Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Zhao Xihe rescues the mortally wounded Old Roughworker after the battle with the Three-Tailed Soaring Serpent. Old Roughworker reveals that he has a child and asks Zhao to care for him. Luo Qian reminds Zhao that he has a Great Dream Golden Divine Pill, which saves Old Roughworker’s life.
• The fight leaves four members of the Vertical and Horizontal Sect dead and Lin Chang injured. Luo Qian departs rather than burden the survivors.
• Investigating the Demon Beast hunt, Luo Qian compares reports and notices that the beasts carried Soul-Collecting Amber and Mountain-Breaking Shock. He concludes their escape was planned, not accidental. Zheng Daoguang confirms that this discovery could clear the military halls of accusations of negligence, though Luo Qian remains uneasy about what the evidence implies.
• Lin Chang sends Teng Snake Scales as compensation for Luo Qian’s help, while keeping Fish Jie’s remains for the sect. Zhao Xihe is absent, assigned to guard Old Roughworker as he refines an artifact. Luo Qian suspects Lin has deliberately kept Zhao away and is disappointed by the meager gift.
• Luo Qian’s new cosmetics become a hit at the beauty pageant’s semifinals. Xie Tang, Zhu Ke’er, and Li Feier advance to the final; Pei Sefei withdraws to train with Feng Feitian.
• News breaks that Luo Renwang, the wanted assassin, has been found dead in a peaceful, meditative pose. Luo Qian is alarmed: he never paid the promised fee, and Zheng Daoguang had not told him anything about the assassin’s fate.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Xihe’s grief for Old Roughworker reveals their deep friendship; his quick use of the pill turns a farewell into a rescue. Old Roughworker’s confession adds a personal responsibility for Zhao.
• Luo Qian is observant and politically cautious. He uncovers evidence that benefits Zheng Daoguang’s side, but the discovery does not satisfy his suspicion that the Demon Beast incident has a larger purpose.
• Zheng praises Luo Qian as a “lucky star,” viewing the finding chiefly as protection against political blame. Luo Qian, by contrast, remains focused on the unanswered questions.
• Lin Chang’s small reward and Zhao’s unexplained absence strain Luo Qian’s impression of the sect leader, even as Luo maintains courteous appearances.
• Du Lengning escapes his father’s pressure to build Ningyuan Hall’s standing by turning to the beauty pageant.

Significant themes

• Hidden schemes and suspicion: The Demon Beasts’ coordinated equipment suggests deliberate planning, while Luo Renwang’s unexplained death hints that unseen forces may be at work.
• Political self-interest: Zheng values Luo Qian’s discovery because it shields the military halls from blame; Lin’s handling of the reward and Fish Jie’s remains likewise reflects institutional priorities.
• Friendship and obligation: Zhao’s devotion to Old Roughworker contrasts with the more transactional behavior of powerful sect leaders.
• Commerce and influence: Luo Qian’s cosmetics succeed by shaping the pageant’s results, reinforcing his growing ability to turn innovation into status and leverage.

Plot points and events

• Mu Fengming and Daoist Wanwan are running short on rare alchemy ingredients. Their latest pills show improved results, but they still have not surpassed the Great Luo Golden Divine Pill. Mu Fengming questions why Mr. Ri needs so many pills, though both alchemists remain tempted to continue experimenting.
• Luo Qian learns that one of Luo Communications’ caravans has been robbed, losing Communication Conches, jewelry, and medicinal ingredients. The company’s rapid growth has made its shipments valuable targets, and the bandits appear unusually powerful.
• While investigating his belongings for something useful to defend the caravans, Luo Qian discovers that stored Energy Coins and Teng Snake scales have transformed into glowing Teng Snake Crystal Gel, a legendary, valuable material used to craft Wind Element artifacts. Xin Yezi recommends asking Old Roughworker for more information.
• Luo Qian is abruptly summoned to the Western Divine Realm. The God King, now lavishly welcoming him, asks for at least 100,000 pills. Luo Qian bargains for the secrets of the Long-Range Mass Teleportation Formation—including its operation and one-way barriers—in exchange.
• The God King demands 30,000 pills within three days and the rest within seven, offering double the usual price. Luo Qian agrees, then returns to the Immortal Realm and orders Du Lengning to buy pills across the realm. He reveals that the formation could let the company transport caravans safely without hiring guards.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Fengming becomes more openly concerned about the cost and purpose of the alchemy operation, while Daoist Wanwan is less suspicious and more focused on the promising results.
• Luo Qian responds to the robberies with anger and practical planning, but quickly turns the God King’s urgent request into a business opportunity. He uses calculated hesitation to secure valuable military knowledge and better payment.
• Du Lengning reports the caravan attack, warns that the bandits are formidable, and questions the expense of buying so many cheap pills. Once Luo Qian explains the plan, he understands its strategic value.
• The God King shifts from suspicion to conspicuous friendliness, but his urgency betrays how badly he needs the pills. He negotiates under pressure and ultimately accepts Luo Qian’s terms.
• Xin Yezi helps identify the mysterious substance but points Luo Qian toward Old Roughworker for expert advice.

Significant themes

• Commerce as strategy: Luo Qian treats trade, bulk purchasing, and negotiation as tools for solving security problems.
• Knowledge has value and risk: The teleportation formation is classified military technology, making its secrets a powerful bargaining chip.
• Opportunity in crisis: The caravan robberies and the God King’s emergency both create openings for Luo Qian to advance his business.
• Ambition versus caution: The alchemists recognize the expense and uncertainty of their work, yet the possibility of surpassing a renowned pill keeps them going.

Plot points and events

• Acting on Luo Qian’s instructions, Du Lengning buys low-grade Immortal Pills for the God King. Other medicine shops mistake the buying spree for a market signal and hoard pills too, driving prices above those of mid-grade pills. Luo Qian falls short of the requested quantity, so he dilutes mid-grade pills to make up the difference. His purchases cost more than expected, but rival shops take severe losses when the anticipated windfall never comes. The Luo Family Medicine Shop unexpectedly becomes the Immortal Realm’s leading shop.
• Luo Qian delivers the pills and receives the God King’s scroll describing a long-distance teleportation array. After translating it, he delegates the copying to Ling Zhainan.
• At his alchemy factory, Luo Qian discovers that nearly all the workers have joined the Divine Realm’s volunteer army. He learns the Divine Realm is losing its war with the Demon Realm: demons have captured twenty-nine of thirty-six fortresses, and their newly emerged abyssal troops are so powerful that suicide squads can only delay them. Life Pellets help wounded soldiers survive briefly, explaining the God King’s urgent demand for pills.
• Fearing that a conquered Divine Realm would expose the Immortal Realm to invasion, Luo Qian considers supplying it with Immortal weapons. He worries that sharing Immortal technology could eventually threaten his own realm, but Du Lengning argues that the Immortal Realm is also at risk if the Divine Realm falls.
• Luo Qian buys a standard Divine Realm soldier’s equipment, brings it to the Immortal Emperor, and explains the military crisis. The emperor recognizes the strategic danger and agrees that improving the soldiers’ weapons may help. He tells Luo Qian to wait for further instructions.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian again demonstrates a gift for commerce, though the market upheaval exceeds his intentions. Faced with the Divine Realm’s crisis, he shifts from pursuing profit to considering a risky intervention for the Immortal Realm’s security.
• Du Lengning carries out Luo Qian’s purchases and later offers practical strategic counsel, framing aid as necessary self-preservation.
• Gesberti and Futis explain the factory’s depleted workforce and the worsening war, revealing how thoroughly the conflict has affected civilian life.
• The Immortal Emperor moves from teasing Luo Qian about using his name for publicity to seriously weighing the threat and Luo Qian’s proposal. Luo Qian approaches him respectfully but presents the issue as a matter of realm-wide defense.

Significant themes

• Commerce and unintended consequences: Luo Qian’s buying strategy triggers a market frenzy and harms competitors more than himself.
• Interdependence and self-preservation: The Divine Realm serves as a buffer; its defeat could endanger the Immortal Realm, making aid both altruistic and strategic.
• The costs of war: The army relies on volunteers, suicide squads, and emergency medicine, while the factory loses nearly all its workers.
• Technology as both help and danger: Better weapons could slow the demons, but sharing advanced techniques may create future risks.

Key plot points and events

• The Immortal Emperor authorizes Luo Qian to export Western Divine Realm weapons upgraded by the Imperial Sword Platform. They remain inferior to Immortal Realm equipment, so they should not give the Westerners a real military advantage. He gives Luo Qian a Golden Sword Command, which both grants access to the Platform and lets him summon its services.
• Xu Hu takes Luo Qian to the Imperial Sword Platform, where its master, Guan Taiqing, greets him with open suspicion. Xu Hu hints that resentment toward Luo Qian is common in the Celestial Palace. As they leave, Xu notices a mysterious, colorful figure on the hilltop but hides his reaction.
• Luo Qian buys a huge quantity of weapons and armor in the Western Divine Realm while the God King is distracted by the war in the Broken Range. He brings the equipment back in multiple trips and delivers ten thousand sets for alteration.
• Guan deliberately delays the work, taking three days despite having enough craftsmen to finish in one. Frustrated, Luo Qian discusses the problem with Du Lengning, who proposes a scheme to force Guan to keep his promises.
• Luo returns with five thousand more sets and gets Guan to promise a one-and-a-half-day turnaround. When Luo arrives on schedule, the work is unfinished. He invokes the Emperor’s command and warns that delay could harm the Western Realm’s war effort, potentially making Guan liable.
• Guan panics, privately begs Luo to spare him, and offers him a bribe. Luo is startled by the sudden change in Guan’s demeanor, but is tempted by the offer. The chapter reveals that the five thousand sets include 600,000 arrows, making the promised deadline effectively impossible.

Character developments

• Luo Qian grows more confident in using his imperial authority and business savvy to counter obstruction. Though outwardly agreeable, he is willing to set a trap and use the political consequences of delay as leverage.
• Guan Taiqing shifts from arrogant obstruction to desperate pleading once he faces the risk of blame for a military setback. His conduct suggests he fears the consequences of his long-standing enemies at court.
• Du Lengning proves himself a useful, shrewd adviser by devising a way to expose Guan’s stalling.
• Xu Hu reveals a glimpse of deep anger beneath his controlled exterior, while his sudden reaction to the mysterious figure hints at concealed personal or political connections.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: The Golden Sword Command turns Luo’s commercial arrangement into an imperial obligation, changing the balance between merchant and official.
• Corruption and hypocrisy: Guan obstructs Luo while he holds the advantage, then begs and offers a bribe when the threat turns against him.
• War as political pressure: Luo uses the Western Realm’s military crisis to make the delay seem consequential, while the chapter shows how commerce and warfare are intertwined.
• Pragmatism and opportunism: Luo’s business ambitions lead him to exploit public resources and negotiate through calculated pressure.

Character interactions

• The Emperor grants Luo the command, while Xu explains its practical power and guides him to the Imperial Sword Platform.
• Guan’s hostility contrasts with Luo’s polite, persistent manner; their conflict escalates from passive delay to open pressure and private bargaining.
• Du Lengning jokes with Luo before listening seriously and helping him devise a counterstrategy.
• Xu’s response to the fleeting figure on the hill suggests an unspoken history, though neither he nor Luo discusses it.

Plot and key events

• Luo Qian pressures Lord Guan at the Imperial Sword Platform and discovers a hidden safe containing a fortune in Immortal Jade, thirty-six rare Heavenly River Pearls, and several unusual objects.
• Suspecting the pearls are a distraction, Luo Qian takes a pair of seemingly unfinished daggers. He promises to conceal Guan’s troubles, then also pockets the pearls. Guan is left resentful, and afterward takes his losses out on others, worsening his reputation.
• Luo Qian has the platform prepare fifteen thousand equipment sets, plus spears and arrows, and travels to the God King to negotiate a major arms sale.
• His arrival revives an embarrassing misunderstanding: their Brotherhood Pact is a “Glass Pact” associated with same-sex lovers in the Western Divine Realm. Luo Qian is unaware of the implication, while the God King’s commanders withdraw to spare their ruler’s dignity.
• Luo Qian offers to supply the Divine Realm with Immortal-made equipment. The God King agrees to pay 15,000 Energy Coins per set and demands 300,000 sets within ten days. Luo Qian negotiates the deadline to fifteen days, then is asked to source higher-grade equipment as well.
• The God King arranges for Divine Realm factories to provide standard sets at a reduced price, creating an enormous potential profit for Luo Qian: the 300,000-set order could bring in 4.5 billion Energy Coins after a 360-million-coin purchase. The Divine Realm’s limited production and alchemy capacity make Immortal Realm supplies especially attractive.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian grows more confident as a shrewd, opportunistic merchant. He reads Guan’s attempts to conceal the safe’s contents, extracts multiple rewards, and turns a supply opportunity into his largest deal yet. He also shows restraint in not promising the God King higher-grade equipment before checking what is possible.
• Lord Guan is exposed as wealthy and calculating. Though he performs reluctance to part with his possessions, he ultimately yields to Luo Qian’s leverage; afterward, his resentment fuels further abuse of others.
• The God King shifts from financial dependence on Immortal Pills to pursuing a large-scale military buildup. He accepts Luo Qian’s price without haggling, but reveals urgency through the tight deadline—hinting at an impending operation.
• Luo Qian and the God King maintain a transactional partnership, though their pact’s unintended romantic connotation creates comic embarrassment and a gap in understanding.

Significant themes

• Greed and bargaining: Luo Qian’s success comes from noticing hesitation, exploiting leverage, and taking advantage of opportunities.
• War and commerce: Equipment production and military need turn weapons dealing into a highly profitable enterprise, while the God King’s deadline suggests looming conflict.
• Peace versus instability: Rare pearls have great value in peaceful times but seem less useful when war may be approaching.
• Appearance versus reality: Guan’s upright persona masks a hidden fortune, and the God King’s diplomatic pact carries a meaning neither man initially intended.

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian secures an order for 300,000 sets of weapons and armor for the Western Divine Realm, persuading God King Du Lengning with a bombastic speech about arming everyone more fully.
• While delivering the equipment, Luo Qian learns that the Imperial Sword Platform cannot meet its annual quota of Sky-Pillars because it lacks silver scale essence, a rare metal needed in tiny but indispensable quantities. He recognizes the problem as similar to the “minor metals” shortages he knew from the lower realm.
• The new equipment reaches Yichu Fortress, where the Divine Realm launches a devastating assault against the Shadowing Demon Corps. The battle causes immense casualties on both sides, but it is the first major victory over the Corps and becomes a turning point in the war.
• Unable to pay Luo Qian, the God King offers him a Sacred Crystal Mine, the surrounding land, and money in exchange for a commitment to supply another 1.5 million sets. They bargain over the cash payment and settle on 700 million Energy Coins, with ordinary equipment from the God King’s armories provided free.
• Luo Qian discovers that his new territory includes a rugged stretch of coast rich in potential sea-beast materials. He visits Gesberti and Futis before taking possession of the mine, only to learn that it has just one year of mining left.

Character developments

• Luo Qian grows from a supplier into a shrewd dealmaker, using wartime need to negotiate major assets and expand his commercial reach. He is also increasingly alert to scarce crafting materials and their potential value.
• The God King is forced by the war and depleted treasury to accept debt and surrender valuable property. Though he presents the mine as a generous payment, his satisfaction after the deal leaves Luo Qian suspicious that he may have gained the advantage.
• Old Guan reveals the Imperial Sword Platform’s dependence on silver scale essence, introducing a practical supply problem that captures Luo Qian’s business instincts.

Significant themes

• War and commerce: Luo Qian’s arms deal helps alter the course of a historic war, even though later histories credit the Divine Realm’s courage rather than his supply work.
• Scarcity and leverage: A tiny quantity of an irreplaceable metal can hold up major production; likewise, urgent demand gives Luo Qian bargaining power.
• Victory’s human cost: The battle is strategically decisive but comes at a horrific price, with casualties reaching 80 percent among the newly equipped Divine Realm troops.
• Risk hidden in apparent wealth: The crystal mine seems a valuable prize, but its nearly exhausted reserves suggest Luo Qian may have accepted a less valuable asset than it first appeared.

Character interactions

• Luo Qian impresses Du Lengning with his improvised speech and later negotiates forcefully with him over the unpaid equipment bill and future deliveries.
• Old Guan confides in Luo Qian about the shortage of silver scale essence, prompting Luo Qian to consider its commercial significance.
• Gesberti and Futis react with rueful smiles when Luo Qian boasts about the mine, then reveal its imminent depletion—setting up doubts about the God King’s bargain.

Key plot points

• Luo Qian discovers that the Crystal Mine awarded to him is nearly exhausted: only three veins remain, and even optimistic production will not repay what he is owed. He orders the remaining ore extracted within three months, then plans to turn the historic mine into a tourist attraction.
• In an abandoned tunnel, Luo Qian spots and uncovers a large piece of Mithril. Experts confirm there is likely a substantial Mithril deposit, though extracting it will require costly senior Alchemists.
• The God King offers Luo Qian other mines to reclaim the original Crystal Mine, then reveals that Mithril is crucial to the Divine Realm’s weapons. He threatens to prevent its export, but Luo Qian refuses to surrender his property and says he can sell the Mithril locally instead. He returns to the Immortal Realm without the sample he found.
• Back home, Luo Qian delays delivering the remaining equipment, intending to make the God King wait and eventually enlist the Devil Master to teach him a lesson.
• Zhao Xihe and Old Roughworker visit on behalf of Lin Chang. Lin had withheld the Mountain-Breaking Hammer, a small artifact that should have gone to Luo Qian, and now returns it while asking for Teng Snake Crystal Gel for a project for the Vertical and Horizontal Sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian turns a major financial setback into a possible opportunity, showing his resourcefulness as a merchant. He also becomes more alert to the Western Divine Realm’s legal and political rules, using them to resist the God King’s pressure.
• The God King shifts from offering compensation to openly demanding the Mithril deposit, exposing that his earlier maneuver was deliberate. Yet his own laws limit his ability to take Luo Qian’s property.
• Gesberti supports Luo Qian through the disappointment and helps promote the mine as a tourist site.
• Zhao Xihe feels ashamed that Lin Chang mistreated Luo Qian while he was away; Old Roughworker openly criticizes Zhao for having supported Lin.
• Lin Chang appears as petty and self-interested: he withheld Luo Qian’s artifact, then relies on intermediaries to return it and request a favor.

Significant themes

• Law and leverage: Rules can constrain even powerful rulers, and understanding the system gives Luo Qian a means to defend himself.
• Commerce and adaptability: Luo Qian responds to losses by finding new value in tourism and Mithril.
• Trust and accountability: Lin Chang’s conduct strains relationships, while Zhao Xihe’s apology and Luo Qian’s willingness to hear him show the possibility of repairing trust.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Luo Qian gives Old Roughworker a rare piece of Teng Snake Crystal Gel, which the craftsman needs. Zhao Xihe then invites Luo Qian to join the Vertical and Horizontal Sect’s expedition to a treasure buried beneath the sealed Heavenly River. Luo Qian declines, but gives Zhao a jade tablet containing lower-realm cloning technology and asks him to examine it.
• The Heavenly Maiden Selection concludes. Xie Tang, Li Feier, and Zhu Ke’er are chosen as Nine Heavenly Maidens, while Luo Family Beauty wins a major victory: six of the nine sign with the company. Its cosmetics help boost the beauties’ appearance, and the firm—along with Luo Communications—rapidly gains fame and customers.
• Faced with soaring demand, Luo Qian looks for a reliable way to move goods between the Western Divine Realm and the Immortal Realm. Xiao Xiangzi’s progress on teleportation arrays inspires Luo Qian to consider a chain of arrays across the Carefree Cloud Sea’s seabed.
• Du Lengning tells Luo Qian that Lu Kuangtao, Lu Mei’s father and leader of the Demonic Cultivators, has unexpectedly been named commander-in-chief of the Golden Turtle Immortal Soldiers. The abrupt appointment follows the previous commander’s imprisonment and raises Luo Qian’s suspicions about the Immortal Emperor’s motives.
• Lu Mei visits Luo Qian and doubts her father can keep his new post without capable allies. Luo Qian shows her a powerful black crystal rich in demonic energy, which could strengthen a Demonic Cultivator. He gives her one to test, anticipating that this may lead to further dealings with her father.
• Li Feier arrives after her confinement ends. She complains that Luo Qian never gave her his cosmetics, so he appoints her executive president of Luo Family Beauty and promises her whatever products she wants.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian continues to combine generosity with commercial foresight: he helps Old Roughworker and Zhao Xihe, builds his businesses, and offers Lu Mei a crystal that may become a valuable trade opportunity. He also thinks strategically about solving his supply-chain problem.
• Zhao Xihe shows gratitude and boldness by inviting Luo Qian into the sect’s treasure expedition, then accepts the jade tablet and Luo Qian’s request to study it.
• Lu Mei trusts Luo Qian enough to follow him into his private chamber without asking questions. Her concern about her father’s precarious position reveals her loyalty to her family and community; she is initially reluctant to ask for the crystal but accepts it for their sake.
• Du Lengning teases Luo Qian about his many romantic connections and urges him to marry influential women for political protection. Luo Qian rebukes him and turns the teasing back on him by mentioning his unresolved relationship with Li Xuexiao.
• Li Feier remains playful and childlike, remembering Luo Qian fondly despite forgetting much of what happened after the semifinals. Her complaint about being excluded from the cosmetics turns into a new role in his business. Lu Mei, amused by the awkward situation, leaves the two alone.

Significant themes

• Commerce as power: Luo Qian’s companies grow quickly, creating both influence and practical challenges such as transport and supply.
• Reciprocity and strategic generosity: Gifts and favors build trust, but can also open doors to future cooperation and business.
• Political instability and factional power: Lu Kuangtao’s sudden appointment unsettles the Immortal Realm and leaves Luo Qian wondering what the emperor intends.
• Loyalty and protection: Lu Mei’s concern for her father highlights the vulnerability of Demonic Cultivators and the importance of allies.
• Humor and romantic entanglements: Du Lengning’s matchmaking jokes and Luo Qian’s attempts to avoid awkward encounters provide comic relief.

Key plot points and events

• Li Feier becomes devoted to Luo Qian’s six rapidly growing Golden Vein Cloud Demon Howls. Luo Qian and his companions raise them, while the beasts’ parents play a diminishing role.
• The youngsters grow to enormous size and prove to be exceptional mounts. Though they refuse Luo Qian’s attempts to harness them, Li Feier calms them and gets them to pull his newly purchased, heavily protected carriage.
• Luo Qian takes a thrilling ride with Li Feier and discovers that the Howls are extraordinarily fast, with the potential to become Sacred Beasts.
• Back at True Transformation Source, Luo Qian receives six Wind Talismans made by Old Roughworker from leftover Teng Snake Crystal Gel. Learning that Snow Eagle feathers could be used to make even more powerful Wind Son Talismans, he hurries to the Vertical and Horizontal Sect with a Snow Eagle King’s Feather.
• Zhao Xihe and Old Roughworker explain that the feather could summon the entire Snow Eagle flock once—but could instead be consumed to make six Wind Father Talismans, Divine Artifacts. Luo Qian chooses the talismans.
• Old Roughworker refines them quickly. Each can fasten itself to a mount, cannot be removed without its incantation, and can gradually link mount and rider’s thoughts. Luo Qian puts one on each Howl and senses their affectionate, childlike attachment to him.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian grows more attached to the Howls and sees them as both luxurious mounts and a powerful practical asset. He gives up the one-time aid of the Snow Eagle flock for the lasting advantage of Divine Artifacts. His lingering fascination with artifact-making also emerges as he watches Old Roughworker work.
• Li Feier is affectionate toward the young beasts and succeeds where Luo Qian cannot, demonstrating her special rapport with them.
• Old Roughworker shows generosity and fondness for Luo Qian, offering to refine the talismans without charge. His warmth contrasts with his resentment toward Lin Chang.
• Zhao Xihe supports the explanation of the feather’s significance and regrets having trusted Lin Chang. Lin, in turn, is furious when the two elders leave without seeing him.
• The Howls’ new mental bond with Luo Qian begins to turn his role from their caretaker into something more like a parent.

Significant themes

• Power versus opportunity cost: Luo Qian trades a valuable future favor from the Snow Eagle flock for enduring artifacts.
• Trust and loyalty: The young beasts bond with the people who care for them, while Zhao Xihe’s regret and Lin Chang’s anger reveal damaged relationships.
• Ingenuity and practical advantage: Luo Qian repeatedly turns rare resources into tools that strengthen his position.
• Care beneath comedy and ambition: His enthusiasm for speed and control sits alongside genuine affection for the Howls, whose feelings he can now begin to understand.

Plot points

• Old Roughworker and Zhao Xihe urge Luo Qian to enter the Heavenly Lake Contest, a prestigious race-and-chariot battle whose winners may choose a treasure from the Celestial Palace’s mysterious Soaring Firmament Pavilion.
• Luo Qian is wary because the contest takes place in the Gourd Realm, but agrees when Old Roughworker promises to build him a top-class carriage with Xin Yezi. His six Golden Vein Cloud Demon Howls, enhanced by Wind Father Talismans, could make him exceptionally fast.
• With the contest approaching, Luo Qian receives a materials list and visits Lei Laohu for help sourcing it.
• Lei Laohu takes him to Boro Island and introduces him to Liu Hao, leader of the Four Seas Association. Liu welcomes Luo Qian and gives him a dragon-engraved token granting him freedom of movement around the island.
• Luo Qian discovers that Boro Arms Market is a vast black market stocked with stolen, looted, and tomb-raided goods. Lei Laohu helps him bargain for the carriage materials, securing them for about a third of the sellers’ asking price.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shifts from reluctance to enthusiasm once he sees the advantage a custom carriage could give him. His commercial instincts make him willing to shop at a morally questionable market, though he feels some unease about it.
• Old Roughworker and Xin Yezi work together as master craftsmen, combining ideas to design Luo Qian’s carriage.
• Zhao Xihe shows affection for the demon Howls and recognizes their potential as racers.
• Lei Laohu is revealed as an experienced, formidable negotiator and a well-connected guide. His rough affection for Luo Qian contrasts with his sharp market skills.
• Liu Hao treats Luo Qian with conspicuous respect because of his growing reputation as a merchant, welcoming him into the association’s stronghold and offering practical protection through the token.

Significant themes

• Ambition and opportunity: The contest offers fame and a potentially priceless treasure, motivating Luo Qian’s preparations.
• Practical ingenuity and commerce: Success depends not only on strength but also on specialized craftsmanship, materials, connections, and bargaining.
• Moral ambiguity: The black market’s low prices attract Luo Qian despite the criminal origins of many goods.
• Reputation and relationships: Luo Qian’s rising business status earns him a warm reception, while Lei Laohu’s network opens doors unavailable to an ordinary buyer.

Plot points and events

• Lei Laohu enlists Luo Qian in a scheme to get around a shrewd vendor, the “old monkey,” who refuses to sell directly to Lei because he resells goods at huge markups.
• Luo Qian pretends to be an expert, criticizing the stall’s ordinary wares until the old man boasts of hidden treasures and takes him into a private Storage Space.
• Surprised by the size of the collection and unable to assess its contents, Luo Qian chooses five items at random. He bargains the price down from fifty million to forty-six million High-Grade Immortal Jade.
• One item—the Formation-Imprinting Box—catches Luo Qian’s interest because it could help establish a long-distance teleportation freight route. He keeps it, while Lei Laohu takes the other four to sell.
• Lei wants to taunt the vendor by showing him the purchase, but Luo Qian persuades him to leave matters there. The pair depart after saying goodbye to Association Leader Liu.
• Lei tells Luo Qian that the Great Beast Blood sold previously brought a good price, and that the buyer wants more. Luo Qian suspects the alchemists Daoist Wanwan and Mu Fengming may have an unusual reason for wanting so much, but hides his concern and claims he has none left.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian proves adept at bluffing and bargaining, but admits to himself that he cannot reliably judge unfamiliar treasures. He shows restraint by discouraging Lei from provoking the vendor further and keeps the Box for a practical business plan.
• Lei Laohu is clever and commercially minded, yet driven by a long-standing grudge against the vendor. He accepts Luo Qian’s decision, though he privately plans to trick the old man again later.
• The old monkey is proud of his hidden collection, cautious about whom he trusts, and fiercely protective of his prices. Luo’s performance draws him into revealing the treasures, but the bargaining leaves him furious.
• Luo and Lei’s partnership remains friendly and trusting: they share the venture’s profits, and Lei readily lets Luo retain the item he wants.

Significant themes

• Commerce and profit: Bargaining, resale, and shared returns shape the episode, while Luo’s interest in the Box reflects his broader ambitions.
• Deception and expertise: Luo succeeds by acting knowledgeable, even though he cannot evaluate most of the goods himself.
• Practical value over prestige: The Box matters to Luo less as a rare treasure than for its potential use in building a teleportation network.
• Suspicion beneath cooperation: Luo’s unexplained Great Beast Blood sales raise doubts he chooses not to voice, hinting at a larger mystery.

Key plot points and events

• At the True Transformation Source, Luo Qian learns that Xiao Xiangzi’s research on a large-scale Long-Distance Teleportation Magic Array is nearly complete, paving the way for Luo to return to the Carefree Cloud Sea.
• Luo Qian attends a dinner hosted by Lu Kuangtao, who has recently gained the Immortal Emperor’s favor. After praising service to the emperor, Lu asks Luo to donate his Demonic Energy Crystals to strengthen his Golden Turtle Immortal Soldiers. Luo recognizes the request as an attempt to get valuable goods for free and gives no commitment.
• Luo tells Du Lengning about the dinner. Du suggests that helping Lu might earn goodwill, but Luo insists that merchandise has value and giving it away would dishonor his livelihood.
• Old Roughworker and Xin Yezi finish building Luo’s carriage for Sky Lake Racing, prioritizing discretion, safety, and speed. Luo learns that registration costs one million High-Grade Immortal Jade and that previous races attracted at least ten thousand entrants—making the event a lucrative enterprise.
• Yin Quanyin arrives hoping Luo will advise him in the race. He explains that Qian Tianbo plans to compete for both titles, backed by the Eight Steeds of the Immortal Realm and a carriage and travel talismans made by renowned artifact cultivator Zuo Gongdao. The Cloudwave Clan hopes to challenge its rival, the Turbulent Clan, indirectly through Yun Heng’s son-in-law, Yin Quanyin. Hearing Qian Tianbo’s name, Luo begins to reconsider whether he should race.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian remains commercially minded and independent: imperial favor does not make him feel indebted, and he refuses to give away goods simply to curry political favor. He is also wary of entering a race against a formidable rival.
• Lu Kuangtao has become intensely loyal to the emperor and assumes Luo shares his gratitude. He tries to secure Luo’s crystals by appealing to duty, but their different values prevent an easy agreement.
• Du Lengning jokes about Luo’s possible connection to Lu Mei, then offers pragmatic advice to appease Lu. Luo rejects it with a humorous defense of commerce.
• Old Roughworker and Xin Yezi show enthusiasm and technical ambition in constructing Luo’s racing carriage.
• Yin Quanyin, increasingly vain and competitive, seeks Luo’s help against Qian Tianbo. His request ties the race to the rivalry between the Cloudwave and Turbulent aristocratic clans.
• Lu Mei attends Lu Kuangtao’s dinner, sitting quietly and blushing, but has little direct involvement in the conversation.

Significant themes

• Commerce versus political loyalty: Luo sees himself as a merchant first, while Lu treats imperial favor as a debt to be repaid.
• Power and patronage: Lu’s new standing gives him access to Luo, but also encourages him to expect cooperation.
• Competition and status: Sky Lake Racing is both a costly spectacle and a venue for aristocratic rivalry.
• Luo’s independence: He resists being drawn into obligations—whether political donations or a race—without weighing their practical value.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• Yin Quanyin persuades Luo Qian to enter the Heavenly Lake Battle Race, and Du Lengning reminds Luo that he has no reason to give up the chance to compete.
• The two arrange a friendly preview race from True Transformation Source to Divine Void Source, with Zhao Xihe as referee.
• Yin Quanyin’s lavish carriage and eight heavily equipped Blazing Dragon Steeds face Luo Qian’s six Golden Vein Cloud Demon Howls, aided by Six Wind Father Talismans.
• After a day-and-night race, Luo Qian arrives first, with Yin Quanyin only three breaths behind. Both enjoy the contest and congratulate one another.
• They register for the official race. Yin pays Luo’s million-High-Grade-Immortal-Jade entry fee.
• Luo declines Yin’s invitation to tour Divine Void Source, wary of encountering the Turbulent Aristocratic Clan. That night, clan patriarch Qian Qinglei notices Luo’s name on the registration list.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian overcomes his hesitation and embraces racing, rediscovering the thrill of speed. His skill lies in coordinating with his beasts and using his talismans.
• Yin Quanyin proves both a spirited rival and a generous friend. Though disappointed to lose, he jokes that he can still beat Luo in the battle portion of the event.
• Their rivalry is warm and teasing rather than hostile: they compete fiercely, then laugh together and discuss their equipment.
• Du Lengning helps Luo see the race as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Zhao Xihe serves as the race’s referee.
• Qian Qinglei’s quiet reaction to Luo’s name signals that the clan may become involved in the events ahead.

Significant themes

• Competition and camaraderie: The race pits the men against each other while strengthening their friendship.
• Speed, passion, and spectacle: Racing is portrayed as intoxicating, with the elaborate carriages and beasts adding to its glamour.
• Ingenuity and resources: Luo relies on natural talent and talismans, while Yin’s performance reflects expensive, meticulous preparation.
• Foreshadowing: Luo’s registration puts him on the Turbulent Aristocratic Clan patriarch’s radar, hinting at future conflict.

Plot points and events

• Old Master Qian Qinglei orders his grandson Qian Tianbo to withdraw from the competition, claiming the Qian Household’s dominance could provoke the other great clans. Tianbo obeys, devastated by the loss of face.
• Overhearing relatives discuss Luo Qian and the Zhenhuayuan Yin family’s third young master, Tianbo realizes his grandfather’s stated concern was likely a pretext: Qian Qinglei wants to make amends to Luo Qian for an old grievance.
• Luo Qian, Xiao Xiangzi, and Du Lengning successfully test a long-distance teleportation formation. Despite a moment when it appears ready to explode, Xiao Xiangzi stabilizes it. He plans to refine the design and install it in Luo Family shops before Luo Qian builds an undersea passage.
• Lu Mei visits Luo Qian to thank him for saving her brother, giving him a storage ring containing copied books from her family’s collection. She hopes he will learn more about Immortal Realm history, but his blunt response hurts her, and she leaves upset.
• Xiao Xiangzi teases Luo Qian that Lu Mei is in love with him and wants him to appear more knowledgeable and impressive. Luo Qian tries to confront him, but Xiao Xiangzi protects himself behind a formation.
• Alone, Luo Qian reads the books Lu Mei gave him. An entry identifies the Three-Tailed Soaring Serpent’s Mountain-Breaking Hammer as a low-grade artifact, prompting him to question why such a powerful beast possessed such a modest weapon.

Character developments and interactions

• Qian Qinglei shows regret over a past decision and tries to compensate Luo Qian, but his strategy harms Tianbo instead.
• Qian Tianbo shifts from confidence about winning both titles to humiliation and despair; his discovery of the real motive deepens his resentment.
• Luo Qian remains proud and dismissive of others’ judgments, yet his later curiosity leads him to accept and read Lu Mei’s gift. He also shows his usual self-preserving instinct during the teleportation test.
• Lu Mei expresses care through a thoughtful gift, but Luo Qian’s brusque rejection of her advice leaves her embarrassed and angry.
• Xiao Xiangzi is technically capable and self-assured, contrasting with Luo Qian’s panic. He also recognizes Lu Mei’s romantic feelings and enjoys teasing Luo Qian.

Significant themes

• Power, reputation, and political maneuvering: Qian Qinglei’s concern for clan relations conceals a personal effort to repay a debt.
• Pride and communication: Luo Qian’s refusal to heed social expectations damages an affectionate gesture.
• Progress through collaboration: The successful formation test reflects the trio’s combined work and advances Luo Qian’s commercial ambitions.
• Unanswered mysteries: The hammer’s low grade raises doubts about the serpent’s history and hints that its equipment—or circumstances—may not have been what they seemed.

Plot points and events

• Luo Qian uses the Demon Beasts’ two types of Magical Artifacts to deduce where they are headed. The realms suited to Mountain-Breaking artifacts overlap only at Cloud Pillar Mountain.
• He explores the mountain but finds it barren. Hiding from two passing men, he overhears them confirm that the Demon Beasts likely came there to search for something. Rather than search blindly, Luo Qian makes a cave and waits for others to uncover the secret.
• A group of sect figures gathers on the summit and discovers that Cloud Pillar Mountain is an enormous Primordial Immortal Formation, designed to draw spiritual energy beneath its main peak. They conclude that it is nurturing a Sacred Beast—perhaps one capable of becoming something greater.
• Luo Qian reasons that the Demon Beasts’ escape was timed because the creature must be close to hatching. As the group on the summit turns on itself, their battle shakes his cave and nearly traps him, though his Golden-Armored Automaton shields him from flying debris.
• After most of the fighters flee, three men remain. Bai Chongya reveals that he serves the Awakening King and tries to recruit the other two, promising power and hereditary honors in a planned overthrow of the Immortal Emperor.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian shows caution and opportunism: he hides, observes, and waits for others to find the treasure rather than risking a blind search. His thoughts also reveal his merchant’s practicality and awareness of political dangers.
• Bai Chongya shifts from an apparent treasure-seeker to a committed political recruiter. He argues that personal glory is insufficient and that lasting power and status for one’s descendants matter more.
• The sect members begin by cooperating to compare findings, but distrust and competition erupt into violence. Most leave after the clash, while Bai and his two companions discuss joining the Awakening King’s cause.
• Luo Qian remains concealed throughout, learning about both the Sacred Beast and a rebellion that connects the mountain’s secret to a wider struggle for power.

Significant themes

• Ambition and legacy: Bai Chongya favors dynastic influence over individual achievement.
• Power and political upheaval: The Sacred Beast’s spirit promises personal advancement, while the Awakening King offers a chance to reshape the Immortal Realm.
• Cunning and survival: Luo Qian relies on deduction, concealment, and patience in a dangerous contest among stronger players.
• Hidden value: A seemingly barren mountain conceals an immense formation and a potentially world-changing creature.

Plot points

• Luo Qian overhears Bai Chongya reveal that the mysterious “Awakening King” really is a prince, though the title may be a code name.
• Two immortal masters try to flee after hearing the secret, but Bai Chongya and Ren Xilai trap them by reversing the barrier’s function. The pair fight back, and one uses a Sacrificial Thunder that badly wounds Bai and Ren before apparently dying.
• A third, previously hidden attacker reveals himself and ambushes the injured men. Despite their teamwork, Bai and Ren are overwhelmed. Ren appears to fall, while the attacker survives the battle but is injured.
• Luo Qian intervenes with his rifle, poisoned ammunition, Nine-Dragon Claw Arm, and Golden-Armored Automaton. Ren briefly grabs the attacker, giving Luo an opening. The attacker decides the situation is too risky and escapes on a swift Magical Artifact, destroying Ren’s body as he goes.
• Before Luo can investigate the Sacred Beast beneath the peak, a vast Nine-Colored Lotus manifests. Its luminous mist carves away the mountain, leaving Luo unharmed but stranded atop a floating stone sphere.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian weighs the chance to ambush Bai and Ren but hesitates, sensing something is wrong. He later fights decisively when the third attacker turns on him, yet chooses not to pursue the fleeing enemy.
• Bai Chongya and Ren Xilai are shown as cunning, prepared partners whose long friendship gives them exceptional coordination. Even badly wounded, they resist the attacker; Ren ultimately sacrifices himself to restrain him and help Luo.
• The mysterious attacker is ruthless but pragmatic: after recognizing the poison and judging that more enemies may be nearby, he abandons his objective and escapes.
• Luo’s brief combat with the attacker is a contest of improvised teamwork and uncertainty: Ren creates the opening, while Luo’s unexpected weapons and poison force the enemy to reassess.

Significant themes

• Deception and suspicion: The barrier, staged vulnerability, and hidden attacker make every apparent opportunity potentially a trap.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Ren’s final act reflects his bond with Bai and his willingness to give his life to stop their enemy.
• Survival over victory: Luo and the attacker both choose retreat or restraint when the risks become too great.
• Comic misfortune amid danger: Luo’s grim, self-mocking thoughts contrast with the lethal battles and the spectacular mountain transformation.

Plot points and events

• The Primordial Immortal Formation channels its power into the enormous stone egg while Luo Qian remains trapped on top. Its beautiful, petal-like energy kills several approaching Immortal Beasts, and distant onlookers assume a Sacred Beast is undergoing a tribulation.
• As the egg shrinks, Luo Qian is freed. It dodges his attempts to catch it, then finally lands in his right hand. The egg cracks open, revealing a tiny, hungry creature that crushes Immortal Jade and Energy Coins together to make its own meal.
• The creature climbs onto Luo Qian’s arm and disappears into his Nine-Dragon Claw Arm. Luo Qian recognizes it as a Pixiu, one of the dragon’s sons. Its arrival causes the formation’s rings of light to collapse, unleashing a massive blast that devastates Cloud Pillar Mountain. Luo Qian is pulled through space unharmed and reappears at his jewelry shop.
• On the day of the Immortal Emperor’s sacrifice to Heaven, Luo Qian senses that something is wrong. Zheng Daoguang’s wounded subordinate summons him to a secret meeting.
• Zheng reveals that someone attacked the Immortal Emperor during the ceremony, apparently from among the Nine Heavenly Maidens. All nine have been detained, and Zheng asks Luo Qian to identify the likeliest culprit. The Emperor was not injured: the assassin struck during dense fog but failed.
• Luo Qian insists that his three friends among the Maidens are innocent. He considers telling Zheng about the Awakening King’s plans but keeps quiet to conceal his acquisition of the Pixiu. After leaving, he privately suspects Xie Tang.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian’s spiritual senses have sharpened through training, enabling him to notice the uneasy atmosphere surrounding the attack. He remains protective of his friends and composed under Zheng’s questioning.
• The Pixiu is established as an unusual, mischievous, voracious creature that has bonded with Luo Qian’s Nine-Dragon Claw Arm.
• Zheng Daoguang, injured while protecting the Emperor, is nevertheless confident and focused on the investigation. He trusts Luo Qian, but warns him that the suspected crime carries severe consequences.
• Luo Qian and Zheng share a cautious, frank exchange: Luo reassures him about his friends, while withholding what he knows about the Awakening King and the Pixiu.

Significant themes

• Power concealed by beauty: the formation’s delicate, lotus-like light hides lethal force.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Luo Qian defends his friends but hides information that could expose his new Sacred Beast.
• Political danger and uncertainty: the attempted assassination raises the stakes of the Awakening King’s suspected rebellion, while the identity of the culprit remains unresolved.
• Chance and unintended consequences: the Pixiu’s arrival triggers the formation’s catastrophic collapse, though Luo Qian escapes unharmed.

Key plot points and events

• Alarmed by the revelation that Xie Tang may be connected to a plot against the Immortal Emperor, Luo Qian decides to seek answers from her directly and demands an audience with the emperor.
• The Supreme Pure Emperor challenges Luo Qian about his ties to Xie Tang, Li Feier, and Zhu Ke’er, and why all three entered the Heavenly Sacrifice pageant. Luo Qian denies knowing about their plans, but the emperor suspects he has romantic interests in them.
• The emperor declares that Luo Qian may choose only one of the three women. Luo Qian asks permission to visit them, and the emperor sends Xu Hu to escort him.
• On the way, Xu Hu remarks on Luo Qian’s nerve. Luo Qian realizes Xu Hu may be referring not just to his boldness, but also to the emperor’s apparent interest in the colorful-robed woman near his mountain retreat.
• At the heavily guarded Heavenly Prison, Xu Hu guides Luo Qian through a dangerous, magically confusing interior where only the emperor knows how to locate each prisoner.
• Luo Qian finds Xie Tang in a surprisingly comfortable, bedroom-like cell. She admits that she was the one who attempted to assassinate the Immortal Emperor, adding that the emperor knows but is unwilling to reveal it publicly.

Character developments

• Luo Qian shows growing concern for Xie Tang and is willing to risk appearing suspicious to see her. His feelings for her are becoming harder to deny, though he avoids directly addressing them.
• Xie Tang remains composed and teasing despite her imprisonment. Her candid admission of attempted assassination reveals her boldness and the depth of her conflict with the emperor.
• The Supreme Pure Emperor is guarded and politically calculating. He probes Luo Qian’s motives, issues a possessive-sounding restriction about choosing one woman, and keeps the truth about Xie Tang’s role hidden.
• Xu Hu remains dutiful and controlled, but his cryptic comment hints that he understands more about the emperor’s personal attachments than he says.

Significant themes

• Power, secrecy, and surveillance: The emperor controls access to prisoners and information; even the prison’s layout makes discovery dependent on his will.
• Love entangled with politics: Luo Qian’s personal concern for Xie Tang puts him under suspicion amid a serious political crisis.
• Appearance versus reality: A supposedly fearsome prison contains a luxurious cell, while the emperor’s stern authority is complicated by possible personal desire.
• Risk and audacity: Luo Qian repeatedly speaks and acts boldly despite knowing that the consequences could be severe.

Character interactions

• Luo Qian and the emperor spar over Luo Qian’s motives and his relationships with the three women; the emperor’s demand that he choose one leaves their personal lives under imperial scrutiny.
• Xu Hu escorts Luo Qian through the prison but stays outside Xie Tang’s cell, obeying the emperor’s limits.
• Xie Tang tests Luo Qian by asking whether he suspects her and whether he fears for her. He warns her to speak cautiously, while she turns the exchange into playful teasing and sends him to visit Li Feier.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In the Heavenly Prison, Luo Qian visits Zhu Ke’er and discovers that she is being treated lavishly. When he asks why, she hints that the Immortal Emperor has a personal reason to protect her, then openly insults and challenges him. Luo Qian warns her that the Emperor may hear everything, but believes she is safe from retaliation.
• Zhu Ke’er’s anger gives way to visible sadness when Luo Qian asks why she hates the Emperor, though she avoids explaining.
• Li Feier, unlike the other two women, is held in a cold, harsh cell. She has had no visitors and breaks down in Luo Qian’s arms. When Luo Qian leaves, the prison’s cells disappear, leaving only a bare wall.
• Luo Qian returns to True Transformation Source and reassures Du Lengning and Ling Xiaose that the arrests appear unrelated to them. The three women’s families are expected to seek their release, while the authorities investigate the larger case.
• After an unsuccessful negotiation with the Western Divine Realm’s God King over minor-metal exports, Luo Qian slips into the Mortal Realm, buys precision equipment, and secretly returns to the Immortal Realm.
• Luo Qian tries to reproduce Teng Snake Crystal Gel in hopes of creating a useful, mass-produced material akin to plastic. His experiments with snake scales and energy crystals fail.
• Meanwhile, Lu Xiaofeng learns that his trackers have lost Luo Qian and privately worries that he cannot act against him without firm evidence.
• Xin Yezi, Zhao Xihe, and Old Roughworker arrive at Luo Qian’s underground workshop. They laugh at his failed experiment, explaining that Teng Snake Crystal Gel was an extraordinary, seemingly unrepeatable occurrence. They then tell him that the Heavenly Lake Contest is near and that Yin Quanyin wants to see him.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Qian remains resourceful and commercially minded, but his attempt to turn a rare substance into a scalable product shows how his ambition can outrun practical limits. He also shows concern for the imprisoned women, particularly Li Feier.
• Zhu Ke’er is bold and defiant toward the Immortal Emperor, yet her tears suggest that her hatred has a painful personal history she is not ready to share. Luo Qian tries to protect her from the consequences of her outburst.
• Li Feier is emotionally vulnerable after her isolation and turns to Luo Qian as a source of comfort. Her severe conditions contrast sharply with Zhu Ke’er’s privileged confinement.
• Xiao Xiangzi doubts Luo Qian’s experiment and teases him about his unfinished plans for plastic and a bottled Immortal Water drink.
• Lu Xiaofeng grows more frustrated with Luo Qian’s evasiveness, but remains constrained by the lack of evidence.
• Xin Yezi, Zhao Xihe, and Old Roughworker rejoin Luo Qian after their Heavenly River trip. Their good news about the trip and teasing about his experiment restore a lighter, companionable mood.

Significant themes

• Unequal justice and hidden power: The women’s drastically different prison conditions suggest that status, family influence, or personal ties shape how justice is applied.
• Secrecy and surveillance: Luo Qian evades his pursuers, while Zhu Ke’er believes the Emperor can hear what happens in the prison.
• Ambition versus chance: Luo Qian tries to systematize a miraculous discovery, but the elders insist that some breakthroughs cannot simply be reproduced.
• Commerce and innovation: Luo Qian approaches alchemy through experimentation and industrial production, importing Mortal Realm technology to expand the Immortal Realm’s economy.

• Qian Tianbo escalates the feud: As Luo Qian leaves with his companions, Qian Tianbo attacks the ground near him with the Thunder Soul Gong and challenges him to fight at the Heavenly Lake Contest. Luo initially refuses to be drawn into the martial events, but Qian Tianbo publicly brands him a coward, leaving him no graceful way to withdraw.
• Luo accepts the challenge: Once he learns Qian Tianbo has spread the challenge throughout the realm, Luo’s restraint turns to anger. He agrees to fight, confident that the contest will not be decided by cultivation rank alone—and eager to test the unexplained changes to his Nine-Dragon Claw Arm.
• A new plan takes shape: Old Roughworker urges Luo to prepare for battle with powerful equipment, but Luo says he has another idea. He persuades Xiao Xiangzi to help modify a lower-realm fighter jet, claiming it may be his best chance of defeating Qian Tianbo. Xiao reluctantly agrees and suggests involving Dongfang Chen.
• Luo advances his materials research: While clearing out supplies, Luo discovers that one container holds Crystal Gel formed from his experiments. He records its properties and returns to his workshop, repeatedly refining the process until he produces a pure version. His work deepens his practical knowledge of artifact-making, though he recognizes that developing Crystal Gel into a versatile, plastic-like material will require much more research.
• Preparations remain unfinished: Luo’s intense experimentation worries Old Roughworker, who warns that Qian Tianbo likely has more than the Thunder Soul Gong to rely on. Luo abruptly realizes he must make further preparations and tells Old Roughworker he will need his help.
  Character developments and relationships: Luo shifts from avoiding the Qian Household conflict to meeting Qian Tianbo head-on after the public provocation. His resourcefulness appears in both his experimental work and his unconventional plan to use the fighter jet. Old Roughworker’s direct, honor-bound outlook contrasts with Luo’s strategic approach, though he supports him loyally. Xiao Xiangzi complains about Luo’s reliance on lower-realm inventions but ultimately agrees to help. Zhao Xihe regrets the damage Qian Tianbo’s behavior may bring to the clan of his old friend Qian Qinglei, while Yin Quanyin jokingly laments that Luo’s participation ruins his own hopes of winning a title.
  Significant themes: The chapter contrasts honor and self-preservation, as Luo’s initial reluctance is mistaken for fear; traditional power and technological ingenuity, as Luo looks beyond Immortal Artifacts to a fighter jet; and experimentation and persistence, shown by his painstaking effort to improve Crystal Gel.