Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Joint Investigation by the Disciples of Eleven Peaks

Key Plot Points and Events

• An Ning asks Chen Lie to assist her from the sidelines while she personally fights the Otherworldly Demons. Using his concealed Mental Power, Chen secretly stuns Tier 4 demons long enough for An Ning to kill them.
• Over the first day, they kill twelve Tier 4 Otherworldly Demons, earning Chen twelve thousand jin of Yuan Stones. Zhang Tao later discovers Chen’s involvement and is astonished by his strength as a Divine Sense Master.
• Chen refuses to reveal his origins, leading Zhang Tao and An Ning to speculate that he may be from Canglong Star or Aurora Star. An Ning decides that befriending him will benefit Jin Kingdom regardless of where he comes from.
• Chen rests and cultivates his Mental Power overnight, then requests two more days away from his trial group. His vast Consciousness Sea allows him to recover despite using his Mental Power hundreds of times.
• On the second day, Cloudrain Peak’s results rise dramatically. With the help of fourteen Tier 4 kills, its Demon Essence total reaches 362 orifices, placing it far ahead of the other peaks. Chen earns another fourteen thousand jin of Yuan Stones.
• The sudden improvement causes the other eleven peaks to accuse Cloudrain Peak of cheating. Xie Bingchang, a Cloudrain Peak true disciple supervising the group, is replaced, and Cloudrain Peak is placed under joint investigation by representatives of all eleven peaks and Zi Tianyi, a powerful true disciple of Myriad Blossom Peak.
• Chen reveals that he possesses a secret technique capable of concealing his Mental Power from anyone below the level of a Mental Power Grandmaster. He assures An Ning that they can continue without being exposed.
• To test Cloudrain Peak, the investigators order An Ning to kill a Tier 4 Otherworldly Demon within three-quarters of an hour. Chen mentally instructs her to attack decisively.
• Just as the demon attacks, Chen secretly stuns it. An Ning beheads it in a single strike. She repeats this feat and ultimately kills twenty-two Tier 4 Otherworldly Demons under the investigators’ direct observation.
• Unable to detect any cheating, Zi Tianyi concludes that An Ning genuinely possesses the ability to kill the demons. The investigation is abandoned, and the hostile supervisors disperse.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates extraordinary martial and Mental Power abilities while remaining deliberately mysterious about his origin and cultivation realm. He becomes more confident in using his concealment technique and proves capable of manipulating the investigation without detection.
• An Ning: Grows more decisive and self-assured. Although initially nervous under the scrutiny of the eleven peaks, she trusts Chen’s guidance and successfully presents herself as an exceptionally talented fighter.
• Zhang Tao: Moves from admiration to active support of Chen and An Ning. He recognizes Chen’s value and arranges for An Ning to secure additional Yuan Stones from the imperial family.
• Xie Bingchang: Acts protectively toward Cloudrain Peak but also warns An Ning not to make the discrepancy in results too obvious.
• Zi Tianyi: Initially serves as the most threatening investigator, but her sharp perception and fairness lead her to accept An Ning’s performance as legitimate rather than accuse her without evidence.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and strategic concealment: Chen’s true abilities remain hidden, and success depends on using power subtly rather than displaying it openly.
• Trust and cooperation: An Ning must rely on Chen’s secret assistance, while Chen trusts her to carry out his instructions in front of powerful observers.
• Reputation and suspicion: Cloudrain Peak’s sudden rise provokes jealousy and accusations, showing how extraordinary success can attract scrutiny.
• Talent versus established expectations: Others struggle to understand how An Ning, an inner disciple, can kill Tier 4 demons so easily, while Chen’s unknown background challenges assumptions about where great geniuses come from.
• Political and sect interests: The Cloudglow Sect’s peaks compete for ranking and resources, while An Ning and Zhang Tao view Chen as a potential asset to Jin Kingdom.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Tao questions Chen about his origins and cultivation level, but Chen refuses to disclose them.
• An Ning and Zhang Tao discuss Chen’s value and arrange for greater financial support through An Ning’s imperial connections.
• Xie Bingchang questions Chen’s Mental Power and warns An Ning to secure first place without making Cloudrain Peak’s advantage excessive.
• After the accusations begin, Zhang Tao warns Chen that continued cooperation may be impossible, but Chen confidently insists that they proceed.
• Chen secretly transmits instructions to An Ning during the investigation, guiding her to create the appearance of a legitimate, spectacular victory.
• Zi Tianyi and the eleven peak representatives witness An Ning’s kills firsthand. Their skepticism gives way to surprise, and Zi Tianyi officially ends the investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Trading: Yuan Stones and Divine Source!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the disciples of Eleven Peaks leave Cloudrain Peak, the disciples there relax. Zi Tianyi’s presence had been especially intimidating because she is one of Cloudglow Sect’s strongest true disciples and a major candidate for future sect leadership.
• Thanks to Chen Lie’s assistance in secretly killing twenty-two Tier 4 Otherworldly Demons, Cloudrain Peak gains a commanding lead in the trial, accumulating roughly five hundred apertures of Demon Essence—about two hundred more than Myriad Blossom Peak.
• An Ning, Zhang Tao, and Chen Lie return to the trial base to settle Chen Lie’s payment. Zhang Tao provides twenty thousand pounds of ordinary Yuan Stones, but lacks the remaining two thousand pounds.
• An Ning compensates Chen Lie with two Gold-Attribute Yuan Stones. Because Attribute Yuan Stones are more valuable than ordinary ones, the payment exceeds the original amount owed.
• Zhang Tao proposes continuing their arrangement to push Cloudrain Peak’s Demon Essence above one thousand apertures. However, An Ning receives word that disciples from Eleven Peaks have petitioned the sect against her secret technique, claiming it disrupted the trial’s balance.
• The elders prohibit similar secret techniques in future trials, forcing Cloudrain Peak and Chen Lie to end their cooperation after three days. Chen Lie has already earned forty-eight thousand pounds of Yuan Stones, including over two thousand pounds of Gold-Attribute Yuan Stones.
• Before parting, Zhang Tao and An Ning establish a friendly relationship with Chen Lie. An Ning gives him a jade pendant that allows communication within Changxia Star.
• Chen Lie asks Zhang Tao about Jin Kingdom’s Yuan Stone mines. Zhang Tao explains that the mines are controlled by Cloudglow Sect but generate substantial illicit profits through cooperation among sect officials, the imperial family, and Duke Cheng’s Estate.
• Zhang Tao offers Chen Lie Yuan Stones at a thirty-percent discount, but Chen Lie does not want to pay with Galactic or Canglong Currency. Instead, he proposes trading Divine Source for Yuan Stones.
• An Ning values inferior Divine Source at roughly five pounds of Yuan Stones per pound. Chen Lie then reveals perfect-grade Divine Source, astonishing An Ning because it is extraordinarily rare and far more valuable than ordinary Divine Source.
• An Ning struggles to estimate its worth and privately desires to acquire the perfect Divine Source for herself and possibly her talented relatives.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates strong business instincts and a growing understanding of the economic systems of different planets. He remains calm, generous, and confident because he possesses abundant Divine Source. His secret mental technique is revealed to be powerful enough to evade even Zi Tianyi’s detection.
• An Ning: Becomes more openly grateful and friendly toward Chen Lie, treating him as an honored potential guest of Jin Kingdom. Her reaction to perfect Divine Source also reveals her ambition and desire to strengthen herself and her family, even though she normally presents herself with dignity and restraint.
• Zhang Tao: Acts as the negotiator and organizer for Cloudrain Peak. He recognizes Chen Lie’s value and attempts to continue their profitable partnership. He also reveals the complicated political network surrounding Jin Kingdom’s Yuan Stone mines.
• Zi Tianyi and the disciples of Eleven Peaks: Though largely offstage, their influence drives the chapter’s conflict. Their monitoring and subsequent petition force the elders to restrict Cloudrain Peak’s methods.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and resource inequality: Yuan Stones and Divine Source are treated as strategic resources whose value differs across planets and institutions.
• Political corruption and entrenched interests: The Yuan Stone mines are officially controlled by Cloudglow Sect, but profits are diverted through a network of sect officials, royalty, and aristocratic families.
• Suppressed value and monopolies: The Ten-Star Alliance deliberately restricts Divine Source circulation and suppresses its official price, while institutions such as Starry Sky University may exploit producers by purchasing it cheaply.
• Competition and fairness: Eleven Peaks’ complaint shows how powerful groups respond when an opponent gains an overwhelming advantage, leading the sect to change the rules rather than allow Cloudrain Peak’s dominance.
• Trust and alliance-building: Chen Lie’s cooperation with An Ning and Zhang Tao evolves from a simple transaction into a friendly relationship with potential future political and commercial benefits.
• Hidden strength and opportunity: Chen Lie’s vast reserves of Divine Source give him an enormous advantage, allowing him to negotiate from a position of power while concealing the true scale of his resources.

Character Interactions

• An Ning formally thanks Chen Lie for protecting Cloudrain Peak’s secret, while Chen Lie downplays the gesture and emphasizes that he merely fulfilled their agreement.
• Zhang Tao praises Chen Lie’s mental technique and suggests that he could eventually rival top true disciples.
• An Ning willingly overpays Chen Lie with valuable Gold-Attribute Yuan Stones, showing her gratitude and willingness to invest in their relationship.
• Zhang Tao and An Ning invite Chen Lie to visit Changxia Star and Jin Kingdom, signaling that they now regard him as a trusted friend rather than merely a hired helper.
• Chen Lie and Zhang Tao discuss a possible long-term Yuan Stone trade, with Zhang Tao offering discounted stones through his family’s political connections.
• An Ning evaluates Chen Lie’s Divine Source and becomes visibly astonished—and privately eager to obtain it—creating the foundation for a potentially lucrative but delicate negotiation.

Summary: Chapter "Yuan Stone Transaction"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie offers to trade "perfect Divine Source" (pure, impurity-free) to An Ning, claiming he has at least 100,000 jin (secretly holding 12 million).
• An Ning offers 20 jin of Yuan Stone per 1 jin of Divine Source — a generous rate, likely because the Jin Kingdom lacks Divine Source.
• They negotiate attribute requirements: Five-Element Yuan Stone (worth 2× ordinary) and Yin-Yang Yuan Stone (worth 3× ordinary). An Ning offers 10 jin of Five-Element and 5 jin of Yin-Yang per jin of Divine Source.
• Chen Lie reduces the deal from 100,000 to 50,000 jin, then to 30,000 jin after An Ning struggles to gather enough Yuan Stone quietly. He reserves the remaining 20,000 for her.
• Zhang Tao bargains for 5,000 jin of Divine Source, threatening to leak the secret; An Ning grudgingly allows it.
• After three days, the trade is executed: An Ning delivers over 420,000 jin of Yuan Stone (300,000 ordinary, 100,000 Five-Element, 26,000 Yin-Yang) for 35,000 jin of Divine Source.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates shrewd negotiation and caution (hiding his true supply, reducing trade amounts for safety). Explains the value of perfect Divine Source versus ordinary.
• An Ning: Shows financial resourcefulness and secrecy, wanting to hoard Divine Source privately rather than report to the Jin Kingdom imperial clan. Pragmatic and willing to make concessions.
• Zhang Tao: Opportunistic and persistent, leveraging his knowledge of the deal to force a share.

3. Significant Themes

• Scarcity and value: Perfect Divine Source is a rare, high-tier resource; Yuan Stone is abundant in comparison, creating an asymmetric trade.
• Secrecy and risk: Both parties fear exposure — Chen Lie hides his wealth; An Ning avoids imperial scrutiny.
• Cultivation resources: The distinction between ordinary and perfect Divine Source matters for Blood-Qi Stage cultivation, especially for lower-aperture martial artists.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Lie ↔ An Ning: Extended negotiation with mutual caution; they seal a trade agreement and exchange contact info.
• Zhang Tao ↔ An Ning: Pressure applied through kinship and threat of leaking information; An Ning reluctantly concedes a 5,000-jin portion.
• Shen Yifei and others ↔ Chen Lie: Brief interaction on the trial mission; they question his cultivation method choice and mission delays, but no conflict arises.

Chapter Summary: “Picking a Martial Department”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie completes his trade with An Ning, exchanging more than 30,000 jin—ultimately nearly 35,000 jin—of Flawless Divine Source for 420,000 jin of Yuan Stones containing all five elements, yin, and yang.
• An Ning agrees to reserve the remaining 20,000 jin of Divine Source for future purchase. Chen Lie decides to limit future transactions because selling Divine Source could expose his identity and cost him his life.
• Zhang Tao reminds An Ning that 5,000 jin of the Divine Source belongs to him, but she postpones repayment until they leave the Otherworldly Demon Hunting Ground.
• Chen Lie returns to Trial Group No. 32 and finishes the guaranteed-admission mission, reaching 750/750 total Otherworldly Demons and 92/90 Third-Order demons killed.
• The group receives permission to choose among Starry Sky University’s three major departments: the Martial Way Department, Sword Dao Department, and Mental Power Department.
• Chen Lie uses 5,000 jin of Yuan Stones to stabilize his Late Qi-Nourishing Realm cultivation. Thanks to the Primordial Limitless Qi Gong, he absorbs the resources extremely quickly, but he deliberately avoids rushing into another breakthrough.
• The next morning, twenty-five students who completed the mission early gather at the special training site. Director Qian explains the rules for choosing departments:
  • Students may join one, two, or even all three departments.
  • The first department chosen becomes their permanent primary department.
  • Transferring later is difficult, so the choice must be made carefully.
• Most students request testing for Sword Dao talent. Chen Lie refuses because he knows his path lies in saber techniques and the Martial Way.
• Tao Yunshu reminds Chen Lie that he promised her uncle to join the Martial Way Department and that Teacher Huang has already reserved a place for him.
• Seventeen students undergo Sword Dao testing. Although all possess some Sword Dao talent, the department advises them that their Martial Way potential is greater, making Sword Dao an inferior choice for their long-term development.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Becomes more cautious about trading Divine Source after recognizing the severe danger of exposure. He also demonstrates disciplined cultivation, choosing steady advancement over reckless breakthroughs despite possessing enough resources to progress rapidly. He firmly commits to the Martial Way Department.
• An Ning: Shows strong trust in Chen Lie by accepting the generous Divine Source payment and agreeing to purchase more later. She also maintains control over Zhang Tao’s portion, promising repayment after they leave the danger zone.
• Zhang Tao: Reveals his financial interest in the transaction by demanding his promised 5,000 jin of Divine Source, though he is forced to wait.
• Tao Yunshu: Remains determined to join the Sword Dao Department but also looks out for Chen Lie’s future, reminding him of his promise and Teacher Huang’s arrangement.
• Trial Group No. 32: The group grows more confident and relieved after completing the dangerous admission mission early. Many members initially idealize the Sword Dao Department but reconsider after learning their actual talent rankings.
• The students tested for Sword Dao: They learn that possessing Sword Dao talent is not enough; their comparative potential in different disciplines matters more than simply qualifying.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus opportunity: Chen Lie possesses valuable resources but understands that wealth can attract deadly attention. His decision to restrict Divine Source transactions reflects the importance of survival over short-term profit.
• Individual aptitude and specialization: The strongest or most prestigious department is not automatically the best choice. Students must choose according to their own talents and foundations.
• Long-term cultivation strategy: Chen Lie’s refusal to force a breakthrough emphasizes that stable foundations are more important than rapid advancement.
• The cost of greatness: Chen Lie’s extraordinary physique and cultivation potential require enormous resources, highlighting both his exceptional talent and the burdens that come with it.
• Reputation and institutional recognition: Chen Lie’s promise to join the Martial Way Department and Teacher Huang’s effort to reserve him demonstrate that powerful institutions are already taking notice of his potential.
• The dangers of comparison: The students admire Sword Cultivators, but testing reveals that pursuing a popular path without sufficient talent could limit their future achievements.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and An Ning: They complete their resource exchange and establish a cautious future business arrangement.
• An Ning and Zhang Tao: Zhang asks for his share of the Divine Source, but An Ning delays payment until they return safely.
• Chen Lie and Trial Group No. 32: Chen rejoins the group after the trade and helps complete the mission.
• Chen Lie and Tao Yunshu: Tao reminds him of his commitment to the Martial Way Department; Chen confirms that he has no intention of choosing Sword Dao.
• Chen Lie, Shen Yifei, and Wei Wuxun: They discuss whether Chen should test for Sword Dao talent. Shen and Wei encourage him to consider becoming a dual-department student, but Chen trusts his own path.
• Qian Long and the students: Qian explains the department-selection system, organizes the Sword Dao testing, and guides the students through the first stage of their university careers.
• Sword Dao officials and the tested students: The officials provide honest evaluations, advising the students to choose the Martial Way Department because their Sword Dao potential is weaker.

Chapter Summary: Martial Way Department Class 17

Key Plot Points and Events

• After all seventeen Sword Dao applicants fail to qualify, the remaining recommended-admission students choose the Martial Way Department instead. The group discusses the difficulty and value of cultivating Five Elements True Qi.
• Qian Long explains the advantages of the three major martial departments: dedicated instructors, access to the Martial Intent Cave, discounts on martial skills and resources, monthly financial support, and exemption from ordinary student elimination assessments.
• The twenty-five new students register at the Martial Way Department on Heaven Second Campus and select their instructors. Chen Lie chooses Huang Zongcheng, who had previously supported his inclusion in the recommended-admission mission.
• Chen Lie receives extensive departmental privileges, including:
  • Free access to the Martial Intent Cave twice monthly
  • Twenty-percent discounts on martial skills
  • Interest-free loans for certain cultivation resources
  • A monthly stipend of 100,000 Credits
  • Exemption from new-student elimination screenings
• Chen Lie, Tao Yunshu, and Shen Yifei are assigned to Instructor Huang’s Martial Way Department Class 17, which currently has 531 students.
• Teaching Assistant Huang Yuxi introduces them to the dormitories, cultivation rooms, martial arena, classroom, class communication group, and available resources such as the Sumeru Illusion Realm.
• The three students meet Instructor Huang Zongcheng. He announces that he will teach a foundational martial-cultivation lesson the next morning.
• Before Chen Lie leaves, Huang Zongcheng asks him to stay behind and questions him about his cultivation of the incomplete Sacred Grade technique, the Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture.
• Huang reveals that Chen Lie’s True Qi dilution ratio is an astonishing 586 times, comparable to or exceeding that of powerful martial geniuses from Canglong Star. He suspects Chen Lie has concealed the truth about his Blood-Qi-stage cultivation and asks whether Chen truly only reached the Origin Aperture Stage.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Officially enters the Martial Way Department and gains access to superior cultivation resources and guidance. He deliberately chooses Huang Zongcheng as his instructor, partly because Huang had helped him previously. Chen remains cautious about concealing his true strength and background, particularly his opened Divine Apertures and unusual cultivation achievements. His exceptional True Qi quality begins to attract serious scrutiny.
• Tao Yunshu: Fails to join the Sword Dao Department but enters Huang’s class. She uses her family connection—her uncle was Huang’s former classmate—to seek possible preferential treatment. She becomes Chen Lie’s classmate and shows confidence and ambition.
• Shen Yifei: Also joins the Martial Way Department and Huang’s class. She interacts cordially with Chen Lie and Tao Yunshu but receives little attention from the larger class group.
• Huang Yuxi: Introduced as the capable and composed teaching assistant for Class 17. She efficiently handles the newcomers’ orientation and administrative arrangements.
• Huang Zongcheng: Establishes himself as a highly powerful and responsible instructor, revealed by Chen Lie’s analysis to be a likely late-stage Tenth-Order Heavenly Human Grandmaster. He takes a special interest in Chen Lie’s cultivation and worries that the incomplete Sacred Grade technique may eventually ruin his cultivation.
• Hou Yutan: Reconnects with Chen Lie through the class group and invites him to visit the Martial Intent Cave together, showing an existing friendship and continued support.

Significant Themes

• The value and difficulty of specialized cultivation: The Sword Dao and Martial Way Departments represent elite paths available only to unusually talented students.
• Institutional privilege and hierarchy: Students in the three major departments receive far greater resources, financial support, instruction, and protection than ordinary students.
• Connections versus personal ability: Tao Yunshu openly relies on her uncle’s relationship with Huang, while Chen Lie’s position is earned through extraordinary talent, though he still benefits from Huang’s prior support.
• Secrecy and hidden strength: Chen Lie must conceal his true cultivation level and origins because his achievements would be difficult to explain given his Fringe Star Domain background.
• Risk and ambition in cultivation: The Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture offers immense potential but has historically caused every practitioner to lose their cultivation. Chen Lie’s confidence contrasts with Huang’s caution.
• Mentorship and guidance: The chapter establishes Huang Zongcheng’s role as a possible mentor who may help Chen Lie manage the dangers of his cultivation method.

Character Interactions

• The students debate the relative strength of Sword Dao and Martial Way cultivators, as well as the difficulty of comprehending all five Five Elements Intents.
• Qian Long explains the department system and guides the new students through registration.
• Tao Yunshu tells Chen Lie that she chose Huang’s class because of her family connection to him, while Chen accepts the situation without judgment.
• Huang Yuxi organizes Chen Lie, Tao Yunshu, and Shen Yifei and introduces them to their new academic and residential environment.
• The three newcomers greet their classmates through the class group, though only Chen Lie receives a response—from Hou Yutan.
• Huang Zongcheng welcomes the students and promises to guide their martial cultivation. He then privately confronts Chen Lie about the extraordinary quality of his True Qi, setting up a possible revelation about Chen Lie’s hidden cultivation.

Chapter Summary: The Golden Age of Martial Arts, True Qi’s Ten Stages!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie meets with Instructor Huang Zongcheng, who examines his body and discovers that his physique, vital essence, and True Qi quality are far beyond those of ordinary Origin Aperture or Divine Aperture cultivators.
• To conceal his true strength, Chen Lie claims that his power comes from an exceptionally rare constitution called Pure Yang Attribute Blood, supposedly discovered at Starry Sky University.
• Huang confirms that Chen Lie’s physique is extraordinary and believes it will greatly assist him in cultivating Pure Yang True Qi and the powerful Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture.
• Chen admits that he has currently comprehended only Water Intent. Huang advises him to master all Five Elements Intent, cultivate Five Elements True Qi, and eventually pursue the ultimate True Qi realm known as “Five Qi Converging at the Origin.”
• Chen moves into a dormitory at the Martial Way Department’s Heaven Second Campus and learns through interstellar news that the Canglan Star Domain’s Fourteen-Star Alliance is forming a joint military force to combat Otherworldly Demons and Star Bandits.
• The next morning, Chen attends a class in the 17th Martial Arts Class alongside Hou Yutan, Qiao Xuanxi, and Nie Cheng.
• Huang gives a detailed lecture on the True Qi Stage, explaining its ten realms, the importance of firm foundations, and the role of Attribute True Qi in accelerating cultivation.
• The lesson emphasizes that martial artists must establish a strong foundation and reach the Ninth-Order Yuan Gang Realm before age thirty if they hope to become Heavenly Human Grandmasters or eventually transcend mortality.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Continues concealing his true cultivation, Divine Apertures, and Supreme Extreme Realm foundation. He presents himself as merely a gifted cultivator with an unusual constitution, while secretly possessing strength vastly exceeding his apparent realm. He becomes more determined to comprehend the Five Elements Intent and advance through the Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture.
• Huang Zongcheng: Recognizes Chen’s extraordinary potential but does not uncover his full secrets. He acts as a knowledgeable mentor, stressing disciplined cultivation, confidence, and the dangers of unstable foundations.
• Hou Yutan: Reveals that he is financially strained by the cost of high-level cultivation, techniques, Acquired Spirit Objects, and Martial Intent Cave access. His situation highlights the disadvantage faced by students from poorer or less developed planets.
• Qiao Xuanxi and Nie Cheng: Remain connected with Chen through their shared class and cultivation interests. Qiao helps keep the group focused when Huang arrives.
• The students: Their questions reveal differing cultivation paths, including Variant True Qi and Five Elements True Qi, and allow Huang to explain the strengths and risks of each approach.

Significant Themes

• Concealed power and identity: Chen must carefully hide his real foundation from even a Heavenly Human Grandmaster, showing the danger of revealing his true abilities prematurely.
• Importance of martial foundations: Huang repeatedly warns that rushing through realms can permanently limit future advancement. Solidifying every stage is more important than achieving temporary breakthroughs.
• Five Elements cultivation: Five Elements Intent and True Qi are presented as an ideal foundation because they enhance combat ability, assist breakthroughs, and make advancement toward the Heavenly Human Grandmaster Realm easier.
• Time and urgency: Youth—especially the period before age thirty—is described as the golden age of martial cultivation. Delayed breakthroughs sharply reduce the chances of reaching higher realms.
• Economic inequality in cultivation: Access to techniques, cultivation resources, Martial Intent Cave sessions, and spirit objects is expensive, placing students from outer planets at a disadvantage.
• Ambition and transcendence: The lecture inspires students by portraying the Primordial Essence Domain as a path to extraordinary power, longevity, and eventual sainthood.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Huang Zongcheng: Huang physically examines Chen and questions him about his constitution, True Qi, and comprehension of Five Elements Intent. Chen answers cautiously and maintains his false explanation. Huang nevertheless offers sincere guidance and encourages him to pursue Five Elements True Qi.
• Chen Lie and Hou Yutan: Hou discusses class selection, technique cultivation, Martial Intent Cave costs, and the Five Elements Stele with Chen. He also asks about Chen’s True Qi generation, but Chen gives a deliberately modest answer.
• Chen Lie, Qiao Xuanxi, Hou Yutan, and Nie Cheng: The four reunite in the 17th Class and sit together before Huang’s lecture begins, reinforcing their developing friendship and shared academic path.
• Huang and the students: Huang answers questions about Variant True Qi, Five Elements cultivation, bottlenecks, and the value of confidence. His responses establish him as both an experienced instructor and someone concerned with the students’ long-term futures.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter "Martial Way Stele":

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• During a martial arts class at Starry Sky University, Instructor Huang Zongcheng delivers a lecture on True Qi cultivation, detailing the hierarchy and differences between Yin-Yang True Qi and Five Elements True Qi.
• Huang explains that Yin-Yang True Qi is stronger but much harder to cultivate, requiring the comprehension of Yin-Yang Intent, which is best achieved after mastering Five Elements Intent first.
• He introduces the complex subdivisions of True Qi (e.g., Geng Metal vs. Xin Metal, Bing Fire vs. Ding Fire) and warns against cultivating half-Yin/half-Yang Qi.
• Huang reveals that the True Qi Stage has an Ultimate Realm—Five Qi Converging at the Origin (Five Qi Chao Yuan)—which signifies a perfect Five Elements Foundation. Only five students in Class 17 have achieved this.
• After class, Huang keeps Chen Lie behind to advise him on his cultivation path and promises to have his assistant, Huang Yuxi, mentor him on the Ultimate Realm.
• Chen Lie meets his friends and enters the Wood Martial Way Stele to comprehend Wood Intent (following the Water-generates-Wood cycle).

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates exceptional prior knowledge from his past life. He internally recognizes that Huang Zongcheng's advice on cultivating Pure Yin or Pure Yang True Qi is flawed; he knows he must balance Yin and Yang within each element. However, he keeps this to himself and plans to test the dangerous method in the Sumeru Illusion Realm first. He is now working toward comprehending all Five Elements Intents.
• Huang Zongcheng: Shows himself to be a meticulous and caring instructor. He specifically targets Chen Lie for extra mentorship due to Chen Lie's unique Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture and his top Blood-Qi ranking, treating him as a promising talent to nurture.
• Qiao Xuanxi: Solves a personal mystery—she realizes her failure in the Yin Martial Intent Cave was due to her lack of Five Elements Intent. She is now determined to cultivate the correct sequence (Five Elements first, then Yin-Yang).

3. Significant Themes

• The Value of a Guide: The chapter emphasizes that high-level cultivation secrets (like Yin-Yang balance) are almost impossible to figure out alone. Good teachers provide invaluable shortcuts and prevent students from walking into dead ends or danger.
• Foundation Over Haste: The concept that true advancement requires a rigorous, correct sequence (e.g., comprehending Five Elements Intent before Yin-Yang Intent, and mastering Five Qi before moving to the next realm). Cutting corners leads to failure.
• Caution vs. Recklessness: Chen Lie’s approach highlights the theme of safety and precision. He refuses to risk his life on untested theories and plans to isolate the variables by practicing safely in an illusion realm first.

4. Character Interactions

• Qiao Xuanxi & Huang Zongcheng: She asks about Yin-Yang True Qi, and he gives specific advice tailored to her Profound Yin Profound Yang Qi Gong, warning her to master Five Elements Intent first.
• Students & Huang Zongcheng: A student asks about acquired vs. innate spiritual items; Huang explains their cost and efficacy, and he provides live technique corrections for another student who cultivates Five Elements.
• Huang Zongcheng & Chen Lie: Huang privately assesses Chen Lie's cultivation path, and Chen Lie states he will prioritize Five Elements cultivation. Huang arranges a senior disciple (Huang Yuxi) to guide him.
• Chen Lie & Friends: Outside the classroom, Hou Yutan notes Chen Lie's "lucky" special treatment. Qiao Xuanxi scolds Hou Yutan for his ignorant remark about mutually generating Five Elements Intent, then urges Chen Lie to enter the Martial Way Stele and begin his comprehension.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie enters a cultivation room linked to the Wood Martial Way Stele to comprehend the Wood Intent.
• Because the True Qi Stage requires far greater talent than the Blood-Qi Stage, he spends roughly nine hours sensing the Wood Intent and another hour fully comprehending it. He now possesses two of the Five Elements Intents: Water and Wood.
• Chen Lie realizes that each additional Intent becomes increasingly difficult to comprehend. He estimates that mastering the remaining Five Elements Intent, followed by the True Intent and Yin-Yang stages, could take at least half a year.
• Concluding that his aptitude remains insufficient despite his Five Divine Apertures and Supreme Extreme Realm foundation, Chen Lie decides he must find a way to improve it.
• He meets Qiao Xuanxi, Hou Yutan, and Nie Cheng after leaving the cultivation rooms. They plan to use the Martial Intent Cave to accelerate their comprehension. Chen Lie insists on joining them despite Hou Yutan’s warning that it would be wasteful at his current level.
• Huang Zongcheng asks his daughter, Huang Yuxi, to tutor Chen Lie. He explains that Chen Lie rose from an ordinary background and mediocre cultivation to become the strongest young Martial Artist in the Eastern Star Region, possibly due to Enlightenment.
• Huang Zongcheng emphasizes that Chen Lie’s True Qi quality is almost comparable to that of someone with the Upper Divine Aperture, making him an exceptionally promising talent. Huang Yuxi agrees to tutor him, though she initially doubts that a low-ranked Martial Artist could benefit her.
• Chen Lie spends the night cultivating Mental Power. He has reached the peak of the second rank but lacks the expensive Mental Power Treasure needed to cultivate the third Star God and advance further.
• Although he possesses more than four hundred thousand jin of Yuan Stones, Chen Lie refuses to sell them because his cultivation consumes resources rapidly and replacing them later would be costly. He also avoids selling Divine Source, which is heavily regulated and could attract the authorities.
• A class announcement reveals an upcoming Illusion Beast hunt in the Sumeru Illusion Realm. Since the beasts drop Crystal Cores exchangeable for Galactic Coins, Chen Lie sees the activity as a potential way to fund his cultivation.
• Hou Yutan contacts him to ask whether their trip to the Martial Intent Cave should be postponed. Chen Lie agrees to participate in the hunt first.
• At breakfast, Chen Lie receives a call from the Blue Star On-Campus Work Group. The Blue Star Martial Artist Association grants him a subsidy of 500,000 Star-Origin Galactic Coins to support his cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Successfully comprehends Wood Intent, demonstrating steady but comparatively slow progress. He becomes increasingly aware that his aptitude limits his advancement and begins considering ways to improve it. He also shows financial prudence, refusing to waste or prematurely sell valuable cultivation resources.
• Huang Yuxi: Initially dismissive of Chen Lie because of his low cultivation realm, she becomes interested after learning that his True Qi approaches Upper Divine Aperture quality. She agrees to tutor him, though she remains skeptical of his potential to influence her own cultivation.
• Huang Zongcheng: Acts as a perceptive mentor and advocate for Chen Lie, recognizing the unusual potential behind his rapid rise and urging Huang Yuxi not to underestimate him.
• Qiao Xuanxi, Hou Yutan, and Nie Cheng: Continue pursuing faster comprehension through the Martial Intent Cave and treat Chen Lie as a companion, though Hou Yutan underestimates the extent of Chen Lie’s progress.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus effort: Chen Lie’s progress is impressive, but his mediocre natural aptitude makes cultivation far more difficult than it is for elite geniuses.
• The increasing difficulty of cultivation: Each successive Intent, especially the True Intent and Yin-Yang stages, demands exponentially greater comprehension and resources.
• Hidden potential and Enlightenment: Chen Lie’s dramatic rise suggests that an ordinary background does not necessarily determine one’s ultimate achievement.
• Resource management: Money, cultivation treasures, Yuan Stones, and Mental Power resources are essential to advancement, forcing Chen Lie to balance immediate needs against long-term growth.
• The danger of judging by cultivation realm: Huang Zongcheng argues that even powerful Martial Artists can gain inspiration from those at lower realms, reinforcing the value of potential over current strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and the Heavy Rain Star students discuss their progress in comprehending Intent and whether to use the Martial Intent Cave.
• Huang Zongcheng persuades Huang Yuxi to tutor Chen Lie by explaining his extraordinary background, rapid rise, and exceptional True Qi quality.
• Huang Yuxi’s skepticism contrasts with her father’s confidence, establishing a likely mentor-student relationship and possible future change in her opinion.
• Hou Yutan contacts Chen Lie about rearranging their plans, leading Chen Lie to prioritize the profitable Illusion Beast hunt.
• The Blue Star Martial Artist Association supports Chen Lie financially, acknowledging his rapid advancement and importance as a rising talent.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie arrives at the 17th Martial Arts Class after receiving 500,000 Galactic Coins, though he reflects this sum is insufficient for his long-term cultivation needs.
• Tao Yunshu introduces him to Chen Jingjing, a Mental Power specialist from Aurora Star.
• Teaching assistants Li Weiyi and Yue Qinglan arrive to guide the class into the Sumeru Illusion Realm to hunt Illusion Beasts.
• Yue Qinglan delivers a lengthy explanation of the Sumeru Illusion Realm, Illusion Beast tiers, Crystal Core types, and the exchange system (Credits vs. Galactic Coins).
• A new student questions profitability; Yue Qinglan clarifies that Illusion Beast strength varies by region, and stronger Martials Artists deter weaker beasts from approaching, limiting harvest.
• Chen Lie notices the campus Sumeru Illusion Realm Palace is ~80% similar to Blue Star's, confirming Blue Star modeled its version after Starry Sky University.
• Chen Lie agrees to team up with Qiao Xuanxi, Hou Yutan, and Nie Cheng for hunting; Hou Yutan proposes a Crystal Core resale arbitrage scheme.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Strategic about resource allocation; his unique Starry Sky Behemoth-like physique makes cultivation extraordinarily resource-intensive; his Mental Power ranking is revealed to be in the thirties on the Heaven-Grade Consciousness Spirit Ranking.
• Chen Jingjing (new): From Aurora Star, late third-rank Mental Power, Bifang Bird Consciousness Spirit (ranked 31st), eighteen million Consciousness Sea World score; proud and somewhat dismissive of Chen Lie's potential to offer her anything in exchange.
• Hou Yutan: Opportunistic and business-minded, overestimating the viability of the resale plan.
• Qiao Xuanxi: Pragmatic, corrects Hou Yutan's over-optimistic business assumptions; initiates team formation.

3. Significant Themes

• Economic pressures of cultivation: Even 500,000 Galactic Coins is a drop in the bucket for exceptional talent; resource acquisition is a central concern.
• The Credit/Galactic Coin economy: Crystal Core trading, buy-sell arbitrage, and institutional pricing structures.
• Sumeru Illusion Realm mechanics: Region-based difficulty scaling, Illusion Beast intelligence/fleeing behavior, consciousness-body risk.
• Academic hierarchy: Grades determined by cultivation realm, not time; teaching assistants are elite fourth-year students who achieved Five Qi Converging at the Origin.

4. Character Interactions

• Tao Yunshu ↔ Chen Jingjing ↔ Chen Lie: Tao acts as a matchmaker, hoping to spur a Mental Power exchange; Chen Jingjing acknowledges Chen Lie's talent but sees the exchange as one-sided in her favor.
• Yue Qinglan (teaching assistant): Warm, informative, and precise in addressing the class; Li Weiyi remains aloof and gives only a terse greeting.
• Chen Lie ↔ Qiao Xuanxi/Hou Yutan/Nie Cheng: Chen accepts Qiao's team invitation; Hou and Qiao clash over the feasibility of the resale scheme, while Nie Cheng dismisses Hou's ambitions.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yue Qinglan and Li Weiyi lead the 17th Martial Arts Class into Starry Sky University’s Sumeru Illusion Realm District for a class activity involving Illusion Beast hunting.
• They encounter Pan Yang and Yan Xingru, two exceptionally talented members of the class who reached the Divine Aperture Stage unusually early and possess the Five Elements True Qi.
• The students explain Starry Sky University’s three major rankings:
  • Hidden Dragon Rankings: second-year students below the Fifth-Order Qi Manipulation Realm.
  • Flying Dragon Rankings: third-year students below the Eighth-Order Grandmaster Realm.
  • True Dragon Rankings: fourth-year Eighth-Order Grandmasters.
• Pan Yang asks Yue Qinglan for help with an important matter. He has only one opportunity and fears being displaced from the Hidden Dragon Rankings, so Yue agrees to test his readiness inside the Sumeru Illusion Realm.
• Yan Xingru waits for Assistant Instructor Huang Yuxi, hoping Huang will accept her as an assistant-instructor student. Yue and Li reassure her that Huang’s summons likely means she has changed her mind.
• The class enters the Sumeru Illusion Realm using Starry Sky University’s Sumeru Stones, which allow immediate access without the hibernation pods required on Blue Star.
• Chen Lie discovers hundreds of urgent messages from Mu Yunyao. Saint Envoy Hall has been searching for him because he failed to address Sheng Yingluo’s problem involving the Mengzhang Divine Refining Chapter.
• Chen replies that he will contact Mu Yunyao after completing his current task, then travels to Starry Sky University’s area of the Illusion Realm.
• He joins the class for a spatial jump to the Sea Wasteland, where Illusion Beasts inhabit the depths of a vast ocean.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Recognizes the exceptional talent of Pan Yang and Yan Xingru but remains confident that his own growth will soon surpass theirs. His long absence from the Sumeru Illusion Realm has created complications with Saint Envoy Hall and Mu Yunyao.
• Pan Yang: Reveals his anxiety about maintaining his position on the Hidden Dragon Rankings. He is determined to pursue a risky or limited opportunity and relies on Yue Qinglan’s judgment and assistance.
• Yan Xingru: Shows ambition and uncertainty as she waits to learn whether Huang Yuxi will accept her as an assistant-instructor student.
• Yue Qinglan: Acts as a responsible leader and mentor, guiding the class while advising Pan Yang and encouraging Yan Xingru.
• Li Weiyi: Helps organize the class and supports Yue Qinglan in supervising the students. He is also established as someone who previously could have chosen Yan Xingru as an assistant-instructor student.
• Mu Yunyao and Sheng Yingluo: Though absent, their messages establish that Chen Lie’s unexplained absence has caused concern and urgency.

Significant Themes

• Competition and rankings: The Hidden, Flying, and True Dragon Rankings emphasize the intense competition among Starry Sky University’s elite students.
• Talent and ambition: Pan Yang and Yan Xingru represent the pressure placed on young geniuses to advance quickly and secure powerful opportunities.
• Mentorship and opportunity: Assistant-instructor relationships are portrayed as highly valuable, potentially shaping a student’s cultivation and future.
• Confidence and growth: Chen Lie acknowledges others’ extraordinary abilities but remains certain that his own potential will eventually exceed theirs.
• Responsibility and unfinished obligations: Chen’s absence highlights the consequences of neglecting promises and relationships, even while pursuing personal cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Yue Qinglan warmly welcomes Pan Yang and Yan Xingru, then privately discusses Pan Yang’s readiness and agrees to evaluate him.
• Yue Qinglan and Li Weiyi comfort Yan Xingru regarding Huang Yuxi’s possible decision to accept her.
• Chen Lie exchanges brief comments with Hou Yutan about the importance of the rankings.
• Chen responds to Mu Yunyao’s emergency communications before entering the university’s domain.
• Tao Yunshu greets Chen at the Sea Wasteland and explains that the Illusion Beasts are located in the ocean’s depths, setting up the next stage of the class activity.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Students of Martial Way Class 17 gather at the Sea-Area Airship Rental Office to hunt Illusion Beasts in the Sumeru Illusion Realm.
• Each student is given a miniature airship and a Crystal Core Pouch (either small, medium, or large, holding 500, 1000, or 2000 Crystal Cores respectively).
• Chen Lie requests a large Crystal Core Pouch, but it's the last one, and Yue Qinglan, a Martial Way teaching assistant, also wants it for Pan Yang.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Shows determination to hunt many Illusion Beasts and earn Crystal Cores. He stands his ground against Yue Qinglan's request for the large Crystal Core Pouch.
• Yue Qinglan: Displayed as kind and considerate, but also assertive in her role as a teaching assistant. She tries to reason with Chen Lie but is taken aback by his response.
• Pan Yang: A student who has recently lost a ranking on the Hidden Dragon Rankings and is feeling anxious. He seeks Yue Qinglan's advice.

Significant Themes

• Competition and Ambition: Chen Lie's determination to earn Crystal Cores contrasts with Pan Yang's anxiety about losing his ranking.
• Power Dynamics: The interaction between Chen Lie and Yue Qinglan highlights the power dynamics between students and teaching assistants at Starry Sky University.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Yue Qinglan: Their interaction is tense, with Yue Qinglan trying to reason with Chen Lie and Chen Lie standing his ground.
• Yue Qinglan and Pan Yang: Yue Qinglan provides guidance and advice to Pan Yang, showing a caring and supportive side.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie insists on renting a Large Crystal Core Pouch, despite Yue Qinglan’s disapproval. Pan Yang defuses the conflict by giving up his claim to the pouch.
• The 17th Martial Arts Class enters the Sumeru Illusion Realm to hunt Illusion Beasts. The students are first taken through the Fifth Sea Zone and then to the Fourth Sea Zone, where their four-hour individual hunting activity begins.
• Yue Qinglan explains the dangers of deeper sea zones:
  • The Fourth and Fifth Zones are suitable for lower-level Martial Artists.
  • The Third Zone contains powerful red Illusion Beasts capable of killing them instantly.
  • The First and Second Zones are reserved for Grandmasters.
  • The open sea has more Illusion Beasts but is more dangerous, and losing a flying boat brings punishment.
• Chen Lie travels away from the group and begins hunting aggressively. His powerful True Qi allows him to kill most Black Illusion Beasts with one punch, often destroying their second, more dangerous forms before they can attack.
• He quickly gathers over one hundred Crystal Cores, but the Illusion Beasts begin fleeing from him. He discovers that they can recognize powerful opponents and communicate warnings over great distances.
• Chen Lie uses spatial jumps to change hunting locations, including the Central Star Region Open Sea. Despite repeated attacks, he can only gather a little over three hundred Crystal Cores in an hour because the beasts continually avoid him.
• A passerby explains that Chen Lie’s strength is far beyond the normal level for the Fourth Sea Zone, causing the Illusion Beasts to identify him as a threat.
• Chen Lie encounters Yao Chengyuan and a group from Blood God Planet, who are pursuing a rare, multicolored whale-headed Rainbow Illusion Beast. They offer him one hundred Crystal Cores for briefly intercepting it, which he does effortlessly.
• The Rainbow Illusion Beast escapes into the sea despite the group’s sealing treasure. Yao Chengyuan reveals that they were ordered by the Changning Princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty to capture it alive and face severe punishment if they fail.
• Chen Lie offers to recapture the beast in exchange for all the group’s accumulated Crystal Cores. Yao Chengyuan agrees and gives him 1,187 Crystal Cores, mostly ordinary ones.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie demonstrates overwhelming combat ability for his apparent cultivation level. He is efficient, confident, and willing to exploit opportunities for profit.
• He also shows adaptability: after realizing that mass hunting is impossible because the Illusion Beasts communicate, he changes locations and methods.
• Chen Lie becomes increasingly strategic, recognizing that capturing the Rainbow Illusion Beast could be more profitable than ordinary hunting.
• Yue Qinglan remains cold and strict, acting as a responsible instructor who emphasizes the dangers of the deeper sea zones.
• Yao Chengyuan is introduced as an anxious but authoritative representative of the Great Zhou Dynasty. His fear of the Changning Princess’s punishment reveals the pressure placed on the group.
• The hunting group is shown to be capable but frustrated, particularly because capturing an Illusion Beast alive is much harder than killing one.

3. Significant Themes

• Strength versus restraint: Chen Lie’s immense power makes ordinary hunting easy, but excessive strength creates a new problem by frightening away his targets.
• Intelligence and adaptation in nature: The Illusion Beasts are not mindless monsters; they recognize cultivation levels, communicate, and alter their behavior collectively.
• Risk and reward: Chen Lie repeatedly weighs danger against profit, ultimately accepting a difficult capture mission for over a thousand Crystal Cores.
• Hierarchy and authority: The sea zones reflect the martial hierarchy, while Yao Chengyuan’s fear of the Princess illustrates how power and punishment govern relationships.
• Practical intelligence: Chen Lie’s success comes not only from combat strength but also from bargaining, observation, and quickly identifying valuable opportunities.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Yue Qinglan: Their brief conflict over the large pouch establishes Yue Qinglan’s disapproval of Chen Lie and his disregard for her opinion.
• Chen Lie and Pan Yang: Pan Yang voluntarily gives up the pouch to avoid conflict, showing a more conciliatory personality.
• Chen Lie and Tao Yunshu: Tao comments that the large pouch is unnecessary, but Chen Lie keeps his reasoning private.
• Chen Lie and Li Weiyi/Yue Qinglan: The teaching assistants guide the students and explain the structure and dangers of the Illusion Beast Sea.
• Chen Lie and the passerby: Chen Lie learns why the Illusion Beasts flee and gains a clearer understanding of the realm’s mechanics.
• Chen Lie and Yao Chengyuan: Their relationship begins as a paid favor and quickly becomes a business negotiation. Chen Lie accepts the group’s entire supply of Crystal Cores in exchange for capturing the Rainbow Illusion Beast alive.

Chapter Summary: “Reclaiming Crystal Cores, 760,000 Credits!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie agrees to help Yao Chengyuan capture a Rainbow Illusion Beast alive in exchange for the 1,187 Crystal Cores Yao’s group has collected.
• Yao Chengyuan’s attendants surround the area to prevent the beast from escaping while Chen Lie uses his second Star God, Gui Gold Sheep, to manifest a powerful Mental Illusion Domain.
• Gui Gold Sheep creates a convincing alternate world that draws the hidden Rainbow Illusion Beast out of its camouflage. The illusion then turns violent, using genuine Mental Power attacks to weaken the beast without killing it.
• Chen Lie personally captures the exhausted Rainbow Illusion Beast and seals it in a specially prepared bag. Yao Chengyuan accepts the beast, and their agreement is fulfilled.
• After parting from Yao Chengyuan’s group, Chen Lie counts 1,652 Crystal Cores in total.
• Mu Yunyao contacts Chen Lie through an emergency call, explaining that the Saint Envoy Hall has been trying to reach him for two months regarding his agreement with them. Chen Lie agrees to meet them after finishing his current business.
• Chen Lie returns to Starry Sky University’s assembly point and exchanges all his Crystal Cores for 760,300 Credits.
• The cores consist of 456 black cores and 1,196 white cores of varying grades. The exchange center issues the Credits immediately and gives Chen Lie a reclamation certificate for his class activity.
• Chen Lie submits the certificate to teaching assistant Yue Qinglan. She is initially dismissive, but becomes shocked when she sees that he gathered more than 1,600 cores in less than two hours—an achievement beyond what most Hidden Dragon Ranking geniuses or even Martial Arts Grandmasters could accomplish.
• Chen Lie then travels through the Sumeru Illusion Realm to Tianming Star, where he meets Sheng Yingluo at the Saint Envoy Hall’s Elixir Origin Hall.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie demonstrates extraordinary control over Mental Power and the terrifying capabilities of Gui Gold Sheep. His ability to capture an intelligent and elusive beast alive reveals both immense strength and careful restraint.
• He continues to conceal his background, describing himself only as someone from an ordinary planet studying the Martial Way, causing Yao Chengyuan to suspect that he is deliberately hiding an exceptional identity.
• Chen Lie proves highly efficient and pragmatic, quickly converting his gains into Credits and fulfilling the requirements of his class activity.
• Yao Chengyuan becomes impressed by Chen Lie’s abilities and attempts to establish a closer relationship by revealing his affiliation with the Great Zhou Dynasty’s Martial Proclamation Office.
• Yue Qinglan’s opinion of Chen Lie changes sharply. She initially regards him as an insignificant freshman, but his reclamation record forces her to recognize that his achievements are extraordinary.
• Mu Yunyao is shown to be caught between Chen Lie and the Saint Envoy Hall, having endured repeated pressure because Chen Lie was unreachable.
• Sheng Yingluo remains outwardly composed but lightly reproaches Chen Lie for disappearing for two months and making the Saint Envoy Hall search extensively for him.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and concealed identity: Chen Lie repeatedly minimizes or hides his origins and abilities, while others struggle to understand how a seemingly ordinary freshman can accomplish the impossible.
• Power through intelligence and technique: Rather than relying on brute force, Chen Lie uses Gui Gold Sheep’s Mental Illusion Domain to exploit the Rainbow Illusion Beast’s perception and capture it alive.
• Reputation and recognition: Chen Lie’s achievements are initially underestimated, but his results force others—especially Yue Qinglan and Yao Chengyuan—to reconsider his status.
• Contracts and mutual benefit: Chen Lie honors his agreement with Yao Chengyuan, while his dealings with Mu Yunyao and the Saint Envoy Hall show how obligations and delayed communication create tension.
• The gap between appearance and reality: The peaceful illusion conceals deadly Mental Power attacks, and Chen Lie’s unassuming identity conceals abilities far beyond normal freshmen.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Yao Chengyuan: They cooperate during the capture mission. Yao provides the Crystal Cores and logistical support, while Chen supplies the decisive technique. Their respectful exchange ends with mutual recognition.
• Chen Lie and Mu Yunyao: Mu confronts him about ignoring the Saint Envoy Hall’s attempts to contact him. Chen apologizes, agrees to meet the Hall, and then follows through.
• Chen Lie and Yue Qinglan: Chen quietly submits his reclamation certificate, while Yue initially dismisses him. After seeing his results, she is stunned and tries to stop him for an explanation, but he has already left.
• Chen Lie and Sheng Yingluo: Their meeting at the Elixir Origin Hall marks the beginning of the next stage of the Saint Envoy Hall agreement. Sheng Yingluo welcomes him while reproaching him for his long absence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie meets Sheng Yingluo, a cultivator from the Central Galactic Empire, in the Sumeru Illusion Realm.
• Sheng Yingluo seeks Chen Lie's help to simulate a breakthrough in her mental cultivation.
• Chen Lie guides Sheng Yingluo through the simulation, helping her successfully break through.
• Chen Lie refuses to provide contact information but agrees to visit the Sumeru Illusion Realm more often.
• Chen Lie returns to the Starry Sky University and checks his Credits, finding he has enough to comprehend all the Five Elements Intent.
• Chen Lie learns that he obtained the most Crystal Cores in the activity, over 1,600, through trading.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Demonstrates his mental cultivation prowess by guiding Sheng Yingluo through a successful breakthrough. Shows caution about revealing his background and contact information.
• Sheng Yingluo: Recognizes Chen Lie's talent and understands that he might be a disciple of a major figure from the Taia Star Province Martial Arts Academy. Decides not to press him for information.
• Tao Yunshu & Qiao Xuanxi: Both show interest in Chen Lie's achievement and ask him about it. They misunderstand the source of his Crystal Cores, attributing it to his influence as the number one in the Eastern Star Region.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and Growth: Chen Lie's guidance helps Sheng Yingluo advance in her mental cultivation, highlighting the importance of mentorship and shared knowledge in growth.
• Identity and Caution: Chen Lie's reluctance to reveal his background and contact information emphasizes the importance of caution and secrecy in the cultivation world, especially when dealing with powerful factions.
• Recognition and Misunderstanding: Chen Lie's achievement in obtaining the most Crystal Cores leads to recognition from his peers, but also misunderstandings about the source of his success.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie & Sheng Yingluo: They interact as cultivators, with Chen Lie guiding Sheng Yingluo through a mental cultivation breakthrough. Their interaction is professional and respectful, with neither pushing for more information than the other is willing to share.
• Chen Lie & Tao Yunshu & Qiao Xuanxi: They interact as classmates, with Tao Yunshu and Qiao Xuanxi questioning Chen Lie about his achievement. Their interaction is friendly but also curious, with both of them misunderstanding the source of Chen Lie's success.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Outside the Sumeru Illusion Realm District, teaching assistants Yue Qinglan and Huang Yuxi discuss the results of the class activity. Chen Lie has placed first after obtaining 1,600 Crystal Cores, though others suspect he acquired them through trading rather than hunting Illusion Beasts.
• Huang Yuxi reviews the results and decides to choose Chen Lie as her teaching assistant student, despite traditionally refusing to take one and despite Yan Xingru’s expectation that she would receive the position.
• Huang explains that Instructor Huang Zongcheng recommended Chen Lie because of his exceptional talent and his cultivation of the Origin-Heaven Qi-Gathering Scripture. She instructs Chen to comprehend the Five Elements Intent and promises guidance, cultivation resources, and access to university subsidies.
• Chen Lie initially considers refusing the binding relationship but accepts after learning that teaching assistant students receive substantial cultivation support, including spiritual items and Spirit Treasures.
• Yan Xingru reacts with disappointment and warns Chen Lie not to fail Huang Yuxi’s expectations. Chen’s friends explain the prestige and benefits of being chosen, including one-on-one guidance and a much greater chance of reaching the True Qi Stage’s ultimate realm.
• Chen Lie treats Hou Yutan, Nie Cheng, Qiao Xuanxi, Shen Yifei, and Tao Yunshu as friends and agrees to host them for a meal.
• He then enters a private Cultivation Room and refines 20,000 jin of Yuan Stone with the Primordial Limitless Qi Gong. His cultivation improves, but his enormous Three Dantians remain only about one-third full.
• Seeking a more efficient cultivation method, Chen Lie returns to a primitive mountain forest containing a branch of a planetary spiritual vein. Using the breathing technique of the Primordial Limitless Qi Gong, he absorbs spiritual energy from the surrounding area.
• After more than a hundred breathing cycles, Chen Lie breaks through from the Late Qi-Nourishing Realm to the First-Order Qi-Nourishing Realm Peak. He estimates that another 40,000–50,000 jin of Yuan Stone will allow him to advance to the Second-Order Roaming Qi Realm.
• However, his intense cultivation drains the surrounding spiritual energy. Unknown to him, the nearby medicinal field belonging to an old weapon-forging expert, Old Shi, withers overnight.
• As Chen Lie leaves at dawn, he passes the mysterious young girl Jiu Xi, who carries a sword case containing what appears to be a Heaven-Grade Spirit Treasure.
• Jiu Xi enters Old Shi’s manor and discovers the ruined medicinal field. Old Shi assumes an enemy or Jiu Xi may be responsible, but she reports seeing the same suspicious young man—Chen Lie—during both of her visits.
• Old Shi concludes that Chen Lie is likely the “thief” who has been draining his medicinal field. He agrees to teach Jiu Xi swordsmanship if she completes a task for him, setting up the next conflict.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Gains recognition as an unusually talented freshman, though his true methods remain misunderstood. He accepts Huang Yuxi’s mentorship for the valuable resources it provides and successfully reaches the peak of the Qi-Nourishing Realm through relentless cultivation.
• Huang Yuxi: Changes her long-held refusal to accept a student after recognizing Chen Lie’s potential. Her decision suggests she believes he may eventually rival extraordinary Blood-Qi-stage geniuses.
• Yan Xingru: Suffers disappointment after being passed over for Huang Yuxi’s mentorship. Though jealous and frustrated, she maintains outward restraint and warns Chen Lie to live up to the opportunity.
• Tao Yunshu and Chen’s other friends: Become more aware of Chen Lie’s extraordinary luck and potential. Their envy is friendly, and their relationship with him grows more casual and familiar.
• Jiu Xi: Is portrayed as a talented young swordswoman with an impressive weapon and a strong desire to learn from Old Shi. Her discovery of the damaged medicinal field places her unknowingly in opposition to Chen Lie.
• Old Shi: Appears eccentric, irritable, and highly skilled. His confusion over the unexplained damage to his medicinal field motivates him to investigate Chen Lie and use the incident to test or manipulate Jiu Xi.

3. Significant Themes

• Talent versus appearances: Chen Lie’s low cultivation level causes others to underestimate him, while his achievements reveal abilities far beyond what his realm should allow.
• Opportunity and recognition: Huang Yuxi’s mentorship represents a major turning point, showing how extraordinary performance can attract powerful support.
• Rapid cultivation and resource consumption: Chen Lie’s unusual cultivation method allows fast advancement but also consumes enormous quantities of Yuan Stone and spiritual energy.
• Consequences of power: Chen Lie cultivates without realizing that his actions are harming Old Shi’s medicinal field, creating conflict despite his lack of malicious intent.
• Misunderstanding and mistaken identity: The chapter’s central comedic conflict arises because Chen Lie is unknowingly labeled a thief, while Old Shi and Jiu Xi misinterpret the evidence.
• Competition and status: The reactions of Yan Xingru and the other students emphasize the importance of teaching-assistant relationships within Starry Sky University.

4. Character Interactions

• Yue Qinglan and Yan Xingru discuss Chen Lie’s surprising class results before Huang Yuxi arrives.
• Huang Yuxi publicly selects Chen Lie over Yan Xingru, creating tension and disappointment.
• Tao Yunshu explains the privileges and responsibilities of being a teaching assistant student, helping Chen Lie understand the significance of his new position.
• Chen Lie accepts congratulations from his friends and agrees to treat them to a meal.
• Yan Xingru confronts Chen Lie indirectly, warning him not to disappoint Huang Yuxi.
• Chen Lie cultivates in the mountain forest while unknowingly draining Old Shi’s medicinal field.
• Jiu Xi notices Chen Lie leaving and later reports him to Old Shi as the likely culprit. Old Shi then offers to teach Jiu Xi swordsmanship in exchange for helping him deal with the mysterious “thief.”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie is tasked by Senior Shi to retrieve Spirit Spring and Spirit Liquid, and capture the thief damaging his medicinal field, in exchange for learning the Heavenly Evolution Sword Art.
• Chen Lie joins Qiao Xuanxi and others from Heavy Rain Star to the Martial Intent Cave to comprehend the Five Elements Intent.
• Chen Lie successfully comprehends Fire Intent and Earth Intent in the Martial Intent Cave.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Shows determination and resolve in comprehending Martial Dao Intents. His talent has significantly improved due to the Supreme Extreme Realm and Five Divine Apertures.
• Qiao Xuanxi: Shows impatience and competitiveness, feeling the pressure of being second on Heavy Rain Star.
• Hou Yutan: Demonstrates loyalty and concern for Chen Lie's progress.

Significant Themes

• Talent and Aptitude: Chen Lie's improved talent allows him to comprehend Martial Dao Intents more quickly, highlighting the importance of aptitude in martial arts progression.
• Competition and Pressure: Qiao Xuanxi feels the pressure of being second on Heavy Rain Star, emphasizing the competitive nature of martial arts cultivation.
• Training and Growth: Chen Lie's dedication to comprehension in the Martial Intent Cave underscores the importance of focused training for martial arts growth.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Qiao Xuanxi: Their interaction highlights the competitive nature of martial arts cultivation and the pressure of being second best.
• Chen Lie and Hou Yutan: Their interaction shows Hou Yutan's concern for Chen Lie's progress and his loyalty as a friend.

Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie continues to comprehend Earth Intent in the Martial Intent Cave, spending a significant amount of credits.
• He successfully comprehends Earth Intent and decides to visit the Divine Intent Cave.
• At the Divine Intent Cave, he learns that only Mental Power Department students can enter, and he's turned away.
• He meets Chu Ling'er, who offers to give him her spot in the Divine Intent Cave.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Successfully comprehends Earth Intent, showing dedication and progress in his cultivation.
• Chu Ling'er: Shows selflessness and generosity by offering her spot in the Divine Intent Cave to Chen Lie.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and Selflessness: Chu Ling'er's actions highlight the theme of selfless friendship and her willingness to help Chen Lie, even at her own expense.
• Cultivation Progress: Chen Lie's successful comprehension of Earth Intent emphasizes the importance of dedication and hard work in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Chu Ling'er: Their interaction shows Chu Ling'er's deep affection for Chen Lie and her willingness to help him, even when it's not in her best interest.
• Chen Lie and the Divine Intent Cave Guard: Their interaction reveals the rule that only Mental Power Department students can enter the Divine Intent Cave.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lie, with Chu Ling'er's help, enters the No. 0 Divine Intent Cave, which enhances Mental Power cultivation.
• Chen Lie successfully forges the third Star God, Liu Earth Musk Deer, and breaks through to the Third-Rank Divine Sense Master realm.
• Chen Lie decides to ask about becoming a dual-department student to visit the Divine Intent Cave regularly.

Character Developments

• Chen Lie: Shows his ability to quickly advance in Mental Power cultivation and his willingness to help Chu Ling'er in return for her assistance.
• Chu Ling'er: Demonstrates her devotion and willingness to help Chen Lie, even to the point of neglecting her own cultivation needs.
• Huang Yucheng: Shows concern for Chu Ling'er's well-being and willingness to help her, despite her reservations about Chen Lie's influence over Chu Ling'er.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and Loyalty: Chu Ling'er's unwavering support for Chen Lie, even at the risk of her own cultivation progress.
• Cultivation and Advancement: The importance of the Divine Intent Cave for Mental Power cultivation and the challenges faced in advancing one's Mental Power realm.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lie and Chu Ling'er: Chen Lie offers to help Chu Ling'er with her cultivation, and she eagerly accepts his assistance.
• Chu Ling'er and Huang Yucheng: Huang Yucheng expresses concern for Chu Ling'er's well-being and offers her Spirit Nourishing Flowers to help her cultivation.
• Chen Lie and the Star Camphor Stele Students: The students express curiosity and disbelief about Chen Lie's relationship with Chu Ling'er and his background.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lie completes Chu Ling’er’s Spirit Ascension by using his mind-control ability to take over her mental power and guide it through a highly efficient refinement cycle. Her Consciousness Sea expands, her White Jade Single-Horned Chi Dragon grows stronger, and a radiant cloud appears—the sign of successful ascension.
• Chu Ling’er is astonished by Chen Lie’s power and resolves to keep her unusually early achievement secret until she is stronger.
• Chen Lie asks how to become a student in both the Martial Way and Mental Power departments. Chu Ling’er explains the application and assessment process.
• Huang Yucheng announces that the Star Camphor Stele students have five days of authorized access to the No. 0 Divine Intent Caves. Chen Lie gets access through Chu Ling’er’s assigned cave, though Huang initially objects to the idea that he might receive special access.
• Chen Lie tries to comprehend Metal Intent, the final one of the Five Elements Intents, but makes little progress despite spending eight hours in the Metal Martial Intent Cave.
• To prepare for cultivating the Horn Wood Dragon Star God, Chen Lie buys a high-grade Divine Refining Spirit-Purifying Cloud Seed for 180,000 Galactic Coins. He misses the Mental Power Department’s 20% discount because he is not yet enrolled.
• For three consecutive days, Chu Ling’er brings Chen Lie into her No. 0 cave and gives up her own cultivation time. He uses the limited sessions to study the Horn Wood Dragon method, then continues working on Metal Intent.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lie demonstrates both exceptional skill and a willingness to help others, but also uses his mind-control ability directly on Chu Ling’er without asking first. He remains focused on advancing his cultivation and exploring dual-department enrollment.
• Chu Ling’er gains a major breakthrough and shows strong trust and gratitude toward Chen Lie. She is selfless in repeatedly lending him her cave access, even at the cost of her own training.
• Huang Yucheng is strict about the caves’ scarcity and initially misreads Chu Ling’er’s offer as an attempt to secure extra access for Chen Lie. She becomes increasingly baffled—and finally confrontational—about Chu Ling’er’s repeated generosity.
• Chen Lie and Chu Ling’er treat their help as reciprocal: he credits her with helping him enter the Divine Intent Cave and providing Spirit Nourishing Flowers, while she recognizes the substantial benefits he has given her.

Significant themes

• Talent and advancement: Chu Ling’er’s early Spirit Ascension is extraordinary, highlighting the gap between normal cultivation timelines and Chen Lie’s unusual abilities.
• Trust, generosity, and reciprocity: Chu Ling’er’s repeated sacrifices contrast with the competitive culture Huang Yucheng expects.
• Scarce opportunities and ambition: Limited cave access, costly resources, and Chen Lie’s struggle with Metal Intent emphasize the demands of progress.
• Power and consent: Chen Lie’s mind control is effective and beneficial here, but his unasked-for control of Chu Ling’er raises questions about the limits of using power, even for help.

Key events

• Huang Yucheng confronts Chu Ling’er for repeatedly giving Chen Lie access to Divine Intent Cave No. 0, warning that she could be held responsible for Ling’er’s lack of progress.
• Ling’er reveals that she has already completed her first Spirit Ascension despite having only middle-stage first-tier Mental Power. Huang verifies this and agrees to keep it secret.
• The next morning, Ling’er gives Chen Lie access to the cave again, ignoring Huang’s warning.
• Huang asks Ling’er’s friend Lu Shengya about the relationship. She learns Ling’er has given Chen resources worth millions of Galactic Coins and comes from a powerful family. Lu declines to involve Ling’er’s aunt, fearing she would damage their friendship; Huang ultimately decides to let Ling’er make her own choices.
• Meanwhile, Chen uses a Divine Refining Spirit-Purifying Cloud Seed to complete the Horn Wood Dragon, the first Star God of the Eastern Heavenly Seven Mansions. His Mental Power grows substantially, and he gains the ability to infiltrate many Optical Computers. The technique is especially suited to disrupting or controlling military technology, though Chen lacks the complete Azure Dragon Divine Form.
• Chen leaves the cave but pauses his effort to master Metal Intent, deciding to rest instead.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Ling’er shows extraordinary talent, having achieved Spirit Ascension unusually early, but continues sacrificing opportunities for Chen. She lets Huang believe she is motivated by romance, a misunderstanding she finds useful.
• Huang Yucheng shifts from reprimanding Ling’er to admiring her ability and worrying over her choices. Learning of Ling’er’s family status surprises her, but she respects her autonomy in the end.
• Lu Shengya is concerned about Ling’er but avoids intervening with her family, unwilling to risk becoming the person who separates Ling’er from Chen.
• Chen Lie makes a major advance in Mental Power cultivation, though his progress in Metal Intent remains slow.

Significant themes

• Exceptional talent versus personal choices: Ling’er’s rare gifts contrast with her willingness to give away valuable cultivation opportunities.
• Concern and autonomy: Huang and Lu want to protect Ling’er, yet hesitate to override her decisions.
• Power and specialization: Chen’s new cultivation technique illustrates how individual abilities can have strategic consequences, especially in warfare.