Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing tracks Scorpio in Cairo. He sends Lu Xian to capture her, while he redirects his forces toward the Ghost Organization’s headquarters in a Florida town, deciding to strike its base before hunting down every member.
• Lu Xian captures Scorpio without a fight by trapping her inside his Cauldron Furnace form until she loses consciousness. Shen Bing retrieves the Azure Heart and leaves with Scorpio.
• Using a consciousness-reading device, Shen Bing learns that the Florida town is the Ghost Organization’s hidden lair. Its senior members had been ordered there months earlier by the organization’s new leader: a red-scaled, horned monster that escaped the American genetic research base.
• Scorpio’s memories reveal that the monster bit her, dramatically enhancing her strength and speed and giving her the ability to alter her physique. The bite also left her feeling inexplicably attached to the monster.
• The monster ordered Scorpio to steal a mummy from a marked Egyptian pyramid. Shen Bing decides to pursue the monster first, drawn especially to its apparent ability to empower people. He plans to return to Huaxia with Cheng Yixue before dealing with the captured enemies and other groups.
• Meanwhile, Cheng Yixue’s manager and bodyguards are distressed by her disappearance and the Azure Heart investigation. They fear both financial ruin and damage to her reputation, and are too intimidated by the case to challenge the police.

Character developments

• Shen Bing adapts his priorities, choosing to attack the Ghost Organization’s source rather than proceed with his original plan. He remains pragmatic and opportunistic, keeping the Azure Heart as potential bait.
• Scorpio is revealed as a powerful, loyal operative whose abilities and emotional attachment stem from the monster’s bite. Her memories expose the organization’s new leadership and its Egyptian mission.
• Lu Xian demonstrates overwhelming strength and a remarkably efficient capture method.
• Cheng Yixue’s associates shift from panic over her disappearance to fear of the legal, financial, and reputational consequences surrounding her suspected involvement in the theft.

Significant themes

• Power and transformation: The monster’s bite creates enhanced abilities, raising questions about how its powers work and whether they can be exploited.
• Pragmatism and moral compromise: Shen Bing treats the diamond as bait and prioritizes strategic advantage over destroying it.
• Hidden control and loyalty: The Ghost Organization’s members are drawn to its monstrous leader through a mysterious bond, suggesting loyalty may be imposed rather than freely chosen.
• Reputation and dependence: Cheng Yixue’s team worries not only about her safety but also about their livelihoods and her public image.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing trades sarcastic remarks with Qiuqiu, then gives Lu Xian and Thorne separate orders.
• Lu Xian reports Scorpio’s capture and hands Shen Bing the Azure Heart.
• Through Scorpio’s memories, Shen Bing sees the monster’s attack and the attachment it produces, prompting him to question the creature’s nature.
• Cheng Yixue’s manager and bodyguards cooperate cautiously with police, balancing concern for her against fear of the scandal and its consequences.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing returns the rescued Cheng Yixue to her hotel room, covers her, and leaves before she wakes. He has recovered the Azure Heart as well.
• He informs Vice Mayor Qiao that Cheng is safe, but decides not to hand the kidnappers to ordinary police after discovering their ties to the secretive Ghost Organization. To avoid exposing sensitive information, he asks Secretary Jiang to halt the police investigation and promises to brief the Chief.
• Cheng wakes in the hotel, confused and frightened. She remembers being kidnapped but has no idea who returned her. Her agent, Sister Huang, confirms she is safe and says someone impersonating Cheng had joined the film crew and stolen the Azure Heart.
• Cameron learns from Shen that the diamond has been found and happily accepts a delay in testing Shen’s new Film Projection System.
• Shen travels to Florida and meets Thorne and a large group of Demon Puppet Artisans near the abandoned Kelar Town. He sends Lu Xian and the artisans ahead to handle the operation while he and Thorne watch from a distance.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen presents his rescue of Cheng as a virtuous deed, though he privately admits he enjoyed carrying her. He also shows caution by keeping the Ghost Organization’s involvement from the police while involving senior officials.
• Cheng is relieved to be unharmed but remains baffled about her rescue. Sister Huang is protective and checks whether Cheng was mistreated; the two discuss the kidnapping and the impostor.
• Cameron’s anxiety about the stolen diamond quickly turns to gratitude and relief once Shen says it is recovered.
• Thorne wants to help with the dangerous mission, but Shen refuses, emphasizing that he wants his younger companions protected. Thorne accepts the decision.
• Shen and Qiuqiu trade lighthearted barbs over using satellite imagery instead of the Eye of Gods and Demons; Qiuqiu suspects Shen is being stingy out of lingering annoyance.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and responsibility: Shen limits what the police can learn because the case involves dangerous, sensitive technology.
• Protection and trust: Shen shields Cheng and keeps Thorne out of harm’s way, while his allies follow his decisions.
• Humor amid danger: Shen’s self-serving jokes, Cameron’s relief, and his banter with Qiuqiu offset the serious threats surrounding the mission.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing sends eleven Demon Puppet Artisans to investigate a suspicious town. Lu Xian, Lu Shiyi, and Lu Twelve enter a large underground chamber while the others search the town and its routes.
• In the chamber, the trio finds a powerful monster seated on an altar, along with three nearby people. Shen Bing orders them to capture the monster and the others alive if possible.
• The monster attacks, but Lu Xian transforms into a giant Cauldron Furnace and traps it inside. Ropes bind the creature, and Lu Xian repeatedly strikes it with a hammer until it loses consciousness.
• Lu Shiyi and Lu Twelve capture the three nearby people. A wider search turns up ten more unusually strong individuals, whom Shen Bing suspects were the monster’s scouts.
• Shen Bing brings all fourteen captives back to Huaxia aboard Old Ban, the Immortal Carriage. He sends Thorne and ten artisans to Africa to continue construction of the Blade Mercenary Corps’ underground base, then prepares to use a modified Consciousness-Reading Device on the monster.

Character developments

• Shen Bing shows growing resolve: despite his disgust at the violence, he treats the raid as useful preparation for the dangers ahead. He also recognizes that the monster’s network may be much larger than the group they captured.
• Lu Xian demonstrates the Demon Puppet Artisans’ extraordinary abilities and careful tactical judgment. Rather than risk killing the monster, he tests its durability with increasingly forceful blows until it is safely unconscious.
• The monster begins as an arrogant, self-proclaimed king, but its confidence gives way to confusion and fear when it is trapped and cannot break free.

Significant themes

• Power and perspective: The monster is formidable by human standards, yet appears helpless against the far greater abilities of the Demon Puppet Artisans.
• Preparation for future threats: Shen Bing sees the operation as both a security measure and training for the challenges his new powers may bring.
• Uncertainty and vigilance: Capturing the monster’s guards raises the possibility that its influence—and danger—extends well beyond the town.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing directs the raid through the artisans’ communication systems, giving clear instructions and monitoring events remotely.
• The monster tries to intimidate the artisans with threats and its claim to kingship, but they ignore its posturing and carry out Shen Bing’s orders.
• Lu Xian’s controlled capture contrasts with the monster’s impulsive attack, while Shen Bing’s sarcastic commentary underscores how little the monster’s strength matters against his team.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing tries to use the Consciousness-Reading Device on the monster, but it produces only static. Lu Xian repeatedly knocks the creature out with a hammer—first to silence it, then to keep it compliant during questioning.
• The creature identifies itself as X. It says that after escaping the research facility, exposure to sunlight made it collapse; when it awoke, it had become intelligent and able to speak. Qiuqiu suggests environmental exposure may have caused a genetic mutation.
• X admits that he was involved in the attempted kidnapping of Fang Yan, though an unnamed client commissioned it through Ghost’s network.
• X says Scorpio proposed stealing the Azure Heart to fund his research, and he agreed. He also ordered the theft of the Mummy, hoping to learn more about the source of his creation.
• X explains that his creator developed him after extracting a “universal gene” from a tiny parasite near the Mummy. Shen Bing remains doubtful but ends the interrogation.
• Shen Bing then uses the device on the remaining captives and learns that the oldest prisoner—the bald man—is Ghost’s former leader, now reduced to serving X.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains composed and strategic, using Lu Xian’s controlled blows to pressure X. He is curious about X’s transformation and origins, but skeptical of the answers.
• Lu Xian proves obedient and efficient, carefully following Shen Bing’s instructions and adjusting the force of his hammer strikes.
• X shifts from defiant and furious to cooperative after repeated blows. His account suggests he is intelligent but knows little about the science behind his own existence; he also recognizes Shen Bing and regrets provoking him.
• Qiuqiu offers a possible scientific explanation for X’s newfound intelligence.
• Shen Bing’s questioning reveals X’s ties to Scorpio, the kidnapping attempt, and the stolen artifacts, while X’s surprise at Shen Bing’s knowledge highlights the advantage of Shen Bing’s information-gathering methods.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: X’s resistance collapses under sustained force, showing how control shapes what people will reveal.
• Science and uncertainty: X’s origin and transformation raise questions that neither he nor Shen Bing can fully answer.
• Ambition and self-preservation: X’s pursuit of strength motivates his research and the theft of the Mummy.
• Information and trust: Shen Bing can extract facts through technology, but he recognizes that ordinary interrogation leaves the truth uncertain.

• Shen Bing uncovers the Ghost Organization’s structure: Using the Consciousness-Reading Device on Arthur, the former leader, Shen Bing learns that Arthur knows how to contact the organization’s captains but has little information about ordinary members or regional bases. The group uses coded images in online chats, while captains choose their own methods for communicating with subordinates. The kidnapping mission targeting Fang Xin came from an unidentified Huaxia contact point.
• A plan to capture the organization: Arthur’s memories reveal that the failed kidnapping team had been told to pause until receiving new orders. With the headquarters destroyed and X captured, Shen Bing sees a way to avoid tracking members down individually: make Arthur and X summon them all to one place.
• Arthur accepts defeat: Shen Bing wakes Arthur and shows him the captured X. X tells Arthur that Shen Bing is far more capable than they expected. Realizing resistance is futile—and learning that Shen Bing has read his memories—Arthur reluctantly agrees to cooperate. He asks Shen Bing to spare the members who have not committed serious offenses. Shen Bing says he has no intention of killing them, though he privately hopes to recruit them.
• Character developments and interactions: Arthur’s loyalty to the organization is tempered by compassion; he thinks of it as something he built and is distressed at the thought of helping capture its members. X, once Arthur’s unquestioned master, now shares his helplessness and persuades him that resistance will change nothing. Shen Bing remains pragmatic, treating captured enemies as potential assets rather than targets for revenge.
• The captives are brought to the Underground Base: Shen Bing returns to Rongcheng with Arthur and X. Worried that the powerful prisoners could cause trouble, he assigns Lu Xian to guard them. He then arranges a meeting with the Chief for the next morning.
• Wider consequences: Shen Bing prepares to explain the kidnapping of Cheng Yixue and the theft of the Azure Heart. The aircraft crash involving people from India and the UAE is still officially the subject of search-and-rescue efforts, but the countries may investigate its connection to Rongcheng.
  Significant themes: Information and control can be more effective than force; defeated enemies may be turned into resources; loyalty and compassion can persist even within a criminal organization; and covert actions can create political consequences beyond the immediate conflict.

Plot and key events

• Shen Bing realizes that the plane incident could be traced back to the men who kidnapped Cheng Yixue—and ultimately to him. He decides he must brief the Chief before foreign governments uncover evidence.
• Revealing the incident could also expose Monster X, whose danger is so great that the state would almost certainly take control of him. Shen Bing therefore plans to redirect attention by presenting gene-enhancement technology.
• Shen Bing sees the technology as both a future necessity for interstellar travel and a way to retain influence over its production. Although the government could use it for limited projects, mass production would be extremely difficult: the drug requires precision and judgment beyond ordinary human or existing mechanical capabilities.
• Shen Bing arrives in Kyoto and rides with Gao Jingchuan, who jokingly asks for early access to Phantom Immortal Technology’s new phones. Shen agrees to provide several, on the condition that Gao keep them secret until launch.
• At their meeting, the Chief confronts Shen about the plane. Shen denies causing the crash, then explains that his request for the Rongcheng police to withdraw from the case was connected to the strange people he encountered during the London attack.
• Shen shows the Chief photos of these beings and claims they were created by the Americans. The Chief is visibly shaken and demands to know why Shen did not report this sooner.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is calculating and guarded. He weighs the risks of exposing Monster X against the benefits of introducing gene-enhancement technology, while presenting himself as helpful to the state.
• Gao Jingchuan and Shen exchange familiar, teasing banter. Gao’s desire for the new phones reveals his curiosity and enthusiasm, but he respects Shen’s request for secrecy.
• The Chief shifts from probing Shen about the plane to reacting with serious concern over the photographs. His anger reflects the scale of the threat he believes Shen has uncovered.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and accountability: Shen must decide what to disclose before others uncover his involvement.
• Private power versus state control: Monster X and the enhancement drug raise questions about whether a private company can—or should—control technologies with far-reaching consequences.
• Technology’s limits: A formula alone is not enough; advanced production depends on capabilities that ordinary people and current machines lack.
• Trust and responsibility: Shen’s early phone offer depends on Gao keeping the information confidential, while the Chief’s reaction underscores the consequences of withholding critical intelligence.

Summary

• Shen Bing explains that he had been investigating genetic enhancement privately because he was initially unsure what he had uncovered. He also reveals that his company’s research produced an early enhancement drug capable of roughly doubling physical abilities.
• He clarifies the events surrounding the stolen Azure Heart diamond: he suspected the theft involved genetically enhanced people, and he acted quickly to stop Cheng Yixue from being taken away. The chief accepts his reasoning but says he should have informed the country’s relevant department.
• Shen reveals that his current Gene-Enhancement Drug can improve physical abilities by about 300 percent. The chief is impressed, imagining its value for the military, while Shen suggests it could make elite soldiers exceptionally formidable.
• Mass production remains a major obstacle. Although the ingredients are readily available, preparation requires extraordinary observation, calculation, coordination, and microsecond-level timing. Shen can make only one bottle at a time, taking seven or eight hours.
• Shen distinguishes his drug from the Americans’ genetic modification experiments, which splice animal traits into humans rather than genuinely enhancing the human body. He reports that the American research base suffered a fatal failure, temporarily halting its experiments.
• He gives the chief a ready-to-use sample and a USB drive containing the formula and instructions, hoping the country can develop production equipment and eventually manage broader distribution.

Character developments and interactions

Shen remains confident and pragmatic, but his willingness to share his work shows his commitment to national interests. He is candid about the drug’s promise and limitations, while carefully presenting his unusual abilities as practical facts rather than dwelling on them.
The chief moves from suspicion and concern to astonishment and excitement. He recognizes the drug’s strategic value, gently admonishes Shen for acting without informing officials, and ultimately accepts Shen’s explanation. Their exchange is familiar and affectionate: the chief calls Shen a foolish “brat,” while Shen responds with humor and frankness. The chief also avoids probing into Shen’s exceptional capabilities, mindful that the subject might make him uncomfortable.

Significant themes

• Individual initiative versus institutional responsibility: Shen’s independent actions solve an urgent problem, but the chief stresses the importance of involving official channels.
• Scientific promise and practical limits: A dramatic breakthrough does not automatically mean mass production; specialized skill and technology remain barriers.
• National benefit and responsibility: Shen offers the formula and sample because he believes widespread use should be handled at the national level.
• Enhancement versus alteration: The chapter contrasts genuine physical enhancement with the Americans’ troubling practice of modifying humans with animal traits.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing and the chief discuss the Gene Potion. Shen expects mass-production equipment to take about a year to develop; the chief agrees the state won’t interfere with his ownership or profits, but asks that domestic demand be met first and prices kept reasonable. Shen accepts, citing the country’s support for his company.
• Asked how he rescued the captives from the hijacked plane, Shen reveals that his company has built a prototype supersonic aircraft. The chief does not press for details, but advises him to obtain official authorization for aerospace research and testing so others cannot challenge the company’s work.
• The chief reports that the state has acquired roughly a hundred tonnes of rhodium for producing stealth material, enough to outfit a flight squadron. Shen also says the U.S. military has agreed to use his company’s Aili AI to control its sixth-generation fighters, and jokes about taking control of them. The chief cautions that America’s nuclear arsenal remains a powerful deterrent. Shen privately considers the problem.
• Back in Rongcheng, Shen asks Li Xiao to secure a spacious private aircraft. He favors a Boeing 747-8 VIP plane and tells Li to identify its buyers and negotiate for one, even before its interior is finished.
• At home, Yun Xue and Yuan Wei demand the phones Shen promised them. He says they will be ready the next day. Yun Xue then asks for more peaches, and Shen insists they each get only one.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen shows confidence in his company’s growing capabilities, but also pragmatism: he accepts the chief’s request to prioritize domestic customers and recognizes the country’s role in his success.
• The chief treats Shen as a trusted partner, protecting his commercial rights while encouraging him to formalize aerospace research. He also tempers Shen’s confidence by stressing the limits of conventional military superiority.
• Li Xiao acts as Shen’s capable aide, though Shen’s casual attitude toward a multimillion-dollar aircraft leaves him astonished.
• Yun Xue and Yuan Wei jointly press Shen for their promised phones; Yun Xue’s interest in the peaches reveals their appeal, while Shen playfully guards the supply.

Significant themes

• The chapter highlights the balance between private enterprise and national interests: Shen retains ownership and profit, yet agrees to serve domestic needs.
• Technological power brings both opportunity and strategic risk; advanced aircraft and AI can shift military balances, but nuclear deterrence remains decisive.
• Shen’s rapid innovation contrasts with ordinary timelines and procedures, as shown by his aerospace research and his expectation that a plane can be obtained without precedent.

Key plot points and events

• Yun Xue asks Shen Bing for more peaches, claiming they improve the women’s health and productivity. Shen Bing refuses until next year’s crop.
• At the Underground Base, Shen Bing checks on X, the mutant monster now strapped to a custom adamantium bed. Researchers suspect X’s unstable genes activated his humanlike intelligence, but they are still investigating how he can alter other people’s strength and consciousness.
• In the Neural Experimental Zone, Bunier reports that Subconscious Implantation has had no effect on Arthur, an unusually valuable member of the Ghost Organization. Shen Bing orders tests on the others and makes contingency plans to use Arthur for assignments if the procedure continues to fail, with Lu Xian and Bernie accompanying him.
• Shen Bing accepts a familiar quest to find the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, Celestial Venerable Taiyi’s runaway mount. The snowy search area appears empty, and Shen Bing suspects the lion is underground.
• He retrieves the Underworld-Peering Mirror from the base and pays 319 immortal jade to bring it into the Immortal Realm. Using it, he sees deep underground—and discovers not only the yellow lion but also a white lion beside it.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing remains practical and cost-conscious in principle, but his confidence and financial security make him willing to spend heavily on a speculative search. He also shows caution in handling Arthur, whom he values but cannot yet trust.
• Yun Xue uses playful flattery to bargain for peaches; Shen Bing sees through her argument, and she gives up.
• Clarence offers a tentative scientific explanation for X’s intelligence while acknowledging that the mutation’s more extraordinary effects remain unexplained.
• Bunier is frustrated by his inability to alter Arthur’s consciousness. Shen Bing takes the problem seriously because Arthur could become a capable intelligence chief.
• Lu Xian accepts Shen Bing’s instructions confidently.
• The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage remains unseen in person, but his repeated escapes—and apparent company underground—make him the focus of the closing discovery.

Significant themes

• Science and the unexplained: X’s mutations challenge the researchers’ understanding of genetics.
• Trust and control: Shen Bing wants to recruit Arthur but considers confinement if he cannot ensure Arthur’s loyalty.
• Resourcefulness and risk: Shen Bing combines inference, technology, and willingness to spend to pursue the quest.
• Comic irreverence: His jokes about runaway “pets,” hidden lions, and wasted immortal jade keep the fantastical events lighthearted.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing discovers the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage courting an unfamiliar white lion and decides to bring him back to Celestial Venerable Taiyi.
• Since the Sage is hiding deep underground, Shen Bing uses the Earth-Traveling Immortal Carriage to reach his sealed cavern.
• Shen Bing announces that Taiyi wants him home. The Sage realizes Taiyi sent the visitor, but, believing Shen Bing can’t leave alive, attacks.
• Shen Bing survives the first blow thanks to his Diamond Body Divine Ability, but the Sage’s wind attack disables his controls and kills him.
• Shen Bing revives safely, teleports behind the Sage, and threatens him with the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder. Mistaking the threat for overwhelming power, the Sage is forced to choose between death and returning to Taiyi. The chapter ends before he answers.

Character developments

• Shen Bing is resourceful, finding a way underground with his carriage, and notably more durable than before. His confidence rises after surviving the first strike, though he is still vulnerable to stronger attacks.
• The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage shifts from furious confidence to fear and humiliation when Shen Bing revives behind him with an apparently terrifying power.
• Celestial Venerable Taiyi remains offstage, but his authority and the Sage’s strained relationship with him drive the conflict.

Significant themes

• Power and misjudgment: Both characters underestimate the other—Shen Bing misjudges the Sage’s danger, while the Sage mistakes Shen Bing’s revival and threat for godlike strength.
• Persistence and resourcefulness: Shen Bing uses his tools and the revival system to recover from a disastrous encounter.
• Comedy amid danger: Shen Bing’s casual “home for dinner” line, modern-game references, and the Sage’s prideful reluctance to beg contrast with the life-threatening fight.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing tries to persuade the Sage to return peacefully, but his joking tone and the Sage’s suspicion turn the meeting hostile.
• The Sage attacks Shen Bing, who later reverses the power dynamic by confronting him with a threat.
• Their final exchange leaves the Sage cornered but still silent, with his pride complicating his choice.

Summary

Shen Bing confronts the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, intending to take him back to Celestial Venerable Taiyi. When a white-haired lioness appears and defends the Sage, Shen uses the threat of his Nine Heavens Divine Thunder to keep him from resisting—though he feels increasingly like a villain for interfering with their relationship.
Shen tries to persuade the Sage to return willingly, even suggesting he could escape again afterward. He also bluffs about knowing where the Sage was hiding, concealing that the system had brought him there and that Tu Xingsun’s Underworld-Peering Mirror had helped locate him. The Sage eventually agrees to go back, provided Shen does not reveal the hiding place to Taiyi.
The agreement falters when the Sage insists on staying three more days: the lioness is about to give birth to their offspring. Shen fears the Sage will escape during the delay, so he demands ten thousand Immortal Jade as a deposit. The Sage protests that the sum is extortionate and worries Shen might keep the money, while Shen insists his reputation guarantees his honesty. The chapter ends with the deposit dispute unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is practical and determined to complete his quest, using intimidation and bluffing to control the situation. Yet he feels guilty about separating the couple and reluctantly accommodates the birth, while trying to protect himself from being deceived.
• The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage shifts from defiance to reluctant cooperation when Shen threatens the lioness. His devotion becomes clear when he refuses to leave before the birth and declares his family priceless.
• The White-Haired Beauty initially mistakes Shen for a friend, then recognizes his intent and fiercely protects the Sage, clinging to his mane.
• Their exchanges mix affection and conflict: Shen bargains with the Sage, while the lioness’s loyalty raises the emotional stakes.

Significant themes

• Love and family versus obligation: The Sage’s attachment to his mate and unborn offspring complicates Shen’s mission.
• Trust and leverage: Shen relies on threats, a bluff, and a financial deposit rather than mutual confidence.
• Comic contrast: Shen’s casual, self-interested bargaining clashes with the characters’ dramatic declarations of love and danger.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing negotiates with the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, who agrees to return with him to meet Celestial Venerable Taiyi. To ensure he keeps his word, they exchange collateral: the Sage deposits ten thousand immortal jade in temporary custody, while Shen Bing offers a Nine Heavens Divine Talisman.
• The Sage tries to exploit the exchange by reaching for the talisman and attacking Shen Bing. A second surge of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder stops him. Shen Bing reveals he has two genuine talismans and claims only he can use them, leaving the Sage with no practical way to turn the tables.
• Shen Bing sets a three-day deadline to meet again, then teleports back to Illusory Void Island. He briefly surveys its growing collection of spiritual plants before logging off.
• At work the next morning, Shen Bing learns that Phantom Immortal Technology’s 99-story headquarters is nearing completion. He asks General Manager Wang Sheng to discuss the company’s relocation and restructuring.
• Wang reports that the subsidiary paperwork is nearly finished. Shen Bing decides the subsidiaries can share the new headquarters and asks Wang for recommendations on who should lead them. Wang suggests veteran employee Dong Qiang for the Materials Technology Company, citing his strong management of the Dream Glass Factory; Shen Bing agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing demonstrates strategic confidence and control. He anticipates the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage’s betrayal, uses the talismans to deter him, and then shifts back to business with little concern for ceremony or day-to-day corporate details.
• The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage moves from cautious cooperation to attempted betrayal, then backs down when Shen Bing’s second talisman exposes the limits of his leverage. He accepts that Shen Bing remains in control.
• Yan Lexuan is cheerful about the upcoming office move and lightly teases Shen Bing’s poor awareness of company operations. She promptly arranges his meeting with Wang.
• Wang Sheng takes a practical role in planning the company’s next phase, proposing capable internal leadership. His judgment aligns with Shen Bing’s.
• Dong Qiang is presented as a diligent, quick-learning veteran whose performance has earned him a chance to lead a subsidiary.

Significant themes

• Strategic deception and power: Both Shen Bing and the Sage look for advantage, but Shen Bing’s preparation and superior leverage defeat the Sage’s attempted double-cross.
• Trust backed by safeguards: Shen Bing relies on collateral and the talismans’ threat rather than accepting the Sage’s promise at face value.
• Rapid growth and institutional change: The company’s expanding industrial capacity accelerates construction and enables a major headquarters move and subsidiary structure.
• Merit and opportunity: Wang’s recommendation reflects the value of promoting experienced employees who have proven themselves.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing and Wang Sheng decide who will lead several new subsidiaries. Dong Qiang is chosen for the materials company; Zhang Zi’an is proposed to manage the geothermal energy company because international expansion will hinge on negotiating with people and governments; Duanmu An is selected for optoelectronics. They agree to recruit externally for the logistics company.
• Shen Bing reviews the rollout of Phantom Immortal Technology’s offline experience stores. Nearly 3,000 domestic locations are being built, with another 2,000 selected overseas. He insists on resisting landlords’ inflated demands, maintaining consistent store design, and finishing quickly ahead of the phone launch.
• Shen Bing invites film director Cameron to test a new movie-viewing system. At his villa, he reveals a compact “Viewing Pod,” powered by the company’s Phantom Vision Display and a technology that splits panoramic footage into separate views for screens arranged around the viewer.
• Cameron is skeptical: the small pod seems incompatible with the scale and spectacle expected of blockbuster films. He wonders whether it could provide a convincing experience only if it uses true virtual reality—the chapter ends as he considers how immature mainstream VR technology remains.

Character developments

• Shen Bing demonstrates strategic judgment, balancing technical superiority with the diplomatic challenges of overseas geothermal projects. He is also determined to protect the company from setting a precedent of excessive property costs.
• Wang Sheng shows loyalty and sound managerial judgment. Though he hopes his friend Zhang Zi’an will advance, he evaluates the appointment objectively and accepts Shen Bing’s reasoning.
• Zhang Zi’an is presented as especially capable at understanding people, making him a surprising but plausible choice to lead a company whose biggest challenges will be political and interpersonal.
• Cameron arrives excited by the invitation, but his enthusiasm gives way to doubt when he sees the Viewing Pod.

Significant themes

• People skills alongside technology: Advanced geothermal technology may open doors, but negotiations and relationships will determine whether the company can expand internationally.
• Growth and professional fit: The company matches managers to roles based on their strengths and recognizes when recruitment from outside is necessary.
• Protecting long-term interests: Shen Bing resists short-term concessions that could encourage future exploitation.
• Innovation versus skepticism: The pod’s unconventional design challenges assumptions about how films must be experienced, while Cameron’s doubts reflect the limits of current expectations about immersive technology.

Character interactions

• Shen Bing and Wang Sheng collaboratively weigh leadership appointments, with Wang Sheng openly challenging and then accepting Shen Bing’s rationale.
• Shen Bing gives Wang Sheng firm direction on store negotiations and expansion priorities.
• Cameron admires Shen Bing’s residence, but Shen Bing redirects him to the purpose of the visit. When shown the pod, Cameron privately questions whether its design can deliver a cinematic experience.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Bing invites Cameron to test Phantom Immortal Technology’s W-X viewing system, a compact pod that initially looks like a small box.
• Inside, Cameron experiences an astonishingly realistic virtual landscape, complete with convincing depth, movement, and even sensations of falling and wind. Though he can detect a physical screen, he calls the experience “perfect.”
• Cameron realizes the system could transform film exhibition and make traditional projection technology obsolete. He also fears that control of the new format could give Shen Bing—and Huaxia—enormous influence over Hollywood.
• Shen Bing explains that W-X is not, in his view, true virtual reality: it does not make reality and the virtual world impossible to distinguish.
• Shen outlines the system’s commercial plans. It can serve one or two viewers, with a larger version for up to five; its modular design requires little space and makes it easy for cinemas to install.
• The system is intended for cinema chains, not homes: it is expensive and only plays specially produced films. Shen wants Cameron’s help gathering cinema-chain executives to see a demonstration.
• Shen prices the one-person model at 300,000 and the two-person model—his main product—at 400,000. Cameron privately doubts audiences will welcome higher ticket prices, even if cinemas can charge more for the new experience.

Character developments

• Cameron moves from skepticism to amazement, then to apprehension as he grasps the system’s industrial and political consequences. He recognizes its commercial potential and agrees, implicitly, that his reputation can help Shen promote it.
• Shen Bing presents himself as modest about the technology while showing confidence in its disruptive potential. His primary aim is not simply profit or entry into entertainment, but weakening American cultural influence by challenging Hollywood blockbusters.

Significant themes

• Technological disruption: A new format could rapidly displace established cinema infrastructure.
• Soft power and cultural influence: Shen views Hollywood films as a major vehicle for exporting American values and wants to counter their global reach.
• Adaptation versus resistance: Cinema chains that adopt the system may prosper, while those that cling to older projection methods risk being left behind.
• The gap between innovation and consumer acceptance: Shen expects audiences to accept higher prices; Cameron is skeptical but recognizes they may have little choice if the experience proves compelling.

Character interactions

• Cameron questions Shen about whether W-X is virtual reality, and Shen carefully distinguishes it from genuine VR.
• Shen’s teasing invitation sets up Cameron’s dramatic first experience; afterward, Cameron openly praises the system.
• Their discussion shifts from the device’s technical qualities to its strategy, target market, and price. Shen seeks Cameron’s help reaching cinema executives, while Cameron evaluates the system’s likely impact and commercial appeal.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing celebrates Cameron’s agreement to arrange a meeting with major cinema-chain owners in the United States. He expects the W-X movie-viewing system to attract buyers once they see it, and has already planned its production using Phantom Vision Displays, chips from the Optoelectronics Plant, and existing factories.
• He asks Qiuqiu to coordinate manufacturing plans and orders Phantom Vision Technology to expand display production, both for W-X and to strengthen its position against Japanese and Korean TV makers.
• Gao Jingchuan visits, first jokingly demanding some of the Gene-Enhancement Drug for himself, then explaining that the Chief has reconsidered and wants an initial supply. Shen Bing agrees to try to provide twenty doses.
• Shen gives Gao six Immortal Peaches: four for Gao and his family, and two to deliver to the Chief. He claims they offer exceptional health and longevity benefits and can keep for decades, though Gao remains doubtful.
• Gao reminds Shen that he promised to make him a phone. Shen quickly has ten phones produced and hands five to Gao, who is baffled by their unusual glass-like appearance and takes them away with the peaches.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen is confident and commercially strategic, relying on market demand and established production capacity rather than personally handling promotion.
• Gao is familiar and teasing with Shen, but also eager to obtain the drug and intrigued—if skeptical—by the peaches. His careful handling of the phones, compared with his casual treatment of the peaches, gives the chapter its title.
• Shen and Gao’s friendship is shown through banter, favors, and Shen’s generosity, while Gao also acts as a messenger between Shen and the Chief.

Significant themes

• Technology and commercial ambition: Shen plans to scale production and exploit the strong demand he expects.
• Personal relationships and public service: Shen’s gifts and promise of medicine connect his friendship with Gao to the Chief’s request.
• Misjudging value: Gao treats the strange new phones as precious but tosses aside the supposedly extraordinary peaches, overlooking what may matter most.

Key plot points and events

• Gao Jingchuan brings his father, Commander Gao, a phone and several peaches from Shen Bing. The peaches are supposedly life-extending, while their sealed packaging can preserve food for seven or eight years.
• Commander Gao initially focuses on the packaging, recognizing its potential to improve military rations. After confirming its capabilities with Shen Bing, he alerts the Logistics Department, which quickly sends a team to discuss large-scale procurement.
• Shen Bing points out that Commander Gao should be more concerned about the peaches. Commander Gao eventually eats one and feels unusually refreshed and energetic.
• Convinced the fruit may genuinely extend life, Commander Gao orders Jingchuan to give one to his mother, arrange discreet testing, and keep the peaches’ source secret from everyone except the Chief.

Character developments

• Commander Gao moves from practical interest in the preservation bags to recognizing the peaches as the chapter’s more extraordinary prize. His reaction shows both his eagerness to advance military logistics and his growing belief in Shen Bing’s claims.
• Gao Jingchuan is initially skeptical of the peaches and bemused by his father’s priorities. He follows orders, but repeatedly serves as the more grounded voice in their exchanges.
• Shen Bing remains confident and understated about his inventions. His reminder about the peaches reveals that he knows their value exceeds even the packaging’s military applications.

Character interactions

• The father and son trade affectionate but sharp remarks: Commander Gao scolds Jingchuan for arriving empty-handed, while Jingchuan questions his father’s decision to analyze the bag instead of simply asking Shen Bing.
• Commander Gao consults Shen Bing directly, and Shen Bing confirms both the packaging’s usefulness and the peaches’ special importance.
• Commander Gao directs Jingchuan to contact military logistics and later entrusts him with handling the remaining peaches discreetly.

Significant themes

• Innovation and practical application: A seemingly simple food-preservation material could substantially improve military supply and combat readiness.
• Value and perception: Commander Gao initially mistakes the packaging for the main treasure, only realizing after Shen Bing’s hint and his own experience that the peaches may be far more precious.
• Trust and secrecy: Shen Bing’s unusual track record makes the Gaos take his claims seriously, while the peaches’ possible life-extending effects prompt careful confidentiality.

Key plot points and events

• Gao Jingchuan examines the unreleased phone Shen Bing gave him. Its wireless charger works from up to 100 meters away, and the manual lists an enormous 12,000 mAh battery with an eight-minute full charge.
• Gao and his father initially suspect misprints, but the phone’s specifications prove genuine. Its rapid startup and striking, hologram-like display impress Gao.
• Gao calls Shen Bing to praise the phone and question its claims. Shen confirms the company has made no errors, teasing Gao with a circuitous joke about whether he is male. Gao threatens a fight, then backs down, remembering Shen’s strength.
• Gao calls again to ask whether the batteries can be customized in size, voltage, and other specifications. Shen says they can, suggesting the Logistics Department’s upcoming negotiations will include another request.
• The chapter then shifts to Deep City, where Yida Group director President Wang reviews documents for Atlantis City, the group’s ambitious undersea-themed development. His phone rings: someone tells him that Cameron is calling again.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Jingchuan moves from skepticism to amazement as he realizes the phone’s seemingly impossible features are real. He is impressed by Shen’s technology but repeatedly gets flustered by Shen’s dry, teasing replies.
• Commander Gao shares his son’s initial disbelief, then recognizes the potential significance of Phantom Immortal Technology’s battery advances.
• Shen Bing remains confident and playful, using humor to shut down doubts while withholding details about even more advanced display technology.
• President Wang is introduced as a prominent, wealthy Yida Group heir overseeing Atlantis City; the call from Cameron sets up a new thread.

Significant themes

• Technological disruption: The phone’s charging range, battery capacity, speed, and display suggest a major leap beyond existing technology.
• Trust versus disbelief: Gao and his father struggle to accept claims that seem impossible, while Shen insists his company’s specifications are reliable.
• Power and negotiation: Shen’s customized batteries may give Phantom Immortal Technology leverage in future dealings with the Logistics Department.
• Banter and status: Shen’s verbal sparring with Gao contrasts with the serious business setting of the chapter’s closing scene.

Key plot points and events

• Film director James Cameron calls President Wang of Yida Cinema to recommend a new projection system developed by Phantom Immortal Technology. He invites Wang to a Los Angeles demonstration on June 5, along with leaders of major cinema chains.
• Wang initially worries that adopting the system would waste Yida’s heavy investment in IMAX, but Cameron’s confidence in the technology—and Wang’s own trust in Shen Bing’s company—persuades him to attend.
• Meanwhile, Shen Bing grows impatient waiting for news about Lord Lao’s pills and the chance to learn about Great Luo Golden Immortal Remnant Souls. He travels to Donghua Dijun’s residence, only to learn that Donghua is away and may not return for up to ten days.
• Shen Bing returns to Craftsman God Island and asks Lu Ban how to capture a remnant soul. Lu Ban is astonished that Shen Bing can meet Lord Lao, explaining that very few immortals ever get an audience with a Sage. He then warns that a Great Luo Golden Immortal’s remnant soul could be deadly to encounter, let alone capture.

Character developments and interactions

• President Wang shows business caution but also recognizes Phantom Immortal Technology’s growing importance. His envy of Shen Bing is tempered by genuine admiration for Shen’s achievements.
• Cameron confidently advocates for the new projection system, presenting the demonstration as an opportunity rather than pressuring Wang.
• Shen Bing is ambitious and increasingly impatient, but acts politely and plans ahead. He seeks Lu Ban’s practical advice before pursuing a dangerous task.
• Lu Ban is impressed by Shen Bing’s access to Lord Lao and openly stresses the peril of the mission. His work with four Divine Puppet Artisans also illustrates their superiority over the Demon Puppet Artisans they manufacture.
• Wang and Cameron negotiate the cinema-system proposal; Shen Bing’s conversations with Donghua’s attendants and Lu Ban advance his plans in the Immortal Realm.

Significant themes

• Trust in technology: Phantom Immortal Technology’s reputation gives Cameron confidence and helps overcome Wang’s concerns about sunk costs.
• Power and access: Just as influential filmmakers and cinema owners negotiate from positions of power, access to a Sage is a rare privilege in the Immortal Realm.
• Ambition versus danger: Shen Bing’s pursuit of powerful resources and a Divine Puppet Artisan promises major gains, but the remnant soul could easily prove beyond his strength.
• Changing hierarchies: Shen Bing’s success reshapes how others think about wealth, innovation, and influence.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing learns that capturing a Great Luo Golden Immortal Remnant Soul normally requires the power of a peak Golden Immortal. Lu Ban admits he obtained his twelve souls through trades, exchanging his sought-after puppets for them.
• Lu Ban says King Yama’s Judge’s Brush could subdue any soul, but the sealed six paths of reincarnation and vanished Underworld make it nearly impossible to obtain. He knows of one other method but directs Shen Bing to ask Lord Lao.
• Shen Bing asks about the Demon Puppet Artisans and the Floating Immortal Island. The puppets will take another month or two; the island’s completion date is uncertain because Lu Ban’s design still needs practical testing and refinement.
• With no immediate solution or suitable quests, Shen Bing leaves the Immortal Realm. Qiuqiu then summons him to the Underground Base, where Clarence reports a discovery about Monster X.
• X’s ordinary saliva appears harmless, but a sample taken after it bites down kills a mouse instantly. The researchers conclude that X secretes a potent substance when biting, possibly connected to its ability to strengthen people.
• The substance cannot be distinguished with available methods. It remains active even after the saliva is stripped down to what researchers believe is pure water. Clarence speculates that it may be related to dark matter, which science cannot yet readily study.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Bing’s confidence is checked by the realization that he is far from powerful enough to capture a Great Luo remnant soul himself. His frustration grows when the proposed alternatives are either inaccessible or require consulting Lord Lao.
• Lu Ban is resourceful and candid: he explains that his success came from trading, not personal strength, and openly acknowledges the uncertainty of his inventions.
• Clarence and researcher Cass show scientific persistence, testing X’s saliva in different conditions until they uncover the bite-triggered effect. Clarence is excited by the discovery but admits the limits of current technology.
• Shen Bing shifts from frustration to renewed curiosity when called to the base, hoping the finding may help explain the Gene-Enhancement Drug.

Significant themes

• Limits of power and knowledge: Shen Bing’s spiritual and scientific ambitions are both constrained by what he can currently access or understand.
• Ingenuity through exchange and collaboration: Lu Ban advances through trade, while the laboratory team makes progress through shared experimentation.
• The unknown beyond current science: X’s substance may lie outside existing tools and theories, underscoring how much remains unexplained.

Plot points and events

• Shen Bing and Clarence try to isolate a mysterious substance found in X’s saliva. Shen Bing supplies specially coated glassware that prevents the substance from escaping through microscopic gaps.
• Heating the remaining water leaves a tiny amount of vivid green material. Under the scanning tunneling microscope, it appears liquid-like despite being far smaller than atoms, suggesting a form of matter beyond established physics.
• The researchers find that the substance disperses when water vapor carries it, but remains stable around dry gases. A white mouse absorbs little through intact skin; when its wound touches the substance, it disappears into the mouse, which soon turns bloodshot, convulses, and appears to die.
• Shen Bing orders stringent containment: the lab is coated, staff receive protective suits, access is restricted, and Lu Qi is tasked with enforcement. Further experiments will study dosage, bodily effects, and changes to consciousness.
• Troubled by the danger and the possibility of a catastrophic outbreak, Shen Bing nevertheless allows research to continue under strict safeguards. He leaves wishing he had a Divine Puppet Artisan to help.
• The next morning, he honors his three-day agreement and teleports to the underground shaft to meet the Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage, who is no longer surprised by his abilities.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Bing is practical and cautious: he anticipates containment problems, interprets the mouse experiment, and prioritizes safety. The possibility of a disaster unsettles him more than scientific achievement does.
• Clarence is exhilarated by the discovery and eager to test it, but becomes serious and cooperative once Shen Bing explains the risks.
• Lu Qi follows Shen Bing’s authority and carries out the laboratory’s security measures.
• The Nine-Spirit Primordial Sage has reflected on Shen Bing’s abilities and accepts that his sudden appearances and apparent immortality are real.

Significant themes

• Scientific discovery and its risks: The substance may overturn conventional physics, but its biological danger makes knowledge hazardous.
• Responsibility and containment: Researchers must account for how an experiment could escape the lab and harm others.
• Limits of human understanding: The substance lies beyond current scientific models, while Shen Bing’s extraordinary powers also exceed the sage’s expectations.