Chapter Summaries

A brutal new murder renewed the Shenjing serial-killer investigation, while Chen Youjia went to check on Wang Qi and discovered that he had emerged from seclusion transformed. The chapter ended with Wang Qi opening the door and meeting her gaze.

• A woman savored the beauty of a sword dance as she slaughtered her victims and feared discovery by the Outer Dao members.
• Four months after the Kailing Village massacre, the Shenjing killer struck again, and Fu Silu argued with cultivators over whether the culprit was an Ancient Method or Modern Dharma cultivator.
• A surveillance device flagged a suspicious figure at the Lantern Festival, and Chen Feng recognized him as Wang Qi.
• Chen Youjia brought sweet dumplings to Wang Qi's door, reflected on her envy of his reckless pursuit of knowledge, and decided to knock.
• Wang Qi opened the door, his aura transformed after seclusion, and Chen Youjia met his profound gaze.

Wang Qi used a mathematical model to investigate the murderer’s movements during the Lantern Festival, turning the city and its uncertainties into a virtual calculation space. The chapter ended as he began applying Hilbert space scene mapping to the case.

• Wang Qi told Chen Youjia that he was confident in his theory and planned to investigate the streets as a Knight-errant.
• Wang Qi asked Chen Youjia to wear a belt that shared their souls and Foundation Bases, but she refused.
• After Wang Qi left, Chen Youjia found his notebook, On Probability, Chaos, Nonlinearity, and Related Matters, and contacted Jarvis through his jade token.
• Wang Qi went into the Lantern Festival crowds and ordered Jarvis to block communications and use his rented computing power.
• Wang Qi visualized the crime scenes, pedestrian movements, and possible paths as overlapping probabilities, then began constructing a virtual city with Hilbert space scene mapping.

Wang Qi used a new algorithm in Hilbert space to trace the connections across Divine Capital and identify Hu Buxue as the person he had been searching for. He confronted her at her home, named his own failures, and prepared to count her sins.

• Wang Qi combined citywide movement calculations with a new algorithm and traced several remaining paths to their source.
• Feng Luoyi observed Wang Qi's powerful phase-universe calculations and compared his talent to his own in the past.
• Wang Qi moved through the crowd as Enforcement Officers watched, and Chen Feng decided they should restrain him.
• Wang Qi found Hu Buxue outside her home and activated the Telepathy Bottles named Gale and Ghost King.
• Wang Qi listed three failures before telling Hu Buxue that he would count her sins one by one.

Wang Qi confronted Hu Buxue, a concealed killer whose sword revealed overwhelming power, and explained how he had tracked her by calculating likely routes from her crime scenes. Their battle escalated as Wang Qi cycled through external Foundation Bases to withstand her attacks, ending with him activating [Fangs].

• Hu Buxue struck Wang Qi with wind blades, but she drew her sword and killed the spell while revealing a mist-shrouded space around them.
• Wang Qi identified Hu Buxue as an Outer Dao cultivator and admitted he had bluffed her, then explained that crime-scene locations helped him narrow down her likely routes and suspects.
• Hu Buxue learned that Wang Qi had tested suspects one by one and that she was the eleventh person he had fought.
• Wang Qi used [Red Heart] and [Iron Will] to attack Hu Buxue, but she shattered his staff aura and forced him to sacrifice two external Foundation Bases to survive.
• Wang Qi switched to [Moon God] and [Mechanism] to entangle Hu Buxue's Sword Qi, then said the fight was a game called 'justice' and activated [Fangs].

Wang Qi survived Hu Buxue’s Killing Fate sword by awakening the Flame of Life, then fought her in a feral, uncontrolled state. As Hu Buxue pressed her advantage, Wang Qi unexpectedly evaded Dust-Washing Bonds, while Chen Youjia identified the hidden reason behind his choice of memory unit.

• Wang Qi reappeared after surviving Hu Buxue’s Killing Fate attack, and explained that Killing Fate was a manifestation of entropy.
• Hu Buxue introduced her sword as Dust-Washing Bonds and attacked Wang Qi, who overwhelmed her with tremendous physical strength and struck her dantian.
• Hu Buxue revealed that her dantian was not a vital point, counterattacked, and brought out more of Dust-Washing Bonds’ power.
• Wang Qi’s Flame of Life healed his wounds as he fought like a beast, but Hu Buxue read his simple attacks and prepared to cut him down with her sword.
• Wang Qi unexpectedly dodged Dust-Washing Bonds, while Chen Youjia recognized that the [Ghost King] memory unit had been contaminated by telepathy from those who died in Spirit Awakening Village.

Wang Qi fought Hu Buxue with an external Foundation Base whose Flame of Life overwhelmed his control, until Chen Youjia joined him and helped him keep fighting. As Hu Buxue pressed her case for killing evil people, Chen Youjia agreed to assist Wang Qi by activating a Foundation Base containing the Jimie Fentian Palm, then collapsed.

• Wang Qi lost control of the Flame of Life in his external Foundation Base as Hu Buxue attacked him.
• Chen Youjia took control alongside Wang Qi, helping him block Hu Buxue’s Sword Qi and criticizing his decision to fight with the Foundation Base.
• Hu Buxue argued that her love of slaughter was natural and that she killed human scum, while Wang Qi said he upheld justice according to the law.
• Wang Qi asked Chen Youjia to help him defeat Hu Buxue, and she agreed in exchange for ten years of snacks.
• Chen Youjia inserted a Foundation Base containing the Jimie Fentian Palm into Wang Qi’s belt, then collapsed.

Wang Qi and Chen Youjia joined forces to defeat Hu Buxue, and Wang Qi cleansed her demonic sword before turning her over to Chen Feng for a fair trial. Wang Qi was ordered to report to the Penal Law Division the next day, while Chen Feng questioned the mark he had carved into Hu Buxue’s back.

• Wang Qi and Chen Youjia combined their powers and drove back Hu Buxue’s killing-fortune Sword Qi.
• Wang Qi pursued Hu Buxue, struck her down, and left her unable to fight.
• Wang Qi entered Washing Dust Affinity, cleansed its chaotic power with the Flame of Life, and made the sword submit before it shattered into dust.
• Wang Qi revealed the power of Divine Capital City, refused to execute Hu Buxue, and promised she would receive a fair trial.
• Chen Feng bound Hu Buxue and told Wang Qi to report to the Penal Law Division the next day.
• Chen Feng noticed the marks on Hu Buxue’s back and teased Wang Qi for carving a grass radical into her.

Wang Qi recovered after defeating Hu Buxue, and he explained to Chen Youjia how his Flame of Life and Jarvis’s emergency safeguards had kept him from dying. He realized he had created an entirely original mathematical method, renewed his confidence in his talent, and welcomed the new year with Chen Youjia.

• Wang Qi returned to Chen Youjia with lotus seed and osmanthus porridge, healed her with his Flame of Life, and explained that it would let him control the external Foundation Base.
• Chen Youjia scolded Wang Qi for risking his life, and Wang Qi revealed that Jarvis could eject the Foundation Base if he faced mortal danger or lost the Myriad Immortal Illusion Realm connection.
• Wang Qi put the Telepathy Bottle away and reflected that his new method for simulating collective behavior was his own original creation.
• Wang Qi regained confidence in his abilities and thanked Chen Youjia, who let him call her Senior Sister as fireworks marked the new year.

Wang Qi sought Feng Luoyi’s help after the Flame of Life began forcing his spiritual power to grow too quickly, threatening to distort his Foundation Base. Feng Luoyi offered a temporary way to suppress it, and Wang Qi then asked what was happening in the West Sea, where several strange events tied to his past had originated.

• After completing two biology papers based on his fight with Hu Buxue, Wang Qi realized the Flame of Life was rapidly increasing his spiritual power and pushing him toward an early breakthrough.
• Wang Qi asked Feng Luoyi how to stop the growth from damaging his newly formed Foundation Base, and Feng Luoyi said a specialized calculating artifact could suppress the Flame of Life for about a year.
• Feng Luoyi directed Wang Qi to Sky Spirit Ridge’s Jia Character Base near Shenjing, where a body-focused calculating artifact could perform the technique.
• Wang Qi told Feng Luoyi that Hu Buxue had obtained her unfamiliar demon weapon in the West Border and that Zhen Chanzi had never encountered its cultivation method.
• Wang Qi connected Hu Buxue’s weapon to earlier troubles involving Yang Jun, the West Sea Dragon King, and Chi Lianxue, then asked Feng Luoyi what had happened in the West Sea.

Wang Qi questioned Feng Luoyi about the Immortal Alliance’s hidden enemy and learned that Hu Buxue’s demonic sword exceeded the Alliance’s weapons in material strength, though Wang Qi could destroy it by analyzing its principles. Feng Luoyi agreed to protect him if he investigated the West Sea, but warned him to remain in Shenjing for several years and prepare for battle.

• Wang Qi pressed Feng Luoyi about the West Sea, the Immortal Alliance’s hidden enemy, and the secluded cultivators who seemed to serve a special purpose.
• Feng Luoyi refused to reveal classified information to Wang Qi, but said the demonic sword Wang Qi had destroyed was made of material stronger than even a Heavenly Sword.
• Wang Qi explained the principles behind Hu Buxue’s cultivation method, and Feng Luoyi pointed out that analyzing enemy techniques gave the Immortal Alliance an advantage.
• Wang Qi asked whether Feng Luoyi would save him if he went to the West Sea, and Feng Luoyi promised to protect him while requiring secrecy if he uncovered anything.
• Feng Luoyi warned Wang Qi that the West Sea, ancient method cultivators, and dragon race were more complicated than he understood, and advised him to stay in Shenjing for several years to prepare for battle.

Wang Qi reflected on his inability to control his Flame of Life and the unfinished proofs in his research, then considered what technical work to pursue while suppressing his cultivation. At Chen Feng’s courtyard, he argued with Chen Youjia over the snacks he had promised her, while Chen Feng and Li Zhengguo watched them fondly.

• Wang Qi emerged from the Myriad Immortal Illusion Realm and lamented that he could not use most of his Flame of Life’s abilities.
• Wang Qi worried about proving the mathematical tools in his paper and considered pursuing technical research while suppressing his cultivation.
• Wang Qi wondered what was causing trouble in the Western Sea and whether a hidden observatory pointed to an alien civilization.
• Chen Youjia demanded her daily snack from Wang Qi, who protested that he had already paid for breakfast and disputed the length of his promise.
• Chen Feng and Li Zhengguo watched Wang Qi and Chen Youjia bicker before returning to check on the mice.

Chen Youjia reflected on her feelings for Wang Qi after Chen Feng teased her, while Wang Qi began to understand the loneliness behind her sharp personality. The chapter left Wang Qi recognizing that their similar childhood isolation made Chen Youjia feel different to him.

• Chen Youjia negotiated an arrangement with Wang Qi and planned to go out with him, then rebuffed Chen Feng's teasing about her feelings for Wang Qi.
• Chen Youjia admitted to herself that Wang Qi was a happy idiot who was much like her.
• Wang Qi left Chen Feng's quarters to keep his promise to go out with Chen Youjia, while explaining to Zhen Chanzi that the outing would not hinder his studies.
• Wang Qi recalled that he and Chen Youjia had glimpsed each other's thoughts when she used the mind-linking belt during his loss of control.
• Wang Qi realized Chen Youjia had grown up isolated because few people understood her, and he connected her loneliness to his own past.

While dining with Chen Youjia in Divine Capital, Wang Qi noticed how poorly mortal life was served by the immortal world’s technology and began considering a path centered on practical innovation. He left the meal believing this world needed an Edison.

• Wang Qi and Chen Youjia walked through dark Divine Capital and discussed the gap between the Immortal Alliance’s advanced society and Great Lian’s feudal world.
• Chen Youjia chose a mutton shumai stall near West Yao Gate, and the pair ate shumai and mutton offal soup.
• After Chen Youjia replaced the smoky oil lamp with an illumination spell, Wang Qi noticed nearby mortals awkwardly left in the dark while cultivators used talismans.
• Wang Qi searched the Repository Chamber and concluded that this world’s technologies were mostly directed toward cultivation and combat rather than improving production.
• Wang Qi looked toward the slums and told Chen Youjia that there should be someone in this world called Edison.

Wang Qi considered how the Divine Land’s divide between immortals and mortals limited technological progress, then realized Divine Dao might give mortals enough spiritual power to participate in a technological revolution. He decided to investigate the idea with Chen Feng and Zhen Chanzi, and the chapter ended with Du Bin paying for his meal as an old friend.

• Wang Qi compared the Divine Land’s battle-focused immortal Dao and two-tiered society with Earth’s technology and broader participation in Human Dao.
• Wang Qi connected Chen Feng’s interest in morality and Human Dao to Divine Dao, realizing deities could grant believers spiritual power.
• Wang Qi considered adapting Divine Dao into a scientific, impersonal faith that could create laborers with spiritual power, but decided the politically sensitive plan needed more study.
• Wang Qi asked Zhen Chanzi about Divine Dao in a dream and resolved to discuss the idea with Chen Feng after returning.
• Wang Qi learned that Du Bin had paid for the late-night meal and saw him waving from another table.

Wang Qi met Du Bin and used a crimson coin to give him a demon beast’s divine ability, hoping to draw him into helping develop the technology. Wang Qi and Chen Youjia left with plans to consult the Banished Immortals about ancient cultivation, while Chen Youjia teased Wang Qi about holding her hand.

• Wang Qi met Du Bin at a food stall, where Du Bin questioned him about his battle with Hu Buxue.
• Wang Qi pretended to rely on external power and implanted a crimson coin in Du Bin’s palm, giving him the Great Wilderness Fire Crow’s true fire.
• Du Bin tested the coin’s flame and learned that it would absorb his mana and grow stronger.
• Wang Qi asked after Zhao Qingfeng and Lu Wan, then left with Chen Youjia and admitted he wanted help developing the coin technology.
• Wang Qi told Chen Youjia that he wanted to ask the Banished Immortals about ancient cultivation, and she teased him about holding her hand.

Wang Qi visited Jia Character Base, where Grandmasters began analyzing the ring he carried so the Immortal Alliance could replicate it. After observing their work, Wang Qi was taken to meet the person waiting for him.

• Wang Qi arrived at Jia Character Base with Liu Yi, who explained that the Immortal Alliance needed to replicate Wang Qi's ring.
• Wang Qi asked to watch the replication process, and Liu Yi agreed while warning him not to mention the Dark Department.
• Liu Yi introduced Wang Qi to Zhuang Jianhua and Chong Xi, who began analyzing the ring after Wang Qi asked them to protect the remnant soul inside it.
• Zhuang Jianhua identified the ring's materials and spiritual-energy properties, while Chong Xi discovered that it had been reforged using Thousand Machines Pavilion's latest design.
• Liu Yi ended Wang Qi's observation and took him to meet the person who was waiting for him.

Wang Qi learned that the Hongyuan God had destroyed Li Jijiu through a mysterious connection, then had Feng Luoyi seal his Flame of Life inside an ether universe defined by Xiangyu laws. The seal left Wang Qi needing to strengthen himself and study Xiangyu, while his Heavenly Position Skill began changing in a way that could make finding a suitable core-formation method difficult.

• Liu Yi told Wang Qi that the Hongyuan God had reached Li Jijiu through an unseen connection and explained competing theories about how gods connect with their believers.
• Wang Qi asked how to research the divine path, and Liu Yi described the recommendation and political-review requirements before Feng Luoyi summoned him.
• Feng Luoyi used a calculating artifact to seal Wang Qi's Foundation Establishment-level Flame of Life within an ether universe governed by Xiangyu laws.
• Feng Luoyi warned Wang Qi that the Flame of Life might eventually break free stronger, so Wang Qi needed to advance his cultivation and study Xiangyu.
• Feng Luoyi said Wang Qi's Heavenly Position Skill was advancing toward the Xiangyu Tianwei Technique, but his altered Foundation Base might leave him without a suitable core-formation method.

Wang Qi learned that his recent computations had altered his foundation base with nonlinear characteristics, complicating his Golden Core plans. After the ring’s analysis was completed, he agreed to help Liu Yi with further research and began considering what to cultivate next.

• Feng Luoyi explained that Wang Qi’s nonlinear computations had left a trace in his foundation base, and Wang Qi decided the change could be accommodated in his Golden Core design.
• Liu Yi and two other grandmasters finished modeling the ring, and Liu Yi suggested taking it for an Immortal Alliance mission instead of reproducing it.
• Wang Qi rejected the idea of giving up the ring because it contained part of Jarvis and provided computing power when he was offline.
• Wang Qi agreed to let Liu Yi borrow the ring again if needed and said his cultivation practice could be interrupted.
• Wang Qi left while dividing his consciousness into more than twenty threads, still undecided about what to cultivate.

Wang Qi reflected on the many scientific cultivation methods he was learning with Jarvis’s help and discussed sparring and new experiments with Chen Youjia. He expected a young dandy to return so he could continue testing a divine ability granted by a coin.

• Wang Qi considered how his cultivation methods and combat arts formed a broad but unified system rooted in science, and he used Jarvis to study multiple disciplines at once.
• Chen Youjia noticed Wang Qi’s distracted state and suggested they spar at full strength, but Wang Qi warned that his Misty Unfixed Cloud Sword could kill or cripple her.
• Wang Qi proposed that he and Chen Youjia develop a probabilistic divine ability and study Bo’s Law of Large Numbers Sword as a reference.
• Chen Youjia asked how Wang Qi’s artifact test with a local young dandy had gone, and Wang Qi explained that the dandy had sought information about external objects.
• Wang Qi predicted that the dandy would return because the divine ability granted by the coin was insignificant to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Wang Qi persuaded Du Bin to buy wild demon-beast runes and revealed a way to give him a compatible Foundation Base, hoping Du Bin would help fund further experiments. Du Bin explained that he wanted to compete for his family’s future Nascent Soul rebirth quota, leaving Wang Qi intent on using his connections and testing subjects to advance his work.

• Du Bin praised Wang Qi’s divine-ability technique and asked for a way to strengthen it, but Wang Qi convinced him that wild demon-beast runes were worth buying over Immortal Alliance-bred ones.
• Du Bin asked whether Wang Qi knew a way to increase mana safely and revealed that his family’s old ancestor planned to undergo rebirth through tribulation.
• Du Bin said he hoped to compete for the family’s future Nascent Soul quota by proving his combat methods superior to those of his Lineage.
• Wang Qi inserted a Telepathy Bottle into Du Bin’s arm, transforming his meridians and giving him a compatible yin- and moon-aspected Foundation Base.
• Wang Qi told Du Bin he could also make pseudo-Golden Cores if he could find people to test them, and privately planned to rely on Du Bin’s connections and unregistered aristocratic children.