Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• After more than a month apart, Chen Shu reunites with Ning Qing and greets her exuberantly. They trade teasing questions about who is a “dog” or “pig,” dragging Peach and Ning Xiaoxiao into the joke.
• That evening, Ning Qing brings Chen Shu washed fruit. They discuss her completed graduation thesis, the valuable items Chen found in the Cube, and her plan to reach the Seventh Tier next month. Chen Shu gives her several high-tier Otherworldly Beast Cores, which she intends to use to make Xiaoxiao obey her.
• The next morning, Ning Qing is cool toward Chen Shu after he kept her up late. He offers to help prune her flowers, but she sends him to make breakfast. He then leaves for the Spirit Sect.
• Chen Shu congratulates the Vice Sect Master on advancing to the Ninth Tier and brings him strawberries from Ning Qing’s travels. He turns over hundreds of crates of artifacts and other finds for the sect and country, keeping only a few Beast Cores and temporarily holding onto a historical autobiography he wants to read more.
• Once the handover is complete, Chen Shu flies back to Jade Capital, eager to have lunch with Ning Qing.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is openly affectionate and playful with Ning Qing, and remains generous about turning over valuable discoveries. He balances loyalty to the sect and country with a few personal keepsakes and resources for his family.
• Ning Qing shows affection through small acts of care, though she remains composed and blunt. She is academically accomplished, advancing in cultivation, and enjoys teasing or asserting authority over Xiaoxiao.
• Xiaoxiao is timid around Ning Qing and tries to avoid becoming the target of her teasing, even sacrificing Peach to escape blame.
• The Vice Sect Master has advanced to the Ninth Tier and responds calmly to Chen Shu’s congratulations and the artifact handover.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through teasing and everyday care: the reunion, fruit, and playful banter show intimacy without sentimentality.
• Duty versus personal attachment: Chen Shu gives most of his discoveries to the sect and country while reserving a few things for himself and his loved ones.
• Cultivation and institutional power: the Vice Sect Master’s breakthrough strengthens the Spirit Sect’s standing, while the wider distribution of artifacts hints at cooperation between the sect and government.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing reconnect through affectionate teasing, shared food, and conversation about studies, cultivation, and family.
• Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao have a joking but intimidating dynamic; Xiaoxiao nervously shifts blame to Peach before finally admitting she herself is the “pig.”
• Chen Shu and the Vice Sect Master exchange congratulations and gifts, then agree on how the discoveries should be handled.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu returns to Jade Capital at lunchtime and joins his neighbors for hotpot. The lively, welcoming meal contrasts with his usually quiet routine and makes him imagine enjoying this kind of life for centuries.
• Online discussion of the Xixiao Cube incident is surging. Chen Shu notices that several polished videos praise Cao Ci while omitting damaging history, and that comments increasingly admire or excuse him. Chen suspects the attention could help Cao Ci build a following, whether or not it is deliberately orchestrated.
• Another video identifies Chen Shu as a young Spirit Sect cultivator and recounts his victory over Zhang Suannai at the University City Martial Body Meet. Chen is uncomfortable with the sudden publicity.
• Chen Shu’s mother calls and angrily demands to know what he has been doing for the past month, revealing that he had kept his recent activities secret. Chen Banxia eagerly eavesdrops and presses him for an explanation, but he refuses to tell her.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Shu enjoys being cared for at the neighbors’ meal, but remains observant and wary about how public narratives can shape people’s opinions. He is also guarded about his own actions and dislikes the attention.
• Chen Banxia shows her usual mix of affection, nosiness, and bossiness. She worries about her brother, teases him, and tries to extract his secrets, even offering to cover for him.
• Zhang Suannai is pleased that Chen Shu likes the food she brought. Later, hearing his mother’s concern, she quietly reflects on how comforting it must be to have parents worry about you. When Banxia asks what Chen Shu was doing, Suannai protects his confidence by claiming she does not know.
• Chen Shu’s mother expresses strong concern and anger over his dangerous, undisclosed activities, reinforcing the family’s care for him.

Significant themes

• Public opinion and propaganda: Selective truths, viral content, and online admiration can reshape how a powerful and morally complicated figure is perceived.
• Family and belonging: The hotpot gathering and Chen Shu’s mother’s call underscore the warmth of being welcomed, fed, and worried over.
• Privacy and trust: Chen Shu keeps his actions to himself, while those close to him try to learn the truth; Suannai’s silence shows loyalty.
• Changing times: Chen Shu recognizes that the internet’s scale and rebellious audiences make it difficult to control a narrative once it starts spreading.

Plot points and events

• Chen Banxia angrily confronts Chen Shu after learning he went overseas to fight Cao Ci, scolding him for risking his life and for helping Zhang Suannai conceal the truth. Chen Shu tries to reassure her, while Suannai feels she has disappointed both Chen Shu and her own friend.
• Ning Qing joins the courtyard gathering and co-opts Chen Shu into massaging her shoulders, prompting Banxia to complain that he has abandoned his sister for his girlfriend. Banxia eventually gives up on the lecture and asks about his thesis instead.
• Chen Shu reflects on the viral coverage of Cao Ci. Cao needs fame and human recognition to win the World Will’s favor and become a god; even infamy can attract followers. The authorities can limit or redirect attention, but the scale of the story and the imbalance between Cao Ci’s need for a few believers and the government’s need to prevent mass recognition make stopping him difficult.
• A video also publicizes the people involved in the operation, calling them national counterterrorism heroes. Chen Shu suspects the authorities may be raising their own public profile as a countermeasure. In the group chat, the fighters joke about who was featured and discuss the Sword Master’s injuries after her clash with Cao Ci.
• A few days later, Ning Qing announces that she plans to attempt a breakthrough to Seventh Tier on the fifth. Chen Shu offers to stay with her, but she refuses to explain how she advanced so quickly without entering a Forbidden Land.
• During a Go game, Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao secretly move Ning Qing’s pieces while she watches sparrows. They deny it until Ning Qing produces surveillance footage. Even then, Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao claim the video was edited, provoking Ning Qing’s restrained but ominous response.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is shown balancing affection and mischief: he placates Banxia, thinks seriously about the political and spiritual stakes of Cao Ci’s fame, and later joins Xiaoxiao in cheating at Go.
• Chen Banxia is protective and anxious about her brother, while also asserting her place in the family. Her scolding is affectionate, though she struggles to find an effective way to keep him in line.
• Zhang Suannai is caught in an awkward position after her attempt to spare people worry backfires. In the group chat, she jokes about being chased and tricked into detention by her companions.
• Ning Qing is calm and self-assured, preparing for a major breakthrough. Her easy rapport with Chen Shu contrasts with her deadpan reaction when he and Xiaoxiao cheat.
• Xiaoxiao mirrors Chen Shu’s mischief, quickly joining the cover-up and even backing his claim that the footage was edited.
• The group chat reinforces the comrades’ camaraderie through teasing, while also briefly acknowledging the injuries and possible future estrangement their dangerous lives could bring.

Significant themes

• Fame, belief, and power: Reputation—good or bad—can attract followers, and public attention becomes a resource in the struggle over divine recognition.
• Limits of control: The authorities cannot easily suppress discussion without causing backlash, especially when a major event is already captivating the world.
• Family worry and affection: Banxia’s anger expresses fear for Chen Shu, while his gentle attempts to soothe her show their closeness.
• Loyalty and camaraderie: The group’s teasing and shared memories provide warmth amid conflict, even as they recognize that future divisions are possible.
• Playful deception: The Go-game prank provides comic relief and highlights Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao’s mischievous bond.

Key plot points

• Chen Shu visits Teacher Shi Qian to ask about thesis requirements. Shi Qian explains the expected structure, word count, images, and mind map.
• Chen Shu shows Shi Qian his revised High-Tier Tracer Technique. Shi Qian recognizes that its Reverse Rune Principle makes the combat array simpler and potentially cheaper and more compact for weapons. However, its high Spirit Power requirement limits practical use to larger weapons with current technology.
• After returning home, Chen Shu pesters Ning Qing while she reads. She resists his attempts to kiss her, but eventually gives in; afterward, she lets him massage her legs so he will stop distracting her.
• Ning Qing says she will attempt her first breakthrough to Seventh Tier the next morning. Confident of success, she attributes this to a secret method she will explain later.
• The next morning, Ning Qing begins the breakthrough with Soothing Potion, an Otherworldly Beast Core, and an Essence-Returning Pill. She asks Chen Shu to carry her back to bed if she loses consciousness, then closes her eyes to begin.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu shows both technical ingenuity and playful persistence. He is proud of his spell design, but also flirts relentlessly with Ning Qing and uses teasing complaints about their long relationship to draw her attention.
• Teacher Shi Qian takes Chen Shu’s work seriously, identifying its practical advantages while acknowledging its limitations. Their discussion reflects a supportive teacher-student relationship.
• Ning Qing remains composed and focused, even as Chen Shu tries to distract her. She is affectionate in her own restrained way: after pushing him away, she allows him to massage her legs. Her confidence about the breakthrough—and her undisclosed method—suggest unusual preparation or ability.
• The chapter’s romantic interaction is built around contrast: Chen Shu is openly mischievous and persistent, while Ning Qing is quiet, guarded, and difficult to unsettle.

Significant themes

• Innovation and practical constraints: A simpler, more powerful design can still be limited by the energy demands and technology required to use it.
• Persistence and trust: Chen Shu keeps pursuing Ning Qing’s attention, while her small gestures suggest comfort and familiarity beneath her cool exterior.
• Long-term study and achievement: The discussion of university graduation and thesis requirements emphasizes the world’s lengthy educational path.
• Anticipation and uncertainty: Ning Qing’s first Seventh-Tier breakthrough is imminent, but the nature and effectiveness of her secret method remain unknown.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Qing spends the day breaking through a Spirit Lock with the power of an Otherworldly Beast Core. She shows little outward pain, though the process leaves her exhausted and damages her body.
• During the breakthrough, she uses surplus Eighth Tier Spirit Power to glimpse a discarded branch of the World Prediction Line: a future in which Chen Shu never existed.
• In that alternate future, Ning Qing becomes a ruthless, isolated Esoteric Sect cultivator and ultimately the world’s strongest Ninth Tier—possibly the Esoteric Sect’s first true Deity, with command over the world’s past and future.
• Back in the present, Ning Qing tells Chen Shu what she saw. She takes an Essence-Returning Pill, then falls asleep in his arms.

Character development

• Ning Qing remains composed and guarded, but her vision reveals how lonely and severe she might have become without Chen Shu. Her brief agreement that the alternate life was miserable suggests she recognizes the value of her present relationships.
• Chen Shu is attentive and affectionate, staying with Ning Qing throughout the breakthrough. He jokes about having “held her back,” but responds gently when she is weak, and takes quiet comfort in her trust.
• Xiaoxiao checks on her sister and jokingly suspects Ning Qing is hiding her pain because Chen Shu is nearby.
• Peach serves as Ning Qing’s self-appointed guard, comically torn between vigilance and enjoying his meat-heavy meal.

Significant themes

• Fate and deviation: Chen Shu’s arrival creates a new prediction line, forcing the World Will to revise its expectations.
• Connection versus isolation: The alternate future portrays Ning Qing’s power as inseparable from loneliness; her present bonds appear to have changed her path.
• Power and humanity: Becoming an all-knowing true Deity would be a form of death for the Ning Qing she is now.
• Care and trust: Chen Shu’s steady presence, and Ning Qing’s willingness to rely on him, contrast sharply with her solitary alternate self.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao exchange teasing remarks about Ning Qing’s apparent lack of pain and whether she is putting on a brave face for him.
• Chen Shu patiently shares food with Peach, while Peach remains focused on guarding Ning Qing and privately judges human food preferences.
• Chen Shu questions Ning Qing about the vision; their playful exchange about the alternate future’s loneliness ends with him feeding her medicine and holding her as she sleeps.

Plot points

• Ning Qing completes a breakthrough to the seventh tier and sleeps after taking an Essence-Returning Pill. Chen Shu carries her to bed, while her younger sister learns that the breakthrough likely succeeded.
• The next morning, Ning Qing wakes with her memories and mindset apparently reverted to age thirteen or fourteen. She calmly inspects the unfamiliar room, her changed appearance, and a photograph of herself, Chen Shu, and Xiaoxiao.
• Chen Shu explains that it is the year 5024, that they are together but not married, and that her breakthrough and pill may have caused her mental regression.
• After teasing each other, Ning Qing asks to wear a black slip dress for Chen Shu. She explores their shared room, noting how closely it resembles a home she once imagined.
• Ning Qing asks whether she may kiss him. Chen Shu agrees only to a kiss on the cheek, and she promptly gives him one.

Character developments

• Ning Qing is composed and observant despite waking confused and partially undressed. Her younger self is more timid and earnest than her adult self, but she shows the same affection for Chen Shu and a direct curiosity about their relationship.
• Chen Shu is delighted by the unexpected return of Qingqing’s younger mindset. He jokes and teases her, but is also careful about her age-regressed state and sets a boundary on physical affection.
• Xiaoxiao appears briefly and reacts anxiously to the news that her sister’s breakthrough may have widened the gap between them.

Themes and interactions

• The chapter explores memory, identity, and continuity between past and present selves: Ning Qing recognizes her future life as the fulfillment of a childhood hope, and insists that her younger and older selves share the same feelings.
• Affection and familiarity remain central even when memory and age shift. Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s banter shows their established intimacy, while the cheek kiss marks a tender connection across her two states of mind.
• Their interaction balances playful teasing with care and boundaries: Chen Shu jokes about her personality and clothing, but declines to encourage anything beyond a cheek kiss.

Key plot points

• Ning Qing, whose memories have regressed to when she was thirteen or fourteen, asks Chen Shu about the life she can’t remember. He explains that the episode should fade within a day and fills her in on her home, studies, friends, and close relationship with her younger sister, Xiaoxiao.
• Qingqing is struck by how closely her future matches what she once imagined. She also learns that she became gentler and formed a friendship she might not have expected.
• Chen Shu introduces Qingqing to Peach, the cat she raised as a teenager. Peach recognizes and approaches her, but Qingqing doesn’t remember the cat.
• Xiaoxiao returns home excited to show off the Green Ladybug, a small artificial-life invention designed to eliminate garden pests. She expects to tease and boss around her temporarily younger sister.
• Instead, Qingqing calmly establishes their power difference: she is Seventh Tier, while Xiaoxiao is Peak Fourth Tier. She orders Xiaoxiao to massage her shoulders, threatening to follow through if refused. Xiaoxiao gives in just as Chen Shu returns.

Character developments

• Ning Qing is lucid and curious despite her missing years. She quietly reflects on the person she may become, and her composed, direct manner quickly gives her the upper hand with Xiaoxiao.
• Chen Shu gently guides Qingqing through her unfamiliar present, teasing her but also patiently explaining her relationships and history.
• Xiaoxiao arrives confident that being an adult will let her dominate her younger sister. Her confidence collapses when Qingqing’s strength and forceful personality become clear.
• Peach remains devoted to Qingqing even though Qingqing no longer recognizes her.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Qingqing share playful, intimate banter as he explains their life together and answers her questions.
• Qingqing’s first reunion with Peach is touching but one-sided: Peach seeks her affection, while Qingqing feels no recognition.
• Xiaoxiao tries to claim the authority of an older sister, but Qingqing’s matter-of-fact challenge turns the meeting into a comic reversal.
• Chen Shu watches the sisters’ power struggle with amusement, interpreting Xiaoxiao’s forced massage as a sign of sisterly affection.

Significant themes

• Identity and memory: Qingqing’s memories have changed, but her clear reasoning and personality remain recognizable.
• Expectation versus reality: The future Qingqing once imagined is unexpectedly realized—and, in her eyes, even more remarkable.
• Family affection beneath rivalry: The sisters’ teasing and competition coexist with a deeper bond.
• Power and role reversal: Xiaoxiao expects age to give her authority, only to be overruled by Qingqing’s superior strength.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Qing, mentally returned to the age of thirteen or fourteen after reaching Seventh Tier, spends the day with Chen Shu, her younger sister Xiaoxiao, and their cat.
• At Chang’an Gate, Chen and Qing take a new photograph in the same poses as pictures from four and eight years earlier. As they walk, Chen tells Qing about the relationship they built in the years she cannot remember.
• Qing asks Chen to carry her, then leans against him during the ride home. As she grows sleepy, she asks whether waking up will send her back to her younger life—and whether that younger self will remember this day. Chen gently confirms she will return, but cannot offer her a way to preserve the memories.
• Qing falls asleep. At six, her twenty-four-year-old self wakes and recalls the day clearly, reflecting that the younger girl who experienced it will never remember it: in a sense, that brief version of her has ended.
• Xiaoxiao remains despondent over being defeated by her much younger sister. Zhang Suannai arrives too late to join the outing, learns what happened, and reacts with dramatic regret.

Character developments and interactions

• Ning Qing is unusually open and affectionate with Chen: she lets him put an arm around her, listens closely to their shared history, asks to be carried, and feeds him candied fruit. Her goodbye is bittersweet because she understands that her younger self will lose the day, while her older self will retain it.
• Chen Shu acts as a patient, tender companion. He recreates familiar memories with Qing, recounts their relationship, comforts her fears, and holds her as she falls asleep.
• Xiaoxiao is numb and humiliated after losing to her younger sister. Her mood improves when she gets to tell Suannai about the extraordinary outing.
• Zhang Suannai misses the experience and is comically devastated when she hears about it.

Significant themes

• Memory, identity, and time: The chapter distinguishes the younger Qing who lives through the day from the older Qing who remembers it; shared identity does not guarantee shared memories.
• Impermanence and loss: Qing’s brief return to childhood feels beautiful precisely because it cannot last, and the younger self cannot carry the experience forward.
• Love expressed through care and shared history: Chen’s gentleness and the repeated photograph show how affection is built from ordinary moments and accumulated memories.
• The pain of being left behind: Xiaoxiao’s bruised pride and Suannai’s missed opportunity provide humorous counterpoints to Qing and Chen’s tender farewell.

Key plot points and events

• Ning Qing and Chen Shu joke and argue about their past, including a kiss from when Ning Qing was younger. Beneath the teasing, Chen Shu admits he is sad to say goodbye to the younger version of her he encountered in a dream. Ning Qing comforts him and explains that their memories might one day overlap, though the chance is slim.
• Winter arrives in Jade Capital, bringing heavy snow. Chen Shu watches it with Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao, then chats with neighbor Zhang Suannai, whose Sword Sect may have withheld her travel payment. They share hot pot and discuss building a pavilion.
• Chen Shu is meant to finish an academic paper but spends much of his time on his phone. Ning Qing brings him rare Wisdom Tea, supposedly prepared by Xiaoxiao to help him focus, and gently points out how little he has written.
• As the deadline approaches, Xiaoxiao reaches Fifth Tier, while Chen Shu remains unable to complete his paper. He explains his procrastination as the influence of “Spirituality Force,” an elusive force that supposedly shapes events and people’s behavior. He even avoids reading Ning Qing’s thesis on the subject, lest it undermine his excuse.
• A group chat reveals that Yan took a picture of Senior Sister Luo Huai’an because she looked adorable, then deleted it when asked. The group’s teasing prompts Luo Huai’an to blame everyone for the chat’s unruly atmosphere. Chen Shu takes the exchange as further evidence that Spirituality Force is distracting him.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains affectionate and playful with Ning Qing, but shows genuine sadness about losing the memory of her younger self. He also continues to procrastinate, inventing elaborate explanations for his failure to write.
• Ning Qing is tender and reassuring when Chen Shu is vulnerable, while retaining her sharp, teasing manner. She is progressing toward completing her studies, with Spirituality Force as the subject of her thesis.
• Xiaoxiao advances to Fifth Tier and shows concern for Chen Shu by arranging Wisdom Tea for him.
• Zhang Suannai is still restless and dissatisfied with her work, and suspects Chen Shu knows more about her Sword Sect than he admits.
• Luo Huai’an and the group-chat members reveal familiar comic dynamics: embarrassment, teasing, and mutual blame.

Significant themes

• Memory and identity: Ning Qing’s past and present selves are linked by uncertain, potentially overlapping memories; Chen Shu mourns the possibility of losing his connection to her younger self.
• Affection expressed through teasing: Chen Shu and Ning Qing trade accusations and jokes, but their underlying intimacy is clear.
• Procrastination and self-deception: Chen Shu reframes ordinary distraction as a mysterious cosmic influence, making his stalled paper a running joke.
• Fate and unseen forces: The chapter humorously invokes Spirituality Force as a power shaping events and individual choices, leaving open how much of Chen Shu’s explanation is genuine.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing move from playful bickering to a quiet, comforting exchange about his sadness.
• Chen Shu, Ning Qing, and Xiaoxiao share the snowfall; Chen Shu also banters with Zhang Suannai before inviting her to hot pot.
• Ning Qing brings Chen Shu tea and confronts him about neglecting his paper, while he tries to justify his progress.
• In the group chat, members tease Yan over her photo of Luo Huai’an, and Luo Huai’an playfully accuses the group of causing its chaotic reputation.

Key plot points and events

• On Winter Solstice, Chen Shu hosts a meal of lamb soup at Neighbor Zhang’s glass-roofed pavilion. He trades Wisdom Tea for premium lamb, and serves it with homemade pickles, pea shoots, and fried dough sticks.
• Chen Banxia arrives late with the fried dough sticks. The group enjoys the meal, and Zhang Suannai enthusiastically explains how to soak the sticks in the soup.
• Chen Shu learns that Jiang Lai has not started his school paper, though Chen Shu has already finished his own. Jiang says he plans to fight in the Martial King Tournament final, then break through to the Seventh Tier and finish the paper before New Year.
• Meng Chunqiu describes Otherworldly Beast Cores, which can help people advance. The little girl wants one, but Chen Shu tells her he has already given the one he obtained to her sister for safekeeping. Unable to get another, she tries to win her sister’s favor by massaging her—while enduring her sister’s criticism.
• After the meal, Chen Shu wonders about an absent member of the Silly Goose Group and the dangers unfolding in Duqin.
• In the Twelfth Month, the little girl begins exams and Chen Shu completes his paper. The friends gather at the Royal Martial Cultivation Hall to watch Jiang Lai’s high-profile tournament final. Jiang warms up to face a Rune-covered Nightfolk opponent.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu shows his generosity and affection through the meal, while gently pressuring Jiang Lai to complete his paper. He and Qingqing arrive at the tournament hand in hand, drawing teasing from Zhang Suannai.
• Jiang Lai is focused on his final and hopes to use the match as a step toward the Seventh Tier, though he is behind on schoolwork.
• Meng Chunqiu is candid about his own slower progress to the Sixth Tier and explains the rare beast-core resource to the little girl.
• The little girl’s ambition to obtain a core leads her to swallow her pride and serve her sister, who accepts the massage but continues to find fault with it.
• The gathering brings together Chen Shu’s friends and companions, including Zhang Suannai, Chen Banxia, Meng Chunqiu, Jiang Lai, Yan Keling, and the two masters, Tongdeng and Xuanzhen.

Significant themes

• Friendship and reciprocity: The lamb-and-tea exchange and the shared meal show how care matters more than exact value.
• Family affection and pride: The little girl’s awkward efforts to please her sister mix ambition with sibling devotion.
• Progress and pressure: The characters measure themselves against one another’s advancement, studies, and upcoming challenges.
• Warmth amid uncertainty: The festive meal offers comfort even as Chen Shu worries about the absent group member and looming dangers beyond the Jade Capital.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu and his companions attend the Martial King Tournament’s final at the enormous Royal Martial Cultivation Hall, where special goggles let distant spectators watch the fight up close.
• Jiang Lai faces the reigning Nightfolk Martial King. He stands still and lets the opponent attack, revealing that his body can withstand strikes that should badly injure an ordinary Martial Artist.
• When the opponent activates his Otherworldly Beast Bloodline, Jiang Lai’s Imperial Beast nature overwhelms him. Jiang Lai then defeats him with a rapid series of blows, claiming the title with startling ease.
• The opposing coach challenges the result, suspecting Jiang Lai has opened a Spirit Sea. Officials confirm he has not. Jiang Lai announces that he has surpassed the normal limits of a Sixth-Segment Martial Artist and expects to reach the Seventh Segment soon.
• Jiang Lai explains that his progress may help establish a path for ordinary Martial Artists to become High-Segment Martial Artists. With the National Martial Artist Research Center, he seeks volunteer Sixth-Segment Martial Artists for further testing.
• After the ceremony, the group congratulates Jiang Lai. Yan Keling offers to oversee his upcoming breakthrough, but learns that Meng Chunqiu has already agreed to do so.
• On the walk home, the group encounters an elderly Esoteric Sect cultivator who knows Ning Qing. Their brief, guarded exchange reveals that Ning Qing has begun cultivating the Emotion and Desire Way and has reached the Seventh Tier.
• Ning Qing explains that the group intends to disrupt the predicted timeline themselves. It once offered useful benefits, but has also become restrictive, and following it is no longer necessary in every respect.

Character developments

• Jiang Lai reveals the full extent of his strength, wins the Martial King title, and becomes a potential symbol of a new advancement path for Martial Artists. Though embarrassed by praise, he recognizes the importance of using the tournament to spread the news.
• Ning Qing shows greater purpose and agency: she is not merely following the established course of events but is now prepared to help alter it.
• Chen Shu remains playful and affectionate, holding Qingqing’s hand and teasing her, but he also considers the strategic consequences of Jiang Lai’s rising fame and the group’s growing public recognition.
• Yan Keling shows concern and eagerness to support Jiang Lai, though he has already made other arrangements.
• Meng Chunqiu continues his competitive banter with Chen Shu and takes responsibility for overseeing Jiang Lai’s breakthrough.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu’s joking exchange with Meng Chunqiu and the group leader establishes the group’s casual, teasing dynamic.
• Jiang Lai’s calm performance contrasts with the Nightfolk champion’s confidence and escalating alarm; the coach’s protests highlight how unbelievable Jiang Lai’s victory seems.
• The group’s congratulations and discussion of Jiang Lai’s breakthrough show their support, while Yan Keling’s offer and Meng’s prior commitment create a small moment of disappointment.
• Ning Qing and the elderly woman speak in terse, cryptic terms, suggesting a complicated history and a difference in outlook. The woman’s cold scrutiny of Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai adds tension.
• Zhang Suannai admits she cannot follow their Esoteric Sect conversation, while Chen Shu asks Ning Qing to clarify it. Their confusion gives way to affectionate teasing as he tries to make her carry him through the snow.

Significant themes

• Breaking limits: Jiang Lai’s victory challenges accepted ideas about what a “pure” Martial Artist can achieve.
• Progress through collective effort: His discovery may open a path for others, but it requires research and volunteers.
• Power, reputation, and faith: Chen Shu recognizes how public acclaim could strengthen Jiang Lai and affect the group’s broader spiritual ambitions.
• Fate versus choice: The characters once relied on a predicted timeline, but now see it as both useful and constraining. They are beginning to choose their own course.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Lai’s Martial King championship dominates the news. His achievement and revelation of a path beyond martial artists’ limits inspire top fighters to apply to the National Martial Artist Research Center, which is seeking domestic volunteers.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing discuss whether High-Segment Martial Artists experience Spiritual Decline. Ning Qing explains that the symptoms resemble those of ordinary martial artists, though stronger Spirit Power could make them worse.
• Chen Shu follows news that the government is reviving the Imperial Sect system. In a group chat, members speculate that the old sect served as a bridge for exchanges with another planet across the Starry Sky. Its lost summoning abilities may have been deliberately discontinued, and renewed contact may have enabled recent breakthroughs in martial arts.
• Ning Qing draws Chen Shu into sharing a bath. Though she initially resists his teasing, they end up bathing together, with Chen Shu trying to respect her boundaries while playfully testing them.
• Later, Chen Shu cultivates with help from the Spirit Sage Mark’s steady Divine Power. He has advanced from the Seventh Tier to roughly its late stage in six months. He ends the night joking with Ning Qing about matching pajamas before embracing and teasing her.

Character developments

• Chen Shu is curious about the political and supernatural implications of the Imperial Sect’s revival, while remaining playful and affectionate with Ning Qing. He recognizes that a lasting relationship requires balancing teasing with respect for her limits.
• Ning Qing remains cool and reserved, but her willingness to bathe with Chen Shu reflects her comfort and closeness with him.
• Jiang Lai is established as a trailblazer whose breakthrough has opened a possible path for others.
• Zhang Suannai is mentioned as someone Chen Shu wonders may have reached the peak of cultivation.

Significant themes

• Progress through pioneers: Jiang Lai’s achievement could transform martial arts, while later applicants help pave the way for future fighters.
• Cooperation across worlds: The revived Imperial Sect system appears tied to technological and cultivation exchanges between civilizations.
• Intimacy and boundaries: Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s relationship combines affection and teasing with an awareness that each partner’s comfort matters.
• Rapid advancement: Chen Shu’s cultivation illustrates how supernatural aid can accelerate progress far beyond ordinary timelines.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu and Ning Qing discuss martial arts, Spiritual Decline, and plans for the New Year, then trade playful remarks about bathing together.
• In the group chat, Chen Shu and other practitioners debate the Imperial Sect’s history and its connection to modern breakthroughs, mixing serious speculation with teasing banter.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing continue their affectionate, competitive joking at bedtime, ending with Chen Shu hugging and playfully biting her cheek.

Summary

Chen Shu rereads the Sacred Ancestor’s autobiography for the third time and comes to see its author not just as a celebrated founder, but as a lonely person who missed home and found his dangerous, ancient world dull despite his extraordinary power. Chen reflects that he is fortunate to live in a more comfortable, connected era. Qingqing quietly keeps his tea hot, while his sister’s lively return from exams leads to playful pen-spinning and tea-sharing. After finishing the book, Chen feels a lingering melancholy. Qingqing watches him from the window, though she pretends not to.
Their neighbor Zhang returns from a poorly paid stint with a skydiving club and treats the household to an extravagant meal, repeating his habit of spending a large share of his wages to celebrate with them.
Later, at the Spirit Sect, Chen gives the Vice Sect Master the autobiography, recognizing that a five-thousand-year-old historical document belongs in public study, even though it may have been left for him personally. He asks that his historian father be considered for the research team. Chen also presents a High-Tier Tracer Technique he developed with advice from Teacher Shi Qian. The Vice Sect Master praises it and asks him to write a technical book for the Phoenix Tower.
Their discussion turns to Cao Ci, who may reach godhood—or die—within a few years and may soon need a Forbidden Land. The Vice Sect Master is upgrading defenses around those sites, and Chen begins researching them. He spends the rest of the month studying, consulting the Vice Sect Master, cultivating, and enjoying ordinary routines with Qingqing before returning to Yuanzhou for New Year.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu grows more empathetic toward the Sacred Ancestor, valuing the man’s private loneliness alongside his public achievements. He also shows integrity by surrendering the autobiography for historical study. His spellwork earns recognition, though the request to document it makes him wary of extra work.
• Qingqing / Ning Qing remains reserved but shows care through small gestures, especially repeatedly refreshing Chen’s tea. Her attention to him is mutual but understated.
• The young girl returns in high spirits after exams, banters with Chen, and shares his tea.
• The Vice Sect Master treats Chen as both a colleague and a younger scholar: he receives the relic, offers guidance, praises Chen’s technique, and assigns him a possible scholarly project.
• Neighbor Zhang expresses affection through generous meals despite his modest income.

Themes

The chapter contrasts public greatness with private loneliness, and historical legacy with personal attachment. It also emphasizes the value of preserving knowledge, the quiet intimacy of everyday care, and the balance between grand dangers—such as Cao Ci’s approaching decision—and the ordinary routines that make life fulfilling.

Plot and events

• On New Year’s Eve in Yuanzhou, Chen Shu takes Chen Banxia, Ning Qing, Xiaoxiao, and Peach shopping. They debate matching cartoon pajamas, then buy clothes and shoes; Xiaoxiao follows their choices with little enthusiasm. After visiting the Seventh Talent Academy and glimpsing the group’s Time Capsule, they return to Mirror Sea to watch and set off fireworks.
• Far away, Cao Ci watches fireworks from his hidden island. He can rarely use Spirit Power because powerful groups are hunting for him. He regards this as the final New Year’s Eve of his life: if he attains Godhood next year, he will leave the world; if he fails, he will die.
• Chen Shu exchanges New Year greetings and checks the Silly Goose Group. Most regular members have reached the Seventh Tier, thanks to their marks; Zhang Suannai is already at its peak and considering the Eighth. The group jokes about who might become the Sword God and whether attaining Godhood means being forced to leave ordinary life behind.
• On the sixteenth day of the first month, Chen Shu prepares to leave for Jade Capital with Chen Banxia, blaming her research schedule. Professor Chen mentions a newly authenticated set of writings by the Sacred Ancestor and plans to visit Chen Shu’s school. Their conversation turns to stocks: Professor Chen’s best investment rose fivefold, but he had invested only two thousand.
• Before the siblings depart, Lawyer Wei urges Chen Shu to give up dangerous work in favor of a safe research career. Chen Shu jokes, earns a slap from Banxia and another from his mother, then promises seriously—though no one fully believes him. Lawyer Wei finally sends the siblings off with a resigned warning to know their limits.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains playful and teasing, especially with Qingqing, Xiaoxiao, and his family. He cares about Xiaoxiao’s practical needs, encouraging her to buy proper shoes for class.
• Chen Banxia takes on the role of an affectionate older sister, guiding the shopping trip and choosing things for Xiaoxiao. She also quietly endures Chen Shu’s mischief, while their easy banter reveals their closeness.
• Ning Qing stays reserved and abstains from choosing between the pajama sets, while Xiaoxiao is trusting and compliant, letting her sister and brother-in-law decide what to buy.
• Cao Ci’s quiet appreciation of the fireworks emphasizes the isolation and weight of his impending fate.
• The group chat shows the cultivators’ growing power but also their anxiety about what Godhood could cost. Their humor and camaraderie offer a contrast to Cao Ci’s solitary outlook.
• Lawyer Wei’s concern for Chen Shu clashes with his joking resistance; her appeal to Banxia to control him highlights the family’s affection and frustration.

Significant themes

• Ordinary joys amid danger: Shopping, fireworks, and group-chat jokes sit alongside the possibility of death or leaving the world.
• Courtesy and connection: The fireworks reflected across Mirror Sea become a gesture of mutual goodwill.
• Ambition and its cost: Characters pursue greater cultivation, yet wonder whether power will separate them from the life they want.
• Family care and independence: Chen Shu’s loved ones try to protect him, while he continues on a risky path of his own.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu and his older sister, Chen Banxia, tease each other while traveling. They bicker over who is smartest in the family, and Chen Shu reveals he has already completed his graduation thesis, titled Improving the Tracer Technique Based on the Reverse Rune Principle.
• Chen Shu gives Banxia a high-quality Storage Spell Artifact obtained through his contributions to the Spirit Sect. Banxia is overwhelmed by its value—and by the fact that it is only a loan the sect will reclaim when she dies. Chen Shu then jokingly tries to exploit her gratitude by asking for a shoulder massage, but she pretends not to hear him.
• After returning to Jade Capital, Chen Shu sends his thesis to Teacher Shi Qian. Shi praises its content and formatting, says it is essentially ready, and advises him to print it later for a final check. Shi also reminds the graduating class that defenses are scheduled for early March and urges everyone to finish their theses.
• Xiaoxiao visits Chen Shu and announces she has signed up for her school’s Arena Match at the Martial Body Meet. She wants to learn spells so she can compete, and hopes to advance to the Martial Arts Division and eventually the Inter-School Tournament.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is confident in his academic abilities and has completed his thesis unusually early. He is generous toward Banxia, though he enjoys teasing her and hinting that she owes him favors.
• Chen Banxia remains playful and competitive, but the valuable artifact leaves her feeling outdone as an older sister. She hides her embarrassment rather than admit how much the gift means to her.
• Xiaoxiao shows a bold, competitive side. Chen Shu warns her that the Arena Match is full of stronger fighters, but the prospect of being beaten only makes it sound more exciting to her.
• Teacher Shi Qian is practical and efficient, eager to complete defenses early and avoid last-minute formatting changes. His praise confirms Chen Shu’s strong academic performance.
• Qingqing and Xiaoxiao briefly interrupt the awkward exchange between Chen Shu and Banxia, allowing Banxia to escape by pretending to fall asleep.

Significant themes

• Sibling affection expressed through teasing: Chen Shu and Banxia compete, joke, and needle each other, but their exchanges reveal genuine care.
• Generosity and pride: Chen Shu’s substantial gift is kind, yet it unsettles Banxia’s sense of her role as the older sibling.
• Ambition and competition: The graduation process and the upcoming martial tournament both emphasize preparation, achievement, and the challenge of facing exceptionally talented peers.
• Youthful recklessness and excitement: Xiaoxiao is drawn to the Arena Match for the thrill of fighting, even when warned that she may be outmatched.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu picks Professor Chen up from the airport and takes him to a hotel near Yujing University. Professor Chen has come to study newly acquired Xia Dynasty artifacts and give a lecture.
• At dinner, Professor Chen reunites with his longtime friend, Teacher Shi Qian. Their conversation turns to the artifacts, which they suspect came from the Xixiao Cube, and to Professor Chen’s assignment: analyzing a copy of the Sacred Ancestor’s Autobiography.
• Chen Shu urges his father to visit Jade Capital more often, joking that flying cars may soon make the trip easier and that their family bonds need maintaining.
• Later, Professor Chen asks Chen Shu to review his lecture slides. Chen Shu suggests consulting the Autobiography for fresh material, adding stories about legendary figures, and improving the presentation. He then reverses his criticism when he learns Chen Banxia made the slides.
• Professor Chen’s lecture takes place at Yujing University on the first day of the second month. Its subject and the Sacred Ancestor’s fame draw a large audience, and Chen Shu and Chen Banxia attend.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains playful, irreverent, and focused on his own pursuits, but he also shows practical support for his father by offering thoughtful advice on the lecture.
• Professor Chen is reserved and independent, preferring a hotel to staying with family or his friend. He is nevertheless willing to seek Chen Shu’s feedback and consider his suggestions.
• Teacher Shi Qian is warm and considerate, concerned that Professor Chen gets a worthwhile research assignment. He also reassures him that Chen Shu is capable and well-liked.
• Chen Banxia shares an affectionate, easy rapport with Chen Shu; the siblings trade food at dinner, and she helped prepare their father’s slides.
• Chen Shu and Qingqing continue their regular cultivation together, with Chen Shu reaching the peak of the Seventh Tier.

Significant themes

• Family bonds and distance: Chen Shu jokingly reminds his father that family relationships need tending, even as Professor Chen’s habits keep him emotionally and physically independent.
• Friendship across time: The reunion of Professor Chen and Teacher Shi Qian shows how old university friendships endure despite years and great distance.
• Scholarship and the past: The newly acquired artifacts and the Sacred Ancestor’s Autobiography may reshape understanding of Xia Dynasty history and longstanding scholarly disputes.
• Different paths and abilities: Teacher Shi Qian recognizes that Chen Shu’s unconventional nature may conceal considerable potential, while Professor Chen accepts that his son follows his own course.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Banxia and Chen Shu watch their father, Professor Chen Jinguang, prepare to lecture. Concerned by his sleepless, exhausted appearance, Banxia photographs him and sends it to his wife, Lawyer Wei, who responds by scolding him.
• Chen Shu posts a teasing preview on the school forum, claiming Professor Chen will reveal major secrets about Emperor Shengzu. The lecture begins before the student he replies to can arrive.
• Professor Chen explains how historians uncovered hidden Xia Dynasty history by reading records carefully and interpreting clues that earlier writers could not state openly. He confirms that the later Xia emperors were not Emperor Shengzu’s biological descendants, and says Emperor Shengzu largely created the foundations of both the Buddhist and Daoist Orders.
• Asked whether Shengzu was a traveler from another world, Professor Chen says the question remains unproven and is less important than Shengzu’s real contribution to the civilization he founded.
• After the lecture, Chen Shu and Banxia decide to invite their father to barbecue, hoping to get him to eat properly. Banxia calls him, with Lawyer Wei’s displeasure offered as leverage. Chen Shu stays behind, absorbed in thought.

Character developments

• Professor Chen appears physically worn down by his research, but delivers a confident, thoughtful lecture. His care with uncertain evidence and respect for historical truth reveal both his scholarly rigor and humility.
• Chen Shu is teasing and observant, but takes the lecture seriously and is deeply impressed. His final, distant silence suggests the material has stirred private thoughts.
• Chen Banxia is playful and affectionate toward her brother and father. She shows concern for Professor Chen’s health and readily takes charge of inviting him to eat.
• Lawyer Wei, though only heard through messages, is shown as caring: her sharp scolding reflects worry about her husband’s overwork.

Significant themes

• Historical truth and interpretation: Truth may survive in indirect clues, requiring patience and discerning reading.
• Evidence and uncertainty: Scholars should distinguish what sources establish from what remains speculation.
• Legacy over origins: Shengzu’s importance lies less in where he came from than in what he built and how he served his people.
• Family care expressed through teasing: The siblings’ jokes and Lawyer Wei’s scolding conceal genuine concern.

Character interactions

• Banxia and Chen Shu trade playful remarks and make a barbecue bet, then collaborate in keeping their father’s condition in view.
• Professor Chen treats student questions respectfully, even when others find them unserious, and encourages independent judgment when evidence is inconclusive.
• The siblings plan to coax Professor Chen into a meal, combining practical concern with affectionate teasing.

Key plot points and events

• Professor Chen is eager to study the Sage Ancestor Cube, but Chen Shu and Chen Banxia insist on taking him out for barbecue. He pretends to dislike the meal while quietly enjoying it.
• The siblings persuade him to take a break and visit Jade Capital during the Jacaranda Festival. Chen Shu also accompanies him to the Historical Relics Administration, where revisiting artifacts proves rewarding.
• Later, Chen Shu asks Ning Qing to proofread his thesis. She catches subtle punctuation and layout problems, and reminds him that the document’s presentation could be better.
• At Yujing University, Chen Shu’s concise thesis on his improved High-Tier Tracer Technique passes Teacher Shi Qian’s inspection without corrections. He then helps other students check their formatting.
• After completing the required printing, binding, and Crystal Chip preparations, Chen Shu returns to his old dorm to help Jiang Lai revise his thesis and reconnect with his roommates.

Character developments and interactions

• Professor Chen is work-focused and reluctant to take time off, but his children coax him into enjoying a meal, visiting the city, and spending time with them. His concealed enjoyment of the barbecue adds warmth to his stern persona.
• Chen Shu and Chen Banxia show an affectionate, teasing sibling bond. They team up to push their father into taking breaks and making family memories.
• Ning Qing is precise and unsentimental, catching errors Chen Shu missed. Her cool response also hints at lingering annoyance that he went to barbecue without her.
• Chen Shu proves capable and responsible: he prepares a clean thesis, helps classmates, and returns to support his struggling roommate. His playful rapport with Teacher Shi Qian and his dormmates shows how easily he brings energy to a group.
• Teacher Shi Qian recognizes Chen Shu’s competence and recruits him to assist other students; their exchange is friendly and humorous.

Significant themes

• Work and rest: The chapter repeatedly urges balance, especially through the siblings’ efforts to pull Professor Chen away from work.
• Family affection and shared memories: Teasing and an outing become ways for the siblings to care for their father.
• Care expressed through practical help: Ning Qing proofreads Chen Shu’s thesis, while Chen Shu assists classmates and roommates.
• Competence and attention to detail: Chen Shu’s preparation contrasts with other students’ formatting troubles, while the chapter also shows that a fresh pair of eyes can catch what an author misses.

Key plot points

• Chen Shu finishes reviewing Jiang Lai’s thesis formatting and tells him to send it to his advisor. Meng Chunqiu praises Chen Shu’s father, Professor Chen, whose lecture he missed after being misled by an online post about available seats and sensational revelations. Chen Shu reassures him that the mistake may have been innocent.
• Back at the dorm, Chen Shu teases Ning Qing over messages. She insists she enjoys the peace and extra reading time without him, though his good-night message eventually prompts her to put down her book and go to bed.
• In the group chat, Zhang Suannai boasts about her award-winning thesis and offers to help others. Chen Shu and the others tease her when Jiang Lai says Chen Shu fixed his formatting in half an hour. Zhang quickly withdraws when challenged to help another student.
• Zhang wakes from two anxiety-filled dreams about theses. In one, she ruins a friend’s thesis by hiring an unreliable online editor; in the other, her own lack of writing skills is exposed despite her past acclaim. She concludes Chen Shu is her “fated rival,” then gets up to begin her day as a sword-hall coach.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu is helpful to Jiang Lai, generous toward Meng Chunqiu, and playfully affectionate with Ning Qing. His practical skill and easy charm contrast with Zhang’s grand claims.
• Meng Chunqiu admires Professor Chen and regrets missing his lecture, but accepts Chen Shu’s calming explanation rather than dwelling on his anger.
• Ning Qing claims she prefers Chen Shu’s absence, yet finds the quiet unfamiliar and responds warmly to his good-night message, hinting that she misses his company.
• Zhang Suannai tries to present herself as an expert, but the group’s banter exposes her insecurity about her thesis skills. Her dreams turn that insecurity—and her rivalry with Chen Shu—into comic disasters.
• The group chat is full of affectionate teasing: members challenge Zhang’s boast, while Chen Shu joins in with a simple “+1.”

Significant themes

• Affection beneath teasing: Chen Shu and Ning Qing’s banter masks mutual attachment, while Ning Qing’s reaction shows how accustomed she has become to him.
• Pride and insecurity: Zhang’s boasting contrasts with her anxiety about being exposed as less capable than her reputation suggests.
• Misunderstanding and generosity: Chen Shu encourages Meng Chunqiu to consider an innocent explanation rather than assume malice.
• Ordinary life alongside cultivation: Thesis revisions, dorm routines, group chats, and breakfast plans ground the characters’ supernatural world in everyday concerns.

Plot points and events

• On March 3, Chen Shu arrives at Yujing University for his graduation defense, accompanied by Qingqing. His supervisor, Mr. Shi Qian, explains that the panel has twelve reviewers and students need at least ten votes to pass.
• When nobody volunteers to present first, Chen Shu steps forward. His thesis describes a major improvement to the Tracer Technique using a new rune set based on the Reverse Rune Principle, which he calls “Little Boy.”
• Chen Shu explains that the improved spell restores the Tracer Technique’s effectiveness at high cultivation tiers. Tests show its explosive power is more than 700% greater than the standard version when supplied with Seventh-Tier Spirit Power. The spell has been patented, entered into the Spirit Sect’s collection, adopted by the military, and is intended for use in heavy Spirit Power cannons. Some details are classified.
• The reviewers are overwhelmed and have few meaningful questions. The youngest reviewer, Fang Duan, asks how long the work took and jokingly asks how Chen Shu’s brain is made.
• Chen Shu passes unanimously. After thanking the panel, he returns to Qingqing, then leaves the defense with her to eat pork trotters in sour soup.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu displays confidence and modesty: he volunteers first, presents groundbreaking work clearly, and credits his supervisor. His achievements reveal how far beyond an ordinary graduating student he has progressed.
• Mr. Shi Qian is quietly pleased as the panel reacts to Chen Shu’s accomplishments; his earlier support and guidance are acknowledged in the defense.
• The reviewers move from skepticism or confusion to astonishment, ultimately voting unanimously to pass him.
• Qingqing supports Chen Shu throughout the day, accompanying him and straightening his collar afterward. When he asks if he looked handsome, she reassures him.
• Chen Shu’s classmates are left stunned by the scale of his research, while the following student’s more routine presentation highlights the contrast.

Significant themes

• Exceptional achievement and recognition: Chen Shu’s work surpasses normal academic expectations and has real military and institutional impact.
• The limits of conventional methods: His research advances by rethinking the Tracer Technique through the Reverse Rune Principle.
• Humility amid success: Despite his impressive results, Chen Shu credits his supervisor and treats the defense respectfully.
• Support and companionship: Qingqing’s quiet encouragement provides a personal counterpoint to the public spectacle of Chen Shu’s success.