Chapter Summaries

Luo Qian secures a fifty-percent share of the Divine Realm’s rare-metal profits from the God King, who agrees only because the ongoing war makes cooperation useful. Both expect the arrangement to end once the crisis passes: the God King plans to drive Luo Qian out, while Luo Qian mainly needs the money and time to open the great undersea passage.
At the Lodunk Crystal Mine, Luo Qian inspects the enormous stores of energy crystals and rare metals. He takes mithril and samples of other precious materials, then travels to the Broken Range with Six Howls to mine demonic energy crystals. A rich vein draws him deep into the mountains. He finds unusually fine crystals—and then a substantial deposit of genuine demon soul crystals, which he eagerly harvests for his dealings with Lu Kuangtao and the Lu Household.
As Luo Qian mines, Six Howls grow increasingly uneasy. The surrounding mountains stir, a cliff opens into a vast crimson-eyed demonic face, and black mist rolls through the valley. Luo Qian tries to negotiate with the Dread Fiend, even absurdly inviting it to visit his territory, but the creature declines. Six Howls form a protective ring around him and refuse to retreat, acting on their fierce sense of honor despite the overwhelming danger. The black mist attacks, and the Torch Dragon Lamp flares to shield them as the chapter ends in the midst of the assault.
Character developments and interactions: Luo Qian’s opportunism and confidence drive him to keep mining despite mounting danger; he also shows quick wit by bargaining for time with the Dread Fiend. The God King and Luo Qian cooperate while privately anticipating betrayal. Six Howls demonstrate loyalty, courage, and growing protective instincts toward Luo Qian, though they have no inherited knowledge of the creature they face.
Themes: Political cooperation is presented as temporary and self-interested; ambition and the lure of wealth can blind people to danger; and loyalty and honor may compel even the brave to stand their ground against impossible odds.

Plot and events

• The Demonic Beast traps Luo Qian and the Six Howls inside a crushing black mist. Luo recalls the young beasts, concentrates the Torch Dragon Lamp’s protection, and taunts the enemy before attempting to teleport to the Immortal Realm.
• The teleport fails: the creature has dragged its cliff-like body directly in front of him. Its nine dragon heads batter Luo’s protective light, tossing him around while the beast prolongs his torment.
• Luo’s Buddha Ancestor bell and his attempt to descend to the Lower Realm also fail. He then throws Buddhist Treasures supplied by Master Xuqing. Their sacred light damages the rocky demonic face and burns one dragon head, but cannot stop the attack.
• The nine heads merge into the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, a legendary, supremely powerful Sacred Beast. Luo deploys the bell along with the Torch Dragon Lamp and Blue Light Soul, but the dragon’s four opposing vortices stretch his defenses apart. It destroys his Buddhist Treasures and overwhelms their light with lightning.
• Luo, convinced he is about to die, resolves to fight back and regrets that the two little dragons are not grown. At the last moment, a deep voice addresses him: “Immortal…”

Character development

• Luo Qian remains resourceful and bold, using every escape route and magical item available. His swagger gives way to panic, frustration, and despair as he realizes how completely outmatched he is, though he ultimately resolves not to die without fighting.
• The Six Howls are recalled to safety, but their youth and limited strength emphasize that Luo cannot rely on them against this enemy.
• The Demonic Beast/Nine-Headed Demon Dragon is revealed as a cruel, immensely powerful adversary. It deliberately toys with Luo, then displays unusual skill by attacking his defenses indirectly rather than simply striking them.

Themes

• Courage versus overwhelming power: Luo keeps resisting despite repeated failures and little hope of survival.
• Resourcefulness and preparation: His varied tools buy him time, but even powerful treasures have limits.
• Pride and humiliation: Luo’s provocative taunt is answered with a humiliating beating, underscoring the danger of underestimating an enemy.
• Power and maturity: The young Six Howls—and Luo’s regret about the two little dragons—highlight how growth and accumulated strength can determine the outcome of a fight.

Character interactions

• Luo protects the Six Howls before recalling them, then taunts the Demonic Beast with a rude gesture.
• The beast responds by tormenting him rather than killing him immediately, apparently taking revenge for the provocation.
• Luo’s Buddhist Treasures briefly force the rocky face back and injure a dragon head, but the dragon retaliates and mocks him.
• As Luo prepares to make a final stand, an unidentified voice interrupts, setting up the next development.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian is caught trespassing in the Broken Range and learns that the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon is Strathas, the legendary King of Magic Beasts.
• Strathas says an apology cannot make up for the insult to his territory. He wants Luo Qian to find him a suitable mate—someone powerful enough to complement his strength.
• Luo Qian agrees to help, hoping to appease Strathas, but Strathas secretly binds him with a Death Contract: if Luo Qian fails to fulfill the task within a year, he will die.
• To secure Luo Qian’s cooperation, Strathas gives him a protective mark and reveals that a crystal beneath him contains many imprisoned Vengeful Souls. Luo Qian withstands the crystal’s surge of resentment and gains control of it.
• Strathas is impressed by Luo Qian’s resilience and believes he may be capable of completing the matchmaking mission.

Character developments

• Luo Qian shifts from fear to cautious negotiation, using flattery and quick thinking to survive. Though he resents being trapped in the contract, he also recognizes the value of Strathas’s mark and the Vengeful Souls.
• Strathas is revealed as proud and terrifying, but also lonely and eager for intimacy. His royal dignity prevents him from pursuing a weaker mate, and his desire has made him an “old bachelor” for centuries.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: Strathas turns an apparently voluntary agreement into a life-or-death obligation.
• Desire versus dignity: Strathas’s longing for companionship conflicts with his pride and sense of status.
• Negotiation and self-interest: Both characters flatter, bargain, and assess what they can gain from the other.
• Strength and survival: Luo Qian’s mental resilience allows him to withstand the Vengeful Souls’ power and earn Strathas’s respect.

Character interactions

• Luo Qian tries to appease Strathas through apology and praise, then agrees to find him a mate.
• Strathas alternates between threats and incentives: he imposes the contract, warns Luo Qian of its consequences, and then offers protection and access to the imprisoned souls.
• Their interaction establishes an uneasy partnership: Strathas expects results, while Luo Qian must find a way to fulfill—or survive—the king’s demand.

Plot points

• Luo Qian returns to the Immortal Realm and finds that Old Cui Tea has rapidly taken over the tea market with advertisements and a buy-one-get-one-free promotion. He orders Dongfang Chen to investigate the rival’s background.
• Xiao Xiangzi feels slighted when the investigation is assigned to Dongfang Chen, but Luo Qian explains that Dongfang Chen’s experience with Lower Realm marketing makes him better suited to it. Xiao Xiangzi is reassured.
• Luo Qian visits Lu Mei and gives her half the demonic energy crystals he brought back: 2,500 crystals, enough to help fourteen people reach Eighth-Rank Immortal cultivation. She confirms that her people will support Luo Qian’s bottled Immortal Water when it reaches the market.
• Lu Mei asks for more crystals for her father, whose cultivation is at a critical point. Luo Qian gives her dozens of demon soul crystals, though his attempt to explain himself after glancing at her only embarrasses them both.
• As Luo Qian leaves, he realizes Lu Mei had been bathing when he arrived, explaining her earlier flustered behavior. Outside the gate, he unexpectedly runs into her brother, Lu Zhen.
• Lu Zhen insists on taking Luo Qian to a teahouse to talk. The excerpt ends as he begins to tell Luo Qian that his first impression of him was poor.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian continues to mix business instincts with generosity: he negotiates publicity for his product while supplying crystals that Lu Mei’s household urgently needs. His awkwardness around Lu Mei contrasts with his confidence as a merchant.
• Lu Mei is grateful to Luo Qian but becomes self-conscious when she misreads his glance. Her private reaction suggests that, despite her embarrassment, she cares about whether he finds her attractive.
• Xiao Xiangzi briefly feels distrusted, but Luo Qian’s explanation restores his confidence in their relationship.
• Lu Zhen reappears with an unexpectedly friendly, though forceful, approach, leaving Luo Qian wary about what he wants.

Significant themes

• Commerce and competition: Old Cui Tea’s aggressive promotion threatens Luo Qian’s business, while he plans to use demonic-cultivator support to market Immortal Water.
• Trust and obligation: Luo Qian’s arrangement with Lu Mei’s household is both a business partnership and a personal commitment, especially when he supplies crystals for her father.
• Romantic awkwardness and misunderstanding: Luo Qian and Lu Mei’s embarrassment arises from misread gestures and unspoken feelings.
• Power and leverage: Luo Qian’s resources create influence, while Lu Zhen’s greater physical strength lets him control the encounter despite Luo Qian’s reluctance.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Zhen repays Luo Qian for saving his life by giving him a pair of ancient daggers. They are one-sixth of a Supreme Sacred Artifact, but the complete artifact requires six pieces and Xingtian Fire to refine.
• Luo Qian learns that Xingtian Fire is exceptionally rare and has not been possessed by anyone for centuries. His hopes of completing the artifact are therefore far from immediate.
• After storing the daggers, Luo Qian is seized by a mysterious force: two rotating rings of light and a dark red orb pull him away. Two unseen observers witness the disappearance and report it to Lord Lu.
• Luo Qian is summoned to the God King, who demands the Buddhist Treasures Luo Qian had been asked to obtain. Luo Qian hands over the bag containing tens of thousands of treasures, thinking they could be useful against the Devil Race.
• The God King’s Angels try to seduce Luo Qian, but he escapes at the last moment after remembering Pei Sefei.
• Back in the Immortal Realm, Yin Quanyin urgently tells Luo Qian that Lu Xiaofeng’s people have arrived.

Character developments

• Luo Qian is thrilled by the prospect of acquiring a Supreme Sacred Artifact, yet remains opportunistic and practical. He gives the Buddhist Treasures to the God King but is reluctant to part with their valuable storage bag. Despite his usual lustful bravado, his feelings for Pei Sefei—or at least her influence over him—stop him from yielding to the Angels.
• Lu Zhen parts painfully with a treasured inheritance from his grandfather to repay Luo Qian. His concern for his sister Lu Mei remains intense, though he begins to wonder whether Luo Qian might actually be a suitable match for her.
• The God King reveals both impatience and a mischievous streak, using the summoning contract to bring Luo Qian over and then enjoying his predicament.

Significant themes

• Debt, gratitude, and obligation: Lu Zhen gives up a family heirloom to settle what he owes Luo Qian.
• Ambition and rare power: The artifact promises immense strength, but obtaining and assembling it will require extraordinary luck and resources.
• Temptation and restraint: Luo Qian’s comic escape from the Angels shows a rare moment of self-control, prompted by thoughts of Pei Sefei.
• Power and manipulation: The God King uses the contract to summon Luo Qian, while unseen observers may be tracking events around him.

Character interactions

• Luo Qian and Lu Zhen settle their debt, but Lu Zhen still warns him to stay away from Lu Mei; their exchange ends with Lu Zhen privately reconsidering whether he should encourage a match instead.
• Luo Qian consults the Old Roughworker and Xin Yezi about Xingtian Fire, learning how difficult it will be to find.
• The God King takes the Buddhist Treasures while his Angels surround and tease Luo Qian.
• Yin Quanyin interrupts Luo Qian’s return with news that Lu Xiaofeng’s people have come.

Plot points and events

• While Lu Xiaofeng’s Immortal Apprehension Office surrounds Luo Family Jewelry and holds Du Lengning’s group under house arrest, Luo Qian learns that the evidence against him comes from a recording of his disappearance. He explains to Xu Hu that he was in the Western Divine Realm, summoned by a God King—not using forbidden Immortal magic.
• Xu Hu promises the matter will be handled. Luo Qian returns confidently with Yin Quanyin, who hopes Luo can introduce him to Xu Hu to improve his standing in the Cloudwave Aristocratic Clan.
• Lu Xiaofeng’s officers bind Luo Qian, but before they can act on their supposed capture, a decree from the Supreme Pure Emperor orders them to release him and return to the Heavenly Court to answer for their misconduct. Lu Xiaofeng withdraws, insisting he will present his own account.
• Du Lengning emerges unharmed. Luo Qian jokes that Du should seduce Lu Xiaofeng’s daughter as revenge, but Li Xuexiao objects and chases Luo away.
• With nowhere else to go, Luo Qian uses the Buddhist Bell to travel to the Buddha Realm and delivers the Vengeful Souls’ crystal to Master Xuqing. Xuqing pays him generously, then privately celebrates, hoping the crystal’s Merit Points will help him surpass the Buddha Ancestor.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian stays confident under arrest because he knows he has powerful protection. He also remains opportunistic, seeking to help Yin Quanyin while using humor and threats to needle Lu Xiaofeng and Du Lengning.
• Xu Hu acts as an impartial but influential ally: he reassures Luo Qian, and the Emperor’s decree soon overturns the Immortal Apprehension Office’s actions.
• Lu Xiaofeng shifts from triumphant certainty to unease and anxiety when the imperial decree exposes his officers’ overreach. He remains defiant, claiming he will explain himself to the Emperor.
• Yin Quanyin admires Xu Hu and hopes to gain an introduction through Luo Qian.
• Du Lengning and Li Xuexiao provide comic relief: Du refuses Luo Qian’s proposed seduction scheme, and Li Xuexiao fiercely defends her husband.
• Master Xuqing appears grateful to Luo Qian but reveals a self-serving ambition: he intends to use the souls’ merit to rise above the Buddha Ancestor.

Significant themes

• Power and justice: Lu Xiaofeng’s apparent authority collapses before the Emperor’s decree, showing that influence at the highest level can overturn local power.
• Networks and patronage: Luo Qian’s connections—especially Xu Hu—protect him, while Yin Quanyin seeks advancement through those same relationships.
• Hypocrisy and ambition: Master Xuqing’s spiritual role contrasts with his personal pursuit of status and merit.
• Comic reversal: Luo Qian’s calm arrest, the officers’ retreat, and his flight from Li Xuexiao repeatedly undercut the chapter’s dramatic confrontations.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian remembers that he never retrieved a bag of Buddhist Treasures from the God King and resolves to reclaim it later.
• Summoned by the Supreme Pure Emperor, Luo gives an account of the fighting in the Western Divine Realm while concealing his secret visit to the Buddha Realm. The Emperor warns him to keep the Western Divine Realm’s connection to the Immortal Realm secret.
• Luo proposes taking an Immortal Artifact to the west, ostensibly to help defeat the Demon Realm but also hoping to obtain a powerful weapon. The Emperor sees through his scheme and lends him the God-Slaying Halberd, a Divine Artifact effective against the enemy’s Cannon-Roaring Beasts. Luo privately considers keeping it.
• The Emperor orders Luo to monitor the Immortal Realm, especially the Awakening King. Luo also tries repeatedly to arrange a meeting between Xu Hu and Yin Quanyin, but Xu Hu refuses.
• At Luo Family Jewelry, Luo learns that Li Xuexiao has demanded marriage to Du Lengning within six months. Du’s father has already sent wedding invitations for a ceremony in three months, leaving Du furious and overwhelmed.
• The Toad Mountain weapon experiment is running low on materials. Luo supplies funds from Master Xuqing’s jewels, continuing to invest heavily in the Superweapon despite its enormous cost.
• Luo and Yin Quanyin escape Du’s anger by taking refuge at the Seal Clan estate. Yin is grateful for Luo’s help with Xu Hu and shares a relaxed, trusting friendship with him.
• During a performance by the Seal Clan’s dancers, Luo recognizes one of them and suggests there may still be a chance of bringing Xu Hu and Yin together.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian remains an opportunistic negotiator: he disguises self-interest as public service, accepts the halberd as a loan while plotting to retain it, and freely spends on his ambitious weapon project. He is also a loyal, candid friend to Yin.
• The Supreme Pure Emperor is wary of Luo’s schemes but values his usefulness. He grants him a powerful weapon while insisting on its return and emphasizes secrecy and surveillance.
• Du Lengning is distressed by the sudden wedding plans, which he blames on Luo’s earlier interference; his frustration erupts into a threat against Luo.
• Yin Quanyin is increasingly influential within the Seal Clan, whose members now court his favor. Despite his political awareness and guarded nature, he trusts Luo and treats him warmly.
• Xu Hu remains curt and resistant to Luo’s matchmaking efforts.
• Luo and Yin share easy companionship, while Luo’s meddling in Du’s romantic life creates comic friction.

Significant themes

• Self-interest dressed as duty: Luo frames schemes for personal gain as ways to serve the Emperor or help the western conflict.
• Power and political secrecy: The Emperor’s warning shows the danger of exposing the Immortal Realm’s involvement in the Western Divine Realm.
• Ambition and risk: Luo pours resources into the Superweapon for the promise of future power.
• Friendship and trust: Luo and Yin’s bond stands apart from the suspicion and maneuvering common in powerful families.
• Romance and comic consequences: Luo’s matchmaking and advice help trigger Du’s rushed marriage, much to Du’s dismay.

Plot points and events

• Luo Qian persuades Yin Quanyin to help arrange a meeting with Commander Xu Hu. He lures Xu Hu to the Seal Clan residence by claiming to have found an Awakening King hideout.
• Once Xu Hu is inside, Yin Quanyin reveals the gathering is a staged welcome, with wine and dancers. Xu Hu initially resents the deception, but when he sees the lead dancer, he reacts with sudden intensity, pulls her forward, accuses Luo Qian of arranging the encounter specifically for her, then storms out.
• Luo Qian tells Yin Quanyin the plan worked, though he does not explain why. Soon afterward, Xu Hu abducts Luo Qian into a private space. Luo Qian’s God-Slaying Halberd proves powerless there, where Xu Hu controls the rules.
• Xu Hu brings Luo Qian to the Imperial Execution Bureau’s Interrogation Room—a grim chamber lined with skulls and torture implements—and demands to know what Luo Qian is after. Frightened but determined not to give in, Luo Qian refuses to speak.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shows himself to be a calculating matchmaker, using deception, staging, and the dancers’ arrangement to provoke Xu Hu’s reaction. He remains playful and confident even when abducted, but the torture chamber exposes his fear; he nevertheless chooses defiance.
• Xu Hu is stern, suspicious, and easily angered by the initial trick. His powerful reaction to the lead dancer hints at a private attachment or unresolved feelings. His subsequent abduction of Luo Qian turns their teasing manipulation into a tense confrontation.
• Yin Quanyin cooperates with Luo Qian and tolerates Xu Hu’s brusque behavior, but is baffled when Luo Qian declares the plan successful.
• Luo Qian and Xu Hu’s relationship is marked by mutual familiarity: Luo Qian trusts Xu Hu not to truly harm him, while Xu Hu’s anger suggests Luo Qian has crossed a personal boundary.

Significant themes

• Deception as a tool: Luo Qian manipulates circumstances to draw out emotions Xu Hu would otherwise conceal.
• Hidden feelings and vulnerability: Xu Hu’s composure breaks when confronted with the dancer, suggesting that the encounter touches a sensitive personal history.
• Power and control: Xu Hu’s private space neutralizes Luo Qian’s weapon and gives Xu complete control, which contrasts sharply with Luo Qian’s usual resourcefulness.
• Defiance under threat: Though afraid of torture, Luo Qian chooses to resist rather than reveal his purpose.

Key plot points

• In the Imperial Execution Bureau’s interrogation room, Xu Hu tries to frighten Luo Qian with torture. When Xu whips him, Luo Qian’s hidden power overwhelms the seals Xu placed on his Immortal Veins. Luo Qian punches Xu and sends the Six Howls after him, but Xu repels them with a burst of force.
• Xu then claims the episode was a prank meant to repay Luo Qian for fooling him earlier. He admits he underestimated Luo Qian, and the two agree to call themselves even—though Luo Qian leaves furious.
• With only two months remaining before his contest against the Gengluo Lin Household, Luo Qian prepares for a trip to the Lower Realm.
• He reconnects with Chen Baozi, now a successful underworld figure, and asks him to procure heavy mining equipment for extracting hard ore. Chen quickly arranges a shipment of smuggled equipment in Xiamen, including an ore-hauling locomotive.
• Luo Qian has the equipment delivered to City X and secretly stores it in his Storage Space, waiting until late at night to move the oversized items without being seen.
• He then opens a portal to the Netherworld using an incantation taught by Xiao Xiangzi. The chapter ends as he steps through, leaving behind a patch of carpet blackened by the portal’s eerie power.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shifts from being Xu Hu’s apparent victim to showing that his strength does not depend on his sealed Immortal Veins. He is quick to anger when abused, but also pragmatic: he lets Xu’s explanation end the confrontation and focuses on his approaching contest.
• Xu Hu misjudges Luo Qian and is badly hurt. His claim that the interrogation was only a joke suggests a reckless, unserious streak; he acknowledges his mistake but treats the incident as settled.
• Chen Baozi is now prosperous and remains deeply grateful to Luo Qian. He eagerly uses his connections to secure the equipment, while Luo Qian accepts his help and intends to repay him later.

Significant themes

• Power and misjudgment: Xu’s confidence collapses when he discovers that conventional restraints cannot suppress Luo Qian’s true strength.
• Loyalty and reciprocity: Chen Baozi’s gratitude motivates his assistance, and Luo Qian recognizes that he owes him in return.
• Mortal means serving supernatural goals: Luo Qian uses smuggling networks, rail transport, and modern equipment to support his plans in the Immortal Realm.
• Crossing boundaries between worlds: The Netherworld portal marks Luo Qian’s move into a dangerous new realm, where he hopes to pursue his interests and meet the Buddha Realm’s expectations for his Vengeful Souls.

Key plot points and events

• Judge Cui, Hei Chang, and Bai Chang discover that an intruder has entered the Netherworld through an unauthorized “back door.” When they sense Luo Qian’s powerful Immortal Aura, their plan to confront him gives way to caution.
• Judge Cui sends Bai Chang to alert the King of Hell and approaches Luo Qian with exaggerated courtesy. Luo Qian, preoccupied with the Netherworld’s scenery, asks about a nameless stream and realizes it has no owner.
• Luo Qian uses the Buddha Ancestor’s purple-gold alms bowl, Ten Directions Assembly, to collect the wronged ghosts trapped in the stream. Its Buddha-light frees them and leaves the water clear.
• The King of Hell arrives with an escort, recognizes the bowl as a Buddhist artifact, and welcomes Luo Qian to the Underworld Capital. After an elaborate reception and feast, he raises his cup and begins to make a request on behalf of the Netherworld’s inhabitants. Luo Qian suspects he wants the bowl and is already determined not to give it up.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian discovers that his Immortal status carries considerable authority in the Netherworld, even though his Tribulation Immortal constitution makes him unimpressive by Immortal-Realm standards. He uses that standing pragmatically, while viewing the bowl as a valuable tool for his future business.
• Judge Cui shifts quickly from blustering gambler to careful political operator. He flatters Luo Qian and positions himself to benefit from the visitor’s arrival.
• Hei Chang and Bai Chang are awed by Luo Qian’s aura and power; Bai Chang also serves as the messenger to the King of Hell.
• The King of Hell is courteous and politically shrewd. He notices the bowl immediately, but treats Luo Qian respectfully even after recognizing his relatively low standing among Immortals.
• The Netherworld officials defer to Luo Qian, while he seeks a cordial relationship with the realm’s ruler—an arrangement that could help with his repeated visits.

Significant themes

• Status depends on context: Luo Qian may be minor in the Immortal Realm, but in the Netherworld his power and artifacts command respect.
• Pragmatism and self-interest: Judge Cui sees political opportunity, the King of Hell has an apparent interest in the bowl, and Luo Qian weighs the benefits of friendship while guarding his property.
• Mercy and liberation: The Buddha’s artifact offers the trapped ghosts a way out of suffering, embodying compassion through direct action.
• Comic contrast: The officials’ fearful deference and Luo Qian’s casual curiosity contrast with the Netherworld’s grim setting and grand ceremonial welcome.

Key plot points and events

• The Netherworld emperor brings Luo Qian beneath the capital to show him the source of the Ninefold Nether Springs. Five Buddhist treasures once regulated the springs’ dangerous yin energy, but they are nearing the end of their three-thousand-year lifespan. The emperor asks Luo Qian to help obtain replacements.
• They descend through a freezing, lightless region and pass formidable layers of iron walls, seals, and locks protecting the central spring’s treasure.
• The treasure turns out to be a simple stone slab carved with Buddhist scripture. Luo Qian realizes such slabs are common in the Buddha Realm and could be acquired cheaply—though he pretends the task will be difficult.
• Hoping to profit from the arrangement, Luo Qian considers what he could request from the Netherworld, including its distinctive food and the right to collect Vengeful Souls.
• The emperor promises to grant any condition if Luo Qian finds five treasures. He permits Luo Qian to collect Vengeful Souls, but assigns Judge Cui to accompany him.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shifts from cautious uncertainty to private confidence once he sees how ordinary the “treasure” is. His instincts as a smuggler lead him to exploit the difference in value between realms and to feign difficulty to improve his bargaining position.
• The emperor is initially hopeful that Luo Qian can save the Netherworld, then fears the request is a pretext to take its Vengeful Souls. He nevertheless accepts the risk, compromising by allowing the collection under Judge Cui’s supervision.
• Their interaction is shaped by mutual calculation: the emperor needs help urgently, while Luo Qian weighs what he can gain. Luo Qian’s performance succeeds in securing permission, but also makes the emperor suspicious.

Significant themes

• Value depends on context: A commonplace Buddhist slab in one realm can be a vital treasure in another.
• Need versus self-interest: The emperor risks part of his population to protect the Netherworld, while Luo Qian sees an opportunity for profit.
• Appearances and trust: The elaborate defenses make the slab seem extraordinary, and Luo Qian’s feigned reluctance leaves the emperor unsure of his motives.
• Interdependence and precarious survival: The Netherworld’s existence depends on controlling the springs’ energy, making the search for replacements a matter of collective survival.

Key plot points and events

• In the Netherworld, Judge Cui keeps steering Luo Qian away from the largest groups of Vengeful Souls. Luo Qian notices the deception and threatens to quit. When Judge Cui tries to restrain him, Luo Qian burns one of his arms with Buddhist energy.
• Judge Cui persuades Luo Qian to continue, claiming the Lord Emperor only wants him to collect souls discreetly to protect the Netherworld’s reputation. Luo Qian agrees to look for a treasure to seal the spring, then leaves Judge Cui behind with a blast from the Bell.
• Luo Qian secretly divides the Vengeful Souls, planning to give half to the Buddha Ancestor and keep the rest as “stock.” He exchanges the first portion with Xuqing for jewels and also takes some spare stone slabs for his new house.
• Another Buddha invites Luo Qian to meet an old monk, who offers Super-Grade Immortal Jade in exchange for Vengeful Souls. The monk reveals that Xuqing kept Luo Qian’s previous deliveries instead of sharing them as the Buddha Ancestor intended.
• The old monk offers a better price to secure an exclusive supply, but Luo Qian refuses to favor either buyer, keeping both in competition. He also learns that Xuqing’s Ten Directions Assembly was an ordinary artifact, not a treasure from the Buddha Ancestor. The old monk gives him a Jade Ruyi that can gather souls, summon a spirit beast for protection, and transport him to the Buddha Realm.
• Luo Qian returns to the Immortal Realm, delivers mining equipment to Old Roughworker, and discusses disguising it as Immortal Realm machinery. Old Roughworker promises to convert it within a month and a half, though he resents interrupting work on the Superweapon. Back at Luo Family Jewelry, Luo Qian hears from Yin Quanyin that Commander Xu has arrived.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian grows more suspicious and assertive, confronting Judge Cui when he senses he is being manipulated. He remains shrewd in trade, maintaining multiple buyers rather than granting one an exclusive arrangement, while also revealing his instinct to keep a private reserve.
• Judge Cui shifts from obstruction to appeasement, trying to explain the restrictions and keep Luo Qian on the job; their interaction ends with Luo Qian abruptly escaping.
• Xuqing appears generous but is exposed as keeping the Vengeful Souls he received. Luo Qian is surprised but does not dwell on the betrayal, since Xuqing paid the agreed price.
• The old monk acts as a rival buyer, offering valuable jade and a superior artifact while testing whether Luo Qian will choose him over Xuqing.
• Old Roughworker is technically capable and confident, but his devotion to the Superweapon makes him grumble about the mining-equipment assignment.

Significant themes

• Trust, deception, and self-interest: Officials and religious figures alike conceal motives or bend rules, so Luo Qian relies on scrutiny and negotiation.
• Competition as leverage: Luo Qian deliberately preserves rivalry between buyers to protect his own bargaining power.
• Commerce and practical morality: He pursues profit, but insists on earning payment through a genuine exchange rather than accepting a gift without a service.
• Appearance versus reality: Respected figures and supposedly exalted artifacts prove less straightforward than they seem, while seemingly humble objects and trades carry practical value.

Plot points and events

• Qi Le’er, formerly a dancer chosen for her resemblance to a mysterious beauty, lives in a secluded courtyard at the Seal Clan Residence. Xu Hu visits her every ten days, while Luo Qian remains curious about the beauty’s identity but fears probing the Immortal Emperor’s secrets.
• Dongfang Chen’s men seize Xiao Liuzi, a shop assistant who sold Luo Qian’s trade secrets. Xiao Liuzi begs for mercy, but Luo orders him taken away.
• Dongfang reveals that Old Cui Tea’s backer is Prince Feng Zilei, head of the powerful, government-run Official Trading Bureau. Xiao Xiangzi urges Luo to abandon the dispute over Immortal Water, but Luo refuses to surrender a potentially lucrative market.
• Luo instead prioritizes winning the rights to a rich Immortal Jade mine in Guxu Realm. He sends Dongfang to train with mining equipment and warns him not to underestimate the Gengluo Lin Family, the established mining power.
• In Guxu Realm, Hua Shiwei privately guides Luo to the mine. Although her clan has withdrawn from the dispute, she feels responsible for the situation and offers to help.
• Hua warns that the Lin Family’s five mining treasures and secret art let them extract huge quantities of jade. She proposes splitting the rights, but Luo refuses, confident in an undisclosed plan.
• Their discussion is interrupted when they spot Lin Family workers already building a camp at the mine. Hua is outraged and decides to confront Elder Zhang.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian remains ambitious and calculating: he punishes betrayal, refuses to retreat from either major business opportunity, and conceals his confidence and methods from Hua.
• Dongfang Chen shifts from casual confidence to serious determination after Luo stresses the stakes of the mining contest; he agrees to train and compete.
• Xiao Xiangzi takes a cautious, pragmatic view, advising Luo to avoid a fight with powerful officials.
• Hua Shiwei feels guilty for her clan’s role in the dispute and tries to protect Luo by urging compromise. His refusal leaves her worried, and the Lin camp’s apparent encroachment turns her concern into anger.
• Xiao Liuzi’s betrayal exposes the vulnerability of Luo’s business secrets and shows Luo’s firm response to disloyalty.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus caution: Luo pursues valuable markets despite powerful opponents, while Xiao Xiangzi and Hua advocate restraint.
• Power and influence: Prince Feng’s government-backed trading operation illustrates how commercial competition is entangled with political authority.
• Trust, guilt, and loyalty: Xiao Liuzi’s betrayal contrasts with Hua’s sincere efforts to help Luo.
• Confidence and concealed strategy: Luo’s assurance may look like bluffing, but he keeps his actual plan private as the mining contest approaches.

Key plot points and events

• Hua Shiwei returns to the Clear Xiang Aristocratic Clan with Luo Qian, but guards acting on Second Elder Hua Yue’s orders refuse to admit him. Hua Shiwei insists on entering alone and promises to pursue justice, even at the cost of her position as heir.
• Luo Qian realizes the gate confrontation is likely a political trap. Outside the estate, he provokes the two sword cultivators guarding it with crude jokes, then easily evades their attacks and escapes.
• He contacts Yin Quanyin, who reports that Hua Yue has powerful, unidentified backing and has promoted a rival heir. Hua Shiwei’s strongest supporter, Grand Elder Hua Ye, was ambushed and remains unconscious.
• Luo Qian suspects the plot against Hua Shiwei began before her return from the Six Suchness Wasteland, and that even the Ghost Doctor may have been involved.
• When Luo Qian cannot reach Hua Shiwei by Communication Conch, he fears she has been captured or otherwise incapacitated. He resolves to win the Immortal Jade mining contest, rescue her, and ultimately help install her as clan head.
• Facing the formidable Clear Xiang clan, Luo Qian embraces the ambition to challenge its power rather than simply protect his own interests.

Character developments

• Luo Qian shifts from reluctant participant in the mining contest to an enthusiastic contender. His confidence grows into a willingness to confront a major ruling clan and influence its succession.
• Hua Shiwei demonstrates loyalty and resolve by entering the clan despite the danger to her status, while her political position becomes increasingly precarious.
• Yin Quanyin acts as Luo Qian’s trusted informant and warns him to retreat if the situation turns against him.
• Hua Yue emerges as a calculating political rival with influential support and a plan to replace Hua Shiwei.

Significant themes

• Power and political intrigue: The gate, the rival heir, and the attack on Hua Ye reveal a coordinated struggle within the clan.
• Loyalty and self-interest: Luo Qian’s financial stake becomes tied to his determination to protect Hua Shiwei and secure her position.
• Ambition and rising confidence: Luo Qian begins to see himself as capable of challenging even the great powers of the Immortal Realm.
• Humor amid danger: His outrageous taunts at the guards provide comic relief while exposing his knack for turning an opponent’s actions against them.

Character interactions

• Hua Shiwei stands up to the guards and assures Luo Qian that she will seek justice, while Luo Qian quietly warns her to recognize the political danger.
• Luo Qian humiliates and distracts the two sword cultivators with provocative insults, then escapes their attacks.
• Yin Quanyin shares intelligence with Luo Qian and cautions him about the poor odds; Luo Qian thanks him but chooses to remain involved.
• Hua Shiwei’s growing absence from contact intensifies Luo Qian’s concern and turns their alliance into the focus of his next move.

Key events

• Luo Qian hires Tian Shun’er and six specialists to rescue Hua Shiwei from the Clear Xiang Aristocratic Clan. The operation costs 8.5 million High-Grade Immortal Jade, and the group estimates a 70% chance of success.
• After two days, the team enters the clan using a stealth Magic Treasure. Tian Shun’er returns with an unconscious, apparently poisoned Hua Shiwei; the others stay behind to draw off pursuers. He offers to escort Luo Qian and Hua Shiwei out of the Guxu Realm.
• Luo Qian takes Hua Shiwei to Master Longque for treatment, hoping also to press him about the rare ingredients he had entrusted to him.
• Longque’s latest attempt at refining Golden Cores has failed after he sneezed into the furnace. The normally meticulous pill refiner is disheveled and distraught, convinced he will never succeed.
• Examining the 108 failed pills, Luo Qian learns that they have an unusual effect: they counteract medicine, effectively undoing a cure. He recognizes their potential and praises Longque’s strange creation.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shows loyalty to Hua Shiwei and accepts a costly, risky rescue plan. Though he is increasingly powerful and ambitious, he remains unwilling to order unnecessary killings and understands the limits of his own abilities.
• Tian Shun’er honors his old debt to Luo Qian, leads the rescue, and helps protect him during the escape. He also teases Luo Qian about his devotion to Hua Shiwei, while Luo Qian insists their bond is brotherly.
• Longque’s catastrophic setback exposes a vulnerable, wild side beneath his usual fastidious image. Luo Qian’s irritation at Longque’s delay gives way to curiosity once he realizes the failed pills may still be valuable.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and obligation: Luo Qian risks considerable wealth for Hua Shiwei, while Tian Shun’er repays a life debt.
• Moral limits amid ambition: Luo Qian is willing to operate in dangerous, clandestine ways but refuses to become ruthless.
• Failure and unintended value: Longque sees only disaster in his failed batch, but Luo Qian discovers that its unusual properties may make it useful.
• Change and growth: Luo Qian reflects on how far he has come, from leaving his family to gaining the means to intervene in the affairs of powerful clans.

Plot points and events

• Luo Qian’s blunt observation prompts Longque to reconsider his life’s work. Longque realizes he pursued fame as a master pill refiner while neglecting the art’s purpose—healing and saving people—and vows to prioritize patients over prestige.
• Longque examines Hua Shiwei and discovers she has been given a rare Confusion Drug that can support an advanced Witchcraft, turning its victim into a seemingly ordinary but completely obedient puppet.
• Luo Qian recognizes that Second Elder Hua Yue may be trying to control Hua Shiwei rather than simply support a candidate in the clan’s succession struggle. He also suspects a connection between this Witchcraft and other ancient, recently resurfaced demonic arts.
• Longque explains that Hua Shiwei can resist the control if the Witchcraft is not yet complete. He purges the drug, and Hua Shiwei awakens.
• Meanwhile, Hua Yue punishes three failed subordinates by dropping them into a concealed pit, then calmly resumes grooming. She confides in her lover, Ah Hong, that she had nearly completed the Thirty-Six Soul Needles of Dream God Witchcraft; the delay that allowed Luo Qian’s group to borrow a magical treasure gave her time to complete much of it.
• Hua Shiwei recalls that Hua Yue wounded the Grand Elder and captured her, and that the clan head seemed to be under Hua Yue’s control. She also remembers a red-clad woman stabbing her with an object made of crimson wood.

Character developments

• Longque undergoes a genuine change in priorities: he shifts from ambition and technical mastery toward compassion and service.
• Luo Qian becomes more alert to Hua Yue’s political and magical threat, recognizing that a single mistake could undo his progress.
• Hua Shiwei regains consciousness and begins piecing together what happened, including evidence of a coordinated attempt to control her.
• Hua Yue is revealed as ruthless and calculating, willing to kill her own subordinates and manipulate the clan’s succession from behind the scenes.
• Ah Hong appears as Hua Yue’s intimate and trusted companion, offering affection amid Hua Yue’s schemes.

Significant themes

• Purpose versus achievement: Longque’s realization that skill and fame are hollow when detached from helping others.
• Gain and loss: A setback—Longque’s failed attempt at a peerless Golden Core—may lead to a more meaningful transformation.
• Control and resistance: Hua Yue’s Witchcraft threatens to erase its victims’ agency, while Hua Shiwei’s will may still determine whether she remains free.
• Power and deception: Hua Yue’s respectable position and composed appearance conceal violence and manipulation.

Character interactions

• Luo Qian’s words awaken Longque, and Longque responds by offering his medical expertise to save Hua Shiwei.
• Longque explains the drug and Witchcraft to Luo Qian, who connects them to Hua Yue’s apparent political strategy.
• Hua Yue’s subordinates beg for mercy, but she orders their deaths without visible emotion.
• Hua Yue and Ah Hong share a tender exchange that contrasts with Hua Yue’s brutality.
• After waking, Hua Shiwei questions Luo Qian and shares her fragmented memories, giving him clues about Hua Yue’s plans and the red-clad woman involved.

Plot and events

• Luo Qian learns that the people he hoped would respond to his arrangements have not, while Hua Shiwei warns him that rescuing her from a ruler of the Nine Immortal Realms was dangerously audacious.
• At the Clear Xiang Aristocratic Clan, Hua Yue and her lover, a woman in red, prepare to use witchcraft against Hua Shiwei. Their spell is incomplete, but Hua Yue believes it can still control its target. They also arrange to use Hua Shiwei’s sick husband as leverage.
• To protect Hua Shiwei during the spell, Longque, Luo Qian, and Tian Shun’er lock her into a specially prepared stone chair inside a sealed cave. Hua Shiwei willingly accepts the restraints.
• At night, Hua Yue sends Hua Shiwei an image of her captive husband. The shock overwhelms Hua Shiwei’s focus, and she demands to be released. Luo Qian persuades her that leaving would not save her husband and might make his position worse; Longque urges her to keep the attackers out of her mind.
• Hua Yue’s accomplice then tortures the husband, sending the suffering through their magical link. Hua Shiwei struggles to resist seeing what is happening, and her mental defenses briefly falter, but Luo Qian’s warning helps her recover.
• Unable to make Hua Shiwei open her mind, Hua Yue projects the torture directly into the cave. The chapter ends as the group sees the woman in red inflict a technique called “Sailing Against the Current,” which makes the husband’s blood flow backward toward his heart.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shows humility about his inexperience, then acts decisively to keep Hua Shiwei from surrendering to the enemy’s trap.
• Hua Shiwei is strong-willed but emotionally vulnerable because of her devotion to her husband. She ultimately chooses to endure the attack rather than abandon her defenses.
• Longque takes charge of preparations and provides tactical guidance, though he recognizes the enemy’s witchcraft is more powerful than expected.
• Tian Shun’er contributes by building the chair and locking Hua Shiwei in, while remaining alert to the magical projection.
• Hua Yue and the woman in red are intimate partners as well as collaborators. Their affection contrasts sharply with their cruelty: Hua Yue plans the manipulation, while her accomplice carries out the torture.

Significant themes

• Love as both strength and vulnerability: Hua Shiwei’s attachment to her husband gives the enemy a way to threaten her.
• Mental discipline and resistance: The struggle is as much about controlling what enters the mind as enduring physical danger.
• Manipulation and coercion: Hua Yue exploits a hostage and magical images to undermine Hua Shiwei without confronting her directly.
• Loyalty under pressure: Luo Qian and Longque try to protect Hua Shiwei by helping her resist the urge to act impulsively.

Plot points and events

• Hua Shiwei witnesses her husband, Qiao Bensong, enduring torture rather than giving in to Hua Yue’s threats. When the torture reaches its final stage, he pulls the Redwood Thorn from his chest and kills himself.
• Hua Yue tries to bind his soul and use it against Hua Shiwei. But Qiao reveals that he prepared for this possibility: he shatters his Primordial Spirit, denying Hua Yue control and leaving a final farewell for his wife.
• Overcome with grief, Hua Shiwei becomes unresponsive. Hua Yue and her ally continue their attack, but her despair makes her impervious to their efforts.
• Luo Qian decides to strike the Lin Household, hoping to draw out the second elder, but an alarm reveals that at least eleven intruders have broken into Hundred Herbs Mountain. He and Mr. Longque retreat to the cave where Hua Shiwei is sheltered.
• Mr. Longque activates some of the mountain’s defenses. The attackers, who move and fight like trained assassins, lose six members to the Formations but eventually reach the cave with five still alive.
• With the intruders approaching, Luo Qian and Tian Shun’er prepare to fight from behind Luo’s armored War Chariot, while Mr. Longque stays with Hua Shiwei.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiao Bensong proves that his apparent frailty conceals resolve and foresight. He chooses death rather than be used to force Hua Shiwei’s submission, and his last words affirm his love and respect for her.
• Hua Shiwei moves from tearful anguish to complete emotional numbness after her husband’s death. Her grief leaves her unable—or unwilling—to react to further attacks.
• Hua Yue is shaken when Qiao’s spirit escapes her control, but quickly resumes her attempt to break Hua Shiwei.
• Luo Qian remains practical and strategic: he recognizes the intruders’ danger, warns Tian Shun’er against reckless fighting, and prepares for a direct confrontation.
• Tian Shun’er initially welcomes the chance for a fight, but reins in his aggression when Luo reminds him of his larger goal. He trusts Luo’s judgment and joins him in the coming battle.
• Mr. Longque supports the group with his knowledge of the mountain’s defenses, though he admits he is not a fighter.

Significant themes

• Love, dignity, and sacrifice: Qiao refuses to let his condition make him a weapon against his wife.
• Grief and emotional devastation: Hua Shiwei’s suffering becomes so profound that she withdraws from everything around her.
• Preparation and resistance: Qiao’s long-planned spiritual safeguard and Longque’s Formations both show how foresight can frustrate an enemy’s power.
• The cost of violence: The approaching assassins’ coordinated lethality turns the focus from Hua Shiwei’s personal tragedy to an imminent collective threat.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian and Tian Shun’er confront five masked attackers at the cave entrance. Luo uses his heavy machine gun to pin them down while Tian prepares to snipe.
• The attackers’ flying swords breach the Torch Dragon Lamp’s protection and bring the cave down, burying Luo, Tian, Mr. Longque, and Hua Shiwei.
• Tian breaks free with an explosive surge of ice and fire, scattering the attackers’ magical assault. Meanwhile, Luo switches to a sniper rifle and silently kills one.
• Luo reveals heavier weapons, including autocannons and a rocket launcher, and uses them—along with his automata and fighter jet—to defeat the remaining attackers. Tian objects when Luo takes the final kill, but Luo explains that he feared losing another friend.
• As Luo and Tian prepare to pursue the person responsible, Mr. Longque emerges from the rubble in a sphere of light, alive and apparently ready to claim that target for himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian becomes frighteningly calm as grief and anger build over Qiao Bensong’s death and the apparent loss of his friends. He fights strategically, concealing his most powerful weapons until the attackers are vulnerable. His concern for Tian is genuine, even when it leads him to disregard Tian’s demand for the final enemy.
• Tian Shun’er pledges to work for Luo after witnessing the tragedy, marking a new level of loyalty. He displays formidable power by combining ice and fire, then insists on personally confronting the enemy responsible.
• Mr. Longque’s survival relieves Luo and Tian after they fear the cave’s collapse has killed him and Hua Shiwei. His declaration that the culprit is “mine” immediately sets up a possible clash over revenge.
• The attackers are disciplined and confident in their magical defenses, but they underestimate Luo’s concealed modern weaponry and are ultimately routed.

Significant themes

• Grief transformed into action: The deaths and apparent losses drive Luo and Tian toward vengeance.
• Loyalty and friendship: Tian’s pledge and Luo’s effort to protect him show their growing bond; Luo’s explanation underscores how deeply he fears losing more companions.
• Contrasting forms of power: Magical weapons and defenses initially dominate, but Luo’s guns, explosives, and machines exploit the attackers’ assumptions.
• Control amid anger: Luo’s fury does not make him reckless; it sharpens his patience and tactical judgment.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian’s company and the Gengluo Lin Family begin an Immortal Jade mining contest ordered by the Immortal Emperor. The Lin family has a major advantage: it has surveyed the site in advance and appears to know where the richest vein lies.
• Contestants choose among five sites. Lin Mang, the Lin family’s muscular heir, claims the best site, while Dongfang Chen selects the strongest remaining option.
• Dongfang Chen unveils Old Roughworker and Xin Yezi’s Immortal Jade-powered mining machinery. The excavator’s speed and strength astonish both sides, outperforming the Lin family’s traditional Divine Weapons.
• Lin Mang quickly uncovers rich ore, while Dongfang Chen digs deep without finding any. Luo Qian suspects the contest has been rigged: the Lin family’s two unchosen viable sites have apparently been partly depleted.
• At noon, with the Lin family ahead and Luo Qian’s workers losing confidence, Dongfang Chen finally strikes ore. Rather than immediately resume digging, he takes time to assemble a conveyor track. Once it is running, ore pours out rapidly.
• When the Lin family reports mining four thousand jin, Luo Qian judges that his own team has matched or exceeded that amount and urges his people to cheer.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian remains outwardly calm despite the apparent unfairness, encouraging his anxious employees and refusing to accept a rigged defeat quietly. He trusts his team’s technology and is prepared to appeal to the Immortal Emperor.
• Dongfang Chen applies his newly acquired mining knowledge to choose a site and operate the machinery. His decision to build a conveyor before mining in earnest initially worries the team, but proves strategically effective.
• Hua Shiwei remains watchful and emotionally restrained after her husband’s death. She recognizes that Luo Qian’s confidence comes from his preparations and scornfully mocks the Lin family’s noisy celebrations.
• Lin Mang relies on the apparently advantageous site and his family’s traditional Divine Weapons, but pushes himself harder after learning of the excavator’s performance.
• Luo Qian’s workers move from anxiety and doubt toward renewed hope as the conveyor transforms their mining output.

Significant themes

• Fairness and corruption: The Lin family’s prior survey and likely manipulation of the sites undermine the contest’s supposed impartiality.
• Innovation versus tradition: Modernized machinery powered by Immortal Jade outpaces the Immortal Realm’s established mining methods.
• Leadership and morale: Luo Qian’s composure helps sustain his team through a discouraging start.
• Patience and strategy: Dongfang Chen’s delay to assemble the track shows that efficiency can matter more than immediate effort.