Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei agreed to take on a large loan so Xiao Hu could get a powerful Calculation Unit, with Ping An guaranteeing the purchase. Two months later, the singer Pianpian arrived on Yuanwang Star and summoned someone from Peace, leaving her purpose unclear.

• Xiao Hu urged Qu Jianlei to borrow money for a better Calculation Unit, and Jierte agreed that Ping An would guarantee the loan.
• Qu Jianlei chose a 1.6-billion Calculation Unit, paid a 600-million down payment, and took on a one-billion loan.
• The manufacturer began producing the Calculation Unit and promised delivery within two months.
• Pianpian landed on Yuanwang Star with a trained entourage and was greeted by thousands of fans outside the Bridgehead Hotel.
• After meeting with a visitor carrying valid credentials and a passphrase, Pianpian told him to bring Peace's people to see her.

Pianpian met with Xijiesi and invoked Empire Storm’s authority to persuade Tai Ping Merchant Group to distract Ping An. Xijiesi learned that Tai Ping would receive no combat support and would serve as a decoy while others investigated the people behind Ping An.

• Pianpian asked Xijiesi about Tai Ping abandoning its acquisition of Ping An and warned that Ping An might retaliate.
• Xijiesi questioned whether Pianpian was speaking for herself, and she said she was conveying the intentions of Empire Storm and those behind him.
• Xijiesi accepted Pianpian’s claim and asked what Empire Storm wanted Tai Ping to do.
• Pianpian asked Tai Ping to create enough chaos to keep Ping An occupied while Empire Storm’s people secretly investigated the people behind Ping An.
• Xijiesi realized Tai Ping would serve as a decoy, and Pianpian said that handling the task well could earn the group considerable goodwill.

Pianpian disclosed that Empire Storm planned to secretly investigate Ping An’s large Calculation Unit array by provoking a conflict through Tai Ping, leaving Xijiesi trapped in the scheme and furious. Two days later, Ping An noticed Tai Ping’s growing moves against it, and Jierte ordered heightened vigilance and an investigation.

• Xijiesi refused to cooperate until Pianpian revealed the exact plan, then opened her sealed storage device with her.
• The intelligence revealed that Empire Storm wanted Tai Ping to distract Ping An while operatives secretly installed a backdoor in its 1.6-billion Calculation Unit array on Zi Hong Star.
• Xijiesi realized Tai Ping was being used as a cover and, before leaving, killed Pianpian’s trusted middle-aged B-rank woman, claiming she knew too much.
• Pianpian told a maid to keep the death quiet and arrange dinner with two randomly selected lucky fans.
• Two days later, Ping An noticed suspicious moves against it, and Jierte ordered departments to raise vigilance and investigate Tai Ping’s intentions.

Qu Jianlei oversaw the installation of Peace’s new Calculation Unit array while Xiao Hu investigated a suspicious data packet. Xiao Hu traced it to an off-world source and began analyzing a sophisticated intrusion that targeted backdoors and digital barriers.

• Four cargo starships delivered the Calculation Unit array to Peace headquarters, where installation and testing finished in sixteen days under Qu Jianlei and Xiao Hu’s watch.
• Qu Jianlei approved Xiao Hu’s plan to redesign the array with nonstandard parts to reduce its transport space, while warning it to check for monitoring backdoors.
• Xiao Hu discovered an abnormal data packet during its inspection and traced its route through Ping An’s headquarters to Zi Hong Star’s relay Signal Tower, indicating a likely off-world attack.
• Xiao Hu activated its self-protection measures, pretended to be inactive, and focused on analyzing the packet instead of continuing its array redesign.
• Xiao Hu determined that the packet intelligently dissolved data chains, especially blocked backdoors and digital barriers, and concluded that it came from a powerful but not necessarily superior intelligence.

Qu Jianlei and Xiao Hu secretly tested the backdoor in Ping An’s new Computer Group, moved the equipment to Mountain and Water Abode, and modified it for transport and safe operation. The group began accelerating their work on the Super Qi Gathering Array, though its heavy energy costs and the risk of exposing their activities remained.

• Xiao Hu and Qu Jianlei decided to leave the intruder’s backdoor undisturbed while Xiao Hu protected useful information and analyzed how it worked.
• After a Tai Ping Merchant Group consultant died and Tai Ping blamed his actions on a personal vendetta, Ping An shut down its newly installed Computer Group and kept its true purpose secret.
• Qu Jianlei and Hua Xiezhi inspected the Computer Group, removed its trackers, and confirmed that its backdoor could steal data but not transmit location information.
• Qu Jianlei moved the Computer Group to Mountain and Water Abode, where he and Xiao Hu spent half a month modifying it, isolating the backdoor, and preparing deceptive data.
• Qu Jianlei rejected Xiao Hu’s proposal to identify and eliminate the intruder, and Xiao Hu instead used the older eighty-million Calculation Units to help control the new Computer Group.
• After two months of operation, the Computer Group had advanced the deciphering of the Super Qi Gathering Array, cutting Qu Jianlei’s workload and potentially reducing the task to two or three years.

Qu Jianlei investigated the backdoor threat, moved the Computer Group to a hidden camp, and learned that the military might still be targeting his group. Meanwhile, Hua Xiezhi prompted Ping An to name Tai Ping as its target, and Jierte sent Duo Duo intelligence on Tai Ping’s key figures, leaving her stunned by a list of two thousand people.

• The Paranoid and Mu Yu investigated near a Computer Group Factory and found possible military and Tai Ping connections to the backdoor threat.
• Qu Jianlei concluded the military might still be targeting them and moved the Computer Group and cultivation arrays to a hidden underground camp.
• Hua Xiezhi told Duo Duo that Tai Ping was the chief culprit and asked whether Ping An intended to strike it.
• Duo Duo reported the news, and Jierte ordered Haier to send her intelligence on all of Tai Ping’s key figures.
• Duo Duo opened the encrypted package from headquarters and saw that it covered two thousand people.

After learning Peace’s roster, Hua Xiezhi’s group launched a bloody campaign against its members while pursuing Xijiesi and the force behind him. Ping An chose to support them, raised its alert level, and drew the Zi Hong Star government into protecting its industries as the group waited for its unknown opponent to respond.

• Duo Duo gave Hua Xiezhi information on Peace’s Awakened Ones and Modified Warriors, and Hua said her group planned to move against Peace.
• Ping An chose to demand an explanation from Peace, but learned that Hua Xiezhi’s group had left Zi Hong Star under false identities.
• Over three days, Hua Xiezhi’s group killed one of Peace’s two Supremes and seven A-ranks, severely wounded the other Supreme and two A-ranks, and killed three B-ranks.
• Qu Jianlei’s group returned to Zi Hong Star, and Hua Xiezhi told Duo Duo to warn Xijiesi that the dispute with Peace would continue until he returned.
• Xiao Hu used Xijiesi’s Wristwatch records to identify possible suspects, while Hua Xiezhi publicly challenged the unknown force behind Peace.
• Jierte ordered Ping An to cooperate with Hua Xiezhi’s group and prepare for war, prompting the planetary government to send City Garrison troops to protect Ping An’s industries.

Qu Jianlei and his group returned to Home Star after two and a half years away, only to learn that Fourth Boss had gone to Paradise Star to help with trouble at their guesthouse. Lao Ben had left to search for Qu Jianlei and had not returned as expected, leaving the group concerned about what had happened to their scattered companions.

• After two months without further trouble on Zi Hong Star, Qu Jianlei decided to return to Gemini Star to deal with his loan, while Old Lady Jia and Qinghu stayed behind to guard the base.
• Qu Jianlei’s group traveled through the Blade Star Region and Home Star under changing identities, then hurried to check their farm.
• You You told Qu Jianlei that Fourth Boss had gone to Paradise Star after Bentley took Claire away and the guesthouse came under pressure.
• You You explained that Lao Ben had left to search for Qu Jianlei, taking Energy Blocks and promising to return after a year.
• Qu Jianlei worried about Lao Ben’s absence and complained that he had wasted Energy Blocks instead of staying to cultivate.

Qu Jianlei learned that Lao Ben had missed the Pioneers he sent because Lao Ben was away searching for the group, so he traveled to Paradise Star with Tian Yin and others. At Cloud Mist Mountain, he found the guesthouse under pressure from authorities seeking to requisition its land and began questioning their justification.

• Qu Jianlei realized that Lao Ben had never received the Pioneers because he had left to search for the group before the delivery arrived.
• Qu Jianlei took Tian Yin, Paranoid, and Mu Yu to Paradise Star, where they found city guards and military vehicles surrounding the guesthouse.
• Fourth Boss told Paranoid that the government wanted to requisition the guesthouse's land and that various groups had been pressuring its owners for months.
• Xiang Xue welcomed Qu Jianlei and explained that officials claimed Cloud Mist Mountain's tourist services needed unified management.
• Qu Jianlei questioned whether the tourist services were actually disorganized and noted that officials said their quality had declined over the past two years.

Qu Jianlei learned that Paradise’s authorities had pressured the guesthouse to exchange its land, and he decided to find out who was orchestrating the seizure before retaliating. As the group discussed their next steps, Guardian Supreme Terry arrived and demanded to meet the Supreme at the guesthouse, prompting Qu Jianlei to order him away.

• Fourth Boss explained that someone was pushing the land requisition behind the scenes and that the authorities had surrounded the guesthouse, driving away its customers.
• Qu Jianlei learned that the authorities had offered an exchange with a premium but were pressuring the guesthouse after Xiang Xue refused to sell.
• Qu Jianlei told Xiang Xue to find out who was behind the pressure, while she and Big Head Butterfly called for compensation.
• Terry, one of Paradise’s three Guardian Supremes, arrived and demanded to meet the Supreme at the guesthouse.
• Qu Jianlei unleashed a powerful aura and ordered Terry to get lost.

Terry confronted the powerful presence at the inn, then withdrew after realizing how far it surpassed him and ordered his attendant to stop interfering in the Cloud Mist Mountain land acquisition. The next morning, Paradise Star’s government tried to negotiate unified management of the inn, and Xiang Xue challenged the guard captain’s confidence.

• Terry was overwhelmed by the unknown Supreme’s Coercive Pressure and left the inn, deciding to enter seclusion and abandon his involvement in the Cloud Mist Mountain matter.
• Inside the inn, Xiang Xue and Qu Jianlei agreed to focus on finding the people behind the land acquisition scheme before dealing with those who had stirred up trouble.
• After Terry departed, the city guards withdrew from the inn following orders from above.
• The next morning, Paradise Star’s Fourth Administrator’s guard captain offered to drop the land requisition but insisted that the inn join Cloud Mist Mountain’s unified tourism management.
• Xiang Xue rejected the guard captain’s assurances and asked who had given them the confidence to dismiss the matter after she had invited her big brother.

Xiang Xue pressed the authorities for compensation while Qu Jianlei’s group investigated the force behind the attacks. When Tian Yin learned the Wanhao Group had killed her uncle’s family, Qu Jianlei and the other Supremes agreed to help her seek revenge.

• Xiang Xue demanded compensation for the guesthouse’s damaged reputation, her employees’ distress, and the attack on Fourth Boss, while the guard captain agreed to report her demands.
• Xiang Xue dismissed the Stone Attribute A-rank’s request to meet her brother, and he left with the guard captain without learning the Supreme’s whereabouts.
• Qu Jianlei had Xiao Hu infiltrate the visitors’ Wristwatches, while Paranoid and Mu Yu investigated the force behind the scenes.
• Paranoid and Mu Yu returned after identifying He Xu as the local Supreme middleman, and Tian Yin said he had once refused to help her family.
• Tian Yin recognized the Wanhao Group as the force that killed her uncle’s family, and Qu Jianlei, Paranoid, and Mu Yu agreed to help her seek revenge.

Paranoid rejected He Xu’s attempt to negotiate compensation for the guesthouse and demanded four billion, frightening He Xu into backing down. He Xu agreed to warn Wanhao Group but withdrew from the matter, leaving the acquisition dispute unresolved.

• After the team agreed to wait for negotiations before acting, He Xu and a Stone Attribute A-rank Awakened One visited the guesthouse to discuss compensation.
• Paranoid refused to treat He Xu as an equal and challenged him to a duel when He Xu objected to his attitude.
• Paranoid demanded three billion in compensation, then raised it to four billion after He Xu called the amount excessive.
• He Xu sensed Paranoid’s overwhelming aura, apologized, and left without negotiating further.
• He Xu told the Stone Attribute Awakened One to warn Wanhao Group and said he would no longer help with the dispute.
• He Xu recalled that he had helped Wanhao pursue the Cloud Mist Mountain Tourist Area by coordinating with the local authorities.

He Xu was abducted and confronted by Qu Jianlei and Tian Yin, who sought justice for Tian Yin’s cousin and compensation for his role in Wan Hao’s scheme. He Xu admitted his past failures but denied killing her cousin, and Tian Yin challenged him over the bounty he had issued.

• Ironhide Snake visited Paranoid to mediate the dispute and recognized Paranoid’s formidable standing, speaking with him through the night.
• He Xu was ambushed, had his cultivation sealed, and woke in a bare room with Qu Jianlei and Tian Yin.
• He Xu offered money and blamed Wan Hao, but Qu Jianlei left his fate to Tian Yin.
• Tian Yin revealed that she had repeatedly sought an audience with He Xu and connected him to her uncle Kong Sai’s death.
• He Xu admitted issuing the bounty but denied personally killing Tian Yin’s cousin, then challenged her to kill him.

Tian Yin confronted He Xu over her cousin’s death, and Qu Jianlei killed him after he revealed that Wan Hao had ordered the remains destroyed. Qu Jianlei and the others returned to the Cloud Mist Mountain guesthouse, where business remained slow as travel agencies avoided them amid rumors that Wan Hao would eventually move against them.

• Tian Yin asked Qu Jianlei if she could kill He Xu, and Qu Jianlei agreed while explaining that Paranoid Chaoyun was establishing an alibi with Ironhide Snake.
• He Xu recognized Tian Yin as the Light Attribute prodigy from Chaoyang Academy and learned that she was Consair Lord’s niece.
• Tian Yin asked He Xu where her cousin had been buried, and He Xu said Wan Hao had ordered the body completely destroyed.
• Qu Jianlei named himself Hongjingtian and killed He Xu with Gray Radiance, then took the money from He Xu’s safe.
• More than ten days passed without anyone noticing He Xu’s death, while the Cloud Mist Mountain guesthouse struggled to attract customers.
• The labor services company warned Xiao Qin that rumors about Wan Hao’s threat were keeping travel agencies from recommending the guesthouse.

Qu Jianlei took Mu Yu and Tian Yin to Light Gauze Star to investigate Wanhao Group’s takeover of Tian Yin’s family gold mine. After discovering that Red Beard was stationed there and Xian Ming might arrive soon, the group planned to target both Supremes and find a way to reclaim the mine.

• Qu Jianlei left the guesthouse with Mu Yu and Tian Yin and secretly traveled to the Dumbbell Star System aboard a private starship.
• The three obtained temporary residence permits on Ironwood Star, then went to Light Gauze Star, where Tian Yin had once lived.
• Qu Jianlei used Xiao Hu and his own investigation to learn that a Wanhao shell company was preparing to mine Consair Lord’s reclaimed land and might already be digging for gold.
• Qu Jianlei confirmed that Red Beard was stationed on Light Gauze Star and learned that Xian Ming might arrive in about ten days.
• Mu Yu proposed waiting to attack the two Supremes together, and Tian Yin agreed to be patient.
• Tian Yin offered to use her uncle’s connections to establish a shell company and help take back the gold mine.

Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu watched Wanhao’s Supremes gather on Light Gauze Star and searched for a safe chance to act. After Pu Juxiang’s night patrol nearly exposed Qu Jianlei, Pu Juxiang suddenly fainted, leaving the cause unknown.

• Qu Jianlei learned that Thousand Layer Snow had arrived with Xian Ming, bringing Wanhao’s Supremes on Light Gauze Star to three.
• Qu Jianlei infiltrated Wanhao’s base but nearly got caught when Pu Juxiang, a Dark Attribute Rank A, sensed unusual elemental fluctuations.
• Qu Jianlei escaped before dawn and told Mu Yu that Pu Juxiang had to be dealt with before they could strike safely.
• Xian Ming met Light Gauze Star’s Top Leader, then hosted a banquet attended by seven Supremes, forcing Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu to wait for another opening.
• After the banquet ended, Pu Juxiang returned to his room, felt a strange sensation, and fainted, suspecting another Dark Attribute Rank A had attacked him.

Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu launched a coordinated surprise attack on Pu Juxiang, Thousand Layer Snow, and Red Beard at Wan Hao's base. Qu Jianlei killed Pu Juxiang and then joined the fight, leaving Red Beard slowed by Freeze and facing a relentless axe assault.

• Qu Jianlei sneaked into Pu Juxiang's room, knocked him unconscious, snapped his neck, and stored the corpse in his Storage Bag.
• Qu Jianlei met Mu Yu and silently agreed on a battle plan with her.
• Mu Yu trapped Thousand Layer Snow with Quicksand Art and Gravity Art, then attacked her with Earth Spike Art and Rock Shield.
• Red Beard resisted Mu Yu's Earth Attribute spells and attacked her with Stone Bullet, but Qu Jianlei took the hit without moving and cast Freeze on him.
• Qu Jianlei slowed Red Beard with Freeze, then attacked him with a Giant Axe.

Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu attacked Wan Hao’s base in revenge for the Consair Family, killing Red Beard, Thousand Layer Snow, Xian Ming, and other defenders. As the fighting continued, a Supreme recognized the Consair name and stopped approaching the battle.

• Qu Jianlei killed Red Beard after Mu Yu weakened his Rock Armor with Fossil to Mud, then the pair overwhelmed Thousand Layer Snow.
• Mu Yu held off the defenders outside while Qu Jianlei killed the guards and the A-rank protecting Xian Ming, then killed Xian Ming and looted their storage items.
• Qu Jianlei ordered Mu Yu to keep fighting, and he killed a Wood Attribute A-rank as she battled Wan Hao’s forces.
• Three Supremes turned back toward Wan Hao’s base, while a fourth flew toward the battle until Qu Jianlei shouted that the Consair Family had come for revenge.
• The fourth Supreme recognized the Consair name and halted in shock, recalling Wan Hao’s seizure of the Consair Family’s gold mine.

Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu killed Wan Hao’s three Supremes and began slaughtering its lower-ranking fighters after the reinforcements hesitated to intervene. Tian Yin confronted Supreme Coning over his past refusal to help Consair Lord, leaving their encounter on the brink of escalation.

• A Supreme who had considered helping Wan Hao hesitated after hearing Consair’s name, and the other returning Supremes stopped short of the courtyard.
• Qu Jianlei changed the plan when he saw the reinforcements hold back, while Mu Yu shifted from holding the line to killing Wan Hao’s fighters.
• Qu Jianlei killed five people with his Crescent Axe, and Wan Hao’s employees learned that First One Xian Ming, Third Master, and Supreme Thousand Layer Snow were dead.
• Wan Hao’s people scattered through the courtyard, hiding and launching occasional attacks as Qu Jianlei and Mu Yu continued their assault.
• Tian Yin approached Supreme Coning, identified herself as Consair Lord’s niece, and demanded to know why he had refused to help her uncle.
• Coning challenged Tian Yin for questioning him, and she warned that the consequences would be worse if he failed to satisfy her.