Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun kills Zhao Qing and three other attackers with a single enhanced One-Yang Finger, demonstrating that his current strength has far surpassed the Qi Sea Realm.
• More treasure hunters arrive after seeing the treasure light, but they hesitate when they witness how effortlessly Chen defeated Zhao Qing’s group.
• The onlookers speculate that Chen is an Innate Grandmaster, possibly one whose strength rivals or exceeds most of the Myriad Treasures Eight Immortals.
• Wang Muzhi, subordinate of the Spear King Wang Lin, carefully assesses Chen and realizes that Chen’s aura is extraordinarily restrained and his protective True Qi is powerful enough to withstand attacks from several Qi Sea Realm experts.
• Chen attempts to leave before even stronger experts arrive, but the crowd concludes that the treasure must be in his possession. Greed overcomes their fear, and they decide to attack collectively.
• Chen responds with overwhelming force. He dodges arrows, throwing knives, and other attacks before slaughtering the leading attackers with his longsword.
• Using a combination of sword techniques—including the Saintly Spirit Sword Art, Heavy Sword Art, Light Sword Art, Thunderclap Sword Art, and Death-Claiming Triple Immortal Swords—he kills more than a dozen Qi Sea Realm martial artists in rapid succession.
• His swordsmanship alternates between crushing heaviness and deceptive lightness, breaking weapons, shattering bodies, and striking vital points with terrifying precision.
• The crowd finally recognizes the gap between them and Chen. Many retreat or hesitate, though some remain willing to risk their lives for the mysterious treasure.
• Wang Muzhi wisely refuses to join the attack and retreats, judging that even his powerful clan uncle, Wang Lin, would need to treat Chen cautiously.
• Just as the battle continues, a dominant newcomer known as Old Zhou arrives. Boasting about his fortunate timing, he launches a massive, tyrannical punch at Chen, ending the chapter on a new confrontation.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun is revealed to possess extraordinary combat power after reaching the Innate Realm. He is calm, ruthless, and decisive, viewing anyone who attacks him as an enemy who must be eliminated.
• His confidence increases as he tests his newly elevated strength, though he remains cautious enough to avoid being surrounded by unknown experts.
• Wang Muzhi proves perceptive and cautious. Unlike the treasure-crazed attackers, he correctly recognizes Chen’s terrifying strength and chooses survival over greed.
• The surrounding martial artists shift from arrogance and covetousness to fear and awe after witnessing Chen’s massacre.
• Old Zhou is introduced as a powerful, domineering figure whose arrival suggests that Chen may soon face an opponent of a much higher level.

Significant Themes

• The danger of greed: The promise of a powerful treasure drives the martial artists to ignore the obvious gap in strength and throw away their lives.
• Respect for true power: Chen’s appearance and unconventional clothing cause others to underestimate him, but his actions quickly establish that genuine strength matters more than outward bearing or reputation.
• The consequences of aggression: Chen does not attack without cause, but once others initiate violence, he responds with overwhelming and lethal force.
• Caution versus recklessness: Wang Muzhi’s retreat contrasts with the foolish behavior of those who believe superior numbers can overcome an Innate Grandmaster.
• The hierarchy of martial strength: The chapter emphasizes the enormous gap between the Qi Sea Realm and the Innate Realm, while hinting that even stronger experts may soon enter the conflict.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen’s brief exchange with Wang Muzhi becomes a psychological test: Wang attempts to determine whether Chen possesses the treasure, while Chen recognizes the probing immediately.
• The crowd relies on Wang Muzhi’s status and strength to lead an attack, but he refuses, implicitly acknowledging Chen as an opponent beyond their collective ability.
• Chen’s slaughter of the attackers transforms the surrounding warriors’ attitude from suspicion and greed to terror and submission.
• Old Zhou’s sudden arrival interrupts the battle and directly challenges Chen with a devastating punch, setting up the chapter’s next major clash.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chenghu, one of the Myriad Treasures Eight Immortals and reputedly the second strongest among them, arrives at the Burial Heaven Pit to seize the newly appeared ultimate treasure.
• Observers believe Chen Shaojun has no chance against Zhou, whose Heavenly Dragon Fist is an ancient and exceptionally powerful technique. Wang Muzhi and others decide to wait rather than interfere.
• Zhuang Hanyan and Yan Shuangjie analyze Chen Shaojun from a distance. They determine that his martial cultivation appears to be only at the First Layer of the Innate Realm, but that his spiritual power is extraordinarily strong, allowing him to affect reality and control objects from afar.
• Zhou launches a devastating first attack with the Heavenly Dragon Fist, disregarding the collateral damage to nearby martial artists.
• Chen Shaojun counters with the sixth form of the Tathagata Divine Palm, Buddha’s Light Shines Everywhere. His palm completely destroys Zhou’s fist and sends Zhou flying dozens of meters.
• The crowd is stunned that Zhou Chenghu, a renowned grandmaster, has been defeated in a single exchange.
• Witnesses begin speculating about Chen’s identity and the origin of his unknown Buddhist-like palm technique. A guard from the Mo Clan Trading House recognizes its aura from a powerful palm imprint Chen had previously left on a mountainside.
• Chen follows up with the seventh form, Heavenly Buddha Descends into the World, intending to finish Zhou before he can recover.
• Zhuang Hanyan and Yan Shuangjie intervene. Their flying sword and Daoist techniques combine with Zhou’s renewed punch to destroy Chen’s second palm.
• Having tested his strength and recognizing that continuing would attract even greater enemies, Chen chooses to withdraw. He also abandons the opportunity to copy the talents of Zhuang Hanyan or Yan Shuangjie for the time being.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability despite his apparently low martial realm. His immense spiritual power and mastery of the Tathagata Divine Palm allow him to defeat Zhou in one strike. He is also shown to be cautious and pragmatic, retreating after achieving his goal rather than risking a prolonged battle.
• Zhou Chenghu: His reputation as one of the region’s strongest martial artists is dramatically undermined when his signature Heavenly Dragon Fist is crushed instantly. Though defeated, he remains capable of helping resist Chen’s second attack.
• Wang Muzhi: Shows sound judgment by refusing to rush into battle. After witnessing Chen’s strength, he realizes that avoiding a confrontation was fortunate.
• Zhuang Hanyan: Displays sharp perception, recognizing Chen’s exceptional spiritual power and lamenting that someone with such talent did not cultivate immortal arts. She also proves willing to intervene to protect Zhou.
• Yan Shuangjie: Correctly identifies Chen’s spiritual strength and becomes interested in obtaining the ultimate treasure for himself. His greed and ambition lead him to intervene at the decisive moment.
• The surrounding martial artists: Their attitudes shift from confidence that Zhou will claim the treasure to fear and astonishment at Chen’s hidden strength.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Chen’s low apparent cultivation conceals extraordinary spiritual power and martial might.
• Reputation versus reality: Zhou’s fame and status cannot protect him from being decisively defeated by an unknown opponent.
• The value of restraint: Chen proves that knowing when to withdraw is as important as winning. He avoids unnecessary danger despite having the upper hand.
• Competition and opportunism: The various factions are less concerned with justice than with securing the ultimate treasure and weakening their rivals.
• Martial and Daoist paths: The chapter contrasts martial cultivation with immortal arts, emphasizing Chen’s unusual combination of immense spiritual power and martial technique.
• Unrecognized genius: Zhuang Hanyan’s regret over Chen’s chosen path suggests that talent may be wasted when individuals follow a cultivation route unsuited to their greatest potential.

4. Character Interactions

• Wang Muzhi and his subordinates: They debate whether to interfere, but Wang orders them to observe because Chen may be stronger than Zhou appears.
• Zhuang Hanyan and Yan Shuangjie: They assess Chen together, disagreeing over how long he can survive against Zhou. Yan’s interest in the treasure reveals a selfish motive beneath his detached observation.
• Chen and Zhou Chenghu: Their brief confrontation establishes Chen’s clear superiority in direct combat. Chen responds to Zhou’s aggression with overwhelming force and attempts to kill him before he can recover.
• Zhuang Hanyan, Yan Shuangjie, and Chen: The two Daoist cultivators join forces with Zhou to block Chen’s second palm, preventing his victory from becoming a killing blow.
• Wang Muzhi and the Mo Clan guard: Their exchange spreads speculation about Chen’s identity and connects his current palm technique to a legendary palm imprint seen earlier.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun attempts to leave, but Yan Shuangjie pursues him and attacks with an ocular divine ability granted by his Double Pupils.
• Chen counters with the Treasure-Fixing Divine Light, freezing Yan’s eye-light in midair and revealing that his Daoist cultivation is powerful enough to restrain a Core-Formation-level technique.
• Wanting to test himself against a genuine Core-Formation Realm cultivator, Chen unleashes Heavenly Manifestation. A massive thirty-meter phantom forms around him, shocking everyone present.
• The spectators realize that Chen is not merely a martial arts grandmaster but also an exceptionally powerful Daoist cultivator. Zhuang Hanyan suspects he may be a dual cultivator with a mysterious, possibly sect-backed origin.
• Heavenly Manifestation grants Chen a tenfold increase in physical strength at its first level, but it consumes his Arcane Cultivation rapidly. He can maintain it for only about six seconds before being forced to retreat.
• Chen destroys Yan’s earthen giant with one punch, dispels his ocular technique, and overwhelms him at close range.
• Yan summons thirty-six flying swords and combines them into a powerful great sword. The attack is deflected and broken apart, though it briefly causes Chen pain and nearly pierces his defenses.
• Chen then gains sudden insight into the first form of the Tathagata Divine Palm, Buddha Light Emerges. Using Heavenly Manifestation to amplify it, he creates an enormous palm strike with overwhelming destructive force.
• Terrified by the escalating battle, the surrounding martial artists flee. Zhuang Hanyan concludes that Chen’s power has reached the level of the Nascent Soul Realm, even if he is not yet a true Nascent Soul cultivator.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Reveals himself as both a formidable martial artist and a powerful Daoist cultivator. His confidence grows as he discovers that his strength can rival Core-Formation Realm experts and approach Nascent Soul-level power. He also demonstrates calm judgment, carefully calculating Heavenly Manifestation’s limited duration rather than fighting recklessly.
• Yan Shuangjie: Initially acts arrogantly and aggressively, believing he can stop Chen from escaping. He is stunned when Chen reveals equal or superior Daoist strength and is quickly placed on the defensive. His sect’s advanced techniques prove insufficient against Chen’s overwhelming physical power.
• Zhuang Hanyan: Experiences a major shift in her assessment of Chen. She moves from curiosity and surprise to genuine caution, recognizing him as a potential top-tier powerhouse whose background and future growth could affect the balance of power among immortal sects.
• Zhou Chenghu and Wang Muzhi: Feel relieved that they previously avoided provoking Chen. They now understand that opposing him would likely have resulted in disaster.
• The surrounding martial artists: Their awe turns into fear as Chen’s abilities surpass their understanding of martial arts and resemble the power of an immortal.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Chen was believed to be an ordinary martial arts grandmaster, but his Daoist cultivation reveals a far more mysterious and powerful identity.
• The convergence of martial and Daoist paths: Chen’s greatest advantage comes from combining an exceptionally strong physical body with powerful spell techniques.
• Power versus endurance: Although Chen can unleash Nascent Soul-level force, Heavenly Manifestation rapidly drains his cultivation, emphasizing that immense power does not mean unlimited stamina.
• The danger of arrogance: Yan’s decision to pursue and provoke Chen turns a potentially avoidable encounter into a desperate battle.
• Fear and political consequences: Chen’s display of strength is not merely a personal victory; it may influence how major immortal sects assess one another and respond to his existence.
• Potential and future greatness: Because Chen is still young, Zhuang Hanyan believes his current strength may only be the beginning of his rise toward the summit of the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Yan: Their confrontation develops from pursuit and provocation into a decisive demonstration of power. Chen neutralizes Yan’s techniques, withstands his sword attack, and prepares to end the battle with the Tathagata Divine Palm.
• Chen and Zhuang Hanyan: Though they do not directly fight, Chen’s revelation profoundly changes her view of him. She begins considering his origins, strength, and possible impact on the Jade Pool Immortal Sect.
• Chen and the other observers: His actions force everyone nearby to reassess him, transforming him from an unknown martial artist into a mysterious powerhouse worthy of fear and respect.
• Zhou Chenghu and Yan: Zhou privately blames Yan for escalating the situation, believing Yan’s unnecessary provocation has placed everyone in danger.

Chapter Summary: “Overwhelming Force, Departure”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun confirms his overwhelming superiority in battle by activating the Heavenly Manifestation divine ability and unleashing the first move of the Tathagata Divine Palm.
• His enormous palm strike is vastly stronger than his earlier attack and completely overwhelms Yan Shuangjie, whose spells, eye techniques, talismans, and artifacts fail to slow it.
• Yan uses two powerful life-saving treasures:
  • A golden flying sword formed from a talisman, containing a significant portion of an elder’s power.
  • The Azure Cloud Void-Piercing Token, which allows him to escape through space.
• Although the palm destroys the golden sword and severely injures Yan, the token carries him beyond the attack’s range, allowing him to survive and flee.
• The resulting palm print creates a huge crater and leaves behind profound martial and Daoist insights. Many observers study it and gain breakthroughs or improve their techniques.
• Chen recognizes that Yan has escaped, but does not pursue him because his energy is nearly exhausted. He dispels Heavenly Manifestation and departs by flying into the clouds.
• After traveling several dozen miles, Chen hides in a cave and restores his depleted Innate True Essence and arcane cultivation using spiritual pills and cultivation techniques.
• Once recovered, he reflects on the battle and reveals the treasure he obtained: the Three-Legged Nine-Dragon Cauldron.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates combat power far beyond ordinary expectations. He estimates that:
  • His martial strength is comparable to the seventh or eighth layer of the Innate Realm.
  • With the ninth move of the Tathagata Divine Palm, he might contend with ninth-layer Innate Realm experts.
  • Through Heavenly Manifestation, his Daoist combat power may reach the late Core-Formation Realm, possibly approaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
• Despite his victory, Chen remains cautious rather than arrogant. He identifies his main weakness as insufficient reserves of Innate True Essence and arcane cultivation. His techniques are extremely powerful but consume energy rapidly.
• Yan Shuangjie is revealed to possess considerable status and resources as the Azure Cloud Sect’s chief disciple, but even his strongest techniques and defensive treasures cannot withstand Chen’s attack. He survives only through emergency escape methods.
• Zhuang Hanyan gains a higher estimation of Chen, recognizing him as essentially unbeatable and someone who must not be provoked. She also benefits greatly from studying the palm print.
• Zhou Chenghu is left entirely awed and frightened by Chen’s strength.
• The surrounding martial artists and cultivators develop deep reverence for Chen, some mistaking him for an immortal after witnessing his flight.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength: Chen’s attack demonstrates an enormous gap between him and his opponents, turning a major confrontation into a one-sided battle.
• Hidden power and misjudgment: Observers initially misunderstand the source of Chen’s previous palm print, while Chen’s true strength remains greater than they realized.
• The importance of trump cards: Yan’s survival depends entirely on rare, high-level treasures and emergency techniques, showing how powerful figures rely on hidden resources.
• Power versus endurance: Chen can defeat high-level opponents, but his limited energy reserves remain a serious vulnerability.
• Martial enlightenment through conflict: The remnants of Chen’s palm strike become a source of insight, allowing others to advance their martial and Daoist understanding.
• Caution despite victory: Chen’s self-assessment shows that genuine strength requires not only powerful techniques but also sufficient cultivation and stamina.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Yan engage in a decisive confrontation in which Yan desperately uses every available method, while Chen’s palm effortlessly suppresses all resistance.
• Zhuang Hanyan observes the battle and accurately recognizes both Yan’s escape and the true value of his lost treasures, while also reevaluating Chen’s strength.
• The watching cultivators react with fear and admiration, remaining silent during Chen’s presence and later crowding around the palm print to study its lingering profundities.
• Chen’s departure leaves the observers convinced they have witnessed the actions of an immortal, while his palm print continues influencing their cultivation long after the battle ends.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun examines the newly acquired Three-Legged Nine-Dragon Cauldron, recognizing it as an extraordinarily powerful true immortal treasure. Its aura is so immense that even attempting to appraise it causes him instinctive fear.
• Because his current Arcane Cultivation and treasure-appraising ability are insufficient, Chen Shaojun cannot identify, refine, or activate the cauldron. He stores it in his Storage Ring for future use.
• He realizes that his three-foot-square Storage Ring is nearly full and decides he must obtain a larger storage treasure, possibly through the upcoming auction or Shengjing City’s secret black market.
• Chen Shaojun calculates that, if Shopkeeper Liu’s business proceeds smoothly, he may be able to return to Shengjing City in time for the black market’s next opening. He hopes to purchase Spirit-Sealing Stones and ancient magical treasures there.
• After recovering, Chen Shaojun returns to Myriad Treasures Town by flying through the air. To avoid recognition, he changes back from his disguised martial-hero appearance into his ordinary identity before entering town.
• In the town, he overhears exaggerated accounts of the battle in Burial Heaven Pit. Rumors describe him as a mysterious Dao-and-martial expert who defeated Zhou Chenghu and overwhelmed Yan Shuangjie using the giant Heavenly Manifestation technique.
• His palm strike against Yan Shuangjie has left a deep palm print containing profound martial and spell principles. Many experts are studying it, and some believe it can inspire breakthroughs.
• Rumors about the treasure are rampant. Some believe it is a peerless divine weapon or famous immortal treasure, while others doubt that any treasure exists because Chen Shaojun was not seen carrying one.
• Chen Shaojun returns to the inn, where Shopkeeper Liu, Lin Xi, and Lin Qiang are listening to a storyteller invent an elaborate history for him. The storyteller claims Chen is a hidden immortal-sect disciple sent into the world to stabilize a coming upheaval and retrieve a treasure buried by his elders.
• The supposed treasure is given the names Myriad-Mile Mountains-and-Rivers Cauldron and Nine Provinces Cauldron, said to suppress the realm’s fortune. These names make Chen Shaojun wonder whether they might describe the cauldron he actually obtained.
• Chen Shaojun investigates the storyteller with the Spirit Eye Technique, discovering that he is only a Fifth-Stage Body Tempering martial artist who has also reached the Third Stage of Origin Condensation. To verify that he is not concealing extraordinary strength, Chen uses his Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror’s source-tracing ability indirectly through a flawless Empty-Handed Sleight.
• In full view of the crowd, Chen removes and immediately returns the storyteller’s jade pendant so quickly that even Qi Sea Realm martial artists fail to detect the movement.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun remains cautious and self-aware. He understands that possessing the cauldron does not mean he can use it, and he deliberately avoids drawing attention to himself.
• His ambitions continue to expand: he wants a better Storage Ring, access to the Shengjing black market, more Spirit-Sealing Stones, and ancient treasures that might yield immortal techniques through the Myriad Spirits Unsealing Technique.
• Chen’s reputation grows rapidly despite his desire to keep his true identity hidden. He is privately pleased that his achievements have become legendary, even though no one associates the famous mysterious expert with the pawnshop appraiser.
• His increasing mastery of concealment, investigation, and Empty-Handed Sleight demonstrates his growing strategic confidence and technical ability.
• The storyteller is portrayed as clever, opportunistic, and skilled at embellishing events, transforming Chen’s battle into a grand tale of hidden sects and destiny.
• Yan Shuangjie gains a reputation for arrogance and defeat. His desperate escape using sect-provided life-saving treasures further magnifies the impression of Chen’s overwhelming power.
• Zhou Chenghu is publicly humiliated after being defeated in a single move, enhancing Chen’s stature among the experts of Myriad Treasures Town.

Significant Themes

• Power versus readiness: The cauldron is immensely valuable, but Chen’s inability to refine or activate it shows that possessing power is not the same as being capable of wielding it.
• Secrecy and reputation: Chen must conceal his identity while simultaneously benefiting from the fame of his disguised persona.
• Rumor and mythmaking: Witnesses and storytellers distort real events into legends, demonstrating how quickly truth becomes exaggerated in the martial world.
• Ambition and accumulation: Chen seeks storage, treasures, techniques, and cultivation resources as stepping stones toward greater strength.
• Hidden identities and appearances: The chapter repeatedly contrasts Chen’s ordinary public identity with the terrifying expert others believe him to be.
• Fortune and authority: The possible connection between the nine dragons and the Nine Provinces Cauldron introduces the idea that the treasure may possess the power to suppress or influence the fate of an entire realm.

Character Interactions

• Chen indirectly interacts with the townspeople by listening to their discussions of his battle and reputation.
• The townspeople discuss Zhou Chenghu’s defeat and Yan Shuangjie’s humiliation, unknowingly praising Chen while he stands among them.
• At the inn, Chen listens alongside Shopkeeper Liu, Lin Xi, and Lin Qiang as the storyteller presents a fabricated account of his identity and the cauldron’s origins.
• Rather than confront the storyteller verbally, Chen tests him through an exceptionally subtle theft and return of his jade pendant, confirming that he poses no serious threat.
• Chen’s past confrontation with Yan Shuangjie remains central to the rumors: Yan’s arrogance provoked Chen, leading to the use of Heavenly Manifestation and a crushing palm strike that became the source of Chen’s growing legend.

Chapter Summary: “Ten Carts, a Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun secretly appraises the jade pendant of an old storyteller, learning that the man is Wu Zhongliang, a former member of an official family who was ruined when his father was convicted of corruption.
• Because of his family background, Wu was barred from taking the imperial examinations despite his exceptional literary talent. He later became a storyteller and quickly surpassed his teacher by writing original and compelling tales.
• Wu’s reputation grew after his story Demoness from a Neighboring Kingdom Enters the Capital became an enormous success. His access to powerful families and hidden circles provided him with material for many stories.
• His recent tale about the Myriad-Mile Mountains-and-Rivers Cauldron and Nine Provinces Cauldron, supposedly connected to Chen’s treasure, was revealed to be based only on legends and coincidence. Wu does not actually know the cauldron’s location or secrets.
• Chen considers whether his own Three-Legged Nine-Dragon Cauldron might truly be the legendary Nine Provinces Cauldron, but decides he will only know after appraising it properly.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror evaluates Wu’s jade pendant as a Superior Dharma Grade item and rewards Chen with eleven points of Merit Golden Light.
• Chen reflects on his recent battle and realizes that conserving Merit Golden Light is essential. Without it, he could maintain the first level of Heavenly Manifestation for only eight seconds, limiting his ability to fight powerful opponents.
• He resolves to reserve some Merit Golden Light for emergencies rather than exhausting it completely. He also recognizes that, with sufficient cultivation, his powerful techniques could allow him to challenge even Nascent Soul Realm experts.
• Shopkeeper Liu and the others return and discuss the recent battle at the Burial Heaven Pit. Lin Xi and Lin Qiang want to visit the site and study the extraordinary palm print left by the mysterious senior.
• Chen refuses to accompany them, claiming he needs to study the sword technique taught by Dongfang Bai. In reality, the palm print was left by Chen himself, so he has no reason to investigate it.
• Shopkeeper Liu reveals that their pawnshop has arranged to transport ten carts of treasures, worth at least one hundred thousand taels, from Minggu Workshop back to Shengjing City. Chen will be responsible for appraising the goods and detecting any inferior or useless items.
• The departure is scheduled for two days later, the same day as the major auction in Myriad Treasures Town. Chen worries about missing the auction, where he hopes to encounter Zhuang Hanyan, Xie Xiaoyu, Guo Xianyun, and others so he can use his Copying Talisman.
• Shopkeeper Liu assures him that the caravan will leave in the afternoon, allowing them to attend the auction first. He plans to secure admission for them, becoming increasingly interested himself because of the auction’s valuable offerings, including a martial Divine Weapon, an immortal treasure, soul-stabilizing talismans, spiritual incense, and life-prolonging pills.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes more cautious and strategic. His recent battle teaches him that raw strength is not enough; conserving Merit Golden Light is vital for sustained combat and future crises.
• Chen also shows greater confidence in his abilities. He recognizes that his many techniques are still underdeveloped and that, with sufficient cultivation, he may eventually contend with top-level experts.
• Wu Zhongliang is established as a gifted but unfortunate man who transforms hardship and lost scholarly ambitions into mastery of storytelling. His intelligence and creativity allow him to build a new identity and become a celebrated grandmaster.
• Shopkeeper Liu demonstrates increasing trust in Chen by relying on him to appraise a massive shipment of treasures. His interest in attending the auction also reveals his ambition and practical awareness of potential opportunities.
• Lin Xi and Lin Qiang remain fascinated and somewhat humbled by Chen’s exceptional martial talent. Their complicated reactions show that they see him as far beyond an ordinary appraiser or martial artist.

Significant Themes

• Talent overcoming misfortune: Wu Zhongliang’s rise from disgraced official’s son to storytelling grandmaster shows how talent can find another path despite social and political barriers.
• The power of stories and reputation: Wu’s tales transform rumors, secrets, and current events into influence and wealth, demonstrating how narrative can shape public perception.
• Power and resource management: Chen’s reflection on Merit Golden Light emphasizes that strength must be managed intelligently. Even extraordinary abilities are useless if their energy is exhausted too quickly.
• Hidden identity and secrecy: Chen conceals his role in the Burial Heaven Pit battle and the palm print, while Wu’s storytelling unintentionally spreads a distorted version of Chen’s deeds.
• Opportunity versus obligation: Chen must balance his responsibilities to the pawnshop and the ten-cart shipment against his desire to attend the auction and copy the abilities of important figures.
• Coincidence and fate: Wu’s story happens to resemble Chen’s recent experiences, while the timing of the auction and caravan creates another seemingly accidental convergence.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s silent appraisal of Wu’s pendant allows him to uncover Wu’s history without revealing his own abilities.
• Wu’s storytelling indirectly publicizes Chen’s recent exploits, making Chen wary that his identity and secrets could attract unwanted attention.
• Shopkeeper Liu, Lin Xi, and Lin Qiang discuss the Burial Heaven Pit with Chen. Lin Xi invites him to inspect the mysterious palm print, but Chen politely declines.
• Chen and Shopkeeper Liu then negotiate the practical arrangements for transporting the ten carts of treasures. Liu expects Chen to protect the pawnshop from counterfeit or worthless goods.
• Their conversation ends with both men deciding that they can attend the auction before departing, preserving Chen’s plans while maintaining the caravan’s schedule.

Chapter Summary: Small Worlds, the Dream-Entering Technique

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shopkeeper Liu decides to participate in the upcoming auction and leaves for Minggu Workshop.
• While waiting, Chen Shaojun listens to Wu Zhongliang continue his fictional story about the Nine Provinces Cauldron, its mysterious inheritor, ancient secrets, immortals, demons, divine weapons, and hidden conspiracies. Chen admires Wu’s storytelling ability and the epic quality of his tale.
• Back at his inn, Chen reflects on the Three-Legged Nine-Dragon Cauldron, which is too valuable to use openly, and turns his attention to the smaller treasures he excavated from Burial Heaven Pit.
• He purifies several objects, including a heart-shaped jade pendant, bronze mirror, writing brush, damaged weapons, and a cracked porcelain bottle.
• Chen decides to use the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to investigate whether Burial Heaven Pit truly connects to numerous small worlds.
• The jade pendant’s history reveals that it originated in the Moon Realm, a world with a different moon cycle, customs, and martial system. Its people’s cultivation is much weaker than that of Chen’s world, with the strongest experts only reaching a level comparable to the Peak Qi Sea Realm.
• The pendant entered Burial Heaven Pit through a strange yellow mist that appeared to accelerate the passage of time. This suggests that Burial Heaven Pit may contain abnormal spatial and temporal phenomena.
• Chen concludes that the rumors about Burial Heaven Pit connecting to countless small worlds are probably true. He also realizes that Nascent Soul and Divine Profound realms may not be the ultimate limits of cultivation.
• Appraising the jade pendant rewards Chen with the Dream-Entering Technique, a spell that allows him to enter and manipulate the dreams of nearby people whose spiritual strength is much weaker than his.
• Chen recognizes the technique’s possible uses in intimidation, manipulating beliefs, influencing powerful figures, or even obscuring people’s memories if they discover his secrets.
• He begins appraising the second treasure, a bronze mirror, and learns that it came from the Azure Wolf Realm—a primitive, feudal slave society inhabited by wolf-like beings.
• Although technologically and socially backward, the Azure Wolf Realm possesses a powerful bloodline-based cultivation system. Its strongest royal bloodlines can produce strength comparable to the supreme pinnacle of the Innate Realm.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates greater curiosity about the wider cosmos and the origins of his own previous life. The possibility that he may have come from one of Burial Heaven Pit’s connected worlds deeply affects him.
• His confidence and ambition grow as he realizes that his current world contains far more powerful beings and hidden realms than he previously understood.
• Chen also shows increased caution, using divination before appraising the jade pendant despite already possessing considerable strength.
• He continues to value mastery in all forms, admiring Wu Zhongliang’s storytelling even though it is unrelated to martial or Daoist cultivation.
• Shopkeeper Liu is portrayed as impulsive and decisive, immediately acting once he hears about the auction.
• Wu Zhongliang gains recognition as a talented storyteller whose narrative skill captivates everyone around him.

Significant Themes

• The vastness of the world: Burial Heaven Pit is revealed as a possible gateway to countless alternate worlds, greatly expanding the story’s scope.
• Limits of cultivation: Chen begins questioning whether the Nascent Soul and Divine Profound realms are truly the highest stages of power.
• Time and space: The yellow mist suggests that different worlds may experience time at different rates, introducing mysterious laws governing Burial Heaven Pit.
• Knowledge and discovery: Chen’s treasure appraisals allow him to uncover histories, civilizations, power systems, and secrets otherwise inaccessible to him.
• Power and influence: The Dream-Entering Technique raises questions about manipulation, memory alteration, faith, and the ethical use of supernatural abilities.
• Longing for home: Although Chen is adapting well to his present life, his memories of his former world and the feeling of home remain emotionally important to him.

Character Interactions

• Shopkeeper Liu interacts with Chen indirectly by announcing his decision to join the auction before departing.
• Chen listens attentively to Wu Zhongliang’s story and internally praises his storytelling talent, though their interaction remains largely one-sided.
• Chen considers Shopkeeper Liu and the others when evaluating the Dream-Entering Technique, imagining how it might be used to erase or distort their memories if they discovered his secrets.
• Through the appraisal visions, Chen indirectly encounters the courtesan from the Moon Realm and the societies of the Moon Realm and Azure Wolf Realm, using their histories to compare different worlds and systems of power.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun continues appraising treasures from the Burial Heaven Pit, discovering that they originate from numerous small worlds with different cultures, power systems, and levels of development.
• The second treasure yields Werewolf Essence Blood, a rare bloodline inheritance from the Azure Wolf Realm. It can transform an ordinary person into a werewolf and grant them significant power, but Chen Shaojun considers it useless—and potentially dangerous—for himself, so he stores it away.
• He appraises a massive, handleless axe. The weapon once belonged to a powerful campaign general from another world. The general fought countless battles at the Qi Sea Realm, Seventh Stage, but was eventually betrayed, surrounded, and killed. His broken axe was swept into the Burial Heaven Pit by mysterious yellow mist.
• The axe grants Chen Shaojun the general’s cultivation insights, allowing him to experience the old warrior’s years of training, battlefield experience, axe mastery, perseverance, and failures.
• Chen Shaojun realizes that although he has advanced rapidly through rewards from the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, he has missed the gradual process of experimentation, hardship, and personal discovery. The general’s experiences restore this missing sense of accumulation and inspire him to create martial arts suited specifically to himself.
• He then appraises seven additional treasures at once. These items come from five different small worlds, ranging from realms with Body Tempering and Origin Condensation cultivators to worlds containing Spirit Astral Grandmasters and Golden Core True Persons.
• Chen Shaojun learns that the Burial Heaven Pit connects to many diverse worlds. Some are peaceful and prosperous, such as the Yellow Earth Realm, while others are plagued by ghosts, monsters, and zombies but retain Daoist sects that protect humanity.
• The appraisal rewards include:

Body-Fixing Talisman

Eight Spirit-Communing Pills

Zombie Steps

Seven points of Merit Golden Light

Soul-Returning Incense

Upper Spirit Rank Stacking Talisman

Paper Effigy Resurrection Technique

• Chen Shaojun is especially pleased by the Upper Spirit Rank Stacking Talisman, hoping to fill it quickly and obtain another powerful reward.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates increasing curiosity about the countless worlds linked to the Burial Heaven Pit.
• He remains practical and cautious, recognizing that the Werewolf Essence Blood may be valuable to ordinary people but could harm or mutate him.
• The general’s cultivation insights affect him deeply. Chen realizes that his effortless advancement has deprived him of the experience of trial, error, perseverance, and creative discovery.
• This realization strengthens his resolve to develop original martial arts rather than relying solely on techniques perfected by others.
• His understanding of cultivation becomes more mature: he recognizes that a technique’s effectiveness depends on the practitioner’s physique, temperament, energy, and compatibility with the art.

Significant Themes

• Diversity of worlds: The Burial Heaven Pit serves as a passage to countless realms, each with unique civilizations, cultivation systems, and levels of development.
• Bloodline versus personal cultivation: The Azure Wolf Realm emphasizes inherited bloodlines, while Chen Shaojun values self-cultivation and personal mastery.
• Experience and perseverance: True growth comes not only from receiving power but also from enduring hardship, making mistakes, and accumulating knowledge over time.
• Individual suitability: The strongest martial art is not universally powerful; its effectiveness depends on whether it matches the practitioner.
• The value of history and memory: The old general’s failures and achievements become useful to Chen, showing that even another person’s past struggles can provide profound insight.
• Peace and disorder: The discovered small worlds range from prosperous, well-governed societies to lands overrun by ghosts and zombies, emphasizing the variety of possible civilizations.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun has no direct interaction with living characters in the chapter.
• His main “interaction” is with the legacies of those connected to the treasures:
  • He mentally examines the bloodline traditions of the Azure Wolf Realm.
  • Through the axe’s appraisal, he witnesses the tragic life and death of the unnamed general.
  • By absorbing the general’s cultivation insights, Chen effectively inherits the general’s accumulated experience and battlefield wisdom.
• His relationship with the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror remains central, as it continuously reveals the origins of treasures and provides rewards that shape his cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Saint Physique, Innate Dao Body

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun finishes appraising the treasures and absorbs his rewards, including the power of the Tathagata Divine Palm and an Upper Spirit Rank Stacking Talisman.
• He is particularly pleased to learn that Stacking Talismans can be obtained repeatedly, rather than being a one-time reward.
• After recovering his mental energy with the Sitting-in-Oblivion Scripture, he leaves his room and hears martial artists discussing the upcoming auction in Myriad Treasures Town.
• The auction is expected to attract many major figures, including:
  • Yang Yuanhang, governor and strongest expert of Myriad Treasures Town
  • The Myriad Treasures Eight Immortals
  • Zhuang Hanyan of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect
  • Wan Fengnian of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect
  • Xie Xiaoyu of Divine Sword Manor
  • Guo Xianyun of the Tai Chi Zen Sect
  • Possibly Yan Shuangjie of the Azure Cloud Sect
  • Ye Haotian, who claims to be the successor of the legendary Saint Physique
  • The feared Grassland Red Dust Fairy
• The crowd debates whether Ye Haotian truly possesses or inherited the Saint Physique, since no major achievements have yet confirmed his claim.
• News that the Red Dust Fairy may have appeared near the Burial Heaven Pit excites Chen Shaojun because he previously learned that she possesses the rare Innate Dao Body.
• Chen Shaojun recognizes that both the Saint Physique and Innate Dao Body are supreme constitutions. He considers which one he should copy with his Copying Talisman.
• He regrets neither copying Yan Shuangjie’s Double Pupils nor Zhuang Hanyan’s Yin-Moon Body earlier, since those abilities, while powerful, would have been less useful or too conspicuous.
• Chen Shaojun visits Minggu Workshop, one of Myriad Treasures Town’s major shops, to inspect its treasures.
• He notices a highly unusual, fully enclosed suit of armor made from tens of thousands of precise components. Its design resembles advanced technology from another world or small world.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, he detects immense Killing Intent within the armor, as well as a trace of primordial energy. He refrains from appraising it immediately because the crowded surroundings could expose the disturbance caused by the appraisal.
• Shopkeeper Liu introduces Chen Shaojun to Minggu Workshop’s shopkeeper, Zhou Litang, veteran Appraisal Grandmaster Wu Qing, and Wu Qing’s disciple, Mo Jiu.
• Zhou Litang offers Chen Shaojun the strange armor, but Chen politely refuses, saying he should not accept rewards without merit.
• Wu Qing mocks Chen’s abilities, claiming that even he cannot safely appraise the armor and implying that Chen, as a newly promoted Appraisal Grandmaster, is incapable of doing so.
• Mo Jiu challenges Chen in a deliberately provocative manner, suggesting Chen’s youth makes his title questionable.
• Chen sharply dismisses Mo Jiu, saying that he is “not worthy,” humiliating both the disciple and Wu Qing.
• When Wu Qing accuses Chen of lacking the courage to accept the challenge, Chen calmly turns the situation around and volunteers to appraise the mysterious armor, asking Zhou Litang for permission.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly confident in both his appraisal abilities and his long-term cultivation prospects. His interest shifts toward obtaining one of the era’s supreme constitutions. He also demonstrates greater assertiveness, refusing to tolerate deliberate provocation and willingly accepting a difficult appraisal challenge.
• Ye Haotian: Is introduced indirectly as a self-proclaimed successor of the Saint Physique. His legitimacy remains uncertain, creating mystery around his identity and abilities.
• The Grassland Red Dust Fairy: Gains importance as a potentially unmatched young expert and bearer of the Innate Dao Body. Her reputation as a terrifying killer contrasts with the rare and prestigious constitution she possesses.
• Wu Qing: Is portrayed as an arrogant veteran Appraisal Grandmaster who feels threatened by Chen’s reputation and youth.
• Mo Jiu: Reveals jealousy and hostility toward Chen, attempting to challenge and embarrass him but instead becoming humiliated.
• Zhou Litang: Appears more diplomatic and commercially minded, offering Chen the unusual armor and observing the conflict between the appraisers.
• Shopkeeper Liu: Acts as Chen’s intermediary, introducing him to the workshop’s important figures.

Significant Themes

• Supreme cultivation constitutions: The chapter emphasizes the rarity and overwhelming potential of the Saint Physique and Innate Dao Body, presenting them as pinnacles of physical strength and cultivation talent.
• Opportunity and strategic choice: Chen must decide which constitution would benefit him most, showing that power acquisition requires careful planning rather than impulsive action.
• Reputation versus proof: Ye Haotian’s claim to the Saint Physique demonstrates the gap between public titles and verified ability.
• Youth challenging established authority: Chen’s exceptional talent threatens older experts such as Wu Qing, leading to resentment and competition.
• Hidden origins and other worlds: The strange armor suggests the existence of advanced civilizations or artifacts from other worlds, expanding the mystery and scope of the setting.
• Confidence and confrontation: Chen’s refusal to be belittled shows his growing confidence and willingness to prove himself through action.

Character Interactions

• Chen listens to the inn’s martial artists discussing the auction and silently evaluates which rumored geniuses might provide the greatest benefit.
• He interacts courteously with Zhou Litang, despite the latter’s offer of the armor.
• Wu Qing and Mo Jiu treat Chen with skepticism and hostility, attempting to undermine his status.
• Chen responds coldly to Mo Jiu’s challenge and refuses to engage with Wu Qing’s insults directly.
• When challenged publicly, Chen takes control of the situation by offering to appraise the very armor Wu Qing deemed too dangerous, setting up the chapter’s impending confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Appraising the Humanoid Armor

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun agrees to appraise a mysterious humanoid armor from another world, not because he is provoked by Wu Qing’s taunts, but because the armor resembles technology from the civilization of his previous life.
• Wu Qing and Mo Jiu warn him that the armor contains extremely powerful Killing Intent and may injure or even kill an appraiser. Shopkeeper Liu also urges him to reconsider, citing the failure of the renowned Grandmaster Wan Fei.
• Chen Shaojun insists and is provided with a private appraisal chamber at Minggu Workshop. Spirit-Calming Incense is lit, and the armor is carried inside while the others wait outside.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, Chen detects overwhelming Killing Intent, strange spiritual light, and unfamiliar energy fluctuations within the armor.
• He first uses divination, obtaining an auspicious result, then activates the perfected Myriad Spirits Unsealing Technique.
• The armor’s Killing Intent attacks his mental power, but Chen’s powerful spiritual force dismantles it within three breaths.
• The armor’s eyes then fire a sudden energy beam. Chen easily destroys it with a hand blade and estimates that the attack is comparable to a full-force strike from a Second Layer Qi Sea Realm expert.
• As Chen continues removing the armor’s vital energy and spiritual aura, the armor violently shakes. Those outside fear that its internal power is about to backlash.
• The armor suddenly activates and attacks Chen with a powerful punch containing genuine fist intent. The blow is comparable to a full-force attack from a Seventh Stage Qi Sea Realm expert.
• Chen blocks the punch with an ordinary palm, dispersing its force without damaging the armor. He then completely removes the remaining aura, successfully completing the appraisal.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates overwhelming confidence, restraint, and maturity. He refuses to be provoked into a pointless contest and appraises the armor only because of his genuine curiosity.
• His growth as an appraiser is emphasized: he is far beyond an ordinary Appraisal Grandmaster and possesses the perfected Myriad Spirits Unsealing Technique, extraordinary mental power, and sufficient martial strength to withstand the armor’s dangers.
• Chen’s curiosity about technology and possible links to his previous world becomes more prominent, revealing a personal and intellectual motivation beyond professional advancement.
• Wu Qing is shown to be arrogant and insecure. Although he claims concern for Chen, his warnings are partly driven by confidence that Chen will fail and suffer a humiliating backlash.
• Shopkeeper Liu develops from anxious doubt to quiet trust. His firsthand knowledge of Chen’s rise and achievements convinces him that Chen possesses methods beyond what others understand.
• Zhou Litang remains courteous and pragmatic, allowing Chen to proceed while observing the situation with interest.
• Grandmaster Wan Fei, though absent, is characterized as an exceptionally accomplished appraiser whose caution underscores the armor’s difficulty.

Significant Themes

• Confidence based on ability rather than pride: Chen does not accept the challenge to prove himself; he acts because he understands his own strength and is genuinely interested in the armor.
• The limits of conventional knowledge: The armor originates from a civilization unlike that of the Daoist Law World, showing that unfamiliar treasures may require methods beyond established appraisal techniques.
• Technological and mystical convergence: The armor combines mechanical construction, spiritual energy, Killing Intent, and martial techniques such as fist intent.
• Reputation versus true capability: Wu Qing relies on experience and status, while Chen’s actual ability far exceeds what his apparent level suggests.
• Hidden power and danger: The armor initially appears inert, but contains defensive beams, autonomous movement, vital energy, and combat instincts, emphasizing that treasures may conceal multiple layers of threat.

Character Interactions

• Wu Qing taunts Chen and predicts that the appraisal will damage or kill him; Chen responds calmly and refuses to be drawn into an argument.
• Mo Jiu reinforces Wu Qing’s warning, while Zhou Litang permits the appraisal after Chen insists.
• Shopkeeper Liu repeatedly tries to protect Chen, citing Wan Fei’s superior reputation, but eventually trusts Chen enough to let him proceed.
• Outside the chamber, Wu Qing attempts to frighten Liu into stopping the appraisal by describing the armor’s possible backlash. Liu’s growing faith in Chen causes Wu Qing to question whether Chen has an unknown method.
• Inside the chamber, Chen directly confronts the armor’s attacks, first destroying its energy beam and later neutralizing its fist without harming it.
• The successful appraisal overturns the expectations of Wu Qing and the others, confirming Chen’s superiority and revealing the humanoid armor’s extraordinary combat capabilities.

Chapter Summary: Star Realm! World-Breaking Talisman!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun completes the appraisal of the mysterious Humanoid Armor. After being purified, its battered exterior appears completely renewed.
• The armor is revealed through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to originate from the Star Realm, a small world where advanced technology and martial arts developed together.
• The Star Realm’s martial hierarchy includes Martial Masters, War Gods, and Skywalkers, roughly corresponding to the Body Tempering/Qi Sea, Innate, and Spirit Astral realms of Chen Shaojun’s world.
• The armor is identified as Master-Rank Seven-Star Armor, created using the martial experience and evolved fist intent of a Level Seven Martial Master. It allows a weaker user to display Martial Master-level strength, though its power is capped at the Qi Sea Realm.
• Chen learns that the armor’s original owner purchased it through heavy debt and used it to hunt in the wilderness. He eventually died beneath the attack of a giant beast, while a mysterious yellow mist carried away both his corpse and the armor.
• The armor later passed through the Burial Heaven Pit before being excavated and brought to Minggu Workshop.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror ranks the armor as Lower Immortal Rank and rewards Chen with a World-Breaking Talisman (Round Trip).
• Chen discovers that the talisman can cross world barriers, but only if he possesses an item from the target world to serve as a spatial coordinate. The talisman also requires a token from his current world to ensure his return.
• Although intrigued by the Star Realm and its technology, Chen decides not to pursue its armor immediately. He believes external equipment is of limited value compared with his own combat strength.
• After restoring his mental power, Chen leaves the appraisal room and confirms to everyone that he successfully appraised the armor.
• Shopkeeper Liu is delighted, while Wu Qing and Mo Jiu are shocked and reluctant to admit defeat. Mo Jiu argues that the appraisal is not truly complete unless the sealed armor can be opened.
• Chen explains the armor’s structure and abilities, prompting widespread astonishment. When Zhou Litang presses the armor’s central button, it finally opens, revealing its interior and ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates his exceptional appraisal ability by successfully identifying an artifact far beyond ordinary treasures. He gains a deeper understanding of other worlds and obtains a potentially powerful means of interworld travel. His attitude remains calm and confident, and he shows little attachment to the armor because he trusts his own strength.
• Shopkeeper Liu: His anxiety turns into triumph once Chen emerges unharmed. Chen’s success restores his confidence and gives him a chance to regain prestige over Minggu Workshop.
• Wu Qing and Mo Jiu: Their skepticism and arrogance are shaken. They are forced to acknowledge Chen’s success, though Mo Jiu continues searching for technical reasons to dispute whether the appraisal is complete.
• Zhou Litang and the other onlookers: Their curiosity and surprise grow as Chen reveals the armor’s origins and power. They begin to recognize that it may be more extraordinary than they initially assumed.

Significant Themes

• Technology and martial arts: The Star Realm presents an alternative path of civilization in which technological advancement enhances martial cultivation and produces powerful artifacts.
• Strength versus external tools: Chen reflects that armor and weapons are ultimately supplementary; genuine personal cultivation remains more important.
• Exploration of other worlds: The World-Breaking Talisman expands the story’s scope, introducing the possibility of travel between realms and access to unknown resources and cultivation systems.
• Recognition and rivalry: Chen’s success humiliates his doubters and restores Shopkeeper Liu’s standing, highlighting the competitive nature of treasure appraisal.
• Hidden origins and mystery: The armor’s dead owner, the yellow mist, and the still-unseen interior suggest unresolved secrets surrounding the artifact’s journey between worlds.

Character Interactions

• Chen reassures Shopkeeper Liu by emerging safely and announcing that the appraisal is complete.
• Shopkeeper Liu openly celebrates Chen’s success and casts a triumphant glance toward Wu Qing and Mo Jiu.
• Mo Jiu challenges Chen’s claim, insisting that merely cleansing the armor may not constitute a complete appraisal.
• Chen responds by explaining the armor’s construction, capabilities, and origin, then confidently invites Mo Jiu to test it.
• Zhou Litang attempts to verify Chen’s claims by pressing the armor’s central button, accidentally opening it and revealing the armor’s interior.

Chapter Summary: The Fish That Slipped Through the Net, Passing Fake for Real

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shopkeeper Zhou opens the Humanoid Armor, revealing the desiccated corpse of its original owner sealed inside. Chen Shaojun explains that the armor had been locked from within after the owner’s death and could only be opened through highly advanced appraisal methods or special procedures.
• A subordinate tests the armor and demonstrates its tremendous power, including powerful punches and bursts of qi. Impressed, Shopkeeper Zhou immediately decides to keep the armor rather than give it to Chen Shaojun as previously promised.
• Chen Shaojun’s successful appraisal dramatically changes everyone’s opinion of him. His skill is recognized as superior to Wu Qing’s and possibly comparable to or greater than Grandmaster Wan Fei’s.
• Wu Qing openly admits his inferiority and apologizes for his earlier disrespect. He orders his disciple, Mo Jiu, to apologize as well. Chen Shaojun calmly accepts their apologies but makes clear that he has no interest in pursuing a relationship with them.
• Wu Qing senses through his spiritual intuition that he has missed a major opportunity. He suspects Chen Shaojun may eventually become a great figure, perhaps even an Appraisal Grandmaster-Patriarch or Treasure Unsealer. However, out of wounded pride and discouragement, he chooses not to follow Chen to the treasure vault.
• Chen Shaojun, Mo Jiu, Shopkeeper Liu, and Shopkeeper Zhou proceed to Minggu Workshop’s treasure vault. The vault contains countless objects excavated from Burial Heaven Pit, including jade, jewelry, ornaments, components, and unusual artifacts.
• Chen is asked to inspect the treasures selected for a transaction worth more than one hundred thousand taels. Using his Spirit Eye Technique, he evaluates their quality, Killing Intent, and hidden value.
• He confirms that the first chest of jade pendants is fairly priced and likely to yield substantial profit for Shopkeeper Liu’s Lin Clan Pawnshop. While inspecting the items, he deliberately selects several for formal appraisal, hoping to uncover valuable objects and obtain rewards from the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.
• In the second chest, containing pearls, agate, and similar accessories, Chen notices an extraordinary treasure but remains outwardly calm.
• He then identifies several suspicious objects, questioning whether they were truly excavated from Burial Heaven Pit. The chapter ends as he pulls out four items, implying that they may be fakes, misrepresented goods, or particularly valuable treasures that Minggu Workshop’s appraisers overlooked.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: His reputation rises sharply after successfully appraising the Humanoid Armor. He remains calm, detached, and confident, carefully concealing his ability to identify valuable treasures in advance.
• Wu Qing: His arrogance collapses after witnessing Chen’s superior skill. He sincerely apologizes but becomes deeply regretful when Chen refuses to pursue closer ties. His intuition suggests Chen has extraordinary future potential.
• Mo Jiu: Initially disrespectful and overconfident, he follows his master’s example and humbly apologizes. He later assists Chen in the treasure vault.
• Shopkeeper Zhou: His attitude shifts from treating Chen as someone deserving compensation to recognizing him as a highly valuable business connection. He keeps the Humanoid Armor but attempts to compensate Chen by offering favorable terms on the treasure transaction.
• Shopkeeper Liu: His anxiety over the large purchase eases as Chen verifies that the selected treasures are worthwhile. He increasingly relies on Chen’s expertise.
• The Humanoid Armor’s original owner: Though deceased, his corpse explains the armor’s mysterious seal and emphasizes the dangers and history connected to the artifact.

Significant Themes

• True ability versus reputation: Chen’s actions prove his skill more decisively than titles or claims, forcing established experts to acknowledge him.
• Pride and missed opportunities: Wu Qing’s earlier arrogance damages his chance to build a relationship with Chen, showing how pride can cause one to lose major opportunities.
• Hidden value and overlooked treasures: The chapter introduces the idea that seemingly ordinary or poorly appraised objects may conceal immense worth.
• Commerce, risk, and expertise: The large transaction demonstrates how appraisal skill determines whether merchants gain or suffer enormous losses.
• Appearances versus reality: The Humanoid Armor, the corpse inside it, and the suspicious treasures all show that objects may be very different from how they initially appear.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen explains the armor’s internal seal after Shopkeeper Zhou opens it and frightens everyone by exposing the corpse.
• Shopkeeper Zhou tests the armor and silently abandons his promise to give it to Chen.
• Wu Qing and Mo Jiu apologize directly to Chen, but Chen responds with polite indifference rather than reconciliation.
• Shopkeeper Zhou follows Chen to the vault, hoping to cultivate a relationship with him, while Wu Qing chooses to withdraw.
• Shopkeeper Liu entrusts Chen with the final judgment on the purchase.
• Chen begins uncovering suspicious objects in the treasure stock, setting up a likely confrontation over whether Minggu Workshop has mixed fake or misrepresented goods into the sale.

Chapter Summary: “Three Heads and Six Arms”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun uses the Spirit Eye Technique to examine three suspicious treasures: a pearl bracelet, Phoenix Hairpin, and agate statue.
• He notices that, unlike genuine Burial Heaven Pit artifacts, they lack authentic traces of time. The items have been artificially aged and coated to imitate treasures marked by Killing Intent.
• Mo Jiu confirms through the Divine Gaze Technique that the objects are fakes made from resin rather than pearl or agate.
• Minggu Workshop accepts responsibility. Mo Jiu offers Chen Shaojun replacement treasures worth twice the value of the fraudulent items, which Chen accepts.
• Chen begins selecting replacements and examines a chest containing weapons and armor. Shopkeeper Liu explains that the Lin Clan Pawnshop has obtained a government-issued Weapon Appraisal Writ, allowing it to legally handle and appraise weapons.
• Chen appraises large quantities of swords, sabers, armor, daggers, spearheads, and other weapons. He discovers that several seemingly intact weapons are actually cracked, broken, and unsafe for use.
• His ability to appraise four or five weapons simultaneously shocks Mo Jiu. Chen’s control over spiritual power and his resistance to dense Killing Intent demonstrate that he has truly surpassed ordinary Appraisal Grandmasters.
• After exchanging the defective items, Chen increases the value of the selected weapons and armor to more than one hundred thousand taels. Altogether, the inspected goods are worth roughly 150,000 taels, with an estimated resale value approaching 400,000–500,000 taels.
• Through the large number of appraisals, Chen completes the accumulation of his Stacking Talisman, raising it to the Upper Spirit Rank.
• He claims the resulting reward from the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror and receives the legendary divine ability Three Heads and Six Arms, a power said to rival Heavenly Manifestation.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates extraordinary appraisal ability, especially in detecting artificial aging, identifying fake materials, and safely handling weapons saturated with Killing Intent.
• His spiritual power and control are shown to be far beyond Mo Jiu’s expectations. He can appraise multiple dangerous weapons at once with calmness and precision.
• Chen becomes increasingly confident in the value of high-level appraisal work and eagerly anticipates the powerful rewards produced by his completed Stacking Talisman.
• Mo Jiu shifts from confidence in his own expertise to genuine shock and admiration. He recognizes that Chen has surpassed even Wu Qing in appraisal ability.
• Shopkeeper Liu proves himself shrewd and experienced, having selected many profitable treasures, while also acting pragmatically by arranging the return and replacement of defective weapons.
• Mo Jiu’s sense of responsibility is emphasized when he immediately offers compensation for Minggu Workshop’s counterfeit treasures.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The fake artifacts are deliberately made to look ancient and dangerous, showing how easily surface appearances can deceive inexperienced appraisers.
• Skill and insight: True expertise comes from perceiving hidden qualities—such as traces of time, material composition, and structural damage—that ordinary inspection cannot reveal.
• Trust and accountability: Minggu Workshop’s willingness to compensate Chen contrasts with the unknown fraudsters who planted the counterfeit treasures.
• Growth through accumulation: Chen’s repeated appraisals not only create financial profit but also steadily strengthen his abilities and unlock increasingly powerful rewards.
• Legitimacy and authority: The Weapon Appraisal Writ allows the Lin Clan Pawnshop to operate openly, illustrating the importance of official recognition in a society where weapon trading is heavily restricted.
• Escalating power: The chapter ends by introducing a divine ability comparable to Heavenly Manifestation, signaling a major increase in Chen’s future combat potential.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Mo Jiu cooperate during the investigation of the counterfeit treasures, with Mo Jiu verifying Chen’s suspicions and offering compensation.
• Shopkeeper Liu offers polite reassurance to Mo Jiu while privately benefiting from the replacement arrangement, revealing his practical and commercially minded nature.
• Liu explains the pawnshop’s new legal authority to Chen, helping him understand why weapons can now be appraised openly.
• Chen’s rapid, multi-target appraisal leaves Mo Jiu visibly stunned and deepens Mo Jiu’s respect for him.
• The chapter concludes with Chen alone, claiming his reward and reacting with astonishment to the divine ability Three Heads and Six Arms.

Chapter Summary: “Plans and the Broken Blade”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun receives the reward from an Upper Spirit Rank Stacking Talisman: the powerful divine ability Three Heads and Six Arms.
• He learns that the ability enhances offensive power rather than merely changing his appearance:
  • First level: One Head and Four Arms—doubles spell-attack power.
  • Second level: Two Heads and Four Arms—doubles attack power.
  • Third level: Two Heads and Six Arms—quadruples spell power.
  • Fourth level: Three Heads and Six Arms—increases spell power eightfold.
• The ability can be combined with Heavenly Manifestation, potentially producing overwhelming combat strength. However, both abilities consume enormous amounts of arcane power, and Chen can currently sustain only the first level of Three Heads and Six Arms for ten breaths—or roughly one breath when combined with Heavenly Manifestation.
• Chen concludes that increasing his Arcane Cultivation is his most urgent priority. He considers using Merit Golden Light, gained through treasure appraisal, but recognizes that obtaining it depends heavily on luck.
• He thinks of using his limited Fortune Talismans and Wish Talisman to improve his chances, but decides to save them until he has enough high-quality treasures to justify their use.
• After the treasures from the previous operation are transferred to the Mo Clan Trading House, Chen secretly separates from Shopkeeper Liu and disguises himself as a middle-aged merchant.
• He visits Minggu Workshop and negotiates with proprietor Zhou Litang, claiming to be opening a pawnshop and offering to purchase unauthenticated treasures worth one hundred thousand taels of silver.
• With Mo Jiu guiding him, Chen enters the workshop’s treasury and deliberately selects only weapons and armor. These items are easier to resell in Myriad Treasures Town than jade, jewelry, or other artifacts.
• He identifies more than three hundred weapons and armor pieces with substantial Killing Intent. Among them, he becomes particularly interested in a broken saber with exceptionally dense Killing Intent.
• Mo Jiu explains that the saber was made from excellent materials and crafted with great skill, but had been discarded because its blade was broken. After bargaining, Chen purchases it for 3,500 taels instead of the original price of 5,000.
• Chen transports the treasures to a rented residence, establishes a Soundproof Formation and Soul-Bewildering Formation, and prepares to appraise them in secret.
• He begins with ten weapons—five sabers and five swords—and uses divination to confirm that the appraisal will be auspicious.
• His spiritual power successfully suppresses the weapons’ Killing Intent and their retaliatory saber and sword attacks.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror reveals that the ten weapons originated from ten separate small worlds. Chen notes that these worlds are weaker than the Great Zhou Dynasty and decides they are not worth visiting with his sole World-Breaking Talisman.
• The appraisal process concludes with the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror beginning to identify the weapons’ grades, ranging from Superior Dharma Grade to Low-Grade Treasure Rank.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly aware that his extraordinary abilities are limited primarily by insufficient Arcane Cultivation. This shifts his immediate focus from acquiring more techniques to finding reliable ways to accumulate Merit Golden Light and strengthen his foundation.
• He demonstrates continued caution and strategic thinking by conserving his Fortune and Wish Talismans, avoiding suspicious purchases, disguising his identity, and using formations to conceal his activities.
• His confidence has grown significantly. He can now calmly suppress the backlash from multiple weapons simultaneously, even while remaining cautious enough to use divination before beginning the appraisal.
• Mo Jiu is shown to be observant and commercially capable. Although he spends considerable time with Chen’s disguised identity, he cannot recognize him, highlighting Chen’s mastery of disguise and aura control.
• Zhou Litang appears as a pragmatic proprietor willing to cooperate when presented with a lucrative transaction.

Significant Themes

• Power versus limitations: Chen gains an immensely destructive ability, but his lack of arcane reserves prevents him from using it freely.
• Preparation and resource management: The chapter emphasizes conserving rare talismans, choosing profitable treasures, and carefully controlling when and how Chen reveals his abilities.
• Hidden identity and secrecy: Chen’s disguise, private purchases, and protective formations reflect the dangers of exposing his true capabilities.
• Value beneath appearances: The broken saber appears useless to others, yet its immense Killing Intent makes it unusually valuable to Chen. The chapter suggests that damaged or overlooked objects may conceal extraordinary potential.
• Expanding worlds: The appraisal reveals the existence of countless small worlds, broadening the story’s sense of scale while also showing Chen’s practical focus on resources that can directly improve his strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen internally evaluates his new divine ability and its relationship with Heavenly Manifestation.
• He negotiates with Zhou Litang and Mo Jiu while maintaining his false identity as a new pawnbroker.
• Mo Jiu explains the broken saber’s history and attempts to justify its price, while Chen calmly haggles it down to 3,500 taels.
• Chen interacts indirectly with the weapons through his spiritual power, suppressing their Killing Intent and retaliatory attacks during appraisal.
• The chapter ends as Chen begins systematically examining his large collection of weapons, with the broken saber remaining a particularly promising mystery.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun receives the rewards from a previous appraisal, including the second form of the Eight Forms of the Heavenly Saber, Mandarin Duck Swordplay, Merit Golden Light, the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra, a Skyflying Talisman, several pills, and specialized techniques.
• He finds most of these rewards underwhelming because his current cultivation has already surpassed their usefulness. The Heart-Seeking Pill is the main exception, as it can help martial artists overcome cultivation bottlenecks.
• Hoping to obtain more valuable talismans—especially the Stacking Talisman—Chen activates a Fortune Talisman and begins appraising five powerful weapons at once.
• The weapons contain the lingering wills and attacks of their former owners. They unleash saber strikes, sword light, spear attacks, and a magical flying sword against him.
• Chen easily blocks every attack with the Indestructible Vajra Technique, demonstrating the overwhelming defensive power of his Innate-realm cultivation.
• He rapidly destroys the weapons’ Killing Intent and residual martial consciousness, completing the appraisal within the Fortune Talisman’s limited duration.
• The appraisal reveals that the weapons originated from different small worlds. Two of these worlds had reached the Spirit Astral Realm, while another followed a purely physical martial path whose highest level was described as “breaking the void, seeing the god within, and remaining unbroken.”
• Chen theorizes that every small world has a natural power limit, but those who reach the absolute peak may break through the world’s spatial barrier and enter another world.
• The five weapons are graded as Spirit Rank treasures and yield powerful rewards: the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Treasure-Seeking Talisman, Clone Technique, Teleportation Talisman, and Embryonic Transformation.
• Although he is initially disappointed that he did not receive the Stacking Talisman, Chen is delighted by the quality of the rewards.
• He immediately masters the Clone Technique, creating a nearly identical copy of himself. After testing it through humorous role-play, he is satisfied that the clone can allow him to act without personally remaining at the pawnshop.
• He is especially pleased with the Teleportation Talisman, which can transport him thousands of miles away and become a crucial escape method.

Character Development

• Chen’s growing power is emphasized: ordinary high-grade martial arts, pills, and talismans are now largely useless to him.
• His appraisal abilities and mental strength have advanced to the point where he can process multiple Spirit Rank weapons rapidly and withstand the combined attacks of several powerful martial wills.
• He becomes increasingly strategic, using the Fortune Talisman to maximize the quality of his rewards and planning his appraisals around its brief duration.
• His curiosity expands beyond immediate cultivation. The discovery of multiple worlds leads him to contemplate the limits of reality, the structure of the heavens, and the possibility of escaping one world for another.
• The Clone Technique gives him greater freedom and flexibility, reducing his dependence on personally appearing at the pawnshop.
• His acquisition of the Teleportation Talisman strengthens his confidence and survival options by giving him a reliable means of retreat.

Significant Themes

• Power and changing needs: As Chen grows stronger, previously valuable treasures become irrelevant, showing how advancement changes one’s standards and needs.
• Breaking limits: The idea that peak experts can break through the barriers of their worlds mirrors the chapter’s focus on transcending physical and cultivation boundaries.
• The vastness of existence: The discovery of multiple small worlds broadens the story’s cosmology and suggests that Chen’s current world is only one part of a much larger reality.
• Preparation and adaptability: Chen relies not only on strength but also on timing, fortune, appraisal knowledge, and strategic use of treasures.
• Freedom and self-reliance: The Clone Technique and Teleportation Talisman symbolize increased independence, mobility, and the ability to avoid being constrained by one location or circumstance.

Character Interactions

• Chen directly confronts the residual martial wills inhabiting the five weapons, defeating their combined attacks without difficulty.
• His interaction with the newly created clone is playful and theatrical: the clone introduces itself as Chen Shaojun, while Chen pretends to be the wandering cultivator Zhao Kunlun. Their exchange ends in mutual laughter.
• The encounter demonstrates Chen’s confidence and humor, while also showing how the clone can convincingly imitate his appearance and behavior.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun receives Embryonic Transformation, a powerful Heavenly Dipper spell. Unlike the simpler Face-Shifting Technique, it can completely alter his body, appearance, age, species, and even his aura. This makes it nearly impossible for Daoist masters to identify his true origin or connect him to his clone.
• With the Fortune Talisman’s remaining duration running out, Chen urgently appraises the final five treasures. He uses the Spirit Eye Technique, Divination Art, and his spiritual power to purge the weapons’ killing intent and martial wills.
• Through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, he glimpses information about the True Martial World, where martial cultivation progresses through Body Tempering, True Essence, Void-Peering, Return-to-Truth, Creation, and ultimately the legendary Martial God realm.
• Chen compares these realms with those of his own world and realizes that realms beyond the Divine Profound Realm may exist. However, he remains uncertain whether True Martial World experts are actually stronger in combat, since the two worlds differ in size, cultivation methods, and martial systems.
• The remaining treasure-appraisal rewards include:
  • Two useful talisman-related rewards, including a Copying Talisman and an

Immortal Rank—Middle Grade Stacking Talisman

Lesser Formless Skill

Lion’s Roar Technique

Size-Shifting Technique

• Chen is especially pleased with the Copying Talisman, which can duplicate another person’s innate talent or martial art, and the Stacking Talisman, which can combine many appraisal results into a reward of much higher rank.
• He decides not to use the Stacking Talisman to obtain another martial art. Instead, he plans to stack appraisal results and use a Wish Talisman to acquire a large amount of Merit Golden Light, which he needs to increase his Arcane Cultivation.
• After resting and restoring his spiritual power with the Spirit-Nurturing Pill and the Sitting-in-Oblivion Scripture, Chen begins repeatedly appraising treasures with the Stacking Talisman.
• He appraises increasingly large batches of weapons, carefully adjusting the number according to the density of their killing intent. Over several hours, the Stacking Talisman’s grade rises from Low-Grade Treasure Rank to Immortal Rank—Middle Grade.
• Chen considers this method much safer than directly appraising a perfected Immortal Rank treasure, which could seriously injure or kill him.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly strategic and resource-conscious. Rather than simply pursuing the strongest possible martial technique, he recognizes that his greatest weakness is his insufficient Arcane Cultivation.
• He shows greater confidence in his abilities, easily crushing the martial wills and attacks released by the weapons he appraises.
• At the same time, he acknowledges his limitations. Although he possesses many powerful divine abilities and martial arts—including Heavenly Manifestation, Three Heads and Six Arms, Nail-Head Seven Arrows, Tathagata Divine Palm, and others—his low cultivation prevents him from using them for long or displaying their full potential.
• His desire for Merit Golden Light reflects a shift toward strengthening his foundation rather than endlessly collecting techniques.
• He also becomes more interested in concealment and deception, recognizing that Embryonic Transformation, Size-Shifting Technique, cloning, and other abilities can greatly improve his survival and tactical options.

Significant Themes

• Power versus cultivation: Possessing powerful techniques is not enough; Chen must raise his Arcane Cultivation to use them effectively.
• Strategic resource management: Chen chooses the Stacking Talisman and Merit Golden Light over another powerful martial method because they better address his long-term needs.
• Concealment and identity: Embryonic Transformation represents the ultimate form of disguise, allowing Chen to hide not only his appearance but also his aura and origins.
• World-building and comparative power: The discovery of the True Martial World introduces cultivation realms beyond the Divine Profound Realm and raises questions about the relative strength of different worlds.
• Safety through preparation: The Stacking Talisman allows Chen to obtain high-level rewards without directly confronting the dangers of appraising an equally powerful treasure.

Character Interactions

• There are no major direct interactions with other characters in this chapter.
• Chen’s primary “interaction” is with the treasures, whose killing intent and martial wills attack him during appraisal. He effortlessly suppresses these forces and purges their foreign auras.
• He also mentally engages with the information revealed by the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, comparing the True Martial World’s cultivation system with that of his own world.
• His internal reasoning and planning drive the chapter, particularly his decision to prioritize Merit Golden Light and cultivation growth over acquiring additional techniques.

Chapter Summary: “Merit Golden Light Surges”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun experiments with combining a Wish Talisman and a Fortune Talisman when drawing rewards from an Immortal Rank–Middle Grade Stacking Talisman.
• Using his Money Opens All Doors ability, he learns that:
  • A Wish Talisman can designate the type of reward received, but the reward’s quality varies within its rank.
  • A Fortune Talisman raises the potential upper limit of that reward.
• He combines both talismans and successfully obtains 5,999 points of Merit Golden Light, nearly the presumed maximum for a Middle Grade appraisal reward.
• He continues appraising additional weapons while the talismans remain active:
  • One batch yields 230 points.
  • Another yields 150 points.
  • The final batch yields only 20 points, showing that the talismans’ effects have faded.
• In total, Chen Shaojun accumulates 6,379 new points, bringing his overall reserve to 6,416 points.
• He spends Merit Golden Light to increase his Arcane Cultivation:
  • First, he adds ten years, reaching twenty years of cultivation.
  • Then he adds another twenty years, reaching forty years.
• His increased power dramatically improves his spellcasting. He effortlessly creates flames, freezes lava, expands his spiritual perception, and uses the Stone-to-Gold Technique to transform a fist-sized stone into gold worth three hundred taels.
• However, he realizes that his control has not kept pace with his cultivation. The Stone-to-Gold Technique takes seven breaths instead of three and consumes twice the necessary arcane power.
• Choosing stability over further immediate growth, he decides to master his new strength before spending more Merit Golden Light.
• He sells the entire batch of appraised treasures to several merchants in Myriad Treasures Town, intending to increase his silver reserves and eventually purchase Spirit-Sealing Stones from the black market in Shengjing City.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly strategic and experimental. Rather than simply using talismans separately, he investigates how their effects interact and successfully maximizes his reward.
• His confidence and power grow substantially as his Arcane Cultivation reaches forty years. He can now cast spells naturally and with much greater force.
• Despite his rapid advancement, he demonstrates caution and maturity by recognizing the danger of unstable control and deciding to consolidate his foundation instead of continuing to increase his cultivation recklessly.
• His practical and entrepreneurial side is also emphasized: he appraises treasures for rewards, then sells them efficiently to local merchants rather than transporting them back to Shengjing City.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity and optimization: Chen Shaojun combines different talismans to improve the quality and quantity of his rewards.
• Power and control: Greater cultivation increases strength, but without corresponding mastery, it can become inefficient or dangerous.
• Calculated risk: Chen Shaojun is willing to spend a large amount of silver to test his theory, but he carefully evaluates the results before proceeding.
• Accumulation and resource management: Merit Golden Light, silver, talismans, and treasures are all treated as resources that must be used strategically.
• The danger of rapid advancement: The chapter stresses that strengthening one’s power is not enough; control and a stable foundation are essential, especially in battle.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun has no major personal confrontations in the chapter, but he interacts with:
  • The mysterious Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, which determines the grades and rewards of the appraised treasures.
  • The power behind Money Opens All Doors, which provides him with information in exchange for silver.
  • Several shopkeepers and business owners from Myriad Treasures Town, who negotiate over and ultimately purchase all of his appraised weapons.
• These merchant interactions highlight Chen Shaojun’s growing influence and ability to turn his appraisal gains into practical wealth.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun completes the sale of the appraised weapons and treasures, earning 370,000 taels of silver—nearly four times his investment. He is satisfied because the transaction also earned him over 6,000 points of Merit Golden Light, which he values more than the money.
• He still possesses a mysterious broken saber filled with terrifying Killing Intent. Chen believes it is at least a Divine Weapon and hopes that appraising it will produce an exceptionally valuable reward, possibly of Immortal Rank.
• Having acquired both immense wealth and the top-grade immortal weapon known as the Three-Legged Nine-Dragon Cauldron, Chen considers his trip to Myriad Treasures Town a major success.
• Before the auction, Chen devises a plan to copy the talents of the gathered Daoist and martial geniuses using his two Copying Talismans.
• To avoid being restricted by Shopkeeper Liu’s presence, Chen uses Embryonic Transformation to assume the identity of a handsome, mysterious cultivator called the Kunlun Daoist, while sending a clone disguised as his original self to the auction with Shopkeeper Liu.
• At the Heavenly Treasure Tower auction, Chen encounters many elite young cultivators, including Zhuang Hanyan, Wan Fengnian, Yan Shuangjie, Xie Xiaoyu, and Guo Xianyun.
• Chen deliberately displays an impressive aura—Daoist cultivation comparable to the Core-Formation Realm and martial cultivation at the Solid Core Realm—which immediately attracts the attention of the gathered geniuses.
• Zhuang Hanyan approaches him first, followed by Wan Fengnian, who suggests exchanging knowledge and competing in mystical arts.
• Chen evaluates the talents of the young experts and decides which ones might be worth copying:
  • Wan Fengnian’s

Five-Element Spirit Body

• Zhuang Hanyan’s Yin-Moon Body and Martial Saint Bloodline
• Yan Shuangjie’s

Double Pupils

• Xie Xiaoyu’s

Swordheart Communion

• Guo Xianyun’s

Innate Martial Body

• After eliminating talents that are unsuitable, too obvious, already possessed, or potentially harmful to his cultivation path, Chen narrows his choices to the Five-Element Spirit Body and Innate Martial Body.
• Just as he prepares to use a Copying Talisman, a stunning and overwhelmingly powerful woman enters the auction. Her presence shocks everyone, including Zhuang Hanyan and Wan Fengnian. She is revealed to be a peak Golden Core Realm cultivator, already close to entering the Nascent Soul Realm.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun grows increasingly confident and satisfied with his gains. His wealth, treasures, Merit Golden Light, and strategic use of clones and transformation demonstrate his expanding capabilities and careful planning.
• He becomes more calculating in selecting talents, judging not only their power but also their compatibility with his own cultivation path and the risks of copying them.
• Zhuang Hanyan shows initiative by approaching the mysterious Kunlun Daoist, suggesting that Chen’s disguise and displayed strength have successfully earned the attention of high-level cultivators.
• Wan Fengnian remains competitive and eager to test himself against powerful newcomers, though he is visibly stunned by the arrival of the mysterious woman.
• Yan Shuangjie continues to suffer the consequences of his previous defeat by Chen. His damaged reputation leaves him uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the crowd.
• Zhuang Hanyan experiences surprise and pressure upon realizing that the newly arrived woman rivals her in beauty and surpasses her in cultivation.
• The unnamed female cultivator is established as a major new presence: beautiful, intimidating, and vastly stronger than most of the young geniuses present.

Significant Themes

• Wealth versus true power: Chen recognizes that money is useful, but Merit Golden Light, divine treasures, and cultivation talents are far more valuable.
• Strategic concealment and identity: Chen’s use of Embryonic Transformation and a clone highlights the importance of secrecy, deception, and maintaining multiple identities.
• Appearance and social influence: Chen observes that an extraordinary appearance and aura immediately change how others treat him, allowing powerful figures to approach him without suspicion.
• Talent and cultivation compatibility: The chapter emphasizes that the strongest talent is not always the best choice. Chen considers suitability, limitations, risks, and whether a talent conflicts with his own path.
• Gathering of geniuses: The auction becomes a meeting place for exceptional young cultivators, setting the stage for rivalry, alliances, and competition over rare treasures.
• Power hierarchy: The arrival of a peak Golden Core cultivator reminds the younger geniuses that even their extraordinary abilities place them far below the true experts of the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s disguised identity draws the attention of the major young cultivators, creating immediate opportunities for alliance and talent copying.
• Zhuang Hanyan formally introduces herself and asks about Chen’s origins, while Chen maintains his fabricated identity as the Kunlun Daoist.
• Wan Fengnian attempts to engage Chen in a Daoist exchange and possible contest, reflecting his competitive personality.
• Chen observes and evaluates the gathered geniuses rather than revealing his true purpose.
• The entrance of the mysterious woman shifts the entire atmosphere. The crowd, Wan Fengnian, and Zhuang Hanyan all focus on her, recognizing her beauty and overwhelming cultivation.
• The chapter ends with Chen’s talent-copying plan interrupted by the arrival of this powerful new figure, whose identity and intentions remain unknown.

Summary

• Plot/events: The speaker wishes everyone a happy National Day and humorously notes that the fireworks are absent or “taking the day off.” They encourage everyone to enjoy the holiday.
• Character development: No character development is present; the speaker adopts a cheerful, lighthearted tone.
• Themes: National celebration, holiday enjoyment, humor, and shared community spirit.
• Character interactions: The speaker directly addresses the audience, offering holiday greetings and inviting them to have fun.

Chapter Summary: “Copying Physiques, Innate Dao Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Grassland Red Dust Fairy arrives at the auction house in Myriad Treasures Town, immediately drawing the attention and awe of the younger generation.
• Her reputation is emphasized: she has slaughtered the Eight Prairie Bandits, fought immortals across realms, and killed Spirit Astral Realm experts despite her young age.
• She is revealed to possess the supreme Immortal Body known as the Innate Dao Body, along with another powerful physique, the Myriad Spirits Dharma Body.
• The Red Dust Fairy is accompanied by Ye Haotian, the reputed inheritor of the Saint Physique. His presence surprises the crowd, since she was believed to travel alone.
• Chen Shaojun secretly uses a Copying Talisman on the Red Dust Fairy and copies her Innate Dao Body.
• After choosing the Innate Dao Body over her other techniques and physique, Chen Shaojun undergoes a major transformation. His talent, meridians, dantian, comprehension, and Arcane Cultivation all improve dramatically.
• His control over his previously unstable strength rises from roughly fifty percent to ninety percent, greatly increasing his effective combat power.
• The Red Dust Fairy senses that Chen Shaojun now possesses an aura similar to her own and suspects that he may also have the Innate Dao Body.
• Wan Fengnian challenges Ye Haotian, but Ye dismisses him as being too weak because he is only in the Solid Core Realm.
• Yan Shuangjie also provokes Ye Haotian, nearly causing a confrontation, but an unseen expert’s warning prevents the battle from escalating.
• Before Ye Haotian leaves, Chen Shaojun uses his second Copying Talisman on him.
• Chen Shaojun discovers that Ye Haotian does not actually possess the legendary Saint Physique. Instead, his true physique is the Indestructible Body.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Gains the Innate Dao Body, transforming from someone with mediocre talent into a supreme cultivation genius. His Arcane Cultivation becomes denser and more powerful, while his control and future potential increase substantially. He also becomes more ambitious about copying powerful physiques.
• Grassland Red Dust Fairy: Her extraordinary strength and reputation are established. Despite her calm and detached demeanor, she notices Chen Shaojun’s changed aura, showing her highly refined perception and hinting at possible future interest in him.
• Ye Haotian: Revealed as extremely arrogant and confident, believing that even elite Golden Core cultivators are beneath him. His true physique is unexpectedly the Indestructible Body rather than the Saint Physique.
• Wan Fengnian: His confidence and competitive nature lead him to challenge Ye Haotian, but Ye’s contempt exposes the gap between them.
• Yan Shuangjie: Still sensitive after previously losing face, he reacts aggressively to Ye Haotian’s disdain but ultimately restrains himself because of the presence of a stronger hidden expert.
• Zhuang Hanyan and the other geniuses: Their unease and inferiority toward the Red Dust Fairy and Ye Haotian highlight the enormous gap between ordinary sect geniuses and battle-tested prodigies.

Significant Themes

• Talent and physique determine potential: Chen Shaojun’s transformation shows that innate talent can be more important than years of effort or accumulated cultivation.
• The hierarchy of geniuses: The chapter contrasts sect-backed prodigies with individuals whose reputations were forged through actual combat.
• Hidden strength and deception: Chen Shaojun conceals his copied physique, while Ye Haotian’s publicly assumed Saint Physique turns out to be something else.
• Arrogance versus true power: Ye Haotian’s contempt toward the other geniuses reflects his overwhelming confidence, while their anger reveals their wounded pride.
• Perception and concealment: The Copying Talisman leaves no visible trace, yet the Red Dust Fairy’s extraordinary senses allow her to detect that Chen Shaojun has undergone a fundamental change.
• Opportunity and strategic growth: Chen Shaojun quietly exploits encounters with powerful figures, steadily accumulating abilities and physiques without revealing his methods.

Character Interactions

• The auction-house crowd reacts with awe and fear to the Red Dust Fairy, while established geniuses such as Zhuang Hanyan and Wan Fengnian feel threatened by her superiority.
• The Red Dust Fairy briefly studies Chen Shaojun after sensing an aura similar to her own, creating tension because he worries she may uncover his secret.
• Wan Fengnian openly challenges Ye Haotian, but Ye dismisses him as unqualified.
• Yan Shuangjie confronts Ye Haotian more forcefully, provoking an exchange of insults and nearly triggering a fight.
• A hidden expert’s warning suppresses the confrontation, suggesting that powerful figures are monitoring the situation.
• Chen Shaojun remains outwardly calm and unnoticed while secretly copying the physiques of both the Red Dust Fairy and Ye Haotian.