Chapter Summaries

Aurora sent the warship Gardenia through the Black Barrier Zone using the Tree Boat and Lesser Evil Spirits as a passage. The ship returned frozen solid, with every living test subject dead, leaving the first exploration without survivors.

• Aurora ordered the Tree Boat to secure the hexagonal gate and use its vines to push Gardenia through the passage.
• Aurora forced condemned Bloodkin nobles and other test subjects aboard Gardenia, promising to pardon them if they returned alive.
• The Lesser Evil Spirits wrapped tendrils around Gardenia and pulled it through the gate as the Tree Boat's vines pushed it onward.
• Aurora explained that the Abyss Ghost could serve as a passage while the vines remained intact, and the group waited an hour before retrieving the ship.
• Jain and Aurora boarded Gardenia after it reappeared and found every animal and Bloodkin frozen dead.

Aurora investigated why the first expedition beyond the Black Barrier had died and learned that suffocation, rather than the cold, had killed them. After a second ship returned with survivors, she prepared to lead the next expedition herself.

• The mages examined the dead rebels and reported that suffocation was likely the cause of death beyond the Black Barrier.
• Aurora ordered a second expedition equipped with an air bladder, and the ship returned with two surviving prisoners and several surviving animals.
• One survivor said he had seen only endless night, while Aurora learned the protective force field could last about forty-five minutes.
• Aurora ordered a third ship to enter for fifteen minutes and announced that she would go herself.

Aurora led a third expedition through the Black Barrier, where Jaine and the explorers discovered a barren world beneath a vast artificial wall. After they returned, Aurora took Jaine to her residence to give him the reward she had promised.

• Aurora urged the expedition members to cross the Black Barrier, and Jaine joined the mages after her words rekindled his pioneer spirit.
• Aurora praised Jaine before the expedition set sail, and the Tree Boat carried the explorers through the Gate of the Abyss Ghost.
• Jaine discovered that the explorers had reached another world, where their air supplies leaked quickly and they could not communicate by sound.
• Aurora and the mages studied the barren landscape and the immense smooth Black Barrier, noting that magic still worked and several instruments behaved strangely.
• The Tree Boat pulled the expedition back after fifteen minutes, and Aurora promised to return and plant The Empire's flag atop the wall.
• Aurora brought Jaine to her residence and pushed him onto the bed, telling him to close his eyes and accept his reward.

Li and Venerable Shengtian arrived near Jinxia, where the Venerable insisted that Li remain at her side while she observed the city. At the city gate, they found a crowd gathered for an official contest pitting thirty horses against a Liberation-type Mechanical Beast and its operator.

• Li explained that the Affairs Bureau could arrange Venerable Shengtian’s reception, but the Venerable refused to announce her arrival because she wanted to judge Jinxia firsthand.
• Venerable Shengtian ordered Li to stay with her throughout her visit, and Li reluctantly agreed.
• Their carriage slowed at a congested road, and Wang Sha reported that people had gathered ahead.
• Li and Venerable Shengtian discovered that the crowd was watching and betting on a public strength contest rather than a dispute over refugees.
• A young girl explained that thirty military horses would compete against a Liberation-type Mechanical Beast and its operator by trying to pull the opposing side over.

Li and Venerable Shengtian watched a public contest between thirty horses and a Mechanical Beast, with Li trusting that Xia Fan had a practical purpose behind the spectacle. The Mechanical Beast overcame the horses and dragged them across the finish line, proving its strength to the astonished crowd.

• Li and Venerable Shengtian placed bets on the contest, with Li choosing the Mechanical Beast and Shengtian choosing the horses.
• Li explained that Xia Fan’s seemingly unusual ideas often achieved their goals simply, while Shengtian expected the horses to win because mechanical creations had limited strength.
• The contest began, and the thirty horses initially pulled the Mechanical Beast backward as the crowd cheered for them.
• The driver pressed a control lever, causing the Mechanical Beast’s wheels to stop and then steadily turn forward.
• The Mechanical Beast dragged the exhausted horses across the white line, while several horses collapsed and caused chaos.

Jinxia demonstrated a Liberation-type Mechanical Beast’s strength and speed, then used the public contest to promote Fang Family Logistics and the new Jinxia Yuan. Venerable Shengtian recognized that the event was a carefully arranged campaign whose influence could spread through Jinxia’s merchants.

• The Mechanical Beast beat a team of thirty horses in a strength contest, surprising Venerable Shengtian and prompting her to consider its usefulness to the Salvation Sect.
• The Mechanical Beast outran a four-wheeled freight carriage in an acceleration test, convincing the watching merchants of its transport potential.
• A little girl announced that Fang Family Logistics would use Liberation-type Mechanical Beasts for freight at a lower cost than carriages.
• The little girl explained that Jinxia Yuan could be exchanged through Ninghua Bank and used to buy goods, while the Affairs Bureau would punish unauthorized currency exchanges.
• Li recognized Venerable Shengtian’s changing understanding of Jinxia, and Venerable Shengtian realized the contest had promoted both the Mechanical Beast and the new currency.

Venerable Shengtian entered Jinxia City and saw refugees working, thriving commerce, and people from many lands living alongside locals. As she observed the city’s confident residents, she realized they seemed to have become their own masters.

• Venerable Shengtian entered Jinxia with Li, Luo Qingqing, and the others after leaving their caravan outside the city.
• Luo Qingqing explained that work relief and infrastructure projects had helped refugees find a place in Jinxia, where ordinary people could afford to eat out.
• Venerable Shengtian saw Western Pole and Yao visitors mingling with locals, along with armed Mechanical Beasts patrolling the streets.
• Li explained that the crowds came out because the princess had made the last day of each week a paid holiday, and she invited Venerable Shengtian to Miss Chi’s concert.
• Venerable Shengtian studied the confident, hopeful people of Jinxia and felt they had become their own masters.

Yan Qing recognized familiar habits in Venerable Shengtian and suspected she was her long-lost friend, Li Mengyun, who had disappeared during an attack by the Black Gate Cult. Yan Qing and Qian decided to test the possibility before reporting it to Xia Fan.

• Qian and Yan Qing watched the Salvation Sect visitors while sharing candied fruit, and Qian reflected on how Yan Qing had become more at ease in Jinxia.
• Yan Qing told Qian she had someone she loved, then abruptly stared at Venerable Shengtian in shock.
• Yan Qing noticed that Venerable Shengtian handled her food just as her missing friend Li Mengyun once had.
• Yan Qing connected Li Mengyun's disappearance during a Black Gate Cult attack to the Salvation Sect's origins and wondered if her friend had survived and joined the cult.
• Qian agreed that Li Mengyun might be Venerable Shengtian, and Yan Qing decided to test her before telling Xia Fan.

Venerable Shengtian visited Jinxia’s lively nighttime plaza and learned how the Affairs Bureau had made the city safe and active after dark. She saw a Zhen Lamp illuminate the concert grounds and realized it might help the Salvation Sect fight Mei beneath the Skywell.

• Venerable Shengtian was astonished to see Jinxia’s residents safely crowding the streets at night.
• Luo Qingqing explained how the Affairs Bureau had crushed gangs, created jobs, and encouraged nighttime activity with entertainment and affordable lighting.
• Venerable Shengtian wondered whether Xia Fan’s unusual success came from his ability to hear messages from beyond the heavens.
• Li and the others entered the plaza, where Zhen Lamps suddenly lit the grounds as brightly as day.
• Li explained how the Zhen Lamps worked, and Venerable Shengtian realized they could help the Salvation Sect restrain Mei and explore the depths beneath the Skywell.

At a concert in Jinxia, Li Mengyun watched Chi and Yu Linglong perform before Qian Shifang lured her into an alley. There, she reunited with Yan Qing, who recognized her after ten years and promised to keep her identity secret.

• Li Mengyun watched Chi perform a patriotic song that moved the plaza audience and left Venerable Shengtian bewildered by Jinxia.
• During the intermission, Li Mengyun saw Yu Linglong take the stage in revealing clothes and perform for an enthusiastic crowd.
• Qian Shifang contacted Li Mengyun through voice transmission and claimed that Li was in his hands, then ordered her to meet him alone.
• Li Mengyun entered the alley ready to rescue Li, but Qian admitted Li was safe and had only been an excuse to bring her there.
• Yan Qing emerged and embraced Li Mengyun, revealing that she had recognized her after ten years.
• Yan Qing explained how Qian had changed and promised to conceal Li Mengyun's identity, while Li Mengyun remained unable to return Yan Qing's feelings.

Li Mengyun met with Princess Guangping and Xia Fan to explain the Salvation Sect’s warning about an approaching world-ending enemy. She revealed that the Kingdom of Heaven would carry its refugees beyond the firmament to a paradise beyond the world.

• Li Mengyun watched fireworks with Li and the others, then decided to meet Princess Guangping and Xia Fan the next day.
• At Fengyang Mountain Villa, Li Mengyun met Princess Guangping and Xia Fan and confirmed that they already knew about the Dui Technique ring.
• Li Mengyun explained that the Salvation Sect monitored the Six States and feared Evil Spirit infiltration in Xu State and the Seven Stars Bureau of Military Affairs.
• In response to Ning Wanjun’s questions, Li Mengyun described the calamity as a powerful Evil Spirit that would destroy the world.
• Li Mengyun revealed that the Kingdom of Heaven was a vessel that would send its refugees beyond the firmament to a paradise beyond the world.

Xia Fan accepted that the Skywell and other relics pointed to a past catastrophe, but questioned the Salvation Sect’s belief that escaping to the Kingdom of Heaven was the only way to survive. He left Li Mengyun without an agreement to transfer Shenzhou’s people, arguing that the world’s continued cultural and biological links to the predecessors suggested another group had survived.

• Xia Fan recalled Li’s account of the Skywell and other ruins, which led him to suspect they were remnants of an earlier civilization that had faced a catastrophe.
• Ning Wanjun checked on Xia Fan, while Li Mengyun noticed their familiarity and grew suspicious of their relationship.
• Li Mengyun warned that the calamity was approaching and that King Yong was seeking to reopen the Black Gate; Xia Fan said he believed the Skywell had been built to escape a disaster.
• Li Mengyun urged Jinxia to arrange the transfer of nearly a million people from Shenzhou within half a year, but Xia Fan refused to rush into it.
• Xia Fan questioned whether the Listener’s vision described the past rather than the future and argued that the present people’s shared language, food, and dwellings with the predecessors showed that some had survived without fleeing to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Xia Fan and Ning Wanjun agreed to cooperate with the Salvation Sect and visit Baiyao Mountain to investigate the Skywell region. During negotiations, Li Mengyun realized the sect needed weapons and supplies but had little silver to pay for them.

• Xia Fan argued that the Pioneers had not returned after the catastrophe because too few people could have preserved civilization and its knowledge.
• Xia Fan told Li Mengyun that he supported the Salvation Sect’s goal of protecting living beings and proposed visiting Baiyao Mountain.
• Ning Wanjun agreed to accompany Xia Fan, with Qiuyue disguising herself to oversee Jinxia in her absence.
• Xia Fan and Li Mengyun began discussing cooperation after agreeing that Jinxia and the Salvation Sect shared enemies.
• Li Mengyun discovered that Jinxia had little need for the sect’s food and clothing, while the Salvation Sect urgently needed weapons, medical supplies, and Zhen Lamps but had little silver.

Li Mengyun negotiated a credit-based arms and technology deal between the Salvation Sect and Jinxia, including limited access to Baiyao Mountain. After returning to Jinxia, Luo Qingqing told Xia Fan about the turmoil in You Province and affirmed that choosing Jinxia had been the right decision, leaving her feeling at home there.

• Xia Fan offered the Salvation Sect weapons and supplies on credit in exchange for later payment and limited access to Baiyao Mountain for Jinxia officials.
• Li Mengyun requested weapons, medicinal catalysts, Zhen Lamps, and instruction in their use, then asked for Li to keep accompanying her.
• Xia Fan decided to set aside plans to absorb the Salvation Sect and considered how Jinxia might respond to the coming disaster.
• Luo Qingqing told Xia Fan about the suffering and disorder she had witnessed in You Province and among the Luo Family.
• Luo Qingqing said she did not regret choosing Jinxia and told Xia Fan that the city already felt like home; Xia Fan welcomed her back.

Xia Fan learned that the Key of the Zodiac pointed toward Baiyao Mountain, where the Salvation Sect was also active. He agreed to let Hualin travel with him to search for Matriarch Stitch, promising that Jinxia would protect her regardless of the outcome.

• Hualin visited Xia Fan at the Villa with Feleton, who asked whether she could join Xia Fan on his trip to Baiyao Mountain.
• Feleton explained that he had inferred the Salvation Sect envoy's arrival by gathering small clues about changes in Jinxia's patrols and public activity.
• Feleton revealed that the Key of the Zodiac pointed southwest of Shenzhou, toward a remote region surrounded by the Desolate Mountains.
• Feleton said Hualin's safety depended on finding Matriarch Stitch before Talius discovered her escape from the Holy Wing Islands.
• Xia Fan agreed to bring Hualin to Baiyao Mountain and assured them that Jinxia would protect her from Natating.

Li visited Xia Fan secretly, and the princess’s envoy returned to Baili Town to find it transformed under Jinxia’s rule. At the end, Xia Fan entered the rumored secret tunnel and recognized its stone platform as resembling a subway station.

• Li sneaked away from Venerable Shengtian to meet Xia Fan, and the two shared a scallion pancake.
• Li Mengyun checked on Li, saw her sleeping, and reflected on their past and Li’s peaceful life without memories of her.
• Three days later, Ning Wanjun’s envoy left Jinxia, and the group reached Baili Town after nearly a week of travel.
• Venerable Shengtian saw that Jinxia’s army had won the townspeople’s trust, and Ning Wanjun credited Xia Fan with establishing its discipline and administrative rules.
• Xia Fan entered the secret tunnel beyond Baili Town and found a stone hall resembling a subway station.

Xia Fan and the others boarded an ancient special train bound for the Escape Tower, where he discovered that its electronic attendant responded to spoken requests. After the train departed through the Exposure Zone, Li Mengyun said the journey would take about half a shichen.

• Xia Fan entered the ruined carriage and heard an announcement instructing passengers to wear protective suits for the passage through the Exposure Zone.
• Xia Fan spoke to the electronic attendant and discovered that it could answer requests and dispense drinks, though the iced coffee it produced had spoiled.
• Xia Fan asked about reservations, and the attendant said no Escape Tower flights were preparing for launch and advised passengers to register at the tower.
• Venerable Shengtian and Li Mengyun were astonished by Xia Fan's discovery, and Li Mengyun wondered whether his knowledge could help the Salvation Sect explore the mountain's depths.
• Xia Fan had the group put on protective suits, and the train departed after its carriage reached its occupancy limit.
• Yan Qing asked whether they were underway, and Li Mengyun said the journey would take about half a shichen.

Xia Fan noticed a vast reflective crescent over the desolate region and forced the special train to stop, believing the passengers faced danger. He left the carriage alone to investigate the exposed zone, warning that the passageway itself might soon become one.

• Hualin, Feleton, and Mr. Three-Eyes discussed the protective suits as the others tried them on, while Xia Fan secretly studied their figures.
• Xia Fan saw Luo Qingqing had covered her suit with a white robe, and Li teased him about missing the chance to see her figure.
• When the train reached the exposed zone, Xia Fan spotted an unusually wide crescent above the land and demanded an immediate stop.
• Xia Fan activated the emergency brake, and Venerable Shengtian decided to wait rather than stop him.
• After the train halted, Xia Fan exited alone and told the others the suits were meant to sustain life in the exposed zone, warning that the passageway could become one at any time.

Xia Fan led the group through the tunnel to investigate the strange loss of qi and discovered that the train route had crossed beyond the apparent edge of the world. He entered an airlock alone to test whether it still worked, leaving the others to wait outside.

• Li, the Jinxia group, Princess Guangping, Luo Qingqing, and Li Mengyun followed Xia Fan out of the carriage, while Qian and Yan Qing stayed behind to guard the retreat.
• Luo Qingqing sensed that the qi outside the stopped train had weakened, and Xia Fan found talisman patterns beneath it that suggested the train ran on qi-powered technology.
• After walking back along the tunnel, Xia Fan and the others saw a breach in the mountain and a deep, star-filled night sky beyond it, along with another passage crushed by the damage.
• Xia Fan found an airlock that led outside the passage and told the group to wait while he tested it alone.
• Xia Fan shut himself inside the airlock, and Venerable Shengtian wondered why he seemed so familiar with the place.

Xia Fan tested the protective suit and airlock, then led a group beyond Baiyao Mountain’s boundary. Outside, they found centuries-old corpses and saw that the barren world they stood on was the Moon, with Earth hanging in the sky.

• Xia Fan activated the airlock and confirmed that his suit could supply oxygen and warmth for a limited time.
• Xia Fan chose Li, Luo Qingqing, Olina, Shanhui, and Venerable Shengtian to accompany him through the airlock.
• The group crossed the boundary, and Venerable Shengtian questioned whether Xia Fan had known where they were going.
• Xia Fan pointed out the protective-suited corpses among the ruins, and Luo Qingqing said their souls were gone and they were Ji.
• Xia Fan stepped outside the mountain and recognized the blue planet above them as Home.