Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Elder Finishing Touch

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun agrees that the original Formation Dao cultivator may participate in discussions about the greatly improved Energy Conversion Formation. However, he insists that his and Yi Jue’s major contributions—and those of the Mirror Spirit and the Yin Soul expert—must be properly recognized and rewarded.
• Yi Jue supports this position, emphasizing that the Spirit Plant Dao’s unique methods also deserve compensation as a matter of principle.
• Feng Jun returns to his deductions and creates the next Magic Treasure, leaving its refinement to the Mirror Spirit while he enters the Two-Way Door. Yi Jue remains behind to guard the manor.
• Feng Jun consults the Guardians, who devise another improvement to the formation, raising its conversion efficiency from 21% to 27%. Despite this impressive achievement, they modestly believe further improvement is possible.
• Meanwhile, Yi Jue experiments with using spirit plants to absorb Energy Stones and convert their energy into spiritual energy. She hopes this method might benefit the Heavenly Zither Plane, though it would be useless on the spiritually incompatible Insectoid front.
• Upon Feng Jun’s return, Yi Jue informs him that Elder Finishing Touch of the Formation Dao and a representative of the Spirit Plant Dao have arrived.
• Elder Finishing Touch, an exceptionally famous Nascent Soul formation master and near-genius, was summoned after seeing Feng Jun’s modifications. Although he initially dismisses the revised formation as “garbage,” Feng Jun’s reasoning impresses him, and he immediately decides to travel to the Kunhao Realm.
• When Yi Jue cannot meet him immediately, Elder Finishing Touch waits without complaint. His unusual patience surprises the surrounding cultivators, who know him as an irritable and combative genius. He explains that anyone capable of making such profound improvements is worth waiting for.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more assertive about intellectual ownership and fair compensation. Though he originally only wanted permission to reproduce the formation for the Blue Star Realm, he accepts a share because the improvements represent genuine innovation.
• Yi Jue demonstrates her strong sense of principle and protects the interests of both herself and the Spirit Plant Dao. She also becomes more experimental and open-minded, inspired by Feng Jun’s creativity to test whether spirit plants can process Energy Stones.
• The Guardians reveal exceptional deductive ability and humility. Their six-percent improvement is powerful, yet they remain dissatisfied and continue searching for better results.
• Elder Finishing Touch is introduced as the Formation Dao’s greatest strategic talent below the Soul Emergence Venerables. Though abrasive and proud, he is capable of recognizing genuine genius and showing respect to worthy opponents or collaborators.
• The Formation Dao cultivators shift from embarrassment over the outsiders’ improvements to serious interest, realizing that Feng Jun’s ideas may represent a major breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Recognition and ownership of knowledge: Innovation deserves acknowledgment and material compensation, even when it builds upon an earlier invention.
• Cooperation across disciplines: The formation’s progress depends on contributions from Formation Dao, Spirit Plant Dao, the Mirror Spirit, the Guardians, and Feng Jun’s own deductions.
• Humility versus pride: The Guardians remain modest despite their success, while Elder Finishing Touch’s blunt arrogance contrasts with his willingness to respect true ability.
• Creative experimentation: Yi Jue’s spirit-plant experiment reflects the chapter’s broader emphasis on trying unconventional methods to solve large-scale problems.
• Reviving spiritual energy: The formation and the Energy Stone experiments are ultimately connected to the larger goal of restoring spiritual energy, particularly in the Blue Star and Heavenly Zither realms.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue cooperate closely while maintaining mutual respect and allowing each other to speak independently.
• Feng Jun negotiates with the original Formation Dao creator, balancing courtesy toward the inventor with insistence on credit for later improvements.
• Yi Jue bluntly prevents the Formation Dao cultivator from immediately joining Feng Jun, implying that he should first study and understand the revised formation.
• Feng Jun and the Guardians collaborate through complementary forms of deduction, producing a substantial improvement.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun discuss the practical value of her spirit-plant experiment and agree to continue examining it.
• Elder Finishing Touch’s decision to wait for Yi Jue and Feng Jun establishes his respect for their abilities, despite his normally hostile and impatient personality.

Chapter Summary: A Temper to Match

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue and Feng Jun meet Elder Finishing Touch, a renowned formation expert from Libo Shoal, to discuss Feng Jun’s newly revised formation diagram.
• Finishing Touch immediately demands to see the diagram without observing normal greetings or etiquette. His bluntness is excused by Elder Cang Jing, who explains that the elder is devoted to formations and socially awkward.
• Feng Jun gives the formation to Yi Jue and asks her to negotiate any potential profits, deliberately avoiding direct business discussions with Finishing Touch.
• Yi Jue and Finishing Touch examine the diagram together. Their similarly poor social awareness creates humorous exchanges, especially when Yi Jue repeatedly tells Finishing Touch not to block her view.
• Finishing Touch criticizes the diagram’s execution while recognizing the value of its underlying concept. He asks Feng Jun to explain several design choices, including a circuit that recovers leaked energy and a curved channel that increases the contact area of converted energy.
• The concept of energy recovery surprises the cultivators present. Some dismiss it as “collecting junk,” but the Artifact Refining Dao representative defends the value of recycling and extracting useful energy or materials.
• Finishing Touch continues criticizing Feng Jun’s formation skills. Feng Jun finally objects, explaining that he is an amateur in formation design whose strength lies in conceptual innovation, not technical execution.
• Feng Jun argues that specialists should compensate for one another’s weaknesses rather than dwell on them. He warns Finishing Touch that if the elder keeps attacking his shortcomings, he will criticize the elder’s way of thinking in return.
• Finishing Touch is briefly rendered speechless, then agrees to stop directly evaluating Feng Jun. However, he does not apologize, remaining almost entirely focused on the formation itself.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows restraint and maturity by tolerating Finishing Touch’s rudeness despite his own temper. He avoids provoking a powerful senior but eventually asserts his boundaries firmly and confidently.
• Yi Jue remains direct, independent, and unconcerned with etiquette. Her focus is entirely on understanding and improving the formation, making her a natural counterpart to Finishing Touch.
• Elder Finishing Touch is established as brilliant, blunt, socially oblivious, and intensely obsessed with formations. His criticism is not malicious; he believes harsh commentary helps others improve. However, he is forced to confront the possibility that his habitual focus on others’ weaknesses may be flawed.
• Elder Cang Jing acts as an intermediary, explaining Finishing Touch’s personality and helping prevent unnecessary conflict.
• The Artifact Refining Dao elder demonstrates practical insight by defending energy and material recycling, contrasting with cultivators who consider used resources worthless.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus execution: Feng Jun possesses innovative concepts, while Finishing Touch excels at technical formation design. The chapter emphasizes that great results require both creativity and refinement.
• Different forms of genius: Yi Jue and Finishing Touch are both exceptional but socially awkward, showing that brilliance does not necessarily come with tact or interpersonal awareness.
• Constructive criticism versus disrespect: Finishing Touch believes criticism is beneficial, but Feng Jun highlights that criticism can become counterproductive when it ignores a person’s actual strengths.
• Cooperation and complementary abilities: The formation’s development reflects the importance of combining different specialties rather than expecting one person to master everything.
• Resource recycling and innovation: The energy-recovery system introduces a more efficient way of using power, challenging traditional assumptions about waste and value.
• Temper and self-control: Feng Jun’s irritation is repeatedly tested, but he chooses restraint before finally responding assertively instead of escalating recklessly.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Finishing Touch: Their interaction is tense but intellectually productive. Finishing Touch’s blunt criticism clashes with Feng Jun’s pride, yet both ultimately continue discussing the formation.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue: Feng Jun trusts Yi Jue to handle negotiations and technical exchanges. She freely interrupts both him and Finishing Touch when their behavior interferes with her examination of the diagram.
• Yi Jue and Finishing Touch: Their shared lack of social formality leads to an unusually direct exchange. They focus on the formation rather than greetings, courtesy, or hierarchy.
• Finishing Touch and the other cultivators: The Formation Dao disciples are embarrassed by his behavior, while the Artifact Refining Dao elder openly challenges another cultivator’s dismissal of recycling.
• Feng Jun and the assembled cultivators: Feng Jun’s innovative energy-recovery concept earns surprise and prompts discussion about the value of reusing resources.

Chapter Summary: “Making a Fuss”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Dian Jing becomes absorbed in analyzing Feng Jun’s formation theories, particularly his use of “warped channels” and a Hive-like structure. His absent-mindedness causes him to respond rudely when Feng Jun asks questions.
• Feng Jun, frustrated by Dian Jing repeatedly ignoring and offending him, leaves the discussion. Dian Jing barely notices and continues analyzing the formations.
• Back at his manor, Feng Jun begins deducing another Magic Treasure rather than seeking revenge or continuing the argument.
• Yi Jue later informs Feng Jun that Dian Jing regrets his behavior and wants to apologize. Feng Jun agrees to explain his theories to Yi Jue but initially refuses to meet Dian Jing.
• Dian Jing waits outside the manor with his disciples, studying Feng Jun’s blueprints. Yi Jue eventually emerges and offers to continue discussing the formations on Feng Jun’s behalf.
• Dian Jing insists that he must personally apologize, revealing that he also hoped Feng Jun could deduce his opportunity to advance to the Soul Emergence Realm.
• Feng Jun overhears the conversation and openly criticizes Dian Jing’s arrogance and tendency to impose his own standards on others. He argues that Dian Jing is self-centered and expects everyone to conform to his ideas.
• Feng Jun’s harsh words serve as a test: he wants to see whether Dian Jing can genuinely accept criticism or merely claims to be broad-minded.
• Dian Jing surprisingly tolerates the insults and asks Feng Jun to continue. Feng Jun then agrees to help deduce his advancement opportunity, though he warns that his fees will be high.
• Yi Jue and Dian Jing continue discussing the formation modifications for seven days and seven nights. Meanwhile, Feng Jun completes the deduction of a new Magic Treasure.
• The new treasure is commissioned by the Jiang Family, one of the Three Hundred Secret-Realm Families. Feng Jun notes that most of his treasures have gone to family forces rather than major sects, whose decision-making is slower.
• The Jiang Family reports that Yi Jue and Dian Jing’s discussions have involved fierce arguments, though no physical conflict. The Jiang Family and other cultivators find the spectacle entertaining.
• At the end of the chapter, members of the Luo Family arrive and ask Feng Jun to add one of their family’s Magic Treasures to his production plans.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows strong pride and a short temper but also considerable restraint and pragmatism. He refuses to retaliate against Dian Jing, instead testing whether the elder is capable of accepting criticism. Once Dian Jing proves relatively tolerant, Feng Jun is willing to help him despite their unpleasant interaction.
• Elder Dian Jing: Remains socially awkward, impulsive, and intensely focused on formations. His lack of awareness repeatedly causes offense, but he demonstrates genuine intellectual curiosity and a willingness to endure criticism. His desire to seek Feng Jun’s help despite their clash shows both confidence and a lack of sensitivity.
• Yi Jue: Acts as a mediator between Feng Jun and Dian Jing. She understands both men’s personalities and relays Feng Jun’s theories while bluntly warning Dian Jing about the consequences of his behavior.
• The Formation Dao disciples: View Dian Jing as a brilliant but willful elder. They sympathize with Feng Jun, recognizing that his irritation is understandable.
• The Jiang Family and Luo Family: Continue cultivating their relationship with Feng Jun, treating access to his Magic Treasures as valuable and seeking favorable treatment.

Significant Themes

• Intellectual brilliance versus social awareness: Dian Jing’s genius is undermined by his inability to communicate tactfully, while Feng Jun’s practical understanding of people contrasts with Dian Jing’s technical focus.
• Pride and personal standards: Feng Jun condemns Dian Jing for treating his own standards as universal laws and expecting others to accept his judgments.
• The importance of accepting criticism: Feng Jun tests whether Dian Jing truly has the humility he claims. The ability to endure criticism becomes a measure of character and trustworthiness.
• Pragmatism over personal resentment: Although Feng Jun is offended, he does not let the quarrel prevent him from profiting from or assisting Dian Jing when cooperation remains worthwhile.
• Family forces versus sect forces: The chapter highlights how secret-realm families are more eager and agile in seeking Feng Jun’s favor, while powerful sects respond more slowly.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Dian Jing clash because Dian Jing treats their exchange as a purely intellectual exercise and disregards Feng Jun’s comments. Their confrontation evolves into a debate about arrogance, standards, and mutual respect.
• Yi Jue serves as the intermediary, learning Feng Jun’s formation theories and passing them on to Dian Jing. She also criticizes Dian Jing directly, changing her form of address from “Senior” to “Fellow Daoist” after becoming frustrated with him.
• Dian Jing’s disciples quietly observe the conflict and regard their elder as talented but excessively willful.
• Feng Jun’s confrontation with Dian Jing ultimately becomes a character test. Dian Jing’s willingness to accept Feng Jun’s insults preserves the possibility of cooperation.
• The Jiang Family watches the arguments between the Formation Dao and Spirit Plant Dao with amusement, while the Luo Family immediately attempts to secure Feng Jun’s services for another Magic Treasure.

Chapter Summary: “Keeping Up Appearances at Great Cost”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Luo Family arrives late to purchase Feng Jun’s Virtual Combat Treasure, complaining that he failed to notify them earlier. Feng Jun gives a polite explanation, though he admits internally that he had never intended to inform every allied family.
• The Luo Family initially orders one treasure with the highest configuration, but its second-place ranking creates pressure to match the Ji and Xuanyuan Families, which have each ordered two.
• After internal debate, the Luo Family decides to obtain a second treasure—not purely for prestige, but because its many branches and descendants genuinely need greater access.
• Luo Tianxiang arrives with a box supposedly containing the twenty Ultimate Spirit Stones required for a second highest-configured treasure. Feng Jun discovers, however, that it contains only fifteen stones.
• A message from Luo Seventeen reveals the truth: the second treasure will actually use the standard configuration, while the Luo Family intends to publicly claim it is the highest configuration to preserve its reputation.
• Feng Jun privately questions Luo Tianxiang. Luo Tianxiang explains that the family has real financial and internal difficulties, though he later admits that powerful demand from the various branches forced the purchase.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun testing whether Luo Tianxiang will honestly acknowledge the Luo Family’s financial situation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates increasing influence and confidence. He is willing to confront even a major family over dishonesty, but he also shows fairness and sympathy once he understands the Luo Family’s internal pressures. He values straightforward communication and dislikes being manipulated.
• Luo Tianxiang: Acts as the Luo Family’s representative and mediator. Though initially evasive, he eventually becomes more candid when Feng Jun presses him. His respectful attitude reflects the changing balance of power between Feng Jun and the Luo Family.
• Luo Seventeen: Reveals the Luo Family’s anxiety over its finances and reputation. His secret arrangement shows both desperation and concern about losing face before other forces.
• Huasheng of the Primal Steel Gate: Takes advantage of the situation to object to the Luo Family receiving priority, revealing the competitive and opportunistic atmosphere surrounding Feng Jun’s treasures.
• The Luo Family: Is shown as powerful but constrained by strict traditions of financial prudence, internal factional demands, and the need to maintain its status as the second-ranked family.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Luo Family publicly presents the second treasure as high-end while secretly purchasing the standard version, illustrating the cost of maintaining prestige.
• Pride and reputation: Ranking and social standing matter almost as much as actual resources. The Luo Family fears ridicule and internal resentment if it appears weaker than its rivals.
• Financial prudence versus competitive pressure: Families are expected to live within their means, yet status competition and the demands of their members push them toward reckless spending.
• Internal unity and factional pressure: The decision to buy a second treasure reflects the difficulty of governing a large family. Once enough branches believe they might benefit, opposition becomes difficult to suppress.
• Trust and honest dealings: Feng Jun’s irritation comes less from the reduced configuration than from the Luo Family’s failure to inform him openly. The chapter emphasizes that mutual respect requires transparency.
• Power dynamics: Feng Jun’s position has risen enough that the Luo Family must treat him cautiously, while he remains willing to accommodate them when they approach him sincerely.

Character Interactions

• The Luo Family uses familiar complaints with Feng Jun, relying on their former alliance to soften the late purchase.
• Feng Jun and Luo Tianxiang engage in a tense but controlled private negotiation. Feng Jun challenges the family’s deception, while Luo Tianxiang tries to protect the Luo Family’s dignity.
• Huasheng publicly objects to the Luo Family’s possible attempt to cut in line, exploiting the incident for the Primal Steel Gate’s benefit.
• The Mirror Spirit prevents other cultivators from eavesdropping, emphasizing the sensitivity and gossip value of the discussion.
• Feng Jun ultimately recognizes that the Luo Family’s decision is driven by both practical demand and fear of losing face, making the conflict more complicated than simple fraud.

Chapter Summary: “Yi Jue’s Indifference”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Tianxiang explains that the Luo Family cannot provide the full number of Ultimate Spirit Stones Feng Jun expected. He claims that his Seventeenth Ancestor exaggerated the family’s poverty because of his difficult past.
• To gain Feng Jun’s trust, Luo Tianxiang openly distances himself from and effectively “sells out” his ancestor, admitting that the Luo Family still possesses Ultimate Spirit Stones but wants to reserve resources for different grades of Virtual Combat Treasures.
• He explains that the Luo Family hopes to purchase one top-grade Magic Treasure and one standard-grade treasure. The two tiers would allow different groups of disciples to train and be observed, while also encouraging competition within the family.
• Feng Jun considers the Luo Family’s plan reasonable but remains cautious because the family had previously acted improperly. He insists that the sealed Ultimate Spirit Stones be opened and verified in front of a witness.
• Yi Jue interrupts after learning that Feng Jun is preparing to deduce the properties of two Magic Treasures. She plans to finish her own formation discussions with Elder Dian Jing soon and wants to question Feng Jun about the principles behind his formation modifications.
• At Feng Jun’s request, Yi Jue agrees to witness the Luo Family’s payment. Qian Zhong had warned her that the Luo Family might be attempting to deceive Feng Jun.
• Luo Tianxiang presents a sealed box containing fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones and two pieces of obsidian. The amount confirms that the Luo Family is offering less than the usual price, while the obsidian is apparently being used as part of the explanation for the reduced payment.
• Yi Jue examines the obsidian and immediately understands the situation. Rather than mocking the Luo Family, she finds the matter tedious and merely confirms that she has witnessed the transaction.

Character Developments

• Luo Tianxiang proves himself pragmatic and politically flexible. He is willing to criticize or sacrifice his ancestor’s reputation to preserve Feng Jun’s trust and protect the Luo Family’s interests.
• He also reveals the Luo Family’s strategic thinking: the family wants to maximize prestige and practical benefits by purchasing Magic Treasures of different grades for different groups of disciples.
• Feng Jun remains suspicious but fair. He recognizes that the Luo Family’s proposal is logical, yet refuses to rely on verbal assurances and demands transparent verification.
• Feng Jun also treats Yi Jue with unusual familiarity, speaking directly and asking her to participate as a witness rather than maintaining excessive formality.
• Yi Jue demonstrates her bluntness, exceptional memory, and emotional detachment. She remembers Luo Tianxiang’s lineage immediately, openly criticizes Qian Zhong’s curiosity, and gives the Luo Family no ceremonial respect.
• Her indifference is more uncomfortable for Luo Tianxiang than open ridicule would have been. She does not consider the Luo Family’s scheme important enough to discuss.
• Qian Zhong is revealed as highly inquisitive and observant. She notices Feng Jun’s situation and informs Yi Jue, though Feng Jun and Yi Jue both regard her habit of prying into others’ affairs with some annoyance.
• The Mirror Spirit shows loyalty toward Feng Jun and Yi Jue, supporting Yi Jue’s involvement and implicitly confirming that Feng Jun is not being deceptive.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus verification: Feng Jun values trust but understands that important transactions require evidence, especially when the Luo Family has already behaved improperly.
• Family loyalty and pragmatism: Luo Tianxiang’s willingness to criticize an ancestor highlights how clan interests can outweigh individual dignity. Betrayal is acceptable if it ultimately benefits the family.
• Power and social pressure: Luo Tianxiang is intimidated by Yi Jue’s presence despite being a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator himself, showing the enormous gap between cultivation levels and status.
• Different perspectives on morality and propriety: Feng Jun worries about appearing disrespectful, while Yi Jue sees no need to soften her words. Luo Tianxiang, caught between them, becomes increasingly uncomfortable.
• Cultural and technological gaps: Feng Jun’s formation and Virtual Combat Treasure concepts draw on ideas from other civilizations and planes. Yi Jue and Dian Jing struggle to understand them because of radically different developmental paths.
• Indifference as power: Yi Jue’s refusal to mock or argue with the Luo Family conveys that she considers their maneuver beneath serious attention, making her disdain more powerful than direct condemnation.

Character Interactions

• Luo Tianxiang attempts to persuade Feng Jun by explaining the Luo Family’s motives and minimizing his ancestor’s unreliable statements.
• Feng Jun challenges him to provide proof and later uses Yi Jue as an independent witness.
• Yi Jue questions Luo Tianxiang’s identity and purpose with little warmth, immediately placing him under pressure.
• Luo Tianxiang defends his family when Yi Jue suggests they may be scheming against Feng Jun, especially because she is closely connected to Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue speak candidly with one another, reflecting their familiarity and mutual trust.
• After examining the obsidian, Yi Jue confirms the transaction but refuses to engage with Luo Tianxiang’s explanations, leaving him frustrated by her complete lack of interest.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Tianxiang becomes frustrated when Yi Jue ignores his attempts at conversation, while Feng Jun continues refusing to meet Elder Finishing Touch.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue spend an entire night refining the conceptual design of a new Energy-Conversion Array. Their plan is finalized after Yi Jue consults Elder Finishing Touch and Feng Jun performs a Deduction.
• Through the combined efforts of Feng Jun, Yi Jue, Elder Finishing Touch, the Yin Soul, Mirror Spirit, and the Guardians, the theoretical energy-conversion rate of the array rises to 29 percent.
• Yi Jue agrees to help Feng Jun refine the associated Magic Treasures, while Elder Finishing Touch handles the final formation design.
• Feng Jun produces two sets of Magic Treasures for the Luo Family: a standard set and a “top-configuration” set. The Luo Family tests the superior set at Libo Shoal and sends the other back to the Small Realm.
• Testing Virtual Combat Treasures around Libo Shoal has become a major event across the Kunhao Plane. Countless cultivators arrive to register, observe battles, seek opportunities, or display their own factions’ power.
• The testing boom creates a large market for combat slots, spectatorship, recruitment, and commerce. Libo Shoal expands rapidly, becoming crowded with powerful cultivators and merchants while remaining mostly orderly.
• Feng Jun must leave because he has run out of Spirit Stones.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains pragmatic and confident in his strengths. He does not pretend to understand Formation Dao fully, instead contributing through conceptual insight, data analysis, and Deduction while leaving technical implementation to specialists.
• Yi Jue rapidly improves her Formation Dao knowledge by exchanging Spirit Plant Dao expertise. She proves capable of dealing with Elder Finishing Touch’s abrasive personality and becomes an essential mediator and technical collaborator.
• Elder Finishing Touch is established as an exceptionally talented but difficult formation expert. His specialized knowledge is indispensable, even though his critical attitude irritates others.
• Luo Tianxiang displays sensitivity to social rejection and resentment toward Yi Jue, though he regains his composure as a High-Tier Nascent Soul cultivator.
• The success of the Virtual Combat Treasures increases Feng Jun’s influence, drawing more factions and cultivators toward his operations.

3. Significant Themes

• Collaboration between different kinds of expertise: The breakthrough depends on combining formation knowledge, Spirit Plant Dao, cultivation experience, supernatural abilities, and Feng Jun’s modern analytical perspective.
• Professional specialization: Feng Jun recognizes that each person should focus on their strengths rather than interfere in unfamiliar technical areas.
• Innovation and accumulated knowledge: The chapter emphasizes how difficult it is to create new formations, contrasting centuries or millennia of traditional development with the team’s unusually rapid progress.
• Power, opportunity, and commerce: Virtual Combat Treasure testing becomes both a training opportunity and a marketplace where factions display strength, recruit talent, sell access, and build influence.
• Visibility versus secrecy: Participants gain combat experience and possible advancement, but they also expose their techniques and trump cards to rivals.
• Growing influence and material constraints: Despite Feng Jun’s expanding reputation and the bustling development around Libo Shoal, practical limitations—especially the shortage of Spirit Stones—continue to affect his plans.

4. Character Interactions

• Luo Tianxiang’s attempted interaction with Yi Jue fails because of her indifference, provoking his resentment.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue work closely on the Energy-Conversion Array, debating concepts rather than technical details and eventually reaching a complete design framework.
• Yi Jue serves as the intermediary between Feng Jun and Elder Finishing Touch, finding the constant need to repeat their discussions frustrating.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue cooperate directly during Magic Treasure refinement, with Yi Jue scattering the Spirit Stones while Feng Jun performs Deductions and manages the broader process.
• Yi Jue and Elder Finishing Touch maintain a tense but equal relationship: they may argue sharply, but neither treats the other as subordinate.
• The broader testing events create interactions between sects, independent cultivators, merchants, and spectators, including the recruitment of a Dust-Free Stage independent cultivator by the Golden Crow Gate through the Crimson Phoenix Sect.

Chapter Summary: “Spirit Stone Crisis (Second Update)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discovers that his stock of Common Spirit Stones is nearly exhausted. The refining of nearly twenty Magic Treasures—especially the Virtual Combat System—has consumed enormous quantities, including the Spirit Stones mined in Rio Country.
• He plans to travel to the Icefield Sector, where he and Yi Jue own shares in a mine containing nearly two million Spirit Stones. He also begins arranging exchanges of Mid-Grade and High-Grade Spirit Stones for Common Spirit Stones.
• Yi Jue points out the underlying problem: Feng Jun’s Magic Treasure refining has generated little direct income because the expenses were charged to the Mirror Spirit’s debt, while the Guardians and Mirror Spirit consumed the Ultimate Spirit Stones he acquired.
• Feng Jun realizes that his income and expenditure are badly unbalanced. Common Spirit Stones are being spent rapidly, while High-Grade Spirit Stones cannot easily be converted into usable Common Spirit Stones without severe losses.
• After considering the issue for a day and night, Feng Jun decides to slow the pace of Magic Treasure production and restore a healthier circulation of Common Spirit Stones, while using Mid-Grade and High-Grade Spirit Stones only moderately.
• Yi Jue and Cang Jing agree to accompany him to the Ice Plains to collect their shares of the mine’s output.
• Before departing, Feng Jun sends the Yin-Yang Mirror back to Blue Star. The disappearance of the Mirror Spirit’s aura alarms the cultivators at Libo Shoal, prompting Feng Jun to announce his exchange terms:
  • One Mid-Grade Spirit Stone for 180 Common Spirit Stones
  • One High-Grade Spirit Stone for 30,000 Common Spirit Stones
• Several major powers respond. Xuanyuan Buqi offers to cover the entire exchange, but Feng Jun politely refuses because he wants to prioritize independent cultivators.
• The Grand Void Gate proposes a different arrangement: 20,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones in exchange for half the shares in a distant Spirit Stone Mine in the Yangmi Sector. Feng Jun becomes interested in the offer.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more aware of the dangers of uncontrolled spending and debt dependence. Though not greedy, he recognizes that maintaining a deep financial and resource foundation is essential. He chooses caution over continuing to expand his Magic Treasure production recklessly.
• He also demonstrates stronger risk-management instincts, refusing to rely entirely on the Mirror Spirit’s promise of repayment, especially given the possibility that the Mirror Spirit could die before settling its debt.
• Yi Jue continues to show practical judgment and quiet support. She identifies the financial flaw in Feng Jun’s situation and offers to accompany him to collect mine dividends without prying into his decisions.
• The Mirror Spirit remains an indirect source of tension. Its massive consumption of Spirit Stones and uncertain future repayment force Feng Jun to limit his dependence on it.
• The major powers reveal their differing priorities: Xuanyuan Buqi acts generously, while the Grand Void Gate seeks both resources and Feng Jun’s influence to help develop a remote mine.

Significant Themes

• Resource management and financial balance: Even a powerful cultivator can be undermined by unsustainable consumption. Wealth must circulate effectively rather than merely accumulate in higher denominations.
• The cost of ambition: Feng Jun’s rapid advancement and Magic Treasure production have created hidden expenses that threaten his long-term stability.
• Risk and trust: Feng Jun refuses to stake his future on the Mirror Spirit’s eventual repayment, showing that personal relationships and promises cannot replace prudent planning.
• Economic systems and power structures: The chapter contrasts independent cultivators, who face unfavorable exchange rates, with major sects that possess mines and stable supply channels.
• Influence as currency: The Grand Void Gate values Feng Jun’s reputation and alliances almost as much as the mine itself. Sharing resources is shown as a way to prevent conflict and gain protection.
• Long-term versus short-term value: A Spirit Stone Mine may appear enormously profitable, but its slow extraction rate makes it less attractive than immediate investment opportunities—especially in the faster-growing Blue Star Realm.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue discuss his shortage of Spirit Stones, with Yi Jue questioning how he could be poor after refining so many treasures. Her observation exposes that Feng Jun has effectively been spending without earning.
• Feng Jun informs Yi Jue of his decision to slow down refining. She accepts it without interrogation and offers practical assistance.
• Feng Jun deliberately avoids discussing the issue with the Mirror Spirit, anticipating that it would encourage him to continue using more valuable Spirit Stones and charge everything to its debt.
• Xuanyuan Buqi offers to satisfy Feng Jun’s entire demand, but Feng Jun declines tactfully to avoid owing the Xuanyuan Family and to keep the exchange focused on independent cultivators.
• The Grand Void Gate presents Feng Jun with a major investment proposal, shifting the crisis from a simple shortage into a potential opportunity to expand his resource base and political influence.

Chapter Summary: “Lifting the Ban” (Third Update)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun considers whether to accept the Profound Water Sect’s goodwill regarding a Spirit Stone Mine. The Dantai Family warns him that the mine would be difficult to develop and that newly risen families nearby may also be interested in it.
• Yi Jue proposes a safer alternative: instead of buying a contested mine, Feng Jun could prospect wastelands controlled by the Spirit Plant Dao. Any discovered mine would be divided among Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and the Spirit Plant Dao.
• Feng Jun declines to pursue the matter immediately because he urgently needs Common Spirit Stones and does not want to owe another person a favor. Yi Jue offers to help him obtain Spirit Stones, but he is uncomfortable with her borrowing favors on his behalf.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, Cang Jing, Qian Zhong, and Xuanyuan Buqi travel to the Ice Plains. The Profound Water Sect has significantly strengthened its defenses, constructing watchtower-like pavilions and improving its formations.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue collect nearly 2.4 million Spirit Stones in dividends. Cang Jing advances another 600,000 Spirit Stones to them.
• A Profound Water Sect cultivator informs Feng Jun about the Zhao Family, which is urgently buying High-Grade Spirit Stones at unusually favorable rates. Feng Jun visits the family and initially offers to exchange 10,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones for 350 million Common Spirit Stones.
• The Zhao Family cannot afford such a large transaction, but manages to purchase 3,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones for slightly more than 100 million Common Spirit Stones. This resolves Feng Jun’s immediate financial crisis.
• Feng Jun rewards the cultivator who directed him to the Zhao Family with 200 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Cang Jing encourages her to accept, emphasizing that such gestures preserve future cooperation.
• Yi Jue wants to visit the Spirit Plant Dao immediately to search for a mine, but Feng Jun believes the newly acquired funds will last long enough. He returns to Libo Shoal while Yi Jue focuses on a new formation involving her spirit-plant research.
• Spirit Stone exchanges at Libo Shoal have expanded rapidly, exceeding three million Spirit Stones during Feng Jun’s absence. Xia Nichang warns Feng Jun that the activity is too conspicuous and may attract envy or hostility from forces controlling the Spirit Stone trade.
• Feng Jun consults Immortal Nishang and Bai Luan. Bai Luan explains that Libo Shoal’s exchange rate is comparable to the Heavenlink Trade Alliance’s maximum rate, but its unlimited supply gives it an enormous competitive advantage. She advises continuing only on a smaller scale.
• Feng Jun decides to charge reasonable fees for future Magic Treasure deductions and to increase mining operations in Rio Country and the Western Continent. He concludes that preserving resources for “all humanity” is unrealistic if others cannot control or protect them.
• He plans to test a rare set of mining Magic Treasures on Blue Star, particularly tools originally used to excavate underground Profound Ice. Before he can leave, however, another family arrives seeking Magic Treasure refinement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more pragmatic and strategically cautious. He rejects unnecessary debts and favors, recognizes the dangers of attracting attention, and abandons his earlier reluctance to exploit Blue Star’s resources.
• Yi Jue demonstrates strong concern for Feng Jun’s long-term stability. She actively seeks a Spirit Stone Mine for him and remains deeply engaged in the formation research connected to her own expertise.
• Cang Jing continues to act as a powerful protector and mediator. Her authority intimidates the Zhao Family and ensures that Feng Jun’s relationships with lower-ranking Profound Water Sect cultivators remain respectful and mutually beneficial.
• Bai Luan is established as a knowledgeable analyst of the Spirit Stone market and provides Feng Jun with a realistic assessment of the limits of his exchange business.
• Xia Nichang shows foresight by warning Feng Jun that excessive publicity and large-scale trading could expose Libo Shoal to danger.
• The Zhao Family is revealed to be financially influential but not wealthy enough to sustain massive Spirit Stone exchanges. Its urgent purchase is driven by a temporary shortage rather than a permanent business strategy.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over idealism: Feng Jun abandons the idea of preserving Blue Star’s resources for humanity as a whole, deciding that resources must first be controlled and used by his own side.
• Power and economic influence: Spirit Stones function as both currency and strategic resources. Feng Jun’s ability to produce valuable Magic Treasures gives him leverage, but also makes him a target of envy.
• The danger of success and publicity: Libo Shoal’s profitable exchanges attract attention precisely because they offer reliable supply at competitive rates. Success creates political and economic risks.
• Mutual obligation and favors: Feng Jun is highly sensitive to owing others, while Cang Jing emphasizes that gifts and compensation maintain access to powerful allies.
• Strategic resource management: The chapter shifts Feng Jun’s focus from simply acquiring Spirit Stones to controlling mines, managing supply, and avoiding destabilizing the market.
• Research and cultivation: Yi Jue’s interest in formations and Feng Jun’s Magic Treasure refinement show that technological and scholarly progress remain central to their development.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue debate whether to pursue a Spirit Stone Mine, revealing their mutual concern and differing levels of urgency.
• Feng Jun negotiates with the Zhao Family, whose initial confidence collapses when they realize the enormous quantity of High-Grade Spirit Stones he possesses.
• Cang Jing intervenes to defend Feng Jun’s status and later pressures the Profound Water Sect cultivator to accept Feng Jun’s reward.
• Xia Nichang communicates a discreet warning through Zhang Caixin, prompting Feng Jun to reassess his public exchange operations.
• Immortal Nishang directs Feng Jun to Bai Luan, whose market expertise helps him understand the limitations of the Spirit Stone trade.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun return to Libo Shoal together, but their priorities temporarily diverge: she studies the new formation while he reassesses his finances and strategic plans.

Chapter Summary: “Hot Commodity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Rui Family’s turn in Feng Jun’s Magic Treasure-forging queue arrives, but Feng Jun postpones their forging for one to four months, claiming he has nearly completed his yearly quota and needs a vacation.
• The Rui Family suspects Feng Jun may be deliberately delaying them. Since they do not dare confront him directly, they ask Yan Yuxi to investigate.
• Yan Yuxi jokingly suggests Feng Jun may be making things difficult because of the Rui Family’s famous twin beauties. Feng Jun denies this and explains that forging Magic Treasures earns him Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones, so stopping is not something he does casually.
• The Rui Family also wants to exchange its place in the queue with the Formation Dao. Feng Jun firmly refuses to permit any change in the queue order, offering instead to return their Ultimate Spirit Stones if they wish to withdraw and rejoin later.
• Feng Jun realizes the Rui Family may be testing his attitude toward them and probing whether he favors sects over cultivation families. This suspicion is linked to growing tensions and mutual distrust between family forces and sect forces.
• Yan Yuxi explains that although the two factions cooperate publicly, they constantly compete and test one another through indirect methods. Feng Jun finds this political maneuvering exhausting and unnecessary.
• That night, Feng Jun returns to Blue Star, where he inspects Xia Nation’s rapid development.
• Xia Nation has advanced dramatically through Feng Jun’s imported resources and technology. Its progress now affects energy, mining, currency, military technology, medicine, construction, public welfare, and quantum transmission.
• Foreign governments suspect Xia Nation possesses extraterrestrial technology, possibly recovered from crashed alien spacecraft. Its greatest international impact comes from its medical breakthroughs, including advanced equipment, drugs, health supplements, holographic imaging, and nanorobots.
• A foreign president suffering from severe health problems travels to Xia Nation after being denied treatment elsewhere. Xia Nation’s medical technology cures his chronic illnesses and makes him appear decades younger.
• Impressed by the holographic diagnostic equipment, the president tries to purchase a system for his country. Xia Nation initially refuses because its limited supply cannot meet domestic demand, but eventually considers selling one unit in exchange for resources and political cooperation.
• Nanorobots remain strictly unavailable for export because their uses are limited and they cannot be reused more than three times. Their scarcity makes them far more valuable than the diagnostic equipment.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains firm, practical, and wary of political manipulation. He refuses to compromise the fairness of the queue system and avoids allowing powerful families or sects to create precedents that could cause future conflict.
• He also shows growing awareness of factional tensions within the cultivation world, though he remains detached from their political games.
• Yan Yuxi acts as an intermediary between the Rui and Yan Families. She is bold and informal with Feng Jun, openly teasing him and voicing suspicions others would not dare express.
• Yan Yuxi also demonstrates political insight, recognizing that the Rui Family’s request is likely a test rather than a simple logistical proposal.
• The Rui Family is portrayed as cautious but ambitious. Its members are unwilling to confront Feng Jun directly, yet they attempt to test his loyalties and improve their position in the queue.
• Xia Nation’s leadership becomes increasingly confident and strategic. It recognizes that Feng Jun’s technology can provide not only economic advantages but also international influence and new political partners.
• The foreign president shifts from seeking medical treatment to pursuing access to Xia Nation’s technology for national benefit and diplomatic leverage.

Significant Themes

• Scarcity and value: Magic Treasure-forging, advanced medical devices, and nanorobots are valuable because their supply is limited. Demand far exceeds production capacity.
• Political suspicion and factional rivalry: The Rui Family’s queue maneuver reflects broader tensions between cultivation families and sects, where even ordinary transactions may conceal political tests.
• Fairness versus influence: Feng Jun insists that the queue cannot be manipulated by powerful organizations, protecting his authority and preventing a scalping market.
• Technology as power: On Blue Star, Feng Jun’s imported technology transforms Xia Nation from a rising nation into a country with significant strategic and diplomatic influence.
• Soft power and international prestige: Xia Nation’s medical breakthroughs give it leverage over other nations and allow it to attract allies, not merely wealth.
• The burden of rapid development: Xia Nation’s progress is so sudden that even its own citizens struggle to understand it, while foreign governments search for explanations and attempt to gain access.
• Practical limits of abundance: Although Xia Nation possesses astonishing technology, it cannot provide everything to everyone. Limited equipment and nonrenewable nanorobots force it to prioritize domestic needs.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Rui Family: Their indirect conflict centers on the delayed forging order and the attempt to exchange queue positions. Feng Jun responds politely but makes his rules absolute.
• Feng Jun and Yan Yuxi: Their conversation is informal and teasing. Yan Yuxi speaks frankly, while Feng Jun dismisses her romantic speculation and explains his economic motivations.
• Yan Yuxi and the Rui Family: Her marriage connection to the Rui Family allows her to serve as their spokesperson, though she also approaches the matter with personal curiosity and mild jealousy toward the Rui twins.
• Xia Nation and the foreign president: Their negotiation begins as a medical rescue but develops into a discussion of technology transfer, resource exchange, and geopolitical alignment.
• Xia Nation’s doctors and the president: The doctors proudly defend their country’s technological achievements while emphasizing that the equipment is not simply a commodity that money can buy.
• Xia Nation and potential allies: The possibility of selling one diagnostic system is considered not for profit, but to demonstrate Xia Nation’s strength and encourage smaller countries to align with it.

Concise Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Nation exports one holographic medical diagnostic system to a politically unstable but close ally. Because Nanorobots—publicly called “Nanoscale Repair Fluid”—are extremely scarce and nearly impossible to reproduce, Xia Nation retains operational control of the equipment and strictly limits access to the treatment fluid.
• The system diagnoses patients from many countries, astonishing the international community and creating pressure for further exports. Xia Nation denies having enough production capacity, while secretly preserving most Nanorobot supplies for domestic and strategic use.
• A portion of the repair fluid is stolen and smuggled abroad, prompting Xia Nation personnel to tighten security and stop publicly discussing the change.
• The technology’s international consequences extend beyond medicine. Quantum Transmission Technology strengthens digital currency and, combined with the Gold Standard, threatens the dominance of the Mairui Dollar.
• Beauty Lin asks Feng Jun to obtain more medical equipment and Nanorobots. Feng explains that his existence has been discovered in the other realm, so he must remain inconspicuous. He promises to seek more supplies later but refuses her attempt to draw him into military cooperation. Instead, he provides Body-Tempering Pills and a limited number of Origin-Nurturing Pills.
• Construction in Chaori County has expanded dramatically. The village is being transformed into a large, highly organized settlement with infrastructure planned for up to thirty thousand residents, despite currently housing fewer than thirty people.
• The settlement includes utilities, farmland, schools, warehouses, recreation areas, villas, a hotel-like facility, a post office, a helicopter pad, and extensive underground bases. Basements reaching one hundred meters are complete, with plans for depths of two, three, and eventually five hundred meters.
• Advanced construction materials and tunneling equipment from Feng Jun’s travels are being widely used. The village increasingly resembles a fortified apocalypse shelter.
• Workers are forbidden from entering spiritually sensitive areas, including the Spirit-Gathering Array and the place where the Star-Devouring Demon’s body is buried.
• Feng Wenhui considers using dogs for security, but Ma Sanniang reveals herself and warns that animals might gain intelligence from prolonged exposure to spiritual energy. Since the white goose is already intelligent, she allows it to remain but opposes raising more spiritually enhanced animals.
• Feng Wenhui, now at the Sixth Layer of Mortal Transcendence, is startled but brave enough to question Ma Sanniang’s identity. Feng Jun learns that the construction’s scale and underground facilities have made the villagers uneasy about possible hidden organizations occupying the area. He agrees to handle the matter.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious and pragmatic. He refuses to become directly involved in military training or risky cooperation but continues supporting his allies through medicine and cultivation pills. His discovery by forces in the other realm makes him more guarded.
• Beauty Lin shows concern for Xia Nation’s medical needs and seeks additional Nanorobots, recognizing their enormous potential for treating many diseases and injuries. She also prioritizes Feng Jun’s safety once she learns he has been exposed.
• Feng Wenhui has progressed substantially in cultivation, reaching the Sixth Layer of Mortal Transcendence. This growth gives him greater courage when confronted with supernatural events.
• Ma Sanniang becomes more openly involved in protecting the Spirit Land. Though she normally conceals her nature, she reveals herself to prevent the careless spiritual enhancement of animals and to safeguard the area.
• Xia Nation demonstrates both technological strength and strategic restraint, controlling the distribution of advanced medicine while denying foreign accusations of monopoly.

Significant Themes

• Scarcity and strategic control: Nanorobots are more valuable than the diagnostic machines because they are consumable and cannot yet be reproduced.
• Technological inequality: Blue Star can use advanced medical technology, but its scientific base is still insufficient to fully exploit or replicate Human Federation inventions.
• International power shifts: Medical advances, quantum communication, and digital currency threaten existing global financial and political dominance.
• Security and secrecy: Stolen Nanorobots, unstable politics, and Feng Jun’s exposure all emphasize the dangers of revealing advanced technology too openly.
• Preparation and militarization: The village’s extensive infrastructure, deep bunkers, and fortified design suggest preparation for catastrophe or conflict.
• Human versus animal advancement: Ma Sanniang and Feng Jun believe scarce spiritual resources should not be wasted on livestock when humans themselves lack sufficient cultivation opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Beauty Lin presses Feng Jun for more Nanorobots and tries to interest him in observing military training; Feng refuses but offers cultivation pills instead.
• Xia Nation and the allied president cooperate diplomatically, though Xia Nation keeps direct control of the medical system because of fears of sabotage and misuse.
• Feng Wenhui and the construction teams establish rules protecting the Spirit Land and the demon’s remains.
• Ma Sanniang confronts Feng Wenhui, reassuring him that she and the intelligent goose can protect the area while warning him against keeping dogs there.
• After hearing the villagers’ concerns about the settlement’s unusual scale and underground facilities, Feng Jun takes responsibility for resolving the potential security problem.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to his village and is shocked to discover that it has been transformed into a massive underground super-base rather than the secluded paradise he envisioned.
• Although he approves of the base’s security value—especially for protecting his parents—he is displeased that the engineering team expanded the project without consulting him.
• Feng Jun orders Beauty Lin to suspend construction. He then demonstrates his power by excavating an enormous underground passage by himself in only ten minutes.
• The newly created tunnel is several kilometers long, hundreds of meters underground, smoothly constructed, waterproofed, and made without visible excavation waste. This serves as both a warning and a display of authority.
• Construction resumes after Feng Jun’s parents approve it, but the engineering team begins treating them with much greater respect. A dedicated female supervisor is assigned to stay with the elderly couple and consult them about the project.
• A week later, a state-controlled pharmaceutical factory in Jinzhou producing Diabetes health supplements burns down. Investigators determine that the fire began with an electrical short circuit, but discover that a hard drive containing critical Xia Script medical research has been stolen.
• Because the stolen information could allow someone else to patent the medicine first and force production to stop, Beauty Lin alerts Luohua while initially intending to solve the matter independently.
• Zhang Caixin reacts impatiently, criticizing Beauty Lin’s side for trying to handle the crisis alone. She gives them a strict five-hour deadline to recover the stolen material, warning that she does not want the incident to disturb Feng Jun during his rare period of rest.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more assertive in protecting his authority and his parents. Rather than punishing the construction team directly, he uses a controlled show of overwhelming power to establish boundaries.
• Feng Jun’s parents are shown to be kind-hearted and reluctant to interfere, even when others act without consulting them. Their passivity prompts Feng Jun to intervene.
• Beauty Lin demonstrates responsibility and caution. She notifies Luohua as required but still wants her own organization to resolve the theft, emphasizing professional independence.
• Zhang Caixin is portrayed as ruthless, decisive, and fiercely protective of Feng Jun and Luohua’s interests. Her earlier retaliation against those who stole Nanoscale Repair Fluid establishes her willingness to use extreme measures.
• The engineering team shifts from treating Feng Jun’s parents respectfully but somewhat passively to actively seeking their opinions after witnessing Feng Jun’s strength.

Significant Themes

• Authority and boundaries: Feng Jun insists that respect for his parents does not replace respect for him, and that major decisions affecting his territory must receive his approval.
• Power as deterrence: His tunnel excavation is not merely practical; it is a calculated demonstration meant to prevent future challenges without causing an open conflict.
• Security and secrecy: The chapter emphasizes the difficulty of protecting advanced technology and medical knowledge in a world where desperate actors will take serious risks.
• Responsibility and retaliation: Beauty Lin favors measured, professional action, while Zhang Caixin believes threats must be answered swiftly and harshly to discourage future theft.
• Protection of family and allies: Feng Jun’s concern for his parents and Zhang Caixin’s concern for his comfort show how the characters’ actions are motivated by loyalty as much as strategy.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun communicates with Beauty Lin, ordering the construction halt and asking that his parents be consulted more closely.
• Feng Jun’s parents later authorize the workers to resume, unintentionally revealing their accommodating nature.
• The engineering team responds to Feng Jun’s display by assigning a supervisor to maintain close contact with his parents.
• Beauty Lin informs Zhang Caixin about the stolen research through their secure communication line.
• Zhang Caixin mocks Beauty Lin’s attempt to act independently and imposes a five-hour deadline, creating tension between the two women and setting up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Thinking Pretty Highly of Himself”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beauty Lin’s investigation into the stolen hard drive uncovers a complicated trail:
  • A factory technician is found unconscious at home, proving he was not the person who entered the factory.
  • His wife, suspected of involvement, disappears and is later found poisoned.
  • The impostor who entered the factory is identified on surveillance, but he is later found murdered with his throat cut.
  • Both crime scenes lack nearby cameras, making the investigation difficult.
• With Beauty Lin’s five-hour deadline nearly over, she reports the leads to Zhang Caixin, but Zhang and Feng Jun are dissatisfied with the investigation’s progress.
• Feng Jun rejects Beauty Lin’s suggestion to quietly track the suspects and “fish” out the larger network. He prefers a direct show of overwhelming force, especially because the hard drive could be sent abroad and copied or decrypted.
• Feng Jun uses his improved cultivation and growing mastery of karma to locate both the stolen hard drive and the culprit within minutes. He knocks the man unconscious and gives Beauty Lin the location so the authorities can arrest him.
• Beauty Lin is embarrassed that Feng Jun solved the case so quickly and angrily dismisses further questions from her investigators.
• Feng Jun returns to his peaceful routine on Blue Star—cultivating, practicing yoga, standing in the rain, and chatting with the Guardians—until Yu Qingzhu brings news that the Energy Conversion Formation has been designed.
• Fairy Yi Jue invites Feng Jun to Heavenly Zither to perform the final Deduction. He confirms that the design is sound, and he and Yi Jue formally authorize the Formation Dao to use and produce it.
• Feng Jun spends several days traveling between Luoxia and Libo Shoal while the formation is completed and tested.
• Elder Finishing Touch presents the finished design while trying to claim most of the credit. Yi Jue reminds him that Feng Jun also contributed significantly, but the Elder dismisses Feng Jun’s role as merely offering “some ideas.”
• The formation successfully converts Energy Stones, though its output is modest and mainly useful to Gold Core cultivators. Further testing will continue before the Artifact Refining Dao forges the formation plate.
• Feng Jun learns that the formation’s creators remain on the Kunhao Plane because they need to consult him and Yi Jue during the refining process. He concludes that Elder Finishing Touch is far too impressed with himself.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence and power. His growing understanding of karma allows him to locate the thief almost instantly, surpassing the investigative abilities of Beauty Lin’s organization.
• Beauty Lin is frustrated by her team’s repeated failures and embarrassed that Feng Jun must intervene. She tries to defend the “fishing” strategy but ultimately has to accept his more forceful approach.
• Zhang Caixin supports Feng Jun’s judgment and shares his impatience with Luohua’s enemies. She also reveals her playful, teasing personality through an inappropriate joke about Feng Jun being “fast.”
• Fairy Yi Jue openly recognizes Feng Jun’s contribution to the Energy Conversion Formation and deliberately ensures that he receives proper credit. She dislikes Elder Finishing Touch’s arrogance and uses Feng Jun as both a collaborator and someone who can listen to her frustrations.
• Elder Finishing Touch is talented but egotistical. He values only those who understand Formation Dao and dismisses Feng Jun’s broader contributions. His arrogance irritates Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Qian Zhong.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong quietly observe the conflict. Xuanyuan openly calls Elder Finishing Touch annoying, while Qian Zhong remarks that killing him would nevertheless be inappropriate.

Significant Themes

• Direct action versus cautious investigation: Feng Jun rejects prolonged surveillance and entrapment in favor of decisive, overwhelming retaliation.
• Competence and efficiency: Feng Jun’s rapid success exposes the shortcomings of Beauty Lin’s investigators and highlights the gap between ordinary methods and his supernatural abilities.
• Credit and recognition: Yi Jue insists that Feng Jun’s contributions be acknowledged, contrasting with Elder Finishing Touch’s tendency to monopolize praise.
• Arrogance and narrow expertise: Elder Finishing Touch believes technical mastery makes others insignificant, while the chapter mocks his inflated self-image.
• Power used responsibly: Although Feng Jun could act destructively, he chooses a controlled solution—locating and disabling the thief rather than causing another large-scale explosion.
• Leisure amid major responsibilities: Feng Jun’s calm vacation routine contrasts with the urgency of the investigation and the technical importance of the new formation.

• Plot and events: Feng Jun deliberately limits his visits to Libo Shoal to every few days because he dislikes Elder Finishing Touch’s freeloading and abrasive personality, though he continues fulfilling his obligation to help refine and perfect the Formation Disc. His irregular schedule frustrates the elder, but Finishing Touch uses the waiting periods to conduct tests and explore alternatives. After more than a month of delays, the Formation Disc is finally completed and optimized. The project has taken less than four months and produces a formation capable of easing the Insectoid World’s frontline burden while converting unwanted substances into spirit qi for Heavenly Zither.
• Celebration: More than thirty thousand people, including major cultivation figures and representatives of the Artifact Refining Dao, gather at Libo Shoal to celebrate the achievement. Feng Jun contributes elaborate custom-made fireworks, which impress even powerful cultivators because they achieve effects through mundane technology rather than spells. The celebration continues until dawn, eventually turning into lively Dao discussions among cultivators from the Artifact Refining, Talisman, Formation, and Spirit Plant Daos. Feng Jun and Yi Jue leave during the night, while Finishing Touch departs several days later after the Formation Disc’s testing is complete.

Character developments

• Feng Jun remains principled despite his irritation: he refuses to provide free labor or excessive personal accommodation, but he does not abandon his promised responsibilities. He also shows consideration by staying beside Yi Jue while she works, even when he cannot directly assist her.
• Elder Finishing Touch recognizes that his own stubborn habits cause conflict, yet refuses to change, arguing that he is nearly two thousand years old and should not have to “wrong himself” by altering his nature. His persistence and technical skill nevertheless help complete the project.
• Yi Jue acts as a blunt mediator, telling Finishing Touch that his suffering is the consequence of his willfulness. She also efficiently handles the Spirit Stones for the next Magic Treasure and demonstrates awareness of Feng Jun’s emotional state.
• True Immortal Dian Jing is credited with repeatedly adjusting and testing the formation, preventing the project from taking twice as long.
• Character interactions: Yi Jue rebukes Finishing Touch when he complains about Feng Jun’s inconsistency, reminding him that the behavior is deserved. Finishing Touch admits that his abrasive manner is an ingrained habit, while Yi Jue insists that refusing to change is a choice. Feng Jun later postpones a meeting with the Rui Family until the Formation Dao’s testing is finished, then resumes refining Magic Treasures once Finishing Touch leaves. He calmly supports Yi Jue during her work, but is summoned away when the Mi-Xiong Clan presents a new problem.
• Ending development: The Mi-Xiong Clan’s turn to receive a top-tier Magic Treasure arrives, but they still owe Feng Jun fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones after paying only a five-stone deposit. They claim the remaining stones have been lost and ask to postpone their position rather than reclaim the deposit. Feng Jun reacts angrily and incredulously, especially because the loss occurred precisely when their refining slot began. Xuanyuan Buqi shields the group and invites them to explain, setting up the chapter’s unresolved conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Stubborn to the End”

Key Plot Points and Events

• True Immortal Youshan, an Eighth-Layer Nascent Soul elder of the Xiong Family, asks Feng Jun to delay forging the family’s Magic Treasure.
• The Xiong Family has apparently lost the fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones they paid as a deposit. Youshan insists they do not want the deposit returned or a special discount; they only need time to investigate and apprehend whoever caused the loss.
• Feng Jun questions him about the incident, but Youshan refuses to reveal details, claiming that the Xiong Family will handle its own disgrace.
• Feng Jun refuses to change the forging order. He explains that he has already rejected similar requests from the Rui Family and Formation Dao and cannot allow the Xiong Family to cut in line.
• Xuanyuan Buqi jokingly suggests that the Xiong Family may have an internal traitor. Though Youshan takes offense, Buqi ultimately understands and respects the family’s determination to resolve the matter themselves.
• Buqi asks Feng Jun to accommodate the Xiong Family. Feng Jun agrees only to wait for them, not to let them disrupt the queue. The Xiong Family’s Magic Treasure will remain next in line, but forging will be delayed until they return with the required Spirit Stones.
• Youshan worries that the many major powers waiting behind the Xiong Family will resent them. Feng Jun responds that the Xiong Family’s desire to preserve its reputation does not override his own rules and dignity.
• Feng Jun offers to return their deposit so no one will blame them, but Youshan realizes that withdrawing would make the Xiong Family appear unable to recover its lost wealth, causing even greater humiliation.
• Youshan agrees to return to the clan and gather another fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones so the forging can proceed as soon as possible.
• Yu Qingzhu then cautiously suggests that this arrangement may not be appropriate. Feng Jun initially rebukes her for interrupting a discussion among senior cultivators, but Youshan asks that she be allowed to speak, leaving the chapter poised for her explanation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun reinforces his commitment to fairness and established rules. Although sympathetic to the Xiong Family’s predicament, he refuses to sacrifice his own principles or allow his relatively low cultivation to make him seem weak.
• True Immortal Youshan is shown as deeply traditional, proud, and stubborn. He places family honor above convenience and refuses to reveal the details of the family’s loss or seek outside assistance. At the same time, he is practical enough to consider raising new Spirit Stones.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays his usual curiosity and humor, but his attitude shifts to genuine respect when he recognizes Youshan’s adherence to ancient family values. He willingly advocates for the Xiong Family.
• Yu Qingzhu demonstrates that she is willing to voice an independent opinion, though she is cautious because of the large difference in status and cultivation between herself and the elders present.
• Feng Jun’s thoughts about the Dou Family and his friend Dou Jiahui reveal his familiarity with similar traditions of family pride and vengeance.

Significant Themes

• Personal principles versus flexibility: Feng Jun is willing to wait but not to break his queue system, showing that compassion does not require abandoning rules.
• Family honor and disgrace: The Xiong Family considers the loss of its Spirit Stones a private humiliation that must be corrected by its own descendants.
• Old traditions in a changing world: The chapter contrasts ancient clan-based pride and self-reliance with the modern tendency to gather outside allies.
• Respect despite disagreement: Xuanyuan Buqi and Feng Jun may find the Xiong Family’s behavior unreasonable, but they still recognize the dignity behind its stubbornness.
• Status and voice: Yu Qingzhu’s hesitation highlights the strict hierarchy of the cultivation world, while Feng Jun’s willingness to hear her suggests that insight is not limited to the strongest cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Youshan clash over whether the Xiong Family’s crisis justifies delaying the forging queue.
• Xuanyuan Buqi acts as both a teasing observer and an intermediary, first probing Youshan’s secret and then pleading for the family.
• Feng Jun and Youshan reach a compromise: the Xiong Family keeps its place in line, but must provide new Spirit Stones before the forging begins.
• Feng Jun reprimands Yu Qingzhu for speaking out of turn, but Youshan’s formal request allows her to continue. Her forthcoming explanation becomes the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Many Mouths, Many Tastes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Qingzhu questions True Immortal Youshan about when and where the Xiong Family’s Ultimate Spirit Stone was stolen.
• Youshan explains that the theft occurred while the Xiong Family was preparing to descend to the lower realm, not at the family’s gate.
• Yu Qingzhu argues that, because the Xiong Family was robbed while traveling to Libo Shoal, the incident represents a challenge to Libo Shoal’s reputation and authority.
• Although the Xiong Family insists that it does not need assistance, Feng Jun decides that Libo Shoal must discuss whether it should establish rules concerning such incidents.
• Feng Jun returns to the manor with Yu Qingzhu and summons Libo Shoal’s core members. He temporarily closes the Two-Way Door to prevent outsiders from observing the meeting.
• The group debates whether Libo Shoal should intervene when clients are attacked outside its immediate territory, especially when the attacks occur near routes leading to the organization.
• No final decision is reached, but Feng Jun emphasizes that the group must collectively determine a policy and then follow whatever rules are established.

Character Developments

• Yu Qingzhu demonstrates increasing confidence and political awareness. She deliberately investigates the details of the theft and frames it as an attack on Libo Shoal’s interests rather than merely a personal dispute involving the Xiong Family.
• Feng Jun shows his role as a responsible leader. Though he suspects Yu Qingzhu is stirring up trouble, he recognizes that Libo Shoal must protect its reputation and consult its members before acting.
• True Immortal Youshan remains proud and defensive of the Xiong Family’s dignity. He admits the theft resulted from his descendants’ mistake but refuses Libo Shoal’s assistance.
• Yun Buyao takes a cautious, pragmatic stance. She dislikes intervening in outsiders’ affairs and worries that accepting responsibility for distant incidents would create endless obligations.
• Liu Yiyi supports Libo Shoal acting independently, arguing that the organization does not need the Xiong Family’s permission to determine its own policies.
• Gao Qiang reveals a strong sense of justice, insisting that powerful organizations should suppress criminals operating around their territory.
• Sister Hong and Gazi offer practical comparisons to shops and marketplaces, examining the responsibilities of businesses toward threats outside their doors.
• Xuanyuan Buqi understands Feng Jun’s intentions and clarifies that Feng Jun is trying to establish rules rather than simply defend the Xiong Family.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and authority: Libo Shoal must decide whether failing to respond to attacks on its clients will weaken its standing.
• Rules versus personal discretion: The discussion asks whether cultivators should “mind their own business” or whether powerful organizations have a duty to enforce order.
• Responsibility toward clients and surrounding areas: Several characters compare Libo Shoal to a shopkeeper responsible for maintaining safety near the shop.
• Ecological balance and noninterference: Sister Hong and Yun Buyao point out that many societies survive through mutual restraint, with neither merchants nor cultivators interfering in every outside conflict.
• Justice and power: Gao Qiang argues that those strong enough to eliminate criminal forces should do so, highlighting the absence of formal law enforcement in the Cultivation Realm.
• Cultural differences: The characters debate customs from different lower realms, showing that ideas such as public responsibility, sanitation, and order vary according to local society and cultivation culture.
• Collective governance: Feng Jun encourages open disagreement but expects everyone to obey the final decision once rules are established.

Character Interactions

• Yu Qingzhu’s questioning places Feng Jun in an awkward position, as she exposes the possibility that Libo Shoal has been deliberately targeted.
• Feng Jun and Youshan clash politely but firmly: Youshan rejects assistance to preserve the Xiong Family’s independence, while Feng Jun insists that Libo Shoal must protect its own dignity.
• Xuanyuan Buqi supports Feng Jun’s reasoning but bluntly explains that the Xiong Family may be misunderstanding his intentions.
• During the internal meeting, Yu Qingzhu, Yun Buyao, Liu Yiyi, Sister Hong, Gazi, and Gao Qiang argue from different perspectives—commercial responsibility, practical limitations, justice, and social stability.
• Sister Hong’s opposition to Yu Qingzhu is partly strategic and partly shaped by their differing experiences, while Yun Buyao and Gao Qiang engage in a direct but respectful disagreement.
• Feng Jun ultimately acts as mediator, allowing everyone to speak while reminding them that unity and obedience will be required after a policy is chosen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The discussion at Libo Shoal evolves from a simple policy debate into a conflict between Blue Star and local cultivation cultures: whether to follow the local “everyone-for-themselves” custom or impose greater order and responsibility.
• Yu Qingzhu proposes that Libo Shoal should protect cultivators who conduct major transactions there, particularly buyers of the Virtual Combat Treasure. She argues that Libo Shoal has both the ability and responsibility to maintain order.
• Feng Jun initially dislikes the idea because it could create endless obligations, while Zhang Caixin and others also worry about the trouble and the temporary nature of the forces gathered at Libo Shoal.
• After hearing both sides, Feng Jun makes the final decision: anyone who targets Libo Shoal’s trading partners—especially Virtual Combat Treasure buyers—will be severely punished.
• Feng Jun approaches True Immortal Youshan of the Xiong Family, whose members had been robbed of fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones, and asks for details about the theft.
• Rather than sending people to investigate directly, Feng Jun announces a bounty: two Ultimate Spirit Stones will be deducted from the refining fee for identifying the thief, and five will be deducted for capturing or killing the thief.
• Xuanyuan Buqi agrees to spread the news, jokingly asking whether people whose treasures were already completed should receive refunds as well. Feng Jun replies that he may share any bounty reward with those still waiting for their treasures.
• News of the bounty spreads throughout Libo Shoal. Instead of ridiculing the Xiong Family, the cultivators become angry that someone dared to attack people conducting business there and unite behind Feng Jun’s initiative.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows reluctance to accept broad responsibility, mainly because he dislikes trouble, but ultimately recognizes that Libo Shoal’s influence and transactions require a certain level of protection. He establishes a practical, limited policy rather than taking responsibility for every dispute.
• Yu Qingzhu: Demonstrates growing confidence and moral conviction. She advocates actively creating order and believes Libo Shoal should set a higher standard when it has the power to do so.
• Zhang Caixin: Reveals that she shares Feng Jun’s desire to avoid unnecessary complications, though she participates in the discussion responsibly as its presiding figure.
• Gao Qiang and Gazi: Support Feng Jun’s authority and emphasize using existing forces rather than creating an entirely new system. Gazi’s loyalty makes clear that the group views Feng Jun as its unquestioned leader.
• Yun Buyao: Withdraws from the debate but firmly supports Feng Jun’s final authority, emphasizing that he provided their cultivation resources and techniques.
• True Immortal Youshan: Initially feels humiliated and hesitates to ask for help, but gradually accepts Libo Shoal’s intervention after realizing the bounty offers meaningful assistance.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Acts as both a provocateur and an ally. He teases Feng Jun and Youshan but genuinely helps publicize the bounty, partly to support the Xiong Family and partly to keep watch over Feng Jun.
• The Yin Soul big shot: Acknowledges that Yu Qingzhu’s argument is reasonable but avoids becoming involved, reinforcing his cautious personality.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility accompanying power: Yu Qingzhu’s argument reflects the idea that those with greater ability should accept greater responsibility.
• Cultural and civilizational conflict: Blue Star’s desire for organized rules clashes with the local cultivation world’s individualistic, indifferent attitude toward others’ misfortunes.
• Order versus personal freedom: The characters debate whether protecting everyone would create excessive obligations or whether clear rules would make Libo Shoal more trustworthy.
• Collective justice and leadership: Cultivators usually ignore problems that do not directly affect them, but a strong leader and a meaningful incentive can unite them.
• Practical governance: Feng Jun avoids an overly broad system and limits protection to important transactions directly connected to Libo Shoal, balancing responsibility with manageable boundaries.
• Reputation and trust: By defending its trading partners, Libo Shoal strengthens its reputation as a reliable place for major commerce.

Character Interactions

• Mi Yunshan questions Feng Jun about his position, prompting him to explain that he is motivated more by avoiding trouble than by acting as a moral idealist.
• Gazi and Zhang Caixin debate whether existing forces can maintain order after the Magic Treasure is completed.
• Yu Qingzhu challenges the group to adopt a broader sense of responsibility, leading Feng Jun to seek the Yin Soul big shot’s opinion.
• The group unanimously defers to Feng Jun, showing the hierarchy and loyalty within Libo Shoal.
• Feng Jun and True Immortal Youshan negotiate the Xiong Family’s request for help, while Xuanyuan Buqi needles both of them with jokes and blunt observations.
• The bounty transforms the incident from a private humiliation suffered by the Xiong Family into a collective grievance shared by the cultivators at Libo Shoal.

Chapter Summary: “Refund”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Feng Jun issues a bounty for the theft of the Xiong Family’s fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones, cultivators throughout Libo Shoal begin searching for the culprits.
• The Xiong Family explains that the stones were stolen after their group entered a formation on the main road while preparing to descend to the lower realm. The formation lasted two days, and when it vanished, the stones were gone.
• True Immortal Xiong Youshan refuses to explain exactly how the theft occurred, insisting that it was not an inside job and that the formation could not have been entered accidentally.
• Ji Wuqing, an exceptionally talented Eighth-Layer Nascent Soul cultivator of the Ji Family, arrives to oversee the investigation on behalf of his faction. He pressures Youshan for details and asks to join the search.
• Fairy Yi Jue interrupts when Ji appears to criticize Feng Jun. Ji quickly moderates his tone, acknowledging Feng Jun’s intelligence, influence, and ability to manipulate circumstances.
• The Ji Family joins the Xiong Family’s investigation, bringing both younger members and powerful guards. Other factions also send bounty hunters.
• Feng Jun remains focused on preparing Magic Treasures, adjusting three additional sets of components while waiting for the Xiong Family’s Ultimate Spirit Stones.
• Investigations reveal that the robbery was genuine and not an internal betrayal. The thieves likely numbered fewer than eight, but they were highly skilled in concealing heavenly secrets and avoiding pursuit.
• Several Grand Void Gate trackers are misled into fighting two Nascent Soul Beast Kings and a large demonic-beast horde. Though they eventually destroy the horde, the operation yields little profit and deepens their anger toward the robbers.
• Under mounting pressure from the bounty hunters, the robbers send a coded message offering to return half the stolen stones if the matter is dropped. Feng Jun rejects this, since the bounty concerns identifying or capturing the thieves, not merely recovering the goods.
• Shortly afterward, the robbers return all the Ultimate Spirit Stones. They claim the theft was a private grudge against the Xiong Family and insist they had no intention of challenging or disrespecting Libo Shoal.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates authority and influence by mobilizing numerous factions with a single bounty. He remains calm and practical, concentrating on artifact preparation while others pursue the thieves.
• True Immortal Xiong Youshan: Becomes increasingly withdrawn and frustrated because of the unexplained loss. Although stubborn and protective of the Xiong Family’s reputation, he is shown to be fair-minded and unwilling to accuse others without proof.
• Ji Wuqing: Displays arrogance and ambition, eager to claim the bounty and establish the Ji Family’s importance. However, he is cautious around stronger figures such as Fairy Yi Jue and respects the warnings of his elders.
• Fairy Yi Jue: Reinforces Feng Jun’s status by immediately silencing Ji’s criticism. Her confidence and overwhelming reputation make even Ji Wuqing wary.
• The Xiong Family: Suffers public scrutiny and embarrassment, while its elders are effectively drawn into a broader investigation controlled by Libo Shoal and the bounty hunters.
• The robbers: Are revealed as disciplined, capable planners who understand both concealment and political consequences. Their decision to return the stones shows that they fear provoking Libo Shoal more than they value the stolen treasure.

Significant Themes

• Influence versus cultivation: Ji Wuqing recognizes that power is not limited to combat strength; Feng Jun’s deductions, strategic thinking, and influence allow him to direct the actions of many powerful factions.
• Authority and reputation: Feng Jun’s bounty transforms a private theft into a matter affecting the entire cultivation world. The robbers return the stones not because they are defeated, but because they do not wish to offend Libo Shoal.
• Pride and diplomacy: Youshan’s stubborn defense of the Xiong Family contrasts with Ji’s arrogance and subsequent restraint. Both must navigate factional relationships and the prestige of powerful elders.
• Mystery and concealed motives: The theft remains unexplained, particularly how the robbers entered and controlled the formation and how the incident became karmically linked to Libo Shoal.
• Power producing unintended consequences: The bounty attracts many cultivators, leading to dangerous diversions, wasted effort, and battles with demonic beasts rather than a direct confrontation with the thieves.

Character Interactions

• Youshan and the Xiong Family disciples: They field repeated questions from curious cultivators while Youshan hides himself, reflecting the family’s embarrassment and internal pressure.
• Youshan and Ji Wuqing: Ji presses Youshan for information and subtly challenges his account. Youshan invokes Feng Jun’s restraint as a warning, but Ji continues until Yi Jue intervenes.
• Ji Wuqing and Fairy Yi Jue: Yi Jue rebukes Ji for speaking against Feng Jun. Ji immediately adopts a respectful attitude, acknowledging her superior strength and status.
• Ji Wuqing and Youshan: After being corrected, Ji apologizes and requests to accompany the investigation. Youshan cannot refuse outright because of the Ji Family’s powerful backing.
• Feng Jun and the bounty hunters: Feng Jun provides the objective and refuses a partial settlement, making clear that the thieves themselves—not merely the stolen goods—are the target.
• The robbers and Libo Shoal: By returning the Ultimate Spirit Stones and emphasizing that the theft was a private dispute, the robbers attempt to avoid escalating the matter into a direct conflict with Feng Jun and Libo Shoal.

Chapter Summary: “Telling Old Tales”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun continues pursuing the robbers who stole fifteen Ultimate Spirit Stones, insisting that Libo Shoal’s reputation must be defended even after the bounty has already made its point.
• The investigation stalls because the robbers move unpredictably and repeatedly evade their pursuers. Their ability to escape suggests that they possess unusual methods for concealing their whereabouts.
• The Grand Void Gate disciples, frustrated and weakened after their earlier invasion of the Beast King’s nest, ask Wuxiu the True Immortal to request Feng Jun’s help with Deduction. They offer to relinquish their share of the bounty if he or Yi Jue assists them.
• Wuxiu explains that even powerful Deduction experts, including a Soul Emergence Venerable from the Ji Family, have failed to uncover the robbers because the heavenly secrets surrounding the case are unusually obscure.
• Feng Jun consults Qian Zhong. She warns that the robbers may be using a powerful secret art or even a True Treasure to conceal their aura and obscure heavenly secrets. More importantly, she advises Feng Jun not to personally participate, since his senses may have been deliberately deceived.
• The Mirror Spirit confirms Qian Zhong’s warning and tells Feng Jun that performing a Deduction could place him in danger. It suggests allowing Yi Jue to perform the Deduction instead.
• The conversation shifts into a humorous but revealing discussion of ancient legends, especially the Investiture of the Gods. The Mirror Spirit rejects the accuracy of the stories and hints that its own identity and history—as well as the identities of the Guardian and other ancient powers—are far more significant than Feng Jun realizes.
• Qian Zhong agrees to perform the Deduction herself in exchange for compensation, though she negotiates to avoid spending Ultimate Spirit Stones. Feng Jun instead counts the favor as half of one of her future opportunities to receive a Soul Emergence Pill.
• Xuanyuan Buqi objects to Qian Zhong receiving credit for the intervention, arguing that he too helped Feng Jun previously and could protect him if he personally joined the investigation. He volunteers to accompany Feng Jun and Yi Jue.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates determination and a strong sense of responsibility toward Libo Shoal, but also shows growing caution. He accepts that his confidence and personal instincts may be unreliable when facing hidden secret arts. His continued questioning of the Mirror Spirit also shows increasing curiosity about ancient history and his own magical artifacts.
• Qian Zhong: Reveals herself to be cautious, highly perceptive, and exceptionally skilled in Deduction. She is willing to help Feng Jun but cleverly negotiates compensation. Her normally detached demeanor contrasts with her hidden fondness for gossip and her increasingly familiar, teasing interactions with Feng Jun.
• The Mirror Spirit: Becomes unusually talkative and emotionally reactive while discussing ancient treasures and legends. Its anger and evasiveness suggest that it has a deep, possibly controversial connection to the ancient world. It also shows concern for Feng Jun by warning him of the danger.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Maintains his blunt, argumentative personality but displays loyalty and protectiveness toward Feng Jun. He also reveals his practical interest in earning a Soul Emergence Pill and refuses to let Qian Zhong gain an advantage over him.
• Grand Void Gate disciples: Their earlier confidence gives way to frustration and exhaustion. Their willingness to surrender the bounty demonstrates how desperate they are to resolve the mystery.

Significant Themes

• The danger of overconfidence: Qian Zhong and the Mirror Spirit both warn that arrogance can lead to disaster, especially when an enemy can manipulate heavenly secrets and deceive perception.
• Hidden power beyond cultivation level: The chapter emphasizes that secret arts and treasures can allow relatively weak cultivators to threaten much stronger opponents. Skill, concealment, and unusual artifacts may matter more than raw cultivation.
• Reputation, justice, and responsibility: Feng Jun’s insistence that Libo Shoal’s dignity must be defended reflects the importance of reputation and the belief that wrongdoing cannot simply be erased through apology.
• The unreliability of historical legends: The Mirror Spirit challenges the traditional stories of the Investiture of the Gods, suggesting that ancient history has been simplified, distorted, or deliberately misrepresented.
• The value of alliances: Feng Jun relies on Qian Zhong, Yi Jue, the Mirror Spirit, and Xuanyuan Buqi, showing that dangerous investigations require cooperation among people with different specialties.
• Wealth and long-term incentives: The discussion of hidden treasuries and Soul Emergence Pills highlights how powerful cultivators calculate risk and reward over decades or centuries.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Wuxiu: Wuxiu conveys the Grand Void Gate’s request while carefully avoiding admitting that his sect’s own Deduction experts are insufficient.
• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong: Their relationship has become more relaxed and familiar. Qian Zhong warns him seriously about the danger, then jokingly complains about being manipulated into spending resources. Feng Jun compensates her by counting the intervention toward a future Soul Emergence Pill.
• Feng Jun and the Mirror Spirit: Their exchange combines suspicion, humor, and genuine concern. Feng Jun probes the Mirror Spirit about its past, while the Mirror Spirit angrily defends the importance of ancient treasures and ultimately warns Feng Jun against acting recklessly.
• Qian Zhong and the Mirror Spirit: Qian Zhong unexpectedly detects Feng Jun’s silent communication with the Mirror Spirit, revealing the extraordinary sensitivity of her powers. She is embarrassed by the accidental intrusion but also clearly curious.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi: Xuanyuan complains that Qian Zhong is receiving an unfair share of the reward. Qian Zhong responds coolly by emphasizing her superior Deduction abilities, while Xuanyuan counters that he can provide protection instead.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi: Their exchange reflects mutual trust and familiarity. Xuanyuan’s objection is partly competitive, but his offer to accompany Feng Jun also demonstrates his willingness to protect him.

Chapter Summary: “Changes Arise”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Zhong warns Xuanyuan Buqi that Feng Jun and Yi Jue are entangled in serious karma. Protecting them could bring further turmoil to the Xuanyuan Family.
• Feng Jun confirms that he recently received a warning from an elder of his sect and plans to ask Yi Jue to perform a Deduction.
• Xuanyuan Buqi accompanies Feng Jun to the manor after respectfully notifying the Mirror Spirit. The Mirror Spirit permits their entry.
• Yi Jue performs a lengthy Deduction but cannot clearly determine the outcome. She only concludes that it is inauspicious, though remaining out of the Upper Realm might lead merely to minor incidents.
• Feng Jun performs his own Deduction and reaches an even more troubling conclusion: he can see nothing. He advises Yi Jue to reject the Grand Void Sect’s request, believing that unclear fate is more dangerous than an openly bad omen.
• Xuanyuan Buqi decides to remain at Libo Shoal and guard the area, while Yi Jue recommends Qian Zhong as the Grand Void Sect’s Deduction expert.
• Qian Zhong enters the Heavenly Zither Upper Realm and quickly attracts attention from major forces, including the Ji Family. News spreads that a powerful Deduction expert is assisting the pursuit.
• Qian Zhong traces the bandits to the territory of the Myriad Illusions Sect. Because of Feng Jun’s poor relationship with that sect—and because hundreds of cultivators are following her—she refuses to enter openly.
• Most family cultivators withdraw, fearing conflict and restrictions within sect-controlled territory. The Grand Void Sect disciples remain determined and prepare to search for the bandits themselves.
• The Xiong Family sends ten carefully selected descendants into the Myriad Illusions Sect’s territory. Their goal is to gather intelligence and avenge the family’s humiliation, not necessarily to kill the fugitives.
• The Guan Family also sends cultivators, relying on a family member married into the Myriad Illusions Sect for protection.
• Qian Zhong agrees to wait for the pursuers but secretly disappears so that no one can track her.
• The Golden Crow Sect arrives with six Nascent Soul cultivators and more than forty Gold Core cultivators. They are eager to pursue the bandits partly because entering Myriad Illusions Sect territory offers an opportunity to cause trouble for an old rival.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more cautious and introspective after the Mirror Spirit’s warning. He recognizes that arrogance and overconfidence can lead to disaster and adopts a more reverent attitude toward unknown forces.
• Qian Zhong is established as a highly respected and perceptive Deduction expert. She is cautious about karma, political boundaries, and the dangers of bringing a large group into hostile territory.
• Yi Jue demonstrates strong but limited divination abilities. Her inability to interpret the omen reinforces the seriousness of the situation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi shows both bluntness and hidden caution. Although unhappy with warnings against the Xuanyuan Family, he accepts the danger and chooses to guard Libo Shoal rather than recklessly intervene.
• Elder Youshan and the Xiong Family are portrayed as practical but determined. Their pursuit is motivated by family honor and revenge, even after the stolen Ultimate Spirit Stone was returned.
• The Grand Void Sect disciples display confidence in their own abilities and refuse to abandon the pursuit despite losing Qian Zhong’s direct guidance.
• The Golden Crow Sect reveals lingering hostility toward the Myriad Illusions Sect and eagerness to exploit the situation for revenge and political mischief.

3. Significant Themes

• The danger of unclear fate: The most frightening omen is not a visible disaster but an inability to perceive what is coming.
• Reverence and caution: Feng Jun realizes that unknown powers and warnings must be treated seriously, since careless arrogance may cause downfall.
• Karma and consequence: Protecting others can deepen one’s own karmic burdens, threatening entire families or factions.
• Political boundaries and factional tension: Family cultivators and sect cultivators cooperate when necessary but remain wary of one another, especially when bounty hunting crosses territorial lines.
• Honor and revenge: The Xiong Family’s pursuit is driven less by material loss than by the need to restore its dignity.
• Cooperation amid rivalry: Despite tensions between families and sects, marriage alliances, shared interests, and temporary cooperation remain possible.
• Hidden motives: Several groups claim to pursue justice or a bounty, but their actions are also influenced by factional rivalries and opportunities to settle old scores.

4. Character Interactions

• Qian Zhong challenges Xuanyuan Buqi’s willingness to protect Feng Jun and Yi Jue, forcing him to consider the broader consequences for his family.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi cooperate cautiously, with Feng Jun allowing him into the manor while remaining alert to the Mirror Spirit’s possible hostility.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue compare their Deduction results, discovering that both point toward danger but offer no clear solution.
• Xuanyuan Buqi accepts the others’ judgment despite his frustration and chooses to remain behind as a guard.
• Yi Jue supports Qian Zhong by recommending her to the Grand Void Sect, indirectly placing Qian Zhong at the center of the pursuit.
• Qian Zhong becomes the focus of numerous factions, who depend on her abilities while also respecting the political limits of her position.
• The Xiong and Guan Families seek to work around sect-family tensions through careful personnel choices and personal connections.
• The Golden Crow Sect’s arrival adds another layer of hostility, as its members are motivated not only by the bounty but also by resentment toward the Myriad Illusions Sect.

Chapter Summary: “Association”

Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun enters the Amber Realm at night, appearing far from the Sky Curtain blockade to avoid detection. Using his phone to perform a deduction, he confirms that the Sky Curtain will begin closing within half a day.
• He returns to Libo Shoal and invites Yi Jue to watch the phenomenon. He then suggests bringing along Great Lord Xuanyuan Buqi, partly because he wants Buqi to remain responsible for the manor’s affairs.
• Xuanyuan Buqi overhears his name through the Mirror Spirit’s connection and quickly learns of the closing Sky Curtain. Rather than stay behind, he insists on accompanying Feng Jun and Yi Jue, claiming he wants to broaden his horizons and protect Feng Jun.
• The three travel to the Amber Realm and observe the Sky Curtain from a distance. Buqi considers the phenomenon ordinary, while Feng Jun and Yi Jue regard it as a rare spectacle because neither has seen one close.
• Several flying boats approach them. Two Nascent Soul cultivators question their presence and offer paid escort services, assuming they are waiting for an exploration team. Feng Jun explains that they are only watching the Sky Curtain.
• Feng Jun deduces that the visitors are not natives of the Amber Realm because they are offering protection services without appearing to have strong local ties. The stronger cultivator reveals that he belongs to the Lianshan Society, a rogue-cultivator organization, and came after receiving news through a senior skilled in deduction.
• Yi Jue notices that more than ten thousand people have gathered ahead to observe the Sky Curtain’s closure. This large crowd attracts the attention of a powerful local cultivator.
• A High-Tier Nascent Soul cultivator from the Tongda Trade Alliance confronts the Lianshan Society cultivator after he arrogantly dismisses the Amber Realm as a lower realm. The two exchange attacks, though the first strike is intended as discipline rather than murder.
• The Tongda cultivator forces the Lianshan cultivator back, asserts the Trade Alliance’s authority, and warns everyone to watch quietly or face consequences. He then turns his attention to Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and Xuanyuan Buqi and demands to know their background.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates caution and strategic planning by entering the realm early, confirming the Sky Curtain’s schedule, and choosing a distant observation point. He also shows increasing confidence in speaking with Nascent Soul cultivators and uses logical deductions to expose the Lianshan Society’s motives.
• Yi Jue: Continues to support Feng Jun and becomes openly protective when the lower-stage Nascent Soul cultivator belittles him. Her declaration that Feng Jun is “her person” establishes their close relationship and intimidates the offender.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Reveals his persistent suspicion and curiosity toward Feng Jun. He follows him not merely to protect him but to discover what Feng Jun may be planning. His powerful status allows him to remain relaxed and dismissive during the confrontation.
• Lianshan Society cultivator: Appears commercially minded and confident, offering paid protection despite being an outsider. His arrogance toward the Amber Realm leads to a direct challenge from the Tongda Trade Alliance.
• Tongda Trade Alliance cultivator: Acts as an enforcer of local authority. Though initially controlled enough to avoid seriously injuring his opponent, he ultimately issues a forceful warning to all outsiders.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus curiosity: Feng Jun carefully minimizes risk, while Buqi follows him because he suspects there may be more to the trip than watching a celestial phenomenon.
• Power and hierarchy: The interactions emphasize the differing authority of Gold Core, Nascent Soul, and higher-level cultivators, as well as the political influence of sects, societies, and trade alliances.
• Outsiders and local control: Upper-Realm cultivators enter the Amber Realm seeking opportunities, but local forces resist their arrogance and attempts to profit from the region.
• Association and mutual protection: The Lianshan Society represents rogue cultivators banding together for survival and order in areas not controlled by major sects or families.
• Relationships as protection: Yi Jue’s defense of Feng Jun shows that personal alliances can carry as much weight as cultivation strength.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue coordinate their plans around observing the Sky Curtain, with Yi Jue accommodating his limited deduction range.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi maintain a wary, teasing relationship: Feng Jun tries to avoid unnecessary complications, while Buqi insists on following him and disguises his suspicion as concern.
• Yi Jue and Buqi exchange light banter about age, experience, and how often Yi Jue travels.
• Feng Jun challenges the assumptions of the Lianshan Society cultivators through calm questioning, while Yi Jue intervenes when Feng Jun is insulted.
• The Lianshan Society and Tongda Trade Alliance clash over arrogance, authority, and control of the Amber Realm. The chapter ends with the Tongda cultivator redirecting that scrutiny toward Feng Jun’s group.