Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “First Meeting, My Name Is Song Shuhang!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang reflects on the mysterious second Spirit Ghost associated with Ghost Lantern Temple. He considers three possibilities:
  1. The Spirit Ghosts somehow found each other independently.
  2. Someone deliberately raised or placed them there.
  3. Someone is targeting him for the Spirit Ghost or the Soul-Sealing Ice Pearl.
• He suspects the intruder who entered his room may have intended to steal his treasures or kill him, but wonders why the attacker retreated without harming him. He recalls sensing blood and suspects that Senior Medicine Master may have protected him.
• Shuhang decides to visit Medicine Master to ask about the attack, vigilance, and concealing treasures.
• Before leaving campus, he meets Nan Haomeng, whom he defeated the previous night. Haomeng reveals that he has identified the person investigating Shuhang: Lin Tao, a second-year Finance student.
• Shuhang and Haomeng visit Lin Tao’s dormitory. Lin Tao recognizes Shuhang as the person he was paid to investigate and tries to close the door.
• Shuhang effortlessly prevents him from shutting it and confronts him, offering a choice between talking peacefully or “talking” through a beating.
• Frightened, Lin Tao agrees to explain everything, and Shuhang leads him toward the rooftop to question him.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang: Becomes more cautious and suspicious after realizing that his information may have been leaked to dangerous cultivators. Although normally gentle, he displays justified anger and a more intimidating side when confronting Lin Tao. His physical abilities also appear far beyond those of an ordinary student.
• Nan Haomeng: Despite having been beaten by Shuhang, he follows through on his promise to help investigate. His efficiency and cooperation suggest that his relationship with Shuhang is shifting from hostility toward reluctant cooperation.
• Lin Tao: Revealed to be a paid informant motivated by money. He knowingly accepted a suspicious request to collect Shuhang’s personal information and now becomes terrified when confronted by the person he betrayed.

Significant Themes

• The danger and cruelty of the cultivation world: Shuhang recognizes that powerful cultivators may ignore ordinary laws and commit murder or violence over treasures.
• Greed and its consequences: Lin Tao’s willingness to sell information for money places him in danger, emphasizing how greed can lead to serious consequences.
• Growing vigilance: Shuhang realizes that possessing supernatural treasures attracts danger and that he must learn to protect both himself and his belongings.
• The contrast between ordinary life and the supernatural world: The confrontation takes place in a university dormitory, showing how cultivation-related threats are intruding into Shuhang’s normal student life.

Character Interactions

• Shuhang mentally considers whether Medicine Master protected him and plans to seek his guidance.
• Nan Haomeng provides Shuhang with information about Lin Tao, helping him trace the source of the investigation.
• Shuhang confronts Lin Tao with controlled but unmistakable menace. Lin Tao attempts to rely on school rules for protection, but Shuhang points out that those protections will not apply once Lin Tao leaves campus.
• The chapter ends with Lin Tao reluctantly agreeing to talk, while fearing both Shuhang and the imposing Nan Haomeng.

Chapter 62 Summary: “Hmm, I Tricked You!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Tao is forced by Song Shuhang and Nan Haomeng to go to the dormitory rooftop and explain who hired him to investigate Song Shuhang.
• Lin Tao claims he does not know the man’s identity, but describes him as a tall, thin man with unusually long arms, thick lips, large sunglasses, and an accent from the area near Luoxin District.
• His description leads Song Shuhang to suspect that the investigation may be connected to the mysterious Spirit Ghost.
• Lin Tao admits he gave the stranger Song Shuhang’s residence, close friends, and immediate relatives. He offers to return the payment, but the money only enrages Song Shuhang further.
• Song Shuhang punches Lin Tao, knocking out several teeth, though he restrains himself from causing more serious injuries. He orders Lin Tao to erase all information about him and never interfere again.
• On the way out, Nan Haomeng worries that Lin Tao may report the assault to the school. Song Shuhang reveals that he deliberately brought Nan Haomeng along so the conspicuous giant would appear to be the likely culprit. Nan Haomeng realizes he has been tricked and returns to warn Lin Tao not to retaliate.
• Before class, Song Shuhang visits Medicine Master’s residence to ask questions. There, he encounters an intimidating petite woman unloading an alchemy furnace from an old car.
• The furnace suddenly expands to the size of the vehicle, reminding Song Shuhang of the astonishing abilities made possible by cultivation.

Character Development

• Song Shuhang becomes more decisive and intimidating. Concern for the safety of his friends and family overwhelms his usual restraint, leading him to punish Lin Tao, although he still deliberately limits the damage.
• He also shows increased cunning by using Nan Haomeng as a decoy and manipulating appearances to avoid responsibility for the assault.
• Lin Tao is revealed to be cowardly and opportunistic. Though he cooperates and offers the money back, he has already endangered Song Shuhang by selling personal information. After being beaten, he is left frightened, injured, and regretful.
• Nan Haomeng remains physically intimidating but is easily outmaneuvered by Song Shuhang. Despite feeling betrayed, he shows responsibility by going back to warn Lin Tao.
• The unidentified woman at Medicine Master’s residence is introduced as powerful, imposing, and bad-tempered, despite her small stature.

Significant Themes

• Protection and retaliation: Song Shuhang’s anger comes from the threat posed to his loved ones, showing how seriously he takes responsibility for those close to him.
• Cunning versus brute force: Although Song Shuhang possesses overwhelming strength, he also relies on deception and strategic thinking.
• The danger of information: Even seemingly ordinary personal details can become life-threatening in the cultivation world.
• The extraordinary hidden within the ordinary: An old car and a seemingly normal furnace conceal magical technology, emphasizing the hidden supernatural world surrounding everyday life.
• Cultivation’s limitless possibilities: The expanding furnace reinforces the idea that cultivators can achieve abilities far beyond normal human understanding.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang interrogates and punishes Lin Tao, making clear that further involvement will have severe consequences.
• His relationship with Nan Haomeng is marked by humor and manipulation: he uses Nan’s appearance to create a false impression, prompting Nan to accuse him of trickery.
• Song Shuhang then encounters the mysterious woman at Medicine Master’s home, observing her intimidating behavior and witnessing the furnace’s magical transformation.

Chapter 63 Summary: Jiang Ziyan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang meets Jiang Ziyan, Medicine Master’s disciple, while helping her carry Medicine Master’s large alchemy furnace upstairs.
• Jiang explains that she is currently only Medicine Master’s disciple, though she seems pleased when Song Shuhang suggests she might be his dao partner. She looks after Medicine Master’s daily life because he becomes absorbed in his research.
• Song discovers that Medicine Master’s appearance has been dramatically altered: his hair is arranged into numerous decorated braids, and his dark circles have been turned into smoky eye makeup. Jiang appears responsible for the makeover.
• Medicine Master reveals that he knew Song Shuhang would come because he had secretly placed a defensive formation on Song’s body. The formation activated when an assassin attacked Song’s residence the previous night.
• The hiltless blade left by the intruder carries the smell of blood and the resentment of many victims, proving that the attacker was an experienced killer.
• Medicine Master confirms that the attacker was likely one of the cultivators following him and that the assassin will not appear again, implying that the attacker was killed.
• Medicine Master warns Song that the Cultivator World contains dangers caused not only by natural disasters and Heavenly Tribulations, but also by human enemies.
• Song explains that he was initially frightened and frustrated by his lack of vigilance, but later felt strangely excited by the encounter.
• Song then reveals the Soul-Sealing Ice Pearl, explaining that it contains a Spirit Ghost he obtained while helping Soft Feather. This suggests that the assassin may have targeted him because of his connection to Medicine Master or the Spirit Ghost.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang shows increasing awareness of the dangers of cultivation. He recognizes his weakness in detecting threats and seeks to improve his vigilance. Although fundamentally kind-hearted, he makes clear that he does not believe enemies should be spared.
• Medicine Master is revealed to have secretly protected Song through a defensive formation. He also takes on a more serious mentoring role, warning Song against excessive mercy while acknowledging his good nature.
• Jiang Ziyan is introduced as Medicine Master’s practical, blunt, and somewhat teasing disciple. She manages Medicine Master’s personal affairs and appears to have a close emotional relationship with him, despite their current teacher-disciple status.
• Medicine Master’s unusual appearance highlights his eccentricity and Jiang Ziyan’s controlling or playful influence over him.

Significant Themes

• The dangerous reality of the Cultivator World: Cultivation involves not only supernatural trials but also assassination, grudges, and conflicts between people.
• Kindness versus survival: Medicine Master emphasizes that goodness must be balanced with judgment; showing mercy to enemies can endanger oneself and others.
• Protection and responsibility: Medicine Master’s secret formation demonstrates his concern for Song, while also suggesting that Song is becoming involved in conflicts beyond his control.
• Growing maturity: Song begins moving from an ordinary newcomer toward someone capable of confronting lethal threats and making firm moral decisions.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ziyan and Song Shuhang establish a teasing but cooperative relationship, with Jiang openly calling him an “oddball.”
• Medicine Master treats Song warmly as a junior while seriously advising him about vigilance and enemies.
• Jiang and Medicine Master’s relationship appears close and domestic: she handles his appearance and daily needs, while he accepts her involvement despite her bluntness.
• Song’s conversation with Medicine Master confirms mutual trust, as Song acknowledges that Medicine Master saved his life and Medicine Master openly discusses the danger surrounding him.

Chapter Summary: “The Unassailable Position!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang explains to Medicine Master that the person who entered his room may have been searching for the valuable Spirit Ghost Soft Feather gave him. He also reveals that someone has paid students to investigate his relatives and friends, raising fears that the enemy may harm them.
• Although Song Shuhang is willing to sacrifice the Spirit Ghost to protect his loved ones, Medicine Master explains that he cannot personally help track or fight the hidden enemy because combat and investigation are not his specialties.
• Medicine Master suggests that Song Shuhang could offer the Spirit Ghost as a reward to powerful members of the Nine Provinces Number One Group. Many of them would likely travel great distances to help him.
• However, Medicine Master strongly advises Song Shuhang not to give it up unless absolutely necessary. The Spirit Ghost could compensate for Song Shuhang having missed the ideal age for Foundation Establishment and might serve as his essential “Dao-entering item.”
• Medicine Master points out that the enemy may only be a First-Grade Cultivator, meaning Song Shuhang might eventually be able to confront and use them as training. He advises Shuhang to investigate and seek other forms of assistance first.
• Jiang Ziyan finishes helping Medicine Master move his pill furnace and leaves cheerfully, apparently planning something mischievous.
• Song Shuhang asks Medicine Master how to detect surveillance and avoid being followed. Medicine Master accesses the group’s extensive collection of guides for adapting Cultivators to modern society, including materials on technology, legal identities, money exchange, traffic safety, and social integration.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang demonstrates growing responsibility and determination. He prioritizes the safety of his family and friends over preserving a treasure crucial to his cultivation future.
• He also recognizes his weaknesses: he lacks sufficient strength, awareness, and practical knowledge to protect himself or others, motivating him to learn defensive and investigative techniques.
• Medicine Master shows both wisdom and admiration for Shuhang’s values. He clarifies the Spirit Ghost’s enormous importance while encouraging Shuhang not to act rashly or surrender it prematurely.
• Jiang Ziyan continues to display a playful, bold, and mischievous personality. Her offer to act as bait and eliminate attackers is partly a joke, but it also reflects her confidence and willingness to help.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice versus personal advancement: Song Shuhang must weigh a priceless cultivation resource against the safety of those he loves.
• Responsibility and protection: His concern for ordinary friends and family marks his growing maturity as a Cultivator.
• Preparation and self-reliance: Rather than depending immediately on powerful seniors, Shuhang is encouraged to investigate, improve his awareness, and develop the skills needed to handle danger.
• The importance of foundations: The Spirit Ghost symbolizes the foundation of Shuhang’s future cultivation path and his chance to overcome the disadvantages of starting late.
• Cultivators adapting to modern society: The group’s guides provide humorous evidence that powerful cultivators still need practical instruction in technology, law, transportation, and everyday life.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang discusses the threat with Medicine Master and Jiang Ziyan, revealing his fears about attacks on his loved ones.
• Jiang Ziyan jokingly offers to keep the Spirit Ghost and lure the enemy toward herself; Medicine Master immediately rejects the idea by flicking her forehead.
• Song Shuhang offers the Spirit Ghost as payment for Medicine Master’s help, but Medicine Master refuses and redirects him toward the wider cultivation group.
• Medicine Master explains the Spirit Ghost’s importance, helping Shuhang understand that surrendering it would seriously hinder his future.
• The chapter ends with Medicine Master beginning to teach Shuhang practical survival skills by consulting the Nine Provinces Number One Group’s shared resources.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking Clues to the Enemy’s Trail”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang explores the Nine Provinces Number One Group’s shared files for the first time and discovers resources designed to help cultivators adapt to modern society, including fabricated identities and personal information.
• Medicine Master tells him about Lay Buddhist Xian Gong, a powerful cultivator who survived an atomic bomb exploding directly above his secluded cultivation site. Although protected by over a hundred defensive formations, Xian Gong required decades to recover and now hates any mention of nuclear weapons.
• The discussion highlights the dangers modern technology poses to cultivators who spend decades in seclusion, especially the possibility of large-scale nuclear destruction.
• Medicine Master finds Song Shuhang a document by Drunk Moon Hermit titled Preliminary Research and Discussion on the Applications of Mental Energy. It teaches basic mental-energy techniques for detecting ambushes and improving vigilance.
• Song Shuhang learns that Drunk Moon Hermit is actually Sage Monarch Drunk Moon, an expert at the Eighth-Grade Profound Sage realm, far beyond Medicine Master’s current level.
• Medicine Master confirms that actual combat can improve Song Shuhang’s understanding of the Vajra Foundation Fist, encouraging him to practice fighting more often.
• Before leaving, Song Shuhang proposes tracking the poisoned assassin’s companions by observing who purchases medicinal ingredients needed to counteract the poison.
• Medicine Master provides four rare medicinal names as bait. They are not genuine antidotes; in fact, using some of them would make the poison stronger. Because the ingredients are uncommon, purchases may reveal the assassin’s associates or mastermind.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang becomes more observant and strategically minded. Rather than simply reacting to danger, he analyzes the assassin’s likely behavior and devises a method to follow the trail.
• He also shows growing dedication to cultivation by seeking advice about actual combat and recognizing how battle deepened his understanding of his martial technique.
• Medicine Master continues acting as Shuhang’s mentor, providing cultivation resources, practical advice, and assistance with the investigation. His pride in his poison-making skills and his use of misleading antidote ingredients reveal his cleverness and confidence.
• Lay Buddhist Xian Gong is characterized indirectly as exceptionally powerful but traumatized by surviving a nuclear attack.
• Drunk Moon Hermit is revealed to be an extremely high-level cultivator, emphasizing the vast power gap between Shuhang and the group’s senior members.

Significant Themes

• Conflict between cultivation and modern technology: Traditional cultivators must adapt to rapid technological development, which can pose unexpected and devastating threats.
• The absurdity of power and danger: Even immensely powerful cultivators may be vulnerable to modern weapons, creating humor and undermining Shuhang’s idealized image of immortal experts.
• Practical learning through experience: Medicine Master stresses that knowledge becomes meaningful only when applied, whether through actual combat or investigating an enemy.
• Resourcefulness and deduction: Song Shuhang begins using logic and behavioral analysis to turn a seemingly hopeless investigation into a concrete lead.
• The vast hierarchy of cultivation: The mention of the Profound Sage realm reminds Shuhang—and the reader—how far he still has to progress.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang and Medicine Master have a supportive mentor-student relationship. Medicine Master answers Shuhang’s questions, shares group resources, and praises his reasoning.
• Their conversation mixes serious cultivation guidance with humorous stories about nuclear weapons and the unconventional behavior of cultivators.
• Song Shuhang respectfully asks Medicine Master about mental energy, martial practice, and the poison investigation, while Medicine Master encourages his initiative and supplies the tools needed to pursue the enemy.
• The chapter ends with Song Shuhang leaving Medicine Master’s residence determined to investigate the medicinal purchases and uncover the people behind the assassination attempt.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens on Spirit Butterfly Island, a hidden island in the Eastern Sea protected from human detection. Giant butterflies serve as messengers, delivering the cultivator newspaper, Cultivator Daily.
• Soft Feather reads various humorous and informative reports, including:
  • The macho master of the Southern Everlasting Sword Sect apologizing to his dao companion after their quarrel.
  • Warnings about the Mad Demon Overlord’s activities.
  • News about treasures, gambling on Spirit Stones, attacks on western deities, and cultivator trading notices.
• Soft Feather becomes interested in a report about a mysterious floating island near the Eastern Sea. The island contains rich spiritual energy and extinct creatures but disappears before anyone can explore it.
• She asks her father, Venerable Spirit Butterfly, to take her there. He agrees only after she completes the Spirit Ghost Contract Formation, part of their earlier agreement following her unauthorized adventure.
• Venerable Spirit Butterfly praises the sandals Soft Feather is wearing, only to discover that they were bought for her by “Senior Song”—Song Shuhang. He becomes jealous and inwardly distressed upon realizing how much his daughter admires this young man.
• Meanwhile, Song Shuhang returns toward school while planning how to gain more combat experience and improve his cultivation. He considers fighting street delinquents and calculates how to train with the Vajra Foundation Fist.
• Because his Blood Qi currently takes almost twenty-three hours to recover, he can practice the technique only once per day. He realizes that Blood Qi Pills would greatly accelerate his progress and improve his chances against the assassin threatening him.
• Song Shuhang arrives again in the alleys of the Great Fortune District but finds them unusually quiet and does not see the short-haired girl he had previously encountered.

Character Developments

• Soft Feather: Remains adventurous, energetic, and eager to explore new places. She shows determination to honor her promise to complete the Spirit Ghost contract, though she finds the process frustrating. Her fondness for Song Shuhang becomes increasingly evident.
• Venerable Spirit Butterfly: Appears as a loving and indulgent father, but he becomes comically jealous and protective after learning that Song Shuhang bought Soft Feather’s sandals. His irritation also extends to his lazy eldest disciple, Liu Jianyi.
• Song Shuhang: Displays growing awareness of the urgency of cultivation. He is focused on strengthening himself, managing his limited Blood Qi, and preparing to confront the assassin.

Significant Themes

• Parental protectiveness and jealousy: Venerable Spirit Butterfly’s affection for Soft Feather clashes humorously with his discomfort over her admiration for another man.
• Adventure and curiosity: Soft Feather is drawn toward the mysterious floating island, reflecting the cultivators’ attraction to danger, discovery, and hidden opportunities.
• Discipline versus freedom: Soft Feather must fulfill her agreement and complete the Spirit Ghost contract before being allowed to travel again.
• The pressure of cultivation: Song Shuhang’s limited resources and slow Blood Qi recovery emphasize the difficulty of progressing quickly while facing external threats.
• Humor in the cultivation world: The newspaper combines serious warnings and valuable information with gossip, absurd incidents, and trading notices.

Character Interactions

• Soft Feather and Venerable Spirit Butterfly: Their conversation highlights their affectionate father-daughter relationship. He gently imposes conditions on her adventures, while she tries to persuade him to take her exploring.
• Soft Feather and Song Shuhang: Though Song Shuhang does not appear directly with her, Soft Feather’s comments about him reveal her admiration and the impact he has made on her.
• Venerable Spirit Butterfly and Song Shuhang: They do not meet in the chapter, but Song Shuhang becomes the focus of the Venerable’s jealousy after Soft Feather credits him with buying her sandals.
• Song Shuhang and his cultivation challenges: His internal reflections show him negotiating with himself over training, resources, and the need to become stronger before facing the assassin.

Chapter 67 Summary: “A Little Trick for Mental Strength”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On his way to class, Song Shuhang notices an office worker drop more than 150 yuan. When Song returns the money, the man assumes he is attempting an internet scam and runs away.
• Amused and frustrated, Song Shuhang keeps the abandoned money, though he jokingly questions whether something someone “picked up” can truly be considered theirs.
• During his morning university class, Song reads Drunk Moon Hermit’s article, “Preliminary Research on the Optimized Application of Mental Strength.”
• The article introduces three basic applications of mental strength:
  1. Spirit Detection: Extending mental strength to sense the surrounding environment.
  2. Vigilance: Keeping mental strength active to detect changes and conceal one’s presence.
  3. Mental Pressure: Releasing mental strength to intimidate or suppress weaker opponents.
• Song decides to practice the techniques during class. Using the True Self Meditation Scripture, he successfully expands his mental strength to cover roughly five meters.
• His Spirit Detection can sense only relatively large objects, and people appear blurry and indistinct. Its use unintentionally makes nearby students feel watched, exposed, and uncomfortable, so Song quickly withdraws it.
• After resting, he attempts the vigilance technique. It allows him to detect wind, body heat, voices, and other environmental changes, but he loses the state after less than ten seconds when his concentration wavers.

Character Development

• Song Shuhang’s basic kindness remains intact despite his experiences in the Cultivator Realm; he still instinctively helps ordinary people.
• He demonstrates growing initiative and curiosity as a cultivator, immediately practicing new techniques after learning about them.
• His mental strength is still weak and difficult to control, but he shows potential and learns quickly.
• He also retains his humorous, self-aware personality, especially when dealing with the office worker’s suspicion and the accidental discomfort caused by his Spirit Detection.

Significant Themes

• Kindness versus mistrust: Song’s honest attempt to help is mistaken for a scam, reflecting how suspicion can undermine genuine goodwill.
• The gap between learning and mastery: The techniques are easy to understand but require repeated practice, concentration, and stronger mental power to use effectively.
• The hidden potential of cultivation: Mental strength is more than a tool for controlling spiritual energy; it can support detection, defense, concealment, and combat.
• Unintended consequences: Even harmless abilities can disturb others when used without sufficient control or awareness.

Character Interactions

• Song interacts briefly with the office worker, whose fear and suspicion turn a simple act of kindness into a comic misunderstanding.
• His use of Spirit Detection indirectly affects nearby classmates, who feel as though they are being watched or exposed without knowing why.
• Song’s cultivation progress is guided by the writings of Drunk Moon Hermit and the earlier advice of Medicine Master, showing how the Nine Provinces Number One Group continues to support his development.

Chapter Summary: The Female Instructor Who Was Scared to Tears

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang experiments with his newly awakened mental power during class. He realizes that maintaining this heightened mental state could greatly improve his practice of the Vajra Foundation Fist, though it would require further training.
• After recovering his mental power, he attempts to use a new technique called Mental Pressure, which can frighten or overwhelm people with weaker mental power.
• While searching the classroom for someone to use as a test subject, Song Shuhang is unexpectedly called on by the substitute instructor, Miao Xiao.
• Because his Mental Pressure is already prepared, it automatically targets Miao Xiao when their eyes meet.
• Miao Xiao experiences terrifying hallucinations and overwhelming fear. She begins crying, begs Song Shuhang not to hit her, and flees the classroom.
• The students are completely confused because, from their perspective, Song Shuhang merely stood up and looked at her before she suddenly ran away in tears.
• Song Shuhang is summoned to the counselor’s office. Both he and the counselor struggle to understand how the incident occurred.
• Miao Xiao confirms that Song Shuhang did nothing visibly threatening, but admits that she inexplicably became terrified when she looked at him. She apologizes and agrees to explain the misunderstanding to the class.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang gains a better understanding of his mental power and begins experimenting with its applications. However, his lack of control leads to an embarrassing and potentially reputation-damaging accident.
• He becomes increasingly aware that supernatural abilities must be used carefully, especially around ordinary people. His guilt shows that he has no intention of frightening or harming Miao Xiao.
• Miao Xiao is introduced as a capable, clear, and well-liked new instructor, but the incident reveals that she has poor psychological resilience. Despite her humiliation, she is honest, straightforward, and willing to take responsibility.
• Counselor Song is portrayed as a normally absent but responsible counselor who becomes deeply confused by the inexplicable event. His positive impression of Shuhang makes him reluctant to believe Shuhang intentionally bullied the instructor.

Significant Themes

• Learning to control power: Song Shuhang’s mental abilities are useful but dangerous when activated carelessly.
• The gap between appearance and reality: Everyone believes Song Shuhang frightened the instructor, yet he never consciously threatened her.
• Unintended consequences: A harmless experiment quickly becomes a public scandal because supernatural effects are invisible to ordinary observers.
• Guilt and responsibility: Shuhang feels responsible for Miao Xiao’s distress even though the incident was accidental.
• Comedic misunderstanding: The students and counselor see only the strange outward result, creating an absurd situation with no obvious explanation.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang mentally plans to test Mental Pressure on his absent roommates, viewing close friends as convenient experimental subjects.
• Miao Xiao calls on Shuhang because she suspects he is misbehaving in class, but her attempt to discipline him backfires when his Mental Pressure affects her.
• The classroom witnesses the incident without understanding it, immediately treating Shuhang as suspicious.
• In the counselor’s office, Shuhang honestly denies knowing what happened, while Miao Xiao tearfully confirms that she simply became terrified upon seeing him.
• Her willingness to apologize and explain the incident makes Shuhang feel even more guilty about the accidental harm.

Chapter 69 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Teacher Miao Xiao breaks down after Song Shuhang unintentionally frightens her while experimenting with mental-energy techniques. Counselor Song comforts her and reassures Song Shuhang that she is an excellent teacher.
• Song Shuhang apologizes and asks that the incident not affect Miao Xiao’s job. Counselor Song promises the misunderstanding will be resolved.
• Counselor Song reminds Song Shuhang about the men’s 5,000-meter race. Although Shuhang never volunteered, he pretends he is prepared to participate.
• After returning to class, Shuhang stops using Mental Pressure and Spirit Detective Method, practicing only Vigilance. He discovers that Vigilance improves his concentration, learning ability, and Blood Qi.
• Miao Xiao courageously explains her earlier loss of composure to the class and resumes teaching normally, allowing the matter to pass without lasting consequences.
• Shuhang decides to check on his three roommates, who have missed both morning classes after drinking heavily.
• While traveling, he experiments with combining his mental techniques. His lack of mental energy causes repeated failures and leaves him exhausted.
• Distracted, Shuhang collides with a large mohawked delinquent. The delinquent and his companions attempt to extort money from him.
• When the delinquents suggest settling the matter through a fight, Shuhang becomes delighted because he can use them as practice opponents for the Vajra Foundation Fist.
• Within two minutes, he defeats all of them while using only around thirty percent of his strength, practicing all eighteen moves of the technique. He concludes that real combat is the best way to test his training.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang shows guilt and consideration by worrying that his actions might cost Miao Xiao her job. He also remains unusually honest and straightforward during the confrontation with the delinquents.
• His growing cultivation makes him vastly stronger than ordinary people, though he is still learning to control and apply his abilities.
• Shuhang becomes increasingly enthusiastic about practical combat training, treating the defeated delinquents as useful “practice targets” rather than serious enemies.
• Miao Xiao demonstrates professionalism and emotional resilience by explaining her breakdown to the class and continuing to teach effectively.
• Counselor Song acts as a supportive mediator, protecting both Miao Xiao and Shuhang from the consequences of the misunderstanding.
• The delinquents, particularly the mohawked leader, are revealed to be ordinary bullies whose confidence collapses once they encounter Shuhang’s strength.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and compassion: Shuhang’s concern for Miao Xiao and her willingness to explain herself allow the incident to end peacefully.
• Growth through practice: Shuhang’s cultivation improves through repeated experimentation, while actual combat helps him understand the Vajra Foundation Fist more deeply.
• Hidden power versus ordinary life: Shuhang continues attending classes and dealing with everyday problems while possessing abilities far beyond normal human limits.
• Humility and restraint: Despite his overwhelming advantage, Shuhang uses only limited strength and focuses on training rather than seriously harming the delinquents.
• The value of persistence: Although his attempts to combine mental techniques fail, he continues experimenting and learning from each failure.

Character Interactions

• Counselor Song comforts Miao Xiao and later reassures Shuhang about the classroom incident.
• Shuhang and Miao Xiao indirectly reconcile when she openly explains her behavior to the students.
• Shuhang encounters the mohawked delinquent and five companions after accidentally knocking their leader down.
• The delinquents try to intimidate and extort Shuhang, but their threat backfires when he eagerly accepts their challenge to fight.
• After defeating them, Shuhang offers surprisingly sincere feedback, praising their effort while criticizing their lack of technique.

Summary of “Stench Pill”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating a group of delinquents, Song Shuhang heads to Li Yangde’s dormitory. The beaten delinquents vow to gather more people and attack him again.
• A mysterious short-haired girl arrives and complains that Song Shuhang has “stolen her mobs.” She casually steps on the injured delinquents before leaving, suggesting unusual strength or an eccentric personality.
• Song Shuhang brings breakfast to his hungover roommates, Tubo, Li Yangde, and Gao Moumou. The three joke about Gao Moumou’s drunken sleep-talking and consider using it to force him to pay for meals.
• Song asks Li Yangde to locate four rare medicinal ingredients listed by Medicine Master. Li agrees to search Chinese medicine databases, forums, and shops across the Jiangnan Region.
• Song reveals privately that finding the ingredients may help him trace the person responsible for obtaining them—the suspected “mastermind behind the scenes.”
• Song then visits Medicine Master and helps refine the Simplified Body Tempering Liquid using a medicinal broth instead of ordinary water. The experiment successfully reduces the refining time.
• The process produces an exceptionally foul-smelling black smoke. Medicine Master captures the smoke inside a bead made from a Core Pearl Fruit shell, creating a portable “stench pill.”
• Medicine Master explains that the stench can severely affect cultivators with heightened senses of smell and may become a useful weapon against stronger enemies.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang becomes increasingly proactive and resourceful. He uses Li Yangde’s computer skills to investigate the hidden enemy while continuing to assist Medicine Master with alchemy.
• Li Yangde demonstrates confidence in his technical abilities and agrees to search nationwide medicine databases and online networks.
• Medicine Master shows his creativity and experimental mindset by adapting the Body Tempering Liquid recipe and finding a practical use for its dangerous side effect.
• Tubo, Li Yangde, and Gao Moumou retain their humorous, antagonistic friendship. Gao is embarrassed and irritated by the others’ attempts to exploit his drunken sleep-talking.
• The short-haired girl is introduced as a mysterious and potentially powerful character with an unusual, game-like view of the delinquents.

Significant Themes

• Improvisation and adaptation: Medicine Master improves Song’s unconventional refining method, moving it closer to traditional alchemy.
• Turning weaknesses into strengths: The Body Tempering Liquid’s terrible odor, initially a flaw, becomes a potentially decisive combat tool.
• Friendship through teasing: The roommates’ insults and schemes reveal a close, familiar bond beneath their constant mockery.
• Investigation and hidden threats: Song Shuhang continues piecing together clues about the unknown person connected to the rare medicinal ingredients.
• The clash between ordinary life and cultivation: University routines, hangovers, breakfast, and dormitory jokes exist alongside magical medicine and cultivator-level combat.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang’s encounter with the delinquents contrasts with the girl’s even more humiliating treatment of them.
• Song and his roommates exchange playful threats and jokes, especially concerning Gao Moumou’s drunken confessions.
• Song flatters Li Yangde and offers to pay for a meal in exchange for his assistance, strengthening their cooperation.
• Medicine Master mentors Song in refining medicine, while Song’s practical experience helps test and improve the recipe.
• Medicine Master gives Song the stench-containing bead, turning an alchemical accident into a possible weapon.

Chapter Summary: Vajra Foundation Fist: Tearing Down a Building Barehanded Is No Dream

Key Plot Points and Events

• Medicine Master gives Song Shuhang the Stench Pill, a foul-smelling biochemical “smoke bomb” intended to help defend his Spirit Ghost from a powerful enemy. He also gives Shuhang additional Body Tempering Liquid to support his cultivation.
• After afternoon classes, Song Shuhang and Tubo avoid Mei Yi’s anger over Gao Moumou’s hangover and separate from their roommates.
• Shuhang goes to an abandoned, fire-damaged teaching building to cultivate the Vajra Foundation Fist in private.
• After drinking Simplified Body Tempering Liquid, he practices all eighteen forms of the fist technique. Unlike his painful first attempt, he completes the session smoothly, suggesting that his body has adapted and grown stronger.
• His Blood Qi surges and overflows, but he successfully uses the True Self Meditation Scripture to store it in his Heart Aperture, forming a second thread of Blood Qi.
• Testing his new strength, Shuhang punches through the building’s walls. When he applies the proper Vajra Foundation Fist techniques, his destructive power increases dramatically, and he enthusiastically experiments with different punches, palms, and methods of exerting force.
• He reflects that he may already qualify as a martial arts expert by ordinary standards and wonders how powerful he will become after Foundation Establishment.
• As he wonders how to improve his constitution more quickly, a mysterious, charming voice addresses him and offers to explain other methods.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang becomes increasingly capable and confident. His second cultivation session is much easier, showing rapid physical adaptation and significant improvement in endurance, strength, toughness, and Blood Qi control.
• He learns to use the fist technique more flexibly, combining hardness and softness rather than relying only on brute force.
• Shuhang remains grateful and respectful toward Medicine Master, accepting the medicine because he genuinely needs it while recognizing the senior’s kindness.
• Medicine Master demonstrates a gruff but caring personality. He disguises his assistance as casual gifts and jokes, taking pride in the ridiculous name “Stench Pill.”
• Tubo and Shuhang both flee Mei Yi’s disapproving gaze, while Li Yangde is humorously portrayed as someone who readily betrays his friends by revealing information.
• The mysterious female speaker introduced at the end appears poised to become a new source of guidance for Shuhang.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth through cultivation: Shuhang’s body adapts quickly, emphasizing the transformative power of spiritual cultivation.
• Strength and control: True power comes not merely from greater physical force but from mastering technique, precision, and the balance between hardness and softness.
• Mentorship and generosity: Medicine Master supports Shuhang indirectly, showing that assistance may be concealed beneath teasing and rough behavior.
• Humor amid danger: Serious threats involving the Spirit Ghost and powerful enemies are balanced by comic elements such as the Stench Pill, roommate escapades, and Shuhang’s enthusiasm for demolishing walls.
• Curiosity and ambition: Shuhang is no longer satisfied with simply surviving cultivation; he actively seeks ways to improve faster and imagines his future strength.

Character Interactions

• Medicine Master and Shuhang exchange sarcastic remarks over the Stench Pill, but their interaction reveals mutual trust and genuine care.
• Mei Yi silently reprimands Tubo and Shuhang for getting Gao Moumou drunk, prompting both men to make excuses and escape.
• Shuhang’s final interaction is with an unidentified, alluring voice that calls him “Demolitionist Mr. Song Shuhang” and claims to know additional ways to strengthen his body.

Chapter Summary: “Awakening”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang encounters Jiang Ziyan, who has been watching him tear down a wall with his bare hands.
• Ziyan explains that ordinary physical exercise—running, sports, and strength training—can also improve a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s physique, though it requires much greater intensity than normal exercise.
• Inspired, Shuhang decides to run daily around Jiangnan University Town and eventually join a gym.
• Ziyan reveals that she tracked the special poison left by Medicine Master and located the hotel where the assassin who infiltrated Shuhang’s bedroom had stayed.
• The assassin is already dead, his body dissolved by the poison, and his identity at the hotel was fake. This confirms that he had companions or a mastermind.
• The assassin’s companion likely came into contact with the poisoned corpse and was infected. Depending on the amount of poison absorbed, he may either die soon or be forced into prolonged seclusion to purge it.
• Ziyan estimates the enemy’s cultivation at roughly the Second-Stage True Master Realm, making him dangerous but potentially vulnerable while poisoned. A Fifth-Grade Spirit Emperor would have killed Shuhang already, so that possibility is considered unlikely.
• Shuhang explains that he is already using clues from Medicine Master to search for the enemy. If the opponent is weakened enough, Shuhang intends to kill him; otherwise, he will seek help from senior cultivators.
• Ziyan warns Shuhang that he must be prepared to kill decisively and verify the enemy’s death, since cultivators possess many survival techniques.
• She leaves through the window, while Shuhang later completes another five-kilometer run and begins considering a more structured training plan involving weights and Body Tempering Liquid.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang: Becomes more practical and proactive about strengthening his body. He recognizes that defeating the assassin’s faction may require killing for the protection of himself, his friends, and his family. Although inexperienced with killing, he resolves to develop the necessary determination.
• Jiang Ziyan: Demonstrates her tracking abilities, combat knowledge, teasing personality, and ruthless understanding of the cultivation world. She also takes advantage of Shuhang’s eagerness for information by negotiating private time with Medicine Master.
• Medicine Master: Though absent, his deadly poison remains central to the chapter, proving both its power and usefulness in tracking or weakening enemies.

Significant Themes

• Practical cultivation: Improvement does not depend solely on mystical techniques; ordinary exercise can also strengthen a cultivator when applied with sufficient intensity.
• Preparation and adaptability: Shuhang learns to broaden his approach rather than focusing obsessively on one technique.
• Moral resolve and survival: The chapter confronts the necessity of killing enemies in a dangerous cultivation world, especially when loved ones are at risk.
• Cause and consequence: The assassin’s poison unexpectedly spreads to his companion, turning Medicine Master’s attack into a wider threat against the enemy faction.
• Humor amid danger: Ziyan’s flirtatious teasing and Shuhang’s literal, unromantic responses provide comic relief alongside the serious discussion of murder and survival.

Character Interactions

• Ziyan teases Shuhang about his lack of romantic awareness and rubs greasy fingers on his clothes after he criticizes her hygiene.
• Shuhang agrees to stay away from Ziyan and Medicine Master for several days so they can spend time together, partly because he fears angering her.
• Ziyan tests Shuhang’s willingness to kill and gives him blunt advice about eliminating enemies completely.
• Their interaction highlights the contrast between Shuhang’s earnest, inexperienced nature and Ziyan’s confident, mischievous, and battle-hardened personality.

Chapter Summary: “Trouble Had Come Knocking After All!”

Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang rests in his dormitory while Tubo, Li Yangde, and Gao Moumou play an old faction-based battle game. The three shamelessly use a premade team—and Li Yangde’s homemade hack—to bully other players, only to lose to an equally experienced opposing team.
• Li Yangde tells Shuhang that he has found information about the medicinal herbs Shuhang needs and will provide the pharmacy addresses once more information becomes available.
• Shuhang asks Tubo to lend him a modified electric baton, claiming he may need it for self-defense during an upcoming expedition with a “sister.” Tubo assumes he means Soft Feather and eagerly asks to come along, joking that Shuhang can call him “brother-in-law.”
• Li Yangde and Gao Moumou tease Tubo and threaten to expose his comments to Zhao Yaya. Tubo immediately backs down when Zhao Yaya calls.
• The caller claims to be Zhao Yaya and asks Shuhang to meet her near a wedding photography studio to help carry someone. Shuhang leaves the dormitory, promising to bring back snacks and cola.
• Once outside, Shuhang realizes the caller was not actually Zhao Yaya. Although the caller used her phone and imitated her voice, subtle differences in tone, hoarseness, and speech habits reveal the deception.
• Suspecting that the assassin or the assassin’s associates are targeting people close to him, Shuhang hurries to Old Sixth Horse Street but observes the location from a nearby building rather than approaching directly.
• Using his enhanced eyesight and the Vigilance mental technique, he spots Zhao Yaya unconscious near the photography studio. A tall, thin man with unusually long arms, oversized sunglasses, and thick lips stands behind her, holding her phone.

Character Development

• Song Shuhang demonstrates growing perceptiveness and caution. His familiarity with Zhao Yaya allows him to detect the impersonation, and instead of rushing into a trap, he scouts the area from a concealed position.
• Tubo remains impulsive, mechanically gifted, and romantically interested in the mysterious “sister,” but is easily intimidated by the possibility of Zhao Yaya learning about his comments.
• Li Yangde continues to be calculating and mischievous, contributing useful information about medicinal herbs while also exploiting situations to blackmail or tease his friends.
• Gao Moumou participates in the group’s playful bullying and joins Li Yangde in teasing Tubo.
• Zhao Yaya becomes the apparent victim of the enemy’s strategy, having been incapacitated and used as bait to lure Shuhang out.
• The tall stranger is introduced as a threatening figure whose abnormal appearance and suspicious actions suggest a connection to the earlier assassin.

Significant Themes

• Growing danger and vigilance: Shuhang’s supernatural experiences are no longer isolated incidents; danger is beginning to reach his friends and family.
• Trust and deception: The enemy manipulates Zhao Yaya’s identity and voice to exploit Shuhang’s concern for her.
• Friendship and camaraderie: The dormitory banter, teasing, and requests for snacks contrast with the serious threat Shuhang faces outside.
• Adaptation and heightened ability: Shuhang’s physical and mental improvements allow him to notice subtle inconsistencies and observe the trap safely.
• Humor amid tension: The roommates’ gaming antics and Tubo’s embarrassment provide comic relief before the chapter shifts into suspense.

Character Interactions

• Shuhang and his roommates exchange sarcastic jokes while discussing games, medicinal herbs, self-defense, and Tubo’s interest in the mysterious sister.
• Tubo’s flirtatious enthusiasm is turned against him when Li Yangde and Gao Moumou threaten to tell Zhao Yaya what he said.
• Zhao Yaya’s phone call creates the chapter’s major transition: Shuhang leaves a lighthearted dormitory scene and enters a carefully prepared ambush.
• Shuhang’s silent observation of the unconscious Zhao Yaya and the strange man establishes the impending confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “My Enlightenment—I'll Show You!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang identifies the long-armed man as the person who hired Lin Tao to investigate him.
• The man discovers Shuhang hiding nearby and uses Zhao Yaya’s phone and voice to lure him into a secluded dead-end alley.
• Zhao Yaya is unconscious but apparently unharmed. The long-armed man threatens to kill Shuhang and dissolve his body with Corpse-Dissolving Liquid.
• During his rant, the man reveals that Altar Master believed Shuhang was a powerful cultivator undergoing Red-Dust Tempering, despite all evidence showing him to be an ordinary mortal.
• The long-armed man kidnapped Zhao Yaya and acted independently because Altar Master had punished him by withholding Body Tempering Liquid and withdrawing his trust.
• Shuhang realizes that Altar Master’s excessive caution is actually advantageous: the enemy has underestimated his inexperience while overestimating his power.
• Wanting to test his resolve and prepare for the dangers of the Cultivator Realm, Shuhang deliberately confronts the attacker.
• He uses a bottle of Body Tempering Liquid to distract and manipulate the long-armed man, offering more in exchange for Zhao Yaya’s safety.
• The long-armed man, overwhelmed by greed, approaches and suddenly lunges for the bottle, setting up Shuhang’s counterattack.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang: Demonstrates growing composure, courage, and strategic thinking. Although still inexperienced, he remains expressionless under pressure, gathers information from the enemy’s speech, and uses the man’s greed against him. He consciously treats the confrontation as a test of his resolve.
• The long-armed man: His desperation and instability become clear. Humiliated by Altar Master and deprived of his expected reward, he becomes obsessed with proving that Shuhang is merely a mortal. His greed for Body Tempering Liquid overwhelms his caution.
• Altar Master: Though absent, he is portrayed as highly suspicious and careful. He has mistaken Shuhang for a powerful hidden expert and withdrawn from the Jiangnan region rather than confronting him directly.
• Zhao Yaya: Serves as the hostage whose safety motivates Shuhang and exposes the attacker’s belief that emotional attachments can be exploited.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Shuhang appears to be an ordinary mortal, but his connection to cultivators and his calm behavior cause enemies to misjudge him.
• Resolve under pressure: The confrontation represents Shuhang’s attempt to prove that he can face the brutality and danger of the Cultivator Realm.
• Greed and manipulation: The long-armed man’s desire for Body Tempering Liquid makes him vulnerable and allows Shuhang to control the situation.
• The value of human attachments: Unlike cultivators who dismiss mortals, Shuhang’s concern for Zhao Yaya reflects his continued humanity.
• Caution and misunderstanding: Altar Master’s fear of Shuhang, though based on false assumptions, unintentionally protects him.

Character Interactions

• The long-armed man taunts Shuhang, imitates Zhao Yaya’s voice, and questions whether he is truly a mortal.
• Shuhang refuses to react emotionally, forcing the man to reveal information about Altar Master and the organization’s plans.
• Shuhang then shifts the power dynamic by offering Body Tempering Liquid, exploiting the man’s desperation.
• The chapter ends as the man abandons caution and attacks Shuhang to seize the bottle.

Chapter 75 Summary: “Claw-Mark Beast Cards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The long-armed man attacks Song Shuhang, but unknowingly impales himself on Master Profound Principle’s invisible flying sword.
• The sword pierces his heart and drains his Blood Qi, leaving him too weak to retaliate. The strange Buddhist chanting in his mind further torments him.
• Song Shuhang identifies the weapon as a flying sword and, after briefly asking whether the man has any last words, decapitates him.
• This is Song Shuhang’s first time killing someone. Although shaken, he uses the True Self Meditation Scripture to suppress his fear and maintain his composure.
• He searches the corpse and finds:
  • A bottle of Corpse-Dissolving Liquid
  • Three hiltless blades
  • A beast-head plaque marked with three claw marks, likely connected to the man’s organization
  • Some cash
  • Zhao Yaya’s phone
• Song Shuhang uses the Corpse-Dissolving Liquid to erase the body and clothing, removing evidence of the battle.
• He carries the unconscious Zhao Yaya toward Medicine Master, worried that she may have been poisoned.
• Zhao Yaya awakens while being carried. Song Shuhang conceals the truth by claiming she called him and had fallen asleep outside, allowing her to believe she had simply drunk too much.
• She chooses to go home rather than to the hospital, and Song Shuhang accompanies her.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang undergoes a major psychological change. Killing the long-armed man deeply affects him, but he accepts that this resolve is necessary for survival in the cultivation world.
• He demonstrates increasing caution and practicality by collecting clues, preserving useful items, and disposing of the corpse.
• His ability to remain calm through the True Self Meditation Scripture shows growing mental discipline.
• Song Shuhang also becomes more protective and deceptive for Zhao Yaya’s sake, hiding the supernatural danger from her.
• The long-armed man is revealed to be far less powerful than expected when confronted with the invisible flying sword. His possessions and the claw-mark plaque suggest ties to a larger organization.
• Zhao Yaya remains unaware of the attack and her kidnapping, trusting Song Shuhang and relying on him for assistance.

Significant Themes

• The loss of innocence: Song Shuhang’s first killing marks the end of his ordinary life as a university student.
• Resolve and survival: He recognizes that mercy could have endangered him and that decisive action is necessary against stronger enemies.
• Hidden supernatural worlds: Ordinary people such as Zhao Yaya remain unaware of the cultivation conflicts unfolding around them.
• Erasing evidence and identity: The Corpse-Dissolving Liquid and claw-mark plaque emphasize both the concealment of supernatural battles and the existence of mysterious organizations.
• Protection through deception: Song Shuhang lies to spare Zhao Yaya fear and confusion.

Character Interactions

• Song Shuhang confronts and kills the long-armed man, who mistakes his unusual abilities and equipment for evidence of possession by a powerful cultivator.
• After the fight, Song Shuhang interacts indirectly with the dead man by examining his belongings and preserving the claw-mark plaque as a possible clue.
• His conversation with Zhao Yaya is warm and protective. He reassures her, checks her condition, and invents a believable explanation for her unconsciousness.
• Zhao Yaya notices that Song Shuhang seems more mature and reliable than before, unknowingly sensing the transformation caused by his first kill.

Chapter Summary: “Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Song Shuhang leaves, Jiang Ziyan contacts Medicine Master to confirm that Shuhang returned safely. She also firmly declares that she will not allow Medicine Master to send her away, revealing her determination to remain by his side.
• Jiang Ziyan returns to the site where Song Shuhang killed the long-armed man and uses a spell to erase the remaining traces. She notes that Shuhang handled the situation well, though he still lacks the experience to conceal everything from skilled trackers.
• Song Shuhang returns Zhao Yaya home, brings food for his roommates, and goes back to the dormitory. While resting, he mentally relives killing the long-armed man, experiencing fear, discomfort, and exhilaration.
• Shuhang photographs the Three-Claw Beast-Head Plaque and asks the Nine Provinces Number One Group about the organization it represents.
• Northern River’s Loose Cultivator does not recognize the symbol and believes it belongs to a minor, isolated organization. This reassures Shuhang that it is unlikely to be connected to any major senior in the group.
• Shuhang confirms that the organization is hostile. Northern River offers assistance, while Shuhang explains that he is investigating its traces and can request help if necessary. Medicine Master’s continued presence also reassures Northern River.
• Soft Feather asks her father, Venerable Spirit Butterfly, about the plaque, but he does not recognize it either. She enthusiastically offers to help Shuhang destroy the organization after completing her Spirit Ghost Contract Formation.
• The group becomes excited over rumors of a mysterious floating island near the Eastern Sea. Several seniors begin discussing forming an expedition to explore it.
• Soft Feather privately asks Shuhang whether something happened to him. He tells her that he killed someone for the first time and describes the experience of decapitating the enemy.
• Soft Feather comforts him, encouraging him to remember why he fought and to trust the conviction behind his decision. Shuhang admits that he does not regret killing the man and feels emotionally relieved after speaking with her.
• Around three in the morning, Shuhang receives a call from an unfamiliar number. The caller identifies himself as Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman and says he obtained Shuhang’s number from Medicine Master. He is calling specifically about the Three-Claw Beast-Head Plaque.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang continues adjusting to the dangers of cultivation. Killing the long-armed man has affected him deeply, but he recognizes that he acted decisively and would make the same choice again. His growing vigilance even continues unconsciously during sleep.
• Jiang Ziyan displays both strong protective abilities and emotional determination. She is capable of covering Shuhang’s tracks, while her insistence that Medicine Master cannot send her away emphasizes her attachment and persistence.
• Soft Feather shows increasing concern for Shuhang and attempts to comfort him by imitating the guidance her father once gave her. She also remains energetic and adventurous, eagerly planning to fight the hostile organization and explore the mysterious island.
• Northern River’s Loose Cultivator acts as a dependable adviser and protector, checking whether Shuhang can handle the threat and offering support.
• Venerable Spirit Butterfly is humorously revealed to be secretly monitoring his daughter’s conversation by logging into her account. His emotional reaction suggests both deep affection for Soft Feather and extreme protectiveness.
• Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman enters the story as a new senior connected to the plaque mystery, suggesting that he may possess important information.

Significant Themes

• The psychological burden of killing: Shuhang confronts the emotional consequences of taking a life for the first time. His relief comes from acknowledging that the act was consistent with his principles.
• Conviction and responsibility: Soft Feather emphasizes that a righteous and firmly held purpose can make a difficult decision one without regret.
• Growing dependence on a community: Shuhang relies on the Nine Provinces group for information, advice, and possible backup as he becomes involved in the cultivation world.
• Friendship and emotional support: Soft Feather’s sincere but slightly awkward comfort helps Shuhang process his experience.
• The contrast between ordinary life and cultivation: Shuhang returns to noisy dormitory gaming after a lethal battle, highlighting how he is straddling two very different worlds.
• Mystery and expanding adventure: The Beast-Head Plaque and the rumored Eastern Sea island introduce new threats and future quests.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ziyan reassures Medicine Master about Shuhang while simultaneously refusing to leave Medicine Master’s side.
• Shuhang consults Northern River’s Loose Cultivator and Soft Feather about the unknown organization.
• Soft Feather offers to help Shuhang eliminate the organization and later privately provides emotional support.
• Mad Saber Three Waves teases Soft Feather about failing to complete her Spirit Ghost contract, prompting her to redouble her efforts.
• Venerable Spirit Butterfly secretly observes Soft Feather’s conversation with Shuhang, creating a comedic father-daughter moment.
• Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman contacts Shuhang directly, ending the chapter with a possible breakthrough in the plaque investigation.

Key plot points

• Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman explains that, decades ago, he encountered a village slaughtered in a Blood Sacrifice to create a Resentful Ghost. He tracked the responsible Ghost Cultivators and found the Three-Claw Beast-Head Mark on some of their followers.
• He is glad Song Shuhang has leads on the group and offers to send him Talisman Treasures, though he cannot come help in person. He also mistakes Shuhang’s chat nickname, “Stressed by a Mountain of Books,” for his dao title and urges him to change it.
• Shuhang sends his address and accepts the help, recognizing that he cannot afford to refuse support while facing the dangerous Altar Master.
• The next morning, June 7, Shuhang prepares for the university sports meet’s five-thousand-meter race. He is still shaken by having killed the long-armed Ghost Cultivator, but steels himself to deal with the Altar Master rather than rely on the enemy’s mistaken belief that he is powerful.
• Sima Jiang of Harvest Express arrives with Seven Lives Talisman’s rush-delivered package. Shuhang signs for it and mentions he may later use the service to return Master Profound Principle’s flying sword.

Character developments and interactions

• Seven Lives Talisman reveals his past as an impulsive, justice-driven young cultivator who made nearly a thousand solemn vows. He now struggles to fulfill them all and remains committed to fighting evil Ghost Cultivators. His offer shows concern for Shuhang.
• Song Shuhang shows practical humility: he accepts assistance because his safety matters more than pride. He continues to process the violence of his first kill while resolving to protect himself and his family.
• Sima Jiang is eager to serve Shuhang, having learned that his deliveries involve powerful and influential cultivators. Shuhang treats him warmly and trusts his reliable service.

Significant themes

• Oaths and consequences: A cultivator’s vows carry spiritual weight, and impulsive promises can burden one’s future.
• Practicality over pride: Shuhang recognizes the danger he faces and accepts help rather than pretending he can manage alone.
• Justice and responsibility: Seven Lives Talisman’s long-standing pursuit of the Ghost Cultivators reflects a commitment to confronting cruelty.
• Ordinary life beside the supernatural: The chapter contrasts deadly cultivator conflicts with campus sports and everyday courier deliveries.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang opens Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman’s package and discovers twenty powerful Talisman Treasures:
  • Five Armor Talismans that create defensive armor capable of blocking attacks from cultivators below the Third Grade.
  • Five Sword Talismans that unleash Sword Qi equivalent to a Third-Grade Houtian Battle King’s attack.
  • Ten Evil-Repelling Talismans designed to destroy ghostly entities controlled by evil-path Ghost Cultivators.
• With these talismans, Shuhang gains confidence in confronting the Altar Master, though he plans to use strategy rather than recklessly fight head-on. His goal is simply to kill the Altar Master by any effective means.
• The chapter then shifts to Jiangnan University Town’s sports meet. After the opening speeches, Song Shuhang participates in the men’s 5,000-meter race because no one else wanted to enter.
• His roommates mock him and expect him to suffer during the race, while Lu Fei cheers him on, drawing further teasing from his friends.
• A muscular, dark-skinned runner boasts that he will defeat Shuhang by a large margin. Shuhang responds with relaxed humor, irritating the runner.
• Once the race begins, the muscular student sprints ahead, expecting Shuhang to fall behind. However, Shuhang effortlessly keeps pace only one meter behind him, revealing that his physical abilities have greatly improved.
• The other runner becomes increasingly shocked and frustrated when Shuhang remains beside him even after he accelerates.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang: Becomes more confident and prepared for his confrontation with the Altar Master. The talismans give him substantial defensive and offensive resources. His enhanced physique, likely due to cultivation and the Body Tempering Liquid, allows him to run at an extraordinary pace without apparent strain. He also displays greater self-assurance and humor in social situations.
• Manor Lord Seven Lives Talisman: Though absent, he demonstrates his concern and reliability by providing Shuhang with exactly the tools needed to face a Ghost Cultivator.
• Lu Fei: Shows growing interest or friendliness toward Shuhang by openly cheering for him.
• Shuhang’s roommates and classmates: Continue to tease him, but their mockery contrasts with his unexpected athletic performance.
• The dark-skinned runner: Initially confident and dismissive, he becomes confused, frustrated, and increasingly intimidated when Shuhang refuses to fall behind.
• Yang Shangfa: Introduces himself as another unwilling participant and forms a humorous sense of camaraderie with Shuhang.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus recklessness: Shuhang recognizes that defeating the Altar Master requires planning and the willingness to use every available advantage.
• Hidden strength: Shuhang appears ordinary—or even physically weak—to those around him, but his cultivation-enhanced abilities far exceed normal human limits.
• Humor amid danger: The serious supernatural conflict is juxtaposed with lighthearted campus comedy and teasing.
• Unexpected support: Seven Lives Talisman’s gift shows the importance of allies in the cultivation world.
• Appearance versus reality: The other runner judges Shuhang by his fair appearance and slender build, only to discover that his actual strength and stamina are extraordinary.

Character Interactions

• Shuhang thanks Seven Lives Talisman’s unseen support by carefully storing the talismans and mentally preparing for battle.
• Lu Fei encourages Shuhang, while his roommates imitate her and tease him about receiving attention from girls.
• Shuhang exchanges sarcastic remarks with the muscular runner, turning the man’s intimidation attempt into a source of comedy.
• Yang Shangfa sympathizes with Shuhang as a fellow student forced into the difficult race.
• During the race, the dark-skinned runner repeatedly tries to outpace Shuhang, but Shuhang’s effortless pursuit undermines his confidence and leaves him questioning what he is seeing.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Shuhang and a dark-skinned student quickly pull far ahead of the other runners during a five-kilometer race.
• The dark-skinned student assumes Shuhang is only a “pretty boy” and expects him to tire quickly. He repeatedly accelerates to shake Shuhang off, but Shuhang calmly maintains a one-meter distance behind him.
• Spectators are astonished by Shuhang’s endurance, while his friends jokingly attribute his performance to “the power of love.” Lu Fei begins worrying that other girls may notice Shuhang and take an interest in him.
• After three laps, the dark-skinned student is already exhausted, while Shuhang remains relaxed. Shuhang uses controlled Mental Intimidation to make the student feel as though a terrifying beast is chasing him.
• Driven by fear and pride, the student forces himself to continue sprinting. Although he reaches the final stretch believing he has won, Shuhang suddenly accelerates and crosses the finish line first.
• Shuhang explains that he had promised a friend he would win, then cheerfully tells the exhausted runner that “the runner-up is yours.”
• Crushed by the loss, the student collapses and faints only a few steps before the finish line.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang: Demonstrates extraordinary stamina, speed, self-control, and growing confidence in using supernatural abilities. He remains calm and playful throughout the race, treating the competition almost like a training exercise. His use of Mental Intimidation also shows increasing control over his powers.
• The dark-skinned student: Begins as a proud, competitive long-distance runner who underestimates Shuhang. His confidence gradually turns into desperation as he realizes Shuhang is far stronger than expected. Fear and wounded pride push him beyond his normal limits, but the final defeat emotionally and physically overwhelms him.
• Lu Fei: Develops feelings of jealousy and urgency, fearing that Shuhang’s impressive performance will attract other girls.
• Shuhang’s friends and spectators: Their surprise and jokes emphasize how unusual Shuhang’s abilities appear compared with his ordinary student identity.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Shuhang appears ordinary but possesses remarkable physical and supernatural capabilities.
• Mental limits versus physical limits: Shuhang observes that people often stop because they believe they are exhausted, even when their bodies can continue. His intimidation literally pushes the student beyond his perceived limits.
• Pride and competition: The student’s determination is fueled less by the race itself than by his desire to defeat the “pretty boy” and prove his superiority.
• Humor through overconfidence: Shuhang’s calm teasing contrasts with the student’s increasingly desperate condition, creating much of the chapter’s comedy.
• Love and jealousy: The spectators jokingly connect Shuhang’s performance to romance, while Lu Fei’s concern reveals her growing emotional attachment to him.

Character Interactions

• Shuhang’s friends comment humorously on his sudden athletic ability, while Gao Moumou suggests it is motivated by love.
• Lu Fei and her short-haired companion discuss Shuhang’s previous feats, prompting Lu Fei to worry about losing his attention to other girls.
• Shuhang repeatedly taunts and encourages the dark-skinned runner, maintaining a fixed distance behind him and later using Mental Intimidation to drive him onward.
• At the finish line, Shuhang acknowledges the student as a worthy opponent but delivers a playful, devastating victory remark: “The runner-up is yours.”

Chapter Summary: “Clue Found, Let’s Go!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The men’s 5,000-meter race is divided into numerous heats. Song Shuhang and the black-clad man astonishingly complete the entire race at sprinting speed, with the black-clad man only a few steps behind.
• Yang Shangfa, another contestant, struggles badly. He progresses from jogging to walking and finally shuffling, taking over an hour to finish while the referee and later races are forced to wait.
• After the race, Song Shuhang’s friends celebrate his likely victory and jokingly attribute his sudden speed to the encouragement of beautiful girls.
• Li Yangde gives Shuhang the addresses of four medicine shops that may carry rare ingredients needed by his mysterious friend. The Yuanlong Herbal Shop has all four materials and is preparing a large restock after recently selling the same combination.
• Shuhang realizes that the unusual purchase pattern strongly suggests the buyer is Altar Master. Believing he has found a crucial lead, he immediately leaves the sports meet to investigate the shop.
• Before departing, Shuhang returns to his dormitory and gathers weapons, medicines, and protective talismans for the mission. He plans to locate the Altar Master and, if possible, eliminate his entire group.
• Meanwhile, Lu Fei arrives looking for Shuhang. After learning he has left, she accepts an invitation to join the group for Ten-Fragrance Fish Head, while Gao Moumou subtly tries to help bring the two closer.

Character Developments

• Song Shuhang demonstrates exceptional physical ability, confirming his growth through cultivation and surprising his friends with his speed. He also becomes more decisive and confident, immediately acting once he identifies a possible lead on Altar Master.
• Yang Shangfa is portrayed as comically stubborn and determined. Despite having almost no stamina, he refuses to quit and insists on completing the race, revealing strong perseverance but poor judgment.
• Li Yangde proves useful and dependable by investigating the medicine shops. His friendship with Shuhang is reinforced by his willingness to help, though he remains focused on being rewarded with a meal.
• Lu Fei continues to show romantic interest in Shuhang. She misses being physically close to him and plans to stay near him during the summer, even joking internally about breaking up again in winter.
• Gao Moumou acts as a supportive friend and matchmaker by inviting Lu Fei to the group’s celebratory meal.
• Song Shuhang’s confidence grows as he prepares for a potentially dangerous confrontation, relying on his resources and the protection offered by the talisman treasures.

Significant Themes

• Determination versus practicality: Yang Shangfa’s refusal to stop highlights admirable perseverance taken to an absurd extreme.
• Friendship and support: Shuhang’s friends celebrate him, assist his investigation, and help manage his personal relationships.
• Growing power and responsibility: Shuhang’s extraordinary speed and access to cultivation tools show his increasing abilities, while his decision to confront Altar Master reflects his willingness to accept danger.
• Preparation and confidence: Shuhang carefully gathers weapons, medicine, and talismans, believing that thorough preparation gives him a chance to survive or win.
• Romantic tension and comedy: Lu Fei’s feelings and the friends’ matchmaking efforts provide a lighter subplot alongside the increasingly serious threat of Altar Master.

Character Interactions

• Shuhang’s friends tease and congratulate him after the race, especially about his speed and the effect of female cheers.
• Li Yangde gives Shuhang the medicine-shop information and receives a promise of Ten-Fragrance Fish Head in return.
• Shuhang hurriedly says goodbye to his friends, prioritizing the investigation over the sports-meet awards ceremony.
• Lu Fei asks about Shuhang and accepts Gao Moumou’s invitation to the celebratory meal, while Gao Moumou and Li Yangde quietly encourage their relationship.
• Shuhang mentally prepares to rely on the seniors of his cultivation group and possibly sacrifice his Spirit Ghost if necessary to defeat Altar Master.