Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Breaking the Formation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu spends several days in Flowering Valley studying the Formation Dao while living alongside Feng Ji. He occasionally asks her about Archaic Script characters, though the words seem random and meaningless.
• During this time, Lin Xiaosu tells Feng Ji about the Outside World. Although she is curious about it, Feng Ji refuses to leave Flowering Valley because she feels ashamed of her appearance and believes she would frighten outsiders.
• Lin Xiaosu and Feng Ji grow close through playful conversation. Feng Ji worries that he is enduring her company and even suggests that her junior sister accompany him instead, but Lin Xiaosu jokes that they would only argue.
• On the seventh day, the Hydra Overlord delivers the final materials needed for Lin Xiaosu’s plan: a specially crafted Bronze Pen and seventeen types of spirit stones. Lin Xiaosu inserts five Five Elements spirit stones into the pen, explaining that their energy can disrupt formations.
• The Hydra Overlord takes Lin Xiaosu beyond the valley and brings him to the edge of the complete Sealing Grand Formation. Using his Heavenly Insight Eye, the Bronze Pen, and the “Yin-Yang Reversal” technique from the Heavenly Cycle Array Formula, Lin Xiaosu tears open a gap in the supposedly flawless formation.
• He carefully guides the Hydra Overlord through the formation, stepping across locations that were previously deadly. After nine leaps, they emerge from Flowering Valley into the Kun Cang Wonder Realm.
• Lin Xiaosu identifies the formation’s foundation: a patterned white boulder in a river valley guarded by three old men. When the guards attack, the Hydra Overlord immobilizes and kills them effortlessly, then destroys the boulder and permanently breaks the three-hundred-year-old sealing formation.
• The nearby Kun Cang forces react immediately, recognizing that Flowering Valley has escaped and that the situation has become dangerous. The Hydra Overlord then destroys two mountain peaks and their structures with enormous manifestations of True Essence, annihilating the opposing forces.
• Lin Xiaosu is stunned by the Hydra Overlord’s power and realizes that Kun Cang’s immortal arts vastly surpass the technological and tactical strength associated with Daxia’s Qianlong Heavenly King.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates major growth in Formation Dao. He moves from merely analyzing formations to successfully breaking a complete, gapless sealing formation through technical ingenuity and precise execution.
• His confidence increases, but he remains humble and awed by the overwhelming strength of true immortal-level experts.
• Feng Ji becomes more comfortable around Lin Xiaosu and reveals insecurity about her appearance and isolation. Her humor and warmth emerge despite her self-consciousness.
• The Hydra Overlord shifts from an anxious observer awaiting Lin Xiaosu’s answer to an active liberator of Flowering Valley. Her excitement at escaping the seal reveals how deeply the three-hundred-year imprisonment affected her.
• The chapter emphasizes the immense gap between Lin Xiaosu’s intellectual ability and the Hydra Overlord’s overwhelming combat power.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity versus brute force: Lin Xiaosu breaks the formation through knowledge, experimentation, and technique, while the Hydra Overlord destroys its foundation and enemies through overwhelming power.
• Freedom after imprisonment: The escape from Flowering Valley marks the end of a three-hundred-year confinement and carries strong emotional weight for the Hydra Overlord.
• Appearance and self-worth: Feng Ji’s reluctance to enter the Outside World reflects her insecurity and fear of rejection, while Lin Xiaosu attempts to reassure her.
• The limits of human power: Lin Xiaosu’s comparison between Qianlong and Kun Cang highlights the vast difference between technological strength and genuine immortal cultivation.
• Trust and cooperation: Lin Xiaosu and the Hydra Overlord rely on one another—he opens the path through the formation, and she protects and follows him through it.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Feng Ji develop a relaxed, teasing friendship through conversations about Archaic Script, the Formation Dao, appearance, and the Outside World.
• The Hydra Overlord watches Lin Xiaosu closely and places the fate of Flowering Valley in his hands, creating tension around whether he can fulfill his promise.
• Lin Xiaosu instructs the Hydra Overlord exactly where to step after opening the formation, demonstrating mutual trust and coordination.
• When the three guardians attack, the Hydra Overlord protects Lin Xiaosu and handles the confrontation effortlessly, while he witnesses the true scale of her strength.

Chapter Summary: “Kun Cang’s Shackles”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hydra Overlord, Hua Miaoyi, attacks Heavenly Beauty Palace to avenge its past sealing of Flowering Valley and cutting off its cultivation path.
• She exchanges several devastating attacks with Zheng Tianyan, Heavenly Beauty Palace’s leader. Their True Essence Manifestations destroy large sections of the palace and surrounding mountains.
• Just as Hua Miaoyi is about to deliver a decisive blow, Master Kongru intervenes through a massive Buddha manifestation.
• Master Kongru warns that a life-and-death battle between Enlightened Realm experts would bring ruin to both sects and destabilize Kun Cang.
• He mediates a settlement: Heavenly Beauty Palace must cede two mountain peaks to Flowering Valley, erasing their past grievances.
• Zheng Tianyan accepts, and Hua Miaoyi agrees, while warning that any future offense against Flowering Valley will be repaid tenfold.
• Flowering Valley’s elders and disciples occupy the two peaks, and Hua Miaoyi brings Lin Xiaosu back to her cave, calling it “home.”
• In private, Hua Miaoyi explains the hidden limitations of Kun Cang’s supreme experts and begins to teach Lin Xiaosu about the cultivation hierarchy.

2. Character Developments

• Hua Miaoyi / Hydra Overlord: Initially appears overwhelmingly fierce and vengeful, willing to destroy Heavenly Beauty Palace. After mediation, she reveals restraint and strategic wisdom. Her gentle treatment of Lin Xiaosu contrasts sharply with her tyrannical battlefield presence.
• Zheng Tianyan: Defends Heavenly Beauty Palace but recognizes the danger of continuing the conflict. His willingness to accept Master Kongru’s proposal shows pragmatism and awareness of Kun Cang’s political balance.
• Master Kongru: Acts as a neutral mediator and represents the shared history and interests of Kun Cang’s major powers. His intervention prevents a catastrophic war.
• Lin Xiaosu: His awe of Kun Cang’s power shifts into a more realistic understanding. He learns that even seemingly godlike experts are restricted by resources, geography, and political danger. His curiosity about cultivation deepens as he asks Hua Miaoyi to explain the realms.

3. Significant Themes

• Power constrained by hidden limitations: The immense strength of Enlightened Realm cultivators is offset by their inability to replenish their energy. Every major battle consumes irreplaceable resources.
• Mutual destruction and political restraint: Even ancient, powerful sect leaders cannot act freely because exhausting themselves would leave their sects vulnerable to the other eighty-one peaks.
• Illusion versus reality: True Essence Manifestation makes Enlightened Realm experts appear nearly immortal, but this power depends on Kun Cang’s vital energy and disappears in the Outside World.
• Survival in a hostile power structure: Kun Cang operates according to a “dark forest” principle, where every faction watches for weakness in every other faction.
• The cost of isolation: Kun Cang’s experts remain within it not because they lack concern for the outside world, but because leaving would strip away their greatest abilities and expose them to assassination.
• Revenge balanced by reconciliation: Hua Miaoyi obtains justice for Flowering Valley without pursuing total destruction once a fair concession is offered.

4. Character Interactions

• Hua Miaoyi and Zheng Tianyan: Their confrontation reflects a long-standing sect feud. Both are prepared to fight, but neither can afford a true deathmatch because of the consequences for their sects.
• Master Kongru with both leaders: He appeals to their shared status as fellow Daoists and proposes a compromise that acknowledges Heavenly Beauty Palace’s original wrongdoing while preserving its survival.
• Hua Miaoyi and Lin Xiaosu: Their relationship becomes more intimate and trusting. She calls Flowering Valley “home” for him and patiently explains the secrets behind Kun Cang’s power.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hua Miaoyi as teacher and student: The chapter ends with Lin Xiaosu seeking guidance about cultivation, while Hua Miaoyi begins outlining the realms: Peering into the Dao, Way-Awakening, and Way-Grasping.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Hua Miaoyi explains the cultivation hierarchy to Lin Xiaosu:
  • Peering into Humanity involves maximizing one’s physical strength and speed.
  • Peering into Earth requires constructing a Blood Pagoda in the Dantian, giving the body a unified center for controlling true qi and strength.
  • Peering into Heaven transforms the Blood Pagoda into nine stars, allowing the body to overcome gravity and project true qi outward as invisible attacks.
• Lin Xiaosu compares these stages to people he knows: Gu Yu represents the Humanity level, Ding Ruoshui the Earth level, and Feng Ji the Heaven level.
• Hua Miaoyi reveals that beyond the Peering Realm lies the Enlightened Realm, where true qi becomes True Essence. Enlightenment has three stages:
  1. Dharma-Body Enlightenment
  2. Primordial-Spirit Enlightenment
  3. Rule Enlightenment
• Lin Xiaosu realizes that the mysterious Silver Fish in his Sea of Consciousness may actually be a naturally acquired Primordial Spirit. Hua Miaoyi explains that such a Primordial Spirit may eventually separate from him because it was not cultivated by him.
• Two possible solutions are given: cultivate a second Primordial Spirit and merge it with the Silver Fish, or find and master the rare Spiritual Power Secret Art. Neither option is currently practical.
• Hua Miaoyi offers to personally build Lin Xiaosu’s Blood Pagoda by temporarily controlling his body. Although this guarantees a powerful foundation, it would require him to adapt to her design and permanently cap his future potential at her level.
• Lin Xiaosu declines the offer and chooses to build the Blood Pagoda himself.
• Hua Miaoyi summons Feng Ji by making a willow branch form the word “Return.” Feng Ji then escorts Lin Xiaosu to the “Mysterious Gate” to protect him while he cultivates.
• Afterward, Gu Yu criticizes Lin Xiaosu for refusing Hua Miaoyi’s help and complains that Hua Miaoyi will not build a Blood Pagoda for her. Hua Miaoyi punishes her playfully with willow branches.
• The chapter ends by explaining that Hua Miaoyi offered to help Lin Xiaosu because his weak Outside World foundation, limited time, and role as a guest made such assistance reasonable—but he still rejected it.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu gains a clearer understanding of the cultivation world and discovers that the Silver Fish in his mind may be an extraordinary Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit. He experiences both excitement at possessing such power and anxiety over potentially losing it.
• His decision to build his own Blood Pagoda demonstrates independence, ambition, and a desire not to have his future constrained by another person’s cultivation path.
• Hua Miaoyi is established as an immensely powerful Enlightened Realm expert, but also as a thoughtful mentor. She respects Lin Xiaosu’s choice even though she believes he is making a difficult decision.
• Her treatment of Lin Xiaosu differs from her treatment of her disciples: she is willing to give him a shortcut because of his circumstances, while she insists that her disciples develop independently so they may one day surpass her.
• Gu Yu is portrayed as lazy, dependent, and comically self-interested. She prefers receiving an effortless Blood Pagoda from her master, while Hua Miaoyi refuses precisely because she wants Gu Yu to build her own foundation.
• Feng Ji continues to serve as a capable and obedient attendant, responding immediately to Hua Miaoyi’s summons.

3. Significant Themes

• Independence versus dependence: Lin Xiaosu rejects a guaranteed superior foundation because he wants control over his own path.
• Potential and limitation: Hua Miaoyi’s Blood Pagoda would be powerful but would also establish a fixed ceiling that Lin Xiaosu could never exceed.
• Unpredictable fate: The Silver Fish represents an extraordinary blessing whose origin and continued loyalty are uncertain, reflecting the idea that fortune and disaster are difficult to separate.
• Self-created destiny: True advancement requires making one’s own choices rather than simply accepting another’s power or protection.
• Mentorship and care: Hua Miaoyi’s apparent inconsistency—helping Lin Xiaosu but refusing Gu Yu—comes from treating each person according to their needs and long-term potential.
• The vastness beyond one’s world: Hua Miaoyi reminds Gu Yu that Kun Cang is only one part of existence, encouraging her to recognize that greater realms and possibilities exist beyond her current experience.

4. Character Interactions

• Hua Miaoyi patiently teaches Lin Xiaosu about the cultivation stages and answers his questions about Primordial Spirits.
• Lin Xiaosu openly expresses his concern that the Silver Fish might leave him, revealing his insecurity beneath his curiosity.
• Hua Miaoyi offers him a practical solution to his cultivation problem, but he respectfully refuses and asks only for guidance.
• Hua Miaoyi summons Feng Ji through an elegant supernatural signal and assigns her to protect Lin Xiaosu.
• Gu Yu challenges Hua Miaoyi’s decision to help Lin Xiaosu, arguing that he is foolish to reject such an opportunity.
• Hua Miaoyi counters that Lin Xiaosu’s refusal reflects higher aspirations, while Gu Yu’s desire for an effortless Blood Pagoda is merely laziness.
• Their exchange ends in a humorous but affectionate punishment, emphasizing the playful yet hierarchical relationship between master and disciple.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu remains wary of Hua Miaoyi, despite her apparent pride in his formation abilities. He fears she might covet the Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit—the Silver Fish in his Sea of Consciousness—and refuses to risk allowing a powerful cultivator to take over or influence his body.
• He enters the Mysterious Gate, a secluded cultivation site in Flowering Valley, where Feng Ji reveals a stone stele containing the Secret Rejuvenation Art.
• Lin discovers that the Rejuvenation Technique he already knows is a heavily modified branch of the Secret Rejuvenation Art. He memorizes the entire inscription using Humanity Orchidheart and begins combining the two techniques.
• During several days of intense cultivation, Lin thoroughly examines his body and opens blocked Micro-Meridians that ordinary cultivators cannot even detect. After roughly ten days, he reaches the perfection of the Human-Peering Realm.
• Lin then begins constructing the Blood Pagoda, the foundation of qi, blood, and true qi. Guided by the Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit, the pagoda forms smoothly in his dantian and becomes extraordinarily vivid, briefly appearing as a lifelike blood-colored pagoda between his brows before disappearing into his body.
• Meanwhile, in Phoenix City, Zhou Xi is attacked by a masked knife-wielding man because of her detective work. She effortlessly breaks his wrist, defeats him, and calls the police.
• Zhou Mei is shocked to learn that Zhou Xi has mastered Ancient Martial Arts. When Zhou Xi reveals that she learned it on the day Lin Xiaosu supposedly “practiced” with her, Zhou Mei finally realizes that Lin’s earlier excuse had been technically true.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extreme caution and distrust, recognizing that even seemingly benevolent cultivators may be dangerous when confronted with an opportunity to obtain a Primordial Spirit.
• His cultivation foundation is revealed to be extraordinarily strong. His ability to perceive and open Micro-Meridians allows him to advance beyond normal cultivators and achieve a near-perfect physical state.
• Lin’s Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit proves essential to building the Blood Pagoda, making the process far easier and more impressive than expected.
• Feng Ji acts as Lin’s guide and protector during his secluded cultivation. She recognizes the abnormal magnificence of his Blood Pagoda and is amused by his extreme reaction to his accumulated filth after cultivation.
• Zhou Xi reveals that she has successfully learned Ancient Martial Arts and can now defend herself with overwhelming strength.
• Zhou Mei shifts from disbelief to astonishment after discovering Zhou Xi’s achievement and realizing that Lin and Zhou Xi had genuinely been training rather than engaging in what she had assumed was an intimate encounter.

Significant Themes

• Trust and human nature: Lin refuses to test Hua Miaoyi’s morality, emphasizing that cultivators’ long lifespans and ambitions can erode ordinary human attachments.
• Perfection through painstaking effort: Lin’s advancement comes from patiently correcting every flaw in his body, including countless overlooked Micro-Meridians.
• The difference between conventional and exceptional cultivation: Lin’s Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit allows him to perceive and accomplish things beyond the reach of ordinary practitioners.
• Hidden truth and misinterpretation: Zhou Mei’s misunderstanding of Lin and Zhou Xi’s “practice” creates comic contrast, while the truth demonstrates that Zhou Xi’s sudden strength has a legitimate explanation.
• Transformation and foundations: The Blood Pagoda symbolizes the beginning of true cultivation and the establishment of a powerful, lasting foundation.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin and Hua Miaoyi are connected by mutual recognition of his talent, but Lin privately maintains strong suspicion toward her motives.
• Feng Ji teaches Lin about the Secret Rejuvenation Art, advises him during cultivation, and waits outside the Mysterious Gate to protect or assist him.
• Lin’s inner connection with the Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit drives the formation of the Blood Pagoda.
• Zhou Xi tells Zhou Mei the truth about her training, forcing Zhou Mei to reconsider her assumptions about Lin and Zhou Xi’s relationship.
• Feng Ji reacts with surprise and humor to Lin’s unprecedented Blood Pagoda and calls him the true “freak” of Flowering Valley.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After half a month of intense cultivation, Lin Xiaosu successfully builds his Blood Pagoda and advances into the Peering into Earth Realm. His extraordinary senses and speed reveal that his abilities far exceed what his cultivation level suggests.
• Feng Ji realizes how unusual Lin Xiaosu truly is but decides to keep his secret, partly because he praises her as a “gentle, wise, wonderful girl.”
• The Hydra Overlord, Hua Miaoyi, prepares a celebratory banquet for Lin Xiaosu. He attends with Feng Ji, who tactfully slows her pace so he will not attract attention by displaying his overwhelming speed.
• During the banquet, Lin Xiaosu explains that he no longer intends to enter Kun Cang. Instead, he plans to return through the Array Sect’s forbidden ground while investigating how Kun Cang may respond to the possible arrival of the Archaic Realm.
• Hua Miaoyi and Lin Xiaosu discuss the conflicting interests surrounding the Archaic Realm’s descent. While ordinary beings would see it as a catastrophic invasion, the shackled Kun Cang Enlightened Realm might welcome it as a chance to break free of their restrictions and regain greater power.
• Lin Xiaosu proposes using Beast Origin Crystals to restore the True Essence of Kun Cang’s Enlightened Realm, potentially persuading them to unite with Great Xia against the Archaic Realm. Hua Miaoyi explains that refining the crystals consumes more True Essence than they provide, making the strategy impractical for ordinary cultivators.
• Lin Xiaosu privately realizes that his Inner Secret Realm allows him to absorb Beast Origin Crystals efficiently, meaning the limitation does not apply to him.
• Hua Miaoyi reveals that Ding Ruoshui, a woman with a special Chunshui physique, has opened the Water Secret Realm and become the direct disciple of Li Chunshui. Lin Xiaosu is deeply moved because Ding Ruoshui is the woman his mother once intended him to marry.
• Before Lin Xiaosu departs, Hua Miaoyi gives him seventeen types of rare Five-Element Spirit Stones. She also orders that his identity and background remain secret, protecting him from the attention of Kun Cang’s various sects.
• Feng Ji offers him no conventional offensive techniques. Instead, she explains that the Secret Rejuvenation Art may become an ultimate killing art if he comprehends the transformation between life and death. She suggests that Lin Xiaosu might one day create a technique unlike anything seen before.
• Lin Xiaosu gives Feng Ji his “phone number” so she can contact him in the Outside World, though she does not understand what a phone is because Flowering Valley has been isolated for three centuries.
• Lin Xiaosu leaves by flying directly into the sky, while Feng Ji remains behind, staring after him for a long time.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates increasing strength, strategic insight, and confidence. He is not merely cultivating physically; he is also thinking about how to unite Kun Cang and the Outside World against the Archaic Realm.
• He becomes more aware of the unique advantages granted by his Inner Secret Realm, particularly its ability to absorb Beast Origin Crystals without the losses experienced by ordinary Enlightened Realm cultivators.
• His feelings toward Ding Ruoshui become more prominent. Learning that she has opened an Inner Secret Realm reassures him that she is powerful and protected, while also renewing his desire to meet her.
• Feng Ji develops greater admiration and affection for Lin Xiaosu. She recognizes his exceptional nature, protects his secret, personally accompanies him, and remains visibly affected after his departure.
• Hua Miaoyi shifts from a potentially neutral or self-interested powerhouse to a clear ally of Lin Xiaosu. She offers him support against the Archaic Realm and protects his identity.
• Hua Miaoyi also reveals her willingness to revise her worldview: before meeting Lin Xiaosu, she might have welcomed the Archaic Realm’s arrival for the opportunity it offered the Enlightened Realm, but now she is prepared to oppose it.

Significant Themes

• Power and hidden potential: Lin Xiaosu’s low apparent cultivation conceals abilities comparable to or greater than those of much stronger figures.
• Loyalty versus self-interest: The chapter explores whether the Kun Cang Enlightened Realm will prioritize the survival of ordinary beings or their own chance to escape their shackles.
• Sacrifice and the cost of power: Cultivation is portrayed as morally dangerous, especially when powerful beings are willing to sacrifice countless lives for advancement.
• Trust and mutual aid: Lin Xiaosu and Hua Miaoyi form an alliance based on reciprocal help rather than empty gratitude.
• Life and death: Feng Ji introduces the idea that the Secret Rejuvenation Art, seemingly focused on healing, may become the deadliest art through mastery of life-death transformation.
• Parting and future connections: The farewell emphasizes both emotional attachment and the possibility that Lin Xiaosu and Feng Ji will meet again in the Outside World.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Feng Ji: Their relationship combines teasing, admiration, and growing emotional warmth. Feng Ji protects his secret and guides him, while Lin Xiaosu openly invites her to seek him out later.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hua Miaoyi: They speak as strategic equals about the Archaic Realm, Kun Cang, Beast Origin Crystals, and secret realms. Hua Miaoyi offers both political support and valuable resources.
• Hua Miaoyi and Feng Ji: Together, they ensure Lin Xiaosu departs safely and discreetly, with Feng Ji delivering the spirit stones and the Hydra Overlord’s protective message.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: They do not meet in the chapter, but Hua Miaoyi’s revelation about Ding Ruoshui establishes an important future connection and gives Lin Xiaosu a personal reason to care about Kun Cang’s affairs.

Chapter Summary — Kunlun Anomaly

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu returns from Flowering Valley through the remnants of the Array Sect, reflecting on its tragic history. The sect once escaped the Archaic Realm by severing its ancestral grounds from the Primordial World, but only its buildings survived; its people disappeared.
• He emerges at the ruined Divine Temple and discovers that more than a month has passed. It is now October 9, and the outside world has shifted from summer into autumn.
• While leaving the mountain, Lin Xiaosu tests his newly advanced cultivation in Wolf Valley. His strength and speed have greatly increased after completing the Secret Rejuvenation Art and reaching the Peering into Earth Realm.
• However, his Rejuvenation True Qi unintentionally invigorates living beings. Instead of killing the wolves attacking him, his strikes make them healthier, more energetic, and eager to attack again. He eventually kills one by using physical force rather than directly striking it with his rejuvenating energy.
• Lin Xiaosu realizes that his current abilities are poorly suited to killing. He considers using insulated gloves, weapons, or better control of his True Qi, while recognizing that the true goal of his cultivation is to control the transformation between life and death.
• He compares his art with Dawa’s opposing ability, which drains vitality from living creatures. Dawa has entered Kun Cang, and Lin Xiaosu considers the possibility of meeting her again to exchange knowledge or test their abilities.
• Lin Xiaosu believes he can now enter Kun Cang more easily. His Peering into Earth Realm cultivation may rival Du Tiange’s strength, while his advanced Formation Dao could attract the attention of Kun Cang’s elders, since Kun Cang itself is closely tied to formations and may function as another kind of prison.
• He travels through Butterfly Valley, avoiding the dangerous butterflies, and returns to Huiyan Town. After checking into a hotel, charging his phone, and enjoying an ordinary meal, he overhears locals discussing abnormal behavior among Kunlun’s wildlife.
• The locals describe wolves slaughtering large numbers of sheep without eating them and divine eagles abandoning their traditional feeding habits. Researchers from Southern Frontier University suspect these changes are part of a “Kunlun Anomaly.”
• Lin Xiaosu concludes that strange beasts from Kun Cang’s hidden sects may have entered the mountains, disrupting the natural ecosystem and driving ordinary wolves and eagles from their territories.
• He sleeps peacefully but wakes the next morning sensing that Huiyan Town is unusually tense. He learns that a horrifying tragedy occurred during the night, setting up the next development.

Character Development

• Lin Xiaosu has made a major advancement in cultivation, reaching the Peering into Earth Realm and gaining speed and combat ability comparable to Du Tiange’s. His Formation Dao has also become genuinely expert-level.
• His new power creates an ironic limitation: the Rejuvenation True Qi flowing through his attacks heals and invigorates instead of causing damage. This forces him to reconsider how he fights and how he might kill in the future.
• Lin Xiaosu shows greater strategic awareness. Rather than rushing into Kun Cang, he recognizes that its ancient elders are manipulative and dangerous, requiring caution and careful negotiation.
• He also demonstrates increased emotional maturity and perspective, reflecting on the loss of the Array Sect, the passage of time, and the comfort of ordinary human life after spending a month isolated in Flowering Valley.

Significant Themes

• Life and death: Lin Xiaosu’s rejuvenating power is contrasted with Dawa’s vitality-draining ability, presenting life and death as opposing but complementary forces.
• Power and limitation: Greater strength does not automatically mean greater freedom. Lin Xiaosu’s advancement gives him formidable abilities but also makes direct killing more difficult.
• The passage of time and impermanence: The ruins of the Array Sect and the missing people of the Archaic Realm emphasize the destructive effects of time and historical change.
• Prisons and freedom: Flowering Valley is a prison, but Lin Xiaosu suggests that Kun Cang may also be a prison. The desire to escape confinement may motivate its inhabitants to seek powerful formations.
• Hidden supernatural influence: The changes in Kunlun’s wildlife reveal how the concealed world of Kun Cang affects ordinary society and nature.
• Return to ordinary life: Lin Xiaosu’s enjoyment of hotel food and modern conveniences contrasts with his isolated cultivation experience, highlighting his continued connection to the mortal world.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and the wolves: The wolves attack him, but his Rejuvenation True Qi repeatedly makes them stronger and more excited. Their behavior humorously exposes the unexpected consequences of his cultivation.
• Lin Xiaosu and Dawa: Although they do not meet in this chapter, Lin Xiaosu reflects on their opposing abilities and hopes to exchange techniques with her someday.
• Lin Xiaosu and Kun Cang’s elders: Their interaction has not yet occurred, but Lin Xiaosu anticipates that his combat ability and Formation Dao could attract their attention. He remains wary of their age, intelligence, and political maneuvering.
• Lin Xiaosu and the hotel patrons: He overhears local men discussing the strange animal attacks and briefly makes eye contact with one of them, who quickly looks away.
• Lin Xiaosu and ordinary society: His return to Huiyan Town brings him back into contact with modern life, local concerns, researchers, and the consequences of supernatural activity beyond the hidden realms.

Chapter Summary: White-Robed Professor Xiang Yixiu

Key Plot Points and Events

• A gigantic white wolf attacks a fortified lakeside cabin in Huiyan Town, killing two adults and abducting their young child. The child’s head is later found on the prairie, causing widespread panic and driving tourists away from Smoke Lake.
• Lin Xiaosu investigates from outside the police cordon and uses his Temporal Reversal ability to reconstruct the attack. He discovers that the creature was far too powerful and fast to be an ordinary wolf.
• A refined man in white, Professor Xiang Yixiu of Southern Frontier University, examines the crime scene and identifies the fur as belonging to a Kunlun Snow Wolf.
• Xiang explains that Kunlun Snow Wolves are not ordinary animals but Archaic Realm anomalies. This particular wolf is pregnant and requires the spiritual blood and flesh of human children to nourish its offspring. It will therefore continue hunting children within a thousand-mile radius.
• Xiang reveals that he recognizes Lin as the famous detective from Phoenix City, having studied footage of Lin’s earlier journey with Professor Yin. Their expedition had secretly been an assessment for entry into the mysterious organization Kun Cang.
• Lin and Xiang join forces to track the wolf. Both display extraordinary speed, revealing themselves to be powerful Gene Humans or Ancient Martial Arts practitioners.
• In the prairie, Lin uses his temporal ability to locate the place where the child’s head was found. Xiang admits he only has limited faith in Lin’s ability to track the wolf, but considers him more reliable than the local hunter.
• Their conversation turns philosophical as Xiang describes them as “fellow travelers” pursuing the same mission. Lin questions whether Xiang’s “path” means a shared purpose rather than merely a martial cultivation path.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates his investigative abilities and willingness to reveal his powers when innocent children are in danger. He becomes more cautious of Southern Frontier University after realizing that Professor Xiang has thoroughly investigated his identity and past actions.
• Xiang Yixiu: Is introduced as an elegant biology professor specializing in animals and anomalies, but he is also an exceptionally capable combatant and investigator. His knowledge of Archaic Realm creatures establishes him as someone deeply connected to the hidden supernatural world. His candid, teasing personality contrasts with his scholarly appearance.
• The police: Initially treat the incident as a dangerous animal attack and rely on conventional tracking methods, but they are forced to acknowledge that the creature is supernatural and far beyond ordinary human control.
• The white wolf: Develops from a seemingly ordinary predator into a terrifying, intelligent anomaly driven by the need to feed its unborn cub with spiritually potent human blood.

Significant Themes

• The hidden supernatural world: The attack exposes the existence of Archaic Realm anomalies and the danger they pose when they enter the human world.
• Human vulnerability before extraordinary creatures: Conventional fortifications, police work, and hunting skills are useless against the wolf’s strength and speed.
• Duty and moral urgency: Lin and Xiang act not for fame or personal gain but to prevent further deaths, especially among children.
• Identity and surveillance: Xiang’s knowledge of Lin’s real identity shows how closely powerful institutions monitor gifted individuals.
• The meaning of the “path”: The chapter questions whether a person’s path is defined by martial cultivation, shared goals, or a broader mission and sense of purpose.
• Science and cultivation intersecting: Xiang represents both academic biological study and supernatural martial power, blending modern investigation with knowledge of ancient anomalies.

Character Interactions

• Lin observes Xiang from outside the crime scene and immediately senses that he is unusual.
• Xiang and Lin recognize one another as capable individuals, with Xiang deliberately approaching and exposing his knowledge of Lin’s background.
• Their conversation balances cooperation with mutual testing: Lin probes Xiang’s expertise, while Xiang evaluates Lin’s powers and reliability.
• Though Xiang claims only limited confidence in Lin’s tracking ability, he chooses to accompany him because Lin is still the best available option.
• Their discussion about being “fellow travelers” establishes a potential alliance while also hinting at differing interpretations of purpose, cultivation, and destiny.

Chapter Summary: “A Blade of Grass Kills a Glacier Wolf”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Xiang Yixiu continue tracking the Glacier Wolf across the grasslands. Although the wolf has erased its blood trail, Lin Xiaosu deduces its movements and deliberately leaves the main route.
• While traveling, Xiang Yixiu asks about Lin Xiaosu’s martial-arts origins. Xiang reveals that he learned Esoteric Sect techniques from the Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple. Lin Xiaosu explains that his foundation is the Miao Family’s Rejuvenation Technique.
• Xiang compares Lin Xiaosu’s life-preserving cultivation to that of his junior fellow disciple, Hu Fo, whose Buddhist practice concerns guiding the dead. Lin Xiaosu realizes that Hu Fo, whom he previously encountered, is connected to the Esoteric Sect and may have ties to Kun Cang.
• After crossing the grassland, the pair reaches a herdsmen’s settlement. Lin Xiaosu senses danger: the Glacier Wolf is stalking an infant held by a young mother.
• Both men race toward the attack. Unable to reach the child in time, Lin Xiaosu throws a branch like a flying knife, piercing the wolf’s neck and knocking it away from the baby.
• The severely injured Glacier Wolf attempts to escape, but Xiang Yixiu kills it by launching a single blade of grass. The grass enters the wolf’s body with tremendous, nearly invisible force and tears it apart.
• Afterward, Xiang takes the wolf’s placenta for research, while Lin Xiaosu claims the valuable Origin Crystal from its head. The frightened mother approaches with her child and kneels before them in gratitude and shock.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates exceptional tracking ability, speed, precision, and quick judgment. His instinctive decision to use a branch saves the infant, revealing both his combat mastery and his willingness to act decisively under pressure. He also becomes increasingly suspicious of Xiang Yixiu’s background and possible connection to Kun Cang.
• Xiang Yixiu: Reveals himself to be far more than an ordinary university professor. His Esoteric Sect cultivation and effortless use of a blade of grass display terrifying precision and killing power. He remains calm, humorous, and practical, even while discussing dangerous matters and dividing the Glacier Wolf’s remains.
• Hu Fo: Though absent, he becomes more significant through Xiang’s explanation. His identity as Xiang’s junior fellow disciple links him to the Esoteric Sect and raises questions about his relationship with Kun Cang.
• The young herdswoman: Initially unaware of the danger, she becomes terrified when the wolf attacks her child and later expresses her gratitude through tears and kneeling.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power beneath ordinary identities: Xiang’s role as a professor conceals extraordinary martial ability, suggesting that seemingly ordinary figures may have dangerous or mysterious affiliations.
• Life, death, and spiritual philosophy: The discussion of the Rejuvenation Technique and Esoteric Buddhism contrasts saving the living with guiding the dead, while emphasizing that life and death may be viewed as part of one continuous cycle.
• Precision and mastery: The branch and blade of grass symbolize different but equally refined forms of combat. The chapter highlights how true experts can turn ordinary objects into lethal weapons.
• Protection and responsibility: Lin Xiaosu’s instinctive defense of the infant shows that strength is meaningful when used to protect vulnerable people.
• Mystery and suspicion: Xiang’s connection to Hu Fo and the possible relationship between the Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple and Kun Cang create new questions about the larger forces surrounding Lin Xiaosu.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Xiang exchange witty, guarded dialogue while tracking, each probing the other’s origins without revealing everything.
• Their conversation about martial arts establishes mutual respect but also underlying suspicion.
• The Glacier Wolf encounter becomes an unspoken competition: Lin Xiaosu saves the child with a branch, while Xiang finishes the wolf with a blade of grass, allowing both to display their unique strengths.
• After the battle, they cooperate efficiently, dividing the creature’s remains according to their respective needs.
• Xiang’s calm praise and Lin Xiaosu’s admission of being impressed mark a growing recognition between them, though Lin Xiaosu remains wary of Xiang’s true identity and motives.

Chapter Summary: “Subterranean Natives”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating the Glacier Wolf, Lin Xiaosu and Xiang Yixiu are warmly hosted by grassland villagers, who give them two white horses as gifts.
• While riding toward Huiyan Town, Lin reveals that he has shattered and absorbed the Glacier Wolf’s Origin Crystal through his Spatial Secret Realm and Blood Pagoda. This unusual method allows him to refine energy far beyond the capabilities of even Kun Cang’s Enlightened Realm experts.
• Xiang suggests that the Glacier Wolf may have originated from Kun Cang and either still has an owner or escaped from one. If it was deliberately sent into the grasslands, it could signal future trouble.
• The pair race on horseback toward Huiyan Town. Xiang initially leads due to his superior riding skills, but Lin rapidly learns and eventually catches up.
• At the highway, they meet the police officers investigating the wolf attacks. Xiang presents the wolf’s head as proof that the case has been resolved and credits Lin with discovering the clues and saving a child.
• After releasing the horses, the two enter Huiyan Town and discuss their next steps. Lin plans to return home.
• Xiang invites Lin to Southern Frontier University, offering access to his twenty years of research on strange beasts and objects.
• Their discussion reveals that Xiang knows details from the Mountains and Rivers Classic and Sea Abyss Classic, texts connected to mysterious creatures and civilizations outside the ordinary world.
• Xiang admits that he wants to share his research partly to avoid being called upon whenever supernatural incidents occur. Lin correctly suspects that Xiang may intend to delegate this responsibility to him.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates a major breakthrough in cultivation. By using his Spatial Secret Realm to destroy the Origin Crystal, he discovers a method that places him above even Kun Cang’s greatest masters in energy refinement.
• Lin also displays extraordinary adaptability: despite never having ridden before, he quickly matches Xiang’s horsemanship during their race.
• His curiosity and caution deepen as he considers the Glacier Wolf’s origins and the possibility of hidden forces manipulating events.
• Xiang Yixiu is shown as both a powerful cultivator and a worldly, irreverent scholar. Although affiliated with the Esoteric Sect, he insists that human emotions and desires are compatible with spiritual freedom.
• Xiang’s concern for the grassland reveals a strong sense of responsibility beneath his humorous and self-indulgent exterior.
• He also emerges as a valuable source of knowledge, possessing extensive research on supernatural creatures and ancient texts.
• Lin and Xiang develop greater mutual trust and familiarity, while retaining a playful, sarcastic dynamic.

Significant Themes

• Breaking conventional limits: Lin’s unique cultivation method suggests that established systems of knowledge and power can be surpassed through unconventional means.
• The hidden origins of supernatural threats: The Glacier Wolf may be an escaped creature or a weapon sent by unknown forces, suggesting that larger dangers lie beyond the immediate incident.
• Responsibility versus freedom: Xiang values personal freedom but recognizes that knowledge and power can impose unwanted obligations.
• Knowledge as both glory and burden: Xiang’s research grants him prestige but also makes him the person authorities seek whenever strange events occur.
• Human nature within spiritual practice: The chapter humorously challenges the idea that religious or scholarly figures must suppress ordinary desires and emotions.
• Knowledge-sharing and delegation: Xiang’s offer to share his research is generous but self-serving, as he hopes Lin will handle future supernatural cases.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Xiang openly debate the Glacier Wolf’s possible origins, with Xiang offering theories and Lin analyzing their implications.
• Their horseback race strengthens their companionship and highlights Lin’s rapid learning ability.
• Xiang publicly credits Lin for solving the case and saving the child, ensuring that Lin receives recognition.
• In the teahouse, their conversation shifts from joking about romance and the Esoteric Sect to a serious exchange about ancient texts and supernatural creatures.
• Lin recognizes that Xiang’s offer of research materials is motivated partly by self-interest, while Xiang candidly admits that he wants relief from future responsibilities.

Chapter Summary: “Xiang Yixiu’s Trust and Sincerity”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu agrees to take responsibility for handling the dangerous information Xiang Yixiu has gathered, allowing Xiang to avoid further involvement in police and Qianlong affairs.
• Xiang returns with Lin to Southern Frontier University in a police car, attracting attention and gossip from students because of his distinctive white robes and questionable reputation.
• Xiang brings Lin to his private archive, where Lin discovers the remains of the exotic beast Qijuan and the hide of an Earth Silkworm, a creature connected to the mysterious Subterranean Natives.
• Xiang explains the legend of the Inner-Earth or Subterranean races and Emperor Kun’s Heaven-and-Earth Severance. According to the account, Silicon-Based Life originally dominated Earth, while Carbon-Based Life—including humanity—developed later.
• Emperor Kun supposedly sealed both the Archaic Realm Passage and the underground world using formations made from his own ribs. These acts caused spiritual energy to disappear and made cultivation impossible for later civilizations.
• Xiang gives Lin access to his research materials on the Subterranean Natives. Lin learns about numerous underground races, including the Guai, Yun, Night, Di Ting, and Litian Tribes.
• While Lin studies, Xiang privately explains to a female graduate student that Lin is being used as a “scapegoat” or “firebrick”—someone who can take on dangerous work in his place.
• Xiang reveals that Qianlong’s interest in him makes direct cooperation impossible because of his identity, yet he still feels obligated to help protect the nation and its civilians.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu becomes more deeply connected to major hidden truths about Earth’s history. His curiosity and heightened abilities allow him to recognize Qijuan and understand the importance of the Subterranean Natives.
• Xiang Yixiu is shown to be clever, evasive, and self-interested, but not truly indifferent to public safety. He wants to avoid dangerous adventures and Qianlong’s attention while still contributing indirectly.
• Xiang’s willingness to give Lin access to highly restricted research demonstrates substantial trust. At the same time, he openly manipulates Lin into taking on responsibilities he does not want.
• The female graduate student provides insight into Xiang’s private life and challenges his decision to entrust his materials to Lin.

3. Significant Themes

• Trust and strategic manipulation: Xiang trusts Lin enough to reveal his research, but frames that trust as a practical means of protecting himself.
• Hidden origins of civilization: The chapter radically expands the world’s mythology by suggesting that humanity is not native to Earth and that ancient conflicts between Carbon-Based and Silicon-Based Life shaped the planet.
• The cost of protection: Emperor Kun’s actions preserved the surface world but also severed humanity from spiritual power, showing that salvation may require enormous sacrifice.
• Relative morality of nature: Xiang’s explanation challenges the idea that environmental change is inherently good or bad; it depends on which life forms benefit from it.
• Knowledge and responsibility: Lin’s access to forbidden information brings him closer to understanding global threats, but also places him in a dangerous position.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin and Xiang banter over who owes whom a favor, revealing their growing familiarity and contrasting personalities.
• At the university, Lin notices that Xiang can hear students gossiping about him, creating a humorous moment and exposing Xiang’s sensitivity beneath his confident exterior.
• Xiang guides Lin through his archive and explains the significance of the artifacts and legends, acting as both mentor and recruiter.
• Xiang’s female graduate student questions why he trusts Lin and gives up access to his research. Xiang admits that Lin is a convenient substitute who can deal with matters Xiang himself cannot safely handle.
• Their conversation confirms that Xiang’s apparent laziness and avoidance conceal a calculated attempt to balance self-preservation with his obligation to help society.

Chapter Summary: “Ning City Trial, Hu Ya in Danger”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiang Yixiu decides to leave his research materials with Lin Xiaosu through an intermediary because his sect’s restrictions prevent him from contacting Qianlong directly. He arranges a trip to the Maldives with his graduate student.
• Lin Xiaosu learns that Xiang has left and is told he may freely consult the professor’s research archives. Instead, he departs for Huanggang.
• Xiang is surprised and disappointed when he discovers that Lin has left, believing Lin would gradually study the materials and become a convenient “scapegoat” for handling troublesome cases.
• However, Lin has already completely absorbed Xiang’s twenty years of research in one night through the power of Humanity Orchidheart.
• During the train journey, Lin reflects on the gains from his trip:
  • He has uncovered more about the mysterious Kun Cang.
  • He has clarified his cultivation level, advancing from the incomplete Peering into Humanity Realm to the Peering into Earth Realm.
  • He learns about the Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit within his Sea of Consciousness and realizes he can now contend with Awakened-level opponents.
  • He discovers the existence of powerful formations connected to the Ancient Wilderness Formation Sect.
  • He receives Xiang Yixiu’s valuable research materials, though Xiang’s mysterious background makes Lin suspect that he is connected to Kun Cang.
• Using Dragon Eye, Lin investigates Xiang Yixiu, Professor Yin Dingxian, and other mysterious figures, but finds no records of Hu Fo or Dawa.
• Lin then notices news reports about repeated monster attacks near Ning City. Several couples have been killed by a beast emerging from underground.
• The reported monster’s white scales, short or nonexistent legs, and dagger-like claws match the description of the legendary Earthfall Beast from Xiang’s research.
• Lin realizes that Ning City is Hu Ya’s Qianlong Reserve Trial location. He suspects Qianlong may have deliberately chosen the area because the monster was considered suitable trial material.
• Lin concludes that this is a serious mistake: an Earthfall Beast is nearly impervious to weapons, can burrow through the earth, and is extremely savage. Hu Ya may be facing genuine mortal danger rather than merely risking failure.
• Lin immediately leaves the train at Ning City, hires a taxi, and rushes toward Heyang Mountain and Ruichuan, where the latest attack occurred.
• The chapter ends by introducing the two Qianlong evaluators overseeing Hu Ya’s trial. They are observing the mountainous region through Dragon Eye glasses from a restaurant in Ruichuan.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates extraordinary comprehension by mastering Xiang’s extensive research in a single night. His cultivation confidence grows as he recognizes his ability to fight Awakened opponents. He also becomes more proactive and protective, immediately risking himself to investigate Hu Ya’s danger.
• Xiang Yixiu: Reveals himself as secretive, powerful, and possibly connected to Kun Cang. He tries to arrange Lin as an intermediary who can handle the consequences of his research, but misjudges Lin’s motives and abilities.
• The graduate student: Teases Xiang about his failed plan and contributes a lighthearted contrast to the chapter’s growing tension.
• Hu Ya: Although she does not appear directly, she becomes the central endangered character. Her trial has apparently placed her against an enemy far beyond the expected level of a Reserve member.
• Qianlong evaluators: Their presence establishes that the trial is being supervised, though their decision to use the Earthfall Beast as a target raises questions about their judgment.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and secret connections: Xiang’s unexplained relationship to Kun Cang, the mysterious factions surrounding Lin, and Qianlong’s concealed motives reinforce the setting’s atmosphere of secrecy.
• Knowledge as power: Lin’s ability to absorb vast research instantly transforms Xiang’s materials into practical knowledge, allowing him to identify the monster and understand its danger.
• The limits of official judgment: Qianlong’s trial system may have underestimated the Earthfall Beast, showing how institutional decisions can place inexperienced people in lethal situations.
• Responsibility and action: Unlike Xiang, who seeks to pass responsibility to an intermediary, Lin chooses to act when he realizes someone is in danger.
• Advancement and growing confidence: Lin’s understanding of his cultivation realm and combat ability marks a major step forward in his development.

Character Interactions

• Xiang and his graduate student exchange playful banter about the Maldives and finding a “scapegoat.”
• Xiang’s students inform Lin that he may use the archives, showing Xiang’s indirect attempt to recruit or involve him.
• Lin’s departure frustrates Xiang, who had assumed Lin would accept the investigative burden.
• Lin’s memories of past enemies, especially Du Tiange, highlight his increased confidence and readiness to confront stronger opponents.
• Lin’s investigation of the news reports connects Xiang’s research to Hu Ya’s trial and motivates him to intervene.
• The final interaction is indirect: the Qianlong evaluators watch the same region Lin is approaching, setting up a likely confrontation between Lin’s rescue effort and the ongoing trial.

Chapter Summary: “Meeting a Childhood Sweetheart Far from Home”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two Qianlong instructors, a weathered male instructor and the white-haired Snow Ying, discuss the failed Reserve Trial. The mutant beast they are hunting is extraordinarily difficult to track because it can burrow underground without disturbing the soil.
• Even Unit 101, an elite official Gold Badge holder, has failed to capture it. The instructors therefore consider suspending the trial or changing its objectives and evaluation standards.
• Snow Ying proposes allowing the four reserves to pass based on their overall performance rather than requiring them to kill the beast. The male instructor objects that the rules were established by higher authorities and cannot be changed without approval.
• Snow Ying reveals that she personally fought Li Diandian and was defeated by a single punch. Although Li Diandian lacks conventional stealth and investigative discipline, Snow Ying believes such a powerful prodigy must not be buried in the reserve ranks.
• The instructors notice Lin Xiaosu, a detective from Phoenix City, approaching the village. They recognize him as Li Diandian’s childhood sweetheart and assume she summoned him to help with the trial.
• The chapter shifts to the mountain village, where a married couple were recently killed by the underground mutant beast. The village has been devastated by fear and abandonment.
• Li Diandian waits beneath a tree, frustrated that her overwhelming strength is useless without being able to locate the creature.
• Fellow reserve Li Yue looks down on Diandian, believing her lack of subtlety and conspicuous behavior makes her unfit for Qianlong work. Li Yue prides herself on blending into villages and gathering intelligence.
• Li Diandian suddenly recognizes Lin Xiaosu and rushes to meet him. Both pretend their arrival is coincidental, though they are clearly delighted to see each other.
• Diandian brings Lin Xiaosu into the investigation. Li Yue objects, but Diandian ignores her, and the local police immediately follow Diandian’s authority.
• Lin Xiaosu quickly analyzes the power dynamics in the village, realizing that Diandian leads the police while Li Yue is likely an equal-ranking reserve member.

Character Developments

• Snow Ying: Her attitude toward Li Diandian changes from irritation to protective advocacy. After experiencing Diandian’s immense strength firsthand, she becomes determined to ensure that Diandian is not held back by rigid rules or ordinary weaknesses.
• Li Diandian/Hu Ya: She is shown as extraordinarily powerful, impulsive, and conspicuous. Although she attempts to restrain herself, her behavior naturally draws attention and undermines her ability to conduct covert investigations. She is also emotionally excited to see Lin Xiaosu and confidently commands the police.
• Lin Xiaosu: He is introduced as a capable detective known for finding people and animals. He immediately observes the villagers, police, and reserves carefully, demonstrating sharp reasoning and situational awareness.
• Li Yue: She emerges as Diandian’s rival. She values traditional espionage skills, subtlety, and blending in, and resents the attention Diandian receives despite her unconventional methods.
• The male instructor: He remains committed to procedural fairness and the established rules, though he recognizes the difficulty and unfairness of the current trial.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus rules: The instructors debate whether rigid standards should apply when the mission has become far more difficult than originally anticipated.
• The danger of burying exceptional ability: Snow Ying argues that extraordinary people should be given opportunities, even if they lack conventional skills.
• Strength versus subtlety: Li Diandian possesses overwhelming physical power but performs poorly at covert work, while Li Yue represents discipline, disguise, and conventional espionage.
• Fear and social collapse: The monster’s attacks have emptied the villages and left behind isolated elderly residents, illustrating the wider social impact of the crisis.
• Personal bonds amid professional missions: Lin Xiaosu’s arrival brings emotional warmth and possible romantic implications into an otherwise dangerous and highly regulated operation.

Important Character Interactions

• Snow Ying and the male instructor debate whether the trial should be suspended or its standards revised.
• Snow Ying recounts her humiliating defeat by Li Diandian to persuade the instructor that Diandian deserves advancement.
• The instructors speculate that Li Diandian summoned Lin Xiaosu because of their intimate childhood connection.
• Li Yue challenges Diandian’s decision to involve an outsider, revealing their rivalry.
• Li Diandian and Lin Xiaosu exchange surprised, awkwardly enthusiastic greetings and pretend their meeting is accidental.
• Lin Xiaosu observes the contrasting authority of Li Diandian and Li Yue and begins forming an understanding of the group’s internal structure.

Chapter Summary: “Passion Can Be Used to Lure Beasts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu arrives to investigate seven connected murder cases, all involving young married couples and eighteen deaths.
• Captain Zhou gives him a summary instead of allowing him to review the classified case files directly.
• Li Yue reports Li Diandian for violating trial rules by bringing in Lin Xiaosu as outside assistance. Her instructor explains that this is not forbidden: Qianlong trials are treated as real missions, and members are expected to use any resources from the secular world, including personal connections. Only assistance from Qianlong itself is prohibited.
• Lin Xiaosu quickly concludes that visiting the previous crime scene is unnecessary. His priority is not tracking the beast but determining how to force it out of hiding.
• Based on the victims and circumstances, he identifies the killer as an underground exotic beast called an Earthfall Beast. It possesses an extremely Yin nature, uses Earth Law to burrow underground, and cannot be tracked by ordinary physical means once beneath the earth.
• Lin Xiaosu realizes the beast consistently targets young married couples because it is attracted to the Yin-Yang energy produced by sexual activity, rather than to nighttime itself.
• Hu Ya proposes using recorded sounds to lure it out, but Lin Xiaosu explains that the beast likely does not rely on hearing. Instead, it senses biological auras or hormones.
• Hu Ya suggests having Li Yue help create the necessary lure, but Lin Xiaosu points out that Li Yue may be too weak to kill the beast if it appears. This leaves Hu Ya as the likely person who must serve as bait.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional investigative insight, recognizing that the central challenge is baiting the beast rather than tracking it. He also shows knowledge of exotic creatures and Daoist principles.
• Li Yue begins confident that Li Diandian has cheated, but her instructor forces her to reconsider the meaning of individual ability and outside assistance. Although she accepts the ruling, she remains resentful and suspects the instructor favors Li Diandian.
• Li Diandian is indirectly shown to be resourceful and strategically clever. Her use of Lin Xiaosu is legally valid under Qianlong rules, even if Li Yue considers it unfair.
• Hu Ya is enthusiastic and practical but initially focuses only on drawing the beast out, forgetting that the bait must also be capable of surviving and killing it. Her willingness to volunteer herself creates an awkward reaction from Lin Xiaosu.
• The white-haired instructor reinforces Qianlong’s philosophy: missions take priority, and members should freely use the power and connections available in the secular world.

Significant Themes

• Rules versus their underlying purpose: The chapter distinguishes literal rule-breaking from violating the spirit of a trial. Qianlong permits outside resources because real missions demand adaptability.
• Pragmatism and resourcefulness: Success depends on using every available advantage rather than relying solely on personal combat strength.
• Actual combat versus performance: Trials are not simulations or theatrical exercises; the lives involved are real, so every decision must be treated as a genuine mission decision.
• Knowledge as power: Understanding the beast’s nature, habits, and sensory abilities is more important than simply possessing strength.
• The danger of passion: Human intimacy becomes both the source of the beast’s attraction and a potential weapon against it.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue confronts her instructor about Li Diandian’s alleged violation, but the instructor firmly defends Li Diandian’s actions and challenges Li Yue’s narrow interpretation of personal ability.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya analyze the murders together, with Hu Ya asking questions and offering increasingly impractical baiting methods.
• Their conversation becomes comical and awkward when Hu Ya suggests using sexual activity—and possibly herself—as bait.
• Lin Xiaosu counters Hu Ya’s ideas with practical concerns about the beast’s senses and the bait’s ability to kill it, shifting the plan from merely attracting the creature to ensuring its destruction.

Chapter Summary: Childhood Dreams in a Little Mountain Village

Plot and Key Events

Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya continue investigating the ferocious beast responsible for seven attacks and eighteen deaths. Lin deliberately avoids taking credit in front of the police, intending to keep his presence in the trial minimal while allowing Hu Ya to receive recognition.
Using his perception of vital energy, Lin determines that the beast’s true location is not the geometric center of the killings but a secluded, nearly abandoned mountain village. He and Hu Ya arrive before nightfall, speak with the village’s last remaining resident, and pretend to leave. After the old man’s lamp goes out, they secretly return and hide inside an abandoned house.
Lin chooses the house because it still carries the scent and traces of human habitation, hoping to lure the beast into believing someone lives there. He and Hu Ya then stage an intimate encounter to attract the creature, though the situation also reflects their unresolved feelings and shared childhood history.
The plan succeeds: a white, pangolin-like beast emerges silently from underground. Hu Ya attacks first, but her dagger breaks against its body. Lin then strikes with overwhelming force, while Hu Ya punches through the creature’s abdomen and the wall behind it. The beast is killed just as two police instructors arrive with flashlights.
The old man is informed that the police have eliminated the monster and reacts with relief. Hu Ya introduces Lin to the instructors as a skilled detective who helped solve the case. Although Li Yue remains resentful, the successful outcome forces her to acknowledge Lin’s effectiveness. The white-haired instructor thanks Lin, whose hand remains cold after the encounter—possibly because of the handshake, or because of the intimate scene with Hu Ya.

Character Development

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates strategic intelligence, restraint, and powerful perception. Rather than seeking glory, he carefully controls his presence and creates a trap based on the beast’s unknown habits. His growing intimacy with Hu Ya also reveals both his attraction to her and his willingness to respond to her complicated feelings.
• Hu Ya: Shows courage and combat ability by attacking the beast without hesitation. Beneath her confidence, however, she is emotionally vulnerable. Her feelings for Lin are tied to childhood memories, separation, regret, and uncertainty about her future. She consciously uses the mission as a justification to act on those feelings.
• Li Yue: Though still resentful of Lin’s involvement, she begins to accept his abilities when confronted with the successful result.
• The old villager: Represents the isolated human cost of the beast’s attacks and the fading life of the abandoned mountain village. His relief after the kill emphasizes how deeply the danger had affected the remaining residents.
• The instructors: Initially indifferent to a secular detective, they become impressed and curious after seeing how quickly Lin solved a case that had troubled them for a month.

Major Themes

• Childhood memories and changing relationships: Hu Ya’s return to the mountains forces her to confront the loss of her former life and her attachment to Lin.
• Desire versus restraint: The staged seduction begins as a practical plan but becomes emotionally genuine, blurring the boundary between mission and personal longing.
• The past and the future: Hu Ya wants to place a final, meaningful mark on her youth while recognizing that her life is moving in a different direction.
• Ingenuity over brute force: Lin succeeds by studying the environment, exploiting the beast’s instincts, and carefully constructing a trap.
• Civilization and isolation: The abandoned village, old customs, and vulnerable villagers contrast with the dangerous supernatural world surrounding them.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin and Hu Ya teasingly discuss their past attraction and the kiss she gave him before leaving Willow Grove Temple.
• They cooperate closely in planning and executing the trap, while their staged intimacy exposes genuine romantic tension.
• Hu Ya and Lin fight the beast together, combining her speed and physical strength with his timing and overwhelming attack.
• The instructors’ attitude toward Lin changes from indifference to respect after witnessing the mission’s success.
• Li Yue’s resentment is challenged by the undeniable effectiveness of Lin and Hu Ya’s cooperation.

Summary of “Underground Palace”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Earthfall Beast is killed, Hu Ya prepares to leave with the Qianlong instructors. She and Lin Xiaosu share an emotionally and physically intimate farewell, believing their paths will soon separate.
• Hu Ya returns to base to continue her training and is expected to become a Qianlong Gold Medal. Lin Xiaosu remains in Ruichuan Town because his objective differs from Qianlong’s: instead of merely killing the beast, he wants to discover why it appeared.
• Lin Xiaosu investigates the Earthfall Beast’s previous attacks by revisiting seven crime scenes. Using the Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit, he traces underground routes from each location.
• Although each route ends after roughly fifty meters, all seven point toward the same mountain, leading Lin Xiaosu to suspect that the beast’s lair lies there.
• He discovers a dark pool connected to an underground river and enters a natural cave beneath it. Inside, he finds a huge glowing green sphere containing blood-like liquid.
• A human thigh falls from the sphere, revealing that the Earthfall Beast had been collecting human flesh and blood to nourish whatever was inside.
• Lin Xiaosu cuts open the sphere and discovers a massive silver Earthfall Beast, far larger and more powerful than the one previously killed. It appears to be undergoing a skin-shedding or growth process.
• The silver beast attacks using Earth Law Power, manipulating stone and earth. Lin Xiaosu’s dagger cannot pierce its body, and the beast’s eyelids even withstand an attack aimed at its eyes.
• Lin Xiaosu realizes that the beast is temporarily vulnerable because it is trapped in its old skin and has limited movement. He resolves to exploit this weakness and kill it before it completes its transformation.

Character Developments

• Hu Ya: Experiences intense feelings for Lin Xiaosu and views their encounter as a final, memorable farewell to her youth. Her impending promotion to Qianlong Gold Medal marks a major turning point and the beginning of a separate path from Lin Xiaosu.
• Lin Xiaosu: Reveals a more investigative and strategic side. Rather than accepting the official mission’s limited goal, he pursues the deeper mystery of the underground race and possible seal ruptures. His abilities have grown significantly through the Blood Pagoda and the strengthened Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit, though his spiritual power still has limits.
• Lin Xiaosu’s resolve: His concern expands from one local monster to the possibility of a wider catastrophe involving ancient underground creatures and the collapse of seals.

Significant Themes

• Parting and diverging destinies: Hu Ya and Lin Xiaosu share a final intimate moment before returning to different lives and obligations.
• Truth beyond appearances: The Earthfall Beast’s attacks are not random acts of violence; they serve a larger biological or reproductive purpose.
• Hidden ancient dangers: The underground race, sealed creatures, and possible ruptures echo earlier supernatural disasters and suggest a growing threat to human civilization.
• Adaptation and survival: The silver beast’s shedding represents growth through transformation, while Lin Xiaosu must adapt his strategy to defeat an enemy he cannot overcome by force alone.
• Curiosity versus duty: Qianlong considers the mission complete after eliminating the immediate threat, whereas Lin Xiaosu seeks the underlying cause and broader implications.

Character Interactions

• Hu Ya and Lin Xiaosu share a passionate encounter before her departure, giving emotional weight to their farewell.
• The male instructor formally ends Hu Ya’s mission and reminds her to separate from Lin Xiaosu, reinforcing the institutional divide between them.
• The police treat Lin Xiaosu as a hero after the battle and return him to town, unaware that he intends to continue investigating.
• Lin Xiaosu’s confrontation with the silver Earthfall Beast shifts from exploration to combat when the creature reveals its overwhelming power. His final realization—that the beast is weakest while shedding—sets up the next stage of the conflict.

Chapter Summary: Earthfall Crystal, Emperor Kun’s Bone

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the Earthfall Beast’s molting period, the cave destabilizes: rocks collapse, the floor becomes a quagmire, and the beast’s claws remain trapped in its shed skin.
• Lin Xiaosu exploits the beast’s only available attack—its mouth. He lures it into opening its jaws, then thrusts a dagger through its unprotected mouth toward its forehead.
• Rather than retreat when the beast bites down, Lin gambles that he can act first. He successfully removes the beast’s Origin Crystal moments before its teeth crush his arm.
• The Earthfall Beast dies immediately. Lin collects its Origin Crystal, hundreds of extremely sharp and durable silver scales, and portions of its unusual silicon-based body for research and possible use by Qianlong, Xiang Yixiu, and Hu Ya.
• Lin begins investigating how the beast escaped its underground confinement. He discovers a damaged formation platform and a deep fissure emitting an even colder aura than the beast.
• A nearby stone peak resembles a giant rib, leading Lin to identify it as possibly one of Emperor Kun’s ribs. He recalls the legend that Emperor Kun used thirteen ribs as Earth-Suppressing Bone Nails to seal the Heart-of-the-Earth Clan.
• Lin concludes that the cracked formation—an underground counterpart to the Heaven-Severing Passage—allowed the Earthfall Beast to escape and may threaten the modern world if more underground creatures emerge.
• Using the Bronze Pen, Five Elements spiritual energy, and his knowledge of formation construction, Lin repairs four broken points in the formation. As he works, terrifying roars and disturbances rise from the abyss, suggesting a powerful entity nearly breaks free.
• The formation is restored at the final point, sealing the fissure. The mountain’s outer stone shell falls away, revealing the jade-white surface of Emperor Kun’s enormous rib. The oppressive cold disappears.
• Lin studies and memorizes the completed formation, then examines the Earthfall Beast’s golden Origin Crystal, which contains an immense Earth-aspect energy far more powerful than ordinary spirit stones.

Character Development

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional courage, tactical thinking, and willingness to gamble. His victory depends on precisely judging the timing between extracting the Origin Crystal and losing his arm.
• He grows more aware of the larger danger posed by the Underground Race and shifts from simply hunting a powerful beast to protecting the world from an ancient sealed threat.
• Lin’s mastery of formations advances significantly. He successfully repairs a formation far more profound than the Ancient Wilderness Formation Sect’s recorded Heaven-Locking Formation.
• His confidence also increases regarding Origin Crystals. Although others believe such crystals are impractical to refine because they consume more True Essence than they provide, Lin recognizes that his own circumstances may allow him to use one effectively.

Significant Themes

• Risk and calculated sacrifice: Lin’s battle is won through a life-threatening gamble rather than superior strength.
• Ancient seals and buried dangers: The damaged formation symbolizes how forgotten structures can fail and release threats capable of destroying human civilization.
• Inheritance of ancient power: Emperor Kun’s rib and formation reveal the scale of ancient beings and the legacy they left behind.
• Knowledge as power: Lin survives and succeeds through his understanding of anatomy, Origin Crystals, formations, and historical legends.
• Balance between exploitation and protection: Lin harvests the beast for research and advancement while also repairing the seal to prevent a larger catastrophe.

Character Interactions

• Lin has no direct conversation with other characters in the chapter, but his decisions are shaped by his relationships and responsibilities:
  • He intends to provide the Earthfall Beast’s remains to Xiang Yixiu and Qianlong for research.
  • He considers giving the mature beast’s head to Hu Ya to help her achieve official Gold Badge status.
  • The mention of Xin Yue, who was driven mad while trapped in the reserves, emphasizes Lin’s concern for Hu Ya’s future.
  • Past statements from Hua Miaoyi regarding the dangers of refining Origin Crystals influence Lin’s thoughts about the crystal he has obtained.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu crushes and absorbs the Earthfall Beast’s Origin Crystal through his Mystic Realm Space.
• Unlike the Netherworld Nine-Transformation Beast’s bloodline ability, the Earthfall Beast’s Earth Law cannot be obtained directly. However, the energy strengthens Lin Xiaosu’s Blood Pagoda, increases his True Qi and combat power, and gives him an internal source of earth-attributed energy.
• This earth power may eventually allow him to replenish the Five Elements needed for advanced formation work, potentially helping him achieve the formation master’s ideal of forming arrays without relying on a formation pen.
• Lin returns from the northwest after the Ning City monster is secretly dealt with by the police, who receive all public credit.
• He travels back to Phoenix City and reunites with Miao Ruolan at the detective agency. Their mutual longing leads to an intimate kiss and later to a private romantic encounter.
• Zhou Xi returns from practicing the Rejuvenation Technique and reveals that she has successfully mastered it. Lin teasingly dismisses her request to fight him.
• Miao Ruolan tells Lin that Boss Zhou of Snow Jade Pavilion came looking for him, paid 150,000 yuan in advance, and left three stones for appraisal. Lin decides to visit him in Southern Frontier Province.
• After noticing that Lin’s True Qi now seems to radiate naturally through his body, Miao Ruolan suspects his cultivation has changed or broken through. She visits him under the pretext of “practicing,” and the chapter ends with their renewed intimacy.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Gains greater strength and a more stable Blood Pagoda from the Earthfall Beast’s energy. He also discovers a potentially valuable connection between his cultivation and the Five Elements required for formation mastery. His return shows his growing emotional importance to those around him.
• Miao Ruolan: Her feelings for Lin become more openly acknowledged. She recognizes him as her partner, anxiously waits for his return, and becomes increasingly attuned to changes in his body and cultivation. Her concern about his altered True Qi also demonstrates her developing martial awareness.
• Zhou Xi: Has transformed from a guarded, emotionally burdened girl into a carefree and lively young woman. She successfully masters the Rejuvenation Technique and becomes more comfortable joking with Lin and Miao Ruolan.
• Boss Zhou: Though absent, he is established as an unusually trusting and wealthy client through his advance payment and determination to have Lin appraise his stones.

3. Significant Themes

• Bloodline power versus law power: The chapter clarifies that internal bloodline abilities can be inherited through an Origin Crystal, while law-based abilities require personal comprehension.
• Cultivation and progression: Lin’s strength continues to grow, but his advancement also opens new possibilities in formation mastery and elemental cultivation.
• Hidden identities and public narratives: The public credits the police for defeating the Ning City monster, concealing Lin and Hu Ya’s actual involvement.
• Emotional reunion and intimacy: The return to Phoenix City contrasts Lin’s dangerous journey with the warmth of ordinary life and personal relationships.
• Autumn and spring imagery: Although the season is autumn, Lin and Miao Ruolan’s passion creates a symbolic “spring,” suggesting renewal, desire, and emotional rebirth.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin and Miao Ruolan share a deeply affectionate reunion, kiss, and later spend the night together.
• Zhou Xi playfully exposes Miao Ruolan’s anticipation of Lin’s return and boasts about mastering the Rejuvenation Technique.
• Lin encourages Zhou Xi while teasingly refusing to fight her, reinforcing their familiar, affectionate dynamic.
• Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi discuss Lin’s scent and the strange sensation of his True Qi, prompting Miao Ruolan to investigate his cultivation more closely.
• Miao Ruolan uses concern over Lin’s altered True Qi as an excuse to visit him privately, but their interaction quickly becomes romantic.

Chapter Summary: “Strange Beasts in Tashan Too?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After an intimate night together, Miao Ruolan expresses concern that Lin Xiaosu’s Rejuvenation True Qi is constantly overflowing through his body instead of being released and controlled properly. Lin explains that this is a normal intermediate stage of cultivation.
• Lin reveals that during his journey to the Northwest and his entry into Kun Cang—an alternate world—he obtained the complete Secret Rejuvenation Art. Miao Ruolan’s inherited Rejuvenation Technique is only one part of it.
• Lin explains the art’s cultivation structure, including the Three Peerings and Three Realizations, and promises to guide Miao Ruolan into orthodox cultivation, eventually helping her reach the Earth-Peering Realm.
• Their exchange is presented as mutual repayment: Miao Ruolan gave Lin the foundation of his cultivation, and he now gives her the complete path forward. They reaffirm that they will face the coming upheavals together.
• The next morning, Miao Ruolan returns to her room before Zhou Xi notices anything unusual. Both women continue working professionally at the detective agency and successfully handle a client.
• Zhou Mei arrives and “borrows” Lin Xiaosu. Zhou Xi assumes she wants help locating her Rejuvenation Origin Point, but Zhou Mei’s real purpose is to report a deadly incident in Tashan.
• A mysterious vicious beast killed a person in Tashan two days earlier. The authorities have concealed the incident to prevent public panic and have sent provincial investigators, including He Jiang, River City’s renowned detective.
• Lin becomes alarmed because Tashan is close to Old Tashan Village, where his mother lives. He worries that the beast could threaten his family.
• At the county hospital, Lin examines the victim’s corpse. The victim suffered three devastating claw wounds to the neck that severed the blood vessels, windpipe, and cervical vertebrae.
• Using Time Reversal on the corpse, Lin sees the killer’s claws and suspects they may belong to another Earthfall Beast.
• Lin and Zhou Mei travel to the crime scene in Tashan. The mountain has been sealed off under the cover story of an armed police exercise.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates greater mastery and understanding of cultivation after learning the complete Secret Rejuvenation Art. He also becomes increasingly cautious and protective, especially when the Tashan incident threatens his mother and hometown.
• Miao Ruolan: Learns that her family’s technique is incomplete and receives the complete cultivation path from Lin. Her relationship with him deepens through mutual trust, emotional commitment, and shared responsibility for the future.
• Zhou Xi: Shows growing competence at the detective agency and has successfully begun cultivating, apparently reaching a breakthrough that influences Zhou Mei.
• Zhou Mei: Acts decisively and professionally by informing Lin about the hidden beast attack. Her investigative role expands as she brings him directly into the official case.
• He Jiang: Though absent in person, he is established as a highly capable investigator whose analysis correctly identifies the killer as an unusual beast.

Significant Themes

• Reciprocity and trust: Miao Ruolan gave Lin his initial cultivation foundation, and Lin repays her by sharing the complete Secret Rejuvenation Art without reservation.
• Shared destiny: Lin and Miao commit to walking the same path in anticipation of a coming disaster and worldwide upheaval.
• Preparation against uncertainty: The chapter emphasizes that opportunities and survival belong to those who prepare before catastrophe arrives.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: The peaceful appearance of Phoenix City contrasts sharply with the concealed beast attack in nearby Tashan.
• Family protection and responsibility: Lin’s concern for his mother transforms the investigation from a charitable act into a personal emergency.
• The boundary between ordinary and supernatural worlds: Police procedures, detective work, and official cover stories are forced to adapt to the existence of mutated vicious beasts.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Miao share an intimate and affectionate conversation that develops into a serious discussion of cultivation, inheritance, and their future together.
• Miao and Zhou Xi work smoothly as professional partners, showing that the detective agency has become more established.
• Zhou Xi teases Miao about Zhou Mei “borrowing” Lin, causing Miao embarrassment before Zhou Xi clarifies that she meant cultivation assistance.
• Zhou Mei and Lin shift quickly from casual familiarity to serious cooperation once she reveals the Tashan beast attack.
• Lin and Zhou Mei examine the corpse together, with Lin using his supernatural ability to supplement Zhou Mei’s police investigation before they proceed to the sealed crime scene.

Chapter Summary: “Two Great Detectives Face Off”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei arrive at the murder scene near Flying Fish Mouth, where a local resident was killed.
• River City’s renowned detective, He Jiang, has already investigated the scene and used a special spray to reveal glowing tracks.
• The tracks are not human footprints but unusual paw prints. They lead from the murder site across the hillside and toward the ancient stone pagoda on Old Pagoda Mountain.
• The paw print matches the wounds on the victim’s neck, confirming that a strange beast was likely responsible.
• The tracks end at a narrow crack inside the stone grotto beneath the pagoda, suggesting that the beast entered the structure.
• Provincial official Director Li orders explosives to be prepared so the grotto can be opened and the beast captured or killed.
• Captain Zhang hesitates because the ancient pagoda is culturally important to local residents, even though it has not officially been classified as a historical relic.
• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei arrive before the explosives are used. Director Li attempts to dismiss Lin, but Captain Zhang takes responsibility for bringing him.
• Lin declares that the investigation has taken a wrong turn: the real killer never entered the stone grotto.
• The chapter ends as He Jiang formally introduces himself to Lin, establishing the beginning of a confrontation between the two celebrated detectives.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Remains confident, humorous, and provocative. He jokes about earning money through his appearance but becomes serious when he identifies a flaw in the investigation. His decisive claim challenges He Jiang’s conclusions and establishes him as an equal or superior investigator.
• Zhou Mei: Continues to rely on Lin’s abilities, though she is initially concerned that bringing him without authorization may cause trouble. Her teasing exchanges with him show familiarity and a comfortable working relationship.
• He Jiang: Is introduced as a highly skilled detective whose tracking technique appears almost miraculous. However, his seemingly complete solution is challenged by Lin, creating uncertainty about whether his conclusions are correct.
• Captain Zhang: Has undergone successful Genetic Modification, making him physically changed and more capable. He also demonstrates courage and fairness by protecting Lin from Director Li’s criticism and accepting responsibility for his presence.
• Director Li: Represents decisive official authority. He prioritizes public safety and insists that the grotto be destroyed, but his haste may lead him toward a dangerous mistake.

Significant Themes

• Reason versus premature conclusions: Although the evidence appears to prove that the beast entered the grotto, Lin argues that the investigation is incomplete and warns against acting on an apparently obvious explanation.
• Human life versus cultural preservation: The officials debate whether to destroy the ancient pagoda to eliminate a threat. The conflict highlights the tension between protecting historical heritage and protecting people.
• Professional rivalry and recognition: He Jiang’s reputation as River City’s greatest detective is directly challenged by Lin Xiaosu, setting up an intellectual contest between two exceptional investigators.
• Appearance versus reality: The paw prints seem to provide a clear answer, but Lin suggests that the visible evidence may be misleading or deliberately manipulated.
• Authority versus independent expertise: Director Li relies on official power and rapid action, while Lin represents unconventional expertise and independent judgment.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Zhou exchange playful, sarcastic remarks about detective fees and Lin’s supposed ability to make money from his looks.
• Zhou observes Lin’s reaction to He Jiang’s reputation, while Lin confidently praises He Jiang’s skill rather than showing insecurity.
• Captain Zhang and Director Li clash over whether the pagoda should be destroyed, with Zhang emphasizing its local significance and Director Li emphasizing public safety.
• Director Li rejects Lin’s involvement, but Captain Zhang defends him based on his past successes.
• Lin directly challenges the conclusions of He Jiang and the authorities, declaring that the killer did not enter the grotto.
• He Jiang responds by introducing himself, marking the first direct encounter between the two detectives and the beginning of their professional face-off.

Chapter Summary: Is the Murderer a Human or a Beast?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu challenges Detective He Jiang’s conclusion that the murderer is a beast hiding inside a cave. He argues that the creature may have entered the cave only to escape over the ceiling and leave misleading tracks.
• He Jiang initially dismisses the idea, but uses his Footprints Emerge technique at Lin Xiaosu’s direction. Glowing claw prints appear along the cave ceiling and hillside, proving that the “beast” left through an alternative route and eventually reached a stream.
• Lin Xiaosu then raises the possibility that the murderer is actually human. He Jiang and the others are skeptical, but the discovered trail suggests deliberate deception and counter-investigation awareness—behavior more consistent with a person than an animal.
• Across the stream, Lin Xiaosu identifies an unusual barefoot human footprint. The lack of shoes is suspicious because the season is cold and the surrounding cogongrass and thorns would make walking barefoot painful.
• A broken dogthorn beneath the footprint reveals that the person stepped on it without injuring their foot, suggesting unusually thick skin or special genetic traits. Zhou Mei preserves the thorn as possible evidence for genetic testing.
• Lin Xiaosu reconstructs the killer’s likely movements: the killer disguised himself as a beast, used the cave and claw marks to mislead investigators, crossed the stream, returned to human form, walked barefoot through the grass, retrieved shoes hidden in an ancient tree, and escaped along the road.
• The trail leads to Springwater Villa, a busy farmhouse restaurant where the killer could disappear among ordinary people. Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei enter, order lunch, and begin planning their next move.
• Lin Xiaosu initially waits for He Jiang to arrive, believing the renowned detective might independently uncover the same clues. However, they conclude that He Jiang’s initial belief in a beast has caused him to overlook human evidence, so Lin Xiaosu decides to proceed with an action plan.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional deductive ability, noticing inconsistencies others overlook and reconstructing the killer’s elaborate deception. He remains calm, confident, and modest, attributing his success to “luck” while clearly controlling the investigation.
• He Jiang shifts from confidence and mockery to reluctant admiration. Although his tracking expertise is impressive, his fixed assumption that the killer is a beast limits his investigation.
• Zhou Mei experiences anxiety and self-doubt over bringing Lin Xiaosu to the case, especially because his conclusions contradict He Jiang’s. As Lin Xiaosu’s reasoning proves correct, she becomes increasingly excited and committed to helping him.
• Captain Zhang begins to recognize Lin Xiaosu’s insight and supports his request to test the cave wall.
• Director Li is forced to reconsider his dismissive attitude when the hidden claw prints are revealed.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The apparent beast attack is revealed to be a carefully staged disguise created by a human culprit.
• The danger of assumptions: He Jiang’s early conclusion that the murderer is an animal causes investigators to ignore contradictory evidence.
• Reason and observation: Small irregularities—ceiling tracks, bare feet, broken thorns, and hidden shoes—become decisive clues when examined logically.
• Human intelligence and deception: The killer’s ability to manipulate investigators shows planning, awareness of forensic methods, and knowledge of how people think.
• Youth challenging authority: Lin Xiaosu’s deductions overturn the judgment of the more established detective, demonstrating that insight matters more than reputation.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu directly challenges He Jiang’s theory, creating tension between the young investigator’s unconventional reasoning and He Jiang’s established reputation.
• Zhou Mei watches Lin Xiaosu closely, torn between concern about the consequences of his claims and growing confidence in his abilities.
• Lin Xiaosu guides He Jiang to the hidden claw prints, allowing He Jiang’s own technique to validate the younger detective’s theory.
• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Mei work together across the stream, where his deductions and her police experience combine to reconstruct the murderer’s movements.
• Their discussion at Springwater Villa shows their developing investigative partnership: Lin Xiaosu supplies the insight, while Zhou Mei evaluates the clues and prepares physical evidence.