Chapter Summaries

Xiao Tianqi, Su Ying, and Lu Feng traveled south, resting in the wilderness and sharing Lu Feng’s roasted hare. On the tenth day, they reached a mountain range that marked the boundary of Central Province.

• Xiao Tianqi chose a forest clearing for the group to camp for the night.
• Lu Feng roasted a hare using a method that kept the meat tender, and Su Ying and Xiao Tianqi enjoyed it.
• Su Ying learned Lu Feng’s preparation method and roasted another hare herself.
• During the following days, Su Ying hunted hares and practiced roasting them while the group continued south.
• On the tenth day, Xiao Tianqi said that crossing the mountain range ahead would bring them into Central Province.

Lu Feng, Xiao Tianqi, and Su Ying found a settlement destroyed by bull demons, and Xiao Tianqi suspected the victims had fled from Yongzhou. After Xiao Tianqi killed a grieving survivor who blamed humans for the deaths, Lu Feng defended his actions and warned that people who justified demon beasts’ attacks threatened humanity’s survival.

• Lu Feng slaughtered the bull demons rampaging across the slope while Xiao Tianqi sent Su Ying to search for survivors.
• Xiao Tianqi examined the wreckage and inferred from the clothing and belongings that the victims had come from distant Yongzhou, where something major might be happening.
• Su Ying found an old woman who blamed her and the other humans for arriving too late and driving demon beasts to attack.
• Xiao Tianqi killed the old woman with a strike of True Essence, shocking Su Ying.
• Lu Feng told Su Ying he thought Xiao Tianqi had done nothing wrong and argued that defending demon beasts who ate people threatened humanity’s survival.

Lu Feng, Su Ying, and Xiao Tianqi reached Central Province and arrived at the Demon-Slaying Bureau headquarters, where they met Lu Qingshan, Jiang Han, and the others. After Xiao Tianqi and Lu Qingshan discussed attacks on the Yunzhou border and the killing of Yongzhou refugees, Lu Feng and Su Ying were escorted to the headquarters’ cave abodes.

• Xiao Tianqi praised Lu Feng for arguing that people who supported coexistence with demonic beasts could become a danger, while Su Ying struggled to accept his reasoning.
• The three traveled into Central Province, where they saw peaceful farmland and frequent demon-slayer patrols before reaching the headquarters city.
• Lu Qingshan greeted Xiao Tianqi, and Jiang Han recognized that Su Ying had advanced to Grandmaster.
• Yu Wei complimented Su Ying, prompting Jiang Han to demand an apology, which Yu Wei promptly gave.
• Xiao Tianqi told Lu Qingshan about the Yunzhou border attack and the killing of Yongzhou refugees, and Lu Qingshan said he had encountered similar trouble.
• Lu Qingshan and Xiao Tianqi left to discuss the matter, while Lu Feng and Su Ying followed a disciple to the South City Demon-Slaying Bureau’s cave-abode area.

Lu Feng and Su Ying explored the headquarters square and examined the competition contestants and betting odds. Su Ying placed fifty thousand low-grade Origin Crystals on Lu Feng to finish in the Hua Jin top three, drawing surprise and skepticism from the crowd.

• Lu Feng and Su Ying waited for Xiao Tianqi, then left their cave dwellings to visit the headquarters square.
• Lu Feng read the contestants' profiles and saw that he ranked eighth among the Hua Jin competitors, while Lu Shuang, Jiang Han, and Lin Jingfeng were the favorites.
• Lu Feng noticed that the profile omitted his movement technique, Saber Force, and sword formulas, and that his top-three odds were 1:10.
• Su Ying bet fifty thousand low-grade Origin Crystals on Lu Feng to finish in the top three.
• The crowd questioned Su Ying's bet, and only a handful of people placed small wagers on Lu Feng.

Lu Feng and Su Ying placed huge bets on his Hua Jin championship, then tested his abilities in their cave abode. After their fight revealed the strength of his Phantom Steps and the limits of his saber attack, Lu Feng asked Su Ying to test how much lightning his body could withstand.

• Lu Feng bet all 5,500 of his Origin Crystals on himself to win the Hua Jin division at odds of 1:100, and Su Ying added another 10,000.
• Su Ying took Lu Feng into the secret chamber and attacked him to assess his strength.
• Lu Feng used Phantom Steps and the Ink-Sunken Saber to surprise Su Ying, but her Purple Lightning Body Protection repelled his attack and numbed his arms.
• Su Ying praised Lu Feng's movement technique and said it could help him win the championship.
• Lu Feng asked Su Ying to strike his body with the Lightning Control Technique at increasing power levels, and she warned that a direct Grandmaster-level hit could kill him.

Lu Feng tested his perfected body-tempering techniques by enduring Su Ying’s lightning, including a full-strength strike from an early Grandmaster, without suffering a wound. After Su Ying failed to place another bet on him, Lu Feng asked about the Sacred Hall, and she explained that it was one of three major powers balancing the provinces and resisting the Demon Race.

• Lu Feng endured increasingly powerful lightning strikes from Su Ying and remained uninjured after a full-strength strike from an early Grandmaster.
• Su Ying marveled at Lu Feng’s perfected techniques and tried to place another hundred-thousand-Origin-Crystal bet on him to win the championship.
• Fatty Jin refused Su Ying’s wager because betting on Lu Feng had closed after too many people followed her lead.
• Lu Feng asked Su Ying about the Sacred Hall, and she named it alongside the Heavenly Inspection Bureau and Supreme Purity Pavilion as one of the three major powers.
• Su Ying said she was a Sacred Hall disciple and explained that the three powers maintained balance among the provinces and resisted large-scale Demon Race invasions.

Su Ying explained the difference between martial cultivation and Dao arts to Lu Feng, then Xiao Tianqi told them the Five-City Grand Competition would include a demonic-beast hunt in northern Yongzhou. Three days later, Lu Feng and Su Ying arrived at the packed square as the competition began.

• Su Ying told Lu Feng that Dao arts relied on spiritual sense, which only arose after reaching the Yin Spirit Realm, and promised to take him to the Sacred Hall after the competition.
• Lu Feng and Su Ying encountered Lin Jingfeng and other fighters from the East City Demon-Slaying Bureau, who taunted them about the competition.
• Xiao Tianqi explained that northern Yongzhou had fallen to demonic beasts and that the competition would add a clearing mission, with rankings combining arena results and beast-killing points.
• Xiao Tianqi answered Lu Feng and Su Ying's cultivation questions as they prepared for the competition.
• Three days later, Lu Feng and Su Ying reached the crowded square at first light as the Five-City Grand Competition began.

At the Demon-Slaying Bureau competition in Central Province, Lu Feng drew the second lot and faced Yu Wei in the Hua Jin arena. Lu Feng defeated Yu Wei with a single palm strike, advancing to the next round.

• Song Xuanji explained that the competition would award individuals separately from bureau resource allocations, which would instead be decided on the Yongzhou battlefield.
• Lu Feng drew lot number two, while Su Ying drew number three, and Lu Feng entered the Hua Jin arena.
• Yu Wei attacked Lu Feng with a perfection-level palm technique, aiming to cripple him.
• Lu Feng met Yu Wei's strike with Cold Plum Jin and sent him flying, leaving him unconscious.
• The referee confirmed Yu Wei was alive and declared Lu Feng the winner.

Lu Feng and Su Ying advanced through their matches, and Lu Feng faced the formidable body cultivator Lin Jingfeng in the semifinals. After Lin Jingfeng challenged him to a direct clash, Lu Feng stood his ground and sent him flying, leaving the crowd stunned.

• Lu Feng returned after defeating Yu Wei with a single palm strike, while Su Ying went on to defeat her Late Grandmaster opponent with the Lightning Control Technique.
• Lu Feng watched Lu Shuang, Jiang Han, and Lin Jingfeng dominate their Hua Jin matches as the first round narrowed the field to eight.
• Su Ying began an evenly matched Grandmaster semifinal against Shen Qingwu, whose wind-attribute True Essence challenged her lightning technique.
• Lu Feng drew Lin Jingfeng in the Hua Jin semifinal, and Lin Jingfeng urged him to surrender before the fight began.
• Lu Feng met Lin Jingfeng's charge head-on, remained unmoved, and sent Lin Jingfeng several meters backward.

Lu Feng defeated Lin Jingfeng in a brutal clash of perfected body arts, then learned he would face Jiang Han in the Hua Jin semifinal. Their movement-technique showdown began with both fighters using their perfected techniques to trade attacks across the arena.

• Lin Jingfeng activated his perfected Python Armor Art, while Lu Feng answered with the Immeasurable Golden Body Art.
• Lu Feng weakened Lin Jingfeng's blood-red protection with repeated blows and Cold Plum Jin, forcing him to surrender before Lu Feng's next punch landed.
• Lu Feng returned to find Su Ying had finished her match against Shen Qingwu, then drew Jiang Han as his Hua Jin semifinal opponent after the Headquarters disciple forfeited to Lu Shuang.
• Spectators debated whether Jiang Han's perfected movement technique could outlast Lu Feng's strength, while Jiang Han and Lu Feng exchanged courteous words before the match.
• Jiang Han used her perfected movement and palm techniques to attack from all directions, and Lu Feng countered with Carefree Steps and Cold Plum Jin as they clashed across the arena.

Lu Feng defeated Jiang Han by outlasting her in a prolonged exchange and secured a place in the top three. After fending off visitors at his cave residence, he returned the next morning as the Hua Jin final against Lu Shuang was announced.

• Lu Feng matched Jiang Han's movement and palm techniques, then held steady as her Nei Jin ran low and she conceded.
• Song Xuanji declared Lu Feng the winner, and the spectators celebrated his advance to the top three.
• Lu Qingshan questioned Xiao Tianqi about Lu Feng, but Xiao insisted he had known nothing about him before the tournament.
• Lu Feng returned to his cave residence and turned away visitors seeking to recruit him, trade cultivation insights, or ask about Su Ying.
• Jiang Han won the third-place match, and Song Xuanji announced the final between Lu Feng and Lu Shuang.

Lu Feng faced Lu Shuang in a swordsmanship contest and revealed that he could wield a sword, though he had not mastered Sword Intent. Lu Shuang’s Frost Art shattered his sword, and the duel continued as Lu Feng drew another blade.

• Lu Feng took a sword onto the arena to face Lu Shuang, surprising the crowd and the elders.
• Lu Shuang attacked with Sword Qi infused with Sword Intent, and Lu Feng realized why he could not project Sword Qi in the same way.
• Lu Feng used Phantom Steps to create three afterimages and counterattacked from behind, forcing Lu Shuang to draw the Frost Sword.
• Lu Shuang warned Lu Feng to concede, then used Frost Art to strike his true body and freeze the fragments of his shattered sword.
• Lu Feng drew another sword while the crowd discussed his sword techniques and remaining hidden abilities.

Lu Feng defeated Lu Shuang to win the Hua Jin division, while Su Ying forfeited the Grandmaster final and placed second. After collecting the rewards and betting winnings, Lu Feng and Su Ying went to Central Province's market to look for Bone-Tempering Sand.

• Lu Shuang conceded after an hour-long fight, and Lu Feng was declared the Hua Jin division champion.
• Shen Qingwu defeated Xiao Chaosheng for third place in the Grandmaster division, then Su Ying forfeited the final to Zhao Changgeng.
• Song Xuanji announced the final standings, and Lu Feng gave his Void Tranquility Pill to Su Ying.
• Lu Feng and Su Ying collected five hundred and fifty thousand low-grade Origin Crystals from Fatty Jin.
• Lu Feng asked Su Ying about Bone-Tempering Sand, and they headed to Central Province's market to find some.

Lu Feng and Su Ying bought all the Hundred Treasures Pavilion's Bone-Tempering Sand, clearing a major obstacle to Lu Feng's cultivation. Su Ying then took him to the Drunken Immortal House for a meal, where she ordered eight dishes and wine.

• Su Ying used her golden token to buy all 248 grains of Bone-Tempering Sand at a discount, despite a group of customers protesting.
• The man with the large mole tried to rally onlookers against the shop, but they recognized Su Ying's token and dispersed.
• Lu Feng paid for the sand and stored it, resolving the ingredient shortage for the fourth layer of the Hundred Beasts Body-Tempering Art.
• Su Ying asked Lu Feng to treat her to a meal and led him to the Drunken Immortal House.
• Su Ying ordered eight dishes and a pot of osmanthus wine in a second-floor private room, and the attendant quoted a price of 38 Origin Crystals with payment required in advance.

Lu Feng and Su Ying confronted Lin Jingfeng and his companions after the men stole their braised spirit venison. Lin Jingfeng disavowed the men and cut off their arms, but Su Ying left without accepting his explanation.

• Lu Feng and Su Ying ate at the Drunken Immortal House, then learned that other guests had taken their braised spirit venison with scallions.
• A man with a large mole told Lin Jingfeng that Lu Feng and Su Ying had taken Bone-Tempering Sand and insulted him, prompting Lin Jingfeng to ask where they were.
• Su Ying and Lu Feng entered room Jia Three, where the man with the large mole accused them of stealing the Bone-Tempering Sand.
• Lin Jingfeng told the four men he did not know them well and refused to be dragged into their affairs.
• Lin Jingfeng cut off each man's arm, then asked Su Ying and Lu Feng to believe he had known nothing about the dispute.
• Su Ying left without replying, and Lu Feng followed her.

Lu Feng and Su Ying settled the dispute with Lin Jingfeng, then learned they would leave for Yongzhou aboard the Wind-Breaking Boat the next morning. Back in his cave residence, Lu Feng spent Demon Points to advance his cultivation and broke through the Hua Jin barrier.

• Lin Jingfeng explained that Su Ying and Lu Feng had vastly outmatched the four men, then sent the wounded men to seek treatment for their severed arms.
• Lin Jingfeng waited for Lu Feng and Su Ying at the Demon-Slaying Bureau and gave them a hundred Origin Crystals as an apology.
• Xiao Tianqi told Lu Feng and Su Ying to depart for Yongzhou the next morning aboard the Wind-Breaking Boat with a group from headquarters.
• Su Ying explained the grades of spiritual artifacts and magic treasures to Lu Feng before returning to her cave residence.
• Lu Feng spent 230,000 Demon Points to improve the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Art, broke through the Hua Jin barrier, and began transforming his Nei Jin into a denser power.

After breaking through to Grandmaster, Lu Feng adjusted to the limited supply of his stronger True Essence and prepared to travel to Yongzhou. As the Wind-Breaking Boat departed, Su Ying realized they would have to share a room with him during the journey.

• Lu Feng tested his True Essence and stayed in meditation to adapt to its greater power and higher cost.
• Su Ying worried that Lu Feng had deliberately asked her to remove her Cloud Gauze Armor, then arrived the next morning exhausted.
• Lu Feng reached Grandmaster, while Jiang Han, Lin Jingfeng, Lu Shuang, and Zhao Changgeng also advanced in cultivation.
• Song Xuanji summoned the Wind-Breaking Boat, and Xiao Tianqi promised Lu Feng a low-grade spirit artifact if he secured first place overall for the Northern Demon-Slaying Bureau.
• Song Xuanji announced that disciples from each city would share a room, and Su Ying realized she would be staying with Lu Feng.
• The Wind-Breaking Boat suddenly accelerated, causing Su Ying to lose her footing and fall backward.

Lu Feng and Su Ying traveled aboard the Wind-Breaking Boat, learning how costly it was to operate, while Lu Feng cultivated during the three-day journey. The boat slowed as the group reached Yongzhou, and the disciples gathered on deck to look outside.

• Lu Feng caught Su Ying when the Wind-Breaking Boat started suddenly, and she blushed before changing the subject to the boat’s cost.
• Su Ying explained the four grades of Origin Crystals and that the boat consumed a hundred high-grade crystals per day.
• Lu Feng noticed Lu Shuang watching him, and Su Ying teased him about her interest before returning to their room.
• Zhao Changgeng congratulated Lu Shuang on reaching Mid-Stage Grandmaster, then privately resolved to use her Sword Physique and kill anyone who obstructed him.
• During the three-day journey, Lu Feng practiced with True Essence while Su Ying cultivated, and Zhao Changgeng worried that Lu Shuang might turn to Lu Feng.
• The Wind-Breaking Boat slowed near Yongzhou, and Lu Feng, Su Ying, and the other disciples went out onto the crowded deck.

Lu Feng and the other bureau disciples arrived in war-ravaged Yongzhou and met with the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau. At the council hall, Song Xuanji assigned squads and announced that the competition would divide Hua Jin and Grandmaster disciples between Severed Cloud Pass and Fallen Star Plain.

• Lu Feng and Su Ying saw the destruction across Yongzhou and vowed to kill the demonic beasts responsible.
• Song Xuanji announced that the visiting bureaus would work with the West City Demon-Slaying Bureau, and the Wind-Breaking Boat brought them to its fortress.
• Qin Bailian welcomed Song Xuanji, Xiao Tianqi, Lu Qingshan, and the others, while Lei Ming led the disciples to their cave abodes.
• Lu Feng and Su Ying received a summons to the council hall, where Song Xuanji assigned each disciple a ten-person squad and gave them points tokens.
• Song Xuanji announced that Hua Jin disciples would compete at Severed Cloud Pass and Grandmaster disciples at Fallen Star Plain, separating Lu Feng and Su Ying.

Lu Feng and the other disciples learned their pairings before choosing teams for the front lines. He selected an overlooked all-female team skilled in movement and reconnaissance, and the chapter ended with Su Ying telling him to contact her if he encountered danger at Severed Cloud Pass.

• Song Xuanji announced that the disciples would work in pairs and that Qin Bailian would lead them to choose their teams.
• Xiao Tianqi told Su Ying that she was paired with Shen Qingwu and that Lu Feng was paired with Lu Shuang.
• Lu Feng questioned teams about their skills instead of choosing based on cultivation, then selected an all-female team whose members specialized in movement, lightness, stealth, and reconnaissance.
• Su Ying teased Lu Feng about swapping teams and told him to send her a message if he faced trouble at Severed Cloud Pass.