Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Ling’an Academy issues Zhang Suannai a school-wide criticism for summoning three Golden-Finned Fish from Long Lake, keeping the largest, and insulting students who watched. The notice says she admitted fault, but Zhang is baffled by its account and more upset about looking cowardly than about the punishment.
• Chen Shu registers for an off-campus arena competition. He exchanges teasing messages with class monitor Wang Weixin, then asks Yan Keling whether she has signed up. She has, hoping to win the prize for the strongest Fourth-Tier competitor and earn academic credits. She is surprised by Chen Shu’s strength and calls him a fake senior brother.
• Chen Shu reflects that Yan’s combat ability comes largely from the powerful High-Tier being she can summon, Lin Jian. Such support makes her unusually formidable for a Fourth-Tier cultivator, though Chen Shu cannot tell whether she is truly a genius, unusually lucky, or simply favored.
• Chen Shu asks roommate Jiang Lai about competing; Jiang has entered but worries he may not pass selection. Chen Shu expects both of them to make the cut.
• Chen Shu uses an ancient-cultivator group chat to gather information about likely competitors. Members compare their schools’ Fifth- and Fourth-Tier fighters, revealing that the Military Academy’s students are combat-trained, Ling’an Academy has Zhang Suannai as its lone Fifth-Tier entrant, and the Daoist and Buddhist academies also have notable contenders. National Comprehensive University is considered weaker on average, partly because it admits many political and wealthy foreign students.
• The chat turns to the Imperial Sect after someone asks about its newly surfaced successor at Yujing University. The group knows little: the sect declined over a thousand years ago, its pact arts ceased working, and much of its history was lost. Chen Shu claims expertise based on his historical research, but the others distrust his habit of charging for information.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Suannai is proud and defensive: she accepts the incident’s consequences as minor but resents the notice’s portrayal of her.
• Chen Shu is confident about competing and treats the arena contest as an opportunity to gather intelligence. His banter with Wang Weixin and Yan Keling shows his teasing, self-assured side.
• Yan Keling is ambitious but realistic about her limits; her special pact gives her a major advantage, and she sees Chen Shu as an unexpectedly powerful rival.
• The group-chat members trade school rivalries and sarcastic insults while sharing useful information. Their joking skepticism toward Chen Shu’s historical claims suggests they know him as a possible opportunist.

Significant themes

• Reputation and face: Zhang cares more about how the school notice depicts her than the formal punishment.
• Unequal power and competitive advantage: A cultivator’s strength may depend not only on personal talent but also on supernatural allies, institutional training, and school resources.
• Knowledge and lost history: The Imperial Sect’s decline has left gaps in the world’s understanding, while historians and researchers compete to reconstruct its past.
• Rivalry softened by humor: The students’ school pride and competitive tension are repeatedly undercut by teasing, sarcasm, and playful exchanges.

Key plot points and events

• Greens and Cocoa explains the Imperial Sect’s history: it rose to become one of the world’s greatest sects, then declined sharply after its cultivators began losing the ability to summon projections of their Secret Pact Beings. He argues the Divine Pact Method itself still worked; rather, the beings had stopped answering.
• He describes the method as a way to contact distant, unknown beings and summon their projections through a channel whose location—and control—remain mysterious. Righteous Vital Energy has found little useful information in the Royal Family’s archives, and Greens hints at further, unproven theories.
• Righteous Vital Energy says the Imperial Sect has returned and assesses its successor as exceptionally powerful: one of her summoned beings is Ninth Tier in its true form. Grandma Always Says counters that she has two powerful swords of her own. The group wonders when the successor will join their chat.
• Chen Shu returns to Yujing University’s project lab, where researchers have made early progress on Thunder Magic that can penetrate spiritual-power defenses. He plans to adapt their preliminary findings for the upcoming competition.
• Chen receives instructions to attend nightly combat training but is reluctant. Shi Qian urges him to take the competition seriously, though Chen remains noncommittal.
• At the training hall, Chen overhears Yan Keling explaining why she cannot summon Lord Lin Jian for practice: each time she does, she must sing him a new song, and she has nearly exhausted the good ones. She offers to summon weaker beings instead, which might give her more practice.

Character developments and interactions

• Greens and Cocoa shows his expertise and curiosity, explaining the Divine Pact Method while playfully extracting red packets from Righteous Vital Energy.
• Righteous Vital Energy shares information about the Imperial Sect’s return and its successor’s strength, while avoiding an awkward direct approach to her.
• Grandma Always Says enjoys getting information for free and boasts about her two swords as a counter to the successor’s overwhelming power.
• Chen Shu is resourceful: he intends to turn the university’s research into a practical combat advantage, even as his laziness makes him reluctant to train. He quietly judges Yan Keling kind for not using Lord Lin Jian’s immense power as an excuse to avoid practice.
• Yan Keling is sweet and somewhat helpless in her negotiations with her teacher, but she is also constrained by the unusual bargain she has made with Lord Lin Jian.

Significant themes

• Power and dependence: Imperial Sect cultivators’ strength depends on whether their distant pact beings choose to respond.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: The Divine Pact’s mechanism remains mysterious, and even Greens’s explanations leave room for speculation.
• Practical innovation: Chen Shu hopes to turn academic research into a competitive edge.
• Humor amid pressure: The group’s teasing, red-packet jokes, and Yan Keling’s song predicament lighten discussions of powerful forces and serious competition.

Key plot points and events

• Teacher Xu holds a combat class for ten students from different cultivation paths, explaining how Spiritual Cultivators and Martial Cultivators fight one another.
• He pairs Chen Shu, a Spiritual Cultivator, with Qin Yuxiao, a Fourth Tier Bright Sect Martial Cultivator, for a demonstration.
• Qin’s first punch fails to break Chen Shu’s Defensive Barrier, surprising both students and Teacher Xu.
• When they begin fighting freely, Chen unleashes a barrage of invisible Sword Qi, then an invisible Tracer Technique. Qin’s Undying True Form withstands the first attack, but the Tracer Technique blasts him across the Arena.
• The bell ends class. Teacher Xu insists the demonstration was unusual and warns students not to assume all Spiritual Cultivators are so formidable.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu displays exceptional, deceptively hard-to-counter offensive power. He remains relaxed throughout the demonstration and afterward recognizes how much stronger the experienced Martial Artist Jiang Lai is in practical combat.
• Qin Yuxiao begins confidently, trusting his training and Undying True Form. Though badly shaken by Chen’s attacks, he survives with relatively minor injuries and rapid recovery.
• Teacher Xu moves from confident instruction to stunned silence when the demonstration overturns his expectations; he then tries to reassure the class.
• Jiang Lai and Yan Keling cheer Chen on. The students’ support divides largely along school and cultivation-path lines. Chen checks on Qin after the match.

Significant themes

• Theory versus reality: Standard assumptions about how different cultivation paths fare in combat do not fully account for unusual techniques or individual skill.
• Preparation and adaptability: Chen’s invisible attacks exploit gaps in Qin’s awareness and defenses, while Qin’s reflexive reliance on his signature technique proves insufficient.
• Skill beyond rank: The chapter contrasts formal cultivation levels with the practical combat ability earned through experience and effort, especially in Jiang Lai’s case.
• The burdens of student life: After the dramatic class, Chen’s thoughts return to late-night cultivation and the lack of time for rest.

Plot points and events

• After training, Chen Shu chats with Qingqing, who urges him to cultivate instead of putting it off. He then joins the Ancient Cultivator group chat, where the members tease one another and welcome a new entrant, “Beauty with Eight-Pack Abs.” Greens and Cocoa explains the group’s mix of students and cultivation paths. The group owner, Righteous Vital Energy, offers military-academy passes to members who want to watch the upcoming Martial Body Meet.
• Chen Shu finally puts his phone away at ten and goes to cultivate.
• In the following days, Teacher Xu repeatedly asks Chen Shu to spar because his spells are unusually powerful—an unwelcome consequence of his earlier quick victory over Senior Brother Qin.
• At training, Jiang Lai faces Qin Yuxiao in the Arena. Chen Shu and Yan Keling bet on Jiang; most others back Qin. Jiang uses sharp technique and his runes to dodge Qin’s devastating aerial attack, then overwhelms him with a relentless barrage of strikes. Teacher Xu stops the match, confirming Jiang’s win.
• Chen Shu cheerfully celebrates Jiang’s victory, then mock-apologizes to the losing bettors, who now owe everyone a late-night meal.
• Yan Keling hints at the military-academy competition and tries to determine whether Chen Shu is Greens and Cocoa. Chen Shu’s evasive response leaves her unconvinced.
• Chen tells Senior Brother Ji that the truly exceptional Fifth Tier contestants are the ones who should feel nervous: being born alongside such prodigies is “a tragedy.” Ji, himself a Fifth Tier student, takes the comparison to heart—until Chen redirects him toward choosing a late-night snack.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains playful and procrastination-prone, but keeps up his daily cultivation. He is sociable with his training group and uses humor to deflect both Yan Keling’s suspicions and Senior Brother Ji’s gloom.
• Qingqing acts like a caring, practical supervisor, firmly encouraging Chen Shu to cultivate and use his time well.
• Jiang Lai demonstrates how technique and rune-assisted movement can overcome an opponent with superior raw power and equipment.
• Yan Keling grows curious about Chen Shu’s possible identity in the group chat, but her assumptions—especially that Greens and Cocoa must be a woman—mislead her.
• Senior Brother Ji is reminded that even outstanding talent can feel ordinary beside era-defining prodigies. Chen’s teasing consolation quickly turns into a request for food.
• The training group’s casual betting and banter show growing familiarity: they are not close friends, but have become comfortable acquaintances.

Significant themes

• Talent versus skill: Jiang’s technique counters Qin’s superior power and inheritance.
• The burden of comparison: Ji’s achievement feels diminished beside rare, elite competitors.
• Social connection and hidden identities: The group chat offers community and information, while members tease and conceal who they are.
• Everyday humor: Cultivation, competition, and even defeat are mixed with ordinary concerns such as milk tea and late-night meals.

Key plot points and events

• Daoists Xuanzhen and his master arrive at a village funeral after the local temple is short of ritual masters. The family gathers to mourn an elderly relative, and the pair conduct the rites.
• Before the ceremony, the master tells Xuanzhen to observe without judging: people express grief and respect in different ways, and their behavior may have reasons that are not immediately visible.
• During the funeral, Xuanzhen notices everything from strained greetings and seemingly false tears to laughter, children playing, and quiet conversations. That night, he sees the same joking younger relatives keeping vigil, and understands that grief need not be publicly displayed.
• Xuanzhen reflects that people are complicated and feels a new sense of calm, recognizing this as a kind of Esoteric Sect cultivation. He is a rare dual-system student, studying Daoist and Buddhist traditions, though his aptitude for Esoteric practice is limited.
• His master tells him to return to the Jade Capital alone. Xuanzhen tries to arrange a meal with friends, but learns that a competition begins soon and the timing will not work.
• On April 20, Chen Shu receives passes to enter the National Defense Military Academy for the competition. The rules allow contestants to borrow standard weapons but forbid bringing their own.
• A friend reveals that contestants may keep the borrowed weapons after the event, prompting the group to apply for them—though Chen Shu calls the idea shameless. He turns and finds Qingqing standing behind him, unnoticed.

Character developments

• Xuanzhen grows more empathetic and less inclined to judge people by appearances. His direct observation of the funeral helps him grasp his master’s lesson.
• Xuanzhen’s master acts as a patient mentor, encouraging independent understanding rather than handing down conclusions.
• Chen Shu and his friends show a playful, opportunistic side as they exploit the weapon rule, while Qingqing’s silent arrival suggests she is observant and perhaps has been watching him.

Significant themes

• Grief is individual: Laughter or composure does not prove someone feels no sorrow; private actions may reveal care more clearly than public displays.
• Avoiding quick judgment: People’s motives are complicated, and one act should not define a person.
• Ritual and change: Funeral rites are described as meaningful acts of respect, even when their spiritual purpose is uncertain; religious traditions also adapt and borrow from one another.
• Learning through experience: Xuanzhen’s understanding comes from witnessing life firsthand, not simply from instruction.

Character interactions

• The master gently guides Xuanzhen before and after the funeral, then gives him the independence to travel back alone.
• Xuanzhen observes the family’s mixed behavior and later reinterprets it through the younger relatives’ overnight vigil.
• Xuanzhen chats with friends about meeting up, but the approaching competition and travel plans complicate their reunion.
• Chen Shu exchanges messages with his friends about the competition rules, while Qingqing appears behind him without his noticing.

Key plot points and events

• During training at the National Defense Military Academy, Zhang Suannai accidentally intimidates a class of cadets while posing as an instructor—then admits she is a visiting student who is lost and looking for the Martial Body Meet.
• At the inter-school tournament, Chen Shu watches other competitors before quickly defeating his opponent in just six seconds. He then heads to watch his roommate, Jiang Lai, fight a Military Academy Martial Artist.
• Jiang Lai’s match is close and intense, with the military-trained fighter initially dominating. Chen Shu loses interest once Jiang starts fighting back and leaves for lunch.
• Chen Shu, Ning Qing, and Zhang Suannai eat at the Military Academy cafeteria. Ning Qing chooses very little food, then quietly peels shrimp for Chen Shu after he asks her to.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains relaxed and confident. He wants to finish his match quickly and treats Ning Qing with casual familiarity, even asking her to peel his shrimp.
• Ning Qing continues to be quiet and reserved, but her easy compliance with Chen Shu’s request reveals how comfortable and close she is with him.
• Zhang Suannai is increasingly baffled by Ning Qing’s behavior. She is protective of her roommate and initially thinks Chen Shu is being presumptuous, but is stunned when Ning Qing willingly caters to him.
• Jiang Lai demonstrates grit in a demanding bout against a well-trained military opponent, though the match is not resolved in the excerpt.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus reality: Zhang Suannai’s commanding act makes the cadets mistake her for an instructor, while her real purpose is simply to find the tournament.
• Different kinds of training: The Military Academy’s fighters are shaped for lethal battlefield combat, setting them apart from ordinary university competitors.
• Quiet intimacy and shifting relationships: Ning Qing’s small, unspoken acts of service suggest a closeness with Chen Shu that surprises Zhang Suannai.

Character interactions

• Zhang Suannai’s confusion and indignation at Chen Shu’s closeness with Ning Qing provide much of the chapter’s humor.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing interact with comfortable familiarity: she praises his performance, follows him to lunch, and peels shrimp for him.
• Chen Shu watches Jiang Lai’s fight with little investment, while Zhang Suannai stays interested and comments critically on the match.

Key events

• Zhang Suannai easily defeats a Fourth-Tier Military Academy Sword Cultivator, showing off the elegant style of traditional Sword Cultivation. Chen Shu admires her flourish, while the match highlights the contrast between the Sword Sect’s spiritually rooted tradition and the King Court’s more martial approach.
• Chen Shu meets two members of the Ancient Cultivator group in person: the monk Tongdeng and the Daoist Pei Xuanzhen. They learn that Ning Qing is Chen Shu’s childhood sweetheart—but Zhang Suannai wants to keep the group and her embarrassing past secret from her.
• Zhang Suannai anxiously watches the three men from afar, afraid Ning Qing will notice their connection. She later warns the group not to exchange conspicuous looks around Ning Qing. Ning Qing notices Chen Shu’s interactions but gives no sign that she has uncovered the secret.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing leave the academy together. She conveniently hands him her phone, already open to the group chat, and the two exchange playful insults during their walk.
• That evening, Chen Shu’s young sister-in-law, Xiaoxiao, asks to attend his match the next day. When he claims he cannot get her an entry pass, she reveals she has already asked Zhang Suannai for one—and recorded Chen Shu promising he would let her attend if he could.
• Chen Shu objects that Xiaoxiao is underage and the Military Academy’s matches can be bloody. Zhang Suannai explains that Xiaoxiao pressured her by threatening to tell Ning Qing that she and Chen Shu were online friends. Chen Shu calls Zhang a pushover, prompting her indignant reply.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Suannai is confident and showy in combat, but comically nervous about Ning Qing discovering the Ancient Cultivator group. Her rivalry with the King Court also gives her victory a traditionalist edge.
• Chen Shu and Ning Qing remain close and comfortable, trading childish jabs. Ning Qing is observant and quietly helpful, while Chen Shu openly enjoys her company.
• Xiaoxiao proves unexpectedly clever and bold, using a recording and her knowledge of Zhang’s secret to get what she wants.
• Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai shift from secrecy and camaraderie to a comic argument over Xiaoxiao’s pass. The group-chat banter also shows the members’ teasing familiarity, alongside their attempts to keep the group hidden from Ning Qing.

Significant themes

• Tradition versus adaptation: The two Sword Cultivation schools embody different approaches, though the narration notes that even traditional systems must change with the times.
• Secrecy and observation: Zhang’s fear that Ning Qing will uncover the group contrasts with Ning Qing’s quiet attentiveness and the others’ poor attempts to hide their connection.
• Playful intimacy and family leverage: Affection among Chen Shu, Ning Qing, Zhang, and Xiaoxiao comes through in teasing, secrets, and comic manipulation.

Summary

Plot points and events

• In the second round, Chen Shu easily defeats a mid-Fourth-Tier Sword Cultivator despite his Laziness Curse. Jiang also advances, while Yan Keling receives a bye.
• Chen Shu then survives a grueling third-round match against a peak-Fourth-Tier Buddhist martial artist. Jiang loses badly to Senior Brother Ji, and Yan Keling advances again through Lord Lin Jian’s strength.
• Six contestants remain: Zhang Suannai, Xuanzhen, Tongdeng, Senior Brother Ji, Chen Shu, and Yan Keling. Chen Shu considers withdrawing, especially since the next opponents will be assigned by lot.
• The draw pairs Xuanzhen against Tongdeng, Zhang Suannai against Yan Keling, and Chen Shu against Senior Brother Ji. Chen Shu is disappointed: the match will be difficult and tiring, but not as hopelessly one-sided as facing the Fifth-Tier geniuses.
• Before the match, Teacher Shi Qian urges Chen Shu to take the competition seriously. When Ning Qing admits she cannot persuade him, Xiaoxiao volunteers to help.
• Just before the match, Xiaoxiao tells Chen Shu that Ning Qing will wear black stockings for him if he wins. The promise is mostly Xiaoxiao’s invention, but her explanation leaves Chen Shu convinced Ning Qing may go along with it.
• Chen Shu’s mood and resolve immediately change. He turns back toward Senior Brother Ji ready to fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains exhausted and reluctant under the Laziness Curse, weighing the cost of competing against the small reward. His resolve, however, can be jolted by personal motivation.
• Ning Qing is blunt and admits she cannot make Chen Shu listen, though her ambiguous response to Xiaoxiao’s suggestion gives him hope.
• Xiaoxiao shows earnest concern for Chen Shu and cleverly invents an incentive to persuade him. Her matchmaking-style meddling is affectionate and effective.
• Teacher Shi Qian worries about Chen Shu’s future and encourages both Chen Shu and Ji to treat their match as a valuable chance to test themselves.
• Senior Brother Ji is Chen Shu’s next opponent and a familiar fellow student; their friendship makes the match more emotionally complicated, even as both are expected to fight seriously.
• Yan Keling is intimidated by her draw against Zhang Suannai, who mocks her confidently.

Significant themes

• Duty versus reluctance: Chen Shu knows the match matters but struggles against the curse and the exhaustion of continued competition.
• Personal bonds as motivation: Xiaoxiao’s concern—and the possibility of pleasing Ning Qing—succeeds where warnings about Chen Shu’s future do not.
• Growth through hardship: Shi Qian frames pain and difficult matches as necessary parts of becoming stronger.
• Competition and chance: The random draw determines the next challenges, leaving contestants to face opponents of widely differing strength.

Plot points and events

• Chen Shu and Fifth-Tier Senior Brother Ji Guanhe face off in a tournament match. Ji expects to win comfortably, while Chen—encouraged by Qingqing—believes Ji’s limited focus on combat makes him beatable.
• Ji opens with powerful Tracer Technique attacks, but Chen counters with precise interceptions, shockwaves, movement, and swordlight. Chen’s tactics repeatedly disrupt Ji, break through his defenses, and force him to expend spiritual power.
• The fight becomes a prolonged battle of attrition. Ji cycles through Tracer Technique, True Flame, and Defensive Barriers, while Chen uses a wide range of spells, conserves his energy, and eventually brings out Thunder Magic that nearly overwhelms Ji’s defenses.
• Both fighters are left almost completely drained. Chen drops his sword, then advances with his fists. When Ji uses his last bit of power on True Flame, Chen evades it by burrowing underground and appears behind him.
• Ji tries to punch Chen, but Chen lands several blows, leaving Ji dazed and apparently defeated.

Character developments

• Chen Shu proves far more capable and versatile than his Fourth Tier suggests. He combines spellcraft, precise timing, movement, endurance, and physical combat, adapting quickly as the fight changes.
• Ji Guanhe begins confident that his higher tier will ensure victory, but grows increasingly frustrated, humbled, and anxious as Chen keeps countering him. His dedication to inventing practical spells has left him less battle-focused, though his skill and resilience remain evident.
• Qingqing’s confidence in Chen is borne out; her presence also distracts him briefly, as he privately thinks about her black stockings.

Significant themes

• Tier is not destiny: raw cultivation rank does not guarantee victory; technique, preparation, adaptability, and experience matter.
• Practical talent versus combat specialization: Ji’s inventive spell research has value, but his lack of focus on fighting becomes a disadvantage in the arena.
• Resourcefulness and versatility: Chen succeeds by exploiting the arena, varying his tactics, and fighting beyond the expectations attached to a Spiritual Cultivator.
• Public pressure and pride: Ji’s desire to impress watching sect officials makes his worsening performance especially humiliating.

Character interactions

• Chen and Ji treat each other as junior and senior brothers, but the match steadily turns into a fierce contest of tactics and endurance.
• Ji’s concern about appearing weak before the elders and officials shapes his decision to fight seriously.
• Their final exchange abandons spell combat: Chen uses the arena’s earthen ground to get behind Ji, and the two briefly resort to physical blows.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu defeats Senior Brother Ji, a Fifth Tier from the Spirit Sect, despite being only Fourth Tier. He wins through a mix of spells and close-quarters combat, leaving Ji stunned but gracious in defeat.
• The victory shocks the gathered students, teachers, sect elders, and other contestants. Chen Shu is injured by true-fire spiritual power and the strain on his body and Spirit Sea, but doctors judge the damage recoverable.
• In the campus clinic, Teacher Shi Qian praises Chen Shu and hints that the Spirit Sect may want him to join. He asks Chen Shu to consider the offer without rushing into a decision.
• Ning Qing, Xiaoxiao, and Zhang Suannai visit Chen Shu. While recovering, Chen Shu jokes and banters with Qingqing, then asks her to feed him. Though she initially refuses, she leaves to get the food he requests—and is ultimately shown feeding him, with Xiaoxiao ready to help.
• Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai secretly message in their shared group chat while sitting together, taking care not to reveal their membership to Qingqing. The chat also jokes about Chen Shu’s extraordinary talent and his “genius disease.”

Character developments

• Chen Shu proves that his strength exceeds expectations, earning widespread respect and raising questions about how unusual his talent is. Even while exhausted and hurt, he stays playful and shamelessly uses his injuries to seek Qingqing’s care.
• Senior Brother Ji accepts his defeat without resentment, reasoning that Chen Shu’s exceptional ability makes the loss understandable.
• Ning Qing remains outwardly cool and restrained, but her concern shows in her questions about Chen Shu’s condition and in her decision to bring him food and feed him.
• Zhang Suannai is unsettled by Chen Shu’s victory, which challenges her sense of being uniquely gifted. She is also astonished—and somewhat alarmed—by Chen Shu and Qingqing’s intimate, teasing dynamic.
• Teacher Shi Qian becomes more openly interested in Chen Shu’s future, suggesting the Spirit Sect may seek to recruit him.

Significant themes

• Talent and expectations: Chen Shu’s victory disrupts assumptions about the limits of rank and makes others reconsider what counts as exceptional genius.
• Ambition and choice: The possible Spirit Sect invitation introduces a new path for Chen Shu, but he is encouraged to decide in his own time.
• Care beneath restraint: Qingqing rarely expresses emotion openly, yet her actions reveal her concern for Chen Shu.
• Humor and intimacy: Banter, teasing, and Chen Shu’s exaggerated helplessness turn recovery into a playful test of affection.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu apologizes to Senior Brother Ji after the match, while Ji responds magnanimously.
• Shi Qian praises Chen Shu and raises the prospect of joining the Spirit Sect, but leaves the decision open.
• Qingqing checks on Chen Shu and resists his demands for attention before eventually indulging him; Xiaoxiao follows her sister and assists.
• Chen Shu and Zhang Suannai exchange covert messages in their group chat, maintaining a shared secret while Qingqing sits nearby.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu enjoys an elaborate meal in the infirmary, with Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao attending to him. Zhang Suannai briefly tries to interrupt, but Chen sends her away.
• At Arena One, Zhang and Ning wish Yan Keling good luck before the matches. Zhang is touched when Ning also wishes her luck, but then makes Yan more nervous by boasting that she will defeat her instantly.
• Zhang faces Yan, who summons the mysterious beast Lin Jian through the Imperial Sect’s Divine Contract Secret Art. Lin Jian’s spiritual power proves unusually potent, while Yan also displays impressive sword skills.
• Despite Yan’s strong showing, Zhang’s higher tier and superior ability overwhelm her. Zhang wins in about thirty seconds, leaving Yan with only minor injuries but a likely psychological blow.
• Zhang celebrates and tries to tease the Sword Sect’s elders, who turn the tables and embarrass her. She then seeks approval from Ning, but Ning says Zhang looked awful when she asks whether she was cooler than Chen.
• While waiting for the Dao-Buddhist Dispute, Chen naps with his head on Qingqing’s lap and sends Xiaoxiao to buy him lemon soda. Zhang watches the scene, then quietly leaves.
• Near three o’clock, the final match is about to begin: Green-Lamp Ancient Buddha of the Buddhist Order faces Gate of Myriad Wonders, who has already activated the Daoist Divine Invocation Technique.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains shamelessly indulgent, leaning on others to feed and care for him and treating rest as a remedy for his injury and laziness.
• Zhang Suannai shows both confidence and a need for affection and recognition. Her decisive victory confirms her strength, but her eagerness to provoke others and seek praise also makes her vulnerable to teasing.
• Yan Keling demonstrates far greater combat ability than her cultivation level suggests. Her summoned partner, Lin Jian, reveals mysterious and exceptionally refined spiritual power, though Yan still cannot overcome Zhang.
• Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao continue to indulge Chen, while offering kindness to their roommates and peers.

Significant themes

• Power and limitation: Yan’s secret art and Lin Jian’s unusual abilities are formidable, but her own tier and combat limitations remain decisive.
• Confidence versus insecurity: Zhang’s swagger coexists with a strong desire for others’ approval; Yan’s anxiety contrasts with her capable performance.
• Comedic dependence and affection: Chen’s laziness and the women’s patient care create much of the chapter’s humor and reveal their comfortable intimacy.

Character interactions

• Chen relies on Ning and Xiaoxiao for food, comfort, and errands, while brushing aside Zhang’s attempts to interfere.
• Zhang and Yan’s match pairs Zhang’s casual dominance against Yan’s determination and Lin Jian’s power.
• Afterward, Zhang seeks praise from Ning and compares herself with Chen, only to be bluntly dismissed.
• Qingqing silently allows Chen to use her lap as a pillow; Xiaoxiao obediently fetches his drink, while Zhang observes and withdraws.

Key plot points and events

• The chapter explains the Daoist Order’s Spirit-Invoking Art: a practitioner links to a complete historical record of a deceased figure, temporarily gaining that person’s memories, abilities, and spiritual characteristics. The summoned figure can refuse, must understand the purpose, and cannot be used for improper acts. The technique has numerous limits and risks, so Daoist disciples study history closely.
• In the arena, Green-Lamp Ancient Buddha invokes the Sword Master Chu Xiaoran, appearing as Gate of Myriad Wonders. Chu recognizes his opponent as the Buddhist disciple Tongdeng and eagerly demands a fight.
• Tongdeng transforms into a Three-Headed, Six-Armed Demon-Subduing Golden Body and uses his full power. Chu relies on agile movement and a standard sword rather than formal Sword Sect techniques, taunting Tongdeng throughout.
• After ten minutes, Tongdeng is badly wounded and nearly out of spiritual energy, while Chu has only minor injuries. Chu briefly addresses the Sword Sect descendants, praises Zhang Suannai, and insults the King Court before the borrowed power runs out and the young Daoist returns to himself. Tongdeng is declared the winner.
• Chen Shu notices matching-looking, unfamiliar marks on both fighters and photographs them. After the match, he tries—and fails—to persuade Qingqing to wear black stockings; she insists the idea was never agreed to and refuses.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xiaoran is revealed as a swaggering, irreverent warrior who enjoys fighting even after death. His easy rapport with the Sword Sect reflects its casual attitude toward its own elders.
• Tongdeng remains polite and composed throughout, greeting Chu respectfully and fighting with determination despite the overwhelming assault.
• Chen Shu and Qingqing continue their playful, argumentative banter. Chen Shu is persistent and shameless; Qingqing is firm and dryly amused. The little girl silently avoids getting involved and enjoys observing her unfamiliar surroundings.
• Zhang Suannai watches the match in a daze, apparently energized by the prospect of challenging the opponent who defeated a legendary Sword Master.

Significant themes

• History as a living resource: the Spirit-Invoking Art turns recorded history into temporary power, while raising questions about identity, consent, and the limits of using the dead.
• Legacy and irreverence: the Sword Sect honors its predecessors by summoning them, yet treats them more like familiar companions than distant authorities.
• Composure and spectacle: Tongdeng’s restraint contrasts with Chu’s exuberant, playful aggression.
• Everyday comedy: the dramatic arena battle gives way to mundane teasing, highlighting the chapter’s lighthearted tone.

Plot and key events

• Chen Shu visits Ning Qing on the eve of her month-long seclusion. She explains that she will remain in a sealed, pitch-black, completely soundproof room to detach herself from the world and deepen her understanding of its laws.
• Their teasing conversation reveals their closeness: Chen Shu complains about the separation and jokes about her black stockings, while Qingqing indulges him briefly before setting firm limits.
• Qingqing says she is afraid of the seclusion—not of darkness itself, but of going a month without seeing or speaking to Chen Shu. She tells him she will miss him.
• The next day, Qingqing prepares the room and instructs Xiaoxiao to bring food and water through a two-door hatch twice daily. Xiaoxiao remembers the instructions but jokes about the potato rule, prompting Qingqing to scold and hit her.
• Before entering, Qingqing reminds Chen Shu to miss her. He promises to sing for her and bring her food. She seals herself inside, and the soundproofing array activates.

Character developments

• Ning Qing remains composed and disciplined, but her admission that she fears missing Chen Shu exposes her vulnerability and affection. Her choice to undergo the difficult practice also reflects her commitment to her path.
• Chen Shu masks his distress at their separation with jokes, flirtation, and exaggerated complaints. Beneath the humor, he is genuinely attached and promises to support her.
• Xiaoxiao is mischievous and resistant to being managed, especially when potatoes are involved; Qingqing’s attempts to discipline her have little effect.

Relationships and interactions

• Chen Shu and Qingqing trade playful banter, but their affection is clear in their concern over the month apart and their promises before she leaves.
• Qingqing relies on Xiaoxiao to care for her during seclusion, though their sisterly relationship is marked by bickering and ineffective discipline.
• Chen Shu’s humor lightens the farewell, while Qingqing’s request to be remembered makes the emotional stakes explicit.

Significant themes

• Loneliness and discipline: Qingqing’s practice demands isolation and silence as a means of spiritual insight.
• Affection across separation: Their bond gives Qingqing comfort even when she cannot hear or see Chen Shu.
• Humor and vulnerability: Playful teasing conceals, but ultimately reveals, how deeply both characters care about the impending separation.

Key events

• With Qingqing away in Yuanzhou for family matters, Chen Shu stays at the courtyard with Xiaoxiao. He chats with the Ancient Cultivator group using Qingqing’s phone, discovering she had set it up to recognize his face and fingerprint.
• The group discusses the upcoming match between Zhang Suannai (“Grandma”) and Green-Lamp Ancient Buddha, then debates mysterious marks visible on some cultivators. Chen Shu learns the marks may be connected to joining the Spirit Sect, but gets no clear explanation.
• On April 26, Chen Shu returns to the project lab feeling unusually listless. Teacher Lan Ming finds no remaining trace of the Curse, though Chen Shu eagerly blames lingering “aftereffects” for his laziness.
• Shi Qian explains the Spirit Sect’s close ties to the university and invites Chen Shu to join. Membership offers education, cultivation resources, spells, and other support; given Chen Shu’s talent, the sect would likely place few demands on him and might eventually groom him as its leader.
• Chen Shu accepts immediately, having already considered the choice and even consulted a fortune-teller. Shi Qian is surprised when Chen Shu adds that he holds conversion certificates from both the Buddhist Order and Daoist Order, obtained for free food and lodging.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains laid-back and mischievous, using jokes and excuses to dodge effort, but he has already made a serious decision about his future. He also shows curiosity about the marks, despite pretending not to care.
• Xiaoxiao quietly stays with Chen Shu while watching a documentary; the group chat reveals that she is caring for her sister’s flowers and will rely mostly on takeout, with Chen Shu offering to cook for her sometimes.
• Zhang Suannai teases Chen Shu by demanding he beg her for information about the marks, while other group members offer guesses or avoid explaining. Shi Qian, acting as both mentor and Spirit Sect member, gives Chen Shu a candid account of the benefits and obligations before respecting his choice.
• Chen Shu’s matter-of-fact humor repeatedly catches Shi Qian off guard, especially his “aftereffects” excuse and his unconventional religious conversion certificates.

Significant themes

• Choice and changing traditions: Modern sect membership is governed by law and contracts rather than ancient-style compulsory service, allowing Chen Shu to weigh practical advantages against future obligations.
• Curiosity and withheld knowledge: The group’s cryptic discussion of the marks suggests hidden customs and mysteries surrounding sect affiliation.
• Humor and responsibility: Chen Shu’s comic laziness contrasts with the serious opportunities opening before him, while his acceptance hints that he is more thoughtful about his future than he lets on.

Key plot points and events

• Back at the dorm, Chen Shu treats himself to expensive fruit using Qingqing’s money, joking that he is helping ease her financial burden.
• His roommates, Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai, praise his recent achievement: placing among the top three and defeating a Fifth Tier Spirit Sect genius while Chen is only Fourth Tier. Chen downplays his fame while secretly seeking out online discussions and posting provocatively to draw out more details.
• Missing Qingqing, Chen uses her phone to send himself “I love you,” then replies from his own phone, deciding to make it a daily ritual. With Qingqing away, he enjoys a carefree day of snacks and videos.
• At the Military Academy No. 1 Arena, Chen meets the group leader formally and chats with Gate of Myriad Wonders. Yan Keling joins them, and Chen shares the snacks he brought.
• Zhang Suannai and Green-Lamp Ancient Buddha fight fiercely in the championship bout. Although Zhang is the more experienced fighter, arena rules disadvantage her Sword Sect style by denying her the use of her own swords. She nevertheless wears down Green-Lamp’s Buddhist Golden Body and wins by breaking it with a sword strike.
• After the match, Chen notices a tall, slender figure quietly leaving the area.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains boastful and attention-seeking beneath his claims of modesty: he enjoys reading about his fame and deliberately provokes forum users. He also shows affection for Qingqing through his playful message, while taking advantage of her absence to relax.
• Meng Chunqiu is increasingly impressed by Chen’s abilities; Jiang Lai reinforces Chen’s growing reputation by describing the school’s excitement.
• Chen, the group leader, and Gate of Myriad Wonders share a wary, joking rapport. Chen and the group leader silently acknowledge a secret they do not want “Grandma” to hear, leaving Gate curious.
• Zhang Suannai displays discipline and resilience, adapting to the arena’s restrictions and pressing her advantage through superior combat experience. Her brief frustration at not being able to use her own sword gives way to renewed determination.
• Chen’s companions happily eat the snacks he brought, despite initially hesitating.

Significant themes

• False modesty and fame: Chen insists he dislikes showing off even as he eagerly follows—and fuels—public attention.
• Adaptation under constraints: Zhang’s victory shows how skill and experience can overcome rules that disadvantage a fighter’s usual style.
• The value of combat experience: Zhang’s constant training gives her an edge over Green-Lamp, whose opportunities for serious fights are limited by modern life.
• Affection through playful habits: Chen’s message exchange with Qingqing conveys intimacy and humor amid his self-indulgence.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu and several group-chat members leave the Arena after Yan Keling’s match. Yan Keling asks Righteous Vital Energy to help her contact Highness Cinnabar, whose music she admires; he agrees to ask first.
• Zhang Suannai messages the group to boast about winning the championship, but Chen Shu and the others ignore her. Chen later teases her in the chat, prompting an angry reaction.
• Chen Shu meets Jiang Lai, and they celebrate the end of the competition with a free meal at the Military Academy cafeteria. Chen reveals he bought a genuine, though very small, storage artifact and uses it to produce takeout boxes. The two pack up several meals to take back.
• While checking on the Spirit Sect, Chen Shu reflects on how modern sects have adapted to government authority: some have declined, while others earn money through research, education, business, tourism, or military ties. The Spirit Sect is particularly prosperous, and Chen considers his possible future as its young master without feeling especially changed by it.
• Back at home, Chen prunes the courtyard flowers, arranges some in a vase, and cleans up the fallen petals. He then questions Xiaoxiao about what she brought her sister for breakfast. She clarifies that it was chicken drumsticks with potatoes, and Chen accepts her answer.
• The chapter closes with a note that there will be only one update that day because it is Jasmine’s eighteenth birthday.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains casual and resourceful. He uses his storage artifact to help Jiang Lai carry food, enjoys teasing Zhang Suannai, and takes quiet pride in caring for the courtyard.
• Jiang Lai is initially embarrassed about taking so much food, but relaxes when Chen Shu explains that they are packing meals for practical reasons.
• Yan Keling shows admiration for Highness Cinnabar’s music and hopes to learn more about the musician behind it.
• Righteous Vital Energy offers to help Yan Keling make contact, while keeping his royal-family connection matter-of-fact.
• Xiaoxiao gives Chen Shu a precise correction about breakfast, showing she is willing to stand her ground when questioned.

Significant themes

• Modernity and tradition: Sects have lost much of their old political and territorial power, so their survival depends on adapting to modern institutions and commerce.
• Practicality and unpretentiousness: Chen Shu treats valuable possessions, potential status, and free food in a straightforward, undramatic way.
• Everyday care and domestic life: Gardening, sharing meals, and checking on Xiaoxiao’s breakfast provide a gentle contrast to the Arena’s competitive atmosphere.
• Social ties through ordinary exchanges: Food, teasing, and small favors strengthen friendships and keep the group’s relationships lively.

Character interactions

• Yan Keling respectfully asks Righteous Vital Energy for help contacting Cinnabar; he agrees to approach her first.
• Chen Shu and Jiang Lai share a meal, discuss the storage artifact, and pack food together. Chen also reassures Jiang Lai that taking leftovers is nothing to be embarrassed about.
• Chen Shu playfully provokes Zhang Suannai in the group chat, while the others collectively decline to indulge her championship boasting.
• Chen Shu questions Xiaoxiao about her sister’s breakfast, and she firmly explains what she brought.

Key plot points and events

• While Xiaoxiao watches television, Chen Shu uses her and Ning Qing’s phones to keep up appearances in their group chats. He jokes with friends about the flowering plants, then answers Zhang Suannai’s backlog of messages from Ning Qing’s account.
• Zhang Suannai grows alarmed when Chen Shu’s vague reference to Ning Qing’s parents conflicts with something Xiaoxiao previously told her. Chen Shu lets the misunderstanding resolve through Xiaoxiao, then tells Zhang to stop messaging so often.
• Chen Shu prepares cumin-and-garlic roasted potatoes for Xiaoxiao, who eagerly chooses the dish. He also cooks sweet-and-sour razor clams and spicy three-pepper pork, sending Ning Qing a bowl of rice topped with both.
• Before returning to his dorm for class, Chen Shu asks Xiaoxiao to bring Ning Qing another meal the next morning. Xiaoxiao misunderstands and plans to make her sister mashed potatoes with pork.
• The scene shifts to Ning Qing’s soundproof, lightless room. Isolated from all outside sound and light, she struggles with loneliness and loses track of time, using Xiaoxiao’s twice-daily meal deliveries to estimate the days.
• Ning Qing gradually adapts to the severe sensory deprivation by observing her own body and thoughts. She recognizes Chen Shu’s presence through the food he sends and ends the chapter wondering whether he might be singing outside.

Character development

• Chen Shu is resourceful and considerate: he manages Ning Qing’s messages, reassures Zhang Suannai indirectly, and shows affection through cooking and arranging meals despite being away for class.
• Ning Qing demonstrates discipline and resilience, adapting to the isolation while remaining emotionally connected to Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao. Her small smiles reveal how much his care means to her.
• Xiaoxiao is eager to please and enthusiastic about food, though her misunderstanding of Chen Shu’s instructions adds a gentle comic note.
• Zhang Suannai is openly affectionate and persistent, but her concern can quickly turn into anxious speculation.

Significant themes

• Connection across isolation: Messages and meals become ways for the characters to care for one another despite distance and silence.
• Endurance and self-awareness: Ning Qing meets deprivation by studying her own sensations and adapting to the room’s rules.
• Care expressed through ordinary acts: Cooking, checking in, and making sure someone is fed carry emotional weight.
• Humor and misunderstanding: Playful food talk and confusing messages temper the chapter’s more unsettling portrayal of isolation.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu playfully impersonates Ning Qing in her chat with Zhang Suannai, while Xiaoxiao helps clear up the confusion.
• Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao bond over food: she picks roasted potatoes, and he gives her instructions for preparing Ning Qing’s next meal.
• Chen Shu’s meals reach Ning Qing through Xiaoxiao, and she interprets their changing contents as signs of his attention.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Shu sings a sentimental love song outside Qingqing’s room, then follows it with a goofy song about being a father. The contrast leaves him cheerful and unembarrassed.
• On the university forums, Chen Shu discovers that Zhang Suannai has become the center of attention after winning the Martial Body Meet. Her posts, all made under the username “Zhang Fishball,” praise her own fighting skill and looks while pretending to be different kinds of fans.
• Chen Shu resents that Suannai has taken the spotlight—and the fans he hoped to gain—but accepts that he cannot compete with her shameless self-promotion.
• In a group chat, Suannai advises another student on selling a damaged tournament sword for an inflated price, marketing it as a limited-edition weapon that fought her. She then teases Chen Shu about his fading fame as a genius.
• Chen Shu retaliates by posting screenshots exposing Suannai’s forum antics and matching Feixin nickname. The group piles on with teasing reactions. Suannai goes quiet, then asks to be made group admin; the others joke that she would drive everyone out. She vows not to return, while the group bets on how soon she will.
• In the Eastern Palace, Meng Haoran asks his cousin Vermilion Sand to connect with Yan Keling, a Chinese Music Sect senior. Vermilion Sand agrees, explaining that she already works with the sect through her younger cousin’s roommate—Chen Shu—and praises his singing and musical advice.

Character developments

• Chen Shu remains playful and self-aware, but his irritation at being eclipsed reveals his vanity and desire for recognition. He gets his revenge through humor rather than direct confrontation.
• Zhang Suannai emerges as both a formidable champion and a shameless self-promoter. She can dish out teasing but is conspicuously silent when Chen Shu exposes her.
• Vermilion Sand shows initiative and openness, agreeing to contact Yan Keling while clarifying her existing connection to Chen Shu.
• Meng Haoran is considerate in making clear that his cousin is under no pressure to help.

Significant themes

• Fame and public attention: Online popularity shifts quickly, and Chen Shu feels the sting of being replaced as the main topic.
• Self-presentation and hypocrisy: Suannai carefully manufactures admiration by posing as multiple fans, turning her victory into a personal publicity campaign.
• Friendly rivalry and online humor: The group chat turns competition into teasing, wagers, and playful retaliation.
• Unexpected connections: Chen Shu’s musical reputation links people across different circles, even when he is not present.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu’s private singing contrasts his public jokes and competitive banter.
• Suannai and Chen Shu trade barbs in the group chat: she mocks his fading fame, and he exposes her online identities.
• The group members act as an amused audience, joining in the teasing and betting on Suannai’s return.
• Meng Haoran carefully offers Vermilion Sand a choice; she responds enthusiastically and explains how Chen Shu already serves as her link to the Chinese Music Sect.

Key plot points

• Chen Shu finds Yan Keling’s forum post selling the military sword she used at the Martial Body Meet. He replies to advertise his own sword in her thread, then repeats the message across other forums. His sword sells for 25,000 mi.
• Yan Keling receives strong interest in her damaged sword and sells it to the first serious buyer rather than raising the price or provoking a bidding war.
• Thinking ahead to the next Martial Body Meet in two years, Yan Keling resolves to reach Fifth Tier and restore the Imperial Sect’s glory. She sees Chen Shu as her toughest potential opponent.
• Yan Keling learns that Chen Shu has connections to the Chinese Music Sect and asks him for help finding new songs. Chen Shu says the sect is hidden and inaccessible to outsiders, but promises she may get new songs through Highness Cinnabar.
• Chen Shu contacts Cinnabar and offers her two songs, including “Listen to Mom” and “Listening to Rain at Night in a Small Tower Beyond the Mountains.” Cinnabar loves them and asks for more. Chen Shu says he will send her songs later and expects payment.
• After messaging Cinnabar, Chen Shu hums “Do You Know.” Meng Chunqiu, standing outside with a partly eaten tribute pear, overhears him and freezes.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Shu remains teasing and opportunistic: he exploits Yan Keling’s sales post to promote his own sword, then uses his music connections to help her—partly because it will mean more familiar songs reaching the public. He is matter-of-fact with Yan Keling and transactional with Cinnabar.
• Yan Keling is pleased by her successful sale but remains modest about her Martial Body Meet performance. She turns disappointment into ambition, and her embarrassment at needing Chen Shu’s help gives way to a polite, earnest appeal. She also insists on treating Chen Shu as a classmate rather than a “senior brother.”
• Cinnabar is delighted that Chen Shu has finally contacted her and eagerly accepts the songs, showing trust in his musical judgment.
• Meng Chunqiu’s reaction to Chen Shu’s singing closes the chapter on a moment of comic surprise.

Significant themes

• Ambition and perseverance: Yan Keling looks beyond her current ranking and prepares to improve before the next competition.
• Art, access, and influence: Chen Shu’s connection to a secret music sect lets him control who receives new songs and when.
• Commerce and opportunism: Sword sales and song-sharing both involve calculated exchanges, though Yan Keling chooses fairness while Chen Shu openly expects payment.
• A familiar past in a changed world: Chen Shu’s remembered songs carry cultural weight in this setting, and his casual humming hints at how much music from his former life may affect those around him.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• As May begins, the weather in the Jade Capital settles, and final exams and summer break approach. Chen Shu sells Wen Han several more songs at the same favorable terms previously offered by Highness Cinnabar.
• On May 4, Chen Shu, his sister Banxia, and little Xiaoxiao make sweet and savory rice dumplings. Xiaoxiao suggests a potato filling, briefly leaving both sides of the sweet-versus-savory debate speechless.
• Chen Shu shares the dumplings with members of the Ancient Cultivator group chat, offering chestnut, pineapple, pea-and-pork, and spicy crayfish varieties. The group teases one another over their preferences and bets about a member’s long silence. Chen Shu also recognizes Luo Huai’an’s identity, though he does not reveal it to the group.
• Chen Shu sends dumplings to several group members and personally delivers some to Meng Chunqiu and Jiang Lai. The next morning, he brings dumplings to Qingqing and prepares to leave for Spirit Prefecture for several days.
• Before departing, Chen Shu tells Xiaoxiao to care for her sister and the flowers—and to stop feeding Qingqing mostly potatoes. Xiaoxiao agrees, but privately concludes that adding milk to the potatoes will provide enough nutrition.
• Shi Qian meets Chen Shu at Yujing University and takes him to a flying car, where they meet Steward He, who handles the sect’s affairs outside Spirit Prefecture. As the car takes off, Chen Shu and his companions exchange contact details and share his homemade dumplings.

Character developments

• Chen Shu continues to use cooking and gifts to maintain friendships, while showing his characteristic practicality and humor. He is curious about the flying car and the view of the city.
• Xiaoxiao is eager to help care for Qingqing, but her understanding of nutrition remains comically literal: she plans to keep serving potatoes, now with milk.
• Shi Qian acts as Chen Shu’s guide and companion for the trip, maintaining a warm, easy rapport with him.
• Steward He is friendly and explains that he is Chen Shu’s point of contact for practical matters involving the sect.
• The group-chat members reveal their strong food loyalties and playful rivalries; Chen Shu’s dumplings bring them together while giving him another opportunity to tease them.

Significant themes

• Food as affection and community: Making and sharing dumplings is a way for Chen Shu to care for family, friends, and acquaintances.
• Humor in everyday life: The dumpling debates, group-chat banter, and Xiaoxiao’s potato solution keep the chapter light.
• Ordinary life alongside cultivation and technology: Exam schedules, cooking, and family chores coexist with sect travel and advanced flying vehicles.
• Connection and trust: Exchanges of food and contact information establish or reinforce relationships as Chen Shu prepares to travel.

Character interactions

• Chen Shu collaborates with Banxia and Xiaoxiao on the dumplings, then gently instructs Xiaoxiao about Qingqing’s diet.
• In the group chat, members argue over sweet and savory fillings, place orders, and rib one another. Chen Shu privately identifies Luo Huai’an, who ultimately orders dumplings without disclosing much.
• Chen Shu gives dumplings to Qingqing, Shi Qian, Steward He, and several group members, using the gifts to make his departure feel less formal and more personal.