Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu successfully casts the Little Blazing Sun Art for the first time after months of study. The blast is far stronger than expected, nearly overwhelming the laboratory’s Defensive Array and leaving him coughing.
• The spell consumes enormous amounts of spirit power and can only be cast a few times before draining his Spirit Sea. Chen plans to refine it and incorporate it into his Thousand Mechanisms Art, which will need extra channels to supply power quickly.
• Teacher Shi Qian warns Chen that he is disrupting classes and directs him to an open testing area behind the Jade Peace and New Orthodox Temples. Chen also learns the school has a separate, less powerful testing ground beneath the No. 1 Martial Cultivation Hall.
• Zhang Yunyan asks for help with her Tracer Technique. Chen identifies its slow spirit-power supply as the problem and gives her an older version of the spell to use as a reference. They eat together before he heads to the Special Project Laboratory.
• News confirms that the Yi Emperor has Spirit Decline Syndrome and has issued a succession edict. The coming enthronement will draw sect leaders and foreign rulers to the capital, though Chen expects to be only marginally affected.
• In a group chat, Chen and others discuss the ceremony, the incoming Sword King, and the unusual practice of Great Yi emperors receiving posthumous titles after abdication. Chen reflects that former emperors subsequently disappear from public record, with no deaths officially reported.

Character developments

• Chen Shu shows persistence and technical ingenuity, but his confidence in controlling the Little Blazing Sun Art proves premature. He is eager to master it as a way to answer Zhang Suannai’s provocations.
• Chen’s view of his life broadens as he realizes he may witness several changes of reign firsthand—events that later generations will study as history.
• Zhang Yunyan trusts Chen’s expertise and eagerly accepts his practical advice.
• Shi Qian acts as a pragmatic mentor, balancing support for Chen’s research with concern for the school’s safety and other students’ studies.
• Meng Chunqiu offers Chen help getting gala tickets, while acknowledging the family and political duties surrounding the succession.

Character interactions

• Shi Qian questions Chen about the explosion, explains the testing facilities, and instructs him to use the open-air site for powerful experiments.
• Zhang Yunyan seeks technical help; Chen diagnoses her spell’s flaw and shares a reference version, then invites her to eat.
• Chen chats with Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai about the Mid-Autumn Gala and the political demands of the emperor’s succession.
• In the group chat, Chen jokes about the Sword King and Sword Master, then raises a historical question about emperors’ posthumous titles. The group leader refuses to explain the custom, deepening Chen’s curiosity.

Significant themes

• Progress through experimentation: Mastering powerful magic requires repeated, risky testing and careful engineering.
• The personal and the historical: Chen’s everyday concerns continue alongside events that will shape the nation’s history.
• Power and tradition: The enthronement ceremony reflects the state’s longstanding authority over sects and vassal states.
• Secrecy surrounding mortality: The unexplained custom of granting emperors posthumous titles after abdication—and their subsequent disappearance—hints at a concealed political or historical truth.

Key plot points and events

• With Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the family group chat votes to hold a courtyard barbecue instead of attending the university’s evening show. Xiaoxiao says her sister, Ning Qing, has been acting strangely and reports that Qingqing licked her soup at dinner.
• Qingqing comes to confront Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao tries to escape through the balcony but runs straight into her sister, who pins her to the sofa while eating an apple. Zhang Suannai witnesses the episode and learns that Qingqing has disciplined Xiaoxiao since childhood—and that their brother-in-law encourages Xiaoxiao rather than intervening.
• Chen Shu has mastered the Little Blazing Sun Art but pauses further practice because Jade Capital is entering lockdown ahead of visiting dignitaries and powerful cultivators. He plans to practice more before combining it with the Thousand Mechanisms Art.
• For the holiday, Chen Shu makes traditional lotus-paste-and-salted-egg-yolk mooncakes and steamed yam-and-fruit versions, recruiting two enthusiastic helpers for the simpler tasks. He distributes mooncakes to teachers, friends, and acquaintances.
• Chen Shu, Qingqing, and Xiaoxiao shop for an abundant barbecue and spend the afternoon preparing it together. That evening, Chen Banxia and Zhang Suannai arrive with wine and a mooncake, bringing lively energy to the courtyard. Chen Shu grills while the guests begin eating.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiaoxiao shows a mischievous, impulsive streak: she complains about Qingqing in the group chat, then makes a calculated but unsuccessful escape when confronted. Even after being pinned down, she calmly resumes eating as if nothing happened.
• Ning Qing is affectionate but physically domineering with her younger sister; their familiar scuffles suggest a long-established sibling dynamic.
• Zhang Suannai acts as an amused observer and playful participant. She bets on where Xiaoxiao will emerge, loses, and later bonds with Chen Banxia as they arrive together.
• Chen Shu is patient in his cultivation, generous in sharing his mooncakes, and hospitable in organizing the holiday meal. He and Qingqing cooperate comfortably, while Xiaoxiao handles the skewers.
• Chen Banxia and Zhang Suannai quickly share excitement over the food and drinks, adding to the convivial atmosphere.

Significant themes

• Family intimacy and teasing: The siblings’ rough humor and the group chat’s joking exchanges reveal closeness beneath the threats and complaints.
• Everyday companionship: Shopping, food preparation, and cooking together make routine work enjoyable and reinforce the family’s bond.
• Hospitality and generosity: Chen Shu shares homemade treats widely and prepares an elaborate meal for his guests.
• Balance and patience: Chen Shu puts cultivation aside for safety and makes room for rest and celebration.

Key plot points and events

• During a Mid-Autumn barbecue, Chen Shu grills sweet potato sheets and other dishes for his friends. The food is a hit, and Zhang Suannai eagerly asks for seconds.
• Chen Shu and Secretary Ning share playful, affectionate moments: he feeds her lamb, and she punches him when he keeps teasing her. She later joins him in drinking.
• Peach wants to eat from a skewer like everyone else. With the little girl’s help, Ning Qing “translates” the dog’s complaint, and Chen Shu gives Peach his skewer.
• Zhang Suannai takes over the grill and proudly serves her own barbecue. Encouraged by Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s approval, she returns to cooking and sings when asked.
• Chen Shu invites the tipsy Zhang Suannai and Chen Banxia to stay overnight. They end up tangled together in bed. He then goes to sleep in Ning Qing’s room, while she has been sent to the sofa.
• In a group chat, a junior reports that she has failed two attempts to advance despite the potion’s help. The group encourages her; Chen Shu jokes that she will soon be able to take revenge on Zhang Suannai. Zhang replies that she can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but falls for Chen Shu’s teasing arithmetic question.
• The next morning, Zhang Suannai finds Ning Qing quietly cleaning the courtyard. After learning Chen Shu has gone to the Spirit Sect, she notices how differently Ning Qing responds to him and decides her own problem is that she is not thick-skinned enough.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is generous and attentive as a host, while his teasing with Ning Qing shows their comfortable, intimate rapport. He also looks back wistfully toward his former home while gazing at the moon.
• Ning Qing remains reserved but lets Chen Shu coax her into eating and drinking. Her mock “translation” for Peach and her playful punches reveal a more teasing side.
• Zhang Suannai is enthusiastic, easily persuaded, and eager for praise. Her final reflection suggests she is beginning to understand that confidence—or shamelessness—helps her deal with Ning Qing.
• Chen Banxia enjoys the food and drinks, then sleeps heavily beside Zhang Suannai.
• The little girl and Peach share a playful bond; she acts as Peach’s interpreter and helps the dog make its wishes known.

Significant themes

• Warmth and companionship: Shared food, jokes, drinking, and an overnight stay create a relaxed sense of friendship and domestic closeness.
• Affection expressed through teasing: Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s banter and casual gestures show intimacy without direct declarations.
• Confidence and social ease: Zhang Suannai’s attempts to cook and interact with Ning Qing culminate in her humorous conclusion that she needs thicker skin.
• Homesickness and quiet reflection: The moon’s resemblance to one from Chen Shu’s old life briefly evokes longing amid the cheerful gathering.

• The Heavenly Palace returns: On his way to the Spirit Sect, Chen Shu sees the immense Floating Island, now Yi Nation’s heavily armed mobile fortress. It has returned for the new emperor’s accession ceremony, and its overwhelming scale impresses him.
• Chen Shu investigates Cao Ci: After returning borrowed books, Chen Shu researches Cao Ci, the Bright Sect’s former master’s favored disciple, who was expelled and passed over for the sect leadership. Comparing sect histories with accounts of the Forbidden Lands, Chen Shu suspects Cao Ci’s expulsion was connected to a recent opening of a Forbidden Land. The site lay near the Bright Sect, whose former Martial God had been its last Deity, and Cao Ci was considered a possible successor—circumstances that made the contest unusually contentious. Chen Shu finds the historical accounts too dry to satisfy his curiosity, then moves on to other reading.
• Du Heng discusses advancement: Over dinner and a walk, Vice Sect Master Du Heng confirms that Chen Shu has reached the Fifth Tier. He warns that reaching the Sixth will be harder: the ancient Esoteric Sect’s potion formulas require ingredients that are now extinct, and researchers have not found substitutes. Chen Shu hopes to reach the Sixth Tier before graduating; Du Heng considers the plan reasonable but urges patience and continued effort.
• A possible route to potion ingredients: Chen Shu learns that rare materials recovered from Sage Ancestor Cubes go first to research, then to direct royal heirs; the Daoist and Buddhist orders have priority over the Spirit Sect for anything remaining. Du Heng agrees to show him the potion formulas. Chen Shu clarifies that he only wants to identify the missing ingredients.
  Character development and interactions: Chen Shu is curious and methodical, piecing together Cao Ci’s story by comparing sources and quickly shifting from gossip to practical concerns. Du Heng acts as a supportive mentor, candidly explaining cultivation’s obstacles while trusting Chen Shu with sensitive information. Their easy conversation mixes Chen Shu’s ambitious plans and probing questions with Du Heng’s measured guidance.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts ancient power and modern institutions—from the Celestials’ former home turned military fortress to ancient cultivation formulas that modern science cannot reproduce. It also highlights how prestige and succession shape disputes among powerful figures, and how long-term progress requires patience, research, and access to scarce resources.

• Chen Shu weighs his next breakthrough. After seeing how effective the Esoteric Sect’s potion was, he decides he would rather avoid costly, unreliable mass-produced potions. He considers taking materials from the secret realms inside the Cubes, which he believes are rightfully his by inheritance, but worries that opening a Cube would alert the authorities and bring unwanted scrutiny. He may look for a remote, lightly guarded Cube abroad during winter break, but postpones the decision.
• He returns to Jade Capital and watches the coronation. On the flight home, Chen Shu follows news of the new emperor’s coronation. The ceremony goes smoothly, and the new reign’s era name is announced as Dawn’s Beginning. Chen Shu reflects that the new emperor, though backed by the Royal Family and the Deity, lacks the late emperor’s long-standing personal relationships with powerful sect leaders. Modern emperors also have less direct authority over the cultivation world.
• Chen Shu’s teasing of Qingqing continues. At Angelica Orchid Garden, Qingqing is practicing the Other-Mind Way by possessing Peach. Her growing skill lets her behave convincingly like a cat. Chen Shu catches Peach, cuddles and kisses her relentlessly, and jokes that kittens are made to be kissed. Peach resists convincingly, while an unseen bird watches from outside.
  Character and relationship developments: Chen Shu remains practical and risk-averse, preferring to avoid trouble even when he has a plausible claim to valuable resources. His commentary shows his interest in history and politics. Qingqing’s practice is progressing, though she is so absorbed that she does not intervene in Chen Shu’s antics; Peach’s feline behavior makes the possession practice seem increasingly convincing.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts personal connections with formal authority, as the new emperor inherits the throne but not the late emperor’s relationships. It also highlights the tension between opportunity and safety, and mixes cultivation and political history with playful domestic comedy.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao give Ning Qing a deliberately garish makeover, using lipstick and an eyebrow pencil while Peach watches. Ning Qing’s consciousness is observing through a sparrow, and the bird’s vivid color vision makes the makeup especially striking.
• Ning Qing flies the sparrow into the living room and lands on Chen Shu’s shoulder. Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao recognize the bird as Ning Qing; Peach hesitates when ordered to catch it. The bird slaps Chen Shu with its wing.
• Back in her own body, Ning Qing removes the makeup and returns to the sofa. She jokes that she is angry, then negotiates with Chen Shu over how much of her accumulated “anger” she will release in exchange for a dinner of pickled-chili duck intestines and tripe. She agrees to let out a third. Afterward, she turns to settle Xiaoxiao’s share of the blame.
• Over dinner, Ning Qing asks whether Chen Shu has resolved the sect matter. He says he has, and explains that he needs to find a suitable Sage Ancestor Cube so he can obtain missing materials and have the sect prepare the potion. Ning Qing hints that a Cube will be easy to find, but keeps the details secret.
• That night, Chen Shu sees a news report announcing that the twelfth Sage Ancestor Cube has been unearthed in a Spirit Crystals mine in southern Duqin, in territory controlled by the Government Forces.

Character developments

• Ning Qing continues her unusual bird-based observation, studying the sparrow’s instincts and senses while using it to watch the household. Though she is composed and teasing, she is also quietly attentive to Chen Shu’s plans and hopes his search succeeds.
• Chen Shu is playful and shameless with Ning Qing, but practical about solving his cultivation problem: he hopes to contribute the missing materials to the sect rather than pay to gather everything himself.
• Xiaoxiao joins Chen Shu in teasing Ning Qing, briefly sharing his confidence before facing the consequences.
• Peach watches the makeover and hesitates when asked to catch the sparrow.

Significant themes

• Observation and perspective: Ning Qing’s experience as a bird highlights how perception, sensation, and behavior differ between humans and animals.
• Instinct versus thought: Her planned study of nest-building raises the question of whether animal behavior involves conscious reasoning or is simply inherited instinct.
• Domestic teasing and affection: Pranks, food, and playful bargaining reveal the household’s closeness.
• Practical cooperation: Chen Shu’s plan depends on pooling resources and relying on the sect rather than undertaking an expensive effort alone.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao collaborate in the makeover, while Ning Qing—watching through the sparrow—turns the prank around by startling them.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing trade jokes and negotiate over dinner; her hints about finding a Cube build anticipation.
• Ning Qing shares a warm, supportive moment with Chen Shu by wishing his plan success, then confronts Xiaoxiao about her part in the prank.
• The discovery of the twelfth Cube appears to make Ning Qing’s cryptic confidence immediately relevant.

Chapter summary

News breaks that a Cube has been discovered in Duqin, a small, war-torn country rich in Spirit Crystals and caught between the interests of Yi Nation and Blue Nation. Chen Shu reflects on how Cubes are rarely controlled by the country where they are found: powerful nations compete for their artifacts, rare resources, and especially the strategic Secret Realm inside. He remembers a previous Cube whose contents were divided among foreign powers while the host country received aid and commercial benefits. The discovery also brings to mind a monk’s earlier advice to “head west.”
The next morning, Ning Qing possesses Peach, her white cat, while cultivating. Chen Shu wakes to Peach deliberately stepping on his face, then proceeds to pet Ning Qing’s thigh while she remains possessed. Peach notices and bites him. Chen Shu defends himself by claiming that Qingqing sat close because she wanted to be petted, but the cat remains suspicious. After breakfast, he chats with Professor Chen, who expects that Yi Nation will send a delegation to Duqin—but, given the fighting, it will likely include armed forces as well as historians.
Chen Shu considers Duqin’s history of foreign interference: Blue Nation’s abuses helped fuel resentment, while Yi Nation backed an anti-Blue government. The two sides now fight with the support of rival powers and their “mercenaries.” Since the Cube is in government-held territory, Yi Nation is unlikely to surrender it, and any expedition will need military protection.
Over breakfast, Chen Shu asks Ning Qing whether he can take Peach out for a walk while she possesses the cat. She agrees, but explains that she cannot travel far from her body without losing contact with it. Her sister says she will stay home; Ning Qing warns that she can still sense what happens around her body while cultivating, prompting playful teasing between the sisters and Chen Shu. When Ning Qing resumes cultivation as Peach, Chen Shu tries to put a leash on the cat, insisting it is the responsible thing to do. Peach hisses and resists.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is curious about the Cube and politically perceptive, but his serious reflections repeatedly give way to mischievous humor. He treats Peach as both a pet and a playful stand-in for Ning Qing.
• Ning Qing remains composed and matter-of-fact, even while possessing Peach. She is comfortable with Chen Shu’s teasing but sets clear limits on how far they can go from her body.
• The younger sister jokes with Chen Shu about Ning Qing’s enjoyment of possessing Peach, then banters with Ning Qing over whether she can be trusted while her sister cultivates.
• Peach / Ning Qing acts unusually mischievous, deliberately stepping on Chen Shu’s face and biting his hand. The chapter ends with the cat resisting Chen Shu’s attempt to leash her.

Significant themes

• Great-power rivalry and small-country vulnerability: Duqin’s Cube becomes another resource over which larger nations compete, while local people bear the cost of proxy conflict.
• The limits of sovereignty: International rules offer little protection when a small country lacks the political and military power to control its own discoveries.
• Domestic comedy and intimacy: The geopolitical stakes contrast with the household’s teasing, affectionate interactions, especially the absurdity of treating Ning Qing, while in cat form, as a pet who needs a leash.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu returns to his dorm with scratches on his face, explaining that a spirit cat did it. His roommates, Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai, are more interested in gossip than helping.
• Miss Jiang calls on behalf of Yi Nation, again asking Chen Shu to join its team for the Duqin Cube expedition. Chen Shu recalls that her organization arranged for thugs to attack him as part of a staged rescue. She admits it and offers compensation, escalating from five to ten million, then dangling rare potions and ingredients. Chen Shu refuses, citing his new membership in the Spirit Sect, and blocks her after the money arrives anyway.
• Two days later, the National Cultural Heritage Administration invites Chen Shu to join a team of historical experts traveling to Duqin. The mission is to help open the Cube and catalog its artifacts. The trip may be dangerous, with possible attacks by the Watchers Armed Forces and other threats; departure is expected by mid-September, ahead of an anticipated October opening.
• Chen Shu learns that Professors Shi and Liu will also go, while Professor Chen declines. He considers the strategic importance of the Cube and suspects the government may send a Ninth Tier cultivator. He also finds the departure deadline potentially coercive, given that negotiations with Blue Nation are still ongoing.

Character developments

• Chen remains cautious and independent: he rejects Yi Nation’s offers despite their considerable value, and does not let its apology buy his cooperation.
• His new affiliation with the Spirit Sect gives him additional standing, though it does not deter Yi Nation from pursuing him.
• Chen shifts from dismissing the expedition as a simple academic opportunity to analyzing its political and military implications, especially the possibility of high-level protection.
• Professor Chen is characteristically lazy and unambitious, while Professors Shi and Liu are eager to pursue the Cube’s historical research.

Character interactions

• Meng Chunqiu tries to position himself as a powerful ally and offers to help, but Chen brushes him off; Meng is disappointed that he cannot show off.
• Miss Jiang is frank about her organization’s past misconduct and persistent in trying to recruit Chen, while he remains distrustful and ends the conversation.
• Chen exchanges playful messages with Professor Chen about his concern, the stock market, and food from Chen’s mother.
• Professor Shi’s recommendation leads to the government invitation, connecting Chen’s academic expertise to the national expedition.

Significant themes

• Trust and manipulation: Miss Jiang’s candid admission and generous compensation cannot erase the betrayal behind the staged attack.
• Personal independence versus inducement: Money, rare resources, and institutional pressure fail to make Chen agree automatically.
• History and national power: The Cube is not merely an archaeological site; its scale and strategic value make it a matter of national security.
• Academic curiosity amid danger: The professors’ pursuit of knowledge—and Chen’s potential participation—takes place against a backdrop of war, political negotiation, and possible attacks.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu considers joining the expedition to the Cube in Duqin. He wants firsthand information about a fellow countryman, potion ingredients, and an answer to what happened to the Deities. The trip will be long and Duqin is dangerous, so he researches the country before deciding.
• Travel videos show a relatively ordinary, underdeveloped Duqin, while Deep Web reports reveal the harsher reality: war, violence, poverty, trafficking, and other abuses.
• Chen Shu asks Mr. Cat for intelligence. Mr. Cat explains that Duqin has five broad armed factions, including government forces, anti-government Watchers, mercenaries backed by Yi and Blue Nations, and assorted local groups. He warns that the Cube will attract foreign powers and cultivators, and that senior members of the Dream Moon Cult are already interested.
• Mr. Cat offers to help if Chen Shu runs into trouble, for a fee. Chen Shu notices clues about Mr. Cat’s background but decides not to press him.
• Chen Shu discusses the trip with Ning Qing while she is possessing Peach, the cat. He jokes that he will stay if she wants him to, but Ning Qing gives him a favorable prediction: he will avoid major danger, achieve his aims, and may find something unexpected.
• Ning Qing admits she will miss him, but encourages him to go and asks him to video-call her. She promises to be by his side if he needs her.
• The little girl asks Ning Qing to predict when she will grow taller. Ning Qing says she has reached her full height; the girl threatens to withhold cat treats. Chen Shu then confirms to the Historical Relics Bureau that he will join the expedition.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu moves from weighing the trip’s risks to accepting it, after gathering intelligence and receiving Ning Qing’s reassurance. His affection for Ning Qing is evident, though he uses playful teasing to test her feelings.
• Ning Qing remains composed and practical: despite admitting she will miss Chen Shu, she supports his decision and offers continued help. Her cat-like habits surface while she is possessing Peach, including nearly licking her hand after feeling the cat being kissed.
• Mr. Cat proves knowledgeable and surprisingly candid, offering both detailed information and paid assistance. Chen Shu’s suspicions about him remain unresolved.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing share an affectionate, teasing exchange, while the little girl’s earnest request for a height prediction adds comic friction.

Significant themes

• Conflicting perspectives and incomplete information: Duqin’s polished travel image and its brutal reality are both true, but neither tells the whole story.
• Risk, ambition, and preparation: Chen Shu’s goals draw him toward a dangerous expedition, making reliable intelligence and caution essential.
• Affection and independence: Ning Qing’s love for Chen Shu does not lead her to hold him back; she encourages him while staying emotionally connected.
• Humor and domestic warmth: Playful teasing, the cat-possession mishap, and the height prediction contrast with the chapter’s grim portrayal of Duqin.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu checks in with Xiaoxiao about her first month at university. She says classmates are polite, but complains that Zhang Suannai’s bizarre, conspicuous visits to pick her up make her worry about embarrassing herself.
• In their group chat, several members reveal they are going to Duqin. Zhang Suannai and members of the Gate of Myriad Wonders will accompany a history-expert delegation as security; a Military Academy member known as Unknown Person will travel with them on a separate mission. Chen Shu also says he is going, and reveals he is one of the experts they are meant to protect. The others tease him and joke that the trip sounds like a group outing.
• On August 26, Xiaoxiao celebrates her seventeenth birthday with a meal heavy on potatoes. The family and Zhang Suannai notice that Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao have scratches on their faces; they blame the cat, though the explanation is suspicious.
• After dinner, Xiaoxiao asks to have her height measured. She is still exactly five-foot-three, the same height she was at fifteen, despite drinking milk and trying to eat more meat. Upset, she blames the measuring and then wonders whether her sister cursed her.
• At the birthday cake, Xiaoxiao struggles to choose a wish. Ning Qing teasingly warns her not to waste it, while Chen Shu suggests wishing for him to become more handsome. Xiaoxiao makes that wish aloud, but secretly wishes for potatoes to grow all over the world.

Character development and interactions

• Xiaoxiao is settling into university but remains sensitive about seeming childish. Her frustration at being called small, and her earnest efforts to grow taller, show her youthful insecurity. She is comfortable with Chen Shu and banters with her sister, even when the teasing gets under her skin.
• Chen Shu is affectionate and reassuring toward Xiaoxiao, while also joking with her and Ning Qing. His role as a history expert headed to Duqin surprises the chat members.
• Ning Qing continues her dry, teasing relationship with Xiaoxiao and Chen Shu. She needles Xiaoxiao about her birthday wish, but ultimately lets the others carry on.
• Zhang Suannai is exuberant and eccentric: her unusual campus pickups embarrass Xiaoxiao, but she is also warmly included in the family dinner and eagerly measures Xiaoxiao’s height. Xiaoxiao later retaliates by inviting her to help tease Ning Qing.
• The group chat’s members exchange playful jabs about their assignments and connections, especially the contrast between Chen Shu’s understated involvement and the others’ more obvious security roles.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through teasing: The family’s jokes, mock complaints, and playful retaliation reveal closeness rather than genuine hostility.
• Growing up and self-image: Xiaoxiao is legally an adult and attending university, yet feels childlike when others comment on her appearance and height.
• Brains, connections, and practical experience: The title’s boastful contrast is echoed by the group’s jokes about connections and by the sects sending disciples abroad for real-world training.
• Everyday life alongside larger adventures: Plans involving Duqin, the Cube, and security duties sit beside ordinary concerns like birthday food, height, and family banter.

• Chen Shu prepares to leave for Duqin: With his departure two days away, Ning Qing fills his Storage Ring with an absurdly extensive supply of cooking gear, seasonings, preserved foods, and other essentials. She insists it is only “just in case,” but her careful preparations—and her admission that she will be with him—reveal how much she worries about him. Chen Shu teases her about her overflowing “maternal instincts,” then leaves after exchanging farewells with Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao. Ning Qing gives him a brief, restrained embrace and watches him go.
• Zhang Suannai cultivates a formidable reputation: After combat class, Zhang tells a classmate that she has been asked to accompany historians visiting a Cube in Duqin, where security is needed. She pretends the assignment is a tedious obligation and modestly downplays her abilities, while privately delighting in her classmates’ astonishment. She says she will report for a briefing before traveling the next day, then effortlessly vanishes from sight as a campus shuttle passes. Her classmate is left convinced that Suannai must be exceptionally powerful.
  Character developments and interactions: Ning Qing’s practical, controlled manner conceals deep concern and affection for Chen Shu; their teasing farewell shows their comfortable closeness. Chen Shu accepts her fussing and reassures her, while also sharing a warm goodbye with Xiaoxiao. Zhang Suannai, meanwhile, enjoys shaping how others see her: she performs modesty while relishing their admiration, and her apparent disappearance makes her boast seem credible.
  Significant themes: Affection expressed through practical care; the contrast between restrained emotion and playful banter; and reputation as a performance—especially when genuine ability makes the performance believable.

Key events

• Colonel Song briefs the protection team before its deployment to Duqin. The mission is to safeguard a historical research delegation studying the Cube artifact, follow orders, and accommodate reasonable research needs. He warns that modern warfare—and Blue Nation’s specialized forces—can threaten even powerful cultivators.
• Zhang Suannai and Gate of Myriad Wonders are assigned no specific combat roles, since the team’s trained soldiers handle the specialist duties. Zhang is privately irritated at being expected to help the researchers.
• The team departs for Duqin on a civilian charter flight. At the airport, Zhang recognizes Professor Liu and notices several senior officials traveling with the delegation, including a man who resembles the late emperor.
• Chen Shu greets Zhang, Gate of Myriad Wonders, and Li Zhang (“Unknown Person”) before boarding. Zhang tries to appear professionally aloof, but watches closely to see how Chen interacts with Li. Chen and Li share a brief, warm acknowledgment.
• The researchers and senior professors sit in first class, and Chen is invited to join them. Zhang is seated at the back with the security personnel, which leaves her resentful and feeling socially outclassed.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Suannai remains proud and judgmental, but shows practical awareness of the dangers in Duqin and the limits of cultivators against modern military systems. She struggles to balance her sword-cultivator pride with her assigned role, and is jealous of Chen’s ease with others and privileged seating.
• Gate of Myriad Wonders is cooperative and respectful toward military authority, in contrast to Zhang’s private resistance.
• Li Zhang is quiet and socially awkward in person, keeping his distance from Zhang but responding subtly to Chen.
• Chen Shu is sociable and well-liked by the experts; his friendly manner contrasts with Li’s reserve and wins him a place among the senior scholars.
• Colonel Song establishes firm authority, emphasizing discipline and the team’s dependence on coordinated modern tactics rather than individual cultivation strength.

Significant themes

• Modern power versus traditional cultivation: Weapons, specialized training, and coordinated forces can challenge or surpass individual cultivators.
• Duty versus pride: Zhang must serve as part of a military unit despite her contempt for some people and tasks.
• Social status and belonging: Zhang’s comparison with Chen—especially their different seating—reveals her sensitivity to rank and recognition.
• Communication and connection: Chen’s ability to engage even an awkward Li contrasts with Zhang’s confidence and talkativeness, which do not automatically make her socially comfortable.

Plot points and events

• Chen Shu flies from the Jade Capital to Tasha, the capital of Duqin, with a delegation of Yi Nation experts. The journey prompts reflections on the region’s history: Tasha was once a powerful center of Western Continent, while the Sacred Ancestor’s enormous migration of Huaxia civilization helped secure Yi Nation’s lasting strength.
• During the flight, the Gate of Myriad Wonders uses a Celestial bone ring to perceive people’s importance to the world. Greens, Cocoa, Unknown Person, a Ninth Tier member of the Royal Family, and Zhang Suannai all shine with unusual significance. He concludes that the exceptional talents of Greens and Unknown Person are not signs of the fatal Genius Disease.
• The delegation lands in Tasha and travels under heavy security. Chen Shu sees a crowded but impoverished city marked by theft, violence, homelessness, and rising insecurity, despite the fighting not yet having reached the capital.
• At the hotel, the group learns that fighting near Leche and stalled negotiations with Lanya over the Cube will keep them in Tasha for at least a week. Officials advise them to travel only with guards and avoid dangerous areas, especially after dark.
• Chen Shu asks whether he can choose particular security personnel and plans to explore the city, partly so he can tell Qingqing about it and bring back souvenirs.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is observant and practical: he studies Tasha’s history and present conditions, takes the security warnings seriously, and looks forward to sharing his experiences with Qingqing.
• The Gate of Myriad Wonders gains a clearer sense of the world-changing potential of several companions through the Celestial ring. His assessment of Greens and Unknown Person shifts away from the assumption that they have Genius Disease.
• Zhang Suannai remains comically unconcerned and undisciplined, sleeping sprawled across the seats and barely reacting after falling onto the floor when the plane lands.

Character interactions

• The Gate of Myriad Wonders silently observes his fellow passengers and reacts with exasperated reverence to Suannai’s sleeping posture.
• Chen Shu and Professor Shi receive the foreign ministry official’s briefing about the delay and security risks; Chen Shu asks about selecting their guards.
• The delegation’s arrival is met by Duqin and Yi Nation representatives, with soldiers and security personnel escorting them through the city.

Significant themes

• Geography and civilization: The chapter contrasts Tasha’s vulnerable location with Yi Nation’s defensible heartland, showing how geography can shape the rise and decline of civilizations.
• Instability beneath appearances: Tasha remains busy and culturally rich, yet poverty, violence, and the approaching war steadily erode public order.
• Destiny and influence: The Gate of Myriad Wonders’ vision suggests that certain individuals are marked by their potential to change the world.
• Cultural pride and contrast: Tasha’s artistry and ancient history coexist with poor infrastructure and insecurity, while the hotel’s Yi Nation cuisine disappoints Chen Shu despite its elegant surroundings.

Key events

• Zhang Suannai accompanies Chen Shu, the Gate of Myriad Wonders, and Unknown Person on a sightseeing trip through Tasha, with diplomat Shang Xia as their guide.
• Tasha’s political tensions have badly hurt tourism, leaving the snack street near Mountain Pass Temple mostly deserted. The group samples local food, then visits the temple, where Chen Shu explains why Tasha treats the Sacred Ancestor as its ancestral founder.
• Chen Shu casually asks Zhang to carry his water. She protests that she is a bodyguard, not an attendant, but takes it anyway—partly because she hopes to try the local snacks.
• On the walk back, Zhang privately longs for a chance to prove her protective worth. Instead, she distracts herself with compulsive little “good-luck” rules about leaves, dogs, and paving seams. Chen Shu and the others notice her odd behavior and tease her; when Chen suggests leaving her at the hotel next time, she quickly backs down.
• Back at the hotel, Chen tells Qingqing about the outing and jokes that he might ask the chef how to make the snack if she can make him happy. She loses interest. Zhang separately messages Qingqing, boasting that she protected her boyfriend (whom Qingqing insists she is not dating), only to be brushed off.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Suannai tries to maintain a cool, intimidating bodyguard persona, but her private thoughts reveal insecurity, superstition, and an eagerness to be useful and included. She resents being treated like a water-carrier, yet keeps complying and yields when Chen threatens to exclude her from future outings.
• Chen Shu is relaxed and sociable, drawing Shang Xia into conversation and sharing local history with the group. His easy familiarity with Zhang contrasts with her attempts to act distant.
• The Gate of Myriad Wonders is calm and friendly in person, while Unknown Person remains quiet and socially awkward. Both join Chen in noticing Zhang’s strange manner.
• Shang Xia serves as guide and interpreter; she is initially formal but relaxes as Chen puts her at ease. Qingqing’s brief, dry replies to both Chen and Zhang underline her distance from their teasing.

Significant themes

• Pride versus practicality: Zhang wants the dignity of a capable protector but repeatedly bends to small comforts and social pressure.
• Appearance versus reality: Her icy “robot bodyguard” image clashes with her anxious, superstitious inner monologue.
• Cultural memory and legitimacy: Tasha’s claim to inherit the Sacred Ancestor’s legacy shows how political narratives can become accepted history.
• Everyday life amid instability: The quiet snack street and struggling vendors show how political tension affects ordinary people and local business.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu and his companions remain in Tasha while Yi Nation and Blue Nation negotiate control over the Cube’s unearthed valuables. Fighting in Leche intensifies as each side tries to improve its bargaining position.
• With the negotiations progressing and the fighting halted, the expert team is finally cleared to travel to Leche. Tasha’s police give Chen Shu a commendation banner and cash reward for catching criminals; he divides the money with Gate of Myriad Wonders and Unknown Person, and gives the banner to Zhang Suannai.
• The convoy reaches war-damaged Leche at dusk. Chen sees ruined buildings, bloodstained streets, and exhausted residents, as well as a monk offering food to a badly injured dog.
• The team moves into a hastily prepared, heavily damaged compound. Colonel Song warns that the city is dangerous and tells everyone to avoid going out unnecessarily.
• Chen discovers that, despite his phone showing full signal, internet access is nearly nonexistent. After restarting his phone, he manages to send messages, and satellite data eventually gives him a workable—though expensive and limited—connection.

Character developments

• Chen remains restless and dependent on online entertainment and contact with Qingqing. The lack of internet becomes a major frustration, but he adapts by using satellite data.
• Zhang Suannai grows increasingly bored during the group’s prolonged stay in Tasha and hopes to find excitement by accompanying Chen on nighttime walks. She accepts the police commendation banner.
• Professors Shi and Liu demonstrate their resilience and humility, readily accepting primitive accommodations without complaint.
• Chen shares the reward fairly with his companions, reinforcing his practical sense of loyalty and fairness.

Significant themes

• War and civilian suffering: The struggle over the Cube has devastating consequences for Leche’s residents, whose hardships are visible in the ruined city and desperate street scenes.
• Power and political bargaining: The fighting is presented as a contest between Yi Nation and Blue Nation for influence over the Cube, with control of Leche affecting negotiations.
• Adaptation and endurance: The experts tolerate difficult lodging and dangerous conditions, while Chen finds a costly workaround for his communications problem.
• Modern dependence: Chen’s anxiety about connectivity highlights how much he relies on the internet, even while traveling through a war zone.

Character interactions

• The group chat provides humorous banter among Chen and the others, especially teasing Grandma Always Says and discussing their extended stay.
• Chen speaks with Professor Shi, shares a room with him, and observes the professor’s uncomplaining response to rough conditions.
• Colonel Song briefs the group on the danger in Leche and the limits of their lodging.
• Chen contacts Qingqing after restoring a slow connection; she confirms that the signal is poor too.

Plot points and events

• In Leche, Chen Shu learns from Shang Xia that internet access is unreliable, making video calls with Qingqing difficult. Food delivery is also scarce because the city has only recently emerged from heavy fighting, so the guards prepare dinner themselves.
• Chen Shu asks Gate of Myriad Wonders about a monk he noticed earlier. Xuanzhen identifies him as Dharma Master Tongzhi, the senior brother of Tongdeng from the New Orthodox Temple.
• After dinner, Colonel Song permits Chen Shu and Xuanzhen to visit Tongzhi, assigning Zhang Suannai, Unknown Person, and soldier Zuo You as escorts.
• The group crosses the dark, devastated city and finds Tongzhi sitting beside a dog killed in the fighting. He buries it, then accepts Xuanzhen’s invitation to stay with them.
• On the way back, Tongzhi explains that he came to Duqin after his master challenged him to turn his concern about wartime suffering into practical help. He chose to come protect the vulnerable rather than limit himself to words.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains sociable and curious, but his joking praise of Zhang’s hard work irritates her. He also worries about losing contact with Qingqing.
• Zhang Suannai resents being treated as a servant, particularly when Chen Shu cheerfully praises her for carrying water. On the nighttime walk, she teases Unknown Person about his quietness, though she notices and respects Xuanzhen’s unusual seriousness.
• Gate of Myriad Wonders (Xuanzhen) acts as a respectful guide and host. He treats Tongzhi’s arrival with compassion, helps him bury the dog, and invites him in rather than leaving him alone.
• Unknown Person is much quieter in person than online and becomes awkward when Zhang teases him.
• Zuo You demonstrates professional caution and competence, spotting Tongzhi ahead and reassuring the group with his armored presence.
• Tongzhi is exhausted and uncertain, but his journey reflects a sincere commitment to acting on his beliefs. He accepts the group’s help without much protest.

Significant themes

• Action versus words: Tongzhi’s story centers on the idea that genuine compassion requires concrete sacrifice and effort.
• War’s human cost: The ruined city, displaced residents, and dead dog show how violence harms ordinary life and even the most vulnerable.
• Compassion and responsibility: Xuanzhen’s care for Tongzhi—and Tongzhi’s willingness to protect others—offers a quiet response to the surrounding devastation.
• Humor amid hardship: Zhang and Chen’s banter provides levity, contrasting with the group’s grim surroundings.

Key plot points and events

• Master Tongzhi visits Gate of Myriad Wonders’s room at a military compound. Gate of Myriad Wonders, Unknown Person, Chen Shu, and Zhang Suannai join him and ask about his work in the war zone.
• Tongzhi describes how witnessing the war has unsettled his moral certainty: people can be both good and evil, and war can transform ordinary lives into terrible ones. He wants to help but cannot save everyone or find a clear way to end the conflict.
• Gate of Myriad Wonders suspects Tongzhi is developing a Heart Demon, but Tongzhi reveals the crisis began only days earlier. He recounts hiding while Blue Nation mercenaries tortured and killed villagers, because he was afraid to confront a heavily armed Hunter Unit.
• Ashamed that he failed to act on his Buddhist vow to save others, Tongzhi asks what the others would have done. Gate of Myriad Wonders says he likely would have hidden too; Zhang Suannai describes choosing according to the odds and possibly attacking covertly; Unknown Person remains silent.
• Chen Shu argues that people are imperfect and that one fearful decision does not define a person. He urges Tongzhi to accept the difference between his real self and his ideal of perfect compassion. Tongzhi thanks him, then sits quietly by the window.

Character developments and interactions

• Master Tongzhi moves from self-condemnation toward a more compassionate understanding of human fear, though the chapter ends without showing whether he has fully accepted Chen Shu’s counsel.
• Chen Shu offers the chapter’s central perspective: ideals can inspire people, but judging oneself against an impossible ideal only deepens shame. He treats Tongzhi’s fear as human rather than disgraceful.
• Gate of Myriad Wonders gently probes Tongzhi’s state and recognizes the risk of a Heart Demon. He shares Tongzhi’s likely response to the mercenaries, helping show that fear is not unique to him.
• Zhang Suannai begins with her usual teasing, then responds seriously to Tongzhi’s confession and gives a practical, circumstance-dependent answer.
• Unknown Person remains largely silent, though Gate of Myriad Wonders senses a change in him during the conversation.

Significant themes

• The real versus the ideal: No one is flawless; people should not mistake an admired ideal self for their actual, imperfect self.
• Fear, courage, and moral judgment: Fear of death is natural, and courage is uncommon. A single choice made under pressure cannot fully define someone’s character.
• War’s moral complexity: Conflict can bring out cruelty in people and distort ordinary lives, making simple judgments of “good” and “evil” inadequate.
• Compassion and limits: Wanting to help does not mean one can save everyone, and concern for others must coexist with an honest recognition of one’s own limits.

Plot and key events

• As the night watch ends, Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai leave Master Tongzhi, who asks Chen Shu what he would do in his place. Chen Shu says he would choose as Zhang Suannai likely would: holding on to the people and world he loves, even amid moral uncertainty.
• Zhang and Chen trade playful insults on the stairs. Chen slips into his room before she can retaliate.
• Professor Shi studies a book of early Great Xia legends, hoping to learn about a poorly documented period of history. Chen reflects that the Leche region may once have belonged to Great Xia.
• The next morning, Master Tongzhi departs into the mist, seeming more resolved. Gate of Myriad Wonders worries about him and asks Chen to guess how his path will end. They agree that even understanding the dilemma may not mean they can intervene.
• Chen’s group travels from Leche to a jointly secured mining site, taking a rough detour through a landscape marked by war. There, Great Yi and Blue Nation prepare to open the Duqin Cube.
• The Cube’s entrance is being uncovered and isolated, but the delegations will not enter until the next morning. Chen surveys the multinational camp, recognizes a Buddhist monk from an earlier Cube expedition, and settles in for the night.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu shows his usual practical, self-aware outlook: he values a clear conscience but is unwilling to surrender the people and world he loves. He also remains observant and sociable, chatting with camp members while quietly assessing the situation.
• Master Tongzhi moves from visible uncertainty toward apparent resolve before leaving, though the outcome of his decision remains unknown.
• Gate of Myriad Wonders is troubled by Tongzhi’s departure and recognizes the same conflict in Chen: the tension between honesty and doing what seems right.
• Zhang Suannai and Chen maintain a teasing, combative friendship, trading childish rhymes and insults.
• Professor Shi is absorbed in research into early Great Xia, reflecting the scarcity and unreliability of surviving historical records.
• Chen’s friendly exchange with the fierce-looking but gentle Buddhist monk recalls their prior meeting during the Yuanzhou Cube expedition.

Significant themes

• Moral conflict and personal attachment: Doing what seems right can clash with honesty, and people may struggle to choose between principle and the loved ones or world they cannot bear to lose.
• Limits of knowledge and intervention: Chen and Gate understand Tongzhi’s dilemma but cannot predict or control what follows.
• History and uncertainty: Scholars must reconstruct Great Xia’s past from scant, questionable sources and test their theories against evidence.
• Cooperation amid conflict: Great Yi and Blue Nation coordinate around the Cube despite the region’s ongoing violence and military tensions.

Plot and events

• As the Duqin Cube is about to open, Chen Shu connects with its newly stirred Secret Realms. He cannot choose a single realm, so he briefly resists the connection and uses his Fifth Tier Summoning Art to transfer more than a hundred crates from six unopened realms into his personal Crystal.
• He breaks the connection before authorities can intervene, feeling guilty about rejecting the realms but satisfied with the haul. Most crates contain Spirit Plant-derived Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures; others hold minerals, artworks, and several Spell Artifacts.
• The Yi and Blue Nations halt work on the Cube’s doors after the disturbance draws attention. The next morning, Chen Shu learns that the two countries have agreed to divide the artifacts, with the Duqin Government and the Watchers selecting afterward.
• An international team enters the opened Cube to catalog its contents. The interior resembles the earlier Yuanzhou Cube and contains a floating stone, a glowing stele, crates, and scattered artifacts.
• Chen Shu reads the stele’s inscription—“Eastern Continent” and “Demon God Baiji”—and wonders what the Cubes really are before being called away to work.

Character development

• Chen Shu shows greater control over his connection to Secret Realms, acting quickly and strategically rather than passively accepting everything.
• His opportunistic theft contrasts with his mild guilt and effort to persuade himself to be content.
• He remains curious and analytical, using the stele to develop new questions about the Cubes and their origins.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu quietly observes the Blue Nation’s historians and officials preparing to choose artifacts, while keeping his own successful transfer secret.
• The experts joke nervously about hiding their reactions when they spot valuable objects; masks will help conceal their expressions.
• Chen Shu joins the team’s work after a colleague calls him away from studying the stele.

Significant themes

• Private gain and public scrutiny: Chen Shu’s personal Crystal gives him power to take resources before nations can claim them.
• International competition: The Yi and Blue Nations negotiate over the Cube’s contents amid an unequal global distribution of Secret Realms.
• History and survival: The Duqin representatives focus on immediately useful treasures, while historians value cultural artifacts—reflecting the priorities of a nation under pressure.
• Mystery of the Cubes: The inscriptions deepen uncertainty about whether Cubes are tombs, who built them, and how they relate to the Sacred Ancestor and other Deities.

Key events

• Zhang Suannai spends a sweltering day in the Gobi camp amusing herself with increasingly eccentric antics: balancing on a vehicle’s gun barrel, spinning on an early-warning vehicle, sunbathing, flying her sword through the camp, pestering soldiers and a military dog, and asking for gum.
• In the evening, she talks with the Gate of Myriad Wonders about whether someone she knows—clever, aloof at times, and unusually accurate at guessing—might be an Esoteric Sect cultivator who can read people and glimpse the future.
• The Daoist explains that true Esoteric Sect practitioners are rare and may become isolated by their insight into human nature. Zhang decides her roommate, Ning Qing, does not fit the description: Ning Qing is kind to her, brings her food, and is dating someone.
• Zhang asks the Gate of Myriad Wonders to summon a Sword Master so she can fight, but he refuses because they are on guard duty. He also declines to bring over the Unknown Person, saying he has personal concerns.
• After the Cube Secret Realm’s visitors return, the camp is secured for the night. Chen Shu later tells Zhang, the Gate of Myriad Wonders, and the Unknown Person that the Realm contained unusually few treasures, apparently because someone had removed them. A disturbance had also occurred there the previous night.
• Zhang confidently blames the Blue Nation, and Chen Shu jokingly praises her “insight,” leaving her pleased with herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Suannai is energetic, mischievous, and restless, but still takes her guard duty seriously. Her affection for Ning Qing is clear in the way she describes her roommate’s care and calls her a goddess.
• The Gate of Myriad Wonders acts as a patient, thoughtful foil to Zhang’s impulsiveness. He explains Esoteric Sect cultivation while keeping his own limits in mind and refuses to neglect his duties.
• Chen Shu shares information about the Cube and playfully flatters Zhang’s unsupported accusation.
• The Unknown Person remains quiet, with the Gate hinting that he has something troubling him.

Significant themes

• Boredom and duty: Zhang longs for entertainment and freedom but stays at her post.
• Insight versus assumption: The discussion of Esoteric Sect powers contrasts genuine understanding with ordinary guesswork; Zhang ultimately makes a confident but unverified accusation.
• Human complexity and compassion: The Gate describes how seeing deeply into people can lead to disappointment and isolation, while Zhang’s view of Ning Qing emphasizes kindness and connection.
• Mystery and tension: The missing treasures and unexplained disturbance suggest a larger mystery surrounding the Cube.