Chapter Summaries

After leaving Daoist Randeng and Rulai, Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding discussed how spirit fish had restored Rong Tianding’s strength, while Zhang Xuezhou decided to inform Kunlun Sacred Land about Great Sage Water Ape. Daoist Randeng and Rulai then discussed the Western Sect’s disadvantage and Rulai’s vow to lead it, ending with a plan to recruit Wu Chao to help him become sect leader.

• Rong Tianding noticed he could fly without fatigue, and Zhang Xuezhou explained that Daoist Randeng’s spirit fish had nourished his body.
• Zhang Xuezhou suspected Great Sage Water Ape had helped Daoist Randeng find treasures and decided to inform Kunlun Sacred Land rather than risk rescuing him.
• Daoist Randeng told Rulai that the Western Sect had yielded to the Eastern Land because it could not match its strength, and that its leaders had grown old while the Three Pure Ones had grown stronger.
• Rulai vowed to become sect leader, challenge the Eastern Land’s unequal treatment of the West, and lead the Western Sect into the Eastern Land.
• Daoist Randeng warned Rulai that he would have to defeat Brahma, Shi Gong, and Vishnu to inherit the sect, so Rulai proposed recruiting Wu Chao to help occupy one of them.

Zhang Xuezhou prepared to travel to Western Kunlun to seek the Nine Treasures Wine, while Rong Tianding worried about the distance and the villagers of Zhang Household Village settled into ordinary life. Zhang Xuezhou returned to Chang'an City and visited Xu Yuan and Xu Ji.

• Rong Tianding warned Zhang Xuezhou that flying to the Kunlun Sacred Land could take a long time and be difficult to navigate, but Zhang Xuezhou said he would use a map from Cai Ma.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Rong Tianding to say he had left seclusion to look for his adoptive father if Jin Chang came asking about him.
• Zhang Xuezhou visited Zhang Household Village and found its people hunting, tending fields, and rebuilding their lives.
• Zhang Xuezhou rode into Chang'an City and went to Old Tree Alley, where he saw Xu Yuan catching his breath outside while Xu Ji coughed inside.

Zhang Xuezhou challenged Xu Ji and Xu Yuan over the Agricultural Sect’s efforts to help farmers, then arranged a place for the ailing Xu Ji to recover in Chang'an. Hoping to gain the new emperor’s attention, Zhang Xuezhou decided to take the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps to the Marquis of Pingyang’s Household, where he expected the emperor might visit.

• Zhang Xuezhou questioned Xu Ji and Xu Yuan about why the Agricultural Sect did not teach ordinary farmers, and Xu Ji admitted that the work was difficult.
• Zhang Xuezhou treated Xu Ji’s bruises and urged him to stay in Chang'an and consult Zheng Wukong about his illnesses.
• Zhang Xuezhou sent Xu Yuan to buy a house for Xu Ji and the villagers, despite Rong Tianding warning that Xu Ji disliked the court.
• Zhang Xuezhou decided to bring the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps to the emperor and left for the Marquis of Pingyang’s Household after dinner.

Zhang Xuezhou met the new emperor at the Marquis of Pingyang's Household, where both had come to visit Huo Qubing. He presented the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps as a Fortune Artifact that could gather spiritual qi, leaving the emperor to consider its value against the King of Huainan and the Great Qin emperor's treasure.

• Zhang Xuezhou greeted the new emperor at the household gate, and the emperor awkwardly explained that he was still recovering from Gongsun Gui's pursuit.
• Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor entered the quiet household with Li Guang and rode sheep carts toward Huo Qubing.
• Li Guang and the new emperor tried to avoid discussing their illness as they traveled to see the child.
• Zhang Xuezhou showed the new emperor the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps and claimed it was a Fortune Artifact he had bought from an old farmer.
• The new emperor learned that the talismans could gather Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and wondered whether they resembled the Great Qin emperor's treasure for the Feng and Shan sacrifices on Mount Tai.

Zhang Xuezhou offered the new emperor the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps, a Fortune Artifact that gathered Spiritual Qi, and the emperor was moved by what he saw as Zhang Xuezhou’s loyalty. When the new emperor could not grant Zhang’s requested title of Gentleman Attendant directly, Zhang suggested using a sham court appointment to make the title possible.

• Zhang Xuezhou offered the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps to the new emperor, who tested the artifact and felt Spiritual Qi gather around him.
• The new emperor decided Zhang Xuezhou was a deeply loyal subject and promised to grant him the title of Gentleman Attendant.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked for the title so he could enter the palace and remain close to the new emperor.
• The new emperor explained that the grand empress dowager opposed granting the title because a Gentleman Attendant could freely enter and leave the palace.
• Zhang Xuezhou proposed that the new emperor pair the title with a high court appointment, expecting opposition to the appointment to leave the Gentleman Attendant title in place.

The new emperor celebrated obtaining the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps and visited Huo Qubing at the Marquis of Pingyang's Household. When the family worried that Qubing could not speak, Zhang Xuezhou examined him and suspected that the child was far from ordinary.

• The new emperor accepted the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps from Zhang Xuezhou and discussed how they might advance his cultivation.
• Li Guang recalled rumors linking the talismans to Emperor Qin’s Feng and Shan sacrifices and the Qin dynasty’s collapse.
• The new emperor visited Huo Qubing, while Chen Zhang and Wei Shao'er debated whether the boy should study martial arts or literature.
• Zhang Xuezhou questioned why Qubing never spoke, prompting Wei Shao'er and the others to worry that he was mute.
• Zhang Xuezhou examined Qubing and noticed his unnaturally calm behavior and perceptive gaze.

Zhang Xuezhou tried to make the silent Huo Qubing speak by wrapping him tightly, and Huo Qubing finally cried out for help and called Wei Qing “uncle.” The family celebrated that he was not mute, while Zhang Xuezhou suspected Huo Qubing still carried memories and faced a deeper struggle ahead.

• Wei Shao'er worried that Huo Qubing could not speak, and the new emperor offered to bring medical officers from the Imperial Medical Hall.
• Zhang Xuezhou wrapped Huo Qubing tightly and said he should stay wrapped until he cried or spoke.
• As the adults debated why Huo Qubing would not acknowledge his parents, Wei Qing urged him to call him uncle.
• Huo Qubing began wailing and said, “Help... uncle...”
• Wei Qing and the others rejoiced that Huo Qubing could speak, while Zhang Xuezhou suspected the boy retained memories that would complicate his life.

Zhang Xuezhou helped Huo Qubing acquire a new family and godfather, then rode home with Wei Qing and heard palace gossip. He realized the Grand Empress Dowager’s Yang Corporeal Soul had been eavesdropping and warned Wei Qing not to spread their talk.

• Zhang Xuezhou refused to become Huo Qubing’s godfather and suggested that the new emperor take the role instead.
• The new emperor agreed, and Chen Zhang pressed Huo Qubing’s head down so he could kowtow to his new godfather.
• Wei Qing thanked Zhang Xuezhou for treating Huo Qubing and escorted him home in a carriage, where they discussed court connections and Wei Qing’s sister’s prospects in the harem.
• Wei Qing told Zhang Xuezhou rumors that the empress demanded the new emperor’s attentions and that Daoist Master Li might have received the Grand Empress Dowager’s favor.
• Zhang Xuezhou noticed that the Grand Empress Dowager’s Yang Corporeal Soul had been eavesdropping, condemned gossip, and warned Wei Qing not to repeat their conversation.

Li Shaojun asked Zhang Xuezhou for help handling the Grand Empress Dowager, and Zhang urged him to enlist Cai Ma to assess her remaining lifespan. Cai Ma demanded great medicine in exchange, and Zhang backed her in the negotiations.

• Li Shaojun kept up his Daoist-master act at the Zhang residence and eagerly ate the pork he had avoided at the palace.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked Li Shaojun about the Palace of Peace and Happiness's investigation into the old gourd case, and learned that nearly a hundred people were imprisoned, including nine people surnamed Cui.
• Li Shaojun identified Cui Zhifu, director of the Imperial Medical Hall, as the main suspect among the Cui family members, while Zhang suspected Yi Shuo had also been caught up in the case.
• Zhang told Li Shaojun to keep the Grand Empress Dowager hopeful with his words and ask Cai Ma to assess how much longer she might live.
• Li Shaojun went to Cai Ma for help, but she demanded great medicine as payment for risking a calculation on the True Self Realm cultivator.
• Zhang Xuezhou backed Cai Ma and urged Li Shaojun to settle the bargain quickly.

At the Zhang residence, Li Shaojun and Cai Ma agreed that she would pose as his Dao attendant and check the Grand Empress Dowager’s remaining lifespan in exchange for medicines. Zhang Xuezhou pressed Cai Ma to draw him a map back to Kunlun, while Li Shaojun doubted his claims about his master and demanded the promised chance to learn the Fate Technique.

• Li Shaojun and Cai Ma sealed their deal: Cai Ma would accompany him to the Palace of Peace and Happiness, and he would gather potent medicines for her.
• Zhang Xuezhou persuaded Cai Ma to draw a map to Kunlun by warning her about the dangers of their coming arena fight and threatening to tell their master.
• Li Shaojun questioned Zhang Xuezhou’s claim that the Heavenly Emperor was his master, but dismissed him when Zhang Xuezhou claimed instead to have joined the Yedie River Holy Land.
• Li Shaojun said the Grand Empress Dowager had arranged a plot of land for his Daoist temple, though he resented her interference and conditional generosity.
• Li Shaojun asked when Zhang Xuezhou would provide the promised opportunity to learn the Fate Technique, and Zhang Xuezhou said they would fly to Western Kunlun in half a month; Li Shaojun called him a liar.

Zhang Xuezhou visited Sage Kong Temple and discovered that Kong Anguo had reached the Body Transformation Realm in just a year. Kong Anguo explained that his rapid progress came from his ancestor’s cultivation legacy and agreed to teach Zhang Xuezhou Confucian cultivation, though he feared the inherited path might prevent him from reaching the Divine Ability Realm.

• Zhang Xuezhou found Kong Anguo teaching at Sage Kong Temple and was astonished by his cultivation speed.
• Kong Anguo invited Zhang Xuezhou to his room, served him Dao Comprehension Tea, and described the distant Longevity Mountains where it grew.
• Kong Anguo explained that his knowledge, resources, and Sage Kong’s legacy had enabled his rapid progress, but the inherited path could make reaching the Divine Ability Realm difficult.
• Zhang Xuezhou asked to learn Confucian cultivation, and Kong Anguo agreed, saying the Confucian School did not mind sharing across sects.

Kong Anguo explained the Kong Household’s “Zhongni Qiguan Discourse” to Zhang Xuezhou, then learned that Zhang Xuezhou had reached the Divine Ability Realm and asked him to share his cultivation experience. When Zhang Xuezhou showed him a green wooden staff, Kong Anguo identified it as likely being a Chaos Variant Spirit Root whose power Zhang Xuezhou could not reliably control because his cultivation was insufficient.

• Kong Anguo shared the “Zhongni Qiguan Discourse” with Zhang Xuezhou and discussed how cultivation could serve different goals.
• Kong Anguo realized Zhang Xuezhou had entered the Divine Ability Realm and asked him to explain his breakthrough experience.
• Zhang Xuezhou recounted his cultivation methods, and Kong Anguo said he would record them for future cultivators.
• Zhang Xuezhou showed Kong Anguo the green wood from Fangzhang Island and asked how to use it more reliably.
• Kong Anguo connected the staff to the Daoist patriarch’s Chaos Variant Spirit Root and suggested Zhang Xuezhou lacked the cultivation needed to control it.

Zhang Xuezhou reflected on Green Wood’s otherworldly origins and his uncertain future with the treasure, then left the Sage Kong Temple. Kong Anguo suspected Zhang Xuezhou was backed by the Immortal Court and, after hearing about his skull injury, struggled to understand how he had reached the Divine Ability Realm.

• Zhang Xuezhou considered Kong Anguo’s claim that Green Wood came from beyond the Three Realms and wondered whether the treasure would remain useful as his cultivation advanced.
• Zhang Xuezhou discussed his cultivation prospects with Kong Anguo, then left the Sage Kong Temple as evening fell.
• Kong Anguo told Kong Zhong that Zhang Xuezhou’s early entry into the Divine Ability Realm suggested backing from the Immortal Court or another sacred land.
• Kong Zhong warned that Zhang Xuezhou should avoid drawing attention to his cultivation, while Kong Anguo noted that he rarely showed off his abilities.
• Kong Zhong revealed that Zhang Xuezhou had suffered an Incantation, undergone skull surgery, and still periodically fallen unconscious, prompting Kong Anguo to question how he had overcome his damaged Heaven and Earth Bridges.

After returning to Chang'an City, Zhang Xuezhou recuperated in the X432 device, continued planning his medicine research, and waited for the gourd case to unfold. He learned that Zhang Manqian had advanced her Mental Strengthening to the fourth chapter, while his own diminished mental resilience and uncertain research prospects remained concerns.

• Zhang Xuezhou decided to keep the gourd hidden and wait for the Grand Empress Dowager’s investigation, planning to take it to the Western Kunlun Holy Land in twelve days.
• He found that inhaling medicinal fumes from his failed attempts to recreate Heavenly God General Medicine had helped ease his condition, and he used his recovery time to consider new formulas.
• Zhang Manqian told Zhang Xuezhou that An Ran had extracted sixteen doses of medicine and that she had advanced her Mental Strengthening to the fourth chapter.
• Zhang Manqian explained that the medicine likely had a limit of three uses and that she might be unable to progress beyond the fourth chapter.
• Zhang Xuezhou suggested he might develop useful medicine, but Zhang Manqian’s doubt made him reconsider promising it.

Zhang Xuezhou’s Questions and Answers revealed different paths of realm cultivation, while he explained how the Fleshly Body Technique could complement the Poison Avoidance Instruction. Ren Anran and Zhang Manqian considered what the methods might mean for their own cultivation as Zhang Xuezhou explored their practical uses.

• Ren Anran and Zhang Manqian completed their experiments, failing thirteen times and producing sixteen vials of Heavenly God General Medicine.
• Ren Anran read Zhang Xuezhou’s Questions and Answers and recognized that different powers, including Qi and Blood, could lead to realm cultivation by opening acupoints.
• Ren Anran explained that the method had shallow and profound stages, and that the difficult Yin Yang Great Compassion Nine Heavens Incantation could offer greater benefits than a simpler public technique.
• Zhang Xuezhou used his computer to study the complex One Hundred and Eight Thousand Acupoints technique and told the women that opening a thousand acupoints was enough to begin.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that the Fleshly Body Technique complemented the Poison Avoidance Instruction by increasing resistance to harmful effects while also weakening medicines’ beneficial effects.

Zhang Xuezhou decided to use medicine and resources to quickly improve his body and begin practicing the Fleshly Body Technique. Luo Tianming agreed to help him pursue ancient martial arts, pointing out that medicinal ingredients were now easier to obtain because few people practiced them.

• Zhang Xuezhou explained that medicine could help him advance his cultivation and make starting the Fleshly Body Technique easier, and Zhang Manqian agreed to try it.
• Ren Anran suggested asking Luo Tianming about medicinal methods, and Zhang Xuezhou contacted him through his private livestream room.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Luo Tianming that his strength had declined after serious injuries and that he wanted to train his body with ancient martial arts.
• Luo Tianming approved of Zhang Xuezhou using resources to learn supporting abilities, despite ancient martial arts being outpaced by gene techniques.
• Luo Tianming said ancient martial arts ingredients were now more readily available, and Zhang Xuezhou could gather rare medicines to begin training.

Luo Tianming told Zhang Xuezhou where to find his Thousand Threads, Hundred Coils Body manual and reflected on ancient martial arts’ decline. Zhang Xuezhou asked Luo Gaogao to retrieve it, while Ren Anran considered how Zhang’s relationships across the Luo Household came from the advantages he held.

• Luo Tianming explained the history and declining value of ancient martial arts, then gave Zhang Xuezhou the safe code 74516 for the Thousand Threads, Hundred Coils Body manual.
• Luo Tianming’s weakened body forced him to end the conversation, and Zhang Xuezhou left the livestream after offering to answer questions about the Poison Avoidance Instruction.
• Zhang Manqian and Ren Anran discussed Luo Tianming’s progress and the difficulty of entering a realm without Questions and Answers.
• Zhang Xuezhou called Luo Gaogao and asked him to look for the manual in Luo Tianming’s residence.
• Ren Anran and Zhang Manqian discussed Zhang Xuezhou’s easy relationships with the Luo Household, and Ren Anran concluded that his advantage in dealing with people helped create equality.

Zhang Xuezhou met Luo Gaogao at the B13 Research Institute and examined the Luo Household’s ancient martial arts manuals and medicinal preparations. He recognized the Thousand Threads, Hundred Coils Body as a Fake Technique but focused on the Broken Jade Paste that could temporarily alter the body.

• Luo Gaogao described the Luo Household’s collapse and the loss of its influence in Western Capital City.
• Zhang Xuezhou reassured Luo Gaogao about Luo Tianming’s condition and said he did not intend to fight for power.
• Luo Gaogao warned that Zhang Xuezhou’s growing prominence and the Zhang Household’s expanding businesses would draw them into the city’s power struggles.
• Luo Gaogao asked why Zhang Xuezhou wanted the Thousand Threads, Hundred Coils Body, and Zhang said he wanted to study it.
• Zhang Xuezhou identified the Thousand Threads, Hundred Coils Body as a Fake Technique and picked up the Broken Jade Paste to examine its bodily effects.

Zhang Xuezhou and his companions tested Broken Jade Paste and discussed how it could support body tempering, while warning that its side effects required Poison Avoidance Instruction. Luo Gaogao, intrigued by the group’s rapid progress, went to read Zhang Xuezhou’s Questions and Answers manual.

• Zhang Xuezhou tasted Broken Jade Paste and explained how its ingredients stimulated and nourished the body, while Luo Gaogao admitted he knew little about the medicine.
• Zhang Manqian and Ren Anran discussed the paste’s effects and concluded that Poison Avoidance Instruction was needed before they could safely advance their Fleshly Body Technique.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Luo Gaogao that Questions and Answers could help support the Gene Sequence through medicine and cultivation.
• Luo Gaogao went to Zhang Xuezhou’s study to read Questions and Answers, curious whether it could help him catch up with Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Manqian, and Ren Anran.

Zhang Xuezhou had Ren Anran test the Fleshly Body Technique with the Luo family's Broken Jade Paste, hoping it would help her tolerate stronger medicines and advance toward the Divine Ability Realm. After four and a half hours of painful cultivation, Ren Anran finally began to practice the technique.

• Ren Anran became the first to test the Fleshly Body Technique, enduring intense stimulation from repeated doses of Broken Jade Paste.
• Zhang Manqian warned that Ren Anran was suppressing her pain because Zhang Xuezhou was watching, and Zhang Xuezhou threatened to put Zhang Manqian on a livestream if she complained during her own test.
• Zhang Manqian explained the benefits of the Realm Technique in Questions and Answers, and Luo Gaogao said he would try it and ask her for guidance.
• Luo Gaogao watched Ren Anran cultivate from four in the afternoon until evening as Zhang Xuezhou explained how medicinal power rapidly tempered her acupoints.
• After four and a half hours, Ren Anran's body glowed faintly as she finally began the Fleshly Body Technique.