Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Perished After Beholding Square Inch”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The five Creation Realm cultivators from the Hundred Schools continue their coordinated assault on Fang Han.
• The Medical School cultivator counters Fang Han’s Azure Wood Invocation by transforming the vitality of Heaven and Earth into deadly poison. Because Fang Han’s regeneration depends on absorbing vitality, the technique turns his greatest strength into a fatal weakness.
• The poisoned vitality devastates the surrounding area, killing vegetation and living creatures within a hundred-mile radius and creating an atmosphere of death and decay.
• Fang Han realizes that the five cultivators have prepared highly specialized abilities to counter him. With the Azure Wood Invocation neutralized, his remaining Life Qi rapidly dwindles.
• He identifies the previously inactive, hunched youth as the likely true trump card of the formation. The youth appears both ancient and strangely unnatural, seeming neither fully alive nor dead.
• As Fang Han prepares to use his final moments to investigate the youth’s origins, the cultivator finally attacks with the Dream School’s power. He transforms into azure smoke and enters Fang Han’s consciousness, attempting to confuse, control, and strip away his identity.
• Instead, the Dream School cultivator suddenly encounters something terrifying within Fang Han. He screams, appears desperate to warn his companions, and then disintegrates without explanation.
• The remaining four cultivators retreat in fear, leaving an opening for Fang Han to escape. However, Fang Han’s Life Qi has already been exhausted, so he cannot survive.
• Before vanishing, Fang Han invokes the might of his unseen master, Square Inch, and declares that he will return. His final words leave the surviving cultivators deeply unsettled.
• At the Imperial Academy, Li Shun and the Ancient Web explain that the Dream School cultivator died after attempting to probe Fang Han’s origins. Because Fang Han is only a puppet linked to Square Inch, the cultivator encountered a power far beyond his comprehension and perished instantly.

Character Developments

• Fang Han: Demonstrates adaptability and resolve despite being completely outmatched. He recognizes the weaknesses in his situation, abandons futile resistance, and remains defiant even as his body is destroyed. His final declaration reinforces his confidence in Square Inch and foreshadows his return.
• The hunched Dream School cultivator: Revealed as the most dangerous member of the group, possessing an ability capable of invading Fang Han’s mind. However, his attempt to uncover Fang Han’s origins exposes him to Square Inch’s incomprehensible power and results in his immediate death.
• The remaining four Creation Realm cultivators: Shift from confidence to fear. Their retreat shows that Fang Han’s connection to Square Inch has transformed him from a defeated enemy into an unknown and terrifying threat.
• Li Shun: Gains a clearer understanding of the encounter and acknowledges both the sophistication of the Hundred Schools and the overwhelming mystery of Square Inch.
• The Ancient Web: Confirms that Square Inch is so powerful that even it cannot directly perceive or comprehend its full might.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge beyond comprehension: The Dream School cultivator dies not because of a conventional attack, but because he perceives something his mind and soul cannot endure.
• Hidden power and unseen protection: Fang Han appears to be a doomed puppet, yet his connection to Square Inch makes him far more dangerous than his enemies realize.
• Strength turned into weakness: The Medical School’s technique weaponizes Fang Han’s dependence on vitality, showing how even a supreme ability can be countered through precise preparation.
• Defiance in defeat: Although Fang Han physically perishes, his final words and confidence suggest that death is temporary and that his true power lies beyond his present body.
• The limits of perception: The chapter emphasizes that beings at lower levels cannot safely observe or understand powers operating beyond their world or conceptual limits.

Important Character Interactions

• The five Hundred Schools cultivators cooperate tactically, combining specialized Creation Realm abilities to suppress Fang Han.
• Fang Han mentally evaluates the cultivators, particularly focusing on the motionless hunched youth as the likely decisive threat.
• The Dream School cultivator directly invades Fang Han’s consciousness, but instead of controlling him, he encounters the overwhelming presence of Square Inch and dies.
• Fang Han’s final taunt is directed at the surviving cultivators, who are left fearful and uncertain about what they have witnessed.
• Li Shun consults the Ancient Web, and their discussion clarifies that Fang Han’s apparent defeat concealed the protective and terrifying influence of Square Inch.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun reflects on Ancient Web’s warning about Chaos and the Grand Arbiter, Great Qian’s sole Spirit Wandering Realm cultivator. Ancient Web confirms that spirit-wandering through Chaos can indicate extraordinary strength but warns that the Grand Arbiter is exceptionally dangerous and should be approached with extreme caution.
• Li Shun remains confident that Fang Han’s puppet will eventually reach Qingyuan County despite two failed descents. He considers possible countermeasures, including Black Annihilation Heavenly Thunder and attacks by Creation Realm cultivators, but recognizes that Fang Han’s endless revivals could exhaust Great Qian’s resources.
• The Imperial Academy suddenly summons all remaining Hundred Schools disciples—ninety-eight elite students, including two Creation Realm cultivators—to the central ancient hall.
• The Chief Chancellor announces a five-day temporary trial: the students must devise a strategy for dealing with a hypothetical Outer God follower possessing abilities identical to Fang Han’s:
  1. The ability to drain Great Qian’s life force and become nearly indestructible.
  2. The ability to borrow an Outer God’s power and revive endlessly at full strength after being destroyed.
  3. Protection by a terrifying Outer God whose connection cannot be investigated, since even a Creation Realm cultivator would perish by examining its divine soul or karmic link.
• The top three submissions will receive extraordinary rewards: a chance to observe the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks, one drop of Hundred Schools Essentials, and one Turtle Treasure.
• The students immediately begin devising strategies. Li Shun realizes with amusement that the academy’s “hypothetical” enemy is clearly Fang Han and suspects Great Qian may truly be struggling to find a solution.
• Li Shun visits Han Qi of the Confucian School to learn more about the rewards. Han Qi explains that Hundred Schools Essentials are condensed remnants of the wisdom and Dao-insights accumulated by generations of Imperial Academy teachers and students. His explanation ends before the nature of the Turtle Treasure is revealed.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: Demonstrates caution by taking Ancient Web’s warning about the Grand Arbiter seriously, despite having encountered him safely before. He also remains patient and strategically confident regarding Fang Han, while showing humor at the Imperial Academy’s indirect request for solutions to his own problem.
• Ancient Web: Reveals that the Grand Arbiter is far more extraordinary than an ordinary Spirit Wandering Realm cultivator, though it refuses to provide further information.
• The Grand Arbiter: Gains an aura of mystery and danger through Ancient Web’s warning, suggesting abilities that may transcend conventional cultivation methods.
• Han Qi: Acts as a knowledgeable mentor, explaining the value and origin of Hundred Schools Essentials and confirming the exceptional generosity of the academy’s rewards.
• Imperial Academy students: Their initial excitement at the trial quickly turns into seriousness and apprehension once the impossible nature of the hypothetical enemy is described.

Significant Themes

• The limits of conventional power: Fang Han’s immortality, repeated resurrection, and Outer God backing make ordinary methods of killing or investigation ineffective.
• The cost of victory: Li Shun recognizes that even if Great Qian can destroy Fang Han, repeatedly using devastating techniques may consume the realm’s territory and foundational strength.
• Caution before the unknown: Ancient Web’s warning emphasizes that beings connected to Chaos or Outer Gods cannot be judged by ordinary standards.
• Knowledge as power: The academy’s trial and its rewards highlight the value of collective wisdom, Dao comprehension, and strategic reasoning over brute force.
• Institutional desperation and indirect action: The academy disguises its real crisis as a temporary examination, suggesting that Great Qian may be forced to rely on its younger scholars to solve an unprecedented threat.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and Ancient Web: Li Shun questions Ancient Web about the relationship between spirit-wandering through Chaos and Outer God-level strength. Ancient Web answers cautiously and warns him about the Grand Arbiter.
• Li Shun and Fang Han: Though they do not directly interact in the chapter, Li Shun continues planning how to stop Fang Han’s repeated descents and acknowledges the difficulty of permanently defeating him.
• The Chief Chancellor and the students: The Chancellor presents the Fang Han-like threat and motivates the students with exceptionally valuable rewards, turning the academy gathering into a high-stakes strategic exercise.
• Li Shun and Han Qi: Li Shun seeks his teacher’s guidance about the academy’s rewards. Han Qi explains the origins of Hundred Schools Essentials, reinforcing their teacher-student relationship and the importance of accumulated Dao wisdom.

Chapter Summary: Civilization of the Outer God

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Qi explains that the Imperial Academy does not record every thought. Instead, the founders of the Hundred Schools left behind powerful imprints that resonate only when matters related to their philosophies arise.
• These imprints, strengthened by generations of scholars and disciples, have condensed into the Hundred Schools Essentials—a tangible collection of accumulated insights from countless practitioners.
• The Essentials can be consumed to absorb the wisdom of the academy’s historical disciples and teaching doctors. However, because the Hundred Schools’ philosophies conflict, the process carries inherent risks. The user must selectively retain useful insights and discard incompatible ideas.
• Li Shun asks about the Turtle Treasure, prompting Han Qi to reveal a palm-sized, ancient turtle shell engraved with mysterious writing.
• Li Shun recognizes that the symbols resemble those on a fragment he previously found beneath Emerald Plume Lake. That fragment had transformed within his Square Inch space into a mysterious aura and a gateway to an unknown world, suggesting a deeper connection between the Turtle Treasures and the Outer Gods.
• Han Qi explains that the Turtle Treasure is a relic of an ancient civilization from the Primordial Continent that worshipped an Outer God.
• Unlike most Outer God worshippers, who lose their will and become corrupted, the members of this civilization retained their sanity while borrowing power from their deity.
• This gave every member tremendous strength without requiring conventional cultivation. As the population grew, so did the civilization’s collective military power.
• The academy concludes that this civilization was powerful enough for ordinary humans to rival gods, shamans, and demons.
• Because the civilization drew strength from an Outer God—an enemy of the Primordial Continent—it was treated as a defier of Heaven and Earth and was eventually destroyed by the combined forces of the gods, demons, and shamans.

Character Developments

• Li Shun demonstrates caution and intellectual insight. He immediately recognizes the danger of combining contradictory philosophies and questions whether the Hundred Schools Essentials can truly be absorbed safely.
• His reaction to the Turtle Treasure reveals that he is hiding important knowledge about the shell fragment in his possession. He remains outwardly curious while suppressing his shock and concealing the connection.
• Li Shun also shows growing awareness of the strategic implications of Outer God power, quickly realizing how terrifying a civilization would become if every citizen could wield such strength without losing their mind.
• Han Qi acts as an informed guide, explaining both the benefits and dangers of the academy’s treasures. Although confident in the safety of the Hundred Schools Essentials, he speaks with solemn awe when discussing the ancient Turtle Treasure Civilization and the Outer God it worshipped.

Significant Themes

• Accumulated knowledge and inheritance: The Hundred Schools Essentials represent the combined wisdom of generations, transforming individual understanding into a collective resource.
• The danger of ideological conflict: The contradictory philosophies of the Hundred Schools suggest that knowledge is powerful but potentially destabilizing when incompatible doctrines are forcibly combined.
• Power without cultivation: The Turtle Treasure Civilization challenges the conventional idea that strength must come from personal comprehension or training. Its people gained power through collective faith and divine borrowing.
• Faith, autonomy, and corruption: The civilization’s unusual relationship with its Outer God raises the possibility that worship does not always result in madness or loss of self.
• Civilizational scale and existential threats: A population-wide source of supernatural power could create overwhelming military strength, making the civilization a threat to established powers.
• Suppression of the unknown: The destruction of the Turtle Treasure Civilization reflects the fear and hostility of gods, demons, and shamans toward an independent force connected to an Outer God.
• Hidden connections and foreshadowing: The resemblance between Han Qi’s Turtle Treasure and Li Shun’s mysterious fragment strongly hints that Li Shun’s past discovery is connected to the ancient civilization and possibly the gateway to the unknown world.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun questions Han Qi about the nature of the Imperial Academy’s imprints, and Han Qi corrects his misunderstanding while explaining the origin of the Hundred Schools Essentials.
• Their discussion becomes more analytical when Li Shun challenges the safety of absorbing conflicting philosophies. Han Qi acknowledges the danger but reassures him with the academy’s historical experience.
• When Han Qi displays the Turtle Treasure, Li Shun conceals his recognition of its connection to his own fragment and carefully asks about its function.
• Han Qi provides the academy’s interpretation of the Turtle Treasure Civilization, while Li Shun independently reconstructs the civilization’s terrifying potential and correctly infers why it was destroyed.

Chapter Summary: Li Shun’s Heaven-Pacifying Strategy

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Qi explains the origins of the Turtle Treasure. The ancient Turtle Treasure Civilization once borrowed power from an Outer God, becoming so powerful that witches, demons, and gods joined forces to destroy it.
• Although the civilization was annihilated, its methods for accessing the Outer God’s power were preserved in the Primordial Turtle Shell. The Imperial Academy reforges fragments into safe Turtle Treasures for its students.
• Han Qi describes the Turtle Treasure’s main abilities:
  • Beyond Calculation: It prevents powerful cultivators from sensing, tracking, deducing, or cursing its wielder.
  • Soul Anchoring: It stabilizes the user’s mind and protects them from losing sanity or being spiritually influenced by Ancient Gods and conflicting doctrines.
• Li Shun becomes highly interested in obtaining one, particularly because of its potential connection to a Turtle Shell fragment and the abyssal aura threatening Square Inch.
• He hastily writes a policy essay proposing a strategy to defeat the “deathless demon” threatening Great Qian.
• His plan identifies three actions that must not be taken:
  1. Do not kill the demon, since it will revive at full strength.
  2. Do not seize its soul, since this would provoke the gods.
  3. Do not fight it on spiritual veins, since the battle would strengthen it.
• He then proposes three necessary measures:
  1. Cut off its source by luring it to a lifeless region.
  2. Seal its body so it cannot repeatedly revive and torment Great Qian.
  3. Drive away its position by severing its connection to the Outer God.
• Han Qi criticizes the essay as vague and impractical, ordering Li Shun to rewrite it.
• Once alone, Li Shun reveals that the essay was deliberately inferior. The supposed demon is actually his puppet, and he could make even absurd methods work through his hidden connection to Fang Han.
• Li Shun’s real goal is to craft a flawless strategy that appears consistent with Great Qian’s cultivation system while concealing his involvement.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: His desire for the Turtle Treasure intensifies. He demonstrates caution, intelligence, and deception, deliberately hiding his true capabilities and relationship with Fang Han. He also plans to study the Academy’s reforging techniques and investigate the abyssal aura.
• Han Qi: Acts as Li Shun’s mentor and provides extensive knowledge about Turtle Treasures. Though initially patient and informative, he sharply rebukes Li Shun’s superficial policy essay, emphasizing the need for practical details.
• Fang Han: Does not appear directly, but his importance grows through the revelation that the “demon” is Li Shun’s puppet and that Li Shun’s actions must conceal their connection.

Significant Themes

• Power and taboo: Borrowing an Outer God’s power is potentially catastrophic, yet the reforged Turtle Treasures make such power usable without corruption.
• Protection from higher powers: The Turtle Treasure represents a way for weaker cultivators to resist the surveillance, deductions, curses, and spiritual pressure of stronger beings.
• Secrecy and deception: Li Shun carefully disguises both his abilities and his connection to Fang Han, demonstrating that survival depends on concealing one’s true position.
• Strategy over brute force: The proposed solution emphasizes containment, severing resources, and isolating an enemy rather than attempting direct destruction.
• Ambition and hidden motives: Li Shun appears motivated by helping Great Qian, but his deeper priority is acquiring the Turtle Treasure and using it to understand or neutralize the abyssal threat.

Character Interactions

• Han Qi explains the Turtle Treasure’s history and abilities to Li Shun, who responds with shock and growing fascination.
• Li Shun submits his policy essay expecting approval, but Han Qi dismisses it as empty rhetoric and orders a rewrite.
• The reprimand is only an act of submission on Li Shun’s part; privately, he remains confident and continues pursuing his concealed objectives.

Chapter Summary: Gift of the Fallen Evil God

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun spends several days refining his policy essay on how Great Qian might capture the mysterious “Outer-Heaven Fiend,” adding detailed strategies to the original three core measures.
• His proposals include determining whether the fiend manifests independently or possesses an existing body, using objects or people from its former life as bait, and turning its absorption of Heaven-and-Earth vitality into a weakness.
• He suggests cooperation between the Diplomat and Medical Schools to corrupt or reverse the vitality before the fiend absorbs it, potentially causing internal chaos within its body.
• Han Qi reviews the essay and agrees that Li Shun’s ideas could genuinely allow the fiend to be trapped. He takes the plan away for consideration.
• After the seven-day interval, Fang Han is restored and descends into the world again. This time, Great Qian makes no visible attempt to intercept him, apparently following a different strategy.
• Fang Han travels to Qingyuan County and attacks the Fan Clan estate, destroying its buildings and suppressing the entire clan with his overwhelming blood and qi.
• The Fan Clan recognizes Fang Han as the man whose Creation Realm they had stripped away. Fang Han confirms that he died once but returned from “the gates of hell” with unimaginable power.
• He brutally demonstrates his strength by destroying Fan Xin’s arm, then regenerating it, terrifying the clan.
• Instead of immediately taking revenge, Fang Han offers the Fan Clan power equal to his own. When they accept, he refers to the “gift” of his lord.
• Fan Xin realizes from this wording that Fang Han is serving a higher power, and the chapter ends with him horrified by the implications.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes more analytical and proactive, expanding his initial ideas into a comprehensive set of responses for nearly every possible form the Outer-Heaven Fiend might take.
• Han Qi shifts from calm evaluation to serious interest, recognizing that Li Shun’s strategy may provide a way to turn the fiend’s apparent strengths against it.
• Fang Han returns far stronger and more physically imposing after cultivating the Azure Wood Invocation. His attitude is cold, confident, and frighteningly controlled.
• Fang Han is revealed to be more than a simple vengeful survivor: he now serves or is connected to a powerful “lord,” and his actions appear to follow a larger purpose.
• Fan Xin changes from a powerful clan head who once orchestrated Fang Han’s downfall into a helpless, terrified victim who realizes he has become completely insignificant.

Significant Themes

• Turning strengths into weaknesses: Li Shun’s plan focuses on exploiting the Outer-Heaven Fiend’s dependence on vitality and its possible emotional attachments.
• Preparation versus passive defense: Great Qian’s silence suggests it may be implementing a carefully prepared strategy rather than confronting Fang Han directly.
• Rebirth and transformation: Fang Han’s return from death marks a dramatic change in both his power and his identity.
• Power and submission: The Fan Clan, once responsible for Fang Han’s destruction, is forced to kneel before him and accept power from the very force behind his transformation.
• Hidden masters and larger conspiracies: Fang Han’s reference to “my lord” indicates that his resurrection and strength are connected to a deeper supernatural or evil power.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and Han Qi: Li Shun presents his expanded strategy; Han Qi acknowledges its potential and takes responsibility for acting on it.
• Fang Han and the Fan Clan: Fang Han confronts the clan that ruined him, demonstrating absolute superiority while deliberately confusing them by offering power instead of immediate revenge.
• Fang Han and Fan Xin: Fang Han directly reminds Fan Xin of his past actions, destroys and restores his arm, and then offers him a terrifying “gift.” Fan Xin’s realization that Fang Han serves a higher lord ends the chapter on a note of dread.

Chapter Summary: “Kill Rather Than Let Go”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Han forcibly bestows a powerful blessing on Fan Xin and every member of the Fan Clan. The energy cleanses their meridians, strengthens their bodies, and restores Fan Xin to the peak of his Longevity Realm.
• Although the blessing feels beneficial, Fan Xin becomes frightened after remembering Fang Han’s reference to “my lord.” He assumes Fang Han has been corrupted by an evil Outer God.
• Fang Han disappears without explaining the blessing, leaving the Fan Clan confused. Soon afterward, members of the Heaven Oversight Bureau arrive and arrest the entire clan.
• The Fan Clan is imprisoned and subjected to brutal interrogation. Since they know nothing about any Outer God, they either insist they are innocent or invent false explanations under torture.
• A high-ranking Heaven Oversight Bureau official concludes that the Fan Clan has unquestionably been tainted by Outer God power. He orders that they not be released, regardless of the lack of evidence.
• The official argues that Fang Han could have destroyed the Fan Clan instantly if revenge were his only goal. Therefore, he believes Fang Han deliberately used the Heaven Oversight Bureau to eliminate the clan while spreading the Outer God’s influence through them.
• The chapter ends with the official, Yin Si, reporting to the mysterious Lesser Fate Master and claiming that Fang Han’s actions were a deliberate provocation against Great Qian.

Character Developments

• Fan Xin: Experiences immense physical improvement but immediately becomes suspicious and fearful. His concern shifts from personal fortune to the possible destruction of his entire clan.
• Fan Clan members: Enjoy the apparent benefits of Fang Han’s blessing but remain unaware that it has made them targets of the authorities. Their confusion and helplessness deepen as they are imprisoned and tortured.
• Fang Han: Demonstrates calculated restraint. Rather than killing the Fan Clan directly, he gives them a mysterious blessing and leaves, seemingly manipulating the Heaven Oversight Bureau into destroying them.
• Yin Si: Reveals an extreme, uncompromising attitude toward suspected Outer God corruption. He values the safety of Great Qian above proof, justice, or the Fan Clan’s innocence.
• The Heaven Oversight Bureau officials: Display deep paranoia and fear of hidden supernatural corruption. Their judgment is shaped more by worst-case assumptions than by the evidence gathered.
• The Lesser Fate Master: Appears as a higher authority seeking to understand Fang Han’s motives and the strategic meaning of his actions.

Significant Themes

• Fear overriding reason: The authorities treat the Fan Clan as guilty despite evidence that the blessing is merely pure vitality.
• “Kill rather than let go”: The chapter explores a ruthless security doctrine in which innocent people may be sacrificed to prevent even a hypothetical threat.
• Manipulation and indirect revenge: Fang Han’s actions suggest that the most effective revenge may be to make others destroy one’s enemies.
• Ignorance and misinterpretation: The Fan Clan does not understand what happened to them, while the authorities construct an elaborate explanation based on assumptions.
• Institutional paranoia: The Heaven Oversight Bureau’s fear of Outer Gods turns uncertainty into certainty and makes mercy impossible.
• The danger of hidden power: Even beneficial power is viewed with suspicion when its origin is mysterious.

Character Interactions

• Fang Han’s silent “blessing” terrifies Fan Xin while misleading the rest of the clan into believing they have received a fortune.
• Fan Clan members question Fan Xin, but he cannot explain Fang Han’s motives or the nature of the power.
• Heaven Oversight Bureau interrogators accuse the clan of Outer God worship, while the prisoners deny any involvement.
• A subordinate clerk challenges Yin Si’s interpretation, pointing out that the blessing appears harmless and that Fang Han had a personal motive for framing the clan.
• Yin Si rejects this reasoning, insisting that Fang Han’s supposed corruption makes his behavior impossible to judge normally.
• Yin Si later reports to the shadowy authorities, framing Fang Han’s actions as a calculated challenge to Great Qian.

Chapter Summary: “What, Then, Was an Outer God?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yin Si concludes that Fang Han has been corrupted by an Outer God and deliberately left behind the Fan Clan believers to demonstrate the Outer God’s overwhelming power.
• The Lesser Arbiter orders Yin Si to proceed with the court’s original plan, while privately questioning whether Fang Han’s supporters might truly be innocent.
• The Heaven Oversight Bureau gathers to make a final judgment on whether Fang Han is genuinely connected to an Outer God. His repeated resurrections, mysterious movements, and incomprehensible abilities are presented as evidence.
• Ying Wuxiu recalls the Bureau’s first encounter with an Outer God—an experience that caused shock and despair because the entity’s power surpassed human understanding.
• The Bureau struggles to define what an Outer God actually is. Ying Wuxiu argues that Fang Han’s abilities themselves satisfy the definition of something “beyond the world” and impossible to comprehend.
• The Bureau then discusses whether Li Shun is connected to Fang Han. Although they once knew each other, Li Shun has shown no suspicious behavior, helped seal two Outer God phantoms, and was personally cleared by the Grand Arbiter.
• Despite this, the Bureau agrees that Li Shun must undergo further verification because he is located in the strategically important Imperial Academy.
• The officials fear that directly exposing or confronting a possible Outer God believer could cause catastrophic damage. Ying Wuxiu proposes a plan, which the others accept, though its details are not revealed.
• Fang Han observes the Heaven Oversight Bureau capturing the Fan Clan members he had influenced. Surprised that Great Qian continues to ignore him directly, he decides to pursue Shao Lingxu, the true target of his revenge.
• At the same time, Li Shun senses an unexplained unease in the Imperial Academy, suggesting that the Bureau’s plan may soon affect him.

Character Developments

• Fang Han: Remains confident and calculating. He anticipated the Fan Clan’s capture and is unconcerned by the Bureau’s schemes, focusing instead on completing his revenge against Shao Lingxu.
• Yin Si: Shows absolute confidence in his interpretation of Fang Han as an Outer God emissary and faithfully carries out the Bureau’s orders.
• Ying Wuxiu: Takes a leading role in shaping the Bureau’s response. Because of his connection to Li Shun’s admission to the Imperial Academy, he carefully defends Li Shun while still supporting additional investigation.
• The Right Lesser Arbiter: Initially uncertain about how to define an Outer God, but accepts Ying Wuxiu’s reasoning that Fang Han’s incomprehensible abilities qualify him as one.
• Li Shun: Remains unaware of the Bureau’s exact plans but instinctively senses danger approaching.

Significant Themes

• The limits of human understanding: The Bureau can observe and fear Outer Gods, but cannot truly define or comprehend them.
• Fear of the unknown: Fang Han’s abilities force Great Qian to act based on incomplete evidence and assumptions.
• Political caution and institutional conflict: The Bureau must balance suspicion, public safety, and the risk of damaging the Imperial Academy or provoking a catastrophic retaliation.
• Appearance versus truth: The court assumes Fang Han is an Outer God believer, while Li Shun’s innocence remains uncertain despite official verification.
• Revenge and inevitability: Fang Han continues methodically pursuing Shao Lingxu, suggesting that his personal vengeance will proceed regardless of the larger political schemes.

Character Interactions

• Yin Si reports his judgment to the Lesser Arbiter and receives approval to continue the planned operation.
• Ying Wuxiu challenges the Right Lesser Arbiter to reconsider the nature of Outer Gods, guiding the Bureau toward a broader interpretation centered on incomprehensibility.
• The Lesser Arbiters and other officials debate Li Shun’s possible corruption, ultimately agreeing that suspicion alone is insufficient but that further investigation is necessary.
• Fang Han remains indirectly opposed to the Bureau: while they scheme against him and his associates, he ignores their maneuvering and advances toward Shao Lingxu.
• Li Shun is positioned as the likely target of the Bureau’s hidden plan, creating tension between his apparent innocence and the officials’ growing suspicion.

Chapter Summary: “Waiting for You to Walk into the Trap”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun realizes that Great Qian is likely preparing to test him, probably to determine whether he is secretly connected to the Outer Gods.
• He consults Ancient Web about whether Great Qian can detect his possession of [Square Inch]. Ancient Web explains that the ability is normally impossible for mortals to perceive, but Li Shun could expose it accidentally if placed under constant surveillance in an enclosed environment.
• Li Shun concludes that Great Qian’s test will likely be designed to force him into using Square Inch. He resolves to rely only on his Confucian cultivation and divine abilities, even if that means sacrificing his current puppet body.
• Before the test begins, the Imperial Academy announces the top three policy essays from its recent examination. Li Shun is unexpectedly ranked alongside Legalist Gu Xinghe and Mohist Cao Gui, despite having only recently joined the academy.
• The Grand Sacrificer rewards the three finalists with a jade bottle containing a drop of Hundred Schools Essentials and an ancient Turtle Shell. They are also granted the opportunity to observe the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks in three days.
• Li Shun suspects that the predetermined rewards and the upcoming observation may be part of Great Qian’s test, especially since Fang Han’s policy essays have not yet been practically verified.
• Wang Zheng jokingly suggests that Li Shun may now have a chance to research Yin-Yang Creation with Shang Qingqiu. Li Shun refuses to compete for her, while privately recognizing that the academy’s arrangements conceal a conspiracy.
• Meanwhile, Fang Han reaches Ying Province and tracks Shao Lingxu to a hut on Three Radiances Mountain.
• Shao Lingxu admits that he deliberately left clues leading Fang Han to him. His attitude suggests that Fang Han has walked into a carefully prepared trap rather than simply found his enemy.
• Shao Lingxu reveals that he had been waiting for Fang Han and is surprised that Fang Han arrived sooner than expected. Fang Han begins questioning whether Shao Lingxu had anticipated his survival after stealing his innate Creation Realm.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes more cautious and strategically composed. He recognizes the danger of relying on Square Inch and prepares to conceal it completely, even if his current body is destroyed.
• Ancient Web functions as Li Shun’s calm analyst, accurately predicting Great Qian’s likely investigative methods and helping Li Shun prepare for the test.
• Li Shun’s confidence increases after being named one of the academy’s top three policy essayists, but he remains suspicious rather than complacent.
• Fang Han demonstrates greater strength and resilience than Shao Lingxu expected, having survived the loss of his Creation Realm and become powerful enough to pursue his former enemy.
• Shao Lingxu is revealed to be deliberate and manipulative. His calm admission and predatory demeanor suggest that he has been orchestrating events to lure Fang Han into a trap.

Significant Themes

• Concealment and surveillance: Li Shun must hide Square Inch from an institution capable of testing him under controlled conditions.
• Strategic patience and manipulation: Both Great Qian and Shao Lingxu rely on traps, observation, and indirect pressure rather than open confrontation.
• Identity and adaptation: Li Shun is willing to abandon his current body and infiltrate the academy again through another puppet or school if necessary.
• Predestination versus agency: The academy’s rewards appear to have been arranged in advance, while Fang Han questions whether his survival and pursuit were anticipated from the beginning.
• Revenge and entanglement: Fang Han’s search for vengeance has led him directly into the scenario his enemy intended, reinforcing the danger of revenge-driven actions.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and Ancient Web discuss the limits and risks of concealing Square Inch.
• Li Shun exchanges polite messages with academy members after his ranking is announced, including a teasing conversation with Wang Zheng about Shang Qingqiu.
• The Grand Sacrificer formally rewards Li Shun, Gu Xinghe, and Cao Gui and announces their upcoming observation of the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks.
• Fang Han confronts Shao Lingxu over the theft of his Creation Realm. Shao Lingxu openly acknowledges responsibility and reveals that he intentionally lured Fang Han to the mountain, transforming the meeting from a revenge confrontation into the opening of a larger trap.

Chapter Summary: “The Debate of the Strong Preying on the Weak”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shao Lingxu reveals that Fang Han was not the only person whose Creation—their innate destiny, talent, or potential—was stripped away. He had subjected more than ten thousand people to this process, most of whom died.
• Fang Han realizes that the Creation taken from him may have been transferred to his cousin, Fan Cheng, who supposedly became Shao Lingxu’s disciple.
• Shao Lingxu explains that he did not steal these talents for personal cultivation. Instead, he claims to have redistributed them as part of the natural cycle of Heaven and Earth, accelerating the circulation of talent among living beings.
• He argues that the Great Qian Court tolerates his actions because talent is merely transferred rather than accumulated by him, and because his experiments may serve a larger purpose.
• Fang Han suspects that Shao Lingxu’s actions were intended to help him break through into the Cosmos Realm. Shao Lingxu admits this was a possible benefit, but says it was not his true motivation; the current era is unsuitable for anyone to become a Cosmos Realm expert.
• The two sit down and debate whether “the strong prey on the weak” is a legitimate principle of existence.
• Fang Han concedes that this principle may apply to beasts, but rejects it as a proper principle for human society.
• Shao Lingxu points out Fang Han’s own hypocrisy: Fang Han recently drained the life force from a vast area, killing countless beings in pursuit of revenge. Fang Han admits the act was wrong but justifies it as necessary for “great righteousness.”
• Shao Lingxu argues that everyone can create reasons to excuse their actions, and that if all people acted this way, society would descend into chaos.
• He reveals that his experiments were meant to produce a survivor capable of becoming a “variable”—someone who could break the stagnant fate of the current world.
• The chapter ends with Shao Lingxu asking whether Fang Han was truly corrupted by an Outer God. Fang Han cannot answer, leaving his origins and transformation unresolved.

Character Developments

• Fang Han: His anger at Shao Lingxu’s cruelty is complicated by self-awareness. He recognizes that he has also harmed innocents for the sake of revenge, weakening his ability to condemn Shao Lingxu outright. His belief in “sole righteousness” remains firm, but he is forced to confront its moral contradictions.
• Shao Lingxu: He is revealed as a mass experimenter who has sacrificed thousands of people, yet he does not view himself as greedy or malicious. He presents his actions as a form of regulation intended to preserve stability and produce a world-changing survivor. His confidence begins to give way to melancholy and uncertainty, especially regarding the failure of the current age to produce a Cosmos Realm expert.
• Their relationship: Their confrontation shifts from a simple conflict between victim and perpetrator into an intellectual and moral debate. Shao Lingxu treats Fang Han as an unusual phenomenon rather than merely an enemy, while Fang Han becomes increasingly cautious and curious about Shao Lingxu’s hidden motives.

Significant Themes

• Power and moral justification: Both men recognize that strength allows individuals to impose their will on the powerless, but neither fully escapes the logic they criticize.
• The strong preying on the weak: The chapter questions whether this is an unavoidable natural law or merely an excuse used by powerful beings.
• Free will versus destiny: Shao Lingxu’s redistribution of Creation challenges the idea that talent and fate are fixed at birth.
• Order versus chaos: Shao Lingxu claims that the Five Virtues and the stability of the world depend on controlled circulation and regulation, while unchecked individual morality would produce chaos.
• Sacrifice for a greater cause: Both characters defend morally questionable actions by appealing to higher purposes—Shao Lingxu to the creation of a “variable,” and Fang Han to revenge and righteousness.
• Hypocrisy and self-knowledge: Fang Han cannot condemn Shao Lingxu without acknowledging that he, too, has killed innocents for his own goals.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Han interrogates Shao Lingxu about the thousands whose Creation was taken, including the possible transfer of Fang Han’s own potential to Fan Cheng.
• Shao Lingxu calmly defends his actions and challenges Fang Han to identify what gives anyone the “right” to interfere with another person’s fate.
• Their debate becomes philosophical rather than physical as they discuss whether strength alone grants legitimacy.
• Shao Lingxu presses Fang Han about the consequences of his revenge and exposes the similarity between their reasoning.
• The final question about Fang Han’s possible corruption by an Outer God introduces a major mystery and suggests that Fang Han may be the unexpected “variable” Shao Lingxu has been seeking.

Chapter Summary: “Yin-Yang Circulation Technique”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shao Lingxu offers himself to Fang Han, claiming that his death may help produce a “variable” capable of breaking the Primordial Continent’s deadlock against the Outer Gods.
• He explains that Creation constantly evolves through hardship and transformation, and that his own life is insignificant if sacrificing it could foster a path beyond the current limits.
• Fang Han questions whether Shao Lingxu is manipulating events and whether helping an unknown variable could ultimately aid the enemy.
• Although Fang Han appears ready to kill Shao Lingxu, he suddenly refrains. Instead, he pierces Shao Lingxu’s forehead, takes a drop of essence blood, and declares their grudge settled.
• Fang Han mocks Shao Lingxu’s excessive scheming, saying that he has “schemed away” his own life, then escapes through the roof of the hut.
• Shao Lingxu repairs the hut and reflects on the lost opportunity, wondering whether another Creation-born individual will ever appear before he dies.
• He examines a collection of dimming star clusters, suggesting that the vitality of countless worlds or lives is being drained and that he is waiting for another possible “star” to emerge.
• Back in the Imperial Academy’s Square Inch Space, Li Shun realizes that his unease had warned him against allowing Fang Han to kill Shao Lingxu.
• Ancient Web reveals that killing Shao Lingxu would likely have caused Fang Han to gradually transform into Shao Lingxu himself, through an irreversible Yin-Yang Secret Art.
• This transformation might even have bypassed the Square Inch Space’s ability to erase or reset events, though Ancient Web admits the result is uncertain.
• Li Shun recognizes that Fang Han had unknowingly been acting within Shao Lingxu’s carefully prepared scheme.

Character Developments

• Fang Han: Demonstrates restraint, insight, and independence by refusing to kill Shao Lingxu despite having both the opportunity and justification. He acknowledges that Shao Lingxu’s actions indirectly contributed to his current strength, taking only a drop of essence blood as repayment rather than pursuing revenge.
• Shao Lingxu: Reveals a fanatical willingness to sacrifice himself for the evolution of Creation. His confidence suggests that he has anticipated the encounter and may have intended his death to trigger a deeper transformation or transfer.
• Li Shun: Becomes more cautious and appreciative of instinctive warnings. He is shaken by the realization that his puppet could have been altered by a hidden technique beyond his control.
• Ancient Web: Provides the crucial explanation of Shao Lingxu’s technique, clarifying that the apparent act of revenge concealed a mechanism of identity transformation.

Significant Themes

• The danger of excessive scheming: Shao Lingxu’s elaborate plan nearly succeeds, but his manipulation is ultimately thwarted because Fang Han refuses to follow the expected path.
• Identity and transformation: Killing Shao Lingxu would not simply defeat him; it might cause Fang Han to become him, blurring the boundary between victor and victim.
• Fate versus free will: Shao Lingxu attempts to guide the evolution of Creation by arranging sacrifices and variables, but Fang Han’s unexpected choice disrupts the intended outcome.
• Sacrifice for a greater purpose: Shao Lingxu treats his own life as expendable in pursuit of a breakthrough against the Outer Gods.
• Instinct and hidden danger: Li Shun’s unexplained unease proves more reliable than rational analysis, highlighting the importance of intuition when confronting incomprehensible techniques.
• Creation through hardship: The chapter presents suffering, destruction, and transformation as possible stages toward evolution and transcendence.

Character Interactions

• Fang Han and Shao Lingxu: Their confrontation is framed as a revenge encounter but becomes a philosophical clash. Shao Lingxu urges Fang Han to kill him, while Fang Han rejects both revenge and manipulation, taking only a symbolic amount of blood before departing.
• Li Shun and Ancient Web: Li Shun seeks an explanation for his unease, and Ancient Web confirms that the danger was real. Their exchange exposes the hidden Yin-Yang technique and deepens the mystery surrounding Shao Lingxu’s plans.
• Fang Han and Li Shun: Although they do not directly interact in the scene, Fang Han’s independence as a puppet unexpectedly protects Li Shun from the consequences of the technique. His lack of personal hatred allows him to make the decision that Fang Han’s true self might not have managed.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun becomes increasingly wary of Shao Lingxu’s potential to replace Fang Han and become a puppet within the Square Inch. Although Shao is only in the Creation Realm, his unusual abilities remind Li Shun that the two saint stone statues within the Square Inch may still pose a serious threat.
• The statues appear to obey Li Shun, but they can periodically attack his mind and attempt to seize control of the Square Inch. Li Shun realizes he has grown accustomed to—and perhaps dependent on—their presence, making the danger easier to overlook.
• Li Shun resolves to completely digest the two saint statues’ origins so that he alone controls the central core region. However, this will be extremely difficult because the statues embody the profound creations of a Confucian saint and a historian saint.
• Heaven-and-Earth Mystic Yellow Qi could accelerate the process, but using it would create additional karma. Since the danger is not yet urgent, Li Shun decides to rely on gradual comprehension instead.
• He activates the Hundred Schools Essentials, causing the jade bottle to shatter into hundreds of fragments that transform into living manifestations of sages from the Hundred Schools. The sages personally teach him and answer his questions.
• Li Shun discovers that he can only comprehend three sages simultaneously. Since doctrines from different schools conflict, he chooses one Confucian sage and two sages from the History School, hoping to deepen his understanding of the saint statues’ origins.
• The History School teachings severely strain his consciousness, but his previous experience using the History saint statue’s Heavenly Man Book gives him enough foundation to endure them.
• After initially struggling, Li Shun enters a profound state of enlightenment, effectively learning from all three sages at once. However, the Hundred Schools Essentials is rapidly consumed and lasts only about three hours.
• As the treasure runs out and the sages begin to disappear, Li Shun preserves the final trace of the Essentials inside the Square Inch. Its disappearance stops temporarily, suggesting that the Square Inch may be able to preserve or extend the treasure.

Character Development

• Li Shun: Becomes more cautious and strategically minded. He recognizes that his apparent control over the saint puppets is incomplete and that complacency has made him vulnerable. He balances the risks of using Mystic Yellow Qi against the need to strengthen himself through comprehension.
• His determination and adaptability are emphasized as he endures the conflicting doctrines of multiple schools despite the danger of mental collapse. His quick decision to store the remaining Hundred Schools Essentials in the Square Inch also demonstrates ingenuity.

Significant Themes

• Hidden dangers beneath apparent control: The saint statues seem to be puppets, but they retain the ability to threaten Li Shun’s mind.
• Knowledge versus risk: Greater understanding can resolve Li Shun’s problems, but acquiring it requires enduring immense mental pressure.
• Limits of human comprehension: Even with access to countless sages, Li Shun can only safely study a limited number of doctrines at once.
• Pragmatism and sacrifice: Li Shun must weigh the benefits of using Mystic Yellow Qi against the karma it would create.
• Preservation and resourcefulness: The Square Inch may offer a way to preserve rare resources that would otherwise be lost.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun interacts with the manifested sages of the Hundred Schools, respectfully greeting them and receiving direct instruction.
• The sages respond to his questions and teach without reservation, creating an intimate teacher-student relationship.
• His study of one Confucian and two History School sages brings their differing doctrines into tension within his mind.
• Though Shao Lingxu does not appear directly, his power and possible transformation into a puppet trigger Li Shun’s renewed suspicion of the saint statues.

Chapter Summary: “Charging the Hundred Schools Essentials”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hundred Schools Essentials, a treasure formed from the accumulated thoughts and scholarship of Imperial Academy teachers and students, is nearly exhausted after Li Shun uses it to summon the wisdom of ancient sages.
• Realizing the treasure might be replenished, Li Shun places its remaining essence between the Threefold Self-Reflection Stone Statue and the Heavenly Man Book Stone Statue inside the Square Inch.
• He launches an assault on both statues’ territories, using his growing mastery of the Confucian and History Schools to expand his own domain.
• Li Shun’s encroachment progresses from roughly 5% to 7% against the Threefold Self-Reflection Statue and remains near 1% against the Heavenly Man Book Statue before the intensified attack.
• The Saints’ pressure manifests through overwhelming gazes and visions of their past deeds. Although Li Shun’s offensive is halted, he withstands the pressure instead of being driven back.
• His progress ultimately rises to 9% against the Threefold Self-Reflection Stone Statue and 8% against the Heavenly Man Book Stone Statue.
• The clash unexpectedly revitalizes the Hundred Schools Essentials. The collision of Li Shun’s will with the two Saint statues produces ripples of power that replenish the treasure.
• Li Shun concludes that the treasure can be reused in about a year, though future manifestations will likely involve only Confucian and History School sages.

Character Development

• Li Shun demonstrates major growth in strength, endurance, and confidence. He is no longer overwhelmed by the presence of Saints or their ancient authority.
• His previous battles with Outer Gods and the backlash from using the History School’s Heavenly Man’s Writing have strengthened his resistance to Saint-level pressure.
• He recognizes that his scholarly knowledge is not merely academic. His deep understanding of Confucian texts forms a spiritual defense he calls the “House of the Heart.”
• Li Shun becomes more strategic, treating his struggle against the statues not simply as a contest of force but as a method of gaining insight and cultivating himself.
• He also develops a more nuanced understanding of the Saints, realizing that the History School Saint appears more tolerant toward later inheritors than the Confucian Saint.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Li Shun’s learning becomes tangible strength, allowing his understanding of doctrine to protect him and expand his territory.
• Cultivation through opposition: Rather than merely resisting the Saints, Li Shun grows by clashing with their wills and absorbing the insights produced by the confrontation.
• The “House of the Heart”: Spiritual and intellectual foundations can allow an individual to stand firm against overwhelming external power.
• Continuity of teachings: The Hundred Schools Essentials represents the collective thoughts of generations, while the Saint statues embody the teachings and authority of the highest masters.
• Different treatment of successors: The History School Saint’s relative leniency may reflect the scarcity of History School inheritors, contrasting with the widespread influence of the Confucian tradition.
• Balance between human and saintly power: Li Shun cannot yet defeat the Saints, but his unending resistance prevents them from reclaiming their territory and creates a temporary stalemate.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun directly confronts the lingering wills and territories of the two Saint Stone Statues.
• The Confucian Saint’s pressure is portrayed as especially forceful, resisting Li Shun’s advance like an immovable wall.
• The History School Saint also resists him but appears comparatively tolerant, allowing faster progress.
• The interaction between Li Shun, the Saints’ wills, and the Hundred Schools Essentials creates a cycle: Li Shun attacks, gains insight, and causes the treasure to regenerate through the resulting clash.
• Though there is no conventional dialogue, the confrontation functions like an indirect exchange between Li Shun and the ancient Saints, resembling instruction through resistance and conflict.

Summary of “Beyond Calculation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun continues using the Hundred Schools Essentials to contest control of Square Inch against the two saint stone statues. Rather than relying on Heaven-and-Earth Mystic Yellow Qi, he draws strength from the statues themselves and plans to keep pressuring them until they are forced to retaliate.
• He examines the second treasure granted by the Imperial Academy: the Turtle Treasure, which resembles the fragment previously shown by Han Qi but bears different patterns and inscriptions.
• After studying it, Li Shun discovers that the true treasure is not merely the ancient turtle shell. It is a mysterious membrane surrounding the shell, which both alters the shell and allows its power to be controlled.
• Using his student status and a drop of essence blood, Li Shun successfully refines the membrane. He immediately gains the sensation of controlling the Turtle Treasure as naturally as a limb.
• Li Shun asks the Ancient Web about the membrane’s origin. The Ancient Web identifies it as likely being connected to the Myriad Treasures Furnace, an ancient supreme treasure of the Heavenly Court that was born alongside Heaven and Earth and forged countless spiritual treasures.
• The Ancient Web warns that Great Qian is far more mysterious and dangerous than it appears. The Myriad Treasures Furnace should not normally exist within Great Qian’s fragment, raising questions about whether it was brought back by Grand Arbiter or whether Great Qian possesses only an imitation.
• Remembering the approaching Imperial Academy trial—and the risks he took by exposing Fang Han—Li Shun resolves to remain cautious without becoming timid.
• He activates the Turtle Treasure’s first major ability, “Beyond Calculation.” His consciousness is drawn into a realm of absolute darkness, where he perceives an indescribably powerful Outer God connected to the turtle shell.
• Although directly confronting such an existence should cause madness, the protection of the turtle shell and the Myriad Treasures Furnace preserves Li Shun’s sanity. He realizes that the long-standing burden weighing on him has suddenly disappeared, suggesting that he has gained a new form of protection or freedom from the Outer God’s influence.

Character Developments

• Li Shun demonstrates increasing confidence and strategic maturity. He accepts that he lacks the talent to achieve sudden breakthroughs in battle, but compensates through preparation, borrowed power, and careful investigation.
• His understanding of the Turtle Treasure deepens from seeing it as a simple relic to recognizing it as a powerful tool connected to a much greater ancient treasure.
• He becomes more alert to the hidden complexity of Great Qian and the possibility that the Imperial Academy’s resources conceal dangerous secrets.
• Despite his growing power, Li Shun recognizes the danger of overconfidence. He commits to balancing caution with decisiveness before the upcoming trial.
• The Ancient Web remains knowledgeable but unusually uncertain regarding the Myriad Treasures Furnace, implying that even It has limits or is deliberately withholding dangerous information.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond innate talent: Li Shun contrasts natural, battle-born enlightenment with his own methodical reliance on accumulated treasures and external resources.
• Hidden origins and buried history: The Turtle Treasure and Myriad Treasures Furnace connect present-day Great Qian to the ancient Primordial Continent and Heavenly Court.
• Knowledge as both aid and danger: Discovering the treasure’s origin increases Li Shun’s understanding but also reveals that Great Qian may be far more threatening and mysterious than expected.
• Protection against cosmic forces: The Turtle Treasure allows Li Shun to approach an Outer God without losing his mind, highlighting the importance of safeguards when dealing with incomprehensible beings.
• Caution versus hesitation: Li Shun must remain vigilant without allowing fear to prevent him from acting, especially as the Imperial Academy trial approaches.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and the saint stone statues: Their conflict is indirect and strategic. Li Shun repeatedly draws strength from them through the Hundred Schools Essentials, expecting them eventually to counterattack.
• Li Shun and the Imperial Academy: His student imprint enables him to refine the Turtle Treasure, showing how the academy’s resources and authority directly empower him.
• Li Shun and the Ancient Web: Li Shun relies on the Ancient Web to interpret the Turtle Treasure and uncover its possible connection to the Myriad Treasures Furnace. The Ancient Web provides crucial insight but also issues a serious warning about Great Qian.
• Li Shun and the Outer God: Through the Turtle Treasure, Li Shun establishes an indirect connection with the Outer God. Instead of being overwhelmed, he remains protected and lucid, marking the beginning of his understanding of the ability called “Beyond Calculation.”

Chapter Summary: “Primordial Reconstruction Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Under Turtle Treasure’s “Beyond Calculation” protection, Li Shun experiences an unprecedented sense of peace because the outside world’s surveillance, hostility, and schemes are completely cut off.
• When he temporarily withdraws the protection, he immediately feels countless invisible, malicious pressures watching him. He quickly restores the protection, realizing how indispensable Turtle Treasure has become.
• Li Shun begins questioning whether Turtle Treasure truly belongs to him, since its most powerful defensive properties appear connected to the Myriad Treasures Furnace and Great Qian’s technology.
• He worries that if he ever becomes Great Qian’s enemy, the treasure’s original power could be restricted or weakened, even if he keeps it within his Square Inch.
• Li Shun asks Ancient Web how Turtle Treasure’s isolating membrane works. Ancient Web identifies it as a weakened form of a Heaven and Earth Membrane, the barrier surrounding worlds that protects them from Outer Gods.
• This revelation leads Li Shun to reconsider Great Qian’s Sky-Repair Plan. He realizes that merely restoring Great Qian’s damaged Heavenly Dao would not be enough; repairing its shattered Heaven and Earth Membrane may also be necessary to recreate something resembling the ancient Primordial Continent.
• Li Shun concludes that Great Qian’s true restoration project is far more ambitious and mysterious than publicly understood.
• He becomes increasingly wary of Great Qian’s hidden foundations, including its possible saints, ancient treasures, and the mysterious Grand Arbiter.
• The chapter ends with Li Shun reflecting on Emperor Gan’s unfathomable strength after more than five hundred years in power, recognizing that even Emperor Gan’s longtime friend Elder Wei may only understand his former state from centuries ago.

Character Development

• Li Shun becomes more cautious and politically aware. He recognizes the enormous attention surrounding him due to his connections to Fang Han, Emperor Gan, and the Confucian School.
• He develops a strong desire for independence, seeking to reproduce Turtle Treasure’s protective function so that his safety will not depend on Great Qian.
• His understanding of Great Qian deepens: he shifts from seeing it as a powerful dynasty to recognizing it as a civilization concealing extraordinary and possibly ancient forces.
• Ancient Web acts as Li Shun’s principal source of technical and historical knowledge, explaining the nature and limitations of the Heaven and Earth Membrane.
• Emperor Gan does not appear directly, but his presence becomes more imposing. Li Shun increasingly suspects that his true cultivation and capabilities are far beyond what others currently perceive.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus dependence: Li Shun’s desire to create his own version of Turtle Treasure reflects his fear of being controlled by Great Qian.
• Hidden power and political surveillance: The chapter emphasizes how heavily Li Shun is watched and how much danger accompanies his growing status.
• The limits of knowledge: Even powerful figures may only understand fragments of Great Qian’s history and true strength.
• World preservation and reconstruction: The Heaven and Earth Membrane symbolizes the fragile boundary protecting worlds from Outer Gods, while the Sky-Repair Plan suggests an attempt to restore an entire broken civilization.
• Growing paranoia and caution: Li Shun realizes that Great Qian’s apparent simplicity masks ancient, world-shaping capabilities.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun consults Ancient Web about Turtle Treasure’s defensive membrane.
• Ancient Web explains that the membrane is a limited, experimental imitation of a true Heaven and Earth Membrane, lacking the broader functions required to sustain an entire world.
• Their exchange allows Li Shun to connect Turtle Treasure with Great Qian’s larger plans and to infer the possible scale of the dynasty’s hidden ambitions.

Chapter Summary: “Beholding the Outer Heavenly Dao Mark”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun questions whether Emperor Gan is truly gravely injured, as commonly believed. Given Emperor Gan’s past achievements—uniting the nations, defeating the Four Sages, and suppressing an Outer God—Li Shun suspects that his current power may be far greater than the world realizes.
• Fang Han’s puppet’s act of “Rectifying the Heart’s Intent” causes a chain reaction that gives Li Shun a deeper understanding of Great Qian and encourages him to adopt a more cautious, low-profile survival strategy.
• Li Shun asks the Ancient Web whether he can recreate the weakened Heaven and Earth Membrane needed to forge his own Turtle Treasure. The Ancient Web says he lacks both the cultivation and supreme treasures necessary to create one from nothing.
• The Ancient Web proposes an alternative: finding a remnant of the original Heaven and Earth Membrane left behind after the Primordial Continent shattered. However, it cannot locate such fragments, since the membrane itself blocks the perception of the Outer Gods. Li Shun must rely on luck.
• Li Shun decides to temporarily abandon the idea of making his own Turtle Treasure and instead studies the Mystic Creation awarded by the Imperial Academy. He suspects the academy can reclaim it, but intends to learn as much about it as possible before that happens.
• After seven days, Li Shun receives his final reward: the opportunity to observe the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks.
• Li Shun, Gu Xinghe, and Cao Gui are escorted by the Grand Sacrificer into a forbidden area deep within the Imperial Academy. They travel through a mysterious passage filled with terrifying, indistinct shadows.
• They arrive in a vast starry space containing the academy’s collection of treasures gathered from countless realms. The Grand Sacrificer identifies the most important treasures as the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks.
• He reveals a strange, seven-colored vortex. Its overwhelming pressure immediately suppresses Li Shun’s body, bones, and soul, leaving him in severe pain with the vortex dominating both his vision and consciousness.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes increasingly cautious and politically perceptive. His growing admiration and fear of Emperor Gan lead him to favor concealment and restraint rather than openly displaying his abilities.
• He also demonstrates persistence and strategic thinking. Although disappointed that he cannot create a Heaven and Earth Membrane, he quickly considers alternative methods and continues investigating the Mystic Creation.
• The Ancient Web remains pragmatic and blunt, rejecting impossible approaches while offering the most realistic available solution.
• The Grand Sacrificer is portrayed as a powerful and authoritative guide. His pride in the Imperial Academy’s collection contrasts with his solemn warning about the profound difference between Great Qian’s Heavenly Dao and the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks.
• Gu Xinghe and Cao Gui remain composed despite the terrifying journey and pressure, reinforcing their status as elite prodigies.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Li Shun questions whether appearances surrounding Emperor Gan—and possibly the wider political order—can be trusted.
• Survival through restraint: Understanding the power of Great Qian encourages Li Shun to remain inconspicuous and avoid unnecessary conflict.
• Limitations and adaptation: Li Shun cannot accomplish his original goal through strength alone, forcing him to seek rare remnants and indirect solutions.
• The vastness of existence: The academy’s starry treasury and the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks reveal realms of power far beyond ordinary cultivation.
• The danger of higher laws: The Outer Heavenly Dao Marks are not merely treasures; their presence exerts overwhelming pressure on body and soul, demonstrating the terrifying gap between ordinary cultivators and transcendent forces.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun consults the Ancient Web about forging a Turtle Treasure, receiving both a harsh rejection and a possible alternative.
• He reflects on Fang Han’s influence and the way it has altered his approach to survival.
• The Grand Sacrificer addresses and guides Li Shun, Gu Xinghe, and Cao Gui, warning them that the Outer Heavenly Dao Marks differ fundamentally from the Great Qian Heavenly Dao.
• The three prodigies face the revelation together, but the chapter ends with Li Shun overwhelmed by the pressure of the newly revealed vortex.

Chapter Summary: “All Perception and Enlightenment Were Square Inch”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun, along with Gu and Cao, encounters the terrifying Dao-Mark Vortex within the Imperial Academy.
• The vortex’s overwhelming pressure nearly assimilates their bodies and souls into the great Dao, leaving them unable to think or feel danger.
• The Grand Sacrificer intervenes, shielding the three from the vortex and explaining that even a single Outer Heavenly Dao Mark is essentially equivalent to witnessing the entire great Dao for ordinary cultivators.
• He tells them they cannot comprehend every Dao Mark and must each select one fragment to study.
• The Grand Sacrificer creates a protective barrier with his own power, allowing them to observe the vortex safely while controlling the intensity of the Dao’s pressure.
• Li Shun chooses a seemingly random point within the vortex and begins comprehending it. At first, he gains no understanding and doubts his aptitude.
• After abandoning his attachment to achieving enlightenment, Li Shun suddenly recognizes the Dao’s aura as familiar to him—identifying it as the Square-Inch Dao.
• He realizes that he did not coincidentally select the Square-Inch Dao. Rather, because Square Inch is already the foundation of his heart and cultivation, everything he perceives and comprehends is naturally filtered through it.
• The chapter ends with Li Shun reaching a profound realization and closing his eyes as if his cultivation has reached completion.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: Initially overwhelmed and nearly assimilated by the great Dao, he regains clarity through the Grand Sacrificer’s protection. His early frustration over failing to comprehend the Dao gives way to acceptance and inner calm. He ultimately realizes that Square Inch is not merely a technique or external Dao but an intrinsic part of his being.
• The Grand Sacrificer: Demonstrates immense power and careful control, shielding the three cultivators from the Dao while allowing them to experience enough pressure for genuine comprehension. He acts as both protector and guide.
• Gu and Cao: Like Li Shun, they are shown to be vulnerable before the true power of the Dao and depend on the Grand Sacrificer’s intervention to survive.

Significant Themes

• The overwhelming nature of the great Dao: Ordinary beings cannot directly confront or even fully perceive the Dao without risking total assimilation.
• Protection versus understanding: The Grand Sacrificer’s shield keeps the characters alive but also weakens their perception, showing that safety can limit direct insight.
• Acceptance over forced comprehension: Li Shun begins to understand only after relinquishing his anxiety and expectations. Enlightenment comes naturally when he stops trying to seize it.
• Innate identity and self-knowledge: Li Shun’s deepest realization is that Square Inch is his heart and has already become one with him. His perception of the world is inseparable from his own Dao.
• The limits of external pursuit: While others seek traces of the great Dao externally, Li Shun discovers that the Dao he seeks is already present within him.

Character Interactions

• The three cultivators rely entirely on the Grand Sacrificer when the Dao-Mark Vortex nearly overwhelms them.
• The Grand Sacrificer explains the nature of Dao Marks and gives them freedom to choose their own paths of comprehension.
• His controlled shielding allows Li Shun to interact with the Dao safely, while his reassurance—telling Li Shun to continue until he reaches his limit—removes the pressure of time.
• Li Shun’s final breakthrough occurs through his individual realization rather than direct instruction, though the Grand Sacrificer’s protection makes it possible.

Chapter Summary: “Ascension to Orthodoxy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun awakens after spending an unprecedented thirty-three days comprehending the Dao within the Imperial Academy’s treasury.
• Gu Xinghe and Cao Gui reveal that they comprehended the Dao for only eleven and ten days respectively, making Li Shun’s achievement extraordinary.
• Li Shun claims to have comprehended the Spatial Dao and demonstrates Shrinking Space to an Inch by teleporting a hundred zhang away.
• The Grand Sacrificer praises him, stating that the Spatial Dao is one of the highest-grade Great Daos and that Li Shun’s achievement benefits both the Imperial Academy and Great Qian.
• As they leave the treasury, Li Shun’s enhanced perception allows him to glimpse the true nature of the treasury’s countless treasures, plants, imprisoned creatures, and the constructed passage itself.
• Afterward, the Grand Sacrificer dismisses Gu Xinghe and Cao Gui but privately informs Li Shun that he must undergo a test in three days.
• The test concerns Fang Han, the nephew of Li Shun’s deceased master, and possible connections to an Outer God. Failure may result in Li Shun’s execution.
• The Grand Sacrificer assures Li Shun that the test will be conducted openly rather than through secret plots, but makes clear that he will personally kill Li Shun if he is found guilty.
• Li Shun returns to his courtyard and pretends to cultivate while secretly retreating into Square Inch.
• He reflects that his true comprehension was not merely the Spatial Dao but the deeper Square Inch Dao. This insight has elevated his authority within Square Inch and may eventually allow him to control it without forcibly defeating or seizing the domains of the stone statues.
• Li Shun concludes that such comprehension cannot easily be repeated, since the breakthrough resulted from the accumulated efforts of half his life.
• He then turns his attention to the Square Inch Puppets, realizing that his new understanding has granted him additional methods of controlling them.

Character Development

• Li Shun experiences a major advancement in perception and Dao comprehension. His understanding of space is only the outward explanation; internally, he has made significant progress toward mastering Square Inch itself.
• He remains cautious and deceptive, concealing the true nature of his comprehension from the Grand Sacrificer and pretending ignorance regarding Fang Han.
• Despite his immense achievement, Li Shun becomes tense and uncertain when confronted with the possibility of execution, showing that he understands the seriousness of the Outer God accusation.
• The Grand Sacrificer shifts dramatically from praising Li Shun as an unprecedented genius to treating him as a potential existential threat. His willingness to personally execute Li Shun emphasizes his loyalty to Great Qian and the severity of the test.
• Gu Xinghe and Cao Gui are impressed and envious of Li Shun’s achievement, but they remain unaware of the hidden danger surrounding him.
• Fang Han does not appear directly but becomes central to the chapter’s conflict as the source of suspicion surrounding Li Shun.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus suspicion: Extraordinary ability earns Li Shun admiration but does not protect him from political or supernatural suspicion.
• Hidden identity and deception: Li Shun must conceal both his true Dao comprehension and his possible connection to Square Inch while publicly maintaining an innocent appearance.
• The cost of power: His thirty-three-day breakthrough is presented not as an easily repeatable gift but as the culmination of decades of accumulated effort.
• Knowledge as control: Understanding Square Inch may allow Li Shun to claim mastery naturally, without conquest, suggesting that true comprehension surpasses brute-force domination.
• Loyalty and justice: The Grand Sacrificer insists that Li Shun will receive a fair, open test, yet the threat of death shows that institutional protection has strict limits when the world’s safety is involved.

Important Character Interactions

• The Grand Sacrificer, Gu Xinghe, and Cao Gui compare their Dao-comprehension periods with Li Shun’s extraordinary thirty-three days.
• Li Shun demonstrates teleportation before them, prompting shock and admiration.
• The Grand Sacrificer privately warns Li Shun about the upcoming test, balancing formal fairness with an explicit threat of execution.
• Li Shun outwardly accepts the test and vows to prove his innocence while internally concealing the truth about Square Inch.
• Within Square Inch, Li Shun reassesses his relationship with the two sage stone statues and begins considering a non-confrontational path to complete control.

Chapter Summary: “Square Inch Changes Today”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun reflects on how Square Inch enabled his rise from an ordinary laborer in Cold Mountain County to his current powerful position.
• He reviews Square Inch’s functions:
  • It can absorb people as puppets and grant Li Shun access to their memories, cultivation experiences, and Dao insights.
  • Puppets can manifest in the outside world, act independently, and return safely to their anchored states within Square Inch.
  • Their bodies, physiques, destinies, and karmic experiences can be refined into resources for creating Li Shun’s eventual divine body.
  • Powerful puppets can function as remote “Heavenly Eyes,” allowing Li Shun to observe distant worlds.
  • All dangers affecting puppets, including Outer God corruption and Dao-origin backlash, are isolated from Li Shun’s true consciousness.
• After comprehending the Square Inch Dao for thirty-three days, Li Shun discovers that his control over the space has greatly improved. The white mist concealing the outer regions is effortlessly dispersed.
• He finds Square Inch’s internal layout cramped and disorderly, with the central region, twelve first-ring plots, numerous puppets, treasures, spirit plants, and other materials scattered throughout.
• Using his newly strengthened Dao understanding, Li Shun transforms the space:
  • The central land rises into a majestic Square Inch Main Peak.
  • The twelve occupied plots become twelve guardian peaks surrounding it.
  • The more distant rings begin forming vast, half-real primordial mountain ranges, though they remain incomplete and shrouded in mist.
• Li Shun recognizes that within Square Inch he possesses near-creator-like authority, but this power cannot be used directly in the outside world.
• He ends by reaffirming that his current body is merely a body he occupies, while his true goal is to gather enough traits and resources to forge a divine body belonging entirely to himself.

2. Character Development

• Li Shun’s mastery increases significantly. His complete enlightenment of the Square Inch Dao allows him to reshape the inner world with a thought rather than relying on force.
• His authority within Square Inch becomes strong enough to suppress the two ancient saint stone statues slightly, signaling his growing dominance over the space.
• Despite his immense power within Square Inch, Li Shun remains self-aware and cautious. He understands the distinction between internal authority and actual external strength.
• He experiences a moment of melancholy when returning his thoughts to reality, comparing it to falling from the position of a creator into a far weaker state.
• His long-term ambition becomes clearer: he does not intend to remain dependent on Li Shun’s current body and seeks to create a unique divine body for his own true self.

3. Significant Themes

• Inner world versus external reality: Square Inch represents a realm where Li Shun is nearly omnipotent, while reality still imposes limitations. This contrast creates both pride and emotional unease.
• Accumulation of power through knowledge: Li Shun’s advancement comes not only from cultivation but also from absorbing the memories, experiences, and insights of puppets.
• Identity and bodily ownership: The chapter emphasizes that the body Li Shun currently uses is not his original one, reinforcing his desire to establish an independent physical form.
• Creation and control: Li Shun’s transformation of Square Inch resembles the work of a creation god, symbolizing his growing mastery over the “mortal heart” and the Dao associated with it.
• Long-term perseverance: Although his progress is extraordinary, Li Shun recognizes that the path toward a true divine body remains difficult and lengthy.

4. Character Interactions

• The chapter contains little direct dialogue or interpersonal conflict. Most interactions are between Li Shun and the entities contained within Square Inch.
• Li Shun’s relationship with his puppets is primarily instrumental: he protects them through Square Inch, uses their memories and abilities, and can refine their traits and destinies into resources.
• His growing authority indirectly affects the two ancient saint stone statues, whose presence is slightly suppressed by his enhanced power.
• The various puppets, treasures, remains, and spirit plants are reorganized into a new mountain structure, symbolically placing them within Li Shun’s expanding domain.
• Li Shun’s internal dialogue reveals his relationship with his current borrowed body: he acknowledges its usefulness while emotionally distinguishing it from his true self.

Chapter Summary: Life-and-Death Eternal Power

Key Plot Points and Events

• After comprehending more of the Square Inch Dao, Li Shun gains far greater control over the puppets stored within Square Inch Space.
• Previously frozen and motionless puppets—such as Fang Xun, Fang Han, and Li Shun’s own puppet body—can now move, cultivate, and imitate living True Persons. Because they share Li Shun’s thoughts, their cultivation progresses rapidly and without bottlenecks.
• Although the puppets cannot break through beyond their current major realms while confined within Square Inch Space, they can continue accumulating immense power.
• Li Shun examines the remains of the Three Elders and discovers that Square Inch Space is slowly restoring their long-dead bones. He believes they may eventually be revived, though the process could take an immeasurable amount of time unless he finds external materials to accelerate it.
• He considers reviving Shentu Xin by obtaining the surviving copy of Shentu Xin’s data within the Imperial Tomb. However, any revived Shentu Xin would still become one of Li Shun’s puppets.
• Li Shun decides that his immediate priority is passing the Imperial Academy’s test, while keeping open the possibility of abandoning his current approach if becoming the successor of the Spring-Autumn Brush lineage proves impossible.
• He evaluates the remaining powerful entities inside Square Inch Space, including the two Saint statues, the Ancient Web, and the Turtle Shell connected to an Outer God. His improved mastery gives him confidence that none of them can seize control of the space; he can expel them if necessary.
• The Ancient Web acknowledges that Li Shun’s transformation was inevitable and suggests helping him turn a renowned Chaos deity into a puppet. Though tempted, Li Shun rejects the offer, insisting he can accomplish it himself.
• Li Shun studies the Turtle Shell, whose connection to the Outer God prevents him from fully controlling it. He considers using a fragment of the Heaven and Earth Membrane to sever that connection and refine the shell into a Turtle Treasure belonging entirely to him.
• He also discovers that Square Inch Space possesses an innate restorative power capable of repairing severely damaged puppets and objects. This power seems connected to the principles of eternal existence and restoration, though Li Shun cannot yet comprehend it fully.
• Three days later, the Grand Sacrificer arrives to escort Li Shun to the Imperial Academy’s test. He recognizes that Li Shun’s aura has dramatically changed following his enlightenment. Li Shun credits the Imperial Academy for granting him the opportunity, but the Grand Sacrificer reminds him that he earned it himself.
• The Grand Sacrificer places a hand on Li Shun’s shoulder and transports him away, beginning the next stage of the test.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes significantly more powerful and confident through his partial comprehension of the Square Inch Dao. He gains refined control over his puppets and a deeper understanding of Square Inch Space’s abilities.
• His ambitions expand from simply controlling puppets to potentially reviving the dead, restoring ancient treasures, and creating artifacts independent of Outer God influence.
• Despite his growing power, Li Shun remains cautious. He resists the Ancient Web’s tempting suggestion and recognizes that his understanding of Square Inch is still extremely incomplete.
• The Ancient Web continues to behave as a calm, intelligent guide. It accepts the possibility of eventually losing its individuality and becoming a true puppet, even offering to assist Li Shun.
• The Grand Sacrificer acts as a respectful but detached mentor figure, acknowledging Li Shun’s progress while emphasizing that Li Shun earned his own opportunity.

Significant Themes

• Power over life and death: Square Inch Space can restore ruined objects and perhaps eventually revive beings who have been dead for ages.
• Control versus individuality: Those inside Square Inch Space retain their appearances and abilities but lose independent will, raising questions about whether revival as a puppet truly counts as life.
• The limits of comprehension: The more Li Shun understands the Square Inch Dao, the more mysterious and vast it becomes.
• Temptation and restraint: Li Shun is offered an easier path to acquire a powerful puppet but chooses to rely on his own abilities.
• Eternal restoration: The chapter introduces Square Inch Space as a force that can preserve, repair, and potentially return things to a perfect original state.
• Preparation for greater trials: The chapter transitions from internal cultivation and experimentation to Li Shun’s upcoming Imperial Academy test.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun mentally evaluates the puppet versions of Fang Xun and Fang Han, recognizing their rapid shared cultivation.
• He reflects on the possible restoration of the Three Elders and the revival of Shentu Xin, while accepting that both would remain under his control.
• Li Shun confronts the Ancient Web about its possible loss of free will. The Ancient Web responds with acceptance and offers guidance rather than resistance.
• Li Shun considers the Ancient Web’s proposal to help him capture a powerful Chaos deity but rejects the suggestion with confidence.
• His respectful exchange with the Grand Sacrificer establishes mutual recognition: the Grand Sacrificer sees Li Shun’s transformation, while Li Shun acknowledges the Academy’s assistance but is reminded that his achievement is ultimately his own.

Chapter Summary: “Returning to the Ancient Era”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun enters Great Qian’s specially designed trial and is transported to an unfamiliar but seemingly real world.
• He discovers that the world contains no primordial qi, while the Liqi within his body has been completely suppressed. As a result, his cultivation and divine techniques are useless, leaving him physically equivalent to an ordinary person.
• Square Inch remains intact and accessible, reassuring Li Shun that he still possesses a potential means of surviving and investigating the situation.
• While approaching a distant city, Li Shun encounters a massive Yu army marching toward it. Thousands of heavily armored cavalry are followed by infantry, siege engines, and black banners marked with Yu’s insignia.
• He narrowly avoids being trampled by the cavalry but is soon captured by scouts after attempting to flee the army’s path.
• The army’s young general suspects Li Shun of being an enemy spy and orders him executed as a sacrifice to the army’s banner.
• Li Shun claims that he has lost his memory and was merely seeking water in the city. His accent causes the general to recognize him as someone from Yu Capital.
• Realizing that “Yu” may refer to the state that existed before Great Qian was founded, Li Shun suspects he has returned to an ancient historical era. However, the lack of primordial qi and supernatural power contradicts what he knows of that period.
• To avoid further questioning, Li Shun pretends to suffer a severe headache and faints. The general orders that he be taken to the military camp and watched closely rather than killed.
• The Yu army establishes camp outside the city it intends to besiege, while Li Shun continues pretending to be unconscious and listens to the soldiers’ conversations.

Character Development

• Li Shun: He is forced to adapt rapidly after losing his cultivation and becoming physically vulnerable. His usual confidence in supernatural abilities is replaced by caution, observation, and deception. He demonstrates quick thinking by escaping the cavalry, inventing a plausible explanation for his presence, and feigning unconsciousness to survive.
• Young General: Initially ruthless and suspicious, he quickly identifies Li Shun as potentially significant based on his accent and appearance. Although he still treats him as a possible threat, he shows restraint by ordering that Li Shun be detained rather than executed immediately.

Significant Themes

• Powerlessness and adaptation: Li Shun’s cultivation is entirely suppressed, forcing him to rely on intelligence and ordinary physical abilities.
• Identity and historical displacement: The appearance of the Yu army suggests that Li Shun has been transported to an era before Great Qian existed, raising questions about his identity and the trial’s purpose.
• Reality versus illusion: Li Shun confirms that the world appears to be real rather than an illusion, while Square Inch’s continued existence offers a crucial link to his former life.
• Survival through deception: With no ability to fight, Li Shun survives by manipulating how others perceive him.
• Uncertainty and hidden rules: The trial’s requirements remain unknown, emphasizing that Li Shun must discover for himself what constitutes success.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and the Yu soldiers: The soldiers capture him as a suspected spy and prepare to execute him.
• Li Shun and the young general: The general interrogates Li Shun, while Li Shun uses a fabricated memory loss story to avoid death. The general’s recognition of Li Shun’s Yu Capital accent changes the situation and leads him to spare Li Shun temporarily.
• Li Shun and the army guards: After being taken to camp, Li Shun pretends to remain unconscious while secretly listening to the guards, beginning his investigation into the army and the ancient world.