Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Keeping Faith”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mairui Country’s officials regret attacking the factory associated with Luohua. They had assumed Luohua would not interfere after transferring the project, but Luohua’s ruthless retaliation quickly forced them to surrender.
• Mairui attempts to threaten Xia Nation by targeting its intelligence informants, knowing Xia Nation is more concerned with reputation and proportional retaliation than Luohua is.
• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin discuss how to respond. Feng Jun insists that Xidun’er, who organized the recruitment of Xia Nation students abroad, must die, while others may be spared.
• Beauty Lin proposes an indirect solution: influential figures in Mairui’s intelligence network may sacrifice or eliminate Xidun’er themselves to protect their own interests. Feng Jun is disturbed by the ruthless, profit-driven nature of their intelligence system.
• Feng Jun brings the proposed settlement back to Gu Jiahui, Yu Qingzhu, and Li Shishi. They approve it because Luohua’s main objective—Xidun’er’s death—will be achieved without forcing Luohua into a broader conflict.
• Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal. The Yan Family’s annex courtyard is nearly complete, though Yan Yuxi wants an Earth Vein restored. Feng Jun offers to rent out his own Earth Spirit since her family’s cannot be moved there.
• A Chess Dao cultivator seeks a meeting with Feng Jun through Elder Bianji. Feng Jun refuses, believing a sincere apology should be offered directly rather than through an intermediary.
• Feng Jun travels to the Insectoid World and learns that Rui Qingfeng’s people have obtained a second Evergreen Elixir production line.
• The female tycoon offers the production line in exchange for Feng Jun treating a seriously injured young man. Feng Jun accepts, partly because he respects her trustworthy behavior.
• The patient turns out to be someone previously connected to Chen Jiu and Xuan Gao. Feng Jun treats him for a week, improving his condition enough for Federation medicine to complete the recovery.
• The female tycoon confirms that Feng Jun has fulfilled his obligation and arranges for the production line to be delivered to his nominal half-planet territory.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains decisive and uncompromising. He insists that Luohua preserve its authority and reputation, particularly by ensuring Xidun’er’s death, but he also shows fairness by honoring the female tycoon’s request and treating her patient.
• Beauty Lin demonstrates political realism. She understands that Xia Nation cannot retaliate freely because enemies can manipulate public opinion and exploit its concern for informants and reputation.
• Gu Jiahui supports Feng Jun’s judgment and sees the proposed agreement as a successful preservation of Luohua’s honor.
• Yu Qingzhu becomes more aware of the extreme ruthlessness within intelligence circles, recognizing that such people may betray even their own colleagues.
• The female tycoon further establishes herself as reliable and pragmatic. She pays for the patient’s treatment through the production line rather than asking for a favor without compensation.
• Feng Jun’s leadership style is emphasized: he makes decisions first when necessary, then consults his subordinates afterward while remaining willing to reverse course if they object.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and deterrence: Luohua’s fearsome reputation allows it to force concessions, while Xia Nation’s reputation for restraint makes it vulnerable to manipulation.
• Pragmatism versus morality: Intelligence organizations and political actors treat betrayal, sacrifice, and even colleagues’ deaths as acceptable if doing so protects profits or power.
• Leadership and authority: Feng Jun believes a leader must act decisively, while still respecting the opinions of those under him.
• Keeping promises and reciprocal trust: Feng Jun fulfills agreements and rewards reliable behavior, especially in his dealings with the female tycoon.
• Power imbalance and hypocrisy: Mairui relies on bullying weaker opponents while avoiding direct confrontation with Luohua, exposing its opportunistic nature.
• The limits of retaliation: Even when Luohua has the upper hand, broader political consequences make total revenge complicated.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin debate whether Xia Nation should retaliate against Mairui’s threats to its intelligence network.
• Feng Jun negotiates with Gu Jiahui, Yu Qingzhu, and Li Shishi, seeking their approval after reaching a preliminary agreement.
• Feng Jun refuses an indirect approach from the Chess Dao, signaling that he will not indulge status-conscious or insincere behavior.
• Feng Jun and the female tycoon establish a mutually beneficial exchange: he treats her patient, and she provides the Evergreen Elixir production line.
• Feng Jun’s interactions throughout the chapter reinforce his preference for directness, loyalty, and clearly defined obligations.

Chapter Summary: Fake-Death Pill Completed

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun’s territory, Planet Four in the Skeleton Galaxy, is introduced as a resource-rich but scenic world. Most of the planet is privately owned by four wealthy tycoons, while the Federation controls only public facilities.
• To avoid attention, the female tycoon hides Feng Jun’s newly acquired production line on a satellite rather than delivering it directly to his private territory.
• Feng Jun spends two days sightseeing on Planet Four and stays at the automated estate of its owner before returning to Libo Shoal.
• Elder Bianji completes another batch of Fake-Death Pills. With Qian Zhong’s Deduction, the pills are found capable of sustaining a false-death state for six hundred years before their effects decline.
• Bianji is dissatisfied because he hopes to create a pill capable of preserving him for ten or twenty thousand years—long enough to wait for a possible method of rapidly reaching the Soul Emergence Realm.
• Qian Zhong explains that such a goal would require extremely high-grade primary ingredients, potentially at the Soul Emergence or Spirit Division level, making the project financially and materially impossible for now.
• Qian Zhong persuades Bianji to regard the six-hundred-year effect as a successful preliminary result and urges him to publicize the pill to build his reputation and attract resources.
• She advises him not to announce the achievement at Libo Shoal, since the area should remain quiet and Feng Jun’s contribution does not need immediate compensation or public emphasis.
• Bianji leaves with Vast True Immortal and returns to the Alchemy Dao. During his five-day journey, news of the Fake-Death Pill spreads widely.
• Upon arriving at the Alchemy Dao’s Secondary Mountain Gate, Bianji finds hundreds of cultivators waiting, including many outsiders eager to learn about or obtain the newly developed pill.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues expanding his resources and connections while showing a relaxed, practical side through his interest in Planet Four’s scenery and possible future vacations.
• Elder Bianji is revealed as an intensely ambitious and perfectionist alchemist. Although he has achieved a breakthrough far beyond expectations, he remains focused on his ultimate goal and struggles to acknowledge the present success.
• Bianji also demonstrates honesty and pride: he dislikes exaggerating his achievement and initially refuses to call the pill fully successful. However, he eventually accepts the need to publicize the preliminary result.
• Qian Zhong acts as both a realist and strategist. She restrains Bianji’s unrealistic expectations, points out the resource limitations of his goal, and encourages him to use fame rather than immediate payment to obtain future opportunities.
• Feng Jun and Bianji’s relationship remains distant and somewhat awkward. Feng Jun tolerates Bianji but does not regard him as especially important, while Bianji respects Feng Jun’s contribution but feels unable to ask him for favors.

Significant Themes

• Perfectionism versus practical success: Bianji’s refusal to accept a six-hundred-year effect as “complete” highlights the danger of measuring achievements only against an idealized final goal.
• Resources and limitations: Magical or technological breakthroughs depend not only on skill but also on access to money, rare materials, and cultivation-grade resources.
• Reputation as power: Qian Zhong emphasizes that fame can eventually bring wealth, materials, and influence, making public recognition a strategic asset.
• Collaboration across disciplines: The Fake-Death Pill is made possible through the interaction of Bianji’s alchemy and Feng Jun’s Deduction ability, showing how different talents can produce unexpected breakthroughs.
• Ambition and longevity: Bianji’s desire to survive for thousands of years reflects the broader cultivation obsession with overcoming natural lifespan and reaching higher realms.

Important Character Interactions

• Bianji and Qian Zhong: They argue over whether six hundred years constitutes success. Qian Zhong criticizes Bianji’s unrealistic expectations, while Bianji explains his desire to preserve himself until future cultivation methods emerge. Their exchange also reveals Qian Zhong’s sharp practicality and Bianji’s stubborn but intellectually honest nature.
• Bianji and Feng Jun: Bianji bids farewell before returning to the Alchemy Dao. Feng Jun responds indifferently and reminds him to take Vast True Immortal along, underscoring their limited personal bond.
• Bianji and the Alchemy Dao: His return triggers widespread excitement. Alchemists who once doubted Feng Jun’s abilities and the feasibility of the pill now recognize the achievement as a major breakthrough.
• The wider cultivation community: Outsiders rapidly gather at the Alchemy Dao, showing the immediate commercial and social impact of a pill capable of inducing fake death for six centuries.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Bianji returns to the Alchemy Dao and is immediately welcomed by a large crowd eager for his newly developed Fake-Death Pills.
• At the Dao Master’s request, he refines two batches of the six-hundred-year Fake-Death Pills, as well as a batch of “obsolete” pills capable of inducing deathlike stasis for fifty years.
• After eighteen days of refinement, Bianji emerges to find that more than ten thousand cultivators have gathered, revealing the enormous demand for the pills.
• Alchemy Dao elders inspect and test the pills, confirming that they can suppress not only life force but also severe illnesses and injuries.
• Elder Bian Cai disputes how much credit should go to Mountain Lord Feng of Libo Shoal, arguing that Feng merely performed the Deduction while the Alchemy Dao supplied the theory and carried out the refinement.
• Bianji insists that Feng deserves recognition, since neither Feng nor Bianji could have completed the process entirely alone. He also agrees to let Elder Xun Wei perform an additional Deduction to verify the pills’ effects.
• The elders explain that cultivators view the pills as a temporary “pause button” for serious injuries and illnesses, allowing time to obtain rare medicines or treatments. This makes the pills valuable even to people who do not immediately need them.
• Bianji realizes that the fifty-year Fake-Death Pills may be even more commercially successful than the six-hundred-year version.
• A dispute arises over how to compensate Feng Jun. Bianji argues that the Alchemy Dao must share profits with him, just as the Formation Dao does for the Energy Conversion Formation.
• The discussion is interrupted by a loud cheer from the distance, suggesting that another major event or announcement is occurring.

Character Developments

• Elder Bianji: Remains detached, blunt, and uninterested in social expectations, but demonstrates strong professional ethics. He acknowledges Feng Jun’s contribution and insists that intellectual credit and compensation be handled fairly.
• Elder Bian Cai: Displays the Alchemy Dao’s pride and sense of superiority. Though initially dismissive of Feng’s role, he cannot refute Bianji’s logical argument about shared credit.
• Mountain Lord Feng: Does not appear directly, but his exceptional Deduction ability is repeatedly emphasized. His contribution proves essential to developing the Fake-Death Pill.
• Elder Xun Wei: Introduced as a highly accomplished cultivator specializing in time-related matters and the next person chosen to verify the pill formula.

Significant Themes

• Unintended uses and user-driven value: The Fake-Death Pills become valuable not because of their original purpose, but because cultivators reinterpret them as a way to delay the worsening of injuries and illnesses.
• Collaboration between disciplines: The pill’s creation depends on Feng Jun’s Deduction abilities and Bianji’s alchemical expertise, showing that major breakthroughs require cooperation between specialized fields.
• Intellectual property and fair compensation: The chapter stresses the importance of properly crediting and rewarding contributors, especially within the Alchemy Dao, which places great value on pill formulas.
• Professional responsibility: Bianji accepts further testing because an alchemist must ensure that pills sold to others are safe and accurately understood.
• Institutional pride and hierarchy: The Alchemy Dao’s dismissive attitude toward other disciplines reveals the rivalry and social hierarchy among different cultivation paths.

Character Interactions

• The Dao Master’s request establishes Bianji’s immediate responsibility to produce the pills.
• Bianji and the Alchemy Dao elders inspect the finished pills together, with Elder Bian Cai confirming their unusual effects through Deduction.
• Bianji and Bian Cai argue over whether Feng Jun deserves major credit, with Bianji ultimately defending Feng’s contribution.
• The elders explain the market demand to Bianji, forcing him to reconsider the pills’ practical and commercial importance.
• Bianji and Bian Cai clash again over profit-sharing, but Bianji’s comparison with the Formation Dao leaves Bian Cai unable to argue further.

Chapter Summary: “Pricing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Xun Wei of the Chess Dao confirms that both versions of the Alchemy Dao’s Fake-Death Pill meet their advertised standards. His endorsement dispels widespread suspicions that Elder Bianji might be selling fraudulent pills.
• Xun Wei discovers an important distinction between the two pills:
  • The six-hundred-year pill produces a complete false-death state and requires the user to remain undisturbed in a secluded chamber.
  • The fifty-year pill leaves some medicinal potential unused, allowing an injured cultivator to be transported—such as inside a Spirit-Beast Bag—provided the movement is not too violent.
• Because the shorter-duration pill is far more practical for travelers and injured cultivators, demand rises sharply. Elder Bianji realizes that the product may be a widely useful emergency resource rather than merely a luxury item for preserving family ancestors.
• Pricing becomes unexpectedly complicated. Elder Bianji refuses to set a price without consulting Feng Jun, since Feng Jun contributed significantly to the pill’s development through deduction. The final price must balance the Alchemy Dao’s profits, Feng Jun’s contribution, research costs, and affordability for cultivators.
• Elder Bian Cai explains that Feng Jun also assisted the Formation Dao in developing the Energy Conversion Formation. After this is confirmed, cultivators begin viewing Feng Jun as a highly versatile deduction expert.
• Libo Shoal consequently receives a flood of requests involving incomplete pill formulas, formations, cultivation techniques, and even a damaged treasure map. Many clients impose unreasonable restrictions and demands.
• Feng Jun becomes increasingly irritated, especially when one cultivator asks him to complete a cultivation technique for free while allowing himself to keep a copy. Feng Jun dismisses the person bluntly.
• Overwhelmed by unreliable clients and lacking motivation while Yi Jue is in seclusion, Feng Jun turns his attention back to Blue Star and considers developing his two Evergreen Elixir production lines.

Character Developments

• Elder Bianji shifts from confidence in the Fake-Death Pill as a high-end product to concern over its broader social usefulness and appropriate pricing. He also openly acknowledges Feng Jun’s contribution.
• Elder Xun Wei demonstrates fairness and credibility by testing and publicly validating the pills. His analysis reveals their practical differences and increases their value.
• Elder Bian Cai supports Feng Jun’s reputation by revealing his role in the Energy Conversion Formation’s development.
• Feng Jun gains greater recognition as a deduction expert capable of working across alchemy, formations, and cultivation techniques. At the same time, he becomes frustrated with clients who are suspicious, demanding, or unwilling to compensate him properly.
• Yi Jue remains absent in seclusion while attempting to break through to the Soul Emergence Realm. Her absence affects Feng Jun’s willingness to continue taking on difficult deductions.

Significant Themes

• Trust and reputation: Xun Wei’s endorsement shows how institutional credibility can eliminate suspicions that would otherwise threaten a product’s success.
• Innovation and fair compensation: The debate over pricing emphasizes that research, failed attempts, expertise, and intellectual contributions deserve payment beyond simple material costs.
• Commercial value versus social utility: The Fake-Death Pill begins as a luxury product but becomes a potentially life-saving tool for ordinary cultivators, forcing the Alchemy Dao to reconsider its market position.
• Class and cultural differences: Feng Jun reflects that rogue cultivators may be resourceful but often lack the dignity, reliability, and standards of major sects and families.
• Burden of talent: Feng Jun’s broad abilities attract opportunities but also bring unreasonable demands, unwanted attention, and pressure.
• The importance of collaboration: The pill’s success results from the combination of Bianji’s centuries of alchemical research and Feng Jun’s deduction abilities.

Character Interactions

• Xun Wei’s public certification reassures the gathered cultivators and strengthens ties between the Chess Dao and Alchemy Dao.
• Bianji and Bian Cai debate how to handle pricing, with Bianji insisting that Feng Jun must be consulted.
• Bian Cai defends Feng Jun when others question whether he truly contributed to the pill and formation breakthroughs.
• Cultivators approach Feng Jun for help with specialized problems, but their secrecy demands, distrust, and attempts to avoid payment lead to repeated conflict.
• Feng Jun’s refusal to work for free—especially his sharp dismissal of the dishonest client—marks his growing unwillingness to tolerate exploitative relationships.

Chapter Summary: “Liang Could Use Some Better Discretion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Nation publicly demonstrates its technological strength by deploying two highly advanced Firefighting Mechas during a major urban fire. One uses a water cannon while the other rescues trapped civilians, causing a sensation domestically and internationally.
• When questioned about the mechas, Xia Nation’s spokesperson confirms that the country possesses mecha-manufacturing capabilities, while insisting that the technology is intended primarily for civilian use.
• Mairui Country and its allies demand that Xia Nation disclose the mechas’ specifications, claiming they pose a threat to global stability. Xia Nation refuses, citing civilian status and intellectual-property protections.
• Liang Siyu shows Feng Jun an online post claiming that Xia Nation’s most advanced technology is concentrated in Yang City. Feng suspects the poster may be connected to foreign intelligence networks.
• Feng orders Liang to look for similar posts but tells her not to overreact. Liang nevertheless launches an independent search through classmates and even offers a reward for information.
• Acting on his own, Feng uses Divine Sense from over a thousand kilometers away to attack the identified poster. He assumes the person is probably dead and does not investigate further.
• Beauty Lin later visits Feng after learning that Liang has been searching for people who criticize Luohua. She worries that Feng may have retaliated against an informant or someone whose statements were part of an intelligence operation.
• Feng confirms that he attacked the specific poster. Beauty Lin explains that the man was connected to well-informed spies and had a reputation for viciously criticizing Xia Nation, though his intelligence sources were reliable.
• Feng criticizes Liang’s poor confidentiality and discretion after learning that Beauty Lin’s people discovered her efforts. Beauty Lin argues that Feng should coordinate with them before acting to avoid accidentally harming useful informants.
• Their argument exposes tension over responsibility: Feng blames Beauty Lin’s side for losing the Mecha Factory’s information, while she emphasizes the need for communication and damage control.
• Beauty Lin explains that the Firefighting Mecha demonstration was a deliberate show of strength. Higher authorities chose to reveal civilian mechas rather than more sensitive assets such as space warships.
• She then proposes a new Evergreen Elixir production facility in a major city. The government would provide the factory, workers, and infrastructure, retain ten percent of the shares, and give Luohua the remaining profits while allowing it management control and veto power.
• Feng questions why the lack of Luohua projects in major cities is considered a problem, suspecting the proposal may reflect someone’s private agenda. He ultimately reveals that he has already obtained two production lines, though their deployment is delayed because Zheng Sike is about to marry and Feng promised to serve as his best man.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains confident, detached, and willing to use overwhelming force against perceived threats. However, he also shows strategic restraint, recognizing that not every online remark deserves attention.
• Liang Siyu demonstrates loyalty and initiative but also poor judgment. Her unauthorized investigation and failure to maintain secrecy create unnecessary risks, reinforcing the chapter’s title.
• Beauty Lin acts as both intermediary and risk manager. She worries about Feng’s indiscriminate retaliation and attempts to establish communication procedures, though she is also constrained by government secrecy.
• Feng and Beauty Lin’s relationship remains combative but cooperative. They trade sarcasm and accusations, yet continue to negotiate technology transfers, intelligence, and national projects.
• Zheng Sike, though absent, becomes relevant through his upcoming marriage, which affects the timing of Luohua’s production expansion.

Significant Themes

• Technological deterrence and controlled disclosure: Xia Nation reveals enough mecha technology to signal strength without exposing its most advanced military capabilities.
• Secrecy versus initiative: Liang’s eagerness to help clashes with the strict confidentiality required by Luohua’s operations.
• Retaliation and proportionality: Feng believes hostile speech must sometimes carry consequences, while Beauty Lin stresses that informants and intelligence assets may be difficult to distinguish from genuine enemies.
• State interests versus private power: The government seeks access to Luohua’s technology and economic influence, while Feng remains wary of hidden motives and refuses to expand simply to satisfy conventional expectations.
• Strategic restraint: Both Xia Nation and Feng choose not to reveal or deploy all their available capabilities, preferring to preserve hidden advantages.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liang Siyu: Feng instructs her not to obsess over online criticism, but Liang acts independently anyway, prompting Feng’s criticism of her confidentiality practices.
• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin: Their discussion moves from the consequences of Feng’s attack to intelligence coordination, the Firefighting Mecha demonstration, and a proposed Evergreen Elixir factory. Their banter masks serious disagreements about trust, responsibility, and operational control.
• Beauty Lin and Liang Siyu: Beauty Lin’s informants discover Liang’s investigation, indirectly exposing Liang’s actions and causing concern that Feng may target valuable intelligence personnel.
• Feng Jun and the wider government: Feng remains willing to cooperate economically and technologically but resists pressure to expand into major cities or reveal Luohua’s true capabilities.

Chapter Summary: “Fifth Brother’s Opportunity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discusses his roommate Zheng Sike’s upcoming wedding with Beauty Lin. As Zheng’s best man, Feng plans to give him a substantial wedding gift: the Evergreen Elixir, intended to benefit Jiangxia City.
• Feng explains that Zheng is not capable of handling major affairs independently, but because Zheng helped connect him with Xiayang University, Feng intends to secure Zheng’s future anyway.
• Feng and Beauty Lin debate procedural justice versus substantive justice. Beauty Lin insists that proper procedures matter most, while Feng argues that achieving fair and beneficial results is more important.
• Zheng calls Feng after Bud City suddenly offers his fiancée a job. Feng realizes the offer is likely an attempt to build a connection with him through Zheng’s future wife, since his planned Jiangxia project has attracted political attention.
• Feng tells Zheng that the wedding gift will be a major project for Jiangxia, but deliberately withholds details because knowing too much could create danger or political complications.
• Later, Xichang also offers Zheng’s fiancée a job—specifically, an assistant position in its Jiangxia recruitment office. Unlike Bud City, Xichang is meaningful to her because she was born and educated there, making the offer especially attractive.
• Zheng asks Feng whether the position suits her. Feng refuses to interfere, saying the decision should belong to Zheng and his fiancée.
• Zheng leaves work early to buy groceries and discuss the offers with his fiancée. Before they can talk, the university president arrives with city officials and invites Zheng and his fiancée to dinner.
• The city representative, Senior Cao, explains that the city wants to help find Zheng’s fiancée a job and asks about her preferences, revealing that Jiangxia is also attempting to secure her loyalty and goodwill.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is increasingly aware of his influence. He can now shape employment opportunities, municipal projects, and political relationships, though he remains detached and understated about his power.
• Feng demonstrates loyalty toward Zheng despite believing that Zheng lacks sufficient intelligence and emotional maturity for major responsibilities. He wants Zheng to remain secure and protected rather than become a major political participant.
• Zheng Sike has become more cautious and respectful of Feng’s abilities after experiencing repeated setbacks. He trusts Feng enough to accept the wedding gift without demanding details, recognizing that Feng’s backing offers powerful protection.
• Zheng also shows genuine concern for his fiancée’s independence. He wants her to have a stable career and asks Feng whether the Xichang position would suit her, though he ultimately plans to let her choose.
• Zheng’s fiancée is portrayed as hardworking and eager to control her own future. Her preference for Xichang reflects both emotional attachment to her birthplace and a desire to return home successfully.
• Beauty Lin understands the political implications of Feng’s actions and challenges his disregard for formal procedures, acting as a counterbalance to his results-oriented worldview.
• The university and city officials recognize Zheng’s connection to Feng and attempt to cultivate a relationship with Zheng’s fiancée as a way of strengthening ties with Feng.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Feng’s personal connections and resources allow him to affect cities, universities, and individual careers.
• Connections as political capital: The chapter emphasizes that influence does not require direct family ties. Association with a powerful person can dramatically improve someone’s opportunities.
• Procedural versus substantive justice: Beauty Lin and Feng represent opposing views on whether fairness depends more on following proper processes or achieving a beneficial outcome.
• Loyalty and repayment: Feng’s support for Zheng is presented as repayment for Zheng’s earlier help, showing that Feng values personal obligations even while maintaining emotional distance.
• Individual autonomy: Zheng’s fiancée wants to make her own future secure rather than depend entirely on Zheng’s status, and Feng respects her right to choose.
• Political competition for talent: Bud City, Xichang, and Jiangxia compete to attract capable people, using Zheng’s relationship with Feng as an additional incentive.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Beauty Lin discuss Zheng’s wedding, the Evergreen Elixir, and the morality of Feng’s methods. Their exchange highlights their mutual understanding despite disagreement over procedure.
• Feng and Zheng speak as close but unequal brothers. Zheng seeks guidance, while Feng provides protection without revealing everything.
• Feng evaluates Zheng’s fiancée’s job offers carefully but avoids making the decision for her, preserving her autonomy.
• Zheng and his fiancée are preparing to discuss their future when the university president and Senior Cao unexpectedly arrive.
• The final interaction between Zheng, the university leadership, and Senior Cao turns the employment issue into a formal effort by Jiangxia to secure the couple’s cooperation and strengthen its relationship with Feng.

Summary of “Fancy Maneuvers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zheng Sike explains that his fiancée, Xiao Zhu, is considering several job offers, including a permanent assistant position at the Jiangxia Liaison Office in her hometown of Xichang City.
• The university president and Senior Cao try to persuade Zheng to keep Xiao Zhu in Jiangxia by promising to help her secure university employment. They emphasize the advantages of a permanent academic position, including stability, good pay, and vacations.
• Zheng admits that Xiao Zhu prefers the Xichang offer because it is permanent and would provide her with greater security, despite allowing her to remain near Jiangxia most of the time.
• The group discusses Feng Jun’s mysterious “grand wedding gift” to Zheng: a potentially valuable high-tech pharmaceutical project. The project is still under evaluation, and several regions are competing to obtain production rights.
• Senior Cao reveals that the project may involve two production lines, with different regions attempting to claim at least half of the benefits. Zheng realizes that Xiao Zhu’s sudden popularity among various organizations is likely connected to this project.
• Senior Cao and the university representatives indirectly pressure Zheng for information about the pharmaceutical project, but Zheng refuses to ask Feng Jun for details. He argues that he and Feng Jun are only former roommates and that their relationship cannot be exploited indefinitely.
• During a private cafeteria meeting, Senior Cao raises concerns about Zheng’s career and promises to monitor problems involving a cafeteria manager.
• Xiao Zhu then joins the meeting. The university leaders again attempt to convince her to accept a university position, framing the opportunity as something Jiangxia has provided for her.
• Xiao Zhu resists, stressing that the Xichang offer reflects her own life plans and that she would rather consult Feng Jun, whom she considers trustworthy and fair.
• Senior Cao proposes fast-tracking a permanent university appointment for Xiao Zhu, but the president resists, wary of political complications and the appearance of favoritism.
• Xiao Zhu becomes increasingly uncomfortable as the men discuss her future without seriously considering her wishes.
• She finally mentions that she also has relatives and connections in Bud City and Long City. Senior Cao immediately suspects these cities may also be seeking Feng Jun’s project.
• The vice president suggests that Senior Cao offer Xiao Zhu an assistant position similar to Xichang’s, turning the negotiation into a broader competition among regions.

Character Developments

• Zheng Sike: Becomes increasingly caught between loyalty to Feng Jun, pressure from university officials, and his fiancée’s career needs. He understands that Xiao Zhu’s job offers are tied to his own relationship with Feng Jun, but he avoids exploiting that connection. His evasiveness shows both gratitude toward Feng Jun and discomfort with the transactional behavior around him.
• Xiao Zhu: Demonstrates independence and practical concerns about long-term security. Although naturally mild and reluctant to confront others, she firmly rejects being treated as a bargaining tool and insists that her own plans matter. Her mention of relatives in multiple cities reveals that she has more leverage than the others expected.
• Senior Cao: Acts as both a concerned senior and a political negotiator. He tries to secure the pharmaceutical project for Jiangxia while maintaining an appearance of fairness and avoiding accusations of favoritism. He recognizes the importance of Xiao Zhu’s connections and quickly adapts his strategy.
• The university president: Wants to retain Xiao Zhu for the university but is cautious about sacrificing institutional interests or appearing to form a faction. His resistance to Senior Cao’s proposal reflects political calculation rather than a lack of interest.
• The office man and vice president: Serve as more direct and perceptive negotiators. The office man voices pressures the senior leaders cannot openly express, while the vice president notices Xiao Zhu’s discomfort and suggests a new tactic.
• Feng Jun: Does not appear directly, but his influence dominates the chapter. His promised project has created competition among regions and transformed Zheng and Xiao Zhu into valuable intermediaries.

Significant Themes

• Personal relationships becoming political currency: Zheng and Feng Jun’s friendship is treated as a channel for accessing lucrative projects, while Xiao Zhu’s marriage prospects and employment are drawn into the same negotiations.
• Security versus autonomy: Xiao Zhu values a permanent local position because it offers stability and independence, while the university tries to persuade her that its advantages are better.
• Institutional competition and maneuvering: Universities and cities compete for Feng Jun’s pharmaceutical project through indirect pressure, promises, and strategic offers.
• The limits of loyalty and favors: Zheng recognizes that repeatedly asking Feng Jun for information or assistance could damage their relationship. The chapter questions how far personal connections can be exploited before they collapse.
• Gender and social expectations: The men casually assume that Xiao Zhu’s choices are driven by insecurity or marital concerns, while she quietly insists that she has her own ambitions and principles.
• Appearance versus genuine concern: The university presents its employment offer as generosity, but Xiao Zhu realizes that the leaders are primarily trying to secure access to the pharmaceutical project.

Character Interactions

• Zheng and Senior Cao share a senior-junior relationship, but Senior Cao uses his authority to probe Zheng for information about Feng Jun’s plans.
• Zheng’s exchanges with the president and office representative reveal their attempts to persuade him—and indirectly Xiao Zhu—to favor the university.
• Xiao Zhu challenges the group’s assumptions by refusing to accept a position simply because it benefits Jiangxia or Zheng’s career.
• Senior Cao and the president argue over whether the university should create a permanent position for Xiao Zhu, each balancing personal connections against institutional and political concerns.
• Xiao Zhu’s reference to Feng Jun as her “Third Brother” emphasizes her trust in him and exposes the weakness of the university’s promises.
• Her mention of Bud City and Long City shifts the balance of power, prompting Senior Cao and the vice president to consider competing with Xichang by offering her another position.

Chapter Summary: “Two-Pronged Preparations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The vice principal proposes a reciprocal arrangement: if Xichang can maintain a Jiangxia Liaison Office in Jiangxia year-round, then Jiangxia should establish a Xichang Liaison Office that could operate in Xichang.
• Senior Cao initially finds the proposal inappropriate, but Zheng Sike unexpectedly supports it. He argues that since Xiao Zhu is willing to spend her life with him, he must prioritize giving her security, even if that means appearing to favor Xichang over Jiangxia.
• Zheng Sike reflects that his relatively insignificant “mascot” position protects him from political or financial complications. Unlike a powerful business role, abandoning his current position would not give others much leverage to attack him or Feng Jun.
• Jiangxia rejects the establishment of a formal Xichang Liaison Office. Instead, the city considers creating a province-wide—or effectively Jiangxia-led—university admissions alliance to attract talented students from Xichang.
• This proposal reflects a broader national “war for talent,” as cities compete to attract capable university students for future urban development. Jiangxia lacks the financial resources of stronger cities but hopes to compensate through organizational support and by sending Xiao Zhu to Xichang.
• Senior Cao privately warns Zheng Sike that the alliance may fail and admits he does not want to risk public humiliation. He advises Zheng Sike that if it cannot be established within two years, Zheng should take Xiao Zhu and leave for Xichang, where Feng Jun can protect them.
• Zheng Sike questions why he should remain in Jiangxia if departure is already a possibility, explaining that he feels little attachment to the city itself. Senior Cao counters that Feng Jun’s connection to Jiangxia still gives the city some importance.
• Xiao Zhu initially hesitates but ultimately agrees to gamble on the alliance and remain in Jiangxia for now. Her decision rests on her confidence that her marriage to Zheng Sike will remain stable; if the plan fails, they can leave together.
• Zheng Sike is delighted by Xiao Zhu’s decision and plans to inform Feng Jun, while also deciding that Feng Jun should be addressed by name rather than as “Third Brother.”

Character Developments

• Zheng Sike openly prioritizes Xiao Zhu and their future marriage over institutional loyalty. His willingness to abandon Jiangxia if necessary demonstrates both romantic devotion and a pragmatic understanding of his protected position.
• Xiao Zhu reveals her insecurity but also shows trust and commitment. By agreeing to stay temporarily, she places faith in both her marriage and Feng Jun’s ability to protect them.
• Senior Cao emerges as a realistic and cautious mentor. Though he wants Jiangxia’s plan to succeed, he refuses to make false promises and gives Zheng Sike honest advice.
• The vice principal acts boldly and strategically, challenging Jiangxia’s one-sided expectations and insisting that support for Zheng Sike’s personal interests must be reciprocal.
• Feng Jun, though absent from the chapter, remains an important source of influence and security. His reputation protects Zheng Sike and gives the couple confidence that they will have a safe alternative.

Significant Themes

• Personal loyalty versus institutional responsibility: Zheng Sike supports Jiangxia in principle but refuses to sacrifice Xiao Zhu’s security for the city’s interests.
• Marriage as mutual security: The couple’s decision is based on their belief that their relationship will endure, allowing them to face uncertainty together.
• Pragmatism in political and educational competition: The admissions alliance illustrates how cities compete for talent despite limited resources and uncertain outcomes.
• Trust and protection: Xiao Zhu’s insecurity contrasts with Zheng Sike’s confidence that Feng Jun can shield them, while their eventual agreement reflects growing mutual trust.
• Uncertain futures and strategic preparation: The “two-pronged” approach involves both trying to make the Jiangxia alliance succeed and preparing to leave for Xichang if it fails.

Character Interactions

• The vice principal confronts Senior Cao over Jiangxia’s reluctance to reciprocate Xichang’s arrangements.
• Zheng Sike sides with the vice principal, surprising Senior Cao and making his devotion to Xiao Zhu explicit.
• Senior Cao later speaks candidly with Zheng Sike over drinks, warning him about the alliance’s uncertain future and advising him to leave if it fails.
• Zheng Sike and Xiao Zhu discuss their options and ultimately agree to remain in Jiangxia temporarily while preserving Xichang as a backup plan.
• Zheng Sike’s eagerness to report the decision to Feng Jun highlights his trust in Feng Jun and his informal dependence on Feng Jun’s protection.

Chapter Summary: “Sudden Development”

Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discusses population growth with Beauty Lin after hearing that the Admissions Office Alliance may help recruit people for Jiangxia. He argues that population will become increasingly important as the Interstellar Age of Great Voyages approaches.
• Xia Nation hesitates to promote population growth because longer lifespans and existing farmland limitations could create food shortages. Feng Jun suggests transforming deserts and wasteland, possibly using nutrient solutions, Rain-Praying Formations, and Spirit-Gathering Arrays.
• Beauty Lin explains that large-scale land development would require enormous resources and time. They instead develop a more practical plan: concentrate Rain-Praying Formations in a suitable upstream region to increase rainfall, improve the surrounding environment, and potentially support future canal construction.
• Feng Jun agrees to begin preparations, despite complaining that Beauty Lin is continually finding him more work. He produces twelve Rain-Praying Formations by the day before Zheng Sike’s wedding, finding the effort extremely exhausting.
• Feng Jun travels to Jiangxia before dawn to attend Zheng Sike’s wedding. The bride is collected from a hotel, making the traditional wedding games less troublesome, though the bridesmaids still tease and grope Feng Jun during the proceedings.
• The wedding convoy consists of rented vehicles and luxury cars borrowed from Jiangxia upperclassmen. Zheng Sike deliberately avoids accepting too many favors.
• After the couple returns to their new home, Feng Jun takes a break outside with Liu Menglong. Senior Cao asks about the major wedding gift Feng Jun plans to give Zheng Sike, but Feng Jun says he will reveal it during the groomsmen’s speeches.
• The chapter ends abruptly when Gazi arrives with serious news: Typhoon Xingtian has changed course.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly concerned with long-term national and interstellar preparation. Although he dislikes additional labor, he accepts responsibility for developing agricultural and environmental infrastructure because few others can perform the necessary formations. His concern for Zheng Sike is also shown through his involvement in the wedding and planned gift.
• Beauty Lin: Demonstrates greater initiative and practical knowledge. She carefully balances her official role with Feng Jun’s personal requests and guides him toward a more efficient plan without appearing to manipulate him.
• Zheng Sike: Is portrayed as practical and considerate, especially in limiting the wedding convoy to avoid owing excessive favors. His marriage marks an important personal milestone.
• Senior Cao: Remains socially confident and curious about Feng Jun’s mysterious wedding gift.
• Gazi: Acts as a trusted messenger, bringing urgent information about the typhoon.

Significant Themes

• Population and national preparation: The approaching interstellar era makes population, talent, food production, and territorial development strategic concerns.
• Balancing progress with sustainability: Feng Jun’s powerful abilities could transform the environment, but the discussion emphasizes electricity, farmland, ecological limits, construction difficulty, and respect for nature.
• Responsibility versus personal reluctance: Feng Jun repeatedly complains about the burdens placed on him, yet continues accepting them because he recognizes their larger importance.
• Practical cooperation: National authorities, Beauty Lin, and Feng Jun work together to adapt extraordinary powers into workable public projects.
• Friendship and loyalty: Feng Jun’s presence at Zheng Sike’s wedding and his willingness to prepare a significant gift reflect the importance of personal bonds amid larger political and technological developments.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin engage in repeated, mildly argumentative discussions. Their banter reveals mutual familiarity, while Beauty Lin’s questioning forces Feng Jun to confront the practical consequences of his population proposal.
• Feng Jun and Zheng Sike’s wedding party share playful interactions, with the bridesmaids teasing Feng Jun and the groomsmen managing the wedding games.
• Feng Jun and Senior Cao discuss the anticipated wedding gift, with Feng Jun maintaining suspense.
• Feng Jun and Gazi’s final exchange shifts the mood from celebration to crisis, introducing the sudden threat posed by Typhoon Xingtian’s altered path.

Chapter Summary: “The Wind Was Too Strong”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun is attending a wedding in Jiangxia when Gazi informs him that Typhoon Xingtian has suddenly changed course.
• The typhoon, with winds reaching Force 15, traps workers on an offshore drilling platform. Helicopters cannot land, and rescue by mechas is extremely dangerous.
• The military hesitates to deploy a space warship because doing so could expose classified technology to satellites and outsiders.
• Feng Jun decides to intervene, despite being the best man and already overburdened with responsibilities. He asks Gazi to take his place at the wedding.
• Senior Cao notices Feng Jun leaving but is told only that lives are at stake and the location is classified.
• Feng Jun rapidly reaches the coast and teleports to the area near the drilling platform, where four mechas are struggling against the typhoon.
• The soldiers are stunned by Feng Jun’s ability to remain perfectly still in the hurricane, untouched by wind or rain.
• Feng Jun criticizes the rescue operation, questioning why unmanned mechas and a warship are not being used.
• When asked to rescue the trapped workers himself, Feng Jun refuses, claiming that the crisis is valuable real-combat training for the troops.
• Military personnel debate whether Feng Jun is being cold-blooded or deliberately maintaining control over the situation.
• The military eventually asks Feng Jun to transport a space warship to the coast. He agrees in principle but points out that the warship’s operators are still far away, leaving officials uncertain how to proceed.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates exceptional confidence and power, teleporting directly into the storm and remaining unaffected by the extreme conditions. He presents himself as harsh and demanding, but his willingness to abandon the wedding shows that he is ultimately committed to saving lives. He also carefully conceals the full extent of his abilities, especially his ability to transport living people.
• Gazi: Shows concern and a willingness to help, but Feng Jun recognizes that Gazi’s cultivation is insufficient for such a dangerous rescue. Gazi also proves capable of handling sensitive information responsibly.
• Senior Cao: Initially worries that Feng Jun may be involved in violence, but relaxes when he learns the emergency concerns a natural disaster.
• Beauty Lin and her colleagues: Help coordinate the military response and analyze Feng Jun’s motives, recognizing that his apparent indifference may actually reflect confidence in his ability to control the situation.
• The military pilots and officials: Remain disciplined and cautious, but become increasingly dependent on Feng Jun’s extraordinary abilities.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal obligations: Feng Jun leaves an important wedding responsibility to respond to the disaster, emphasizing his sense of duty.
• Power and restraint: Feng Jun possesses enough power to potentially disperse the typhoon, but refrains from doing so because of concerns about karma and unintended consequences.
• Military secrecy versus immediate rescue: The military must balance saving civilians with protecting classified technology and preventing outside observers from learning about space warships.
• Training and sacrifice: Feng Jun views the crisis as an opportunity for troops to gain real combat experience, though others see this attitude as dangerously heartless.
• Misunderstanding and limited knowledge: The military understands only fragments of Feng Jun’s abilities, while Feng Jun deliberately withholds information, complicating cooperation.

Character Interactions

• Gazi informs Feng Jun of the crisis and suggests going himself, but Feng Jun rejects the idea as too dangerous.
• Feng Jun asks Gazi to replace him as best man, creating a humorous contrast between the wedding and the emergency rescue.
• Senior Cao questions Gazi about Feng Jun’s sudden departure but receives only partial information.
• Feng Jun confronts the mecha pilots, criticizing their strategy and refusing their initial request for direct assistance.
• Military officials and Beauty Lin’s colleagues discuss Feng Jun’s personality and conclude that his refusal may stem from confidence rather than cruelty.
• When the military asks Feng Jun to transport a warship, he exposes a logistical problem: moving the vessel is possible, but its operators cannot arrive quickly enough.

Chapter Summary: “An Accident”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun suggests that the rescue operation may be an opportunity to reveal some of their advanced military strength, particularly the space battleships.
• Authorities debate the risks of exposing the battleships but ultimately confirm that two are already traveling underwater toward the typhoon-struck offshore drilling platform.
• The battleships arrive ahead of schedule, accompanied by additional mech warriors. One ship establishes a boarding bridge to the platform while three mechs cautiously land in the extreme winds.
• Sixteen surviving workers, technicians, and supervisors are found sheltering inside the platform. They explain that the typhoon unexpectedly changed course and intensified beyond predictions, making helicopter rescue impossible.
• The mech warriors begin transporting the survivors to the battleship. The rescue is extremely dangerous because of the violent wind, rain, waves, and the need to secure people carefully to the mechs.
• During the third rescue trip, one supervisor insists on closing a damaged door to protect company property. While doing so, he accidentally knocks open his safety buckle.
• The man is blown off the platform but manages to cling to a mech’s oily mechanical arm. A rescuer tries to grab him but applies too much mechanical force and fractures his arm.
• Startled by the sensation of breaking the man’s arm, the mech operator releases him. He begins to fall into the sea, but an unknown mech suddenly appears and catches him.
• The rescuers realize that the mysterious mech is being operated by Feng Jun, who had vanished from his previous position. His ability to appear instantly in unfamiliar armor leaves everyone confused and suspicious.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates strategic boldness by encouraging the authorities to reveal the battleships, while also showing that he possesses abilities and technology far beyond what others understand.
• The mech pilots are shown to be capable but inexperienced in civilian rescue situations. Their mechs are designed primarily for combat, so their strength and reflexes become dangerous when handling fragile human beings.
• The responsible supervisor is portrayed as dutiful and conscientious, prioritizing company property even during a life-threatening emergency. However, his nervousness and fear contribute to the accident.
• The rescuing mech operator remains focused and tries to save the supervisor, but panic causes him to grip too hard and then release the man instinctively. His mistakes highlight the difficulty of adapting combat machinery to rescue work.
• The other survivors are overwhelmed by the futuristic battleships and mechs. Their amazement also creates a potential secrecy problem, though their professional confidentiality training helps contain it.

3. Significant Themes

• The danger of technological power: The mechs are highly advanced, but their immense strength makes ordinary rescue actions hazardous.
• Human fallibility amid natural forces: Even advanced technology and trained personnel struggle against the typhoon’s unpredictable violence.
• Duty versus self-preservation: The supervisor’s attempt to protect company property reflects professional responsibility, but it nearly costs him his life.
• Secrecy and controlled revelation: The authorities must balance the need to protect advanced technology with the practical reality that rescue operations may expose it.
• Unpredictability and accidents: Small oversights—an unfastened buckle, an oily arm, excessive force—combine into a life-threatening chain of events.
• Feng Jun’s growing mystery: His unexplained ability to produce and operate an unfamiliar mech suggests that he possesses technology or resources far beyond what the authorities know.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun advises the mech pilots, who relay his suggestion through the chain of command.
• The pilots and higher authorities debate whether revealing the battleships is acceptable.
• The arriving mech team coordinates with the original four mechs, which remain outside to monitor conditions and provide updates.
• The rescuers work directly with the stranded workers, carrying them into the battleships and warning them not to record the operation.
• The supervisor’s attempt to close the damaged door causes friction with the rescue process and leads to his accidental detachment.
• One mech operator attempts to save him, accidentally injures him, and then lets go, forcing Feng Jun to intervene.
• Feng Jun’s sudden appearance in an unfamiliar mech astonishes the pilots, battleship crews, and observers, creating new questions about his capabilities and the origins of his equipment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun explains the differences between the Human Federation’s mecha models. Cockpit-equipped mecha are intended for space combat and rescue, while cockpitless models serve as ground-assault units. The mecha he used was a City Defense Army model with recognizable military features.
• During the rescue operation at an offshore drilling platform, Feng Jun personally intervenes after a mecha accidentally crushes a worker’s arm. He uses his spiritual energy to control the mecha effectively, rescues the injured man, and gives him a healing pill for his comminuted fracture.
• After entering the warship, Feng Jun criticizes the soldiers’ training before leaving. The soldiers resent his intrusion, but the commander reminds them that the warship ultimately belongs to Feng Jun.
• The rescued workers are treated and warned to respect confidentiality. The warship transports them underwater to a concealed coastal hangar, where they will receive further medical care and confidentiality training.
• A second warship remains near the drilling platform to collect data from the typhoon’s eye and observe for foreign vessels, including submarines. Feng Jun suspects the platform and the mission involve intelligence-gathering, but avoids asking further questions.
• Feng Jun returns to Luohua and then Jiangxia, where Zheng Sike’s wedding banquet is already underway. He resumes his role as a groomsman and helps the groom offer toasts.
• At the banquet, Feng Jun’s growing status is evident: most guests avoid toasting him directly, and even Senior Tao’s representative behaves deferentially.
• Feng Jun begins connecting the warship’s “scientific research” mission with the possibility of weather manipulation and future weather weapons. He considers whether the typhoon’s unexpected change in course resulted from calculation errors or deliberate human influence.
• He reflects on weather-related techniques available in the Heavenly Zither Plane and concludes that true, mature weather weapons would most likely have to come from the Human Federation. His main concern is how to obtain them without raising suspicion.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates both his immense power and his practical judgment. He intervenes in the rescue but does not prevent every mistake, believing consequences are necessary for people to learn. His growing political and social influence is apparent, yet he remains cautious about revealing his abilities or becoming involved in sensitive military matters. He also becomes increasingly concerned about the strategic implications of weather-control technology.
• The warship commander and soldiers: They resent Feng Jun’s unauthorized entrance and criticism but acknowledge his authority and unusual status. The commander also attempts to protect military secrecy while subtly signaling that Feng Jun should understand the platform’s strategic importance.
• The rescued workers: They shift from victims needing assistance to potential holders of classified information. Their representative, a dependable middle-aged man, cooperates with the military while still showing curiosity about the mecha and the rescue operation.
• Wedding guests and acquaintances: Their deferential behavior reveals how much Feng Jun’s reputation and social standing have grown.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Feng Jun acts as a safety net, but he believes unlimited forgiveness prevents people from learning through consequences.
• Secrecy and authority: The rescue exposes tensions between civilian curiosity, military confidentiality, and Feng Jun’s unique position as both outsider and owner of the technology.
• Growing influence and social distance: Feng Jun’s status makes ordinary interactions difficult; even acquaintances treat him with caution and respect.
• Technology versus cultivation: The chapter contrasts military mecha and weather weapons with spiritual energy, spells, and divine abilities from the cultivation world.
• Suspicion and geopolitical danger: Feng Jun increasingly recognizes that scientific missions may conceal surveillance or strategic operations, particularly around weather manipulation and sensitive offshore infrastructure.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun rescues and treats the injured worker, then orders the soldiers to improve their training.
• The soldiers complain about his behavior, while the commander defends him by pointing out that the warship belongs to him.
• The commander warns the rescued workers not to ask questions or interfere with military equipment.
• A warship crew member thanks Feng Jun and subtly probes whether he understands the strategic purpose of their continued presence near the platform.
• Feng Jun later interacts with wedding guests and fellow groomsmen, using his social role to help protect the groom from excessive drinking while privately contemplating the military implications of the typhoon investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Surfacing”

Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun considers the burden of taking responsibility for Xia Nation’s affairs, particularly the possibility of meteorological and biochemical weapons. He decides not to act hastily, believing he can obtain weapons from the Human Alliance if necessary.
• He completes three more electric Rain-Praying Formations, bringing the total to fifteen, and sends them to Lakemarta.
• Beauty Lin brings him the completed plans for Xia Nation’s plateau water-diversion project. Feng Jun refuses to inspect the site but reviews the detailed maps and renderings in one day using his extraordinary perception.
• Feng Jun identifies several abnormal areas in the plans. Only one proves to be a genuine error, caused by a recent earthquake; the others relate mainly to construction difficulties.
• Beauty Lin hints that Feng Jun could help accelerate construction, but he refuses, insisting that his time should not be wasted on such work.
• Returning to Libo Shoal, Feng Jun resumes refining Magic Treasures. He rejects unnecessary requests for Deduction and becomes increasingly intolerant of people wasting his time.
• Because the Myriad Illusions Sect has still not surrendered the bandits it sheltered, Feng Jun declares that formulas or inventions requiring his Deduction must be exchanged for the heads of Myriad Illusions Sect members. Though he insists this is not a formal bounty, the announcement causes widespread turmoil.
• Representatives of the Seven Gates and Eighteen Daos warn him that openly antagonizing one of the Seven Upper Sects is reckless. Family cultivators, however, welcome the opportunity and offer to hunt Myriad Illusions Sect members for compensation.
• Elder Xun Wei of the Chess Dao visits after becoming impressed by Feng Jun’s Deduction abilities, but Feng Jun refuses to meet him and insults him by questioning his motives and knowledge of the conflict with Yitian.
• Feng Jun abruptly leaves for the Insectoid World, delaying previously promised Magic Treasure refinements. His true reason is urgent intelligence: the Xiong Family’s True Lord has identified True Immortal Tianxiang as the mastermind behind the Wood Spirit Dao’s schemes.
• Feng Jun, Xuanyuan Buqi, Luo Seventeen, and two True Lords travel to the Qiongan Block, where Tianxiang is secretly hiding within a Wood Spirit Dao spiritwood cultivation site.
• The group meets the Xiong Family’s True Lord near a concealed spatial passage. Luo Seventeen explains that the Luo Family’s ancestral remains were desecrated, making the matter a personal blood feud.
• Feng Jun considers infiltrating the site disguised as someone from the Spirit Plant Dao, but learns that the faction has no presence on the Qiongan Block. He then asks whether he can summon a Spirit Plant Dao elder.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more decisive, impatient, and openly confrontational. He continues helping Xia Nation and Libo Shoal but refuses to let others dictate how he spends his time.
• His reputation as a nearly “peerless national scholar” grows after he analyzes complex engineering plans faster than an entire planning team.
• Feng Jun’s resentment toward the Myriad Illusions Sect intensifies. Rather than quietly waiting for justice, he deliberately applies public pressure and uses their members as a symbolic price for his services.
• His conflict with the Chess Dao, especially Yitian’s circle, worsens after he rejects Elder Xun Wei despite Xun Wei’s relatively friendly reputation.
• Beauty Lin is increasingly awed by Feng Jun’s abilities but also recognizes that his confidence and refusal to compromise make him difficult to work with.
• Luo Seventeen demonstrates loyalty to his family and a willingness to confront powerful figures over the desecration of Luo ancestors.
• The Xiong Family’s True Lord acts cautiously and pragmatically, sharing information rather than directly attacking Tianxiang to avoid complications.
• Xuanyuan Buqi serves as an important intermediary, secretly informing Feng Jun of the breakthrough concerning Tianxiang.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility versus detachment: Feng Jun understands why cultivators avoid worldly affairs, yet he cannot ignore threats to Xia Nation or broader human security.
• Power and reputation: Feng Jun’s abilities give him tremendous influence, but his bluntness and willingness to offend powerful factions damage his social standing.
• Justice, vengeance, and moral justification: His “exchange for Myriad Illusions Sect heads” policy blurs the line between justice and revenge, while the sects’ own hypocrisy provides him with justification.
• Efficiency versus institutional process: Feng Jun’s supernatural perception allows him to outperform large teams, highlighting the contrast between individual power and bureaucratic planning.
• Factional politics: The chapter emphasizes the delicate relationships among major sects, ancient families, and Dao lineages. Even righteous causes must be handled carefully to avoid political consequences.
• Hidden enemies and resurfacing threats: True Immortal Tianxiang, believed long dead, emerges as the concealed mastermind, reinforcing the danger posed by ancient figures operating from the shadows.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Beauty Lin: She seeks his expertise on the water-diversion project and quietly hopes to recruit his construction abilities; he provides useful feedback but firmly refuses further involvement.
• Feng Jun and Libo Shoal cultivators: He rejects frivolous requests and establishes strict conditions for future Deductions, prompting both support and concern.
• Feng Jun and the sect representatives: They caution him against provoking the Myriad Illusions Sect, but he refuses to retract his position, defending Libo Shoal’s dignity.
• Feng Jun and Elder Xun Wei: Xun Wei approaches respectfully, but Feng Jun refuses even to meet him, deepening his estrangement from the Chess Dao.
• Luo Seventeen and the Xiong Family’s True Lord: Luo Seventeen respectfully but firmly invokes the Luo Family’s blood feud, preventing the Xiong elder from dismissing his presence.
• Feng Jun and the allied True Lords: They coordinate a covert operation against Tianxiang, with Feng Jun probing for possible disguises or alliances that could enable infiltration of the Wood Spirit Dao site.

Chapter Summary: “Clouds of Suspicion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group determines that Tianxiang of the Wood Spirit Dao may be responsible for insulting an ancestor of the Luo Family. The Spirit Plant Dao’s absence from the Qiongan Block is also viewed as suspicious.
• Because directly sending family cultivators against a sect cultivator could appear to be “the strong bullying the weak,” Luo Seventeen volunteers to lead the intervention. He frames it as defending the honor of the Luo Family’s ancestors.
• Qian Zhong conceals the auras of Luo Seventeen, Xuanyuan Buqi, and the Xiong Family True Lord so they can approach the Wood Spirit Dao undetected. The Xiong Family True Lord agrees only to provide support rather than directly participate.
• Before they depart, Qian Zhong detects someone concealing heavenly secrets. Deduction reveals that a powerful Spirit Treasure is masking the other party’s presence, possibly hiding high-level cultivators or an offensive trap. The group becomes wary of the Xiong Family True Lord, though Luo Seventeen’s deduction suggests the concealment is passively triggered and that the enemy has probably not detected them yet.
• The party travels toward the Qiongan Block. A Nascent Soul cultivator attempts to stop them because the block is in the middle of selecting its Elders Council.
• Luo Seventeen asserts his authority as a Soul Emergence Venerable and openly declares that he has come to cause trouble for the Wood Spirit Dao. Han Luotian, a representative of the Han Family, tries to determine whether the group intends to interfere with the Elders Council selection.
• Luo Seventeen reveals that the Luo Family is seeking justice because the Wood Spirit Dao insulted one of its ancestors. Han Luotian chooses not to intervene, unwilling to become involved in a feud between powerful families and sects.
• The group proceeds directly toward the Wood Spirit Dao’s territory. Xuanyuan Buqi mocks Han Luotian’s concern over the Elders Council, while Han Luotian defends the council’s restoration.

Character Developments

• Luo Seventeen takes the role of the group’s aggressive representative. Although often sarcastic and complaining within his own family, he becomes fiercely protective of the Luo Family’s reputation when dealing with outsiders. His bluntness and confidence intimidate the weaker Han Family.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains dismissive and provocative, emphasizing that overwhelming strength should solve the problem. He also supports Luo Seventeen and uses mockery to challenge Han Luotian’s assumptions.
• The Xiong Family True Lord is cautious and politically aware. He understands that direct intervention could create dangerous consequences for his family and prefers to identify the culprit and hold the line rather than take unnecessary risks.
• Qian Zhong acts as the most careful and perceptive member of the group. She notices the concealment of heavenly secrets and raises the possibility of hidden experts or an ambush.
• Feng Jun recognizes the limits of his deduction abilities when dealing with events far away. He contributes little to the investigation because the hidden force lies beyond his effective range.
• Han Luotian is shown to be cautious and politically pragmatic. Though he holds a position of authority at the Qiongan Block, he lacks the influence to challenge Luo Seventeen and quickly backs down to avoid provoking the Luo Family.

Significant Themes

• Family honor and ancestral justice: Luo Seventeen treats the insult to a Luo ancestor as sufficient justification for confrontation, showing how reputation and lineage shape political relations.
• The limits of strength: Although powerful cultivators can easily overpower a True Immortal, acting openly may create political or karmic consequences. Cultivation level alone cannot resolve every conflict.
• Suspicion and hidden threats: The concealed heavenly secrets and possible Spirit Treasure introduce uncertainty about who is watching the group and whether an ambush awaits them.
• Political maneuvering among factions: The chapter highlights tensions between family cultivators and sect cultivators, as well as the importance of status, alliances, and the risk of being seen as taking sides.
• Power and intimidation: Luo Seventeen’s treatment of Han Luotian demonstrates how major families can impose their will through reputation and implied consequences rather than direct violence.

Character Interactions

• The Xiong Family True Lord and Qian Zhong debate the dangers of involving family cultivators in the conflict, while Luo Seventeen volunteers to take responsibility.
• Qian Zhong’s discovery of the hidden deduction causes Xuanyuan Buqi and Luo Seventeen to become suspicious of the Xiong Family True Lord, creating a brief internal tension.
• Luo Seventeen confronts Han Luotian at the block’s entrance. Han Luotian attempts to question his motives, but Luo Seventeen responds with threats and family pride, forcing Han Luotian to retreat.
• Han Luotian worries that the group’s arrival could disrupt the Elders Council election, while Luo Seventeen insists that his conflict with the Wood Spirit Dao is unrelated.
• Xuanyuan Buqi joins the exchange by sarcastically suggesting that Han Luotian’s concern reflects an inflated sense of the council’s importance, leaving the political dispute unresolved as the group heads toward the Wood Spirit Dao.

Chapter Summary: Washing Away Shame

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan Buqi, Han Luotian, and Luo Seventeen arrive at the Wood Spirit Dao’s stronghold on the Qiongan Block.
• Han Luotian attempts to learn Xuanyuan Buqi’s identity, but Xuanyuan responds coldly. Luo Seventeen deliberately claims he is unfamiliar with Xuanyuan, creating the impression that their temporary alliance lacks trust.
• Luo Seventeen publicly challenges “Tianxiang of the Wood Spirit Dao,” calling on him to appear and answer for insulting an ancestor of the Luo Family.
• His declaration spreads across the entire Qiongan Block, alerting countless cultivators that a powerful Venerable has come to provoke the Wood Spirit Dao.
• The Wood Spirit Dao’s disciples refuse to yield, relying on the confidence provided by their sect’s powerful Venerables. When Tianxiang does not appear after Luo Seventeen’s three-count warning, the formation’s defenses are strengthened.
• Luo Seventeen tests the grand formation with a single axe strike. Although the attack heavily shakes the formation and knocks many disciples down, it does not destroy it.
• He detects an aura of Ruomu within the formation and immediately decides that the treasure should be taken as compensation for the insult to his family.
• Luo Seventeen considers using his self-created technique, Wood-Cleaving Triplefold, which could easily destroy the formation, but restrains himself to avoid killing large numbers of Wood Spirit Dao disciples or damaging the Ruomu-bearing object.
• Instead, he prepares the Luo Family’s powerful divine ability, Great Sun’s Western Descent, while indirectly threatening the Wood Spirit Dao by praising Yi Jue of the Spirit Plant Dao and reminding them of their greater looming enemy.
• Just as the attack is about to be unleashed, a voice from inside the formation acknowledges Luo Seventeen’s arrival, implying that the true confrontation is finally beginning.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan Buqi remains detached and provocative. He understands Luo Seventeen’s deceptive strategy and suspects that the Qiongan Block itself may be dangerous, so he chooses to observe events rather than intervene.
• Luo Seventeen reveals himself as proud, theatrical, and fiercely protective of the Luo Family’s honor. He openly exposes the family’s humiliation to justify a life-and-death challenge, but he also demonstrates restraint when the formation’s destruction could kill innocents or damage the Ruomu treasure.
• Han Luotian maintains a calm, lightly mocking attitude, though he becomes increasingly uneasy as Luo Seventeen escalates the confrontation. His role as witness begins to look more dangerous than he expected.
• The Wood Spirit Dao disciples display considerable arrogance and confidence in their sect’s backing. Even when facing a Soul Emergence Venerable, they openly challenge him to attack.
• Tianxiang, though absent for most of the chapter and rumored to have died long ago, is established as the person responsible for insulting the Luo Family ancestor. His eventual voice suggests that he has been present or is prepared to respond.

Significant Themes

• Family honor and shame: Luo Seventeen frames the conflict as vengeance for an insult against a Luo ancestor. Publicly exposing the disgrace is itself humiliating, but he accepts that cost to establish the legitimacy of his challenge.
• Power and intimidation: Luo Seventeen uses public announcements, threats, and spectacular techniques to dominate the psychological battlefield before fully attacking.
• Restraint amid overwhelming strength: Although Luo Seventeen can destroy the formation, he deliberately chooses a method that may reduce casualties, showing that power does not necessarily require indiscriminate violence.
• Deception and vigilance: Luo Seventeen and Xuanyuan Buqi both understand the value of misleading opponents. Luo Seventeen’s claim that he is merely avenging family honor may also conceal his true interest in the Ruomu aura.
• Sect authority and arrogance: The Wood Spirit Dao’s disciples rely on their sect’s reputation and hidden experts, demonstrating how institutional backing can produce boldness even against a far stronger individual.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Han Luotian exchange pointed remarks, with Han Luotian criticizing Xuanyuan’s temper and Xuanyuan inviting him to “teach” him better control.
• Luo Seventeen and Xuanyuan Buqi cooperate without openly trusting one another. Xuanyuan recognizes Luo’s false display of mutual distrust as a deliberate tactic.
• Luo Seventeen and the Wood Spirit Dao engage in a public confrontation: he demands Tianxiang’s appearance, threatens the formation, and accuses him of insulting the Luo Family’s ancestor.
• Luo Seventeen and Han Luotian are linked by Han’s role as witness, though Han increasingly regrets becoming involved in such a dangerous dispute.
• Luo Seventeen and Yi Jue are not directly interacting, but his praise of her abilities serves as a veiled warning to the Wood Spirit Dao and highlights the broader rivalries among the major sects.

Chapter Summary: “Battle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Seventeen confronts the Wood Spirit Dao over a personal grievance involving True Immortal Tianxiang, accusing him of insulting or harming an ancestor of the Luo Family.
• His attack awakens Venerable Guoyi, a peak Spirit Severing cultivator who has been secluded for roughly five hundred years. Guoyi initially criticizes the Wood Spirit Dao for allowing its formation to be attacked, but also challenges Luo Seventeen for threatening the sect.
• Guoyi orders the Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation to be shut down and demands that Tianxiang appear to explain himself.
• Tianxiang emerges from a hidden passage within a tree and denies responsibility, claiming that Luo Seventeen is forcing guilt upon him. Luo Seventeen prepares to seize him, while Xuanyuan Buqi uses the Xuanyuan Family’s “Illumination of the Original Mind” to identify Tianxiang as a liar.
• Guoyi intervenes when Luo Seventeen attempts to attack Tianxiang, insisting that the confrontation must remain fair and that accusations require evidence. He also recognizes that Luo Seventeen desires the Wood Spirit Dao’s Ruomu Aura.
• Luo Seventeen reveals that he has a witness. A powerful True Lord of the Xiong Family appears from the flying vessel and confirms that he uncovered Tianxiang’s actions.
• With the Xiong Family expert, Luo Seventeen, and Xuanyuan Buqi present, the situation escalates into a confrontation involving three Soul Emergence-level cultivators.
• Tianxiang calls for assistance from “Martial Uncle Qianxi,” revealing that another powerful Wood Spirit Dao figure is present.
• Qianxi activates the Ground-Seizing Heaven Two-Talents Formation, manifesting a massive Yin-Yang Fish and an immense gray net across the landmass. Luo Seventeen recognizes the formation as extremely dangerous and warns that using it could destroy all of Qiongan.
• The chapter ends as the Wood Spirit Dao prepares to trap and possibly eliminate the three opposing Venerables, framing the conflict as a battle between multiple top-level cultivators.

Character Developments

• Luo Seventeen: Remains aggressive, confident, and openly contemptuous of Tianxiang. He deliberately maintains a powerful stance even while attempting to obtain evidence and secure the Ruomu Aura. His willingness to threaten the Wood Spirit Dao shows both his confidence and his determination to defend the Luo Family’s honor.
• Venerable Guoyi: Emerges as a pragmatic but proud authority figure. He does not immediately side with Tianxiang and forces him to answer the accusations, demonstrating a commitment to accountability. However, he also refuses to let outsiders humiliate the Wood Spirit Dao and intervenes when Luo Seventeen becomes too aggressive.
• True Immortal Tianxiang: Is portrayed as evasive and shameless. He repeatedly denies wrongdoing despite the accusations and relies on the protection of the Wood Spirit Dao’s senior cultivators rather than accepting responsibility.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Displays the Xuanyuan Family’s characteristic arrogance and dominance. He openly insults Guoyi’s standing and insists that his family members’ testimony is inherently trustworthy, while firmly supporting Luo Seventeen.
• The Xiong Family True Lord: Reveals himself as a highly powerful but deliberately low-profile cultivator. His appearance provides the evidence Luo Seventeen needs and significantly alters the balance of power.
• Qianxi: Emerges as a major hidden threat aligned with Tianxiang. His activation of the destructive formation suggests that he is prepared to sacrifice the surrounding landmass to defeat the intruders.
• Han Luotian: Serves as an observer whose fear and realization emphasize the extraordinary strength gathered at the scene.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus sectarian protection: Guoyi demands evidence and accountability, but he ultimately prioritizes the Wood Spirit Dao’s dignity and security. The chapter explores how justice becomes complicated when personal grievances collide with institutional loyalty.
• Power and intimidation: Every faction relies on the prestige of powerful ancestors and hidden experts. The arrival of each new Venerable changes the balance of the confrontation.
• Pride and face: Luo Seventeen, Xuanyuan Buqi, Tianxiang, and Guoyi all refuse to yield publicly. Much of the tension comes from insults, accusations, and the need for each side to preserve its reputation.
• Hidden strength and deception: Several powerful figures have remained concealed—Guoyi in seclusion, the Xiong Family True Lord aboard the vessel, and Qianxi within the Wood Spirit Dao. The chapter emphasizes that apparent weakness may conceal overwhelming power.
• Collateral damage: The Ground-Seizing Heaven Two-Talents Formation threatens the entire Qiongan landmass, showing how easily conflicts among advanced cultivators can endanger ordinary people and the wider world.

Character Interactions

• Luo Seventeen and Guoyi engage in a tense verbal duel, each accusing the other of arrogance and unjustified aggression.
• Guoyi forces Tianxiang to appear but later protects him from being seized without proof, creating a conflicted relationship between sect discipline and sect defense.
• Xuanyuan Buqi openly challenges Guoyi’s authority while supporting Luo Seventeen’s accusation against Tianxiang.
• Tianxiang attempts to exploit procedural doubt by claiming that Xuanyuan Buqi’s testimony is biased, but Xuanyuan rejects the need to “avoid suspicion.”
• The Xiong Family True Lord intervenes as Luo Seventeen’s witness, directly confirming Tianxiang’s guilt and transforming the dispute into a larger confrontation.
• Tianxiang appeals to Qianxi for protection, while Guoyi reacts with surprise and displeasure at the revelation that his ideological rival is present.
• The chapter closes with the Wood Spirit Dao shifting from negotiation to collective retaliation through Qianxi’s formation.

Chapter Summary: “Soul-Severing Nail”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Venerable Qianxi activates a gray net and traps the flying boat, which contains a Xiong Family Venerable and the physical bodies of the Luo and Xuanyuan Family Venerables.
• Venerable Guoyi joins the battle despite previously declaring that he would not interfere. He targets the Xuanyuan Family’s True Nascent Soul but deliberately avoids Luo Seventeen.
• Qianxi attacks Luo Seventeen with the infamous Soul-Severing Nail, a naturally formed branch-like treasure capable of corrupting Divine Souls. Luo attempts to counter it with lightning, unaware that lightning strengthens the artifact.
• Xuanyuan Buqi’s True Nascent Soul appears and attempts to seize the Soul-Severing Nail. The treasure instinctively avoids him, sensing his superior rank, and continues pursuing Luo.
• Qianxi orders True Immortal Tianxiang to activate another formation, the Steal Heaven Replace Sun Illusion-Breaking Formation. Xuanyuan Buqi recognizes that it is actually a sacrificial or projection formation and begins countering it.
• The formation is broken, revealing Feng Jun, Qian Zhong, a Xiong Family True Lord, and the physical bodies of Xuanyuan Buqi and Luo Seventeen inside the flying boat.
• The Xiong Family’s True Lord helps suppress the formation, while Xuanyuan Buqi tears at space in an attempt to force Tianxiang out. The combined pressure reveals that several True Lords are present.
• Qianxi is overwhelmed by the appearance of the additional True Lords and faints after spitting blood. Even unconscious, he remains linked to the Soul-Severing Nail, which continues hunting Luo.
• Luo hides behind Feng Jun and asks him to deal with the artifact. Feng Jun allows the Soul-Severing Nail to approach, then grabs it with a hand covered in mysterious white light.
• Feng Jun immediately teleports away with the Soul-Severing Nail, returning to Luohua. Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Buqi’s assault causes space to collapse, forcing Qian Zhong to stabilize the Qiongan Block and prevent its destruction.

Character Developments

• Venerable Guoyi is torn between personal principles and his responsibility to the Wood Spirit Dao. Though resentful of being ordered around by Qianxi, he intervenes to prevent his faction from appearing weak. His concern for Feng Jun also shows that he recognizes the larger political consequences of the battle.
• Venerable Qianxi is revealed as ruthless and dependent on a dangerous artifact. His confidence collapses when he realizes that multiple True Lords are present, and he ultimately loses consciousness.
• Luo Seventeen is reduced to desperate evasion against the Soul-Severing Nail. His usually dignified status becomes a source of humor as he repeatedly flees and finally uses Feng Jun as a shield.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays the overwhelming power and confidence of a True Lord. He ignores Qianxi, sees through the enemy’s formation, and directly challenges the hidden forces behind it.
• Feng Jun demonstrates unexpected courage and ability. Although only a Gold Core cultivator by appearance, he safely captures the Soul-Severing Nail and transports it away, surprising the surrounding Venerables.
• Qian Zhong fulfills a support role by protecting the stability of the Qiongan Block during the True Lords’ battle.

Significant Themes

• Power hierarchy and hidden identities: The sudden appearance of multiple True Lords completely transforms the battle. Characters who seemed dominant become helpless once their opponents’ true strength is revealed.
• Political responsibility versus personal principles: Guoyi’s decision to intervene reflects the tension between individual convictions and the need to defend one’s sect’s reputation.
• Dangerous artifacts and unintended consequences: The Soul-Severing Nail is powerful but operates largely on instinct, attacking the weak while avoiding stronger opponents. Its lack of intelligence makes it both terrifying and unpredictable.
• Appearances versus true ability: Feng Jun appears to be merely a Gold Core cultivator, yet he succeeds where powerful Venerables cannot, suggesting that his true capabilities and origins remain concealed.
• Control and humiliation: Qianxi’s inability to command events, his being ignored by Xuanyuan Buqi, and his eventual fainting emphasize the humiliation of losing control before vastly stronger opponents.

Character Interactions

• Guoyi and Qianxi: Qianxi commands Guoyi to act, but Guoyi resents his authority and limits his cooperation, reflecting their strained relationship.
• Guoyi and Luo Seventeen: Guoyi avoids attacking Luo because of a prior promise, though he targets Luo’s allies instead.
• Qianxi and Xuanyuan Buqi: Qianxi attempts to invoke status and propriety, but Buqi completely ignores him, highlighting the disparity between them.
• Luo Seventeen and Feng Jun: Luo relies on Feng Jun for protection and asks him to handle the artifact, indicating trust in Feng’s unusual abilities.
• The True Lords and Feng Jun: Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and the Xiong Family True Lord do not intervene when Feng grabs the Soul-Severing Nail, implying confidence that he can manage the danger himself.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi: While Buqi’s power threatens to destabilize the entire area, Qian Zhong takes responsibility for containing the damage and preserving the Qiongan Block.

Chapter Summary: “Where Is the Soul-Severing Nail?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Guoyi Venerable realizes that the other True Lords show little concern for the Gold Core cultivator, Feng Jun. This makes him suspect that Feng Jun possesses an unusual identity, secret backing, or hidden importance.
• He discovers that “Fellow Daoist Xiong” is actually a powerful Great Lord who has captured Celestial Aspect True Immortal. Qianxi Venerable is also restrained by Xuanyuan Buqi in a black gauze net.
• Xuanyuan Buqi criticizes Guoyi Venerable’s Ten Thousand Souls Forest technique and confronts him over attacking first while Xuanyuan had concealed his true cultivation.
• Xuanyuan also accuses Guoyi of blindly protecting fellow members of the Wood Spirit Dao, despite the possibility that Celestial Aspect and Qianxi helped manipulate or interrupt Guoyi’s seclusion.
• Guoyi asks about Feng Jun’s safety. Luo Seventeen explains that she had asked Feng Jun to block the disaster for her and would repay him with her life if he died.
• Feng Jun reappears unharmed, having dealt with the danger. He claims that he sent the Soul-Severing Nail into the Void.
• Guoyi rejects this explanation, insisting that the Soul-Severing Nail can return from the Void. The weapon had previously been tested by the Wood Spirit Dao and was known to be capable of returning according to its refiner’s intent.
• In reality, Feng Jun brought the nail back to Luohua. The Guardians removed Qianxi’s imprint from it, returned it to Feng Jun, and charged him a processing fee. Feng Jun now secretly possesses the powerful artifact.
• Luo Seventeen declares that the Luo Family will pursue Celestial Aspect and Qianxi for insulting their ancestors. The Xiong Family Great Lord suggests using Deduction to determine Celestial Aspect’s guilt.
• Guoyi performs a Deduction and discovers that Feng Jun has far deeper connections and entanglements than expected. Feng Jun insists that the Wood Spirit Dao has always been the one provoking him.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun challenging Guoyi to perform a Deduction on the unconscious Qianxi Venerable as well.

2. Character Developments

• Guoyi Venerable: Initially tries to defend his fellow Wood Spirit Dao members, but he gradually realizes that he may have been manipulated and that his sect’s actions are morally questionable. He remains protective of the sect, however, refusing to openly acknowledge the possibility of an internal conspiracy.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Reveals his overwhelming strength and uncompromising personality. He has no patience for Guoyi’s excuses and is willing to turn hostile if Guoyi continues defending wrongdoing.
• Feng Jun: His importance and hidden capabilities become increasingly apparent. He survives a dangerous confrontation effortlessly, secretly obtains the Soul-Severing Nail, and confidently challenges Guoyi’s assumptions.
• Luo Seventeen: Demonstrates strong loyalty and gratitude toward Feng Jun, declaring that she would give her life in repayment if he were harmed. She also becomes openly aggressive in defending the Luo Family’s honor.
• The Xiong Family True Lord: Is revealed to be far more powerful than Guoyi believed, having concealed his status. He supports a decisive response against Celestial Aspect and Qianxi.
• Celestial Aspect and Qianxi Venerable: Both are defeated and left politically and physically vulnerable. Their alleged involvement in plotting against the Luo Family may lead to their deaths.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken assumptions: Guoyi repeatedly misjudges Feng Jun, Xuanyuan Buqi, and the Xiong Family True Lord. Appearances and apparent cultivation levels are deliberately misleading.
• Loyalty versus justice: Guoyi protects his sect members despite suspecting they betrayed him, showing how sect loyalty can conflict with truth and personal judgment.
• Consequences of bullying the weak: Xuanyuan emphasizes that Guoyi attacked first while believing himself superior, but cannot complain when he encounters someone stronger.
• Political power and factional conflict: The confrontation is not merely personal; it involves the Luo Family, Wood Spirit Dao, and other major factions. Suspicion alone may be enough to trigger a deadly feud.
• Feng Jun’s growing influence: His survival, access to the Void, and possession of the Soul-Severing Nail reinforce that he is connected to forces and resources far beyond what his Gold Core cultivation suggests.
• Secrets and concealed agendas: The hidden identities, possible conspiracy, secret artifact transfer, and Feng Jun’s “deeper entanglements” all emphasize the danger of incomplete information.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Guoyi Venerable: They argue over Guoyi’s attack and his defense of the Wood Spirit Dao. Xuanyuan accuses him of hypocrisy and warns him not to interfere further.
• Guoyi and Luo Seventeen: Guoyi questions why everyone is unconcerned about Feng Jun. Luo Seventeen sharply tells him that Feng Jun’s fate is her responsibility and none of his concern.
• Feng Jun and the group: Feng Jun returns calmly, making the others’ concern seem unnecessary. His casual explanation about the Soul-Severing Nail leaves Guoyi suspicious.
• Luo Seventeen and Guoyi: Their exchange escalates into a dispute over whether Celestial Aspect and Qianxi should be investigated or immediately punished.
• The Xiong Family Great Lord and Guoyi: The disguised Great Lord openly supports using Deduction against Celestial Aspect, while Guoyi objects to his concealed identity and challenges his authority.
• Feng Jun and Guoyi: After Guoyi’s Deduction reveals Feng Jun’s unusual background, Feng Jun denies being the aggressor and turns the investigation toward Qianxi, ending the chapter on a pointed challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Guoyi’s Persistence”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun identifies Venerable Qianxi as the central figure behind the crisis. Venerable Guoyi appears to understand the situation as well but avoids openly discussing Qianxi’s possible involvement because of sect and personal concerns.
• Guoyi attempts to kill True Immortal Tianxiang himself, claiming he is “cleaning house.” He hopes to prevent outsiders from executing Tianxiang and preserve the Wood Spirit Dao’s dignity.
• Luo Seventeen blocks Guoyi’s attack. He insists that Tianxiang should instead be taken back to the Luo Family and executed there because Tianxiang caused trouble on Luo territory. This creates a tense dispute over jurisdiction and face between the Luo Family and the Wood Spirit Dao.
• Guoyi appeals to Feng Jun for support, but Feng Jun refuses to intervene, annoyed that Guoyi previously ignored his request to investigate Qianxi.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong press Guoyi about two formations discovered near the incident:
  • The Ground-Seizing Heaven Two-Talents Formation, intended to defend against attackers.
  • The Heaven-Stealing Sun-Swapping Formation, apparently capable of escaping or possibly transporting spatial coordinates.
• Guoyi initially offers cautious explanations, claiming ignorance due to centuries of seclusion and lack of expertise in formations. However, the others reveal that the expensive formation—worth at least twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones—was likely connected to an attempt to steal the coordinates of an Asura World passage entrance controlled partly by the Xuanyuan Family.
• The discussion grows more serious when Xuanyuan Buqi links the incident to sacrificial techniques and the mysterious Thief Lineage. Guoyi strongly rejects any implication that the Wood Spirit Dao colluded with demonic cultivators, threatening to demand an explanation from the Xuanyuan Family.
• Qian Zhong clarifies that the accusation concerns the Thief Lineage rather than demonic cultivators. Xuanyuan Buqi then claims there is evidence: the Thief Lineage obtained the passage coordinates from Golden Crow Sect disciples, with the Golden Crow Sect and Yi Jue able to testify.
• Guoyi learns about Yi Jue, a remarkably young cultivator approaching the Soul Emergence Realm, and is privately impressed by her talent.
• The chapter ends with Qian Zhong asserting that the Golden Crow Sect not only witnessed the theft but was deeply humiliated by it, inviting Guoyi to verify the matter himself.

Character Developments

• Venerable Guoyi is shown as stubborn, protective, and deeply concerned with the Wood Spirit Dao’s dignity. He repeatedly defends his fellow disciples despite mounting evidence against them, but his resistance gradually weakens as the accusations become more specific.
• Luo Seventeen demonstrates forcefulness and strategic opportunism. His insistence on personally executing Tianxiang allows him to challenge the Wood Spirit Dao while presenting his actions as defense of family honor.
• Xuanyuan Buqi acts as an aggressive interrogator, pushing Guoyi to acknowledge the likely motives behind the formations and Qianxi’s actions.
• Qian Zhong is restrained but decisive. Her brief statements clarify the most important points, particularly the connection to the Thief Lineage and the Golden Crow Sect’s testimony.
• Feng Jun remains detached and refuses to help Guoyi after feeling that Guoyi previously ignored his request.
• Yi Jue is introduced indirectly as an exceptionally gifted young cultivator nearing Soul Emergence at around six hundred years old, provoking Guoyi’s admiration and pride in wood-element cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Sect loyalty versus justice: Guoyi prioritizes protecting his fellow disciple and preserving sect dignity, even when the evidence suggests serious wrongdoing.
• Honor and jurisdiction: The dispute over who has the right to execute Tianxiang reflects the competing claims of family authority, sect authority, and territorial control.
• Evidence versus suspicion: Guoyi repeatedly challenges the others for relying on inference, while they argue that the formations, motives, and witness accounts form a compelling chain of evidence.
• Political power and face: The characters are not merely investigating a crime; they are negotiating the reputations and authority of major families, sects, and lineages.
• Hidden alliances and forbidden methods: The possible involvement of the Thief Lineage and sacrificial techniques suggests a broader conspiracy involving secret cooperation, theft, and morally ambiguous cultivation practices.

Character Interactions

• Guoyi and Luo Seventeen clash directly over Tianxiang’s fate, with neither willing to yield authority.
• Feng Jun and Guoyi share quiet antagonism because Guoyi ignored Feng Jun’s earlier request regarding Qianxi.
• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly confronts Guoyi with increasingly damaging evidence, while Qian Zhong provides concise clarifications that undermine Guoyi’s defenses.
• The Xiong Family True Lord occasionally softens the accusations by offering alternative interpretations, though he also criticizes Guoyi for refusing to recognize the obvious.
• Guoyi’s exchanges with the others reveal his persistence: he continues defending Qianxi and the Wood Spirit Dao, but by the end, the testimony from the Golden Crow Sect threatens to make continued denial impossible.

Summary: “Luo Seventeen’s Scheme”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Venerable Guoyi is overwhelmed by Xuanyuan Buqi, the Xiong Family True Lord, and another True Lord after the exposure of Qianxi’s crimes. He insists that Qianxi should be judged internally by Wood Spirit Dao, but Xuanyuan Buqi refuses.
• Qianxi is accused of both colluding with the Thief Lineage and plotting to seize Xuanyuan Family resources. These combined offenses convince Guoyi that he cannot successfully defend his junior brother.
• Guoyi agrees to accompany the group voluntarily rather than allow himself to be forcibly arrested. He attempts to protect Tianxiang by demanding that Tianxiang’s case also be investigated.
• Luo Seventeen intervenes, claiming Tianxiang harmed the Luo Family by stealing its ancient grand formation. He demands Tianxiang’s death and the Earth-Seizing Heaven Yin-Yang Two-Talents Formation.
• Guoyi offers the Ruomu Branch and the formation in exchange for Tianxiang being spared. Luo Seventeen initially accepts the trade but then insists that Tianxiang must still die.
• Guoyi agrees to surrender the Ruomu Branch, despite its importance to Wood Spirit Dao’s spiritwood cultivation. His decision reveals that Tianxiang’s fate has effectively been abandoned by the sect.
• Qianxi remains unconscious, possibly because the Soul-Severing Nail damaged his Divine Soul. Xuanyuan Buqi suspects he may be pretending, while Guoyi offers a different explanation.
• The group begins investigating Wood Spirit Dao’s branch to determine who helped establish the two forbidden formations. Feng Jun and Qian Zhong prepare to use Deduction techniques.
• Meanwhile, the Xiong Family True Lord examines the distorted space and retrieves a bloodstained Thief token, confirming the involvement of the Thief Lineage.
• The chapter ends when Han Luotian notices that Qianxi’s condition seems abnormal, hinting at a deeper problem.

Character Developments

• Venerable Guoyi shifts from aggressive resistance to reluctant compromise. Although he tries to preserve Tianxiang and defend Wood Spirit Dao’s authority, he ultimately prioritizes damage control once he realizes the sect cannot defeat the Xuanyuan Family and its allies.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains forceful and uncompromising. He asserts the Xuanyuan Family’s right to punish anyone who threatens its interests and openly intimidates Guoyi.
• Luo Seventeen demonstrates a calculating and opportunistic nature. He uses Tianxiang’s crimes to pressure Guoyi into surrendering the valuable Ruomu Branch, while still demanding Tianxiang’s death.
• Tianxiang is effectively condemned. Even members of Wood Spirit Dao appear to regard his survival as unlikely or no longer worth defending.
• Qianxi becomes increasingly suspicious. His supposed unconsciousness, possible Soul-Severing Nail injury, and connection to the Thief Lineage suggest that his situation may involve hidden complications.
• The Wood Spirit Dao disciples are furious and humiliated but powerless to intervene. Their anger highlights the loss of authority suffered by the sect.

Significant Themes

• Power over principle: Legal and sectarian arguments matter little when confronted by overwhelming strength. Guoyi’s claim that Wood Spirit Dao should judge Qianxi internally is dismissed because the Xuanyuan Family has the power to enforce its own justice.
• Political bargaining and opportunism: Luo Seventeen turns a dangerous confrontation into a profitable negotiation, proving that powerful cultivators will trade lives, treasures, and reputation when advantageous.
• Sect versus family authority: The chapter emphasizes the rivalry between sect cultivators, who claim responsibility for maintaining order, and family cultivators, who act according to their own interests and strength.
• Humiliation and loss of face: Wood Spirit Dao’s branch is publicly investigated by outsiders, creating a disgrace that will likely be remembered for generations.
• Abandonment and expendability: Tianxiang is sacrificed politically, while Qianxi’s fate becomes uncertain. Even powerful allies are protected only as long as doing so remains practical.
• Hidden conspiracies: The Thief token, the unexplained formations, and Qianxi’s strange condition suggest that the visible crimes may be part of a larger scheme.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly confronts Guoyi, rejecting his demands and making clear that Qianxi will be taken away.
• Guoyi attempts to negotiate with both Xuanyuan Buqi and Luo Seventeen, trying to preserve the lives of Qianxi and Tianxiang while limiting Wood Spirit Dao’s losses.
• Luo Seventeen exploits Guoyi’s desperation, demanding the Ruomu Branch and the formation before agreeing to any compromise over Tianxiang.
• Wood Spirit Dao disciples urge Guoyi to fight, but he silences them, recognizing that resistance would be futile.
• The Xiong Family True Lord and Feng Jun’s group cooperate in investigating the branch, while the Xiong Family expert independently confirms the Thief Lineage’s involvement.
• Han Luotian’s final observation about Qianxi’s condition introduces a new mystery and interrupts the investigation.