Recaps

Tiandao revealed overwhelming strength, attacking Chen Kong and turning Yu Chen's bullet against him before stopping Liu Ma's charge with one hand. He began crushing Liu Ma's fist as the Fifth Squad watched helplessly.

• Tiandao teleported in front of Chen Kong and blasted him into a Brass Tower pillar with Vector Reversal.
• Tiandao restrained Vivian and warned her to stay quiet while her task remained unfinished.
• Yu Chen fired a Silver Falcon Bullet at Tiandao, who stopped it, turned it black, and sent it back at Yu Chen; Kong Cheng pulled Yu Chen clear.
• Liu Ma transformed and attacked Tiandao with Feather Force Pseudo Triple, but Tiandao caught his punch and held him in place.
• Tiandao mocked Liu Ma and slowly began closing his hand around Liu Ma's fist.

Tiandao overpowered Liu Ma and demonstrated how he could extend Feather Force beyond his body and onto his weapon. After Chen Kong helped Liu Ma withstand Tiandao’s sword aura, Tiandao revealed his identity and appeared before them as their former enemy.

• Tiandao crushed Liu Ma’s forearm, then sent him crashing into a wall with a forceful push.
• Liu Ma asked why Tiandao knew Feather Force, and Tiandao showed that he could apply the technique to Shattered Star.
• Tiandao struck Liu Ma with a black sword aura, and Liu Ma used his hardened arms to resist it.
• Chen Kong intervened with Mark of the Void: Return to Dust and helped Liu Ma stop the sword aura, leaving Liu Ma unable to fight.
• Chen Kong asked Tiandao why he was doing this, and Tiandao rose into the air as his eyes turned azure, revealing his identity.

Tiandao revealed himself as the mastermind behind the attack, declared his intent to stand at heaven’s summit, and took Vivian and Little Danika toward the Gear Hub. He left Chen Kong and the others behind in a shifting Quantum Space maze as the Steam Branch mobilized to pursue him.

• Tiandao unleashed his pressure on Chen Kong and the others, then explained that he sought a higher realm and believed reaching it required bloodshed.
• Tiandao removed his Passerby’s Glasses, revealed that he looked exactly like Shui Mo, and transformed his hair silver-white as he declared he would stand at heaven’s summit.
• Tiandao used the Quantum Cube and Vivian, the key to the Miracle Domain, to open a rift to the true Brass Path and carried her through it.
• Inside Quantum Space, Tiandao told Chen Xing that the Gear Hub was a key to his goal and that he also needed Little Danika, then created an Infinite Maze to hinder pursuers.
• Tiandao took Vivian and Little Danika along the Brass Path toward the Gear Hub, while Chen Kong and the others were freed from his pressure after the rift closed.
• The Steam Branch learned that all the Twelve Brass Nobles except Leighton had died, and Liam ordered the Association Star Envoys into the Steam Furnace while staying outside to protect it.

Pang Hu reviewed the second volume and July’s writing output, then announced August bonus chapters, a monthly-ticket side story, and a reader giveaway. The giveaway would accept tickets cast through August 8, with winners verified by August 14.

• Pang Hu described the second volume as steady but weaker than the first and said careful plotting limited writing speed.
• Pang Hu reported writing about 230,000 words in July, averaging more than 7,000 words a day.
• Pang Hu calculated 34 provisional August bonus chapters from July’s monthly tickets and an Alliance Leader contribution.
• Pang Hu announced that the monthly-ticket side story would be released at 00:01 on August 1 and would not contain main-plot or worldbuilding material.
• Pang Hu announced a giveaway of 30 Crazy Thursday prizes and 10 guaranteed prizes for the top monthly-ticket voters, with entries accepted through August 8 and winners required to verify by August 14.

Tiandao revealed himself as the mastermind behind the events in the Steam Capital and took Vivian through a Quantum Space rift toward the Gear Hub, declaring his intention to stand at heaven's summit. As the Steam Branch mobilized to pursue him, Tiandao split Quantum Space into a maze and left Chen Xing in control of its layout.

• Tiandao overwhelmed Chen Kong and the others with his pressure, revealed his identity, and explained that he sought a higher realm.
• Tiandao transformed his hair to silver-white, declared that he would stand at heaven's summit, and took Vivian through a rift toward the Gear Hub.
• Inside Quantum Space, Tiandao showed Chen Xing the enormous gear and asked her to guide intruders through a maze of shifting rooms.
• Tiandao led Vivian and Little Danika along the data-covered Brass Path while Chen Xing received control over the maze's layout.
• Liam learned that all the Twelve Brass Nobles except Leighton had died, ordered the Steam Branch into the furnace, and stayed behind to protect it.

Tiandao brought Danika and Vivian to the Brass Gear, where Danika’s permissions opened the way and Vivian was identified as the Steam Furnace’s required sacrifice. Tiandao sent Vivian into the furnace to guide out the true Gear Hub, while Danika believed he was giving Vivian a chance to evolve.

• Tiandao led Danika and Vivian past the Gear Guardians, who recognized Danika’s permissions and let them approach the Brass Gear.
• Tiandao explained that Danika’s Gear permissions surpassed those of any Brass Noble, though Danika did not understand why.
• A Steam Furnace rose from beneath the brass, and Tiandao revealed that Vivian was the sacrifice needed to expose the Brass Gear’s true form.
• Tiandao used his power to send the defiant Vivian into the Steam Furnace.
• Danika said the furnace had told her that tempering meant evolution rather than replacement, and Tiandao said Vivian’s fate depended on her own fortune.

Tiandao explained how Vivian’s ordeal in the Steam Furnace would grant her the Myriad Machine Spark, while revealing that he wanted her to drain the furnace so he could claim its Quantum Space. As Chen Kong led the Steam Branch Star Envoys into the Quantum Space to stop the process, Tiandao’s plan for a misunderstood act of “kindness” was about to face them.

• Tiandao reflected that Vivian’s Rank 1 status had left her unable to keep pace with the stronger Starborn.
• Tiandao explained that Vivian would gain the Myriad Machine Spark in the Steam Furnace, granting her powers over Machine Spirits and a path to compete with the New Federation prodigies.
• Tiandao revealed that he wanted Vivian to absorb the furnace’s remaining energy so he could seize its Quantum Space and forge Perfect Technique: Purgatory Rashomon.
• Tiandao described his plan to let the Dimensional Audience misunderstand his actions until they learned the truth behind his apparent cruelty.
• Tiandao asked whether the expected arrival had come, and a large group of Steam Branch Star Envoys descended into the Quantum Space with Chen Kong leading them.

Vivian endured soul-shattering agony in Tiandao’s Steam Furnace while the Dimensional Audience began doubting him, unaware that he was deliberately setting them up to feel guilty and boost his popularity later. A Quantum Leap Storm scattered Chen Kong and his companions, while Chen Xing faced Yae Zhai in Quantum Space and prepared to fight him.

• Vivian screamed as the Steam Furnace burned, tore apart, and remade her soul, while Tiandao refused to explain his actions to the Dimensional Audience.
• The Dimensional Audience argued over whether Tiandao was cruelly torturing Vivian or helping her, as Tiandao intended their misunderstanding to deepen before a later reversal.
• Chen Kong heard Vivian’s scream, but Lias warned the group that a Quantum Leap Storm was coming and told everyone to hold on to their Quantum Beacons.
• The data torrent swept away Chen Kong’s companions and then swallowed Chen Kong himself.
• Yae Zhai fell through a Quantum Space Rift into Chen Xing’s training ground, where she demanded that he defeat her or die.
• Yae Zhai realized Chen Xing was Tiandao’s helper, drew his broken blade, and eagerly accepted her challenge to fight.

Chen Xing unleashed her full power in a brutal duel with Yae Zhai while Tiandao prepared for Chen Kong’s arrival. Chen Kong and the Steam Branch Star Envoys reached the Gear Hub, where Tiandao’s quiet presence left them trembling in fear.

• Chen Xing drew the Demonic Blade and fought Yae Zhai in a savage deathmatch, while Tiandao observed their battle through the Dimensional Screen.
• Tiandao reflected that Chen Xing and Yae Zhai could endure their superficial wounds and grow more dangerous as the fight continued.
• Lias and the captains of the Steam Branch’s First, Second, and Third Squads held Chen Xing back so Chen Kong and his companions could proceed.
• Chen Kong followed his companions through the Red Lotus purgatory, hoping to persuade Tiandao rather than stop him by force.
• Chen Kong, Yu Chen, and the other Star Envoys arrived at the Gear Hub and found Tiandao seated before the gigantic furnace.
• Tiandao greeted Chen Kong, and his calm gaze made the group freeze and feel afraid.

Chen Kong and the Steam Branch Star Envoys faced Tiandao and the Gear Guardians while Vivian was trapped inside the Steam Furnace. When several Gear Guardians suddenly turned against the others, Chen Kong and Yu Chen saw a chance to save Vivian, but Tiandao appeared to have anticipated the chaos.

• Yu Chen tried to draw his Silver Falcon for a sneak attack, but Tiandao warned him and froze the Star Envoys with his overwhelming presence.
• An Association Star Envoy explained that the Gear Guardians were immortal Level 3-or-higher protectors of the Steam Furnace, discouraging Yu Chen from attacking.
• Vivian screamed as the Steam Furnace filled with mist and her body began turning transparent.
• Four Gear Guardians suddenly attacked their companions, triggering a battle between the rebels and the loyal Guardians.
• Chen Kong and Yu Chen realized they could use the fighting to reach Vivian if they could hold Tiandao back, while Tiandao calmly watched as though he had expected it.

Tiandao attacked the Star Envoys who tried to stop him, while Chen Kong’s consciousness was pulled into Soul Space and he pleaded with Bai Kong for help. Bai Kong refused to fight Tiandao in Chen Kong’s weak body unless Chen Kong agreed to a condition.

• Tiandao challenged Chen Kong to stop him with strength and warned that he would clear away the irrelevant Star Envoys.
• Tiandao’s Black Azures wounded three Deputy Captain-level Star Envoys, whose Quantum Beacons teleported them away.
• Yu Chen attacked Tiandao with Silver Falcon and his Azure Owl hand cannon, but Tiandao quickly struck him down.
• Tiandao swept through the remaining Star Envoys, leaving only Chen Kong and the barely standing Yu Chen in the area.
• Bai Kong appeared in Chen Kong’s Soul Space, called him an idiot for confronting Tiandao, and refused to help with Chen Kong’s current body.
• Bai Kong said he would help only if Chen Kong agreed to one condition.

Chen Kong reluctantly made a contract with Bai Kong, agreeing to let him control his body in exchange for limits on how often he could do so and a ban on killing. Meanwhile, Yu Chen lay defeated before Tiandao Siming and realized how enormous the gap between them was.

• Chen Kong accepted Bai Kong's demand to control his body for three minutes and forget what happened during that time if Bai Kong helped save Vivian.
• Chen Kong negotiated a limit of once every seven days and forbade Bai Kong from killing anyone while in control; Bai Kong agreed, and their souls were bound by a contract.
• The Dimensional Audience watched the deal and worried that Bai Kong would cause trouble in the future.
• Yu Chen lay injured in the Quantum Space of the Steam Furnace and recalled Tiandao Siming's wanted-order warning against confronting him recklessly.
• Yu Chen reflected that Tiandao had overwhelmed him twice with sheer star energy and physical strength, shattering his confidence in his own abilities.

Yu Chen realized the vast gulf between himself and Tiandao, but Bai Kong intervened and revealed himself as a guest from beyond this realm. Tiandao overwhelmed Bai Kong with a vector barrier and five Black Azures, leaving his fate unknown.

• Yu Chen lost hope of defeating Tiandao as he recognized the difference in their strength.
• Bai Kong attacked Tiandao and sacrificed his left arm to make him retreat, prompting Tiandao to identify him as Qiong, a guest from beyond this realm.
• Bai Kong regenerated his arm and complained that Chen Kong's body limited his power, while Tiandao admitted he was deliberately provoking him.
• Bai Kong attacked with Black Star, but Tiandao stopped the blade between two fingers using a vector barrier.
• Bai Kong retreated, and Tiandao sent five Black Azures at him, engulfing him in an explosion.

Bai Kong revealed his Half-Star Remnantification and attacked Tiandao Siming, who calmly countered his concealed bullets and sword strikes. Bai Kong continued trying to break through Tiandao’s Myriad Repulsion as the fight escalated.

• Bai Kong healed his shoulder with black energy and taunted Tiandao Siming, then said he would stop holding back.
• Bai Kong underwent Half-Star Remnantification, growing bone-like armor and a horn as a vast phantom appeared behind him.
• Tiandao recognized Bai Kong’s transformation, while Bai Kong’s strength surged and he launched an attack with the Void Weaver and Black Star.
• Tiandao drew Shattered Star and deflected all three of Bai Kong’s concealed Mark of the Void Bullets.
• Bai Kong pressed Tiandao with a storm of sword strikes and more bullets, trying to break through his Myriad Repulsion.

Tiandao stopped fighting defensively and began overwhelming Bai Kong after Bai Kong taunted him. The chapter ended with Tiandao repeatedly attacking Bai Kong while counting down the thirty seconds he had promised to keep him from speaking.

• Bai Kong increased his attacks and taunted Tiandao, hoping to distract him while his ally reached the Steam Furnace.
• Tiandao's expression and aura changed, and he warned Bai Kong that he enjoyed talking trash.
• Tiandao slashed Bai Kong across the abdomen and announced that he had thirty seconds.
• Tiandao activated Stellar Eclipse Liberation and kicked Bai Kong with pure physical strength, bypassing the Mark of the Void.
• Tiandao continued striking Bai Kong as he counted down from twenty-nine seconds to twenty-six.

Tiandao used Stellar Eclipse Liberation to brutally overpower Bai Kong for thirty seconds, leaving him unable to resist. After Tiandao walked away, Bai Kong returned to Soul Space, insisted he would win next time, and retreated to rest.

• Tiandao activated Stellar Eclipse Liberation and kicked Bai Kong around Quantum Space while counting down the seconds.
• Bai Kong tried to recover and fight back, but Tiandao interrupted him and continued breaking his bones and mask.
• At the end of the thirty seconds, Tiandao released the nearly unconscious Bai Kong and warned him to speak respectfully next time.
• Tiandao left for the Steam Furnace as Bai Kong lay too exhausted to move or speak.
• Bai Kong returned to Soul Space, snapped at Chen Kong’s concern, and vowed to reclaim his pride before retreating to rest.

After defeating Bai Kong, Tiandao watched Vivian attack Yu Chen in a berserk state and entered the Steam Furnace with Danika. Chen Kong woke and joined Yu Chen in trying to restore Vivian, while Tiandao watched events unfold as he had predicted.

• Tiandao dispelled the Stellar Eclipse Liberation spell after beating Bai Kong and turned his attention to the Steam Furnace.
• Yu Chen pulled Vivian from the Steam Furnace, but she attacked him with the Seconds Hand Rapier, forcing him to evade her lethal strikes.
• Tiandao explained that Vivian had been tamed by power, then entered the Steam Furnace with Danika to give the play its ending.
• Chen Kong woke, saw Vivian attacking Yu Chen, and joined him in trying to bring her back to her senses.
• Tiandao watched from inside the Steam Furnace, knowing Chen Kong and Yu Chen would awaken Vivian and help her begin mastering the Myriad Machine Spark.

Tiandao used the Quantum Key to draw the Brass Gear into the Quantum Cube, advancing his work on Perfect Technique: Purgatory Rashomon. He sent Danika to leave special laws in Rashomon as the gear and cube merged, preparing to test the completed technique on an arriving Mechanical Star Envoy and give its body to Caroline.

• Tiandao explained to Danika that the Brass Gear and the Steam Furnace came from the same place as she did.
• Tiandao used the Quantum Key to shrink the Brass Gear and make the Quantum Cube swallow it.
• Chen Xing fought off Steam Branch Star Envoys while watching the trembling furnace and trusting Tiandao's plan.
• Tiandao entered the Quantum Cube with Danika and explained that she needed to leave permanent laws in Rashomon while the cube and gear merged.
• Tiandao sent Danika to carry out her task and planned to test his completed technique on a high-level Mechanical Star Envoy, whose body he intended as a gift for Caroline.

Tiandao used Danika’s rule-shaping Word to reshape the laws absorbed from the Brass Gear inside the Quantum Cube. Outside, Chen Kong and Yu Chen struggled to save Vivian as a high-ranking Mechanical God Cult priest arrived and initiated a clearance protocol.

• After the Quantum Cube assimilated the Brass Gear, Tiandao asked Danika to reshape its rules, supporting her with Star Energy and Hyper-computation.
• Danika’s ability formed new symbols from the golden gear patterns, and the Dimensional Audience learned that she could create temporary or permanent rules.
• As the Quantum Space shook without the Brass Gear’s stabilizing effect, Chen Kong tried to use his Mark of the Void to help Vivian while Yu Chen restrained her.
• Vivian’s Mechanoid Personality resisted them and attacked Yu Chen, but Chen Kong stopped her with a Golden Body Transformation, briefly making her hesitate.
• A pale-golden Mechanoid Fighter arrived above the Steam Furnace, and its armored passenger identified an energy anomaly and initiated the highest-level clearance protocol.

Chen Xing escaped the Quantum Space with Fox, while the Steam Branch Association Star Envoys were ordered to retreat. After Vivian knocked Chen Kong down, Tiandao intervened and faced the Iron Dome Family’s senior Mechanical Star Envoy, who had been ordered to capture him alive.

• Liam ordered every Steam Branch Association Star Envoy in the Quantum Space to evacuate, but Yae Zhai refused to leave while fighting Chen Xing.
• Chen Xing ended the fight with flames and prepared to leave through a quantum rift, but Yae Zhai threw his broken blade at her and Fox caught and shattered it.
• Fox escorted Chen Xing out, and she invited Yae Zhai to find her at the Blazing Sun Family outpost in Martial Arts Heavenly Capital.
• The Quantum Beacons teleported Yae Zhai and the other Steam Branch Star Envoys away, including Yu Chen, leaving Chen Kong alone with Vivian.
• Vivian knocked Chen Kong down and attacked him, but Tiandao appeared, stopped her strike, and rendered her unconscious.
• The Iron Dome Family’s senior Mechanical Star Envoy arrived and changed its mission to capturing Tiandao alive, and Tiandao challenged it over what it had failed to do six years earlier.

Tiandao faced Ivan, an Iron Dome Family Mechanical Star Envoy, and effortlessly turned aside his attacks. The fight left Chen Kong comparing himself bitterly with Tiandao’s overwhelming strength.

• Ivan activated his mechanoid armor and declared that Tiandao would not escape this time.
• Ivan fired his Star Energy Particle Cannon, but Tiandao’s Vector Field split the beam around him.
• Tiandao analyzed the cannon’s energy and frequency, prompting Ivan to switch to a melee attack.
• Tiandao caught Ivan’s electrified battle blade with his bare hand and used Myriad Repulsion to divert its current.
• Chen Kong watched Tiandao stop Ivan’s attack and felt the vast gap between their abilities.

Tiandao overwhelmed Ivan in close combat, using his Vector Field and precise attacks on Ivan’s mech’s energy nodes to defeat his weapons and damage his armor. Ivan recovered and began analyzing the fight as Tiandao prepared to continue, treating him as both a gift for Caroline and a worthy opponent.

• Tiandao and Ivan fought at close range while Chen Kong moved himself and Vivian out of the battle’s dangerous aftershocks.
• Ivan fired miniature Star Energy Particle spheres at Tiandao, but Tiandao’s Vector Field deflected and destroyed them.
• Ivan transformed his Battle Blade into a chain blade, but Tiandao dodged it and disrupted its energy node with a precise flick.
• Tiandao struck Ivan in the chest and sent him crashing through three Quantum rooms, leaving his armor cracked and his mech damage at 15.7%.
• Ivan rose and rapidly analyzed the battle data while Tiandao watched with excitement.

Ivan activated his Quantum Hive and used its nanite swarm to repair and upgrade his mech, but Tiandao revealed Vector Control: Storage and countered his assault. Unable to find a conventional way to win, Ivan began a Mechanical Divine Descent to summon the God of Ten Thousand Machines.

• Ivan released the Quantum Hive’s Nanite Mechanical Bees, which returned to his mech and rapidly repaired it.
• Ivan activated Overclocking and Swarm Co-op Combat, then attacked Tiandao with a swarm-forged blade and heavy punch.
• Tiandao used Vector Control: Storage to absorb and return part of Ivan’s attack, damaging Ivan’s mech arm.
• Tiandao explained that stored Vector Damage could be released in stacked layers, leaving Ivan with few viable ways to defeat him.
• Ivan decided to risk summoning the God of Ten Thousand Machines and began the Mechanical Divine Descent.

Ivan invoked the Mechanical God Cult’s ritual to connect with the Quantum Fortress, transforming into a machine-controlled Holy Spirit and preparing to fight Tiandao. Tiandao revealed the technological basis of Ivan’s divine descent, then summoned Purgatory Rashomon and considered how believers might form the cornerstone of his own godhood.

• Ivan prayed to the God of Ten Thousand Machines, calming the Gear Guardians and linking his nanite swarm to the Quantum Fortress.
• The Quantum Fortress took control of Ivan’s fused body, turning him into the Holy Spirit and forming a towering false god above him.
• Tiandao explained that Ivan’s divine descent relied on remote access to a Mechanical Nexus and an exchange of his lifespan for computing power and Star Energy.
• Ivan raised his Mechanoid Battle Blade and prepared to attack Tiandao, who summoned the Quantum Cube technique, Purgatory Rashomon.
• Tiandao reflected that believers might be a crucial foundation for a god and realized he may have found his own cornerstone.

Tiandao used his popularity-fueled power to unleash Perfect Technique: Purgatory Rashomon against Ivan and the God of Ten Thousand Machines. Inside the purgatory space, Ivan’s suppressed human memories resurfaced as Tiandao’s slashes damaged his armor and disrupted his core logic.

• Tiandao revealed that his true target was the God of Ten Thousand Machines, and he unleashed Perfect Technique: Purgatory Rashomon as his opening challenge.
• The Quantum Cube released a black Star Energy Fluctuation that dragged Ivan, Chen Kong, Danika, and Vivian into a dark purgatory space.
• Purgatory Rashomon magnified Ivan’s memories of his childhood, his forced mechanical modification by the Iron Dome Family, and the loss of his humanity.
• Ivan’s suppressed emotions disrupted his core logic and slowed his strike against Tiandao.
• Pitch-black slashes struck Ivan’s armor joints, invaded his consciousness, and intensified his negative emotions.