Recaps

Zhong Yi and his team became the first to defeat Quivern and Zoe in Palworld, then woke in the starting area with Zoe alongside them. Lu Ze’s games continued generating profits and Demonic Value, while Li Moran struggled against the final Boss.

• Players complained on the Forum about the difficulty of the Quivern and Zoe fight as they approached Palworld’s finale.
• Zhong Yi’s team used Mu Yawen’s heavily armored Warsect to endure the spinning ring’s attacks and gradually wore down Quivern and Zoe.
• Zhou Qiaoling landed the final blow on Quivern, and Zoe chose to fall into the Abyss with the dragon as the chamber collapsed.
• Zhong Yi woke in the starting area surrounded by familiar Pals and found Zoe there too; after Lu Ze offered him a gift at the Spirit Jade Pavilion, Zhong Yi left the Illusion Realm to meet him.
• Lu Ze noted Palworld’s strong profits and Li Moran’s increased Demonic Value after her breakthrough, then saw that she was still struggling to defeat Quivern and Zoe.

Lu Ze failed to bluff Li Moran into believing he knew a way to beat Quivern, and she left him facing her wrath. Meanwhile, the Heart Demon tried to persuade Chen Yuan to host the Limitless Sword Sect’s Sword Dao Ruins in an Illusion Realm, promising a Heavenly Dao opportunity.

• Li Moran challenged Lu Ze to demonstrate the supposed trick for defeating Quivern, but he hesitated because he could not win without changing the Illusion Realm’s data.
• Li Moran vanished from the Illusion Realm, and heavy snow, hail, and a rain of blades struck the Spirit Jade Pavilion.
• The Heart Demon met Chen Yuan, Grand Elder of the Limitless Sword Sect, and proposed using an Illusion Realm for the sect’s Sword Dao Ruins.
• Chen Yuan refused, fearing that involving the sect in the rivalry between Lu Ze and the Illusion Alliance would bring another disaster.
• The Heart Demon argued that Lu Ze would have no reason to compete for the sword-focused prize and said the Illusion Alliance sought fame.
• The Heart Demon claimed his Sword Dao Illusion Realm could contain a Heavenly Dao opportunity powerful enough to shake the heavens.

Chen Yuan learned that the Illusion Alliance planned to use the Three Tribulations Sword Art to lure the Limitless Sword Sect into an illusion realm under the guise of a Heavenly Dao opportunity. Meanwhile, Lu Ze refined his control over the Illusion Tower’s array, then received an urgent summons to the sect’s main hall.

• The Heart Demon offered Chen Yuan the Three Tribulations Sword Art, claiming the ancient sword art would become a Heavenly Dao opportunity for the Limitless Sword Sect.
• Chen Yuan questioned how an art already held by the Heart Demon could count as a Heavenly Dao opportunity, and the Heart Demon said the label did not matter as long as Chen Yuan obtained it.
• Players continued exploring Palworld after its initial surge, and some tried high-difficulty runs after Li Moran reached the World Tree without relying on Pals.
• Lu Ze discovered that refining a Void Soul Crystal let him see and modify the Fearful Soul Entanglement Array to affect memories and consciousness as well as emotions.
• Nangong Yuan summoned Lu Ze to the sect’s main hall because Elder Chao wanted to see him.

Lu Ze learned that the Limitless Sword Sect would host its Sword Dao Ruins in illusions and dismissed the chance that he would compete. After Li Moran revealed that Palworld had improved her swordsmanship, a system notification warned that a Sword Immortal of this age was about to emerge.

• Chao Wendao and Nangong Yuan told Lu Ze that the Limitless Sword Sect had chosen an illusion for its Sword Dao Ruins, but Chao Wendao said the Spirit Cloud Sect would not send him to compete.
• Lu Ze learned that Li Moran would participate and that contestants would seek Heavenly Dao Opportunities in illusions created by Realm Cultivators.
• Three days later, Lu Ze found Li Moran still fighting in Palworld and urged her to try another game, but she said she preferred stronger opponents.
• Li Moran asked why Lu Ze was not entering the illusion contest, then thanked him because her swordsmanship had improved through Palworld.
• A system notification told Lu Ze that a Sword Immortal of this age was about to emerge.

Lu Ze received a mission to disrupt the Sword Dao Ruins and chose to torment every participant rather than target Li Moran alone. At the Limitless Sword Domain, Li Moran found the featured Illusion Realm unimpressive, while another cultivator announced he had gained a sword technique from it.

• Lu Ze read the system mission to defeat Sword Cultivators and shake their composure, then decided to send all the Sword Dao Ruins participants into an Illusion Realm.
• Lu Ze contacted Elder Chao and claimed he had gained a small insight into the Sword Dao.
• Sword Cultivators gathered at the Limitless Sword Domain and entered Illusion Realms while spectators watched their challenges.
• Li Moran spent two days challenging 《Sword Slashing the Stars》 but judged its opponents and opportunities mediocre compared with Palworld.
• A Limitless Sword Sect True Disciple celebrated learning an Earth-grade sword technique in 《Sword Slashing the Stars》.

Li Moran questioned whether the treasures found in Sword Slashing the Stars were truly heavenly dao opportunities, while the Limitless Sword Sect and Heart Demon used the illusion realm to counter her dominance at the Sword Dao Ruins. Chen Yuan proposed a further scheme to avoid suspicion over Li Moran receiving nothing.

• Spectators praised Sword Slashing the Stars for producing numerous supposed heavenly dao opportunities, while Li Moran privately doubted that the tangible manuals and treasures resembled the opportunities she knew.
• Grand Elder Chen Yuan thanked Heart Demon for helping the Limitless Sword Sect hold the Sword Dao Ruins gathering through an illusion realm that avoided direct contests with Li Moran.
• Chen Yuan explained that the Illusion Alliance had secretly planted the illusion realm's rewards, leaving Li Moran as the only participant among several hundred who had obtained nothing.
• Heart Demon reassured Chen Yuan that he had merely hidden treasures for cultivators to find and had never claimed they came from the Heavenly Dao.
• Chen Yuan asked Heart Demon for the promised Three Tribulations Sword Art, then suggested changing the plan because Li Moran's lack of rewards might arouse suspicion.

Li Moran continued to receive no opportunities in Sword Slashing the Stars until Shen Yan explained that the rewards seemed deliberately arranged rather than granted by the Heavenly Dao. After Chen Yuan effortlessly cleared the highest stage, he entered the Arena and approached Li Moran’s platform.

• On the fifth day at the Sword Dao Ruins, Li Moran again cleared her match without receiving an opportunity and wondered why she had failed to obtain one.
• Li Moran opened an Arena platform, and Shen Yan joined her after she defeated him with a single strike.
• Shen Yan told Li Moran that he had received a treasured sword despite being unsuited to sword cultivation, suggesting that someone was distributing the rewards deliberately.
• Li Moran agreed that the opportunities seemed suspicious and resolved not to expose the scheme or keep wasting time in Sword Slashing the Stars.
• Chen Yuan entered Sword Slashing the Stars, defeated three Void Refining Sword Cultivators at the highest difficulty, then went to Li Moran’s Arena platform.

Chen Yuan cheated to gain an advantage over Li Moran in Sword Slashing the Stars, but surrendered when she began to read his techniques. After Chen Yuan received a rare opportunity and Li Moran got a basic sword manual, a familiar young voice told her she should be angry about the insult.

• Chen Yuan used adjusted stats to pressure Li Moran, but realized she was adapting to his sword moves and would eventually defeat him.
• Chen Yuan abandoned the battle and pretended to concede magnanimously, while the spectators praised both fighters.
• A Heavenly Dao Opportunity appeared: Chen Yuan received the Three Tribulations Sword Art, while Li Moran received a basic sword manual.
• Li Moran ignored the spectators’ mockery and reviewed the fight, treating the manual as worthless.
• A familiar young man picked up Li Moran’s manual and told her she should be angry about it.

Lu Ze challenged the Illusion Alliance’s claims that cultivators’ rewards were Heavenly Dao opportunities, but Spirit Crane admitted the Alliance had planted rewards in the Illusion Realms and offered Li Moran a sword manual. Lu Ze chose not to expose the Alliance, believing its prized sword art could instead draw attention to his own Illusion Realms, and prepared to compete with his newly created Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

• Lu Ze tore up a basic sword manual and challenged Chen Yuan’s claim that it was an opportunity.
• Chen Yuan deflected Lu Ze’s accusation by pointing to cultivators who said they had received valuable rewards.
• Spirit Crane admitted that the Illusion Alliance had placed manuals, cultivation methods, and artifacts inside its Illusion Realms, then offered Li Moran a high-grade Heavenly Rank sword manual.
• Li Moran rejected Spirit Crane’s gift and said Chen Yuan’s Three Tribulations Sword Art was beneath her notice too.
• Lu Ze decided not to expose the Alliance’s role, reasoning that the Three Tribulations Sword Art could be credited to the Heavenly Dao and attract people to his own Illusion Realms.
• Lu Ze revealed that his completed Illusion Realm was called Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and believed it could win the Sword Dao competition.

Lu Ze demanded the Three Tribulations Sword Art as compensation for Li Moran and challenged Chen Yuan to a wager over his swordsmanship Illusion Realm. Chen Yuan accepted, believing he could win, while Lu Ze prepared to draw cultivators into his game.

• Lu Ze confronted Chen Yuan over Li Moran’s humiliation and demanded the Three Tribulations Sword Art as compensation.
• Lu Ze claimed his new swordsmanship Illusion Realm could teach the assembled cultivators, provoking Chen Yuan and the other Sword Cultivators.
• Lu Ze wagered a Heavenly Dao opportunity against the Three Tribulations Sword Art, promising that Chen Yuan’s cultivation would be sealed but that the opponent would be beatable.
• Chen Yuan questioned whether Lu Ze’s Illusion Realm could help cultivators advance in swordsmanship, and Lu Ze agreed to concede if no one benefited.
• Chen Yuan accepted the wager and demanded that Lu Ze bring out his Illusion Realm.

Lu Ze revealed that his Illusion Realm would erase participants’ sword knowledge and force them to cultivate from a blank slate. Li Moran entered the realm and watched its first battle unfold.

• Lu Ze explained that he could seal every participant’s memories and insights related to the sword dao, resetting their progress to zero.
• Li Moran realized the Illusion Realm could give her a rare chance to gain a new understanding of combat and eagerly accepted the challenge.
• Lu Ze placed the pale-gold Illusion Crystal Stone in Li Moran’s Illusion Tower and launched the Sekiro-themed realm.
• Li Moran arrived on a ravaged battlefield, where two masked warriors fought with a halberd and a longsword.
• The smaller sword cultivator defeated his opponent, and a voice announced that Enemy general Tamura had been defeated.

Zhou Qiaoling entered Lu Ze’s Sekiro Illusion Realm as punishment for neglecting sword practice, while Zhou Yue used a Talisman to keep her Spiritual Sense inside until she cleared it. The realm’s opening introduced Ashina and the shinobi Wolf, then left Zhong Yi beginning the story as a broken Wolf in a well.

• Zhou Yue explained that Elder Liu had ordered Zhou Qiaoling to play Sekiro to improve her swordsmanship, and Zhou Qiaoling entered the Illusion Realm reluctantly.
• Zhou Yue placed a Barrier around Zhou Qiaoling with a Talisman that would prevent her from leaving until she cleared the realm, then Zhong Yi, Zhou Yue, and Mu Yawen entered too.
• The opening animation showed Isshin Ashina seizing Ashina Country and a white-haired old man finding a boy on a battlefield and naming him Hungry Wolf.
• Zhong Yi analyzed Ashina as a world with almost no Spiritual Energy, where players could hone their combat skills without relying on cultivation.
• The story showed Wolf losing his adoptive father and master, then a woman in the snow dropping a letter into a well and asking him to wake up.
• Zhong Yi’s Spiritual Sense entered the haggard Wolf at the bottom of the well as the Illusion Realm began in earnest.

Mu Yawen, Zhou Qiaoling, Zhong Yi, and Zhou Yue each attempted the opening challenges in their Illusion Realm worlds, but all four died. Zhong Yi eventually reached the Moon-Viewing Tower, where a mysterious voice welcomed Wolf.

• Mu Yawen attacked the guards bare-handed, failed to disarm them, and died.
• Zhou Qiaoling tried to steal a samurai's sword and was killed by the guards.
• Zhong Yi attempted to sneak past the samurai, but a Torch ignited the grass and the guards killed him.
• Zhou Yue crossed the guarded area but fell when the wooden bridge broke beneath him.
• Zhong Yi respawned, passed the stealth section, and climbed to the Moon-Viewing Tower.
• A youthful voice greeted Zhong Yi as Wolf at the tower window.

Zhong Yi explored the Illusion Realm as Sekiro, learned that he had to help Kurō escape Ashina Castle, and confidently set out to fight. After stealthily killing several guards, he underestimated the next group of enemies and was killed while failing to deflect their attacks.

• Zhong Yi received Kusabimaru from Kurō and found pellets and a Healing Gourd in the Moon-Viewing Tower.
• Kurō explained that he was under house arrest and asked Zhong Yi to check for a secret passage beneath a bridge near the moat.
• Zhong Yi left the tower and used Deathblows to assassinate three unsuspecting guards.
• Zhong Yi practiced basic combat and entered the gate tower, where several warriors attacked together.
• Zhong Yi repeatedly mistimed his deflections, took heavy damage from the warriors, and died.

Zhong Yi repeatedly died to Sekiro’s first elite enemy, Yamauchi Shigenori, while learning the combat mechanics. Other players struggled against him too, but Zhou Qiaoling discovered she could run past him and continue toward the destination; meanwhile, the Limitless Sword Domain watched the players’ Illusion Realms, especially Chen Yuan’s.

• Zhong Yi returned to the gate tower more cautiously, defeated several ordinary warriors, and encountered Yamauchi Shigenori.
• Zhong Yi tried to overpower Yamauchi Shigenori with attacks, but the elite enemy countered and killed him.
• Mu Yawen learned to Perfect Deflect Yamauchi Shigenori’s attacks, landed a Deathblow, and discovered he had another life.
• Zhou Qiaoling dodged Yamauchi Shigenori’s attack and ran past him instead of fighting.
• Cultivators in the Limitless Sword Domain watched hundreds of Sekiro Illusion Realms, with Chen Yuan’s drawing the most viewers.

Lu Ze let the cultivators on the Viewing Terrace experience how the Illusion Realm’s Formation disrupted their sword skills, showing them why Yamauchi Shigenori challenged even powerful sword cultivators. Li Moran adapted and defeated the enemy, while Chen Yuan cleared him after eight deaths and celebrated, unaware that Lu Ze was about to puncture his pride.

• Chen Yuan repeatedly died to Yamauchi Shigenori as cultivators watching his Illusion Realm criticized his performance.
• Lu Ze found Li Moran struggling against Yamauchi Shigenori and heard cultivators doubt her talent.
• Lu Ze cast a Formation that let the cultivators temporarily cut themselves off from their understanding of the sword and experience the Illusion Realm’s difficulty.
• Li Moran adapted to Yamauchi Shigenori’s attacks and defeated him with a flowing sequence of Deflects and counterattacks.
• Chen Yuan defeated Yamauchi Shigenori on his eighth attempt, claimed he had been holding back, and received praise through Danmu.
• Lu Ze sent Chen Yuan a Danmu message saying Yamauchi Shigenori was only a slightly tougher enemy in the beginner tutorial.

Chen Yuan boasted about mastering Sekiro’s swordplay as he guided Kurō through the secret passage out of Ashina Castle. They emerged into a moonlit field of reeds, where Genichiro Ashina awaited them.

• Chen Yuan dismissed Yamauchi Shigenori’s swordsmanship and explained Sekiro’s combat mechanics to the watching cultivators while Lu Ze labeled offense and defense.
• Chen Yuan opened the secret passage beneath the moat bridge and blew the Leaf Whistle to summon Kurō.
• Kurō entered the passage, sighing over whether fleeing was the only way to face his bloodline’s fate.
• Chen Yuan bragged that he could now defeat an opponent like Yamauchi Shigenori without drawing blood and claimed he was waiting for a worthy challenge.
• Chen Yuan and Kurō emerged into the reeds, where an armored man greeted Kurō as Genichiro Ashina.

Chen Yuan faced Genichiro Ashina in Sekiro’s Illusion Realm, only to be overwhelmed despite believing the fight was a beginner tutorial. After Sekiro lost an arm and Genichiro captured Kurō, Chen Yuan angrily confronted Lu Ze over the humiliating defeat.

• Sekiro stopped Kurō from confronting Genichiro Ashina and stayed behind to fight him.
• Chen Yuan confidently challenged Genichiro, but his opening strike cost him half his health.
• Chen Yuan tried to block and counter, but Genichiro’s feints and perilous attacks defeated him.
• Genichiro cut off Sekiro’s left arm, took Kurō, and left with his subordinates.
• Chen Yuan quit the Illusion Realm and accused Lu Ze of deliberately making him lose in front of everyone.

Lu Ze rejected Chen Yuan’s claim that Genichiro was unbeatable and wagered that someone would defeat him within three days or he would concede. As cultivators poured into the illusion realms, Genichiro defeated them repeatedly.

• Lu Ze pointed out that Genichiro had also defeated other cultivators, including Li Moran, but Chen Yuan accused him of rigging the realm and invoked their wager.
• Lu Ze argued that Chen Yuan’s swordsmanship was insufficient and offered to demonstrate, but Chen Yuan accused him of having special privileges.
• Lu Ze pointed to Li Moran restarting her challenge and declared that someone would defeat Genichiro within three days, or he would honor the wager and concede; Chen Yuan accepted.
• Cultivators flocked into Sekiro, where Genichiro beat them, including Mu Yawen, Zhou Qiaoling, and Zhou Yue.

Li Moran repeatedly challenged Genichiro Ashina in the Illusion Realm, determined to learn his movements despite repeated deaths. After losing to Genichiro, Zhou Yue awoke with a Shinobi Prosthetic, learned that Kurō was imprisoned in Ashina Castle, and set out to rescue him.

• Li Moran restarted her save after each scripted defeat and continued fighting Genichiro, gradually seeing his attacks more clearly.
• Zhou Yue awoke in a temple after losing his arm and discovered that the Buddha Carver had fitted him with the Shinobi Prosthetic.
• The Buddha Carver told Zhou Yue that Kurō was imprisoned in Ashina Castle and that Genichiro sought the power of Kurō's dragon's heritage.
• Zhou Yue received a quest to go to Ashina Castle and gather clues about Kurō.
• The Buddha Carver offered to fit any prosthetic tools Zhou Yue found, and Zhou Yue left the temple vowing to take revenge on Genichiro.

Chen Yuan entered the outskirts of Ashina Castle, where his contempt for ambushes and guns quickly gave way to cautious tactics after soldiers shot him and a black chicken killed him. With Lu Ze broadcasting his humiliating setbacks to the other cultivators, Chen Yuan fought his way back to the castle and reached a gate guarded by Ashina General Kawarada Naomori.

• Chen Yuan rejected the Shinobi Prosthetic and boasted that an honorable Sword Cultivator had no need for ambushes or tricks.
• A soldier shot Chen Yuan from a tower, and the surrounding soldiers forced him to flee.
• A black chicken killed Chen Yuan while he was drinking from his Healing Gourd, and the newly enabled livestream spread the scene to cultivators across the realms.
• After reviving, Chen Yuan used Deathblows and cautious tactics to defeat the soldiers, while cultivators reposted his earlier boasts as teasing Danmu messages.
• Chen Yuan reached the gate passage below Ashina Castle and saw Ashina General Kawarada Naomori waiting beneath a small tower.

Chen Yuan challenged Kawarada Naomori, an Ashina General in Lu Ze’s Illusion Realm, but struggled against his attacks and lost both lives. Lu Ze watched as the cultivators experienced the same punishing fight that had driven novice players to seek refunds.

• Chen Yuan hesitated at the Ashina General’s two health orbs, then jumped down to challenge him after netizens mocked his caution.
• Kawarada Naomori’s fast, heavy slashes overwhelmed Chen Yuan’s blocks, and a delayed strike knocked him down while the viewers jeered.
• Chen Yuan tried to overpower the general with rapid attacks, but the general leaped over his third swing and killed him.
• After resurrecting, Chen Yuan attempted Perfect Deflections, but a [Peril] attack swept his legs and another attack finished him.
• Lu Ze watched with delight as the cultivators struggled against the Ashina General, a notoriously difficult enemy for beginners.

Lu Ze created Sekiro as a demanding Sword Dao illusion realm, and cultivators across the Cultivation World struggled against its Ashina General. The chapter left Mu Yawen confused, Zhou Qiaoling trying to bypass the boss, and Chen Yuan dying again as viewers mocked him for fighting only one enemy.

• Lu Ze finished designing Sekiro’s moves with help from thirty Sword Cultivator Cybersouls, making the combat challenge especially difficult.
• Mu Yawen struggled to understand Deflection and Perilous attacks while Zhong Yi failed to answer her messages.
• Zhou Qiaoling’s master, Liu, promised a better gift if she cleared the illusion realm, so she lured the Ashina General away and ran past him.
• Chen Yuan mistook the Ashina General’s Perilous grab for a sweep, jumped into the attack, and died again.
• Viewers flooded Chen Yuan’s live stream with questions about whether the illusion realm had only one enemy, and Chen Yuan finally snapped.

Zhou Yue defeated the Ashina General in Sekiro and earned the first-kill announcement, sparking a wave of cultivators rushing to claim more boss kills. His insight into the illusion’s [Perilous] warning impressed Lu Ze, who rejected a system reward before eyeing Zhong Yi’s [Cross True Art].

• Zhou Yue fought the Ashina General, died when wolves interfered, then killed the wolves and defeated the general on his next attempt.
• Zhou Yue received the first-kill announcement for the Ashina General, and cultivators across the sects surged into Sekiro to pursue boss kills.
• While searching for new opponents, Zhou Yue connected Sekiro’s [Perilous] and [Death] warnings to Zhong Yi’s Grand Dao Truth Incantation and praised Lu Ze’s illusion craft.
• Lu Ze rejected the system’s offer of Zhou Yue’s Karma Fire Azure Lotus Art, fearing its effect on his luck.
• Lu Ze wondered whether Zhong Yi’s [Cross True Art] might be acquired next.

Chen Yuan struggled through Sekiro's opening area, eventually defeating the Ashina General before encountering the Red Oni. He was quickly overwhelmed by the newcomer-trap enemy as Lu Ze boosted his live stream for viewers to watch.

• Chen Yuan ignored the jeering danmu, learned to deflect the Ashina General's attacks, and defeated him after many deaths.
• Lu Ze told Chen Yuan that the Ashina General was only an elite enemy, but Chen Yuan continued exploring Sekiro.
• Chen Yuan reached the Tiger's Mouth Stairway, ambushed two guards, and found the Red Oni bound near the top of the stairs.
• Chen Yuan freed the Red Oni with a sword thrust, failed to block its kick, and was slammed into the ground by its perilous attack.
• Viewers flocked back to Chen Yuan's live stream as Lu Ze secretly boosted its popularity and celebrated the Red Oni's fearsome reputation.