Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kunpeng hides in a cheap hotel in the Mortal Realm, frustrated by his weakened powers, lack of money, poor living conditions, and constant pursuit by the police.
• He speculates that the Heavenly Dao sent him to the Mortal Realm because Dongwang Gong may be violating or threatening the Heavenly Dao’s plans, especially concerning the Immortal-Mortal Separation.
• Kunpeng plans to approach Dongwang Gong secretly, discover how he can use magic in the Mortal Realm, and steal his magical treasures so he can return to the Earthly Immortal Realm.
• He receives a fraudulent text claiming he has won 20,000 yuan. Unfamiliar with modern technology and scams, Kunpeng believes the prize is a sign that the Heavenly Dao favors him.
• He sends the verification code, unknowingly allowing scammers to replace his phone SIM card and potentially access his bank accounts, mobile wallet, and personal information.
• While waiting for his prize, Kunpeng imagines exploiting Mortal Realm technology to create businesses in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Inspired by Dongwang Gong’s mobile-phone and payment ventures, he considers creating a similar communication or social platform using the Water-Moon Mirror.
• The Heavenly Dao observes Kunpeng and is pleased that he is beginning to think productively, though he remains unconcerned about the strange supernatural disturbance Qin Fen has caused.
• Kunpeng’s phone suddenly stops working, and an automated message informs him that his phone card has been replaced. He realizes something is wrong but does not understand the scam.
• His anger causes his blood and qi to surge, attracting the attention of the mysterious woman appearing on the television. She seems to be a supernatural entity created by Qin Fen and is drawn to powerful life energy.

Character Developments

• Kunpeng: His desperation and ignorance of modern society make him easy to deceive. Despite being an ancient Great Demon, he is inexperienced with technology and repeatedly misinterprets modern events through the lens of the Heavenly Dao. At the same time, he demonstrates growing entrepreneurial ambition and begins to see the Mortal Realm as a source of business opportunities.
• The Heavenly Dao: He views Kunpeng as potentially teachable and feels reassured that Kunpeng may finally accomplish something useful. However, he remains careless about the consequences of Qin Fen’s actions and assumes Kunpeng will survive.
• Qin Fen: Although mostly absent, his previous actions have created the mysterious woman on the television and disrupted the Heavenly Dao’s calculations.
• The television woman: She shifts from passive observation to active interest after sensing Kunpeng’s intensified blood and qi, suggesting that she may soon attack or interact with him.

Significant Themes

• Culture shock and technological ignorance: Kunpeng’s supernatural power does not protect him from ordinary modern scams, emphasizing the gap between ancient cultivation-world knowledge and contemporary technology.
• Irony and unintended tragedy: Kunpeng believes the scam is divine assistance, while the reader knows it is ruining his finances and personal security.
• Ambition and adaptation: Kunpeng begins to recognize that modern technology and business models could be transferred to the Earthly Immortal Realm.
• The Heavenly Dao’s limited control: Even the Heavenly Dao cannot fully predict events after Qin Fen’s interference, highlighting the instability of fate and divine planning.
• Power attracting danger: Kunpeng’s emotional anger increases his qi, making him more noticeable and possibly turning his strength into a liability.

Character Interactions

• Kunpeng mentally compares himself with Qin Fen, Big Chef, and the Queen Mother, resenting their advantages while trying to understand how to surpass them.
• He interprets the Heavenly Dao’s apparent assistance as personal favor, though the Heavenly Dao merely observes him from a distance.
• His imagined rivalry with Dongwang Gong motivates his plans to copy or exploit Mortal Realm technology.
• The mysterious woman silently watches Kunpeng through the television and becomes increasingly interested when his powerful qi is released, setting up an imminent confrontation.

A demon born from Qin Fen’s Wish Stone creation targeted him and Kunpeng, but the Haotian Tower nearly pulled her in and unlocked a strange test-software notification. After escaping, she confronted Kunpeng, who was furious and shocked by her response to his challenge.

• Qin Fen’s reckless use of the Wish Stone created a network-traveling female demon, who chose Kunpeng and Qin Fen as targets.
• The Haotian Tower flashed as the demon approached Qin Fen, nearly dragging her out of Sun Yujie’s phone and revealing that the Demon Refining Pot completed a set with it.
• Qin Fen wondered how to activate the Haotian Tower and whether its trial software would let him play a Pokémon-like game.
• The demon escaped the Tower’s pull and turned her attention to Kunpeng, who was angrily reacting to the noise from the next room.
• Kunpeng challenged the demon after she emerged from his television, but she flirted with him instead of fearing his threat.

Kunpeng fought a demon woman who emerged from a television, then agreed to lead her to Qin Fen after she refused to leave him alone. Meanwhile, Qin Fen and his companions ate in Magic City, where Sun Yujie repeatedly misunderstood his question about the time as a sexual proposition.

• Kunpeng beat the demon woman for more than ten minutes, but she endured the blows and eventually got back up.
• A scammer called Kunpeng pretending to verify a fifty-thousand-yuan transaction, and Kunpeng realized she had hacked his phone.
• Kunpeng persuaded the demon woman to seek another source of yang energy and planned to send her after Qin Fen after dark.
• Qin Fen discussed sightseeing and possibly exercising with Sun Yujie and the Queen Mother after lunch.
• Sun Yujie mistook Qin Fen's question about whether it was exactly noon for a proposition and grew increasingly embarrassed before he clarified.

Qin Fen intervened when foreign diners at a restaurant struggled with unfamiliar dishes and argued with the staff. After he offered to help, the diners and chef recognized him as Chef Qin from the Lotus Pavilion.

• Sun Yujie showed Qin Fen her phone, and he decided to check the tea party results after lunch.
• Qin Fen explained to the Queen Mother why some foreign diners were uncomfortable with Chinese dishes such as chicken feet and offal.
• Frank and the other children refused to eat, prompting their mother to demand help and the restaurant staff to argue over replacement dishes.
• Qin Fen stepped in and offered to try cooking for the foreigners.
• The restaurant owner and Big Chef recognized Qin Fen as Chef Qin from the Lotus Pavilion.

Chapter Summary: “I Cook, You Eat—No Nonsense”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A famous chef, Qin Fen of Lotus Pavilion, is recognized in a restaurant after Big Chef introduces his extraordinary achievements. Qin is known for unmatched knife skills, innovative cuisine, television appearances, National Geographic coverage, Guinness World Records in tofu carving, and recognition for intangible cultural heritage.
• The restaurant owner initially fails to recognize Qin, then becomes eager for him to help prepare food for a group of foreign diners. Qin’s blunt remark—questioning why the owner claimed to have heard of him after initially asking who he was—creates an awkward atmosphere.
• Qin’s sister-in-law, Sun Yujie, explains that he is only visiting Magic City and has no plans to open a branch. She also exposes his notorious laziness: although his restaurant is booked far in advance, he takes most of the week off and cooks only when he feels like it.
• The foreign diners request that Qin cook for them, especially something mild and suitable for their child. They specifically ask for Beijing Roast Duck.
• Qin refuses the order, not because he cannot make the dish, but because he follows a strict personal principle: he does not accept customer orders. Instead, he decides what to cook, and the diners must eat whatever he prepares.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen is established as an elite but highly unconventional chef. Despite his fame and ability, he is blunt, arrogant, independent, and completely uninterested in conventional business etiquette. He refuses flattery, dislikes social maneuvering, and operates his restaurant according to his own moods and standards.
• Sun Yujie acts as Qin’s outspoken sister-in-law and informal critic. She exposes the truth behind his “slow business,” revealing that his restaurant is successful but that Qin is simply unwilling to cook regularly.
• The restaurant owner shifts from confusion and caution to excitement, hoping Qin’s presence will resolve the situation with the foreign guests. Qin’s behavior repeatedly leaves him frustrated and speechless.
• Big Chef deeply respects Qin’s talent and presents him as a legendary figure. However, even he is confused by Qin’s refusal to make the relatively simple dish the guests request.
• The foreign diners are impressed by Qin’s reputation but remain concerned about dietary differences and whether their child will enjoy the food.
• Queen Mother views Qin’s domineering attitude as appropriate to his status, while Sun Yujie sees it as socially disastrous.

Significant Themes

• Genius versus social convention: Qin’s extraordinary culinary skill allows him to ignore the polite, indirect behavior expected in business and hospitality.
• Authenticity and rejection of empty politeness: Qin despises pretending and superficial compliments, preferring direct statements even when they offend others.
• Artistic control: Qin treats cooking as personal expression rather than a service shaped by customer demands. His rule—“I cook, you eat”—emphasizes the chef’s authority.
• Success without conventional effort: Qin’s restaurant is highly popular despite his irregular schedule, suggesting that exceptional talent can overcome—or deliberately disregard—normal business practices.
• Cultural expectations and cuisine: The foreign diners’ requests highlight differences in taste and dietary habits, while Qin’s willingness to cook for them shows his understanding of international food preferences.

Character Interactions

• Qin’s confrontation with the owner immediately establishes his blunt personality and undermines the owner’s attempts at polite networking.
• Sun Yujie teases and criticizes Qin, exposing his laziness while also reassuring the owner that he is not a business rival.
• The owner eagerly asks Qin to take over the meal, hoping to prevent further trouble.
• The foreign diners politely explain their dietary restrictions and request a familiar Chinese dish, but Qin dismisses their choice and asserts his authority as the chef.
• Big Chef and the surrounding diners watch Qin with admiration and curiosity, only to be stunned by his unconventional refusal to accept orders.

Chapter Summary: Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Qin Fen’s Hand Speed

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen shocks everyone by declaring that he does not accept food orders. He simply cooks whatever he wants, and customers must either eat his dishes or leave.
• The foreign family, accustomed to being treated with great respect, is stunned by Qin Fen’s attitude. The middle-aged businessman tries to reason with him but ultimately gives up and allows Qin Fen to choose the meal.
• The restaurant owner is both horrified and envious of Qin Fen’s confidence, while the restaurant’s head chef and Qin Fen’s acquaintances explain that this behavior is normal for him. Even powerful local officials must tell Qin Fen their preferences in advance and wait to see whether he is willing to cook them.
• Queen Mother reveals internally that Qin Fen is far more important than anyone present realizes: he is Dongwang Gong, the Heavenly Court’s foremost Imperial Lord and a supreme Nine-Six figure. From her perspective, being served a meal by him is an extraordinary blessing, making the customers’ complaints seem absurd.
• Qin Fen begins cooking and immediately displays extraordinary knife skills. He uses both hands simultaneously, chopping meat with one and slicing vegetables with the other, while maintaining perfect precision.
• Everyone gathers around to watch. The vegetables are cut into pieces so uniform that the head chef claims they could be measured with a ruler.
• Qin Fen then requests live shrimp. The apprentice brings them, and the head chef rapidly peels and deveins them in only seven seconds, further astonishing the audience.
• The chapter ends with the observers realizing that Qin Fen is preparing crystal shrimp dumplings.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Demonstrates extreme confidence, indifference to status, and complete concentration. His refusal to take orders is presented not as arrogance but as his natural, desireless personality. His cooking reveals exceptional coordination, speed, and technical mastery.
• The middle-aged foreign businessman: Begins offended and confused by Qin Fen’s unconventional rules, but gradually accepts that Qin Fen’s reputation and skill justify his behavior.
• The restaurant owner: Becomes increasingly overwhelmed by Qin Fen’s status and abilities. He envies Qin Fen’s freedom and recognizes that Qin Fen is unlike any ordinary chef.
• The restaurant’s head chef: Moves from admiration to genuine awe as he recognizes Qin Fen’s advanced knife skills and dual-tasking ability.
• The younger sister-in-law: Defends Qin Fen, arguing that he is genuinely lazy and unpretentious rather than deliberately showing off. She also becomes captivated by him while watching him work.
• Queen Mother: Views Qin Fen from the perspective of his divine identity and considers the entire meal an incredible honor for the customers.
• The children and other customers: Become fascinated spectators, crowding around to witness Qin Fen’s seemingly impossible hand speed.

Significant Themes

• Uncompromising individuality: Qin Fen refuses to conform to the usual customer-service expectations of chefs, insisting on working according to his own preferences.
• True skill versus empty arrogance: Although Qin Fen appears boastful by refusing orders, his extraordinary technique proves that his confidence is supported by genuine ability.
• Status and perspective: The customers judge Qin Fen as an eccentric chef, while Queen Mother knows he is a supreme immortal figure. The chapter emphasizes how limited human perceptions are compared with the truth.
• Concentration and mastery: Qin Fen’s expressionless focus illustrates the level of discipline and mental control required for exceptional craftsmanship.
• Admiration and charisma: His seriousness and competence attract everyone’s attention, reinforcing the idea that mastery itself can be deeply compelling.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and the foreign businessman clash over whether customers should be allowed to choose their food, but the businessman ultimately yields.
• The restaurant owner reacts with disbelief and envy, while the head chef and younger sister-in-law defend or praise Qin Fen.
• The head chef interprets Qin Fen’s knife work professionally, explaining to the crowd why his precision is so impressive.
• The apprentices assist Qin Fen by supplying ingredients and observe his speed with astonishment.
• The foreign family and surrounding customers shift from confusion and skepticism to fascination as Qin Fen’s cooking performance begins.
• Queen Mother silently contrasts the others’ ordinary understanding of Qin Fen with his true divine status.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

Qin Fen prepares to make Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, a Cantonese specialty known for its extremely difficult translucent wrappers. Unlike ordinary dumplings, the wrappers require wheat starch, precise scalding with boiling water, and careful control of heat and moisture.
He adds special starch from the Earthly Immortal Realm to the dough and rapidly mixes it with boiling water at exactly the right moment. The restaurant’s head chef explains that this technique is crucial: insufficient scalding makes the wrappers break, while improper moisture control causes them to dry out, become sticky, or lose their elasticity.
Qin Fen then covers the unused dough with a cloth soaked in boiling water. The head chef recognizes this as an exceptionally advanced technique because it preserves the dough’s heat and moisture through steam, maintaining its resilience during the short window in which it can be rolled and wrapped.
Qin Fen works at extraordinary speed, simultaneously rolling wrappers, filling dumplings, and placing them in the steamer. The finished dumplings are perfectly uniform, each containing exactly twelve folds. When several are weighed, their differences are found to be less than one gram, far surpassing Qin Fen’s modest claim that they would differ by no more than two grams.
The restaurant staff, customers, and foreign diners are stunned by his precision. The foreigners enthusiastically praise him, while Queen Mother reflects that his skill is “approaching the Dao,” wondering what his true path or ultimate mastery might be.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates that his abilities extend far beyond cooking and knife work. His mastery of pastry-making reveals extraordinary technical precision, speed, discipline, and attention to detail.
• The restaurant’s head chef shifts from explaining the process to openly admiring Qin Fen. He recognizes that Qin Fen’s methods surpass ordinary professional standards and describes them as nearly divine.
• The restaurant owner is initially skeptical that Qin Fen can make pastries but becomes completely convinced after seeing the dumplings’ uniformity and weighing them.
• The younger sister-in-law becomes even more impressed by Qin Fen, developing a strong sense of admiration and recognizing the charm created by his exceptional skill.
• Queen Mother views Qin Fen from a more profound perspective. Rather than merely seeing technical expertise, she interprets his precision as evidence that he is approaching a higher, almost Dao-like realm.
• The foreign diners initially worry that Qin Fen may prepare something unfamiliar, but their doubts disappear when they realize he is making dumplings. His performance leaves them amazed by the sophistication of Chinese culinary technique.

Significant Themes

• Mastery through precision: The chapter emphasizes that true culinary greatness lies in controlling countless small details, from water temperature and moisture retention to wrapper thickness and folding.
• Skill elevated into art: Qin Fen’s dumplings are not merely food; their uniformity and precision make the process resemble craftsmanship, engineering, or even artistic creation.
• The importance of fundamentals: The head chef stresses that pastry-making depends on specialized knowledge and technique, not simply kneading dough and filling wrappers.
• Hidden complexity in ordinary things: Though Crystal Shrimp Dumplings appear simple, their translucent wrappers require highly specialized methods and timing.
• Skill approaching the supernatural: Qin Fen’s abilities exceed what observers believe a normal person can achieve, reinforcing his mysterious and extraordinary nature.
• Cultural admiration and exchange: The foreign guests’ amazement highlights the distinctiveness of Chinese cuisine and their growing respect for Qin Fen and the culinary tradition he represents.

Character Interactions

• The younger sister-in-law questions how Qin Fen can make pastries, while Queen Mother confidently defends his all-around culinary ability.
• The restaurant owner and head chef discuss Qin Fen’s unexpected pastry expertise, with the head chef explaining the technical process to the less knowledgeable onlookers.
• Customers interrupt the preparation to marvel at the identical folds and sizes of the dumplings, prompting Qin Fen to invite them to verify his claim by weighing them.
• The foreigners react with increasing admiration, eventually praising Qin Fen enthusiastically in their own humorous expression.
• Queen Mother observes Qin Fen’s performance with deeper insight than the others, connecting his culinary mastery to the mysterious nature of his personal “Dao.”

While making dumplings, Qin Fen clarified his Dao and triggered the All Methods Return to the Source System’s verification process, which demanded that he complete his WeChat profile and real-name verification. His epiphanies caused tribulation clouds to gather over the Jade Void Palace, where the immortals mistakenly credited Yuanshi Tianzun’s discourse.

• Qin Fen reflected on his Dao of returning all methods to the source and experienced an epiphany while making dumplings.
• The system unlocked verification and demanded that Qin Fen complete his official account and WeChat profile, prompting him to discover that his profile picture was missing and his account details had changed.
• Tribulation clouds gathered over the Jade Void Palace, and the immortals assumed that someone had attained the Dao through Yuanshi Tianzun’s discourse.
• Qin Fen received another system notification about real-name verification, while the Queen Mother and Heavenly Dao reacted in disbelief at his repeated epiphanies.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen experiences what appears to be two profound epiphanies while cooking in the Mortal Realm. His connection to The One That Escaped is also established through WeChat after Queen Mother asks about his Dao.
• Instead of meditating or displaying any solemnity, Qin Fen casually takes a selfie to create a profile picture for WeChat verification, confusing everyone around him.
• Queen Mother questions him about his behavior and whether he has achieved an epiphany. Qin Fen sincerely denies both, insisting he was merely spacing out and taking a selfie.
• At Jade Void Palace, everyone mistakenly assumes that the growing tribulation clouds are caused by Yuanshi Tianzun’s Dao lecture. Yuanshi proudly accepts their praise, believing he has finally achieved a breakthrough that will increase his prestige among the Saints.
• A massive True Self Tribulation appears, shocking the Heavenly Immortals. Lord Lao and the others realize that someone at the Quasi-Saint level has comprehended the True Self.
• At the same moment, Qin Fen’s WeChat photo verification is approved. The Heavenly Dao recognizes that his seemingly trivial actions have actually completed a profound realization.
• A system-like announcement reveals that Dongwang Gong Qin Fen has attained enlightenment, understood his heart and nature, formed a complete Dao Heart, and manifested his True Self.
• The immortals are devastated to learn that the tribulation belongs not to Yuanshi, but to Qin Fen.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen remains completely unpredictable. His detached, playful behavior—particularly taking selfies during a supposed enlightenment—contrasts sharply with the terrifying depth of his cultivation. He does not recognize or care that his actions have brought him to the True Self realm.
• Queen Mother becomes increasingly frustrated and emotionally overwhelmed by Qin Fen’s absurdity. Her attempts to understand his cultivation fail because Qin Fen himself does not take his own epiphany seriously.
• Yuanshi Tianzun briefly gains confidence and pride, believing his lecture has produced multiple breakthroughs. He imagines that this will elevate him above the other Saints, but his pride collapses once Qin Fen is revealed as the true cultivator undergoing tribulation.
• The Heavenly Dao is shown to be helpless before Qin Fen’s existence. Its analytical methods cannot explain him, and it realizes that what appears to be random behavior may constitute profound Dao comprehension.
• Sun Yujie becomes more impressed by Qin Fen’s mysterious and unexpectedly cute side, seeing it as part of the reason Qin Fen is so captivating.
• The surrounding immortals and mortals become increasingly awed and confused, unable to reconcile Qin Fen’s casual demeanor with his status as an extraordinary divine chef and cultivator.

3. Significant Themes

• Profound enlightenment hidden in the mundane: Qin Fen reaches a supreme cultivation breakthrough through an ordinary act—setting up a social-media profile—suggesting that the Dao can be found in anything.
• The limits of rational analysis: Even the Heavenly Dao cannot predict or categorize Qin Fen. His actions appear meaningless until they suddenly produce consequences of cosmic importance.
• Appearance versus reality: Qin Fen looks unserious and even ridiculous, while the heavens interpret his actions as evidence of complete self-realization.
• Pride and mistaken credit: Yuanshi assumes that his own lecture caused the tribulation, highlighting the danger of seeking recognition and claiming achievements prematurely.
• The Dao of natural spontaneity: Qin Fen’s refusal to force enlightenment or behave according to conventional expectations reflects a Dao based on authenticity, instinct, and effortless action.

4. Character Interactions

• Queen Mother repeatedly questions Qin Fen, hoping to determine whether he has achieved enlightenment, but his straightforward and absurd answers only deepen her frustration.
• Qin Fen’s selfie-taking causes confusion among the restaurant owner, Big Chef, customers, foreigners, and the female host, all of whom struggle to understand his sudden shift from aloof master to playful eccentric.
• Sun Yujie observes Qin Fen and jokingly admires his unexpectedly cute side, linking it to his appeal and mystery.
• Yuanshi receives praise from the immortals after his Dao lecture and responds with a speech about sharing wisdom, unknowingly borrowing one of Qin Fen’s sayings.
• The Heavenly Dao and Hongjun observe the situation with growing disbelief as the system announcement confirms that Qin Fen—not Yuanshi—has completed True Self enlightenment, leaving the entire Heavenly Court stunned.

At the Jade Void Palace, the immortals discovered that Qin Fen was undergoing a tribulation despite being absent, and the Primordial Lord was humiliated when the thunderclouds vanished without striking anyone. Afterward, Qin Fen finished uploading a photo and suddenly gained insight into activating a WeChat account.

• The immortals realized the tribulation clouds belonged to Qin Fen, leaving the Primordial Lord embarrassed after everyone mistook his sermon for the cause of an enlightenment.
• The Purple Firmament thunder searched for Qin Fen but found only a trace of his aura, then dispersed without striking.
• Lord Lao explained that Qin Fen's merit and fortune had likely allowed the tribulation to count despite its unusual end.
• Qin Fen finished uploading a photo, found his separate WeChat account inactive, and began filling in its information after another sudden enlightenment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen begins completing his WeChat profile and official account, “Rhythm Beneath the Lamp,” while waiting for dumplings to steam.
• Although he believes he is merely filling out personal information, the act unconsciously causes him to reflect on and understand his own identity. This triggers another profound epiphany.
• Queen Mother notices Qin Fen’s golden, enlightened eyes and confronts him, but Qin Fen insists he is only playing on his phone. She is incredulous, unable to understand how social media could produce an Imperial Lord-level epiphany.
• Heavenly Dao announces that Qin Fen has:
  • Abandoned the False Self and attachment to the illusory body formed from the five aggregates.
  • Understood his true self.
  • Triggered another lightning tribulation.
• The immortals of Jade Void Palace are stunned that Qin Fen has undergone a second True Self Tribulation almost immediately after the first. Tathagata explains that the False Self represents attachment and that overcoming it is an extremely difficult stage, one that even great figures such as Guanyin and Ksitigarbha struggled to pass.
• Qin Fen’s rapid succession of epiphanies leaves Primordial Lord humiliated and speechless, while the surrounding immortals become increasingly convinced that Qin Fen is an extraordinary anomaly.
• After another apparently effortless tribulation, Qin Fen’s ongoing self-understanding triggers a third heavenly announcement and another storm of purple thunder.
• Heavenly Dao declares that Qin Fen has:
  • Continued advancing with renewed effort.
  • Achieved extraordinary enlightenment.
  • Perfected his Dao Heart.
  • Accomplished the Greater Self and formed the True Self.
• Tathagata identifies this final tribulation as the Nirvana Tribulation, placing Qin Fen only half a step from sainthood.
• Zhen Yuanzi admits that Qin Fen has surpassed him, accomplishing in a few minutes what took Zhen Yuanzi tens of thousands of years.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Progresses from understanding the False Self to forming the True Self and accomplishing the Greater Self. His cultivation advances through three consecutive epiphanies, demonstrating astonishing comprehension and placing him near sainthood.
• Queen Mother: Shifts from curiosity to disbelief and frustration. She recognizes that Qin Fen is experiencing genuine high-level enlightenment but cannot understand its absurdly casual trigger.
• Primordial Lord: Becomes increasingly miserable and embarrassed as Qin Fen repeatedly achieves breakthroughs that contradict his earlier dismissive attitude.
• Tathagata: Provides the theological and cultivation framework for Qin Fen’s breakthroughs, recognizing the extraordinary significance of overcoming the False Self and reaching the Nirvana Tribulation.
• Zhen Yuanzi: Shows humility and shock, openly acknowledging that Qin Fen’s speed and achievements far exceed his own.
• The surrounding immortals: Move from curiosity and amusement to complete astonishment, viewing Qin Fen as something beyond normal human or immortal standards.

Significant Themes

• Understanding the true self: The chapter presents self-knowledge as a genuine path to enlightenment. Even an ordinary act like completing a profile can become a spiritual exercise if it forces someone to confront their identity.
• False Self versus True Self: Attachment to the body, ego, and constructed identity must be overcome before true spiritual advancement is possible.
• Absurdity and contrast: Qin Fen treats life-changing enlightenment as casual phone use, creating a comedic contrast with the immortals’ reverence and panic.
• Unnatural genius and effortless progress: Qin Fen’s repeated breakthroughs challenge the established hierarchy of cultivation and make even ancient experts appear slow and ordinary.
• The path to sainthood: The Nirvana Tribulation marks Qin Fen’s transition from extraordinary Quasi-Saint to someone standing directly before the threshold of sainthood.
• Humiliation of established powers: Figures such as Primordial Lord and Zhen Yuanzi are forced to reevaluate their assumptions about Qin Fen’s abilities.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Queen Mother: Queen Mother questions Qin Fen about his apparent epiphany. He casually hands her his phone, but his explanation only deepens her disbelief.
• Qin Fen and Heavenly Dao: Qin Fen’s unnoticed internal realizations repeatedly trigger Heavenly Dao announcements and tribulations, making the cosmic system appear almost exasperated by his behavior.
• Tathagata and the immortals: Tathagata explains the meaning of the False Self and True Self Tribulations, helping the others understand that Qin Fen has reached a level beyond most Quasi-Saints and Bodhisattvas.
• Tathagata and Zhen Yuanzi: Tathagata compares Qin Fen to Zhen Yuanzi, but emphasizes that Qin Fen’s accomplishment is even greater. Zhen Yuanzi accepts the comparison and admits his inferiority.
• The immortals and Primordial Lord: Their stunned reactions implicitly mock Primordial Lord’s earlier confidence, as Qin Fen immediately produces multiple epiphanies and invalidates his dismissive judgment.

Chapter Summary

• Plot/events: The narrator explains Dirty Lamp’s recent absence: he has been busy because he and his wife are expecting—or have had—a second child. The narrator is at the hospital accompanying Dirty Lamp’s wife during Baby Number Two’s checkup, joking that this justifies delaying the usual update by a day. He then adds that Table Lamp is also having a second child.
• Character developments: Dirty Lamp is revealed to be a father again, while Table Lamp is likewise expanding their family. The narrator presents himself as a close friend and confidant, emphasizing his involvement in their personal lives.
• Character interactions: The narrator speaks directly to the audience, calling them Dirty Lamp’s “beloved” supporters and teasing those who call him “Father-in-Law.” He humorously demands that readers provide “tips” and betrothal gifts in light of the characters’ family developments.
• Themes/tone: The chapter is primarily comedic and self-aware, using fourth-wall-breaking commentary, exaggerated nicknames, and mock demands for audience support. It celebrates family growth while functioning as a playful author’s note or interlude rather than advancing the main plot. The closing command to “Get HIGH!!!” reinforces the chaotic, joking tone.

Chapter Summary: “Crossing Tribulation Is All About Speed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen undergoes his third consecutive True Self Tribulation, advancing from profound enlightenment to the completion of the Nirvana Tribulation in less than fifteen minutes.
• His rapid breakthrough shocks the entire Heavenly Court. Even ancient powerhouses such as Zhen Yuanzi, who spent tens of thousands of years cultivating, are astonished by Qin Fen’s unprecedented speed.
• Qin Fen’s achievement places him at the level of a Half-Step Saint—a realm beyond most Quasi-Saints and even above many established immortals.
• The Four Great Bodhisattvas are humbled by the comparison. Guanyin and Ksitigarbha owe Qin Fen guidance that helped them approach Buddhahood, while Manjushri and Samantabhadra have not even reached the False Self Tribulation.
• The Heavenly Court’s attempt to host a grand tea gathering and possibly control the atmosphere backfires completely. Instead of being undermined, Qin Fen becomes the gathering’s central figure and gains immense prestige.
• When the Nirvana Tribulation begins, everyone expects a terrifying battle against the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder. However, Qin Fen disappears before the thunder can strike, and the tribulation ends almost immediately.
• The thunderclouds vanish without Qin Fen suffering any visible harm, making his tribulation crossing the shortest and most absurd in history.
• The chapter ends with the immortals—including Zhen Yuanzi, Lord Lao, Hongjun, and the Heavenly Dao—frustrated and speechless at how effortlessly Qin Fen has defied the normal rules of cultivation.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen rises dramatically in status. He changes from a powerful but politically vulnerable figure into one of the strongest beings in the Celestial Realm, armed with immense merit and numerous Divine Land artifacts.
• Zhen Yuanzi is forced to acknowledge Qin Fen’s superiority in tribulation advancement, though he is deeply irritated because his own Nirvana Tribulation required three days of near-death struggle.
• The Jade Emperor becomes intensely jealous and bitter. Despite enduring the Infinite Calamity and countless hardships, he remains weaker than Qin Fen, who achieved similar advancement through a casual tea gathering.
• Gouchen mocks the Jade Emperor’s resentment by comparing him to Pigsy rather than Tang Sanzang, suggesting that suffering does not necessarily lead to the greatest rewards.
• Taiyi Perfected Person regrets inviting Qin Fen, believing the gathering would benefit himself or the Twelve Golden Immortals. Instead, Qin Fen’s breakthroughs have made their own stagnation painfully obvious.
• Primordial Lord is humiliated and helpless. His arrangements fail, and the gathering unintentionally turns Qin Fen into an inspirational idol for countless cultivators.
• Ziwei regrets having hesitated over his relationship with Qin Fen, realizing he missed the opportunity to secure Qin Fen’s support.
• The Heavenly Dao grows increasingly exasperated because Qin Fen repeatedly bypasses or neutralizes tribulations that should be testing him.

Significant Themes

• Speed versus effort: The chapter humorously contrasts Qin Fen’s effortless advancement with the immense time and suffering endured by older cultivators.
• Talent, opportunity, and fairness: Qin Fen’s success raises questions about whether painstaking cultivation is meaningful when extraordinary opportunity or innate fortune can produce results instantly.
• Jealousy and resentment: Many ancient immortals feel humiliated by Qin Fen’s rise, exposing their insecurity and dissatisfaction with their own stagnant cultivation.
• The collapse of established hierarchies: Qin Fen’s breakthrough threatens the traditional power structure of the Celestial Realm, where age, lineage, suffering, and seniority once determined status.
• Public inspiration: Although the elites are envious, ordinary cultivators view Qin Fen as proof that enlightenment is possible, making him a symbol of hope and a “beacon” for those struggling to advance.
• Humor through divine bureaucracy: The tribulation is personified as an incompetent system trying to locate Qin Fen, whose false or nonexistent identity prevents even the Heavenly Dao from properly tracking him.

Important Character Interactions

• The Jade Emperor and Gouchen: Gouchen bluntly mocks the Jade Emperor’s jealousy, comparing his arduous path to Pigsy’s less rewarding fate.
• Primordial Lord and Taiyi: Primordial Lord is furious that Taiyi invited Qin Fen, but he cannot truly blame his disciple because Taiyi acted in his interest.
• The immortals and Qin Fen’s reputation: Cultivators at the tea gathering immediately begin discussing Qin Fen as a teacher and potential source of guidance, further increasing his influence.
• Monkey and Zhen Yuanzi: Monkey doubts the danger of the tribulation because Qin Fen has already escaped it twice. Zhen Yuanzi warns that the Nirvana Tribulation is normally far more dangerous, though even he cannot explain Qin Fen’s result.
• Zhen Yuanzi, Hongjun, and the Heavenly Dao: Zhen Yuanzi complains that Qin Fen has shown no respect for the tribulation, while Hongjun observes that the Heavenly Dao has already lost face. Their exchange highlights the absurdity of Qin Fen’s repeated breakthroughs.
• The gathered immortals: Their initial awe turns into anticipation as they expect to witness Qin Fen’s struggle, only to be left stunned when the tribulation ends before it begins.

Qin Fen unknowingly passed three True Self Tribulations while setting up WeChat, then served his first batch of Crystal Shrimp Dumplings to a foreign family. As he tried to encourage the child Frank to eat, Qin Fen produced a flute and began an awkward exchange with the female host about whether she could play a xiao.

• Qin Fen finished setting up WeChat without noticing that he had passed the three True Self Tribulations, while the Heavenly Court was stunned that the Purple Firmament had not struck him.
• Qin Fen steamed his first Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, and their appearance and fragrant ingredients impressed the restaurant owner, chef, and diners.
• Qin Fen urged Frank and his family to eat the dumplings, and the foreigner praised their delicious flavor after taking a bite.
• Qin Fen sat at a piano but admitted to himself that he could not play it, then encouraged the family to eat instead.
• Qin Fen took out the Purple Bamboo Flute to coax Frank into eating, and the female host claimed she was very good at playing a xiao.
• Qin Fen questioned how skilled the female host was, and their suggestive-sounding exchange left the onlookers bewildered.

Qin Fen played the xiao after a teasing conversation with the hostess, and his music helped Frank eat Crystal Shrimp Dumplings for the first time in a long while. After accepting business cards from grateful diners, Qin Fen refused Boss Zhao’s presumptuous favor and left everyone waiting to see what he would do next.

• Qin Fen and the hostess made suggestive remarks about playing the xiao, and Little Frank’s question exposed their misunderstanding.
• Qin Fen played a soothing tune that relaxed the diners while Frank ate the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings.
• Frank’s parents thanked Qin Fen after their son said he was full, and the hostess recognized that Chef Qin had helped him.
• A foreign man and Boss Zhao offered Qin Fen their business cards, and Qin Fen accepted them.
• Boss Zhao asked Qin Fen for a favor, but Qin Fen refused before hearing what he wanted.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen decisively refuses Boss Zhao’s request to cook for him, shocking everyone in the restaurant. Although Boss Zhao is wealthy, influential, and connected to the underworld, Qin Fen shows no fear or deference.
• Under pressure from Boss Zhao and the restaurant owner, Qin Fen agrees to consider making another dish but emphasizes that he cooks only according to his mood and personal rules.
• Boss Zhao offers to pay for another basket of shrimp dumplings, but Qin Fen declares that even one hundred thousand yuan would not guarantee him a dish.
• A foreign customer immediately offers the full one hundred thousand yuan, hoping to buy more dumplings for the children and other guests. Qin Fen still refuses, explaining that he has already finished cooking for the day and does not want to continue.
• The foreigner repeatedly tries to persuade him, pointing out that Qin Fen still has leftover dough and had voluntarily cooked earlier. Qin Fen responds with increasingly absurd excuses, ultimately saying that he feels like using the bathroom.
• The crowd is left amused, frustrated, and astonished by Qin Fen’s complete indifference to money and his refusal to compromise.
• In a separate scene, Kunpeng and an unnamed woman stop at an inn to eat before searching for Qin Fen after nightfall. Kunpeng warns the woman that her current face may expose her identity and asks whether she can alter it.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen is portrayed as fiercely independent, capricious, and unconcerned with wealth or social pressure. His cooking is valuable, but he refuses to let money, status, or persuasion control him. His eccentric rules—cooking only once a day and only when he feels like it—reinforce his confidence and unpredictability.
• Boss Zhao is revealed to be powerful and wealthy but highly concerned with reputation. Qin Fen’s refusal embarrasses him, especially when the foreigner offers a huge sum and makes Zhao appear comparatively stingy.
• The foreigner is shown to be literal-minded, persistent, and unusually willing to spend money. He takes Qin Fen’s words at face value and refuses to abandon his goal of obtaining more food.
• The restaurant owner and head chef are cautious and self-interested. They encourage Qin Fen to satisfy Boss Zhao because they fear provoking him, while also regretting that they cannot profit from the foreigner’s extravagant offer.
• Kunpeng appears confident and observant. He is preparing to locate Qin Fen and is concerned with keeping his companion’s disguise intact.
• The female host and other customers increasingly view Qin Fen as an entertaining spectacle. The host recognizes the incident’s value as sensational material for her show.

Significant Themes

• Independence versus social pressure: Qin Fen refuses to submit to wealth, intimidation, or public expectations.
• Money and personal values: The enormous payment means little to Qin Fen, contrasting sharply with the greed, envy, and shock of those around him.
• Pride and reputation: Boss Zhao’s humiliation demonstrates how strongly status-conscious characters react when publicly denied or outshone.
• Absurdity and individuality: Qin Fen’s exaggerated excuses and rigid rules create comic tension while emphasizing that he is unlike ordinary people.
• Power through refusal: By declining to serve even a willing and wealthy customer, Qin Fen maintains control of the situation and forces others to react to him.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Boss Zhao clash indirectly: Zhao tries to use wealth and influence to obtain special treatment, while Qin Fen rejects the idea that either gives Zhao authority over him.
• The foreigner engages Qin Fen in an increasingly ridiculous negotiation, treating the chef’s statements as logical conditions that can be overcome with more money or better arguments.
• The restaurant staff attempt to mediate because they fear Boss Zhao, but Qin Fen’s behavior repeatedly undermines their efforts.
• The customers act as an amused audience, sympathizing with the children and admiring—or resenting—Qin Fen’s refusal to accept a fortune.
• Kunpeng and the unnamed woman begin preparing for their search for Qin Fen, introducing a separate plot thread involving disguise and an impending encounter.

Qin Fen turned down a television presenter’s invitation after mistaking it for a proposition, while Kunpeng arrived at the restaurant with a demon woman disguised as a doll. When Qin Fen recognized Kunpeng, his attempt to help only deepened the humiliating misunderstanding in front of the diners.

• Qin Fen rejected the foreigner’s request for more cooking and headed to the restroom, while Boss Zhao returned to his table, embarrassed.
• The female presenter invited Qin Fen onto a show, but he mistook her wording for an invitation to her home and refused.
• Kunpeng entered the restaurant carrying the demon woman, who turned herself into a doll after recognizing the dangerous place.
• Kunpeng grew furious at the diners’ stares and confronted Boss Zhao, who stood up to face him.
• Qin Fen recognized Kunpeng and asked about his ex-girlfriend, then mistook Kunpeng’s outstretched hand for a crude joke, leaving Kunpeng even more humiliated.

Kunpeng tried to hide his identity from Qin Fen and the Queen Mother, but his nervous gestures and inflatable doll made the restaurant mistake him for a man obsessed with dolls. Qin Fen invited him to eat together and urged him to find a real girlfriend, leaving Kunpeng increasingly confused and furious as the patrons judged him.

• Kunpeng nervously waved his hand when Big Chef mentioned his ex, and the diners mistook the gesture for evidence that he was a chronic masturbator.
• Qin Fen recognized Kunpeng from downstairs and questioned whether they had met, while the Queen Mother scrutinized him without identifying him.
• Kunpeng denied knowing Qin Fen and tried to defuse his suspicions, then accepted Qin Fen’s explanation that he might have mistaken him for someone else.
• Qin Fen invited Kunpeng to join his table, but Kunpeng declined and pointed to his inflatable doll as his friend.
• Qin Fen urged Kunpeng to find a real girlfriend, and Kunpeng’s confused replies only deepened the diners’ contempt for him.

Qin Fen mistook Kunpeng’s heartfelt complaints for ordinary troubles and tried to counsel him, while Kunpeng nursed plans to ambush him and steal his treasures. When Qin Fen finally recognized Kunpeng, Kunpeng thought his identity was exposed and threatened everyone, only to learn Qin Fen had recognized him from a time he wore women’s clothes.

• Qin Fen asked Kunpeng whether he was under pressure, prompting Kunpeng to recall his humiliating hardships in the Mortal Realm.
• Qin Fen interpreted Kunpeng’s misery as stress over money and romance and urged him not to give up on life.
• Kunpeng dismissed Qin Fen’s advice and planned to ambush him that night, steal his magical treasures, and use Qin Fen’s woman as leverage.
• Qin Fen turned back and announced that he had seen Kunpeng before, making Kunpeng believe his identity had been uncovered.
• Kunpeng gathered power and threatened to kill everyone, but Qin Fen clarified that he had recognized Kunpeng from wearing women’s clothes while being chased by the neighborhood patrol.

Kunpeng was humiliated as Qin Fen’s innocent remarks and the restaurant patrons’ gossip convinced everyone that he was a pervert and a lunatic. He finally threatened to kill them all, and Qin Fen and the Queen Mother recognized the danger as an invisible pressure filled the restaurant.

• Kunpeng realized that Qin Fen’s comments had exposed his past cross-dressing and blamed him for the patrons’ ridicule.
• The customers mocked Kunpeng for wearing women’s clothes, carrying a doll, and acting mentally ill, worsening his humiliation.
• Kunpeng smashed his cup and threatened to kill everyone in the restaurant.
• The Queen Mother stopped Sun Yujie from approaching and stood in front of her as Qin Fen sensed Kunpeng’s killing intent.
• Kunpeng trembled as an invisible pressure began to ripple through the restaurant.