Ch. 381Mu Yunyao
Key plot points and events
- At the Canglong Star Trading Market, Chen Lie and Director Zhang Liwu wait for a trader seeking to exchange profound yang golden marrow for one cubic meter of star liquid.
- Zhang cautions Chen Lie about the powerful interstellar factions in the market, especially the Great Zhou Dynasty of Blood God Planet, and tells him to avoid provoking outsiders. After several unsuccessful inquiries, Zhang leaves Chen Lie in charge.
- The concealed trader arrives and insists that one cubic meter of star liquid is the minimum price for the marrow. Chen learns the trader wants it for personal use but cannot get them to explain further.
- A teenage boy, Mu Yunze, arrives and reveals that his sister is considering trading away the marrow to obtain star liquid for him. He needs to raise his strength value beyond eleven times to compete for leadership of the Mu Family and carry on their father’s legacy.
- Chen intervenes, offering to help Yunze cross the eleven-times threshold in exchange for the marrow at half a cubic meter of star liquid.
- The trader reveals herself as Mu Yunyao of the Haidong Mu Family on Haoran Star. Chen shows his Sumeru Illusion Realm assessment, which records his strength value at an extraordinary 13.07 times. Yunyao is stunned, but the chapter ends before she responds to his offer.
Character developments
- Chen Lie shifts from cautious representative to assertive negotiator, using his own remarkable cultivation record to persuade Yunyao.
- Zhang Liwu acts as a protective mentor, reminding Chen that the wider interstellar world is politically powerful and dangerous.
- Mu Yunyao is revealed as an aloof but devoted elder sister who is willing to sacrifice a treasured cultivation resource for Yunze’s future.
- Mu Yunze is ambitious but doubtful of his ability to reach the required strength level. He initially urges Yunyao to keep the marrow, then promises to strive harder after hearing her encouragement.
Significant themes
- Power and vulnerability: The chapter stresses that strength determines security and influence, particularly within the Mu Family’s succession struggle.
- Family loyalty and sacrifice: Yunyao gives priority to her brother’s prospects, while Yunze worries about the cost to her.
- Talent and possibility: Chen’s unprecedented strength value challenges what the others believe is achievable.
- Caution in a vast political world: Zhang’s warning highlights the risks of dealing with powerful factions beyond Blue Star.
Character interactions
- Zhang advises Chen on diplomacy and leaves him to handle the trade.
- Chen and the concealed trader clash over the price and purpose of the star liquid.
- Yunze’s arrival exposes the siblings’ family situation and their contrasting concerns.
- Chen’s proposal prompts Yunyao to reveal her identity; his cultivation record then transforms her skepticism into shock.