Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei discussed Jing Yuexin’s cultivation, the Spider’s plans, and the expansion of Cangwu’s Upper Realm slots before urging Jin Ge to explore the world and pursue a breakthrough. Jin Ge revealed that he felt unable to leave because Lingyun had a Great Monarch and he had once been an alien cultivator, but Qu Jianlei reassured him that he considered Jin Ge a Cultivator.

• Qu Jianlei told Jing Yuexin to focus on preparing for seclusion after she asked him to leave clues about his dangerous missions.
• The Spider said it sensed at least three to five Great Monarchs in Houde Realm and asked to explore, while Qu Jianlei warned it that any resulting trouble would not be his responsibility.
• Qu Jianlei visited the Spirit Vein project, where Bu Hu oversaw Lingyun disciples and said Cangwu’s Upper Realm slots had expanded to one thousand.
• When Jin Ge asked about the exchange with Baiqiao, Qu Jianlei told him to ignore it and suggested he travel with the Spider to build his foundation for a Soul-Splitting Realm breakthrough.
• Jin Ge said he could not leave because Lingyun had a Great Monarch and revealed that he had once been an alien who achieved cultivation.
• Qu Jianlei told Jin Ge that he judged people by their commitment to Cultivator culture rather than their origins, and Jin Ge said he knew Qu Jianlei did not discriminate against him.

Jin Ge realized that the Human Race might have been quietly preventing him from reaching Soul-Splitting and hesitated to absorb his Gold Essence. Spider revealed that a Human Race Great Expert had banished the Insectoids to the Tree Race World and forbidden Spirit Severing there, while Qu Jianlei and Han Li pressed for details.

• After learning that True Venerable Qu faced restraints because of his potential, Jin Ge recognized his own unease about attempting Soul-Splitting and admitted he was afraid to gamble.
• Qu Jianlei and Han Li asked Spider to explain the karmic taboo against Spirit Severing in the Tree Race World, and Spider initially refused because the information affected it.
• Qu Jianlei negotiated with Spider and promised help if it encountered trouble in the Houde Realm, while Han Li agreed to support the arrangement.
• Spider disclosed that a Human Race Great Expert had erased the Insectoids' sole Spirit Severing Grand Lord, driven the Insectoids into the Tree Race World, and forbidden Spirit Severing there.
• Spider added that a Great Expert of the Mò Race had protested the Insectoids' arrival.

Qu Jianlei discussed the dangers and history of the Tree Race World with Spider, then decided to travel and settle matters before guarding two cultivators through their breakthroughs. After he said he would send Yi He home first, Jin Ge asked to go with him.

• Spider told Qu Jianlei, Han Li, and Jin Ge that the Mò Race Great Expert had died and that later Mò Race experts had failed to reach Soul Division.
• Spider identified the Maiden Star Region as a former battlefield among multiple races, then reacted evasively when Qu Jianlei asked about the Righteous Sect.
• Qu Jianlei said he planned to leave after checking on the Spirit Vein repairs, while Han Li and Jin Ge agreed they could help guard the cultivators preparing to break through.
• Qu Jianlei explained that he wanted to resolve other matters before the breakthroughs and would avoid Wanwu Realm for now.
• Qu Jianlei decided to send Yi He back to his home world, and Jin Ge said he wanted to go too.

Qu Jianlei agreed to delay his journey to a newly discovered world while Lingyun arranged a lecture on his path to the Out-of-Body realm. The chapter ended with the legendary Taiyuan Sea Dao Field drawing True Venerables back to Houde and Tianli asking Qu Jianlei to try to obtain it.

• Qu Jianlei agreed to rest before traveling, and Bai Qiao arranged for Lingyun to hold his lecture after a year and a half.
• Lingyun publicized Qu Jianlei's lecture and promoted five thousand cultivators from Cangwu to Houde, prompting others to seek their favor and learn about Qu Jianlei.
• Lingyun announced that the rare Spirit Severing-level Taiyuan Sea Dao Field would host the lecture, causing True Venerables who had planned to stay in other worlds to hurry back.
• True Venerable Tianli urged Qu Jianlei to fight for Taiyuan Sea, but Qu Jianlei doubted Lingyun would give up such a treasured Dao Field and feared the consequences of accepting it.

Qu Jianlei weighed requests from friends and acquaintances to bring people into Lingyun Sect’s Dao Discussion, refusing to set a precedent before the entry rules were established. After learning that a Houde Nascent Soul cultivator had moved her household and exchanged a newly claimed Tier 4 Spirit Vein for one in Cangwu, he agreed to give her reasonable consideration but left her slot undecided.

• Qu Jianlei limited the Zhu Family juniors he might bring to three and rejected Ji Xiaohua’s request to include a Houde Nascent Soul cultivator who had owed the Ji Family karma.
• Jia Shuiqing told Qu Jianlei that the Nascent Soul cultivator had moved her household to Cangwu after claiming a concealed Tier 4 Spirit Vein in Houde.
• Qu Jianlei learned that the cultivator had spent decades cultivating in seclusion with her disciples and had only recently confirmed ownership of the vein.
• The cultivator exchanged her Houde Spirit Vein for a Tier 4 vein in Cangwu, demonstrating her commitment to settling there.
• Qu Jianlei told Jia Shuiqing to give the cultivator reasonable care but said they could not promise her a Dao Discussion slot before Lingyun Sect set its rules.

Qu Jianlei rejected Zi Jiuxian’s proposal to buy up Cangwu’s Tier 4 Spirit Veins, choosing instead to review prospective buyers and protect Red Leaf Ridge’s reputation. As the factions welcomed Red Leaf Ridge’s oversight, Qu Jianlei received Qingning and Qing’er on Jiuyou Island ahead of his Dao Discussion.

• Zi Jiuxian proposed buying all ownerless Tier 4 Spirit Veins in Cangwu to profit from interest in Qu Jianlei’s Dao Discussion.
• Qu Jianlei explained that a monopoly would harm Cangwu’s factions and Red Leaf Ridge’s reputation, and Jia Shuiqing suggested reviewing acquisitions instead.
• Cangwu’s major factions welcomed Red Leaf Ridge’s buyer reviews and privately sought its help negotiating spirit-vein sales amid pressure from the Upper Realm.
• Zi Jiuxian recognized that the factions’ responses showed the risks in her original plan and praised Qu Jianlei’s judgment.
• Qu Jianlei complained to Qingning and Qing’er that Baiqiao’s promotion of the Dao Discussion and Taiyuan Sea Dao Field seemed aimed at him.
• Qing’er offered to appear at the Dao Discussion, and Qingning asked whether the Spider on Qu Jianlei’s shoulder might be a Great Venerable.

Qu Jianlei and Qingning settled the lingering tensions over Spider and the Great Monarch before Lingyun finalized the rules for the Dao Discussion. Two months later, Taiyuan Sea appeared, and invited cultivators gathered outside its gate as they waited to enter.

• Qu Jianlei told Qingning and Qing'er that a Human Race expert above the Great Monarch stood behind the Great Monarch, and they agreed to let the past conflict end.
• Lingyun set entry limits for the Dao Discussion, allowing each True Venerable three Nascent Souls and one Golden Core while letting Qu Jianlei invite additional people subject to review.
• Qu Jianlei received Lingyun's rules from Jin Ge and requested extra places for cultivators seeking to broaden their horizons.
• Taiyuan Sea appeared in the starry sky near Lingyun Sect as a vast jade-like gatehouse bearing the name Taiyuan.
• Approved cultivators gathered outside the gate, where Lingyun disciples enforced order and attendees negotiated over scarce Golden Core places while waiting to enter.

Qu Jianlei was rejected from entering the Taiyuan Sea when its artifact spirit identified Spider as an Alien Race quasi-Soul-Splitting Realm cultivator. After Spider moved away, a hidden Great Monarch abducted Qu Jianlei, leaving the gathered cultivators and Lingyun faction scrambling to understand what had happened.

• Cangwu’s cultivators gathered at the Taiyuan Sea and waited for Qu Jianlei to arrive before entering together.
• Qu Jianlei and Han Li joined the group, and the cultivators passed identity checks before heading through the paifang gate.
• The Taiyuan Sea’s artifact spirit rejected Qu Jianlei because Spider was an Alien Race cultivator whose cultivation exceeded its master’s.
• Spider sprang away from Qu Jianlei, and a hidden Great Monarch immediately made Qu Jianlei disappear.
• Lingyun’s True Venerables and Han Li rushed out, and Spider explained that Taiyuan Sea’s artifact spirit had stopped it from entering just before Qu Jianlei vanished.

Han Li confronted Baiqiao over the attack near the Taiyuan Sea while Qu Jianlei met a dying Great Monarch who had forcibly brought him to anotherworld. The Great Monarch demanded Qu Jianlei’s help with the new path to the Out-of-Body Realm, and Qu Jianlei challenged the way he had been taken.

• Spider told Han Li to seek True Venerable Qu instead of pestering it, and Han Li demanded an explanation from Baiqiao.
• Baiqiao said its main body had gone to see the World Envoy, but Han Li questioned whether the World Envoy could investigate a Great Lord.
• A dying Great Monarch asked Qu Jianlei what he wanted, and Qu Jianlei answered that he wanted longevity and long life.
• The Great Monarch said Qu Jianlei’s new path to the Out-of-Body Realm had not been developed by him alone and insisted that a task still had to be done.
• Qu Jianlei reasoned that Lingyun might pursue them, but the Great Monarch warned that they would not catch up and revealed Lingyun was adept at gang fights.
• The Great Monarch explained that he and Qu Jianlei had been reduced to mustard-seed size and offered payment, while Qu Jianlei objected to being forcibly brought there.

Qu Jianlei resisted a Spirit Severing Grand Lord who had coerced him into discussing a dangerous medical favor, while learning that the remains of destroyed worlds might yield a True Meaning of Fate. The Grand Lord demanded that he assess a cultivator’s attempt to reach the Out-of-Body Realm, but Qu Jianlei challenged the secrecy and urgency of the request as the Grand Lord’s aura began to affect him.

• Qu Jianlei refused to accept the Grand Lord’s coercive trade and challenged him to show his anger.
• The Grand Lord revealed that he had noticed Qu Jianlei tempering his body with Creation and offered insight into the difficulty of cultivation realms.
• The Grand Lord asked whether Qu Jianlei wanted the True Meaning of Fate and explained that fate-related meaning might be extracted from World Cores.
• Qu Jianlei admitted he worried the Grand Lord might covet his cultivation secrets and demanded to know what the Grand Lord wanted him to do.
• The Grand Lord ordered Qu Jianlei to assess a cultivator attempting to break through to the Out-of-Body Realm, while Qu Jianlei warned that each breakthrough required specific circumstances.
• Qu Jianlei demanded an explanation for the sudden urgency and began to resist being taken, but the Grand Lord’s aura intensified the fading of his body.

Qu Jianlei examined the world where a cultivator was attempting to reach the Out-of-Body Realm and divined that the cultivator’s method differed sharply from his own. Concerned about the cultivator’s condition, he proposed that he and the Grand Lord compare their approaches before attempting to correct it.

• The face explained that he had halted a failing Out-of-Body advancement and spent over two hundred years guiding the cultivator along another path.
• Qu Jianlei agreed to accompany the face, and they arrived above a world with powerful beasts, several Out-of-Body cultivators, and signs of the Incense Divinity Path.
• Qu Jianlei divined that the face had dispersed the Heavenly Devil Qi and located the cultivator in a protected underground complex in a vast desert.
• Qu Jianlei determined that the cultivator was 1,700 years old and learned that the face had given him a Longevity Treasure.
• After divining the cultivator’s condition, Qu Jianlei warned that their advancement methods differed and said he was not confident about the cultivator’s state.
• Qu Jianlei proposed that he and the face exchange their approaches and discuss how to guide the cultivator onto a safer path.

Qu Jianlei discussed a difficult Out-of-Body Realm operation with the human face, then negotiated over payment and tried to leave. After half a month of Dao Discussion, the Great Monarch kept him there for a few more days, leaving Qu Jianlei wary of the dying cultivator’s intentions.

• The human face accepted Qu Jianlei’s advice and explained his operational approach, which Qu Jianlei revised after identifying details that did not account for Nascent Soul cultivators’ limitations.
• The human face offered Qu Jianlei Creation Rules, Time Rules, and World Cores to finish the work, but Qu Jianlei insisted he could not promise success or remain until the subject reached the Out-of-Body Realm.
• Qu Jianlei and the human face agreed to discuss the Dao, and their half-month conversation clarified the operation of the Out-of-Body Realm path.
• When Qu Jianlei prepared to leave, the human face said he would have to keep him for a few more days to answer questions and help, while admitting he did not want to keep him either.
• Qu Jianlei calmly acknowledged that he wanted to escape and asked how to address the human face; the Great Monarch said Qu Jianlei was making things difficult and questioned whether he could live long enough for Qu Jianlei to take revenge.

Qu Jianlei survived his encounter with a Grand Lord, received the promised rules and World Cores, and returned to Houde. He refused to resume the Taiyuan Sea Dao Discussion, using his abduction and Houde’s failure to protect him as reasons to break free of Lingyun’s ties.

• The human face promised to release Qu Jianlei after half a month and gave him two Creation Rules, two Time Rules, and two World Cores.
• Qu Jianlei emerged near Houde, entered the realm, and encountered the World Envoy, Spider, and Baiqiao.
• Qu Jianlei rebuked Baiqiao for failing to protect him and refused to explain who had abducted him or how he escaped.
• Qu Jianlei withdrew from the Dao Discussion despite Baiqiao reminding him of Lingyun’s preparations and the Soul Division-level Dao Field.
• Qu Jianlei declared that Taiyuan Sea offered no sense of safety and decided to use the incident to sever his ties with Lingyun.

Qu Jianlei refused to cooperate with Lingyun’s inquiry after being abducted by an unknown Great Monarch, choosing to rest while Han Li handled the matter. As Qu Jianlei and Han Li discussed why the Great Monarch had released him, Spider suggested he had feared Qu Jianlei might fight to the death, and Qu Jianlei wondered whether the Great Monarch had sensed his ties to a powerful figure.

• Qu Jianlei told Baiqiao he was too exhausted to discuss the abduction, and Han Li took him to Jiuyou Island to rest.
• Han Li checked Qu Jianlei for hidden measures and later confirmed that no Great Monarch would come inspect him, though Lingyun would still investigate.
• Spider told Qu Jianlei that cultivators had extensively investigated its connections and proposed that they travel together so it could defend itself.
• Han Li said Qu Jianlei had not lost out by returning safely, then asked why the Great Monarch had claimed Qu Jianlei carried a mark.
• Spider suggested the Great Monarch had released Qu Jianlei because he feared Qu Jianlei would fight to the death, while Qu Jianlei wondered whether the Great Monarch sensed his ties to a Great Expert.

Qu Jianlei learned that Lingyun still suspected the Three Realms cultivators and heard Jin Ge’s guarded guess that the missing True Venerable Qiye might be involved in the attack. Jin Ge also asked about the upcoming Dao discussion, and Han Li suggested holding it at Qu Jianlei’s home once his Tier 5 Spirit Vein was ready.

• Han Li said Lingyun’s investigation of the Three Realms cultivators was still ongoing, and Qu Jianlei suspected Lingyun might expect him to confront the Baiyou Merchant Alliance.
• Jin Ge visited Jiuyou Island with news that Lingyun’s Great Monarch believed Qu Jianlei had suffered little physical injury and that the sect had vaguely identified a suspect.
• After Qu Jianlei recounted his encounter, Jin Ge revealed his suspicion by laying out seven leaves, leading Han Li to identify the missing True Venerable Qiye.
• Jin Ge asked what structure Qu Jianlei planned for the coming Dao discussion, and Qu Jianlei said he would hold it later but could not afford to return to Taiyuan Sea.
• Han Li proposed that Qu Jianlei host the Dao discussion at his own place after his Tier 5 Spirit Vein was installed.

Qu Jianlei and his allies debated where to hold the Dao Discussion, rejecting Taiyuan Sea and Qingning’s spirit vein because of the risks and the hosts’ lack of standing. Lingyun later offered to upgrade Cangwu Realm’s spirit vein and host the event there, leaving Qu Jianlei to weigh the generous offer against its attempt to tie him and his team to Lingyun’s Lower Realm.

• Qu Jianlei rejected establishing a sect or using Qingning’s spirit vein for the Dao Discussion, and proposed holding it in the starry sky near Yuefeng Three instead.
• Jin Ge sent a clone to report Qu Jianlei’s proposal while he stayed on Jiuyou Island and tried to persuade him to reconsider.
• Bai Qiao and Elder Youjian argued over Lingyun’s efforts to control Qu Jianlei, and Youjian urged Bai Qiao to focus on finding the suspect behind the danger.
• Eight days later, Jin Ge’s clone brought Lingyun’s offer to hold the Dao Discussion in Cangwu Realm and raise its spirit vein to Tier 5.
• Qu Jianlei recognized that the offer could strengthen Cangwu while also binding him and his team to Lingyun, and he reflected on his ties to the realm’s cultivators.

Qu Jianlei debated Lingyun's offer of preaching at the Taiyuan Sea or five hundred years of cultivation at a Tier 6 Spirit Vein, and Jin Ge suggested bargaining for both benefits plus an upgrade to Cangwu's spirit vein. The Taiyuan Sea's Artifact Spirit appeared, punished Han Li for his remarks, and demanded that Qu Jianlei give a more flattering explanation for his resentment.

• Qu Jianlei rejected Lingyun's two offers as insufficient, while Han Li urged him to bargain for everything.
• Jin Ge proposed holding the Dao Discussion at the Taiyuan Sea while also securing five hundred years at a Tier 6 Spirit Vein and an upgrade to Cangwu's spirit vein.
• Han Li joked about abducting the Taiyuan Sea, prompting its Artifact Spirit to appear and hurl him away twice.
• Qu Jianlei admitted that he had resented the Artifact Spirit for not protecting him, but she called his explanation perfunctory and demanded something more pleasant.

Qu Jianlei and Jin Ge dealt with a bizarre Grand Lord who flirted with Qu Jianlei and repeatedly sent Han Li flying away. After she left, Qu Jianlei agreed to negotiate Han Li’s proposal to lecture at Taiyuan Sea and improve Cangwu’s Spirit Vein, while Han Li suggested Qu Jianlei could later abandon the faction he built.

• Qu Jianlei tried to lure the female Grand Lord into his Abode, but she teased him and demanded flattery from him instead.
• The Grand Lord kept sending Han Li back and vanishing him again while she questioned Jin Ge about finding a True Venerable Realm cultivator under a hundred.
• Qu Jianlei persuaded the Grand Lord to leave by agreeing to visit her Dao Field with Han Li for a Dao discussion.
• Han Li returned angrily, then asked Qu Jianlei to confirm negotiations over his proposed conditions.
• Han Li explained that his plan involved lecturing at Taiyuan Sea and improving the Spirit Vein, while Jin Ge noted it could affect Qu Jianlei’s reputation in Cangwu.
• Qu Jianlei worried about forming a faction to secure Cangwu’s future, but Han Li and Jin Ge said he could later leave it or serve as its spiritual pillar.

Han Li and Qu Jianlei strengthened Jiuyou Island’s defenses, then left to investigate other leads after Jin Ge failed to return. Qu Jianlei learned that True Venerables had gathered at the Four Families Camp over the interrupted Dao Discussion, while Han Li received an ominous message from a Great Monarch.

• Qu Jianlei inspected Jiuyou Island’s grand formation, added three linked auxiliary formations, and Spider tested their defenses.
• Han Li, Qu Jianlei, and Spider left Jiuyou Island after Jin Ge’s avatar failed to return, and they discovered many Causality Lines connected to them.
• Qu Jianlei estimated that finding Yi He’s world would take at least three years, then told the World Envoy he planned to visit True Venerable Xiaoyou for her Creation Rule.
• The World Envoy told Han Li that his third grand-uncle, a Great Monarch, had summoned him and relayed the warning that all were within the calamity.
• Qu Jianlei visited Tianli and learned that many True Venerables had gone to the Four Families Camp, believing one of its four families had interrupted his Dao Discussion.

Qu Jianlei declined to join the unrest over his abduction, then discussed establishing a base in Cangwu with Jing Yuexin. A Great Monarch revealed herself and teased Qu Jianlei as Han Li arrived, and she showed interest in joining his trip to a Small World.

• Tianli told Qu Jianlei that Houde’s cultivators were demanding answers and that clashes had erupted among the Four Camps, but Qu Jianlei declined to meet the crowd so he could check on Jing Yuexin.
• Jing Yuexin advised Qu Jianlei to establish a base in Cangwu, and he fell silent as she argued that they needed a place to set foot while exploring the Sea of Stars.
• A Great Monarch spoke from nearby, praised Jing Yuexin, and teased Qu Jianlei about his plans and his Dao Discussion.
• Jing Yuexin grew upset at Qu Jianlei’s banter with the Great Monarch and said she wanted to return to Red Leaf Ridge instead of breaking through, but Qu Jianlei ordered her to continue her seclusion.
• Han Li appeared, greeted the Great Monarch respectfully, and heard her ask which Small World they planned to visit.
• Qu Jianlei asked whether the Great Monarch wanted to come along, and she teased him for wanting to abduct her before admitting that he understood her loneliness.