Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Chen Lin learns that Immortal Superior Xiyue has been searching for him using Sensing Beads that react to a special energy. He suspects she cannot freely enter the Darkness Zone and may need the energy the beads detect.
• After questioning two rogue cultivators, Chen Lin seals their souls, erases their memories of him, and hides them in a pocket space rather than killing them.
• Chen and Huangfu Qingrou test the bead. It reacts strongly to Chen’s innate power, initially leading him to suspect the Thunder God Sword is the target. Suppressing the sword’s energy, however, does not weaken the bead’s response.
• The bead reacts even more strongly to Chen’s Soul-Destroying Finger. He concludes that Xiyue is probably tracking the special energy within his soul, not the sword. Her intentions remain uncertain, but she may want his help—or the energy itself.
• Chen discovers that withdrawing his soul power reduces the bead’s glow. He then uses his improved Transformation Technique to shrink to about two feet tall, and the bead’s reaction gives him a promising new lead.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains cautious and resourceful, balancing the need to protect his secrets with the danger of drawing Xiyue’s attention. His fear of losing the Thunder God Sword is tied to its importance in reviving Grass.
• Huangfu Qingrou shares his concern and recognizes that Xiyue may be far beyond their power. She supports Chen while helping test the bead and think through the threat.
• The two rogue cultivators provide crucial information but are left unconscious and confined after Chen removes their memories.
• Chen and Qingrou work together to identify what the bead senses, though they cannot yet determine Xiyue’s purpose.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Even a formidable cultivator can be exposed when facing a superior force and an unknown tracking method.
• Secrecy and trust: Chen protects himself by concealing his identity and controlling what others know, while relying on Qingrou as a trusted partner.
• Uncertainty and adaptation: With no clear way to escape detection, Chen tests hypotheses and looks for an unconventional countermeasure.
• Attachment and sacrifice: Chen’s determination to keep the Thunder God Sword reflects both its power and its personal significance.

Key events

• Chen Lin shrinks his soul with the Transformation Technique, reducing the Sensing Bead’s detection range to just over three feet. Reassured that he can remain undetected by keeping his distance, he urges Huangfu Qingrou to learn the technique.
• The pair disguise themselves—Chen Lin as a young boy, with his shield altered into armor—and approach the underwater Light Gate.
• At the gate, Chen Lin finds Yang Qianxing speaking with Baili Qingfeng of the Hundred Swords Sect and a Divine Sword Sect woman, later addressed as Miao. Their conversation reveals that Immortal Superior Xiyue is still searching for Lin Feiyu, whose fate remains unknown.
• Chen Lin recognizes Yang but chooses not to make contact. He wonders whether the woman is Miao Yuwu, who may have Xiaoyuer’s Salted Fish Medium, but withdraws his gaze when she senses him.
• Cultivators collect light particles emerging from the gate. Chen Lin confirms that only certain cultivators—Void Refinement cultivators or God Favored Ones—can collect them, and that no one appears able to fight over or steal them.
• Chen Lin recognizes the gate’s patterns as matching those on his Round Token. He keeps the token and key concealed, waiting for a chance to investigate the gate without attracting attention.
• When a large cluster of particles emerges, a man named Lingyun asks others to help collect them, explaining that Xiyue urgently needs them. Yang Qianxing and Baili Qingfeng comply; the woman says she cannot, as she has a sword body but is not a God Favored One.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains cautious and strategic, prioritizing concealment and observation over reconnecting with Yang or testing the token in public. His interest in the Divine Sword Sect woman is driven by his search for Miao Yuwu and Xiaoyuer’s medium.
• Huangfu Qingrou supports Chen Lin and identifies the people around Yang for him.
• Yang Qianxing remains composed and expresses concern for Lin Feiyu, while readily helping Lingyun.
• Baili Qingfeng is curious about Xiyue’s power and shares Yang’s hope that Lin Feiyu may still be alive.
• Miao, alert to Chen Lin’s scrutiny, displays a powerful aura but later declines to collect a particle because she lacks the required status.
• Lingyun is revealed as someone serving Xiyue, responsible for ensuring the particles are collected.

Significant themes

• Caution and concealment: Chen Lin’s disguises and restraint show how survival depends on avoiding notice.
• Power and uncertainty: Cultivators speculate about Xiyue’s status, while her influence is evident in the particles and the people who serve her.
• Hidden connections and unresolved quests: The gate’s resemblance to Chen Lin’s token, Xiyue’s search for Lin Feiyu, and Chen Lin’s search for Miao Yuwu link the scene’s mysteries to larger unresolved storylines.

Key plot points

• Chen Lin learns that only talent holders can collect the strange rule-light particles; Void Refinement cultivators are needed mainly to escort them safely across the Dark Sea.
• Lingyun recruits Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou to gather the particles for Immortal Superior Xiyue, promising rewards. Chen Lin collects one, but has no intention of delivering it to Moon-Gazing City.
• Once safely hidden in the Divine Snail Shell, Chen Lin discovers the particle is concealed within—and slowly assimilating—his talent origin. He removes it and cleanses the affected energy.
• The particle cannot be contained or moved by ordinary objects. Items imbued with rules can affect it to varying degrees: the Cyan Vine Shield and a Pseudo-Source Treasure offer slight resistance, while the Snow-White Single Horn and Dark Red Spearhead have stronger effects. Chen Lin concludes that purer rules allow greater contact; his innate power can control the particle completely.
• Huangfu Qingrou tries to absorb it but cannot sense it. Chen Lin retrieves and cleanses it from her talent origin, then places it in the Thunder God Sword, which gives a faint response.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin acts confidently to conceal his intentions, while remaining cautious about the particle’s unknown effects. His ability to detect and remove it proves crucial.
• Huangfu Qingrou is protective of Chen Lin and eager to investigate the particle. She trusts his judgment and follows his guidance, though her attempt to absorb it fails.
• Lingyun is ambitious and relieved by Xiyue’s arrival: he hopes to win her favor and secure a chance to advance to Mahayana, which he had previously feared attempting under the hostile Mahayana cultivators’ watch.
• Yang Qianxing and Baili Qingfeng are reluctant to collect the particles but comply because of Lingyun’s authority and Xiyue’s influence. Chen Lin sees Miao Yuwu but postpones approaching her to avoid revealing his identity as Lin Feiyu.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: Cultivators comply with powerful figures even when they distrust the task.
• Hidden danger and vigilance: The particle disguises itself within talent origins, making careful inspection essential.
• Knowledge through experimentation: Chen Lin tests how different objects interact with the particle, gradually uncovering its rule-based nature.
• Trust and partnership: Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou openly protect and consult one another while investigating the threat.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin discovers that a mysterious light particle significantly strengthens the Thunder God Sword. He considers collecting more or entering the Light Gate, but decides both options are too risky for now.
• He prioritizes mastering the Five Thunders Smite the Crown Dao art and reaching Dao Integration, hoping to gain enough strength to control the Thunder God Sword. He also reflects that he has no way to repair the powerful Dark Red Spearhead.
• Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou remain hidden near the Light Gate for several years. He secretly gathers information and occasional light particles, while she studies the Transformation Technique.
• With the Light Gate unchanged and the Dark Sea’s weak rules preventing further progress, they decide to leave for the Twelfth Pillar Heaven. They rule out other destinations because of powerful enemies or hostile factions.
• Just as they prepare to depart, the Carefree Token activates. Chen Lin believes it may admit him to a rare inter-realm trading assembly and offer a way to improve their situation. He prepares to attend, while making arrangements for Huangfu Qingrou to remain behind if she cannot enter.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Lin shows restraint despite his desire to restore the Thunder God Sword. He focuses on long-term preparation, weighs risks carefully, and becomes increasingly strategic about avoiding powerful enemies.
• Huangfu Qingrou makes practical progress with the Transformation Technique and contributes decisively to their plans, recommending the relatively remote Twelfth Pillar Heaven.
• The couple consult one another closely. Chen Lin values Huangfu’s judgment and entrusts her with his belongings and safety should the Carefree Token separate them.

Significant themes

• Power and patience: Chen Lin must delay pursuing valuable opportunities until he is strong enough to survive their consequences.
• Limits of place and cultivation: The Dark Sea’s incomplete rules restrict advancement, showing how a realm’s environment can cap a cultivator’s growth.
• Trust and partnership: Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou plan together and rely on each other amid uncertainty.
• Risk, secrecy, and survival: Their choices revolve around avoiding stronger foes, concealing their identities, and preserving possible routes of escape.

Key plot points and events

• Huangfu Qingrou assures Chen Lin that he should leave the realm if the opportunity arises, even if it means they must separate. She believes she can stay safe with help from her great-aunt and may eventually travel with Immortal Superior Xiyue. Chen Lin jokes that she is implying he has held her back, and they laugh together.
• Chen Lin’s token activates, forming a portal marked with two stars. He secures Bai Ruxue’s ring in a concealed box before entering the Carefree Assembly with Huangfu Qingrou.
• At the Assembly, they buy Language Conversion Beads for 100 Carefree Coins each, exchanging spirit crystals at an expensive rate. They learn the beads work only within the Assembly and only translate speech for the wearer.
• They also purchase two bound Jade Slip manuals explaining the Assembly’s rules, trading procedures, notable experts, and upcoming treasures. The information proves useful.
• The Assembly is a seven-day gathering: the first days feature open-market trading, followed by three days of auctions. Participants may auction their own appraised treasures for a fee.
• On entering the market, Chen Lin spots a member of Bai Ruxue’s race, recognizable by a white single horn. He is relieved that he left the horn behind, fearing it might have exposed him.
• As they survey the bustling market of strange races and goods, Huangfu Qingrou draws Chen Lin’s attention to something.

Character developments and interactions

• Huangfu Qingrou shows both affection and selflessness, encouraging Chen Lin to pursue a chance to leave the realm rather than remain for her sake. She hopes they may reunite elsewhere.
• Chen Lin remains cautious in unfamiliar surroundings: he hides the potentially revealing ring, avoids using a soul imprint for the translation bead, and carefully weighs the Assembly’s costs and rules.
• The couple act in close coordination, communicating discreetly and concealing their reactions when they notice the horned visitor.
• Chen Lin is initially annoyed by the high prices, but accepts them as necessary costs and is reassured by the manual’s practical information.

Significant themes

• Love and sacrifice: Huangfu Qingrou prioritizes Chen Lin’s future despite the possibility of separation.
• Caution and secrecy: Chen Lin takes precautions against surveillance and against revealing sensitive evidence.
• Commerce and access: The Assembly offers extraordinary opportunities, but entry, communication, and participation come at steep prices.
• Exploration and connection across worlds: The gathering’s many races, languages, and treasures reflect a vast interworld network.

Chapter Summary

• At the Carefree Assembly, Chen Lin recognizes bottles of Four-Star Luo Monster origin essence at a small stall. The stallholder explains that it can be used to craft treasures, cultivate through absorption, or power Luo Weapons. Chen Lin buys all seven bottles for 690 Carefree Coins after a small discount, intending to use them to improve Huangfu Qingrou’s talent origin.
• At the Exchange Office, Chen Lin’s usual cultivation-world goods—including spirit stones, pills, and other treasures—are rejected as unsuitable for the high-end convention. The experience suggests that spirit crystals are widely recognized and highly valued across realms, while many of Chen Lin’s own possessions are difficult for him to part with.
• After the stallholder grows impatient, Chen Lin submits Soul Steamed Buns, Mortal Dust Spirit Dew, and Drunken God Brew for appraisal. The appraiser tastes them only after asking about their effects, showing care for the differing biology of other races.
• The appraiser is deeply moved by the Soul Steamed Buns and values them at 100 Carefree Coins each. The Mortal Dust Spirit Dew receives a much lower valuation of 10 coins per serving, since its heart-tempering effect is weak and similar goods are common in some planes.
• The Drunken God Brew surprises the appraiser: it can intoxicate celestial deities, for whom things capable of affecting them are rare. Its relaxing effect is especially valuable to beings who absorb faith, including evil gods. The appraiser says it merits auction and seals it in a box that becomes invalid if opened.

Character Developments and Interactions

Chen Lin begins the exchange cautiously, hiding his knowledge of Luo essence, then becomes frustrated when the appraiser rejects his offerings and the stallholder mocks them. Huangfu Qingrou laughs at his reaction but remains beside him. Once he learns the true value of Drunken God Brew, Chen Lin realizes he has casually traded away a rare treasure before and resolves to be more careful. He also avoids claiming to have made it, wary that powerful beings might seek him out as a brewer.

Significant Themes

• Value depends on context: Chen Lin’s goods are dismissed in one market but prized in another; a treasure’s worth depends on who can use it and where it is understood.
• Knowledge and opportunity: The convention reveals that Drunken God Brew has a far greater use than Chen Lin knew, illustrating how valuable discoveries can remain overlooked without the right expertise.
• Caution in a powerful world: Chen Lin’s concern about attracting divine attention underscores the risks of revealing rare abilities or resources, even in a well-regulated gathering.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin learns that Soul Steamed Buns are highly valuable at the Exchange Office, but can exchange only 100 per day before their value is affected by supply. He receives 10,000 Carefree Coins and plans to test other Exchange Offices.
• After buying Luo Monster origin essence, Chen Lin meets Mo Lin, who gives him an Identity Pearl and invites future cooperation.
• Chen Lin gives Mo Lin a steamer of Soul Steamed Buns in exchange for information. They sit with Chen Lin’s wife, Huangfu Qingrou, and discuss the Heavens and Myriad Realms.
• Mo Lin explains that Carefree Spring water has mild mind-cleansing effects, while River of Forgetfulness water is extraordinarily rare. He once saw a small bottle auctioned to a Semi-God in exchange for a damaged Seven Realms Flower.
• Chen Lin reveals that his body and divine soul are incompatible and that he hopes River of Forgetfulness water can fix the problem. Mo Lin cannot advise him.
• Mo Lin says his plane has found clues to a “Gate of Reality,” supposedly a route to the Upper Primal Domain without reaching true godhood. He describes it as a dazzling, multicolored passage. Chen Lin concludes it is not the submarine Light Gate he knows, leaving that gate—and Immortal Superior Xiyue’s origins—unexplained.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is resourceful and strategic: he limits his exchange to avoid attention, seeks other offices, and uses valuable buns to build rapport and obtain information. He openly shares his personal danger and ambitions with Mo Lin.
• Mo Lin is friendly and generous in return for Chen Lin’s gift. He shares what he knows but admits the limits of his knowledge, especially about the divine soul.
• Huangfu Qingrou accompanies Chen Lin and shares his curiosity, carefully examining the unfamiliar spirit liquid.

Significant themes

• Value and scarcity: Exchange rules limit the worth of abundant goods, while rare treasures command immense prices.
• Reciprocity and trust: Chen Lin’s gift turns a transaction into a friendship and opens access to useful information.
• Uncertainty and ambition: Chen Lin’s search for a solution to his soul’s incompatibility and a route to the Upper Primal Domain continues, but each clue reveals further unknowns.
• Different worlds, different knowledge: Mo Lin’s culture and cultivation system shape what he understands—and what he cannot explain.

Key plot points

• Mo Lin explains that Gates of Reality are rare fissures between the Lower and Upper Primal Domains. Finding one is not enough: crossing it is dangerous, and a traveler needs at least a small amount of true origin to survive the Upper Domain’s higher-order rules.
• Chen Lin asks about the Lower Primal Domain’s impending Voidification. Mo Lin confirms that the phenomenon is linked to the Exterminating Sword and warns that those already tainted by its aura cannot escape by moving elsewhere. Chen Lin’s Tianxuan Realm has been affected, leaving the Nightmare Realm as his most likely route toward escape.
• Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou discuss the danger. He reassures her that Voidification might not prevent a long life, but privately fears that the Thunder God Sword within him is connected to the Exterminating Sword—and that its revival could destroy him.
• Chen Lin learns that the Submarine Light Gate is not a Gate of Reality, so that hoped-for route is closed. He registers his Drunken God Brew for auction, paying a substantial fee, then searches the marketplace with Qingrou.
• He cannot buy desired time sand because the seller will accept only a time-rule Pseudo-Source Treasure. He does obtain two Dao-Inquiring Stones for Qingrou, along with several useful items, including Dao Integration pill formulas, true spirit essence blood, a rank-nine lightning monster core, and records about the Nightmare Realm.
• An information seller corroborates what Chen Lin learned from Mo Lin and shows him an illustration of a Gate of Reality. Fewer than five possible leads are known, and none are confirmed usable. When Chen questions the seller about the Nightmare Realm’s stability, the seller offers a Nightmare Realm Medium Object with deciphered rules in exchange for three baskets of steamed buns.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains cautious and information-driven, but the threat is personal: he believes the Thunder God Sword could be reclaimed if the Exterminating Sword awakens. He conceals this fear from Qingrou to spare her worry.
• Huangfu Qingrou is anxious at first but steadies herself by noting that Voidification may have a solution and need not mean immediate death. Chen Lin supports her with reassurance, while she also points out the time sand at a stall.
• Mo Lin serves as Chen Lin’s knowledgeable source and gives him a blunt warning: he must develop true origin and find a viable Gate of Reality quickly.
• The information seller is guarded and commercially minded, but his unusual payment request—more steamed buns—gives Chen Lin a possible way to investigate the Nightmare Realm firsthand.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and preparation: Chen Lin must act on incomplete, sometimes unverified information while seeking safer routes and stronger resources.
• The limits of escape: Voidification may follow those already tainted, making relocation alone useless.
• Ambition versus acceptance: Qingrou can imagine remaining in the Lower Domain, but Chen Lin’s personal danger and ambitions make escape urgent.
• Knowledge as a commodity: Reliable information and rare resources are difficult to obtain, and even valuable currency may not meet a seller’s specific needs.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin trades one and a half steamers of Soul Steamed Buns to an old man in exchange for detailed information about a Nightmare Realm scenario, secured by contract.
• The old man describes a hall accessed through a pipe medium: it contains blank paintings and an unfamiliar statue, and the exit task is to bow three times before it. Chen Lin judges the scenario currently unremarkable, but its stable space suggests the Great Heavens Projection has ended.
• Chen Lin concludes that the Nightmare Realm may have returned to normal, though individual scenarios could have changed or disappeared. He is especially concerned about Gourmet Island, Gambling Fortune Lake, and the Myriad Realms Alliance scenario.
• Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou spend the next several days browsing the Carefree Assembly’s market. They make many purchases but fail to find a suitable lightning treasure for Chen Lin or a devouring-type treasure for Huangfu.
• At a tea stall, Chen Lin discovers that the tea is square inch tea, one of the three renowned divine teas, said to aid understanding of artistic conception. The shopkeeper, Zhao Lingfang, recognizes Chen Lin’s mention of fearless tea as a specialty of her clan and reveals that Zhao Lingyi—whom Chen Lin met in the Nightmare Realm—is her brother. Chen Lin accepts her Location Bead so he can pass it to Zhao if they meet again, and buys tea from her at a low price.
• The next day, the Exchange Office cuts the rate for Soul Steamed Buns in half, while allowing Chen Lin to exchange twice as many. He suspects the organizers are intentionally lowering the price but proceeds, needing Carefree Coins to help repair his Dark Red Spearhead.
• Near the end of the market period, a powerful blue-robed man approaches Chen Lin and asks what Xie Jinyuan is to him. Chen Lin says he does not know the person and privately worries the stranger may be connected to Bai Ruxue.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is cautious and calculating: he limits the buns he trades, carefully weighs the Nightmare Realm information, and remains focused on acquiring resources to resolve his predicament.
• He reassures Huangfu Qingrou that he will explore the Nightmare Realm carefully. Their partnership is affectionate and respectful; she supports his priorities and appreciates that he treats her as an equal.
• Chen Lin’s past connections unexpectedly affect others: his encounter with Zhao Lingyi gives Zhao Lingfang hope of finding her brother, though Chen Lin can only promise to pass along her Location Bead.
• The blue-robed stranger’s sudden question creates a new source of uncertainty, while Chen Lin’s controlled response shows his caution around powerful figures.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and risk: Understanding a Nightmare Realm’s rules can bring great rewards, while ignorance can lead to death or transformation.
• Uncertainty and change: The Nightmare Realm may be stable again, but its scenarios—and Chen Lin’s crucial routes through them—may have changed.
• Practical survival: Chen Lin’s market choices and focus on Carefree Coins reflect the need to secure resources rather than pursue desirable but nonessential treasures.
• Connection across distance: Chen Lin’s encounter with Zhao Lingfang shows how chance meetings can link separated people, even when reunion remains uncertain.

Plot points and events

• A powerful man in blue approaches Chen Lin, apparently recognizing the Storage Ring Chen wears. Chen fears he may be connected to Bai Ruxue’s formidable clan, but the stranger says he simply wants to ask about an old friend.
• Chen invites him to speak privately and offers tea. The man confirms that Chen comes from the Tianxuan Realm and explains that its people suffer from Voidification: damage to body, soul, and will caused by the Exterminating Sword, which makes forming a true origin—and becoming a True Immortal—extremely difficult.
• The man recounts the history of the Hongming Immortal Domain. It was once the Palm Immortal Kingdom of Hongming Ancestor, a True Immortal killed by a pursuer’s sword strike. The kingdom collapsed and escaped the Nightmare Realm, but the Exterminating Sword’s destruction and the collapse weakened planar barriers, allowing Nightmare Realm creatures to invade.
• Tianxuan Realm was nearest the sword’s point of impact and was damaged most severely. The Hongming Immortal Realm’s rules were stronger, so its inhabitants were less vulnerable.
• Ascension into surviving Immortal Realm fragments remains possible, but it will not cure Voidification. That requires leaving the Lower Primal Domain and tempering oneself with the Upper Primal Domain’s higher-order laws, which differ fundamentally from the Lower Domain’s rules.
• Chen mentions a Traveling Merchant’s warning that the plane may become irreversibly Voidified in roughly five hundred years. The man says such merchants do not lie, and suspects the Exterminating Sword may soon awaken. Its awakening would indicate that Hongming Ancestor’s soul is gone and could bring renewed catastrophe.
• The man then reveals why he approached Chen: he believes Chen is Xie Jinyuan’s successor and needs a particular pill that Xie possessed. He asks whether Chen has it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin begins wary, fearing a threat from Bai Ruxue’s family, but shifts to cautious cooperation once he realizes the stranger knew the ring’s previous owner. He seizes the chance to ask about Voidification, ascension, and the approaching danger, while concealing his Thunder God Sword.
• Huangfu Qingrou senses the danger and quietly positions herself beside Chen, remaining alert as he follows the stranger to talk.
• The man in blue, an Immortal Lord who has just emerged from nearly ten thousand years of seclusion, proves unexpectedly forthcoming, sharing hidden history and urgent intelligence. His questions ultimately show that he also has a practical interest in Xie Jinyuan’s legacy.

Significant themes

• The consequences of ancient destruction: the Exterminating Sword’s past strike continues to shape entire realms and threaten their future.
• Knowledge and survival: Chen’s understanding of his condition and the wider cosmic order grows through a rare encounter with a powerful Immortal.
• Hidden power and caution: Chen shares information selectively, balancing the value of cooperation against the danger of revealing his treasure.
• Inheritance and loss: Xie Jinyuan’s death leaves Chen in the position of a possible successor, while Hongming Ancestor’s fate may determine whether an even greater catastrophe follows.

Key plot points

• A mysterious man in blue confronts Chen Lin about a distinctive blue pill from Xie Jinyuan’s Storage Ring. Chen Lin gives it to him, wary that refusing an Immortal could be dangerous.
• The man explains that Xie Jinyuan was his junior brother and that Chen Lin’s possession of the ring was a matter of fate. In exchange for the pill, he offers information.
• Chen Lin asks about endless water, River of Forgetfulness water, and the Ascension Pill. Endless water comes from the river of time and is extraordinarily rare; River of Forgetfulness water is in the Seventh Layer of the Netherworld, in the Upper Primal Domain.
• The man explains that Ascension Pills come in Fake and True varieties. The True Pill’s original materials are gone, and substituting living beings is an evil practice with grave consequences.
• Recognizing Chen Lin’s body-soul incompatibility from body-snatching, the man says the problem is a consequence of violating the Heavenly Dao. An innate spiritual body could help, but none are found in the Lower Primal Domain.
• He identifies another possible solution: the Good Fortune Immortal Lord, an organizer of the assembly, possesses a secret method that can resolve the problem. However, he is eccentric, greedy, and dangerous to approach without something valuable to offer. The man then departs, declaring their connection finished.
• Chen Lin judges the information worth the pill, especially the lead about the secret method. He returns to Huangfu Qingrou, tells her what happened, and heads to the Exchange Office.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin acts cautiously, giving up the pill rather than risk provoking the Immortal. Though troubled by the cost, he recognizes that the information could guide his search for a lasting cure.
• The man in blue shows restraint and fairness: he does not seize the pill, but compensates Chen Lin with useful knowledge. He also demonstrates insight by quickly identifying Chen Lin’s underlying condition.
• Their exchange is respectful but brief. The man answers Chen Lin’s questions, warns him about the Good Fortune Immortal Lord, and ends the encounter decisively.

Significant themes

• Power and restraint: Chen Lin must negotiate carefully with beings far stronger than himself.
• Fate and obligation: The man accepts Chen Lin’s inheritance of the ring as destined, yet insists on repaying the pill.
• The cost of violating natural order: Body-snatching carries spiritual and cultivation consequences framed as punishment from the Heavenly Dao.
• Risk versus hope: Chen Lin’s known remedies are difficult to obtain and may have harmful side effects, while the secret method offers hope—but may be perilous to pursue.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin decides to appraise and auction surplus treasures, hoping to earn Carefree Coins for forging a shaft for his Dark Red Spearhead.
• Three ordinary-grade Immortal Artifacts and two weakened varieties of pills qualify for auction. He keeps the spirit stones, since the exchange rate is poor and they may be useful later.
• Several cultivation manuals are accepted, earning him more than 30,000 Carefree Coins. The most valuable is Xiong Ziqi’s false Dao-integration method, which brings in 20,000 coins; Chen Lin agrees that the Assembly may resell it.
• The proceeds are still far short of the estimated 100,000-plus cost of a suitable spear shaft. Chen Lin considers coin purity important, since higher-grade Carefree Coins can make a much more powerful Pseudo-Source Treasure.
• At the auction, Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou learn that the Assembly’s vast space is likely a Grotto-Heaven Treasure. Mo Lin privately identifies it as the Good Fortune Immortal Lord’s Origin Treasure, the Good Fortune Carefree Disk, and warns Chen Lin to speak cautiously.
• Chen Lin activates and tests the Auction Array, discovering that it creates an isolated illusion-like private box for bidding. He and Huangfu Qingrou settle in with tea as the auction prepares to begin.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is practical and forward-looking: he sells what he can spare, keeps assets with future value, and focuses his spending on the spear shaft.
• Huangfu Qingrou shares Chen Lin’s wonder at the Assembly’s extraordinary spatial construction.
• Mo Lin shows goodwill by privately warning Chen Lin about the Assembly’s powerful treasure and the need for discretion.
• Chen Lin remains cautious even when told the auction process is confidential, suspecting the organizers can still observe participants.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and resource management: Chen Lin weighs immediate profit against the future usefulness of his possessions.
• Hierarchy and power: Access to different floors depends on token rank, and the Assembly’s spatial treasure reflects the immense power of its owners.
• Secrecy and trust: The Auction Array offers privacy from other bidders, but Chen Lin doubts that it can conceal anything from the organizers.
• The value of materials: The varying purity of Carefree Coins illustrates how material quality determines the strength of high-grade treasures.

Plot points and events

• At the Carefree Assembly, auctioneer Yu Qinyao explains the trading rules and announces that the organizers have set aside ten supreme treasures as finale items.
• Chen Lin reflects on how far he still has to climb in cultivation. Huangfu Qingrou comforts him, reminding him that the journey matters more than reaching its ultimate end and that a clear conscience is enough.
• The auction begins with the Illusion Flame Hook, a fire-attribute Pseudo-Source Treasure. It sells for 100,000 Carefree Coins—less than Chen Lin expected, perhaps because its material is relatively impure.
• Chen Lin resolves to pursue a lightning-attribute or devouring-type treasure if one appears.
• The next item, the Thunder Emperor Stone, proves especially valuable to him. Though it contains no lightning rules, its energy makes lightning-attribute mana more active and more than doubles Chen Lin’s clarity in sensing lightning rules.
• The stone could help him perfect Five Thunders Smite the Crown, but its owner demands a lightning-attribute Pseudo-Source Treasure or an equally valuable lightning-attribute Rule Secret Art. Chen Lin has suitable assets, but refuses to trade away his cultivation technique, secret art, or Thunder God Sword.

Character developments

• Chen Lin acknowledges his limits and the sacrifices behind his progress, but regains perspective through Qingrou’s reassurance. The Thunder Emperor Stone sharply raises his hopes, only to leave him frustrated by the price of obtaining it.
• Huangfu Qingrou offers steady emotional support, encouraging Chen Lin to focus on his path and maintain a clear conscience.
• The Winged Man presents the Thunder Emperor Stone and sets strict, specialized terms for the exchange.

Significant themes

• Cultivation as an ongoing journey: Progress matters more than attaining an unreachable final destination.
• Limits and sacrifice: Greater power requires difficult choices, and some resources are too essential to surrender.
• Opportunity versus cost: Chen Lin finds a treasure that could transform his training, but its price conflicts with his long-term goals.

Character interactions

• Chen Lin and Qingrou share a quiet, affectionate conversation about cultivation, ambition, and contentment.
• Chen Lin listens to the auction and privately weighs the value of each item.
• The Winged Man’s demand forces Chen Lin to confront the conflict between seizing an immediate opportunity and protecting the tools he needs for future advancement.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin attempts to barter for the Thunder Emperor Stone by offering part of his Thunder Dragon Technique. The Winged Man rejects it because he needs a lightning-rule-force art, not one powered by a specific energy, and refuses all other offers. The trade fails, as do several later exchanges.
• The auctioneer brings out a centerpiece item: the Myriad Wonders Flute, a superior Pseudo-Source Treasure. Its demonstration traps Chen Lin in an illusion drawn from his early days in Kaiyuan City. He escapes after noticing an impossible detail—a rice cooker in the room—and realizing something is wrong. Huangfu Qingrou also suffers in the illusion, but wakes up shaken.
• The auctioneer explains that different musical scores give the flute different abilities, and anyone who masters a suitable score can use it regardless of their rule ability. Three scores come with it; others must be acquired or composed.
• Seeing the flute’s potential for Huangfu, Chen Lin asks the attendant to submit his listed items, a Level 3 Road Guide, and an unrestricted amount of Nightmare Coins as possible trade offers. He hopes to obtain the flute for her.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is practical but persistent: when the Winged Man rejects his initial offer, he tries to negotiate and learn what might be useful, then accepts the refusal. Later, he recognizes the flute’s value and acts quickly to pursue it.
• Huangfu Qingrou comforts Chen Lin after the failed barter, then is visibly distressed by the flute’s illusion. She downplays her own need for the treasure and urges him to save their resources for his predicament.
• Chen Lin reassures her that the flute could protect her if danger arises and he cannot be there. His concern for her safety motivates his bid.
• The Winged Man is uncompromising, focused solely on gaining strength through lightning-rule-force treasures or arts. The attendant facilitates Chen Lin’s requests, while the auctioneer manages the demonstrations and trade process.

Significant themes

• Barter and scarcity: Valuable goods do not guarantee a successful trade; each party’s specific needs determine whether a deal can be made.
• Illusion and self-awareness: The flute’s power exploits personal memories, and Chen Lin survives by questioning an inconsistency rather than trusting what he sees.
• Power and protection: The flute represents a versatile means of defense, while Chen Lin’s interest in it is tied less to personal gain than to safeguarding Huangfu.
• Limits of versatility: Even a powerful treasure requires the right skills and scores; Huangfu’s potential compatibility is tempered by her lack of musical training.

Key events

• Chen Lin decides the Myriad Wonders Flute could greatly aid Huangfu Qingrou, whose powerful talent origin might let her use it to challenge a Dao Integration Practitioner. She initially objects, preferring to focus on escaping the God Pillar Realm, but accepts after Chen Lin assures her the purchase will not hinder his other plans.
• Chen Lin’s true urgency is to obtain endless water, make Wish Noodles, and revive Grass. He needs Grass’s help to deal with the Thunder God Sword before the approaching Voidification Great Tribulation.
• Of twenty-three auction bidders, Chen Lin’s offer of Nightmare Coins reaches the final selection. The seller asks for five thousand coins, and Chen Lin accepts without bargaining. He receives the flute and an Inheritance Bead containing three musical scores; the deal also qualifies him for a Three-Star rank, though he avoids upgrading his Carefree Token because its origins might be exposed.
• Huangfu Qingrou activates the bead and begins studying the difficult scores. The bead breaks after use, and she acknowledges that mastering the music will take considerable effort.
• Elsewhere, three powerful figures discuss a divination that failed to identify a person of interest. The grey-robed elder believes the person is present and asks the others to test for them by auctioning a special item.
• The auction later presents that item: a Destiny-Knowing Insect, said to release destiny force and alter destiny.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin shows devotion to Huangfu Qingrou, spending generously on something she loves, while remaining cautious about his own perilous situation and resources.
• Huangfu Qingrou puts Chen Lin’s needs above her own desires, but accepts the flute once reassured. Her excitement and dedication to the musical inheritance reveal her genuine love of music.
• The three figures’ exchange exposes their differing views of divination: the grey-robed elder trusts Master Wuwang’s prediction, while the horned man bitterly doubts his reliability, especially regarding matters tied to the Nightmare Realm.

Significant themes

• Love and sacrifice: Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou both prioritize each other’s welfare.
• Uncertainty and preparation: Chen Lin faces dangers that may not be solved simply by escaping the realm, while the auction’s opaque negotiations and fallible divination underline how little can be known for certain.
• The value of knowledge and resources: Nightmare Coins prove more valuable than Chen Lin assumed, and the flute’s inheritance offers power only through long study.
• Destiny and agency: The newly revealed insect’s claimed power to alter destiny introduces the possibility of changing what seems predetermined.

Plot points and events

• At the Carefree Assembly auction, a Destiny-Knowing Insect is introduced. Refining it grants one chance to alter one’s destiny; with help from a destiny Talent Holder, it can produce fate threads that repair or redirect a person’s fate line—including averting death or making an otherwise impossible goal attainable.
• Chen Lin senses a faint response from his talent origin but hides it from Huangfu Qingrou, claiming he detects nothing. Although the insect’s fate threads could strengthen his own ability to manipulate destiny, he suspects its appearance may be connected to him and decides not to bid.
• After a competitive auction, someone acquires the insect. Chen Lin conceals his interest and does not try to learn who won.
• In a second-floor booth, the golden-eyed Brother Jin gives Patriarch Guyuan information about the five final bidders, warning that three are dangerous to antagonize. He refuses to reveal the buyer’s identity, explaining that doing so would violate the Assembly’s rules.
• A single-horned man asks when Lord Ming will emerge from seclusion. He reveals that his grandson stole an important treasure and hid in the Nightmare Realm; the grandson’s death matters less to him than the loss and its consequences for his lineage.
• Chen Lin is then notified that one of his immortal artifacts is due to be auctioned. He asks the auctioneer to handle the sale according to his previously submitted terms, avoiding both a public appearance and the risk of exposing himself to other destiny Talent Holders.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin shows restraint and caution: despite his strong interest in the insect, he prioritizes secrecy because he suspects others may be watching for destiny-related abilities. He also avoids personally presenting his artifact.
• Huangfu Qingrou is astonished by the insect’s powers and asks Chen Lin whether he can sense its energy. He accepts his cover story without pressing further.
• Brother Jin demonstrates both caution and loyalty to the Assembly’s rules: he gives Guyuan limited information but refuses to disclose the buyer. His wariness of Lord Ming is also evident.
• Patriarch Guyuan seeks information about the bidders and the insect’s buyer, but claims he has no intention of stealing it. He agrees to fulfill his bargain with Brother Jin.
• The single-horned man reveals a serious personal and family concern: recovering the stolen treasure matters far more than avenging his grandson.

Significant themes

• Destiny, agency, and possibility: The insect offers ways to change fate, escape death, and achieve the seemingly impossible.
• Secrecy and self-preservation: Chen Lin hides his talent and interest, while the auction’s confidentiality rules protect buyers from exposure.
• Power and risk: Even extraordinary tools may be dangerous to pursue when they attract attention or depend on scarce abilities.
• Loyalty and family stakes: The single-horned man’s concern centers on the consequences of the lost treasure for his entire lineage.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin auctions an ordinary-grade Immortal Sword. Its demonstration reveals formidable Sword Qi, but the weapon’s need for specialized immortal power makes its potential buyers scarce.
• When his requested barter items attract no offers, Chen Lin agrees to accept Carefree Coins, setting a minimum price of 200,000. The sword eventually sells for 420,000 coins.
• Chen Lin considers using the proceeds from his immortal artifacts to strengthen the Dark Red Spearhead, hoping it might pierce the God Pillar Realm’s planar barrier and help him and Huangfu Qingrou escape. He recognizes that this would also require a skilled Artifact Refiner and may be difficult to arrange before the assembly ends.
• A young alien woman auctions high-purity time sand from an Imperial Time Snail. She wants a Time-Type Pseudo-Source Treasure, or alternatively time-talent origin essence or a pure Origin Orb.
• Chen Lin tries to negotiate because the sand could be useful to him, but he has none of the items she will accept. He considers walking away and testing whether his existing time sand can be purified and used as a substitute for endless water.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is practical and resourceful: he adjusts his trading terms when barter fails and calculates how the proceeds might advance his escape plan. He is interested in the time sand but cautious about overpaying for an uncertain substitute.
• Huangfu Qingrou watches Chen Lin’s decisions and shares a quiet glance with him when the time-sand seller appears. She knows he needs endless water but cannot judge whether the sand will serve his purpose.
• The young alien woman is persistent and uncompromising, repeating her demand for a time-related treasure and refusing ordinary alternatives. Her insistence suggests urgency, though her reason remains undisclosed.
• The auctioneer advises Chen Lin that Immortal Swords are difficult to sell because few attendees can wield them, then facilitates the coin sale. Chen Lin’s private negotiation with the young woman ends without agreement.

Significant themes

• Usefulness determines value: A powerful treasure can be hard to trade when only a small group can use it.
• Scarcity and negotiation: Both Chen Lin and the young woman need rare items, but their rigid or limited inventories prevent an easy exchange.
• Planning under constraints: Chen Lin’s escape scheme depends not only on wealth but also on time, specialized expertise, and suitable materials.

Key plot points

• Chen Lin negotiates with a woman who wants either time-talent origin or a Time-Type Pseudo-Source Treasure. He offers information about a time-talent holder, Ximen Wuxue, in exchange for her time sand.
• The woman agrees to trade the entire bottle of time sand for Ximen Wuxue’s information and a Location Bead, with a No-Lie Contract witnessed by the auctioneer. Chen Lin supplies both, and the woman accepts them.
• Chen Lin later appraises the time sand and sells two other immortal artifacts for 900,000 Carefree Coins, bringing his total to over 1.3 million—enough, if carefully budgeted, to fund a shaft for his Dark Red Spearhead.
• After the first day’s auction and a short break, the second day begins under Huang Li, a formidable, fire-themed auctioneer whom Chen Lin judges to be at least a Dispersed Immortal.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is calculating and opportunistic: he uses the woman’s urgency to demand all her time sand, while keeping his information protected by a binding contract. He also considers the risk of betraying Ximen Wuxue and explains their past conflict to Huangfu Qingrou.
• Huangfu Qingrou responds with trust and affection, saying Chen Lin’s treatment of her matters more than others’ judgment of him. Her reassurance warms him.
• The woman becomes increasingly anxious to obtain the information and ultimately accepts Chen Lin’s terms. After reading the Jade Slip, she leaves without explanation.
• Chen Lin initially views the deal as a way to settle his grudge against Ximen Wuxue, but later feels the time sand has effectively repaid that debt, bringing the conflict to a close.

Significant themes

• Bargaining and leverage: Chen Lin turns scarce information and the woman’s urgency into a highly favorable exchange.
• Trust and loyalty: The contract formalizes a risky deal, while Chen Lin’s conversation with Huangfu Qingrou highlights the trust in their relationship.
• Ambition and preparation: The rare treasures deepen Chen Lin’s longing for the wider world, and he continues planning to strengthen his weapon and address a hidden danger in his body.
• Power and hierarchy: Huang Li’s overwhelming presence reminds Chen Lin of the formidable forces behind the assembly and the difficulty of seeking help from the Good Fortune Immortal Lord.

Chapter Summary: “Exploration Slots”

Key plot points and events

• At the Carefree Assembly auction, Chen Lin sees many valuable treasures he cannot afford. A rare Formless Fruit is quickly sold despite its demanding price.
• The Reincarnation Stone is presented. It can preserve a person’s memories through reincarnation, which Chen Lin considers as a possible way to address a hidden danger in his body. He and Huangfu Qingrou do not bid.
• As the auction nears its end, the organizers unexpectedly introduce an expedition through a Gate of Reality into the Upper Primal Domain.
• The expedition’s leader, the Light Envoy, appears with an aura so powerful that looking at him injures Chen Lin and Huangfu Qingrou. He explains that he was contaminated while exploring another plane and cannot fully restrain his power.
• The Light Envoy says the Gate leads to an orderly True Realm and offers one hundred exploration slots. Successful bidders will receive Rule Transformation Beads, which protect them from the Upper Primal Domain’s reality force for three years. Participants must be Rank Seven or possess a rule-based innate talent.
• Chen Lin is excited by the beads because they might allow Huangfu and his other loved ones to enter the Upper Primal Domain. He has enough Carefree Coins to buy slots, but does not want to risk joining the expedition himself.
• Despite the danger and the lack of an obvious reward, bidding begins immediately. An attendant explains that the Light Envoy is famous for missions that reliably bring benefits and rarely fail. More than five hundred people bid for the hundred places.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is dazzled by the auction’s rare treasures and recognizes how limited his own collection is. The Reincarnation Stone renews his interest in rebirth as a last resort, while the revelation about multiple Upper Primal Domain planes makes him wary of assuming that reaching the Upper Realm will solve his problems.
• Huangfu Qingrou challenges Chen Lin’s reliance on fallback plans, arguing that excessive caution can weaken a cultivator’s resolve. She respects that each person follows a different path, however, and does not try to change him. Later, she agrees that the expedition might be an opportunity, though its popularity demands an explanation.
• Chen Lin and Huangfu discuss both the Reincarnation Stone and the expedition. Their exchange shows mutual concern and trust: she questions his choices, while he takes her advice seriously without abandoning his own judgment.
• The Light Envoy is introduced as a formidable and influential figure. His reputation—not merely the promised beads—appears to drive the crowd’s enthusiasm.
• The attendant provides Chen Lin with crucial context about the Light Envoy’s standing and the expedition’s appeal.

Significant themes

• Risk, preparation, and the path to cultivation: Huangfu argues that relying too heavily on escape routes can undermine the determination needed to pursue the Great Dao; Chen Lin sees survival plans as necessary when no other options remain.
• The limits of knowledge: Chen Lin realizes that the Upper Primal Domain contains different planes and cultivation systems, making his earlier assumptions—and preparations—potentially misguided.
• Trust and reputation: The Light Envoy’s record inspires extraordinary confidence, even though the mission appears dangerous and offers no clear payment.
• Love and responsibility: Chen Lin’s interest in the Rule Transformation Beads is driven less by personal ambition than by the possibility of bringing his wife and other loved ones with him.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin decides not to bid for a slot in the Gate of Reality exploration mission. His innate talent warns him that something is wrong, and he is wary of the Light Envoy and the powerful figures the mission would attract.
• He confirms that the Carefree Token can send his companion back to her original plane, but cannot be used to transfer to a different plane. Reaching the Gate of Reality will require the organizers’ powerful means of crossing the void.
• Huangfu Qingrou agrees that the exploration offer is too risky to trust. Chen Lin instead plans to return to the God Pillar Realm and test whether high-purity time sand can substitute for endless water in making destiny noodles. If that fails, he will seek another exploration opportunity or investigate the Submarine Light Gate.
• At the next day’s auction, a scarred, intimidating woman offers three mid-grade Pseudo-Source Treasures—including a lightning-attribute one—in exchange for something that can help her soul.
• Chen Lin contacts her, hoping to obtain the lightning treasure. He learns she has a Soul-Devouring Gu implanted in her soul; Nascent Soul Pills cannot help, and she needs a rare soul-preserving treasure or a way to change her soul’s scent.
• Chen Lin invites her to try his Soul-Destroying Finger. She agrees, offering one treasure if it merely suppresses the gu and all three if he cures her completely.
• When Chen Lin uses the technique, the woman recognizes its power as Prison-Suppressing Power and asks whether he is a Prison-Suppressing Envoy. Chen Lin denies knowing that name, while concealing what he can. The technique works enough to give her hope, and she tells him to continue under her guidance.

Character developments

• Chen Lin remains cautious and strategic: he abandons a potentially valuable mission when his instincts warn him, then focuses on safer alternatives. His desire for the lightning treasure leads him to risk revealing a powerful secret, though he takes precautions to hide the technique’s effects.
• Huangfu Qingrou reinforces her distrust of the exploration offer and supports Chen Lin’s decision not to participate.
• The scarred woman is introduced as a formidable, brutally experienced figure, but her Soul-Devouring Gu leaves her vulnerable and desperate for a remedy. Chen Lin’s ability rekindles her hope and makes her curious about his origins.

Character interactions

• Chen Lin questions an attendant about the Carefree Token’s limits, then consults Huangfu Qingrou before settling on a course of action.
• He negotiates privately with the scarred woman, first investigating her condition and then proposing his technique as an alternative remedy.
• Huangfu Qingrou steps aside during the treatment, while the scarred woman shields Chen Lin and Huangfu from her uncontrolled blood baleful qi.
• The woman identifies Chen Lin’s power and presses him about its source; he avoids confirming her suspicions and redirects the conversation to whether the technique can help her.

Significant themes

• Caution versus opportunity: Chen Lin repeatedly weighs the promise of advancement against the risks of trusting unknown powers.
• Secrecy and self-preservation: He hides his abilities and avoids drawing the attention of powerful figures.
• Uncertain hope: Both his plans for reaching higher realms and the woman’s chance of resisting the gu depend on possibilities that remain unproven.