Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• During a class reunion at the Golden Duke, a drunken gangster, Uncle Kun, grabs Sun Jiaqi and demands that she drink with him. Wang Menglong tries to stop him but is slapped.
• Liu Hai invokes his connection to Third Brother, who supposedly runs the venue, but Uncle Kun dismisses the connection and slaps Liu Hai too. When he moves to seize Sun Jiaqi, Chen Hao steps in and knocks him down with a single slap, breaking several teeth.
• Uncle Kun leaves to fetch his gang. The classmates first criticize Chen Hao for escalating the situation, then argue about calling Third Brother or leaving. Despite their nervousness, most resume drinking.
• Sun Jiaqi thanks Chen Hao and begins apologizing for their breakup, blaming Liang Hong, but Chen Hao cuts her off and wishes her well.
• Uncle Kun returns with a gang, and Liu Hai identifies Chen Hao as the one who hit him. Before the gang can act, Third Brother arrives and asks who attacked Uncle Kun. The chapter ends as the sunglasses-wearing gang member explains what happened.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao acts decisively to protect Sun Jiaqi, then challenges the classmates’ cowardice. He remains calm even when Uncle Kun’s gang arrives. He refuses to reopen his past with Sun Jiaqi.
• Sun Jiaqi is frightened during the confrontation and feels renewed regret over leaving Chen Hao for the wealthier Liang Hong. Her attempted apology is interrupted.
• Liu Hai tries to defuse the situation by appealing to Third Brother, but is slapped. Once the gang returns, he quickly points out Chen Hao, exposing his fear and self-preservation.
• Wang Menglong initially defends Sun Jiaqi and later worries about the group’s safety, urging Chen Hao to leave.
• The classmates are briefly outraged by Uncle Kun’s behavior but shrink back when threatened; their talk of unity and courage proves hollow.
• Uncle Kun uses intimidation to get his way, but Chen Hao’s blow sends him away injured and furious. Third Brother’s arrival sets up the next confrontation.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts courage with cowardice: Chen Hao acts while the crowd watches, and the classmates’ bravado collapses when danger returns.
• Sun Jiaqi’s regret highlights the difference between material comfort and genuine happiness.
• The conflict also explores status and connections: Liu Hai’s name-dropping fails, while Chen Hao’s direct action changes the situation—though the gang’s arrival leaves the consequences unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Li Gang foolishly calls out to Third Brother on Liu Hai’s behalf, exposing that Liu Hai had exaggerated his connection to the Golden Baron. Third Brother slaps both men and has his crew beat them.
• Two police officers arrive, but rather than intervene, they greet the club’s associate and allow Third Brother to handle his “business.” The classmates’ hope of being rescued collapses.
• Third Brother attacks Chen Hao with a bottle. Chen shrugs off the blow, knocks Uncle Kun into a wall, and defeats more than a dozen attackers with ease.
• Third Brother calls in reinforcements. As dozens more men gather, a senior figure called Brother Hai arrives and abruptly recognizes Chen Hao, addressing him as “Brother Hao.”

Character developments

• Chen Hao demonstrates the extraordinary strength he gained from upgrading his Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist, remaining calm even as the fight escalates.
• Liu Hai and Li Gang are exposed as boastful and powerless; their attempts to enlist authority only make them targets.
• Wang Menglong, Zhou Sheng, and the classmates shift from relief at the police’s arrival to fear, then awe at Chen Hao’s fighting ability.
• Third Brother moves from swaggering confidence to shock and fear after Chen Hao defeats his men.
• Brother Hai’s recognition of Chen Hao suggests Chen has a significant reputation or standing in the criminal underworld.

Significant themes

• False bravado versus real power: Liu Hai’s claimed connections prove empty, while Chen Hao’s abilities speak for themselves.
• Corruption and unreliable authority: The officers’ friendly accommodation of the club shows that calling the police does not guarantee protection.
• Reversal of expectations: Chen’s apparent vulnerability gives way to overwhelming strength, and the gang’s apparent dominance is challenged by Brother Hai’s recognition.

Character interactions

• Li Gang’s reckless familiarity with Third Brother embarrasses Liu Hai and leads to both being slapped.
• The officers side with the club’s associates, leaving the students frightened and isolated.
• Chen effortlessly turns the gang’s attack back on its members, while his classmates watch in astonishment.
• Brother Hai’s respectful greeting to Chen halts the impending confrontation and leaves everyone stunned.

Plot points and events

• At a class reunion at the Golden Jue, Chen Hao confronts Sanzi and his men for humiliating him and his classmates. Their leader, Haizi, recognizes him as someone he cannot safely offend and has Sanzi apologize.
• Haizi explains that he took over the Black Tiger Society’s operations after Brother Tiger died, though he claims the group has gone straight. Chen Hao rejects the claim, reprimands him, and orders that the battered classmates Liu Hai and Li Gang be thrown out rather than helped.
• Haizi tries to appease Chen Hao by moving the reunion to an exclusive VIP room and offering lavish hospitality. The classmates, who had looked down on Chen Hao when they thought he was a deliveryman, now flatter him for his influence.
• Haizi brings in sixty hostesses and invites Chen Hao to choose one. Chen Hao recognizes a woman among them and, after scolding Haizi for addressing her rudely, asks everyone to leave so he can speak with her privately.

Character developments

• Chen Hao shows his authority and anger at being mistreated, but also insists on basic respect for the woman. He remains cynical about the classmates’ sudden admiration and the Black Tiger Society’s claims of reform.
• Haizi is revealed to be the new head of the Black Tiger Society’s local operations. Fearful of Chen Hao, he becomes obsequious and eager to please him.
• The classmates quickly shift from judgment to flattery once they see Chen Hao’s power. Sun Jiaqi regrets having left him.
• The hostess is introduced as someone from Chen Hao’s past; their mutual recognition suggests an important personal connection to be revealed.

Themes

• Status and hypocrisy: People treat Chen Hao differently once they believe he is powerful, exposing the opportunism behind their earlier contempt.
• Power and intimidation: Haizi’s obedience shows how Chen Hao’s reputation can command even criminal leaders.
• Respect and moral judgment: Chen Hao criticizes the gang’s conduct and insists Haizi treat the woman courteously, even while exercising authority over him.

Character interactions

• Chen Hao rebukes Haizi for his men’s behavior; Haizi immediately disciplines Sanzi and works to satisfy him.
• The classmates crowd around Chen Hao with praise, a sharp contrast to their earlier judgment of him.
• Chen Hao rejects Liu Hai and Li Gang’s pleas for help, ordering them removed.
• Chen Hao stops Haizi from speaking harshly to the hostess, then asks to be alone with her.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao unexpectedly reunites with Xiang Wencun, his first love from high school. They had shared an unspoken affection and nearly confessed on graduation day, but she disappeared without saying goodbye.
• Xiang reveals that her father was diagnosed with liver cancer after the entrance exams. Her family moved away for treatment, which consumed their savings and left them in debt. She left university and has spent five years working in nightlife venues to support them.
• Chen Hao offers to pay off her debts, but Xiang insists she can manage on her own. After drinking together, she becomes emotional and leans on him, briefly reviving their old closeness.
• Chen senses qi around Xiang and learns from Qin Meng that she is a Qi Refiner, though she apparently does not know it herself.
• Their reunion is interrupted by Prince, Xiang’s possessive client, who threatens Chen and makes advances toward her. Chen eventually kicks Prince across the room after Prince attacks him.
• Xiang urges Chen to apologize and tries to placate Prince. When she pleads for Prince’s sake, he slaps her. Chen is about to retaliate when Haizi arrives, recognizes the danger, and asks Chen if he knows who Prince is.
• Prince summons a crowd of at least twenty men, who enter and prepare to attack Chen. Haizi smashes a bottle and silences them with a forceful warning.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is moved by Xiang’s hardship and still feels tenderness for her. His protective instincts overwhelm his restraint when Prince mistreats her, and he openly calls her “my woman,” startling both Xiang and Haizi.
• Xiang Wencun remains proud and self-reliant despite years of hardship. She is emotionally affected by seeing Chen again, but her dependence on Prince as a major client leaves her torn between protecting Chen and avoiding further trouble.
• Prince is arrogant and controlling, treating Xiang as his possession. His threats and violence toward her provoke Chen’s intervention.
• Haizi shifts the confrontation by asserting authority over Prince’s men, suggesting he has standing or influence in the situation.
• Chen and Xiang’s conversation rekindles their old intimacy, while the arrival of Prince turns a private, emotional reunion into a dangerous confrontation.

Significant themes

• First love and unfinished feelings: Their unresolved past resurfaces through memories of what neither dared to say.
• Sacrifice and hardship: Xiang’s years of debt and work reflect the personal cost of her family’s illness.
• Pride and independence: Xiang refuses Chen’s offer of financial help even when she is struggling.
• Protection and possessiveness: Chen’s sincere concern contrasts with Prince’s coercive claim over Xiang.
• Hidden power: Xiang’s unexplained qi hints at abilities and a larger supernatural dimension beyond the immediate conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao strikes Prince Lü Liangwei at the Golden Goblet, bringing the club’s staff into a tense standoff. Haizi intervenes, asking Prince to spare Chen because he considers him a friend.
• Prince rejects Haizi’s appeal and summons Sen Tai, a fearsome enforcer assigned to protect him. Prince also threatens Sen Tai through his vulnerable sister, promising access to medical treatment if Sen Tai takes Chen down.
• Sen Tai clears the room and attacks Chen. Chen dodges his charge and throws bottles, but Sen Tai counters by hurling a massive marble tabletop at him. The tabletop shatters before it can crush Chen, revealing that Chen is powerful enough to be a Qi Refiner.
• Outside, Haizi and Xiang Wencun wait anxiously. Haizi knows Chen is in danger but is too intimidated by Sen Tai—and wary of Prince’s powerful family—to intervene.

Character developments and interactions

• Haizi risks Prince’s anger to defend Chen, showing loyalty and courage, though fear of Sen Tai and the Lü family limits what he can do. Chen’s refusal to flee leaves Haizi increasingly worried.
• Prince responds to humiliation with threats and coercion. He uses Sen Tai’s concern for his sister to pressure him into fighting.
• Sen Tai is revealed as a formidable Qi Refiner with a disciplined, soldier-like bearing. Though he refuses to act as Prince’s hired muscle, the promise of medical help for his sister persuades him to confront Chen.
• Chen Hao remains calm despite the danger and proves he can withstand an attack that would cripple or kill an ordinary person.
• Xiang Wencun worries about Chen, while denying that they are romantically involved. Haizi suspects otherwise and recognizes that her connection to Chen may be fueling the conflict.

Significant themes

• Power and influence: The Lu Association dominates Zhonghai’s underworld, while the Black Tiger Society is comparatively minor. Haizi’s dilemma reflects the risks of standing between rival powers.
• Loyalty and leverage: Haizi defends Chen out of friendship, while Prince exploits Sen Tai’s love for his sister to secure his cooperation.
• Hidden strength: Sen Tai’s arrival reveals that Chen is not the only Qi Refiner, shifting the confrontation from a simple beating into a clash between formidable fighters.

Plot points and events

• Chen Hao and Sen Tai, Prince’s enforcer, clash in a private room. Their exchange of blows reveals that both have reached the Qi Nurturing Realm.
• Sen Tai attacks relentlessly, but Chen Hao initially focuses on dodging because he fears losing control and killing someone. When Sen Tai refuses to stop, Chen Hao unleashes a powerful Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist and halts it just short of Sen Tai’s chest.
• Sen Tai concedes defeat and asks whether Chen Hao is connected to Kirin. Chen Hao does not answer, and Sen Tai says he owes him a favor.
• Prince is shocked that Sen Tai lost, but continues threatening Chen Hao. Chen Hao warns him to remember the consequences of provoking him.
• Chen Hao offers Xiang Wencun a job at his company, but she refuses because she wants to remain independent. He asks Haizi to protect her while she works at the Golden Goblet.
• Qin Meng points out that Xiang Wencun may be a Qi Refiner with unawakened potential. Chen Hao decides not to tell her about Qi Refiners yet.
• Sun Jiaqi asks Chen Hao for a ride home. He refuses and tells her to stop approaching him after choosing to break up with him and to return to Liang Hong.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao demonstrates his strength and restraint: he wins without seriously injuring Sen Tai, despite being pushed into a corner. He remains protective of Xiang Wencun but respects her refusal to accept his help.
• Sen Tai proves capable and disciplined enough to recognize defeat. His question about Kirin and offer of a favor hint at connections beyond his role as Prince’s enforcer.
• Prince remains arrogant and unwilling to accept that Chen Hao has overpowered his bodyguard.
• Xiang Wencun shows independence and complicated feelings about Chen Hao. Haizi jokingly calls her Chen Hao’s “lady” and “sister-in-law,” making her blush.
• Sun Jiaqi tries to reconnect, but Chen Hao firmly rejects her and reminds her that she ended their relationship.

Significant themes

• Strength tempered by restraint: Chen Hao’s decision to stop his decisive punch reflects his effort to control his power.
• Independence and protection: Xiang Wencun refuses to depend on Chen Hao, while he tries to protect her without forcing her choices.
• Consequences and accountability: Chen Hao challenges Prince to face the consequences of his threats.
• Lingering romantic history: Chen Hao’s protectiveness toward Xiang Wencun and rejection of Sun Jiaqi reveal unresolved, contrasting relationships.

Plot points

• Chen Hao wakes to a flood of messages in the Heavenly Court Chat Group. The God of Wealth and Supreme Lord Lao have each sent dozens of promotional red packets while arguing over whose advertisement came first.
• Using his red-packet-grabbing cheat, Chen Hao claims every packet and earns over eighty points of Daoist Merit. The immortals accuse him of cheating and report him, but he dismisses their complaints.
• Gu Qijun invites Chen Hao to a calligraphy and painting exhibition. Chen Hao visits Liu Yan first, then heads to the venue, where the previously sold Autumn Mountain and Falling Leaves painting is on display as a newly authenticated Tang Bohu work.
• Guijun asks whether Chen Hao has more inherited paintings, hoping to find further treasures. Chen Hao says the painting was his only heirloom, then searches the exhibition with his Heavenly Eye but finds no unusual qi.
• At the adjoining jade exhibition, Chen Hao detects a rare, pale-yellow wisp of qi coming from a rough stone at a small booth. The stone looks unimpressive and costs 200,000 yuan, but he decides to buy it.
• A striking woman in red arrives and offers to buy the stone, eventually proposing twice its price. Chen Hao refuses, saying he chose it first, and starts to leave with it. She orders him not to go.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains confident and unapologetic: he enjoys the Daoist Merit from the red packets and refuses to be pressured into selling the stone.
• Gu Qijun’s reputation has risen thanks to Chen Hao’s painting, and he now hopes Chen can provide more works. Chen Hao politely but firmly declines.
• Chen Hao’s Heavenly Eye proves useful beyond paintings: it detects unusual qi in jade, guiding him to a stone others might overlook.
• The red-dressed woman appears composed and persuasive, but her forceful command at the end hints at a more confrontational side. Chen Hao also senses qi in her and her entourage, recognizing them as no ordinary buyers.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and discernment: Chen Hao benefits by noticing value—first in the group’s red packets, then in a seemingly worthless stone.
• Unequal expertise and hidden worth: The stone’s outward appearance and high price conceal a quality only Chen Hao’s qi-sensing ability reveals.
• Competition and entitlement: The immortals’ accusations, the vendors’ fixed pricing, and the woman’s attempt to claim Chen Hao’s chosen stone all introduce disputes over advantage and ownership.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Yumo, a wealthy woman in red, offers Chen Hao five times what he paid for a rough stone. He refuses, insisting he chooses what he likes, and she abandons the matter.
• Chen Hao encounters Lou Haocheng, an old enemy whose family once conspired against him. Lou provokes him and leads him into a stairwell with several bodyguards, but Chen Hao defeats them quickly.
• Chen Hao returns a valuable Jade Guanyin to Zhang Wei on Liu Yan’s behalf, tossing it to him casually. Zhang is angered by Chen’s irreverence and tries to provoke him.
• Zhang challenges Chen to a rough-stone gambling contest, with ten million at stake. Chen adds that, if he wins, Zhang must reveal where the Jade Guanyin came from.
• When Zhang demands proof that Chen can cover the stake, the crowd mocks him. Zhang then adds a humiliating penalty: if Chen loses, he must kneel, bang his head on the floor, and bark like a dog.
• Gu Qijun steps in to guarantee the ten million, allowing Chen to accept the challenge. Zhang is forced to proceed despite his plans to embarrass Chen being disrupted.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains confident, provocative, and resourceful. He refuses Qin Yumo’s offer, handles Lou Haocheng’s attack without fuss, and needles Zhang Wei rather than backing down.
• Qin Yumo is shown as powerful and accustomed to getting what she wants, but she decides Chen is not worth pursuing and keeps her attention on her larger objective.
• Lou Haocheng remains arrogant and hostile, threatening Chen despite their past conflict; his attempt to overpower Chen ends in failure.
• Zhang Wei turns his resentment over Liu Yan’s rejected gift into a public wager intended to shame Chen. He misjudges Chen’s confidence and is thwarted when Gu Qijun supplies the stake.
• Gu Qijun demonstrates loyalty and concern for Chen, helping him avoid accepting a wager under degrading terms.
• Chen and Zhang’s exchange escalates from insults over the Jade Guanyin into a public contest, while the crowd’s mockery heightens the pressure.

Significant themes

• Pride and dignity: Chen refuses to be intimidated by wealth or public humiliation, while Gu Qijun warns that winning money is not worth sacrificing dignity.
• Wealth versus confidence: Zhang and Qin rely on status and money, but Chen meets their displays with irreverence and self-assurance.
• Rivalry and revenge: Past grievances with Lou Haocheng and the unresolved Jade Guanyin dispute with Zhang continue to shape Chen’s confrontations.
• Loyalty and support: Gu Qijun’s intervention shows that Chen has allies willing to stand by him when his resources are questioned.

Plot points and events

• A major jade auction draws prominent collectors and business figures, with its final lot advertised as a treasured piece owned for years by a famous collector.
• Zhang Wei, representing Dihao Group, arrives with more than a dozen appraisers and confidently buys expensive stones from major suppliers for his ten-million-yuan bet against Chen Hao.
• Chen Hao ignores the prominent suppliers and chooses stones from the small Vast Jade booth in the corner. Onlookers assume he is inexperienced, though Gu Qijun trusts his judgment.
• Gu Qijun tells Qin Yumo that Chen Hao was the source of the recently celebrated Tang Yin painting, impressing her.
• Lü Qingzhou, head of the powerful Lu Association, arrives with his son Lü Liangwei and Sen Tai, whom Chen Hao defeated the previous day. Lü Liangwei wants revenge, but his father restrains him and considers recruiting Chen Hao, believing his strength could help with the association’s larger plan. Lü Qingzhou sends Lodi to investigate him.
• At the Vast Jade booth, Chen Hao uses the Heavenly Eye Art to sense strong qi in a rough stone. Yun Yao advises him against buying it, judging it unlikely to contain jade. Chen Hao ignores her warning and leaves with the stone, confident it will prove valuable.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains calm under scrutiny and trusts his unusual ability over conventional appraisal. His cryptic confidence leaves Yun Yao puzzled.
• Zhang Wei is determined to win and relies on money and expert support, while Chen Hao works alone.
• Gu Qijun continues to believe in Chen Hao despite doubts from those around him; Qin Yumo learns of Chen Hao’s reputation and shows fresh interest.
• Lü Liangwei is consumed by anger over Chen Hao’s earlier defeat of him. Lü Qingzhou is strategic and pragmatic, prioritizing recruitment and his larger plan over immediate revenge.
• Yun Yao, despite confidence in her company’s stones and twenty years of appraisal experience, is unsure why Chen Hao chose her booth—and especially why he selected a stone she considers worthless.

Significant themes

• Expertise versus intuition: Chen Hao’s qi-based perception challenges conventional appraisal and industry assumptions.
• Appearances and status: Zhang Wei’s money and entourage command attention, but may not guarantee success; Chen Hao’s quiet approach is dismissed too quickly.
• Ambition and restraint: Lü Qingzhou tempers his son’s revenge to serve broader political and strategic goals.
• Trust and reputation: Gu Qijun’s confidence in Chen Hao contrasts with the crowd’s skepticism.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao leaves the exhibition with a rough stone and is attacked by Lodi, a powerful qi-refining fighter working with Lü Qingzhou.
• After an even hand-to-hand exchange, Lodi draws a throwing blade and stabs toward Chen Hao’s abdomen. Chen Hao blocks Lodi’s arm with his stone, but the blade appears to hit him. In fact, Red Boy’s protective bellyband stops it.
• Chen Hao throws the blade back with force amplified by his Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist. A faint tiger’s roar unsettles Lodi, and the impact sends him crashing into a pile of goods.
• Lodi tries to pursue Chen Hao but is restrained by his subordinates and ordered back by the chairman. He leaves furious and humiliated.
• At the stone-cutting area, Chen Hao’s small, cracked-looking stone is mocked, while Zhang Wei’s attractive stones seem far more promising. Gu Qijun’s companions doubt his decision to wager ten million on Chen Hao.
• Both stones are put on cutting machines. Zhang Wei acts confident, while Chen Hao ignores him and plays on his phone. The chapter ends as Zhang Wei’s stone is opened, revealing smooth, milky-white jade.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao proves tougher and more capable than observers expect. He stays composed after being attacked, survives thanks to the bellyband, and retaliates decisively.
• Lodi shifts from confident aggressor to disgraced, enraged opponent. His humiliation before Lü Qingzhou intensifies his hostility toward Chen Hao.
• Lü Qingzhou initially dismisses Chen Hao as weak, but changes his mind after witnessing the fight and becomes intrigued by him.
• Lü Liangwei mocks Chen Hao and enjoys Lodi’s failure. Sen Tai is more sympathetic and worries for Chen Hao.
• Zhang Wei openly belittles Chen Hao’s stone and performs confidence in front of the crowd. Gu Qijun begins to doubt his own wager, though Chen Hao remains unconcerned.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Chen Hao’s unimpressive stone and apparent injury conceal unexpected value and protection; the promising-looking stone, meanwhile, has only just begun to be tested.
• Underestimation and surprise: Chen Hao repeatedly defies others’ assumptions about his strength and prospects.
• Pride and humiliation: Lodi’s status and skill make his defeat especially painful, while the stone wager turns public confidence into a spectacle.
• Suspense and competition: The crowd’s expectations build around the cutting, ending on the first reveal of jade.

Plot points

• Zhang Wei’s stone reveals high-quality milky-white jade, prompting the crowd to praise him and assume he has won the ten-million wager.
• Chen Hao’s stone initially appears worthless after the cutter drops it and everyone sees only bare rock. Zhang Wei mocks Chen Hao and Gu Qijun, who feels humiliated for backing him.
• Before the host can declare the result, Chen Hao raises the wager, proposing a further twenty million. Gu Qijun cannot lend it, but Qin Yumo steps in, agreeing to fund the increased stake.
• Chen Hao directs the cutter to make another cut along a specific line. Though the exposed surface still seems empty and the crowd begins to lose interest, the stone opens to reveal a tiny piece of exceptionally rare Yellow Dragon Jade Marrow.
• Zhang Wei is stunned, unable to believe what he is seeing.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains composed despite apparent defeat and public ridicule. His confidence in the stone—and his precise instructions—suggest he knows more than he lets on.
• Zhang Wei grows increasingly boastful after his own successful cut, then turns incredulous when Chen Hao’s stone produces rare jade.
• Gu Qijun shifts from supporting Chen Hao to fearing the financial and reputational consequences of the raised wager. Zhang Wei’s public taunts deepen his embarrassment.
• Qin Yumo shows unusual confidence in Chen Hao, lending him twenty million despite an attendant’s warning. She says she is trying to verify something, hinting that her interest in him has a deeper purpose.
• Chen Hao and Qin Yumo exchange searching looks, suggesting mutual curiosity and an emerging connection.

Significant themes

• Appearances can deceive: Chen Hao’s stone looks worthless but contains a rare treasure.
• Risk and confidence: Chen Hao raises the stakes when others believe he has lost, while Qin Yumo backs her judgment with money.
• Pride and humiliation: Zhang Wei’s arrogance and Gu Qijun’s concern for his reputation intensify the public contest.
• Suspense and reversal: The chapter builds from apparent defeat to a dramatic discovery that overturns the crowd’s expectations.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao’s chosen rough stone yields supreme yellow dragon jade marrow, an exceptionally rare and valuable jade. The crowd erupts, and several people offer to buy it.
• Zhang Wei’s appraiser first says the jade is not ordinary yellow dragon jade marrow, then clarifies that it is the even rarer supreme variety. Zhang Wei loses the wager and transfers thirty million yuan to Chen Hao. When Chen Hao reminds him of the other condition, Zhang Wei reveals that the Jade Guanyin came from the overseas mining company Fidix, then leaves.
• Chen Hao takes the jade to Yun Yao’s booth and announces that he found it among her rough stones. The crowd rushes to buy her stock, transforming her previously quiet booth into a sellout.
• Yun Yao recognizes the stone and becomes tearful. Chen Hao gives it to her, explaining that he never paid for the inexpensive rough stone it came from. She accepts it but insists the treasure is his.
• Hoping to find more jade that could help restore Guanghan Palace, Chen Hao asks where the stone was mined. Yun Yao’s records show her company extracted it, but the source mountains are not known to produce such jade. They exchange contact details and agree Chen may visit the area.
• Outside the exhibition, Gu Qijun praises Chen Hao, regretting that he had not supported him earlier. Qin Yumo asks Chen to thank her, then invites him to an upcoming jade auction that may interest him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao displays confidence and generosity: he wins the wager, draws customers to Yun Yao’s booth, and gives her the valuable jade. His interest in the stone is also practical, since jade’s spiritual energy may help restore Guanghan Palace.
• Yun Yao is shown to be honest and grateful. Her tears suggest a personal or emotional connection to the jade, though she hides its cause. She accepts Chen Hao’s gift and becomes more closely connected to him.
• Zhang Wei moves from smug confidence to humiliation, paying the bet before storming away.
• Gu Qijun recognizes Chen Hao’s ability but is embarrassed by his earlier lack of faith and tries to repair their relationship with praise.
• Qin Yumo maintains a playful, direct rapport with Chen Hao and opens the possibility of a new encounter through the auction invitation.

Significant themes

• Rarity and value: The tiny supreme yellow dragon jade marrow is worth far more than Zhang Wei’s much larger piece, demonstrating that scarcity outweighs size.
• Integrity and generosity: Yun Yao’s honesty and Chen Hao’s gift contrast with the crowd’s eagerness to profit from the discovery.
• Recognition and regret: Chen Hao’s success exposes Gu Qijun’s earlier doubts and leaves Zhang Wei publicly disgraced.
• Unresolved mystery and ambition: The jade’s unexpected origin raises questions about Yun Yao’s mining region, while Chen Hao’s search for spiritual energy gives him a reason to investigate further.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Yumo privately confronts Chen Hao about his ability to find valuable jade. She believes he practices the Qi-Viewing Art, an ability to perceive qi and, at higher levels, trace dragon veins and spiritual sites.
• Chen Hao admits he learned his skills from his grandfather but refuses to give Qin Yumo his name. She explains her own limited experience with Qi-Viewing Art; he then dodges her follow-up question.
• Thanks to Qin Yumo’s recommendation, Chen Hao enters a prestigious jade auction. He spots Lou Fangguo, whose family he wants to take revenge on, but decides to wait because they are too powerful for him to challenge safely. Lou Fangguo leaves early with his battered son, Lou Haocheng.
• The auction’s final lot, a huge blood-red jade called Red Rain, draws intense interest. Chen Hao detects ancient-looking engravings and qi within it, while Qin Yumo reveals that she and others came specifically because the jade appears connected to qi.
• The bidding starts at fifty million—beyond Chen Hao’s means. Unable to reach Qin Meng for help, he uses the Demon-Detecting Mirror and sees a ghostly halo surrounding the jade. The halo suddenly gathers into a towering figure that turns toward him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows growing confidence in his ability to perceive unusual energy, but remains cautious about his identity and about provoking the powerful Lou family. His curiosity and resourcefulness lead him to investigate Red Rain with the mirror.
• Qin Yumo reveals her own long-standing interest in Qi-Viewing Art and treats Chen Hao as a possible expert, though she remains curious about his background. Their exchange is friendly but marked by mutual probing and Chen Hao’s evasiveness.
• Lou Fangguo and Lou Haocheng appear briefly: Lou Fangguo is anxious while waiting, then leaves with his injured son, underscoring the unresolved tension between the families.
• Chen Hao’s attempts to contact Qin Meng go unanswered, forcing him to rely on the Demon-Detecting Mirror instead.

Significant themes

• Hidden powers and knowledge: Qi-Viewing Art and Chen Hao’s related abilities suggest a larger supernatural system that characters only partly understand.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen Hao wants revenge and is drawn to Red Rain, but recognizes the risks of challenging powerful people or entering a costly auction.
• Mystery and supernatural danger: Red Rain’s strange energy, markings, and spectral presence turn the auction from a display of wealth into a potentially dangerous encounter.
• Class and wealth: The auction’s enormous prices highlight the gap between Chen Hao’s resources and the elite world he has entered.

Plot points

• Chen Hao uses the Demon-Detecting Mirror and sees a terrifying, armed Generals’ Ghost inside or associated with the Red Rain jade. The ghost notices him, roars, and lunges; Chen puts the mirror away before anyone else can see it.
• Qin Yumo senses the same eerie force. Chen catches her when she is startled, but denies knowing what happened and changes the subject. Her curiosity about him grows.
• The auction for Red Rain escalates into a contest among Zhang Wei of Dihao, Qin Yumo, and Lü Liangwei of the Lu Association. Lü Qingzhou appears to withdraw after Zhang exceeds Dihao’s approved budget of 300 million, but Chen recognizes that the Lu side had mainly been driving up the price.
• Qin surprises the room by bidding 600 million and wins the jade. She tells Chen it is “my grandfather’s life,” suggesting the purchase is tied to his survival. She leaves without explaining further.
• Lü Qingzhou approaches Chen and offers him wealth and status to join his side. Chen refuses. Lodi threatens him, but Lü Qingzhou restrains him and later orders Lü Liangwei not to harm Chen. He directs his son to investigate Chen and recruit him if possible.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is alarmed by the ghost but hides what he knows from Qin. He remains confident when confronted by Lodi and dismisses Lü Qingzhou’s offer, showing independence and resistance to influence.
• Qin Yumo proves composed and forceful in the bidding war, risking a huge sum for Red Rain. Her cryptic explanation reveals deep personal stakes, while her awareness of the ghostly presence links her to Chen’s supernatural experience.
• Zhang Wei is drawn into an increasingly reckless contest and bids 500 million despite exceeding his father’s budget, leaving him vulnerable to the consequences.
• Lü Qingzhou uses the auction strategically and sees Chen as valuable. He controls his son and prioritizes recruiting Qi Refiners for an upcoming plan.
• Lü Liangwei resents Chen and wants him killed, but obeys his father’s warning. Lodi remains hostile and attempts to intimidate Chen, only to be stopped.

Significant themes

• The supernatural hidden in the ordinary: Red Rain is not merely valuable jade; it is connected to a frightening ghost and possibly Qin’s grandfather’s life.
• Power, wealth, and rivalry: The auction becomes a public contest of family influence, pride, and strategy, with financial excess carrying real consequences.
• Secrets and competing loyalties: Chen conceals his knowledge, Qin withholds her motives, and the Lu family seeks to recruit Chen for an undisclosed plan.

Chapter Summary: “Devouring the Raw Stone”

Key plot points and events

• Lü Qingzhou tells Lodi to pause unfinished assassination jobs because Luo Tian, newly advanced to the Qi Refining Realm, is important to an unspecified plan. Neither knows Chen Hao has already killed Luo Tian.
• Lü Qingzhou gives his son Lü Liangwei one week to win over a woman surnamed Xiang, whom he believes is a Qi Refiner. Lü Liangwei doubts her abilities but is ordered to obey.
• Chen Hao speaks with Chu Mengling, who says she and her grandfather, Chu Jinliang, will return to Zhonghai soon. Chu Jinliang is doing well but wants more liquor; Chen Hao also remembers that his next treatment is due.
• Chen Hao tests the raw stone he won at auction with the Crescent Pendant. The pendant absorbs its spiritual energy, restoring Guanghan Palace to 5%, raising Tiger-Subduing Arhat Fist to 11%, and Heavenly Eye Art to 4%. He concludes that obtaining more yellow dragon jade marrow—possibly through Yun Yao’s company—could accelerate his progress.
• At Blue Light Potion’s workshop, Chen Hao finds security and management much stricter. He gives Long Guangsheng ten million yuan to recover Liu Yan’s car, which she sold to help save the company; Long will keep whatever money remains.
• Liu Yan reports that Uncle Ming is less dangerous without Wang Xuemin’s guidance, and that the stolen medicinal powder is nearly exhausted. Chen Hao is confident the company can soon counter them.
• Hoping to upgrade the Golden Cudgel with soul power, Chen Hao contacts Horse Face. Horse Face refuses to divert ordinary souls but explains that souls under a Soul-Slaying Writ can be destroyed without disrupting the Soul Reapers’ quotas. He suggests Chen Hao capture such souls himself, then sends him a Soul-Locking Chain.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao continues advancing his cultivation and magical abilities while also supporting Blue Light Potion financially. He shows concern for Liu Yan and interest in exploiting his connection to the Underworld, though he is wary of Horse Face’s encouragement.
• Lü Qingzhou is revealed to be directing a broader plan and is ruthless about pressuring Lü Liangwei. Lü Liangwei remains deferential to his father despite questioning his instructions.
• Long Guangsheng has become more respectable as workshop director, though he retains his comic, theatrical personality; he mistakes Chen Hao’s transfer for an offer to keep him as a lover.
• Liu Yan maintains firm control of the workshop and remains focused on defending the company.
• Chu Mengling stays close to Chen Hao and teases him about refusing her offer of support; her grandfather’s playful dependence on Chen for liquor also comes through.
• Horse Face is friendly and rewards Chen Hao’s generosity, but his eagerness to push Chen toward soul-hunting makes Chen suspicious.

Significant themes

• Power gained through resources: Spiritual treasures can fuel Chen Hao’s cultivation and restore Guanghan Palace, but progress demands increasingly large amounts of energy.
• Loyalty and mutual support: Chen Hao’s gift to help Liu Yan recover her car reflects his gratitude and commitment to the company.
• Ambition and manipulation: Lü Qingzhou’s hidden plan and Horse Face’s attempt to recruit Chen Hao into dangerous work both show characters steering others toward their own aims.
• Humor amid danger: Chen Hao’s interactions with Long Guangsheng and Horse Face lighten a chapter that also introduces assassination, corporate conflict, and potentially dangerous spirits.

Key plot points and events

• Horse Face gives Chen Hao a Soul-Locking Chain, explaining that the Underworld is overwhelmed by wandering ghosts because the passages between the Three Realms were sealed. A costly crack still allows soul reapers to travel between realms periodically.
• Chen realizes Horse Face expects him to help capture spirits. In exchange, Horse Face offers to apply for him to become an official soul reaper, with Daoist Merit points, access to the Underworld shop, and possible promotion to Underworld Official. Chen accepts.
• Chang’e asks Chen for more Sacred Fruit. He bargains for the instructions to her Spirit-Gathering Array and receives its layout. Chen learns that its patterns are difficult to engrave and that it normally requires Mystic Immortal cultivation—but someone with a sacred fire can also build it.
• Chen decides he needs Samadhi True Fire and persuades Red Boy to help by promising games, a console, and unlimited Cola. Red Boy agrees to discuss helping once Chen supplies the promised goods.
• Meanwhile, Lü Liangwei, Lodi, and their allies travel together. Despite Lü Qingzhou’s warning, Lü Liangwei and Lodi quietly agree to target Chen after dealing with a woman.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao shows his usual shrewdness, turning favors into bargains. He eagerly accepts the prospect of an Underworld career and pursues the array and sacred fire as ways to advance his own plans.
• Horse Face admits his self-interest but offers Chen a formal position rather than expecting unpaid help.
• Chang’e is eager for Sacred Fruit and readily exchanges her array knowledge for it.
• Red Boy is playful and easily tempted by games and Cola, though he treats Samadhi True Fire as sensitive knowledge and negotiates for a console before agreeing.
• Liu Yan invites Chen to dinner with her father, who wants to thank him. Chen interprets this hopefully as a sign of marriage approval; Liu Yan teases and corrects him, but her embarrassment hints at affection.
• Lü Liangwei and Lodi put aside their hesitation and share a hostile understanding: they intend to go after Chen.

Significant themes

• Reciprocity and self-interest: Nearly every favor is negotiated, from Chen’s dealings with the immortals to Horse Face’s recruitment offer.
• Ambition and advancement: Chen is attracted to formal rank, rewards, and new supernatural abilities.
• Humor through misunderstanding and bargaining: Chen’s romantic assumptions and his schemes to trade modern entertainment for divine resources provide comic relief.
• Growing danger: While Chen pursues opportunities, his enemies are forming a plan against him.

Key plot points

• Chen Hao buys a large supply of goods, including game consoles, and gives Red Boy a basic console in exchange for information about acquiring Samadhi True Fire.
• Red Boy explains that Chen Hao needs a suitable vessel, a body able to withstand the fire, and a source of the fire. Chen Hao already has a likely vessel in the Counterfeit Golden Cudgel, and Red Boy promises to help find the fire; enduring its heat remains the main obstacle.
• Chen Hao pays an additional six million yuan to buy back Liu Yan’s rare Bentley, bringing the total to fifteen million. Liu is delighted and embraces him.
• On the drive to Liu’s home, Chen Hao spots black vans following them and takes an exit to shake them off.
• As they arrive near Liu’s villa, another van rams their Bentley. Chen Hao is thrown from the car, while Liu is left unconscious inside.
• Lü Liangwei and members of the Lu Association emerge from the vans. As one attacker approaches Chen Hao with a knife and Lü moves toward Liu, Chen Hao gets up, summons the Golden Cudgel, and severs the attacker’s arm. He then charges at Lü as the other gang members close in.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao is resourceful and generous, but also willing to spend heavily to make Liu happy. His affection shows in their teasing conversation about buying a home and living together.
• Liu is touched by the return of her car and responds warmly, though she hides her feelings behind bashful protests when Chen Hao calls himself her future husband.
• Red Boy is helpful but transactional: he provides valuable information, then quickly leaves to play with the console.
• Chen Hao’s playful mood turns to protective fury when Liu is threatened. Despite his injuries, he attacks decisively, showing the power and speed he has gained.
• Sen Tai voices concern about attracting attention, but Lü dismisses him. Lü’s focus on Liu and his amusement at the crash reveal his cruelty and arrogance.

Significant themes

• Favor and bargaining: Chen Hao uses gifts to gain Red Boy’s help, while Red Boy treats the exchange as a deal.
• Affection expressed through action: Chen Hao’s costly effort to restore Liu’s car means more to her than its price.
• Power and vulnerability: Chen Hao still faces the challenge of mastering Samadhi True Fire, yet his strength is already formidable in battle.
• Protection and revenge: The ambush transforms an intimate, lighthearted outing into a violent confrontation, with Chen Hao driven by the need to defend Liu.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Hao uses Monkey Hair from his Qiankun Bag to create eleven clones, catching the Lu Association attackers off guard. The clones overwhelm most of the group, but Lodi, a Third Realm Qi Refiner, destroys them with thrown daggers.
• Lodi offers to spare Chen Hao if he hands over the Clone Technique. Chen refuses, furious that the gang has harmed Liu Yan, and attacks Lodi.
• Lodi’s superior spiritual power lets him knock Chen Hao back and leave him badly injured. When Lodi tries to finish him with another dagger, Chen Hao summons the Golden Cudgel to deflect it.
• Lodi demands Chen Hao surrender his treasures. Chen retaliates with the Earth-Shattering Staff Strike, destroying Lodi’s Qi Armor and hurling him into a van. The powerful blow exhausts Chen and leaves him unable to move.
• Lü Liangwei takes advantage of Chen’s weakness and holds an unconscious Liu Yan at knifepoint. Sen Tai initially intervenes, but Lü invokes Sen’s sister to distract him and renews his attack.
• Husky suddenly knocks Lü down and attacks him, preventing him from stabbing Liu Yan. Liu wakes and recognizes the dog.

Character developments

• Chen Hao shows resourcefulness and fierce loyalty, using his clones and treasured staff against overwhelming odds. Though badly outmatched by Lodi, he reveals the Golden Cudgel’s extraordinary power; the effort leaves him vulnerable.
• Lodi shifts from confidence to alarm after Chen’s staff strike breaks through his defenses, and becomes openly covetous of Chen’s abilities and weapons.
• Lü Liangwei grows increasingly desperate and cruel when Lodi is defeated, resorting to threatening Liu Yan.
• Sen Tai displays a moral limit by stopping Lü from killing Liu Yan, though his concern for his sister leaves him susceptible to manipulation.
• Liu Yan remains unconscious through most of the fight but awakens at the end.
• Husky makes a timely, unexpected rescue.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protecting loved ones: Chen refuses to bargain after Liu Yan is hurt, while Lü exploits Sen Tai’s attachment to his sister.
• Power and vulnerability: Chen’s spectacular attack can defeat Lodi, but its cost leaves him helpless against a less powerful opponent.
• Greed and ambition: Lodi’s interest in the Clone Technique and Golden Cudgel turns the confrontation into a struggle over Chen’s prized abilities and possessions.

Character interactions

• Chen and Lodi move from battle to a contest over whether Chen will surrender his techniques and treasures.
• Chen’s threats toward Lü reflect his determination to protect Liu Yan; Lü responds by using her as leverage.
• Sen Tai directly defies Lü to protect Liu Yan, but Lü manipulates him by invoking his sister.
• Husky’s intervention breaks Lü’s hold over the situation and gives Liu Yan a chance to awaken.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Yan calls off her husky, CC, just as it is attacking Lü Liangwei. Lü retaliates by stabbing and kicking the dog.
• As Lü and the wounded Lodi flee, Lodi throws a dagger at Liu Yan. Sen Tai intercepts it with his body, taking the blade in his chest.
• Sen Tai tells Chen Hao that he has repaid his debt, then asks him to save his sister, Sen Ning, at First People’s Hospital. Chen Hao uses gold needles to stabilize him.
• Chen Hao finds CC near death. The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Changes cannot treat domestic animals, but a Jade Rabbit Seed from Chang’e revives CC and awakens its intelligence. CC can speak to Chen Hao and calls him “Dada.”
• A search of the abandoned minivan uncovers Xiang Wencun, bound and gagged after being kidnapped by the Lu Association. Once freed, she clings to Chen Hao, upsetting Liu Yan.
• With police arriving, Chen Hao sends Xiang to the hospital to protect Sen Ning and ensure Sen Tai receives care. The officers then handcuff him.

Character developments and interactions

• Sen Tai proves his loyalty to Chen Hao by taking the dagger meant for Liu Yan, fulfilling what he sees as a debt owed to Chen. His final request redirects Chen Hao’s attention to Sen Ning.
• Chen Hao is shaken by Sen Tai’s sacrifice and acts urgently to save him and CC. He also reveals concern for Xiang’s safety, though her embrace complicates matters with Liu Yan.
• Liu Yan is devastated by CC’s apparent death, then overjoyed when the dog recovers. She quietly withdraws after seeing Xiang in Chen Hao’s arms.
• CC becomes an intelligent, talking companion after being revived, forming an immediate attachment to Chen Hao.
• Xiang Wencun is rescued from captivity and seeks comfort from Chen, while he gives her an urgent responsibility before his arrest.
• Liu Shan demands an explanation from Chen, but Chen ignores him to focus on the injured.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and repayment: Sen Tai’s sacrifice fulfills his sense of obligation to Chen.
• Devotion and companionship: Liu Yan’s grief for CC underscores their bond, while CC’s renewed life deepens its connection to Chen.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Chen repeatedly prioritizes others’ survival, even as the situation exposes him to police scrutiny.
• Jealousy and emotional tension: Liu Yan’s reaction to Xiang’s embrace hints at unresolved feelings between her and Chen.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• After the violent clash with the Lu Association, Chen Hao and Liu Yan’s family are taken to the police station. Chen worries about Sen Tai, who is badly injured, while Liu Yan stays angry and distant.
• Liu Shan and Liu Qi blame Chen Hao for ruining their evening, leaving him feeling misunderstood even by Liu Yan.
• During questioning, Chen first claims the attackers injured one another. When police warn him that the casualties include two deaths and several serious injuries, he insists they let him call Sun Long, the municipal bureau director.
• To obtain his phone, Chen wagers that he can break his handcuffs in a second—and snaps them apart. The officers are stunned and retrieve his phone.
• Sun Long calls Chen but tells him to remain at the station until he arrives. Chen’s first account of events is dismissed, so he finally tells the officers what really happened; they still refuse to believe him.
• Sun Long arrives with a middle-aged man, and the officers recognize him as the bureau director. He clears the room and explains that the incident has drawn attention from powerful figures, making Chen’s case difficult to handle.
• Chen insists he must go to the hospital to save Sen Tai. Sun Long refuses, warning that even his connection to Commander Chu cannot shield him from the consequences.
• Chen makes an unexplained call, then calmly sits down, setting up the next development.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Hao remains confident and resourceful, but his usual bravado gives way to urgency as he worries Sen Tai may die. He feels hurt by Liu Yan’s distrust and her family’s blame, yet keeps trying to take control of the situation.
• Liu Yan is jealous and upset, though she denies being jealous; she remains silent and distant during the police journey.
• Liu Shan and Liu Qi openly resent Chen, treating him as the cause of the family’s trouble.
• The officers initially mock Chen’s claims and doubt his connections. Breaking the handcuffs shocks them, but they continue to dismiss his account until Sun Long arrives.
• Sun Long is personally sympathetic to Chen but constrained by pressure from higher-ups. His warning makes clear that the conflict has become politically serious, not merely a local police matter.
• Chen’s interactions with the officers shift from bluffing and joking to insisting on the truth; his exchange with Sun Long reveals both their familiarity and the limits of Sun’s ability to help.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and isolation: Chen is blamed by Liu Yan’s family and disbelieved by the police, despite claiming he acted in self-defense.
• Power and influence: Chen’s connections initially sound implausible, but Sun Long’s arrival confirms them; nevertheless, influence has limits when higher authorities are involved.
• Urgency versus procedure: Chen’s need to save Sen Tai clashes with the police investigation and Sun Long’s demand for an explanation.
• Truth and credibility: Chen’s fabricated first account and extraordinary claims undermine his credibility, so even his truthful version is met with disbelief.