Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Looting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Maoyuan dies after biting down on a hidden poison sac, laughing that Qi-Dispersing Powder is difficult to cure. Feng Jun is frustrated that he cannot question him further and drives a spike through his throat to prevent any final trick.
• Feng Jun begins looting the corpse of the other Innate Expert, Ye Qingtian, while the battle is still underway. Gu Clan disciples attempt to avenge their ancestor, but their attack fails because most of their Martial Masters are occupied or already dead.
• Feng Jun easily repels a large capture net, demonstrating the overwhelming killing power of an unrestricted Innate Expert against ordinary martial cultivators.
• Through his walkie-talkie, Feng Jun informs Lang Zhen that the village has been dealt with and reveals that both Gu Maoyuan and Ye Qingtian have been killed. The allied forces immediately intensify their assault.
• The outer storehouse falls, and the allied forces divide their objectives: some pursue enemies toward Three Family Market Town while the main force advances on Gu Family Village.
• With most Gu Clan elders dead, the clan becomes divided between those wanting to defend the village and those wishing to preserve their surviving strength. They finally try to evacuate their most promising young members, but the assault begins before the evacuation can occur.
• As the village falls, Gu Clan members flee. Feng Jun uses a sniper rifle from the bell tower to kill those attempting to regroup, while the allied forces deliberately destroy every organized cluster to prevent a coordinated counterattack.
• Mr. Shi identifies Ye Qingtian’s corpse as the Sky-Soaring Mountain Lord, formerly the leader of the notorious Yellow Maple Ridge bandits.
• Feng Jun angrily confronts Mr. Shi, accusing the imperial court of nearly getting him killed through leaked or unreliable intelligence. Mr. Shi admits that the court’s plans are often sound, but bureaucratic infighting and fear of responsibility make execution difficult.
• When Mr. Shi tries to shift the discussion toward the aftermath of the massacre, Feng Jun argues that the Gu Clan deserved punishment for attempting to poison him and for colluding with bandits.
• Mr. Shi proposes the practical solution: confiscating the Gu Clan’s property.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly ruthless and pragmatic. He kills without hesitation, loots the defeated Innate Experts, eliminates regrouping enemies from a distance, and insists that the Gu Clan’s actions justify total retaliation.
• Gu Maoyuan is revealed to be fanatically loyal or determined, choosing suicide rather than surrendering information about Qi-Dispersing Powder.
• Lang Zhen continues to function as the battlefield’s logistical coordinator rather than a frontline fighter. Despite his missing arm, he efficiently relays information and organizes the allied forces.
• Mr. Shi is exposed as part of a flawed imperial system. Although he possesses valuable intelligence and strategic awareness, he cannot guarantee that official plans will be executed properly. He later uses political reasoning to redirect Feng Jun’s anger toward the confiscation of Gu property.
• Ye Qingtian, previously an unidentified powerful opponent, is revealed to be the infamous Sky-Soaring Mountain Lord, connecting the Gu Clan conflict to the broader criminal and political world.

Significant Themes

• The danger of unreliable institutions: The imperial court can formulate plans but struggles to implement them because of bureaucracy, fear, and intelligence leaks.
• Pragmatism versus honor: The Gu Clan debates whether to die defending its ancestral home or preserve its future, while Feng Jun treats victory, looting, and preventing regrouping as practical necessities.
• The collapse of power: Once the Gu Clan’s elders and leadership are destroyed, internal disagreement prevents unified resistance and causes the clan’s rapid disintegration.
• Vengeance and legitimacy: The society accepts “great vengeance” as justification for violent retaliation, allowing Feng Jun and his allies to frame the massacre as a lawful response to poisoning and bandit collaboration.
• Power and vulnerability: Innate Experts are devastating when unrestrained, but even powerful figures can be undone by poison, betrayal, or being caught in a larger political struggle.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Gu Maoyuan have a final, unresolved confrontation, with Gu Maoyuan taunting him about Qi-Dispersing Powder before committing suicide.
• Feng Jun coordinates with Lang Zhen through the walkie-talkie, relying on him to spread battlefield news and organize support.
• Lang Zhen and other commanders announce the deaths of the two Innate Experts, boosting allied morale and accelerating the assault.
• Mr. Shi examines Ye Qingtian’s corpse and discusses his identity with Feng Jun and Lang Zhen.
• Feng Jun openly rebukes Mr. Shi for the imperial court’s failed intelligence operation. Lang Zhen supports Feng Jun’s criticism by recalling similar failures in the border army.
• Mr. Shi avoids directly accepting blame and instead points toward the political and financial consequences of the Gu Clan’s defeat, ending with the plan to confiscate its wealth.

Chapter Summary: “Harvest” (Third Update)

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Gu Clan plotted against Feng Jun and harmed innocent civilians through brutal methods and collaboration with mountain bandits, Feng Jun’s retaliation is considered legally and morally justified.
• Major martial forces—and commandery troops sent by the prefect—join Feng Jun in attacking the Gu Clan. Their support is partly motivated by Feng Jun’s suspected identity as an Immortal, but the authorities also have grounds to act because the Gu Clan aided wanted bandits.
• Mr. Shi explains that, under this pretext, the authorities can confiscate the Gu Clan’s household. Feng Jun and the allied forces may seize movable wealth, while land and houses must largely remain under official control.
• Lang Zhen warns Feng Jun not to accept Mr. Shi’s proposal too readily, pointing out that the Aristocratic Families Alliance could challenge an official confiscation in court. He proposes that all cultivation-related items go to Feng Jun, with the remaining wealth divided among the allies.
• The allied forces agree to divide the Gu Clan’s inner treasury after the fighting ends. Tian Lewen leads the Tian Family to the county seat and leaves the treasury’s division entirely to Feng Jun.
• The Gu Clan’s strongholds are defeated:
  • In the county seat, most Gu disciples are captured, though three escape.
  • The Gu Family Compound resists fiercely; over half its defenders die, and roughly twenty elite members escape through a secret passage.
  • Gu Family Village, despite having the clan’s only Innate Expert and many elders, is less defensible and allows nearly half its inhabitants to flee.
• Once victory is secured, commandery troops break open the Gu Clan’s inner treasury. The storehouse contains enormous wealth: gold, silver, jewelry, weapons, medicinal pills, martial arts manuals, spiritual weapons, and thousands of books.
• Feng Jun claims a spiritual saber. The group is especially interested in the Gu Clan’s books, viewing them as a source of lasting knowledge and family cultivation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates both confidence and political awareness. Though initially unfamiliar with local legal customs, he quickly recognizes the implications of confiscation and challenges Mr. Shi about whether the authorities can truly act against an Aristocratic Family. He also shows a practical interest in acquiring the Gu Clan’s valuable cultivation resources.
• Mr. Shi acts as the bridge between Feng Jun and the authorities. He openly supports the confiscation plan but admits its political complications. His interest in the Gu Clan’s books reveals that he is not merely representing the government; he also seeks knowledge for himself as the “Sword-Bearing Scholar.”
• Lang Zhen proves politically experienced and protective of Feng Jun’s interests. He cautions Feng Jun against trusting official promises too easily while still acknowledging that cooperation with the authorities will produce the greatest benefit.
• The allied families and martial leaders become increasingly excited by the prospect of sharing the wealth of a thousand-year-old Aristocratic Family. Even normally composed figures such as Yu Zhengqing are visibly affected by the opportunity.
• Deng Yifu remains practical, caring most about the abundant gold and silver, while Yu Zhengqing and others recognize that the family’s books represent a deeper and more valuable inheritance.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus plunder: The chapter distinguishes legitimate revenge and confiscation from unlawful robbery. Feng Jun may kill those responsible and seize spoils, but official authority is required to confiscate an entire household.
• Political power and legal pretexts: The authorities use Feng Jun’s status as an Innate Expert and the Gu Clan’s association with bandits to justify intervention against a powerful aristocratic family.
• The influence of suspected immortality: Feng Jun’s possible identity as an Immortal causes major forces and officials to support him, demonstrating how extraordinary power reshapes political and social calculations.
• Wealth and institutional maintenance: The Gu Clan’s immense wealth is portrayed not as pure excess but as the costly foundation required to maintain an aristocratic family’s status, train descendants, and sustain its influence.
• Knowledge as true inheritance: Although gold and weapons excite the group, the martial manuals and books are treated as the most enduring form of wealth because they can strengthen future generations and preserve a family’s foundations.
• The decline of old aristocratic powers: The destruction of the Gu Clan shows that even a thousand-year-old family can be brought down when its enemies unite under sufficient authority and strength.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Mr. Shi: They negotiate the legality and distribution of the Gu Clan’s property. Feng Jun questions Mr. Shi’s assurances, while Mr. Shi argues that Feng Jun’s involvement is necessary for the authorities to act.
• Feng Jun and Lang Zhen: Lang Zhen advises Feng Jun to protect his interests and ensure that cultivation resources go to him, while Feng Jun accepts the proposal.
• Mr. Shi and Lang Zhen: Their exchange reveals a balance between official authority and martial-world pragmatism. Lang Zhen challenges Mr. Shi’s plan, and Mr. Shi candidly acknowledges the difficulties of opposing the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• The allied leaders: The Yu, Mi, Tian, and other families agree to let Feng Jun oversee the treasury’s distribution, reflecting their trust in his leadership and their willingness to cooperate for a share of the spoils.
• The group and the treasury: The discovery of the Gu Clan’s collection shifts everyone’s attention from battle to inheritance, with the characters revealing their priorities through what they value most—cultivation items, gold, books, or family resources.

Chapter Summary: Secret Vault

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The allied factions successfully divide the Gu Clan’s captured resources. Feng Jun keeps the books, several spirit weapons, and half of the natural treasures, while entrusting gold, silver, treasures, and most pills to Lang Zhen and Yu Zhengqing for fair distribution.
• Feng Jun takes only thirty percent of the medicinal pills, prioritizing the needs of his own people and future development. His restraint earns him widespread praise and reinforces the factions’ trust in him.
• While the others search for surviving Gu Clan members, the leaders discuss whether the Gu Clan may possess a hidden reserve. Mr. Shi hints that Feng Jun might have discovered something else and urges him to investigate openly.
• Feng Jun reveals the Gu Clan’s true secret vault beneath the schoolhouse near the ancestral hall. He breaks through its refined-iron entrance despite an alarm sounding.
• The vault contains a warning that those below the Innate Realm must not enter, suggesting the Gu Clan intended it only for advanced descendants.
• Inside, Feng Jun discovers a Treasure Mace, six Spirit Stones, Qi-Nourishing Pills, historical records, genealogies, and several powerful cultivation texts.
• Among the manuals are Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique, Introduction to Basic Talismans, and the Dust-Free Realm movement technique Little Kunpeng Movement Technique.
• Feng Jun sends many of the valuable items to the Blue Star world, keeps selected treasures and books for himself, and leaves the vault with his discoveries.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates generosity, political awareness, and control by taking only what he needs from the main treasury. However, he remains highly possessive and cautious regarding the secret vault, insisting that everything discovered there belongs to him.
• Mr. Shi becomes increasingly mysterious. His suggestion about a hidden Gu Clan reserve may be casual, informed by secret intelligence, or motivated by a desire to obtain the clan’s historical records. He presents himself as serving the Imperial Court while carefully probing Feng Jun’s intentions.
• Yu Changzhu shows her lingering resentment toward the Imperial Court over the Yu Family’s past persecution. She openly defends Feng Jun’s ownership of the vault’s contents and distrusts official claims of justice.
• Lang Zhen and Yu Zhengqing are trusted with dividing the spoils, reflecting their authority and Feng Jun’s confidence in their fairness.
• The allied factions’ leaders display increasing confidence in Feng Jun, treating him as the neutral figure capable of preventing disputes.

3. Significant Themes

• Trust and political legitimacy: Feng Jun’s impartial distribution of resources prevents conflict among formerly competing factions.
• Greed versus restraint: The chapter contrasts Feng Jun’s calculated moderation with the powerful desire for wealth and pills shared by the Martial Masters.
• Hidden history and forbidden knowledge: The secret vault preserves not only physical treasures but also records of the Gu Clan’s past and potentially dangerous cultivation methods.
• Justice and institutional failure: Mr. Shi claims the Imperial Court should investigate the Gu Clan’s hidden crimes, while Yu Changzhu challenges the Court’s credibility based on the Yu Family’s unjust treatment.
• Power and ownership: Feng Jun’s willingness to share ordinary spoils ends where truly valuable or rare resources begin, emphasizing both his generosity and his determination to control exceptional power.
• Advancement beyond the mundane world: The discovery of Spirit Stones, Immortal pills, and high-level techniques suggests the Gu Clan possessed deeper connections to cultivation than its visible wealth revealed.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun delegates treasure distribution to Lang Zhen and Yu Zhengqing, strengthening cooperation among the allied families.
• Bao Ge’er boasts about his family’s wealth, while Yu Changzhu argues that the Gu Clan may have possessed treasures capable of supporting advancement to the Innate Realm.
• Mr. Shi repeatedly probes Feng Jun about possible hidden discoveries, eventually persuading him to search openly for the secret vault.
• Feng Jun invites Mr. Shi to enter the vault, but warns him that the ancestral inscription may be dangerous. Their exchange reflects mutual suspicion beneath polite conversation.
• Mr. Shi requests access to the Gu Clan’s records for the Imperial Court, claiming they may reveal unresolved crimes. Feng Jun rejects any implied ownership claim, while Yu Changzhu firmly sides with him.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun retaining control of the vault’s treasures while quietly considering Mr. Shi’s true motives.

Chapter Summary: “Seizing Credit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun emerges after examining the Gu Clan’s hidden vault. He sends Lang Zhen back to search for anything overlooked, but the search ultimately yields nothing.
• Mr. Shi is astonished by Feng Jun’s apparent lack of cultivation restrictions, though Feng Jun deliberately maintains an air of mystery.
• Mr. Shi recognizes Feng Jun’s black single mace as possibly the legendary Stone Mace, a weapon connected to the deaths of two Qu Clan disciples from Swordforge Peak. The weapon’s disappearance had previously caused a major investigation and widespread bloodshed, but Mr. Shi wisely chooses not to question Feng Jun about it.
• Feng Jun lends Mr. Shi the chronicle, which Mr. Shi reads throughout the night. Yu Changzhu is fascinated by the Qi-Nourishing Pill, while Yu Zhengqing advises Feng Jun to conceal the conspicuous treasures.
• The campaign against the Gu Clan remnants continues through the night. Authorities and allied forces offer large rewards for captures, while remaining alert for retaliation.
• A captured High-Rank Martial Warrior, secretly an imperial spy within the Gu Clan, reveals rumors that Feng Jun may have been affected by a mysterious “poison that wasn’t poison.”
• Mr. Shi suspects Feng Jun may have been poisoned but cannot reconcile the rumor with Feng Jun’s energetic and composed behavior. He orders continued surveillance of any related information and considers warning Feng Jun, while also recognizing that others might try to exploit a weakened “Immortal.”
• The next day, the Yangshan county magistrate arrives, publicly condemning the Gu Clan and claiming he will continue the investigation. Privately, he attempts to discover what wealth was found in the Gu Clan’s storehouses.
• Mr. Shi tells him that no movable wealth was found and claims the Gu Clan escaped with its valuables, while insisting that land deeds and storefronts be reported to the prefecture.
• The magistrate protests that Yangshan is poor and asks to retain the local deeds. Bao Ge’er intimidates him by invoking the Earl of North Garden and the power of the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• By noon, the county assumes control of the Gu Clan’s three locations. With the Gu Clan’s authority gone, formerly suppressed local forces cooperate with the county government.
• The magistrate strengthens the official case against the Gu Clan by relying on the corpses of Ye Qingtian and the infamous Shadow Mountain Lord, whose poisoned daggers provide recognizable evidence of his identity.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains enigmatic and confident. He deliberately refuses to clarify his cultivation, the Stone Mace, or the possible poison, reinforcing his mysterious reputation. He also honors his promise by lending Mr. Shi the chronicle.
• Lang Zhen demonstrates his practical expertise in searching for hidden goods, though even he fails to locate anything more in the vault.
• Mr. Shi becomes increasingly wary and thoughtful. He respects Feng Jun’s apparent power but also investigates whether Feng Jun has been poisoned, balancing concern, suspicion, and political calculation.
• Yu Changzhu reveals a strong fascination with cultivation treasures, especially the Qi-Nourishing Pill, reflecting her longing for access to the cultivator world.
• Yu Zhengqing acts cautiously, advising Feng Jun to hide valuable and politically dangerous objects.
• The Gu Clan spy appears fearful and morally compromised. Although he has aided the imperial court, Mr. Shi continues to despise him for betraying his own clan.
• The Yangshan magistrate is opportunistic and greedy. He tries to exploit his position as local official to claim part of the Gu Clan’s wealth, but quickly retreats when reminded of the powerful figures involved.
• Bao Ge’er openly mocks and threatens the magistrate, using his connections to enforce the group’s authority.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Authority belongs not merely to official rank but to those with stronger cultivation, political connections, or influential alliances.
• Greed and opportunism: The Gu Clan’s downfall immediately inspires officials and local forces to compete for its property and resources.
• Mystery and strategic ambiguity: Feng Jun’s refusal to explain himself allows others to project immense power and knowledge onto him.
• Political pragmatism: Mr. Shi and the others manipulate information, conceal discoveries, and use the Gu Clan’s fall to secure assets and control.
• Trust and betrayal: The imperial spy’s defection highlights the unstable loyalties within powerful clans, while Mr. Shi’s distrust shows that service to the government does not erase moral suspicion.
• The danger of vulnerability: Rumors that Feng Jun may be poisoned create the possibility that ambitious enemies will view him as a target rather than an untouchable Immortal.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Mr. Shi engage in a cautious exchange built on mutual testing: Feng Jun withholds information, while Mr. Shi probes for weaknesses.
• Mr. Shi and Yu Zhengqing discuss the possible identity of the Stone Mace, but Mr. Shi deliberately abandons the subject.
• Yu Changzhu’s fascination with the Qi-Nourishing Pill contrasts with Feng Jun’s teasing comment about her supposed preference for Spirit Stones.
• Mr. Shi interrogates the captured Gu Clan spy, pressing him about the rumored poison while making clear that deception will have consequences.
• The county magistrate attempts to negotiate with Mr. Shi over the Gu Clan’s property, but Bao Ge’er humiliates and intimidates him into backing down.
• The collapse of the Gu Clan reshapes local relationships: previously suppressed groups rally behind the county government, while officials and powerful outsiders compete to control the spoils.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• After the destruction of the Gu Clan, the people of Zhige County leave Yangshan in thirty motor vehicles, creating a spectacle that becomes the talk of the region. The Gu Clan’s downfall is widely viewed as the consequence of offending Feng Jun and his allies.
• Feng Jun’s group returns leisurely to Zhige Mountain, arriving at midnight during the final day of the ongoing celebration. Feng Jun supplies additional fireworks, and the exhausted survivors celebrate their victory with banquets and alcohol.
• While everyone else rests, Feng Jun examines the treasures seized from the Gu Clan’s hidden vault. He discovers five Martial Innate Pills, which can greatly increase a Peak High-Rank Martial Master’s chances of reaching the Innate Realm without weakening their foundation.
• He also finds the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique, an immortal cultivation method that allows Innate Experts to advance directly into the Qi Refining Stage.
• The chapter explains the differences between orthodox immortal cultivation, martial cultivators who attain the Dao through martial arts, and Innate Experts who begin immortal cultivation late. The latter group generally has weak foundations and limited prospects.
• The Heaven-Devouring Technique is exceptionally valuable because it ignores a cultivator’s prior attributes or cultivation path. However, it can only be practiced before age twenty-seven and requires twenty-seven Spirit Stones arranged in a Heaven-Swallowing Formation.
• Feng Jun calculates that, due to his travel between worlds, he is nearly twenty-six. He realizes he has only a little over a year to use the technique and will need to gather enough Spirit Stones.
• He studies the technique through the night, briefly reads a basic talisman manual, then sleeps in the safer Blue Star Realm before returning to the Phone Plane.
• After he returns, the surviving factions begin dividing the Gu Clan’s wealth. Disputes arise because no distribution can satisfy everyone.
• Dart Chief Deng Yifu, despite suffering minor injuries and having a relative badly wounded, is satisfied with the rewards. He proposes creating a reward pool from the contested wealth to compensate those involved in hunting down the Gu Clan’s remaining survivors. The extermination campaign is therefore not yet complete.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun grows increasingly aware of the opportunities and risks created by his victory. The Martial Innate Pills offer him valuable resources, but the Heaven-Devouring Technique becomes his main focus because of its potential to open the path to true immortal cultivation.
• Feng Jun’s excitement is tempered by urgency: his age is approaching the technique’s twenty-seven-year limit, forcing him to plan for the rapid collection of Spirit Stones.
• Deng Yifu demonstrates pragmatism and long-term thinking. Rather than resent the division of wealth, he focuses on securing his sons’ futures under Feng Jun’s protection and proposes a practical solution to the factions’ disputes.
• The Gu Clan’s failure is shown to have been partly strategic. Although it possessed Martial Innate Pills and the Heaven-Devouring Technique, its age restriction and enormous Spirit Stone requirement prevented the family from producing an immortal cultivator.

Significant Themes

• The cost of ambition and missed opportunities: The Gu Clan possessed extraordinary resources but could not make effective use of them, illustrating that inherited treasures are useless without the right talent, timing, and circumstances.
• The transition from martial arts to immortality: The chapter clarifies the relationship between the Innate Realm, Qi Refining, orthodox cultivation, and martial cultivation, emphasizing the difficulty of crossing between systems.
• Time and urgency: Feng Jun’s approaching age limit creates a new deadline and turns his discovery into both an opportunity and a source of pressure.
• Power, wealth, and fairness: The competing factions’ dissatisfaction during the spoils division shows that victory does not eliminate conflict; wealth creates new tensions even among allies.
• The continuation of conflict: Destroying the Gu Clan’s main stronghold is only one stage of the campaign. The pursuit of surviving members extends the consequences of the clan’s downfall.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s followers celebrate the victory collectively, revealing their trust in him and their relief after the dangerous campaign.
• Feng Jun privately reflects on the Gu Clan member who died after reaching the Innate Realm, recognizing that the family’s pursuit of a continuous line of Innate Experts was understandable even though it ultimately failed.
• Deng Yifu consults Lang Zhen about resolving the disputed wealth and protecting the interests of those who fought in the campaign.
• The various faction leaders remain outwardly respectful because Feng Jun is present, but privately suspect that their groups received less than their fair share, highlighting the tension beneath the alliance.

Chapter Summary: “The Charm of a System”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deng Yifu and Lang Zhen’s proposal to create a reward pool for hunting the Gu Clan’s remnants passes unanimously. Fear of retaliation and the possibility that escaped Gu disciples carried valuable resources motivate both powerful families and ordinary people to pursue them.
• Gu Clan survivors are hunted down across the region, with many captured or killed and exchanged for bounty money.
• Three days after returning from the destruction of the Gu Clan, Feng Jun resumes blasting mountains and mining Spirit Stones with much less caution. His victory over and killing of two Innate Experts has made him almost legendary, reducing the need for Tian Family disciples to guard him.
• The Tian Family becomes increasingly organized around Feng Jun’s resources. Disciples copy Gu Clan books, learn to drive, repair roads, and perform other work, with access to valuable opportunities determined by military merit.
• Feng Jun orders another hundred farm vehicles and twenty all-terrain vehicles from the Blue Star Realm. He plans to build a pool of trained drivers to improve transportation and provide long-range deployment capabilities if future conflicts arise.
• Road construction accelerates because Feng Jun’s settlement has become one of the most prosperous areas in Zhige County, thanks largely to Sleepless Heaven and the commercial activity surrounding it. Feng Jun considers developing the area into a secondary base or one of several secure “rabbit burrows” for the future.
• Feng Jun continues mining Spirit Stones Under Refinement. In twenty days, he obtains more than forty, bringing his total to sixty, while discovering that the region still contains many more than expected.
• Yu Changqing returns from the cultivator world with the three walkie-talkies Feng Jun asked her to market. She apologizes because cultivators refused to trade Spirit Stones for them and would only offer gold or silver.
• Her master judged the walkie-talkies to be interesting but limited: they had short range, required recharging, and were inferior to cultivator communication methods such as paper cranes and fireworks. However, the master recognized greater significance in Feng Jun’s generators, fuel, lighting, surveillance equipment, and vehicles—the items formed an interconnected system.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more confident after destroying the Gu Clan and killing two Innate Experts. He no longer feels compelled to hide or move cautiously and begins openly expanding his influence.
• He grows increasingly strategic and forward-thinking, developing transportation networks, training drivers, improving roads, and preparing hidden bases for eventual contact with the cultivator world.
• Feng Jun also commits himself to cultivation. He plans to use his sixty Spirit Stones Under Refinement to reach the Qi Refining Stage and eventually practice the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique.
• Yu Changqing proves reliable and diligent by testing and promoting the walkie-talkies among cultivators, but she is frustrated by their unwillingness to pay Spirit Stones for modern technology.
• Yu Changqing’s master demonstrates strong analytical ability. Though unimpressed by the walkie-talkies as individual tools, the master recognizes the larger value of Feng Jun’s complete technological infrastructure.

Significant Themes

• The power of systems over individual inventions: The walkie-talkies have little value in isolation, but generators, batteries, vehicles, fuel, lighting, and communications together represent an industrial system with far greater potential.
• Technological and cultivational comparison: Modern devices are judged against established magical communication methods, revealing that usefulness depends heavily on context and existing alternatives.
• Expansion and preparation: Feng Jun is not merely enjoying his victory; he is building infrastructure, accumulating resources, training personnel, and establishing fallback locations for future dangers.
• Power and reputation: His defeat of the Gu Clan transforms him from a cautious outsider into a feared and respected regional power.
• Economic value and differing standards: Cultivators value combat power and defensive utility, so they hesitate to exchange Spirit Stones for conveniences that secular people might readily purchase with gold and silver.
• The importance of networks: Feng Jun’s influence grows through roads, transportation, commerce, trained personnel, military merit, and cooperation among families rather than through personal strength alone.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Tian Family: Their relationship becomes more structured and mutually beneficial. Tian disciples support his operations, while he offers access to books, vehicles, driving instruction, and other opportunities through a military-merit system.
• Feng Jun and other local forces: His growing prosperity encourages other families and factions to contribute to road construction, strengthening his settlement and broadening his influence.
• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: He entrusts Yu Changqing with introducing his technology to cultivators, while carefully instructing her not to reveal information about the secular world or the military’s interest.
• Yu Changqing and her master: They discuss the walkie-talkies’ practical value and possible market price. The master’s assessment shifts attention from the devices themselves to the broader technological system behind them.
• Cultivators and Feng Jun’s technology: Although cultivators reject the walkie-talkies as Spirit Stone-worthy products, their curiosity about Feng Jun’s generators and related equipment suggests that his technology may eventually gain influence through its combined applications.

Chapter Summary: Shifeng Mountain

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Changqing returns and reveals that her master is interested in Feng Jun’s unusual theories, particularly his ideas about “severing yin and yang,” fate, body possession, and the relationship between time and space.
• Her master believes Feng Jun may possess an inheritance system more profound than Carefree Platform and encourages Yu Changqing to interact with him more closely.
• Yu Changqing asks Feng Jun for Spirit Stones to activate a Spirit-Gathering Array disk lent to her by her master. Feng Jun dislikes being expected to provide them but agrees that Yu should not carry such valuable items herself. He intends to arrange a fair exchange rather than give them away freely.
• Yu Changqing warns Feng Jun that rumors claim he was poisoned with Qi-Dispersing Powder by the Gu Clan. The drug is extremely dangerous: it can destroy a cultivator’s cultivation or force a martial cultivator back into an ordinary state.
• Feng Jun confirms that he once felt his aura become sluggish but has since recovered. Yu Changqing explains that removing the drug’s effects from a cultivator generally requires a Gold Core expert and nine days of effort.
• Feng Jun suspects that switching between planes—or manipulating space and time—may have neutralized the poison. His recovery strengthens his confidence that the Qi-Dispersing Powder is no longer a threat.
• Their discussion leads to a philosophical exchange about teleportation, time distortion, causal deduction, and dimensional theory. Yu Changqing notices that Feng Jun’s ideas resemble those of her grandmaster.
• Yu Changqing’s warning makes Feng Jun realize that, despite the Gu Clan’s destruction, enemies may still be plotting against him. He decides to accelerate his immortal cultivation.
• Feng Jun prepares to leave for the Blue Star Realm to practice the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Swallowing Art, believing that cultivating spiritual qi there will attract less attention than doing so in the current world.
• Before he can leave, a representative called Shifeng Mountain arrives with an aggressive public summons. Shifeng Mountain is not a person’s name but the title of the Aristocratic Families Alliance’s third “Wind Inspector.”
• Han County Magistrate explains that the alliance is investigating the Gu Clan’s claim that Feng Jun colluded with the authorities to wipe out their family. Though the alliance discovered that the Gu Clan’s account was misleading, it feels obligated to investigate because one of its members was supposedly wronged.
• The authorities redirect responsibility to Feng Jun, making clear that the imperial court will not accept blame for his actions.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more cautious about hidden threats and recognizes the need to advance his immortal cultivation quickly. He remains pragmatic, balancing suspicion and self-interest with a willingness to help Yu Changqing. His confidence grows after realizing that his cross-plane movement may have neutralized the Qi-Dispersing Powder.
• Yu Changqing: Demonstrates increased trust and goodwill toward Feng Jun by warning him about the poison and offering assistance through her sect. She also acts as a bridge between Feng Jun and the deeper theories of her sect and master.
• Yu Changqing’s Master: Though absent, is established as highly perceptive and interested in Feng Jun’s unique knowledge system. Her willingness to lend Yu an array disk shows support, while her refusal to provide Spirit Stones reflects caution.
• Han County Magistrate: Appears uncomfortable but cooperative. He sympathizes with Feng Jun’s view that the Aristocratic Families Alliance may be overstepping its authority.
• Shifeng Mountain: Is introduced as an assertive representative of the alliance, using its status to pressure Feng Jun and demand an investigation.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and political pressure: Even after defeating the Gu Clan, Feng Jun remains vulnerable to accusations, investigations, and retaliation from larger organizations.
• Knowledge as power: Feng Jun’s unconventional theories attract the attention of powerful cultivators, suggesting that his understanding may rival or exceed established traditions.
• Trust and fair exchange: Feng Jun and Yu Changqing’s relationship develops through mutual assistance, but Feng Jun insists that cooperation should remain balanced rather than becoming one-sided dependence.
• Cultivation and vulnerability: The threat of Qi-Dispersing Powder emphasizes how even powerful cultivators can be undermined by specialized methods.
• Time, space, and causality: The conversation explores whether spiritual effects can be altered through dimensional travel, teleportation, or causal manipulation.
• Conflict between authority and justice: The Aristocratic Families Alliance claims to seek justice for the Gu Clan, but its investigation also reflects institutional pride and the need to defend its members.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: Discuss Spirit Stones, the Qi-Dispersing Powder, recovery methods, and theories of time and space. Their relationship combines practical bargaining, intellectual exchange, and growing trust.
• Feng Jun and Han County Magistrate: Han formally announces the alliance’s investigation, while Feng Jun questions the alliance’s authority to investigate cases.
• Shifeng Mountain and the local guards: Shifeng Mountain attempts to assert dominance from outside Feng Jun’s estate, but the guards challenge his arrogance and insist that he behave like an ordinary visitor.
• The Aristocratic Families Alliance and the authorities: The alliance demands an explanation for the Gu Clan’s destruction, while the authorities pass responsibility onward to Feng Jun rather than defending him directly.

Chapter Summary: “From Arrogance to Deference”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Aristocratic Families Alliance sends Shifeng Mountain to investigate Feng Jun’s destruction of the Gu Clan and its alleged collusion with the bandits of Yellow Maple Ridge.
• Shifeng Mountain initially arrives arrogantly, shouting demands on Feng Jun’s property and invoking the authority of the Alliance.
• Feng Jun refuses to submit to his authority, challenges him to a life-or-death duel, and warns that he is willing to kill more members of the Su Clan if they continue to oppose him.
• Shifeng Mountain is secretly a member of the Su Clan, though he is using a false identity and appearance. Feng Jun recognizes his clan affiliation, unsettling him.
• Realizing that a personal battle could endanger the Su Clan, Shifeng Mountain backs down and admits that his earlier conduct was presumptuous.
• The confrontation shifts into a formal inquiry. Feng Jun explains that the government did not instigate his conflict with the Gu Clan; instead, the Gu Clan allegedly poisoned him after the government granted him land, prompting the government to lend him troops.
• When Shifeng Mountain questions whether the Gu Clan truly used poison, Feng Jun pointedly remarks that he believes it was the Gu Clan—just as he believes Shifeng Mountain’s surname is Su.
• In private, Shifeng Mountain warns Feng Jun that Gu Clan survivors are offering the Alliance treasures taken from the Gu Clan in exchange for assistance against him.
• The Gu Clan is spreading rumors that Feng Jun was struck by the legendary Qi-Dispersing Powder. Because the Alliance doubts the powder’s existence and wants to test whether Feng Jun is truly weakened, some members are considering taking action against him.
• Shifeng Mountain denies personal hostility and claims he is merely carrying out the Alliance’s interests. He cautions Feng Jun that the Alliance may be curious not about his martial strength, but about whether the poison affected some other aspect of him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates extreme confidence, independence, and willingness to confront powerful organizations. He refuses to be intimidated by the Alliance and uses threats, sarcasm, and his knowledge of Shifeng Mountain’s identity to seize control of the encounter. Although aggressive, he is also practical and willing to hear information when it benefits him.
• Shifeng Mountain: Begins as an overbearing representative who assumes the Alliance’s authority will command respect. After Feng Jun challenges him and exposes his Su Clan identity, he becomes cautious and deferential. His priority shifts from completing the investigation to protecting his family from provoking Feng Jun.
• Han County Magistrate: Acts as an amused observer who hopes Feng Jun and Shifeng Mountain will fight, subtly encouraging the conflict. Feng Jun recognizes that Han is exploiting the confrontation for governmental advantage and warns him not to shift blame onto Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Power overturning established authority: The Alliance normally commands respect from Innate Experts, but Feng Jun’s strength and reputation allow him to reject its traditional hierarchy.
• From arrogance to deference: Shifeng Mountain’s rapid change in attitude reflects how power, rather than official status, determines social interactions among experts.
• Political maneuvering and hidden agendas: The investigation is presented as official business, but the Alliance is also weighing the rewards offered by the Gu Clan and testing rumors about Feng Jun’s condition.
• Reputation and deterrence: Feng Jun’s destruction of the Gu Clan gives credibility to his threats. His willingness to retaliate prevents the Alliance from treating him as an easy target.
• Curiosity as danger: The Alliance’s desire to verify the existence and effects of Qi-Dispersing Powder may provoke a deadly conflict, showing how curiosity and greed can become dangerous political motives.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Shifeng Mountain engage in a tense verbal contest, each trying to establish authority. Feng Jun repeatedly turns Shifeng Mountain’s official questions back against him.
• Han County Magistrate encourages the dispute from the sidelines but retreats when Feng Jun threatens to make him responsible for the consequences.
• Shifeng Mountain’s private conversation with Feng Jun is more honest and cooperative. He offers information about the Gu Clan’s lobbying and the Alliance’s suspicions as a gesture of goodwill.
• Feng Jun remains skeptical of Shifeng Mountain’s neutrality but accepts the warning, recognizing that the Alliance’s interest in him may extend beyond the claim that he has lost his martial ability.

Chapter Summary: “The Grand Formation Rises”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confronts a middle-aged Innate Expert from Shifeng Mountain, who had provoked him to test whether he truly possessed Innate-level combat strength.
• The man hints that Feng Jun may have been exposed to Qi-Dispersing Powder and implies that some people suspect his martial cultivation is weaker than it appears. Feng Jun conceals his interest and denies knowing anything about the powder.
• After Feng Jun reveals the man’s identity and threatens his family, the man admits defeat. Feng Jun demands that he apologize to two people he had threatened, but the man refuses, arguing that they had insulted Shifeng Mountain.
• The middle-aged man suggests that the two people may have been deliberately trying to drag Feng Jun into conflict. Feng Jun accepts this possibility and agrees to let the man investigate who might be plotting against him.
• Returning to Luohua Manor, Feng Jun begins preparing the Heaven-Swallowing Formation. He selects a secluded area between two hills, constructs a stone platform with a table and benches, and discreetly places twenty-seven Spirit Stones at carefully chosen foundation points.
• He modifies and conceals the Spirit Stones so that they can release spiritual energy while remaining unnoticed. The entire arrangement takes more than half a month.
• As construction at the manor nears completion, Feng Jun also improves local irrigation channels. He plans to begin cultivating during rainfall to avoid attracting attention.
• A prolonged drought strikes Yang City, causing local villagers to panic. Many gather outside Luohua Manor to burn incense and pray for rain, while others debate whether the manor’s supposed Crow King can control rainfall.
• Rain finally begins after dark clouds gather. While villagers celebrate and attribute the rain to various gods and spirits, Feng Jun sits at the center of his formation and prepares to cultivate.
• He opens the covers of all twenty-seven Spirit Stones, releasing powerful streams of spiritual energy. After ensuring that his protective methods will not interfere with absorbing the energy, he forms hand seals, regulates his qi, and opens his Heavenly Gate.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious, controlled, and politically aware. He avoids revealing what he knows about Qi-Dispersing Powder and refuses to let others manipulate him into reckless suspicion.
• His confidence in his own strength allows him to dismiss minor provocations without overreacting, though he still insists on preserving his authority and dignity.
• Feng Jun’s priorities shift decisively toward immortal cultivation. He demonstrates careful planning by constructing the formation in secret and adapting it to the surrounding environment.
• The middle-aged Innate Expert moves from arrogant provocation to reluctant respect. Once Feng Jun exposes his identity and demonstrates that he cannot be intimidated, he adopts a more conciliatory attitude and offers to investigate possible conspirators.
• The local villagers become increasingly anxious and superstitious as the drought worsens. Their desperation leads them to worship at Luohua Manor and argue over which deity or supernatural being controls the weather.

Significant Themes

• Caution and hidden motives: Feng Jun recognizes that apparent allies or victims may be part of a larger scheme and chooses vigilance over impulsive action.
• Power and dignity: The confrontation highlights the pride of Innate Experts and the importance both men place on reputation, authority, and face.
• Transition from martial to immortal cultivation: The chapter marks a major stage in Feng Jun’s development as he moves from preparation into the actual use of the Heaven-Swallowing Formation.
• Faith and superstition: The villagers’ response to the drought shows how fear drives people toward ritual, rumor, and competing beliefs.
• Nature versus human control: The drought, the delayed rain, and Feng Jun’s attempt to harness spiritual energy emphasize the relationship between natural phenomena and supernatural power.
• Secrecy and concealment: Feng Jun carefully hides the formation and times his cultivation to minimize public suspicion.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Shifeng Mountain expert: Their exchange begins as a challenge over combat strength but develops into a negotiation based on mutual recognition and the possibility of a hidden conspiracy.
• Feng Jun and the two threatened individuals: Although they do not appear directly, their actions become central to the dispute. Feng Jun initially defends them, then reconsiders after hearing they may have intentionally provoked the conflict.
• Villagers among themselves: Their conversations reveal conflicting interpretations of local religious figures, especially the Crow King, and reflect the spread of rumor during the drought.
• Feng Jun and the villagers: They do not interact directly, but Feng Jun’s cultivation and the sudden rain cause the villagers to associate Luohua Manor with divine efficacy.
  The chapter concludes with Feng Jun activating the formation and beginning the first serious stage of his immortal cultivation.

Chapter Summary: “Qi Refining First Layer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun activates the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique within the Heaven-Swallowing Formation.
• The spiritual energy from twenty-seven Spirit Stones Under Refinement converges on the crown of his head, forming invisible channels between the stones and his body.
• After enduring tremendous pressure and dizziness, Feng Jun successfully breaks through the barrier at the top of his head and opens the Heaven-and-Earth Bridge, allowing him to absorb spiritual energy directly.
• The incoming energy is far too powerful for his body to contain. He rapidly begins to swell and fears that he will physically burst apart.
• In desperation, he instinctively activates the Taiji Breathing Technique. Instead of merely circulating internal energy, the technique draws the spiritual energy into his meridians and causes it to merge with his internal energy.
• This produces a “bootleg” version of Entering the Dao Through Martial Arts. Once the last of his internal energy is converted, Feng Jun switches back to the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique.
• The transition works seamlessly. The technique refines the spiritual energy, reduces the swelling, and stabilizes his body.
• After completing his cultivation, Feng Jun reaches the first layer of Qi Refining and discovers that his surroundings have changed: plants have grown dramatically, mosquitoes have burst from exposure to spiritual energy, and the Spirit Stones continue releasing energy.
• He reseals the stones using enhanced Telekinetic Object Retrieval, then interacts with the Crow, allowing it to eat the creatures killed by the spiritual-energy overflow.

Character Development

• Feng Jun takes his first genuine step into immortal cultivation by opening the Heaven-and-Earth Bridge and absorbing spiritual energy directly.
• His physical condition and previous martial-cultivation experience prove crucial to surviving the overwhelming energy. Although he is stronger than before after repeated body tempering and becoming an Innate Expert, the twenty-seven Spirit Stones still nearly overwhelm him.
• Feng Jun displays quick thinking and adaptability by combining two seemingly different techniques when his body reaches its limit.
• His successful fusion of internal energy and spiritual energy gives him an unusual cultivation path, suggesting that the Taiji Breathing Technique is far more powerful and mysterious than he realized.
• He becomes more confident and jokingly feels that he has finally received the “protagonist treatment,” but he also gains a clearer understanding of the dangers of cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and transcendence: Feng Jun moves from martial cultivation toward true immortal cultivation, crossing the boundary between internal energy and spiritual energy.
• Power and danger: Immense power is not automatically beneficial; without control, the spiritual energy could have killed him.
• Adaptability and survival: Feng Jun succeeds because he reacts instinctively and combines techniques rather than rigidly following a single method.
• The relationship between martial arts and immortality: The chapter explores how martial cultivation can serve as a bridge to the Dao, even in Feng Jun’s unconventional and accidental manner.
• Hidden potential: The Taiji Breathing Technique reveals abilities beyond ordinary martial arts, hinting that Feng Jun possesses techniques and advantages he has not yet fully understood.
• The cost of cultivation: Advancement brings ecstasy and comfort, but also physical danger, loss of control, and the constant possibility of death.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun has no direct human interactions during the breakthrough, but his relationship with the Crow provides comic relief after the intense cultivation scene.
• The Crow notices the abnormal spiritual energy and investigates, demonstrating its sensitivity to supernatural changes.
• Feng Jun casually tells the Crow that the dead insects are available as food, while the Crow instead captures a still-living centipede, prompting Feng Jun’s amused criticism.
• The interaction reinforces their familiar, informal relationship and contrasts the Crow’s animal instincts with Feng Jun’s human commentary.

Chapter Summary: “First Trial of Spiritual Energy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun cultivates continuously for three days and three nights, successfully breaking through into the Qi Refining Stage and reaching the peak of the first layer.
• His cultivation dramatically affects the environment: vegetation grows unnaturally lush, and insects become unusually active because of the spiritual energy around him.
• Xu Leigang, Wang Haifeng, and Gazi have been secretly observing Feng Jun’s meditation from a distance, mainly because Crow has been circling above his cultivation site.
• Feng Jun calls them over and reveals that he intends to use the location regularly for cultivation. He instructs them to keep the matter secret.
• Feng Jun demonstrates Outward Internal Energy Release by walking into the rain without getting wet; the falling rain is forced away from his body. He tells his disciples they will eventually be able to do the same.
• The men clear the overgrown vegetation and begin preparing the site, including digging the ground and planning to plant bamboo. Feng Jun simultaneously works on stabilizing his new cultivation.
• The Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique allows extremely rapid advancement but consumes spiritual resources at an alarming rate. Feng Jun uses more than half of his twenty-seven Spirit Stones to reach the peak of Qi Refining First Layer.
• Rather than advancing immediately to higher levels, Feng Jun chooses to consolidate his cultivation and study the spiritual energy within his body, especially because his remaining Spirit Stones are limited.
• Feng Jun begins testing spiritual energy on living creatures. A large dose injected into a weak chicken kills it, while a small amount infused into water revives another dying chicken.
• By the next day, the revived chicken has recovered enough to walk and even confront Crow to defend the spiritually infused water.
• Crow wants the water because it is rich in spiritual energy, but hesitates to attack the chicken severely, fearing Feng Jun’s reaction. The chapter ends as Feng Jun’s three disciples approach the standoff.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun successfully transitions from martial cultivation to genuine spiritual cultivation. He recognizes that his former inner breath was merely internal energy, while his present power is spiritual energy—stronger but still far below true immortal energy.
• He becomes more cautious and methodical, choosing to stabilize his foundation rather than rush toward higher cultivation levels.
• Feng Jun also begins acting more openly as a master, sharing limited knowledge with his disciples while still protecting the larger secrets of cultivation.
• Xu Leigang remains eager and somewhat insecure about his progress, especially because he is older than the others. Feng Jun reassures him through teasing that he can also achieve supernatural abilities.
• Wang Haifeng demonstrates practical organizational ability by arranging workers, vegetation removal, and construction equipment for the cultivation site.
• Gazi shows practical rural knowledge, correctly identifying the weakness of feed-fattened chickens and understanding their physical condition.
• Crow is shown to be intelligent and cautious rather than merely aggressive. It recognizes the spiritual value of the water but also understands the danger of provoking Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Power and resource consumption: Feng Jun’s rapid advancement comes at the cost of large quantities of Spirit Stones, emphasizing that cultivation requires scarce resources.
• Caution versus rapid progress: Although Feng Jun could advance quickly, he chooses to consolidate his foundation and understand his new abilities first.
• Secrecy and trust: Feng Jun’s cultivation is hidden from outsiders, and his disciples respect his wishes even though they are intensely curious.
• The transformative effects of spiritual energy: Spiritual energy alters nature, improves a dying animal, and grants Feng Jun control over rain, suggesting that cultivation affects both the cultivator and the surrounding world.
• The boundary between martial arts and cultivation: Feng Jun realizes that his former abilities were limited compared with spiritual energy, establishing a broader hierarchy of power.
• Life, instinct, and spiritual influence: The revived chicken’s determination to defend the water shows how even a weak creature can be changed by exposure to spiritual energy.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun orders his disciples to clean the cultivation site, then explains that he will be using it for cultivation and expects them to train there eventually.
• He jokes with Xu Leigang about being able to repel rain, easing the tension caused by his supernatural display and strengthening the master-disciple bond.
• Wang Haifeng’s blunt reaction to the giant plants contrasts with Xu Leigang’s attempt to rationalize every strange event as normal for their master.
• The disciples silently respect Feng Jun’s secrecy, observing him without interfering until he summons them.
• Feng Jun’s first spiritual-energy experiment causes the chicken’s death through over-infusion, while his second, more careful experiment restores another chicken’s health.
• The revived chicken and Crow become temporary rivals over the spiritually enhanced water. Their confrontation reflects Crow’s desire for power and the chicken’s instinctive determination to protect the treasure, ending just as the disciples arrive.

Chapter Summary: “Confusion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The spiritually nourished fast-growing chicken rapidly develops from near death to a healthy, seemingly free-range bird, even learning to fly to the villa’s second floor. Feng Jun concludes the experiment has succeeded and uses it to make mushroom chicken stew.
• Feng Jun tests whether spiritual energy remains in the chicken’s meat after it drinks spiritually infused water, but finds almost none. This disappoints him because he hopes to use food as an energy source for cultivating the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique.
• He experiments by eating huge quantities of ordinary food—rice, pork, dried tofu, and later nearly a thousand jin of meat. Although meat produces slightly more spiritual energy than grains, the amount is tiny. Four days of excessive eating yield energy equivalent to only about ten chickens, making the method impractical and time-consuming.
• He discovers that sub-spiritual-grade golden lotus root contains much more spiritual energy, but hesitates to consume such a valuable resource.
• Concerned that others will notice his abnormal appetite, Feng Jun moves between rented apartments, Peach Blossom Valley, and Luohua Manor while conducting his experiments. He eventually stops the practice because of both inefficiency and the risk of attracting attention.
• Seeking practical immortal abilities, Feng Jun studies talismans and the Profound Origin Blade Technique. He improves considerably in blade cultivation after reaching the Qi Refining Stage, but fails to master basic talisman-making despite more than ten days of effort.
• He visits Yu Changqing on the Phone Plane to ask about talisman materials, Spirit-Gathering Arrays, and beginner cultivation techniques. He declines to accompany her to purchase supplies, deciding that he should first stabilize and strengthen his cultivation.
• Yu Changqing explains that her sect’s Spirit-Gathering Array is communal property and cannot be sold. She also offers Feng Jun the commonplace Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique, which he accepts.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more cautious and pragmatic. Although he experiments boldly with food-based cultivation, he recognizes its severe limitations and abandons the method rather than wasting time and resources.
• His cultivation has sharpened his senses and improved his understanding of the Blue Star plane’s faint spiritual energy. He also discovers that the Profound Origin Blade Technique is easier to practice now that he has crossed into cultivation.
• Feng Jun grows increasingly concerned about maintaining his disguise as an “Immortal.” Rather than rushing into the Phone Plane at the first opportunity, he decides to cultivate further before risking exposure.
• Yu Changqing continues to treat Feng Jun as a mysterious senior cultivator. She is surprised by his interest in low-level resources and techniques but accepts his explanations about karma and helping others.

Significant Themes

• Resource scarcity and inefficiency: Ordinary food contains only negligible spiritual energy, demonstrating how difficult cultivation is in an era of spiritual decline.
• Pragmatism versus extravagance: Feng Jun weighs the usefulness of consuming rare spiritual treasures against preserving them for more important purposes.
• Secrecy and identity: His unusual appetite, cultivation experiments, and limited knowledge of immortal arts could expose his true situation, forcing him to act cautiously.
• Learning through experimentation: Feng Jun relies on trial and error, testing animals, food, cultivation methods, talismans, and martial techniques to discover what works.
• The gap between cultivation realms: Even possessing powerful techniques, Feng Jun cannot yet use advanced abilities such as the Little Kunpeng Movement Technique because his cultivation remains too low.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s staff and acquaintances observe the chicken’s astonishing growth, with Gazi especially amazed by its transformation.
• Property management workers question Feng Jun’s enormous meat deliveries. He disguises the activity as preparations for a party, avoiding further suspicion.
• Feng Jun asks Xu Leigang about obtaining personal food rations after his experiments, though the chapter emphasizes that his greater need is learning practical immortal techniques.
• During his conversation with Yu Changqing, Feng Jun probes the limits of her Spirit-Gathering Array and requests basic cultivation resources. She refuses to sell the sect-owned array because it carries a tracking mark, but freely gives him the low-level Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique.

Chapter Summary: “Making Off with It”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun gives Yu Changqing the Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique and offers her a Spirit Stone in payment for her help investigating walkie-talkie prices.
• Yu Changqing modestly refuses, but Feng Jun reframes the gift as compensation for her younger sister, Yu Changzhu, who eagerly accepts half a Spirit Stone.
• Feng Jun examines Carefree Platform’s simplified Spirit-Gathering Array, a massive formation disk entrusted to Yu Changqing.
• Taking advantage of the time difference between worlds, Feng Jun secretly transports the array to the Blue Star Realm, rationalizing that he is only temporarily borrowing it and has effectively paid for its use with the Spirit Stone.
• He studies the array but determines that reproducing it is currently impossible because of its spiritual-energy engravings, unusual materials, and specialized talisman ink.
• Feng Jun sets it up in a low-lying valley and activates it with a Spirit Stone. The array gradually increases the area’s spiritual energy to roughly ten times the level found on Zhige Mountain.
• He tests its limits and discovers that the array provides about one-sixth the energy of the Heaven-Devouring Grand Array, making it powerful enough for ordinary cultivation but unsuitable for major breakthroughs.
• After one night, the valley’s plants and animals show dramatic growth and increased vitality. The spiritual energy also lingers after the array is shut down.
• Feng Jun begins buying valuable medicinal herbs, including ginseng and fleeceflower root, to cultivate them in the increasingly fertile valley.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly pragmatic and opportunistic. Although he recognizes that secretly taking the array is morally questionable, he convinces himself that the circumstances justify it and that the Spirit Stone serves as rental payment.
• He also displays growing scientific curiosity, carefully testing the array’s durability, coverage, energy output, and potential for replication before using it.
• Yu Changqing remains cautious, modest, and responsible, especially regarding sect property. She trusts Feng Jun because of their relationship and because her sect respects him.
• Yu Changzhu is shown as outspoken, greedy in a humorous but harmless way, and openly delighted by the Spirit Stone. Her boldness contrasts with her sister’s restraint.
• Feng Jun’s cultivation strategy develops: he reserves the Heaven-Devouring Grand Array for breakthroughs and seeks more efficient, sustainable cultivation methods for everyday progress.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus morality: Feng Jun’s secret borrowing raises ethical questions, though he rationalizes it as a necessary and temporary measure.
• Resource disparity between worlds: Materials and spiritual technologies from the cultivation world are difficult or impossible to reproduce in the barren Blue Star Realm.
• Cultivation and adaptation: The chapter emphasizes how spiritual energy transforms an ordinary environment, improving both Feng Jun’s cultivation and the surrounding ecosystem.
• Scientific experimentation: Feng Jun approaches the formation like a researcher, measuring its output, testing its limits, and investigating whether it can be recreated.
• Abundance and growth: The array symbolizes the gradual revitalization of the Blue Star Realm, turning barren land into a productive cultivation center.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing share a relationship built on mutual respect and familiarity. He insists on compensating her despite her repeated refusals.
• Yu Changzhu interrupts their exchange and forcefully claims the Spirit Stone, creating a comic contrast between her bluntness and Yu Changqing’s caution.
• Feng Jun gently teases Yu Changzhu for talking too much, while Yu Changqing apologizes for having spoiled her younger sister.
• Feng Jun’s interactions with the array reflect his broader relationship with the cultivation world: he benefits from its resources while carefully weighing the risks and justifying his actions.
• His later request to Li Xiaobin for medicinal herbs shows him beginning to organize practical support for exploiting the valley’s new spiritual environment.

Chapter Summary: “An Unusual Sight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Crow has become the unofficial “second-in-command” of Feng Jun’s valley. It eats spiritually nourished insects and guards the area against intruding animals.
• When Crow confronts two large rabbits, Feng Jun kills them effortlessly with finger blasts. Crow protests when Feng Jun takes both rabbits, but eventually receives one rabbit leg after it is cooked.
• More than ten days after Feng Jun activates the Spirit-Gathering Array, the valley’s spiritual energy continues to increase. Plants grow at an extraordinary rate, especially the bamboo grove, which reaches nearly four meters in height.
• Feng Jun explains to Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and Lu Xiaoning that his cultivation is more advanced than ordinary martial arts. He describes it cautiously as the study of Daoist arts and tells them to concentrate on their own martial training.
• He assigns the three men to guard the bamboo grove in rotating shifts. They may cultivate there, though Feng Jun warns them not to become dependent on the unusually rich spiritual environment.
• Feng Jun decides to bring his parents to the manor so they can benefit from staying in the spiritually enriched valley. He rejects the idea of having them take Body-Tempering Pills because of their age.
• A sudden rainstorm produces a spectacular sight: thick white mist rises from the bamboo grove while a vivid rainbow appears overhead. Feng Jun investigates and discovers that rain has carried spiritual energy into the ground, which the plants then release as beneficial mist.
• The phenomenon is witnessed by the manor’s workers, reinforcing rumors that Feng Jun’s estate contains supernatural or immortal-like wonders.
• Li Xiaobin photographs and posts the scene online. The post attracts widespread attention, while Yuan Youwei asks to visit Feng Jun’s home and jokingly insists that only first place in his class would count as success.
• Feng Jun discovers that thousands of online notifications—many connected to a widely reposted video of Crow—are accumulating, signaling growing public interest in his activities.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly confident as a cultivator and leader. He balances secrecy with trust, choosing to explain his abilities to his three closest subordinates rather than allowing suspicion to grow. He also shows concern for his parents’ health and tries to share the valley’s benefits with them.
• Crow: Develops a strong sense of ownership over the valley, viewing Feng Jun as its superior and itself as guardian and deputy. Its comical bargaining with Feng Jun over the rabbits highlights its growing intelligence and attachment.
• Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and Lu Xiaoning: Remain loyal and eager to improve. They are awed by Feng Jun’s power and increasingly deferential toward him. Xu Leigang demonstrates practical judgment by suggesting that the bamboo grove be guarded.
• Xu Leigang: Speaks on behalf of the group and accepts responsibility for protecting the grove. His willingness to travel with Gazi to fetch Feng Jun’s parents reinforces his loyalty.
• Manor workers: Become both reverent and fearful as rumors of supernatural events spread. Their lack of understanding encourages the formation of legends around Feng Jun.
• Li Xiaobin: Treats the mist and rainbow as an unusual natural spectacle, innocently publicizing images that may expose Feng Jun’s secrets.
• Yuan Youwei: Maintains a confident, competitive personality and shows affection toward Feng Jun by asking to visit him.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between ordinary life and cultivation: Feng Jun’s valley appears to be a normal estate, yet its spiritual energy produces extraordinary growth and phenomena.
• Power and responsibility: Feng Jun must manage the effects of his cultivation while protecting the grove, guiding his followers, and deciding how much truth to reveal.
• Loyalty and hierarchy: Crow and Feng Jun’s subordinates all recognize his authority, but their relationships also contain humor, affection, and mutual benefit.
• The dangers of abundance: Feng Jun warns that becoming accustomed to the valley’s spiritual energy may make ordinary cultivation difficult, emphasizing the psychological consequences of sudden privilege.
• Rumor and public perception: The workers’ fears and online posts show how easily unexplained events become supernatural legends, potentially threatening Feng Jun’s privacy.
• Natural phenomena transformed by spiritual energy: The rain, mist, rainbow, and accelerated plant growth demonstrate how cultivation is beginning to alter the physical world around Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “Flexible Thinking”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun investigates the mysterious Weibo account “Trample the Sky-Full of Stars,” suspecting it may belong to Zhang Caixin, but discovers the account is run by a man. He also notices that his own follower count is rapidly increasing because photos of him and his activities have been posted online.
• Concerned that public attention could expose his disciples’ cultivation, Feng Jun decides to return to the Phone Plane.
• He tells Yu Changqing that he wants to study and recreate her Spirit-Gathering Array. Although he has never formally studied formations, he confidently claims that the array should not be difficult for him to understand.
• Feng Jun asks Yu Changqing to move her cultivation setup to his rear courtyard, which is large enough to contain the array. Yu is surprised that he can immediately determine the array’s effective range despite claiming to be inexperienced.
• Feng Jun gives Bao Ge’er a huge list of cultivation materials, including Black Iron, Chuyun Wood, Blood Pearls, White Tungsten Sand, Flood Dragon Sinew, and toxic Indigo Silver Juice. Many are controlled, rare, or difficult to obtain in large quantities.
• Bao Ge’er initially struggles with the request but agrees to consult his brother and possibly involve the Aristocratic Families Alliance. He asks Feng Jun to claim that he had originally intended to approach the Alliance and that Bao Ge’er had persuaded him not to.
• The Earl of North Garden and the Heir of the Duke of Bravery work together to obtain the materials through the heir’s father-in-law, the powerful Long City Prefect. Instead of money, they request farm vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and diesel.
• Feng Jun agrees to the exchange but limits his teaching commitment: he will personally train only three drivers, who will then teach the remaining recruits. He also agrees to provide basic vehicle-repair instruction.
• Over the next twenty days, Feng Jun settles Yu Changqing, trains drivers, and teaches vehicle maintenance. Liu Feifei is identified as the most capable mechanic despite her lack of physical strength, because she understands procedures and can direct others effectively.
• Feng Jun spends his days searching for Spirit Stones. With his Qi Refining cultivation and a Spirit Hedgehog spine, excavation becomes much easier. During the twenty-day period, he uncovers more than seventy Spirit Stones and locates over fifty additional buried ones, leaving nearly a hundred still underground.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly confident in his abilities. He is willing to analyze unfamiliar formations, manage complex transactions, train others, and exploit resources across both worlds.
• He also shows greater caution about secrecy. The publicity surrounding his disciples makes him reconsider where they should cultivate.
• Yu Changqing grows more impressed—and slightly irritated—by Feng Jun’s unexplained understanding of formations. She begins cultivating in his courtyard, accepting his protection and resources.
• Bao Ge’er demonstrates political awareness beneath his carefree exterior. Though he claims to dislike court affairs, he understands how to use family connections and political positioning to serve his own interests.
• The Heir of the Duke of Bravery shows strategic flexibility. Rather than simply seeking profit, he uses the vehicle deal to help his father-in-law, provide transportation for his family, and obstruct the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• Liu Feifei is established as a practical and capable organizer whose knowledge compensates for her limited physical strength.

Significant Themes

• Flexible problem-solving: Feng Jun and the other characters repeatedly adapt when their first plans fail, finding alternative suppliers, political connections, and payment methods.
• Power beyond appearances: Social status and noble titles are less important than actual influence, access, and the ability to accomplish tasks.
• Exchange between worlds: Modern vehicles and technology become valuable bargaining tools in the cultivation world, while cultivation materials and techniques are sought by Feng Jun.
• Secrecy versus publicity: Feng Jun’s growing online fame threatens to expose his unusual activities, forcing him to balance influence with concealment.
• Practical knowledge as power: Driving, vehicle repair, logistics, and organizational skills become strategically important alongside spiritual cultivation.
• Resource accumulation: Feng Jun’s steady collection of Spirit Stones and rare materials reflects his long-term preparation and expanding ambitions.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing develop a relationship based on mutual use and cautious respect: he offers her a safe cultivation site, while she permits him to study her array.
• Feng Jun and Bao Ge’er negotiate directly, with Feng Jun remaining blunt and demanding while Bao Ge’er tries to protect his political position.
• Bao Ge’er, the Earl of North Garden, and the Heir of the Duke of Bravery cooperate to assemble Feng Jun’s difficult order, while also maneuvering against the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• The heir and the Earl debate whether Feng Jun’s vehicles can be safely requested, showing their awareness of his growing influence and the risks of offending him.
• Feng Jun trains the heir’s selected drivers, establishing a system in which a small number of students can pass modern technical knowledge on to many others.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gathering the materials for Feng Jun’s requested equipment takes twenty-one days. Because of the delay, he delivers only thirty farm vehicles and twenty all-terrain vehicles, promising the remainder later.
• Feng Jun has largely emptied Blue Star Realm’s warehouses obtaining the materials, but he needs time to replenish supplies without drawing attention—especially before his parents arrive.
• Rather than using the materials for ordinary trade, Feng Jun begins attempting to reproduce the Spirit-Gathering Array. He has already analyzed Yu Changqing’s array disk extensively with the Stone Ring, his phone, and knowledge from Introduction to Basic Talismans.
• Since he cannot replicate the compact array disk, Feng Jun constructs a much larger, twenty-meter-wide version. He plans to refine it gradually, using Energy Points to compare each attempt with the original.
• The sudden concentration of spiritual energy in Feng Jun’s backyard alerts the many cultivators gathered near Zhige Mountain. They correctly conclude that a Spirit-Gathering Array has been activated, though they do not know who is using it.
• Yu Changqing has disguised herself and cultivates inside the array for two days. She then stops to stabilize her realm, remaining in the backyard to avoid unwanted attention.
• Feng Jun activates his own experimental array, but it explodes. The damage is limited, and the Spirit Stone survives, but Feng Jun is frustrated because his calculations and inspections had revealed no obvious error.
• Rumors spread that Feng Jun failed to construct a Spirit-Gathering Array. However, his reputation remains intact because even attempting such an array is considered extraordinarily difficult.
• The heir realizes that Feng Jun’s requested materials may have been intended for an array and sends the information to his family. The ducal residence replies that such an array could not use those materials and concludes that the heir has been deceived.

Character Development

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence and ambition as an investigator and array expert. Though he lacks formal engineering or Immortal-school training, he relies on technological tools, observation, and talisman principles to tackle a problem even many Immortals could not solve.
• His practical priorities are also revealed: he is willing to spend a large fortune and risk repeated failures to create an array that will provide sufficient spiritual energy for his parents’ comfortable stay.
• Despite the explosion, Feng Jun remains methodical rather than panicked. He immediately reviews his recordings and photographs to identify the hidden mistake.
• Yu Changqing shows caution and discipline. She takes advantage of Feng Jun’s protection but stops cultivating when she senses the need to stabilize her foundation, reflecting a mature approach to advancement.
• The heir becomes increasingly perceptive about Feng Jun’s activities. Although he understands that Feng Jun may have withheld or altered parts of the materials list, he recognizes the potential value of even incomplete knowledge.
• The heir’s adviser and family remain skeptical, interpreting the unfamiliar materials as proof of deception rather than evidence that Feng Jun has discovered a new method.

Significant Themes

• Innovation through cross-world knowledge: Feng Jun combines Blue Star technology, the Stone Ring, his phone, and cultivation knowledge to approach a problem traditionally reserved for Immortals.
• Trial and failure in research: The explosion emphasizes that theoretical calculations and imitation do not guarantee success, especially when key principles remain incomplete.
• Reputation and authority: Because Feng Jun is already regarded as a formidable divine doctor, even his failure does not seriously damage his standing. His reputation prevents others from investigating him directly.
• Secrecy and controlled information: Feng Jun conceals his true goals, Yu Changqing hides her identity, and the heir’s family assumes that incomplete information means deception.
• Cultivation and foundations: Yu Changqing’s decision to stop and stabilize her realm highlights the danger of advancing too quickly.
• Perspective and misunderstanding: Outsiders interpret Feng Jun’s experiments through limited knowledge, while his family misjudges the material list and concludes that the heir was tricked.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun negotiates with the heir by providing only part of the requested vehicles and postponing the remainder, while privately using the materials for his own research.
• Feng Jun indirectly protects Yu Changqing by allowing her to cultivate in his backyard and shielding her from the curious cultivators surrounding Zhige Mountain.
• The watching cultivators speculate about the identity of the person inside the array but refrain from questioning Feng Jun because of his authority and the obvious desire for secrecy.
• Yu Changqing watches Feng Jun’s work but cannot understand it, reinforcing the gap between their areas of expertise.
• The heir and his adviser discuss the possibility that Feng Jun withheld materials from the list. The heir’s family then rejects their interpretation entirely, creating an ironic conflict between correct observation and incorrect conclusions.

Chapter Summary — “It Worked”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a second failed attempt at constructing the Spirit-Gathering Array, Feng Jun realizes he has been copying the design of a portable Gathering Spirit Formation Disk too literally. With Yu Changqing’s observation in mind, he modifies three troublesome nodes and changes the arrangement.
• Over the next ten days, the array explodes six more times. On the final attempt, it successfully activates and draws in spiritual energy with far greater force than the smaller array in the nearby courtyard.
• Feng Jun discovers that his huge formation is more powerful than expected because it uses vastly larger quantities of materials and has been scaled up from the disk’s structure. He spends two days and two nights monitoring it and confirms that the materials remain stable.
• A concealed Innate Expert attempts to observe and copy the array’s operation. Feng Jun attacks him, recognizing that the man identifies his technique as the Profound Origin Blade Technique. He spares his life but knocks him unconscious and orders that he be brought to him.
• Feng Jun later tests the formation again with another set of materials to ensure its success was not accidental. The second test proceeds without problems, leaving him satisfied that his method is reliable.
• The duke’s heir visits Feng Jun and asks when the promised goods will be ready. Feng Jun requests three additional sets of rare materials, but the heir explains that obtaining even one set was extremely difficult.
• The heir probes whether Feng Jun would sell or broker the Spirit-Gathering Array. Feng Jun refuses, warning that exposing the method could disrupt the market and provoke retaliation from cultivators.
• The heir’s earlier acquisition of half a Spirit Stone arouses Feng Jun’s suspicion. The heir quickly backs down and flatters him.
• At the chapter’s end, Deng Lao’er announces that the defeated Innate Expert wishes to meet Feng Jun and discuss matters personally.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates persistence and technical ingenuity by learning from repeated failures rather than abandoning the project. His success increases his confidence, while the array’s power reveals that his improvised design may be unusually effective. He also shows growing authority and ruthlessness: he regards himself as the ultimate power on his territory, yet chooses to spare the spy after learning the man recognizes his martial technique. Feng Jun becomes more guarded about protecting his discoveries and less tolerant of the heir’s probing.
• Yu Changqing: Though she plays a limited role, her earlier distinction between a formation disk and a Spirit-Gathering Array provides the key insight that allows Feng Jun to succeed.
• The duke’s heir: Becomes more cautious and deferential after witnessing Feng Jun’s power. He remains ambitious and commercially minded, attempting to negotiate access to the array or its technique, but quickly retreats when Feng Jun warns him.
• The Innate Expert: Initially acts as a spy attempting to study the array, but immediately recognizes Feng Jun’s blade technique and loses the will to resist. His request for a private meeting suggests he may possess useful information or have a larger purpose.

Significant Themes

• Persistence through failure: Feng Jun’s repeated explosions emphasize that experimentation and careful correction are necessary for advancement.
• Innovation versus imitation: His breakthrough comes from recognizing that a large array cannot simply duplicate a portable formation disk. Adapting existing knowledge to new circumstances is more important than following a model rigidly.
• Power and territorial authority: Feng Jun views his domain as a place where he holds ultimate authority, illustrating the uneasy overlap between personal power, government control, and social order.
• Secrecy and the value of knowledge: Feng Jun refuses to sell the array because revealing its construction could damage the market and attract dangerous attention from cultivators.
• Hierarchy and privilege: The heir’s confidence in testing Feng Jun’s limits reflects the privileges of the highest levels of mortal society, while Feng Jun’s response reinforces the divide between cultivators and ordinary people.
• Practicality over appearances: Though Feng Jun’s creation is not technically a true Grand Gathering Spirit Formation, it works exceptionally well because of its scale and material strength, showing that results can matter more than formal labels.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: Yu Changqing’s comment prompts Feng Jun to reconsider his design and directly contributes to his breakthrough.
• Feng Jun and the spying Innate Expert: Feng Jun intercepts the man, attacks him with the Profound Origin Blade Technique, and defeats him without killing him. Their encounter establishes Feng Jun’s dominance while leaving open the question of the spy’s motives.
• Feng Jun and the duke’s heir: Their discussion is tense and transactional. The heir seeks materials, business opportunities, and possibly access to Feng Jun’s formation, while Feng Jun responds with suspicion, warnings, and firm boundaries.
• Feng Jun and Deng Lao’er: Deng Lao’er serves as the messenger who informs Feng Jun that the defeated expert wants an audience, setting up the next development.

Chapter Summary: “Letter of Appointment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun interrogates a supposed Innate Expert named Chen Junsheng after suspecting that he is concealing his true identity.
• The man reveals that he is actually Chen Junwei, Chen Junsheng’s younger brother. He had assumed his brother’s identity because the Chen Family was hiding Chen Junsheng’s condition.
• Chen Junwei explains that Chen Junsheng was poisoned with Qi-Dispersing Powder three years earlier after rescuing a woman who was secretly working for the authorities. She offered him a choice: serve the government and receive an antidote, or die from the poison.
• Chen Junsheng refused, killed the woman, and survived until his family rescued him. The Chen Family then destroyed several government offices and concealed his poisoning to preserve its reputation.
• Chen Junwei came to Zhige Mountain seeking a cure for his brother. After witnessing Feng Jun’s power and recognizing his use of the Profound Origin Blade Technique, he realizes Feng Jun is truly an Immortal and submits.
• Chen Junwei also admits that he secretly intended to study Feng Jun’s newly completed Spirit-Gathering Array and take knowledge of it back to his family.
• Feng Jun questions whether the government truly possessed the antidote and learns that the Chen Family suspects the incident may have been orchestrated by rivals within the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• Feng Jun suggests that a Gold Core ancestor could potentially cure the poison, though Chen Junwei says the Chen Family has no contact with an Immortal of that level.
• Feng Jun discovers that the Chen Family possesses some Spirit Stones and has connections to an Immortal who teaches Chen Junsheng the mediocre Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique.
• Rather than kill Chen Junwei, Feng Jun offers him a blank government appointment letter, allowing him to officially become Feng Jun’s gatekeeper without exposing the arrangement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun has become increasingly confident and domineering as his identity and power are recognized. He treats Innate Experts as insignificant compared with himself and is willing to kill Chen Junwei if he refuses to cooperate.
• Despite his harshness, Feng Jun shows practical judgment. He recognizes that keeping an Innate Expert as a guard is more useful than killing him and offers Chen Junwei a chance to serve.
• Chen Junwei is revealed to be an exceptionally talented martial cultivator, having reached the Innate realm at twenty-eight—earlier than his elder brother. He is proud, curious, and initially willing to test Feng Jun, but quickly becomes cautious after recognizing Feng Jun’s true strength.
• Chen Junwei’s loyalty to his family is emphasized by his willingness to risk entering Zhige Mountain and offend Feng Jun in order to seek a cure for his brother.
• Chen Junsheng is characterized as ambitious and principled. He refused to submit to government coercion even when poisoned, choosing to kill his persecutor and preserve his independence.
• Deng Lao’er has gained enough status through his association with Feng Jun to openly insult an Innate Expert and disregard the authority of the young heir.
• The young heir becomes increasingly uncertain about Feng Jun, wondering whether Feng Jun truly possesses supernatural insight into people’s identities and motives.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Feng Jun’s status as an Immortal completely changes how others treat him and allows him to command powerful martial cultivators.
• Submission versus independence: Chen Junsheng’s refusal to serve the government contrasts with Chen Junwei’s eventual willingness to become Feng Jun’s guard, showing how power determines the conditions under which people compromise.
• Family loyalty: Chen Junwei’s dangerous journey is motivated primarily by his desire to save his poisoned brother and protect the Chen Family’s reputation.
• Secrecy and deception: Chen Junwei hides his identity, the Chen Family conceals Chen Junsheng’s illness, and the original poisoning may have been part of a larger political conspiracy.
• Immortal cultivation and martial cultivation: The chapter highlights the vast divide between Innate martial experts and true Immortals, while also suggesting that cultivation may offer solutions unavailable to ordinary martial families.
• Pragmatism and recruitment: Feng Jun’s decision to spare Chen Junwei reflects his growing need for capable subordinates and his habit of turning potential enemies into useful allies.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Junwei: Their exchange begins as an interrogation and threat. Chen Junwei tries to conceal his identity, but Feng Jun forces him to confess. After recognizing Feng Jun’s overwhelming power, Chen Junwei submits and asks to serve him.
• Feng Jun and Deng Lao’er: Deng Lao’er acts as Feng Jun’s enforcer, questioning Chen Junwei and interpreting Feng Jun’s intentions. Their interaction demonstrates Deng Lao’er’s increased confidence under Feng Jun’s protection.
• Deng Lao’er and the young heir: Deng openly orders the heir to remain silent, showing that Feng Jun’s influence has overturned the traditional social hierarchy.
• Feng Jun and the young heir: Feng Jun dismisses the heir without words, making it clear that he has no patience for unnecessary witnesses or interference.
• Chen Junwei and Chen Junsheng: Though Chen Junsheng is absent, Chen Junwei’s entire mission and deception revolve around protecting his elder brother and finding a cure for him.
• Feng Jun and the Chen Family: Feng Jun recognizes that the family’s Spirit Stones and connections to Immortals could make them valuable—or potentially dangerous. His offer to Chen Junwei functions both as recruitment and as a way to keep the family under observation.

Chapter Summary: “A Knockoff Makes Its Debut”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Junwei tries to avoid signing Feng Jun’s employment letter by revealing information about the Stone Mace Feng Jun obtained from the Gu Clan.
• He explains that the mace was once stored with a worn wooden box connected to the destruction of Hundred Flowers Pavilion. According to Chen, the box contains an immortal cultivation technique that can only be revealed by applying the blood of a royal descendant.
• Feng Jun and Deng Lao’er are shocked by the implications, since obtaining the technique might require abducting or even killing a member of the royal family. Chen admits that his family had considered using the box to help his brother, Chen Junsheng, break through into Qi Refining.
• Chen Junwei also reveals that Chen Junsheng was targeted with Qi-Dispersing Powder, likely because of rumors surrounding the cultivation technique. He insists that his brother was innocent and would have died without a Golden Armor Talisman.
• Feng Jun decides not to force Chen Junwei to sign the employment letter. Instead, Chen must guard Feng’s residence for ten years. Chen eagerly accepts and offers to provide additional protection from opportunists who may attack after hearing that Feng was poisoned.
• Feng rejects the idea of allowing a large contingent of Chen Family experts to move in, not wanting to attract the authorities’ attention or become entangled in aristocratic-family politics.
• Feng offers Chen Junsheng limited access to the spiritual energy at his residence. Chen Junsheng may cultivate nearby while Yu Changqing uses the Spirit-Gathering Array, provided the Chen Family supplies several rare and expensive materials.
• Chen Junwei agrees immediately, recognizing that the chance for his brother to cultivate under an Immortal’s protection is extremely valuable.
• Feng distributes requests for additional formation materials among other families and remains on the Phone Plane for ten more days.
• After returning to the Blue Star Realm, Feng discovers that Yu Changqing’s Gathering Spirit Formation Disk is gone and the spiritual energy is dissipating.
• Using his own knowledge, Feng constructs a much larger, improved Spirit-Gathering Array around the bamboo grove. It uses a partially refined Spirit Stone rather than a finished one and can absorb spiritual energy twice as efficiently.
• Feng conceals the formation materials among the bamboo, soil, and rocks, creating a more secure and permanent “family asset.” However, the area remains relatively small, occupying less than one mu.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more confident in managing powerful martial families now that his identity as an Immortal is known. He recognizes that Innate Experts are willing to serve him voluntarily, reducing the need for coercive methods. He also demonstrates growing expertise by independently constructing a large Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Chen Junwei: Shifts from attempting to avoid employment to willingly accepting a ten-year guardianship role. His willingness to reveal sensitive family information shows both desperation and pragmatism. He prioritizes Chen Junsheng’s advancement and is prepared to pay heavily for access to Feng’s spiritual energy.
• Chen Junsheng: Though mostly discussed rather than shown, he is established as someone nearing a major cultivation bottleneck and as the Chen Family’s main reason for seeking Feng’s favor.
• Deng Lao’er: Provides blunt, irreverent reactions to the dangerous implications of the royal-blood requirement and openly acknowledges that people might commit extreme acts for an immortal technique.

Significant Themes

• Power and opportunism: Once Feng’s identity as an Immortal becomes known, powerful martial figures seek his protection rather than resisting him.
• The danger of rumors: Unverified claims about the wooden box and cultivation technique have already led to political conflict, attacks, and the destruction of Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
• Moral compromise for advancement: The possibility of obtaining Qi Refining causes people to contemplate abducting royal descendants, showing how cultivation opportunities can override ordinary morality.
• Trust versus control: Feng chooses not to use poison or other restraints on Chen Junwei, relying instead on the Chen Family’s fear of offending an Immortal and its desire for benefits.
• Resources and secrecy: Spiritual energy, formation materials, and cultivation techniques are treated as scarce and dangerous assets that must be carefully hidden from authorities and rival families.
• Feng’s growing independence: By building his own enlarged formation, Feng becomes less dependent on others and secures a private cultivation foundation.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Junwei: Their negotiation moves from distrust and coercion to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Chen trades information and resources for protection and access to spiritual energy.
• Feng Jun and Deng Lao’er: Deng’s crude comments highlight the absurdity and danger of the situation, while Feng responds with restrained amusement and skepticism.
• Chen Junwei and the Chen Family: Chen acts as a representative of the family but is primarily motivated by his brother’s cultivation prospects. He is willing to commit family resources to secure Feng’s approval.
• Feng Jun and the wider aristocratic families: Feng assigns them material-gathering tasks but deliberately avoids allowing any one family—especially the powerful Chen Family—to become too influential around him.

Chapter Summary: “Leeching Spiritual Energy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun begins renovating and expanding the bamboo grove earlier than planned because his parents are delayed by paperwork concerning their old house.
• Using spiritual energy from the Spirit-Gathering Array, Feng Jun rapidly digs planting pits while Wang Haifeng, Gazi, and Xu Leigang plant bamboo. Together, they cultivate over forty mu of land in only seven days.
• The Spirit-Gathering Array allows the three martial artists to recover their strength quickly and improve their cultivation dramatically. Gazi worries that his rapid progress may destabilize his foundation, while Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang joke about the effects of constant “farming.”
• Feng Jun secretly arranges deliveries of farm vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and diesel for the Heir of the Duke of Bravery. The goods are moved through warehouses in a way that conceals their true destination and makes Feng Jun’s Storage Pouch appear extraordinarily large.
• The Mi Family supplies rare and poisonous Indigo Silver Juice in exchange for permission to copy more martial arts manuals. Feng Jun gathers almost all the materials needed to construct thirty Spirit-Gathering Arrays, though ten jin of Crystal Fire Yam Paste remains missing.
• The Chen Family arrives with the remaining materials. Chen Junsheng disguises himself as a sickly scholar, but Feng Jun immediately recognizes him. Feng allows him to cultivate near, but not inside, Yu Changqing’s Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Seeing Chen Junsheng benefit from the array, Feng Jun realizes that his own people should also be allowed to cultivate nearby. He gives Lang Zhen and the Deng brothers rotating access, provided they continue handling their duties.
• Tian Yangni requests a place for the Tian Family, citing their long-standing assistance to Feng Jun. Feng Jun grants them a slot as a reward for their efforts.
• Feng also permits Yu Changzhu, Yu Changqing’s twin sister, to cultivate near the array. Yu Changqing initially resents the disregard for the boundary between cultivators and mortals, but privately feels relieved that her family can benefit.
• After two days and nights of cultivation, Yu Changqing shuts down the array and asks Feng Jun whether allowing so many people to draw on its energy is dangerous. Feng dismisses the risk but says access must be controlled.
• Yu Changqing asks for another slot for the Yu Family. Feng agrees, joking that the family can claim to have rendered “great merit.” Their conversation turns toward Changzhu’s admiration for Feng Jun and the possibility of becoming his cultivation companion, but Feng rejects the idea because his rapid progress would leave her far behind.
• Feng Jun returns to Blue Star without waiting for the final array material. Continuous rain then settles over the bamboo grove, producing mist and unusual phenomena while concealing the grove’s spiritual activity.
• Gazi and the others continue advancing rapidly through cultivation, but they notice that increasing numbers of small animals are entering the bamboo grove.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates growing control over spiritual resources, logistics, and the relationships among different families and factions. He shifts from treating array access as a strict privilege to using it as a reward for loyalty and service.
• Gazi remains cautious and honest, worrying that his rapid cultivation may damage his foundation.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang respond humorously to their improved strength, treating bamboo cultivation as both exhausting labor and an unexpectedly effective cultivation method.
• Chen Junsheng becomes more impressed and intimidated by Feng Jun after Feng recognizes him through his disguise.
• Yu Changqing struggles with the traditional separation between immortals and mortals. Her concern gradually gives way to practical acceptance, especially when her sister is allowed to benefit.
• Yu Changzhu is revealed to admire Feng Jun and eagerly embraces the opportunity to cultivate, though her weak cultivation makes her assigned slot inefficient.
• Feng Jun shows emotional restraint and pragmatism by refusing to pursue a closer relationship with Yu Changzhu, believing the difference in their cultivation levels would create future complications.

Significant Themes

• Spiritual resources as power and privilege: Access to the Spirit-Gathering Array becomes a valuable reward that Feng Jun can grant or withhold.
• The divide between immortals and mortals: Yu Changqing is troubled when mortals begin benefiting from a resource meant for cultivators, but Feng Jun treats the distinction more flexibly.
• Loyalty and merit: Feng Jun rewards those who assist him, including the Chen and Tian Families, showing that practical contribution matters more to him than pure status.
• Rapid advancement and its dangers: The characters’ sudden improvement raises concerns about unstable foundations and the consequences of gaining power too quickly.
• Secrecy and concealment: Feng Jun carefully hides the movement of equipment and spiritual materials, while the rain and mist help disguise the bamboo grove’s supernatural nature.
• Unequal paths and companionship: Feng Jun acknowledges that his cultivation is advancing too quickly for others to follow, creating emotional and practical distance between him and potential companions.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun works with Gazi, Wang Haifeng, and Xu Leigang during the bamboo planting, combining physical labor with cultivation.
• Feng Jun exchanges array materials for martial arts manuals with the Mi Family and later verifies the Chen Family’s contribution through Lang Zhen.
• Feng Jun gives Chen Junsheng, Lang Zhen, the Deng brothers, the Tian Family, and Yu Changzhu permission to cultivate near the array, expanding access beyond Yu Changqing.
• Yu Changqing confronts Feng Jun about the growing number of people using the array and seeks additional benefits for the Yu Family.
• Yu Changqing hints that Yu Changzhu could become Feng Jun’s companion, but Feng declines because of their vastly different cultivation speeds.
• The chapter closes by introducing a new mystery: the bamboo grove’s growing spiritual influence is attracting more and more animals.