Chapter Summaries

Qin Chuan sent Tiga Lingyu, Song Ling, Water God, and Evergreen through portals to begin expanding their territories. In the Sahara, Water God and Evergreen saved a dying tribe with water and new vegetation, earning the people’s devotion.

• Qin Chuan gave the four deities spatial waymarks and opened gateways to their assigned regions.
• Water God and Evergreen arrived in the Sahara and found a starving tribe gathered around a dry well.
• Evergreen located the tribe, and Water God conjured a vast cascade of water that revived the people and formed a river.
• Evergreen used Gift of Nature to grow plants and create a green corridor along the riverbanks.
• The tribe knelt before Water God and Evergreen and offered them their faith.

The Water God and Evergreen discovered that the tribespeople’s sudden devotion had turned into Faith Backlash, transforming them into monsters that attacked the gods. Trapped inside the Water God’s ice, they realized they had to destroy the source of the tainted faith before it spread across Africa.

• Evergreen warned the Water God to stop his divine art after recognizing that the tribespeople’s faith was poisoned by despair, greed, and dependence.
• The old priest and the kneeling tribespeople transformed into monsters, and their black mist attacked the Water God and Evergreen.
• Evergreen shielded them with Holy Light, while the Water God’s illusion failed to distract the monsters.
• The Water God sealed himself and Evergreen inside an ice sculpture after the Holy Light barrier shattered.
• Evergreen explained that the monsters would perish if the gods left, but their tainted faith would spread across Africa if they stayed.
• The Water God understood that he and Evergreen had to destroy the breeding ground for the poison they had created.

Evergreen and the Water God decided to stop granting desperate tribes free water and food and instead make them work for survival. After defeating the monsters and reversing the oasis, they set out to impose this new approach across the continent.

• Evergreen told the Water God that the gods had been wrong to give the people water and food, and declared that those who did not work would not eat.
• The Water God unleashed Illusion Tide: Myriad Phenomena, distracting the monsters with visions of food, water, and treasure.
• Evergreen used Judgment of Reincarnation to reverse the oasis, drying the river and erasing the monsters.
• Evergreen and the Water God left the barren oasis and resolved to make the continent's tribes dig wells, grow crops, and fight to earn survival.

The Water God and Evergreen transformed a basin in the Sahara Desert into the Land of Promise, creating fertile soil, water sources, and food while enclosing it behind a barrier that admitted only those willing to work. When a starving tribe arrived and begged to enter, the Water God told them to dig a channel from the lakes before they could cross.

• The Water God forced deep groundwater veins to converge beneath the basin while Evergreen spread rich soil across the land.
• The Water God drew groundwater to the surface, forming columns of water and lakes as Evergreen created plants and amphibians suited to the desert.
• The Water God and Evergreen enclosed the fertile land behind a curtain of light and declared it the Land of Promise, where those who did not work could not enter.
• Three days later, a starving tribe reached the barrier, but their attempts to pass through were rebuffed.
• The Water God offered the tribe entry if they dug a channel from the lakes and provided them with stone tools.

Water God and Evergreen demanded that the starving tribe dig a canal to enter the Land of Promise, but the tribespeople mistook the demand for a test and then turned on the gods when Water God refused to grant them free water. The tribe collapsed outside the barrier, and Water God considered recruiting players from Yan Country instead.

• Elder Agu recognized Water God and Evergreen as gods from the Eastern Celestial Dynasty, prompting the tribe to pray fervently for aid.
• Water God told the tribe that digging a canal to divert lake water was their only way into the Land of Promise.
• The Tribal Chief called Water God a demon, and tribespeople hurled stones and charged the barrier before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Evergreen said despair and a lifetime of begging had eroded the tribe's dignity, while Water God discussed recruiting players from Yan Country if the tribe would not work.

Amina began digging at the gods’ barrier to save her dying child, and Evergreen secretly eased her work and revived the child with a dewdrop. The tribe rushed to dig for the gods’ blessings, while the enraged Tribal Chief attacked Amina.

• Amina ignored the Tribal Chief’s threats and began striking the ground with a stone spade.
• Other tribespeople joined Amina, and Evergreen secretly used his Divine Might to help her loosen the earth.
• When Amina’s child stopped breathing, Evergreen gave him a life-giving dewdrop, and the child woke asking for water.
• The tribespeople seized tools and began digging with renewed hope, while the Tribal Chief remained isolated and blamed Amina for enslaving them.
• The Tribal Chief raised a sharp stone and swung it toward the back of Amina’s head.

Amina and her tribe rejected their murderous chief, passed the gods’ test, and entered the Land of Promise. The Water God and Evergreen made them its first citizens and charged them with finding other tribes willing to work for a future.

• A man broke his arm saving Amina and her child, then helped the tribespeople overpower the Tribal Chief.
• The Water God told the tribe to decide the chief’s fate, and Amina declared that the Land of Promise had no place for him.
• The tribespeople drove the chief into the desert, and the light screen disappeared, allowing them to enter the fertile land.
• The Water God ordered the new citizens to provide for themselves, while Evergreen healed the man’s broken arm and named them the Land of Promise’s first citizens.
• The Water God tasked Amina and the others with finding other tribes, explaining the gods’ rules, and bringing back those willing to work.

Amina and her companions received power from the Tablet of Laws and set out to find scattered tribes and spread the Divine Oracle. They found the starving Black Rock Tribe, where Chief Bach attacked Amina for her supplies, and Kyle stepped in to fight him.

• Amina, Kyle, and the others touched the Tablet of Laws and gained strength that depended on following its laws.
• Amina led a team of ten out of the Land of Promise to search the desert for their people.
• After two days, Amina's team found the starving Black Rock Tribe and its chief, Bach, praying before a black stone.
• Amina told Bach about the Eastern God and the Land of Promise, but Bach demanded their food and water.
• Bach lunged at Amina, and Kyle blocked him before knocking him back with a punch.

Kyle defeated Bach and helped Amina win over members of the Black Rock Tribe by showing them that they could choose to survive and work for the Land of Promise. As the newcomers began making spearheads, the Water God and Evergreen wondered how the other teams were progressing.

• Bach ordered the Black Rock Tribe to seize Amina's water, but Kyle defeated him in a fight.
• Amina poured water over the tribe's stone tools, and Ula defied Bach by choosing to take one.
• Other tribespeople joined Ula, leaving fewer than twenty loyal followers beside Bach.
• Amina ordered the newcomers to make fifty spearheads each before nightfall, and Ula led them to the black rocks.
• Amina told Bach that God's gifts were reserved for those who saved themselves.
• The Water God and Evergreen discussed the promising start of their mission and the progress of Sister Song Ling and Sister Lin.

Yan Country players analyzed footage of the Main God stopping the God of Wrath and debated the Water God and Evergreen’s rebuilding of a society in Africa. The discussion ended with players seeing the African effort as a path modeled on Yan Country’s own rise.

• Yan Country players watched footage of the Mirror God erasing the God of Wrath and Qin Chuan stopping the self-destructing meteor, while an analyst warned that the Western Europe disaster was an invasion of the world’s rules.
• Players reviewed the Water God and Evergreen’s actions in Africa, including Amina’s work, her child’s resurrection, Kyle’s resistance, and the confrontation with the Black Rock Tribe.
• Yan Country players praised the gods’ rule that people had to work to earn their survival, while Dew Beneath Holy Light criticized the hard labor imposed on starving people.
• A top assassin player compared the African effort to Yan Country’s rise, and players concluded that the Water God and Evergreen were reshaping that world through their own example.

Yan Country players realized they had no faith-based path or divine quests while gods expanded their religions abroad, and they organized a petition in Magic City. The massive crowd gathered outside the Sky-Piercing Tower, waiting to demand a Divine Oracle from Qin Chuan.

• Midnight Thinker questioned why Yan Country players lacked a faith of their own while gods recruited believers overseas.
• Players argued that they had no temples, faith-based classes, or clear purpose beyond fighting monsters and gaining experience.
• Voice of the Fanatic urged Magic City players to stop grinding and petition Qin Chuan for a Divine Oracle.
• Players gathered at teleportation points and marched unarmed toward the Sky-Piercing Tower.
• A vast crowd assembled in the plaza outside the tower, waiting to make their devotion known.

A million Yan Country War Zone players gathered outside Apex Guild headquarters to petition Main God Qin Chuan for guidance and access to divine power. Night Cherry Tangle explained that faith and divine favor had to be earned through hardship, but [Debate of Truth] challenged him and accused the gods of unfairness.

• A million players silently assembled outside Sky-Piercing Tower while Qin Chuan remained immersed in contemplation.
• Night Cherry Tangle went out to address the petitioners after Dawn warned that the crowd might become restless.
• [Voice of the Fanatic] declared that the players wanted to see Qin Chuan and asked him to show them the path ahead.
• Night Cherry Tangle said that the Main God heard them, but that divine favor was not granted on demand and had to be earned through sacrifice and hardship.
• [Debate of Truth] accused the gods of favoring outsiders over veteran Yan Country players, and Night Cherry Tangle calmly asked him his name.

Night Cherry Tangle punished Debate of Truth for his crimes and announced the Trial of the Gods, turning City of Mist and Black Stone Fortress into dangerous battlefields where players would compete for divine rewards. The chapter ended with the four rules revealed and a countdown to the trial beginning.

• Night Cherry Tangle exposed Debate of Truth's past crimes and used Divine Punishment to permanently reduce his attributes and experience gain.
• Night Cherry Tangle announced that City of Mist and Black Stone Fortress would become battlefields starting at midnight the next day.
• Night Cherry Tangle revealed Rule One: monsters in both areas would grow stronger, hunt intruders, and eliminate safe zones.
• Night Cherry Tangle revealed Rules Two and Three: players would earn Courage Points through combat, with top-ranked players gaining access to the Hall of Heroes and divine rewards.
• Night Cherry Tangle revealed Rule Four, penalizing players with negative Courage Points, then a blood-red countdown appeared over Magic City.

Players rushed to prepare for the Trial of the Gods until a forum post questioned why Qin Chuan, Night Cherry Tangle, Ji Xing, and Water God could become gods while others fought for scraps, sparking a boycott movement. Night Cherry Tangle told Dawn that the path to godhood had never been secret: anyone who met the requirements could activate Apocalypse’s built-in Ladder to Godhood quest.

• After Night Cherry Tangle vanished from the terrace, players left the square to gather supplies and organize for the Trial of the Gods.
• Logic Genius posted that the gods had no right to monopolize godhood and called on players to reject the trial unless the path was revealed.
• Players’ excitement turned to anger, and a forum boycott gained support from influential second-tier guild leaders in Magic City.
• Dawn told Night Cherry Tangle that roughly thirty to forty percent of players supported a boycott and demanded an explanation.
• Night Cherry Tangle said the Ladder to Godhood was a built-in quest available to anyone who met its requirements.

Night Cherry Tangle revealed that the Ladder to Godhood required reaching Level 100 and advancing into the Holy Domain, turning forum outrage into mockery of [Logic Genius] and inspiring top guilds to pursue the goal. As the countdown ended, the Trial of the Gods began, removing safe zones in the City of Mist and Black Stone Fortress and granting each participant one free revival.

• Dawn learned from Night Cherry Tangle that the Ladder to Godhood appeared only after players reached Level 100 and entered the Holy Domain.
• Night Cherry Tangle posted the Ladder's requirements and warned that its seven trials meant almost certain death.
• Players mocked [Logic Genius] and reversed their opinion after Night Cherry Tangle explained why most players could not see the path.
• [Dragon Fights in the Wild] and other top guild leaders ordered their guilds to focus resources on reaching Level 100.
• The Trial of the Gods began, restructuring the City of Mist and Black Stone Fortress regions, removing safe zones, and granting participants one free revival.

Players rushed into the Yan Country War Zone’s trial zones seeking points and divine rewards, but the monsters proved far deadlier than expected. After most entrants used their free resurrection, bewildered survivors crowded Falling Leaf Town.

• Major guilds and independent players charged into the trial zones, while I Can Pick Up Leaks tried to sneak in and hunt for easy points.
• A Mutated Shadow Cat killed I Can Pick Up Leaks in one hit as soon as he entered the City of Mist.
• Dragon Tooth · Po Jun led Dragon Fang’s elite team against a Swamp Lurker, which dissolved his shield with acid and wiped out the team in under ten seconds.
• At Black Stone Fortress, Lava Dogs hunted in roaming packs and groups of Obsidian Golems overwhelmed players with attacks ordinary weapons could not penetrate.
• Within five minutes, at least seventy percent of the millions of players had died and spent their free resurrection, filling Falling Leaf Town with confused survivors.

Players were slaughtered in the Trial of the Gods, while Ghost Shadow topped the Courage Ladder by exploiting fights between monsters. After killing the Venomous Hydra, he found a Divinity Shard that hinted at the secrets of Divine Domain.

• Players complained about being one-shot in the trial, and forum posts filled with reports of deaths and lost points.
• A screenshot revealed Ghost Shadow had 125 Courage Points, far ahead of every other player, prompting suspicion that he had cheated.
• Ghost Shadow observed monsters fighting each other and realized the trial rewarded strategy rather than raw strength.
• He lured Corrupted Swamp Dogs into the Venomous Hydra’s nest, then killed the exhausted Area Lord and earned 125 Courage Points.
• Ghost Shadow secured the area and collected the Hydra’s loot, including a Divinity Shard.

Ghost Shadow secured a Divinity Shard after defeating the Hydra, while players learned that he had used monster aggro to turn creatures against each other. The shard holder ranking appeared and showed Ghost Shadow as the only holder.

• Ghost Shadow hid the Divinity Shard in his backpack, collected the Hydra's Epic leggings and materials, and vanished into the fog.
• Players in Falling Leaf Town and on the forums accused Ghost Shadow of cheating until Data Emperor explained how he had lured Corrupted Swamp Dogs into the Hydra's territory.
• Players accepted Data Emperor's strategy and began organizing hunts that used hostile monsters against one another.
• Ghost Shadow posted a screenshot confirming he held a Divinity Shard, prompting players across the war zone to hunt lords for more.
• After no other shards appeared, a new ranking showed Ghost Shadow in first place with one shard and no other holders.

After the Divinity Shard Holder Ranking named Ghost Shadow as its sole holder, players grew bitter, but Dragon Fights in the Wild ordered Dragon Fang to continue pursuing the Wyvern Lord. Ghost Shadow tracked his shard’s pulse to an ancient altar before a system rule made players everywhere hunt him for the shard.

• Players across the Yan Country War Zone reacted to Ghost Shadow’s first-place ranking with anger and accused him and Sword of the Firmament of keeping the shard’s drop method secret.
• Dragon Fights in the Wild rejected his officers’ doubts and sent Dragon Fang’s elite teams to hunt the Wyvern Lord in Stone Heart Valley.
• Ghost Shadow followed the Divinity Shard’s pulse through the Poisonous Fog Dense Forest and found a powerful mass of Liquid Metal floating over an ancient altar.
• The system announced that Divinity Shards would certainly drop if their holders died permanently after exhausting their Resurrection Count.
• Players realized Ghost Shadow’s shard could be taken and began organizing a server-wide manhunt, offering gold and heading toward the City of Mist.

Dragon Soaring World confronted Night Cherry Tangle at Apex Guild headquarters, accusing Apex of withholding information about the Trial of the Gods. Night Cherry Tangle denied that the alliance required sharing the trial’s secrets, while players continued fighting over the Divinity Shard in the City of Mist.

• Iron Blood War Song led an Iron Blood Alliance squad toward Ghost Shadow’s reported location, but Night Owl ambushed them with poisoned crossbow bolts.
• Night Owl fighters slaughtered Iron Blood Alliance players and claimed control of the area as guilds battled over the Divinity Shard.
• Dragon Soaring World arrived at Apex Guild headquarters, where Night Cherry Tangle greeted him and sensed his contract-bound Divine Authority.
• Dragon Soaring World demanded to meet Qin Chuan or Dies Martin, but Night Cherry Tangle said neither was available.
• Dragon Soaring World accused Apex of hiding trial information from its allies, and Night Cherry Tangle replied that the alliance covered guild matters, not an individual trial arranged by him.