Chapter Summaries

Lei Yao refused to meet with Cao Wuyan’s people, while Ying Shilan saw Zhuang Chenxing’s campaign as a chance to recruit Li Qingshan. Zhuang revealed that he was using Li’s seclusion to bury the investigation into Panlong, as Shi Yan began carrying out a secret assignment from Li.

• Lei Yao dismissed Cao Wuyan’s request for a meeting, deciding not to take sides in the dispute over Li Qingshan.
• Ying Shilan told Huo Wei that Bai Ze would invite Li Qingshan to join once Zhuang Chenxing’s growing public image drew Li into conflict with him.
• Ten days later, Zhuang Chenxing told thirty-seven hidden allies that his public campaign would seal the case against Panlong while Li Qingshan was in seclusion.
• Zhuang’s allies agreed to cooperate with his plan, and he assured them that the investigation would fade away before Li emerged.
• Shi Yan assured Kong Yang that he would keep Li Qingshan’s secret matter confidential, then began issuing orders.

A rescue fleet entered the Godfall Continent, where Tu Shen confirmed that Li Qingshan was in seclusion and began the rescue operation. She found an orphaned girl named Xiao Ye, adopted her as Tu Ye, and left with her.

• Jin Yuanli dismissed Leng Feng’s concerns about the political undercurrents, trusting Li Qingshan to resolve them after his seclusion.
• Zhuang Chenxing appointed Tu Shen to command the rescue fleet entering the Godfall Continent and privately instructed her to check on Li Qingshan.
• Tu Shen confirmed that Li Qingshan was in seclusion, then ordered the ten thousand rescue personnel to carry out their assigned duties.
• Tu Shen met Xiao Ye, an orphan who wanted to see Li Qingshan, and offered to take her in.
• Tu Shen renamed Xiao Ye as Tu Ye, called herself her mother, and carried her away from the Wilderness.

Tu Shen rescued Tu Ye from Godfall Continent as Zhuang Chenxing used the ten-year rescue operation and its broadcasts to build his public image. At the closing assembly, Zhuang Chenxing announced a New Beginnings Assembly, but Li Qingshan arrived and changed its name to Judgment Assembly.

• Tu Shen emerged from the World Gate carrying Tu Ye, and Zhuang Chenxing addressed reporters while shielding the girl from their attention.
• Tu Shen told Zhuang Chenxing that Li Qingshan was on Godfall Continent and in seclusion.
• Over the next ten years, the rescue operation relocated hundreds of millions of humans, while Zhuang Chenxing gained public praise through the broadcasts.
• At the closing assembly, Zhuang Chenxing replaced Celebration Assembly with New Beginnings Assembly and invited Tu Ye to attend.
• Li Qingshan entered the auditorium with a woman behind him, interrupted Zhuang Chenxing, and changed the inscription to Judgment Assembly.

Li Qingshan revealed that Tu Shen was born on Godfall Continent and accused Zhuang Chenxing of being tied to Panlong’s case. As Tu Shen opened a stack of documents meant to support Li’s promised judgment, the livestream abruptly went dark.

• Zhuang Chenxing invited Tu Ye into the hall, but Li Qingshan said she had not come and identified Tu Shen as the first person from Godfall Continent to reach the Starry Sky.
• Tu Shen confirmed that she was born on Godfall Continent, while Zhuang Chenxing rejected the claims of God Slaying and Heaven’s Mandate.
• Li Qingshan described Tu Shen’s supposed journey through the Astral Rift and pointed out that Zhuang Chenxing had appointed her captain of the rescue team.
• Zhuang Chenxing tried to defend his reputation to the viewers, but Li Qingshan said he had come to settle Panlong’s case and would not let Zhuang die easily.
• Tu Shen opened a Light Screen filled with documents, and the livestreams across the Starry Sky suddenly cut to darkness.

After the livestream was cut off, Li Qingshan used the Black Scale Auction House to broadcast evidence against the officials who had colluded with Panlong. He executed thirty-seven Eighth Order Myriad Manifestations across the Starry Sea and raised his blade over Zhuang Chenxing as the broadcast continued.

• The Short-bearded Elder, Zou Bai, reassured thirty-six other officials that they could use Zhuang Chenxing’s death to turn public anger against Li Qingshan.
• Li Qingshan revealed that Zhuang Chenxing’s livestream had been cut off, then resumed the broadcast through the Black Scale Auction House.
• Li Qingshan exposed Zou Bai’s dealings with Panlong and killed him with a blade strike across light-years.
• Li Qingshan judged and killed thirty-six more officials who had colluded with Panlong, bringing the total to thirty-seven Eighth Order Myriad Manifestations.
• Li Qingshan projected evidence of Zhuang Chenxing’s dealings, forced him to his knees, and raised his blade to execute him.

Li Qingshan executed Zhuang Chenxing and used a livestream to declare that the Evil Slaying Department would pursue those who preyed on humanity. As figures began appearing through tears in space, Ying Shilan recognized that the Azure Dragon Council and the forces behind the executed officials were about to respond—and saw the opportunity she had anticipated.

• Li Qingshan carried Zhuang Chenxing's corpse into space, released its shattered Starry River, and declared that the Evil Slaying Department would never close a case.
• Viewers across the Starry Sky praised Li Qingshan after learning he had killed thirty-eight Eighth-Grade Great Powers.
• At Qiong Qi Auction House, Lei Yao lamented missing out on Li Qingshan and told his secretary to dismiss Cao Wuyan.
• At Bai Ze Auction House, Ying Shilan explained that the Azure Dragon Council and the powers behind the executed figures were the real mire facing Li Qingshan.
• Ying Shilan pointed out that Li Qingshan had kept the livestream running, and figures began appearing as cracks opened in space.

Li Qingshan confronted Lu Ying and nearly a hundred powerful figures who challenged his execution of thirty-eight Eighth-Order officials, then suspected them of colluding with Panlong. The Azure Dragon Council promoted him to Deputy Minister of the Evil Slaying Department, and he ordered the challengers to come with him for an impartial investigation.

• Lu Ying accused Li Qingshan of exceeding his authority by executing human Eighth-Order powers without reporting their cases to the Azure Dragon Council, while viewers defended Li.
• Li Qingshan said he suspected Lu Ying and the others of colluding with Panlong and ordered them to come to the Evil Slaying Department.
• Yue Zhen and Ming Shuang appeared as enormous faces across the Star System, causing Li Qingshan and the gathered officials to pause.
• The Azure Dragon Council announced that Li Qingshan was promoted to Deputy Minister of the Evil Slaying Department in recognition of his meritorious service.
• Lu Ying and the others apologized to Li Qingshan, who still told them to come to the Evil Slaying Department for an impartial discussion before the livestream ended.

News of Li Qingshan slaying 38 Eighth Order opponents spread across the Azure Dragon Galaxy, where viewers debated how he had achieved such strength. In the Taotie Domain, Cao Wuyan recognized Li as a threat to his plans but chose to wait, believing Li’s pursuit of the Unnamed Cultivation Method might fail before its final step.

• Major news outlets reported that Li Qingshan had slain all 38 opponents and been promoted to Deputy Minister, while viewers across the Azure Dragon Galaxy argued over the feat and his cultivation level.
• A commenter from the White Tiger Galaxy claimed that Li and Feng Boyong had cultivated the Unnamed Cultivation Method, which could break through the Seventh Order limit of Divine Aspects.
• Cao Wuyan watched the footage in Wuyan Palace and estimated that Li Qingshan had reached at least the Seventeenth Order of Divine Aspect.
• Cao Wuyan told his subordinate to abandon their previous plans because Li’s promotion had changed the situation, but he insisted he would not give up the struggle over the Taotie bloodline.
• Cao Wuyan said Li might reach the threshold of the Final Step but doubted he could transform his body into a star, and decided to wait.

Divine Aspect—Research Group 68390 learned that Li Qingshan had reached Eighteen Orders, making him their sole hope for completing the Final Step. Team Leader Jin Yuanli then heard that rival researcher He Xianghong’s prodigy Qing Feng had already reached Eighteen Orders completion and was preparing to attempt it, while Jin still believed Li Qingshan’s practical methods gave him a better chance.

• Jin Yuanli confirmed that Li Qingshan had more than 130 million Quantum Star Cores and had reached Divine Aspect Eighteen Orders.
• Xiao Li proposed quietly funding Li Qingshan, but Jin Yuanli said Hua Yu would be watching and might urge him to skip the Final Step and become a Gaseous Giant Star.
• He Xianghong called Jin Yuanli and announced that Qing Feng of the Nanshan Galaxy had completed Eighteen Orders and was preparing for the Final Step.
• He Xianghong said Qing Feng knew the risks and intended to attempt the unprecedented Body Transforms into a Star, despite He’s advice to stop.
• Jin Yuanli told Xiao Li and Leng Feng that Li Qingshan was different because his detailed practical methods offered an extra chance of success.

Li Qingshan rewarded his allies and continued investigating the detained figures while seeking the Cosmic Matter needed for his cultivation. He demanded that anyone seeking release provide fifty million units, leaving Kong Yang and Shi Yan to handle the ransom negotiations.

• Ye Yukong refused Li Qingshan’s invitation to join the Evil Slaying Department and said he planned to work for the Ministry of Education with Mo Yuan.
• Ya Lie asked to join the Evil Slaying Department, and Li Qingshan accepted him.
• Li Qingshan gave Shi Yan’s Black Scale Auction House the vacancies left by Panlong in Horn Constellation Zone Two and instructed him to continue purchasing Cosmic Matter.
• Kong Yang reported that the News Department, major Lineages, and conglomerates wanted to ransom the people detained on a barren satellite.
• Li Qingshan revealed he still needed 130 million units of Cosmic Matter and ordered Kong Yang to demand fifty million units from those seeking release.

Li Qingshan investigated Tu Ye’s strangely effective version of The Stars Are Calling and learned from Hua Yu that her mysterious “teacher” was a sensitive secret. He then showed Tu Shen the rest of a video that revealed the Black Gold VIP Yue Zhen.

• Tu Shen brought her daughter Tu Ye to meet Li Qingshan, who noticed she had reached Body Tempering seventh level.
• Tu Ye demonstrated 108 distorted forms of The Stars Are Calling, each of which produced a Body Forging effect despite her having practiced alone.
• Li Qingshan contacted Hua Yu, who confirmed there was no issue with Tu Ye’s “Low-End Version” and said a Research Group would monitor the matter.
• Li Qingshan sent Tu Ye on a tour with Kong Yang, then showed Tu Shen the remainder of Li Wenbo’s video.
• Li Wenbo named Yue Zhen as a Black Gold VIP Tu Shen would be interested in.

Li Qingshan learned that Tu Shen came from Qiong Xiao and served the Ling Tian Sect, but he did not blame her and instead promoted her. He ordered her to investigate Ling Tian’s old fellows and assemble evidence against them, preparing to face Yue Zhen if he intervened.

• Tu Shen revealed that she came from Qiong Xiao, which had sought to gather and support prodigies, and explained that Ling Tian’s actions exceeded Qiong Xiao’s aims.
• Li Qingshan dismissed Tu Shen’s fears of punishment and recognized that Li Wenbo’s message naming Yue Zhen was an attempt to draw others into his downfall.
• Li Qingshan ordered Tu Shen to identify the Ling Tian old fellows who had secretly made trouble for him, using the Investigation Room’s resources openly.
• Tu Shen warned that Yue Zhen might intervene, but Li Qingshan said he was ready to face him with his Thunder Roar Blade.
• Li Qingshan promoted Tu Shen and directed the Investigation Room to weave together evidence of the old fellows’ guilt.

Li Qingshan secured promotions for Tu Shen and Bao Hetong, then asked Ming Shuang about the Epoch Prodigy Ranking and its connection to the War of the Four Saints. After learning the ranking would be revealed at the End of the Epoch, he asked whether Yue Zhen had fought at full strength and left with his purpose unclear.

• Ming Shuang approved Li Qingshan's applications promoting Tu Shen to oversee the Investigation Room and Bao Hetong to Deputy Director.
• Li Qingshan asked whether Ming Shuang was an Epoch Prodigy, and she explained that she had entered the ranking in the previous epoch.
• Ming Shuang described the Epoch Prodigy Ranking, which recorded current-epoch prodigies who reached the eighth order and offered a chance to pursue a fortune for advancing to the ninth order.
• Ming Shuang warned Li Qingshan that barely a thousand years remained in the epoch and offered to help him find Time Sand so he could reach the eighth order.
• Li Qingshan declined Ming Shuang's offer, hinted that he was pursuing the Final Step of the Unnamed Cultivation Method, and asked whether Yue Zhen had fought at full strength.
• Ming Shuang said Yue Zhen had gone all out, and Li Qingshan bade her farewell, saying he had only been asking around.

Li Qingshan used a stroll through space to pressure Jiao Xiu District officials into paying the Evil Slaying Department and accepted donations from two auction houses. He learned that Cao Wuyan was weaker than Yue Zhen and left focused on gathering Cosmic Matter.

• Li Qingshan met Lei Yao and Ying Shilan, rejected their Black Gold VIP cards, and invited them to walk with him.
• Li Qingshan confronted Lu Ying and made him promise to pay fifty million units of Cosmic Matter for the investigation.
• Lei Yao offered ten million units of Cosmic Matter to the Evil Slaying Department, and Ying Shilan matched his donation.
• Li Qingshan excused himself from Lei Yao and Ying Shilan, saying he had pressing official duties.
• Lei Yao mentioned Cao Wuyan, and Li Qingshan asked how he compared with Yue Zhen before learning Cao Wuyan was likely weaker.

Li Qingshan took over Zhuang Chenxing’s headquarters, met with Xia Cunzhen, Su Yuan, and Chi Yiyu, and learned what the Diplomacy Office did. As he prepared for seclusion, Kong Yang delivered the first batch of Cosmic Matter purchased by Minister Lu.

• Li Qingshan renamed the cliff face at Evil Slaying Headquarters from Zhuang Chenxing to Qingshan Star and found the office building deserted.
• Xia Cunzhen and Su Yuan greeted Li Qingshan, who told them to carry on as usual while he entered seclusion.
• Chi Yiyu confronted Li Qingshan for not notifying her before he dealt with the Seven Gods, but his explanation eased her resentment.
• Li Qingshan asked Chi Yiyu about the Diplomacy Office and learned its staff monitored friendly Great Starry Sky Clans for traces of Evil Gods.
• Kong Yang delivered the first batch of Cosmic Matter and reported that later cargo shipments would follow.

Li Qingshan welcomed Ya Lie to the Investigation Office, then returned to seclusion after warning Tu Shen to keep her regular duties in view. At the Ministry of Education, Ye Yukong chose the Alien Star Institute, while Tu Shen’s attempt to contact Xiao Tianyou ended with a mysterious document appearing on her screen.

• Li Qingshan assigned Ya Lie’s arrangements to Tu Shen and reminded her not to neglect the Investigation Office’s duties while investigating Ling Tian Sect.
• Xiao Tianyou invited Ye Yukong and Mo Yuan to choose their own sections at the Ministry of Education; Mo Yuan went to Library Star to study its materials.
• Ye Yukong met Kong Xun at the Alien Star Institute, recognized his connection to The Stars Are Calling, and accepted Ye Hao’s invitation to join the institute.
• A Shadow accused Xiao Tianyou of letting Tu Shen investigate their identities, but Xiao Tianyou denied betraying his allies.
• Tu Shen hesitated while contacting Xiao Tianyou, then received a document on her screen; Xiao Tianyou denied involvement and ended the call.

Li Qingshan received a list of eight Eighth Order Lingtian Elders suspected of plotting against him and learned that Tai Shang’s rise had made the Ling Tian Sect powerful. He ordered Tu Shen to investigate them across the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon, then prepared to enter seclusion and refine the Quantum Star Core.

• Tu Shen told Li Qingshan that an anonymous informant had supplied a list of eight Eighth Order Myriad Manifestations from the Ling Tian Sect, with a warning to beware Yue Zhen.
• Tu Shen explained that Tai Shang had risen to become a Canglong Councillor and awakened several elders who had long seemed unable to advance.
• Li Qingshan told Tu Shen to gather detailed information and evidence of the listed elders’ crimes rather than rely on Qiong Xiao’s channels.
• Li Qingshan assigned Xia Cunzhen and Su Yuan to accompany Tu Shen and gave her the Thunder Roar Blade to use against anyone who obstructed the investigation.
• After Tu Shen left, Li Qingshan checked his cultivation progress and began refining the Quantum Star Core in preparation for seclusion.

Tu Shen began a galaxy-wide investigation into Li Qingshan’s targets while the former Ling Tian Sect members gathered at Gong Duo’s home to discuss his retaliation. They learned that Xiao Tianyou had exposed all eight of their identities, leaving Jia Lang furious at his betrayal.

• Tu Shen instructed Ya Lie to summon representatives from prominent Azure Dragon Galaxy media groups for a meeting.
• Ma Anren gathered Gong Duo and the others at Ling Tian, where they discussed how to respond to Li Qingshan’s investigation and possible revenge.
• The group rejected the idea of contacting Tai Shang and relied on Yue Zhen’s warning and Xiao Tianyou’s promise not to reveal their whereabouts.
• Jia Lang received an Azure Dragon Vision headline listing all eight former Ling Tian Sect members as subjects of an investigation.
• The group suspected Xiao Tianyou had betrayed them, and Jia Lang angrily denounced him.

Ye Yukong accepted an appointment to the Alien Star Institute after Xiao Tianyou warned him that The Stars Are Calling was a deep foundation of humanity. As the Evil Slaying Department solicited reports against powerful figures, Li Qingshan rejected Yue Zhen’s attempt to intervene in his investigation, leaving their conflict unresolved.

• Xiao Tianyou signed Ye Yukong’s appointment to the Alien Star Institute after learning he wanted to study Vice Minister Ye’s project and Kong Xun’s Dao.
• Xiao Tianyou reviewed videos of people practicing radically altered versions of The Stars Are Calling, then deleted them and read the Investigation Office’s public appeal for reports against powerful figures, including Jia Lang.
• Xiao Tianyou concluded that the listed Lingtian Elders could not avoid scrutiny and wondered whether Li Qingshan’s blade could withstand Yue Zhen’s fist.
• Li Qingshan stopped absorbing Cosmic Matter to answer Yue Zhen’s call, but repeatedly asked who Xiao Yi and Yue Zhen were.
• Yue Zhen tried to explain the Ancestors’ role in the Ling Tian Sect’s destruction and make peace, but Li Qingshan demanded to know what authority Yue Zhen had to interfere in an Evil Slaying Department case and ended the call.

Yue Zhen began gathering support after Li Qingshan rebuffed his peace offer, while Tu Shen coordinated a galaxy-wide investigation that uncovered crimes by eight Lingtian Elders. After more than a year of preparation, the Evil Slaying Department launched simultaneous operations across the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon.

• Yue Zhen told Patriarch Ma he would see the matter through and asked his assistant for the list of officials he had visited.
• Tu Shen expanded the investigation network across the Azure Dragon Galaxy and sent credible leads to the other districts.
• Tu Shen, Su Yuan, and Xia Cunzhen reported that they had completed the evidence chain against eight Lingtian Elders, and Li Qingshan authorized their arrest.
• Cao Wuyan watched news of the conflict between Li Qingshan and Yue Zhen and hoped Li Qingshan would reveal Yue Zhen's true strength.
• On January 1, 8971, eight Evil Slaying Department starships arrived at targets across the Seven Mansions, declaring that they were handling a case.