Chapter Summaries

Li Chen struggled to earn a living hunting near the city, exchanged his Craftsman’s stipend for Spirit Stones to recharge his Mechanism Puppets, and considered venturing into the old forests for better prey. He then saw Huang Yuan'an and the surviving members of his team return badly injured after encountering a tiger demon.

• Li Chen hunted ordinary animals near the Imperial Road for several days, but their meager value barely covered his expenses.
• At the end of March, Li Chen caught an enormous wild boar on the verge of becoming a spirit and sold it for over two hundred Talisman Coins.
• On the first day of April, Li Chen exchanged his three-hundred-coin Craftsman's stipend for Spirit Stones and used them to replenish his Mechanism Puppets.
• Li Chen decided he needed to venture deeper into the old forests to hunt demonic beasts and earn the resources to advance his cultivation.
• Huang Yuan'an, Old Lou, and Old Hou returned injured with a corpse, and Old Hou explained that a Fox Spirit had lured their team into the territory of a powerful Hanging-Eyed White-Forehead Tiger.

After losing a companion to a pack of tigers, Huang Yuan'an rallied Rogue Cultivators to hunt the beasts for revenge, and Li Chen joined the expedition. The group settled on thirteen hunters and agreed to meet at sunrise on the fifth before setting out.

• Huang Yuan'an and his companions arranged to bury their dead companion after surviving the tiger attack.
• Huang Yuan'an announced that he would gather hunters to avenge his companions and invited Rogue Cultivators to join him.
• Li Chen offered to join the hunt, and Huang Yuan'an accepted him; You An and three other Rogue Cultivators also signed up.
• Huang Yuan'an recruited ten hunters, bringing his party to thirteen, and gathered them on the third day of the fourth month to discuss the plan.
• Huang Yuan'an set the departure for sunrise on the fifth and explained how the hunting proceeds would be divided, which everyone accepted.

Li Chen joined Huang Yuan'an and the others on an expedition to find and avenge themselves on the mutated tiger pack that had defeated them. After days of cautious travel, they set a trap in the forest, and the chapter ended as Li Chen spotted ghostly lights approaching their campsite.

• Huang Yuan'an led thirteen hunters out of the city toward the deep mountain where they had encountered the tiger pack.
• Li Chen scouted from a ridge with his flying disc while Huang Yuan'an organized the party into squads and taught them to stay alert and use advantageous terrain.
• Huang Yuan'an had the hunters hide in the trees, deploy puppets and repeating crossbows, and use a bloody roe deer to lure the tigers.
• The hunters waited through the day without incident and took turns eating and tending to basic needs while remaining concealed.
• Li Chen sensed an alarm near midnight and saw several ghostly lights silently approaching the campsite.

Li Chen and Huang Yuan'an's group defeated eight tiger spirits, then waited in the trees for their leader. When the tiger demon finally attacked their decoy camp, their arrows barely pierced its hide, and it pounced toward Huang Yuan'an's hiding place.

• Li Chen warned the group of approaching tigers, and Huang Yuan'an's hunters ambushed and killed eight tiger spirits.
• You An explained that the tiger demon leader did not hunt for food and would emerge when a powerful enemy appeared.
• Huang Yuan'an kept the group concealed in the trees for more than two days as they waited for the leader.
• Li Chen spotted the tiger demon leader near the eastern cliff, and the group used puppets and prerecorded voices to lure it toward their decoy camp.
• Huang Yuan'an ordered the group to fire, but most arrows bounced off the tiger demon's hide, and the wounded beast pounced toward his hiding place.

Huang Yuan'an and the others struggled to overcome the Tiger Demon Chief's nearly impenetrable hide, resorting to a close-range Thunderclap Bomb and desperate attacks. Old Hou detonated a firearm mechanism inside the beast's mouth, and the Tiger Demon Chief finally collapsed, while Huang Yuan'an's condition remained unknown.

• Huang Yuan'an escaped the Tiger Demon Chief in the treetops with a wire hook, and the group opened fire with repeating crossbows.
• The arrows barely harmed the Tiger Demon Chief, so the group sent their Mechanism Puppets into close combat, but the beast broke through their formation and charged Huang Yuan'an.
• Huang Yuan'an struck the beast and detonated a Thunderclap Bomb at close range, blasting himself away and leaving the Tiger Demon Chief dazed.
• The Tiger Demon Chief knocked several puppets aside, and Old Lou, Old Hou, and two Rogue Cultivators joined the fight; the beast killed one of the men with a paw strike.
• Old Hou thrust his mechanical arm into the Tiger Demon Chief's mouth and fired a close-range explosion from his fingers, causing the beast to sway and collapse.

Huang Yuan'an and his companions returned to the Market Fair with the spoils from defeating the Tiger Demon pack, then sold the eight Tiger Spirits and divided the proceeds. Li Chen received seventeen thousand Talisman Coins in total, with eight thousand deducted for the Tiger Demon Chief’s hide, leaving him eager to use it for Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting.

• Li Chen and the others rode through town displaying their tiger carcasses, drawing a crowd and prompting merchants to negotiate with Huang Yuan'an.
• Huang Yuan'an sold the eight Tiger Spirits but kept the Tiger Demon Chief to butcher for its valuable materials, agreeing to sell its hide to Li Chen.
• The group celebrated their victory at a tavern, then discussed their fallen companion Brother Lin and agreed to send part of the proceeds to his family.
• Huang Yuan'an calculated the proceeds and allowances, giving Li Chen a seventeen-thousand-Talisman-Coin share for his scouting and warnings.
• Huang Yuan'an charged Li Chen eight thousand Talisman Coins for the Tiger Demon Chief’s hide, leaving Li Chen nine thousand in cash.

After burying Old Lin and sending his share to his family, Li Chen and You An asked to join Huang Yuan'an's group. Huang Yuan'an revealed that he and Old Lou planned to retire, leaving Li Chen and You An to consider joining Old Hou instead.

• Li Chen woke late and joined You An and the others in burying Old Lin outside the city.
• Huang Yuan'an transferred Old Lin's twenty-eight thousand Talisman Coins to his family while the others bore witness.
• Huang Yuan'an hosted a farewell meal, and most of the Rogue Cultivators departed after eating.
• Li Chen and You An told Huang Yuan'an they wanted to roam the world with him.
• Huang Yuan'an said he and Old Lou intended to retire, but Old Hou still planned to continue roaming.

Li Chen, You An, and Old Hou formed a demon-hunting team after Huang Yuan'an persuaded them to work together. Recognizing that Old Hou doubted their usefulness, Li Chen returned to the inn to refine the Tiger Demon leader's hide and strengthen his Puppet Master skills.

• Old Hou proposed that he, Li Chen, and You An go their separate ways, but Huang Yuan'an urged them to team up and they agreed.
• After Huang Yuan'an and Old Lou left, Old Hou, Li Chen, and You An established a new demon-hunting team and promised to look out for one another.
• Old Hou went to buy supplies at the Market Fair, while You An accompanied him and Li Chen returned to the inn.
• Li Chen assessed the team's weaknesses and realized he needed to demonstrate exceptional abilities to earn Old Hou's confidence.
• Li Chen summoned his Fang Tiger and began using the Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting Secret Art on the Tiger Demon leader's hide, hoping to gain its defenses and advance toward Master Artisan proficiency.

Li Chen used Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting to refine the Tiger Demon Chief’s hide and fit it over the Mechanism Beast Fang Tiger. After testing its enhanced defense, he continued repairing flaws in the hide.

• Li Chen refined the Tiger Demon Chief’s hide, finding its spiritual potency and toughness made the work far more strenuous than refining ordinary animal skins.
• Li Chen shrank the hide to fit the Mechanism Beast Fang Tiger, giving it a lifelike orange-yellow coat with black stripes and a white forehead marking.
• Li Chen smoothed the hide’s wounds and connected it to the puppet core, adjusting its settings and filling it with Spirit Essence.
• Li Chen struck the Mechanism Beast Fang Tiger with his Hunting Knife and saw sparks fly as the hide resisted the blow like Blacksteel.
• Li Chen noticed flaws around the puppet’s mouth, nose, cuts, and seams, and continued refining the hide.

Li Chen joined Old Hou and You An for a demon hunt and used his modified Fang Tiger Mechanism Beast to prove his worth. After the beast vanished into the grass, Old Hou and You An realized Li Chen had given it the tiger demon’s stealth talent.

• Old Hou told Li Chen that Old Huang and Old Lou had left, then said he and You An would hunt demons the next day.
• Old Hou gave Li Chen an assortment of hunting tools, and Li Chen offered to repair their Mechanism Puppets as a Craftsman-rank Puppet Master.
• Li Chen joined Old Hou and You An at the inn the next morning, recognizing that Old Hou was testing whether they were useful companions.
• Li Chen revealed his Fang Tiger Mechanism Beast, whose tiger hide covering impressed Old Hou and led him to call Li Chen a genuine artisan.
• After the group left the city to hunt, Li Chen's Fang Tiger Mechanism Beast faded into the grass, astonishing Old Hou and You An with its stealth talent.

Li Chen discovered that his Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting had captured the Tiger Demon Chief’s stealth ability and used it to hunt a roe deer with Old Hou and You An. After proving his worth to Old Hou, he continued into the woods to hunt more prey.

• Li Chen tested the Tiger Demon hide and realized its living quality had let him capture the Tiger Demon Chief’s stealth ability.
• Li Chen activated the concealment restrictions on his Puppet Master's Robe and asked Old Hou to find prey while he and You An prepared to intercept it.
• Old Hou located a roe deer and sent Li Chen and You An its route through their linked image slates.
• Li Chen rode the Mechanism Beast Fang Tiger silently through the woods and pounced on the unaware roe deer.
• Old Hou praised Li Chen's hunting ability, and the two men began to build mutual understanding after Li Chen killed the deer.
• Old Hou searched deeper into the woods for more prey while Li Chen prepared to hunt it using his stealth.

Li Chen, Old Hou, and You An hunted wild oxen, but the herd charged them before they could catch their chosen prey. You An revealed his War Armor and Mechanical Martial Artist abilities, killing the herd’s leader with one blow and leaving Li Chen and Old Hou astonished.

• Li Chen and his companions sold their previous day’s ordinary prey at the Market Fair for a little over three hundred talisman coins.
• The three followed Old Hou to a lake and spotted a herd of wild oxen, including a powerful bull that had become a low-grade nature spirit.
• When the oxen charged, You An rushed forward as spiritual light assembled gray-white War Armor around him.
• You An leaped among the charging oxen and smashed the herd leader’s head, stopping the huge bull and scattering the herd.
• Old Hou recognized You An as a Mechanical Martial Artist, and Li Chen praised his strength while wondering about his origins.

Li Chen reflected on how Puppet Masters borrowed the powers of the world, then hunted with Old Hou and You An while studying their equipment. At the Market Fair, he discovered Magnetism Components that he recognized as essential to antigravity technology.

• On the ride back, Li Chen explained to Old Hou and You An that Puppet Masters used the gifts of beasts, gods, and nature to pursue cultivation.
• Li Chen offered to improve You An's War Armor, but found it was an advanced Heavenly Soldier model he could not yet modify.
• Li Chen made a lifelike skin covering for Old Hou's Mechanism Right Arm, restoring Old Hou's confidence in his craftsmanship.
• After the three hunted nearly ten beasts, Old Hou proposed that they venture farther into the forest to seek demonic beasts, and Li Chen and You An agreed.
• At the Market Fair, Li Chen found a shop selling Magnetism Components and recognized them as key to antigravity technology.

Li Chen examined a high-quality Floating Ball and bought a batch of smaller ones along with materials for studying Magnetic Force. The shopkeeper guessed Li Chen was nearing Master Artisan skill, while Li Chen focused on checking the materials himself.

• Li Chen tested a Floating Ball and found that it could hover and rise when infused with magical power.
• Li Chen bargained over the price, then chose a batch of soybean-sized and longan-sized Floating Balls instead.
• The shopkeeper counted out fifteen small Type D balls and one small Type B ball, and Li Chen inspected them.
• Li Chen bought Magnetic Ore, Floating Gold, Light Steel, and Iron Essence, leading the shopkeeper to suspect he planned to master Magnetic Force.
• Li Chen ignored the shopkeeper's praise and carefully checked the quality of the Spirit Materials.

Li Chen built a new generation of Flying Discs using magnetic force and his own Control Chip designs, then began ritually refining magnetic materials to transform his magical power. He left off carefully studying the changes in his power as he sought to cultivate Magnetic Origin properties.

• Li Chen spent his remaining funds on spirit materials and components, then built a new Flying Disc that used a Floating Ball and magnetic force instead of a mechanical rotor.
• Li Chen tested the disc and found it more agile than his old model, while his Control Chip let him control more than a dozen discs with precision.
• Li Chen assembled two reconnaissance Flying Discs equipped with Eye Crystals and examined the magnetic ore and floating gold he had purchased.
• Li Chen began ritually refining the magnetic materials, sensing their changes and gradually altering the properties of his magical power.

Li Chen, Old Hou, and You An left the Commandery Seat to hunt Red List Demon Beasts along the eastern mountain route. After reaching Maple Grove Market, they sold their quarry and each received over ten thousand talisman coins.

• Li Chen experimented with refining Floating Gold and learned that he needed to undergo a true magnetic metamorphosis before he could reliably make a Floating Ball.
• Old Hou and You An showed Li Chen a continent-wide Red List and shared news of beast herds moving along the Yong Kingdom's eastern border.
• Old Hou proposed that the three leave the Commandery Seat and hunt higher-value Demon Beasts on their way east, and Li Chen and You An agreed.
• The next day, Old Hou led Li Chen and You An into the mountain forests, where they hunted several middle- and High Rank Demon Beasts.
• In late May, the three reached Maple Grove Market, sold their quarry, and each received over ten thousand talisman coins after the shared fund's contribution.

Li Chen, Old Hou, and You An explored Maple Grove Market and discussed the wider world beyond their region, including Sky Cities and the Other Continent. You An revealed his family’s connection to a Sky City and the hardships that left him a Wilderness Rogue Cultivator before he redirected their attention to a restaurant.

• Old Hou took Li Chen and You An to browse Maple Grove Market after they celebrated their successful demon-beast hunt.
• Old Hou explained that trade and skilled Puppet Masters, rather than a settlement’s size, determined its prosperity.
• Old Hou described Sky Cities and the Other Continent, while You An explained that reaching a Sky City usually required great cultivation and the ability to fly.
• You An revealed that his grandfather had been a Grand Artisan and that he had lived in a Sky City as a child before his family lost its standing.
• You An said his father had been beaten to death when You An was sixteen and that his father's Heavenly General War Armor had been confiscated.
• You An spotted a restaurant on the commercial street and urged Li Chen and Old Hou to go inside.

Li Chen, You An, and Old Hou visited the Hundred Flowers House, where You An chose a woman to accompany him and Old Hou played Tile Treasure. Li Chen stayed with the twin sisters Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, then declined Old Hou’s offer to bathe and said he had just remembered something.

• You An persuaded Li Chen and Old Hou to enter the Hundred Flowers House instead of looking at spirit materials and treasures.
• You An asked the proprietress for a noble-lady type of beauty, while Old Hou chose to drink, play Tile Treasure, and later take a bath.
• Li Chen refused the proprietress’s attempts to find him a girl, so the proprietress arranged for Xiao Die and Xiao Ying to join him and Old Hou.
• Xiao Die and Xiao Ying played Tile Treasure with the men, and Li Chen gave his winnings to Xiao Ying.
• Old Hou invited Li Chen to bathe with him, but Li Chen declined, saying he had remembered something.

Li Chen explained that he had paid the madam at the Hundred Flowers House to let him measure Xiao Die and Xiao Ying as practice for his Body Deconstruction Great Art and Skin-Painting Art. He told You An he would not return, then revealed the real purpose of the exercise to him and Old Hou.

• Li Chen told the madam he wanted to measure Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, and she agreed after he offered money and promised to keep their innocence intact.
• The next morning, You An learned that Li Chen and Old Hou had already paid his bill, while the madam asked him to pass a message to Li Chen.
• You An questioned Li Chen about his visit to the Hundred Flowers House, and Li Chen said he would not go there again.
• Li Chen explained that he had measured the sisters to practice the Body Deconstruction Great Art.
• Li Chen told You An and Old Hou that he had done it to practice the Skin-Painting Art.

Li Chen demonstrated his lifelike Humanoid Idols and gained new insight into the Shape-Stealing Skin-Painting Art. Meanwhile, another Puppet Master arrived at the Hundred Flowers House seeking models and learned that someone else had already asked for the same thing.

• Li Chen showed Old Hou and You An the Humanoid Idols of Xiao Die and Xiao Ying, which he had made using the Skin-Painting Art.
• Li Chen reflected on capturing forms while discarding impurities, then used the art to make the dolls even more beautiful than the original sisters.
• Old Hou and You An left Li Chen to his work and admitted that they could no longer see through him.
• A young Puppet Master in a hovering mechanical chair entered the Hundred Flowers House and asked where he could find models for practicing Skin-Painting Art.
• The proprietress told the young man that another guest had sought models earlier, and he asked her to explain what had happened.