Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Turning the Tables”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sister Hong brings her younger sister, Zhang Caixin, into Feng Jun’s restricted back courtyard. Zhang immediately senses the courtyard’s unusually dense spiritual energy and realizes that Wang Haifeng and Hao Fengjing have known about its secrets for some time.
• Zhang learns that Sister Hong has already begun cultivating through a method resembling yoga and has received a Body-Tempering Pill. Her interest spikes when she hears about the pill’s detoxifying and beautifying effects.
• The sisters argue after Zhang reveals—partly out of resentment—that Feng Jun has also taught her cultivation. Sister Hong feels betrayed that Feng Jun practiced with Zhang without informing her, while Zhang resents being excluded from the spiritual-energy-rich courtyard.
• Their disagreement remains unresolved, and the sisters stop speaking to one another by dinner.
• Meanwhile, news arrives from Chaoge that the Xu Family’s surveillance van overturned after its tires blew out. One Xu family member has died, and another is seriously injured. The Xu Family attempts to blame Mou Miao and his associates and pressures the police to investigate them.
• It is revealed that the Xu Family also beat up the van’s former owner after discovering that it had been purchased secondhand. Their aggressive behavior causes local police to become increasingly frustrated with them.
• Wang Haifeng offers to use his connections to stir up public and official resentment against the Xu Family. Hao Fengjing proposes a counterattack: Mou Miao should report the Xu Family for robbery, since they had seized his vehicle and equipment.
• The group agrees that the Xu Family’s current disorder and overconfidence create the best opportunity to have members arrested and brought to Yang City. Feng Jun approves the plan, seeing it as a cheaper and safer alternative to more direct measures.
• Hao Fengjing volunteers to use her official connections to help coordinate with Yang City police. In return, she asks Feng Jun to sponsor company events so that her frequent absences will be viewed more favorably by her superiors.
• Feng Jun expands the sponsorship, offering jade rough and jade items as prizes. He asks Sister Hong to help Hao Fengjing organize the arrangements, creating an uneasy but practical cooperation between the two women.

Character Developments

• Zhang Caixin becomes increasingly aware of the extent of Feng Jun’s abilities and cultivation network. Her excitement at discovering the spiritual energy turns into frustration and jealousy when she realizes she cannot freely access it.
• Sister Hong is shown to be an active cultivator rather than merely an observer of Feng Jun’s powers. She is protective of her sister but becomes angry when she believes Feng Jun has secretly taught Zhang.
• Wang Haifeng continues developing as a cultivator and demonstrates loyalty to Feng Jun’s group by offering to manipulate public opinion against the Xu Family.
• Hao Fengjing reveals a sharp political and strategic mind. Though outwardly gentle and practical, she suggests using legal accusations and official pressure to counter the Xu Family.
• Feng Jun remains calm and pragmatic. He favors indirect, cost-effective solutions and is willing to support his allies financially when doing so strengthens their position.
• Mou Miao gains the group’s support as the victim of the Xu Family’s actions and agrees to pursue a robbery complaint despite concerns about the Xu Family’s influence.
• Xu Leigang and Gazi reinforce the group’s willingness to retaliate and provide practical confidence that the Xu Family can be caught off guard.

Significant Themes

• Access to power and privilege: The spiritual courtyard symbolizes an exclusive source of power. Zhang’s resentment comes not only from being excluded but from realizing how much she has been missing.
• Jealousy and strained family relationships: The sisters’ argument shows how shared secrets and unequal access to Feng Jun’s teachings create competition and mistrust.
• Indirect retaliation and strategic manipulation: Rather than confronting the Xu Family openly, Feng Jun’s group uses police procedure, public pressure, and the Xu Family’s own misconduct against them.
• Power versus legitimacy: The Xu Family relies on local influence and intimidation, while Feng Jun’s group seeks to turn formal legal channels against them.
• Cultivation as social transformation: Cultivation is not merely a martial or mystical practice; it reshapes relationships, status, expectations, and personal ambitions.

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong and Zhang Caixin move from cautious cooperation to open hostility after comparing their cultivation experiences.
• Zhang provokes Sister Hong by implying that Feng Jun taught her personally, exposing Sister Hong’s possessiveness and sense of betrayal.
• Wang Haifeng interrupts their argument while still meditating, lightly revealing that he has been listening.
• Hao Fengjing’s legal strategy impresses Sister Hong but also makes her wary of Hao’s apparently mild exterior.
• The group collectively rallies behind Mou Miao and coordinates a unified response to the Xu Family.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing establish a practical exchange: she uses her official connections to help him, while he funds her company’s activities.
• Sister Hong, despite still being angry with Zhang, agrees to help Hao Fengjing, demonstrating her continued loyalty to the group even amid personal conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Each to Their Own”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group spends the evening discussing how to retaliate against the Xu Family, whose aggressive and underhanded behavior has provoked widespread hostility.
• Sister Hong plans to take Zhang Caixin home, but Zhang Caixin insists on staying. Sister Hong refuses to leave her alone in the rear building and stays as well, creating an awkward situation for Feng Jun because Hao Fengjing is now staying next door to Sister Hong.
• Feng Jun realizes that his planned three-week stay has already stretched beyond four weeks. Hao Fengjing still has not advanced to the Mid-Rank Martial Warrior level, partly because Teacher Mei has been away and Hao has not practiced yoga with Feng Jun recently.
• Although Feng Jun had intended to return to the Phone Plane, he decides to postpone the trip until the crisis in Chaoge reaches a clearer conclusion. He dislikes abandoning plans and worries that leaving now would disrupt the ongoing “plot.”
• The next day, the Yang City Patrol Bureau sends officers to Sunrise County in unmarked vehicles to escort Mou Miao. Mou Miao pays all related expenses.
• The operation succeeds easily: Third Xu is arrested because he is completely unprepared.
• The Xu Family is thrown into disorder after three of its four brothers are taken away, leaving no clear leader.
• The family divides into two factions: one wants to intensify the conflict, while the other favors negotiating with Mou Miao.
• A supplier acts as an intermediary and conveys the Xu Family’s demands. They insist that the detained men be released immediately and that the person responsible for the car accident be handed over, while claiming the financial dispute can be negotiated separately.
• Mou Miao rejects responsibility for the arrests, pointing out that she merely filed a report and has no control over the Patrol Bureau.
• The supplier warns that the Xu Family will continue escalating the conflict unless the three brothers are released.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains calculating and disciplined about his plans, but he is also somewhat obsessive about maintaining them. He postpones his return to the Phone Plane because he feels responsible for resolving the Chaoge situation.
• Hao Fengjing is portrayed as efficient and capable in ordinary matters, though her cultivation progress has stalled because of Teacher Mei’s absence and her lack of recent practice with Feng Jun.
• Sister Hong demonstrates protectiveness toward Zhang Caixin by refusing to let her stay alone.
• Mou Miao becomes more assertive and strategically retaliates against the Xu Family, using official channels to have their members arrested while denying direct control over the process.
• The Xu Family loses its confidence and internal unity after the arrests, revealing divisions between aggressive and conciliatory members.

Significant Themes

• Reciprocal hostility: The chapter emphasizes the idea that people respond to others according to how they are treated; the Xu Family’s ruthless conduct has encouraged others to abandon kindness.
• Retaliation and power struggles: Mou Miao’s counterattack shows how legal and bureaucratic mechanisms can be used as weapons in a broader conflict.
• Family disorder under pressure: The Xu Family’s sudden loss of leadership exposes internal divisions and weakens its position.
• Duty versus personal plans: Feng Jun’s decision to delay his journey reflects the tension between following a personal schedule and responding to unexpected responsibilities.
• Appearance versus reality: The Xu Family presents forceful demands, but its internal confusion suggests that its confidence is partly a bluff.

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong and Zhang Caixin’s exchange highlights their close relationship, with Sister Hong acting protectively.
• Feng Jun privately reflects on Hao Fengjing’s stalled cultivation and his awkward proximity to both Hao and Sister Hong.
• The Xu Family attempts to pressure Mou Miao indirectly through a supplier, maintaining an aggressive stance while secretly signaling a willingness to compromise.
• Mou Miao counters their intimidation by emphasizing her limited authority, refusing to accept blame for the arrests or yield to their demands.

Chapter Summary: “Restless at Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Xu Family initially plans to send more than a hundred people to Yang City to confront the Patrol Bureau, but they are persuaded to limit the group to around twenty or thirty.
• Despite attempts by local officials to stop them, three Xu Family vehicles reach Yang City. However, the family’s confidence quickly collapses when:
  • They are denied access to the detained suspects because of concerns that they might coordinate their stories.
  • Their old passenger bus is fined for excessive emissions and ordered out of the city.
  • Patrol officers summon a tow truck when the group refuses to move the bus.
  • Their public protests are ignored in the heat, and eight members are arrested when they resume their demonstrations later.
• Mou Miao is brought to the Patrol Bureau to identify Xu Family members involved in the earlier violence and the seizure of the Boiler-Backed Engine. She identifies an elderly man and a middle-aged woman. Both attempt to flee but are captured.
• The balance of power shifts completely: instead of pressuring Mou Miao, the Xu Family now faces the possibility of prosecution.
• Two people from Chaoge accuse Fourth Xu of severely injuring their son and leaving him disabled. Although the original case was settled with compensation, the parents claim the payment was unfair and incomplete.
• Several Xu Family youths in Chaoge retaliate by smashing two Boiler-Backed Engines. This gives authorities a clear charge of intentional property destruction, strengthening the case against the family.
• Feng Jun decides the conflict has reached a temporary stopping point and returns to the Phone Plane.

Character Developments

• The Xu Family moves from aggressive confidence to frustration, exhaustion, fear, and disorganization. Their attempted show of force becomes a humiliating failure, while their relatives’ impulsive actions worsen their legal position.
• Mou Miao gains the upper hand. By identifying the Xu Family’s accomplices, she turns from someone under pressure into the person deciding how far the matter will proceed.
• Feng Jun remains detached from the Xu Family affair and redirects his attention to cultivation, infrastructure, and managing his relationships in the Phone Plane.
• Mi Yunshan prepares to enter the Mortal Transcendence realm through the Dragon-Phoenix Supreme experiment. When Feng Jun gives her the Dragon Soaring, Phoenix Harnessing Harmony Canon, she becomes embarrassed and flustered, revealing her nervousness about the intimate implications of the technique.
• Yu Changzhu learns to use Feng Jun’s computer system for tracking contribution points, but her concentration is disrupted by his close physical presence. Her behavior becomes suggestive, while Feng Jun pretends not to notice and maintains a deliberately defensive distance.
• Feng Jun also demonstrates practical concern for his guests by installing air conditioning throughout the courtyard, despite personally being able to endure heat and cold.

Significant Themes

• The reversal of power: The Xu Family begins as the aggressor but gradually becomes the target of arrests, accusations, and legal consequences.
• Law versus intimidation: Public disorder, threats, and familial pressure prove ineffective against systematic enforcement and recorded evidence.
• Consequences of impulsive retaliation: The Xu youths’ decision to destroy property transforms an uncertain robbery case into a much clearer criminal charge.
• Cultivation and modern technology: Feng Jun blends spiritual cultivation with ordinary conveniences such as air conditioning, computers, databases, and fingerprint recognition.
• Romantic and sexual tension: Mi Yunshan’s embarrassment and Yu Changzhu’s distracted behavior suggest growing emotional or physical attraction toward Feng Jun, while he responds with restraint, denial, and humor.
• Control beneath apparent calm: Feng Jun’s composed behavior contrasts with the emotional restlessness of those around him, especially Mi Yunshan and Yu Changzhu.

Character Interactions

• The Xu Family clashes with the Patrol Bureau, but the officers remain unemotional and methodical, using fines, towing, arrests, and evidence collection rather than responding to intimidation.
• Mou Miao directly confronts the Xu Family by identifying the elderly man and middle-aged woman involved in threatening hotel staff.
• Chaoge victims challenge the Xu Family’s claim to moral authority by bringing their own grievance against Fourth Xu.
• Feng Jun encourages Mi Yunshan’s cultivation by giving her the secret manual, though her embarrassed reaction shows that she interprets the technique as highly intimate.
• Feng Jun teaches Yu Changzhu how to operate the contribution-point database. Their physical proximity creates comic tension, with Yu Changzhu pretending to be overheated and Feng Jun trying to avoid encouraging her advances.

Chapter Summary: “Anxious”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun gives Chen Junsheng another notebook and introduces him to the contribution-point system. Chen proves highly intelligent, dependable, and quick to learn.
• The last Martial Master of the Yangshan Gu Clan is killed by the Jing Family of Dibei Commandery. With his death, the Gu Clan is effectively destroyed, relieving the Tian, Mi, and Yu Families of a major threat.
• The Jing Family, seeking access to the Divine Physician and the talc-producing mountains near their territory, offers the captured Gu Martial Master’s head. Feng Jun rewards them with a Boiler-Backed Engine, lamps, and wiring rather than exploiting their request for future assistance.
• The Jing Family asks to leave descendants near Zhige Mountain to learn how to install and operate the machinery. Feng Jun accepts, despite privately recognizing that many factions are using similar excuses to remain near him.
• Lang Zhen asks permission to return to Little Lake Village and relocate his family to Feng Jun’s territory. Feng Jun agrees, advising him to travel with Yu Family guards and vehicles because the roads are dangerous.
• Lang Zhen considers inviting the Ding brothers and giving his old land to the Ding Family. Feng Jun also reminds him that Jia Xingwang and the Jia Family deserve punishment for betraying them to the Gu Clan.
• Mi Yunshan tells Feng Jun she has fully understood the cultivation diagram and has decided to practice the martial technique he gave her. In one night, she senses qi and becomes a Beginner Martial Warrior.
• Her rapid progress surprises Feng Jun and attracts the attention of Chen Junsheng, Lang Zhen, and Yu Changzhu. Yu Changzhu even abandons her plan to accompany Lang Zhen, apparently because she is curious about Mi Yunshan.
• Feng Jun enters the mountains to practice the Lightning-Calling Technique and construct a Spirit-Gathering Array. He wants to support Mi Yunshan’s future advancement and determine whether she can transition from martial cultivation to immortal cultivation.
• Although Feng Jun normally avoids setting up such arrays in the Phone Plane because they can be discovered and copied, Mi Yunshan’s unusual potential convinces him to take the risk. He completes the array and uses Spirit Stones while publicly casting lightning to maintain the image of his normal activities.
• Feng Jun reflects on Mi Yunshan’s Nether Shadow Physique. Though it gives her weak vitality and blood, it grants remarkable endurance and resilience. He becomes increasingly anxious and impatient because, after three days, she still has not advanced further.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly invested in testing Mi Yunshan’s cultivation potential. Although cautious about exposing his methods, he is willing to risk discovery and expend resources to help her progress.
• Chen Junsheng: Quickly adapts to Feng Jun’s systems and proves himself exceptionally capable, reinforcing Feng Jun’s trust in him.
• Lang Zhen: Demonstrates loyalty and responsibility by prioritizing the relocation and welfare of his family. He also remains determined not to be distracted by unnecessary retainers.
• Mi Yunshan: Gains confidence and decisiveness. She accepts martial cultivation without questioning why it differs from her presumed path toward immortality and rapidly becomes a Beginner Martial Warrior.
• Yu Changzhu: Shows growing curiosity and suspicion toward Mi Yunshan, changing her plans in order to observe her more closely.
• The Jing Family: Establishes itself as a powerful but cautious faction. Rather than making excessive demands, it seeks a long-term relationship with Feng Jun through technology and access to his territory.
• The Gu Clan: Is completely eliminated as a political and martial force after the death of its final Martial Master.

Significant Themes

• The destruction of old powers: The Gu Clan’s fall demonstrates how quickly an established family can be erased once its strongest protector is lost.
• Political alliances and strategic dependence: Families approach Feng Jun through gifts, services, and requests to station people near him, revealing the growing importance of his territory and influence.
• Trust and loyalty: Lang Zhen’s dedication, the Tian Family’s privileged position, and Feng Jun’s selective acceptance of followers show the importance of personal reliability amid political maneuvering.
• Cultivation and experimentation: Mi Yunshan’s progress challenges Feng Jun’s assumptions about the relationship between martial cultivation, spiritual energy, and immortal cultivation.
• Hidden talent and innate limitations: The Nether Shadow Physique appears physically weak but possesses unusual endurance, suggesting that apparent deficiencies may conceal exceptional potential.
• Feng Jun’s growing anxiety: His impatience over Mi Yunshan’s stalled progress reveals both his hopes for her success and his desire to discover a repeatable path between the two cultivation systems.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Junsheng: Feng Jun teaches Chen the contribution-point system, while Chen’s quick understanding earns his approval.
• Feng Jun and the Jing Family: The Jing Family offers the Gu Martial Master’s head and requests future contact. Feng Jun responds with a practical technological reward while keeping the relationship at arm’s length.
• Feng Jun and Lang Zhen: Their exchange highlights mutual trust. Feng Jun supports Lang’s family plans but also gives careful security advice.
• Lang Zhen and the Ding Family: Lang considers bringing the Ding brothers to Zhige Mountain and offers them his former land, reflecting his desire to help those connected to his past.
• Feng Jun and Jia Xingwang: Feng Jun condemns Jia’s betrayal, while Lang agrees that the Jia Family should be punished.
• Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan: Their relationship shifts toward that of teacher and exceptionally promising student. Mi Yunshan respectfully reports her progress, while Feng Jun carefully evaluates whether her cultivation can lead to immortality.
• Mi Yunshan and the surrounding followers: Her sudden advancement makes her the focus of widespread curiosity, especially from Yu Changzhu and the other trusted members of Feng Jun’s group.

Chapter Summary: Lin Daiyu Reached Mortal Transcendence

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun plans to take Mi Yunshan into the mountains and use the Spirit-Gathering Array to help her break through if her cultivation does not improve.
• On the fourth day, Mi Yunshan consumes another Body-Tempering Pill and advances to Mid-Rank Martial Warrior.
• Feng Jun gives her an immortal cultivation technique suited to her Nether Shadow Physique, allowing her to switch from martial cultivation to Dao cultivation.
• Mi Yunshan becomes deeply emotional, crying both over her breakthrough and over Feng Jun’s gift, since immortal cultivation techniques are extremely valuable and forbidden to share within the royal system.
• To conceal her unusual progress, Mi Yunshan avoids the Spirit-Gathering Array when others are present. Feng Jun secretly takes her into the mountains at night and activates the formation.
• After several unsuccessful attempts, Feng Jun notices subtle changes on the fifth night. By supplying both spiritual energy and Spirit Liquid, he helps Mi Yunshan transform her Inner Qi into spiritual energy and successfully reach Mortal Transcendence.
• The process unexpectedly benefits Feng Jun as well, slightly advancing his own cultivation toward the fourth level of Qi Refining without violating the restrictions of his current cultivation state.
• Mi Yunshan later appears in public during Yu Changqing’s Spirit-Gathering Array session. Yu Changqing and Chen Junsheng discover that she has reached Mortal Transcendence Level One.
• As Mi Yunshan leaves to find Feng Jun, Yu Changzhu follows her in a farm vehicle and confronts her in an isolated area, making a threatening remark about the danger faced by a “weak woman” traveling alone.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly invested in Mi Yunshan rather than treating her merely as a test subject or part of a deal with the Mi Family. His concern for her survival and willingness to tease her show that he is beginning to accept her emotionally.
• Mi Yunshan advances rapidly from martial cultivation to Mortal Transcendence through Feng Jun’s guidance. She becomes more loyal and emotionally attached to him, swearing by her heart demon to protect the secret of her technique and the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Mi Yunshan’s personality remains gentle and tearful, but her new cultivation and Nether Shadow abilities suggest she is developing into a capable scout, assassin, or covert guardian.
• Yu Changqing becomes suspicious of Mi Yunshan’s rapid progress and deliberately extends the Spirit-Gathering Array session to investigate the phenomenon.
• Yu Changzhu grows increasingly hostile toward Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan. Her pursuit of Mi Yunshan suggests jealousy, suspicion, or an intention to intimidate or harm her.
• Chen Junsheng is shocked by Mi Yunshan’s breakthrough, recognizing how extraordinary her progress is.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and transcendence: Mi Yunshan’s shift from martial cultivation to Dao cultivation symbolizes a complete change in her path and identity.
• Trust and secrecy: Feng Jun entrusts Mi Yunshan with a forbidden technique, while she vows to protect his secrets despite the danger posed by the royal family.
• Emotional attachment overcoming distance: Feng Jun initially views the world and its people as somewhat unreal, but his prolonged contact with Mi Yunshan gradually gives him a genuine emotional connection to her.
• Power and vulnerability: Although Mi Yunshan reaches Mortal Transcendence, she remains physically vulnerable and cautious, showing that cultivation does not immediately eliminate danger.
• Hidden strength and political danger: Mi Yunshan’s sudden progress must be concealed because powerful families and authorities may react violently to forbidden techniques or suspicious cultivation methods.
• Mutual benefit: Feng Jun helps Mi Yunshan advance, but her breakthrough also contributes to his own cultivation, creating a relationship based on both affection and practical gain.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun comforts and teases Mi Yunshan while guiding her cultivation; her embarrassment when she hides her face against his neck reveals growing intimacy.
• Mi Yunshan expresses profound gratitude and offers lifelong repayment, while Feng Jun insists that she must remain alive to repay him.
• She promises never to reveal his secrets, and Feng Jun warns her not to mention either the technique or the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Yu Changqing and Chen Junsheng react with disbelief when they sense Mi Yunshan’s new realm.
• The chapter ends with Yu Changzhu intercepting Mi Yunshan in the wilderness and issuing a veiled threat, setting up a likely confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Coveting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Changzhu intercepts Mi Yunshan on the road, ostensibly to warn or threaten her. She mocks Mi Yunshan’s relationship with Feng Jun and provocatively suggests that Mi Yunshan should become her “woman.”
• Mi Yunshan calmly prepares a signal firework, while Yu Changzhu tries to intimidate and embarrass her. Before the confrontation escalates, Feng Jun arrives.
• Feng Jun openly declares Mi Yunshan to be “his woman” and warns Yu Changzhu not to intercept her again. Yu Changzhu angrily insists that Mi Yunshan is only his maid, but Feng Jun silences her with a cold stare. He then carries Mi Yunshan away.
• Feng Jun reports the incident to Yu Changqing, tactfully suggesting that Yu Changzhu take time away from the Contribution Point System if the work is causing her too much stress. Yu Changzhu becomes withdrawn and ashamed, barely leaving her room for several days.
• Lang Zhen reunites with his family and begins constructing a new residence near Zhige Mountain. Feng Jun respects Lang Zhen’s dignity and does not force him to accept a welcoming banquet, though he attends the Lang Family’s own celebration.
• At the feast, the Lang siblings, Deng Yifu, and members of the Yu Family gather. Yu Changzhu awkwardly avoids Mi Yunshan, and Feng Jun realizes that his presence now carries the authority of a major figure, making social situations more restrained.
• Mi Yunshan advances successfully to the Mortal Transcendence Second Layer after the Spirit-Gathering Array is activated. Her progress reflects both her careful preparation and the superiority of her cultivation technique.
• The Su Clan of Copper City arrives seeking permission to build homes near Feng Jun’s territory. Su Xiaohua, an Innate Expert, clashes with Tian Lewen over the construction plans because she assumes her status entitles her to choose a location.
• Tian Lewen firmly rejects her demands, emphasizing that the divine physician’s rules apply to everyone. Su Xiaohua eventually learns that Lang Zhen received special consideration because he is Feng Jun’s trusted follower, leaving her frustrated and resentful.
• Feng Jun continues testing Mi Yunshan’s cultivation in ordinary spiritual energy and within the Spirit-Gathering Array. He concludes that her technique allows her to improve even without the array, unlike Yu Changqing’s cultivation method.
• During a rainy night in the mountains, Feng Jun discovers that someone has been secretly watching him and Mi Yunshan. The hidden observer reveals herself as a Dust-Free Realm cultivator, ending the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more openly protective of Mi Yunshan and asserts their closeness publicly. His growing authority also changes how others behave around him; he is increasingly treated like a powerful leader whose presence controls the atmosphere.
• Mi Yunshan remains calm and self-possessed when confronted by Yu Changzhu. Her cultivation advances to the Mortal Transcendence Second Layer, confirming her unusual talent and the effectiveness of her technique.
• Yu Changzhu displays jealousy, possessiveness, and immaturity toward Mi Yunshan. Feng Jun’s defense of Mi Yunshan humiliates her, and Yu Changqing’s later influence causes her to retreat into shame and self-reflection.
• Lang Zhen maintains his independence and dignity despite being Feng Jun’s follower. His continued importance to Feng Jun is made clear when he receives privileges that outsiders cannot claim.
• Tian Lewen demonstrates his loyalty and administrative authority by enforcing Feng Jun’s building regulations without being intimidated by Su Xiaohua’s status.
• Su Xiaohua is portrayed as arrogant, impulsive, and lacking social judgment. Her failure to understand the distinction between ordinary visitors and Feng Jun’s trusted followers makes her appear foolish despite being an Innate Expert.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and possessiveness: Yu Changzhu’s hostility toward Mi Yunshan stems from her attraction to Feng Jun and resentment of their closeness.
• Power and status: The chapter repeatedly shows that formal cultivation rank is not enough to guarantee influence. Loyalty to Feng Jun and his personal trust matter more than titles.
• Authority and boundaries: Tian Lewen’s dispute with Su Xiaohua highlights the importance of obeying the rules surrounding Feng Jun’s territory.
• Dignity within unequal relationships: Lang Zhen refuses excessive special treatment, while Feng Jun respects his desire to retain independence despite their master-follower relationship.
• Cultivation talent and preparation: Mi Yunshan’s progress demonstrates how aptitude, preparation, and a superior technique can allow someone to advance even under limited conditions.
• Growing influence: Feng Jun’s status has expanded to the point that his presence alone changes group dynamics and causes others to act cautiously.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan: Their relationship becomes more openly intimate and protective, with Feng Jun physically carrying her away and publicly calling her “his woman.”
• Feng Jun and Yu Changzhu: Their confrontation establishes a clear boundary: Feng Jun will not tolerate her harassing Mi Yunshan.
• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: Feng Jun reports Yu Changzhu’s behavior without demanding punishment, showing consideration for the Yu Family while still defending Mi Yunshan.
• Tian Lewen and Su Xiaohua: Their argument contrasts disciplined service to Feng Jun with the arrogance of an outsider who assumes her cultivation rank gives her special privileges.
• Su Xiaohua and Lang Zhen: Lang Zhen’s simple explanation—that he is Feng Jun’s follower—reveals why he receives treatment Su Xiaohua cannot claim.
• Feng Jun and the hidden cultivator: Feng Jun detects the watcher despite the rain and darkness, revealing the presence of a powerful new threat at the chapter’s conclusion.

Chapter Summary: “Holding Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun detects a hidden cultivator nearby during a rainy night. The stranger had concealed his aura but accidentally revealed himself by using a spiritual-energy shield against the rain.
• The visitor is shocked to discover that Feng Jun can sense him. He approaches while hovering in the air, revealing himself as a Dust-Free Realm cultivator, vastly stronger than Feng Jun’s early Qi Refining cultivation.
• Despite the power difference, Feng Jun refuses to show fear or address him as “Senior.” When the cultivator releases his spiritual pressure, Feng Jun secretly uses his phone to enter and exit the game-like system, repeatedly recovering from the pressure until he can endure it. He even lights a cigarette and casually asks whether the intimidation is finished.
• The visitor verifies Feng Jun’s true cultivation as Qi Refining Third Layer, realizing that the information from Carefree Platform had mistakenly identified him as a Dust-Free Realm cultivator.
• The visitor demands Feng Jun’s long-distance communication method, offering the Fu Family’s Essence-Blood Talisman Art in exchange. Feng Jun rejects the trade, explaining that the technique is insufficient and may be of questionable origin.
• The cultivator then reveals that he also wants Feng Jun’s Spirit-Gathering Array method, making it clear that he intends to seize the knowledge rather than negotiate fairly.
• The visitor is identified as Yu Meiren, the sole Dust-Free Realm cultivator of the Yu Family from Viewing Springs Valley. He came after being informed by Guo, a Qi Refining cultivator from Pine-Cypress Peak.
• Yu Meiren had secretly observed Feng Jun’s nightly Spirit-Gathering Arrays and discovered that Feng Jun could create a formation using mostly mortal-world materials. He tried to inspect and activate the formation but failed because Feng Jun had deliberately concealed or removed crucial components.
• Yu Meiren’s family is in decline and possesses only three usable Spirit-Gathering Arrays. He believes Feng Jun’s simplified formation could restore the Yu Family’s fortunes and allow them to sell similar arrays to other poor cultivation families.
• His initial intention was merely to obtain the communication technique, possibly through a forceful but limited exchange. Discovering the Spirit-Gathering Array causes his greed to grow, and he becomes determined to obtain both methods.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates remarkable composure and resourcefulness despite facing an overwhelmingly stronger opponent. His ability to withstand spiritual pressure relies on his mysterious system, which he carefully conceals.
• Feng Jun remains defiant and verbally sharp, refusing to surrender authority or reveal weakness. However, he is also aware of the enormous danger posed by a Dust-Free Realm cultivator and understands that his current cultivation is inadequate.
• Yu Meiren is introduced as cautious, observant, and politically vulnerable. He initially avoids direct confrontation because the Yu Family cannot afford losses, but his desperation gradually gives way to greed.
• Yu Meiren’s desperation is rooted in his family’s declining status: without another Dust-Free Realm cultivator, the Yu Family may eventually be forced to leave Viewing Springs Valley.
• Guo is established as Yu Meiren’s ally and informant. Unable to deal with Feng Jun alone, he brings the Yu Family into the situation while attempting to benefit from the opportunity.
• Feng Jun’s Spirit-Gathering Array gains importance as a potentially transformative invention for impoverished cultivation families, making him a target far beyond the original dispute over communication techniques.

Significant Themes

• Power versus composure: Although Feng Jun is physically and spiritually much weaker, his calm behavior prevents Yu Meiren from easily judging or controlling him.
• Resourcefulness under threat: Feng Jun’s use of his hidden system, technology, and prepared formations allows him to resist a superior cultivator.
• Greed and desperation: Yu Meiren’s family crisis makes him vulnerable to temptation. His practical caution is gradually overwhelmed by the possibility of restoring his clan’s fortunes.
• Information and misjudgment: Both sides operate with incomplete or inaccurate information. Carefree Platform overestimates Feng Jun’s cultivation, while Yu Meiren misunderstands how Feng Jun’s formation works.
• Innovation challenging tradition: Feng Jun’s simplified formation, built partly from mortal-world materials, threatens the established dependence on specialized cultivation-world resources and experts.
• Survival and social hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the rigid hierarchy between cultivation realms and the precarious position of small families struggling to maintain their place in the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Meiren’s first encounter is a tense psychological confrontation. Yu Meiren attempts to establish superiority through cultivation pressure and formal hierarchy, while Feng Jun counters with insolence, confidence, and controlled deception.
• Yu Meiren repeatedly probes Feng Jun for information about his possible backers, but Feng Jun refuses to invent or reveal any affiliation.
• Their negotiation over the long-distance communication method breaks down because Yu Meiren believes his offered technique should be enough, while Feng Jun insists on fair compensation and questions its origins.
• The conflict escalates when Yu Meiren demands the Spirit-Gathering Array as well, revealing that he no longer intends to conduct a fair exchange.
• Guo and Yu Meiren’s cooperation reflects the desperation of two declining families, but their alliance also shows how Feng Jun’s abilities create competition and opportunism among outside factions.

Summary of “Evil Intent Arose”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Meiren, the Yu Family’s only Dust-Free Realm cultivator, secretly observes Feng Jun and Lin Daiyu’s group for two days before acting. He identifies their practice as a dual-cultivation technique but does not associate it with the Donghua royal family.
• When Feng Jun stops activating the Spirit-Gathering Array, Yu Meiren becomes suspicious and moves closer. After confirming through a detection disk that Feng Jun is only at the Qi Refining Third Layer, he decides to overpower him.
• Yu Meiren uses the Yu Family’s powerful Immortal-Binding Rope to restrain Feng Jun and demands the secrets of Feng Jun’s Spirit-Gathering Array and long-distance communication technique.
• He humiliates Feng Jun, kicking him into the mud, while Mi Yunshan silently cries nearby. Yu Meiren considers killing her but dismisses her as insignificant because of her low cultivation.
• Feng Jun sarcastically asks for Yu Meiren’s identity. Afraid of retaliation from Feng Jun’s possible backers, Yu Meiren falsely claims to be “Xie Chaoqun of Swordforge Peak.” He also falsely accuses Feng Jun of plagiarizing the Jie Family’s formation so that he can eventually shift blame for Feng Jun’s death.
• Feng Jun sees through the deception and realizes Yu Meiren is connected to Guo the Qi Refiner. Yu Meiren reveals that Guo has been trapped in the Nether River, preventing him from interfering.
• Feng Jun discovers that the Immortal-Binding Rope is a refined treasure artifact. He realizes that if he temporarily leaves the Phone Plane, the artifact will lose contact with him and backlash against its owner.
• Feng Jun exits to the modern world, briefly escaping the rope. He prepares a poison pellet and then returns to the Phone Plane, causing Yu Meiren to vomit blood when the artifact suffers backlash.
• The rope loosens, allowing Feng Jun to free one hand. Though Yu Meiren attempts to seize him, Feng Jun grabs his hand despite the overwhelming physical difference and prepares to exit the Phone Plane again.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates composure, intelligence, and resourcefulness under extreme pressure. Rather than panic when captured, he studies the artifact, identifies its weakness, and exploits the connection between the two planes to counterattack.
• Yu Meiren: Revealed as cautious but arrogant and ruthless. Although careful enough to conceal his true identity and bring a powerful artifact, his confidence in his superior cultivation causes him to underestimate Feng Jun.
• Mi Yunshan: Shows emotional strength by remaining silent despite witnessing Feng Jun’s capture and humiliation. Her tears reveal fear and distress, but she does not recklessly provoke Yu Meiren.
• Guo the Qi Refiner: Though absent from the confrontation, he remains an important link to Yu Meiren and has apparently prepared a contingency in case something happens to him.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence versus ingenuity: Yu Meiren relies on absolute strength, while Feng Jun survives through observation, preparation, and unconventional tactics.
• The danger of hidden power: Feng Jun’s apparent Qi Refining cultivation conceals the extraordinary advantage of his ability to move between worlds.
• Identity and retaliation: Yu Meiren refuses to reveal his real name because powerful families and sects can track, curse, or avenge attacks on their members.
• Moral corruption and exploitation: Yu Meiren disguises greed and attempted murder as “disciplining” Feng Jun and falsely frames the Jie Family to protect himself.
• Artifacts and their weaknesses: The refined Immortal-Binding Rope is extremely powerful, yet its bond with its owner creates a vulnerability Feng Jun can exploit.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Meiren: Their confrontation is built on intimidation, sarcasm, and concealed calculations. Yu Meiren treats Feng Jun as helpless prey, while Feng Jun deliberately provokes him and secretly searches for a way to escape.
• Yu Meiren and Mi Yunshan: Yu Meiren views Mi Yunshan as insignificant and potentially disposable, whereas Mi Yunshan silently witnesses the attack without challenging him.
• Feng Jun and Guo the Qi Refiner: Feng Jun uses Guo’s connection to identify Yu Meiren and threatens consequences for the Yu Family if Guo is harmed.
• Feng Jun and the Immortal-Binding Rope: What begins as a tool of captivity becomes Yu Meiren’s weakness once Feng Jun uses his ability to cross between planes.

Chapter Summary: “Searching the Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On a rainy night at Zhige Mountain, Mi Yunshan witnesses Feng Jun confront a Dust-Free Realm cultivator who has disguised himself as Xie Chaoqun of Swordforge Peak.
• The stranger attempts to force Feng Jun into selling something and eventually attacks him after a discussion about magical treasures and refinement.
• Although Feng Jun is bound by an Immortal-Binding Rope, he unexpectedly withstands the attack and kills the Dust-Free Realm cultivator with a palm strike.
• Feng Jun takes Yu Meiren back into the room and collapses from his injuries. His lungs and internal organs have suffered serious damage, though he believes he can recover after several days.
• He considers how to conceal the corpse, ultimately deciding to move it temporarily to the Blue Star Realm rather than risk leaving it in the current plane.
• Feng Jun discovers that transporting the cultivator has consumed nearly all his Energy Points, leaving him concerned about whether he can return to the Phone Plane. He realizes, however, that the 116 Spirit Stones found on the corpse can replenish his energy.
• Feng Jun searches the body himself and discovers an enormous haul of cultivation resources, confirming that the supposed robber had been carrying valuable goods for a likely trade.
• Among the loot are a large Storage Pouch, Spirit Beast meat, spirit rice and wheat, daily necessities, cultivation manuals, pills, a magical artifact saber, and a magical treasure-grade Violet-Gold Sword.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun noticing several unusual items—including a red pendant, greenwood hairpin, cloud shoes, and especially an ancient silver Storage Ring—which may be even more valuable than the other spoils.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability and confidence despite being attacked by a much stronger-looking opponent. However, the victory leaves him badly injured and temporarily weakened. His attitude shifts quickly from survival and corpse disposal to practical profiteering as he searches the enemy’s possessions. He also shows growing concern over Energy Point consumption and the cost of maintaining access to the Phone Plane.
• Mi Yunshan: Moves from confusion and awe to a clear understanding that Feng Jun is facing an attempted robbery. Though frightened and aware that her life depends on his survival, she remains calm and does not interfere. Her silent emotional support is reflected in her desperate hope that “the miracle doctor” will win.
• The disguised Dust-Free Realm cultivator: Revealed as a reckless opportunist who tries to intimidate Feng Jun, hides his identity, and attempts to seize or force a sale of valuable goods. His defeat turns him from predator into victim, with his own possessions becoming Feng Jun’s spoils.
• Yu Meiren: Is protected by Feng Jun during the confrontation and transported to safety, reinforcing Feng Jun’s willingness to shield those around him.

Significant Themes

• Predator and prey reversed: The chapter’s central irony is that the robber becomes the robbed. The cultivator arrives intending to exploit Feng Jun but dies and loses all his possessions.
• Strength concealed beneath appearances: The opponent assumes Feng Jun is vulnerable because of his apparent cultivation level and his being bound, but Feng Jun’s true capabilities and hidden methods overturn those assumptions.
• The cost of power: Feng Jun wins, but the victory seriously injures him and consumes nearly all his Energy Points, emphasizing that even successful battles carry substantial consequences.
• Practicality and survival: Feng Jun’s immediate concern after killing the enemy is not triumph but concealment, energy recovery, and resource management. His search of the corpse reflects the harsh material logic of the cultivation world.
• Wealth and cultivation resources: The Storage Pouch and its contents reveal the enormous difference between ordinary people and high-level cultivators. Everyday necessities for a Dust-Free Realm expert are rare treasures in the mortal world.
• Humor amid danger: Feng Jun’s complaints about the corpse’s appearance, the Storage Pouch’s ugly color, and the enemy’s lack of defensive talismans lighten an otherwise deadly scene.

Character Interactions

• Mi Yunshan silently observes the confrontation and emotionally identifies with Feng Jun’s survival, recognizing that her own fate is tied to his.
• Feng Jun directly challenges and mocks the disguised cultivator instead of showing fear, provoking the attack.
• The cultivator attempts to use his superior realm and false identity to dominate Feng Jun, but Feng Jun ultimately kills him and takes control of the situation.
• Feng Jun protects Yu Meiren by bringing her into the room before dealing with the aftermath.
• Feng Jun’s later thoughts compare the dead cultivator’s resources with those of people such as Lang Zhen and Yu Changqing, showing how his relationships and previous knowledge shape his evaluation of the loot.

Chapter Summary: “Animal Experiments”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discovers that Xie Chaoqun’s Storage Ring contains substantial wealth—Spirit Stones, manuals, pills, talismans, Spirit Rice, and other treasures. Combined with the Storage Pouch, the contents exceed the hidden wealth of many powerful clans.
• He buries Xie Chaoqun’s body near the Bamboo Grove rather than using Corpse-Melting Powder, then meditates for a day and two nights to recover from his injuries.
• Meanwhile, Hao Fengjing’s assistance helps resolve the Xu Family crisis: the eldest Xu son is released, while Third Xu and Fourth Xu face detention and prosecution. Hao openly associates with Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan to provoke and pressure her troublesome mother-in-law.
• Feng Jun worries about the consequences of killing a Dust-Free Realm cultivator, especially whether Xie Chaoqun informed others about his trip to Zhige Mountain.
• He returns to Zhige Mountain, retrieves the Immortal-Binding Rope, and faces Mi Yunshan, who witnessed Xie Chaoqun’s disappearance. He jokes that Xie must be dead, since otherwise Feng Jun would be the one who died.
• Mi Yunshan is shaken but remains focused on continuing her cultivation. Feng Jun moves her to a cave for safety and gives her a Spirit Blade, which she says she would use to kill herself rather than betray or burden him.
• On the Blue Star Plane, Feng Jun buys live chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and other animals to test how much Energy is required to transport living beings between worlds. Animals that die during the experiments are distributed or sold by the manor workers, leading locals to spread rumors that Feng Jun and the Crow King can “suck out souls.”
• Feng Jun discovers that when Energy Points are extremely low, transporting living creatures is barely possible. A small piglet survives the journey to the Phone Plane, though it is unconscious. However, Feng Jun then cannot return until he recharges more Energy Points; despite bringing the piglet back, it dies during the transfer.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly cautious and strategic after killing Xie Chaoqun. He recognizes both the immense rewards and serious risks of killing a powerful cultivator. His experiments also show his methodical, scientific approach to understanding the limits of his transportation ability.
• Mi Yunshan/Lin Daiyu: Demonstrates remarkable resilience. Although shocked by witnessing a Dust-Free Realm cultivator vanish, she quickly regains composure and remains committed to cultivation. Her willingness to die rather than betray Feng Jun reveals fierce loyalty and determination.
• Hao Fengjing: Acts decisively and independently in resolving the Xu Family dispute. Her open defiance of her mother-in-law shows growing boldness and confidence.
• Wang Haifeng: Quietly recognizes Feng Jun’s arrival in the Bamboo Grove and respectfully avoids disturbing his meditation.
• The manor workers and townspeople: Their reactions to the unexplained deaths of the animals transform Feng Jun’s secret experiments into local superstition and legend.

Significant Themes

• Power, wealth, and temptation: Xie Chaoqun’s treasures demonstrate the enormous rewards of defeating a powerful cultivator, while also explaining why “killing for treasure” attracts evil cultivators.
• The consequences of power: Feng Jun’s victory creates anxiety about retaliation and exposure, showing that defeating a powerful enemy may create new dangers.
• Death and differing cultural attitudes: Mi Yunshan’s relatively quick recovery from witnessing death contrasts with Blue Star civilians’ fear and suspicion, reflecting the Phone Plane’s harsher environment.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Mi Yunshan’s readiness to kill herself rather than become a liability emphasizes her devotion to Feng Jun.
• Experimentation and uncertainty: Feng Jun treats interworld transportation as an experiment, testing energy consumption, survival rates, and the limits of his ability through repeated animal transfers.
• Rumor and superstition: The villagers interpret the dead animals as evidence of supernatural soul-sucking, illustrating how secrecy and unexplained phenomena generate myths.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing exchange polite apologies and reassurance, with Hao dismissing his lack of attention by saying that men should focus on their careers.
• Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan discuss Xie Chaoqun’s fate. His joking confidence contrasts with her shock and emotional strain.
• Feng Jun comforts Mi Yunshan, moves her to a safer location, and gives her a weapon. Her promise not to reveal anything—and to take her own life if necessary—deepens their bond.
• Feng Jun’s workers and gatekeepers become unwilling participants in his experiments when they receive the animals’ bodies, unintentionally spreading rumors throughout White Apricot Town.

Chapter Summary: “Keep Your Feet on the Ground”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun spends ten days conducting experiments on transporting living creatures between planes. After testing more than a hundred chickens and ducks and dozens of pigs and sheep, he largely masters the technique for livestock.
• He discovers an important limitation: crossing requires sufficient Energy Points. If the attempt fails, the Energy Points are still consumed, and the backlash can drain his spiritual energy and potentially injure him.
• Feng Jun disposes of Xie Chaoqun’s corpse by dissolving it with Corpse-Melting Powder and dumping the remains into a river near Zhige Mountain.
• The strange animal deaths give Luohua Manor a frightening supernatural reputation in White Apricot Town, which eventually reaches the Xu Family in Chaoge.
• With Third Xu and Fourth Xu detained and facing prosecution, the Xu Family offers a settlement: they will stop impounding the Boiler-Backed Engines and pay compensation for two destroyed machines. Sister Hong rejects the offer, insisting that the Xu Family must fully resolve the matter and deliver what they owe to Yang City.
• Mou Miao begins contacting manufacturers elsewhere to maintain production of the Boiler-Backed Engines while the dispute remains unsettled.
• After completing his experiments, Feng Jun returns to cultivate with Mi Yunshan. Their cultivation session goes particularly well, and Feng Jun later dismantles part of the Spirit-Gathering Array at Zhige Mountain.
• Back on the Blue Star Plane, Gazi successfully advances to High-Rank Martial Warrior. Hao Fengjing also breaks through to Mid-Rank Martial Warrior after cultivating with Feng Jun.
• Because Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang are envious of the others’ progress, Feng Jun decides to build another Spirit-Gathering Array in the villa’s back courtyard.
• Feng Jun activates the new array and begins transforming the courtyard into a cultivation area by planting bamboo. The courtyard’s spiritual energy gradually approaches the level of the Bamboo Grove.
• Sister Hong arrives with Zhang Caixin. Although the sisters are still quarrelling, Sister Hong allows Caixin to enter the new cultivation area. Caixin immediately feels that the place belongs to her and claims she may be able to begin cultivating Daoist arts directly. Sister Hong sarcastically tells her to remain realistic.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more knowledgeable and cautious about plane-crossing, recognizing both its Energy Point requirements and dangerous backlash. He also takes on a more organized leadership role by improving Luohua Manor’s cultivation facilities and managing access to them.
• Sister Hong: Demonstrates a forceful, uncompromising personality in negotiations with the Xu Family. However, her refusal to settle is partly protective: she wants to prevent further investigation into the suspicious accident involving the Xu brothers.
• Mou Miao: Initially considers the Xu Family’s offer reasonable but is persuaded by Sister Hong and Liu Xiaoxuan to demand more. He also takes practical steps to secure alternative manufacturing arrangements.
• Liu Xiaoxuan: Reveals her deep dislike and fear of Chaoge despite benefiting financially from her work there. She strongly supports Feng Jun’s demand that the Xu Family deliver the engines to Yang City.
• Gazi and Hao Fengjing: Both advance in cultivation, reinforcing the effectiveness of Luohua Manor’s spiritual environment and Feng Jun’s guidance.
• Wang Haifeng: Shows a major change in attitude. Once resentful of Feng Jun’s secrecy, he now respects him deeply and no longer feels entitled to demand knowledge his master has not offered.
• Zhang Caixin: Remains confident and ambitious, quickly sensing the power of the new courtyard and assuming she may be suited to Daoist cultivation.
• Mi Yunshan: Displays remarkable emotional resilience after the disappearance of a Dust-Free Realm cultivator, calmly resuming cultivation with Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Power requires caution and limits: Feng Jun’s experiments show that even advanced abilities have strict conditions and potentially harmful consequences.
• Reputation and the supernatural: The unexplained livestock deaths transform Luohua Manor into a place associated with fear and occult power, affecting even the powerful Xu Family.
• Retaliation and control: Sister Hong’s stance reflects the desire not merely to survive a conflict but to control how and when it ends.
• Growth through discipline: The characters’ breakthroughs result from sustained cultivation, proper spiritual conditions, and patience rather than simple ambition.
• Respect for authority and knowledge: Wang Haifeng’s changed attitude shows his growing understanding that Feng Jun’s guidance is a privilege, not an obligation.
• Ambition versus realism: Zhang Caixin’s confidence contrasts with Sister Hong’s warning that she should not overestimate herself, reflected in the chapter title’s reminder to “keep your feet on the ground.”

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong rejects the Xu Family’s settlement while Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan support her position, strengthening their united front against the family.
• Feng Jun encourages Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang to cultivate patiently, warning them not to pursue breakthroughs recklessly.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing cultivate together, leading to her breakthrough and deepening their intimate relationship.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with Mi Yunshan remains close and trusting despite the danger surrounding recent events.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang quietly observe Feng Jun setting up the new array, choosing not to ask for secrets they believe he is unwilling to share.
• Zhang Caixin and Sister Hong continue their unresolved quarrel. Caixin is drawn to the new cultivation ground, while Sister Hong responds with sarcasm and skepticism.
• Li Shishi acts as a gatekeeper for the back courtyard, reminding Zhang Caixin that access requires Feng Jun’s approval.

Chapter Summary: This Is Mortal Transcendence

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Caixin openly asks Feng Jun to let her cultivate, revealing that she had already decided long ago and had discussed it with him the previous winter.
• Feng Jun initially says he may need two years to find a suitable cultivation method for her, but Zhang Caixin points out that her sister, Sister Hong, has already begun cultivating.
• Feng Jun gives Zhang Caixin the Five-Element Mortal Transcendence technique, explaining that she has the aptitude to cultivate the Dao directly rather than beginning with martial cultivation.
• Sister Hong becomes angry and jealous upon learning that Zhang Caixin can directly cultivate the Dao, believing Feng Jun had unfairly made her practice a more physically intimate method to condition her body.
• The sisters bicker over their respective aptitudes, with Zhang Caixin boasting that she is better suited to cultivation and Sister Hong mocking her clothing and provoking her in return.
• That night, Sister Hong successfully advances to Beginner Martial Warrior, becoming extremely eager to know how soon she can reach the next stage. Feng Jun is pleased by her sudden enthusiasm.
• The following day, the Spirit-Gathering Array accumulates spiritual energy more quickly than before, suggesting that the area may be developing an enhanced ability to attract and retain spiritual energy.
• Zhang Caixin studies the cultivation technique thoroughly. Feng Jun tests and corrects her understanding before allowing her to begin cultivating after dark.
• Feng Jun permits his disciples to use the Bamboo Grove for cultivation, provided they regulate their cultivation time.
• While Zhang Caixin cultivates under the observation of Feng Jun, Sister Hong, and Hao Fengjing, she reaches Mortal Transcendence Level One in just over half an hour.
• Her astonishing progress shocks everyone and confirms that she possesses extraordinary cultivation talent.

Character Developments

• Zhang Caixin demonstrates decisiveness, confidence, competitiveness, and a genuine passion for cultivation. Although she dislikes traditional academic subjects and rote learning, she proves exceptionally capable at understanding cultivation theory.
• Sister Hong reveals both jealousy and pride. She is irritated by her sister’s superior aptitude but also becomes highly motivated after advancing to Beginner Martial Warrior. Her teasing relationship with Zhang Caixin remains lively and antagonistic.
• Feng Jun takes on a more cautious and responsible role as teacher. He tests Zhang Caixin’s understanding, corrects her misconceptions, and worries about whether he has chosen the best path for her.
• Hao Fengjing appears outwardly calm and detached but is secretly competitive. Zhang Caixin’s rapid advancement makes her feel dissatisfied with her own slower progress.
• Lu Xiaoning remains quietly focused on caring for the plants and ignores the sisters’ arguments.

Significant Themes

• Innate talent versus effort: Zhang Caixin’s almost instantaneous advancement contrasts sharply with the long struggles of other cultivators, emphasizing the enormous differences in natural aptitude.
• The burden of comparison: Her success unintentionally discourages Feng Jun, Hao Fengjing, and others by highlighting how slowly they have progressed.
• Different cultivation paths: The chapter explores the distinction between martial cultivation and direct Dao cultivation, raising questions about whether one path is inherently better or merely better suited to a particular person.
• Transformation and transcendence: Zhang Caixin experiences Mortal Transcendence as a profound rebirth, symbolized by a butterfly escaping its cocoon and rising above ordinary people.
• Jealousy and familial rivalry: The sisters’ constant teasing masks affection, competitiveness, and insecurity over their differing abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Caixin challenges Sister Hong by announcing her intention to cultivate and boasting about her aptitude.
• Sister Hong reacts with jealousy and anger when Feng Jun confirms that Zhang Caixin can cultivate the Dao directly.
• Feng Jun mediates their rivalry with dry remarks about teaching according to aptitude, while Zhang Caixin uses his words to tease her sister further.
• Feng Jun and Zhang Caixin share a teacher-student exchange in which he tests her grasp of the cultivation method and guides her toward a correct understanding.
• Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing observe Zhang Caixin’s breakthrough together, with Sister Hong proudly defending her sister and Hao Fengjing reacting with concealed competitiveness.
• Zhang Caixin’s successful breakthrough becomes the emotional climax of the chapter, leaving the observers astonished and redefining their expectations of her potential.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Caixin successfully begins cultivation, reaching Mortal Transcendence Level One after meditating for half an hour. She then completes the Little Circulation Transport after three more hours of practice.
• Her cultivation produces visible benefits: her body feels lighter, and impurities are expelled, requiring her to bathe.
• Feng Jun explains that Zhang Caixin’s rare natural body fragrance is likely connected to her mixed-race physiology.
• Feng Jun predicts that Zhang Caixin could reach Mortal Transcendence Level Two within a week, highlighting her exceptional aptitude.
• Hao Fengjing asks about the difference between Dao cultivation and martial training. Feng Jun explains that Mortal Transcendence cultivators possess spiritual power and can activate certain talismans unavailable to ordinary people.
• Feng Jun obtains a suitable talisman from Yu Changqing in exchange for a farm vehicle and diesel fuel.
• After Zhang Caixin finishes bathing, Feng Jun and the others prepare to give her gifts in celebration of her breakthrough.
• Feng Jun presents Zhang Caixin with a Storage Talisman capable of holding up to four square meters of items, with a height limit of 1.5 meters.
• Zhang Caixin immediately tests it, accidentally storing the entire coffee table instead of a single beer can. She then uses it again to retrieve the table and stores the beer separately, wasting two of the talisman’s limited uses.
• Feng Jun reveals that the talisman has only about ten uses remaining, with storing and retrieving counting as one use. Zhang Caixin regrets wasting them, while Sister Hong emphasizes the talisman’s enormous value.

Character Developments

• Zhang Caixin takes her first major step into cultivation and demonstrates exceptional talent. She is energetic, curious, and quick to master spiritual techniques, though her eagerness causes her to misuse the Storage Talisman.
• Feng Jun acts as Zhang Caixin’s mentor and protector, carefully regulating her first cultivation session and explaining the limitations of spiritual tools. He also shows affection and responsibility toward the women close to him.
• Sister Hong remains confident, teasing, and competitive. She jokes about practicing with Feng Jun, offers Zhang Caixin the Chasing Wind car and Hetian Red Jade, and understands the practical value of the talisman.
• Hao Fengjing becomes increasingly aware of the gap between her own progress and Zhang Caixin’s talent. This creates a sense of urgency and mild insecurity, prompting her to ask more serious questions about cultivation.
• Yu Changqing indirectly contributes to the events by providing Feng Jun with the Storage Talisman in exchange for modern agricultural equipment and fuel.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and transformation: Zhang Caixin’s breakthrough marks her transition from ordinary human to cultivator, with both physical and spiritual changes.
• Natural talent and inequality: Her rapid progress contrasts with others’ slower advancement, reinforcing the idea that aptitude strongly determines cultivation speed.
• The value and scarcity of magical tools: The Storage Talisman is immensely useful but has limited durability, showing that supernatural resources are powerful yet finite.
• Mentorship and responsibility: Feng Jun guides Zhang Caixin carefully while balancing his obligations toward multiple companions.
• Curiosity versus caution: Zhang Caixin’s excitement allows her to learn quickly but also leads her to waste precious uses of the talisman.
• Modern and cultivation worlds merging: The exchange of a magical artifact for a farm vehicle and diesel illustrates the practical trade between supernatural resources and modern technology.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun supervises Zhang Caixin’s cultivation and urges her to rest before bathing.
• Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing tease each other over access to Feng Jun, revealing their playful rivalry and underlying competition.
• Hao Fengjing questions Feng Jun about the abilities of Mortal Transcendence cultivators, leading to an explanation of talismans and spiritual power.
• Feng Jun, Sister Hong, and Hao Fengjing jointly celebrate Zhang Caixin’s advancement, though Sister Hong and Feng Jun each claim responsibility for her gifts.
• Zhang Caixin playfully criticizes the group for giving her only one gift, prompting Sister Hong to offer the Chasing Wind car and her Hetian Red Jade.
• Feng Jun teaches Zhang Caixin how to use the Storage Talisman, while Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing react with shock when she demonstrates it immediately.

Chapter Summary: “Not Very Convenient”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four companies from Chaoge travel to Yang City to salvage their partnership with Mou Miao. They offer to send the detained Boiler-Backed Engines to Yang City and return Mou Miao’s vehicle, hoping to preserve their cooperation.
• Mou Miao is inclined to compromise because the companies had previously worked well with him, but Liu Xiaoxuan firmly refuses. She demands that Handa be released first and suspects the companies are using the vehicle and equipment as leverage.
• The companies claim the vehicle cannot be released because the traffic accident involving Xiao Meng and the Xu Family is still under legal dispute. Liu Xiaoxuan considers this an excuse and points out that the three remaining Boiler-Backed Engines are evidence in the lawsuit against the Xu brothers.
• Liu Xiaoxuan informs them that Mou Miao has already found new manufacturers and warns them that continuing to negotiate is pointless. The discussion escalates into an argument, with both sides accusing the other of being unreasonable.
• Dou Jiahui arrives to deliver goods for Feng Jun. After learning that the Chaoge partners are trying to contact Feng Jun and Mou Miao, he refuses to help them and threatens them when one insults him and dismisses him as an outsider.
• Feng Jun comes out to welcome Yuan Zihao and Yuan Youwei, who have arrived with Mayor Zang. Yuan Zihao, grateful to Feng Jun for saving his life, visits personally because Feng Jun had declined to visit him.
• Feng Jun and Yuan Zihao exchange polite but pointed remarks about Feng Jun’s independence and unwillingness to accept invitations or favors. Yuan Zihao takes the barbs in good humor.
• Mayor Zang asks whether his people may enter Luohua Manor. Feng Jun ends the chapter with a blunt refusal: “It’s not very convenient.”

Character Developments

• Liu Xiaoxuan demonstrates strong loyalty to Mou Miao and Feng Jun’s interests. She is practical, sharp, and unwilling to be manipulated by the Chaoge companies’ offers. She also shows courage by confronting them directly.
• Mou Miao is portrayed as softhearted and somewhat willing to preserve old relationships, contrasting with Liu Xiaoxuan’s firmer judgment.
• Dou Jiahui reveals his impulsive temper and fierce loyalty to Feng Jun. Although he nearly loses control after being insulted, he manages to restrain himself temporarily.
• Feng Jun continues to display confidence, independence, and a refusal to be pressured by status or obligation. He treats Yuan Zihao respectfully but does not flatter him or surrender control of the situation.
• Yuan Zihao appears energetic, humorous, and politically experienced. He understands Feng Jun’s personality and responds to his indirect refusals without taking offense.
• Mayor Zang is cautious and observant. He recognizes Feng Jun’s difficult temperament and attempts to behave diplomatically.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus self-interest: The Chaoge companies present cooperation as a mutual benefit, but Liu Xiaoxuan sees their offer as an attempt to protect their own interests.
• Control and leverage: The vehicle and Boiler-Backed Engines become bargaining tools in the dispute, with both sides refusing to surrender what gives them legal or negotiating power.
• Independence and boundaries: Feng Jun insists that favors and invitations do not entitle others to access or compliance. His final refusal emphasizes his control over Luohua Manor.
• Temperament and restraint: Dou Jiahui’s explosive family trait contrasts with the need to remain composed. The chapter repeatedly shows characters testing one another’s patience.
• Social and political maneuvering: Personal relationships, official positions, business partnerships, and implied threats all overlap, making every conversation partly a negotiation.

Character Interactions

• Liu Xiaoxuan clashes with the four Chaoge partners, rejecting their excuses and refusing to return the equipment or vehicle without proper concessions.
• Liu Xiaoxuan and Dou Jiahui quickly establish friendly familiarity through their connection with Mou Miao, while Dou openly rejects the Chaoge partners’ request for assistance.
• Dou Jiahui confronts Wang Chao and another partner after they insult him and imply that outsiders have no place in Yang City.
• Feng Jun and Yuan Zihao maintain a respectful but teasing relationship. Yuan’s gratitude does not make Feng Jun submissive, and Yuan accepts Feng Jun’s bluntness with amusement.
• Feng Jun and Mayor Zang interact cautiously, with Feng Jun offering basic courtesy but refusing to grant automatic access to the manor.

Chapter Summary: “Seedling Base”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mayor Zang and Secretary Shen arrive at Feng Jun’s estate with several cars. Feng initially refuses them entry, emphasizing that the property is private and that he must protect the safety and privacy of those inside.
• Secretary Shen reminds Feng that he helped secure Feng’s plane tickets previously. In recognition of this favor, Feng allows both officials to enter.
• During the drive through the estate, Mayor Zang admires the developing landscape. Secretary Shen hints that Feng’s acquisition of the mountain may have involved questionable circumstances, but admits that the previous contractor, Li Ning, likely transferred it because he planned to emigrate.
• Elder Yuan praises the estate’s natural environment and Feng’s ability to choose a suitable location. Feng modestly explains that he established the estate to plant trees, reduce stress, and benefit society rather than to display any special status.
• To prevent the Yuan family from discovering the secret bamboo groves too easily, Sister Hong distracts Yuan Youwei by offering him a yacht ride. The visitors, including Mayor Zang, spend time boating before lunch.
• After lunch, Mayor Zang takes a nap. Yuan Youwei repeatedly tries to visit the backyard, eventually being allowed in under supervision. Zhang Caixin, who had been cultivating there, must stop when the guests arrive.
• Yuan Youwei plays near the newly planted bamboo and repeatedly attempts to disturb Crow King’s nest. Crow King becomes furious but does not attack because the child is an approved guest.
• When Yuan Youwei becomes tired, Zhang Caixin carries him back to the front building to prevent him from continuing to disrupt the backyard.
• After waking, Mayor Zang notices Zhang Caixin and is struck by her beauty. Secretary Shen is even more affected, becoming jealous and increasingly resentful toward Feng Jun.
• As Mayor Zang leaves, the Chaoge group attempts to stop his car and presents its side of the dispute with Feng. Secretary Shen subtly encourages Mayor Zang to view Feng negatively, but Mayor Zang refuses to interfere, saying Feng should handle business matters himself.
• Yuan Zihao later tours the estate with Li Shishi and notices the large bamboo grove. Despite its restricted status, he insists on visiting. Li Shishi contacts Feng, who grants permission and casually mentions that Yuan Huapeng and Gao Qiang are also present nearby.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more assertive about protecting his property, secrets, and guests. He is polite when appropriate but refuses to submit simply to official authority. He also shows flexibility by allowing trusted or favored visitors access to restricted areas.
• Mayor Zang: His initial irritation with Feng remains, but he maintains a pragmatic distance. Although Secretary Shen tries to influence him, he declines to become involved in the dispute with Chaoge.
• Secretary Shen: Reveals a petty and manipulative side. He subtly disparages Feng and becomes jealous after seeing the attractive women around the estate, especially Zhang Caixin.
• Elder Yuan: Continues to show familiarity and confidence around Feng, treating the estate as a place he is entitled to explore. His curiosity about the bamboo grove reflects his growing interest in Feng’s unusual resources.
• Zhang Caixin: Demonstrates responsibility by protecting the backyard’s secrets and managing Yuan Youwei when he becomes disruptive. Her presence also creates tension because of the strong impression she makes on Secretary Shen.
• Sister Hong and Li Shishi: Both help manage the visitors and preserve the estate’s secrets. Sister Hong skillfully distracts Yuan Youwei, while Li Shishi handles the delicate matter of Yuan Zihao’s request to inspect the bamboo grove.
• Yuan Youwei: Remains energetic, curious, and mischievous, particularly interested in the backyard and Crow King’s nest.
• Crow King: Shows restraint despite being angered by Yuan Youwei, obeying the rule not to attack permitted human visitors.

Significant Themes

• Privacy versus authority: Feng Jun insists that official status does not automatically grant access to private property.
• Loyalty and obligation: Feng distinguishes between genuine gratitude and blind submission, acknowledging favors while judging who truly deserves his loyalty.
• Protection of secrets: The bamboo groves are treated as valuable trade secrets, requiring careful control over who may see them.
• Social maneuvering and hidden motives: Secretary Shen’s polite words conceal jealousy and an attempt to damage Feng’s reputation.
• Power and independence: Feng’s willingness to refuse officials reflects his increasing confidence and independence as his influence grows.
• Nature as healing and cultivation: The estate is presented as a place where trees, fresh air, and spiritual energy provide relief from modern stress.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng and the officials clash over entry to the estate, but Secretary Shen’s reminder about the plane tickets restores a degree of goodwill.
• Secretary Shen tries to turn Mayor Zang against Feng by raising doubts about the mountain’s transfer, though Mayor Zang remains noncommittal.
• Sister Hong redirects Yuan Youwei away from the restricted pavilion and bamboo areas by offering a yacht ride.
• Zhang Caixin manages Yuan Youwei in the backyard and later carries him away when he becomes tired and troublesome.
• Secretary Shen’s jealousy intensifies when he sees Zhang Caixin, Sister Hong, and the other attractive women associated with Feng.
• Mayor Zang and Secretary Shen discuss the Chaoge dispute, but Mayor Zang refuses to intervene.
• Yuan Zihao pressures Li Shishi into seeking permission to visit the secret bamboo grove, and Feng unexpectedly approves the request.

Chapter Summary: “Fanatic”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun decides to let the Yuan family see the mysterious bamboo groves at Luohua Manor rather than struggle to conceal them. Since Yuan Zihao and Yuan Youwei plan to stay for an extended summer retreat, he expects they would discover the groves eventually.
• Feng Jun’s favorable opinion of Gao Qiang grows because of Gao’s campaign against fraudulent practitioners who exploit ancient medicine. Feng Jun believes ancient medicine is an empirical discipline with potential for revival through practical research and data-driven diagnosis.
• Gao Qiang persistently asks to become Feng Jun’s disciple. He even offers his entire fortune, claiming that learning genuine skills would help him expose medical fraud more effectively and build a profitable reputation.
• Feng Jun tests Gao Qiang’s aptitude and discovers that it is better than that of his existing male disciples, though Gao’s age may limit his cultivation speed. His extreme determination earns Feng Jun’s approval and makes him a promising potential disciple.
• After lunch, Yuan Huapeng and Gao Qiang explore the manor and discover the lush bamboo grove in the valley. Gazi initially blocks their entry, but Feng Jun grants permission and arrives himself.
• Inside the grove, the visitors are amazed by its coolness, vitality, and restorative atmosphere. Yuan Huapeng jokes that the site could become a tourist attraction or private club, but Feng Jun rejects commercial development, emphasizing his desire for privacy and tranquility.
• Feng Jun reveals that his disciples cultivate in the grove and reflects on the possibility of establishing a sect or leaving something meaningful behind.
• Feng Jun considers the contrast between the Phone Plane and Blue Star. Although the Phone Plane has abundant spiritual resources, its dangers—especially the threat represented by “Xie Chaoqun”—convince him to cultivate cautiously on Blue Star, which he regards as a hidden refuge.
• Yuan Zihao is eventually allowed into the bamboo grove and immediately senses its extraordinary quality. He enthusiastically suggests building a hut there, but Feng Jun firmly discourages him by jokingly offering to sell him the entire manor for five billion.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more willing to reveal selected secrets to trusted or useful people. He shows increasing interest in finding devoted disciples, while remaining protective of Luohua Manor and determined to keep his cultivation activities private. His experience with the Phone Plane makes him more cautious and reinforces Blue Star’s value as a safe base.
• Gao Qiang: Demonstrates exceptional dedication and a willingness to sacrifice his fortune to study under Feng Jun. His anti-fraud convictions and confidence in his own persistence make him stand out from Feng Jun’s more hesitant disciples.
• Yuan Huapeng: Displays curiosity and practical thinking. Rather than focusing on the grove’s cultivation function, he immediately considers its commercial potential as a tourist attraction or elite club.
• Yuan Zihao: Shows strong sensitivity to the grove’s spiritual benefits and acts familiarly, even imagining himself living there. His enthusiasm creates a humorous clash with Feng Jun’s strict control over the manor.
• Li Shishi and Gazi: Reinforce the manor’s secrecy. Gazi guards the bamboo grove, while Li Shishi reveals that even long-term staff members have never been allowed inside.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy versus trust: Feng Jun must decide which outsiders can be exposed to the manor’s supernatural features without endangering his privacy.
• Devotion and qualification: Gao Qiang’s intense desire to become a disciple contrasts with the hesitation of Feng Jun’s existing students, suggesting that attitude and determination may be as important as talent.
• Respect for genuine knowledge: Feng Jun condemns fraudulent ancient-medicine practitioners while defending legitimate traditional medicine as an underdeveloped empirical system.
• Cultivation and worldly prosperity: The chapter contrasts spiritual advancement with wealth, tourism, social connections, and material comfort. Feng Jun increasingly views ordinary prosperity as secondary to cultivation.
• The manor as sanctuary: Luohua Manor, especially the bamboo grove, represents Feng Jun’s hidden foundation and a place where he can develop safely away from the Phone Plane’s dangers.
• Humor and status: Conversations about discipleship, private clubs, and buying the manor use exaggeration and teasing to show the characters’ familiarity while emphasizing Feng Jun’s overwhelming wealth and authority.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Gao Qiang engage in a serious but humorous negotiation over discipleship, with Gao offering his entire fortune and Feng Jun questioning whether he has enough talent.
• Gazi acts as the grove’s gatekeeper, refusing entry until Feng Jun gives permission.
• Yuan Huapeng jokes with Feng Jun about turning the grove into a business, while Feng Jun dismisses the need for money or connections.
• Yuan Zihao enthusiastically praises the grove and proposes building a hut, prompting Feng Jun to mockingly quote an impossibly high purchase price.
• Li Shishi’s explanation that ordinary staff have never entered the grove highlights the special treatment given to the Yuan family and the exceptional secrecy surrounding Feng Jun’s cultivation grounds.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yuan Zihao rejects Feng Jun’s asking price of five billion for the estate, claiming he cannot afford it and questioning why the property is worth so much. Feng Jun refuses to explain, instead inviting the Yuan family to stay and enjoy the estate.
• Yuan Zihao senses that the estate contains hidden secrets and decides not to press Feng Jun directly. He prefers to enjoy the estate’s comfort while he can.
• After dinner, Yuan Zihao asks his eldest daughter-in-law, Xu Ruofang, about the estate’s unusual nature. She explains that Yuan Huapeng is currently cultivating with Feng Jun and only says that the estate is a feng shui treasure land.
• Feng Jun teases Dou Jiahui about buying White Night lighting products through Lin Xiaojia, suggesting that Dou is really pursuing her rather than merely creating business pressure for himself.
• Dou Jiahui asks about leasing mountain land in Sunrise County so Feng Jun’s mother can cultivate there. Feng Jun agrees, authorizing a large-scale lease of up to five hundred million, provided all legal paperwork is properly completed.
• Mou Miao tells Dou Jiahui that he wants to establish manufacturing projects in Cloud Garden. Having acquired valuable production technology and orders, he hopes to develop his hometown while avoiding the risks of doing business elsewhere.
• The following morning, rain interacts with Feng Jun’s Spirit-Gathering Array, producing thick white mist throughout the backyard and Bamboo Grove. The phenomenon astonishes the Yuan family and further confirms the estate’s supernatural qualities.
• Cai Xin breaks through to the Mortal Transcendence Second Layer. To prevent her from being disturbed while stabilizing her realm, Feng Jun orders that no one enter the backyard.
• Yuan Youwei tries to enter the restricted backyard, but Li Shishi blocks him. His mother, Li Ting, challenges the restriction, prompting Sister Hong to emerge and sternly remind them that guests must respect the host’s rules.
• Li Ting leaves embarrassed and complains to Yuan Huapeng. He explains that Feng Jun’s companions are effectively his devoted followers and that even Gao Qiang wants to become Feng Jun’s disciple.
• The Yuan family walks to the Bamboo Grove, which is also covered in mist. There they discover Wang Haifeng meditating motionless in the rain, demonstrating the unusual cultivation practices taking place at the estate.
• Yuan Youwei wants to invite his classmates to visit, but Yuan Huapeng firmly refuses, warning him not to reveal the estate’s existence.
• At the end of the chapter, Xu Ruofang calls the youngest family member, and a phone rings nearby, suggesting that someone connected to the Yuan family may already be present in the Bamboo Grove.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains confident, secretive, and strategically minded. He refuses to justify the estate’s price and focuses on expanding cultivation resources and influence.
• Yuan Zihao becomes increasingly convinced that Feng Jun’s estate is extraordinary. Though skeptical and proud, he chooses caution and decides to observe rather than confront Feng Jun.
• Dou Jiahui is revealed to be pursuing Lin Xiaojia while also trying to build a legitimate business. He accepts Feng Jun’s plan to secure a much larger cultivation base in Sunrise County.
• Mou Miao shifts toward developing industry in Cloud Garden, combining personal business interests with a desire to help his hometown.
• Cai Xin makes a major cultivation breakthrough by reaching the Mortal Transcendence Second Layer.
• Sister Hong becomes protective of Cai Xin and more openly assertive in enforcing Feng Jun’s rules.
• Li Shishi demonstrates patience and loyalty while guarding the restricted backyard, though Yuan Youwei initially underestimates her authority.
• Yuan Huapeng shows greater awareness than his wife of Feng Jun’s influence and the importance of obeying the estate’s rules.
• Yuan Youwei remains curious, childish, and socially entitled, but is forced to recognize that the estate is not an ordinary vacation property.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and secrecy: Feng Jun’s refusal to explain the estate’s value reinforces that its true worth lies in spiritual energy and cultivation, not ordinary land or construction costs.
• Respect for authority and boundaries: The conflict over the backyard emphasizes that Feng Jun’s rules are absolute within the estate.
• Cultivation and spiritual advancement: Cai Xin’s breakthrough and the group’s meditation in the rain show the rapid progress made possible by the estate’s concentrated spiritual energy.
• Outsider versus local influence: Feng Jun feels limited by his outsider status in Yang City and longs for the influence he possesses in Sunrise County.
• Development and loyalty to one’s homeland: Mou Miao’s plans reflect the desire to use acquired power and technology to benefit Cloud Garden.
• Class and hierarchy: Yuan Youwei’s treatment of Li Shishi reveals his belief in social rank, while the adults gradually recognize that Feng Jun’s followers operate according to a different, stricter hierarchy.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yuan Zihao: Their conversation is polite but tense, with Yuan Zihao probing the estate’s secrets and Feng Jun deliberately withholding information.
• Feng Jun and Dou Jiahui: Their joking exchange mixes friendship, romantic teasing, and serious planning for future cultivation territory.
• Yuan Zihao and Xu Ruofang: Yuan seeks information about the estate, while Xu cautiously admits that even her son cannot explain its mysteries.
• Yuan Youwei and Li Shishi: His attempt to enter the backyard creates the chapter’s main confrontation over rules and authority.
• Li Ting and Sister Hong: Li Ting challenges the restriction, but Sister Hong firmly rebukes her for failing to behave as a respectful guest.
• Yuan Huapeng and Li Ting: He explains the seriousness of Feng Jun’s influence and helps her understand why the restrictions cannot be ignored.
• The Yuan family and Wang Haifeng: Their silent observation of Wang meditating in the rain highlights the cultural and spiritual divide between ordinary visitors and Feng Jun’s cultivators.

Chapter Summary: The Luck of a Slacker

Key Plot Points and Events

• The rainy phenomenon at Luohua Manor reveals that Feng Jun’s abilities are connected to something mystical. The Yuan Family and others begin viewing him not merely as a master of Chinese arts, but as someone who has reached a supernatural realm.
• Xu Leigang refuses to explain Feng Jun’s true level, only saying that he and the others are studying martial arts under Feng Jun, whose own ability has already reached a realm beyond their understanding.
• Dou Jiahui reassesses his relationship with Feng Jun after witnessing the latter’s extraordinary powers and seeing how others seek connections to him. Realizing that independent development may only widen the gap between them, Dou decides to support Feng Jun more directly by managing his lighting business, helping Feng’s parents, and assisting with the barren mountain project.
• Yang City Customs officers arrive to investigate allegations that Feng Jun is smuggling Boiler-Backed Engines to Luo Country. The guards refuse them entry, and Feng ignores their demand to report to Customs, since his “exports” are actually being sent to another plane rather than another country.
• Two more people make major breakthroughs: Wang Haifeng advances to High-Rank Martial Warrior, while Hao Fengjing reaches Mortal Transcendence Level One.
• Xu Leigang and Sister Hong become anxious and frustrated because they are the only close followers who have not advanced recently.
• Hao Fengjing asks Feng Jun for a Storage Talisman. Feng instead attempts to trade Zhang Caixin’s talisman for a Storage Ring, but Caixin cannot use the ring because her cultivation realm is insufficient.
• Feng obtains additional Storage Talismans through Yu Changqing in the Phone Plane. Meanwhile, Hao Fengjing unexpectedly activates the Storage Ring with ease.
• Feng discovers that Hao Fengjing gained a rare “space” attribute upon reaching Mortal Transcendence Level One, allowing her to use the ring. Her newfound advantage inspires her to take cultivation more seriously.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains unconcerned with worldly authorities and focused on cultivation, breakthroughs, and managing resources between planes. He is surprised by Hao Fengjing’s unusual talent and increasingly recognizes that luck, rather than effort alone, shapes his disciples’ progress.
• Dou Jiahui: Moves from reluctant cooperation toward genuine loyalty. He accepts that he should work more closely with Feng Jun while preserving some independence through his own business.
• Hao Fengjing: Transforms from a carefree, cultivation-averse “slacker” into someone motivated to practice seriously after receiving the Storage Ring and discovering her rare spatial ability.
• Zhang Caixin: Though unable to use the Storage Ring, she is secretly pleased that Feng Jun considered giving her the better item first. Her happiness reflects her growing emotional attachment to him.
• Xu Leigang and Sister Hong: Become increasingly competitive and insecure as their companions advance faster than they do. Both worry about being left behind.
• Wang Haifeng: Makes an important advancement to High-Rank Martial Warrior.
• The Yuan Family: Their understanding of Feng Jun shifts from seeing him as an exceptional martial or cultural figure to recognizing that he possesses genuinely mystical abilities.
• Yu Changqing: Acts as Feng Jun’s intermediary in the Phone Plane, arranging the purchase and delivery of Storage Talismans.

Significant Themes

• The widening gap between ordinary people and extraordinary cultivators: Feng Jun’s power increasingly separates him from those around him, forcing others to reconsider their ambitions and loyalties.
• Luck versus effort: Hao Fengjing’s rare spatial attribute appears despite her lack of dedication, while more diligent people struggle to advance. The chapter emphasizes the unpredictability of talent and fortune.
• Jealousy and emotional reassurance: The Storage Ring becomes less a practical tool than a symbol of Feng Jun’s regard. Both Zhang Caixin and Hao Fengjing interpret his gift as evidence of their importance to him.
• Adaptation and loyalty: Dou Jiahui’s decision shows how people respond when they realize they cannot keep pace independently with someone who has entered a far higher realm.
• The contrast between mundane and supernatural concerns: Customs’ investigation represents ordinary worldly authority, but it is rendered almost absurd beside Feng Jun’s interplanar trade and cultivation breakthroughs.

Character Interactions

• The Yuan Family questions Xu Leigang about Feng Jun, but he protects his master’s secrets while hinting at Feng Jun’s extraordinary level.
• Gazi advises Dou Jiahui to follow Feng Jun directly, prompting Dou to confront his reluctance and reconsider his future.
• The Mountain Gate guards mock the Customs officers’ threats, exposing the weakness of their investigation and the lack of a conventional company to prosecute.
• Sister Hong and Xu Leigang privately compare themselves with faster-advancing disciples, revealing their insecurity and competitive feelings.
• Feng Jun negotiates with Zhang Caixin over the Storage Ring, then offers the same opportunity to Hao Fengjing.
• Zhang Caixin and Hao Fengjing each interpret Feng Jun’s gifts emotionally, turning a practical exchange into a subtle competition for his affection.
• Feng Jun’s surprise at Hao Fengjing’s successful use of the ring highlights the chapter’s central irony: the least motivated disciple unexpectedly possesses the rarest and most useful talent.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After obtaining a storage ring, Hao Fengjing quietly enjoys her good fortune without making a public display.
• Teacher Mei advances in cultivation, followed the next day by Sister Hong, who becomes a Mid-Rank Martial Warrior. Xu Leigang is frustrated that she catches up despite beginning cultivation six months later.
• The Yuan family spends four days exploring Luohua Manor. They learn that the backyard and storage buildings are restricted, while the bamboo grove is accessible and has remarkable restorative effects.
• Yuan Huapeng discovers that the bamboo grove has revived his formerly weakened vitality, making him eager to remain at the manor.
• On the fifth day, Xu Leigang breaks through to become a High-Rank Martial Warrior.
• Yuan Youwei grows bored and plans an outing with Li Ting and Xu Ruofang. They invite Xu Leigang, who agrees and considers inviting Feng Jun.
• Before Feng Jun can join them, he receives urgent news and leaves the manor with Sister Hong, Zhang Caixin, and Hao Fengjing.
• A mass food-poisoning incident has occurred at a wedding banquet in White Apricot Town. Because the hosts had purchased dead livestock from the Crow King, villagers begin spreading rumors that the victims have had their souls stolen and that the Crow King may summon ghost soldiers.
• Since the Crow King is associated with Luohua Manor, the frightened villagers contact Sister Hong and demand that Feng Jun intervene.
• Feng Jun reluctantly goes to the scene to prevent Luohua Manor from being blamed or demonized. He arrives at an abandoned factory courtyard where hundreds of people have gathered, many of them sick.
• Feng Jun dramatically identifies himself and challenges whoever accused him of summoning ghost soldiers. At that moment, Hao Fengjing receives a call suggesting that the illness may simply be Salmonella poisoning.

2. Character Developments

• Hao Fengjing: Remains composed and private about her gains, but becomes increasingly involved in Feng Jun’s affairs and accompanies him to the poisoning incident.
• Sister Hong: Advances to Mid-Rank Martial Warrior and demonstrates her influential social connections by receiving the villagers’ plea for help.
• Xu Leigang: Moves from frustration over being surpassed to becoming a High-Rank Martial Warrior. He remains loyal to Feng Jun and hopes his family can eventually benefit from their connection.
• Yuan Huapeng: Reveals both his youthful, pleasure-seeking nature and his physical decline. The bamboo grove restores his vitality, deepening his appreciation of the manor.
• Yuan Youwei: Shows himself to be outgoing and mischievous but not malicious. Feng Jun treats him leniently, recognizing his behavior as ordinary childish troublemaking.
• Feng Jun: Balances his desire to preserve a mysterious image with the need to protect Luohua Manor’s reputation. Though irritated at being blamed for an unrelated incident, he personally investigates.
• Zhang Caixin: Insists on accompanying Feng Jun, reflecting her growing closeness and willingness to share danger with him.
• Yuan family: Gradually accepts the manor’s rules and begins benefiting from its unusual spiritual environment.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and rapid advancement: Multiple characters make sudden cultivation breakthroughs, emphasizing the manor’s extraordinary influence.
• Healing and renewal: The bamboo grove restores Yuan Huapeng’s vitality, suggesting that Luohua Manor possesses benefits beyond martial cultivation.
• Rumor and superstition: A mundane food-poisoning incident escalates into a supernatural panic because of local fear surrounding the Crow King and Luohua Manor.
• Reputation and responsibility: Feng Jun must respond even though he is not responsible, because public perception could turn Luohua Manor into a feared or hated place.
• Boundaries and trust: The Yuan family respects restrictions on the manor, while Feng Jun’s willingness to tolerate them reflects the value he places on friendship.
• Public image versus private motives: Feng Jun wants to maintain mystery, yet his intervention reveals that he must sometimes act openly to control how others understand him.

4. Character Interactions

• Xu Leigang envies Sister Hong’s cultivation progress but later helps Yuan Youwei’s family arrange an outing.
• Yuan Huapeng restrains Yuan Youwei from entering restricted areas without Feng Jun’s permission, showing respect for the manor’s authority.
• Li Ting seeks closer ties with Feng Jun by suggesting that he join their outing.
• Feng Jun treats Yuan Youwei kindly despite the boy’s earlier mischief, distinguishing childish behavior from genuine hostility.
• Zhang Caixin refuses to let Feng Jun face the White Apricot Town incident alone, and their physical closeness hints at a deepening relationship.
• Hao Fengjing joins them partly because of her police connections and becomes the one to receive the possible medical explanation that undermines the supernatural rumors.
• At the poisoning site, Feng Jun confronts the crowd directly, using his dramatic entrance and the circling Crow to intimidate those who have accused him.

Chapter Summary: Mysterious, Not Sinister

Key Plot Points and Events

• A large number of guests at a wedding banquet develop symptoms consistent with Salmonella poisoning. Since the meat came from Luohua Manor and was sold unbled, suspicion begins to fall on Feng Jun and his business.
• Some elderly guests, believing Feng Jun possesses supernatural powers, kneel and beg him to save the poisoned people. Their behavior makes Feng Jun realize that his reputation is becoming not only mysterious but also somewhat sinister.
• Feng Jun uses rare Detoxification Pills from the Yu Family, dissolving them in water to create a medicinal drink. One-third of a pill immediately improves a poisoned guest’s condition, stopping his chills and restoring his complexion.
• Because the medicine is scarce, Feng Jun limits treatment to sixty people and prioritizes those with serious symptoms. The guests argue over access, while some try to obtain extra doses by offering money.
• Feng Jun claims each pill would cost twenty thousand yuan, though he explains that money cannot truly buy such rare medicine. His main reason for helping is to protect his reputation, not to profit.
• He exposes several guests who are merely suffering from ordinary diarrhea or anxiety rather than poisoning. By correctly calling out their names and conditions, he reinforces the belief that he has extraordinary abilities.
• The medicinal water substantially helps most of the poisoned guests. The hospital dismisses it as superstitious “Talisman Water” and warns patients that they will bear responsibility for drinking it.
• Those who take Feng Jun’s medicine recover within five days, while the two who refuse it remain on IV treatment and medication for over a week. The seriously ill patients narrowly avoid death.
• Feng Jun closely supervises the distribution and destroys the leftover rinsing water to prevent the pills from being secretly tested or analyzed.
• Returning to Luohua Manor during a storm, Feng Jun discovers that the entrance has been breached: two guards are handcuffed, several SUVs and a bus are present, and Xu Leigang’s vehicle is blocking the gate.
• Just as Feng Jun arrives, Li Ting calls him nervously and tells him not to return yet, creating a cliffhanger about the people occupying the manor.

Character Development

• Feng Jun: Initially irritated at being blamed, Feng Jun nevertheless accepts responsibility for helping because the incident could damage his reputation. He demonstrates practical judgment by rationing the medicine, identifying genuinely poisoned people, and refusing to treat those seeking a free diagnosis. His confidence and supernatural image grow stronger.
• The guests: Fear drives many of them to abandon rationality and treat Feng Jun as a mystical master. Some become greedy and competitive over the medicine, while others accept treatment despite skepticism because their symptoms are severe.
• The hospital authorities: They remain committed to conventional medicine and dismiss Feng Jun’s treatment as superstition, even though the observed recovery rate is faster among those who use it.
• Li Ting and Xu Leigang: Their tense actions at the manor suggest they are dealing with an urgent and potentially dangerous intrusion, though their motives are not yet revealed.

Significant Themes

• Science versus superstition: The hospital rejects Feng Jun’s medicine as irrational, while the guests interpret his accurate diagnoses and effective treatment as supernatural. The chapter leaves the contrast unresolved, showing that both conventional and unconventional methods influence people’s choices.
• Reputation and public perception: Feng Jun helps largely because he fears the poisoning will harm his name. His actions unintentionally deepen the public’s belief that he is an all-powerful “master.”
• Greed and desperation: Even people who are not poisoned attempt to obtain the scarce medicine, revealing how fear and the promise of a free cure distort judgment.
• Limits of power and responsibility: Feng Jun possesses rare medicine but cannot treat everyone. He must impose rules, distinguish real illness from opportunism, and accept that his intervention only alleviates symptoms rather than guaranteeing a cure.
• Suspense and hidden danger: The final scene shifts from the public poisoning crisis to a mysterious intrusion at Luohua Manor, suggesting a new threat.

Character Interactions

• Elderly guests kneel before Feng Jun and plead for mercy, treating him as a supernatural healer.
• A desperate father accidentally implies that Luohua Manor may be responsible for the poisoned meat, provoking Feng Jun’s anger; another guest quickly apologizes on his behalf.
• Feng Jun distributes the medicine through the banquet hosts, who attempt to prioritize the seriously ill but struggle to control disputes.
• Several opportunistic guests challenge Feng Jun’s judgment when he says they are not poisoned. His ability to identify them by name silences their objections and increases their admiration.
• Feng Jun warns patients not to rely solely on his medicine and urges them to continue proper hospital treatment.
• At the manor, Xu Leigang confronts the apparent intruders while the guards are restrained. Li Ting’s urgent call warns Feng Jun away, ending the chapter on a tense cliffhanger.