.

• Dongfang Yueming noticed his daily point gain had doubled upon reaching Ox Skin and resolved to advance his cultivation further.
• Dongfang Yueming spent points raising the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms from initiation through minor and major mastery to perfection.
• Dongfang Yueming practiced the perfected saber technique and recognized its power as a potential advantage against Gao Hu and vicious beasts.
• Dongfang Yueming realized he needed to obtain a saber before reporting for patrol.
• Gao Hu broke through his bottleneck and reached major mastery in Skin Tempering.

Dongfang Yueming went to the campus market hoping to buy a saber but discovered he could not afford even the cheapest one. Qian Jingming offered him a loan, and the chapter ended with Qian Jingming recoiling when Dongfang asked for thirty to fifty thousand federation credits.

• Gao Hu celebrated his major success in skin tempering and minor success in saber technique while thinking of Lin Qingyao and dismissing Dongfang Yueming as insignificant.
• Dongfang Yueming checked his balance and found he had only 350 federation credits.
• Dongfang Yueming visited the campus market and learned that the cheapest E-grade saber cost 500 federation credits.
• Qian Jingming approached Dongfang Yueming and offered to lend him money.
• Dongfang Yueming asked to borrow thirty to fifty thousand federation credits, shocking Qian Jingming.

Dongfang Yueming pressured Qian Jingming into paying for an E-rank saber and promised to collect a higher-level skin-tempering method later. After demonstrating his perfected saber technique, he prepared for a patrol mission and heard freshmen worrying about failing to cultivate in time.

• Dongfang Yueming failed to persuade Qian Jingming to provide a Flesh Refining Method, so he asked for a higher-level skin-tempering method instead.
• Dongfang Yueming took an E-rank saber from a stall and told Qian Jingming to pay, then escaped with it before Qian Jingming could stop him.
• Qian Jingming bargained with the stall owner and paid a thousand federal coins for the saber, while lamenting that he still had to find Dongfang Yueming a cultivation method.
• Back in his dorm, Dongfang Yueming practiced the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms at the perfected level and felt his combat power had more than doubled.
• The next morning, Dongfang Yueming ate five portions of high-energy food and worried about the expense of maintaining his appetite.
• Dongfang Yueming overheard freshmen fretting that they had failed to sense qi and might not reach beginner skin tempering within a month.

Dongfang Yueming joined the East City Security Patrol Third Squad and was assigned to patrol with Li Yue. Behind them, Captain Wang Zhen arranged to release Carrion Rats into their area to test Dongfang Yueming’s courage and combat ability.

• Dongfang Yueming ignored the academy students’ doubts about his coming fight with Gao Hu and headed to the East City patrol station.
• Wang Zhen introduced Dongfang Yueming to Zhang Meng, Li Yue, and Zhao Tieniu, then assigned Li Yue to show Dongfang Yueming the patrol route.
• Dongfang Yueming and Li Yue left to patrol East District Three and the first half of East District Four.
• Wang Zhen told Zhang Meng to let Carrion Rats loose toward East District Three, and Zhang Meng agreed.
• Zhao Tieniu recognized the plan as the squad’s test for newcomers and wondered how Dongfang Yueming would handle the beasts.

Zhang Meng secretly drugged Carrion Rats to make them berserk and sent them after Dongfang Yueming, hoping to injure him and impress Li Yue. Dongfang Yueming killed all three with swift saber strikes, leaving Li Yue stunned and asking whether the kills earned him contribution points.

• Zhang Meng fed forbidden berserk-inducing pills to several Carrion Rats and released them toward East District Three.
• Li Yue led Dongfang Yueming into a secluded alley, where three berserk Carrion Rats attacked them.
• Li Yue realized the rats were far more dangerous than an ordinary newcomer’s test and hesitated over whether to intervene.
• Dongfang Yueming drew his saber and killed all three Carrion Rats in moments with his Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms.
• Li Yue stared in shock at Dongfang Yueming’s skill, and he asked whether killing the rats earned him contribution points.

Dongfang Yueming killed three Carrion Rats during a staged test, impressing the Third Squad and earning 30 contribution points in addition to his daily pay. As he left to begin official work the next morning, Captain Wang Zhen turned his attention to Zhang Meng over the incident.

• Zhang Meng arrived expecting to rescue Li Yue, but found Dongfang Yueming calmly sheathing his saber beside three dead Carrion Rats.
• Li Yue realized Zhang Meng had likely arranged the dangerous test and looked at him with disgust.
• Wang Zhen welcomed Dongfang Yueming to the Third Squad and awarded him 10 contribution points for each Carrion Rat, while Zhang Meng stayed silent under the captain's warning gaze.
• Zhao Tieniu examined the corpses and was astonished by Dongfang Yueming's saber skill and composure.
• Wang Zhen dismissed Dongfang Yueming, told him to report at eight the next morning, and confirmed his six daily contribution points.
• After Dongfang Yueming left, Wang Zhen turned to Zhang Meng and addressed him.

Dongfang Yueming received 36 contribution points and waited for Qian Jingming to obtain an advanced skin tempering method. He agreed to attend a gathering in a week, unaware that Qian Jingming had arranged his appearance at Senior Shi’s request.

• Wang Zhen charged Zhang Meng 20 contribution points for the extra rewards Dongfang Yueming had earned, and Zhang Meng accepted the punishment.
• Dongfang Yueming received 36 contribution points for the patrol mission and killing three carrion rats, then found advanced skin tempering methods too expensive to buy.
• Dongfang Yueming messaged Qian Jingming about the promised method, and Qian Jingming said he would deliver one by the next afternoon.
• Qian Jingming asked Dongfang Yueming to attend a Martial Arts Academy gathering in a week, and Dongfang Yueming agreed.
• Qian Jingming told Senior Shi that Dongfang Yueming had agreed to attend, and Senior Shi promised him a share of the benefits.

Dongfang Yueming received his patrol uniform and learned from Li Yue that reaching Stone Skin or Jade Skin required rare methods and enormous resources. After his patrol, Qian Jingming brought him a glowing piece of jade instead of the advanced skin tempering manual Dongfang expected.

• Dongfang Yueming checked his panel and found that he had gained two points since his last check.
• Li Yue gave Dongfang Yueming his new patrol uniform and East Three token, and he began patrolling with her.
• Li Yue explained the Cowhide, Stone Skin, and Jade Skin stages and the difficulty of advancing beyond basic skin tempering.
• Dongfang Yueming completed his patrol and received six contribution points, bringing his balance to 42.
• Qian Jingming delivered a brocade box, and Dongfang Yueming found a glowing, patterned piece of jade inside instead of a manual.

Dongfang Yueming received the Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method from Qian Jingming through a technique transmission jade slip and agreed to attend a gathering in a week. After Qian Jingming left, Dongfang Yueming prepared to spend points cultivating the new technique.

• Qian Jingming explained that the jade slip contained a valuable technique and could transmit it when pressed to the forehead.
• Dongfang Yueming used the jade slip and received the complete Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method.
• Dongfang Yueming checked his attribute panel and saw that the new technique required four points to reach initiation.
• Qian Jingming retrieved the jade slip, reminded Dongfang Yueming about the gathering in a week, and left after Dongfang Yueming agreed to attend.
• Dongfang Yueming locked the door, focused on the new technique, and called out to add points.

Dongfang Yueming perfected the Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method and advanced from Cowhide to Stone Skin, then to the legendary Jade Skin Realm. After learning that even an expert had failed to reach Jade Skin with the same method, he was left wondering why he had succeeded.

• Dongfang Yueming spent points to raise the Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method to minor mastery and felt his skin grow tougher than it had under the perfected Basic Skin Tempering Method.
• He advanced the technique to major mastery and broke through from Cowhide to Stone Skin.
• Dongfang Yueming spent forty more points to perfect the technique and unexpectedly reached Jade Skin.
• He checked the Martial Arts Academy's internal website and found that perfection only had a chance of producing Jade Skin.
• He read an anonymous expert's account of reaching only peak Stone Skin after perfecting the technique, and wondered how he had reached Jade Skin.

Dongfang Yueming reached the Jade Skin Realm and planned to pursue flesh refining, while Gao Hu broke through to the Flesh Refining Realm and set his sights on the Seed Class. Seeking to address his lack of speed, Dongfang Yueming chose the difficult Gale Movement Technique and prepared to exchange for it.

• Dongfang Yueming concluded that the Layered Wave Skin Tempering Method had helped him reach the Jade Skin Realm and planned to earn enough contribution points for the Basic Flesh Refining Method.
• Gao Hu used the Gao Family's medicinal bath to break through to the Flesh Refining Realm and boasted that he would defeat Dongfang Yueming.
• Gao Hu vowed to enter the Seed Class and hoped to gain access to a method for breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, while thinking of Lin Qingyao.
• Dongfang Yueming decided he needed a movement technique to compensate for his lack of speed and guard against dangers on patrol and Zhang Meng's schemes.
• Dongfang Yueming found that students considered the Gale Movement Technique difficult but compatible with the Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms, and he decided to exchange for it using his 42 contribution points.

Dongfang Yueming used points to master the Gale Movement Technique, overcoming an awkward first attempt before perfecting it. He tested its speed in his dorm room and looked forward to combining it with his perfected saber forms.

• Dongfang Yueming redeemed the Gale Movement Technique and studied its movements and qi circulation.
• He spent points to reach initiation, but stumbled and nearly hit a wall when he first tried the footwork.
• Dongfang Yueming continued adding points, reaching minor mastery and then major mastery as his movements grew smoother and faster.
• He perfected the Gale Movement Technique and moved silently across his dorm room with extraordinary speed.
• Dongfang Yueming considered combining the perfected movement technique with his perfected saber forms and felt he had no obvious weaknesses.

Qian Jingming delivered a cultivation technique to Senior Shi, who demonstrated her overwhelming strength and warned him not to pry into her reasons for taking an interest in Dongfang Yueming. After Li Yue rejected Zhang Meng, his jealousy and humiliation drove him to seek trouble for Dongfang Yueming.

• Qian Jingming watched Senior Shi defeat three Bone Forging Realm students and realized she had perfected both her martial art and Flesh Refining cultivation.
• Qian Jingming gave Senior Shi the technique-transmitting jade slip and reported that Dongfang Yueming had agreed to attend the gathering in a week.
• Senior Shi warned Qian Jingming not to pry into her affairs, then reflected on the difficulty of perfecting every stage of body tempering.
• Li Yue rejected Zhang Meng's invitation, and he blamed Dongfang Yueming for her apparent interest in him.
• Zhang Meng let his jealousy overcome his hesitation and headed toward a dangerous area outside the academy to target Dongfang Yueming.

Zhang Meng hired Scorpion to cripple Dongfang Yueming, while Dongfang woke stronger and continued his patrol routine. The chapter left Scorpion preparing to attack Dongfang and Liu Yu dismissing him as an unskilled show-off.

• Zhang Meng offered Scorpion money and healing pills to break Dongfang Yueming’s leg, and Scorpion accepted.
• Zhang Meng told Scorpion that Dongfang patrolled between East District Three and East District Four, then vowed to make Dongfang suffer for stealing his woman and the limelight.
• Dongfang Yueming woke feeling refreshed, checked his cultivation panel, and gained two points.
• At breakfast, Liu Yu announced that he had stirred his qi and blood and completed his first skin-tempering cycle.
• Liu Yu looked down on Dongfang Yueming and mocked him inwardly for carrying a saber before reaching Skin Tempering Entry.

Dongfang Yueming and Li Yue were ambushed by two Flesh Refining Realm Azure-Scaled Leopards during their patrol. Dongfang killed both beasts with his perfected movement and saber techniques, leaving Li Yue stunned by his strength.

• Dongfang Yueming noticed Zhang Meng's unusual smugness before he and Li Yue went on patrol.
• An Azure-Scaled Leopard attacked Li Yue, and she warned Dongfang that it was a powerful beast.
• A second Azure-Scaled Leopard ambushed Dongfang Yueming while the first wounded Li Yue and knocked away her saber.
• Dongfang Yueming evaded both beasts with his perfected Gale Movement Technique and killed them with his perfected Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms.
• Li Yue stared in disbelief at Dongfang Yueming's victory.