Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Have a Bout”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue and Feng Jun observe the confrontation between the towering chive spirit—the “big shot”—and Xiao Yao, another consciousness inhabiting part of its original body.
• Rather than fighting immediately, the two spirit plants argue over their history, the fate of Yu Dou, and ownership of the original body.
• They reveal that Yu Dou, once the big shot’s trusted steward, was a spirit plant who betrayed and attacked her. Although the big shot believes she destroyed him, neither knows whether a remnant soul escaped.
• Xiao Yao was originally part of the big shot’s body and consciousness, similar to a split soul but not exactly the same. It developed an independent personality only after the big shot was grievously injured.
• The big shot expects Xiao Yao to merge back into her once she fully recovers. Xiao Yao refuses, insisting that it is now an independent being and wants freedom from the big shot’s influence.
• The big shot offers to let Xiao Yao leave and pursue its own path, but demands that it surrender the original body and leave the Grotto-Heaven.
• Xiao Yao protests that the Grotto-Heaven is its home and asks to retain a portion of the original body. The big shot rejects the request, arguing that independence requires a price.
• Unable to accept the situation, Xiao Yao proposes settling their dispute through a wagered battle.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Initially anxious about the confrontation and uncertain about the relationship between the two spirit plants. Through the argument, he gains a clearer understanding of their complicated nature and recognizes that the apparent delay may be deliberate rather than weakness.
• Yi Jue: Demonstrates specialized knowledge of spirit plants, explaining that Xiao Yao is neither a normal split soul nor entirely separate from the big shot. She also suggests that fusion would not completely erase Xiao Yao’s consciousness, though Xiao Yao rejects that compromise because it wants genuine independence.
• The big shot: Reveals both authority and emotional attachment toward Xiao Yao. She believes she has the rightful claim to the original body and emphasizes that Xiao Yao exists because of her. Though angry and domineering, she ultimately offers Xiao Yao a chance to leave rather than forcibly fuse with it.
• Xiao Yao: Shows increasing self-awareness, intelligence, and emotional independence. It respects and fears the big shot but refuses to surrender its autonomy. Despite understanding that the big shot has the stronger claim, it is unwilling to abandon its home and identity.

Significant Themes

• Identity and independence: Xiao Yao struggles to establish itself as an individual rather than remain merely a fragment of the big shot.
• Family, ownership, and obligation: Their quarrel resembles a family dispute, combining affection, resentment, seniority, and competing claims over shared resources and origins.
• The cost of freedom: The big shot argues that Xiao Yao cannot demand independence while retaining the body and shelter that enabled its existence.
• Nature of consciousness: The chapter explores whether a consciousness originating as part of another being can become truly separate and possess an independent identity.
• Complicated relationships among spirit plants: Spirit plants may be enemies, relatives, servants, or parts of one another, making their emotional and hierarchical relationships difficult to categorize.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue watch the argument together, with Yi Jue explaining the spirit plants’ unusual nature and Feng Jun reacting with confusion and concern.
• The big shot and Xiao Yao alternate between hostile bickering and familial concern. Their exchange includes accusations, threats of fusion, pleas for understanding, and references to their shared past.
• Yi Jue briefly intervenes by explaining that fusion would leave Xiao Yao semi-independent, but Xiao Yao insists that this would still place it under the big shot’s influence.
• The dispute ends not with violence, but with Xiao Yao challenging the big shot to a wagered battle over their conflicting claims.

Chapter Summary: Instant Surrender

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yao challenges the Boss to a wager, hoping to secure the right to occupy part of their shared main body.
• The Boss demands suitable stakes. Xiao Yao offers to leave the main body or the Grotto-Heaven if it loses, but the Boss rejects these terms because both belong to it.
• The Boss proposes that, if Xiao Yao loses, it must allow itself to be completely fused back into the main body. Xiao Yao protests that living in the main body is already its right.
• Growing impatient, the Boss threatens to join forces with Feng Jun and forcibly eliminate or absorb Xiao Yao’s consciousness.
• Xiao Yao attempts to negotiate by promising not to cause trouble, but the Boss warns that leaving the Grotto-Heaven could still create causal problems for it.
• The Boss finally agrees to let Xiao Yao remain if it swears an oath and leaves the Grotto-Heaven peacefully. However, Xiao Yao insists on fighting once, believing that surrendering without a challenge would leave it dissatisfied.
• The Boss allows Xiao Yao to strike first but warns that damaging the borrowed Jianmu avatar will justify forcibly merging with it.
• Before attacking, the Boss reveals a powerful protective talisman or plaque attached to one of its leaves. Xiao Yao immediately recognizes that the treasure contains rules from a powerful external expert and realizes the Boss is genuinely prepared to kill or completely suppress it.
• Xiao Yao instantly surrenders. The Boss refuses to let it withdraw after accepting the challenge and orders it to accept fusion.
• Xiao Yao asks whether its independent consciousness can be preserved since it never actually attacked or damaged Jianmu. The Boss refuses, insisting that Xiao Yao must return to an ignorant, undifferentiated state.
• Xiao Yao argues that preserving its consciousness would avoid wasting the protective treasure. The Boss initially dismisses the argument, but begins reconsidering because such treasures may be difficult to obtain again.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yao is revealed as immature, rebellious, and emotionally dependent on the Boss, behaving like a spoiled younger sibling. Although it wants independence and a place in the main body, it is not truly malicious and immediately backs down once it realizes the Boss is serious.
• Xiao Yao also demonstrates strong survival instincts. Its confidence collapses when it senses the protective talisman, and it quickly shifts from demanding a wager to pleading for the preservation of its consciousness.
• The Boss displays a mixture of stern authority, familial concern, and ruthless pragmatism. It views itself as both Xiao Yao’s elder sister and guardian, but refuses to indulge its behavior.
• The Boss values its relationship with Feng Jun more highly than its emotional connection with Xiao Yao, suggesting that its family bond with Xiao Yao is complicated by their long separation.
• The Boss’s determination to eliminate Xiao Yao’s independent consciousness reflects its long-term concern for its own cultivation and Dao path. It does not want dual consciousnesses to interfere with future advancement.
• Feng Jun remains mostly an observer, amused by the family dispute and silently recognizing Xiao Yao’s lack of refinement.

Significant Themes

• Family authority and discipline: The conflict resembles a quarrel between a strict parent and a spoiled child. Affection exists, but it does not excuse disobedience.
• Freedom versus belonging: Xiao Yao wants to leave or claim a place within the shared body, framing independence as the right to live in its own home.
• Identity and consciousness: The possible fusion raises questions about whether Xiao Yao can retain its individuality or must return to an undifferentiated state.
• Power and survival: Xiao Yao’s challenge is less a genuine attempt to harm the Boss than a test of its own status and autonomy. Once confronted with overwhelming power, survival takes priority.
• Causality and responsibility: The Boss fears that Xiao Yao’s actions outside the Grotto-Heaven could create causal consequences for both of them.
• Immaturity versus wisdom: Xiao Yao understands complicated matters such as causality but behaves emotionally and impulsively, while the Boss applies harsh, practical judgment.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yao repeatedly calls the Boss “Big Sister” and appeals to their shared origin to gain leniency.
• The Boss responds with sarcasm and threats, refusing to accept Xiao Yao’s attempts to use shared family property as wager stakes.
• Their exchange becomes a battle of negotiation: Xiao Yao demands independence, while the Boss insists that freedom requires responsibility and obedience.
• Feng Jun observes the argument with amusement and is treated by the Boss as a potential ally in suppressing Xiao Yao.
• The Boss’s revelation of the protective talisman changes the entire interaction. Xiao Yao recognizes that the Boss’s warnings are sincere and immediately surrenders.
• Even after surrendering, Xiao Yao continues bargaining, asking that its consciousness be preserved. The Boss remains firm but begins to waver when Xiao Yao points out the value of conserving the rare protective treasure.

Chapter Summary: “Xiao Yao’s News”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The big shot agrees to spare Xiao Yao, but only if Xiao Yao swears a Heavenly Way Oath, severs their mortal connection, cuts off their karma, and leaves.
• Xiao Yao refuses to sever their relationship. She offers to leave the Grotto-Heaven and even surrender her original body, but insists on preserving her karmic bond with the big shot.
• Xiao Yao appears as a small, tearful girl, using her emotional attachment to “Big Sis” to persuade her. Although the display seems childish, her desperation is genuine rather than manipulative.
• Xiao Yao reveals that she sensed the familiar protective aura surrounding Feng Jun and believes it originated from beyond the heavens, specifically from the world connected to Blue Star.
• The big shot becomes interested because she knows Blue Star may be a Dharma-Ending Plane and is wary of the powerful beings protecting it.
• Xiao Yao attempts to bargain: if she provides valuable information, she hopes Feng Jun will plead for mercy and convince the big shot not to sever their relationship.
• Feng Jun agrees to hear her information but makes clear that he alone will decide whether it is useful.
• Xiao Yao reports seeing a cultivator traveling at tremendous speed on a streak of white light. The cultivator seemed to possess lightning-related abilities and carried the aura of Blue Star’s world.
• The big shot wonders whether the figure might be Lu Ya’s Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger, but Feng Jun notes that Lu Ya was not known as a Lei Xiu and suspects it may have been someone else.
• The big shot warns Xiao Yao that unsupported speculation will not help her. She emphasizes that while Xiao Yao’s offense against her might be forgiven, offending Feng Jun would damage her dignity and cannot be treated lightly.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yao: Reveals herself as emotionally dependent on the big shot despite her immense age and cultivation. Her childish appearance and behavior reflect her genuine self-image rather than calculated deception. She is clever, persistent, and willing to surrender nearly everything except her karmic bond with her “Big Sis.”
• The big shot: Remains stern and resolute, believing that a cultivator must uphold her principles and not be swayed by sentiment. However, she is not completely indifferent: she recognizes Xiao Yao’s attachment and quietly creates an opportunity for Feng Jun to help her. Her concern for Feng Jun also shows that she values his dignity and safety.
• Feng Jun: Acts as a cautious intermediary. He understands the big shot’s intentions and refuses to be manipulated by Xiao Yao’s pleading, while still agreeing to evaluate her information fairly. His position has grown important enough that offending him is treated as a serious matter.
• Yi Jue: Perceives the big shot’s indirect attempt to make her owe a favor and reacts with silent annoyance, revealing her awareness of the political implications of the exchange.

Significant Themes

• Family, attachment, and severing karma: The central conflict is whether Xiao Yao must completely cut ties with the big shot in order to survive. The chapter contrasts cultivation’s demand for emotional detachment with Xiao Yao’s desperate need for connection.
• The tension between principle and compassion: The big shot insists on punishment and boundaries, yet her actions suggest restrained mercy. She will not openly relent, but she allows circumstances that might justify sparing Xiao Yao.
• Power and dignity: Even beings of overwhelming strength must preserve authority and status. The big shot’s concern about Feng Jun being offended shows that personal dignity and political standing matter among great cultivators.
• Information as leverage: Xiao Yao uses knowledge about Blue Star and its protectors as her only bargaining chip. The chapter also highlights the danger of relying on uncertain intelligence.
• Appearance versus true nature: Xiao Yao looks and behaves like a young child, but she is an ancient, extremely powerful existence. Her childishness is presented as authentic, creating a humorous contrast with her cultivation and age.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yao and the big shot: Their exchange resembles a quarrel between estranged family members. Xiao Yao begs to remain connected, while the big shot responds coldly but shows concealed concern.
• Xiao Yao and Feng Jun: Xiao Yao quickly shifts from calling herself the big shot’s younger sister to addressing Feng Jun as “little brother,” flattering him in hopes that he will plead for her. Feng Jun recognizes the tactic but agrees to judge her information.
• Feng Jun and the big shot: The big shot deliberately places the decision in Feng Jun’s hands, though she denies that his response will affect her judgment unless he openly pleads for Xiao Yao. This demonstrates both trust in Feng Jun and her reluctance to admit compassion.
• Yi Jue and the big shot: Yi Jue understands that the big shot is attempting to create an opportunity for mercy while preserving her pride, and she resents being drawn into the arrangement.
• The big shot and Xiao Yao’s information: The possible sighting of a mysterious lightning-affiliated cultivator from Blue Star’s world introduces a larger mystery concerning powerful beings moving between worlds.

Chapter Summary: “A Terrifying Aura”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yao reveals that a mysterious expert who claimed to belong to the Grand Void Sect once appeared in the Skyflight Layer more than ten thousand years earlier.
• She witnessed this expert kill a True Lord and effortlessly erase the destructive aftermath of the death. His power and aura resembled both Feng Jun’s aura and the protective Talisman linked to the big shot.
• The expert nearly killed Xiao Yao after detecting her Soul Fragment spying on the battle. He spared her only after determining that she was not a thief, warning that he would show no mercy if she appeared again.
• The expert declared that his opponent had stolen a treasure belonging to the Grand Void Sect and threatened him even if he fled to the Ghost Shaman World.
• Xiao Yao explains that, after this frightening encounter, she stopped leaving her Grotto-Heaven and focused on fusing with her main body and eventually reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
• The group debates whether the expert truly belonged to the Grand Void Sect and whether the slain True Lord came from the Ghost Shaman World.
• Xiao Yao vaguely recalls hearing something about the Thief Lineage, raising the possibility that a True Lord may once have been connected to it.
• Because the information is inconclusive, Feng Jun concludes that they must find Venerable Kuxin and asks whether he can be summoned within the Grotto-Heaven.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yao is shown to be cautious, obedient toward the big shot, and deeply traumatized by her encounter with the Grand Void Sect expert. Her experience demonstrates how vulnerable even a powerful Soul Fragment can be before a true top-level expert.
• The big shot displays strong protective and familial feelings toward Xiao Yao. Although it had been punishing her for damaging the family’s reputation, it becomes angry when learning that an outsider nearly erased her. It also recognizes the similarities between itself and Xiao Yao in their long-term, cautious approach to cultivation.
• Feng Jun becomes increasingly suspicious and analytical. He takes the Grand Void Sect claim seriously, links the clues to the Ghost Shaman World, and immediately begins considering how to investigate further.
• Yi Jue remains restrained and diplomatic. She confirms that she does not know of such an expert within the Grand Void Sect, suggesting that he might instead be an elder’s associate, honored guest, or someone connected to the sect indirectly.
• The mysterious Grand Void Sect expert is characterized as overwhelmingly powerful, highly skilled in Deduction, and connected to a valuable treasure and possibly the Thief Lineage.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and reputation: The big shot’s attitude reflects a familial code: personal punishment is acceptable within the family, but outside attacks or actions that damage the family’s reputation are treated much more seriously.
• The vast hierarchy of power: The effortless destruction of a True Lord’s aftereffects emphasizes the enormous gap between ordinary high-level cultivators and the mysterious experts at the peak.
• Mystery and hidden affiliations: The chapter raises questions about the true identity of the Grand Void Sect expert, the origins of the sect, the stolen treasure, and the relationship between the Ghost Shaman World and the Thief Lineage.
• Caution and survival: Xiao Yao’s decision to remain hidden after encountering an overwhelmingly stronger being reinforces the importance of concealment and patience in a dangerous cultivation world.
• Incomplete knowledge: Even Yi Jue and the big shot lack definitive answers, showing that ancient events and powerful figures remain obscure even to major factions.

Character Interactions

• The big shot reprimands Xiao Yao but simultaneously treats her as family, becoming defensive when learning that another expert threatened her.
• Feng Jun warns Xiao Yao to be careful when mentioning the Grand Void Sect, especially because Yi Jue is a member of it.
• Xiao Yao dismisses Yi Jue’s status as a Soul Emergence cultivator and sect member, revealing the difference between her attitude toward the big shot, Feng Jun, and ordinary sect figures.
• Yi Jue questions Xiao Yao about the slain True Lord’s origin and later admits that she never asked Venerable Kuxin about the Thief Lineage because of their agreement.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and the big shot jointly analyze Xiao Yao’s testimony, ultimately deciding that Venerable Kuxin may be the only person capable of clarifying the mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Ugly Enough to Cry”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns after questioning He Wei and Youying, reporting that the information he obtained was accurate and that the results exceeded expectations.
• He asks the powerful giant chive—revealed to be the senior Bamboo Gentleman—to spare Xiao Yao as compensation for the information she provided. Bamboo Gentleman agrees and goes to settle matters with Xiao Yao as a family issue.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue discuss their next destination: the Ghost Shaman World, where they must investigate a possible Grand Void Gate Supreme Protector.
• They speculate that the Supreme Protector is at least an Integration-stage expert who has remained in Heavenly Zither to protect the sect’s inheritance.
• Yi Jue learns that Bamboo Gentleman’s true body is not a chive but a Soul-Cleansing Lily, while its bamboo form is merely a disguise. Bamboo Gentleman asks them not to reveal this secret.
• The two wait more than twenty days while Bamboo Gentleman completes the transfer of its main body and Grotto-Heaven. Yi Jue is permitted to cultivate using the area’s dense spiritual energy, but Feng Jun is warned not to do so because it could create hidden dangers.
• Bamboo Gentleman eventually asks Feng Jun to store its Grotto-Heaven using a Sumeru-in-a-Mustard-Seed technique, demonstrating extraordinary trust in him.
• Xiao Yao appears in a reduced chive form and is forced by Bamboo Gentleman to greet Feng Jun and Yi Jue. Embarrassed and resentful, she begins crying dramatically—apparently because she believes she is ugly.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to act as a mediator between powerful beings. He remains calm and informal even when dealing with Integration-level entities, and Bamboo Gentleman’s willingness to entrust him with its Grotto-Heaven shows how much trust he has earned.
• Yi Jue displays caution and respect toward senior experts. She becomes increasingly aware of the immense power and unusual origins of Bamboo Gentleman, while also deepening her cooperation with Feng Jun.
• Bamboo Gentleman is revealed to be an ancient, nonhuman existence with a Soul-Cleansing Lily main body and multiple disguises. Though arrogant and blunt, it is protective of Xiao Yao and regards Feng Jun and Yi Jue as trusted friends.
• Xiao Yao remains mischievous, proud, and easily frightened. She is relieved when Bamboo Gentleman agrees to spare her, but her pride is hurt when she is treated like a junior. Her exaggerated crying adds a comedic contrast to the chapter’s serious revelations.

Significant Themes

• Trust between powerful beings: Bamboo Gentleman’s willingness to rely on Feng Jun, reveal its true form, and entrust him with its Grotto-Heaven emphasizes the unusual trust Feng Jun has earned.
• Family and reconciliation: Bamboo Gentleman refers to its dealings with Xiao Yao as “family matters,” suggesting that their conflict is ultimately personal rather than purely hostile.
• Hidden identities and disguises: The revelation that Bamboo Gentleman’s chive and bamboo forms are disguises reinforces the idea that powerful cultivators often conceal their true nature.
• Sect loyalty and responsibility: The discussion of Supreme Protectors highlights the burdens of protecting a Dao lineage, even at the cost of personal cultivation and longevity.
• Humor amid danger: Xiao Yao’s fearful, childish behavior and her apparent distress over being ugly lighten an otherwise serious chapter filled with ancient powers, sect secrets, and major cultivation realms.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun negotiates with Bamboo Gentleman on Xiao Yao’s behalf, balancing respect with enough confidence to ask for leniency.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun discuss the Ghost Shaman World and the identity of the suspected Grand Void Supreme Protector, showing their growing partnership and mutual trust.
• Yi Jue accidentally questions Bamboo Gentleman’s true form but quickly apologizes and offers to swear a Heavenly Way Oath to protect the secret.
• Bamboo Gentleman thanks Yi Jue for lending Jianmu and assures her that it trusts her.
• Bamboo Gentleman reprimands Xiao Yao for failing to greet Feng Jun and Yi Jue properly, while Xiao Yao protests that her cultivation is higher than theirs.
• The chapter ends comically with Xiao Yao crying, while Bamboo Gentleman privately interprets her tears as embarrassment over her unattractive appearance.

Chapter Summary: “A Sense of Beauty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue discovers that Jianmu was not damaged during the recent operation and asks when it can be returned.
• Boss explains that Jianmu was modified through the intervention of Feng Jun’s master. It will automatically recover after fifty years, so Yi Jue agrees to wait rather than trouble Feng Jun’s powerful master again.
• Yi Jue offers to compensate Diwu Wood for its losses through the Spirit Plant Dao, even promising to pay personally if necessary.
• Boss reveals that Xiao Yao’s Divine Thought currently needs Jianmu as a vessel. Although Xiao Yao dislikes Jianmu’s appearance, there is no better replacement available immediately.
• A disagreement arises over where Xiao Yao should remain. Boss insists on giving the Grotto-Heaven to Feng Jun and keeping Xiao Yao outside unless she finds another suitable vessel. Xiao Yao becomes extremely distressed because the Grotto-Heaven is her home.
• Feng Jun learns that Xiao Yao’s complaints stem largely from Jianmu’s unattractive appearance. He asks about Boss’s true form, prompting a discussion about plant aesthetics.
• Xiao Yao accidentally mentions that Boss’s main body has “feather-like compound leaves,” a description associated with the Blue Star world. Boss panics because bamboo does not possess such leaves, potentially exposing its disguise or origins.
• Yi Jue connects this description to Yu Dou and correctly realizes that Yu Dou was the mysterious Albizia tree that once fought the Spirit Farmer Dao.

Character Developments

• Yi Jue shows patience, responsibility, and generosity. Though eager to reclaim Jianmu, she accepts the fifty-year delay and takes responsibility for compensating Diwu Wood.
• Boss becomes more confident after recovering part of its main body. It also behaves protectively toward Xiao Yao, acting almost like a strict parent while trying to secure a proper vessel for her.
• Xiao Yao is revealed to be powerful but emotionally inexperienced and highly sensitive. She repeatedly cries over Jianmu’s appearance and the possibility of being separated from the Grotto-Heaven.
• Feng Jun remains observant and tactful, carefully avoiding offense while investigating the relationship between Boss, Xiao Yao, Jianmu, and his master.
• Bamboo Gentleman/Boss demonstrates a strong and rather unusual sense of plant aesthetics, considering bamboo superior to Jianmu despite Jianmu’s status as a renowned divine tree.

Significant Themes

• Subjective beauty: The chapter humorously emphasizes that beauty depends on species and perspective. Plants, humans, and powerful spiritual beings may have entirely different aesthetic standards.
• Home and belonging: Xiao Yao’s emotional instability comes not only from disliking Jianmu’s appearance but also from fearing separation from the Grotto-Heaven, which she considers home.
• Trust and responsibility: Yi Jue trusts Feng Jun’s master, accepts the need to wait, and willingly assumes responsibility for compensating those harmed.
• Disguises and hidden identities: Xiao Yao’s careless reference to “feather-like compound leaves” nearly exposes information about Boss’s true identity or origin.
• Power versus maturity: Xiao Yao possesses the cultivation of an Integration Ancestor but lacks worldly experience and emotional composure, creating a contrast between her immense power and childlike reactions.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue questions Xiao Yao about Jianmu, while Boss repeatedly intervenes to defend Xiao Yao and explain why Jianmu must remain with her.
• Boss and Xiao Yao bicker over Jianmu’s appearance and living arrangements, with Boss taking an increasingly parental, authoritarian role.
• Feng Jun tactfully asks about Boss’s main body, leading Xiao Yao to reveal the dangerous detail about feather-like compound leaves.
• Yi Jue uses Xiao Yao’s description to identify Yu Dou’s true form as an Albizia tree, linking the current events to an earlier conflict with the Spirit Farmer Dao.

Chapter Summary: “Grotto-Heaven Touches Down”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Spirit Farmer Dao confirms that Yu Dou True Lord, once a respected and approachable figure, had advanced to the Integration Realm before disappearing for tens of thousands of years. His long absence strongly suggests that he has fallen.
• Yi Jue recalls that Yu Dou’s true form was an albizia tree and realizes that his disappearance likely marks the death of another ancient great power.
• Xiao Yao insults Yu Dou, calling him merely the former lackey of its “big sister,” while Boss threatens to imprison it in the Grotto-Heaven or place it in a Spirit-Beast Bag. Xiao Yao eagerly accepts the latter because it dislikes being seen in its current unattractive state.
• Feng Jun begins retrieving Bamboo Gentleman’s Grotto-Heaven. The process takes three days and is extremely taxing, since every Grotto-Heaven has unique methods of opening and withdrawal. The others can only watch rather than assist.
• Bamboo Gentleman successfully retrieves the Grotto-Heaven and begins refining its true body inside it. This greatly improves its strength and eases the pressure and uncertainty it had endured.
• The group discusses Bamboo Gentleman’s past tribulations, including the destruction of Diwu Wood, the loss of its secret caches, and Yu Dou’s ambush after its tribulation. Yi Jue argues that these misfortunes have led to a reversal of fortune through Feng Jun’s assistance.
• Qing Yao asks Bamboo Gentleman about her own Causal Tribulation. Although Bamboo Gentleman senses that her karmic troubles are serious, it refuses to perform a Deduction, advising her instead to seek Feng Jun’s help.
• Xuanyuan Buqi asks whether any enemies or remnants remain. Bamboo Gentleman requests that the Xuanyuan Family provide intelligence-gathering assistance in the future rather than directly sending disciples into battle. Xuanyuan Buqi gladly agrees, seeing the arrangement as a valuable opportunity to deepen their connection.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and the others remain in the Skyflight Layer above the Kunhao Plane rather than returning directly to Libo Shoal.
• Bamboo Gentleman plans to use the recovered Grotto-Heaven to house the Jiangzhu Grass during its preparation to enter the Soul Emergence Realm. A Guiding Array will connect the Grotto-Heaven to the Longevity Spring Water, allowing the grass to be transferred safely.
• The Grotto-Heaven is left at Libo Shoal under protection. Though it is valuable, stealing or refining it would require immense power, a compelling motive, and the willingness to bear severe karma.
• While Feng Jun and Bamboo Gentleman discuss defensive formations, a sudden thought arrives announcing that another Grotto-Heaven is about to “touch down,” setting up the next development.

Character Developments

• Bamboo Gentleman/Boss: Becomes far more relaxed, talkative, and confident after recovering its true body and Grotto-Heaven. Its strength increases substantially, and it becomes less fearful of minor enemies. It also begins offering advice and cooperating more openly with others, though it retains the dignity and aloofness of an Integration Ancestor.
• Feng Jun: Demonstrates his importance by successfully retrieving the Grotto-Heaven despite the difficulty of the process. His flourishing fortune and powerful Deduction abilities make him indispensable to Bamboo Gentleman and the wider group.
• Yi Jue: Shows insight into Yu Dou’s disappearance and provides a philosophical interpretation of Bamboo Gentleman’s misfortunes, viewing them as part of a reversal from bad luck to good fortune.
• Qing Yao: Reveals concern about her own Causal Tribulation and seeks guidance from Bamboo Gentleman. She is perceptive enough to recognize its improved mood but must accept its refusal to help directly.
• Xiao Yao: Remains irreverent, vain, and troublesome, yet oddly eager to be confined in a Spirit-Beast Bag. Its unreliable nature continues to worry Bamboo Gentleman because any trouble it causes may become Bamboo Gentleman’s karma.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Displays political skill and opportunism by quickly offering the Xuanyuan Family’s support. He understands that even limited cooperation can strengthen their relationship with Bamboo Gentleman.

Significant Themes

• Fortune after suffering: Bamboo Gentleman’s destroyed resources and past disasters are framed as misfortunes that have ultimately led to a major reversal through Feng Jun’s arrival.
• Tribulation and karma: The chapter expands the meaning of tribulation beyond Heavenly Tribulation to include causal and human dangers, such as betrayal, ambushes, and karmic entanglements.
• Dependence and alliance: Even powerful Integration Ancestors require allies, information networks, and specialized assistance. Bamboo Gentleman’s reliance on Feng Jun and tentative cooperation with the Xuanyuan Family reflects this reality.
• Power and strategic resources: Grotto-Heavens are portrayed as priceless assets, comparable to enormous private vaults. Their control depends on secret techniques, making them both valuable and difficult to seize.
• Recovery and renewed confidence: Recovering the Grotto-Heaven allows Bamboo Gentleman to move from defensive anxiety toward greater freedom, confidence, and willingness to engage with others.
• The limits of power: Despite their immense abilities, the characters cannot eliminate all risks. Cultivation still involves danger, karmic consequences, and the possibility that new tribulations will arise.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue and Bamboo Gentleman debate whether its recent success reflects good luck, with Yi Jue arguing that Feng Jun has brought a reversal of fortune.
• Xiao Yao’s insults and Boss’s threats create a humorous exchange that highlights their familiar, family-like relationship.
• Qing Yao respectfully questions Bamboo Gentleman about its condition and her own tribulation, but Bamboo Gentleman rebuffs her request for a Deduction while indirectly directing her toward Feng Jun.
• Xuanyuan Buqi uses Bamboo Gentleman’s improved mood to establish a practical alliance, offering intelligence support in exchange for continued goodwill.
• Feng Jun and Bamboo Gentleman cooperate closely on retrieving and protecting the Grotto-Heaven and preparing a safe environment for the Jiangzhu Grass.

Chapter Summary: Xiao Yao the Enforcer

Key Plot Points and Events

• A powerful Grotto-Heaven descends into the Kunhao Domain to protect the Jiangzhu Grass and assist its advancement toward Soul Emergence.
• The Kunhao Domain Consciousness awakens, alarmed that a stronger, mobile Grotto-Heaven intends to remain within its territory. Because Grotto-Heavens can potentially devour Domains, it demands an explanation.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun explain that the Grotto-Heaven is only staying temporarily. The Boss, however, responds with open impatience and threatens to erase the Domain Consciousness if it continues provoking her.
• Feng Jun defuses the confrontation by pointing out that the Jiangzhu Grass’s successful breakthrough would create valuable karma for Kunhao. The Domain Consciousness recognizes that the grass has a realistic chance of reaching Soul Emergence because of the Grotto-Heaven, Bamboo Gentleman’s support, and Feng Jun’s deductions.
• The Boss summons Xiao Yao, who appears as a little girl formed from Divine Thought. Xiao Yao intimidates the Kunhao Domain Consciousness by claiming she can bear the karma of erasing or replacing it.
• Terrified, the Domain Consciousness immediately withdraws and accepts the Grotto-Heaven’s presence. Xiao Yao then disappears after privately asking the Boss whether she handled the situation properly.
• News spreads throughout Libo Shoal that a Grotto-Heaven has arrived and that the Jiangzhu Grass will attempt Soul Emergence in Kunhao. Numerous cultivators, including high-level Nascent Soul cultivators, gather to witness the rare event and seek some associated fortune.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun becoming puzzled when the Jiangzhu Grass asks why it should connect to the Grotto-Heaven.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates diplomacy and strategic thinking. He mediates between the Boss and Kunhao’s Domain Consciousness, using the prospect of karma from the Jiangzhu Grass’s breakthrough to turn a confrontation into a mutually beneficial arrangement.
• The Kunhao Domain Consciousness shifts from angry and possessive to fearful and submissive. Its confidence collapses once it realizes Xiao Yao may be capable of possessing or replacing it.
• The Boss is shown to be overwhelmingly powerful, dismissive of formalities, and unconcerned about the relatively minor karma involved in destroying a Domain Consciousness.
• Xiao Yao reveals that she is far more than an ordinary Artifact Spirit. Her Divine Thought possesses terrifying power, and she acts as the Boss’s enforcer, though privately she remains playful and eager for approval.
• The Jiangzhu Grass remains an independent and somewhat mysterious presence. Despite the elaborate preparations for its advancement, it questions the need to connect with the Grotto-Heaven.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Strength determines authority, and weaker entities must yield regardless of their territorial claims or seniority.
• Karma and mutual benefit: Feng Jun reframes the conflict through the potential karmic rewards of the Jiangzhu Grass’s breakthrough.
• Respect versus overwhelming force: The Domain Consciousness insists on proper courtesy, but Xiao Yao and the Boss demonstrate that absolute power can render etiquette meaningless.
• Growth and changing status: The Boss was once weaker and known to the Kunhao Domain, but has now become a formidable existence capable of threatening the Domain itself.
• Fortune and opportunity: The possibility of witnessing a rare Soul Emergence draws cultivators from across the Upper Realm, reflecting their belief that proximity to great breakthroughs may bring personal luck.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue respectfully address Kunhao’s Domain Consciousness and explain the Grotto-Heaven’s temporary purpose.
• The Boss and the Domain Consciousness clash over territorial authority and proper notification, with the Boss treating Kunhao as insignificant.
• Feng Jun and the Domain Consciousness negotiate by emphasizing the karma Kunhao could gain from the Jiangzhu Grass.
• Xiao Yao and the Domain Consciousness have the decisive confrontation: Xiao Yao openly threatens it, causing it to surrender.
• Xiao Yao and the Boss reveal a close, informal relationship when Xiao Yao proudly asks whether she behaved properly, while the Boss jokingly suggests that she take over Kunhao.
• Feng Jun and the Jiangzhu Grass end the chapter on a note of uncertainty, as the grass challenges the assumption that the Grotto-Heaven is necessary for its advancement.

Chapter Summary: “Elder Cave Abode”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiangzhu Grass is preparing to enter the Soul Emergence Realm. Its naturally aloof and lethargic personality caused it to learn about the surrounding developments late, but its relocation to Libo Shoal gives it a safer and more favorable environment for advancement.
• Although Jiangzhu Grass initially refuses to remain at Libo Shoal because of the Mirror Spirit’s presence, the Boss personally persuades it to stay.
• Xiao Yao also refuses to remain at Libo Shoal, recognizing that the Mirror Spirit is far stronger than she is.
• A Venerable from the Rui Family arrives with major news about the Asura World:
  • The Asura King Three Hands has self-detonated while covering the retreat of the Asura Queen.
  • The Asura Queen has fled, and the remaining Asura forces have lost their ability to coordinate resistance.
  • Several Asura Kings have surrendered, while many Asuras have submitted to Soul Search.
  • The Asura World is effectively collapsing and may be conquered within a few years, although the passageway will remain open for another forty or fifty years.
• The Heavenly Zither Cultivators continue attacking across the Asura World. Nine Sentiments has become especially ruthless, killing intruders who enter the restricted territory controlled by the Spirit Plant Dao.
• Four major powers, along with Feng Jun’s group, remain behind to protect the territories of the surrendered Asura Kings and preserve the spoils already acquired.
• The Rui Family Venerable asks for help refining a Space Bubble. Because his family is relatively weak, powerful factions are trying to pressure them into selling it, while potential helpers demand excessive compensation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi offers the Xuanyuan Family’s assistance at ordinary rates, since his family has already obtained enough Space Bubbles and no longer wishes to provoke resentment by competing for more.
• The Rui Family Venerable then reveals the real reason for approaching Feng Jun: the Rui Family has discovered what appears to be an Elder Cave Abode in the Asura World.
• He proposes that Feng Jun’s group first help refine the Space Bubble, after which they can jointly develop the Cave Abode. The restrictions are still intact and are beyond the Rui Family Venerable’s ability to break.
• He guarantees that the Cave Abode is at least True Lord-level, making the discovery potentially extremely valuable.

Character Developments

• Jiangzhu Grass remains proud and detached but is gradually adapting to its new environment. Its move to Libo Shoal gives it a much better chance of successfully reaching the Soul Emergence Realm.
• The Boss demonstrates patience and influence by personally convincing Jiangzhu Grass to remain at Libo Shoal.
• Xiao Yao shows practical self-awareness. Although weakened after losing her original body, she accurately recognizes that the Mirror Spirit is beyond her ability to challenge.
• Nine Sentiments is portrayed as increasingly uncompromising and violent. Once hostile, he makes no distinction between powerful and insignificant opponents.
• Xuanyuan Buqi displays restraint and political awareness. Having already gained substantial benefits, he avoids monopolizing another Space Bubble and offers fair assistance instead.
• Feng Jun remains cautious and humble about his own cultivation, but others recognize that his connections and reputation give him considerable influence.
• Yi Jue continues to be direct, perceptive, and pragmatic. Rather than being dazzled by the promise of treasure, she immediately questions whether the Cave Abode can be explored secretly and whether its restrictions truly indicate a high-level inheritance.
• The Rui Family Venerable is shown to be capable but politically vulnerable. His family has discovered something valuable yet lacks the strength to protect or exploit it alone, forcing him to seek cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Fortune and opportunity: Jiangzhu Grass benefits from favorable circumstances, while the Rui Family unexpectedly discovers an intact Cave Abode despite its weaker status.
• Power, reputation, and alliances: Access to valuable resources depends not only on strength but also on trust, reputation, and political relationships.
• The collapse of conquered worlds: The Asura World illustrates how the death or disappearance of key leaders can rapidly destroy an organized power structure.
• Greed and competition: Even protected spoils such as Space Bubbles attract envy, coercion, and opportunistic bargaining.
• Pragmatism over sentiment: Characters make decisions according to survival, profit, and strategic necessity rather than ideals or personal loyalty.
• Limits of power: Even Soul Emergence Venerables cannot handle every danger alone; the restrictions of the Cave Abode force the Rui Family to seek stronger allies.

Character Interactions

• The Boss persuades Jiangzhu Grass to accept Libo Shoal as its new residence.
• Xiao Yao rejects staying there because of the Mirror Spirit, revealing the power gap between them.
• The Rui Family Venerable negotiates with Feng Jun, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Yi Jue for assistance with the Space Bubble.
• Xuanyuan Buqi’s offer reduces the pressure on the Rui Family and reflects the Five-Family Alliance’s cooperative interests.
• Yi Jue protects the conversation with a Spirit-Qi Shield, signaling that the Cave Abode information is highly sensitive.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue exchange a meaningful glance when the Cave Abode is revealed, both recognizing that the discovery may involve risks beyond the Rui Family’s understanding.
• Yi Jue presses the Rui Family Venerable for details about the Cave Abode’s restrictions, while he admits that its defenses are powerful and potentially True Lord-level.

Chapter Summary: “The Startling Nine Sentiments”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue rejects the Rui Family Venerable’s initial offer of half the benefits from a True Lord-level Grotto-Heaven, considering it excessive compensation for merely providing information.
• Instead, she offers to help him find a Venerable capable of assisting with Space Bubble refinement, while leaving the Grotto-Heaven entirely to him.
• The Rui Family Venerable learns that Yi Jue, Feng Jun, and several powerful allies plan to travel beyond the heavens. Concerned about Heavenly Zither’s defenses weakening, he urges her to reconsider and suggests investigating the cave abode first.
• Yi Jue agrees to perform a divination regarding the cave abode. The deduction proves unexpectedly difficult and causes her physical strain, suggesting that the site is unusually dangerous or mysterious.
• Feng Jun stops the deduction and proposes visiting the location directly. Yi Jue accepts.
• Feng Jun transports Yi Jue and the Rui Family Venerable away, immediately alerting the other powerful cultivators at the Skyflight Layer that a major opportunity is involved.
• Qing Yao, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Qian Zhong decide to pursue them into the Asura World, while Vast Sea Venerable remains behind to guard Libo Shoal.
• They arrive at the Rui Family’s hidden camp in a remote Chaos Grade region. The apparently weak guards are revealed to be part of a powerful secret battle formation.
• Bamboo Gentleman Diwu Wood warns the newcomers not to approach without permission. Nine Sentiments also appears through a Divine Thought projection, but retreats dramatically when he recognizes Bamboo Gentleman and the group’s involvement.

Character Developments

• Yi Jue demonstrates confidence and independence by refusing an attractive but unnecessary reward. Her lack of interest in the cave abode reflects her abundant resources, high standards, and freedom from clan or disciple-related obligations.
• Her difficult divination reveals that she may still lack sufficient insight into certain ancient or exceptionally powerful opportunities, despite recently advancing to the Soul Emergence Realm.
• The Rui Family Venerable appears shrewd but respectful in negotiation. He is also protective of Heavenly Zither and anxious about Yi Jue’s group traveling beyond the heavens, showing concern for both her safety and the region’s stability.
• Feng Jun acts decisively, stopping Yi Jue’s draining deduction and choosing direct investigation instead. His teleportation also emphasizes his ability to control the situation and conceal important movements.
• Xiao Yao remains playful, impulsive, and openly interested in creating a personal Space Bubble beside Yi Jue’s Grotto-Heaven. Her straightforward suggestions sometimes border on robbery, though she quickly becomes cautious when corrected.
• The Boss continues to act as Xiao Yao’s irritated guardian, attempting to restrain her reckless ideas while subtly encouraging her independence.
• Qian Zhong displays preparation and tactical skill by secretly preserving a trace of the Rui Family Venerable’s aura, allowing the pursuing group to locate him.
• Vast Sea Venerable provides a contrast to the others, remaining behind and questioning their obsession with external opportunities.
• Nine Sentiments is shown to be extremely cautious. Though he monitors events through countless Divine Thought projections, he avoids direct conflict with Bamboo Gentleman and retreats once the situation appears suspicious.

Significant Themes

• Negotiation and unequal value: Yi Jue’s refusal to accept the cave abode highlights how value depends on personal resources, ambitions, and circumstances. What is priceless to the Rui Family may be unimportant to her.
• Power and deterrence: The Rui Family Venerable worries that Heavenly Zither will become vulnerable if too many major figures leave, emphasizing the political importance of powerful cultivators simply remaining present.
• Caution versus opportunity: The characters disagree over whether to pursue unknown dangers for potential gains or to establish a stronger foundation first. The chapter favors investigation but repeatedly stresses the risks of acting rashly.
• Hidden strength and concealed intentions: The Rui Family’s seemingly weak guards, the concealed cave abode, Bamboo Gentleman’s surveillance, and Nine Sentiments’ scattered Divine Thoughts all reinforce the theme that appearances reveal little about true power.
• Karmic relationships and trust: Yi Jue’s willingness to consider the cave abode is partly connected to repaying her karmic debt to Bamboo Gentleman. Trust, reputation, and prior relationships strongly influence the characters’ decisions.
• Comedic interpersonal tension: Xiao Yao’s naïve ambitions and the Boss’s exasperation provide humor, contrasting with the serious danger surrounding the cave abode and the Asura World.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue and the Rui Family Venerable engage in a careful negotiation, with Yi Jue firmly challenging his initial terms and the Rui Family Venerable attempting to persuade her through concern and flattery.
• Yi Jue, Feng Jun, Xiao Yao, and the Boss discuss Space Bubbles and the possibility of creating neighboring personal spaces. Xiao Yao’s enthusiasm clashes with the Boss’s embarrassment and irritation.
• Feng Jun intervenes when Yi Jue’s divination becomes physically taxing, showing concern and practical judgment.
• Qing Yao, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Vast Sea Venerable debate whether to pursue Feng Jun’s group, revealing different attitudes toward risk, responsibility, and opportunity.
• At the hidden camp, Bamboo Gentleman establishes a boundary by warning the newcomers away. Nine Sentiments observes the encounter but withdraws rather than challenge him, ending the chapter on a note of tension and uncertainty.

Chapter Summary: “Yi Jue’s Stubbornness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine Sentiments encounters the phantoms of Bamboo Gentleman and the mysterious little girl near an ancient cave abode. Recognizing both as beings far beyond his current strength, he immediately retreats rather than risk a confrontation.
• Bamboo Gentleman reminds Nine Sentiments of their agreement and asks whether he is interested in the opportunity. Nine Sentiments assures him that he will not violate their arrangement or compete recklessly.
• The little girl reveals that the opportunity is an Elder-level cave abode created with the Sumeru-in-a-Mustard-Seed Art, likely more valuable than the Asura Space Bubbles Nine Sentiments possesses.
• Nine Sentiments compares it to Feng Jun’s unguarded Grotto-Heaven at Libo Shoal and refuses to consider taking that territory, emphasizing that provoking Feng Jun would be suicidal. However, he admits that the hidden cave abode is probably extraordinarily valuable and offers two Space Bubbles in exchange for it.
• The little girl and Boss begin deducing the cave abode’s nature. Nine Sentiments is shocked when the little girl mentions killing True Lord Yu Dou, realizing that she may be capable of killing him as well.
• The Rui Family Venerable explains the cave abode’s location and background to Feng Jun and Yi Jue. The Rui Family discovered it accidentally but failed to open it and suffered backlash from its restrictions.
• Because the passage between the two worlds will close within a century, the Rui Family cannot wait for one of its own True Lords to return or advance. They therefore hope powerful outsiders can open the cave abode or at least leave behind a spatial marker so the Rui Family may benefit later.
• Bamboo Gentleman confirms the cave abode’s existence by striking the Void with a bamboo leaf, revealing strong spatial fluctuations and an ancient, primordial aura.
• The little girl claims the cave abode and offers to refine Space Bubbles for the Rui Family free of charge. The Rui Family Venerable reluctantly accepts that he may not have the power to oppose her.
• Yi Jue firmly intervenes, stating that the Rui Family Venerable is entitled to refuse. If he is unwilling, she and Feng Jun will simply leave, rejecting any coercive exchange.

Character Developments

• Nine Sentiments is shown to be cautious, experienced, and pragmatic. Despite his former status as an Ancestral Venerable, he understands the danger posed by Bamboo Gentleman, the little girl, and Feng Jun. His willingness to negotiate honestly demonstrates that he is not reckless or needlessly ambitious.
• Bamboo Gentleman appears powerful and direct. He tests Nine Sentiments’ intentions but respects their agreement and does not force him into cooperation.
• The little girl is revealed to possess terrifying strength, including the ability to kill True Lord Yu Dou. She is impulsive and dismissive, but also capable of reassessing her judgment when Nine Sentiments points out the cave abode’s superior value.
• Boss acts as a calm, impartial evaluator, supporting the credibility of Nine Sentiments and participating in the deduction of the cave abode.
• The Rui Family Venerable is practical and calculating. He recognizes that the Rui Family cannot exploit the cave abode alone and seeks outside assistance while trying to preserve some benefit for his family.
• Feng Jun remains comparatively quiet but is clearly regarded as influential despite his low Gold Core cultivation. His reputation and ability to make decisions for Yi Jue cause others to approach him as the principal negotiator.
• Yi Jue demonstrates strong principles and stubborn integrity. Although she wants the cave abode, she refuses to let the Rui Family be pressured into surrendering it and prioritizes a fair agreement over personal gain.

Significant Themes

• Strength and restraint: Powerful cultivators must understand when not to fight. Nine Sentiments’ survival depends on recognizing overwhelming opponents and retreating intelligently.
• Reputation and trust: Cultivators judge one another through both strength and reliability. Nine Sentiments’ credibility comes from his cultivation and history of honoring agreements, while Feng Jun and Yi Jue’s reputations influence negotiations.
• Fairness versus power: The chapter contrasts the little girl’s overwhelming force with Yi Jue’s insistence on voluntary consent. Even when one side has the power to seize an opportunity, Yi Jue believes that does not make coercion acceptable.
• The value of hidden opportunities: The cave abode’s ability to evade detection suggests an extraordinary inheritance, possibly from an ancient or even higher-level cultivator. Its discovery could affect multiple factions.
• Long-term calculation: The Rui Family’s plan reflects the importance of timing, world separation, spatial markers, and future access. Their strategy is driven not merely by immediate profit but by preserving an opportunity for later generations.
• Mystery of ancient powers: The cave abode emits an aura that is not merely old but something more profound, hinting that its origin may exceed ordinary ancient inheritances.

Character Interactions

• Nine Sentiments and Bamboo Gentleman interact cautiously but respectfully, reaffirming their agreement and negotiating without hostility.
• Nine Sentiments exchanges information with the little girl, warning her that the cave abode is more valuable than the Space Bubble. His mention of Yu Dou’s death reveals the little girl’s frightening history.
• Boss provides an objective judgment of Nine Sentiments’ trustworthiness, moderating the little girl’s suspicion.
• The Rui Family Venerable tests Feng Jun and Yi Jue by asking whether they can sense the cave abode, then seeks Feng Jun’s opinion because he believes Feng Jun can speak for Yi Jue.
• The little girl attempts to conclude the deal directly, offering free Space Bubble refinement in return for the cave abode.
• Yi Jue challenges the arrangement, reminding the Rui Family Venerable that he has the right to reject it. Her stance protects the Rui Family’s autonomy and highlights her principled opposition to forced transactions.

Chapter Summary: Xiao Yao Spoke Too Frankly

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue bluntly refuses to surrender the cave abode, explaining that the Spirit Plant Dao governs the world’s order. Xiao Yao responds just as directly, insisting that the cave abode is important to her.
• Feng Jun attempts to mediate, offering to purchase any treasures connected to him if they emerge from the cave abode. The Rui Family’s Venerable, unwilling to betray their trust, agrees to negotiate rather than oppose Xiao Yao.
• Xiao Yao explains that she wants the cave abode because refining its Space Bubble would require little effort, making the possibility of valuable contents worth the gamble.
• The Rui Family proposes that Xiao Yao help refine the Space Bubble and provide compensation. She refuses to offer Ultimate Spirit Stones but agrees to pay High-Grade Spirit Stones.
• The Rui Family asks for one million High-Grade Spirit Stones. Xiao Yao disdainfully offers two million instead and tells Feng Jun to advance the payment for her. Feng Jun agrees, requesting that the compensation later be converted into Void slots or Longevity Spring Water.
• The Rui Family officially gives up the cave abode and prepares to leave.
• Xuanyuan Buqi arrives and learns that the cave abode is at least related to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. He is shocked because he cannot even sense it, while the Rui Family’s Venerable realizes how dangerous it would have been to retain such a location.
• Xiao Yao hints that the cave abode may involve rules even beyond ordinary Tribulation Transcendence Stage understanding. She provocatively challenges “Nine Sentiments” to try refining it, leaving the gathered experts alarmed.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yao is established as powerful, blunt, self-centered, and unfamiliar with ordinary notions of fairness or etiquette. Having grown up isolated in the Grotto-Heaven, she sees transactions primarily through the law of strength: the stronger party has greater authority. Despite her arrogance, she is willing to negotiate and pays generously when challenged.
• Feng Jun continues to act as a mediator and reliable ally. He protects the Rui Family’s interests, offers fair compensation, and accepts Xiao Yao’s unreasonable request to advance her payment because he is personally curious about the cave abode’s connection to him.
• Yi Jue demonstrates firmness and loyalty to the world’s governing order. Her blunt refusal impresses the Rui Family’s Venerable and reinforces his trust in her.
• The Rui Family’s Venerable develops from a cautious negotiator into someone deeply relieved to escape a potentially disastrous situation. He realizes that possessing a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cave abode would have exposed the Rui Family to immense danger.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains confident enough to investigate, but Xiao Yao’s dismissive attitude and the cave abode’s terrifying level quickly humble and frighten him.

Significant Themes

• Strength and authority: Xiao Yao’s worldview reflects a natural law in which the strong determine ownership and terms. This conflicts with civilized ideas of fair trade and discoverers’ rights.
• Trust and loyalty: Feng Jun and Yi Jue refuse to exploit the Rui Family, while the Rui Family chooses cooperation rather than greed, preserving alliances and mutual trust.
• Danger hidden within opportunity: What first appears to be a valuable discovery becomes a potential catastrophe. The cave abode’s level makes it more of a burden and liability than a simple treasure.
• Power beyond comprehension: The experts’ reactions emphasize the vast gap between ordinary cultivators and higher-level beings or laws.
• Bluntness and social friction: Xiao Yao’s frank remarks repeatedly unsettle the others, but her directness also makes negotiations clear and prevents deception.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue and Xiao Yao clash over control of the cave abode, with Yi Jue standing by the world’s established order and Xiao Yao refusing to yield.
• Feng Jun mediates between them and the Rui Family, combining diplomacy with practical guarantees.
• The Rui Family’s Venerable negotiates with Xiao Yao, gradually recognizing that she is not malicious so much as socially detached and guided by strength-based logic.
• Feng Jun and the Rui Family establish a mutually beneficial arrangement, with Feng Jun advancing Xiao Yao’s payment and leaving open compensation through Void slots or Longevity Spring Water.
• Xuanyuan Buqi tries to question Xiao Yao and determine her identity, but she belittles him and tells him to ask again once he reaches the Integration Stage.
• Xiao Yao’s final challenge to Nine Sentiments demonstrates her confidence and leaves the other mighty figures visibly frightened.

Chapter Summary: “Everyone Cares About Face”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Boss and Xiao Yao reunite after tens of thousands of years and spend nearly twenty days discussing cultivation, their experiences, and the outside world. During this period, the original body also withdraws and merges, consuming considerable energy.
• Xiao Yao casually mentions Nine Sentiments, unaware that his name is taboo throughout Heavenly Zither. The Boss scolds her lightly for provoking unnecessary hostility, though she does not truly fear the sects.
• Nine Sentiments communicates with Xiao Yao and jokingly objects to her “attracting hatred” on his behalf. Xiao Yao explains that everyone present belongs to the Rui Family, making it possible to control the information.
• The Rui Family Venerable is terrified upon realizing that the mysterious cultivator behind the forbidden zone is actually Nine Sentiments, the infamous Ancestral Venerable and former public enemy of the sects.
• Nine Sentiments spares the Rui Family for Feng Jun’s sake but warns them not to betray his trust. The Rui Family Venerable reflects that secretly exploiting the cave estate could have led to the entire family being annihilated.
• The Rui Family Venerable reduces the price of the cave estate from two million to one million High-Grade Spirit Stones. Xiao Yao challenges him, asking whether her word—and Nine Sentiments’ reputation—are not worth the additional million.
• Nine Sentiments supports her, declaring that anyone who doubts the value of his name may test whether the world has truly forgotten his past.
• The Rui Family Venerable argues that the old conflict between Nine Sentiments and the sects has largely passed, noting that changing sects is now accepted. Nine Sentiments dryly suggests that Yi Jue should thank him for helping bring about that change.
• Yi Jue generously invites Nine Sentiments to inspect the cave estate, but he refuses, wary of entering a place controlled by Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and the Bamboo Gentleman.
• The Rui Family group tries to remain nearby under the excuse of avoiding suspicion and ensuring safe passage. Xuanyuan Buqi bluntly exposes their real fear: that Nine Sentiments might silence them after they leave.
• Yi Jue orders them farther away, and they eventually retreat fifty million li. The Rui Family Venerable nevertheless intends to remain close enough to observe the rare opportunity, relying on Yi Jue’s protection.
• The group debates whether Feng Jun can be trusted. Several Rui Family cultivators conclude that his reputation for keeping promises and his abundant resources make betrayal unlikely.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun arriving at the hidden cave estate and using his phone to begin operating it.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yao is shown to be straightforward, innocent of political taboos, and unconcerned with the social consequences of her words. Her cultivation doubts also reveal her continuing dependence on her elder sister’s guidance.
• Nine Sentiments appears powerful, cautious, and confident in his reputation. Despite his fearsome history, he avoids unnecessary conflict and honors agreements, especially when Feng Jun’s interests are involved.
• The Rui Family Venerable shifts from cautious bargaining to extreme deference after learning Nine Sentiments’ identity. He proves both fearful and opportunistic, attempting to protect his family while gaining access to the cave estate’s secrets.
• Yi Jue demonstrates generosity and confidence by inviting Nine Sentiments into the estate and accepting the Rui Family’s reduced payment without pursuing the matter further.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains blunt and perceptive, openly identifying the Rui Family’s true motives.
• Feng Jun continues to benefit from his exceptional reputation for reliability and prepares to take control of the cave estate.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and face: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that powerful cultivators care about dignity and public standing. Xiao Yao, Nine Sentiments, and the Rui Family Venerable all negotiate partly over reputation rather than material value.
• Fear versus trust: Nine Sentiments’ terrifying reputation causes the Rui Family to panic, while Feng Jun’s dependable reputation reassures them. Trust becomes a form of power.
• Political pragmatism: The old sect conflict is presented as historically complicated rather than purely moral. Nine Sentiments may have been condemned publicly while secretly influencing later changes in sect policy.
• Restraint and hidden power: Nine Sentiments could easily eliminate the Rui Family but chooses not to, showing that true strength allows one to avoid unnecessary battles.
• Greed and caution: The Rui Family wants to observe and benefit from the cave estate but must balance curiosity against the danger of appearing hostile or covetous.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Yao and the Boss share an affectionate, familial exchange, with the Boss lightly reprimanding her for mentioning Nine Sentiments.
• Xiao Yao and Nine Sentiments jokingly debate whether his name is worth one million Spirit Stones, turning a dangerous situation into playful bargaining.
• Nine Sentiments intimidates the Rui Family Venerable while simultaneously reassuring him that he will be spared because of Feng Jun.
• Yi Jue offers Nine Sentiments access to the cave estate as a gesture of openness, but he declines out of caution.
• Xuanyuan Buqi embarrasses the Rui Family by openly stating that they fear being killed after leaving.
• The Rui Family discusses Feng Jun’s trustworthiness, reinforcing his growing status as a reliable and influential figure.

Summary of “The Restriction’s Counterattack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun uses his phone to investigate the mysterious residence, but the result is only “Unknown Space,” offering no useful information.
• Yi Jue urges Feng Jun to retreat because he is too close to the residence. Feng Jun volunteers to stand at the front, relying on his defensive talisman and guidance abilities to shield the group.
• The Boss unexpectedly hides behind Feng Jun, provoking Yi Jue, who argues that the powerful Bamboo Gentleman should not rely on Feng Jun as a shield. The Boss explains that its protective talisman is extremely precious and cannot be wasted.
• Xiao Yao and Bamboo Shadow discuss how to break open the residence. Since the surrounding Asura World cannot withstand an Integration Stage-level attack, the space must first be stabilized.
• Xiao Yao uses a subtle Tai Chi-like spatial technique to stabilize the area. Her control of spatial laws impresses the observers, including Nine Sentiments, who praises the technique from afar.
• Bamboo Shadow strikes the abnormal space with a bamboo branch. A huge, ancient stone door appears, surrounded by a terrifying desolate aura.
• The door generates a vortex filled with star-like specks. The group is forced to retreat and withdraw their Divine Thoughts after the Boss warns that the vortex could draw in their Divine Souls.
• The vortex rapidly contracts and consumes the door, demonstrating that the residence’s restriction is far more powerful than expected. The Boss concludes that even an Integration Stage cultivator may be unable to break it by force.
• Bamboo Shadow and Xiao Yao attempt a stronger second effort. Xiao Yao stabilizes the space while countless roots emerge and compress the spatial singularity into a small sphere.
• After the roots shake repeatedly, the sphere explodes and the stone door reappears. However, a yellow halo immediately erupts from it and begins burning through the roots.
• The halo acts as a devastating law backlash, destroying Bamboo Shadow’s roots and spreading toward its main body. The chapter ends as the group realizes the restriction has actively counterattacked.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increased willingness to trust and protect his companions. Rather than concealing his abilities, he openly offers to take the most dangerous position.
• The Boss/Bamboo Gentleman is shown to be unusually cautious and concerned about preserving its powerful protective talisman. Its bickering with Yi Jue also reveals a less distant and more relatable side.
• Yi Jue becomes more openly protective of Feng Jun, objecting when the stronger Boss tries to use him as a shield. Her concern reflects her growing sense of camaraderie with the group.
• Xiao Yao reveals both impressive mastery of spatial laws and considerable caution. She voluntarily lets Bamboo Shadow bear the danger because she is currently only a Divine Thought projection and cannot withstand a backlash as well.
• Nine Sentiments remains curious and opportunistic, secretly observing the attempt despite knowing that interfering with or watching restriction-breaking can be dangerous. He sincerely admires Xiao Yao’s technique but withdraws when the danger escalates.
• The other cultivators, including Qing Yao, Xuanyuan Buqi, and the True Lords and Venerables, shift from observers to cautious participants, retreating and deploying defenses as the restriction’s power becomes clear.

Significant Themes

• The danger of forbidden or ancient power: The residence appears ordinary but contains restrictions capable of overwhelming powerful cultivators.
• Caution versus curiosity: Although everyone recognizes the danger, they remain unwilling to leave because witnessing such a rare event may provide invaluable insight.
• Trust and mutual protection: Feng Jun’s readiness to serve as a shield and Yi Jue’s objection show that the group’s relationships are becoming more cooperative and personal.
• The limits of brute force: Even Bamboo Shadow’s powerful attack cannot simply overpower the restriction; the residence responds with increasingly severe spatial and law-based defenses.
• The mystery of unknown space: Feng Jun’s inability to obtain information emphasizes that the residence exists beyond ordinary deduction and may belong to an entirely different level of existence.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue challenges the Boss for standing behind Feng Jun, while the Boss defensively explains the value of its protective talisman.
• Xiao Yao asks Bamboo Shadow to take the first attack because she can stabilize space but cannot safely withstand the restriction’s retaliation.
• Nine Sentiments praises Xiao Yao’s spatial technique and exchanges guarded remarks with the Boss while secretly observing the operation.
• Bamboo Shadow relies on Xiao Yao’s spatial stabilization, creating a cooperative division of responsibilities: she controls the environment while it supplies overwhelming force.
• The entire group reacts collectively to the appearance of the door and vortex, retreating only after the Boss warns them of the threat to their Divine Souls.

Chapter Summary: “Verification”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Boss’s powerful attack triggers the residence’s defensive backlash, its main roots begin withering. Boss severs the roots and retreats behind Feng Jun, while Bamboo Shadow shrinks and shields the little girl.
• The backlash manifests as a yellow, karmically locked halo that turns back toward Boss. Feng Jun is caught in its path, but the attack passes harmlessly through him.
• The yellow light then envelops Feng Jun in an eggshell-like membrane. The remaining backlash detaches from Bamboo Shadow’s roots and flows into Feng Jun, eventually entering the Protective Talisman beneath his neck.
• This confirms that Feng Jun—or the Guardian Rule within his talisman—has a special connection to the mysterious residence.
• Nine Sentiments observes from a distant avatar. After witnessing the terrifying karmic backlash, he decides not to enter and withdraws once Boss pressures him to leave.
• Boss concludes that the residence’s restrictions have likely been lifted and that Feng Jun may be the only person recognized by its rules.
• Feng Jun believes he may merely be a “key,” rather than the residence’s true owner, and suggests testing whether others can enter.
• Xuanyuan Buqi captures dozens of Asuras to serve as test subjects. Feng Jun carries a Gold Core Asura through the doorway and enters safely.
• Beyond the door lies a White-Fog-filled realm containing mountains and rivers, confirming that the residence is a Grotto-Heaven-type space. The Asura remains alive, strengthening Feng Jun’s belief that he is functioning as a key rather than a destructive force.

Character Developments

• Boss demonstrates extreme caution and composure under pressure. Though willing to risk the karmic backlash, it carefully relies on Protective Talismans and recognizes that Feng Jun’s connection may be decisive.
• Feng Jun moves from momentary uncertainty to calm confidence. His intuition tells him the yellow light is not hostile, and he begins to understand that his role may be that of an access key linked to the Guardian Rule.
• Yi Jue shows strategic insight, recognizing that the backlash provides a rare opportunity to uncover the residence’s hidden defenses.
• Nine Sentiments proves pragmatic and risk-conscious. Despite gaining valuable insight, he refuses to approach the residence because he fears the karmic consequences.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reveals his greed and boldness by immediately capturing numerous Asuras for experimentation, regardless of their injuries or lack of protection.
• The little girl and Bamboo Shadow remain frightened and defensive after witnessing the backlash, especially because even Bamboo Shadow’s strongest preparations were severely damaged.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus opportunity: The characters must decide whether to retreat from danger or exploit it to uncover the residence’s secrets.
• Karmic consequences: The backlash demonstrates that powerful attacks can rebound on their originator and that karma can ignore ordinary defenses or bystanders.
• Identity and destiny: Feng Jun’s unexplained compatibility with the residence raises questions about whether he is connected by bloodline, sect inheritance, Guardian Rule, or fate.
• Caution and courage: Nine Sentiments survives through restraint, while Boss and Feng Jun accept calculated danger in pursuit of greater gains.
• Testing and verification: Rather than relying on assumptions, Feng Jun and the others test the rules directly using an Asura.

Character Interactions

• Boss repeatedly warns Feng Jun and coordinates with the other True Lords and Venerables to prepare for escape.
• Boss and Yi Jue agree that risking the backlash is worthwhile because it may reveal the residence’s hidden power.
• Nine Sentiments watches from afar, then withdraws after Boss challenges him either to share the karma or leave.
• Boss interprets the yellow light’s absorption into Feng Jun’s talisman as evidence of an old connection to Feng Jun’s sect, while Feng Jun privately suspects the Guardian Rule is responsible.
• Xuanyuan Buqi challenges Feng Jun’s theory by providing Asuras for testing, and Feng Jun confirms the theory by safely entering the Grotto-Heaven with one of them.

Chapter Summary: “Inside and Outside the Gate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun realizes that the yellow light at the gate was verifying whether he possessed a connection to Blue Star. Because he carries Blue Star’s aura, he is accepted and can pass through the gate.
• Rather than hiding this discovery, Feng Jun chooses to act according to his principles. He believes cultivators must follow their hearts and avoid greedily claiming everything for themselves.
• To test the gate’s properties, Feng Jun first carries a female Asura inside and returns with her, then kills her to prevent her from revealing what happened.
• Xuanyuan Buqi gives Feng Jun a restricted Nascent Soul Asura to test. Feng Jun successfully brings it through the gate alive, proving that he can transport other beings across realms.
• Feng Jun refuses to test the gate on a Silver-Horned Asura who claims loyalty to Hook King and reminds them of a promise that he has never killed humans. Xuanyuan Buqi agrees that promises should be honored.
• Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Qing Yao decline to enter the grotto estate. They recognize that they are outsiders and prefer to avoid appearing greedy or attracting suspicion. Instead, they remain outside to study the gate’s mist and Dao intent and offer to guard it.
• Feng Jun enters with Yi Jue, Bamboo Gentleman, and Xiao Yao. They discover that the interior is not a full Grotto-Heaven but resembles a Half Grotto-Heaven.
• Feng Jun determines that the estate is about two hundred thousand li across and contains a complete but primitive ecosystem. Its Divine Sense is unrestricted.
• The estate contains one High-Grade Spirit Vein, probably degraded from a former Supreme-Grade vein due to years of neglect.
• The group reaches a palace complex protected by a defensive formation. Yi Jue’s attacks only cause the formation to strengthen, rising from Nascent Soul Early Stage to Middle Stage.
• The Boss stops Yi Jue from continuing, warning that brute force may trigger a dangerous response. The group decides to decipher the formation instead.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates increasing maturity and restraint. Although he may be uniquely qualified to inherit the estate, he does not immediately try to monopolize it. He values integrity, karma, and avoiding excessive greed. He also remains cautious about the risks of gaining too much power while still being only a Gold Core cultivator.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Shows a strong sense of honor by refusing to sacrifice the Silver-Horned Asura after learning that it is protected by a promise. Despite his normally shameless and opportunistic manner, he emphasizes the importance of keeping one’s word.
• Qian Zhong and Qing Yao: Display wisdom and self-control by refusing to enter the estate without a clear claim. They are content to study the gate itself and avoid unnecessary suspicion.
• Yi Jue: Reveals both confidence and impatience. She attempts to break the palace formation directly but accepts the need for a more careful approach when the formation grows stronger.
• Xiao Yao: Immediately begins thinking of the grotto estate as a possible home and focuses on its potential for future improvement. Her comments suggest that she may be emotionally invested in claiming it.
• The Boss: Acts as the group’s cautious strategist, warning Feng Jun to remain vigilant and stopping Yi Jue from recklessly attacking the formation.

Significant Themes

• Integrity versus greed: Feng Jun’s decision to share the discovery reflects the idea that cultivation requires moral direction, not merely the accumulation of treasures.
• Respect for karma and promises: Xuanyuan Buqi’s refusal to break his agreement with the Silver-Horned Asura emphasizes that honor and restraint matter even when the target is considered expendable.
• The wisdom of knowing one’s place: The cultivators outside the gate understand that not every opportunity belongs to them. Their restraint protects them from suspicion and possible future trouble.
• Caution over brute force: The defensive formation grows stronger when attacked, reinforcing the danger of relying solely on power and the importance of understanding before acting.
• Uncertainty of origins: The estate has Heavenly Zither characteristics, but the characters cannot determine whether it truly originated from Feng Jun’s sect or merely resembles it. This raises questions about the connection between different worlds.
• Power and vulnerability: Feng Jun’s special status gives him access to the estate, but his relatively low cultivation means that possessing it could also attract dangerous attention.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun openly communicates the gate’s safety but humorously implies that the Asura he brought back must be silenced, and the others understand the hidden meaning without pressing him.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Feng Jun share similar views about avoiding needless killing and respecting promises, despite Xuanyuan’s usually irreverent personality.
• Qian Zhong, Qing Yao, and Xuanyuan Buqi collectively establish a respectful boundary by refusing to enter and instead offering to guard and study the gate.
• Xiao Yao treats the estate as a potential refuge, prompting Yi Jue to challenge her assumptions about its ownership and origins.
• The Boss mediates between Xiao Yao and Yi Jue, acknowledging both sides while reminding Feng Jun not to lower his guard.
• Yi Jue and the Boss cooperate at the palace formation: Yi Jue provides the force to test it, while the Boss recognizes that the formation must be decoded rather than attacked.

Chapter Summary: “Trouble Strikes Close at Hand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Boss and Yi Jue spend considerable time deciphering the defensive formation around an ancient inner-cave residence, eventually breaking it through semi-brute force. Its defenses are roughly equivalent to those of a High-Tier Nascent Soul cultivator.
• The residence is largely empty. Its study, pill room, and storehouse contain only travel journals, miscellaneous notes, ordinary materials, and expired pills. The only notable discovery is a Spirit Plant Garden containing forty- to fifty-thousand-year-old plants, most of which are ornamental.
• The group concludes that the owner left tens of thousands of years ago, taking all valuables and leaving the residence intentionally for a destined discoverer.
• In the cultivation chamber, Feng Jun discovers a jade-green writing brush. His phone identifies it as the Damaged Wenchang Brush (Bi Gan), an ancient relic connected to his sect and carrying a distinct Blue Star aura.
• The Boss deduces that the brush is a luck treasure rather than a combat weapon. Although its current grade and power are modest, its ability to retain a connection to Feng Jun over tens of thousands of years proves its special nature.
• After Feng Jun respectfully claims the brush, it suddenly emits green light and transports both him and the brush away.
• Yi Jue and the Boss are briefly alarmed, unsure whether Feng Jun has been attacked or taken into another space. They avoid damaging the cave residence while investigating.
• Feng Jun soon reappears and explains that the brush transported him to the Tallfolk World, a world with scarce spiritual energy and extremely tall inhabitants.
• Xiao Yao performs the Soul-Clearing Formula on Feng Jun as a precaution against possession or contamination. Feng Jun assures them that he is unharmed.
• Feng Jun says he returned quickly because he was concerned about everyone’s safety. He intends to revisit the Tallfolk World later.
• The Boss reveals that he has disciples and descendants living there who could serve as local agents or helpers, surprising Feng Jun.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence in claiming treasures tied to his origins, but remains respectful toward the ancient cave owner. His concern for his companions is also emphasized when he immediately returns from the Tallfolk World.
• The Boss displays sharp analytical ability, correctly identifying the Wenchang Brush as a luck treasure based on its preserved aura. He also remains cautious and pragmatic after Feng Jun vanishes.
• Yi Jue acts protectively toward Feng Jun, immediately preparing to respond when he disappears, while also showing awareness of the dangers of recklessly damaging the cave residence.
• Xiao Yao proves cautious and methodical by using Soul-Clearing on Feng Jun after his return. Her behavior reflects standard cultivator safety procedures, even though Yi Jue instinctively dislikes seeing Feng Jun attacked.
• The Boss’s revelation that he has descendants or disciples in the Tallfolk World expands the group’s understanding of his past connections and resources.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and destiny: The empty residence appears deliberately prepared for a future “fated” discoverer, raising questions about whether treasures are truly left for destiny rather than family or descendants.
• Ancient relics and hidden value: The Wenchang Brush seems unimpressive in combat terms but possesses deeper significance through its connection to Blue Star, Feng Jun’s sect, and luck.
• Caution in exploration: The group balances curiosity with restraint, especially when Feng Jun disappears and the cave residence’s mechanisms remain unknown.
• Loyalty and concern: Feng Jun’s immediate return highlights his responsibility toward his companions, while Yi Jue and Xiao Yao’s reactions show their concern for his safety.
• Unexpected spatial dangers: Even a seemingly peaceful, abandoned cave residence can conceal sudden transportation mechanisms and unpredictable threats.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun debates with the Boss and Xiao Yao about whether powerful cultivators would leave treasures for descendants, ultimately conceding that not everyone has heirs.
• The Boss and Feng Jun exchange praise over the identification of the Wenchang Brush and its nature as a luck treasure.
• Yi Jue supports Feng Jun’s claim to the brush and later reacts protectively when he vanishes.
• Xiao Yao’s use of Soul-Clearing causes a brief disagreement with Yi Jue, who dislikes the gesture despite understanding that it is harmless.
• After Feng Jun returns, Yi Jue questions him closely about the world he visited and whether he gained anything. The Boss teasingly suggests Feng Jun returned because he was worried about the cave residence rather than about his companions.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun astonished that the Boss has maintained disciples and descendants in the Tallfolk World, hinting at the Boss’s unexpectedly extensive history and influence.

Chapter Summary: The Nameless Senior

Key Plot Points and Events

• Boss recounts its violent rise in the Tallfolk World, where it founded the Violet Bamboo Sect and defeated seven major sects before earning a reputation so intimidating that others refused to fight it. It later killed eighteen of nineteen supreme experts who ambushed it, with the last dying of fright.
• The group discusses how to divide the cave abode. Feng Jun gives it to Xiao Yao, while Yi Jue and Boss claim portions of its value. Xiao Yao agrees that the one million High-Grade Spirit Stones should be divided equally, though Boss finds her overly concerned with small accounts.
• Feng Jun reveals that the cave abode originated from the Heavenly Zither Cultivators and had been acquired and modified by an unnamed Blue Star senior. This senior had come to the world seeking a solution to Blue Star’s declining spiritual energy and left the cave abode as a fallback refuge for future Blue Star cultivators.
• Feng Jun suspects the cave abode had an earlier owner and that the senior may have obtained it through questionable means, possibly incurring karma. The senior’s exact identity, ambitions, and method of acquisition remain unknown.
• Feng Jun reflects that the senior’s plan—moving all Blue Star cultivators into the cave abode—was merely a contingency and far below Feng Jun’s own ambitions. He willingly gives the cave abode to Xiao Yao because he does not currently need it and believes one must advance boldly rather than rely on retreats.
• The cave abode is revealed to be a Half Grotto-Heaven, far more valuable and difficult to create than a Space Bubble. Feng Jun’s generosity is therefore especially significant.
• Xiao Yao thanks Feng Jun and promises to find a cave abode for him in the future. She claims that taking control of the cave abode’s core is her specialty, though Yi Jue doubts that the process can truly be easy.
• Boss suggests checking for remaining treasures before allowing the cultivators waiting outside to enter. Feng Jun is asked to investigate.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates generosity, confidence, and determination. He refuses to treat the cave abode as his ultimate security and willingly gives it to Xiao Yao, believing that excessive reliance on fallback plans weakens one’s resolve.
• Boss is shown as extremely powerful and ruthless, with a history of dominating the Tallfolk World. Despite appearing casual and financially unconcerned with Feng Jun, it recognizes the tremendous favor he has done by surrendering the cave abode.
• Xiao Yao reveals her enthusiasm for exciting stories and her eagerness to acquire the cave abode. She is grateful to Feng Jun but also practical and calculating about dividing the Spirit Stones.
• Yi Jue acts as the knowledgeable realist, emphasizing the difficulty of refining and controlling powerful spatial treasures.
• The unnamed Blue Star senior is characterized indirectly as ambitious, resourceful, and mysterious. His plans were vast, but his true identity and methods remain hidden.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus retreat: Feng Jun believes that leaving oneself a fallback route can weaken the determination to pursue greater goals.
• Generosity and mutual exchange: The characters balance favors, resources, and debts while maintaining trust and cooperation.
• Power and ruthlessness: Boss’s history illustrates the brutal reality of cultivation, where strength and decisive action are often necessary for survival and prestige.
• Mystery and inheritance: The cave abode connects the present characters to an unknown senior’s unfinished plans for Blue Star’s future.
• Moral ambiguity: Feng Jun acknowledges that powerful cultivators may need to act ruthlessly without becoming indiscriminate killers, raising questions about karma, morality, and survival.

Character Interactions

• Boss and Xiao Yao share a close, sister-like relationship, agreeing on excluding the outsiders and supporting each other’s opinions.
• Xiao Yao admires Boss’s stories, while Boss lightly criticizes her lack of ambition and encourages her to understand social dealings.
• Feng Jun and Boss maintain a relaxed partnership in which favors and debts are often treated informally, though Feng Jun insists that business and personal favors should remain distinct.
• Feng Jun’s gift of the cave abode earns Boss’s genuine appreciation and strengthens their alliance.
• Yi Jue challenges Xiao Yao’s confidence about controlling the cave abode, creating a brief contrast between Xiao Yao’s specialized expertise and Yi Jue’s technical caution.

Chapter Summary: Wenchang Fortune

Key Plot Points and Events

• Boss invites several powerful cultivators into the newly discovered cave abode. This demonstrates courtesy, prevents rumors from spreading, and gives the mighty figures a chance to identify the cave abode’s origins and its former owner.
• Feng Jun searches the cave abode but finds no especially valuable treasures. He later guides several True Lords, Venerables, and Nascent Soul cultivators inside for inspection.
• Qingyao remains outside, studying the Dao intent on the cave abode’s door rather than entering. Feng Jun confirms that Xiao Yao will eventually refine the cave abode, with Yi Jue’s agreement.
• The visitors find little of interest from a powerful cultivator’s perspective, though two Rui Family Nascent Soul cultivators are deeply impressed by the ancient spirit plants in the Spirit Plant Garden.
• Xiao Yao casually promises to give the Nascent Soul cultivator two ancient spirit plants after transplanting them to Libo Shoal. Her generosity and indifference toward ordinary spirit plants surprise the Rui Family Venerable.
• Xiao Yao begins refining the cave abode’s core. The process takes several days.
• Yi Jue asks Luo Yuanhua to help the Rui Family refine their Space Bubble. She explains that she accepted the request because it involved karma connected to Bamboo Gentleman and Feng Jun.
• Luo Yuanhua agrees immediately but reveals that his family is also trying to obtain a second Space Bubble. The conversation exposes the intense competition among major families and the Rui Family Venerable’s skill at using polite, indirect speech.
• Feng Jun returns to Blue Star with the jade-green Wenchang Brush and shows it to the Guardians. They reveal that Wenqu Star Lord has already perished and that the brush is a powerful fortune treasure connected to destiny.
• The Guardians refuse to keep the brush, saying that although Heaven’s Way has collapsed, they cannot touch such a treasure. Feng Jun may be able to use it because he emerged in response to fate, though even he might lose it if he fails his tribulation.

Character Developments

• Boss shows caution and social awareness despite its independent nature. Its concern for Xiao Yao and its desire to uncover the cave abode’s history reveal its protective, thoughtful side.
• Feng Jun continues acting generously and cautiously. He allows others to inspect the cave abode, supports Xiao Yao’s refinement of it, and brings the Wenchang Brush to the Guardians rather than keeping its secrets to himself.
• Xiao Yao demonstrates extraordinary confidence and detachment. She treats ancient spirit plants as insignificant and gives them away freely, reinforcing her unusual origins and immense status. Her spontaneous generosity also shows that her behavior is governed largely by mood and personal whim.
• Yi Jue acts responsibly toward the Rui Family and accepts their matter as her own karma because of its connection to Feng Jun and Bamboo Gentleman.
• Luo Yuanhua is revealed to be pragmatic and politically involved in the struggle over Space Bubbles. He is willing to help the Rui Family but also makes clear that his own family has major interests at stake.
• The Rui Family Venerable proves diplomatic and politically perceptive. He understands the dangers of family competition and uses courteous words to avoid openly antagonizing Luo Yuanhua.
• The Guardians reveal their grief and historical knowledge concerning lost figures such as Lu Ya and Wenqu Star Lord. Their warning about the Wenchang Brush emphasizes the danger of fate-linked treasures.

Significant Themes

• Generosity versus possession: Feng Jun and Xiao Yao willingly share access to the cave abode and its resources, while the great families compete intensely over Space Bubbles.
• Karma and destiny: Yi Jue accepts responsibility because of karmic ties, while the Wenchang Brush recognizes and responds to those chosen by fate.
• The passage of time and loss: The Guardians’ remark that “things remain, but people have changed” highlights the disappearance of ancient figures and the ruins left behind by earlier eras.
• Political maneuvering among powerful factions: The discussion of Space Bubbles shows that alliances, rumors, and family interests often matter more than formal affiliations.
• The limits of power: Even the Guardians cannot safely touch the Wenchang Brush, emphasizing that some treasures operate beyond ordinary cultivation and authority.
• Different standards of value: Mighty figures dismiss the cave abode’s ancient plants as having low practical value, while Nascent Soul cultivators see them as priceless treasures.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Qingyao discuss the cave abode’s future, with Qingyao choosing to remain outside and study its Dao intent.
• Xiao Yao interacts generously with the Rui Family cultivators, offering them spirit plants despite their attempt to gain benefits from her.
• The Rui Family Venerable tries to restrain his junior and apologize for his request, showing concern about offending Xiao Yao.
• Yi Jue and Luo Yuanhua negotiate the Rui Family’s Space Bubble matter. Luo’s attitude shifts immediately once he learns that Feng Jun and Bamboo Gentleman are involved.
• Luo Yuanhua and the Rui Family Venerable engage in polite but guarded conversation, each recognizing the other’s political motives.
• Feng Jun consults the Guardians about the Wenchang Brush and learns that its power is tied to fate, tribulation, and the possible continuation of an ancient legacy.

Chapter Summary — Tallfolk World

Key Plot Points and Events

• After receiving no clear answers from the Guardians about the Wenchang Brush, Feng Jun leaves disappointed but reassured that the brush will not harm him. Their conversation makes him realize that, beyond the Soul Emergence stage, cultivators must ultimately choose and understand their own paths.
• To settle his mind, Feng Jun returns to Chaori County, where Seeking Immortals Manor has been completed. His relatives and acquaintances crowd into his parents’ villa because the larger manor remains mostly empty.
• Feng Jun spends seven days quietly recovering by the small lake. Ma Sanniang and the Big White goose are intimidated by his increased cultivation at the Gold Core Peak Realm and avoid approaching him.
• Feng Jun’s mother, Zhang Junyi, visits him about matters involving Cloud Garden City and the Life Potion production lines. Recognizing that he is troubled, she agrees to handle outside affairs and shields him from visitors. Feng Jun reassures her that he can manage his problems himself.
• Feng Jun’s parents have reached the Transcendent Mortal Ninth Layer. Although their late start limits their cultivation potential, entering the Qi Refining Stage should still extend their lifespans.
• After seven days, Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal. Beauty Lin arrives in Chaori too late to see him, reflecting the growing distance between Feng Jun and the people and institutions of Xia Nation.
• At Libo Shoal, Feng Jun tells the Boss that his discussion with the mysterious senior produced no results. He prepares to leave for the Tallfolk World after finishing local arrangements.
• Xiao Yao completes the refinement of her cave abode and decides to place it beside the Boss’s at Libo Shoal, intending to remain near her “big sister.” This irritates and embarrasses the Boss, while Qing Yao loses access to the Dao rhythm emanating from Xiao Yao’s cave abode.
• Feng Jun organizes a replacement guard force for Libo Shoal. Hanhai chooses to accompany him instead of remaining behind, hoping to gain insights and opportunities. Wei Sancai brings two High-Tier Nascent Soul cultivators to guard the shoal and insists on joining the expedition, partly to gain experience and leave a record for his family.
• The expedition party consists of the Boss, Xiao Yao, Yi Jue, Qian Zhong, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qing Yao, Hanhai, and Wei Sancai. Their first destination is the Tallfolk World.
• The Tallfolk World is a vast Small Realm with a single enormous landmass and sky. Its spiritual energy and resources are poor, making it unsuitable as a Lower Realm of the Heavenly Zither Plane.
• The group arrives in a barren, freezing mountain range with temperatures around –50 to –60°C. Qian Zhong hides their presence with illusions, while Feng Jun explains that the desolation is likely connected to a senior’s attempt to conceal something there.
• Feng Jun clarifies that the senior’s legacy in this world is only a message and an address, rather than a powerful treasure capable of creating major karmic disturbances.

Character Development

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly aware of his separation from other cultivators and from Xia Nation. His growth has placed him at a level where ordinary relationships and responsibilities feel difficult to maintain. He nevertheless remains considerate toward his parents and allows his mother to protect him from outside distractions.
• Zhang Junyi shifts into a more protective role. She recognizes that her son has become powerful and troubled, even though he does not explain the problem, and uses her authority to give him time and privacy.
• Beauty Lin confronts the emotional reality that Feng Jun may have outgrown the world around him. Her inability to meet him emphasizes their widening gap.
• The Boss continues to act possessive and competitive toward Xiao Yao, but it also supports her opportunity to travel with Feng Jun despite its personal dislike of her.
• Xiao Yao becomes more independent and adventurous after refining her cave abode. Her decision to move beside the Boss shows both her attachment to her companions and her determination to participate in greater adventures.
• Hanhai overcomes his earlier reluctance to pursue opportunities beyond the heavens. After missing out once, he becomes more ambitious and resolves not to repeat that mistake.
• Wei Sancai reveals a strong desire for experience, legacy, and participation in major events. He willingly accepts uncertainty and possible inconvenience in exchange for traveling beyond the heavens.

Significant Themes

• The loneliness of advancement: Feng Jun’s cultivation has progressed so far that former companions can no longer relate to him comfortably.
• Personal responsibility in cultivation: The Guardians’ silence reinforces the idea that each cultivator must eventually walk an individual path without relying on others for answers.
• Family bonds amid transcendence: Although Feng Jun is becoming detached from worldly affairs, his concern for his parents and his mother’s concern for him remain meaningful.
• The cost of surpassing one’s world: Feng Jun’s departure reflects not only physical travel but also his increasing alienation from Xia Nation and the lower levels of cultivation.
• Opportunity and risk: The expedition beyond the heavens attracts powerful cultivators who are willing to face danger for insight, fortune, and the chance to avoid future regret.
• Legacy and karma: The chapter contrasts treasures that create powerful karmic entanglements with a simple message and address, suggesting that even discoveries and inheritances carry different consequences.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Guardians part without resolution, leaving him to interpret the Wenchang Brush and his future independently.
• Ma Sanniang and the Big White goose react fearfully to Feng Jun’s increased strength, illustrating how intimidating he has become.
• Feng Jun and Zhang Junyi share a quiet but significant exchange: he withholds his troubles to protect her, while she responds by shielding him from others.
• Beauty Lin’s failed attempt to see Feng Jun highlights their emotional distance and her realization that he may no longer belong to their world.
• The Boss and Xiao Yao continue their antagonistic but increasingly close relationship, especially after Xiao Yao establishes her cave abode beside it.
• Feng Jun negotiates with Hanhai and Wei Sancai about joining the expedition, making clear that the journey may be long and inconvenient while they accept the risks anyway.
• The expedition members begin their journey together, using illusions and Divine Sense to explore the Tallfolk World while investigating the mysterious senior’s hidden message and address.