Chapter Summaries

Great Xia announced the Surging Waves open-ocean nuclear exercise, and Lu Yao suspected the military move and an unusual streetlight might connect to her secretive brother. In the Beautiful Country's command center, analysts concluded the exercise's blockade could target Australia, leaving the president asking how to respond.

• Senior Colonel Zhang Lijian announced Great Xia's open-ocean nuclear exercise, sparking nationwide excitement and alarm abroad.
• Lu Dahai praised the exercise and speculated that Lu Li might be working on powerful weapons, while Lu Yao questioned the announcement and noticed a strange new streetlight in Jing City.
• The Beautiful Country's president rushed to the Pentagon as officials argued over Great Xia's intentions and the market fallout.
• Old Jackson traced Great Xia's exclusion zone and realized it cut off three crucial routes connecting Australia to the outside world.
• Old Jackson recalled Great Xia's online claim that Australia had once been its ancient overseas territory and suggested the exercise could be aimed at taking Australia for its resources.
• The president asked his advisers what the Beautiful Country should do if Great Xia truly intended to seize Australia.

Great Xia exploited Beautiful Country’s mistaken belief that its military exercises aimed to secure Australian minerals, then used a resource-for-drills proposal to justify switching to conventional naval exercises. As the drills impressed the world, Wang Tiezhu delivered concealed streetlights to a remote mountain site, where engineers prepared them for the coming revival of Spiritual Qi.

• Beautiful Country sent Great Xia a diplomatic inquiry about whether its exercises were intended to secure Australian mineral resources, and Great Xia’s generals decided to encourage that misunderstanding.
• Great Xia leaked information about mineral shortages while its Foreign Ministry gave Beautiful Country no clear answer about the exercises.
• Beautiful Country offered to broker cheaper Australian minerals in exchange for Great Xia reducing the exercises’ scope and using conventional weapons.
• Great Xia announced that it would replace nuclear strike force exercises with conventional blue-water combat drills, while keeping the exercises on schedule and allowing future deployments.
• Great Xia’s carrier battle group conducted intense naval and air drills in the Pacific, drawing relief and concern from observers around the world.
• Wang Tiezhu delivered cases labeled as municipal supplies to a remote mountain site, where a combat engineer installed one of the unusual streetlights in preparation for Spiritual Qi’s revival.

At Bureau 749, officials discussed the slow pace of Spiritual Qi revival and considered whether obtaining more Spirit Veins could accelerate it. Li Yuanchao then presented a draft public self-cultivation standard meant to prepare citizens for future immortal cultivators, leaving officials alarmed by its explicit Qi Introduction description.

• A Bureau 749 clerk reported that none of the 2,851 Spiritual Power detection devices had registered a response, although Spiritual Qi was slowly increasing inside the base.
• Li Yuanchao asked the officials how Great Xia should prepare for a revival expected to take centuries, and a climatology researcher proposed that more Spirit Veins might accelerate it.
• Li Yuanchao agreed that Spirit Veins should remain a priority in strategic reports sent to Lu Li.
• Li Yuanchao introduced the draft Great Xia Self-Cultivation Outline, which classified citizens' physical development into five levels, ending with Qi Introduction.
• A young cadre questioned whether the fifth level's description, “Gather Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, cultivate the body and nourish the mind,” was too explicit.

Li Yuanchao secured agreement to establish the Great Xia Self-Cultivation Affairs Administration and prepare rules for civilian cultivators. Later, Lu Yao saw a blogger’s videos of mysterious streetlights arranged around Jing City and left a comment suggesting someone take one apart.

• Li Yuanchao explained that future self-cultivation guidelines could gradually become more explicit, including adding introductory cultivation methods to textbooks.
• Li Yuanchao proposed establishing the Self-Cultivation Affairs Administration to prepare for civilian cultivators, and declared that everyone in Great Xia must obey its rules.
• The officials agreed to place the Cultivation Administration proposal on the agenda and formally released the detailed self-cultivation guidelines.
• Lu Yao noticed a blogger’s post about unusual streetlights scattered around Jing City and read commenters’ competing theories about their purpose.
• Lu Yao commented, “Take one apart and see!”

Lu Yao read the newly released Great Xia Self-Cultivation rules and saw their Qi Introduction standards discussed on the news, while the document’s strange resemblance to fiction brought Lu Li to mind. That night, Lu Dahai saw colorful halos in a hazy dream and announced that he would cultivate immortality too, then wondered why he had said “too.”

• Lu Yao saw a blogger share the official self-cultivation rules, including a fifth-level Qi Introduction standard describing the gathering and circulation of Spiritual Qi.
• Lu Yao returned home, greeted her parents, and joined them for dinner as the news reported on the same rules and Lu Dahai joked about immortal cultivation.
• Lu Yao thought of Lu Li as the rules and Spiritual Qi stirred a strange feeling in her, then found the topics trending online and felt reassured by the jokes.
• That night, Lu Dahai saw colorful halos while half asleep, mumbled about Spiritual Qi, and said he would cultivate immortality too before questioning why he had said “too.”

Lu Dahai unexpectedly triggered a Spiritual Power monitor, leading Bureau 749 to suspect he had a rare physique that could generate or attract Spiritual Qi. A second test confirmed the artifact inscription responded to him, and Wang Zhiwen concluded Lu Dahai had a special physique.

• Lu Dahai woke feeling unusually healthy and brushed past a newly installed streetlamp on his way to work.
• At Bureau 749, Xiao Chen reported that monitoring site 096 detected a faint Spiritual Power response when Lu Dahai contacted its Yinghuo Artifact Inscription.
• Wang Zhiwen proposed that Lu Dahai might have a special physique that could gather Spiritual Qi and accelerate its revival, so Li Yuanchao ordered a physical examination at Fengnan Machinery Factory.
• A disguised Bureau 749 nurse led Lu Dahai to a separate examination room, where the Yinghuo Artifact Inscription glowed whenever the instrument touched him.
• Watching the live feed, Wang Zhiwen concluded that Lu Dahai had a one-in-ten-thousand special physique.

Li Yuanchao authorized telling Lu Li about Lu Dahai’s unusual condition and ordered nationwide screening for special physiques as Great Xia prepared for Spiritual Qi’s revival. In the laboratories, Zhang Xuanqing successfully irrigated a spirit field with a spell, while Xu Mu joined a new experiment transferring a white mouse’s soul into a specialized brain-computer chip.

• Li Yuanchao agreed to inform Lu Li about Lu Dahai and proposed nationwide screening for special physiques using disguised medical examination devices.
• Great Xia began expanding its cultivation infrastructure, installing Spiritual Qi detectors and starting localized screenings as Bureau 749 welcomed its second cultivator.
• Zhang Xuanqing cast the Lesser Rain Cloud Technique and used spiritual rain to irrigate half a mu of spirit field before exhausting his Spiritual Power.
• Yuan Yi ordered the researchers to upload and analyze the spell-based irrigation data, while Zhang Xuanqing recovered and prepared to finish watering the field.
• Xu Mu assisted Wang Zhiwen with an experiment to extract a white mouse’s soul and transfer it into a brain-computer chip engraved with the Soul Nourishment artifact inscription.

Xu Mu and Wang Zhiwen successfully transferred a white mouse’s soul into a brain-computer chip, where it retained awareness and controlled a bionic body. The researchers hurried to test whether it could survive on ambient Spiritual Qi, while psychologist Su Mu demanded counseling after seeing the flying robot.

• Xu Mu used his banner-shaped Law Artifact to extract a white mouse’s soul and guide it into a chip etched with soul-path Artifact Inscriptions.
• The mouse’s soul appeared in the holographic projection, reacted to cheese, and began controlling the bionic robot.
• After learning that the soul had remained stable for over ten minutes, Wang Zhiwen ordered the team to move the robot to the Spirit Soil laboratory for further testing.
• Xu Mu levitated the robot and carried it through the facility as Wang Zhiwen and the researchers followed.
• Su Mu saw the curious, hovering mechanical mouse and shouted for a psychologist.

Xu Mu brought a bionic white mouse to the Spirit Soil laboratory for testing, where Yuan Yi revealed that Great Xia had cultivated spirit rice in specially conditioned ordinary soil. As the researchers monitored their experiments and the bureau watched for unusual Spiritual Power, Xu Mu reflected on his dream and the being he had witnessed; the wait for an opportunity stretched on for five years.

• Xu Mu placed the bionic white mouse in the laboratory enclosure so Wang Zhiwen could observe how long its soul survived in Spiritual Qi.
• Yuan Yi showed Xu Mu and Wang Zhiwen Auspicious Grain No. 1, a grafted rice variety with low spiritual potency that could grow in soil conditioned by the Spirit Soil laboratory.
• Xu Mu and Zhang Xuanqing left the laboratory, and Xu Mu confirmed that he believed the Heavenly Dao existed while keeping his dream's details to himself.
• Wang Zhiwen monitored the mouse's soul, Yuan Yi tended the rice seedlings, and Bureau 749 tracked Lu Dahai's special constitution alongside monitoring points across the country.
• The research and monitoring continued as the wait for an opportunity lasted five years.

After five years of seclusion, Lu Li reached the threshold of Foundation Establishment and reviewed his disciples’ progress in cultivation. He guided Lu Changming and Lu Changye in refining their optimized techniques, then left to meet Martial Uncle Xu.

• Lu Li emerged from five years of seclusion having reached the peak of Qi Refinement and prepared to attempt Foundation Establishment.
• Lu Changming and Lu Changye presented Jade Slips containing their cultivation insights, and Lu Li reflected on how their fortunes had benefited him.
• Lu Changye demonstrated Explosive Flame Technique 2.0, and Lu Li showed him how to trigger a second burst of power by setting unstable Spiritual Power nodes.
• Lu Changming demonstrated Wind Control Step 2.0, and Lu Li gave him guidance on the technique.
• Lu Li finished answering his disciples’ questions and told them to reflect while he went to meet Martial Uncle Xu.

Lu Li visited Xu Xiong to collect his share from their magical armor business and told him he was preparing to attempt Foundation Establishment. After leaving armor with Xu Xiong, Lu Li went to rent a Jia-series cave abode, where he learned the only available one had been reserved for Bai Kun and heard a familiar voice challenge the rule.

• Lu Li found Xu Xiong refining armor in the Artifact Hall, and Xu Xiong handed him nearly a thousand Spirit Stones and materials from their sales.
• Lu Li told Xu Xiong he planned to enter seclusion and attempt Foundation Establishment, then urged Xu Xiong not to delay his own attempt.
• Xu Xiong admitted that his fear had grown despite his travels, and Lu Li left him twenty suits of combat magical armor to sell.
• Lu Li went to the General Affairs Hall to rent a Jia-series cave abode, but the attendant said Jia Nine had been reserved for Bai Kun.
• As Lu Li prepared to leave, a familiar voice questioned when the General Affairs Hall had begun allowing cave-abode reservations.

Lu Li tried to avoid trouble when Ye Chenfeng intervened over his cave abode, but Ye Chenfeng’s confrontation with Bai Kun turned the General Affairs Hall tense. Lu Li finally promised to host Ye Chenfeng for drinks, while Bai Kun remained caught in the dispute.

• Ye Chenfeng reunited with Lu Li at the General Affairs Hall and offered to secure him a cave abode.
• Lu Li tried to leave rather than risk a confrontation, but Ye Chenfeng caught his sleeve and demanded to know who Bai Kun was.
• Bai Kun arrived and challenged Ye Chenfeng’s rebuke, noting that his ancestor was one of Azure Pool’s Golden Core cultivators.
• Ye Chenfeng identified himself as an instructor of Supreme Azure Peak’s Battle Hall and dared Bai Kun to have his uncle challenge him.
• Lu Li stopped Ye Chenfeng and invited him to his cave abode for drinks, and Ye Chenfeng eagerly accepted.

Lu Li rented a grade-A cave abode and began using Foundation Establishment Pills to break through, enduring the conflict among his five spiritual attributes. After seven hours, he succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment and gained the ability to project his Divine Sense.

• Ye Chenfeng left the General Affairs Hall after arranging for Lu Li to reserve a cave abode, while Bai Kun departed to investigate the arrogant Foundation Establishment cultivator who had challenged him.
• Lu Li accepted the cave abode and reflected on his unresolved feud with Upper White Peak before following the duty disciple to the mountain range near the inner sect.
• Lu Li entered cave abode A-9, set up a defensive formation and camera, and swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill.
• Lu Li struggled to merge the five incompatible attributes of Spiritual Power, then swallowed a second pill rather than abandon his attempt.
• After seven hours, Lu Li formed a three-tiered azure foundation platform and successfully established his foundation, projecting his Divine Sense across a thousand meters.

Lu Li reached Foundation Establishment and discovered that the jade pendant showed a vision of a mysterious figure and a strike that slaughtered immortals. He contacted Great Xia to share the footage and ended by asking to speak with his father.

• Lu Li reached Foundation Establishment and began refining the jade pendant into his spirit platform.
• The pendant showed Lu Li a vision of a mysterious figure amid piles of immortal corpses and a flying knife that split the heavens before merging into his spirit platform.
• Lu Li questioned the pendant’s origins and its possible connection between Blue Star and the Imprisoned Dragon Realm, then contacted Great Xia for help.
• Li Yuanchao and the Bureau 749 researchers celebrated Lu Li’s breakthrough, then watched footage of the pendant’s vision and were left stunned.
• Lu Li asked Li Yuanchao to have his father speak to him through the jade pendant.

Lu Li discussed his family with his father, Lu Dahai, who had reached the Qi Refining fourth layer despite Great Xia’s scarce Spiritual Qi. Li Yuanchao then shared the state’s suspicions that the Lu family had unusual abilities and a possible connection to Lu Li’s jade pendant, leaving Lu Li wondering whether a remarkable ancestor had once appeared in his family.

• Lu Dahai told Lu Li he secretly cultivated at Bureau 749’s Mount Baiwang base and had reached the Qi Refining fourth layer.
• Lu Dahai caught Lu Li up on the family, including his mother’s improved health and Lu Yao’s military service, and said his own physique mainly helped him sense Spiritual Qi.
• Li Yuanchao reported that the state could not confirm the jade pendant’s origins and suspected its images showed its former owner, a connected person, or a manifestation of a rule.
• Li Yuanchao revealed that Lu Yao had unusually strong mental power, while Lu Dahai had three spirit roots and a rare physique, leading the state to suspect something unusual about the Lu family’s bloodline.
• Lu Li wondered whether an extraordinary figure had once emerged among his Lu family ancestors.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Lu Li discussed his plans with Li Yuanchao and returned to his cave abode, where Ye Chenfeng arrived to discuss his damaged sword. Ye Chenfeng put off the repair and warned Lu Li about “Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension.”

• Lu Li asked whether his family had produced any powerful ancestors, but Lu Dahai recalled only generations of farmers and an ancestor who had followed Li Zicheng.
• Lu Li and Li Yuanchao agreed that he should join Supreme Refinement Peak, cultivate steadily, teach his disciples, watch Upper White Peak, and keep the hidden Spirit Vein and mineral deposit concealed.
• Lu Li sent his recent insights and Spirit Stones to Great Xia, received research on Spirit Machinery and Law Artifacts, and hurried back to his cave abode.
• Lu Li discovered Ye Chenfeng waiting with Lu Changming and revealed that he had reached Foundation Establishment and become an artifact-refining grandmaster.
• Ye Chenfeng declined to have Lu Li repair his sword immediately and warned him to beware of “Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension.”

Lu Li learned that Ye Chenfeng feared the inner sect’s Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension and called Azure Pool Demonic Sect a demon’s den, deepening Lu Li’s suspicions about the sect. After preparing his disciples for his move into the inner sect, Lu Li went to the Artifact Hall, where his newly established Foundation Establishment startled Wu Changgeng and Xu Xiong.

• Ye Chenfeng warned Lu Li to throw the competition for a place in Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension and not get involved, then tried to recruit him to Supreme Azure Peak.
• Lu Li got Ye Chenfeng drunk to ask about the program, and Ye Chenfeng slurred that going meant death and called the sect a demon’s den.
• Lu Li decided to keep cultivating until the Spirit Vein matured, then instructed Changming and Changye to cultivate diligently while he lived in the inner sect.
• Lu Li flew to the Artifact Hall to tell Xu Xiong and Master Wu about his plans to join Supreme Refinement Peak.
• Wu Changgeng and Xu Xiong saw Lu Li’s Foundation Establishment cultivation, and Xu Xiong realized he might have to call Lu Li Martial Uncle.

Lu Li visited Wu Changgeng and learned that the Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension Assembly was a secret-realm trial that could help inner disciples become True Disciples and improve their chances of Core Formation. After Wu Changgeng asked Lu Li to protect Xu Xiong if he did not return, Lu Li began to suspect the assembly concealed a truth that had deceived the entire sect.

• Lu Li greeted Wu Changgeng and Xu Xiong, then asked Wu Changgeng to recommend him for Supreme Refinement Peak.
• Wu Changgeng asked Lu Li to look after Xu Xiong if he failed to emerge safely from the peak's assembly, and Lu Li agreed to help his friend without accepting payment.
• Lu Li learned that the Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension Assembly was a hundred-year secret-realm trial for selecting True Disciples and granting a Dao fruit.
• Lu Li compared Wu Changgeng's account with Ye Chenfeng's warning and suspected that the assembly had deceived every disciple in the sect.

Bai Yi ordered Bai Kun to join the dangerous Ascension Assembly, overruling Bai Luochuan’s attempt to delay his son’s Foundation Establishment. Meanwhile, Lu Li settled into a cave abode on Supreme Refinement Peak and learned he could reclaim spirit fields there.

• Bai Luochuan told Bai Kun to postpone Foundation Establishment, then returned to Upper White Peak with the peak’s list for the Ascension Assembly.
• Bai Yi ordered Bai Luochuan to add Bai Kun to the Assembly candidates and have him reach Foundation Establishment within a few months.
• Bai Luochuan was forced from Bai Yi’s cave by a crushing pressure, then sent Bai Kun a pill bottle and permission to cultivate toward Foundation Establishment.
• Master Wu brought Lu Li to Supreme Refinement Peak, explained the inner sect’s rules, and helped him choose a cave abode.
• Lu Li discovered a spirit field in his cave abode and asked whether he could reclaim as much land as he wanted.

After entering the inner sect, Lu Li discovered that his spirit-field soil could be sent back to Blue Star and planned to expand his cave abode into an underground palace. He secured the abode with new Spirit Machinery and found a possible breakthrough in the Five Elements Instruction, leaving him poised to raise it to the next tier.

• Wu Changgeng explained the inner sect's spirit-field limits and told Lu Li to pay his respects to the Peak Master the next day.
• Lu Li realized Qi Refinement disciples could enter the inner sect for missions and planned to assign Changming and Changye to tend his fields.
• Lu Li sent a handful of spirit-field soil to Bureau 749 and concluded he could provide Blue Star with a large supply for growing Auspicious Grain No. 1.
• Lu Li installed a Spirit Machinery formation disc at his cave abode's entrance to monitor intruders and detect soul-type creatures.
• Lu Li studied the Five Elements Instruction 3.0 with his Divine Sense and spotted a route adjustment that could link three more acupoints.
• Lu Li realized the insight might let him raise the Five Elements Instruction to the next tier.