Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Offense and Defense”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Autumn Star Immortal Market prepares for a possible Wasteland Beast invasion, which occurs every three to five years. Since more than three years have passed since the previous attack, the defenders fear this may be a large-scale invasion.
• Ten thousand reinforcements are organized into twelve thousand-man units, each containing a balanced mix of experts, ordinary fighters, and support personnel.
• Feng Jun is assigned to the Geng-Character Thousand-Man Squad and placed in a five-person team defending a protruding section of the city wall. This position is strategically important because it is likely to receive the brunt of the enemy attack while also supporting adjacent defenses.
• His team consists of:
  • Ji Ping’an, a Qi Refining Intermediate veteran and team leader
  • Feng Jun, a Qi Refining Advanced cultivator and deputy leader
  • Xia Ping’an, an Innate martial cultivator
  • Two Early Qi Refining cultivators
• The defenders learn that military merit is awarded according to the number of ears collected from slain beasts. Merit can be exchanged for cultivation resources, tax exemptions, cave-abode access, or Spirit Stones.
• Xia Ping’an proposes activating a Cloud Pillar outside the wall. The pillar would function as an advanced defensive platform, allowing defenders to provide long-range support, but it would be extremely dangerous and costly to maintain or withdraw.
• Ji Ping’an criticizes Xia Ping’an’s impulsiveness, while Feng Jun takes a cautious position, preferring to observe the battle before deciding whether the Cloud Pillar should be activated.
• The defenders spend two days rotating watch duty. Feng Jun remains unusually relaxed, cooking during his downtime. Ji Ping’an warns him not to cook once combat begins because the smell may attract the Wasteland Beasts.
• The chapter ends with the invasion beginning immediately and on a massive scale, exceeding Feng Jun’s expectation that only a small advance force would arrive.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, strategic thinking, and adaptability. Although he is classified as an “expert,” he recognizes his lack of battlefield experience and asks practical questions rather than acting recklessly. He also secretly considers whether he can safely switch between planes during the battle.
• Xia Ping’an is revealed as an ambitious martial cultivator from a declining branch of the Xia Family. Despite limited aptitude and resources, he reached the Innate realm through martial cultivation. He is eager to prove himself, earn military merit, and take the initiative by volunteering for the Cloud Pillar.
• Ji Ping’an emerges as an experienced, pragmatic veteran. He distrusts overconfident newcomers and emphasizes the real consequences of battlefield decisions. Though harsh, he recognizes Feng Jun’s prudence and attempts to guide the others.
• Feng Jun’s calm behavior, particularly his cooking and lack of nervousness, contrasts with Xia Ping’an’s eagerness and Ji Ping’an’s stern professionalism.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus recklessness: The chapter contrasts Feng Jun’s careful observation with Xia Ping’an’s willingness to commit to a dangerous strategy before the battle begins.
• The cost of military glory: Military merit offers valuable rewards, but collecting it requires risking one’s life and physically retrieving trophies from the battlefield.
• Unequal cultivation opportunities: Xia Ping’an’s background highlights how family resources and spiritual aptitude shape cultivators’ choices. Those lacking talent or wealth may be forced into martial cultivation.
• Collective defense and strategic coordination: The city wall, protruding sections, reserve forces, and Cloud Pillars all emphasize that survival depends on coordinated formations rather than isolated heroics.
• Uncertainty and hidden danger: Feng Jun worries not only about the beasts but also about whether his ability to switch planes could be detected, showing that the battle involves risks beyond the obvious enemy.

Character Interactions

• Ji Ping’an mocks and disciplines Xia Ping’an when the latter boasts about his abilities, even striking him into the ground to challenge his confidence.
• Xia Ping’an seeks Feng Jun’s support for activating the Cloud Pillar and offers him all the ears from beasts Feng Jun kills in exchange for sharing the danger.
• Feng Jun refuses to commit immediately, prompting Ji Ping’an to praise his caution and urge Xia Ping’an to learn from him.
• Ji Ping’an tolerates Feng Jun’s relaxed cooking habits while warning him that they will become dangerous once the battle begins.
• The chapter closes by abruptly transforming the team’s preparation and debate into an immediate, large-scale invasion.

Chapter Summary: “When It Came, It Came”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A sword cultivator serving as a scout returns to the city wall while being pursued by four Black-headed Sand Swallows, two Storm Gulls, and a powerful Scarlet Flame Vulture.
• The Scarlet Flame Vulture’s cry incapacitates the scout, but two Dust-Free Realm cultivators rescue him before the beasts can kill him. The scout is left seriously injured and exhausted.
• The scout reports that an organized invasion force of at least 40,000–50,000 Wasteland Beasts and Spirit Beasts is approaching the city, with roughly thirty percent consisting of birds.
• Half a day later, the invading army arrives. Its vanguard consists of hundreds of thousands of Iron-Eating Ants, followed by numerous Spirit Beasts—including scorpions, snakes, rock sheep, turtles, wolves, and other predators—and around twenty Wasteland Beasts.
• The beasts halt ten li from the wall and organize their forces rather than attacking immediately. The next morning, they launch coordinated assaults at twelve points, matching the twelve defensive teams on the wall.
• The first two days bring severe losses. Poisonous, concealed, and swarm-based attacks prove difficult to counter. More than 160 cultivators die and nearly 700 are killed or wounded, while fighting spreads from the main battle sites to seventeen locations.
• As the Wasteland Beast forces grow to nearly 80,000, the defenders decide they must counterattack rather than remain passive.
• Beginning on the third day, elite “vanguard teams” attack the beasts’ rear positions beyond the wall. The missions are highly dangerous: over 120 cultivators die, including more than 60 of the approximately 200 vanguard members.
• Despite the general devastation, Feng Jun’s five-person group, stationed at a protruding section of the wall, suffers almost no casualties.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates tactical awareness by immediately focusing on the number of flying beasts, recognizing that air superiority could determine the battle.
• Ji Ping’an reacts grimly to the scout’s report and provides practical information about the proportion and abilities of the invading birds.
• Xia Ping’an explains the relationship between ordinary Iron-Eating Ants, Spirit Beasts, and ant queens, helping Feng Jun understand the true scale of the swarm.
• The sword-cultivator scout is portrayed as extremely fast and agile but physically vulnerable. His injury highlights the disadvantages of sword cultivators’ limited defenses.
• The Dust-Free Realm cultivators act decisively to rescue the scout but are too slow to pursue the beasts effectively, showing both their strength and limitations.
• The invading Wasteland Beasts are characterized as intelligent, experienced, and capable of coordinated military strategy rather than acting as a mindless horde.

Significant Themes

• War as organized strategy: The beasts deliberately target all twelve defensive sectors, divide pressure among them, and use feints and reinforcements to prevent the cultivators from supporting one another.
• The cost of prolonged conflict: Even a relatively small percentage of casualties becomes alarming when sustained over multiple days, raising fears that a battle lasting weeks or months could devastate the defenders.
• Adaptation and initiative: The cultivators realize that passive defense is insufficient and begin sending dangerous vanguard teams to disrupt the enemy’s rear.
• Strength versus vulnerability: Powerful combat abilities do not guarantee survival; the sword cultivator’s speed cannot fully compensate for his weak defenses, while the beasts’ numbers and specialized abilities create constant threats.
• Morale and purpose: The chapter contrasts conventional ideas about armies breaking after heavy losses with cultivators’ willingness to continue fighting for advancement, honor, faith, or material rewards.
• Unequal burden of war: Some defensive positions endure brutal combat while others remain relatively idle, creating tension and encouraging unauthorized clashes or reckless attempts to reinforce allies.

Character Interactions

• The people on the wall coordinate to receive and protect the returning scout.
• Feng Jun discusses the invasion’s aerial threat with Ji Ping’an, while Xia Ping’an educates him about the Iron-Eating Ants.
• The two Dust-Free Realm cultivators cooperate to save the wounded sword cultivator and attempt to lure the pursuing beasts toward the wall, but the intelligent creatures recognize the trap and withdraw.
• The cultivators’ divided defensive structure shapes the entire battle, as each unit is pressured to protect its own position instead of freely supporting others.
• Feng Jun’s group remains unusually safe compared with the rest of the defenders, setting their position apart as the invasion intensifies.

Chapter Summary: “A War of Attrition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun’s five-person group defends a prominent section of the wall, a position important enough that it is normally assigned to a Qi Refining Level Nine cultivator.
• The Spirit Beasts initially attack another major salient rather than Feng Jun’s position, giving his group a brief reprieve. Xia Ping’an ventures beyond the wall to attack an Ironhide Scorpion but is forced back by a pack of Spirit Beasts, suffering a minor injury and losing a shoe. Feng Jun helps cover his retreat.
• On the fourth day, the Spirit Beasts launch a coordinated assault across the entire defensive line. Feng Jun’s group faces dozens of Spirit Beasts, swarms of Iron-Eating Ants, spirit birds, and long-range attacks from creatures such as Droughtfire Turtles and a powerful Spirit Hedgehog.
• Feng Jun is forced to reveal stronger abilities, using defensive Talismans, the Profound Origin Blade Technique, and Thunderclap Talismans. His group kills only a few Spirit Beasts because most corpses fall beyond the wall or are devoured before they can be recovered, limiting their official merit.
• An Early Qi Refining cultivator, Old Liu, is poisoned by a Golden Viper. Although he survives, battlefield regulations prevent him from being sent away because soldiers in the past abused injury rules to escape combat. The group reluctantly keeps him at the position despite his inability to fight effectively.
• The other defenders support Old Liu by giving him Talismans. Feng Jun is especially generous, handing over ten Thunderclap Talismans and revealing that he personally makes them.
• Spirit Beasts harass the wall at night, depriving the defenders of rest. During the confusion, Feng Jun secretly confirms that he can still return from the Phone Plane to the Blue Star Plane, giving him an escape route if the battle becomes impossible.
• He briefly rests at Luohua Manor for two days, though he refuses to test the newly optimized Lovesick Dream because he does not want to become distracted during the war. He learns that Zhang Caixin has advanced to the Mortal Transcendence Eighth Layer.
• The next day, the battle escalates dramatically. A Scarlet Flame Vulture and a Scaleless Earth Python break through the Geng-Character Squad’s key defenses. Reinforcements drive them back, but the squad’s Dust-Free Realm commander is seriously wounded and forced to withdraw.
• Qi Wusheng of the powerful Qi Family takes command. He quickly organizes the squad captains, secures a hundred reinforcements, and considers deploying cloud pillars to relieve pressure at the most heavily attacked positions.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious and avoids unnecessary risks, but the worsening battle forces him to use more of his true strength and valuable Talismans. His ability to make Talismans and use the Profound Origin Blade Technique becomes clearer.
• Xia Ping’an is shown to be bold and somewhat reckless, willingly advancing beyond the wall. He is also proud and easily pleased by Feng Jun’s indirect praise, despite Ji Ping’an’s private skepticism about his strength.
• Ji Ping’an acts as a practical, disciplined captain. He emphasizes conserving spiritual energy and Talismans, insists on following battlefield rules, and keeps the group focused on enduring what is likely to be a prolonged battle.
• Old Liu becomes a vulnerable but sympathetic figure. His poisoning leaves him dependent on his comrades, and his anger reflects the harshness of the military regulations.
• Qi Wusheng is introduced as a capable and authoritative commander. His immediate acquisition of reinforcements and strategic thinking establish him as a competent battlefield leader.
• Zhang Caixin’s advancement demonstrates her rapid cultivation progress and indirectly frustrates Feng Jun, who feels both impressed and resentful at her pace.

Significant Themes

• Attrition and endurance: The battle is not decided by a single clash but by prolonged exhaustion, limited resources, disrupted sleep, and mounting injuries.
• The harshness of military rules: Regulations are applied without regard for individual circumstances, even when they may leave a poisoned soldier nearly defenseless.
• Comradeship under pressure: Despite the severity of the situation, the defenders share Talismans and protect one another, demonstrating the solidarity of soldiers fighting together.
• The gap between actual achievement and official merit: Feng Jun’s group contributes significantly but receives credit only for corpses successfully recovered, exposing the limitations of the merit system.
• Hidden strength and strategic restraint: Feng Jun conceals much of his ability and manages his resources carefully, revealing power only when necessary.
• Escalation of conflict: The enemy gradually introduces stronger units and coordinated tactics, transforming scattered attacks into a major assault requiring higher-level commanders and reinforcements.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun protects Xia Ping’an during his reckless retreat, establishing mutual respect between them.
• Ji Ping’an repeatedly instructs the group to conserve spiritual energy and Talismans, acting as the voice of discipline.
• Ji Ping’an rejects Old Liu’s request to leave the battlefield, explaining that rules—not personal sympathy—govern decisions during war.
• Feng Jun, Xia Ping’an, and another defender give Old Liu Talismans, while Feng Jun contributes the most valuable support.
• Xia Ping’an jokingly asks to buy Feng Jun’s Thunderclap Talismans with gold, and Feng Jun teases him about relying on Talismans rather than his martial arts. Xia Ping’an proudly accepts the remark as praise, while Ji Ping’an silently mocks his vanity.
• After the Geng-Character Squad commander is wounded, Qi Wusheng takes control and consults the subordinate captains, signaling a shift from small-unit survival to organized strategic defense.

Chapter Summary: “Guarding the Cloud Pillar”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qi Wusheng, representing Swordforge Peak, proposes activating cloud pillars to divide the Spirit Beasts’ forces and redirect their attacks away from the city walls. He emphasizes that the plan should be adopted through cooperation rather than imposed, since any failure could damage the Qi family’s reputation.
• Ji Ping’an’s defensive position immediately requests a cloud pillar. Their group is badly understaffed because one member is incapacitated, leaving them with only about three and a half effective fighters. They hope the pillar will help them survive until the injured cultivator recovers.
• The next morning, a cloud pillar is raised about one li from Feng Jun and the others’ city wall. Its lower section is intangible, while the platform at the top is solid and defensible. The structure diverts many Spirit Beasts and limits which enemies can reach its defender.
• Xia Ping’an eagerly volunteers to defend the pillar, hoping to fight without restraint. However, the Spirit Beasts launch intense attacks, and he is repeatedly driven off and forced to fight his way back. Within half a day, he suffers several wounds, including a serious shoulder injury.
• A localized fog appears around the pillars and city wall, signaling the presence of a mirage worm. Xia initially hopes the fog will conceal him from the beasts, but its density remains unchanged, and he is eventually forced to retreat.
• During Xia’s withdrawal, desert dry spiders attack him with webs and a wind falcon swoops in. Feng Jun uses Thunderclap Talismans and his blade to protect Xia, then drags him safely back before taking over the cloud pillar himself.
• Once Feng Jun assumes the position, the battle becomes far more efficient. The cloud pillar prevents many dangerous beasts from reaching him, allowing him to kill three Spirit Beasts and seriously injure five more in one hour.
• Despite the tactical advantage, harvesting rewards remains difficult. The narrow platform makes it hard to cut off Spirit Beasts’ ears or keep their corpses from falling. Feng Jun ends the day with only a wind falcon corpse and half a golden pit viper’s body, though the position itself proves relatively easy to defend.

Character Developments

• Qi Wusheng is shown as cautious, diplomatic, and politically aware. He prioritizes consensus and shared responsibility over forcing through a plan, reflecting concern for both military results and the Qi family’s reputation.
• Xia Ping’an displays courage, recklessness, and creativity. He eagerly takes risks and even tries to use the mirage fog as cover, but the battle exposes the limits of an Innate Expert fighting alone against overwhelming numbers. Despite his impulsiveness, he remains responsible enough to worry about abandoning the cloud pillar.
• Feng Jun demonstrates superior cultivation, combat judgment, and reliability. Although Xia’s harsh request annoys him, he does not take offense and immediately risks himself to rescue Xia. His performance shows that stronger cultivators can exploit the pillar’s defensive advantages far better than Xia can.
• Ji Ping’an acts as a practical coordinator and mediator. He recognizes Xia’s limitations, encourages Feng Jun to take over, and smooths over tensions between the two men. He may also suspect that Feng Jun is approaching the realm of “Entering the Dao Through Martial Arts.”
• The injured team member remains largely incapacitated, emphasizing the group’s manpower shortage and the urgency behind deploying the cloud pillar.

Character Interactions

• Qi Wusheng’s cooperative proposal contrasts with the team’s immediate practical need, as Ji Ping’an quickly submits a request.
• Ji Ping’an repeatedly manages the relationship between Xia Ping’an and Feng Jun, explaining that battlefield speech is often harsh and asking Feng Jun not to take Xia’s words personally.
• Xia’s confidence clashes with reality when he insists he can hold the pillar, while Feng Jun ultimately has to rescue him.
• Feng Jun’s rough treatment—grabbing Xia by the collar and dragging him back—is balanced by his decisive protection of Xia from the spiders and wind falcon.
• Xia briefly suspects Feng Jun may have used him to draw enemy fire, but Ji Ping’an dismisses the idea and points out that Feng Jun had simply avoided hidden attacks more effectively.

Significant Themes

• Cooperation and shared responsibility: Qi Wusheng’s proposal emphasizes that successful crisis management requires coordination between commanders and defenders.
• Courage versus capability: Xia Ping’an’s bravery is genuine, but the chapter shows that courage alone cannot compensate for inadequate strength or experience.
• Tactical adaptation: The cloud pillar changes the battlefield by splitting enemy attacks and restricting which Spirit Beasts can reach the defender.
• Trust and teamwork: Feng Jun’s rescue of Xia and Ji Ping’an’s mediation demonstrate how survival depends on relying on stronger allies and maintaining group cohesion.
• The cost of battlefield success: Even after an effective defense, Feng Jun gains little material reward, showing that victory and profit are not always the same.

Chapter Summary: “The Power of a Plane”

Key Plot Points and Events

• With the Cloud Pillar activated, Feng Jun and Ji Ping’an find it much easier to defend their positions against the Spirit Beasts. Ji remains near the city wall, while Feng guards the Cloud Pillar alone.
• As afternoon approaches, Mirage Qi thickens into dense white fog, obscuring the Cloud Pillar and reducing visibility. Ji suppresses Spirit Beasts approaching the city wall with arrows, deliberately conserving his stronger spells, Talismans, and special arrows.
• Feng Jun uses his weakened Divine Sense to ambush Spirit Beasts in the fog. He kills several beasts and expands his hunting range, believing the fog gives him an advantage because his enemies’ perception is even worse than his own.
• Feng narrowly avoids a Desert Drought Spider’s highly adhesive silk and venom. Realizing that being caught would force him to retreat to the Blue Star Plane, he changes tactics and returns to the Cloud Pillar.
• Using an infrared telescope, Feng identifies a Goldshattering Rock Sheep and attacks it with two Lightning-Calling Techniques. Ji Ping’an simultaneously fires arrows at the same beast. Feng’s lightning severely wounds it, and Ji’s arrow ultimately kills it.
• Before Ji can claim the corpse, a Thunderclap Leopard carries it away. Feng receives no material reward despite spending much of his spiritual qi, making him regret the impulsive attack.
• Back in the Blue Star Plane, Feng takes a Qi-Recovery Pill to restore his energy. He reflects that battles should ultimately serve profit and that wasteful fights should be avoided.
• After recovering, Feng returns to the Phone Plane and uses his phone to search for nearby Spirit Beasts. He eventually finds an isolated Desert Drought Spider and attacks it.
• Feng evades the spider silk, grabs the spider, and uses the “Exit” function to transfer it to the Blue Star Plane, demonstrating that the plane-transfer ability can be used offensively to capture living creatures.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun displays confidence, ingenuity, and boldness in exploiting the fog and his superior mobility. However, his attack on the Goldshattering Rock Sheep reveals his tendency to act impulsively and show off, even when the reward is uncertain.
• After losing the rock sheep’s corpse and wasting a large amount of spiritual qi, Feng becomes more pragmatic. He recognizes that strength should be used for practical gain and resolves to avoid unprofitable battles.
• Feng also demonstrates growing mastery of his unique plane-related abilities, using them not merely to escape danger but to ambush and capture Spirit Beasts.
• Ji Ping’an remains cautious and experienced. He conserves his strongest weapons, uses arrows for suppression, and understands the tactical risks of revealing powerful abilities. His surprise at the lightning strike highlights how effectively Feng can operate independently in the fog.
• Xia Ping’an continues to act as a supporting figure, though Ji’s dismissive comment about him causes mild friction.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus bravado: Feng’s costly attack teaches him that victory is not worthwhile if it produces no meaningful gain.
• Resource management in war: Spiritual qi, powerful arrows, spells, and Talismans must be used carefully. Tactical restraint is as important as combat ability.
• The value of unique abilities: Feng’s access to the Blue Star Plane gives him an advantage unavailable to ordinary cultivators, allowing him to retreat from danger, recover safely, and ultimately remove an enemy from the battlefield.
• Adaptation and perception: The Mirage Qi weakens everyone’s senses, but Feng turns this disadvantage into an opportunity by relying on Divine Sense, technology, mobility, and careful observation.
• Risk and reward: The chapter repeatedly contrasts dangerous encounters—especially with the Desert Drought Spider—with the uncertain benefits of hunting in the fog.

Character Interactions

• Ji Ping’an and Xia Ping’an briefly argue over whether Xia’s presence would have helped defend the Cloud Pillar.
• Ji and Feng fight the same Goldshattering Rock Sheep without directly coordinating, with Feng using lightning and Ji using arrows. Ji is startled by Feng’s unexpected attack.
• Spirit Beasts cooperate while assaulting the city but become competitors once one of their number is killed, as shown when the Thunderclap Leopard steals the rock sheep’s corpse.
• Feng encounters Zhang Caixin after returning to the Blue Star Plane, though their interaction is minimal; she is stabilizing her cultivation while Feng restores his depleted energy.

Chapter Summary: Cross-Plane Transport of Spirit Beasts

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun transports a massive Drought Spider from the Phone Plane to the Blue Star Plane. The spider is killed instantly by the spatial force of the plane shift.
• To ensure it is truly dead, Feng Jun strikes it with the Stone Mace, then prepares to cut off one of its legs for merit points.
• Flower Flower arrives, recognizes the spider as a valuable spiritual food source and natural enemy of butterflies, and insists on eating it.
• Feng Jun bargains with her, agreeing to give her the spider in exchange for thirty additional years of service, bringing her total commitment to 330 years. He keeps the spider’s first left leg.
• Gu Jiahui and Yang Yuxin discover the enormous spider. Yang is terrified, while Gu Jiahui jokingly wonders whether it is part of a cosplay performance.
• Several other cultivators and spirit beasts arrive after hearing the screams. Everyone is shocked by the spider, while Flower Flower happily dances beside it. Crow King immediately flees.
• Feng Jun has Flower Flower store the spider and disguises the incident by claiming it is merely medicinal “snack” food for her.
• Feng Jun then resumes hunting Spirit Beasts from the Cloud Pillar. He kills a Sandworm and a Droughtfire Turtle, both valuable for their meat and materials. The Turtle’s shell is especially useful for artifact and pill refinement.
• Because Feng Jun can use plane-shifting spatial force to kill even highly defensive creatures, nearby Spirit Beasts begin sensing danger and avoid the Cloud Pillar.
• His hunting becomes increasingly difficult: groups of beasts remain outside his detection range, Storm Gulls are too fast to target, and eventually nearly all Spirit Beasts disappear from the area.
• Later, Feng Jun kills a Sand Lizard with seven Thunderclap Talismans. Observers debate whether his previous attacks used talismans or the more powerful Lightning-Calling Technique.
• Ji Ping’an and another cultivator conclude that Feng Jun’s presence is reassuring, though they wonder how he can replenish the spiritual energy required by his techniques. Feng Jun, however, is more concerned by the mysterious disappearance of available Spirit Beasts.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, tactical intelligence, and a willingness to bargain, but also retains a humorous, somewhat calculating side. He balances his own need for merit points against Flower Flower’s desire for food.
• Flower Flower reveals her strong instinctive appetite and her natural hostility toward spiders. She is eager, mischievous, and willing to extend her service in exchange for the Drought Spider.
• Gu Jiahui remains comparatively composed and playful, responding to danger with curiosity and humor rather than panic.
• Yang Yuxin shows a strong fear of spiders and is overwhelmed by the creature’s size.
• Crow King is portrayed as cowardly and unreliable, fleeing immediately upon seeing the spider.
• Ji Ping’an gains greater respect for Feng Jun’s abilities and views him as a dependable protector.
• The unnamed poisoned cultivator displays considerable knowledge of thunder techniques, suggesting that even apparently minor cultivators may possess significant expertise.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness and bargaining: Feng Jun negotiates rather than simply taking or surrendering the spider, preserving both his interests and Flower Flower’s cooperation.
• Power and adaptation: Feng Jun’s unique ability to transport and kill Spirit Beasts gives him an advantage that changes the behavior of the surrounding ecosystem.
• Humor amid danger: The terrifying spider becomes a source of comedy through Flower Flower’s excitement, Crow King’s flight, and Feng Jun’s absurd explanation that it is merely a snack.
• The unpredictability of the cultivation world: The chapter emphasizes that hidden expertise and unusual abilities may appear anywhere, as shown by the poisoned cultivator’s knowledge of thunder techniques.
• Isolation and uncertainty: As the Spirit Beasts vanish, Feng Jun experiences growing loneliness and begins to suspect that something unusual is happening.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Flower Flower negotiate over ownership of the Drought Spider, establishing a transactional but familiar relationship.
• Feng Jun deliberately conceals the truth from Gu Jiahui, Yang Yuxin, and the others, while Flower Flower assists by pretending to be weak and sick.
• Gu Jiahui and Gazi understand Flower Flower’s act and laugh, contrasting with Yang Yuxin and the Little Celestial Master, who are confused.
• Tang Wenji questions Feng Jun’s explanation, but he dismisses her concerns with calm humor.
• Ji Ping’an and the poisoned cultivator discuss Feng Jun’s combat methods, ultimately agreeing that his presence strengthens the defenders’ confidence.
• The chapter ends with a contrast between others’ concern over Feng Jun’s spiritual reserves and Feng Jun’s own concern about why the Spirit Beasts have abruptly stopped appearing.

Chapter Summary: “Fishing Spirit Beasts on the Battlefield”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feeling isolated and useless while guarding the Cloud Pillar, Feng Jun decides to actively lure and kill spirit beasts attacking the city wall.
• He uses cooked Spirit Rice and spirit beast meat as bait. A Purple-Gold Eagle is attracted first, but although Feng Jun injures it with several strikes, its powerful wingbeat knocks him off the Cloud Pillar and allows it to escape.
• The fallen food attracts Iron-Eating Ants and wolf-like spirit beasts, giving Feng Jun the idea to “fish” for spirit beasts rather than fight them directly.
• After testing different foods and bait placements, Feng Jun hangs cooked spirit beast meat from a steel wire near the ground. This attracts Goldshattering Rock Sheep, Droughtfire Turtles, and Sand Lizards.
• He repeatedly teases a Goldshattering Rock Sheep with the bait before allowing it to bite down. At that moment, he activates the Phone Plane’s transfer ability and brings the enormous, dead sheep back to the Blue Star Plane.
• Gazi and Tang Wenji help drain and preserve the sheep’s blood. Feng Jun explains that spirit beast meat can greatly aid cultivation and should be treated as a valuable internal resource for the estate.
• Feng Jun orders Gazi to store and butcher the sheep and asks that a cold-storage room be built so more spirit beast meat can be preserved.
• The Crow King arrives, drawn by the spiritually rich blood, but Gazi angrily tries to drive it away after recalling that the crow had previously taken advantage of Feng Jun’s resources.
• Hao Fengjing later arrives and offers to help. Feng Jun warns her that the battlefield is too dangerous for her current strength, but he demonstrates the process by transferring a massive turtle to the estate after spending two pieces of meat to catch it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more proactive and inventive. Rather than merely defending the Cloud Pillar, he devises a low-risk method of harvesting spirit beasts through bait and cross-plane transfer. His loneliness and desire to remain useful motivate his actions.
• Gazi shows enthusiasm for both cultivation and practical work. He is excited by the benefits of spirit beast meat, volunteers to butcher the sheep, and becomes protective of the estate’s resources.
• Tang Wenji displays curiosity and a growing awareness of cultivation-related matters. She is fascinated by the spirit beasts and immediately recognizes the potential value of their meat.
• Hao Fengjing feels frustrated by her inability to participate in the battlefield conflict, revealing her insecurity about being weaker than the cultivators. Feng Jun reassures her that strength requires time and continued cultivation.
• The Crow King is portrayed as opportunistic, returning as soon as it detects the valuable spiritual blood.
• Feng Jun also becomes more cautious about secrecy, limiting knowledge of the Phone Plane and the imported spirit beasts to trusted people.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity over brute force: Feng Jun turns an ordinary weakness—his inability to pursue every spirit beast directly—into an opportunity by using bait and spatial transfer.
• Resourcefulness and cultivation economics: Spirit beasts are not merely enemies; their bodies, blood, and meat are valuable cultivation resources that must be collected, preserved, and managed.
• Isolation and the need for purpose: Feng Jun’s decision to hunt stems partly from boredom and loneliness, but also from his fear that he is contributing little to the larger battle.
• Strength and patience: Hao Fengjing’s frustration highlights the gap between ordinary practitioners and battlefield-level cultivators. Feng Jun emphasizes that improvement takes time.
• Secrecy and responsibility: Feng Jun must balance helping his estate with preventing others from discovering the Phone Plane or becoming involved in dangerous activities.
• Comedic practicality amid danger: The serious battlefield setting is contrasted with mundane concerns such as draining blood, building cold storage, arguing over how much meat Gazi can eat, and chasing away a greedy crow.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun fights the Purple-Gold Eagle directly, demonstrating his combat ability but also the limitations imposed by the Cloud Pillar’s location.
• He works with Gazi and Tang Wenji to process the Goldshattering Rock Sheep, while they question him about the origin and benefits of the spirit beasts.
• Gazi and Tang Wenji bicker humorously over how much sheep meat can be eaten and whether Gazi could finish the carcass himself.
• Feng Jun instructs Gazi to keep the Phone Plane secret and restricts access to trusted individuals, with Teacher Mei being an exception.
• Gazi clashes with the Crow King when it returns to consume the sheep’s spiritually rich blood.
• Hao Fengjing offers to accompany Feng Jun to the battlefield, but he refuses for her safety and encourages her to focus on cultivation.
• Feng Jun ultimately includes her in the spirit-beast operation by transferring a giant turtle for her to store, showing both his trust in her and his willingness to share the benefits of his discoveries.

Chapter Summary:

A Unique Cloud Pillar

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun continues using the Cloud Pillar in the Phone Plane to “fish” for Spirit Beasts, bringing back Spirit Hedgehogs, vipers, and leopards. He keeps the vipers for Hao Fengjing and plans to sell the less desirable meat.
• His fishing attracts the attention of nearby Spirit Beasts. After being attacked by Spirit Hedgehogs, Feng Jun realizes that the creatures are intelligent enough to recognize the Cloud Pillar and accurately target him.
• When Feng Jun is ambushed by two Black-headed Sand Swallows, a Storm Gull, and a Winged Serpent, he refuses to retreat to the Blue Star Plane. Instead, he fights within the mirage mist, seriously injures several attackers, knocks down the Winged Serpent with the Lightning-Calling Technique, and establishes his dominance over the area.
• Exhausted and low on spiritual energy, Feng Jun returns to Blue Star to take a Qi-Recovery Pill. He views the cost as worthwhile because the Spirit Beast meat and strategic value of holding the Cloud Pillar outweigh the expense.
• Hao Fengjing worries about his condition and hints that there are other methods of restoring spiritual energy besides relying on the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• During the night, Ji Ping’an becomes concerned because constant fighting surrounds Feng Jun’s Cloud Pillar. By dawn, he offers to relieve Feng Jun, but Feng Jun refuses, claiming the area has become easy to defend.
• Feng Jun reveals that the Spirit Beasts have stopped attacking him because they now recognize him as a dangerous opponent. He even complains that they no longer take his bait.
• To prove he is safe, Feng Jun uses two Thunderclap Talismans to severely injure a venomous scorpion. His display convinces the others that he is genuinely holding the Cloud Pillar with ease.
• Elsewhere, the siege intensifies. Newly appearing Cloud Pillars become centers of brutal battles, changing hands repeatedly as cultivators and Spirit Beasts fight for control. The cultivators deliberately preserve the pillars because holding them is strategically better than retreating to the city wall.
• The chapter ends with cultivators noticing that one particular Cloud Pillar is strangely quiet, even while the nearby wall is under heavy attack.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more strategically disciplined. Rather than fleeing when attacked, he chooses to defend his position and deliberately teaches the Spirit Beasts that he is not an easy target.
• He also shows increasing confidence and resourcefulness, combining bait, the mirage mist, physical combat, the Lightning-Calling Technique, and Thunderclap Talismans.
• Feng Jun’s successful defense transforms the Cloud Pillar into an unusual safe zone where the Spirit Beasts avoid confrontation.
• Hao Fengjing demonstrates concern for Feng Jun’s health and spiritual exhaustion. Her comment about alternative recovery methods suggests she may possess or know a more efficient technique for restoring spiritual energy.
• Ji Ping’an acts cautiously and responsibly, worrying about Feng Jun after the night battle and offering to take over the defense.
• Xia Ping’an remains skeptical of Feng Jun’s claims, joking that his apparent lack of combat might be caused by an illusion or the Cloud Pillar having already fallen. His doubts ultimately turn into reluctant acknowledgment after witnessing Feng Jun’s talisman attack.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and intelligence: The Spirit Beasts are not mindless creatures. They learn from Feng Jun’s fishing tactics, coordinate ambushes, and remember dangerous enemies.
• Strategic positioning: Holding Cloud Pillars is more valuable than simply conserving resources or retreating to the city wall. The pillars limit the Spirit Beasts’ numerical advantage and provide a stronger defensive position.
• Reputation as a weapon: Feng Jun intentionally fights back hard to establish deterrence. Once the Spirit Beasts recognize him as dangerous, he gains control of the area without needing constant combat.
• Cost versus strategic value: Feng Jun accepts the loss of spiritual energy and the use of recovery pills because maintaining his position and securing Spirit Beast resources serve a larger strategic purpose.
• Mutual uncertainty: The other cultivators cannot easily understand Feng Jun’s unusual methods, while Feng Jun himself must constantly judge how much the Spirit Beasts have learned and how they will respond.

Character Interactions

• Hao Fengjing questions Feng Jun’s unexpected fishing activities and later expresses concern when he returns exhausted. Their exchange shows familiarity and growing concern between them.
• Feng Jun explains his condition to Hao Fengjing but withholds the full danger he faced, presenting his use of the Qi-Recovery Pill as routine.
• Ji Ping’an and Xia Ping’an worry about Feng Jun’s ability to survive the night’s attacks and offer assistance.
• Xia Ping’an’s teasing suspicion that Feng Jun may be hallucinating or have lost the Cloud Pillar creates tension, prompting Feng Jun to defend his competence.
• Feng Jun answers their doubts through action rather than explanation, using Thunderclap Talismans to demonstrate that his Cloud Pillar remains secure.
• Nearby cultivators become increasingly puzzled by the absence of Spirit Beast attacks at Feng Jun’s position, setting up the mystery of why this particular Cloud Pillar has become so unusual.

Chapter Summary: “Spirit Wine Stirs Chaos”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Ping’an, poisoned and badly injured, continues fighting after using a powerful antidote to suppress the poison. His team’s previous slaughter of Spirit Beasts has made them reluctant to approach the Cloud Pillar.
• Feng Jun refuses to leave the Cloud Pillar and attack directly, arguing that doing so would expose him to unnecessary danger and risk losing the defensive position. Instead, he devises a safer strategy.
• He releases the scent of Lovesick Dream, an exceptionally potent spirit wine, to lure Spirit Beasts away from the battlefield. The beasts become uncontrollably attracted to it, abandoning other Cloud Pillars and converging on Feng Jun’s position.
• Feng Jun throws cups of the wine into the Spirit Beast ranks. Beasts that become intoxicated or splashed with wine are attacked and devoured by their companions, triggering widespread chaos.
• He exploits the disorder by targeting valuable or rare Spirit Beasts, including a Spirit Beast-level Iron-Eating Ant and a Goldshattering Rock Sheep. He kills or captures them while avoiding prolonged direct combat.
• The wine-induced confusion disrupts the Spirit Beasts’ coordination, stabilizing the human defenders’ section of the city wall and causing far greater enemy casualties there.
• As the fighting continues, old hostilities among the Spirit Beasts resurface, threatening to develop into large-scale internal conflict.
• Just as Feng Jun notices that the beasts’ infighting is beginning to diminish, he suddenly senses a powerful threat and escapes three li away.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, strategic creativity, and opportunism. Although unwilling to risk a head-on assault, he finds an unconventional way to contribute substantially while concealing his strongest abilities.
• He becomes increasingly bold once his wine tactic succeeds, moving from merely defending the Cloud Pillar to actively raiding the chaotic battlefield and harvesting Spirit Beast corpses and parts.
• Ji Ping’an is shown as experienced and responsible. Despite his injuries and poisoning, he remains committed to the defense and immediately recognizes the danger Feng Jun’s wine poses.
• Xia Ping’an, fighting despite a reopened injury, correctly suspects that Feng Jun is responsible for the wine’s arrival.
• The supporting cultivators initially question Feng Jun’s contribution, but their attitude shifts when they see the Spirit Beasts drawn away and the pressure on the city wall ease.

Significant Themes

• Strategic warfare over brute force: Feng Jun succeeds not through overwhelming strength but by exploiting the Spirit Beasts’ instincts and weaknesses.
• Greed and loss of control: Even though the beasts understand that spirit wine may be a trap, their desire for the extraordinarily potent Lovesick Dream overwhelms their caution.
• Chaos as a weapon: Feng Jun turns the enemy’s own appetites and rivalries against them, undermining their unity and command structure.
• Risk versus self-preservation: Feng Jun balances the need to contribute with his determination not to expose his hidden trump cards or fight recklessly.
• The fragility of alliances: Once intoxicated and provoked, the Spirit Beasts quickly revert to old grudges, showing that their cooperation is unstable.

Character Interactions

• Ji Ping’an and other cultivators criticize or question Feng Jun’s defensive approach, while Feng Jun responds by promising an alternative method rather than accepting a suicidal attack.
• Ji Ping’an and Xia Ping’an independently identify Feng Jun as the source of the wine and react with alarm.
• Ji Ping’an warns Feng Jun to stop using the wine, but Feng Jun ignores the warning and continues his plan.
• Human cultivators observe the Spirit Beasts abandoning their positions and gradually realize that Feng Jun’s actions are relieving pressure on the city wall.
• Feng Jun does not directly coordinate with the defenders; instead, he operates independently, manipulating both the Spirit Beasts and the battlefield to his advantage.

Chapter Summary: “The Mountain-River Seal Shows Its Might”

• Feng Jun is pursued by a powerful Wasteland Beast after becoming disoriented in the mirage mist. He dodges repeatedly, losing track of his Cloud Pillar and accidentally bursting out of the mist into the assembled Spirit Beast army.
• Realizing he has emerged near a seemingly important golden fox surrounded by Spirit Beasts, Feng Jun takes a calculated risk. He returns into the mist, then charges out again with the Mountain-River Seal activated.
• Feng Jun pours all his spiritual energy into the seal and destroys seven Spirit Beasts, including the golden fox. The attack reveals the seal’s extraordinary power: despite being a peak Qi Refining cultivator, Feng Jun can use it to unleash a devastating blow capable of affecting the earth itself.
• Two Wasteland Beasts—the Viper King and a Scarlet Flame Vulture—arrive too late to save the target and pursue Feng Jun into the mist. He escapes toward the city wall, where a Dust-Free Realm cultivator intercepts them.
• The defender uses an Ice Seal Talisman, forcing the beasts to retreat. The Scarlet Flame Vulture escapes, while the Viper King is partly frozen and then wounded by the city’s Spirit-Slaying Crossbows. Enraged, it orders numerous vipers to attack the same section of the wall.
• It is then revealed that the “golden fox” was actually an illusion created by a hidden Mirage Worm. Feng Jun’s Mountain-River Seal did not merely destroy the illusion; its earth-shaking power also killed the Mirage Worm underground.
• The Mirage Worm’s death causes the protective mirage mist covering that section of the wall to vanish. Although the mist had helped conceal the Spirit Beast army, its disappearance lets both sides see each other clearly, prompting the beasts to concentrate their assault there.
• The defenders are forced to use the Spirit-Slaying Crossbows repeatedly. The section becomes a bloody battlefield as vipers attack to avenge the Viper King, injuring several human cultivators with their venom. The Dust-Free Realm defender bitterly blames the unidentified cultivator who caused the crisis and fled.
• Feng Jun deliberately hides his identity by using the Thousand Faces Art, then returns to his own unit and restores his appearance. He casually claims that he “got lost” and announces that he is going back to reclaim the Cloud Pillar.
• Ji Ping’an and the other cultivators are shocked to learn that Feng Jun had not been on the Cloud Pillar. Xia Ping’an is severely injured and unable to speak, while another cultivator suspects Feng Jun was the mysterious person scattering spirit wine.

Character Development and Interactions

• Feng Jun demonstrates courage, opportunism, and tactical intelligence. Though he initially tries to avoid danger, he recognizes the value of eliminating a key enemy asset and acts decisively. He also shows a strong instinct for self-preservation, escaping immediately after attacking and concealing his identity afterward.
• His interaction with the Wasteland Beasts highlights his effectiveness with the Mountain-River Seal and his ability to provoke stronger enemies without becoming trapped in direct combat.
• The Dust-Free Realm defender acts responsibly by intercepting the beasts and protecting the wall, but becomes frustrated when Feng Jun’s actions create unexpected consequences for his unit.
• Ji Ping’an and the stationed cultivators are bewildered by Feng Jun’s unexplained disappearance and sudden return, while Xia Ping’an’s injuries emphasize the continuing cost of the siege.

Major Themes

• Unintended consequences on the battlefield: Feng Jun kills a Mirage Worm, but this removes the defenders’ concealment and causes the Spirit Beasts to focus their assault on that section.
• Power hidden beneath appearances: The golden fox is only an illusion, while Feng Jun’s seemingly simple seal possesses immense destructive power.
• Tactical opportunism versus responsibility: Feng Jun makes a valuable strategic kill but leaves others to deal with the resulting chaos.
• Confusion and unpredictability in war: The chapter stresses that battlefield events often develop in irrational, unexpected ways, with small actions triggering large shifts in the conflict.
• Anonymity and self-preservation: Feng Jun’s use of the Thousand Faces Art reflects his desire to remain inconspicuous even after making a major contribution—or causing a major problem.

Chapter Summary: The Grudge-Holding Purple-Gold Eagle

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun explains that he obtained the spirit wine through private connections with the Heavenlink Trade Alliance and used it to disrupt the Spirit Beasts. He reveals that the wine is Lovesick Dream, a rare spirit wine refined by the Three-Absolutes Adept.
• The cultivators are shocked and excited by the revelation. Feng Jun takes the opportunity to advertise the upcoming auction of the Lovesick Goblet.
• Feng Jun easily retakes and defends Cloud Pillar after using the wine to lure Spirit Beasts into chaos and infighting. He catches another golden Desert Drought Spider, though it is mainly useful as food for Flower Flower.
• On the sixteenth day of the siege, ten thousand reinforcements arrive, along with replenished supplies. Merchants accept Spirit Beast materials as payment, reflecting the wealth generated by the dangerous invasion.
• Feng Jun’s previously calm defensive position is disrupted by the return of the Purple-Gold Eagle he badly wounded earlier. The eagle has partially recovered and begins repeatedly targeting him.
• The eagle launches several ambushes, including one involving a spear and another involving a Golden Viper. Feng Jun injures it again, but it repeatedly escapes and even lures other Spirit Beasts into attacking him.
• Realizing the eagle is extremely vindictive, Feng Jun changes his behavior. He avoids provoking notoriously grudge-holding creatures such as Iron-Eating Ants and focuses on safer prey like the Goldshattering Rock Sheep.
• Feng Jun repeatedly uses Lovesick Dream at locations away from Cloud Pillar, both to cause chaos among distant Spirit Beasts and to set a trap for the eagle.
• He eventually detects the eagle’s position through the metal weapon it carries, using his ability to sense nearby mineral deposits. Feng Jun prepares a sniper rifle, hoping to kill it without producing spiritual energy fluctuations.
• The eagle remains airborne for more than half an hour, patiently waiting for Feng Jun to expose himself. At last, it lands to rest, giving Feng Jun a potential opportunity to strike.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates greater strategic flexibility. Rather than relying purely on direct combat, he uses spirit wine, firearms, reconnaissance abilities, and psychological tactics to control the battlefield.
• His confidence is tempered by caution. Although he is determined to kill the Purple-Gold Eagle, he refuses to pursue it recklessly into possible traps or risk attracting stronger Wasteland Beasts.
• Feng Jun also becomes more discerning about which Spirit Beasts to fight, recognizing that some species are dangerous not only because of their strength but also because of their ability to hold grudges.
• The Purple-Gold Eagle develops from a badly wounded opponent into Feng Jun’s persistent nemesis. Its intelligence, patience, stamina, and desire for revenge make it unusually dangerous.
• The surrounding cultivators show increased respect and excitement toward Feng Jun after learning that he possesses Lovesick Dream, treating him more like a valuable comrade than a distant high-level cultivator.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and persistence: The eagle’s refusal to let go of its past injury drives the central conflict.
• Strategy over brute force: Feng Jun repeatedly manipulates the battlefield rather than confronting every enemy directly.
• Risk and reward: The siege is deadly but provides abundant Spirit Beast materials and opportunities for profit.
• Adaptation and caution: Feng Jun learns that battlefield survival requires understanding enemy behavior, not merely measuring combat strength.
• Resourcefulness and technology: Spiritual techniques, rare wine, mineral detection, and modern firearms are combined in unconventional ways.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s explanation of Lovesick Dream astonishes Ji Ping’an, Xia Ping’an, and the other cultivators, while one cultivator eagerly tries to obtain an introduction to Feng Jun’s supplier.
• Feng Jun interacts with the Spirit Beasts primarily through baiting, ambushes, and counterattacks rather than communication. His conflict with the Purple-Gold Eagle becomes intensely personal.
• The eagle uses other creatures—including a Golden Viper and several spirit birds—as part of its attacks, demonstrating both its tactical intelligence and its ability to turn the surrounding Spirit Beasts against Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “Eliminating Future Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun attempts to assassinate the Purple-Gold Eagle with a sniper rifle, but the eagle detects his approach and escapes into the sky.
• Realizing the eagle is tracking him, Feng Jun leads it toward an area where he previously buried five massive explosive charges. He lures nearby Spirit Beasts with spirit wine, then remotely detonates the explosives.
• The blast kills or severely injures many Spirit Beasts and tears apart the surrounding mirage mist. The Purple-Gold Eagle is thrown into the air, allowing Feng Jun to finish it by severing its head and storing away its corpse.
• The explosion causes widespread confusion among the cultivators and Spirit Beasts. Nearly a hundred Spirit Beasts die, and many more are wounded.
• The weakened Spirit Beasts launch a full-scale assault on the cultivator defenses the following day. Feng Jun initially intends to remain at the Cloud Pillar and provide limited support, but he joins the battle after witnessing heavy casualties among his comrades.
• The battle lasts until nightfall. The cultivators suffer more than four thousand casualties, including over a thousand deaths, while several sections of the walls collapse.
• Feng Jun gives the severely wounded Xia Ping’an an Everlasting Vitality Pill, but Xia Ping’an believes he is beyond saving and asks Feng Jun to look after his younger brother, Xia Ning’an.
• Feng Jun fights again the next morning but withdraws at noon to recover, arguing that his primary duty is guarding the Cloud Pillar.
• Upon returning, Feng Jun senses something unusual and discovers that a Sand Mirage King—a Spirit Beast at the Dust-Free Realm level—has disguised itself as part of the Cloud Pillar’s platform and infiltrated his position.
• He captures the Sand Mirage King and returns to the Blue Star Plane. Hao Fengjing informs him that Zhang Caixin’s aura has stabilized and that her advancement should be complete within half a day.
• Feng Jun reveals that he has obtained a cultivation technique suitable for Zhang Caixin and hopes it will help her reach the Qi Refining Stage.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates strategic patience and increasing ruthlessness by using explosives and bait to eliminate the Purple-Gold Eagle. However, he also shows responsibility and compassion by joining the battlefield when his comrades are endangered and offering Xia Ping’an a valuable healing pill. He remains cautious about conserving spiritual energy and balancing personal safety with military duty.
• Xia Ping’an: His reckless bravery becomes clear during the siege, where he fights until both legs are severed. His concern for his younger brother in his final moments reveals a more vulnerable and selfless side.
• Hao Fengjing: Continues to act as a trusted companion and messenger. She is surprised by Feng Jun’s capture of another Dust-Free Realm Spirit Beast and worries about his safety in the dangerous battle zone.
• Zhang Caixin: Though absent from most of the events, her successful cultivation progress becomes an important subplot. Feng Jun’s decision to obtain a technique for her shows his continued investment in her growth.

Significant Themes

• Eliminating future threats: Feng Jun refuses to leave the Purple-Gold Eagle alive, recognizing it as a persistent danger and taking elaborate measures to destroy it.
• Strategy over brute force: He relies on concealment, bait, explosives, timing, and misdirection rather than openly confronting powerful enemies.
• Duty versus self-preservation: Feng Jun initially prioritizes conserving energy and guarding his post, but witnessing the deaths of his comrades compels him to enter the wider battle.
• The cost of war: The siege causes devastating casualties, shifts attention away from profit and merit, and reveals the fragile position of the cultivators.
• Hidden dangers: The Sand Mirage King’s infiltration demonstrates that threats may come not only from the battlefield but also from unnoticed enemies hiding within supposedly secure positions.
• Compassion and loyalty: Feng Jun’s gift to Xia Ping’an and his concern for Zhang Caixin contrast with his cold efficiency toward enemies.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s confrontation with the Purple-Gold Eagle is indirect: he allows it to follow him, then uses spirit wine and explosives to create an ambush.
• His actions affect both cultivators and Spirit Beasts, though neither side initially realizes he caused the explosion.
• Feng Jun and Xia Ping’an share a brief but meaningful exchange. Xia Ping’an asks him to protect his brother, while Feng Jun rejects the farewell emotionally but still gives him the healing pill.
• Feng Jun later speaks with Hao Fengjing about the Sand Mirage King. Their conversation mixes practical concern, curiosity about whether the captured beast is edible, and discussion of Zhang Caixin’s cultivation.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with Zhang Caixin is shown through indirect care: he plans to reward her advancement with a cultivation technique specifically suited to her.

Chapter Summary: “Forced Buying and Selling”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to the cloud pillar to replenish his qi rather than switching planes while weakened, since doing so might expose his secret ability to move between the Blue Star Realm and the Phone Plane.
• After a brief truce, the Spirit Beasts launch an all-out assault lasting an entire day and night. The Mirage Worms release enormous amounts of mirage vapor, making the battlefield increasingly dangerous.
• Feng Jun chooses to remain on the cloud pillar and defend it instead of joining the fighting. He correctly realizes that guarding the pillar is valuable and that the dense mist makes frontline combat especially risky.
• When the Spirit Beasts retreat, a Soaring Serpent King approaches the cloud pillar, apparently intending to retrieve or escort the Sand Mirage King. Feng Jun ambushes it with lightning and follows with three saber strikes, severely wounding it and nearly killing it.
• The Soaring Serpent King escapes rather than risk being surrounded by human cultivators. Soon afterward, the mirage vapor disperses and the battlefield is revealed to be devastated.
• Two days later, the Spirit Beast army fully withdraws. The human cultivators, too injured to pursue effectively, send only a small force after them.
• Merit registration begins. Feng Jun reports only a fraction of his kills, deliberately concealing the Sand Mirage King and other corpses stored away. He officially claims seventeen merit points despite possessing far more valuable loot.
• Feng Jun’s former five-person group suffers heavily: Xia Ping’an dies, another cultivator is crippled, one is seriously injured, and Ji Ping’an loses an arm but restores it using an Everlasting Vitality Pill.
• After the battle, a Qi Refining Advanced Stage cultivator attempts to pressure Ji Ping’an into selling or surrendering merit points. Ji Ping’an refuses to be intimidated and demands sixty Spirit Stones per merit point, turning the attempted coercion into a hostile negotiation.

2. Character Development

• Feng Jun: Becomes even more cautious and politically aware. Instead of seeking glory, he prioritizes concealing his abilities, protecting his position, and accumulating hidden resources. His ambush of the Soaring Serpent King demonstrates that he can threaten opponents above his level when he combines preparation, surprise, lightning, and sword techniques.
• Ji Ping’an: Emerges as a hardened battlefield veteran who treats life and death with indifference. Despite losing an arm and his team suffering major casualties, he remains blunt, fearless, and unwilling to submit to stronger figures. His demand for an inflated price shows both his poverty and his refusal to be exploited.
• Xia Ping’an: Dies during the battle, but Ji Ping’an honors him by accepting responsibility for his younger brother, Xia Ning’an, and collecting his merit.
• Qi Wusheng: Though injured himself, he uses his status as a member of the powerful Qi Family of Swordforge Peak to support the aggressive buyer, creating social pressure on Ji Ping’an.
• The Qi Refining Advanced Stage cultivator: Revealed as opportunistic and entitled. He assumes Ji Ping’an can be pressured because of his injuries and apparent lack of backing, but underestimates Ji Ping’an’s battlefield-hardened resolve.
• The Soaring Serpent King: Despite its strength and defensive scales, it is nearly killed because Feng Jun catches it off guard. Its retreat shows that even powerful beasts must remain wary of human cultivators and battlefield tactics.

3. Significant Themes

• Caution versus glory: Feng Jun’s survival comes from restraint rather than bravado. He avoids unnecessary fighting, protects his secrets, and strikes only when the opportunity is decisive.
• The value of concealment: Feng Jun deliberately hides his true strength, his plane-switching ability, and most of his kills. In a dangerous cultivation world, appearing ordinary can be more valuable than displaying power.
• Battlefield survival and sacrifice: The victory comes at tremendous human cost. Survival itself is treated as an achievement, while injuries, death, and permanent disability are routine consequences of warfare.
• Power and exploitation: Merit points function as both military rewards and economic commodities. The chapter exposes how stronger or better-connected cultivators try to exploit the injured and weaker.
• Defiance and dignity: Ji Ping’an’s refusal to yield, despite having little status or support, reflects the pride and toughness forged through years of combat.
• Uncertainty in warfare: The dense mirage vapor, unknown number of Mirage Worms, and unpredictable battlefield factors show that large-scale conflict cannot be measured or controlled precisely.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun observes the battle alongside other cultivators but deliberately separates himself from their aggressive fighting strategy, choosing instead to conserve strength and guard the cloud pillar.
• Feng Jun and the Soaring Serpent King clash briefly but decisively. Feng Jun’s sudden lightning attack paralyzes it long enough for his saber technique to break through its defenses.
• Ji Ping’an and Xia Ping’an’s bond is emphasized through Ji Ping’an’s promise to care for Xia Ning’an and his acceptance of Xia Ping’an’s merit after his death.
• Ji Ping’an later interacts with the opportunistic Qi Refining cultivator, rejecting his false politeness and refusing to disclose his actual number of merit points.
• Qi Wusheng attempts to moderate the confrontation, but his intervention also signals the influence of the Qi Family. Ji Ping’an nevertheless remains unmoved and openly challenges both men.
• The final exchange establishes Ji Ping’an’s position: he will not give away his hard-earned rewards, and anyone who wants to buy them must meet his price rather than threaten him.

Chapter Summary: “Wine Fragrance Fills the Air”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Ping'an refuses to sell his merit points to an arrogant Qi Refining Advanced Stage cultivator, who offers only ten Spirit Stones per point—far below the market price of roughly twenty.
• The buyer threatens Ji Ping'an indirectly, claiming he needs a thousand merit points and implying that Ji Ping'an cannot afford to purchase them all. Ji refuses to back down, escalating their hostility.
• When the cultivator turns his attention to Feng Jun and asks about his battle gains, Feng deliberately ignores him and instead praises his comrades for surviving the battle.
• Feng Jun openly supports Ji Ping'an, emphasizing their bond as comrades who fought together. He invites Ji and the injured members of their unit to drink.
• Feng produces Spirit Beast meat, furniture, and a jar of rare wine, Lovesick Dream. The wine’s fragrance attracts the attention of Qi Wusheng and others.
• Ji Ping'an proudly identifies the wine as Lovesick Dream, associated with the legendary Three-Absolutes Adept, while taunting the hostile cultivator for doubting its authenticity.
• The group reveals that the Heavenlink Trade Alliance will soon auction the legendary Lovesick Goblet, the source or origin of Lovesick Dream. Feng explains that Huangfu Wuxia and Guest Elder Master Xu personally confirmed the information.
• Qi Wusheng realizes the significance of Feng’s connections to the Huangfu Family and Heavenlink Trade Alliance, causing him to reassess the situation and the wisdom of pressuring Feng’s group.
• The short, fat Qi Refining Level Nine cultivator who previously sold Feng Jun the Lovesick Goblet appears. Feng welcomes him to drink, while the man boldly asks for ten jin of wine and jokingly accuses Feng of serving a fake product.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates calm confidence, loyalty, and social authority. Rather than confronting the hostile cultivator directly, he protects Ji Ping'an through deliberate indifference and public camaraderie. His connections to powerful organizations also become more apparent, making it increasingly difficult for him to remain inconspicuous.
• Ji Ping'an: Shows defiance and courage despite being financially weaker and threatened. With Feng’s support, he becomes even bolder, openly mocking the hostile buyer and refusing to surrender his merit points cheaply.
• Qi Refining Advanced Stage cultivator: Becomes increasingly frustrated and hostile after failing to intimidate Ji Ping'an. His confidence is undermined when Feng’s influence and connections are revealed.
• Qi Wusheng: Initially acts as a superior or intermediary, but after learning about Lovesick Dream and the Lovesick Goblet auction, he becomes surprised and cautious. His business-minded nature leads him to reconsider Feng’s importance.
• The injured teammates: Their willingness to join Feng’s drinking gathering shows their trust in him. The one with severe injuries actively boasts about Feng’s ties to Heavenlink, hoping to protect the group from pressure.
• The short, fat cultivator: Despite past conflict with Feng, he appears more relaxed after surviving the battle. His bold, humorous attitude suggests that hardship has made him less concerned with old grievances.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty forged through shared danger: Feng stresses that fighting side by side creates one of life’s strongest bonds, and his actions reinforce that principle.
• Defiance against intimidation and exploitation: Ji Ping'an refuses to accept an unfair price or submit to threats, while Feng’s support prevents the stronger cultivator from bullying him.
• Influence and hidden status: Feng attempts to maintain a low profile, but his access to rare treasures and powerful connections repeatedly exposes his importance.
• Business, power, and reputation: Merit points, Spirit Stones, rare wine, and organizational affiliations all function as measures of social and economic power.
• Survival and changed priorities: After the brutal battle, the survivors treat continued life as a profit and become more willing to celebrate, forgive, or let go of past disputes.

Character Interactions

• Ji Ping'an and the hostile cultivator engage in a tense verbal confrontation over the price of merit points, with Ji refusing to be intimidated.
• Feng Jun sides with Ji indirectly by ignoring the hostile buyer and emphasizing his bond with Ji as a fellow survivor.
• Feng and Ji share a celebratory drink with their injured comrades, strengthening their sense of fellowship.
• Qi Wusheng questions Feng about Lovesick Dream and his relationship with Huangfu Wuxia, recognizing the potential influence behind him.
• The short, fat cultivator arrives because of the wine’s aroma and interacts playfully with Feng, while Ji defends the wine’s authenticity and significance.

Chapter Summary: “Household Registration Workaround”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun shares a post-battle meal with Ji Ping’an, Qi Wusheng, Liang Zhongyu, and others. Their conversation reveals Feng Jun’s connections with both Heavenlink and the Huangfu Family.
• Two cultivators investigating Feng Jun leave after realizing that he genuinely has powerful backing. One of them, Xue Hongsheng of the Xue Family, becomes resentful and decides to target Feng Jun directly.
• Qi Wusheng warns Xue Hongsheng not to cause trouble, but Xue ignores the warning. He plans to assassinate Feng Jun rather than attack Ji Ping’an, believing this will eliminate the root of the problem without alerting Feng Jun beforehand.
• The group learns more about Liang Zhongyu, a wealthy Qi Refining cultivator and market stall owner who earned numerous merit points during the battle. He hopes to use them to obtain permanent residency in Autumn Star Immortal Market.
• After the battle, cultivators remain for two days to register merit and settle administrative matters. Feng Jun’s comfortable camp—with a tent, lighting, hot water, and bathing facilities—becomes a minor attraction among the exhausted soldiers.
• Liang Zhongyu returns after learning that a hometown friend died in battle and drinks with Feng Jun. Although he complains about Feng Jun’s past business dealings, he is deliberately cultivating a relationship with him because of Feng Jun’s ties to Heavenlink and the Huangfu Family.
• Feng Jun initially considers using his merit points to obtain better terms on a cave residence, but Liang Zhongyu advises him that selling the points might be more profitable if he can advance soon.
• Feng Jun instead decides to use ten merit points to secure permanent residency. This would allow him to purchase property and legally employ two mortals, solving his difficulty bringing mortal attendants into the market.
• Permanent residency would also make Feng Jun subject to future military conscription. To avoid this, he plans to register Chen Junsheng as the resident rather than himself.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates confidence, social influence, and practical planning. He uses his connections strategically and seeks permanent residency for logistical benefits while devising a way to avoid conscription.
• Qi Wusheng: Acts as a mediator and maintains ties with multiple factions. He recognizes Xue Hongsheng’s dangerous intentions but chooses not to interfere further after issuing a warning.
• Xue Hongsheng: Reveals arrogance and hostility toward rogue cultivators. He underestimates Feng Jun and decides to pursue a covert assassination, setting up a future conflict.
• Liang Zhongyu: Emerges as socially perceptive and opportunistic. Though he jokingly resents Feng Jun, he intentionally befriends him to gain access to influential connections.
• Ji Ping’an: Continues his role as a blunt, teasing companion, especially mocking Liang Zhongyu and Feng Jun’s privileged lifestyle.
• Chen Junsheng: Is positioned to become Feng Jun’s administrative proxy, allowing Feng Jun to benefit from residency without personally entering the conscription system.

Significant Themes

• Power and social connections: Relationships with major organizations and families determine how cultivators are treated, often more than cultivation level alone.
• Hidden hostility beneath cooperation: The postwar celebration conceals factional rivalry, economic competition, and Xue Hongsheng’s planned attack.
• Pragmatism and bureaucracy: Feng Jun treats household registration, merit points, property ownership, and conscription as interconnected logistical problems to be solved creatively.
• Class and privilege: Feng Jun’s modern comforts—electric lights, generators, and hot baths—highlight his unusual wealth and resources in comparison with ordinary cultivators.
• Postwar grief and camaraderie: The survivors celebrate their victory, but Liang Zhongyu’s grief over his dead friend reminds them of the battle’s human cost.
• Mutual exploitation and alliance-building: Characters seek relationships not purely out of friendship, but also for protection, influence, and economic advantage.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liang Zhongyu trade complaints about the flowerpot transaction, but their banter gradually develops into genuine cooperation.
• Qi Wusheng rebukes Xue Hongsheng for offering an insulting price for merit points and warns him against provoking Feng Jun.
• Xue Hongsheng dismisses Feng Jun as an arrogant rogue cultivator, while Qi Wusheng understands that Feng Jun’s connections make him dangerous to offend.
• The surviving cultivators bond through drinking and shared wartime experience, even as they compete over merit points and market opportunities.
• Feng Jun consults Liang Zhongyu about how best to use his merit points, showing that their relationship has become practically useful as well as socially friendly.

Chapter Summary: “Thinking About It for a Long Time”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun proposes exploiting a loophole in Autumn Star Market’s permanent-residency system: having servants register as permanent residents so they can receive its benefits without personally serving in perimeter defense.
• Ji Ping’an explains that Mortal Transcendence cultivators must pay double the application fee, but Feng Jun dismisses the added cost. He argues that the real problem is not the danger of defense duty, but the restrictions imposed by mandatory rotations.
• Liang Zhongyu agrees with Feng Jun’s reasoning and considers bringing a Mortal Transcendence cultivator from home to register as a permanent resident. However, he lacks the Merit Points needed for the arrangement.
• Liang tries to purchase Merit Points from the group, offering increasingly high amounts of Spirit Stones, but nobody accepts. He then approaches Feng Jun, believing Feng has another solution.
• Feng Jun reveals that what he wants is Liang’s technique for concealing or disguising his aura. Liang initially pretends the technique is too valuable to sell, but Feng’s skepticism and pressure force him to negotiate.
• Liang claims the technique came from an ancient qi cultivator, whom he supposedly encountered after helping and burying an old beggar. Feng jokingly suggests that Liang found the inheritance of the “last qi cultivator,” along with legendary techniques.
• Afraid Feng might expose him, Liang agrees to sell the aura-concealment technique for 3,000 Spirit Stones, provided Feng does not pass it on. He also asks Feng for Merit Points—or ears convertible into them—as part of the payment.
• Feng questions whether Liang actually brought the technique with him. Liang admits he did not, and Feng agrees to discuss the matter after they return to the market.
• Liang, worried about waiting, offers to write down a lesser technique immediately in exchange for ears worth ten Merit Points and 1,000 Spirit Stones.
• Feng rejects the proposed “aura-suppression” technique because it would only allow him to disguise his existing cultivation level. He wants a genuine method capable of concealing his aura after advancing to the Dust-Free Realm.
• Liang reveals that the genuine Dust-Free concealment method is different and must be seen to be understood, implying that he has been planning around the possibility that Feng might fail his breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains practical, opportunistic, and highly suspicious. He sees loopholes as ordinary strategies and is determined to obtain a powerful aura-concealment technique to hide his rapid cultivation progress.
• Liang Zhongyu is shown as a shrewd, evasive businessman who bargains carefully and uses exaggerated stories to protect his secrets. Despite his manipulative behavior, he becomes anxious when Feng threatens to expose his qi-cultivator inheritance.
• Liang Zhongyu’s motivations expand beyond acquiring Merit Points: he wants to avoid the restrictive obligations of permanent residency while preserving his freedom. He also appears to have imagined Feng Jun’s possible failure to advance and prepared a deception strategy for him.
• Ji Ping’an provides practical information about Autumn Star’s policies and highlights the system’s discrimination against lower-level cultivators.
• Feng and Liang’s relationship develops into a tense but familiar exchange of mutual manipulation. They distrust one another, yet both recognize the other’s value and continue negotiating.

Significant Themes

• Exploiting rules and loopholes: The characters treat legal and institutional loopholes as legitimate tools, reflecting a pragmatic cultivation-world mentality.
• Freedom versus obligation: Permanent residency offers privileges but imposes military-like defensive duties. The characters value freedom of movement more than they fear combat itself.
• Information and inheritance as power: Liang’s aura-concealment technique is more valuable than Spirit Stones because it may protect him from enemies and conceal his true cultivation.
• Trust and deception: Nearly every conversation between Feng and Liang involves bluffing, probing, or withholding information.
• Fear of rapid advancement: Feng needs to hide his cultivation growth, while Liang speculates about Feng’s breakthrough and considers how that possibility affects his own dealings with him.
• Merit Points as a controlled resource: The rules governing Merit Points make them difficult to transfer and emphasize the difference between formal ownership and temporary usage rights.

Character Interactions

• Liang admires Feng’s residency loophole and considers copying it.
• Ji Ping’an counters Feng’s optimism by explaining the higher fees imposed on Mortal Transcendence cultivators.
• Liang unsuccessfully appeals to the group for Merit Points before privately approaching Feng.
• Feng and Liang engage in a prolonged negotiation over the aura-concealment technique, with Feng using sarcasm and implied threats while Liang uses flattery, bargaining, and fabricated reluctance.
• Feng’s jokes about legendary qi-cultivator techniques expose Liang’s fear that his inheritance might become known.
• Their final disagreement centers on the distinction between merely disguising one’s current aura and genuinely concealing a higher cultivation realm, leaving the transaction unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Soaring Prices”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun negotiates with Liang Zhongyu for an aura-suppression technique. He refuses to overpay for related techniques he does not yet want and finally exchanges ten Merit Points and 300 Spirit Stones for a handwritten version.
• Liang Zhongyu spends the night transcribing the roughly 3,000-character technique from memory. By the following noon, Feng Jun successfully learns it and can suppress his aura to the Early Qi Refining Stage.
• Feng Jun complains that the technique was overpriced, while Liang Zhongyu argues that he offered it cheaply because they are comrades and because he urgently needed Merit Points. Liang hints that the complete lineage would cost much more, but Feng Jun remains wary of possible traps.
• Merit Point registration begins. Officials inspect Spirit Beast ears to prevent people from submitting old materials and falsely claiming recent military achievements.
• Feng Jun exchanges materials worth thirty-two Merit Points, intending to use twenty for permanent residency and retain twelve for future needs. Including the ten points sold to Liang Zhongyu, he has turned in forty-two Merit Points’ worth of ears.
• After registration, merchants surround Feng Jun and try to buy his Spirit Beast materials. He refuses, and Liang Zhongyu intervenes, using his intimidating, streetwise manner to drive them away.
• Feng Jun returns to his inn and learns from Jing Qingyang and Chen Junsheng that the prolonged war has caused prices to rise sharply. Lodging and food have become more expensive, although the innkeeper has tried to avoid raising their rates.
• Because the innkeeper can no longer sustain the losses, Feng Jun’s group may need to leave. Jing and Chen have been taking odd jobs to provide food for the group after the inn stopped including meals.
• Feng Jun accepts the situation and reassures them that the problem will not recur now that the cultivators have won.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates greater caution and confidence in negotiations. He refuses to be pressured into buying unwanted techniques and subtly threatens Liang when the latter exaggerates his prices.
• His successful mastery of aura suppression gives him another useful means of concealing his cultivation and identity.
• Feng Jun shows practical judgment by converting more Merit Points than originally planned after realizing their importance, while still trying not to attract excessive attention.
• He remains restrained when confronted by aggressive buyers, recognizing that openly fighting or arguing would create unwanted publicity.
• Liang Zhongyu is revealed as a shrewd, opportunistic seller, but also a useful ally. He is willing to bargain, transcribe a valuable technique, and protect Feng Jun from predatory merchants.
• Jing Qingyang and Chen Junsheng show responsibility and loyalty by waiting for Feng Jun, accepting the wartime shortages, and taking temporary work to support their companions.
• Feng Jun recognizes that Liang’s rough, intimidating social presence is more effective than his own naturally approachable appearance.

3. Significant Themes

• Bargaining, trust, and exploitation: Feng Jun and Liang continually question each other’s sincerity, illustrating how even allies must protect themselves in a world where knowledge and resources have monetary value.
• The value of hidden strength: Aura suppression allows Feng Jun to conceal his true cultivation, reinforcing the importance of secrecy and strategic self-presentation.
• War-driven inflation and scarcity: The ongoing conflict causes lodging, food, and other necessities to become more expensive, even when supplies are not genuinely scarce because merchants hoard them.
• Merit and survival: Merit Points function as both military rewards and practical assets, capable of securing residency or even saving someone’s life.
• Reputation and social pressure: The innkeeper hesitates to break his agreement because reputation matters, while Feng Jun avoids conflict to prevent drawing attention to himself.
• Pragmatism over ideals: Characters accept unpleasant compromises—selling techniques, exchanging battle spoils, taking odd jobs, or changing lodging—as necessary responses to wartime conditions.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liang Zhongyu: Their negotiations are sarcastic and confrontational but grounded in mutual usefulness. Feng distrusts Liang’s pricing, while Liang hopes Feng will eventually purchase more advanced techniques.
• Feng Jun and the material buyers: Feng refuses their attempts to purchase his spoils and threatens one persistent buyer through a silent, intimidating gesture rather than escalating publicly.
• Liang Zhongyu and the buyers: Liang decisively protects Feng, using his intimidating personality to force the crowd to back down.
• Feng Jun, Jing Qingyang, and Chen Junsheng: Their reunion highlights the group’s dependence on one another. Jing and Chen explain the inn’s financial difficulties and their own efforts to keep everyone fed, while Feng responds with concern and reassurance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun leaves fifty Spirit Stones for Mi Yunshan and a twenty-Spirit-Stone deposit at the inn, but she is afraid to use them because the group lacks permanent residency in the Immortal Market. Wartime regulations make the distinction between cultivators and mortals especially strict.
• Feng Jun leads the group to the administrative office to apply for residency, only to find a line several miles long. Since the applicants are using merit points to settle fees and other obligations, he decides it is better to camp and wait.
• At camp, Feng Jun learns that Huangfu Wuxia and Shangguan Yunjin still visit the Heavenlink Trade Alliance daily but have received no news about Huangfu Wuxia’s whereabouts. Heavenlink’s Master Xu has invited the group to stay with them, but Chen Junsheng declined because it would have conflicted with Feng Jun’s earlier decision.
• The group spends the evening eating Spirit Beast meat and drinking Lovesick Dream. The wine attracts considerable attention from nearby cultivators.
• Feng Jun gives three cups to a wounded Early Qi Refining cultivator who has just returned from battle. Rather than accept payment, Feng Jun sends him away with a jug of wine as a comrade’s blessing. The cultivator leaves behind viper meat, showing mutual respect among battlefield comrades.
• Master Xu arrives, joins the gathering, and explains that Huangfu Wuxia is probably delayed because the Savage Beast Invasion has required major organizational responses from Heavenlink.
• Feng Jun asks Master Xu to help him find a courtyard. He reveals that he wants Chen Junsheng to register as a permanent resident and manage the property, while Feng Jun remains the owner and avoids the inconvenience of rotating military duty.
• Master Xu confirms that this arrangement is legally possible, though it is an obscure Heavenlink practice normally reserved for customized customer services. He praises Feng Jun for skillfully exploiting a loophole.
• The next morning, Chen Junsheng tells Feng Jun that he appreciates the offer but wants to hand over his current responsibilities before applying for residency. His work in contribution-point management, communications, transportation, and repairs is too important to abandon suddenly.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates generosity, strategic thinking, and a strong preference for independence. He refuses to accept unnecessary restrictions, finds a legal way around the rotating-duty requirement, and takes responsibility for ensuring the group has a stable base.
• Mi Yunshan remains cautious and aware of the social and legal dangers of using Spirit Stones without proper status. Her restraint reflects both practical wisdom and her vulnerable position.
• Chen Junsheng shows loyalty, humility, and a strong sense of duty. Although permanent residency would greatly benefit him, he initially feels unworthy of Feng Jun’s trust and later prioritizes transferring his responsibilities before accepting.
• Master Xu becomes more openly friendly toward Feng Jun after sharing Lovesick Dream with him. He serves as a source of institutional knowledge, explaining Heavenlink’s hidden arrangements and residency rules.
• The young Early Qi Refining cultivator is portrayed as brave but inexperienced. His willingness to spend merit points to impress the woman he loves reveals youthful impulsiveness, while his insistence on offering viper meat reflects pride and respect.
• Jing Qingyang is astonished by Feng Jun’s plan and by the hidden flexibility of Heavenlink’s rules, emphasizing how unusual Feng Jun’s solution is.

Significant Themes

• The divide between immortals and mortals: The group’s inability to use Spirit Stones freely highlights the rigid hierarchy governing the Immortal Market.
• Rules, loopholes, and institutional power: Feng Jun’s residency plan shows how regulations can be manipulated by those perceptive enough to understand their exact wording. Heavenlink’s success is likewise based on controlling specialized information.
• Comradeship and generosity: Feng Jun’s treatment of the wounded cultivator emphasizes solidarity among those returning from battle. The exchange of wine and meat is based on honor rather than profit.
• Responsibility versus personal advancement: Chen Junsheng must balance the advantages of permanent residency with his obligations to the systems and people relying on him.
• Information as power: Master Xu’s explanation that Heavenlink keeps such arrangements secret reveals how valuable knowledge itself is within this society.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun reassures Mi Yunshan indirectly by pursuing permanent residency for the group.
• Chen Junsheng and Jing Qingyang explain the lack of news about Huangfu Wuxia, while Feng Jun approves their refusal to move into Heavenlink.
• Feng Jun and the wounded young cultivator establish a brief but meaningful bond through wine and battlefield solidarity.
• Master Xu joins Feng Jun’s camp gathering, discusses Huangfu Wuxia, and offers assistance in locating a courtyard.
• Feng Jun surprises Chen Junsheng by proposing that he become the registered resident and property manager. Their exchange reveals Feng Jun’s trust and Chen Junsheng’s humility.
• Master Xu recognizes Feng Jun’s ingenuity and confirms that his plan is valid, while warning him not to publicize the loophole.
• Chen Junsheng ultimately delays the arrangement so he can properly transfer his responsibilities, reinforcing his reliability and loyalty.

Chapter Summary: “Both Advance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and Chen Junsheng finalize Chen’s intention to stay in the Immortal Ward, despite the Ward’s severe restrictions on outsiders and difficult immigration rules.
• With Master Xu’s assistance, Feng Jun purchases a spacious twelve-mu courtyard on Zhige Mountain for 8,000 Spirit Stones and arranges for Chen Junsheng’s permanent residency. Master Xu acts as Chen’s five-year guarantor.
• Feng Jun gives an administration clerk a Spirit Beast-level Iron-Eating Ant as a favor, securing priority access to a Dust-Free High Stage cave abode. He claims he needs it to recover from battle injuries.
• Feng Jun enters the cave abode before Huangfu Wuxia returns. He spends twenty days cultivating and successfully advances to the Dust-Free Realm, then spends three additional days stabilizing his cultivation.
• To avoid revealing his breakthrough, Feng Jun suppresses his aura to the Qi Refining Advanced Stage and behaves extremely cautiously while leaving the cave abode. He pays the 1,800-Spirit-Stone fee directly rather than using Merit Points, further minimizing attention.
• During his absence, Mi Yunshan and the others repair and improve the newly purchased courtyard, adding spirit farmland, wiring electricity, and restoring the buildings.
• Feng Jun plans to purchase an Analytical Spirit-Gathering Array and replace the courtyard’s small windows with larger glass ones. Yu Changzhu asks for funding to buy a Defense Array and Water Spirit Pills.
• Just as Yu mentions the pills, someone outside advertises Water Spirit Pills through Heavenlink. Feng Jun immediately senses danger or unwanted attention and lowers his aura from Qi Refining Advanced Stage to Intermediate Stage.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes even more powerful by reaching the Dust-Free Realm, but he remains committed to concealing his true cultivation. His extreme caution shows his awareness of the dangers of attracting powerful enemies or exposing his rapid progress.
• Chen Junsheng secures a more permanent place in the Immortal Ward, though his dependence on Feng Jun and Master Xu highlights his limited social and legal status there.
• Master Xu continues to serve as a useful intermediary. He guarantees Chen’s residency, helps Feng Jun obtain the cave abode, and enjoys teasing Huangfu Wuxia about her concern for Feng Jun.
• Huangfu Wuxia returns having advanced to Qi Refining Level Nine through her Flawless Clear-Sight Heart cultivation method. She initially insists Feng Jun’s progress has nothing to do with her, but her immediate concern about whether he was injured reveals genuine emotional investment.
• Mi Yunshan takes responsibility for repairing and organizing the courtyard, demonstrating diligence and humility. Feng Jun’s reaction to her worn appearance evokes memories of a frail woman and exposes his emotional sensitivity.
• Yu Changzhu becomes more comfortable asking Feng Jun for resources, suggesting increasing trust and familiarity within the group.

Significant Themes

• Rapid advancement versus concealment: Feng Jun’s breakthrough is extraordinary, but he believes survival depends on remaining unremarkable.
• Connections and social protection: Residency, cultivation access, and legal status depend heavily on guarantors, sect affiliations, and personal relationships rather than merit alone.
• Order within disorder: Zhige Mountain appears chaotic, yet its rapid development creates opportunities for people like Feng Jun and Chen Junsheng.
• Reciprocity and favors: Feng Jun uses gifts and personal connections to navigate bureaucracy, while officials and allies assist him in return.
• Building a home and community: The repaired courtyard represents a transition from temporary survival toward establishing a stable base for Feng Jun and his companions.
• Emotional restraint: Huangfu Wuxia and Feng Jun both conceal their concern for one another, though their reactions reveal growing attachment.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun reassures Chen Junsheng that returning to Zhige Mountain will remain possible even if Immortal Ward entry becomes difficult.
• Master Xu supports Feng Jun administratively, guarantees Chen’s residency, and later jokes with Huangfu Wuxia about Feng Jun asking about her after the battle.
• Huangfu Wuxia reacts defensively to Master Xu’s teasing but becomes visibly worried when she learns Feng Jun may have been injured.
• Feng Jun praises Mi Yunshan’s work on the courtyard and tells her not to hesitate to spend Spirit Stones when necessary.
• Yu Changzhu asks Feng Jun for money and protective equipment, but her request is interrupted when a nearby Water Spirit Pill advertisement appears to target their conversation.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun immediately masking his cultivation, signaling that the new threat may involve surveillance or Heavenlink’s awareness of his activities.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Look Around”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huangfu Wuxia visits Feng Jun’s courtyard alone after advancing to Qi Refining Level Nine. She proudly reveals her breakthrough, only to discover that Feng Jun has deliberately concealed his true strength by presenting himself as being at the Dust-Free Realm.
• Feng Jun warns Huangfu not to use her Treasure-Appraising Eye on him. He has intentionally lowered his apparent cultivation so he can openly forbid her from investigating him without arousing further suspicion.
• Huangfu reports that she sold the Water-Sand Fragrant Nanmu for seventy-two thousand Spirit Stones, though she could not collect the full amount. She asks Feng Jun to deduct four thousand from five thousand Spirit Stones supposedly held for him by Shangguan Yunjin. Feng Jun insists that Shangguan must personally authorize the transaction.
• Feng Jun begins exploring Autumn Star Immortal Market with Mi Yunshan, hoping to learn more about the Cultivation Realm and eventually visit other important locations.
• During their outing, Feng Jun senses that they are being followed. Using his phone, he identifies the pursuer as Innate Expert Zhu Yifei, an experienced tracker capable of changing his clothing, appearance, and aura.
• Because Mi Yunshan would be vulnerable to an Innate Expert and market rules restrict violence, Feng Jun does not confront Zhu Yifei. He instead remains calm and increases his vigilance.
• Heavenlink delivers the Water Spirit Pill, two Defense Array disks, and the Yin-Yang Duality Sword manual. Feng Jun purchases them for thirteen thousand Spirit Stones. He intends to use the sword art to nurture the Sword-Qi Gourd and eventually teach swordsmanship to Zhang Caixin and the other women in his group.
• Yu Changzhu takes the Water Spirit Pill inside the Spirit-Gathering Array, with Mi Yunshan assisting her and Feng Jun standing guard. Yun Buyao watches enviously but remains silent.
• The following evening, the neighborhood chief visits to discuss the courtyard’s management fee. He also hints that Feng Jun should report the prolonged presence of guests. After the official leaves, Feng Jun suspects that the visit may be connected to the earlier surveillance rather than merely routine administration.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. He deliberately disguises his cultivation, protects his secrets from Huangfu Wuxia, and uses his enhanced senses and phone to identify surveillance.
• Huangfu Wuxia reaches Qi Refining Level Nine and is visibly proud of her advancement. Her relationship with Feng Jun remains teasing and familiar, though he continues to distrust her impulse to use the Treasure-Appraising Eye.
• Mi Yunshan acts as Yu Changzhu’s assistant during the pill’s administration and accompanies Feng Jun during his investigation of the market.
• Yu Changzhu begins improving her constitution through the Water Spirit Pill, marking an important step in her cultivation and physical development.
• Yun Buyao reveals her envy of Yu Changzhu’s opportunity but lacks the confidence to voice it.
• Zhu Yifei is established as a highly skilled and deliberate tracker, suggesting that Feng Jun has attracted serious attention.
• The neighborhood chief, initially imposing, becomes more cautious after seeing Feng Jun’s apparent cultivation. His unusual follow-up visit makes him potentially connected to the larger threat.

Significant Themes

• Concealment and mistrust: Feng Jun constantly hides his true cultivation and remains wary of people attempting to investigate or monitor him.
• Surveillance and danger: Zhu Yifei’s pursuit and the neighborhood chief’s suspicious visit create an atmosphere of unseen enemies closing in.
• Power and vulnerability: Although Feng Jun is powerful, he must protect weaker companions such as Mi Yunshan and avoid violating the market’s rules.
• Cultivation and preparation: The Water Spirit Pill, Spirit-Gathering Array, defensive disks, and sword manual all represent deliberate preparation for future threats.
• Social and economic obligations: The sale of the precious wood, Spirit Stone negotiations, and management fees show how commerce and bureaucracy shape life in the Cultivation Realm.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Huangfu Wuxia exchange playful but suspicious remarks over their respective cultivation levels. Their conversation also establishes boundaries regarding her Treasure-Appraising Eye.
• Feng Jun firmly rejects Huangfu’s attempt to handle Shangguan Yunjin’s Spirit Stones, emphasizing the importance of personal authorization and trust.
• Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan explore the market together while unknowingly—or at least initially unknowingly—being tracked by Zhu Yifei.
• Mi Yunshan supports Yu Changzhu during the Water Spirit Pill’s administration, while Feng Jun protects the courtyard.
• The neighborhood chief’s formal discussion with Chen Junsheng and Feng Jun turns uneasy when he raises the issue of long-term guests, reinforcing Feng Jun’s suspicion that the courtyard is under observation.

Ending Development

The chapter ends with Feng Jun recognizing a possible connection between Zhu Yifei’s surveillance and the neighborhood chief’s visit. He begins to suspect that someone is targeting him, but the identity and purpose of the person behind the plot remain unknown.