Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Severance of Earth and Heaven, Invite the God Lords”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian prepares to use the Mountain-Opening Formula to sever the Remnant Tower’s connection with the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm.
• The process requires sacrificing resources, inviting divine assistance to move the “mountain,” and finally using a Fate Artifact to complete the severance.
• The Remnant Tower has absorbed three thousand of Li Qingxian’s five thousand Fortune Fish. Since he can obtain only one Fortune Fish per day, replacing them would take roughly nine years.
• Li Qingxian’s Heavenly Grace and Heavenly Nobility Fate Spirit are weakening as Good Fortune Born’s fortune resists the Old Kingdom’s influence.
• He asks the Lightning-Wrapped Drum-Bearing Strongman who could move the Remnant Tower, whose National Fortune makes it equivalent to an entire kingdom’s rivers and mountains.
• The Strongman explains that the legendary Kua’e Clan is famous for moving mountains, but their incarnations would be insufficient under the current circumstances. Only two beings are suitable: Nanzheng Zhong, God Lord of Celestial Affairs, and Beizheng Li, God Lord of Terrestrial Affairs.
• Although these two God Lords are too exalted for ordinary mortals to summon, the Strongman reveals that invoking the Jade Clarity True King can call them down.
• Li Qingxian asks the Strongman to revise his deity-inviting spell. The Strongman transforms the disordered mortal incantation into a complete Divine Incantation, written in formal red-and-gold script.
• The revised incantation is embedded into Li Qingxian’s Spirit Platform. It functions less like a normal spell and more like a respectful memorial addressed to the gods.
• Li Qingxian performs the incantation, invoking the Jade Clarity True King and then requesting the descent of Nanzheng Zhong and Beizheng Li.
• The spell consumes all his mana. The Hundred-Ginseng Dharma Ancestor replenishes him through the Golden-Phoenix-Patterned Jade Box, though Li Qingxian is left physically weak and nearly blackouts.
• The casting causes the Emperor Star to tremble, the Eerie City to shake, and every being within the city—including examinees, Eerie City creatures, and Fate Corpses—to look toward the sky.
• Two enormous, incomprehensible humanoid shadows appear above the city, signaling that the summoned God Lords have begun to manifest.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates greater strategic maturity. Realizing that ordinary methods may fail, he seeks divine assistance rather than gambling the remaining Fortune Fish and his weakening fate powers.
• His confidence and boldness are emphasized when he immediately decides to invite the two God Lords after learning of them, despite their overwhelmingly high status.
• Li Qingxian also gains a much deeper understanding of divine magic. He learns that the wording, rhythm, courtesy, hierarchy, and use of mana must all correspond to the status of the deity being summoned.
• The Lightning-Wrapped Drum-Bearing Strongman shifts from a distant instructor to an active helper. Although initially reluctant and somewhat exasperated by Li Qingxian’s questions, he makes an exception to correct the deity-inviting art.
• Shen Xiaoyi becomes increasingly impressed and envious of Li Qingxian’s fortune. She recognizes that receiving direct instruction from an Upper Realm Heavenly God is an extraordinary opportunity.
• The Hundred-Ginseng Dharma Ancestor continues to support Li Qingxian indirectly by supplying the vast mana required for the divine spell.

Significant Themes

• The cost of power: Li Qingxian must expend Fortune Fish, fate power, and nearly all his mana to complete the ritual. Success depends on whether the benefits of divine aid justify the enormous cost.
• Hierarchy and authority: Divine spells are governed by rank, etiquette, and heavenly bureaucracy. Even powerful gods cannot simply be summoned; the proper authority and wording are essential.
• Human initiative versus cosmic power: Li Qingxian, despite his relatively low rank, finds a way to enlist beings vastly beyond him through intelligence, preparation, and fortunate connections.
• Severing ties to the past: The Mountain-Opening Formula symbolizes breaking the Remnant Tower away from the Old Kingdom’s influence, separating Earthly foundations from ancient heavenly and national powers.
• The danger of transcendence: The appearance of the colossal shadows shows that summoning higher beings into the mortal realm destabilizes reality itself.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian repeatedly questions the Lightning-Wrapped Drum-Bearing Strongman, forcing him to clarify which beings can move the Remnant Tower and how they might be summoned.
• The Strongman initially answers indirectly and withholds important qualifications, irritating Li Qingxian, but ultimately provides the crucial solution and personally corrects the spell.
• Shen Xiaoyi silently encourages Li Qingxian to take advantage of the Strongman’s willingness to teach him.
• Shen Xiaoyi and Fangfang exchange amused smiles at Li Qingxian’s persistence and opportunistic questioning.
• After the spell is completed, Shen Xiaoyi openly expresses envy at Li Qingxian’s ability to receive personal guidance from an Upper Realm Heavenly God.
• The chapter ends with the entire group—and effectively the whole Eerie City—reacting to the arrival of the two immense divine manifestations.

Chapter Summary: Fortune Meets the Canopy, Gathering a Heavy Artifact

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two immensely powerful God Lords descend, appearing as beings made entirely of stars. Their presence forces the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm to withdraw its attempt to suppress Li Qingxian through the Remnant Tower.
• With the pressure removed—and apparently reinforced by Good Fortune Born—Li Qingxian’s Fortune surges beyond its previous peak. A bright yellow canopy appears above him, accompanied by falling petals, marking the auspicious phenomenon known as “Fortune Meets the Canopy.”
• The God Lords forcibly lift the Remnant Tower, its foundations, and surrounding debris from the ground. Their power causes the tower to partially reconstruct itself, while the enormous Obelisk is severed from its connection to the Old Kingdom.
• Using the Great Principle-Slaying Sword and the Mountain Withdrawal incantation, Li Qingxian shrinks the Obelisk into a three-inch artifact and stores it in his Fate Mansion. The artifact is so heavy and powerful that it nearly crushes him physically, requiring Dharma power and ten Fortune Fish to contain it.
• The Obelisk becomes the Obelisk Fate Mountain, a complete National Fortune Heavy Artifact. Within Li Qingxian’s Fate Mansion, it stands alongside the Fate Artifact Mansion-Suppressing Stele and dramatically strengthens his defenses.
• The two God Lords disappear after suppressing the Emperor Star, forcing it down by nine thousand zhang. Li Qingxian respectfully thanks them, while recognizing that their intervention has changed the balance of power.
• Shen Xiaoyi explains that the Eerie City may prevent outsiders from remembering who acquired the Remnant Tower, helping Li Qingxian conceal possession of the Fate Mountain.
• Before entering the dangerous Imperial Palace, Li Qingxian decides to perform an overdue Investiture of Inner Gods after advancing to Seventh Rank. He intends to invest a higher-level Inner God than normally expected, potentially gaining a major advantage.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian gains a massive increase in Fortune and acquires a National Fortune Fate Mountain, greatly improving the security of his Fate Mansion. He also becomes more aware of the artifact’s terrifying limitations: although it is immensely powerful, he cannot fully use it until reaching Middle Rank, and perhaps not even then.
• His confidence grows, but he remains cautious. He immediately begins preparing for the Imperial Palace rather than relying solely on the newly acquired artifact.
• Shen Xiaoyi continues to act as Li Qingxian’s knowledgeable guide and practical protector. She understands the significance of the Fate Mountain, warns him to keep it secret, and hints that her plans for the coming Inner God investiture will bring unexpected benefits.
• Shen Xiaoyi and Li Qingxian maintain their playful, familiar banter. Her teasing and his flirtatious comment about her hand reveal increasing ease and intimacy between them.
• Fangfang remains under Shen Xiaoyi’s care as they prepare to proceed.

Significant Themes

• Fortune and legitimacy: The canopy above Li Qingxian symbolizes Fortune reaching its highest manifestation, suggesting that his destiny and authority have entered a new stage.
• Power beyond mortal control: The God Lords’ arrival demonstrates a level of divine authority so overwhelming that even the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm must retreat.
• National power and artifacts: The Obelisk’s transformation into a Fate Mountain emphasizes the importance of national-level treasures and the vast gap between ordinary artifacts and true heavy artifacts.
• Risk and preparation: Despite gaining a powerful defensive treasure, Li Qingxian knows he cannot yet wield it fully. The chapter stresses the need for planning, concealment, and further advancement.
• Memory and the Eerie City: The city’s strange influence may erase or distort knowledge of the artifact’s new owner, turning an otherwise impossible secret into a potential advantage.
• Growing partnership: Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi’s mutual reliance, teasing, and trust become more apparent as they face increasingly dangerous challenges together.

Important Character Interactions

• The God Lords indirectly aid Li Qingxian by suppressing the Old Kingdom and enabling him to claim the Obelisk. Li Qingxian expresses gratitude after they vanish.
• Shen Xiaoyi and Li Qingxian discuss the Fate Mountain’s stability, power, secrecy, and future usefulness. She warns that Heaven’s Mandate Sect might attack him if it learned the truth.
• Shen Xiaoyi helps Li Qingxian stand, prompting playful physical and verbal teasing between them.
• Their conversation shifts from celebrating the artifact to preparing for the Imperial Palace, where Li Qingxian reveals his plan to conduct an unconventional, higher-rank Inner God investiture.
• Shen Xiaoyi reacts with interest and amusement, hinting that she knows of benefits Li Qingxian has not yet anticipated.

Summary of Heavenly General Bestows Bow Cultivation Method

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Investiture of Inner Gods Ritual: Li Qingxian performs the ritual again, summoning three new Inner Gods (the Wind-Shaking Mist-Supporting Left Guard, Right Guard, and Sky-Raising Cloud-Bearing Guard) into his Spirit Platform, replacing the previous ones.
• Summoning of Heavenly Generals: After completing the ritual, Li Qingxian is presented with ten heavenly generals of varying forms, each with unique weapons and divine halos (now glowing in 14 colors instead of 12).
• Selection of the Light-Chasing Sun-Shooting Celestial General: Li Qingxian chooses this archery-focused heavenly general due to his extraordinary bow and arrow arsenal (a vast space filled with countless weapons).

Transmission of Cultivation Methods

• "Fire Thunder Chapter of the Supreme Divine Firmament Jade Pivot Five Thunder Judgment Method" (a refined Thunder Art).
• "Jade Clarity Sacred Realm Sun-Shooting Method"—a comprehensive bow cultivation manual covering archery techniques, bowmaking, and military applications, far surpassing existing human methods.
• Departure: The group prepares to leave, with Li Qingxian now radiating a distorted, powerful aura from his new Inner Gods and cultivation gains.

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2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian

• Strategic Growth: After realizing that all heavenly generals at the same rank are functionally equivalent, he leverages his unique Divine Firmament Thunder Seed to enhance his Inner Gods, making them more powerful than standard "spell-like" deities.
• Specialization: Chooses the archery-focused Celestial General to complement his existing close-combat (Lightning-Wrapped Drum-Bearing Strongman) and defensive (Wind-Shaking Mist Guards) Inner Gods.
• Cultivation Leap: Gains two advanced methods, including a complete bow cultivation system, positioning him as a potential military and martial arts innovator.
• Confidence: His aura visibly strengthens, signaling greater power and potential dominance in future conflicts.

Shen Xiaoyi

• Supportive Role: Congratulates Li Qingxian on his success, reinforcing their partnership.
• Observant: Notices the distortion in space caused by Li’s new power, hinting at her awareness of his growth.

Song Baige & Others

• Awe & Curiosity: React strongly to Li’s newfound aura, showing their respect and admiration for his progress.

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3. Significant Themes

Power Through Innovation

• Li Qingxian doesn’t just follow tradition—he adapts and refines the Investiture of Inner Gods by leveraging his unique Thunder Seed, making his Inner Gods more potent than standard deities.
• The Jade Clarity Sacred Realm Sun-Shooting Method represents a rare, complete martial system, highlighting how true mastery comes from rare knowledge and adaptation.

Specialization vs. Versatility

• While most cultivators jack-of-all-trades, Li Qingxian strategically specializes—balancing close combat, defense, and now long-range archery—suggesting a holistic, multi-faceted approach to power.

Divine vs. Human Limitations

• The heavenly generals are not fully controllable—Li can only borrow their forms, reinforcing that true power still depends on his own cultivation.
• The Sun-Shooting Method’s rarity underscores how human martial arts often lack depth compared to the upper realms’ systems.

Military & Strategic Potential

• The archery method implies Li could train an army of elite archers or dominate warfare, tying into the Human Race’s military struggles against divine forces.

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4. Character Interactions

Li Qingxian & Heavenly Generals

• Respectful but Transactional: Li greets them as "fellow Daoists" but does not seek deep connection—he treats them as tools for power.
• Selective Choice: His decision-making process (choosing the archery general) shows strategic foresight—he balances his team’s strengths.

Li Qingxian & Shen Xiaoyi

Mutual Support

Chapter Summary: Everyone Heads to the Gods of Soil and Grain Temple

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group debates the nature of two Imperial Palaces: one open and lawn-covered, the other enclosed by red walls and filled with towers.
• Li Qingxian warns them not to judge either palace by appearances. The open palace may conceal greater danger because its inhabitants are likely more aggressive and prepared for conflict, while the walled palace may be safer but governed by stricter rules.
• The Devil Sect and Evil Sects enter the open palace in search of Fate Corpses and residual Death Realm power. Li Qingxian decides not to interfere unless they become hostile.
• Before entering the walled palace, Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi use Fate Arts and Fate Artifacts to investigate the movements, traces, and auras of the other examinees.
• Shen Xiaoyi links his Fate Disk with Li Qingxian’s using the Thousand Mechanism Silk, greatly improving their calculations. Li Qingxian creates a visible simulation of the examinees’ paths and powers.
• Li Qingxian briefly worries about clues connected to the Hidden Dragon and the Poison Pool but suppresses his distraction so he can focus on surviving the examination.
• The group uses acceleration talismans to reach the Imperial Palace, discovering that the main and side gates are closed while only the corner gates remain open.
• They choose the left corner gate, leading to the Gods of Soil and Grain Temple, rather than the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The latter may contain Fate Corpses and offer valuable rewards, but is considered far more dangerous.
• Shen Xiaoyi explains that the Imperial Palace appears to be a region where the powers of the Eerie Ground, the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm, and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect have reached a temporary balance. The palace’s rules must be obeyed, but violating them may not bring the same instant, overwhelming punishment found elsewhere in the Eerie Ground.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates increasingly sophisticated judgment, looking beyond appearances and analyzing how environments shape behavior, security, aggression, and social rules.
• His growing Fortune has sharpened his mind and strengthened his Fate Arts, allowing him to perform clearer and more complex calculations.
• Li Qingxian also shows leadership and responsibility by choosing the Gods of Soil and Grain Temple to protect the group, despite being personally tempted by the greater potential rewards of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
• He remains wary of his own possible extremism and hidden dangers connected to his Fate Mold, but recalls the Hidden Dragon’s power and regains emotional control.
• Shen Xiaoyi acts as Li Qingxian’s intellectual counterpart. He recognizes Li’s growing abilities, assists his calculations, and cautions him about the dangers of becoming extreme as his Fortune increases.
• The rest of the group increasingly trusts Li Qingxian’s judgment, following his strategic decisions without resistance.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Open spaces may conceal aggression and danger, while walls may offer safety but impose restrictive rules.
• Security and human nature: Protected societies tend to be less aggressive, while exposed societies develop weapons, vigilance, and an instinct toward conflict.
• Rules versus freedom: Rules can restrain violence and preserve order, but too many rules can also create conflict and limitations. Neither strict order nor openness is inherently superior.
• Leadership and sacrifice: Li Qingxian prioritizes the group’s survival over personal gain, choosing the safer temple rather than pursuing potentially greater rewards.
• Balance of powers: The Imperial Palace is portrayed as a contested space stabilized by competing forces, making it dangerous but different from a normal Eerie Ground.
• Clarity and correctness: Li Qingxian prefers difficult but accurate analysis over simple, convenient conclusions.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian explains his layered interpretation of the two palaces to the group, challenging their initial assumptions.
• Shen Xiaoyi supports and expands Li Qingxian’s reasoning, while also commenting on his improving Fortune and warning him about possible dangers.
• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi cooperate directly through their linked Fate Disks, exchanging information and combining their calculations.
• Song Baige anticipates that the Imperial Palace will be governed by complex rules, while Wang Buwu worries that these rules may belong entirely to the Eerie Ground.
• Shen Xiaoyi reassures the group that the palace’s rules are likely moderated by the balance among several powers, though they must still be taken seriously.

Chapter Summary: “A Momentum Configuration Cloud of Its Own”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian’s group enters the Gods of Soil and Grain Temple through a side gate guarded by silver-armored soldiers.
• Using Fangfang’s innocent questioning, they learn that Guard Army badges are issued at Longzong Gate, while Imperial Guard badges allowing access to the inner palace come from the Imperial Guard Internal Security Office.
• The group decides to obtain proper badges before exploring further, recognizing that moving without authorization could attract danger.
• At the State Altars Altar, Wang Buwu explains the complete sacrificial ritual, having participated in similar ceremonies in the past.
• They observe other groups conducting incomplete sacrifices and discover that the rituals lack essential offerings, especially Five-Colored Soil.
• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi possess all the necessary offerings as Fate Materials, allowing the group to perform the full ritual correctly under Wang Buwu’s guidance.
• Their successful sacrifice produces reddish-gold light and dramatically increases the group’s Fortune.
• Combined with the power of Obelisk Fate Mountain and their previous acquisition of the Remnant Tower, the group condenses its own Momentum Configuration Cloud.
• The cloud is primarily white and green, with a central strand of purple, signifying that the group has reached the foundation of a Middle Rank collective force and gained additional power from Obelisk Fate Mountain.
• Li Qingxian uses Fortune Fish to inspect the cloud more deeply and identifies three unusual forces:
  • Reddish-gold power associated with the Old Kingdom’s Death Realm.
  • Grayish-yellow power resembling Eerie Qi.
  • A mysterious violet-gold power comparable to the imperial clan’s strength, which resists observation while apparently aiding the group.
• The group’s morale and confidence rise sharply after realizing they are no longer an unorganized collection of individuals but a unified force protected by collective Fortune.
• They travel through the Imperial Palace toward the Imperial Guard Internal Security Office, mapping the palace and noticing that many locations resemble those in Great Qi’s Imperial Palace.
• At the Internal Security Office, they find the gate shut and two guards refusing to answer their questions, leaving the group to discuss its next move outside.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates strategic caution by prioritizing the acquisition of official badges and shows growing mastery of Fate Arts and Fortune-related powers.
• Fangfang contributes through her cheerful, disarming behavior, successfully gathering important information from the guards.
• Wang Buwu’s supposedly mundane past experience with religious sacrifices becomes crucial, earning him the group’s appreciation and proving the value of practical knowledge.
• Shen Xiaoyi works closely with Li Qingxian, using the Physiognomic Formation Technique to analyze the newly formed Momentum Configuration.
• The entire group develops greater unity and confidence. Their attitude shifts from that of vulnerable individuals cooperating temporarily to that of an emerging collective power.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and practical knowledge: Skills that once seemed irrelevant, such as Wang Buwu’s ritual experience, become essential in an unfamiliar and dangerous environment.
• Collective strength: The Momentum Configuration symbolizes how unity transforms a group’s prospects, improving Fortune and protecting its members.
• Fortune and destiny: Correctly performed actions, the Remnant Tower, Obelisk Fate Mountain, and hidden forces all combine to reshape the group’s fate.
• Mystery and unseen powers: The unidentified violet-gold force suggests the presence of a powerful entity or influence whose motives remain unclear.
• Parallels between worlds: The Eerie City’s Imperial Palace resembles Great Qi’s palace, hinting at deeper connections between the two realms.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian directs Fangfang to question the guard, using her childlike charm to obtain information.
• Wang Buwu teaches the group the proper sacrificial procedure and identifies the flaws in other teams’ rituals.
• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi jointly perform and analyze the sacrifice, sharing excitement over the formation of the Momentum Configuration.
• The group celebrates the achievement and discusses its implications, with Wang Buwu explaining how the Remnant Tower enabled their transformation.
• When the Internal Security Office guards refuse to cooperate, the group gathers together to quietly plan its next course of action.

Chapter Summary: “A Hidden Protector of the Way”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group debates where to go within the Imperial Palace now that they possess waist tokens.
• Li Qingxian explains the palace’s structure and rules:
  • The central Outer Court, especially the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is too dangerous to enter.
  • The Halls of Military Valor and Literary Glory are survivable but may not provide enough opportunity to keep their examination scores competitive.
  • The major Inner Court residences—those of the Empress Dowager, Retired Emperor, and Empress—are considered extremely dangerous.
  • The Eastern and Western Six Palaces require additional credentials.
• The group concludes that the Imperial Garden is their best destination, despite the difficulty of reaching it through the harem. An imperial edict ordering them not to disturb the harem further supports this choice.
• Song Baige suggests visiting the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, but Li Qingxian rejects the idea because the unpredictable nature of the Eerie Ground makes the Imperial Garden a safer and more strategically likely location.
• Wang Buwu argues that the Imperial Garden may be the site of the final battle. Since the group is only at Seventh Rank, a decisive confrontation is unlikely to occur in the grand ceremonial halls.
• Wang reveals information from Gui Changsheng: the Son of Man is secretly protected by a hidden figure connected to Heaven’s Mandate Sect. This “protector of the way” remains concealed unless the Son of Man’s fortune suffers a setback.
• Shen Xiaoyi proposes finding and killing the protector before he can target Li Qingxian, whose stolen fortune makes him especially vulnerable.
• Li and Shen begin assessing the protector’s likely abilities, equipment, timing, and possible support from Heaven’s Mandate Sect.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates strategic judgment by carefully weighing the palace’s dangers, the examination’s requirements, and the Eerie Ground’s hidden rules. He realizes that merely surviving is insufficient; they must also maintain their progress in the examination.
• Shen Xiaoyi becomes more openly invested in protecting Li Qingxian. He offers valuable Fate Artifact crafting methods and materials in exchange for Li helping eliminate the protector.
• Wang Buwu reveals a deeper connection to Gui Changsheng and provides crucial intelligence about the Son of Man’s hidden guardian. His knowledge changes the group’s understanding of the threat.
• Song Baige maintains his provocative, reckless humor by suggesting the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, though his proposal is treated as impractical.
• The Son of Man emerges as a central unseen force whose fortune is powerful enough to require covert protection by Heaven’s Mandate Sect.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus advancement: The group cannot simply avoid danger; they must balance staying alive with continuing to meet the examination’s demands.
• Hidden power and fate: The protector’s concealment, the Son of Man’s overflowing fortune, and Li Qingxian’s stolen fortune all emphasize the influence of unseen forces.
• Strategic foresight: Success depends on predicting enemy movements, identifying likely battlefields, and understanding the rules of the Eerie Ground.
• Protection and manipulation: Shen Xiaoyi’s offer to Li Qingxian presents protection as a transaction, while Heaven’s Mandate Sect secretly manipulates events through its hidden agent.
• The inevitability of confrontation: The group recognizes that a final clash with the weirdnesses and the Son of Man’s forces is likely, with the Imperial Garden serving as the probable battleground.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian leads the palace analysis, while the others question and evaluate his plan.
• Wang Buwu’s theory about the Imperial Garden receives broad agreement and strengthens the group’s resolve.
• Wang’s revelation about Gui Changsheng surprises Shen Xiaoyi and prompts discussion of the protector of the way.
• Shen Xiaoyi urges Li Qingxian to hunt the protector, framing the plan as both a weapon against Heaven’s Mandate Sect and a means of saving Li’s life.
• Li remains cautious, asking how the protector will act and what resources he may possess.
• Shen outlines a likely arsenal: the Great Principle-Slaying Sword, a Myriad Phenomena Brush, concealment abilities, a Hidden Fate Spirit, a subsidiary Celestial Evolution Star Disc, and the Momentum-Settling Rivers and Mountains Fate Artifact.

Chapter Summary: “Search High and Low, Yet None Was Right”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi investigate the identity of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s protector, suspecting he may have seized Fate Stars during the Azure Cloud Examination.
• Li Qingxian proposes using process of elimination: by analyzing seized Fate Stars, Fate Artifacts, travel routes, and team movements, they can infer which Fate Arts Masters might be the protector.
• Li reveals that his Fate Disk has recorded extensive information, including the children’s games and events since the examination began. This detailed record helped his team survive and now gives him a major advantage in deduction.
• The two combine their Fate Disk records and eliminate Fate Artifacts belonging to known or unsuitable individuals. They narrow the possibilities to three Fate Arts Masters and identify the teams of two of them.
• Li’s unusually fast “calculation” method astonishes Shen Xiaoyi. Shen realizes it is not a teachable secret art but a unique ability dependent on Li’s exceptional mental capacity.
• They hypothesize that the protector would have closely watched Good Fortune Born. Shen attempts to identify a connection using a golden willow leaf and a Heaven’s Mandate Sect detection technique.
• The investigation fails: none of the three remaining Fate Arts Masters is the protector. Li concludes that the protector may never have seized a Fate Star and may have remained hidden until the critical moment.
• Li refuses to abandon the search. He broadens the investigation to all teams from the Outer City, eliminating those affected by the Weird Games and those whose members could not plausibly conceal a Fate Arts Master.
• Using survival rates, degrees of Eerie Transformation, and the possible protection of the Myriad Phenomena Brush and Myriad Phenomena Diagram, they establish further criteria. They also consider the extreme possibility that the protector sacrificed his teammates and survived alone.
• Fate interference from the protector and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect disrupts their deductions, but Li and Shen ultimately narrow the suspects to fourteen people.
• With only two golden willow leaves remaining, Shen hints that he knows another way to verify the suspects, leaving the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates exceptional analytical ability, combining recorded information, Fate Arts, and logical elimination. His method is shown to be closer to extraordinary calculation than conventional fate deduction.
• Li also proves persistent and adaptable. Even after his first theory fails, he immediately develops a broader screening strategy instead of giving up.
• Shen Xiaoyi shows strong expertise in Fate Arts and knowledge of other practitioners, allowing him to identify and eliminate suspects. He also recognizes the limits of his own methods compared with Li’s unique ability.
• Shen becomes interested in acquiring Li’s technique and offers to pay for it, revealing both his pragmatism and his respect for Li’s talent.
• The partnership between Li and Shen grows stronger as they combine complementary strengths: Li supplies exhaustive data and rapid calculation, while Shen contributes experience, specialized knowledge, and detection techniques.

Significant Themes

• Logic versus conventional prophecy: The investigation relies less on mystical insight than on recording information, pattern recognition, and elimination.
• The value of preparation: Li’s habit of recording even seemingly insignificant details becomes essential to solving the mystery.
• Limits of knowledge and deduction: Even an apparently exhaustive investigation can fail when an opponent deliberately avoids revealing their abilities.
• Concealment and deception: The protector’s greatest advantage may be that he never used the obvious methods the investigators expected.
• Cooperation and complementary abilities: Li’s computational talent and Shen’s Fate Arts expertise work together, showing how collaboration can overcome individual limitations.
• Powerful interference: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect and the protector can distort fate itself, emphasizing the difficulty of opposing hidden, high-level forces.

Character Interactions

• Li and Shen exchange information through their Fate Disks and jointly analyze the evidence.
• Shen openly admires Li’s unusual ability, even offering to buy it if it can ever be transferred.
• Li explains that his method is an innate or special ability rather than a secret art, reinforcing the difference between them.
• They debate the protector’s likely behavior and gradually refine their theories together.
• After their first screening fails, both remain committed to the search, with Shen ultimately suggesting an undisclosed alternative method for testing the fourteen remaining suspects.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Xiaoyi confronts Li Qingxian about stealing Good Fortune Born’s Fortune, reasoning that Li must now be connected to the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s Guardian.
• Li uses Fate-Seeking Arts to investigate the violet-gold Fortune configuration. Because Eerie City and the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm suppress the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s concealment, he discovers eighteen linked individuals.
• Shen identifies the formation as the Eighteen Sons Hidden-King Momentum Configuration. Good Fortune Born may not be the true “king”; instead, the Heaven’s Mandate Sect has arranged eighteen potential successors who can support and protect its chosen Son of Man.
• Li discovers that Shen Xiaoyi is also one of the eighteen, while Li himself exists outside the configuration. Shen concludes that Eerie City likely brought Li into the examination to oppose the Heaven’s Mandate Sect.
• Shen offers Li the rare False Temple Gate in exchange for the identities of the eighteen sons. Li provides the list, supplementing three unknown names with projected images from his Fate Disk.
• Shen identifies one unremarkable middle-aged man as the likely Guardian. Li, however, suspects a burly Martial Cultivator of being unusual and possibly nonhuman.
• Shen suggests that the Martial Cultivator may be a half-demon, implying that the Demon Race has infiltrated the Azure Cloud Examination.
• To deal with the Guardian, Shen proposes using the False Temple Gate to make the Guardian believe Li is the true king—or, since Li prefers not to expend the treasure, having Li seize the Guardian’s identity and Fortune directly.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates that his Fate Arts have become powerful enough to penetrate the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s hidden configuration under Eerie City’s suppressive conditions.
• He realizes that his unexpected Fortune and possession of the Obelisk have made him a major force in Eerie City, possibly even “half a true king.”
• Li remains cautious and resource-conscious, refusing to use the False Temple Gate casually because of its immense value.
• He also shows growing investigative instincts, identifying the possible half-demon through an instinctive sense that the man is “not quite human.”
• Shen Xiaoyi reveals that he has long suspected Li’s connection to the Heaven’s Mandate Sect but has chosen to wait for confirmation. He proves willing to invest a powerful treasure to undermine the sect and openly positions himself as an ally of humanity rather than of any single faction.
• Shen’s confidence in Li grows: he trusts Li to oppose the Heaven’s Mandate Sect even without demanding immediate action in return.

Significant Themes

• Strategic deception and counter-deception: Both Li and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect manipulate Fortune, identities, and perceptions. The chapter emphasizes that victory depends on misleading the enemy rather than relying only on strength.
• Hidden identities and uncertain loyalties: The true Guardian is concealed among eighteen candidates, while a suspected half-demon has infiltrated the examination. Appearances are repeatedly shown to be unreliable.
• Factional conflict: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s ruthless schemes contrast with Shen’s claim that his side serves the broader Human Race. Li is caught between competing powers while trying to remain independent.
• Fortune as political and personal power: Fortune determines status, protection, and destiny. By stealing or redirecting it, Li can alter the balance between the Heaven’s Mandate Sect, Eerie City, and the examination’s contestants.
• Risk versus restraint: The False Temple Gate could provide a decisive advantage, but Li weighs its value against the need to preserve it for a more critical moment.

Character Interactions

• Shen presses Li for the truth about his Fortune, while Li reluctantly explains how he discovered the eighteen linked individuals.
• Their exchange evolves from suspicion into cooperation: Shen supplies the crucial identification of the Guardian and offers the False Temple Gate; Li shares the list of the eighteen sons.
• The two compare their intuitions about the suspects. Shen trusts his Fate Arts in identifying the Guardian, while Li relies on his own instincts to point out the possible half-demon.
• Their banter reflects mutual respect and familiarity, especially when Shen calls Li clever and Li jokes about Fate Arts Masters manipulating people through long-term schemes.
• The chapter ends with Li accepting the danger of impersonating or replacing the Guardian, joking that the Heaven’s Mandate Sect will “search heaven and earth” to kill him if they discover what he has done.

Chapter Summary: “Inviting Gods and People to Behold the Nine Cauldrons”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi deduce that the Guardian has acquired multiple treasures and infiltrated the Imperial Palace to prepare a formation for the Son of Man.
• They reason that the Guardian is likely activating, rather than creating, a Grand Momentum Configuration hidden within the palace.
• Shen Xiaoyi identifies the palace’s original structure as the legendary Nine-Cauldrons Ninefold Grand Momentum Configuration, which once represented three heavens, three earths, and three dragons.
• Because the Old Kingdom has fallen into the Death Realm, the configuration is damaged. The two must determine which parts are broken and infer how the Heaven’s Mandate Sect would repair or exploit them.
• They conclude that negotiation with the Guardian is impossible because of his absolute loyalty to the Heaven’s Mandate Sect.
• Shen Xiaoyi proposes using Li Qingxian’s Obelisk Fate Mountain, a National Fortune Heavy Artifact of the Old Kingdom, together with his own thirty-six Fate Artifacts, to observe the palace’s hidden configuration.
• They establish an altar and perform rituals to invite both the Old Kingdom’s gods and its people, hoping to gain a complete view of the palace’s momentum.
• Li summons the Old Kingdom’s gods, while Shen invites its departed people. The ritual produces powerful Fate Arts fluctuations that alarm observers in both Imperial Cities.
• Meng Huaichuan notices Good Fortune Born’s sudden unease, though he dismisses it as a reaction to the ritual.
• The ritual succeeds: Li and Shen briefly perceive the entire Imperial Palace, which appears vast, empty, and devoid of inhabitants.
• Li sees nine damaged bronze cauldrons suspended over different locations. The cauldrons vary in condition, with one reduced to half its original form. A golden-marked serpent lies coiled within the most damaged cauldron.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates increasing confidence and competence in Fate Arts. Although he admits his limited experience with Grand Momentum Configurations, he has mastered the Physiognomic Formation Technique and can effectively use the Obelisk Fate Mountain.
• Shen Xiaoyi emerges as the more knowledgeable strategist regarding Momentum Configurations and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s methods. He also reveals that he possesses an impressive collection of thirty-six Fate Artifacts.
• Together, Li and Shen function as complementary partners: Li provides the crucial Old Kingdom artifact and ritual connection, while Shen supplies theoretical expertise and technical guidance.
• Good Fortune Born experiences an instinctive warning when the ritual begins, suggesting that his unique Fortune may be sensitive to the danger or significance of the Nine Cauldrons, even though he cannot identify its source.
• The Guardian is characterized indirectly as highly capable, deeply loyal, and dangerous, having concealed his Fate aura and prepared a major formation alone.

Significant Themes

• Fate, Fortune, and political power: The chapter presents Momentum Configurations as instruments for claiming or governing Fortune, linking metaphysical power to kingship and legitimacy.
• The decline of the Old Kingdom: The damaged cauldrons and empty palace symbolize the destruction of a former civilization whose power survives only in fragmented relics and configurations.
• Collaboration versus individual limitation: Neither Li nor Shen can uncover the Ninefold Configuration alone; their combined abilities make the impossible attainable.
• Hidden history and buried power: The ritual reveals that the Imperial Palace contains far more than its visible ruins, including ancient artifacts and a surviving serpent connected to the Old Kingdom’s mysteries.
• Loyalty and manipulation: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s ability to command unquestioning loyalty contrasts with Li and Shen’s reliance on deduction, cooperation, and ritual knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Li and Shen repeatedly test one another’s reasoning, jointly deducing the Guardian’s objective and the structure of the Imperial Palace.
• Shen guides Li through the incantation and ritual process, while Li challenges Shen’s assumptions about the relationship between the two Imperial Palaces.
• Their teasing exchange over their respective treasures adds levity but also emphasizes that both possess unusual resources.
• Meng Huaichuan questions a nearby Fate Arts Master about the disturbance and later reassures Good Fortune Born, who remains visibly unsettled.
• The chapter ends with Li and Shen sharing the revelation of the nine cauldrons, setting up their next attempt to understand the palace’s damaged Grand Momentum Configuration and the serpent within the half-cauldron.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi examine the shattered cauldron and perceive the hidden formation protecting the Imperial Palace. Li sees nine incomplete great cauldrons and a gigantic golden-patterned serpent, while Shen senses only the vague aura of a Ninefold Grand Momentum Configuration.
• Shen identifies the serpent as a Nine-Pattern Golden Python and explains that it forms the core of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration, a formation designed to steal a nation’s National Fortune.
• She recounts the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s history of exploiting declining dynasties, eventually accumulating enough stolen Fortune to support a dragon and win the trust of the Founder of Great Qi.
• The pair cannot completely destroy the configuration, but Shen believes they can alter it in reverse. She will manipulate the formation, while Li must bear the stolen National Fortune because his Fortune is unusually powerful.
• Shen warns that the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm’s Fortune is dangerous: using it may expose Li to the resentment of the dead kingdom’s people. Li accepts the risk, believing there is no turning back.
• Shen deduces that the formation’s core and protector are located east of the center, in the Palace of Accumulated Felicity, where the Crown Prince once resided. Their immediate goals become obtaining personal guard waistplates, finding the protector, and possibly killing him.
• At the Inner Guard Office, Tang Enli informs the group that his team failed to obtain personal guard waistplates because they were sent to fight powerful Middle Rank Fate Corpses at the Southern Three Residences.
• Li’s group receives temporary waistplates and is assigned the same task: capture or kill the Fate Corpses to gain entry to the palace as personal guards.
• The chapter ends with Li admitting that he knows nothing about hunting Fate Corpses, while Shen reveals that she has only observed such hunts and has never fought them directly.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates extraordinary perception by seeing details of the hidden configuration that even Shen cannot fully perceive. His connection to the Obelisk Fate Mountain and mysterious Bronze Four-Aspects Square Cauldron is suggested as the cause.
• He accepts the burden of the Death Realm’s National Fortune despite the spiritual and emotional dangers, showing determination and willingness to shoulder major risks.
• Li also reveals a gap in his knowledge: although exceptionally gifted in Fate-related perception, he lacks practical experience dealing with Fate Corpses.
• Shen Xiaoyi displays extensive knowledge of formations, dynastic history, and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect. She assumes responsibility for altering the configuration but admits that her Fortune is insufficient to bear its stolen power.
• Shen’s casual willingness to consider killing the formation’s protector shows her pragmatic and increasingly ruthless approach to their mission.
• Tang Enli is established as a high-status noble and capable Martial Cultivator, but even his powerful group retreats after encountering Middle Rank Fate Corpses, emphasizing the danger ahead.
• Wang Buwu and Song Baige provide contrasting reactions: Wang remains cautious, while Song is confident that their team’s two Fate Arts Masters give them an advantage.

Significant Themes

• Power and danger of Fortune: National Fortune is portrayed as a force that can empower dynasties and sects but carries heavy consequences for those who manipulate it.
• Inheritance and exploitation: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s repeated theft of declining kingdoms’ Fortune reflects the exploitation of political collapse for spiritual and personal gain.
• Risk and commitment: Li’s decision to accept the Death Realm’s Fortune symbolizes his willingness to cross dangerous boundaries once the group’s mission has begun.
• Knowledge versus practical ability: Li possesses rare insight into Fate formations but lacks combat knowledge regarding Fate Corpses, while Shen understands theory and strategy but also has limited direct experience.
• Uncertainty of identity: The chief minister appears human but may be a monster, Fate Corpse, or something else, reinforcing the chapter’s atmosphere of distrust and supernatural ambiguity.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen is astonished by Li’s ability to see the nine cauldrons and golden python, praising him while also speculating about the sources of his power.
• Li and Shen negotiate their roles in altering the formation, with Shen manipulating it and Li bearing its Fortune. Their exchange mixes strategic discussion with teasing over Li’s extraordinary luck.
• Shen identifies the Palace of Accumulated Felicity as the likely location of the protector, giving the group a concrete objective.
• Tang Enli shares information about the waistplate mission with Qiu Ye and the others, indirectly warning them that the Fate Corpses are far stronger than expected.
• Li consults Shen about hunting Fate Corpses, exposing both his inexperience and her limited firsthand knowledge just before the coming confrontation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Xiaoyi explains that Middle-Rank Fate Corpses can usually be defeated if a Fate Arts Master identifies their Fate Stars and the Great Fate Corpse empowering them. Fate Arts can then suppress their strength.
• Wang Buwu adds that Fate Corpses also contain various forms of evil energy, making Song Baige’s Confucian Righteous Qi essential for countering them. Martial Cultivators are needed to protect the Fate Arts and Literary Cultivators.
• The group travels through the Southern Three Residences and arrives at Fragrance Gathering Hall, where they encounter two enormous, rust-covered Middle-Rank Fate Corpses.
• Shen Xiaoyi and Li Qingxian attempt to deduce the corpses’ Fate Stars, but their initial Fate Reading reveals only that both possess earth destinies and dangerous mutations.
• Li Qingxian uses Obelisk Fate Mountain, allowing him to see the true nature of the Fate Stars. Both are revealed to be “Black Flames Surging from Earth,” a mutated and ominous Fate Star.
• Li Qingxian deduces that the corpses were once people who lived in a prosperous nation but survived—or existed until—the nation suffered a devastating combination of human-made calamity, natural disaster, and eventual world-ending destruction.
• The group realizes these Fate Corpses possess highly dangerous elemental interactions: earth, wood, water, and black fire counter one another in complicated ways. Their attacks may carry intense fire poison.
• Shen Xiaoyi begins to discuss advanced methods used by experienced Fate Arts Masters, including the legendary technique “Changing Stars, Altering the Game.”

2. Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates growing mastery of Fate Arts and Fate Reading. Though he initially cannot see enough to identify the corpses’ Fate Stars, he uses Obelisk Fate Mountain creatively and uncovers information beyond what Shen Xiaoyi can determine.
• Shen Xiaoyi acts as the group’s primary expert on Fate Corpses and battlefield deduction. Her confidence that Middle-Rank Fate Corpses are manageable is tempered when the corpses’ unusual Fate Stars prove difficult to analyze.
• Wang Buwu contributes practical knowledge from the Black Lantern Bureau, explaining the limits of Fate Reading and the roles different cultivators must play in combat.
• Song Baige humorously complains about previously “freeloading” behind Fate Arts Masters, but his Righteous Qi is revealed to be a crucial weapon against the corpses’ evil energies.
• The group collectively becomes more cautious after realizing that these corpses are far more dangerous than ordinary Middle-Rank specimens.

3. Significant Themes

• Knowledge versus raw strength: Fate Corpses are theoretically manageable, but only if their Fate Stars can be accurately identified. Incomplete understanding can make even a seemingly ordinary enemy extremely dangerous.
• The aftereffects of catastrophe: The corpses’ Fate Stars preserve the history of a civilization destroyed by political upheaval, natural disaster, and world-ending calamity.
• Corruption and mutation: The original favorable Fate Star, “Thick Earth, Tall Tree,” has been transformed into “Black Flames Surging from Earth,” symbolizing how disaster can corrupt prosperity and destiny.
• Cooperation among different paths: Success depends on the combined abilities of Fate Arts Masters, Literary Cultivators, and Martial Cultivators rather than on any one discipline alone.
• Limits of conventional methods: Standard Fate Reading proves insufficient, suggesting that higher-level techniques and unconventional insight are necessary to overcome extraordinary enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian questions Shen Xiaoyi about the weaknesses of Fate Corpses, prompting her explanation of their dependence on Fate Stars.
• Wang Buwu expands on Shen’s explanation and emphasizes the importance of Song Baige’s Righteous Qi and martial protection.
• The group jokes about Song Baige’s former dependence on Fate Arts Masters, easing tension before the encounter.
• Shen Xiaoyi and Li Qingxian work together to analyze the two corpses, initially reaching only partial conclusions.
• Li Qingxian’s successful use of Obelisk Fate Mountain surpasses the group’s expectations, earning Shen Xiaoyi’s admiration.
• Their discussion ends with Shen Xiaoyi introducing the mysterious advanced technique “Changing Stars, Altering the Game,” setting up the next stage of their strategy.

Chapter Summary: “Li Qingxian Used Too Much Force”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Xiaoyi explains Changing Stars, Altering the Game, a sophisticated Fate Arts technique that temporarily rearranges Fate Stars to counter an enemy’s Fate Mold. It requires abundant Fate Stars and an intimate understanding of one’s own Fate Mold—knowledge normally gained only after decades of practice.
• Li Qingxian realizes that he has effectively been using this technique instinctively before making oaths, suggesting that his unusual insight into Fate Arts is far beyond that of ordinary practitioners.
• Shen Xiaoyi outlines several methods for dealing with Fate Corpses, including pattern suppression, Fate Artifact layer-stripping, Fate Star Sacrifice, and cycles of generation and restraint.
• Li Qingxian quickly devises a strategy. The group divides into two teams of twenty, with Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi each leading one team against separate Middle Rank Fate Corpses.
• Li Qingxian reorganizes his Fate Stars:
  • His Youth Fate Ground forms the Wood-based pattern “Ten Springs Birth.”
  • His Young Adult Fate Ground forms the Water-based pattern “Four Streams Converge at Sea.”
• He executes a complex sequence of techniques against the Fate Corpse known as

Black Flames Surging from Earth

1. Changing Stars, Altering the Game
2. Fate Pattern suppression
3. Multitude of Stars Suppressing Fate
4. Fate Artifact layer-stripping
5. Filthy Fate Curses

• He then adds a Fortune Fish and activates everything at once. The Fate Corpse immediately collapses: its neck breaks, its body decays, and it turns to dust.
• Li Qingxian realizes he has overpowered the Fate Corpse, admitting internally that the Fortune Fish was unnecessary. His companions are astonished that a dangerous Middle Rank Fate Corpse died so easily.
• Shen Xiaoyi questions Li Qingxian about his methods. Li attributes his success partly to the Obelisk Fate Mountain, though he hints that he is concealing additional secret techniques.
• Shen Xiaoyi’s team defeats the second Fate Corpse through coordinated use of thirty-six Fate Artifacts, the Obelisk Fate Mountain, Wang Buwu’s direction, and the literary cultivators’ Righteous Qi.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates extraordinary mastery of Fate Arts. Unlike ordinary practitioners, who rely on lengthy calculations and years of experimentation, he can intuitively perceive and rearrange Fate relationships with remarkable precision.
• His confidence grows as he recognizes that methods considered extremely difficult by other Fate Arts Masters come naturally to him.
• Li also reveals a cautious and secretive side. He does not disclose the full source of his ability, vaguely crediting his success to Fortune and secret techniques.
• Shen Xiaoyi acts as Li’s teacher and tactical partner, explaining advanced Fate Arts and helping organize the battle. However, Li’s performance surprises even him, making him suspicious that Li is hiding important abilities.
• Wang Buwu contributes as a battlefield commander, coordinating the assault against Shen Xiaoyi’s Fate Corpse.
• The broader team members gain confidence from Li’s overwhelming victory and then assist in defeating the remaining threat.

Significant Themes

• Exceptional talent versus established expertise: Li Qingxian succeeds at a technique that normally requires decades of disciplined study, emphasizing his extraordinary innate perception and unusual cultivation path.
• Knowledge, secrecy, and mistrust: Shen Xiaoyi recognizes that Li is withholding information, while Li deliberately offers only partial explanations about his powers.
• Strategy over brute force—but also the danger of excess: The battle showcases careful countermeasures and layered preparation, yet Li’s victory is so overwhelming that he admits he used “too much force.”
• Cooperation and coordinated combat: Although Li’s individual strength is decisive, the defeat of the second Fate Corpse depends on teamwork among Fate Arts Masters, Martial Cultivators, literary cultivators, and commanders.
• Control over fate: The chapter highlights the central Fate Arts concept of reshaping and suppressing destiny by understanding its patterns rather than merely attacking an enemy directly.

Character Interactions

• Shen Xiaoyi teaches Li the principles and limitations of Changing Stars, Altering the Game.
• Li responds by revealing that he has already been using a similar process instinctively, subtly reversing their teacher-student dynamic.
• The two cooperate closely, dividing their forces and casting their techniques simultaneously.
• After Li’s effortless victory, Shen Xiaoyi presses him for an explanation, but Li evades the questions with half-truths and humor.
• Their exchange shows mutual respect, curiosity, and growing suspicion: Shen recognizes Li’s brilliance but no longer believes he understands the full extent of Li’s abilities.

Chapter Summary: “The Earring-Handle Vase Shows Its Might”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group examines two defeated middle-rank fate corpses, discovering that they died in completely different ways:
  • The corpse killed by Song Baige separates into a head and body. Its remaining evil-demon aura produces poisonous black-green mist, which Baige purifies with Righteous Qi. A Fate Star remains inside it, as would normally happen with a dead fate corpse.
  • The corpse killed by Li Qingxian disintegrates completely into fine sand, leaving no poisonous mist or harvestable Fate Star.
• Wang Buwu confirms that Li Qingxian’s kill is abnormal. Shen Xiaoyi privately questions him, suspecting that he used a special technique, treasure, or power.
• Li Qingxian claims that the obelisk’s power suppressed and killed the corpse, though he admits he is unsure whether this effect works on all middle-rank fate corpses.
• While considering how to explain his secret, Li Qingxian examines the White Dragon Supporting Waves Earring-Handle Vase in his Heaven-and-Earth Bracelet. The vase has transformed:
  • Its gray surface now emits a hazy glow.
  • Its water-and-white-dragon pattern has become animated.
  • Two masses of dark mist, each containing a speck of golden National Fortune, float inside it.
• Li realizes that the vase absorbed the fate corpses’ evil power while separating and purifying their National Fortune. He transfers the two golden specks into his Fate Mansion, where they merge with his Ruler’s Fortune.
• The experience reveals the vase’s likely true function: absorbing power from the Old Kingdom of the Death Realm, purging its evil component, and extracting usable National Fortune.
• Li Qingxian concludes that the vase is extraordinarily dangerous and important. He believes Good Fortune Born may be the Son of Man and that the vase could have helped him gather enough National Fortune to resist the Dragon Suppression Art. Li is grateful that he obtained it first.
• Li finds that the vase cannot be stored in his Spirit Platform but can be placed inside his Fate Mansion.
• Wang Buwu asks Li to transport the surviving fate corpse to the Black Lantern Bureau in exchange for a book of fate or possibly a major inheritance.
• Shen Xiaoyi rejects the request, arguing that the corpse belongs to their team and that her Fate Arts Master elders need it. Li agrees, but promises to provide the Black Lantern Bureau with another fate corpse if he obtains one.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Gains a deeper understanding of the earring-handle vase and recognizes its immense strategic value. He becomes more cautious about concealing its existence and its ability to absorb Death Realm power. His National Fortune also appears to strengthen after merging with the vase’s extracted power.
• Shen Xiaoyi: Shows sharp insight and distrusts Li’s explanation, pressing him to reveal the source of his unusual ability. She also protects her team’s claim to the surviving corpse.
• Song Baige: Demonstrates the purifying power of Righteous Qi by eliminating the corpse’s poisonous black-green mist.
• Wang Buwu: Acts cautiously by inspecting the corpse under protection, then attempts to secure it for the Black Lantern Bureau. He accepts Shen Xiaoyi’s refusal diplomatically.
• Good Fortune Born: Though absent, he becomes increasingly important in Li’s thoughts. Li now strongly suspects that he is the Son of Man and may have sought the vase for its ability to counter the Dragon Suppression Art.

Significant Themes

• Secrets and concealment: Li must hide the vase’s true power because revealing it could shake the entire Human Race and provoke conflict among powerful factions.
• Power and strategic advantage: The vase represents a new force capable of manipulating Death Realm power and National Fortune, potentially changing the balance between humans, demons, and evil sects.
• Purification versus corruption: The contrast between Righteous Qi and the fate corpses’ evil mist emphasizes the struggle between righteous and demonic forces.
• Fortune and destiny: The extracted National Fortune strengthens Li’s Ruler’s Fortune and connects the vase to larger conflicts involving the Son of Man and the Dragon Suppression Art.
• Trust and negotiation: Shen Xiaoyi’s probing questions and Wang Buwu’s request show how alliances are shaped by guarded information, mutual benefit, and control over valuable resources.

Character Interactions

• Shen Xiaoyi privately interrogates Li about his unexplained killing method, while Li gives her an evasive explanation involving a secret technique taught by his maternal grandfather.
• Song Baige uses Righteous Qi to purify the surviving corpse, demonstrating his role as a reliable force against evil power.
• Wang Buwu asks Li for the corpse on behalf of the Black Lantern Bureau, but Shen Xiaoyi firmly refuses because her team claims ownership and has its own need for the remains.
• Li supports Shen Xiaoyi’s decision while offering Wang Buwu a future replacement, preserving goodwill with the Black Lantern Bureau.

Chapter Summary: “Weird Princess Summons an Audience”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After successfully hunting two Fate Corpses, Li Qingxian and his companions are summoned to the inner courtyard by a princess.
• Li Qingxian uses his Eerie Eye to identify the two palace maids delivering the summons as eeries. Suspecting danger, he refuses to immediately bring the entire team into the courtyard.
• He orders the others to return to the Inner Guard Office and report, hoping to retrieve the Imperial Guard token for protection. He deliberately takes the risk upon himself rather than endanger the whole group.
• Song Baige offers to accompany him, but Li Qingxian orders her to leave with the others. Wang Buwu supports his decision, recognizing that Li Qingxian will have greater freedom to act alone.
• While following the maids, Li Qingxian concludes that the princess is probably a Weird Princess, whose status and danger may rival or exceed that of the Weird Mother.
• He changes his Fate Mold to emphasize concealment, evasiveness, and survival, preparing to switch to an eerie-related Fate Mold if necessary.
• The maids lead him to an ordinary-looking residence that appears to be a temporary headquarters rather than a true palace. Inside, Li Qingxian notices a mysterious painting whose contents he cannot perceive.
• He introduces himself as “Ye Han,” a name that feels unusually natural in the moment, and meets the princess behind a bead curtain.
• Contrary to his expectations, the princess speaks in a youthful, lively, and almost human manner rather than with the sinister tone associated with the Weird Mother.
• She questions Li Qingxian about how he and his companions defeated a Middle Rank Fate Corpse. He credits the entire team, especially Shen Xiaoyi, while explaining that his Fate Arts, the Obelisk, and the protection of the God of Soil and Grain enabled the victory.
• The princess realizes that Li Qingxian was connected to the disappearance of the Remnant Tower and the descent of the God Lord. She then asks him to explain what happened.
• Li Qingxian gives a deliberately vague but technically truthful account, claiming that the Obelisk’s power came to him through mysterious forces and that he does not fully understand the event.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates leadership, caution, and willingness to sacrifice himself for his companions. He carefully manages the group’s retreat instead of allowing everyone to face the princess together.
• His strategic thinking deepens as he analyzes the Weird Princess’s status, the structure of the palace, and the different rules governing various Eerie Grounds.
• He becomes more comfortable manipulating Fate Mold and using ambiguity to protect his secrets.
• Shen Xiaoyi is recognized by Li Qingxian as the team’s greatest contributor in the battle against the Fate Corpses.
• Song Baige shows loyalty by volunteering to accompany Li Qingxian, but he asserts his authority and sends her away for her own safety.
• Wang Buwu acts pragmatically, restraining Song Baige and acknowledging that Li Qingxian may survive more effectively alone.
• The Weird Princess is established as more complex than expected: although extremely dangerous and powerful, she appears curious, intelligent, and capable of human-like humor and conversation.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and self-sacrifice: Li Qingxian protects his companions by accepting personal danger.
• Caution in supernatural power structures: Status, tokens, Fate Molds, and knowledge of eerie rules are essential tools for survival.
• Appearance versus reality: The princess’s ordinary residence and lively voice contrast sharply with her terrifying identity as a Weird Princess.
• Truth, deception, and selective disclosure: Li Qingxian survives by offering answers that are vague but not outright false.
• Different rules across Eerie Grounds: The chapter clarifies that rules from one eerie domain cannot automatically be applied to another; the Eerie Village’s prohibition against using true names does not govern Eerie City.
• Humanity within the eerie: The princess behaves more like a person than expected, raising questions about the boundary between humans and eeries.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and the team cooperate closely, but his command forces them to separate when the princess summons them.
• His exchange with Song Baige highlights both her loyalty and his determination to protect the group.
• Wang Buwu’s intervention reinforces the team’s trust in Li Qingxian’s judgment.
• The Weird Princess and Li Qingxian engage in a cautious verbal contest: she probes his role in the Obelisk incident, while he deflects questions without revealing his true capabilities or intentions.

Chapter Summary: “Grandmother’s Hand, Little Sister’s Voice”

Key Plot Points and Events

Li Qingxian meets privately with the Weird Princess, who questions him directly about the Heaven’s Mandate Sect and its mysterious Son of Man. Li confirms that the Son of Man is Good Fortune Born, whom he encountered in Fangyuan Village, and recounts his journey while concealing his own deepest secrets.
The Weird Princess recognizes the troublesome “traitor” label above Li’s head and offers him a solution. She instructs him to throw one of his peaches into an indistinct painting. In exchange, the painting produces a Turtle-Button Silver Seal. By pressing the seal onto the “traitor” mark, Li can transfer the label to the seal and potentially use it to turn others into treacherous officials.
Because Li’s identification of Good Fortune Born has helped her, the Weird Princess also grants him a Third-Class Guard waist token through her maid Qian’er. She then asks how Li defeated a Middle Rank Fate Corpse and what he knows about the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s schemes. Li attributes the victory to the Obelisk and shares his team’s theories, including the Eighteen Hidden Kings Momentum Configuration and the Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration.
Impressed and angered by the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s plans, the Weird Princess provides Li with an official Ministry of Internal Affairs appointment. The document authorizes him to investigate the theft of Imperial Palace Fortune, capture the outsiders responsible, and move freely throughout the Palace of Accumulated Felicity, except for the Emperor’s and Empress’s residences. This gives Li unprecedented authority to investigate the palace’s hidden enemy.
Before leaving, Li briefly glimpses the Weird Princess’s wrinkled, aged hand when she sends out the document. Her grandmother-like appearance contrasts strangely with her youthful, little-sister-like voice. Li then collects his Third-Class Guard token from Qian’er and rejoins his worried teammates.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes more cautious and politically aware. He carefully answers the Weird Princess while withholding his personal secrets, recognizing that honesty is safer than deception before a powerful weird being.
• He gains significant authority and protection through the Third-Class Guard token and the Ministry of Internal Affairs appointment.
• Li grows more confident in his suspicion that the Eerie City and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect are competing powers, even if they are not openly at war.
• He also begins wondering whether the Weird Princess treats him favorably because of his connection to the Weird Mother.
• The Weird Princess reveals herself as highly informed, politically calculating, and unexpectedly helpful. She values Li’s information about Good Fortune Born and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect, but her true motives remain unclear.
• Good Fortune Born is further confirmed as the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s Son of Man, making him an important figure in the larger conflict.
• Li’s teammates, especially Fangfang, show concern and affection when he returns, emphasizing the group’s trust in him.

Significant Themes

• Power and political maneuvering: Li’s survival depends on navigating relationships among powerful factions rather than relying solely on strength.
• Trust and secrecy: Li must reveal enough information to gain support while protecting his own secrets.
• Identity and betrayal: The “traitor” mark symbolizes how political labels can define or endanger a person; transferring it to the seal gives Li a way to manipulate that system.
• Unclear alliances: The Weird Princess’s assistance suggests that enemies may cooperate temporarily against a greater threat.
• Appearance versus reality: The Weird Princess’s aged hand and youthful voice, as well as her apparently benevolent actions, reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of contradiction and uncertainty.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and the Weird Princess: Their conversation is direct but tense. She tests his knowledge, offers him a magical tool, and grants him official authority, while Li remains respectful and wary of her motives.
• Li Qingxian and Qian’er: Qian’er provides him with the Third-Class Guard waist token at the Weird Princess’s command.
• Li Qingxian and his teammates: After he exits, the team surrounds him with questions and concern. Fangfang hugs his leg, and Li reassures them that he is unharmed, though he remains confused by his sudden rise in status.

Chapter Summary: “Playing a Game in the East Palace”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian returns from an encounter involving the Eerie and the Weird Princess. Although his companions are concerned, he refuses to reveal what happened, warning that the details could be harmful to hear.
• He secretly withholds the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ appointment letter and leads the group toward the Palace of Accumulated Felicity, claiming that the Crown Prince is absent.
• On the way, they encounter a frightening procession of Puppet Cultivators who appear ghostlike and corpse-like because several have undergone Eerie Transformation. The group realizes the Puppet Cultivators may be potential allies rather than enemies.
• At the palace entrance, Li Qingxian presents both his ordinary personal guard badge and an unusual third-rank guard badge. The latter immediately grants the group access.
• Using the Seeking Immortal Bee and the Fate Disk, Li maps the palace complex and determines that they must act quickly before circumstances change.
• Li meets Mao Shigao, the palace’s chief eunuch. After presenting the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ appointment letter, he gains Mao’s complete cooperation.
• Through his Spirit Eye, Li discovers that Mao Shigao is actually an Eerie being disguised as a eunuch. He privately gives Mao detailed instructions and equips him with a Voice Transmission Talisman to ensure the plan is carried out correctly.
• Li then reveals that the group’s next step is to “play a game” to force the hidden Guardian out of hiding. He arranges an array and other preparations outside the palace before withdrawing.
• Palace eunuchs begin running through the East Palace while singing a deliberately provocative nursery rhyme inviting everyone to gather at the Palace of Accumulated Felicity and play. The taunt ends with a threat that those who refuse will be spanked, making the group both amused and uneasy.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly mysterious, confident, and strategically aggressive after his encounter with the Weird Princess. He hides important information, uses his new authority effectively, and develops an unconventional plan to locate the Guardian.
• Li’s companions grow more aware of his unusual methods. Though initially alarmed by his recklessness, they ultimately recognize his intelligence and support his plan.
• Mao Shigao is revealed to be an Eerie entity rather than an ordinary eunuch. Despite his confusion about Li’s instructions, he submits completely once Li presents the official appointment letter.
• The Puppet Cultivators are portrayed as possible neutral or cooperative forces. Their restrained interaction with Li suggests they recognize the group’s status and do not wish to provoke conflict.

Significant Themes

• Authority and legitimacy: Official documents and badges allow Li to command people within the palace, demonstrating the power of institutional authority even in a supernatural environment.
• Strategy through unpredictability: Li’s “game” is not frivolous but a calculated attempt to provoke the Guardian into revealing itself. His willingness to use mockery and spectacle makes him difficult for enemies to predict.
• The danger of the Eerie: The palace is filled with hidden supernatural threats, and even trusted officials may secretly be Eerie beings.
• Fear versus control: While the group is frightened by the palace, the Puppet Cultivators, and Li’s plan, Li repeatedly converts fear into a tactical advantage.
• Cooperation amid danger: The group’s reliance on Voice Transmission Talismans, coordinated planning, and possible alliances with the Puppet Cultivators highlights the importance of trust and communication.

Character Interactions

• Shen Xiaoyi, Song Baige, and the others express concern about Li’s encounter with the Weird Princess, but respect his refusal to discuss it.
• The companions question Li’s secretive behavior and lack of preparation, yet follow him because they trust his judgment.
• The group silently evaluates the Puppet Cultivators, debating their reliability and the meaning of the black-clad Impermanence’s gesture.
• Li asserts authority over the palace guards and Mao Shigao through his official credentials.
• Mao shifts from merely receiving Li to respectfully obeying him after seeing the appointment letter.
• Li’s companions react with disbelief and humor to his plan, especially Song Baige, who criticizes the nursery rhyme while admitting how effective—and malicious—the strategy is likely to be.

“Mao Shigao Throws Walnuts” — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian explains a cooperative game to his companions, then leads them to the Palace of Accumulated Felicity.
• In the palace plaza, the group encounters:
  • The disguised Dao Protector, posing as a eunuch.
  • A mysterious, slightly plump examinee whose entire team has died.
• Mao Shigao announces a Crown Prince–ordered game called “Finding the Four Directions.”
• Eight palace attendants—four eunuchs and four maids—stand around the plaza. Each has a direction written on their clothing, while their handkerchiefs may be blank or may bear one of the four directions.
• Contestants must correctly identify an attendant whose handkerchief matches the direction written on their back. Successfully choosing correctly three times earns a high-ranking guard position.
• A wrong choice forces the contestant to place a hand into a strange stone lion and choose between Severance and Heart Inquiry. The latter exposes a hidden crime through a supernatural interrogation.
• Mao Shigao selects contestants by throwing walnuts. The first several members of Li Qingxian’s group choose incorrectly and undergo Heart Inquiry.
• The lion exposes shocking crimes:
  • One contestant admits to abusing and murdering Jin Ling, a servant who had belonged to his mother.
  • Another admits to having an affair with his sister-in-law and plotting against his elder brother.
• The group reacts with apparent shock and outrage, though Li Qingxian recognizes that many are likely pretending.
• The fourth walnut lands before the round-faced examinee, forcing him to participate next.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian remains cautious and observant. He studies the Dao Protector and the round-faced examinee, recognizing that both may be concealing important identities or motives.
• Shen Xiaoyi grows suspicious when the supposed Dao Protector uses the surname Ye rather than the expected surname Hao. She warns Li Qingxian that something is wrong.
• The Dao Protector maintains a vacant, wooden demeanor but reacts subtly when summoned. His behavior suggests either deep concealment or an unusual disguise.
• The round-faced examinee becomes visibly nervous and repeatedly watches the Dao Protector, suggesting that he may recognize—or fear—him.
• Mao Shigao demonstrates authority, cruelty, and control. He uses the game to intimidate the contestants and publicly expose their darkest secrets.
• The contestants are shown to be capable of maintaining false expressions, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding their true loyalties and emotions.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Disguises, altered appearances, false names, and concealed affiliations dominate the scene.
• Public judgment versus private guilt: The game forces contestants’ secret crimes into the open, while others perform outrage without revealing their own thoughts.
• Coercion and power: Mao Shigao turns a supposedly playful contest into a deadly psychological trial under the authority of the Crown Prince.
• Moral corruption: The exposed crimes involve betrayal, abuse, murder, adultery, and attacks on family hierarchy, revealing the darkness beneath respectable appearances.
• Uncertainty and manipulation: The contestants cannot tell whether the game is genuine, whether the attendants are trustworthy, or what larger purpose Mao Shigao serves.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and Shen Xiaoyi communicate secretly, with Shen warning him about the Dao Protector’s suspicious identity.
• Mao Shigao commands the guards, attendants, and contestants, using threats to enforce participation.
• The Dao Protector publicly claims obedience to the Crown Prince, drawing attention because he shares the surname Ye with Li Qingxian’s group and not the expected surname.
• Contestants look to Li Qingxian for guidance after making wrong choices, but he can offer no way to avoid the lion’s interrogation.
• The round-faced examinee closely observes the Dao Protector before being selected by the fourth walnut, setting up a likely confrontation or revelation in the next section.

Chapter Summary: The Guardian’s Arm Left Behind

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the dangerous Pass the Handkerchief game, participants who fail to identify the correct handkerchief must answer questions posed by a stone lion. These questions gradually shift from personal matters to secrets connected to the Azure Cloud Examination and the Crown Prince.
• Qiu Ye admits that he has sometimes wished his teammates would die in his place, though he never acted on the thought, creating an uncomfortable silence.
• The disguised Guardian fails his turn and is asked whether he intends to activate the Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration in the Palace of Accumulated Felicity. He confirms that he does, revealing the conspiracy to the assembled players.
• Wang Buwu is asked whether he has ever been disappointed in Good Fortune Born. His hesitant admission exposes emotional tension within the group.
• Lu Gaoming is questioned about his plan to destroy his enemy’s entire family. Rather than answer, he chooses to sever his body again, sacrificing his left arm to protect the secret.
• The Guardian fails a second time and is asked when he will help the Son of Man compete for the position of Fate-Divider. Realizing the game is a trap, he attacks immediately.
• Using the powerful Myriad Phenomena Brush, the Guardian blocks the sealing beams, creates a black escape door, and flees. However, he is forced to abandon his left arm, which remains trapped in the stone lion’s mouth.
• Li Qingxian stores the severed arm in his Heaven-and-Earth Bracelet. He plans to use it as Fate Material, together with the Guardian’s brush and his own Obelisk, to track the Guardian’s location.
• The round-faced examinee, who correctly understands the situation, agrees to leave peacefully after swearing a Fate Oath not to reveal what happened.
• Li Qingxian explains that the group will repeatedly harass the Guardian and force him to expend the Myriad Phenomena Brush’s power until he can no longer escape.
• He also manipates Eunuch Mao into treating the Guardian as an outsider who has conspired with the Heaven’s Mandate Sect to steal the Crown Prince’s Fortune, cutting off the Guardian’s political and physical avenues of retreat.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates strategic foresight and ruthlessness. Rather than attempting to capture the Guardian directly, he creates a layered trap designed to weaken him, track him, and destroy his influence.
• The Guardian is revealed as a Heaven’s Mandate Sect agent secretly working to activate the Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration. His escape proves his strength and resourcefulness, but losing an arm leaves him weakened and exposed.
• Qiu Ye shows unusual honesty by admitting his selfish thoughts, reinforcing the game’s ability to expose human weakness.
• Wang Buwu reveals regret and disappointment toward Good Fortune Born, suggesting strained loyalties or unresolved personal conflict.
• Lu Gaoming proves his willingness to sacrifice himself for the group and protect its secrets, willingly losing another arm rather than reveal his intentions.
• Eunuch Mao openly aligns himself with Li Qingxian and the Crown Prince, accepting the role of pursuing and condemning the Guardian.
• The round-faced examinee emerges as perceptive and cautious. He recognizes Li Qingxian’s manipulation and chooses neutrality after securing his own safety.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Lu Gaoming’s self-mutilation and the Guardian’s abandoned arm emphasize the physical costs of protecting secrets and serving one’s faction.
• Trust and betrayal: The game exposes hidden resentment, selfishness, and divided loyalties among allies.
• Political manipulation: Li Qingxian turns the Guardian’s actions into a public crime against the Crown Prince, ensuring that the Guardian can no longer retreat safely.
• Strategy over strength: Li Qingxian acknowledges that the Guardian cannot be captured by force alone, so he plans to exhaust him through pursuit and attrition.
• Secrecy and revelation: The stone lion’s questions transform a seemingly childish game into an interrogation, uncovering the participants’ motives and conspiracies.
• Fate and power: The Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration, Fate-Divider position, Fate Materials, and Fate Oath all reinforce the chapter’s focus on controlling destiny through supernatural and political means.

Character Interactions

• Qiu Ye’s blunt confession creates tension among the examinees.
• The Guardian’s confrontation with Mao Shigao confirms that he is acting under the Crown Prince’s authority, not Mao’s.
• The Guardian’s reaction to Wang Buwu’s admission shows his attention to possible internal fractures within the group.
• Li Qingxian and the round-faced examinee negotiate a cautious truce sealed by a Fate Oath.
• Li Qingxian, Song Baige, and the others coordinate their plan to track and exhaust the Guardian.
• Li Qingxian persuades Mao Shigao to treat the Guardian as a criminal enemy of the East Palace, turning a covert conflict into an official pursuit.

Chapter Summary: “The Eunuch Claims a Life”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian uses the Fate-Seeking Arts, aided by the Dao Protector’s flesh and clothing, to locate the fugitive Dao Protector inside the Imperial Palace.
• The Fate Disk identifies the Dao Protector’s hiding place as the underground treasure vault of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Enraged, Eunuch Mao Shigao immediately leaves to capture him, confident that the residual power on the Dao Protector will allow him to recognize his target.
• While Shen Xiaoyi prepares to alter the Momentum Configuration, Li Qingxian orders the others to guard the Palace of Accumulated Felicity and prevent anyone from entering without authorization.
• Shen Xiaoyi begins changing the configuration, causing subtle shifts in the aura of the Imperial City and even making the Emperor Star flicker.
• Meng Huaichuan’s group arrives, claiming that a prince ordered them to guard the palace because of an emergency. Their real objective is to enter the Palace of Accumulated Felicity, likely because of the treacherous minister and the Golden Python Stealing Dragon Configuration.
• Li Qingxian refuses to admit Good Fortune Born, suspecting that the configuration may have been designed specifically to affect him and could activate prematurely if he entered.
• To preserve appearances, Li Qingxian allows Lin Zhenyuan and a few trusted companions to enter while excluding Good Fortune Born. This creates tension within Meng Huaichuan’s group and forces Good Fortune Born into an awkward position.
• Good Fortune Born apologizes and asks for entry, but Li Qingxian maintains that only Eunuch Mao can authorize him once he returns.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates confidence in his Fate Arts and strategic awareness. He not only locates the Dao Protector but also recognizes the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s broader plans and prevents Good Fortune Born from entering a potentially dangerous configuration.
• Eunuch Mao Shigao is portrayed as furious, decisive, and eager to personally claim the Dao Protector’s life. His role as the “old Eerie” emphasizes his terrifying reputation.
• Shen Xiaoyi remains focused and reliable, undertaking the dangerous task of altering the Momentum Configuration while Li Qingxian manages external threats.
• Good Fortune Born shows major growth in patience and self-control. Although furious at being excluded, he suppresses his anger, apologizes, and negotiates calmly because entering the palace is strategically vital.
• Meng Huaichuan acts cautiously and diplomatically, attempting to gain entry without openly revealing his group’s true intentions. However, he is placed in an embarrassing position when Lin Zhenyuan enters without waiting for his approval.
• Lin Zhenyuan acts decisively, accepting Li Qingxian’s invitation immediately and exposing the internal tensions within Meng Huaichuan’s group.
• Song Baige and Wang Buwu support Li Qingxian’s defense of the palace. Song Baige enjoys the social maneuvering, while Wang Buwu recognizes the cunning behind everyone’s actions.

Significant Themes

• Fate and pursuit: Li Qingxian’s Fate Arts make escape nearly impossible, suggesting that power over destiny can overcome concealment and physical distance.
• Strategic deception: Both sides conceal their real motives. Li Qingxian uses politeness and selective concessions to block Good Fortune Born without openly accusing him.
• Political maneuvering and status: Respect, rank, and public appearances are used as weapons. Li Qingxian frames his refusal as concern for palace protocol rather than personal hostility.
• Destiny versus individual agency: Good Fortune Born is linked to the “Son of Man” and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s plans, yet Li Qingxian attempts to disrupt the destiny arranged for him.
• Trust and vigilance: The characters must determine who is genuinely helping and who may be manipulating events. Even apparent allies are treated as possible threats.
• The danger of configurations: The Momentum Configurations are not merely symbolic formations; they can trigger major events when the right person enters, making position and timing crucial.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and Eunuch Mao cooperate in hunting the Dao Protector, with Li providing the location and Mao carrying out the capture.
• Li Qingxian relies on Shen Xiaoyi to alter the Momentum Configuration while he protects her and manages intruders.
• Song Baige and the other guards openly confront Meng Huaichuan’s group, defending Li Qingxian’s orders.
• Meng Huaichuan appeals to friendship and urgency, but Li Qingxian counters with palace authority and procedural restrictions.
• Li Qingxian and Good Fortune Born engage in a restrained psychological contest: Good Fortune Born seeks entry through humility, while Li Qingxian maintains control without revealing his suspicions.
• The chapter ends with Li Qingxian successfully isolating Good Fortune Born outside while admitting only selected members of the opposing group, preserving both the palace’s defenses and the appearance of fairness.

Chapter Summary: “The Lords Come to the King’s Aid”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Baige warns Good Fortune Born that attacking the Palace of Accumulated Felicity could provoke a conflict with its guards and eunuchs. Good Fortune Born reluctantly agrees to wait outside while Meng Huaichuan enters with Li Qingxian.
• Before entering, Li Qingxian privately warns Meng Huaichuan and Lin Zhenyuan about the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s “Eighteen Sons Hidden-King Momentum Configuration,” suggesting that Good Fortune Born’s remarkable fortune may be part of a larger, dangerous scheme connected to the palace.
• Inside the palace grounds, Li Qingxian observes Shen Xiaoyi struggling to maintain a powerful fate-casting ritual. A golden python formed within a damaged cauldron exerts immense invisible pressure on her.
• Three new factions arrive at the palace gates:
  • Scabbard and his sword cultivators
  • The Puppet Cultivators, led by Black and White Impermanence
  • Bone Filth Child and his Devil Cultivators
• Li Qingxian invokes the Crown Prince’s authority and allows limited numbers of the sword cultivators and Puppet Cultivators to enter, while attempting to prevent Bone Filth Child from entering.
• Bone Filth Child claims to possess the Noble Consort’s order to protect the Crown Prince, but Li Qingxian counters that only the Crown Prince’s command token will grant him entry.
• Tensions escalate when Scabbard and Lin Zhenyuan openly prepare to fight Bone Filth Child. Li Qingxian threatens to have Bone Filth Child killed if he steps onto the palace stairs. Bone Filth Child ultimately remains outside rather than risk attacking.
• Qiu Ye then warns Li Qingxian that something is wrong inside. Shen Xiaoyi’s ritual begins collapsing: the thirty-six Fate Artifacts descend dangerously toward her.
• Li Qingxian intervenes by sending thirty-six Fortune Fish into the artifacts to stabilize them, then rushes forward and catches the weakened Shen Xiaoyi.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates increasing authority, strategic intelligence, and confidence. He manipulates palace rules to control who may enter and successfully intimidates Bone Filth Child without immediately resorting to violence.
• Good Fortune Born appears more restrained than before, choosing to wait outside rather than cause an open confrontation. However, Li Qingxian’s warning raises doubts about whether his extraordinary fortune is natural or connected to a hidden fate configuration.
• Meng Huaichuan remains protective of Good Fortune Born and asks Li Qingxian to give him another chance. After hearing about the Hidden-King Momentum Configuration, he becomes suspicious and thoughtful.
• Lin Zhenyuan shows his blunt, aggressive nature by insulting the Devil Cultivators and immediately preparing to confront Bone Filth Child. He also recognizes that Good Fortune Born may be involved in something beyond his understanding.
• Scabbard proves similarly confrontational and confident, eagerly accepting the possibility of a duel with Bone Filth Child.
• Bone Filth Child is revealed to have fully recovered from his earlier injuries and to possess an even more grotesque appearance, with countless insects moving beneath his skin. Though provocative, he ultimately avoids crossing the threshold when faced with Li Qingxian, Scabbard, and Lin Zhenyuan.
• Shen Xiaoyi is shown to be under enormous strain as she attempts to control the fate ritual, becoming nearly unable to stand before Li Qingxian rescues her.

Significant Themes

• Hidden destiny and political manipulation: Li Qingxian’s mention of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect suggests that individual fortunes may be components of a larger plan involving kingship, power, and fate.
• Authority versus force: Li Qingxian controls the palace entrance through official commands and legal pretexts rather than immediate combat, showing that influence and legitimacy can be as powerful as martial strength.
• Unity against a common threat: Sword cultivators, Martial Cultivators, and Li Qingxian’s companions temporarily stand together against the Devil Cultivators, despite their own rivalries.
• The dangers of fate manipulation: Shen Xiaoyi’s collapsing ritual shows that controlling destiny carries immense physical and spiritual risks.
• Appearance and monstrosity: Bone Filth Child’s horrifying body emphasizes the alien and repulsive nature of Devil Cultivators, while the reactions of the others reinforce the moral and cultural divide between factions.

Character Interactions

• Meng Huaichuan appeals to Li Qingxian on Good Fortune Born’s behalf, while Li Qingxian responds with a cryptic warning instead of reassurance.
• Li Qingxian privately consults Meng Huaichuan and Lin Zhenyuan, prompting both men to reconsider Good Fortune Born’s role.
• Lin Zhenyuan and Scabbard openly provoke Bone Filth Child, transforming the gate into a potential battlefield.
• Li Qingxian uses the guards and the Crown Prince’s authority to isolate Bone Filth Child and prevent him from entering.
• Despite the hostility among the factions, the sword cultivators and Puppet Cultivators accept Li Qingxian’s arrangement and enter the palace.
• The chapter ends with Li Qingxian abandoning the confrontation at the gate to save Shen Xiaoyi, emphasizing his priority: protecting the palace’s fate ritual over pursuing a personal conflict.