Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei used the Gustin Family’s warning marker to stop the military from observing the fief while Jia Shuiqing completed her Nascent Soul formation. The military suspected the vanished energy column involved Exotic Energy but could not force an investigation before it dissipated, and Qu Jianlei began arranging an evacuation while Jia Shuiqing recovered.

• Qu Jianlei ordered Xiao Hu to attack satellites as soon as they appeared, and the first satellite was destroyed after its observer received the Gustin Family’s warning.
• The military sent more satellites, lost two more, then identified the missile type and contacted Xiang Xue, who repeatedly cited the warning marker and stalled for time.
• The military eventually observed the fief without further attacks, but the energy column was rapidly dissipating; its analysis suggested a seventy percent chance it involved Exotic Energy.
• The military demanded evidence-backed access to investigate, but Xiang Xue refused, so it issued another warning and stationed squads around the fief.
• Jia Shuiqing finished forming her Nascent Soul and asked for time to recover; Qu Jianlei agreed to a brief delay, set up three Defense Arrays, and asked Mu Guang about his two A-rank assistants.

Qu Jianlei’s group prepared to flee Qingyuan Star after the authorities began tracking departures and searching for Supremes. Qu Jianlei and Xiang Xue escaped by teleportation, while Silver Fir concealed the array; an unseen intruder then inspected the manor and found signs of their departure.

• The city guard inspected Mu Guang’s assistants for their cultivation, followed their starship, and forced it to return to Qingyuan Star.
• After the assistants reported the surveillance, Qu Jianlei’s group cleared away the Gathering Spirit Array and planned their evacuation, with Xiang Xue staying behind to coordinate.
• Xiang Xue told Mu Guang that Silver Fir was First One’s clone and that the group would leave by Near-Earth Jump.
• Qu Jianlei learned that the authorities had informants within the fief, then used his spiritual sense to make it appear he was still at the manor before teleporting away with Xiang Xue.
• Silver Fir retrieved the Teleportation Array Disc and hid outside the fief, while a distorted presence searched the manor and detected traces of the array and Space Ripples.

Qu Jianlei’s group left Qingyuan Star and reunited with Xiao Moshan and Xiao Qin, who joined the team as a couple. At the New Base in the Blade Star Region, Qu Jianlei resumed guarding the group while Nutrient Solution urged him to study the Black Colt Tower.

• An unknown presence found traces of spiritual qi at the abandoned fief and wondered whether Qu Jianlei’s group would return.
• Qu Jianlei and Xiang Xue teleported to the 3344 Ship, where the group planned to collect two auctioned starships at Zi Hong Star before heading to the New Base.
• Nutrient Solution agreed to oversee the Energy Stone Mine business, and Xiao Moshan and Xiao Qin quickly packed to rejoin the group, revealing that they were together.
• Qu Jianlei offered Xiao Moshan and Xiao Qin a wedding ceremony, and Xiao Moshan said they would wait until both had reached Supreme before having children.
• The group scouted and landed at the New Base in the Blade Star Region, where Qu Jianlei chose to stand guard while Old Lady Jia recovered.
• Nutrient Solution asked Qu Jianlei to study the Black Colt Tower, and he explained that he suspected its damaged artifact form had revealed its original size.

Qu Jianlei investigated Black Colt Tower’s material and discovered that a stone once obtained from Yulia might be the same substance. He began preparing to test it, bringing him a possible first lead toward replicating the tower.

• Qu Jianlei released Black Colt Tower and explained to Mu Guang that its unequal time flow could enable cultivation through spatial displacement.
• Paranoid asked Qu Jianlei to examine his Ancient Xun, and Mu Guang inspected the damaged artifact.
• Hearing that Paranoid had bought the Ancient Xun at the Dream Star auction, Qu Jianlei remembered a stone from an independent shop and asked Nutrient Solution about it.
• Nutrient Solution identified the stone as one that had belonged to Yulia, and Qu Jianlei suspected it matched Black Colt Tower’s material.
• Paranoid explained that Supreme Awakened Ones rarely shared information about valuable items, and Qu Jianlei began testing the stone.

Nutrient Solution confirmed that Yulia's stones came from a chaotic nebula in the Maiden Star Region, while the team learned she had known First One before Hua Xiezhi. She also reported that Qingyuan Star was under military control after soldiers investigating the Gustin Family repeatedly fell unconscious, and Mu Guang's assistants had already left the planet.

• Qu Jianlei confirmed that Yulia's stone was made of the same material as Black Colt Tower, and Nutrient Solution left to investigate its source with Bentley.
• Hua Xiezhi told the team that Nutrient Solution had known First One first, prompting Bentley to infer a connection to Jing Yuexin.
• Nutrient Solution returned a month later and said Yulia had traced the stones to a chaotic nebula in the Maiden Star Region, then ordered her people to watch for more.
• The military investigated the Gustin Family's fief after its tenants vanished, but found no evidence and continued to pressure the family.
• Soldiers interrogating the Gustin Family descendants repeatedly fell unconscious, leading the military to request access to the fief and place Qingyuan Star under military control.
• Nutrient Solution told Mu Guang that his two assistants had already left Qingyuan Star.

After Jia Shuiqing stabilized her Nascent Soul, the group discussed the threat of a jelly-like Heaven and Earth Treasure and gave her the title Exalted One. Qu Jianlei and Nutrient Solution then prepared to study the Other-dimensional Creature's corpse at the New Base, where Jia Shuiqing recognized its Exotic Energy and Paranoid noticed he barely felt any rejection from it.

• Nutrient Solution suspected the Heaven and Earth Treasure was behind the repeated Soul Searching, and the group wondered why it had appeared in their territory and targeted them.
• Jia Shuiqing emerged from seclusion a month later, having gained control over her aura, and said she had narrowly escaped death during her breakthrough.
• Qu Jianlei named Jia Shuiqing Exalted One, and she accepted the title while asking about the terminology used by the Divine Script System.
• The group agreed to stay at the New Base so Qu Jianlei and Nutrient Solution could study the Other-dimensional Creature's corpse.
• The group examined the giant octopus corpse; Tian Yin and Claire retreated into the Defense Array, Jia Shuiqing identified its aura as Exotic Energy, and Paranoid said he felt little rejection from it.

The group safely decontaminated the Other-dimensional Creature’s corpse over half a year, then returned it for dissection. Ordinary weapons barely scratched its hide, but Qu Jianlei’s Broken Sword cut through it, revealing how differently the group’s cultivation techniques handled spiritual energy.

• Nutrient Solution offered the corpse to Paranoid, who denied wanting to perform Body Seizure, and the group agreed to test and decontaminate it.
• Qu Jianlei and Nutrient Solution sent the corpse into orbit for half a year while the group monitored its chaotic energy and hid it from passing starships.
• After inspections found no major dangers, Qu Jianlei, Nutrient Solution, and Paranoid tried cutting the corpse with weapons and abilities, but could only leave shallow scratches.
• Qu Jianlei used the Broken Sword to cut a deep gash in the corpse, and Paranoid, Mu Guang, Bentley, Qinghu, and others took turns testing their spiritual energy against its hide.
• Old Lady Jia emerged from seclusion, cut through seven or eight meters of the corpse, and handed the Broken Sword to Qu Jianlei to try.

Qu Jianlei and his team dissected a giant octopus from Other Space and discovered that cutting it with the Broken Sword refined their spiritual energy. Their search through its stomach uncovered a human skull with traces of spiritual energy, which Old Lady Jia identified as belonging to an Above Supreme cultivator.

• The Paranoid discovered that using the Broken Sword to dissect the octopus refined his spiritual energy, prompting the team to try the sword and other artifacts for cultivation.
• Qu Jianlei lent Old Lady Jia a battered umbrella and found a worn short dagger for the team to use in refining their spiritual energy.
• The team cut open the octopus’s stomach sac, waited for its strange energy to dissipate, and searched its corrosive contents for remains and research samples.
• Mu Guang found a human skull inside the octopus, and Old Lady Jia sensed that its owner had cultivated at the Above Supreme level.

Qu Jianlei's group recovered the remains of a Divine Script Cultivator from the giant octopus and discovered that the Cultivator's genes differed slightly from Imperial humans. After safely removing the restriction from a Space Ring, Qu Jianlei found it had vast storage capacity and was packed with supplies, but he decided to inventory everything before distributing it.

• Paranoid's divine sense was corroded while he searched the octopus, so Qu Jianlei established that the team would distribute future finds according to need and let him settle disputes.
• Bentley found a Space Ring, and Nutrient Solution stored the octopus's energy-bearing bones for later study.
• Jia Shuiqing analyzed the skull and found its genes differed from those of Imperial humans by about one-thousandth.
• After the ring's aura dispersed, Qu Jianlei cautiously erased its weak restriction with a thread of divine sense.
• Qu Jianlei discovered that the Space Ring held at least twenty thousand cubic meters and contained supplies filling about one-fifth of its space, then decided to inventory them before taking anything out.

Qu Jianlei examined the supplies in the Item-Storing Ring, finding Spirit Rice, powerful Qi Recovery Pills, Obsidian, and three weapons before sharing the harvest with his team. As they ate, they learned that an Armed Merchant Ship had changed course toward their planet and deployed satellites, suggesting a possible prolonged confrontation.

• Qu Jianlei identified the stored Spirit Rice, tested an Out of Dust Stage Qi Recovery Pill, and found a large supply of Obsidian and three weapons.
• Qu Jianlei gave the weapons to Qinghu and cooked Spirit Rice for the team while the others prepared octopus meat for testing.
• Big Head Butterfly reported that a starship had changed course and was heading toward the planet, so Qu Jianlei had Hua Xiezhi put away the corpse and alerted the team.
• The Armed Merchant Ship descended toward the planet and released a Small Ship that deployed thirty or forty satellites, prompting Xiao Moshan to warn that they seemed prepared for a prolonged fight.

Qu Jianlei's team watched an Armed Merchant Ship establish a semi-permanent settlement and discovered how ruthlessly its crew searched for hidden threats. After a second starship arrived, Qu Jianlei decided the team should prepare to relocate, but agreed to wait two days before acting against the newcomers.

• The Armed Merchant Ship landed near Qu Jianlei's hidden shelter, and its crew began building semi-permanent quarters with Box Trucks and Awakened Ones.
• Qu Jianlei refused Mu Yu's suggestion to infiltrate the ship's system and chose to keep monitoring the newcomers.
• Jia Shuiqing volunteered to investigate four possible Supremes, but Qu Jianlei told the team to wait until nightfall.
• The ship's Attack Ship found the abandoned Other-dimensional Creature corpse, collected samples, and fired on a suspicious location without warning.
• Xiao Hu detected a second starship approaching, and Qu Jianlei concluded that more ships might follow and ordered the team to prepare to relocate.
• Paranoid objected to abandoning supplies after the attack, so Qu Jianlei agreed to wait two days and then make a move if no third starship arrived.

Qu Jianlei’s group discovered that the newcomers were the Rebel Organization, whose two starships carried at least six Supremes and whose forces accidentally exposed one of the group’s decoy shelters. As Qu Jianlei prepared to evacuate, Xiao Hu infiltrated the rebels’ systems, and he ordered continued surveillance after learning they might be planning something larger.

• The second starship arrived with two Small Ships, more than sixty people, and additional Supremes, prompting Mu Guang to warn that the force posed a serious problem.
• An Attack Ship accidentally destroyed a decoy shelter, revealing supplies and causing the Rebel Organization to launch a coordinated search of the planet.
• Qu Jianlei decided to summon their starships and evacuate openly rather than risk using the Teleportation Array.
• Old Lady Jia and Paranoid identified the newcomers as the Rebel Organization, and Qu Jianlei told Xiao Hu to infiltrate their systems.
• Xiao Hu learned that the two starships were considering the planet as a transit base, while Qu Jianlei ordered it to keep watching the rebels and their Supremes.

Qu Jianlei’s group learned that a Federation Supreme had entered the Empire and decided they could not remain on the planet. When a military-style warship attacked the hidden base, Qu Jianlei used Xiao Hu to seize control of the attackers’ systems, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Xiao Hu reported that a Federation Supreme had been smuggled into the Empire, prompting Qu Jianlei and his companions to plan to leave while Paranoid wanted to capture Federation Supremes for study.
• The hidden ships retrieved most of their satellites, disguised themselves as boulders, and concealed the second cave as they prepared for the approaching threat.
• 3344 Ship arrived and fired warning shots around the concealed cargo ships, then demanded that the occupants surrender.
• The cargo ships revealed concealed Ion Cannons and fired at 3344 Ship before trying to escape, but Xiao Hu forcibly took over their control systems and made them fall back toward the planet.
• Xiao Hu also disrupted the Ion Cannons’ fire-control systems, though they managed to fire a second, badly aimed volley.

Qu Jianlei forced the enemy base to surrender after destroying its gun emplacement, but the Resistors faked their surrender and attacked the 3344 Ship as it landed. The chapter ended with six Supremes launching spells, including a meteor swarm that blocked the warship’s escape into the sky.

• Xiao Hu’s warning shots forced the enemy starships down, and Qu Jianlei ordered the 3344 Ship to destroy the cannon position after the crew kept firing.
• One starship’s occupants surrendered, but the enemy delayed coming out while internal strife killed several people.
• More than one hundred and eighty people eventually emerged, and Qu Jianlei kept the 3344 Ship fully armed while it approached to accept their surrender.
• Over a hundred people donned Elemental Armors and fled as six Supremes prepared to attack, so Qu Jianlei ordered the ship to take off and stopped Old Lady Jia’s teleportation.
• The six Supremes struck the 3344 Ship with spells, while one Supreme summoned a meteor swarm that blocked its path into the sky.

Xiao Hu fought to launch the 3344 Ship while evading tracking spells, as Qu Jianlei’s group escaped the base and Old Lady Jia attacked the forces from the second starship. Jia Shuiqing’s Ice Seal revealed the power of her new Nascent Soul Realm, but a peak Supreme’s Golden Spears threatened her.

• Xiao Hu used the 3344 Ship’s modified weapons for evasive maneuvers while tracking spells battered its shield and the ship fired back at approaching enemies.
• Qu Jianlei Instant Flashed his group out of the base as Old Lady Jia and Paranoid rushed toward the enemy forces.
• Paranoid gave Jia Shuiqing Gold Armor and asked her to leave two opponents alive, but she warned their survival would depend on luck.
• Jia Shuiqing cast Ice Seal, freezing nearly everyone in the second starship’s group and chilling two distant groups with a spell that altered the local laws of heaven and earth.
• A Metal Attribute Supreme countered with powerful Golden Spears, and two Gold Shields appeared before Jia Shuiqing.

Jia Shuiqing used her battered umbrella and Mental Strength to defeat the Federation’s Metal Attribute Supreme, while Paranoid tried to keep her from killing him. She then discovered and wounded a hidden Mental Attribute Supreme, leaving the remaining Federation Supremes to continue attacking the Imperial starship and target her with Azure Dragon Bind.

• Paranoid shielded Jia Shuiqing from a volley of Golden Spears, giving her time to raise her aura and use her battered umbrella.
• Jia Shuiqing struck down the Metal Attribute Supreme with a Mental Attack and dodged the uncontrolled spears, ignoring Paranoid’s plea to leave him alive.
• Jia Shuiqing detected a Mental Attribute Supreme disguised as a Modified Warrior and pierced his chest with an Ice Arrow before he could finish pleading for mercy.
• The remaining four Federation Supremes continued attacking the Imperial starship, and the Fire Attribute Supreme launched Azure Dragon Bind at Jia Shuiqing.

Qu Jianlei’s team defeated the Federation infiltrators after the Five Elements Battle Array unleashed a massive Ice Seal attack, though several captives self-destructed. The team secured two surviving Supremes and turned to interrogation, wary of their self-destruct mechanisms.

• The Fire Attribute Supreme pursued Jia Shuiqing with Azure Dragon Bind while Paranoid attacked the Earth Attribute Supreme using Instant Flash.
• Qu Jianlei had the Five Elements Battle Array build up power, then unleashed a vast Ice Seal attack that overwhelmed the Federation team.
• The Fire Attribute Supreme ordered a suicide squad to injure Jia Shuiqing and called for Plan Nine, but lightning disrupted his spell before a close-range attacker struck him down.
• Jia Shuiqing, Paranoid, and Bentley subdued the remaining Supremes as the White Mist froze the battlefield.
• Several captured Supremes self-destructed, but Paranoid found the surviving Mental Attribute Supreme and Wood Attribute Supreme.
• Qu Jianlei chose to prioritize interrogating the two survivors and warned the team to watch for self-destruct mechanisms.

Paranoid questioned the captured Mental Attribute Supreme, who revealed the Federation's self-destruct mechanism before detonating himself. Qu Jianlei learned that the 3344 Ship was too badly damaged to repair economically and decided to retire it.

• Paranoid offered the injured Mental Attribute Supreme a chance to live in exchange for truthful answers, and the prisoner agreed after discovering that several members of the group were Above Supreme.
• The Mental Attribute Supreme disclosed that he carried a Self-Destruct Device suppressed by his aura, while Paranoid revealed that the group had a friend-or-foe identification mechanism.
• The Mental Attribute Supreme asked why Paranoid's group had been unaffected by Qi Han's technique, but Paranoid demanded answers to his own questions first.
• After deciding he had little chance of survival, the Mental Attribute Supreme self-destructed, and Xiao Moshan reported that only Supremes seemed to carry delayed self-destruct devices.
• Qu Jianlei inspected the wrecked 3344 Ship, heard that it might not be worth repairing, and decided to let the Heroic Ship retire.

Qu Jianlei and his team decided to spare the captured Wood Attribute Supreme because he knew little of their secrets and considered what to do with their damaged ship. Qu Jianlei then inspected two captured construction-base starships and discovered that their crew had found the talisman inheritance.

• Big Head Butterfly argued that 3344 Ship should be kept as a warship, but Qu Jianlei suggested selling it for parts.
• Big Head Butterfly reported that the Wood Attribute Supreme belonged to the Rebel Organization, and the team learned that he had survived his injuries and opposed the Empire's ruling class.
• Nutrient Solution declined to shelter the Wood Attribute Supreme, and Paranoid told him the team could not promise what would happen to him.
• Qu Jianlei joined the discussion, and the team decided not to kill the Wood Attribute Supreme because he knew little that could harm them.
• Qu Jianlei inspected the two captured construction-base starships and realized they were professional vessels with ample storage space.
• Qu Jianlei frowned when he learned that the enemy had found the talisman inheritance.

Qu Jianlei questioned Tangpulin, a Federation defector, about the Federation’s talisman research after examining the fragmented talisman-making knowledge she brought. Her account revealed how the Federation sourced talisman materials, and Qu Jianlei pressed her for more details about its secrets.

• Tangpulin gave Qu Jianlei talisman-making notes hidden inside an Energy Box and said she had brought them as a token of sincerity.
• Qu Jianlei found the notes fragmented and asked how the Federation made talisman mediums.
• Tangpulin explained that the Federation used True Talisman Paper and Substitute Talisman Paper, the latter reportedly made from processed Supreme-level mutant beast hides.
• Xiao Moshan questioned Tangpulin about the scarcity of talismans and whether the Federation had mutant beasts Above Supreme or from Other Space, but she said she did not know.
• Qu Jianlei asked how the Federation obtained Talisman Ink for drawing talismans.