Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: The Terror of an Enlightened One

Key Plot Points and Events

• Danyangzi launches an extraordinarily fast divine-sword attack against the mysterious leader, intending to kill him even at the cost of seriously injuring himself.
• The leader unexpectedly blocks the sword. Danyangzi’s failed attack severely injures him, causes his grand formation to collapse, and releases the leader’s two companions.
• Although weakened, Danyangzi continues fighting through his mastery of spatial movement and earthfire:
  • He nearly kills the middle-aged Demigod by striking him with an Abacus Bead.
  • After being badly injured by the leader, Danyangzi retaliates by sending earthfire into the middle-aged man’s body.
  • The leader absorbs the fire from his companion, but the resulting backlash burns him as well.
• The unstable void swallows Danyangzi. Since Enlightened Ones depend primarily on their comprehended Dao rather than physical strength, the others conclude that he will die within the void.
• The middle-aged man suffers horrific, permanent burns. The young woman removes the fire poison by using dozens of captured Epic Rank experts as sacrificial vessels, reducing them to ash.
• Holmes and Mekas decide to search for Samlet, believing their true target—His Majesty—is not with Danyangzi. They are uneasy because Samlet may be able to use his full strength in the City of Sin.
• The leader senses that Samlet has become weaker and immediately heads toward the distant battlefield.
• Ten thousand miles away, Demon Bull and several Orc Demigods besiege Samlet and Old Man Huang, forcing them toward the shattered void and lurking void demons.
• Samlet reveals that his weakness is connected to a serious problem involving Chen Cheng outside the battlefield. To break the encirclement, he uses his essence blood to unleash the Void Annihilation Fist, twisting and weaponizing the surrounding void against his enemies.

Character Developments

• Danyangzi: Demonstrates the terrifying power of an Enlightened One, whose attacks are nearly instantaneous and whose first strike can overwhelm even Demigods. However, his failed attack exposes his physical vulnerability once his Dao-based abilities are exhausted. He ultimately disappears into the void, presumably doomed.
• The Leader: Reveals exceptional defensive strength by blocking Danyangzi’s divine sword. He also protects his companion by absorbing the earthfire, though this injures him. His ability to detect Samlet’s weakening suggests powerful perception.
• Middle-Aged Man/Holmes: Survives Danyangzi’s assault but is horribly scarred by the earthfire. His pride and fury remain, though his appearance and confidence are badly damaged. He still wants to pursue Samlet.
• Young Woman/Mekas: Remains composed and practical, assisting Holmes and using captured experts to remove the fire poison. Her calm demeanor briefly gives way to concern when Samlet is mentioned.
• Samlet: Is unexpectedly weakened by events involving Chen Cheng but remains dangerous. He chooses to spend essence blood and employ a powerful technique rather than allow himself and Old Man Huang to be forced into the void.
• Old Man Huang: Shows his reluctance to risk his life, repeatedly considering escape. Despite this, he continues fighting alongside Samlet.
• Demon Bull and the Orc Demigods: Maintain a coordinated siege, exploiting Samlet’s weakness and the dangerous terrain.

Significant Themes

• The terror and limitations of Enlightened Ones: Their comprehended Dao grants overwhelming, almost miraculous power, but without it they may be physically fragile.
• The danger of striking first against an Enlightened One: Danyangzi’s initial move nearly kills two Demigods, reinforcing the saying that allowing such a being the first attack is nearly suicidal.
• Power at a terrible cost: Danyangzi, the leader, and Samlet all suffer severe injuries or expend precious resources to use their strongest abilities.
• Sacrifice and expendability: The young woman treats captured Epic Rank experts as disposable containers for the fire poison, highlighting the ruthless hierarchy between powerful beings and ordinary cultivators.
• Uncertainty and shifting advantage: Although Danyangzi appears defeated, Samlet’s weakness complicates the situation, and every faction remains vulnerable to sudden reversals.
• The void as both threat and weapon: The shattered void threatens to consume the combatants, yet Samlet transforms it into an offensive force through his Void Annihilation Fist.

Character Interactions

• Danyangzi clashes directly with the leader and his two companions, nearly killing the middle-aged man before being counterattacked.
• The leader saves the middle-aged man by absorbing the earthfire from his body, suffering backlash himself.
• Mekas restrains Holmes’s anger and reminds him that defeating an Enlightened One is worth the injury he sustained.
• Holmes and Mekas agree to pursue Samlet, though both fear encountering him at full strength.
• Demon Bull and the Orc Demigods coordinate their assault on Samlet and Old Man Huang, while Old Man Huang complains about being dragged into the battle.
• Samlet responds to the encirclement by joining forces with Old Man Huang and unleashing a devastating attack against their attackers.

Chapter Summary: “God-Demon Disintegration”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Samlet unleashes his God-Demon Disintegration technique, using his vital essence to deliver a devastating punch that kills one of the Legendary Rank Beastfolk Kings instantly.
• Shocked by his overwhelming power, the Green Snake King and Demon Bull King flee. Pigman King Modo realizes that Samlet had been toying with him during their earlier battle.
• Samlet orders Old Man Huang to pursue the fleeing Beastfolk Kings. Huang quickly raises a massive sea of sand and gives chase.
• The Leader, a traitor connected to the Empire’s downfall, appears before Samlet. Samlet openly declares his intention to kill him and avenge the Former Emperor.
• Samlet transforms into a gigantic demon god and battles the Leader inside the void. His relentless attacks overwhelm the Leader, destroying nearly everything except the mysterious mask on his face.
• Samlet traps the Leader between his palms and begins crushing his Gods-and-Devils Body. Although Samlet’s form is deteriorating from the strain, he is determined to kill the Leader before the latter grows too powerful.
• At the brink of defeat, the Leader activates “Divine Descent.” His mask separates from his body and becomes the vessel for an Outer Realm True God.
• The True God easily breaks Samlet’s attack and prepares to kill him. However, a mysterious, beautiful woman with an illusory soul-like form appears and stops the True God, declaring that the area belongs to the Divine Court.
• The True God immediately retreats rather than challenge the woman.
• The woman restores the vitality Samlet sacrificed and warns him not to act so recklessly, implying that someone close to Samlet would be deeply distressed by his death.
• She then pushes Samlet through a crack in space, urging him to leave because “he” is coming. As the portal closes, Samlet glimpses a familiar figure entering the void.

Character Developments

• Samlet reveals the full extent of his power, proving that even after the Empire’s decline he remains one of the strongest beings in the mortal world.
• His loyalty to the Empire and the Former Emperor is reaffirmed. He is willing to sacrifice his life to eliminate the Leader, whom he regards as a traitor.
• Samlet’s transformation demonstrates both his immense strength and its cost: the technique rapidly consumes his vital essence and threatens his life.
• The Leader is shown to be far more dangerous than previously believed. Although initially pressured by Samlet, he survives by invoking a higher divine force through his mask.
• The Leader’s mask is revealed to possess an independent connection to an Outer Realm True God, suggesting that his true power and affiliations are deeper than they appeared.
• Old Man Huang acts decisively under Samlet’s command, pursuing the fleeing Beastfolk Kings.
• The mysterious woman is established as an immensely powerful figure associated with the Divine Court. Her ability to command an Outer Realm True God and restore Samlet’s life force places her far above ordinary Demigod-level experts.

Significant Themes

• Decline versus former glory: Samlet’s power remains terrifying, but he admits that the Empire is weakening and that he can no longer advance as he once could.
• Loyalty and betrayal: The conflict between Samlet and the Leader is driven by the Leader’s betrayal of the Empire and Samlet’s devotion to the Former Emperor.
• The cost of power: Samlet’s strongest technique requires him to burn his own vital essence, emphasizing that victory may demand self-sacrifice.
• Power beyond the mortal realm: The appearance of the Outer Realm True God shows that mortal battles are connected to higher divine forces.
• Limits and hierarchy: Despite Samlet’s near-invincible performance against the Leader, the True God effortlessly defeats his attack, revealing a vast gap between Demigod and True God realms.
• Divine territories and authority: The True God retreats because the battlefield lies within the Divine Court’s domain, highlighting the importance of cosmic boundaries and established authority.

Character Interactions

• Samlet commands Old Man Huang to pursue the fleeing Beastfolk Kings, demonstrating their cooperation and Samlet’s authority.
• Samlet confronts the Leader directly, accusing him of treason and invoking the Former Emperor as justification for their deadly battle.
• The Leader responds to Samlet’s overwhelming assault by summoning the True God through his mask.
• The mysterious woman intervenes to protect Samlet, forces the Outer Realm True God to withdraw, restores Samlet’s depleted vitality, and sends him away before another powerful figure arrives.
• Her warning suggests a personal connection between Samlet and an unseen individual who cares deeply about him, adding emotional and narrative significance to the chapter’s conclusion.

Chapter Summary: “The Beginning of Body Forging”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The God of Light confronts a mysterious woman’s phantom for allowing a True God to enter the world. She rejects his accusation, arguing that his failure to prevent the infiltration was his own responsibility, then disappears.
• Furious, the God of Light destroys a Void Demon God and retrieves the True God’s original body from the extraterrestrial void. The body had been exposed after Samlet’s battle with the god’s avatar.
• To strengthen the world against future invasions, the God of Light smashes the Divine Body into particles and merges them into the world. He also sends the dead god’s resentful Godly Thought into the world, creating the possibility that a new god—or at least a powerful opportunity for ascension—may emerge.
• In the City of Sin, the masked leader returns badly injured after fleeing the battle with Samlet. His flesh is rotting, forcing him to remove it and replace his mask.
• The leader tells Mekas and Holmes that Samlet is probably dead, though he is uncertain. He reveals that the supposed divine inheritance was only a cover; the real goal of the various groups was to find Samlet. Since the God of Light intervened, the leader concludes that nothing valuable remains and orders their retreat.
• In the Kingdom of Moss, Chen Cheng begins practicing the Body Forging method Samlet taught him. He guides Battle Aura through his body while standing beneath the rising sun.
• Chen Cheng successfully completes his first attempt at Body Forging without injuring himself. The process purges impurities from his body and leaves him physically strengthened.
• Fellion instructs Nimo to have Chen Cheng wash with Life Grass water and then soak in a diluted magic potion. These treatments will restore his body, strengthen it further, and prepare him for the future inscription of a battle pattern.

Character Developments

• God of Light: Demonstrates overwhelming power and strategic foresight. Rather than merely guarding the world against invading gods, he strengthens the world by incorporating the Divine Body and Godly Thought into it.
• The mysterious woman: Reveals a colder, more severe attitude, refusing to accept blame for the True God’s entry and directly challenging the God of Light’s authority and responsibility.
• The masked leader: Returns wounded and shows caution by abandoning the City of Sin. He also exposes the true motives behind the conflict, revealing himself as pragmatic and knowledgeable about the God of Light’s influence.
• Chen Cheng: Takes his first major step onto the battle-cultivation path. His exceptional control and aptitude allow him to complete Body Forging comfortably and successfully on his first attempt.
• Fellion: Acts as a knowledgeable guardian and instructor, immediately recognizing Chen Cheng’s condition and arranging the proper medicinal treatment.
• Nimo: Provides practical care for Chen Cheng, preparing food, medicinal water, and the bathing arrangements.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: The confrontation between the God of Light and the woman raises questions about who bears responsibility when powerful beings infiltrate a protected world.
• Strengthening through crisis: The God of Light turns the remains of an enemy into a resource, using danger and destruction to improve the world’s defenses.
• Hidden motives and deception: The supposed divine inheritance is revealed as a smokescreen, while multiple factions secretly seek Samlet.
• The beginning of transformation: Chen Cheng’s Body Forging marks the start of his physical and martial evolution, emphasizing discipline, controlled power, and preparation.
• Life emerging from death: The dead god’s body and resentful divine consciousness may contribute to the birth of new power within the world.

Character Interactions

• The God of Light and the woman’s phantom exchange accusations over the True God’s arrival, revealing tension between them.
• The God of Light indirectly responds to the threat of invading gods by absorbing the True God’s remains into the world.
• The leader explains the truth about Samlet and the failed “divine inheritance” mission to Mekas and Holmes, convincing them to retreat.
• Nimo initially considers interrupting Chen Cheng’s meditation, but Fellion stops him and explains the danger of disrupting Battle Aura circulation.
• After Chen Cheng awakens, Fellion and Nimo coordinate his recovery, using Life Grass water and a magic potion to support his newly forged body.

Chapter Summary: “Beginning the First Steps”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng accepts a valuable Body Forging and Foundation Establishment potion from Nimo and prepares to begin cultivating the Warrior’s Path.
• Although Samlet raised him with extensive knowledge of Warrior cultivation, Chen Cheng had previously viewed the path as dangerously unstable, believing advancement depended largely on luck.
• He bathes in water infused with Life Grass and the potion, allowing the medicinal energy to strengthen his body and replenish the weakness caused by his earlier Body Forging.
• Using his special glasses, Chen Cheng observes his physical data rise from single digits to double digits, unknowingly reaching the level associated with a Bronze Tier warrior.
• The potion dramatically transforms his physique: his former slight belly becomes defined muscle, and he feels a major increase in strength.
• Confident in his improved condition, Chen Cheng decides to begin inscribing and circulating his first battle pattern.
• Fellion gives him another potion to aid his cultivation. Chen Cheng then remembers his Magic Rune “cheat” and asks Fellion for Mithril to create a heat-conducting array.
• He draws the array in the courtyard, activates it with a Magic Crystal, drinks the potion, and begins circulating Battle Aura according to Samlet’s method.
• As the Battle Aura follows the Body Forging pathway, the potion tempers its violent nature. The heat generated by the process is redirected into the Magic Rune array rather than harming Chen Cheng.
• Fellion and Nimo watch in astonishment, recognizing that Chen Cheng is using a sophisticated form of advancement assistance normally associated with specialized Warrior’s Path training halls.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Moves from skepticism and caution toward actively embracing the Warrior’s Path. His physical transformation and increased strength give him confidence, while his glasses and Magic Rune knowledge allow him to develop an unconventional and safer cultivation method.
• Fellion: Demonstrates generosity and foresight by preparing multiple precious potions and lending Chen Cheng Mithril without hesitation. He also realizes that Chen Cheng’s technique is highly unusual.
• Nimo: Supports Chen Cheng by providing the initial potion and observes his progress alongside Fellion.
• Samlet: Though absent, his influence remains central, as Chen Cheng relies on the cultivation method and knowledge Samlet taught him.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus opportunity: Chen Cheng’s former fear of the Warrior’s Path contrasts with his decision to attempt it after gaining better resources and safeguards.
• Innovation and adaptation: Chen Cheng combines Warrior cultivation with Magic Runes, using his knowledge from different disciplines to solve the problem of excessive heat.
• Trust and generosity: Fellion and Nimo’s willingness to provide rare materials and medicines reflects their support for Chen Cheng.
• Hidden potential: Chen Cheng does not yet understand the significance of his physical data, unknowingly reaching Bronze Tier while assuming he has merely improved normally.
• Preparation and foundation: The chapter emphasizes that successful advancement depends on strengthening the body, stabilizing Battle Aura, and carefully managing the dangers of cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng respectfully accepts Nimo’s potion and later remembers Fellion’s kindness rather than offering empty verbal thanks.
• Fellion anticipates Chen Cheng’s advancement and supplies him with another potion, showing that he understands Chen Cheng’s condition and intentions.
• Chen Cheng surprises Fellion by requesting Mithril for his array. Fellion readily agrees, trusting him and valuing his cultivation more than the material’s cost.
• Fellion and Nimo jointly observe Chen Cheng’s unprecedented cultivation process, shifting from curiosity to astonishment as they realize what he is accomplishing.

Summary of “Moss XIII’s Intentions”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng undergoes cultivation within a heat-dissipation magic array, producing an extraordinary amount of heat. The intensity suggests that his Battle Aura has reached a remarkably advanced level, far beyond what was required for Adalin’s Silver Rank advancement.
• Fellion uses a single drop of the blood of the legendary North Sea Snow Demon to suppress the heat. The substance is priceless, and Fellion is visibly distressed by wasting it, while Nimo finds his reaction amusing.
• In the Royal Capital, political tension escalates after Wisdom Shield submits a formal memorial accusing his brother, Tamu, of eighteen serious crimes. The memorial forces King Moss XIII into a dangerous decision:
  • Investigate the charges and potentially depose or kill Tamu, or
  • Reject the charges, protect Tamu, and allow Tamu and the Church to retaliate against Wisdom Shield.
• Moss XIII reviews the accusations with his intelligence chief, Kui Yi. Several claims are confirmed, including corruption in Kailan City and its former lord’s alliance with the First Prince.
• Moss learns that Kailan City is now controlled by the Blackwood Gang, whose chief fighter was formerly associated with Wisdom Shield. This reveals that Wisdom Shield has developed a powerful and previously hidden intelligence network.
• The Seventh Prince has disappeared after an attempted assassination. Moss suspects the Buji Family, but Kui Yi argues that they likely lack the necessary expert and potion master to carry it out—and are genuinely alarmed by the disappearance.
• Moss also investigates Fellion after learning that he has recently requested unusually large quantities of potions. The orders appear ordinary, but the increase raises Moss’s suspicions.
• After comparing the memorial with Kui Yi’s findings, Moss acknowledges Wisdom Shield’s growth but decides that the memorial has been submitted too soon. When he asks Kui Yi how much more time is needed, Kui Yi answers: “A war.”

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates a dramatic increase in power, producing heat that indicates substantial mastery of Battle Aura.
• Fellion is shown to possess extremely rare and valuable resources, including North Sea Snow Demon blood, but he is also protective and resentful of wasting them.
• Nimo remains irreverent and amused by Fellion’s frustration, though he knows when to avoid provoking his teacher.
• Wisdom Shield emerges as a politically capable strategist. His memorial is carefully constructed to force the king into an unavoidable confrontation and proves that he has established an intelligence network beyond Moss XIII’s awareness.
• Moss XIII displays patience, political sophistication, and growing suspicion. Rather than reacting immediately, he evaluates the accusations, investigates hidden developments, and waits for a more favorable moment.
• Kui Yi acts as Moss’s trusted intelligence officer, providing verification and recognizing the military scale of the preparations ahead.

Significant Themes

• Political brinkmanship: Wisdom Shield’s memorial is less about the specific crimes than about forcing Moss XIII to reveal his allegiance.
• Power and hidden influence: Both magical strength and political authority are measured indirectly—Chen Cheng through heat, and Wisdom Shield through the reach of his intelligence network.
• Patience versus premature action: Moss XIII believes Wisdom Shield has moved before the conditions are ready, emphasizing the importance of timing in political conflict.
• Escalating instability: The disappearance of the Seventh Prince, the rivalry between the brothers, and the possible involvement of the Church all suggest that the kingdom is approaching civil war.
• Sacrifice and rare resources: Fellion’s use of the Snow Demon blood highlights the immense costs required to control extraordinary power.

Character Interactions

• Fellion and Nimo exchange a tense but familiar reprimand after Fellion uses the rare blood. Their interaction reveals both Fellion’s anger and Nimo’s teasing familiarity with him.
• Moss XIII and Kui Yi conduct a detailed strategic briefing. Moss questions Kui Yi closely, testing information about Wisdom Shield, the Seventh Prince, and Fellion.
• Moss’s response to Wisdom Shield is complicated: he is genuinely impressed by the prince’s political growth, yet remains cold and calculating about when to act.
• The chapter ends with Moss and Kui Yi implicitly preparing for a large-scale conflict, with Kui Yi’s single-word answer—“A war”—indicating that political maneuvering is about to become open military confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Rebellion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Moss XIII pretends to be enraged by Earl Huidun’s memorial and collapses unconscious, creating the appearance that he can no longer judge the struggle over the throne.
• Before leaving, Kui Yi kneels and bows three times, then departs to carry out Moss XIII’s preparations. Moss summons the guards, who find him unconscious and the memorial scattered around the throne.
• News of the King’s collapse spreads, causing ministers and nobles to withdraw. Without Moss XIII’s ruling, the succession dispute becomes a direct contest of force between the princes.
• First Prince Tam is pleased that Moss has “taken the bait.” He openly sends letters to the military camps around the capital, offering generous rewards and promising the “Merit of Following the Dragon” to those who support him.
• Earl Huidun remains calm and refuses to launch a civil war. He explains that the operation is a political struggle modeled on the Xuanwu Gate Incident, not an attempt to seize the entire army. As long as Moss XIII remains alive, ultimate military authority still belongs to the King.
• Huidun orders cannons to be prepared to defend his mansion and tells Princess Fipsa to wait rather than rush to the palace.
• Officers in the capital’s military camps are tempted by Tam’s promises, especially because some lower-ranking soldiers have already been influenced by the Church and Tam.
• The North City Defense Army enters the capital and surrounds Huidun’s mansion, apparently acting on behalf of one of the princes. The residents fear that the military movement will lead to widespread bloodshed.
• Huidun opens the mansion gates and reveals cannons aimed at the troops. He intimidates the soldiers and accuses their commanders of rebellion and deception.
• Through a forceful war of words, Huidun undermines the North City Defense Army’s morale. Since the soldiers have not yet fought, they begin to question whether they can safely return from the rebellion and look for an excuse to turn against their commanders.

Character Developments

• Moss XIII: Demonstrates strategic cunning by staging his collapse and secretly setting events in motion. His apparent helplessness is part of a calculated political maneuver.
• Kui Yi: Shows deep loyalty and obedience to Moss XIII, accepting his assignment without hesitation after formally paying respects.
• First Prince Tam: Reveals his eagerness for open confrontation. He believes Moss’s collapse has created the opportunity to use the army against Huidun and his faction.
• Earl Huidun: Displays composure, political insight, and psychological skill. Rather than panic or immediately fight, he relies on the King’s continued authority, defensive preparations, and manipulation of the soldiers’ doubts.
• Princess Fipsa: Though experienced in politics, she becomes emotionally unsettled because the conflict threatens her son. Huidun steadies her and persuades her to wait.
• The North City commanders and soldiers: Initially tempted by rewards, they become increasingly uncertain when Huidun exposes the legal and political dangers of their actions.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and deception: Moss XIII’s collapse is staged to remove himself from the visible conflict while forcing the rival factions into action.
• Power versus legitimacy: Tam attempts to gain control through military backing, while Huidun argues that acting without the King’s orders constitutes rebellion.
• Psychological warfare: Huidun’s cannons are important, but his sharper weapon is his ability to make the soldiers fear that they have been deceived and cannot safely continue.
• The danger of impulsive rebellion: The soldiers are drawn in by promises of reward, but once violence fails to begin, they have time to reconsider the consequences.
• Political conflict replacing open civil war: Huidun emphasizes that control of the army is secondary while Moss XIII lives; the immediate battle is over authority, perception, and the right to command.

Important Character Interactions

• Moss XIII secretly instructs Kui Yi to proceed with the plan, then stages his collapse before the palace guards.
• Tam’s letters appeal directly to military commanders and encourage them to support his bid for the throne.
• Huidun explains his strategy to Fipsa, calming her fears and convincing her that patience is safer than rushing to the palace.
• Huidun confronts the North City troops at his gates, using threats, accusations, and confidence to reverse the psychological balance.
• His exchange with the North City Defense General turns the soldiers against their own leadership by portraying the general as someone who has deceived them into rebellion.

Chapter Summary: “Confrontation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The defense general and his army reach Wisdom Shield’s mansion without facing resistance, realizing that Wisdom Shield deliberately allowed them to arrive so he could dismantle their rebellion through persuasion rather than battle.
• Wisdom Shield exposes the rebellion’s weakness, emphasizing that First Prince Tum has committed treason and harmed the king and his brothers.
• He offers the soldiers a way to escape punishment: abandon the rebellion and help arrest Tum. Their crimes will be erased, and they will even gain merit for supporting the king.
• The army’s morale collapses. The soldiers turn against the defense general and his loyal captains, arresting and binding them under the pressure of their Military Formation.
• Rather than immediately advancing, Wisdom Shield keeps the converted army in place and sends letters to the other three defense generals, describing the situation and attempting to influence their decisions.
• Wisdom Shield changes into armor and publicly declares that he will restore order and capture Tum.
• Meanwhile, Tum prepares his own forces. He has secured Church-trained Platinum Rank deathsworn to assassinate or replace any defense generals who refuse to support him, intending to seize control of the entire Royal Capital defense corps.
• Tum leaves his mansion with the Imperial Knights to arrest Wisdom Shield, confident that his military forces and Church support will ensure victory.
• Wisdom Shield and Tum meet on Central Avenue. Tum shows no fear, surprising Wisdom Shield, who had expected him to panic after the rebellion’s exposure.
• Wisdom Shield attempts to undermine Tum by accusing him of treason and urging the Royal Guard Knights to remember their loyalty to the royal family. The knights remain committed to Tum.
• Tum orders the Imperial Knights to attack. The two sides form their respective Military Formations, and the chapter ends as their battle auras and military momentum collide.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield: Demonstrates strategic intelligence and psychological control. Rather than relying on force, he exploits the soldiers’ uncertainty and gives them a politically convenient reason to defect. He remains cautious when Tum’s lack of fear suggests that Tum may have an unexpected plan.
• Tum: Reveals himself as ruthless, ambitious, and thoroughly prepared. He has anticipated resistance, arranged Church-backed assassins, and secured the loyalty of the Imperial Knights. His confidence shows that he still believes victory is within reach.
• Defense General: His attempted rebellion collapses rapidly. Although he initially tries to defend Tum’s cause, he loses control once the army’s resolve is shaken and is eventually arrested.
• Chen Cheng: Continues to guide Wisdom Shield’s strategy, emphasizing psychological warfare, political legitimacy, and controlling the enemy’s rhythm.
• Xiaodun: Carries out Chen Cheng’s orders by drafting and sending messages to the other defense generals.

Significant Themes

• Psychological warfare over physical strength: Wisdom Shield wins over the army by attacking its morale and offering an honorable escape before violence begins.
• Legitimacy and political framing: Both sides present themselves as defenders of the king and righteous order, showing how rebellion depends on controlling the narrative.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Most soldiers abandon the defense general when offered safety and merit, while the Imperial Knights remain loyal to Tum despite accusations of treason.
• Preparation and hidden intentions: Tum’s confidence implies that he has plans Wisdom Shield does not yet understand, creating tension before the battle.
• The fragility of rebellion: Without firm justification and long-term organization, a military uprising can collapse as soon as its soldiers begin doubting their cause.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield verbally confronts the defense general and his army, persuading the soldiers to turn against their commanders.
• Chen Cheng advises Xiaodun and coordinates the political response, ensuring the other generals are informed.
• Tum and Wisdom Shield exchange accusations on Central Avenue, each portraying the other as the true traitor.
• Wisdom Shield tries to appeal to the Imperial Knights’ loyalty to the royal family, but Tum’s personal authority proves stronger.
• Tum’s command to “Kill” transforms the political confrontation into an open military clash between the North City Defense Army and the Imperial Knights.

Chapter Summary: “A Battle Between Brothers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A collision between the Military Momentum phantoms causes a massive explosion in Central Avenue, destroying the marble paving and sending debris toward nearby homes.
• Xiaodun and Wisdom Shield’s Imperial Knights protect civilians while evacuating them through the back entrances. At the same time, fighting breaks out behind the houses.
• Tamu taunts Wisdom Shield for protecting civilians and suggests that the Imperial Knights will be vulnerable without the Military Formation’s protection.
• Marquis Solon intervenes when Tamu’s forces attack Wisdom Shield’s side. He confronts Quse, a Church expert who has secretly advanced to Epic Rank.
• Solon reveals that he, too, has reached Epic Rank, thanks to resources secretly provided by the King. Both Solon’s and Quse’s breakthroughs were intended to counter Tamu.
• Tamu realizes that the King and the Church had each prepared a hidden weapon against him. Rather than being intimidated, he decides that everyone present must die.
• Tamu orders the Imperial Knights to change formation. Their Military Momentum transforms from a holy knight into a demonic, horned warrior wielding a blade surrounded by demonic flames.
• The transformed Military Momentum overwhelms the North City Defense Army’s formation, causing severe backlash. Many soldiers cough blood, while the Imperial Knights themselves rapidly age from the enormous cost of the attack.
• Taking advantage of Wisdom Shield’s distraction, Tamu attacks him directly. Their clash demonstrates the difference between their realms: Wisdom Shield’s diverse magic can delay Tamu, but cannot overcome his superior physical strength.
• Wisdom Shield uses ice and wood magic to immobilize Tamu, but Tamu easily breaks free with Battle Aura.
• Wisdom Shield combines earth and fire magic to create a magma sphere, inspired by Chen Cheng’s earlier “Song of Ice and Fire” technique. Tamu shatters the sphere but redirects the molten magma toward the already weakened North City Defense Army.
• Wisdom Shield uses the last of his Magic Energy to raise an ice wall and protect the soldiers. While he is occupied, Tamu attempts to kill him with a direct punch.
• An elderly man in coarse clothing suddenly appears and blocks Tamu’s attack with a shield, though the force breaks his arm and heavily dents the shield. Tamu prepares to strike again.

Character Developments

• Tamu becomes increasingly ruthless and determined. He views every participant in the conflict as an enemy who must be eliminated, showing that his ambition has completely overridden familial loyalty or restraint.
• Wisdom Shield demonstrates compassion by prioritizing civilian safety and protecting the North City Defense Army, even while fighting a stronger opponent. His creativity as a mage also develops through his attempt to fuse earth and fire magic.
• Solon is revealed to have secretly advanced to Epic Rank with the King’s support. His hidden strength shows that the King anticipated Tamu’s rebellion and prepared a countermeasure.
• Quse also reveals a secret advancement to Epic Rank, intended as the Church’s trump card against Tamu. His admission highlights the political and military maneuvering surrounding the battle.
• The Imperial Knights display extraordinary loyalty and power, but their transformed formation exacts a terrible price, consuming their lifespans.
• The elderly shield-bearer emerges as a mysterious protector willing to sacrifice himself to save Wisdom Shield.

Significant Themes

• Family conflict and betrayal: The battle is framed as a struggle between brothers, with Tamu opposing Wisdom Shield and rejecting the authority of their father.
• Hidden preparation and political intrigue: Both the King and the Church have secretly cultivated powerful Epic Rank experts, revealing a wider contest of schemes beyond the battlefield.
• Power versus compassion: Tamu uses overwhelming force without concern for civilians, while Wisdom Shield repeatedly weakens himself to protect soldiers and residents.
• The cost of power: The Imperial Knights’ transformation grants them tremendous strength but rapidly drains their lifespans, emphasizing that victory may require devastating sacrifice.
• Innovation through imitation: Wisdom Shield adapts Chen Cheng’s technique and experiments with combining magical attributes, showing his growth as a creative combatant.
• Loyalty and self-sacrifice: Soldiers, knights, and the elderly protector risk their lives for their leaders, contrasting with Tamu’s increasingly self-centered ruthlessness.

Character Interactions

• Tamu taunts Wisdom Shield over his mercy and attacks him repeatedly, creating the central personal confrontation.
• Solon and Quse meet as newly revealed Epic Rank opponents, each representing a hidden factional weapon.
• Tamu recognizes that both Solon and Quse were prepared specifically to stop him, deepening his distrust of the King and the Church.
• Wisdom Shield and Tamu exchange increasingly powerful attacks, with Wisdom Shield relying on spell variety and strategy while Tamu depends on superior physical strength and Battle Aura.
• Wisdom Shield protects the North City Defense Army from the consequences of Tamu’s redirected magma attack, allowing Tamu an opening to strike.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as the mysterious old man blocks Tamu’s killing blow and prepares to endure another attack.

Chapter Summary: “Blade Speed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Civilians surrounding Tangmu reveal themselves as armed allies who have defeated, captured, or driven away the death warriors Tangmu had positioned in nearby houses.
• Wisdom Shield explains that these civilians were meant to ambush Tangmu after he exhausted his hidden trump card. He had also prepared a Space Magic scroll to evade Tangmu and stall until the North City Defense Army defeated the Imperial Knights.
• Tangmu recognizes Wisdom Shield’s strategy but refuses to surrender, claiming that he still has another decisive move.
• On Tangmu’s command, the Imperial Knights activate their Military Formation. A massive demonic figure materializes, its power suppressing all domain-based abilities and threatening to annihilate the opposing forces.
• Before the formation can strike, She Li emerges from the shadows and kills more than a thousand Imperial Knights with a single impossibly fast sword attack. The Military Formation collapses, leaving only the wind from its unfinished swing.
• Another Epic Rank Knight of Light appears, putting Solon and the allied forces under renewed pressure. Nevertheless, the adventurers focus on restraining Tangmu, recognizing that controlling the rebellion’s leader is the key to ending the conflict.
• She Li retrieves the military banner and is revealed to be connected to Chen Cheng. Chen Cheng arrives pushing the Seventh Prince Tanding in a wheelchair.
• Chen Cheng mourns the Imperial Knights who died because of Tangmu’s ambitions, thanks the adventurers for their help, and confirms that the assassination forces sent against Tanding have been defeated.
• He declares Tangmu’s rebellion finished and his schemes exposed. Tangmu responds not with anger or fear, but with wild laughter.

Character Developments

• Tangmu: Remains arrogant and defiant even after his forces are destroyed. His refusal to surrender and his final laughter suggest either madness, confidence in another hidden plan, or complete psychological collapse.
• Wisdom Shield: Demonstrates careful planning and insight into Tangmu’s personality, preparing both civilian reinforcements and a teleportation scroll. He also shows concern for the survival of Tangmu’s soldiers despite opposing him.
• She Li: Reveals overwhelming combat ability by instantly killing the Imperial Knights and destroying their supposedly unstoppable formation. His arrival changes the battle decisively.
• Chen Cheng: Appears as the strategic force behind the counterattack. He openly supports Wisdom Shield, protects Tanding, acknowledges the adventurers, and formally declares the rebellion defeated.
• The Adventurers: Prove their loyalty and courage by entering a dangerous battle despite knowing the risks. They quickly identify Tangmu and Wisdom Shield as the central figures whose control will determine the outcome.
• Solon: Continues fighting powerful Church forces but is forced to recognize that the situation has worsened when another Epic Rank opponent appears.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Both sides rely on concealed allies, trump cards, infiltrators, and ambushes. The battle is shaped as much by preparation and information as by direct combat.
• The danger of ambition: Tangmu’s political ambitions lead to the deaths of his own elite soldiers, reinforcing Chen Cheng’s condemnation of leaders who sacrifice others for power.
• Loyalty and gratitude: The adventurers fight because of the Dojo’s kindness, while Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield protect one another despite the chaos surrounding them.
• The contrast between spectacle and true power: Tangmu’s grand Military Formation appears invincible, yet She Li destroys it in a single silent strike, emphasizing that raw scale does not guarantee victory.
• Uncertainty after apparent victory: Although Chen Cheng announces the rebellion’s end, Tangmu’s laughter leaves open the possibility that he still possesses another secret or that the conflict is not truly over.

Important Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield and Tangmu exchange mutual recognition as schemers, with Tangmu regretting that Wisdom Shield is his brother.
• Wisdom Shield urges Tangmu to surrender to save his troops, but Tangmu rejects the offer and activates the Imperial Knights’ final formation.
• She Li ignores Wisdom Shield’s question about Chen Cheng and instead moves to reunite with Chen Cheng and Tanding.
• Chen Cheng embraces Wisdom Shield, joking about his concern for Chen Cheng’s safety and reaffirming their familiar, irreverent relationship.
• Chen Cheng confronts Tangmu directly, announces the failure of his assassination plot, and declares the rebellion over; Tangmu answers with uncontrollable laughter.

Chapter Summary: “Howl of a Defeated Dog”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng mockingly declares Tum’s angry reaction to be the “howl of a defeated dog,” then formally announces Tum’s arrest under the laws of the Thornflower Empire and Kingdom of Moss.
• Tum, overwhelmed by rage and fear, tries to attack Chen Cheng. She Li breaks both of Tum’s arms and restrains him, while Chen Cheng insists that Tum must remain alive to confess and face legal punishment.
• Wisdom Shield orders the North City Defense Army to return to their barracks, declaring the rebellion over and promising rewards for their service.
• Chen Cheng taunts Bishop Quse and the Knight of Light, who are still battling Solon in the air. Solon attacks with a powerful palm strike, forcing the Knight of Light to withdraw.
• The Knight of Light reveals that he has taken Wisdom Shield’s guard knight with him under the Pope’s orders. His departure also signals that Quse’s failed operation has cost him his chance to enter the Church’s Council of Elders.
• Quse chooses not to attack Chen Cheng and She Li, realizing that doing so would endanger the Church’s position in the Kingdom of Moss. He retreats to prepare for the kingdom’s likely retaliation.
• Wisdom Shield leads the captured Tum, the Seventh Prince, and the others to the Royal Palace to report to the king.
• Chen Cheng thanks the adventurers who aided them by granting them lifetime access to his successful Dojo.
• Chen Cheng and She Li then go to confront Prime Minister Holmes. Holmes reveals that, except for the North City Defense Army, his forces have secured the kingdom’s other three gates.
• Holmes admits that he interfered in military affairs and the succession struggle only to reduce the number of deaths, showing that his actions were motivated by a desire to limit bloodshed rather than personal ambition.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes more openly irreverent and confident, using humor and legal authority to intimidate Tum and provoke Quse. Beneath his jokes, however, he remains calculating: he deliberately avoids killing Tum and hopes Quse will attack so the Church can be decisively discredited.
• Tum is reduced from a rebellious prince to a helpless prisoner. His murderous rage and failed attempt to bite Chen Cheng reveal both his humiliation and desperation.
• She Li demonstrates overwhelming strength and loyalty to Chen Cheng, instantly crippling Tum and shielding Chen Cheng from danger.
• Wisdom Shield shows leadership by restoring order after the rebellion, though he admits privately that the situation could have become dangerous if Quse and the Knight of Light had attacked together.
• Bishop Quse suffers a major political defeat. Although furious and humiliated, he restrains himself and prioritizes preserving the Church’s influence in Moss.
• The Knight of Light remains detached and mission-focused, abandoning the failed operation and taking the guard knight with him according to the Pope’s orders.
• Holmes is portrayed as a pragmatic, morally conflicted political strategist. He has seized military control but claims his ultimate goal was to prevent unnecessary deaths.

Significant Themes

• Defeat and humiliation: Tum’s capture and Quse’s retreat show the collapse of the rebellion and the humiliation of those who sought power through force.
• Power and political maneuvering: Military control, royal succession, and Church influence are all presented as parts of a larger struggle for authority.
• Restraint versus revenge: Chen Cheng and Quse both have opportunities to act violently but understand that political consequences matter more than immediate satisfaction.
• Justice and legality: Chen Cheng invokes formal law to justify Tum’s arrest, suggesting that the rebellion will be settled through judgment as well as force.
• The cost of conflict: Holmes’s final statement emphasizes the chapter’s underlying concern with minimizing casualties, even when political manipulation is required.
• Humor as intimidation: Chen Cheng’s jokes ease tension for his allies while humiliating enemies and concealing his strategic intentions.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Tum: Chen Cheng mocks and legally arrests Tum, while Tum responds with murderous hatred. Chen Cheng prevents She Li from killing him so that Tum can later confess.
• Chen Cheng and She Li: She Li protects Chen Cheng and follows his orders, demonstrating their close trust and coordination.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Their teasing exchange shows their familiarity, while Wisdom Shield also acts as the responsible military leader who restores order.
• Chen Cheng and Quse: Chen Cheng deliberately provokes Quse, hoping to force the Church into making a politically disastrous attack.
• Solon, Quse, and the Knight of Light: Solon’s intervention helps end the aerial confrontation. The Knight of Light withdraws and informs Quse that the mission has failed and that he has taken the guard knight.
• Chen Cheng and the adventurers: Chen Cheng rewards their assistance with lifetime Dojo access, reinforcing his reputation and expanding the Dojo’s influence.
• Holmes and his subordinate: The subordinate fears the consequences of Holmes’s actions, while Holmes calmly accepts the political risks and insists that preventing greater loss of life was worthwhile.

Chapter Summary: “Fast Attack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A visitor warns Chancellor Holmis that his growing influence over military affairs and the royal succession makes him threatening to any ruler.
• Chen Cheng, Hui Dun’s military adviser, arrives at Holmis’s residence as an envoy. Holmis receives him respectfully, signaling that he recognizes Chen Cheng’s importance.
• During their meeting, Chen Cheng reports the events on Central Avenue: Hui Dun has defeated the First Prince Tum, captured him, and sent him to the Royal Palace.
• Chen Cheng reveals that She Li and Hui Dun’s forces destroyed more than a thousand Imperial Knights, the kingdom’s most elite troops—an outcome that visibly unsettles Holmis.
• Chen Cheng presents Tum as a traitor who deceived the sovereign, violated the law, acted above his station, and raised troops in rebellion. He implicitly portrays Hui Dun as the lawful and morally superior prince.
• Rather than allowing Holmis time to maneuver politically, Chen Cheng demands that he immediately write a memorial supporting Hui Dun’s position. When Holmis attempts to retreat to his study, Chen Cheng insists that he write it in the reception hall under supervision.
• She Li steps forward threateningly, making clear that Holmis cannot resist without risking serious consequences.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes more politically aggressive and strategically confident. He deliberately avoids a prolonged debate with Holmis, instead using direct accusations, military intimidation, and controlled pressure to force compliance.
• Holmis remains outwardly composed and pretends ignorance, but the destruction of the Imperial Knights exposes his concern. He realizes that the succession struggle has escalated into a potentially revolutionary crisis and that Hui Dun’s faction now holds overwhelming leverage.
• Hui Dun is presented through Chen Cheng’s account as the victor who has exposed Tum’s crimes and secured control of the succession struggle, though the narrative hints that his success depended on careful planning and covert military preparation.
• She Li functions as the silent embodiment of Hui Dun’s military power. His presence and reputation intimidate Holmis more effectively than words.
• Tum is politically discredited and framed as a rebel whose defeat removes the main obstacle to Hui Dun’s claim.

Significant Themes

• Political power and coercion: Authority is determined not only by laws or rank but by who controls military force and can impose immediate consequences.
• Appearance versus reality: Holmis pretends not to know what happened, while Chen Cheng presents a carefully constructed version of events that casts Hui Dun as righteous and Tum as wholly corrupt.
• Manipulation of legitimacy: Chen Cheng uses moral and legal accusations to transform a violent power struggle into a lawful punishment of rebellion.
• Speed as strategy: Chen Cheng’s “fast attack” is political as much as military. By confronting Holmis before he can scheme or delay, Chen Cheng prevents him from shaping the response.
• The collapse of old hierarchies: Holmis’s status as the foremost civil minister no longer guarantees control; military victories and decisive action now outweigh traditional rank.

Character Interactions

• The butler treats Chen Cheng as an important guest, and Holmis’s decision to bathe before receiving him demonstrates formal respect.
• Chen Cheng and Holmis engage in a polite but hostile exchange. Holmis relies on feigned ignorance, while Chen Cheng openly pressures him and refuses to be diverted.
• Chen Cheng uses She Li’s presence as an implicit threat, directing Holmis’s attention to the warrior responsible for destroying the Imperial Knights.
• By forcing Holmis to write the memorial immediately, Chen Cheng reverses the usual power dynamic: the Chancellor remains the senior official in rank, but Chen Cheng controls the encounter.

Summary of “Three Thoughts”

Key plot points and events

• Chen Cheng pressures Chancellor Holmes into writing a memorial, with She Li’s silent presence helping enforce the pressure.
• While waiting for paper and ink, Holmes tries to regain the upper hand by asking Chen Cheng about the “way of officialdom.”
• Chen Cheng introduces the

Three Thoughts of Officialdom

1. Consider danger—recognize threats and avoid them.
2. Consider retreat—withdraw from notice and conflict when necessary.
3. Consider change—use retreat to reflect, learn, and adapt.

• Holmes is deeply impressed because the principles match his own long-standing method of protecting himself and advancing politically. He regards Chen Cheng as a kindred spirit and even jokes that Chen Cheng could replace him.
• Chen Cheng then criticizes the Three Thoughts as refined self-interest. He argues that officials must also possess an enterprising spirit and actively benefit the people and the state rather than avoiding responsibility.
• Holmes considers this idealistic and impractical, believing officials who act on principle are unlikely to survive or rise in government.
• Chen Cheng counters that excessive pragmatism and self-protection eventually hollow out a dynasty. Idealism may be painful and short-lived, but it provides the foundation for a state’s strength and longevity.
• Chen Cheng reveals that he has been testing whether Holmes is capable of bearing a major responsibility. With the succession struggle over, Chen Cheng is preparing to begin a new phase of reforms.
• He argues that Holmes, as head of the Government Affairs Council, should transform idealistic principles into practical regulations. The implied model is a system like Zhang Juzheng’s Kaocheng Law, which required officials to complete measurable tasks on schedule.

Character developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates political confidence, rhetorical skill, and strategic thinking. Although he claims not to understand officialdom, he uses both cynical political wisdom and reformist idealism to manipulate and test Holmes.
• He is revealed to be planning beyond the succession struggle and seeking officials capable of implementing structural reforms.
• Holmes shifts from irritation and contempt to admiration when Chen Cheng articulates the Three Thoughts. He recognizes Chen Cheng as someone who understands his own survival-based philosophy.
• However, Holmes remains pragmatic and skeptical of idealism, believing that human nature naturally favors self-preservation. His response suggests he may be willing to support reform only when it is converted into enforceable rules.
• She Li remains largely silent but functions as an intimidating presence, preventing Holmes from retaliating against Chen Cheng and helping establish Chen Cheng’s dominance in the conversation.

Significant themes

• Self-preservation versus public duty: The Three Thoughts protect officials but may encourage passivity, opportunism, and avoidance of responsibility.
• Idealism versus political realism: Chen Cheng believes idealism is essential to building and sustaining a state, while Holmes sees it as dangerous unless moderated by practical considerations.
• Institutional reform: Good intentions are insufficient without systems that compel officials to act. Effective governance requires measurable responsibilities and accountability.
• Dynastic rise and decline: The passage presents a theory that dynasties are founded through idealism but decay when self-interest, social conventions, and personal connections replace public purpose.
• Political testing and manipulation: Chen Cheng uses philosophical discussion not merely to debate Holmes but to assess whether he can serve as an agent of reform.

Character interactions

• Chen Cheng and Holmes engage in a contest of wit and authority. Holmes attempts to condescend to Chen Cheng, but Chen Cheng responds with flattering yet provocative remarks.
• Chen Cheng’s explanation of the Three Thoughts temporarily wins Holmes’s admiration and creates a sense of intellectual intimacy between them.
• Their relationship changes again when Chen Cheng challenges the theory’s selfishness. Holmes becomes skeptical, while Chen Cheng deliberately presses him to reveal whether he can move beyond survival-oriented politics.
• She Li’s silent proximity reinforces Chen Cheng’s leverage and keeps Holmes from openly acting against him.
• By the end, Chen Cheng positions Holmes as the potential architect of a new administrative system, shifting their interaction from verbal sparring toward a possible political partnership.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield have developed a reform program intended to improve the kingdom’s administration, but they lack a suitable political leader to implement it.
• They identify Prime Minister Holmes as the ideal figurehead because he is ambitious and willing to challenge the entrenched aristocratic forces. However, Chen Cheng worries that Holmes’s pragmatism could lead him to compromise or betray the reforms.
• During their discussion of the “Three Thoughts of Officialdom,” Holmes exposes a fundamental flaw in Chen Cheng’s proposal for an assessment-based system of rewards and punishments: officials currently come almost entirely from hereditary aristocratic lineages.
• Since there is no imperial examination system—or any alternative mechanism for selecting officials—the kingdom cannot simply dismiss aristocratic officials and replace them.
• Chen Cheng initially realizes that his reform plan is impractical, but then proposes creating a new class of officials through civil service examinations.
• He explains that his New Learning schools already teach subjects such as finance, law, history, and humanities—precisely the skills needed by capable local administrators.
• Chen Cheng suggests that New Learning graduates could replace the ineffective aristocratic officials, giving the royal government a practical means to weaken the great lineages.
• Holmes recognizes the revolutionary implications of Chen Cheng’s plan and warns him that revealing too much of his ability could make him a target.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates flexibility and strategic intelligence. Although Holmes reveals a major weakness in his original proposal, Chen Cheng quickly adapts by envisioning a new official-selection system.
• Chen Cheng also reveals that his ambitions extend beyond education and economic development: he is indirectly planning a transformation of the kingdom’s entire political structure.
• Holmes shifts from dismissive skepticism to wary respect. He recognizes both the seriousness of Chen Cheng’s ideas and the danger they pose to the aristocracy and existing political order.
• Holmes proves himself politically perceptive, identifying practical obstacles that Chen Cheng had overlooked. At the same time, his warning shows concern for Chen Cheng’s safety.
• Chen Cheng’s position as a teacher allows him to present the reforms as someone else’s responsibility, protecting himself while placing Holmes and the king in charge of implementation.

3. Significant Themes

• Institutional reform versus personal leadership: Reforms require not only good ideas but also a leader capable of confronting entrenched interests.
• The dangers of hereditary government: The kingdom’s dependence on aristocratic lineages prevents merit-based promotion and makes administrative reform nearly impossible.
• Education as a political weapon: New Learning is presented not merely as an academic movement but as a system capable of producing an entirely new governing class.
• Pragmatism and political risk: Reformers must consider whether institutions can actually be replaced and whether powerful groups will accept change.
• Strategic concealment: Chen Cheng’s growing influence creates danger, and Holmes emphasizes that exposing one’s talents too openly can provoke retaliation.
• The foundations of capitalist transformation: The creation of a professional, merit-based bureaucracy is shown to be part of the broader economic and political transformation Chen Cheng envisions.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Holmes engage in a tense but intellectually productive debate. Holmes challenges Chen Cheng’s assumptions, forcing him to confront the kingdom’s lack of a viable official-selection system.
• Chen Cheng responds not by retreating but by introducing the concept of civil service examinations and connecting it to the New Learning schools.
• Holmes gradually moves from mockery to alarm and respect as he realizes Chen Cheng intends to replace aristocratic governance with a merit-based bureaucracy.
• Their exchange establishes a cautious partnership: Chen Cheng supplies the ideas and potential personnel, while Holmes and the king would have to carry out the political struggle.
• The chapter ends with Holmes offering Chen Cheng a guarded warning, suggesting that he sees both the promise of Chen Cheng’s vision and the personal danger it creates.

Chapter Summary: The Weeping Queen

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng, still disguised as a slave, feels increasing urgency after learning that Samlet is recruiting troops in the City of Sin on his behalf. He realizes he has little time left to prepare or change identities.
• Prime Minister Holmes reveals that he has begun to trust Chen Cheng, suggesting that Chen’s earlier words may inspire Emperor Moss XIII to survive several more years and purge opponents threatening Wisdom Shield.
• Holmes writes an official memorial using the writing style and format associated with Hui Dun. He explains that he has petitioned the Emperor to require all Government Affairs Council documents to follow this clearer format.
• Holmes asks Chen Cheng to write a visiting card requesting an audience with Marquis Solon. After Chen Cheng leaves with the memorial, Holmes’s relaxed demeanor disappears, and he immediately travels to Solon’s residence, implying that he is making a significant political move.
• As Holmes’s carriage races through the capital, dark clouds gather, reflecting the tense and ominous political situation.
• Wisdom Shield escorts the defeated Tanding into the Royal Palace. The Imperial Knights initially refuse them entry because the palace is under lockdown, but Moss XIII personally orders the restrictions lifted.
• In the Emperor’s chamber, Tanding’s mother—the Queen—is already grieving. Wisdom Shield allows mother and son a brief private reunion.
• The Queen embraces and strikes Tanding while lamenting his actions and her own inability to save him. Tanding admits his failure and begs her to help him escape death, but she lacks the courage to rebel or kill him herself.
• Tanding finally demands that Wisdom Shield take him before the Emperor for judgment. When Tanding insults Wisdom Shield for calling the Queen “Queen Mother,” Wisdom Shield slaps him hard enough to knock out several teeth.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Shows urgency and adaptability as he continues operating under a vulnerable disguise. His growing influence is evident in Holmes’s willingness to treat him as a trusted ally.
• Holmes: Reveals himself as a calculating political strategist. His memorial and sudden visit to Marquis Solon suggest he is actively maneuvering during the succession crisis, despite maintaining a calm appearance around Chen Cheng.
• Wisdom Shield: Demonstrates both compassion and authority. He allows the Queen and Tanding a private farewell, pities the Queen, and tries to show restraint, but reacts decisively when Tanding insults him.
• Tanding: Is revealed as ashamed, frightened, and unwilling to face execution at an enemy’s hands. Despite having plotted revenge for his mother, he now depends on her emotionally and shows little bravery in defeat.
• The Queen: Appears deeply sorrowful and powerless. She loves her son but lacks the strength to resist the political order or personally help him escape his fate.
• Moss XIII: Though gravely ill, he retains authority over the palace and makes the crucial decision to admit Wisdom Shield and Tanding.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and hidden agendas: Holmes’s actions show that official documents, personal visits, and seemingly minor requests may all serve broader political schemes.
• Succession, power, and inevitable defeat: Tanding’s downfall reflects the brutal consequences of royal struggles, where losing claimants often face death.
• Family loyalty versus political reality: The Queen loves Tanding but cannot protect him, while Tanding’s earlier desire to avenge her has led to his own capture.
• Appearances and identity: Chen Cheng’s disguise, Holmes’s false ease, and the formal language of political documents emphasize the gap between outward appearances and true intentions.
• Grief and helplessness: The Queen’s mourning represents the human cost of political conflict, while the gathering storm mirrors the chapter’s atmosphere of impending upheaval.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Holmes: Their conversation marks a growing alliance. Holmes openly acknowledges Chen Cheng’s value and entrusts him with the memorial.
• Holmes and his steward: Holmes sharply dismisses the steward’s concern about visiting Marquis Solon, revealing his determination and authority.
• Wisdom Shield and the Queen: Wisdom Shield shows sympathy by giving her time with Tanding, though he remains committed to carrying out the judgment.
• The Queen and Tanding: Their emotional reunion exposes their mutual love, guilt, and helplessness. Tanding seeks comfort and escape, while the Queen can offer only tears.
• Tanding and Wisdom Shield: Their interaction ends in open hostility, with Tanding provoking Wisdom Shield and receiving a brutal slap in response.

Chapter Summary: “The Momentum”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wisdom Shield condemns Tamu for causing the Queen’s anguish and orders the Queen returned to the palace, where the princesses and royal physicians can care for her.
• Tamu, despite being defeated, restrained, and injured, remains arrogant and accuses Wisdom Shield of plotting to use the Queen to legitimize his identity.
• Wisdom Shield drags Tamu before the gravely ill Moss XIII. The King allows Tamu to be untied and orders everyone to let him speak.
• Tamu reveals that his rebellion was not a reckless act. He had spent years placing supporters throughout the court and bribing provincial nobles and city lords.
• He implies that his apparent foolishness and military revolt were deliberate, claiming he acted for Moss XIII’s sake—playing both “the fool” and “the executioner.”
• Tamu’s words suggest that Moss XIII, Tamu, and Tanding share knowledge of a hidden truth that Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng do not. Moss XIII angrily orders him to stop speaking.
• Wisdom Shield refuses to be drawn into the mystery. Since he has publicly captured the rebel First Prince and brought him into the palace, he considers the immediate political struggle won.
• He declares that Moss XIII has gone mad and orders him imprisoned pending judgment.
• A violent rainstorm breaks over the Royal Capital. As the city’s bloodstained streets are washed clean, an invisible political “momentum” begins to gather.
• Powerful figures throughout the capital—including dukes, marquises, and archbishops—sense that a major development has occurred.
• At Marquis Solon’s residence, Holmes and Solon discuss the large-scale mobilization that made the day’s events possible. Holmes suggests the First Prince had discovered the plan long ago and may have joined the previous relic exploration in preparation for it.
• Holmes also reveals that Berkeley, previously thought to be connected to the Church, had access to his documents and may have played a role in the unfolding conspiracy. If Berkeley truly served the Church, Holmes believes the current momentum could not have formed successfully.

Character Developments

• Wisdom Shield becomes increasingly decisive and politically pragmatic. Rather than seek answers about the royal secret, he focuses on consolidating his victory, protecting the Queen, and removing Tamu from the political board.
• Tamu is exposed as far more calculating than he appeared. His rebellion was likely a carefully designed performance, and his apparent madness may conceal a deliberate sacrifice or larger plan.
• Moss XIII appears physically and emotionally near death. His anger at Tamu’s revelations suggests guilt, fear, or desperation over a secret he has concealed from some of his sons.
• The Queen is portrayed as emotionally shattered by Tamu’s rebellion, while Wisdom Shield tries to preserve her will to live by reminding her of her daughters.
• Tanding remains silent and composed, implying that he already understands the hidden circumstances surrounding Tamu and Moss XIII.
• Chen Cheng realizes that important truths have been deliberately withheld from him, placing him outside the inner circle of royal knowledge.
• Holmes and Solon shift from discussing court affairs to recognizing the larger political forces now moving through the kingdom.

Significant Themes

• Political power as performance: Tamu’s rebellion may have been staged or intentionally limited, showing that apparent defeat can serve a larger political objective.
• Secrets within the royal family: Several characters possess different pieces of a concealed truth, creating distrust and dividing the princes.
• Legitimacy and identity: Wisdom Shield’s status as the legitimate heir is reinforced, while Tamu continues to attack him as a “mongrel.”
• Sacrifice and manipulation: Tamu claims to have acted as both fool and executioner for Moss XIII, suggesting that political loyalty may require individuals to ruin themselves.
• Momentum and inevitability: The storm and the reactions of the capital’s elites symbolize a major political shift that can no longer be stopped.
• The cleansing of violence: The rain washing away the blood on Central Avenue mirrors the kingdom’s attempt to erase the visible evidence of conflict while deeper consequences remain.

Character Interactions

• Wisdom Shield attempts to protect and manage the Queen, then directly confronts Tamu.
• Tamu provokes Wisdom Shield by questioning his birth and legitimacy, while Wisdom Shield struggles to restrain his anger.
• Moss XIII controls the confrontation by allowing Tamu to speak, but his fury reveals that Tamu’s accusations strike close to the truth.
• Tamu addresses Moss XIII as both a resentful son and a claimant seeking recognition, while also taunting Tanding and Chen Cheng over their ignorance.
• Solon challenges Holmes for failing to warn the court, but Holmes argues that the events had already progressed too far.
• Holmes and Solon jointly infer that the First Prince had anticipated the current upheaval and that Berkeley’s position may have been central to the political maneuvering.

Summary of “Tamu’s Scheme”

Key plot points and events

• Holmes reveals to Solon that he suspects First Prince Tamu deceived everyone during the recent uprising and gained something from the Divine Finger, despite having supposedly handed it over to the Church.
• Holmes believes the uprising may have been part of a larger plot involving Tamu, Berkeley, and possibly the Old Duke. Moss XIII’s unexplained illness and refusal to meet foreign ministers have left the government without clear direction.
• To prepare for possible danger, Holmes proposes mobilizing the army and forming the Hun Tian Army Formation. Solon initially objects because they lack a legitimate Imperial Decree.
• Holmes admits he has a supposed Imperial Decree, but it is actually a forgery. Solon unknowingly stamps it with his marquis’s seal, causing the document to become effectively valid and allowing other military seals to resonate with it.
• Holmes and Solon use the forged decree to mobilize the capital’s garrisons. The troops begin assembling the Hun Tian Army Formation amid a violent storm.
• In the palace, Tamu observes the formation of the Great Momentum and announces that the Kingdom of Moss is about to produce a true demigod.
• Tamu then cruelly tells Wisdom Shield that he is merely a disposable chess piece, revealing that the soldiers who believed they had joined a righteous cause were manipulated by the royal faction.
• Enraged, Wisdom Shield attacks Tamu and repeatedly punches him. Chen Cheng arrives during the assault and questions what Wisdom Shield is doing.

Character developments

• Holmes moves from cautious political self-preservation to decisive action. Inspired by Chen Cheng’s ideas about reforming the official-selection system, he chooses to gamble his reputation and possibly his position in order to protect the kingdom and preserve the possibility of future reform.
• Solon shifts from anger and suspicion to cooperation. Although he realizes the decree is forged, he accepts the risk and helps activate it, even joking that losing his title might let him pursue new technology with his son.
• Tamu is revealed as calculating and manipulative, possessing a strategy reminiscent of Moss XIII’s methods during the Succession Struggle. His apparent cooperation in the uprising was likely a deception designed to further his own plans.
• Wisdom Shield discovers that he has been excluded from the true royal strategy and treated as a pawn. His humiliation turns into explosive anger, leading him to physically attack Tamu.
• Moss XIII remains mysterious and inactive, claiming illness while apparently allowing events to proceed according to a hidden understanding or plan.
• Chen Cheng continues to influence events indirectly through the ideas he shared with Holmes, and his arrival at the end places him directly in the palace confrontation.

Significant themes

• Political deception and manipulation: The chapter emphasizes that rulers and factions treat soldiers, officials, and even allies as expendable pieces in a larger political game.
• Risk versus self-preservation: Holmes must choose between protecting his established power and risking everything to act against a possible national crisis.
• Legitimacy versus necessity: The forged decree highlights the tension between legal authority and urgent action. Although the order is technically fraudulent, Solon’s seal gives it practical force.
• Ambition and legacy: Holmes’s decision is motivated not only by immediate danger but also by his desire to leave behind meaningful reforms and be remembered as a great Chancellor.
• Betrayal and disillusionment: Wisdom Shield’s discovery that he was manipulated destroys his faith in the cause he believed he served.
• The hidden power of the royal family: Tamu’s scheme and Moss XIII’s past suggest that the kingdom’s succession and political struggles are governed by elaborate, ruthless strategies.

Important character interactions

• Holmes and Solon: They argue over Holmes’s secrecy and hesitation, but ultimately cooperate in the dangerous military mobilization.
• Holmes and Chen Cheng: Though Chen Cheng does not appear until the end, his earlier political ideas inspire Holmes to take action and gamble on reform.
• Tamu and Wisdom Shield: Tamu deliberately humiliates Wisdom Shield by calling him a bastard and a pawn, provoking Wisdom Shield into attacking him.
• Moss XIII, Tamu, and Wisdom Shield: Their contrasting awareness creates dramatic tension: Moss XIII and Tamu understand the larger plan, while Wisdom Shield realizes he has been excluded from it.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Chen Cheng’s arrival interrupts the beating and leaves the immediate consequences of the confrontation unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Changing Faces”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng arrives in the royal bedchamber to find Tamu being restrained and beaten by Wisdom Shield. Rather than allowing the confrontation to continue as a simple display of power, Chen Cheng reframes it as a legal matter.
• He cites the Royal Management Act, arguing that Tamu has been stripped of his royal status and reduced to slavery because of his crimes. He then kicks and humiliates Tamu while presenting his actions as legally justified.
• Chen Cheng argues that, with Moss XIII gravely ill, the First Prince disgraced, and the Seventh Prince uninterested in governing, Wisdom Shield is the only person present with authority to make decisions. Since Wisdom Shield was Tamu’s primary victim, Chen claims he has the right to purchase Tamu as a slave.
• Chen’s deliberately absurd legal reasoning disrupts the power struggle in the room and publicly establishes that Wisdom Shield and his allies now control the situation.
• Chen reveals that he came specifically to support Wisdom Shield. She Li had detected a strange, ominous force—described as a cloud carrying the aura of a Blood Fiend—forming over the Royal Capital after the fight between Wisdom Shield and Tamu.
• Chen suspects that Moss XIII and Chancellor Holmes knew about or helped orchestrate the confrontation, possibly to trigger the appearance of this mysterious force. Holmes had indirectly directed Chen to Tamu’s location, prompting Chen to rush to the palace.
• Chen orders Wisdom Shield to resume their original plan and present the Imperial Decree rewarding the soldiers, thereby securing their loyalty.
• Moss XIII angrily condemns Chen’s insolence, while Tamu mocks Wisdom Shield’s reliance on him. Chen silences Tamu by forcing a rain-soaked shoe into his mouth and making clear that Tamu is being kept alive only because he remains useful.
• Chen confronts Moss XIII, asserting that the mysterious force cannot defeat them because Wisdom Shield’s faction now has the advantage and controls the battlefield.
• Chen presents a memorial written by Chancellor Holmes. Moss XIII realizes that Wisdom Shield has gained significant political backing and that his son’s influence has become substantial.
• Wisdom Shield confirms that the events reflect his own intentions. He declares that he has won their “game” and threatens Moss XIII with 125 large howitzers aimed at the palace, promising that no one will survive if the king breaks his word.
• Having finally embraced the ruthless political methods taught by his father, Wisdom Shield collapses emotionally against a pillar. Chen reassures him that, with She Li’s protection, they will still be able to escape.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes more openly bold, irreverent, and politically manipulative. He uses legal technicalities, mockery, and physical intimidation to protect Wisdom Shield and seize control of the room’s narrative.
• Wisdom Shield makes a major psychological shift. He abandons his former reluctance to use coercion and openly threatens his father with overwhelming military force. Although victorious, he is visibly burdened by having adopted the brutal tactics Moss XIII taught him.
• Moss XIII is revealed as angry, politically calculating, and possibly involved in creating or exploiting the mysterious Blood Fiend-like force. He recognizes that Wisdom Shield has become a serious political opponent.
• Tamu is reduced from a powerful prince to a helpless criminal and slave. Despite his humiliation, he continues trying to provoke Wisdom Shield and expose what he sees as hypocrisy.
• She Li remains a quiet but crucial asset. His ability to perceive the mysterious force gives Chen Cheng information that the others lack and provides reassurance that the group can escape.

Significant Themes

• Power through law and interpretation: Chen Cheng demonstrates that laws can be weaponized by whoever controls their interpretation and circumstances.
• The transformation of identity: The chapter’s title reflects the characters’ changing roles—princes become criminals or slaves, a reluctant heir becomes a threatening political actor, and a slave acts like a royal authority.
• Political theater and narrative control: Chen turns a violent confrontation into a staged legal performance, ensuring that Wisdom Shield’s actions appear justified and that their enemies lose control of the situation.
• Inheritance of brutality: Wisdom Shield admits that he is finally using the methods Moss XIII taught him, suggesting that political power requires him to become like the father he resisted.
• Hidden forces and manipulation: The mysterious Blood Fiend-like phenomenon hints at larger schemes involving the royal family, the king, and possibly supernatural or military experimentation.
• Loyalty and protection: Chen’s actions show his commitment to Wisdom Shield, while Wisdom Shield’s military threat demonstrates his willingness to protect his position and allies at any cost.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Tamu: Chen humiliates and physically silences Tamu while using legal arguments to justify treating him as a slave.
• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield: Chen acts as Wisdom Shield’s strategist and shield, reminding him of their plan and helping him maintain control.
• Chen Cheng and Moss XIII: Their exchange is openly antagonistic. Chen mocks the king’s authority and threatens the consequences of harming Wisdom Shield.
• Wisdom Shield and Moss XIII: Wisdom Shield directly challenges his father, announces his victory, and threatens him with artillery. His words also reveal that he has adopted Moss XIII’s own methods.
• Chen Cheng and She Li: Chen relies on She Li’s expertise regarding the mysterious force and uses his presence to reassure Wisdom Shield that they can still escape.

Summary: “A Game Between Father and Son”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng discovers that Wisdom Shield secretly arranged for the Stowe Merchant Association to transport more than one hundred large-caliber howitzers, concealing the weapons from Moss XIII while preparing a powerful military threat.
• Chen Cheng warns that they cannot rely solely on the newly advancing Demigod, since Demigod-level beings are heavily restricted and may not be able to unleash their full strength quickly enough.
• Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng present Moss XIII with a plan:
  1. Convict Tamu and imprison him.
  2. Hold a grand Imperial Court assembly to expose his crimes.
  3. Let Moss XIII decide the final punishment, potentially reducing Tamu to slavery if he still values their father-son relationship.
• Wisdom Shield proposes that Moss XIII place him in command of the Royal Capital garrison. He would then activate the Hundun Army Formation under the pretext of defending the capital and sacrifice its 100,000 elite soldiers to kill the newly advanced Demigod before it could fully recover.
• Moss XIII questions whether the army could truly kill the Demigod and what would happen if it survived. Wisdom Shield counters that even a surviving Demigod would be gravely injured and require years to recover, giving him time to build an artillery-based army.
• Wisdom Shield reveals that his influence has spread deeply through the kingdom. His bank has bought the loyalty of officials and soldiers, including people under Modornik, making it difficult for Moss XIII to rely on the existing power structure.
• Chen Cheng explains that their success comes from offering greater benefits, modern education, firearms, social stability, and a fairer system to commoners and overlooked talent—people whom Moss XIII’s traditional hierarchy has ignored.
• Chen Cheng then hints that their “new learning” may possess weapons comparable to Demigod-level power. Though he cannot yet create them, he is thinking of nuclear weapons and thermobaric bombs, drawing confidence from the Ancient Ruins’ controllable nuclear fusion technology.
• The chapter ends with Chen Cheng considering thermobaric weapons as a more immediate deterrent, since their destructive power could rival that of Peak Epic Rank fighters.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng becomes increasingly confident and manipulative. He understands both military technology and psychological warfare, deliberately using vague hints about nuclear weapons to exploit Moss XIII’s paranoia.
• Wisdom Shield is shown to be an exceptionally calculating strategist. He has prepared hidden weapons, infiltrated rival factions, expanded financial influence, and is willing to sacrifice an entire elite army to eliminate a Demigod threat.
• Moss XIII shifts from treating Wisdom Shield and Chen Cheng as subjects to recognizing them as genuine political and military opponents. His composure deteriorates as he realizes how extensively they have gained power without his knowledge.
• Tamu becomes the immediate political target. His conviction is presented as inevitable, though Moss XIII may still choose a comparatively lenient punishment because of their father-son bond.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond traditional magic: Modern education, firearms, artillery, finance, and organization allow ordinary people to challenge magical elites.
• Political influence and social reform: Wisdom Shield’s faction grows by supporting commoners and neglected talent, revealing the weakness of a rigid aristocratic system.
• Deterrence and psychological warfare: The threat does not need to be fully real or immediately available; Chen Cheng’s ambiguous suggestion of Demigod-level weapons is enough to frighten Moss XIII.
• Family versus political survival: Moss XIII must choose between protecting his son Tamu and preserving his kingdom.
• The cost of power: Wisdom Shield’s strategy may require sacrificing 100,000 soldiers to defeat a single Demigod, emphasizing the ruthless calculations behind their struggle.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Wisdom Shield work as coordinated partners, alternating between military threats and psychological pressure.
• Moss XIII challenges their plans, but Wisdom Shield repeatedly answers with deeper preparations and stronger leverage.
• The father-son relationship between Moss XIII and Wisdom Shield is transformed into a contest of strategy, with Wisdom Shield effectively forcing his father to acknowledge his independence and power.
• Chen Cheng directly provokes Moss XIII by explaining why the old order is losing influence and by hinting that modern science may eventually surpass magic itself.

Chapter Summary: “Self-Destruction”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng reveals to Moss XIII that his faction possesses a powerful weapon comparable to an early Epic Rank. Moss XIII is shaken by the possibility that such weapons could be mass-produced and realizes that his carefully controlled plans may have slipped beyond his control.
• Moss XIII suspects Chen Cheng and the others may be waiting for Kui Yi to emerge before destroying him with their weapons. His distrust deepens, especially after learning that Holmes may have joined Chen Cheng’s side.
• Tham mocks Moss XIII, boasting that the “slave” and Moss XIII’s adopted son have united to overturn his plans. Chen Cheng threatens him, viewing him as a defeated and dangerous liability.
• Tham suddenly commits suicide by driving a jade finger bone into his own heart. She Li decapitates him immediately, but the severed head continues laughing, and the finger bone releases a powerful, sinister aura.
• She Li realizes the danger and carries Tham’s body and head out of the bedchamber, ordering everyone to run. Chen Cheng follows, fearing that She Li will sacrifice himself to deal with Tham’s remains.
• The released aura is identified as Godly Thought, refined from the power attached to the severed finger. It begins absorbing the momentum gathered over the Royal Capital, threatening to transform the city into a deadly wasteland.
• Wisdom Shield activates a signal flare to prevent the Royal Capital’s artillery from firing on She Li. He then reassures Chen Cheng that She Li can be trusted.
• Outside the city, Solon and Holmes observe the phenomenon and recognize that Tham had prepared a hidden backup plan. Armies begin mobilizing under Solon’s Imperial Decree, but the immediate crisis remains the spreading Godly Thought.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates both strategic confidence and genuine concern for his allies. Although he threatens Tham coldly, he becomes alarmed when She Li carries the dangerous corpse away and risks his life.
• Moss XIII suffers a major psychological reversal. Once confident that he controlled events, he becomes uncertain and fearful as Chen Cheng’s weapons, Holmes’s defection, and Tham’s actions undermine his plans.
• Tham reveals his hatred and desperation. Even after being rendered effectively useless, he activates a final suicidal scheme intended to destroy everyone around him and possibly the entire capital.
• She Li shows absolute loyalty to Chen Cheng. He removes Tham from the bedchamber not because he has a clear solution, but to keep the released power from harming Chen Cheng and the others.
• Wisdom Shield acts cautiously and pragmatically by preventing the artillery from accidentally killing She Li. His confidence in She Li contrasts with Chen Cheng’s panic.
• Solon and Holmes correctly identify the danger as Godly Thought and recognize the seriousness of Tham’s contingency plan.

Significant Themes

• Loss of control: Moss XIII realizes that years of manipulation and planning no longer guarantee his control over events.
• Loyalty versus ambition: She Li’s self-sacrificial loyalty to Chen Cheng contrasts with Moss XIII and Tham’s willingness to treat others as pieces in their schemes.
• Destructive consequences of power: Tham’s attempt to preserve a hidden weapon turns his death into a threat to the entire Royal Capital.
• Rebellion and shifting alliances: Holmes’s apparent defection and Chen Cheng’s cooperation with former enemies demonstrate the unstable political landscape.
• Self-destruction: Tham’s suicide embodies the chapter’s central idea: when defeat becomes inevitable, hatred and desperation can drive a character to destroy both himself and everyone nearby.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng privately terrifies Moss XIII with the revelation of his advanced weapons, while Moss XIII struggles to determine whether he is being deceived.
• Tham taunts Moss XIII about being defeated by the people he once controlled, prompting Chen Cheng to threaten him.
• She Li responds instantly to Tham’s suicide, decapitating him and then carrying away the dangerous remains.
• Chen Cheng calls She Li back out of concern for his safety, while Wisdom Shield urges Chen Cheng to trust him.
• Solon and Holmes observe the crisis from outside the city and interpret the spreading aura, confirming that Tham’s death triggered a prearranged supernatural weapon.

Chapter Summary: “Royal Attendants”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After absorbing enough of the sky’s momentum, Tamu’s body stops falling and he disappears, intending to return for Chen Cheng.
• The two royal attendants pursuing Tamu attack She Li, believing him to be Tamu’s accomplice. She Li avoids confronting them directly, using Shadow Evasion to escape their domains.
• Outside the Royal Capital, Solon orders the garrison troops to mobilize. Since Tamu’s Godly Thought has already absorbed too much momentum to be stopped, Solon prepares the army to contain or destroy it.
• The troops at the city’s four gates form a massive Military Formation. Solon combines their four Great Momenta into the Hun Tian Army Formation, placing the Royal Capital’s military under Hui Dun’s control.
• Moss XIII is brought out of the palace and realizes that his decades-long plan to create a Demigod has been ruined by Tamu’s discovery of the Godly Thought during a relic expedition.
• Moss XIII reveals that he is secretly an Epic Rank expert and attacks the sky with a punch. Numerous hidden royal attendants—also Epic Rank experts—emerge from around the capital.
• Moss orders the attendants to force the newly formed Godly Thought out of the Royal Capital. He recognizes that they cannot kill it directly and intends for the enormous Military Formation to destroy it once it fully manifests.
• Chen Cheng realizes that his apparent victory was premature. Moss still has numerous sons and powerful attendants, meaning he retains considerable political and military leverage.
• Moss orders Chen Cheng to have She Li escort Hui Dun and the others away once the crisis develops. Chen Cheng explains that She Li cannot escape the suppression of a Military Formation created by one hundred thousand soldiers.
• Chen Cheng also reveals that She Li’s ability to move through shadows does not come from his own path, but from his control of a Shadow Demon. The chapter ends with Chen Cheng noting that the person he arranged to advance has not yet appeared.

Character Developments

• She Li remains cautious and tactical, refusing to engage the royal attendants in an unfavorable position. His combat strength is formidable, but the chapter emphasizes his limitations against large-scale military formations.
• Chen Cheng maintains his sarcastic and irreverent attitude, even while facing overwhelming danger. However, his confidence gives way to anxiety when he recognizes the strength of Moss’s hidden forces. He also continues to conceal or selectively reveal information about She Li and his broader plans.
• Moss XIII is revealed to be far more powerful and prepared than Chen Cheng expected. As an Epic Rank expert, he has secretly maintained control over numerous elite attendants and still possesses alternative heirs. Despite losing his original plan, he remains calculating and determined to survive.
• Solon demonstrates decisive military leadership by rapidly organizing the Royal Capital’s forces and forming the Hun Tian Army Formation under Hui Dun’s authority.
• Hui Dun realizes that his father is not simply trying to force Chen Cheng’s group into battle; Moss is instead considering their escape, suggesting a more pragmatic and complicated relationship between them.
• Tamu is transformed into the central threat as the Godly Thought within him continues absorbing the sky’s momentum and approaches full manifestation.

Significant Themes

• The danger of premature victory: Chen Cheng’s assumption that he had already won is undermined by Moss’s hidden forces and remaining political options.
• Power versus strategy: Individual experts such as She Li and Moss are powerful, but large-scale Military Formations can suppress even extraordinary fighters.
• Hidden strength and deception: Moss concealed his own cultivation and the royal attendants’ presence, while Chen Cheng has also concealed the true source of She Li’s abilities and the existence of another advancing ally.
• The collapse of long-term plans: Moss’s decades of preparation are destroyed by an unpredictable relic discovery, emphasizing how chance can overturn political and personal ambitions.
• Political survival over authority: Moss temporarily sets aside his struggle to reclaim military control, focusing instead on containing Tamu’s transformation and preserving the kingdom.

Important Character Interactions

• The royal attendants attack She Li after identifying him as Tamu’s accomplice, but She Li evades them rather than fighting.
• Solon takes command of the city’s garrisons and effectively places the capital’s military under Hui Dun’s control.
• Moss mocks Chen Cheng’s confidence, reminding him that the succession struggle is not yet settled because he still has other sons.
• Chen Cheng counters Moss’s threats with insolence, but the exchange becomes more serious when Moss asks him to help Hui Dun and the others escape.
• Hui Dun is surprised by Moss’s willingness to facilitate their retreat, while Chen Cheng admits that escape is impossible under the Military Formation’s suppression.
• Chen Cheng openly explains She Li’s connection to the Shadow Demon, signaling that he is wary of Moss’s remaining hidden advantages.