Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A New Space”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reveals that the mysterious senior’s message directed him to a location within the Tallfolk World, more than ten million li away. Because he is only a Gold Core cultivator, he had returned to reunite with the others before making the long journey.
• The group detects several teams of Tallfolk explorers in the frozen wilderness. Two groups are prospecting for minerals, while another is searching for geothermal energy to support farming and livestock.
• The cultivators observe the natives without making contact, wishing to avoid disturbing the world’s inhabitants or becoming entangled in worldly karma.
• They notice Azure Cloud Owls being used to transport supplies and a Golden-Eyed Falcon acting as a scout. Qian Zhong uses an illusion to prevent the falcon from discovering them, demonstrating the group’s preference for secrecy over unnecessary violence.
• Qing Yao suggests visiting a nearby market town to gather information. Afterward, the group travels toward Feng Jun’s destination.
• Along the way, the Boss discovers that the Violet Bamboo Sect it founded thousands of years earlier has fragmented into multiple sects, while its techniques have become common martial arts. Feng Jun likewise discovers that the great lake he remembered has become hills occupied by a large orchard.
• The group secretly enters the orchard at night, avoids alerting the guards, and searches for the hidden object. After extensive investigation, Feng Jun identifies a spatial anomaly suspended in the air beside a giant fruit tree.
• Following the senior’s instructions, Feng Jun opens the concealed space. Yi Jue first insists on performing a danger Deduction, and only after the group confirms that there is no immediate threat do they enter.
• Inside is a small private space containing a courtyard, pavilion, and two thatched cottages. Wei Sancai discovers that time flows at different speeds within it.
• The space cannot be removed or refined as a Magic Treasure, disappointing Xiao Yao, who had hoped to use it to enhance her own cave abode.
• The Boss notices a scroll in the pavilion, apparently the item Feng Jun was sent to retrieve. Yi Jue speculates that it may be an ordinary object preserved by the altered flow of time.
• Out of respect for the unknown senior, Feng Jun bows and formally asks permission before attempting a Deduction.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun acts with increasing caution and reverence toward the mysterious senior, acknowledging that even ordinary-looking objects and spaces may conceal extraordinary power.
• Yi Jue continues to serve as the group’s voice of prudence. She prevents Feng Jun from entering recklessly, recommends a danger Deduction, and carefully considers the senior’s possible intentions.
• The Boss displays nostalgia and detachment upon learning that its former Violet Bamboo Sect has fragmented. It accepts the inevitability of change rather than clinging to its old legacy.
• Wei Sancai demonstrates expertise in spatial laws by recognizing the different time rates inside the hidden space. He also shows intellectual honesty by admitting the limits of his family’s historical records.
• Qian Zhong favors subtle, nonviolent methods, using an illusion to conceal the group from the Golden-Eyed Falcon and helping Wei Sancai avoid embarrassment.
• Xiao Yao reveals her ambitious and somewhat childish desire to acquire the space for her own cave abode, assuming her elder sister could resolve any resulting difficulty.
• Qing Yao proves observant and practical, detecting distant explorers and suggesting that the group gather information in a nearby market town.

Significant Themes

• Caution before power: Although the cultivators could easily dominate the Tallfolk World, they deliberately avoid direct interference and investigate threats before acting.
• Respect for the unknown: The hidden space and its creator are treated with reverence. The group recognizes that the senior’s abilities surpass ordinary understanding.
• The passage of time and change: The ruined Violet Bamboo Sect, the transformed lake, and the time-distorting space all emphasize how landscapes, institutions, and legacies change over thousands of years.
• Exploration and karma: The cultivators understand that entering another world is not merely a physical expedition; contact with natives may create obligations, conflicts, and karmic consequences.
• The contrast between ordinary and extraordinary: An apparently simple scroll, fruit orchard, or thatched courtyard may be connected to immense powers and hidden laws.
• Limits of possession: Even a priceless space with altered time cannot simply be taken away, reminding the characters that not every valuable discovery can be controlled or acquired.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi questions Feng Jun about the message, while Feng Jun deflects the details and focuses on the destination.
• The Boss and Wei Sancai discuss the history and cultivation of Azure Cloud Owls, with the Boss correcting Wei’s outdated assumptions. Wei accepts the correction candidly, and Qian Zhong tactfully supports him.
• Qing Yao alerts the group to both the explorers and the Golden-Eyed Falcon. Qian Zhong advocates concealment, while Wei Sancai initially suggests eliminating the potential scout, revealing differing attitudes toward risk and interference.
• Qing Yao’s suggestion to investigate the market town is accepted by the group, reflecting the party’s cooperative decision-making.
• The Boss and Feng Jun share feelings of historical loss as both encounter places and legacies that have changed beyond recognition.
• Yi Jue’s insistence on conducting a Deduction restrains Feng Jun’s impulsiveness, and Feng Jun ultimately follows her cautious approach by formally requesting the senior’s forgiveness before proceeding.

Chapter Summary: “A Startling Discovery”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun finishes presenting his case and carefully waits for the others’ reaction, emphasizing the importance of showing proper respect.
• After consulting information on his phone, Feng Jun discovers that the mysterious scroll is actually the damaged Mountains and Rivers State Map, an extraordinarily powerful treasure.
• The Boss and Yi Jue independently reach similar conclusions, realizing that the item is connected to a Grotto-Heaven and carries enormous significance.
• Feng Jun explains that the State Map is far more than an ordinary Grotto-Heaven treasure: it is linked to worldwide providence and is associated with an immensely powerful existence, likely Nuwa.
• Xiao Yao immediately asks for the treasure to improve her own cave abode by merging spaces. Feng Jun warns her repeatedly about the object’s dangerous karma.
• The Boss initially permits the exchange but becomes concerned after learning that the treasure may be connected to a Dao-Unification-level owner. Xiao Yao quickly withdraws her request after realizing the danger.
• Feng Jun reveals that the treasure is at least a Tribulation Transcendence-stage artifact and possesses providence far greater than the Wenchang Brush’s literary fortune.
• Qian Zhong questions whether the treasure has an Artifact Spirit and whether it truly belongs to the powerful existence. Feng Jun warns everyone that anyone who doubts him may attempt to take it—but should be prepared for the consequences.
• The Boss publicly supports Feng Jun, declaring that none of their companions should touch his possessions, reinforcing group loyalty and deterring greed.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, humility, and strong awareness of karmic consequences. Though frustrated that yet another major treasure is damaged, he firmly protects it and sets clear boundaries with his companions.
• The Boss shows sharp deductive ability and increasing concern for Feng Jun’s safety. Although it often acts disdainful, it ultimately defends him and takes responsibility for preventing others from acting recklessly.
• Xiao Yao remains impulsive and eager for powerful resources, initially underestimating the treasure’s significance. Once she learns of its connection to a Dao-Unification-level existence, she immediately becomes cautious.
• Qian Zhong appears thoughtful rather than greedy. Her questions about the treasure’s Artifact Spirit are intended partly to help Feng Jun identify possible dangers, though Feng Jun briefly misinterprets her motives.
• Wei Sancai and the others are visibly intimidated by the revelation that the treasure may be connected to an existence beyond ordinary cultivation realms.

3. Significant Themes

• Respect and proper conduct: Feng Jun stresses that attitude matters when dealing with powerful beings and dangerous treasures.
• Karma and consequences: Merely naming or discussing Dao-Unification-level figures and providence-bearing artifacts can invite terrible karmic repercussions.
• The danger of greed: Even trusted companions may be tempted by rare treasures, so Feng Jun openly challenges anyone who wants to test the artifact rather than allowing hidden resentment or betrayal.
• Loyalty and trust: The Boss’s public defense of Feng Jun reinforces the group’s bonds and establishes that friendship must outweigh the temptation of valuable treasures.
• The burden of power: The State Map is immensely valuable, but its damaged condition and unknown owner make it more dangerous than desirable.
• Incomplete legacies: Feng Jun reflects on how many of his powerful treasures are damaged, suggesting that surviving relics from ancient eras often endure precisely because their original owners suffered disasters.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun repeatedly warns Xiao Yao not to take the State Map, while Xiao Yao insists she can handle it and even suggests relying on the Boss if problems arise.
• The Boss rebukes Xiao Yao and seals her away, viewing her request as dangerously reckless and unfairly placing responsibility on others.
• Feng Jun and the Boss discuss the treasure’s grade, owner, karma, and connection to providence, with the Boss gradually recognizing how extraordinary the artifact is.
• Qian Zhong questions Feng Jun about the possible owner and Artifact Spirit. Feng Jun initially interprets her questions as possible suspicion, but she clarifies that she does not intend to seize the treasure.
• The Boss ultimately steps in to affirm that Feng Jun’s companions will respect his property, turning a potentially divisive moment into a reaffirmation of group solidarity.

Chapter Summary: “Pressure”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Boss openly backs Feng Jun, discouraging anyone from coveting the treasure he has obtained.
• Feng Jun uses the Soul-Replacement Puppet to perform a Deduction before entering the courtyard. He retrieves a sealed scroll without opening it.
• He discovers a one-time-use, interworld teleportation array inside the thatched hut. The array leads to the Ghost Shaman World and uses spiritual energy sealed within its formation rather than ordinary Spirit Stones.
• The gathered great powers inspect the teleportation array. Although most gain little insight, Qian Zhong recognizes it as a self-contained system, while the Boss believes Tribulation Transcendence experts may be able to refine something similar.
• Feng Jun refuses to activate the array, considering it too valuable to waste. He decides to preserve it as a possible future escape route or contingency.
• After returning to the Icefield Sector, Feng Jun consults the Guardians about the Mountains and Rivers State Map.
• The Guardians reveal that the map likely contains an Artifact Spirit and is a fortune-bearing treasure, potentially far more significant than an ordinary Tribulation Transcendence magic treasure.
• They advise Feng Jun to search for the Artifact Spirit and assure him that his connection to the map means he can bear its karma, though fortune depends on more than simple quantity.
• A later conversation reveals that the Guardians view Feng Jun as the closest person to success and possibly the last hope for several worlds. Lu Ya dismisses their concern, claiming that deducing the continuation of Feng Jun’s supreme cultivation technique would involve immense karma.
• Feng Jun is left deeply troubled by the realization that his treasures and destiny carry pressures far beyond what a Gold Core cultivator should normally bear.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more cautious and strategic. Influenced by the Guardians’ ambiguous warnings, he begins thinking seriously about preserving resources and preparing contingencies rather than using powerful treasures immediately.
• The Boss demonstrates authority and loyalty by backing Feng Jun, while also showing considerable knowledge about advanced formations.
• Qian Zhong and the other great powers display curiosity and ambition regarding the interworld teleportation array, hoping it might lead to breakthroughs in escape techniques, karma resistance, or formation refinement.
• The Guardians reveal growing concern for Feng Jun and the worlds connected to him, seeing him as a possible final hope. Their attachment to their mission remains strong, though they struggle to explain fortune and destiny clearly.
• Lu Ya continues to embody detachment and self-preservation. He refuses to assume responsibility for Feng Jun’s immense karma and mocks the Guardians’ obsession with their mission.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with the Mountains and Rivers State Map deepens: he learns that his connection to it may be meaningful, but also potentially burdensome.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Great treasures and extraordinary abilities come with karmic obligations that Feng Jun may be forced to bear despite his low cultivation level.
• Restraint versus greed: The Boss’s warning and Feng Jun’s decision not to use the teleportation array emphasize that true cultivation requires controlling desire and preserving valuable resources.
• Contingency and preparedness: Feng Jun begins adopting the same long-term planning practiced by the Xia Nation’s predecessors and the Boss.
• Fortune and destiny: The chapter questions whether fortune is an objective amount or something shaped by changing circumstances, lineages, and the rise and fall of powers.
• Hope versus detachment: The Guardians believe Feng Jun may be the last hope, while Lu Ya advocates following the Dao naturally and avoiding unnecessary responsibility.
• The gap between cultivation and burden: Feng Jun’s Gold Core status contrasts sharply with the world-shaking treasures, karma, and expectations now connected to him.

Character Interactions

• The Boss’s public support for Feng Jun silences potential rivals and establishes that the treasure belongs under Feng Jun’s protection.
• Feng Jun respectfully allows the great powers to inspect the teleportation array but maintains control over whether it is used.
• Xuanyuan Buqi offers his knowledge of the Ghost Shaman World, but Feng Jun declines to activate the array.
• The Guardians question Feng Jun about the map’s Artifact Spirit, treasure rank, fortune, and the temperament of the Realm and Society Map, answering indirectly while urging him to remain respectful.
• Lu Ya and the Guardians debate Feng Jun’s importance, the dangers of deducing the Primordial Chaos Devours Heaven Technique, and whether they should intervene in the fate of the worlds.
• Feng Jun’s final frustration centers on the unfairness of bearing responsibilities that even far more powerful figures like Lu Ya avoid.

Chapter Summary: Azure Lotus Venerable

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun remains at Luohua rather than returning to Sunrise County, preparing mentally for his dangerous journey to the Ghost Shaman World. For three days, he stays withdrawn, calculating and planning.
• His increasingly powerful aura intimidates Luohua’s members, including his wives and close companions. They sense that he has become more distant and difficult to approach.
• Zhong Lijing, one of the few people willing to speak bluntly to him, asks whether Feng Jun will be unable to return after forming his Nascent Soul. Feng Jun reassures her that he is an exception to Blue Star’s cultivation restrictions.
• Their conversation turns to whether Luohua’s people will be able to return to visit their families after forming cores. Feng Jun explains that Yu Qingzhu’s grandfather will probably die before she reaches that stage, while her parents’ survival depends on how quickly she cultivates.
• Zhong Lijing’s reminder about Blue Star’s coming spiritual-energy revival restores Feng Jun’s sense of purpose. He realizes that his survival remains essential: if he dies, the revival may fail and Luohua could be destroyed or forced to retreat from Libo Shoal.
• After ten days of rest and emotional recovery at Luohua, Feng Jun agrees to spend time with Zhong Lijing, easing the tension between himself and the others.
• He then returns to the Insectoid World to transport all excavated Energy Stones before visiting Libo Shoal and checking on the Jiangzhu Grass.
• Feng Jun leaves the Mirror Spirit five Ultimate Spirit Stones before departing on his long journey. The Mirror Spirit refuses to accompany him, arguing that someone must guard their territory, but promises to look after Luohua if he does not return.
• Feng Jun asks the Mirror Spirit about the Artifact Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers State Map. The Mirror Spirit admits it knows little about the artifact and suggests that even the origins of the Bamboo Gentleman remain mysterious.
• Yi Jue arrives with news that Venerable Jing Nian of the Azure Lotus Sect, a newly emerged Great Venerable, wishes to meet Feng Jun in the Icefield Sector. Feng Jun is surprised and suspicious because he has never met Jing Nian and does not know his intentions.

Character Development

• Feng Jun: His isolation and increasingly imposing presence reveal the psychological burden of his responsibilities and impending journey. He fears being treated as a disposable chess piece by the Guardians, but recognizing his importance to Blue Star’s spiritual revival renews his determination. He also acknowledges the emotional distance separating him from Luohua’s people.
• Zhong Lijing: Though blunt and somewhat reckless, she proves perceptive and emotionally courageous. She notices Feng Jun’s distress, asks questions others fear to raise, and subtly encourages him to reconnect with Luohua’s members.
• Yu Qingzhu: Her rapid cultivation progress highlights her exceptional potential. Her family ties also emphasize the personal sacrifices that accompany her future advancement.
• The Mirror Spirit: It displays unusual loyalty beneath its sarcastic manner. It refuses to abandon its responsibility to guard their home and urges Feng Jun to return safely, while still joking about the Ultimate Spirit Stones he owes it.
• Yi Jue: She continues to act as a reliable intermediary, bringing Feng Jun important news while admitting that she also lacks information about Jing Nian.

Significant Themes

• Power and alienation: Feng Jun’s rising status has changed his demeanor and caused even those closest to him to feel intimidated and distant.
• Responsibility versus personal freedom: Although Feng Jun dislikes being controlled by the Guardians, he recognizes that his survival is tied to Blue Star’s future and the fate of Luohua.
• The burden of secrecy: Feng Jun withholds information because he believes others cannot help and would only become frightened, but this secrecy unintentionally deepens their impression that he is cold.
• Mortality and family: The discussion of Yu Qingzhu’s grandfather and the uncertain lifespans of loved ones emphasizes how cultivation separates practitioners from ordinary family life.
• Loyalty and guardianship: The Mirror Spirit’s decision to remain behind underscores that protecting one’s home can be as important as accompanying a friend into danger.
• Mystery and hidden origins: The unknown backgrounds of the Mountains and Rivers State Map, the Bamboo Gentleman, and possibly the Guardians suggest that powerful beings and artifacts possess histories Feng Jun does not yet understand.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zhong Lijing: She questions him about returning to Blue Star, worries about Qingzhu’s family, and eventually persuades him to relax and spend time with Luohua’s members.
• Feng Jun and the Mirror Spirit: They discuss Feng Jun’s journey, the possibility of his death, the protection of Luohua, and the mysterious Mountains and Rivers State Map. Their exchange combines genuine concern with teasing and sarcasm.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue: Yi Jue informs him of Jing Nian’s request, prompting Feng Jun to speculate about the newly emerged Venerable’s motives.
• Feng Jun and Luohua’s members: His silence and overwhelming presence create an atmosphere of unease, though his eventual recovery at Luohua helps restore some emotional connection.

Chapter Summary: “Hundred Drunk”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun arrives at the Icefield Sector with Yi Jue and meets True Lord Jing Nian, the Azure Lotus Sect’s representative.
• Jing Nian asks to obtain the secret technique for converting Asura World bubbles, offering to pay a substantial price.
• Yi Jue insists that, according to the original agreement among the participating powers, the technique cannot be shared until the current Asura World is completely conquered.
• Jing Nian proposes that the Azure Lotus Sect be allowed to use the technique early because it supposedly knows the location of another Asura World and promises not to interfere with the world controlled by the Spirit Plant Dao.
• Yi Jue is willing to consider this arrangement only if the other Asura World is genuinely unknown to the rest of Humanity. However, Jing Nian cannot provide definitive proof, asking them to trust the Azure Lotus Sect’s reputation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi suggests visiting the location as proof, but Jing Nian refuses, fearing that Feng Jun and the others would gain access to the world’s resources.
• Jing Nian reveals that the Azure Lotus Sect’s access comes from a Dao marker left there by one of its elders.
• The others immediately question this claim, since leaving a Dao marker in an Asura World would normally require an Integration Ancestor-level cultivator.
• Jing Nian identifies the elder as Hundred Drunk, a legendary Azure Lotus Sect cultivator whose name and bizarre reputation make the otherwise unbelievable claim seem plausible.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun acts as a mediator and supports Yi Jue’s cautious position, refusing to exploit the situation for personal gain.
• Yi Jue demonstrates both authority and integrity. She defends the Spirit Plant Dao’s leadership role and prioritizes collective agreements and trust over immediate benefits.
• Jing Nian remains polite and composed throughout the negotiation, but his evasiveness reveals that the Azure Lotus Sect is protecting a valuable secret. His respect for the sect’s reputation is central to his argument.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains skeptical and blunt, challenging Jing Nian’s claims and exposing their practical weaknesses.
• Hundred Drunk, though absent, emerges as a significant historical figure: immensely talented, powerful, and notorious for reckless behavior caused by his obsession with alcohol.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus proof: Yi Jue emphasizes that agreements cannot rest solely on promises, while Jing Nian argues that the Azure Lotus Sect’s reputation should serve as a guarantee.
• Collective interests and fairness: The Asura Worlds are portrayed as shared resources and common enemies, making it morally and politically difficult for one sect to claim exclusive access.
• Secrecy and power politics: The negotiation shows how major sects protect information about interworld routes and resources while attempting to gain strategic advantages.
• Reputation and credibility: The Azure Lotus Sect’s prestige is repeatedly invoked, while Hundred Drunk’s legendary eccentricity paradoxically makes an otherwise implausible explanation believable.
• The danger of genius without restraint: Hundred Drunk represents extraordinary talent undermined by impulsiveness and self-destructive obsession.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun formally greets Jing Nian, who compliments his appearance and bearing.
• Jing Nian negotiates primarily with Yi Jue after she asserts that the Spirit Plant Dao should be consulted.
• Yi Jue and Jing Nian engage in a respectful but firm debate over timing, fairness, and whether the Azure Lotus Sect can be trusted.
• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly interrupts with impatient or skeptical remarks, pressing Jing Nian for concrete evidence.
• Feng Jun sides with Yi Jue by refusing to visit the hidden Asura World, reinforcing their cooperative relationship.
• The chapter ends with the group collectively reacting in stunned silence to the revelation that the Dao marker was left by the famously reckless Hundred Drunk.

Chapter Summary: “Motivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Nian True Lord explains the origins of the Azure Lotus Sect’s hidden Asura World. Its Dao marker was created by Hundred Drunk, a legendary but eccentric Sword Cultivator who accidentally established it while drunk.
• Hundred Drunk’s immense talent and strange behavior are discussed. Although outsiders such as Vast Sea Venerable and Yi Jue question his choices, the Azure Lotus Sect regards him as a peerless genius and a potential Dao-Unification Realm cultivator.
• Yi Jue asks why the Azure Lotus Sect never destroyed or fully exploited the Asura World. Jing Nian explains that it has been preserved as a reserve of resources because no other cultivators were believed to know about it.
• Qian Zhong uses Deduction to verify that Jing Nian is telling the truth. However, Wei Sancai challenges Jing Nian’s claim that no other cultivators have discovered the world, pointing out that proving a negative is impossible.
• Wei Sancai and the others use the uncertainty to pressure the Azure Lotus Sect into increasing the compensation for keeping the secret. They initially demand one Space Bubble per faction and then suggest entering the Asura World themselves to harvest the bubbles.
• Jing Nian realizes that allowing outsiders inside would effectively expose the Azure Lotus Sect’s private resource reserve. Even if everyone promised to take only one Space Bubble and leave, the world could be leaked, exploited, or transformed into a contested resource.
• The chapter ends with Jing Nian rejecting the demand for six Space Bubbles and countering with three, beginning the actual negotiation.

Character Developments

• Jing Nian True Lord is shown as cautious, politically astute, and increasingly frustrated. He understands that the others are using moral principles and Yi Jue’s reputation as leverage, but he must still protect the Azure Lotus Sect’s long-term interests.
• Yi Jue demonstrates integrity without being inflexible. She supports honoring agreements but allows the others to negotiate a higher price, showing that she values both reputation and practical benefit.
• Wei Sancai takes on the role of aggressive negotiator. He deliberately pushes beyond the original arrangement, using Qian Zhong’s status and Yi Jue’s principles to pressure Jing Nian.
• Qian Zhong remains calm and authoritative, confirming Jing Nian’s honesty through Deduction. Her presence gives the negotiations legitimacy.
• Xuanyuan Buqi acts as a provocateur, supporting Wei Sancai’s demands and deliberately increasing pressure on Jing Nian.
• Hundred Drunk, though absent, is developed through others’ recollections as an extraordinarily gifted, eccentric, and ultimately tragic cultivator whose willfulness caused him to fall short of his potential.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and promises versus self-interest: The characters invoke the importance of keeping one’s word, but everyone recognizes that the negotiations are fundamentally about profit and leverage.
• The danger of hidden resources becoming public: The Azure Lotus Sect’s greatest concern is not merely losing several Space Bubbles but losing control over an entire reserve that could be repeatedly harvested.
• Strategic restraint: Jing Nian understands that taking everything immediately would be unwise. Like draining a pond, exhausting the Asura World at once would create war, waste resources, and eliminate future benefits.
• Proof and uncertainty: Wei Sancai’s challenge highlights how easily claims can be manipulated when proving that something does not exist—or that no one else knows about it—is impossible.
• Genius and eccentricity: Hundred Drunk embodies the idea that extraordinary talent may coexist with absurdity and destructive independence.

Character Interactions

• Jing Nian explains Hundred Drunk’s history while Qingyao defends the senior cultivator’s reputation against Vast Sea Venerable’s skepticism.
• Yi Jue respectfully questions Jing Nian about the Azure Lotus Sect’s motives, prompting him to justify preserving the Asura World.
• Qian Zhong verifies Jing Nian’s statement, but Wei Sancai immediately challenges the limits of that verification.
• Wei Sancai and Xuanyuan Buqi coordinate to raise the price, while Yi Jue silently permits the negotiation because it does not violate her principles.
• Jing Nian recognizes the tactic and accuses them of merely raising the price, but ultimately has to bargain, offering three Space Bubbles instead of the demanded six.

Chapter Summary: “Dare to Dream”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Venerable Jing Nian negotiates with Feng Jun and the gathered factions over access to the Asura World’s Space Bubbles.
• The Bamboo Gentleman unexpectedly demands one of the seven Space Bubbles, explaining that a troublesome child in his family now requires additional support.
• Jing Nian initially proposes that the Azure Lotus Sect receive Space Bubbles in advance, but Yi Jue firmly insists that their agreement must not be violated.
• Jing Nian suggests a loophole: the Azure Lotus Sect could secretly refine the Space Bubbles and later claim it had not breached the agreement. Xuanyuan Buqi immediately exposes this strategy, embarrassing Jing Nian.
• The group attempts several alternative arrangements, including exchanging a World Marker for the Space Bubbles, but Jing Nian refuses to surrender the World Marker belonging to a senior of his sect.
• Feng Jun reveals that he is willing to share his own World Marker with the Azure Lotus Sect and other Heavenly Zither cultivators. This greatly impresses Jing Nian and reveals Feng Jun’s unusually broad and cooperative outlook.
• Jing Nian finally explains the Azure Lotus Sect’s true ambition: after studying the method for refining Space Bubbles, it hopes to discover how to refine an entire other world and turn it into something akin to a Lower Realm.
• The group recognizes that the sect wants to keep the Asura World’s World Marker so it can experiment on and potentially refine the world itself.
• Qian Zhong reminds Jing Nian that he is nearing the end of his lifespan and should prioritize finding a personal breakthrough opportunity rather than sacrificing everything for the sect.
• Feng Jun offers the Ghost Shaman World as the destination of the World Marker. Jing Nian accepts, hoping it may contain the opportunity he needs, though Yi Jue reminds him that he will still have to wait his turn.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates generosity, confidence, and a long-term vision. He sees World Markers as shared opportunities rather than possessions to be hoarded, believing cooperation will ultimately benefit all Heavenly Zither cultivators.
• Venerable Jing Nian is revealed to be ambitious and politically clever. He is willing to exploit loopholes to advance the Azure Lotus Sect’s plans, but he is also genuinely concerned with preserving his sect’s inheritance. His hesitation reflects the conflict between sect duty and his own approaching mortality.
• Yi Jue remains principled, direct, and uncompromising. She focuses on preserving agreements and exposes the moral weakness of Jing Nian’s proposed loopholes without resorting to emotional threats.
• Xuanyuan Buqi becomes more strategically subtle, identifying the Azure Lotus Sect’s hidden intentions and turning its loophole against it. His blunt remarks also serve to pressure Jing Nian into revealing the truth.
• Wei Sancai acts as an aggressive and persistent negotiator, repeatedly proposing practical exchanges and refusing to let Jing Nian avoid the central issue.
• Qian Zhong shows personal concern for Jing Nian, reminding him that his remaining lifespan is limited and that he must pursue his own opportunity.
• The Bamboo Gentleman becomes involved because of family responsibility, showing a normally detached figure taking action to support a younger and troublesome family member.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and daring: The Azure Lotus Sect’s plan to refine an entire world exemplifies the chapter’s title. Its ambition is extraordinary, though extremely difficult and risky.
• Rules versus loopholes: The negotiation repeatedly explores the difference between honoring the spirit of an agreement and technically avoiding its wording.
• Personal path versus collective duty: Jing Nian must choose between strengthening his sect and pursuing the breakthrough that may be his last chance at extending his life.
• Cooperation and shared opportunity: Feng Jun challenges the increasingly guarded habits of major factions by promoting the ancient tradition of sharing World Markers.
• Trust and transparency: Jing Nian’s evasiveness contrasts with Feng Jun and the others’ more open approach, forcing him to reveal the Azure Lotus Sect’s actual intentions.
• Mortality and urgency: Jing Nian’s advanced age gives the negotiations personal stakes. His desire for the Ghost Shaman World may be motivated as much by survival as by sect interests.

Character Interactions

• Jing Nian and Yi Jue clash over whether the Azure Lotus Sect should receive early access, with Yi Jue refusing to compromise the agreement.
• Xuanyuan Buqi openly exposes Jing Nian’s intended loophole, creating tension but also forcing more honest negotiations.
• Wei Sancai repeatedly presses Jing Nian with increasingly attractive proposals, functioning as the group’s chief negotiator.
• Feng Jun’s revelation about the World Marker changes the balance of the discussion and earns Jing Nian’s admiration.
• Qian Zhong speaks frankly to Jing Nian because of their prior relationship, urging him to consider his own future.
• Feng Jun’s impatient offer of the Ghost Shaman World provokes Jing Nian into making a decisive choice, only for Yi Jue to temper his enthusiasm by reminding him that access will not be immediate.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue establishes the terms for entering the Ghost Shaman World: if everyone travels together, Feng Jun receives priority for opportunities connected to him, while unrelated resources are negotiated afterward.
• Venerable Jing Nian reluctantly accepts these conditions, along with the agreement that seven Space Bubbles will be provided. All parties swear a Heavenly Way Oath, with the Azure Lotus Sect facing collective attack if it violates the deal.
• After obtaining Feng Jun’s secret technique, Jing Nian returns the next day, having delayed the group. They prepare to depart for the Ghost Shaman World.
• Rather than directly activating the Waymark—which would require immense spiritual energy and at least Soul Emergence-level cultivation—Feng Jun uses the Void as a transit route. He successfully brings the group to the Waymark’s destination.
• The group arrives in a mist-covered wilderness. Qian Zhong warns everyone not to use Divine Sense immediately, since it might attract danger. Yi Jue, Qing Yao, and Qian Zhong perform deductions and determine that the immediate area is safe.
• The cultivators discuss the world’s dangers and opportunities. Xuanyuan Buqi reveals that Integration Stage opportunities have appeared there, while Jing Nian hints that there may be more than one such opportunity.
• The Boss explains the world’s history and structure: the Ghost Shaman World has seven continents and three major systems—Martial Cultivation, immortal cultivation, and shamanic arts. Shamans originally dominated, but cultivators from beyond the heavens later entered and seized two continents. Martial Cultivation exists throughout the world and controls one continent as its sacred land.
• The world is separated by the Sea of Chaos, making travel difficult. Its strange laws prevent it from being easily drawn upon, and it has become known as the “Lost Land.”

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence and competence. Though only at the Gold Core Peak Realm, he independently handles the interworld journey by using the Void and his Waymark, surprising Venerable Jing Nian.
• Feng Jun also shows humility and self-awareness when he realizes his Divine Sense is vastly weaker than that of the senior cultivators. Rather than embarrass himself, he withdraws it and observes quietly.
• Venerable Jing Nian displays both pride and adaptability. He is uncomfortable yielding opportunities to Feng Jun and embarrassed that he delayed the group, but he ultimately accepts the arrangement for the sake of entering the Ghost Shaman World.
• Xuanyuan Buqi acts as an experienced negotiator and information-holder. He shares only limited details about the world’s opportunities, maintaining the Xuanyuan Family’s advantage.
• Qian Zhong, Yi Jue, and Qing Yao take responsibility for the group’s safety by conducting deductions and warning the others about potential threats.
• Wei Sancai becomes increasingly concerned as she realizes that the world may contain dangers far beyond what their initial information suggested.
• The Boss reveals that its knowledge of the Ghost Shaman World is limited, despite having visited it before, emphasizing the world’s mystery and danger.

Significant Themes

• Power, hierarchy, and compromise: Even a Venerable must compromise with Feng Jun because access to the Ghost Shaman World depends on him. The chapter shows that practical interests can outweigh traditional cultivation hierarchies.
• Trust enforced by oaths: The Heavenly Way Oath transforms an agreement into a binding political contract, making betrayal potentially disastrous for the Azure Lotus Sect.
• Opportunity and danger: The possibility of Integration Stage opportunities implies extraordinary rewards, but the group recognizes that such opportunities are proportional to the world’s dangers.
• Knowledge as a resource: Information is treated like a valuable commodity. The powerful cultivators reveal only what benefits cooperation while concealing details about major opportunities.
• Exploration and uncertainty: Despite careful preparation, even the senior cultivators know little about the Ghost Shaman World. Feng Jun and the others must investigate while remaining alert.
• Cultural and ideological conflict: The world’s three cultivation systems developed through conquest, migration, and competition. The history reflects ongoing tensions between native traditions and outside cultivation methods.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue firmly negotiates with Jing Nian, making clear that Feng Jun’s priority is non-negotiable.
• Jing Nian and Qian Zhong exchange a brief, slightly awkward interaction when Jing Nian realizes that his return delayed the expedition.
• The group collectively turns to Feng Jun to determine how they will travel, highlighting his unusual central role despite his lower cultivation level.
• Qian Zhong takes command of safety procedures, while Yi Jue and Qing Yao support her through divination.
• Jing Nian questions Xuanyuan Buqi about the rumored opportunities, but Xuanyuan gives only a vague answer. Jing Nian responds in kind, creating a subtle contest over concealed information.
• Xuanyuan Buqi lightly defends Feng Jun when Wei Sancai questions the wisdom of sending a Gold Core cultivator into such a dangerous world.
• Feng Jun consults the Boss through Xuanyuan Buqi, and the Boss jokingly accuses him of trying to exploit its knowledge.
• Yi Jue and Qing Yao reassure Feng Jun that spreading cultivation methods in this world is acceptable because its inhabitants could eventually become a Lower Realm of Heavenly Zither.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun asking whether the danger comes from powerful shamans, setting up the group’s deeper investigation into the world’s threats.

Chapter Summary: Black Well City

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group continues exploring an unfamiliar Outer World after discussing its basic rules and the possibility that wizards possess powerful hidden trump cards.
• They travel toward signs of civilization while Qian Zhong conceals everyone’s presence. Because the local spiritual energy is weak, Jing Nian suspects the continent is dominated by wizards rather than cultivators.
• They discover a poor rural settlement: badly maintained farmland, starving peasants, waterwheels, thatched homes, and a small castle likely belonging to the upper class. The group realizes the peasants’ poverty may result from exploitation rather than incompetence alone.
• Rather than Soul Searching the local elites, the group chooses a nearby city as a safer source of information. Feng Jun uses his phone and Deduction abilities to investigate the city from outside, learning that it contains fewer than twenty thousand residents, while roughly one hundred thousand people live beyond its walls.
• Xuanyuan Buqi receives permission from Vast Sea Venerable to Soul Search two local thugs. He disguises himself as an old farmer, lures them away with dropped silver coins, and captures them without attracting attention.
• Through the Soul Searches, the group learns the local language and basic history. The city is called Black Well City, named after black oil discovered there three centuries earlier. The discovery attracted a wizard, workers, merchants, and eventually a sizable population.
• Black Well City is governed through a complicated hierarchy involving kingdom officials, a baron’s soldiers, an earl’s tax interests, and the Wizards’ Association, which holds the greatest authority.
• Feng Jun learns that the city has a Martial Cultivation Certification Association and considers obtaining an official identity so he can investigate local records legitimately rather than relying constantly on Soul Search.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing caution and strategic thinking. He wants a recognized identity in the new world to access information safely and avoid the risks of excessive Soul Searching. He also reveals pride in his former status as a “Hundred-Zhang Innate.”
• Qian Zhong continues to serve as the group’s stealth expert and offers perceptive observations about the exploitation of commoners.
• Jing Nian tries to analyze the world’s cultivation conditions and establish his usefulness, though Wei Sancai questions his assumptions.
• Wei Sancai remains skeptical and pragmatic, openly challenging others’ conclusions and showing less concern about Soul Searching locals.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reveals a playful, cunning side by disguising himself and tricking the thugs with silver coins. His actions also show that he is willing to work within the group’s ethical limits.
• Vast Sea Venerable acts as a moral authority, insisting that cultivators should not casually Soul Search people who may be their own kind.
• The Boss provides rare but valuable information about the world and Feng Jun’s Deduction technique, implying that Feng Jun’s abilities operate at an exceptionally high level.
• Yi Jue focuses on environmental and agricultural details, noticing how poorly the local people cultivate their crops.

Significant Themes

• Cultural and technological contrast: The group encounters a society combining wizardry, primitive agriculture, oil extraction, feudal administration, and martial cultivation.
• Class exploitation: The contrast between starving peasants and protected urban elites suggests that poverty stems from an oppressive social structure rather than merely poor farming.
• Ethics of information gathering: The group debates whether Soul Searching is justified. Their concern over harming potential fellow cultivators contrasts with the more ruthless approach of targeting criminals.
• Identity and integration: Feng Jun recognizes that possessing a local identity is essential for navigating the society, accessing records, and avoiding suspicion.
• Limits of knowledge: Even powerful outsiders know little about this world and must piece together information through observation, deduction, and risky interaction.
• Complex authority: Black Well City’s overlapping control by wizards, kingdom officials, nobles, and soldiers illustrates a society shaped by competing institutions and layers of power.

Character Interactions

• Jing Nian and Wei Sancai argue over whether the weak spiritual energy proves the region belongs to wizards.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi emphasize that the peasants’ poverty likely results from social exploitation.
• Vast Sea Venerable objects to indiscriminately Soul Searching cultivators, while Wei Sancai appears more willing to use forceful methods.
• Xuanyuan Buqi negotiates permission before acting, then uses a humorous deception to capture the thugs.
• Feng Jun’s proposal to seek martial certification surprises the group, especially Yi Jue and the Boss, who mock the idea of attending a martial academy.
• The chapter ends with Qingyao suggesting a more direct alternative: capturing and Soul Searching evil wizards instead of having Feng Jun seek a formal identity.

Chapter Summary: “Entering the City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun decides to delay his search for advancement opportunities so he can collect books and manuals from the Ghost Shaman World. He plans to copy and bring this valuable information back to Heavenly Zither.
• Qian Zhong, Wei Sancai, and the others immediately express interest in obtaining copies. Even Qing Yao, who wants to focus on finding an Integration Stage opportunity, cannot object after Hanhai supports the plan.
• The chapter explains why information about the Ghost Shaman World is so valuable: unlike better-known worlds, it has been visited by very few cultivators, and its secrets—especially those related to opportunities for advancing to the Integration Stage—are tightly guarded.
• Feng Jun disguises himself as an ordinary wandering Martial Cultivation practitioner. He copies local clothing, forges a steel saber, and uses his original appearance to avoid revealing spiritual-energy-based alterations.
• He travels to Black Well City, a city associated with wizards and known to contain books.
• At the city gates, guards demand his identity pass. Feng Jun claims to be a wandering practitioner who has come to register and obtain one.
• When a guard dismisses him, Feng Jun reveals that he is a Martial Sect member by floating above the ground. The guards immediately become cautious, realizing that they could be killed easily and anonymously if they antagonized him.
• The guards attempt to discourage him from entering because he lacks a pass, but Feng Jun challenges their authority and asks whether Martial Cultivation practitioners are forbidden from registering.
• He ultimately presents himself as a free citizen willing to pay the entry fee. Intimidated by his strength, the guards waive the fee and allow him into the city.
• Before entering, Feng Jun tosses the guards a piece of silver, rewarding them for yielding.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates patience and strategic planning. Rather than rushing toward cultivation advancement, he recognizes the long-term value of gathering knowledge. He also shows confidence and control when dealing with the guards, carefully balancing intimidation with restraint.
• Qian Zhong quickly recognizes the importance of Feng Jun’s plan and seeks copies for the Yao Family, showing his practical and opportunistic nature.
• Wei Sancai and the other cultivators follow Qian Zhong’s lead, revealing that all of them understand the strategic value of information from the Ghost Shaman World.
• Qing Yao remains focused on advancement and is reluctant to waste time, but she chooses not to oppose Hanhai and the group’s decision.
• The city guards shift from arrogance to fear and submission once Feng Jun reveals his Martial Sect status. Their behavior illustrates how social treatment depends heavily on perceived power.

Significant Themes

• Information as power: Knowledge about rare cultivation opportunities and unfamiliar worlds is treated as a valuable resource, possibly as important as physical treasures.
• Strategic preparation: Feng Jun’s decision to gather books before proceeding emphasizes that preparation can increase future success rather than obstruct it.
• Power and social hierarchy: The guards initially look down on Feng Jun because of his rough appearance, but immediately change their attitude once they realize he can fly and possesses significant strength.
• Class and institutional inequality: The chapter details the kingdom’s hierarchy of slaves, subjects, free citizens, and citizens, showing how taxes, property, mobility, and legal status shape people’s freedom.
• Appearances and identity: Feng Jun carefully constructs the image of a poor, unaffiliated practitioner. His appearance makes him seem vulnerable, but his hidden strength allows him to control the encounter.
• Fear as a form of authority: The guards obey not because of formal rules, but because they fear the consequences of provoking someone powerful and difficult to track.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong establish a cooperative relationship centered on copying and sharing knowledge.
• The group’s immediate requests for copies show their shared reliance on Feng Jun’s access to the Ghost Shaman World.
• Qing Yao’s silence reflects tension between her personal goal of advancement and the group’s broader strategic interests.
• Feng Jun’s confrontation with the guards moves from formal questioning to intimidation. He exposes their lack of authority, forces them to reconsider their treatment of him, and enters the city on his own terms.
• His final silver payment softens the confrontation and shows that, despite his dominance, he is willing to reward the guards rather than punish them.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Feng Jun leaves the city gates, the soldiers discuss the generous tip he gave them in raw silver rather than silver coins. Feng Jun had deliberately done this because, as a supposed “wandering savage,” it was believable that he possessed silver but not minted currency.
• Inside Black Well City, Feng Jun asks for directions to the Martial Cultivation Association. His saber and apparent Martial Cultivator identity cause the locals to treat him with respect.
• He undergoes certification as a Martial Sect. The process is simplified because of his realm, which is confirmed by his ability to hover in the air for half a minute.
• During certification, Feng Jun encounters several powerful Martial Cultivators, including a man who appears to be a Martial Venerable. This expert uses a field capable of influencing spiritual energy and suppressing Feng Jun’s potential.
• Feng Jun only barely withstands the field, concealing his true strength and learning more about the higher stages of the world’s Martial Cultivation system.
• The suspected Martial Venerable invites Feng Jun to join the Martial Cultivation Association, promising access to methods for advancing to Martial Venerable, Martial King, and possibly Martial Saint.
• Feng Jun rejects the offer, distrustful of vague promises involving “fate,” missions, merit, and secret opportunities. He also dislikes the restrictions and dangers that would come with joining the association.
• Before Feng Jun leaves, someone secretly warns him that wizards may capture Martial Cultivators for use as experimental material.
• Rather than immediately leaving the city, Feng Jun explores it, hoping to draw the attention of wizards and lure anyone pursuing him into a favorable situation.
• He exchanges silver for local currency at a gold and silver shop, noticing that the shopkeeper manipulates the scales but choosing not to object.
• Three burly men then approach him, apparently intending trouble. Feng Jun displays his Martial Sect badge and places his hand on his saber, exploiting his newly certified status.
• The chapter ends as Feng Jun confronts the men. In Black Well City, Martial Sects are legally permitted to kill in the street when sufficiently provoked.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Continues refining his “wandering savage” persona, paying attention to details such as how he spends money, speaks, and responds to local customs. He remains cautious and pragmatic, refusing attractive but unreliable promises. His encounter with the Martial Venerable gives him valuable insight into the limitations of his current Martial Cultivation and the stages beyond the Innate Realm.
• The suspected Martial Venerable: Initially curious and somewhat dismissive, he becomes impressed by Feng Jun’s ability to resist his field. He tries to recruit Feng Jun but ultimately respects his decision to remain independent.
• The soldiers: Their conversation reveals their practical understanding of local currency and social status. The older soldier is more perceptive about Feng Jun’s fabricated identity, while the younger one is mainly puzzled by the silver payment.
• The secret informant: Though unidentified, this person shows concern for Feng Jun by warning him about wizards and the danger of becoming an experimental subject.
• The three burly men: They appear to be pursuing Feng Jun as potential street aggressors, but his Martial Sect status may place them at a severe disadvantage.

3. Significant Themes

• Freedom versus security: Feng Jun rejects the association’s promised cultivation resources because joining would impose obligations, missions, and possible danger. He values independence over guaranteed advancement.
• Power and legitimacy: The Martial Sect badge grants Feng Jun legal and social authority, demonstrating how official recognition can be nearly as valuable as actual strength.
• Appearance and deception: Feng Jun carefully constructs his identity through his clothing, payment methods, speech, and behavior. Small details are essential to maintaining his disguise.
• Distrust of institutions: The Martial Cultivation Association offers great benefits but keeps its methods and success stories secret. Feng Jun suspects that its promises may conceal exploitation or danger.
• The disparity between cultivation and combat power: The chapter distinguishes between Martial Cultivation realms and actual battle strength. Although Martial Venerables possess powerful fields, they lack the spells and tools available to cultivators of other systems.
• Wizards as a looming threat: The warning about Martial Cultivators being used as experimental material introduces the hostile relationship between wizards and martial practitioners.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the soldiers: His generous payment earns their approval, while their discussion highlights his successful disguise as an outsider from the wilderness.
• Feng Jun and the Martial Cultivation Association staff: The staff efficiently certifies him as a Martial Sect after observing his ability to fly or hover.
• Feng Jun and the suspected Martial Venerable: Their interaction is both a test of strength and a negotiation over affiliation. The elder attempts to tempt Feng Jun with advancement opportunities, while Feng Jun challenges the vagueness and risks behind those promises.
• Feng Jun and the unseen informant: Feng Jun silently acknowledges the warning, showing that he appreciates useful information even when he remains cautious.
• Feng Jun and the three approaching men: The confrontation is shaped by intimidation and legal status. By displaying his red Martial Sect badge and reaching for his saber, Feng Jun signals that provoking him could legally justify lethal retaliation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun is targeted by a small gang that preys on people exchanging silver near gold and silver shops. When they recognize his red token and realize he is a Martial Sect, they immediately retreat.
• Feng Jun deliberately crashes into one of the gang members and secretly steals back a silver coin, turning the gang’s intended robbery against them. The gang is furious but too intimidated to retaliate.
• The gang considers hiring another Martial Sect but decides instead to inform a Wizard, hoping to exploit Feng Jun’s status as an outsider. Feng Jun overhears their plan with his heightened senses and becomes wary, though he chooses not to confront them yet.
• He visits a modest food stall in South City, hoping to gather information about the city and its Wizards. The local conversations initially provide little useful information.
• After waiting through the busy lunch period, Feng Jun shares a table with a poor father and his teenage son, who has just passed the Wizard Apprentice assessment.
• The boy’s family celebrates his achievement by buying meat soup, though he insists on taking food home for his mother and younger sister rather than eating more himself.
• Feng Jun recognizes the boy’s ambition and dignity. He offers to buy him meat in exchange for information about Wizards, beginning a mutually respectful conversation.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates confidence, cunning, and a deliberate effort to cultivate the image of a powerful but temperamental Martial Cultivator. He is observant and cautious, using the gang’s actions to gather information while maintaining control of the situation. His interaction with the boy reveals a more thoughtful and respectful side.
• The gang leader and his men: Their bravado collapses once they learn Feng Jun is a Martial Sect. They are pragmatic rather than reckless, weighing the cost of retaliation and considering whether a Wizard can be used against him.
• The teenage boy: Despite his lowly background, he displays maturity, self-respect, ambition, and honesty. Passing the apprentice assessment gives him hope, but he understands that becoming a true Wizard will require effort. He refuses charity while remaining open to earning food by answering Feng Jun’s questions.
• The father: His pride and sacrifice are evident. He brings his son out to celebrate but does not eat himself, highlighting both his love and his family’s poverty.
• The food stall owner: His generosity is motivated partly by caution and respect for the boy’s future status, showing how much social value even a potential Wizard already possesses.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and social status: The gang instantly abandons its aggression once Feng Jun’s Martial Sect identity is revealed, demonstrating how strength determines social interactions.
• Pragmatism and survival: The gang evaluates whether revenge is financially worthwhile, while the poor family carefully balances celebration, dignity, and necessity.
• Hope and social mobility: The boy’s Wizard Apprentice assessment represents a possible escape from poverty and a transformation of his family’s future.
• Dignity versus charity: The boy refuses free food, insisting on earning his way, but accepts the possibility of working for what he receives. Feng Jun admires this distinction.
• Information gathering: Feng Jun uses seemingly ordinary activities—exchanging money, provoking the gang, and eating at a food stall—to investigate Wizards and the city without exposing his true purpose.
• Class inequality: The contrast between Feng Jun’s abundant meal and the family’s inability to afford meat soup emphasizes the harsh economic divisions of the setting.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun intimidates the gang through his Martial Sect token, then humiliates them by robbing the robber. Their later discussion reveals their intention to report him to a Wizard.
• At the food stall, the owner offers the newly qualified boy free food, but the boy requests only what he can pay for and wants to bring it home to his family.
• Feng Jun praises the boy’s independence and offers to treat him to meat in exchange for information. The boy accepts the arrangement, recognizing Feng Jun as a significant Martial Cultivation expert.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun identifying himself as a wandering outsider and asking the boy how to obtain books about Wizards, setting up the next stage of his investigation.

Chapter Summary: Books

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun questions a young boy about purchasing books, especially wizard-related tomes. The boy explains that ordinary books are expensive but available, while wizard texts require citizen status and cultivation-related materials are restricted.
• In exchange for information, Feng Jun buys the boy and his father only a bowl of rice with meat broth. The boy shares everything he knows about wizard society, books, and access to knowledge.
• Feng Jun displays his Martial Sect token and asks whether a Martial Venerable could compete with a Formal Wizard. The boy becomes offended, insisting that wizard dignity must not be questioned. Feng Jun ends the conversation without buying them meat.
• After leaving, Feng Jun observes the Wizards’ Association, which occupies a massive compound containing the city’s tallest tower. He suspects that important wizard inheritances and secret information are stored there, but decides not to investigate it directly yet.
• Feng Jun visits the city’s only bookstore. Although initially stopped by a Martial Master guard, his Martial Sect identity grants him entry.
• He discovers that books require certain social qualifications to purchase and that he cannot read the local script. Nevertheless, he buys a travel journal and a popular storybook, claiming they are for a younger brother.
• Outside the bookstore, Feng Jun senses possible surveillance and cautiously buys an oil-paper umbrella before activating the mysterious phone hidden within him.
• He successfully copies the bookstore’s books into the phone without triggering any apparent protective measures. Using the phone’s twenty-li search range, he also copies books from Earl Gaina’s residence and discovers that the Martial Cultivators Association possesses a small collection as well.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues combining caution with opportunism. He openly presents himself as a powerful Martial Sect cultivator while pretending to be ignorant of local customs and literacy.
• His interest shifts from merely purchasing books to secretly copying entire collections, especially materials containing wizard inheritances and useful information for his fellow cultivators.
• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing awareness of the danger posed by wizard surveillance. Rather than recklessly probing the Wizards’ Association, he tests the phone’s abilities on safer targets first.
• The boy is shown to be earnest, proud, and deeply devoted to becoming a wizard. His admiration for wizardry makes him defensive when Feng Jun suggests martial cultivators might rival Formal Wizards.
• The boy’s father is more practical and embarrassed by his son’s behavior, recognizing that the boy’s idealism may have cost them a better meal.
• The bookstore clerk and guards reflect the city’s assumptions about social class: Feng Jun’s rough appearance causes suspicion, but his Martial Sect credentials command respect.

Significant Themes

• Access to knowledge and social hierarchy: Books, especially wizard texts, are controlled according to citizenship and status. Knowledge functions as a privilege rather than a universally available resource.
• Ignorance versus learning: Feng Jun is technically illiterate in the local language, yet his supernatural phone allows him to acquire knowledge far beyond what ordinary people can access.
• Pride and ideology: The boy’s fierce defense of wizard dignity illustrates how social beliefs and personal ambitions can override practical judgment.
• Caution and hidden power: Feng Jun possesses extraordinary copying abilities but recognizes that using them carelessly could expose him to dangerous wizard surveillance.
• Class and purchasing power: The low cost of food contrasts with the high price and restricted availability of books, emphasizing that economic and social barriers determine who can pursue self-improvement.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the boy establish a temporary teacher-and-informant dynamic, though their exchange is also transactional: Feng Jun offers food in return for information.
• Feng Jun’s question about Martial Venerables and Formal Wizards exposes the ideological divide between martial cultivators and wizards. The boy reacts emotionally, while Feng Jun responds with amusement and restraint.
• The boy’s father quietly criticizes both Feng Jun’s childish question and his son’s lack of tact, creating a contrast between youthful conviction and adult practicality.
• The bookstore guard initially treats Feng Jun as an uncultured brute, but the Martial Sect token immediately changes the interaction.
• The clerk successfully persuades Feng Jun to buy a storybook in addition to the travel journal, demonstrating how Feng Jun’s lack of literacy and local knowledge makes him vulnerable to ordinary sales tactics.

Chapter Summary: “The Countess”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun secretly copies all the books in the Martial Cultivators Association, hoping to gather useful knowledge even though the small city is unlikely to possess methods for reaching the Martial Venerable realm.
• After leaving the association, he is nearly splashed by a carriage. He deflects the muddy water with Inner Qi, viewing the incident as an insult.
• Golf, a Wizard Apprentice serving the Earl’s Residence, confronts Feng Jun and asks him to accept a job. Feng Jun refuses and demands an apology for the coachman’s recklessness.
• A tense confrontation follows. Feng Jun’s intimidating presence overwhelms Golf, who realizes that attacking him would likely mean certain death.
• The Countess appears and apologizes, though Feng Jun considers her attitude insincere and leaves without further discussion.
• Intrigued by Feng Jun’s strength, the Countess orders Golf to investigate his cultivation and identity. She also decides that the Earl’s Residence should recruit him as a retainer.
• The Countess visits the Martial Cultivators Association and speaks with President Roger. They discover that Feng Jun, reported by Shi Jie as a Martial Sect, may possibly be a Martial Venerable.
• Before they can locate him, they learn that Feng Jun has already left the city. The Countess and Roger are surprised, while Golf speculates that Feng Jun might be a spy.
• Feng Jun intentionally used the confrontation as an excuse to depart quickly without arousing suspicion. He circles around the city so his movements appear less suspicious.
• Once outside the city, he uses his phone to copy all accessible materials from the Wizards’ Association tower. The tower detects the intrusion, sounds alarms, and announces that an intruder is escaping.
• Feng Jun rapidly flees using Flash Step, covering more than a hundred li. He then teleports to the area outside the south gate, where members of Heaven’s Zither are idly playing cards.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Displays greater confidence in his Martial Sect-level strength and refuses to tolerate disrespect from nobles or wizard apprentices. He proves himself highly calculating, using the conflict with the Earl’s Residence to create a believable reason for leaving the city. His ability to copy the city’s texts and escape the wizard tower demonstrates his preparation, speed, and growing mastery of his resources.
• The Countess: Revealed to be an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, possibly close to becoming a Formal Wizard. She is politically secure because she has a legitimate young heir, but she is also impulsive and attracted to handsome, powerful men. Her interest in Feng Jun is driven by both his strength and appearance.
• Golf: Becomes intimidated by Feng Jun and is shown to be cautious and protective of the Countess and her young son. However, his prejudice and repeated criticism of Feng Jun irritate the Countess.
• President Roger: Demonstrates awareness of the hidden strength of Martial Cultivation and treats the possibility of Feng Jun being a Martial Venerable seriously. He is uneasy because Feng Jun’s presence suggests that something significant may happen.
• Shi Jie: Though absent from the chapter, his earlier report identifying Feng Jun as a Martial Sect influences the Countess’s and Roger’s investigation.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus social status: Feng Jun refuses to submit to aristocratic authority, while the Countess assumes her position should command respect. Their interaction highlights the tension between personal power and noble privilege.
• Concealment and strategy: Feng Jun carefully manages his identity, behavior, and movements. His apparent insult to the Earl’s Residence is partly deliberate, allowing him to leave without revealing that he has already gathered the information he wanted.
• Martial Cultivation versus wizardry: The chapter emphasizes the broader influence and hidden potential of Martial Cultivation, challenging the Wizards’ Association’s public claim that wizardry is superior.
• Political vulnerability: Despite the Countess’s status and strength, the Earl’s Residence is fragile because the heir is still a child. Recruiting powerful retainers is therefore important for maintaining security.
• Knowledge as power: Feng Jun values access to written knowledge and uses his phone to acquire information from both the Martial Cultivators Association and the Wizards’ Association.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Golf clash over the carriage incident, with Feng Jun demanding respect and Golf attempting to assert the authority of the Earl’s Residence.
• The Countess intervenes, offering an apology and defusing the confrontation, but Feng Jun remains unimpressed.
• The Countess and Golf disagree over Feng Jun: Golf views him as dangerously arrogant and possibly a spy, while the Countess is fascinated and wants to recruit him.
• The Countess and President Roger recognize that they are both investigating the same mysterious martial cultivator and agree that Feng Jun could become a valuable force.
• The chapter ends by reconnecting Feng Jun with the Heaven’s Zither group, setting up the next stage of his activities after his covert information-gathering mission.

Chapter Summary: “Mistaken Identity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to the group after visiting the city, bringing an identity plaque and two books. He does not reveal that he secretly copied many texts, since that ability could expose him to suspicion.
• The group discusses how to decipher the local writing. Qingyao and Yi Jue begin studying the books, while the others consider capturing criminals and using Soul Search to obtain information.
• Feng Jun reveals that he planted hidden force in three men who had threatened him. The group leaves the city cautiously, expecting that the wizards may pursue them.
• An old female wizard eventually catches up while carrying a young girl. She initially identifies Feng Jun as a Martial Sect member with unusually powerful blood and qi, but then realizes she has mistaken him for someone else.
• Before the wizard can retreat, Yi Jue uses her rain-based technique, “Sweet Rain,” to bind both the old woman and the girl. The group restrains them and performs a Soul Search.
• The Soul Search reveals that the old woman is a middle-rank wizard roughly equivalent to the Dust-Free Realm. She has no defensive restrictions on her body, although her Divine Soul is contaminated.
• The Soul Search destroys her mind, and she dies two hours later when her Divine Soul dissipates.
• Yi Jue learns that the old woman conducted horrific human experiments on Martial Warriors and ordinary civilians, extracting substances and creating grotesque puppets. Three Innate Martial Sect members had already died in her experiments, and Feng Jun would have been the fourth.
• The group also obtains information about the world’s writing and the identity of the young girl. The girl is a highly gifted wizard prospect from Black Well City, supposedly appearing only once every three hundred years.
• The old woman had been pursuing Feng Jun for personal reasons after hearing about his powerful blood and qi, even though she was officially supposed to investigate the disturbance caused by his copying materials from the wizard tower.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious and secretive, concealing his ability to copy books and relying on hidden preparations such as the force planted in his former attackers. He also shows confidence in dealing with the local wizards.
• Yi Jue demonstrates both intellectual competitiveness and overwhelming combat control. She is eager to prove her ability to decipher the writing and easily subdues the pursuing wizard with her rain technique. However, the old woman’s memories disturb her deeply, revealing her moral revulsion toward the wizard’s experiments.
• Qingyao contributes her experience from visiting many worlds and helps interpret the unfamiliar script.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and the other powerful cultivators display confidence and indifference toward the local authorities, treating the wizards as manageable obstacles rather than serious threats.
• The old woman is revealed to be a cruel and self-serving experimenter. Her pursuit of Feng Jun is motivated partly by personal curiosity and greed rather than duty.
• The young girl is established as a valuable and exceptionally talented wizard prospect, though her relationship to the old woman is only temporary and unofficial.

Significant Themes

• Cultural exchange and adaptation: Card games introduced from Blue Star have spread through Libo Shoal and Heavenly Zither, becoming a social activity among cultivators.
• Knowledge and secrecy: Feng Jun’s acquisition of books and hidden copying ability highlights the value of information and the dangers of revealing one’s methods.
• Power imbalance: The group’s overwhelming strength contrasts sharply with the limited abilities of the local wizard. Their use of Soul Search reflects a world where powerful cultivators can bypass ordinary law and judgment.
• Scientific curiosity without morality: The old woman’s experiments represent knowledge pursued without ethical restraint, reducing people to materials for extraction and experimentation.
• Mistaken identity and hidden motives: The wizard mistakes Feng Jun for someone else, while her apparent official pursuit is complicated by her personal interest in his blood and qi.
• Superficial entertainment versus serious danger: The lighthearted card-game setting contrasts with the grim revelations about human experimentation and the brutality of the Ghost Shaman World.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun reports to Yi Jue and the others about acquiring an identity plaque and books.
• Qingyao and Yi Jue compete indirectly over who is better suited to decipher the local language.
• The group debates how to obtain information, eventually deciding to let potential pursuers provide themselves as targets.
• The old wizard confronts Feng Jun but is distracted by the presence of multiple powerful Martial Sect-like figures.
• Yi Jue immediately takes control of the confrontation, binding and restraining both the wizard and the girl.
• Feng Jun identifies the old woman as the likely wizard who intended to exploit him, while Qian Zhong authorizes the Soul Search.
• Yi Jue reacts emotionally to the old woman’s memories, contrasting her compassion and moral discomfort with the group’s generally detached attitude toward the wizard’s death.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• An old woman wizard tracks down Feng Jun’s group after learning that a powerful Martial Sect has entered Black Well City. She recruits a young wizard apprentice, falsely presenting the encounter as an opportunity to watch her confront a stolen enemy.
• Yi Jue discovers through Soul Search that the old woman followed Feng Jun’s apparent route through the east gate, then returned to Black Well City after losing his trail. She correctly deduced that the eastward departure had been a feint and that the group had actually left through the south gate.
• After the old woman’s defeat, Feng Jun decides the young apprentice must also be dealt with because she is a potential future enemy. Qing Yao volunteers to perform the Soul Search instead, both to spare Feng Jun embarrassment and because she is already researching the local written language.
• Qing Yao later teases Feng Jun about the risqué storybook he gave her. Feng Jun realizes that the book’s popularity comes from its appealing underdog narrative: a victim of wizard experimentation eventually surpasses and defeats the wizard. The story both satisfies ordinary people’s resentment toward wizards and subtly reassures them that wizards are not universally evil.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and Qing Yao continue traveling slowly, deliberately waiting to see whether anyone follows them. No immediate pursuit occurs because the Wizards’ Association is focused on the mysterious tower alarm in Black Well City.
• The Association only becomes seriously concerned when the young apprentice fails to appear. Her Life Tablet is found shattered, leading investigators to assume that she and the old woman have died.
• The investigation uncovers the old woman’s connection to three informants who had located Feng Jun. The informants died after Feng Jun planted concealed Inner Qi in their bodies, causing them to explode.
• Evidence from the gold-and-silver shop, the Earl’s Residence, and the Countess reveals that the mysterious Martial Sect, “Shi Jie,” is probably a Martial Venerable. The Association concludes that the old woman tried to capture him for experimentation but was killed after misjudging his strength.
• The Wizards’ Association accepts that the old woman’s death was the consequence of her own actions, but it deeply regrets the loss of the promising apprentice. Suspecting that the incident may have been a deliberate trap against the wizard faction, it questions the Martial Cultivators Association.
• President Roger denies knowing Shi Jie, and the Wizards’ Association lacks sufficient evidence to retaliate. Instead, it issues a joint investigation order across the continent.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains pragmatic and ruthless toward potential enemies, regarding the apprentice’s status as a wizard seedling as enough reason to eliminate her. He also reflects intelligently on popular literature and the social function of stories about wizard cruelty and underdog revenge.
• Qing Yao: Shows her decisiveness and practical judgment by taking responsibility for the Soul Search and the study of the local writing system. She also displays a teasing, more personal side when criticizing Feng Jun’s choice of reading material.
• Yi Jue: Continues serving as the group’s investigator through Soul Search. Her hesitation about killing the young apprentice reveals some lingering compassion, though she understands Feng Jun’s harsher reasoning.
• The old woman: Her obsession with using Martial Cultivators as experimental subjects ultimately causes her downfall. Her confidence and investigative ability are undermined by her failure to recognize Feng Jun’s true cultivation.
• The young apprentice: Though largely passive in the chapter, her death is revealed to be a major loss because the Wizards’ Association believed she possessed the potential to become a powerful wizard, possibly even a True Witch or Witch Ancestor.
• The Wizards’ Association: Its initially measured response to the tower alarm gives way to alarm and suspicion after the apprentice’s death. The organization is powerful and efficient but constrained by political realities and its fear of provoking the widespread Martial Cultivator faction.
• Roger: Protects the Martial Cultivators Association by firmly denying any knowledge of Shi Jie, preventing the Wizards’ Association from finding a pretext for open conflict.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and hidden strength: The old woman assumes Feng Jun is only a Martial Sect and pays for failing to recognize that he is a Martial Venerable.
• The danger of obsession: Her habit of treating Martial Cultivators as experimental material leads directly to her death.
• Moral ambiguity: Feng Jun sees the apprentice as an enemy because of her future potential, while Yi Jue’s hesitation raises the question of whether a young person should be punished for what she might become.
• Power and political restraint: Although wizards and Martial Venerables are roughly equal in power, neither faction can act freely without risking a larger conflict.
• Public perception and storytelling: The storybook demonstrates how popular fiction can reshape attitudes toward wizards by presenting an empowering revenge fantasy that makes wizardry seem less inherently monstrous.
• Information and deduction: Both the old woman and the Association rely on clues and behavioral logic, but incomplete information leads them to different conclusions about Feng Jun.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue discusses the apprentice’s fate with Feng Jun, revealing her uncertainty about killing someone so young.
• Feng Jun and Qing Yao argue lightly over who should perform the Soul Search, with Qing Yao mocking his apparent interest in reading material with sexual content.
• Feng Jun’s accidental gift of the storybook to Qing Yao creates awkwardness and playful tension between them.
• The Wizards’ Association interrogates the Martial Cultivators Association through Roger, but he refuses to provide information about Shi Jie.
• The Association also consults the Countess, whose identification of Shi Jie as a likely Martial Venerable becomes the key evidence shaping the official explanation of the incident.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and his companions deliberately slow their journey, expecting wizard pursuers, but misunderstand wizard cultivation customs and conclude that the pursuit is not serious when no one appears.
• While traveling, they begin translating and organizing the world’s writing system. They raid several small castles, knocking out their inhabitants and copying more than twenty books into obsidian without stealing the originals.
• The books from the small castles contain mostly low-level knowledge. Comparing them with the superior collection from Black Well City’s Earl’s Residence, Feng Jun proposes targeting a major city for better resources.
• The group selects Twin Tower City, a major city over four thousand li away. Their books reveal that Wizard Towers are the wizard system’s highest military force, combining powerful detection, offense, and defense. They can even detect cultivators’ Divine Sense.
• Twin Tower City contains two Wizard Towers, likely several Great Wizards equivalent to Gold Core cultivators, numerous castles, noble estates, guilds, and both Wizard and Military Academies.
• Feng Jun plans to enter the city quietly, purchase or acquire books first, and only later consider a direct attack. Yi Jue worries about him and insists on accompanying him indirectly, while the others wait outside.
• Feng Jun enters through a southern side gate disguised as a respectable Martial Sect. The guards verify his identity but do not search his pack.
• An experienced gate soldier secretly recognizes him as “Wizard Code 4365,” a person of interest, and reports his arrival. However, the soldier avoids provoking him, knowing Feng Jun is rumored to have killed wizards and that surveillance—not confrontation—is his responsibility.
• Once inside, Feng Jun explores the enormous city, noting its bookstores, powerful clans, wizard aristocrats, associations, and guilds. He remains unaware that he is already under observation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly strategic and cautious. He recognizes that the group’s current books are inadequate and shifts their objective toward gathering higher-level knowledge in major cities.
• He demonstrates confidence in his own strength, believing even numerous Great Wizards and Wizard Towers would not seriously threaten him.
• Despite his confidence, Feng Jun remains vulnerable to underestimating ordinary individuals. He notices no hostility from the gate soldier and therefore fails to realize that the soldier has identified and reported him.
• Yi Jue shows concern for Feng Jun’s safety and insists on accompanying him into the dangerous city, revealing her protective and cautious nature.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and the other powerful cultivators share Feng Jun’s disdain for low-level resources and readily support the decision to target a major city.
• The gate soldier is portrayed as experienced, restrained, and pragmatic. He does not act rashly, choosing to report Feng Jun while avoiding a potentially fatal confrontation.
• The young attendant is more openly curious and alarmed by Feng Jun’s reputation, but ultimately follows the soldier’s practical approach.

Significant Themes

• Information as power: Books and written knowledge are treated as essential resources for understanding and mastering the new world.
• Cultural misunderstanding: The cultivators’ unfamiliarity with wizard customs causes them to misinterpret the lack of pursuit and underestimate local systems of surveillance.
• Caution versus confidence: Feng Jun trusts his overwhelming strength, while Yi Jue and the gate soldier emphasize the danger of unseen threats.
• The danger of ordinary people: The chapter stresses that seemingly insignificant figures can possess intelligence, judgment, and influence even if they lack great power.
• Technological and magical comparison: Wizard Towers are compared with Heavenly Zither formations and Human Federation technology, highlighting the similarities and differences between civilizations.
• Infiltration and secrecy: Feng Jun’s group attempts to gather knowledge without leaving obvious evidence, while the wizard world maintains strict surveillance of cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun persuades the group to seek books from a major city, and everyone agrees that the small castles provide insufficient knowledge.
• Yi Jue voices concern about Feng Jun entering Twin Tower City alone; he reassures her by promising to enter and return within a day.
• At the city gate, Feng Jun interacts casually with the old soldier, unaware that the soldier is identifying him for the authorities.
• A disturbance caused by knights escorting a carriage distracts Feng Jun during the identity check, allowing him to miss the soldier’s subtle emotional reaction.
• After Feng Jun leaves, the soldier and his attendant discuss his identity and reputation. Their conversation contrasts professional caution with the attendant’s curiosity and concern.
• The chapter ends with dramatic irony: Feng Jun leisurely explores Twin Tower City while the authorities already know he has arrived and are preparing to monitor him.

Chapter Summary: “Siege”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun moves through Twin Tower City, unaware that the city authorities and various skilled trackers are secretly monitoring him. The City Lord’s Manor has passed the matter to the constabulary, which is cautious because Feng Jun is a Martial Sect and could cause serious destruction.
• While exploring the city, Feng Jun discovers that certain bookstores and wizard-supply shops are restricted to wizards or nobles. Unable to enter them, he buys more than twenty ordinary books from several bookstores, spending over forty silver coins.
• Two Martial Cultivators confront him and demand that he accompany them to the Martial Cultivators Association to explain the death of an “old woman.” Wizards and several Wizard Apprentices surround him as well, openly intending to kill him.
• Feng Jun refuses to surrender and mocks the Martial Cultivators Association for protecting the old woman, accusing her of killing many Martial Sects for experiments.
• The wizards attack first with a magical net and flaming spear. Feng Jun evades them by leaping across rooftops, using his speed and maneuverability to avoid both direct attacks and aerial killing techniques.
• The pursuing wizards order the city sealed and call upon the Wizards’ Association tower to attack him. The tower fires destructive beams through buildings, causing widespread damage.
• Feng Jun deliberately moves across wealthy residences to make the attackers hesitate over collateral damage and noble property. However, the tower eventually begins striking civilian and aristocratic buildings regardless.
• Most Martial Cultivators refuse to help the wizards, believing Feng Jun has already been judged guilty and that the conflict is primarily the wizards’ responsibility. One Martial Venerable eventually intervenes directly.
• The Martial Venerable tries to restrain Feng Jun with his domain, but Feng Jun breaks through it without apparently using a domain of his own. This reveals that his abilities are considerably beyond those of an ordinary Martial Sect.
• Feng Jun attempts to flee through a powerful wizard family’s residence. The family activates a protective barrier, but Feng Jun forces his way through it.
• The family’s young master stops an Innate Martial Cultivator from pursuing Feng Jun, prioritizing the protection of the family estate. He realizes that anyone capable of breaching their defenses must be far stronger than a Martial Venerable, leading him to suspect that Feng Jun’s true identity and strength are more complicated than they appear.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates exceptional awareness, speed, adaptability, and confidence. Rather than confronting the entire group directly, he uses the city’s architecture and social hierarchy to divide his enemies and limit their attacks. His ability to break through a Martial Venerable’s domain and a powerful wizard family’s barrier suggests that he is concealing or underestimating his true strength.
• The Martial Venerable: Initially presents himself as an authority figure offering Feng Jun a chance to explain himself, but his impartiality is questionable because he sympathizes with the wizard faction. Feng Jun’s taunts expose his discomfort with the old woman’s notorious reputation, and his eventual intervention shows that he is unwilling to remain a spectator.
• The Wizards: Their willingness to use lethal attacks and destroy buildings reveals their arrogance and disregard for ordinary civilians. Their concern for noble property is selective: they hesitate to damage it when acting personally but permit destruction once the Wizards’ Association tower becomes involved.
• The Young Master of the Wizard Family: Appears cautious and pragmatic. His refusal to let the Innate Martial Cultivator pursue Feng Jun suggests he understands the danger of provoking someone vastly stronger and is beginning to question the official account of the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Social hierarchy and privilege: Access to books, wizard supplies, and protection depends on whether someone is a wizard, noble, or ordinary person. The city’s institutions reflect a rigid and unequal social order.
• Institutional power and factional conflict: The City Lord’s Manor, constabulary, Martial Cultivators Association, Wizards’ Association, and noble families all have overlapping authority. Their hesitation and rivalry prevent them from responding as a unified force.
• Justice versus political protection: Feng Jun is treated as guilty before receiving a genuine investigation. The Martial Cultivators Association protects him partly because the old woman’s reputation is so terrible, while the wizards seek revenge rather than impartial justice.
• Collateral damage and hypocrisy: The pursuers claim to defend the common people, yet their attacks devastate the city. They object to damage only when noble or wizard interests are threatened.
• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Feng Jun is being treated as a relatively ordinary Martial Sect, but his effortless escapes and ability to overcome advanced techniques suggest that his enemies fundamentally misunderstand him.
• Control versus mobility: The attackers attempt to control the city through domains, magical barriers, towers, and blockades, while Feng Jun survives by remaining unpredictable and constantly moving.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun verbally challenges the Martial Venerable, ridiculing both the Association and the old woman’s history of experimentation.
• The wizards cooperate with the Martial Cultivators only superficially; their shared hostility toward Feng Jun is undermined by mutual distrust.
• The Martial Cultivators largely refuse to support the wizard attack, highlighting the division between the two factions.
• The Martial Venerable directly confronts Feng Jun but is shocked when Feng Jun escapes his domain without using an obvious domain technique.
• Feng Jun’s encounter with the wizard family shows how his presence changes the behavior of bystanders: the family chooses defense over pursuit, while the young master begins reconsidering who the real threat is.

Chapter Summary: “Counterattack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Wizards’ Association orders all registered wizards to capture Feng Jun, offering merit rewards and threatening punishment for those who refuse. The young master declines to participate, prioritizing his family’s safety after the protective formation around his home is destroyed.
• Feng Jun attempts to redirect the pursuit toward the City Lord’s Manor, but the Wizards’ Association halts its attack before it reaches the manor. Two martial cultivators—a longbowman and a swordsman—emerge from the manor to intercept him, while guards prepare crossbows.
• The longbowman, a peak Martial Venerable, attacks Feng Jun with an Explosive Arrow followed by a Guided Arrow. Feng Jun struggles to avoid the tracking arrow without revealing his spiritual energy.
• Feng Jun uses Flash Step to evade the attacks and suddenly appears beside the manor, attempting to kill the archer. The archer condemns him for destroying people’s homes and families, but Feng Jun dismisses the accusation, believing the City Lord’s forces care only about wealthy citizens and are acting out of self-interest.
• Feng Jun’s use of Flash Step triggers Twin Tower City’s alarm system, revealing that he is using cultivation-based abilities. The Eight-Story Tower attacks him with a powerful red beam, but Feng Jun dodges, causing the attack to blast a massive hole in the City Lord’s Manor and destroy the archer’s bow.
• With the city sealed by its protective formation and his identity exposed, Feng Jun uses his internal phone system’s Footprints function to teleport outside the city. The Nine-Story Tower immediately attacks him with black light.
• No longer concerned with concealing his spiritual energy, Feng Jun activates a defensive talisman and prepares a powerful Nascent Soul-level attack talisman. Yi Jue arrives to support him, adding another layer of defense and encouraging him to strike.
• The Nine-Story Tower identifies Feng Jun as a “cultivation thief,” confirming the deep hostility between wizards and cultivators. When the tower’s attacks fail to stop Feng Jun’s blue talisman attack, its defenses begin to collapse despite multiple counterattacks and an ice barrier.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly aggressive and confident once concealment is no longer possible. He shifts from evasion to open retaliation, using powerful talismans against the wizard towers.
• The young master demonstrates caution and loyalty to his family. Rather than obeying the Wizards’ Association, he refuses to risk his life or leave his home vulnerable.
• The longbowman is revealed as a highly skilled peak Martial Venerable and a defender of the City Lord’s Manor, but his moral condemnation of Feng Jun is portrayed as hypocritical from Feng Jun’s perspective.
• Yi Jue shows trust in Feng Jun’s judgment and readily joins the battle. Her calm attitude indicates that the powerful talisman is not especially valuable to her and that she is focused on limiting unnecessary spiritual-energy expenditure.
• The wizards display fear and urgency once they recognize Feng Jun as a cultivator, treating him as an existential enemy rather than an ordinary intruder.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation versus obedience: The young master rejects official commands when following them would endanger his family.
• Hypocrisy and class division: Feng Jun challenges the City Lord’s supposed concern for “homes and families,” arguing that the authorities protect wealthy citizens while disregarding ordinary people.
• Escalation and retaliation: Feng Jun initially tries to avoid exposing his abilities, but once the city’s forces attack indiscriminately, he answers with overwhelming force.
• Conflict between cultivation and wizardry: The chapter emphasizes the absolute hostility between the two systems, with wizards prepared to attack cultivators without regard for collateral damage.
• Power and restraint: Feng Jun’s hidden abilities are initially limited to avoid detection, but once exposed, he is free to use his full resources.

Character Interactions

• The young master and an unseen speaker discuss his refusal to pursue Feng Jun, with the young master sarcastically claiming that the destruction of his family’s formation already counts as participation.
• Feng Jun clashes verbally with the longbowman, rejecting the archer’s accusations and questioning his motives.
• Feng Jun and the City Lord’s defenders engage in a fast-paced pursuit across rooftops, involving arrows, sword strikes, wizard attacks, and the destruction of the manor.
• Yi Jue joins Feng Jun outside the city, reinforces his defenses, and supports his decision to launch a counterattack.
• Feng Jun’s attack directly challenges the Nine-Story Tower, while the tower’s wizards coordinate multiple spells and physical attacks in a desperate attempt to defend it.

Chapter Summary: “Twin Towers Destroyed (Happy New Year’s Eve)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun activates an Extreme Flame Radiance talisman, unleashing a blue flame attack with True Witch-level power. It melts through the city’s ice defenses and sets the nine-story wizard tower ablaze.
• The Great Wizard defending the nine-story tower orders its wizards to reinforce the defenses with ice spells. He realizes that the tower can barely endure the attack and calls for reinforcements, but is too frightened to attack Feng Jun and Yi Jue directly.
• Wizards from the eight-story tower flee while the remaining defenders desperately strengthen their tower.
• Feng Jun then uses a golden metal-element talisman. The attack slices the nine-story tower in half, leaving the upper section momentarily standing despite being completely severed.
• He follows with blue and golden attacks against the eight-story tower. Its defenders use several precious True Witch-level scrolls to block the flame attack, but a Greater Guardian Art cannot withstand the golden strike. The tower explodes.
• Although the eight-story tower suffers greater visible destruction, many of its occupants escape. Those trapped in the nine-story tower have fewer chances to flee.
• The Great Wizard of the nine-story tower launches a Heart-Eroding Soul-Devourer spell, a True Witch-level attack targeting the Divine Soul and carrying poison. Yi Jue casually disperses it with a single gesture.
• Yi Jue then immobilizes and captures the Great Wizard, demonstrating that she is far beyond the True Witch level—ultimately revealed to be a Witch Ancestor-level cultivator.
• The remaining wizards flee, but Yi Jue freezes them in midair and drags them down. Many wizard apprentices and several wizards die from the impact.
• Feng Jun and Yi Jue deliberately leave some captives alive for interrogation and soul-searching, though Feng Jun continues killing selected prisoners without hesitation.
• Inside Twin Tower City, the defenders realize Yi Jue’s terrifying cultivation after an attempted probe kills the wizard who performed it. Concluding that escape is impossible, the city’s leaders decide to defend themselves to the death.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun displays overwhelming confidence and ruthlessness. He methodically uses powerful talismans to destroy both towers and shows no mercy toward the wizards who previously opposed him.
• Yi Jue is revealed to possess Witch Ancestor-level strength. She effortlessly neutralizes a Divine Soul attack, captures the Great Wizard, restrains the fleeing wizards, and treats the entire battle as routine.
• The nine-story tower’s Great Wizard proves perceptive and capable, choosing appropriate defensive measures and correctly using a soul-and-poison attack. However, the enormous gap between his strength and Yi Jue’s leaves him helpless.
• The eight-story tower’s guardian also demonstrates sound judgment by selecting Greater Guardian Art, which offers protection against both fire and metal. Nevertheless, superior force renders even the correct defense ineffective.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains hidden, coordinating with Feng Jun and recognizing Feng Jun’s strategy of using the assault to lure out additional enemies.
• The city’s defenders shift from considering resistance or rescue to accepting a desperate last stand.

Significant Themes

• Absolute strength overwhelming strategy: The defenders make intelligent, timely decisions, but even the best tactics and rare defensive scrolls are useless against Feng Jun and Yi Jue’s vastly superior power.
• Fear and helplessness: The wizards’ confidence collapses as they witness towers destroyed, elite spells dispersed, and their leaders captured with ease.
• Retribution and ruthlessness: Feng Jun’s merciless treatment of the defeated wizards reflects the earlier unity and hostility they showed toward him.
• Hidden power and mistaken assumptions: The defenders initially speculate that Feng Jun possesses True Witch-level talismans, but Yi Jue’s true status as a Witch Ancestor changes the entire scale of the conflict.
• Defiance in the face of destruction: Twin Tower City chooses to defend itself to the death, not because victory seems possible, but because retreat appears even less viable.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yi Jue fight in close coordination, with Feng Jun providing the destructive talisman attacks while Yi Jue handles suppression and capture.
• Yi Jue and the nine-story tower’s Great Wizard embody the chapter’s sharpest power contrast: his strongest soul attack is erased effortlessly, after which she captures him without allowing him to speak or resist.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi communicate through Divine Thought, agreeing to remain concealed and use the battle to lure out further opponents.
• Yi Jue consults Feng Jun about how many prisoners to preserve for soul-searching, while Feng Jun’s answer confirms his willingness to eliminate most of the captives.
• The wizards of the two towers and Twin Tower City interact primarily through shared panic, unable to rescue one another or challenge the attackers.