Chapter Summaries

Zhang Ming refused Steward Niu’s request to deliver a letter, then prepared for a suspicious nighttime visit and discovered Steward Niu trying to capture him. Zhang Ming suspected the trouble was connected to Ye Tian as Steward Niu’s rope artifact bound the puppet lying in his bed.

• Steward Niu praised Zhang Ming’s puppet and asked him to deliver a letter, but Zhang Ming refused and suggested Chen Dayong instead.
• Steward Niu left angrily, and Zhang Ming returned to relaxing in his courtyard.
• That night, Zhang Ming sensed Steward Niu approaching and prepared an ambush with spiritual energies, buffs, and his blade technique.
• Steward Niu entered quietly and used a rope artifact to bind the figure he believed was Zhang Ming in bed.
• Zhang Ming watched from the corner and reasoned that his attempted capture was likely connected to Ye Tian.

Zhang Ming ambushed Steward Niu, who had come to restrain him, and learned that Ye Tian had forced him to act by promising help for his Dao companion. Zhang Ming spared Steward Niu and offered to help with her condition in exchange for a favor, then asked him to open his mind and spirit for a “small gift.”

• Zhang Ming used six BUFFs to disorient Steward Niu, restrained him, and held sword qi to his throat.
• Steward Niu insisted he had been forced into the attack and explained that Ye Tian had used his Dao companion’s condition to make him comply.
• Zhang Ming let Steward Niu go and said he would not kill him, despite Steward Niu’s attempt to bind him.
• Zhang Ming offered to help resolve Steward Niu’s Dao companion’s problem if Steward Niu did him a favor.
• Zhang Ming asked Steward Niu to open his mind and spirit so he could give him a small gift.

Zhang Ming prepared to test his cultivation research on the unconscious Steward Niu, whom he had subdued with a control rune. He examined Steward Niu’s spiritual root and dantian as the first step in experimenting with his plan to skip cultivation levels.

• Zhang Ming reflected on his study of cultivation and explained that he believed runes and technology could help him rapidly advance through the realms.
• Zhang Ming thanked the unconscious Steward Niu for becoming an experimental subject and prepared to investigate Qi Refinement.
• Zhang Ming stripped away Steward Niu’s outer layer and used his mental power to examine the dantian and spiritual root.
• Zhang Ming identified Steward Niu’s spiritual root as low-grade Earth Attribute and judged it slightly stronger than his own.

Zhang Ming experimented on the unconscious Steward Niu and discovered how to make his dantian cultivate automatically. He then devised a plan to skip cultivation realms and create a modern-method Golden Core, leaving Steward Niu as the subject of his first attempt.

• Zhang Ming stimulated Steward Niu's dantian, guiding it to circulate and activate his spiritual roots so he cultivated while unconscious.
• Zhang Ming realized the same method could let him cultivate continuously by implanting automated cultivation into his subconscious.
• Zhang Ming examined Steward Niu's Qi Cultivation Layer Six and concluded that Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment were dispensable for his goals.
• Zhang Ming decided his level-skipping plan could reach Golden Core but not Nascent Soul, whose soul-based cultivation seemed too difficult.
• Zhang Ming conceived a modern-method Golden Core as a dantian energy engine and prepared to begin the plan using Steward Niu.

Liu Dacheng and Zhao Dazhu headed to the mountains to confirm Zhang Ming's capture and prepare to use him against Ye Tian, while Ye Tian learned of the capture and planned to rescue Zhang Ming to recruit him. In the mountains, Zhang Ming urged Steward Niu to use his transformed power against the arriving disciples, and Steward Niu resolved to obey him so he could save Qing'er.

• Liu Dacheng decided to inspect Zhang Ming's hiding place with Zhao Dazhu before carrying out his plan against Ye Tian.
• Ye Tian learned that Zhang Ming had been captured and planned to rescue him so he would join the Alliance Society.
• Ye Tian ordered an underling to monitor Liu Dacheng and Zhao Dazhu and alert him when they departed.
• Zhang Ming pressed Steward Niu to trust the power of his artificial Golden Core and prepare to fight the elite Outer Disciples.
• Steward Niu recalled the torture and strange transformation Zhang Ming had inflicted on him, then vowed to obey the Demon King to save Qing'er.

Steward Niu effortlessly defeated Liu Dacheng and Zhao Dazhu after Zhang Ming transformed him with a strange, glowing entity in his dantian. When Ye Tian approached, Zhang Ming ordered Niu to unleash the entity’s full power, leaving him wary of the resulting energy.

• Liu Dacheng and Zhao Dazhu entered the Karst Cave and recognized the glowing figure as Steward Niu.
• Steward Niu obeyed Zhang Ming and knocked both Outer Disciples unconscious with a single swift attack.
• Zhang Ming sensed Ye Tian approaching and considered whether Niu could kill the protagonist.
• Zhang Ming ordered Niu to aim southeast and fire the entity at full power.
• Niu gathered immense energy, heating the cave and causing blisters to rise on the unconscious disciples’ skin.

Steward Niu’s Golden Core blast nearly killed Ye Tian, but Ye Tian escaped with a Thousand-Li Teleportation Talisman and recovered from his injuries. Zhang Ming left the Karst Cave with Steward Niu and two captured Outer Disciples, intending to continue experimenting on Golden Cores.

• Steward Niu unleashed a devastating Golden Core attack, but Ye Tian vanished before it struck him.
• Zhang Ming concluded that Ye Tian had survived, then ordered Steward Niu to take the two Outer Disciples and leave the Karst Cave.
• Ye Tian appeared in a forest a thousand li away, used his Two Forms Profound Water Technique to heal, and vowed revenge against whoever had attacked him.
• Cultivators arrived at the Karst Cave and speculated that a fire-element Golden Core True Person had launched the attack.
• In a cave dozens of li away, Zhang Ming told Steward Niu he planned to use the two Outer Disciples for more destructive Golden Core experiments.

Zhang Ming continued experimenting to improve the unstable Spirit Particle Fission Reactor, while planning to transplant a perfected “Golden Core” into himself. One experiment exploded with immense force, and Steward Niu realized that the reactor in his own body could make him explode too.

• Zhang Ming assessed the flaws in Steward Niu’s Spirit Particle Fission Reactor and considered improving it or turning fission into fusion.
• Zhang Ming resumed experiments on two Outer Disciples, aiming to stabilize the reactor and eventually become a Golden Core cultivator.
• Several days later, Zhang Ming heard a terrified cry and fled the cave with Steward Niu, who sensed an overwhelming energy gathering behind them.
• A massive explosion destroyed the mountains around the cave, producing a blinding flash, a devastating shockwave, and a towering mushroom cloud.
• Steward Niu recognized that the blast came from Zhang Ming’s experiment and feared that the reactor inside him could make him explode as well.

Zhang Ming completed a powerful Second-Generation Spirit Particle Fission Reactor and caused a massive explosion while investigating the principles behind spirit particle fission. He headed to Shuiyue Market to obtain Marauder Cultivators for further research as tensions among Qingping Prefecture’s three great powers continued to rise.

• Zhang Ming reviewed his experiments and concluded that the Second-Generation Spirit Particle Fission Reactor could help him reach the Golden Core realm.
• Zhang Ming resolved to study the principles of spirit particle fission further and begin work on a Third-Generation reactor.
• Zhang Ming ordered Steward Niu to take him to Shuiyue Market and capture several Marauder Cultivators without leading anyone back to them.
• The chapter explained that the suspected imminent death of Azure Cloud Fortress’s ancestor had weakened the balance among Qingping Prefecture’s three great powers.
• Blood Mist Cave’s recent attack on the Flowing Light Sword Sect’s Outer Disciple assessment had increased tensions, prompting the sect’s leaders to prepare for war.

A massive explosion near the Flowing Light Sword Sect alarmed three powers and prompted them to act cautiously, creating a temporary peace in Qingping Prefecture. Meanwhile, Zhang Ming gathered six Marauder Cultivators as test subjects and began preparations for another experiment.

• Flowing Light Ancestor ordered the Flowing Light Sword Sect to activate its protective formation, then went to investigate the explosion.
• Flowing Light Ancestor judged that the blast came from a peak Spirit Transformation cultivator but found its scattered power suspicious.
• Blood Mist Ancestor and an Azure Cloud Fortress Nascent Soul Cultivator separately investigated the blast and decided their factions should delay or retreat from their plans.
• Steward Niu returned to Zhang Ming with six Marauder Cultivators, whom Zhang Ming accepted as test subjects.
• Zhang Ming ordered Steward Niu to guard outside while he prepared to experiment on the six captives.

Zhang Ming returned to the sect with Steward Niu and explained the Third Generation Golden Core’s capabilities while preparing to face Ye Tian’s questions. Ye Tian visited Zhang Ming and asked about the great explosion, leaving Zhang Ming’s response unresolved.

• Zhang Ming and Steward Niu returned to the sect without drawing attention, though Ye Tian’s underling reported Zhang Ming’s return to him.
• Zhang Ming sensed Ye Tian approaching and reflected on the Third Generation Golden Core’s growth potential, concealment, stability, and increasing power.
• Zhang Ming decided not to explain his disappearance to Ye Tian or remain entangled with him.
• Ye Tian visited Zhang Ming, who claimed he had gone down the mountain to handle trivial matters and thanked Ye Tian for his concern.
• Ye Tian asked Zhang Ming what he knew about the great explosion near the sect, and Zhang Ming asked what Ye Tian thought had caused it.

Zhang Ming cured Wang Hua with a second-generation Golden Core, recruited her alongside Steward Niu, and sent them to gather materials. He then prepared to launch a handmade satellite into the dangerous heavens to map the world and learn what lay beyond them.

• Zhang Ming cured Steward Niu’s Dao companion, Wang Hua, with a second-generation Golden Core, restoring her health and greatly increasing her strength.
• Zhang Ming made Wang Hua his second subordinate and sent her and Steward Niu out of the sect to collect materials from a detailed list.
• Zhang Ming continued his research while observing rumors about Ye Tian, who had withdrawn to cultivate in seclusion.
• Zhang Ming killed a Foundation Establishment sand beast beneath the desert near the Flowing Light Sword Sect.
• Zhang Ming prepared to launch the satellite he had spent a month building to explore the heavens and map the world.

Ye Tian defeated a sharp-faced Outer Disciple who used a Blood Burst Pill, but the opponent died after the match. Sun Pu, an Inner Disciple and Li Bai's lackey, accused Ye Tian of murder and ordered him to the Law Enforcement Court, leaving Ye Tian challenging Sun Pu to a fight to the death.

• Ye Tian accepted the sharp-faced Outer Disciple's wager and defeated him in the arena despite his Blood Burst Pill-enhanced strength.
• Ye Tian realized the sharp-faced man had died and feared the consequences of killing a fellow disciple.
• Sun Pu arrived, accused Ye Tian of committing a grave crime, and ordered him to the Law Enforcement Court.
• Ye Tian accused Sun Pu of arranging the incident and challenged him to a fight to the death.
• Sun Pu accepted the challenge after Ye Tian pointed his sword at him.

Zhang Ming launched a rune-powered satellite into the high skies to test whether it could withstand the Immortal Cultivation World's Gale Wind. The satellite continued climbing beyond Zhang Ming's own limit, and he waited to learn how high it could go.

• Chen Dayong told Zhang Ming that Ye Tian defeated Sun Pu in a death duel, survived a Golden Core elder's attack, and became the disciple of another Golden Core elder.
• Zhang Ming recalled building a three-meter satellite and preparing to launch it in a desert several thousand li from the Flowing Light Sword Sect.
• Zhang Ming flew to fifty kilometers above the ground, where the Gale Wind and escalating Mana costs forced him to stop climbing.
• Zhang Ming activated the satellite's runes and energy exhaust ports, then sent it upward toward the depths of the sky.
• Zhang Ming sensed that the Gale Wind weakened against nonliving objects and waited for the satellite to reach its limit.

Zhang Ming used satellite surveys to map the Southern Wasteland Cultivation World and discovered it consisted of one enormous continent surrounded by seas. He speculated that the names Eastern Wilderness, Western Wilderness, Northern Wilderness, and Central Plains referred to neighboring worlds, then wondered whether the continent’s barren lower prefectures were effectively mortal worlds.

• Zhang Ming stopped the satellite at its operating limit, and it unfolded to scan the land and transmit detailed images.
• After several days of mapping, Zhang Ming concluded that the Southern Wasteland Cultivation World was a single continent with surrounding seas and no other regions within its boundaries.
• Zhang Ming guessed that the Eastern Wilderness, Western Wilderness, Northern Wilderness, and Central Plains might be separate worlds adjacent to the Southern Wasteland.
• Zhang Ming reviewed the continent’s ninety-nine prefectures, which were divided into upper, Zhong, and lower tiers according to their Spiritual Energy and resources.
• Zhang Ming examined a vast region of lower prefectures and wondered whether their scarce Spiritual Energy and few cultivators made them worlds belonging to mortals.

Zhang Ming planned to establish a remotely controlled, self-replicating base in the lower prefectures, using rune technology and a Spirit Particle Fission Reactor to support a mortal faction. He also set out to monitor Ye Tian, search Qingping Prefecture for ancient ruins and tombs, and seek information about the Nascent Soul realm.

• Zhang Ming imagined rune-powered forces battling immortal cultivators and decided to develop a Red Alert-style base vehicle for the lower prefectures.
• He concluded that the base could use a Spirit Particle Fission Reactor, though he still could not create one outside a human body.
• Zhang Ming listed three priorities: watch Ye Tian, begin building the self-replicating base within a year and deploy it within three, and search Qingping Prefecture for ruins and ancient tombs.
• He decided that exploring ruins and tombs could provide treasures and the cultivation knowledge he needed to pursue the Nascent Soul realm.
• Zhang Ming ruled out stealing information from the sect and planned to use satellites, tomb-robbing knowledge, and intelligence gathered by Wang Hua to locate useful sites and leads.

After months of developing his farming Wooden Puppet, Zhang Ming sold one to Dong Fu and arranged for Chen Dayong to gather materials for more. He set Chen Dayong to ongoing work and expected Dong Fu to help spread the word.

• Dong Fu visited Zhang Ming and showed interest in buying a farming Wooden Puppet.
• Zhang Ming agreed to sell Dong Fu a Wooden Puppet for a fee.
• Zhang Ming called Chen Dayong over, cleansed him with a spell, and gave him a list of materials and ten spirit stones to buy them.
• Zhang Ming explained that Chen Dayong's materials-gathering would become long-term work as they made more puppets for sale.

Zhang Ming learned that Ye Tian had achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and that the three sects were preparing a Heavenly Pride Competition. As the competition began, Zhang Ming bet one hundred spirit stones on Ye Tian placing in the Foundation Establishment top three.

• Zhang Ming’s farming Wooden Puppet business slowed as other Puppet Path cultivators copied his designs, but he welcomed having more free time.
• Ye Tian reappeared after half a year as a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the disciples who had criticized him suddenly praised him.
• Chen Dayong told Zhang Ming that the Flowing Light Sword Sect, Blood Mist Cave, and Azure Cloud Fortress would hold a competition with internal matches and Secret Realm contests.
• Zhang Ming suspected the competition was tied to the declining Azure Cloud Fortress and expected an accident, while Chen Dayong insisted the event would be safe.
• When the Foundation Establishment competition began, Zhang Ming bet one hundred spirit stones on Ye Tian placing in the top three.

Zhang Ming sent Steward Niu and Wang Hua to wipe out the Zhu Family in search of Nascent Soul cultivation knowledge. The family’s records proved too limited to reveal the path, so Zhang Ming resolved to keep searching while carefully considering how the Nascent Soul might shape higher realms.

• Steward Niu reported that the Zhu Family might have once been a Nascent Soul family, and Zhang Ming ordered an attack on its estate.
• Steward Niu and Wang Hua slaughtered the Zhu Family members and defeated their Golden Core ancestor while Zhang Ming watched.
• The three took the Zhu Family’s spoils and departed, and Zhang Ming later found that its records offered only sparse, biased information about the Nascent Soul.
• Zhang Ming reviewed his world map, noting that satellite reconnaissance had revealed many dangerous regions where Mahayana cultivators had attacked his satellites.
• Zhang Ming concluded that the Nascent Soul could be the foundation for Spirit Transformation, Mahayana, and perhaps ascension, and decided not to rush its cultivation path.

Zhang Ming completed a highly intelligent Base Vehicle designed to learn and combine technology with the Immortal Path, then turned his attention to deploying it in a low-energy prefecture. In Wutai Prefecture, farmer Chen Shao awoke from a dream and discovered his Red Alert System was with him after transmigration.

• Zhang Ming assessed the capabilities and limits of his completed Base Vehicle, which could produce modern weapons and vehicles if supplied with resources and time.
• Zhang Ming equipped the Base Vehicle with advanced learning and evolutionary abilities so it could adapt to the Immortal Cultivation World rather than begin with an overwhelming stockpile of technology.
• Zhang Ming decided to deploy the Base Vehicle in a lower prefecture with scarce Spiritual Energy and few Immortal Cultivators.
• In the Rui Kingdom’s Xinwen County, Chen Shao woke from a vivid dream in his poor village and reflected on his transmigration.
• Chen Shao called on his Golden Finger, and the Red Alert System answered, “I’m here, Commander!”