Chapter Summaries

A Qing challenged the Crocodile Gang to a midnight battle outside Celestial Elephant City, hoping to settle their conflict and force a decision over the Immortal Skull. Yu Ye chose to fight but sought a different plan, and Zhang Mazi privately offered one in exchange for secrecy and double payment.

• A Qing sent Ji Lingyun to the Crocodile Gang with a message proposing a decisive battle at midnight and warning that refusal would cost them their chance to obtain the Immortal Skull.
• Zhang Mazi had Ji Lingyun seized after he delivered the message, and Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen debated whether A Qing intended a real battle, a delay, or a retreat.
• Zhang Mazi explained that A Qing likely wanted to gamble before withdrawing, leaving the Crocodile Gang to choose between fighting for the Immortal Remains or cautiously wearing down the Machina Gang.
• Yu Ye chose to fight but rejected A Qing's proposed time and place, then asked the Four Associations and NanGong Qian Feng for help.
• Zhang Mazi pretended to withdraw, but Yu Ye privately confronted him and secured his promise of a secret strategy for double payment.
• Zhang Mazi named his strategy: a decapitation strike.

Yu Ye and Zhang Mazi planned a decapitation strike against A Qing while the Crocodile Gang and their allies prepared for a decisive battle. Zhang Mazi secretly left the stronghold alone, carrying Black Blade toward Celestial Elephant City to confront A Qing.

• Zhang Mazi persuaded Yu Ye that he should carry out a solo strike to destroy A Qing’s command system, and they agreed on signals for the mission’s progress.
• Yu Ye organized the Crocodile Gang’s forces and learned that Four Seas Trade, Heavenly Dao Consulting, and Ke Suo’s squad would provide reinforcements or flank support.
• Yu Ye described A Qing’s machina-based abilities to Lu Bing but kept Zhang Mazi’s secret plan from her.
• Zhang Mazi told Lu Bing he planned to ambush A Qing at the gates of Celestial Elephant City, then left the stronghold alone with Black Blade.

A Qing kept the Machina Qi Practitioners in Celestial Elephant City to force them to gain combat experience, while Yu Ye led a coordinated assault from the west. The attack drove deep into the city, but Lu Bing was stopped by the Six Freaks of the East Sea as Ji Qinglin rode off to assassinate someone.

• A Qing explained that he intended to make the Machina fight so they could be rebuilt as stronger fighters, and Sun Moon Star's disciples prepared to hold the city.
• Yu Ye launched a feint in the south and led the main force into Celestial Elephant City from the west, with Lu Bing scouting and smashing through buildings.
• Lu Bing scattered Fan Yu's signal jammers and engaged the first Machina Qi Practitioners before calling for the other teams to advance.
• Red Night, Jiang Chen, Xie Ling, Fan Yu, and the Dark Police squad attacked in successive waves, breaking through the Machina defenses.
• Yu Ye told Lu Bing that Zhang Mazi was positioned north of the city, and Lu Bing said he should be protected as a valuable teammate.
• The Six Freaks of the East Sea blocked Lu Bing's advance, so she drew them to the right and told Red Night's group to continue around the left.

Yu Ye’s Crocodile Gang fought through Celestial Elephant City as A Qing’s forces tried to trap and wear them down. While Zhang Mazi attacked A Qing and Yu Ye joined the battle, Yu Ye disrupted the Red Armor Machina with her divine soul technique, creating an opening for Red Night and Jiang Chen to strike.

• Red Night, Jiang Chen, and the Crocodile Gang fought through A Qing’s Qi Practitioners while Lu Bing faced a separate group of enemies.
• A Qing ordered his forces to retreat and lure the Crocodile Gang into an encirclement, but Yu Ye had the squads spread into a defensive triangle.
• Zhang Mazi attacked A Qing, destroyed the communicator with a bomb, and clashed with him using his Black Blade.
• Yu Ye charged to the front as the Crocodile Gang’s advance faltered, and Lu Bing broke through Machina Qi Practitioners surrounding her.
• Yu Ye used her divine soul technique to immobilize the nearby Machina Qi Practitioners, allowing Red Night and Jiang Chen to attack them.

Yu Ye and the exhausted Crocodile Gang held their ground until reinforcements arrived, turning the stalled battle against the Machina Gang back into an offensive. As the new allies pressed forward, an explosion and fire broke out inside the Official Building, and two figures landed behind it.

• Yu Ye and Red Night used Boundless Thunderfire to scatter enemy Qi Practitioners, but the Crocodile Gang’s attack stalled as the Moon Envoy wounded Fan Yu and the Machina Gang counterattacked.
• Lu Bing drove back the counterattack, while Yu Ye urged the others to hold on for reinforcements.
• Helicopters arrived, and Pei Ruohai and Lei Qiong landed on the battlefield to fight alongside Yu Ye’s group.
• Pei Ruotao, Bai Qiucheng, and Sima Shi led reinforcements into the battle, while Dan LuLing’s team used electronic viruses to slow the Machina Qi Practitioners.
• Pei Ruohai and Lei Qiong combined their powers to break through the enemy ranks, and the Crocodile Gang regained its offensive.
• An explosion set a floor of the Official Building ablaze, and two figures flew down and landed behind it.

As the battle for Celestial Elephant City intensified, Yu Ye revealed that Zhang Mazi had gone alone to kill A Qing, hoping to secure the Immortal Remains needed to revive Ji Qinglin. Lu Bing realized Zhang Mazi was Ji Qinglin himself and told Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen, leaving them stunned as the fight continued.

• Zhang Mazi and A Qing exchanged powerful attacks, and both coated their weapons with blood as their duel turned deadly.
• Four Seas Trade and Heavenly Dao Consulting reinforcements joined the fight, while Pei Ruotao, Bai Qiucheng, and Sima Shi supported the front lines.
• Ke Suo led Myanmar and Vietnam's Public Security Bureau Qi Practitioners into Celestial Elephant City from the east, putting the Machina Gang under pressure from both sides.
• Yu Ye told Lu Bing that Zhang Mazi had volunteered to carry out a decapitation mission against A Qing, and admitted she had hoped he would obtain Immortal Remains to revive Ji Qinglin.
• Lu Bing inferred that Zhang Mazi was targeting A Qing because he was Ji Qinglin, then revealed his identity to Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen.

Lu Bing revealed that Zhang Mazi was Ji Qinglin, who had secretly returned to eliminate A Qing, though his body could survive for only two more months. As Yu Ye and the others hurried to support him, Ji Qinglin fought A Qing and exposed an ancient Black Sword that made A Qing question his identity.

• Lu Bing revealed Ji Qinglin's identity and explained that he had planned to face A Qing alone, prompting Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen to set out to find him.
• Lu Bing warned the group that Ji Qinglin's body could last only two months, and they listened to his recorded explanation of his plan.
• Yu Ye left President Lei Qiong in charge of the attack and led Lu Bing, Red Night, and Jiang Chen around the rear toward the Official Building.
• Ji Qinglin and A Qing traded powerful attacks, and A Qing disarmed Ji Qinglin before his Black Blade transformed and revealed an ancient sword.
• Ji Qinglin wounded A Qing with the sword, and A Qing asked who he was; Ji Qinglin asked whether A Qing recognized the weapon.

Ji Qinglin fought A Qing with tribulation fire, destroyed his divine soul domain, and ignited his soul. As A Qing’s body burned, a voice from the black qi revealed that someone else had taken control of him through the Immortal Skull.

• Zhang Mazi used the Only Consciousness Sword Intent and tribulation fire against A Qing, who countered with his divine soul domain and a rain of Divine Soul Sword Intent.
• Ji Qinglin’s companions confirmed his location, fought off pursuing Machina Qi Practitioners, and followed Coal Boss toward him.
• A Qing knocked off Zhang Mazi’s mask, exposing Ji Qinglin, who revealed himself and resumed his attack.
• Ji Qinglin used his saber, sword, and tribulation fire to break A Qing’s defenses and ignite his soul.
• Ji Qinglin saw black qi pour from A Qing’s burned body and realized an unknown consciousness within the Immortal Skull had taken control.

Ji Qinglin defeated A Qing but was badly wounded, and a mysterious consciousness in the Immortal Skull took control of A Qing’s remains before vanishing. His disciples found him, discovered his identity, and cared for him as he fainted, while Sun Moon Star recovered the skull and retreated with the Machina Qi Practitioners.

• The black-mist presence in the Immortal Skull attacked Ji Qinglin, but Coal Boss intervened and sent it flying before both it and A Qing disappeared.
• Lu Bing, Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen found Ji Qinglin, and Jiang Chen exposed his identity by removing his mask.
• Yu Ye and Red Night scolded and embraced Ji Qinglin, then Red Night treated his chest wound with tribulation fire.
• Lu Bing found A Qing’s headless, burned corpse, and Ji Qinglin fainted from exhaustion before he could inspect it.
• Yu Ye and Red Night returned to the main battlefield while Jiang Chen and Lu Bing took Ji Qinglin to safety; Jiang Chen cut A Qing’s remains apart to prevent his revival.
• Sun Moon Star found the wreckage, recovered the Immortal Skull as it emerged from the ruins, and obeyed its command to retreat.

After the battle in Celestial Elephant City, Yu Ye and the faction leaders arranged how the new territory would be managed while Red Night and the others focused on Ji Qinglin’s recovery. When Ji Qinglin woke, he tried to leave alone to investigate a way to save himself, but his disciples had chained him to the bed.

• The Four Associations, the Two Companies, and the Myanmar and Vietnam authorities defeated and captured the remaining Machina Qi Practitioners, then Yu Ye finalized plans for the region’s reconstruction and new businesses.
• Yu Ye urged the Dark Police to establish a local branch, while Red Night told NanGong Qian Feng they had found a clue that might revive Master without revealing that he was alive.
• Jiang Chen, Lu Bing, Yu Ye, and Red Night cared for Ji Qinglin after his fight with A Qing left him unconscious from exhausting his fire force.
• Ji Qinglin recovered overnight and woke to find Jiang Chen, Yu Ye, and Red Night nearby, then tried to slip away and investigate Yan Tong’s clue alone.
• The metal restraints on Ji Qinglin’s wrists woke Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen, and Yu Ye asked where he was going while Red Night accused him of trying to sneak away again.

Ji Qinglin reunited with Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen and explained how he had secretly watched over them after his apparent death. He warned them that finding a way to save his body might demand a price, then left the serious talk behind to bathe with his disciples.

• Ji Qinglin told Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen that he had planned his deception with Bi Xin because the Red Island mission was dangerous and his resurrection had left him with only a few months to live.
• Ji Qinglin revealed that he had watched the three women during their work and missions, secretly helped them, and returned to Ji's General Store to secure the Immortal Remains and clean the house.
• Ji Qinglin admitted that the remnant souls in their minds were only part of Penglai Wonderland, and the three women tickled him for misleading them.
• Ji Qinglin asked the women not to use any method of saving him without considering its cost, and they agreed without intending to follow the warning.
• Ji Qinglin proposed bathing together, carried Jiang Chen toward the bathroom, and Yu Ye and Red Night followed them inside.

Ji Qinglin and his disciples sought a way onto Nanyang Island, where they hoped to find a chance to revive him. NanGong Wang offered to help them obtain rare books and revealed that the island was ruled by Calligrapher Saint Zhang Huaisu.

• Ji Qinglin and his disciples learned that outsiders needed to bring a book the island did not possess to enter Nanyang Island, and they began searching for a way to qualify.
• Ji Qinglin reflected on the escaped consciousness from the Immortal Skull and wondered whether his tribulation fire was connected to Desire Fire.
• Red Night discovered that NanGong Wang had visited Nanyang Island and arranged a video call, while Ji Qinglin told his disciples to conceal the full truth from NanGong Qian Feng for now.
• NanGong Wang explained that Nanyang Island sheltered people who had retired from the world and offered to find rare books for the group.
• NanGong Wang warned Ji Qinglin against trying to sneak onto the island and identified its owner as Calligrapher Saint Zhang Huaisu.

Ji Qinglin and his companions arranged passage to Nanyang Island while keeping his resurrection secret from NanGong Qian Feng. Before the ship arrived, they handled local affairs and Ji Qinglin contacted Bi Xin to ask for another investigation.

• NanGong Wang explained that Four Seas Trade could help Ji Qinglin’s group board Nanyang Island if they brought qualifying books, and NanGong Qian Feng arranged to meet them at Lixia Port.
• Ji Qinglin told NanGong Wang that he was alive but had only a little over a month to live, and promised to give NanGong Qian Feng closure if he could not extend his life.
• Red Night accused Ji Qinglin of intending to let NanGong Wang take the blame when NanGong Qian Feng learned the truth, and Ji Qinglin denied it.
• Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen managed the Dark Police, Four Associations, and company affairs while waiting two days for Four Seas Trade’s ship.
• Ji Qinglin called Bi Xin, who scolded him for revealing his identity, then he asked her to investigate something else.

Ji Qinglin took Yu Ye and Red Night shopping for books and jade while preparing for the journey to Nanyang Island, and Red Night teased Yu Ye about a wager by making her a suggestive jade pendant. Meanwhile, A Qing’s backup consciousness struck a deal with the black smoke in the Immortal Skull, leaving the Machina Gang poised to use the Immortal Remains in a new way.

• Yu Ye reported that Machina Gang leaders Sun Moon Star had escaped, and Ji Qinglin warned that A Qing might have a memory backup despite his apparent death.
• Jiang Chen prepared to return to Bangkok, and Ji Qinglin kissed her goodbye before taking Yu Ye and Red Night shopping for books in Myanmar and Vietnam.
• Red Night bought jade strips and began carving one into a pendant for Yu Ye, who realized it was meant to fulfill her wager with Red Night.
• Ji Qinglin explained that the books might help them gain entry to Nanyang Island, while Yu Ye and Red Night continued reading and preparing their purchases.
• At the Machina Gang’s second stronghold, A Qing’s Virtual Image spoke with the black smoke from the Immortal Skull and agreed to give it a body in exchange for help finding the remaining Immortal Remains and repairing his soul body.

Ji Qinglin traveled with Yu Ye, Red Night, Lu Bing, Jiang Chen, and NanGong Qian Feng toward Nanyang Island to seek a way to save him, while hiding his identity as Zhang Mazi. After Zhang Mazi encouraged Qian Feng to believe Ji Qinglin had concealed his feelings to protect her, she grew furious at him, and Red Night rushed in to defend Master.

• Ji Qinglin and his companions boarded Four Seas Trade's ship at Lixia Port and set sail for Nanyang Island, where NanGong Qian Feng explained the island's vast Book Grave library and its book-review process.
• The group sorted the books they planned to submit, including Ji Qinglin's erotic books, while Yu Ye told NanGong Qian Feng about Zhang Mazi's battles against the Machina Gang and A Qing.
• Ji Qinglin meditated on deck, then spoke with NanGong Qian Feng beneath the moon as she shared her regret over never confessing her feelings to Ji Qinglin before he disappeared.
• Ji Qinglin suggested that he might have hidden his feelings because he feared his dangerous missions would leave NanGong Qian Feng heartbroken, and she angrily cursed Ji Qinglin and struck the table.
• Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen arrived and heard NanGong Qian Feng's outburst, prompting Red Night to tell her that Master had not meant to do it.

Ji Qinglin and his companions arrived at Nanyang Island, where visitors could enter only by presenting a unique book. When the sole book accepted was an erotic dual-cultivation album, Ji Qinglin defended its value, then wrote something that astonished the reviewer and prompted him to report it.

• Red Night covered for Ji Qinglin after nearly exposing his identity to NanGong Qian Feng, and Jiang Chen took him away from the group.
• Ji Qinglin and his companions reached Nanyang Island and followed a Four Seas Trade worker to the Book Review Building.
• The group watched reviewers reject most books and saw an elderly receptionist knock out a man who tried to force his way onto the island.
• The reviewer found that only the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Postures Mini-Album was missing from the island’s collection, and Ji Qinglin argued it deserved an admission ticket.
• Ji Qinglin wrote a message for the reviewer, who stared at it in shock and went to report it.

Ji Qinglin used his knowledge of Old Era books to secure entry to Nanyang Island for himself and his companions, then traveled to the Book Grave to seek an audience with its island lord. The island lord turned out to be a woman who recognized Ji Qinglin, leaving him bewildered as they began to speak privately.

• Ji Qinglin answered questions about "To Live" and "Three-Body Problem," convincing Shen Shuyuan to admit his group to Nanyang Island.
• Shen Shuyuan gave the group visitor badges and explained that the island exchanged admission for books to protect its Book Grave and preserve its collections.
• Ji Qinglin and his companions rode into the island’s city, where Shen Shuyuan described the secluded community and its libraries.
• NanGong Qian Feng stayed behind while Ji Qinglin, Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen followed Shen Shuyuan to meet the island lord.
• The woman in Daoist robes dismissed Shen Shuyuan, recognized the masked Ji Qinglin, and asked whether he remembered her.

Ji Qinglin learned that Zhang Huaisu had known the Immortal, whose past actions had helped Xiao Tu, a library robot, awaken and eventually become the Calligrapher Saint. Zhang Huaisu began recounting the Immortal’s history, revealing how her own origins were tied to his visit to Nanyang Island.

• Zhang Huaisu recognized Ji Qinglin as someone she had known before, and Ji Qinglin realized she was referring to the Immortal.
• Ji Qinglin sent Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen upstairs, then showed Zhang Huaisu a portrait of the Immortal to confirm their connection.
• Zhang Huaisu told Ji Qinglin that the Immortal had once lived on Nanyang Island and spent much of his time reading at its library.
• After the library was damaged in island battles, the Immortal secretly ended the conflict and found Xiao Tu sorting books in the ruins.
• The Immortal infused his divine soul into Xiao Tu, giving the robot partial self-awareness and understanding of the books it had cataloged.
• Xiao Tu later used its accumulated knowledge to build a body and develop independent consciousness, eventually becoming the Calligrapher Saint.

Ji Qinglin met Zhang Huaisu, the machina Calligrapher Saint, who agreed to seek a treatment for his failing resurrected body. After returning to his companions with the news, he discovered the books Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen had been reading and teased them about their contents.

• Ji Qinglin learned that Zhang Huaisu was a machina created by the immortal and asked her for help with the one-month limit on his resurrected body.
• Zhang Huaisu examined Ji Qinglin and agreed to search for a treatment that could extend his body's lifespan.
• Zhang Huaisu asked Ji Qinglin to tell her about Old Era books, especially the two remaining volumes of the Three-Body Problem trilogy.
• Ji Qinglin returned upstairs and told his companions that Zhang Huaisu would try to help, so they planned to stay on the island for a few more days.
• Ji Qinglin secretly took Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen's books and found that they had been reading suggestive cultivation texts.

Ji Qinglin teased Yu Ye and Red Night with a false claim that he had a son with Zhang Huaisu, then urged his disciples to study the rare manuals in the Book Grave. Meanwhile, Fen Ye challenged Yoshikawa Masao for his Immortal Remains and appeared to lose, leaving a sinister smile as the exchange began.

• Yu Ye, Red Night, and Jiang Chen caught Ji Qinglin, who tricked Yu Ye and Red Night into believing he had a son with Zhang Huaisu before fleeing with their books.
• Ji Qinglin revealed that he and Zhang Huaisu were only friends and told his disciples to use the Book Grave’s rare manuals to improve their cultivation.
• Ji Qinglin advised Yu Ye and Red Night to secretly photograph the dual cultivation manuals so they could study them later.
• Fen Ye arrived with Moon Envoy at the Yamaguchi Chamber of Commerce and offered to exchange Immortal Remains with Yoshikawa Masao after a duel.
• Yoshikawa Masao defeated Fen Ye and, after Moon Envoy revealed an Immortal Skull, ordered his men to bring out his own box.
• Fen Ye hid a sinister grin while Yoshikawa Masao turned away to give the order.