Ch. 401The Damned System Made Me Do It!

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze’s four days of playing First Sage have transformed the player community: people now copy his ambushes, bridge camping, extraction bombing, knife runs, and other “sneaky-rat” tactics. His mission progress has climbed to 80%, but the gains from familiar tricks are fading.
  • With only the final match day remaining, Lu Ze considers using truly “beastly” tactics—ways to exploit or betray teammates rather than ambush opponents. He feels guilty, but the mission rewards win out.
  • Lu Ze asks Li Moran to stage a dramatic rescue scene in a match, hoping to recreate the circumstances of an earlier bombing. She refuses to play along and says she has memorized his nineteen Ascension Base hiding spots; she wants to face him in a proper fight.
  • After Li Moran leaves, Lu Ze accepts that no one is likely to play the “saint” role he needs and resolves to use teammate-focused dirty tricks.
  • On the fifteenth and final match day, Lu Ze queues with teammates. He initially selects Red Wolf, suited to stealing and dropping loot, but switches to Luna when he recognizes two familiar voices: Zhong Yi and Zhou.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze has become both a notorious influence on the player base and a reluctant schemer. He rationalizes increasingly cruel tactics as necessary to complete his system mission, while still showing some hesitation.
  • Li Moran has grown stronger after studying Lu Ze’s gameplay and has nearly reached 100 million in assets. She admires his skill but disapproves of his dishonorable methods, and she actively seeks a direct match against him.
  • Zhong Yi and Zhou’s unexpected presence immediately changes Lu Ze’s plan: instead of going through with his intended teammate betrayal, he switches characters as soon as he recognizes them.

Significant themes

  • Imitation and unintended consequences: Lu Ze’s tactics reshape the entire community, normalizing behavior he introduced.
  • Moral compromise under pressure: A system mission pushes Lu Ze toward actions he considers inhuman, even as he tries to justify them.
  • Honor versus effectiveness: Li Moran values facing opponents fairly, while Lu Ze prioritizes whatever advances his objective.
  • Comedy through irony: Lu Ze prepares to betray strangers, only to be matched with people he knows.

Ch. 402Why Not Camp the Bridge While We're at It?

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze, Zhong Yi, and Zhou Yue discover they have been matched together in an unusually high-ranked game. Zhong Yi and Zhou Yue are both below the likely asset cutoff for advancing to the second stage, while Lu Ze is a formidable competitor.
  • Zhong Yi explains that he has spent days commentating instead of competing and now needs to earn more assets. Zhou Yue is also short of the cutoff despite his high kill/death ratio, because he often fails to extract.
  • Lu Ze suggests using their spawn at the Ascension Platform and Zhong Yi’s choice of Urururu to camp the Immortal Bridge. The livestream audience is shocked to see the trio take up positions there in a match packed with top players.
  • Zhou Yue initially objects on moral and reputational grounds, but Lu Ze pressures him by invoking his sister’s success and threatening to pursue an even more dishonorable ambush strategy. Zhou Yue agrees to bridge camping.
  • As the trio settle in, Zhong Yi spots someone approaching from the garden.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze presents himself as loyal to his senior brothers, while privately admitting he originally intended to exploit his teammates. He instead sees bridge camping as a way to earn “First Sage” points and manipulate the audience’s view of him.
  • Zhong Yi is practical and focused on qualifying, having built his assets through knife runs. He switches from his intended knife-running character after realizing who his teammates are, then takes the lookout role.
  • Zhou Yue is anxious about the team’s poor odds and uneasy about returning to bridge camping. His competitiveness—and embarrassment at trailing his lucky younger sister—eventually outweighs his scruples.
  • The three share a teasing, suspicious rapport: Zhong Yi and Zhou Yue fear Lu Ze’s notorious schemes, while Lu Ze exploits their ambitions and reputations to get them to follow his plan.

Significant themes

  • Reputation and hypocrisy: The characters weigh their public personas against the questionable tactics they are willing to use.
  • Competition and survival: Qualification pressure drives players toward strategies they might otherwise reject.
  • Luck versus skill: Zhou Yue’s poor extraction record contrasts with his high KD, while his sister advances through exceptional luck.
  • Comic irony: A team of celebrated cultivators resorts to bridge camping, and Lu Ze frames the choice as both practical and a way to strengthen his infamous “First Sage” reputation.

Ch. 403Don't Panic, You Two—I Have a Plan

Key plot points and events

  • A sniper shot kills a Wyvern in the Rat Passage, alerting every team that someone is blocking the Immortal Bridge.
  • At Blue Hall, the leading player Dusk decides the blockers are a threat to his rank. He fires a signal that calls teams to join an attack on the bridge.
  • Four teams answer, forming a twelve-against-three assault. Li Moran’s team deliberately refuses to join.
  • On the bridge, Zhong Yi panics, while Zhou Yue accepts the situation and prepares to fight back. Lu Ze tells them not to panic and promises a plan.
  • From the Core Zone, Li Moran watches the teams gather and notices that the bridge now has only two defenders at their posts.

Character developments and interactions

  • Dusk shows himself to be calculating and focused on protecting his first-place ranking; he uses the crowd’s shared frustration to organize an attack.
  • Zhong Yi is frightened by the likely humiliation of defeat, while Zhou Yue shifts from unease about blocking the bridge to determined resistance once the opposing side uses overwhelming numbers.
  • Lu Ze remains unseen but asserts confidence and control by telling his allies he has a plan.
  • Li Moran stays independent of the coalition and attentively tracks the match, suspecting Lu Ze may be hiding somewhere nearby.
  • Zhou Qiaoling enjoys the spectacle, while Shen Yan questions whether the many-against-few attack is fair.

Significant themes

  • The chapter explores honor versus survival: bridge-blocking is considered shameless, but retaliating with a massive numbers advantage also raises questions of fairness.
  • Reputation and strategy shape players’ choices, especially at the highest competitive level.
  • Collective action can turn a difficult obstacle into an overwhelming assault—but Lu Ze’s confidence hints that numbers may not settle the outcome.

Ch. 404Benevolent Bridge Blocking vs. Malicious Teaming

Key plot points and events

  • Dusk gathers players on the Blue Hall platform by firing signals, planning to use their temporary alliance against the bridge campers and then betray the other squads for loot.
  • Lu Ze and his companions recognize the gathering as a malicious alliance. Lu Ze answers the signal and calmly infiltrates the group, disguising his presence among its members.
  • As the assembled force attacks Immortal Bridge, Lu Ze slips into the rear. He knocks Dusk down, then fires at the attackers’ feet with his Pear Blossom Needle, disrupting their advance.
  • Confusion erupts: some players realize Lu Ze is among them, while others suspect their own teammates. The force turns on itself, and Lu Ze exploits the chaos to attack and loot.
  • Li Moran identifies Lu Ze as the instigator and sets out to confront him.

Character developments

  • Lu Ze displays boldness, quick improvisation, and gleeful ruthlessness, turning the attackers’ deception against them.
  • Dusk reveals that he intended to betray the alliance, but his caution leaves him vulnerable to Lu Ze.
  • Zhong Yi and Zhou Yue are appalled by Lu Ze’s shameless scheme, yet become unwilling accomplices.
  • Li Moran demonstrates sharp perception: she recognizes Lu Ze’s handiwork before seeing him directly and prepares to face him.

Significant themes

  • Betrayal and mistrust: Dusk’s plan to double-cross the alliance creates the conditions for its collapse.
  • Ingenuity over brute force: Lu Ze defeats a much larger force by exploiting its assumptions and confusion.
  • Reputation and recognition: Players’ fear of “Old Devil Lu” shapes their reactions, sometimes leading them to attack the wrong person.
  • The limits of teamwork: A group united by self-interest can quickly fall apart when trust disappears.

Character interactions

  • Lu Ze persuades Zhong Yi and Zhou Yue to go along with his counter-scheme, though both are deeply uneasy.
  • Dusk tries to direct the gathered players while secretly hanging back; Lu Ze catches and knocks him down.
  • The attackers’ suspicion turns them against one another, while Li Moran independently reads the chaos and moves to confront Lu Ze.

Ch. 405I'm Not as Weak as You Think, Either!

Key plot points and events

  • After Lu Ze’s ruthless ambush at the bridge, the system announces that his actions have changed outsiders’ perception of “saints,” completing his task and boosting the Demon Path’s reputation.
  • Lu Ze offers the remaining loot to Zhou Yue and Zhong Yi, but they refuse, citing rivalries between their peaks and elders.
  • A signal comes from the Black Hall. Lu Ze realizes it is from Li Moran, who wants a direct, fair fight—not surrender.
  • The surviving cultivators arrange a series of sparring matches in the Steward Hall. The live-stream audience suspects the supposedly competitive match has become a friendly, coordinated gathering.
  • Zhou Yue prepares to fight Li Moran first, but Zhong Yi points out that the “Little Mouse Mai” on her team is actually Zhou Qiaoling in disguise. Zhou Yue becomes furious and takes a Pain-Relief Pill, but Zhong Yi insists he should conserve his strength.
  • Zhong Yi volunteers to go first, confidently declaring he is “not as weak as” people think. Ten seconds later, Shen Yan knocks him down, prompting Zhong Yi to call for Zhou Yue to revive him.

Character developments

  • Lu Ze remains casually ruthless and opportunistic, yet presents himself as generous toward his fellow sect members.
  • Li Moran shows her pride and determination: rather than seek peace, she wants to test herself directly against Lu Ze.
  • Zhou Qiaoling continues her playful deception, having concealed her identity as “Little Mouse Mai.”
  • Zhou Yue shifts from fear during the bridge battle to excitement at the prospect of a spar, then turns competitive and angry when he realizes his sister tricked him.
  • Zhong Yi tries to act strategically and confidently, but is quickly defeated by Shen Yan.
  • Shen Yan is eager to test his strength and proves himself capable by defeating Zhong Yi immediately.

Significant themes

  • Reputation and perception: Lu Ze’s shocking conduct fulfills a task centered on changing how people view saints.
  • Rivalry and camaraderie: Sect and family rivalries persist, but the cultivators also share loot, signals, and friendly challenges.
  • Appearance versus reality: The match’s supposed enemies know one another, and Zhou Qiaoling’s disguise blurs the line between opponent and friend.
  • Confidence versus ability: Zhong Yi’s bold declaration is humorously undercut by his swift defeat.

Character interactions

  • Lu Ze tries to share the loot with Zhou Yue and Zhong Yi; they refuse, invoking political and personal boundaries.
  • Lu Ze explains that Li Moran’s signal means she wants a fair fight, surprising Zhong Yi.
  • Zhou Yue and Zhong Yi debate who should fight first, with Zhong Yi warning Zhou Yue about Zhou Qiaoling’s uncanny luck.
  • Zhong Yi steps up to face the challenge, only to be knocked down by Shen Yan and ask Zhou Yue for help.

Ch. 406I'm giving your feet a brutal pedicure today

Key plot points and events

  • During the sect match, Zhou Yue defeats Zhong Yi, then wins a close, tactical Wyvern duel against Li Moran. He accepts his loss calmly and looks forward to seeing Lu Ze fight her.
  • Zhong Yi argues that Lu Ze’s agreement to face Li Moran means he must be confident, since the group could otherwise simply extract and leave.
  • As Zhong Yi revives Zhou Yue, Lu Ze uses the revival’s noise as cover to crawl unseen to a hiding place near the passage exit.
  • Li Moran, eager for a fair fight, studies the outer hall and follows the tactical advice Lu Ze had previously given her. She checks likely enemy positions with a series of peeks, shots, and a jump-wide attack.
  • She spots a dark shape by her feet—but Lu Ze has already concealed himself there. He opens fire with .45-caliber rounds and knocks her down, declaring that he intends to shoot her feet.

Character developments and interactions

  • Zhou Yue shows sportsmanship: he enjoys the challenge, accepts defeat without resentment, and respects Li Moran’s strength.
  • Li Moran is a skilled, disciplined fighter who is excited to test herself against Lu Ze. She applies his advice intelligently, but her anticipation of a direct contest leaves her vulnerable to his ambush.
  • Zhong Yi believes in Lu Ze’s hidden ability and interprets his willingness to fight as proof of confidence.
  • Lu Ze remains committed to unconventional tactics, turning even his own teammates’ revival into cover. His actions sharply contrast with Li Moran’s expectation of a straightforward duel.

Significant themes

  • Tactical ingenuity versus fair combat: Li Moran prepares for a conventional showdown, while Lu Ze wins through stealth and deception.
  • Sportsmanship and respect: Zhou Yue accepts defeat gracefully, and both Zhou Yue and Li Moran value challenging opponents.
  • Reputation and hidden ability: Others debate whether Lu Ze is a cowardly trickster or a genuine expert; his latest ambush reinforces both his effectiveness and his infamous style.
  • The gap between expectation and reality: The chapter builds toward an anticipated head-to-head fight, then subverts it with Lu Ze’s feet-level ambush.

Ch. 407Are You a Foot Fetishist?

Key plot points and events

  • After defeating Li Moran, the Spirit Cloud Sect team lets Zhou Qiaoling surrender rather than risk drawing attention by beating her. Lu Ze discovers a valuable [Heaven-Replenishing Revival Cauldron] in the loot and gives it to Zhou Yue, helping him reach the qualification threshold. Zhou Qiaoling gets the right to loot the remaining boxes.
  • Lu Ze’s casual explanation for his underhanded tactics in the duel provokes no response—because he is suddenly expelled from the Illusion Realm. Back in the real world, Li Moran confronts him with a storm of ice swords, especially targeting his feet.
  • The first stage ends with 201 qualifiers. Li Moran surges to first place after a string of fierce victories, overtaking [Dusk].
  • The second stage changes to squad competition, with only six teams advancing. Teams compete over valuable otherworldly immortal stones, which now yield powerful equipment and a team buff when unsealed.
  • Zhong Yi and Zhou Qiaoling withdraw: Zhong Yi has achieved his goal of proving knife-running viable, while Zhou Qiaoling has no interest in fighting once looting is no longer the focus.
  • Lu Ze, Zhou Yue, and Li Moran form a team. After Lu Ze gives Li Moran several private duels to satisfy her desire for a fair rematch, they register under the name [Pedicure for Your Lovely Feet]. Lu Ze plans to let his teammates fight while he plays another game, then returns to loot.
  • At the Illusion Alliance base, [Dusk]—Huang Yuwen—complains that the Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array is ineffective. A masked Heart Demon urges him to qualify for the finals without drawing attention, promising a later chance to target the Spirit Cloud Sect.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze remains shamelessly pragmatic: he exploits loopholes, hands over valuable loot when useful, and intends to rely on Zhou Yue and Li Moran in team battles. His teasing of Li Moran backfires when she attacks his feet.
  • Li Moran moves from tournament defeat to a determined, aggressive comeback, ultimately claiming first place. She still wants an honorable rematch with Lu Ze, though she agrees to team up after he gives her private duels.
  • Zhou Yue benefits from the cauldron and remains one of the team’s main fighters.
  • Zhong Yi withdraws satisfied that he has demonstrated the value of knife-running; Zhou Qiaoling leaves after enjoying the loot-focused stage.
  • Huang Yuwen is frustrated by his losses, but the Heart Demon counsels patience and secrecy.

Significant themes

  • Cunning versus honor: Lu Ze’s opportunistic tactics contrast with Li Moran’s wish for a fair fight.
  • Teamwork and differing motives: The new stage rewards coordinated squads, but the characters join or leave according to their own goals.
  • Competition and manipulation: The tournament’s rules are adjusted to encourage conflict, while the Heart Demon’s strategy reveals a larger hidden agenda.

Ch. 408Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array

Plot points and events

  • Five days into the second stage, Zhou Yue and Li Moran have secured the Spirit Cloud Sect’s early qualification and first place. Lu Ze has not fought directly; he coaches them while eating, sometimes blowing himself up at the start of a match.
  • Zhou Yue is astonished by Lu Ze’s advice and asks why he acted so strangely during the earlier stage. Lu Ze insists he was serious about giving “pedicures.” Their team name, [Your Jade Feet], also leaves Zhou Yue puzzled; Elder Chao had accepted it with conspicuous relief.
  • Li Moran notes that the opposing team [Last Dusk] has shown inconsistent strength. At times, its members seemed able to predict her moves, though Zhou Yue suspects lucky shots.
  • On the seventh day, [Last Dusk] qualifies in second place. At the Illusion Alliance base, Huang Yuwen reports that he has activated eight lamps in the Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array and reached the threshold of the ninth. The Heart Demon rewards him with spiritual energy, causing him to break through.
  • The Heart Demon explains the array’s design: it strengthens competitors while making subtle, concealed changes rather than openly breaking the Illusion Realm’s rules. Its lamps progressively enhance senses, reveal enemies behind the user and across the map, improve aim, and—at the ninth threshold—seem to offer a glimpse of opponents’ future movements.
  • Huang Yuwen believes these advantages will let him defeat Li Moran. The Heart Demon remains cautious, noting that the array is damaging Huang’s spiritual veins. The alliance has secretly recruited thirty elite Path Guardians, but only three survived the fifth lamp.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze remains content to coach rather than fight, while his bizarre “pedicure” explanation continues to bewilder Zhou Yue and Li Moran. His presence nevertheless reassures Li Moran.
  • Zhou Yue grows more impressed by Lu Ze’s tactical skill, though he still treats Lu Ze’s antics with exasperated humor.
  • Li Moran is perceptive about [Last Dusk]’s suspiciously fluctuating abilities, but lets the concern go for now.
  • Huang Yuwen is thrilled by his progress and newly gained cultivation, becoming eager to prove himself against Li Moran.
  • The Heart Demon reveals a calculating, pragmatic approach: strengthen chosen competitors and cheat subtly, avoiding the disastrous consequences of blatant interference.

Significant themes

  • Fairness versus covert manipulation: The Heart Demon tries to exploit the Illusion Realm without visibly violating its rules.
  • Power and sacrifice: The array grants major advantages but erodes its users’ bodies, and most recruits cannot endure even its early stages.
  • Trust and unease: Li Moran’s sense of security with Lu Ze contrasts with the unexplained shifts in [Last Dusk]’s performance and the Alliance’s hidden scheme.

Ch. 409If we both go down, count it as a failed run

Plot points and events

  • The tournament final begins with six teams competing on one huge battlefield, drawing a record crowd.
  • Blood Crow and Rakshasa discover that other spectators are already promoting a new betting illusion realm. They decide to wager everything they have on [Last Dusk], relying on secret information: the Illusion Alliance Leader has completed a powerful array and recruited rogue cultivators who can light up to the ninth Spirit Lamp.
  • Rakshasa convinces Blood Crow that Li Moran and Zhou Yue are no threat—and dismisses Lu Ze as a trickster—despite Blood Crow’s concern.
  • Lu Ze notices unusually large bets on [Last Dusk] through the casino illusion realm he secretly created. He suspects the team has a hidden advantage and warns Zhou Yue to be careful.
  • As the final’s preparation phase begins, the Spirit Cloud Sect team receives a large starting budget. Lu Ze recommends cautious tier-four equipment for himself and one gun each for his teammates, then gives Zhou Yue and Li Moran tier-five kits while saying he will test them by eliminating himself at the start.

Character developments and interactions

  • Blood Crow remains distrustful of Rakshasa after their previous losses, but desperation and Rakshasa’s confidence persuade him to risk everything again.
  • Rakshasa is eager to recover their losses and uses his insider knowledge to make an all-or-nothing bet.
  • Lu Ze shows unusual tactical involvement, spots the suspicious betting pattern, and quietly prepares to test his teammates rather than carry them.
  • Li Moran senses that Lu Ze knows more than he is saying, but lets the matter drop.
  • Zhou Yue confidently accepts Lu Ze’s plan, insisting that if he and Li Moran both fall, the run should count as a failure. His remark prompts Lu Ze to jokingly feel as if Zhong Yi has taken over him.

Significant themes

  • Risk and desperation: Blood Crow and Rakshasa stake everything in hopes of reversing their fortunes.
  • Hidden information and strategic advantage: The wagers and the Alliance’s secret preparations hint that the final may be more complicated than it appears.
  • Trust and teamwork: Lu Ze shifts responsibility to his teammates, while Zhou Yue responds with confidence in their ability to succeed.
  • Opportunity and profit: Lu Ze’s casino realm reflects his instinct to recognize and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Ch. 410They Were Cheating

Key plot points

  • As the Spirit Cloud Sect watches the next match, commentator Zhong Yi notices that Last Dusk has turned away from Babel Tower and heads toward Blues Mountain City, where Lu Ze’s team has spawned.
  • Lu Ze begins the match by deliberately eliminating himself through an assessment-style self-destruct, planning to spectate while Li Moran and Zhou Yue play.
  • On the way to the Hidden Treasure Pavilion, Zhou Yue is abruptly knocked down by a long-range shot. When Li Moran peeks out to investigate, a sustained barrage shreds her armor. The three are soon eliminated.
  • Reviewing the encounter, Lu Ze concludes that Last Dusk’s suspicious positioning and unnaturally accurate fire suggest they have outside help or are cheating. He resolves to test their capabilities and trace whoever is behind them.
  • For the next round, Lu Ze tells Li Moran and Zhou Yue to bring better equipment. He again plans to eliminate himself early and watch from the sidelines.

Character developments and interactions

  • Zhong Yi shifts from relief at Lu Ze’s team’s favorable spawn to alarm as Last Dusk makes an unexpected approach. His live commentary reflects how unusual the team’s movements are.
  • Zhou Yue starts eager to join the fight but blames himself for being careless after the ambush. He promises to gear up more thoroughly next time.
  • Li Moran stays composed, carefully reviewing the attack before agreeing that something about it was strange. She turns to Lu Ze for his assessment.
  • Lu Ze jokes with Zhou Yue about a humiliating reward for passing an assessment, then becomes focused on investigating Last Dusk. His playful final remark disguises his deliberate plan to observe them.

Significant themes

  • Fair play versus cheating: The chapter’s central mystery is whether Last Dusk has gained an unfair advantage.
  • Tactical uncertainty: Odd positioning and seemingly impossible accuracy make it difficult to tell skill from interference.
  • Learning from failure: The team studies the ambush and plans to adapt with better equipment and closer observation.

Ch. 411No worries, I'll handle it

Key plot points and events

  • [Last Dusk] overwhelms [Your Jade Feet] for a second consecutive round. Zhou Yue is knocked down quickly, and Li Moran—despite flanking and showing strong shooting skills—is defeated by Dusk. Their team finishes sixth, leaving them with few points and little money.
  • Commentator Zhong Yi suspects [Last Dusk] is cheating. He notices Dusk reacting to Li Moran without a clear way to know her position, then firing through a wall toward Zhou Yue. He has no proof, so he keeps quiet.
  • Viewers in the Heavenly Dao Livestream Room argue over whether [Last Dusk] is cheating or simply hiding its skill. Many are angry or devastated after losing their bets, while Lu Ze’s abilities are also doubted.
  • Blood Crow and Rakshasa celebrate their bets on [Last Dusk]. Both have little left after earlier financial setbacks, and their wager now seems likely to pay off.
  • Lu Ze reviews the replay and confirms his team’s suspicions: [Last Dusk] appears to be using low-level wallhacks, gaze detection, and aim assistance. He believes the cheats are limited enough that he can still fight them.
  • With less than two million in team assets remaining, Zhou Yue suggests buying only guns and gambling on a win. Lu Ze instead proposes pooling all their resources into equipment for himself, while Zhou Yue and Li Moran sit out.

Character developments and interactions

  • Zhong Yi shifts from bewilderment to suspicion, recognizing signs of cheating but restraining himself because he lacks evidence.
  • Zhou Yue and Li Moran remain shaken by their defeat, but both independently notice Dusk’s seemingly impossible awareness.
  • Lu Ze stays confident and takes command, presenting himself as willing to face [Last Dusk] despite his teammates’ doubts and the team’s dwindling funds.
  • Blood Crow and Rakshasa strengthen their alliance through shared desperation and shared confidence in their wager.

Significant themes

  • Cheating, fairness, and proof: The suspicious victory raises questions about how to distinguish exceptional skill from rule-breaking—and whether suspicion matters without evidence.
  • Desperation and risk: With their fortunes nearly gone, teams and spectators alike gamble on unlikely reversals or high-stakes bets.
  • Confidence versus reputation: Lu Ze is widely dismissed because of his past actions, yet he alone claims he can counter the threat.
  • Team sacrifice and trust: Lu Ze’s plan concentrates the team’s scarce resources in one player, asking Zhou Yue and Li Moran to trust him and step aside.

Ch. 412Only the Boss Was Left

Plot points

  • Members of Last Dusk, empowered by the Heart Demon and aided by cheats, believe they are assured victory. They spot Lu Ze’s team nearby and decide to attack.
  • Lu Ze’s teammates, Zhou Yue and Li Moran, are quickly eliminated. The spectators notice their unusually weak gear, but Lu Ze remains alive and appears fully equipped.
  • Outnumbered and facing Last Dusk’s superior Level Six gear and [Reaper] weapons, Lu Ze calmly says they only need to be faster.
  • Last Dusk surrounds the stairwell where Lu Ze is hiding. Their wallhack reveals his position, while their aimbot encourages Dusk to hold his fire until Lu Ze exposes himself.
  • Lu Ze baits Dusk into shooting at an apparent opening—actually his backside. The aimbot targets his upper body, so the shot hits the wall. With [Reaper] temporarily unable to fire, Lu Ze prepares to exploit the opening.
  • The chapter ends as Lu Ze reads an approaching enemy’s careless footsteps and swaggering advance, setting up his counterattack.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze stays composed despite being alone. He understands the limits of the enemy’s cheats and uses timing and misdirection rather than meeting their equipment head-on.
  • Dusk is confident in his wallhack and aim-assist but becomes fixated on the precise moment to shoot; Lu Ze exploits that hesitation.
  • Sunset/Setting Sun and Black Snake share Last Dusk’s arrogance and coordinate a rush and flank, underestimating Lu Ze.
  • Zhou Yue and Li Moran are eliminated but warn Lu Ze about the enemy’s gear and weapons. Their deaths leave him isolated.
  • The spectators initially assume Lu Ze has no chance, though some recognize that his survival may signal a hidden plan.

Significant themes

  • Skill versus artificial advantage: Cheats provide Last Dusk with information and firepower, but dependence on them leaves gaps in their tactical play.
  • Composure and adaptation: Lu Ze turns the enemy’s predictable reliance on aim-assist into a weakness.
  • Overconfidence: Last Dusk’s mockery and careless movement contrast with Lu Ze’s patient observation.

Ch. 413Jet-powered backstep—body shots count as misses

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze anticipates [Sunset]’s jet-boost peek and kills him in midair with three Spirit Bullet headshots, leaving the enemy’s level-six armor undamaged.
  • As [Dusk] and [Black Snake] move to surround him, Lu Ze discusses the usual one-against-three strategy with Li Moran: split the opponents, then attack the weakest target. He deliberately appears to jump down toward [Black Snake].
  • [Dusk] reads the apparent plan and rushes to catch Lu Ze from behind. Lu Ze instead fires his jets backward, reversing direction and catching [Dusk] off guard. He kills him with three headshots, though [Dusk] lands one chest shot.
  • Lu Ze heals and takes level-six armor from the fallen enemies. With only [Black Snake] left, he prepares to finish the fight.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze demonstrates not only exceptional aim but also tactical deception, using his opponents’ wallhacks and expectations against them.
  • Li Moran and Zhou Yue are astonished by his skill. Lu Ze reassures them that they have the talent to compete; they mainly lack experience.
  • Lu Ze teases Zhou Yue by claiming that body shots are “just lucky hits,” prompting both women to bristle.
  • [Dusk]’s reputation for predicting opponents’ moves proves ineffective against Lu Ze, whose feint turns that anticipation into a trap.

Significant themes

  • Adaptability and strategy: Lu Ze succeeds by countering the enemy’s information advantage rather than confronting it directly.
  • Experience versus talent: Lu Ze sees Li Moran and Zhou Yue as capable players who have yet to develop through practice and time.
  • Confidence and showmanship: His calm explanations and jokes contrast with the opponents’ panic and the spectators’ amazement.

Ch. 414Being a Demon King's Guard Was Work; Being the First Sage Was Life

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze defeats [Black Snake] by baiting him into wasting ammunition, then launching into a jet boost at close range. He survives six chest hits by switching his helmet and armor midair, sticks two Spirit-Draining Bombs to [Black Snake]’s forehead, and leaves him to be eliminated.
  • Li Moran and Zhou Yue are stunned by Lu Ze’s daring maneuver. He explains that he deliberately timed it after counting [Black Snake]’s remaining bullets—and chose an especially humiliating counter because his opponents were cheating.
  • Lu Ze refuses Zhou Yue’s request to stay down and spectate: the competition rewards collected supplies, so he still needs to play.
  • The sect spectators marvel at Lu Ze’s tactics, while the livestream audience struggles to understand why he keeps returning to his First Sage persona after displaying such formidable skill.
  • In Last Dusk’s preparation area, the three eliminated cheaters suspect Lu Ze is also aided by an Array. Unable to alter their own Array or leave without forfeiting, they decide to ask their Alliance Leader for more power and “light the Ninth Spirit Lamp.”

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze reveals exceptional aim, quick thinking, composure, and mastery of equipment swaps. He is not merely surviving the cheaters; he intentionally humiliates them.
  • Li Moran and Zhou Yue move from expecting Lu Ze’s death to openly marveling at his skill. Zhou Yue is especially eager to keep watching him.
  • Black Snake, Setting Sun, and Dusk become frustrated and anxious after their early elimination. Their fear of losing the cultivation granted by their Alliance Leader drives them toward a desperate escalation.
  • The spectators and livestream viewers provide comic reactions, especially their confusion over Lu Ze’s apparent preference for being First Sage.

Significant themes

  • Skill versus cheating: Lu Ze defeats opponents who rely on an unfair advantage through preparation, precise timing, and resource tracking.
  • Humiliation as retaliation: He deliberately chooses a counter that wounds the cheaters’ pride, not just one that guarantees victory.
  • Appearance versus ability: Lu Ze’s goofy First Sage persona contrasts sharply with his elite performance.
  • Power and desperation: The eliminated trio’s fear of losing their newfound status pushes them toward a dangerous next move.

Ch. 415The Ninth Spirit Lamp

Plot and key events

  • After defeating [Last Dusk] in the previous round, Lu Ze and his teammates Zhou Yue and Li Moran dominated the rest of the match, scoring thirteen kills and collecting 24 million in assets. Their team, [Your Jade Feet], rose to second place.
  • Zhou Yue is astonished that Lu Ze had brought a [Rat·18]—a weapon he had used to ambush opponents—and asks to spectate another round. Lu Ze agrees that Zhou and Li can turn themselves into spirits once the final confrontation with [Last Dusk] is underway.
  • In the fourth round, [Your Jade Feet] launches an aggressive attack at the dormitory, with Lu Ze taking out an opponent using the [Reaper]. The team quickly wipes out [Green Mountain Soul] and begins sweeping the map.
  • Meanwhile, Huang Yuwen activates the Ninth Spirit Lamp, signaling for the Heart Demon’s help. The Heart Demon sends spiritual energy into the Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array.
  • The array gives [Dusk] extraordinary insight inside the Illusion Realm: after observing opponents, he can anticipate their moves and determine the best response. Confident that Lu Ze’s feints will no longer work, Dusk sets out to settle the score.
  • When Li and Zhou hear a Reaper shot from the Black Hall, they realize [Last Dusk] is likely the only other team left. They deliberately kill themselves to spectate, leaving Lu Ze to face the final opponent alone.
  • Li asks whether [Last Dusk] is cheating. Lu Ze says they likely have abilities such as seeing through walls, tracking opponents, and automatically targeting chests. He intends to expose them.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze remains composed and confident, directing his team’s strategy and recognizing the likely cheating. He promises to find a way to make [Last Dusk] reveal it.
  • Zhou Yue shifts from amazement at Lu Ze’s unusual tactics to eagerly supporting him as a spectator. He and Li Moran willingly sacrifice their in-game lives to let Lu Ze take the final fight.
  • Li Moran shows perceptiveness and trust in Lu Ze, asking him directly about the suspected cheating.
  • Dusk gains a powerful advantage through the Ninth Spirit Lamp and becomes overconfident in his ability to counter Lu Ze.
  • Black Snake, still resentful over the previous round, reacts angrily when Zhou and Li kill themselves, interpreting it as disrespect.

Significant themes

  • Fair play versus cheating: Lu Ze’s suspicions about [Last Dusk] set up a confrontation over whether their apparent advantage comes from illicit assistance.
  • Confidence and overconfidence: Lu Ze’s calm strategic certainty contrasts with Dusk’s newfound conviction that he is unbeatable.
  • Trust and teamwork: Zhou and Li step aside so Lu Ze can face the rivals alone, relying on his judgment and ability.
  • Hidden power and surveillance: The Ninth Spirit Lamp and its array grant Dusk extensive predictive insight, echoing the suspected wall vision and targeting advantages in the game.

Ch. 416Need to hurry—can't let him get rolling

Plot points and events

  • Suspecting that [Last Dusk] is preparing a powerful ability, Lu Ze takes a Pain-Relief Pill and probes their positions. Their shots arrive faster than before, confirming that their “cheats” or enhancements have improved.
  • Lu Ze deliberately dances in and out of cover, using Red Wolf’s agile slides and peeks to keep [Black Snake] and [Setting Sun] focused on him. He is also giving the spectators time to notice that their aim seems to track him through solid cover.
  • Once the audience has had a clear look, Lu Ze uses three carefully angled fireballs to block [Setting Sun]’s escape routes on the bridge, forcing him underneath it.
  • [Black Snake] rushes to challenge Lu Ze. Lu Ze briefly exposes himself, draws Black Snake’s fire, then immediately changes rhythm with a rapid re-entry. He leaps out with a [Reaper] and shoots [Setting Sun] down.
  • The Spirit Cloud Sect’s spectators cheer Lu Ze’s timing and technique, while several begin openly questioning whether the opposing team’s suspiciously accurate aim is legitimate.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze shows patience and tactical awareness: he recognizes the threat, adapts to the opponents’ improved reactions, and turns his evasive movement into both a trap and evidence for the spectators.
  • [Dusk] remains in command, urging [Setting Sun] to hold on while he tries to master the Ninth Spirit Lamp’s supposed ability to reveal future trajectories. His confidence contrasts with his teammates’ missed shots.
  • [Setting Sun] grows frustrated after repeatedly missing, then is forced into retreat by Lu Ze’s fireballs and ultimately eliminated.
  • [Black Snake] is still angry over his earlier defeat and eager to confront Lu Ze. After finally landing a minor hit through Lu Ze’s armor, he is caught off guard by Lu Ze’s sudden change of pace.
  • Zhong Yi provides enthusiastic play-by-play from the spectator area and helps the audience recognize the suspicious tracking through the wall.

Significant themes

  • Skill versus unfair advantage: Lu Ze’s precise movement and improvisation are contrasted with the opponents’ apparent supernatural or illicit assistance.
  • Deception and rhythm: Lu Ze wins by conditioning his opponents to expect one pattern, then suddenly changing tempo.
  • Exposure through observation: His delay is strategic—not only to set up the attack, but to make the suspicious behavior visible to the crowd.

Ch. 417Did My Swagger Wow You?

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze’s duel with [Last Dusk]’s team draws a huge audience. Spectators suspect [Black Snake] and [Setting Sun] are using cheats after they aim at Lu Ze through a metal crate.
  • Lu Ze confirms to Li Moran that he deliberately strafed behind the crate to expose the opponents’ suspicious tracking. He then throws smoke at [Setting Sun] and rushes him.
  • [Setting Sun] fires through the smoke while his aim follows Lu Ze’s movements, but every shot strikes the crate. The spectators see the apparent aimbot clearly; Lu Ze takes no damage.
  • Lu Ze throws another smoke grenade. [Setting Sun] jet-boosts out, but Lu Ze instantly lands a hip-fired Reaper headshot, killing him.
  • Lu Ze heads toward [Dusk], who has watched the fight while trying to complete his “Heavenly Eye” analysis of Lu Ze. The progress has stalled at 90%. Dusk takes out a Reaper and tries to buy a few more seconds to finish it.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze remains confident and theatrical, using hip-fire and flashy tactics while deliberately baiting the suspected cheaters into revealing themselves. He admits to Zhou Yue that he has a “system,” but Zhou assumes he is joking. Lu Ze explains his skill as experience from fighting far worse cheaters in his past life.
  • Zhou Yue is amazed by Lu Ze’s seemingly impossible reflexes and headshot, and asks how he trained. He mistakenly thinks Lu Ze’s comment refers to being regularly beaten by the Fragment of the Heavenly Dao.
  • Li Moran is accustomed to Lu Ze’s hip-fire style and recognizes that his movements behind the crate were meant to expose the enemy.
  • [Setting Sun] grows increasingly frantic and angry, first failing to damage Lu Ze and then being killed by him.
  • [Dusk] is revealed to be charging a powerful “Heavenly Eye” ability. He is confident it will make him unmatched, but needs to stall long enough to complete it.

Significant themes

  • Fairness versus cheating: The crowd condemns the opponents’ suspicious aim, while Lu Ze’s own uncanny skill prompts jokes that he may be cheating too.
  • Skill shaped by adversity: Lu Ze’s past encounters with far more extreme cheaters explain his composure and reaction speed.
  • Performance and spectacle: Lu Ze treats combat as both a fight and a show, emphasizing style as well as effectiveness.
  • Suspense and escalation: With one opponent down, the confrontation shifts to Dusk’s nearly completed ability, setting up the next clash.

Ch. 418A rare opportunity—time to go big!

Key plot points and events

  • Lu Ze has already impressed the competition’s huge audience with two astonishing instant kills. Their admiration earns him copied insights into the Dao, and the sheer number of spectators makes the rewards exceptionally valuable.
  • Hoping to provoke even greater amazement—and gain more rewards—Lu Ze decides to push his performance further. He puts away both guns, draws the Crimson Sky dagger, and walks out of the rune-reinforced Central Control bridge.
  • His opponent, [Dusk], is armed with [Reaper], a weapon that can kill with a single hit. Despite the warnings of Li Moran, Zhou Yue, Zhong Yi, and the livestream audience, Lu Ze exposes himself without cover.
  • [Dusk] waits for his “Heavenly Eye” ability to activate, but Lu Ze’s apparent recklessness unsettles him. His teammates, [Setting Sun] and [Black God], urge him to shoot.
  • As the countdown ends, [Dusk] finally fires a flaming spirit bullet at Lu Ze’s chest. The chapter ends as the shot races toward him.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze is calculating rather than careless: he sees the match as a rare chance to earn rewards from a vast audience and deliberately plans a daring move. His repeated practice swings with the dagger suggest he may be preparing to use it in an unexpected way.
  • [Dusk] is torn between anger and fear. Though Lu Ze is fully exposed, Dusk hesitates, remembering how Lu Ze previously baited him into wasting a crucial shot.
  • Zhong Yi panics for Lu Ze, then recalls a possible game mechanic: a dagger may be able to block spirit bullets. He suspects Lu Ze intends to exploit it but is unsure.
  • Li Moran and Zhou Yue warn that [Reaper] is lethal even against someone as powerful as Lu Ze. The livestream viewers and Spirit Cloud Sect spectators likewise fear Lu Ze is throwing the match.
  • [Setting Sun] and [Black God] interpret Lu Ze’s knife-only advance as an insult and pressure Dusk to attack.

Significant themes

  • Performance and reward: Lu Ze turns public admiration into tangible gains, treating spectacle as an opportunity.
  • Fear and uncertainty: Even with a seemingly unbeatable weapon, Dusk hesitates because Lu Ze’s unpredictability has unsettled him.
  • Risk and misdirection: Lu Ze appears to place himself in immediate danger, but the dagger and Zhong Yi’s recalled mechanic hint that his move may conceal a strategy.

Ch. 419This Slash Will Be Magnificent!

  • Lu Ze’s risky feat: As the Reaper fires a red Spirit Bullet at him, Lu Ze steps onto the exposed Central Control Bridge and swings Crimson Sky with carefully timed speed. He uses the dagger’s collision hitbox to deflect the bullet—something possible only with exact timing and the right distance. Dusk’s enhanced Heavenly Eye cannot track Lu Ze’s movement; overwhelmed, Dusk loses the ability and is then killed by Lu Ze’s long-range headshot.
  • Spectators’ reaction: The Spirit Cloud Sect’s audience erupts in celebration. Zhong Yi recognizes that Lu Ze’s achievement is not merely a trick or an information advantage: it demands exceptional skill, and Lu Ze has reached a level others cannot match. The livestream audience is equally stunned, and the stunt prompts jokes about buying the Crimson Sky skin.
  • Character developments and interactions: Zhou Yue and Li Moran are astonished when Lu Ze revives them. He modestly says the timing and circumstances happened to align, though he admits the maneuver was mainly impressive rather than practical. He playfully asks Li Moran whether the slash looked magnificent; remembering his earlier questions, she smiles and admits that it did. Lu Ze also realizes that the admiration-reward system gives smaller rewards as his own strength grows, though he still earns nearly three hundred years’ worth of enlightenment rewards, including Sword Opens Heaven’s Gate.
  • Threat beyond the match: In the rogue cultivators’ spectator area, Blood Crow fears losing his fortune again, while Rakshasa fears dying. Rakshasa reveals that the Alliance Leader has agreed to remove the restrictions on the Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array. Once all ten Spirit Lamps are lit, the array will summon a Divine Spirit.
    Themes: The chapter celebrates mastery built through precision and practice, showing how skill can overcome seemingly absolute rules. It also contrasts Lu Ze’s playful confidence with the escalating danger of the rogue cultivators’ plan.

Ch. 420No Time to Explain, They're About to Start Spinning

Key plot points and events

  • After two losses, Last Dusk falls behind Your Jade Feet in the competition. The Heart Demon tries to strengthen Last Dusk’s three players by channeling more power through the Ten Directions Spirit-Subduing Array, despite their bodies already breaking down.
  • Your Jade Feet’s Lu Ze assigns Zhou Yue and Li Moran to take the lead in the deciding round, confident that their earlier losses came from being caught off guard. He chooses a light loadout and hangs back.
  • The teams meet again at Dormitory Building One. Last Dusk’s players are preparing to ignite the tenth Spirit Lamp, which Dusk believes will let them “invoke a god.”
  • Lu Ze recognizes the danger and flees, warning his teammates that the enemies are about to start spinning. Zhou Yue and Li Moran remain by the window and are killed when Last Dusk’s three players unleash their Spirit Bullets.
  • Before Last Dusk can capitalize on its newfound power, a gigantic hand descends from the storm clouds and destroys the building, removing all three players from the match for an environmental anomaly.
  • Back in the forest, the Spirit-Subduing Array shatters. Huang Yuwen and the other two return to their bodies, which collapse into blood and pus. The Heart Demon realizes they have invoked a powerful being—and is immediately confronted by two enormous hands of black mist.

Character developments and interactions

  • Lu Ze shows sharp perception by recognizing the impending supernatural threat and escaping before the attack. He also deliberately gives Zhou Yue and Li Moran the chance to lead, partly because he expects them to handle ordinary opponents and has little interest in repeating his earlier showy plays.
  • Zhou Yue is eager to prove himself after practicing with the Reaper, but his poor luck remains a concern. He and Li Moran are baffled by Last Dusk’s strange movements and do not heed Lu Ze’s warning in time.
  • Li Moran shares Zhou Yue’s determination to settle the score, but is likewise caught by the sudden barrage.
  • Dusk, Setting Sun, and Black Snake become increasingly delirious as they draw on the tenth Spirit Lamp. Their belief that they can summon a god turns into a fatal loss of control.
  • The Heart Demon is willing to push his players’ bodies past their limits to secure a win. His confidence gives way to surprise and then danger when the array breaks and a powerful entity confronts him.

Significant themes

  • Power at a cost: Last Dusk’s enhanced strength comes at the expense of the players’ bodies and ultimately their lives.
  • Hubris and loss of control: Dusk’s certainty that invoking a god will make the team invincible leads to disaster.
  • The gap between apparent game rules and supernatural reality: The match’s “environmental anomaly” reflects forces operating beyond the players’ understanding.
  • Foreshadowing and comic contrast: Lu Ze’s absurd warning about “spinning” signals the danger amid the team’s confusion, before the scene turns abruptly lethal.
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