Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Caixin’s teacher understands her concerns about revealing Luohua’s involvement and privately asks his niece, Peng Ruowei, to consider working at Cultural Town.
• Peng Ruowei’s father is under investigation and may face severe financial penalties. Ordinary connections have failed to help, so her uncle presents employment at Cultural Town as a possible way to make Luohua take notice and discourage further pressure against her family.
• Her uncle explains that Cultural Town, Luohua Manor, the Cancer Care Center, and Life Potion all belong to the same powerful organization. Although working at Cultural Town may not directly save her father, joining the organization could give her family protection through Luohua’s influence.
• Peng Ruowei initially finds the offer unbelievable. She is a wealthy, talented university student and does not view ordinary employment—even at a top company—as a “precious opportunity.”
• Her uncle reveals that he personally received fifty doses of Life Potion through his connection with Luohua. This confirms the organization’s immense resources and persuades Peng Ruowei that his offer is genuine.
• After speaking with her mother and indirectly confirming that the family’s Life Potion came from her uncle, Peng Ruowei decides to accept the opportunity. She prepares to leave for Cultural Town while arranging a temporary leave of absence from university rather than abandoning her studies entirely.
• Before departing, she meets the handsome young man she has been seeing. He comes from an influential family and is close to being her boyfriend, but his family cannot intervene in her father’s case, especially because it is occurring in Ming City.

Character Developments

• Peng Ruowei moves from skepticism and caution to determined acceptance. Her primary motivation is helping her father, but she also recognizes the value of the opportunity and becomes more aware of Luohua’s power.
• She demonstrates intelligence and independence by testing her mother’s reaction to Life Potion rather than simply accepting her family’s version of events.
• Her traditional expectations about relationships are emphasized: she dates with marriage in mind and has rejected men who treated relationships casually.
• Peng Ruowei’s eldest uncle acts as a mediator between her family and Luohua. He is persuasive but honest, admitting that the job may not directly save her father. He also feels guilt and helplessness over his younger brother’s troubles.
• Peng Ruowei’s mother is shown to be weak-willed and heavily influenced by her own brothers. Though she is anxious and somewhat resentful toward her husband, she avoids revealing the full truth about the Life Potion.
• Peng Ruowei’s two younger uncles are portrayed as greedy relatives who covet the family’s assets and have contributed to the family’s current difficulties.
• Peng Ruowei’s almost-boyfriend appears privileged, attractive, and confident, but his casual focus on playing a game instead of greeting her hints at emotional detachment.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Luohua’s reputation is so formidable that merely working for one of its affiliated organizations could intimidate those investigating Peng Ruowei’s father.
• Opportunity versus sacrifice: A prestigious, mysterious job is presented as a rare blessing, yet accepting it requires Peng Ruowei to interrupt her education and enter an uncertain world.
• Family loyalty and conflict: Peng Ruowei wants to rescue her father, while relatives manipulate information and pursue their own financial interests.
• Secrecy and trust: Luohua’s products and influence are carefully concealed. Peng Ruowei must decide whom to trust and piece together the truth from incomplete statements.
• Privilege and changing values: As a wealthy young woman, Peng Ruowei has never considered employment especially valuable, but Luohua’s extraordinary status forces her to reconsider what constitutes a truly important opportunity.

Character Interactions

• The uncle’s private conversation with Peng Ruowei forms the chapter’s central interaction. He carefully explains the risks, benefits, and secrecy required by the offer.
• Peng Ruowei repeatedly questions whether the job can help her father and whether her uncle’s claims are reliable, showing both caution and emotional desperation.
• Her conversation with her mother reveals the family’s misinformation and confirms that the Life Potion came through her uncle’s connection.
• Peng Ruowei’s interaction with her almost-boyfriend contrasts his social advantages with his limited ability—and apparent lack of urgency—to help her family.
• The chapter ends with their meeting at a campus café, where he casually continues playing a game while she arrives carrying the burden of her family’s crisis.

Chapter Summary: “A Matter of Her Own Making”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Ruowei visits her almost-boyfriend to tell him she is taking leave from school and may eventually drop out. Because of her father’s situation, she plans to work at Luohua’s Cultural Town in Yang City.
• Her boyfriend remains distracted by a mobile game throughout the conversation. He doubts whether the job can truly help her family and warns her not to be scammed, though he admits that Luohua is influential and may be able to resolve her father’s problems.
• When Peng Ruowei asks whether he has anything to say before she leaves, his only practical concern is obtaining her power bank because phones may be restricted at the Cultural Town. Hurt by his indifference, she leaves with her pride intact.
• On the flight to Yang City, her uncle reveals more about Luohua, including the Luohua Order, diabetes treatments, the Evergreen Elixir, and cultivation. Ruowei is shocked but becomes too emotionally numb to question the idea of cultivation deeply; she focuses on successfully entering Luohua.
• Upon arrival, Ruowei and her uncle are stopped at the Cultural Town’s entrance, which functions more like a restricted zone than an ordinary tourist attraction. They are eventually allowed in after a guard receives a phone call.
• Yang Yuxi arrives to receive them. After learning that Ruowei is Zhang Caixin’s teacher’s niece, she offers her a position in the Town Management Office, a powerful and comfortable administrative post.
• Ruowei surprises Yang Yuxi by asking for a more grassroots position because she lacks experience and wants to understand the work from the ground up. Yang Yuxi explains that such a reassignment must be discussed with Zhang Caixin, while Ruowei’s uncle asks Yang Yuxi to contact her. Yang Yuxi leaves, unwilling to discuss the matter casually.

2. Character Developments

• Peng Ruowei: She moves from emotional disappointment to determined action. Although she is proud and initially hopes for a meaningful farewell, her boyfriend’s apathy strengthens her resolve to leave. She also shows humility and ambition by refusing to accept an easy administrative role without first gaining practical experience.
• Peng Ruowei’s boyfriend: His emotional distance becomes clear. He is more absorbed in gaming than in Ruowei’s departure, offering little comfort or concern. Though he recognizes Luohua’s importance, he remains cynical and believes they now belong to “different worlds.”
• Peng Ruowei’s uncle: He acts as her guide and advocate, revealing Luohua’s hidden nature and attempting to secure a suitable position for her. He initially appreciates the authority of the Management Office but realizes that Ruowei wants something more demanding.
• Yang Yuxi: She is professional, perceptive, and cautious about family connections within Luohua. She offers Ruowei a favorable position because of her relationship to Zhang Caixin but recognizes that Ruowei may have greater ambitions.
• Yang Yuxin and Zhang Caixin: Though they do not appear directly, their influence shapes the chapter. Zhang Caixin’s status explains the special treatment Ruowei receives, while Yang Yuxin’s authority creates the introduction to Yang Yuxi.

3. Significant Themes

• Independence and self-determination: Ruowei chooses to change her life and work to support her father, even at the cost of education, romance, and personal pride.
• Emotional neglect and incompatible values: Her boyfriend’s casual attitude toward her departure reveals that their relationship is shallow and that they are moving in different directions.
• Connections and hierarchy: Luohua operates through strong internal networks and ranks. Ruowei’s family connection grants her opportunities that ordinary applicants would not receive.
• Comfort versus growth: The Management Office offers authority, security, and ease, but Ruowei fears that comfort could prevent her from developing. Her desire for grassroots work reflects a willingness to endure hardship.
• The hidden nature of Luohua: The Cultural Town is presented as more than a tourist attraction—a restricted, mysterious organization connected to advanced medicine, cultivation, and powerful figures.

4. Character Interactions

• Ruowei’s farewell conversation with her boyfriend exposes the emotional gap between them: she seeks reassurance and recognition, while he focuses on his game and a power bank.
• Her uncle supports her decision and provides crucial information about Luohua, while also negotiating on her behalf.
• Yang Yuxi initially treats Ruowei as a newcomer but becomes more cautious after learning of her connection to Zhang Caixin. She offers her a prestigious post while warning that a grassroots assignment requires higher approval.
• Ruowei’s request for a lower-level role changes Yang Yuxi’s impression of her, suggesting that Ruowei is not merely relying on family connections but genuinely wants to prove herself.

Chapter Summary: “At the Mercy of Circumstances”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Yuxi returns to Luohua and discusses Peng Ruowei’s desire to take on practical work with her cousin, Yang Yuxin, rather than approaching Zhang Caixin directly.
• Yang Yuxin suggests assigning Peng Ruowei to the Cultural Town Management Office as an inspector. The position would allow her to investigate malpractice and produce tangible results, though it would inevitably offend some employees.
• Yang Yuxi worries that Peng Ruowei’s connection to Zhang Caixin could create suspicion and make people think Zhang Caixin is targeting Yang Yuxin. Yang Yuxin dismisses these concerns, insisting that Luohua is her company and that Yang Yuxi should simply perform her duties honestly.
• Yang Yuxi officially appoints Peng Ruowei as an inspector and brings her to the office. The office manager, initially hesitant, realizes that Yang Yuxin must have approved the arrangement and complies.
• Peng Ruowei is shocked to discover that her “practical” job involves investigating corruption and misconduct. She worries that the role will make enemies, while her uncle sees it as a potentially valuable opportunity.
• Peng Ruowei’s uncle contacts Zhang Caixin for guidance. Zhang supports the assignment, telling Peng Ruowei to work seriously, avoid harming innocent people, expose genuine wrongdoing, and seek help from the gate guards if she encounters danger.
• The chapter then shifts to the difficulty of arranging Peng Ruowei’s university leave. Her uncle attempts to process it through school connections, but her advisor refuses because Peng Ruowei is absent and her uncle is not her parent. The advisor insists that Peng Ruowei appear in person to request leave.

Character Developments

• Yang Yuxin demonstrates increasing authority and a relatively open-minded leadership style. She is willing to let Yang Yuxi handle the appointment however she sees fit and believes honesty and competence matter more than political maneuvering.
• Yang Yuxi is revealed to be cautious and highly sensitive to factional politics. She worries about protecting Yang Yuxin from suspicion, but she also shows decisiveness by personally placing Peng Ruowei in the inspector role. Her interaction with Yang Yuxin makes her recognize that she has become too constrained by worldly concerns.
• Peng Ruowei proves stubborn, idealistic, and competitive. She rejects an easy office position because she wants meaningful work and refuses to fail after taking leave from school. She is initially dismayed by the consequences of her choice but remains committed.
• Peng Ruowei’s uncle acts as her practical support. Though worried that the position will expose her to hostility, he recognizes its potential benefits and seeks Zhang Caixin’s advice.
• Zhang Caixin takes responsibility for Peng Ruowei’s welfare while supporting her trial by hardship. She encourages Peng Ruowei to act fairly but makes sure she has access to protection if the job becomes dangerous.
• The office manager reflects the changing power structure in Luohua. Although he once might have ignored Yang Yuxi, her status as both Yang Yuxin’s cousin and a cultivator forces him to treat her authority seriously.
• Peng Ruowei’s university advisor acts according to institutional rules and personal boundaries, refusing to approve leave through an intermediary when the student herself has not appeared.

Significant Themes

• Being forced into difficult roles: Many characters feel “pushed” into their positions by circumstance, obligation, or relationships. Peng Ruowei wants meaningful work but is given a job that may make her unpopular; Yang Yuxi becomes caught between family, authority, and factional concerns.
• Practical idealism versus political caution: Peng Ruowei values action and results, while Yang Yuxi focuses on appearances, alliances, and possible consequences. Their differing approaches highlight competing ways of functioning within Luohua.
• Authority and responsibility: The inspector position symbolizes Yang Yuxin’s attempt to restore oversight in an organization where leniency has allowed misconduct to grow. Authority must be exercised openly and responsibly rather than through hidden manipulation.
• Fairness and moral judgment: Zhang Caixin’s instructions—do not wrong the innocent and do not spare the guilty—establish the ethical standard Peng Ruowei is expected to follow.
• Family and personal connections: Professional appointments are deeply influenced by family ties and relationships with powerful figures. These connections provide support but also generate suspicion and political pressure.
• Cultivation versus worldly entanglements: Yang Yuxin reminds Yang Yuxi that cultivators should focus on strength and cultivation rather than petty schemes, though Yang Yuxi’s difficulty in doing so shows how deeply social concerns remain embedded in her thinking.

Character Interactions

• Yang Yuxin and Yang Yuxi: Their conversation exposes differences in judgment. Yang Yuxin encourages her cousin to act confidently and honestly, while Yang Yuxi worries about factional consequences and possible misunderstandings.
• Yang Yuxi and Peng Ruowei: Yang Yuxi appears strict and unsympathetic, assigning Peng Ruowei a difficult position without much preparation. However, the assignment is ultimately intended to give Peng Ruowei meaningful work.
• Peng Ruowei and her uncle: Their exchange reveals Peng Ruowei’s determination and her uncle’s mixture of concern and pragmatism.
• Peng Ruowei’s uncle and Zhang Caixin: Zhang provides clear guidance, endorsing the assignment while emphasizing fairness and safety.
• Yang Yuxi and the office manager: Her authority is tested but accepted once the manager understands that the appointment carries Yang Yuxin’s approval.
• Peng Ruowei’s uncle and the university advisor: Their failed attempt to arrange leave illustrates the limits of influence and the importance of following formal procedures.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Ruowei requests a suspension or leave from university immediately after being assigned an important position, because she has gone to work at Cultural Town.
• Her uncle, the “handsome old man,” is asked to explain her absence but refuses to reveal where she works. His vague answers make the advisor suspect that Peng Ruowei is being irresponsible or working somewhere inappropriate.
• The advisor initially rejects her suspension request and insists that Peng Ruowei appear in person to explain herself.
• The matter reaches the vice chancellor, who learns that Peng Ruowei is working at Cultural Town, an area connected to Luohua and Zheng Sike.
• Once the vice chancellor and his classmate understand the connection, they realize that Peng Ruowei’s position is likely the result of Luohua’s favor and that she is far more important than her uncle’s description suggests.
• The next morning, the vice chancellor orders the advisor to approve Peng Ruowei’s suspension. When the advisor protests, the vice chancellor warns that she could simply transfer to Xiayang University, where Zheng Sike’s influence would make her admission easy.
• The advisor, recognizing Zheng Sike’s power and Luohua’s influence, changes his approach. He offers Peng Ruowei a research project focused on Cultural Town so she can earn her degree without abandoning her new position.

Character Developments

• Peng Ruowei is revealed to have obtained an unexpectedly prestigious and influential role: she is a temporary inspector in the Cultural Town management office on Luohua’s outskirts. Though officially only temporary staff, her immediate appointment to an inspection position suggests that Luohua values or supports her.
• The handsome old man tries to protect his niece and maintain secrecy about her work. His evasiveness causes confusion, but it also reflects his fear of discussing Luohua and the powerful family connected to it.
• The advisor begins annoyed and judgmental, believing Peng Ruowei is neglecting her responsibilities. After learning about Luohua and Zheng Sike, he becomes cautious and practical, ultimately offering her a way to continue her studies while working.
• The vice chancellor initially feels embarrassed by the poor explanation he receives, but once he understands Peng Ruowei’s connections, he strongly intervenes to protect her academic future.
• The vice chancellor’s classmate immediately recognizes the significance of Cultural Town’s connection to Zheng Sike and Luohua. He admires the old man for securing such an opportunity for Peng Ruowei and repeatedly tries to uncover more information.
• Zheng Sike never appears directly, but his reputation and association with Feng Jun, Luohua, and major elixir-production projects give him enormous influence over the university’s decisions.

Significant Themes

• Power and hidden influence: Ordinary academic procedures become irrelevant once Luohua and Zheng Sike enter the discussion. The characters understand that invisible connections and institutional power matter more than formal rules.
• Secrecy and discretion: The old man’s refusal to explain Peng Ruowei’s work reflects the danger of revealing information about Luohua and its associated family.
• Status and reputation: Zheng Sike’s name alone is enough to change the advisor’s attitude and make the university reconsider how it treats Peng Ruowei.
• Pragmatism over principle: The advisor initially insists on regulations, but he ultimately adapts by creating a research project that protects both the university’s procedures and Peng Ruowei’s future.
• Protecting talent: The vice chancellor recognizes that Peng Ruowei may become an important figure because of her connection to Luohua, so he refuses to let a bureaucratic dispute damage her prospects.

Character Interactions

• The old man and the advisor clash indirectly: the old man gives evasive answers, while the advisor becomes increasingly suspicious and frustrated.
• The middle manager acts as an amused intermediary, reporting the awkward exchange to the vice chancellor while quietly judging the old man’s handling of the situation.
• The vice chancellor confronts his classmate about the supposedly unreliable person he recommended, but the classmate defends the old man and helps identify Cultural Town’s connection to Zheng Sike.
• The vice chancellor and advisor argue over whether Peng Ruowei should be allowed to suspend her studies. The vice chancellor ultimately uses Zheng Sike’s influence to make the advisor understand the danger of obstructing her.
• By the end, the advisor moves from resistance to cooperation, offering Peng Ruowei a Cultural Town research project that will allow her to retain her degree while continuing her work.

Chapter Summary: “Released”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Ruowei’s university advisor and vice principal discuss her future after she joins Luohua. Rather than immediately approving a leave of absence, they consider allowing her to graduate early if Luohua’s importance is confirmed. For now, her absence will be recorded as leave, later becoming a suspension if necessary.
• The investigation into Ruowei’s father concludes with a recommendation that he pay back taxes and clarify his accounts. Once released, he learns that Ruowei’s position in Luohua was the reason for his favorable treatment.
• Ruowei’s father realizes that joining Luohua is an extraordinary opportunity for his daughter, far more valuable than her conventional education or career. He becomes determined to maintain her connection to Luohua and avoid jeopardizing her future.
• Ruowei’s uncle warns him not to contact Zhang Caixin directly or behave conspicuously. He explains that Zhang helped indirectly because of her reputation and that Ruowei’s father must be careful not to make her unhappy.
• On Ruowei’s sixth day in Luohua, her father visits her. She shows him her living quarters and workplace, and he gives her a bank card containing ten million as financial support.
• Ruowei explains that money has little value inside Luohua compared with cultivation resources and spiritual items. She also reveals that she has already begun adapting to the town’s dangerous and extraordinary environment.
• Father and daughter discuss her education. Ruowei asks him to arrange a formal suspension from school, even though she now sees entering Luohua as much more important than continuing her studies.
• After leaving Luohua, her father unexpectedly encounters Ruowei’s university advisor, suggesting that the school’s officials may soon become directly involved in the situation.

Character Developments

• Peng Ruowei: She rapidly shifts from an ordinary student into someone committed to cultivating and building a future in Luohua. Her worldview changes within days; she no longer sees money, education, or conventional career advice as especially important. At the same time, she remains attached to her past and wants her academic status formally preserved.
• Ruowei’s father: Initially a businessman facing serious legal trouble, he becomes deeply grateful for Luohua’s protection and recognizes that his daughter’s position is both a blessing and a responsibility. He is willing to support her financially but also understands that reckless behavior could endanger her standing.
• Ruowei’s uncle: He acts as the more cautious and realistic adviser. Though resentful that he sacrificed his own dignity and possibly damaged Kai Ming’s chances of entering Luohua, he understands the scale of the favor granted to the family and warns his brother to behave carefully.
• The advisor and vice principal: Their attitudes change from treating Ruowei’s absence as a possible academic problem to viewing her Luohua connection as a prestigious opportunity for the university. They begin considering how to benefit from her potential future status as an exceptional alumna.

Significant Themes

• Power and social status: Luohua’s influence vastly exceeds that of ordinary institutions, legal systems, and wealth. Once Ruowei becomes associated with it, her family’s position changes immediately.
• Opportunity disguised as crisis: Ruowei’s father’s investigation and arrest initially appear disastrous, but they ultimately create the opportunity for Ruowei to enter Luohua.
• The changing value of money and education: Conventional markers of success become insignificant in Luohua, where cultivation, spiritual resources, and personal ability are the true forms of status.
• Responsibility and sacrifice: Ruowei’s father benefits from his daughter’s decision, but both he and his uncle recognize that her new position carries risks and obligations.
• Maintaining appearances: The family must avoid appearing greedy or overly connected to Zhang Caixin, since careless behavior could damage Ruowei’s future.

Character Interactions

• The advisor and vice principal negotiate how to handle Ruowei’s absence while balancing institutional reputation and potential benefits.
• Ruowei’s father and uncle argue over whether he should seek Zhang Caixin’s help directly. The uncle insists that Zhang acted indirectly to protect her reputation and warns that further demands could harm Ruowei.
• Ruowei and her father share a supportive but cautious conversation. He worries that she is too young to endure Luohua’s dangers, while she reassures him that she has willingly chosen this path.
• Ruowei rejects her father’s ordinary-world business advice, emphasizing that Luohua operates according to entirely different rules.
• The chapter ends with Ruowei’s father meeting her advisor outside Luohua, setting up further conflict or negotiation with the university.

Chapter Summary: “The Role of Inspectors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mentor Peng Ruowei travels to Yang City after learning that his student, Peng Ruowei, may have a promising future connected to Luohua. He worries that Zheng Sike of Xiayang University might recruit her first, revealing that his concern is motivated not only by academic responsibility but also by Luohua’s extraordinary potential.
• Peng Ruowei’s father encounters the mentor outside Cultural Town, and the two exchange polite remarks about her studies. Both men overestimate how much freedom she currently has.
• Peng Ruowei has been assigned to inspect Cultural Town’s operations and review the feasibility of proposed projects. Though she lacks final decision-making power, her objections must be considered. She suspects the office manager is deliberately placing her in a visible, potentially unpopular role so that she will absorb blame if projects fail.
• The primary issue is whether Cultural Town should lease storefronts to outside businesses. Peng Ruowei gives a cautious, neutral recommendation, leaving the final decision to the senior managers.
• Yang Yuxin discusses the matter with Feng Jun. They agree that shops may be opened, but only under strict conditions:
  • Outsiders’ access to the town must remain controlled.
  • Businesses must maintain good quality and avoid counterfeit, expired, or inferior goods.
  • Restaurants should preferably operate as private-cuisine establishments.
  • Any security breach or misconduct will be punished severely.
• The proposed businesses include numerous convenience stores and restaurants, along with bars, pharmacies, clothing stores, and other services. Their likely purpose is not profit but gaining access to Cultural Town’s unusually dense spiritual energy.
• Yang Yuxin reveals that Zhang Caixin recommended a girl to enter the town and that she appointed the girl as an inspector.
• More troublingly, many Cultural Town employees have begun cultivating. They are using techniques from Luohua, Daoist sects, miscellaneous sources, and even material downloaded from the internet.
• Feng Jun is surprised and concerned, particularly about whether members of the Cultivation Courtyard helped spread these techniques.

Character Developments

• Peng Ruowei’s mentor is shown to be competitive and self-interested beneath his professional concern. He genuinely wants to protect his student, but he also fears losing a potentially brilliant connection to Luohua and becoming a laughingstock.
• Peng Ruowei demonstrates caution, professionalism, and political awareness. She accepts an unpleasant assignment without complaining and avoids unnecessarily drawing attention to herself, while recognizing that she may be used as a scapegoat.
• Yang Yuxin acts as a practical administrator who balances business interests, employee welfare, cultivation concerns, and security risks. She also displays a more humorous and worldly side when discussing “Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart.”
• Feng Jun remains protective and uncompromising regarding Luohua’s safety. Although he recognizes the minor shareholders’ past contributions, he refuses to let gratitude compromise security or standards.
• The Cultural Town staff are revealed to be increasingly curious and ambitious about cultivation, but their use of inconsistent and questionable techniques suggests a potentially dangerous lack of discipline.

Significant Themes

• Power and recruitment: Talented people connected to Luohua are valuable to competing institutions, turning mentorship and academic relationships into strategic contests.
• Institutional politics and scapegoating: Peng Ruowei’s assignment shows how organizations may place individuals in visible roles so responsibility—and blame—can be shifted onto them.
• Profit versus spiritual opportunity: The proposed shops may not be economically viable, but their owners are willing to accept losses in exchange for access to Cultural Town’s spiritual energy.
• Security and controlled openness: Luohua must decide how much to open itself to outsiders without exposing its members, resources, or cultivation secrets to hostile forces.
• The risks of uncontrolled cultivation: Employees obtaining techniques from unrelated or unreliable sources creates the possibility of confusion, injury, or hidden threats.
• Red-Dust Tempering and ordinary life: The discussion suggests that everyday worldly experience can contribute to cultivation, though the characters treat the idea humorously.

Character Interactions

• The mentor and Peng Ruowei’s father exchange formal, restrained pleasantries, reflecting their shared concern for her but also the limits of their relationship.
• Yang Yuxin and Feng Jun debate the storefront policy. Their conversation combines practical management with mutual trust: Yang raises social and administrative concerns, while Feng establishes the boundaries of acceptable risk.
• Yang Yuxin uses humor to challenge Feng Jun’s strictness, especially when discussing nightlife and Red-Dust Tempering, but becomes serious when addressing employee cultivation and Luohua’s vulnerability.
• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin’s discussion ultimately shifts from a minor commercial decision to a larger concern: the spread of cultivation among ordinary staff and the possibility that outside sects are influencing them.

Chapter Summary: Punishing Without Prior Warning

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discovers that employees of Cultural Town have secretly begun cultivating without authorization.
• He is especially concerned because Cultural Town has unusually strong spiritual energy, making it an advantageous place for cultivation and creating significant security risks.
• The employees acquired various cultivation techniques through close relationships with cultivators from the Cultivation Courtyard. The investigation finds no organized conspiracy; many employees acted independently out of anxiety about aging and missing their chance to cultivate.
• Yang Yuxin asks Senior Lin to help investigate and admits that, as the employees’ manager, she bears some responsibility for failing to supervise them.
• Feng Jun rejects the idea of placing all blame on Yang Yuxin, acknowledging that he also overlooked the warning signs despite possessing powerful divine sense.
• He initially considers severe punishment, fearing that unauthorized cultivation and resentment over unequal access to resources could lead employees to steal, betray Luohua, or become vulnerable to outside manipulation.
• After Yang Yuxin subtly moderates his anger, Feng Jun decides that the employees should not be punished retroactively without having received explicit prior warning.
• The unauthorized cultivation is nevertheless formally prohibited. Future violators will face severe punishment or dismissal.
• To balance discipline with fairness, Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin plan to introduce a gradual qualification system. Employees will eventually gain access to cultivation based on performance scores, with higher-scoring workers receiving earlier opportunities.
• Luohua will provide cultivation access but not cultivation resources such as pills or other supplies.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Reveals his strong need to control the pace and distribution of cultivation, believing uncontrolled access could endanger Luohua. Although initially furious and inclined toward harsh punishment, he demonstrates self-restraint and recommits to acting according to principles. He also accepts partial responsibility for overlooking the problem.
• Yang Yuxin: Shows accountability, managerial awareness, and loyalty. She is willing to accept blame but also quietly defends the employees by pointing out that the rules had not previously been made explicit. Her calm handling of Feng Jun’s anger highlights her growing skill and influence.
• Cultural Town employees: Are portrayed as resentful rather than openly malicious. Their proximity to cultivators and inability to obtain techniques or pills creates feelings of unfairness, leading them to seek unauthorized methods. Their behavior nevertheless reveals dangerous entitlement and weak discipline.
• The unnamed newcomer: A newly transferred, non-cultivating employee discovers and reports the irregularities. Her lack of involvement in the cultivation hierarchy allows her to notice problems that insiders ignored, making her a potentially valuable future supervisor.

Significant Themes

• Control versus fairness: Feng Jun must balance his authority to regulate cultivation with the employees’ understandable desire for access.
• Entitlement and proximity to privilege: Being close to cultivation resources causes the employees to believe they deserve them, but Feng Jun insists that access must be earned and officially granted.
• Negligence and responsibility: Both Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin acknowledge that the problem arose partly because those in charge failed to notice what was happening beneath them.
• Prevention of corruption: Feng Jun fears that small unauthorized actions and accumulated resentment could develop into greed, betrayal, or exploitation by outsiders.
• Punishment and due process: The title reflects Feng Jun’s realization that severe punishment is unjust without prior warning, even when the misconduct is serious.
• Balancing discipline with incentives: The proposed scoring system represents a “carrot and stick” approach—strictly banning unauthorized cultivation while providing employees with a legitimate path toward future advancement.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin discuss the investigation and share responsibility for the oversight, strengthening their mutual trust.
• Yang Yuxin’s restrained defense of the employees contrasts with Feng Jun’s anger. Rather than openly arguing, she reassures him that she will support his decision, which causes him to reconsider his harsh stance.
• Feng Jun jokingly complains that Yang Yuxin has become skilled at softening his resolve, illustrating their comfortable and subtly affectionate working relationship.
• Together, they establish a practical policy: prohibit unauthorized cultivation, threaten dismissal for violations, gradually grant cultivation eligibility through a merit-based system, and withhold cultivation resources from employees.

Chapter Summary: “Too Late for Regret”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun realizes that relying on employees’ conscience is insufficient when cultivation methods and spiritual energy offer enormous benefits. Even Gu Jiahui points out that anything not forbidden by law is technically permissible.
• Luohua therefore establishes restrictions on Cultural Town employees’ private cultivation. Yang Yuxin announces that employees may either give up cultivation or leave the company, with resigning employees receiving an additional month’s salary.
• One veteran employee challenges Yang Yuxin, arguing that he has broken neither company rules nor the law. Yang responds by placing him on standby and threatening a full investigation of his past accounts and possible corruption. Frightened by the consequences, he quickly apologizes and resigns.
• Yang warns the remaining employees that rights must be accompanied by obligations. She then presents Luohua’s compromise: employees may receive basic cultivation methods and access to spiritual energy, but no cultivation resources. Luohua begins drafting eligibility criteria based on seniority, work record, education, position, professional title, and attitude.
• Other forces regret that Cultural Town can no longer serve as a convenient testing ground for secretly acquired cultivation methods. Many employees had obtained their methods through questionable exchanges and had been using Luohua’s relatively lax outer-town spiritual-energy management to experiment.
• Employees suspect Peng Ruowei, the newly arrived inspector, of reporting their cultivation activities. When confronted, she avoids admitting involvement and points out that they had been cultivating long before her arrival. The employees accept her explanation but distance themselves from her.
• Their hostility benefits Peng Ruowei, allowing her to question veteran staff more freely under the justification of official investigations. Zhang Caixin observes her work and concludes that she is responsible and diligent.
• Feng Jun also begins paying closer attention to Cultural Town, concerned that employees might appear compliant while continuing to cultivate secretly. He approves of Peng Ruowei’s performance and suggests she remain as inspector for several years, prompting a teasingly defensive response from Zhang Caixin.
• After spending two months handling Longevity Spring Water and shop-rental matters in Luohua, Feng Jun returns his attention to Heavenly Zither. The allocation of Longevity Spring Water remains controversial, especially because Libo Shoal intends to divide quotas equally between sect and family factions despite sect cultivators controlling most of the supply.
• Feng Jun ignores the complaints, reminding himself that he created the Longevity Spring. After adjusting his condition at Libo Shoal, he announces that he will enter seclusion to advance his cultivation. He chooses the Icefield Sector as the location.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more cautious and pragmatic about governance. He recognizes that generosity and trust can create exploitable loopholes and decides to monitor Cultural Town more closely. He also prepares to advance after a period of relative inactivity.
• Yang Yuxin: Demonstrates firm, decisive leadership. Though normally tolerant of employees, she ruthlessly suppresses open defiance to prevent wider rebellion and exposes the danger of employees using legal rights while ignoring their responsibilities.
• Peng Ruowei: Establishes herself as a capable and disciplined inspector. Her social isolation allows her to perform her duties more effectively, and she proves willing to pursue uncomfortable truths despite being unpopular.
• Zhang Caixin: Gains confidence in Peng Ruowei and recognizes her good work. Her playful exchange with Feng Jun also reveals a slightly possessive or teasing attitude toward his decisions.
• The veteran employee: His confidence collapses when Yang threatens to investigate his finances, revealing that his cultivation protest was motivated not only by fear of aging but also by greed and possible corruption.

Significant Themes

• Rights versus obligations: The chapter argues that legal rights cannot be invoked while ignoring contractual responsibilities and loyalty to an employer.
• The difficulty of being generous: Feng Jun’s attempt to provide employees with benefits is exploited as a loophole, reinforcing the idea that kindness without safeguards can create danger.
• Greed and fear of death: The employees’ desire to cultivate is driven by both ambition and anxiety about aging, with the veteran employee explicitly admitting that he wants to live longer.
• Power and governance: Yang’s handling of dissent shows that authority sometimes requires decisive punishment rather than endless tolerance.
• Trust and suspicion: The discovery of secret cultivation causes Luohua to reassess its employees, while Peng Ruowei’s presence generates suspicion despite her actual professionalism.
• The struggle over scarce resources: The dispute over Longevity Spring Water reflects broader tensions between sects and families competing for control and influence.

Character Interactions

• Yang Yuxin and the protesting veteran: Their confrontation demonstrates Yang’s authority. She dismantles his legal argument, threatens an audit, and forces him to retreat and resign.
• Yang Yuxin and the employees: She offers them a controlled alternative to unrestricted cultivation while making clear that Luohua’s rules are non-negotiable.
• Peng Ruowei and the veteran staff: The employees accuse her of causing the new restrictions, but she calmly deflects the accusation and later uses their distance to conduct inspections more effectively.
• Zhang Caixin and Peng Ruowei: Zhang observes Peng’s work and becomes more favorable toward her after seeing her diligence.
• Zhang Caixin and Feng Jun: Their lighthearted argument concerns whether Peng should receive extended employment, revealing mutual familiarity and teasing.
• Feng Jun and the Heavenly Zither factions: Feng refuses to yield to sect complaints over Longevity Spring Water, emphasizing his ultimate authority as the spring’s creator.

Chapter Summary: Dao Domain Prototype

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun chooses the Icefield Sector to advance toward the Gold Core Eighth Layer and prepare for his eventual Nascent Soul Formation. He believes the Kunhao Plane will no longer provide enough room for growth after that breakthrough.
• He travels to the Ice Plains with several protectors, including Xia Nichang, two True Lords, five Nascent Soul True Immortals from the Profound Water Sect, the Yin-Yang Mirror, and protective talismans from the Guardians.
• Feng Jun successfully advances after three months of seclusion and spends another two months stabilizing his realm. No one manages to disrupt his breakthrough.
• Upon emerging, he learns that Xuanyuan Buqi is absent because a threat was made against Libo Shoal’s control over the Longevity Spring. The threat claimed that if the spring could not be shared, no one should have it.
• Zhang Caixin stops Longevity Spring sales and calls on several Lower Realm sects to help defend Libo Shoal. Xuanyuan Buqi returns to protect the spring, suspecting that the threat was meant to provoke conflict between the major sect and family factions.
• The suspected instigator, an elderly Gold Core cultivator from another Lower Realm, is found dead before he can be interrogated. Evidence suggests he may have been manipulated by a hidden mastermind, possibly connected to a mysterious base in the Fallen Immortal Ancient Battlefield.
• Feng Jun remains at Libo Shoal for roughly half a month to calm the subtle tension surrounding the Longevity Spring. Jiangzhu Grass privately informs him that the suspicious aura may be linked to the mysterious space and possibly to demonic cultivators or another hidden force.
• Qingjian True Immortal arrives and asks Feng Jun to retrieve Vast Sea Venerable from the Grindstone Galaxy in the Insectoid World, where he is fighting the Insectoids.
• Feng Jun and the others enter the battlefield, only to be attacked by a massive wave of powerful Insectoid Divine Thoughts. Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong respond with overwhelming techniques, annihilating insects across ten million li.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays a prototype of a Dao Domain through “Divine Demise,” immobilizing and destroying countless insects. Qian Zhong uses “Space Ripples,” combining spatial tremors with the intent of surging waves.
• A Golden Cicada at the Soul Emergence Realm survives the destruction. It follows the Incense-Fueled Godhood Path but is ultimately captured and sealed by Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong.
• The chapter ends with Qian Zhong searching for any surviving cultivators who may have been caught in their attack.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Successfully advances to the Gold Core Eighth Layer and demonstrates greater responsibility as the leader of Libo Shoal. Rather than immediately pursuing personal opportunities, he stays behind to stabilize the political situation and protect the Longevity Spring.
• Xia Nichang: Insists on serving as Feng Jun’s protector despite being only at the Nascent Soul First Layer, showing loyalty and determination. Her strength is initially dismissed by the True Lords.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Reveals his aggressive and prideful nature when the Insectoids challenge him. He also demonstrates the terrifying power of a Spirit Division Lord and unveils a Dao Domain Prototype.
• Qian Zhong: Displays exceptional control and ingenuity, forming a Dao Domain through spatial vibrations and the intent of surging waves. Her calm confidence contrasts with Xuanyuan Buqi’s forcefulness.
• Zhang Caixin: Acts decisively during the Longevity Spring crisis by halting sales and organizing defensive support when Upper Realm forces cannot be reached.
• Jiangzhu Grass: Though timid, provides an important clue linking the suspected conspirator to the mysterious space in the Fallen Immortal Ancient Battlefield.
• Vast Sea Venerable: Remains engaged in the Insectoid World’s battle and becomes central to Feng Jun’s plans regarding the mysterious space and its resources.

Significant Themes

• Advancement and preparation: Feng Jun’s breakthrough reflects the need to plan beyond immediate cultivation goals and seek a suitable environment for future growth.
• Protection and responsibility: Feng Jun cannot focus solely on cultivation because his position makes him responsible for Libo Shoal, the Longevity Spring, and the people relying on him.
• Political tension and hidden manipulation: The threat against the Longevity Spring appears designed to inflame divisions between sects and families, emphasizing the danger of unseen forces and indirect warfare.
• The limits of evidence: Suspicion points toward demonic cultivators or a hidden organization, but the death of the suspected intermediary prevents firm conclusions.
• Power disparity: The destruction of millions of Insectoids and the effortless capture of a Soul Emergence Realm being reveal the enormous gap between Feng Jun’s level and that of Spirit Division Realm experts.
• Dao Domain development: The chapter introduces Dao Domain Prototypes as advanced manifestations of cultivators’ comprehension, with Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong demonstrating different paths to this power.

Character Interactions

• Xia Nichang’s request to become Feng Jun’s protector is met with silent disdain from the True Lords, highlighting the gap between their perceived status and her actual loyalty.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong work together protectively at Libo Shoal, with Xuanyuan ready to confront threats while Qian Zhong helps assess them.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi disagree mildly over the importance of investigating the dead instigator; Xuanyuan believes the incident was likely a crude attempt to provoke broader conflict.
• Jiangzhu Grass trusts Feng Jun enough to share its otherwise unspoken suspicions about the Fallen Immortal Ancient Battlefield.
• In the Insectoid World, Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong compete playfully while admiring each other’s Dao Domain techniques. Xuanyuan praises Qian Zhong’s ingenuity, while Qian Zhong lightly criticizes the weakness of her own technique.
• Feng Jun reacts with astonishment to the true combat strength of the Spirit Division Realm, emphasizing his still-limited perspective compared with the higher-level cultivators around him.

Chapter Summary: “Each Has Their Strengths”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi arrive on the battlefield after helping kill a Soul Emergence Realm Golden Cicada, whose exceptional healing and evasion abilities had made it a major threat.
• Procrastinating Venerable reports that the Human Federation’s cultivators have suffered serious losses: seven deaths, more than ten severe injuries, and over thirty minor injuries. The Insectoids have suffered even heavier casualties, but continue sending reinforcements.
• The Insectoids adopt a defensive formation while probing Humanity’s strength through repeated Divine Descents. The cultivators respond with mobile, perimeter-based attacks rather than direct confrontation.
• Feng Jun learns that the battlefield lies at the center of several insect swarms, explaining why Xuanyuan Buqi’s Divine Thought provoked such a violent response.
• The group concludes that the Insectoids may be testing them rather than preparing for an all-out battle. The Golden Cicada’s death significantly weakens the enemy’s ability to sustain large-scale combat.
• Vast Sea Venerable is asked by True Immortal Qingjian to return to the Profound Water Sect. Though reluctant to leave while the battlefield remains dangerous, the others assure him that they can manage without him.
• The cultivators plan another coordinated strike against a large insect swarm. They divide into small teams, each protected by a Venerable, and rely on concealment, illusions, spatial techniques, and hit-and-run tactics.
• The assault initially proceeds covertly, but the Insectoids quickly detect the intrusion and unleash alarms and a collective Divine Sense attack.
• Procrastinating Venerable’s team is targeted first. Jiu Si Venerable raises a powerful mental barrier to conceal the group, exposing the general area but hiding their exact position.
• The Bewitching Butterfly uses Divine Descent against the barrier. Rather than retreating as usual, Procrastinating Venerable chooses to hold his position.
• Fishing Elder’s team is also exposed and attacked. A powerful green mist reveals a True Lord-level Mantis Divine Descent, placing the team in serious danger.
• Xuanyuan Buqi intervenes, preparing to force the Mantis to suffer backlash through his technique, Divine Demise.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun feels responsible for the casualties because he originally identified the battlefield opportunity. Fishing Elder and Procrastinating Venerable help him understand that every cultivator chose to participate and bears responsibility for their own life and death. Feng Jun begins to let go of his guilt.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates her developing karmic abilities. Although she has only glimpsed the threshold of karmic methods, she can already trigger backlash against opponents using Divine Descent.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains confident and decisive. He lacks karmic techniques but is fully capable of retaliating against Divine Descent users and is eager to confront the True Lord-level Mantis.
• Vast Sea Venerable reveals his sense of responsibility toward the lower-level cultivators. Though he came only to assist voluntarily, he hesitates to leave because he worries that his absence could endanger the group.
• Fishing Elder remains blunt, practical, and fearless. He dismisses excessive caution after the Golden Cicada’s death and emphasizes the courage of Heavenly Zither cultivators.
• Procrastinating Venerable acts as a measured strategist. He recognizes both the danger of overconfidence and the need to test the enemy’s remaining strength.
• Jiu Si Venerable shows unusual decisiveness under pressure by maintaining an enormous mental barrier even after it becomes clear that doing so will expose his team.

3. Significant Themes

• Individual responsibility: The cultivators willingly choose to fight, reinforcing the idea that warriors must accept responsibility for their own risks and decisions.
• Strength through specialization: Each powerful cultivator contributes differently—healing suppression, mental barriers, karmic backlash, battlefield strategy, or direct combat.
• Courage versus recklessness: The group avoids suicidal head-on battles but is still willing to take calculated risks when opportunities arise.
• Adaptation and cooperation: After months of fighting together, the cultivators have developed strong coordination and mutual trust, allowing small teams to challenge much larger insect swarms.
• The cost of prolonged war: Even though Humanity is winning strategically, its casualties are severe, and the constant arrival of Insectoid reinforcements threatens to turn the conflict into a war of attrition.
• Hidden strategic objectives: The Insectoids’ determination to defend the Grindstone Galaxy suggests that the region has special importance, while both sides attempt to manipulate the other’s expectations.

4. Character Interactions

• Qian Zhong, Xuanyuan Buqi, and the three Venerables exchange battlefield assessments and coordinate their response to the Insectoids.
• Feng Jun openly expresses guilt, but Fishing Elder and Procrastinating Venerable reassure him that the deceased made their own decisions.
• Vast Sea Venerable discusses the possibility of withdrawing with the others, showing his concern for the broader group rather than personal convenience.
• Procrastinating Venerable proposes launching another attack and asks whether the two Great Lords can counter Divine Descent through karmic methods.
• The cultivators collectively devise a multi-pronged assault, demonstrating their growing tactical familiarity.
• During the battle, Procrastinating Venerable and Fishing Elder each refuse to abandon their exposed teams, while Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong stand ready to protect them.
• The chapter ends with Xuanyuan Buqi challenging the True Lord-level Mantis Divine Descent, shifting the battle toward a confrontation between the highest-level combatants.

Chapter Summary: Insectoid True Lord

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong combine their Dao Domains to counter an Insectoid True Lord’s Divine Descent. Xuanyuan’s pressure-based Divine Ruin Domain repels the enemy, while Qian Zhong’s Space Ripples completely disperses the green mist and tears a passage nearly a million li long through the battlefield.
• Vast Sea Venerable immediately exploits the opening, using Ice Seal against the Bewitching Butterfly’s blue radiance. Procrastinating Venerable follows with Thought Without Delusion, a powerful Divine Sense attack intended to increase the backlash on the insect.
• Vast Sea Venerable’s attack exposes his position, prompting another Insectoid Divine Descent: a gigantic Venomous Centipede that releases poisonous black mist over the human cultivators.
• Vast Sea Venerable protects the group with Profound Ice Shield, but the venom rapidly corrodes the shield. He is forced to choose between maintaining his attack on the Bewitching Butterfly and defending the team from the centipede’s poison.
• Vast Sea Venerable asks Feng Jun for assistance. Feng Jun reluctantly uses his only Guardian-issued Jade Talisman, an offensive artifact intended primarily to dispel restraints and abnormal conditions.
• The talisman releases an immense arcane aura. It instantly destroys the Profound Ice Shield, wipes away the poisonous mist, shatters the Venomous Centipede’s phantom, and creates a strange spatial vortex. Its power astonishes the True Lords and alarms the other Insectoid Divine Descents.
• The Mantis Divine Descent voluntarily disperses its green light, while the Bewitching Butterfly is ultimately destroyed through the combined attacks of Procrastinating Venerable and Vast Sea Venerable.
• Three Insectoid great powers suffer severe backlash and are likely unable to descend Divine Incarnations again for some time. Nevertheless, the insect swarm becomes even more aggressive, using frequent self-destructions.
• The human cultivators withdraw under the protection of the True Lords and Venerables. Though many want to continue fighting out of grief and anger, the leaders maintain discipline and prevent the group from being overwhelmed.
• The insects eventually contract into a defensive formation. The humans decide that, despite having the advantage, it is wiser to avoid the insects’ suicidal counterattacks and withdraw temporarily.
• After regrouping, Qian Zhong asks Feng Jun whether his talisman used Causal Law. Feng Jun admits he does not know, since he was only told that it was an offensive method and had never dared test his sole talisman casually.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates responsibility and courage. Although he treasures the rare talisman and understands the value of the favor behind it, he uses it to protect the surrounding cultivators when Vast Sea Venerable requests help.
• Vast Sea Venerable is shown as both protective and strategically cautious. He prioritizes defending the human team but refuses to recklessly sacrifice himself to the centipede’s venom, recognizing that preserving top-tier combat power is essential.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi display excellent coordination and overwhelming power, efficiently suppressing the initial Insectoid Divine Descent.
• Procrastinating Venerable and Vast Sea Venerable successfully complete their joint attack on the Bewitching Butterfly despite the battlefield’s complications.
• The human cultivators reveal mixed emotions: many are enraged by the deaths caused by the Insectoids and want revenge, but they ultimately obey the Venerables’ orders and retreat.
• The Insectoids are portrayed as fanatically obedient and willing to sacrifice themselves, reinforcing their dangerous and inhuman military discipline.

Significant Themes

• Strategic restraint over reckless vengeance: The humans withdraw despite gaining the upper hand because the insects’ self-destructive tactics make continued combat unnecessarily dangerous.
• The value of elite combat power: The True Lords and Venerables matter more than the sheer number of ordinary insects; protecting powerful cultivators is more important than maximizing immediate kills.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Feng Jun’s use of his only precious talisman reflects the moral obligation to protect allies, even when doing so consumes a rare resource.
• The dangers of unknown power: Feng Jun and the others do not fully understand the talisman’s laws or origin, yet its effects far exceed expectations.
• Opposing social systems: Human cultivators struggle with grief and individual emotions, while the Insectoid World relies on rigid hierarchy, absolute discipline, and merciless punishment for desertion.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong coordinate their Dao Domains to crush the first Divine Descent.
• Vast Sea Venerable and Procrastinating Venerable combine their abilities to attack the Bewitching Butterfly.
• Vast Sea Venerable asks Feng Jun to intervene when the Venomous Centipede threatens the group, indicating trust in Feng Jun’s abilities.
• Feng Jun responds despite uncertainty and reluctance, using the Jade Talisman to save the team.
• After the battle, Qian Zhong questions Feng Jun about the nature of his talisman, while Xuanyuan Buqi and the other experts point out that using such a powerful artifact against a single Soul Emergence insect may have been wasteful.

Chapter Summary: “Lingering Fear”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the battle with the Insectoids, the cultivators discuss how an Insectoid True Lord managed to descend. They conclude that the True Lords must have learned of the destruction of a massive swarm and the capture of a Soul Emergence Realm insect.
• The three Venerables realize how fortunate they were that Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Feng Jun were present. Without them, the Insectoids’ retaliation would likely have caused devastating casualties.
• The cultivators debate whether to continue exterminating Insectoids in the Grindstone Galaxy after the two True Lords and Feng Jun depart. Deductions performed by several cultivators generally indicate minor danger but improving fortune.
• Fishing Elder Venerable asks Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong to remain for two more days so the cultivators can force the Insectoids to reveal their full strength. The True Lords agree.
• The Insectoids fight with extreme determination, frequently self-detonating but refusing to pursue when the cultivators retreat. Their behavior suggests coordinated orders and fear of provoking another direct confrontation with the True Lords.
• Xuanyuan Buqi creates a Talisman Treasure that allows the Xuanyuan disciples to summon an attack from his avatar if another Insectoid True Lord descends. Though intended for his family, it effectively protects the entire group.
• After the wounded are transferred to Heavenly Zither, Feng Jun, the two True Lords, and Vast Sea Venerable leave. Vast Sea later delays their journey to the Fallen Immortal Ancient Battlefield because of sect affairs, while the others also separate to handle personal matters.
• Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal and consults the “big shot” about the mysterious artificial space. The big shot confirms that it likely possesses a spatial core but follows an unfamiliar ancient inheritance and may have defeated previous attempts at refinement.
• Feng Jun considers giving the space a Domain Consciousness, but the big shot rejects the idea, arguing that such a consciousness would possess an independent will. The space should instead be refined into a controllable domain token.
• Feng Jun then consults the Guardian about refining the space and replenishing his Attack Jade Talisman. The Guardian warns that the space carries heavy inheritance and Heaven’s Way karma, including an ominous fate.
• The Guardian claims it can imitate and construct a similar Grotto-Heaven paradise, provided Feng Jun exchanges his one-quarter usage rights to the space for Ultimate Spirit Stones. It also teaches him how to establish six secret arrangements as safeguards in case the transaction fails.
• Feng Jun suspects these arrangements may also relate to refining the space, but the Guardian dismisses his guess and warns that the space may ultimately be unsuitable for him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to demonstrate his concern for ordinary human cultivators, willingly using an extremely valuable Attack Jade Talisman to protect them. He views this compassion as part of “Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart,” despite the Guardian’s belief that such attachments will eventually hinder his advancement.
• Xuanyuan Buqi shows strong responsibility toward his family and the wider cultivator group by creating a defensive Talisman Treasure. His actions reveal both generosity and practical foresight.
• Qian Zhong remains cautious and analytical, preferring to study and deduce the mysterious space before rushing into it.
• Fishing Elder Venerable takes a leadership role, organizing the continued campaign and making practical use of the True Lords’ temporary assistance.
• The Guardian reveals not only overwhelming combat power but also extraordinary artifact-refining ability. It remains detached and transactional, demanding payment while warning Feng Jun about karma and the dangers of emotional attachments.
• Feng Jun’s growing knowledge of spatial principles is acknowledged, but he is reminded that he still lacks the expertise to understand or control the mysterious space fully.

Significant Themes

• Lingering fear and strategic caution: Even after surviving the battle, the cultivators remain concerned about retaliation from the Insectoid True Lords and must balance opportunity against danger.
• Unity against an alien threat: The cultivators’ cooperation across sects and clans is essential to surviving the Insectoids’ coordinated resistance.
• Compassion versus ruthless cultivation: Feng Jun’s willingness to protect weaker cultivators conflicts with the Guardian’s belief that emotional attachments are burdens on the path to the Great Dao.
• Karma and consequences: The mysterious space is not merely a valuable inheritance; it carries both inheritance karma and Heaven’s Way karma, suggesting that possessing it may bring serious long-term consequences.
• Control versus autonomy: The debate over refining the space into a domain token or giving it a Domain Consciousness highlights the importance of maintaining control over powerful artifacts and realms.
• Knowledge and humility: Feng Jun’s increasing expertise allows him to ask more sophisticated questions, but the Guardian emphasizes that partial understanding can be dangerous and that he should not overestimate his abilities.

Character Interactions

• The three Venerables discuss the risks of remaining in the Grindstone Galaxy and rely on divination to assess future danger.
• Fishing Elder Venerable negotiates with Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong to secure two additional days of support.
• Xuanyuan Buqi provides a protective treasure to his family, indirectly safeguarding the entire allied force.
• Vast Sea Venerable consults Qingjian True Immortal before postponing the group’s journey.
• Feng Jun debates the nature of the mysterious space with the big shot, who challenges his proposal to install a Domain Consciousness.
• Feng Jun and the Guardian engage in a philosophical dispute over the value of human relationships, with Feng Jun defending compassion and the Guardian advocating emotional detachment.
• Their discussion shifts into a negotiation over Ultimate Spirit Stones, artifact refinement, karmic danger, and contingency plans, ending with the Guardian warning Feng Jun not to assume that the space is truly meant for him.

Chapter Summary: “The Disappearance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to Luohua after several months and notices that Cultural Town has become much livelier, with restaurants, shops, salons, and other services.
• Luohua’s residents benefit from outside conveniences, though they avoid going into town because of excessive attention and possible security risks. Businesses instead deliver goods and services to the Mountain Gate.
• Feng Jun orders the management office to keep the town under strict supervision for the next ten years. He reveals that, by then, many more people will have begun cultivating, implying that a major change or deadline is approaching.
• Gazi is encouraged by the ten-year timeframe because it gives him hope regarding Luo Yuhuan, while Feng Jun lightly dismisses Gazi’s personal ambitions.
• Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal and reflects that his rapid growth and long absence from Blue Star have made him feel increasingly detached from it.
• Vast Sea Venerable arrives, followed two days later by Xuanyuan Buqi. Buqi reports that the suspected Asura passage entrance has disappeared.
• The group investigates the coordinates. Feng Jun, Qian Zhong, and Vast Sea Venerable independently confirm that the passage connection truly vanished rather than merely being concealed or disturbed.
• Their deductions reveal that contact with the other world began weakening six months earlier and disappeared completely after about two months.
• The Xuanyuan Family had failed to notice the problem promptly because no powerful Deduction expert was continuously monitoring the site. Buqi only learned of it while waiting near a Soul Emergence ancestor and immediately contacted Feng Jun.
• The disappearance remains unexplained, raising concerns about what happened to the world on the other side.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates increasing authority and foresight by setting a ten-year security timetable. He also realizes how much Libo Shoal has grown during his absence: it now possesses numerous Dust-Free Adepts rather than being a fragile settlement dependent on him.
• Gazi: Shows optimism when he hears that broader cultivation may develop within ten years, clearly connecting the timeline to his hopes involving Luo Yuhuan.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Becomes more cautious and respectful toward Feng Jun. He recognizes Feng Jun’s powerful backing and understands that Feng Jun’s previous attack in the Insectoid World involved laws beyond what an ordinary Integration Ancestor could control.
• Qian Zhong: Remains direct, skeptical, and practical. She immediately questions whether the passage site was disturbed and takes an active role in investigating it.
• Vast Sea Venerable: Cooperates readily with the investigation and uses his own divination methods to verify the disappearance.

Significant Themes

• The passage of time and growth: Feng Jun’s realization that Libo Shoal has developed dramatically reflects the long-term effects of cultivation and leadership.
• Preparation for an approaching transformation: The ten-year deadline suggests that Blue Star is nearing a major cultivation-related change, while Feng Jun worries that people may become reckless as it approaches.
• The limits of knowledge and Deduction: Even powerful cultivators cannot explain how a naturally forming passage vanished, emphasizing the mysteries and unpredictability of the greater worlds.
• Decline and institutional weakness: The Xuanyuan Family’s failure to monitor the coordinates reveals its declining state and bureaucratic hesitation.
• Power and political caution: Xuanyuan Buqi’s fear of offending Feng Jun shows how rapidly Feng Jun’s influence has increased, especially because of his suspected connection to beings at or above the Tribulation Transcendence level.
• Connection between worlds: The vanished passage threatens to sever contact with another world and raises the possibility of danger, destruction, or interference on the far side.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Gazi share a familiar but increasingly distant relationship: Feng Jun teases him about his modest ambitions, while Gazi quietly draws hope from Feng Jun’s plans.
• Feng Jun and the Luohua residents discuss how outside businesses have improved daily life, though supervision remains essential.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reports the crisis to Feng Jun rather than concealing or monopolizing it, reflecting both practical cooperation and his awareness of Feng Jun’s superior status.
• Qian Zhong challenges Buqi’s explanation and insists on verifying that the site was not disturbed, while Buqi defends the competence and rules of the Xuanyuan Family.
• Feng Jun, Qian Zhong, and Vast Sea Venerable work together to perform separate deductions, reaching the same conclusion: the passage entrance has genuinely disappeared.

Chapter Summary: “No Comparison”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan Buqi invites Feng Jun and the others to investigate the disappearance of the Xuanyuan Family’s passage coordinate. He wants both to discover the truth and to prove that his family did not interfere with it.
• Feng Jun decides to consult the Spirit Plant Dao. Although Venerable Yuan Hao does not appear personally, he confirms through True Immortal Shou Liu that the Spirit Plant Dao’s two passage coordinates remain unchanged and still lead toward the approaching Asura World.
• Venerable Yuan Hao allows Feng Jun’s group to perform Deduction near one of the coordinates, an unusually cooperative gesture given the political tensions between family and sect forces.
• After two days of Deduction, Feng Jun and Qian Zhong determine that the other world has been pushed farther away, delaying its arrival by approximately a year. However, the two worlds are still moving toward one another.
• This confirms that the Xuanyuan coordinate disappeared because of an abnormal change rather than negligence or deliberate tampering by the Xuanyuan Family.
• The group debates whether the anomaly was natural or caused by an outside force. Feng Jun, Xuanyuan Buqi, and the Spirit Plant Dao suspect Asura interference, possibly through spies, Celestial Demons, or other forms of cross-world manipulation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong identify the Thief Lineage as a particularly plausible culprit because of its ability to manipulate formations and potentially move passage coordinates.
• Xuanyuan Buqi decides to mobilize his clan and offer rewards for information about the Thief Lineage. Feng Jun then leads the group toward another location that may also be connected to them.
• After the group leaves, True Immortal Shou Liu reports the findings to Venerable Yuan Hao. He is alarmed that possible spies or saboteurs were not reported earlier and agrees that the Thief Lineage may be involved.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates exceptional Deduction abilities, detecting subtle changes that even powerful figures such as Venerable Yuan Hao could barely perceive. His conclusions establish that the Asura World’s arrival has been delayed but not prevented.
• Xuanyuan Buqi shifts from defending his family’s innocence to actively pursuing the suspected culprits. His anger reflects both concern over the threat and the strategic value of controlling the passage.
• Qian Zhong continues her habit of challenging Xuanyuan Buqi, but she acknowledges Feng Jun’s remarkable skill. She also shows pragmatic judgment by accepting that a natural anomaly remains theoretically possible.
• Vast Sea Venerable/Hanhai recognizes the limits of his own Deduction compared with Feng Jun’s, revealing a rare sense of frustration and humility.
• True Immortal Shou Liu acts as an intermediary for the Spirit Plant Dao. She is cautious around the True Lords but gradually becomes more involved in interpreting the threat.
• Venerable Yuan Hao becomes concerned that the Spirit Plant Dao’s discovery and coordinate may have been deliberately sabotaged. His reprimand of Shou Liu shows both his sense of responsibility and his belief that the matter involves the Dao’s honor.

Significant Themes

• Uncertainty and hidden manipulation: The characters cannot determine whether the coordinate’s movement is a natural anomaly or deliberate interference, emphasizing the limits of their knowledge.
• Power and comparison: Feng Jun’s superior Deduction ability exposes the difference between ordinary high-level cultivators and someone capable of perceiving changes even great powers miss.
• Political suspicion and trust: The investigation serves not only to find the truth but also to establish that the Xuanyuan Family and Spirit Plant Dao are not responsible for the anomaly.
• Preparation against an approaching threat: Although the Asura World’s arrival has been delayed, the danger remains inevitable, giving the factions only more time to prepare.
• The value of strategic resources: Passage coordinates are treated as sources of territory, influence, and access to an entire world, making their protection politically and militarily vital.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s relationship with Xuanyuan Buqi remains practical: Buqi seeks his expertise, while Feng Jun remains focused on solving the mystery rather than on family politics.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi continue their familiar argumentative dynamic, disagreeing over whether the anomaly could be natural while still cooperating.
• True Immortal Shou Liu respects Feng Jun but is visibly unsettled by the gap between his abilities and those of the Spirit Plant Dao’s own experts.
• Venerable Yuan Hao reprimands Shou Liu for failing to recognize the possible sabotage as a matter of honor and security, then privately considers the Thief Lineage’s motives.
• The group’s shared suspicion of the Thief Lineage unites them temporarily, leading them to pursue the next possible lead together.

Summary of “Handing Over Kills”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and the major factions enter an isolated space to eliminate its Celestial Demons and demonic beasts. Creatures above the Nascent Soul Stage, dangerous poisonous beasts, and all Celestial Demons are designated for extermination, while weaker demonic beasts may be spared for future training.
• Xuanyuan Buqi argues that every Celestial Demon should be killed and refined into Soul-Nourishing Liquid. This leads to a discussion about how the space’s ownership and resources should be divided.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong offer to place their families’ shares under Feng Jun’s name, partly to repay him for helping their relatives and partly to strengthen their relationship with him. Vast Sea Venerable agrees to transfer Profound Water Sect’s share only in exchange for resources.
• Feng Jun unexpectedly states that he also intends to sell his share for Ultimate Spirit Stones, revealing that he values those resources more than control of the space. The others are confused because the space is an exceptionally valuable potential Secret Realm or Small World.
• The group spends approximately three months clearing the area. They easily destroy most demonic beasts, including three aggressive Soul Emergence Celestial Demons that attempt retaliation.
• A Nascent Soul Toon Tree Demon is spared because it can nourish life force and improve the environment. Xuanyuan Buqi considers taking it, but Qian Zhong reminds him that ownership of the space remains unsettled. The frightened tree demon loses nearly half its leaves.
• The Celestial Demons begin appearing endlessly, even in areas that were already cleared. After their stronger forces are destroyed, an Advanced Stage Celestial Demon starts sending mostly weak, unintelligent Dust-Free Stage Celestial Demons as expendable fodder.
• The group concludes that the Celestial Demons may be using these sacrifices to monitor or maintain a connection to the space, suggesting that something valuable to them is hidden within it. Despite the presence of powerful Deduction experts, they find no clues during two additional months of investigation.
• Meanwhile, Feng Jun secretly follows the Guardians’ instructions and prepares six locations within the space. To conceal his purpose, he creates more than ten apparent sites and claims they are for improving Deduction.
• The big shot recognizes that Feng Jun is secretly using the Ancient Spatial Annihilation Technique, a lost method capable of destroying folded spaces and Secret Realms. Feng Jun denies it, but the big shot realizes he never intended to keep the space.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows strategic caution and independence. Rather than being tempted by the space’s enormous value, he prioritizes Ultimate Spirit Stones and follows the Guardians’ hidden plan to destroy the realm.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays generosity toward Feng Jun because Feng Jun’s pills helped a Soul Emergence Realm junior recover. He also reveals a pragmatic willingness to eliminate Celestial Demons completely for profit.
• Qian Zhong acts perceptively and politically. She recognizes the attempts to pressure Vast Sea Venerable, protects Feng Jun’s interests regarding the Toon Tree Demon, and suspects Feng Jun’s actions may conceal a larger purpose.
• Vast Sea Venerable is placed in an awkward position as the other factions maneuver around him. Although he recognizes their pressure tactics, he maintains his principles and insists that his sect’s share must be exchanged for resources.
• The big shot demonstrates how well it understands Feng Jun. It sees through his deception and identifies the Ancient Spatial Annihilation Technique, while also revealing its deep fear of the Guardians.

Significant Themes

• Resource competition and political maneuvering: The space’s ownership becomes a tool for forming alliances, repaying favors, and pressuring rivals.
• Pragmatism over sentiment: The cultivators make harsh decisions based on utility, whether killing dangerous creatures, sparing the useful Toon Tree Demon, or trading away a valuable realm.
• Cultivation as both cruelty and training: The discussion over whether weak Celestial Demons should be preserved reflects the balance between extermination and giving younger cultivators opportunities to gain experience.
• Hidden agendas and deception: Feng Jun’s apparent participation in Deduction conceals his true mission, while the Celestial Demons may also be sacrificing forces to conceal or protect a deeper objective.
• The value of trust and relationships: Feng Jun’s medical assistance earns him loyalty from powerful families, while the big shot’s familiarity with him allows it to detect his secret plans.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong jointly offer Feng Jun their families’ shares, using their generosity to improve their relationship with him and isolate Vast Sea Venerable.
• Vast Sea Venerable resists being forced into giving away his sect’s property and insists on a fair exchange.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi mock sect cultivators’ lack of social maneuvering when Vast Sea Venerable fails to anticipate their political tactics.
• Qian Zhong prevents Xuanyuan Buqi from casually taking the Toon Tree Demon, emphasizing that it may belong to Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun conceals his true intentions from the group, while the big shot—having observed him closely—sees through the disguise and confronts him about the spatial destruction technique.

Chapter Summary: “Valuation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confirms that the Annihilation Art must be activated manually. Relieved, he abandons any thought of occupying the space himself but plans to sell his share for Ultimate Spirit Stones while preserving a valuable patch of Jiangzhu Grass.
• He explains that his preparations are meant to prevent him from being cheated in the transaction. The Great Lord accepts this explanation, unaware that Feng Jun is following deeper instructions from the Guardians, who appear to place unusual importance on the space.
• After more than ten days of investigation, the cultivators still cannot determine what the Celestial Demons want. Their numbers have dwindled to only a few dozen, most at the Dust-Free Stage, and the expedition becomes increasingly uneventful.
• Xuanyuan Buqi suggests entering the Celestial Demon Lair to create trouble, partly to obtain more Soul-Nourishing Liquid. The others discuss the possibility, relying on Feng Jun’s ability to help them escape, but Feng Jun admits he cannot reliably locate or understand the constantly shifting Void Passage.
• The group begins discussing the value and ownership of the space. All four parties—Qian Zhong, Xuanyuan Buqi, Feng Jun, and Vast Sea Venerable—are willing to surrender their shares, though Feng Jun emphasizes that this would be a sale, not a gift.
• Vast Sea Venerable estimates the space’s reference value at two hundred Ultimate Spirit Stones, making each of the four shares worth fifty. Feng Jun offers his share for forty, provided the Jiangzhu Grass area remains untouched.
• No one immediately agrees to purchase. Vast Sea Venerable offers to have the Profound Water Sect buy the shares, but Xuanyuan Buqi refuses to sell to a sect at the normal price and demands at least double because of family-versus-sect rivalry and concerns about reputation.
• Since neither the major families nor the Profound Water Sect can or will pay the increased price, negotiations stall. Vast Sea Venerable proposes continued discussion, while Xuanyuan Buqi would rather abandon the transaction than let the sect benefit cheaply.
• Hanhai then argues that the four parties should maintain a united position against outside buyers, preventing outsiders from taking advantage of their disagreement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows caution, strategic thinking, and loyalty. He gives up the chance to occupy the space, prioritizes securing payment, and insists on protecting the Jiangzhu Grass. He also recognizes that the Guardians’ instructions have hidden significance, though he trusts them not to harm him.
• The Great Lord remains powerful but naive and somewhat muddled. It accepts Feng Jun’s explanation without noticing the inconsistencies in his behavior.
• Xuanyuan Buqi is revealed as impulsive but politically shrewd. His desire for Soul-Nourishing Liquid motivates his interest in the Celestial Demon Lair, while his refusal to sell cheaply to the Profound Water Sect reflects strong family pride and factional hostility.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates restraint and practical judgment. Although she would like to acquire the space for the Yao Family, she recognizes that the purchase, renovation, and defense costs are beyond her faction’s resources.
• Vast Sea Venerable/Hanhai acts as a pragmatic negotiator. He is willing to purchase the space for his sect but understands the political obstacles and ultimately tries to preserve cooperation among the four parties.
• Feng Jun’s standing is emphasized: despite being only at the Gold Core Eighth Layer, he possesses a share equal to those held by powerful True Lords and a Venerable, reflecting his exceptional influence and potential.

Significant Themes

• Value versus practicality: The space may be worth two hundred Ultimate Spirit Stones or could potentially be refined into a Small World, but its true value is uncertain because of the remaining Celestial Demon threat and the costs of development.
• Factional politics and mistrust: Family forces and sects compete even when cooperation would be beneficial. Reputation, status, and fear of strengthening rivals matter as much as financial gain.
• Hidden power and incomplete knowledge: The Guardians’ secretive instructions, the unstable Void Passage, and the unknown purpose of the Celestial Demons all underline how little the characters understand about the larger situation.
• Security and strategic resources: Ownership of the space would provide training grounds, resources, and perhaps a defensive refuge, making it too important to destroy or casually sell.
• Cooperation versus self-interest: The characters must balance individual or factional advantage against the need to prevent outsiders from acquiring a valuable and potentially dangerous territory.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun reassures the Great Lord that his preparations are simply safeguards for a trade, concealing the deeper reasons behind his actions.
• Xuanyuan Buqi pressures Feng Jun to help locate the Void Passage and proposes raiding the Celestial Demon Lair, while Qian Zhong criticizes his reckless enthusiasm.
• Vast Sea Venerable supports the idea of relying on Feng Jun for escape, reinforcing the group’s confidence in Feng Jun’s abilities.
• During the valuation discussion, Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi independently offer to relinquish their shares, followed by Feng Jun and Hanhai.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Hanhai clash over the proposed sale: Hanhai wants the Profound Water Sect to buy the space, while Xuanyuan Buqi demands double payment because he refuses to strengthen a rival faction at an ordinary price.
• Qian Zhong silently benefits from Xuanyuan Buqi’s hard bargaining, since she shares his reluctance to sell cheaply to the sect.
• The chapter ends with Hanhai urging the four parties to remain united, shifting the discussion from simple valuation to collective control of the space.

Chapter Summary: “Not Indulging Bad Habits”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Vast Sea Venerable proposes that the four major forces temporarily set aside their dispute over entering the newly discovered space. They agree to cooperate against outside powers and jointly respond to any changes or opportunities within it.
• Feng Jun is persuaded to participate, despite claiming his combat strength is “meager.” The others recognize that his teleportation ability, prior familiarity with the space, and karmic attacks make him valuable. They also hope he will ultimately acquire the space.
• Upon returning to Libo Shoal, Feng Jun finds two Dust-Free Realm disciples of the Ji Family pressuring Yu Qingzhu to provide their next six-month allocation of Longevity Spring Water in advance.
• Yu Qingzhu refuses, insisting that Libo Shoal’s rules must be respected. The Ji Family argues that Yan Yuxi was previously granted a similar exception, but Yu Qingzhu explains that such preferential treatment was Libo Shoal’s choice, not an entitlement for other families.
• Feng Jun intervenes and reprimands the Ji Family for treating Libo Shoal as though it must follow the Ji Family’s rules. He postpones the Ji Family’s next allocation until the following year.
• Although Ji Zhengshen punishes the two offending disciples, Feng Jun refuses to reverse his decision. Ji Zhengshen eventually accepts that the Ji Family had overstepped and may have been testing Libo Shoal’s limits.
• Yu Qingzhu explains that Yan Yuxi received favorable treatment because she had discovered a new oil field and shared the information with Libo Shoal. Feng Jun approves the arrangement and orders Yu Qingzhu to explore a partnership for developing the field.
• The chapter ends with Yu Qingzhu revealing that Sophia wants Longevity Spring Water for promotional use at her Daoist Temple. Feng Jun rejects the request, emphasizing that the water is a scarce internal benefit and should not be distributed to outsiders. He then questions how Sophia learned about it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates stronger authority as Libo Shoal’s leader. He protects its rules, refuses to tolerate outside interference, and makes clear that even powerful families cannot pressure or manipulate the organization.
• Yu Qingzhu proves capable of defending Libo Shoal under pressure despite her comparatively low cultivation. Her knowledge, composure, and firm adherence to procedure earn Feng Jun’s approval.
• Ji Zhengshen shifts from defending his family’s position to acknowledging that the Ji Family was presumptuous. His willingness to punish the disciples prevents the dispute from escalating, but he cannot force Feng Jun to rescind the penalty.
• Vast Sea Venerable is shown to be frank and profit-minded, openly admitting his desire to compete for ownership of the space after centuries of service to the Profound Water Sect.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi continue encouraging Feng Jun to claim the space, recognizing both his abilities and his financial capacity.
• Yan Yuxi gains importance through her discovery of the oil field and her practical cooperation with Libo Shoal, despite not having especially close relations with the group.
• Sophia is positioned as an outsider seeking access to Libo Shoal’s resources, raising questions about information leaks and the limits of Feng Jun’s generosity.

Significant Themes

• Rules versus privilege: The Ji Family assumes its status should grant it special treatment, while Feng Jun insists that Libo Shoal’s rules apply equally to all guests.
• Maintaining boundaries: Feng Jun distinguishes sharply between insiders and outsiders, especially when resources are scarce.
• Authority and deterrence: Punishing the Ji Family’s violation is not merely about the water allocation; it prevents other forces from probing for weaknesses or attempting to exploit Libo Shoal.
• Practical cooperation over personal relationships: Yu Qingzhu accepts Yan Yuxi’s favor not because of friendship, but because the oil field offers genuine economic value.
• Ambition and competition: The four factions agree to cooperate temporarily, but their desire to obtain the sealed space remains strong.
• Modern economic development: Oil extraction, fuel production, electricity use, and industrial expansion show the growing interaction between cultivation society and modern technology.

Important Character Interactions

• Vast Sea, Qian Zhong, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Feng Jun negotiate their joint position regarding the sealed space, balancing cooperation with individual profit.
• Feng Jun silently observes Yu Qingzhu’s confrontation with the Ji Family before intervening, allowing him to assess her handling of pressure.
• Feng Jun and Ji Zhengshen engage in a tense but controlled power struggle. Feng Jun repeatedly asserts that the Ji Family has no authority over Libo Shoal.
• Yu Qingzhu explains her decision regarding Yan Yuxi, and Feng Jun validates her judgment while assigning her to pursue an oil-development partnership.
• Feng Jun rejects Sophia’s request for Longevity Spring Water and reinforces his policy that scarce resources remain reserved for trusted insiders.

Chapter Summary: “Readers Remained Calm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• All formal Luohua members receive the benefits of Longevity Spring Water, including back payments, except Sophia, who remains excluded because her family previously plotted against Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun intentionally limits Alansm Town’s influence within Luohua and delays granting full membership to Weier, a foreigner, insisting that she undergo a longer observation period.
• A foreign media outlet publishes sensational reports exposing much of Luohua’s hidden influence, including its cancer and diabetes treatments, Life Potion, resource-recycling technology, cultivation practices, graphene supplies, alien connections, space battleships, and Longevity Divine Water.
• The reports grow increasingly extravagant. Readers initially take the claims seriously but become skeptical and amused when the stories escalate to immortals, aliens, space fleets, and five-hundred-year lifespans.
• Xia Nation struggles to identify the leaker because the information comes from many scattered sources and often lacks verifiable details. Rumors about alien military exercises and Longevity Divine Water are especially difficult to suppress.
• Sophia learns that Luohua members are receiving longevity benefits while Weier is not. She confronts Sister Hong and cleverly uses the reports to demand Longevity Divine Water for both Weier and herself.
• Feng Jun discusses the leaks with Yu Qingzhu. She explains that Team Leader Lin views the media campaign as Xia Nation’s desperate counterattack against foreign powers who cannot keep up with its development.
• Feng Jun orders Luohua to investigate the leak independently and urges its members to become more capable and take greater responsibility instead of relying on him.
• He refuses to give Sophia Longevity Spring Water, arguing that doing so could endanger her and encourage people to create public scandals in order to gain benefits.
• The chapter ends when Liu Yiyi reports that Vast Sea Venerable has discovered traces of the Thief Lineage, introducing a new development.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Displays his pettiness and favoritism by excluding Sophia and delaying Weier’s membership, but also shows growing concern that Luohua’s disciples must mature and shoulder more responsibility. He remains firm in protecting Luohua’s principles and resisting pressure.
• Sophia: Reveals a more cunning and assertive side. She uses the leaked reports to expose the existence of Longevity Divine Water and pressures Sister Hong for access, especially on Weier’s behalf.
• Sister Hong: Recognizes Sophia’s attempt to manipulate her and responds sharply, though she also admits that Feng Jun’s treatment of Sophia is somewhat unfair.
• Yu Qingzhu: Shows humility by admitting that her authority may be insufficient to learn everything from Team Leader Lin. She accepts Feng Jun’s criticism and agrees to investigate more boldly.
• Luohua’s members: Are portrayed as increasingly capable cultivators with specialized talents, but Feng Jun believes they remain too dependent on him and must begin actively supporting the organization.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy versus uncontrolled information: Luohua’s secrets are difficult to contain because too many people possess partial knowledge, demonstrating how easily rumors spread.
• Rumor, truth, and public skepticism: The reports begin with credible revelations but become so exaggerated that readers remain calm and treat them like entertainment, showing how absurd claims can undermine genuine truths.
• Favoritism and moral consistency: Feng Jun’s exclusion of Sophia and Weier reflects his unresolved resentment and selective judgment, even while he presents his decisions as principled.
• Power and responsibility: Feng Jun realizes that Luohua cannot depend on him indefinitely and urges its members to develop their abilities and accept responsibility.
• Protection versus fairness: Feng Jun justifies withholding the longevity medicine from Sophia as necessary for her safety and to prevent others from profiting through public pressure, though personal grievance clearly influences him.
• Cultivation over worldly concerns: Feng Jun reminds Yu Qingzhu that Luohua’s members must prioritize cultivation rather than becoming consumed by mundane politics and investigations.

Character Interactions

• Sophia and Sister Hong: Sophia confronts Sister Hong about Weier’s exclusion and the rumored Longevity Divine Water. Sister Hong is irritated by Sophia’s manipulation and directs her to Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun and Yu Qingzhu: They discuss the media leaks, Xia Nation’s possible motives, and Luohua’s response. Feng Jun pushes Yu Qingzhu to investigate independently and avoid excessive concern about rules or others’ opinions.
• Sophia and Feng Jun: Although they do not meet directly in the chapter, Feng Jun makes the final decision to continue withholding her benefits, citing both security concerns and the danger of rewarding public agitation.
• Liu Yiyi and Feng Jun: Liu Yiyi interrupts the discussion with the important news that Vast Sea Venerable has found traces of the Thief Lineage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Vast Sea Venerable learns that the Thief Lineage has been spotted in the Instant Domain, a shattered and extremely dangerous realm filled with chaotic time-space laws, spatial fragments, astral winds, Void Beasts, and rare treasures.
• Feng Jun has never considered exploring the Instant Domain because its risks are unnecessary for him. He also confirms that the “big shot” has no hidden treasure vault there, since the unstable environment would make such a vault impractical.
• Although Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi initially oppose entering the Domain, they change their minds when they learn that local cultivators specifically requested aid from powerful Upper Sect cultivators.
• The group travels to the Instant Domain and meets Fan Qiu’an, a native Profound Water Sect inspector, who previously discovered a Thief Lineage gathering.
• Fan reports seeing three Nascent Soul cultivators and more than ten Gold Core cultivators. The Gold Core members were only “candidates,” forced to compete and kill one another in a process resembling “raising gu.”
• The group prepares to use Deduction techniques at the site of the sighting, despite nearly a year having passed since Fan’s discovery.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution and practicality. He is willing to enter the Instant Domain only because the investigation is meaningful, not because of curiosity or greed. His status is also emphasized by the respect shown to him by local cultivators and Vast Sea Venerable.
• Vast Sea Venerable is shown to be respectful and principled. Though powerful and direct, he follows guest etiquette at Libo Shoal and does not disturb Feng Jun while he handles internal affairs. He is also unusually humble, admitting that protecting both Fan Qiu’an and the accompanying Nascent Soul cultivator might burden him.
• Xuanyuan Buqi initially prioritizes Feng Jun’s safety and opposes the expedition, but readily supports it once the need for Upper Sect assistance becomes clear.
• Qian Zhong remains pragmatic and knowledgeable, warning that gathering astral-wind materials in the Instant Domain is far more dangerous than doing so elsewhere.
• Fan Qiu’an is portrayed as an ambitious native cultivator who has risen from menial service to the Intermediate Gold Core Stage. He longs to gain formal recognition as a Profound Water Sect disciple and shows courage by escaping the Thief Lineage and reporting what he saw.
• The unnamed Nascent Soul guardian is humbled when Vast Sea Venerable explains that Feng Jun and the others do not need his protection, revealing the group’s extraordinary strength.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus necessity: The characters distinguish between worthwhile danger and pointless risk. Feng Jun refuses to endanger himself merely for rare resources, but accepts danger when the investigation serves a greater purpose.
• Respect and propriety: Vast Sea Venerable’s conduct highlights the importance of observing social roles and etiquette, even among powerful cultivators.
• Opportunity within danger: The Instant Domain represents both extreme peril and immense opportunity, embodying the unpredictable nature of cultivation.
• Status and recognition: Fan Qiu’an’s struggles reflect the rigid hierarchy between native disciples, liaison outposts, Lower Sects, and Upper Sects. Formal affiliation is portrayed as a major source of ambition and validation.
• Moral decline and survival: The Thief Lineage’s practice of making Gold Core candidates slaughter one another suggests an increasingly ruthless, devil-cultivator-like approach driven by secrecy and self-preservation.
• Humility among the powerful: Vast Sea Venerable’s modesty contrasts with his immense reputation and indirectly emphasizes how formidable Feng Jun and his companions are.

Character Interactions

• Vast Sea Venerable respectfully informs Feng Jun of the Thief Lineage’s whereabouts rather than contacting him directly through Divine Sense.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi debate the wisdom of entering the Instant Domain, while Vast Sea Venerable explains the local cultivators’ request for assistance.
• Vast Sea Venerable advises Feng Jun to travel more and broaden his experience, showing a rare willingness to offer personal guidance.
• Fan Qiu’an answers Feng Jun’s questions respectfully, clearly recognizing that Feng Jun holds an unusual position beside an Upper Sect Venerable.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reacts uneasily to the Thief Lineage’s brutal internal selection process, comparing it to devil-cultivation methods.
• Qian Zhong interrupts the discussion to refocus everyone on the actual investigation.
• When the Nascent Soul guardian asks to accompany the group, Vast Sea Venerable gently refuses, explaining that Feng Jun and the others are powerful enough to protect themselves—and may even be strong enough that he must worry about keeping up with them.

Chapter Summary: “Faint Clues”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and the others investigate the former gathering place of the Thief Lineage, beginning at a desert Gobi where Fan Qiu’an previously encountered them and discovered Blazing Copper Ore.
• Although the desert retains no aura, Feng Jun uses Deduction to determine the Thief Lineage cultivators’ direction of travel. Their pursuit is slowed by deliberate detours, astral winds, spatial fluctuations, and dangerous spatial rifts.
• After passing through a spatial rift, the trail becomes easier to follow. The group realizes the Thief Lineage had taken such elaborate precautions largely because they feared retaliation from Fan Qiu’an, whom they had previously failed to kill.
• The pursuers eventually discover that the three Nascent Soul cultivators split up, each taking an Earth Cultivation cultivator. The group divides to pursue them separately.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi capture one Nascent Soul cultivator, who has established a small family in the Instant Domain. He admits that he belonged to the Thief Lineage and reveals that members must participate in raids every twenty years or face punishment.
• The captured cultivator claims his descendants were uninvolved in the raids and asks Xuanyuan Buqi to spare them. Xuanyuan Buqi agrees conditionally, promising mercy if the family truly knows nothing and the prisoner cooperates. A Soul Search confirms his account.
• The prisoner identifies Colorless, another Thief Lineage cultivator and the leader of their former group, as a more important and knowledgeable figure. Colorless had mentioned that certain Thief Lineage Venerables were planning something on the Main Plane.
• Qian Zhong’s group locates Colorless, but he has already caused a public scandal by attempting to assault the Earth Cultivation cultivator traveling with him. She injured him, after which he killed her and falsely accused her of being an assassin.
• Qian Zhong captures Colorless and begins a Soul Search, but a hidden restriction causes his Sea of Consciousness to self-destruct. She obtains some information but loses the chance to interrogate an important Thief Lineage leader.
• The group learns that the coordinate they were pursuing had been relocated by the Thief Lineage. They then pursue the third Nascent Soul cultivator, Yan Feng.
• Yan Feng’s trail leads to a Golden Crow Sect liaison station, creating an unexpected and politically awkward connection between the Thief Lineage and one of Feng Jun’s closest allied sects.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates the exceptional value of his Deduction ability. Even after nearly a year, he can reconstruct the fugitives’ movements, though the pursuit is complicated by spatial concealment.
• Fan Qiu’an recognizes that his earlier escape forced the Thief Lineage to travel cautiously and take numerous detours. His survival indirectly aids the current pursuit.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains ruthless toward the Thief Lineage but shows a measured sense of justice by offering to spare innocent descendants if they genuinely had no involvement. He is also openly critical of Qian Zhong for destroying a valuable source of intelligence.
• Qian Zhong acts decisively against Colorless because of his abuse of the Earth Cultivation cultivator. However, her haste and underestimation of the Soul Search restriction cause Colorless to die before revealing everything he knows, leaving her frustrated and regretful.
• The captured Nascent Soul patriarch is portrayed as conflicted. Though he belongs to the Thief Lineage, establishing a family has caused him to distance himself from its activities, and he ultimately cooperates in hopes of protecting his descendants.
• Colorless is revealed to be both influential within the Thief Lineage and morally depraved, using his strength and public reputation to exploit weaker cultivators.
• Yan Feng becomes increasingly suspicious because of his mysterious background and possible outside support, especially after the trail leads to the Golden Crow Sect.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus ruthlessness: The Thief Lineage carefully hides its movements while acting brutally and openly when robbing or exploiting others.
• Guilt and complicity: The chapter questions whether family members who benefit from stolen resources can truly claim innocence, even if they do not participate directly in raids.
• Justice and mercy: Xuanyuan Buqi’s conditional promise to spare the younger generation contrasts with the group’s willingness to eliminate active Thief Lineage members.
• The limits of intelligence-gathering: Even powerful Soul Searches can be thwarted by hidden restrictions, and a single mistake can destroy crucial evidence.
• Institutional corruption and decline: The Thief Lineage’s compulsory raids and increasingly depraved members suggest that the organization has deteriorated over generations.
• Political uncertainty: Yan Feng’s connection to a Golden Crow Sect station introduces the possibility that the Thief Lineage has allies or infiltrators within respected sects.

Character Interactions

• Fan Qiu’an’s observations are largely ignored by the stronger cultivators, though his past experience proves important to understanding the fugitives’ behavior.
• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly criticizes both Fan Qiu’an and Qian Zhong, but he also takes responsibility for making and enforcing judgments during the interrogation.
• The captured patriarch appeals to Xuanyuan Buqi’s authority and compassion, leading to a conditional agreement before the Soul Search confirms his honesty.
• Qian Zhong’s intervention against Colorless reflects her hostility toward those who oppress weaker cultivators, but her failure to extract complete information becomes a source of tension with Xuanyuan Buqi.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi work closely as the most effective tracking pair, while the discovery of Yan Feng at a Golden Crow Sect station leaves both Xuanyuan Buqi and Vast Sea Venerable unsure whether they can intervene directly.