Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lie receives a call from his mother, Feng Yuelan, asking him to bring his cousin Feng Shuangshuang home for a meal. He finds Shuangshuang sparring at Blue Star University and takes her to the family’s newly purchased villa in Lanjing.
• Shuangshuang is astonished by the villa and learns Chen Lie bought it for his parents to use when visiting. Chen Gequn plans to return to East River Province, while Feng Yuelan will stay in Lanjing a little longer.
• After lunch, Feng Yuelan reveals that Shuangshuang’s mother is worried about her martial-arts progress. Shuangshuang admits she has hit a bottleneck, though she initially downplays it.
• Chen Lie examines her and concludes that her Skin Refining cultivation is too weak to support her strength, preventing her from breaking through to the Blood Qi Extreme Realm. He spars with her to help improve it.
• Their training is loud enough to attract the attention of neighbor Xu Caiying. Watching from her villa wall, she misjudges Chen Lie’s ability and dismisses him as a good-for-nothing. Her mother, Jin Xiuying, is more skeptical of Xu’s assumptions but plans to investigate.
• Chen Lie’s training helps Shuangshuang make quick progress. He teaches her a technique for breaking through and says she should be ready to attempt it after preparing for two days.
• Shuangshuang leaves to join classmates in the Sumeru Illusion Realm. As Chen Lie and his mother walk her out, they encounter Jin Xiuying.

Character developments

• Chen Lie shows generosity and expertise by helping Shuangshuang, motivated partly by gratitude for her support in his previous life. He also demonstrates confidence and concern for his family.
• Feng Shuangshuang is progressing rapidly but has a hidden training weakness. She trusts Chen Lie’s guidance and becomes hopeful about overcoming her bottleneck.
• Feng Yuelan acts as a caring, encouraging aunt, insisting that Shuangshuang seek help rather than conceal her difficulty. She also teases Chen Lie about how he addresses his cousin.
• Xu Caiying is proud and dismissive, quickly judging Chen Lie’s abilities from a brief observation. Jin Xiuying is more cautious, though she also has questions about the family next door.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and reciprocity: Chen Lie repays Shuangshuang’s past kindness by helping her train.
• Misjudgment and appearances: Xu Caiying assumes Chen Lie is incompetent and that his villa must have come from a powerful patron, despite knowing little about him.
• Training and perseverance: Shuangshuang’s apparent lack of progress stems not from insufficient effort or strength, but from a weakness in her foundational cultivation.
• Family support: The meal and training session show the relatives looking after one another.

Character interactions

• Chen Lie and Shuangshuang move from a casual family reunion to a focused training partnership.
• Feng Yuelan encourages Shuangshuang to rely on Chen Lie and jokingly reprimands him for not calling her “Cousin Sister.”
• Xu Caiying complains to Jin Xiuying about the noise and disparages Chen Lie, while Jin Xiuying challenges some of her assumptions.
• The chapter closes with the two neighboring households on the verge of meeting.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lie’s family says goodbye to Feng Shuangshuang, who returns to her own plans in an airship. Their neighbor Jin Xiuying praises the family’s martial-arts talent.
• Jin meets Gu Yuanyun, a former member of the prestigious Lanjing Youth Genius Group and now a Starry Sky University student. Gu recognizes Chen Lie and says his recent achievements at Blue Star University outshine her own. Jin then asks Gu to mentor her daughter, Xu Caiying.
• Jin also asks Chen Lie to tutor Caiying. Chen agrees at his mother’s request, but Caiying avoids the lesson, claiming she has plans. Jin is embarrassed, while Chen calmly says there is no need to force her.
• Jin generously gives Chen Gequn a ride to Star Boat Plaza and takes Chen Lie back to the university.
• Chen discovers he has been added to a group for Blue Star’s Permanent Councilor Star Competition candidates. The contest is less than a month away, and officials announce a public send-off at Blue Star Television Station, along with intelligence on the powerful Wood Source Planet competitors.
• Chen wonders why the authorities are publicizing the event when it was concealed in his previous life, but does not pursue the question.
• On the way to the training hall, Chen asks Ji Lingxuan whether she will compete. She declines because her mother says it is too dangerous to leave Blue Star until she receives a protective charm. Her mother claims distant Starry Sky Behemoths might scent and hunt her.
• At the hall, Chen sees Ning Fan, the top-ranked fighter on both Blue Star’s Blood-Qi and Divine Sense Master rankings. President Lei Jinglong introduces him as Blue Star’s strongest Blood-Qi-stage representative: Ning reached the Great Extreme Realm, opened his Heaven Aperture, and became a Ranked Martial Artist long ago.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie remains composed and considerate: he agrees to help Caiying for his mother’s sake but does not take offense when she refuses. He is also alert to discrepancies between his memories and the current political situation.
• Feng Yuelan supports her son’s decision to help, mindful of Jin’s past kindness, but does not pressure him beyond asking.
• Jin Xiuying tries to arrange martial-arts guidance for Caiying, first from Gu Yuanyun and then from Chen Lie. She recognizes Chen’s worth after Gu praises him, though her daughter resists.
• Xu Caiying appears dismissive of Chen’s ability and avoids training with him, while her mother is frustrated by her attitude.
• Gu Yuanyun shows humility despite her elite background, openly judging Chen to be a more impressive potential mentor.
• Ji Lingxuan reveals a strange, lifelong warning from her mother and chooses not to compete for now. Chen is skeptical but intrigued.
• Ning Fan is established as an exceptionally accomplished, respected senior fighter whom Lei Jinglong expects to lead Blue Star’s True Qi-stage team.

Significant themes

• Talent and reputation: Gu Yuanyun’s praise contrasts with Caiying’s assumptions, showing that achievement may be recognized by outsiders before family or peers accept it.
• Duty and generosity: Chen helps because his mother asks, while Jin repays the family’s earlier kindness with practical assistance.
• Danger and protection: The contest pits Blue Star’s candidates against formidable opponents, while Ji Lingxuan’s unusual vulnerability hints at a larger threat.
• Public responsibility and secrecy: Blue Star’s decision to reveal the contest to the public differs from Chen’s memories, raising questions about why circumstances have changed.

Key plot points and events

• At Blue Star University, Principal Lei Jinglong briefs the prospective Star Contest competitors. Ning Fan and Yang Jingnian are warned that the contest will include team battles, which may matter more than individual matches.
• Ning Fan says he has investigated Meng Qingwan, Wood Source Planet’s top True Qi competitor and a formidable Sword Dao student. Yang Jingnian is confident in his own abilities.
• Lei highlights Chen Lie’s upcoming matchup against Sang Ji, a powerful Earth Aperture Stage Blood-Qi fighter. Chen is confident he can win if he completes further Blood Tempering before the contest.
• Yu Wenqin tells Ning that Meng Qingwan is around peak True Qi Infusion. Ning explains how a fifth-stage Sword Cultivator could dominate a team battle from the air. They also discuss Chen Lie’s unusual combat strength despite his modest Seven-Star True Qi Affinity.
• The competitors travel to Blue Star Television Station for a worldwide public forum revealing the planet’s leading martial arts talents. The event draws a huge crowd and guests from twenty-three provinces.
• Seating places Westcloud and East River Province beside the traditionally powerful provinces, prompting resentment and speculation. A station representative explains that seating reflects the strength of the talents being revealed.
• East River Province’s guests learn they were invited because of Chen Lie. His former junior, Zhu Yining, attends, grateful for the help and guidance he once gave her and hoping to repay him.

Character developments

• Ning Fan shows confidence in facing Meng Qingwan, while taking the strategic threat of Sword Cultivators seriously.
• Yang Jingnian displays strong self-assurance, believing his strength and Mental Power can challenge even higher-stage opponents.
• Chen Lie is ambitious but measured: he believes extra Blood Tempering will let him defeat Sang Ji, and his reputation has elevated his struggling province.
• Yu Wenqin offers informed insight into Meng Qingwan and Chen Lie, and lightly encourages Ning Fan.
• Zhu Yining is shown as diligent and deeply grateful. Chen Lie’s past generosity helped her enter the provincial training camp, and she remains determined to repay him.

Significant themes

• Talent and reputation: Chen Lie’s achievements challenge assumptions that only elite provinces produce exceptional fighters.
• Preparation and strategy: Team battles, opponent research, and realm consolidation are presented as crucial alongside raw strength.
• Provincial pride and prejudice: Guests from powerful provinces look down on East River, revealing the class-like hierarchy among regions.
• Gratitude and mentorship: Zhu Yining’s progress and devotion reflect the lasting impact of Chen Lie’s kindness.

Character interactions

• Lei Jinglong advises and evaluates the competitors, emphasizing the stakes of team combat.
• Yu Wenqin and Ning Fan exchange assessments of Meng Qingwan and debate how an aerial Sword Cultivator could affect a team match.
• The Lanjing guests insult East River Province, but a television staff member’s explanation forces them to reconsider why its guests have front-row seats.
• East River’s young attendees discuss Chen Lie’s reputation, while Zhu Yining privately reflects on her connection to him.

Key plot points and events

• Blue Star Television reveals why it is holding the conference: Blue Star is competing with Wood Source Planet for a seat as a Permanent Councilor Star in the Interstellar Alliance. Three contests—blood-qi fighters, under-20 true-qi martial artists, and under-40 grandmasters—will determine which planet wins.
• The host introduces Blue Star’s selected talents. Ning Fan, from less-renowned Westcloud Province, is announced first among the under-20 group and is described as Blue Star’s top-ranked talent in blood qi and apprentice divine sense. His unexpected prominence surprises the audience and unsettles Lanjing guests, who assumed their champions would lead.
• The blood-qi participants begin appearing. Yang Jingnian comes first, followed by Lanjing champion Jiang Yuan, whose arrival draws loud applause and excitement from his fans.
• Chen Lie of East River Province is introduced as the seventh-ranked blood-qi talent and a major regional favorite. His appearance order—after Jiang Yuan—becomes a source of pride for East River’s guests, who defend their province’s place against those who question its status.
• In the audience, instructors Hong Chengshuo and Ren Hongguang recount Chen Lie’s unlikely rise: he was once near the bottom of his Ordinary Class, then experienced a dramatic late surge in talent and became the Three-Province Martial Champion.
• Ren compares Zhu Yining’s rapid progress to Chen Lie’s early trajectory, suggesting she might one day become a provincial or Three-Province champion. His praise gives her a new, tentative hope.

Character development and interactions

• Ning Fan is established as a remarkable but little-known talent whose ranking challenges assumptions about which provinces produce the strongest fighters.
• Jiang Yuan is shown as a celebrated idol, especially to Lanjing trainees Xu Caiying and Ning Yuxian. His popularity contrasts with the skepticism surrounding newcomers like Ning Fan.
• Chen Lie is presented as both a powerful competitor and a symbol of East River Province’s pride. His former instructor Ren Hongguang’s account reveals that his success came after an unusually late bloom.
• Zhu Yining moves from modest self-doubt toward cautious ambition after Ren recognizes her potential.
• Ren Hongguang speaks candidly about Chen Lie’s past and encourages Zhu Yining, while the trainees around him eagerly seek insight into their own prospects.
• Li Zhuxian guides the event with interviews and introductions, highlighting the contestants’ achievements while building anticipation.

Significant themes

• Talent can emerge unexpectedly: Ning Fan’s prominence and Chen Lie’s late development challenge the idea that early rankings determine future greatness.
• Regional pride and status: Guests compare provinces, rankings, seating, and champions, turning the conference into a contest of reputation as well as martial skill.
• Hope and ambition: Ren’s words encourage Zhu Yining to imagine a future beyond her current standing.
• Collective responsibility: The competition is framed as a struggle that could shape Blue Star’s political standing and fortunes for centuries.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lie is introduced as East River Province’s Martial Leader for the class of 7365 and the seventh of the Blue Star Ten Elites—an astonishing rise from a province known for its weak martial-arts scene. His résumé surprises the audience and especially the Lanjing guests.
• Xu Caiying recognizes Chen Lie as her neighbor and regrets repeatedly declining his offer to teach her. Her friend Ning Yuxian adds that she met him during a Divine Sense Master assessment, where he impressed the association.
• The event presents the twenty-five young competitors chosen for the permanent-council star contest. After a patriotic send-off, the Administrator’s challenge is announced: two winners will each receive ten places in a two-month martial-arts exchange on Glimmer Star.
• In the Blood-Qi contest, weaker competitors are quickly pushed aside. Hao Yulong takes the ball, but Zuo Yuan’er wrests it from him and holds off Zhou Yu and Kang Quanlin.
• Chen Lie breaks into the fight, overwhelms Zuo Yuan’er, and takes the ball. Jiang Yuan and Yang Jingnian attack to dislodge him, but Chen Lie holds them off for the required twenty seconds. Yang Jingnian’s mental attack has no effect on him.
• Chen Lie is declared the Blood-Qi contest’s winner. The audience is stunned, East River Province celebrates, and Lanjing supporters struggle to accept that Jiang Yuan could not defeat him. A separate True-Qi contest continues; Ning Fan eventually takes its ball from Chu Luo.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie establishes himself as a top-tier fighter, not merely through his ranking but by fighting several elite opponents in succession. His extraordinary strength and apparent immunity to mental attacks deepen the mystery surrounding his physique.
• Xu Caiying shifts from dismissing Chen Lie’s offer of guidance to regretting her attitude after learning how exceptional he is. Ning Yuxian recognizes him from their Divine Sense Master assessment but does not know he is Xu’s neighbor.
• Jiang Yuan is forced to reconsider Chen Lie’s abilities after their hard-fought exchange fails to win him the ball. Yang Jingnian is equally surprised when his mental attack has no effect.
• Zuo Yuan’er demonstrates powerful technique and tactical planning, but her plan fails when Chen Lie intervenes. Hao Yulong, Zhou Yu, and Kang Quanlin are among the other elite competitors who contest the ball.
• The crowd’s reactions highlight the contrast between East River Province’s pride and Lanjing Province’s disbelief and disappointment.

Significant themes

• Talent can emerge from unlikely places: Chen Lie’s success challenges assumptions about East River Province’s limited martial-arts resources.
• Recognition and regret: Xu Caiying’s reaction shows how easily someone’s value can be overlooked until their achievements become undeniable.
• Public duty and collective hope: The competitors are presented as representatives whose performance may affect Blue Star’s future and opportunities for its martial artists.
• Merit through competition: The exchange places are awarded through a public test of strength, rewarding those able to prevail against the strongest rivals.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Fan wins the colored-ball challenge by holding it for twenty seconds, earning ten places for an exchange program in the Outer Stars. Chen Lie also receives ten places as a result of his strong performance.
• The global martial arts event concludes with Blue Star preparing for the upcoming Permanent Councilor Star Competition, a contest that could determine the planet’s political and martial standing among the stars.
• Chen Lie’s spectacular performance—defeating several top-ranked Blood-Qi fighters and fighting Jiang Yuan evenly—shocks spectators, especially the Lanjing students who once underestimated him because of his supposedly only seven-star talent.
• Ning Fan acknowledges that Chen Lie’s combat ability is extraordinary, even compared with elite students from Starry Sky University, though he and Yu Wenqin speculate that Chen Lie’s “Extreme Yang Blood” constitution may lose its advantage after he reaches the True Qi realm.
• Chen Lie reunites with mentors and students from East River Province. He is praised as a rare genius and encourages the younger trainees to work hard and aim for future martial titles.
• Chen Lie meets Shi Xinyan, an admiring young trainee, and allows her to add him as a contact for motivation. His fame causes many others to approach him as well.
• Chen Lie notices Zhu Yining, a former acquaintance whom he remembers from his previous life. He praises her rapid progress and offers to help with her training.
• When East River Province asks for some of Chen Lie’s Outer Star exchange positions, he generously gives up five of his ten places on the condition that Zhu Yining receives one and is promoted into the Provincial Genius Group.
• Zhu Yining is accepted into the group and gains the opportunity to study martial arts in the Outer Stars.
• Chen Lie and the other selected young talents meet Ning Guofeng, Administrator of the Blue Star Global Political Council. The Administrator warns them that the Permanent Councilor Star Competition is vital to Blue Star’s future and urges them to cooperate against Wood Source Planet.
• Ning Guofeng specifically attempts to mediate Chen Lie’s conflict with Huo Jinghong and Yan Zheng. Chen Lie responds calmly and cooperatively, while the other two remain unwilling to reconcile.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie continues to rise as one of Blue Star’s greatest young martial artists. His strength, generosity, and composure earn admiration from his province and even from rivals. He also quietly protects Zhu Yining because of her importance in his previous life.
• Ning Fan becomes more cautious and respectful toward Chen Lie, recognizing that Chen’s combat ability may be far beyond what his current realm and measured talent suggest.
• Zheng Shuwen and Xia Zhizhi grow uneasy and doubtful about their earlier judgment of Chen Lie. They begin questioning whether Starry Sky University’s assessment of his seven-star talent is reliable.
• Zhu Yining gains confidence and a major opportunity through Chen Lie’s support. She suspects his concern for her may go beyond simply recognizing her aptitude, but she remains determined to prove herself.
• Shi Xinyan views Chen Lie as an inspirational role model and openly declares her ambition to follow his example.
• Huo Jinghong and Yan Zheng remain hostile toward Chen Lie despite the Administrator’s attempt to resolve their dispute.
• Ning Guofeng emerges as a pragmatic leader who understands that internal rivalry must be set aside for Blue Star’s survival and advancement.

Significant Themes

• Unity against external threats: The chapter’s central message is that Blue Star’s young talents must stop competing with one another when facing outsiders, especially Wood Source Planet.
• Talent versus measured potential: Chen Lie’s rapid growth challenges the reliability of official talent rankings and suggests that effort, constitution, hidden abilities, and determination may matter more than initial evaluations.
• Generosity and responsibility: Chen uses his rewards not only for personal benefit but also to advance East River Province and help promising younger martial artists.
• Past-life connections and repayment: Chen’s treatment of Zhu Yining is shaped by his memories of her future aid, showing how his past-life knowledge influences his present choices.
• Rivalry and reconciliation: Personal grudges threaten collective success, while cooperation is presented as essential to Blue Star’s future.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Han Keke discuss his victory and the humiliation of the Lanjing group.
• Zheng Shuwen and Xia Zhizhi privately debate whether Chen Lie’s strength can truly be explained by his special constitution.
• Ning Fan and Yu Wenqin analyze Chen Lie’s unusual combat power and disagree about how long his advantage will last.
• Chen Lie receives praise from Gu Tian and his former instructors, then encourages the provincial trainees.
• Chen Lie reassures Shi Xinyan and accepts her contact request.
• Chen Lie warmly assists Zhu Yining, securing her promotion and an Outer Star study opportunity.
• Chen Lie cooperates with Ning Guofeng’s appeal for unity, contrasting with Huo Jinghong and Yan Zheng’s continued hostility.

Key plot points and events

• During a meeting to prepare for the permanent council star contest, the Administrator smooths over rivalries among the competitors and warns them to cooperate in team battles. He keeps Chen Lie behind to ask about the mysterious person who supposedly guided him ten years earlier. Chen Lie resists the Administrator’s hypnotic questioning and maintains the lie that the stranger was real.
• Chen Lie tells his mother, Feng Yuelan, that he has received ten fully funded places for young martial artists to study in the Outer Stars. He has given five to the Dongchuan Martial Artist Association and plans to give one to his old friend Wang Hui; Feng Yuelan will choose the remaining recipients among their relatives.
• After seeing Chen Lie’s public presentation, Xu Caiying learns he is one of Blue Star’s top young geniuses. Regretting that she previously declined his offer to teach her, she visits Feng Yuelan with food and asks when Chen Lie will return. She learns the family will soon leave Lanjing and that Chen Lie is unlikely to visit, and returns home anxious that her chance is gone.
• Chen Lie trains with the blood-qi team and is treated as one of its central fighters. He focuses on mental-power cultivation while his martial progress is stalled without spirit liquid.
• Ning Fan approaches Chen Lie, offering information on opponents from Wood Source Planet. Chen Lie declines, asking that the information be made public instead. Ning Fan shares it with the team, then meets with Divine Sense Master Association Chairman Jing Qingtian, who asks him to build a relationship with Chen Lie so the authorities can count on Chen’s support at Starry Sky University.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie remains composed and guarded, protecting the secret behind his supposed guidance. He is generous with his Outer Star study places, but confident enough to refuse special opponent intelligence.
• Xu Caiying shifts from dismissive to regretful admiration after discovering Chen Lie’s status. Her visit to Feng Yuelan is an attempt to reconnect indirectly, though she leaves without seeing Chen Lie.
• Feng Yuelan supports her son’s plan to help relatives and responds warmly to Xu Caiying’s visit.
• Ning Fan recognizes Chen Lie’s potential despite his modest true-qi affinity and tries to approach him strategically. He agrees to make opponent information public, while privately questioning how much Chen’s support is needed.
• Zhao Siqi dismisses Chen Lie’s talent and questions Ning Fan’s friendliness, revealing her bias. Ning Fan counters that Chen’s tenfold strength value and ability to open his heaven aperture signal exceptional potential.
• The Administrator manages rivalries and emphasizes team coordination, while probing Chen Lie’s past through his mental abilities.

Significant themes

• Regret and missed opportunities: Xu Caiying realizes too late that she rejected guidance from a major talent.
• Potential beyond appearances: Chen Lie’s low-rated affinity is offset by extraordinary strength and a rare cultivation achievement.
• Cooperation versus pride: The contest requires teamwork, but status and confidence complicate alliances.
• Generosity and responsibility: Chen Lie uses a valuable official reward to create opportunities for friends and relatives.
• Secrecy and trust: Chen Lie’s guarded response to the Administrator, and the efforts to secure his future support, show how personal secrets and political expectations intersect.

Chapter Summary: Five Elements Divine Meridians, Fourteenth Blood Tempering

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Qingtian reveals that Chen Lie possesses a Heaven-Grade Consciousness Spirit, Bi’an, ranked thirty-sixth on the Canglan Star Domain’s ranking—just below Ning Fan’s Chongming Divine Bird. Chen Lie also has ten times the ordinary Strength Value, making him nearly Ning Fan’s equal.
• Unlike Ning Fan, Chen Lie’s Consciousness Sea is only slightly above two million, meaning he cannot fully control his Consciousness Spirit or reach Ning Fan’s eventual Mental Power potential. Because of this limitation, Blue Star’s leaders want Chen Lie to assist Ning Fan rather than compete with him.
• Chen Lie receives five hundred kilograms of Spirit Nourishing Flower, an extremely scarce strategic resource, and uses it to break through to the Second-Order Mid-Stage of Mental Power. He then spends additional time stabilizing his realm.
• Chen Lie complains that the Saint Envoy Hall has been slow to deliver the resources needed for his remaining two Blood Temperings before entering the Blood-Qi Transforming into Rainbow Realm.
• Eight packages arrive from the Outer Stars, including:
  • A cultivation guide from Ruan Liusu for advancing toward the Blood-Qi Transforming into Rainbow Realm.
  • Intermediate Extraordinary-Grade Blood-Tempering Spirit Liquid.
  • The Mengzhang Divine Refining Chapter’s Star Constellation and Star God cultivation methods.
  • Five top-grade Five Elements Innate Spiritual Objects.
• The five treasures are identified as the Western Extreme Geng Metal, Eastern Splendor Yi Wood, Northern Darkness Ren Water, Southern Li Kui Fire, and Central Heaven Xirang Divine Meridians. Together, they are perfectly balanced and will allow Chen Lie to cultivate Five Elements True Qi rapidly after becoming a Ranked Martial Artist.
• Chen Lie stores the Five Elements Divine Meridians in Blue Star University’s heavily protected Treasure Vault to prevent others from discovering or coveting them.
• He then consumes the intermediate Extraordinary-Grade Blood-Tempering Spirit Liquid and completes his Fourteenth Blood Tempering after a day of intense struggle against its violent energy.
• Chen Lie concludes that he is likely the strongest Blood-Qi-stage martial artist on Blue Star. He believes he could contend briefly with an ordinary Heaven Aperture Stage expert and hopes to complete a fifteenth Blood Tempering before the Permanent Council Star Competition.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie demonstrates rapid advancement in both Mental Power and martial cultivation. His Mental Power reaches the Second-Order Mid-Stage, while his Fourteenth Blood Tempering greatly strengthens his body and Blood Qi.
• Chen Lie becomes more cautious and strategic. He refuses to pursue the sixteenth Blood Tempering, recognizing that reaching sixteen times the Strength Value depends on exceptional parental bloodlines rather than personal effort.
• He also shows political awareness by concealing the Mengzhang Divine Refining Chapter and declining to ask the Star Seeker’s daughter to directly secure Blue Star’s position in the Permanent Council Star Contest.
• Ning Fan learns that Chen Lie is an exceptionally rare talent and recognizes the value of having him as an ally at Starry Sky University.
• Ruan Liusu is shown to be progressing quickly in the Outer Stars and remains concerned about Chen Lie’s martial development.
• Jing Qingtian and Blue Star’s senior leaders reveal their strategic plan to use Chen Lie’s unique abilities to support Ning Fan.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus limitations: Chen Lie possesses extraordinary innate abilities, but his relatively weak Consciousness Sea limits his long-term Mental Power potential.
• Resource and factional power: Rare cultivation resources and powerful organizations such as the Beimang Star Imperial Clan, the Saint Envoy Hall, and the Central Galactic Empire greatly influence individual and planetary destinies.
• Caution and secrecy: Chen Lie understands that possessing powerful techniques and treasures can attract deadly attention, so he hides sensitive methods and stores valuable items securely.
• Individual strength and planetary fate: The chapter emphasizes the contrast between decades of effort by billions of people and the influence a single powerful figure can exert over an entire planet’s future.
• Preparation for conflict: Chen Lie’s cultivation is directly tied to the coming Permanent Council Star Competition with Wood Source Planet.

Character Interactions

• Jing Qingtian explains Chen Lie’s abilities and potential role to Ning Fan, encouraging Ning Fan to gain Chen Lie’s cooperation.
• Chen Lie interacts with Director Wei Guangchi through the approval of his Spirit Nourishing Flower allocation.
• Director Zhang Liwu jokes about Chen Lie’s “diplomatic talent” after seeing his connections with the Outer Stars and suggests that Beimang Star might help Blue Star win the upcoming contest.
• Chen Lie politely conceals the true importance of his Outer Star relationships and refuses to exploit the Star Seeker’s daughter for Blue Star’s political advantage.
• Ruan Liusu communicates her support through the cultivation guide she sends, playfully challenging Chen Lie not to let her surpass him.
• Zhang Liwu assists Chen Lie in placing the Five Elements Divine Meridians in the university’s Treasure Vault, helping protect his valuable resources.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lie returns to training and learns that team-combat practice has been suspended as Blue Star prepares for the Permanent Council Star Contest against Wood Source Planet.
• Lei Jinglong announces the delegation and its lineups: twelve blood-qi contestants, ten true-qi contestants, three Grandmaster competitors, and several substitutes. The delegation will leave early to avoid problems.
• Chen Lie’s teammates discuss new rivals: Shao Keyu and Yan Zheng have reached the great extreme of blood-qi after instruction from an off-world Grandmaster, giving Blue Star nine contestants at that level.
• The delegation departs for Canglong Star aboard a Star Boat. On the journey, Chen Lie studies the Mengzhang Divine Refining Chapter, a powerful mental cultivation method based on the Eastern Heavenly Seven Mansions.
• Although he already practices the Lingguang Divine Refining Chapter, Chen Lie unexpectedly forms seven dim stars corresponding to the Eastern Heavenly Seven Mansions. He suspects this is connected to red petals he once ate at Ji Lingxuan’s home.
• Chen Lie memorizes the incomplete Mengzhang text and destroys the jade slips. The Star Boat reaches Canglong Star, where the delegation is warned to behave carefully among the planet’s powerful inhabitants.

Character developments

• Chen Lie remains confident but realistic: he admits his second-order mental power is inadequate against multiple opponents or a heaven-aperture fighter. His discovery that he can seemingly cultivate two mental methods marks a major and unexplained advance.
• Han Keke openly admires Chen Lie and trusts his ability, while also insisting the rest of the team can contribute.
• Ruan Liuyun continues to guide and encourage Chen Lie, checking that he is prepared for the contest.
• Ruan Yingjie supports Chen Lie and urges him not to underestimate the opposition.
• Zheng Dongyang learns Chen Lie is Ruan Yingjie’s daughter’s boyfriend and is impressed by his talent.

Character interactions

• Xia Ziying reports the new breakthroughs among Blue Star’s rivals, prompting discussion with Ruan Liuyun and Xu Wanqing.
• Han Keke praises Chen Lie’s potential; Xu Wanqing criticizes her for flattering him, and Han sharply rebukes her.
• Chen Lie greets Ruan Yingjie aboard the Star Boat. Their conversation leads Zheng Dongyang to ask about Chen Lie’s relationship with Ruan Yingjie’s daughter.
• Lei Jinglong briefs the students on the contest, travel plans, and the need for caution on Canglong Star.

Significant themes

• Preparation and national duty: The delegation treats the contest as consequential for Blue Star’s fortunes and travels early to reduce risk.
• Talent, training, and rivalry: Expert instruction helps Blue Star’s competitors break through, while the looming contest raises concern about powerful opponents.
• Unexplained cultivation and hidden causes: Chen Lie’s ability to form a second constellation system challenges established rules and points to a possible connection with Ji Lingxuan’s mother and the mysterious petals.
• Confidence balanced by limits: Chen Lie’s allies believe in him, but he recognizes the constraints of his current mental-power level.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie and the Blue Star contestants arrive at Canglong Star for the Permanent Council Star Contest.
• They are greeted by Lu Ziyi, a native of Canglong Star and a Ninth-Order Grandmaster, who arranges their lodging at Divine Martial Hall.
• They learn that Wood Source Planet's contestants are also staying at Divine Martial Hall.
• Chen Lie, accompanied by Zhao Jingyuan and Tang Yan'er, explores the Martial Arts Market District near Divine Martial Hall.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: He is recognized by Zhao Jingyuan and Tang Yan'er as a formidable Martial Leader from East River Province. He shows interest in Yuan Stones for cultivation.
• Zhao Jingyuan: She acknowledges Chen Lie's prowess and feels insignificant in comparison. She acts as a guide for Chen Lie in the Martial Arts Market District.
• Tang Yan'er: She is interested in purchasing Fire-Attribute Yuan Stones to aid her cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Cultural Exchange: The interaction between Blue Star and Canglong Star highlights the differences in their martial arts cultures and resources.
• Competition and Rivalry: The upcoming Permanent Council Star Contest emphasizes the competitive nature of the characters and their desire to prove themselves.
• Resource Acquisition: The exploration of the Martial Arts Market District underscores the importance of resources for cultivation and growth.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie, Zhao Jingyuan, and Tang Yan'er: They interact as fellow East River Province natives, with Zhao Jingyuan feeling inferior to Chen Lie and acting as a guide, while Tang Yan'er focuses on her own cultivation needs.
• Chen Lie and Han Keke: Han Keke shows her loyalty to Chen Lie and supports his decisions.

Plot points and events

• Tang Yan’er buys five pounds of Fire Origin Stone for 25,000 Canglong Currency, explaining that Yuan Stones are essential but costly training resources. Zhao Jingyuan offers to lend her money, but Yan’er declines.
• Chen Lie notices Yan’er bought fire-attribute stone and learns that she has cultivated Fire-Attribute True Qi, which helped her qualify for the Permanent Councilor Star Competition. Though urged to seek her advice, he knows his own Five Elements cultivation is already more advanced.
• Chen Lie enters a Spirit Nourishing Flower shop to buy supplies for expanding his Consciousness Sea. He initially plans to buy 1,000 pounds and pay in Galactic Coins at the official exchange rate. Yan’er and Jingyuan warn him that Galactic Coins fetch far more on the black market. Jingyuan negotiates a better deal: 1,100 pounds for 112,000 Galactic Coins.
• On Market Street, the group stops at a stall selling unidentified relics from the Ancient Star Ruins. Yan’er explains that such purchases are a gamble, and Jingyuan cautions Chen Lie against wasting money.
• Chen Lie encounters Xue Zhiran, Wood Source Planet’s top Blood-Qi competitor. She tests him with her blood qi, challenges him to spar with one hand, and mocks him when he refuses. He leaves with his companions rather than engage.
• Afterward, Xue privately admits that Chen Lie’s blood qi is nearly as strong as her own and that he is close to the Heaven Aperture Stage. She concludes that Blue Star must have at least two competitors at that level.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie is revealed to be a Divine Sense Master with substantial funds and serious cultivation plans. He is confident in his abilities but avoids an unnecessary fight, while his calm response conceals how much he has recognized about Xue and Wood Source Planet’s strength.
• Tang Yan’er is practical about money and martial cultivation. Her Fire-Attribute True Qi explains her selection for the competition, though she says it came about by chance.
• Zhao Jingyuan acts as Chen Lie’s worldly guide, teaching him about currency values and negotiating a better purchase. She and Yan’er also step in protectively when Xue’s blood qi targets him.
• Han Keke hopes to secure Chen Lie’s protection at Starry Sky University and eagerly volunteers to carry his purchase.
• Xue Zhiran initially presents herself as contemptuous and superior, but her private assessment shows caution and respect for Chen Lie’s strength. Her challenge was intended to gauge him, not merely provoke him.
• Zu Keying dismisses Chen Lie as a coward, contrasting with Xue’s more perceptive reading of the encounter.

Significant themes

• The cost of advancement: Outer-star martial cultivation depends on expensive resources, and students from poorer worlds face a steep disadvantage.
• Unequal resources and opportunity: Blue Star’s limited wealth makes competing at Starry Sky University and in interplanetary contests especially difficult.
• Appearances versus reality: Chen Lie’s refusal to spar looks like cowardice to the others, but Xue recognizes his hidden strength.
• Prudence and knowledge: Understanding markets, training needs, and opponents matters as much as raw power.

Plot and events

• After meeting Xue Zhiran of Wood Source Planet, Blue Star’s team realizes she is a Blood-Qi Stage fighter who has reached the Heaven Aperture Stage—far stronger than they had expected. Chen Lie warns his teammates and urges them to tell their leaders.
• Chen Lie spends a day and night cultivating the Mengzhang Divine Refining Chapter with 1,100 jin of Spirit Nourishing Flowers. He illuminates all seven Eastern Heavenly Mansions, nearly completes their Consciousness Sea World, and feels a major increase in Mental Power. He notes that the Mengzhang and Lingguang chapters share roots, but intends to keep the Lingguang chapter as his foundation.
• At a strategy meeting, Lei Jinglong and Wang Shou assess the threat: Xue could overwhelm several peak Earth Aperture fighters, putting Blue Star at a serious disadvantage in the crucial Blood-Qi team battle. Chen Lie offers to hold her off for about ten minutes while his teammates target the rest of Wood Source Planet’s fighters. The leaders accept and plan around his proposal.
• Ning Fan invites Chen Lie to a special Divine Sense Master dining hall, where he meets Starry Sky University students Lü Xianchuan, Yu Wenqin, and Zhao Siqi. Over a meal, Ning asks about Chen Lie’s training and raises the possibility of his joining both the Martial Way and Mental Power departments. Chen Lie leaves the choice open.
• Ning Fan then offers to show Chen Lie around the Divine Martial Hall, describing its many gathering places and simulated-duel machines.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie demonstrates rapid Mental Power growth and growing confidence: he believes he can challenge a Heaven Aperture Stage opponent by using his Divine Sense abilities to buy time. Despite recognizing Ning Fan’s unusually generous hospitality, he accepts it without committing to any favor or university department.
• Lei Jinglong and Wang Shou shift from worrying that Blue Star’s Blood-Qi team is doomed to building a strategy around Chen Lie’s new confidence.
• Ning Fan is friendly and actively seeks to build a relationship with Chen Lie, treating him to a meal and encouraging him to consider Starry Sky University’s Mental Power Department.
• Yu Wenqin is openly condescending toward Chen Lie, implying he should be more grateful for the meal. Ning Fan rebukes her and smooths over the tension; Chen Lie calmly challenges her assumption.
• Xue Zhiran’s strength forces Blue Star’s contestants and leaders to reassess the competition, while Ning Fan is the only contestant unsurprised by Chen Lie’s claim.

Significant themes

• Preparation under pressure: Chen Lie’s warning and accelerated cultivation give Blue Star a possible answer to an unexpected threat.
• Mental Power as a counterweight to physical strength: Chen Lie’s Divine Sense abilities may let him hold off a fighter who is superior in ordinary Blood-Qi combat.
• Talent and self-direction: Chen Lie’s rapid progress comes from his unusual abilities and experience, while his future training and university path remain his own decision.
• Alliance and social friction: Ning Fan’s offer of friendship contrasts with Yu Wenqin’s suspicion, showing how cooperation and status-consciousness coexist among the competitors.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie declines to use the Divine Martial Hall's virtual combat machine to test his strength.
• Chen Lie and Ning Fan encounter Meng Qingwan, the top contestant in the True Qi Stage from Wood Source Planet, at the Divine Martial Hall. Meng Qingwan displays her sword intent, pressuring Chen Lie and the others.
• Lei Jinglong announces a new battle plan for the Permanent Councilor Star Competition, assigning Chen Lie to hold off Xue Zhiran from Wood Source Planet for ten minutes.
• Gu Yuanyun distributes tickets to the Divine Martial Gathering on the sixth floor of the Divine Martial Hall, which Chen Lie and the others attend.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Chen Lie's strength is recognized by others, with Meng Qingwan and even some contestants from Blue Star acknowledging his prowess. He is assigned a crucial role in the new battle plan.
• Meng Qingwan: Meng Qingwan demonstrates her sword intent, showcasing her formidable strength as a Sword Cultivator. She is confident in Wood Source Planet's chances in the competition.

Significant Themes

• The theme of strength and recognition continues, with Chen Lie's abilities being acknowledged by others. The competition between Blue Star and Wood Source Planet is further emphasized.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Ning Fan: Ning Fan continues to show interest in Chen Lie's abilities and takes him to the Divine Martial Gathering.
• Chen Lie and Meng Qingwan: Their encounter at the Divine Martial Hall highlights the tension between Blue Star and Wood Source Planet, with Meng Qingwan displaying her strength and challenging Chen Lie.
• Chen Lie and Zhou Yu: Zhou Yu questions Chen Lie about his Mental Power rank, hinting at her interest in his abilities.

Chapter Summary: “Is He Your Childhood Friend?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yuanyun, Tang Yan’er, and Zhao Jingyuan bring fourteen young martial artists from Blue Star to Divine Martial Hall to broaden their horizons during the Divine Martial Gathering.
• They meet Zhang Yuwei, a Starry Sky University student who works at the hall. She agrees to supervise the Blue Star group while the three seniors attend a lecture by a Heaven-Human Realm martial artist.
• Zhang explains the Divine Martial Gathering, where martial artists and Divine Sense Masters can spar, exchange insights, or study techniques in Crystal Pillars.
• She introduces the Blue Star group to Liu Zhen, a young Mortal Aperture Stage martial artist from Suyun Star and a member of Starry Sky University’s Tianyi Campus martial arts class.
• Liu brings them to a group of Central Star Region students. Several of these students insult the Blue Star participants as “barbarians” from a backward planet, provoking anger—especially from the proud Zuo Yuan’er. Zhou Yu reminds her that she once looked down on people from poorer regions herself.
• The group discusses Lu Shengya, a brilliant Canglong Star local who has surpassed elevenfold Strength Value, cultivated a powerful Heaven-Grade Consciousness Spirit, and passed the Star Camphor Stele Examination.
• Tension erupts when Li Yunyun recognizes Chen Lie and claims he is the “childhood friend” or supposed family senior of Chu Ling’er—the same man who stayed overnight in Ling’er’s dormitory two months earlier.
• Chen Lie denies knowing what she means, but Li Yunyun publicly reveals the dormitory incident. The students immediately begin speculating about his relationship with Chu Ling’er.
• Yang Guangyu, who is romantically interested in Chu Ling’er, becomes furious and aggressively defends her reputation. He insists she only let Chen Lie stay one night before moving to another dormitory.
• Yang accuses Chen Lie of deceiving Chu Ling’er and demands to know their relationship. Chen refuses to explain, telling him to ask Ling’er directly.
• Lu Jiang, seeking to help Yang Guangyu, abuses his connection to Divine Martial Hall and orders a manager to investigate the Blue Star group’s entry records, implying that he may have them expelled.
• Meanwhile, at a private celebration for Lu Shengya, Chu Ling’er is revealed to be one of the recent students who passed the Star Camphor Stele Examination. She has outstanding Mental Power talent but has made little recent progress and may have reached a bottleneck.
• Lu Shengya invites Chu Ling’er to exchange martial arts and Mental Power insights after the banquet.
• Tian Qiuqiu suddenly arrives and tells Chu Ling’er that Chen Lie is in trouble after Yang Guangyu discovered that he is not actually her family senior.
• Chu Ling’er immediately leaves to help Chen Lie, followed by Lu Shengya at her mother’s suggestion. The chapter ends as Chu Ling’er heads toward the sixth floor, already informed of the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Remains calm and guarded despite public accusations. He refuses to reveal his connection with Chu Ling’er, suggesting that he is deliberately concealing his identity or relationship with her.
• Chu Ling’er: Is portrayed as highly talented, dignified, and influential, with a powerful family background and exceptional Mental Power. Her urgent reaction to Chen Lie’s predicament indicates that she cares deeply about him.
• Yang Guangyu: His jealousy and romantic attachment to Chu Ling’er become obvious. Although he claims to defend her honor, his hostility toward Chen Lie is driven largely by insecurity and resentment.
• Li Yunyun: Acts provocatively, exposing the dormitory incident in front of everyone. Yang Guangyu believes she is jealous of Chu Ling’er and intentionally trying to damage her reputation.
• Lu Shengya: Emerges as one of Canglong Star’s top young talents. Despite her own brilliance, she is friendly toward Chu Ling’er and interested in exchanging knowledge with her.
• Zuo Yuan’er: Her pride is wounded by the Central Star Region students’ contempt, but Zhou Yu’s criticism forces her to recognize that her own past behavior was similar.
• Zhang Yuwei: Serves as a helpful intermediary between the Blue Star visitors and the Starry Sky University students, attempting to give them a fair opportunity to learn and spar.
• Lu Jiang: Shows favoritism toward Yang Guangyu and uses his family’s authority at Divine Martial Hall to threaten the Blue Star group.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and social hierarchy: The Central Star Region students judge Blue Star as backward and uncivilized, reflecting the vast social and martial disparity between regions.
• Pride and hypocrisy: Zuo Yuan’er’s anger is contrasted with Zhou Yu’s reminder that she has behaved similarly toward people from poorer areas.
• Reputation and rumor: The ambiguous dormitory incident quickly becomes gossip, demonstrating how easily status and relationships can be distorted by speculation.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Yang Guangyu’s defense of Chu Ling’er is mixed with romantic jealousy and hostility toward Chen Lie.
• Hidden identities and concealed relationships: Chen Lie’s refusal to acknowledge Chu Ling’er and her insistence on calling him a family senior create a central mystery.
• Talent versus foundation: Chu Ling’er’s extraordinary Mental Power achievements may have resulted from a temporary opportunity rather than stable cultivation, contrasting her with Lu Shengya’s more balanced and reliable talent.
• Regional inequality: The chapter emphasizes that talent from a remote planet can still challenge or unsettle the established assumptions of elite Central Star Region families.

Important Character Interactions

• Gu Yuanyun and Zhang Yuwei: Their friendship allows the Blue Star group to remain in Divine Martial Hall while the senior students attend the lecture.
• Zhang Yuwei and Liu Zhen: Zhang asks Liu to introduce the Blue Star participants to sparring partners.
• Blue Star group and Tianyi Campus students: Their first meeting is tense because of insulting regional stereotypes.
• Chen Lie and Han Keke: Han confidently assumes Chen possesses the strongest-ranked Consciousness Spirit, while Chen denies it and maintains his modest, secretive attitude.
• Li Yunyun and Yang Guangyu: Their argument exposes the dormitory incident and reveals Li’s apparent hostility toward Chu Ling’er.
• Yang Guangyu and Chen Lie: Yang confronts Chen out of jealousy, but Chen refuses to be intimidated or provide an explanation.
• Lu Jiang and Yang Guangyu: Lu agrees to use Divine Martial Hall’s authority to assist Yang, escalating the conflict.
• Chu Ling’er and Lu Shengya: Their friendship is built on mutual admiration, though Ling’er privately feels inferior in Mental Power cultivation.
• Chu Ling’er and Tian Qiuqiu: Tian informs Ling’er of Chen Lie’s danger, prompting Ling’er to abandon the banquet and rush to his side.

Chapter Summary: “No Face Left, and Not Even a Little Dignity?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Divine Martial Hall’s manager confirms that the thirty-seven Blue Star cultivators are staying in the hall and prepares to expel them at Lu Jiang’s command.
• Yang Guangyu confronts Chen Lie over his relationship with Chu Ling’er, accusing him of deceiving her and demanding that Chen Lie break his own legs, apologize, and crawl to Ling’er.
• Yang Guangyu threatens to use his classmates’ political and military connections to have Chen Lie and the Blue Star group detained as illegal stowaways.
• Chen Lie considers using his newly strengthened Mental Power to control Yang Guangyu, since openly resisting Canglong Star’s elites could jeopardize Blue Star’s participation in the Permanent Council Star Contest.
• Xia Zhizhi blames Chen Lie for causing the crisis, but Chen Lie silences her with his Blood-Qi pressure. Han Keke defends Chen Lie and drives Xia away.
• When Yang Guangyu begins counting down and orders Chen Lie to cripple himself, Chen Lie abruptly slaps him across the hall, leaving him badly swollen and humiliated.
• Yang Guangyu orders Lu Jiang’s guards to capture Chen Lie and expel the entire Blue Star group.
• Chu Ling’er arrives and reveals that Chen Lie is her senior brother. She apologizes for Yang Guangyu’s behavior and openly sides with Chen Lie.
• Chu Ling’er blocks the guards and challenges Lu Jiang’s authority. Lu Shengya then intervenes, orders the guards to withdraw, and reprimands Lu Jiang for abusing Divine Martial Hall’s authority.
• Yang Guangyu still threatens to involve the city-state security bureau, but Chu Ling’er counters that her own family connections—including an intercontinental governor, a military commander, and a Starry Sky University instructor—are strong enough to protect Chen Lie.
• Unable to overcome Chu Ling’er’s firm opposition, Yang Guangyu backs down while warning Chen Lie that he will seek revenge later.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates both restraint and decisiveness. Though aware of the danger posed by Yang Guangyu’s connections, he refuses to submit or apologize and ultimately responds with overwhelming force. His rising confidence reflects his recent breakthrough in Mental Power.
• Yang Guangyu: His arrogance and reliance on family influence are exposed. After threatening Chen Lie, he is physically humiliated and further wounded emotionally when Chu Ling’er defends Chen Lie instead of him. He leaves resentful and determined to retaliate.
• Chu Ling’er: Makes her loyalty to Chen Lie unmistakable. She not only apologizes for Yang Guangyu but also confronts him, blocks the guards, and threatens to mobilize her powerful family. Her actions suggest a particularly close emotional bond with Chen Lie.
• Lu Jiang: Abuses his position as Divine Martial Hall master’s nephew to help Yang Guangyu, but quickly loses authority when Lu Shengya orders him to withdraw and answer to his aunt.
• Lu Shengya: Establishes herself as the true authority within Divine Martial Hall. She calmly stops Lu Jiang’s misconduct and protects the hall’s rules.
• Han Keke: Firmly supports Chen Lie, confronting Xia Zhizhi and showing that her strength and loyalty have grown.
• Xia Zhizhi: Becomes openly resentful of Chen Lie and prioritizes avoiding political consequences over defending her fellow Blue Star cultivators.
• Zhang Yuqing: Chooses not to intervene because Yang Guangyu’s background makes the situation too dangerous, highlighting her cautious and pragmatic nature.
• Tian Qiuqiu: Clarifies the extent of Chu Ling’er’s family influence, reinforcing how serious and unusual Ling’er’s protection of Chen Lie is.

Significant Themes

• Power and social connections: The conflict contrasts personal strength with the political, military, and institutional influence held by powerful families.
• Dignity versus submission: Chen Lie refuses to sacrifice his pride despite the danger, while Yang Guangyu’s demand for an apology becomes ironic after he is publicly slapped.
• Loyalty and protection: Chu Ling’er’s willingness to oppose Yang Guangyu and invoke her entire family demonstrates extraordinary loyalty toward Chen Lie.
• Abuse of authority: Lu Jiang misuses Divine Martial Hall’s guards for a private dispute, while Lu Shengya restores proper order.
• Prejudice against the Fringe Star Domain: The Canglong Star elites dismiss Chen Lie and the Blue Star cultivators as weak outsiders, but Chen Lie’s actions challenge those assumptions.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Yang Guangyu: Their confrontation escalates from verbal threats to physical humiliation, establishing a lasting enmity.
• Chen Lie and Chu Ling’er: Chu Ling’er treats Chen Lie as a trusted senior brother and takes responsibility for the conflict, while Chen Lie accepts her help without seeking further retaliation.
• Chu Ling’er and Yang Guangyu: Their long-standing relationship is strained as Ling’er bluntly rejects Yang Guangyu’s accusations and refuses to let him harm Chen Lie.
• Lu Shengya and Lu Jiang: Lu Shengya asserts authority over Lu Jiang, forcing him to withdraw and answer for interfering in hall affairs.
• Han Keke and Xia Zhizhi: Their argument exposes opposing attitudes—Han Keke’s fierce loyalty to Chen Lie versus Xia Zhizhi’s fear and criticism.
• Lu Shengya and Chu Ling’er: Lu Shengya responds to Ling’er’s appeal and helps end the immediate threat, while also becoming curious about the unusually close relationship between Ling’er and Chen Lie.

Chapter Summary: Registration and Authentication for the Competition

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Ling’er dismisses Lu Shengya’s questions about Chen Lie, claiming he is an “old family friend,” while secretly protecting the advantages and secrets Chen Lie has given her.
• Chen Lie explains that he has come to participate in the Permanent Councilor Star Competition, also known outside the Ten-Star Alliance as the Interstellar Alliance Qualification Competition between Blue Star and Wood Source Planet.
• Chu Ling’er asks Lu Shengya whether her influential family connections can help Blue Star. Lu Shengya explains that the competition is overseen by the Saint Envoy Hall and cannot easily be manipulated.
• After Lu Shengya leaves, Chen Lie privately asks Chu Ling’er to contact Mu Yunyao of Starry Sky University’s Mental Power Department. If the Canglan Saint Envoy Hall’s supplies have arrived, Chu Ling’er must collect them and deliver them to Chen Lie.
• Chen hopes to obtain the advanced-member Blood-Tempering Spirit Liquid before the competition so he can complete his final blood tempering and secure an overwhelming advantage in the Blood-Qi Stage.
• The next day, Blue Star’s contestants register at the Canglong Star Interstellar Administration. Their identities are verified through bone-age scans, facial recognition, and DNA authentication according to their cultivation stages.
• Blue Star receives permission to compete and inspects the team-battle arena. The battlefield has almost no terrain advantages, meaning strength and tactics will be especially important.
• Wang Shou encounters Ge Hong, a representative of Langya Star. Although Ge Hong offers polite encouragement, he secretly orders Zhang Yuqing to gather Starry Sky University students to watch the competition.
• Ge Hong reveals that the Saint Envoy Hall may later organize a competition to rank the Permanent Councilor Stars of the entire Four-Sided Star Domain. Langya Star intends to study Blue Star and Wood Source Planet’s younger generation in advance.
• The chapter ends as Blue Star departs and Wood Source Planet arrives to complete its own registration and authentication.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates influence and strategic planning. He relies on Chu Ling’er to retrieve an important cultivation resource, showing that his preparations for the competition extend beyond direct combat.
• Chu Ling’er: Becomes increasingly protective of Chen Lie and is willing to ask favors from powerful connections on his behalf. She keeps Chen’s abilities and background secret from Lu Shengya.
• Lu Shengya: Grows suspicious of Chen and believes Chu Ling’er has been deceived by someone from a “barren planet.” Her pride and social prejudice prevent her from recognizing Chen’s true potential.
• Zhang Yuqing: Initially doubts Chen’s relationship with Chu Ling’er, but later learns that Blue Star and Wood Source Planet are important potential rivals. She accepts Ge Hong’s instructions and prepares to recruit observers.
• Ge Hong: Is revealed to be calculating and far-sighted. He views the upcoming contest not merely as a regional qualification match but as an opportunity to assess future competitors.
• Wang Shou and Lei Jinglong: Handle Blue Star’s official registration and preparation, emphasizing the team’s disciplined approach to the competition.
• Lu Shengya’s mother: Shares her daughter’s conservative, status-conscious view of Chu Ling’er’s relationship and warns Shengya not to become distracted by romance.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and social hierarchy: Lu Shengya and her mother assume someone from Blue Star cannot be worthy of a noble Canglong Star woman, highlighting discrimination between elite stars and frontier planets.
• Secrecy and hidden strength: Chu Ling’er conceals Chen Lie’s abilities and benefits from him, while Chen keeps the nature of the Saint Envoy Hall’s supplies private.
• Preparation and intelligence gathering: Registration, identity checks, terrain inspection, and observing rival contestants all show that victory depends on planning as well as individual strength.
• Political significance of the competition: The match between Blue Star and Wood Source Planet may serve as a model for a larger Four-Sided Star Domain contest, making the event important beyond the Eastern Star Region.
• Loyalty versus reputation: Chu Ling’er chooses to support Chen despite the social embarrassment and disbelief it causes, while others judge the relationship based on status rather than substance.

Character Interactions

• Chu Ling’er and Lu Shengya: Their conversation is outwardly polite but marked by tension. Chu Ling’er deliberately excludes Lu Shengya from Chen’s affairs, while Lu Shengya probes into their relationship and suspects deception.
• Chu Ling’er and Chen Lie: Their private exchange reveals mutual trust. Chu Ling’er readily agrees to retrieve Chen’s supplies, while Chen entrusts her with sensitive information.
• Lu Shengya and her mother: They reinforce each other’s negative assumptions about Chu Ling’er’s relationship and display the elite families’ disdain for frontier planets.
• Wang Shou and Ge Hong: Their brief meeting is courteous, but Ge Hong’s later orders reveal that his friendliness masks a strategic effort to study Blue Star.
• Ge Hong and Zhang Yuqing: Ge Hong explains the broader political stakes and directs Zhang to ensure that students attend the competition as observers.

Summary of "Envoys from the Ten-Star Alliance" Chapter

Key Plot Points and Events

• Blue Star and Wood Source Planet contestants meet at the Interstellar Administration office.
• Zu Yizun, Wood Source Planet's chief administrator, proposes a withdrawal from the contest if Blue Star acknowledges Wood Source Planet's inevitable victory.
• Chen Lie learns Wood Source Planet's contestant names and their strengths.
• Both planets' contestants are led to the Hall of All Stars, where they meet envoys from the Ten-Star Alliance.
• The contest's rules and matchups are discussed and decided.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie contemplates his strategy for the contest, considering using his Blood-Qi secret art but worrying about its conspicuousness.
• Zu Yizun shows confidence in Wood Source Planet's victory and has a hidden trump card.

Significant Themes

• The importance of the Permanent Council Star Contest to Blue Star and Wood Source Planet.
• The significance of the Ten-Star Alliance's envoys and their lack of interest in the contest's outcome.
• The strategic planning and matchups in the contest.

Character Interactions

• Zu Yizun and Hu Dongzheng interact with Wang Shou and Lei Jinglong, discussing the contest and the possibility of withdrawal.
• Chen Lie reflects on his strategy, considering the potential use of his secret art.
• The leaders of Blue Star and Wood Source Planet discuss and decide the matchups for the contest.

Chapter Summary: “The Contest Begins”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The official match roster for the Blue Star–Wood Source Planet competition is projected above the arena. The contest will determine which planet earns the Eastern Star Region’s qualification to join the Interstellar Alliance and become its Permanent Councilor Star.
• The arena fills with roughly one hundred thousand spectators, most of them martial arts students from Canglong Continent. Representatives from other star regions and planets also attend to assess the potential future rival.
• Instructors warn their students not to underestimate the contestants. Although Blue Star and Wood Source Planet are considered “barren planets,” their selected fighters are exceptional geniuses, many destined for Starry Sky University.
• Spectators focus on several notable matchups:
  • Blue Star’s Yang Jingnian faces Wood Source Planet’s Blood-Qi expert Xue Zhiran.
  • Blue Star’s Chen Lie faces Hua Jianying, Wood Source Planet’s top Blood-Qi fighter of her year.
  • Ning Fan and Meng Qingwan are also highlighted as famous freshmen at Starry Sky University.
• Representatives from Red Flame Planet regret that internal rebellion prevented their planet from competing for the position. The Great Yan Crown Prince argues that Red Flame will eventually enter the Interstellar Alliance through its own strength.
• Wang Chen and Yan Qingwu of Shuimang Star realize that Chen Lie has likely concealed a significant portion of his true ability.
• Qin Yingyue, the Sky Moon Princess of Beimang Star, becomes suspicious when she sees Chen Lie’s name, wondering whether he is connected to a powerful Chen Lie she encountered in the Sumeru Illusion Realm. After examining his records, she dismisses the possibility as coincidence.
• Wood Source Planet’s leadership reveals that it possesses intelligence suggesting Chen Lie may be a Third-Rank Divine Sense Master or someone who has cultivated a Heaven-Grade Consciousness Spirit. Because Chen Lie claims he can restrain Xue Zhiran with Mental Power during the team battle, Hua Jianying—whose physique resists Mental Power—is deliberately assigned to fight him.
• Xue Zhiran warns Hua Jianying that Chen Lie is already close to the Heaven Aperture Stage and remains dangerous even without Mental Power techniques. Wood Source Planet’s leaders order all contestants to fight seriously, threatening anyone who loses through arrogance or carelessness with the severe “Traitor Star Crime.”
• Referee Han Zhendong announces that individual battles will occur first, followed by team battles. Each planet fields three Grandmasters, ten True Qi Realm fighters, and twelve Blood-Qi Stage fighters. Each individual victory earns one point.
• Zhou Shaoyu and Zhou Yunqi recognize Chen Lie as the mysterious “Nameless One” who interrupted Zhou Yunqi’s hundred-match streak in the Sumeru Illusion Realm. Chen Lie refuses to engage with their hostility.
• At 8:30 a.m., the competition officially begins. The first match is a Grandmaster battle between Blue Star’s Zheng Dongyang and Wood Source Planet’s Zu Tiansheng.
• Zheng Dongyang and Zu Tiansheng immediately clash at overwhelming speed and power. Their battle appears evenly matched, with Innate Gang Qi causing immense destruction.
• Chen Lie uses Divine Sense to follow the nearly invisible movements of the Grandmasters. He tells Han Keke that neither fighter has yet revealed his full strength.
• Before the Grandmaster battle concludes, the second match is announced: Blue Star’s Lü Xianchuan versus Wood Source Planet’s Chen Bai in the True Qi Realm. Both enter the arena, beginning the next stage of the contest.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie: His hidden strength becomes a major source of tension. Both allies and enemies suspect he is far stronger than his public ranking suggests. His Divine Sense allows him to perceive combat beyond ordinary spectators’ abilities, while his calm dismissal of Zhou Shaoyu and Zhou Yunqi shows confidence and restraint.
• Hua Jianying: Presented as Wood Source Planet’s carefully selected counter to Chen Lie. She is confident in her ability to resist Mental Power but accepts Xue Zhiran’s warning and recognizes the need for caution.
• Xue Zhiran: Demonstrates leadership and sound judgment by warning Hua Jianying not to underestimate Chen Lie. Though Wood Source Planet’s strongest Blood-Qi fighter, he takes Chen Lie’s threat seriously.
• Zhou Shaoyu and Zhou Yunqi: Reveal a personal grudge against Chen Lie because of his interference in the Sumeru Illusion Realm. Their anger contrasts with Chen Lie’s indifference.
• Qin Yingyue: Her suspicion of Chen Lie introduces a possible connection between his current identity and a mysterious figure from the Sumeru Illusion Realm, though she ultimately rejects the theory.
• Zheng Dongyang: Establishes himself as an extraordinarily powerful Grandmaster capable of fighting Wood Source Planet’s strongest experts on nearly equal terms.
• Han Keke: Shows admiration and curiosity toward Chen Lie, relying on him to interpret the Grandmaster battle.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden talent and underestimated strength: The chapter repeatedly challenges the assumption that Fringe Star Domain planets are weak. Chen Lie’s concealed abilities particularly emphasize that public rankings may not reflect true power.
• Rivalry and planetary honor: The contest is not merely a series of personal duels; every victory affects the political future and prestige of an entire planet.
• Preparation versus arrogance: Wood Source Planet’s leaders stress that careless defeat can be as damaging as actual weakness. Proper intelligence, caution, and willingness to use one’s full strength are essential.
• The widening scale of the martial world: The competition brings together fighters and observers from multiple star regions, showing that Blue Star and Wood Source Planet are entering a much larger interstellar arena.
• Identity and coincidence: Qin Yingyue’s suspicion raises questions about Chen Lie’s background and whether his current identity conceals a deeper origin.
• Generational competition: Martial arts students and young experts observe one another, preparing not only for the current contest but also for future conflicts involving the Four-Sided Star Domain and the Interstellar Alliance.

4. Character Interactions

• Instructors and students: Teachers correct their students’ dismissive attitude toward the contestants, emphasizing that even “barren planet” fighters are rare geniuses.
• Zhu Jingfei and Yang Jiannan: Zhu Jingfei points out that Chen Lie’s sudden rise in Blue Star’s rankings likely indicates deliberately hidden strength.
• Zhu Jingshu and the Great Yan Crown Prince: They discuss Red Flame Planet’s lost opportunity and the long-term conflict between the imperial court and the Great Peace Demon Sect.
• Wang Chen and Yan Qingwu: Both react with surprise to Chen Lie’s matchup, realizing that his apparent rapid improvement may actually be the result of concealed ability.
• Qin Yingyue and Wu Danchen: Qin questions Wu Danchen about Chen Lie, then reviews his official information before dismissing the apparent similarities to the Chen Lie she remembers.
• Wood Source Planet’s leadership and contestants: Zu Yizun and Hu Dongzheng explain Hua Jianying’s assignment and warn the fighters against underestimating Blue Star.
• Xue Zhiran and Hua Jianying: Xue’s warning makes Hua reconsider Chen Lie’s danger and reinforces the seriousness of her assignment.
• Zhou Shaoyu, Zhou Yunqi, and Chen Lie: The two Wood Source Planet contestants confront Chen Lie over the Sumeru Illusion Realm incident, but he refuses to be provoked.
• Chen Lie and Han Keke: Chen uses Divine Sense to analyze the Grandmaster battle for Han Keke, demonstrating both his unusual perception and their growing trust.
• Zheng Dongyang and Zu Tiansheng: Their opening battle establishes the contest as a genuinely high-level confrontation, with neither side gaining an early advantage.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Simultaneous competitions held for Grandmaster Realm, True Qi Realm, and Blood-Qi Realm.
• Blue Star's Zhou Yu loses to Wood Source Planet's Bu Feifan in the first Blood-Qi Stage match.
• Blue Star's Lü Xianchuan loses to Wood Source Planet's Chen Bai in the first True Qi Stage match.
• Blue Star's Zheng Dongyang wins against Wood Source Planet's Zu Tiansheng in the first Grandmaster Stage match.
• Blue Star's Jiang Yuan defeats Wood Source Planet's Sang Ji in the second Blood-Qi Stage match, tying the scores.
• Blue Star's Ruan Yingjie, Chu Luo, and Yang Jingnian face off against Wood Source Planet's Wu Fengyun, Zhou Shaoyu, and Xue Zhiran respectively in the next matches.

Character Developments

• Zhou Yu shows determination and accepts her loss, vowing to win back the point in the team battle.
• Jiang Yuan demonstrates his strength and wins, becoming Blue Star's first victor in the Blood-Qi Stage.
• Xue Zhiran, a Heaven Aperture Stage expert, is ordered not to strike too heavily against Yang Jingnian.

Significant Themes

• The importance of each point in the Permanent Councilor Star Competition.
• The vast difference in strength between realms (e.g., Earth Aperture vs. Heaven Aperture).
• The strategic planning and orders given by higher-ups, affecting the contestants' actions.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Yu feels guilty for her loss and apologizes to Principal Lei Jinglong.
• Jiang Yuan receives praise from his teammates after his victory.
• Xue Zhiran is ordered by Hu Dongzheng not to strike too heavily against Yang Jingnian.
• Blue Star's and Wood Source Planet's contestants compete against each other, with victories and losses affecting their respective scores.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xue Zhiran of Wood Source Planet showcases her immense power, defeating Yang Jingnian of Blue Star in the Blood-Qi Stage battle.
• Blue Star's contestants are shocked and demoralized by Xue Zhiran's strength.
• Ruan Yingjie wins the Grandmaster Martial Artist battle against Wu Fengyun, giving Blue Star its third point.
• Chen Lie's girlfriend, Ruan Liusu, arrives and plans to participate in the competition as a replacement.
• The competition continues with the announcement of new matches.

Character Developments

• Xue Zhiran: Proves to be an incredibly strong opponent, shocking Blue Star's contestants and viewers.
• Ruan Yingjie: Demonstrates his power as a Grandmaster, winning his match and giving Blue Star a much-needed point.
• Ruan Liusu: Shows significant progress in her martial arts, having completed ten blood temperings and potentially awakening the 'Nine Yin Sacred Vein' physique.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between Blue Star and Wood Source Planet, with Wood Source Planet initially showing greater strength.
• The importance of individual strength and strategy in the competition.
• The potential for Blue Star to turn the tables, as suggested by Ruan Liusu's arrival.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Ruan Liusu: Reunite and discuss her participation in the competition.
• Ruan Yingjie and Wu Fengyun: Engage in an intense Grandmaster battle, with Ruan Yingjie ultimately emerging victorious.
• Blue Star's contestants and viewers: React to Xue Zhiran's strength, initially feeling shocked and demoralized but later rallying after Ruan Yingjie's victory.