Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei and Han Li uncovered an ambush targeting Houde cultivators and learned it had been arranged by an Out-of-Body cultivator from another world. They captured the surviving attackers, but the interworld threat and the ambusher’s motives remained to be investigated.

• Qu Jianlei emerged from a rift and used Broken Blade to destroy the spatial trap, killing several attackers and capturing a surviving Nascent Soul.
• Han Li sensed an aura from outside the Houde Realm, and Qu Jianlei drew the surviving Nascent Soul to them for questioning.
• A divine soul charged Han Li, but the Handsome Youth slowed it with cold qi and Han Li subdued it with red light.
• Qu Jianlei and Han Li read the captives’ memories and learned that outside cultivators had ambushed two Houde brothers to obtain the Shipping Lane’s destination and the other world’s coordinates.
• Han Li called the attacker a madman, while Qu Jianlei questioned what had emboldened him to ambush Houde cultivators.

Qu Jianlei and Han Li investigated the ambush they had destroyed, then sought Qingkong to discuss a possible collaboration involving a missing abode. Their meeting ended with Qingkong and Song Yue'er accepting that an opportunity they had been pursuing was probably beyond their reach because Lingyun's rise was imminent.

• Han Li explained that the remnant soul’s aura could not reliably reveal its home realm, so he kept it for Qingkong to examine later.
• Qu Jianlei and Han Li discussed the concealed spatial array, the destroyed ambushers, and the possibility that one of them had left behind a lost abode.
• The two True Venerables traveled to the Tree Race World and met Qingning’s avatar, then used divination to summon Qingkong and Song Yue'er.
• Han Li determined that the opportunity Qingkong and Song Yue'er had pursued was unlikely to be worthwhile or within their reach.
• Qu Jianlei relayed Baiqiao’s warning that Lingyun’s day had come, and Qingkong and Song Yue'er accepted that they should give up the opportunity.

Han Li, Song Yue'er, Qu Jianlei, and True Venerable Qingkong tracked a slain robber cultivator’s Remnant Soul to his hidden Abode. They found the Abode mostly intact but stripped of resources, then divided what remained.

• Han Li and Song Yue'er asked True Venerable Qingkong to help extract Realm Traits from the robber cultivator’s Remnant Soul and locate his Abode.
• Qingkong agreed to join Han Li, Song Yue'er, and Qu Jianlei, while True Venerable Qingning stayed behind to watch the Azure Dragon.
• As the group traveled, Qu Jianlei asked about Han Li and Song Yue'er's relationship, and Han Li said Song Yue'er's Abode was still unfinished.
• Qingkong reconstructed the ambush, examined the Remnant Soul, and used karmic divination to find a clue to the robber cultivator’s Abode.
• After two months, the four True Venerables found the damaged Abode and discovered that its valuable resources were gone.
• Han Li, Song Yue'er, and Qingkong divided the remaining spoils, with Qingkong taking thirty percent and Han Li handling Song Yue'er's share.

Qu Jianlei and Han Li returned to the Tree Race World, where news of their victory spread as the conquest shifted from easy gains to disorder and raiding. Years later, Min Ning brought a captured raiding team to Qu Jianlei and asked him to execute its members with his Years Divine Ability, intending to make their elderly leader watch his juniors die of old age.

• Qu Jianlei, Han Li, Qingkong, and Song Yue'er returned to the Tree Race World, and True Venerable Bucai fled after glimpsing Qu Jianlei at the camp.
• Ji Xiaohua was gravely injured and brought back by Star Tapir Great Venerable Lazhan, while Jade Forest Matron later borrowed True Venerable Qu's Abode to enter seclusion.
• Lingyun confirmed that Han Li and True Venerable Qu had slain a plundering True Venerable, and Bucai stopped appearing at the camp.
• Wen Xian confronted a True Venerable whose followers had robbed cultivators, and the man agreed to punish his own subordinates and provide compensation.
• The five True Venerables cracked down on professional raiding teams as the conquest's easy profits dwindled.
• Min Ning captured a raiding team that included three sworn-brother Nascent Souls and asked Qu Jianlei to use his Years Divine Ability to execute them before their elderly leader.

Qu Jianlei carried out a public execution with his Years Divine Ability, drawing a huge crowd of cultivators seeking to study time rules. Afterward, he sensed that some True Venerables had hidden intentions toward him, though he could not identify their motives.

• Qu Jianlei reluctantly agreed with Min Ning, Jin Ge, Han Li, and Wen Xian to execute the condemned publicly using Years.
• Nearly one million cultivators, including nearly thirty Out-of-Body True Venerables, watched the three-day execution, and Qu Jianlei realized many had come to study his time rules.
• Qu Jianlei left before the gathered True Venerables finished comprehending and asked Lingyun Sect not to announce future executions in advance.
• Qingkong argued that the painful execution process offered greater deterrence, while Han Li pointed out that some spectators were acquaintances of his.
• Qu Jianlei revealed that he had sensed some spectators carefully hiding their intentions, but he declined Jin Ge's offer to investigate them.

Qu Jianlei arranged for the Mò Race to help guard True Venerable Qingning’s Star Cluster as more True Venerables took interest in it. Baiqiao later arrived to stabilize the camp and reported that Fourth Boss had failed to condense a true Nascent Soul, leaving Qu Jianlei melancholy about his future.

• Qu Jianlei summoned Great Venerable Lajan and asked the Mò Race to guard True Venerable Qingning’s Star Cluster, refusing Lajan’s request to take promising Star Tapirs into the Cultivator ranks during the war.
• Lajan brought over a hundred Star Tapirs to guard the area, and Qingning offered to help them investigate whether Tianqiong Crystals remained in the world.
• Han Li asked Qu Jianlei about visiting a dangerous place, but Qu Jianlei refused because he could not risk being trapped there while the Star Cluster needed protection.
• Several years later, Baiqiao arrived with a clone, eased pressure on the Five True Venerables, and declared Qingning’s Star Cluster an important Lingyun experimental site.
• Baiqiao told Qu Jianlei that Fourth Boss had failed to condense his Nascent Soul and formed only a False Core, though Fourth Boss accepted that he could live another thousand years and protect the team.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• True Venerable Qianhuan secures a Tier 5 Spirit Vein in Qu Jianlei's name.
• Qu Jianlei learns that Zi Jiuxian has successfully condensed her infant.
• Lingyun Sect advances part of the cost for the Tier 5 Spirit Vein.
• The price of Extreme Spirit Stones suddenly rises to 8-9 thousand to one.

Character Developments

• Qu Jianlei shows magnanimity and calmness regarding the Tier 5 Spirit Vein and the price of Extreme Spirit Stones.
• Bai Qiao reveals a hint of emotion, showing doubt and suspicion about the rise in Extreme Spirit Stone prices.
• Zi Jiuxian successfully condenses her infant, showing improvement in her cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics and influence of True Venerables in Houde Realm.
• The impact of interconnecting realms on social order and the potential for realm wars.
• The importance of Extreme Spirit Stones and their role in cultivator advancement.

Character Interactions

• Qu Jianlei and Bai Qiao discuss the Tier 5 Spirit Vein and the rise in Extreme Spirit Stone prices, with Bai Qiao suspecting Qu Jianlei's involvement.
• Qu Jianlei and Bai Qiao discuss the origin of the Righteous Sect and the possibility of other Cultivation Worlds dealing with Houde Realm.
• Qu Jianlei and Qingning are mentioned to be familiar with each other, hinting at their past interactions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qu Jianlei returns to Houde with Min Ning and Jin Ge.
• Hua Xiezhi successfully forms her Nascent Soul.
• Qu Jianlei helps Jing Yuexin and Duo Gan with their seclusion preparations.
• Qianhuan shares information about the Shangshan Realm and the competition for resources.
• Qu Jianlei and Qianhuan encounter a dispute between the Yan Family of Zhanmeng No. 4 and another cultivator over a Tier 5 Spirit Vein.
• Qu Jianlei senses an anomaly in folded space and decides to investigate.

Character Developments

• Qu Jianlei shows concern for Fourth Boss's mental health but decides not to interfere.
• Qianhuan is more cautious and low-key after undergoing tribulation.
• Hua Xiezhi's Nascent Soul formation marks her growth as a cultivator.
• Qu Jianlei's perception and sensitivity to heavenly secrets have improved.

Significant Themes

• The competition for resources and opportunities in the other world.
• The power dynamics between cultivator families and the impact of the other world's gains on the Houde Realm.
• The consequences of relying too heavily on external tools (like Spirit Mountain) and the importance of maintaining one's own abilities.

Character Interactions

• Qu Jianlei and Min Ning return to Houde together, showing their camaraderie.
• Qu Jianlei and Qianhuan discuss the Tier 5 Spirit Vein and the competition for resources.
• Qu Jianlei and Qianhuan encounter a dispute over a Tier 5 Spirit Vein, highlighting the cutthroat nature of the cultivator world.
• Qu Jianlei's decision to investigate the folded space anomaly shows his curiosity and willingness to take risks.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qianhuan and Qu Jianlei discover a video conference involving four True Venerables from different realms.
• Baiqiao reveals that the conference is about an inter-realm dispute over interests, involving the Wanwu Realm and other domains.
• The dispute is over the opportunities in the other world discovered by Houde Realm.

Character Developments

• Qu Jianlei is concerned about being dragged into the dispute due to his connection with Lingyun Sect and his Years Divine Ability.
• Qianhuan shows his commercial instincts and suggests charging an entrance fee for the other world.
• Baiqiao reveals his determination to protect Houde's interests and not let other realms join in exploring the other world.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of inter-realm disputes and the potential threats they pose to Houde Realm.
• The importance of maintaining Houde's interests and preventing other realms from exploiting their discoveries.
• The challenges of dealing with internal traitors and the difficulty of identifying them.

Character Interactions

• Qianhuan and Qu Jianlei work together to gather information about the video conference.
• Baiqiao seeks their advice on how to handle the inter-realm dispute, but is reluctant to share too many details.
• Qianhuan and Baiqiao clash over their views on the other world's opportunities and how to handle the dispute.

Summary of "The Routine Runs Deep" Chapter

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Wanwu Realm's provocative actions anger True Venerable Qianhuan.
• Bai Qiao and Qianhuan discuss the situation, with Qianhuan suggesting that Houde has done the same in the past.
• Bai Qiao tasks Qu Jianlei to go to the Wanwu Realm as Lingyun's envoy to resolve the misunderstanding.
• Qu Jianlei decides to oppose the Wanwu Realm's interference in Houde's affairs.
• The World Envoy appears and reveals that an Out-of-Body Realm cultivator named Na Hong, originally from the outside world, is involved.
• Bai Qiao asks Qu Jianlei to handle Na Hong.

Character Developments

• Qu Jianlei accepts his role as Lingyun's envoy and protector, understanding that he can't retreat from the situation.
• Bai Qiao is shown to be manipulative, using Qu Jianlei as a weapon while also supporting him.
• Qianhuan shows his astuteness and understanding of the political landscape in Houde, advising Qu Jianlei on how to navigate it.

Significant Themes

• The manipulation of cultivators and realms for political gain.
• The complexity of interrealm relationships and trade.
• The role of the World Envoy and the Heaven-Monitoring Mirror in maintaining balance and order.

Character Interactions

• Qu Jianlei, Bai Qiao, and Qianhuan discuss the situation and their roles in it.
• Qu Jianlei and Qianhuan have a silent understanding, with Qianhuan providing Qu Jianlei with useful information.
• The World Envoy briefly interacts with the characters, revealing crucial information and showing its presence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qu Jianlei learns from Qianhuan that Baiqiao's request might be a setup.
• Qu Jianlei travels alone to the Jiuxian Region to confront True Venerable Nahong.
• He finds the Jiuxian Region chaotic, with many cultivators occupying and building structures on the Jia'er Plate.
• Qu Jianlei captures all five Nascent Soul cultivators of the Du Family without alerting Nahong.
• He begins divining Nahong's location, knowing that the other party will try to trace him.

Character Developments

• Qu Jianlei shows strategic thinking and caution, deciding to act alone and capturing the Nascent Soul cultivators first.
• True Venerable Qianhuan reveals he has a far-reaching information network and dares to speak frankly.
• True Venerable Nahong is revealed to be a Hidden Agent from another realm, impure in his motives.

Significant Themes

• The chaos and disorder in the Jiuxian Region, contrasting with the orderliness of other regions.
• The theme of hidden identities and true motives, as seen in Nahong's case.
• The use of Causality Lines for divination and tracing, highlighting the power dynamics between cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Qu Jianlei and Qianhuan discuss Baiqiao's request, leading to Qu Jianlei's decision to act alone.
• Qu Jianlei captures the Du Family's Nascent Soul cultivators silently, showing his skill and caution.
• Nahong and Qu Jianlei engage in a divination contest, each trying to outmaneuver the other.

Qu Jianlei traced the karmic probe back to True Venerable Nahong and confronted his clone after learning that Nahong’s descendants had been captured. Nahong refused to back down, leaving their confrontation poised to escalate.

• Qu Jianlei’s attempt to investigate Nahong collapsed against the Dao Stele, and he located Nahong’s true body outside the Jiuxian Region.
• Nahong sensed that his protective Heavenly Secret Talisman had been damaged and decided to test the investigator rather than destroy his primary clone.
• Nahong divined that five of his Nascent Soul descendants and two promising Golden Core juniors had disappeared, and suspected Lingyun Sect was behind it.
• Nahong’s clone encountered Qu Jianlei, who said he had captured the seven descendants and wanted Nahong to come quietly.
• Nahong challenged Qu Jianlei’s authority to kill him, calling him Lingyun’s dog.

Qu Jianlei and Jin Ge captured Nahong’s clone and used his descendants’ vital blood to trace his other avatars and true body. Qu Jianlei found his resolve to act against Wanwu Realm’s incursion into Houde, while Nahong fled and realized his efforts to conceal himself were failing.

• Qu Jianlei refused to take Nahong’s bait, and Jin Ge trapped Nahong’s clone in a golden net.
• Jin Ge explained that Min Ning had divined Qu Jianlei’s location, and the two agreed to pursue Nahong’s true body and deal with the traitors.
• Qu Jianlei decided to stop worrying about the wider political consequences and act against those threatening Houde.
• Nahong fled toward the Houde Realm’s border, severed karmic links, and realized Qu Jianlei could trace him through his descendants’ vital blood and captured avatars.
• Qu Jianlei extracted vital blood from five Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and formed a Five Elements Array to strengthen his divination.
• Qu Jianlei declared that Nahong would not escape and vowed to make him pay for his insults.

Qu Jianlei and Jin Ge pursued True Venerable Nahong, captured him after Qu Jianlei used Years, and tried to contain his escape. Nahong self-detonated his body and soul, and Jin Ge confirmed that his primary avatar had also fallen.

• Nahong realized Qu Jianlei had locked onto his true body and linked back to his main clone, then tried to conceal his plan to reach a void exit.
• Qu Jianlei pursued Nahong with Jin Ge and intercepted him at a Void Passage after Nahong detoured away from the exit.
• Qu Jianlei used Years to cripple Nahong, and Jin Ge trapped him in a golden net while Qu Jianlei deployed Array Plates to block escape methods.
• Nahong self-detonated, but Jin Ge contained and absorbed the blood mist while Qu Jianlei's array confined it.
• Nahong's divine soul self-detonated after failing to escape, and Jin Ge confirmed that Nahong's primary avatar had also fallen.

Qu Jianlei and Jin Ge confirmed that Na Hong and his secondary avatar had both died, while uncovering poison and a stolen storage ring around the avatar’s death. Qu Jianlei arranged for Jin Ge to report the matter to Baiqiao in exchange for a chance to divine an Abode.

• Qu Jianlei confirmed through divination that Na Hong’s secondary avatar had fallen, and Nascent Soul cultivators concealed the avatar’s death after noticing its Item-Storing Ring had vanished.
• Jin Ge detected and dispersed poison left by Na Hong, and Qu Jianlei used his seashell and Turtle Shell to confirm that Na Hong had completely fallen.
• Qu Jianlei explained that Na Hong’s family had not known he was a Hidden Agent, making it difficult to prove the truth without Jin Ge as a witness.
• Qu Jianlei and Jin Ge seized the secondary avatar, while the Nascent Soul cultivators pretended not to notice and kept drinking for two days.
• Qu Jianlei offered Jin Ge a chance to divine an Abode if he reported the matter to Baiqiao, and Jin Ge agreed.

Jin Ge and Qu Jianlei found True Venerable Nahong’s unfinished, empty cave dwelling, but Lingyun Sect stopped them from collecting the Du Family’s wealth. After Baiqiao reported that Wanwu Realm was using Qu Jianlei’s Broken Blade to claim he came from their realm, Qu Jianlei dismissed the excuse but was warned to be careful.

• Jin Ge and Qu Jianlei located Nahong’s cave dwelling, identified its Soul Poison trap, and found the unfinished Abode empty of useful supplies.
• Jin Ge gave Qu Jianlei the cave dwelling in exchange for treasures and debts, and the two went to Jia'er to claim the Du Family’s assets.
• A Lingyun Sect team assigned to protect the Du Family blocked Jin Ge and Qu Jianlei, so they left without collecting the wealth.
• Qu Jianlei showed the Abode to Duo Gan and Jing Yuexin, who said they would rather build their own Abodes when they reached Out-of-Body.
• Baiqiao told Qu Jianlei that Lingyun Sect’s counterattack had exposed hidden dangers and that Wanwu Realm suspected his Broken Blade was its lost Divine Weapon, Mohong.
• Qu Jianlei rejected the claim that the weapon proved he came from Wanwu Realm, and Baiqiao advised him to be careful.

Baiqiao urged Qu Jianlei to leave Houde amid covert pressure, but Qu Jianlei chose to move around the realm while buying supplies. He reunited with Jin Ge and Min Ning, who revealed that Baiqiao was using outside pressure and rising prices as part of a larger plan to consolidate Lingyun Sect.

• Baiqiao warned Qu Jianlei that Houde cultivators would secretly target him and suggested he go to the other world, but Qu Jianlei chose to travel around Houde instead.
• Jing Yuexin agreed that Qu Jianlei should not let others control his travel plans, and he left through a teleportation array the next day.
• Qu Jianlei appeared at several dangerous locations, prompting rumors about his search for opportunities and reports that other Cultivation Worlds planned to enter the other world.
• While buying supplies at Yuefeng Two, Qu Jianlei traced rumors about the other world to Lingyun Sect's base and then sensed someone divining him.
• Qu Jianlei met Min Ning and Jin Ge, who explained that their work was nearly finished and they could leave clones behind while they departed.
• Min Ning and Jin Ge told Qu Jianlei that Baiqiao was manipulating outside pressure and resource prices to advance his plans for Lingyun Sect and pressure Wanwu Realm.

Qu Jianlei, Min Ning, Jin Ge, and Qianhuan secretly undermined the outer-realm cultivators’ intelligence and supply networks while concealing their actions. After the outsiders protested, Lingyun allowed the Wanwu Realm a limited, supervised investigation near its encampment.

• Qu Jianlei agreed with Min Ning and Jin Ge to avoid the outsiders’ prepared battlefield and target their local contacts instead.
• Hundreds of Houde cultivators who had complained about access to the otherworld disappeared, crippling the outsiders’ informant network.
• Several suppliers suffered robberies, damaged goods, and financial troubles, prompting the outer-realm cultivators to suspect sabotage and protest to Lingyun.
• Qu Jianlei enlisted Qianhuan to conceal the operation, and Baiqiao recognized that their methods had nearly escaped his perception.
• Min Ning learned that Lingyun had permitted the Wanwu Realm to investigate nearby supply channels under the escort and surveillance of Lingyun cultivators.

Qu Jianlei and his three companions confronted Outer Regions True Venerables while attacking their supply operations, then escaped the Sword Cultivator’s Eyeless technique. After Qu Jianlei’s identity was exposed, the Outer Regions cultivators pressured Lingyun Sect and tried to negotiate with him, but he continued ambushing their forces.

• Liu Laogen sensed an approaching threat near the Warship, and the Outer Regions True Venerables arrived to confront the Houde cultivators.
• Qu Jianlei revealed himself as the Houde True Venerable behind the attacks, challenged two opponents, then withdrew when a brown-haired Sword Cultivator struck with Eyeless.
• Jin Ge, Min Ning, and Qianhuan reunited with Qu Jianlei, and Min Ning explained that Eyeless carried the Thought-Slaying Divine Ability and might help its wielder sever the past.
• The Outer Regions cultivators demanded that Lingyun Sect answer for Qu Jianlei’s actions, but Lingyun said he was unaffiliated and that its support applied to all Houde cultivators.
• Two months later, Qu Jianlei ambushed a Shangshan Realm True Venerable, injured him with a slash, and escaped after taunting him about Mohong.
• The Outer Regions True Venerables began traveling in groups of at least three while secretly contacting Qu Jianlei in hopes of settling the conflict.

Qu Jianlei returned to the other world and spent years studying Creation through divination, eventually making new instruments from the tree-root core that improved his readings but consumed its Creation aura. The Righteous Sect Remnant Obsession sensed that Qu Jianlei had undergone slight Daoization, a change to the origin of his flesh, and left him with more questions than answers.

• Qu Jianlei, Jin Ge, and Min Ning left Houde for the other world, while Bai Qiao reflected on their responsibility and the challenge of Spirit Severing.
• Qu Jianlei reached the camp and met Han Li’s avatar, who explained that Han Li’s true body had returned to Houde to deal with the Outer-Domain Cultivators.
• Qu Jianlei divined for Azure Dragon, then stayed at the Star Cluster for several years studying the true meaning of Creation on the Compass and helping deter disputes at the camp.
• Qu Jianlei used a tray made from the tree-root core during divination and discovered that its Creation aura improved his readings while wearing down his seashell.
• Qu Jianlei replaced his usual divination tools with game pieces made from the tree-root core, and the Righteous Sect Remnant Obsession later sensed that he had undergone slight Daoization.