Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Unbowed and Unyielding

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huangfu Wuxia addresses Ji Busheng as “Great-Uncle,” attempting to gain his favor. Ji Busheng rebukes her for using the Treasure-Appraising Eye on people and warns that her ancestor’s Protective Talisman barely saved her from being blinded.
• Ji Busheng mocks Feng Jun for changing from arrogant when they first met to respectful now. Feng Jun apologizes, choosing diplomacy rather than escalating the conflict.
• Old Man Su presents Ji Busheng with three pills refined from unusual formulas. Ji Busheng criticizes the poor workmanship but recognizes that the formulas themselves are valuable and unconventional.
• Ji Busheng asks for the formulas, implying that Old Man Su should simply hand them over. Master Xu explains that True Persons do not usually haggle with weaker cultivators.
• Ji Busheng points out that the formulas technically belong to Feng Jun, not Old Man Su. Although Old Man Su provided the original incomplete formulas and paid for their completion, Feng Jun retained ownership under formal principles.
• Ji Busheng examines Old Man Su’s Purple-Gold Eagle and praises its exceptional potential.
• Feng Jun unexpectedly intervenes, objecting to the Heart of Heaven Platform effectively taking the formulas without offering Old Man Su a fair price. He argues that Old Man Su and his grandson live modestly and should not be exploited.
• Rather than becoming angry, Ji Busheng respects Feng Jun’s courage and willingness to speak according to his conscience. He reveals that the Heart of Heaven Platform wants the pills for its expanding Spirit Beast Garden.
• Ji Busheng then asks whether Feng Jun can cure gu poison. Feng Jun cautiously denies having a universal cure, saying success depends on the circumstances.
• In the end, Ji Busheng allows Old Man Su to negotiate with disciples of the Heart of Heaven Platform, though he warns him not to demand an unreasonable amount of Spirit Stones.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates moral courage and independence. Despite fearing Ji Busheng’s power, he refuses to remain silent when he believes Old Man Su is being pressured unfairly. His actions reinforce that he values personal principles over safety or personal advantage.
• Ji Busheng is shown as arrogant, blunt, and domineering, but not entirely unreasonable. He respects people who act sincerely and boldly, especially when they follow their natural convictions rather than flattering him.
• Old Man Su appears cautious and intimidated by Ji Busheng, but he also recognizes the worth of his formulas and hesitates to surrender them without understanding the exchange. He is caught between fear of offending a True Person and the desire to secure something valuable for himself and his descendants.
• Huangfu Wuxia reveals herself to be perceptive and politically astute. Rather than resenting Ji Busheng’s harsh warning, she accepts it gracefully and continues trying to build a favorable relationship with him.
• Master Xu acts as a pragmatic intermediary, explaining the imbalance of status between True Persons and ordinary cultivators.
• Ji Busheng’s view of Feng Jun shifts subtly: he begins by mocking Feng Jun’s deference but ends by admiring his courage and considering him useful in relation to poison treatment.

Significant Themes

• Courage against authority: Feng Jun’s refusal to yield despite Ji Busheng’s overwhelming power highlights the chapter’s central idea of remaining “unbowed and unyielding.”
• Power and exploitation: The chapter examines how powerful cultivators can obtain what they want without openly negotiating, leaving weaker people unable to object.
• Ownership versus morality: Although Old Man Su morally considers the formulas his, formal ownership belongs to Feng Jun. The tension between legal rights, personal ethics, and practical power shapes the dispute.
• Acting according to one’s nature: The Heart of Heaven Platform values people who follow their genuine instincts. Feng Jun’s intervention, though risky and partly irrational, earns Ji Busheng’s respect because it reflects his true character.
• Humility and self-preservation: Feng Jun balances boldness with caution, apologizing when necessary and refusing exaggerated claims about curing poison.
• The value of unconventional knowledge: Ji Busheng recognizes that the pills are poorly made but based on rare and innovative formulas, emphasizing that substance can matter more than outward quality.

Important Character Interactions

• Huangfu Wuxia and Ji Busheng: Her attempted familiarity is met with a warning, but her tactful response earns reluctant approval.
• Feng Jun and Ji Busheng: Their exchange moves from mutual testing and mockery to guarded respect. Feng Jun’s apology prevents conflict, while his later challenge proves that he is not merely submissive.
• Ji Busheng and Old Man Su: Ji Busheng criticizes Su’s pills, pressures him over the formulas, and later offers a more formal commercial arrangement through his disciples.
• Feng Jun and Old Man Su: Feng Jun unexpectedly defends Su’s interests, acknowledging his connection to the formulas and refusing to let him be taken advantage of.
• Ji Busheng and the Purple-Gold Eagle: Ji Busheng’s examination confirms the creature’s unusual talent and hints at the Heart of Heaven Platform’s interest in spirit beasts.
• Ji Busheng and Feng Jun regarding gu poison: Their discussion establishes a possible future connection, with Ji Busheng likely interested in Feng Jun’s abilities while Feng Jun remains careful not to overpromise.

Chapter Summary: “Gold Core at One’s Whim”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Busheng takes another hundred jin of Lovesick Third from Feng Jun and leaves him a rough formula for Lovesick Dream, effectively claiming the formula’s ownership and preventing the Heavenlink Trade Alliance from acquiring it directly.
• Old Man Su initially considers asking for entry into Heart of Heaven Platform for his granddaughter. Huangfu Wuxia proposes a more profitable arrangement: Heavenlink will help place the granddaughter in one of the Four Great Sects, while Old Man Su negotiates three admission slots at Heart of Heaven Platform. Old Man Su agrees to cooperate.
• Feng Jun reveals that Ji Busheng’s formula is incomplete and imprecise. He refuses to share it freely, insisting that information and his own alchemical work have value.
• Huangfu Wuxia offers to buy the formula cheaply, but Feng Jun counters that he will refine it himself and later commission Heavenlink to sell the completed formula.
• Feng Jun spends considerable time using his computational tools to deduce the correct Lovesick Dream brewing process. The process requires forty-nine days of brewing and consumes significant energy from his phones and wrist rings.
• After obtaining usable data, he secretly orders enough materials for ten batches, deliberately mixing accurate and misleading details into the list to protect the formula.
• Feng Jun waits several days to ensure Ji Busheng will not return unexpectedly, then prepares to leave Autumn Star Market.
• He decides to return to Zhige Mountain, valuing its security and his established base despite Autumn Star Market’s superior resources and convenience.
• Feng Jun reflects on the Spirit Stone mine beneath Zhige Mountain and its transformation of Spirit Stones Under Refinement into Lesser Heavenly Secret Stones. He recognizes both their rarity and their potentially dangerous impact on the surrounding Mortal World.
• Although he knows excessive mining could damage the mine, Feng Jun prioritizes the Stone Ring’s development and resolves to protect the mine at all costs, even threatening to kill anyone who discovers the secret.
• His departure from Autumn Star Market attracts several companions and supporters, including Ji Ping’an, Liang Yisi, Zhou Linghai, two Heavenlink cultivators, and Liang Zhongyu with a Level Seven Qi Refining cultivator.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more assertive and commercially savvy. He treats his alchemical knowledge as valuable intellectual property and refuses to let stronger cultivators or merchants exploit him.
• He also reveals a more ruthless and possessive side. While aware of the moral and environmental consequences of draining the Spirit Stone mine, he rationalizes continuing because the mine strengthens his Stone Ring and belongs, in his view, to him.
• Huangfu Wuxia demonstrates her sharp business instincts by turning Old Man Su’s request into a larger intermediary deal for Heavenlink. However, after Ji Busheng’s intervention and Feng Jun’s rising status, she becomes noticeably more cautious and polite toward Feng Jun.
• Old Man Su shifts from trying to negotiate independently to accepting Heavenlink’s assistance, recognizing the value of its connections.
• Ji Busheng is portrayed as powerful, efficient, and careless with details. He obtains the formula quickly but provides only a rough oral version, trusting Feng Jun’s alchemical abilities.
• Liang Zhongyu strengthens his association with Feng Jun, believing that accompanying him to Zhige Mountain is a way to demonstrate loyalty and profit from Feng Jun’s successful trade.

Significant Themes

• Power and negotiation: Gold Core-level authority can instantly alter social dynamics, as seen in Huangfu Wuxia’s sudden restraint after Ji Busheng’s presence is implied.
• Information as a commodity: Heavenlink’s true strength lies not only in trading goods but also in its networks, information, and ability to broker access to powerful institutions.
• Knowledge and ownership: Feng Jun insists that discovering, refining, and verifying a formula constitutes labor deserving payment, emphasizing the value of expertise.
• Ambition versus morality: Feng Jun understands that mining the Spirit Stone vein may harm the Mortal World, yet he continues because of the advantages it provides. His justifications reveal the tension between responsibility and personal advancement.
• Security and belonging: Autumn Star Market offers convenience and resources, while Zhige Mountain offers safety, control, and familiarity. Feng Jun’s return reflects his preference for a protected base over a bustling commercial environment.
• Loyalty and alliances: Feng Jun’s growing circle of companions and business partners shows that his influence is expanding beyond individual cultivation into a broader network.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Ji Busheng: Their relationship is practical and somewhat informal. Ji Busheng provides the formula and goods, while Feng Jun evaluates and exploits the information despite its imperfections.
• Feng Jun and Huangfu Wuxia: They engage in playful but competitive bargaining. Feng Jun challenges Heavenlink’s habit of profiting from information, while Huangfu tries to secure access to the formula without overpaying.
• Huangfu Wuxia and Old Man Su: Huangfu acts as a broker, transforming Old Man Su’s personal request into a profitable multi-party arrangement.
• Feng Jun and Master Xu: Master Xu is impressed by Heavenlink’s business model and relies on Feng Jun to explain the value of information-based commerce.
• Feng Jun and his followers: His decision to return to Zhige Mountain draws loyal associates and newcomers seeking opportunities, demonstrating his growing authority and commercial appeal.

Chapter Summary: Auspicious Beasts of Myriad Blessings

Key Plot Points and Events

• Before leaving Autumn Star Market, Feng Jun purchases large quantities of cultivation supplies, including Spirit Grain, medicinal pills, Talismans, array disks, and other resources. His extravagant spending attracts attention, though he believes his Dust-Free cultivation, Ji Busheng’s Sage-Recruiting Token, and the dangers of fighting in the Mortal World will deter attackers.
• His departure is delayed when the Crimson Phoenix Sect brings representatives from the Myriad Blessings Platform, asking him to examine their ancient auspicious beast: a Dust-Free Azure-Backed Black Tortoise.
• The Myriad Blessings Platform, formerly the Myriad Talisman Platform, is famous for Talismans and fortune-related methods. Its history is tied to the powerful Talisman King, who changed the faction’s name after defeating it in a prolonged challenge and destroying its Fortune Talisman.
• The Platform’s remaining fortune-baptized creatures are one Black Tortoise, a Gold Core Purple-Crowned Crane, and two pine trees. The Black Tortoise, more than three thousand years old, has become weak and listless after years of taking medicinal pills that caused toxins to accumulate in its body.
• After hearing about Feng Jun’s successful treatment of the Purple-Gold Eagle, the Myriad Blessings Platform investigates his abilities through intermediaries and the Crimson Phoenix Sect. Bai Luan cannot attend, so she recommends a junior sister to accompany their own Dust-Free cultivator.
• Feng Jun spends several days reviewing the Black Tortoise’s medical history and diagnosing it. He determines that it suffers from mixed poisoning involving eleven major toxins and seventeen minor ones.
• The Myriad Blessings Platform verifies that all eleven major toxins are genuinely present, forcing them to acknowledge Feng Jun’s diagnostic skill.
• As payment for the diagnosis, Feng Jun asks for basic Talisman texts and extremely low-grade Talismans, including Talismans that mortals can activate. He claims he needs them for experiments and for equipping mortal guards at Zhige Mountain.
• Although the Platform originally intended only to obtain his diagnosis, it asks Feng Jun to join the treatment discussions. He is reluctant because the many possible detoxification sequences would be difficult to explain or justify to other physicians.
• Instead, Feng Jun offers an indirect starting point: before attempting detoxification, they must restore the Black Tortoise’s will to live, since its lack of desire to survive will greatly reduce the treatment’s effectiveness.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates confidence in his cultivation and strategic awareness. He understands both the dangers of being targeted and the legal consequences of a Dust-Free battle in the Mortal World.
• His medical reputation grows significantly. The Myriad Blessings Platform initially doubts his abilities but becomes convinced after independently confirming his toxin analysis.
• Feng Jun remains cautious about revealing his true methods. He hides the existence of his program and presents his conclusions as personal medical judgment.
• He also shows practical foresight by requesting low-grade Talismans and technical materials that may be useful for his longer-term plans at Zhige Mountain.
• The Myriad Blessings Platform shifts from skepticism to respect. Its representatives become eager to involve Feng Jun in treating the Black Tortoise once his diagnosis proves accurate.
• The Crimson Phoenix Sect continues to act as a bridge between Feng Jun and other major factions, reflecting Bai Luan’s favorable opinion of him.
• The Black Tortoise is characterized not merely as physically poisoned but as emotionally and spiritually exhausted, having lost its will to continue living.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and verification: Feng Jun’s abilities are not accepted blindly; powerful factions investigate and test his claims before trusting him.
• Fortune and destiny: The Myriad Blessings Platform’s history explores whether fortune can be cultivated or altered through Talismans and spiritual influence.
• The cost of prolonged treatment: The Black Tortoise’s illness results not from one poison but from years of accumulated remedies, suggesting that healing methods can become harmful when used without proper diagnosis.
• Hidden knowledge and strategic concealment: Feng Jun must disguise the source of his conclusions and provide explanations that others can accept.
• The will to live: The chapter emphasizes that successful healing requires more than technical treatment. A patient’s desire to survive is presented as an essential part of recovery.
• Power and restraint: Although high-level cultivators possess immense strength, the consequences of fighting in the Mortal World force them to act carefully and avoid open conflict.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chen Junsheng: Chen warns Feng Jun that his bulk purchases may attract enemies, but Feng Jun explains why he feels relatively protected.
• Feng Jun and the Myriad Blessings Platform: Their relationship begins with cautious negotiation. The Platform offers a potentially valuable reward, while Feng Jun carefully limits what he reveals and requests unusual compensation.
• Feng Jun and the Crimson Phoenix Sect cultivator: The junior sister is warm and friendly toward him, partly because Bai Luan respects him and partly because Feng Jun’s youth, appearance, and cultivation make him appealing to female cultivators.
• Feng Jun and the Myriad Blessings Platform’s Dust-Free cultivator: The elder remains restrained and polite but questions whether Feng Jun’s diagnosis is complete. Feng Jun responds with controlled irritation, asserting confidence in his findings.
• Feng Jun and the Black Tortoise: Their interaction is primarily medical, but Feng Jun recognizes that the beast’s psychological condition is as important as its physical poisoning and makes reviving its will to live the first step toward treatment.

Chapter Summary: “Black Tortoise’s Thoughts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun suggests that the ancient Black Tortoise’s worsening condition is not simply due to age or poison, but because it has become emotionally weary of living.
• The caretakers of Myriad Blessings Platform object, insisting that they would have noticed if the Auspicious Beast truly wanted to die.
• Feng Jun learns that the Black Tortoise’s mate died over a century ago after producing many offspring. Although the caretakers repeatedly tried to pair it with younger females, it never actually mated.
• Feng deduces that the Tortoise’s excessive yang energy has accumulated because it suppresses its instincts. Its resulting yin-yang imbalance has contributed to its illness.
• Lin Xiangdong questions the Black Tortoise directly and confirms Feng’s insight. The creature admits that life has felt meaningless since the death of its mate, though it has not actively sought death.
• Lin reassures the Tortoise that Myriad Blessings Platform values it and will help resolve its problems. The Tortoise agrees to cooperate with treatment and adopt a more positive attitude.
• Feng refuses to take full responsibility for the cure, explaining that while he can calculate an optimal treatment sequence, he does not wish to spend time defending every detail to the platform’s physicians and alchemists.
• He leaves behind a detoxification plan detailing the order in which the toxins should be treated and how their interactions should be handled.
• While waiting for a shipment of low-grade talismans, Feng cultivates in a high-grade cave residence arranged by Lin Xiangdong. He reaches the peak of the First Layer of the Dust-Free Realm.
• Meanwhile, the physicians and alchemists argue fiercely over Feng’s treatment plan. Lin finally proposes testing the plan by first removing the Ghost-Face Vine toxin.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates unusual insight into Spirit Beast psychology and the relationship between emotional health and physical illness. His sharp deduction earns him even greater respect from Myriad Blessings Platform.
• The Black Tortoise is revealed to be emotionally attached to its deceased mate and burdened by grief, guilt, and repressed instincts. Once it understands that its negative outlook is worsening its health, it chooses to live and actively cooperate with treatment.
• Lin Xiangdong shifts from skepticism to admiration. He becomes convinced of Feng’s abilities after confirming the Tortoise’s feelings and works to support Feng’s treatment plan.
• The caretakers and medical experts are forced to reconsider their assumptions. They had mistaken the Tortoise’s lack of reproductive activity for weakness or old age rather than recognizing its emotional distress.

Significant Themes

• Emotional and physical health are connected: The Black Tortoise’s despair and indifference toward life make its poisoning worse and hinder treatment.
• Grief and attachment: Despite being a long-lived Spirit Beast, the Tortoise remains deeply affected by the loss of its mate after thousands of years together.
• Misunderstanding and communication: The caretakers assumed they understood the Tortoise but failed to recognize its inner thoughts until someone identified the signs and directly addressed them.
• Practical wisdom versus formal expertise: Feng Jun’s unconventional deduction succeeds where experienced physicians and alchemists had failed, while his calculated plan becomes bogged down in scholarly disagreement.
• Respect and authority: Feng’s status as a Dust-Free Realm exalted one causes others to treat his silence as deliberate secrecy, even though he simply dislikes lengthy explanations and debate.

Character Interactions

• Feng confronts the caretakers’ explanation that the Black Tortoise is merely too old to mate, pointing out its excessive yang energy and suggesting emotional repression instead.
• Lin Xiangdong personally communicates with the Tortoise, confirms Feng’s diagnosis, and praises him for understanding Spirit Beast psychology.
• Feng and Lin disagree mildly over Feng’s involvement: Lin wants him to participate in the treatment discussions, while Feng prefers to provide the solution without defending it.
• Myriad Blessings Platform shows Feng goodwill by delaying the talisman shipment, offering him a cultivation location, and arranging a high-grade cave residence.
• The medical team’s internal conflict over Feng’s plan forces Lin Xiangdong to mediate and consider a practical trial of the proposed detoxification sequence.

Chapter Summary: A Rough Journey Home

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun’s treatment plan for the Azure-Backed Black Tortoise, or Auspicious Beast, receives cautious approval despite opposition from other medical schools. Lin Xiangdong decides that the beast’s worsening condition leaves no time for further debate.
• The treatment begins and becomes extremely dangerous because Feng Jun must expel eleven intermingled toxins. The process causes the Black Tortoise intense pain, but Feng Jun’s contingency plans—including the use of Spirit Tortoises—help manage the treatment’s side effects.
• Despite the suffering involved, the toxins are successfully removed, demonstrating the effectiveness of Feng Jun’s unconventional method.
• After completing his cultivation, Feng Jun refuses to explain his treatment plan or newly received Talismans. His arrogant, master-like attitude irritates some people but impresses others.
• Lin Xiangdong offers Feng Jun two valuable Black-feather Gulls to persuade him to remain and continue overseeing the treatment. Feng Jun initially refuses because the beasts cannot carry his entire group, but eventually accepts them as personal gifts.
• More than ten days after his departure was originally planned, Feng Jun leads his companions back toward Zhige Mountain.
• Liang Yisi detects that they are being followed. Feng Jun stops in a deserted area, deploys a Defense Array, and prepares the group for a possible attack.
• A disguised Dust-Free Realm cultivator appears and attempts to provoke Feng Jun into striking first. Feng Jun exposes the attacker’s disguise and refuses to be baited.
• The pursuer reveals that she wants Feng Jun’s four Wisdom-Communing Pill formulas. Feng Jun claims that they have already been sold to the Heart of Heaven Platform and produces a Sage-Recruiting Token as proof.
• Intimidated by the connection to the Heart of Heaven Platform, the pursuer withdraws, though she dismisses the token as having only a thirty-year term. Feng Jun and his group resume their journey.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to establish himself as a powerful and unconventional superior. He becomes increasingly comfortable using silence, confidence, and intimidating status to avoid unnecessary disputes.
• His medical expertise is validated by the successful detoxification, even though his methods remain controversial among rival medical schools.
• Feng Jun also shows caution and strategic awareness. He detects the danger of the ambush, prepares defenses, understands the rules governing Dust-Free Realm combat, and avoids giving his enemy legal justification to attack.
• Lin Xiangdong proves practical and decisive. He prioritizes saving the Auspicious Beast over endless theoretical debate and rewards Feng Jun with valuable flying Spirit Beasts.
• Liang Zhongyu reveals both his reckless personality and his courage by standing beside Feng Jun despite the danger. He is attracted to the possibility of gaining wealth and status through high-risk situations.
• Liang Yisi demonstrates the sharp instincts of his former scout background by detecting the pursuer.
• The disguised female cultivator is shown to be calculating rather than merely aggressive. Her interest in the pill formulas reveals strong insight into their deeper alchemical value, but she retreats when confronted with Feng Jun’s connection to the Heart of Heaven Platform.

Significant Themes

• Results versus appearances: Feng Jun’s treatment is painful and controversial, but its success matters more than whether patients or observers find the process comfortable.
• Medical orthodoxy and innovation: The conflict between Feng Jun’s approach and other schools reflects a broader dispute over competing philosophies and authority.
• Power and reputation: Feng Jun’s status as a Dust-Free Realm superior protects him from unfounded criticism, while his association with the Heart of Heaven Platform prevents the pursuer from acting freely.
• Strategic restraint: Rather than initiating violence, Feng Jun uses rules, preparation, and psychological pressure to control the confrontation.
• The value of knowledge: The four pill formulas are important not merely as recipes but as a unified source of alchemical principles capable of inspiring major breakthroughs.
• Rough progress toward home: The journey back to Zhige Mountain is physically difficult and politically dangerous, emphasizing that Feng Jun’s return is not a simple trip but a series of threats and negotiations.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Lin Xiangdong cooperate despite differences in authority and medical opinion; Lin trusts Feng Jun’s results and attempts to retain his assistance.
• Feng Jun’s refusal to explain himself creates tension with the Cultivation Realm’s observers, while simultaneously reinforcing his image as an inscrutable master.
• Feng Jun and Liang Zhongyu exchange sarcastic remarks, reflecting their contrasting attitudes: Feng Jun is cautious and pragmatic, while Liang Zhongyu embraces danger recklessly.
• Feng Jun and the disguised pursuer engage in a battle of intimidation and wit. She tries to provoke him and pressure him into selling the pill formulas, but he counters by exposing her disguise and invoking the Heart of Heaven Platform.
• Liang Zhongyu’s inspection of Feng Jun’s Sage-Recruiting Token at the end suggests that the token—and perhaps the extent of Feng Jun’s influence—will become important in what follows.

Chapter Summary: “Luring the Snake from Its Hole”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liang Zhongyu admires Feng Jun’s Sage-Recruiting Token, but Feng Jun is disappointed that it is valid for only thirty years rather than indefinitely.
• Liang Yisi suspects that the Xue Family may have arranged the earlier confrontation to test whether Feng Jun truly possesses the token. Liang Zhongyu instead believes greed over Feng Jun’s valuable purchases is the main motive.
• While traveling rapidly toward Zhige Mountain, Feng Jun establishes a heavily guarded camp beside a river, using defensive formations, sentries, walkie-talkies, and infrared binoculars.
• He detects several suspicious locations, including a lone cultivator who appears to be scouting him. After confirming the man possesses a Storage Pouch, Feng Jun ambushes him with a Divine Sense attack.
• The scout is a poor, injured Qi Refining cultivator surnamed Li from Wood River. Feng Jun searches his Storage Pouch before killing him and discovers a walkie-talkie, proving that he is connected to the surveillance operation. Feng Jun transports him to the Blue Star Plane, where he dies, then confiscates his belongings and destroys the communication device.
• Finding no additional pursuers along the road, Feng Jun realizes the enemy may be hiding inside a nearby village. He discovers a remote household containing five cultivators and three abducted mortals.
• The group includes a Mortal Transcendence Eighth Layer cultivator, three Qi Refining cultivators, and Liu Feng, a Dust-Free Intermediate Stage cultivator from Pine-Cypress Peak.
• Feng Jun prepares an Illusion Formation, Spirit-Binding Array, and explosive trap before deliberately knocking on the door. He then flees, successfully luring the cultivators into pursuit.
• During the chase, Feng Jun repeatedly evades a Qi Refining sword cultivator’s attacks while concealing his true strength. Liu Feng realizes that their target is himself a cultivator.
• Feng Jun claims to be a guard of the Heavenlink Trade Alliance and accuses the group of slaughtering mortals, exploiting the fact that cultivators are forbidden from harming or exposing themselves to ordinary people without cause.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly cautious, calculating, and ruthless. He combines technology from the Blue Star Plane with cultivation methods, using surveillance equipment, formations, traps, and cross-plane transportation to control dangerous situations.
• His killing of the scout shows a growing willingness to eliminate potential threats preemptively, although he still seeks justification for doing so. He views transporting enemies to the Blue Star Plane as an especially clean and effective method of execution.
• Feng Jun also demonstrates tactical confidence by intentionally provoking the larger group, disguising his abilities, and drawing them away from the village and into his prepared defenses.
• Liang Zhongyu remains openly loyal and admiring toward Feng Jun, though he tries to moderate Feng Jun’s arrogance about the token.
• Liang Yisi is characterized as suspicious and conspiracy-minded, looking beyond obvious explanations and suggesting that the Xue Family is testing Feng Jun.
• The pursuing cultivators, especially the sword cultivator, are shown to be aggressive but tactically careless. Their pursuit allows Feng Jun to manipulate them, while Liu Feng is the first to recognize that Feng Jun is not an ordinary mortal.

Significant Themes

• Suspicion and counter-surveillance: Both sides attempt to monitor and investigate the other, but Feng Jun’s combination of infrared technology and spiritual abilities gives him the advantage.
• Technology versus cultivation: Walkie-talkies, infrared binoculars, explosives, and cross-plane movement are integrated with Divine Sense, formations, and Storage Pouches.
• Deception and psychological warfare: Feng Jun does not simply attack the enemy; he stages an apparent escape and provokes them into revealing themselves.
• The value and limits of power: The Sage-Recruiting Token grants Feng Jun authority and protection, but its limited validity reminds him that the support behind it is not absolute.
• Moral and social boundaries: The chapter emphasizes the prohibition against cultivators harming or exposing themselves to mortals. The enemy’s abduction of villagers gives Feng Jun both a legal and moral pretext to confront them.
• Growing ruthlessness: Feng Jun’s increasingly pragmatic attitude toward killing contrasts with his earlier hesitation, suggesting a gradual hardening of his character.

Character Interactions

• Liang Zhongyu and Liang Yisi debate why Feng Jun was previously targeted, revealing contrasting personalities: Zhongyu is practical and dismissive, while Yisi is suspicious and conspiratorial.
• Feng Jun internally reacts to both men, agreeing partly with Zhongyu while recognizing that the situation likely involves more than simple greed.
• Feng Jun interacts indirectly with the scout by detecting, ambushing, investigating, and eliminating him.
• He then manipulates the five cultivators at the village by knocking on their door and fleeing, forcing them to expose themselves and pursue him.
• During the chase, Feng Jun taunts and misleads the cultivators by identifying himself as a Heavenlink Trade Alliance guard, turning their unlawful treatment of mortals into a potential liability.

Chapter Summary: “Wealth Stirs Hearts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun discovers that Liu Feng’s group has killed two members of a mortal household after the victims accidentally made noise while hiding the cultivators’ presence.
• Feng Jun’s attendant or ally falsely claims to be from the Heavenlink Trade Alliance, provoking Liu Feng. Liu Feng realizes that Feng Jun is nearby and orders his men to capture the supposed Heavenlink member.
• Three Qi Refining cultivators attack Feng Jun, but he lures two into an illusion formation and restrains the third with the Ruthless Cord before throwing him into the formation as well.
• Liu Feng identifies Feng Jun and demands the four Wisdom-Communing Pill formulas. Feng Jun refuses, arguing that the formulas would only be the beginning of Liu Feng’s demands.
• Liu Feng threatens Feng Jun indirectly by suggesting that people connected to Zhige Mountain could be targeted. Since the Heart of Heaven Platform protects Feng Jun personally through the Sage-Recruiting Token, Liu Feng assumes it may not protect Feng Jun’s associates.
• Feng Jun refuses to be intimidated and openly challenges Liu Feng, even threatening to destroy Liu Feng’s family. He also reveals that he knows Liu Feng’s identity and sect affiliation, Pine-Cypress Peak.
• Liu Feng becomes alarmed because Feng Jun could expose his actions to the Heavenlink Trade Alliance. Although he is wary of the Heart of Heaven Platform, he fears Heavenlink’s extensive backing and powerful higher-level cultivators even more.
• Liu Feng begins preparing to attack, hoping to force Feng Jun to strike first and thus gain the moral and legal advantage under Cultivation Realm rules.
• Rather than attack, Feng Jun retreats and fires a warning flare, signaling that he intends to summon outside help or expose the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates strong tactical awareness, using deception, formations, and restraint rather than immediately fighting Liu Feng. He remains confident and provocative despite being threatened.
• Feng Jun’s attitude toward hostages and threats is revealed: although he values Zhige Mountain, he refuses to let Liu Feng dictate his actions through fear. He believes individuals must primarily protect themselves rather than rely on others’ sacrifice.
• Liu Feng is shown to be calculating and ruthless. He is willing to kill mortals, threaten Feng Jun’s associates, and manipulate legal restrictions to force Feng Jun into attacking first.
• Despite his arrogance, Liu Feng becomes increasingly cautious once Feng Jun exposes his identity and invokes the Heavenlink Trade Alliance. His confidence weakens because he fears consequences for his family and sect.
• Liu Feng’s group is portrayed as dependent on ambushes, secrecy, and intimidation rather than superior direct strength.

Significant Themes

• Power and political protection: The Heart of Heaven Platform’s Sage-Recruiting Token protects Feng Jun but may not extend to those around him, creating a dangerous loophole.
• Moral and legal manipulation: Both sides understand that whoever strikes first may be judged as the aggressor. Liu Feng attempts to exploit this restriction, while Feng Jun refuses to give him the opportunity.
• Threats against loved ones and associates: The chapter explores how powerful figures use indirect pressure when they cannot attack their true target.
• Reputation and hidden identities: Liu Feng’s fear of Heavenlink shows that alliances and social standing can be more dangerous than individual combat strength.
• Righteousness versus self-interest: Liu Feng presents extortion and intimidation as reasonable negotiation, while Feng Jun rejects his sanctimonious logic and exposes the selfish motives beneath it.
• Wealth and influence: The Heavenlink Trade Alliance’s vast network and rumored high-level backers make it a force that even Liu Feng is unwilling to provoke.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liu Feng: Their exchange is a battle of intimidation and psychological strategy. Liu Feng demands the pill formulas and threatens Feng Jun’s associates, while Feng Jun mocks him, exposes his identity, and threatens retaliation against his family.
• Feng Jun and the attacking cultivators: Feng Jun avoids a direct fight by using the illusion formation and Ruthless Cord to neutralize them.
• Liu Feng and the Heavenlink Trade Alliance: Though no Heavenlink representative appears directly, the alliance dominates the confrontation. Liu Feng initially orders the supposed member killed, then becomes terrified that Feng Jun might report his actions.
• Liu Feng and his hidden identity: Feng Jun’s knowledge of Liu Feng’s connection to Pine-Cypress Peak turns Liu Feng’s own secrecy against him, leaving him trapped between attacking Feng Jun and risking exposure to Heavenlink.

Chapter Summary: “Outnumbering the Few”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confronts Liu Feng near his encampment. Confident in his legal and moral position, Feng Jun summons reinforcements instead of initiating a risky duel.
• Enraged by this, Liu Feng uses a rare Immobilization Talisman capable of restraining a Dust-Free High Stage cultivator for three breaths. However, Feng Jun breaks free almost immediately.
• Liu Feng follows with the Soul-Seizing Banner, which attacks Divine Sense, and a poisonous Heart-Eating Nail. Feng Jun resists the banner’s mental assault and blocks the nail with his Mountain-River Seal, damaging Liu Feng’s treasured weapon in the process.
• Feng Jun gains the upper hand by combining the Mountain-River Seal with his Stone Mace and superior Profound Origin Blade Technique. Liu Feng is forced to defend continuously, relying on his greatsword, Soul-Seizing Banner, and a defensive talisman.
• Liang Zhongyu arrives and attacks Liu Feng with an enlarged silver coin, further restricting Liu Feng’s movement. Ji Ping’an, Liang Yisi, and Zhou Linghai also arrive after subduing another enemy cultivator, while Feng Jun reveals that three more opponents are trapped in an illusion formation.
• Feng Jun orders his allies to wear Liu Feng down and capture him alive. Their coordinated attacks overwhelm Liu Feng, especially because Feng Jun blocks Liu Feng’s counterattacks.
• Liang Yisi’s subtle poison begins disrupting Liu Feng’s spiritual-qi circulation. Cornered and injured, Liu Feng accuses them of poisoning him and finally unleashes the true power of the Soul-Seizing Banner.
• The banner releases a terrifying mass of yin qi filled with the anguished faces and cries of countless souls, revealing that Liu Feng is an evil cultivator. The chapter ends as the yin qi is absorbed into Liu Feng, causing his body to swell to nearly three meters tall.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun displays increased confidence and authority. Instead of fighting alone to prove himself, he openly uses his numerical advantage and commands the battle strategically.
• He demonstrates exceptional combat ability, resisting high-level talismans and Divine Sense attacks while simultaneously controlling multiple weapons.
• Liu Feng is revealed to be ruthless, heavily armed, and willing to use priceless treasures and forbidden powers when threatened. His calm façade collapses as he becomes increasingly desperate.
• Liu Feng’s transformation confirms that he is not merely an ordinary cultivator but an evil cultivator who uses yin qi and the souls of others.
• Liang Zhongyu, Ji Ping’an, and Liang Yisi prove their value as coordinated battle cultivators. Liang Yisi’s poison and the others’ willingness to attack without hesitation contribute significantly to Liu Feng’s defeat.
• Feng Jun’s allies increasingly treat him as their commander, following his instructions even in the middle of a dangerous battle.

Significant Themes

• Strength in numbers: The chapter emphasizes that coordinated attacks can produce an effect greater than the simple sum of individual strength.
• Authority versus desperation: Feng Jun’s legitimate position allows him to summon reinforcements openly, while Liu Feng is forced into increasingly desperate and underhanded tactics.
• Preparation and hidden abilities: Both sides conceal trump cards, but Feng Jun’s restraint and layered defenses prove more effective than Liu Feng’s “triple insurance.”
• The danger of evil cultivation: Liu Feng’s Soul-Seizing Banner introduces imagery of suffering souls, yin qi, and forbidden power, sharply distinguishing his methods from conventional cultivation.
• Capturing rather than killing: Feng Jun repeatedly instructs his allies to wear Liu Feng down and take him alive, suggesting that Liu Feng’s identity and secrets may be more valuable than simply defeating him.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liu Feng engage in a tense battle of tactics: Liu Feng tries to end the fight quickly with surprise attacks, while Feng Jun relies on defense, endurance, and reinforcements.
• Liang Zhongyu openly mocks Liu Feng’s complaint about being outnumbered, arguing that the encounter is an ambush rather than a fair sparring match.
• Liang Zhongyu asks Feng Jun for direction while continuing to attack, showing both respect for Feng Jun’s authority and confidence in battle.
• Ji Ping’an and Liang Yisi coordinate instinctively and warn each other to retreat when Liu Feng reveals his evil cultivation.
• Feng Jun protects the allied cultivators from Liu Feng’s attacks, allowing them to concentrate entirely on offense.
• Liu Feng’s transformation interrupts the group’s advantage and sets up a more dangerous confrontation for the next chapter.

Chapter Summary:

The Evil Cultivator Meets His End

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Feng transforms using an evil secret technique, swelling in size as his Soul-Seizing Banner changes from black to blood-red and his cultivation rises to the Dust-Free High Stage.
• Feng Jun attempts a Divine Sense attack, but Liu Feng’s Soul-Seizing Banner absorbs it and counterattacks, nearly dragging Feng Jun’s consciousness away. Feng Jun survives because of his mysterious “cheat device.”
• After recovering on the Blue Star Plane, Feng Jun returns repeatedly to the Phone Plane, using Lightning-Calling Techniques. By leaving and re-entering the plane to restore his spiritual energy, he appears to unleash three devastating lightning attacks in succession.
• Lightning severely restrains Liu Feng’s Yin Fiend energy and forces his cultivation back down by an entire realm. Feng Jun then uses a powerful Blazing Flame Talisman, further burning and weakening him.
• Feng Jun engages Liu Feng in close combat with an Extreme-Yang Treasure Weapon and Flame Armor, while the other cultivators support him with Fireball and Mind-Clearing Techniques.
• Liu Feng is ultimately split apart by Feng Jun’s saber. Before dying, he detonates his body and launches the Heart-Demon Grand Curse, hoping to ruin Feng Jun’s mind and cultivation.
• Feng Jun escapes into the Blue Star Plane before the curse can lock onto him. Because the curse cannot cross planes at Liu Feng’s level, Feng Jun safely avoids it.
• Feng Jun returns after synchronizing the passage of time, making it appear that Liu Feng’s self-destruction and curse both failed.
• After the battle, Zhou Linghai protects nearby villagers by frightening them into remaining indoors and concealing the supernatural conflict.
• Liang Zhongyu retrieves Liu Feng’s Storage Pouch. Feng Jun allows his subordinates to divide ordinary Spirit Stones but remains wary of potentially valuable items or surviving enemies.
• The pouch contains a cultivation manual for Myriad Souls Water and two living souls belonging to unaffiliated cultivators, confirming Liu Feng’s cruelty and evil-cultivator status.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates adaptability, caution, and overwhelming preparation. Although he initially misjudges Liu Feng’s resistance to Divine Sense attacks, he quickly changes tactics and combines lightning, fire, protective armor, saber techniques, and plane-travel abilities.
• Feng Jun also reveals his strategic concern about hiding his unusual powers. He limits his Lightning-Calling Techniques so observers will not realize how quickly he can restore spiritual energy.
• His attitude toward his subordinates becomes clearer: he recognizes their contributions, permits them to share lesser spoils, and trusts that they will surrender anything truly valuable.
• Liu Feng is shown to be desperate and ruthless. His attempt to increase his cultivation through a secret technique ultimately leaves him vulnerable to Feng Jun’s many anti-evil methods. Even in defeat, he relies on self-destruction and a curse rather than surrendering.
• Zhou Linghai proves capable of handling mortals and concealing the battle, while Liang Zhongyu displays exceptional initiative in claiming the Storage Pouch.
• The chapter also highlights the vulnerability of unaffiliated cultivators, whose souls can be abused without provoking the same immediate consequences as those of disciples from powerful sects.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and adaptability: Feng Jun’s previous preparations for fighting Yin Ghosts become decisive in this battle, showing how unused resources can determine victory later.
• The natural weakness of evil: Lightning, fire, positive energy, and mental-clearing techniques all counter Liu Feng’s Yin-based cultivation.
• The danger of hidden power: Feng Jun must conceal not only his strength but also the unusual source of his rapid recovery and plane-shifting abilities.
• Desperation versus strategy: Liu Feng relies on increasingly extreme techniques, while Feng Jun survives by remaining cautious and refusing to fight on his enemy’s terms.
• Justice and moral corruption: Liu Feng’s possession of living cultivator souls establishes him as genuinely evil, while the discussion of Heart-Demon Curses contrasts evil cultivators’ malice with the comparatively clear conscience of those who kill them in defense of others.
• Social inequality among cultivators: The fate of the unaffiliated cultivators’ souls reflects their weaker protection and status compared with disciples of major sects.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Liu Feng engage in a battle of escalating techniques: Divine Sense against the Soul-Seizing Banner, followed by lightning, fire, saber combat, self-destruction, and the Heart-Demon Grand Curse.
• Feng Jun coordinates indirectly with Zhou Linghai and the other cultivators, allowing them to attack from a safe distance while he personally restrains Liu Feng.
• Zhou Linghai obeys Feng Jun’s order to protect the villagers and uses an intimidating apparition to keep them from investigating.
• Liang Zhongyu reports the Storage Pouch’s contents to Feng Jun, and Feng Jun responds by granting his followers the lesser spoils while retaining authority over more important discoveries.
• The discovery of the living souls prompts bitter commentary about the precarious position of unaffiliated cultivators in the cultivation world.

Chapter Summary: “Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the battle, Liu Feng and another enemy cultivator self-destruct to avoid interrogation and destroy evidence. One of the dead enemies is identified as a member of the Muchuan Xue Family, but his destruction of his Storage Pouch prevents Feng Jun from directly accusing the Xue Family.
• Two surviving Qi Refining cultivators are captured and placed in soul bottles. They claim they were merely hired, while Feng Jun confirms that Liu Feng was a demonic cultivator affiliated with Pine-Cypress Peak.
• Feng Jun chooses to preserve the battlefield and notify the western inspectors rather than immediately leave, understanding that the physical evidence is important.
• The group confronts the aftermath of the attack: a mortal husband and wife have been killed, leaving behind two children and an elderly woman. The local county commandant, Wang Sanqian, arrives and is instructed to report that “demons” caused the incident.
• Western inspectors initially hesitate to handle the case because of Feng Jun’s strength. Later, the market sends a senior Qi Refining cultivator and battle cultivators to investigate. Master Xu, representing the Heavenlink Trade Alliance, also arrives.
• Feng Jun reveals Liu Feng’s identity and hands over Liu Feng’s Storage Pouch, which contains two living souls and a copy of the Myriad Souls Water cultivation method. The market takes the captives and one corpse away, recording the participants’ names for future credit.
• Feng Jun notices that the market does not intend to compensate the mortal victims. As part of his “Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart,” he gives Liang Zhongyu twenty taels of gold to deliver to County Commandant Wang for repairing damaged homes and helping the victims’ families.
• Liang Zhongyu reinforces Feng Jun’s decision, while Wang Sanqian sincerely uses the money to assist the villagers and hopes to build a future connection with the cultivators.
• Feng Jun and the others return to Zhige Mountain after two months away. The town is covered in early winter snow, and Liu Feifei’s emotional welcome makes Feng Jun realize that the Phone Plane has begun to feel like home.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates both caution and compassion. He carefully preserves evidence against the demonic cultivators and the Xue Family, but he also refuses to ignore the mortal casualties. His decision to compensate the villagers reflects his attempt to cultivate his Dao heart through contact with ordinary human life.
• Mi Yunshan initially leaves a gold hairpin and silver money for the victims, showing sympathy but also a lack of understanding of mortal economic realities. After Feng Jun explains that the gesture could create problems or even harm the family, she accepts the correction and takes it back.
• Liang Zhongyu proves practical, loyal, and financially capable. He supports Feng Jun’s compassion while ensuring the county commandant cannot misuse the funds.
• Zhou Linghai acts as the group’s experienced representative, dealing firmly with the county commandant and inspectors and preventing weaker officials from interfering with matters beyond their ability.
• County Commandant Wang is cautious and politically perceptive. Though he initially wants the captives handed over, he quickly recognizes the danger and later takes responsibility for properly distributing the compensation.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with Zhige Mountain deepens. Liu Feifei’s tearful greeting reveals the emotional bonds he has formed there and prompts him to question whether the Phone Plane has become his true home.

Significant Themes

• Compassion versus cultivation-world indifference: The market treats mortal deaths as an unavoidable consequence of demonic activity, while Feng Jun insists that ordinary people should not simply be abandoned.
• Red-Dust Tempering of the Heart: Feng Jun uses involvement with mortal suffering to refine his emotions, values, and Dao heart rather than remaining detached from worldly life.
• Power and responsibility: Cultivators possess overwhelming strength, but their actions affect mortals who cannot defend themselves. The chapter emphasizes the moral obligations that come with power.
• Evidence, secrecy, and political caution: The self-destruction of the enemy prevents Feng Jun from openly implicating the Xue Family, while officials must conceal the truth about cultivator conflicts from the mortal world.
• The meaning of home: Feng Jun begins to recognize that his emotional attachment to Zhige Mountain and the Phone Plane is becoming genuine, suggesting a shift from temporary residence to belonging.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun stops Mi Yunshan from leaving inappropriate compensation, teaching her to consider the practical consequences of charity.
• Zhou Linghai firmly dismisses County Commandant Wang’s request to take custody of the captured cultivators, warning that doing so would endanger him.
• The western inspectors defer to Zhou Linghai because they fear Feng Jun’s strength and lack the authority to confront him directly.
• Feng Jun speaks openly with Master Xu, revealing Liu Feng’s identity and recounting the battle because of their prior association.
• Liang Zhongyu supports Feng Jun’s charitable decision and personally ensures County Commandant Wang understands how the money must be used.
• Liu Feifei’s joyful reunion with Feng Jun provides the chapter’s emotional conclusion, awakening his realization that he has found a home.

Chapter Summary: “Pure Gold’s Surprise”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to Zhige Mountain as supplies become scarce. Boiler-Backed Engines, lamps, diesel, and other goods are nearly sold out, with prices rising sharply.
• He releases part of his engine stock, but all 200 engines sell out almost immediately. More than 500 additional orders are placed with deposits, demonstrating overwhelming demand.
• Zhige Mountain remains peaceful during Feng Jun’s absence. Residences established by Carefree Platform, Heavenlink, and the Crimson Phoenix Sect, along with Chen Junwei’s presence, deter trouble.
• The Geng Family causes the settlement’s only serious disturbance by pursuing runaway slaves and injuring patrol members. When they refuse to accept judgment, Chen Junwei detains them. A Geng Innate Expert later arrives to protest but is restrained by Wang Bocai’s Vine Technique and forced to apologize. The troublemakers are fined one hundred taels of gold.
• Winter reduces Zhige Mountain’s population but increases temporary employment and commercial activity. Lang Zhen and Tian Yangni organize snow removal to keep roads usable.
• Heavy snow makes mining Spirit Stones Under Refinement difficult or impossible, potentially delaying extraction until spring.
• Feng Jun enters the snow-covered mountains, activates Pan Renjie’s Spirit-Gathering Array, and adds Defense Arrays so he can cultivate safely.
• He allows his companions to cultivate in the array for three days, after which they must pay to continue. Yun Buyao meditates from a considerable distance because the dense spiritual energy is dangerous to mortals.
• Feng Jun initially believes Yun Buyao has made little progress because she does not reach Mortal Transcendence after three days. However, after cultivating for what he assumes is a short period, he discovers that far more time has passed.
• During Feng Jun’s meditation, Mi Yunshan advances to the Fifth Layer of Mortal Transcendence, while Yun Buyao unexpectedly reaches the Third Level of Mortal Transcendence. Feng Jun is stunned by Yun Buyao’s rapid progress.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates growing confidence as a Dust-Free Realm cultivator. He becomes less concerned about revealing his Spirit-Gathering Array and focuses on consolidating his cultivation before attempting to advance further. His surprise at Yun Buyao’s progress reveals that even he cannot fully predict the effects of cultivation methods and physiques.
• Yun Buyao: Shows remarkable endurance and latent potential. Although spiritual energy is extremely painful for her mortal body, she persists and secretly makes major progress, reaching Mortal Transcendence Level Three.
• Mi Yunshan: Makes an impressive breakthrough to the Fifth Layer of Mortal Transcendence using the ordinary Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique, surprising and discouraging Yu Changqing.
• Chen Junwei: Acts decisively to protect Zhige Mountain’s laws and residents, detaining the Geng Family members and imposing a heavy fine.
• Wang Bocai: Reveals a forceful side beneath his research-focused personality by binding the Geng Innate Expert and threatening to summon cultivators from Carefree Platform.
• Lang Zhen and Tian Yangni: Take responsibility for winter administration by organizing snow-clearing efforts.
• Yu Changqing: Is impressed yet unsettled by Mi Yunshan’s rapid advancement, especially because Mi Yunshan uses a very ordinary cultivation technique.

Significant Themes

• Prosperity and scarcity: Zhige Mountain’s growing importance is shown through the overwhelming demand for engines and the expansion of trade, even as winter causes shortages and rising prices.
• Order and protection: The settlement’s stability depends on cooperation between allied families, sects, and powerful cultivators. The Geng Family incident demonstrates that outsiders cannot act lawlessly.
• Cultivation requires endurance: Yun Buyao’s painful meditation suggests that advancement may come through hardship, while Feng Jun’s preparation emphasizes patience and disciplined accumulation.
• Unexpected talent: Mi Yunshan and Yun Buyao both exceed expectations, showing that cultivation progress cannot always be judged by technique, background, or initial performance.
• The limits of knowledge: Feng Jun’s applet and observations fail to explain Yun Buyao’s progress fully, highlighting the unpredictability of cultivation and individual physiques.
• Time and perception: Feng Jun loses track of time while cultivating, creating a contrast between his subjective experience and the actual passage of days.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun receives reports from Lang Zhen about shortages and engine demand, reinforcing the settlement’s commercial growth.
• Chen Junwei confronts the Geng Family over their abuse of Zhige Mountain’s residents and patrol members.
• Wang Bocai humiliates and restrains the Geng Innate Expert, turning a potential confrontation with the Aristocratic Families Alliance into a clear demonstration of Carefree Platform’s power.
• Feng Jun sets terms for the group’s use of the Spirit-Gathering Array, balancing generosity with the need to conserve resources.
• Yun Buyao struggles under the array’s spiritual pressure while Feng Jun mistakenly assumes she is progressing slowly.
• Yu Changqing informs Feng Jun that Mi Yunshan has advanced rapidly. Together, they then discover Yun Buyao’s unexpected breakthrough, leaving Feng Jun genuinely shocked.

Chapter Summary: “The Right Cultivation Method”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun is shocked when Yun Buyao reaches Mortal Transcendence Level Three. Her progress is even faster than Zhang Caixin’s, despite her shorter cultivation period and lack of Spirit Liquid enlightenment.
• Yu Changqing questions Yun Buyao’s unusual advancement and learns that she possesses an Innate Pure Metal Physique, comparable to Yu’s own innate attribute but considerably rarer and purer.
• Feng Jun reveals that Yun Buyao practices Severing Azure Silk, a highly valuable cultivation method purchased for one hundred thousand Spirit Stones from the Vast Sea shop in Autumn Star Market.
• Yu Changqing initially worries that Feng Jun may have bought a flawed or dangerous foundational technique, but relaxes after learning the method came from a reputable source.
• Feng Jun playfully interacts with Yu Changqing, who presses him about his mysterious cultivation progress—from Martial Master to Dust-Free Realm in less than two years. He avoids answering directly.
• Yun Buyao respectfully thanks Feng Jun for giving her cultivation methods and pills and vows to follow him. Feng Jun tells her to focus on cultivation and promises to accept her as a disciple if she reaches Qi Refining within three years.
• Feng Jun, Yun Buyao, Yu Changqing, and Ji Ping’an return to the courtyard. Ji Ping’an asks about the delivery of goods connected to their recent spoils. Feng Jun reminds him that the Spirit Stones are their battle spoils, but they must accept the risks of future conflict without expecting his protection.
• Feng Jun leaves the cultivation plane and contacts Dong Zenghong on the Blue Star Realm about where to establish a Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Dong Zenghong considers placing the array within Feng Jun’s estate, but Feng Jun advises against it because the estate’s limited access would hinder the development and networking of the Gu Gui Inheritance.
• Dong Zenghong discusses possible connections with Martial Sect Mountain and Qingcheng. Feng Jun makes clear that he has unresolved conflicts with Qingcheng but is willing to ask whether other parties would forgive them before considering improving Qingcheng’s Earth Vein.
• If Qingcheng cannot be reconciled with Feng Jun and others, Dong Zenghong may instead cooperate with Fugu Crimson Cloud Heaven.

Character Developments

• Yun Buyao emerges as an exceptionally talented cultivator. Her rare physique and extraordinary advancement establish her as a potential future disciple of Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun continues to act as a benefactor and mentor while keeping his own secrets guarded. He is generous with resources but cautious about revealing cultivation methods, alliances, and the full extent of his power.
• Yu Changqing displays both competitiveness and genuine concern for Feng Jun. Her jealousy toward Yun Buyao is tempered by curiosity and worry, while her informal teasing reveals their longstanding familiarity.
• Ji Ping’an shows gratitude and deference toward Feng Jun but remains anxious about receiving the promised goods. He accepts that future battles carry real risks.
• Dong Zenghong demonstrates political caution and strategic thinking. He seeks Feng Jun’s approval while trying to secure a suitable location and alliance for the Spirit-Gathering Array.

Significant Themes

• Innate talent versus cultivation resources: Yun Buyao’s rapid progress highlights the importance of rare physiques, but also the role of powerful cultivation methods and pills.
• Knowledge as power: Feng Jun treats cultivation methods and their origins as valuable secrets, revealing information selectively.
• Mentorship and loyalty: Yun Buyao’s vow to follow Feng Jun and his conditional promise to accept her as a disciple establish a developing teacher-student relationship.
• Reciprocity and risk: Feng Jun rewards Ji Ping’an and his companions but emphasizes that benefits gained from conflict come with corresponding dangers.
• Political alliances and independence: The discussion of the Spirit-Gathering Array reflects tensions between personal loyalty, sect interests, access to resources, and the need to build independent power.
• Familiarity overcoming hierarchy: Despite Feng Jun’s status as an “Exalted One,” Yu Changqing continues to speak casually with him, showing that old relationships can diminish the formality of rank.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: They debate Yun Buyao’s physique and cultivation method, exchange teasing remarks, and discuss Feng Jun’s suspiciously rapid advancement.
• Feng Jun and Yun Buyao: He encourages her cultivation, accepts her gratitude without making immediate promises, and offers discipleship if she reaches Qi Refining within three years.
• Feng Jun and Ji Ping’an: Feng Jun reassures him about the goods but warns that their battle spoils do not guarantee safety in future conflicts.
• Feng Jun and Dong Zenghong: They negotiate the Spirit-Gathering Array’s location and discuss whether Feng Jun should help repair Qingcheng’s Earth Vein, depending on broader reconciliation.
• Dong Zenghong and the surrounding sects: His possible ties to Martial Sect Mountain, Qingcheng, and Fugu Crimson Cloud Heaven reveal the wider political maneuvering surrounding the array.

Chapter Summary: “The Smart Way to Save Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun informs Yang Yuxin that Dong Zenghong has contacted him about the previous conflict involving Jincheng. Although Yang was once angered by the incident—during which she was nearly shot and Feng Jun was placed in danger—she is now willing to consider helping her hometown.
• Yang decides to investigate whether Jincheng properly addressed the shooting. If their response is unsatisfactory, she and Feng Jun will refuse to assist them.
• Feng Jun visits Dong Zenghong and provides the Gugui Lineage with a long-lasting Spirit-Gathering Formation Disk. It can support cultivation up to the Qi Refining Intermediate Stage and is far more durable than the Analytical Spirit-Gathering Array.
• The formation disk consumes Spirit Stones rapidly—one stone lasts only about a month—so Feng Jun gives Dong five Spirit Stones and advises him to alternate its use with Green Mountain Sect’s less powerful but more economical formation.
• Dong Zenghong recognizes that Feng Jun is offering substantial compensation for the Heavenly Secrets Disk, even if he is unwilling or unable to provide a larger supply of Spirit Stones.
• Feng Jun also gives Dong a Storage Talisman usable by mortals, explaining that only two such talismans currently exist outside Luohua Manor. Dong immediately uses it to store supplies he had prepared in advance.
• Dong suggests that Fugu Crimson Cloud Heaven should receive similar talismans for transporting supplies into and out of the Small World, but Feng Jun refuses, saying Luohua Manor will provide logistical support.
• Feng Jun promises that if Dong reaches the Qi Nurturing Stage, he will exchange the current ten-use talisman for one usable thirty times, encouraging Dong to cultivate.
• Before leaving, Feng Jun gives Dong an additional trial Spirit Stone and instructs him to keep Spirit Stones in jade boxes to prevent spiritual energy from escaping.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates greater emotional maturity and responsibility. Rather than remaining angry over the Jincheng incident, he focuses on compensation, karma, and practical solutions. He is generous, but carefully limits his resources to prevent dependence, theft, or imbalance.
• Yang Yuxin reveals her forgiving and magnanimous nature. Though she was deeply wronged, her affection for her hometown and concern for Feng Jun’s feelings lead her to consider reconciliation—provided Jincheng has taken responsibility.
• Dong Zenghong proves both perceptive and pragmatic. He understands Feng Jun’s hidden motives and recognizes the value of the compensation, even while wishing for more Spirit Stones. His acceptance of the Storage Talisman also shows his careful preparation and strategic thinking.
• Dong is indirectly pushed toward cultivation: Feng Jun’s offer of a superior talisman if he reaches the Qi Nurturing Stage gives him a strong practical incentive to improve.

Significant Themes

• Practical forgiveness and karmic responsibility: Feng Jun does not forget past harm, but he chooses to resolve matters through compensation and measured cooperation rather than anger.
• Scarcity and controlled generosity: Even powerful resources must be distributed carefully. Feng Jun balances fairness with the need to protect himself and preserve his advantages.
• Mutual understanding among intelligent people: Feng Jun and Dong communicate indirectly, understanding each other’s intentions without lengthy explanations. This shared awareness prevents unnecessary conflict.
• The value of trust and restraint: Dong promises, implicitly, to use the rare Storage Talisman cautiously, while Feng Jun trusts him enough to provide it.
• Cultivation as both opportunity and obligation: Access to superior resources creates responsibility and pressure. Dong’s path toward cultivation becomes increasingly difficult to avoid.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin discuss whether to help Jincheng, with Feng deferring to her judgment because she was the one wronged.
• Feng Jun and Dong negotiate the compensation for the Heavenly Secrets Disk. Dong hopes for more Spirit Stones, while Feng Jun maintains firm limits without insulting or alienating him.
• Their conversation about the Storage Talismans becomes an indirect exchange of assurances: Dong signals that he will protect the talisman’s secrecy, while Feng Jun makes clear that such treasures are rare and not freely available.
• Feng Jun encourages Dong to cultivate by tying future benefits to reaching the Qi Nurturing Stage, then leaves to manage broader plans for the Daoist Sect’s development.

Chapter Summary: Problems with Large-Scale Procurement

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving Xichang, Feng Jun immediately returns to Yang City to organize supplies for Zhige Mountain on the Phone Plane. He asks Hao Fengjing to help prepare the goods and uses Storage Pouches accumulated from previous victories.
• Hao Fengjing asks to accompany him to the Phone Plane again. Feng Jun refuses for now, suggesting she wait until reaching the Sixth Layer of Mortal Transcendence, citing the dangers and her incorrect accent.
• The cultivation gap among the women at Luohua Manor becomes a source of tension. Zhang Caixin has unexpectedly advanced to the Transcendent Mortal Ninth Layer, while Gu Jiahui has reached the Fourth Layer. Hao Fengjing and Zhang Weihong, who are at the same level, feel embarrassed and pressured by being surpassed.
• Gu Jiahui considers celebrating her advancement, but Yang Yuxin advises against it to avoid making Hao Fengjing and Zhang Weihong feel worse. Feng Jun does not interfere, believing mild competition will encourage everyone to improve.
• Feng Jun begins large-scale procurement for the Phone Plane, purchasing Boiler-Backed Engines, lighting fixtures, wiring, household goods, and other supplies. Yang City’s large population and regional reach allow him to make massive purchases without attracting excessive attention.
• A ten-million-yuan lighting order unexpectedly draws interest from a secretary representing a provincial official. This makes Feng Jun realize that large-scale domestic purchases inevitably attract attention, reinforcing the importance of maintaining a domestic base rather than retreating to an isolated overseas island.
• Goods are transported in batches to the Phone Plane despite the snow. Feng Jun enjoys moving between the snowy Phone Plane and the late-autumn Blue Star Plane, though he hopes to spend more time in the latter.
• Ye Qingyi informs him that the new distillery has begun operating. Second Monk is hired to handle security and local trouble for twenty thousand yuan a month. Feng Jun views this as a practical example of outsourcing minor affairs and sharing profits to build alliances.
• Ren Zhixiang, the young stroke patient, comes to see Feng Jun after learning he has returned.
• Meanwhile, Yang Yuxin’s efforts to secure development rights for land near the manor finally succeed, but the project must proceed through formal bidding, auction, and listing procedures.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly aware that his inter-plane business requires careful management of his public and domestic presence. He rejects political pressure over procurement and favors practical cooperation over isolation.
• Hao Fengjing: Grows anxious about falling behind in cultivation, particularly after Zhang Caixin and Gu Jiahui advance rapidly. Her wish to travel to the Phone Plane reflects both her desire for adventure and her determination to improve.
• Zhang Caixin: Advances to the Transcendent Mortal Ninth Layer after training and combat experience in Fugu Crimson Cloud Heaven and the Small World. She remains indifferent to recognition because she regards the Mortal Transcendence and Qi Refining stages as only intermediate goals.
• Gu Jiahui: Reaches the Fourth Layer of Mortal Transcendence, catching up with the older women despite beginning cultivation later. Her desire to celebrate shows her growing confidence, though she ultimately avoids doing so out of consideration for others.
• Zhang Weihong and Hao Fengjing: Feel humiliated and pressured after being overtaken by younger cultivators, revealing the competitive strain within the manor.
• Second Monk: Gains status and income by becoming the distillery’s local protector, illustrating how Feng Jun’s enterprises create opportunities for outside allies.
• Yang Yuxin: Successfully advances the land-development project around Luohua Manor, though bureaucratic procedures delay its implementation.

Significant Themes

• Competition as motivation: Feng Jun sees rivalry within the manor as healthy because it prevents complacency, even though it causes embarrassment and insecurity.
• The consequences of success: Large-scale procurement brings wealth and resources but also attracts political and official attention.
• Maintaining a foundation: Feng Jun realizes that a strong domestic base is essential for long-term development and cannot be replaced by withdrawing to an isolated private domain.
• Practical alliances and shared benefits: Hiring Second Monk and outsourcing minor responsibilities demonstrate Feng Jun’s belief that sharing opportunities helps create friends and reduce enemies.
• Time, cultivation, and opportunity: Hao Fengjing’s desire to cultivate on the Phone Plane highlights the value of its time difference, while Feng Jun must balance its advantages against danger, secrecy, and cultural differences.
• Different attitudes toward achievement: Some characters seek recognition for advancement, while Zhang Caixin treats each breakthrough as merely a step toward greater goals.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun gently but firmly rejects Hao Fengjing’s request to travel with him, while she presses her case by pointing out the advantages of cultivating where time does not pass on the Blue Star Plane.
• Hao Fengjing expresses frustration to Feng Jun about Zhang Caixin’s rapid progress, exposing the emotional strain caused by the manor’s uneven cultivation growth.
• Yang Yuxin protects Gu Jiahui’s feelings while also considering the morale of Hao Fengjing and Zhang Weihong, advising against a celebration.
• Feng Jun deliberately allows the women’s rivalry to continue, believing it will encourage advancement rather than destroy harmony.
• Feng Jun and the provincial official’s secretary interact indirectly through the lighting order; Feng Jun recognizes the approach as an attempt to influence his business but refuses to be controlled.
• Feng Jun relies on Ye Qingyi and Second Monk to manage the distillery, showing his growing tendency to delegate practical affairs.
• Ren Zhixiang’s arrival introduces a personal matter that Feng Jun is about to address as the chapter ends.

Chapter Summary: “Tearing Into Each Other”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang City announces that the land outside Luohua Manor will undergo the formal tender-auction-listing process, despite the plot having been secured through Yang Yuxin’s efforts for an industrial-park project.
• Yang Yuxin is furious that the city publicized the sale without consulting or even notifying her. Mayor Xiang explains that the city council chairman wants to attract real-estate developers and potentially earn more by selling the land for residential development.
• Feng Jun investigates which companies are behind the move. He discovers that a listed real-estate company, suffering from cash-flow problems, plans to bid with local partners and is receiving covert backing from the Dou Family.
• Feng realizes the land dispute is another form of retaliation from the Dou Family, which is using indirect methods to harass Luohua Manor after Young Master Dou’s death.
• Three days after the land announcement, Li Yongrui, chairman of Li Dafu—the leading jewelry and jade company in Funiu Province—is arrested for embezzlement, corruption, and bribery.
• Feng worries that an investigation into Li Yongrui could expose Luohua Manor because Li Dafu has been one of its business partners, particularly in jade sales.
• Yang Yuxin intervenes, and Li Yongrui is released after half a month, though he remains suspended and confined to his residence.
• After his release, someone pressures Li Yongrui to claim that all the jade he recently purchased came from Luohua Manor, apparently in exchange for reinstatement.
• Li Yongrui refuses to cooperate and informs Zhang Weihong that someone is trying to force him to attack Luohua.
• A hidden ally contacts Li through a walkie-talkie, praising his loyalty and warning him not to trust the Dou Family. When surveillance personnel discover the device, the caller openly mocks them for failing to prevent the coercion and exposes their complicity.
• The chapter ends with both sides engaging in indirect retaliation: the authorities and Dou Family apply pressure openly, while Luohua’s allies respond through surveillance, intimidation, and psychological tactics.

Character Developments

• Yang Yuxin: Demonstrates her strong sense of authority and dignity. She is angered less by the legal procedure itself than by being ignored despite initiating the project. Her intervention shows her influence and willingness to protect important allies.
• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly alert to the larger conspiracy behind apparently ordinary political and commercial events. He recognizes that the land dispute is part of the Dou Family’s continuing revenge and acts quickly to protect Luohua Manor.
• Mayor Xiang: Appears politically constrained. He insists that the land decision was driven by the city council chairman rather than himself, revealing the competing interests within Yang City’s government.
• Li Yongrui: Emerges as loyal, pragmatic, and experienced. Despite pressure and the threat to his position, he refuses to betray Luohua Manor and skillfully passes information to Zhang Weihong.
• The hidden Luohua ally: Shows boldness and confidence by using an easily traceable walkie-talkie, deliberately taunting the surveillance team rather than attempting complete secrecy.
• The Dou Family: Continues its vendetta indirectly, using business partners, government pressure, and legal investigations instead of confronting Feng Jun and Luohua directly.

Significant Themes

• Retaliation and indirect warfare: Since the Dou Family cannot openly attack Feng Jun through legal means, it creates trouble through land deals, corporate influence, and manipulated investigations.
• Power and procedural hypocrisy: The city technically follows legal procedures, but the process is being used to pursue political and financial interests rather than genuine administrative fairness.
• Loyalty under pressure: Li Yongrui’s refusal to implicate Luohua demonstrates the importance of personal and business loyalty amid threats of imprisonment and career ruin.
• Corruption and mutual compromise: The investigation into Li Yongrui could easily spread to officials, companies, and Luohua Manor because the entire network of business relationships is entangled in questionable practices.
• Open intimidation versus covert resistance: Both sides disregard conventional secrecy. The Dou Family pressures Li through official channels, while Luohua’s people respond with surveillance and public mockery.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Mayor Xiang: Feng demands an explanation for the land auction. Mayor Xiang defends himself and attributes the decision to the city council chairman.
• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin: Feng relays information about the interested developers and the Dou Family’s involvement, strengthening their cooperation against the threat.
• Yang Yuxin and the authorities: Her intervention helps secure Li Yongrui’s release and prevents the investigation from immediately expanding into Luohua Manor.
• Li Yongrui and the coercive visitor: Li rejects the demand to blame Luohua for his jade purchases, preserving his loyalty despite the promise of reinstatement.
• Li Yongrui and Zhang Weihong: Li warns Zhang that someone is attempting to use him against Luohua.
• The walkie-talkie caller and the surveillance personnel: The caller taunts the watchers, accuses them of tolerating the earlier coercion, and warns Li about the Dou Family’s ruthlessness.

Chapter Summary: “Naked Corpse in a Car”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Officials monitoring Li Yongrui remain frustrated by his apparent arrogance and try to have him transferred, but higher authorities insist that his freedom has not been restricted.
• Soon afterward, the branch manager who had advised Li is found unconscious in a hotel room after drinking heavily. Although his vital signs are normal, he remains in a mysterious coma. Surveillance shows that no one entered or left the room.
• Li reacts coldly to the news, believing the manager deserved what happened.
• The surveillance on Li is lifted, though he is still prohibited from leaving Yang City. He assumes the crisis may be ending and begins worrying about whether he can retain his position.
• Two days later, masked men attack Li during his morning exercise. His military training allows him to survive two knife wounds and trap one attacker in a pit, breaking the man’s leg. Bystanders arrive, forcing both attackers to retreat.
• The attack convinces everyone that the Dou Family is continuing its campaign against Li. Although Li has business rivals, no one is willing to investigate or confront the Dou Family without solid evidence and powerful backing.
• Feng Jun considers intervening because he feels Li is suffering partly on his behalf. Yang Yuxin persuades him to remain uninvolved for now, arguing that:
  1. Li’s conflict with Young Master Dou likely involved more than the jade business.
  2. Helping Li could expose the connection between Luohua Manor and Ye Qingyi’s Three Lives Liquor Company.
  3. The Dou Family is vindictive and may retaliate unpredictably even after appearing to withdraw.
  4. The Gu Family has already angered the Dou Family by eliminating two of its subordinate forces.
  5. The Dou Family hates Li more intensely than it hates Feng Jun, making Li a useful buffer.
• Feng Jun agrees not to interfere directly in Li’s troubles, but Yang Yuxin insists that Luohua must retaliate over the neighboring land auction. Their response must be separated from Li’s case so that Luohua’s strength and its relationship with Ye Qingyi remain hidden.
• The land tender is moved forward by a month. Mulin Real Estate, an outside listed company from Ming City, sends executives to prepare its bid.
• President Tan, Mulin’s leader, arrives shortly before the auction and hosts several dinners. He refuses the advances of two influential real-estate sisters, but later returns to his hotel with two younger women.
• At dawn, police enter his room and arrest him for soliciting prostitutes, suggesting that the land-auction struggle has already begun through covert attacks and framing.

Character Developments

• Li Yongrui demonstrates resilience, military skill, and caution during the assassination attempt. Despite being over fifty, he remains physically capable and prepared for danger. His attitude becomes more cynical as he recognizes that the Dou Family intends to destroy him.
• Feng Jun shows loyalty and a desire to protect Li, but he is persuaded to restrain himself for strategic reasons. He begins thinking more carefully about the consequences of exposing Luohua’s power.
• Yang Yuxin acts as the chapter’s chief strategist. She prioritizes long-term survival, concealment, and indirect retaliation over emotional loyalty or immediate intervention.
• President Tan appears businesslike and cautious, but his decision to return to the hotel with young women leaves him vulnerable to manipulation and likely entrapment.
• The Dou Family is portrayed as ruthless, persistent, and willing to use assassination and indirect pressure rather than openly confront its enemies.

Significant Themes

• Strategic restraint versus personal loyalty: Feng Jun wants to help Li, but Yang Yuxin argues that survival requires patience and emotional discipline.
• Power struggles through proxies: Luohua allows Li to absorb the Dou Family’s hostility while preparing to strike elsewhere.
• Revenge without limits: The Dou Family’s continued attacks show that grudges among powerful families do not disappear simply because time passes.
• Political and business corruption: The land auction is influenced through intimidation, hidden alliances, and likely false criminal charges rather than fair competition.
• Concealed strength: Luohua’s priority is to retaliate without revealing its connections or capabilities.

Character Interactions

• Officials and observers argue over how to handle Li Yongrui but lack the authority to act independently.
• Li responds dismissively to the manager’s mysterious collapse, revealing his bitterness.
• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin debate whether Luohua should defend Li; Yang’s five-part argument convinces him to remain passive for now.
• Feng and Yang agree that the land auction requires a separate counterattack.
• President Tan rejects the two real-estate sisters’ advances, but their apparent friendliness leads him into a more dangerous encounter, ending with his arrest.

Chapter Summary: “Each Showing Their Skills”

Key Plot Points and Events

• President Tan is detained by patrol officers at 5 a.m., preventing him from attending Yang City’s land auction. He believes the arrest was deliberately arranged to sabotage Mulin Corporation’s bid.
• His attempt to authorize someone else to represent him is rejected because the event is a negotiated land bid requiring bidders to appear personally.
• With less than two hours before the auction and traffic congestion threatening to delay matters further, President Tan asks the two sisters’ group for help.
• Minister Wang suggests that the sisters submit the bid themselves, since they are partners with Mulin Corporation. The older sister, Xiao Jiang, accepts the idea and goes to the auction venue.
• Yang Yuxin confronts Xiao Jiang indirectly by pointing out that President Tan’s absence means Mulin will regret missing the auction. Xiao Jiang is intimidated and cannot openly reveal that she intends to bid in his place.
• Xiao Jiang calls her backer for permission to intervene, but he refuses, warning her against greed and changing their original business strategy. He hints that Yang Yuxin may have been involved in President Tan’s detention, leaving Xiao Jiang frightened.
• President Tan becomes increasingly convinced that Epoch Corporation orchestrated his arrest to eliminate Mulin’s participation. He realizes that challenging the Gu Family locally may have been reckless and begins considering leaving as soon as possible.
• The auction concludes with only Epoch Corporation and Prosperity Corporation remaining as serious contenders. Prosperity proposes developing a cultural “smart town” with imitation antique buildings, while Epoch presents a competing plan.
• Mulin’s absence heavily influences the other bidders, many of whom withdraw after hearing that President Tan has been detained.

Character Developments

• President Tan: Shifts from anger and confidence to fear and regret. He recognizes that his opponents have greater local influence and that he may have underestimated the danger of provoking them.
• Xiao Jiang: Initially becomes ambitious and considers taking over Mulin’s role, but Yang Yuxin’s presence and her backer’s warning expose her insecurity. She is left suspicious and intimidated.
• The older sister: Demonstrates strategic flexibility and ambition by deciding to bid directly rather than remain a silent partner.
• Yang Yuxin: Appears calm, authoritative, and intimidating. Her brief exchange with Xiao Jiang reinforces her dominance and suggests she may possess considerable influence behind the scenes.
• Xiao Jiang’s backer: Acts cautiously and pragmatically, prioritizing limited profit and risk avoidance over ambition. His comments imply that he understands the political maneuvering surrounding the arrest.
• Minister Wang: Struggles to resolve the crisis but ultimately offers the practical solution that enables the sisters to participate.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: The chapter emphasizes that business success depends not only on money but also on political connections, local authority, and personal presence.
• Strategic retaliation: President Tan’s detention appears to be a calculated counterattack against Mulin’s attempts to pressure the Gu Family.
• Risk versus greed: Xiao Jiang’s temptation to seize the opportunity is checked by her backer’s warning that excessive ambition can create unnecessary danger.
• Business as political maneuvering: The land bid is presented as a contest of alliances, intimidation, and development proposals rather than a simple price-based auction.
• The consequences of underestimating opponents: President Tan realizes too late that the Gu Family and Yang Yuxin are far more capable of striking back than he expected.

Character Interactions

• President Tan argues with the patrol officers and negotiates unsuccessfully with the auction organizers.
• He relies on Minister Wang and the two sisters to find a substitute strategy.
• Minister Wang contacts the sisters and proposes that they bid independently.
• Yang Yuxin speaks briefly with Xiao Jiang, whose outward politeness masks fear and resentment.
• Xiao Jiang contacts her backer, who warns her against challenging Yang Yuxin and indirectly suggests that Yang may have arranged President Tan’s arrest.
• The business factions compete through their auction proposals, with Epoch Corporation and Prosperity Corporation emerging as the final contenders.

Chapter Summary: “Scared Away”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mulin Corporation’s CEO, President Tan, is arrested during the real-estate auction, frightening the other participating companies and discouraging them from continuing their aggressive competition.
• After most companies are eliminated, only Epoch Corporation and Prosperity remain. The city will decide the winner based on their proposals and reserve prices.
• President Tan secures bail after twenty-four hours by paying 100,000 yuan, then immediately flees Yang City. He changes vehicles repeatedly and hides in a business partner’s residence in Ming City, convinced that Yang City is dangerously lawless.
• He informs the Dou Family of his escape, though they are furious at his cowardice. Despite their anger, they recognize that his fear was understandable and decide the matter cannot simply end there.
• Yang Yuxin makes it clear that President Tan’s arrest is not merely revenge: Mulin Corporation interfered with Epoch’s plans and attempted to undermine her goodwill toward Luohua Manor. She does not demand a specific punishment, instead leaving the matter to be handled appropriately.
• Yang Yuxin and Feng Jun receive a joint invitation from Jincheng, Qingcheng’s scenic-area authorities, the Daoist lineage, and the Daoist academy to attend the inauguration of a mountain road and plankway.
• Feng Jun is reluctant to go because Jincheng has not yet explained itself and because he is focused on stabilizing supplies between Luohua and Zhige Mountain. Yang Yuxin, however, wishes to return to her hometown after receiving such an honor.
• Gu Jiahui refuses to accompany her mother, choosing to remain behind and concentrate on cultivation.
• Mi Yunshan reaches the Fifth Layer of Mortal Transcendence, while Yun Buyao advances to the Fourth Layer in less than a month, surpassing Zhang Caixin’s early progress.
• Mi Yunshan and Yun Buyao discuss holding a celebration, but their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Venerable Luo Shuchen of Heart of Heaven Platform at Heavenlink Villa.

Character Developments

• President Tan is revealed as extremely fearful and self-preserving. His escape shows that the arrest has shattered his willingness to continue cooperating with the Dou Family.
• Yang Yuxin demonstrates controlled authority. She does not act out of personal hatred but insists that Mulin Corporation must pay for deliberately obstructing Epoch and disrespecting Luohua.
• Feng Jun remains focused on long-term logistical concerns, especially securing supplies between his two main bases. He is increasingly cautious about political and business entanglements.
• Gu Jiahui becomes more ambitious and disciplined in cultivation, refusing to be distracted by a family trip.
• Mi Yunshan and Yun Buyao continue making rapid cultivation progress, strengthening their importance within Feng Jun’s group.
• The Dou Family is shown to be powerful but frustrated, forced to tolerate President Tan’s actions because of his status as the head of a listed company.

Significant Themes

• Power and deterrence: The arrest of Mulin’s CEO frightens the entire real-estate sector and shows how quickly powerful figures can suppress opposition.
• Consequences and accountability: Yang Yuxin believes admitting defeat is not enough; deliberate provocation must carry a cost.
• Fear versus loyalty: President Tan abandons the Dou Family when threatened, exposing the limits of alliances built on self-interest.
• Strategic priorities: Feng Jun places supply management and the stability of Luohua and Zhige Mountain above ceremonial or political obligations.
• Cultivation and ambition: The younger cultivators’ rapid breakthroughs highlight their growing determination and the increasing pace of advancement within the group.

Character Interactions

• Yang Yuxin and President Tan: Though she does not personally hate him, Yang Yuxin refuses to erase his previous provocations and leaves his punishment to others.
• President Tan and the Dou Family: Tan informs them of his flight, while they condemn his cowardice but recognize that his fear has a rational basis.
• Yang Yuxin and Feng Jun: They receive the Qingcheng invitation together, but differ in priorities—she is interested in returning home, while he is concerned with unresolved issues and supply shortages.
• Yang Yuxin and Gu Jiahui: Yang wants to bring her daughter to Qingcheng, but Gu declines in favor of continuing her cultivation.
• Mi Yunshan and Yun Buyao: Their close relationship is emphasized as they discuss celebrating Yun Buyao’s breakthrough before the arrival of Venerable Luo Shuchen interrupts them.

Chapter Summary: “The Gu Victim”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun teaches Lang Zhen, the Deng brothers, and others how to operate drones on Zhige Mountain. His cultivation has reached the superior level, greatly strengthening his Divine Sense, though he avoids using it constantly because of the energy cost and privacy concerns.
• Chen Junwei informs Feng Jun that Luo Shuchen, a superior from Heart of Heaven Platform, has arrived to meet him. Feng Jun brings Yun Buyao and Mi Yunshan and drives them to Heavenlink Villa.
• During the journey, Mi Yunshan suggests celebrating Yun Buyao’s achievement of reaching Mortal Transcendence, Fourth Layer. Yun initially refuses, feeling that her cultivation is still far below the Qi Refining Stage.
• Feng Jun encourages Yun Buyao, telling her not to burden herself with excessive pressure. He praises her exceptional aptitude and says that even the Gold Core Realm may be within her reach.
• At Heavenlink Villa, Feng Jun meets Luo Shuchen. After a humorous exchange of exaggerated compliments, they enter the villa to discuss business.
• Luo explains that Ji Busheng wants Feng Jun to treat a Heart of Heaven Platform disciple suffering from a rare gu poison.
• The victim is the son of Ji Busheng’s former personal disciple. His father died in a death duel defending Ji Busheng’s Daoist teachings, after which Ji accepted the son as a registered disciple.
• While traveling outside the sect, the young disciple offended someone who secretly planted a gu insect in him. The poison was later activated after he returned to Heart of Heaven Platform.
• Ji Busheng killed the gu user after tracing him, but the victim’s gu insect survived because it was a rare child gu cultivated through Ancient Demonic Art. It has continued consuming the disciple’s essence and blood for seven or eight years.
• The victim remains alive only because Ji Busheng suppresses the gu’s aura. Though his cultivation has risen slightly to the peak of Qi Refining Second Layer, he suffers constant agony and cannot expel the insect.
• The chapter ends with Ji Busheng seeking Feng Jun’s help because he cannot bear to leave the disciple in this half-dead condition.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates his growing status and confidence as a superior. He balances authority with consideration, encourages Yun Buyao, and is increasingly recognized for his medical abilities after helping treat the Black Tortoise of Myriad Blessings Platform.
• Yun Buyao: Reaches Mortal Transcendence, Fourth Layer, but remains insecure about her low cultivation and physical imperfections. Feng Jun’s encouragement begins to ease her anxiety and reinforces her potential as a future disciple.
• Mi Yunshan: Shows affection and solidarity toward Yun Buyao, offering to pay for her celebration. At the same time, she deliberately tries to draw Yun Buyao closer, viewing her as a likely future disciple and a potential ally against other women interested in Feng Jun.
• Luo Shuchen: Is introduced as a physically delicate but powerful Dust-Free Realm superior. His loud voice, flamboyant manner, and unconventional personality reflect Heart of Heaven Platform’s reputation for producing eccentric “madmen.”
• Ji Busheng: Is portrayed as protective and emotionally invested in his former disciple’s son. Although he normally respects the rules of death duels, he reacts fiercely to the secret attack and has spent years trying to keep the victim alive.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Feng Jun’s stronger cultivation brings greater authority, but he remains mindful of privacy and restraint. Ji Busheng’s intervention likewise raises questions about when powerful cultivators are justified in acting against weaker enemies.
• Mentorship and legacy: The victim’s connection to Ji Busheng comes through his deceased father, whose loyalty and sacrifice created a lasting bond. Ji’s continued protection reflects the obligations of teachers and sects.
• Suffering and medical ethics: The gu victim’s prolonged torment emphasizes the limits of conventional healing and the moral urgency of finding a cure, even when treatment is difficult and uncertain.
• Potential versus insecurity: Yun Buyao’s talent contrasts with her lack of confidence. Feng Jun and Mi Yunshan recognize her future potential even though she focuses on her current shortcomings.
• Sect reputation and justice: Heart of Heaven Platform is eccentric but principled. Its members may act unpredictably, yet they distinguish between honorable combat and secret attacks, viewing the latter as an unjust abuse of weakness.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun mentors Yun Buyao and reassures her about her cultivation progress.
• Mi Yunshan supports Yun Buyao emotionally while also positioning herself as her ally and protector.
• Feng Jun and Luo Shuchen exchange playful, exaggerated compliments before moving to serious negotiations.
• Luo serves as the intermediary between Feng Jun and Ji Busheng, presenting the case of the gu victim.
• Ji Busheng’s relationship with the victim is shaped by loyalty to the victim’s deceased father and by his sense of responsibility as the disciple’s grandmaster.

Chapter Summary: “A Backup Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Myriad Blessings Platform’s Auspicious Beast, the Black Tortoise, has failed to improve, prompting Ji Busheng of Heart of Heaven Platform to seek Feng Jun’s help with another serious problem.
• Heart of Heaven Platform brings Feng Jun a nominal disciple, Erhuan, who has been infected with Gu insects apparently cultivated through the Ancient Demonic Art.
• Feng Jun knows little about Gu Arts, but he has prepared for the possibility of treating Gu poison by consulting Flower Flower, a former Gu cultivator with extensive knowledge of insects and poisons.
• Flower Flower claims ordinary Gu insects from the Witch Borderlands are weak and that Gu poison would not pose a serious problem for her.
• Luo Shuchen and two disciples bring Erhuan in a Spirit-Beast Bag because his condition is too embarrassing and dangerous to expose publicly.
• Feng Jun moves the examination away from Heavenlink’s courtyard, establishes a defensive array, and scans Erhuan with his phone.
• He discovers four Thousand Mechanism Gu inside Erhuan: one mother Gu at the Qi Refining Third Layer and three child Gu at the Qi Refining First Layer, along with nearly a hundred eggs.
• The mother Gu drains Erhuan’s blood essence and suppresses the child Gu. If removed carelessly, the child Gu would fight inside Erhuan’s body, with the winner becoming the new mother Gu and potentially killing him.
• Heart of Heaven Platform has already lured the child Gu toward Erhuan’s limbs, reducing the danger to his vital organs.
• Feng Jun asks for more information about the Gu’s behavior and differences from ordinary Thousand Mechanism Gu, then postpones treatment to analyze the situation further.
• After returning, Feng Jun seeks Flower Flower again to ask whether she knows about Thousand Mechanism Gu, suggesting that she may be his backup plan for treating Erhuan.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution, preparation, and growing confidence in handling unusual medical problems. Rather than attempting an immediate cure, he gathers information and considers the risks.
• Flower Flower is established as a powerful and knowledgeable former Gu cultivator. Her confidence, pride, and humorous rivalry with Feng Jun remain prominent.
• Luo Shuchen appears practical, good-natured, and diplomatic. He respects Feng Jun’s abilities and does not take offense at his unusual treatment arrangements.
• Erhuan is revealed to be in a precarious condition. Though his symptoms have not yet fully erupted, his body is being used as a dangerous breeding ground for Gu insects.
• Ji Busheng’s concern for Erhuan is shown indirectly. Although Erhuan is only a nominal disciple, Busheng has intervened to suppress the mother Gu and has authorized the search for outside help.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and contingency planning: Feng Jun’s prior decision to consult Flower Flower becomes unexpectedly valuable when the Thousand Mechanism Gu problem appears.
• Knowledge versus power: Even capable cultivators cannot solve the problem through strength alone; the treatment requires specialized knowledge of Gu behavior.
• Risk of intervention: Removing the obvious source of the poison could make the situation worse, emphasizing the danger of acting without understanding the system.
• Reputation and dignity: Heart of Heaven Platform conceals Erhuan’s condition and transports him in a Spirit-Beast Bag to avoid humiliation, showing how status and public perception influence their actions.
• Natural competition and survival: The Gu insects’ behavior reflects the principle that the strongest survives through consuming or eliminating its rivals, a concept echoed humorously in Flower Flower’s discussion of spirit plants.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Luo Shuchen cooperate professionally, with Luo providing information and Feng Jun controlling the examination.
• Feng Jun questions the Heart of Heaven Platform disciples about the Gu’s origins, hierarchy, symptoms, and previous treatments.
• A disciple criticizes Feng Jun for not inviting Luo Shuchen inside, but Luo defends him as an eccentric expert whose concentration on the case reflects competence.
• Feng Jun and Flower Flower continue their teasing rivalry, particularly over her joking claim to be a “Gu God.”
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun turning to Flower Flower for further assistance, reinforcing her role as his reserve solution and a potentially crucial expert in Erhuan’s treatment.