Chapter Summaries

After Li Xingkong modified Wu Ting and Tang Cheng, the two adjusted to their new stamina and struggled to learn the Hibernating Dragon Technique. Tang Cheng decided to seek his powerful father’s help, while Wu Ting accepted that cultivation had put them on equal footing.

• Wu Ting and Tang Cheng spent a week adapting to their altered bodies, eating little and gaining more time to study the Hibernating Dragon Technique.
• The two struggled to make progress visualizing the technique without Li Xingkong’s guidance and gradually lost some of their initial enthusiasm.
• Tang Cheng told Wu Ting he planned to visit home and ask his father to handle the matter he had promised Li Xingkong to address.
• Tang Cheng revealed that his father’s words could reach the emperor’s ears, surprising Wu Ting, then left after asking him to cover his shifts.
• Wu Ting reflected that his new path of cultivation had made status differences between him and Tang Cheng feel irrelevant.

Tang Cheng returned to the Heavenly Capital after secretly leaving home and asked his father for help with Li Xingkong. His father doubted his story about gods and ghosts, so Tang Cheng prepared to prove it with a spell.

• Tang Cheng traveled home by train, uneasy about facing his father, and reviewed a visualization diagram along the way.
• Tang Cheng's mother welcomed him home and scolded him for running off to Hedong, then asked him to stay longer.
• Old Tang came home, threatened to hit Tang Cheng with his belt, and then sat down to hear why he had returned.
• Tang Cheng told Old Tang about Li Xingkong, but Old Tang suspected he had been fooled by a pyramid scheme.
• Tang Cheng offered to demonstrate a spell to prove that his story was true.

Tang Cheng demonstrated his Explosive Counter Spell and Qi Refining Method to Old Tang, convincing his father that his claims were true. Old Tang wanted to take him for testing that afternoon, while Tang Cheng protested that he could only use the spell once a day.

• Tang Cheng cleared the study and cast the Explosive Counter Spell, forming a glowing shield over his chest.
• Old Tang examined the shield, then struck it with his belt and saw it withstand the blow.
• The shield vanished, leaving Tang Cheng so exhausted that he collapsed and called for food.
• Old Tang fed Tang Cheng candy, and Tang Cheng recovered quickly in the sunlight, demonstrating the Qi Refining Method.
• Old Tang insisted on taking Tang Cheng for a test that afternoon, but Tang Cheng said he could use the spell only once a day.

Old Tang took Tang Cheng to Earthly Capital, an underground military shelter, and tested how well Tang Cheng’s shield resisted gunfire. After the shield withstood handgun and rifle rounds but broke under a sniper shot, Old Tang asked Tang Cheng to tell him about the friend who taught him the spell.

• Old Tang took Tang Cheng to a concealed facility beneath Heavenly Capital and showed him Earthly Capital, an underground shelter and military research site.
• Old Tang brought Tang Cheng to a bulletproof equipment testing room and had him activate his shield while wearing a bulletproof vest.
• Old Tang fired handgun rounds at the shield, which remained intact, then fired a rifle burst that weakened it without breaking it.
• Old Tang fired a sniper rifle at the shield from behind cover, and the shield exploded in one direction before dissipating.
• Researchers examined Tang Cheng and concluded that the shield exceeded ordinary bulletproof equipment, and Old Tang asked him about his friend.

Tang Cheng brought his father, Tang Tianci, to meet Li Xingkong after Old Tang agreed to support Li Xingkong’s requests. The men met at Li Xingkong’s village home, where Tang Tianci formed a favorable first impression of the cultivator.

• Old Tang agreed to support Li Xingkong after Tang Cheng completed the relevant tests for his Qi Refining Method.
• The next day, Old Tang discreetly drove Tang Cheng and two guards to meet Li Xingkong.
• Li Xingkong considered cooperating with the state to grow and promote his vegetables because he lacked help with the farming.
• Tang Cheng called to say he had brought people to solve Li Xingkong’s problem, and Li Xingkong tidied his home before welcoming them.
• Tang Cheng introduced his father, Tang Tianci, to Li Xingkong, and the two shook hands before Li Xingkong led them home.

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.