Chapter Summaries

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.

Li Xingkong meditated by the sea to understand the principles behind the Moonlight Qi Refining Method rather than simply following its instructions. He sensed the moon’s gravity and observed how it moved the tides, leaving him with a clearer grasp of gravity as a force.

• Li Xingkong meditated by the beach at midnight, using the tides to seek the moon’s gravitational influence.
• Following the system’s suggestion, Li Xingkong set aside his Spiritual Qi and Mana Circuit and returned his awareness to his body’s surface.
• Li Xingkong sensed Earth Star rotating and perceived a faint pull from the moon, identifying it as gravity.
• Li Xingkong watched the sea and developed a model of gravity kneading the water to produce the tides.
• Li Xingkong concluded that gravity’s effects seemed mysterious but were ultimately the workings of a force.

Li Xingkong understood the Moonlight Qi Refining Method after experiencing gravity and quickly cultivated it to the entry stage, weakening Earth Star’s pull on him. He learned the Cloud Falling Spell and managed to hover upright above the ground, though he could not yet move while flying.

• Li Xingkong used his experience with gravity to understand the Mana Circuit and reached the entry stage of the Moonlight Qi Refining Method in half a day.
• The method reduced the gravity acting on Li Xingkong to about one-sixth of its former strength, letting him jump much higher.
• Li Xingkong learned that the Cloud Falling Spell created a mana-based gravity source to make its caster fall toward changing points and thereby fly.
• Li Xingkong constructed the spell’s mana structure and hovered less than twenty centimeters above the ground.
• Li Xingkong adjusted his posture by releasing mana through his hands and feet until he stood upright in midair.

As Li Xingkong approached Qi Refining Perfection, the system revealed a graduation task tied to the Guanghan City Plan: he had to travel alone to the moon carrying more than 5,000 tons of supplies. He realized he would need to master the Moonlight Qi Refining Method’s Gravity Domain and improve his flight speed, though both goals fit his current cultivation plans.

• Li Xingkong’s new Qi Refining Method and upgraded flight spell improved his mana recovery and mobility as he continued Organ Training.
• The system detected that Li Xingkong was nearing Qi Refining Perfection and generated his graduation task after assessing his cultivation techniques.
• The system assigned Li Xingkong the task of traveling to the moon without external force or tools while carrying over 5,000 tons of supplies for a location designated by the Guanghan City Plan.
• Li Xingkong considered the distance, payload, and dangers of space travel and concluded that he needed to master the Gravity Domain and increase his flight speed.
• Li Xingkong expected that completing Organ Training and reaching Qi Refining Perfection would remove his remaining speed limitations and help him prepare for the task.

After a month of secluded cultivation, Li Xingkong was summoned to the launch of the first fourteen-person moon landing mission, where he served as its final safeguard. As the preparations finished, he decided to use the rocket launch to visit outer space himself before attempting to reach the moon.

• Li Xingkong spent more than eighty percent of each day cultivating in seclusion for a month, while Lou Zhiwu ordered others not to disturb him.
• Tang Cheng found Li Xingkong and told him that the first group of moon landing personnel was about to launch.
• Li Xingkong went with Tang Cheng to the launch ship, where the fourteen-person team prepared to build a settlement on a plain on the moon’s far side.
• The moon landing personnel entered the transport capsule and were secured in protective shells as staff completed the final checks.
• Li Xingkong considered withdrawing with the crowd, then decided to use the launch as an opportunity to travel into outer space and assess the environment himself.

Li Xingkong asked the rocket’s chief engineer where he could cling to the rocket without affecting its flight, then climbed onto its second-stage booster to hitch a ride into space. The rocket launched with Li Xingkong holding fast as he watched the sea below.

• Li Xingkong went to the launch control room and asked the chief engineer whether clinging to the rocket would affect its flight.
• The chief engineer explained which rocket stages would detach and helped Li Xingkong choose the second-stage booster.
• Li Xingkong used the Cloud Falling Spell to walk up the rocket and clung to the booster’s outer surface.
• The rocket ignited and lifted off, and Li Xingkong held on while observing the view below.

Li Xingkong rode a rocket into space and began adjusting to weightlessness in synchronous orbit. After spotting satellites, probes, and space junk, he decided to send the debris he found back to Earth Star.

• Li Xingkong clung to the rocket as it climbed through the clouds and the first-stage booster detached.
• The rocket entered space, and Li Xingkong saw Earth Star and the moon from above before steadying himself against his fear and disorientation.
• The second-stage booster detached near synchronous orbit, and Li Xingkong separated from it to remain in space.
• Li Xingkong spotted dozens of satellites, probes, and pieces of space junk around the orbit.
• Li Xingkong decided to throw the space junk he found back to Earth Star.

Li Xingkong discovered that fast-moving space junk posed a danger in orbit, then used a mana net to catch fragments of an old satellite. Unsure how to store or dispose of the valuable wreckage, he contacted the ground and asked who owned it.

• Li Xingkong realized that orbital debris traveled too fast to catch by hand and could injure him if it struck.
• Li Xingkong used the Cloud Falling Spell to steady himself and formed a fishing net with the Explosive Reactive Armor Technique.
• Li Xingkong intercepted a small cluster of debris and stopped it after being dragged several kilometers along its orbit.
• Li Xingkong recognized his catch as fragments of an old satellite, whose metals were rare on Earth Star.
• Li Xingkong sent the ground a selfie with the satellite wreckage and asked the chief engineer who owned it so he could return it.

Li Xingkong contacted the rocket launch crew from a relay satellite and asked them to identify the space debris he had collected. The crew identified the wreckage and gave him locations in Divine Land where he could drop it, but Li Xingkong struggled to figure out how to send it to Earth Star.

• Li Xingkong interrupted the launch center’s encrypted channel with photos and videos of debris caught in his fishing net, asking the ground crew to identify it.
• Ground security traced his signal to a relay satellite, and the crew identified the debris as coming from Big Hair’s abandoned Kosmos 2251 satellite.
• The chief engineer told Li Xingkong to drop all the debris at designated recovery locations in Divine Land and sent him their coordinates.
• Li Xingkong gathered more space junk, packed it into a pocket made from a large propulsion-module fragment, and wondered how to kick it all the way to a designated landing point.

Li Xingkong built a small foothold from space junk and tested his Qi Refining Method in orbit, discovering that sunlight there supplied far more energy than on Earth Star. After narrowly controlling the resulting mana overload, he considered how the discovery could benefit his own cultivation and the lunar expedition.

• Li Xingkong gathered more space junk and formed it into a sphere about five meters wide so he could move around and cultivate.
• He tested the Sun and Moon Qi Refining Method and absorbed solar energy dozens of times faster than he did on Earth Star.
• Li Xingkong activated his spells and reduced the method's absorption rate to control the overflowing mana in his body.
• After recovering, he realized the abundant energy could keep the lunar expedition members' spells running at full power, but he could no longer catch up with them.
• Li Xingkong recognized that cultivating in space could greatly accelerate his own progress and considered moving there to cultivate.

Li Xingkong tested his spells in space before cosmic radiation began mutating his exposed skin. The system explained that the radiation was a precious form of Baleful Qi, prompting him to reconsider shielding himself from it despite the danger.

• Li Xingkong tested his spells and found that they worked in space, though their effects and ranges had changed.
• As Li Xingkong prepared to explore more, cosmic radiation began mutating his exposed skin, and he repeatedly used the Restoration Technique to repair it.
• Li Xingkong asked the system what was happening, and it identified a wave of cosmic radiation as the cause.
• The system explained that cosmic radiation was a rare form of Baleful Qi used by cultivators, especially those seeking to refine a Nine Revolutions Golden Core.
• The system told Li Xingkong that he could use the Restoration Technique to undo malignant mutations and record benign ones, and that Baleful Qi could help break a major barrier in body cultivation.