Recaps

Zhang Xuezhou realized Zhang Manqian’s hallucinations might be prophetic and considered teaching her physiognomy techniques to help her understand and control them. He also worried that a hidden threat in his own body had appeared prematurely, and became interested in a laboratory-bred Black-Tipped Chicken that might further strengthen him.

• Zhang Xuezhou questioned Zhang Manqian about her visions and learned she had foreseen Professor Ren going mad, leading him to suspect she could see possible future events.
• Zhang Xuezhou decided to try cultivating the Acupoint-Fixing Technique and Person-Fixing Technique in reality, hoping to help Zhang Manqian and gain more warning of danger.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered why the black-core threat had appeared before he reached the Divine Ability Realm and resolved to rely on the Kunpeng Combat Technique and further cultivation to resist it.
• Zhang Manqian told Zhang Weimeng that examinations had found nothing wrong with her, while she and Zhang Xuezhou calmly waited for Song Fengying’s mental state to recover.
• Zhang Manqian described the laboratory’s Black-Tipped Chicken, and Zhang Xuezhou became interested in eating it because guinea fowl had already transformed his body and given him the ability to glide short distances.

Ren Yisheng and Zhang Xuezhou discussed the successful Realm Entry of Song Fengying, plans to treat Wang Haoran, and the cultivation systems Zhang Xuezhou had discovered. The chapter ended with Zhang Xuezhou warning Ren Yisheng that Hongku might appear through him within half a year to two years.

• Ren Yisheng confirmed that Song Fengying and Zhang Weimeng had recovered from mental burning, giving him hope that the condition could help Realm Entry and treat Song Bu'er, Qin Wenhan, and Wang Haoran.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Ren Yisheng that his parents, Zhang Wuyang, and Zhang An Ran needed to learn the Supreme Purity True Technique, and Ren Yisheng agreed to arrange X446 Body Repair Technology for him.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Ren Yisheng about the North Rehe research institute, and Ren Yisheng offered to discuss acquiring it from Wang Yi'an.
• Ren Yisheng asked about the Sunflower Manual, and Zhang Xuezhou explained the two incomplete Yin Yang cultivation systems and why he had begun with the more difficult one.
• When Ren Yisheng asked about Hongku, Zhang Xuezhou said Hongku might appear through him in half a year, a year, or two years.

Zuo Teng joined Ren Anran’s efforts to handle gamblers’ disputes in other cities, then discovered that Flying Entertainment Livestream was turning their casino schemes into a profitable business. He learned Zhang Xuezhou had entered the Sequencer Grand Gathering as a team leader despite lacking enhancement blood serum, and wondered who was backing his team.

• Zuo Teng called Ren Anran to ask about Ren Wuyang’s work, and she hired him to contact local powers on behalf of gamblers who had paid for help.
• Zuo Teng enlisted Zhou Tianhao to handle some cases, and the two discussed forming a team for the Sequencer Grand Gathering.
• Zuo Teng and Zhou Tianhao discussed Song Sijia’s Dragon Might Combat Technique and Zuo Teng’s failed attempt to recruit Zhang Xuezhou.
• Zuo Zhong discovered that the gamblers had used Flying Entertainment Livestream to charge viewers for betting sessions, and Zuo Teng traced the app’s ownership to Wang Li, Ren Wuyang, Song Fengying, Song You'ai, and others.
• Zuo Teng reviewed Zhang Xuezhou’s genetic records and was surprised to learn that Zhang Xuezhou had registered as a team leader despite not having undergone blood transfusion or enhancement blood serum.

Zhang Xuezhou trained with firearms under Song Bu'er at the Song Household's shooting range, showing exceptional aim but worrying that his body was too fragile to dodge gunfire. Their practice was interrupted by a sudden explosion, and Song Bu'er rushed outside after declaring bad news.

• Song Bu'er explained the dangers and uses of firearms as Zhang Xuezhou practiced shooting ahead of the Sequencer Grand Gathering.
• Zhang Xuezhou hit targets with remarkable accuracy, while Zhang Manqian and the others performed less well.
• Song Bu'er urged Zhang Xuezhou to practice dodging gunfire, and Zhang Xuezhou reluctantly put on a thick bulletproof vest.
• Song Bu'er shot at Zhang Xuezhou's foot, drawing complaints from Zhang Manqian, then prepared to aim at his chest and abdomen.
• A loud explosion shook the shooting range during the next shot, and Song Bu'er abandoned the training and hurried outside with a stun gun.

Zhang Xuezhou and his companions hid in the Song Household’s shooting range as Song Xianzhong rampaged through the grounds. When Zuo Denggao and a young woman entered seeking guns, a bloodied old man arrived at the open doorway.

• Zhang Xuezhou told his companions that Song Xianzhong had gone mad and urged them to hide rather than get involved in the Song Household’s turmoil.
• The group armed themselves for emergencies, crouched behind lockers, and turned off their communicators as Zhang Xuezhou listened to people dying outside.
• Zuo Denggao and a young woman entered the shooting range and hurried toward the gun racks instead of shutting the electronic door.
• After a gunshot killed someone outside, a bloodied old man in black appeared in the open doorway.

Zhang Xuezhou hid in the Song Household shooting range as Song Xianzhong attacked, while Zuo Denggao and Song Sijia tried to stop him with gunfire. Song Sijia called on the Ren Household to shoot Song Xianzhong, but he revealed that he was still lucid, leaving Zhang Xuezhou aiming at a potentially conscious target.

• Song Xianzhong entered the shooting range and switched to a pistol at the locked firearms rack.
• Zuo Denggao and Song Sijia opened fire, but Song Xianzhong evaded their bullets and charged toward them.
• Zuo Denggao fled, and Song Xianzhong knocked away Song Sijia’s machine gun and pressed a pistol to her forehead.
• Song Sijia called for help from the Ren Household and claimed her Dragon Might Combat Technique had restrained her grandfather.
• Zhang Xuezhou aimed at Song Xianzhong, who spoke clearly and accused his family of wanting him dead.

Zhang Xuezhou and his allies exchanged fire with Song Xianzhong, a Sixth Sequence expert whose family believed his mind had lapsed into chaos. After Song Xianzhong identified the shooter as young and launched a direct attack, Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Manqian, and Wang Li opened fire to stop him.

• Song Xianzhong seized Song Sijia by the neck and fired back at Zhang Xuezhou, who warned Zhang Manqian not to shoot because Song Xianzhong could pinpoint and counterattack.
• Zhang Xuezhou fired blind shots at Song Xianzhong, who dropped Song Sijia and reached for a machine gun before Zhang Xuezhou shot its trigger.
• Song Xianzhong recognized the shooter’s limb-targeting style as resembling Song Bu’er’s, but realized the shooter was someone else.
• Song Xianzhong dodged Zhang Xuezhou’s shots, climbed onto the shooting range’s steel framework, and spotted the people hiding behind the storage cabinets.
• Song Xianzhong charged toward Zhang Xuezhou, who fired while Zhang Manqian and Wang Li joined in with shots at the overhead framework and surrounding area.

Song Xianzhong fought Zhang Xuezhou and his companions in the indoor shooting range, resisting gunfire and intimidation techniques as his old age and mental confusion caught up with him. After rejecting a vision that urged him to lay down his weapons, he charged toward Zhang Xuezhou, who was being pulled backward by a rope while aiming his rifle.

• Song Xianzhong dodged Zhang Xuezhou's gunfire, then used threads from his gloves to pull himself close to the group and attacked.
• Song Xianzhong shot at Changkong Luo, but realized the apparent hit was an intimidation technique and fired six rounds to break its effect.
• Song Xianzhong took cover from machine-gun fire, then fired through a locker at the nearby young expert who had used the technique.
• Song Xianzhong saw a vision of a temple and questioned a voice about laying down his weapon, but rejected the idea and resolved to kill those pursuing him.
• Song Xianzhong sprang toward Zhang Xuezhou as Zhang was pulled backward through the air with his rifle still aimed at Song.

Zhang Xuezhou survived Song Xianzhong’s shot and chose to remain inside the firing range after Song Sijia warned that explosives blocked their escape. As Song Xianzhong prepared to kill them, Zhang offered him a possible cure through Ren Yisheng’s Mental Strengthening research, giving Song a glimmer of hope.

• Zhang Xuezhou’s bulletproof vest and combat technique helped him survive Song Xianzhong’s shot, and he rejoined the others while keeping his rifle trained on Song.
• Song Sijia warned Zhang Xuezhou and the others that explosives and rocket launchers had been planted outside, so Zhang decided to stay and wait for the Sequence Committee.
• Song Xianzhong explained that he would drag others down with him rather than accept death, while Song Sijia said their Dragon Might Combat Techniques could restrain him briefly.
• Song Xianzhong put on an asbestos-containing hat to resist intimidation-type combat techniques and declared that they would all die with him.
• Zhang Xuezhou claimed that Ren Yisheng’s Mental Strengthening research could restore Song Xianzhong’s mental clarity and said he was Ren’s student, prompting Song to consider the possibility despite his doubts.

Zhang Xuezhou stalled Song Xianzhong by explaining the Mental Strengthening Chapter while they waited for help to arrive. Song Xianzhong detonated explosives, but Zhang Xuezhou survived and shot him repeatedly, leaving Song Xianzhong badly wounded as they faced each other again.

• Zhang Xuezhou kept Song Xianzhong occupied with a long explanation of the Mental Strengthening Chapter while Song Sijia and the others waited for Changkong Luo and the other experts.
• Song Xianzhong heard an alarm confirming that visitors were approaching and decided he could not rely on negotiating with them.
• Song Xianzhong pressed the secret key's control button and detonated rockets and explosives in the Imperial City District.
• Zhang Manqian shielded Zhang Xuezhou from the blast, and Zhang Xuezhou used the Supreme Purity True Technique on her before shooting Song Xianzhong.
• Song Xuezhong charged through the debris toward Zhang Xuezhou, but Zhang Xuezhou shot him several more times, injuring three of his limbs.

Zhang Xuezhou survived the explosion and shot Song Xianzhong five times, while Song Sijia revealed that her grandfather may have targeted the five Sequence Committee members ranked above him. As the group assessed their injuries and feared further blasts, Zhang Xuezhou recognized a familiar voice and suddenly realized something.

• Zhang Xuezhou used the chaos after the explosion to shoot Song Xianzhong, who escaped through a shattered window, and he treated the injured Song Sijia with the Supreme Purity True Technique.
• Song Sijia said Song Xianzhong might have planted more explosives and named Zhou Xin, Changkong Luo, Li Qi, Zhu Bufan, and Zhong Rang as the people who threatened him.
• Zhang Manqian suggested Song Xianzhong wanted to eliminate his rivals, and Song Sijia connected the explosion's electronic target announcements to those committee members.
• Zhang Weimeng said he no longer wanted to remain in high society, while Song Fengying and Wang Li reflected on the dangers and attractions of their lives.
• Hearing someone mention that Committee Member Song had been in the indoor shooting range ten minutes earlier, Zhang Xuezhou recognized the voice and looked alarmed.

Zhang Xuezhou warned Zhou Xin that Song Xianzhong had lost his mind and might use the shooting range’s ammunition to cause an explosion. Zhou Xin went to confront Song Xianzhong, but another blast struck as he shielded Zuo Denggao.

• Zhang Xuezhou spotted surveillance devices and urged the group to leave the shooting range before they could be caught in an explosion.
• Wang Li kicked aside the blocked door, and Zhang Xuezhou led the group past Zuo Denggao without stopping to speak.
• Zhou Xin recognized Zhang Xuezhou and asked for information, so Zhang Xuezhou warned him about Song Xianzhong and the ammunition inside.
• Zuo Denggao followed Zhou Xin as he approached the shooting range and called on Song Xianzhong to surrender.
• Zhou Xin sensed danger, formed armor around himself, and shielded Zuo Denggao as another explosion rang out.

Song Bu'er relived the Song Household massacre and became unable to distinguish his memories from the bloodied present, while Zhang Xuezhou and the others sought shelter amid the destruction. After the indoor shooting range exploded, Song Bu'er identified a stairwell where Song Xianzhong was positioned to hunt people, leaving Zhang Xuezhou’s group under threat of a sniper.

• Song Bu'er obsessively scrubbed blood from the ground until Song Sijia arrived, but he still saw her as covered in blood and refused to leave the Song Household.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Manqian took shelter against the castle-like building and waited for Zhou Xin and Zuo Denggao to scout ahead.
• The indoor shooting range exploded, and the blast tore through nearby buildings while the curved building where they hid remained intact.
• Zhang Xuezhou tried to wake Song Bu'er and ask about the Song Household, but the dazed Song Bu'er could not give him useful answers.
• After a gunshot, Song Bu'er said Song Xianzhong was hunting people from a stairwell and pointed out his position.

After explosions devastated the Song Household, Zhang Xuezhou and the others took shelter while Song Xianzhong fought Commissioner Zhou nearby. Song Bu'er prepared a supposedly prearranged stun-gun ambush, and the chapter ended as Song Xianzhong leapt onto the castle building with the ambush still a minute and thirty seconds away.

• Zhang Xuezhou concluded that Song Xianzhong was still carrying out a backup plan, while Song Bu'er insisted their shelter was the safest place and said he would take an hour to return to normal.
• Zhang Xuezhou and the others stayed hidden as Zhou Xin pursued the wounded Song Xianzhong, who continued firing at him.
• Song Bu'er drew a stun gun and claimed he had arranged to hit Song Xianzhong without aiming when he leapt over a drip line in three minutes and twenty-six seconds.
• Song Sijia urged her father not to act recklessly, while Zhang Xuezhou warned that Song Xianzhong could shoot anyone who aimed a gun at him.
• Song Xianzhong appeared through the dust and leapt onto the castle building; Zhang Xuezhou calculated that one minute and thirty seconds remained until Song Bu'er's ambush.

Song Xianzhong pursued Zhou Xin through the wrecked Song Household and tried to kill him with rocket launchers, but both launches failed. Song Bu'er and Zhang Xuezhou paralyzed Song Xianzhong with a stun gun and a shot, leaving Zhou Xin to subdue him.

• Song Xianzhong chased Zhou Xin through the damaged Song Household while Zhang Xuezhou and Song Bu'er took cover nearby.
• Song Xianzhong fired a rocket at Zhou Xin, but it crashed after traveling only a short distance, and his second launcher failed to fire.
• Zhou Xin climbed toward Song Xianzhong as Song Bu'er counted down and Zhang Xuezhou prepared to shoot.
• Song Bu'er fired a stun gun and Zhang Xuezhou shot Song Xianzhong as he approached, paralyzing him and causing him to fall.
• Zhou Xin jumped down, struck Song Xianzhong, and subdued him.

Ren Yisheng visited Zhang Xuezhou in the hospital and learned more about the Song Household disaster, while Zhang begged for treatment and a chance to return to school. Outside the ward, Ren Yisheng and Ren Wuyang discussed Zhang’s role in the fight and Ren Anran’s reaction to Song Sijia, then Ren Yisheng urged his son to improve his mental condition.

• Ren Yisheng told Zhang Xuezhou that Song Bu’er might be nearing normality after repeatedly simulating possible outcomes, and explained how the disaster had brought the Ren Household hospital patients and medical resources.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Ren Yisheng to obtain X446 Repair Technology, treat his gunshot wound, and get him away from the dangerous patients; he then suddenly blacked out.
• Ren Wuyang reported Song Sijia’s account of Zhang holding down Song Xianzhong and breaking his fingers and toes, while Ren Yisheng questioned how Zhang could have managed it.
• Ren Wuyang told Ren Yisheng that Ren Anran had seemed hostile toward Song Sijia, who admired Zhang Xuezhou, and wondered if jealousy was involved.
• Ren Yisheng called Ren Wuyang’s suspicion an illness and urged him to improve his mental condition and help perfect the Mental Strengthening Chapter.

Zhang Xuezhou woke after seven days unconscious in the commandery governor's residence, where Wen Weng, Dong Zhongshu, and Pockmarked Wang Er had treated him. As he recovered, he confirmed that what he had experienced during X432 Body Repair Technology was real, while Wen Weng remained focused on the black pearl in his hand.

• Zhang Xuezhou woke in bed, numb and weak after surviving the flood.
• Dong Zhongshu, Wen Weng, and Pockmarked Wang Er examined him and explained that he had been unconscious for seven days.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked for a massage and thin porridge, and Dong Zhongshu kneaded his body to restore circulation.
• Zhang Xuezhou recognized Pockmarked Wang Er and confirmed that the people and events he had perceived during X432 Body Repair Technology were real.
• A servant brought Zhang Xuezhou pig's blood congee, and Wen Weng watched him regain color before asking about the black pearl.

Wen Weng, Dong Zhongshu, and Zhang Xuezhou confirmed that the black pearl was the Ba Snake’s lost eye and discussed using it to lure the injured creature into a trap. As they prepared to act, Zhang Xuezhou asked about ingredients for Grain Avoidance Powder to keep himself from starving during his periods of lost bodily control.

• Zhang Xuezhou confirmed that the pearl Wen Weng found in the flood was the Ba Snake’s missing eyeball.
• Dong Zhongshu explained that the Ba Snake had been unable to recover its eye because it could not control its size after surviving its Heavenly Tribulation, and that the eye carried no Yao Qi to help track it.
• Wen Weng’s concern eased when Dong Zhongshu explained that the Ba Snake could not repair its Yao Treasure by eating, and they noted that no unusual reports had come from Shu Commandery in seven days.
• Dong Zhongshu and Wen Weng agreed to use the eye as bait in a secure trap outside the city, where the Ba Snake would be limited in its small form.
• Zhang Xuezhou kept the eye despite having a use for it, then asked about the ingredients needed to refine Grain Avoidance Powder.

Zhang Xuezhou struggled to find enough money and ingredients to refine Grain Avoidance Powder after returning to the Han Kingdom. He began grinding and cooking the medicine at Pockmarked Wang Er's shop, but failed three times in a row.

• Pockmarked Wang Er gave Zhang Xuezhou nine kinds of medicinal ingredients, enough for only three batches of Grain Avoidance Powder.
• Zhang Xuezhou tried to sell Golden Elixir Sand, but Pockmarked Wang Er offered only two banliang coins, so he put it away.
• Zhang Xuezhou realized he had no money and urgently needed Grain Avoidance Powder before he could reach his wealthy patron.
• Pockmarked Wang Er said finished Grain Avoidance medicine cost three to five gold, so Zhang Xuezhou decided to refine it himself.
• Zhang Xuezhou borrowed a medicine pestle and began preparing the ingredients, but failed to make Grain Avoidance Powder three times in a row.

Zhang Xuezhou failed to make Grain Avoidance Powder because he could not measure the ingredients precisely, so he sought a scale at the governor’s residence. Dong Zhongshu agreed to help arrange a scale Law Artifact in exchange for the Law Treasure fan Zhang Xuezhou had taken from him.

• Zhang Xuezhou made three lumps of medicinal paste after failing to prepare Grain Avoidance Powder, and Pockmarked Wang Er told him a precise scale was hard to find.
• Zhang Xuezhou went to the governor’s residence and found Governor Wen and Dong Zhongshu at a blacksmith’s shop, where they were arranging the construction of a snake trap.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked to borrow a scale, and Wen Weng explained that precise measurements required a rare scale Law Artifact last seen with Grand Commandant Zhou.
• Dong Zhongshu proposed having blacksmith Liu Yishou make a scale Law Artifact using his refined gold, and Zhang Xuezhou offered his Law Treasure fan in exchange.
• Dong Zhongshu accepted the trade, and the fan returned to him after more than two years.

Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu established a method for calibrating a balance Law Artifact, while Zhang secured more ingredients for Grain Avoidance Powder from Wen Weng. The chapter ended with the balance nearly complete and Zhang learning the Mohists' Treasure Refining Formula, though its current capacity was limited.

• Dong Zhongshu explained how to divide measured water into smaller units to establish an accurate weight standard for the balance Law Artifact.
• Zhang Xuezhou complained that Wen Weng had provided only three portions of Grain Avoidance Powder ingredients, and Wen Weng agreed to give him ten more.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered how Grain Avoidance Powder and the Grain Avoidance Technique could keep him alive during his trips back to reality, after he had nearly starved while unconscious for seven days.
• Wen Weng's soldiers finished the snake trap, fitted it with the Eye of the Ba Snake, and carried it away to set in place.
• Dong Zhongshu showed Zhang Xuezhou the nearly finished balance Law Artifact and taught him the Mohists' Treasure Refining Formula.
• Zhang Xuezhou felt the formula let him control the artifact, but learned that the balance could currently measure only up to one jin.

Zhang Xuezhou used a weighing Law Artifact to refine Grain Avoidance Powder while Kong Ning visited him with a message from the Venerable One. He tried to prove his usefulness by offering news that Emperor Jing had gone mad.

• Dong Zhongshu watched Zhang Xuezhou carefully measure ingredients and then left him alone to refine Grain Avoidance Powder.
• Zhang Xuezhou successfully made a batch of Three-Day Grain Avoidance Powder but ruined the next batch when the fire became unsteady.
• Kong Ning arrived while Zhang Xuezhou was cooking and said Left Envoy Feiyu was seeking medicine for his lightning-struck leg.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Kong Ning to request Grain Avoidance Pills from the Venerable One, but she relayed the Venerable One's instruction to stop if he could not get things done.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Kong Ning he had learned that Emperor Jing had gone mad and asked her to pass the news to the Venerable One.

Emperor Jing and Crown Prince Liu Che discussed a fate-reading that linked Great Han’s chance of survival to Dong Zhongshu and laid out the dangers Liu Che would face as emperor. Emperor Jing left Liu Che with warnings about the court, foreign threats, and the need to build strength rather than rely on relics or inherited protections.

• Emperor Jing revealed that his imperial uncle’s incomplete Fuxi Eight Trigrams Technique had succeeded, though using it had shortened the uncle’s life.
• Emperor Jing explained that the reading showed a chance for Great Han to endure, tied to Dong Zhongshu and his work in Shu Commandery.
• Emperor Jing told Liu Che that Zhu Jiuyin remained hidden near the Xieluosi River and advised him to use Emperor Gao’s Red Empyrean Sword only as a bluff.
• Emperor Jing warned Liu Che about Xiong State, the empress dowagers, his imperial uncles, Li Guang, the Hundred Schools of Thought, and a dangerous old figure among them.
• Emperor Jing said Liu Che might eventually promote Confucian scholars such as Dong Zhongshu if the Han Dynasty grew strong enough to control those it employed.

Zou Bugui asked the Venerable One to recall Zhang Xuezhou from his dangerous mission in Chang'an City so he could help refine Life-Sustaining Pills and inherit the Yin-Yang School. The Venerable One agreed that Zhang could return if the mission proved too dangerous, while Zou Bugui resolved to preserve his school’s legacy.

• The Venerable One asked Zou Bugui to refine a thousand more Life-Sustaining Pills, and Zou explained that he needed Zhang Xuezhou’s help.
• Zou Bugui urged the Venerable One to summon Zhang Xuezhou back to the Xieluosi River Holy Land, fearing that Emperor Jing’s Chang'an City would put him in danger.
• The Venerable One said Zhang only needed to make an effort to gather intelligence and could return if he could not complete the task.
• Zou Bugui thanked the Venerable One and focused on having Zhang inherit the Yin-Yang School’s legacy.
• After Zou Bugui left, the Venerable One saw through his single-minded devotion and noted that it had helped him reach the Divine Ability Realm and refine pills.

Zhang Xuezhou passed Dong Zhongshu’s intelligence to Kong Ning, easing the pressure of his spying mission, but he still faced the problem of paying for food and medicine. As he recited the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction, he unexpectedly drew righteous Qi, astonishing Dong Zhongshu and leaving him to wonder what had awakened it.

• Zhang Xuezhou told Kong Ning that Dong Zhongshu had learned Emperor Jing’s plans firsthand, and Kong Ning accepted the information as reliable.
• Kong Ning hurried away to report to the Venerable One, while Zhang Xuezhou asked her to request a Spirit-Forging Pill and Grain Avoidance Pills from his adoptive father.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered how to earn money for medicinal ingredients and decided to look for opportunities after daybreak.
• After exhausting his Law Power with Grain Avoidance Technique cultivation, Zhang Xuezhou recited the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction and felt its influence grow stronger.
• Dong Zhongshu woke to Zhang Xuezhou’s recitation, saw green Qi rise from him, and wondered whether his pure Yang body, cultivation talent, virtues, or some combination had drawn forth righteous Qi.