Chapter Summaries

Jiang Lan and his companions finished dealing with the demon beasts, while arguments at the Experimental Base continued over responsibility and support. As they prepared to return, Qin Ling worried that she had let Jiang Lan down, but he reassured her that he trusted the trial team.

• Shen Qingqiu persuaded the high-tier demonic beasts, while the others questioned how the situation had reached this point.
• People at the Experimental Base argued over Jiang Lan, the beast tides, and whether the bases had handled the crisis properly.
• Jiang Lan urged Qin Ling to stop exhausting her abilities and told her that she had already surpassed most ordinary cultivators.
• Qin Ling said she felt she had disappointed Jiang Lan, and Shen Qingqiu reminded her that Jiang Lan had chosen the team for the trial and would keep trusting them.
• People at the base complained that Jiang Lan's group had received support while they had not.
• Jiang Lan told everyone to pack up and return, saying their resources would last them a long while.

Jiang Lan sent Qin Ling and the others away before descending toward a powerful presence guided by the voice in his mind. At the base, Qin Longtian argued with the others over how much responsibility Jiang Lan should bear.

• Jiang Lan told Qin Ling and the others to find somewhere to rest while he continued alone.
• Qin Longtian defended Jiang Lan as the base members argued that his abilities meant he should take on more responsibility.
• Jiang Lan followed the guidance in his mind into the deepest part of the area.
• Jiang Lan found an enormous dragon-like creature whose breath vaporized the surrounding rocks, and the voice in his mind said it was their most important discovery.

Jiang Lan fought a blind, dragon-headed python beneath the Beast Tide’s source while Shen Qingqiu protected the group above from newly emerging Demon Beasts. The battle below remained difficult, and the situation grew more dangerous as powerful beasts surfaced.

• Shen Qingqiu told Qin Ling and the others to secure the golden cores and stay away from the underground fight.
• Jiang Lan confronted the giant python and searched for a weakness, but struggled to damage it despite its inability to see.
• Jiang Lan warned Shen Qingqiu that powerful energy fluctuations could spawn more Demon Beasts and asked him to move everyone back.
• Shen Qingqiu ordered Qin Ling and the others to retreat with the remaining resources, then attacked several giant Demon Beasts that erupted from underground.
• Qin Ling and the others watched Shen Qingqiu fight while Jiang Lan continued struggling below.

Jiang Lan fought below while the others worried about his lack of messages and Shen Qingqiu’s worsening situation. After Shen Qingqiu and the others defeated the nearby demon beasts, the old men learned Jiang Lan had jumped into a pit with powerful energy fluctuations and wondered whether to go after him.

• The base residents debated whether to support the people fighting the beast tide, while Qin Longtian criticized them for waiting so long to act.
• Jiang Lan discovered a weakness in the powerful beast below and prepared a countermeasure as he heard Shen Qingqiu was struggling.
• The old men spotted people from the base gathered together and cautiously approached, suspecting they might be plotting against the base.
• Qin Ling and the others rushed to help Shen Qingqiu fight a high-tier demonic beast, then collected the demon cores after defeating the beasts.
• The old men heard Jiang Lan had jumped into the pit and detected enormous power fluctuations below, so they worried that he might be in danger.

Jiang Lan fought a powerful creature underground while the others waited above, and eventually killed it and emerged with its oversized Golden Core. He explained that the creature had been supplying energy that caused the endless Beast Tides.

• Jiang Lan warned the old men to move away from the dangerous tremors, and they took Shen Qingqiu with them.
• Qin Longtian came to check on Jiang Lan and calmed the arguing people waiting above.
• Jiang Lan struggled to subdue the creature and discussed his next move with the fellow in his mind.
• Jiang Lan slashed the creature's neck from behind, then shot out of the ground holding its Golden Core.
• Jiang Lan explained that the creature's energy supply had caused the Beast Tides, and Qin Ling and the others apologized for their failure to handle the situation.

Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu confronted people from a neighboring base who demanded a share of the resources gained from fighting Demon Beasts. After Jiang Lan exposed their selfish intentions and drove them off, the neighboring Base Chief berated his people for returning empty-handed.

• Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu returned from dealing with the Demon Beasts, and Shen Qingqiu condemned the neighboring base’s conduct.
• The neighboring Martial Artists claimed they deserved a share of the resources, and Qin Ling challenged them to say whether they would share in return.
• Jiang Lan exposed their thoughts of stealing resources and sent them flying away from the group.
• Qin Longtian said he had notified the neighboring Base Chief and left the dispute for him to handle.
• The neighboring Base Chief scolded his people for failing to secure resources, and they blamed Jiang Lan’s strength.

Jiang Lan returned to the base with Xinghe and faced tense arguments over resources, his ties to the base, and the way others treated his group. As he comforted Qin Ling, he received a private invitation from the Base Chief of a neighboring base, who wanted to meet with him.

• Some Martial Artists proposed poaching Jiang Lan, while others warned that they did not understand why he had been recruited.
• Jiang Lan returned to the base with Xinghe without attending the meeting, and others argued over his enormous Beast Core and whether it belonged to the base.
• Jiang Lan arrived amid a tense discussion, and Qin Ling apologized for the trouble her misunderstanding had caused.
• Several Martial Artists argued about distinctions among base members, while Jiang Lan questioned their earlier behavior toward him.
• Jiang Lan received a message from the neighboring base's Base Chief requesting a private meeting, and Qin Longtian hurried to explain when he thought Jiang Lan was angry.

Jiang Lan rejected the neighboring base chief’s attempt to recruit him, saying he had no interest in switching bases or bargaining over resources. The neighboring chief apologized but continued to praise Jiang Lan as a High-Rank Martial Artist, prompting Qin Longtian and his martial artists to object to the open poaching.

• Jiang Lan told Shen Qingqiu and his aunt not to indulge anyone who objected to their taking resources.
• The neighboring base chief privately offered Jiang Lan a place at his base and suggested he could keep some resources for himself.
• Jiang Lan said he was acting by choice, had no need to cooperate, and found the offer pointless.
• Qin Longtian and his martial artists approached Jiang Lan, and Jiang Lan urged them to pay more attention to outsiders causing trouble.
• The neighboring base chief apologized for his presumption but said he still wanted to recruit a High-Rank Martial Artist like Jiang Lan.
• Qin Longtian and his martial artists protested that the neighboring chief was trying to poach Jiang Lan in front of them.

Jiang Lan reassured Shen Qingqiu that he would follow his own judgment despite the tensions with another base, and Shen Qingqiu accepted his decision. The next day, Qin Ling reported that the neighboring base was unusually interested in the situation, leaving Jiang Lan to consider how others at his base would respond.

• Jiang Lan told the elders and Martial Artists to keep outsiders from entering, and they promised to be more careful.
• Jiang Lan embraced Shen Qingqiu and said he cared most about Shen Qingqiu's thoughts; they returned to the bedroom and stayed there through the night.
• Qin Longtian came to explain that the earlier incident had not been intentional, but left without disturbing Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu.
• The next day, Qin Ling told Jiang Lan that people from the other base seemed unusually concerned about the situation.
• Jiang Lan told Qin Ling that she could go with the others when the beast tide came, and said he trusted her to make her own judgment.

Qin Longtian and the Martial Artists argued over failed plans, scarce resources, and how to handle people from another base seeking to join them. Qin Ling and the others came to understand Qin Longtian’s difficulties, and the group left the newcomers welcome but without promising what help they could provide.

• The neighboring Base Chief returned furious and challenged the Martial Artists over the failure of their efforts and the base’s lack of resources.
• Qin Longtian explained that seizing the opportunity and deciding what to do required many people’s input, not one person’s decision.
• Martial Artists discussed Jiang Lan’s situation and questioned why High-Rank Martial Artists wanted to join despite the base’s limited resources.
• The visiting Martial Artists demanded a response, but the locals said nobody had forced them to come and rejected their complaints.
• Qin Ling and the others understood Qin Longtian’s difficulties, and the group offered to help if problems arose without guaranteeing what they could accomplish.

Jiang Lan warned the Martial Artists that the Beast Tide might be far worse than expected, then went to the base to discuss the threat with Qin Longtian. The group debated how to respond and later questioned Qin Ling about his strength, but the chapter ended without a clear plan for facing the Beast Tide.

• Jiang Lan detected that the earlier Demon Beast might signal an unusually large Beast Tide and reassured Shen Qingqiu before sending him to rest.
• Jiang Lan went to the base and told Qin Longtian and the Martial Artists about the possible threat.
• The Martial Artists offered to cooperate, while Jiang Lan said the situation was already better than before and urged them not to worry.
• The group discussed scouting the Beast Tide and waiting to hear Jiang Lan’s assessment, but no firm response was settled.
• The Martial Artists asked Qin Ling how he had become so strong, and Qin Ling and another speaker credited proper training rather than special coaching.

Jiang Lan reassured Qin Ling and the other martial artists after they worried that their earlier remarks had offended him. They returned to the Martial Arts Arena and eased tensions with the others, leaving the group ready to work together again against Demon Beasts.

• The martial artists realized they should avoid provoking Jiang Lan and decided to explain the situation to him.
• Jiang Lan found Qin Ling and the others waiting outside the meeting room and asked why they were not training.
• Qin Ling explained that people had urged them to handle things a certain way, and Jiang Lan told them the issue was minor.
• Qin Ling and the others returned to the Martial Arts Arena, where the martial artists apologized for their remarks.
• Qin Ling accepted their explanations and assured them that the group could work together against Demon Beasts again.

Qin Ling, Qin Longtian, and others discussed why Jiang Lan would not be swayed by the bases’ attempts to recruit him and agreed that they should stop joking about the matter. Jiang Lan remained at their base, but they acknowledged that the situation had changed and would need to be reconsidered later.

• Qin Ling and the others discussed refusing any renewed attempt to recruit Jiang Lan and sticking to their own responsibilities.
• Qin Longtian said he understood their position but found their remarks unsettling, while the others stressed that the circumstances left them little choice.
• They recalled that other bases had once tried to win Jiang Lan over amid disputes about resources, but he had not been persuaded.
• The group concluded that the old approaches no longer fit the changed situation and that they would need to plan again at another time.
• They reassured one another that Jiang Lan had not left their base.

Jiang Lan learned that Qin Longtian’s people planned to make him responsible for handling a future Beast Tide, prompting his friends to protest their treatment of him. Qin Longtian reprimanded his own side for risking Jiang Lan’s departure, but some of them insisted Jiang Lan owed the base loyalty.

• People discussed making Jiang Lan handle a future Beast Tide if the base faced one it could not manage.
• Jiang Lan returned from spending time with Shen Qingqiu and found his friends angry that Qin Longtian’s side expected him to take responsibility.
• Qin Ling and the others defended Jiang Lan, saying he had already nurtured them and received too few resources from the base.
• Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu told their friends not to dwell on the dispute, though the group remained resentful.
• Qin Longtian scolded his people for failing to recognize that Jiang Lan could be poached, while others claimed Jiang Lan should have been loyal to the base.

Jiang Lan learned that Qin Longtian’s base was debating its next steps and the distribution of resources, then confronted Qin Longtian about the plans. A resentful Dancer accused Jiang Lan of favoring Qin Ling and her group, and Jiang Lan defended their contributions.

• Qin Longtian insisted that the base would investigate the sinkhole despite tensions and Jiang Lan’s absence.
• Qin Ling pledged that she and the Dancers would support Jiang Lan, who told them not to blame themselves for the situation.
• Jiang Lan went to ask Qin Longtian about the base’s plans and said he had not cared how events turned out.
• An older Dancer accused Jiang Lan of directing resources to Qin Ling and her group.
• Jiang Lan replied that Qin Ling and the others had agreed to the arrangement and were capable, prompting the Dancer to accuse him of taking their side.

Jiang Lan confronted Qin Longtian and the others over their handling of the situation, then left the Central Bureau Meeting Room with Shen Qingqiu. Qin Ling and the Dancers later apologized, and Jiang Lan told them to focus on cultivation rather than blame themselves.

• Jiang Lan rejected the others’ criticism and told them he had only been speaking with Qin Longtian.
• Qin Ling and the Dancers argued over whether they should back down, while Qin Longtian admitted the plan had been his idea.
• Jiang Lan stood up and left the meeting after saying he had joined the place for personal reasons.
• Shen Qingqiu reassured Jiang Lan outside the meeting room, and Jiang Lan explained why he still cared about Qin Ling and the others.
• Qin Longtian and the other elders discussed the consequences for their base, then Qin Ling and the Dancers apologized to Jiang Lan.
• Jiang Lan told Qin Ling and the others to focus on cultivation and not worry about the matter.

Jiang Lan and Qin Longtian tried to stop the martial artists from arguing over resources, expectations, and Jiang Lan’s involvement, but tensions remained high. Jiang Lan found nothing unusual outside the base, though he still could not refine the Beast Core he had obtained.

• Several martial artists argued over whether Jiang Lan should help them and whether they had contributed enough to earn resources.
• Qin Longtian challenged the group’s assumptions and said they had considered the difficulties ahead when they made their choices.
• Jiang Lan sent Qin Ling to interrupt the argument and asked those who doubted their abilities to speak up.
• Qin Ling rebuked the martial artists, who responded by accusing him of benefiting from resources they had not received.
• Qin Longtian silenced them and said he could not handle their problems alone, while Jiang Lan acknowledged that greater challenges lay ahead.
• Jiang Lan detected nothing unusual outside the base but remained unable to refine the Beast Core for his own use.

Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu confronted people at the base who blamed Jiang Lan for their lack of resources, while Qin Longtian tried to restore order. Shen Qingqiu took Jiang Lan away, but Jiang Lan still believed the base’s Martial Artists could improve.

• Several Martial Artists accused Jiang Lan of acting superior, and Shen Qingqiu rebuked them for expecting him to provide resources.
• The group argued over past arrangements and whether they should cooperate when resources appeared again, while Qin Ling and the others reacted with surprise.
• Qin Longtian warned the Martial Artists to follow his rules or leave the base, saying he would not let Jiang Lan bear the consequences of their conduct.
• Shen Qingqiu took Jiang Lan away and told him he had been right to keep his distance from the base’s people.
• Jiang Lan said he still believed the other Martial Artists could change and promised not to say anything more to them.

Jiang Lan and Shen Qingqiu discussed their lack of control over the base’s decisions, while Qin Ling and other Martial Artists debated how to handle supplies, energy, and cooperation. The group ended by considering a joint trip to deal with Demon Beasts, though concerns about their ties and future arrangements remained.

• Jiang Lan returned and asked Shen Qingqiu why her mood was troubled.
• Shen Qingqiu told Jiang Lan that choices at the base were beyond their control and that they needed to strengthen their abilities.
• Qin Ling led several people into the Martial Arts Arena, where they questioned whether they should act before the boss had spoken.
• Jiang Lan told the Martial Artists that relying on connections and arguing over the issue would not resolve their problems.
• Qin Longtian offered to explain supply or energy concerns and proposed that they go together to deal with Demon Beasts next time.
• The Martial Artists acknowledged the proposal, and Jiang Lan said they did not need to overthink his earlier wording.

Jiang Lan confronted the Martial Artists who criticized Qin Ling and his group over their choices and their ties to him. He refused to accept their demands and said he would leave their base if they had a problem with him, as other Martial Artists arrived and objected to the confrontation.

• Qin Ling and the others discussed the connections they had formed and the complications surrounding their plans.
• Some Martial Artists mocked Qin Ling and questioned why she and the others treated Jiang Lan as their boss.
• Qin Ling defended her respect for Jiang Lan, and Jiang Lan stepped forward to challenge the Martial Artists for staying silent earlier.
• Jiang Lan told the Martial Artists to voice their complaints directly and said he would leave their base rather than cooperate under pressure.
• Several Martial Artists arrived, overheard the argument, and rebuked the critics for pushing Jiang Lan after working hard to keep him there.