Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Sun Yujie leaves, Qin Fen reflects on her contradictory behavior and wonders whether she secretly wanted to participate despite warning him not to “go down the wrong path.”
• Qin Fen examines the mysterious phone he received after attaining the Dao. He questions whether its powerful functions are meant to help him—or whether he is merely paving the way for someone else, possibly under Heavenly Dao’s plans.
• He discovers a new app, Myriad Divine Powers Meitu Trial Version, which warns that many functions are incomplete and still being debugged.
• Qin Fen experiments with the app by photographing Kunpeng, who is spying near his residence. Using the Thirty-Six Celestial Transformations and the Kongtong Seal as the app’s foundation, Qin Fen edits Kunpeng’s appearance into that of a feminine, attractively dressed woman.
• The transformation unexpectedly becomes real rather than remaining confined to the photograph. Kunpeng flees without realizing that his hair, clothing, and appearance have changed.
• Queen Mother joins Qin Fen and suggests drinking with him. Meanwhile, Kunpeng is mistaken for a woman by a lecherous man in a dark alley.
• The man attempts to harass Kunpeng, only to discover that his target is male. Kunpeng turns around at the same moment, causing the two to collide and scream in shock and outrage.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen becomes increasingly suspicious of the phone and Heavenly Dao’s intentions, worrying that he may be unknowingly helping prepare something for another person or being manipulated after becoming useful.
• Despite his concerns, Qin Fen displays a playful and mischievous side when experimenting with the Meitu app, showing little awareness of the serious consequences his edits may have.
• Kunpeng remains cautious and intimidated by Qin Fen after witnessing his power. His fear prevents him from confronting Qin Fen, but his confusion and humiliation grow once the app alters him.
• Queen Mother continues to show a friendly, sociable relationship with Qin Fen, comfortably inviting him to drink.
• The unnamed alley attacker is portrayed as crude, overconfident, and driven by irresponsible assumptions, turning the encounter into comic humiliation.

3. Significant Themes

• Uncertainty about fate and manipulation: Qin Fen questions whether Heavenly Dao is supporting him or using him for a larger purpose.
• The unpredictable nature of divine power: The trial app appears harmless at first, but its combination with powerful divine techniques allows edited images to affect reality.
• Appearance versus identity: Kunpeng’s outward transformation causes others to misread his gender and character, emphasizing how easily appearance shapes judgment.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: The chapter relies heavily on mistaken identity, exaggerated assumptions, and the reversal of power between the attacker and Kunpeng.
• The danger of incomplete technology: Because the app is only a trial version, Qin Fen does not understand its full capabilities or consequences.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Sun Yujie’s brief interaction leaves him confused by her embarrassment and apparent contradiction.
• Qin Fen mentally debates the phone’s purpose and Heavenly Dao’s possible schemes.
• Qin Fen casually interacts with Kunpeng through the photograph, unknowingly causing him real-world trouble.
• Queen Mother interrupts Qin Fen’s editing and invites him to drink, creating a lighthearted social moment.
• Kunpeng’s fearful avoidance of Qin Fen contrasts with the attacker’s boldness.
• The alley confrontation ends when both the attacker and Kunpeng realize they have mistaken each other, producing mutual shock, anger, and comic outrage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kunpeng, transformed into a woman and dressed in a gown with altered hair, is discovered in a compromising-looking position with another man in a dark alley. A passing couple misinterprets the scene as same-sex romance and mocks them.
• Furious and humiliated, Kunpeng kicks the man away. When he examines himself, he realizes that his entire appearance has been changed, likely through one of Dongwang Gong’s schemes.
• A crowd gathers and assumes Kunpeng is a violent pervert after seeing him search the unconscious man for money. Someone calls the police, forcing Kunpeng to flee.
• Elsewhere, Queen Mother and Qin Fen drink Immortal Drunk together. Queen Mother worries about her lost path to sainthood and considers whether she should devour the two clay sisters to reclaim her Primordial Spirit, despite their friendship with Qin Fen.
• The wine, supposedly mild, intoxicates both immortals in the Mortal Realm. Qin Fen carries the drunken Queen Mother to her room, then becomes drunk himself and avoids his own room because it is occupied.
• The phone detects the wine jug as the ancient artifact known as the Demon Refining Pot and automatically absorbs it at the cost of one million Merit. Qin Fen, too drunk to understand, casually agrees.
• Qin Fen collapses on the sofa beside Female Hooligan and accidentally embraces her. While asleep, she mistakes him for Sun Yujie and holds his hand, creating a compromising situation.
• The next morning, Female Hooligan wakes to find Qin Fen lying inches from her face. Both are shocked and embarrassed, while Sun Yujie complains that Female Hooligan grabbed her all night and made her arm swell.

Character Developments

• Kunpeng: Suffers a major humiliation after being transformed into a woman. His pride, suspicion of Dongwang Gong, and hostility toward mortal society intensify. His desperate attempt to find money highlights his hunger and helplessness.
• Queen Mother: Becomes increasingly conflicted between her ambition to regain her Primordial Spirit and her loyalty to Qin Fen and the clay sisters. Her drinking reflects her anxiety and emotional uncertainty.
• Qin Fen: Remains calm and practical at first, but becomes helplessly drunk after drinking Immortal Drunk. His accidental physical closeness with Female Hooligan creates an awkward new complication.
• Female Hooligan and Sun Yujie: Their sleep-induced confusion produces comic misunderstandings, with Female Hooligan unknowingly treating Qin Fen as Sun Yujie.

Significant Themes

• Humiliation and mistaken identity: Kunpeng’s transformed appearance and Qin Fen’s accidental intimacy both lead to public or private misunderstandings.
• The unpredictability of fate: Queen Mother wonders whether her encounter with the clay sisters is part of Heaven’s plan, while Kunpeng suspects Dongwang Gong has manipulated his circumstances.
• Powerlessness in the Mortal Realm: Immortals are weakened by mortal conditions, especially alcohol, and must deal with ordinary problems such as hunger, police, crowds, and embarrassment.
• Comedy amid supernatural conflict: Grand concerns involving sainthood, Primordial Spirits, and ancient artifacts are juxtaposed with slapstick situations, drunken behavior, and social scandal.

Character Interactions

• Kunpeng and the unnamed man immediately clash after being found together, with mutual disgust and anger escalating into violence.
• The passing couple and bystanders misinterpret Kunpeng’s actions, turning the encounter into a public scandal.
• Queen Mother confides indirectly in Qin Fen through her drinking and reflections on her dilemma, though she does not reveal her full intentions.
• Qin Fen carries the drunken Queen Mother to bed, then unknowingly shares the sofa with Female Hooligan.
• Female Hooligan mistakes Qin Fen for Sun Yujie while asleep, and the following morning’s discovery leaves both her and Qin Fen deeply embarrassed.

Qin Fen hid in the bedroom after waking up between Sun Yating and Sun Yujie, while the sisters joined his family’s breakfast guests without revealing the awkward situation. A call from Three Gorges University then revealed that Qin Fen had been appointed an honorary professor and invited to lead a delegation to the World Robot Expo, leaving his family stunned.

• Sun Yujie woke beside Qin Fen and Sun Yating, and the three decided the sisters would leave the bedroom first while Qin Fen stayed hidden.
• Sun Yating and Sun Yujie joined Qin Fen’s parents and cousin’s family for breakfast, where they discussed Xiao Peng’s promotion to associate professor and his trip to the Magic City expo.
• Qin Fen’s mother answered a call from someone claiming to be Three Gorges University’s president and dismissed the invitation for Qin Fen to become an affiliated professor as a scam.
• Xiao Peng recognized the caller’s number as genuine and revealed that Qin Fen had been appointed a full professor and invited to lead a delegation to the expo.
• Qin Fen’s parents and cousin’s family reacted with disbelief when they learned of his appointment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Peng’s family learns that Qin Fen will visit Xiao Peng’s university to meet its leadership, interact with selected students, and teach an open class.
• The news shocks everyone because Qin Fen was once only a middle-school graduate and is better known for his achievements as a chef, fashion designer, and national-level celebrity than as an academic.
• The Queen Mother reveals that Qin Fen has taught before in the Heavenly Court, where he is regarded as an exceptional educator and has even instructed powerful immortals, including Guanyin and Ksitigarbha.
• The family receives another call, this time from Tsinghua University. The university wants to appoint Qin Fen as an associate professor, have him participate in the exposition, and award him an honorary certificate.
• While Qin Fen sleeps peacefully, Primordial Lord remains furious over Qin Fen’s actions from the previous day and the injuries he suffered when the Heavenly Dao went berserk.
• Taiyi asks whether the annual Spring Festival Tea Gathering will still be held. Primordial Lord decides to make it more extravagant than ever.
• He orders invitations to be sent to major Buddhist figures and to Zhen Yuanzi, but deliberately excludes Dongwang Gong—Qin Fen’s Heavenly Court identity.
• Primordial Lord plans to use the event and the distribution of Wish Stones to isolate Qin Fen politically, signal that associating with him is dangerous, and strengthen the Primordial Lord faction’s influence.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: His reputation continues to expand beyond cooking, fashion, and other mortal accomplishments. He is revealed to possess respected teaching experience in the Celestial Realm and is now being recognized by major universities, despite having little conventional education. His effortless confidence is emphasized by the fact that he sleeps through the family’s astonishment.
• Xiao Peng: He becomes increasingly overwhelmed by the realization that his apparently ordinary cousin is an internationally important figure and a highly respected immortal teacher.
• Xiao Peng’s parents: They move from disbelief to pride and astonishment as Qin Fen receives prestigious academic offers, especially from Tsinghua University.
• The Queen Mother: She remains largely unfazed by Qin Fen’s achievements, viewing them as natural consequences of his status as the Celestial Realm’s foremost grandmaster.
• Primordial Lord: His anger and resentment toward Qin Fen deepen. Rather than confronting him directly, he begins planning a political and social campaign to undermine him.
• Taiyi: He acts cautiously around his frustrated master but quickly understands the political implications of excluding Qin Fen from the gathering.

Significant Themes

• The absurdity of Qin Fen’s versatility: The chapter humorously contrasts Qin Fen’s lack of formal education with his extraordinary success in multiple fields.
• Recognition versus credentials: Qin Fen’s achievements demonstrate that practical mastery and supernatural ability can outweigh conventional academic qualifications.
• Political power and factional control: Primordial Lord’s authority comes not only from his personal strength but also from his extensive network of disciples and allies.
• Exclusion as a weapon: By denying Qin Fen an invitation, Primordial Lord intends to isolate him and warn others against forming alliances with him.
• Heavenly politics and mortal comedy: The chapter alternates between the family’s incredulity over Qin Fen’s university career and the Celestial Realm’s high-level power struggles, creating a humorous contrast between the two worlds.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Peng and his parents discuss Qin Fen’s university appearance, with the parents struggling to believe that he can teach at all.
• The Queen Mother surprises the family by confirming Qin Fen’s history as a teacher in the Celestial Realm.
• Sun Yujie and the Female Hooligan react with varying degrees of shock and admiration to Qin Fen’s achievements.
• Xiao Peng’s mother speaks with Tsinghua University and relays the astonishing offer to the family.
• Taiyi and Primordial Lord discuss the Spring Festival Tea Gathering and its guest list. Their conversation reveals Primordial Lord’s hostility toward Qin Fen and his strategy of using the event and Wish Stones to rally the Celestial Realm against him.

Taiyi and Primordial Lord planned to exclude the newly appointed Dongwang Gong from the Spring Festival Tea Gathering, while invitations went out to the Heavenly Court’s leading figures. Their scheme was overshadowed when Taiyi learned that Ksitigarbha and Hou Tu would also stay away because their highest leader, the Yin Mountain Great Emperor, could not attend.

• Primordial Lord approved Taiyi’s plan to follow last year’s arrangements and leave Dongwang Gong off the invitation list.
• The Jade Emperor received Primordial Lord’s invitation and took it as a sign that he had allies in his struggle.
• Taiyi explained to Huanglong Perfected Person why Dongwang Gong’s omission could be excused, and replies showed that many powerful figures would attend.
• Huanglong reported that Huang Feihu would not attend, then revealed that Ksitigarbha and Hou Tu would also stay away.
• Huanglong said Ksitigarbha and Hou Tu felt they could not attend as subordinates when the Yin Mountain Great Emperor, their highest leader, was absent.

Taiyi and Huanglong checked the Merit Stele to choose outstanding figures for the Primordial Lord’s spring festival tea gathering, but nearly every entry credited Qin Fen. They were left with no way to avoid deciding whether to invite him, while the Heavenly Dao feared the event would go wrong.

• Taiyi and Huanglong struggled to decide whether to invite Yin Mountain Great Emperor Qin Fen, since excluding him could cost the Primordial Lord face and inviting him could look like an admission of fear.
• Huanglong summoned the Merit Stele to check the year’s outstanding figures, and its first several entries all praised Qin Fen’s achievements.
• Taiyi took over and found that dozens of further entries credited Qin Fen, including deeds connected to Luban, Guanyin, Ksitigarbha, Dongwang Gong, and the Six Paths.
• Taiyi checked the Earthly Immortal Realm and found that Zhen Yuanzi’s merit was also credited to Qin Fen’s guidance.
• Taiyi and Huanglong realized they could not ignore the Merit Stele’s results, leaving them to decide whether to invite Qin Fen; the Heavenly Dao worried that trouble was coming.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Taiyi and Huanglong review the Merit Stele and discover that Qin Fen—also known as Dongwang Gong—has completely dominated its rankings.
• Every one of the Heavenly Court’s ten greatest events of the year is connected to Qin Fen, accompanied by unusually lavish praise such as “boundless Merit.” This is unprecedented, since the Merit Stele traditionally highlights many immortals rather than a single overwhelming figure.
• Taiyi panics over the upcoming invitations and realizes that excluding Qin Fen would appear to defy the Heavenly Dao’s judgment and fairness.
• The usual plan to exclude Qin Fen from the Underworld-related arrangements becomes impossible. Taiyi condemns the plan, while Primordial Lord overhears and is embarrassed that his earlier decision may have been disastrously wrong.
• Primordial Lord struggles with the possibility of reversing himself and inviting Qin Fen after previously insisting that Qin Fen would not be included. He tries to dismiss the Merit Stele as irrelevant, but the situation clearly pressures him.
• In the mortal world, Qin Fen’s family receives a succession of calls from prestigious universities, including Tsinghua University, Capital University, Zhejiang University, and Wuhan University.
• Wuhan University offers Qin Fen a full professorship, despite his limited formal education. His family is stunned, especially because even the older, better-educated Xiao Peng is only an associate professor.
• The family jokingly argues over whether Qin Fen must previously have been an associate professor. Sun Yujie reveals that he was not—he had only “touched one,” leaving the exact meaning of her comment ambiguous and embarrassing.

Character Developments

• Taiyi: Becomes overwhelmed and frustrated by Qin Fen’s unprecedented prominence. He recognizes that the situation has become politically and cosmically impossible to ignore.
• Huanglong: Remains cautious and deferential, offering the traditional approach but quickly exposing how inadequate it is.
• Primordial Lord: Experiences anxiety and humiliation after realizing his earlier judgment about Qin Fen may have been completely mistaken. He considers denying the importance of the Merit Stele rather than admitting defeat.
• Qin Fen: Though absent from the chapter, his influence expands dramatically. He is now simultaneously the Heavenly Dao’s most celebrated figure and the target of major universities seeking to recruit him.
• Qin Fen’s family: Moves from confusion to shock and pride as increasingly prestigious institutions call. They struggle to reconcile his achievements with his lack of conventional academic credentials.
• Xiao Peng: Feels bitter and discouraged because his own academic career cannot compare with Qin Fen’s sudden offer of a full professorship.
• Sun Yujie: Defends Qin Fen’s extraordinary abilities but unintentionally fuels the family’s argument before admitting that he never held an associate professorship.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus convention: Qin Fen’s accomplishments overwhelm traditional systems of ranking, status, and academic qualification.
• The collapse of established hierarchies: Both the Heavenly Court and human universities are forced to recognize someone who does not fit their usual standards.
• Recognition and legitimacy: Qin Fen’s achievements are so undeniable that authorities cannot exclude him without appearing foolish or unjust.
• Humor through absurdity: The chapter contrasts cosmic political crisis with the family’s mundane confusion over academic titles, emphasizing how unbelievable Qin Fen’s rise has become.
• Pride and insecurity: Qin Fen’s success inspires family pride while making more conventionally qualified people, such as Xiao Peng, feel inadequate.

Character Interactions

• Taiyi and Huanglong debate how to handle Qin Fen’s dominance and the consequences of excluding him.
• Primordial Lord overhears their criticism and silently regrets his previous decision, creating an awkward conflict between authority and reality.
• Qin Fen’s family gathers around the phone, reacting collectively to each university’s offer.
• Qin Fen’s mother and cousin argue over whether he should have first been an associate professor, while Sun Yujie insists that Qin Fen’s abilities make ordinary rules irrelevant.
• The family’s discussion ends with Sun Yujie’s cryptic admission that Qin Fen had only “touched” an associate professorship, adding another layer of comedic confusion.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the previous night’s awkward events, Qin Fen and Sun Yujie remain embarrassed and defensive about whether he touched her. Female Hooligan also recalls what happened and teases Qin Fen, while the others are confused.
• Qin Fen’s parents learn that he has become a university professor and excitedly plan a large grocery trip to celebrate and boast about him to their neighbors.
• While the family prepares for the celebration, Female Hooligan secretly retrieves Qin Fen’s phone and returns it to him so he can respond to the people who had been trying to contact him.
• Qin Fen checks WeChat and discovers from Ksitigarbha that he has not been invited to the upcoming Spring Festival Tea Gathering, despite being the Yin Mountain Great Emperor and Dongwang Gong.
• Qin Fen interprets the omission as deliberate retaliation by Primordial Lord for their conflict the previous night. Rather than accept the slight, he decides he may attend anyway, even if he has to force the issue.
• Qin recognizes that the gathering is politically important because the Heavenly Dao will distribute benefits and because it could help him recruit capable administrators for his newly reorganized departments.
• Ksitigarbha refuses to attend in solidarity with Qin Fen, creating a problem for Primordial Lord, who wants greater control over the Underworld.
• Taiyi considers inviting Qin Fen himself to preserve his teacher’s reputation, even if it means accepting punishment from Primordial Lord.
• Primordial Lord contacts Tathagata and attempts to persuade him to pressure Ksitigarbha into attending. He openly admits that he intentionally excluded Qin Fen and frames the decision as his personal authority.
• Tathagata understands that Primordial Lord is motivated by their personal grudge, though he also recognizes that Qin Fen’s absence would mean one fewer competitor for the gathering’s benefits.
• The chapter ends when Taiyi contacts Qin Fen, apparently intending to discuss the invitation and the growing political conflict.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen remains proud, confrontational, and unwilling to tolerate humiliation. His first instinct is to challenge Primordial Lord’s authority, but he also thinks strategically about using the gathering to build his organization.
• Female Hooligan continues her teasing and mischievous behavior, using Qin Fen’s embarrassment over the previous night to provoke him.
• Qin Fen’s parents become openly proud and excited about his new status as a professor, revealing their desire to celebrate and show off his achievements.
• Ksitigarbha demonstrates loyalty to Qin Fen by declining the gathering after learning Qin was excluded.
• Taiyi is placed in a difficult position between filial loyalty to Primordial Lord and concern for his teacher’s dignity. He is willing to risk punishment to invite Qin Fen.
• Primordial Lord reveals himself as vindictive and politically calculating. He uses the invitation system to punish Qin Fen, pressure Ksitigarbha, and strengthen his influence over the Underworld.
• Tathagata sees through Primordial Lord’s manipulation and responds diplomatically, choosing neither to openly support nor condemn him.

Significant Themes

• Pride and retaliation: Qin Fen and Primordial Lord are locked in a struggle over respect and authority, with the invitation becoming a symbolic weapon.
• Political maneuvering: The tea gathering is more than a social event; it is a venue for distributing benefits, forming alliances, and consolidating power.
• Loyalty and factionalism: Ksitigarbha’s refusal and Taiyi’s dilemma show how personal loyalties influence larger divine political structures.
• Authority versus legitimacy: Qin Fen believes his official status should guarantee him an invitation, while Primordial Lord relies on his superior authority as a Saint to exclude him.
• Family pride and domestic comedy: The awkward romantic tension and Qin Fen’s parents’ enthusiasm contrast with the serious political conflict developing in the divine realms.

Important Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Female Hooligan: She teases him about the previous night and returns his phone, encouraging him to face the consequences of his actions.
• Qin Fen and Ksitigarbha: Ksitigarbha informs him of the exclusion and sides with him by refusing to attend.
• Primordial Lord and Tathagata: Primordial Lord attempts to manipulate Tathagata into controlling Ksitigarbha. Tathagata recognizes the hidden motive but remains outwardly composed.
• Primordial Lord and Taiyi: Taiyi worries that his teacher’s actions will make him appear weak or petty, while Primordial Lord insists on asserting his authority.
• Taiyi and Huanglong: Huanglong reassures Taiyi that inviting Qin Fen would be morally defensible and might preserve Primordial Lord’s dignity.
• Qin Fen and his parents: Though Qin Fen is focused on the divine political dispute, his parents celebrate his achievements and prepare a family feast in his honor.

Taiyi tried to contact Qin Fen about the spring festival tea gathering, but Qin Fen used praise of Taiyi’s teaching to take control of their conversation. He left Taiyi humbled by comparing Nezha with his own many accomplished disciples.

• Taiyi decided to contact Qin Fen rather than let the gathering’s attendees watch Qin Fen top the Merit Stele rankings.
• Huanglong went to seek Primordial Lord’s permission to invite Qin Fen, while Qin Fen received Taiyi’s message and guessed that something had changed.
• Taiyi returned to his room and tried to flatter Qin Fen before bringing up his real purpose.
• Qin Fen praised Taiyi for teaching Nezha, leading Taiyi to feel vindicated about his disciple’s deeds.
• Qin Fen argued that Taiyi had devoted too much effort to one disciple and compared Nezha with Guanyin, Ksitigarbha, and Sun Wukong, leaving Taiyi mortified.

Taiyi struggled to invite Qin Fen to the Spring Festival Tea Gathering after Qin Fen humiliated him and demanded benefits. Just after Taiyi paid ten thousand to secure Qin Fen’s attendance, Huanglong rushed in and urged him not to invite Dongwang Gong, threatening to undo the arrangement.

• Taiyi realized Qin Fen had manipulated their earlier conversation and felt miserable comparing his teaching of Nezha with Qin Fen’s achievements.
• Huanglong heard Primordial Lord insist that he would not invite Qin Fen, then mistakenly believed his master had resolved the invitation problem.
• Primordial Lord told Huanglong to proceed as before and entered secluded cultivation, planning to seek the Heavenly Dao’s support.
• Taiyi called Qin Fen and invited him to the Spring Festival Tea Gathering, while Qin Fen pretended to be busy and reluctant to attend.
• Taiyi transferred ten thousand to Qin Fen, but Huanglong arrived shouting that Taiyi should not invite Dongwang Gong, leaving Taiyi furious and near collapse.

Summary

Plot and Key Events

Taiyi Perfected Person is trapped in an awkward situation after Huanglong bluntly reveals that Primordial Lord had not actually agreed to invite Qin Fen to the tea gathering. Taiyi had already praised the Celestial Venerable’s generosity and promised Qin Fen an invitation, so retracting it would humiliate both himself and his sect. Although he knows he may be punished for disobeying his master, Taiyi chooses to preserve his fellow disciple Huanglong’s reputation and continue pretending the invitation is genuine.
At the same time, Qin Fen discovers that more than a million Merit has mysteriously vanished from his phone. He assumes someone has stolen or misused it and becomes furious, threatening to destroy whoever was responsible. Taiyi misinterprets Qin Fen’s anger as an accusation against Huanglong and desperately tries to calm him, even sending another hundred thousand Merit as compensation.
Qin Fen gradually realizes that his Merit may have been automatically consumed by the phone—possibly through its absorption of the Queen Mother and the Demon Refining Pot—rather than stolen. Once his anger subsides, he notices Taiyi’s panic and recognizes that the invitation conceals a deeper scheme. He decides to exploit Taiyi’s predicament instead of refusing the invitation.
Qin Fen demands increasingly extravagant signs of welcome: a banner proclaiming “Welcome Dongwang Gong,” a formal welcoming ceremony, and attendants holding flowers. Taiyi reluctantly agrees, believing the spectacle will ultimately help embarrass Qin Fen at the gathering. Qin Fen then makes his most humiliating request: Nezha, who looks like a child, should hold the flowers and welcome him. Taiyi is devastated and begins worrying about who will carry the banner.

Character Developments

• Taiyi Perfected Person: Becomes increasingly desperate, conflicted, and humiliated. He wants to protect Huanglong and obey his master, but Qin Fen’s demands force him into repeated compromises. His outward politeness contrasts sharply with his furious inner thoughts.
• Qin Fen/Dongwang Gong: Moves from genuine anger and confusion to calm suspicion and calculated manipulation. Once he sees Taiyi’s vulnerability, he deliberately turns the invitation into an opportunity to assert his status and torment the people plotting against him.
• Huanglong: Though acting out of loyalty to Primordial Lord, his blunt statement creates the crisis and places Taiyi in an impossible position.
• Primordial Lord: Remains absent, but his uncertain attitude toward Qin Fen drives the deception and tension surrounding the invitation.
• Nezha: Does not appear directly, but Qin Fen uses him as a particularly embarrassing symbol in his demands.

Major Themes

• Saving face and political reputation: Taiyi prioritizes preserving his master’s and sect’s dignity, even at personal cost.
• Manipulation and power games: Qin Fen recognizes the hidden hostility behind the invitation and turns the situation against his hosts.
• Misunderstanding and comic tension: Qin Fen’s anger over lost Merit is mistaken for outrage at Huanglong, causing Taiyi to panic unnecessarily.
• Obedience versus personal judgment: Taiyi struggles between following Primordial Lord’s orders, protecting Huanglong, and avoiding public humiliation.
• Status and ceremonial respect: Qin Fen’s demands for banners, attendants, and a welcoming ceremony emphasize his position as Heavenly Court’s leader and expose the hosts’ lack of sincerity.

Character Interactions

The chapter centers on the tense exchange between Qin Fen and Taiyi. Taiyi repeatedly apologizes and insists that the invitation is sincere, while Qin Fen pretends to doubt him and raises the required level of ceremony. Qin Fen’s controlled questions force Taiyi to affirm promises he does not truly want to fulfill. Their conversation becomes a battle of negotiation: Taiyi tries to contain the damage, while Qin Fen knowingly increases the cost and humiliation. Huanglong’s earlier interruption hangs over the exchange, making Taiyi fear that any further mistake will expose the entire deception.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Taiyi asks Nezha to serve as the greeter for an upcoming tea party hosted by Yuanshi Tianzun. Nezha readily agrees, seeing the role as appropriate because the gathering will include powerful figures such as Qin Fen, Dongwang Gong, Guanyin, numerous Daoist elders, and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
• Taiyi is privately terrified because he knows the tea party is likely part of Yuanshi Tianzun’s plan to suppress Qin Fen and restore the Primordial Lord’s authority.
• Qin Fen questions Taiyi about lodging, the length of the event, and whether meals will be provided. Although his questions seem naïve, he is deliberately probing the arrangements and planning to take advantage of the hospitality while preparing for a possible confrontation.
• Huanglong interrupts Taiyi’s conversation with Qin Fen and nearly reveals Yuanshi Tianzun’s real instructions. Taiyi repeatedly cuts him off, falsely claiming that Tianzun ordered them to treat Qin Fen with the highest respect.
• Huanglong finally states that the real instruction was to “keep things as usual,” revealing that Taiyi’s plan to invite Qin Fen was not authorized. Qin Fen realizes that something is wrong and decides that he must attend the tea party.
• Qin Fen uses the Moonlight Box’s newly unlocked Time Rewind function to erase Huanglong’s message from their chat history. The deleted information disappears from their memories, leaving both Huanglong and Taiyi confused and allowing Qin Fen’s invitation to proceed.
• Yuanshi Tianzun attempts to calculate whether anything will go wrong but cannot find an answer, suggesting that Qin Fen’s interference has disrupted his predictions.
• Qin Fen secretly leaves and returns to his room using an Invisibility Talisman. When he comes back, his cousin tells him that several prestigious universities have offered him professorships.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen becomes increasingly proactive and suspicious. Rather than passively accepting Tianzun’s invitation, he recognizes the tea party as a potential trap and prepares to confront it on his own terms.
• Taiyi is shown as anxious and conflicted. He wants to carry out Yuanshi Tianzun’s plan and protect his master’s dignity, but he is overwhelmed by Qin Fen’s confidence and Huanglong’s accidental interference.
• Nezha demonstrates loyalty and humility by accepting the greeter’s role without concern for status, despite the gathering’s extremely high-ranking attendees.
• Huanglong remains impulsive and not especially perceptive. Although he unintentionally exposes the truth, he believes he has successfully saved Taiyi’s plan after revealing Tianzun’s actual instruction.
• Yuanshi Tianzun appears powerful but uncertain. His inability to predict the consequences hints that Qin Fen’s unusual abilities are beginning to undermine even the Heavenly Dao’s calculations.
• Qin Fen’s family members continue to be astonished by his extraordinary composure, especially after hearing about the university offers.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and counter-manipulation: Yuanshi Tianzun attempts to control Qin Fen through the tea party, but Qin Fen uses deception and supernatural technology to reverse the situation.
• Authority versus unpredictability: The Heavenly Court’s hierarchy and Tianzun’s status are challenged by Qin Fen’s ability to act outside expected patterns.
• Comedic tension in high-stakes settings: Serious political and divine maneuvering is undercut by arguments over hospitality, meals, lodging, and Huanglong’s disastrous interruption.
• Memory and control: The Time Rewind function introduces the ability to alter not only records but also people’s memories, giving Qin Fen an especially dangerous advantage.
• Disconnection between worldly and divine affairs: Qin Fen treats the heavenly tea party like an unfamiliar social event while also casually receiving prestigious academic offers in the Mortal Realm.

Character Interactions

• Taiyi and Nezha interact as master and disciple, with Taiyi relying on Nezha’s obedience while privately worrying about the consequences.
• Taiyi and Qin Fen engage in a tense but humorous exchange: Qin Fen asks seemingly innocent questions, while Taiyi recognizes that he is testing the situation and preparing for conflict.
• Taiyi and Huanglong repeatedly interrupt and undermine one another. Taiyi tries to conceal Tianzun’s plan, while Huanglong struggles to reveal it, creating the chapter’s main comedic confrontation.
• Qin Fen watches Taiyi and Huanglong’s argument, deliberately encourages Huanglong to speak, and then secretly erases the crucial evidence once the truth is exposed.
• Qin Fen’s cousin and Xiao Peng react with disbelief to the professorship offers, contrasting their excitement with Qin Fen’s sarcastic indifference.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen learns that several prestigious universities—including Three Gorges University and Waterwood Capital University—want him affiliated with them and hope he will attend an exhibition in Magic City.
• Overwhelmed by the idea of teaching or giving an open class, Qin Fen decides that Three Gorges University is the best option because it is local and close to home. He agrees to become affiliated with it but refuses to teach, while accepting the invitation to attend the exhibition.
• Xiao Peng is asked to communicate Qin Fen’s conditions to the university and becomes curious about how Qin Fen gained such recognition.
• Nervous about dealing with scholars and uncertain about the obligations of becoming a university-affiliated professor, Qin Fen privately asks Sun Yujie for advice because of her overseas study and academic experience.
• Their conversation turns into a series of embarrassing misunderstandings. Sun Yujie assumes Qin Fen is asking her to teach him about sexual matters, while Qin Fen is actually asking about university affiliations, teaching duties, and required activities.
• When Qin Fen finally clarifies his question, Sun Yujie realizes she has completely misread the situation. Female Hooligan observes the exchange and teases her sister, joking that Qin Fen has “played” her.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen remains straightforward, socially inexperienced, and unconcerned with academic prestige. He values convenience and home more than the status of prestigious universities.
• His lack of formal education makes him nervous around scholars, but he is also practical: he wants to understand the obligations attached to the affiliation before agreeing.
• Sun Yujie becomes increasingly flustered because of her mistaken assumptions about Qin Fen’s intentions. Her embarrassment reveals both her sensitivity and her awareness of their awkward relationship after the previous night.
• Female Hooligan continues to act as an amused observer and provocateur, enjoying Sun Yujie’s discomfort rather than offering sympathy.
• Xiao Peng serves as the link between Qin Fen and Three Gorges University and is eager to understand Qin Fen’s sudden rise in status.

3. Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and comic misunderstanding: Qin Fen’s innocent questions are interpreted in a completely different way by Sun Yujie.
• Inexperience versus expertise: Qin Fen is highly capable in some areas but unfamiliar with academic institutions and social conventions.
• Practicality over prestige: He cares less about the honor of becoming affiliated with elite universities than about remaining near home and avoiding excessive obligations.
• Embarrassment and social awkwardness: The chapter emphasizes how different assumptions and indirect language can create humiliating situations.
• The cost of recognition: Qin Fen understands that institutional honors usually come with responsibilities and wants to ensure the benefits outweigh the demands.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Xiao Peng: Qin Fen asks Xiao Peng to help negotiate with Three Gorges University, while Xiao Peng is impressed and curious about the opportunities being offered.
• Qin Fen and Sun Yujie: Their private discussion becomes increasingly awkward as Sun Yujie mistakes his request for personal instruction. Qin Fen remains completely oblivious until the misunderstanding is finally cleared up.
• Qin Fen and Female Hooligan: Female Hooligan witnesses the exchange, reacts with disbelief, and later teases Sun Yujie about being fooled.
• Sun Yujie and Female Hooligan: Sun Yujie complains that the situation was unfair, but her sister mocks her instead of sympathizing, leaving Sun Yujie humiliated.

Chapter Summary: “Magic City! Off to Have Fun Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen skips the trip to Three Gorges University to handle paperwork, leaving Xiao Peng to manage the arrangements. He then travels to Magic City with Sun Yujie and the Queen Mother for the New Year’s Day Robot Expo.
• The university students are shocked by Qin Fen’s youthful appearance, casual behavior, and the presence of two women accompanying him. They doubt that he is qualified to lead a robotics competition team, especially after learning that he previously worked as a chef at Lotus Pavilion.
• During the flight, the students privately criticize Qin Fen and assume the university has sent an unreliable leader who will doom their team to failure.
• After arriving at Hongqiao International Airport, the group discovers that no one from the Robot Expo is there to meet them. Xiao Peng repeatedly tries to contact the organizers, but their phone remains busy.
• The students grow resentful as they watch prestigious universities such as Tsinghua and Capital University receive organized pickups and buses. They feel that Three Gorges University has been ignored because of its lower status.
• Their embarrassment is abruptly overturned when several Mercedes-Benz cars arrive. A large group from the Magic City Martial Arts Association welcomes Qin Fen with banners and a formal greeting.
• The students learn that Qin Fen is not merely a chef or professor: he is a highly respected martial artist, a council member of the National Martial Arts Association, and a figure powerful enough to receive an extravagant reception.
• Duan Yingfeng, nicknamed Panda and a practitioner of Duan Family Baji Fist, explains that he came because he admires Qin Fen’s martial arts achievements. Qin Fen responds bluntly, questioning why the association considers him a council member and why they came to meet him without invitation.
• Despite Qin Fen’s awkwardly direct attitude, Duan Yingfeng remains enthusiastic and personally invites him into the car.
• The Queen Mother predicts that, because the Martial Arts Association has treated Qin Fen so warmly, he will likely repay them—and that the Robot Expo may soon be “turned upside down.”

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains casual, blunt, and unconcerned with public opinion. He dislikes unnecessary social obligations and is suspicious of unsolicited favors, but his reputation in martial arts is revealed to be far greater than anyone in the university group realized.
• Xiao Peng: Acts as the practical organizer and intermediary. He is increasingly stressed by the poor reception from the expo organizers and embarrassed by Qin Fen’s unconventional behavior, yet he begins to understand that Qin Fen has influence in areas far beyond academia.
• Sun Yujie: Watches Qin Fen closely to prevent him from creating inappropriate or awkward interactions. She increasingly sees him as someone who unintentionally causes chaos wherever he goes.
• The Queen Mother: Remains observant and perceptive. She recognizes Qin Fen’s pattern of disrupting situations and anticipates major trouble or excitement at the expo.
• The Students: Begin distrustful and dismissive, assuming Qin Fen is an incompetent, politically connected leader. Their opinion changes dramatically after witnessing the Martial Arts Association’s lavish reception.
• Duan Yingfeng: Is introduced as a sincere admirer of Qin Fen. Although Qin Fen’s bluntness puts him in awkward situations, Duan responds with patience and respect, viewing Qin Fen’s directness as evidence of an authentic martial artist.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Qin Fen looks like an inexperienced young professor and former chef, but he possesses immense prestige in martial arts.
• Reputation and social status: The students initially judge Qin Fen by his academic position and appearance, while the Martial Arts Association recognizes his true influence.
• Unintended chaos: Qin Fen’s blunt honesty repeatedly derails ordinary social situations, creating both embarrassment and unexpected admiration.
• Humility versus fame: Qin Fen is largely indifferent to his reputation and is even unaware—or dismissive—of his official national martial arts status, while others treat him as a major figure.
• Expectations being overturned: The students expect failure and neglect, but the situation reverses when Qin Fen receives a grand welcome from an entirely different sphere of society.

Important Character Interactions

• Sun Yujie monitors Qin Fen to prevent him from steering conversations into awkward territory.
• Xiao Peng introduces Qin Fen to the students while privately worrying that he is unprepared to lead the team.
• The students openly question Qin Fen’s qualifications and mock the idea of a chef serving as a robotics mentor.
• Duan Yingfeng respectfully welcomes Qin Fen, while Qin Fen responds with suspicion and blunt questions about the Martial Arts Association.
• The Queen Mother and Sun Yujie discuss Qin Fen’s tendency to cause major disturbances, foreshadowing that his presence will have a significant impact on the upcoming expo.

Chapter Summary: “Pokémon GO, Demon Refining Pot”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen rides to the robotics expo with Queen Mother, Sun Yujie, Fatty Duan, and Big Chef. He ignores most conversation, preoccupied with discovering where one million Merit went.
• He notices Pokémon GO has mysteriously appeared on his phone, despite never downloading it. This leads him to suspect that WeChat absorbed another divine artifact.
• Queen Mother reveals that her missing bronze wine flask was actually the Demon Refining Pot, an ancient divine artifact she won in a raffle. Qin Fen realizes WeChat may have transformed or consumed it, converting its demon-capturing function into Pokémon GO’s Poké Balls.
• Qin Fen becomes furious over losing the artifact and his Merit, though he postpones investigating because he has more immediate business at the expo.
• He decides to go directly to the venue rather than arrange lodging. He is suspicious and resentful because the organizers appear to be treating him as unwelcome despite inviting him.
• On the way, students praise Qin Fen’s many accomplishments—as a chef, designer, martial arts authority, and public figure—but Qin Fen remains irritated by the situation involving Primordial Lord and the expo’s organizers.
• Huanglong contacts Qin Fen. Worried that he and Taiyi have offended Qin Fen, Huanglong sends him a Resurrection Pill—a rare Golden Core made by Lord Lao—as compensation on Taiyi’s behalf.
• Qin Fen accepts the gift while deliberately maintaining the misunderstanding that Taiyi invited him. He still intends to attend the tea gathering and expo-related events.
• Huanglong then reports to Taiyi that he gave Qin Fen the Resurrection Pill and that Qin Fen replied, “As usual.” Taiyi realizes Huanglong has misunderstood Qin Fen’s words, given away a precious pill, and worsened the situation.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains sharp, suspicious, and opportunistic. He is outraged over the possible loss of the Demon Refining Pot but quickly turns Huanglong’s mistake into an advantage by accepting the Resurrection Pill and pretending Taiyi’s invitation was understood.
• Queen Mother: Reveals the true identity of her missing wine flask and demonstrates that she can communicate with Qin Fen mentally in the Mortal Realm. Her casual use of the Demon Refining Pot as a wine container highlights her extravagant, careless attitude toward divine artifacts.
• Sun Yujie: Becomes increasingly curious and jealous about Qin Fen’s private interactions with Queen Mother, especially their whispered conversation.
• Fatty Duan: Tries to ingratiate himself with Qin Fen and hopes to persuade him to visit his martial arts gym, but he becomes cautious and silent when Queen Mother and Qin Fen share an intimate-looking exchange.
• Huanglong: Acts out of a desire to repair relations but misunderstands the situation. His well-intentioned interference results in the loss of a valuable pill and gives Qin Fen an even stronger reason to attend.
• Taiyi: Suffers from Huanglong’s mistake and realizes that his efforts to prevent conflict have backfired. He is especially distressed that Qin Fen has received an expensive Resurrection Pill without Taiyi accomplishing anything.

Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and unintended consequences: Huanglong’s attempt to smooth things over creates greater confusion and financial loss for Taiyi.
• Qin Fen’s opportunism: Qin Fen recognizes misunderstandings and exploits them rather than correcting them.
• Divine artifacts in the modern world: The Demon Refining Pot is repurposed into a smartphone game, blending mythology with contemporary technology.
• Merit, wealth, and value: The characters treat Merit and divine treasures as valuable currency, while Qin Fen’s anger over losing the artifact reveals his possessive and materialistic side.
• Pride and social status: Qin Fen resents being treated as unwelcome, while the students’ admiration emphasizes his growing reputation across multiple fields.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Queen Mother communicate telepathically about the Demon Refining Pot, creating an intimate moment that makes Sun Yujie uncomfortable.
• Fatty Duan attempts to flatter and befriend Qin Fen, but Qin Fen remains distracted and largely unresponsive.
• Huanglong tries to appease Qin Fen on Taiyi’s behalf by offering a Resurrection Pill.
• Qin Fen knowingly allows Huanglong to believe Taiyi invited him, while Taiyi later discovers that Huanglong has misinterpreted the exchange and effectively enriched Qin Fen at Taiyi’s expense.

Summary

Three Gorges University arrives at a prestigious international robotics competition in Magic City, but the delegation is deliberately excluded from the welcoming arrangements. The event is intended for elite universities, and many institutions resent Three Gorges’ invitation, considering it an inferior school that took a coveted spot. Magic City University’s representative, Qin Jun, especially wants to force them out so another prestigious school might take their place.
Qin Fen, the team leader, becomes furious when he sees that every other university has a reception point, vehicles, banners, and staff waiting, while Three Gorges has been completely ignored. The delegation also received no airport pickup, despite prior arrangements. Qin Fen realizes the neglect is intentional and personally insulting, since he represents both his university and himself.
Xiao Peng, another team leader and Qin Fen’s cousin, approaches Qin Jun politely to ask what happened. Qin Jun responds with calculated excuses, claiming that the airport staff and the delegation must have missed each other and that the lack of a reception point resulted from limited space and insufficient preparation. He apologizes just enough to appear reasonable while avoiding responsibility. Director Liu from the city government reinforces the explanation, making it difficult for Xiao Peng to openly challenge them.
When Xiao Peng asks for accommodation, Qin Jun gives them a hotel far from the venue, claiming that nearby hotels are full. The arrangement is clearly inferior and inconvenient. Director Liu then adds that Three Gorges’ university leadership has already agreed to the arrangements, effectively warning Xiao Peng not to object. Xiao Peng and the students are humiliated and angry, while Qin Fen becomes increasingly enraged at the blatant discrimination and manipulative treatment.
Meanwhile, the delegation’s senior figures interpret the situation differently. Queen Mother, Sun Yujie, and Duan Yingfeng immediately recognize the reception failure as a deliberate show of force. Duan Yingfeng is even secretly amused, believing the slight may push Qin Fen toward the martial-arts path instead of high technology. The chapter ends with Qin Fen simmering with anger, unwilling to accept the humiliation quietly.

Key Themes

• Elitism and institutional prejudice: Prestigious universities look down on Three Gorges and question its right to participate.
• Power games and social hierarchy: Qin Jun and Director Liu use polite language, excuses, and references to university leadership to suppress objections while asserting superiority.
• Humiliation and wounded pride: The poor reception is not merely logistical negligence; it is a deliberate attempt to undermine Three Gorges and provoke its delegation into withdrawing.
• Controlled anger versus retaliation: Xiao Peng tries to remain diplomatic, while Qin Fen’s patience rapidly disappears, foreshadowing a confrontation.
• Outsider status: Three Gorges is treated as an intruder in an elite academic circle, despite having been officially invited.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen discovers that the Three Gorges University delegation has been deliberately placed in poor, distant accommodations while companies, military-industrial groups, prestigious universities, and foreign guests receive priority.
• After Xiao Peng fails to negotiate with the organizers, Qin Fen identifies himself as the delegation leader and questions Director Liu and Qin Jun about the arrangement.
• The chapter explains how Jed originally organized the robot exchange competition as an indirect way to lure Qin Fen into a public confrontation over Mechanism Arts. Jed could not openly challenge a famous “chef,” so he disguised the event as a university robotics competition.
• The event unexpectedly expanded from a television program into a large-scale corporate, military, university, and government exchange expo after Magic City officials recognized its potential for publicity and investment.
• Because accommodations became limited, Three Gorges University was pushed aside. Qin Jun, who resented Qin Fen’s reputation and the attention universities were giving him, appears to have intentionally contributed to the unfavorable arrangement.
• Director Liu dismisses Qin Fen’s complaint with a superficially polite apology, insisting that the organizers have already done what they could. The students recognize the response as deliberately evasive and politically manipulative.
• Frustrated by the organizers’ hypocrisy, Qin Fen considers retaliating through his mysterious software. He attempts to use the Pokémon function to identify or capture Qin Jun, but the system reports that the software is not yet ready for public beta use.
• Qin Fen becomes suspicious because the Mystic Transformation function works despite also being officially unreleased, suggesting that the phone’s abilities operate according to hidden rules.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Demonstrates leadership by confronting the organizers directly, but his frustration exposes his growing impatience with bureaucratic hypocrisy. Rather than continue arguing within the rules, he begins considering underhanded retaliation and investigating the secrets of his software.
• Jed: Is revealed to have carefully engineered the event to create a legitimate opportunity to meet and challenge Qin Fen. His plan succeeds, though the event grows far beyond his control.
• Director Liu: Represents the event’s bureaucratic power structure. He uses polite language and an apology to avoid responsibility while refusing to correct the unfair treatment.
• Qin Jun: Emerges as a petty and resentful official who dislikes Qin Fen’s youth, background, and growing reputation. He likely arranged or supported the poor treatment of Three Gorges University.
• The students: Initially angry and outspoken, they quickly become discouraged when they realize that the powerful organizations involved cannot realistically be challenged. Their reactions emphasize the unfairness of the situation.
• Xiao Peng: Attempts to negotiate on behalf of the delegation but is unable to overcome the organizers’ entrenched hierarchy, prompting Qin Fen to intervene.

3. Significant Themes

• Bureaucratic favoritism and social hierarchy: The event’s stated purpose of academic exchange is overshadowed by political influence, corporate power, military connections, and personal relationships.
• Appearance versus reality: The organizers maintain the appearance of fairness by claiming that lodging was provided, even though the actual arrangement is deliberately discriminatory.
• Personal connections and corruption: The chapter portrays official decision-making as driven less by merit than by status, influence, and the ability to “pull strings.”
• Tradition versus modern technology: Jed’s event is built around the contrast between Qin Fen’s ancient Mechanism Arts and modern robotics, suggesting an upcoming conflict between cultural heritage and high technology.
• Hidden power and uncertainty: Qin Fen’s software remains mysterious. Its functions do not follow obvious rules, and the difference between the unusable Pokémon feature and the working Mystic Transformation function hints at deeper secrets.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen confronts Director Liu and Qin Jun, forcing them to explain the delegation’s poor treatment.
• Director Liu responds with a dismissive apology, while Qin Jun’s attitude reveals his hostility toward Qin Fen.
• The students privately criticize the organizers but recognize that the powerful groups involved make resistance difficult.
• Qin Fen interprets Qin Jun’s behavior as deliberate sabotage and considers using the Pokémon software against him.
• The final interaction is between Qin Fen and the software itself: his attempt to use Pokémon fails, deepening the mystery surrounding the phone’s capabilities.

Qin Fen used Meitu to turn the Thirty-Six Celestial Transformations against Qin Jun, exposing his misconduct in front of students and officials. The chapter ended with Qin Jun publicly holding a vibrator and making a lewd remark, leaving Director Liu stunned.

• Qin Jun stalled Qin Fen by taking Xiao Hua into his car to check for openings, while Qin Fen secretly photographed him.
• Qin Fen tried editing Qin Jun’s photo with Meitu, and the Queen Mother recognized the fluctuations of the Thirty-Six Celestial Transformations.
• Qin Fen drew a line across Qin Jun’s image, causing Qin Jun to itch and his trousers to split as Xiao Hua fled the car.
• Teachers, students, and officials photographed Qin Jun as he scrambled out of the car and accidentally revealed a vibrator.
• Qin Jun asked, “Little girl, want to go to heaven?” and Director Liu stared at him in disbelief.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen’s photo-editing ability unexpectedly transforms Qin Jun into the appearance depicted in the altered photograph, activating a bizarre combination of the Thirty-Six Celestial Transformations.
• Qin Jun is left holding a suspicious object, with torn clothing and strange words coming from his mouth, making it appear as though he had sexually harassed a female student.
• The crowd, including foreign guests and university students, immediately assumes Qin Jun is guilty. His attempts to explain that the object is not his and that he was merely checking facilities fail because the apparent evidence strongly contradicts him.
• Qin Fen deliberately worsens Qin Jun’s situation by suggesting that he may have been seeking the “thrill” of being caught. The students rally behind Qin Fen and begin openly condemning Qin Jun.
• Qin Jun tries to shift blame onto Director Liu by claiming he was acting under Liu’s instructions. Director Liu angrily rejects the accusation, fearing that Qin Jun’s scandal will damage his own reputation.
• A female student confirms that Qin Jun had touched her leg, causing the crowd to turn completely against him. Qin Jun is branded a pervert, faints, and is ordered to be taken away while his school is notified.
• Director Liu attempts to placate Qin Fen by offering to arrange matters and invite him to dinner, but Qin Fen refuses, announces that he is quitting, and prepares to leave. The students and surrounding schools are shocked by his decision.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Reveals both the power and danger of the Meitu transformation ability. He uses it vindictively against Qin Jun but is also motivated by his belief that Qin Jun genuinely mistreated the female student. His refusal to compromise shows his growing independence and willingness to confront authority.
• Qin Jun: Suffers a complete collapse in reputation. His panic, desperate excuses, and attempt to implicate Director Liu expose his selfishness and lack of credibility. He becomes isolated and is publicly condemned before fainting.
• Director Liu: Shifts from trying to protect the event to protecting himself. Furious at Qin Jun for dragging him into the scandal, he later attempts to reconcile with Qin Fen to prevent further damage.
• The students and crowd: Initially confused, they quickly unite against Qin Jun. Their anger reflects their earlier resentment toward him and their sympathy for the humiliated female student.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus truth: The transformation creates convincing but misleading evidence, showing how quickly public opinion can be controlled by appearances.
• Public judgment and scandal: The crowd condemns Qin Jun based on circumstantial evidence, demonstrating the power of rumor and collective outrage.
• Justice and revenge: Qin Fen’s actions blur the line between exposing wrongdoing and deliberately framing someone. Although he manipulates the situation, he believes Qin Jun deserves punishment.
• Abuse of authority: Qin Jun’s behavior toward a student and his attempt to hide behind Director Liu’s authority highlight the corruption and irresponsibility of people in positions of power.
• Defiance and personal principles: Qin Fen chooses to resign rather than submit to institutional pressure or accept Director Liu’s attempt at reconciliation.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Qin Jun become open enemies, with Qin Fen taunting him and Qin Jun accusing him of slander.
• Qin Jun’s attempt to involve Director Liu turns their previously cooperative relationship hostile.
• The students side with Qin Fen, echoing his accusations and openly confronting Qin Jun.
• The female student’s angry confirmation strengthens the crowd’s condemnation of Qin Jun.
• Director Liu tries to shift from anger toward Qin Jun to appeasing Qin Fen, but Qin Fen rejects his offer and walks away.

Chapter Summary: “Seeded Contestant Draw”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen decides to withdraw from the Big Arena competition after Three Gorges University’s leadership fails to defend him and his students from Qin Jun’s mistreatment.
• He distrusts Director Liu’s offer to “reassign” him, recognizing it as a diplomatic attempt to calm the situation rather than a genuine solution.
• Qin Fen explains that he is only an outside hire and has no official paperwork, making it easy for him to leave. He is also frustrated that the university values Mechanism Arts only because foreign guests praised it.
• News of Qin Fen’s involvement spreads through the venue, prompting debate over whether Mechanism Arts is genuine technology or merely exaggerated mythology.
• Director Liu subtly redirects public attention away from Qin Jun’s behavior by emphasizing that Three Gorges University entered the competition because of Qin Fen and Mechanism Arts rather than through conventional academic qualifications.
• Other universities and spectators begin questioning Three Gorges University’s legitimacy, suggesting that it gained a place through personal connections and an unproven discipline.
• Qin Fen orders Duan Yingfeng to arrange matters for his students and leaves the venue with Queen Mother and his sister-in-law.
• Jed arrives shortly afterward and is shocked to learn that Qin Fen has left. He reveals that Qin Fen’s team was a seeded contestant selected directly by the Queen of England and had bypassed the Yan-Huang qualifying rounds.
• Jed warns that if Qin Fen does not return, the semifinals may be moved to another location, with Prince Grant willing to pay the additional production costs. This threatens the importance of the local expo and exposes how central Qin Fen is to the foreign television broadcast.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Demonstrates growing independence, perceptiveness, and unwillingness to tolerate hypocrisy. He sees through Director Liu’s political maneuvering and chooses principle over participation. His disappointment also strengthens his resolve to reorganize the Heavenly Court around genuinely capable people rather than superficial administrators.
• Director Liu: Reveals himself as a skilled political operator. Instead of addressing Qin Fen’s grievance, he manipulates public opinion by shifting the discussion toward the questionable legitimacy of Mechanism Arts.
• Duan Yingfeng: Shows complete loyalty to Qin Fen, accepting his instructions without resentment and preparing to support the students after Qin Fen’s departure.
• The students: Initially feel humiliated by the crowd’s dismissal of Mechanism Arts, but they are also moved by Qin Fen’s decision to make arrangements for them before leaving.
• Jed: Displays genuine concern for Qin Fen’s presence because of his importance to the international broadcast. His reaction reveals that Qin Fen is far more famous and valuable overseas than local officials realize.
• Queen Mother: Observes the political maneuvering with admiration, recognizing that Director Liu’s strategy demonstrates considerable human intelligence and tactical skill.

3. Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and public opinion: Director Liu turns attention away from Qin Jun’s misconduct by presenting Three Gorges University as an unqualified beneficiary of favoritism.
• Prejudice against unconventional knowledge: Mechanism Arts is mocked because it does not fit modern academic expectations, despite foreign interest and Qin Fen’s proven abilities.
• Integrity versus institutional hypocrisy: Qin Fen refuses to remain part of an organization that values appearances and foreign approval more than genuine ability or fairness.
• Recognition and provincial bias: Local officials underestimate Qin Fen, while foreign organizations regard him as a major celebrity whose participation is essential to the event.
• Power of reputation: Qin Fen’s international fame gives him influence that the local organizers fail to understand until his departure threatens the entire competition.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Although Qin Fen quits personally, he makes sure his students are properly cared for, showing that his anger does not override his responsibility as their leader.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Xiao Peng: Xiao Peng is shocked by Qin Fen’s decision to quit, reflecting the students’ dependence on and respect for him.
• Qin Fen and Director Liu: Their interaction is outwardly polite but driven by mutual calculation. Qin Fen recognizes Liu’s insincerity, while Liu attempts to contain the controversy and preserve the event’s image.
• Qin Fen and Duan Yingfeng: Qin Fen entrusts Duan with the students’ arrangements. Duan responds obediently and respectfully, reinforcing their master-disciple-like relationship.
• Qin Fen and the students: His decision to protect them before leaving earns their gratitude and strengthens their loyalty.
• Director Liu and Jed: Jed exposes the seriousness of Qin Fen’s role as a seeded contestant and criticizes the decision to let him leave. Their conversation shows that the local organizers have mishandled a participant whose value is recognized internationally.
• Queen Mother and Director Liu: Though they do not directly confront one another, Queen Mother studies Liu’s strategy and acknowledges his ability to manipulate the crowd despite his limited personal power.