Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Not Qualified”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zheng Sike visits Feng Jun because Jiangxia wants to compete for a major industrial project Feng Jun has recently brought back.
• Before discussing business, Zheng attempts to rebuild rapport through casual conversation, revealing how their former roommate relationship has become more formal because of Feng Jun’s rising status.
• Feng Jun explains that the project should not be established in Jiangxia because its production process creates heavy-metal pollution. Jiangxia’s waterways and proximity to the Great River make an accident potentially disastrous.
• Zheng argues that the river can self-purify and that advanced wastewater treatment could reduce the danger, but Feng Jun remains unconvinced.
• Zheng admits that he came partly because Xiayang University, Jiangxia officials, and influential alumni pressured him. Although he expects little, he feels obligated to represent his alma mater and his adopted city.
• The chapter recounts Zheng’s earlier confrontation with the company cafeteria. After criticizing its poor food and hidden subsidy costs, he angered the cafeteria manager and was threatened by both company insiders and local gangsters.
• When the university and city authorities learned that Zheng was Feng Jun’s former roommate, they intervened forcefully, protecting him and punishing those involved. This experience taught Zheng that the company’s internal politics were dangerous and that relying too heavily on Feng Jun could create problems.
• Zheng therefore adopts a passive approach to his deputy general-manager position, appearing only when necessary and avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
• Feng promises that Jiangxia may receive better opportunities in the future, but warns that refusing or mishandling his projects could cause the city to lose them permanently.
• Zheng cautiously mentions that some people believe Feng’s projects will remain available regardless of who controls the situation. Feng reacts angrily, declaring that no one is entitled to demand or manipulate access to his projects.
• After Zheng asks him not to punish the people who made those remarks, Feng agrees to let the matter go, but instructs Zheng to make his position clear: Jiangxia’s “difficulties” cannot influence him, and those trying to interfere are “not qualified.”

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly conscious of the difference in status between himself and his old roommates. He remains loyal and considerate toward Zheng, but is more assertive about his authority, projects, and boundaries. His anger shows that he will not tolerate others treating him as a resource they can pressure or command.
• Zheng Sike: Demonstrates greater political awareness and emotional maturity. He no longer behaves as casually as he once did, recognizing Feng’s influence and his own dependence on institutional support. At the same time, he preserves their old friendship by speaking honestly, joking with Feng, and asking him not to retaliate against people who may endanger his position.
• Their former roommates’ relationship: Their bond still exists, but it has changed from carefree equality to a friendship shaped by unequal power, caution, and mutual consideration.

Significant Themes

• Changing social status and strained friendship: Former classmates may remain emotionally close even when their positions and influence become radically unequal.
• Political and institutional pressure: Zheng is caught between loyalty to his university, city, company, and friend, showing how people often must navigate obligations rather than act entirely freely.
• Environmental responsibility versus economic development: Feng prioritizes the long-term safety of Jiangxia’s waterways over the immediate benefits of a lucrative industrial project.
• Power and entitlement: Feng rejects the assumption that his valuable projects can be claimed simply because officials or institutions want them.
• Avoiding unnecessary conflict: Zheng’s experience teaches him that even justified action can trigger complicated consequences, especially when others rely on Feng’s power to protect them.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Zheng begin formally but gradually return to their familiar “roommate mode,” allowing frank discussion and teasing.
• Zheng tries to persuade Feng on behalf of Jiangxia, but Feng explains his environmental concerns without becoming impatient.
• Zheng’s gratitude toward Xiayang University and Jiangxia motivates him to make the request, even though he knows he may fail.
• Feng reassures Zheng that future projects may be available, while Zheng seeks enough information to defend himself politically.
• When Feng learns that others may be trying to pressure him indirectly, he becomes hostile, but Zheng pleads for restraint because he must continue working among those people.
• Feng ultimately respects Zheng’s request and chooses not to pursue the matter, though he insists that Zheng deliver a firm warning about his independence.

Chapter Summary: “Secluded Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zheng Sike invites Feng Jun to his wedding, explaining that he is marrying an ex-girlfriend after finally achieving stable prospects. Feng Jun initially considers declining but realizes that his attendance would publicly demonstrate his support for Zheng.
• Feng Jun volunteers to serve as Zheng’s best man, though he limits his involvement to the wedding procession and arranges for Gazi to act as a backup. His decision is both a gesture of friendship and a warning that anyone attempting to bully Zheng would be challenging Luohua.
• Several industrial projects connected to warship production are finalized:
  • Cloud Garden receives assignments to produce highly precise warship components.
  • Thousand Province secures projects involving warship parts and alloy smelting.
  • Senior Tao visits Luohua to thank Feng Jun but misses him and leaves an invitation for Feng to visit Thousand Province.
  • The mech factory’s location is fixed near Xichang.
• Since Xia Nation refuses to establish the final assembly workshop, Feng Jun decides to build it at Zhige Mountain rather than in the Federation. The location offers complete control and allows cultivators to construct facilities rapidly through Daoist arts.
• Yi Jue assists Feng Jun, while Yun Buyao, Yu Qingzhu, and Zhang Caixin help with construction despite Yun Buyao’s dislike of infrastructure work. Other Luohua members teach Federation Language to disciples from several major clans.
• The workshop’s basic framework is completed in about twenty days. Power generation remains the main obstacle: fuel generators will take three months to arrive, while hydropower will serve as a supplementary source.
• At Libo Shoal, Gu Jiahui asks Feng Jun to perform a Deduction regarding her breakthrough. He confirms that she is ready to enter secluded cultivation and may reach the Dust-Free Stage in roughly three months.
• After protecting Gu Jiahui for just over a month, Feng Jun learns through another Deduction that Yi Jue can attempt the Soul Emergence Stage. He escorts her to the Spirit Plant Dao, where her chances of success improve significantly.
• Yi Jue enters “death-seclusion” under the protection of the Spirit Plant Dao. Two High-Tier Nascent Soul experts arrive, followed by a warning from a Soul Emergence Venerable ordering outsiders to leave.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates growing influence and responsibility. He uses his status to protect Zheng Sike socially and politically, while also balancing mundane obligations with major cultivation and industrial projects.
• Zheng Sike moves into a new stage of life. His earlier concern about lacking security has faded now that his prospects have improved, allowing him to marry and establish a family.
• Yi Jue reaches a major turning point in her cultivation. She is confident enough to attempt Soul Emergence and is recognized by the Spirit Plant Dao as a crucial rising talent.
• Gu Jiahui advances toward the Dust-Free Stage, showing that Luohua’s members continue to cultivate at an unusually rapid pace.
• Yun Buyao reveals her preference for combat over construction, though she still performs her assigned duties.
• Senior Tao shows gratitude toward Feng Jun and acknowledges the importance of Feng’s support, even though he had not sought Feng’s help during the project competition itself.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and loyalty: Feng Jun’s willingness to be Zheng’s best man reflects his desire to honor old friendships and protect those who depend on him.
• Power and social influence: Feng’s presence at the wedding would serve as a public declaration that Zheng is backed by Luohua, discouraging future mistreatment.
• Integration of cultivation and technology: The chapter emphasizes Feng Jun’s attempt to combine Daoist methods with modern industrial development, especially in constructing factories and warship facilities.
• Independence and self-reliance: Xia Nation’s refusal frustrates Feng Jun, but it strengthens his determination to build the assembly workshop under his own control at Zhige Mountain.
• Cultivation as both opportunity and risk: Gu Jiahui and Yi Jue’s breakthroughs highlight the rewards of advancement, while Yi Jue’s “death-seclusion” underscores the danger and seriousness of major breakthroughs.
• Balancing the mundane and extraordinary: Feng Jun treats wedding arrangements, factory construction, power infrastructure, and high-level cultivation as interconnected responsibilities in his expanding sphere of influence.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zheng Sike: Their friendship deepens as Feng offers personal support and agrees to be best man, while Zheng recognizes the protection and prestige Feng’s involvement provides.
• Feng Jun and Luohua members: Feng assigns construction work to Yun Buyao, Yu Qingzhu, and Zhang Caixin, demonstrating his practical leadership despite their differing preferences.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue: Their relationship remains collaborative and trust-based. Feng uses Deduction to assess her breakthrough and escorts her to the Spirit Plant Dao.
• Feng Jun and Gu Jiahui: He acts as her guide and protector as she prepares for secluded cultivation.
• Feng Jun and the Spirit Plant Dao: The sect acknowledges Yi Jue’s importance, takes responsibility for protecting her, and asserts its authority by ordering outsiders away during her death-seclusion.
• Feng Jun and Senior Tao: Although they miss each other, Senior Tao’s attempted visit and invitation show increasing cooperation between Thousand Province and Luohua.

Chapter Summary: “A Straightforward Person”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun leaves the Spirit Plant Dao after recognizing that Yi Jue’s sect cannot appear to rely on an outsider for protection. Although a Soul Emergence Venerable intends to speak with him, Feng Jun departs too quickly for the meeting to occur.
• He returns to the Insectoid World and contacts Fanxing, reminding her of her promise to help establish a warship factory. His workshop at Zhige Mountain is not complete, but its assembly facilities are ready to use.
• Fanxing gathers more than a hundred Federation rebels to serve as technicians. Feng Jun emphasizes strict secrecy, limited movement, and obedience. Through Deduction, he discovers that one of them is a spy. Fanxing immediately executes the traitor, who claims that the Federation should unite against the Insectoids.
• Feng Jun transports the technicians and their supply ship to Zhige Mountain. The local families become wary after two members of the Mi and Yu families are executed for discussing the newcomers.
• The Federation technicians initially become ill because they are unused to the Mortal World’s denser spiritual energy. Feng Jun uses Deduction to identify the problem as spiritual-energy intoxication and obtains the banned Spirit Dissolution Powder from Elder Bianji to cure them.
• Once recovered, the technicians begin training Luohua members and local apprentices in warship assembly, maintenance, systems management, and tool use. Their practical, task-focused teaching proves valuable, though they are better at educating than the Kunhao locals because of their more advanced background.
• Li Shishi questions why the technology is being taught to local Donghua people rather than Xia Nation experts. Feng Jun explains that Xia Nation’s experts have shown little interest, while the local trainees are willing to learn.
• The female energy tycoon later informs Feng Jun that production of the Evergreen Elixir is delayed, while the person she wants to save is near death. She asks Feng Jun to extend that person’s life temporarily and vows to pay with her life if she cannot deliver the production line within a year. Despite disliking the change in agreement, Feng Jun agrees as an exception.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates political awareness by respecting the Spirit Plant Dao’s internal rules, pragmatism in building the warship industry, and decisiveness in handling security threats. He also shows flexibility and compassion by helping the female tycoon despite his frustration with her altered promise.
• Fanxing: Reveals herself to be disciplined, ruthless, and committed to secrecy. Her immediate execution of the spy shows that she values the mission and group security above personal relationships. At the same time, she displays concern for the technicians’ welfare by asking Feng Jun to protect and accommodate them.
• The Federation technicians: Their calmness, loyalty, and practical mindset become apparent. They are not interested in abstract research for its own sake; they focus on producing usable warships and training capable craftsmen.
• Li Shishi: Her complaint reflects reluctance to study and a preference for avoiding difficult work. Her interaction with Feng Jun also highlights his ability to see through his subordinates’ excuses.
• The female energy tycoon: Her desperation reveals the depth of her attachment to the dying person. Her willingness to stake her life on fulfilling her promise emphasizes her sincerity and strong sense of honor.
• Elder Bianji: Shows a bold, unconcerned attitude toward forbidden practices by refining Spirit Dissolution Powder without moral hesitation.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over convention: Feng Jun repeatedly prioritizes practical results, whether using banned medicine, recruiting rebels, or focusing on technical training rather than theoretical education.
• Trust and secrecy: The warship project depends on strict confidentiality. The discovery and execution of the spy show how fragile cooperation becomes when multiple political factions are involved.
• Cultural and educational differences: The Federation personnel’s advanced education allows them to learn and teach more effectively than Kunhao’s ordinary people, revealing the effects of systematic schooling and technological development.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Fanxing’s treatment of the spy and the tycoon’s willingness to sacrifice herself both show how characters define loyalty through action rather than words.
• Balancing personal relationships with institutional rules: Feng Jun understands that Yi Jue’s sect must preserve its reputation, even though their personal relationship is close. He accepts boundaries rather than interpreting them as rejection.
• Adaptation between worlds: The technicians must physically adapt to spiritual energy, while the local population must adapt intellectually to advanced technology.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Soul Emergence Venerable never meet directly, but the Venerable’s attempted approach highlights Feng Jun’s independence and quick decisiveness.
• Feng Jun and Fanxing cooperate as strategic partners: he sets strict operational conditions, while she supplies reliable personnel and enforces discipline.
• Fanxing’s confrontation with the spy is brief but revealing; his ideological defense of the Federation is answered by her blunt insistence that he direct such concerns toward the Federation’s ruling authorities.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with the technicians is managerial and protective. He controls their movements but also ensures their health, housing, and safety.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi exchange a teasing but pointed argument, exposing both her reluctance to work and his impatience with unnecessary complaints.
• Feng Jun and the female tycoon renegotiate their arrangement. Though irritated by her request, he is moved by her sincerity and agrees to provide temporary life extension.

Chapter Summary: “One Death After Another”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Feng Jun extends the life of a male client connected to the female tycoon, the tycoon is killed during a sudden raid by space pirates. She is mistakenly identified as an ordinary person while jogging and dies instantly.
• The Federation reacts furiously, launching military operations to suppress pirates. No faction claims responsibility because the attack produced no financial gain and drew intense Federation scrutiny.
• Chen Jiu worries that two of the clients he introduced to Feng Jun have now suffered misfortune. Feng Jun is more concerned about wasting a dose of his scarce Longevity Potion and accepts that the tycoon’s death may be connected to the vow she made regarding the Evergreen Elixir.
• The Lin Family denies involvement, apparently frightened by the incident themselves. The Evergreen Elixir production line remains unobtained.
• Feng Jun is absent from the Border Star while Gu Jiahui undergoes a prolonged breakthrough into the Dust-Free Realm. After nearly two months of advancement and stabilization, Feng Jun returns to purchase more Life Potion materials.
• Chen Jiu reveals that the person who leaked the life-extension secret was President Chai—the man the female tycoon had loved for years. Chai has come to the hospital and asks Feng Jun to avenge her.
• President Chai explains that, after being treated, he casually told an old friend about his extended lifespan and revealed his location. The next day, the friend disappeared, and Chai discovered that the friend had actually been missing for thirty years.
• Investigating further, Chai finds that suspicious violence and an anesthetic-gas incident occurred around the planet and hotel where he stayed. He concludes that unknown enemies were targeting recently treated individuals to investigate Feng Jun’s life-extension method.
• Chai believes the female tycoon was attacked only because he escaped first; she may have been intended for capture but was accidentally killed when she went jogging. He admits that this theory is unproven but insists the perpetrators must be seeking the life-extension technology.
• Unable to take revenge himself, Chai seeks Feng Jun and Humanoid Civilization’s help. Feng Jun agrees that anyone targeting them cannot be ignored but challenges Chai’s lack of evidence.
• When Feng Jun dismisses his demand as relying only on speculation, Chai stakes his life on the truth of his accusation and shoots himself with a laser gun.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains practical and emotionally restrained after the tycoon’s death. He is irritated by the loss of a Longevity Potion dose but does not act impulsively. However, once Chai suggests that enemies may be targeting Feng Jun’s technology, he becomes more attentive and willing to investigate.
• Chen Jiu: Becomes increasingly fearful and guilt-ridden because both clients he introduced to Feng Jun have encountered disaster. He accepts responsibility for Chai’s leak and submits himself to Feng Jun’s judgment.
• President Chai: Reveals himself to be careless about the tycoon’s warnings but intelligent and capable of deduction. After recognizing that his casual disclosure may have caused her death, he develops guilt and a desire for revenge. Though he lacks proof or combat power, he refuses to flee and ultimately sacrifices himself to force Feng Jun to take the threat seriously.
• The female tycoon: Though dead, her long-standing devotion to President Chai and her vow concerning the Evergreen Elixir continue to influence events. Her death exposes the dangers surrounding Feng Jun’s treatment.
• Gu Jiahui: Successfully advances into the Dust-Free Realm, explaining Feng Jun’s prolonged absence and marking a major advancement in her cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The danger of careless promises and disclosures: The opening emphasizes that vows should not be made lightly, while Chai’s casual revelation of his treatment may have triggered the fatal chain of events.
• Consequences and responsibility: Chai’s decision to tell his friend about the treatment ultimately leaves him feeling responsible for the tycoon’s death, despite the attackers being the direct cause.
• The value and danger of life-extension technology: Feng Jun’s treatment is rare and strategically important, making recipients potential targets for kidnapping, experimentation, or information extraction.
• Speculation versus evidence: Chai’s deduction is logical but unproven. Feng Jun recognizes the seriousness of the possible threat while refusing to act solely on conjecture.
• Death and sacrifice: The chapter presents death repeatedly—as an accidental killing, a suspected assassination, and finally Chai’s deliberate suicide—showing how individuals respond differently to danger, guilt, and loss.
• Political and institutional power: The Federation responds forcefully to the pirate attack, while figures such as the Lin Family are shown to be powerful but still fearful when confronted with deadly consequences.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu: Chen Jiu reports the tycoon’s death, the Lin Family’s denial, and Chai’s involvement. Their exchange highlights Chen Jiu’s fear and Feng Jun’s controlled, pragmatic authority.
• Feng Jun and President Chai: Feng Jun interrogates Chai about his theory and challenges his attempt to command revenge without evidence. Chai responds by explaining his deductions and finally killing himself to demonstrate his sincerity.
• President Chai and the female tycoon: Their relationship was unequal and emotionally complicated. She devoted herself to him, while he failed to take her warnings or affection seriously; after her death, he recognizes her importance and feels compelled to avenge her.
• President Chai and his old friend: Chai’s casual conversation with the friend becomes the likely starting point of the leak and subsequent pursuit, though the friend’s true identity and fate remain uncertain.
• Feng Jun and Gu Jiahui: Their relationship is indirectly shown through Feng Jun’s decision to remain away from the Border Star while supporting her breakthrough and waiting for her realm to stabilize.

Chapter Summary: “Grudges”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dean Chai dies by suicide in front of Feng Jun, using his life as payment and asking Feng Jun to investigate the people responsible for his death.
• Chen Jiu explains that Dean Chai had long wished to die and had specifically wanted to meet Feng Jun before doing so. He also left a recording to prevent Chen Jiu from being blamed.
• Although Feng Jun criticizes the melodramatic nature of Chai’s actions and regrets the waste of life-extending medicine, he agrees to investigate. He is particularly angered that someone deliberately killed a person whose life Feng Jun had extended, interpreting it as a challenge to his civilization’s dignity.
• Chen Jiu reveals that Laura was unable to obtain useful information from the Federation, suggesting that the case is politically sensitive or well concealed.
• Feng Jun insists that he does not need the Federation’s cooperation or evidence. He claims he can revisit the past and determine what happened directly, provided he does not mistakenly target innocent people.
• Chen Jiu immediately considers whether this ability could be used to solve other unsolved cases, though Feng Jun warns that his services would require suitable compensation and that older events become increasingly difficult and unclear to revisit.
• After Feng Jun leaves to obtain raw materials, Chen Jiu informs Xuan Gao of the ability. Both recognize its enormous investigative potential and worry that the perpetrators may belong to the Federation, whose relationship with Feng Jun is already fragile.
• Chen Jiu and Xuan Gao begin considering whether Feng Jun could be hired to investigate other crimes.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Though outwardly arrogant, dismissive, and concerned with maintaining the dignity of his civilization, he demonstrates a firm sense of justice. He agrees to investigate not only because of Dean Chai’s sacrifice but also because he refuses to tolerate attacks against someone under his protection. His revelation that he can revisit the past increases his perceived power and explains his confidence in uncovering hidden truths.
• Chen Jiu: He shows loyalty and sympathy toward Dean Chai, while also recognizing the material benefits Chai left him. He carefully manipulates the conversation to persuade Feng Jun to act, testing Feng Jun’s abilities and limits without openly commanding him. His interest in using Feng Jun’s powers for other cases reveals his practical, opportunistic side.
• Dean Chai: Even in death, he is characterized as emotionally driven and deeply attached to Feng Jun. His suicide fulfills his final wish and forces Feng Jun to take responsibility for pursuing justice.
• Xuan Gao: He reacts with shock to Feng Jun’s ability and immediately understands its implications for criminal investigations. He also recognizes the danger of provoking Feng Jun further.

Significant Themes

• Justice and revenge: Dean Chai’s death transforms a personal grudge into a demand for justice. Feng Jun agrees to investigate, though his motives combine moral responsibility, personal pride, and retaliation.
• The cost of action: Chai pays with his life, while Feng Jun emphasizes that investigations and supernatural abilities also require compensation. The chapter repeatedly links favors to sacrifice and payment.
• Pride and dignity: Feng Jun’s willingness to act is tied less to affection for Chai than to the insult of someone killing a person associated with him. Civilizational superiority, reputation, and the refusal to appear weak are central to his reasoning.
• The complexity of human emotion: Feng Jun and Chen Jiu debate whether love, obsession, and lifelong attachment can be understood rationally. Chai’s contradictory behavior—suffering from rejection yet dying to help the person who rejected him—illustrates the irrationality of emotional bonds.
• Power and political tension: Feng Jun’s ability to uncover hidden events threatens the Federation’s ability to conceal wrongdoing. The possibility that Federation officials were involved raises the stakes and may worsen relations between the two civilizations.
• Exploitation and opportunity: Chen Jiu turns a tragic event into a possible new form of cooperation, considering whether Feng Jun’s ability could become a service for solving unsolved cases.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Jiu: Their exchange mixes grief, sarcasm, manipulation, and mutual understanding. Chen Jiu repeatedly probes Feng Jun’s willingness to help, while Feng Jun insults his abilities but ultimately agrees to act.
• Feng Jun and Dean Chai: Though Dean Chai is already dead, his final act becomes a direct confrontation with Feng Jun, forcing Feng Jun to acknowledge their relationship and respond to Chai’s request.
• Chen Jiu and Xuan Gao: Chen Jiu reports Feng Jun’s ability, and the two discuss its meaning and possible applications. Their conversation shifts the matter from a personal investigation into a potentially valuable investigative partnership with the Federation.

Chapter Summary: “Thorough Investigation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun travels to the New Prosperity Star System, where the female energy tycoon was murdered. The region was once a major Energy Stone mining center, and the tycoon had become extremely influential there before retiring.
• Feng Jun is accompanied by the True Lords Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi. With Yi Jue in seclusion attempting to break through to the Soul Emergence Realm, Qian Zhong is especially attentive toward Feng Jun, while Xuanyuan Buqi remains protective and sarcastic.
• Because of the tycoon’s murder, security throughout the star system is exceptionally strict. Feng Jun’s group creates a brief disturbance during inspection and uses the confusion to leave their starship while invisible.
• After surveying the planet and leaving numerous Footprints, they approach the tycoon’s heavily fortified estate. The estate contains extensive underground defenses, including a Doomsday Fortress, tunnels, and an emergency spaceport, yet the tycoon was still killed by pirates at her doorstep.
• Feng Jun refrains from using his phone’s Deduction ability because its signals might be detected. Instead, he decides to locate someone with inside knowledge of the tycoon’s life and death.
• The group identifies Lei Erfan as a valuable contact. The tycoon had once helped him escape poverty, supported his education, and later protected him from being framed for a crime.
• Lei Erfan, now a city-defense squadron commander, has devoted himself to finding the murderers. He has overseen funeral arrangements, dispatched investigators, and arrested more than a thousand suspects, despite criticism that his methods have become excessive.
• At home, Lei mourns the tycoon before her altar and blames himself for failing to protect her. When an unseen voice suddenly speaks directly into his mind, he draws his weapon and searches the room. His wife hears nothing, and the voice confirms that only Lei can perceive it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution and strategic thinking. Rather than recklessly infiltrating the estate or using Deduction under surveillance, he prioritizes finding a reliable insider.
• Qian Zhong continues to show deep concern for Feng Jun and remains alert to dangers, particularly the unusually strict security.
• Xuanyuan Buqi maintains his abrasive but protective attitude, discouraging others from becoming too close to Feng Jun.
• The female tycoon is characterized as generous, influential, and deeply connected to ordinary people. Her assistance transformed Lei Erfan’s life and earned her lasting loyalty across the star system.
• Lei Erfan has developed from a poor laborer into a military and civil-defense officer because of the tycoon’s support. Her murder has consumed him, driving him toward obsessive investigation and self-destructive behavior.
• Lei’s wife provides a grounded contrast to his grief, urging him to eat, rest, and avoid overstepping his authority.
• The mysterious voice introduces a new, unexplained force or contact, apparently selecting Lei as its sole listener.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and gratitude: The tycoon’s generosity creates enduring bonds, especially with Lei, whose entire career was shaped by her intervention.
• Justice versus obsession: Lei’s determination to find the murderers is admirable but has begun to damage his health and judgment.
• Influence and legacy: Although the tycoon is dead, her social and economic influence continues to shape the investigation and the lives of countless people.
• Security and vulnerability: The estate’s advanced defenses and the star system’s strict inspections emphasize that even the powerful can be unexpectedly exposed.
• Truth hidden beneath official investigations: The large-scale arrests and formal searches have not uncovered the real killers, suggesting that crucial information lies outside normal procedures.
• Supernatural or covert communication: The disembodied voice marks a shift in the investigation, potentially offering Lei information unavailable to authorities.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun, Qian Zhong, and Xuanyuan Buqi cooperate closely while navigating the star system’s security, though Qian and Xuanyuan’s protective behavior toward Feng Jun creates tension with outsiders.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong previously humiliated Elder Qingji when she offered to accompany Feng Jun, revealing their possessiveness and suspicion regarding his associates.
• Feng Jun’s investigation centers on Lei Erfan because of Lei’s personal history with the tycoon and his access to information through the constabulary.
• Lei and his wife have a caring but strained exchange: she worries about his declining condition, while he insists that catching the killers matters more than his own safety.
• The chapter ends with Lei confronting the mysterious voice, establishing a new and potentially dangerous connection that may advance the murder investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Rendezvous”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Erfan, a high-ranking constable who rose from humble origins through ability and opportunity, receives a telepathic message from Feng Jun, whom he associates with the mysterious civilization that once extended his eldest sister’s lifespan.
• Feng Jun asks Lei Erfan to communicate mentally and arrange a secret meeting. Lei’s wife remains with him, correctly suspecting that the visitors may seek revenge for the sister’s murder.
• After speaking with Feng Jun, Lei realizes there is still hope of uncovering the truth. He eats, uses a Fast-Sleep Injection, dismisses his driver and bodyguards, and secretly drives to a remote wooded area.
• Feng Jun appears beside the hovercar, completely eliminating Lei’s remaining doubts about his extraordinary identity. He enters the vehicle to avoid surveillance.
• Feng explains that he is pursuing the killers because they may have targeted the lifespan-extension technology. He is also motivated by Dean Chai’s suicide, which convinced him to intervene; two of Feng’s lifespan-extension opportunities were lost because of the incident.
• Lei provides firsthand investigative information rather than analysis. The attackers were genuine interstellar pirates who infiltrated the site, attacked, and then fled. Many killed themselves through self-detonation or poison, while others were identified as wanted pirates or possibly connected to a rebel family.
• Feng asks Lei to take him to every location where the attackers appeared. Lei agrees to provide transportation and cover, despite those areas lying outside his jurisdiction.
• Their journey is mostly unhindered because Lei’s rank and vehicle are familiar to local authorities. At a later checkpoint, however, a constable angrily criticizes Lei for repeatedly visiting the crime scene and obstructing the investigation.
• Lei defiantly orders them to move aside. Once past the checkpoint, he discovers that the constable believed he was traveling alone—Feng had become completely invisible.
• Feng then reappears in the back seat, demonstrating that he can conceal himself even from close inspection.

Character Developments

• Lei Erfan: Shows caution, loyalty, and professional skepticism, but his concern for his eldest sister drives him to cooperate with Feng. He becomes increasingly hopeful after the meeting and is willing to risk secrecy, official criticism, and possible danger to pursue the truth.
• Lei’s wife: Protective and emotionally perceptive. She refuses to leave Lei alone during the mysterious communication and openly raises the possibility that the mysterious civilization may avenge his sister.
• Feng Jun: Presents himself as confident, forceful, and pragmatic. He is not motivated purely by compassion; he also wants to protect his civilization’s reputation and lifespan-extension technology. His ability to appear, disappear, and evade surveillance establishes his overwhelming power.
• Dean Chai: Though absent, his suicide remains an important motivation for Feng. His death persuaded Feng to take the investigation seriously.
• The constabulary: Their frustration reflects the lack of progress in the official investigation and creates tension with Lei, whose independent actions challenge the authorities.

Significant Themes

• Trust and secrecy: Lei must decide whether to trust an unknown, immensely powerful outsider while concealing the meeting from his superiors and the public.
• Justice and vengeance: The possibility that the mysterious civilization will retaliate for the murder drives both Lei’s hopes and Feng’s investigation.
• Power beyond institutional authority: Lei holds significant legal authority, yet Feng’s abilities render ordinary rank, surveillance, and security measures nearly irrelevant.
• Duty versus personal loyalty: Lei’s official responsibilities conflict with his devotion to his eldest sister and his desire to uncover who killed her.
• The value of lifespan and technology: The attackers’ apparent interest in lifespan-extension technology raises the stakes, suggesting that the murder may be part of a larger technological or political conspiracy.

Character Interactions

• Lei and his wife share a tense but loyal exchange: she worries for him, refuses to leave, and suggests the mysterious civilization might seek revenge, while Lei tries to suppress speculation.
• Lei and Feng begin with mutual caution. Lei asks how to address Feng and provides information reluctantly, while Feng dismisses Lei’s assumptions and insists on firsthand evidence.
• Their relationship gradually becomes cooperative: Lei offers access to official records and transportation, while Feng supplies the motivation and extraordinary capabilities needed to investigate the crime.
• Lei’s confrontation with the lower-ranking constable reveals his impatience with the stalled investigation and his willingness to use his authority to continue helping Feng.
• The final revelation that Feng can vanish from the vehicle—and reappear moments later—reinforces the imbalance of power between them and leaves Lei both astonished and dependent on Feng’s abilities.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After witnessing Feng Jun make a living person disappear and reappear, Lei Erfan becomes completely convinced of Feng Jun’s abilities and agrees to assist him.
• Feng Jun uses his phone to perform deductions at several locations, relying on Lei Erfan’s reputation to deter investigators from interfering.
• After nearly two hours, Feng Jun determines the general escape route and methods used by the attackers. He orders Lei Erfan to take off and trace the fleeing craft’s path.
• Although planetary restrictions prohibit unauthorized launches, Lei Erfan submits a temporary flight request and rises to roughly 30,000 kilometers. The chief constable reprimands him but allows the flight, understanding his emotional state.
• Feng Jun completes his investigation, hints that the Federation is facing serious trouble, and refuses to reveal the murderer. He vanishes before Lei Erfan can press him further, leaving Lei Erfan deeply impressed and frightened by his abilities.
• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong follow the attackers’ trail across more than ten star systems and destroy several pirate bases.
• One base contains two Assassin Wasps and a Golden Cicada statue belonging to the Insect God Sect. The Insectoids had used human pirates to investigate Feng Jun’s mysterious faction and its lifespan-extension methods.
• The statue manifests spiritual power, creating a golden barrier that heals six pirates. Feng Jun becomes enraged and prepares to kill them.
• Xuanyuan Buqi crushes the six pirates with a giant manifested finger, while Qian Zhong destroys the statue with lightning before the Insectoid deity can complete a Divine Descent.
• The Golden Cicada suffers backlash when its descending divine thought is destroyed. Fearing lightning and possible cosmic thunderstorms, it abandons further investigation.
• Feng Jun asks whether the true body behind the idol can be killed remotely. Qian Zhong explains that such an act would require an Integration- or Spirit Division-stage expert, or someone proficient in karma or curse techniques.
• The group concludes that directly conquering the Insectoid World would be difficult and that exploiting it for resources and combat training may be more practical.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly confident in his deductions and strategic abilities. He now understands that the Insectoids, rather than merely seeking longer life, are investigating the cultivators of Heavenly Zither as a newly emerging threat.
• Lei Erfan changes from a skeptical or grief-stricken observer into a loyal collaborator. His emotional desperation over the murder pushes him to defy regulations, though he remains awed by Feng Jun’s mysterious powers.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates specialized knowledge of the Incense-Fueled Godhood Path and quickly devises the correct countermeasure against the Golden Cicada’s divine power.
• Xuanyuan Buqi initially hesitates because he is unsure how to handle an Incense Apotheosis deity, but he reacts decisively when Qian Zhong signals him. His excessive force kills the pirates instantly, though he is relieved that Feng Jun does not need to expend precious single-use treasures.
• Golden Cicada is shown to be powerful but cautious and limited. Its connection through incense offerings allows it to heal followers and attempt Divine Descent, but lightning severely disrupts its divine thought.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Lei Erfan’s reputation protects Feng Jun from interference, while Feng Jun’s disappearance demonstrates a level of power ordinary authorities cannot comprehend.
• Investigation and deduction: Feng Jun’s ability to reconstruct the attackers’ movements allows the group to cross vast distances and eliminate several pirate strongholds.
• Hidden conflict between factions: The attacks are part of a larger confrontation between the Human Federation, the Insectoids, and the cultivators of Heavenly Zither. The Insectoids are gathering intelligence rather than merely pursuing personal benefits.
• Limits of divine power: The Golden Cicada’s power depends on faith and incense offerings, but its divine manifestations remain vulnerable to lightning and distance.
• Nature versus artificial power: The discussion emphasizes that cosmic phenomena and heavenly tribulations can surpass even the strongest weapons and cultivators.
• Strategic exploitation rather than total conquest: Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong argue that the Insectoid World is more valuable as a source of materials and as a training ground than as territory to conquer outright.
• Different forms of immortality: The Insectoids’ interest in lifespan extension contrasts with their own longevity and reveals that their true concern is identifying and assessing potential enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun commands Lei Erfan, who follows his instructions despite doubts about the usefulness of the mission.
• Lei Erfan tries to obtain more information about the murderer, but Feng Jun deliberately withholds it and disappears before the conversation can continue.
• During the confrontation at the pirate base, Qian Zhong criticizes Xuanyuan Buqi for standing by and watching, prompting him to attack.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi complement each other: Xuanyuan destroys the protected pirates, while Qian Zhong neutralizes the Golden Cicada statue and prevents Divine Descent.
• Feng Jun consults Qian Zhong about killing the Golden Cicada’s true body, but both Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi warn him that defeating the Insectoids so simply is unrealistic.

Chapter Summary: “Unable to Hold Back (Second Update)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confirms that the Insectoids were behind the attempts to target the female tycoon and President Chai. They were interested in Feng Jun’s life-extension techniques because the Federation’s Insect God Sect had revealed that the Humanoid Civilization was cooperating with the Federation.
• The Insectoids view the Humanoid Civilization as a powerful, mysterious threat. They have already lost temples and strongholds to Feng Jun’s forces but have failed to obtain any bodies or meaningful intelligence.
• The Insect God Sect has existed within the Federation for years. In New Prosperity Star System, more than ten core members and over sixty peripheral members are active, including many people in the energy sector.
• Feng Jun considers purging the traitors himself but decides to hand the information to the Federation instead, avoiding accusations that he is killing Federation citizens without authority.
• He contacts Captain Lei Erfan and kills Lei’s driver after suspecting that the driver’s wife’s sister, Gula, may be connected to the Insect God Sect. Feng Jun argues that the driver could possess hidden methods of transmitting information and therefore represents an unacceptable risk.
• Feng Jun gives Lei a damaged Insect God God-Lord Statue, proving that he has destroyed an Insectoid temple. He also provides:
  • A list of confirmed core Insect God Sect members
  • A list of more than sixty likely peripheral members
  • Coordinates of pirate bases containing evidence
• Lei realizes the scale of the conspiracy is enormous. The investigation could affect over a hundred thousand civilians and become nearly as serious as the attempted assassination of the female tycoon.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains ruthless, decisive, and confident. He readily kills suspected security risks and shows little concern for Federation procedures. However, he also demonstrates strategic restraint by allowing the Federation to deal with its own traitors rather than personally conducting a purge.
• Lei Erfan is initially shocked and furious when Feng Jun kills his driver, but his anger gives way to horror and reluctant gratitude after learning the driver may have been connected to the Insect God Sect. He becomes more aware of how deeply the sect has infiltrated Federation society.
• Lei’s loyalty to the Federation is emphasized through his disgust toward traitors, especially wealthy people in the energy sector who support the Insectoids despite enjoying privileged lives within the Federation.
• Feng Jun and Lei’s differing moral and institutional perspectives become clearer: Feng Jun favors efficiency and eliminating risks, while Lei remains attached to legal procedure and the Federation’s principles.

Significant Themes

• Infiltration and betrayal: The Insect God Sect has penetrated important Federation institutions, showing that the threat is internal as well as external.
• Security versus morality: Feng Jun’s killing of a merely suspected accomplice raises questions about whether extreme danger justifies eliminating uncertain risks.
• Institutional loyalty: Lei believes that people benefiting from the Federation should defend it rather than secretly prepare for its collapse.
• Privilege and self-preservation: Feng Jun suggests that many traitors are not ideologically committed to the Insectoids; they are simply protecting their wealth and status by “betting on both sides.”
• The aftermath of conquest: The discussion of humans being kept as captives if the Federation falls presents a disturbing possibility: traitors may hope to survive by becoming administrators under Insectoid rule.
• Contrasting civilizations: The Insectoids’ fear of the Humanoid Civilization highlights Feng Jun’s growing influence and the mysterious civilization’s increasing importance in the wider conflict.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Lei clash over the death of Lei’s driver. Lei objects that the man could have been detained, while Feng Jun insists that uncertain connections to the Insect God Sect cannot be tolerated.
• Feng Jun deliberately provokes Lei by claiming the Federation military is too rigid to kill suspected traitors preemptively. Lei defends the military’s refusal to kill innocents.
• Their relationship nevertheless contains mutual trust: Feng Jun chooses Lei as the channel for exposing the conspiracy, and Lei accepts the information despite his discomfort with Feng Jun’s methods.
• The chapter ends with Lei emotionally struggling to understand how people living safely in the Federation’s core regions can betray it, asking whether their consciences ever trouble them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun explains to Lei Erfan that betrayal of Humanity is usually possible only for powerful or influential individuals; ordinary citizens lack the status or access to commit meaningful treason.
• He confirms that he previously caused meteor and asteroid attacks against Fudu Star System and other systems, but refuses to explain his motives. He claims he spared Lei Erfan the task of distinguishing innocents from guilty parties by providing a list of suspects.
• Feng Jun reveals that an Insectoid god statue was connected to the case and then disappears, leaving Lei Erfan to handle the investigation.
• Lei Erfan secretly contacts the chief constable and requests confidentiality, explaining that the case involves an Insectoid god statue and a large network of traitors.
• The chief constable arrives with elite constables, examines the damaged statue, and takes possession of Feng Jun’s list.
• Lei Erfan explains that the suspects include members of the Energy Department and followers of the Insect God Sect. He openly defends the Humanoid Civilization’s actions, arguing that the Federation’s arrogance and attempts to force contact provoked the previous planetary attacks.
• A large-scale operation is launched with support from the Federation, military, and City Defense Army. Space is sealed, pirate bases are attacked, and every person on Feng Jun’s list is arrested accurately.
• More than 100,000 people are detained in the New Prosperity Star System, though most are probably innocent and must be sorted out later.
• Several Insect God Sect fanatics and Energy Department members commit suicide to avoid exposing further conspirators. Pirate hideouts are destroyed, and military personnel recognize Feng Jun’s group’s distinctive methods.
• Because the military confirms that the Humanoid Civilization intervened, the Federation can no longer conceal their involvement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains detached, confident, and morally complex. He is willing to use devastating force but insists that he does not indiscriminately slaughter innocents. His knowledge of many civilizations gives him a broader, more cynical view of human behavior.
• Lei Erfan becomes increasingly furious and emotionally driven, especially over the death of the female energy magnate known as “Big Sister.” Despite his anger, he acts responsibly by reporting the information and organizing the arrests.
• The chief constable shifts from suspicion of Lei Erfan’s judgment to recognizing the seriousness of the evidence. He remains pragmatic, prioritizing arrests and containment over emotional retaliation.
• Big Sister, though deceased, is developed through backstory as a generous and self-sacrificing figure. Her willingness to give up most of her mining interests unintentionally allowed Energy Department officials and traitors to gain access to the system.

Significant Themes

• Power and qualification for betrayal: The chapter suggests that treason is most dangerous when committed by elites with authority, resources, or institutional access.
• Justice versus vengeance: Lei Erfan’s grief fuels his anger, but the chief constable urges him to focus on lawful arrests rather than revenge.
• The cost of kindness: Big Sister’s generosity and willingness to compromise helped others, yet also created the conditions that contributed to her death.
• Institutional corruption and responsibility: The Energy Department’s involvement and the Insect God Sect’s infiltration reveal how vulnerable powerful organizations are to internal betrayal.
• The limits of secrecy: Although the Federation tries to suppress information about Feng Jun and the Humanoid Civilization, military evidence eventually makes their intervention impossible to hide.
• Moral ambiguity: Feng Jun’s destructive actions are presented as ruthless but purposeful, contrasting with the Federation’s failure to protect innocents and prevent corruption.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Lei Erfan share a brief but significant exchange in which Lei Erfan seeks answers and additional suspects, while Feng Jun maintains his emotional distance and refuses to justify himself.
• Lei Erfan and the chief constable clash over whether Lei Erfan’s support for the Humanoid Civilization is emotionally motivated. Lei Erfan angrily argues that the Federation’s own arrogance caused the earlier attacks.
• The chief constable acts as a stabilizing superior, acknowledging Lei Erfan’s grief while directing him toward immediate action.
• Lei Erfan’s memories of Big Sister shape his interpretation of the entire case, turning the investigation from a professional duty into a deeply personal mission.

Chapter Summary: “Federation’s Response”

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads that the Humanoid Civilization helped expose and eliminate members of the Insect God Sect in the New Prosperity Star System, greatly improving public opinion toward the alien civilization.
• Although many citizens know the Humanoid Civilization has previously attacked other star systems, the Federation deliberately allows—and even encourages—public debate rather than censoring it.
• The Federation fears that suppressing praise for the Humanoid Civilization could provoke public resistance if the government later moves against it. At the same time, officials want to prevent public anger from focusing on the energy department, which failed to detect the large number of Insect God Sect believers.
• A major investigation team is sent to examine the seventy or eighty cult members uncovered, including more than a dozen core members and their cooperation with pirates against the female tycoon.
• The Federation is less concerned with the cult itself than with understanding why the Humanoid Civilization intervened, how it views the Federation, and whether communication or cooperation can be established.
• Lei Erfan becomes a crucial witness and is repeatedly questioned about his contact with the Humanoid Civilization and Feng Jun’s motives.
• Representatives of Deputy Prime Minister Lin also approach Lei Erfan, hoping to repair relations and arrange an introduction to Feng Jun. Lei refuses because of his late elder sister’s hostility toward the Lin Family.
• The energy minister’s representatives separately seek Lei’s help in asking the Humanoid Civilization to identify more Insect God Sect believers. Lei dismisses them and directs them to Chen Jiu instead.
• Chen Jiu becomes highly sought after across the Federation because he was instrumental in arranging the Humanoid Civilization’s intervention on behalf of the female tycoon.
• The Federation prime minister finally gives clear approval for establishing effective communication with the Humanoid Civilization, though earlier Border Star authorities had already declared that its silence should be treated as possible hostility.

Character Developments

• Lei Erfan: Becomes an important intermediary and information source, but remains openly hostile toward the Lin Family and unwilling to help them. He also shows his frustration with the energy department by refusing to assist it directly.
• Feng Jun and the Humanoid Civilization: Their reputation improves dramatically after they punish the cultists and avenge the female tycoon. However, their unpredictable and forceful behavior continues to make the Federation uncertain whether they are potential allies or enemies.
• Deputy Prime Minister Lin and the Lin Family: Their previous attempts to test and pressure Feng Jun have damaged relations beyond easy repair. Lin Yongliang believes their actions were reasonable diplomatic probing, while Second Young Master Lin remains resentful that Feng Jun ignored the family’s status and killed Robert.
• Chen Jiu: Gains political importance and public recognition. His connection to the Humanoid Civilization makes him a valuable contact for multiple Federation departments.
• The Federation Prime Minister: Moves from passive observation to actively supporting communication with the Humanoid Civilization, recognizing that its power can no longer be ignored.
• Border Star officials: Their uncompromising view—that anything not clearly friendly must be treated as hostile—is presented as necessary for survival in a dangerous frontier environment.

Significant Themes

• Public opinion and political control: The Federation manipulates rather than suppresses debate, using public discussion to redirect blame and assess popular attitudes.
• Pragmatism versus principle: Officials debate whether the Humanoid Civilization had the right to kill Federation citizens, while others argue that cultists had effectively ceased to be human.
• Diplomacy and mutual mistrust: Both sides have tested one another, but Feng Jun’s anger and the Federation’s earlier actions have made cooperation difficult.
• Political power versus personal relationships: The Lin Family’s immense influence cannot overcome Lei Erfan’s personal resentment or Feng Jun’s distrust.
• Frontier decisiveness versus central caution: Border Star must classify others as friend or enemy to survive, whereas the Federation’s central government has the luxury—and burden—of delaying judgment.
• Consequences of institutional failure: The energy department’s failure to detect the cult exposes bureaucratic weakness and threatens the minister’s position.

Character Interactions

• Federation investigators and Lei Erfan: They repeatedly question him about Feng Jun, seeking intelligence on the Humanoid Civilization’s motives and communication methods.
• Lin Family representatives and Lei Erfan: They request an introduction to Feng Jun, but Lei rejects them because of the Lin Family’s past relationship with his sister.
• Lin Yongliang and Second Young Master Lin: Their argument reveals a generational and strategic disagreement. Lin Yongliang views past conflicts as necessary mutual testing, while his son takes Feng Jun’s actions personally.
• Energy department representatives and Lei Erfan: They ask him to contact the Humanoid Civilization about identifying cultists; Lei refuses and sends them to Chen Jiu.
• Federation departments and Chen Jiu: Chen becomes the preferred intermediary as different officials realize he can influence or reach the Humanoid Civilization.
• The central Federation and Border Star: Their contrasting attitudes toward the Humanoid Civilization highlight the tension between cautious diplomacy and military survival instincts.

Chapter Summary: “Old Customer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prime Minister’s envoy questions Lei Erfan about his encounter with the Humanoid Civilization and their connection to multiple civilizations.
• Lei explains that he was primarily focused on exposing and arresting members of the Insect God Sect, leaving him unable to investigate the Humanoid Civilization’s origins or the regions it had visited.
• He openly criticizes the Federation’s failure to deal with corruption and the Energy Department, defending his loyalty to his deceased benefactor, “Big Sis.”
• The envoy reveals that the Humanoid Civilization located the cultists through Time Reversal, a capability previously believed impossible.
• The Federation has profiled the civilization’s contacts and concluded that it values “old customers”—people with deep, ongoing relationships who may receive assistance with personal problems.
• Lei Erfan is identified as a promising potential old customer because the Humanoid Civilization sought him out personally and because he remains within the Federation’s control.
• The envoy then meets Chen Jiu, another major intermediary who helped connect Lin Jielin and others with the Humanoid Civilization.
• Chen refuses to disclose sensitive information about the Life Potion production line or the details of Lin Jielin’s life extension, insisting that he merely facilitated the negotiations.
• Chen maintains that he has always acted with the Federation’s interests in mind and sarcastically suggests that He Runxian would be even less cooperative.

Character Developments

• Lei Erfan is shown to be blunt, practical, loyal, and deeply distrustful of official institutions. His loyalty is rooted in gratitude toward Big Sis, who once saved him from prison, and he resents the Federation’s inaction. Although he calls himself merely a tool of the Humanoid Civilization, he begins to accept that they may value him and privately hopes they will contact him again.
• The Prime Minister’s envoy acts as an investigator and political intermediary. He recognizes Lei’s importance and avoids provoking him, while attempting to gather intelligence and protect the Federation’s relationship with the Humanoid Civilization.
• Chen Jiu remains guarded and politically sophisticated. Though respectful, he refuses to reveal information that could implicate himself, especially regarding forbidden dealings and the rebels. His complicated history with the Humanoid Civilization makes him valuable but difficult for the Federation to control.
• The Humanoid Civilization becomes more mysterious and influential. Its mastery of Time Reversal, ability to identify distant criminals, and tendency to favor repeat contacts suggest both immense power and a deliberate relationship-building strategy.

Significant Themes

• Distrust of bureaucracy and institutional corruption: Lei’s accusations against the Energy Department and the envoy’s admission that the Prime Minister cannot control every subordinate reveal the Federation’s internal weaknesses.
• Loyalty and gratitude versus political authority: Lei prioritizes Big Sis and personal debts over official duty, showing how individual bonds can outweigh allegiance to the state.
• Control versus independence: The Federation values Lei precisely because he may become an “old customer” while remaining controllable, unlike Chen Jiu, Xuan Gao, and He Runxian.
• Information as power: Knowledge of Time Reversal and the Humanoid Civilization’s customer-selection patterns is treated as strategically vital.
• Ambiguous morality and hidden dealings: Chen’s refusal to discuss the Life Potion business highlights the gap between actions that may benefit humanity and actions that remain legally or politically dangerous.

Important Character Interactions

• Lei Erfan and the envoy: Their conversation is tense but candid. Lei challenges the Federation’s empty assurances, while the envoy tries to extract information without alienating him.
• Lei Erfan and the Humanoid Civilization: Though their contact was brief, the civilization deliberately chose him for a mission, suggesting trust or interest. Lei begins to wonder whether he was selected because of his character.
• Lei Erfan and Chen Jiu: Lei knows Chen well but has mixed feelings because Chen helped Big Sis obtain life extension while also contributing indirectly to the circumstances surrounding her death.
• The envoy and Chen Jiu: Their meeting is more confrontational. The envoy pressures Chen to disclose hidden dealings, but Chen uses careful denials, humor, and legal distinctions to avoid implicating himself.
• The Federation and the “old customers”: The government seeks to understand and exploit the Humanoid Civilization’s preference for repeat contacts, viewing Lei as a potentially manageable bridge to a powerful external civilization.

Summary: “Prime Minister’s Special Envoy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The prime minister’s special envoy arrives to investigate the Humanoid Civilization’s connection to He Runxian and, more importantly, the rumored Time Reversal technique.
• Chen Jiu warns the envoy not to target He Runxian further. The Humanoid Civilization highly values him and has extended his grandmother’s lifespan for free, making him effectively protected.
• He Runxian confirms that he traded mining equipment and smuggled scarce supplies through the Humanoid Civilization during the Insectoid blockade. He insists these actions benefited the Federation and challenges the envoy to arrest or punish him if necessary.
• He explains that the free lifespan extension was meant to demonstrate that the Humanoid Civilization could ignore ordinary resource restrictions and act according to its own will. The envoy interprets this as evidence of the civilization’s extraordinary power and independence.
• The Federation wants the Humanoid Civilization to help identify followers of the Insect God Sect. The envoy seeks advice on what reward might persuade them.
• He Runxian refuses to reveal Feng Jun’s specific needs, only advising that the Federation should lower its stance and show genuine sincerity.
• After failing to gain useful information from He Runxian, Chen Jiu, or Xuan Gao, the envoy offers two Life Potion Production Lines in exchange for Feng Jun’s cooperation.
• Feng Jun rejects the offer as insufficient because it does not address the bottleneck raw materials required to operate the production lines. He also dislikes the investigation itself, preferring to help people extend their lifespans.
• The envoy argues that two production lines are the maximum he can authorize, but Chen Jiu points out that lacking the authority to make important decisions undermines his ability to negotiate.
• Realizing that his authority is inadequate, the envoy decides to seek greater authorization and asks for several days before continuing negotiations.

Character Developments

• The special envoy begins cautiously suspicious of He Runxian and the Humanoid Civilization, assuming that free assistance may involve betrayal of Federation interests. He gradually becomes more respectful of their power and recognizes that he needs broader authority and greater sincerity.
• He Runxian remains openly resentful toward the Federation because of its past treatment of him, including controlling his injuries and detaining him. Nevertheless, he explains the situation honestly while deliberately withholding information that might disadvantage Feng Jun or the Humanoid Civilization.
• Chen Jiu acts as a careful intermediary. He protects He Runxian and Feng Jun while passing along enough information to keep negotiations alive. He repeatedly emphasizes sincerity and exposes the envoy’s lack of authority.
• Feng Jun becomes increasingly unwilling to accept vague or politically limited offers. He insists that negotiations account for practical requirements, especially scarce raw materials, and shows that he values helping individuals more than performing a politically burdensome investigation.
• Rui Qingfeng and the association’s female tycoon demonstrate growing respect for Feng Jun after his actions in the New Prosperity Star System. Their support allows him to obtain an Evergreen Elixir production line, though Feng Jun insists on purchasing it rather than accepting it as a gift.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: The Federation’s envoy represents the government but lacks sufficient authority to make meaningful commitments, while even a relatively low-ranking member of the Humanoid Civilization possesses extraordinary capabilities.
• Sincerity in negotiation: The chapter repeatedly contrasts formal bargaining tactics with genuine trust and goodwill. Feng Jun and the Humanoid Civilization expect concrete authority and meaningful offers rather than limited promises.
• Political suspicion versus personal loyalty: The Federation suspects He Runxian of betraying it, while He Runxian’s actions are portrayed as beneficial and rooted in personal relationships rather than treason.
• The limits of material resources: Life Potion Production Lines are valuable, but without the necessary raw materials they are incomplete rewards. The chapter emphasizes that apparent generosity can still be practically inadequate.
• Moral independence: The Humanoid Civilization refuses to be constrained by conventional Federation systems of money, resources, or authority, demonstrating its ability to act according to its own principles.
• Reciprocity and gratitude: Feng Jun earns support because he avenged a patient and acted honorably, while the association’s tycoon helps fulfill a deceased friend’s final wish.

Character Interactions

• The envoy and Chen Jiu: Their conversations are polite but tense. Chen Jiu carefully withholds sensitive information, challenges the envoy’s assumptions, and forces him to confront his lack of authority.
• The envoy and He Runxian: The envoy attempts to reconcile with He Runxian and investigate the lifespan extension, but He Runxian remains hostile and provides only limited guidance.
• Chen Jiu and Feng Jun: Chen Jiu serves as Feng Jun’s intermediary, relaying the envoy’s offer and Feng Jun’s refusal while trying to explain the Federation’s negotiating position.
• Feng Jun and the envoy, indirectly: Feng Jun’s dismissive response exposes his dissatisfaction with the Federation’s limited offer and forces the envoy to reconsider his negotiating strategy.
• Feng Jun and Rui Qingfeng/the association’s tycoon: Their relationship develops through mutual respect and gratitude, resulting in Feng Jun’s acquisition of another production line under fair-payment terms.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun leaves the Insectoid World without addressing the Humanoid Civilization envoy’s request, leaving the envoy stranded on Border Star for over six months.
• Upon returning to Libo Shoal, Feng Jun encounters Gu Jiahui, who has just completed her secluded cultivation and broken through to the Dust-Free Stage. Her rapid progress attracts attention from surrounding cultivators.
• Yan Yuxi asks Feng Jun whether he possesses a method for rapidly increasing cultivation. Feng Jun attributes his group’s progress to abundant resources and the mysterious Kindred-Path Aura.
• As Feng Jun’s influence expands, he changes his policy toward family cultivators and establishes a separate family-cultivator courtyard at Libo Shoal. The Yan Family is assigned to construct and manage it, though True Lords Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi remain cautious.
• Elder Bianji completes the development of the Fake-Death Pill and invites Feng Jun and other deduction experts to determine its effects. Feng Jun refuses to allow cultivators from the Chess Dao to participate because of Yitian’s past offense and lack of apology.
• Qian Zhong discovers that the Fake-Death Pill has a major limitation: its ideal effect lasts only fifty years, after which the user’s body and Divine Soul deteriorate rapidly. Elder Bianji remains optimistic, and Feng Jun contributes over two hundred formulas for possible improvements.
• Feng Jun returns to Luohua Manor with Life Potions, only to learn from Beauty Lin that demand has become so high that at least one million doses per month are needed.
• Their discussion turns to population growth and the future of interstellar civilization. Feng Jun argues that large populations are essential for occupying planets and surviving interstellar expansion, while Beauty Lin emphasizes population quality and the dangers of excessive childbirth.
• Feng Jun reveals the brutal reality of interstellar wars: of one woman’s twenty-three children, only four survived. He warns that once civilizations come into contact, war can spread rapidly and unpredictably.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates growing political influence by opening Libo Shoal to family cultivators, though he remains fiercely protective of his authority and unwilling to forgive perceived slights. His experiences in the wider universe have made him deeply concerned with military preparation, population growth, and the survival of civilization.
• Gu Jiahui: Successfully advances to the Dust-Free Stage, reinforcing the reputation of Feng Jun’s people for extraordinary cultivation speed.
• Yan Yuxi: Becomes increasingly interested in Feng Jun’s cultivation advantages and helps encourage greater cooperation between Libo Shoal and family cultivators.
• Elder Bianji: Shows persistence and practical judgment in developing the Fake-Death Pill. Despite its flaws, he views the current result as a major success.
• Qian Zhong: Establishes himself as a highly capable deduction expert by identifying the Fake-Death Pill’s fifty-year limitation.
• Beauty Lin: Acts as a pragmatic counterpoint to Feng Jun, questioning his emphasis on population quantity and challenging his harsh assumptions about interstellar expansion.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and changing alliances: Feng Jun’s rising status causes him to reconsider former restrictions and accept family cultivators as useful partners.
• Knowledge, deduction, and experimentation: The Fake-Death Pill’s development shows that major breakthroughs require cooperation among specialists, repeated testing, and acceptance of imperfect results.
• The cost of longevity: Both the Fake-Death Pill and Life Potions raise questions about lifespan, bodily decline, and who should receive access to life-extending resources.
• Population versus quality: Feng Jun prioritizes population size as essential for colonization and survival, while Beauty Lin stresses the importance of improving individual quality of life.
• Preparation against catastrophe: Feng Jun’s memories of interstellar civilization and warfare lead him to argue that preparation is necessary because accidents and wars may arrive without warning.
• The brutality of civilization-scale conflict: The deaths of nineteen out of twenty-three children illustrate the immense human cost of wars between civilizations.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yan Yuxi: Yan Yuxi probes him for cultivation secrets, while Feng Jun gives a deliberately vague explanation involving resources and the Kindred-Path Aura. Their exchange leads to the creation of the family cultivator courtyard.
• Feng Jun and Elder Bianji: Although Elder Bianji needs Feng Jun’s expertise, Feng Jun insists that Chess Dao cultivators be excluded because of his unresolved conflict with Yitian.
• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong: Their respective strengths complement each other—Feng Jun excels at matching medicinal ingredients and correcting formulas, while Qian Zhong is stronger at long-term deduction.
• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin: Their debate over Life Potion distribution develops into a broader discussion of birth rates, women’s health, interstellar colonization, and the horrors of alien warfare. Beauty Lin ends by asking whether the hostile civilizations Feng Jun described are human, suggesting deeper concerns about the nature of future conflicts.

Chapter Summary: “Leak”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beauty Lin questions Feng Jun about the Federation’s enemies and whether they are human. Feng Jun explains that the universe contains countless intelligent species, including alien civilizations that eat humans.
• He reassures her that the Federation’s current enemy cannot reach Blue Star, though he emphasizes that humanity must strive to rise higher in the cosmic food chain.
• Feng Jun reveals that Blue Star is only one of innumerable civilizations and that the Federation has encountered several powerful civilizations. When Beauty Lin asks whether dimensional travel explains his knowledge, he avoids answering.
• The conversation shifts to the distribution of Life Potions. Feng Jun suggests prioritizing people who intend to help preserve and transmit civilization, while Beauty Lin challenges the morality and political implications of that idea.
• Beauty Lin later returns with urgent news: information about Xia Nation’s Mecha Factory has been leaked.
• The leak becomes an international controversy after an overseas media outlet claims that Xia Nation is preparing combat mecha for mass production. Mairui Country demands an explanation, and reporters pressure Xia Nation’s spokesperson for details.
• The spokesperson denies that the facility is producing weapons, calling it a civilian manufacturing plant and refusing to disclose further information without evidence or proper authorization.
• Investigators search for the source of the leak. Their suspect is a highly trusted mecha expert whose unusually sophisticated counter-surveillance habits expose him.
• The incident reveals serious weaknesses in the factory’s security. Personnel had treated mecha research too much like an academic and civilian field, underestimating its military importance.
• Beauty Lin seeks Feng Jun’s reaction and possibly his help, but he grows irritated at being drawn into the “mess.” Their discussion ends with a metaphor about false prosperity being exposed when circumstances change.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains calm, confident, and secretive. He casually discusses terrifying cosmic realities but reassures Beauty Lin that Blue Star is safe. He also shows a pragmatic, somewhat ruthless view of survival and civilization.
• Beauty Lin moves from curiosity about the Federation to concern over humanity’s place in the universe. She also demonstrates political awareness by challenging Feng Jun’s suggestion about Life Potion distribution. Her return with the leak shows that she increasingly relies on him for judgment and assistance.
• The Mecha expert is revealed as the leaker. His apparent reliability masks disloyal behavior, while his professional counter-surveillance skills ultimately expose him.
• The investigators and factory staff are portrayed as competent but initially complacent. Their assumptions about trusted veterans and the civilian nature of mecha research contribute to the security failure.

Significant Themes

• Humanity’s place in the universe: Humans are neither unique nor guaranteed safety; survival depends on strength and advancement.
• Trust and security: Long-term familiarity and reputation do not guarantee loyalty. Overreliance on “reliable” insiders creates vulnerabilities.
• Military versus civilian technology: Technologies with civilian applications can still have enormous strategic and military significance.
• Information control and international pressure: The leak triggers propaganda, diplomatic demands, and public scrutiny, demonstrating how sensitive technological knowledge can destabilize relations.
• Pragmatism versus idealism: Feng Jun’s survival-based worldview contrasts with Beauty Lin’s concern for fairness, individual choice, and political consequences.
• False security and fragile prosperity: The closing metaphor suggests that systems may appear strong until pressure exposes their hidden weaknesses.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin engage in a probing conversation about alien civilizations, humanity’s vulnerability, and the Federation’s expansion. Beauty Lin repeatedly questions him, while Feng Jun avoids revealing information about dimensions and his own experiences.
• Their discussion of Life Potions becomes a subtle disagreement over merit-based prioritization and social responsibility. Feng Jun presents his idea as practical advice, while Beauty Lin worries about public backlash and fairness.
• When Beauty Lin reports the leak, Feng Jun initially assumes she is either still questioning him or blaming him. He reacts defensively, showing frustration at being held responsible for problems outside his control.
• Beauty Lin clarifies that the leak came from supposedly trustworthy factory personnel, effectively drawing Feng Jun into the issue despite his reluctance.

Chapter Summary: “Severity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reflects on financial warfare, concluding that real national strength depends on tangible industries rather than speculative finance. He argues that finance is essentially a casino controlled by powerful players, where weaker participants are exploited.
• He doubts Beauty Lin’s explanation that Xia Nation lacks funding, reasoning that the large amount of gold he donated should have provided sufficient resources for steady development.
• Beauty Lin explains that investigators discovered a security breach involving a prominent expert’s son, who studied abroad in Rio Country and became openly hostile toward Xia Nation. The son had been repeatedly approached by foreign forces and was suspected of leaking classified information.
• Investigators also identified the son’s girlfriend as a person of interest. They attempted to arrest both, but the son learned of the investigation and fled to Mairui Country.
• The leak was traced partly to the expert’s poorly secured home Wi-Fi. Further pressure revealed that the expert had given his son not only photographs but also numerous classified documents, hoping they would help him survive abroad.
• Authorities believe the documents may not yet have reached Mairui Country and urgently seek their recovery. Because the materials originally came from Luohua, higher authorities ask Luohua to retrieve them rather than involving another organization.
• Beauty Lin reveals that Feng Jun is being asked to intervene at the last moment. He reluctantly agrees in principle but complains about the burden and requests practical information about the fugitive.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates a more mature understanding of economics and national development. He rejects financial speculation as a foundation for prosperity and emphasizes industrial strength.
• He also shows growing awareness of political and security tensions, though he deliberately avoids learning sensitive details that could bring him further responsibility.
• Feng remains skeptical and sarcastic toward official institutions, criticizing their lack of preparation while still being willing to help when the situation becomes serious.
• Beauty Lin acts as the intermediary between the authorities and Feng Jun. She reveals the escalating international situation but maintains a playful, teasing attitude even while discussing espionage, biochemical threats, and national security.
• The expert is portrayed as negligent and morally compromised. Although he recognizes that he spoiled his son, he continues protecting him and ultimately supplies him with classified materials.
• The expert’s son develops from a spoiled, ungrateful student into a suspected intelligence leak and fugitive. His hostility toward Xia Nation makes him vulnerable to foreign manipulation.
• The authorities appear capable but imperfect: they investigate carefully, yet delays, poor security, and procedural concerns allow the suspect to escape.

Significant Themes

• Real industry versus financial speculation: Sustainable national power must rest on production and infrastructure, not financial manipulation.
• Power determines rules: Financial and international systems are presented as arenas where stronger players define or ignore the rules.
• National security and espionage: Personal relationships, ideological resentment, careless technology use, and family loyalty can all become channels for classified information leaks.
• Parental failure and misplaced loyalty: The expert’s indulgence and willingness to protect his son ultimately create a major national-security crisis.
• Institutional vulnerability: Even in an age of advanced surveillance and big data, basic mistakes—such as an unchanged Wi-Fi password—can undermine sophisticated investigations.
• Responsibility versus personal burden: Feng Jun is increasingly drawn into national affairs despite wanting to avoid additional obligations.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin debate the seriousness of Xia Nation’s financial situation, with Feng dismissing the idea that the country is truly short of funds.
• Beauty Lin attempts to tempt Feng with sensitive information about international threats, but he refuses, suspecting that she is trying to involve him more deeply.
• She then explains the espionage case, revealing how the expert’s son and girlfriend became suspects and how the son escaped.
• Beauty Lin appeals to Feng’s concern by warning that the classified materials may soon be transferred to Mairui Country.
• Feng reluctantly accepts that intervention may be necessary, questioning why the authorities repeatedly rely on him while asking for the fugitive’s identity, appearance, location, and possible support arrangements.

Chapter Summary: “Setting Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun rejects Beauty Lin’s offer of cooperation, explaining that he can handle matters through other Luohua cultivators. He warns her not to interfere with Luohua members while they cultivate.
• He decides to personally transport a team to Mairui Country but delegates the actual investigation and rescue mission to others.
• Ma Sanniang agrees to help with a Soul Search, despite her lack of interest in the spiritually barren “Wildlands.”
• Zhang Caixin gives the Mirage King Glove to Gu Jiahui, believing her own status and resources now make the relatively low-level artifact unnecessary. Gu Jiahui accepts it and is told that possessing it means taking on greater responsibility.
• Feng Jun assigns Gu Jiahui, Yu Qingzhu, and Li Shishi to accompany Ma Sanniang. He wants the younger women—especially Yu Qingzhu and Li Shishi, who have little combat experience—to become accustomed to violence and danger.
• In Mairui Country, the group discovers that their target has been moved from his original hiding place to a major city and placed under house arrest. Feng Jun uses Backtracking to locate him.
• Feng Jun suspects the enemy chose a city because they feared another large-scale attack in a remote area. Although he is furious and considers the possibility of destroying the city, he restrains himself and leaves the mission to his disciples as practical training.
• He instructs the group to retrieve the information, conduct the Soul Search, and deal with the instigators without mercy. Yu Qingzhu interprets this as a command to prioritize gathering intelligence before pursuing those responsible.
• Feng Jun returns to Luohua and deliberately avoids monitoring the operation, trusting the group’s strength.
• After a full day and night without their return, Beauty Lin visits Feng Jun and reports that a major disturbance occurred. She asks whether the information was recovered, but Feng Jun pretends not to know the details in order to prevent her from probing his arrangements.
• Beauty Lin recounts that the target was publicly shot twice in the forehead by a Mairui national of color, who then fled into the city.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence in Luohua’s growing strength. He begins delegating important missions instead of personally resolving every crisis, while still retaining control over transportation and high-level decisions.
• He also shows emotional restraint. Despite his anger toward Mairui Country and its apparent disregard for Xia Nation, he refuses to act impulsively and instead uses the situation to train his disciples.
• Zhang Caixin displays maturity and confidence by relinquishing the Mirage King Glove. Her access to superior resources and her elevated position within Luohua have made her less dependent on basic treasures.
• Gu Jiahui accepts greater responsibility but remains nervous about working with Ma Sanniang. Her insecurity reflects her recent advancement into the Dust-Free Realm and her lack of battlefield experience.
• Yu Qingzhu begins emerging as the group’s strategist. Though frightened, she remains composed and correctly identifies intelligence-gathering as the mission’s first priority.
• Li Shishi is also inexperienced and visibly afraid, but she accepts the assignment rather than openly resisting it.
• Ma Sanniang remains intimidating to the younger disciples, yet her expertise makes her an essential part of the operation.
• Beauty Lin continues trying to understand Feng Jun’s capabilities and arrangements. Her admiration and curiosity reveal that she increasingly recognizes his influence and power.

Significant Themes

• Delegation and growth: Feng Jun is transitioning from sole problem-solver to leader and mentor, trusting Luohua’s newer generation with dangerous responsibilities.
• Training through hardship: The young female disciples must face real violence rather than remain protected from the harsh realities of the Cultivation Realm.
• Restraint versus vengeance: Feng Jun’s anger is intense, but he chooses discipline over immediate retaliation, showing the self-control expected of a powerful cultivator.
• Changing status and responsibility: Zhang Caixin’s willingness to surrender the Mirage King Glove symbolizes Luohua’s development and the characters’ movement beyond earlier limitations.
• Dehumanization and moral boundaries: Feng Jun reflects on Mairui Country’s hostility toward Xia Nation and questions why he should extend moral consideration to people who do not view his countrymen as fellow humans.
• Trust and secrecy: Feng Jun trusts his subordinates but withholds information from Beauty Lin, maintaining operational secrecy and controlling how much outsiders learn about Luohua.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin discuss cooperation, cultivation restrictions, and the Mairui mission; their conversation is marked by her cautious probing and his guarded replies.
• Zhang Caixin teases and challenges Gu Jiahui by giving her the Mirage King Glove while emphasizing the responsibility attached to it.
• Gu Jiahui expresses fear of Ma Sanniang and asks for male disciples to accompany her, but Feng Jun instead adds Yu Qingzhu and Li Shishi to broaden the younger women’s experience.
• The three younger disciples look to Yu Qingzhu for guidance when Feng Jun leaves them with the ambiguous order to deal with the instigators.
• Beauty Lin later questions Feng Jun about the operation, but he evades her questions and encourages her to describe the incident herself.
• The chapter ends with the target’s apparent assassination in a crowded district, raising questions about who orchestrated the killing and whether the shooting was part of the intelligence-gathering operation or an independent plot.

Chapter Summary: “Child’s Play”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Luohua defector in Mairui Country is killed, and a witness posts footage online under the caption “The Racism of Anti-Racists.” The incident sparks protests among Mairui’s Xia population, creating an ironic political spectacle.
• Beauty Lin suspects the entire event was staged by Feng Jun, while Feng admits only that he ordered his people to “deal with the matter.”
• Feng activates Luohua’s Rain-Praying Formation unusually early, creating prolonged artificial rain from morning until evening. The rainfall prevents Beauty Lin and her military observers from using drones to determine which Luohua members are absent.
• Once Feng senses that the mission is complete, he travels to Mairui Country to retrieve Ma Sanniang, Yu Qingzhu, Gu Jiahui, and Li Shishi.
• Ma Sanniang returns with a weakened Soul Body. Gu Jiahui explains that the group infiltrated the defector’s location, neutralized five people, disabled surveillance, and used Soul Searches to extract information.
• The defector had secretly brought fragments of sensitive Luohua information to Mairui Country, intending to sell them. He was not motivated by loyalty to Mairui but by selfish financial interests.
• The information had been copied and distributed to multiple locations. The Luohua group recovered four copies but could not retrieve the fifth before dawn, meaning the material might spread widely.
• Although Gu Jiahui and Yu Qingzhu determine that the leaked information is incomplete and probably not extremely damaging, the incident is still viewed as an insult to Luohua’s pride.
• The group returns to the city and decides to kill the traitor, with Yu Qingzhu suggesting that they also create trouble for Mairui Country.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun appears increasingly detached and ruthless. He treats the mission and the possibility of eliminating everyone exposed to the information with cold pragmatism. His use of the Rain-Praying Formation also demonstrates his strategic awareness and willingness to manipulate observers.
• Beauty Lin remains perceptive and cautious. She correctly suspects that the public incident was orchestrated, but she recognizes that Feng will not reveal operational details.
• Ma Sanniang demonstrates the greatest endurance during the mission by carrying out multiple Soul Searches, though the effort severely weakens her Soul Body. Her abilities are essential to recovering the stolen information.
• Gu Jiahui and Yu Qingzhu show intelligence and composure. Their academic and analytical abilities allow them to assess the true importance of the leaked material and prevent the others from panicking.
• Li Shishi, despite her reputation as a slacker and weakly connected outsider, participates effectively in dismantling the surveillance system. The discussion of her background also emphasizes that her association with Feng Jun makes others afraid to mistreat her.
• The Luohua members display both professional competence and wounded pride: even a limited technological leak is treated as an unacceptable humiliation.

Significant Themes

• Irony and political hypocrisy: The defector’s death produces protests from people who interpret the event through racial politics, while the original motive was espionage and betrayal.
• Power and impunity: Luohua operates with overwhelming strength, making ordinary threats, surveillance, and legal pressure largely ineffective against its members.
• Betrayal and selfish ambition: The defector is revealed to be neither a patriotic Mairui citizen nor a principled dissident, but an egoist attempting to profit from stolen information.
• Pride versus practical consequences: The leak is technically limited, yet Luohua responds strongly because the breach challenges its authority and reputation.
• Surveillance and counter-surveillance: The mission highlights the conflict between Mairui’s monitoring systems and Luohua’s superior Divine Sense and cultivation techniques.
• Generational advancement: Feng Jun notes that Luohua’s newer members have surpassed the abilities of its older generation, reflecting the organization’s rapid growth.

Character Interactions

• Beauty Lin questions Feng Jun about the operation, but his evasive and indifferent replies discourage further probing.
• Beauty Lin and her subordinates discuss Luohua’s Rain-Praying Formation and admit that, despite their knowledge of Luohua’s activities, they would not dare coerce even relatively obscure members such as Li Shishi.
• Feng Jun shows concern for Ma Sanniang’s weakened condition and provides Spirit-Concentrating Incense to help her recover.
• Gu Jiahui recounts the operation, explaining how each member contributed: Ma Sanniang used illusions and Soul Searches, Yu Qingzhu incapacitated guards and opened the door, and Gu Jiahui located the surveillance equipment.
• Gu Jiahui and Yu Qingzhu’s analysis reassures the group that the leaked information is incomplete, but their shared anger shows that the issue has become personal and collective rather than merely technical.
• Yu Qingzhu’s suggestion to retaliate against Mairui Country shifts the group’s goal from simply recovering stolen information to punishing those connected with the betrayal.

Chapter Summary: “No Mercy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Qingzhu defends the group’s ruthless actions in Mairui Country by contrasting Mairui’s profit-driven international conduct with Xia Nation’s concern for reputation and “saving face.”
• Gu Jiahui agrees to continue the mission despite its disastrous turn. Feeling responsible because the assignment originally centered on her, she uses one of her two Transformation Talismans to disguise herself as a Black Continent native.
• In disguise, Gu Jiahui kills the traitor responsible for betraying them and manipulates public opinion, making the incident appear connected to the widespread racial violence and discrimination already present in Mairui Country.
• She then disposes of the people whose souls were searched the previous night, abandoning them in the mountains after they were rendered mentally helpless.
• Realizing these individuals were only intermediaries, Gu Jiahui and the others decide to target the true masterminds behind the operation.
• Mairui Country discovers that the four original locations have been compromised before dawn and increases security at the fifth site.
• To divert Xia Nation’s pressure, Mairui distributes incomplete mech-development materials to its allies and domestic manufacturers. The allies recognize that the information is deliberately limited, while Mairui’s domestic companies are expected to study it for whatever value they can extract.
• By nightfall, the fifth location is heavily guarded with cameras and personnel. However, Mairui’s forces fail to anticipate that Gu Jiahui’s group has changed tactics and begun executing the people who ordered the operation rather than merely dealing with intermediaries.

Character Developments

• Gu Jiahui feels humbled by the mission’s failure because it had been built around her ambitions and past interest in studying in Mairui Country. Her pride pushes her to accept greater responsibility.
• She also demonstrates increased ruthlessness and initiative, moving from eliminating operatives to pursuing the masterminds. Her carefree personality and ability to form friendships with powerful cultivators have unexpectedly provided her with valuable Transformation Talismans.
• Yu Qingzhu reflects on her dependence on Feng Jun and the advantages of belonging to a powerful organization. Unlike Feng Jun, who had to learn survival skills independently, she has often had others to rely on, creating an ingrained habit of seeking external support.
• Li Shishi remains emotionally detached from the fate of Mairui’s people, viewing the conflict pragmatically.
• Feng Jun is used as a contrast to the younger members: his earlier hardships forced him to cultivate survival abilities, while Yu Qingzhu and others developed under his protection.

Significant Themes

• Ruthlessness versus moral restraint: Mairui’s cynical, profit-based politics are contrasted with Xia Nation’s reluctance to abandon conventional morality and public dignity.
• Privilege and dependence: Yu Qingzhu’s protected upbringing has limited her practical independence, while hardship made Feng Jun more self-reliant.
• Reputation and manipulation: The group exploits Mairui’s existing racism and social corruption to conceal their actions and shape public opinion.
• Escalation and retribution: Once the original betrayal cannot be undone, the mission shifts toward punishing those who authorized it, emphasizing the chapter’s title, “No Mercy.”
• Technology as a political weapon: The mech materials are used not merely for research but to distract enemies, spread risk, and manipulate allies.

Character Interactions

• Yu Qingzhu explains the moral and political context of their actions to the others, influencing their willingness to proceed.
• Gu Jiahui’s sense of responsibility leads her to accept Yu Qingzhu’s plan and take the most visible action.
• The group works collectively but follows Gu Jiahui’s increasingly aggressive lead as she eliminates both traitors and intermediaries.
• Mairui’s government attempts to manipulate its allies and domestic manufacturers with incomplete technological information, while simultaneously trying to evade responsibility for the disappearances and killings.

Chapter Summary: “Admitting Defeat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Jiahui, Yu Qingzhu, Li Shishi, and Ma Sanniang continue retaliatory assassinations against the foreign instigators responsible for attacks on Xia Nation. Their targets become increasingly cautious: some hide behind security, hire bodyguards, or flee abroad.
• Despite the difficulties, the group kills seven or eight additional people. Ma Sanniang is seriously injured when a target hires multiple guardian knights equipped with Mystery Side abilities, Holy Water, and a Holy Relic.
• The employer and knights are killed, and Yu Qingzhu destroys the Holy Relic. The group leaves it behind because they consider it too insignificant to take.
• The surviving instigators prove difficult to locate. However, Ma Sanniang’s incomplete Soul Search reveals that one spy hid stolen information within Xia Nation. The spy is described as a “refined egoist,” protecting himself by ensuring the information could be retrieved without exposing him.
• Five possible hiding places are identified, but one location near Xichang appears to have been compromised. Feng Jun investigates personally and discovers that a university teacher with multiple nationalities, including Mairui citizenship, has already retrieved the data from behind a fire hydrant in an underground parking garage.
• Feng Jun reports the discovery to Beauty Lin, while warning her not to use the situation as an opportunity to “fish” for additional enemies. He insists that Luohua will not tolerate fishing operations connected to its affairs and threatens to withdraw all future cooperation if she permits one.
• The teacher is questioned overnight, and the storage card is recovered. It contains confidential but relatively general information about the Balance System from the Mecha Factory.
• More importantly, the foreign side recognizes that Luohua is behind the killings after the deaths of the guardian knights and destruction of the Holy Relic. Fearing further retaliation, they request negotiations and ask Luohua to stop targeting the responsible officials. They effectively admit defeat.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains calm and confident in Luohua’s superiority. He dismisses the Papacy’s Holy Relic as worthless compared with the treasures and beings available in the Insectoid World. At the same time, he takes direct responsibility when his subordinates lack the ability to track the stolen information.
• He also makes his opposition to “fishing” unmistakably clear. His stance is presented not as temporary anger but as a firm moral and strategic principle: Luohua will not participate in indiscriminate schemes to lure out further enemies.
• Ma Sanniang demonstrates both courage and limitations. She suffers the greatest injury because her soul lacks the protection provided by the others’ physical bodies, though her Soul Search still produces useful information.
• Gu Jiahui, Yu Qingzhu, and Li Shishi prove capable in combat and protect themselves effectively through their physical bodies and cultivation. Yu Qingzhu’s destruction of the Holy Relic emphasizes the group’s growing strength.
• Beauty Lin remains pragmatic and accustomed to intelligence operations, but her instinct to exploit the retrieved information for a larger trap clashes with Feng Jun’s principles. She recognizes that his worldview is fixed and that he will not compromise.
• The foreign instigators shift from confidence and concealment to fear. Once they realize Luohua is responsible, they abandon resistance and seek negotiations.

Significant Themes

• Retaliation and deterrence: Luohua’s campaign demonstrates that attacks on Xia Nation will bring personal consequences for those responsible, even if they hide behind international conventions or proxies.
• Fear and vulnerability: The targets’ precautions, the guardian knights’ preparation, and the eventual request for negotiations all show that powerful figures are still driven by fear of death.
• Moral limits of intelligence work: The conflict over “fishing” contrasts Feng Jun’s principle of targeted justice with Beauty Lin’s willingness to use broader traps to eliminate remaining threats.
• Self-interest and betrayal: The spy’s careful hiding of the stolen data reflects extreme individualism. He attempts to protect himself regardless of which side benefits.
• Power imbalance: The guardian knights and Holy Relic, once considered dangerous, are insignificant compared with Feng Jun and Luohua’s capabilities. This disparity forces the opposing side to concede.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Gu Jiahui’s group: He acknowledges their efforts but personally intervenes when their investigative abilities prove insufficient.
• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin: Their exchange reveals a deep strategic and ideological disagreement. Beauty Lin instinctively seeks opportunities to eliminate more enemies, while Feng Jun warns that Luohua’s support is conditional on respecting his principles.
• Gu Jiahui and Feng Jun: She defends Ma Sanniang’s imperfect Soul Search, reminding him that even his own abilities cannot guarantee perfect results.
• Beauty Lin and Feng Jun after the recovery: She reports both the retrieved information and the enemy’s desire to negotiate, confirming that Luohua’s retaliation has achieved its main objective.