Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Rendezvous”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia continues fleeing through the sky after obtaining the Earthcore Flame, pursued by Luo Chuan, a Golden Body expert.
• Although Chen Xia is only in the middle stage of the Skyflight Realm, activating Blood Demon Illusion God gives him extraordinary speed and allows him to repeatedly evade Luo Chuan.
• Luo Chuan uses a secret technique to double his speed and repeatedly attacks. Chen Xia survives by relying on his powerful defenses, including his protective astral energy and Blood Shield.
• Chen Xia secretly spends 300 Negative Energy points each time to reactivate Blood Demon Illusion God, allowing him to maintain peak speed and condition without using pills.
• When Luo Chuan draws near, Chen Xia uses Blood Soul Impact/Blood Soul Bewitching Heart to briefly disrupt his mind, then counterattacks. However, Chen Xia’s blade only cracks Luo Chuan’s Golden Body protective aura.
• Luo Chuan unleashes his powerful Mountain-Shattering Slash, shattering Chen Xia’s Three Thousand-Pattern Blade and blasting him toward the ground. Chen Xia survives by activating Blood Demon Illusion God again and escaping the attack.
• Frustrated, Luo Chuan continues pursuing Chen Xia and even takes a pill to restore his depleted strength, but Chen Xia remains in excellent condition.
• The chase ends when dozens of Federation aircraft arrive. Commander Zhao intercepts Luo Chuan’s attack, while the aircraft’s weapons suppress him.
• Realizing he cannot defeat Chen Xia or overcome the Federation forces, Luo Chuan withdraws, bitterly acknowledging that his attempt to obtain a second Earthcore Flame has failed.
• After Luo Chuan leaves, numerous Outer Domain factions arrive, including Huang Yi, setting up the next stage of the conflict.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Demonstrates exceptional endurance, tactical awareness, defensive strength, and resourcefulness. Rather than fighting Luo Chuan directly, he focuses on survival and escape, using his Negative Energy reserves to repeatedly restore his strongest movement technique.
• Luo Chuan: His confidence and arrogance gradually turn into frustration and doubt. Despite possessing a higher cultivation realm and launching his strongest attack, he cannot defeat Chen Xia. He ultimately chooses retreat over risking confrontation with the Federation.
• Commander Zhao: Makes a forceful entrance as a capable Federation military leader. Her immediate interception of Luo Chuan’s attack establishes her as a powerful Golden Body expert and a serious threat.
• Huang Yi and the Outer Domain factions: Their arrival after the chase indicates that Chen Xia’s possession of the Earthcore Flame has attracted widespread attention and will likely lead to further confrontations.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus strategy: Chen Xia survives not by matching Luo Chuan’s realm, but through speed, deception, defensive techniques, and careful use of resources.
• Hidden trump cards: Luo Chuan repeatedly underestimates Chen Xia because he does not understand the source of Chen Xia’s seemingly endless stamina and repeated bursts of power.
• Persistence and endurance: The prolonged chase tests both fighters, but Chen Xia’s ability to sustain Blood Demon Illusion God gives him the decisive advantage.
• The limits of individual power: Luo Chuan is overwhelmingly strong against ordinary Skyflight cultivators, yet the arrival of coordinated Federation forces forces even him to retreat.
• The value of the treasure: The Earthcore Flame becomes the center of competition among Luo Chuan, Chen Xia, the Federation, and the Outer Domain factions, escalating the broader conflict.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Luo Chuan engage in a prolonged aerial pursuit marked by repeated attacks, evasions, and brief counterattacks.
• Chen Xia’s Blood Soul technique momentarily disrupts Luo Chuan, frightening him and revealing that Chen Xia possesses dangerous mental abilities.
• Luo Chuan’s Mountain-Shattering Slash destroys Chen Xia’s weapon but fails to kill him, intensifying Luo Chuan’s humiliation.
• Commander Zhao directly confronts Luo Chuan and knocks him back while Federation aircraft provide supporting fire.
• Luo Chuan leaves with resentment toward Chen Xia, while the arrival of Huang Yi and other factions signals that Chen Xia will soon face new challengers.

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Danger”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Federation arrives in overwhelming force after Chen Xia escapes a prolonged pursuit by a Golden Body Realm expert. Countless silver aircraft, soldiers, and martial artists surround and protect him, forcing the Outer Domain cultivators to abandon any further conflict.
• The spectators realize that Chen Xia is a Federation official with powerful backing, not an ordinary Skyflight Realm martial artist. They are especially shocked that he survived repeated attacks from a stronger Golden Body Realm opponent and successfully obtained the Earthcore Flame.
• Xu Baiyan recognizes that Chen Xia’s survival demonstrates genuine strength rather than luck. She concludes that his defeated pursuer may carry the battle as a lasting psychological setback.
• The Yun sisters leave for the Spirit Flower Palace after accepting that the Earthcore Flame is beyond their reach. Other competitors also retreat.
• The Federation medical team examines Chen Xia and finds no serious injuries, only heavy exhaustion. He confirms to Commander Zhao that he has secured the Earthcore Flame.
• Huang Yi learns Chen Xia’s identity and praises his achievement, viewing it as a victory for the Federation because the treasure did not fall into an outsider’s hands.
• Chen Xia returns to the Federation base, where Xiang Long, Deputy General Li, and other martial artists greet him with excitement and admiration. Xiang Long urges him to refine the Earthcore Flame under the base’s protection.
• After thanking Commander Zhao and the troops with gifts and a meal, Chen Xia enters a heavily guarded secret chamber. He prepares to refine the treasure, reflecting on how close he came to death to obtain it.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: His reputation rises dramatically. His ability to evade and withstand a Golden Body Realm expert proves that he is an exceptional Skyflight Realm martial artist. He is also shown to be grateful and considerate, thanking the Federation forces and giving them gifts. His excitement and cautious hope reveal how important the Earthcore Flame is to his future growth.
• Xu Baiyan: She develops from an observer of Chen Xia’s battle into a perceptive political thinker. Rather than dismissing the Federation as weak, she recognizes its growing military strength, technological advantages, and talented younger generation.
• Commander Zhao: She demonstrates strong loyalty to Chen Xia and the Federation by personally overseeing his return and protection. She views him as a major figure in the Federation’s future.
• Xiang Long: His concern for Chen Xia is evident when he personally welcomes him back and offers to protect his cultivation. He is also proud that his earlier information helped Chen Xia find the Earthcore Flame.
• Huang Yi: His attitude shifts to admiration after learning that Chen Xia defeated numerous competitors and escaped a Golden Body Realm pursuer while obtaining the treasure.

Significant Themes

• The Federation’s rising power: The Federation’s military mobilization, aircraft, technology, and martial strength reveal that it is no longer a weak or isolated force.
• Hidden political danger: Xu Baiyan identifies the Federation as a potential long-term threat to the north. She fears that its technological knowledge, combined with greater resources and Primal Qi in the north, could eventually allow it to surpass the established powers.
• Strength beyond cultivation level: Chen Xia’s survival against a Golden Body Realm expert emphasizes that combat ability, endurance, and determination can overcome differences in realm.
• National pride and loyalty: The Federation cultivators celebrate Chen Xia’s success not merely as a personal victory, but as an achievement that brings honor to the entire Federation.
• Foreshadowing future conflict: Xu Baiyan’s warning about the Federation, combined with the north’s hostility toward it, hints at larger political and military confrontations to come.

Character Interactions

• The Outer Domain cultivators react with fear and surprise when the Federation army arrives, choosing retreat over confrontation.
• Xu Baiyan and her protectors debate whether the Federation could eventually dominate Northern Star, with Xu Baiyan insisting that it must be eliminated before it grows too powerful.
• Huang Yi questions Commander Zhao about Chen Xia, learning both his identity and the significance of his achievement.
• Commander Zhao praises Chen Xia as a future hope for the Federation.
• Xiang Long welcomes Chen Xia warmly and encourages him to use the Earthcore Flame to increase his strength.
• Chen Xia shares a meal with Commander Zhao and the Federation personnel, thanks them for their help, and gives them gifts before beginning his secluded cultivation.

Chapter Summary: “Transformation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the pursuit of a cloaked Golden Body Realm expert, Chen Xia returns safely to the base. Though tired, he suffers no serious injuries and celebrates with the others.
• Determined to grow stronger and eventually reach the Martial Saint realm, Chen Xia begins preparing to refine the Earthcore Flame he obtained.
• He reflects on his battle and realizes that the Blood Demon Illusion God and Explosive Qi Art, while powerful, are not enough to guarantee escape from Outer Domain experts. His survival depended partly on luck.
• In a specially prepared, rune-protected cultivation chamber, Chen Xia releases the Earthcore Flame and examines it through his mysterious panel. He learns that:
  • It is the twenty-eighth-ranked strange flame in the Northern Continent’s cultivation world.
  • A Skyflight-level cultivator normally needs at least three months to refine it.
  • Refinement will temper the body and allow the user to wield the flame’s power.
• After replenishing his energy with pills and Star Essence Stones, Chen Xia begins the refinement using the Nine Heavens Skyfire Art.
• The flame violently resists his spiritual power, burning his meridians and nearly overwhelming his body. Chen Xia breaks contact before suffering fatal damage, then cautiously draws in a tiny wisp of flame.
• By circulating the wisp through his meridians, he gradually converts it into Heavenly Fire Art power. The process creates a beneficial cycle: the refined flame increases his power, and his increased power helps him refine more of the flame.
• The refinement remains extremely dangerous. If Chen Xia loses control, the Earthcore Flame could burn him to death from within, so he maintains strict composure and proceeds slowly.

Character Development

• Chen Xia becomes more determined to improve after experiencing the danger of being hunted by a Golden Body Realm expert. His ambitions extend beyond the Skyflight Realm toward the Martial Saint realm.
• He demonstrates greater caution and maturity by analyzing his abilities, acknowledging the strength of Outer Domain experts, and refusing to underestimate future enemies.
• His mental discipline is emphasized. Despite unbearable pain and the temptation to rush, he maintains a calm mindset and carefully controls each stage of the refinement.
• Chen Xia also shows growing mastery of his cultivation methods, especially the Nine Heavens Skyfire Art, which enables him to absorb and transform the Earthcore Flame.

Significant Themes

• Strength through hardship: The painful refinement represents Chen Xia’s willingness to endure suffering in order to become stronger.
• Caution and self-control: Success depends not merely on power but on pacing, precision, and emotional stability.
• Fortune and danger: Obtaining the Earthcore Flame was partly a matter of luck, but possessing it brings enormous risks.
• Transformation: The flame does not simply increase Chen Xia’s cultivation; it begins changing his body, spiritual power, and combat potential.
• Ambition beyond immediate goals: Chen Xia’s ultimate desire is the Martial Saint realm, making his current breakthroughs only steps along a much longer path.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia briefly drinks and celebrates with the people at the base after returning from the pursuit.
• Xiang Long’s support is evident through the specially prepared cultivation chamber, whose runes and isolation allow Chen Xia to refine the flame safely.
• Chen Xia’s main interaction in the chapter is with the Earthcore Flame itself, portrayed almost like a living, resisting force. He must gradually impose his will upon it while avoiding being consumed.
• His memories of the cloaked expert shape his attitude throughout the chapter, motivating him to strengthen himself and ensuring he does not repeat his earlier vulnerability.

Chapter Summary: “Threat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads across the Federation that Chen Xia has obtained the Earthcore Flame and is refining it at the base.
• In the Jiang Family, Jiang Xinglan explains the flame’s terrifying properties: it can reach approximately 3,500°C, melt steel, and greatly enhance its wielder’s combat power.
• The Jiang Family concludes that once Chen Xia successfully refines the flame, he will become extraordinarily powerful, potentially unrivaled among Skyflight martial warriors except against someone wielding a similarly powerful ice-based treasure.
• Jiang Xinglan reveals that she is close to breaking through into the Skyflight Realm. Jiang Changhai encourages her to continue improving so she can keep pace with Chen Xia.
• Meanwhile, the He Family learns that the three Sky Net assassins sent after Chen Xia have disappeared. The family realizes the assassination almost certainly failed and that Chen Xia may have killed them.
• He Qian reveals that Chen Xia not only obtained the Earthcore Flame but also survived pursuit by a Golden Body expert in the Outer Domain. The family recognizes that Chen Xia’s strength has been consistently underestimated and is likely to rise further.
• Despite this, He Qian remains confident in Sky Net, noting that the He Family paid 2.4 billion for the assassination and that Sky Net is obligated to complete accepted missions. He believes the organization will reassess Chen Xia’s power and eventually kill him.
• The family members celebrate prematurely, imagining a future victory banquet after Chen Xia’s death.
• Their confidence collapses when they receive photographs showing He Sheng, He Xiong’s son, severely beaten in Criminal Prison. He Sheng has lost most of his teeth and suffered a broken leg.
• The message accompanying the photographs warns the He Family that this is only a warning: if they attempt another assassination, He Sheng will be killed.
• The He Family realizes Chen Xia has retaliated by targeting He Sheng, leaving them unable to act freely. They cannot openly attack Chen Xia because he is protected in Jiang Family territory, and they fear further harm to He Sheng.
• He Xiong desperately begs He Qian to stop the assassination attempt. He Qian agrees to contact Second Master, who ultimately instructs the family to assure Chen Xia that they will not act against him and to negotiate with Sky Net about withdrawing the mission.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Xia does not appear directly, but his influence dominates the chapter. His acquisition of the Earthcore Flame demonstrates his growing power, while his threat against He Sheng shows that he is capable of striking back through his enemies’ vulnerabilities.
• Jiang Xinglan displays admiration and happiness for Chen Xia. She studies the Earthcore Flame carefully and is motivated to break through into the Skyflight Realm herself.
• Jiang Changhai recognizes Chen Xia’s rapidly expanding potential and urges Jiang Xinglan to keep up with him.
• He Qian initially remains confident and strategic, trusting Sky Net to eliminate Chen Xia. However, He Sheng’s punishment forces him to reconsider the situation and act to protect the family’s internal unity.
• He Xiong changes most dramatically. He begins furious and eager for Chen Xia’s death, but becomes terrified and desperate after seeing his son’s condition. His personal concern overrides the He Family’s pride and plans for revenge.
• He Zhiyuan correctly suspects that Chen Xia’s strength has been underestimated and warns the family that the failed assassination signals hidden abilities.
• The He brothers’ interactions reveal both their shared ambition and growing tension. He Xiong wants the assassination stopped, while the others initially prioritize the family’s money, pride, and long-term power.
• The call between He Qian and Second Master shows the family shifting from aggressive action to negotiation in response to Chen Xia’s counter-threat.

Significant Themes

• Escalating power and danger: The Earthcore Flame symbolizes Chen Xia’s rapidly increasing strength and the growing difficulty of eliminating him.
• Underestimation and miscalculation: Both Sky Net and the He Family repeatedly misjudge Chen Xia, leading to failed assassinations and dangerous consequences.
• Retaliation and deterrence: Chen Xia’s punishment of He Sheng is a calculated warning designed to prevent further attacks rather than simply an act of revenge.
• Family loyalty versus ambition: He Xiong’s desperation over his son conflicts with the He Family’s desire to preserve its pride, wealth, and political future.
• Power through connections and territory: The Jiang Family’s protection prevents the He Family from confronting Chen Xia openly, forcing them to rely on covert methods.
• Premature confidence: The He Family celebrates Chen Xia’s imagined death before receiving proof, only to have their confidence shattered by the threat against He Sheng.

Summary: “Leaping Forward by Bounds”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Three days after the previous events, Feng Wei, a Sky Net branch hall master in the Zhao Kingdom, learns that the three Skyflight Realm assassins sent to kill Chen Xia have been found dead.
• Although the original client—the He Family—tries to cancel the assassination and forfeits its payment, Feng Wei refuses. He declares that the mission has become a personal grudge between Sky Net and Chen Xia.
• Intelligence reveals that Chen Xia possesses the Earthcore Flame and is cultivating at a Federation base near the Dark Night Forest. Feng Wei decides to personally kill him and seize the flame seed.
• Feng Wei, a middle Golden Body expert, believes his superior realm makes victory certain.
• The He Family realizes that Sky Net will continue hunting Chen Xia regardless of its wishes. He Xiong becomes distraught because Chen Xia’s death could expose or endanger his son, He Sheng—the very person whose interests originally motivated the assassination.
• The He Family eventually accepts that He Sheng may have to be sacrificed if Chen Xia’s death can still be achieved.
• Meanwhile, Chen Xia remains unaware of the new threat and continues refining the Earthcore Flame in seclusion.
• Over three months, he gradually absorbs and refines the flame, enduring extreme pain as his body, meridians, muscles, and dantian are repeatedly burned and strengthened.
• After refining most of the flame, Chen Xia swallows the remaining portion directly, having gained enough control to absorb it safely.
• He successfully transforms the Earthcore Flame into his natal true flame. His Heavenly Fire Art power rises from 1,020 to 2,100 strands, and his cultivation advances from the middle Skyflight Realm to late Skyflight Realm and finally to Skyflight Realm perfection.
• Chen Xia tests the flame’s power, creating a massive sea of fire hot enough to redden the chamber walls and shatter its reinforced window. He realizes that the Earthcore Flame has fundamentally changed his strength and future.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Develops from a powerful but still threatened Skyflight martial artist into a peak Skyflight Realm expert with complete mastery of the Earthcore Flame. His body becomes highly compatible with the flame, his cultivation is greatly purified, and he gains a powerful defensive pressure field and devastating fire attacks. His confidence grows substantially.
• Feng Wei: Reveals himself as ambitious, ruthless, and deeply invested in Sky Net’s reputation and mission success. His decision to personally pursue Chen Xia is motivated not only by revenge but also by career advancement and the hope of recovering the valuable fire seed.
• He Xiong: Experiences a reversal of emotions. Although he originally arranged Chen Xia’s assassination, he becomes terrified that Chen Xia will die, since that would bring ruin to his own son. His stress becomes so severe that he is hospitalized.
• The He Family: Loses control of the situation after Sky Net turns the assassination into an independent vendetta. Its leaders ultimately regard He Sheng as expendable.
• Luo Quan and Xiang Long: Luo Quan helps Chen Xia investigate and pressure the He Family, while Xiang Long ensures that Chen Xia can cultivate safely without interruption.

Significant Themes

• Consequences and irony: The He Family’s attempt to eliminate Chen Xia spirals beyond its control. He Xiong comes to fear the death of the very person he wanted killed.
• Power gained through suffering: Chen Xia’s advancement requires prolonged agony, bodily destruction, and reconstruction, emphasizing that extraordinary strength demands endurance.
• Transformation and rebirth: The refinement process changes Chen Xia physically and spiritually. His body becomes one with the Earthcore Flame, symbolizing a complete new stage of existence.
• Ambition and institutional pressure: Feng Wei pursues Chen Xia partly because his mission record affects promotion and resources, showing how organizational competition fuels violence.
• The danger of underestimated strength: Feng Wei assumes the difference between Golden Body and Skyflight realms guarantees victory, but Chen Xia’s rapid growth suggests that conventional power rankings may no longer apply to him.

Character Interactions

• Feng Wei’s subordinates report the failed assassinations, the client’s attempted cancellation, and Chen Xia’s possession of the Earthcore Flame; these reports lead him to take personal action.
• Sky Net informs the He Family that the assassination cannot be stopped, leaving He Xiong helpless and horrified.
• Chen Xia uses information gathered through Luo Quan to test the He Family’s guilt, correctly interpreting He Xiong’s collapse as confirmation of its involvement.
• Xiang Long and the base personnel support Chen Xia indirectly by protecting his secluded cultivation and ensuring he is not disturbed.
• The chapter ends with Chen Xia looking toward the sunrise, confident that mastering the Earthcore Flame has permanently altered his path and prepared him for future conflicts.

Chapter Summary: “Banquet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After more than two months in seclusion, Chen Xia emerges from the secret chamber having completely refined the Earthcore Flame.
• The flame has dramatically tempered and transformed his body, strengthening his bones, marrow, meridians, muscles, skin, and overall physical constitution.
• His presence now radiates intense heat and pressure, startling the two armed guards stationed outside.
• Chen Xia realizes that his cultivation has advanced to the perfection stage of the Flying Realm, a remarkable leap from his previous early-stage level.
• He considers testing his newfound strength in the Outer Domain, especially against the Golden Body Realm opponent he previously encountered.
• Xiang Long arrives to congratulate him and is shocked both by Chen Xia’s rapid cultivation progress and by the power of the Earthcore Flame within him.
• Chen Xia mentions that the secret chamber may need repairs because of the heat released during his cultivation. An inspection reveals that the supposedly indestructible metal walls and defensive formations have been completely melted and partially re-solidified.
• Xiang Long refuses to make Chen Xia pay for the damage, arguing that Chen Xia’s military achievements and Federation status entitle him to reimbursement. He instead orders the cost deducted from his own account.
• Xiang Long arranges for Chen Xia to bathe, change clothes, and eat before hosting a celebratory banquet.
• He contacts numerous friends, martial warriors, and Outer Domain base officials, partly to celebrate Chen Xia’s achievement and partly to publicly establish their close brotherly relationship.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Becomes significantly stronger after refining the Earthcore Flame. His body is fundamentally transformed, his cultivation reaches Flying Realm perfection, and he gains greater confidence in confronting powerful enemies. Despite his strength, he remains modest and reluctant to draw attention or impose financial burdens on others.
• Xiang Long: Displays genuine admiration, affection, and loyalty toward Chen Xia. He is astonished by Chen Xia’s progress and takes pride in calling him his brother. His decision to cover the damage personally demonstrates his generosity and protective attitude.
• The guards: Their reverence for Chen Xia deepens after witnessing his extraordinary aura and realizing how drastically he has changed.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: The Earthcore Flame is not merely absorbed but fundamentally reshapes Chen Xia’s body and raises his cultivation to a new level.
• Hidden strength and recognition: Chen Xia’s abilities have advanced so rapidly that even a seasoned Flying Realm expert like Xiang Long feels pressured by him.
• Brotherhood and loyalty: Xiang Long treats Chen Xia as family, supporting him financially and socially while proudly introducing him to influential figures.
• Humility versus fame: Chen Xia prefers to remain low-profile, while Xiang Long deliberately organizes a banquet to publicize his achievements and connection to him.
• The danger of uncontrolled power: The melted secret chamber demonstrates the destructive force of the Earthcore Flame and suggests that Chen Xia still needs to master its heat and pressure.

Character Interactions

• The guards react with awe and unease to Chen Xia’s transformed aura, while Chen Xia deliberately suppresses the flame’s pressure.
• Xiang Long questions Chen Xia about his cultivation and is visibly shocked when he learns that Chen Xia has reached Flying Realm perfection.
• Chen Xia offers to compensate Xiang Long for the destroyed chamber, but Xiang Long firmly refuses and insists on paying through his own account.
• Xiang Long gives orders for Chen Xia to be cared for and personally organizes a banquet, using the occasion to celebrate and announce Chen Xia’s increased status.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a banquet in the Outer Domain Base, Xiang Long introduces Chen Xia to the base’s officers, high-ranking personnel, and his friends.
• Chen Xia is treated with great respect after everyone learns that he has refined the Earthcore Flame and reached the peak of the Skyflight Realm.
• At the guests’ request, Chen Xia demonstrates the Earthcore Flame. Its intense heat distorts the air and forces weaker cultivators to retreat.
• After the banquet, Chen Xia travels to the Dark Night Forest to test the flame’s true destructive power.
• He launches a fireball into a river, causing a massive explosion that sends water high into the air, creates a large crater, and ignites the surrounding grass despite the water.
• Chen Xia struggles to contain the resulting fire but eventually extinguishes it using stored river water.
• He later tests the flame on an isolated island, completely incinerating its vegetation and melting stones into magma.
• While Chen Xia experiments, a mysterious black-robed observer secretly watches him. Chen Xia senses the presence, but the observer escapes into the forest.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Gains greater recognition and respect after publicly displaying the Earthcore Flame. His confidence and excitement grow as he discovers that its power is far greater than he initially expected. He also begins learning to control its destructive force more carefully.
• Xiang Long: Is praised for recognizing Chen Xia’s potential and becoming his friend. Chen Xia’s success enhances Xiang Long’s standing among the officers.
• Black-robed observer: Is introduced as a secretive figure who appears shocked and alarmed by Chen Xia’s power, suggesting possible future conflict or surveillance.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Chen Xia’s strength and possession of the Earthcore Flame elevate his status and convince others that he has a remarkable future.
• Destructive power and responsibility: The experiments show that the flame is not merely impressive but capable of mass destruction. Chen Xia must learn to control it to avoid harming the environment or bystanders.
• Curiosity and ambition: The banquet guests are eager to witness rare power, while Chen Xia is eager to understand and master his newly acquired ability.
• Hidden threats: The unknown observer creates suspense and implies that Chen Xia’s growing power has attracted dangerous attention.

Character Interactions

• Xiang Long acts as Chen Xia’s host and introduces him to the influential figures at the banquet.
• The officers and guests flatter Chen Xia, offer toasts, and privately ask Xiang Long to request a demonstration of the Earthcore Flame.
• Chen Xia responds openly and confidently, demonstrating the flame without resentment or hesitation.
• Afterward, Chen Xia interacts mainly with the environment during his experiments, while the black-robed figure silently observes him from a distance before fleeing when discovered.

Chapter Summary: “Slaying Luo Chuan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia finishes refining the Earthcore Flame in the Dark Night Forest. Having reached the complete Skyflight Realm, he believes he is now powerful enough to challenge even Golden Body Realm cultivators.
• He notices a black-robed figure spying on him and gives chase using enormous, flame-infused wings.
• The spy is revealed to be Luo Chuan, a Golden Body Realm cultivator who previously pursued Chen Xia for the Earthcore Flame. Luo Chuan had returned to the area hoping to find Chen Xia and obtain the treasure.
• After witnessing Chen Xia’s control over the Earthcore Flame, Luo Chuan realizes that Chen Xia is far stronger than before. Nevertheless, he attempts to escape rather than immediately fight.
• Chen Xia surrounds Luo Chuan with a vast sea of Earthcore Flame. The flames rapidly consume Luo Chuan’s protective aura, while an oppressive force around Chen Xia further restricts Luo Chuan’s movements.
• Luo Chuan insists that his Golden Body cultivation makes him impossible to kill and claims that Chen Xia only survived their previous encounter because of the Federation’s backing.
• Chen Xia counters that Luo Chuan had already exhausted much of his strength during their earlier confrontation and argues that, even then, Luo Chuan might not have defeated him in a one-on-one battle.
• Luo Chuan uses explosive techniques and powerful sword skills to escape and fight back, but Chen Xia effortlessly maintains pursuit. Their battle demonstrates the overwhelming destructive power of the Earthcore Flame.
• Chen Xia eventually forms the flame into a large fireball and strikes Luo Chuan directly. The attack destroys his protective aura, burns away his clothing and flesh, and leaves him mortally wounded.
• Luo Chuan begs for his life and invokes the influence of his Luo Clan, but Chen Xia rejects the threat. He declares that anyone who provokes him—including the Luo Clan—may be destroyed.
• Luo Chuan dies, and Chen Xia concludes that he has finally established himself as a formidable figure in the martial world.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: His transformation from a powerful but vulnerable Skyflight cultivator into an overwhelming combatant is confirmed. His mastery of the Earthcore Flame, increased cultivation, endurance, and battle confidence allow him to defeat a Golden Body Realm expert with ease. He also becomes more assertive and ruthless toward enemies who continue to pursue him.
• Luo Chuan: His confidence and pride collapse during the battle. Initially relying on his Golden Body status and past experience, he gradually recognizes that Chen Xia has surpassed him completely. His desperation culminates in panic, pleading, and death.

Significant Themes

• Growth and power advancement: Chen Xia’s successful refinement of the Earthcore Flame dramatically changes his position in the martial world.
• Overconfidence versus reality: Luo Chuan believes his higher cultivation realm guarantees victory, but Chen Xia’s unique abilities overturn the usual hierarchy.
• Consequences of obsession: Luo Chuan’s inability to let go of the Earthcore Flame leads him back to Chen Xia and ultimately causes his death.
• Power and backing: The chapter discusses the importance of influence and alliances, but Chen Xia demonstrates that overwhelming personal strength can make such protection less necessary.
• Establishing reputation: By killing a Golden Body Realm cultivator, Chen Xia takes a major step toward gaining recognition and status.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Luo Chuan exchange taunts while fighting. Luo Chuan emphasizes his Golden Body cultivation and Clan influence, whereas Chen Xia calmly points out Luo Chuan’s previous exhaustion and current inability to escape.
• Their dialogue reflects the reversal of their former power dynamic: Luo Chuan once pursued Chen Xia, but now Chen Xia controls the battle completely.
• The final exchange highlights Chen Xia’s warning that continued provocation will bring destruction, while Luo Chuan’s pleas reveal his loss of confidence and authority.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia kills Luo Chuan, absorbing his negative energy and taking his storage ring.
• He finds a high-quality longsword among Luo Chuan's belongings.
• Chen Xia discovers he's being watched by assassins from Sky Net.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates his power by killing Luo Chuan and absorbing his negative energy.
• He shows appreciation for the quality of the longsword he acquired.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics and dangers of the cultivation world, as seen through the eyes of the Sky Net assassins.
• The value and importance of high-quality weapons, as illustrated by Chen Xia's reaction to the longsword.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with the Sky Net assassins indirectly, as they observe him from a distance.
• The assassins—Poison Scorpion, Night Owl, and Snake—discuss their plans and concerns among themselves.

Chapter Summary: “Outnumbering the Few”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia waits beside a stream in the Dark Night Forest, roasting fish while deliberately allowing enemies to come to him. He intends to obtain their resources if they attack.
• Hall Master Feng Wei of Sky Net’s Jinhuai Prefecture branch arrives with three other assassins. They plan to let Feng launch the first ambush and then overwhelm Chen Xia together if it fails.
• Feng Wei uses exceptionally refined concealment, movement, and swordsmanship to approach Chen Xia without revealing his aura. He attempts to kill Chen Xia with a lethal strike aimed at the back of his head.
• Chen Xia detects the attack through the bats spread throughout the forest, despite being unable to sense Feng Wei’s aura directly. He turns at the last moment and counters with an Earthcore Flame.
• Feng Wei’s sword collides with the fireball, but Chen Xia avoids the direct blow and unleashes a wave of flames. Because Feng Wei had weakened his protective qi while concealing his presence, he is caught off guard and forced to retreat.
• The three hidden assassins immediately join Feng Wei, turning the fight into a four-on-one battle.
• Chen Xia reveals that he had noticed the three assassins long before they attacked and mocks them for relying on numbers. Feng Wei and the others dismiss his challenge to fight one-on-one, arguing that assassins care only about killing their targets, not fairness.
• The four assassins launch a coordinated attack from every direction, targeting Chen Xia’s head, neck, waist, and chest. Their combined Sword Qi and different artistic conceptions completely seal off his escape routes, leaving the chapter at a tense cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Demonstrates exceptional vigilance, patience, and confidence. His bat-based surveillance allows him to detect even Feng Wei’s nearly flawless assassination technique. He also shows powerful control over Earthcore Flame and remains composed while surrounded by stronger numbers.
• Feng Wei: Is established as a highly experienced assassin with mastery of concealment, movement, and swordsmanship. His confidence in his signature killing technique is shaken when Chen Xia anticipates and survives it, though he quickly regains control and leads the group attack.
• The three assassins: Their personalities and methods are briefly distinguished. Poison Scorpion is contemptuous, Night Owl is pragmatic and ruthless, and the thin, snake-like assassin is impatient and focused on immediate action. Together, they embody Sky Net’s reliance on ambushes and overwhelming force.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus surprise: Feng Wei depends on stealth and an unexpected killing blow, but Chen Xia’s prior preparation neutralizes the assassination attempt.
• Numbers versus individual strength: The assassins rely on a four-on-one assault, openly rejecting the idea of honorable combat. Chen Xia’s challenge highlights the contrast between individual confidence and collective advantage.
• Pragmatism in cultivation: Both sides view combat as a means of obtaining resources and advancing cultivation. The assassins justify any method as long as it results in the target’s death.
• Hidden strength and underestimated opponents: Chen Xia appears relaxed and vulnerable while eating by the stream, but his awareness and power reveal that the assassins have badly underestimated him.
• Confidence and intimidation: The dialogue becomes a psychological contest, with Chen Xia mocking the assassins and Feng Wei attempting to reassert dominance through threats and numbers.

Character Interactions

• Feng Wei and his subordinates coordinate their ambush carefully, treating him as the primary attacker and themselves as backup.
• Chen Xia’s calm behavior contrasts with Feng Wei’s confidence and the subordinates’ certainty that he will die.
• After the failed ambush, Chen Xia taunts all four assassins, while Feng Wei boasts of his reputation and ability to kill Skyflight Realm cultivators.
• Chen Xia challenges Feng Wei to single combat, but the assassins reject the notion of fairness. Their responses reinforce their ruthless professional identity.
• The chapter ends with the four assassins acting as a unified group, surrounding Chen Xia and launching a simultaneous, seemingly unavoidable attack.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia unleashes the full power of his Earthcore Flame, creating a fiery domain extending about twenty meters and reaching several thousand degrees.
• The flame domain severely weakens the three Skyflight Realm assassins—Poison Scorpion, Night Owl, and Snake Belly—by reducing their speed and Sword Force while damaging their protective qi.
• Poison Scorpion consumes a pill to activate an explosive technique and attacks Chen Xia, but Chen Xia counters with his sword technique and Blood Soul Bewitching Heart. The combined attack kills Poison Scorpion in a single strike.
• Horrified by Poison Scorpion’s death, Night Owl attempts to flee. Chen Xia pursues her and splits her in two with a devastating downward slash.
• Snake Belly also tries to escape. Chen Xia strikes him with a powerful punch, leaving a flaming hole in his chest. Snake Belly dies while reflecting on the crimes he and his companions committed.
• Feng Wei, the strongest opponent and a middle-stage Golden Body Realm expert, realizes he cannot protect the assassins or defeat Chen Xia. He attempts to flee but turns back for one final attack using Fire Cloud Finger.
• Chen Xia responds with Explosive Qi Art, Earthcore Flame, and his own Fire Cloud Finger. His attack penetrates Feng Wei’s defenses and causes his head to explode.
• Chen Xia confirms that all four enemies are dead before extinguishing his flames and silently surveys the quiet forest.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates overwhelming combat superiority. His mastery of Earthcore Flame gives him a natural suppression field against Skyflight Realm opponents, allowing him to fight several enemies at once and even kill a Golden Body Realm expert.
• He becomes increasingly decisive and ruthless, showing no mercy toward assassins who have come to kill him and who are guilty of numerous crimes.
• Poison Scorpion shifts from confidence to shock when Chen Xia kills him instantly, realizing too late that Chen Xia’s earlier defeat of a Golden Body expert should have warned him of Chen Xia’s true strength.
• Night Owl loses her will to fight after witnessing Poison Scorpion’s death and attempts to flee, but her escape fails.
• Snake Belly experiences fear and regret as death approaches. He recognizes that his violent life has finally caught up with him but remains unwilling to die.
• Feng Wei moves from confidence and attempted protection of his allies to humiliation, fear, and desperation. He recognizes that he has badly misjudged Chen Xia but is ultimately unable to escape or resist him.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and advancement: Chen Xia’s elemental mastery allows him to overcome opponents above his apparent cultivation level.
• Consequences of violence: The assassins’ long history of murder, abuse, and robbery returns to them as they are hunted and killed.
• Fear versus survival: The assassins’ confidence collapses once they witness Chen Xia’s true strength, revealing their instinctive desire to survive.
• Merciless justice: Chen Xia views the assassins as criminals deserving death and refuses to spare them.
• Mortality and regret: Snake Belly’s final thoughts emphasize how people may believe they have lived fully until death suddenly arrives and exposes their lingering attachment to life.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia directly clashes with all four assassins, using his flame domain to weaken them before eliminating them one by one.
• Poison Scorpion launches the first serious counterattack, but Chen Xia combines physical sword power with a spiritual assault to kill him instantly.
• Night Owl and Snake Belly respond to Chen Xia’s dominance by fleeing rather than continuing the fight; Chen Xia pursues and kills both.
• Feng Wei attempts to shield the assassins and later confronts Chen Xia himself, but the flame domain and Chen Xia’s superior techniques leave him unable to protect anyone.
• The chapter ends with no dialogue or survivors: Chen Xia stands alone among the corpses, while the forest returns to silence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia loots the bodies of the killed assassins, obtaining storage rings, weapons, and resources.
• Feng Wei's storage ring is significantly larger and contains valuable items like 2,300 Star Essence Stones, high-rank pills, the Qi Concealment Art secret manual, and a large ring of keys that might open the killer organization's treasury.
• Chen Xia decides not to pursue the keys' lead immediately due to potential risks and lack of information.
• He collects negative energy from the corpses and incinerates them before returning to Sirius Base and then Ruin City.
• Chen Xia sells his Outer Domain loot at the black market, earning 1.13 billion.
• He decides to buy a gift for Jiang Xinglan.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia's strength has grown significantly since his first visit to Ruin City, now reaching the Flight Realm.
• He demonstrates strategic thinking by deciding not to immediately pursue the keys' lead due to potential risks.

Significant Themes

• The value of resources in the Outer Domain and the dangers associated with obtaining them.
• The contrast between the Outer Domain and the Federation, with the former being more dangerous but resource-rich.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with Boss Zhang at the pawnshop, selling his Outer Domain loot and receiving a substantial amount of money.
• Chen Xia's thoughts about buying a gift for Jiang Xinglan hint at his growing feelings for her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia buys an amethyst pendant for Jiang Xinglan's birthday.
• He learns about the He Family's involvement in kidnapping Night God Sect members for experiments.
• The Federation's eight Star Worlds are engaged in intense battles with the Different Races.
• Another Different Race disturbance occurs in the Dragon Mountain Zone, Yijiang.
• Chen Xia asks about He Sheng's status in prison.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates thoughtfulness and generosity by buying an expensive gift for Jiang Xinglan.
• Luo Quan shows loyalty and eagerness to help Chen Xia, offering to eliminate He Sheng immediately.

Significant Themes

• Chen Xia's growing influence and power within the Federation.
• The ongoing conflict between the Federation and the Different Races.
• The rivalry between the Chen and He Families.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with the salesperson at the jewelry store, purchasing the pendant for Jiang Xinglan.
• He discusses recent events with Luo Quan, showing concern for the Federation's stability and the He Family's actions.
• Luo Quan expresses his loyalty and willingness to assist Chen Xia against the He Family.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia decides that the serious criminal responsible for Federation deaths should be executed, but instructs Luo Quan to follow legal procedures. He proposes sending the prisoner to the Sirius Battlefield as a penal conscript, allowing the Federation to use criminals as manpower while avoiding political backlash.
• Luo Quan accepts the plan and leaves to process the prisoner’s transfer through Criminal Prison.
• Xiang Long informs Chen Xia that he has earned significant merit during his Outer Domain service. The Federation deposits a reward of 100 million and 20,000 merit points into Chen Xia’s account. Chen declines a proposed military interview.
• Chen enters the virtual Martial Hall and clears the Martial Saint Tower up to the sixty-ninth floor, earning eight million Martial Hall points.
• At home, Chen enjoys a period of comfort and relaxation. His family’s circumstances have greatly improved because of his status and achievements:
  • His sister, Chen Xuan, excels at school and receives special privileges, including a flying-vehicle license.
  • His parents enjoy a carefree retirement-like lifestyle.
  • His elder brother, Chen Wu, gains authority and social respect at work.
  • The family lives in a wealthy villa with hired maids and bodyguards.
• The next day, Chen works at the Yijiang Chief Office before meeting Jiang Xinglan at an upscale restaurant.
• Jiang reveals that she has recently broken through to the Flying Realm, giving her family two Flying Martial Warriors.
• During the meal, Chen gives Jiang a birthday gift: an amethyst pendant he selected for her.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Demonstrates political prudence and strategic thinking in handling the criminal case. His growing influence and achievements bring substantial wealth and privileges to his family. Despite his powerful position, he remains relaxed, generous, and attentive toward Jiang Xinglan.
• Luo Quan: Shows trust in Chen Xia’s judgment and admires his ability to resolve the criminal matter cleanly and effectively.
• Jiang Xinglan: Achieves a major advancement by entering the Flying Realm. Her excitement over Chen Xia’s invitation and carefully chosen gift suggests growing romantic feelings and emotional investment in him.
• Chen Xia’s family: Their lives have been transformed by his success, with each family member benefiting socially, financially, or professionally.

Significant Themes

• Justice and political pragmatism: Chen seeks to punish the criminal while ensuring the decision follows proper procedures and cannot be exploited by opponents.
• Merit and social privilege: Chen’s military achievements produce tangible rewards not only for him but also for his family.
• Family prosperity: His success allows his parents, siblings, and household to enjoy security, respect, and a higher standard of living.
• Personal relaxation after hardship: Chen balances official duties and martial training with leisure and domestic comfort.
• Emerging romance: The birthday meal and pendant mark a more intimate stage in Chen and Jiang Xinglan’s relationship.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Luo discuss the criminal’s punishment, with Chen directing Luo to arrange a lawful transfer to the Sirius Battlefield.
• Xiang Long contacts Chen to inform him of his official rewards and proposed interview.
• Chen reconnects with his family and observes how his achievements have improved their lives.
• Chen and Jiang Xinglan share a private meal and discuss her breakthrough. Chen compliments her advancement and gives her a thoughtful birthday pendant, leaving her visibly touched and excited.

Chapter Summary: “Northern Dipper, Crimson Flame”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia gives Jiang Xinglan an expensive Purple Crystal Stone pendant for her birthday. Touched by the gesture, Jiang embraces him and asks him to put it on.
• The two spend the entire day together on a romantic date:
  • They share a meal.
  • Watch a holographic action movie, with Jiang resting her head on Chen’s shoulder.
  • Enjoy various arcade games, where Jiang experiences unusual freedom and excitement.
  • Have dinner at a high-end restaurant.
  • End the evening beside a lake beneath the stars.
• While stargazing, Jiang points out the Northern Dipper and Rose Flame Star, one of the Federation’s four great Outer Domain Star Cities.
• Jiang explains that her maternal family lives on Rose Flame Star and that her parents’ relationship caused tension with her grandmother’s family. Her father is also frustrated by the limits of his cultivation and his inability to advance beyond the Skyflight Realm.
• Chen promises that, if he earns enough merits, he will take Jiang to Rose Flame Star himself and buy a house there so she will not need her grandmother’s family’s permission.
• At the end of the night, Jiang kisses Chen before they part.
• Jiang returns home to find her parents waiting eagerly for news. Her father is delighted to learn that her relationship with Chen is progressing.
• Later, Jiang recounts the date to Lin Qinghan during a video call. Alone in bed, she touches the pendant and happily realizes she has experienced a genuine date with the man she loves.

Character Developments

• Jiang Xinglan: Her feelings for Chen become more openly romantic. Though normally composed and distant from ordinary men, she allows herself to be affectionate, playful, and emotionally vulnerable. The date gives her a rare experience of carefree happiness, and she begins to cherish the pendant as a symbol of Chen’s affection.
• Chen Xia: He shows sincere care through the birthday gift and the effort he puts into planning an enjoyable day. His promise to help Jiang reach Rose Flame Star demonstrates growing commitment, even though he does not yet fully understand the difficulty of achieving that goal.
• Jiang Changhai: He is enthusiastic and approving of his daughter’s relationship with Chen, reacting joyfully when he hears that they have grown closer.
• Lin Qinghan: She serves as a teasing confidante, joking that Chen is overly restrained and urging Jiang to describe the romantic details of the date.

Significant Themes

• Romantic affection and emotional intimacy: The pendant, shared activities, physical closeness, and farewell kiss mark the relationship’s progression from mutual admiration toward romance.
• Freedom and new experiences: Jiang’s enjoyment of the cinema and arcade reflects how Chen helps her step outside her privileged but restrictive upbringing.
• Family tension and social hierarchy: Jiang’s maternal relatives on Rose Flame Star look down on her father, emphasizing the divisions between families of different status and cultivation levels.
• Ambition and personal limitations: Jiang’s father’s struggle to reach the Grandmaster realm highlights how difficult advancement is, even for talented individuals.
• Belonging and home: Although Rose Flame Star is prestigious and spiritually abundant, Jiang feels rooted on Blue Star. Her emotional attachments matter more to her than status or material advantages.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Jiang Xinglan: Their birthday date deepens their romantic bond. Jiang initiates physical affection, while Chen responds with tenderness and promises to support her future.
• Jiang Xinglan and her parents: Her parents question her about the date, and her father reacts warmly to her progress with Chen.
• Jiang Xinglan and Lin Qinghan: Lin playfully interrogates her about the date, allowing Jiang to reflect openly on how happy the experience made her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia reflects on his date with Jiang Xinglan and learns about the Federation's connection to another star through spatial passages.
• He plans to eliminate the He Family and advance his cultivation to protect his family and humanity.
• He Sheng, a member of the He Family, is sent to the Sirius Battlefield as cannon fodder.
• The He Family gathers to discuss their recent setbacks and He Sheng's predicament.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: He becomes more determined to protect his family and humanity, planning to eliminate the He Family and advance his cultivation.
• He Family: They face setbacks and are helpless to prevent He Sheng's deployment to the Sirius Battlefield, causing internal problems within the family.

Significant Themes

• The insignificance of individual lives in the vast universe.
• The struggle for power, resources, and survival in the face of war and the Different Race.
• The importance of family and protecting one's loved ones.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Jiang Xinglan: Their relationship deepens, with Chen Xia feeling joy when thinking about their date.
• The He Family: They gather to discuss their recent misfortunes and He Sheng's deployment, highlighting their powerlessness and internal divisions.

Chapter Summary: “Compromise”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The He Family holds an emergency meeting after He Sheng is sent to the Outer Domain battlefield, a decision that has seriously weakened the family and damaged its relationship with Chen Xia and the Jiang Family.
• The family acknowledges that it cannot defeat Chen Xia. Sky Net has already failed twice to assassinate him, losing several powerful operatives, including an altar master, while Chen Xia remains unharmed.
• Because Jiang Changhai controls Chujiang Province and Chen Xia has influence over He Sheng’s situation, the He Family realizes that its usual methods—political connections, assassinations, intimidation, or legal manipulation—are ineffective.
• After two hours of heated discussion, the family concludes that reconciliation is its only viable option. Continuing the conflict would threaten the Green God Group’s business, especially its highly profitable Chujiang branch.
• The family decides that He Chenglin must personally apologize to Chen Xia and offer two billion in compensation.
• He Chenglin initially refuses, considering an apology more humiliating than death. However, after being reminded that Chen Xia could potentially cause him to be sent to the Outer Domain battlefield like He Sheng, he reluctantly agrees.

Character Developments

• He Changshan/Second Master He: Recognizes that the He Family made a disastrous strategic mistake by confronting the Jiang Family and Chen Xia. His acceptance of compromise shows that the family has been forced into a defensive position.
• He Chenglin: Experiences a major loss of pride and security. Once accustomed to others apologizing to him, he is now compelled to humble himself before Chen Xia. He privately begins to understand that his earlier conflict with Chen Xia may have triggered the family’s current crisis, though he remains bitter and resentful.
• He Sheng: Though absent, his fate hangs over the meeting. His deployment to the battlefield becomes a warning of what may happen to other family members and demonstrates the consequences of the He Family’s actions.
• Chen Xia: Does not appear directly, but his growing power dominates the chapter. His survival against repeated assassinations and his influence over the Jiang Family make him a threat the He Family can no longer challenge.
• The He Family: Shifts from arrogance and aggression to fear, frustration, and reluctant submission. Its members still desire revenge but recognize that they currently lack the power to act.

Significant Themes

• Power forcing compromise: The He Family is accustomed to using wealth, influence, and underhanded tactics to control others, but Chen Xia’s strength and connections render those tools useless.
• Pride versus survival: He Chenglin’s humiliation reflects the family’s larger dilemma: preserving dignity or making concessions to avoid greater losses.
• Consequences of miscalculation: The family’s decision to enter Chujiang and attack the Jiang Family has backfired, exposing the limits of its influence.
• Fear and vulnerability: Even a powerful family becomes helpless when confronted by someone substantially stronger. The threat of the battlefield and Chen Xia’s retaliation keeps the family from acting freely.
• Family responsibility and scapegoating: Although the crisis stems from decisions made by the family’s leadership, He Chenglin is singled out and ordered to repair the personal conflict with Chen Xia.

Character Interactions

• Second Master He and the family members: He leads the discussion, while other members argue over whether to continue fighting or seek peace. Their debate reveals widespread resentment and uncertainty.
• He Chenglin and the family: The family pressures him to apologize, treating his personal conflict with Chen Xia as a problem he must now resolve for everyone’s sake.
• He Qian and He Chenglin: He Qian rebukes Chenglin’s refusal and invokes He Sheng’s dangerous fate to force him to consider the family’s survival.
• The He Family and Chen Xia: Though Chen Xia is absent, the entire meeting revolves around the family’s fear of him. The final decision to apologize and pay compensation marks the family’s reluctant surrender and an attempt to prevent further retaliation.

Chapter Summary: “Promotion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia receives an official appointment elevating him to Deputy Provincial Director of Inspections for Chujiang Province, overseeing inspection work across fifteen counties.
• He is also appointed Vice Chairman of the Chujiang Organization Committee, giving him the right to participate in discussions about important provincial affairs.
• His promotion is justified by his achievements in the Outer Domain, including killing Skyflight Realm enemies, defeating many Winged Race members, rescuing hundreds of imprisoned workers, and advancing to the Skyflight Realm.
• The announcement causes a major stir throughout the Yijiang Chief Office. Officials are astonished by the speed of Chen Xia’s rise and speculate about who will replace him.
• Chen Xia recommends Luo Quan as his successor as Chief Director of the Yijiang office. He instructs Luo to continue investigating the He Family and promises to send additional support.
• He Chenglin, representing the He Family, arrives seeking to apologize and offer compensation, but Chen Xia refuses to meet him and orders Luo to leave him waiting.
• Chen Xia begins preparing to leave Yijiang. His appointment will become official the following week after the required public-notice period.
• He receives a flood of congratulatory calls from officials, acquaintances, and powerful figures, prompting his assistant Zhou Qing to screen them.
• Chen Xia visits the Jiang Family villa for a celebratory meal. Jiang Changhai praises his accomplishments and reveals that he has recommended Chen Xia for consideration as a future Provincial Governor.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia completes a major political and professional advancement, moving from local authority into Chujiang’s provincial leadership. Despite his growing influence, he remains modest and views his achievements as partly the result of luck and Jiang Changhai’s support.
• Luo Quan is rewarded for his loyalty and competence with a chance to become Yijiang’s Chief Director. His excitement reflects how deeply Chen Xia’s patronage has transformed his career.
• Dong Pingping experiences regret and emotional turmoil after realizing how dramatically Chen Xia has surpassed his former position. She wonders whether rejecting him in the past cost her the chance to become the wife of a powerful provincial official.
• Jiang Changhai continues acting as Chen Xia’s mentor and political sponsor, while acknowledging that Chen Xia’s abilities may soon exceed the limits of ordinary administrative advancement.
• He Chenglin attempts to repair relations with Chen Xia, suggesting that the He Family now recognizes Chen Xia’s power and the danger of remaining his enemy.

Significant Themes

• Rapid advancement through merit and power: Chen Xia’s promotion is portrayed as the result of both political backing and undeniable accomplishments.
• Influence and social status: The chapter emphasizes that Chen Xia’s new position represents not only wealth but access to elite political circles and decision-making authority.
• Regret and missed opportunities: Dong Pingping’s reaction highlights the emotional consequences of underestimating someone who later rises dramatically.
• Political loyalty and patronage: Chen Xia rewards Luo Quan’s loyalty, while Jiang Changhai supports Chen Xia’s continued rise.
• The relationship between strength and authority: Chen Xia’s Skyflight Realm cultivation and Outer Domain achievements directly reinforce his political legitimacy.
• Sincerity versus opportunism: The flood of congratulations following Chen Xia’s promotion raises questions about which relationships are genuine and which are motivated by his newfound status.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Luo Quan discuss the succession at Yijiang, with Chen Xia assigning Luo the continued investigation of the He Family.
• Luo informs Chen Xia of He Chenglin’s attempted apology, but Chen Xia deliberately refuses to engage with him.
• Jiang Xinglan calls to congratulate Chen Xia and invites him to the Jiang Family for a meal with her parents.
• At the Jiang residence, Jiang Changhai personally welcomes Chen Xia, praises his Outer Domain achievements, and treats him as part of the family.
• Jiang Changhai ultimately reveals that Chen Xia may be evaluated for future Provincial Governor positions, suggesting that this promotion is only one stage in an even greater political ascent.

Chapter Summary: “Report Letter”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia learns that he is set to become the Provincial Deputy Director of the Patrol Inspection Office, a major promotion that elevates his status significantly. Although he would like to become a regional governor someday, he recognizes that securing the deputy-director position is already an excellent outcome.
• During a family meal with the Jiang Family, Jiang Changhai advises Chen Xia to be cautious after his promotion. He warns that people will come seeking favors and gifts, and Chen Xia must avoid giving anyone leverage against him.
• Aunt Jun warmly prepares Chen Xia’s favorite pork trotters, while Jiang Xinglan personally serves him food. Their affectionate interactions make Jiang Changhai and Aunt Jun quietly pleased, though they refrain from openly discussing the pair’s relationship.
• Chen Xia visits Jiang Xinglan’s bedroom after dinner, and the two spend time talking privately. Before he leaves, Jiang Xinglan informs him that his transfer to the Provincial Office will take effect in seven days.
• During the public-notice period, Chen Xia transfers his responsibilities at the Yijiang Chief Office to Luo Quan. Luo Quan’s own transfer order soon arrives, allowing him to succeed Chen Xia.
• On the fifth day, an anonymous report claims Chen Xia is unsuitable for the promotion because of his overly close relationship with Jiang Xinglan, the Provincial Office Director. The Capital quickly dismisses the complaint, determining that it will not affect Chen Xia’s transfer.
• The He Family is revealed to have arranged the report out of desperation after failing to reconcile with Chen Xia. Their tactic fails because Chen Xia’s achievements, morality, and Skyflight Realm strength outweigh the trivial accusation.
• After the notice period ends, Chen Xia is given a farewell at the Yijiang Chief Office. He appoints Luo Quan as his successor and says goodbye to former colleagues, including Captain Liu, Jiang Bing, Zhou Tong, and Zhang Feng.
• Chen Xia travels to Handong Province with Zhou Qing, who has also been transferred and will continue serving as his driver. Upon arrival, Chen Xia is formally welcomed by Jiang Xinglan and other officials at the Provincial Office.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Demonstrates composure and political maturity. He values the promotion but does not become overly dependent on official rank because his Skyflight Realm strength already gives him considerable independence. He remains confident that honest conduct and strong achievements will protect him from political attacks.
• Jiang Changhai: Acts as both a political mentor and a supportive family elder. He advises Chen Xia to guard against corruption and political traps while also strengthening his own connections in the Capital through Chen Xia’s network.
• Jiang Xinglan: Shows increasing warmth and closeness toward Chen Xia, personally caring for him during the family dinner and welcoming him at his new post. Their relationship appears to be progressing naturally.
• Aunt Jun: Treats Chen Xia like family and openly expresses affection through her cooking and concern for his well-being.
• Luo Quan: Becomes Chen Xia’s successor and promises to maintain order in the region. His promotion and transfer demonstrate Chen Xia’s influence and confidence in him.
• The He Family: Becomes increasingly anxious and desperate after losing the ability to repair relations with Chen Xia. Their resort to an anonymous report reveals their weakening position and inability to challenge him openly.
• Zhou Qing: Benefits from Chen Xia’s promotion by transferring with him and receiving improved待遇 and status.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Chen Xia’s promotion brings greater authority but also greater scrutiny and responsibility.
• Integrity amid political maneuvering: The anonymous report shows the dangers of rising in rank, while Chen Xia’s confidence reflects the theme that honest conduct and real accomplishments provide protection.
• Influence and connections: Chen Xia’s relationships with Jiang Changhai, Ouyang Shuo, and the Jiang Family strengthen his political position and help shield him from attacks.
• Family and emotional support: The Jiang Family’s warm reception contrasts with the political intrigue surrounding Chen Xia, presenting them as a source of comfort and belonging.
• Merit versus petty politics: The He Family’s attempt to use Chen Xia’s relationship with Jiang Xinglan against him fails because his strength and achievements carry greater weight than an unsubstantiated personal accusation.
• Advancement and succession: Chen Xia’s departure shows his continued rise, while Luo Quan’s succession demonstrates how his advancement also benefits those loyal to him.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Changhai gives Chen Xia practical advice about avoiding bribery, favors, and political vulnerabilities.
• Aunt Jun expresses maternal affection by preparing Chen Xia’s favorite dish, and Jiang Xinglan reinforces that closeness by serving him herself.
• Chen Xia and Jiang Xinglan spend private time together after dinner, suggesting growing romantic intimacy.
• Chen Xia works closely with Luo Quan to ensure a smooth transition at the Yijiang Chief Office and entrusts him with maintaining local security.
• Chen Xia bids farewell to his former colleagues, who respect and celebrate his promotion.
• Jiang Xinglan personally receives Chen Xia at the Provincial Office, emphasizing both their personal bond and his elevated official status.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia arrives at the Handong Chief Directorate, greeted by mid-level and above personnel.
• He meets Ma Guotao, the acting Deputy Provincial Director, who hands over the office to him.
• Chen Xia takes over the position, managing patrol inspection operations across fifteen counties.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates his leadership and authority, delegating tasks to Ma Guotao.
• Ma Guotao shows respect and understanding, accepting his role and Chen Xia's trust.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and hierarchy within the organization.
• Trust and delegation in leadership.
• Ambition and career advancement.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Ma Guotao establish a respectful and trusting working relationship.
• Chen Xia delegates significant responsibilities to Ma Guotao, showing faith in his abilities.