Recaps

Li Xingkong discussed his cultivation needs and a Body Tempering Grass partnership with Old Tang, who proposed that he help build Guanghan City on the moon. Li Xingkong found the plan appealing and revealed that Body Tempering Grass could be grown there.

• Old Tang confirmed that Li Xingkong wanted quiet cultivation and proposed supplying his Body Tempering Grass needs while splitting the remaining harvest's proceeds evenly.
• Li Xingkong answered Old Tang's questions about spells, suggesting a way to recycle oxygen within the body and saying Body Tempering Grass could provide heat insulation.
• Old Tang showed Li Xingkong the Guanghan City Plan and explained that the Divine Land was preparing to build a city on the moon.
• Old Tang proposed making Li Xingkong chief engineer for the city's basic infrastructure and having him train personnel who could work on the lunar surface.
• Li Xingkong considered the offer appealing and told Old Tang he could grow Body Tempering Grass on the moon, exciting him.

Li Xingkong agreed to join the Guanghan City Plan after proposing that plants might be grown on the moon. Old Tang outlined a three-stage plan that would give Li Xingkong a lunar cultivation ground and support his work with the Body Tempering Grass.

• Li Xingkong told Old Tang that a suitable plant could theoretically grow on the moon, rekindling Old Tang’s interest in lunar farming.
• Old Tang invited Li Xingkong to join the Guanghan City Plan and promised to meet his requirements.
• Li Xingkong weighed the benefits and risks of going to the moon, then decided to take part in the plan.
• Li Xingkong told Old Tang he did not need to consult his family because the moon was not far away.
• Old Tang gave Li Xingkong a document outlining cooperation on Body Tempering Grass, lunar adaptation trials, construction of Guanghan City, and protection for Li Xingkong’s cultivation.

Li Xingkong and the authorities settled their cooperation, then Old Tang asked whether cultivation could grant immortality. Li Xingkong consulted the system, which explained the stages and tribulations that limit a cultivator’s lifespan.

• Li Xingkong and the authorities reached a smooth, mutually beneficial cooperation agreement.
• Old Tang examined the Hibernating Dragon Technique and recognized its potential scientific value despite its difficulty to practice.
• Old Tang asked Li Xingkong whether cultivation could let people live forever, and Li Xingkong said he knew it could extend life.
• Li Xingkong asked the system about cultivators’ lifespans, and it explained that Qi Refining cultivators faced limits tied to their tempered bodies and the Soul Tribulation.
• The system described the Mayfly Tribulation, which tied cultivators’ lives to the sun, and the Cocoon-Breaking Tribulation, which required escaping the universe into the Void Sea.

Li Xingkong discussed cultivation and lifespan with Old Tang, then agreed to work with the Divine Land on Body Tempering Grass, human cultivation research, and lunar survival. After Old Tang left, Li Xingkong planned his research and considered how his abilities might help him endure the moon’s harsh conditions.

• Li Xingkong gave Old Tang a vague answer about his lifespan rather than revealing how long cultivation might let him live.
• Old Tang left with seeds and mature Body Tempering Grass so the Divine Land could study it and begin growing more.
• Li Xingkong considered researching human cultivation and modification with official support and healing spells to protect test subjects.
• Li Xingkong decided lunar soil and local conditions would need to be studied before adapting Body Tempering Grass for the moon.
• Li Xingkong reviewed the moon’s hazards and concluded that his cultivation methods and Ingestion Spell could help him withstand its temperatures and lack of supplies.

Li Xingkong considered the dangers of space travel and focused on developing a way to survive without relying on oxygen supplies or a bulky spacesuit. He decided to adapt two existing spells, though his limited cultivation and Spiritual Qi would make the design difficult.

• Li Xingkong weighed the threats of pressure, radiation, and meteorite impacts, then chose oxygen as the first problem to tackle.
• He reasoned that a spell balancing oxygen consumption and production could help people survive for long periods in low-oxygen environments.
• Li Xingkong concluded that he also needed a close-fitting barrier to prevent gas from escaping into the vacuum without restricting movement like a spacesuit.
• The system suggested the Water Repelling Art and the Breath Holding Spell as references, and Li Xingkong decided to study and combine them.
• Li Xingkong noted that his Mid Qi Refining cultivation and single piece of Spiritual Qi sharply limited the spells he could use.

Researchers in the Earthly Capital analyzed the extraordinary Body Tempering Grass and learned that Li Xingkong had produced it through his own research. Old Tang left the laboratory teams stunned by revealing that the grass grew from seed in about fourteen days and was the work of one person.

• The first batch of Body Tempering Grass arrived in the Earthly Capital, where botanists failed to cut it and materials scientists eventually divided it into samples.
• Laboratories across several fields competed for portions of the grass and began analyzing its unusual strength and potential for cultivation.
• Old Tang supported the researchers' investigations, hoping to assess the grass's technological implications and the gap between Earth Star and cultivators.
• Old Tang gathered the laboratory teams and showed them a living stalk, explaining that the grass was not native to Earth Star and matured in about fourteen days.
• Old Tang told the researchers that Li Xingkong had produced the Body Tempering Grass alone, leaving those at the meeting shocked and skeptical.

Old Tang and the researchers assessed the Body Tempering Grass, whose adaptability and extraordinary strength made it a potential universal material, but they could not agree on how to allocate it. Old Tang weighed the material’s importance, the Guanghan City Plan, and how to understand Li Xingkong’s power, leaving the decisions unresolved.

• Old Tang told the researchers that Li Xingkong was the expert behind the Body Tempering Grass and asked them to report their findings.
• The plant researchers said the grass resembled lettuce, could grow in nearly any Earth Star terrain, and required nutrients they had not fully analyzed.
• The aerospace materials laboratory reported that the material was lighter and far tougher than current aerospace alloys, while the armor laboratory head demanded priority for military use.
• Several laboratories described the grass as a potential universal material, and the researchers argued without reaching an allocation plan.
• Old Tang considered arranging a physical test for Li Xingkong and reflected on his past conduct and the decisions facing the Guanghan City Plan.

Li Xingkong sought a deep-water location to test his Water Repelling Art, so he asked Old Tang for recommendations. Old Tang guided him toward Wanli Shitang, and Li Xingkong chose to test his spell there.

• Li Xingkong realized Hedong lacked deep water and contacted Old Tang to ask about suitable locations or equipment for testing his spell under pressure.
• Old Tang reviewed coastal locations and chose Wanli Shitang, hoping the visit would strengthen Li Xingkong's ties to the Divine Land and its troops.
• Old Tang sent Li Xingkong three recommendations: a shallow East China Sea island, the busy port of Deep Moon, and a naval base in Wanli Shitang.
• Li Xingkong ruled out the first two options because they lacked depth or privacy, then chose Wanli Shitang despite its distance and international tensions.

Li Xingkong was picked up by helicopter soon after agreeing to a plan and transported to a nearby airport. He boarded an active-service fighter jet for a direct flight to Wanli Shitang.

• A helicopter arrived at Li Xingkong's home, and its pilot gave him the classified identity documents and access permits Old Tang had arranged.
• Li Xingkong boarded the helicopter and flew to the nearby military-civilian airport.
• Airport staff checked Li Xingkong's documents and led him to a two-seat fighter jet.
• Li Xingkong climbed into the fighter's rear seat, put on safety equipment, and learned which controls he must not touch.

Li Xingkong flew in a fighter to Wanli Shitang and learned that he could attempt supersonic flight, though doing so before reaching Qi Refining Perfection would strain his body and mana. After landing on the island, he was greeted by Tang Cheng.

• Li Xingkong took off in a fighter and experienced its speed and 360-degree view as it broke the sound barrier.
• Li Xingkong asked the system about supersonic flight, and the system explained that he could briefly reach supersonic speed but risked damaging his mana structure.
• Li Xingkong decided to wait before learning the spell because he had no urgent need to use it.
• After about three hours, Li Xingkong and the pilot reached Wanli Shitang and followed ground control's directions to land on the island.
• Li Xingkong removed his safety straps, stretched, and answered Tang Cheng's call.

Li Xingkong arrived at a remote frontier base with Tang Cheng and met Lou Zhiwu, who arranged their quarters and preparations for Li Xingkong’s sea test. To reassure the base about his abilities, Li Xingkong demonstrated his speed by running 100 meters in 2.18 seconds, then prepared to test his strength.

• Tang Cheng told Li Xingkong that Old Tang had forced him to come along and asked him to look after Li Xingkong.
• Lou Zhiwu welcomed Li Xingkong and Tang Cheng, showed them their sparse quarters, and explained the harsh conditions at the base.
• Li Xingkong told Lou Zhiwu that the people stationed there had it harder than visitors and later asked to demonstrate his physical abilities.
• Li Xingkong ran 100 meters in 2.18 seconds, stunning Lou Zhiwu and the other base staff.
• Li Xingkong returned at the same speed, stopped abruptly without apparent effort, and proposed testing his strength next.

Li Xingkong proved his strength to the base and arranged to join the Jiaolong on its afternoon voyage for sea trials. While waiting, he toured Wanli Shitang with Tang Cheng and Lou Zhiwu, learning about the island's development and the soldiers who built it.

• Li Xingkong lifted and tossed a stack of barbells with one hand, convincing the base that he could join the voyage.
• Lou Zhiwu told Li Xingkong that the Jiaolong would sail that afternoon to drive out illegally entered Luzon fishing boats, and Li Xingkong agreed to test his abilities during the mission.
• Tang Cheng suggested exploring Wanli Shitang, and Li Xingkong agreed to tour the island with him and Lou Zhiwu.
• Lou Zhiwu showed them the modern harbor and described how the base had grown from a barren island into a fortified port.
• At Memorial Square, Lou Zhiwu recalled the early camp, and Li Xingkong admired the effort the soldiers had made for Divine Land.

Li Xingkong watched the Jiaolong confront foreign boats at Wanli Shitang and learned that press boats were waiting to record any action by the coast guard. Frustrated by the standoff, he prepared to enter the water and told Lou Zhiwu to ensure the encounter was filmed.

• Li Xingkong and his companions boarded the Jiaolong and watched it sail toward several small boats near Wanli Shitang.
• The Jiaolong issued expulsion warnings, but the small boats ignored them, approached, and sprayed water at the ship.
• Lou Zhiwu explained that press boats were watching, so the crew could only seize the other boats if they attacked first.
• Li Xingkong asked whether the Jiaolong could withstand a collision and told Lou Zhiwu to have all the cameras pointed toward the boats.
• Li Xingkong stripped down for entering the water and took his place at the ship's side, saying the other boats could attack first.

Li Xingkong tested his ability to move underwater and decided to stop the fishing boats without directly attacking or sinking them himself. He dragged one into the Jiaolong, leaving its bow smashed open and Lou Zhiwu realizing Li Xingkong was responsible.

• Li Xingkong dove into the sea to test the Water Repelling Art, then learned to move underwater despite being unable to swim.
• Li Xingkong decided against sinking the fishing boats himself and chose to pull one toward the Jiaolong instead.
• Li Xingkong grabbed a fishing boat's propeller, stopped it, and dragged the vessel toward the Jiaolong.
• The fishing boat's crew failed to regain control or drop the anchor in time, and the vessel crashed into the Jiaolong, splitting its bow.
• Lou Zhiwu recognized that Li Xingkong had caused the crash and realized the incident had gone beyond what he expected.

Li Xingkong secretly dragged Luzon boats into the Jiaolong, turning a maritime provocation into an apparent attack and giving the Divine Land grounds to respond. The Jiaolong ordered the vessels to surrender, then fired a warning shot at one that kept fleeing.

• Lou Zhiwu told the Jiaolong’s captain to record the incident and keep foreign media from distorting it.
• After the first boat flooded and its crew were rescued, Li Xingkong dragged a second boat toward the Jiaolong.
• The nearby boats panicked as the second boat accelerated out of control, and many tried to flee.
• The Jiaolong called for support, deployed its guns, and ordered the vessels to stop, surrender, and submit to wartime regulations.
• The Jiaolong fired a warning shot at a boat that continued moving, forcing the nearby crews to halt.

Li Xingkong helped the Jiaolong subdue the boats involved in an attack, while the Divine Land and Luzon traded statements that drew international attention. The Jiaolong reached waters over 4,000 meters deep, where Li Xingkong prepared to conduct his test.

• Li Xingkong returned to the Jiaolong after smashing a second boat and learned that the crew had detained the surrounding vessels and their occupants.
• The Jiaolong gathered the detained people and seized boats, then headed to deep water at Li Xingkong’s request.
• Foreign media accused the Divine Land of attacking fishing boats, and the Divine Land released video and information describing the incident as a response to a suicide attack.
• Luzon denied that the attackers were its nationals and said it supported the Divine Land’s efforts to protect nearby waters.
• The Jiaolong reached water over 4,000 meters deep, and its crew prepared diving equipment for Li Xingkong’s test.

Li Xingkong descended into the deep sea to study how the Water Repelling Art resisted pressure, gathering enough information to work toward a spell that could maintain pressure inside a human body in a vacuum. After exploring the desolate seabed and taking some sand as a souvenir, he prepared to return.

• Li Xingkong declined the Jiaolong's diving gear, reassured Lou Zhiwu, and plunged into the sea for his second descent.
• Li Xingkong descended nearly 200 meters and studied how the Water Repelling Art's protective film resisted underwater pressure.
• A strange deep-sea fish charged at Li Xingkong, but he dodged it and turned off his light to stop attracting it.
• At roughly 2,000 to 3,000 meters, Li Xingkong figured out the spell's pressure-resistant structure and began working out how to adapt it for a vacuum.
• Li Xingkong reached the barren seabed, took a handful of sand, and prepared to head back.

Li Xingkong returned from the deep sea after figuring out the basic principles of the Water Repelling Art, and the Jiaolong set course for home. He planned to adapt the spell and test it on Tang Cheng, bringing him closer to developing a spell that could help people survive in a vacuum.

• Li Xingkong surfaced and told Lou Zhiwu that his underwater mission was done.
• The Jiaolong left the waters with its captured fishermen after Li Xingkong returned aboard.
• Li Xingkong reviewed what he had learned about the Water Repelling Art and planned to modify it for ordinary people.
• Li Xingkong realized Tang Cheng had been sent to serve as a test subject, and Tang Cheng was willing to participate.
• Li Xingkong felt reassured that the vacuum-survival spell would soon be ready and that he could proceed with the Guanghan City Plan tasks.

After completing Bone Tempering, Li Xingkong reached the Late Qi Refining Stage and discovered that his strength had increased to a staggering level. The system put his progress in perspective by comparing it with the vast weight of Earth Star, leaving him resolved that cultivation still had a long way to go.

• Li Xingkong stayed at Wanli Shitang after successfully testing the Water Repelling Art on Tang Cheng, and he began developing a spell for surviving in a vacuum.
• Researchers in the Divine Land used cultivation techniques to expand Body Tempering Grass production, and Old Tang promised Li Xingkong a large supply every week.
• Li Xingkong tempered all 206 bones in his body, completing Bone Tempering and reaching the Late Qi Refining Stage.
• Li Xingkong tested his newfound strength and estimated that he could drag the 10,000-ton Jiaolong, far beyond his previous ability to pull a 500-ton fishing boat.
• The system told Li Xingkong that his growth was only average by a cultivator’s standards and compared his strength with Earth Star’s six sextillion tons.

Li Xingkong learned that Organ Training would adapt his organs for cultivation and could be completed faster than Bone Tempering. Tang Cheng and Lou Zhiwu then brought him to meet the fourteen people selected for the first group of the Guanghan Palace Plan, whose roles included a linguist and an ancient-culture expert.

• The system explained how Organ Training would reshape Li Xingkong’s organs to support the Mana Circuit and future cultivation.
• The system told Li Xingkong that his organs had already improved through prior cultivation, so Organ Training would be quicker than he expected.
• Tang Cheng and Lou Zhiwu arrived and told Li Xingkong that the first group for the Guanghan Palace Plan had been selected.
• Tang Cheng revealed that he and Lou Zhiwu were among the fourteen people bound for the moon, and Li Xingkong learned Tang Cheng was a linguist specializing in oracle bone script.
• Tang Cheng introduced the group’s engineers, architects, geologists, biologists, astronomy experts, linguist, and ancient-culture expert to Li Xingkong.

Tang Cheng explained that the lunar landing party would claim the Moon as the homeland of a fabricated Xi people, allowing the Divine Land to sidestep the Outer Space Treaty’s ban on national ownership. Li Xingkong learned how the plan would work and met the scholars preparing to carry it out.

• Tang Cheng explained that the Outer Space Treaty barred countries from claiming celestial bodies, then proposed avoiding the restriction by declaring the lunar settlers people of the Moon rather than citizens of Earth Star.
• Tang Cheng said he had created Xi writing and a spoken language, while an expert would compile the Xi people's history and excavate artifacts to support their claimed heritage.
• Tang Cheng outlined a classified mission followed by lunar researchers and a formal Divine Land announcement recognizing diplomatic relations with the Moon people; he said other countries would likely accept the claim, especially if some joined later explorations.
• Li Xingkong asked whether the settlers should alter their appearances, and Tang Cheng said Li's magic already made them visibly unlike Earth Star people because they could survive in a vacuum.
• Li Xingkong met the scholars on the landing team and admired their expertise, commitment to learning, and professionalism.

Li Xingkong modified the first group of moon-bound personnel so they could maintain their bodily functions on the lunar surface using the Vacuum Technique and solar energy. He arranged vacuum tests to check the results, and Tang Cheng entered the chamber first to demonstrate the process.

• Li Xingkong modified the entire group, giving them the Vacuum Technique and the ability to use solar energy to support their bodies.
• Li Xingkong explained that the group still needed to breathe, but could recycle the same breath while photosynthesis converted carbon dioxide back into oxygen.
• Li Xingkong proposed testing each person in a simulated vacuum, and the group accepted his instructions.
• Tang Cheng volunteered to demonstrate because he had already tested the Vacuum Technique in the chamber.
• Tang Cheng entered the vacuum chamber, waited as the air was pumped out, and stood inside looking through the glass at the group.

Tang Cheng and the researchers completed tests of Li Xingkong’s Vacuum Technique without any abnormalities, clearing the way for the lunar mission. Li Xingkong learned that the rocket would launch from a ship already waiting at the island’s port.

• Tang Cheng tested the Vacuum Technique in the chamber, moving and exercising in the vacuum without difficulty, then explained the procedure to the researchers.
• The researchers took turns testing the technique, and the final two combat engineers fought inside the chamber; none of the tests produced abnormalities.
• The equipment operator reported that the tests were complete and the modifications had succeeded, prompting the group to celebrate.
• Li Xingkong asked where the lunar rocket would launch, and Tang Cheng pointed out that their rocket launch ship was already at the port.

Li Xingkong visited the sea-based rocket with Tang Cheng and learned that its limited payload made moon travel costly. The system explained that the Moonlight Qi Refining Method could counteract gravity, while the Magnetic Field Qi Refining Method could transform a planet into an Earth Star-like world, though its practitioner would be bound there for life.

• Tang Cheng took Li Xingkong to inspect the sea-based rocket intended to carry the moon-bound team and supplies.
• Tang Cheng explained that the rocket could carry only about 23 tons of supplies after the team boarded, and Li Xingkong questioned the low payload.
• The system told Li Xingkong that more efficient fuel could increase rocket payloads and described how cultivators used other methods to leave Earth Star.
• The system explained that mastering the Moonlight Qi Refining Method allowed a cultivator to counteract gravity and carry objects within a surrounding domain.
• The system said the Magnetic Field Qi Refining Method could recreate Earth Star's environment on a suitable planet, but its practitioner would have to remain there or the environment would collapse.

Li Xingkong inspected the modified rocket and its passenger compartment while considering how he would cultivate the Moonlight Cultivation Method and travel to the moon. The first lunar landing was nearly ready, but he planned to compare his own travel abilities with a rocket after mastering the new method.

• Tang Cheng guided Li Xingkong through the rocket’s payload compartment, where they inspected the passenger shells and safety equipment.
• Li Xingkong reviewed the supplies for the lunar base and concluded that several more shipments would likely be needed to build it.
• Li Xingkong learned that the secret landing would take place on the moon’s far side and that the rocket would be ready to launch in a few days.
• Li Xingkong returned to his cultivation room and planned to use his reduced daily cultivation time for additional activities.