Chapter Summaries

After Adams killed Zhou Xuntong and Zhou Leitong in separate life-and-death duels, Zhou Tianci’s attempt to retaliate escalated into an international dispute between the Scarlet Alliance State and the British Alliance State. The Sequence Committee arranged a voluntary contest for competitors at the Third Sequence and below, offering Ferocious Beast research as a major prize, while Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Manqian decided the risks were too great for them.

• Adams killed Zhou Xuntong in a fight governed by a life-and-death agreement, prompting Zhou Leitong to challenge Adams and die in a second duel.
• Zhou Tianci tracked Adams to the British Alliance State embassy, where a clash left Zhou gravely wounded and sparked an international dispute.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Zhang Manqian that the British Alliance State demanded a new international conference, while the Scarlet Alliance State prepared for a Sequence Contest in Western Capital City.
• The Sequence Committee limited the voluntary contest to the Third Sequence and below and offered substantial prizes, including products from Ferocious Beast research.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Manqian said they wanted the prize but chose to avoid the contest’s uncontrollable risks.

Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Manqian decided not to enter the suddenly announced Sequence competition, while Zuo Teng prepared to compete in the First Sequence. Luo Burang urged Luo Gaogao to win the Second Sequence contest for its valuable rewards, unaware until the end of their call that Zhang Manqian was a formidable rival.

• Zuo Teng asked Zhang Xuezhou whether he and Zhang Manqian would compete, and Zhang Xuezhou explained why they would not.
• Zhang Manqian and Zhang Xuezhou agreed that Zuo Teng’s strength could make him a useful rival, and they speculated about the Zuo Household’s contestants.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Manqian concluded that they would sit out the competition and might attend as spectators.
• Luo Burang told Luo Gaogao to win the Second Sequence contest and bring back the Ferocious Beast prize for testing, saying it could help them escape the Lineage’s control.
• Luo Burang learned from Luo Gaogao that Zhang Manqian was a formidable Second Sequence Holder.

Zhang Xuezhou accepted Luo Burang’s invitation to exchange research on blood serums and Gene Fighting Techniques, while Luo Burang enlisted Zhang Manqian to finish adjusting fifty-two batches of serum. Luo Burang then showed Zhang Xuezhou the old programming machine he used to develop Luo Gaogao’s Kinetic Energy Fist, leaving their collaboration poised to begin.

• Luo Burang learned Zhang Manqian was Zhang Xuezhou’s sister and invited Zhang Xuezhou to discuss blood serums and Gene Fighting Techniques.
• Zhang Xuezhou accepted the invitation and offered to share his own abilities and ideas.
• Luo Burang asked whether Zhang Manqian would enter the Second Sequence contest, and Zhang Xuezhou said she would sit it out because Luo Gaogao was participating.
• Luo Burang handed Zhang Manqian the data and timetable for fifty-two batches of serum and told her to complete the remaining adjustments.
• Luo Burang took Zhang Xuezhou to the microelectronics room and explained how his old programming machine helped him develop and demonstrate the Kinetic Energy Fist for Luo Gaogao.

Zhang Xuezhou and Luo Burang discussed the Kinetic Energy Fist and whether Ferocious Beasts could enable breakthroughs to the Seventh Sequence. Zhang Xuezhou’s suggestion that Ferocious Beast research might improve Luo Burang’s body renewed Luo Burang’s hope of changing his fate.

• Zhang Xuezhou watched Luo Gaogao demonstrate the Kinetic Energy Fist while Luo Burang explained its potential power and limitations against Seventh Sequence resistance.
• Luo Burang admitted he did not understand how holders advanced beyond the Sixth Sequence and suspected that Seventh Sequence breakthroughs depended on Ferocious Beasts.
• Zhang Xuezhou recalled that Professor Ren Yisheng had seemingly reached the Seventh Sequence through an external medicine, while reasoning that the Heavenly God General Medicine might instead create pseudo-Seventh Sequence strength.
• Zhang Xuezhou suggested that Ferocious Beasts might transform Luo Burang’s body, giving him renewed hope to pursue research and gain access to further Ferocious Beast experiments.

Zhang Xuezhou used the Person-Fixing Technique on Luo Burang and uncovered fragments of his past, then reversed the technique to glimpse the future. The attempt ended in painful backlash, but both men heard a voice saying that someone had finally come, which Luo Burang recognized as the head from Luo Hui's laboratory.

• Zhang Xuezhou saw that Luo Burang's memories began in a laboratory, where a head transplant had taken place and an empty Heavenly God General Medicine bottle was present.
• Zhang Xuezhou traced Luo Burang's later memories through his failed genetic research, his assignment to the North Rehe Research Institute, and his meeting with Zhang Xuezhou.
• Zhang Xuezhou reversed the Person-Fixing Technique and heard a voice from the River of Time say, "You finally came!" before darkness and painful backlash stopped him.
• Luo Burang and Zhang Xuezhou both experienced pain and temporary darkness, then recovered with painkillers and treatment for their nosebleeds.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked whether Luo Burang had heard the voice, and Luo Burang recalled that the head from Luo Hui's laboratory had come looking for him.

Zhang Xuezhou warned Luo Burang to avoid Professor Luo Hui’s laboratory and the mysterious head, while Luo Burang refused Professor Luo Hui’s summons and reconsidered what had happened to him. He concluded that Luo Zhong’s head had tried to take over his mind and that his unusual abilities might have been left behind by Luo Zhong.

• Zhang Xuezhou cautioned Luo Burang that the voice and vision might signal danger and told him to spend time with his sister and avoid Professor Luo Hui’s laboratory.
• Luo Burang refused Professor Luo Hui’s call and invitation, then said he did not want to discuss Gaogao or rely on Professor Luo Hui to nurture him.
• Luo Burang described how the head had controlled him in the laboratory and how he had later gained extraordinary memory and knowledge.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that ancient Law Techniques could use mental power to cause fear, hallucinations, and submission.
• Luo Burang realized Luo Zhong’s head had likely tried to overwrite his mind and that his new talent might have come from Luo Zhong.
• Zhang Xuezhou advised Luo Burang to ensure Luo Zhong died for good or stay far away from him.

Luo Burang handed the A9 Laboratory over to Zhang Xuezhou and invited Zhang Manqian to study his papers, encouraging her to turn his theories into practical research. As Zhang Xuezhou considered why Luo Burang might be sent abroad and what the Sequence Contest could involve, he also reflected on Ren Yisheng, Professor Luo Hui, and the danger posed by Luo Zhong.

• Luo Burang gave Zhang Xuezhou access to the A9 Laboratory and registered Zhang Manqian for VIP access.
• Zhang Manqian asked to read Luo Burang's papers, and he encouraged her to conduct bold practical research based on theoretical work.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that applying Luo Burang's theories could help advance his research, and Zhang Manqian began to understand the invitation.
• Zhang Xuezhou suspected Luo Burang might be demanded as a bargaining chip in the Sequence Contest and wondered whether the information leak had been deliberate.
• Zhang Xuezhou decided to leave questions about Professor Luo Hui's possible secrets to Ren Yisheng and considered how he might fare against Luo Zhong.

Zhang Xuezhou advised Ren Anran not to enter the Sequence Contest, explaining that the competition would be fierce and her strength could invite suspicion. Ren Anran accepted his advice and turned her attention back to the difficult cultivation behind her growing power, while recalling the Thearch’s demonstration of the Poison Avoidance Art’s secret.

• Zhang Xuezhou told Ren Anran that although she might win the Third Sequence contest, the Sequence Committee might refuse to let her compete because her strength would raise suspicions about her level.
• Zhang Xuezhou described the contest’s powerful competitors and said he would not enter because of the questionable reward he had received at the Sequencing Grand Gathering.
• Ren Anran decided to stay out of the contest, and Ren Wuyang lamented missing the opportunity before she urged him to improve his Digital Poison Avoidance Art.
• Ren Wuyang acknowledged that Ren Anran could defeat him despite his Fourth Sequence status, thanks to her Mental Strengthening and Realm Technique.
• Ren Wuyang asked whether Ren Anran had found the trick to the Poison Avoidance Art, and she recalled the Thearch’s demonstration but could not reproduce it.

After recovering from his skull operation, Zhang Xuezhou woke with a severe headache and visited the injured Chunyu Tiying and Zheng Wukong. With the patients' cases settled and the old affairs mostly behind him, he declared that his career as a scholar was beginning.

• Zhang Xuezhou awoke after another twelve days, complained that an axe seemed to be pounding inside his head, and ate a large meal despite Medical Officer Zhao Rui's advice.
• Zhang Xuezhou went to visit his neighbor Chunyu Tiying, and Medical Officer Zhao Rui examined her and found her heart and liver Qi damaged.
• Chunyu Tiying said she had injured her aperture while trying to enter the Sole Self Realm and revealed that Zheng Wukong was lying ill in the next room.
• Zhang Xuezhou found Zheng Wukong still bedridden and took Medical Officer Zhao Rui around to visit the patients before declaring his career as a scholar had begun.

Zhang Xuezhou visited the Golden Horse Gate for breakfast and met Kong Anguo, the son of the scholar Kong Zhong. After learning that Kong Anguo could not find his father or their companions, Zhang Xuezhou suspected they were involved in the court’s investigation of Zhao Wan and Wang Zang.

• Zhang Xuezhou arrived at the Golden Horse Gate and ate breakfast provided by the court.
• Kong Anguo arrived expecting his own breakfast, and Zhang Xuezhou offered to share his meal with him.
• Zhang Xuezhou and Kong Anguo discussed Confucian teachings, and Zhang Xuezhou introduced himself as Dongfang Shuo.
• Kong Anguo told Zhang Xuezhou that his father, Kong Zhong, had sent him to Chang'an City but had not appeared, and that he could not find their companions either.
• Kong Anguo worried that Kong Zhong and the others might be in trouble after Zhao Wan and Wang Zang were investigated, while Zhang Xuezhou suspected they had become involved in the confidential proceedings.

Zhao Wan and Wang Zang remained imprisoned as Zhuang Qingdi revealed that the emperor had tacitly approved charges against them and that Kong Zhong had testified against them. With their court and Confucian support gone, they faced a dead end, and Zhuang Qingdi urged Zhao Wan to consider the fate of his family and reputation.

• Zhao Wan and Wang Zang demanded to see the emperor and senior ministers, but Zhuang Qingdi told them Dou Ying and Tian Fen could not help them.
• Zhuang Qingdi showed them testimony from Kong Zhong accusing them of unlawful appointments, and explained that the emperor had tacitly approved the evidence.
• Kong Zhong and the other scholars entered the prison, where Zhao Wan angrily accused them of betraying him.
• Kong Zhong said they had confessed to save their lives after Zhao Wan assigned them to guard Yang Mausoleum against a ninth-grade Demon Saint.
• Zhuang Qingdi warned Zhao Wan that refusing to yield could bring execution for his family and disgrace lasting generations.

Zhang Xuezhou reassured Kong Anguo that his father was unlikely to be caught in the danger surrounding Zhao Wan and Wang Zang, then accepted Kong Anguo’s Law Treasure inkstone. The two began discussing the Confucian School’s knowledge of treasures, and Zhang Xuezhou welcomed the chance to learn more.

• Zhang Xuezhou reasoned that Zhao Wan and Wang Zang were caught between the Palace of Peace and Happiness, the court, and the Confucian School, and compared their predicament to the real-world Sequence Contest.
• Zhang Xuezhou reassured Kong Anguo that his father, who had been entrusted with an important post, was unlikely to be caught up in the conflict.
• Kong Anguo thanked Zhang Xuezhou for easing his fears and offered him an inkstone that could nurture and repair book treasures and painting treasures.
• Zhang Xuezhou accepted the inkstone after remembering the painting treasure demon he had bound inside his Heavenly Robe.
• Kong Anguo offered to share what he knew about Law Treasures, and Zhang Xuezhou eagerly agreed to learn from him.

Kong Anguo taught Zhang Xuezhou about the origins and limits of Law Treasures, including the special demands of Chaos Spirit Root treasures. Zhang accidentally triggered Governor Wen Weng's Immobilize Character Scroll while explaining it, leaving Kong Anguo frozen as the scroll's characters began to fade.

• Kong Anguo explained how primordial treasures and acquired Law Treasures arose and how their power changed over time.
• Kong Anguo told Zhang Xuezhou that Chaos Spirit Root treasures could be extraordinary but needed Spirit Jade nourishment and might turn mundane or fail in battle.
• Zhang Xuezhou took out the Immobilize Character Scroll to discuss how to nurture and use Law Treasures.
• As Zhang introduced the scroll, he accidentally triggered its immobilizing effect and froze Kong Anguo.
• Zhang noticed the scroll's characters dimming and realized he had used up part of a precious treasure on his new friend.

Kong Anguo broke through to the Meridian Circulation Realm after being immobilized by Zhang Xuezhou’s scroll, and promised to reward him for the unexpected opportunity. When Kong Zhong arrived at the Golden Horse Gate, Kong Anguo invited Zhang Xuezhou to meet him.

• Kong Anguo told Zhang Xuezhou that he had not yet reached Realm Entry because he refused methods that would cut him off from the Great Dao.
• While recovering from the Immobilize Character Scroll’s effects, Kong Anguo’s Law Power awakened and opened his apertures.
• Kong Anguo swallowed an Origin-Nurturing Pill and advanced to the Meridian Circulation Realm, though his Qi and Blood remained stagnant.
• Kong Anguo thanked Zhang Xuezhou for the opportunity and promised to reward him generously after seeing his father.
• An attendant announced that Kong Zhong had arrived, and Kong Anguo invited Zhang Xuezhou to go meet him.

Kong Zhong and his companions worried about the fallout from Zhao Wan and Wang Zang’s deaths, while Kong Anguo celebrated entering the Meridian Circulation Realm with Zhang Xuezhou’s guidance. The chapter ended with Kong Zhong pledging his Sage Token to Zhang Xuezhou until he could provide a suitable reward.

• Kong Zhong urged Du Wencai, Ye Siqian, Zhu Jiusi, and Li Mingrui to keep the crisis quiet and move to Chang'an City.
• Kong Anguo arrived and revealed that he had entered the Meridian Circulation Realm after receiving Zhang Xuezhou’s guidance.
• Kong Zhong learned that Zhang Xuezhou was Kong Anguo’s benefactor and welcomed him as an old friend.
• Kong Anguo insisted that the Kong Household reward Zhang Xuezhou handsomely for his kindness.
• Unable to find suitable gifts among his companions, Kong Zhong pledged his Sage Token to Zhang Xuezhou as security.

Zhang Xuezhou received Sage Kong's Token as collateral from Kong Zhong, then left the imperial city. At the Palace of Peace and Happiness, the grand empress dowager learned that Zhang Xuezhou had been unwell and discussed her own declining health and the threat posed by Shen Pei.

• Kong Zhong left Sage Kong's Token with Zhang Xuezhou as collateral before hurrying away with Kong Anguo.
• Zhang Xuezhou struggled to carry the heavy token, hailed a carriage, and left the imperial city.
• Eunuch Cui reported that Academician Dongfang had met Academician Kong and staggered away in a carriage.
• Grand Princess Dou said Zhang Xuezhou had taken twelve days to wake, and the grand empress dowager lamented Chunyu Tiying's poor cultivation.
• The grand empress dowager ordered more ambergris from Eastern Sea Commandery and told Grand Princess Dou to keep Shen Pei occupied if he turned against her.

Zhang Xuezhou used an inkstone Law Treasure to maintain the Immobilize Character Scroll and tried to repair the Portrait of Sage Kong while the painting demon complained. Wei Shao'er arrived with the requested medicinal ingredients and gold, but found Chunyu Tiying and Zheng Wukong gravely weakened, leaving her despairing over her luck.

• Zhang Xuezhou traced the Immobilize Character Scroll to maintain it, then began restoring the damaged Portrait of Sage Kong while warning the painting demon about Chang'an's Demon-Revealing Mirror.
• Rong Tianding announced Wei Shao'er's arrival, interrupting Zhang Xuezhou as he worked on the portrait.
• Wei Shao'er brought the requested hundred-year-old medicinal ingredients and a hundred taels of gold, explaining that Chen Zhang had struggled to gather them.
• Zhang Xuezhou took Wei Shao'er to see Chunyu Tiying, who appeared close to death after her conflict with Zheng Wukong.
• Wei Shao'er learned Zheng Wukong was in similar condition and cried that Heaven wanted her dead.

Wei Shao'er’s pregnancy turned dangerous as her body rejected demon blood, forcing Chunyu Tiying and Zhang Xuezhou to seek a way to save her and her unborn child. Chen Zhang chose to gamble on Chunyu Tiying’s plan to refine medicine, despite the risks and her own grave injuries.

• Chunyu Tiying tried to get up and refine Tenfold Complete Great Tonic Pills for herself, but Wei Shao'er suddenly suffered severe pain and fainted.
• Zhang Xuezhou saw blood on Wei Shao'er's skirt, and Chen Zhang called for a midwife while blood began coming from her mouth and nose.
• Chunyu Tiying warned Zhang Xuezhou not to stop the bleeding, explaining that Wei Shao'er's abundant Qi and Blood could make it dangerous to interfere.
• Chunyu Tiying said she could not safely deliver Wei Shao'er's child and ordered Chen Zhang to send ingredients to the Alchemy Chamber to refine two pills.
• Chen Zhang realized that returning to the Marquis of Quni's residence or relying on an ordinary midwife would not save his wife, so he faced Chunyu Tiying's gamble as his only chance.

Chunyu Tiying taught Zhang Xuezhou how to refine the Tenfold Complete Great Tonic Pill, but her injuries left him to handle the work. He used his Yin-Yang School tools to refine all three portions at once, and Chunyu Tiying stopped objecting when he mentioned news from the Palace of Peace and Happiness.

• Chunyu Tiying explained the water-refining method for the Tenfold Complete Great Tonic Pill and had Zhang Xuezhou begin the process.
• Zhang Xuezhou brought out the Law Artifact Balance and the Golden Crow Great Emperor's feather to measure the ingredients and control the flame.
• Zhang Xuezhou put all three portions into the cauldron at once, despite Chunyu Tiying's protests that a failed attempt would ruin them all.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Chunyu Tiying he had news from the Palace of Peace and Happiness, and she stopped struggling and accepted the risk.

Zhang Xuezhou and Chunyu Tiying refined pills to help Wei Shao'er survive childbirth, but realized Chen Zhang’s Essence Blood might not be compatible with the unborn child. The chapter ended with Zheng Wukong ordering Chen Zhang to find the child’s other father before mother and child died.

• Zhang Xuezhou used the Golden Crow Great Emperor’s feather and the Water Refining Method to refine pills while Chunyu Tiying assessed his technique.
• Chunyu Tiying called Chen Zhang into the Alchemy Chamber to provide Essence Blood, but Zhang Xuezhou questioned whether Chen Zhang was truly related to the child.
• After hearing Zhang Xuezhou’s concern, Chunyu Tiying dismissed Chen Zhang without taking his Essence Blood.
• Chen Zhang told Zheng Wukong what had happened, and Zheng Wukong realized the child might have another father.
• Zheng Wukong ordered Chen Zhang to find the child’s other father and bring him to protect the child’s life.