Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing acquires the Heavenly Eye Divine Ability Manual from Thousand-Mile Eye Gao Jue in exchange for defeating the Hundred-Eyed Centipede. Gao Jue tries to keep the creature’s carcass, but Shen Bing insists on the agreed terms.
• Gao Jue offers an Immortal Pill said to resurrect the dead and restore flesh to bones. When Shen Bing learns it works fully only on mortals, he refuses the initial deal and negotiates an additional 500 immortal jades for the carcass.
• Shen Bing teleports to the Netherworld. Before using the manual, he has the Eye of Truth analyze it, yielding two-star Visual Gene-Enhancement Technology.
• He learns the Heavenly Eye ability and upgrades it once. Though initially unimpressed by its short duration and long cooldown, he discovers that it lets him zoom much farther out on the game screen—expanding his view from roughly a five-kilometer radius to about fifty kilometers.
• Meanwhile, he briefly has Qiuqiu record data from a satellite launch, which may prove useful for Phantom Immortal Technology’s future work.

Character developments

• Shen Bing continues to think strategically about how supernatural items could become powerful technologies. The resurrection pill sparks ambitions beyond controlling energy, though he catches himself getting carried away.
• He becomes more cautious with Gao Jue, recognizing him as crafty and less trustworthy than the straightforward Lu Ban. His bargaining shows he will not accept a deal without understanding its limitations.
• Gao Jue is revealed as opportunistic: he hopes to keep the centipede’s valuable carcass, then uses a restricted-use pill and immortal jades to secure it.

Significant themes

• Turning divine abilities into technology: Shen Bing’s analysis converts the Heavenly Eye into genetic-enhancement research, broadening his assumptions about what the system can produce.
• Bargaining and trust: Shen Bing’s knowledge of the carcass’s value—and his willingness to invoke the God of Food—prevents Gao Jue from exploiting him.
• Power, life, and ambition: The possibility of resurrection makes Shen Bing reconsider which forms of control could transform society.
• Practical value versus apparent weakness: The Heavenly Eye seems unimpressive at first, but testing reveals a useful strategic function.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Gao Jue negotiate over the centipede’s carcass, with Shen Bing exposing Gao Jue’s attempted maneuver and extracting a better offer.
• Shen Bing directs Qiuqiu to monitor the rocket launch, relying on her to record technical data while he returns to his cultivation tasks.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing upgrades his Heavenly Eye repeatedly, spending heavily before reaching Tier Five. It can now see up to 1,500 kilometers and distinguish the Netherworld’s black demonic qi from its white death qi.
• While searching, he spots a demon soul and discovers that ordinary physical attacks pass through it. The demon soul’s attacks likewise cannot harm him, leaving them unable to affect each other.
• Remembering that lightning is effective against demon souls, Shen Bing uses his only Heavenly Thunder Talisman. The guided bolt destroys the creature, which drops a Demon Soul Heart.
• A system message reports shifting favorability among the Immortal, Demon, and Monster realms. Shen Bing collects the heart but receives no mission-completion prompt, suggesting more can be gathered for a better reward.
• Having used his sole effective weapon, Shen Bing decides to ask Nezha for more Heavenly Thunder Talismans rather than spend 1,000 immortal jade on a powerful Nine Heavens Divine Talisman.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing moves from frustration and fear to practical experimentation: he persists with the Heavenly Eye upgrade, overcomes his alarm at the demon soul, and tests a cheaper weapon before considering an expensive one.
• His encounter with the demon soul is initially frightening, then comically ineffectual: neither can hurt the other until Shen Bing uses lightning.
• Shen Bing interprets the realm-favorability changes, concluding that the Immortal Realm is hostile to both other realms, the Monster Realm strongly opposes the Demon Realm, and the Demon Realm appears largely indifferent to the Monster Realm.
• He plans to approach Nezha as a familiar trading contact, hoping to obtain more talismans—possibly at a discount.

Significant themes

• Power and resource management: Shen Bing must weigh costly upgrades and weapons against limited resources and the value of gathering more mission items.
• Trial and adaptation: When ordinary attacks fail, he recalls advice and finds a specialized solution.
• Unclear political alignments: System favorability reveals a complicated, asymmetric rivalry among the three realms.
• Humor amid danger: Shen Bing’s horror at the ghostlike demon soul, game-mechanics comparisons, and exasperation soften the supernatural threat.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing reasons that the Heavenly Thunder Talisman that killed a Demon Soul was unusually powerful because it came from the Thunder Deity; ordinary Thunder techniques may not be enough to fight Demon Souls.
• He teleports to the Hall of Miraculous Mist and finds Nezha confined again. Nezha explains that he was caught trying to enter the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation after hearing from Erlang Shen that it leads to the Demon Realm. The Jade Emperor ordered this confinement, which Nezha suspects is favoritism toward Erlang Shen.
• Nezha asks Shen Bing to take him through the formation once his nine-day confinement ends. Shen Bing warns him that the Demon Realm is dangerous, but Nezha is undeterred. To avoid encouraging him, Shen Bing vaguely promises to meet him in five days, privately intending not to show up.
• Shen Bing explains that he needs a way to kill Demon Souls and asks Nezha for combat talismans. Nezha has none to spare, but offers a Second-Rank Lower-Grade Thunder Immortal Art he received from Lei Zhenzi, now the Thunder God.
• Shen Bing cannot afford to buy the art, but Nezha offers it as payment for helping him reach the Demon Realm. Shen Bing realizes Nezha has seen through his evasions.
• A system quest appears: escort Nezha through the formation, tour the Demon Realm, and bring him safely back. Success rewards Shen Bing with the Thunder Immortal Technique; failure brings the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King’s hatred and a 100-point loss in Immortal Realm favorability; refusal makes Nezha hostile. Shen Bing accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is cautious and concerned for Nezha’s safety, though he is also tempted by the valuable Thunder Immortal Art. He tries to discourage Nezha and then evade his request, but the system quest forces him to commit.
• Nezha is portrayed as rebellious, thrill-seeking, and unafraid of punishment or danger. He uses his promised gift to secure Shen Bing’s help, showing that he is more perceptive and calculating than Shen Bing assumes.
• Their relationship shifts from a casual request for help to a bargain—and, through the quest, a binding obligation. Nezha sees Shen Bing as a fellow adventurer, though Shen Bing privately rejects that description.

Significant themes

• Risk versus responsibility: Nezha chases danger for excitement, while Shen Bing worries about the consequences and his friend’s survival.
• Temptation and obligation: The valuable Immortal Art makes Shen Bing accept a dangerous mission, while the system adds explicit penalties for failure or refusal.
• Appearance versus reality: Shen Bing thinks Nezha is easy to fool, but Nezha has anticipated his evasions and turns the situation to his advantage.

Plot points

• Shen Bing receives a dangerous escort mission: take Nezha, the Third Prince, through the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation, guide him through the Demon Realm, and bring him back alive. Shen worries the Demon Realm will be on high alert after his previous trip with Erlang Shen.
• Though tempted to refuse, Shen accepts after Nezha offers him the Thunder Immortal Art in advance. They agree Shen will return within half a month, giving him time to pursue other missions.
• Shen tries to analyze the scripture with the Eye of Truth, but analysis fails because he already has similar technology: Stun Gun manufacturing technology. He uses the scripture instead and unlocks the active skill Lightning Summoning.
• He spends 210,000 Spiritual Qi to raise the skill to level 4, then heads into the Netherworld to test it on a Demon Soul.
• Lightning Summoning hurts the Demon Soul but cannot defeat it with a single strike. Shen remains unharmed as it attacks him, and repeatedly strikes it until it realizes it is losing energy and flees.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen weighs his ambition against the mission’s risks, then chooses to accept because the reward will help him complete Lu Ban’s mission and fit his tight schedule alongside the Seven Great Sages Gather mission.
• Nezha initially objects to Shen delaying their departure, but softens when Shen presents the delay as a safety measure. He firmly sets a half-month limit and provides the scripture upfront.
• Shen grows more confident after gaining a direct attack skill, though its limited damage reminds him that it needs further upgrading.

Themes

• Risk and ambition: Shen accepts a potentially deadly assignment rather than miss a valuable opportunity.
• Mission management and trade-offs: Rewards, deadlines, and competing obligations shape Shen’s choices.
• Progress through experimentation: Shen learns his new skill’s limits by testing it in combat.
• Uneven power: Shen is impervious to the Demon Soul’s attacks, while his own low-level skill can only wear it down gradually.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing defeats a fleeing Demon Soul after more than twenty minutes of weak lightning attacks. It drops a second Demon Soul Heart, which he hopes to trade for a Demon Puppet Artisan.
• At work the next day, Wang Sheng reports that the company’s new satellite is operating in orbit. More than two hundred sets of supporting equipment have been produced; domestic deployment is on track, while overseas approvals remain difficult.
• A damaging online report claims a Phantom Vision TV exploded, injuring someone, and that testing revealed serious safety problems. The story spreads rapidly, prompting calls for a recall and compensation.
• Shen Bing doubts that the TV could explode but avoids dismissing the incident or blaming anyone prematurely. Fang Yuanming says Phantom Vision Company is cooperating with the investigation, has presented safety-test records, and is covering the injured person’s medical costs.
• Shen Bing tells Yuan Yi to monitor online discussion and have departments follow established procedures. He advises Wang Sheng to wait for more evidence: “Let the bullets fly a little longer.”

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains ambitious and pragmatic: he celebrates progress toward obtaining a Demon Puppet Artisan, but handles the product crisis cautiously rather than reacting defensively.
• Wang Sheng gives Shen Bing updates on the satellite and equipment rollout, then voices suspicion that the TV incident is unusual.
• Fang Yuanming is alarmed because Phantom Vision TVs have boosted Nancy Group’s retail sales and reputation. He suspects deliberate sabotage, but Shen Bing urges restraint; Fang accepts Shen’s judgment.
• Yuan Yi reports the crisis and asks how the parent company should guide Phantom Vision Company. Shen instructs her to monitor the situation while letting the company follow standard procedures.

Significant themes

• Patience and evidence over speculation: Shen Bing refuses to jump to conclusions about either the TV’s failure or possible sabotage.
• Success invites resistance: Phantom Vision’s popularity and commercial impact make it a target for competitors and public scrutiny.
• Power and ambition: Shen Bing’s cultivation goals and the company’s expanding technological reach both point toward greater influence, though each still faces obstacles.

Key plot points

• Online controversy over the Phantom Vision TV explosion intensifies after surveillance footage appears to show a television resembling the product exploding and injuring its viewer. Although the footage is genuine and the TV is confirmed to be a Phantom Vision model, the investigation has not yet established what caused the blast.
• Public debate divides between those who see the explosion as an isolated accident and those who distrust the company’s test reports. Both camps nevertheless assume the TV has a quality problem, damaging the brand’s reputation before officials reach a conclusion.
• Sales at Nancy Mall stall. Shanghai’s quality-supervision department examines the wreckage, while Phantom Immortal Technology conducts its own inquiry.
• Shen Bing accepts that the government must investigate impartially and that the company must resolve the matter itself. Qiuqiu’s simulations suggest the TV could explode only if an internal component had been replaced or a bomb had been installed.
• Shen Bing has Thorne retrieve a fragment from the explosion site. Back at the Underground Base, Lu Xian takes the sample for analysis.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing responds methodically, avoiding political pressure and pursuing evidence through his own resources. He consults Qiuqiu, coordinates Thorne’s retrieval mission, and brings Lu Xian into the investigation.
• The Chief, through Secretary Jiang, expresses trust in Shen Bing and the TV’s quality while insisting on a fair official investigation.
• Qiuqiu rules out ordinary operating conditions as a cause, identifying sabotage as the likely explanation.
• Thorne discreetly obtains a fragment from the blast site and returns it to Shen Bing; Lu Xian promptly takes custody of it.

Significant themes

• Public perception versus proof: Authentic-looking evidence can shape public belief before an investigation is complete.
• Bias and collective blame: Online commenters generalize from one product to the entire domestic industry, while comparable foreign-product failures are treated more narrowly.
• Institutional fairness and responsibility: Government trust does not exempt a company from scrutiny; Phantom Vision must establish the truth through evidence.
• Possible sabotage: The chapter shifts the mystery from product failure toward deliberate tampering.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

• Lu Xian examines debris from the exploded Phantom Vision TV and detects exactly five molecules of TNT. Shen Bing concludes that someone likely planted a small bomb inside the television; the explosion was not caused by a manufacturing defect.
• Thorne suggests the bomb may have been planted in the injured customer’s home and timed to detonate after the TV was switched on. Shen Bing asks Qiuqiu to review surveillance footage.
• Qiuqiu finds no likely culprit among the people seen entering the residential compound during the six days after the television was bought. It also reports that at least eighteen companies are secretly fueling the online backlash, though Shen Bing accepts that competitors may simply be exploiting the crisis.
• Shen Bing travels to Shanghai with Lu Xian. Meanwhile, authorities issue a preliminary statement confirming that a Phantom Vision TV exploded but saying the cause still needs investigation. Many customers interpret this as confirmation of a product-safety problem, and crowds gather at Nancy Group outlets demanding refunds.
• Nancy Group chairman Fang Yuanming contacts Shen Bing. Shen Bing proposes allowing customers to return Phantom Vision TVs for a full refund—not as an admission of fault, but under a new one-month, no-questions-asked return policy. Fang worries that the policy is unusually generous and could be abused.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing stays composed despite the public-relations crisis and focuses on uncovering sabotage. His confidence in Qiuqiu and willingness to take bold commercial action shape his response.
• Lu Xian demonstrates the remarkable analytical abilities of a Demon Puppet Artisan, identifying TNT at the atomic level and strengthening Shen Bing’s suspicion of deliberate tampering.
• Thorne contributes a practical theory about how the bomb might have been planted and triggered.
• Qiuqiu conducts a rapid surveillance review but cannot identify the perpetrator; its report about companies manipulating public opinion highlights the scale of the hostility.
• Fang Yuanming is overwhelmed by the protests but trusts Shen Bing’s judgment. He is nevertheless uncertain about the financial and reputational risks of the proposed refund policy.

Significant themes

• Sabotage versus public perception: Evidence points toward a planted bomb, but online outrage and an ambiguous official statement make the company appear culpable.
• The power of manipulated opinion: Competitors and other interested parties amplify the scandal, while many users accept the worst interpretation.
• Crisis management and trust: Shen Bing responds with transparency and a customer-friendly guarantee, while Fang must decide whether to follow a risky plan based on his trust in Shen Bing.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing proposes that Phantom Vision Company announce strict purchase limits and higher prices for customers buying multiple TVs—especially a doubled price for the forty-two-inch S-Type—before Nancy Group offers full refunds. He expects the move to signal confidence and preserve demand. Fang Yuanming and Ding Miao agree to implement the plan.
• Phantom Vision issues two announcements: it denies any product defect or safety risk, then announces the purchase limits and price increases. The public and foreign media ridicule the company, convinced it is delusional and on the verge of collapse.
• Nancy Group then offers full refunds to all Phantom Vision TV buyers, noting that purchases are recorded in the company’s customer-management system. Many customers queue to return their TVs, though the lines are smaller than online coverage suggests. Photos of the queues fuel claims that the company is failing.
• Shen Bing travels with Lu Xian to visit the injured customer, bringing Little Doudou. On the way, he briefly plays his mobile game, then puts it away before entering the hospital to avoid appearing disrespectful.
• At the hospital, Nancy and Phantom Vision representatives explain that the man’s injury is minor, but he is demanding three million yuan, claiming the cut on his neck may leave a scar. Shen Bing recognizes the demand as extortion. The man then realizes Shen Bing’s identity and reacts with excitement.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing shows confidence in his product and strategic composure, directing the refund-and-pricing response while remaining considerate about the injured customer’s feelings.
• Fang Yuanming trusts Shen Bing enough to risk covering potentially enormous refunds, especially with the promised share of profits from the price increase. He and Ding Miao quickly turn Shen’s idea into an operational plan.
• Li Shi, the Nancy Mall deputy general manager, handles the incident professionally but is frustrated by the customer’s excessive demand.
• The injured man presents himself as an arrogant opportunist, insisting his minor injury warrants three million yuan. His excitement upon recognizing Shen Bing hints that his attitude may change.
• Little Doudou resists going with Shen Bing but obeys because Shen controls its food.

Significant themes

• Public perception versus strategy: The announcements look absurd to the public, while Shen Bing intends them as part of a calculated response.
• Trust and risk: Fang Yuanming’s willingness to take on costly refunds reflects his confidence in Shen Bing.
• Media narratives and misinformation: Online mockery and images of refund queues quickly become a story of corporate collapse.
• Opportunism and accountability: The hospital scene contrasts legitimate concern for an injured customer with an apparent attempt to exploit the incident.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing visits Dong Wanggong, who was injured when a Phantom Vision TV exploded, to offer condolences and discuss compensation. Shen says the company will pay generously if the investigation confirms a product defect, but Dong insists the authorities have already ruled in his favor and demands immediate payment.
• Dong threatens to denounce the company to the press. Shen warns him against defamation and leaves, telling Li Shi to keep him calm and settle his hospital bills only after the investigation concludes.
• Outside the hospital, Shen runs into Liu Jin, who is delighted to see him and insists they are close. Shen borrows Liu’s Mercedes for several days.
• After Lu Xian reports that someone had been watching them near the hospital, Shen orders a covert watch on Dong and goes to the residential complex where the TV exploded.
• Little Doudou investigates Dong’s home by scent. It detects only Dong and a faint trace of a woman—probably his wife, who has not been there for roughly ten days. This suggests there may not have been an intruder, though the investigation remains unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains calm and authoritative, but his contempt for Dong grows after Dong’s aggressive demands. He prioritizes finding out what caused the explosion over paying quickly.
• Dong Wanggong appears eager to secure money immediately and reacts angrily when Shen refuses to accept the preliminary finding as final.
• Li Shi demonstrates political judgment by consulting Shen about how to handle the matter. She later questions Liu Jin about his relationship with Shen.
• Liu Jin is exuberant and immaturely enthusiastic about Shen, whom he calls his “big brother” despite being older. He willingly lends him his car.
• Lu Xian follows Shen’s orders without question, while Little Doudou provides crucial investigative evidence through its extraordinary sense of smell.

Significant themes

• Due process versus pressure: Shen insists on waiting for a conclusive investigation rather than yielding to demands or publicity threats.
• Trust and loyalty: Liu Jin’s devotion to Shen and Lu Xian’s unquestioning support contrast with Shen’s suspicion of Dong.
• Uncertainty and investigation: Little Doudou’s findings narrow the possibilities but do not yet explain the explosion.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing concludes that the bomb in Dong Wanggong’s television was likely planted before the set was installed; no one had recently broken into the house. Little Doudou cannot track the bomb’s handlers because the television was destroyed, and Shen Bing realizes the Demon God’s Eye has no useful object to trace. He decides to go to the Shanghai Police.
• Meanwhile, a criminal crew receives a new order: kill Dong Wanggong and make his death point suspicion toward Shen Bing. The client has raised the payment to twenty million. Their leader plans to use a fast-acting poison that is difficult to detect and disappears from the body within two hours.
• That night, a disguised intruder enters Dong Wanggong’s hospital suite with a medical trolley. Shen Bing’s hidden team intercepts him: Chen Jun unnerves him by pretending to be a ghost, and Wei Yu knocks him unconscious.
• Thorne searches the trolley and discovers a syringe containing an unknown liquid. The team suspects it may be the planned poison.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is methodical: he tests possible ways to identify the bombers, rejects an unworkable lead, and moves to investigate through the police.
• Little Doudou offers a useful suggestion about the Demon God’s Eye but admits the limits of tracking scent from debris.
• The criminals’ leader emerges as cautious and calculating, while the other members are tempted by the large payout despite the escalating risk.
• Chen Jun is playful and theatrical, while Wei Yu is more practical and impatient. Thorne contributes by searching the equipment carefully.

Significant themes

• Escalation and revenge: An attempted safety incident turns into a murder plot designed to frame Shen Bing.
• Deception and misdirection: The killers intend to make Dong Wanggong’s death look suspiciously connected to Shen Bing; Shen Bing’s team counters with stealth and a staged haunting.
• Technology and its limits: Shen Bing’s unusual tracking ability is powerful but depends on having something relevant to trace.
• Greed versus caution: The crew is drawn toward a huge reward even as the operation becomes far more dangerous.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Little Doudou discuss tracking the television’s handlers; Shen Bing weighs the cat’s suggestion and decides it will not work.
• The criminals argue over whether to accept the murder job, but the leader keeps control by emphasizing both the reward and the need for secrecy.
• At the hospital, the intruder is frightened by Chen Jun’s voice and caught by Wei Yu. The team then examines the syringe, leaving the poison’s identity—and the plot’s next step—unconfirmed.

Plot points and events

• Thorne reports that Shen Bing’s guards caught a man attempting to kill the hospitalized Dong Wanggong. The attacker carried a syringe but no other obvious weapon.
• Lu Xian identifies the syringe’s contents as an unfamiliar synthetic poison. Qiuqiu’s preliminary analysis confirms that it kills quickly and then breaks down in the bloodstream.
• Shen Bing wakes the attacker and tricks him into claiming the syringe contains harmless saline. Threatening to inject him with it, Shen Bing breaks his resolve, and the man admits he planned to poison Dong Wanggong. He begins to confess his motives.
• The next day, Shen Bing visits the Shanghai Public Security Bureau about the Phantom Vision TV explosion. He tells Deputy Director Wang that his guards caught the would-be killer and that the attacker has accomplices.
• Wei Yu calls to confirm that all three suspects have been captured. Shen Bing arranges to hand them over to the police and says the attempted murder was intended to implicate him, linking it to the earlier explosion.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is confident and calculating. He uses the poison threat as psychological leverage, then approaches the police proactively while pressing them to investigate the suspected connection to the explosion.
• Thorne, Wei Yu, and Lu Xian carry out Shen Bing’s security plan effectively. Thorne captures the first attacker, Lu Xian helps restrain and revive him, and Wei Yu’s team catches the remaining accomplices.
• The attacker initially tries to conceal the poison’s purpose but panics when Shen Bing threatens to inject him and confesses.
• Deputy Director Wang is startled by the murder attempt and cautious about Shen Bing’s decision to hold the suspects privately, but agrees to send officers and pursue the case.

Significant themes

• Deception and psychological pressure: Shen Bing exposes the attacker’s lie by turning the poison itself into a threat.
• Protection and preparedness: Shen Bing’s guards prevent the attack and capture all three suspects.
• Hidden connections and public accountability: The attempted killing may be part of a broader effort to frame Shen Bing and conceal responsibility for the Phantom Vision TV explosion, making the police investigation crucial.

Plot points and events

• Following Shen Bing’s report of a conspiracy against Phantom Vision Company, Director Wang recognizes the seriousness of the threat, given Phantom Vision’s ties to the nationally important Phantom Immortal Technology. He takes Shen Bing to his hotel while another team collects three additional suspects.
• Phantom Vision’s online crisis worsens: Nancy Mall receives over 10,000 return requests in one day, worth nearly 200 million yuan. Critics use the incident to attack both Phantom Vision and Phantom Immortal Technology, suggesting the technology was immature and released for profit.
• Shen Bing does not directly defend the company. Instead, he creates a Weibo account and announces that Dragon Scale Security Software will add red- and black-list functions, saying it will protect citizens’ “moral conduct” as well as their information and property.
• Phantom Immortal Technology’s official account reposts Shen Bing’s post. The attention of prominent accounts and users causes his new account to go viral, and discussion of the software announcement quickly overtakes the TV-explosion story.
• Shen Bing tells company manager Wang Sheng to proceed with existing plans. Their AI software upgrades for major internet companies are progressing well, and Shen authorizes the release of additional interfaces for public use.
• Thorne reports that his team examined the captured suspects’ memories. They learned the group had been hired by an overseas organization, which concealed its involvement by communicating through people inside the country.

Character developments and interactions

• Director Wang shifts from concern to decisive action, treating Shen Bing’s warning as a matter of national importance.
• Shen Bing shows strategic composure: rather than engage directly with online criticism, he redirects public attention and appears to use the controversy to advance a broader plan. He remains cryptic with Wang, who suspects Shen’s actions stem partly from personal displeasure but trusts that he has matters under control.
• Wang Sheng is puzzled by Shen Bing’s sudden social-media move and tries to learn what the company should prepare, but Shen gives little explanation and returns the conversation to ongoing projects.
• Thorne’s report confirms the investigation’s progress while revealing how cautiously the foreign organization operates.

Significant themes

• Public opinion and media cycles: A viral announcement can rapidly displace a damaging story, showing how attention online shifts from one controversy to another.
• Trust in technology and national pride: Criticism of Phantom Vision also threatens Phantom Immortal Technology, whose achievements have earned broad public respect.
• Power, secrecy, and strategy: Shen Bing withholds his full intentions while acting confidently, and the conspirators’ use of domestic intermediaries highlights the difficulty of tracing hidden influence.
• Technology as social governance: The proposed red and black lists suggest that Dragon Scale Security Software may reach beyond cybersecurity into monitoring or shaping public behavior.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing’s team uses the Consciousness-Reading Device to create a clear image of a suspected contact. Qiuqiu identifies him, and Bernie and the others are heading to investigate.
• Thorne confirms that criminals bribed a warehouse worker, hid a miniature bomb in a randomly chosen Phantom Vision TV, and set it to explode after being powered for 24 hours. Shen Bing says it is time to respond, while hinting that he has a way to increase his fighters’ strength.
• Shen Bing tells Thorne that the training will involve a set of “gymnastic exercises.” Thorne doubts they can help a formidable fighter, but agrees to follow his master’s orders.
• Government agencies hold a televised press conference. Testing confirms Phantom Vision TVs have no inherent quality or safety defect, while police reveal that the explosion was caused by a planted TNT bomb and that the direct perpetrators have been arrested.
• Public opinion shifts: people who attacked Phantom Vision regret it, loyal supporters feel vindicated, and the plotters are angered that the scheme has been exposed. They still believe they have concealed their trail, unaware that Shen Bing is moving against them.
• At Nancy Mall, Sheng Jianhua arrives with his brother-in-law to return his TV after pressure from his worried wife. A departing customer offers to buy it for the original price, saying the return queue is long.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains confident and in control, directing the investigation and planning a counterstrike. His casual presentation of the exercises contrasts with their implied importance.
• Thorne’s enthusiasm for combat training is clear, though he privately scoffs at the idea of gymnastics. His loyalty makes him comply regardless.
• Sheng Jianhua is torn between his trust in Phantom Immortal Technology and his wife’s fear. His brother-in-law shares his doubts about returning the TV but backs down rather than challenge his sister.
• The would-be buyer’s offer suggests that, despite the controversy, some customers still value the product—or see an opportunity in the return rush.

Significant themes

• Truth versus rumor: Official findings overturn widespread assumptions and show how quickly public opinion can shift.
• Manipulation and accountability: The bomb plot was designed to damage a company through fear and misinformation, but its exposure threatens the conspirators’ plans.
• Trust under pressure: Sheng Jianhua’s decision reflects the tension between personal confidence and social or family pressure.
• Hidden power and unseen consequences: The plotters believe they are safe, while Shen Bing’s unusual resources give him an advantage they do not understand.

Key plot points and events

• Sheng Jianhua is about to sell his Phantom Vision TV to a man who claims he wants it for a neighbor. The man argues that the TV is safe and worth keeping, but Sheng’s brother-in-law notices other customers leaving the mall with their TVs.
• They overhear that the explosion was deliberately caused and that the company has confirmed Phantom Vision TVs have no defect. Sheng realizes the would-be buyer was trying to exploit his uncertainty and keep a TV that was now in high demand. The man retreats, and Sheng decides to take his TV home.
• The news triggers a reversal at Nancy Group stores nationwide: customers who had been preparing to return their TVs change their minds, while those who already completed returns cannot easily undo them.
• Under the purchase rules, returning a TV uses up the customer’s first-time purchase entitlement. Returned units are classified as secondhand and cannot be resold as new, so former owners must pay at least 50% more for another standard model or 100% more for an S-Type.
• Some former customers protest online and call for a boycott, but many more people—especially those still waiting to buy a TV—criticize them. Public opinion rapidly swings back in favor of the Phantom Vision Company.
• The chapter ends by raising a question: why has Phantom Immortal Technology remained silent throughout the controversy?

Character developments and interactions

• Sheng Jianhua shifts from uncertainty about returning his TV to anger at being manipulated, then decides to keep it once he learns the truth.
• Sheng’s younger brother-in-law acts as the observant one, drawing Sheng’s attention to the returning customers and helping him understand what is happening.
• The would-be buyer is revealed as opportunistic: he pretends to want the TV for a neighbor but actually hopes to acquire one while others are returning theirs.
• The chapter also contrasts the regret of customers who returned their TVs with the impatience of people still hoping to buy one.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and misjudgment: Customers who trusted the explosion reports and rushed to return their TVs become vulnerable to scarcity and resale rules.
• Scarcity and consumer desire: Limited availability makes the Phantom Vision TV seem exceptionally valuable and fuels competition among buyers.
• Public opinion’s volatility: Online sentiment shifts quickly from attacking the company to defending it once the facts and the consequences of returns become clear.
• Strategic business maneuvering: The return policy, initially appearing to be a concession, is presented as part of a calculated strategy that benefits the companies once the alleged safety issue is exposed as sabotage.

Key plot points and events

• After the Phantom Vision TV explosion, Illusion Immortal Technology reposts chairman Shen Bing’s Weibo message about morality. The public reads it as a warning aimed at online “keyboard warriors” spreading malicious speculation.
• Shen Bing is less concerned with public reaction than with uncovering the conspiracy behind the explosion. He believes the police are constrained by legal procedures and plans to investigate through means that will not attract attention.
• While in Shanghai, Shen spends his free time hunting Demon Souls to collect Demon Soul Hearts for a system quest. He expects the hearts could be exchanged with Lu Ban for valuable rewards and is racing to finish before accompanying the Third Prince to the Demon Realm.
• Liu Jin invites Shen to a hotel pool party, but Shen barely looks up from his game. Their brief, awkward conversation reveals that Shen’s Weibo post relates to a new feature for Dragon Scale Security Software, aimed at people who “lack morals”; he refuses to explain further.
• Shen tells Liu he is leaving Shanghai the next day and agrees to hand over his car keys at the airport.
• Shen then goes to a dinner hosted by Shanghai’s mayor. The city hopes his influence will help advance its major geothermal power station project, whose construction has stalled while the company prioritizes projects by contract date.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is focused, pragmatic, and unusually terse. He prioritizes the urgent quest and the explosion investigation over leisure or public relations, while using his authority discreetly.
• Liu Jin tries to entertain and accommodate Shen, arranging a pool party with beautiful guests. Shen’s indifference frustrates him, and their conversation repeatedly stalls; Liu eventually gives up and ends the outing.
• Shanghai’s officials see Shen’s visit as an opportunity to secure his support for the geothermal project, recognizing that his word carries decisive weight at Illusion Immortal Technology.

Significant themes

• Online morality and mob behavior: Anonymous mass condemnation can become a form of violence with serious consequences.
• Law versus practical justice: Legal safeguards are necessary, but Shen believes they can be exploited by those behind the explosion.
• Duty and opportunity cost: Shen treats his limited time as more valuable than recreation because of the quest’s rewards and deadline.
• Power and influence: Shen’s personal authority can affect major corporate and civic projects, even when he is visiting privately.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing attends a Shanghai banquet with a strategic goal: to explore establishing a coastal base for Phantom Immortal Technology. Shanghai’s port access would make exporting products and importing ores cheaper than operating solely from inland Rongcheng.
• Shanghai officials, led by Mayor Mu and Vice Mayor Liu, welcome Shen Bing and lavishly praise his achievements. They also invite his driver and bodyguard, Lu Xian, recognizing his technical expertise.
• The officials apologize for an Industry and Commerce Department notice that had harmed Phantom Immortal Technology’s reputation during the Phantom Vision TV explosion case. The responsible director has been suspended pending investigation.
• The conversation turns to Shanghai’s proposed geothermal power station. The city wants Shen Bing to move its project ahead of others, citing severe pollution and heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants. Shen initially stresses that the company must honor existing contracts, but suggests the project could begin sooner if production capacity expands.
• Shen explains that expanding production would divert funds from his plans to build a coastal metallurgy factory. He reveals that the factory would process ores, including imported materials, whose shipping costs to Rongcheng are high.
• Shanghai’s officials are delighted: they see the factory proposal as a chance to attract a wealthy, technologically advanced company and its future tax revenue.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is courteous and tactful but keeps his business priorities clear. He uses Shanghai’s request for an earlier power project to introduce his real interest: securing a suitable coastal location for investment.
• Mayor Mu and Vice Mayor Liu coordinate their praise and appeals, trying to build goodwill and persuade Shen Bing to prioritize Shanghai. Their warmth also serves a practical purpose: they want investment and cleaner energy.
• President Zhao makes the direct proposal to accelerate the geothermal project, offering a higher feed-in tariff as an incentive.
• Lu Xian remains largely in the background, but the officials’ decision to seat him at the table reflects their awareness of his value beyond his role as Shen Bing’s bodyguard and driver.

Significant themes

• Business strategy and negotiation: Shen Bing turns a request for company resources into leverage for discussing a major investment.
• Competition for investment: Shanghai’s officials recognize Phantom Immortal Technology’s value and hope to attract part of its operations from Rongcheng.
• Economic growth versus environmental costs: Shanghai’s dependence on coal creates pollution and motivates its push for geothermal power.
• Courtesy as political maneuvering: The officials’ praise, apology, and hospitality are sincere gestures, but also tools in a negotiation.

Plot points and events

• Mayor Mu offers Phantom Immortal Technology free land in Shanghai if Shen Bing begins construction of its geothermal power station ahead of schedule. Shen agrees in principle, but asks for an uninhabited island so he can build a factory and conduct research into desalination and deep-sea resources.
• Shen argues that an island would allow him to build a port, support marine research, and better protect trade secrets. He proposes reclaiming additional land if Shanghai’s existing islands are too small. Mayor Mu agrees to consider the request and promises an answer after a government meeting.
• On the drive back, Shen explains to Lu Xian why he wants a legitimate island-based facility rather than taking over a small Pacific nation: his company depends on access to China’s domestic market, and political independence could jeopardize that.
• Shen resumes hunting Demon Souls and earns his nineteenth Demon Soul Heart. The next morning, he obtains a twentieth and plans to trade the hearts for Demon Puppet Artisans to support his expanding business.
• Bernie’s team reports that their latest lead was an intermediary tied to a discreet international underground organization. Little Doudou used its Plague God Possession Skill on the contact after extracting his information; the man subsequently died in a car accident. The organization’s headquarters holds offline backup transaction records that may reveal the true mastermind. Shen orders Bernie and Wei Yu to investigate and leave no evidence that could be used against them.
• Shen visits Craftsman God Island, where Lu Ban explains that the Demon Puppet Artisans being assembled are only empty shells: they require demon spirit souls to function.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing demonstrates strategic caution: he wants a secluded site for research and security, but rejects the idea of ruling a country because it could cost his company access to its most important market. He remains focused on business expansion and acquiring more artisans.
• Mayor Mu is eager to secure the geothermal project and its economic benefits, but hesitates over granting a company an entire island, concerned about the responsibility involved.
• Lu Xian suggests taking over a small nation instead, but accepts Shen’s practical objections.
• Little Doudou is mischievous and potentially dangerous; it admits to killing the contact after obtaining his information. Bernie and Wei Yu reassure Shen that the investigation can continue through the organization’s records.
• Bernie and Wei Yu show confidence and enthusiasm about pursuing the underground organization, while Shen delegates the operation to them.
• Lu Ban clarifies that the apparent Demon Puppet Artisans are incomplete without demon spirit souls.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and political legitimacy: Shen prioritizes dependable access to markets over sovereignty or territorial power.
• Innovation and strategic security: The island would support marine research, logistics, and protection of technological secrets.
• Growth and resource needs: The planned factory and expanding operations require more specialized workers.
• Power and accountability: Shen’s insistence that the investigation leave no usable evidence highlights the risks surrounding his covert activities.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing gives Lu Ban two Demon Soul Hearts, allowing him to make two Demon Puppet Artisans. Lu Ban explains that he needs 172 synchronized artisans to build a Floating Immortal Island, while he currently has only 117.
• Lu Ban reveals that Floating Immortal Islands are crafted treasures, not natural formations, and that he has reconstructed the principles behind their arrays. A successful island would be extraordinarily valuable and could earn him rare treasures.
• Shen Bing shows Lu Ban his remaining 18 Demon Soul Hearts. In exchange for helping Lu Ban obtain enough Hearts, Shen Bing negotiates for Demon Puppet Artisans. Lu Ban eventually promises him up to 20 artisans, to be made from future Hearts, and offers the first Floating Immortal Island as an additional reward if he successfully builds one.
• Shen Bing gives Lu Ban the 18 Hearts he has on hand, but the system does not mark the quest complete. Its updated terms require 75 Hearts in total: 55 for Lu Ban’s needs and 20 to make Shen Bing’s promised artisans. The island reward is conditional on Lu Ban’s construction succeeding.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing thinks strategically about the value and reliability of Lu Ban’s offers. He resists accepting less useful rewards, negotiates for the artisans he wants, and remains wary of the island promise because the design is untested and could take at least a year to build.
• Lu Ban is excited by the Hearts but reluctant to part with his artisans, since he urgently needs them himself. He tries to redirect Shen Bing toward cultivation items before agreeing to a capped artisan reward.
• Their exchange is cordial but shaped by competing needs: Shen Bing wants practical compensation, while Lu Ban wants enough resources to complete his ambitious project.

Significant themes

• Bargaining and mutual dependence: Both characters need what the other can provide, leading to careful negotiation.
• Risk and uncertain rewards: Lu Ban’s island remains theoretical, and Shen Bing’s eventual reward depends on whether the construction works.
• The cost of ambition: Building the island requires many rare Hearts, extensive labor, and time.
• System-driven consequences: Shen Bing’s negotiation changes the quest’s requirements, turning what seemed like a completed task into a much larger undertaking.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing realizes that his monthly tasks are in danger: collecting fifty-five Demon Soul Hearts may take ten days, while his other two assignments—one from Sun Wukong and one from Nezha—could also take a long time.
• He meets Nezha at the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King’s residence and agrees to travel toward the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation. To save time, Shen Bing uses a Teleportation Talisman to leave instantly, impressing Nezha with his claimed ability to reach the Demon Realm directly.
• Rather than wait for Nezha, Shen Bing uses the time to pursue Sun Wukong’s task: reuniting the Seven Great Sages. He decides to seek out King Yuzei, the God-Driving Great Sage.
• Shen Bing tells Yuzei that Sun Wukong wants to reunite with his sworn brothers and explains that the Bull Demon King has reconciled with Wukong. Yuzei is surprised but initially refuses, preferring to live independently.
• Shen Bing buys a Nine Heavens Divine Talisman, intending to use it to pressure Yuzei. Before he can, Yuzei offers him a test: identify his real body among eighteen identical monkey figures.
• Shen Bing’s phone and Heavenly Eye Divine Ability cannot distinguish the real Yuzei from the illusions. Yuzei boasts that only Sun Wukong’s Fiery Golden Eyes could see through them.
• Shen Bing returns to his villa still puzzling over the challenge, leaving the task unresolved.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is increasingly capable and confident, using teleportation and divine abilities to manage his assignments efficiently. Yet his reliance on the system and impatience are evident, especially when Yuzei’s hesitation makes him regret buying the talisman.
• Nezha is impressed and bewildered by Shen Bing’s apparent teleportation powers, gaining a stronger sense of how extraordinary the “Mist-Ethereal Adept” may be.
• King Yuzei is stubborn and proud, but not entirely opposed to reconciliation. His “test” gives him a face-saving way to consider meeting Sun Wukong without agreeing outright.

Significant themes

• Time pressure and competing duties: Shen Bing must juggle several lengthy tasks and make every moment count.
• Power versus ingenuity: Shen Bing has formidable tools, but they do not solve every problem; Yuzei’s illusion challenge defeats both his phone-based inspection and Heavenly Eye.
• Reconciliation and lingering grudges: Yuzei’s resentment toward Sun Wukong persists despite the Bull Demon King’s reconciliation, making restored brotherhood difficult.
• Pride and face-saving: Yuzei’s challenge lets him appear reluctant while leaving open the possibility of changing his mind.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Nezha exchange friendly, teasing remarks, with Shen Bing deliberately showcasing his teleportation to astonish the Third Prince.
• Shen Bing appeals to Yuzei using Sun Wukong’s longing for his sworn brothers and the Bull Demon King’s willingness to forgive. Yuzei questions the claim, then backs away from outright refusal by proposing a test.
• Shen Bing tries to assess Yuzei’s illusions through his phone and Heavenly Eye, while Yuzei mocks the limits of his abilities.

Key plot points

• Shen Bing returns to his courtyard, where Yun Xue and Yuan Wei are admiring the sparrows that hatched two days earlier. The birds have grown unusually quickly and are remarkably tame.
• Yun Xue assumes Shen Bing’s remark about possible mutation means he might experiment on the sparrows. He jokes about their mistrust, then becomes distracted when she complains that her phone cannot photograph the birds clearly because they move so fast.
• Their conversation gives Shen Bing an idea for solving King Yuzei’s challenge: use the enhanced phone to take screenshots of Yuzei’s eighteen apparent forms. Comparing the images reveals that some figures disappear between captures—and are illusions.
• After taking nearly a hundred screenshots, Shen Bing identifies the real King Yuzei. Yuzei admits Shen has won and agrees to travel to Mount Huaguo.
• Shen Bing briefly releases an intimidating aura to make clear that Yuzei must honor the wager. Yuzei gives his word, and Shen Bing teleports away, pleased to have completed this stage of his task. His next goal is to find the Third Prince.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing demonstrates ingenuity, adapting an everyday observation about motion blur into a way to overcome a supernatural trick. He keeps his method secret, calling it an “exclusive secret technique,” and backs up his victory with a restrained show of power.
• King Yuzei had hoped Shen Bing would give up and seek Sun Wukong’s help, which would make Yuzei seem more important. Surprised by Shen’s success, he nevertheless accepts the wager and promises to keep his word.
• Yun Xue and Yuan Wei share an affectionate interest in the sparrows. Yun Xue is protective of them and suspicious of Shen’s scientific curiosity; Shen responds playfully rather than taking offense. Their casual conversation unintentionally provides the clue he needs.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and practical observation: Shen Bing solves the challenge by applying technology and reasoning rather than relying on the famous ability Yuzei expected him to need.
• Trust and reputation: Yuzei’s promise matters, but Shen Bing’s display of overwhelming strength underscores the tension between voluntary honor and coercion.
• Everyday life meeting the extraordinary: A discussion about photographing quick-moving birds becomes the key to deciphering a divine illusion.