Chapter Summaries

The Ning family settled into their new courtyard in Helsing City and shared a peaceful celebratory dinner. Afterward, Ning Chuan chose the attic on the third floor as his room and looked out over the city at night.

• Liu Lan and Ning Xiaohe finished cleaning the courtyard before Ning Dazhuang and Ning Chuan returned with household supplies and cooked meat.
• The family ate braised meat and steamed buns together, and Ning Chuan made sure Liu Lan had some pork knuckle.
• After dinner, Ning Chuan told his parents he would sleep in the quiet attic on the third floor.
• Ning Chuan entered the attic, opened its shutters, and looked across Elm Forest Alley toward Helsing City's walls and the distant mountains.

With his points depleted, Ning Chuan searched the Inheritance Bracelet for puppet-making knowledge and asked the Station to design a simple worker puppet. The Station began integrating mechanism and talisman techniques, leaving Ning Chuan awaiting its proposed design.

• Ning Chuan considered using puppets to increase his recycling efficiency instead of searching the Junk Ocean alone.
• He ordered the Station to find and rank inheritance materials about puppets, mechanism techniques, and animation.
• Ning Chuan reviewed several methods and focused on Paper-Cutting Soldier Technique and Introduction to Mechanism Puppetry.
• He proposed combining a mechanism puppet’s sturdy frame with simplified paper-person control runes.
• Ning Chuan asked the Station to design a low-cost puppet for sorting and transporting trash, and it began its calculations.

A battered Chaos Giant Gate emerged from the Chaos Star Vortex and collided with the Recycling Station’s defenses, forcing the Station to sever its connection to Ning Chuan. Back in Helsing City, Ning Chuan found the connection weak and unstable, leaving him uncertain whether his greatest support would recover.

• The Recycling Station interrupted its puppet derivation after detecting an abnormal spacetime disturbance from the Chaos Star Vortex.
• A colossal, damaged gate drifted from the vortex toward the platform, and the Station warned that its rank matched its own.
• The gate’s repulsive force clashed with the Station’s defenses, prompting the Station to activate an emergency protocol and eject Ning Chuan’s spiritual body.
• Ning Chuan awoke in the Ning Family Courtyard in Helsing City and confirmed that the encounter had not been a dream.
• Ning Chuan found his connection to the Station disrupted and could no longer freely deposit or retrieve items, so he resolved to investigate the gate.

Ning Chuan learned that the Heavens Trash Recycling Station had temporarily lost contact while merging with the Heavens Gate, then forced open a brief storage passage to retrieve his Spirit Stones and the Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal. He secured the resources in the Inheritance Bracelet before the connection vanished and collapsed from exhaustion.

• Ning Chuan probed the Station's blocked connection and received fragmented information that it was merging with the Heavens Gate and needed time to stabilize.
• Ning Chuan risked a forceful Station Master command to open a temporary passage and transfer the stored Spirit Stones and Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal into the Inheritance Bracelet.
• Ning Chuan retrieved the bracelet just before the passage collapsed and his connection to the Station disappeared completely.
• Ning Chuan confirmed that the bracelet held the Spirit Stones, the Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal, and his other stored items, then put it on his wrist.
• Ning Chuan succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

After overexerting himself, Ning Chuan recovered by cultivating with a Mid-grade Spirit Stone, which strengthened his Soul Power and mental strength. He broke through to level twenty-six and remained confident in his ability to establish himself in Helsing City despite losing access to the Heavens Trash Recycling Station.

• Ning Chuan woke from his exhaustion with severe pain and weakness after spending too much Soul Power and mental strength the previous night.
• Ning Chuan used a Mid-grade Spirit Stone and the Azure Emperor Longevity Art to recover, finding his Soul Power and mental strength more condensed than before.
• Ning Chuan absorbed the Spirit Stone’s energy until it became powder, then sensed his Soul Power approaching a breakthrough.
• Ning Chuan used a second Mid-grade Spirit Stone to shatter the level barrier and advance from level twenty-five to level twenty-six.
• Ning Chuan found that his mental strength had also improved and resolved to rely on his own strength and resources in Helsing City.

Ning Chuan sought a discreet, sustainable livelihood for his family after losing access to the Station’s ability to turn trash into resources. He decided to test medicinal herb cultivation in the backyard and chose Yellow Essence and Solomon's Seal as his first crops.

• Ning Chuan considered his family’s need for income and judged that his father’s carpentry and his mother’s sewing might not provide stable earnings in Helsing City.
• Ning Chuan realized he could combine his Green Jade Willow Leaf Grass Martial Soul, his Endless Life Soul Skill, and cultivation knowledge from Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal to grow medicinal herbs.
• Ning Chuan inspected the backyard soil and sunlight, then assessed which herbs could thrive in its damp, partially shaded conditions.
• Ning Chuan chose Yellow Essence and Solomon's Seal for trial planting because they suited the yard and had steady demand.
• Ning Chuan decided to seek seeds or seedlings and basic gardening tools in Helsing City while his father also explored carpentry work.

Ning Chuan persuaded Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan to support his plan to grow medicinal herbs in the backyard. After dinner, he and his father set out for town to buy rhizomes and tools.

• Ning Chuan told his parents he wanted to grow huangjing and Solomon's seal in the shaded backyard plot.
• Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan agreed to support the plan and help prepare the garden.
• Ning Chuan explained that they would buy rhizomes and basic farm tools, and reassured Liu Lan that they had enough money.
• After dinner, Ning Dazhuang and Ning Chuan left for town while Liu Lan reminded them to be careful with their money.

Ning Chuan and Ning Dazhuang searched Helsing City for high-quality medicinal herb seedlings and bought rhizomes to start growing polygonatum and Solomon's Seal. They headed home with their new supplies and renewed hopes for the family.

• Ning Dazhuang asked a passerby for directions, and he and Ning Chuan found Hundred Herbs Street.
• Ning Chuan asked about polygonatum and Solomon's Seal seedlings at Jisheng Hall, where the old shopkeeper recommended the Spirit Plant Workshop for quality stock.
• Ning Chuan examined the rhizomes at the Spirit Plant Workshop, and he and Ning Dazhuang bought enough to plant roughly half a fen.
• Ning Chuan and Ning Dazhuang bought small farming tools and started home with the seedlings.
• Ning Dazhuang told Ning Chuan that the family was lucky to have him, and Ning Chuan said things would get better for them.

Ning Chuan guided his family in preparing the backyard soil and planting Polygonatum and Solomon's Seal. With the medicinal garden watered, the family waited for the rhizomes to sprout.

• Ning Chuan proposed planting the medicinal herbs, and Ning Dazhuang, Liu Lan, and Ning Xiaohe joined him in the backyard.
• Ning Chuan inspected the soil and instructed his parents to divide the plot into separate beds for Polygonatum and Solomon's Seal.
• Ning Dazhuang and Ning Chuan turned the soil while Liu Lan cleared it, and Ning Xiaohe helped with her small shovel.
• Ning Chuan showed his parents how to dig furrows and plant the rhizomes, and Ning Xiaohe planted several Solomon's Seal rhizomes with Liu Lan's help.
• Ning Chuan taught his parents to water the beds gently, and the family finished watering their new medicinal garden.

After the Ning Family planted medicinal herbs, Ning Chuan planned to use his plant-attuned Soul Skill to accelerate their growth and improve their quality. He studied Solomon's Seal and prepared to test his idea that afternoon.

• Liu Lan prepared lunch while Ning Dazhuang cleaned and put away the farming tools, and Ning Xiaohe fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Ning Chuan returned to the attic and considered whether his First Soul Skill, Endless Life, could accelerate the Solomon's Seal's growth and improve its quality.
• Ning Chuan consulted Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal to study the herbs' growth stages and medicinal potency before planning his experiment.
• At lunch, Liu Lan and Ning Dazhuang discussed when the planted roots might sprout, and Ning Chuan reassured them that the herbs would grow well.
• After helping Liu Lan clear the dishes, Ning Chuan returned to the attic to begin his initial experiments.

Ning Chuan tested whether his Endless Life soul skill could benefit Solomon's Seal plants and compared three ways of applying its life energy. He left the results to observe over the coming days, then resumed cultivating the Azure Emperor Longevity Art.

• Ning Chuan infused life energy directly into one Solomon's Seal rhizome and sensed a slight increase in its vitality and nutrient absorption.
• Ning Chuan spread life energy through the soil around a second rhizome, making the soil seem more fertile and the plant more receptive.
• Ning Chuan infused water with Endless Life and poured it over a third rhizome, using irrigation to carry the life energy into the soil.
• Ning Chuan recorded the three test locations and planned to compare their growth with nearby untreated plants over the next few days.
• Ning Chuan reviewed the advantages and drawbacks of each method, then cultivated the Azure Emperor Longevity Art with a Low-grade Spirit Stone.

Over three months, Ning Chuan secretly used his First Soul Skill to accelerate the growth of his family’s Solomon’s Seal and Polygonatum odoratum, while Liu Lan and Ning Xiaohe carefully tended the medicinal field. After sensing outsiders probing the unusual life aura, Ning Chuan reduced his efforts and kept the herbs’ growth less conspicuous.

• Liu Lan diligently cared for the medicinal plots, while Ning Xiaohe helped mist the herbs and chase away insects.
• Ning Dazhuang told curious neighbor Aunt Zhang that an ancestral fertilizer formula and Liu Lan’s care explained the herbs’ remarkable growth.
• Ning Chuan infused well water with life energy from his First Soul Skill and carefully applied it to the herbs, making them grow several times faster with unusually rich medicinal essence.
• Ning Chuan sensed unfamiliar Soul Power probing near the alley and rooftops, suggesting outsiders had noticed the life aura.
• Ning Chuan reduced the frequency and strength of his growth acceleration to avoid drawing further attention.

Ji Shi Tang’s Manager Qian visited the Ning Family after hearing about their unusually vigorous medicinal herbs and offered to reserve them. Ning Chuan secured a nine-Gold-Soul-Coin deposit for the harvest in three months, leaving the family hopeful and determined to keep tending the field.

• Manager Qian arrived at the Ning Family Courtyard and asked to inspect the Polygonatum and Solomon's Seal.
• Manager Qian was astonished by the herbs’ growth and medicinal fragrance, then offered to buy the batch.
• Ning Chuan said the herbs needed another three months to reach their peak and asked how the deposit and final price would be determined.
• Manager Qian offered a nine-Gold-Soul-Coin deposit against an estimated value of thirty Gold Soul Coins, with the final price to be appraised at harvest.
• Ning Dazhuang and Manager Qian signed an agreement giving Ji Shi Tang priority to buy the herbs, and Manager Qian paid the deposit.
• The Ning Family celebrated the payment, and Ning Chuan urged his parents to keep caring for the herbs for the next three months.

After reaching Soul Power level thirty, Ning Chuan restored his connection to the Heavens Trash Recycling Station and discovered it had evolved, expanding its platform and fusing with the Heavens Gate. He unlocked automatic trash absorption and the possibility of contacting other planes, then left the Station determined to explore beyond Douluo Continent.

• Ning Chuan broke through to level thirty and successfully re-entered the Heavens Trash Recycling Station.
• Ning Chuan learned that the platform had expanded to a diameter of one hundred li and that the Heavens Gate had fused with the Station, unlocking Heavens Travel and Directional Absorption.
• Ning Chuan deployed a Sub-gate among the trash and activated absorption within a one-hundred-meter range, earning 158 points and collecting materials.
• Ning Chuan used Plane Scan and detected three nearby planes, but chose not to attempt travel yet.
• Ning Chuan returned to his body, resolved to use the Baili Platform and Heavens Gate as the foundation of his journey beyond Douluo Continent.

Ning Chuan told his parents that his Soul Power had reached level thirty, astonishing and worrying them. He reassured them that the breakthrough was real and left them preparing to understand his plans for the journey ahead.

• At breakfast, Ning Chuan decided to tell his family about reaching level thirty and his need to travel to Star Dou Forest for a third Soul Ring.
• Ning Chuan stopped Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan after breakfast and announced that his Soul Power had broken through again.
• Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan were stunned when Ning Chuan revealed he had reached level thirty at age six.
• Ning Chuan calmed Liu Lan and explained that the Inheritance Space had given him special opportunities that accelerated his cultivation.
• Ning Dazhuang accepted his son's explanation and congratulated him, though he remained awed by the news.

Ning Chuan checked the Heavens Trash Recycling Station’s growing resources and found a damaged Bronze Mask containing a fragment of the Heaven-Deceiving Pattern. He tested its appearance-concealing ability and had the Station bind it to his wrist, preparing to use it on his journey to the Star Dou Forest.

• Ning Chuan reviewed the Station’s three active Sub-gates and learned they were generating about 1,200 points per hour.
• Ning Chuan searched recently absorbed items and found a Broken Bronze Mask linked to a world marked “Wasteland—Ruthless One.”
• Ning Chuan extracted the mask and discovered that wearing it blurred his appearance and let him disguise himself as an ordinary young man.
• Ning Chuan asked the Station to modify the mask for convenient retrieval and paid 500 points for the adjustment.
• Ning Chuan bound the Bronze Mask to his left wrist as a subtle mark, ready to summon it when he entered the Star Dou Forest.

Ning Chuan searched the Station’s catalog for reliable protection and chose a damaged Hundred-Battle Scale Armor from Perfect World’s Border Desolation. After the Station bound and adjusted it, he tested its defenses and prepared to enter Star Dou Forest with greater confidence.

• Ning Chuan decided he needed dependable armor to protect himself while hunting Soul Rings in Star Dou Forest.
• Ning Chuan found the damaged Hundred-Battle Scale Armor, whose Black Scale Iron Mother contained traces of True Dragon blood and vitality.
• Ning Chuan had the Station bind and adapt the armor for 2,000 points, allowing it to fit him and transform into a bracer mark.
• Ning Chuan tested the armor’s force-dissipation and fire resistance, finding that it greatly reduced the impact on his body.
• Ning Chuan stored the armor on his wrist and returned to reality, ready to venture into Star Dou Forest with his identity concealed and body protected.

Ning Chuan reassured his family about his plans to enter Star Dou Forest by showing them the treasures he had obtained in the Inheritance Space. His parents accepted his preparations and supported him, though his departure still weighed on them.

• At dinner, Ning Chuan told Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan that he would enter Star Dou Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring and would not act rashly.
• Ning Chuan revealed the Bronze Mask and used it to transform his appearance, convincing his shocked family that it could disguise his identity and age.
• Ning Chuan summoned his black scaled armor, and Ning Dazhuang and Liu Lan saw how it could protect him from danger.
• Ning Chuan explained that he could summon and dismiss both treasures at will, and his parents said they trusted and supported him.
• The family continued dinner as Liu Lan fed Ning Chuan and Ning Dazhuang offered him advice about surviving in the wilderness.

Ning Chuan traveled toward the Star Dou Forest in disguise, observing the soul masters and adventurers heading there. As the forest drew closer, he resolved to proceed cautiously and avoid dangerous areas until he was strong enough.

• Ning Chuan wore the Bronze Mask to appear as a composed youth and quietly cultivated while walking toward the Star Dou Forest.
• Ning Chuan heard travelers discuss the injured Gray Wolf Mercenary Group, which had lost two members while hunting a powerful Wind Demon Wolf.
• Ning Chuan observed academy teams, soul hunters, and a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect merchant caravan on the busy road.
• Ning Chuan watched the road split toward the forest and sensed its damp, herbal air as he drew closer.

Ning Chuan arrived at Star Dou Town and settled into an inn to gather information before entering the Star Dou Forest. He learned of possible dangers and opportunities in the forest and spent the night cautiously preparing.

• Ning Chuan reached Star Dou Town after traveling for two days and ignored a guide who offered to take him into the forest.
• Ning Chuan rented a quiet room at Youjia Inn and inspected it before settling in.
• Ning Chuan used his spiritual perception to gather rumors about Nether Wolves in Black Wind Ravine, a Purple Star Orchid near Emerald Lake, fighting soul beasts in the east, and Spirit Hall activity.
• Ning Chuan ate his own provisions and spent the night quietly regulating his breath in the dark.