Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xuezhou watched Huo Qubing battle the Painting Demon as the five-year-old began bleeding and struggling. Huo Qubing regained control through an uneasy pact with the Painting Demon, but he had to journey to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain to free it or risk merging with it.

• Zhang Xuezhou saw Huo Qubing bleed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as the Painting Demon threatened to overwhelm him.
• Zhang Xuezhou tried to distinguish Huo Qubing from the Painting Demon and urged the demon to remember it was not the real True Person Supreme One.
• Huo Qubing spoke again after nearly half a shichen and told Zhang Xuezhou that the Painting Demon had asked him to retrieve a soul from a painting treasure at the Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
• Zhang Xuezhou cast a Technique to stop Huo Qubing's bleeding, and Huo Qubing explained that a painted scroll let him see and imitate the Technique.
• Huo Qubing said he had to fulfill the Painting Demon's request or merge with it and become a monster that was half man and half painting.

Zhang Xuezhou reflected on his growing conflict with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon before guiding Huo Qubing through the secret realm’s formations. They reached a ruined palace complex, which Huo Qubing identified as the True Martial Great Game.

• Huo Qubing asked Zhang Xuezhou to explain the strange changes in him, but Zhang Xuezhou directed him to ask Wei Shao'er.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered why the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon wanted his body and concluded that cooperation between them was impossible.
• Zhang Xuezhou sent Huo Qubing ahead through the secret realm because Huo Qubing could see a path through the formations.
• Huo Qubing followed the unusual route without triggering the formations, and they found decaying palace buildings in the forest.
• Huo Qubing recognized the palace complex as the True Martial Great Game.

Zhang Xuezhou and Huo Qubing explored the ancient palace in the secret land, learning that its history stretched back far beyond the Qin Dynasty. As they neared its heart, Huo Qubing felt his strength rise and witnessed an archer demonstrate the Sun-Breaking Arrow and Moon-Falling Arrow.

• Huo Qubing explained that he recognized the ancient characters through occasional inherited memories of the Painting Demon, and Zhang Xuezhou concluded that Da Yi had lived in or before True Person Supreme One's era.
• Zhang Xuezhou searched the ruined palace for the secret land's formation core while Huo Qubing described its layout and the True Martial faction.
• Huo Qubing scouted ahead through the ruins and felt his strength steadily increase as he approached the palace's heart.
• Huo Qubing saw an archer in his vision shoot with flawless skill and recognized the Sun-Breaking Arrow and Moon-Falling Arrow.

Zhang Xuezhou discovered that the arrow held by a skeleton was an Arrow Grass Spirit that could shoot him without leaving its place. He suppressed it with Intimidation and a green staff, then followed Huo Qubing’s instruction to break off its leaves, disabling the arrow.

• Zhang Xuezhou was pierced in the chest by a black flash from the arrow, though the arrow remained in the skeleton’s hand.
• Zhang Xuezhou concealed his life force to escape the arrow’s lock and recognized it as an Arrow Grass Spirit after seeing its leaves turn toward the sun.
• Zhang Xuezhou opened his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag and used Intimidation to hold the Arrow Grass Spirit in place, though it pierced his forehead.
• Huo Qubing emerged from his trance and told Zhang Xuezhou to pinch off the arrow’s two leaves.
• Zhang Xuezhou snapped off the leaves, and the arrow bent down.

Zhang Xuezhou found the secret place’s token and discovered that the outer formation had trapped him and Huo Qubing inside. He gave Huo Qubing Grain Avoidance Pills and instructed him to drag him toward any white light that might let them escape.

• Zhang Xuezhou gave the dead Arrow Grass Spirit to Huo Qubing, who tried to revive it by copying inscriptions with his blood.
• Zhang Xuezhou found a jade thumb ring that served as the secret place’s token and could protect them from its internal formation’s hallucinations.
• Zhang Xuezhou realized the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation outside had sealed them inside, leaving them unable to escape until the formation changed.
• Zhang Xuezhou gave Huo Qubing a Grain Avoidance Pill and told him to drag Zhang Xuezhou toward any white light that appeared.
• Huo Qubing questioned whether he could pull Zhang Xuezhou several li, then agreed to try when an opportunity to escape arose.

Zhang Xuezhou searched the secret realm for its formation core while making Huo Qubing train, and he discovered that they had no water. He found records carved near skeletal remains and brought Huo Qubing over to read them.

• Zhang Xuezhou found two heavy flesh lingzhi but left the abundant purple lingzhi and Solomon's seal growing in the secret realm.
• Zhang Xuezhou failed to locate the formation core and continued training Huo Qubing with improvised weightlifting and jumping exercises.
• Huo Qubing complained that he was getting thirsty, and Zhang Xuezhou searched the palace ruins but found no well or cistern.
• Zhang Xuezhou discovered records carved in seal script near skeletal remains and brought Huo Qubing over to translate them.

Zhang Xuezhou searched the secret land for water to save the parched Huo Qubing, digging deep beneath the mountain without success. A voice calling for water from below the pit turned out to be Jin Wanliang, trapped in the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation outside the secret land.

• Huo Qubing translated Da Yi’s floor inscriptions, which described a Longevity Pill formula and repeated expressions of hatred.
• Zhang Xuezhou flew down the mountain and began digging for water while Huo Qubing stayed behind in the palace ruins, suffering from thirst.
• Zhang Xuezhou dug more than sixty meters deep over nearly two days but found no water, and Huo Qubing said Mr. Kong had told him he was not ready to achieve Realm Entry.
• Zhang Xuezhou recited the Grain Avoidance Instruction to Huo Qubing, hoping it would help him endure thirst longer.
• Zhang Xuezhou heard a voice asking for water beneath the pit and recognized it as Jin Wanliang, who called him foster father and begged for help.
• Zhang Xuezhou realized Jin Wanliang was trapped in the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation outside the secret land.

Zhang Xuezhou used the Stone Transformation Technique to break into the channels beneath the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation, weakening its pull and bringing water into the pit. He gave the water to the dehydrated Huo Qubing, but Jin Wanliang remained missing as a sudden boom sounded from underground.

• Zhang Xuezhou realized the formation had drained water from the secret realm into underground channels, where Jin Wanliang was trapped beneath Mount Zhongnan.
• Jin Wanliang told Zhang Xuezhou he could not dig through the hard rock, so Zhang Xuezhou warned him to move away and used the Azure Rock Staff to cast the Stone Transformation Technique.
• The rock collapsed into a channel, drawing wind and debris into Zhang Xuezhou's pit until the pull weakened and water began rising through it.
• Zhang Xuezhou collected muddy water and fed it to the thirst-stricken Huo Qubing, who drank and mumbled about rain and seedlings.
• A boom and muffled thunder came from the pit, startling Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou watched the hidden realm destabilize as the broken formations unleashed hallucinations and a rising flood. He rescued Jin Wanliang from an illusion and gave him Grain Avoidance Pills, which restored the demon’s strength and left him amazed by their effects.

• Zhang Xuezhou saw the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation reverse its flow and groundwater surge into the hidden realm while fiery clouds and hallucinations filled the sky.
• Jin Wanliang emerged with the flood, delirious from an illusion, and Zhang Xuezhou pulled him away from the muddy water.
• Jin Wanliang asked Zhang Xuezhou if he could eat Huo Qubing, but backed down when Zhang Xuezhou gave him a warning look.
• Zhang Xuezhou gave Jin Wanliang three Grain Avoidance Pills to ease his hunger.
• Jin Wanliang swallowed the pills, rapidly regained his strength, and transformed into human form, convinced Zhang Xuezhou had given him immortal pills.

Zhang Xuezhou struggled to manage the rising flood and clashing formations in the secret ground while dealing with the strange effects of his Grain Avoidance Pills. Jin Wanliang became a Fifth Grade great demon, and Huo Qubing appeared to enter a realm at age five, leaving him frightened that his body had stopped growing.

• Zhang Xuezhou realized the Grain Avoidance Pills required the right amount of water after Huo Qubing became parched and Jin Wanliang's belly swelled.
• Zhang Xuezhou watched groundwater flood the secret ground as its inner illusion formation clashed with the Four Gates Bottom-Covering Formation.
• Zhang Xuezhou brought Huo Qubing more water, and Huo Qubing recovered enough to stand but still saw the world as a painting and experienced illusions.
• Huo Qubing noticed the naked, potbellied Jin Wanliang nearby, while Zhang Xuezhou warned him to keep his distance.
• Jin Wanliang announced that the pill had made him a Fifth Grade great demon, and Huo Qubing saw his own body as a seedling with sharpened leaves.
• Huo Qubing suspected he had entered a realm at age five and feared his body had finished growing, leaving him short for life.

Huo Qubing reached Realm Entry in the secret realm, while Zhang Xuezhou reflected on how the boy’s favor with the new emperor could accelerate his cultivation. As the rising water threatened to trap them, Zhang prepared for their survival and Huo Qubing learned that Jin Wanliang called Zhang his adoptive father.

• Huo Qubing reached Realm Entry, and Zhang Xuezhou envied the advantages he had through the new emperor’s favor.
• Jin Wanliang celebrated reaching fifth rank after taking Zhang Xuezhou’s pills, though his swollen belly made him worry about digesting them.
• Zhang Xuezhou warned Jin Wanliang that he was still vulnerable and offered to teach him the Primal Core Technique if he cooperated.
• Jin Wanliang hesitated over learning the exalted one’s cultivation method, then agreed to follow Zhang Xuezhou’s instructions.
• With the secret realm’s water rising and no exit appearing, Zhang Xuezhou searched for rotten wood and ordered Jin Wanliang to make a boat.
• Huo Qubing saw Jin Wanliang call Zhang Xuezhou his adoptive father and felt distressed as he imagined growing up short and ugly.

Zhang Xuezhou explained that Huo Qubing had reached Realm Entry through the weakest method in the Zhongni Qiguan Discourse, which left him with only three opened acupoints and limited potential rather than stunting his growth. As Zhang warned Huo that Jin Wanliang might become dangerous if he fell ill, Huo began asking how to exploit the toad demon’s weakness.

• Huo Qubing panicked that reaching Realm Entry too early would stunt his growth, and Zhang Xuezhou explained that his simple cultivation method had not completed his body's development.
• Huo tried the hardest part of the Zhongni Qiguan Discourse and discovered that his Qi and Blood could flow through only three acupoints.
• Zhang explained that Huo's method offered limited advancement and weak Techniques, leaving Huo to regret rushing into cultivation.
• Zhang warned Huo that Jin Wanliang was a fifth-rank man-eating toad demon who might attack them if Zhang became unconscious.
• Zhang said they might need Jin Wanliang's help to escape the secret place, and Huo asked Zhang how to use the demon's weakness against him.

While Zhang Xuezhou searched for medicinal plants, Huo Qubing and Jin Wanliang prepared for the secret realm’s steadily rising water and tried to establish a working relationship. Zhang Xuezhou returned at night and lay down, leaving Huo Qubing alone with the demon as the water continued to threaten them.

• Jin Wanliang and Huo Qubing gathered rotten beams and planks to make something that could float as the rising water submerged the mountain.
• Jin Wanliang questioned Huo Qubing, who claimed to be the friend of the grand commander of the Feathered Forest Guard and explained how he had entered the secret realm with Lord Dongfang.
• Huo Qubing warned Jin Wanliang that they might get only one chance to escape and could hallucinate and drown if they failed.
• Jin Wanliang admitted that he hated water, while Huo Qubing concealed his fondness for it and considered using the water to feign weakness and counterattack with the arrow.
• Zhang Xuezhou returned from gathering medicinal plants after dark and lay down, leaving Huo Qubing wary of being alone with Jin Wanliang.

Zhang Xuezhou remained trapped between competing formations in the hidden realm, but he could return to his body in the real world and catch up with Zhang Manqian. She told him about the unrest surrounding Sequence Locks and the Void Furnace, while Zhang Xuezhou explained why Ren Yisheng had accepted the dangerous being and left the group facing an uncertain future.

• Zhang Xuezhou reflected on his predicament in the hidden realm and judged Ren Yisheng more reliable than Huo Qubing or Jin Wanliang.
• Zhang Manqian examined Zhang Xuezhou and told him that people were angry with Ren Yisheng for taking him to Qinmeng without them.
• Zhang Manqian reported that Zuo Teng and Zuo Denggao were being repeatedly attacked by people seeking Sequence Locks, but Zhang Xuezhou told her to leave the negotiations to them.
• Zhang Manqian revealed that the Void Furnace had been settled at the Twilight Years Mansion and asked whether Zhang Xuezhou had a special connection to it.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained the Void Furnace's resemblance to him and said Ren Yisheng had accepted it because humanity needed strength to face looming threats.

After waking at the B13 Research Institute, Zhang Xuezhou found Gene Sequence programs spreading through academies and a crowd of Sequence Holders waiting for him to stabilize their Sequence Locks. Zhao Tianhua fretted over obtaining a bear-type Ferocious Beast extract and his chances of reaching the Seventh Sequence as rumors about its benefits for old age stirred urgency.

• Zhang Xuezhou reflected on the spread of Gene Sequence programs and cautiously avoided using Sequence Locks on a large group.
• Zhao Tianhua complained that the people handling his contract had not given him a definite answer while he waited for Zhang Xuezhou to recover.
• Zhang Xuezhou greeted the officials and Sequence Holders waiting at the B13 Research Institute, then went to eat.
• Changkong Yinghao worried about Zhang Xuezhou's health, while Zhao Tianhua argued with Changkong Yinglian about reaching the Seventh Sequence.
• Zhao Tianhua dismissed Zhou Bo's reassurance about a trade for Ferocious Beast materials, believing the Aomeijia Alliance would not help him obtain a bear-type extract.

Zhang Xuezhou arranged to find minerals resembling gypsum and explained how Sequence Locks were changing Gene Sequence cultivation. Wang Li decided to gamble on fast-tracking a Sequence Lock, while Zhang Xuezhou advised Zhang Manqian to wait for research because her Realm Technique training would help her advance quickly later.

• Zhang Xuezhou bought sixteen kinds of beans through Alliance No. 9 and asked Wang Li to search for minerals similar to gypsum.
• Wang Li told Zhang Xuezhou that Xu Zhihui was rapidly catching up with experienced Gene Fighting Technique practitioners, and Zhang Xuezhou explained that her progress with Sequence Locks showed exceptional aptitude.
• Wang Li asked whether he could still catch up through Sequence Locks and committed to taking the risk despite the possibility of having only a few years to live.
• Zhang Xuezhou promised that Wang Li and others who chose fast-tracking would receive tailored Sequence Locks and follow-up care from Luo Burang.
• Zhang Manqian asked whether she should activate her Sequence Lock or wait, and Zhang Xuezhou advised her that her Realm Technique training would make her well suited to cultivate one.

After his beans and other materials arrived quickly, Zhang Xuezhou learned how the Alliance No. 9 platform’s stocked warehouses sped up deliveries and ate Iron-Skinned Chicken bred by Zhang Manqian to strengthen his weak genes. The ingredients for making tofu reached the B13 Research Institute, and Zhang Xuezhou prepared to finish his work in the other world before turning to real-world matters.

• Zhang Xuezhou received 1.6 tons of beans in sixteen varieties, and Zhang Manqian explained how Alliance No. 9’s stocked warehouses enabled the rapid delivery.
• Zhang Xuezhou waited for Wang Li to coordinate the ore delivery while eating sixteen sets of food in the dining hall.
• Zhang Manqian told Zhang Xuezhou that Iron-Skinned Chicken had been bred with the R25 Gene to help his weak genes grow by absorbing compatible genes.
• Zhang Xuezhou discussed future chicken breeds and body strengthening with Zhang Manqian as he ate and circulated the Grain Avoidance Instruction.
• Zhang Xuezhou received a call after the materials for making tofu arrived at the B13 Research Institute four hours and thirty minutes later.

Zhang Xuezhou tested how mineral powders coagulated bean liquids, while Luo Burang saw the results as a clue to how Sequence Locks might work—and realized they could be dangerous if consumed. The chapter left Luo Burang considering a new Gene Sequence that could help him withstand Law Power’s physical effects, and asking Wang Li about his mastery of the Black Armor Combat Technique.

• Zhao Tianhua grew impatient waiting for Zhang Xuezhou to work on quick-made Sequence Locks, but Luo Burang said Zhang’s experiment came first.
• Zhang Xuezhou mixed different mineral powders into filtered bean liquids and produced solids in several colors.
• Luo Burang interpreted the experiment as a possible model for turning dispersed Gene Sequence power into a solid state, similar to a Sequence Lock.
• Zhang Xuezhou tasted the coagulated products, prompting Luo Burang to worry that Sequence Locks might be put to harmful use if eaten.
• Luo Burang considered developing a Gene Sequence that could resist the nausea and vomiting caused by Law Power, then asked Wang Li whether he was the only Sequence Holder outside the Zhou Household to master the Black Armor Combat Technique.

Zhang Xuezhou continued testing tofu while warning Sequence Holders about the risks of rapidly forming Sequence Locks. As demand grew, he agreed to begin the process for the waiting applicants, leaving the Scarlet Alliance State’s prospects for producing more Seventh Sequence Holders in focus.

• Zhang Xuezhou tested tofu made from different beans and discussed the ingredient with Zhang Manqian while Zhao Tianhua complained that Sequence Holders should focus on Gene Sequences.
• Zhang Xuezhou warned that rapidly forming a Sequence Lock could be dangerous, but Zhao Tianhua and Zhou Bo argued that the potential gains outweighed the risks.
• Zhao Tianhua urged Zhang Xuezhou to begin with Wang Li as a demonstration rather than repeating the same explanation for each applicant.
• Zuo Teng reported that fifty-four people had signed contracts or were waiting at Twilight Years Mansion, and Zhang Xuezhou agreed to complete fifty-five rapid Sequence Lock formations over the next few days.
• Zhang Xuezhou advised Zuo Teng to wait until the Fifth Sequence before forming a Sequence Lock, and Zhao Tianhua realized the process could help many people reach the Seventh Sequence.

Zhang Xuezhou and Luo Burang explained how rapidly formed Sequence Locks could strengthen Gene Fighting Techniques and reshape the balance of power among Lineages. After Zhang formed a Sequence Lock for Zhao Tianhua, he considered recruiting him and other newly empowered Sequence Holders to confront Hu Yu.

• Zhang Xuezhou and Luo Burang explained that Sequence Locks could support Gene Fighting Techniques, though their effectiveness depended on each person's aptitude and training.
• Luo Burang and the others discussed how Sequence Locks and abundant resources could weaken Lineage monopolies and bring forward new elites.
• Zhang Xuezhou rapidly formed a Sequence Lock for Zhao Tianhua, who felt the new organ in his abdomen and accepted Zhang's blessing.
• Zhao Tianhua said he would have joined Zhang Xuezhou on the trip to Qinmeng, but Zhang kept his thoughts about Ren Yisheng to himself.
• Zhang Xuezhou considered assembling Zhao Tianhua and other Sequence Holders to confront Hu Yu, whose lack of the Quelling Chief made the challenge less daunting.